Act 1, Scene 2: “The Edge and Back” (Group B: Main Game thre

[ausie]

Garroth gets up front with Boyd... "I meant what I said before... you have my thanks for taking out that damned warg.. I was facing off against three goblins at one and it hit me from the side... got a good piece of me... if it weren't for Van scaring it away with his spell, I might not be here.. "

Bruce stashes his maul over his shoulder, through a loop at the top of his pack, and takes his bow in hand.. and arrow held nocked and ready, but not drawn. He's holding te bow in one hand with one finger holding the nocked arrow in place.

[Sol Mazer]

While bringng up the rear, Van will chat it up with the Drow...

"So, Linar, what brought you to the surface? How are you holding up? Did you come up with a band, or come solo? How did Corellion call you to his service?"

The High Elf will have a swig of water offer some to his fellow protector.

[Chris1234]

"To distance myself from my heritage," replies Linar. "Difficult as that may be." He gestures with his hand to indicate his skin colouration.
"Holding up? The sun burns but I see hope, hope for the future and hope for the civilised races in the word of Corellion."

Linar looks around and listens. If nothing untoward, he continues to commune with Van, "Of those I traveled with, I am the sole survivor. And as to the Calling, it would need one wiser than I to answer."
He takes a mouthful of the proffered water, "Thank you. On such small gestures are friendships built." The dark elf pauses, this time focused on the conversation, "Are you open to advise?"

[TristenC]

[There are 3 Human civilians: Mike, Moira and Jensen.]

Eariel set Hew and Tag to finding suitable clubs for the humans from the brush nearby. It doesn’t take long to find a fallen piece of hardwood and hack a couple of clubs from it with a handaxe that Hew produces. He passes the clubs to the men, and gives the ax to Moira. The trio of Bordertown guards make a loose triangle around them and are ready to proceed.

Boyd and Garroth take a position some distance ahead of the humans, Van and Linar falling to the rear guard. The Minotaur secures his maul and readies his massive longbow, the weapon even taller than he! Salem grunts as he trundles onward, bearing the Dwarf as an easy burden with the other equipment distributed among the group. To the rear, the Elf and Drow strike up a conversation.

The group travels for a few hours without event, until they come across a downed tree across the road. It is not large, considering the other trees about, but it is long and covers the entire road. That was not down when we came this way with the wagons some weeks back. Eariel says to the others. A mass of arm-thick limbs splays directly across the road, leaves already dry.


[how far from the center group do the front and rear pairs of adventurers want to be from the central group?]

===
Why is it funny to me that the Van-guard doesn’t contain Vanidur
Just being punny, not a suggestion

The tree is whole, the trunk lying off of the road to one side, the mass of its attached limbs lying across the road, and the top of the tree lying in the forest on the other side of the road.

[ausie]

As soon as Garroth sees the tree across the road, he raises a hand into the air to signal a halt and whispers to Boyd.. "Ambush... goin for a closer look... wait for my signal."

Garroth raises his nose and sniffs the air for hints, then slips off the trail to the left about about 20' and doubles back behind the travellers and crosses over the road to the right hand side and advances through the woods leve to where Boyd is then advances slowly and quietly from one tree shadow to the next..

(Hide in shadows / move silently as he advances slowly stopping to sniff and listen every 20' )

[Stik]

[OOC] Boyd's plan was to run at least a mile in front of the main body, to flush out any trouble long before the others arrive. [OOC]
[OOC] Minor Time Warp:
"There is no need to thank me. I would have killed that worg anyway. And I got some nice trophies out of it, so everyone wins. 'Cept the worg.
We now return you to your originally scheduled thread.[/OOC]

When Garroth leaves his side, Boyd readies his spear then continues to advance until he can see the lower part of the fallen tree clearly, saying quietly: "Keep your ears and nose open, pal." He will approach the tree close enough to see whether it has been cut down, or fell down.

[Sol Mazer]

Van holds in anticipation of some source of trouble. Putting a just a moment finger up for Linar and their discussion.

[Chris1234]

Linar glances at Van approvingly, then refocuses; hunter instinct coming to the fore.
He tries to silently find cover on a flank so as to be able to give covering fire to the vangaurd.

[TristenC]

Garroth slips off into the woods, moving as quietly and cautiously as he is able. He tests the air but detects nothing more than the normal scents of the forest and disturbed earth. He circles back a little ways, but finds nothing beyond the trees. Crossing the road tot he other side he proceeds forward in parallel to boyd.

Boyd approaches cautiously, spear at the ready. He has to get within a dozen feet or so of the fallen limbs to see the base of the tree through the thick foliage on the side of the road. Exposed roots, some bent and partially split seem to indicate the tree was forced over by something, or simply lost enough ground support to topple. It is by no means the largest or smallest tree around, which begs the question as to why it alone was felled...


The rest of the group, far behind, begins to catch up. rounding a corner they see Boyd in the distance ahead stopped before a felled tree.


Once garroth moves closer, he too can see the exposed roots, but there is an odd hole in the ground he spots from this distance. It is almost as if something burrowed up beneath the tree, weakening its hold on the earth, and then forced it over with prodigious strength; moreso than even he could accomplish alone.

[ausie]

Garroth puts his bow away and takes his maul back out... "Boyd....! Over here...!" Garroth hisses... and circles the hole giving it a 10' berth, until he is around at the edge of the road on the other side of the fallen tree.

...then he will look up the road and across, but keep. Ringing his eyes back to the hole..

[Chris1234]

Assuming Boys and the pig will hold position as reserve and that Van can keep an eye on the back end of the civilians in the event of hostiles trying a flanking manoeuvre (which would be Drow plan B), Linar sneaks wide to get a shot at anything attacking Garroth (Drow plan C). Of course, the more effective method (Drow plan A) would be a token attack from the front to commit any reserves followed by a lightning rear attack to sow mayhem.
By going wide, Linar loses something in effectiveness to support the vanguard but gains flexibility to support van or rear. On reaching position he freezes into whatever's available shadow-wise and waits, arrow nocked.

[Sol Mazer]

Van will assume the "Mystical and Powerful" pose (complete with flaring staff but holding a larger invisible orange this time.... ah, let's make it a grapefruit this time).

In elven to Linar, "Cousin, I will be hard pressed to thwart an attack on these folk single handed... Don't stray far.

[Chris1234]

Linar thinks, ~Drama queen!~ but says nothing.

[TristenC]

[lol. you guys are killing me, that's hilarious.]

Garroth inspects the hole from a distance [Wis check plz]

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If linar is in the woods, he will need to be within 30 yds to have a clear view of Garroth through the undergrowth due to the thickness of foliage.
If he remains on the road, he need only be about 60 yds away.
This all assumes garroth is visible to Linar if the minotaur is trying to hide.

[Chris1234]

Woods so 30 yards, please.

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{Glad you like it. Long as no one gets their underwear twisted.}