Torog's allegiances are complicated and messy and you can make knowledge checks to get the details. (Religion, Dungeoneering, History.) The short, immediately relevant version:
1. Torog hates everybody.
2. He has a particularly potent arch-rivalry with Lolth based on her presence in what he considers his Underdark.
Posses are wonderful things, I'd be up for that route as well. Although Ander certainly isn't opposed to killing Drow. He has little desire to settle in though, so shoring up defenses and waiting for the enemy to come to us wouldn't be up his alley.
So any more thoughts on this? From what I can tell you're split between gathering allies and taking the fight to the Drow.
Aegof on
I'm providing ambience.
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AegisFear My DanceOvershot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered Userregular
edited October 2010
I'm not necessarily against strengthening ourselves by seeking out allies, but beyond the Paths to the Deep being 'well-guarded' do we have any more specific descriptions of the extent of drow defenses there? We came out of this encounter relatively well off, so if we were to head down and pick off a few outposts while keeping more of an ear and eye out for subjugated communities or groups, might be an option.
Drow lands are very well protected; very few of their border fortresses or cities have fallen, and Drow tend to reclaim them pretty quickly.
The Drow, according to your most recent information, have tenuous-to-total control of about two-thirds of the Deeps in the Underdark, and a not-insignificant presence in the echo-darks. Most of these aren't the well-guarded Drow lands mentioned above, but that'll be of little comfort when you're sandwiched between Drow and rebellious Aberrants, who would rather kill or enslave you than ally with you. (Not to say that you couldn't convince them of otherwise, of course.)
We should at least scout the Drow fortresses and asses their strength. To see how much of a threat we pose to them, and how much help we would need.
We are pretty much more likely to be killed outright than listened too by just about anything in the under and echo darks. My feelings are the least insane bet is the myconids who are just insane (opposed to insane and demonically devious like everything else) and launch armies from the grove on a regular basis. If we could direct them to attack the drow and not us, we could piggy back on their armies and it might be enough to take a fortress or two.
Then again, when faced with choices like this, one instinct is the pick the craziest option. If you are going to negotiate with crazy murderous manipulators with little chance of success, may as well fail spectacularly. So mind flayers could do the trick. Hey, if we did manage to pull it off, then they could just build an army by mind controlling everything else. Flayerdark has certain ring to it.
Knowledge checks are great and you should always feel free to make them about anything you can think of. Dungoneering and History are good bets, and perhaps Streetwise if you want a better idea of who might make good allies. You can also use Perception to send scouts or scry or figure out the Drow maps that survived the battle.
All right, looks like you've decided to track down some dragons. Sounds good to me. Let's talk travel.
Between combat encounters, I'm going to be putting things in your path. Obstacles, locations of note, unique opportunities, that kind of thing. You'll then be given the chance to deal with these however you like--skills, powers, rituals, simple roleplaying, and anything else you can come up with. Most will be a chance to earn something, from a +1 on the next initiative roll to shiny new weapons. Failure just means not getting these things, which, no, will not put you at a disadvantage later, so feel free to try a crazy plan if you like.
I'm gonna get you guys moving soon, assuming no one's got some RP left to play.
Oops just realised that I never made my IC contribution to the post-combat.
I've made some minor updates to Mareka - most notably changing from a battlerager to a weapon talent fighter, as I wasn't really using much of the features, and THP is less useful with two leaders. I'm considering switching to hammer rather than axe, but doesn't really make a difference at this point (just pointing it out in case thinking about loot drops at any point).
What do we make of the fiery letters? Is Asmodeous slaping us in the face with a hint? I feel like we are letting an oppertunity pass us by if we just watch him go. I am going to try talking with it and hoping a botched roll doesn't get us in a fight with a demigod.
edit:
ha HAaa! Who says sentient hive mind crystals from a plug in the bottom of a galactic bathtub of mutant tentacle monsters do not have social skills? Shardminds got game.
Actually I think that message was just for the Headmaster--a response to Abraxus's claim that one can still exercise agency while enslaved to the will of another. The Headmaster and the Cringe have something in common--I tried to subtly imply that in the dialogue and narration. Of course, there is every possibility that's not what the Cringe was referring to.
And I think the Cringe did agree to kill us some Drow.
Yeah, that was a message for the Headmaster. He can share it if he likes, but he doesn't seem the type. I guess it could be from Asmodeus, but it's probably more likely that the Cringe has more than one way to communicate.
I'll get up the results of AR's rolls tonight, then if no one's got a response to those, we'll hit the next thing.
Can we get a dungoneering or history check about the location the cringe suggested? This may be a better option if it is a sure thing. If we think we can trust the cringe.
Alkey42 on
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AegisFear My DanceOvershot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
My character has maps set out before me so when I get home tonight I can see about making a history check.
Given that the Cringe's advice will lead us to the Glutton's Teeth, a Torog stronghold, should we continue on to dragon-recruiting? Or chance the Glutton's Teeth?
Everything is a chance. Torog is already at war with the Drow. If there is a wrakspawn army there, it isn't like we have to convince them to attack. Plus wrakspawn would rather add us to thier army the old faishon way, via the rack.
The dragons are neutral, I assume, so gaining them adds numbers to our side that wasn't there before.
VoteDragons
Alkey42 on
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AegisFear My DanceOvershot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
Will the path to the dragons take us in the same general direction as Glutton's?
They're in the same general direction, but will eventually involve very different routes. Going to one does not preclude getting to the other, but might make doing so harder.
Ok, well I will feel better "recieving aid" from Torog's followers with a pack of dragons, even if they are young dragons, at my back. Or if we are unsucessful, 3rd degree burns destroy pain receptors, so it's all good.
Alkey42 on
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AegisFear My DanceOvershot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
Yea, dragons are nice.
If we want to send a quick scouting group, I can cast Battlefield Elocution on you so you can shout back to us.
I give it 50/50 chance they just charge at us screaming BANE!!!
Alkey42 on
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AegisFear My DanceOvershot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
Much apologies, behind in everything given the sheer amount of school work that just killed me this past week. I'll get around to actually doing something once I've slept. As a heads up, I may have a similar stretch of days without sleep/activity in 2 weeks when I have the final set of assignments/exams this term.
Yeah it is cool. I have my degree, but my wife is currently working on her general exams for her PHD. So I am busy with everything else. Although this week that has meant staying home from work with a sick 4 year old, so I actually have had more time for things like this. But it is ok, I am patient, I knew this would not go quickly going into it, but it has been worth it for me so far. As long as it is done, eventually.
ok trying to recap what the great forum hiccup of '10 let slip into the nether
soxbox said hi
I asked for some group discussion on our next move. The options that I see:
Try to rescue the dragons with a surprise attack, making enimies of Zeir in the process
Try to negotiate with the snakemen, loosing surprise but not having to fight the enemy of our enemy, maybe
Joining up with the hobgoblin army if they will have us
backtracking and taking another option.
I think Saurfang said something about talking to the Snakemen, but I don't remember. If we could get them to just all get along, then we could use this underwater back entrance to strike a massive blow against the drow.
end of recap
Do we have any way of traversing an underwater cave? I think the snakmen have gills, but how do we move our entire army? The shardminds and warforged will be ok. If Aegis is still around some sort of steampunk submarine would be totally awesome, we could use dragon breath to power it.
My vote is we parlay with the snakes, and if they force a fight, so be it.
The drow frolic around their black lake, taking it easy, whipping slaves, watching the underdark's next top gladiator, when a huge nautilus type vessel surfaces in the middle of the lake, hatches open along its back like ICBM tubes, and in a burst of flame dragons jet out of them, snakemen and warforged and shardminds walk out of the edge of the waters like a zombie horde, GLORIOUS.
Posts
1. Torog hates everybody.
2. He has a particularly potent arch-rivalry with Lolth based on her presence in what he considers his Underdark.
Play with me on Steam
3DS: 0963-0539-4405
Also, if we need to make some sort of skill check, I can add +5 to anybody's check by speaking with the spirits. As an encounter power.
Currently DMing: None
Characters
[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
The Drow, according to your most recent information, have tenuous-to-total control of about two-thirds of the Deeps in the Underdark, and a not-insignificant presence in the echo-darks. Most of these aren't the well-guarded Drow lands mentioned above, but that'll be of little comfort when you're sandwiched between Drow and rebellious Aberrants, who would rather kill or enslave you than ally with you. (Not to say that you couldn't convince them of otherwise, of course.)
We are pretty much more likely to be killed outright than listened too by just about anything in the under and echo darks. My feelings are the least insane bet is the myconids who are just insane (opposed to insane and demonically devious like everything else) and launch armies from the grove on a regular basis. If we could direct them to attack the drow and not us, we could piggy back on their armies and it might be enough to take a fortress or two.
Then again, when faced with choices like this, one instinct is the pick the craziest option. If you are going to negotiate with crazy murderous manipulators with little chance of success, may as well fail spectacularly. So mind flayers could do the trick. Hey, if we did manage to pull it off, then they could just build an army by mind controlling everything else. Flayerdark has certain ring to it.
Play with me on Steam
Currently DMing: None
Characters
[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
Between combat encounters, I'm going to be putting things in your path. Obstacles, locations of note, unique opportunities, that kind of thing. You'll then be given the chance to deal with these however you like--skills, powers, rituals, simple roleplaying, and anything else you can come up with. Most will be a chance to earn something, from a +1 on the next initiative roll to shiny new weapons. Failure just means not getting these things, which, no, will not put you at a disadvantage later, so feel free to try a crazy plan if you like.
I'm gonna get you guys moving soon, assuming no one's got some RP left to play.
I've made some minor updates to Mareka - most notably changing from a battlerager to a weapon talent fighter, as I wasn't really using much of the features, and THP is less useful with two leaders. I'm considering switching to hammer rather than axe, but doesn't really make a difference at this point (just pointing it out in case thinking about loot drops at any point).
Play with me on Steam
edit:
ha HAaa! Who says sentient hive mind crystals from a plug in the bottom of a galactic bathtub of mutant tentacle monsters do not have social skills? Shardminds got game.
And I think the Cringe did agree to kill us some Drow.
I'll get up the results of AR's rolls tonight, then if no one's got a response to those, we'll hit the next thing.
Currently DMing: None
Characters
[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
The dragons are neutral, I assume, so gaining them adds numbers to our side that wasn't there before.
Vote Dragons
Currently DMing: None
Characters
[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
If we want to send a quick scouting group, I can cast Battlefield Elocution on you so you can shout back to us.
Currently DMing: None
Characters
[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
I give it 50/50 chance they just charge at us screaming BANE!!!
Currently DMing: None
Characters
[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
soxbox said hi
I asked for some group discussion on our next move. The options that I see:
Try to rescue the dragons with a surprise attack, making enimies of Zeir in the process
Try to negotiate with the snakemen, loosing surprise but not having to fight the enemy of our enemy, maybe
Joining up with the hobgoblin army if they will have us
backtracking and taking another option.
I think Saurfang said something about talking to the Snakemen, but I don't remember. If we could get them to just all get along, then we could use this underwater back entrance to strike a massive blow against the drow.
end of recap
Do we have any way of traversing an underwater cave? I think the snakmen have gills, but how do we move our entire army? The shardminds and warforged will be ok. If Aegis is still around some sort of steampunk submarine would be totally awesome, we could use dragon breath to power it.
My vote is we parlay with the snakes, and if they force a fight, so be it.
In case you want to do that.