Faerûn: A Post-Spellplague RPG [IC]

[lvl 1 fighter]

Cloakwood Village [OOC] (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123342)

Just south of the Chionthar River, Cloakwood Village is the last stop for civilization until the Trade Way splits off at the road for Candlekeep. Though the village is the size of a typical settlement, it is overflowing with people and refugees that have either fled from Baldurs Gate or are on their way there.

The Rolling Wheel caravan is led by Master J'thal Rul, a man of great mirth and smiles who thinks nothing of running over a beggar in the road if the cripple can not get out of the way of his horses. The two teams of horses pull great caravans, one for passengers and one for supplies. Stopping on the north edge of town Rul brings the horses to the separate area for caravans. Protected by guards by the village, the vacant lot is off limits to those not staying there.

"Ketley, over here." He calls the Sergeant of the caravan guards. "I don't trust these local pikemen. Setup for shifts for tonight. We're leaving early in the morning."

Hopping down from the seat, he whistles a tune as he walks over and opens the door of the passenger caravan. A old and frail female elf steps out, carefully walking down the steps and taking Rul's hand for stability. "Madam Lethel, please accept a room in the local inn, the Glowing Wood tavern, on my behalf. The journey ahead will be hard and it would please me to have you enjoy one last restful night at my expense." He says smiling, a twinkle in his eyes.

Sullivan and the female elf are passengers on the caravan. Zazil, Zed, and Aislin are guards, while Melia serves as the scout. There are two teamsters that take care of the horses, Rel and Phillip, and a heavily muscled human man named Ketley that is in charge of the guards.

[daggaz]

Overhearing the orders, Zed looks the pikemen up and down. They seemed all right to him, but then again, who was he to tell. He shook his head, thinking of the messy business he had gotten himself into in Waterdeep. Things were better with the caravan, and while he didn't exactly approve of J'thal Rul's methods, at least the man got things done. Nor had he screwed him over yet, unlike those others...

So Zed listened, and if Rul said to pay extra attention, well then he paid extra attention. He gave the area another good once over, looking for anything overtly suspicious or out of place, taking in any important details of the camping area and the nearby town, perking his ears for any wayward sounds of danger or intrigue..

Life on the road... or yet another long night awake, he thought to himself.

spot check[roll0]
listen check[roll1]

[Soras Teva Gee]

People rarely looked up. It was a fact of terrestrial life. The world might as well not exist more then seven feet from the ground. Melia knew she'd been the same way for a long time. That whole village down there and maybe five people would notice her. And three would dismiss her as a bird. Then again from this height men looked more like ants.

Laughing softly to herself Melia located the caravan, they were busy parking. Likely getting a guard rotation organized. Not that Melia would be subject to such, one of the few conditions she set for her employment. She'd always felt a scout did a better job when they didn't spend half the night orc-sitting drunken men and tied horses. It was good to be gracious though, she'd not stand watch but her standard practice was to for twice a night to be roused and make a sweep. An hour out of the night was not so much. Even as unnecessary as it would likely be here

"One more sweep on the way down," Melia said.

Anyone that had been looking up and paying attention would likely had been surprised at the sight. The Sword Coast was not a part of the world where one could often see a girl flying on white feathery wings, if such a realm existed. Blond hair bright enough to be almost white whipped about in the wind as Melia banked gracefully into a gradual circle downward. Sharp eyes checked the surrounding area, not expecting anything but making a full effort all the same. Mentally Melia compared the area against her experience with the outdoors, checking for anything out of place. Caution and long life went together. She even looked up.


Spot: take 10+10= 20
Survival: take 10+8= 18

The survival is basically me expanding on what one would do to locate tracks with the skill.

[Matt Teishu]

I'll take first watch. Riding a horse all day was a pain in the ass, literally. It would feel good to walk around for a bit. It also never hurts to get in good with the boss early on. Makes the rest of the trip that much easier to deal with...

[Gorgondantess]

Aislin sits inside one of the caravans, already well asleep. Her dark, sandy hair falls past her shoulders on a long, heavy coat, wide-brimmed hat tipped over her face so that all can be seen is a perfectly sculpted chin and nose. Her delicate hands lay behind her head, her legs set up lazily in front of her, crossed. On her knees is a drawn rapier. From time to time it twitches.

[PId6]

Sullivan

A tall, black-robed man descends from the passenger caravan slowly. His black clouded eyes glance over everything, from the villagers and their pikemen to the caravan guards now setting up shifts. His stares at each and every soul with those unblinking eyes, then turns away and looks for an empty spot away from anyone else, speaking no words in the process. Sitting down and crossing his legs on the bare ground, he takes out a wooden symbol, a crude cutout of two hands bound with a cord, all covered in dark red. Taking out a dagger with his other hand, he pricks his finger and allows a drop of blood to fall upon the symbol, then closes his eyes and murmurs softly.

[lvl 1 fighter]

"Thank you Master Rul, I am sure I will be missing this taverns bed as much as I already miss my own." Phillip takes down her small steamer trunk from a rack above the carriage and stands next to her, while Rel begins remove to the tethers and take care of the horses.

Rul bows with a flourish of his hand. "Please my lady, call me J'thal." Eyeing the empty grounds once more and the bustling village just across the street, Rul calls out. "Zed, Melia. Please escort Madam Lethel and myself to the inn." He pears inside the caravan and smiles. "It appears as though Aislin will be taking one of the night shifts. Zazil, why don't you go over and make friendly with the pikemen." Slipping a small pouch off his wide belt he tosses it to Zazil.

Offering the elf his arm, he glances around again and stops at Sullivan. A slight frown creases his face. "At least his moneys good." He mutters under his breath to the lady. "And perhaps that will scare away any would-be thieves more than our guards."


Melia - Your aerial reconnaisance revealed the village to be filled with all types of mortals, large and small, furry and scaled. There is one main road in the village, with small alleys in between various buildings, of which there appeared to be no more than 3 dozen. The largest building was three stories and had the most people lazing around it.

The woods are about a half-mile away from the towns western edge and it is all cleared field from the last building to the wood line, with no shrub or tree for a strange creature to hide behind.

Zed - There are a dozen guards, spread out around the campground in groups of 3. They appear to be well-equipped, but look bored. Each group has small stools or wooden crates they've brought out, and some are sitting and relaxing while others stand and talk, hands hooked into their belts, helmets on the ground.

[Matt Teishu]

Zazil makes his way over to the nearest group of pikemen, pulling a bottle of dwarven liquor from his sack "you fellas like to drink? I've got a long guard shift coming up that needs some liquid improvement and as much as I like to drink alone, some good company is always welcome."


Diplomacy to improve their attitude: [roll0]

[daggaz]

Zed moves right up alongside Rul, nodding to him as he approaches.

Yes, sir!

He tries his best to look professional, but he can't help but feel that everybody is staring at him. On closer inspection, they aren't. Shaking it off, he gives Rul another knowing look as he stands back and takes a spot about twenty feet behind and to the left, following them non-chalantly towards the inn, keeping a sharp eye peeled for any trouble.

spot looking actively around for anybody getting too close to pickpocket or draw weapons, as well anybody paying too much close attention than what he deems ordinary. Hey, Zed is paranoid :smallamused: [roll0]

[lvl 1 fighter]

Zazil

The nearest group is 4 guards squatting and sitting around a small empty ale cask being used as a table. Some kind of dice game is going on as the tallest guard rolls on the top of the cask and shouts out. "7's! Pay up Little." He stands up and smiles broadly at the loser sitting on a crate as the man grumbles something under his breath and slaps a few coins down on the cask.

All 4 guards are human and outfitted in something that once resembled a military outfit, though now the insignias are torn off and their leather jerkins are well-worn with age.

The tall one eyes you as you approach while the man who just lost his money grins. "Sure thing, fella!" He eyes the bottle and licks his lips. "We ain't got any cups though, hope you don't mind swiggin'."

The other two guards look on in anticipation while the tall one looks over your shoulder back at the caravan and then back at you. "What's the name of your outfit, stranger?"

Bribing the local guards for better protection is one of Rul's standard procedures, and from experience you know that's what the money bag was for. 2 silver a guard is the standard rate, though it feels like there's a dozen pieces in the bag.

[Matt Teishu]

Zazil looks around the group. As long as none of you got the plague, swiggin's fine. He take a swig off the bottle and hands it to the closest guard. Name's Zazil, name of the caravan? **** if I know, as long as I get paid at the end of the day it could be Cyric's mother for all I care. Boss goes by the name of Rul if that means anything to you. He then squats down and reaches for the dice. Speaking of getting paid... But we need to keep things interesting eh? He reaches into the pouch and tosses out eight coins onto the cask. If I'm going to take your money, boss says you might as well have enough to make it worth taking.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Landing Melia had made her report to Rul on the lay of the land. At least from external threats there would be adequate warning. And villages this small would evaporate like dew if they weren't safe for travelers, it took a city to have real amounts of crime. The man's extra precautions were going to be unnecessary. Well in all likelihood at least.

Melia allowed herself a moment to relax, making a few odd stretching motions with her wings. People never considered the practical concerns of actually having giant wings on a human frame. Extended flight wasn't quite as bad as marching or saddle sores. The exhilaration never got old, but it was still tiring. So she stretched.

Acknowledging J'than Rul with a nod Melia moved to join him and the elf. In her line of work Melia had to some degree learned to expect the unexpected. The passengers on this trip however were odd even by that standard. The one seemed to be engaged in some sort of ritual, religious perhaps. Melia hardly considered the gods herself. House Whiteheart had Selune for their patron deity, but was hardly devout. The elf interested Melia greatly though.

Melia had known a few of the pointy-eared race growing up. Most had immigrated to the valley a couple of human generations back. And all of them had been young, at least by the standards of elves. Their current passenger though was showing signs of age, it just didn't seem to fit the idea of an elf. How old must she be? She had to have seen the start of the Spellplague, seen the world before its destruction. Remarkable.

"You think they'll have any decent wine in stock, I grow tired of my little mug's offerings." Melia remarked as she escorted the caravan lead and passenger, making conversation, "Madam if you don't mind answering what brings you on this journey?"

[lvl 1 fighter]

Sullivan

Ketley eyes you for a moment then moves over to the second caravan and beings unpacking some bags. Rel whistles horribly out of tune as he continues to rub down the horses.

Zazil

The guard that lost takes a long swig from the bottle before passing it off. Grinning even wider, he grabs up two silver pieces in his dirty hands. "Always appreciate a bit of extra incentive pay. Silver always keeps my eyes open." The other two guards also take the coins while the tall guard frowns for a moment before squatting down and taking his cut. He nods to you. "First bet's yours."

Zed/Melia

Walking down the main road Rul walks slowly with Madem Lethel on his arm, carefully stepping around the deeper ruts. Glancing back once to make sure Zed was following, he strolled down the street, paying no attention whatsoever to the dirty and hungry looking people that sat or stood on stoops. Elfs, dwarves, halflings and humans made up the varied crowd of rough people that walked and loitered in the village. Phillip trudges behind carrying the elfs trunk in both arms.

The elf turns toward Melia and smiles sweetly. "My dear, if there is one thing I've learned in all my centuries...it is to keep my nose out of business that does not pertain to me." She holds tighter to Ruls arm as they step around a puddle. "Now please, grant your elder some modicum of privacy and still your tongue, lest you would rather have it removed and nailed to your forehead." She raises an eyebrow as she hold her smile, then turns back to Rul. "That dreadful place up ahead isn't the inn, is it?" She says, pointing to the large building that you saw from the air. Dozens of dirty, rough looking refugees are hanging around outside, sitting on the porch or staring off into space.

[daggaz]

Zed just nods at Rul when the man looks back for him and finds him right there where he needed to be. He might be young, but he was no idiot; he knew how to do his job best.

His eyes flicked about nervously as he stepped adroitly thru the muddy tracks, light on his feet and for the most part able to keep his toes dry. But it wasn't the wet and sticky ground that worried him. Strange faces and hungry eyes met them each step along the road; folks with little to lose and even less in their stomachs, by the looks of it. Folks like that were dangerous. A man's heart might be good as gold, but it mattered naught if he was hungry enough to turn animal. Zed kept his right hand on the heirloom on his hip, the rapier his father had left him, and while his left wavered about for balance, it always seemed to return within striking distance to the dagger on his belt.

Still, maybe he was just overreacting again. He was a skittish kid, and he probably looked just as hungry and dangerous on a bad day, he thought to himself. Especially to some stranger just wandered in from the wastes..

As they approached the Inn, however, the lump tightened in his throat. Too many of them, all staring at the approach. He danced over a mess of deeper tracks crossed in the road, the muddy, brown water lying tepid and opaque in the ruts like the blood of the earth, and came up behind Rul's shoulder.

Sir.. best I run ahead and take a look in first. I'll hold the door for you.

Not really waiting for an answer, he moves up towards the Inn, holding a careful eye on the men on the porch, glancing up at the windows and the roof as well. Stopping at the door, he listens first, before opening it wide to let the light in and get a good look.

spot check outside[roll0]
listen check door [roll1]
spot check inside [roll2]

Also, I realised I am running around with a buckler without having shield prof, I took a flaw and grabbed TWF instead.

[Soras Teva Gee]

"Yeah not like I'm responsible for keeping ya' alive or anything," Melia said rolling her eyes. If the elf was trying to make her angry she'd have to try harder. "Gods, elves can be as bad as nobility. Like we're really better then the common folk. Try not to get any low-born dirt on that snooty pride."

That last was in a low tone more for herself then the elf. Nearing the inn Melia scanned the crowd quickly, checking for any oddities that might indicate a problem. It was her job to help defend others, though this one made her question whether it was deserved or not. Did the inn look more crowded on a closer look or was it her imagination?


Spot: [roll0]

[Matt Teishu]

Zazil will continue drinking and gambling with the guards until either his guard shift is up and he can go to bed or something interesting happens.

[lvl 1 fighter]

Melia

One of Madam Lethel's ears twitch at your under the breath comment but she makes no mention of it. "I'm afraid so my lady." Rul says, glancing back and raising an eyebrow at Melia before continuing. "But I have slept here myself, and found it to be safe and sound. The owner, a man named Malthous can unfortunately do little about this riff-raff..." Rul waves his hand at the men and women gather on the porch. "But he posts guards outside each room and I've never heard of anyone being attacked." He pauses a moment. "Well, in their room, that is."

Though the number of people appear to be same as you count them, their rough condition and general weariness was not as easily seen while up in the air.

Zed

The people on the porch barely glance at you as you hurridely walk up the steps. From beyond the door you can hear the sounds of a people talking, furniture scraping against a wooden floor, and the general bustle of people moving around.

Pushing the door in you see a large common room full of people, sitting, eating, drinking, and talking. There is a large hearth on one side and a staircase on the opposite wall. In the back a long bar occupies the corner. The majority of the people in here look slightly better than those outside, though they too carry the appearance of too many days on the road. Some sit quietly amid the din, far away looks in their eyes.



Matt Teishu - You can make either an Knowledge(games) or Profession(Gambler) check if you want to, even if you don't have the ranks. You could either make one check for the entire night, or split it up into a few rolls. Also you can place wagers, in copper and silver pieces.

[Matt Teishu]

Throw them bones!


Knowledge (Gambling) Checks:

Bet - 5 copper - [roll0]
Bet - 1 silver - [roll1]
Bet - 1 silver - [roll2]
Bet - 1 silver - [roll3]
Bet - 2 silver - [roll4]

[daggaz]

Zed holds the door and gives Rul a look that says "all clear." He waits until the man reaches the door with the elven woman, and asks,

You want me to keep an eye on you two tonight, or would you rather I guard the guards down at the caravan?

[lvl 1 fighter]

Zazil

The bottle passes hands as well as coins. The tall guard wins all the money that the previous loser played, and most of your winnings cancel out your losses, with a small collection of coppers as your total profit. The short guard growls and stands up, getting in the tall guards face. "You're a dirty cheater Lonan!" he yells and whips a dagger out and slashes it across the tall guards face.

Zed/Melia

Rul glances inside briefly then turns to Zed. "I think it would be prudent to stay with us for awhile; these people don't seem like the civilized sort." He says leading the elf in doors. They walk inside and move over to one of the tables by the fire. A lone man sits there with a few empty glasses and one full mug of ale. Dirty and unkempt, he doesn't look up as Rul approaches and looks down at him. "Take your drinking elsewhere" he says, tossing a few coppers on the table.

Phillip follows behind them and sets the steamer trunk on the table with a thud, finally getting the drunks attention. The man looks up, his head unsteady and eyes glazed over. "Wha...?" He says, then looks down at the coppers on the table. He eyes Rul and says, "Find your own table."

Rul sighs and leans over to the elf. "Some people just have no sense of propriety." He turns back to Zed and Melia and raises an eyebrow, then motions his head towards the man at the table.

Sullivan

Rel and Ketley look up from their work to see the small guard attack the taller one. Rel shrugs and finishes taking care of the horses while Ketley checks to make sure his blade is loose in it's scabbard and walks over to you, eyeing the guards the whole time. "Pardon the interruption, Sir, but you might want to keep an eye open. Things tend to get interesting out here in the wastes."

Zazil - 10 coppers.

[daggaz]

Zed frowns a bit, then moves up to the drunk's table. He decides to try an easy approach first.. not that he is any good at such things, but the man is blasted after all.

C'mon pal, theres coin on the table, go get yourself another drink. Its easy enough, just go for it.

diplomacy [roll0]

He moves up towards the table, hoping his words have had some effect, his hand on his hilt, standing five feet from the table directly across from the man.

[PId6]

Sullivan

Upon seeing the outbreak of violence, the black-robed priest wakes from his reverence and stands, watching the fighting. Hearing Ketley, Sullivan responds, "Ilmater watches over me, and what danger can hide from the eyes of a god?" With that, he slowly makes his way to the combating guards, and tries to get a sense of what the bloodshed is about.

[roll0]

[Soras Teva Gee]

Melia shrugged back at Rul. The man was there first, she wasn't going to help run off a dirty ruffian merely for sitting in an inn. Stupid, and going to lead to a stupid fight in all likelihood. Course if her work ethic didn't include running bums out, it did include keeping her employer safe. Melia reached back to the specially reworked pack slung low under her wings, and pulled out a sword too big to have fit inside. The sword itself was finely worked, but still practical and likely some craftsman's masterwork. A little piece of home for Melia, though she doubted anyone around her cared about things like the little sigil stamped in the pommel. Putting the scabbard's tip on the floor Melia leaned slightly on the blade.

While Zed talked Melia scanned the room, giving it her full attention. Hopefully there was another table open elsewhere. And Melia wanted to be sure the man didn't have any obvious friends if this turned ugly. Following that she leaned close to Rul and whispered to the man.

"I don't think this worth a fight, places like this have a way of going up. And owners a way of throwing out who ever started it, no matter if they had good reason or not.

Spot Check: [roll0]

[lvl 1 fighter]

Sullivan

Ketley follows behind you a respectful distance, hand loosely holding the hilt of his long blade. The two other guards jump back and give the fighting men space as the tall guard, Lonan, rips the dagger from the short guards hand and flings it away. He brings one hand up to face, holding the flap of skin closed that the other man cut open. "You're dead, Pol." He growls and charges into the shorter guard, taking them both to the ground.

From the dice, spilled coin and nearly empty bottle of liquor it appears they are fighting over some type of gambling wager or game.

Zed/Melia

The crowd in the tavern quiet and all eyes turn to your group and the man at the table. His eyes dart back and forth Zed and Melias weapon, then turns red as he realizes everyone is watching him. He mutters something under his breath...yeah...sure...be so pushy...and swipes up the coins in his grubby hand. Standing up he wavers for a moment, trying to stare each of you down at the same time.

With a final head shake he staggers off clutching the coins and his mug, slumping down on a bench near the bar. The silence holds for a moment then Rul says, "Excellent." Noise returns as everyone resumes their conversations and Rul pulls out one of the seats for Madam Lethel to sit in. "Phillip, please go find the owner and secure a room for the lady. And send the barmaid over here to clean up." Phillip nods and walks off towards the bar. Rul smiles at Melia and says, "Sound advice, no doubt." He lowers his voice and winks. "But places like this have a tendency to operate according to the law of right. And your sword plus my gold assures me that we'll have no trouble."

Glancing around the room, you see there isn't another suitable table near the hearth but you do spot a few individuals showing minor effects of the spellplague scattered throughout the crowd.

[Soras Teva Gee]

"Just don't push it too far, I'm not in this for the coin so there's only so far I'll go for any given employer when another will pick me up," Melia said, though clearly grateful for the peaceful resolution. "Anyways once you've got a room I'm going to sleep with the caravan. This place isn't big enough to spread my wings in."

Melia would for the elf and Rul to sit down before taking a seat herself. As a warning though against further trouble she leaned the sword against one side of the table, in easy reach if anyone wanted to make trouble. She'd seen a few showing signs of affliction, terribly not unusual but too often the spellplage turned the mind as well as the body. Bigger towns, or better inns, would likely have thrown them out. Of course it might have been a more direct problem. Melia counted her blessing that for her line of work she'd not been afflicted, but it was only care and skill that kept it so. Well that and flying over what others could not. From the little she knew of history though it was a miracle there was anyone left not plagued.

[PId6]

Sullivan

Sullivan stands before the fighting men and watch their violence calmly, his face completely dispassionate. He holds his wooden symbol of the bound hands again, still red with his blood, and starts murmuring a prayer. Those close enough to hear the soft words hear his prayers that the suffering ends. For now, he does nothing but wait.

[daggaz]

Zed is relieved when the man gets up and leaves, and his sword hand relaxes after he passes by towards the bar. He smiles a little, then nods to Rul. Looking around, he takes a position near the table with his back to the wall, facing the door. From here he can survey the room, keeping a watchful eye on both his master, and any who enter the Inn, until Rul and the elven woman are ready to retire.

[Matt Teishu]

Zazil steps back to a reasonable distance, making sure to grab whatever coins he can as he moves. As Sullivan approaches he calls out Hey Red, came to enjoy the show? I'm afraid you missed the intro, but it seems the best is yet to come.

sleight of hand to grab coins without being seen: [roll0]

[lvl 1 fighter]

The Glowing Wood Tavern

Rul dismisses Melia with a wave of his wand. "Thank you my dear, faithful Zed will be more than enough for this crowd." Phillip returns with a harried looking barmaid that hastily wipes the table and collects the empty mugs. She glances at Melia for a second, then turns to Rul and Madam Lethel. "Welcome to the Glowing Wood, can I get a drink, or a room?" She asks.

Rul turns to her, "Yes, please, both and..." Rul is cut off as the entire building begins to shake, the floorboards rattling and dust falling from the ceiling. The motion seems to pass through the inn and travel on towards the town as the reverbrations can be felt to move away. Everyone is silent for a moment and then the air is rent by a powerful roar, sending men scrambling for the front door and others out the back. A small tingling in the back of your spine spreads to the base of your neck and a chill runs through your body as the inn descends into pandemonium. Madam Lethel gasps and covers her mouth, then backs up against the fireplace. A man runs out the front doors and is blown back a moment later, his enflamed body sailing through the air to land and crash amonst the tables. "Dragon!" someone yells and the inn erupts into chaos.

The Caravan Campground

Ketley stands next to Sullivan and Zazil as the taller guards beats the shorter, drunker one into submission. When he finally stops moving the taller one, Lonan, pulls himself up with the support of another man. Before he can speak, an enourmous shadow flies over the ground, blocking out the last rays of the western sun. Coming from the Cloakwood it shuts out the sun and descends upon the village, shaking the ground as it flies over. The dragon lets out a powerful roar and blasts the front the of the inn with it's breath, scattering like flaming leaves the men that were stuck in fear on the front porch.

Lonan points to the creature and stutters, "Dra...Dra...Drag.." before a spear shaft explodes from his chest. Turning towards the wood, you see dozens of missiles in the air and hear the yelping and yelling of a swarm of small creatures running towards the village.

[daggaz]

Zed ducks instinctivly for cover, but finding none, ends frozen in an embarassing half-crouch with his back against the wall. His knees shake uncontrollably, tho he is not aware of it, and his rapier nearly drops from his hand, his fingers having gone pale white and numb. Tears well up in his eyes as the lump in his throat solidifies and threatens to suffocate him entirely, and his thoughts race home to the safety of the caves and his father. Looking around in frozen exacerbation, he nearly makes a break for the door before the man comes flying back in in flames, and his gaze falls upon Rul like a deer caught in the poacher's lantern-light. Help me, he mouths, but no sound escapes his lips.

[Soras Teva Gee]

A bow appeared in Melia's hands, as her sword disappeared back into the same source. That roar, that call, her swordsmanship wasn't up to dueling dragons. Neither was her archery to be honest. This was bad. Melia could imagine no worse place to be caught by against a giant monster. Her instinct was to flee out the back and take to the skies. It was where she was at her best but...

Melia looked around. The proverbial shout of dragon in a crowded room, that roar. It would be a surprise if the place didn't panic. Nobody wanted to face a dragon. Facing it alone was suicide. Even with Zed it was suicide. The entire room had to be their allies. Well the entire town, but start with the room.

"Everyone remain calm!" Melia shouted to the room in a commanding voice, spreading wings to give no doubt who spoke, "Those who can fight form up around me. Civilians move calmly to the back of the room, don't run until its safe."

As Melia spoke her eyes briefly glowed with white light. A wave of magic silent burst from her, a blessing for all allies close to the winged girl. And right now she considered man, woman, and child an ally. That should help them fight fear and strike true. Damn Sis, I wish you were here, this sort of stuff really isn't me.

Just used Bless on the entire room (or at least within 50 ft of me) as per my spell-like ability. Duration is 4 minutes.

Roll for initiative?

[PId6]

Sullivan

As the spear shaft shoots through the man's chest, Sullivan's eyes widen in surprise and he unconsciously steps forward with his arm out, as if to help the man. However, he quickly stifles the emotion and turns away, reminding himself that death was just Ilmater's blessing to the living, a sign that they no longer had to suffer. Turning now to face the oncoming figures, Sullivan draws his morningstar with one hand while holding his blood-stained symbol with the other. "Ilmater, give me strength!" he cried, and held his weapon up high, preparing for battle. It is time for Ilmater's enemies to know His suffering.

Cast Divine Favor.

[daggaz]

Zed runs immediately towards the angel in the room, seeking a place by her unfurled wings. His teeth are clenched so hard they feel they may shatter, as are his fingers about the hilt of his rapier. He shoots Melia a wild-eyed stare; the poor kid is terrified. He looks again to the front door, past Rul who he seems to have possibly forgotten, and back again towards the back. It is clear he does not know what to do, or where to flee.

[Matt Teishu]

Zazil takes a quick look around for some cover before he mutters a few words and the area surrounding him is filled with a dense fog. He then makes for the nearest hiding spot while shifting into the shape and clothing of a human farm hand.

I dunno if I have time for all this or not before something else happens, but if not then that's what I'll be doing on subsequent actions unless my basic situation changes a lot.

spot for hiding spots and to get a good look at the attackers: [roll0]
casting obscuring mist
hide: [roll1]

[Gorgondantess]

As soon as the spear strikes the man, Aislin is awake. She glances through the curtain of the caravan, watching as the small creatures approach. Calmly, she lays back, and focuses for a moment...
Suddenly a black ooze starts to seep from the bottom of the caravan. It is flacked with glowing purple colors, and other things... fanged mouths, twisted appendages, and other horrific organs. The more it seeps out, the more blasphemous the ooze's organs become. Finally, the stuff sluggles towards the small creatures, threatening them as all the mouths (and other orifices) open at once. A cacophany of screaming, wailing, crying and shouting ensues, all of the voices horrible and intense. It makes sure to get just close enough to the beasties to scare them off, but not necessarily "interact" with them.
Aislin peeks out of the caravan's curtain, barely visible, and smirks.