[Empire] Mining Camp

00:25 < Loric> "How will we protect the airship while we negotiate and investigate?"
00:26 < Loric> "It must not fall into enemy hands."
00:26 * Loric is paranoid about his airship
00:26 < Oros> "Don't you have something... Magicky for that?"
00:27 < Loric> "Lessee..."
00:27 < Loric> "The primary issue is it being too large... but perhaps an illusion..."
00:29 * Loric is browsing through his spellbook
00:30 < Loric> "Ehhh, alright."
00:30 < Loric> "Silent Image of a cloud it is."
00:31 < Loric> "But that means I cannot cast any spells while down there."
00:31 < Adrasteia> "I'm ure it will be fine"
00:31 < Adrasteia> sure*
00:32 < Oros> "Really? Illusions are surprisingly taxing..."
00:32 * Loric prepares and casts Silent Image
00:32 * Adrasteia is waiting for giants
00:32 < Loric> "At least mainaining it is possible from long range."
00:32 < Loric> "Let's fly down, now."
00:32 < Loric> "Adrasteia, you can talk but don't get kidnapped"
00:33 * Loric winks to Adrasteia
00:33 < Adrasteia> "but it was so fun last time", she remarks in a dry tone
00:33 < Oros> "I sometimes question your tact, Loric."
00:33 <@frostmaster> okay, you head on in, then?
00:33 < Adrasteia> yep
00:34 < Adrasteia> Into the Valley of Death etc etc
00:34 < Loric> "Can you fly, Adrasteia?"
00:34 < Adrasteia> rode the 600
00:34 <@frostmaster> everyone starts staring at you, then
00:34 <@frostmaster> "outlanders? here?"
00:34 <@frostmaster> "I thought we were warded from outlanders."
00:34 <@frostmaster> Before long, a regal-looking halfling rushes up to you
00:34 * Loric had Oros carry Adrasteia, then
00:35 <@frostmaster> er, noble-looking
00:35 <@frostmaster> not regal
00:35 <@frostmaster> "Excuse me, sirs and madame, but I must know why you are
here
00:35 <@frostmaster> "
00:35 < Adrasteia> I hope someone has high diplo
00:35 < Adrasteia> cos I'm only good at buff
00:35 <@frostmaster> "And how did you find us?"
00:35 < Adrasteia> bluff*
00:35 < Adrasteia> and Intimidate
00:36 < Loric> "We were flying over these areas and saw through the illusion."
00:36 < Loric> "We come in peace"
00:36 < Adrasteia> 'We just wanted to say hi!"
00:36 <@frostmaster> roll diplo, loric
00:36 < Oros> "We've merely come to investigate and see you mean us no harm."
00:36 <@frostmaster> and bluff, adrasteia
00:36 < Adrasteia> 1d20+15 bluff
00:36 < Alea> Adrasteia, bluff: 31 [1d20=16]
00:36 < Oros> Diplo or Bluff for me?
00:36 < Loric> "Having been assigned to the old mining camp, we want to know who inhabit these lands."
00:37 <@frostmaster> @oros: "That remains to be seen."
00:37 < Loric> 1d20+1 duplo
00:37 < Alea> Loric, duplo: 14 [1d20=13]
00:37 <@frostmaster> you took a huge penalty, Adrasteia, for what your allies said
00:37 < Oros> 1d20+13 Diplo
00:37 < Alea> Oros, Diplo: 18 [1d20=5]
00:37 <@frostmaster> no roll from you, oros
00:37 <@frostmaster> not yet
00:37 < Oros> "What is this place?"
00:38 <@frostmaster> "Our refuge."
00:38 <@frostmaster> "We want nothing to do with the rest of the corrupt outworld."
00:38 <@frostmaster> "And if you've come to disturb our peace..."
00:38 * Loric scratches his head
00:38 < Oros> "We've not come to disrupt anything."
00:38 < Loric> "Nononono, we've not."
00:39 < Loric> "But why on earth would you say the outworld is corrupt?"
00:39 <@frostmaster> "You two are dragonbloods"
00:39 < Oros> "Merely survey the area in case of attack on our own refuge."
00:39 <@frostmaster> "You're from the empire"
00:39 <@frostmaster> "Nobles in it!"
00:39 < Loric> "Yes...?"
00:39 <@frostmaster> "We want nothing to do with the outlands!"
00:39 <@frostmaster> "And you represent them1"
00:39 <@frostmaster> *them!
00:39 <@frostmaster> perception checks
00:39 < Loric> 1d20+1 per
00:39 < Alea> Loric, per: 13 [1d20=12]
00:39 < Oros> 1d20+6
00:39 < Alea> Oros, 1d20+6: 18 [1d20=12]
00:40 <@frostmaster> you notice that some stone giants and some halfling guards have their hands on their weapons, still sheathed
00:40 < Loric> "If that is what you wish, of course you must have it."
00:41 < Loric> "There is no need for hostility, as neither of us wish that."
00:41 < Oros> "We've not come for violence. Just to converse."
00:41 <@frostmaster> "Your empire has doubled military forces in this area in the past few years alone!"
00:41 <@frostmaster> "You think peace is what we expect?"
00:41 < Loric> "We are unaware who live here and what is the history of this place. We should be aware of these facts so that we don't do anything bad."
00:42 < Loric> "I have always been thinking that nobody lived here."
00:42 <@frostmaster> "..."
00:42 < Loric> "I think this is a gigantic misunderstanding, the Empire not realizing you lived here due to that illusion."
00:43 < Loric> "Hmmm..."
00:43 < Oros> "Just because you don't expect peace doesn't mean we won't extend it to you. Do you think that we would have come down here, virtually unarmed and with so few of us if we intended to hurt you?"
00:44 <@frostmaster> "... Why have you come here?"
00:45 <@frostmaster> "This region. This settlement. Among us. Why?"
00:45 < Loric> "We were assigned here as military commanders to protect the mining camp from "a giant assault". We didn't see any giants and wanted to prevent a conflict, so we came."
00:46 <@frostmaster> "No giants here were ever going to attack anyone. Does that satisfy you? Now go, and leave us in peace!"
00:46 < Oros> "Again, we were surveying the area and noticed the illusion."
00:46 < Loric> 1d20+3 SM
00:46 < Alea> Loric, SM: 4 [1d20=1]
00:46 < Adrasteia> 1d20+19 SM
00:46 < Alea> Adrasteia, SM: 28 [1d20=9]
00:46 <@frostmaster> "And didn't our illusion tell you to keep out?"
00:46 < Adrasteia> I could surge that
00:46 <@frostmaster> he's annoyed, but earnest
00:46 < Loric> "Thank you for being honest and fortright."
00:47 < Loric> "Can you also vouch that for any other settlements around here?"
00:47 <@frostmaster> "What other settlements?"
00:47 < Loric> "There are none?"
00:47 < Oros> "It told us you were hiding something."
00:47 < Loric> "If there indeed are none other settlements, I belive your word; we shall leave at once."
00:47 < Adrasteia> (they are prolly all secretly working for Fate)
00:48 < Loric> "I am sorry for breaching into your village uninvited. Might we exchange names before we depart?"
00:48 <@frostmaster> "We don't know of anyone else"
00:48 <@frostmaster> "I'm Lem, the Royal Secretary. I don't need your names."
00:49 <@frostmaster> you notice that the illusion over your airship has fallen
00:49 < Adrasteia> 1d20+15 Perception
00:49 < Alea> Adrasteia, Perception: 27 [1d20=12]
00:49 < Loric> "Alright, we shall be off on our airship then. We will scout other areas for other settlements too in case they've warded themselves from you as well."
00:49 < Loric> "Come, Oros and Adrasteia. I'll teleport us back up."
00:50 <@frostmaster> Adrasteia: this looks just like an ordinary settlement, except everyone is staring at you guys
00:50 * Loric extends his hands to Adrasteia and Oros, teleporting if they're ready
00:51 * Adrasteia ports
00:51 * Loric starts flying back
00:51 < Loric> "That went well!"
00:51 <@frostmaster> when you return, a soldier comes up to you and says, "The Captain wants to talk to you."
00:52 < Adrasteia> "How exciting"
00:52 < Loric> "Certainly."
00:52 <@umbralupi> you recognize the guy whose party you went to to intrude on his files room
00:52 <@umbralupi> "So it is you. I suppose there is some justice in the world after all."
00:52 * Loric bows to Captain Lupi
00:53 * Oros salutes, as the more formal greeting
00:53 * Adrasteia smiles
00:53 * UmbraLupi returns the salute and looks a little funnily at Loric
00:53 <@umbralupi> "You three.. and those other two... those two are gone now? You caused the disturbance at my party somehow, didn't you?"
00:53 < Loric> "Sorry, I'm just absent-minded, being separated from my fiancee"
00:54 <@umbralupi> "Got reassigned here after that fiasco..."
00:54 <@umbralupi> "Looks like they caught you now?"
00:54 <@umbralupi> (no, you guys didn't cause it)
00:54 < Adrasteia> "I got kidnapped"
00:54 < Adrasteia> "it was very naughty of me"
00:54 < Adrasteia> "so they sent us here"
00:54 < Loric> "Actually, it was some other specialist group that caused the disturbance."
00:55 < Loric> "I first perceived them as militia, but there were no records of them in the files, so I'm still perplexed on who they were."
00:55 <@umbralupi> 1d20+12 sense motive
00:55 < Alea> UmbraLupi, sense motive: 21 [1d20=9]
00:55 < Adrasteia> 1d20+15 Bluff
00:55 < Alea> Adrasteia, Bluff: 25 [1d20=10]
00:55 <@umbralupi> "... huh. So what are you stuck up here for, if not that?"
00:55 < Loric> "Acervum screwed us up."
00:56 < Loric> "Some terrorist cell apparently managed to frame the whole thing to us."
00:56 < Loric> "...Or that is at least how I perceived it..."
00:56 <@umbralupi> "... oh, that mess."
00:56 <@umbralupi> "Heard about it."
00:56 < Oros> "Really? I din't think they framed it on us, so much as mad us look bad for leaving to rescue Andrasteia?"
00:56 < Loric> "At least we got Adrasteia out. From the kidnapping."
00:56 <@umbralupi> "... my head's clearer here, for some reason. Maybe just so
cold..."
00:57 <@umbralupi> "And yeah, I think Oros there has it more accurately"
00:57 < Loric> "Ah. Right."
00:57 <@umbralupi> "Well. What have you found so far?"
00:57 < Oros> "It's rather hard to frame sabotage on the military."
00:57 < Loric> "There is a peaceful giant and halfling settlement in the
forest."
00:57 < Oros> "We found a small illusory veil protecting it."
00:58 < Loric> "We tried to make contact, but they didn't like us, but vowed not to ever attack us here."
00:58 <@umbralupi> "giants? What sort?"
01:03 < Loric> "They were Stone Giants" says Loric, scrolling through the enchanted booktext
01:03 <@umbralupi> "That... would be bad if they attacked."
01:03 <@umbralupi> "... but it's not them you'll have to worry about tomorrow."
01:04 < Loric> "They did seem to hate us, but seemed honest to us about not attacking; besides they had the illusion to protect them, suggesting that they really do just want to stay hidden.
01:04 < Loric> "Hmm...?"
01:04 <@umbralupi> "..."
01:05 < Adrasteia> "Who do we have to worry about?"
01:05 < Adrasteia> 1d20+19 SM
01:05 < Alea> Adrasteia, SM: 27 [1d20=8]
01:05 <@umbralupi> "A group of cave giants and orcs are approaching"
01:06 <@umbralupi> "they will probably be here tomorrow afternoon."
01:06 < Adrasteia> Are the fortifications ready?
01:06 < Adrasteia> ""*
01:06 < Loric> "How many?"
01:06 <@umbralupi> "A few dozen cave giants. A couple hundred orcs."
01:06 < Loric> "We can slay the cave giants by dropping stones on them from the air."
01:07 < Loric> "After the giants are defeated the orcs shouldn't be able to breach our fortifications."
01:07 <@umbralupi> "We need you near the ground."
01:07 < Adrasteia> "Assuming they don't catch them", Adrasteia mutters
01:07 <@umbralupi> "But some of our weaker troops can use your airship, certainly."
01:07 < Loric> "I meant before they reach here, flying to meet them to slay the giants."
01:07 <@umbralupi> local check on the giants
01:07 < Loric> 1d20+6+1d6
01:07 < Alea> Loric, 1d20+6+1d6: 16 [1d20=9; 1d6=1]
01:08 < Oros> 1d20+8+1d6
01:08 < Alea> Oros, 1d20+8+1d6: 25 [1d20=15; 1d6=2]
01:08 <@umbralupi> the cave giants can catch rocks
01:08 <@umbralupi> not reliably, but they can
01:08 <@umbralupi> also CR 6
01:08 < Loric> "If the rocks are Huge enough, they shouldn't be able to catch the rocks."
01:09 < Adrasteia> (And suddenly rocks fall, and the airship crumbles into dust)
01:10 <@umbralupi> "if the rocks are too large, they won't fit into the ship"
01:10 <@umbralupi> "nor will the troops be able to use them."
01:10 <@umbralupi> "... from a great height, then..."
01:10 * Adrasteia shrugs "I can take them"
01:10 <@umbralupi> "If you have any spells to help a group of soldiers, now is a good time to tell me."
01:10 < Adrasteia> "Well, some of them"
01:10 < Loric> "It'd be a foolproof plan: We'd load a couple huge rocks on the ship, Oros would conceal the ship with an illusion; I'd drop the rocks with a lever one by one using True Strike. When the rocks would run out, we'd fly back for new ones."
01:10 <@umbralupi> "No, I need you three here near the ground"
01:11 < Adrasteia> (Bow to your superior Loric)
01:11 <@umbralupi> "you're some of our mightier troops."
01:11 < Loric> "This'd be a pre-emptive strike before the battle! Naturally we'd also fight in the ground when the orcs would reach us."
01:11 <@umbralupi> "And we'd get those rocks loaded HOW quickly?"
01:11 < Adrasteia> (Could be a diversion, we fly out to drop rocks and the real attack begins)
01:11 < Loric> "We'd start immediately."
01:11 <@umbralupi> "Not quickly enough to do a pre-emptive strike"
01:11 < Adrasteia> (while we are gone)
01:12 <@umbralupi> "But quickly enough to use them in battle..."
01:12 < Loric> "Well, if they arrive tomorrow afternoon, we should have time..."
01:12 * Adrasteia tugs on Loric's arm
01:12 < Adrasteia> "We can drop rocks on the village later"
01:12 <@umbralupi> "Okay, try and pick that rock up over there"
01:12 <@umbralupi> he indicates a rock
01:13 < Loric> "Give me a hour and an axe and I will build a ramp to load it onto the ship."
01:13 < Loric> "Rolling it over wooden logs."
01:13 <@umbralupi> "Okay, and once it's in, you still need to move it further in to make room"
01:14 < Loric> "Again on the logs."
01:14 <@umbralupi> "so, lots of logs in use..."
01:14 <@umbralupi> "Which takes more time to get them."
01:14 <@umbralupi> "And it still takes a while to get the rocks set up and secured, and to collect all the "
01:14 < Loric> "Less than a hundred. Easily cut with help of summoned creatures."
01:14 < Oros> "I could in theory form a slipstream of water to propel them."
01:14 <@umbralupi> "Summoned creatures don't last long"
01:15 < Loric> "Don't we have soldiers to help also?"
01:15 < gingainja> (I'm sure they are helping with the fortifications)
01:15 <@umbralupi> "that's why this will ONLY take until near when they arrive"
01:16 <@umbralupi> "And there are also many other tasks. Like making sure the defenses are manned and that last-minute fortifications are in place."
01:16 < Loric> "So you are okay with us utilizing this plan only when the army is near?"
01:16 <@umbralupi> "Which is what you'll be helping with."
01:16 * Adrasteia "I understand"
01:16 * Loric sighs
01:16 < Oros> "I'd rather set up fortifications than attempt the rock plan, myself."
01:16 < Loric> "At least I tried."
01:16 < Loric> "Someday...."
01:17 < Oros> "If your plan fails, we'd have untold casualties as they breached our defenses."
01:17 <@umbralupi> "Dismissed."

01:18 * Adrasteia sets up defences
01:18 < Loric> "I can cast communal Ant Haul on the soldiers."
01:19 <@gamemaster> "That might speed them up a little, but not enough to make much difference. While working on the defenses, take a short break to cast it on them after they get to doing that."
01:20 < Loric> "Alright."
01:20 < Loric> "Also, I could load the ship with rocks myself with Floating Disk."
01:20 < Adrasteia> Did we get the stuff we asked for?
01:21 < Loric> "if not huge rocks, at least lots of small rocks and molten oil"
01:21 < Adrasteia> ie huge ICE WALL
01:21 <@gamemaster> "I can do that myself."
01:21 < Loric> "For use during the battle."
01:21 <@gamemaster> it hasn't been the two weeks yet
01:21 <@gamemaster> so you haven't, yet
01:21 < Adrasteia> oof
01:21 * Adrasteia will try and find a safe spot for her to snipe
01:21 < Loric> ^airship
01:22 < Adrasteia> Adrateia fighting on the ground
01:22 < Adrasteia> is an awfully bad idea
01:22 < Adrasteia> since shes ranged
01:22 < Adrasteia> needs to be elevated
01:22 < Loric> you'll have an advantage on the airship
01:22 < Adrasteia> ye, im just checking with ag
01:22 < Loric> range increments doubling for down; halving for up
01:23 < Adrasteia> if its ok me being in an elevated position
01:23 <@gamemaster> you can be on a battlement
01:23 <@gamemaster> airship will be ~1000 feet up if not more
01:23 <@gamemaster> to be out of range of any bowmen
01:24 < Adrasteia> ok I'm on a battlement
01:24 < Adrasteia> I don't think I know any spells to help soldiers
01:24 <@gamemaster> I think we're done
01:25 <@gamemaster> Agape, can you post the log in the mining camp thread?
01:25 < Loric> sure
01:25 < Adrasteia> Blessing of the Watch?