(01) The Approach

[mgtremaine]

How do you know Tass is up ahead, you can't see him.

[waysoftheearth]

Tass and Thanis move swiftly ahead. Untethered from the marching order that trails behind them they adopt an efficient trot, springing over riverlets here and fallen boughs and there, they make good time. Soon the forest path begins a steady descent, and the pair cross babbling brooks and pass pools of standing water more frequently as they go.

As an hour of good progress draws nigh, the ground is becoming wet if not boggy in places, and Tass and Thanis find themselves navigating islands of firmer ground to avoid the worst of the mires. Through the trees ahead, they see a break in the dark canopy, and something of a clearing... or at least a swampy expanse in which the greater trees do not grow. Slowing, they spy a pair of old stone moat houses connected by a low bridge that spans a mire. At the nearside, there is movement; the moat house appears to be occupied...

The main party is a good way back.

Tass and Thanis are approaching an encounter area in the wilderness.

Will lookouts notice/surprise Tass and Thanis as they approach the perimeter? 1d6=4, no.

Encounter distance is 40-240 yards in the wilderness, so... 4d6=1,4,3,2 -> 100yds.

What now scouts?

[sully]

How do you know Tass is up ahead, you can't see him.

Maybe Thanis is the hidden one and he's got eyes on Tass!

[sully]

Thanis sits still and watches the moathouse for a good 10 minutes (assuming he thinks in his head that the main party won't arrive sooner). After gathering whatever intel he can from that observation, he heads back to report to the rest of the party.

He silently prays to the old gods and the new that Tass doesn't get any closer.

[mgtremaine]

Tass of course can't help himself he sneaks closer wanting to see who is walking around in the keep. He not in a hurry so he moves slowly and carefully picking the line of most cover.

[sully]

If Thanis spots Tass moving closer, he silently sighs and pulls out his bow and an arrow to have at the ready.

[waysoftheearth]

From his very hidden position, Thanis observes the handful of distant figures moving about the near-moat house... they appear to be men... perhaps a dozen or more of them. It's difficult to count individuals from this distance, especially since they seem to be coming and going along a path that follows the edge of the mire before disappearing into the deeper woods. Those coming are burdened with... supplies? Those going are not.

Thanis is about to turn back with this insight when he fleetingly observes Tass, 40yds nearer in the woods!

Dang! He grits his teeth and pulls out his bow instead....

Trouble magnet is at it again

[waysoftheearth]

Tass sneaks up through the woods for a closer look, moving to within 80, 60... 40 yds, oh he's ever so close now. He can see there are woodsmen bringing firewood to the moat house from somewhere down a second forest path, and also that there are a second group of armed men stationed at the moat house who aren't doing any of the work. There are maybe a dozen of them, half sitting in the shade of the arch, half out front. They just watch the wood pile growing and, presumably, are there to guard access through the moat house arch and onto the bridge.

Straining to eek ever closer, Tass belatedly realises the rock he is standing on isn't as stable as he'd assumed; it's moving! He quickly steps off it, but not soon enough to prevent it from dislodging and clattering down short incline. Doh! That was a noise he didn't want to make, and suddenly the guards at the tower are more alert. They heard something. A few of them grab crossbows. One of them is pointing into the woods in the general direction of Tass.

A group of 4 armed men hustle toward the noise to investigate...

Tass dices to be sneaky... 1d6=1. Uh oh!

What now?

[mgtremaine]

Tass thinks quickly and moves off away from the direction he came. Having a 40yd head start in a wooded area should be enough to work with, lets see if they can keep up. He uses every possible side trail and dense brush to evade them and keep them from getting a clear shot at him.

Haha...Did you guys want me to draw off the guards, ok no problem ;p

[rredmond]

Yikes. How close are we all?