This is currently a closed game. If you wish to ask questions or comment, please use the OOC thread located here (http://freedomreborn.net/archive/index.php?topic=43106.0) Players post what you want to do, I will be resolving all actions, so try not to get ahead of me either in case I can't get on. We'll more or less be using 3.5 D&D system, except when it gets in the way of game flow. Trust me, I'm no rules lawyer and prefer to let things be fun and cinematic over mechinics-driven.
And now... on with the show...
---------------
Welcome to the Pit of Despair.
At least, that's what the sign over the tavern door said. It's hard to say if this was an attempt at humor by the owner or part of a deeper story, no one is really sure. All you are sure of is that at least it's dry... well mostly dry.
Outside the storm continues to rage, hail rattling against the wooden walls. Dark clouds and heavy downpour have turned midday into blackest night. Violent storms like this are not uncommon for this region, but this is easily the worst you've seen, and even the heartiest of men (or women) are forced to find shelter against the stinging ice and driving rain.
..which is why the clientele of this inn is far from standard. There's a tension in the air as old animosities are temporarily set aside while everyone waits out the storm. Most of the visitors are quiet, minding their own business, except for a pair of halflings sharing a brew and some really bad jokes about various bodily functions. They seem to know the barkeeper personally, a positively amazonian human woman with black hair and tanned skin. She's dressed in basic work leathers and an old stained apron and though you think you heard her complain about being short handed, she seems to be taking care of the customers without much trouble. She pauses by the fire where a priest, barely old enough to be ordained, is ministering to a pale man lying unconscious on a small cot that's been dragged in so as to be as close as possible to the heat. Both are still damp from being outside recently.
The young priest looks up from ministering to his charge and asks her for some water for himself.
Elsewhere in the room, an elf dressed in fine traveling clothes and his companion look down their noses at a trio of orcs at the table next to them who don't seem to notice, and probably wouldn't care.
And then, there's you.
What are all of you doing: describe yourself and what you're up to.
Stepping in out of the rain, I take in the room for a brief moment, noting particularly the young priest and his charge. Pulling off my cloak only causes more water to drip into my boots, which makes absolutely no difference in how wet my feet are.
Elves are typically described using word like "svelte" and "fair." I make it closer to "gaunt" and "pale." This comes from too many years in hard study, followed by a long and trying war, followed by weeks of hard travel. My equipment is standard elvish, and decidedly more less ornate than might be typical. My hair is silvery white and held back by a plain wooden circlet. As elves go, I'm pretty run-of-the-mill looking, although I have no idea how others would perceive me.
I hang my cloak as close to the fire as I can, nod to the table of elves, and cross over to the sick man and lay my hand on the young preist's shoulder.
"The peace of Corellon to you, brethren." I say to the priest. "Might I be of some assistance?"
[spoiler]Anything evident on quick glance?
We also need to discuss equipment.[/spoiler]
I am already in the tavern, as near to the fireplace as I can get to dry off. I am tall for an elf, and strangely dressed in patchwork clothes of dark green and brown. I have the brown hair (kept short) and faintly greenish complexion typical of a wood elf. My boots are off, drying by the fire. My green eyes are watchful, my expression neutral.
[spoiler]I've left my trained falcon on a rafter in the stables, and hidden my bow and arrows back in the hay as well as I can. Anything else of value I have on me.[/spoiler]
I would almost rather spend the night out in the stables, but this is warm and dry. Most of my attention is focused on the orcs; I generally expect them to be trouble and am rarely surprised to find them anything but. Had I encountered them in the wood, it would have meant battle, but if our host sees fit to welcome them then I will be civil if I can. I do not really expect to sleep in this place, though... it might be worth my life.
As the silver haired elf comes through the door, those huddled inside the crude structure catch a momentary glance of a peculiar blue skinned elf standing, naked to to waist and with arms up-flung, staring into the sky. He lets the freezing rain pelt his upturned face, and a peculiar smile creases his azure face. After a few minutes pass, the stranger strides through the door, soaked through to the very bone and seemingly mindless of the fact. His tired smile fades quickly at the sight of the crowded inn, and the feeling of unknown eyes on him. He throws his sodden cloak about his strong shoulders, making his way for an empty spot in a corner, and although he moves with a haughty step, he avoids the eyes of those about him. A longsword hangs at his side, a brilliantly worked hilt inlaid with gold and sea-green jewels glints above the plain, beaten leather of a worn sheath. The slight gleam of the sword is the only mark of prosperity to be found in his guise, although his threadbare and patched cloak and garments bear the faded glory of fallen nobility.
Note to others: you may still choose to be inside the tavern as the action starts or you may do an entrance. Either will still work at this point.
BlueBard, In your character's short time inside, you've learned that the amazonian woman's name is "Shalla", as the two halflings have called her by name.
You are little surprised to see another traveler enter, a gaunt and pale looking elf to be exact. The storm has driven in many so far, and the varried conversations in the room only pause for the briefest moment. The stranger takes little notice of you, instead concerning himself with the unconscious human and his caretaker. You are close enough to easily hear their conversation...
"The peace of Corellon to you, brethren."
"Blessings of Pelor on you as well," replies the young priest.
"Might I be of some assistance?"
"If you can, good sir. I found him on the road just after the storm broke. He's hurt, I can't tell how bad and he kept muttering something, I couldn't make out what over the hail. He's quiet now, but... I only know a little bit of healing I'm afraid."
The door opens again, and this time conversation in the tavern stops dead as the doorway frames a half-naked blue-skinned elf apparently enjoying the freezing hail and heavy rain*. He smiles until he seems to realize he's the center of attention and that smile crumbles a bit. He quickly makes his way into an empty niche of the tavern.
"Well now," Shalla the tavern owner murmurs aloud. She's obviously taking in the show with great interest. Most of the rest of the taver however drifts back to their own business.
(* and making one heckuva entrance)
((appears late)) the tavern door opens once more, and in steps a form shrouded in a heavy cloak, wrapped firmly around it's form, the hood pulled up over it'shead and shrouding it's face in shadow. the cloak makes it difficult to discern the race or even gender of the individual, who stands just over 5 feet tall. the figure moves to the bar, whispering low to the bartender, placeing a few coins on the table with a slender gloved hand, hinting at a feminine nature. she retrieves a mug of ale, and retreats to a far cornor, away from the others as much as possible. there is an air of "otherness" about her, a slightly sinister feel, suggesting this traveler holds far more secrets than one might think.
The cloaked figure's arrival goes almost unnoticed compared to the last entrance. The bartender smiles and says in a quiet voice "Here you go Honey," in a maternal way as she hands her the mug.
(*New Arrival*)
The tavern doors open once more as the latest traveler makes his entrance. Ice and rain cling to well-tailored garments that seem ill-suited for such horrible weather. The man pauses just after entering, taking a moment to softly sing a short but pleasant tune in a foreign tongue as he removes his plumed hat to shake the rain from it.
For those who care to watch, his hat seems strangely dry as he places it back atop his blonde head, and the plume is a bright and cheerful red instead of the sodden quill that it was upon entry. A toothy smile splits his close-cropped, but well-groomed beard.
"Praise Fharlanghn to be in civilized shelter once more!" he exclaims heartily, striding towards the bar. As he walks, the ice and rain seem to gradually melt away from his vestments, until it is clear that this human is dressed in a velvety plum surcoat and breeches with matching hat, with a red cloak across his shoulders. A rapier can be seen hanging at his side, and a lute visibly protrudes from under the cloak.
He places some coins on the bar. "A mug of warm cider, should you have it, fair lady," he requests courteously. "Or ale if you don't - 'tis certainly nothing to quibble over."
Once he has received his drink, he'll find a table against a wall and take a seat there. He'll unstrap his lute and start tuning it, occasionally pausing to take a swig from his drink.
[spoiler]Those with any inclination towards arcane spellcasting probably recognize that the man used a Prestidigitation spell upon entering - a minor cantrip that performs nifty helpful effects like cleaning or drying things, moving very light objects, or creating small showy visual effects.[/spoiler]
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 11, 2007, 09:00:27 PM
"Might I be of some assistance?"
"If you can, good sir. I found him on the road just after the storm broke. He's hurt, I can't tell how bad and he kept muttering something, I couldn't make out what over the hail. He's quiet now, but... I only know a little bit of healing I'm afraid."
"Well, let me see what I can do."
I place two long bundles against the wall - a long bow and quiver, and a spear, both wrapped thoroughly against the rain. Doffing the cloak revealed a hauberk of fine chain mail covered by a bright blue tabard, blue leggings and sturdy, knee high walking boots, and a plain but very functional long sword. (Oh, and the circlet is silver, not wooden as mentioned before.) I place my pack on the floor, and begin to examine the man.
[spoiler]So there's the basic equipment. By the magic item rule, I figure the mail could be high quality "non-magical" elven mail. What else he might have I'll leave to the GM's discretion - likely something of a healing or "buffing" nature. The pack contains all the basics for a long journey, with a goodly stock of healing herbs, salves, field medic kit and etc. Let me know if any of this crosses the line
I don't have my character sheet with me, but when it comes to examining the man I know I have a pretty good healing skill.[/spoiler]
OOG: Yuan, let's do character and inventory stuff via pm if possible, please.
The elven priest kneels by the unconsicous man and begins to examine him.
Yuan:
[spoiler]The man appears to be suffering from exaustion and maybe a little dehydration too. There are also signs of possible a cracked rib or two, not to mention a number of smaller bruises and cuts on hs body. He is completely unresponsive as well.[/spoiler]
By the time you make your diagnosis, the door opens to allow in another flambuoant traveler, this one obviously an entertainer of some sort, and versed in a little magic from the look of things.
"A mug of warm cider, should you have it, fair lady," he says to Shalla. "Or ale if you don't - 'tis certainly nothing to quibble over."
"My... aren't you the charmer," she smiles back. "'Fraid we're out of cider, but as for the ale, got some ofthe best this side of the valley."
She hands over the mug and he finds himself a spot in the common room. The "twing-twing-twang" of his lute being tuned hangs in the air as he adjust the strings. The table of orcs roll their eyes at the sound and one of them mutters something in orcish barely loud enough for the rest of the room to hear.
[spoiler=For those who understand Orc]"Ugh. He's probably going to play 'Bird of Freedom'. I hate that song."[/spoiler]
Most of the other patrons ignore both the orcs and the entertainer for now and go back to their drinks and business.
I allow myself a slight ironic grin as I overhear the Orc's comment.
As the banter and background noise of the tavern slips back into it's more natural rhythm, all conversation comes to a screeching halt, as a tortured, roar of a sound tears through the common room. All eyes instantly turn towards the corner closest to the elves & the orcs. The huge, lone, hooded figure, who had been lightly dozing previously, now has his head lolled back, mouth wide open, and patrons can scarcely hear each other over the full-throated snores that issue forth from that cavernous opening:
SNZZXZXZZZZZXXX ......... HHHXXXHHHHXHXXZZXZZZ ........ SNXXXZZSZZZZZXXXXX ......... HXXXZZZXXXXSHGXXKKK!
His head snaps up, amid sounds of reflexive choking & coughing. From the dark brown skin tone, greasy, lank hair, and other obvious features, there's no mistaking this is some type of ogre! With a neutral, somewhat confused look on his face, he slowly blinks his eyes clear, lips smacking. His eyes pass over the orc table, the obvious look of a thought crosses his face, and he speaks: "Og hungry." His lips smack again, and then he speaks a bit louder, and in the direction of the bar: "Og want food!"
The entertainer gives a smirk of his own at the orc's comment, and finishes tuning his instrument. He starts strumming a jaunty tune as he speaks clearly to the assembled tavern patrons:
"Fellow travelers, 'tis a cold and bleak night indeed. Just as you may warm your hands by the hearth, and warm your bellies with ale, I have a song that may help to warm your spirits. While many a tavern-goer might expect me to start with 'Bird of Freedom,' I find that song to be a bit too played out for this evening's entertainment. This tune is a bit more low-brow, but quite enjoyable nevertheless..."
(*Song Lyrics*)
Beer, beer, beer, tiddly beer, beer, beer...
A long time ago, way back in history,
when all there was to drink was nothin' but cups of tea.
Along came a man by the name of Charlie Mops,
and he invented a wonderful drink and he made it out of hops!
He must have been an admiral a sultan or a king,
and to his praises we shall always sing.
Look what he has done for us he's filled us up with cheer!
Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented
Beer, beer, beer, tiddly beer, beer, beer...
The Broken Mug, the Drunken Rat, the Hole in the Wall as well
one thing you can be sure of, its Charlie's beer they sell
so all ye lads a lasses, at eleven O'clock ye stop
for five short seconds, remember Charlie Mops.
One... Two... Three... Four... Five...
He must have been an admiral a sultan or a king,
and to his praises we shall always sing.
Look what he has done for us he's filled us up with cheer!
Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented
Beer, beer, beer, tiddly beer, beer, beer...
A barrel of malt, a bushel of hops, you stir it around with a stick,
the kind of lubrication to make your inside tick!
40 pints of wallop a day will keep away the quacks.
Its only eight pence hapenny and one and six in tax.
One... Two... Three... Four... Five...
He must have been an admiral a sultan or a king,
and to his praises we shall always sing.
Look what he has done for us he's filled us up with cheer!
Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented
Beer, beer, beer, tiddly beer, beer, beer...
The Lord bless Charlie Mops!
The elf in patchwork clothes merely shakes his head at the subject matter.
As soon as I can be heard again, I move closer to where they are tending the injured man.
"Will he mend?" I ask softly.
To GGGM:
[spoiler]Does it appear that the man was wounded? As in, with a weapon?[/spoiler]
I glance up at the Sylvian and reply in elvish, "He doesn't look too badly off. Beaten, though."
The unconsciousness is a little odd given his level of injury. I check carefully for head wounds.
I turn to the young priest. "At a quick glance I would guess he was waylaid and left to the storm. Did you see anyone about, or have any idea how long he had been laying there?"
[spoiler]Is he still dressed in wet clothes? Any ID, belt, weapons, money or anything else of value?[/spoiler]
"Og hungry," says the huge figure off to the side, "Og want food!"
"Well, I hope Og likes rabbit stew or dried beef," Shalla says smirking, "'cause that's all we got right now."
Before Og can reply, the minstrel stands and begins his show.
"Fellow travelers," he says, addressing the patrons, "'tis a cold and bleak night indeed. Just as you may warm your hands by the hearth, and warm your bellies with ale, I have a song that may help to warm your spirits. While many a tavern-goer might expect me to start with 'Bird of Freedom'..."
The other two orcs snicker and elbow their companion.
"...I find that song to be a bit too played out for this evening's entertainment. This tune is a bit more low-brow, but quite enjoyable nevertheless..."
The purple-clad performer begins a rousing song about beer. Apparently the two halflings know it well, and sing along somewhere in the vicinity of "in tune" and banging their mugs along with the beat. Shalla seems to be enjoying the song as well, and though the elf in fine traveling clothes obviously does not think much of the song, his apparent bodyguard smiles a bit at the tune.
By the fire, the two elves speak quietly about the wounded man.
Bluebard[spoiler]
QuoteDoes it appear that the man was wounded? As in, with a weapon?
The cuts appear to be caused by bramble or branch, not a blade. You only see the bruise on his side for a moment before it's covered up by blankets again, but it appears to have been done by something large and blunt.
You haven't seen much out of the ordinary lately in this part of the woods, though there has been a certain uneasiness among the animals you couldn't quite put your finger on.[/spoiler]
Yuan[spoiler]
QuoteIs he still dressed in wet clothes? Any ID, belt, weapons, money or anything else of value?
He's dressed only in pants, but there's a pile of damp linen near the fire that were probably his clothes. There's a belt mixed in with the pile and a chain that might be a necklace. Without searching it, you're not sure what else he's got[/spoiler]
"I found him not far from here alone," the young priest says as the bard continues to sing in the background, "I think he was trying to reach the road but never made it. I carried him here as best I could... I hope I didn't make things worse. Um.. I don't know how long he'd been there. He was as wet as I when I found him."
I nod to the young priest. "All right. Would you speak to the bar mistress and see if there is a bed for him? Even a bed in the dormitory would be acceptable. Heated room would be best if there is one, though. And blankets. And hot water and soap." I cut myself off with a dry smile before I burden him with a longer list.
"Oh, and my name is Orloid" I say, extending my hand in my best "introducing yourself to a human" style.
As the rousing tavern song came to an end, the azure elf stired in his corner, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his eyes hidden by the still dripping brim of his cloak. Slowly a murmuring tune rose in his throat, reaching a quiet crescendo of soft and unearthly song, somehow akin to the murmur of waves on a rocky shore, but with the forlorn quality of a sea-bird's cry. The strange song continued to waver through the air, just audible to those nearby as his keen eyes took in the denizens of this rough haven. His gaze lingers on the aloof pair of elves, studying them closely.
[spoiler]Do I see anything interesting under careful observation?[/spoiler]
The young priest extends his hand to Orloid. "I am Nathan, servant of Pelor, may he be belssed. I'll see if I can arrange a real bed for him."
Nathan bustles off as the song ends to much cheering from both the Halflings and the Orcs.
And then, an unearthly sound rolls across the tavern, which seems to come from the blue-skinned elf.
There's a pregnant pause.
It gives birth to a lot of little pauses. You could hear a pin drop if it wasn't for the loud storm outside.
Viking [spoiler]Sounds like the blue elf was singing sea-elven. You're not 100% sure since you've never had the chance to experience it before, but it fits everything you've heard prior.[/spoiler]
Benton[spoiler]One of the elves is dressed in fine, yet subdued cloths and metal armor that you can see peeking out from beneath his tabard and cloak. He is well muscled with dark chestnut hair and an alert expression and seems to be keeping a watchful eye on most of the people here. His companion is dressed much finer, and is either nobility or at least rich. He wears a simple brass (or possibly gold) circlet over his blond hair. He looks like he'd rather be anywhere but here right now. [/spoiler]
OOG: Don't get used to this idealic settng folks, plot train is headed your way, toot toot! :D
The entertainer breaks the silence within the inn, addressing the blue-skinned elf.
"Well, I can't say I've ever heard that as a finale chorus to 'Beer, Beer, Beer,' but well sung, sir!"
The bard finishes his drink, and strides across the inn to join the brilliantly-hued elf, speaking to all the patrons as he walks.
"My repertoire is broad, my knowledge is vast, and I've been known to take requests! So gift me with coin or a drink if you will, and I'll surely do my best."
Having reached the elf in the corner, the bard tips his hat in greetings. He says something in elven:
To BentonGrey, and anyone else that speaks Elvish:
[spoiler]"Greetings, good sir. May I join you? I'd be all too happy to help dry your vestments in return for your conversation."[/spoiler]
To GM:
[spoiler]Do I recognize the song the blue-skinned elf sang? Do I know what kind of elf he is?
Whisper studies all of the patrons carefully, looking for little things that would indicate what kind of a person they are, where they come from, anything out of the ordinary.[/spoiler]
The wood elf in the patchwork clothes appears briefly hesitant, staring first at the blue-skinned elf then slowly scanning the room. He then turns to Orloid and speaks softly, reluctantly, in Elven.
To Orloid:
[spoiler]"I am called Whisper." Glancing back at the injured man, he continues. "He looks almost as if the forest itself attacked him with branch and thorn... or fled hastily through thick brush to escape something. I can only guess. But I have a feeling that something is not right."[/spoiler]
BB
[spoiler]you don't recognize the song, but you think he might be a sea elf, except that you've never heard of one this far inland ever. Very strange[/spoiler]
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 12, 2007, 04:01:25 PM"Well, I hope Og likes rabbit stew or dried beef," Shalla says smirking, "'cause that's all we got right now."
"Stew good. Og want stew."
"Hm . . . well it's extremely difficult to break ribs by running yourself into a tree, Whisper. Possible, but you'd have to be blind with fear. I still think it looks like someone hit him with something heavy. Ensorceled tree or brigand with a club, it makes little difference to him just now." I reply
I give the wood Elf a careful look over - does he look strong enough to carry this man upstairs? I know I'm sure not!
[spoiler]Will he need magical healing, or does he look like he'll recover quickly enough with rest, warmth and care?[/spoiler]
Orloid
[spoiler]If that is a cracked rib, he will heal in a few a few weeks with proper care. If it's only a bruise, then obviously much quicker. He'll probably need at least a day or two to recover from the exhaustion and dehydration fully.
BTW: Whisper looks more than capable of carrying him.[/spoiler]
Shalla disappear briefly into the back and returns with a large pot of steaming broth with lumps in it that are probably meat, potatoes and carrots all cooked a uniform brown. It smells pretty good though, if you like stew. She reaches behind the counter and finds a LARGE bowl and begins to ladle the soup into it.
One of the halflings holds up a coin and yells to the Minstrel "Do you know 'The Maiden and the Trapper?'"
"With the GOOD lyrics!" his friend leers.
The door of the inn opens with a crash of thunder that had a sense of the dramatic.
Framed in the doorway is a huge man wrapped in an oilskin cloak to protect against the storm. He unwraps the cloak as he enters, scattering bit of hail along the floor and revealing a set of dark platemail and chain, and a mane of dark hair that almost reaches his shoulders and merges with his thick mustache and beard. He wears a simple chain necklace with a medallion of a white flame over black that is half hanging out from beneath his breast plate. He carried a huge axe in his right hand. As he enters, he is quickly flanked by a quartet of Hobgoblins who look around the room, sizing everyone up.
"Welcome to the Pit of Despair sir," Shalla says cheerily, "Where no one-
"I am seeking this man," he interrupts in a deep voice that is almost a growl as he reaches into his pack and pulls out a scroll and unfurls it in front of everyone. "You will tell me what you know and all will go well for you." One of the Hobgoblins smirks wickedly at this remark.
There is a drawing on the scroll. It's not a very good drawing but the face does look familiar.
Sort of like the wounded man by the fire.
The azure skinned elf had enough time to nod graciously to the flamboyant bard and speak a word of welcome with a strange, rumbling accent that put one's mind to distant thunder, before the doors flew open in the strangers rude entrance. As the human made his declaration the elf's cobalt eyes observed him without much entrance, until they fell upon the symbol on his chest. A memory flashed through his mind, a mixture of rage and forlorn hope brought him to his feet. His strangely rolling voice boomed across the crowded tavern and a hand stabbed in the strangers direction with haughty command.
"You, human, what means the symbol you bear?" he spoke in a tone used to obedience. "I seek one who wears such a device."
I glance upward at the arriving group, note the drawing of the man and symbol the large human wears, then lean forward to try to block his view of the wounded man. While doing so I murmur to Whisper, "I'm not of a mind to betray this man to the likes of him. If you feel otherwise, or would rather not get involved, I recommend that you move away now."
[spoiler]Do I know much about this secret organization? Even it's general "alignment?" I mean, employing hobgoblins as lackeys is not a real positive sign . . .
Also, what's the word on the equipment list?[/spoiler]
The purple-clad entertainer sighs softly at the azure-skinned elf's imperious demand. He murmurs something in Elvish:
(*for those who speak Elvish*)
[spoiler]"Let's not provoke a fight just yet, shall we? 'Twould be messy and discourteous to our host."[/spoiler]
He then strikes a jarring chord on his lute, in stark contrast to the cheery tune from before.
"As it so happens," he begins, strumming a series of dark and minor chords on his instrument, "I think I've seen someone bearing a passing resemblance to that picture. 'Twas much earlier, in the storm outside, and passing strange besides. I had thought it would make for a good tale, though I'd not expected an interested audience so quickly..."
And with that, he begins to narrate in time with his music:
'Twas a night both dark and stormy,
As I traveled 'cross the land,
That a stranger came before me,
With a warning, outstretched hand.
The lightning lit his haggard face,
And the rain lashed at his cheek.
The thunder tolled and at that place,
The man began to speak.
"You'd best beware," the man gasped out,
"Of the danger here betide.
They seem like thugs, but have no doubt,
Their reach is far and wide."
"Oh, never let them capture you,
Or you'll never be the same,
They'll scar, and maim, and torture you -
Beware the Cleansing Flame."
With that, the stranger turned and fled,
As I pondered his advice.
'Twas then I saw his side had bled,
Staining red, ground slick with ice.
He vanished through the Western Wood,
And though I never caught his name,
One thing that I had understood,
Beware the Cleansing Flame.
*************
(OOG: I'm using a bardic Fascinate ability, targeting the huge man and the two hobgoblins nearest him. If it works, they'll pretty much be paying rapt attention to my performance, oblivious to other happenings around them. Except for combat - that pretty much snaps them out of it.)
i take note of the armored man and his inhuman consorts, keeping my hood low. for now, i'll remain an obsever, but my hand tightens on the mace beneath my cloak in anticipation of trouble.
To Orloid, whispered in Elven:
[spoiler]I'm of no mind to give ground before goblinkin, or those who employ them.[/spoiler]
I give the bard his chance, but should it come to violence I'll be happy to oblige the goblin scum and their keeper. And anyone inclined to join in, pointedly glancing at the orcs. I also move in front of the injured man to shield him from view... or worse.
To GM:
[spoiler]If need be, do I have sufficient space to cast a web spell inside the tavern without entangling myself or Orloid? If not, I'll let my fingers drop to the hilt of my longsword and draw it at the first sign of violence. If the web spell is an option, then I'll do that instead which should buy some time. I'll try to keep the bard and as many of the elves present free of the webs. I won't cast the spell if there's any danger that an open flame will torch them. The main target will be the band that just entered the tavern.[/spoiler]
[oog]Time to play sort out the action, WHEE!!!
Yuan: your question answered via PM
BB:
[spoiler] It'll be tight, and you'll get a good chunk of the common room, including a few of the people who weren't causing trouble before now. Still, you can cast without the web touching you or Orloid or the fireplace. There are some lanterns in the range as well, but they are sealed, and as long as they stay intact, you should be okay in that respect[/spoiler]
[/oog]
"You, human," the blueskinned elf demands in imperious tones, "What means the symbol you bear? I seek one who wears such a device."
Viking, Benton, Lord Elcorion (the only ones who made this spot roll)
[spoiler]For a fraction of a second, there a flicker of surprise that crosses the large man's face, as suddenly aware something's amiss.There's also a little annoyance in there too, but it is all quickly replaced with his stone-faced expression from before When he speaks, he casually tucks the amulet back under his breastplate, trying not to make a big show of it.[/spoiler]
"That is unimportant," says the armored man. "For now, this man is my concern," he adds indicating the parchment.
"Yeah," one of the hobgoblin's sneers, "so siddown and shuddup freak!"
"Ralsh, none of that!" the armored man snaps.
"Yessir" the Hobgoblin mutters reluctantly.
Neither of them notice the bard murmur something to the strange blue elf just before advancing forward with a melodic chord.
"As it so happens," he says with musical accompaniment, "I think I've seen someone bearing a passing resemblance to that picture. 'Twas much earlier, in the storm outside, and passing strange besides. I had thought it would make for a good tale, though I'd not expected an interested audience so quickly..."
He begins to sing. It's a good song, nice, somewhat ominous tune. The hobgoblins seem to like it a lot, and even the armored man seems interested. His eyes narrow suspiciously a bit at the end of verse four but he stays quiet throughout the song.
When the song ends. "Tell me, singer. Are you sure that's what he told you?"
At the large man's dismissal the tall elf veritably bristled with barely contained anger, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. He was about to fire off an ire-filled retort when the bard's song swept through the inn. He raised his head and glared at the human throughout the balance of the performance, and once it had finished he answered the human's probing question with steel-toned words.
"This man may be your concern, but that symbol is mine," he began evenly, "I shall not be disregarded as though I were some peasant in the street." His hand fell heavily to the ornate hilt of his sword as he finished, "Now, I shall ask you again, what means the charm?"
oog: Has Og received his stew yet, or has this man distracted the bartender enough to keep her from that so far? Food, or lack of it, will determine just how much Og is paying attention to everything else. ;)
oog: Ogg has not received his stew yet. Shalla put down the bowl shortly after this new group entered and seems to be paying more attention to them than Og at the moment.
As the minutes pass by, and Og receives no food, his scowl deepens. About three-quarters of the way through the song, Og stands, and begins to make his way towards the bar. Whether warned by instinct, or the low growl that rumbles from deep within the half-ogre's chest, the orcs scuttle out of the way. Og makes as direct a path towards the door as the architecture allows, paying little heed to other patrons, or furniture, his eyes glued on the large, armored figure.
[spoiler]If the hobgoblins try to intercede, he will palm one of their heads with his left hand, face first, and apply enough pressure to show intent, but not enough to break anything or draw blood......well, maybe a *little* blood. :twisted:[/spoiler]
Just after the blue elf issues his imperious command, Og stops in front of the armored man, and pokes him in the breastplate with one finger (to get his attention).
"Og want food. You talk at bar-lady, Og not get food. Og think you stop talk, you see sun come up."
"Well, if the bard didn't distract him , the half-breed ogre surely will." I smile to Whisper. "I'll care to this man, Whisper. If you'd see to it that we are not disturbed I'd be grateful."
With that I set about doing what I can to rouse him - I have a feeling that healing him will be a tad obvious, but perhaps something stimulating? (Like a smelling salt?)
[spoiler]With everyone distracted I want to make sure to "acquire" the man's necklace. I give it a quick glance as I pick it up, otherwise it's into the bag and I'll study it more later.[/spoiler]
I sigh softly and roll my eyes. "The curse of a performer," I mutter. "Someone always trying to upstage you."
Not being a complete idiot, however, I wait for Og and the armored man to settle their differences. My lute is still in hand, however, and ready to play at a moment's notice.
By my count, there are at least five who stand ready to oppose the strangers. I like those odds much better. I move forward just a little, my hand on the hilt of my sword, letting the strangers note that the opposition will be fairly heavy if things turn to violence.
GM:
[spoiler]I'm going to try to hold off on the web spell, save it for a last resort. If it looks like the orcs are inclined to pitch in on the side of the strangers, or if the half-ogre turns on us, or if things otherwise deteriorate, I'll use it.[/spoiler]
[oog]
for the record, in case there is any confusion, there are four hobgoblins.
Quote from: Earlier the GM...As he enters, he is quickly flanked by a quartet of Hobgoblins who look around the room, sizing everyone up.
[/oog]
Before the bard can answer the armored man's question, he is cut off by the blue-skinned elf's demanding question. The man in armor's eyes focus angrily on the blue elf, his own grip tightening on the axe.
And then Og gets in the way.
"Og want food. You talk at bar-lady, Og not get food. Og think you stop talk, you see sun come up."
"Now now Og," Shalla intercedes. "Don't start busting up my inn over a little bit of stew." she quickly ladles out some of the soup into the very large bowl and sets it on the bar. "Here you go, two silver," she adds.
Meanwhile, the rest of the tavern is making a huge show of not getting involved. The orcs seem to be waiting to see what happens while trying not look like they are, as are the halflings, while the noble elf is doing his best to ignore it as if it will go away if he does. His companion, however, is watching everything very intently and seems poised to act if things go pearshaped. In fact, there seems to be a lot of people poised to act if things go pearshaped.
Orloid:[spoiler] you do have some smelling salts. You're not sure how he'll react to them, but if you want to try just say so.[/spoiler]
The entertainer stands up, one hand holding the lute, the other held up, palm outward, in a gesture of peace.
"Peace, strangers and friends alike. Might I suggest that this conversation continue outside? While the climate is inhospitable, it's less subject to... other interruptions. After which, if any of you truly feel that a disagreement can only be solved through violence, you may sort things out without damaging this good lady's inn."
Without taking my eyes off the hobgoblins and their leader for very long, what does the noble elf's companion look like?
On due consideration, perhaps this is not the best time to have my patient start thrashing and moaning . . . I'll continue to clean and bandage him while keeping a keen ear on the goings on. As I'm doing so I'll use my movements to pick up the necklace, adjust my sword for quick access and be ready to defend him as needed.
OOC: What is the origin of the phrase "going pearshaped" for the fit hitting the shan?
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 16, 2007, 07:53:27 AM"Og want food. You talk at bar-lady, Og not get food. Og think you stop talk, you see sun come up."
"Now now Og," Shalla intercedes. "Don't start busting up my inn over a little bit of stew." she quickly ladles out some of the soup into the very large bowl and sets it on the bar. "Here you go, two silver," she adds.
Og continues to glower at the armored man, never taking his eyes off of him. He shakes his coin pouch meaningfully (and it does jingle modestly), and says towards the bar: "Add tab."
[spoiler]If Og has ever been a customer here before, Shalla knows Og prefers to settle up later, more privately, as it's a little frustrating for him to handle "small change" with hands his size. If this is his first time, he probably "whispered" it to Shalla upon his first order, since it's something he's a little sensitive about.[/spoiler]
Og takes the bowl with his left hand, eyes never straying far from the intruder, sidles away a bit (keeping the man in his peripheral vision), and finally turns enough to head back to his table, but never quite turning his back to him.
"All right... As long as you settle up before you leave," Shalla says ruefully and shuffles a bit behind the bar.
The armored man watches Og as he goes back to his seat. Then he turns his gaze back towards the bard.
"That won't be necessary. I'm sure we can settle matters here peacefully, isn't that right men?" that last bit directed at the hobgoblins who mutter various forms of affirmation.
"So tell me singer," he continues, "tell me more of your meeting with this man."
Dakkon [spoiler] He seems to be making a point of ignoring you now.[/spoiler]
Whisper, Orloid[spoiler] Orloid manages to snag the necklace from the pile. It's cheaply made and has a small circular medallion with a bird (hawk, maybe an eagle) with wings outstretched. It doesn't look very valuable.[/spoiler]
Nathan the young priest wanders back over to your group. "What do you think this is all about?" he whispers to Orloid.
Whisper[spoiler]He's dressed far more utilitarian than the other elf. He's got a sword and you think you see a dagger hilt hidden under his cloak. The way he's looking around, he kinda reminds you of a mother wolf protecting her cubs[/spoiler]
"These have something to do with a band of highwaymen," I mutter in a low tone intended for Orloid and Nathan's ears alone. "Their insignia has been described to me. I know little else."
"Moreover," I add, "We need to do something about this man. Given the weather outside, I have my doubts they will simply leave. We may have to endure their company awhile." I pause, thinking.
To Orloid, in Elven:
[spoiler]"Could you perhaps bandage his face, as if he had a head wound? A bit of disguise might go a long way."[/spoiler]
The singer shrugs, and sits back down, waving his hand in a gesture of, 'So be it'. "As I explained in my verse, it was a chance encounter, and in the storm, no less. The man of which you speak was clearly running from something or someone, and was wounded. Have I recalled precisely what he said to me? Heavens, no - storms make proper communication difficult in the best of times. But while I took some artistic liberty in the fourth verse, he definitely said 'Beware the Cleansing Flame.' And while I'm certainly no hunter or woodsman, it seemed as if he was deliberately leaving the road as he continued running away, towards the forest. A roughly westward direction, by my estimate."
To Glitch Girl:
[spoiler]Clearly, I'm spinning enough of a yarn to knit sweaters for the whole party. As part of the telling of this particular tall tale, I'd like to cast Glibness, which by its description only requires Somatic (gesturing) components. I'm gambling on it being subtle enough that the axe-wielder and his hobgoblins won't pick up on it. I'm good at Bluffing, but I'm hedging my bets here.[/spoiler]
To Whisper and Nathan:
[spoiler] "I asked Nathan to see about a room for him. What did you find out, Nathan? Getting him out of the common room is an even better disguise, but the point is well taken."[/spoiler]
I fish up a couple of the damp and bloody cloths that I'd been using to clean him up, fold them into a "bloody dressing" (clean on the bottom) and place it under the man's eye. Then I'll bind it in place with a generous application of bandages, trying to cover up a decent amount of his face.
As the large man disregarded his question for a second time, the azure elf's eyes flashed with a deadly fire, and his mouth set in a grim line. Stepping across the room with such grace he seemed to be floating, he came to stand eye to eye with the irritating human, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword. He was close enough to block out his opponent's view of the rest of the inn, but with the practiced ease he took up his stand with enough space between them to draw his sword.
"I shall not ask again, lest it be to carve the question in your corpse," he stated evenly.
[spoiler]If he tries to attack, Dakkon will whip his sword from his sheath and try and intercept him. Do I have a disarm feat? If so, I'll try and do that, then hold him at sword-point to discourage his friend. If, instead of attacking, he again ingores him, Dakkon will slap him across the face with his left hand and attempt to draw his sword at the same time. Ideally, this would end up the same way.[/spoiler]
OOG: Before you do that, you're going to have to get around the Bard. Are you going to cut in front of him?
--still sitting silently, my grip on my mace never loosening, though i make sure my other hand is free to aim and snap off an eldritch blast if need be.--
OOC: Abso-lutely!
OOC: Sorry Viking, just trying to play in character.... :unsure: Dakkon is a prince, and as such would react...unpleasantly to not getting his way.
OOG: okay...
Benton, we'll see if we can get your feats sorted out quickly.
IG:
The bard begins his tale, "As I explained in my verse, it was a chance encounter, and in the storm, no less. The man of which you speak was-"
And that's as far as he gets when he's suddenly pushed aside as the blue elf comes charging up with a loud "I shall not ask again, lest it be to carve the question in your corpse."
Blades flash as the hobgoblins all draw their swords. Two of them step in front of their commander. The blue elf's blade practically flows from its sheath and manages to catch one of the hoboblin's swords. There's a loud clang and the hobgoblin's weapon is knocked out of his hand, tumbles through the air...
...and lands on a rather large bowl of rabbit stew, sloshing the contents all over the table and the large half-ogre sitting there, now wearing part of his meal.
Meanwhile....
Whisper and Oloid
[spoiler] Nathan whispers to Oloid "Shalla said she'd let us use her room behind the bar. But... why does this man want him? Has he done something wrong? Oh dear!" he starts as the blue elf charges past the bard to confront the armored man.
By now, the unconscious man's face is well bandaged, but he is still able to breathe. You don't think you've been noticed so far.[/spoiler]
The elf now faced a rather nasty situation, three armed opponents and only one of him, but wounded pride had driven him into this, and he'd drown in his own element before he'd give them the satisfaction of backing down.
OOC: Alrighty......I suppose, if he can manage it, he'll try and disarm the other hobgoblin and maintain the threat to the commander without drawing blood. Dakkon doesn't really want to kill him if he doesn't have to. If necessary, he'll try and put the hobgoblin, and anyone or anything else that gets between him and his goal, down.
The bard backpedals quickly after the blue-skinned elf shoulders forcibly past him. He takes several more deliberate steps away from the heart of the action after seeing the falling weapon ruin Og's meal.
The scene did not lend itself well towards choosing sides in the conflict. On the one hand, the armored man and his hobgoblin lackeys did not seem trustworthy in the least. On the other hand, the blue-skinned elf seemed dangerously prone to anger and violence.
Thus it came to be that the bard followed in the time-honored tradition of bards everywhere when conflict erupted...
Side with the inkeeper.
No innkeeper ever likes to have their establishment wrecked in a brawl. Bards everywhere tend to agree with this sentiment.
Running his fingers over a few quick chords, the entertainer calls out a cautionary note:
"Pay heed to your footing, oh ye who would brawl,
Any fool knows that pride doth go 'fore the fall."
OOG:
[spoiler]The bard has just cast the spell, Grease. This should be entertaining, especially since it sounds like the hobgoblins, the armored figure, and the blue-skinned elf are all nicely concentrated in the desired area of effect.[/spoiler]
OOC: Haha, I suppose you got me back but good Viking! :D
The elf in patchwork clothes sighs, wishing he'd kept his bow handy. But who would ever expect to need one inside a tavern?
He readies a spell... not quite wanting to cast it, but the situation has escalated. He waits to see the outcome of the bard's spellcasting before casting one of his own.
It's a pity. The few curse words there are in elvish still all sound so elegant to non-elvish ears . . .
"Quickly, Nathan! You take his shoulders, I'll take his feet - we need to get him out of here!" I throw my bag over my shoulder, pile the man's belongings on his belly and grab his feet. "You lead the way to this room of the inn keeper's."
As we go I mutter to Whisper "My spear and bow are just there." I indicate where they lean against the wall, only a couple of feet away. "Feel free. I will return immediately."
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 16, 2007, 07:19:13 PMBlades flash as the hobgoblins all draw their swords. Two of them step in front of their commander. The blue elf's blade practically flows from its sheath and manages to catch one of the hoboblin's swords. There's a loud clang and the hobgoblin's weapon is knocked out of his hand, tumbles through the air...
...and lands on a rather large bowl of rabbit stew, sloshing the contents all over the table and the large half-ogre sitting there, now wearing part of his meal.
Being in the midst of eating at the time, Og was caught with the spoon halfway between the bowl and his mouth at the time of impact. As such, he freezes like that until gravity has taken effect on most of the liquid, closing both his eyes and his mouth. He then slowly, and deliberately, puts the spoon down on the table, next to the bowl. Og then stands up & moves out from behind the table, again, in a very deliberate manner. One would think that he was perfectly calm, if not for the unmistakable scowl on his face that could curdle fresh milk. :angry: He picks up the offending weapon and carries it, point down, towards it's owner. Standing in front of (and over) him, Og will firmly grip his shoulder with his free hand.
"Stupid hobble-gobble drop something?" No one within five feet of the half-ogre can miss the low growl that follows the question, or the barely contained snorts of breathing. Intelligent creatures, and those with a high sense of self-preservation, have most likely removed themselves from the vicinity.
[spoiler]If the hobgoblin reacts hostily, he will find out first hand what it's like to be severely pummeled by an unhappy half-ogre. At the very least, with the pressure that's being put on his shoulder, he should walk away from this with a bruised, cracked, or even broken collar bone.[/spoiler]
The hobgoblins assume a defensive posture, staring down the blue elf who returns in kind, none of them paying much attention to the little snatch of music from the bard's lute. One of the Hobgoblins starts to lunge at Dakkon, and his foot keeps on lunging, sliding frictionlessly across the floor until he loses his balance and falls in a kind of painful looking version of the splits.
The blue elf discovers he's on slippery ground in more ways than one. His feet try to slide out from under him, but he barely manages to keep his balance. Another Hobgoblin grabs the doorframe for support as he skids on the slick surface. The other hobgoblins manage to plant their feet unsteadily but don't look like they want to try moving unless they want to end up on the floor as well. The armored man jerks a little bit as if he'd started to slip, but he seems to have a far surer footing than his troops.
And then, a shadow starts to over the blue elf and his opponents, a vaguely half-ogre shaped shadow. Og appears focused on the disarmed hobgoblin.
Og takes another step, and his foot starts to slide.
(OOG: OG rolled a 6 on his save, ouch)
Og is still moving forward, only now it's a little faster and a lot less controlled. He's still aimed at the unarmed Hobgoblin who tries to scramble out of the way.
He doesn't. Og skids into him and both crash to the floor. There're loud whoops of laughter from the halfling table.
While all this is going on, Nathan and Oloid pick up the wounded man and start to carry him over towards the bar and the door behind it. Shalla catches your eye and gives a small nod and tilts her head towards the door as if to say "go quickly". She reaches behind the bar and pulls out a wooden cudgel (commonly referred to as "the barman's friend")
Problem: there's a very slick area of floor between Orloid and the bar.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 17, 2007, 07:25:14 AM
Problem: there's a very slick area of floor between Orloid and the bar.
Crud. Is there a way around this? We'll try to skirt it as much as possible. I'm picturing the Cleansing Flame crew as being behind us relative to the bar, so while we may add to the spectacle, we should be well enough away from them. If there's no clear path we'll just have to take it slowly, keeping more towards the wall.
OOC: GG, do you have any way of making a diagram?
Always the hardest part of play by post: dealing with placement.
Here's a rough map
+---------===-----===------+--------+
|..........................|........|
|..........................|........|
|..........................|........|
|..........................|........|
|..........................|........|
-----+.....................+--/ ----|
|ffff|...........gggggggggg ........|
|ffff|...........gggggggggg#........|
|----+...........gggggggggg#.S......|
|................gggggggggg#........|
|................gggggggggg#####....|
|................gggggggggg.........|
|................gggggAgggg.........|
+---------===--------/g\------===---+
. spacer
= window
/ door
# bar
F fireplace
S Shalla
A Armored guy
g grease spell (also extends out into the rain a bit)
Note this is not exactly to scale, but as close as I could get it using ASCII. There are also a few tables scattered throughout (not to mention patrons) but I'm splintting my attention between this and work.
OOG: It's still a fine, functional map, GG. It helps a lot when it comes to envisioning things.
Since my bard has been making a point of backing away from the action, and Dakkon's original post placed him in a corner, not too far away from the fireplace, and our John Doe is lying close to the fireplace, I'm presuming that it shouldn't be too hard for me to sidle over to where the young priest and others are attempting to help the bandaged man. I'm still carefully gauging what the Cleansing Flame crew is paying attention to, however.
Quietly spoken, in Elven, to the elves by the fire:
[spoiler]"I beg pardon for the inadvertent obstacle. Do you require assistance?"[/spoiler]
Keeping an eye on the unfolding chaos, I reply to the bard in Elven:
[spoiler]"It is no worse than I was about to do. Please take this," I hand him my hunting horn, "and follow me. Do blow it when I signal you. Let us put an end to this."[/spoiler]
I pick up Orloid's bow and arrows and move to the edge of the greased area with an arrow nocked. Once in position, I will point the arrow at the armored man's exposed face and then nod to the bard. I assume we will get the full attention of the brawlers.
Then I will say in Common to the brawlers, "Sheathe your weapons or suffer the consequences."
Of course if the bard does not follow my lead or if there's no way to get a clean shot, I don't do any of this. I'm trying to stop the fight, not get someone killed if I can help it. I don't want to make the situation worse than it already is.
Naturally, the bard blows the horn when prompted.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 17, 2007, 08:39:03 AM
+---------===-----===------+--------+
|..........................|........|
|..........................|........|
|..........................|........|
|..........................|........|
|.............*..*....*..*.|........|
-----+....*...............*+--/ ----|
|ffff|...*.......gggggggggg *.......|
|ffff|...........gggggggggg#........|
|----+...........gggggggggg#.S......|
|................gggggggggg#........|
|................gggggggggg#####....|
|................gggggggggg.........|
|................gggggAgggg.........|
+---------===--------/g\------===---+
. spacer
= window
/ door
# bar
F fireplace
S Shalla
A Armored guy
g grease spell (also extends out into the rain a bit)
*Orloid and Nathan's pathOK - we shouldn't have to cross too much of the Grease. We'll track around to the "north" and try to cut that one corner as tight as possible. At least if we go down in a heap we'll be more-or-less behind the bar.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 17, 2007, 07:25:14 AMOg is still moving forward, only now it's a little faster and a lot less controlled. He's still aimed at the unarmed Hobgoblin who tries to scramble out of the way.
He doesn't. Og skids into him and both crash to the floor. There're loud whoops of laughter from the halfling table.
ooc: orientation, please? Has Og landed next to the hobgoblin, on top of, or underneath?
The hobgoblin is currently stuck under Og's mighty girth.
Go head and post his action, I'll wait before I sort out the action
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 17, 2007, 02:16:09 PM
The hobgoblin is currently stuck under Og's mighty girth.
oog: mwahahahahahaha! :twisted:
ig: Once the momentum of the slide has halted, Og begins to berate the hobgoblin.
"Stupid hobble-gobble!", and he punctuates his sentence with a blow down onto whichever body part of the hobgoblin's is convenient. "Spill food on Og, then *trip* Og! Og squish you!" Og wll hold onto the hobgoblin's body with his left hand (for balance, and so he can't squirm away) and pummel away with his right, obviously venting quite a bit of frustration.
OOC: Hahahaha! Man, Og's just plain fun to bring along on an adventure! If Dakkon can manage it without ending up on his face, he's going to try and disarm the remaining hobgoblin between himself and his chosen opponet
Og manages to right himself enough to grab a handful of hobgoblin cranium and bonk it against the wooden floor.
"Stupid hobble-gobble!" [bonk] "Spill food on Og" [bonk] "Then *trip* Og!" [bonk] "Og squish you!" [bonk]
The hobgoblin kicks a little, trying to dislodge Og. It ain't happening.
Meanwhile, Dakkon takes another swing at the nearest armed hobgoblin. Blade meets blade but the hobgoblin is more preared than the last and manages to keep hold of his weapon. He takes a swipe at Dakkon who nimbly avoids it, using the grease to lside out of the way.
"Sheathe your weapons or suffer the consequences."
All eyes turn towards the elf with the loaded bow pointed at the oily scene. The Hobgoblins freeze - well mostly freeze, one of them finally loses his footing and lands on his butt - and stare at the arrowtip.
The armored man turns and regards the armed elf with cold detachment. His eyes flicker over to Orloid and Nathan carrying the bandaged body.
"I see," he rumbles menacingly.
There's a small yelp from the edge of the bar as Nathan slips and tries to catch himself and not drop the injured man. Neither action is very successful and he starts to go down.
Argh - Nathan would have to be carrying his head!! As much as possible I'll try to ease the man down to the floor. Hopefully Nathan can either maintain enough control to either slow the man's drop or even wind up underneath him and pad him a bit.
Unfortunately, at this stage I'm totally unaware of the armored man's sudden interest in our egress . . .
I do not take my eyes off the armored man. My own expression is cold and indifferent. If the man reacts in any violent or suspicious fashion, I will be forced to fire. At this range and with his own uncertain footing I am not likely to miss more than once and I will have plenty of time for a second shot.
"I believe you will find the weather outside more to your liking," I say softly. "Bullies and brigands will find a stormy reception here."
The tall, cobalt eyed elf turned at the even-toned command, straightening up to his full height, or as close as he could manage while keeping his delicate footing. He made sure to keep his opponent's within his view, even still.
"That would be most agreeable to me," he said with a wry smile threatening his sombre expression, "if these fools still refuse to answer a simple question."
OOC: If they relent, Dakkon will only too happily take the fight out into the storm, if not, he will endeavor to aide any and all opponents of these ruffians, as they've some what annoyed him by now.
Nathan manages to take the brunt of the fall and absorbs most of the impact. Orloid doesn't THINK he made the man's wounds worse, but he's going to have to check him to be sure.
The armored man's eyes shift from the two priests and their charge, to Shalla and her cudgel, the blue elf and his blade, the rest of the tavern, and then back to the elf aiming a bow at him.
"Men," he growls, addressing the hobgoblins, "We're leaving. For now."
The one who remained standing nods and carefully makes his way out the door. The two others on the floor manage to staggar/slide out as well.
"Be careful what you get yourself invoved in, Elf," he says to the archer. "You may find you've made the wrong choice."
The armored man then looks at Og. "Ahem?" He glances meaningfully down at the hobgoblin Og's been headbanging the past few minutes. You think he might want his man back.
OOC: Haha! If Dakkon thinks he can manage to get outside without getting backstabbed, he'll manage it. If not, he'll go through one of the windows after they've left. (It may not be the smartest thing he's ever done, but he can't let answers be this tantalizingly close and then just let them slip away. Besides...it's only four to one...well, five, but I have a feeling that last hobgoblin isn't going to be in the mood for a fight.)
The azure elf nodded meaningfully to the man with the bow, and deftly snapped him a flowing and wholly unfamiliar salute, offering a goodbye in his own strange, wavering tongue.
--moving quietly, i'll wait till the majority of folks who are planning to move outside are there, then slip quietly out myself, keeping to the side and staying as inconspicuous as possible, while assesing the situation and biding my time for the most opportune moment to act..--
To the armored man I say, "I never regret siding against those who would employ goblinkin. My advice to you is to stay out of the wood." I do not relax my arrow until I know they are all out of sight. I want to see in what direction they go, even if I have to look out a window.
To the blue-skinned elf I say, in Elven:
[spoiler]"If you would be a help to those in need, stay here for a moment. This is not over by far, and there is that which needs to be discussed."[/spoiler]
Once the brigands are safely departed (if they are allowed to depart in peace):
[spoiler]I say: "Those will return and they will not be alone. There are those here who must plan to be away. As for myself, there is a mystery demanding an answer and I must seek it."[/spoiler]
Real quick before I resolve:
Og: are you still sitting on that guy?
Benton: are going to stay inside or go outside?
Lord Elcorion: are you staying inside or going outside?
OOC: Hmm.....this is a really hard call. For the game's sake he should really stay inside, but for the character's sake he should probably charge outside. Let's say Dakkon hesitates long enough for whatever happens next to happen.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 17, 2007, 05:30:50 PMThe armored man then looks at Og. "Ahem?" He glances meaningfully down at the hobgoblin Og's been headbanging the past few minutes. You think he might want his man back.
About one or two bangs after the "ahem", Og stops what he's doing, pauses in thought (as if processing why he's stopped), and looks up at the armored man. "uh?" :huh: He looks down at the hobgoblin, back up at the man, down, and up once more before the hint sets in. And then, from this vantage point, he finally sees something. And gets distracted.
Pointing at the medallion on his chest, "Og see that before. Not flattering. What it mean?"
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 17, 2007, 08:57:28 PMOg: are you still sitting on that guy?
oog: sorry, didn't know *this* much was going to progress over the course of the evening. And the answer would be, at this point, yes.....but not on purpose. ;)
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 17, 2007, 05:30:50 PM
Nathan manages to take the brunt of the fall and absorbs most of the impact. Orloid doesn't THINK he made the man's wounds worse, but he's going to have to check him to be sure.
I gasp in sympathetic pain as they both hit the floor. And while I do catch the comment from the armored man at this point, I very studiously do not respond. I do find it interesting that he so quickly seemed to assume that the wounded man and the man he was looking for are the same . . . almost makes one feel that that he knew about the man's injuries.
"Oh dear, are
you OK, Nathan? You did a great job breaking his fall! Let's hurry and get this man into bed."
Once we do I'll give them both a quick checking over.
OOG: Taking a little GM fiat here to deal with continuity
Og points at the man's chest. "Og see neck thing before. Not flattering. What it mean?"
"It's a sign of power," the armored warrior replies. "Now I would like my man back so we may leave."
Over at the edge of the bar...
"I'm okay" whispers Nathan. "Thank you." He lays the wounded man on the ground before struggling to his feet and checking his footing.
The bard has returned the horn to Whisper, and has gone back to tuning his lute. There's a time and a place for flamboyance, and this really is neither. The moment has passed, as it were.
He does regard the priestly pair with interest, wincing in sympathy as Nathan regains his footing.
(OOG: The Prestidigitation spell has a duration of 1 hour, so I'm presuming I can still enjoy the benefit of it in our current setting. In which case, I'm concentrating on using it to clean the greasy section of floor nearest the bar, so that the injured man can be moved to bed without further disruption.)
OOG: Still waiting to hear that the brigands have left before taking any other action
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 18, 2007, 06:00:29 AMOg points at the man's chest. "Og see neck thing before. Not flattering. What it mean?"
"It's a sign of power," the armored warrior replies. "Now I would like my man back so we may leave."
Og continues to look at the man with an *almost* blank look on his face. The gears turn slowly, and Og's gaze drifts downward at about the same speed. His head comes back up with an "oh! Sorry." Og makes his way off of the body, "accidentally" placing most of his weight on him several times via a supporting hand, elbow, or knee. He stands, and looks down at the man: "Hobble-gobbles not trusty. Maybe you get have-lings." With that, he walks back to see what can be salvaged out of the bowl of stew, completely forgetting about the incident.
The hobgoblin, who is somehow still conscious (albeit barely) winces as Og trods on his joints. He starts to lurch to his feet, his commander signaling one of the other troops to help him up and together, he limps out the door.
The armored man pauses long enough for them to exit, eyeing the rest of the tavern, then steps out into the rain himself.
The door closes behind him.
"And STAY OUT!" one of the halflings yells, swaying in a slightly drunken way.
The orcs at the next table roll their eyes.
"Micha, shut UP!" his friend whispers to him loudly.
"I don' care, we can take 'em! Right?"
Meanwhile, Shalla calls after the bard "You are going to clean up the rest of my floor, aren't you?"
She then quickly dips out another bowl of stew and offers it to Og, "Here you go Og, a replacement," she smiles.
Orloid and Nathan manage to get the wounded man to the back room without further incident. It's a small room, yet homey. There's a bed with a large chest at the foot, several sets of drawers, a table with a washbasin and small mirror on it, and a wooden desk and chair. A few of what might be yesterday's clothes lay scattered on the floor. On the walls are a few pictures, a small symbol of Fharlanghn, patron deity of roads, travel, and protection, and an old shield.
The wounded stranger doesn't seem too worse for wear from his fall. He's still out cold and his bruised side still looks in equally bad shape.
OOC: Can Dakkon see a back door from where he's standing, or has he noticed one since he came in? If so, he'll see that no immediate action is being taken, and he'll head out to try and follow the departed party. If not, then he'll watch out the window until they are out of sight, and try and trail them. All without being seen.
There is no back door. There's only the main door. Are you still going to try to trail them?
I just want to know what direction they're heading in and make sure they're on their way and not hiding in the stables or anything.
Once I'm satisfied, I say aloud:
"Those will return and they will not be alone. There are those here who must plan to be away. As for myself, there is a mystery demanding an answer and I must seek it."
"I believe they seek the man who was wounded for some purpose. He must be protected somehow until we can find out why. I know by their insignia that they are associated with a band of organized highwaymen that had been robbing travelers. But why they want this man? I can't say."
The tall blue figure hesitated, his hand on the rough latch, his eyes wavering between the room where the injured man lay, and the door through which his answers had departed. Finally, he closed his eyes and, as with a great effort, released his hold, turning fully to face the archer.
"You are sure that they shall return, and that this man needs help?" he asked slowly, his face set with grim determination, "if so, I shall stay and aid you."
The bard gives an overly flourished bow to the innkeeper at her request.
"But of course, fair lady - I am at your service in this regard. My apologies for the inconvenience."
He then proceeds to play a cheery tune reminiscent of "Whistle While You Work," and "A Spoonful of Sugar," as he focuses his concentration on magically mopping up the grease.
With apropriate theatrical flouish, the bard dispells the glistening layer of slipperiness from the floor. It is now safe to walk around the bar.
In the back room, Nathan and Orloid do their best to make the man more comfortable. Orloid mutters a few words to his deity and a soft warm glow spreads across the man's wounds. You see some of them seal themselves before your eyes.
"What did you mean you think they'll be back?" Nathan asks Whisper. "You mean, soon? Like tonight?"
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 18, 2007, 05:01:25 PMShe then quickly dips out another bowl of stew and offers it to Og, "Here you go Og, a replacement," she smiles.
:D "ooh, nice bar-lady!" Og takes the bowl in one hand, and brings the other up, almost as if to pat her head, but then stops, possibly remembering something. Instead, Og just grins & heads back to his table.
Quote from: BlueBard on July 18, 2007, 05:58:41 PM"Those will return and they will not be alone. There are those here who must plan to be away. As for myself, there is a mystery demanding an answer and I must seek it."
"I believe they seek the man who was wounded for some purpose. He must be protected somehow until we can find out why. I know by their insignia that they are associated with a band of organized highwaymen that had been robbing travelers. But why they want this man? I can't say."
Between spoonfuls of stew, Og announces: "Og see neck-thing before. Lotsa bugsy-bares pick on little, brown nome peoples. One wear neck-thing, too. They try burn little peoples. Og fix." To punctuate his point, he hefts up a *huge* mauling hammer (think two-handed sledgehammer, for driving in circus tent stakes, with a *large* reinforced stone head, scaled to his size), gives it a shake or two, then lets the head return back to the ground with a thud.
"I too....have had some encounters with those bearing this sigil before," the azure elf stated haltingly, "and it cost me much."
"I am called Whisper. I am a Ranger, sworn to defend the Elven wood the mortals call Darkhollow. I too have heard of these raiders and I believe them to be a threat."
"Yes they will return. They will take only as long as need be to collect reinforcements. And if that should fail, they will bring even more reinforcements and burn this tavern to the ground. I do not know this as fact, but that is how such creatures operate."
"The man they are seeking must be removed to a safe haven. Meanwhile, I intend to find out more about these brigands. They will return. It is my intent that they will not find any of those they seek when they do... but I will find them. They will not expect to be tracked then. To try to track them now, in such weather, when they will be wary of such an attempt is madness."
"Ah! At last! Introductions!" the bard calls out enthusiastically.
He plays a dramatic arpeggio on his lute as a prelude, and then speaks.
"My name is Starbuck Rogers, your source of entertainment this evening," he announces, as much to the whole of the inn as to the active adventurers.
"If you find my entertainments enjoyable, then I pray that you spread word of me far and wide. And if you find my work distasteful, well... then I hope you have a short memory."
Before I forget... I return Orloid's bow and quiver to him.
Whisper gives Starbuck a cool, indifferent glance.
"I'm sure the raiders will be glad to spread your fame amongst themselves," he remarks dryly.
He moves to the blue-skinned elf. "May I ask what you know of these bandits?"
Nathan looks obviously worried by all this information.
While you're talking, the wealthy-looking elf and his bodyguard get up. Without a word, he disdainfully leaves a few coins on the bar and starts to head out the door.
I glance out the windows... does the storm seem to be letting up?
The wealthy elf doesn't seem the type to travel in hazardous weather, unless he's worried about being a target.
I make no move to try to speak with them, as I am concentrating more on the blue-skinned elf and trying to get his story.
"this cleansing flame is a bit more than just brigands. they are well organized and widespread. they will employ anyone willing to fight, including wielders of dark magics. they claim to be fighting for some greater purpose, but their methods reek of shadows and corruption." this is all spoken clearly, softly, from my spot in the cornor. i don't move or shift position at all, and my hood is still pulled up to hide my face.((i was going to go outside, but since it seems the man and the hobs are retreating for the moment, i'll stay put))
The azure elf stirred at the question of the stranger. "An....enemy of mine once wore that symbol, a world away."
Meanwhile, back in the back room: I get the man squared away, double check that Nathan is OK, then head out into the common room. After a quick glance around, I go to join the ranger, bard and the odd blue elf, stopping to grab a beverage and something edible from the bar as I pass.
"Greetings. My name is Orloid, servant of Corellon Larethian. My thanks for your assistance, intended or not, with those . . . individuals. I fear that they will be back, and probably in greater numbers."
I turn to regard the hooded stranger and ponder the information we have been given.
I move to the corner the cloaked figure is occupying. In low tones I ask, "And do you have a part in this?"
"i am niether servant nor slave to any man or group. they approached me, yes, but we were attacked before i could give my answer. should they persist in asking, they will not care for my answer." i snap my fingers, cuaseing a spark of eldritch energy to form momentarily.
I nod knowingly as the stranger finishes her (?) reply.
"I know of a place where the injured man might find sanctuary," I say softly. "I will not speak of it here, lest false lips bear tales for ears eager for such news. I cannot bear him there alone and without protection. Where I would take him, no horse could go. I have in mind another 'beast of burden' whom I might hire to bear the load."
At this my eye falls upon the half-ogre eating messily at the bar.
"I am in need of others to help me see this man safely to his destination, and quickly so that I might soon return to wait upon some unwelcome guests. If the weather does not break soon I will have to go whether I would or no, accompanied by others or not."
Quote from: BlueBard on July 21, 2007, 07:17:46 PM"I know of a place where the injured man might find sanctuary," I say softly. "I will not speak of it here, lest false lips bear tales for ears eager for such news. I cannot bear him there alone and without protection. Where I would take him, no horse could go. I have in mind another 'beast of burden' whom I might hire to bear the load."
At this my eye falls upon the half-ogre eating messily at the bar.
"I am in need of others to help me see this man safely to his destination, and quickly so that I might soon return to wait upon some unwelcome guests. If the weather does not break soon I will have to go whether I would or no, accompanied by others or not."
ooc: incidentally, in the corner near the orcs, not at the bar. a small thing, really. ;)
How much of this do you say within Og's earshot, or directly to him (can't tell if that second half was directed or not...and don't wanna pipe up out of turn)?
"I suppose that I shall accompany you," the azure elf replies, his keen ears picking up the soft words.
OOG; the voice is decidedly feminine.
"i shall join my path to yours. the man is less my concern, as is finding out more about the Flame, and possibly extinguishing it's stinking fire."
oog:
Quote
How much of this do you say within Og's earshot, or directly to him (can't tell if that second half was directed or not...and don't wanna pipe up out of turn)?
The stuff said softly or in low tones, Og nor the rest of the bar heard except for those people standing near the speaker. So no, you do not hear the "beast of burden" line. The rest, you can hear. The part that begins "I am in need of others to help me..." seemed to be addressed to the taven in general, and therefor hearable.
"I would like to come, If I may," a timid Nathan chimes in. "I am still learning the arts of healing but with Pelor's Guidance, I can help where I can."
One of the halflings looks at Whisper, then at his friend who is passed out on the table, back to Whisper, and shrugs. "Sorry."
The orcs appear to be avoiding eye contact.
Shalla walks over to your group. "I wish I could help you out, but someone's gotta look after this place. I can give you folks some supplies if you need for cheap."
To Nathan I reply, "You will be welcome, young priest. It would be good to have a healer along to make sure that the injured man makes it to where we are going."
To Shalla I say, "Some light provisions would be of use. We will also need materials to build a travois for carrying the wounded fellow."
To the azure elf and the hooded figure I reply, "My thanks to you both as well. I too would like to see an end to the evil this band brings to this area. In return for your assistance in this matter, I pledge to aid you in your search for answers."
I turn to Orloid.
"May I request your services this one more time, cleric? At least to see the injured man alive to a safe place?"
Starbuck brightens at the call for volunteers.
"A mysterious group, wreathed in secrecy and ill omen? A wounded man in need of protection and escort? A chance to expose a conspiracy of villains? And a guaranteed audience? I was hoping someone would ask!"
Whisper sighs softly at the bard's declaration, though his constant stoic expression does not change.
"You will also be most welcome, friend Starbuck, but I must insist that we travel as silently as possible. Unless attacked, of course."
OOG: Is the weather getting any less severe yet?
OOG: Nope, still pouring, and black. The hail seems to have stopped though.
IG:
Quote from: WhisperSome light provisions would be of use. We will also need materials to build a travois for carrying the wounded fellow.
Shalla frowns a moment. "I think I might have something. Let me check." She goes into her room and starts rooting around under her bed leaving the rest of you to converse.
Starbuck clutches a hand to his heart in mock pain.
"Wounded with withering words, Whisper. Wherefore?"
He smirks and returns to semi-seriousness. "Fret not, O Friend of the Forest. My song and speech are ever meant to entertain and assist, not to cripple and annoy. Besides, the storm makes for a poor outdoor performance in any case."
Whisper nods sagely (not quite comprehending that Starbuck is joking about performing in the rain).
"Well, then. There is at least one more I hope to enlist in this. Excuse me for a moment, gentlefolk."
Whisper leaves the others and approaches the half-ogre.
"My pardon... Og is it? I wonder if you could use a gold piece for a few hours' work? I need something hauled away from here."
Quote from: BlueBard on July 22, 2007, 01:27:57 PM
I turn to Orloid.
"May I request your services this one more time, cleric? At least to see the injured man alive to a safe place?"
"Certainly. I have already accepted this man as my charge. I will do whatever I can to help."
OOC: Back on Sat. eve!
Quote from: BlueBard on July 24, 2007, 07:09:42 AM"My pardon... Og is it? I wonder if you could use a gold piece for a few hours' work? I need something hauled away from here."
Og looks up at Whisper, and wipes his sleeve across his mouth, from about the elbow down, removing *most* of the remnants of uneaten stew from Og's face.
"What Og carry? Hurt man? How far we go?"
While the rest of you are talking, Shalla drags what appear to be a bundle of old short spears. They're not well cared for: the tips are rusted nearly clean through.
"Customer left these once," she says by way of explanation, "long story. They were in bad shape then, but I thought maybe I could fix 'em up one day." She wiggles one of the rusty points loose. "This looks like a better use."
Orloid goes over to her and starts helping her make a travois out of the wood and other odds and ends.
Quote from: Panther_Gunn on July 24, 2007, 03:41:39 PM
Quote from: BlueBard on July 24, 2007, 07:09:42 AM"My pardon... Og is it? I wonder if you could use a gold piece for a few hours' work? I need something hauled away from here."
Og looks up at Whisper, and wipes his sleeve across his mouth, from about the elbow down, removing *most* of the remnants of uneaten stew from Og's face.
"What Og carry? Hurt man? How far we go?"
"Yes, I need you to carry the hurt man. We are going to make a kind of a hammock on poles, so you could just drag that behind you. We are only going about a mile or so. It should not take more than a few hours there and back."
Quote from: BlueBard on July 24, 2007, 06:53:49 PM"Yes, I need you to carry the hurt man. We are going to make a kind of a hammock on poles, so you could just drag that behind you. We are only going about a mile or so. It should not take more than a few hours there and back."
Og scratches his head while Whisper talks, his face a little scrunched as he tries to take all of the info in.
" 'few ours'....that little time?" Then, he seems to look up at the ceiling a bit, as if he's talking to himself "hmmmm...little time....man not heavy....not far.....rain.....", then, looking back at Whisper, "ok, Og think one gold ok. Fight extra. When leave?"
Quote from: Panther_Gunn on July 24, 2007, 11:25:05 PM
Quote from: BlueBard on July 24, 2007, 06:53:49 PM"Yes, I need you to carry the hurt man. We are going to make a kind of a hammock on poles, so you could just drag that behind you. We are only going about a mile or so. It should not take more than a few hours there and back."
Og scratches his head while Whisper talks, his face a little scrunched as he tries to take all of the info in.
" 'few ours'....that little time?" Then, he seems to look up at the ceiling a bit, as if he's talking to himself "hmmmm...little time....man not heavy....not far.....rain.....", then, looking back at Whisper, "ok, Og think one gold ok. Fight extra. When leave?"
"Soon," Whisper replies. "I don't think we are going to be able to wait for the rain to end completely, but hopefully it will abate." Seeing the look of confusion on the half-ogre's face, he amends, "We want it to rain less hard."
I put on my cloak and step outside to check the weather. While I'm out there, I will retrieve my bow and quiver from the hiding place in the stables, taking care to keep them covered and as dry as possible.
(Whisper is making a Survival check to try to determine when the weather will begin to change for the better and when it will be reasonably safe to start out. He's also using his Knowledge (Nature) skill to improve his forecast.)
Quote from: BlueBard on July 25, 2007, 06:48:43 AM
(Whisper is making a Survival check to try to determine when the weather will begin to change for the better and when it will be reasonably safe to start out. He's also using his Knowledge (Nature) skill to improve his forecast.)
Starbuck proceeds to strum his lute, singing a little ditty about changes in the weather and predicting them.*
*
Also known as, "Predict, predict, predict, predict when the weather's good to go!" See here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0004.html) for reference.(OOG: Starbuck is using his Inspire Competence bardic music ability to help with the forecast. He's a bard. That's what he does.)
It's not often that Whisper has musical accompaniment as he checks the rain outside. It is oddly... helpful and catchy too.
Unless Starbuck follows Whisper into the rain, the sound of the lute fades behind the patter of raindrops.
Whisper:[spoiler]
The storm continues and looks like it will for a while; however it's settling into a lighter, yet steady rain. You don't expect any more hail or heavy wind, just cold and wet and judging from the clouds, it'll go on for a while, but the worst is played out. On the plus side, it will make you guys nearly impossible to track, even with the half-ogre dragging the wounded man along.
You find your stuff where you left it. Swift flies down from the support beam to greet you. He's puffed out and doesn't look particularly happy, but he's well.
you notice that two horses that were stabled here, two fine stallions, are gone, probably taken by the two elves when they left.
[/spoiler]
Back inside:
The orcs get up. One of the sways a little bit, but his friends make sure he stays standing. They begin to gather up their things like they're going to leave.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 25, 2007, 08:32:13 AMThe orcs get up. One of the sways a little bit, but his friends make sure he stays standing. They begin to gather up their things like they're going to leave.
Og will get up from his table, and calmly walk over behind the readying orcs. He will stop to stand right behind one (or two, if they're close enough to each other), and address them, looming down from above: "Og hope pig-noses not go talk to hobble-gobbles or hobble-gobble boss. Og not happy when have to squish things & not get paid. Pig-noses not make Og not happy, do they?"
ooc: This would be a perfect example of why Intimidation should *still* be based on either Charisma
or Strength. ;)
Two of the trio mumble a collection of emphatic negative as the look up at the expanse of half-ogre looming over them. The third manages to articulate "We've got no dealings with the Axe, and we don't none either. We won't cause you any trouble, you got enough as it is."
Starbuck takes immediate note of the orc's apparent familiarity with 'the Axe.'
"Safe journey to you, then," he says to the orcish trio. "But before you go, do you know something of this 'Axe' and his crew?"
Switching to Orcish:
[spoiler]"Don't worry about me telling the Axe about you. I tend to be really... 'forgetful' when it comes to people giving me advice."[/spoiler]
The orc looks Starbuck over.
He says back in Orcish
[spoiler]"That may be, but what's in it for us if we tell you?"[/spoiler]
Starbuck's reply is matter-of-fact, and confident:
[spoiler]"You'll never have to worry about the Axe again. Looks like these adventurers want to do something 'permanent' about the Axe, and I'll be going along to confirm the details."[/spoiler]
The orc replies
[spoiler=Orcish again]
"Maybe... but if you're wrong, that don't help us much. We need something more.. solid."[/spoiler]
He looks at Starbuck's money pouch, then back at Starbuck. His two compatriots nod in agreement.
Whisper should be re-entering the tavern right about now.
He sees the bard talking to the Orcs.
[spoiler]His brow furrows, his eyes narrow, and the corners of his mouth turn down but all so slightly that only someone who knew him well and was watching him closely would notice. Others might catch a momentary glimpse of a change in expression, but would have difficulty interpreting it.[/spoiler]
He then goes to check and see whether a suitable travois has been cobbled together.
"We leave soon. The worst of the storm has passed."
Starbuck reaches into a pocket, pulls out a gold piece, and flicks it to the orcs. He expectantly awaits their response.
The orc catches the coin, eyeballs it a bit. Then he speaks
[spoiler=Orcish]
"Ivar the Axe he's called. Used to be a general down south I hear, 'til he got exiled for something. Something 'political'. He's been recruiting locally for his own group now, right Rodush?[/spoiler]
One of the other two orcs nods and says something.
[spoiler=Orcish]
"Yeah. Promised good pay and some good fighting. Says he's working for a rich lord. Didn't ask which one, I don't work with hobs if I can help it."[/spoiler]
He spits on the floor to punctuate.
Meanwhile towards the back room...
"We leave soon. The worst of the storm has passed."
"We're just about done here," says Orloid. He stands and checks the wounded man.
Shalla straightens up. "You folks take care now, may Fharlanghn protect you."
I help Orloid and Nathan transfer the wounded man to the travois, do whatever I can to cover him up so he doesn't get soaked with rain, then go get Og.
"Og? We're ready to go. Will you help us get the man outside? Gently."
Giving the orcs a "hairy eyeball" as he turns, Og responds to Whisper. "Let Og get stuff." He moves back over to his corner, shoulders up an Og-sized backpack, grabs his hammer, and then returns. "Ok, Og ready." He gets two steps towards the litter when he stops & turns. "Oops, Og almost forget."
He'll move towards an out-of-the way corner of the bar, while getting Shalla's attention. He brings up his coin pouch, and when Shalla is with him, empties it out on the bar. "Og pay now." With one finger, Og will carefully slide the coins he owes, one at a time, towards Shalla, a look of utter concentration on his face (and a tongue poking out from between his lips).
Once he's put the rest of his money (& other odd bits that definitely *weren't* coins) back into the pouch, he moves back over to Whisper. "Ok, Og *really* ready now. Og drag hurt man?"
"Yes. Please take one end of the trav-- ah, the bed the man is laying on. I'll pick up the other end and help you get it outside. Then you drag it to where we are going."
"Is everyone else ready to go?" Whisper asks the rest of the party.
GM NOTE: I am going to asume your character is staying at the tavern if you do not post you leave. This is a good chance for those who don't think they have time for the game to bow out now. The one exception is Uncle Yuan who already contacted me. I'll give this until monday before I continue the action.
Starbuck touches his hat to the orcs in a gesture of acknowledgment, and goes to stand by Whisper.
"I shall follow your lead, Master Ranger," he says with a nod.
(OOG: Starbuck breaks the fourth wall for a second, to address some unseen entity in the audience. "This means that I'll be leaving the tavern with the rest of these adventurous types," he says, with an exaggerated wink.)
After what seemed an interminable time ^_^, the party was gathering by the door, preparing to begin their journey. The azure elf, already out in the now pattering rain, tapping his foot, impatient to be on their way towards what could possibly be the answer he sought. Still, a part of him enjoyed the feel of the deliciously icy rain as it poured down his hood and soaked him again. In his time in the tavern, he had begun to feel a little too dry.
OOC: I've just been waiting to get rolling, Dakkon is more than ready to hit the road.
As we gather to leave I quickly rewrap my bow and quiver for the weather, pull on my cloak and pack and make ready to go. As I do so, I motion Nathan over and say softly to him, "I thank you for your work this evening and commend your attitude. I have accepted this man as my charge and pledge my efforts to his safe deliverance. There is both foul weather and foul intentions out tonight. If you have obligations to your order or a parish, or even your family, this would be the . . . prudent time to attend to them."
I give the young initiate a thorough inspection - does he even have armor or arms? Is he dressed and/or equipped for travel through the wilderness?
(Just to be safely, painfully obvious...)
Whisper helps Og carry the wounded man out of the tavern. Once outside, Whisper will let down his end and wait for everyone else to exit the tavern. He ignores the rain.
"As soon as we are safely away, I will tell you all where we are going," Whisper says. He makes a soft cry to call his trained falcon to his arm.
"Sorry for the wet weather, my friend," he soothes the falcon. "It will not be the first time our rest has been cut short, will it?"
the cloaked woman will rise and join the rest as they prepare to leave the tavern. other than the breif conversation earlier, she has not said a word to anyone, never given her name or any other information about herself, but then again, no one has asked, either. she cuts a mysterious, slightly disconcerting image, carrying herself with equal mesures of confidence and discretion. she seems capable enough of holding her own, but she also tries to keep herself essentially unidentifiable, the shadowed figure that one may see, but never know.
Once we are all outside and out of earshot of any tavern-goers, Whisper tells them the details of his plan.
"There is a druid not far from here. We will take this man to him for care and sanctuary. Then my plan is to come back here and wait for our chance to trail the bandits back to their camp. Any of you are welcome to come with me."
Og:
As soon as Og counts out the coins, Shalla smiles and scoops them up. "Thank you Og. A clean tab is much appreciated."
Orloid:
Nathan is dressed for light travel but he's not well armed or armored. He has donned light leather armor and has a wooden staff along with a bag of his belongings. Beyond that not much else.
"Sir, I am a missionary of Pelor. If I may be useful here, I would like to continue on with you and the others... if you'll have me of course."
Everyone:
You gather outside. It's still cold and still wet and still dark, but at least there's no hail. You gather outside in the damp. Oddly enough, the blue elf seems to be enjoying the weather. He appears to be the only one.
A large bird flies over from the stables - it's a fine looking falcon, obviously well cared for. It fuffs its feathers against the rain as it rests on Whisper's arm.
Nathan drapes another blanket over the wounded man in hopes of further protecting him from the cold rain.
"This druid," he asks Whisper, "Is he trustworthy?"
Quote from: Glitch Girl on July 29, 2007, 06:51:10 PMOrloid:
Nathan is dressed for light travel but he's not well armed or armored. He has donned light leather armor and has a wooden staff along with a bag of his belongings. Beyond that not much else.
"Sir, I am a missionary of Pelor. If I may be useful here, I would like to continue on with you and the others... if you'll have me of course."
I smile reassuringly and say, "Certainly, Nathan. Your courage and dedication are tribute to Pelor!" Inwardly I think,
If any serious trouble comes up, this kid will be be almost as big a liability as the injured man. Sigh. Very well, Lord, if this be thy will . . .Since the man is reasonable stable right now, I'll let Nathan take up station next to the travois. I'll take my bow and take up a position near to the bard. "What did you learn from the orcs?" I ask him. " Anything of value in trying to predict how these Cleansing Flame will respond?"
Starbuck nods to Orloid. "Indeed. That commander of the hobgoblins is called 'Ivar the Axe.' Apparently, he was a general in the southern lands until he was exiled for some political reason. He now claims to be working for a rich lord, and is recruiting aggressively, promising good pay and good fighting."
He pauses a moment, thoughtfully. "Oh, yes. The orcs don't particularly care to work with hobgoblins. Always useful to know about interracial prejudices."
Whisper replies to Nathan.
"I trust Ambrose with my life. He will have no love for these outlaws, I am sure. I would not be surprised if he were already aware of them."
Whisper takes the lead position.
"I will guide us to Ambrose the druid. I would suggest that the priests and Og take a position in the middle with the injured man, to better protect him in case of trouble."
As the group moves off, Whisper continues.
"A word of caution to you all. Ambrose is a trustworthy man of honor. But his concern is protecting the wood and the animals therein from fools who would despoil it. He is neither good, nor evil. He is who he is. Take what you need from the forest, but do no grievous harm and take care to keep control of fires... not that we need worry overmuch about fires in this weather. Do not cut green wood save for thin branches and leave the young trees alone. Harm no animals for mere sport."
Quote from: Whisper"I trust Ambrose with my life. He will have no love for these outlaws, I am sure. I would not be surprised if he were already aware of them."
"Oh... good," Nathan whispers back. He looks a little relieved.
His relief fades a little bit after Whisper warns everyone to "not mess with Mother Nature". He seems to actually be avoiding brushing up any plant life if he can help it now as he keeps watch over your charge.
At one point he looks over at the elven woman and asks, "Excuse me, my lady, but I don't believe I know your name."
"that would be a proper belief, given that i never said my name. however, since you have asked, you may call me annia." ((-smirks- getting rid of the "LE's charecter" thing early, eh?))
( OOG: That and it's easier for the PC's to say than "Hey Mysterious Hooded person, Duck!" ;) )
"A pleasure Annia. I am Nathan. Pelor's blessings be apon you."
You trudge thruogh the wet and the woods. You've strayed somewhat from the main road but Whisper seems to know where he's going, at least you hope he does. Occasionally, lightning cracks through the sky, lighting the overgrowth aruond you in strange and almost fearsome-looking shapes.
Starbuck, Whisper, Dakkon
[spoiler]Just for a moment, you think you saw something large move just ahead and off to the left a bit. You couldn't really tell what, but it was a) very large, and b) possibly alone, or at least you didn't see anything else moving with it[/spoiler]
Starbuck is uncharacteristically brief. He speaks in a low voice, such that only those nearest him are likely to hear over the roar of the storm.
"Something big is moving just ahead and to the left. Whisper - your thoughts?"
Whisper motions for everyone to stop and be quiet. He transfers Swift to a convenient branch and gives it the command to stay. Then he points to himself, points in the direction of the shape he saw moving, points to his eyes, and then back in the direction he is going to scout in.
As soon as he's satisfied that his hand signals have been understood, he carefully and silently scouts ahead. He readies a glitterdust spell just in case, with the intent of blinding anything hostile if it attacks.
If anyone insists on coming with him, Whisper will try to determine if they are moving silently enough not to alert anything to their presence. If they are too noisy, Whisper will emphatically motion them to go back.
Dakkon strained his azure eyes through the gloom ahead, and dropped his hand to rest uneasily on the hilt of his sword. He nodded wordlessly to Starbuck, and crept as silently as possible after Whisper.
I'll take a careful step away from the travois to give me room to maneuver and ready to draw my sword too. While Whisper scouts out the noise that was heard, I'll peer into the darkness in the opposite directions to make sure there's nothing trying to sneak up while our attention is diverted.
Whisper, Dakkon
[spoiler]Whisper, Dakkon seems surprisingly quiet as he moves through the damp underbrush. Not perfect, mind you, but still much quieter than you expected.
The two of you venture a little deeper into the trees. That large shape is still there, and suddenly it gets a whole lot larger as a huge black bear rears up and starts sniffing the air about 10 feet away[/spoiler]
Everyone else:
Nathan shifts the grip on his staff to a more combat-ready position. He glances over at Orloid with a wordless look of "What's going on?"
A moment later, all of you (except Og, who the dice say is distracted by a pretty rock) see some huge shape loom up in the direction that Whisper and Dakkon went. It's still quite a few yards from where you are, and you can't tell what it is beyond "big".
How big? Big like an ox? Big like a minotaur? Big like a giant? Does it appear to be upright/humanoid or more animal?
I give Nathan what I hope is a reassuring smile, gesture towards the injured man and murmur, "Stick with him. It'll be your job to guard him and keep your eyes open for surprises."
"Og!" I whisper fiercely. "Some thing's out there!" I gesture in the direction of Whipser and Dakkon. "Set the man down gently and be ready for trouble."
OOG: RE - Big
Big like a 6 foot plus barrel - tall and broad (though not nearly as broad as it is tall). It doesn't appear to be humanoid shaped but it's hard ot tell at this distance with all the rain.
To GM:
[spoiler]Hmm. If I were alone, there would be any number of things I might do to avoid provoking the bear into an attack. This situation is a bit stickier.
Without taking my eyes off the bear, I motion for Dakkon to back away. If he does so, I will back away with him.
If successful and without startling the bear, I will cast Speak with Animal and use my Wild Empathy ability and animal handling skill to convince the bear that we mean it no harm.
If the bear is startled and attacks, I will cast Web. I hate to blow a spell that useful on this, but it's better than having to kill it and risk severe injury or death. Not to mention possibly ticking off the druid. It would be just our luck that it's the druid himself in bear form. :P[/spoiler]
To Dakkon:
[spoiler]Without taking my eyes off the bear, I motion you to back away.[/spoiler]
Not knowing what the ominous figure actually is, Starbuck keeps his lute at the ready.
"So far, no sounds of our traveling companion screaming in pain, calling for help, or being eaten. I imagine this means that he's trying to handle this potential threat without our intervention. It could be an animal, after all..."
Starbuck continues to hold his ground in relative silence after that, trusting in Whisper to signal if help is needed.
In a low voice "ooh, that rock look like bugsy-bare head......after Og squish it. hehe"
Quote from: Uncle Yuan on July 31, 2007, 07:43:40 AM"Og!" I whisper fiercely. "Some thing's out there!" I gesture in the direction of Whipser and Dakkon. "Set the man down gently and be ready for trouble."
His head snaps up in the direction of Orloid's whisper. "uh?" :huh: Orloid's tone, and use of particular words, gets Og's attention to shift focus much quicker than previously witnessed. Og sets down the end of the travois, pivots to square off in the rough direction of where Orloid indicated, and brings the mauling hammer up into a two-handed, ready position. "Things in trees not always like Og. Og not always like fight them, but be ready good."
Dakkon needed no second urging as his companion motioned him back towards the party, and he crept back with as much stealth as he could muster. While he made his way, he wondered silently what manner of creature this was, as large as the sharks of the deep waters....
Everyone but Dakkon and Whisper:
Everything is very still. The shape is moving a bit, but it doesn't seem to be getting closer. It's almost like it's... searching for something.
Whisper, Dakkon
[spoiler]Dakkon seems to understand Whisper's signal. He starts moving off back towards the rest of the group. Just as he manages to get a few feet away, the bear suddenly turns in your direction. It makes kind of a "wwuff" noise as it's black eyes focus at you two[/spoiler]
To GM:
[spoiler]I keep very still and hope that Dakkon does the same.
If the bear does not immediately charge, I attempt Wild Empathy and animal handling to put it at ease. I doubt I'd have time to get off 'Speak with Animals'.
If the bear does charge, I cast Web.
If Dakkon attacks the bear, I attempt to knock him off balance. Then I try to get the bear's attention by throwing things at it and running like heck.[/spoiler]
"Wonderful," the azure elf thought to himself, but he had the good sense to freeze in his tracks, his piercing cobalt eyes fixed on the massive creature ahead.
Whisper Dakkon
[spoiler]The bear continues to size you two up.
Dakkon, you notice Whisper's posture and stance change a little bit. The bear does too, but it doesn't seem to be alarmed. It cocks it's head slightly, sniffing the air again.
After a while, the bear drops back to all fours and shakes itself a bit, creating an aura of rainwater. It's still watching you, but it doesn't seem to be hostile or worried, just curious now.[/spoiler]
GM & Dakkon
[spoiler]I speak to the bear softly in Elven... not expecting understanding, just speaking in soothing tones.
"That is good. We mean you no harm. We will let you pass on your way, friend bear."[/spoiler]
GM
[spoiler]One more thing, is this a male bear or a female bear? I want to be certain there are no cubs nearby to provoke an attack.[/spoiler]
"This silence is unnerving," I mutter softly. "Can anybody tell what's going on?"
Everyone except Whisper and Dakkon:
Nathan shakes his head no. "They've been gone a while..."he whispers.
"Do you think they're okay?"
Just about then, the large looming shape drops out of view.
Whisper
[Spoiler]The bear is female. No sign of cubs at the moment though.[/spoiler]
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 01, 2007, 08:35:39 AM
Everyone except Whisper and Dakkon:
Nathan shakes his head no. "They've been gone a while..."he whispers.
"Do you think they're okay?"
"Well, like our bard said, no screams should be taken as a good sign . . . "
GM & Dakkon:
[spoiler]Still speaking in a soft, soothing tone I say in Elven, "We will now slowly turn away and go back to the others. This bear is a female, so we will need to keep watch that we do not surprise any cubs."
And with that, making no sudden motions, I turn around and go back.[/spoiler]
OOC: Dakkon is going to keep trying to edge his way back to the group, leaving this matter in the hands of someone obviously better suited.
Everyone except Dakkon and Whisper:
Silence hangs over your group broken only by the falling raindrops and occasional distant thunder. You hear a soft groan coming from nearby.
Specificly, from the travois.
Starbuck
[spoiler]You also see something move in the woods nearby, off the way Whisper and Dakkon went. Looks like one... no, two people trying not to be seen nor heard.[/spoiler]
Whisper and Dakkon
[spoiler] The two of you back away from the bear. It continues to calmly watch you until the trees and darkness hide you from its view. There's no sigh the bear is following you.[/spoiler]
I step over to the travois and examine the man. Is he regaining consciousness, or simply reacting to being moved/stopping?
I rejoin the group, not making any effort at stealth... I want the bear to know where I am. Being a cautious sort, I call out before coming in sight of the group.
"It is Whisper. Dakkon and I are returning."
Once in view I say, "We encountered a bear. I managed to soothe it. We should make a little bit of noise just to let it know where we are. It will likely move away from us peacefully."
GM:
[spoiler]Did the two stealthy people that I saw eventually emerge as Whisper and Dakkon? Or are these different stealthy figures? I want to be clear before inadvertently starting something.[/spoiler]
Starbuck
[spoiler] Yup, it's them. Sneaky aren't they?[/spoiler]
The rest of you hear a soft voice at the edge of the darkness say "It is Whisper. Dakkon and I are returning."
The two emerge almost soundlessly out of the blackness. Whisper quickly tells the rest of the group what happened.
The body on the travois stirrs slightly. You think he might be trying to wake up.
Upon hearing an explanation, Og finally relaxes from his ready position, with an audible "hmff". He moves back over towards the travois, to resume his task, but waits until everyone is done fussing over the "sick man".
"Bears cranky. Not like others around, sometimes. Think steal food. Og not like bear food much, maybe fishies." He then gets a wistful look on his face, eyes looking upwards a bit. "Sometimes, bears make good food, though. Kinda tasty, if burnt right."
OOC: I was good about staying in character with regards to the spoilers - I assume at this point we can all respond as if we know the whole story . . .
"Huh. Well, I'm glad things ended peacefully, if only for the bear's sake. We should hurry though. Our friend looks like he's waking up, and I'd like to get him under cover as soon as we can. Clean, dry, and well lit are the next orders of business."
"Aye," Whisper agrees. "Starbuck, I think it might be time for a tale. Not too loud. We need to alert the local wildlife of our presence without drawing attention we do not need."
Whisper calls his falcon back to perch on his shoulder and will attempt to lead the group around the place where we encountered the bear.
From this point on, he will try to stay well out in front of the rest of the group but within sight.
Starbuck nods with a slight grin. "Something to announce our presence to local wildlife, without broadcasting to our enemies? Nothing simpler. 'Tis but a matter of modulating volume appropriately."
He clears his throat and sings softly as the group continues along:
If we could talk to the animals, just imagine it
Chatting to a chimp in chimpanzee
Imagine talking to a tiger, chatting to a cheetah
What a neat achievement that would be.
If we could talk to the animals, learn their languages
Maybe take an animal degree.
We'd study elephant and eagle, buffalo and beagle,
Alligator, guinea pig, and flea.
We would converse in polar bear and python,
And we could curse in fluent kangaroo.
If people asked us, can you speak in rhinoceros,
We'd say, "Of courserous, can't you?"
If we could talk to the animals, learn their languages
Think of all the things we could discuss
If we could walk with the animals, talk with the animals,
Grunt and squeak and squawk with the animals,
And they could squeak and squawk and speak and talk to us.
Barely through the first verse, Nathan quietly whispers to Orloid "What's a chimpanzee?"
The group continues to tromp through the wet woods with musical accompainment. Much to your surprise, giant furry creatures completely fail to attack your party. You seem to be fine for the moment.
About now, the man on the travois opens his eyes blearily and blinks a few times. His eyes focus on the raining sky overhead for a moment and then he starts to look around.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 02, 2007, 05:08:37 PM
Barely through the first verse, Nathan quietly whispers to Orloid "What's a chimpanzee?"
"I don't know. I think it must be a large cat, like a tiger"
QuoteAbout now, the man on the travois opens his eyes blearily and blinks a few times. His eyes focus on the raining sky overhead for a moment and then he starts to look around.
Seeing him stir, I lean over and say quietly, "You are OK and we are transporting you to a location of safety. Just lie back and rest, we will be there very soon. Oh, and do not mind the half-ogre. He seems a good enough sort.
"My name is Orloid. I'm a priest of Corellon Larethian. This is Nathan, from the church of Pellar. The others you will meet anon. What is your name?"
Orloid gets as far as "Oh, and do not mind the half-ogre..." when the wounded man's eyes go wide, looks around quickly, spots Og carrying him, and tries to get up very fast. He can't though becasue he's secured pretty well to the travois but he tries anyway.
You don't think he was paying attention to the rest of Orloid's speech.
I reach over and place a firm hand on the man's chest. "SAFE! You. Are. Safe." I say directly into his face. "All here have agreed to protect you. Please, lie back and relax. We will soon reach a place of security, then we will talk. Until then, rest."
"SAFE! You. Are. Safe."
The man's eyes meet Orloids. His breathing is still nervously ragged, but he stops struggling.
"All here have agreed to protect you. Please, lie back and relax. We will soon reach a place of security, then we will talk. Until then, rest."
The man looks around nervously once more. "You..." he begins, then stops. "I... all, right" he finally relents and settles back.
Up ahead, Whisper is still leading the party to the druid.
If his face could be seen, one would see his lips moving with a slight smile.
Hearing the small commotion behind, he stops and looks back. Judging by what he sees, the injured man is finally waking. Satisfied it is nothing, he continues on his way. He is keeping his eyes and ears sharp for anything dangerous or out of the ordinary, including possible traps (snares, deadfalls, and the like).
GM: Are we nearing Ambrose's home? And does it look like it will continue to rain for awhile?
The injured man is still on the travois - just relaxed and no longer struggling to get up.
Whisper:
The storm seems to be letting up a little bit. You'd guess it's got another hour or two left in it. Luckily you're not nearly that far from Ambrose's place.
Orloid:
He's settled down and is just lying there, but he's got the expression of someone waiting for execution.
As long as I don't have to wonk him with some spell to keep him calm, I'm satisfied.
After quite a bit of walking, you begin to make out a dwelling in among the trees. It looks like an old hunter's cabin that's been there long enough to start to merge in with the vegetation. A healthy carpet of moss stretches over much of the slanted roof and vines twine up one of the sides. Warm light from a fire inside casts a cheery glow. The front door is closed, much to no one's surprise.
What do you all do?
I am not so foolish as to shout out, nor to approach without warning. I attempt to mimic the call of an owl, which the druid knows would not be about at this time of the day. Then I approach the door and softly call out, "Ambrose? It is Whisper. I come with companions and one in need."
Dakkon eyed the ramshackle cabin with mild disdain for a moment before shifting his keen eyed gaze back to the darkened wood surrounding them. If they had been followed, he'd rather know it now then find out about it as the cabin burned down around their ears.
After a few seconds, there's movement at the window and a canine head looks out at you all as if checking you out. The head drops out of sight, and after a moment, the door opens, revealing a tall lean man dressed in brown leather and green fabric. He has long salt and pepper hair tied back in a long ponytail and a thick moustache and beard. His features (what you can see through the facial hair) are very sharp.
"Whisper, it's good to see you," he says, "But... what's all this? Is something wrong? Are these your friends too?"
Starbuck maintains a bright, friendly smile, while doing his best silent impression of "Why yes, we're all friends here! Pay no attention to the large, menacing half-ogre carrying the wounded scared man."
The man looks at all of you, especially the half ogre and the blue elf, and then gives Whisper a look that says "this better be one heck of an explanation".
"It is. We all sought shelter in the same tavern. There was a confrontation with a human and several hobgoblins wearing an odd black and white sigil who were seeking this man," I indicate the fellow on the travois. "He is wounded and I thought you might provide healing and sanctuary for a short time. I believe his adversaries are a band of infamous highwaymen. I intend to go hunting.""
The man frowns in thought for a momoent, then he steps aside from the door.
"Only because I trust you Whisper," he murmurs before addressing the rest of the group. "You all better come on in. I've got a fire going. Just don't break anything.
Inside is a simple stone fireplace with spartan furnishings. There's a cot, a pair of chairs, a small table, a couple of large trunks probably for storing things, useful items, and a thick woven rug by the fire with a nice thin layer of silver-grey fur. There's no sign of the wolf though.
"My name is Ambrose," the man introduces himself. "And mind if I ask who you all are?"
Starbuck doffs his hat in greetings, once again using a Prestidigitation cantrip to help dry himself off.
"Starbuck Rogers, at your service. Also at the service of our unknown wounded charge, who we are guarding. And as your friend Whisper should be able to attest, I am more than capable of song, story, or silence, as appropriate."
Donning his hat once more, Starbuck politely allows his companions-in-arms to introduce themselves.
"Orloid," I add with a duck of my head. "Priest of Corellon Larethian. This is Nathan, of the church of Pellar. I believe the hardest of the healing is in hand. At this point this man just needs a little rest and a place of sanctuary to find it in. Thank you for your hospitality."
"My name," the azure elf began with a low bow, "as near as it can be rendered in this halting, turgid speech, is Dakkon Elsdragon. I am the Prince of the Coral City, and rightful ruler beneath the 'sky.'" He gave a fleeting glance at the injured man, and focused his burning cobalt eyes on the thin druid before him. "I keep company with these," he encompassed his companions with a gesture, "to find an answer to the riddle of my banishment above the waves," those burning eyes hardened with the memory of a lost world, "and to seek my vengeance on those who stood against me."
Quote"Starbuck Rogers, at your service. Also at the service of our unknown wounded charge, who we are guarding. And as your friend Whisper should be able to attest, I am more than capable of song, story, or silence, as appropriate."
"A pleasure," says Ambrose and shakes Starbuck's hand.
Quote"My name, as near as it can be rendered in this halting, turgid speech, is Dakkon Elsdragon. I am the Prince of the Coral City, and rightful ruler beneath the 'sky.' I keep company with these to find an answer to the riddle of my banishment above the waves, and to seek my vengeance on those who stood against me."
"...Ah," says Ambrose. "I see. Um... Forgive my staring, I've just never seen a sea elf so far inland before."
Quote"Orloid," I add with a duck of my head. "Priest of Corellon Larethian. This is Nathan, of the church of Pellar. I believe the hardest of the healing is in hand. At this point this man just needs a little rest and a place of sanctuary to find it in. Thank you for your hospitality."
He gives a short bow as well. "Of course. Do you need anything? Bandages, herbs, anything like that?"
"And... who is this... traveler?" he adds, indicating Og.
"Ahh, then today is a day of new sights," Dakkon began, "for I have never before seen a being that is both wolf and man." He paused for a moment, a far away look creeping into the dark depths of his eyes as he gazed past the druid, almost as if those cobalt orbs could reach the distant sea. "I am not this far away from the 'world' by choice, you may be sure of that."
At Ambrose's question about the stranger, Dakkon turns to regard him. "Perhaps it is time that we find out?"
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 06, 2007, 05:40:00 PM"And... who is this... traveler?" he adds, indicating Og.
"Me am Og. Og am mercen..... mer...." The eyes roll upward a bit. "Og am merc..... Og squish stuff! You pay Og!" A satisfied smile plasters itself across his face. "Elfy-man pay Og carry hurt man out here." Turning towards Whisper, Og holds his hand out, palm up. "We here. You pay Og now."
Whisper gives Og a gold piece.
"Thank you, Og. Please stay. We may have another job for you."
Seeing the injured man awake, Whisper turns to him.
"You have reached a place of sanctuary. Whether you remain safe may depend on the knowledge you may share with us. Tell how you came to be injured and why a band of hobgoblins wanted you badly enough to brave a fierce storm to seek you?"
Quote"Me am Og. Og am mercen..... mer.... Og am merc..... Og squish stuff! You pay Og!" A satisfied smile plasters itself across his face.
"I... see," says Ambrose. "I would imagine Og is very good at his job too."
QuoteAhh, then today is a day of new sights, for I have never before seen a being that is both wolf and man."
Ambrose turns. "Hmmm... Very astute. There are certain... advantages to becoming one with nature." he adds smiling.
Quote"I am not this far away from the 'world' by choice, you may be sure of that."
"Pity. There is much on the surface to be savored."
Over by the fire, the wounded man is sitting up as Nathan examines him. He's much calmer now. He still looks jumpy, but there's also an bit of puzzlement in his expression.
Quote"You have reached a place of sanctuary. Whether you remain safe may depend on the knowledge you may share with us. Tell how you came to be injured and why a band of hobgoblins wanted you badly enough to brave a fierce storm to seek you?"
"Why are you helping me? You planning on selling me to Lord Niles for a reward or something?"
Starbuck has learned enough in his travels to know that it's a bad idea to cluster around a recuperating man, bombarding him with questions. While Whisper sees to our charge, Starbuck further informs Ambrose of what we've learned:
"This wounded man was being pursued by a large, armored man named Ivar the Axe and his four hobgoblin lackeys," he explains quietly, so as not to disturb Whisper's separate conversation. "Ivar wore an amulet bearing a white flame over a black field - the mark of a group known as the 'Cleansing Flame.' They'd seem like a bunch of thugs, except for the fact that they're pretty well-organized and far-flung. Their exact purpose, however, is a mystery."
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 07, 2007, 06:49:41 AM
Over by the fire, the wounded man is sitting up as Nathan examines him. He's much calmer now. He still looks jumpy, but there's also an bit of puzzlement in his expression.
Quote"You have reached a place of sanctuary. Whether you remain safe may depend on the knowledge you may share with us. Tell how you came to be injured and why a band of hobgoblins wanted you badly enough to brave a fierce storm to seek you?"
"Why are you helping me? You planning on selling me to Lord Niles for a reward or something?"
Whisper's tone becomes severe.
"I am of the Elven folk, called to be a Ranger, sworn to the defense of the sacred woodland home of the Elves and of all within it. I would help almost anyone in such a helpless state as yours was when the hobgoblins came for you. And I would thwart goblinkin and their masters even if you were not injured. I do not traffic in slaves, nor would I allow a band of slavers to operate here. Are you then an escaped slave fled from the brigands known as the Cleansing Flame? And who is this 'Lord Niles' and what has he to do with you? Will you return the debt you owe us for saving your life by telling us what you know? Answer!"
Quote"This wounded man was being pursued by a large, armored man named Ivar the Axe and his four hobgoblin lackeys," he explains quietly, so as not to disturb Whisper's separate conversation. "Ivar wore an amulet bearing a white flame over a black field - the mark of a group known as the 'Cleansing Flame.' They'd seem like a bunch of thugs, except for the fact that they're pretty well-organized and far-flung. Their exact purpose, however, is a mystery."
"I've heard of the Cleansing Flame. A secretive sect. More of a disease than anything. 'Cleansing'... hrmph. Still, that explains why there have been so many people tramping through these woods these last two days."
Meanwhile:
QuoteI am of the Elven folk, called to be a Ranger, sworn to the defense of the sacred woodland home of the Elves and of all within it. I would help almost anyone in such a helpless state as yours was when the hobgoblins came for you. And I would thwart goblinkin and their masters even if you were not injured. I do not traffic in slaves, nor would I allow a band of slavers to operate here. Are you then an escaped slave fled from the brigands known as the Cleansing Flame? And who is this 'Lord Niles' and what has he to do with you? Will you return the debt you owe us for saving your life by telling us what you know? Answer!"
"No, I'm just, I mean... I... kinda.. took something from Lord Nile's house," the man explains, cringing. "Look, it wasn't anything really important, I swear, I did it to show the Guild I could, that's all! I just... messed up on the way out and now it's like there's this whole army who wants me dead! That's all, I swear!"
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 07, 2007, 07:59:58 AM
"No, I'm just, I mean... I... kinda.. took something from Lord Nile's house," the man explains, cringing. "Look, it wasn't anything really important, I swear, I did it to show the Guild I could, that's all! I just... messed up on the way out and now it's like there's this whole army who wants me dead! That's all, I swear!"
Whisper's tone softens a little.
"It matters little to me whether one thief steals from another. But now you must tell us the whole story and where we can find this foul company. I have sworn to quench this so-called flame. Your best chance of safety is in their downfall."
Starbuck turns to address the cringing man.
"And when he asks for the 'whole story,' you really shouldn't leave out the uncomfortable details," he advises. "If there truly is an entire army after you, then you probably either stole something really important, or saw or heard something really important."
"Or maybe the Cleansing Flame is a band of zealots that responds to all infractions with equal intensity regardless of degree." I interject. Turning to the man I add, "So you are thief and these . . . "men" are after you. As for my part you have done me no ill, I have pledged myself to your healing, and I am no supporter of low justice. No have nothing to fear from me. And if I read these other, you have nothing to fear from them. Your honesty at this point is the best coin you have to repay our efforts. What is your name?"
"Daniel," says the man. "From Greymere. Um... Thanks.
"See...All I was supposed to do was to break into a heavily guarded place and bring something back as proof. I decided to try Lord Niles, because everyone knows he rich and uh... well, I got inside no problem, and I made it all the way to some library or study or something with a lot of books and there was this little case, gold, monogrammed, about this big..." -he uses his hands to indicate something about 1 foot by 3 inches by 3 inches- "...and I figured if it has his crest on it, it's be perfect, but then, one of his guards saw me and I had to grab it and make a break for it.
"It wasn't until I got away from them that I opened it up. It was just some old paper, some writing that looked kinda weird, a map, some drawings, and they were real old, and I thought, hey, added antique value! So I tried to make it back to the Guild but some of Niles' men and a bunch of hobgoblins were already outside so I decided to lay low a while elsewhere.
"I thought I was doing good, hiding out off the roads, but then everywhere I went they were tracking me with dogs, probably used those snouts too. And they wouldn't give up I tried to lose them across the river, but that was a mistake...
"I remember it was starting to rain, and I was still tired from the swim, and there were at least three of them. One of them... one of them got me with a club and knocked me into the bushes and I think I ran and managed to lose them in the dark and... I'm not really sure. Kinda fuzzy from there on.
"Um.. can I ask why you all keep talking about fire Mister Ranger... sir?"
Quote"Um.. can I ask why you all keep talking about fire Mister Ranger... sir?"
"Not fire," adds the ever-helpful Starbuck. "Flame. The Cleansing Flame. Those people and hobgoblins that were after don't just call themselves 'Lord Niles' Army.' They're part of an organization called The Cleansing Flame. Their mark is a white flame on a black background."
Starbuck ponders Daniel's tale.
"So... a gold box with an old paper inside, eh? That begs the question of where it is
now. Do you still have it, or did you lose it or hide it somewhere? I'm rather skilled at making sense out of 'weird writing,' you see, so it might help us figure out just why these men were so persistent in chasing you."
Quote"Not fire," adds the ever-helpful Starbuck. "Flame. The Cleansing Flame. Those people and hobgoblins that were after don't just call themselves 'Lord Niles' Army.' They're part of an organization called The Cleansing Flame. Their mark is a white flame on a black background."
"Oh... That sounds worse actually."
Quote"So... a gold box with an old paper inside, eh? That begs the question of where it is now. Do you still have it, or did you lose it or hide it somewhere? I'm rather skilled at making sense out of 'weird writing,' you see, so it might help us figure out just why these men were so persistent in chasing you."
Daniel looks uncomforatble again.
"Umm... remember when I said that crossing the river was a mistake? I... kinda lost it there. But I can draw the map and the drawings," he adds quickly. "I looked at that map for a while, thinking maybe I could check it out sometime later, and I can remember pictures and stuff really good."
"If there is any chance the box is waterproof, it might be well to seek out the river. One of us happens to be a water-breather," Whisper says, pointedly looking in Dakkon's direction.
"I myself had not planned beyond returning to the tavern and attempting to track these brigands from there, counting on the idea that they would return seeking Daniel. I would ask more about Lord Niles... where he can be found, what sort of keep he dwells in, how many warriors he has, that sort of thing. Then I may not need to track them at all."
"I hesitate to go chasing a half-remembered map... but if the rest think it wise I am at your service and will follow where this takes us. Within reason."
annia introduces herself to ambrose, and then listens silently to the conversations for a time, before speaking up.
"maps often lead to secrets. for Lord Niles and the Cleansing Flame to be persuing this map in such force, it must lead to a very deep, important secret. perhaps it is a power that the Flame seeks to control and make itself more powerful; undesirable for us, thus makeing it very important we keep it out of the Flames hands. perhaps it is some force they seek to destroy for fear it will thwart them, in wich case it is very desirable for us to seek it out, and perhaps bend it to our will, or ally with it if it is intelligent. in any case, weather sooner or later, i feel that it will be in our best interest to explore this map and uncovor it's secret, whatever that may be."
"It seems that several of you have ample reason to pursue action against the Cleansing Flame. I for my part, have none. And while their campaign against Daniel may be justified, I find that I am offended by their methods. I also have a strong suspicion that while the Cleansing Flame is none of my concern, I may now be a great deal of theirs."
With a questioning glance to Ambrose, I gesture towards his fireplace indicating that I would like to heat water. Assuming his permission I set about putting a large kettle on while I continue.
"As I see it, our choices are three. One, investigate and act against the Flame directly. Two, return to the river and assist Daniel in recovering the box. Or three, work as best we can from Daniel's recollection of the contents of the box.
"Or, four," I smile thinly, "each of us return to our individual paths and let this lie."
Once the water is hot I will prepare a large pot of a stimulating herbal tea, making sure that Daniel gets the first and largest cup, then sharing with any others who wish some.
Quote"If there is any chance the box is waterproof, it might be well to seek out the river. One of us happens to be a water-breather," Whisper says, pointedly looking in Dakkon's direction.
"I myself had not planned beyond returning to the tavern and attempting to track these brigands from there, counting on the idea that they would return seeking Daniel. I would ask more about Lord Niles... where he can be found, what sort of keep he dwells in, how many warriors he has, that sort of thing. Then I may not need to track them at all."
"I hesitate to go chasing a half-remembered map... but if the rest think it wise I am at your service and will follow where this takes us. Within reason."
"Really? Well, um... He's in Oakenhold, and he's pretty rich, wait I said that, um... His house is really nice, it's huge and it's surrounded by a lake someone made. Since he's on the council, he's got a lot of men he can call if he needs too, even the city guard I think... though he didn't use them now that I think about it. I mean when they were following me and all. We don't have many hobgoblins in Oakenhold, and I didn't think any of them worked for him. Hmh."
Quote
"maps often lead to secrets. for Lord Niles and the Cleansing Flame to be persuing this map in such force, it must lead to a very deep, important secret. perhaps it is a power that the Flame seeks to control and make itself more powerful; undesirable for us, thus makeing it very important we keep it out of the Flames hands. perhaps it is some force they seek to destroy for fear it will thwart them, in wich case it is very desirable for us to seek it out, and perhaps bend it to our will, or ally with it if it is intelligent. in any case, whether sooner or later, I feel that it will be in our best interest to explore this map and uncover its secret, whatever that may be."
"Aye," says Ambrose. "I have a feeling that whatever this boy discovered is far more important that he ever realized."
Quote"It seems that several of you have ample reason to pursue action against the Cleansing Flame. I for my part, have none. And while their campaign against Daniel may be justified-"
"Hey!" Daniel cuts in, but Nathan quickly shushes him.
Quote"-I find that I am offended by their methods. I also have a strong suspicion that while the Cleansing Flame is none of my concern, I may now be a great deal of theirs."
With a questioning glance to Ambrose, I gesture towards his fireplace indicating that I would like to heat water.
Ambrose nods affirmative.
Quote"As I see it, our choices are three. One, investigate and act against the Flame directly. Two, return to the river and assist Daniel in recovering the box. Or three, work as best we can from Daniel's recollection of the contents of the box.
"Or, four," I smile thinly, "each of us return to our individual paths and let this lie."
The conversation is interrupted by a heavy knock on the door.
An unfamiliar voice says "Open up in there!" The voice sounds human.
"Or five, we get sloppy, fail to post a watch and get surprised while boxed up inside a small cabin." I add grimly.
With all of the talking that's been going on, it was pretty obvious (and probably expected) when Og's eyes started to glaze over, and he just started to look around, looking for something interesting. Eventually, he approached Ambrose (which took all of about 1 1/2 steps). "Forest man got food? Og kinda hungry."
Quote from: Uncle Yuan on August 08, 2007, 07:38:17 AM
With a questioning glance to Ambrose, I gesture towards his fireplace indicating that I would like to heat water. Assuming his permission I set about putting a large kettle on while I continue.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 08, 2007, 08:50:02 AMAmbrose nods affirmative.
Og's attention follows from Ambrose to Orloid, reaching an obvious conclusion. "ooh, you make stew for Og? Og hope it good as bar-lady stew." (insert big tongue licking chops here)
QuoteOnce the water is hot I will prepare a large pot of a stimulating herbal tea, making sure that Daniel gets the first and largest cup, then sharing with any others who wish some.
*sniff, sniff* "That not smell like stew. Kinda smell like grassy things." A look of obvious disappointment elongates his face.
Quote
The conversation is interrupted by a heavy knock on the door.
An unfamiliar voice says "Open up in there!" The voice sounds human.
"ooh, maybe him got food." ^_^
Ambrose quietly walks over to the door.
"Who's there?" he asks. The only response he gets is more pounding on the door.
Starbuck quickly recites a chant:
"In times like these, I always find,
That out of sight means out of mind!"
And with that, he vanishes from view.
GM:
[spoiler]Starbuck has just cast Invisibility. Depending on how much time there is, he plans to follow up next round with Ventriloquism.[/spoiler]
OOC: Darn it! I was just getting ready to send Dakkon back outside to enjoy the rain. Haha, well, you're keeping us stepping GG! ^_^
Dakkon gave a curt nod at the statement addressing his aquatic abilities and continued to watch the unfolding conversation with only vague interest, his mind beginning to wander to the delightful rain pattering down just outside those rough hewn walls. At that sharp rap on the door, his eye narrowed dangerously, and he drew his sword, ready for whatever may be on the other side. He cast quickly about for another exit from the cabin.
OOC: Is there any other way out? If so, Dakkon is going to try and sneak out and get the drop on our unexpected guests, if not, then he'll move toward the door to back Ambrose.
Whisper is alarmed and his eyes grow wide in surprise; could this be a coincidence? Could it be they of the Cleansing Flame, or just a bystander? How could anyone have tracked them in the kind of weather they travelled in?
Still, this is Ambrose's home and his prerogative how to deal with it. Whisper quietly prepares to cast spells if need be.
"If this is our doing, I am sorry, Ambrose," Whisper murmurs.
Whisper will be listening to try to determine what's going on outside the cabin, any indication of how many men might be outside, the sound of heavy armor moving about, horses, that kind of thing.
GM:
[spoiler]Whisper is readying Magic Missile, Sleep, and Web. If anyone breaks down the door or smashes in a window, he'll be casting Magic Missile in their faces.[/spoiler]
"Don't worry lad," Ambrose answers. "Let's see what they want."
He opens the door a crack and looks out. "Yes, what do you want?"
"We're on the hunt for a dangerous fugitive on behalf of the Oakenfold Council," the voice outside replies.
At the word "dangerous", Daniel gets an expression of "who me?". Luckily he's smart enough to stay quiet.
"Oh?" says Ambrose. "Council business? Sounds serious."
"We are required to question anyone in the area and to search all premisies," the man continues.
For those of you looking around:
Cabin Exits- The obvious front door. The windows will also serve a a tight exit for everyone except Og, who'd probably make his own hole anyway. There is one in the front, two against the back wall. The windows all have a simple cloth covering over cheap glass. Ambrose lowered the cover on the front window when you all came in so those outside won't be able to see you directly. By the same token, you can't see outside without moving the cloth. The chimney is not a viable option because it's a) too thin and b) over a very hot fire.
Nathan has picked up his weapon and is standing near Orloid. Daniel it looking around probably for someplace to hide. The bard has poofed, and you're pretty sure there are at least another two people out there. Maybe more.
Og patiently waits to see if they brought food with them. He knows his manners well enough not to ask them until they're *inside* the room. :D
Starbuck will tap Daniel gently on the shoulder with another little ditty:
"If I can hide, then so can you -
Even if you're in plain view."
[spoiler]Putting an Invisibility on Daniel as well. Hopefully he'll have the sense to stay in the company of the bard who can hide him so effectively.[/spoiler]
GM:
[spoiler]Point of Order... I don't believe you ever said whether Whisper could have an Elven Cloak or not. If he does, he will move into a shadowy corner and conceal himself.
I was going to use it on Daniel if I had it, but Starbuck beat me to it. :)[/spoiler]
annia's eyes flash dangerously and she lifts her mace from it's thong, moveing to flank the door, whispering a strange, almost sinister sounding phrase, as the head of her mace begins to glow with fell eldritch power.
[spoiler]she's useing the hideous blow eldrich blast shape to channel her eldritch blast damage to her melee attack. the mace will remain charged until she lands a succesful melee attack. obviously she intends to smash the first hostile person to enter the house through the front door.[/spoiler]
Bluebard:
[spoiler]Yes you do, it was one of your magic items according to my pms. I was pretty sure I sent one to approve it.[/spoiler]
Og:
The singing guy and the hurt guy just dissappeared. How odd. Oh, and you don't smell any food from outside, darn it.
Whisper:
there aren't many deep shadows to hide in this room but you can still make yourself a little less noticible in the corner.
Everyone:
Ambrose says to the men outside "This is free ground here, Oakenhold has no say," he turns slightly and notices that both the bard and Daniel are gone.
"...however," he adds before the men outside can protest, "I suppose it can't hurt to let you in briefly." He opens the door the rest of the way.
Outside are a group of about five men in armor and oilskin cloaks. They look pretty damp and miserable. The one in front is about 6 foot, maybe a little less, with short dark blond hair that's plastered against his head with rainwater. A tabard under his cloak shows the tree crest of Oakenhold. He steps inside and looks around. His eyes immediately go to Annia's glowing mace.
"We thought you might be brigands," Ambrose says smoothly. "Can't be too careful."
The man says nothing. His gaze moves around the small cabin, lingering in somewhat horrified facination on Dakkon and Og.
OOG: I made a post but it seems to have disappeared - ?? Ah well, the game has moved on . . .
I keep my place near the table, but have thrown my cloak back from my right shoulder, freeing my sword arm. I eye the new comers neutrally - not overtly hostile, but not in the least welcoming.
GM:
[spoiler]What is Oakenhold? Do I know anything about it[/spoiler]
General knowlege: Oakenhold is a city several miles from here. Pretty decent sized population, trade, and so forth. Ruled by a coucil made up of a few select members of the upper class.
Whisper has drawn his cloak about him and retreated into a shadowy corner (before the men entered). He almost vanishes from view, though sharp eyes who know to look for him can make out his outline. He remains perfectly still, watching and listening.
Starbuck isn't saying a word, or moving (yet). He's keeping a friendly hand on Daniel's shoulder, so that both invisible men know where the other one is.
Still standing with his mauling hammer head down on the ground, Og will hold onto the haft with his left hand, as a bit of an anchor point, while he leans down a bit towards the one who stepped inside, and does a food check.
*sniff, sniff* Og then extends his right hand a bit, pointing at the man (he won't bump him with the finger, but it might get close). "You got food? Og kinda hungry. Not find food yet."
The man nearly goes crosseyed looking at the large finger pointing at him. "Uh..." he looks up at the massive and apparently hungry shape looming over him. You doubt he's paying attention to anyone else at the moment.
"I've got some dried meat," one of his men says tenatively. He pulls a couple of strips of what appear to be stiff shiny leather from his pouch, barely more than a snack's worth and holds them up.
"So what did this fugitive do?" Ambrose asks innocently.
The leader tears his eyes away from Og for a moment, "He's wanted for theft and the murder of four men."
Starbuck
[spoiler]You feel Daniel's shoulders flinch in surprise at the word "murder". He, like you though, remains silent[/spoiler]
"What does this murder look like," somes the smooth, flowing voice of the sea-elf, "for I have no wish to keep company with such." As he speaks, he keeps his eyes steadily on the strangers, not allowing his gaze to wander in the direction of the vanished pair.
The man reaches under his cloak slowly and deiberately and pulls out a bit of slightly damp paper. There's a picture drawn on it that bears a pretty good resemblance to Daniel.
"Daniel Midas, only noted for small petty crimes until now. "
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 09, 2007, 03:35:30 PM
Whisper
[spoiler]You feel Daniel's shoulders flinch in surprise at the word "murder". He, like you though, remains silent[/spoiler]
OOC: Actually, that should have been addressed to Starbuck. He's the invisible one. I'm just hard to notice.Whisper remains fairly dubious of the murder charge as of yet. What little he knows of human governance and the corruption of same has left him with the opinion that the poor usually suffer for the crimes of the rich. Daniel seems barely capable of larceny, let alone cold-blooded murder, else he is the greatest human thespian he has ever seen before. The addition of the Cleansing Flame to this puzzle is more than enough to suggest that this is about more than a murdering fugitive.
At this, Whisper moves forward into the light. It almost seems as though the shadows are melting away from him.
"And who has this human killed?" Whisper is hoping his sudden appearance is enough to startle the men into revealing more than they intend and putting them off balance.
BB: You're right. Corrected in previous post.
At least one of the men jumps noticibly. The comand, for his part, seems merely slightly startled.
"Two of Lord Niles guards, one of the servants, and most serious, the Lord's cousin Edgar visiting from abroad."
A rumbling sound, like the distant crashing of waves on pebbled beach emanates from the sea-elf, his eyes narrowing slightly. The sound, although distinctive, is hard to attach a meaning to, and his gaze is still studiously neutral.
OOC: These guys probably aren't the real wrong-doers here, and most of them probably don't know any more than they were told. However, I wonder about that commander.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 09, 2007, 07:46:27 PM
BB: You're right. Corrected in previous post.
At least one of the men jumps noticibly. The comand, for his part, seems merely slightly startled.
"Two of Lord Niles guards, one of the servants, and most serious, the Lord's cousin Edgar visiting from abroad."
"A serious matter indeed," Whisper nods. "However, the master of this house is correct; this wood is not under human authority. I wonder that armed men even dare to enter this wood. The wood folk, the tree folk, the faerie... let alone the Elves... make this a dangerous place for mortals to tread. If your murderer fled here, I have no doubt that the forest will serve justice for you."
seeing that the men for now are remaining peaceful, annia will allow the eldritch charge to fade from her mace, though she will keep it in hand for the moment.
"He sounds very dangerous. We'll be on our guard." I glance at Ambrose - how does he seem to be handling the news? And does he show any indication of shoeing these men away now that they've checked the cabin?
Quote"A serious matter indeed. However, the master of this house is correct; this wood is not under human authority. I wonder that armed men even dare to enter this wood. The wood folk, the tree folk, the faerie... let alone the Elves... make this a dangerous place for mortals to tread. If your murderer fled here, I have no doubt that the forest will serve justice for you."
"You may be right," he replies, "but you know the old saying 'Nature makes a poor assasin'. We are under orders to bring him back dead or alive and-"
The odd oceaning rumbling that seems to be coming from the Sea Elf is disconcerting to pretty much everyone in the cabin and derails the commander's train of thought.
"What was that?" he asks aloud.
Quote"He sounds very dangerous. We'll be on our guard."
"Um... yes. Good idea," the man tries to focus back on the conversation.
"Good," smiles Ambrose, "You'd best hurry if you wish to find him before something else does."
Orloid:
Ambrose seems to be keeping a poker face throughout most of the exchange. You did see him frown a bit when he heard the list of charges and his eyes flicker towards the fireplace but since he was behind the leader, none of the guards saw him.
"Perhaps I have been unclear," Whisper replies to the commander with an edge in his voice. "I am an Elven Ranger. This forest is under the protection of my brothers and I. We are well aware of your presence and I have come here to meet you with a message. Incursion by human soldiers will not be tolerated by the spirits of the wood. You need a guide to tread the paths of this forest under the protection of the Elves and you have not sought our leave to be here."
Whisper is well aware that he may be the -only- Elven Ranger currently in this part of the wood, though others may certainly be aware of human presence. Still, it does not hurt to keep the forest shrouded from the humans in superstitious dread or to enhance the air of supernatural mystery about himself and it definitely would not do for the humans of Oakenhold to get the idea that they have sovereign rights here. He feels sure that Ambrose would agree with this sentiment. Even if they must turn Daniel over as a murderer, this precedent of human military incursion in the wood should not stand.
To GM: Is this wood part of Whisper's home of Darkhollow, or another? And is there Elven authority here?
Whisper
[spoiler]Your normal stomping grounds are further east than where you are now. This area isn't under any specific charge, sort of falling in between the edges of elven boundaries and man, not that the average person is aware of that. You consider Ambrose more of a caretaker of this region than anything[/spoiler]
The commander, obviously off-balance from... well, pretty much all of you, and now faced with a possible political incident, stammers out "I don't mean to intrude in your woods, sir, but this murder, he cannot be allowed to go free. I... If... Would you come with us. As a guide. Then there will be no question of any incursion?"
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 10, 2007, 02:10:46 PM
Whisper
[spoiler]Your normal stomping grounds are further east than where you are now. This area isn't under any specific charge, sort of falling in between the edges of elven boundaries and man, not that the average person is aware of that. You consider Ambrose more of a caretaker of this region than anything[/spoiler]
The commander, obviously off-balance from... well, pretty much all of you, and now faced with a possible political incident, stammers out "I don't mean to intrude in your woods, sir, but this murder, he cannot be allowed to go free. I... If... Would you come with us. As a guide. Then there will be no question of any incursion?"
"You are therefore prepared to present to me evidence of the crime?" Whisper asks him. "For Elven Justice demands it. If you cannot produce such evidence, you must be obliged to make formal petition or to permit me to investigate the charges myself. I am comitted to do all I can to see that justice is done, of course."
I am of course betting heavily on a human's ignorance of Elven law. We are not nearly so formal as that. But no respectable Elf would ever deliver punishment, especially of a capital nature, without some convincing evidence of wrongdoing. Our taste in punishment, of course, tends toward poetic justice in fitting the crime.
For my part, I have little intention of serving as guide myself unless absolutely required. I might prevail upon Ambrose to suggest someone, unless someone else comes readily to mind...
"Of course but... but we don't..." The man stops and thinks for a second. "Wait... formal petition? That doesn't sound..." He thinks again, this time looking at each of you, including Og and Dakkon.
He sighs wearily, like someone who's not paid enough to deal with people like you all, "Very well. I'll relay your message to the council. Who should I tell them to petition?"
Orloid watches the interplay with silent amusement, a trace of a smile at the corners of his mouth. Never much one for prevarication he finds Whisper's dance of words quite fascinating . . .
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 12, 2007, 08:33:32 PM
"Of course but... but we don't..." The man stops and thinks for a second. "Wait... formal petition? That doesn't sound..." He thinks again, this time looking at each of you, including Og and Dakkon.
He sighs wearily, like someone who's not paid enough to deal with people like you all, "Very well. I'll relay your message to the council. Who should I tell them to petition?"
"The Elven Court, of course," Whisper answers matter-of-factly.
He's not too worried about a formal delegation showing up at the Elven Court. Hopefully any Elven officials will be fast enough on the uptake to realize a perfect opportunity to establish Elven authority in the area, if the humans are that confused about who holds sway. At any rate, this particular party of soldiers will be long gone and give us a chance to do some investigation.
"Of course," he sighs. He turns, motions a "let's go" to his men, and starts to head out the door back into the rain without another word.
"Good luck," Ambrose says cheerily as he watches them leave from the doorway. Theyu appear to be talking amongst themselves as they move off into the woods.
"I believe I shall track them a little while, to be sure of them," Whisper announces. He looks at Orloid and Ambrose. "Do see what you can find out from our injured friend while I am away."
Whisper draws his Elven Cloak close about him and exits the cabin once the men are just out of sight. He softly gives Swift the command to stay. He then follows the soldiers at a distance. He is moving as softly as he can, doing his best to stay out of clear sight, and following what tracks they may leave. He wants to make sure of what direction they are travelling in and that they do not split up.
OOC: Time to give everyone else a chance to drive the plot for awhile :)
"quite a clever ruse.. and word play such that the good bard might wish to take a few lessons. but i mearly jest. this buys us time. i suggest we use it to our advantage. i still feel this map is our key to the mystery of the Flame, or at least a piece of the larger puzzle. i do not feel that it would be wise to not investigate into it."
Quote from: Lord Elcorion on August 14, 2007, 12:05:53 AMthis buys us time. i suggest we use it to our advantage. "
"We get food now? yum!" :thumbup:
Quote"i still feel this map is our key to the mystery of the Flame, or at least a piece of the larger puzzle. i do not feel that it would be wise to not investigate into it."
".....oh. That. Yeah, that, too.....I guess." :(
(Whisper's scouting will be handled via PM)
Ambrose nods after Whisper as he passes, and shuts the door behind him.
"Quite a clever ruse.. and word play such that the good bard might wish to take a few lessons. but i mearly jest. this buys us time. i suggest we use it to our advantage-"
The Ogre brightens up. "We get food now? yum!"
"-I still feel this map is our key to the mystery of the Flame, or at least a piece of the larger puzzle. i do not feel that it would be wise to not investigate into it."
".....oh. That. Yeah, that, too.....I guess." Og deflates noticibly.
"Think the lass may have a point," says Ambrose. "But first, I want to hear what our friend here has to say about the charges," he directs a hard look in the direction of the fireplace.
Starbuck
[spoiler]You can feel Daniel shudder as Ambrose looks right at him... well actually near him, but pretty close. The effect is still the same.[/spoiler]
(OOG: I don't know if GG's house rules are such that a spellcaster can choose to cancel one of his spell effects at will. E.g., dropping Invisibility. If this is a legitimate rule, then Starbuck drops both invisibility spells.)
"Indeed," agrees Starbuck. "Though I dare say that Daniel's willingness to volunteer his story of his theft with little prompting on our part is a point in his favor."
Both Starbuck and Daniel reappear.
Daniel looks clearly shaken, even moreso than usual.
"IswearIdidn'tkillanyonewhentheysawmeIranIdidn'ttouchanyoneIdon'tevenknowwhatthecousinlookslikeI'veneverkilledanyone [gasp] You believe me, don't you?"
I raise one eyebrow (the right) at Daniel's outburst. It's actually to be expected, guilty or not.
As he finished up his little tirade, I murmur a brief prayer . . .
GM:[spoiler] Detect Lies - one of the spells allowed through the Mind domain[/spoiler]
. . . then I give him a direct look, straight in the eye, and say, "Take a deep breath, Daniel, relax, and say that again so we all can understand you."
"And know that if you lie, I shall see how well YOU can breath under water....." the sea elf adds darkly, his long azure fingers dancing strangely on the hilt of his sword. "I care not to keep company with thieves, but much less with murderous ones."
At Orloid's command, Daniel swallows once, takes a deep breath. He's about to speak when Dakkon adds his warning.
Daniel turns to Dakkon and pleads "Look, I didn't kill ANYONE! I've NEVER killed anyone! When I was in there, the guard saw me and I ran. I didn't even look back. I... I don't even know what Niles' cousin looks like, and now I'm wanted for his murder? Oh gods..." He sags down into a heap, head in hand as he slouches by the fire.
Orloid
[spoiler]You feel no change in the aura around Daniel, it would seem he's telling the truth.[/spoiler]
Continuing - "But you stole only what you told us, the gold box full of papers and maps?"
"And you lost it in a river while being pursued?"
Quote"But you stole only what you told us, the gold box full of papers and maps?"
"Just the box, that was it... and this," he adds reluctantly.
He reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a small ornament, barely two inches tall. It looks like an amazingly cute fluffy kitten made out of ivory with huge soulful emerald eyes.
"Thought the eye might be worth a coin or two," he continues quickly, "but they're just glass. I don't think it's real ivory either. Just junk."
Quote"And you lost it in a river while being pursued?"
"The river was flowing a lot faster than I expected, it was either that or drown."
Orloid
[spoiler]There's a flicker in the aura as he says "that was it", but it subsides as he show you the kitten, and remains calm through the rest of the questions[/spoiler]
"Well," muses Starbuck, "let's see if we can't set our intrepid rogue to recreating some of what was lost, shall we?"
He produces parchment, a quill, and a stoppered bottle of ink from his pouches.
"You said that you had a good memory for symbols and the like, yes? Try to draw as much as you can remember from what you saw of the maps - whether pictures or foreign words. In the meantime, if I could take a closer look at that ornament..."
GM:
[spoiler]Starbuck will quietly cast Detect Magic, and see if the little kitty shows anything new.[/spoiler]
Sure," Daniel hands Starbuck the tiny cat and takes the paper and pen. He flattens it out on the floor and starts to draw.
Nathan looks over Starbuck's shoulder as the bard examines it. "How odd," he remarkes.
Starbuck
[spoiler]An aura of magic completely fails to radiate from the kitten as it stares up at your sweetly.[/spoiler]
Starbuck raises an eyebrow at Nathan's comment.
"Yes, Nathan? What do you make of this ornament?"
"It looks like something my little sister would like. I think its supposed to be cute, but those eyes... they're so big it's kinda... not cute." He leans sideways, still peering at it, grimacing a little.
Og looks over everybody's shoulders at the "ivory" cat.
"ooh. Can Og have? Kinda like pretty rock. Og keep it with other pretty rocks.", he says, as he rattles a *different* pouch than what he paid the bar tab with. It makes a clatter-y sound, and noticing that it came from the *other* side of the belt-line, everyone is pretty sure it'll never get taken by a cutpurse.
OOC:We kind of jumped past the "verifying his story" part . . .
After Daniel answered Orloid's questions, Orloid looks up to everyone else and shrugs, "Looks like this human noble thought that a simple theft would perhaps not be pursued as vigorously - he's telling the truth."
"Good to know", remarks Ambrose, "I'd hate to think I was harboring a murderer after all that."
He meaders over to Daniel and watches the young thief draw. Daniel doesn't appear to notice him, he's concentrating very hard on his work.
Starbuck and Nathan feel a large shape looming over them.
"ooh. Can Og have? Kinda like pretty rock. Og keep it with other pretty rocks."
"Uh..." says Nathan. He looks at Starbuck helplessly for an answer.
Starbuck has a flash of insight, and smiles patiently at Og.
"Well Og, the kitty isn't ours to give. Why don't you wait for Daniel to finish drawing his pictures, and then ask him? You can offer to squish stuff for him in exchange for the kitty."
Daniel snaps to attention at mention of his name. "What?"
"The big guy wants your cat," Ambrose explains.
Daniel looks up at Og. Since he's sitting on the floor, he looks waaaaaaay up at Og, and smiles weakly. "Sure, go ahead. It's all yours."
Starbuck dutifully hands the ornametnal kitty over to Og.
"That was a very nice thing that he did," says Starbuck. "You should make sure to keep the drawing man safe from bad guys in exchange."
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 16, 2007, 11:45:49 AMDaniel looks up at Og. Since he's sitting on the floor, he looks waaaaaaay up at Og, and smiles weakly. "Sure, go ahead. It's all yours."
"ooh, nice kitty. Like pretty rocks!" Og's happiness is unmistakable, as a grin plasters itself across his face. He cups the ornament gently in one hand, "petting" it softly with one finger.
Quote from: Viking on August 16, 2007, 12:14:17 PM"That was a very nice thing that he did," says Starbuck. "You should make sure to keep the drawing man safe from bad guys in exchange."
His attention distracted away from his prize, Og's face shifts from confusion to deep thought (or at least a close approximation). "hmmmm....pretty kitty...", his eyes drift back towards his hand, an idle finger pets the cat as he glances at it, "hurt man give to Og.....*could* be present.....but maybe Og protect hurt man for little while, in case not present." He turns to Starbuck. "Og not know what that X word you use, bird man. Og also not know what humans are bad mans and what are good. Maybe bird man tell Og, so Og not gets in trouble. Jail food not so good."
Starbuck adapts to the situation, keeping in mind another truism of bards everywhere.
Always know your audience.
"Er... right! Hurt man do nice thing for Og, so Og do nice thing for hurt man! It's what friends do!"
You hear a chuckle from Ambrose. He looks amused.
Time passes, all is peaceful, until you hear a quiet knock on the door.
Amrbose raises his hand as if to say "don't worry" and gets up. He opens the door, revealing Whisper, damp and spatterd with mud standing outside.
"Did you learn anything new, Whisper? Did you learn if they believe the bits about the murders, or are they just trying to turn up the heat?"
"They truly believe they pursue a murderer," Whisper replies. "Myself, I have doubts that our charge was involved or I would have turned him over to them. Their mistake was involving the Cleansing Flame in the search. I speak of the one who has orchestrated this, likely Lord Niles himself I imagine."
Whisper explains that the men are still searching the wood for Daniel and that he has obscured the tracks leading back here as best as he can. It is possible that they may wind up back here if their search is fruitless.
"Have we learned anything new?"
Orloid shrugs, "Daniel did not commit any murders during his theft, took what he stated plus a small statuette that Og has taken a fancy for, and is," glancing at Daniel working on the floor, "doing his best to recreate the maps. What we need to decide at this point is what is the best way to proceed. Check out the maps, conduct our own investigation of the Cleansing Flame, or . . . " Orloid shrugs again.
"And what are we to do with Daniel?" Whisper asks. "I believe they, or someone else, will return here eventually."
"We need to understand what is going on to have any hope of hewing down the root of this tangled vine of treachery. We need to understand why they pursue him. It is even possible that people were murdered to provide a rationale for seeking him."
Whisper turns to Starbuck. "You are a man of lore. What do you think of Daniel's maps? Could they be worth killing for?"
Whisper then eyes the statue. He mutters something and makes quick gestures with his hands.
GM:
[spoiler]Whisper casts Detect Magic. He examines the statue (and everything else in the room) while under the spell's effect.[/spoiler]
Og:
The patchy elf is making passes at your kitty. (Okay,they're magical passes, but I just wanted to say that :D )
At any rate, he really looks like he wants to look at your new toy.
Whisper
[spoiler]Just about everyone in the room has something magical on their person except for Nathan and Daniel (PM me if you want specifics). The tiny statuette of the cat however, is about as magical as something very non-magical, even though it seems to have cast some sort of spell over the Half-ogre[/spoiler]
Orloid, Daniel doesn't notice you as you look at his handywork. He seems to be concentrating very deeply on his drawing. It's pretty good actually. (see PM for more)
Starbuck takes the opportunity to look intently at the maps that Daniel is recreating, and to see what sense he can make of them.
As a second shape looms over Daniel, he looks up from what he was doing.
"I'm..um... I'm almost done." he says.
Starbuck nods and looks back to the group.
"The symbols don't yet have any meaning that I recognize, but the geography is pretty clear. The map seems to be of a mountainous area about... oh... two days' travel north from here. Dangerous wildlife and goblinoid types live up there, or so I've heard. Not exactly the kind of place one chooses to casually wander into. It's a fair distance from any town I know of, actually. Which certainly begs the question of why someone like Lord Niles would have a map of that region."
"I can confirm that the statuette is not magical in nature. That would seem to rule out that item as being the focus of Lord Niles' interest."
Whisper looks over Daniel's map himself.
(GM: Does Whisper know anything about that region? He is using his knowledge of geography and nature.)
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2007, 12:08:18 PM
Starbuck nods and looks back to the group.
"The symbols don't yet have any meaning that I recognize, but the geography is pretty clear. The map seems to be of a mountainous area about... oh... two days' travel north from here. Dangerous wildlife and goblinoid types live up there, or so I've heard. Not exactly the kind of place one chooses to casually wander into. It's a fair distance from any town I know of, actually. Which certainly begs the question of why someone like Lord Niles would have a map of that region."
"as i said before, there must be something concealed there, some secret. perhaps a valuable mine, or ruins bearing ancient tresures.. or perhaps it is something less physical.. some locus of power.. in my studies, i have read of mighty demons being imprisoned deep within the earth.. perhaps some such being lays here, and lord niles seeks to free it and garner it's debt."
"Hmmmmm . . . Mileaus the Great. Gentlefolk, I believe Daniel has stolen a map to the long-lost burial chamber of Mileaus the Great. Starbuck may know more details about him, but quickly speaking, he was able to conquer most of the known lands and unite them under his rule, only to have everything collapse upon his death. He was rumored to have several powerful artifacts that aided him and are believed to be entombed with him."
Quote"Hmmmmm . . . Mileaus the Great. Gentlefolk, I believe Daniel has stolen a map to the long-lost burial chamber of Mileaus the Great."
"I did?" Daniel says, looking surprised. He looks down at the map he's drawing.
QuoteStarbuck may know more details about him, but quickly speaking, he was able to conquer most of the known lands and unite them under his rule, only to have everything collapse upon his death. He was rumored to have several powerful artifacts that aided him and are believed to be entombed with him."
"Are you sure about that?" asks Ambrose. "The kid is drawing from memory. Sure you didn't get something wrong there?"
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 19, 2007, 06:09:07 PM
Quote"Hmmmmm . . . Mileaus the Great. Gentlefolk, I believe Daniel has stolen a map to the long-lost burial chamber of Mileaus the Great."
"I did?" Daniel says, looking surprised. He looks down at the map he's drawing.
QuoteStarbuck may know more details about him, but quickly speaking, he was able to conquer most of the known lands and unite them under his rule, only to have everything collapse upon his death. He was rumored to have several powerful artifacts that aided him and are believed to be entombed with him."
"Are you sure about that?" asks Ambrose. "The kid is drawing from memory. Sure you didn't get something wrong there?"
"Well, mind you my Old Orcish is extremely rusty, but that phrase right there reads "Mileaus the Great." And I understand he's working from memory, but if he were writing gibberish the chances that he would come up with anything recognizable, much less something as specific as Mileaus the Great, is extremely low. By the same token the map is also recognizable. We can certainly argue about whether the map was genuine, but I'm pretty confident that what Daniel is showing us is a reasonably accurate reconstruction of the papers."
Whisper is studying the map even more intently (using his skills of Knowledge:Geography and Knowledge:Nature) to identify whether the map seems to be an actual region that he recognizes and, if so, what he knows about it.
"I can certainly see why many folk might be interested in recovering artifacts which could conquer an empire. The question is, what are we to do about it? Starbuck, or Ambrose, can you tell us anything about the artifacts that Mileaus supposedly possessed?"
Starbuck is visibly impressed with Orloid's learning and familiarity with Old Orcish.
"At some point, you simply must tell me how you came to learn of these things, good priest! Well done!" he exclaims.
He gets a thoughtful expression as he prepares to wax eloquent on Mileaus the Great...
"Ah Mileaus... there's a name of legend.
Mileaus the Great, Mileaus the Mighty, Mileaus of the Iron Hand... All these describe a ruler that once was. A general of a mighty army, he wrested control of a kingdom from its previous ruler - some say the previous ruler was a just man ripped unfairly from his throne, while others say he was a tyrant and deserved to be usurped, all depends on whose history you follow - and then set forth to conquer the surrounding lands until his banner waved over much of the continent. It was said that he wore golden armor which no spear could pierce that allowed him to fight like a demon, a helm that made him swift of both feet and mind, and hefted a rod that allowed him to command thousands.
Mileaus was neither a particularly righteous nor evil man, and his rule, while absolute, was not marked by crusade or wanton slaughter. If he had had a son that lived, perhaps there would have been a great dynasty. Such was not to be, however. Instead, when time finally took its toll, he was left without an heir. There are those who say he did not name a sucessor on purpose, but for reasons all his own. The circumstances of his death are quite a mystery, as there are many conflicting versions... that he was poisioned by a 'trusted advisor,' or he was mortally wounded in a hunting accident, or that he simply grew tired of living. But after his death, it was said he was laid to rest in a tomb of his own designs hidden away from the rest of the world, and that he had several of his most important posessions burried with him: his armor, his helm, and his rod of office.
This legend has fallen out of fashion over time, as some legends do, but the Treasures of Mileaus are objects of great fascination for those who have a historical interest. Most people think they don't exist, if they know of them at all. The grave, as far as anyone knows, has never been discovered."
Starbuck takes a moment to clear his throat.
"Until now, it would seem. Why a map leading to the Tomb of Mileaus the Great would be written in Old Orcish is a mystery in and of itself. I can clearly see why a man like Lord Niles would want to retrieve the treasures within - he's very much involved in the governance of Oakenhold, so it doesn't surprise me that he might aspire to grander dreams."
His expression grows serious as he continues.
"This map also raises a very real question of what we should do next. I'll confess that I would dearly love to go questing in search of this tomb. The final resting place of a legendary ruler? The chance to prove that his powerful tools of office actually existed? Bards such as I live for such adventure!"
GM:
[spoiler]With my knowledge of the Orcish language, plus my Decipher Script ability, am I able to make any further sense of other scrawls on Daniel's map?[/spoiler]
And, as Daniel finishes his rendering of the map, Starbuck furrows his brow in concentration as he tries to make sense of Daniel's attempted recreation of Old Orcish...
"Let's see... I believe this refers to... Hm... some number of furlongs in 'sun direction' - could that be East or West, I wonder - of the Gap With Blood... Then there's reference to a seal. I imagine that part means 'Travel several furlongs along the Gap With Blood to find the seal.'"
"Next... well, that looks like 'Personal mark of the human Greatlord, Mileaus the Great.'"
"Then... hrm. Hard to make sense of that part. Something about guards protecting that area. I don't know if that refers to stationing orcish guards, or if the tomb has magical guards of its own."
"Finally... mmm-hmm... I'd translate that loosely to 'Grumak demands magic to break the seal.'"
"I recognize the region," Whisper informs the group, mainly talking to Orloid and Starbuck. "Goblinkind hold sway there in contest with each other. It is a wasteland of few resources and the wildlife there tends to be dangerous. It would indeed be a trial to travel there, especially for a group with elves among its' members."
Whisper looks pensive. "I find I have little desire to go there. It really would be no business of mine, except... this Lord Niles apparently trafficks with goblinkind through the Cleansing Flame. If he were to gain control of items that would allow him to present himself as the successor to Mileaus' empire, it could threaten my home forest. I cannot allow this."
"I think we can assume that the knowledge of the map does not reside solely in Daniel's head and that even now there may be an expedition underway. If he were the only person alive who in possession of the map's secrets, they would be taking great pains to capture him alive and their methods suggest they are indifferent."
"So what are we to do? Seek Mileaus' resting place?"
"that would seem the wisest course of action. if there is an expedition, then not pursueing it could allow our enemies to gain the prizes they seek, and if they have not set one out yet, getting there first might allow us to secure the artifacts, or destroy them. as for the goblinoids, some are known to worship demons. perhaps if confronted by a.. 'demonic emmisary,' --annia gestures to herself, her hand trailing eldritch energy as she does-- they may be.. persuaded.. to lend assistance, or at least to avoid hindering our path.."
"We go to goblins 'n orcs? Og not 'fraid of them. They just go squish and run 'way. They sometimes give Og food if he go away. Easy way get food if Og not have monies." :D
Og goes back to "inspecting" the kitty, giving it tiny pets, and staring into the deep, mesmerizing green eyes. :lol:
Starbuck's face shows his plain delight at the growing consensus to seek out the Tomb of Mileaus the Great. However, it is tempered by a momentary bout of seriousness.
"Far be it for a bard to speak words of wisdom, but this course of action will pose a connundrum... a riddle, if you will. Namely, if the treasures of Mileaus are real, and we do find them... What are we to do with them?"
"Legends throughout history show a common thread - when magical items of transcendent power are carried about, they become a target for all number of unsavory types. We may not need to answer this riddle immediately, but we should be mindful of it as we continue this quest."
Whisper replies to Starbuck with the hint of a smile on his face. "Why, there is nothing simpler; Merely hide them again. No one need know they have ever been found at all. If their original resting place ever be found, it will be assumed that tomb robbers claimed them long ago or that they were never there at all."
"Frankly, I do not expect to actually find them. They probably were stolen away. Yet we cannot take the chance that evil men might recover them."
"Well enough; I am committed to the quest. So too, I assume, are Orloid and Starbuck. Who else is with us?"
"There is one danger yet that awaits us before we even depart. To journey to this region as a party, we require provisions and beasts of burden. We shall have to venture into a town or city to get them. Oakenhold, most likely. I am but a poor ranger of meager means. How then shall we provide for the necessities?"
"'Frain you're on your own there," says Ambrose.
Nathan tenatively raises his hand.
"I might be able to help. I have a cousin in Oakenhold. He sells mules but he might know people and.. well, he might be able to help us with supplies."
"Well then," replies Starbuck, "it would seem that we should get a good night of rest tonight, and then continue onwards to Oakenhold in the morning. Though Daniel still needs resolution to his own problems. Regardless of any trumped-up charges, he will still be wanted for theft, so I can't imagine he'll be wanting to show his face around local authorities even if he were suddenly cleared of all murder charges. And I suspect that when Lord Niles discovers that the legitimate authorities failed to locate Daniel, he'll mobilize forces amongst the Cleansing Flame to scour the forest for him."
Starbuck looks at Daniel speculatively. "So, Daniel... since it seems that we are to begin questing after items that Lord Niles desperately seeks, it stands to reason that we are arraying ourselves against Lord Niles' interests. How would you view the possibility of traveling with us? I have my own skills that can be used to disguise or hide you as necessary, and I suspect that the skills of a... roguish sort would be quite useful. Plus, you'd be in the company of adventurers strong enough to protect you from thuggish search patrols."
Starbuck shrugs apologetically at his companions.
"Not that I mean to presume to speak for the rest of you. Such an arrangement would depend on mutual consent, naturally."
"Naturally," Orloid smiles. "I for one am doing nothing of import. I'd be willing to take on this quest. As for Daniel, I imagine his skills qould be very usefull. In any case, coming along with us is unlikely to be more dangerous than hanging around here. Having been traveling for the last several weeks already I will need little in the way of additional supplies beyond more travel food. Oh, and chirgical supplies."
"I don't like it," Whisper asserts. "Daniel is as much or more a liability than any help. He remains wanted and a target. We will be guilty by association. And, thief though you may be," Whisper adds, looking directly at Daniel, "you are a thief who was caught. Are your skills up to the task? And even if they are... how can we trust a thief to protect priceless artifacts if we find any such? Can we trust you not to betray our cause for your own skin or gain?"
"On one thing I will agree; he cannot stay here and he is not safe in Oakenhold."
Whisper looks at Daniel. "About the only thing I can offer you is this: if you do not travel with us, it may be that I can arrange sanctuary with my people. You would, in effect, be a prisoner. But you would be a well-treated and safe prisoner with the freedom to leave the prison and assume the risk if you chose to do so."
Quote from: Starbuck"Well then, it would seem that we should get a good night of rest tonight, and then continue onwards to Oakenhold in the morning. Though Daniel still needs resolution to his own problems. Regardless of any trumped-up charges, he will still be wanted for theft, so I can't imagine he'll be wanting to show his face around local authorities even if he were suddenly cleared of all murder charges."
"No kidding," mutters Daniel.
Quote from: Starbuck"And I suspect that when Lord Niles discovers that the legitimate authorities failed to locate Daniel, he'll mobilize forces amongst the Cleansing Flame to scour the forest for him."
The young thief slouches a little more against the hearth, looking pretty dejected.
Quote from: Starbuck"So, Daniel... since it seems that we are to begin questing after items that Lord Niles desperately seeks, it stands to reason that we are arraying ourselves against Lord Niles' interests. How would you view the possibility of traveling with us?"
Daniel perks up noticeably. "With you guys? Are you sure?"
Quote from: StarbuckI have my own skills that can be used to disguise or hide you as necessary, and I suspect that the skills of a... roguish sort would be quite useful. Plus, you'd be in the company of adventurers strong enough to protect you from thuggish search patrols."
"Yeah, I saw. That was a neat trick, that vanishing and all."
Quote from: Starbuck"Not that I mean to presume to speak for the rest of you. Such an arrangement would depend on mutual consent, naturally."
Quote from: Orloid"Naturally, I for one am doing nothing of import. I'd be willing to take on this quest. As for Daniel, I imagine his skills could be very usefull.
Daniel beams at this.
Quote from: Orloid"In any case, coming along with us is unlikely to be more dangerous than hanging around here. Having been traveling for the last several weeks already I will need little in the way of additional supplies beyond more travel food. Oh, and chirgical supplies."
Quote from: Whisper"I don't like it. Daniel is as much or more a liability than any help.
"HEY!"
Quote"He remains wanted and a target. We will be guilty by association. And, thief though you may be, you are a thief who was caught. Are your skills up to the task? And even if they are... how can we trust a thief to protect priceless artifacts if we find any such? Can we trust you not to betray our cause for your own skin or gain?
"On one thing I will agree; he cannot stay here and he is not safe in Oakenhold."
About the only thing I can offer you is this: if you do not travel with us, it may be that I can arrange sanctuary with my people. You would, in effect, be a prisoner. But you would be a well-treated and safe prisoner with the freedom to leave the prison and assume the risk if you chose to do so."
Daniel stands up and meets Whisper's gaze.
"Look, I am not dead weight. You guys saved my life, and I owe you. What happened back at Oakenhold, yeah, I screwed up because I got sloppy, but that's not going to happen again, I'm sure of that. Now, you're going looking for this thing because of something I found, something I remembered," he taps the map for emphasis, "and now I want to see this through. I swear to you I won't sell you out or try to sell this whatever it is we're looking for out from under you because like I said, I owe you guys big and I can't pay you back by sitting on my butt twiddling my thumbs with a bunch of elven babysitters... er, no offense," he adds, a little of his bravado draining away.
Standing up, Og moves towards the group of conversation.
"Og have soluti.....solu.....", his brows furrow, eyes looking skyward, as if help will descend from the heavens, "...Og think him know what do. Og need go with hurt man, keep him safe for little while. Him give Og little kitty." His eyes start to stray towards his hand again, but it's evident that he's forcing himself to stay on topic.
"Og not good at tricksy thinkin', but Og think safe bet you little peoples maybe need Og help, if more pig-noses, bugsy-bares, and other things where you go. That mean hurt man need go with you." Og's brows furrow again, the strain of concentrating plain to see.
"Og not like when stealsy peoples take things from Og, or from people stealsers s'posed to help. If hurt man take something him not supposed to, when Og around, Og make sure him not hurt ever again......once Og done with him!" :angry: Og punctuates his last sentence by leaning over him a bit, and fixing him with a stare that would make even a gnome jester wet himself.
GM:[spoiler]How long has it been since I cast the truth spell - would it be possible to determine if Daniel is being honest about playing straight with us?[/spoiler]
Even Orloid can't help but grin at this. "Og's guarantee notwithstanding, there's no reason that Daniel should come out of this empty handed. If he joins us he would be entitled to his fair portion of any profits the party may earn from the venture. Double-crossing us would only increase his already significant jeopardy. And I for one am inclined to blieve his assurances.
"I think we do need to have some serious discussions about how to handle the artifacts, but that can wait until we are underway."
Dakkon had been sitting quietly in a corner of the rough hewn cabin, watching the developing events intently, his cobalt eyes aflame at the mention of the artifacts. After all of the others had weighed in, the sea-elf stood up, strolling slowly into the firelight.
"I care not over-much for the affairs of this world," he began, his steely gaze taking stock of each of his companions, "but although I was once content to let events of weight pass me by, that life is gone." His eyes cloud over for a moment, like a storm on the horizon. "I will not allow a man such as this...Niles...to possess such power as may await in the mountains. However, I do not march into danger and death lightly, there is a price." Once again, his eyes swept the room, and his brow furrowed with the effort of speaking the guttural tones of the overworld. "Some item buried in the earth there may be the key to finding my way back to the Coral City. If this is so, nothing shall stand between me and the power to repay my exile." As he finished, his hand dropped once again in its accustomed gesture, gripping the hilt of his sword.
Quote from: BentonGrey on August 21, 2007, 06:44:07 PM
"Some item buried in the earth there may be the key to finding my way back to the Coral City. If this is so, nothing shall stand between me and the power to repay my exile."
"Well,, you are certainly permitted to spend your share however you may wish." The words may sound a little snarky, but a quick glance at Orloid reveals a broad grin and it's obvious he's teasing.
Orloid
[spoiler] It wore off a while ago unforunately. However with your "sense motive" skill, you think he's being honest[/spoiler]
Quote from: Og"Og not like when stealsy peoples take things from Og, or from people stealsers s'posed to help. If hurt man take something him not supposed to, when Og around, Og make sure him not hurt ever again......once Og done with him!"
"Don't worry, me no stealsers from Og," says Daniel quickly, "We like Og. Og can keep Og's stuff, no problem!"
Quote from: Orloid"Og's guarantee notwithstanding, there's no reason that Daniel should come out of this empty handed. If he joins us he would be entitled to his fair portion of any profits the party may earn from the venture. Double-crossing us would only increase his already significant jeopardy. And I for one am inclined to believe his assurances.
Daniel nods in afirmative.
And then, in truely dramatic (one could even say "cinematic" if there were such a word in this world) fashion, backlit by the flickering firelight, the sea elf speaks.
Quote from: Dakkon"I care not over-much for the affairs of this world, but although I was once content to let events of weight pass me by, that life is gone...
I will not allow a man such as this...Niles...to possess such power as may await in the mountains. However, I do not march into danger and death lightly, there is a price...
Some item buried in the earth there may be the key to finding my way back to the Coral City. If this is so, nothing shall stand between me and the power to repay my exile."
There is a pause as the words settle in.
Quote from: Orloid"Well,, you are certainly permitted to spend your share however you may wish."
"Aye," Ambrose smiles "He certainly has his priorities in order".
"Ah...one quick question," says Daniel. "Since we've been talking about stuff and all... does anyone know what happened to my clothes?"
(It seems Daniel is still dresed in only his pants and boots, as he was when you first found him at the inn. Up until now, he's been either unconscious or too distracted to deal with that little problem.)
"Regrettably, your clothes were probably left at the inn where we found you," answers Starbuck. "Perhaps our gracious host could be troubled to provide a spare vestment or two?"
"Oh," says Daniel at the news. "All of it, huh." He sounds kind of dejected.
Ambrose raises an eyebrow at Starbucks suggestion. He seems to be mulling this over.
Whisper removes his cloak and hands it to Daniel.
"You may wear this until we can find you some clothing. It is an elven cloak and will help you to hide. That is the best protection I can offer you for now."
He reaches into his backpack and pulls out a shirt. It has the same patched look as the one he is wearing. "Here is a spare shirt. You can return it later."
"My, such a generous, if hasty, group." replies Orloid. As he does so he reaches into his satchel and withdraws a pile of loosely bundled clothes. "We weren't in such a hurry when we left that I didn't have time to grab the man's clothes." Orloid passes them to Daniel. Then with a rather odd expression he dips his hand back into the satchel and withdraws a small amulet.
"I also happened across this. From what I know of it I thought it best if the Flamer at the public house didn't see it." I hold it up, and generally in Daniel's direction, but not quite enough to be handing it to him and give him a rather appraising look.
Quote from: Whisper"You may wear this until we can find you some clothing. It is an elven cloak and will help you to hide. That is the best protection I can offer you for now."
Daniel takes the cloak. He looks susrpised by Whisper's generosity, especially after what he (Daniel) said to him a few moments ago. "Thank you," he says even as he's handed the shirt.
Quote from: Orloid"My, such a generous, if hasty, group...We weren't in such a hurry when we left that I didn't have time to grab the man's clothes."
Daniel set Whisper's tunic down and quickly takes the still-damp clothes muttering a quick yest grateful thanks. He starts going through the pile as if looking for something.
Quote from: Orloid"I also happened across this. From what I know of it I thought it best if the Flamer at the public house didn't see it."
Daniel looks up and immediately zero's in on the necklace. He starts to reach over to take it, and hesistates. He looks at Orloid as if to say "Can I?"
annia glances towards the amulet with a curious look, her state of being this entire time has been one of readiness. she is accustomed to needing to move quickly, and this is no exception.
Annia (and pretty much everyone else)
The amulet Orloid is holding is made up of a small chain with a small circular medallion with a bird (hawk, maybe an eagle) with wings outstretched. It doesn't look very valuable, in fact it looks pretty cheaply made. It seems to mean something to Daniel though.
"Please," he quietly says to Orloid. "It was my father's. I was starting to think I'd lost it too."
Quote from: Glitch Girl on August 22, 2007, 08:30:30 PM
Annia (and pretty much everyone else)
The amulet Orloid is holding is made up of a small chain with a small circular medallion with a bird (hawk, maybe an eagle) with wings outstretched. It doesn't look very valuable, in fact it looks pretty cheaply made. It seems to mean something to Daniel though.
"Please," he quietly says to Orloid. "It was my father's. I was starting to think I'd lost it too."
"Does it have anysignificance beyond its personal value to you?" I ask as I hand it over.
Daniel takes the necklace from Orloid and immediately puts it on.
"No," he answers, "I mean, I don't think so. It's just something my father used to wear, that's all."
"Good," Ambrose smiles. "Since that's settled, why don't you all get comfortable. Only got he one bed, but I don't think I'll be using it tonight. You all look like you could use some rest," he looks over at Nathan who now that you look at him, looks pretty exausted. "Me, I'll be making sure no one else comes dropping by."
"Oh and Whisper," he adds in a low voice, almost conspriatorially but with a smile:
[spoiler] "Don't let the ogre get the bed. I want something besides kindling when I get back."[/spoiler]
Ambrose picks up his weapon and goes to the door. Outside the rain is barely a drizzle now, but the heavy clouds make the dark of early evening much darker.
"I would suggest that Daniel use the bed. He still needs rest to fully recover from his injuries."
Whisper immediately retreats into a dim corner, curls up as he lays his head on his pack, and goes to sleep. He trusts Ambrose to keep things secure and he knows that Swift will awaken at any disturbance. Elven Rangers are notoriously light sleepers anyway, and known for their ability to sleep almost anywhere.
If Whisper gets sufficient rest, he will memorize new spells (TBD) first thing in the morning.
Starbuck calls dibs on another corner, and follows Whisper's example.
(OOC: I don't have to memorize new spells in the morning! Go bards!)
Orloid spends about fifteen minutes in quiet prayer before also turning in.
(OOC: I don'thave to memorize new spells in the morning either! Go clerics!)
To GM: Getting ahead of myself a bit...
[spoiler]These are the spells Whisper will prepare for the day if he gets sufficient time and rest:
Wizard Level 0: Message, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand
Wizard Level 1: Shield, Magic Missile, True Strike, Magic Weapon
Wizard Level 2: Web, Sleep (w/Silent Spell feat)
Ranger Level 1: Pass Without Trace[/spoiler]
OOG: Okay enough with the "I don't have to memorize spells nyah-nyah" ;)
Whisper: noted.
So, is anyone doing anything special this night? Is anyone else jockeying for the bed? Is anyone not going to sleep? Speak now or forever hold your peace.
Without another word Dakkon swept up his meager belongings and headed towards the wooden door. As he reached the portal, he turned back towards his companions, the action an obvious afterthought. "I'll sleep outside tonight, the rain is much more to my liking than the dry heat of this place."
--giving a nod to dakkon, annia will find a spot with a solid wall to her back, and a clear view of as many openings into the house as possible, i.e. doors, windows, etc., before closeing her eyes and drifting into a light slumber.--
Og looks around the cabin. "ummmm....." Just before Whisper drifts off, Og walks over to his corner, leans over him, and in his best whisper, "ummm....elfy man? There some shelter outside near cabin? Og sleep kinda loud, might wake little peoples. But Og not want get rain on."
Quote from: Panther_Gunn on August 23, 2007, 09:35:39 PM
Og looks around the cabin. "ummmm....." Just before Whisper drifts off, Og walks over to his corner, leans over him, and in his best whisper, "ummm....elfy man? There some shelter outside near cabin? Og sleep kinda loud, might wake little peoples. But Og not want get rain on."
Whisper sits up and whispers back.
"I believe we will have to make the best of it, Friend Og. Ordinarily I would suggest building a lean-to in the forest... but cutting wood anywhere near a druid's home is not a good idea. If Ambrose returns soon you might ask him about shelter. But if we are to be travelling as a party we will have to get used to each other sooner or later. It may as well start tonight. Good night, Og."
If Og has nothing more to say, Whisper will lay down again and try to get as much sleep as he can.
Ambrose turns as Dakkon joins him outside.
"Didn't expect to have company," he remarks.
(the rest of this conversation can be done via PM unless someone else joins them outside)
The door closes behind them leaving you all inside.
A few hours later that night, there's a horriffic noise.
SNZZXZXZZZZZXXX ......... HHHXXXHHHHXHXXZZXZZZ ........ SNXXXZZSZZZZZXXXXX ......... HHHXXXHHHHXHXXZZXZZZ ........
While the noise is how you might imagine a Tarrasque with a bad head cold to sound, the source seems to be something a lot less legendary.
Apparently Og sleeps on his back. And has mighty lungs.
Time for Whisper to go sleep outside if it's not raining too hard... It is not as if he hasn't done it before. He'll retrieve his cloak from wherever Daniel may have laid it and wrap up in that. He'll find a spot under a thick bush or tree. He'll take Swift out with him.
--groans a bit, turning over and trying to ignore the ruckus--
Well, at least that was a few hours of sleep. . .
Taking my life firmly in both hands I get up, cross over to Og and poke him gently (hard enough to break a window) and say softly (taking over a full bar crowd voice), "Hey Og, roll over. C'mon, over."
You all hear quiet cursing coming from the bed. Danile has got Ambrose's thin pillow wrapped around his head, trying to block out the noise.
Nathan, oddly enough, is still sound asleep. You'd almost think he was dead except you can see him breathing.
Quote from: Uncle Yuan on August 25, 2007, 04:17:46 AMTaking my life firmly in both hands I get up, cross over to Og and poke him gently (hard enough to break a window) and say softly (taking over a full bar crowd voice), "Hey Og, roll over. C'mon, over."
SNZZXZXZZZZZXXX ......... HHHXXXHHHHXHXXZZXZZZ ........ SNXXXZZSGXXKKK! The large, recumbent form stirs, reluctantly, as his arms flail out, weakly (for an ogre), towards the source of the disturbance. Og rolls over onto his side, facing Orloid, muttering something most likely in ogrish, and curls up in a fetal position, intent on staying asleep.
Resuming breathing, Orloid heads back to his bedroll and lies down. It'll be a few minutes before the post-adrenaline jitters wear off, so he'll just rest quietly until he can fall back asleep.
You hear a sort of sigh of relief come from the bed as silence returns to the cabin. You are still minus one elven ranger and his bird companion though. Otherwise all is quiet.
Nathan continues to doze peacefully.
Starbuck makes a mental note to check with Nathan as to his secret the following morning, and drifts off to sleep.
Outside the cabin:
As I mentioned in PM, Whisper spots Dakkon outside under a large oak. He appears to be more or less awake as well. Whisper asks him is Og's snoring woke him.
The snoring suddenly stops. It's seems oddly quiet. There's no sign of Ambrose, but then again he's probably still out wandering.
Dakkon nods to Whisper, but seems as pleased as a baron in a palace in his damp rug of moss. He drifts easily off to sleep, though he faces troubled dreams.
Oh well. Whisper is up and not likely to find a decent place to bed down, might as well take watch. Whisper climbs a handy tree and settles in to await morning light.
Whisper
[spoiler]You settle in. It's overcast, but the air has that nice post-rain feeling to it so it's not too unplesant.
As you're watching, you see a large grey wolf trot post. It looks up at you, give a brief nod, almost in greeting, and continues on it's way.[/spoiler]
I am comfortably assured that Ambrose has things well in hand. I use my rope to secure myself to the trunk of the tree just above a thick branch and perch there, leaning against the trunk, dozing lightly from time to time. I stay there until dawn or until something wakes me.
BTW... The knot I use is a quick-release knot. One jerk and I will be free. It's just enough to keep me from falling out of the tree if I should start to doze off too soundly.
Unless anyone is doing anything special, the rest of the night passes uneventfully.
Whisper, you and Dakkon are awakened by the first rays of sunlight coming through the trees. The sky is clear and the day looks much more promising than it did the night before.
The rest of you, there's a loud short rapping on the door, followed by Ambrose's voice saying "Morning's here, wake up!"
(You may prepare and plan for your upcoming journey amongst yourselves. I'm going to be more or less pausing it here until after I get back from the convention, but you have about one more day to ask me stuff so make the most of it. :) )
Whisper climbs down out of the tree.
"Come join me, Dakkon," Whisper beckons. "We should discuss what we need for our journey with the others." And with that, Whisper re-enters the cabin. He leaves Swift outside to hunt for its' breakfast.
Inside Orloid is already up and his bedroll packed away. As the other two come in they'll note that the fire has been stoked and a kettle placed to boil. Orloid sits in prayer as he waits for it.
annia rouses from her sleep, though she mearly sits up and observes the rest of the group. she spoken her mind on the matter, and waits to see what plans the party intends to come up with and how they intend to follow through.
"Good morn," Whisper greets those inside the cabin. "I suggest we discuss our provisioning for the journey ahead of us. We will need food and supplies, and likely some beast of burden to help carry them. Aside from food, what should we bring? And, just as important, how will we pay for what we need? All I have is at your service, but I fear it isn't much. I have little need for money in my traditional duties. I usually live off the land. I will try to hunt for us as we travel, but may not be able to provide well for a group of this size. At any rate we'll travel faster if we don't need to spend much time looking for food along the way."
"For myself I will need as many arrows as I can carry. Good arrows take time to make, time I won't have on a quest."
my needs are few, and i carry most of what i need with me. food and water are my only concerns.. perhaps returning to the inn we came from would do to fulfill our basic needs.. weapons and the like might be more difficult.. i will go, since if our adversary from last night has returned, he will be looking for those that stood out the most, not an anonymous traveler who keeps to themselves. you four --looking to the sea elf, the ranger, the ogre, and the bard-- should probably remain here, along with our erstwhile thief, as the Flame will be looking for you in particular.. one or both of the clerics could come with me, as they were not noticed so much. ((sorry, i'm bushed and i can't quite remember who all is who at the moment.))
Except I'm afraid that Nathan and I were noticed. One could hope that we would appear to be doing nothing more than removing an injured man from an impending bar fight, but I would not care to wager on it.
So far we've determined that we all have what we need to travel but for food and arrows. What else might we need? Rope, I should think . . .
Orloid reached back into his pack and pulls out another scrap of paper and a charcoal pencil and begins making a list.
"As to my noticeability," Whisper says, "that is easily remedied. They will be looking for an elf in patchwork clothing. All I need do is change my outfit and they will be looking for the wrong elf." Whisper's lips briefly twitch into a small grin.
"Still, I far prefer the wilderness to human cities. I will stay and guard our young thief from those who seek to do him ill. I am not sure that remaining here is wise, though. Our host is able to care for himself, but if the soldiers should choose to return in force it would be better to make our camp elsewhere."
"Much appreciated," nods Ambrose. "Wish I could help you with supplies, but..." he shrugs and gestures around the meager belongings in his cabin. "Oakenhold is the closest place that might have what you need, though that won't be so good for your new friend here... You might try Stuarton. It's about 8, maybe 10 leagues from here, but it's in the direction you're headed. You might make it by nightfall if you start early."
Nathan pauses from gathering his things to look at Orloid's list. He seems wide awake and well rested, unlike most of you, especially Daniel. He looks dead on his feet.
Starbuck lets out a soft yawn as he ponders the situation.
"I imagine that we'll each need at least a week's worth of provisions - plus another week if we want to plan for emergencies. Plus a mount for each of us. Our friendly rogue will likely need the more complete outfitting - he seems to have naught in the way of armor, weaponry, or tools to... ply his trade."
Dakkon wandered into the cabin to find the planning of their journey just beginning, and being much less familiar with the surface world than the others, he was content to let them handle the bulk of the planning.
"I had not thought of Stuarton," Whisper admits. "The trouble is, Daniel at least will still need some sort of mount. A forced march will do him no good. Where besides Oakenhold can we obtain a horse, or a mule?"
Whisper eyes the half-ogre. "Unless... Og? Care to earn another gold piece? Could you carry Daniel to Stuarton, either on the travois or on your shoulders?"
"Stuarton... not exactly a model of upstanding citizenry," muses Starbuck. "Not that I've ever been there, but word gets around. Black market goods, hush-hush slave trade, that sort of thing. Still, it's probably the best place for Daniel to obtain equipment without anyone raising questions."
"Nevertheless, it shouldn't be that hard to obtain an extra mount for Daniel from Oakenhold. One or more of us could wait outside the town with Daniel while the others procure supplies. If there are any questions about purchasing more mounts than people, it's as simple as explaining that we want additional mounts so that we can change horses if they get tired."
Quote from: WhisperWhisper eyes the half-ogre. "Unless... Og? Care to earn another gold piece? Could you carry Daniel to Stuarton, either on the travois or on your shoulders?"
"Wait, what?!" yelps Daniel. He stands up quickly, wincing slightly as his hand involuntarily clutches at his bruised side. "No I'm fine, really! I'm (ow) good!"
Quote from: Starbuck"Stuarton... not exactly a model of upstanding citizenry. Not that I've ever been there, but word gets around. Black market goods, hush-hush slave trade, that sort of thing. Still, it's probably the best place for Daniel to obtain equipment without anyone raising questions."
"Nevertheless, it shouldn't be that hard to obtain an extra mount for Daniel from Oakenhold. One or more of us could wait outside the town with Daniel while the others procure supplies. If there are any questions about purchasing more mounts than people, it's as simple as explaining that we want additional mounts so that we can change horses if they get tired."
"I've got no problem with waiting," says Daniel quickly. "Whatever you guys want to do."
(GM: What's the going rate for horses/mules?)
OOG: Depends on what you want.
Your standard donkey will be between 5 & 10 GP depending on quality and seller. A pony will run 25-40gp, while a light horse will run about 70-90gp. If you want a saddle, that's extra, as are packs, barding, etc.
"Very well, it appears we have the beginnings of a quest and a plan," Whisper nods approvingly. "I have not the gold to purchase any mount but a donkey with little or nothing left over. Donkeys are not known for their speed, so I think we should plan on spending at least one night camped out along the way."
i still believe that i am a better choice to go into a town held by our adversaries. i have a.. way with words that can allow me to stay out of trouble more easily, and perhaps get some of our nessecities at a lower price.
GM:[spoiler]How much gold do I have?[/spoiler]
"Perhaps we should let Starbuck and [LE's character - what's her name again?] handle the purchasing in Oakenhold? It would be simpler and likely cheaper than Stuarton. Perhaps I could go along as an extra set of eyes and arms. The rest could meet us on the far side of Oakenhold.
"We also need to determine who will go. So far I, Whisper, Dakkon, Starbuck, [LE] and Daniel have clearly 'signed up.' Who else? Og? Nathan?"
[Turning back the clock just a bit, for everyone's amusement ^_^]
Quote from: BlueBard on August 30, 2007, 08:54:57 PM
"Good morn," Whisper greets those inside the cabin. "I suggest we discuss our provisioning for the journey ahead of us. We will need food and supplies, and likely some beast of burden to help carry them.
Og, still curled up on the floor, shifts a bit as Whisper comes in. As he talks, one might notice a sour look come upon Og's features. Without opening his eyes, Og mutters "
little peoples noisy. Og try sleep."
Quote from: BlueBardAside from food, what should we bring? And, just as important, how will we pay for what we need? All I have is at your service, but I fear it isn't much. I have little need for money in my traditional duties. I usually live off the land. I will try to hunt for us as we travel, but may not be able to provide well for a group of this size. At any rate we'll travel faster if we don't need to spend much time looking for food along the way."
Og stirs a little more at the "f" word, and finally sits up about halfway through Whisper's discussion on the topic. He begins sniffing around, a look of preoccupation clearly on his face. He sniffs at the fire, and at the kettle placed over it. Obviously disappointed, he moves on, opening various jars, sacks, and other containers.
Quote from: Viking on September 06, 2007, 08:14:21 AM"I imagine that we'll each need at least a week's worth of provisions - plus another week if we want to plan for emergencies.
"Og need lots food. Food good.", the large figure mutters as he continues his search through the cabin. Not finding anything to his liking, he eventually gives up, and heads back to the center of the room, and his pack. Looking inside, he lets out a heavy sigh, and searches the cabin for something resembling a cooking pot. Placing it over the fire, he pours the water from the kettle into it (which was obviously set there for him), and starts dropping things into the pot from the lower portions of his pack: an apple core, slightly dried, and more than a bit brown; a couple of not-completely gnawed-on bones; a half-handful of varied nuts, shell & all (he cracks them in his hand before dropping them in); an apricot pit; a dead, dried rat; a very sad, abused little onion; a candle stub (he sniffs at it first, shrugs his shoulders, and throws it in anyway); a piece of dried meat that looks worse than Og's boot leather; a potato that has more eyes than a clan of beholders; some dried peas (or possibly small chunks of peridot); and a handful of various grains, scraped from the very bottom of the pack. Og looks around a bit, scratches his head, and then shrugs his shoulders. Wincing, he sticks his finger into the mix & stirs it up.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 06, 2007, 10:39:57 AM
Quote from: WhisperWhisper eyes the half-ogre. "Unless... Og? Care to earn another gold piece? Could you carry Daniel to Stuarton, either on the travois or on your shoulders?"
"Wait, what?!" yelps Daniel. He stands up quickly, wincing slightly as his hand involuntarily clutches at his bruised side. "No I'm fine, really! I'm (ow) good!"
"huh?" :huh: He scratches his head. "Og maybe carry hurt man, but maybe not feel good. Sometimes Og forget if him carrying some-one, and accidentally throw hammer stick onto shoulder to carry easy-er. Last person Og carry not like so much." Og then turns his attention back to his food.
Quote from: Starbuck"Stuarton... not exactly a model of upstanding citizenry. Not that I've ever been there, but word gets around. Black market goods, hush-hush slave trade, that sort of thing.
At the second mention of the town, Og says over his shoulder "Not good place. Bad peoples there. Og maybe have squish peoples if go there."
Quote from: BlueBard on September 06, 2007, 06:55:51 PM
"Very well, it appears we have the beginnings of a quest and a plan," Whisper nods approvingly. "I have not the gold to purchase any mount but a donkey with little or nothing left over. Donkeys are not known for their speed, so I think we should plan on spending at least one night camped out along the way."
Finally realizing what all the talk over horses & mules is about, Og interjects. "Og not find horsie him can sit on. Most peoples not want him sit on horses they have. Maybe find Og big not-horse." At he speaks of the 'not-horse', his eyes roll skyward a bit, clearly trying to imagine it.
Quote from: Uncle Yuan on September 06, 2007, 09:46:23 PM""We also need to determine who will go. So far I, Whisper, Dakkon, Starbuck, Annia and Daniel have clearly 'signed up.' Who else? Og? Nathan?"
"Og need keep hurt man safe for little while. Hurt man go, Og go."
Og then turns his attention back to the pot, giving it a sniff or two, hoping it's ready (a deaf man 50 feet from the cabin could hear his stomach's opinion on being empty).
Yuan:
[spoiler]On you? About 45 gp in various coinage[/spoiler]
Ambrose kind of watches in a mute combination of disgust and curiosity at Og's adventures in cooking.
"You may want to decide what you're going to do quickly," he addresses the group, "who knows when those town guards might come back through here." Some of you think he also might be trying to get rid of you all to get his home back.
"My thanks for your gracious hospitality, Ambrose, and my apologies for the inconvenience," Whisper tells him.
"Shall we depart for Oakenhold, then? I will wait outside the town with Daniel, and I suggest that Og, Dakkon, and Nathan wait with me. I would think that Starbuck, Annia, and Orloid would be the logical choices to go in. But we can decide that when we reach the outskirts."
Whisper sets about to gather his pack and other things, then goes outside the cabin to call Swift to his perch on Whisper's shoulder.
"I suppose that is the wisest council," Dakkon replied.
Annia nods and moves to depart the cabin ((it might be a good idea to let everyone know how much cash they have on hand.))
Orloid, too, begins stowing is gear.
"Unless you are all much wealthier than I am, I strongly doubt we can afford to equip the team with horses. I suggest we focus on procuring a pack animal or two, but proceed on foot. It would be foolish to use all our resources to buy mounts but then leave under equipped and provisioned."
GM: Whisper will consult with Ambrose and the others as to the best place to spend the night while we are on our way to Stuarton from Oakenhold. Whisper wants plenty of time to make a secure camp before dark.
Dakkon packs his meager belongings and stands imperiously before the door, awaiting his companions.
Whisper:
"Not many go from Oakenhold to Stuarton, and the ones who come from Stuarton... well, they tend to take care of themselves," Ambrose shrugs. "My advice? Make sure you post a couple of watches and hope there aren't too many rocks on the ground... Do be careful Whisper, I've got a bad feeling about this."
Everyone:
Nathan hs managed to stow all his belongings and goes outside and is cheerfully admiring the morning. "I'm ready whenever the rest of you are," he calls back brightly to the rest of you.
Daniel gives him one of those dark looks that most night people give to cheerful morning people. He's dressed in his no-longer soggy clothes and the necklace is on his neck. Considering he has nothing to pack, you'd asume he's ready as well.
Seeing everybody making preparations to leave, and his breakfast uneaten, Og gets a very concerned look on his face. :unsure:
He removes the cooking pot from it's hook over the fire.....with his bare hands, because he forgot temporarily that hot stuff hurts! He is very quickly reminded of that fact as he moves the pot onto the floor close to his pack. "ooh! hot! ow! hot! HOT!!" The pot clangs to the floor, being dropped the last foot or so. Og sits down on the floor, pot between his legs (not touching, but close enough to make others wince) and looks around for a spoon large enough for him to use. If he doesn't find one, he'll dig in with both hands, and begin to literally devour the contents.
[spoiler]You may want to make a random roll to see if anyone's unfortunate body parts come too close to Brother Blutarski's .....er, I mean Og's, mouth. :twisted: You may even want to have everyone watching make Con checks to keep their own breakfast down. :lol:[/spoiler]
About half-way through the meal (complete with various loud crunching, slurping, and gulping), Og stops, and addresses the occupants of the cabin, his head swiveling around slowly as he does, "Any-one want share Og breakfast?" :mellow:
i can spare a few gold. mabe 4 or 5, to provisions. we'll need to collect whatever other money is being donated before i and my two 'partners' enter town.
GM: Annddd... I guess I'll need to know the going rate for a score of arrows and a spare quiver so I know how much I can spare for other things.
Og's culinary skills are truly a sight none of you are likely to forget any time soon short of serious head trauma. (everyone make sanity checks... wait wrong system).
Can I asume that you all say your goodbyes, back up and hit the road towards Oakenhold?
Whisper:
Arrows cost about 1 gold per 20 good arrows. Less, and they mightbe less than reliable.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 10, 2007, 08:14:15 AM
Can I asume that you all say your goodbyes, back up and hit the road towards Oakenhold?
YES!!! Whisper's got point. Keeping an eye out for Bad Stuff.
Yep, Dakkon will let Whisper take point, but he'll stay somewhat close.
Having quickly stowed his things, Orloid falls in step beside Nathan.
"Are you intending to join us, Nathan? What is your current temple assignment?"
"If I can" the eager young priest replies. "At the moment, I am doing my one year of missionary work before I am assigned to a temple permanently. It's been... much different than I expected so far."
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 10, 2007, 11:15:56 AM
"If I can" the eager young priest replies. "At the moment, I am doing my one year of missionary work before I am assigned to a temple permanently. It's been... much different than I expected so far."
"Can your order assist in equiping you? We'll be heading into very rough territory. You should be armed and armored before we go."
annia will take a position towards the middle-front of the party.
It is possible" Nathan says, "I suppose with a mission such as this, it can't hurt to ask."
And so, you all set forth towards Oakenhold. Besides marching order, are any of you planning on doing anything special on your way?
OOC: I'll sing, if that helps you any. ^_^
As everyone is moving towards the door, Og quickly dumps the contents of a large coin pouch into his pack, scoops the remainder of "breakfast" out of the pot & into the pouch, ties the pouch closed, and drops it into the pack (with a bit of a wet *splat* sound). He then proceeds to put the rest of his things, that he had to pull out to get to the "foodstuffs", and are now laying all around him, back into the pack. He then shoulders the pack & the hammer, & heads out.
Og will take up a position next to Daniel, or just behind, if needing to go single-file.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 10, 2007, 06:04:38 PM
It is possible" Nathan says, "I suppose with a mission such as this, it can't hurt to ask."
And so, you all set forth towards Oakenhold. Besides marching order, are any of you planning on doing anything special on your way?
Orloid is content to travel, chat and keep alert for trouble.
"Whisper, can you guide us around Oakenhold without being seen? We should be very wary while traveling abroad so with Daniel."
Whisper will plan a route to Oakenhold that avoids the roads and sticks to the woods as much as possible. He intends not approaching the town any closer than first sight of the walls and waiting in an area of relative cover if possible.
He loans Daniel his Elven Cloak. "If we encounter soldiers, hide."
Annia stays quiet, prefering to keep to herself, unless directly spoken to.
OOG: Sorry guys. Between work and this flu, I'm having a hard time getting focused today. Where were we...
Quote from: BlueBard on September 11, 2007, 02:42:15 PM
Whisper will plan a route to Oakenhold that avoids the roads and sticks to the woods as much as possible. He intends not approaching the town any closer than first sight of the walls and waiting in an area of relative cover if possible.
He loans Daniel his Elven Cloak. "If we encounter soldiers, hide."
Daniel takes the cloak and nods. "Don't worry, you won't have to tell me even once."
Travel today is almost plesant. The day is cool thanks to last night's storm, and aside from the mud everything is rather plesant as you tramp through the woods towards Oakenhold. The air smells fresh and clean as after a rain, except for those of you downwind of the Ogre, in which is smells somewhat like whatever that was he made for breakfast and other... ogre-y things.
OOC: Dakkon, are you going to serenade the group?
Nathan has little trouble keeping pace with the rest of you, and Daniel is doing well for the most part, though whenever he starts to drop behind, the looming presence of Og inspires him to continue on. So far, the day is rather uneventful.
Orloid [spoiler]Hmm...that's odd. Did you just see someone through the trees a few yards thataway?
[/spoiler]
Starbuck
[spoiler]Ah, the melodious call of the elusive Titwillow. It reminds you of a song![/spoiler]
[spoiler]Orloid begins casually unwrapping his bow while glancing in the direction of the figure[/spoiler]
"A moment, Nathan. I need a word with our guide." he says to the young priest walking beside him. He begins moving up the line of people towards Whisper.
Starbuck seems to have received inspiration from the music of nature, and begins singing an odd little song, accompanied by his lute...
On a tree by a river, a little tom-tit,
Sang "Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow!"
And I said to him, "Dicky-bird, why do you sit,
singing Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow?"
"Is it weakness of intellect, birdie?" I cried.
"Or a rather tough worm in your little inside?"
With a shake of his poor little head, he replied,
"Oh Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow!"
He slapped at his chest as he sat on that bough,
Singing "Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow!"
And a cold perspiration bespangled his brow,
Oh Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow!
He sobbed, and he sighed, and a gurgle he gave,
Then he plunged himself into the billowy wave!
And an echo arose from the suicide's grave...
"Oh Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow!"
Now I feel just as sure, as I'm sure that my name,
Isn't "Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow,"
That 'twas blighted affection that made him exclaim,
"Oh Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow!"
And if you remain callous and obdurate, I
Shall perish as he did, and you will know why!
Though I probably shall not exclaim as I die,
"Oh Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow!"
Orloid starts to make his way towards Whisper. Just as he's about to say something when...
On a tree by a river, a little tom-tit,
Sang "Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow!"
Orloid
[spoiler]You see movement from that shape again. Definitely humanoid, possibly human, seems to have heard the bard's musical interlude[/spoiler]
Softly, in Elvish, "Whisper, I believe we are being followed. I think it is only one, but perhaps you should go check it out? I'll continue to lead the group along this course if you wish."
I nod and start looking for a place of concealment. My intent is to hide and let our party pass; anyone following will probably come within sight of me... and within range of my bow.
Assuming I spot a likely place, I will reply to Orloid softly in Elvish as we walk along:
"Lead on, cleric. I will lie in wait to see what follows. I will discourage it. If you hear me shout, turn and fight. If you hear my hawk's cry, then the situation is dire and you should flee."
Orloid is having words with Whisper, Starbuck is singing his li'l heart out, what are the rest of you doing?
I suppose Dakkon will join the bard in song, and if he can notice that Whisper slips away, he'll try and keep a special eye out for trouble.
Og continues on in the same general direction. He's sure that if there's a problem, someone would tell him. :D
Whisper, Dakkon
[spoiler] Now that you're aware that something's up (and I changed dice servers), you do see a shape lurking in the overgrowth not far from where you are. It appears human, or at least humanoid.
Dakkon, you do notice Whisper letting everyone go past him and then sort of fade into the woods around you.[/spoiler]
The rest of you:
Starbuck's song is nice and cheery. All in all, this is looking to be a nice day. Almost like nothing could go wrong.
When Starbuck finishes, Nathan applauds him (it'd be called a "golf clap" if golf existed in this universe) and even Daniel remarks it was nice.
BTW: Whisper seems to have vanished sometime during the seranade.
GM:
[spoiler]I wait to see if the figure approaches and if it becomes identifiable. I also look to see if the figure is alone or if there are others nearby. While I'm waiting, I quietly and with no sudden movements draw an arrow from my quiver and ready my bow.[/spoiler]
Orloid:
[spoiler]That figure is paralleling the group's path moving very quietly.[/spoiler]
Whisper
[spoiler]You can make out a lone figure paralleling the party's course. From your vantage point you also spot a few more people moving some distance off but coming your way quietly, though not as quietly as the first one you spotted[/spoiler]
The rest of you:
Whisper seems to have left you guys for some reason, and you don't think it's Starbuck's singing.
Suddenly you notice Daniel get very tense and look away from the woods quickly. He starts whispering to the rest of you without looking like he's whispering to you, "Ohdamnohdamnohdamnsomeonesfollowingus..."
Without missing a beat, Starbuck strikes up another tune. This one is bright, cheerful, and catchy.
"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail.
"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle -- will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you, won't you join the dance?"
GM:
[spoiler]Starbuck is casting a Haste spell on the party.[/spoiler]
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 17, 2007, 06:54:15 AM
Suddenly you notice Daniel get very tense and look away from the woods quickly. He starts whispering to the rest of you without looking like he's whispering to you, "Ohdamnohdamnohdamnsomeonesfollowingus..."
Orloid reverses facing and walks backwards a few paces. He'll try to catch Daniel's eye, given him a wink and a smile (and a reassuring wave of his now unwrapped and strung bow) if/when he does. I'll try to meet others' eyes, too. We're all very nonchalant, aren't we . . . .
Dakkon focuses his hearing, trying to drown out the sound of the bard's song, and concentrating on detecting evidence of their pursuers. He will try and be as alert as possible, while trying to look relaxed.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 17, 2007, 06:54:15 AMSuddenly you notice Daniel get very tense and look away from the woods quickly. He starts whispering to the rest of you without looking like he's whispering to you, "Ohdamnohdamnohdamnsomeonesfollowingus..."
Leaning over a bit towards Daniel as he's walking, "Hurt man talk funny. Hurt man make magic talk? Bird-man noises sound better.....maybe hurt man learn talk like that."
annia will loose her mace from it's thong, keeping it under her cloak, moveing to free up her other hand to be able to snap off an eldritch blast in a moments notice.
Quote from: Og on September 17, 2007, 02:55:34 PM
"Hurt man talk funny. Hurt man make magic talk? Bird-man noises sound better.....maybe hurt man learn talk like that."
Daniel gives Og a look of utter disbelief, then it looks like an idea dawns on him.
"Hey Og," he whispers, "there's someone over there, who... uh, wants to steal your breakfast. In the woods there."
"What are you talking about?" Nathan asks. Daniel flashes him a quick glare that says "stop talking".
Everyone, you feel an odd warm tingle through your bodies. It's not unplesant, in fact it feels a little bit like that feeling you get if you eat too much sugar. The world seems to move just a hair slower around you now.
Dakkon
[spoiler]The shape has stopped moving. You get a bad feeling about this.[/spoiler]
Whisper
[spoiler]You don't think the figure hasn't noticed you've broken off from the group. You can see them a bit better now - they're dressed in dull green and brown to blend in better, and you can make out a crossbow. It looks like it's being carefully aimed at the rest of the group[/spoiler]
GM:
[spoiler]Well, an aimed crossbow is enough evidence of ill will that I feel no compunction to hold back. My arrow is ready, all that is required is to loose it. I shoot an arrow at the crossbow wielder. The first shot will be a general intent to hit and spoil his aim. My next act will be a called shot to the archer's heart. After that, I'll be readying a Web spell to take care of any pursuit from his companions.[/spoiler]
OOC: If at all possible, I want this action to take place AFTER BB's, since I imagine Dakkon can hear the twang of a bow string when he's straining.
"Enough of this," roared the sea elf, turning upon the shadowy pursuers with azure eyes blazing. "I have had enough of running, it is time that my blade dealt with those who would stand in my way!" Matching deed to word, his sword leapt into his hand, and with an unearthly, undulating cry like the thunder of a waterfall, he dashed towards the nearest opponent.
OOC: If there are only a few of them, and if they don't seem to be set on killing the party right away, Dakkon will attempt to disarm his opponent, if not, he'll go straight for the kill and then look for any archers or magic users. They will be his second target, with mages taking highest priority.
GM:
[spoiler]Do I recognize the spell cast against us? I know Arcana is probably a poor choice of skills, but it's all I've got.[/spoiler]
OOC Clarification: The spell you guys felt cast on yourselves was from Starbuck and is a haste spell. This is a good thing. As a result, do NOT try to beat Starbuck to a pulp, even if you are a music critic. Or you can later, but not for that reason. I was just trying to do a little flavor text. Sorry should have added a little bit of Player knowelge in there in case you didn't happen to peek at Starbuck's spoiler.
Anyway moving on... This is what happens next.
You all hear a a sharp yelp of pain from the woods a split second before a crowbow bolt slams into a tree a few inches from Daniel's head. All of you (even Og) see someone moving in the woods nearby. This person is no longer trying to be stealthy and appears to be running away from you. You also hear the stranger give a short but piercing whistle.
Daniel immediately hits the dirt before a second shot can be fired. He yells "Get DOWN" and grabs Nathan's arm (who's looking somewhat suprised by the crossbow shot) and yanks him to the forest floor.
"Enough of this," yells Dakkon in dramatic fashion, "I have had enough of running, it is time that my blade dealt with those who would stand in my way!" and with an ululation that would make Xena warrior princess go "Whoah!" charges into the woods after the shooter.
Whisper
[spoiler]You first shot winged whoever it was pretty bad. Your target, a woman, staggers and starts to dive for cover. Your second shot misses as she ducks between some of the trees. You hear her give the sharp whistle, and those other people you spotted are heading your way. Can't tell numbers yet, but it's at least more than 5.
Oh yeah, and Dakkon just charged in after her making a whole lotta noise.[/spoiler]
Dakkon
[spoiler]You're moving much faster than you normally do. It's pretty cool. There's someone not far away, looks like a woman dressed in brown and green to blend in with the surrounding forest. She's got a crossbow, and it looks like an arrow is sticking out off her right arm. You can probably close this round and attack. One thing though: you think you see more movement just past her headed your way. LOTS of movement.[/spoiler]
OOC: Does Dakkon think it's possible to incapacitate her (I.E., blunt end of the sword to the face)? If so, he'll do that and move, much more cautiously, to engage the oncoming foes. If he can spot BB, he'll try and give him a clear line of fire. If he CAN'T incapacitate her, then he'll get over his compunctions and take her out before doing the same.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 17, 2007, 06:53:56 PM"Hey Og," he whispers, "there's someone over there, who... uh, wants to steal your breakfast. In the woods there."
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 17, 2007, 09:03:04 PM
You all hear a a sharp yelp of pain from the woods a split second before a crowbow bolt slams into a tree a few inches from Daniel's head. All of you (even Og) see someone moving in the woods nearby. This person is no longer trying to be stealthy and appears to be running away from you. You also hear the stranger give a short but piercing whistle.
"Someone want take Og food, *&* shoot at hurt man? Og not like
at all! :angry: :angry:" Completely oblivious as to what Dakkon is doing, because he's a little wrapped up in his own concerns for now, Og runs after the obviously guilty party running away, intent on smashing. If they look to be kinda frail, he'll use just his bare fist, but anything that looks like it needs to be dispatched quickly (spellcaster) or would need a severe beating to go down (lotsa hit points or heavily armored) gets the hammer!
OOC: I'm not sure what a half-ogre's base movement is, so there's the chance that he could get to the fleeing target before Dakkon does.....which I'm sure won't make the target any happier.
Dakkon's war whoop puts Starbuck in mind of the ballad of a certain warrior princess... It seems a suitable choice for a morale-boosting battle song:
(OOC: This song boosts party morale, letting them hit more easily and to do more damage.)
GM:
[spoiler]I'm throwing in an Inspirational Boost spell as well, to give that Bardic song that extra kick.[/spoiler]
She is the very model of a heroine barbarian;
Through Herculean efforts, she's become humanitarian.
She rides throughout the hinterland -- at least that's what they call it in
Those sissy towns like Athens (She, herself, is Amphipolitan).
She travels with a poet who is perky and parthenian[2]
And scribbles her hexameters in Linear Mycenian[3]
(And many have attempted, by a host of methods mystical,
To tell if their relationship's sororal or sapphistical).
To tell if their relationship's sororal or sapphistical!
To tell if their relationship's sororal or sapphistical!
To tell if their relationship's sororal or sapphisti-phistical!
Her armory is brazen, but her weapons are ironical;
Her sword is rather phallic, but her chakram's rather yonical[4]
(To find out what that means, you'll have to study Indo-Aryan[5]).
She is the very model of a heroine barbarian!
To find out what that means, you'll have to study Indo-Aryan --
She is the very model of a heroine barbarian!
She wakes up every morning, ere the dawn is rhododactylous[6]
(Who needs to wait for daylight? She just works by sensus tactilis[7].)
And rides into the sunrise to protect some local villagers
From mythologic monsters or from all-too-human pillagers.
She hurtles towards each villain with a recklessness ebullient
And cows him with her swordwork and her alalaes ululient[8];
He's frightened for his head, because he knows she's gonna whack it -- he's
Aware that his opponent is the Basileia Makhetes!
[The music crashes to a halt, as the combatants stare at Starbuck in utter confusion. He sighs.]
It's Greek. It means "Warrior Princess"!
[Light dawns on the battle, and the music resumes.]
Sheesh ...
He knows that his opponent is the Basileia Makhetes!
He knows that his opponent is the Basileia Makhetes!
He knows that his opponent is the Basileia Makhe-makhetes,
Because she's got her armor, which is really rather silly, on
(It's cut so low she feels like she's the topless tow'rs of Ilion,
And isn't any use against attackers sagittarian[9]).
She is the very model of a heroine barbarian!
It isn't any use against attackers sagittarian --
She is the very model of a heroine barbarian!
In short, when she can tell you how she breaks the laws of gravity,
And why her togs expose her intermammary concavity,
And why her comrade changed her dress from one that fit more comfily
To one that shows her omphalos[10] (as cute as that of Omphale[11]),
And why the tale of Spartacus appears in Homer's versicon[12],
And where they found examples of the genus Lycopersicon[13],
And why this Grecian scenery looks more like the Antipodes,
You'll say she's twice the heroine of any in Euripides!
You'll say she's twice the heroine of any in Euripides!
You'll say she's twice the heroine of any in Euripides!
You'll say she's twice the heroine of any in Euripi-ripides!
But though the kinked chronology, confusing and chimerical
(It's often unhistorical, but rarely unhysterical),
Would give a massive heart attack to any antiquarian,
She is the very model of a heroine barbarian!
'Twould give a massive heart attack to any antiquarian --
She is the very model of a heroine barbarian!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
[1] Actually, "Mytilene" would properly be accented on the third syllable; Gabrielle always did have trouble with rhymes. (Mytilene, incidentally, is a city on the isle of Lesbos -- the hometown of the poet Sappho, as a matter of fact. It is not clear what, if anything, Gilbert is trying to imply here.)
[2] parthenian: virginal.
[3] Linear Mycenian: Mycenian is the ancient dialect of Greek which was written in Linear B (a form of Greek writing that predates the adoption of the alphabet). The implication is that Gabrielle does her writing in Linear B; if Xena takes place around the time of the Trojan war, this is chronologically reasonable.
[4] yonical: "Yonic" is the female counterpart to "phallic".
[5] Indo-Aryan: The language group consisting of Sanskrit and its close relatives. Both "chakram" and "yonic" are of Sanskrit derivation.
[6] rhododactylous: rosy-fingered. (Homer makes frequent reference to rhododaktulos eos -- "rosy-fingered dawn".)
[7] sensus tactilis: Latin for "the sense of touch".
[8] "Alalaes" are war-cries (the Greeks spelled a Xena-like war cry as alala or alale) and "ululient" is a coined term, apparently meaning "characterized by ululation".
[9] sagittarian: archer-like.
[10] omphalos: belly-button.
[11] Omphale: Legendary queen of Lydia. From context, we must assume that she had a cute belly-button; however, no known classical source seems to address this vital issue.
[12] versicon: a coined term, apparently meaning "collection of verse".
[13] Lycopersicon: the biological genus to which tomatoes are assigned. (The tomato is a New World plant, and was entirely unknown in the Old World in pre-Columbian times. Thus, having tomatoes in a Xenaish context is an even greater anachronism than having Homer tell the tale of Spartacus.)
GM:
[spoiler]Whisper is timing things as close as he can. I want to use my Web spell to entangle as many of our attackers as possible, preferably hitting them before Dakkon can charge into their midst. I will drop the bow and arrows to do so, if I think it is doable. If that's not possible, I will continue to fire arrows at each attacker in turn, one after the other, until I'm forced to draw my sword.
When I get a better idea of their numbers, I want to shout a warning. More than 5 but less than 10? More than 10?[/spoiler]
OOC: [reads Starbuck's reponse]
Wow.
Just... wow.
Anyway...
Dakkon, the woman is trying to draw her sword with her left hand, which is proving awkward since she's a) obviously right handed and b) her right arm has got an arrow in it.
At your speed, you quickly close in and thwack her soundly across the temple with the flat of your sword. She reels, but is still up, trying to lurch away from you.
At that point you notice two things.
1) The bard is singing again. It's a song about some warrior woman and uses a lot of words in common you haven't encountered since you began stay on the surface. Even so, it makes you feel even more ready to fight. Cool!
2) There are about eight armed and armored humans coming towards you. Most of them carry swords and axes, but one or two have bows, while behind you, you get the feeling that something large is thundering towards you. That something is Og, and it looks like you and the woman are about to be the filling of a combat sandwich.
Just then, the woods ahead of you fills with gluey fibres that stretch between the ground, the trees and just about everything else in about a twenty foot radius. Several of the humans find themselves stuck amid the strong and sticky strands, but two of them manage to duck out of the way of the expanding webbing (one of them, a man towards the back carrying a bow, the other, another man carrying a sword near the front). The cursing from the entangled men can easily be heard by the rest of the group as they try to tear themselves free.
(I'll try to get a map together for the next post or so)
OOC: Oookay, this is getting chaotic! :D So, Dakkon will try and decide if he's got time to whack her again before Og steamrolls over him. If not, he'll make a bee-line for the fellow with the sword, trusting in BB to take out the archer.
What is observable from the "clearing?" How many bad guys do there seem to be? Orloid is going to take a second or two to observe before charging into the trees.
Although, the second second's observation is going to be along the shaft of an arrow . . .
"Surrender or die!" Whisper calls out in fair warning as he either a) retrieves his dropped bow if there's time or b) draws his longsword if there isn't. I assume that if he's Hasted retrieving the bow before he's overrun is not a problem.
I'll wait to see the map before I declare any other actions.
PS. Hurrah for properly applied Web spells!
annia will advance, and snap off an eldritch blast modified with brimstone essence at the web, intending to catch it on fire and burn the folks trapped within it, useing Eldritch spear to increase the range if nessacary.
Sorry so long on the response, but I got something better than ASCII this time :D
[spoiler](http://www.stkp.com/MM/MAP.jpg)
Key:
Each square is roughly 5 ft. Black text indicates coordiantes.
Brown circle large tree (there are small trees and other scrub throughout, but these are the only ones that offer a decent amount of cover and can't be easily pushed aside, jumped over, or whatever)
Blue crinkly circle web spell area of effect
Red numbers the enemy, yellow outline indicates which ones are trapped in the web spell for the moment.
Green letters Nathan and Daniel.
Blue Letters You guys.
O - Orloid
G - Og
D - Dakkon
W - Whisper
S - Starbuck
A - Annia
[/spoiler]
Foe #1 is looking in bad shape after getting both shot and thwacked with a sword. All the others are unharmed so far. They do not seem to want to take Whisper's suggestion of surrender.
Annia, can you give me a little more detail on your action now that we have some visual aid.
OOC: Man, GG, that is one spiffy cool map. Way cooler than the Paint stuff I was putting together for Luck of Heroes!!
Orloid is going to draw a bead on #3 and take his shot as he/she/it emerges from the webs.
OOG sure thing GG
basicly annia is aiming for the section of web closest to her, ((grid square L-10 or L-11)) and useing brimstone essence to change the damge delt by her eldritch blast from force to fire, hopeing to cuase the web to ignite that way and damge everyone in the web. since she can use an essence and a blast shape, she's also useing Eldritch spear to increase the range of her blast as required from ((i think)) 30 feet to 120 feet ((again, i'm slightly hazy as to the actual amounts, but i know the increase to range from E.Spear is quite substantial.)) since her blasts are ranged touch attacks, annia is quite confidant she can hit her intended target with relative ease, particularly as there don't seem to be any major obstacles in her line of effect.
hope that's whaty you were looking for, if not, PM me and we'll work it out.
I am going to fire arrows at Bad Guy #1, taking full advantage of my cover, Haste, Point Blank and Rapid Shot.
GM:
[spoiler]Depends on how you interpret that combination, but here are the modifiers per the SRD:
Haste: +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. One extra attack at no penalty.
Point Blank: +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 feet.
Rapid Shot: 1 extra ranged attack per round, -2 attack penalty for each attack.
If I wanted to interpret that liberally, I'd say I get three (or four) shots at no attack penalty (Haste and PB cancelling the penalty) and +1 damage. Not counting any benefit from Starbuck's song.[/spoiler]
I'm really hoping for a pincushion.
OOC: Just checked with BB on target... here we go...
Dakkon takes another swing at his opponent (#1) who takes another stunning blow to the head before she can get her daggar free (having given up on the sword). You manage to knock her cold as Og continues to charge past.
Orloid, you manage to get two shots off at #3. The first one grazes him and the second misses outright as he ducks behind the nearest tree.
Whisper, #2 has spotted you and starts to charge. Before he can get to you, three of your arrows thud into his scalemail covered chest. It breaks his charge, but he's not quite dead yet.
The rest of the attackers are busy trying to get free of the web. It looks like a few of them have managed to cut themselves loose when Annia's flame hits the edge of the web, ignighting it. The flames begin to spread almost immediately, burning the web and starting to set fire to some of the longer dead patches of overgrowth, despite the dampness.
[spoiler=Updated Map](http://www.tvstuff.com/MEA/MAP01.jpg)[/spoiler]
OOC: Awesome! Haha, fricasseed bad guys! Now that we've got a prisoner ripe for questioning, Dakkon can stop playing Mr. Nice Guy. He's going to head to the edge of the blaze and try and split anyone who escapes it from head to toe. He'll also try and stay out of the lines of fire of our ranged folks, taking position near the center of the web, backing Og up (but staying out of range of the back swing of that hammer! ;)).
Repeat.
If #2 looks like he's still willing and able to fight, I point blank rapid fire again. Otherwise, I'll want to pick a new target outside point blank range. Probably #4.
Do not mess with bow-carrying Rangers.
If #2 closes with me, I'll use the Dodge feat to keep out of reach while I put some more arrows into him.
Seeing Dakkon drop Og's original target, he frowns a bit, but even he can see all the other people not far behind. In his experience, if someone tries to hurt him, and there's more people close by that someone, they'll try to hurt him, too. Og will try to shift his momentum to bring him next to unlucky number 7 (well, it'll be unlucky for *that* guy! :twisted:), and commence to bring the mauling hammer into play. (once again, the squeamish should look away ;)) If the poor schlub is unlucky enough to go down too quickly, he'll then shift his attention to whoever's nearest.
[spoiler]For flavor, here's some nice Og dialog to throw into your resolution of Og's battle. Each exclamation mark should be punctuated with Og hitting whoever.
"You not take Og food!" "Og need food!" "Og need lots food!" "Maybe Og take your food!"[/spoiler]
We're pretty nicely buffed right now, thanks to the bard. Orloid doesn't have much of a shot at present, but he'll nock another arrow and stand ready to take any shots of opportunity that come along, most likely at #7 if he pokes his head out. Dakkon and Og are pretty much between me and the others.
OOC: Any significance to the yellow outlines around some of the enemies?
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 18, 2007, 05:55:07 PMRed numbers the enemy, yellow outline indicates which ones are trapped in the web spell for the moment.
The entire web is burning now, giving many of your foes some pretty bad burns. A few more manage to free themselves from the burning mass and try to make their ways to the edge of the fires.
Og crashes forward bellowing "YOU NO TAKE OG'S FOOD!" at the nearest opponent (poor #7). Trapped between the burning web and Og, he doesn't have a whole lotta places he can go. He manages to raise his weapon in time to deflect Og's maul, but unforunately, he's not nearly strong enough to do so. There's a sickening crunch of crushed scale mail and fleshy bits, punctuation to the statement "OG NEED FOOD!!" and added proof as to why it's called a "maul", especially after what it did to his face. #7 is still breathing and is trying to get up, but he's not going for his weapon, which he dropped easily within reach.
Whisper, #2 is still coming. He's pretty big and tough-looking, but he's obviously hurt. He takes a swing that goes by you in slow motion. You easily take a few steps back and land two more arrows into him. The second shot is enough to knock him onto his back where he lays there, not moving very much.
Orloid, through the web and fire, you still don't have a clear shot on anyone. You hear Daniel cursing about not having a weapon. Nathan is staying down, but he's muttering something like a prayer under his breath.
Starbuck continues to sing, (unless he doesn't.)
Everyone, not only do you feel pretty fast and pretty motivated, but you get the feeling that some god above is smiling on you as well.
[spoiler=Updated Map](http://www.stkp.com/MM/MAP02.jpg)[/spoiler]
annia is going to cut to her right, straight along grid row seven to her maximum movement, intendning to flank anyone who might be trying to escape in that direction, if she gets a clear line on #3, she'll snap off a blast at him.
OOC: Dakkon is going to introduce #4 to his own entrails.
Orloid cuts off a curse as Annia darts through his line of fire. Feeling Nathan's blessing upon him, Orloid sets down his bow and draws his longsword. Holding over it his head he chants a brief litany in Elvish:
"As they marched to battle they felt their Lord pass over them.
Ahead of them He swept
And his Light was as a Sword.
The foes of Corellon Larethian fell like wheat to the scythe
And they pleaded for His mercy."
[spoiler]Casting Spiritual Weapon (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Spiritual_Weapon_%28SRD_Spell%29). I picture my sword glowing then the glow separating as a free floating sword. I will send it to attack from the back of the group -> #8[/spoiler]
I'm moving forward (to N-16) and take aim on #6. That should put me within point blank range as well as give me a handy tree for cover. If I have any time remaining in the round, I'll take my shot(s).
I'm also declaring Dodge feat vs #4 just in case he tries to charge me instead of fighting Dakkon.
Since #7 doesn't look too interested in Og's food anymore, he'll move on to the next most likely food thief (and who is coincidentally almost directly in his line of sight), #5. And, gosh-darn it, Og accidentally plants his foot in the middle of poor 7's back as he pivots to move on. That'll probably leave a mark.
Starbuck continues to do his impression of "I'm Just A Little Black Raincloud, Harmlessly Buffing The Party Here."
However, he switching to singing a capella, putting down his lute momentarily to unstrap his crossbow and hand it to Daniel, along with his quarrels.
Cursing about not having a weapon really doesn't scan well with the chorus, after all.
Annia dashes through the woods to the far side of the burning web. As number 3 staggers out of the smoke and fire, a bolt of her magic hits him hard. You hear him bellow in pain and stumble, but he's still up.
Dakkon, number 4 manges to get out of the flames and get his bearings as you head towards him. He slashes at you with his blade and actually nicks your arm. Your counter attack, however, it far more effective, plunging inbetween the links of scale in his armor and drawing far more blood.
Orloid, you can feel the power of your god chanel through you and into a solid form that coalesces in the midst of the flames. The glowing blade hoversd for a moment, then starts to follow after one of the enemy.
Og, not that it matters, but you hear a pained grunt under your heel as you step oh-so-carefully on #7. Problem is, there's a big fire between you and the shortest route to any enemy except #4 and Dakkon seems to be taking care of him. Unless Og want to cook Og, he's going to have to go around it.
Whisper, you rush forward to a new point of cover and snap off a pair of shots at #6 who's also managed to get out of the flames, though looks pretty cooked. One shot hits in the leg, the other gets lodged in the scalemail, it's hard to tell if it made it through or not at this distance because he's just fallen over due to his damaged leg.
Starbuck, you hear a quick "Thanks!" from Daniel as he takes the crossbow and quarrels. He starts to load it.
[spoiler=Current map](http://www.tvstuff.com/MEA/MAP03.jpg)
Cyan cross = Spiritual weapon
Orange crinkly circle = web that's on fire[/spoiler]
#6 is down... as long as he stays down and out of the fight, that is all Whisper really cares about. His sense of honor demands that his opponent be given the chance to surrender. If the man is truly disabled, killing him outright without offering quarter would be an evil act.
Whisper will approach #6 (to K-17) with an arrow nocked and bow drawn and order him, "Cast aside your weapons and yield!"
If #6 refuses or otherwise attacks, I will shoot him in the other leg (called shot) and repeat my demand. I shift my focus to Dodge him, just in case he attacks me.
Setting his sword to work, Orloid picks up his bow again and runs over to N7. He'll focus on putting down the rear-gaurd (5,8,9), or at least keep them too busy dodging arrows to cause too much trouble.
OOC: How big *is* the fire? Are the trees aflame, or is it just the web material (which should be gone by now) and undergrowth/groundcover?
If the flames are not *too* big (some small bushes & such), Og will charge through & bullrush #5, with an attempt to knock him into #9, if he's still close enough. After that's resolved, the squishing will continue.
OOC: Needless to say, Dakkon continues his assault, taking all of the attacks he can manage.
i'll prepare a Hideous Blow ((eldritch blast damage is channeled into melee weapon)) and move in on 3, intending to finish him off up close and personal.
Guys, something's come up on this end - I'm going to be incommunicado until about Monday. It's nothing serious (actually it involves some friends in town), but this is going to be my last login for a few days. Will be back at least by Monday if not before.
have fun!
Sorry so long - all is well, but I still wish I could have gotten this together sooner.
Whisper, you close in on the fallen man. He's trying to get up but the leg's pretty bad off and he collpases again in pain.
Cast aside your weapons and yield!
Either the man doesn't hear you or he's chosen not to respond. His sword, however, is on the ground and he doesn't look like he's going for it. He's too busy clutching his leg.
Orloid, you can kind of get a shot at #5, but because of the cover, the arrow lodges in a treetrunk near her instead. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Daniel scurry forward in a croutch and fire at the same target with much the same results. Your spiritual weapon surges forward and strikes at a startled looking #8.
Og, the web has just about all burned out except for a few bits on the SW fringes. Bits of dryer dead tree and shrub have caught, but are starting to burn out due to the damp from last night's rain. Deciding it's safe enough, the half ogre charges through the smouldering plantlife with a cry of "OG NEED FOOD!!!" and smashes soundly into the rather large woman who just avoided being shot with arrows. Her body tumbles away from Og with the impact. Her friend takes a worried step away from you, but still manages to get off a couple of shot. An arrow pierces your armor and stabs into your side. It hurts, but it doesn't feel like it got any vital organs. The second one alos hits armor, but doesn't quite have enough force to go through.
Annia, the man in front of you manages to get a hit in on you - you feel the blade cut into your left arm and though it's painful, you are able to still focus your concentration on the spell and your mace glows ominously.
[spoiler=new map](http://www.stkp.com/MM/MAP04.jpg)[/spoiler]
Og glances down at the long, feathery thing that's sticking out of his side. "Owww!" His head then whips around to #9, "You hurt Og! Og hurt you back! :angry:" Og will then advance on #9 (moving to F9, between #9 & #5), and proceed to lay the smack down. Once 9 is down for good, he'll turn his attentions back on the rather large woman. (that is, if she hasn't become a pincushion before then :twisted:)
What's the deal with #7?
OOC: #7 just got stepped on by Og and had his face "mauled". He's not doing anything this round except lie there.
Whisper will assume the man is down for the moment. Still Dodging him, Whisper will relax his arrow and hold it and the bow with his left hand while reaching down for the man's sword with his right. He will grab the sword and fling it away as far as he can.
Then, skirting around the tree at I-18, he will move to B-17 with the intent of cutting off #8's escape.
If, at this point, he still has time to snap off a shot with his bow, he will shoot #8. Not sure how much Haste will let me get away with.
OOC: What about Dakkon?
Oops.
Dakkon is continuing to slice at enemy #4 who suddenly grips his longsword in two hands and swings it at you*. The blue elf manage to dodge the lethal arc which still manages to take a nice chunk out of a nearby tree. The man pulls his weapon free and prepares for another strike, but not before Dakkon's own blade slices into his side. Blood almost immediately begins to flow from the gash.
(* - ooc, he's using the Power Attack feat)
OOC: Okay, Dakkon makes sure that he's prepared to dodge his next attack, using whatever opening he can find to finish him off.
At this point there doesn't seem to be much to do but keep the people who are down covered and keep my Spirit Weapon pressing the attack.
annia hisses slightly, before donning a sadistic grin, makeing an attempt to Indimidate her foe by acting as if the pain actually feels good, licking her lips suggestivly, hopeing to put him off guard before slamming the mace into him. ((btw, the hideous blow stays in affect until annia actually hits something))
And back around again...
With a mighty "Owww!" Og turns towards the archer who is fast considering another line of work. He drops his bow and draws his sword after taking a step few steps back, keeping the half ogre in sight. He isn't able to get enough distance from self-procalimed malnourished Og, and the maul connects hard. Even though the armor, you can tell there's a dent in his rib cage in a place there shouldn't be a dent. #9 sputters a bit of blood before he stops moving.
Unforunately, Og doesn't notice that #5 has gotten up and is would have flanked him if her partner hadn't been tenderized a moment ago. (since she got up she doesn't get to act this round)
Whisper, you get rid of the sword and speed off, ducking from tree to tree. You manage to get one shot off at #8, who is trying to make a fighting retreat while being assaulted by a floating glowing sword.
Dakkon, #4 is looking pale but he still manages to get up enough strength to make anohte rmighty swing at you. Since you were expecting this, you easily twist out of the way, as as he goes past, bring your blade down on him, dropping him like a sack of garbage. You look up to see #7, battered and bloody as he is, has managed to get up and starts towards you, only to lurch suddenly, and fall forward with a crossbow bolt sticking out of his back.
Annia, you practically radiate sadism as you lick a bit of the blood from your left arm. The guy is visibly shaken by your display. He looks around rapidly for the best way to run.
Starbuck, it's only been less than a minute and it looks like your new friends have things well in hand. :)
[spoiler=New Map](http://www.stkp.com/MM/MAP05.jpg)[/spoiler]
His rage only momentarily abated, the Sea Prince looked around for another foe to vent his fury upon. Spying one blackguard trying to fend off the attacks of the spiritual weapon, Dakkon rushed towards him.
OOC: If he can reach him before he becomes a pin-cushion, Dakkon is going to try and get a piece of him. He'll circle to his (Dakkon's) right, and try to take him down.
Being a practical sort of fellow, Whisper goes with what works.
Target practice with #8, using Point Blank and Rapid Shot feats. Unless Dakkon gets in the way, in which case I'll hold my fire and simply keep an eye out for trouble.
[waiting to see if anyone else wants to do anything)
annia will take advantage of her opponents revulsion and try for a smashing blow to his head with her mace, still charged with fel power.
Starbuck keeps scanning the battlefield, making sure no additional surprises are heading our way. He's also looking for potential survivors to question - he's got a song picked out and everything.
Annia swings her mace and connects, sending a wave of eldritch enenrgy coursing out of the weapon and into her victim. He crumples to the ground bleeding heavily from the forehead.
Dakkon charges towards hapless #8 as the phantom blade carves another gash into him and he's peppered by arrows. (Somedays your timing is juuuuuust a little off). He collapses just before the blue elf reaches sword range.
The woman behind Og raises her sword and brings it down hard on Og's exposed back... and manages to slice into the bag that contained Og's cuilinary creation which pops like an overripe zit spraying her with brown gunk. *
Og, someone seems to be trying to get your attention behind you.
[*- Guess which NPC rolled a 1 ;) ]
Starbuck, checking over the battlefield, it looks like there are a few incapacitated survivors. #1 looks like she's still breathing; however 2, 3, 4, 9, and 7 look like they may be dead or dead soon without medical attention. You can't tell about the rest from here.
Whisper will double back to #6 and take him prisoner.
"Down on your belly if you would claim mercy!" Whisper will command, pointing an arrow at him.
I will wait to try to question him; I want to be sure the battle is truly over first.
OOC: Now Dakkon is REALLY angry.....haha, he'll try and reach number 5 before Og crushes her.
From his survey of the battle scene, it becomes clear to Starbuck that the only remaining uncertainties seem to be:
A) Whether Enemy #6 will be taken prisoner or "commit suicide" by throwing himself in the path of a hail of arrows, and
B) Whether Og or Dak'kon will be the first one to usher #5 to the afterlife.
So, Starbuck Rogers starts working on a composition, which he will sing once actual prisoners are obtained and rendered conscious.
Well, then. Looks like there's not muck left to do for me either. With the fight winding down I will begin triaging the nearer attackers - take their weapons and other easily removable possestions, decide whether they are dead, dying, seriously injured and take steps to stabilize those who have some chance of pulling through. Just medical aid at this point - I'm not going to waste any prayers on those who would ambush us, but I'm not to to allow them to suffer needlessly either.
Are they all human?
annia will make her way to one of the priests to have her arm attended to.
Og seems to be particularly unobservant at the moment (must be the low blood sugar) as he completely fails to notice the excitement going on behind him. The woman behind Og sees the blue elf speeding towards her and moves into a defensive stance. She attempts to parry Dakkon's swing but he's moving too fast and his blade stabs deep into her torso. She sags against the blade as she starts to bleed out.
Whisper, the man on the ground grunts something in pain and points at the arrow still in his abdomen that would keep him from lying on his stomach (unless of course, Whisper happens to be a sadist), then he holds both of his hands up in surrender. still wincing.
Orloid, Nathan asks if there's anything else he can do. As for your attackers: All of them appear to be human. #1 appears to be suffering from an arrow graze wound on her lower right arm and a nasty blow or two to the head. She's not in any danger. Even at a distance you can tell #7 is beyond help, and #9...well, chests aren't supposed to have that shape. #5 is currently draped over the pointy end of Dakkon's sword and #8 looks pretty hacked to bits by your own spiritual weapon and a few arrows. #2 appears to be bleeding out from the arrow wounds in his chest, might even have a puncture lung (judging from the position of the arrow), you don't know if there's enough left to save without closer examination. Much the same is true for #4, who's lying on his side where Dakkon left him after slashing him pretty good. #3 appears to have a bloody mace wound to his head, you'll have to get closer as well to see if he's alive or not. You can see Whisper covering #6 with his bow. The guy's not getting up, but still is very much alive. (let me know who you help, then we'll go through what you find)
Og will (finally) turn on #5: "You spill last of Og food! Og take yours." He then begins to yank at her pack (if she has one) and belt pouches. [spoiler]Og also mutters under his breath, during the rummaging, "Maybe Og eat you. Maybe not. Depend how hungry Og get." I suppose whether Dakkon hears or not is dependant on how good his ears are.....Og isn't trying to keep him from hearing, just kind of talking to himself.[/spoiler] Anything that's not obviously (or even remotely, judging by "breakfast") food, or a shiny (coins, shiny rocks, other sparklies) kind of just gets dumped on the ground during the rummaging. He'll also give the same treatment to #9.
"Very well," Whisper tells the man, "I will show you more mercy than you intended for us. But I warn you -- deal treacherously with us and I shall turn you over to yon ogrekin for his entertainment."
Whisper continues to cover him with an arrow as he lets that statement sink in.
"Lie down as best as you can. I will ask our healer to minister to you. Then I will be asking you some questions, and if I do not like the answers I will turn the questioning over to my large friend."
A smile crept across the sea elf's azure face, driving away the twisted grimace of rage that had gripped his visage since the battle began. However, after hearing Og's muttered statement, the smile was replaced by another twist, into disgust.
"Ogres..." Dakkon muttered to himself, shaking his head as he cleaned his blade on the cloak of his former enemy.
OOC: Dakkon will search the downed enemies for anything that looks useful or valuable, and then when the group is gathered in one place, he'll drop whatever he found out for them to inspect. After the searching though:
The prince walked slowly over to the woman that he had knocked unconscious, jerking her up with one hand, and smacking her hard with the flat of his free hand. When she regained consciousness (assuming she does) he locked his cobalt eyes onto hers and spoke slowly, evenly, saying, "Why did you attack us? Answer, or you shall join your companions in death."
Starbuck sighs at his companions' blunt tactics in interrogation.
It's like using Og's maul to perform chirurgy... he thinks to himself.
Once first aid has been administered and survivors brought to consciousess, Starbuck Rogers will approach them, singing a little ditty:
It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?
It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood,
A neighborly day for a beauty.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?
I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you.
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.
So, let's make the most of this beautiful day.
Since we're together we might as well say:
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?
Won't you please,
Won't you please?
Please won't you be... my neighbor?
Hi, Neighbor!
OOC: This rendition of "Starbuck Rogers' Neighborhood" embodies the use of bardic song to Fascinate the still-living enemies that are now out of the fight, and then put a Suggestion on them to be forthcoming with respect to our questions.
If Annia's wound looks fairly minor I'll use straight-forward Healing on it for now. I can always heal it later. I'll set Nathan to moving and laying out the frankly dead, encouraging him to supply any death rites he feels is apropriate.
As for the wounded, #7 and #9 I'll leave as the dead and "walking dead." Of the others, #2 and #8 look the worst-off-but-still-savable and I'll start with whomever is closest. As I move around I'll also do my best to give Og a glance. I know he took a couple of shots, but they don't seem to be bothering him too much. He'll get priority over the prisoners as soon as he shifts out of fight mode, though.
Og, you kind of "de-skewer" the body and begin to rummage. She's got a few shinys (about 5 gp woth of silver and copper, and a pair of brass hoop earrings in the pack) and about a human's day worth of rations among other personal effects. The other body doesn't offer much more (about 4 gp in coinage, equal rations, and a shiny pocket knife).
Whisper, the man gives a quick worried glace over at the looting Og at mention of the half-ogre, and nods that he understands. He leans his head back and relaxes a little.
Annia, Nathan bandages your wounds. They don't appear to be too serious, but they will hurt for a while.
Orloid, it doesn't take much to tell that #8 is pretty much gone now. Too much damage. By the time you reach #4, he's dead too. #2 however gurgles a little bit as he breathes so he's stilll lives. Getting the arrow out is probably the worst of it, luckily you have Nathan to assist. Luckily Og looks like while he may get a few additions to his scar collection, he isn't in any danger.
While the priests work, Dakkon starts to search the bodies. He notices that Daniel is doing much the same, claiming #1's crossbow and the bolts and her shortsword. (I'll list what you find in a bit)
Finally, the blue elf makes his way over to #1 who seems to be starting to wake up. He hauls her up by the front of her tunic and smacks her hard.
Why did you attack us? Answer, or you shall join your companions in death."
She glares back and spits at the blue elf and tries to break free of his grip, which doesn't work.
(Starbuck, gonna wait on your action just a little bit)
Whisper is going to quietly survey the scene. Tempted as he is to be actively doing something, he recognizes that his part is done for now. He does not want to leave his prisoner unattended to gather spoils. So he maintains a watchful eye, ready for any further trouble if need be.
His eyes narrow at Dakkon's treatment of the woman, but he says nothing. What manner of elf is this? he wonders.
"What is your name, man?" Whisper asks his prisoner quietly. As he examines the man, are there any distinguishing features, marks, badges, etc. that might give him a clue as to who these people are and why they attacked?
Oh, and I recall Swift to my side, assuming the falcon flew into a nearby tree to await me. Swift will assume his customary perch on Whisper's shoulder. (Thankfully the leather armor prevents his talons from digging into Whisper's flesh.)
"Johnas," the man replies in almost a whisper. "Why?" he asks without any sarcasm.
There's nothing really notable about Johnas now that you really study him. He's got about two-day's growth of a beard and hair that's dirty blond in color. His scale mail armor is serviceab;e, but far from Masterwork andhis clothes are simple and brown, except for the blue-grey piece of cloth he has tied around his head. He's not wearing an insignia of any kind, nor is he missing any limbs, digits, ears, etc.
EDIT: added description
"Names are important," Whisper replies vaguely. "I am called by some Hoi'ta'ainast; He That Stings. But it is actions which reveal who a being truly is."
Whisper pauses to let that sink in.
"Why did you attack us?"
So, I'll do what I can to stabilize #2 - a bit of field medicine. Again, strictly non-magical healing, but I'll expend a fair amount of effort and supplies if it will give him a decent chance to pull through. If Nathan isn't doing anything I'm sure I'll need his assistance. And I wasn't interested in looting the attackers so much as disarming them.
At some point I'm sure Daniel will wind up fairly near to me. I'll give him a smile and say, "That was a clever ruse you used to get Og into the fight. And effective."
[Benton, is Dakkon going to continue his line of questioning?]
Orloid, Nathan may not be as knowlegable as you at the healing arts, but he is good at taking orders. you see him wince once while you work, but for the most part he deals with it quite well.
As a matter of fact, after checking the other bodies, Daniel wanders over out of curiosity.
"That was a clever ruse you used to get Og into the fight. And effective."
"Well, guildmaster always said to improvise," he replies. "He was right."
BB, want to wait to see how something plays out before I continue your conversation.
OOC: Dakkon doesn't have the patience for this kind of questioning. He'll shove her down hard, search her for any weapons she might have hidden, and then gesture Starbuck or one of the others over, with a disgusted look. As the next person is taking over, he will say:
"Either you answer them, or I will see that you never speak again."
Whisper, Johnas is momentarily distracted by the scene of Dakkon's interogation. He hasn't answered your question yet.
Dakkon sends #1 sprawling on the ground and searches her. She is anything but helpful but Dakkon does manage to find a small knife hidden in her sleeve before she elbows him hard in the ribs.
He pushes away, leaving her on the ground and stalks off, leaving his threat hanging in the air.
And then, in contrast to what just happen, the gentle strains of music begin to play.
It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood...
Starbuck, the woman listens for a moment, and seems to relax a bit, but she's still regarding all of you warrily.
After Dakkon's treatment of the woman, Whisper decides that trying to question Johnas in a conversational manner is probably pointless. It's going to be nearly impossible to get Johnas to trust him now.
"Wait here," Whisper tells Johnas. "Do not attempt to rise. Our healers will attend you as soon as they are able."
Whisper puts up his bow and arrow and goes to retrieve Johnas' sword from wherever he threw it. Then he'll move about trying to collect/salvage arrows while keeping an eye on Johnas.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 28, 2007, 08:17:37 AM
"That was a clever ruse you used to get Og into the fight. And effective."
"Well, guildmaster always said to improvise," he replies. "He was right."
In much cooler tone I continue, "It was also a cheap and manipulative way to trick a simple-minded ally into risking his life for your benefit by preying on his insecurities. An ally who just hours ago had specifically expressed his willingness to protect you. Perhaps in the guild such behavior is considered acceptable, but I don't consider it any way acceptable. If you are not capable of acting in a respectful and trustworthy manner, we may need to reevaluate this fellowship."
Nathan and I will work to stabilize this one, before moving on to the next - probably the one Dakkon just got done "interviewing."
Daniel's smile evaporates in an instant. He gives a quick, nervous nod that he understands and backs away.
Orloid, the man you were working on is out of danger, but he won't be playing the piano again any time soon, if you know what I mean. The woman doesn't appear to be hurt more than a few bruises, but the man on the ground near Whisper has an arrow in his leg and his abdomen.
Og will dump both sets of rations into his pack (after a little bit of sniffing first, so he knows what he'll be drooling over later). All of the things pilled up on the side, he'll dump back into their packs (all in one, if it will fit without shoving & smooshing). Turning both bodies face up, he'll drag one next to the other, with identical head/feet orientation. He will then drop their packs on each of their torsos, and holding all the shineys in one hand, he'll grab the two middle legs of the four (so he's got one of each) in the other, and drag them over to where 4 & 7 are.
Walking over to where Orloid & Nathan are working on #2, he'll hold the full hand, open to display it's wares, out towards Orloid, "Og find shineys. Maybe use get more food for trip?" He will even go so far as to close his hand again, and turn it over, in a gesture that obviously conveys he's turning it all over to Orloid, if he didn't pick up on it the first time.
With a bit of a pleading look, he'll look at the two of them, and ask "Maybe take shooty stick out of Og?", turning the arrow-side of him towards them, lifting his arm. "Kind of get in way."
After all that business is dealt with, he'll head over to collect #'s 3 & 8, in the same fashion (but without the digging through of posessions), and drag them over with the rest.
Quote from: Panther_Gunn on September 28, 2007, 01:29:49 PM
Walking over to where Orloid & Nathan are working on #2, he'll hold the full hand, open to display it's wares, out towards Orloid, "Og find shineys. Maybe use get more food for trip?" He will even go so far as to close his hand again, and turn it over, in a gesture that obviously conveys he's turning it all over to Orloid, if he didn't pick up on it the first time.
"Um, thanks. Yes, that will be good for helping equip us," I say as I take the coins. I'll put them in an unused pouch in my bag so I can keep the "team" finances distinct from my own.
QuoteWith a bit of a pleading look, he'll look at the two of them, and ask "Maybe take shooty stick out of Og?", turning the arrow-side of him towards them, lifting his arm. "Kind of get in way."
"Og! Next time, say something right away! You shouldn't have to walk around with an arrow poking out of you! Sit! Sit!"
I gather stuff for the extraction, as well as bandages and etc. I really hope the arrow isn't barbed . . .
"OK, Og, take a deep breath - pulling this out will hurt"
And again, as long as his injuries turn out to be fairly minor and straight forward I'll just stick with mundane healing for the time being. I'll also do a quick once-over and treat the other dings he picked up along the way.
And as soon as he gets patched up let's see if we can do something about the man Starbuck is serenading . . .
OOG: Just to clarify (because it's starting to confuse me too)
#1 - arrow graze and mildly bruised, was being interrogated by Dakkon
#2 - arrow wounds, stabilized by Orloid
#3 - head trauma, I don't think anyone's really looked at him
#4 - dead (sword wound)
#5 - dead (skewered towards end of battle)
#6 - two arrow wounds, but still alive (near Whisper)
#7 - VERY dead (maul + crossbow)
#8 - dead (arrows # spiritual weapon)
#9 - dead (maul to ribcage)
Which looks to be worse off between #3 and #6? In fact, #6 is conscious and talking while #3 isn't - so #3 gets my priority at this point. Although, with head wounds there's not much one can do. Either he'll wake up or he won't, but I should at least get an idea of how badly he's hurt.
Og's appears to be used to dealing with such injuries. You may need to close up the hole but you're pretty sure the hlf-orgre is going to live.
#3's got a lot of blood from the wound but the bone underneath feels intact. It's hard to tell the extent of the cranial injury until if and when he wakes up with the technology (or lack thereof) available.
Og begins to drag bodies into a nice neat row.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on September 30, 2007, 06:00:51 PM
#3's got a lot of blood from the wound but the bone underneath feels intact. It's hard to tell the extent of the cranial injury until if and when he wakes up with the technology (or lack thereof) available.
If he's breathing OK then he could well just be unconscious. I'll bandage his head and move on to #6.
{sigh} Since it seems no one else wants to question the woman (#1), Whisper will leave off his arrow-gathering and approach her. He's still carrying Johnas' sword, unsheathed, in case she gets any notion of trying a suicide attack.
"What is your name, woman?" he asks in a neutral tone.
The woman's eyes flicker up at Whisper and look away again angrily. "Nina" she mumbles without looking up again.
Starbuck, seeing that the woman is only being "neighborly" by a great stretch of the imagination, ponders whether he needs to switch gears to an even more intensive song.
He begins to strum, but not sing, a melody that suggests the lyrics of a certain children's song...
I love you...
You love me...
We're all one big family...
"Nina, then. It was my arrow which thwarted your assassination attempt. Why did you attack us? We have done nothing worthy of death."
As the melodic* strains of the new tune trip lightly of the tallented tongue of the bard,
Nina looks at Whisper as if he's either crazy or a fool.
"What are you, his gang?" she grumbles.
(* - and not demonic as the song choice may suggest)
Quote from: Glitch Girl on October 01, 2007, 01:33:48 PM
"What are you, his gang?" she grumbles.
"I do not believe you are in a position to be asking the questions," Whisper replies, raising the sword casually to point at her. "I do not believe in good fortune, but if I did I would advise you to count yours. You live. That is all you need to know. I, on the other hand, require more information. Again, why did you attack us?"
Alert for treachery, Whisper is set to Dodge her if she attacks. Meanwhile, he is going to back her up against a tree at swordpoint. If she decides to skewer herself, he'll get over it.
Nina watches the sword warrily. She nods her head towards Daniel.
"Him. We're after the bounty on his head. They said he was traveling alone," she adds darkly.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on October 01, 2007, 01:58:08 PM
Nina watches the sword warrily. She nods her head towards Daniel.
"Him. We're after the bounty on his head. They said he was traveling alone," she adds darkly.
"And how much blood money did you stand to collect?"
Nina debates the merits of keeping quiet and the sword a few feet from her head.
"600 gold," she mumbles at last.
Daniel looks surprised. He silently mouths "600 gold?"
Orloid, you and Nathan finish bandaging #3 and move on to #6. He's looking pretty grey and there's blood oozing out from both arrow wounds, but somehow he's still awake. He looks up as you approach him, but otherwise he doesn't move.
What are the rest of you doing?
"For someone who was looking at the back of his head, you seem very confident you have the right fellow," Whisper remarks coolly, not taking his eyes off Nina.
Whisper shrugs out of his backpack, smoothly transferring the sword from hand to hand and lowering the pack to the ground with one hand.
"Get a length of rope out of my pack and tie her to the tree," Whisper says. "I do not know yet what we are going to do with her, but best to have her secure for the time being."
OOC: Dakkon is scouting the nearby area for any other enemies, only going a short way from the site of the battle. After that, he's going to stand watch over his companions.
After piling up the bodies, Og ambles over to where Whisper is questioning Nina, standing next to her.
*sniff sniff, sniff sniff* "She have food? Og kinda hungry." *sniff sniff* "Smell good." Og licks his lips in anticipation.
Whisper isn't doing anything else until the woman is tied to a tree. He wants to talk with the others and he wants to do it out of earshot of hostiles.
Quote from: Glitch Girl on October 02, 2007, 06:54:08 AM
Orloid, you and Nathan finish bandaging #3 and move on to #6. He's looking pretty grey and there's blood oozing out from both arrow wounds, but somehow he's still awake. He looks up as you approach him, but otherwise he doesn't move.
"This one looks more serious, Nathan. Do you have a light prayer of healing left in you yet?" (If so: "Wait until I remove the arrow from his gut. It could very well be tamponading a vessel or ruptured bowel. I have no interest in seeing this man hale and healthy when we're done, but neither do I want him to die needlessly. Just beg your Lord for enough grace to keep him among the living." I then set about removing the gut shot, ready to hold any spewing vessels or bowel until Nathan can do his thing.
annia moves to tie the prisoner to the tree, seeing no one else available to do so.
OOC: Thanks! I had thought Daniel would do the tying, but I'll take whatever help I can get!
Between Daniel and Annia, you manage to secure Nina to a nearby tree. Shortly thereafter, Og wanders over to her and starts sniffing.
"She have food? Og kinda hungry." *sniff sniff* "Smell good."
Nina tries to back away, but since she's attached to the tree, she isn't able to make any headway.
Nathan tell Orloid, "I'll see what I can do." He mutters a soft prayer as the elven priest removes the arrow in his main body. Johnas cries out in pain and the wound starts bleeding heavier just as Nathan finishes his invocation and lays hands on the man's side.
Dakkon, you pace the perimiter. There's no sign of anyone else, just the traces and tracks left from this group if you're any judge.
Whisper beckons Annia, Og, Daniel, Starbuck, and Dakkon to join him in a spot where he judges that low conversation would not be overheard by Nina or any other enemy who's conscious. The priests are still engaged in their healing, but when they are done Whisper will motion them over also.
Once he has a majority gathered, Whisper says, "We need to discuss what to do with our captives and what this bounty on Daniel's head means for our quest. This area around Oakenhold is too dangerous for us to linger in, and you can be sure that Stuarton will be as much or more dangerous before very long. Daniel, you will need to alter your appearance somehow. Drastically, I am afraid. I would suggest disguising you as a monk."
OOC: Dakkon will give up his vigil and join Whisper in his discussion. However, I can't think of anything pertinent to say, so....he'll just remain quiet.
i say we take everything of use that they have, leave them all but naked, and let them find their own way out of the forest.
"...Daniel, you will need to alter your appearance somehow. Drastically, I am afraid. I would suggest disguising you as a monk."
"A monk?" asks Daniel. "You mean like shave-your-head-scratchy-robes-and-lots-of-muttering monk?" His lip curls a little bit in disgust, but as he takes a quick glance at the rest of you, he adds "Um, I can do monk, sure thing," and smiles. Or tries to. It looks pretty forced.
Orloid, Nathan's healing magic seems to have mended the worst of the hole. It' still oozing a bit, but it doesn't look as angry as it did a moment ago. Somewhere in the course of your ministerings, Johnas finally passes out, but you're pretty sure he'll wake up again later.
"Og say take food, take shineys. Maybe take swords & other pokey things. Tie together so walk slow. Maybe put sack over leader head, make harder get back to town. Maybe take other stuff thems have us need for trip. Tell them tell others next ones not be so lucky." His eyes roll up into his head a bit, signifying deep thought. "....hmmmmmm........them get back.....them tell what us look like. Og and blue elf kind of hard to miss. Even more people come, maybe have magic people, too. No, that not good plan. Maybe not let them go at all. Tie up in secret place, maybe elfy-man tell friend where, come get in some days, when we gone. ^_^ Yes, that *good* plan." :D
With the last attacker dealt with, I wander over to the group. "Og is right, Our biggest problem right now is that the survivors now know that Daniel is traveling in a large, well armed and dangerous group. The next attempt would be much more likely to succeed. I hope that by leaving them injured it would slow down their return. Really, only this woman," indicating the woman tied to the tree, "is in any shape to travel at all. If we had any confidence at all she wold stick with her companions we might leave them here and beat them to Oakenhold and be gone. Might."
Starbuck sighs in theatrical fashion. "Ah, the age-old question of how to ethically deal with prisoners, lest they bring further wrath upon us."
He looks back to the bound prisoners. "We might consider the possibility that these are independent bounty hunters, as opposed to sworn liegemen of Lord Niles. In which case, it may be possible to cut a deal with the survivors."
"At the very least, I propose first asking them as much. It seems that we will be able to... resupply ourselves from their erstwhile companions. If, however, the survivors are independent agents, they may be willing to leave and 'forget' about us if they retain their own equipment. Not every prisoner need be turned into a foe forever swearing blood vengeance, after all."
"This is sound council," the sea elf replied.
"And who among us has 600 gold for ransom?" Whisper says. "Even supposing we could pay off this lot, what for the other bounty hunters who will surely follow? No, we must leave this area as soon as we can. Make for Stuarton and hope that word of the bounty has not yet reached many of the rabble there. Then swiftly out into the wilderness where few would dare pursue. Recover the artifact and retreat to a place of safety, perhaps the Elven realms."
"As far as our captives are concerned, there is no way we can trust them and no way we can take them with us. Still, I cannot bring myself to advocate hanging for a crime they failed to commit. Leave them and flee. They cannot travel far or quickly in their condition. To insure that, we might take their boots as spoil. They will not move quickly barefoot."
"One more thing we might do. I have tried to plant a seed of doubt that they found the right person. The young thief looks like an average human to my eye and his description might fit many. Let us not admit to anything, nor share any names beyond what they have heard already."
"That is my council, but it is not only my own life at risk. Let the group decide."
Quote from: BlueBard on October 04, 2007, 10:44:34 AM
"As far as our captives are concerned, there is no way we can trust them and no way we can take them with us. Still, I cannot bring myself to advocate hanging for a crime they failed to commit. Leave them and flee. They cannot travel far or quickly in their condition. To insure that, we might take their boots as spoil. They will not move quickly barefoot."
"One more thing we might do. I have tried to plant a seed of doubt that they found the right person. The young thief looks like an average human to my eye and his description might fit many. Let us not admit to anything, nor share any names beyond what they have heard already."
"That is my council, but it is not only my own life at risk. Let the group decide."
"What crime where they about to commit? Collecting a bounty? That is no crime if it is a legal bounty. Given the status of this lord, I have every certainty that there is a legal bounty on Daniel's head, and "dead or alive" is certainly a permisable condition for apprehension. If anything, we are the criminals for aiding a fugative.
"Be that as it may, I agree that leaving them bootless would slow their travel, although as I noted, only one of them is likely to be traveling any time soon. That man," I indicate the man with the gut wound,"is by no means out of the woods. No pun intended. He could still very well die even with compitent medical care. If we abandon him here with no chance to return to town we will essentially be murdering him. Likewise for the head wound.
"I would hope that by treating the survivors and dealing with them without vengence or malice we may yet garner enough good will to convince them to lie low for a while. We would certainly be acting within our rights as both the potential victims and the victors in this battle to kill them all. Six hundered gold against their lives is really a pretty good bargain when considered in this light."
"'Tis not a matter of paying 600 gold for ransom, as Orloid has pointed out. They attempted to collect a bounty. They failed. I doubt that they'd try again for that sum, or even several higher ones."
Starbuck pauses for emphasis. "What they may decide upon, if treated poorly and left alive, is that they have a personal grudge against us. Hence, my thoughts towards not leaving the survivors with less than what they started this foray with. Simply making the offer to them should provoke a reaction. Perhaps those wisest in reading said reactions might expound on whether they are likely to honor such a proposed deal?"
(OOG: If anybody has the Sense Motive skill, like Starbuck, that's a possible means of seeing whether they lie or tell the truth when asked if they'll leave us alone and not spread word of our appearance and company.)
"Not only did they fail, they lost over half their party. I say leave the survivors with their lives, equipement and what dignity they can salvage from their defeat in exchange for their word drop their persuit of the bounty and to speak to no one of their expriences here. If they can convince me that they are sincere, and I am a very good judge of character on several levels, I might even see to it that their injured are well enough to travel. Slowly.
"I also think it goes without saying that we should bypass Oakenhold entirely. With the loot from the dead we can at least partially equip Nathan and Daniel. We can also make a point to purchase what we can of food, pack animals or other equipement from any free holders we might pass. As Whisper has said, time is not now our ally."
GM:[spoiler] I know I haven't interacted with any of them yet, but any idea how they might react to such a proposal? Are they simply bounty-hunting scum who joined together ad hoc to get what ever they can, or do they look like a more coherent group with some obligation to one another and perhaps some scruples?[/spoiler]
i'm not sure i feel comfortable leaveing our supplies to the whims of homesteaders and the like, most have little enough to sustain themselves, let alone to spare to provision as large a group as ourselves. besides, we might find information in oakenhold that could be critical to our quest, such as rumors of troop movments going towards the area we intend to travel to.
QuoteGM:[spoiler] I know I haven't interacted with any of them yet, but any idea how they might react to such a proposal? Are they simply bounty-hunting scum who joined together ad hoc to get what ever they can, or do they look like a more coherent group with some obligation to one another and perhaps some scruples?[/spoiler]
Orloid
[spoiler]Honestly, it's hard to tell. The one's you've interacted with have been unconscious, and the interaction with the woman, Dakkon, and later Whisper haven't said much (you didn't hear much of Whisper and Johnas' conversation unforunately, you were busy tending to wounds and getting Nathan to assist). Their gear appears to be in reasonably good repair though not top of the line, and judging from the fight, a few of them have had some form of formal training. Beyond that, no idea[/spoiler]
BTW: While you're all debating what to do with this bunch, the one with the head wound starts to move.
"No. Going into Oakenhold at this time, where our charge is known, is madness. Even staying in this area is folly. Killing these mercenaries to keep them from bearing tales is pointless and I will not be a party to it. It is time we break council and get moving. Quickly."
Whisper turns to Daniel.
"Well, it is your life at stake. Stay or flee? What do you wish to do?"
GM: Assuming we loot only the dead, what kind of stuff are we looking at in goods and coin. Any food?
Starbuck nods at Whisper's commentary on breaking council and moving forward. Thus, Starbuck casually walks over to where the two fully conscious prisoners are tied up. (For the moment, leaving matters of the one with the head wound to his companions.)
"So," he says to the prisoners with a small smile, "we've arrived at the crossroads of deciding what to do with you. We'd really prefer not to be cold-blooded killers. We're hoping you can help us out with that."
He nods his head over to where his companions are still in debate.
"I'm of a mind to argue that you and any other survivors of this unfortunate misunderstanding be allowed to leave peaceably, with your possessions, provided that you agree to not tell anyone what you've found out here, and don't seek to make another attempt on us. The deceased, I'm afraid, are busy having their possessions divided amongst my traveling companions. But if you agree not to sell us out, you at least can walk away with what you started with."
He looks levelly at the two prisoners.
"I assure you, that's the best offer you're going to get from this group. The options go pretty sharply downhill from there. Trust me - you don't want to know what the half-ogre has suggested."
GM:
[spoiler]I'll attempt to gauge their sincerity of their response. I've also tried to be sufficiently verbose so that if anyone else from the party is interested, they'll have a chance to see Starbuck talking and gauge our prisoners' reactions as well.[/spoiler]
OOG: Unless I'm missing something, there's only one bound and alert prisioner, the woman. The other three survivors are out cold and have been treated for various wounds. I'm going to asume Starbuck is talking to her.
Orloid, real quick what you found on the attackers (dead and still alive) include: about 20 gold 5 silver in various coinage, four swords of average quality, three of poor quality, three bows average quality, a crossbow of average quality (which Daniel seems to have claimed), three quivers of arrows totalling 47 arrows, one quiver of crossbow bolts numbering 16, several suits of scale mail of below average quality and now damaged, several suits of leather armor average quality, some knives, four rolled up scrolls of parchment, a set of keys, a simple ring of tarnished gold, a rabbit's foot, rations for about 25-30 days (roughly 3 days per person, includes what Og took), extra clothes, and assorted other personal belongings.
Whisper, Daniel thinks a moment. "If they came from Oakenhold, then probably the whole town is looking for me. I think... I think I want to press on. We can use some of those supplies, right?" he asks indicating the stuff looted from the attackers. "That should get us there, right?"
Starbuck, the woman narrows her eyes at you suspiciously. "So you let us go, if we pretend this never happened?" She doesn't look like she believes you.
OOG: What happened to Johnas, the guy Whisper was questioning before he came to question Nina? I believe I'm confused on this point.
**************
Back In Game:
Starbuck rolls his eyes. "I do believe this is the first time that a prisoner rejected an offer as being too generous to be believed," her remarks with some slight sarcasm.
"Nevertheless, the offer is meant to be a genuine one. On the one hand, if we executed you and the remainder of your companions that we finish healing, it would ensure your silence on the matter. But, if we let you go, and you honor the terms of the agreement, then we both have reason to trust each other just a little bit more, should we ever meet again."
Starbuck shrugs. "I'm a bard. We tend to be willing to gamble on ridiculous chances like that."
OOC: If Dakkon can hear Starbuck's conversation he's going to say this over his shoulder, rather offhanded.
"Well, we could simply cut their throats if they would prefer," the sea elf said evenly.
I give Nathan a nod to indicate that he should go tend to the man with the head wound. Assuming he does so I'll turn to the woman. "I've given your compatriots my best efforts at healing with little consideration for your ambush on us. With continued care and a touch of grace they will recover. Despite what my companion says," I wave in Dakkon's direction "we bear you no specific ill will. But we would be well within our rights to be finished with you. Our offer is genuine. And generous. Our mercy in exchange for your discretion. What have you?"
GM: [spoiler]I've got a decent Negotiator, and I'll use Sense Motive if applicable. Sometime before we wrap up negotiations I want to hit her with Detect Lies when she is actually accepting our proposal.[/spoiler]
OOC: Whisper still has possession of Johnas's sword at this point.
Whisper nods at Daniel's statement.
"Daniel and I are leaving momentarily. You are all welcome to come with us."
Considering the debate over with, Whisper walks away and joins Starbuck. "We leave shortly. Do we need to leave the woman for the wolves, or do we have an understanding?"
OOG: Viking, Johnas passed out while getting treated, shortly after the arrow was pulled out. He's not real talkative at the moment.
Starbuck continues to bargain with the prisoner.
"...I'm a bard. We tend to be willing to gamble on ridiculous chances like that."
She starts to say something when Dakkon adds "Well, we could simply cut their throats if they would prefer."
"And you wonder why I don't believe you," she sneers back.
Orloid enters the conversation at this point. "I've given your compatriots my best efforts at healing with little consideration for your ambush on us. With continued care and a touch of grace they will recover."
She looks around as best she can while still attached to the tree.
Despite what my companion says, we bear you no specific ill will. But we would be well within our rights to be finished with you. Our offer is genuine. And generous. Our mercy in exchange for your discretion. What have you?"
She looks unsure, like she's still trying to figure you guys out.
Finally she says, "All right. You go, and I swear, we don't try to follow you and this never happened.
Orloid
[spoiler]While she was mulling it over, you noticed she keeps looking towards Johnas. You'd think she was looking for advice or something, judging from her expression, but since he's incommunicado and she knows it, the look doesn't last long. ALl other signs say she's telling you the truth.[/spoiler]
Whisper annouces his intensions to leave, what do the rest of you do?
Quote from: Glitch Girl on October 09, 2007, 05:52:09 PM
She looks unsure, like she's still trying to figure you guys out.
Finally she says, "All right. You go, and I swear, we don't try to follow you and this never happened.
"Will your fellows stand by your bargain?"
GM:[spoiler]Keep reading her as she gives her answer to this. Also, Dakkon seems the most blood thirsty of the lot. What is my read on
him? Is he likely to abide by the agreement? I'm not sure how you'd arbitrate this - roll and tell him if he can PM me truth or lies? Ask him and pass along what you think is appropriate? I'll leave it to you to decide.[/spoiler]
Clarification: Whisper did NOT mention Daniel's name within earshot of Nina. Our pow-pow was supposed to be a ways off from her. But the conversation's gotten a bit mixed up. Substitute 'young thief' for 'Daniel' if need be.
Whisper goes over to the pile o' loot. He refills his quiver (20 arrows) and then partly fills another (10 arrows) and takes those. He examines the rolled up scrolls of parchment more closely.
"Will your fellows stand by your bargain?"
Nina pauses a moment, then nods. "Yes."
Orloid[spoiler]
She glanced at one of the dead bodies before she answered you, one of the rougher looking members of her group. You get the impression that since he's no longer with us, she can make that pledge[/spoiler]
Whisper
[spoiler]
The parchments are all wanted posters and contracts for missing criminals. Among the scrolls you find a wanted poster for Daniel Midas wanted for murder of Lord Edgar, cousin of Lord Niles. It also mentions in slightly smaller print he's wanted for the murder of two guards and a servant as well as theft, all of which earns him a 600 gold bounty[/spoiler]
OOC: Hmm....once again, I feel like poor Dakkon's actions have been misconstrued! Haha, oh well. For anyone who tries to *read* him and succeeds, here you go:
[spoiler]Dakkon is desperate to get back home, and won't let ANYTHING stand in the way of that. However, he is generally a good hearted man, and not inclined to be vicious. In this particular encounter, he has been mostly just playing "bad cop."[/spoiler]
Quote from: Glitch Girl on October 10, 2007, 08:33:50 AM
"Will your fellows stand by your bargain?"
Nina pauses a moment, then nods. "Yes."
"Good. We'll take that as your parole then" Turning to Starbuck I ask, "Would you be willing to assist her in caring for her survivors while I see to the man with the head wound? We should be going as quickly as we can after that."
I'll head over to check on the man and Nathan, motioning Daniel over as I do so.
Starbuck shrugs. "I'm no healer, but I can certainly provide an extra set of hands, as well as lift and carry. Naturally, I can sing songs, though I doubt that 'Clot, clot, clot the blood, in your arteries' will have much of an effect."
Nina is still tied to the tree, are one of you freeing her?
Orloid, the man with the head injury is trying to get up but he seems to be having trouble, like he's disoriented. Nathan immediately comes over to help with Daniel trailing behind.
Starbuck makes use of the offer of his two hands, and sets to freeing Nina.
I'll rush over and gently help him into a sitting position. Speaking in reassuring tones I say, "Calmly, calmly. The fight is over and you are in no danger." I'll repeat this until I get through and he calms down.
I want to give him a quick assessment, make sure he's not too injured (simultaneously checking to make sure that he is as injured as he appears to be), and treating as needed.
Meanwhile, speaking to Nathan - "Equip yourself as well as you can from the spoils. Also, would you take a bag and collect all the rations, leaving them 2-3 days per survivor. And no 'aquiring' from the survivors," I add with a grin.
Starbuck unties Nina. She watches you cautiously, but she doesn't bolt or attack and mutters a quick "thanks" when you're done.
Orloid, Nathan nods and says "I think I might have an extra bag in my pack. Let me look."
Daniel gives you an annoyed frown and begrudgingly says "All right, no 'aquiring'." He goes off to help Nathan.
The man has one hand over his eyes and is swaying. "Why'zeverthing spinning?" he kind of slurs.
I know I keep saying this, but what are the rest of you doing (Og, Annia, and Dakkon) ?
OOC: Dakkon is preparing to travel again, and remaining aloof from the prisoners.
GM: Does the poster have Daniel's likeness drawn on it, or merely a description? If there is a likeness, how good is it? The other scrolls he will return to the bounty hunters, but this one he will keep for now, folding it up and shoving it in his pouch.
Whisper will return Johnas' sword to its' scabbard. Then he will return to where Nina is.
"I am pleased that we may part without further bloodshed," he tells her. "You do not trust us overmuch, nor do we have full confidence in you. Yet I will tell you that all is not as it seems. The plans of this Lord Niles do not bode well for any of us, yourselves included. Anyone who would secretly employ goblinkin is far more unworthy than any thief. My companions and I have spared your lives this day though it were safer for us all if we had not. Therefore trust me when I tell you that Lord Niles is not to be trusted," he says with a measured gaze into her eyes, with faint hope that his words will strike a chord.
Dakkon is able to gether his things no problem without dealing with the defeated.
Whisper
[spoiler]there's a poor quality image printed on there (looks like the plate was carved in a hurry) and while you can sort of see a resemblance, it's not a great one. There's a written description included as well[/spoiler]
Nina gazes back at Whisper. "We don't trust anyone," she answers coldly. "Not even the ones who pay."
Whisper cooly stares back at Nina.
"Then we have an understanding of sorts, strained though it may be. Do not attempt to leave until we depart from here and do not attempt to follow us. I will be watching for that, and my bow will be waiting," he warns her without any display of emotion.
He turns aside without waiting for her response and joins Daniel. "Gather your things and let us depart," he tells the group.
Whisper will lead the group toward a river or stream, taking care to watch behind for anyone trying to trail them. He will try to make the trail difficult to follow (Survival/Tracking skills). He will periodically scatter dead leaves and other debris, or sweep their tracks with a leafy branch to obscure their backtrail. He will be looking for opportunities to set false trails, like leaving smudged footprints or bits of cloth or thread snagged on thorn bushes away from our actual path. He also wants to set woodland traps along the way to discourage anyone who might follow.
These are the kinds of traps he might set (using Survival/Rope Use skills):
- Snare: Non-lethal, but disabling and embarrassing to anyone caught up by one.
- Clothesline Branch: Tripwire to release a bent branch at the right height to strike a human in the head. Probably not lethal, though he could add a sharpened stake to impale someone.
- Sharpened Stakes: Tripwire meant to make someone fall into sharpened stakes stuck into the ground and covered over by leaves.
- Insect Nest: Causes beehive or hornet's nest to fall on/smash into the victim.
This will slow the group's progress somewhat, but Whisper wants to try to disguise Daniel before they get anywhere near another town anyway.
Wholp - looks like we're leaving. I give my patient one last look-over, pack up my remaining things and head out. I'll pass by the pile of loot and make sure we have all the food (but what we were leaving for the bounty hunters), but I don't really need anything else they have.
Annia makes ready to leave, appropriateing her share of food from that taken. she prefers to carry her own equipment and provisions whenever possible.
Nina cautiously moves over to check on her ally with the head wound. She does nothing to stop any of you from packing and leaving, but does keep an eye on you all as she talks softly to the injoured man.
Unless someone does something special, I'm going to asume that all of you pack and leave and continue traveling. Correct?
Starbuck collects his original crossbow from Daniel, since Daniel has since appropriated a replacement, and joins his companions in travel.
"What is our new destination?" he asks softly. "Do we proceed to Stuarton, a reputed haven of thugs and thieves? (My apologies to Daniel, who I in no way wish to include in that categorization, incidentally!) That is nominally in the same direction as our ultimate destination, should we wish to obtain a pack animal of some sort, or any other equipment. Or, if everyone feels sufficiently hardy, we could forego Stuarton and proceed directly to the tomb. I can see arguments for either destination."
Do we have any idea if Daniel will be a liability in Staunton? I think we could probably make our way directly to the Tomb, although we might want for a few more things - lanterns, rope, etc. I say we see what we can procure as we travel* and wait to decide on Staunton for a while.
*Assuming that for a while at least the routes are the same.
QuoteUnless someone does something special, I'm going to asume that all of you pack and leave and continue traveling. Correct?
Correct. Unless something else happens, Whisper will follow my stated intentions. If he doesn't specifically know where a river is along their path, he will divert to where he thinks a river or stream should be based on his knowledge of the region (knowledge:geography). If the party has to camp out a night, so be it.
Quote from: Viking on October 15, 2007, 07:18:46 AM
Starbuck collects his original crossbow from Daniel, since Daniel has since appropriated a replacement, and joins his companions in travel.
"What is our new destination?" he asks softly. "Do we proceed to Stuarton, a reputed haven of thugs and thieves? (My apologies to Daniel, who I in no way wish to include in that categorization, incidentally!) That is nominally in the same direction as our ultimate destination, should we wish to obtain a pack animal of some sort, or any other equipment. Or, if everyone feels sufficiently hardy, we could forego Stuarton and proceed directly to the tomb. I can see arguments for either destination."
"It is my feeling we should tread carefully," Whisper replies softly as they move away. "Stuarton is a risk, but so is failing our quest. We must change Daniel's appearance, and by no means should he or Dakkon enter Stuarton. Daniel for obvious reasons and Dakkon because he is too identifiable. We should obtain what supplies we can. I can not hope to sustain a party this size by hunting in such a desolate place as our destination. Our path to Stuarton will be circumspect. I wish to obscure our trail to throw off any pursuit. I do not trust those bounty hunters to keep silent."
I'll consider the conversation continuing as y'all travel onwards. Behind you, Nina is talking in hushed tones to the man with the head wound. She keeps looking at you as you finally depart.
i doubt her companions will be in any shape to allow them to persue, and any attack she might try on her own would be tantamount to suicide. we have little to fear from them for the forseeable future.
"Yet they have information that would be dangerous in the hands of Lord Niles' minions and hired bounty hunters. Do not underestimate the damage they can do."
"But... we helped them, even after they attacked us. Why would..?" Nathan trails off.
"Welcome to the real world," mutters Daniel.
[FYI: the rest of your travel is basically uneventful, minus various forrays into figuring out ways to keep the half-ogre from snoring (which miraculously Nathan sleeps through every time). During your first day of travel, Whisper vanishes into the woods for extended periods of time, only to catch up again later. You think he may be setting those traps he mentioned. Your path is not one commonly used by travelers so anyone sharing your route is easily avoided (especially since none of them are trying to ambush you.
After several days, the mountains you seek loom before you and smoke from Stuarton is only about a mile away. What do you do?]
OOC: I suppose Dakkon, as has been mentioned several times, is a bit too conspicuous to stroll into town. ;) He'll wait in a secluded camp along with Daniel, keeping a close eye on our young thief and a weather eye out for trouble.
Starbuck volunteers to be amongst those traveling into Stuarton to make purchases.
I'm willing to go in, too. Although I suspect we'd be better off letting Starbuck handle the haggling. What are our resources and what is our wish list?
GM: How much did we collect in loot from the bounty hunters? It was posted somewhere but I just can't find it . . .
Our spoils of battle:
QuoteOrloid, real quick what you found on the attackers (dead and still alive) include: about 20 gold 5 silver in various coinage, four swords of average quality, three of poor quality, three bows average quality, a crossbow of average quality (which Daniel seems to have claimed), three quivers of arrows totalling 47 arrows, one quiver of crossbow bolts numbering 16, several suits of scale mail of below average quality and now damaged, several suits of leather armor average quality, some knives, four rolled up scrolls of parchment, a set of keys, a simple ring of tarnished gold, a rabbit's foot, rations for about 25-30 days (roughly 3 days per person, includes what Og took), extra clothes, and assorted other personal belongings.
Whisper turns to Daniel.
"Well, then... are you ready to join a monastic order? We'll need to disguise you as a monk. If we can put you in plain robes, that would help. We should be able to give you a tonsure haircut that will pass casual inspection. And if you remain silent when strangers are near, we can explain that as a vow of silence for extra authenticity."
OOG: Okay, is anyone staying in camp? I see Dakkon is volunteering to stay, Whisper, Starbuck, and Orloid are going. What about the rest of you?
Daniel winces as the mention of the haircut. "Uh.. yeah I guess. You sure we have to do the haircut?"
"It is a common practice," says Nathan sagely.
"But if I have a hood on, noone's going to see, right?"
Quote from: Glitch Girl on October 18, 2007, 07:09:53 AM
OOG: Okay, is anyone staying in camp? I see Dakkon is volunteering to stay, Whisper, Starbuck, and Orloid are going. What about the rest of you?
Daniel winces as the mention of the haircut. "Uh.. yeah I guess. You sure we have to do the haircut?"
"It is a common practice," says Nathan sagely.
"But if I have a hood on, noone's going to see, right?"
"And if you are ordered to remove the hood at the point of a crossbow? What then?" Whisper counters.
Whisper will stay in camp with Dakkon and Daniel. He will also spend some time attempting to set up non-lethal traps (such as snares and tripwires) around the perimeter, and will advise the others of his intent before they leave. Once that's done, he'll prowl the vicinity looking for intruders.
GM: Did we get enough rest to refresh spell memorization, or am I hosed?
"Then I'm probably already more trouble than a haircut can fix," Daniel shrugs. "But if you're SURE, I guess... I guess I'll do it."
"It'll grow back eventually," Nathan addds helpfully.
Daniel doesn't reply.
Whisper: it's been a few days or so, you've got your spells back.
We still need to decide on a shopping list.
I see that we need
Rope
Arrows
Quarrells
food
torches/latern
oil
pack animal?
fodder?
rain/cold weather gear?
I'll want additional supplies for healing
Does Daniel have all the, um, "tools of his trade"?
Making changes in spell memorization for the duration of the wilderness journey:
[spoiler]
Ranger1- Alarm
Wizard0- Detect Magic(x2), Message(x2)
wizard1- Shield, Magic Missile(x2)
wizard2- Sleep(Silent), Web
Note that Sleep is taking a level 2 slot because Whisper is using the Silent Spell feat (no verbal component).[/spoiler]
Starbuck listens to Orloid's proposed shopping list, and starts prioritizing the purchases:
1) Extra food so that we're sufficiently provisioned
2) Sources of light - e.g., torches and oil
3) Additional healing supplies
4) Tools for Daniel, if necessary
5) Additional clothing
6) A pack animal and sufficient feed for it
7) Quarrels
8) Rope
9) Arrows
Starbuck notes that we've collected a fair supply of arrows from our last battle, along with some quarrels, and that we should still have some rope that was used to bind our prisoners. Starbuck also has his own rope for climbing.
To our skilled ranger, he asks, "What do you make of the coming weather? Is there any clothing we should purchase in bulk for our party?"
GM:
[spoiler]Whisper will attempt a Survival check to predict the weather.
Failing that he will call the Psychic Hotline, supposing them to be at least as reliable as Ye Olde Meteorologist of the Realm.[/spoiler]
What is the terrain like where we are supposed to be heading? Any specific weather or climatic considerations?
Most of Daniel's "tools of the trade" were lost somewhere during his flight. He's got a few picks (which he was reluctant to reveal initially) that were hidden in some pockets in his clothes. Climbing gear and heavier items are long gone though.
You look up at the sky and study the wind and general conditions. Looks like there might be some more rain coming your way in about a day or less. Weather continues cool with a nightly low of... wait sorry, channeling the weather channel. At any rate, it'll be cool and you might be in for some rain.
Stuarton isn't far. There's some thick tree growth between you and it cut through by a somewhat worn road in ill repair. The smoky haze of cookfires and smithy and other burning flames hangs over the town surrounded by a thick wooden fence as you'd see around a fort. It is in ill repair as well. Beyond it, the mountains rise up in rocky slopes that get more baren the higher they go. You also think you see a small light or two about a mile or more up the mountain side, possibly from a campfire.
annia will remain in camp, since her ranged magic will be useful in keeping away any individual or smaller group that might want to try and attack them. she feels that she is sufficiently equipped for the coming journey, and requires no special equipment or items for her magic.
[Og, you doing anything? If I don't hear something shortly I'm going to assume you stay in camp]
Okay, looks like the ones going into town will be Starbuck, Nathan, and Orloid. The rest of you are staying back at camp.
Orloid, Starbuck:
You approach the gates of Stuarton. There appear to be some guards on either side of the gate, but they have the lazy stance of someone not paid enough to care. Past them, you can see the inner workings of the town, which doesn't look much more inviting than it did from outside. While not necessarily "dirty" there is a layer of "grunginess" about everything, even the people.
As you start to pass through the gate, one of the guards says in a bored voice "Halt state your business."
Starbuck gives a flat, matter-of-fact delivery. "Purchasing supplies," he answers.
The guard looks at all three of you, gives a half-hearted shrug and waves you through.
Welcome to Staurton: a wretched hive of scum and villainy. You can see an inn near the entrance and a tavern, and you think you may see signs of a few shops some streets away. You also see more unsavory characters than you (Orloid & Nathan) have ever seen in your life. (Starbuck, on the other hand has seen many unsavory characters, just rarely so many in one place)
Starbuck heads off to investigate the shops.
"Mind your step," he murmurs to Nathan and Orloid. "If someone bumps into you, there's good odds that they've just tried to pick your pocket."
(OOC: Starbuck is looking to find a shop where he can sell off the looted items first, figuring he can ask for directions to other stores at such a shop. He wants to sell, resupply, and leave with a minimum of fuss. Apart from getting away from all the unsavory characters, it also gets the party back together faster.)
(you and me both Viking)
You find what appears to be a junk or pawn shop not to far away. The inside is dim, the merchandise iffy, and the shopowner not very questioning.
He pokes though the stuff you are offering to sell: what are you trying to sell BTW?
(It had not been my intention to take anything beyond the money and anything that was immediately useful - arrows, weapons that Daniel or someone else needed, food, etc. If Starbuck or someone else did otherwise, they'll have to chime in here. It had been my impression that most of the stuff was fairly poor quality and not worth schlepping around for a few silvers resale.)
From the spoils of battle, I imagine we would have tried to carry off and resell the following:
4 swords of average quality
3 bows of average quality
Some knives
A simple ring of tarnished gold
Possibly the suits of leather armor of average quality, at our GM's discretion of what we could reasonably carry off.
The stuff that was listed as "below average", "poor", or "damaged" would have been left behind.
OOC: I was under the impression that we were leaving personal items behind... and I know that Whisper specifically left Johnas' sword. Certain items, like the crossbow, bolts, arrows, and food, we did take as spoils of fortune but they were items that we really needed. Especially if we'd been forced to bypass Stuarton. Taking stuff we didn't need and pawning them off for money smacks too much like highway robbery in my mind. Granted, we could probably use the money for outfitting for the quest. A gentle reminder, though, we should all watch out for alignment drift in our activities.
OOC: If it belonged to a survivor, I would have left it. If it belonged to a dead person who had attacked us, I'd have considered it fair game.
OOC: The ring belonged to one of the ones you killed, hence the reason you got it without protests. Same with most of the personal items. The armor and weapons though were from both the living and dead. I'm guessing you left the scale mail (due to bulk, though correct me if I'm wrong), so that'd leave 3 suits of no-longer needed leather armor, three swords of average quality (one belonged to Johnas) and three bows plus the knives. Feel free to come back and correct me on this if I'm off.
IG:
The man looks over the stuff you dump in front of him, remarks "been busy" as he looks it over, and finally offers you a price which seems painfully low. After some quick bantering back and forth between Starbuck and the shopkeeper (I'm asuming you would bargain Viking) you manage to wrangle a few extra coin out of him.
He also directs you to a few other shops where you might get supplies.
OOC: I would say you figured correctly, GG. The scale armor was low-quality, damaged, and bulky, and thus got left behind. Yes, Starbuck would have done some quick haggling, with the realistic expectation that he wouldn't get full market value, because this seems like the kind of place where people buy and sell stuff, "no questions asked." He'll haggle with the same expectations when it comes to purchasing stuff, as well.
Barring some sort of encounter, I'd be willing to fast forward through most of this. The shopping list Starbuck proposed seemed good, although I'd like to pick up some extra arrows anyway. What are our chances of getting a half-way decent pack-mule here?
Figured as much.
Most of the supplies you are able to find and most are overpriced, but not by too much. You are only able to find a few "tools" for Daniel through regular channels, the rest would require a bit more information gathering unless you guys want to really stick out more than you already do.
You manage to find a mule. It looks kind of old and seems to have a bit of an attitude, but it seems to like you Orloid. You think it will do the job though (and you don't have enough gold left to buy anything else, it's up to you if you want to get it)
While you're there you overhear a few tidbits of information, mostly about bandit activity in these parts, and something's got the local orc tribes stirred up. Oh, and someone's hiring people for a fort construction higher in the mountains. Mosy people think the builder is crazy or suicidal.
OOC: I need to make sure I understand GG's post correctly. Do we have enough cash to buy supplies and the mule? Or do we only have enough cash to buy the supplies or the mule? If the former, then I propose that we buy what we can find, and leave Stuarton with no further issues. If the latter, then I suggest to Orloid that we're better off getting the additional supplies instead of the mule.
Supplies AND a cheap, old, somewhat ornery mule.
Well, seeing as how we can afford the mule and he's taken a shine to me, we might as well get him. He will allow us to travel a little quicker if we're not all encumbered with tons of supplies (not to mention fighting better if something comes up). Besides, most of the way there he should be able to forrage pretty well.
I figure the quicker we get back on the trail the better.
OOC: Sold! It seems like we're in agreement, then - we'll buy the supplies and mule, and leave town quietly. Since the mule's taken a shine to Orloid, Starbuck will defer to Orloid in all matters mule-related.
OOC: Haha, maybe we should name him Bill? ;) A no-prize to anyone who can guess that reference.
OOC: Respectfully, the Ranger with Wild Empathy and Animal Handling skill ought to be able to handle the mule, too...
Orloid and Starbuck: you pack your purchases on your somewhat reluctant pack mule who tries to bite Nathan at least once, and all of you and your lightened purses start heading back to camp. The gate guard barely notices your passing.
Everyone else:
Sometime later, you hear the sounds of your comrads approaching your campsite. They've got stuff and things! :)
Whisper attempts to befriend the mule. (Just because.)
Oh, and he makes sure they don't step into any snares he might have set while they were gone, too.
Starbuck, having seen the mule try to bite Nathan, carefully avoids the duty of unpacking stuff from the mule. He will happily take items that are passed to him for redistribution, of course.
He will present Daniel with such "tools of the trade" as he was able to find.
"Sorry we couldn't find more," he says with an apologetic shrug. "We were without your... particular shopping expertise, and we wanted to avoid calling attention to ourselves."
Daniel looks over the stuff. "Yeah, good plan. Hmm.. it's not bad. I think I can make it work. Thanks."
Whisper approaches the mule, who looks like it's ready to bite anything that isn't paying attention, and manages to calm it a little. The rest of the supplies are dealt with without incident, however Dakkon, youcould swear the thing was giving you and Annia the evil eye.
Whisper looks at Daniel's map again and tries to plan the best route through the barren mountains.
(What progress have we made in disguising Daniel as a monk? Does he look like he might pass casual inspection?)
Annia notes the mule's gaze and just rolls her eyes in a "great, another judgemental, predudiced fool, and this one's not even intelligent" kinda way..
"He may be cranky, but he's ours now. Less schlepping for all of us. And if Whisper manages to bag some large game we can manage to carry a decent amount with us for a day or two."
I will set about packing the mule, unless someone has Teamster or someother usefull skill . . .
Having been completely bored while waiting for the shoppers' return, and not allowed to take a nap (Whisper said something about "not so close to town", which Og didn't quite understand), he cheefully accepts the new distraction from his boredom. Og walks over to the mule, face to face (well, more like face to chest), leans down, and gives it a couple of inquisitive sniffs. He then reaches over & pats it on the head (*trying* to be gentle), saying "nice horsie", smiling like he's made a new friend.
Aww, isn't that sweet Og, your new pack animal just gave you love nip. (never mind the fact that it probably would have taken finger off a lesser being, it's still cute :D )
Daniel, at the moment, is looking slightly les than his "cheery" self (though the addition of the tools made hium brighten up a bit. Bits of hair still cling to his clothes and his hair... well what's left of it is looking pretty monkish. He does not look happy, but at least he looks relatively pious until he starts trying to hide the various thieves gear under the robes he brorowed from Nathan making him seem more like a felonious monk*.
*(Oh good grief, I went there.)
The sun is starting to go down. What do you want to do? The town is within travel distance before nightfall, though the base of the mountains is a little farther, and there's always camping here.
OOG: yes, yes you did. :P But I love a good groaner. :lol:
Whisper states, "I believe we should camp here for the night. This camp is as secure as I can make it and we are surrounded by trees which will help to screen us from prying eyes. If we attempt to pitch camp elsewhere we may not find a place better to our advantage. Agreed?"
Sounds good. We have enough folks here to make for short watches - say an hour and a half? I can take first . . .
Starbuck shrugs. "I'll trust in the good judgment of our ranger friend. I'll note that the nearby town of Stuarton was full of unsavory types, and I wouldn't complain at traveling as far as possible from Stuarton while it is still light."
Starbuck studiously tries to avoid looking at Daniel, whose felonious appearance also makes him look like a fallacious monk*.
*(And we'll all go there together when we go...)
Okay in that case, give me a watch order. There's roughly time for 4 watches (5 if you sleep late)
Daniel volunteers for second
1) Orloid
2) Daniel
3)
4)
Whisper already volunteered for the mid-watch, so watch #3.
Go ahead and put Starbuck on watch #4. It would probably be a good idea for an additional person to keep watch with him, but at least we now have all the watches covered.
Before everyone settles in for the night, Starbuck seeks out Nathan to ask a question.
"Pardon me, Nathan, but I've noticed that you always manage to get a restful night's sleep, despite all distractions. How do you accomplish this?"
"Back at temple when I was just starting my training, Father Franklin had... been blessed with mighty lungs," Nathan says diplomatically, "After a few years, you got used to it. Though sometimes this helps."
He pulls out a rolled beeswax candle. Part of it has been unwound and the edges show signs of being pinched off. "Something one of the other students taught me," he explains. "When things get too loud, just pinch off a bit as you need it" he gestures towards his ears. "Though I haven't used it in some time, I keep it around just in case. Do you need it?"
All right, watches:
1) Orloid
2) Daniel
3) Whisper
4) Starbuck
Unless someone is doing something special before bed, I'll let you know what you each see on your watch.
"I am by nature a light sleeper," Whisper says. He gestures toward Nathan's beeswax. "If you would be so kind, I would appreciate if I could avail myself of your supply of beeswax. I will try to locate more as we journey."
He waits for an opportunity to consult with Orloid privately, in Elvish:
[spoiler]"I am not quite ready to entrust my life to our young charge. If you would kindly rouse me before you awaken him, I wish to cast a spell that will alert me if anything approaches during his watch."[/spoiler]
GM:
[spoiler]It is Whisper's intention to cast an Alarm spell (Ranger-1) before Daniel goes on watch. This would be a mental alarm as opposed to an audible one, the spell description says that the mental alarm will waken the caster if asleep. Of course if Orloid doesn't wake me up, I won't be able to do that. What is his effective casting level for Ranger spells?[/spoiler]
Starbuck brightens at Nathan's charitable offer.
"I would be most indebted to you for the courtesy of borrowing your beeswax," he replies.
Annia will find a spot where she can place her back to a tree, and go to sleep there. she'll also volunteer to assist starbuck on his watch if he wishes.
To Whisper:
[spoiler]In Elvish:I've considered that. But having saved his life at least three times now, I would hope that he is sufficiently indebted to us to trust us and treat us with honesty. By a similar token, I would be loath to take any action that would demonstrably show that we, in turn, do not trust him. Could you not set this spell before retiring?"[/spoiler]
To Orloid:
[spoiler]I cannot. The spell will not last through the night. I am not yet powerful enough. That is why I suggested that you awaken me before you awaken him. When the thief saves my life, or the life of one of our companions, then I will consider trusting him.[/spoiler]
Whisper:[spoiler]I still think it disrespectful, although I understand your concern. Very well.[/spoiler]
Whisper nods with satisfaction. It's all he can hope for... and he hopes that it turns out to be completely unnecessary. Whisper begins making his preparations to turn in for the night.
[sorry, longer pause than expected]
The afterglow of the sunset slowly fades as your little group prepares for night. Soon the "gentle rumblings of Og's slumber shake through the campsight, but are remedied with a quick prod or two.
The watches:
Orloid
[spoiler]It's quiet. You can make out the faint glow of Staurton from where you are, even over their walls. You can also make out some small lights of possibly campfires up in the mountains and near the base. Could be those tribes you heard about. You can make out at least a dozen concentrations.
It's a dull watch thankfully. When the time comes, do you wake Whisper and then Daniel?[/spoiler]
Ah, that's a good idea - let Whisper take care of his thing, then I'll go wake Daniel.
As Daniel settles into his watch I'll take care of my evening prayers then turn in.
GM:
[spoiler]Whisper casts the 1st level Ranger spell Alarm, centered on the campfire, mental alert, password is Greendeep (in Elven). I share the password only with Orloid, then go back to sleep.[/spoiler]
Orloid: (in Elven)
[spoiler]"The spell is cast. The password is Greendeep, should you need to leave the camp and approach again."[/spoiler]