Turn 3Mason looks for a route to avoid confrontation.
Roll to Pathfind [6]It appears to be possible to circumnavigate the figures altogether by hugging the cliff and ducking behind the giant crystals. However, your group would have to be very quiet to avoid detection, and hope that they do not decide to look your way.
Squint eyes and try to discern more of the figures. If they are aggressive, chop them in half.
Roll to Squint [3]The figures appear roughly four feet tall, slightly hunched and garbed in ragged clothes. They do not look human, but it's hard to tell - the sun is shining right in Thanen's eyes. Fletcher sniffs the air in the direction of the figures and begins to growl quietly.
Examine the figures, if they appear armed and seem like hostile folk, don't call out. Look like a traveler.
Otherwise: Call out to them and try to get their aid.
Roll to Discern Hostility [4]They appear to be guarding the caves. Olaf suspects that whoever is behind the crystal wackiness is most likely trying to keep meddling adventurers out, perhaps even employing violence to do so.
Ardan crouches behind a shrub and aims his crossbow at the closer figure.
Roll to Aim [1]Ardan crouches behind the nearest bush and slides a bolt into his crossbow. Lifting it into his arms, he points it at the figures, aiming it at them with the utmost precision. Unfortunately, a large spider which had been relaxing in the shade of the bush (just enjoying its eight-legged little life) is perturbed by the sudden presence of Ardan and decides to bite his looming posterior, causing him to yelp quietly and pull the trigger on his crossbow. The bolt goes flying through the air and strikes the crystals behind the figures, who become alert and start searching the area around them. They still do not seem to have noticed the party.
Sneebus hits the dirt with a soft thump, apparently entering sneak mode. In reality, all that walking is bloody tough on his little gnome legs. He raises his eyebrows at the others before squinting over at the unknown figures.
>Sneebus grips his fork trident between his teeth and crawls stealthily on his stomach, breaking away from the group and trying to circle around behind the figures as the others talk to them or whatever.
Roll to Sneak Mode [4]Sneebus creeps up on the figures, a trident-wielding assassin. Hiding behind a crystal, Sneebus realizes that the figures are in fact goblins - green-skinned, ill-tempered, rancid-breathed creatures of devious intent.
"It was probably just a seagull again," grumbles one to the other.
"Shut your trap, Erglob! It wasn't a seagull!"
"It better not be. My quiche is getting cold."
Bob gets ready to attack in case combat is inevitable.
Bob stands at the ready. He can tell right away that the figures are goblins. Neither dwarves nor ogres (nor any combination) get along with goblins.
Sneebus
legendary trident
legendary spoon
backpack
bedroll
burlap sack
length of rope (40 ft)
rations for 3 days
waterskin
water for 3 days
Bob
the DREAD DOOM SKULLSPLITTER OF DOOM
backpack
bedroll
length of rope
4 torches
1 10-ft pole
2 bundle of firewood
rations for 3 days
waterskin
water for 3 days
Mason Joldman
bladed staff
backpack
bedroll
length of rope
4 torches
small map of Oodge
1 bundle of firewood
rations for 3 days
waterskin
water for 3 days
Olaf Yendor
backpack
bedroll
small pick
10-ft Pole
length of rope (40 ft)
hammer
rations for 3 days
waterskin
water for 3 days
Thanen Olobad
Malice, the two-handed steel axe
backpack
bedroll
2 torches
length of rope (40 ft)
bundle of firewood
flint and steel
the magic candle
grappling hook
rations for 3 days
waterskin
water for 3 days
Ardan
crossbow
19 bolts
backpack
bedroll
2 torches
length of rope (40 ft)
2 small glass containers
rations for 3 days
waterskin
water for 3 days