Chapter 01: The Ogre's Cave

[amosias]

[OOC: What the scouts saw...]

Blackjack and Hagar are able to ascend the hill to the mouth of the cave with some difficulty; the stone is slippery, and unusually so in Blackjack's estimation. Their stealthy approach, aided by the howling wind, allows them to peer into the cave opening.

Some fifteen to twenty feet in, you can see Logbrag the Ogre leaning against a large shield covered in furs. He mumbles darkly to himself, occasionally lapsing into words from the Traladaran tongue.

And perhaps it is a trick of the flickering light of his fire, but his skin has a blackened palor, and his eyes glow green. Rancid, oozing pustules cover his forearms, disappearing behind his back.

The floor is thick with debris -- several years' worth of garbage, old bones, and scattered items -- while while a thick pile of blankets and furs covers the open floor. An iron spike driven into a crack in the wall serves as a hook for a lantern.

[amosias]

[OOC: I will assume the two scouts returned without doing anything first and report to everyone. Am I right?]

[Popit]

"Well that is a pleasant situation.  I have a suggestion: after the ogre is lured out of the cave, I say we blind the brute to better allow our combined might pummel the beast repetitively till it no longer becomes necessary."

[zhenxiao]

*to GM: yep, not planning on doing anything other than report back.  However, I'm unusually curious over why the stones are more slippery than normal.  I'd like to take a look.*

Blackjack looks around to the rest of the party.  "I don't know about anyone else, but I would rather not go anywhere near the brute.  Not with those leaking sores on 'im.  Whatever he's got, I don't want it.  I say we lure his head out and drop a boulder on 'im."

[amosias]

Blackjack's quick examination of the rock reveals several trickles of water from further up the hill pooling and spilling over as the wind shifts... perhaps a natural spring somewhere further up is the cause.

[zhenxiao]

Blackjack looks at the other party members.  "The rocks on this trail are rather slippery.  Now I don't know much 'bout Ogres, being a city boy myself, but perhaps we can lure it out, and with several of us using our missile weapons to shoot at it as a distraction (but hopefully doing some damage), trip it using rope across the trail (which would of course require some to pull on it), and when it hits the ground, which it would be at a disadvantage, we launch our full attack."

Looking a bit sheepish, Blackjack says, "of course, merely an idea.  Again, I have no real knowledge of Ogres."

[Popit]

"Great idea.  Now, we are all agreed that one of us will pretend to be infirmed in some way to coax the beast out.  This leaves the question of 1) who has the rope? 2) who are the two muscular individuals hiding from view and willing to stretch the rope taut when the ogre investigates the "wounded wailer"?"

[zhenxiao]

Blackjack rummages through his packs, then produces a measure of rope. 

"here we go.  50 feet should do the trick.  Tie one end around a sturdy tree, the other end can go to the two big strong fighters.  As for the bait, I believe the mage agreed to that."

[vladsee]

"Sounds like a good plan. I can pull the rope. No problem at all." remarks Hagar.   

[Rolf]

"And I shall aid Hagar," chuckled Boris, flexing a powerful bicep. 

Hagar pulled his bicep away, glancing suspiciously at Boris, but saw no malice in his expression.

[Popit]

"I just thought of a better idea.  Plan a: I go to the mouth of the cave and direct my sleep spell to within the area of the cave, thus allowing all of us to casually assault aforementioned ogre. Plan b: on the possibility that Ogre resists sleep spell, I bolt out of the way with ogre in pursuit only to have him trip on the rope held taut by Hagar and Boris then allowing us all access to pummell ogre hard."

[maskmanjoe]

"If you have your spell ready, then we may as well use the element of surprise while it is on our side." Eren looks up the hill towards the mouth of the cave. "Will you need aid while you conjure your magic?" he asks Presto Link.

[Popit]

"Thank you for the offer, Eren, I have the spell ready at this point.  You could however assist me in hasting my getaway should the ogre manage to effectively resist my spell.  I'm thinking a good tug to speed me away from rampaging spell resisting ogre"

[amosias]

Ursula nods at Presto.

"I'll wait outside with the rest, but closer to the mouth of the cave. I'll ready my sleep spell just in case yours doesn't work. I'll cast it on the entrance of the cave as soon as you're clear," she says. "Hagar, can you, Portia, and the rest ready the ambush as well? Logbrag may forget about Presto when he sees me!"

[Pointyman2000]

"Right-o!" Portia nodded, "Just let me get into position, I'll fire as soon as you give the signal or when things go terribly wrong... whichever happens first."

The nimble halfling made her way back away from the mouth of the cave and up a tree to make certain that she could fire without worrying about accidentally hitting anyone who isn't an Ogre, while negating any possible cover for the Ogre to hide behind.  She arranged some branches to give her optimum concealment before readying her shortbow and blending seamlessly into the foliage.

"Like a shadow, I am."

[Rolling Stealth vs. Halfling Hide Outdoors of 90%]