Just that she is a powerful Wizard and an Elf and even though she is a LITTLE more stealthy, it’s probably better if she stays here and helps plan the attack where she might be needed.
I’m flexible gentlemen.
In light of Gilraen’s suggestion and with Ceol’s help, Thoroncir will see to it that the ponies are unladen, and conceal their burdens as best he can for later recovery.
After unburdening the ponies, Ceol turns to Thoroncir. “We suddenly seem to have become the eternal bridesmaids, my friend,” he laughs. “Let us pass the time with old stories, while we keep alert for any threats.”
Thoroncir smiles. “Yes, as our two fine Dwarves seem to find themselves often together, so too do we knights. I could not ask for better company, my friend. Thank you once more for your help. Now, did I ever tell you about that time I was serving aboard the Ciryatur and the captain’s goat went missing…?”
So how many are scouting? The party has a pool of 4 stealthy ones.
Is Invisibility going to be used? If so Felareth sans armor would be by far your best scout. Probably with Ghân-buri-Ghân escorting him near to the entrance for a last minute Pass without Trace to help the Invisibility.
I believe this was Gwaelur’s suggestion minus the elf racism.
“We must send some scouts. Do we agree with my plan to send Felareth and up to make the most of our stealth and invisibility with Ghan as a companion? Should we also have the bird flyover to help get a… Birds eye view?”
Ghan is trying to get his head around all the party’s Stealth abilities.
We have:
- natural (level + Dexterity)
- spells (Pass without Trace, Invisibiilty, Presdigitation)
- items (Elf Cloak, Elf Boots)
Ghan now thinks our best chance is to send one person with everything possible to help on them (since we don’t have duplicates of every spell and item.).
Would the Princess consider lending Felareth her Elf Cloak and Elf Boots?
Pass without Trace, Presdigitation and Invisibiilty all last 1 hour.
Perhaps we could use our aerial scouts to see exactly where the Troll Lair is, take up a hidden position fairly close (allowing for Troll Patrols!) and then prepare Felareth to go in from there (with an hour to get in, scout and get out.)
So with an hour or more Prep, Ghân attunes to Felareth’s Elven Cloak. Thankfully he only has 2 of his 3 attunement slots used.
Windwing the Eagle & Aithorn the Kestrel & possibly Hejren the Black Heron can scout from the air the exact location of the cave entrance.
Ghân & Felareth get fairly close to the cave so the Invisibility can be used for the max time.
Ghân now stealths in invisibly, cleaned, elf cloaked & boot and passing without trace. He has a +16 on his rolls and advantage.
Thoroncir is armored and ready, sword in his right hand and shield on his left arm, to attack if needed.
Ghan takes a calming breath and heads into the Troll Cave.
He will do his best not to be detected and wants to:
- be out before an hour is up (so spells don’t run out); this is essential
- note the location of guards
- map the main areas of the Cave (he might not have time to cover eveywhere)
- look for likely places where the Troll Chieftain’s Hoard might be (hopefully not a horde*)
- count the number and type of inhabitants**
- spot any traps or special defences
If the worst happens, Ghan will Wild Shape into a Dire Wolf and flee.
Ghan alerts the party to this last possibility - if they see a Dire Wolf being chased by a load of Trolls and Wolves, then let the Dire Wolf through!
*see post 62!
**surprisingly Woses can count really well - Ghan’s ancestor estimated Theoden’s assembled Rohirrim as “a score of scores counted ten times and five”
Take luck my wose friend, and hurry back.
Date: May 27
Secret Agent Ghân-buri-Ghân sneaks past the tired looking mangy warg on guard duty. He finds a good size fire going in the first cave and 5 healthier looking wargs beyond it. A smallish opening behind them. Not worth risking a scouting mission for though. The complex is a good size. The entrance was about 20’ wide.
He discovers 5 Ice Trolls and 8 trolls further back. One heavy wooden door in the rear area. He also found a large secret door in the Chief’s chamber. The stone door to 2 of the ice trolls was open.
The cave is rough hewn and the floor & ceiling uneven. Many weird shadows in the torch light.
13 trolls and 6 wargs in all.
Ghan is confident he’s done all he can and carefully heads back to the party.
He returns the Elven Cloak and Boots to Felareth with thanks.
He draws a rough map of the complex on the ground for all to study.
Felareth takes the items back with thanks, checks them over in case Ghan has accidentally got them dirty, and uses Prestidigitation to spiff them up a bit before donning them and re-attuning himself to the Cloak.
While that is going on, he studie the map.
“woof, tactically that cave is a nightmare” said Gwaelur.
“Do you think we can block those stairs Ghan?”
“Or collapse the cave ceiling there, over the stairs,” Thoroncir says, also looking over the map. “It seems an obvious chokepoint. Then we could focus our attention on those in the outermost chambers.” He adds, “Well done, Ghan, and thank you.”
He has a writing kit and will carefully copy the Wose’s map with ink, quill and paper.
Ceol nods as Ghan describes what he’s seen. “Perhaps we can draw some of them out for an initial melee, out in the open. It might be preferable to being trapped in the caves with many trolls all at once.”
Ghan is surprisingly optimistic.
He’s had plenty of time to think of ideas scouting the Cave and on the way back.
Here’s his thoughts:
- we have at least four tough Fighters who can go toe-to-toe with Trolls and Wargs (thus forming a line 20 feet wide)
- there are various points in the Cave that are about 20 feet wide … which can form ‘choke points’ for us
- the first of these is the entrance, the second is the exit from the first chamber (and so on…)
So one plan is for the stealthy folk to try to take the single Guard Wolf out quickly.
If that works we take on the 5 Wargs and hope to finish them quickly enough to then take up position at the exit from the first chamber (before any Trolls can arrive.)
He looks expectantly at the party…
This is a good plan, as is Ceol’s plan of trying to get the Trolls to come to us outside, or in the front of the cave rather than going looking for them.
I do think it’s worth exploring if the stairs can be blocked or the roof above them collapsed. That will minimize or at lease slow down many of those trolls if a stealthy but powerful person can sneak around to make that happen before we start taking out Wargs.