Part 1 - The Witchwood

[BowenSilverclaw]

As Kalal approaches the dogs are alerted to his presence and charge out from under the porch, baying loudly. They stop at about 10 feet in front of the party, and growl and snap ferociously.

From behind one of the shuttered windows you hear a man's voice calling out "Who's out there? What do y'all want?"

[PhaedrusXY]

"We're helping out Drellin's Ferry with a hobgoblin problem they're having, and were told that a man named Jorr lived here who might be able to give us some counsel."

Diplomacy, if there is time: 1d20+4=19

Anyone want to Aid Another?

[BowenSilverclaw]

Hobgoblins you say?

After that the cabin's door opens and a weatherbeaten man of about fifty years of age steps onto the porch. "Down boys!" he calls out to his dogs, who immediately stop barking and head back to the cabin. The man has a seamed, leathery look to his face and arms, and a big curved knife sits in a sheath strapped to one thigh.

"I can't stand those damn dirty goblins! Wood's rotten with 'em right now. What do you fellas need?"

[VennDygrem]

Yamanu steps forward, cautiously as he is never sure how people react to him. "Town Speaker Wiston and Captain Soranna asked us to help out with the Hobgoblin problem, a matter we recently became intimate with thanks to a, thankfully, failed ambush on us just outside their township. They told us about you, and thought you might be able to help us by telling us in more detail about your experience with them."

Aid Another: Diplomacy (Because I rolled it before Bowen responded, and I'm gonna use this roll, dammit! )

1d20(17)+4=21

[BowenSilverclaw]

"You fellas managed to bring some of those bastards down?" the man asks.

"Impressive! Care to join me for some rattlesnake chili?"

The man seems to have a friendly attitude after hearing about your encounter with the goblinoids and your intentions for their kin.

[PhaedrusXY]

"That sounds delicious. Thanks for your hospitality." Kalal says, as he heads towards the door of the man's house, and begins telling the tale of their battle with the hobgoblins.

[VennDygrem]

Yamanu follows, containing his eagerness. "I have not had rattlesnake in... quite some time..." Yamanu seems to be reminiscing a bit, a pastime that does not seem common to the marruspawn.

[BowenSilverclaw]

As you all sit in Jorr's cabin, those of you brave and tough enough indulging in his steaming hot ans spicy rattlesnake chili he tells you about the increased goblinoid activity over the last couple of weeks.

"I gotta  tell you fellas, I've been seeing a lot more o' them rotten goblins lately, especially along Dawn Way. They normally tend to live up yonder in the Wyrmsmokes, but seems like we got a big war party in the forest.

Maybe they come down the Old Forest Road, or might be they came by the Skull Gorge. My money's on the Skull Gorge."

After taking a few bites of his steaming hot snake chili, he continues "Odds are the vermin are holed up in old Vraath Keep. It's supposed to be haunted, but I doubt those monsters care about some old legend that much."

[PhaedrusXY]

"Yeah, we'd had the same thoughts about Vraath Keep. I forget who it was that mentioned it first, though. Probably someone in town."

[Agita]

Perhaps surprisingly, the colonel displays faultless table manners. Maybe they teach those at the military too? "Yes... but there are probably too many of them there to try and root them out in one swoop. An army could attempt a siege, but we don't have an army. If we're to stop the hobbos, making the Old Road or the Skull Gorge impassable and cutting off their easiest ways of entering the vale is our best bet. Preferably both, so they won't have an alternate route." After downing two more bites of the chili as if it was a mild soup, she adds, "If we cut them off, mopping up those that are already in the vale should be easy."

[PhaedrusXY]

Between gulps of chili, Kalal manages to get out "We're certainly better suited to a guerrilla operation than a siege. We could start waylaying them as they've been waylaying travelers. We'll have to be careful not to get drawn into a trap ourselves, though. And at best this is only going to piss them off and get their attention on us instead of innocent travelers, which while preferable isn't much in the way of a long term plan.

I don't know how we're going to cut off passage somewhere more than temporarily, though. Unless there's some easy natural disaster that we can set off... like a landslide. You know of any unstable rock formations we might topple over to block the gorge or something like that, Jorr?"

[VennDygrem]

Yamanu eats the chili carefully, knowing its typical potency, but likely seems to enjoy it nonetheless.
"How long's that going to hinder them, though? They'd likely just find another way through. Could there be some way to weaken them from the inside? Pluck the right string, and bring down the whole tapestry."

[BowenSilverclaw]

"Well," Jorr says between gulps of his own bowl of chili "Vraath keep has been in ruins for quite some time, so a big part of the walls no longer exists. So while it might be defended by goblinoids at least you wouldn't have to scale a wall or anything to get inside.

Concerning the gorge, taking out the bridge or somehow making it unusable would significantly delay the advance of any army coming from beyond the gorge. But do you fellas have the means, or the magic, necessary to take out a stone bridge?

As for the little one's suggestion." he continues, nodding at Yamanu "if there are any commanders in the area, they're most likely holed up in ol' Vraath Keep."

[BowenSilverclaw]

Sckhar:
As you come upon a clearing in the woods, you notice a small wooden cottage. A trio of large hounds is lying under the porch, relaxing and seemingly oblivious to your presence.

[Risada]

Sckhar:
As you come upon a clearing in the woods, you notice a small wooden cottage. A trio of large hounds is lying under the porch, relaxing and seemingly oblivious to your presence.

Sckhar removes his cloak, exposing his majestic draconic face, and tries to look the surroundings of the house, and hopefully see some of those hobgoblin rascals.

Listen/Spot Check: 13, 11
Move Silently/Hide: 13, 11

[BowenSilverclaw]

I see Move Silently, but no link?

As you look around with your keen Draconic eyes, you see no sign of any Goblinoid bandits.

[Risada]

I see Move Silently, but no link?

Oops... fixed it already 

Sckhar starts moving stealthly, hoping to get into a better position.

[BowenSilverclaw]

Do you move closer to the cabin or do you stick to the trees? It's about 60ft. from the sides of the cabin to the treeline.

[Nanshork]

Can I roll listen and spot since I haven't been interacting with the planning over the chili?   

What?  Me, neglecting this game?  I swear I haven't!   

[Risada]

Do you move closer to the cabin or do you stick to the trees? It's about 60ft. from the sides of the cabin to the treeline.

I stick close to the trees.

...Yes, I'm cautious. So what?