DM: The Rope Bridge

Lloyd and Gryffin edges forward towards the edge of the rope bridge. It is long and narrow, about 40+ foot long and appears to have been made with the same attention to craftsmanship as the rest of the crap that the goblins jerry-rig together. The rope itself is thick enough, if a little hairy and worn, but the planks are so mismatched and haphazard as to make a crossing treacherous.

The half-elf puts one hand on the rope at each side and prepares to step onto the bridge. His eyes drift down to the sea. There is a drop of 80 foot into the water. The waves below are breaking hard against the cliff. It does not look like a fun place to visit!

The two creep across. Each step creaks and wobbles, but it holds. It did not, however, feel particularly strong.

Ahead of them is the stockade and the rounded expanse of the small island. The stockade is made of thick wood. The stockade is large, about 90 foot across. The island is only perhaps 110 foot across, so it appears to really eat up most of the space. There are no windows (goblins don't like light over much), but on the left and right side are small watch towers (nothing visible), and straight in front of you, about 20 foot away, is a large wooden double door. The noises are round the left side of the building.

They can see, even from here, that most of the wood appears to have been scavenged from ships. A few nameplates remain affixed to some of the timbers, while others look like they might once have been masts.

The island appears empty, but it does not sound silent. They can hear faint noises from the north west, sort of to one side of the stockade and back a bit. It sounds like goblin voices raised in delight, with the odd yapping of goblin dog thrown in for fun. They are not close enough to the stockade to hear any noises within, but you assume it is probably full of the little buggers.

Somewhere within here your nemesis is to be found.

*

Trickling across, one by one, the group make it onto Thistletop Island. The crossing isn't fun, and Arao in particular seems to be wary of crossing the rope bridge in full plate mail armor, but he is finally persuaded, and slinks across.

You all gather together on the island, almost within spitting distance of the front entrance of the stockade. You can still hear the noises to the north west of the compound, and the odd noise emanating from within, too muffled or indistinguishable to ascertain what they are.

The rain starts falling again, gently at first, but starting to build a little.
There is little cover here, and you feel exposed, but there has been no reaction to your presence, and the continuation of noises suggests nobody is manning the watch towers (or they are not paying much attention).

*

The movement around the stockade is simple enough. Although there are sharp, deep bramble bushes scattered around, they never block the path, and indeed there are clear trails where goblin patrols have made their endless routes.

After reaching the edge of the left tower, Rhonna lets out a soft warning. You all stop, pressed up close against the stockade. Guy’s first thoughts are that there is someone above, but Rhonna points a finger around the corner.

Lloyd peeks round the corner, using the cover of the bramble as best he can.
He pulls back beside the rest of you, whispering indications that up ahead, outside the stockade, are four goblins. They appear to be torturing some poor seagull tied to a string, and are distracted, but sufficiently in the open that it is impossible to reach them undiscovered.