Heroes of Helmstown (Team A)

[Milskidasith]

Helmstown was the first major attempt to expand the lands of the small, but not poor, kingdom of Falconia. The kingdom was nestled in a small area near the northeast edge of "civilized" land, with untamed wilderness farther out. Because of the mountains to the south, Falconia realized they could freely expand to the north without attracting the attention of larger, more power hungry kingdoms, provided that they could first clear the wilderness. Helmstown, was a success for a few happy years, growing in a large forest clearing, with a fairly prosperous iron mine to the east. While there were occasional problems with wild animals or goblins, there were rarely large scale attacks. However, that began to change a few months ago, when a group of kobolds, orcs, and goblins attacked the town all at once, causing considerable losses.

All of you are gathered around the square of the moderate sized town, which housed, in it's prime, around two thousand inhabitants. In the center of the square is a muscular man in full armor standing on the edge of the decorative fountain, clearly in charge of the affair, and two men beside him in robes keeping an eye on the events. From your time living in the affair, you know the man in armor is Commander Mives, and that the two men in robes are Sergeants Fred and Bonns. There are other, lightly armored, militia soldiers standing around with their bows held idly by their sides. There were some merchants stalls hastily crammed into the corners to make room for the large mass of people gathered here, and you could see women and children looking down from the windows at the affair.

The armored man clears his throat, and begins to speak in a loud, booming voice. OK, you all know why you are here. Our scouts have finally managed to pin down the locations of the kob and orc village, and we'd always known the goblins were set up in caves a few miles to the north of the mines. He then sighs.

None of you are going to like this, but...

One of the men in robes unfolds a scroll printed on royal paper.

The king decided that drafting everybody into the military would be our best hope of getting rid of the savages.

Some of the people around begin to boo and curse the king for this act.

So... yeah, I don't have much else to say. Personally, I think that I've been doing a fair enough job at getting the paid guard to keep the town safe, but what can you do, huh?

Anyway, over to you, Fred. You've got the lists...

The other sorcerer steps up and holds out another scroll.Ok, we have five main squads we are sending out to attack. There are two main goblin caves, two orc villages seperated by a few miles, and the kobolds are all in one giant cavern. Everybody else will be on guard duty until further notice.

Squad 1 will be composed of Jeffery and Siegfried Schmidt, Nicholas "Slick" Stephanson, and "Butcher" Pete. You will be sent to defeat the kobold encampment.

Squad 2 will be composed of Syntihax, Grigori Zaitsev, Grumthar Ironbeard, and Jonathan Hooker. You will be sent to what our cartographer cleverly dubbed "Orc village 1."

Squad 3 will be composed of Grapet, Cyrnobol, Nebo Dimbledock, and Adam. You will be attacking "Orc Village 2."

Squad 4 will be composed of the Snidley family boys, along with Jeffery Stonefoot. You will be sent to attack "Goblin Cave 1."

Squad 5 will be composed of Kaltok, that Psion who people say breaks the mind of anybody who learns his name, Dako Vaultstaul, and John Peterson. You will be attacking "Goblin Cave 2."

Well, you've got your orders, so chop chop. Grab a map from the guardsmen on the way out and best of luck to you guys. We don't have any more info about the enemies than what you can find on the map, however, so you'll have to wing it. King's orders... should have waited for more info. Anyway, good luck.

OoC:

Ok, so you guys have been drafted into the military. Your squads are, coincidentally, the same as your teams. Roleplay your meetup, head straight for the encampment, etc. It's assumed that you brought all your supplies, as they were asked for at this meeting, unless you want to choose to have not brought them. This message is, in fact, copy and pasted, but I didn't see the point in rewriting the scene for each individual group.

[Ixahinon]

The robed figure merely stood with the rest of them, though his eyes were focused upon the one named Mives, it was difficult for anyone to tell where exactly Synithax's attention was. The heavy hood hid the man's head well, sunk so deep within the cloth that the top hung down over his eyes, casting a shadow on everything above the tip of his nose. From there down, however, the natural lighting would shine upon a perfectly neutral face. Neither smiling, nor frowning; scowling or smirking...just...neutral.

From what can be seen, the man looked human. A tanned left hand clasped upon to the wooden handle of a scythe that towered at least four inches above his own head, the curved blade hovering over the hooded figure. The hand appeared muscular, from what could be seen. Not the hands of a Hercules, but neither the hands of a peasant either. It was clear that those hands had put use to that scythe on more than one occasion.

Drafting, did this Commander Mives say? Does this man believe he, or even this king, of his, has the ability to command him to be drafted? Such is the way of commonlaw, Synithax supposed. He has spent a time here, in this Helmstown, it does not surprise him that the military would try to 'draft' him into their own.

The stance of the robed man did not change, even when conversation shifted from Mives, to Fred, and then back to Mives. Synithax did not even look around to attempt to spot the 'group' he was so readily thrown into. He simply moved with a slow and methodical step towards one of the aforementioned guardsman, in search of this map. After stepping up to the guardsmen with the map, Synithax's right hand would make it's first appearance, creeping out from under the long robes as it was raised up, palm facing upwards, awaiting something.

I require the aforementioned map, regarding the kobold and orc operation. Might I procure it from your person? The words were slow, exact, almost cold. It was hard to explain the chill one might feel from hearing words from this man.

[Godskook]

Hey man, neat scythe. Are you on squad two? Johnny asks Synithax, not knowing one man from another. I'm not really sure who's who around here... Anyways, what's your name? Mine's Mr. Jonathan Hooker, but you may call me Jon. Jonathan just stares at him awaiting an answer, oblivious to the fact that he's interrupting the man's conversation.

Jonathan had just wandered into town this morning, and his clothes and gear bear the evidence of the hard traveling he's done recently. At first glance, it'd appear he hasn't eaten in weeks. In truth, he had just run out of food the day before, and even then, was able to forage enough to make it to town.

[tiny tim]

The names Grigory, nice to meet you comrade. I hope you do not mind my friend here?
I gesture to a skeleton standing a small way off from the group of people, everyone obviously staying away from him.

[Godskook]

Who is Grigori talking to, Tim?

[tiny tim]

both of you

[Godskook]

Oh, hi. Johnny said, startled by the new man in the conversation. I'm not sure if you heard, but my name's Johnny. So, Grigory was it? Are you on squad 2?

[Ixahinon]

The hooded figure would turn his head to look over towards this 'Mr. Jonathan Hooker.' Synithax' concealed eyes looking over every small detail of the scrawny creature before him, and committing the new face to memory. This Mr. Jonathan Hooker was not known to him. This often meant two things: Synithax simply did not know a man by the name of Mr. Jonathan Hooker, and that this creature was not slated to leave the realm of the living yet.

Indeed, though Synithax did not have the ability to tell how long someone's life span is - that would come at a later date, when his apprenticeship was complete - Synithax could tell whether death was imminent often by looking at the person. Mr. Jonathan Hooker's life was not to be forfeited soon, perhaps that is because he was to accompany Synithax. Yes, this must be it.

Upon committing the name and face to memory, the hooded figure would turn his concealed gaze over to the next person. This 'Grigory' person had been seen before, while his stay in this Helmstown took it's place, Grigory was seen around as well. This creature posed a complex problem to Synithax, one that had denied the hooded creature any sort of peace for the past few days. What was to be done with him?

Always nearby was the presence of the undead, namely the skeleton he just pointed out. Synithax was always told by his mentor that by crossing the world of the living into the world of the unliving was to cheat death. Such things were to be rooted out as well, as no one - not even the Gods - were able to hide from the inevitability of death. This Lost Soul was being denied it's cold embrace.

But the problem lied not in the fact that this embrace was being denied, rather in how it was being denied. It clearly was not the skeletons doing, as the skeleton had no will of its own to make such a vile decision. It was, in fact, the decision of the man that now stands before Synithax - Grigory.

However, having looked at this Grigory before, Synithax instantly knew of his elven heritage, and consequently, of the great long life before him. It was not his time to die, and as far as Synithax could tell, this time would not be for a while. So then, what was to be done?

Where his mentor here, would he smite down the elven Grigory for bending the rules of Death? Or because Grigory was not slated for death, would he smite down the skeleton, and spare Grigory? The last thing Synithax wanted was to disappoint his mentor with a wrong decision - something Synithax has never done. So..he will wait.

Yes, this is it. This is finally the conclusion that Synithax came to, he will simply wait until an answer to the problem was made clear by his mentor. A visit from such was due in the next four or five years, when that time comes, Synithax will act accordingly. Until then, he will simply not act.

Not acting, according to Synithax, was simply no interaction with the person at all. to Interact would to give false impressions, to give false impressions leads to false security. It simply would not be fair to this Grigory to think of Synithax as an ally, when this might not be the case.

So, ignoring the two, the hooded creature would turn back towards the guardsman, his palm still facing upwards, and awaiting the desired map.

[Milskidasith]

One of the guardsmen takes out a roughly drawn map and hands it to Syntihax, offering what he thought was a clever piece of advice.

Don't get killed out there. If you do, try to take as many of those creatures down with you, alright?

[Ixahinon]

Though I appreciate your concern, Guardsman, it simply would be a waste of time to express such advice upon me, for I am not the one that will be taken from this world. Neither is it the time of my temporary companions, from what I can gather. The map was taken, and after resting his scythe upon a nearby stand, both hands moved to unfold it, and glance at it for a bit. However, such advice would be well placed upon those we are ordered to eliminate. However, I doubt you would wish for me to convey this message to them, as that would contradict the very reason your drafted us.

A glance was then offered to his companions for a moment, before taking off his backpack and placing the map within, then putting the pack back on, grabbing his scythe, and proceeding at his usual slow, methodical walk, towards the town's gates. A task was set upon him, and it would be inefficient to waste time.

[Milskidasith]

The guard just looked at Syntihax, dumbfounded. After he walked away, he began handing out maps and giving directions to the other, somewhat less... strange draftees.

Why do I always have to talk to the crazy ones... Jeez, he thinks he can see death. Maybe he's been eating some of those mushrooms. He thought to himself.

[tiny tim]

Good, you have ze map. Come, Vladislav! Ve have vork to do!

I will then walk out of the city, with the skeleton in tow.

[Godskook]

Hey, wait up Grigori! Johnny says as he follows along.

[tiny tim]

I do not think our new companion likes me, or Vladislav, all that much. I have seen him around town. Those that have seen his face are often repulsed. As for me, I have dealt vith enough death to know it ven I see it.
I say as Johnny approaches.

[Ixahinon]

It would seem you have not worked with it long enough then, Grigory, for I am very much alive. Such an unfounded remark merely proves further that the laws of Death should not be manipulated so easily by the untrained. Once the trio were outside the gate, Synithax stopped to retrieve the map from out of his backpack once again, then offered it to the scrawny man in the party.

The deciphering of maps is not one of my stronger points, Mr. Jonathan Hooker. My work takes me from one destination to another without the use of such things. Perhaps you would better serve as the navigator of this impromptu party? I trust you are more capable than I. A moment of silence was offered, allowing the man to look over the map for a moment.

[tiny tim]

I never said you vere dead, I said you are Death.
I pass the gaunt figure and continue down the road, pausing a short bit up.

Johnny, vich vay is it?

[Godskook]

Huh, oh yeah. Takes the map, and looks at it, determined to impress his companions as best he can. Intermittently, he peeks up to converse. So, uh, are you Grumthar or Synithax? And speaking of training, I'm looking for some. I've got some arcane writings that I just can't decipher.

So, Milks, I'll examine the map. Do I roll a survival check or can take 10/20, or is it obvious enough. What do I see?

The writings are just random notes in my father's diary.

[Milskidasith]

You aren't in danger, and reading a map is probably, like, a DC 10 check provided you have a landmark to go by, which you do (the town). So... I'd say you don't have to roll survival. Anyway, you can tell that the Orc village is a few miles North North-west of town.

[daggaz]

As you head down the road, you come upon a stout figure marching headfast towards the village. His chainmail makes a soft chinking sound, like a bag full of coppers, and his halberd glistens in the sun as it swings to and fro above his bearded head. A low voice rumbles out as he greets your approach, not even bothering to turn his head or stay his march.

Didye decide ta come along after all? Thars a fight ta be had, I thought ye were gonna dally all day in the square..

Hey DM can you *please* put in some links to the other threads in the first post of each thread? Ive been looking all over for this one and for some reason the only one I kept finding was team red...:smallfrown:

[Milskidasith]

Sorry, I put the links somewhere near the beginning of the OoC thread, but I should probably edit them to the first post.

[Godskook]

Oh hi, Sir Dwarf, I'll be with you shortly, just finishing up with this map. Turning to Grigori and the strange unnamed scythe wielder. It appears we need to veer off the main path shortly, as our goal is a bit west of this path. That should be an issue for a couple more miles though. With that, he stores the map in his pack and picks up his bow. So, Sir Dwarf, I assume that you are Grumthar, correct?

[daggaz]

Aye...

His feet fall in step without missing a beat, thumping the packed earthen road like an old dwarven drum on the call to war. And although his gait is shorter than most humans, he doesn't slow down in the slightest.

[Milskidasith]

After a few miles of walking, you have to veer off the trail and head a bit west. After a few more miles, you notice a fairly large clearing in the forest. After reaching the top of a hill, you see the orcish encampment downhill.

There are wooden walls, lined with spikes on top, and with the occasional decorative skull smashed on them. The buildings are made of wood with thatched roofs. You can see some smoke coming out of the top of each roof, probably from cooking fires. On the outside, it doesn't look like there are many particularly dangerous looking orcs in the town, though you have no clue what is hiding in the village. Mostly, the activity seems to be comprised of orcish women moving to and from various houses.

However, right near where you are, there are three orc warriors, carrying chipped swords and axes and wearing hide armor. Next to the warriors is an orc you can only assume is the leader, based on the fact he is wearing a shiny suit of chainmail, is wearing a red, brown, and green hat dyed with what you can only assume is blood and made with various pieces of various plants, and has a shiny on his belt and is waving around a staff with a human skull set on it.

The leader begins to make some sort of speech in Orcish. After each sentence, the other Orcs chant a few quick and brutal words, and then the leader begins to speak again. As far as you can tell, they haven't heard you.

OoC:

I'd like a Move Silently check from everybody. Spot is irrelevant because they are not paying any attention to anything past the walls of the village. Also, roll initiative.

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=Battle.jpg)

[Godskook]

Move Silently: [roll0]
Initiative: [roll1](oops!, subtract 4, so only 6 total on that one)

[tiny tim]

move silently check
[roll0]


I turn to the skeleton
Vladislav, I need you to move forward and grab their attention. I will be there to help you after they see you.

I will move 60 feet to the west, and Vladislav will move to towards the camp, crossbow out.

[Ixahinon]

Rolls and OoC:

[roll0]

Synithax isn't attempting to Move Silently, just not his style. But if you want a roll anyway:
[roll1]

[tiny tim]

initiative
[roll0]

Vladislav's initiative
[roll1]

[Ixahinon]

Oops:

Beat that Move Silently...
[roll0]


His gaze would not leave the orcs. The task was in sight, it was time to begin what he came here for.

[Milskidasith]

Despite the fact that the orcs were hardly even paying attention to what was going on besides their leaders chant, Syntihax and Grigori managed to snap so many twigs that the orcs noticed your presence. It did not help that one of the two sent a log rolling downhill, crashing into the wall with a sound that could wake the dead (no offense to Vladislav.) All of the orcs drew took out their bows and aimed at the group.

Stuff you shouldn't see:


Orcey Initiatives:

1: [roll0]
2 [roll1]
3 [roll2]
C [roll3]

[Milskidasith]

In order of initiative, it is:

Vladislav,
Me
Me
Grumthar
Grigori
Me
Johnathan
Syntihax

[tiny tim]

he moves to Q-19.

[Milskidasith]

The orc leader takes out his bow and fires a shot at the approaching skeleton.



[roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Milskidasith]

And then two more orcs fire at the skeleton.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]


Of the three arrows, two bounce off the skeletons armor. The third, fired with amazing precision by the orc, manages to land squarely in the eye socket of the skeleton. Unfortunately for our poor orc, skeletons, unlike humans, don't scream and die a horrific death when shot through the eye.

EDIT: Map is the same. I'm going to assume that Daggaz rolled averagely for his initiative (I probably should have let him roll, because there was a good chance he beat the third orc in initiative) and say he's next.

[daggaz]

Grumthar casts a spell, and the air in front of him seems to shimmer momentarily.

init [roll0]
move silently[roll1]
casting shield of faith, i would move but i cant see the map, says i need to log on to your account???

By the way, init ties are settled first by whoever has the higher dex bonus. Also, it might be a good idea if you just note our init bonuses and roll them for us, silly to wait for people just to find the turn order

[Milskidasith]

Weird, that shouldn't happen. Anyway, you rolled exactly what I gave you anyway, so uhh... wow.

EDIT: I see the problem, I deleted the old map to make room for the new one.

Map: (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=Battle-1.jpg)

[daggaz]

it works now, thanks. moving to Q22
Grumthar hustles to the west, heading towards a thin copse of trees growing in the field out in front of the open gate.

[Milskidasith]

Grigori's Turn.

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

Ixa Only:

Ixa, how do you edit the map every time without having to upload an entirely new picture?

Everybody, be sure to use the most recent map, because the other maps are old pictures and/or dead links.

[Ixahinon]

DM's Eyes Only:

I use three separate programs. One to make the map, grid it, and place markers (Once made I hit Print Screen to copy the image). Paintbrush to paste the image into it, be sure to save it as a .JPG, loads a crap ton faster on Photobucket. The Photobucket to upload the picture.

To reuse the same link over and over again, just make sure you save the image under the same name all the time, delete the old picture on Photobucket, and upload the new picture. It will make sure all the links on the thread wont break, and will always lead to the new map version.

[Milskidasith]

Ixa only

Thank you for the help; it will make my job easier. I think I'll still use excel for the maps, unless you know an easier (and free) program.

[tiny tim]

Vladislav! Fire at will!

I make a dash to the tree 60 feet to my west, and try to hide behind it.


[roll0]

[Milskidasith]

Orc Spot (group): [roll0]

As Grigori fled, the Orcs kept track of him, but couldn't quite see him after he ducked down behind the trees.

[Milskidasith]

One of the orcs, seeing how nothing seemed to be affecting the skeleton, decided to try his luck at a long ranged shot, firing at the easiest looking target, the unarmed Johnathan.

Rolls against Johnathan:



[Rollv]Attack Roll against Flat Footed AC: 1d20-3

Damage Roll: [roll0]

[Milskidasith]

EDIT (Messed up the roll)

Attack against Flat footed AC: [roll0]

And the arrow, despite being fired, while not excellently, fairly well, could not maintain it's course over the long distance of the shot. After about sixty feet of flight it began to wobble and landed in the dirt 10 feet in front of the group.

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

Johnathan's Turn.

[Godskook]

I've been carrying my bow, so not 'unarmed'.

Jonathan takes a step past Grumthar and lets an arrow loose at the orc's chief.

Move to P22(directly 'west' of Grumthar)
Attack roll - [roll0] - I'm assuming one range penalty from there, right?
Damage - [roll1]

[Milskidasith]

I meant unarmored... and that's a miss. Also, I think it's two range increments from here.

EDIT: Syntihax's turn (totally forgot to mention that.)

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

[Ixahinon]

The hooded figure would not flinch from the sight of a ranged assault, he would not crouch low in attempts to make him a smaller target, all he did instead was proceed to walk forward, as if nothing was happening around him, stepping between Grigory and Mr. Jonathan Hooker, and continuing his trek towards his destination for 30 feet, before turning directly north, and proceeding another 30 feet.

Movements:

30 feet to the Northwest, and 30 feet to the north. A double move. I believe that is R-13.

[Milskidasith]

Vladislav's Turn.

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

[tiny tim]

Vladislav moves to O-13 and it seems as if a smile comes over his face as he levels his crossbow and fires it at the Orc that shot him in the eye......socket.


[roll0]
[roll1]


Unfortunately for our poor Orc, they do scream when shot.

[Milskidasith]

The orc takes the bolt to his chest and goes down with a thud.

The leader and the another orc, however, do not delay in attacking the fast approaching human. They draw their bows and fire quickly.

Two attacks against Syntihax:


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

One shot hits Syntihax square in the arm, but another one flies well above his head, until it lodges itself a few inches deep into the tree behind Syntihax.

Grumthar's turn.

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

[daggaz]

Grumthar mutters something into his beard as Jonathan runs in front of him, blocking his route to cover. He grips his halberd, and casts another spell.. and with that, he races around his human impediment and into the copse of trees, seeking cover from the hail of arrows.

Cast longstrider, move into M20. Why did you park yourself directly in my path, man??? :smallconfused: 20 ft movespeed is bad enough without your own allies running out in front of you and blocking you. :smallconfused:

[Milskidasith]

Grigori's Turn.

OoC:

I'm just going to say this: Standing around and doing nothing, hiding in trees that give 20% concealment (without rolling hide checks, in some cases), that are outside the range of the enemies weapons anyway, when you could run out of range of the bows in one round by getting near the wall, is a bad idea. It's going to take forever to get near them the way you guys are going, and you are actually safer charging up to the wall anyway.

[Godskook]

Friends don't prevent movement... (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/movementPositionAndDistance.htm#movingthroughaSqua re)

[tiny tim]

I move up to K14, and turn my head to look at Vladislav.

Cover me, my comrade!

[Milskidasith]

As Grigori approaches, so does one of the Orcs. As he moves towards you, he draws a rusty greatsword, stained with blood. (Luckily for you the Leader was in the way of the possible charge attempt.)

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

Johnathan's Turn.

[daggaz]

OOC
Map is wrong, grumthar is in M20, which of course is the closest spot with cover from which he can actually make a run move to the wall. lol forgot you can move thru friends.. sorry, its early pearly over here.

[Godskook]

Jonathan moves closer and lobs another arrow at the leader.

L18
Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1]

This one needs to hit, dang it.

[daggaz]

OOC forgot i could hide as part of movement.. [roll0]

[Milskidasith]

Your arrow flies in the general direction of the target, but it lofts so high he was able to step away from it before it landed.

Syntihax's turn.

[Ixahinon]

The arrow pierces deeply into the hooded man's left arm, and for but a moment, Synithax stops long enough to look down at it, watching his dark red blood stain the black, thick robes. There was no cry out in pain, there was only a look in disgust before continuing on at his slow and determined pace, using his scythe as a walking stick. As he proceeded onward, he spoke loud enough for the necromancer to hear.

It would appear as though this Lost Soul is the only one willing to complete this endeavor excluding myself. Gregori, am I right to assume you are cowardly enough to send those that deserve a peaceful rest in while you stand and watch in safety? The Laws of Death do not look kindly upon those that deny the dead their rightful rest.

Once he reached his intended destination, Synithax would rear back his Scythe, and wait for any of the orcs to appear around the wall, should they be foolish enough to give chase.

Movements and actions:

Free Action (Unless DM Deems it otherwise): Speech
Move Action: 20 feet Northwest. 10 feet west. Should place me at M-10.
Standard Action: Preparing to strike down any orc that might step into L-11. (Readied Action)

[Milskidasith]

Vladislav's turn:

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

[tiny tim]

Seeing his companion in trouble, Vladislav drops his crossbow and moves west, to stand next to both his master and the orc, and then drawing his heavy shield.

[daggaz]

If the Orc is still standing within charge range of Grumthar after their turns, he will charge directly at it and attempt to trip it from ten feet away. Otherwise he will do something else..

melee touch attack [roll0]
str check to trip [roll1]
opposing str check if I fail to trip[roll2]
-i will fall prone if I fail that one-
attack roll if I do trip[roll3]
damage[roll4]
threat confirm[roll5]
crit damage[roll6]

EDIT bleh.. completely missed the touch attack. unbelievable. =/
at AC 16, touch 11, FF15, shield of faith 8 more rounds

[Milskidasith]

The other Orc and the Orc leader fire two arrows at Grigori as he approaches, taking care to not hit their ally.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Milskidasith]

As Grumthar charges at the Orc, he deftly jumps over the offensive halberd. He turns to look at the new threat briefly, before sending a sword slashing at his throat.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

I have to go for a bit after this. Map hasn't changed; whoever is next can go, and after their turn the next person can go, etc.

[tiny tim]

OoC:
I think the map has changed. And the orc would have had to move, if Grumthar attacked with a Halbrerd. Anyways, assuming nothing on the map has changed.


I make a 5-foot step to K-15 and cast daze on the orc with the greatsword.

[Milskidasith]

Yes, he five foot stepped to hit Grumthar and Grumthar did move. Also, will save: [/rollv]1d20-1[/roll]

[Milskidasith]

Messed up save:

[roll0]

[Milskidasith]

The Orc remains unaffected by Grigori's Magic.

Johnathan's Turn.

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

[Godskook]

Jonathan lets another arrow fly towards what appears to be the orc's leader before abandoning his bow to prefer his daggers.

attack roll: [roll0]
damage roll: [roll1]

Spend movement to drop bow and draw daggers.

Is the 'gate' open?

[Milskidasith]

Yes, the gate is open.

The orc leader is hit by the bolt in the leg. While this possibly would have felled lesser orcs, he stood firm and roared at you for daring to hurt him.

No map change.

Syntihax's turn.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax would watch with mild interest as Gregori and his Lost Soul attempt to take care of the lone orc along with Grumthar, he was not the orc that was destined to depart anyway, it was merely a casualty of the job he was sent to do.

Just a cool and calm as ever, Synithax would start to walk around the corner of the wall. With an eerie calm, he would turn to face the Orc Chief, though those listless blue eyes were concealed, the Orc Chief could clearly feel Synithax' cold gaze upon him.

As he closed the distance, gripping his Scythe, and pulling it back for an assault, Synithax spoke. Gruumsh, The Orc Lord has been calling your name for some time now, Orc. He has decreed that your time here is over.

With that, Synithax would swing forth his scythe, bringing it in to attempt to piece clear through the Orc Chief's chest with enough force for the blade to appear on the other side.

Movements, and Attack against Orc Chief:

Move Action: 5 feet Southwest, 10 feet West, 10 Feet North.
Standard Action:

[roll0]
If Successful:
[roll1]

[Milskidasith]

The Orc takes the stab wound to the chest. He kneels down, his heart clearly pierced. Blood spills out of his mouth. He then rises up, fighting because of pure will, despite the fact any normal creature would be dead. He begins speaking in common harshly.

Heh. My time's come? You gonna get turned into a stain on my mace, and I gonna live to see another day.

Vladislav's Turn.

[tiny tim]

Vladislav will make draw his warhammer and bring it down on the skull of orc standing before him, and threatening his master.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Milskidasith]

Vladislav swings his warhammer with little regards for precision, and with a sickening crack, he manages to hit a nearby twig.

The Orc Leader drops his bow and slowly pulls out a mace, keeping his eyes on Syntihax the entire time. He speaks a bit in Orcish, and the other orc turns away and fires on Johnathan.

Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Grumthar's Turn.

Map may not be updated tonight; I may have to go soon. Nothing is new besides Ixa's position.

[daggaz]

Grumthar growls at the orc threatening him. Time fer you ta drop down.. He swings his halberd again, hooking at the beast's legs, then steps back closer to the village gates.


melee touch attack [roll0]
str check to trip [roll1]
opposing str check if I fail to trip[roll2]
-i will fall prone if I fail that one-
attack roll if I do trip [roll3]
damage[roll4]
threat confirm[roll5]
crit damage[roll6]

5 ft step to L13

*sighs* you know.. with all the fours I roll, not quite sure why Grummy even bothers.. shoulda stayed in the Inn with the wenches and ale.

[Milskidasith]

Orc resist trip.

[roll0]

Well, you're tripped. >_< You can drop the halberd, to negate that, though.

[daggaz]

No, if you resist an initial trip attempt, you immediately roll another str check to see if you trip back. If that fails, nothing happens to either of us. In this case you will have to beat a twenty, which I already rolled as my opposing a trip attempt in case of an initial fail..

[Milskidasith]

Ah, sorry about that.

[roll0]

[daggaz]

Grumthar struggles with the orc but to no avail, and decides instead to step back towards the open gate.

(still taking my five foot step as posted above}

[Milskidasith]

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

Grigori's Turn.

[daggaz]

sorry but i did post i was stepping into L13, not L14 (its in my spoiler with all my moves outlined on my last turn)...

[Milskidasith]

Well, since we all know what Grigori wanted to do...

Grigori moves to K11, then begins waving his hands and chanting. Then, he points at the Orcish leader.

Cause fear, etc, etc.

Orc Will: (1d20)[12]

[Milskidasith]

The leader gets a look of panic in his eyes, and the other orc moves forwards towards Grigori, slashing at him with his greataxe.

Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Milskidasith]

Confirming critical:

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

The axe pierces deep into Grigori's stomach, blood flowing from him at an astonishing rate. As the orc pulls out his axe, Grigori vomits up blood, and then falls over to the ground.

Johnathan's Turn.

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=SyntiBattle2.jpg)

[Godskook]

Jon runs up besides the orc fighting Grumthar, and stabs him in the back, hoping to drop him.

Sneak Attack!
Move to I14
Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage Roll: [roll1]

Eat it, orc!

[Milskidasith]

Your dagger stabs deep into the orc's neck, giving him a horrific looking wound. However, he continues to stand and growls at you, albeit weakly.

Syntihax's turn.

[Ixahinon]

The hooded man paid not heed to the Orc's depraved words, he had his job, and nothing was going to change that but the word of Gruumsh himself, but it was far too late for that to happen. It was time for this creature to die.

So with a thrust of his scythe, Synithax would pull the blade out of the chest with the sick suctioning sound of air rushing into the gaping wound, while blood was rushing out. The hooded figure raised the weapon high into the air, and began to arch it back down towards the Orc Chief, the tip of the blade (Hopefully) Making it's point of entry into the left side of the Orc Chief's neck, just between the shoulder blade, and the throat, and continue to dig down in a diagnal fashion piercing through the heart, and into the right lung.

Attack against Orc Chief:

Standard action:
[roll0]
If successful:
[roll1]

Anti-climatic..

[Milskidasith]

The orc chief narrowly dodges your sycthe, the tip of it's blade passing hardly a centimeter away from his neck.

Vladislav's turn. (Map not updated with Johnathan's position yet.)

[Milskidasith]

Vladislav swings his hammer at the wounded Orc, trying to crush his skull.

Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: Irrelevant, he's at 0 HP. He's dead or he isn't.

With a sickening "Squelch!" the orc's skull is cracked open.

[Milskidasith]

The Orc leader flees in terror, slowly. AoO from Syntihax.

The other Orc moves towards Syntihax and slashes at him with his greataxe.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Ixahinon]

Synithax tries to make up for his failed attempt by pulling back his scythe once again in a wide arch, before bringing it down in a vertical slash right down the middle of his back, the blade (Hopefully) ripping open the flesh and exposing his spine all the way down to his tailbone.

Attack of Opportunity:

[roll0]
If Successful:
[roll1]


Synithax takes a moment to revel in his work as he watches the blood poor from the laceration. However, as he opens his mouth to make a comment regarding his position, a sharp pain courses through his body. After the axe was ripped out, the hooded man turns around to look at his attacker, blood spewing forth from his nose and mouth. I...failed you...mentor.

Falling to his knees with a look of failure upon his face, a first note of expression in a very long time, before falling to the ground, barely holding on to the threads of life.

[Milskidasith]

Grumthar's Turn.

[daggaz]

Grumthar turns around and runs for it, as fast as his squat little legs will carry him.

full withdraw, running at 3x speed, will continue until he is back in town, where he takes the first wagon back to his homelands. Sorry, between my quantum mechanics class and tutoring lessons, and the fact that this game is really not in my style I gotta bail on this one. Have fun, guys.

[Milskidasith]

As the last standing Orc swings at Johnathan, his already horrible wounds burst open, and he collapses to the ground, bleeding heavily. The Orc leader, almost killed by Syntihax, manages to get to the center of the encampment before collapsing. Almost immediately, chaos breaks out, as young warriors begin fighting each other for the new title of leader. Greataxes, falchions, spears, and arrows tear into the flesh of the orcs as the civil war erupts.

As Johnathan drags his newly found loot and his almost dead allies away, you can see the orc encampment start to burn, an overzealous orcish warrior shooting flaming arrows from the top of a building. While the fire may pose a problem to local wildlife, the town was guaranteed to be much safer; whatever small amount of damage the "clever" new leader and the few remaining orcs could cause is nothing compared to the damage they just caused to themselves.

Loot list:

One Composite Longbow, it's string nearly impossible to draw back.
One heavy mace, polished to a shine and decorated with a few tribal ornaments.
A greataxe, Falchion, and Greatsword, chipped in a few places but still mostly usable.
Three freshly made, mostly intact shortbows.
Two potions found on the Orc leaders corpse, a sickly pale blue color.
A slab of meat from an unknown animal.
A total of three dozen arrows.
Three smelly pieces of hide armor.
A small, green gem that was set into the Orc leader's mace until he ran off fleeing.

[Godskook]

Jonathan hauls his friends and the loot into the nearest thick cover he can find. He works silently and cautiously making a travois to make carrying his companions easier. Later, he'll bunker down for the night, placing himself between his companions, hoping his own warmth would keep them from going cold. A failed approach for Synithax, as it appears he was cold regardless, and continually kicked at any attempt Jon made to cover him.

Eventually, morning came again, and Jon pushed hard to make good time, stopping only as necessary to eat himself. Vlad was a great help, but lacked sufficient obedience to allow Jon time to forage in route. Stops simply had to be made.

At one such stop, Jon begun playing with the green gem he had found. You know, Synithax. I could've left your arrogant ass back there. You've treated me like ****, you've treated Grigori like ****, hell you even treated that crappy dwarf like ****. 'Course, he deserved it. Anyways, the point is, you really need to lighten up. I can tell, underneath it, you're probably about as smart as me and Grigori. ............... Ugh. Time for more walking.

That night, noting that the cold hadn't bothered Synithax the night before, he didn't bother to force him nearer to the fire. As Jon sat by the fire, he knew, the town was close. You guys are lucky that the orc village was so close. Despite the blatant tracks, they're probably assuming we've made it back already. As Synithax rolls again, hitting the stakes Jon put up to ensure he couldn't roll too far, Jon smirks. Thax, by the time this is over, you'll have owe me for saving your life twice. Best I can tell, you're necromantic, and that means that healing magic isn't going to work on you, even if we had a way of getting it. I doubt a priest would've caught it on the first check, cause hell, it took me two days to figure it out myself. If I had drug you back into town without thinking about it, the healing magic might've killed you. Fortunately, Grigori seems to know a lot about that necromantic stuff. Perhaps he'll know better once he's regained consciousness. Me and you have a lot to talk about, Grigs. I've begun to figure some things out, and I've start reading your spellbook. I'm pretty sure I've been able to cast a few of the spells too. I'll need some instruction in it, but I guess being the son of a wizard has advantages.

The next day, he bridged the short distance back to town. He gave strict instructions that no healer was to go near Synithax unless they discussed it with him first(a few silver ensured the order would be followed). He asked that both be placed together at Grigori's place, and that he be summoned when Grigori awoke. With those details explained and entrusted to the townsmen who had rushed from the gates to great him, Jon reported in to the town's military. He figured they would want to know what was happening.

[Ixahinon]

This place had been called a great deal of things in many religious texts. Purgatory, The Demi-Plane of Souls, Nirvana; all the names were indeed fitting, as this was the place were souls came to await there final judgment. It was here that Synithax saw numerous souls carried off by the righteous and benevolent Solars to be taken to Celestia or Ysgard, he also saw the shadows of the damned drag them off to the Abyss and the Nine Hells...and indeed, anywhere in between. More over, Synithax witnessed the restless and maddened souls that were taken to no where at all, the souls that were damned to this void because of the physical connection that remains on the material plane..the work of undeath.

These souls brought about an emotion in Synithax: Sadness. When his mentor was still at his side, the use of emotion was striped as much as possible from Synithax' mind. Such thing got in the way of his task as Death, feeling remorse, sadness, or even joy in the death of someone only brought about complications to the job..it got in the way.

Logically, the presence of sadness within his body could only mean one thing...he was dying. Immediately, Synithax would look at his hands, and notice a vibrant life that was once non-existent in him. His hands had the healthy color of living flesh, his skin was smooth and fair...young. His persona was that of when he was a child, before he was taken.

Looking back up into the world of darkness gave him a start, as immediately in front of him was the presence of his mentor. The creature was tall, a great deal taller than him, and nothing could be seen of his facial feature, merely a black hole against a black background in side that hooded robe. Beside him stood what could only be described as a lunatic, the heavily muscled warrior had deep circles under his eyes, the eyes themselves bloodshot and filled with fatigued, yet it was clear he could not sleep...something kept him from doing so. It was immediate to Synithax who this creature was.

I have failed you, master. Your teachings have fallen upon...

Yes, you have, Synithax; but all is not lost, and you are not striped of the duty tasked before you just yet. The rasp voice of his mentor spoke, interrupting Synithax. Your time here is short, so listen well, for there is a curious loophole in the contract that we follow. Such a loophole is rare, for this is only my second recollection within my 5 millennium as collector of souls.

Synithax' mentor would then point his Scythe to the madman that stood beside him, the soul was seen muttering incoherent words aloud, as those bloodshot eyes darted about. You travel with a necromancer, but one whose cause claims to be of a good nature. Ideed, that necromancer's soul is here as well...but just as it is not your time, it is not his, either. The Gods are curious of what 'good' this necromancer claims, and thus has allowed for this atrocity to continue to take place. Each deity has allowed the dark arts from this man to take place, and this soul's God has agreed to relinquish his right to it, until this unfolds.

Vladislav...

Indeed, this poor soul is denied true rest in his deities realm, until his body is relinquished..until this 'good' necromancer's task is complete. A pause, allowing Synithax to take all this in. The Gods decree, however, that you monitor this 'good' necromancer's performance. Wielding the dark arts does not leave the wielder unmarked. Should his acts with the dead become reckless and unsanctioned, it must be stopped.

I shall not fail in this task again, Master. Synithax mentioned, as he could feel his body aging once again, his skin becoming dull, cold and gray...his body was returning to life, slowly. It was his time to depart this realm for now.

See that you do not, Synithax.

__________

Synithax' eyes opened to the sight of one of the town clerics muttering a prayer of healing before his body, the hooded man watched as the cleric's hand would glow with a positive energy, and slowly come towards his body.

With a quick reflexive jerk, Synithax would reach up and grab a hold of that wrist tightly, his cold gray fingers wrapping around that wrist in it's entirety. As the cleric was startled, and struggled to release herself from the death grip, Synithax would sit up, and look to her with concealed eyes. Your intentions, Cleric of Helmstown, while sound and gracious, would only bring about further complications to my current conditions. However, if you do insist upon aiding me, I would require from you a seamstress, so that my robes can be mended.

The cleric nodded many times over, starting to wish she had listened to orders rather than attempting to heal one of the three successful in destroying the Orc Encampment. Synithax then released the wrist, and allowed the woman to flee out of Jonathan's establishment.

Slowly, the hooded figure got to his feet, and reached behind himself, looking for his scythe, but finding nothing. A distasteful mutter was heard as listless blue eyes gazed about for his possessions.

[tiny tim]

I slowly awake from my stupor. I could hear everything around me. I was aware. And yet my eyes were still closed. Then it all faded. All the noise. It was then that I heard the voice.

When you awake, you must be sure that your work is successful. If you fail, more death will come.

Then the noises returned. And my eyes opened. I sat up with a jolt.

VLADISLAV!

I then saw him in the corner, out of the commotion. I then went back to sleep, a grim smile on my face.

OoC:

Sorry it wasn't better. I have to go play with the band at my school football game, too.

[Milskidasith]

As you all, after a good day's resting, head out to the town, you hear some half hearted congratulations from the townsfolk. While you had done well, at least one other group had returned, although successfully, with three of the group dead and one collapsing just after he made it back to town. Another had not reported back yet. There were rumors that the militia was going to send a sizable force to rescue them, hoping that there wouldn't be any attacks in the meantime.

You all find your possessions have been dropped off in storage at the militia, where they run a bit of a trading post for guardsmen as well. After your success, you've been granted access to trade, and your possessions are relinquished without any hassles.

Inside the storage room, you notice old suits of armor, dusty weapons, and a bearded dwarf in the back, working on sharpening some of the newer swords.

Good job with the orks, lads. What can I do ye for? We've got some pretty good armor here and there, if you can find it beneath all the junk, and I don't object none to tradin' for some of that stuff you found from the orcs, as long as it ain't roughed up much.

OoC:

You've got your possessions back. You're at the armor/weapon shop. You can sell the armor and weapons here, and buy anything nonmagical (and maybe some of the really cheap magic stuff from the MiC... probably 1000 GP and under, and only related to armor and weapons) although the gem (which nobody made an appraise check for... >_<) will have to be sold elsewhere. You can either RP it out, or I'll split the treasure evenly by value (where I'll assume that, due to not knowing anything at all about the gem, you get 40% value) and you can give me a "shopping list" with the GP you get. The first one allows for more RPing, the second... well, it's faster and less likely to have two people posting what that they sell X item at the same time, or people running off with full plate while nobody else in the party gets much. >_>

[tiny tim]

Vell, I shall let my more combat oriented friends sell the veapons and armor ve captured from the orcs. I vouldn't know vat zey are vorth.

[Ixahinon]

It didn't take very long at all for Synithax to figure out where his equipment was, in fact, the hooded figure didn't have to look much at all. As he was coming out of Mr. Jonathan Hooker's establishment, and down into the bar, he was once again confronted by the cleric that attempted to heal him only moments earlier. This did come as a shock to Synithax, given the girl's right, he expected the girl to leave his presence, and simply never return.

I've notified a seamstress of your request, M'lord. Synithax was told directions that lead to the seamstress' workplace, and once done, he merely thanked her for the information, and allowed her to leave once again. The hooded figure then walked over to the seamstress, and made his simple request for the rips in his robes to be mended.

Though the deed was done eventually, it had to be done via the use of magic, as Synithax made the prompt demand that his robe not be removed during the process. (Just give me a price for it OoC, I'd imagine no more than a few gold, but your the DM)

Once finished, Synithax would make his way to the trading post, concealed eyes quickly noticing the dwarf bartering with Mr. Jonathan Hooker. Naturally, Synithax had no recollection of anything being taken from the mission, but could only assume the curious figure had managed to pilfer a few things before dragging everyone to safety.

This in of itself posed a problem to Synithax. To Mr. Jonathan Hooker, of course, he would view his actions as selfless, and heroic. The curious figure would claim that he was the one to save Synithax' life. In reality, Synithax knew that there were no heroics about it, it simply was not his time to die, just as it was not the Necromancers, or even his own. Such actions were merely labeled as 'Heroic' in order feel as though they accomplished something that was going to happen anyway.

But was it worth explaining this to Mr. Jonathan Hooker? Would it be worth meddling in the affairs of people, just to deny him this one satisfaction? As the hooded figure approached the dwarf, and Mr. Jonathan Hooker, he would wait for the bartering to finish before speaking.

It would appear as though I owe you my gratitude, Mr. Jonathan Hooker. In my eagerness to complete my task in life, I made a mistake that landed me, if only briefly, in the Realm of Souls. I shall be sure to return such gratitude in the future.

The stress put on the word 'appear' clearly made it sound as though it was a backhanded compliment, however, it should be clear by now that this is likely the best you will get from a man such as Synithax. Once the comment was completed, Synithax would quickly locate and put back all of his possessions upon his person.

[tiny tim]

I seek out the hooded man and approach him.

Comrade, if you have a problem vith me, I vould appreciate you taking it up vith me. It vould seem that ve are headed on the same course, and I veel that ve should be on good standing with each other.

[Godskook]

Sadly, Synithax, I'm in business at the moment, or I'd explore this discussion in detail. For now, let me say this, that those who are quick with their gratitude will always find themselves blessed with companions, in this life and the next. With that, Jon will politely excuse himself of the gaunt man and continue his haggling with the dwarf for the less travel-ready portions of the spoils.

[Milskidasith]

Godskook Only:

The gem is a fairly large emerald worth 1500 gp. Also, I believe I mentioned this, but that dwarf isn't buying gems... it isn't even a store, so much as an armory for the militia that you just happened to get rights to buy from.

I ain't buying pretty rocks, boy. Go find tha jewelery store, tha dwarf there'll buy it, I bet. It's just down tha street, then take a right.

Godskook:

We could just skip to you walking back here with your cash, if you want. Your choice.

[Ixahinon]

The words from Mr. Jonathan Hooker were promptly put at the back of his mind, to analyze further when the time was available. For now, however, he had to deal with the words of Gregori. A rather interesting choice of words, if one cared to think about it long enough. Synithax understood the phrase 'in good standing' but was that really appropriate with him? The term suggests favor, favor simply wasn't allowed.

Concealed blue eyes would look over towards the necromancer after placing his backpack upon his back, and clasping his scythe in his left hand. Now came the matter of the 'problem' Synithax might have had with Gregori, and that problem was great, indeed. But often times in life, one does not know that he is being judged.

My problem with you has, if only temporarily, been dealt with. It is very likely to arise in the future, however. It is for this reason, Gregori, that being 'on good standing' with one another simply does not seem like a possible choice. You are entitled to think of me how you will, however, it matters not to me.

Of course, you are correct to assume that we are on the same course; perhaps more so than you even realize. It is for this reason - and this reason only - that I am your companion. You must understand that my contract requires me to work alone, so you can appreciate the difficulty this situation puts me in.

[Godskook]

Good sir, I thank you for the tip on the jeweler. Now, neither I nor my friends have need of this hide armor or weapons, and this meat would be better suited to the other soldiers. What can I get for it?

Appraise checks:
Shortbows - [roll0]
C. Longbow - [roll1]
Great Axe - [roll2]
Mace - [roll3]
Falchion - [roll4]
Greatsword - [roll5]
Meat - [roll6]

[Milskidasith]

The dwarf walks over and examines the pile of loot you set before him, eyeing everything carefully.

Lemme see tha' stuff... Hmm. Some of it's pretty good quality, and we can toss tha rest to any new recruits we get. I'll give ye... say, 600 GP for the lot of it; I think we have enough in tha budget for that. As for the meat... No clue what that is, I'd throw it out meself, but if ye wanna risk it ye can try eating it.

OoC:

Your appraise checks tell you that you're getting a pretty good deal on the stuff, considering the total value of the pile is around 1000 GP.

[Godskook]

Very well, sir dwarf. If you could point me towards that jeweler, I'll be much obliged. With that, Jon will head to the jeweler, selling the jewel for what he can. Afterward, he'll locate Grigori and Synithax, dragging both to the nearest tavern for a drink.

So, 600gp for the gear, and what for the gem?(1500gp worth, I believe)

Is our 'conscription' for any longer, or are we 'free' agents?

[Milskidasith]

You're pretty much free to go, since it was a one time draft. And yes, it was a 1500 GP gem, though don't expect 100% value on a sale.

[Godskook]

Unless there's something to RP there, go ahead and resolve it off camera. On a similar note, what skills would I need to be able to haggle better against your NPC stores? Bluff or Diplomacy?

[Milskidasith]

All can see:

Either one would work. Anyway, I'll assume you got 1200 for the gem (well above 50%, but you guys don't really have much cash anyway, and I had somehow gotten the value of the other items mixed up in my head. Anyway, so now all of you have a big pile of 1800 gold to spend. Go nuts.

[tiny tim]

So we each get 600?

[Godskook]

So we each get 600?


You're jumping ahead of the plot, mister squishy. If you begin chatting to me in the tavern, we'll address that ourselves. :smallamused::smallamused:

[tiny tim]

very well, then.


I am startled as Johnathan grabs my robes from behind and starts dragging me towards the tavern.

Vat is wrong? Ver are ve going Johnathan? Vladislav, follow us please!

[Ixahinon]

Not at all the hooded figure's intended destination, but it would appear as though he had no choice in the matter, as Mr. Jonathan Hooker beckoned him towards the Tavern.

The two of them - and the Lost Soul - succeeded in making it to a table inside the Tavern before Synithax would even begin to enter it. His slow and methodical movements just adding to the complex and curious nature that always surrounds him. Upon entering the Tavern, however, Synithax would quickly locate his companions, and make his way over to them. In order to keep the town guard from coming in, or even scaring the locals, the hooded figure chose put his scythe away, resting it upon the ground near him, in order to convey that it was not to be used in this establishment.

After pulling out a chair, Synithax would adjust his robes before taking a seat. Concealed eyes looking to each of the two before him, choosing to ignore the Lost Soul that stood protectively over his captor.

I must admit that I am rather perplexed as to where to go from here, Mr. Jonathan Hooker. I would assume that if we were under the employ of Mives, he would have sent for us the moment we returned from our previous endeavor.

[Godskook]

Indeed, we're free of our conscription. It was brought up during my debriefing. We're also quite well off. I figure, despite the poor luck, I couldn't have finished our duty without you guys softening them up. Your shares in the take are quite handsome. With that, Jon tosses 600gp across the table to each of them. I'm looking for some old friends of my father, and I have need of some companions. Grigori, I also have need of some tutoring, since so far, I've mastered only a few measly cantrips.

[tiny tim]

I vould be glad to teach you! But the arcane arts take many years to master. I vill do my best, however. As for now, I believe ve should search for another place of employment.

Wit that, I will sit back and listen to the rumors being spoken of around me.


[roll0]

[Milskidasith]

The tavern, called the Weeping Goat, is a fairly generic institute. There is a stage in the corner, but since this is midday, nobody is playing. You can hear somebody mention the singer they had scheduled, who was never very good, was drafted, but the other person said that the guy was just sick. Typical gossip.

The barkeeper is a stout man in his forties, and while it isn't crowded, he's still fairly busy serving drinks and he doesn't look to be in a good mood for conversation. He's serving a few varieties of beer and other alcohol, along with water and milk.

In a corner table, you notice a man slumped over, occasionally sipping from a glass of beer, with several empty glasses next to him. He's wearing a large coat, and has at least five days worth of unkempt facial hair. He seems to be twirling a copper piece idly in his other hand, and is, by all accounts, quite drunk. He seems to have some kind of purpose written down, though, because he keeps glancing at a piece of paper on his table, stained with beer.

At another table, you see a woman sobbing hysterically, and saying things like "Why, why!" and "Couldn't it have been anybody but Steve?"

[tiny tim]

Vell, my friends, I think ve may have a lady in need of some help.

I will then walk up behind her and ask her why she is crying.

[Milskidasith]

The lady continues sobbing hysterically while trying to speak to you.

My Stevie... he died yesterday. Why couldn't it have been somebody else!

She bangs her fist on the table, and continues to sob hysterically during her entire speech, pausing to dab her eyes.

He was always so nice! No matter what happened to him, he'd always just try to be friends! He was just on the fence, meowing to a little she-cat, when the dog came out of nowhere! By the time I got there, he was dead!

[tiny tim]

Your cat was killed by a dog? I am sorry, but that is the natural order of things. Was there anything odd or different about this dog?

[Milskidasith]

No... I don't think so... it looked pretty normal... Collar was shiny and gold, though.

[tiny tim]

Vell, I am sorry, but you vill just have to get over your lost pet. That is the vay the vorld vorks.

With that I will begin to make my way to the drunken man, and simply stand in front of him.

[Milskidasith]

The man looks up, and begins shouting at you, spraying beer as he talks.

Whadd'ya want! *hic* I didn't invite ya to sit by me! *hic* Why'ja gotza skeleton wicha ahnyway? It *hic* ain't normal to have shomething *hic* walkin about by n-neeco-nacho-dead magics!

With that, the man vomits, spraying the seats beside him.

Shorry about that... anyway, whaddya want?

[tiny tim]

Do you need help with anything? I notice you keep looking at that paper. Are you in trouble?

[Ixahinon]

Though he did not turn around to take a look at the sobbing woman, he would hear all that was said from her. He could not say as he was surprised from the necromancer's comments, it was merely his attempt to make people believe he truly had a concept over death; perhaps even a way to validate his use of the necromantic arts.

What perplexed him, however, was how the woman handled the situation. Why here? If her cat died, why was she not at home, or at the authorities. At the very least, would this woman not be confronting the owner of the dog? Synithax could only come to the conclusion the woman was too scared to take action. Sure, the possibility is there that the woman is merely looking for a way to grieve, and the result was to come here...but it just seemed, unlikely. At the very least, the hooded creature was curious.

Yet you remain here, crying. You state the creature had a collar, which leads one to assume it would have an owner. Why do you not confront the owner of the dog, or at the very least, inform the authorities of such?

[Milskidasith]

I... I didn't see the name on the tag. It was a big dog, too... could have killed me as well. The woman says, still sobbing into her drink.

As for the drunken man, his condition had not improved since vomiting up a large amount of the drinks he had imbibed. He stood up to look down at Grigori, and he was fairly muscular and, if he could manage to stand up straight, was a bit under six and a half feet tall. The man could have, in a less drunken state, probably have snapped Grigori's neck if he wanted to. At the moment, the best he could manage was to sway and slur out a few insults.

Scarper off, will ye? You're a frail little elven pansie and this isn't any of yer business. Go hug a tree or *hic* make your crapy plants taste good with yer mage-ick. Mind yer own *hic* damn business.

The man, still swaying, tries to sit back down, but then collapses to the ground, dropping the note on the table and spilling beer all over the floor.

Synti only:

He's not dead. Just unconcious.

[Ixahinon]

Fascinating. It was clear to the hooded figure that the more she spoke to him about the events that unfolded, the more Synithax was sure of his initial assumptions. Were it not his duty to keep his emotions non-existent in his line of work, the hooded creature would have a smug look upon that tanned face, with a smile that would rival even the most gleeful of Nymphs.

Instead of that smile, however, Synithax would simply stand up from his position, looking down at the curious Mr. Jonathan Hooker, who still remained at the table, presumably counting out his share of the money. While Synithax would take his portion of the gold, and put it away without counting, he would speak to his companion, speaking loud enough for both him, and the sobbing lady to hear.

You must excuse me, Mr. Jonathan Hooker, there is a matter I must attend to. I trust you will not mind, my social skills, as you have no doubt experienced, are lacking. The hooded creature would then grab his scythe with his left hand, and proceed to lean on it as he often does, turning to look at the lady, and now addressing her only.

If you do not mind, M'lady, perhaps you would be so kind as to reveal to me the location in which your pet met with this dog? I feel time is of the essence, so if we could make haste.

For the DM only:

I'm assuming the cat is still lying unconscious at the scene, unless I missed something.

[Milskidasith]

Ixa Only:

No, the drunken man is the one who is unconcious... I wasn't even sure if cat's were under your jurisdiction. Do they even have souls? Sorry if my lack of clarity makes some of your post irrelevant.

[Ixahinon]

DM's Eyes only:

Was just as confused as you were, they wouldn't be under my juristiction, but your spoiler says Synit only: Assumed it was for me.

[Milskidasith]

Synti only:

Well, I thought you would like to know whether the guy who just collapsed to the ground, spilling beer everywhere in the moderately sized tavern, was dead or not. I don't think it's possible for Syntihax to have not noticed that.

[Ixahinon]

DM Only:

Which makes complete sense. I just got my storylines mixed up. Not that it changes my response anyway, The drunk man is not of Synithax' concern anyway.

[Milskidasith]

Synti only:

Fair enough. I'll get on the fluff for you going there and all... but I've got to go soon at the moment, so I don't quite have the time. :smallannoyed:

[Milskidasith]

After receiving directions from the blubbering woman, Syntihax heads off to the scene of the crime. When you get there, you notice that there are some spots of blood still there where the cat was apparantly mauled. A small gravestone and a freshly dug plot of land mark where the cat was buried in the woman's yard. The other cat, which Steve apparently had a fancy for, is still in the other lawn, although it appears to be bored without it's companion, or perhaps just bored because that's how cat's are. There are no dogs in sight, but the owner of the cat is outside, tending to what looks to be a plot of sunflowers.

[tiny tim]

Once sure the drunken man will not wake up, I peek a look at the note.

[Ixahinon]

Once the hooded man reached the spot, he would begin to examine the area at a glance, taking note of everything from the other cat, to the neighbor tending to some flowers. It was likely that on the first glance something was going to be missed, but just like any good sleuth, it was important to take in one thing at a time.

Concealed blue eyes would start at the ground, slowing kneeling down upon on knee, and surveying the ground for any tracks that would fit the description of a creature large enough to not only kill the cat, but threaten the owner as well.

For the DM only:

Survival checks state that I can't find difficult tracks, unless I have the tracking feat. I've always assumed that tracks that aren't easily concealed (Such as in a heavily wooded area, water, or on ice) can be tracked by any average joe. After all, I'm looking for a specific type of tracks, on dirt ground, in a backyard.

If you'll allow it:
[roll0]

If not, just tell me I fail. Might not even matter with that roll.

[Milskidasith]

Tim (and Godskook, since he's still at the bar):

The note is written in small, delicate letters in print (not cursive). The beer has stained much of it, however. What you can pick out is this: (X = indecipherable letters)

"Bring amXlXt or.... Mayor's Cellar... 6:00 P.X FridXX... We haXX Xer XaXtive.

You get a few odd looks for looking at his note, but since you put it back down nobody makes any comment.

Syntihax:

You can tell that there was a cat mauled here. You can find some indentions, but they aren't clear enough and you aren't experienced enough to know if it is an animal or human's footprints, let alone where they lead.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:

It was unfortunate that he was unable to discern any information from the markings on the ground, but it was to be expected, Synithax was not a tracker in the general sense of the word. The hooded figure tracked down the souls that violated 'the agreement' and brought them to the eternity of death that awaited them; not mere tracks of an animal. Still, he was here now, and it just did not seem efficient to turn around and head back now.

Concealed eyes then looked up from the ground, to the person tending to the flowers, letting his stare fall upon them for a moment. What are the chances that they are involved?

You don't seem the least bit discouraged. the hooded figure spoke slowly but sternly, still upon one knee. His right hand resting upon right leg, while his left hand held his scythe. He waited for the owner of the other cat to look up at him, once their attention was at hand, he would continue.

Your neighbor reports of a dog like creature that kills her cat; a cat that - according to your neighbor - is acquainted with yours. What's more is that she explained to me that this creature was large enough even to threaten your neighbor. And yet, here you are, tending to your sunflowers without a care in the world.

Synithax allows the words to sink in to the person tending the flowers for a moment, and while awaiting any sort of response, he would turn those listless blue eyes to look deeper into the woman's backyard, taking note of what exactly exists back there.

OoC:

Synithax is trying to determine if this woman's backyard leads into the wild forest, or into more buildings. If buildings, can he determine the type? More housing Units? Warehouses? etc.

[Milskidasith]

Synti only:

OoC:
The backyard leads to woods. Not the woods up northeast, where nobody had tamed, but woods to the west, that were between the town and other civilized land.

The man looks up from his work, annoyed at your intrusion.Yessir, the cat died. What of it? Stuff dies all the time. Yeah, it got ripped up pretty bad. I wasn't around to see it, and it don't really matter what it was. My cat's fine, and I'm thankful for that, but if it's as you say, what was I supposed to do? If it could really threaten a human, well, my life's more important to society and to me personally than the cats. Also, do you really think I'd stop working on all this

He motions to his garden, which has not only sunflowers, but assorted vegetables growing in organized plots, and an apple tree in the corner growing small green apples used in baking pies.

just to search out what was probably some stray guard dog that was too dumb to figure out how to take off it's collar? I bet the lady's upset, but honestly, I can't say that I care enough either way to be interested in this.

[Milskidasith]

Dice rolls only I should see:

Bluff: [roll0]

[Ixahinon]

Synithax's Actions:

The hooded creature starred down the person intently, those concealed eyes looking over every movement they made, every gesture given. Perhaps they were telling the truth, there were some aspects of the story that Synithax could agree with. The only reason he was here was because it was too late to turn back now..not because of some feline creature.

'My life's too important to society and to me personally than a cat's' It was this phrase that considered this person a liar. If this was the truth, wouldn't they be worried of an attack so close to their own home? Wouldn't they be hounding the city guard for a fence?

Exactly the reason you should be concerned, would it not? This 'guard dog' as you put it, obviously does not fear coming into this woman's backyard..I would say this puts your important life in danger as well, would it not?

[Ixahinon]

More of Synithax' Actions:

[roll0] (Starting to not liking having no wisdom modifier)

[Milskidasith]

Ixa Only:

Why should I fear a wild animal when there's already a fence here? In case you can't see, the cat's blood was on my fence and is on the street. It never went into her backyard, as far as I can tell. Me and my cat are safe, and honestly, it isn't worth the effort to go yelling to the town guard about a stray dog, what with the whole "brink of war" thing still playing out.

OoC:

You can tell that, while he is, in fact, more worried than he appears, he really isn't nearly as concerned as you thought. The fact he already has a fence is enough to keep his fear from being anything more than "be more cautious when leaving the house." Also, I did mention the cat was killed while on the fence earlier when the woman was talking, but I probably could have made it clearer.

[tiny tim]

DM/Jon

I will sit in the tavern waiting for the man to awake.
Jonathan, someone that man cares for is in trouble. I would like for you to go and find where the mayor's house is, after that meet me back here. I will try to get more information from our friend here.

[Godskook]

Very well, I'll go check.
I head out, find a guardsman, and ask him about the mayor's house.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:

It just did not make sense. The dog was collared, according to the victim's owner, so his first assumption was someone's dog. Synithax was more inclined to believe the other was just reluctant to show any fear, more than hiding anything, so that lead was gone.

A Wolf was always a possibility, but why collared? with a calmness about him, the hooded figure stood up, and gazed directly into the wooded area. It would appear as though your attacker came from within the woods. Your lack of any sort of protection leads me to believe that you cat would have been an easy target than say, your neighbor's.

The hooded creature then begin to walk towards the forest line, peering into the woods, and hesitating for a moment. I would suggest in investing in the materials for a fence, M'lady. After his speech he would wander off into the words, in no particular direction but forward. Perhaps it was a stray wolf collared from the orc tribe?

[Milskidasith]

Grigori only:

The man is quite soundly out, although he'll probably wake up in a few... hours, maybe? The bartender shoves you aside and throws him out back into a pile of mud, after collecting his payment form the man's pockets. If you head to the back, you can see little of use to you; there are extra kegs of beer and other beverages, and some vegetables, but nothing interesting.

Johnathan Only:

After getting directions to the Mayor's house, you arrive at it. It's got a few guards up front by the main door, although they are more for show than anything else, because the mayor has not, to anybodies knowledge, ever been attacked, though he was yelled out loudly by a drunk once.

The manor is the largest building in the city. It stands three stories tall and is as long as half the street where it is located. The roof is covered in relatively freshly painted, red shingles, and the building itself is made of bricks with glass windows. The lawn is huge, with a fountain with a cherub statue on top on each side of the cobblestone path to the front door. The door itself is imposing, made of heavy, dark wood with a large golden door knocker in the front.

You can't see much of the backyard from here, but you suspect that if the cellar was anywhere, it would be there. You can tell that the backyard has a few trees planted in it, because they rise above the house and their leaves block out part of the sky behind it.

Syntihax only:

You wander through the forest, seeing nothing of interest for a while; trees, birds, the occasional spiderweb, etc. You come a stream where a few deer are drinking from, but none of them show any signs of fear or bite marks. The stream is not exceptionally deep or wide, but it is clear and has a few fish swimming in it, and it seems safe enough to drink for the animals, at least. The banks on both sides of the river are muddy, probably from the river overflowing in a rainstorm, and there are a few tracks, probably from the deer, on your side. On the other side, however, you see indentations in the mud from some animal, but you can't identify it on first sight.

Roll survival to track it (It's pretty fresh mud, so you don't need the track feat.)

[tiny tim]

DM

Is the man not out back?

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:

It may have been contradictory if this was explained to another mortal, but Synithax felt at home in the wilderness, like it was the only thing that was willing to embrace Death's company. Synithax was well aware of the irony of something so destructive and macabre enjoying something so full of life and peaceful, but it did not change that fact. Every once in a while, Death's Apprentice lost himself in the moment, and even if for only a moment, wondered what his life would have been like were he not chosen. He most likely would have been the quintessential hunter, a man living off what nature had to offer.

Such a moment was lost, however, when concealed eyes would fall upon another set of tracks that seemed to stand out from the dear tracks. Perhaps this was the creature with the collar? Inwardly, he hoped so, for while he did officially call off his attempt to solve this riddle, the curiosity was was still there. Why was it collared? Who owned it? Perhaps a sort of Lycanthropy?

There was a great deal of noise as Synithax dragged his feet through the water to get to the tracks, and once there, he would kneel, his left knee being submerged in the cool lake as concealed eyes tried their hardest to discern type and possibly direction the tracks went.

[roll0]

[Milskidasith]

DM

Is the man not out back?


Grigori:

The man is out back... but just because he was thrown out doesn't necessarily mean you follow him.

Syntihax:


You can tell that the tracks head west, and that there are two sets. One is bipedal and most likely humanoid. The other sets of tracks appear to be either from an extremely large lizard or from a dog, but you can't rule out other possibilities.

[tiny tim]

DM

I will wait in the shadows for him to recover, then shadow him back to his home.
[roll0]

[Milskidasith]

Ivan only:

OK... once other people have progressed a reasonable amount of time, you can stalk him. He's still unconcious for now.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:

Hmm...so you do have an owner. Synithax got up from his position, and started to head west, keeping his eyes and ears open for any sounds that would reveal either a humanoid or a canine sound.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Milskidasith]

Dice rolls you shouldn't see: [rollv]Hide [roll0] Move Silently: [roll1]

Ixa only:

As you head past what would normally have been just another section of the forest, you hear a rustling from behind a tree, along with the light footfalls of a canine creature.

Turning around, you see a large wolf with a collar on it standing there, looking at you. On it's neck is a golden collar, and though the sunlight gleams off of it, you can tell that engraved on it is the message "Fluffy. If found, please return to the nearest forest." It growls at you, but doesn't appear ready to strike.

The wolf is standing next to a small shrub, and partially concealed behind a tree to your north. The rest of the area is generally covered with trees that, while not easy to climb, are certainly possible (DC 10).

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:

It took a moment for Synithax' eyes to correlate with what his ears were telling him. Stopping in his tracks for a moment to listen to the rustling of the brush, before trying to locate that position with concealed eyes.

Eventually, the dull blue eyes fell upon what appeared to be a wolf that was trying to get the jump on him. Inwardly, Synithax found the prospect of foiling a hunter's plans to surprise the hunted rather humorous..but as usual, there was no chuckle, not even a smile. Though Synithax also showed no threat to the wolf, he also showed no intentions of yielding. If anything, the mere action of doing nothing would be rather intimidating. OoC: Standard Action: Using Daunting Presence (DC 12)

You must be the collared creature that was sighted in Helmstown, are you not? You need not fear my blade, wolf, but I don't think I can say the same of the town guard, should you continue to visit there. Synithax spoke to the wolf as if he was capable of carrying on a conversation with it.

Now, I am no tracker, but I believe I saw some other tracks accompanying your own. You wouldn't happen to have a companion nearby, now would you?

OoC:
Move Action = Used up by extensive speech.
I don't think I can use a Search skill to try to see if I find anyone else hiding, since I've used a move and a standard already...but if I can:
[roll0]

[Milskidasith]

Syntihax only:

OoC:

Well, search requires a full round action, which you don't have, and being in the square of something, and can't locate people (you can make another spot check, though.) It still requires an action to take spot.

Dice roll you shouldn't see:

[roll0]
The wolf begins to whimper in fear of you, it's tail slightly between it's legs, but it doesn't attempt to flee.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:

Calm yourself, wolf. Your life is not under judgment here, for I only deal with the souls of the more advanced species of the world. I would imagine Obad-Hai contracts out another for the dealing with animal-kind.

Now tell me, who is it that you belong to? Or do you belong to anyone? I find it curious that your collar states to return you to the woods, yet we are in the woods already.

Synithax did his best to conceal his attempt to spot anyone else nearby, perhaps this wolf's owner. The hooded figure refused to say the wolf's name, however, as it just seemed...demeaning. A safe route to walking up towards the creature without fear of an ambush was crucial before making his next move.
[roll0]

[Milskidasith]

Syntihax:

Dice rolls you shouldn't see: [roll0] (By the way, if you have been cheating and looking at these, the first hide check didn't use the proper modifier because, well, you'd fail no matter what.

Your keen eyes perceive nothing out of the ordinary besides the wolf, still cowering slightly at your presence. You can see some bird's nests high up in the trees, and a small spider crawling towards you, but nothing else unusual. Everything else, and even that, seems perfectly normal for a wooded area.

The wolf, upon hearing you speak, lift's up it's ears and raises it's tail slightly, but still makes no attempt to approach.

If you want a map, I can draw one up.

[Godskook]

I head back towards the bar, looking for Grigori. I've picked up on the now 'unusual' evening by now, so I'm not oblivious as I do so. I will inquire with the bartender for him.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:


Satisfied with his casual glance around the area, Synithax proceeds to move toward the wolf. There was no precautionary movement, as the his arrogance did not allow for such. Once within five feet of the wolf, Synithax will once again fall down to a knee, and attempt to reach out for the collar.

If he manages to grab such without being bitten, Synithax will turn it around to see if there is anything more specific written on the other side such as the owner's name, or a more specific location.

OoC:
I don't really need a map unless combat situations arise.

[Milskidasith]

Syntihax only:

As you approach the wolf, it still looks at you, shaking slightly, but not running away. However, right as you are about to touch it, the shrub that was next to the wolf explodes in a flurry of movement, screaming at you.

DON'T TOUCH MY FLUFFY!

You can't really tell what the man, or whatever it is, is doing beneath all the plants covering him, but he seems to be chanting and moving his limbs, so you suspect he's trying to cast a spell. The wolf, seeing it's master preparing to attack, growls at you and leans down, ready to pounce.

Roll initiative, and spellcraft (if you have it).

OoC:

The shrubbery just started casting a spell at you and fluffy's about to attack you. Not so much of a red herring now, is it?

Dice rolls you shouldn't see:

Druid:[roll0]
Wolf: [roll1]

[Ixahinon]

OoC:
It probably was your intentions, but the storyline seemed to be set up to return the wolf/dog safely to where ever it was suppose to go. A 'return the stray pet' quest. I could have killed it, but figured that wasn't the intent.

1d20+1

Synithax stands up, and looks towards the sudden appearance of...something. Ahh..it appears there is someone after all.

[rollv=Spellcraft=1d20+10[/rollv]

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Rolls:

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Milskidasith]

Syntihax only:



OoC:

You know he's casting Summon Nature's Ally 1.

Combat order is:

You
Wolf
Druid.

Map will be up as soon as I can get it drawn up and uploaded on my other computer.

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=Team1battleD.jpg)

Godskook only:

After arriving back at the bar, you ask the bartender where Grigori went. He says he left through the back and nobody has seen him since then.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:

Realizing immediately the enchantments pouring from the creature's mouth, Synithax could only come to the immediate conclusion that this creature did not wish to talk.

Gripping his scythe with both hands, the hooded creature takes a step forward, his focus no longer on the wolf, but on it's master instead. The weapon was twirled once in the air over his head, for momentum, before bringing it down in a wide arc, attempting to slice open a wound across the Druid's chest.

This could have been done with no hostility.

Actions and Dice Rolls:

Free Action: 5 Foot Step (M-12 to L-12), Speech.
Standard Action: Attack.
[roll0]
If Successful:
[roll1]

[Godskook]

DMJon heads out back, hoping to find his friend.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Milskidasith]

Johnathan:

You see Ivan hiding between two kegs of beer next to the wall of the place, and the drunken man still lying in the pool of mud.

Syntihax:

Your scythe manages to cut a gaping hole in the man's camouflage outfit, but as he steps away from you (five foot step NW), he manages to barely avoid the blow. He ends his movement with what may have been a flourish, if he wasn't covered with leaves and twigs, and a red snake, about two and a half feet long, appears on the ground next to you.

You scare my pet, then try to grab it, and then when I start calling in backup you try to kill me, and you say I'm violent? Clearly there's no reasoning with you... POUNCE!

The man starts to wave his arms and chant again, safely out of the reach of your scythe. The snake hisses and lunges at your leg, it's fangs gleaming with clear poison, and the wolf growls and jumps for your throat somewhat hesitantly, still afraid of you.

Attacks:

Wolf attack: [roll0]
Wolf Damage: [roll1]
Snake attack: [roll2]
Snake damage: [roll3]
If the snake hits, make a DC 12 fortitude save.

[Milskidasith]

Syntihax only:

Confirming critical: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:

Synithax grimaces in pain as the wolf latches on to his leg, shaking his head violently as the creatures often do. The hooded creature was, indeed, death; but he was not a killer, at least not in cold blood. Obad-Hai did not call for the soul such as the one before him, and he did state his harmless intentions, regardless.

You attack a person that declares peace. A person that merely intends on returning a wolf who's collar gives the impression of being lost. You admit to summoning backup with intent of harming me, yet I am suppose surrender to my own death?

Synithax would then take his scythe, and throw it over to the side, far enough for him to be unable to reach it. The hooded creature would then raise his hands high into the air, unable to reach for anything of deadly value.

Very well then, I will yield. I do not kill without reason. It is quite clear you do. If you feel so inclined, strike me down.

Synithax' Actions:

Move Action: Speech
Standard Action: Drops Scythe.
Free Action: Raises hand into the air.

[Milskidasith]

Syntihax only:

The druid looks at his wolf and snaps, and it releases you from it's mouth. He waves his arm for a second and the snake he had summoned before disappeared entirely, sent back to it's home. He turns towards you (you think; it's hard to tell from the suit), and begins to speak.

First off, the wolf isn't "lost." The collar says "bring back to the woods." These look like woods, don't they? Second, I can't exactly trust a guy who decided to scare my pet for no reason besides the fact it was there. I mean, c'mon, anybody who knows anything about animals realizes that they don't attack you unless you provoke them, but you thought it would be a good idea to try to scare him away from his turf. Third of all, I was just calling backup because, as you can clearly see, it would get you to leave me the hell alone. Just get out of my forest and don't come back.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Actions:

Synithax can appreciate arrogance, he used it quite a bit himself. If he was not an arrogant being himself, Synithax might have shown some respect for it. His words were quite amusing, as well. It was his opinion that animals often attack without provocation, and for many reasons. Feral, hunger, nearing their young, natural predators. It was also his opinion that it is common knowledge for a creature to bring up defenses when he feels it is needed. However, Synithax new it was not his place to argue with a keeper of the forest, on the nature of the forest, no matter how long he felt it was.

Is that so? Then I will apologize, but I feel you must know that it appears as though you are equivocating upon the word 'forest.' Which forest do you mean? Which part? Is there an end to your 'turf?' If you do not wish to provoke confusion, then a more clear statement is in order.

On another note, I will be happy to depart your presence, druid, moving to pick up his weapon, not taking his eyes off the wolf upon doing so. but I feel I must warn you of your wolf's slaughter of a town citizen's cat. No doubt, the guardsmen will not investigate the death of a cat...but I would advice control over your companion in the future, lest someone is hired to hunt you down.

A respectful nod was offered, before the hooded creature would walk past the druid, and proceed to attempt to follow his own tracks back towards town, using his scythe as support for his wounded leg.

[Godskook]

Moving near the necromancer, he asks, Grigori, I found the house. Anything happen since I left?

[tiny tim]

Good vork. I am planing on following this man back to his house ven he vakes up. You should take up a good hiding place so you can help too.

OOC:Do either of us have a home/inn room here?

[Godskook]

OOC:I had you and Syn sent to your place(which I assumed you had). I'm pretty sure we've been staying there.

[Milskidasith]

All:

Yes, you have been staying around at an inn, or a house, or something. You can fluff it up as whatever you want.

Godskook and Tim:

You guys can go do some info gathering on the Mayor, but I don't think you guys can fast forward without Syntihax.

Ixahinon:

The druid was unimpressed with your speech against him, and remained silent the whole time. He stood tall, making it clear that he wasn't going to answer any of your questions if he didn't have to. As you were leaving, you see the druid was fussing at the wolf somewhat; it appears he wasn't aware of the fact that his wolf had gotten out at some point. You make it back to town without incident. Since you are back in town, you can do whatever; look for another thing to do, talk to the cat's owner, try to find Grigori and Johnathan, or anything you can think of.

[Ixahinon]

There was no need to notify the woman of his actions, as there was nothing she could do with the information obtained anyway with the exception of more grief, or possibly anger in the fact that the pet has a careless, and particularly violent owner.

The hooded figure emerged out of the wooded area in nearly exactly the same place he came in, entering the woman's backyard once again. If the man tending to the flowers were around, or perhaps the woman that started this whole thing, they both were ignored. Not even eye contact was made, as Synithax would continue to limp his way towards the Inn, using his Scythe as a crutch.

Once inside he would find a seat at a less populated part of the establishment, a few droplets of his blood leaving a trail upon the floor as he limped. Once at his destination, Synithax set his scythe against the wall, and merely sitting down with both hands upon his lap. If his companions were in need of him, Synithax deduced that this would be the most logical place for them to look first.

[Milskidasith]

Johnathan and Grigori only:

Eventually, the man wakes up, clutching his head and complaining about how bright everything is. His legs, covered up by pants that, while in good condition, deperately needed cleaning moved quickly and jerkily as he headed towards his house. His arms clawed at the air as he stumbled along, trying to find something to keep him steady. He seems to notice a lot of noise, but passes it up as the people around him screaming. There were not, in fact, any screams to be heard, but he was incredibly hung over at the moment, and didn't really care what the noise was, he just wanted it to stop.

However, after he makes one of the turns on the way to his house, clutching his head, he looks backwards for a split second, and his blue, bloodshot eyes eyes, darting back and forth, alight on Grigori looking from around the corner. He breaks out into a run down the street.

[Milskidasith]

Bumping it up... it's in either Godskook or Tiny's ballpark now.

[tiny tim]

When the man breaks into a run, I push my way through the crowd of people just fast enough to keep the stumbling man in sight.

[Godskook]

Jon follows, puzzled by Grigori's behavior. As he goes, he draws his bow, using it as more of a cane/rudder than as anything threatening.

Eh, sorry. Meant to post last night, but was incredibly distracted by preparing for a job interview this morning. It was a long day today.

[Milskidasith]

As you chase the man through the city, he begins screaming for guards to get you guys. He's shouting incoherently for the most part, but you can pick up the words "stalkers," "crazy," and "chasing me" repeated several times. He runs to a more broken down section of town and turns down an alleyway, out of your field of view.

What you can see around here are a few small brick houses, nothing special, with slanted roofs. The houses are fairly uniform in shape and size, but a few are painted different colors. From what you can see of the alley, it's mostly just a place between two houses they use to store garbage. The alley reeks of beer, rotten food, and dead rats.

[tiny tim]

I walk down the alleyway, trying to see the man hiding behind the obstacles.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Godskook]

Jon follows behind Grigori by about 20 feet, paying attention more to the areas Grigori isn't, leaving the situation of the drunk man to the wizard.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Milskidasith]

As you turn into the alley, you see the man running for his life towards a very rough brick wall, about ten feet high. You see him jump up towards the corner of where the wall meets the building to the right, and then try to shimmy upwards.

Rolls you shouldn't see:

[roll0]
[roll1]

However, the man, despite jumping nearly halfway up the wall and easily grasping the top of it, can't seem to move upwards at all.

[Godskook]

Jon steps into the alley, away from prying eyes. As he does so, he knocks an arrow, and shoots it at the brick a few feet away from the man they're chasing. Next one is in your leg, if you don't come down. We have business to discuss, and it would be better discussed without bleeding, I should think. With that, he knocks another arrow and readies it against the man's decision.

I'm posting assuming that the first arrow caused him to hesitate, giving me the time to ready the second arrow. If not, oh well.

I also aimed far enough away from the man that I'm assuming no attack roll is needed.

[Milskidasith]

The drunken man continues to climb up the wall, screaming as he does. He's making good progress, and is just about to jump down to the other side of the wall after making it to the top.

What the hell is wrong with you guys! You butt in while I'm at the bar, then stalk me, and then chase me down an alley and shoot at me! Why the hell do you even care who I am?

Rolls you shouldn't see:

[roll0]
[roll1]

If you want to shoot, roll initiative.

[tiny tim]

I hold up my hand to Jonathan

No, let him escape. We must find Synithax.

[Milskidasith]

The man successfully climbs over the wall, and you can hear the sound of him running away. You have a hunch that Syntihax would be waiting by the bar.

[Godskook]

Indeed, but let's grab a drink first. Our cold-blooded friend will hopefully be meeting us back at the bar first.

Yes, I'm likening Synithax to a reptile(at least as far as the lack of heat goes)

[Ixahinon]

The blood from his wounded leg has stopped flowing, but not before a pool had formed around his boot. Synithax sat at the table, ignoring the glances from the tendresses, and the keeper of the bar, likely showing their distaste at bleeding all over their inn. It did not matter, however, what was done was done, they will eventually cope with it.

The hooded figure didn't even glance about, while he remained in the bar. His eyes remaining fixed upon the wall directly in front of him. There was no reason to look about, for he was here as a result of waiting for his companions, and for no other reason.

[Godskook]

Jon walks back to the bar, hoping that Synithax has returned. Finding him at the booth, he starts up conversation. So, how'd the cat-thing go?

[Ixahinon]

It was a valuable lesson, even to me, Mr. Jonathan Hooker. One that I would be happy to pass on to you, so that you my partake in it's advice: Now that someone was there to speak to that was worth his effort to speak, the hooded creature would show a bit more movement, turning his vision to look over at the man, and relaxing his posture some what. The word Help..it is a relative term. Notifying a person of potential danger in the future yields varying reactions. One such person may embrace your act, and thank you for it. Another such person may order his wolf companion to kill you.

Was that an attempt at humor? If it was, Synithax was not laughing, for he was genuine with his words. When he spoke them, he spoke them with the same monotone neutrality as he always spoke. Which, in turn, might make one feel uncomfortable if they did, indeed, laugh.

This merely solidifies my position in this world, Mr. Jonathan Hooker. I merely watch. It is not my place to interfere with fate.

Such a cold, depressing view on the world, but the monotone voice made it sound as though those words were merely fact, and that it applied to everyone. Furthermore, it seemed as though nothing could convince him otherwise.

And what of you, Mr. Jonathan Hooker? Have you made any attempts to alter one's outcome? Perhaps you, like me, met up with resistance only after offering friendly advice.

[Godskook]

Aye, that I have, but I'm a persistent fellow when I put my mind to it. Our positions in this world are of our own making, and typically, the only power capable of holding us to some position that isn't to our liking, is our own misconceptions.

Anyway, tell me about this wolf, he sounds interesting. I'd even bet he has something to do with our friend's note.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax would eagerly go into debate upon hearing those words, for he was a fatalist, of sorts. It was his firm belief that fate determines every person's actions. Fate decides who decides how a person reacts to a decision, fate who decides their religious choice, and ultimately, fate who decides who lives and dies.

Synithax would also argue that the Gods is simply a symbolism of fate. The Gods can't be fate, because that would allow one to assume that the Gods are above certain inevitabilities, and that just isn't the case. But alas..this was not the subject at hand.

A visible amount of time was lost when the hooded creature was lost in the thoughts above. To the observer, it might have looked as though he merely 'spaced out' for a second. However, a response did come.

The wolf, Mr. Jonathan Hooker, was in actuality, a means to an end. It would appear as though the aforementioned wolf was responsible of the death of a citizen's cat. It was later found out that this wolf was under ownership of a rather disgruntled Keeper of the Forest.

He did not take kindly to me warning him of his wolf's endeavors within the town's walls. The hooded figure would stop for a moment, reflecting upon the words on the wolf's collar.

Tell me, Mr. Jonathon Hooker. You appear to be a man of some intelligence. If you were to gaze upon a golden collar, with which the words 'If Lost, Please Return To the Forest' appeared. How exactly would you act?

[Godskook]

I'd want a better look at the collar. As written, it just provokes my curiosity.

[Ixahinon]

Ohh..if the emotionless creature could smile.

Unfortunately, that can not be arranged, but Am I right to assume that you would be just as lost as I? First response would be to simply take the creature to the treeline of a forest, and be done with it. But what if no one is there to claim the creature, as there surely won't be? There is simply not enough information there to base a proper conclusion upon.

Synithax' theory on the Equivocal statement quenched, he would turn his mind back to other matters.

What of your endeavors, Mr. Jonathon Hooker? Has anything of interest passed during my temporary absence?

[tiny tim]

I speak up as to the status of our drunken man, as I had no interest in the story of the wolf.
It would appear that the drunken man has someone that he fears greatly, and has taken someone from him. Many of the letters on his note were unreadable, but we managed to piece together that someone kidnapped a girl, and is holding her prisoner in the mayors cellar. They request for him to be there at 6:00, Friday afternoon with some sort of amulet. I suggest that we are there instead, with a little surprise of our own! What do you say, Synithax? Will you help us in this endeavor?

[Ixahinon]

Synithax didn't quite know when the other came into the scene, or even if he was there all along. Perhaps he was too focused on his conversation that he merely lost sight of his companion. Irregardless, the man was there now, and it seem he had taken a hold on this conversation.

Interesting. Based upon my last endeavor, and the lesson I was taught from it, which I shared with Mr. Jonathan Hooker, I would be inclined to say 'no.' It is not my place to interfere with the happenings of this girl and the amulet. As I said before hand, I am merely here to Watch.

However, It would appear as though I am also duty bound to watch your endeavors as well. Perhaps not through word of law, but through a higher source. Heretofore, I don't believe I have much choice in the matter. Should you both seek out to save this girl, I must follow.

[Godskook]

The gods saw fit to give us hands, Synithax. If they had desired us to be watchers instead of doers, they would've made us birds.

So, it looks like it is settled then, at least that we're all going. Personally, I wonder if there's more we can do before Friday.

[Milskidasith]

Friday, 3:00 P.M. You are in front of the mayor's house.

The manor is the largest building in the city. It stands three stories tall and is as long as half the street where it is located. The roof is covered in relatively freshly painted, red shingles, and the building itself is made of bricks with glass windows. The lawn is huge, with a fountain with a cherub statue on top on each side of the cobblestone path to the front door. The door itself is imposing, made of heavy, dark wood with a large golden door knocker in the front.

You can't see much of the backyard from here, but you suspect that if the cellar was anywhere, it would be there. You can tell that the backyard has a few trees planted in it, because they rise above the house and their leaves block out part of the sky behind it.

[tiny tim]

Vell, my companions, it would appear that ve have arrived at our destination.

I proceed through the gate(assuming there is one) with Vladislav following me, then cast my gaze around.


[roll0]

[Godskook]

Do we want to go in hard, or quietly, guys?

With that, Jon will draw his bow, and ready himself to head towards the backyard(moving at a wide bearth, either stealthily or casually, as appropriate to not draw attention to himself from those that might be watching).

[Milskidasith]

As you enter, you see a patrol of guards walking around. They seem to be marching in pairs, and going in a circle around the manor, clockwise. They are all wearing a red shirt beneath chain shirts polished to a mirror shine. They all carry a crossbow and a longsword, and appear to be fairly well trained, at least at marching around in circles and looking imposing.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax made no attempts to hide his presence, such tactics were not even considered for one of his status. Those he took, he always met face to face, made them aware of the task that was set before him, and complete the deed. So, he would simply walk forward with his usual slow and steady pace, not moving ahead of the two he was traveling with.

I know little of this task you are attempting to accomplish, but if you are so inclined to believe that a life is at stake here, then perhaps wasting time by hiding from sight would not be advisable.

[Ixahinon]

Continuation from last post:

Synithax would continue to walk down the path that lead to the double doors to the mansion, he was not aware if his companions followed, of if they would take the sneaky route. Either way, the result will be the same.

The Hooded creature could did not look around, only looked straight at the double doors he was headed to, as if he was suppose to be here. Looking around would make one suspicious, as if they were surveying the area, looking for exit points. If any guards were standing post at the double doors, Synithax did not look at them, nor would he speak to them - unless spoken too. Indeed, if he was allowed to pass without incident, Synithax would simply proceed into the house.

This was not to say he wasn't prepared, however. Indeed, a story was working in that calculating mind as he walked. The only flaws were whether or not his two companions were with him or not. As it was now, he could not tell, he refused to look back, and he could not hear footfalls.

[Godskook]

Having learned by now that his fighter friend always works his own plan, Jon steps in line behind Synithax.

[Milskidasith]

As you approach the double doors, one of the pairs of guards on patrol looks at you and runs over. One of them puts his hand on his longsword, but doesn't draw it. The other one yells out in a deep, booming voice.

'Ey! What bidness do ya have with the Mayor so important ya can walk up all unannounced? Ya coulda asked for an escort in, if it's that 'mportant.

[Ixahinon]

The hooded man stopped, upon reaching resistance, looking to the person that was addressing him. Those dull, listless blue eyes covered up from view by the dark cloth of his hooded robe, but he could see him clear enough. Synithax then looked behind him, noticing at least Mr. Jonathan hooker following him. This would make things slightly easier.

Synithax looked back to the man that spoke, then then stepped to the side, allowing Mr. Jonathon Hooker to be seen by both the guard that stood in front of him, and the guard that was addressing him.

My business, dear sir, is a matter of the up most privacy concerning the king and the mayor only. It does not surprise me that your boss would not inform you of my arrival. Indeed, doing so might cause some question on his position as the reason I am here, concerns certain...financial concerns. Let us just leave it at that, shall we?

As for an escort? I see you have not met my bodyguard. That is quite good, you see, as it means he is doing his job. You see, unlike most guards, he's the type that enjoys the element of surprise.

Now sir, tell me, how much does this job mean to you? Because if you do not let us pass, it might not be as secure as you think.

Dice Rolls:

I am appealing to the bluff check, of course..but it does have elements of intimidation in it. So I'll roll both and let you decide which is one you want.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Milskidasith]

Dice rolls you shouldn't see:

[roll0]

The guard seems extremely suspicious of your claims. Quite frankly, it didn't make much sense that he wouldn't be told there was somebody coming at this time; he had never heard of a guest the guard's weren't told of. He furrowed his brow, trying to weigh the benefits of letting you in or turning you away. Then again, if the mayor was inviting such guests, he knew he would probably be safer getting fired for letting him in than suffer the consequences of turning down somebody as shady as the man in front of him.

I dunno...seems a tad far fetched, ya'know? Eh, I ain't all knowing 'er anything, so ya might be tellin' the truth. I'll be watchin' ya when ya leave, but ya can go on in. I'm sure the business is important enough. As for yer bodyguard... have you seen him? He seems pretty scrawny, don'cha think? I don't think ye'll get far with him, but I may be out of place saying that.

[Godskook]

Johnny irks at the guards criticism, but holds his tongue. He'll let Synithax work his own form of subtlety.

[Ixahinon]

Let us hope no one here has to find out what he is capable of, either. Synithax would continue his way into the mansion, stopping once they were within the foyer, and relative privacy was given to them. He would then turn to his companion(s). (I'm assuming the necromancer is with us) We are assumed to be officials on business for the time being. I am not quite sure how long this charade will last, but it should allow us limited access to the estate, it should be no trouble to move are way to our destination, for now.

[Milskidasith]

Around the foyer, you see a large amount of ornate and extravagant decorations. The most eye-catching of all the decorations, however, is a massive chandelier hanging three stories up. It was filled with hundreds of crystals and glowing candles. Whether through magic or perfect craftsmanship, the glow of the candles leaves a rainbow pattern on the upper portion of the walls of the mansion, showing a scene of the town being founded. It seemed to be exaggerating the role of the mayor, but none of you were around to know if it is entirely truthful.

Elsewhere, there are other decorations. Gilded silverware (oxymoron if there ever was one) is prominently on display in a massive oaken cabinet. There is the occasional bust of the mayor and one of his wife lining the interior. The floor itself is made from mahogany in completely even boards, and appears to be freshly polished. There are a few paintings on the wall, but they don't seem to be related to anything local. There is one in particular that catches your eye, a massive painting of a golden dragon.

[Godskook]

Jonathan rummages through his pack quickly, grabs his father's diary, and hands it to Synithax. Be careful with that, but it should help you look the 'official' part. While you're conjuring up your story, I'll grab a quick look at this painting.

If the "Daggerspell guild" exists, or even used to exist, Jon shares that to further add to cover story(or whatever guild fits into his father's backstory).

[roll0] - If there's anything to be learned from the painting.

[Milskidasith]

Godskook only:

You know the painting is of a Wyrm Golden Dragon, a legendary creature in it's own right. As for the painting itself, you can tell it is probably magical to some degree, but you have no clue how magical it is. You don't have enough experience with this type of magic to know if the entire painting is an illusion, an object created by magic, or just painted using the interesting combination of magic and artistic skill many bards have.

[tiny tim]

Quite frankly, I am astonished that they did not stop Vladislav. Anyway, John, shall we find this cellar?

I move towards the direction the cellar would most likely be in.



[roll0]
What? This is a big house!:smalltongue:

[Ixahinon]

My story is already complete, Mr. Jonathan Hooker, but I think you for the prop nonetheless, it shall indeed help to further the charade, should we require it. I shall not pry into it. Synithax held the book with the up most care, simply because he was told to. He made sure it would be shielded from any hostile elements, and held it secure in his hands, to make sure where it was at all times.

The hooded figure would not comment on the necromancer's words, but inwardly, he wasn't not surprised in the least. It appeared as though Lost Souls were allowed to roam the streets of this town, why should one care enough if one was to enter the mayor's house. It was at this point, that the hooded figure would get lost in his own thoughts...

...perhaps that is why fate led him to these lands. The people here simply did not respect death. So lackadaisical where the people in these lands, that they did not properly respect those that were taken from this world. In fact, one would dare say that the circle of life and dead was merely a tool to be manipulated, not respected.

[Milskidasith]

Grigori manages to locate the cellar not by luck, or by knowledge of the house, but by smell. Although nobody else noticed, he smelled the faint aroma of wine coming from a corner of the house, and led you towards the source. As you go through the rooms, they are all finely decorated, but none are quite as finely decorated as the main hall. Eventually, you enter the kitchen, the cellar door in plain sight in front of you.

In the kitchen there are various cooking implements scattered about. It looks as if there was a great deal of food recently prepared, but without enough time to clean up. There are chopping boards with stains from flour and blood on them, knives left lying beside them. There are pots and pans piled into a massive steel washtub, most of them covered in grease or soup residue. There are various other implements haphazardly hung on hooks above a massive fire pit for roasting large amounts of food at once, and the cabinets, if you bother to check, have their contents in disarray.

The place isn't incredibly messy besides that. Even further, beneath the unorganized exterior, everything appears to be in it's proper place. If you examined closely, you could notice that, beneath the most recently hung utensils, everything is stacked evenly on the hooks, and that the cabinets, though appearing unorganized, have various ingredients arranged in their proper place right behind the unorganized mess that it appears to be at first glance.

[tiny tim]

I try to open the door, and if I succeed, have Vladislav go down the stairs before me, stopping at the bottom.

[Milskidasith]

The door is firmly locked. Feeling it, you can tell that it has been blocked on the other side, and there is also a fairly large padlock on this end, meaning it would be impossible to get in without either using force, or having somebody on both the inside and outside open it at the same time.

[Ixahinon]

Synithax is all but prepared to bring his scythe down upon the lock, attempting to sunder it open. However, he waits, not sure if Mr. Jonathon Hooker has a more subtle approach to such things. Still, he will make this option aware to his companions. I will assume for now that you have the skills required to bypass this lock, Mr. Jonathon Hooker, and will wait until you say otherwise before I attempt to sunder the lock open.

[Godskook]

Well, let me see what I can do. Jon says eagerly, as he removes some of his tools from his pack and begins to work.

[roll0]

[Milskidasith]

You manage to get rid of the padlock on this side of the door handily, but it's still blocked from the other side. Opening the double doors as wide as you can, you can see it's only blocked by a small piece of wood on the other side; it wouldn't be hard to slide it away or cut it in half.

[Godskook]

Jon motions for quiet, leans against the door and takes a good long listen. If that satisfies him that no one is close to the door, he reaches through and slides the bolt away.

If I can take 20 on this check from patience, I do. Otherwise, I take 3 rounds of listens:

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

= 24 on a take 20.

[Milskidasith]

You hear at least two distinct voices from the cellar, although you can't be sure if there are more or not. You can hear the sound of somebody trying to talk loudly, but it sounds completely incoherent and muffled. You cannot make out any of the specifics of what people are saying.

[Milskidasith]

With a bit of careful work, you are able to remove the board and open the door. It opens up silently, and as far as you can tell, the people in the cellar did not hear you all, yet.

[tiny tim]

Vladislav, take the lead.
I whisper to the skeleton.

He then walks down the stairs, with me following 15 feet behind him. He has his heavy crossbow out.

[Godskook]

Jon stops Grigori and Vlad. No, let me, I want to hear what they're saying before we 'interupt'.

[tiny tim]

I concede.

[Godskook]

Stay here, guys. I'll call if I need help. Jon heads through the door and down the stairs, being exceedingly careful to remain hidden. If he can get far enough down to hear/see things without detection, he does so.

Hopefully, Grigori/Vlad/Synithax stay upstairs. Relevant rolls, again if I can't take 10/20 on them:

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[Milskidasith]

OoC:

You can take 20 on both of them, if you walk down very slowly it would take you about two minutes to slowly creep down the staircase.

Anyway, as you slowly sneak down the staircase, it is clear nobody notices your presence. You see a room with four people inside it. The most prominent is a young woman tied to a chair, bound and gagged. Clearly, this was the hostage mentioned in the note. The other three people are playing cards, apparently not caring about the hostage.

A dwarf, sitting in full plate armor and carrying a mace on his belt, begins to speak in a gruff voice, his beard quivering with the boom of every word. Looks like I win this hand. Anyway, think he'll show up? I mean, the amulet's pretty strong stuff; the girl's worth a lot, but the amulet may be worth more.

An elf, wearing simple armor and with a bow sitting by his side and some flasks on his belt, responds, his voice much higher and lighter than the dwarf's. He'll show, I guarantee it. He knows if we don't get what we want now, we'll just get somebody else.

The final figure, sitting at the head of the table, is the figure of the mayor. Unlike his portraits, he is not a particularly strong or heroic man. Rather, he looks fairly weak, and is wearing plain clothes with no weapons, unlike the armor and sword he is normally portrayed with. Would you two shut up already? Let's just keep playing; we've got two hours until he's supposed to show up, and we can easily cover this whole thing up if he doesn't show, got it?

[Godskook]

Jon cautiously heads back upstairs and fills the team in on what he learned. In particular, he explains how the dwarf is the only one likely to put up an immediate fight, with the elf being easily cut off from his bow, and the mayor not looking particularly dangerous. He asks his comrades for suggestions, since he knows he'll not be of as much use fighting close quarters as either of them, seeing as Grigori's spells are probably powerful enough to be of use and Synithax's strengths are best used at close range. As part of it, he'll urge that Vlad/Synithax go first and close the gap before the guys have a chance to respond, hopefully intimidating them into surrender.

Any thoughts on tactics guys?

[Ixahinon]

It bothered him a great deal that he was to be associated with the Lost Soul that was tortured by his master's obsessive demands. Were it not for his reason of being here, and the nature of his job, he might have been a lesser man, and acted upon that bothersome feeling. But that outer shell was just that, as always, a shell.

I shall do my best to convince those within the basement to lay down their arms, before acting in any other way, if this is how you feel I should act.

[Godskook]

That's the point, the elf's bow is already away from him. If you can destroy it quickly, they're more likely to surrender than if you give them a chance to prepare first. The easiest way to avoid killing someone is to take advantage of our stealth while we can. Unfortunately, since I'm not as skilled at melee, you're leading the charge, so I guess its your call. Give them the chance though, and they'll probably turn this whole thing into a bloody mess. Just tell me your course before you take it. If you're dead-set on intimidation before disabling, I've got a spell that'll help give us there.

Can I cast silent image up here without the cellar guests hearing? If I close the door for a second? If not, Jon'd figure that out in a second and say nevermind, they'll probably hear.

[Milskidasith]

(It's possible to cast softly enough; it's through a door and IIRC you can cast in a way that requires a DC 10 listen check to hear.)

[Ixahinon]

I do not use stealth, Mr. Jonathan Hooker. Those that I come in contact with should see me for who I am, and for what I am about to do. I have no reason to hide, and no advantage to gain from it.

If they know who they are facing when I walk down their steps, they will not attack. If they do choose to raise up arms against me, then it is fate's will that they be removed from this plane of existence. It is that simple. Though I will attempt to stay their weapons, as you asked, I will not do so under cover of darkness.

Such a long way of saying 'no,' but there it was. Synithax would not charge down the steps as asked, and he will not attempt to conceal his presence in anyway. What he will do, is walk down the steps, gaze upon his targets, and force them to realize who they face, and what will happen if they do not comply. After that, it was up to Fate to decide his next actions.

[Godskook]

You're insufferable, you realize that, right? Jon says, half joking, but still quite serious. He adds At least give me one allowance. As long as the Synithax doesn't object, Jon draws his rope from his bag and throws it over his shoulder, draws his bow, and then casts his spell, adding another member to the team, of sorts. His memory of the orc cheif they had fought with still fresh in his mind, Jon casts a copy of him. Distracted by the concentration of the spell, Jon says Ready.

[Ixahinon]

I am not here to make life easier, Mr. Jonathan Hooker. The hooded figure would begin to walk down the steps in that traditional manor, slow and determined. The footfalls were heavy, allowing the people below to know of his presence, but not slow enough to allow them to prepare any such attacks.

Upon reaching the bottom, he would stand a few steps away from the landing, to allow for anyone else to come down behind him, but not far enough as to obscure his parties sight upon him. With his Scythe over his head, he would stare down the elf, his blue eyes locked upon the woodland creature, as if attempting to instill in him the fear he should have already.

Behold criminals, for I am Death, and I have for you a message that determines your fate upon this mortal world. I have been informed by powers you can not understand that an innocent is being held against her will.

Fate is now in your hands, criminals. Release her to me, or face Death.


OoC Actions:

Move Action: Down the Steps.
Standard Action: Daunting Presence Upon the Elf (DC 12)
Free Action: Bluff upon the Group (Concerning speech.) Synithax is telling the truth, but I figure - if I even can - roll a bluff to see how much they believe it.

If I can't bluff and Daunting Presence, then just use my fluff as the standard action. The intent is for them to believe that Synithax is, in fact, death..and if they don't release her they will die.

[roll0]

[tiny tim]

I follow Synithax far enough down the steps that I would not be seen by the other men in the room and prepare myself to cast a spell in his defense.

[Godskook]

Not wanting to have Vlad or Grigori mess with his illusion, Jon goes last in the group, bow in hand. His illusionary comrade is in front of him and behind his companions. At hearing Synithax's bluff, Jon adds flowing black tendrils along the floor writhing through the group(but not touching anyone, not that those below could tell).

[Milskidasith]

Rolls you shouldn't see:

[roll0]
[roll1]

The dwarf and the elf seem to believe your bluff, to a greater or lesser extent, or at the very least they are just incredibly frightened of the fact you barged in there and have tentacles of energy swirling about your feet. The elf rises from it's chair and runs to the corner of the room, trying to back as far into the corner as possible. The dwarf just sits there, frozen in fear for a second. The mayor, however, seems unimpressed by your flaunting. He rises up and begins to speak, his voice seething with anger.

Huh, the damn fool sent people to try to get her back, and crazy ones at that. I can't kill her, though, or he won't come with the amulet. I can kill you, however. Get them, both of you!

The Dwarf remains seated, unwilling to try fighting you. He is fingering his weapon hesitantly, but remains seated. The elf is still standing in the corner of the room, pressed flat against the wall. He's actually crying, praying to somebody that he doesn't get killed.

Dammit, you are both worthless. I guess I'll have to do this myself, then.

He rises from his chair, and while he still seems frail, he appears much more powerful than before. His eyes seem to glow with rage, and his hand is burning with blue magical fire, the flames crackling and popping.


Roll initiative now, map will be up soon enough.

[tiny tim]

initiative roll
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Ixahinon]

Synithax' Initiative:

[roll0]

[Godskook]

[roll0]

Let's see what I get.

[Milskidasith]

Well Godskook is going first, no doubt.

Rolls you shouldn't see:

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

Map (http://s516.photobucket.com/albums/u328/milskidasith/?action=view&current=Battle.jpg)

Crap, I forgot to label it, but the G in the room is the girl, and the G in the narrow area (the stairs) is Grigori. Also, the I is the illusion.

Order:

Johnathan
Me
Syntihax
Grigori and Vladislav
Me.

[Godskook]

Jon rolls his eyes, knowing his friend will now only continue to use this foolhardy approach to battle, considering it worked. He runs forward, not wanting to waste any time dealing with the mayor. He readies his arrow for the mayor's throat, should he do anything. He smiles as he speaks. You'd be surprised at how good I am at keeping my master alive, Mayor. You'd do well to do what you're told. The last person to ignore his warnings wound up dead.

I move to C11, and ready an action to shoot the mayor if he:
-charges
-tries to move out of range
-cast a spell
-do anything blatantly aggressive

[roll0]
[roll=damage]1d6[roll]
[roll1]

We'll see if the spell holds.

[Milskidasith]

You know, I really feel like metagaming that failed roll since you did, in fact, miss anything besides an object. But I won't.

The mayor holds his hands up and speaks, a bit of terror in his voice.

Fine, fine, I'll surrender. Just don't kill me, OK?

[tiny tim]

I step out from behind the wall, Vladislav following me.

If you vould please keep your hands above your head and your feet spread.

I look back to my companions

If vone of you could vind some rope?

[Ixahinon]

With the threat neutralized, Synithax would begin to move towards the girl, making sure to keep out of the way of Mr. Jonathan Hooker's bead upon the mayor. As he moved, he would watch the cleric as well, keeping his gaze upon him as he passed buy.

Once close enough to the girl, Synithax would pull a Sickle from his belt, keeping his Scythe in his free hand. The hooded figure would then attempt to cut the binds away from the girl's hands and legs.

A wise decision, indeed.

[Godskook]

Sir Dwarf, if you'll kindly relinquish your mace to my companions. Jon says, not taking his eyes off the mayor. He adds Grigori, that bow is best picked up as well. Synithax, if you'll help the mayor sit down, I can lower this bow so that we'll all be more comfortable.

Ixa, please grapple the mayor, sit him down, and then ready an action to smack him if he tries to do something.

If/when Synithax and Grigori do as instructed, and it feels that the room is under their control, I'll stow my bow and arrow, draw a knife as a walk over and bind the mayor to his chair with a 10ft piece of rope.

[roll0](+4 normal, +2 circumstance from silk rope, +10 for binding someone)

[Milskidasith]

The elf is still terrorized in the corner, the mayor is tied up to the chair securely (he doesn't try to resist), and the dwarf gives up his mace willingly and sits down. The girl is lightly covered with dirt and appears to have been down here for quite some time, and her brown hair and plain clothes are a complete mess.

Thank you for freeing me, sirs! Though who are you, and... uhh... what's with the skeleton? It's really freaking me out; why's it moving around?

The girl is trying to stay as far away from the skeleton as possible, and her voice is trembles a bit whenever she looks at it.

[Godskook]

Keeping his dagger in his offhand for the moment, Jon walks over to Vlad, puts his arm around him, and says This is Vlad. He's unusual, but harmless. You have nothing to fear from him, miss.

After doing his best to comfort the girl, he turns to the dwarf, Now, I'd like to know what is going on here, starting with which one of you is in charge. Then you can tell me what is so important about this girl and that amulet you mentioned earlier.

If the mayor interrupts, I'll break him off with a wave of the dagger. You'll have your chance, but for now, I'd like to hear from the dwarf.