Thäoran has mage hand, too.

Dok's decision to go back to Botkinberg to report, get some rest, then set off for our next destination the following day. It's not a good idea to set off on foot late in the day as night time isn't far off and travelling in the dark on foot can be dangerous, especially with the goblins lurking about. Goblins have good night vision because they spend so much time in the dark so their eyes have adapted so encountering one at night may prove to be our disadvantage.

A post is coming.  It seems that I can never find this site over the weekend, so I Monday is more likely to be my posting day.  Sometimes tonight (Monday) I hope to get it in. 

Nimu - what sort of alarm do you intend to set up for camps?  I'm perfectly fine with the spells being cast as a ritual.  However, Unseen Servant has a duration of 1 hour.  Are you going to go an hour, stop and take time for a ritual spell, then go an hour, then stop and do the ritual.  Repeat.  That is doable, but it would certainly slow down your day.  Just let me know.

Darkvision - yes, goblins and many other creatures have darkvision.  So do elves and dwarves.  So they wouldn't be at much of a disadvantage at night. 

This next post will have you going back to town.  I don't think I have a direction for after that yet in a post, although maybe I need to reread Soledad's post.  But it seems 2-2 on going South to the bridge vs. North to the caravan site at this moment. 

**Correction - posted as go to the caravan site.**

Nest Post up.

I took the next post through the caravan site, but feel free to back post more questions for Erhardt if you have any.  I'm trying to move things along in the beginning, but don't want to prevent you from asking any questions you might have.  For that matter, if there is anything else in town you want to do before going out to the caravan site, you can post that also. 

Hey, does Steel have darkvision?

Just curious.

Hey Team, here are my notes on the case so far. Anything you would add?

 

INVESTIGATIVE NOTES

 

Note: Most of our information is coming through Erhardt… is he trustworthy?

 

Twins Disappearance

• Site: believed to be taken from the back end of their cow pasture
• Boot prints found there, possibly goblins
• Trail got cold quick
• If it was goblins, they seem exceptionally cunning and stealthy
• If the twins were taken here, their kidnappers didn’t seem weighed down carrying them
• If it was goblins, they either stealthily made their way to the river and cross by boat (which is unusual) or made their way around the town to cross at the southern bridge.
• It seems like a lot of work and risk on the goblins’ part for the potential of little to no gain
• Questions: Why kidnap the twins? What value to they hold? Did they really disappear from this location or was it made to look that way? As this seems really outside the goblins routine, was this really the work of goblins?

 

Caravan Ambush

• Erhardt claims the dead bodies were buried… where? By whom? The bodies were brought back to town by Erhardy and the other deputy, buried in the town cemetery. They brought back 3 bodies – all guards.  Supposedly there were two others with the caravan, another guard and a third merchant.  Both were just gone. 
• What guild were the merchants with? What were they carrying? “Not a major house.  Merchant Tabosa is a medium sized merchant up in Ludenshiem.  For a house of that size, the loss of a small caravan won’t be crippling, but it will hurt. Hauling variety of goods.  Some of it was some fine cloth headed for the keep.  There was also some finer liquors – part for sale here for those who don’t have the stomach for the sludge and part up at the keep.  Past that it was a mishwash of things.  Some finer metal goods, and some spices from up Ludenshiem way round out most of the rest.  It was a pretty typical load. 
• What were the names of the two merchants that survived? Mathias (Merchant Tabosa's nephew), Ned Tester (hired man of the house)
• Ambush believed to be the work of goblins
• Ambush was well planned and executed… tree across the road, guards all killed, wagons burned, no trail left behind, no signs that ambushers were injured… again, seems unlikely to be the work of goblins.
• Three wagons reported… only two at the site… where is the third?
• If the ambushers were as skilled as they seemed to be, why did they let the two merchants live?
• A mix of normal and goblin manufactured arrows
• There is the obvious evidence of the battle, but also other tracks that seem to be "after the fact."  These later tracks are human and accompanied by horse tracks on the road.
• A tree on the north side of the road was obviously cut and used to block the road.  However, the tree itself is now on the South side of the road having been pulled off of the road.  (Erhardt made no mention of doing this himself and if asked will nod and agree that it is odd.  He found the tree already pulled off to the side.) 
• Why did the merchants leave town so quickly the next day?
• Again, if this was the work of goblins, would they have used boats to cross the river? (unlikely) Would they have walked all the way down to the southern bridge? (unlikely)
• Is this really the work of goblins? Or is someone trying to make it look like goblins?

 

Farmer Complains About Something Spooking His Cows

• Not investigated yet
• Need to check for tracks… are they similar to the tracks left near the site where the twins are believed to have disappeared, or similar to the tracks near the caravan ambushed site?
• “Anyway, Meekal is always seeing something.  I’ve never seen anything come of it.  This last one – nothing there.  His cows were just grazing away like any other cow you’ve ever seen and there was no sign of anything in the area.  So, if they were spooked, it wasn’t much.  There farm is on the Western Edge of town.  It’s actually not far from the front gates of the keep.”  

The site of the caravan raid sounds very similar to the site where Thäoran's father was taken. In both cases, the people who were kidnapped were just gone with no clear evidence just like Thäoran's father. Could there be a connection?

Dragon-Soul  - That isn't a question I can really answer at this point.  Your question will be answered in my ingame post since it won't impact the next move the group makes.  He doesn't have info on elves.

Ayrn's question from the game post:

The Tobosa Merchant House - You don't recognize it.  However, it is a Ludenshiem based trading house and that town is about 3 days walk to the North.  Nothing in your background puts you in that area before.  What you can say is that isn't the name of a major trading house that does business in the South.  It is likely a smaller local trading house, but your lack of knowledge of the local area makes that a guess.

The tree from the ambush - it is easy to locate.  A tree on the north side of the road was obviously cut and used to block the road.  However, the tree itself is now on the South side of the road having been pulled off of the road.  (Erhardt made no mention of doing this himself and if asked will nod and agree that it is odd.  He found the tree already pulled off to the side.) 

Checking out the site - It is easy to find some spots where goblins might have hid and shot arrows.  Broken branches, boot marks (goblinish) are visible.  These spots seem well placed for an ambush.  There are a couple of arrows likely from the guards back in these areas.  One might have found its target - perhaps a bit of goblin blood, but it isn't certain.  Clearly there has been a fair amount of activity here.  There is the obvious evidence of the battle, but also other tracks that seem to be "after the fact."  These later tracks are human and accompanied by horse tracks on the road.

I won't always answer questions like this "between posts" but these are simple and logical and might impact your next move so it seems best to get you the information.

FYI - I'll get the next post up tuesday or Wednesday unless someone asks for a delay. Tuesday marks one week.    3 Posts so far.

You have most of the information requested based on last posts so there isn't much more for me to add about the caravan site unless you have other questions or plans.  Right now I'd expect the next post to review the caravan site, return to Botkinburg for the night, then in the morning to head for the bridge.  Let me know if something else is desired.

Guess we need to set a watch for the night. Dok is familiar with Goblins & is also a Hill Dwarf, so he will find a spot that provides cover + an advantage against any surprise attack that might be sprung! Since Dok will have to spend some time in Morning Prayer to Prepare His Spells, it would stand to reason for Dok to get some rest & then stand watch while it is still dark with his Dwarf Vision of seeing in the dark, before he has to spend time in Morning Prayer to Prepare Spells!

Thäoran has nightvision because he's an elf, so he can take the watch after Dok, if that's okay with everyone?

Oh, and I vote for examining those stone buildings alongside the river. They may look abandoned from a distance, but could be perfect temporary shelters for travelling goblins to take refuge. I think it's worth checking them out. Never know what you might find.

Just remember if you are going to check the buildings or do anything else, I need to know if you are trying to do it as dusk falls or if you are waiting until the morning. 

Nomad I'm going to have to drop out of the game. With school reopenings so much in doubt and having 3 out of 4 daughters for the moment home learning I do not have time for two games. I hate to do this and hope maybe I can rejoin at a later date. Apologies also to everyone.

Ok Mischief, really really sorry to see you go though you did say last time we talked it was a possibility so I understand it. 

Nomad I'll have a post up for Steel tomorrow.

Oh and no Steel does not have Dark Vision