Jaime's Journey to World Domination

[Toliudar]

It's been a long, hot day, and walking the dusty road north towards Hexpools and onwards has been less than glamourous. Not many people travel in the afternoon, at the height of summer, and now Jaime knew why. Ah well. At least the Vast Swamp was well behind, and the insect bites were fewer and farther between.

Jaime has been staring ahead at a thin strand of smoke, different from the cheerful chimney smoke of the hard-put-upon farms in this area, for the better part of half an hour. As he gets closer, he can see that it's from an explosion of some sort, just off the side of the road. A wagon, a team of four horses and a dozen people, lying dead just off the roadside. Most with horrible burns that make them difficult to identify. No one seems to be nearby.

Edit: Link to character sheet, for reference. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=167628)

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime, walking along and cursing the heat as his shirt sticks to his chest and hair plasters to the back of his neck, observes the scene with some small amount of incredulity.
He walks over to a corpse, and nudges it with his foot. "So. Heat got to you as well?"
Chuckling at his own joke, he scans the vicinity with pursed lips. Announcing to the vicinity, in commanding voice, "I know you're there. Why don't you come out and chat?"
If there's nobody there, then no problem. If there is, he at least gave them quite a start.

[Toliudar]

There is no response to Jaime's challenge. There is a distant drone of insects, and only the faintest hint of a breeze.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime wrinkles his nose at the noise of insects, and positions himself to benefit most for the breeze. He looks over the area briskly to see if he can't find anything of interest, and if not, goes on his way.

[Toliudar]

A brisk look reveals nothing more than dead bodies, and Jaime soon finds it convenient to be on his way.

Towards dusk, he comes to a tiny village - really, not much more than a small chapel to the Suel gods, and a public house and stables. Blessedly, the night brings with it a bit of relief from the heat. There is the sound of song and chatter from the public house, and a young man - a boy, really - gawps at Jaime as he mucks out the stables.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime regards the boy. "Tell me, child, what services are offered at the temple here?"
No idea what the Suel gods are, unless you mean the Suloise (or whatever) as in the gods of the Suel Arcanamach PrC.

[Toliudar]

Bingo. The Suel were one of the founding peoples of the continent, and this part of the world is heavily Suel. Here's a few basics (http://www.cmc.net/~rtaylor/greyhawk/gods/).

The boy walks a little closer, happy to set aside his chores for the moment.

"Ain't no priest there regular. Two days on now, there'll be a service and offering to Phyton, what with the midsummer. Then a bit of a piss-up in the Trotters after. You sticking around that long?"

[Gorgondantess]

Hm. I was under the impression the peoples were largely badass gishes. I am sadly dissapointed.:smalltongue:
Jaime clicks his tongue, and snaps his hand out, the sleeve of his coat snapping. "Mmm. How... underwhelming. I'm afraid I will just be passing through, in that case. Now, does the chapel take in weary travelers, or must I go through the public house?"

[Toliudar]

The boy shrugs.

"Priest mostly keeps chapel locked when he ain't here. Won't be back till tomorrow - off at services for n'other village, I think. Yeah, reckon it's the Trotters or a ditch for ya."

The lad smiles, clearly not seeing any offensive in his statement.

"So, where you come from, stranger?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime raises his eyebrows, perturbed at the mention of a ditch. "Far away from here." With that, he walks off, and enters the "Trotters", examining his surroundings disdainfully.
Yeah... not very fluent in Oerth geography, you'll have to forgive me on that.:smallredface:

[Toliudar]

Jaime pushes through a curtain hung in the doorway, into the closeness of a smoky tavern. The windows have been thrown open to admit the faintest breeze. A few knots of hard-handed men in homespun work clothes are grouped near the windows - local farmers and workmen. They turn to look at Jaime as he enters.

In the centre of the tavern, three tables have been pushed together to accommodate a larger group. Half a dozen men and two women, all of whose travel clothes suggest a better pay grade than the locals. Most of the men are in their thirties and forties. Two are arguing quietly and excitedly in the harsh dialect of northmen. Three of the men - swords at their belts and dressed in chain armour, in defiance of this heat - have started a game of cards. The two women sit together off to one side and murmur to each other.

A barmaid, built like a galleon, sails over to you, holding a pair of tankards. Sweat plasters her hair to her forehead.

"Table for ya, love? Ya lookin for a bed for the night?"


Sorry - I had written up a new post, and hadn't realized that the board had eaten it. And not to worry about not knowing the geography - I figured that Jaime would probably ignore the kid or lie anyway.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime smiles ironically at her. "Why, yes I am, being a weary traveler. How much for a room?"

[Toliudar]

The woman glances over at the central table, seeming to be weighing her options.

"Well, see, we only got three rooms, and I figure these folk will be staying. So, let's see...let's call it two gold for a private room, or five silver for a pallet in the back room after we shut down."

[Gorgondantess]

"Oh, come now, my dear..." Jaime says, smiling lightly and calmly, walking around the woman ethereally, and drawing his finger across her arm and back, making a quick hand motion with his other and 'coughing'. Leaning over, and putting his mouth by her ear, over her shoulder, he speaks softly. "Why would you do such a thing to me... you don't want my money..."
Casting charm person on the poor lady. Sleight of Hand, for anyone watching:[roll0]. Naturally, she won't be able to see, as I'm behind her as I cast it.

[Toliudar]

Spot checks [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
Are you sure you want to establish a house rule that things that you auto-fail spot checks on things that happen behind you? Okay...:smallwink:

The woman giggles a bit, and turns to squoosh your face in both hands affectionately.

"All right, lad. My daughter's off with her beau tonight - you can take her bed. I'll show you around back after we get some food into you. Do you like chicken and beans?"

[Gorgondantess]

Well... that's the realistic things... though I should certainly hope I get a listen check... and I could see some things that happen in my peripherals...:smalleek:
Jaime smiles, genuinely pleased. He takes both of her hands into his own. "I adore chicken and beans. That would be lovely."

[Toliudar]

I think I'll stick with D&D's nearly-total disregard for facing. For your sake more than the others. Because if you get listen checks, so does she. And without the Disguise spellcasting feat, spellcasting does not sound like coughing. :smallsmile:

The big matronly woman leads you over to an empty table.

"Lovely. Geort's just tapped a lovely, smooth keg. I'll get you something to wash it down."

As the barmaid hustles off to the kitchen, the northerners' argument seems to reach a peak. Both men lean back, breathing heavily. One of the women speaks up in the same dialect, and both men turn to her with a grudging nod.

[Gorgondantess]

Ehem. Races of Stone, page 133.

SLEIGHT OF HAND
(DEX; TRAINED ONLY)
Sleight of Hand is a well-known skill of rogues, thieves,
and street magicians everywhere. It also has a practical
use to the magic-using world, allowing spellcasters to cast
their spells while avoiding the notice of others.
Check: When casting a spell, you may make a Sleight
of Hand check to make your verbal and somatic components
less obtrusive, muttering magic words under your
breath and making magic gestures within your sleeves.
Your Sleight of Hand check is opposed by any observer’s
Spot check. The observer’s success doesn’t prevent you
from casting the spell, just from doing it unnoticed.
Action: None. You make the check as part of your normal
spellcasting.
Try Again: Yes, but after an initial failure, you take a –10
penalty on a second Sleight of Hand attempt against the
same target (or while the same observer who noticed your
previous attempt is watching you).
That is the only rule I quote. Mainly because I love charm person.:smalltongue:
Jaime sits down, beaming, and quirks an eyebrow at the others' obtrusiveness, listening with little else to do but otherwise making no overt actions.

[Toliudar]

Touche.

Conversation in the central table dies out. An adolescent girl dressed in a white dress arrives and quickly settles in the corner. She pulls out a small flute and begins to play. She's not very good, but the farmers smile warmly at her regardless.

Dinner comes, in the form of a generous flatbread wrapped around a spicy chicken and bean mix. The lager is uninspired but cold and refreshing.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime consumes his meal with relish, glad for the change of pace. He was a fair cook, but no hunter, and there is only so much one can do with trail rations. Meal finished, he tosses the girl a copper and beds down for the night, so long as nothing out of the ordinary happens until then.

[Toliudar]

It had been a long day's walking. The food was warm and comfortable in his belly, and Jaime finds himself more tired than he'd expected. When he retires, the group of strangers had fallen to more quiet arguing among themelves, and the girl is accompanied a rota of locals each singing their favourite ballads.

The girl's bed is clean, and a cool breeze wafts in from a small window. He falls asleep easily...

And to a dream. A dream in which Jaime knows that he dreams. He seems to drift forward, his feet light and the road easy. He drifts over a strangely simple landscape, a very straight road, a regular patchwork quilt of farming fields. A clear night sky overhead. Jaime walks along towards two buildings, one on each side of the road. On the right is a boisterous city tavern, several stories tall, and ringing with laughter and the sound of musicians. On the left, a dark, square stone building, a squat two-story edifice with a lamp visible through one of the upper-story windows.

The front door to each building is thrown open as he approaches. An attractive young human woman, clearly already several cups on the far side of tipsy, bursts, laughing, from the building on the left. She locks eyes on Jaime, and beckons him to enter. The heavy door to the building on the right, thick wood bound with iron, swings open silently of its own accord. There is only darkness beyond. Jaime hears his name whispered on the wind.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime smirks at the choice presented before him. Decisions, decisions. Naturally, the lovely lady in the boisterous brawl was a trap. He knew the way these things went. There would be the rise, the crescendo, increasing anticipation and an elusive mirth before him, until finally, at the climax, as he would be at the verge of possessing his lover, it would be over. Jaime never had truly happy dreams- when it wasn't a nightmare, it was a glimpse of unachievable bliss, and he would wake up feeling anxious and frustrated.
Naturally, the dark house would prove to be equally frustrating- likely the same deal, though with some unachievable, soul shattering secret that would be annihilated from his mind as soon as he was able to achieve it- but at least it would be interesting.
Still, whoever said he had to choose only one?
He hovers over to the girl, taking her hand and giving her a peck on the cheek. "Maybe next time, love. Though I'd hate to be deprived of the presence of such a lovely sight; walk with me into the darkness, no?"
He grins, and turns around, heading into the other door, whether the girl follows or not.

[Toliudar]

The girl's parting caress on Jaime's cheek is warm and soft. As soon as he turns away from her, the invitation still on his lips, she lurches back into the tavern, the door banging closed behind her.

As Jaime approaches the dark structure, he can make out a few details inside. It's a library of sorts, although an odd one. The floor-to-ceiling shelves seem to bulge and contract like the lungs of living things, and the only light comes from glittering words that trickle out of some of the massive tomes on the shelves. The words sometimes float up towards the ceiling, where they dwindle and fade, and at other times trickle down to the floor, where they form rivulets of words - liquid sentences of sorts. The streams of verbiage seem to form a sluggish river, faintly phosphorescent, that leads out of the room and around a corner in the passage beyond. There is absolutely no sound in the room, although there is a faint and intermittent scratching sound coming from somewhere ahead.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime trains his eyes on the streaming words, trying to pick up any meaning from them. Likely failing this, he takes one of the tomes off the wall and does likewise, and so long as nothing in particular comes of it, he puts back the tome, and heads towards the sounds.

[Toliudar]

The words from the rivulet drift in and out of Jaime's head - nothing seeming to stick there."andthentheelementalplanescametogetherinanexusoftre mendouspowerandgreatinstabilityandtheplaneofmortal sgraduallytookform." The tome he picks up seems to be comfortable, warm leather. As he glances at the first page, the words slide around the page and onto his forearm. The words tingle, and begin moving more swiftly than Jaime's eyes can read them. He loses sensation in his forearm.

[Gorgondantess]

As soon as his arm loses its feeling, Jaime replaces the book. He raises an eyebrow, greatly intrigued by this turn of events, and heads down into the passage beyond with all due haste.

[Toliudar]

As Jaime replaces the book, warmth and sensation begin to flood back into Jaime's arm. Not unlike the sensation when an "asleep" foot gains blood flow again.

It's hard not to get some words on his shoes as he follows the stream down the corridor. The corridor, dark and rough-plastered walls forming an arch overhead, turns and ends in a narrow stairwell. Strangely, the stream of words follows the stairwell up, in a series of tiny reverse waterfalls. The gentle glow of the words is joined by a bit of spill from light at the top of the stairs. By the time he makes his way to the top, Jaime's feet are covered in words, and are beginning to go numb.

At the top of the stairs is a small room, with a lantern at a desk by the window. Sitting at the desk is a tall woman, dark-haired with olive skin and large eyes. Not pretty, but shapely, even in the ink-stained working clothes of a scribe that she wears. She is writing in bright blue ink, with amazing speed and precision. As Jaime reaches the top of the stairs, she looks over at him, not entirely approvingly, and sets down her quill.

"You didn't bring it, did you?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime makes half a smile, raising his arms in surrender. "Nice to meet you too, love. Maybe if you could tell me what you wanted I could remedy that for you, eh? Of course, you'd also have to tell me why I should bring you what you want."
He crosses his arms, smirking and trying to avoid the words so as to get some feeling back into his feet.

[Toliudar]

The stream of words slides up the desk and into a drawer. Jaime has little dificulty finding a "dry" patch on the floor, and feeling begins to return.

The woman looks at Jaime for a long moment, seeming to be searching for something in his face. She returns to her speedy writing.

"What I want? That's a joke. When have you or your father ever cared about what I want?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime shakes his head, furrowing his brow and rubbing his forehead. "My dear, if you're going to be like that, then I'll just leave. Now tell me what you're on about."

[Toliudar]

The woman pauses in her writing only long enough to gesture back to the stairwell.

"Like I'm stopping you, kid. And I'm talking about the amulet that was left for you."

[Gorgondantess]

"Right. Amulet. So... what amulet? Or is this supposed to make sense in the ineffable dreamscape way?"

[Toliudar]

"Hey, kid, don't shoot the messenger. Your dad trashed a bunch of men today in order to get you the amulet they were carrying. He sent me to you to teach you how to use it. Not going to do any good if you didn't have it on you when you fell asleep, though."

[Gorgondantess]

Okay, so am I supposed to understand anything that she's saying?

[Toliudar]

Probably not. This would be that backbackbackstory that will, hopefully, turn into a major story arc. Jaime's confusion is to be expected. Eep. Please reread my last post, after I correct a plot-relevant typo. Apologies.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime furrows his brow again, perturbed. "Ugh. Listen, I haven't seen my father in years, and I don't believe I've ever owned any sort of amulet at all. Unless you start talking about things I have some familiarity with- or at least give out some of the exposition you've been hoarding- I'm not going to get much out of this."
Ah. So, do you have a backstory in mind for him, already worked into the plot? Because I had my own ideas that I forgot to type out... *coughdragonagecough*.:smallredface:

[Toliudar]

I suspect that my backstory can probably integrate with yours. But remember in the initial conversations, when I said that if you didn't give me backstory and connections, I'd end up doing them "for" you? :smallamused: Of course, I'd like to work with what you have in mind as your background as well, so add it to the character sheet when you get a chance, and let me me know.

The woman sets her pen down in frustration.

"Exposition? What kind of metagame crap do you think this is, you spoiled..."

She looks at Jaime again, and grinds to a halt.

"Oh. You really don't know what I'm talking about, do you? You mean...Did you pass a battle site earlier today? Find an amulet on one of the women?"

[Gorgondantess]

...Metagame? Boyo, you were the one who broke the 1st wall. All exposition means is to tell a story. And not many people search all the dead corpses they find.:smallamused:
Anyhow, I was thinking of a rather... normal backstory. He grew up as a plebe, from plebe parents, who he was on decent terms with, though detached. Then, he finds his powers, and... leaves. That's pretty much the gist of it. So long as you keep it along those general lines, sortof, I'm good. Though I'd like to know what my backstory is before you spring stuff on me that's connected to my backstory.
Jaime sighs. "Well, yes, I passed by a battle scene recently. However, I'm not much in the business of looting dead bodies, so no, I did not get this amulet of yours."

[Toliudar]

Think again. When you're in a situation, it's not a story, it's information. When you provide a police report, you're not providing exposition. It's only when it's removed into a literary state that it becomes exposition.

And anything that I've got planned will work just fine with that kind of background. Providing names for parents, home town, etc, will help, though.

The woman simply shrugs. She seems a bit relieved.

"Well, that's that then. My job here is done."

She returns to her writing, and completes a sentence with a bit of a flourish. The page seems to grow and grow, filling Jaime's field of vision, until only the word "SON" is visible. The "O" continues to grow, and seems to swallow him up.

There is a swat at his feet, and when Jaime opens his eyes, he discovers himself back in the bed at the Trotters. A young woman, short and squat and with a distinct resemblance to the matron of the night before, is standing at the bedside.

"Right, ya lazy git. Shift yer arse, now. I got to change and get downstairs."

There's pale light drifting through the window - it's early morning.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime brings up his head, staring incredulously with bleary eyes, then collapses back down, grumbling, "Well, I need to change as well, and I could use some privacy. Please leave, I'll be out in a moment."
That done, he grabs some dried meat, and eats on the road, not wanting to have to confront the inkeeper again. Sometimes, when they came off of it, people were still nice. Sometimes, they're pissed off. Best not press his luck.
Walking out, he goes... back to the scene of the battle. As he nears, he casts a prestidigitation to ward himself from the stench.

[Toliudar]

The morning is clear, and travelling this early helps with the heat. About an hour after he gets back onto the road, the group of northerners from the bar pass him on horseback. They're travelling with a sense of urgency, and ignore Jaime as they pass.

When he gets back to the scene of the battle a few hours later, he sees that the bodies have been disturbed - some, violently so. It doesn't take an experienced woodsman to see that the area has been crisscrossed by horses.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime rolls his eyes, practically snarling. He raises a detect magic spell, and scans the area, searching all the female corpses the while.

[Toliudar]

One of the male corpses is wearing leather armour that seems to have survived the conflict much better than its wearer, and it radiates magic. One of the female corpses - a blonde woman with a prominent nose, her side still wet with blood from a sword gash - has had her blouse torn open.

The horse tracks don't seem to continue on the road south, but take off across country to the west.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime takes the armor, then finding the woman narrows his eyes, and starts kicking the ground in frustration- not so much the anticlimax, but that he'd have to set off after some vague clue that would probably just end in even more frustration. Still he sets off after the tracks, moving at a good, if somewhat tiring, clip.

[Toliudar]

Wearing the armour, or just tucking it into his pack?

I have no brain left tonight - I'll get a new post up tomorrow.

[Gorgondantess]

Mmm. Tucking it into his pack. And I'm about to retire myself, so it's all good.

[Toliudar]

By late afternoon, the heat is once again oppressive, but Jaime presses on with determination. He passes the occasional farming cluster, but nothing large enough to be called a village. As dusk falls, he spots a river in the distance - the Greyflood, probably. The tracks seem to be making for a cluster of buildings at the bank of the river.

Or, as it turns out as Jaime approaches, the ferry associated with them. The Greyflood is a quiet river at this time of year, and a large, simple flat-bottomed vessel with a few bargepoles sits tied to a pier. Based on the scale of it, it's probably used to ferry wagons of grain and other food across to another pier, visible a hundred feet away, on the other side of the river. An old man, wearing only sandals and a pair of shorts, is sprawled out asleep in the front of the ferry.

There's a small inn and tavern next to the pier, and three other buildings nearby - two prosperous two-story homes and a small warehouse building. The tracks head through the dry ground towards the cluster and fade into the general traffic of the area.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime walks into town with a stony face and fire in his eyes. The massive inconvenience dealt to him would be punished, for sure. He walks over to the old man, and shakes him awake.
"Are you the ferryman?"

[Toliudar]

The old man is startled, but not overly put out. Apparently, this is not the first rude awakening of his life.

"Yassir. Rather, the owner. Usually take the three of us to cross. We do regular runs, with the next one about an hour after sunup tomorrow. But, ah..."

He is carefully casual as he rises and stretches.

"We sometimes do special runs, when it's worth our while."

All four of his teeth join in the smile that follows.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime raises an eyebrow. "Mmm.... hmmm. Well, listen, have you seen a group of northerners and their horses lately? Or any adventurous looking sorts of people?"

[Toliudar]

Sensing the prospect of a fat fare dwindling rapidly, the old man speaks rapidly.

"Sure, sure. Just like that. A bunch of folks, got the northern dialect, real strong. Came through here about three hours ago. Grabbed a bite at the ol' ***** Willow, and paid special for a trip across on their own."

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime nods. "In that case, you'll be taking me across, eh?"
Charm person, you know the drill.

[Toliudar]

Will save: [roll0] Doubt that it'll make much difference.

The old man's smile widens beatifically.

"Of course! I'll get the lads from in at the inn. That'll be four gold."

[Gorgondantess]

Hehehhhh, natural one. Nice.
Jaime pulls out an empty pouch, and outturns it. "Ah, drats. I seem to be a bit low on change. But I really need to get across... mind if I pay you back later?"

[Toliudar]

Give me a charisma check for a better result. [roll0]The old man nods slowly.

"I would of course, but...It's the lads. You understand. Tell you what, bud. I'll get you on, first crossing in the morning. My treat."

[Gorgondantess]

I believe a bluff check would be in order: and of course, every good bluff contains a smattering of truth.:smallcool:
[roll0]
"My good man, those northerners have something very dear to me, and if I do not reach them soon likely they'll be off who knows where, out of reach. I'll need your help now, or not at all."

[Toliudar]

Should have gone with opposed charisma. Your odds were better. He is an experienced businessman, after all. :smallwink: Sense Motive: [roll0]

The old man nods sadly.

"Those northern bastards. Well, wait here. I'll gather the lads and be right back."

He trundles off into the inn. A few minutes later, a pair of confused and half-drunk young men follow him out again, and the trio blearily prepare to cast off. The two young men shoot Jaime a suspicious glance now and then, but say nothing. The ferry is soon uderway.

The crossing is relatively uneventful, and in a couple of minutes, the bow is bumping the opposite pier. The old man takes Jaime's hand in a surprisingly firm grip.

"Good luck, lad. I hope ye catch up to them. And that we'll see you again."

The pier on the east side of the river has only a bell and hitching post, and the path heads onwards to the west. Under the darkening sky, Jaime can see a fairly major road running north-south, following the river. From his extremely distant memories of maps seen years ago, Jaime can envision that the road south would lead to Kalstrand, the capital of the great United Kingdom of Ahlissa - a cesspit of corruption and politics, of fortunes lost and made; the City of Gold. To the north, it would go towards Rel Deven, city of learning and mystic might, a city steeped in the lore of the dead, and said to be much in the sway of fiends. The dry, hot day has baked the road hard, and it's difficult to say which way the horse tracks go after they leave the path to the ferry.

[Gorgondantess]

Bahhh. Edits don't update subscriptions.:smallyuk:
Jaime goes back to see if the ferryman is still there. If so, he asks if the man saw which way the northerners went. If not, he'll make a grumble in reply and, hot and frustrated, heads off to the south. While Rel Deven held a certain appeal, the northerners seemed the type more likely to head for the city of fortunes lost and found.

[Toliudar]

Oddly enough, the ferrymen who have been conned into working for free don't stick around very long after they drop Jaime off. :smallwink:

It's getting dark. The road south leads through a mixture of sparse woods and farming clusters, and more or less follows the river. Jaime would assume that there won't be another inn in the next few miles, and Jaime would be right. How long would you like to travel, and what would you like to do for sleep/

[Gorgondantess]

Well, right now, Jaime is sweaty, frustrated and pissed off like nothing else. He's walking through the night, until he comes to an inn at least. Then, he'll ask people there if they'd seen any northerners pass through recently: if within a few hours, he's going to keep going, and damn the weight on his eyes. If in more than a few hours, he'll get some rest, and actually pay for a room. IF no word... same.

[Toliudar]

Jaime walks south into the night, seeing no inns of note on the way. Indeed, a few hours into the walk, he moves into an area that is less populated and more heavily wooded.

spot, listen and initiative checks please.

[Gorgondantess]

Initiative:[roll0]
Spot:[roll1]
Listen:[roll2]
Woo! Awesome rolls!:smallamused:
In the future, I'd prefer if you rolled passive checks like these, and even bluff checks and saving throws, for me. It's all the same, and it speeds up the game. And I unintentionally rhymed.:elan:

[Toliudar]

No problem.
Hide: [roll0]
Initiative: [roll1]
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

There is a rustle in the undergrowth to Jaime's left, and a sense of something brushing his leg. A shaggythis brown shape is barely visible among the matted grass - a shape about the size of a collie. The shape moves swiftly on many legs, and lunges forward and sinks its fangs - or fang-like things - into his leg.

[Toliudar]

Fort save [roll0]
Second attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Jaime takes 1 point of damage from the first attack. Second attack misses.

The spider's bite draws blood, but doesn't go deep. Jaime is on guard against its second attack, and is able to neatly sidestep the nasty thing.

[Gorgondantess]

Seeing the thing attack him, Jaime leaps back, shrieking. He spends a bit of time hyperventilating, tenuously beating back the encroaching vermin. Finally, he regains some composure, and biding his time, deals out a swift kick to the thing.
Attack:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]
Max damage, minimum attack. Do you use fumble rules?

[Toliudar]

Fumble rules and extra-nastiness on crits favour the opponent rather than the PC's, and in a solo game it adds a random element that would be hard to account for. That'd be a "no."

Attack of opportunity: [roll0] [roll1] Fort save: [roll2]
Round 2 attack: [roll3] [roll4] Fort save: [roll5]

[Toliudar]

Jaime's kick, panicky as it is, goes well wide of the spider. It tries to bite at him as he does so, but its attack also goes wide.

Gathering its strength, the awful thing lunges forward, nipping at Jaime's belly before he is able to shove it aside.

Jaime takes another 1 point of damage. He's up.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime lets out a sound somewhere between a scream and a shout, angry and bewildered and very, very upset. He takes his knife from his side, and lunges down at the spider.
Attack:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]
That's what we call in the gaming industry 'a kill'.:smallcool:

[Toliudar]

Jaime's knife thrusts down, catching the scuttling nightmare in the back of the head and stopping it in its tracks. It makes really, really unpleasant twitching motions for some time, but makes no further motion.

[Gorgondantess]

Gahhh, sorry for the delay, kindof skipped my mind for a bit there...
Jaime keeps stabbing it until it's quite motionless, very, very perturbed. Breathing heavily, he wipes his blade on some nearby grass until it's good and clean, sheathes it, then thinks better of it and continues through the forest, weapon in hand.

[Toliudar]

After a few tense minutes, in which there is the sound of scuttling above but nothing else close by, Jaime is out of the stand of trees. He finds that his head continues to pound for more than an hour after the spider is killed. Did some of that poison get into his system after all? No weakness, no dizziness...just a throbbing head.

About five in the morning, Jaime comes upon a large and prosperous-looking stone public house, with a stables next door. The house is dark and silent, with a brass tankard and painted headboard nailed above the front door, perhaps as a way of proclaiming its purpose.

[Gorgondantess]

Grumpy from the long night, and throbbing brain Jaime obstinately knocks on the door until someone fetches him- or, if the door is unlocked, just lets himself in.

[Toliudar]

The front door is locked, but it's not long before a bleary-eyed and scruffy looking kid - perhaps twelve or fourteen years old - cracks it open and peers out.

"Yeah? You need a room?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime stumbles in, teeth gritted, eyes red-rimmed. He grabs the boy by the shirt. "Tell me. Have you ssen any... northerners pass by in recent time?" He spits out the word 'northerners', his voice full of acid.

[Toliudar]

If you want to push your way in, give me a strength check. The kid's small, but scared of him.

Given Jaime's strange appearance and the late hour, the boy doesn't open the door when Jaime lunges forward.

"Th-there's a group - from Ratik, I think."

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime's eyes dart back and forth, calming down as he realizes what a fool he's making himself out to be in this sleep-addled, pissed off, disturbed, sweaty and very, very tired state. He reaches into his purse and takes out a handful of copper and silver, shoving it into the boy's hand. "Take me to them, then. I would have words with them."

[Toliudar]

Greed and fear struggle for a long moment in the kid's face. He stares at the handful of coins, and back up at Jaime's face. A decision is reached. He swings the door open and grabs the coins from Jaime's hand. He steps back.

Inside is a solid-looking, large and tasteful common room, with flagstone floors and smoke-covered beam ceilings. A prominent staircase at the far side of the common area is dimly lit by light from second floor windows. A crumpled blanket is next to the extinguished hearth.

The kid points to the steps. "Top of the stairs, second and third doors on your right. I gotta go feed their horses soon anyway."

He squeezes past Jaime and heads out towards the stables. He turns, a tremolo in his voice.

"I, uh, I didn't tell you where they're staying, right?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime grins deviously, a long-toothed, large mouth grin. "No. Of course you didn't." With that, he heads upstairs, and tries the door... quietly.

[Toliudar]

I'm going to assume a moderate level of quiet, as opposed to a Move Silently. If you want the latter, roll it.

The stairs lead up to a landing and then a shorter flight of stairs. A wide corridor, with windows at both ends, has half a dozen doors on both sides.

The second door on the right, as Jaime was directed, is locked.

[Gorgondantess]

Then in that case, he tries the third door. If that one is locked too, he heads back downstairs and looks around for any keys.

[Toliudar]

The other door is also locked. Downstairs, the kid has left the front door open, and the dim light of predawn is lightening the sky. A few minutes of searching around on the main floor uncovers a small drawer behind the bar with five brass keys in it, and a larger iron skeleton key.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime swipes the skeleton key, then quietly creeps up the stairs, trying the door. If it opens, he peers in quietly, checking the peoples inside to see if they are the eponymous northerners. If they are, and if they are asleep, he goes into the room, shouting, and maybe kicking one of them for good measure: "Up! Get up, you ragged-ass bunch of cur-thieves!" He stands at a focal point, seething with old, hard annoyance.

[Toliudar]

The skeleton key is not even the right shape for the lock, although the smaller brass keys would be.


Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime facepalms, running back downstairs to grab the brass keys, and tries them in order (though first checks them for numbers or labels).

[Toliudar]

Each of the five brass keys does indeed bear a geometric symbol, but none match the two doors that the kid directed Jaime to. He notes in passing that one of the keys does match one of the rooms across the hall from them.

[roll0]

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime stares at the keys in despair. He groans, putting them back, heading upstairs, and does the unthinkable.
He knocks.
Awww, so no spouting off a Rob Roy quote?:smallfrown:

[Toliudar]

You can, of course, say whatever you like. It might have a little less impact through a door, though.

Jaime just gets the brass keys back into their drawer when he hears movement in the back room - scraping, banging, humming.

Heading upstairs, he knocks on the nearest of the doors, and it's opened a crack, fairly quickly, by one of the young warriors Jaime saw at the Trotters. He's got one hand on the door, and the other on a sword at his belt, and is already fully dressed in his armour - the man does not look like he just got out of bed. Blocking any view further into the room with his body, the big sandy-haired man whispers. "Yeah?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime starts spouting words and gesticulating, feigning excitement and nervousness: "Well, you see, I believe you've come into possession of a certain amulet belonging to my sister, she was on a caravan and was attacked and killed and you passed by and I couldn't help noticing that her blouse was torn open and the amulet gone, so I was wondering, might it be in your possession?"
As he says this, he stumbles over his words several times.
Sleight of hand, to conceal my favorite spell: [roll0] Ouch.:smalleek:

[Toliudar]

[roll0] [roll1] Jaime knows that the man has resisted his spell.

The young man stares at Jaime for a moment, following Jaime's strange gestures with a confused expression. He smiles, and calls back up into the room with a thick Ratik accent.

"Hey, Brass. Wake up! Kid here says we stole something off his sister yesterday."

There is a murmured response from inside the room in the barbarian tongue, eliciting a wider smile from the armoured man. He swings the door wide, and with a gesture invites Jaime into the room. Two men in their thirties are sprawled out on cots, on top of the blankets, and two younger men are emerging from blankets on the floor by the open window. One of the men in a bed - Brass, apparently - sits up and gestures to a space on the bed next to him. He smiles at Jaime a bit sleepily.

"Sorry about your sister, kid. Come on. Sit down. Let's talk about this."

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime smiles, proud his ploy worked. Nevertheless, he keeps a phantasm ready, in case things get messy.
"Well, she was wearing a certain amulet, and I'm of the opinion you might've taken it off of her. Now, I'm not accusing you of thievery- after all, she was dead on the road- but I'd like my amulet back."
God, I hate adventurers. Smelly, greedy bastards.

[Toliudar]

The young man ushers Jaime into the room and closes the door behind. Brass smiles, listening carefully as Jaime explained. His voice is soft but confused.

"I'm so sorry about your sister, kid. But I don't get it. What made you think it was us who took this amulet of yours. And if you saw her dead before, why didn't you bury her, or at least take the amulet then?"

[Gorgondantess]

"I didn't see her before. I remember I stayed at the same inn you did. I was walking down the road, in the same direction as you folks, when you all passed by on your horses. Soon enough, I found her dead, and her blouse torn open. However, she was long dead by that time, so I do not accuse you of the killing... but I thought you may have scavenged the bodies. Did you?"

[Toliudar]

[roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]

Brass smiles, and it becomes very clear to Jaime that he's not buying any of this. "I can't wait to figure out who the hell you really are, and what you did to them."

He reaches over and lunges to grab Jaime by the throat. With all his strength, Jaime struggles free of the man's grip, and manages to evade one of the young men sitting on the floor who tries to grab him. The big warrior by the door reaches back to lock the door, and the other young warrior stands to block the window. Both draw swords and stare with distrust and anger at our young hero. The man in the other bed, who has remained silent and staring the whole time, leans back and watches, frankly curious.

[Gorgondantess]

*cough*. Readied phantasm, 2 posts back. I can cast a silent image as a free action.
As the man lunges to grab Jaime, he mutters the final words in an incantation. An iron maiden springs out of the floor, clamping around Brass. The blades spring out dramatically, ready to stab in and impale the victim inside. Jaime leaps back onto a bed. "Drop your weapons, or your friend dies."
From inside, Brass sees an amorphous being envelop him, covered in eyes and tendrils. It's several inches from him, though continuously grasping at him with formed appendages and claws and jaws. He's just out of reach, though- if he keeps still.

[Toliudar]

Readied actions are only possible within the context of initiative. Otherwise, it would be possible to go around with the constant readied action "I shoot the next thing that threatens to harm me." As per your request, I rolled initiative. It's Jaime's turn.

What ability allows him to cast Silent Image as a free action?

Would you like to restate the action. You are threatened by the swordsman by the door, and if either Brass or the young warrior have IUS, they threaten you too. Would you like to cast defensively?

Also, please note that having a phantasm wrap around Brass will count as an automatic "interact with" and give him a saving throw.

[Gorgondantess]

Paaaah. Well, readying an action allows you to do it as a free action, so... that's what. And what says he's able to grab me before I get off a spell? I already said Jaime is ready in case of danger. Both are standard actions.
And yes, I'm aware of that, though I figured the bruiser will likely not make the save.

[Toliudar]

Paaaah. Well, readying an action allows you to do it as a free action, so... that's what. And what says he's able to grab me before I get off a spell? I already said Jaime is ready in case of danger. Both are standard actions.
And yes, I'm aware of that, though I figured the bruiser will likely not make the save.

I'd assumed that both of you were on your guard against the other - therefore no surprise round. You'd asked that I not ask you for initiative, so I rolled for it. If you'd won, I'd have stopped with the first sentence of the post.

Readying an action doesn't make it a free action, it moves your initiative to the point immediately before the triggering event.

Still need an answer about whether you want to cast defensively, and the appropriate roll if you do.

[Gorgondantess]

Ah. I see. Can I see the initiative order?

Well, screw that. I'll take a 5-foot step out of their reach, then cast the spell and all that other stuff.

[Toliudar]

Initiative order:
Brass
Young man at window
Jaime
Man on other bed
Young man at door
Second young man at window

I've just realized that I had the last two draw swords, which they actually aren't doing till their turn. Although I doubt that that changes your action, so I'll proceed.

[roll0]

[Toliudar]

Jaime leaps up onto the bed to avoid his attackers.

Brass seems to lock up in consternation as the iron blades close in around him. He whimpers briefly, but does not speak.

The young warrior by the door and the warrior by the window seemed to be about to reach for their swords, but move their hands away slowly. They do, however, continue to block the respective egresses.

The man on the other bed speaks - a deep, menacing baritone.

"Your move then, kid. You hurt Brass, we rip your guts out. What's it going to be."

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime smiles, almost laughing. He talks as if it's all so very funny, shaking his head. "I just want my f**king amulet. Give me that, and we can all walk away nicely. I don't want to hurt your friend any more than you do."

[Toliudar]

[roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
[roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]
[roll8] The dice are loving you! Brass and the man on the bed is effectively delaying their actions, and the young man by the door is still not doing anything, so you're up. There is no 5' space in the room that is not threatened by one of the three young men. Jaime's turn!

The man on the other bed laughs.

"'Your' amulet, is it? Not your 'sister's'? Don't siht a sihtter, kid."

At a nod from him, the young man who had been lurking by the window leaps out towards Jaime. The nimble young sorcerer is able to avoid his oafish grasp, and a second attempt by the other burly young man to grab him.

[Gorgondantess]

"Touch me and he dies!" Jaime shouts, and the spikes on the iron maiden begin to close in on Brass. He draws his knife.

[Toliudar]

Check my previous post for an update. Also, given the way an iron maide looks (http://web.uvic.ca/~walittle/Iron_Maiden_of_Nuremberg.jpg), are the spikes moving independently of the rest of the device?

You have a standard action you can take if desired.

[Gorgondantess]

Bahhhh. I know there's a certain torture device that consists of a device like an iron maiden, but the spikes are inserted through holes in the container. That's what he's using.
So, yes.

[Toliudar]

So, no standard action? We proceed?

[Gorgondantess]

Standard action to maintain concentration on silent image.

[Toliudar]

[roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]The men in the room seem to pause and draw a breath as Jaime draws his knife. The man on the bed nods to the two men who had been trying to grab Jaime, and flips open a bag next to the bed, and pulls out a crowbar.

"Your call, bud. You can come clean, and tell us what you're doing here, or keep this siht up and I do to you ten times over whatever you do to Brass."

The two young men draw their blades, but the close quarters...and perhaps something else...seems to be holding back the viciousness of their attacks, and Jaime is able to dodge one blade. The other smacks into the wall behind him, leaving a mark on the wall.

[Gorgondantess]

"I'll tell you whatever you want, but you make one more f*cking swing at me and your boss'll be a leaky piece of meat."

[Toliudar]

The man tilts his head, examining Jaime.

"My boss? My Boss?"

He giggles, and raises his voice, just slightly.

"You hear that, Brass? You got a promotion."

He turns back to Jaime, standing up with the crowbar held low.

"All right, kid. Start talking. Who are you really, and what's your interest in the Heart?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime relaxes, as do the blades. They come farther back out.
"Well. I was traveling north to Hexpools when I came across a caravan attack- the one with the woman you presumably took the amulet off of. I went past, finding little of interest, eventually coming to the inn you folks stayed at. Bedding there for the night, I had a dream- a lucid one. In it a woman talked about an amulet she expected I would have picked up from a woman killed on the road, that it was important, apparently a family heirloom or somesuch, likely magical. Curious, the next morning I headed back to the scene of carnage, though not before you got there. I found a woman with her blouse torn open. So, I followed you here. I'm partial towards believing that, in some way, this amulet belongs to me. Therefore, either you hand it over and have my heartfelt gratitude, or I kill Brass, then you try to kill me and I take down most of you in the process. Is that a deal or what?"

[Toliudar]

[roll0] [roll1] [roll2]

The paunchy man on the bed nods and looks especially interested when Jaime talks about the dream, and about the amulet being a family heirloom. At the 'deal', he chuckles.

"Who said I had it to give you, kid?"

He slips forward with a burst of speed, and slides the crowbar into the seam of the 'iron maiden'...

And clonks Brass in the chest.

The older man looks puzzled for a second, and then looks at Jaime with something approximating admiration.

"Get him."

The two young warriors raise their blades again to strike.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime chuckles back. "Well, you obviously know where it is. In that case, I advise you go fetch it!" He talks jovially, as if the situation were a happy, normal one. Rather than the potentially lifethreatening one.

[Toliudar]

Got to give me a FEW minutes to write the full post, after I make the rolls! :smallwink:

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

I'll have Brass delay until after your next action.

The two young swordsmen shift so that the one furthest the window is dividing Jaime's attention in a most uncomfortable way. They both lunge again with their swords, but manage to strike each other's blades, and both are directed harmlessly upwards, bouncing off a ceiling beam.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime stares at them incredulously. "What the hell is wrong with you? I said if you touched me Brass dies, so I won't kill him now )largely due to your incompetence), but that's the most pathetic show of backstabbing I've seen in all my years. Just give me the amulet so I can go without having to kill you fools."

[Toliudar]

These guys really ARE turning out to be the keystone cops, aren't they? We're up to what, four rounds of combat, and nobody's been able to hold or hit Jaime? Clearly, someone up there really does like him!

[roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] Jaime can of course adapt the illusion on his action, but there was no way to maintain the reality of the torture device, or the blindfold on Brass, given the sudden and unpredictable movement.

Jaime takes four damage from a sword cut, and is still down 1hp from the spider.

Brass whimpers again, clearly mistaking the crowbar for a spike. The paunchy man reaches in and hauls Brass out of the illusion, tossing him onto the bed.

"Under these circumstances, kid, I'm inclined to agree with you. All the more reason for us to shut you up, though."

Slightly dispirited and cautious now, the two young toughs attack again. At least this time they do it one at a time. One gets through Jaime's guard this time, drawing a painful line of blood across his forearm.

[Gorgondantess]

So, do these guys have attack penalties, or does Jaime have plot armor? Oh, also: god I love silent image.
Jaime smirks. "Ah, so you've seen through my illusions. Lovely. Makes things all the more interesting."
With that, he steps back from the other fellows and weaves another- of a steel wall, a few feet out from the side of the room, that separates him and the exit from the fellows there. Even if they disbelieve it, they still can't see through it. With that, hugging the wall he walks out of the room, staying behind his wall. Once out, he keeps going a bit down the hallway, hugging the wall so that none can see him from the room: perhaps hiding by the open door.

[Toliudar]

There's no 5' step available to get away from the two fighters - it's not that big a room. Concentration check or taking your chances against the No Hit Wonders?

Also, the guy who let you in stayed in front of the door, and locked it.

Language is breaking down. Here's a rough map. (http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AoiVK74wtlicdHg2al81RzI5SmZDVjRJWnd0aUdtV 3c&hl=en)

[Gorgondantess]

Pooh. Can I take 10 on the concentration check? If so, defensive casting. If not, I'll take the chance.

[Toliudar]

Please see map as edited in above, to allow you to clarify where you're putting the wall (or to change the nature of your illusion. I swear, it's the layout I've been thinking of all along - I just never expected this to become a combat encounter. [roll0] [roll1][roll2] [roll3]

[Gorgondantess]

...You didn't? What, did you expect Jaime to kindly leave? They seem pretty insistent on making it a combat encounter.
Anyhow, he'll be putting it 2.5 feet from the wall, except in the empty space in which he'll have some breathing room (E5). I think he can make it to C6: there, he'll hide behind the door. The illusion should cut off everyone but him from the doorway.

[Toliudar]

Well, I really wasn't expecting a hostage situation. I was expecting either a few questions, or perhaps a not-so-gentle bum's rush.

Re their ability or inability to see through a wall, from the description of saving throws and illusions:

A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline.

Also, I'd consider putting the steel wall as going through you is going to give you the +4 to saves to convince you that it's not real.

Can you clarify which wall it will be 2.5' away from. All of them?

C6 is outside of the room. I wrote Door below the place where the door is, just as the window is above where the window is.

[Gorgondantess]

No, actually, I won't be sticking out of the wall. The rules explicitly state that one can move around inside of a 5' square, and Jaime is not more then 2.5 feet wide, thank you: he's going to hug the real wall.
The illusory wall will extend out from the real wall between E2 and 3, 2.5 feet, going down to the bottom of E4, going at a slant to accommodate most of E5, then a small exit out into D5-6, so that Jaime could be completely separated from the men. It'll also extend to cover the door.

[Toliudar]

You're interpreting a rough outline as an exact placement. This is not useful. Just as the beds are not actually 5' wide and 10' long, but it's easier to show them as such on this diagram, the six men in the room (with the possible exception of Brass, who is prone on the bed) are considered to be moving through their 5' spaces. These are simply useful simplifications.

Just because the S is left justified in Microsoft Excel doesn't mean that he's standing only in the left half of his square. If the wall is bisecting E4, it's in the square with that swordsman, and it won't be passing through it. If you put it through D5, you're cutting through the square with that swordsman in it. You can't put it into D6 at all, since the door is closed and you have neither LoS or LoE.

[Gorgondantess]

Well then the bloody wall will have a divot to accommodate for them! I doubt they're less than one foot away from the wall, and Jaime can squeeze through a 1 foot wide area. Bleh.:smallsigh:

[Toliudar]

In the immortal words of the Man In Black: As You Wish. The casting triggers attacks of opportunity from the two swordsmen. Take 5 points from a strike from the southern swordsman.

Concentration check to maintain spell: [roll0]
Will saves vs iron wall: [roll1] [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] [roll5]

Jaime's Move silently check: [roll6]
Opposed listen checks: [roll7] [roll8] [roll9] [roll10] [roll11]

If successful, he ends the round crouching in D5, squeezing into a small space. He won't have had a chance to try the lock, because squeezing through a narrow space takes twice as much movement, and reduces his AC by 4.

Edit: Never mind. Concentration check failed. You've still got a move action if you want to use it.

Jaime drops the illusion of the iron maiden, and starts casting again. The swordsmen take the opportunity to try to regain a bit of their wounded pride, and one gets a lucky, and very painful, strike in on his left leg. This causes Jaime to lose his place in the spell.

[Gorgondantess]

By one point...:smallfrown:
Jaime knows better than to press his luck. As the blade hits, he feigns serious harm, falling to one knee. He palms his blade, effectively sheathing it. "Very well then. I can see I am outnumbered. "Well then. I know when I've lost my battles. I am at your mercy."
Are there any windows around?

[Toliudar]

There's an open window in the middle of the north wall, between the beds. You'd draw attacks of opportunity the north swordsman and the paunchy man, but the north swordsman has already taken an AoO this round...Do keep in mind that you're on the second floor, and you don't know what's outside the window. Are you taking a move action?

[Gorgondantess]

No. Jaime will delay.

[Toliudar]

The paunchy man keeps his crowbar raised.

"Good lad. Smart lad. Drop the knife on the floor and lie down on the bed."

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime sits a moment, exasperated. "Ahhheh. I'd really rather not put myself in any position that might compromise the struggle for my continued existence, so... no? I'd really rather not?"
Oh, by the way, sense motive: is this guy going to kill me?

[Toliudar]

He's definitely holding something back, but you don't get a 'psychopath' vibe from him.

The paunchy man takes a half step closer.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Did I phrase that in the form of a question? No. No I didn't."

[Gorgondantess]

And, Jaime decides to throw his trust to fate. Or, at least, the ugly guy in front of him. "Okay, fine, You got me."
He tosses his knife to the ground, but keeps his dagger concealed on his chest, in case, and lies down on the bed.

[Toliudar]

I'm going to fast forward through this as much as possible. If Jaime would like to stop the process at any point, please let me know what he is doing to interrupt. If he wishes to lie in response to any of the man's questions, please give me a bluff check. If the bluff check doesn't beat a 14, assume that the paunchy man repeats the question with increasing insistence. Again, my goal is to zip through this as quickly as possible.

The paunchy man gestures for Brass to get up off the bed. He pulls the blanket off, and tosses it to one of the swordsmen.

"Wrap him up tight in this."

The swordsman closest to the window keeps his blade trained on Jaime, clearly a bit nervous. The other sheathes his sword awkwardly after catching the blanket, and rolls the sorcerer up in it.

"Sit on him."

The warrior does so. The paunchy man sits on the bed next to Jaime, and smiles down at him. Jaime notices a large diamond-shaped scar on the side of the man's neck.

"So, kid, what's your name?

"Where are you from?

"What do you know about the amulet?

"How'd you find us here?"

[Gorgondantess]

Whoah. You mad?

Jaime rolls his eye as the man sits on him. Well, this is just spectacular.
"Jaime. A village from the south. I know that it's important. I followed you."

[Toliudar]

I can't tell if you meant "mad" as "angry" or "crazy". Neither is the case. I just know how un-fun it can be to play a character in captivity.

The paunchy man turns to Brass with a shrug.

"What do you think?"

Brass, apparently eager to recover some sense of dignity after his ordeal in the torture device, answers by pulling out a short blade and smiling. The paunchy man shakes his head.

"Kid doesn't know anything, and there's something more going on here."

A woman's voice comes from the other side of the wall.

"What in hell is going on over there?"

The paunchy man winces slightly, and raises his voice.

"Tell you later!"

Lining up his crowbar with Jaime's head, the paunchy man brings it down with only a modicum of force. And then everything goes black.

--

And stays black, although pain in several places and difficulty breathing come back into focus. Jaime is in a dark place. While his arms are not as pinned as they were in the blanket, there's still something heavy on and around him. The air is cool and full of dust. There is a sliver of light from above, but there's not much more he can make out.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime searches around near the light, trying to feel out his surroundings and rubbing his throbbing head. If he can find a way out of the dark place... he gets out. If not, he'll look through the crack of light, trying to survey the area around him.

[Gorgondantess]

Bumpity bumpity bump.

[Toliudar]

Sorry. Christmas-related travel.

Jaime currently has 3 HP, and advances to level 3.

After a bit of bumping around, Jaime is able to pull himself out of what seems to be a woodshed, find the latch, and dump himself out into the sunlight. It looks to be a building next to the stables he passed on the way into that infernal inn. The sun is now high - either late morning or early afternoon. His wounds have healed a bit, but everything still hurts. However, there's a lightness in his head as well.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime grits his teeth, holding his head and grimacing. They're going to die. No doubt about that. And this time he won't bother to ask questions of them first. Nevertheless, it seems his first order of business must be asking questions.
Casting a quick cantrip to clean himself off, organize his hair, and then help clear his mind a bit, focus, maybe dull the pain, he heads into the inn, and asks around about the northerners.
Nooo problem. No problem at all. I figured as much, anyways.
Anyhow, I've updated my sheet.

[Toliudar]

The inn is quiet but not deserted, with half a dozen patrons lingering over the remnants of a noon meal. The boy who Jaime saw in the early morning is not in evidence. There are no looks of recognition from anyone as he enters.

In response to his question about the northerners, a half-elven woman in her early twenties, a slender barmaid, tilts her head in thought.

"Ma mentioned a bunch who headed out after a real quick breakfast. Might a been them, I guess."

She shrugs with the disinterest of the young.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime looks down the girl, briefly considering flirting, but then deciding there were more pressing matters at hand. "Well, where is 'ma' then? I need to know where these folks went."
If given a straight answer, he goes to 'ma' and asks her about the northerners.

[Toliudar]

The young woman looks the badly beat-up Jaime up and down, and weighs his possible ill intent against what seems like an instinctive desire to be helpful.

"She's picking loganberries. They're in season this month. Should be back in a couple hours."

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime grimaces. "Where can I find her? I need to be on my way as soon as possible."

[Toliudar]

The girl takes a moment to orient herself, then points behind Jaime and to his left.

"Mostly, the berries grow in the lowlands. There's a couple big patches about half a mile out of town that way, or more that are another half-mile on. She didn't really say which one she was heading towards - I expect she'd go where the berries are."

She shrugs apologetically.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime nods, and heads out to the area she pointed out to look for the mother for about an hour and a half. If he can't find her in this time, he heads back to the inn and waits for her return.

[Toliudar]

Spot check [roll0]

After about 40 minutes of searching among the bushes - which at the very least lead to a few delicious snacks - Jaime came across a pair of middle-aged women, each carrying a yoked pair of buckets, and walking back in the general direction of the inn. They stop about 30 feet away from Jaime, clearly cautious of strangers, but smile a greeting.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime smiles back, genuinely glad to have found them. "Good day, ladies. I was wondering, would one of you happen to have seen a group of northerners leave from the inn this morning? And if so, do you know which direction they went? Were they mounted? I have something I dearly need to discuss with them." I'll give you a hint. It begins with 'S' and ends with 'Litting their ****ing throats.':belkar:

[Toliudar]

The two women look at Jaime for a moment, and then at each other. After a moment, one speaks.

"Uh, yeah. I remember that group. They were up early and out the door, just taking a couple loaves a bread. Pretty sure they headed south and, yeah, I think they had horses."

She looks at Jaime with a lingering air of mistrust, but both women stay still and silent.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime thinks back to the inn. Were there stables there, with horses other than the northerners? If so, it might be worthwhile to check back and see if he could procure a mount. If not... then he'll just have to walk. Either way, he'll head south once all is said and done.

[Toliudar]

[Jaime didn't go in the stables, but they were certainly big enough to hold more horses than the northerners would have.]

Jaime feels the sun hanging low in the sky behind him when he gets back to the inn. Several of the local farmers have dragged chairs outside, and are enjoying a cold beer in the dusty area in front of the inn's doors. The stables, off to the left of the main inn building, have their big doors thrown open, and just a rope draped across it at chest height as a safety against the horses' flight. As Jaime approaches, he can see that the boy he spoke with first thing this morning is there, rubbing down a magnificent grey stallion that's still glistening with sweat. The stables are built to hold about 20 horses, and a quick glance shows that about half a dozen stalls are currently occupied. An older man, with thick arms and a thick body, is at the back of the barn, lifting up a mule's hoof and examining it.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime steps into the stables, out of sight of the old man but in sight of the boy. If that means being outside of the stables, so be it. He then smiles at the boy, makes a low whistle, and holds up a few gold pieces to catch the sun and get his attention.
Assuming the boy walks over to him to check it out, he tosses one of the coins to the boy, casting a quick spell. "Gee, thanks for washing down my horse for me." He winks, just in case the boy doesn't get it, and hands him another coin. "Now, would you kindly saddle him up for me? And make it quick, I'm in a hurry."
Ahhh, taking advantage of the selfishness of an adolescent. Always good fun. Now, sleight of hand, to not spook the poor kid:[roll0] And a bluff check, to help get the message across:[roll1]

[Toliudar]

When Jaime puts a hand to his purse, he finds it lighter than he remembers. Much, much lighter. Empty, as one might say.

In order to be out of sight of the older man in the stables, Jaime would need to either draw the boy out of the stables and into the yard, or else into one of the stalls. Let me know what you'd like to do.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime makes a :smallfurious: face, upon finding this, and decides to work by simpler means- same plan, sans coins. He'll draw him into the yard.
...Do I still have my knife on me? If not, I'll need to find a suitable replacement. Hard to slit some bloody throats without a decent blade.

[Toliudar]

The long knife is gone, but the blade you palmed made it back into its hidden sheath.

Sense Motive: [roll0]

Will Save: [roll1]

The boy seems reluctant to follow Jaime out into the yard, but the proximity of the laughing farmers reassures him.

"Gee, thanks for washing down my horse for me. Now, would you kindly saddle him up for me? And make it quick, I'm in a hurry."

The boy seems confused for a moment, then blanches a bit. He leans in a bit to speak softly to Jaime.

"Look, man, I'd love to help, but I'd lose my hide and my job. But...if I shift Kar out back for a minute, can you take care of the rest?"

[Gorgondantess]

Emm... define 'shift' in this vernacular.
IF it means 'do something nasty' Jaime will wholeheartedly agree. Hell, I was considering just color-spraying the both of them.
The funny thing is, this character is my most typical adventurer guy, for all the wrong reasons, in that he's not afraid to do crazy stuff and resort to attacking people or taking everything that's not nailed down. And he hates adventurers!:smallamused:

[Toliudar]

Shift = move.

Funnily enough, I don't see there being many people who self-identify as "adventurers." So far, I'd characterize Jaime as something closer to "sociopath." :smallsmile:

[Gorgondantess]

Oh, gee, I thought he was talking about the old guy...
And Jaime is not a sociopath. He's delightfully amoral.:smallamused:
Jaime nods, and goes along with the plan. Pity he couldn't get a saddle, but... well, just for travelling down the road, it should do fine. "Bring a blanket, at least."

[Toliudar]

Sociopathy: "A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others and inability or unwillingness to conform to what are considered to be the norms of society." What part am I missing? :smallamused:

I'd like a ride check, and a sense of how fast you're taking off out of the barn.

Nodding nervously, the boy heads back to the older man and points to a man-sized door at the back of the barn.

"Hey, Kar, um, give me a hand with a sack of grain from the shed? I want to give Torrington's horse the fresh stuff."

The big man grumbles, but follows the kid out. Jaime moves smoothly, unhooking the rope from the entrance to the stables and - with a grunt - getting up onto the big stallion. The horse shifts slightly, but doesn't seem nervous about the unfamiliar rider or the lack of a saddle.

[Gorgondantess]

Okay, okay, fine. He'll be taking 10, for a 7, trying to go off at a quick trot- that's about 10 mph. If that doesn't work... [roll0]

[Toliudar]

There's a bit of flailing and uncertainty as Jaime guides the horse out of the stable and out onto the main road. As he strives to achieve a regular clip that doesn't jar him off the horse's back, Jaime distinctly hears one of the farmers turn to the others.

"Hey, weren't that Torrington's horse?"

There is a burst of laughter that fades behind him.

So, it's now late afternoon. You're heading into an area that's still a mix of small farming groupings, forest and marsh, with the road more or less following the river on your right. Do you want to try to keep this pace? Do you want to stay on the road? How far into the night do you want to continue (remember that you haven't really slept in more than a day.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime keeps going until he's exhausted: he stays on the road, and tries to keep up a brisk canter, at least. If he can't find an inn or any signs of civilization down the road until nightfall, he'll tie up the horse and try to get some sleep.

[Toliudar]

The road is relatively straight, and there are no major intersections or towns in the next couple of hours' riding. It's about half an hour after dark when Jaime succumbs to exhaustion and, dozing, slides off of the horse and tumbles to the road. Fortunately, the horse slows to a halt a few paces up the road - it looks pretty done-in as well. Jaime is able to find a solid tree off the road a bit, with some grass around it, to tie up the grey stallion. He settles with his back to a tree nearby. The cool evening breeze is a welcome relief. The aches in his leg and chest, the rumble of hunger in his belly and the heaviness of his body vie for primacy, and the fatigue wins.

--

The sun is already high when Jaime opens his eyes again. Another hot day, but with a mugginess in the air that suggests that rain might be on its way.

Regain 3 hit points, bringing you up to 6.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime works a quick prestidigitation to work off the grime, and help cool himself down for a bit, as he remounts his horse and heads off. He tries to push the horse a bit, pressed on by both his hunger, his pride, and vengeance.
Going at a hustle. If taking 10 can do it, then he'll take 10. If not, ride check:[roll0] and, for laughs, handle animal: [roll1]
Wow. I actually did better on the ride check...:smalleek:

As an aside, I recently acquired a copy of Start of Darkness. You can bet I'll be striking that for inspiration.:smallamused:

[Toliudar]

Jaime begins to develop a somewhat more comfortable rhythm with the stallion, although he's also developing a rash along his thighs that a salve would go a long way towards fixing.

They stop a couple times for water along the road, and the farming groupings are becoming more prevalent as they travel, and the road becomes a bit more level. He passes the occasional farmer or lone traveller, and one family moving north with all of their goods on a wagon.

About an hour or two after mid-day come to another road-side inn - less grand than the first, but a solid-looking two story wooden structure. It sits at a crossroads - another road branches off to the east, and there is a small pier where a couple of two-person fishing boats are moored.

[Gorgondantess]

On the way down, he accosts anyone he passes, asking them if they've seen a group of northerners on horses pass by, and which direction they were going. If it's the same direction he's been going all along, he heads into the inn, and asks the innkeeper if the northerners have stopped there.
He then charms the innkeep. "You see, these northerners I speak of robbed me. Could you spare some food for a man down on his luck? A balm as well, perchance, I've been riding all day and night."

[Toliudar]

Jaime gets no recognition from the passing travellers that they've seen the northerners on the road.

At the small inn, the innkeeper and her husband are clearing up from the mid-day meal, and a fat warrior with a sword drinks determinedly at a table by the windows.

Jaime is greeted with a smile. His question to the woman is only half out of his lips when the innkeeper's husband steps up beside him, broom in hand.

"Hey! What's that you're mucking about with? Were that magic?"

Will save[roll0]
Sleight of hand: [roll1]
Spot: [roll2] [roll3] [roll4]

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime turns to the man, looking shocked and hurt. "My good sir, of course not! Do I look like a mage to you? In the past day I've been robbed, assaulted and locked in a storage shed, and I've ridden nonstop for hours on end. I am but a weary traveller, and any inflection in my voice or wavering in my motions that may look like magic are merely a byproduct of my weariness, an eccentricity resulting from degredation and abuse."
Bluff:[roll0]
...Yay. A 2.

[Toliudar]

Sense Motive: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]

The husband's face grips the broom more tightly, and gestures towards the door with his head.

"Ay, well, it's good that you've got lots of day left for your travels. We're closed to you, stranger. Off with you."

[Gorgondantess]

"Ah. Well. In that case..." Jaime lines up the woman and the man in a color spray. "Do forgive me, but I'm very hungry." If either make their saves, he'll hit them again and again until they're out of it. If the guy with the sword decides to join in, he'll get him with a color spray as well.

[Toliudar]

Let's take this one round at a time.

Initiative:
Jaime:
Wife:
Husband: [roll2]
Man with sword: 1d20

Will save: [roll3] [roll4]

[Toliudar]

Man with sword init [roll0]

Attack with broom: [roll1] [roll2]

Jaime steps back and blasts the couple with a flare of colour. The wife drops to the ground with a grunt, but the husband manages to shield himself with his arm. He looks at his wife on the ground, roars in rage, and swings the broom at Jaime. It's got a lot more force than skill behind it, but Jaime is unable to dodge it, and the head of the broom crashes heavily into his ribs.

"Out! Get out of here!"

The big man stumbles up to his feet, drawing his sword.

Jaime is 10' from the entrance that he came through, and the man with the broom is directly in front of him. The man with the sword is 15' to Jaime's right.

Jaime takes 2 points of damage.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime moves to the side of the man, lining up him and the sword-guy for a color spray. He addresses sword-guy. "I have no quarrel with you. Put down your sword, and we can all walk away without anybody getting hurt." If he doesn't comply, color spray.

[Toliudar]

I'm taking this as "Jaime readies an action to cast Color Spray if man with sword doesn't drop his sword on his action." Sound about right?

Broom: [roll0] [roll1]
Will Saves: [roll2] [roll3]

More to come.

The husband hears Jaime's words to the man with the sword, and screams back to him: "Nobody gets hurt? What about Emm?"

He swings again at Jaime, less accurately this time. The swordsman seems about to charge, so Jaime steps to the side and blasts more colour at them. The swordsman tumbles to the ground, but the husband is ready for those same kind of actions, and turns his head.

The husband shouts out in fear and frustration, swinging a third time at the sorcerer.

[Toliudar]

Round 3 broom: [roll0] [roll1]

The husband swings the broom wildly, but Jaime is able to duck under it easily.

"Tell me! Tell me what you did to Emm!"

[Toliudar]

Ready for what? It's your action.

[Gorgondantess]

You ninja'd me. I thought he was just talking.
"I just cast a little spell that sent her into a sort of coma. Now, if you give me what I want, I can bring her back: if you do not, then there's no telling when she'll recover."
Bluff, bluff, bluff, the protective angry inkeeper! [roll0]
Readied action for another color spray if he does not comply.

[Toliudar]

Hence the sentence "More to come." :smallamused:

Will save, attack, damage: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
[roll3] [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7] [roll8] [roll9]

More to come.

[Toliudar]

Hence the sentence "More to come." :smallamused:

Will save, attack, damage: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
[roll3] [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7] [roll8] [roll9]

"No more lies! You help her, or..."

The innkeeper raises the broom again, and Jaime steps back and fires a third blast of colour, this time bringing him down like dead weight. There is a moment of silence, punctuated only by the wheezing breath of three people on the floor.

At the back of the common room, there is a small bar, with three kegs on the wall behind it. A narrow door way next to it presumably leads to the kitchen. There are two other small doors on the same wall. To Jaime's left, a narrow staircase leads upwards.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime sighs, exhausted, and gets to work. He looks around quickly for any keys in a door: if so, he'll drag the bodies into the room beyond the door, and lock them in.
If there's any sturdy rope or twine, he'll tie them up.
Priority in dragging or tieing up to the innkeep. He takes the sword off the sword guy's belt while he's at it, though, and straps it on himself. While he's not very good with a blade, there's a definite intimidation factor there.
If he can't find any of the listed items in the main room, he takes a keg and beats the innkeeper on the back of the head a couple times, not enough to kill him, but to make sure he stays down for a while, then heads into the kitchen and looks around in there.
Just make any relevant checks for me.
A note on rolling: you don't have to roll here. In fact, it's kinda cumbersome, and I trust you to not fudge rolls, so in order to make things easier, why not just use this website (http://wizards.com/dnd/dice/dice.htm)?

[Toliudar]

I like rolling here because it helps me keep track of what I rolled. Thanks, though! If we want a less cumbersome rolling process, we could switch the game over to Myth Weavers. You got an account?

Oh, and the innkeeper is the woman you dropped first. I'm assuming you meant to brain the guy with the broom?

Three rounds have elapsed.

Jaime surveys the doors in the room - the exterior door has a bar that can be slid in place, and one of the three doors in the back wall has a keyhole, but there's no key in the door. Trotting over, he lifts the swordsman's longsword and hefts it experimentally.

No rope behind the bar, so Jaime hoists the lightest of the kegs and brings it down onto the head of the man who'd been swinging a broom at him.

Trotting into the kitchen, he finds a cross-section of the usual - big hearth with pots hanging from short lengths of chain - big table with some vegetables in the process of becoming a stew - slop buckets - and a girl, about 8 years old standing in front of the table and holding a carving knife out at Jaime in trembling hands. A smaller child is curled up under the table, also watching.

[Gorgondantess]

Oh, man. That's a low blow.
And I'd prefer to keep it on gitp, honestly. This is where all my games are, and branching off to another site would be a pain.
:smalleek:Jaime cringes, putting a hand to his face. "Ah... awww, I... dammit." He looks at the poor girl with a mix of remorse and annoyance, and kneels down, sighing. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just need some food."
He keeps an eye on her, and searches through the kitchen for some loaves of bread, some salted/dried meats or nuts or fruits, wraps them in a sack and then takes a ladle of the soup. He then looks around for any kind of storage room, where non-comestible supplies might be kept.

[Toliudar]

Cheerfully amoral, yes? :smallwink: Fun to have found a beautifully human response for Jaime.

The little girl nods fearfully, and the knife clatters to the floor. She backs up under the table, and hugs the smaller child. Jaime is able to quickly grab three loaves of bread, a few links of sausage and a handful of carrots, and a basket to put them in. There is a narrow set of steps down into a cold storage place, but Jaime knows the limitations of his own magic, and fears that the adults in the common area will be recovering any second.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime smiles at the kid, nodding, and heads down into the storage, drawing his new blade. The folks are unarmed: showing them some good steel should be enough to scare em off.

[Toliudar]

The cold storage area has a shelf of jam, a shelf of pickles, hanging roots vegetables and dried herbs, and a sack of flour, nearly empty. A covered bucket is half-full of milk, and a stone bowl contains butter. Two half-wheels of cheese, hard and harder, are stacked up on a shelf by the entrance. A large pail of potatoes sits on the floor, next to a smaller pail of beets. A quarter of beef is hanging at the back, with some of the meat already removed.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime grumbles, and heads into the main room, waiting for the woman to gain coherency and waving his sword about. "Your husband is fine, he just got hit on the head, he should recover in a few hours. Now, I need some things here- comply with me, and this should all be over very quickly and easily. I require some sort of balm, or ointment, a few silvers and a handful of coppers, and I need to know if you've seen a group of northerners travel through here. If you decide to make a stink, I cut his throat," Pointing at the husband on the ground, "But do everything as I say and I'll only leave with what I need, rather than robbing you blind and likely killing a few people. I won't like that, and you won't like that, but I'm a desperate man."
He speaks while the woman is still incapacitated, but can hear him- if possible, that is.

[Toliudar]

The woman is indeed the first to come around, although speaking to her while she's still stunned doesn't seem to register. She is remarkably calm, under the circumstances.

I, uh, I don't know what kind of ointment you need. There's an old hermit up the east road bout a mile that does up medicines and such.

"Money's in a wooden box under the bar.

"Travellers - there was a group from Ratik here yesterday. Left early this morning."

By the time the conversation is finished, the husband and swordsman are also awake. The woman sits us slowly, and waves for the two men to be calm. The man who was waving a broom is holding his head.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime raids the wooden box, and takes 3 silvers and 12 coppers from it. He then smiles at the lady, nods, and gets on his horse heading off down the road in the direction of the men. If he can find the hermit on the way there, all the better.

[Toliudar]

Taking his gains under his arm, Jaime juggles his new sword as he gets back up onto the stallion.

[sorry, heading south or east?]

[Gorgondantess]

Travelling towards the Northerners, and if that's the same direction as the hermit super, if not too bad.

[Toliudar]

Which way is that?

[Gorgondantess]

Okay, well, he asked the woman what direction the Northerners set off in, and he doesn't leave until she tells him. And when he finds out, he sets off in that direction.:smallsigh:

[Toliudar]

Jaime re-enters the tavern to find the fat man who had the sword coming out of the kitchen with a knife. The innkeeper's husband is in a chair, and she is beginning to tend to his head. Would Jaime like to stick around and re-enter initiative?

[Gorgondantess]

...You're a jerk.:smallannoyed:
Jaime rolls his eyes at his forgetfulness, and heads back into the inn to find them quite ready for him. "Ah. Wrong door. Just a second."
He heads where his incantations can't be heard, and casts a:
Dancing lights, centered on self, in the man-shaped outline (so that it looks like Jaime is glowing- a dark red, specifically)
Prestidigitation. He uses it to create a small gust of wind circling himself, that makes his hair and clothes rise and rustle.
And a ghost sound. He keeps it quiet until he kicks in the door, where it creates screaming, wailing demonic sound, with soft, illegible chanting in the background. While he's glowing red.
He also casts a fleeting flame before heading back in, for good measure.
Jaime levels the longsword at those gathered within.
"I believe I forgot to ask the lady one last question. Do you mind?"
He has the ghost swound give his voice a nice deep reverb, to give it the demonic feel.
Screw initiative. Intimidate check:[roll0]
Could I get a circumstance bonus with that?:smalltongue:

[Toliudar]

I'm a jerk? You threaten people at swordpoint, and then assume they'll hang around for thirty seconds while you buff up with spells?

All right, just this once, we'll do a ret-con: Jaime asked the innkeeper which way the northerners went, and she said she didn't know - she was inside when they left. Better?

[Gorgondantess]

Oh, well, Jaime's a jerk, there's no doubt about that.
...Anyhow.:smallredface:
What's the road like? Is it the same road as ever? Is there a split? If it's the same 2-way road, he'll keep heading the way he's been heading.

[Toliudar]

There's a smaller side road to the east, where the hermit cabin was referred to. The main road continues south. I'll assume Jaime's continuing along.

The road continues on to the south, getting more populous as it goes. A tinker who Jaime passes confirms that he thinks he remembers a group on horseback passing him early in the morning.

As darkness falls, the smell, lights and smoke up ahead heralds his proximity to Kelstrand, the capital of Ahlissa. There are more people on the roads, travelling to and from the city, including a few armed patrols dressed in the grey and red livery of the kingdom. Jaime draws a few odd looks for riding a horse without a saddle, but no one approaches him. At the very least, his hunger is abated, and he has found a clear stream at which to replenish his water and prepare for whatever lays ahead.

In the fading light, he can see slums and smaller compounds around the city, which hunches over the river like a pair of sullen siblings sharing a bed but not quite willing to touch. The eastern side of Kelstrand, where Jaime is, seems the larger of the two. The city walls seem unusually low for a city of this size - barely 20' - but there are tall spindly towers every so often that gleam with a magical light.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime inhales, gulping in one last air of freedom. Inside the city, the freshness of the air will be polluted by the smell of rotting cabbage, **** and wet dog.

Is there a gate at the front of the city, where all from Jaime's direction would pass through?

[Gorgondantess]

What's up? Normally you get another post within the day.
Anyhow, a question:
Now, I know this would normally conflict with the amulet thing, and I'm not really expecting you to say "Yeah, totally", but what do you think of taking vow of poverty? Somehow for a neutral character. The thing would be, Jaime disdains use of magical items: sure, they can be useful, but it's nothing compared to the power of the self. Indeed, he frowns upon those who create magical items: why take your power and put it into a trinket? Power should be hoarded. Thus, he uses his own awesome powers to make himself powerful, not magical items.
Of course, if he ever wants to make a phylactery, that's out of the question.
It's just a thought, I'm raising the subject, and it would definitely require some tweaking.
Or, maybe he could take a feat where if he destroys a magical item, he gains half the xp spent on it? That would definitely fit him: he grows in magical power, and disdains the use of items... but I can still use items, if needed, and I can still get treasure.
Once again, just a thought. Raising the subject.

[Toliudar]

I'm going to get a little erratic in posting again - I'm shooting a film on this week. Apologies in advance.

The road does indeed lead up to a gate, which shows no sign of closing. There's a bit of a backlog of people waiting to enter, but no signs of real commotion there.

I'm fine with Vow of Poverty for a neutral character, but it'll really restrict the kinds of adventures I can prep for Jaime. Unless he's adding more utility and damage spells to his repertoire, he'll need the occasional item to supplement his spell list. If need be, we can make the amulet exempt, or I can start to work on a different throughline.

The feat to destroy magic items for XP is a great RP idea, but might be a waste, since we'll be eyeballing level progression, focused on story progression, rather than assigning XP for specific encounters.

[Gorgondantess]

Ahhh, yes. I do that too. Well, let's see...
Yes, VoP would make things very complicated. And in the end, I suppose Jaime can just sell everything and buy a bunch of knowstones.:smalltongue:

Oooh, a film? What kind of film? Is it a professional production? That's all fine, real life gets in the way, I understand.:smallbiggrin:
Jaime wades through the crowd, keeping an eye out for The Northerners, or any guards who might be posted there who might've seen them.

[Toliudar]

Just a short film I'm directing. Professional, in that the grant that I got is paying everyone but me. Hopefully, it'll have a life on the festival circuit for a year or two - at the very least, it would give me an excuse to travel some. Wish me luck!

No sign of the northerners. Is Jaime joining the line, or trying to cut through it?

[Gorgondantess]

Luck! Very interesting, you'll have to tell me about it. Maybe I'll go see it: I live in southern california, and we love indie films here.:smallbiggrin:
Jaime tries to push through the line. Anyone who raises a stink, he gives them his horse.

[Toliudar]

Jaime does indeed end up giving up his horse to a burly pair of brewers who object to him passing their wagon in line, but at least they are kind enough to give him a sample of their wares in exchange for the stallion. He manages to talk his way further ahead in line past another dozen people, and it is only a little past dark when he gets to the guards checking all those entering. They are pulling fairly modest tariffs from those entering with wagons of produce, and taking down the names of all those who enter.

The soldier who is talking with Jaime offers a blank stare when asked about a group of northerners, followed by a shrug and a shake of his head.

Beyond the double gates is a small courtyard with a few small warehouses and stables leading right off of it, and a shrine to Fharlanghn built right into the city wall. Three streets lead further into the city.

If Jaime would like to lie about his name, give me a bluff check.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime offers his name, well and truly. "Well... could you tell me where I might be able to find a competent diviner?"
Once told, he heads to the diviner to say hi, and ask for a favor.

[Toliudar]

The guard shrugs at the question.

"There's a bunch of fortune-tellers and the like down the Lane of Mysteries. Wife got a potion for the kids' croup there last year, worked like a hot dam."

The city is muggy and sluggish. Jaime exercises his considerable charm to get good directions, and shortly after dark finds his way to the aforementioned Lane. It's a surprisingly narrow alley, with a few magically illuminatede signs, a few simple stores, a pair of quiet taverns, and dozen dark doorways with obscure names. While most of the city is slowing to a halt with the gathering night, the lane is still active. A pair of guards with spears and breastplates stand nervously at the main entrance to the lane. Dozens of figures flit about - some stride in robes and finery, with swords swinging at their hips, and some dressed in murky clothes hug the walls as they go.

Jaime asks around for a diviner, and is directed to a dark door a third of the way down the lane, The Lucky Penny. The shop inside is lit by a single candelabra, showing a small room lined with couches and chairs. Oil paintings fill the walls. A slender elf woman of indeterminate age sits at a stout wooden table in a wingback chair, smoking from a hookah and staring at Jaime with no expression at all. A gleaming knife and a pan of some dark liquid sit on the table next to the hookah.

"Can I help you, sir?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime smiles. Now, to work his magic... not literally, of course. Well, maybe: it all depends on the way the wind turns.
"Greetings. I am looking for a group of men: northerners. They recently entered this city, carrying an amulet known as the Heart. It rightfully belongs to me. I need to ascertain their location. And you will help me do so."

[Toliudar]

The elf gestures to a straight-backed chair opposite her own. She smiles with only a touch of amusement.

"Will I, now? And how much will you be paying me to do that?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime sits down. "My, how delightfully professional of you. I'm afraid, in my payment, It won't be 'how much' but 'what', as I am currently scarce of material posessions. I offer service: I am a mage myself. Whatever your desire, so long as it is in my means to accomplish."
He grins. "Well? Do you find yourself intrigued... or repelled? I understand if you'd prefer more palpable payment: in which case, I'll simply seek out one of your competitors."

[Toliudar]

The woman tilts her head, examining Jaime carefully. Eventually, she smiles.

"You interest me."

She switches to elven, which she speaks with a strong westlands accent.

"Obviously, I know nothing of these people you speak of, or this Heart, and promise nothing. But I...do have an errand that I'd rather not perform myself. You are a young and ambitious man, and those are useful from time to time.

"A week ago, I sent an object that I'd taken in trade from another client to a colleague for a more precise evaluation. It's a curious blend of magic and mechanism, and rather outside my expertise. Normally, the colleague is quite reliable, so the fact that I haven't heard from him for five days more than was expected is some...slight cause for concern. On the other hand, if something untoward has happened because of this...object, it would be foolish for me to get to close myself.

"So, you retrieve this object for me, and I'll employ my significant abilities on your behalf. How does that sound, mage?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime claps his hands together, then spreads them apart, palms up. "Just point me in the right direction. I'm yours.":smallamused:

[Toliudar]

The elf woman leans forward.

"An admirable sentiment."

She waves a hand over the pan of dark water. Light springs up in it. A simple set of lines showing a basic map of a city by a river. This city, presumably. Two points of light form, halfway across the city from each other.

"My colleague's name is Alandro, and he is a mechanist and mage. He's also paranoid, which is one of the reasons I've never visited his home. We're here, and his home is here - Tinker Road, the house with the red door."

She crooks a finger, and the image in the pan changes to that of a corpulent halfling man, greying at the temples.

"Alandro. We've been working together for a number of years now. Steady as a rock, usually. Please be careful with him."

Another gesture, and the images clouds for a moment. Slowly, an image forms of something that looks like a jeweled egg.

"My client referred to this as an Alio. I was intrigued despite the fact that my divinations couldn't tell me anything about it. Well, that's not true. Because I couldn't tell...you understand. I thought that Alandro could..."

The elf-woman's eyes seem to unfocus for a moment. The pan darkens again.

"I'll be retiring in an hour or so, and will be back here at about noon. Do you have any questions?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime quirks an eyebrow. "Interesting. Well then, that should be enough. Collect this... Alio of yours.
Well, then... could I get your name? I'd like to know who I'm working for."
Assuming she gives him her name, he bows, and heads out for the home- and assuming nothing else untowards happens, he knocks.

[Toliudar]

Sorry - I didn't get the notification of an update.



The elf-woman rises and extends a hand in greeting.

"In this city, I am known as the Mithril Eye. And you are?"

--

It's fully dark when Jaime finds his way to Tinker Road, and to the building with the red door. It's a squat stone two-story building, surrounded by larger and mostly wood buildings. There are no windows on the main floor, but several up on the second. The door is wood, bound with iron, and does not move at all when Jaime knocks. There is a faint scraping noise from the other side, but no answer to his knock.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime bows. "And I am known as Jaime. PLeasure to be of service to you."

--

Jaime glares, and knocks harder, calling into the building. "Alandro! The Mithril Eye sent me. I need to speak with you."
His tone is loud and level, but not at all aggressive.

[Toliudar]

Jaime's knocking draws no response from within, but a passing guardsman gives him a long speculative glance as he walks past.

[Gorgondantess]

Does the wall to the second story look easily scaleable? Is there an alley between the buildings? If not, is there any way to the back of the building?

[Toliudar]

There is an alley on the left side of the building. The walls are stone block with mortar - not dead easy to scale, but not impossible either.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime heads out to the alley and sees if he can't find a back door into the home.

[Toliudar]

The side wall of the building is featureless, but the back has three windows on the second floor, a narrow wooden door and a large coal chute.

[Gorgondantess]

Define 'coal chute'. Actually nevermind, I doubt Jaime would want to be crawling around in something that'll render him black.
Jaime tries the door. If it's locked, and looks flimsy enough, and nobody is around to see, he tries shouldering it in.
Strength checks:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
Jaime gives up after these, to try to remain unbruised.

[Toliudar]

The door is locked, but rattles in its frame. Jaime's shoulder is, at least for the moment, insufficient to burst it inwards. As he attempts to batter the door inwards, there is a insistent barking from the other side of the door. It subsides after a few seconds.

[Gorgondantess]

insistent barking from the other side of the door. It subsides after a few seconds.
Isn't that an oxymoron?:smalltongue:
Jaime grumbles, looking at the coal chute apprehensively, then returning to trying to bash down the door: this time he tries kicking.
3 more...
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
3 bad rolls followed by 3 excellent rolls. Seems Jaime's quite the kicker.:smallcool:

[Toliudar]

Fair enough. "Fatalistically short-lived barking" sounds pretty lame, though.

Initiative: Dog [roll0]
Jaime: [roll1]

After a bit of bashing and crashing around, Jaime does in fact manage to kick in the door. His elven blood serves him well, and the dim moonlight helps him see into the room beyond. It look like a modest kitchen area. Baskets of food are on a table about 5' inside the door, and a mostly-eaten sausage is laying on the floor. A mid-sized dog, about the size of a collie, is standing in the doorway, fangs bared and growling.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime raises an eyebrow at the colley, quite sure he could knock it out if need be. Of course, it needn't. Knowing a thing or two about dogs, he approaches the mutt, standing tall and letting it know he's the one in control, staring it down with calm and assertive energy.
I am the Dog Whisperer.:smalltongue:
Handle Animal:[roll0]
Intimidate:[roll1]

[Toliudar]

Or, rather, Jaime would be, if he'd put any ranks into a trained-only skill. As it is, he's the dog-scarer.

The dog retreats before Jaime's fierce glare, curling up under a counter on the far side of the room.

There are two other doors in the small kitchen - one on the far wall, and a smaller door on the left side wall. Neither has a keyhole. The small hearth is well-maintained but cold, and the ashes have not been cleared out. An oil lamp hangs from a chain over the table, not lit.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime chuckles, then heads over to the far side wall door.

[Toliudar]

The door opens smoothly, revealing a small room beyond. The light is very dim, but the faint shapes of shelves, canisters and jars suggests that this is a pantry of some kind. Warm, pleasant smells of dried herbs greet Jaime.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime heads back into the other room. A pantry is of no interest to him. Taking the oil lamp with him, just in case of another dark area, he heads through the other door.

[Toliudar]

The latched door leads into a dark, narrow hallway. A door and an open doorway lead off it to the left. At the far end, it opens out into a vestibule of some kind. To the right, barely visible in the gloom, there is a narrow staircase that starts at the far end of the hallway and leads upwards, back towards the back of the house and out of sight. Set in the wall, under the stairs, is a small door.

There is a strange sound from the front vestibule, like a knife blade being sharpened over and over very quickly. Several small, shadowy forms seem to dart out of the vestibule area and down the corridor.

Initiative (continuing from before): [roll0]

Jaime has a round of actions, if desired.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime lights the lamp. If there's anything threateneing before him... color spray.

[Toliudar]

I'll let you decide whether colour spray is a good idea. I'm pausing after a move action to light the lamp.

Quickly using a touch of his magic to illuminate the lamp, Jaime sees the hallway spring into clearer view. The walls are painted with murals of abstract flashes and splashes of paint. The foors are carefully tiled. There is an ornate wooden banister on the stair...

None of which seems to matter, when he sees a trio of tiny things - roughly the size and shape of a rat, but with a disproportionately large head - rolling towards him. Although they possess four legs, they seem rather to be zipping towards him on a pair of wheels protruding from their bellies. The three things are a metallic grey, with red glassy eyes.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime quickly changes his incantation to another illusion, summoning an illusory domed cage over the 3 little... rat things.

[Toliudar]

Will saves: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]

Three steel rat-cages appear over the three shapes, freezing them in place about 7, 10 and 15 away from Jaime. They become completely motionless.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime strolls over to one of the rats, concentrating on the spell as he draws his dagger. 6 seconds after this, he impales it.
Move action to move and draw his dagger, standard action to concentrate. Then standard action to attack the rat, assuming nothing else happens.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Toliudar]

I'm okay to ret-con if you decide not to do the attack in order to maintain the illusion. I'm assuming he'd take the attack of opportunity on the second rat.

[roll0] [roll1]
[roll2] [roll3]
[roll4] [roll5]

Jaime takes 2 points of damage from the rat's bite.


Jaime carefully draws his dagger and moves over to the closest rat-thing, maintaining a clear picture of the traps as he does so. He lines up a careful shot, and brings his dagger down with a resolute smack. It encounters significant resistance from the rat's skin, but penetrates nonetheless, and after a brief spasm from all four legs, the rat-mechanism stops moving.

Unfortunately, focusing on this action has required him to drop his concentration on the illusion. Now out of their notional cages, the other two rat-things wheel forward. Quickly yanking the dagger out of the first rat, he is able to bring it down hard on the second one, shattering it into small and mysterious metal, wood and gooey components. The second, however, zips around his knife, and bites down hard on Jaime's ankle.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime glares at the thing, and stomps down with booted feet.
Seriously, though. If you were being attacked by a rat, would you stab it, or would you stomp on it? I'd stomp on it. I don't care if it's more mechanically effective to stab it.:smallsigh:
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Toliudar]

Attack [roll0] Damage [roll1]

Stomping does make more sense, although there's a lot of nasty squishy bits that come out.

Jaime takes 1 point of damage.

Jaime's boot lands squarely on the rat's back, but fails entirely to crush it. As he lifts his foot back up, the rat-thing literally wheels about and chomps through the boot and into his toe.

[Gorgondantess]

As the last rat bites him, Jaime kicks it into the wall, still clamping onto his toe.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Toliudar]

Jaime's foot launches the rat into the wall, where it smashes into three pieces. One of the wheels continues to spin in the abdomen, but the thing otherwise becomes still.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime shudders, looks around the room a bit, then heads upstairs.
Searchin':[roll0]

[Toliudar]

The vestibule has a row of pegs, with cloaks, boots and shoes sized for both a man and a woman. The door is barred and locked from the inside, and there's a keyhole with no key in it. None of the cloaks have anything particularly interesting in them - a few coppers, a few scraps of materials that Jaime associates with spellcasting.

The narrow stairs have a series of small rugs on them, inscribed with magic sigils. Upstairs, there is a short hallway with a vase of wilting flowers sitting on a small table. From the hallway, there are doors on the same wall as the staircase, a door on the wall opposite, and a door on the wall to Jaime's right. The door that's right next to the top of the stairs has a faint and intermittent metallic sound coming from behind it.

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime, seeing the magic sigils, mentally facepalms and turns on detect magic. I'm a mage, dammit. I've become too used to using such crude methods...
He scans the whole area, and through the doors.

[Toliudar]

The front door and the stairs show faint abjuration magic. None of the doors on the second floor radiate magic.

[Gorgondantess]

That done, Jaime readies himself, then opens the door with the sound coming from behind it.

[Toliudar]

Sorry for the delay. I thought that this post, had survived a crash of my computer, but it had in fact not gone through.

The door opens with a squeak. Inside is a smallish room, lined with chests of drawers. An empty basin is in a table stand, surrounded by toiletries and small bottles. There's a large mirror on the wall to Jaime's left, with a high armchair facing it. Sitting in the chair, motionless, is a woman in her thirties or forties, dressed in a man's clothes that are clearly too big for her. Blood has poured down her neck and pooled and dried down her front.

Standing behind the woman is a very slender figure, a wood and cloth mannequin of sorts, with no visible facial features or hair. The figure is dressed in formal clothes, and holds a large straight razor in one hand. The figure turns to the opened doorway. A soft and cultured voice emerges from the strange figure.

"Good evening, sir. Shall I lay out clothes for you, or would you prefer a shave?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime stares for a moment, scanning with his magic and trying not to look at the lady:smalleek:. If the egg thing is in here, he should be able to detect it: if not, he has no business in the room.
He also tries to see if the razor has blood on it, or if there's signs it's been cleaned lately. He has the feeling that the mannequin isn't so harmless as it seems, for some reason.

[Toliudar]

The mirror and mannequin both radiate magic. The razor blade is free of blood, but there is definitely some on the handle.

The mannequin takes a step towards Jaime. It's hard to determine much about it, given the absolute facelessness, but the tilt of its head suggests inquiry.

"Is something wrong, sir? Shall I lay out a bath for you?"

[Gorgondantess]

Jaime's eye twitches. "Ah, no. Just... stay in here." He walks out, and closes the door behind him, heading into one of the other doors.

[Toliudar]

The mannequin makes no effort to stop the door closing. Jaime hears a muffled "Very good, sir." from behind the door.

Relative to the top of the stairs, there's a door to the right and a door on the opposite wall. Which door would Jaime like to open?