Adventure to the centre of the earth (4th ed D&D game)

[jlmdragon]

ok a bit more information about saltspree and the island.

the town has grown up in the shadow of the temple which has been both a curse and a blessing, a blessing for the influx of would be adventurers that bring money and trade with them, a curse for all the evil beings that have made the temple its home.

the island is big but wild and untamed save for the small town, the rest of the island is covered in rainforest filled with deadly animal and fatal diseases.
the only reliable way though the jungle to the temple is the old main road, it is 6 days travel by foot and 3 days by either horse or horse and cart which ever way you want to travel.

its up to each player to decide how your character gets to the town it is possible to buy most things in the town including transport (horses and carts)

players in the game can post here now to get things sorted out for the journey to the temple, maybe you will want to see what you can find out from the people here about the temple and the island

[Demonicheart]

A small frown formed across Keryli's face as she repeated bitterly to herself, "There were more challenging ways to make the crossing..." She leaned against one of the ferry's railings as the ship sailed swiftly to their intended destination. She let the calm sea wind play with her long golden hair as kept watching for the island to come into view.

This was not the ideal way Keryli wished to begin her adventure. When her brother informed her that the town of Saltspree as well as the temple were located on an island, she had suggested the three of them build a ship at the coast. Truth be told, Keryli wanted to swim the entire distance but she knew better than to suggest such a thing. Ignoring the fact that she would have no clue where she was going once she lost sight of land, she doubted that Elishia could handle such a daunting swim. Distance was another factor that needed to be addressed. The boat idea seemed like the next best thing. She had pictured them finding already fallen trees and fashioning a humble craft from that wood. Keryli envisioned herself battling the very elements themselves and proving her worth to them. Unfortunately, dreams and reality were two very different things.

Although Keryli alone was strong enough to do the manual labor required, she didn't have the skill-set needed. Her brother practically paled at the thought of designing and building a ship that wouldn't sink after 5 seconds at sea. He immediately suggested that they just bite the bitterleaf and pay for a ferry ride over to the island. He was pleased to see Elishia side with him on the thought and Keryli was promptly overruled. They wouldn't have much money when they arrived but Elishia was confident that she could sing and dance for their supper if need be.

The blonde haired elf glanced back as she heard the human bardess approach, "I still say we could've done it..." The young woman placed a reassuring hand on Keryli's shoulder and smiled apologetically, "I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement when you reach the temple. No need to go full sail right out of the port. Anyway, Sylmar says that we should reach the island within the hour or so." The elven paladin arched a curious brow, "And why didn't my little brother come tell me himself?" Elishia pondered her words for a moment before replying, "He was concerned you might still be depressed over his decision to take the ferry." A rueful grin spread on Keryli's face as she thought, More likely he was trying to avoid the fact that we haven't had a training session since we left port. Its sweet that Elishia wanted to cover for him but I have a list of exercises for him before I head off.

The elven paladin was a bit sad that she couldn't spend more time with her brother or his bardic lover but this trip was for her sake. Keryli needed this adventure and she would face its challenges head-on without hesitation or regret.

[jlmdragon]

(would you like to to continue it are you going to write how they get there?)

[Reynard]

Saltspree was... Depressing. People here were clearly well off, but the houses and shops all had iron bars in the windows, and iron gates in front of the doors. Fionn had been here about a day, and still Arawn hadn't had anything new to say. Which probably meant he was on the right track, in the forest Arawn had only spoke if he was going off course, or to explain some little detail. Neither of which was happening here.

Fionn checked his pouch for money for the eighth time since arriving. It was still a pitiful 3gp. He needed money, and quite a bit of it. He had few options on how to get more.

One of these was begging, which wasn't ideal, but might net him a few coins. Or he could gamble his last 3 coins to win more in a dice or card game. But there the only way to be sure of making money was to cheat, which didn't really appeal to him. He could perform in the square, show off his powers and act like a street performer, but he didn't want the trouble that would bring.
Stealing was not going to happen.

He divided to flip a coin, heads for begging, tails for gambling.

Tails.

Looking around, he goes to find what looks the best inn or tavern to gamble, preferably one with drunk people playing games of cards.

Streetwise: [roll0]

[Dogmantra]

Rethan entered the town of Saltspree. It was nothing like the few small villages he had passed on his way. It was large, dirty, and intimidating. The only thing that it lacked was the atmosphere of homeliness. He had felt welcome in all the inns he had stayed in up until now; he had been given his own personal space, but with the assuring nearby presence of someone, willing to help him if he needed. Here in Saltspree, he had his own personal space, definitely. He just lacked any sense of welcome. 'Might as well make the best of it.' thought Rethan, before beginning his search for somewhere reputable to stay.

Streetwise Check: [roll0]

[Freshmeat]

With just the slightest bit of regret, Lori gave her last couple of silvers to the innkeeper. All in all, the past week hadn't been quite as productive as she had hoped. She had come to Saltspree to find people interested in heading into the labyrinth. Considering the town's reputation as a hotspot for adventurers, it seemed like a reasonable idea at the time. Instead, she'd only been wasting her time and, more importantly, her money.

Oh, there wasn't a shortage of adventurers. That wasn't the problem. Most of them simply seemed unwilling to take her along or had a change of heart at the last moment when they heard some kind of exaggerated horror story about the labyrinth. The hours upon hours of waiting at bars eventually turned into days, and now she'd been in Saltspree for all of a week. Her last savings were finally gone, spent on some kind of grub or gruel that was supposed to pass for a meal. Guess the innkeepers had the good business sense not to bother with haute cuisine, what with newcomers to the town rarely staying long anyway.
But now that she no longer had any money left to pay for her room, Lori was left with a decision - either call the whole thing off or go on in alone. The former was completely out of the question, after all the trouble she had gone to just to to get to Saltspree in the first place. Yet the latter didn't sound so attractive either. If only half of the stories about that place were true, trying to explore the temple on her own would be complete suicide.

After pondering the situation for a moment, she decided to take one last shot at finding like-minded souls. One last day of chatting up locals and newcomers alike at bars and inns. She figured she could perhaps extend her stay a little if someone's coin pouch so happened to get misplaced, but it seemed too risky. To be left alone, without any mode of transport, in a city in the middle of the jungle? No... Saltspree was it. The end of the road. There was nowhere else to run to if things went sour.

Lori frowned, and headed for the bars. Some of the locals had already grown tired of her face and her incessant questioning - if anyone interested in heading to the labyrinth had dropped by, or if someone remembered anything of note about that place. No matter. Come tomorrow, one way or another, she'd never have to see any of their faces again.

Streetwise: [roll0]

[King Tius]

A well armored Dwarf strides into town with a slightly green complexion. Feeling ill from the voyage, Durvim cuts the fastest path off the boat and towards the nearest tavern. He quickly orders himself two pints of ale, which he downs almost immediately, making almost no mess. Tipping the bartender generously, he exits the tavern and breathes deep, thankful to be back on solid ground.

Durvim's first stop is an armorer or general store. He'll buy some oil and the necessary supplies to clean his armor, having forgotten his supplies on the voyage. He checks into the local inn and sets to cleaning his armor and weapon, making sure the trip across water didn't do any real harm.

Once that's done, he'll head back to the tavern and try to gather some intel about this temple.


streetwise: [roll0]

[Demonicheart]

((I had intended my first post to be longer but I suppose I can finish up now))

The docking couldn't have happened soon enough for Keryli's sake. Once she saw the island in the distance, she immediately gathered her gear and scoured the ship for her brother. She asked Elishia to wait by the gangplank for them. It was not a taxing search given that there were only so many places a person could hide themselves on a sailing ship. Eventually, she found her brother curled up in a spot below deck reading one of the few books he managed to buy at the last port before their voyage. She had spotted the top of his dark brown parted hair as he hid his face behind a text about agriculture. With a mischievous grin, Keryli quickly closed the gap between them. She grasped the top of his book and yanked it from his fingers so she could have his undivided attention, "Time to go, brother. We've arrived!" Sylmar frowned a bit as his blue colored eyes focused on the book his sister just stole, "I can feel the ship still moving and there is still the preparation for disembarkment. We have time. Can I have my book back now?"

Sylmar felt a little unnerved at his sister's grin. He recognized it and usually it meant she was plotting something for him. The feeling didn't go away at all even when Keryli held the book out as if waiting for him to grab it back. He waited a solid minute before cautiously reaching out. His sixth sense proved accurate as Keryli suddenly grabbed his slender right wrist. "Sister!" Sylmar cried out as he tried to pull away but it was to no avail. With her brother captured, Keryli set the book down on the floor and pulled a small piece of string. Although it was difficult, she managed to flick one end of the string around his right forearm. It soon became obvious that she was taking a measurement of his muscles. The elven paladin kept whatever she learned from the measurement to herself and put the string away in her pack. Keryli dug through her pack and pulled out a scroll. After placing it in her brother's captured hand, she replied coolly, "If I don't see any change when I return, we're going to be doing twice the sessions to make up the difference!"

Keryli let go of her brother whom quickly nursed his sore wrist. He stared long and hard at the scroll as if it carried a dreadful plague. Reluctantly he opened it up and gazed over all the workouts Keryli wanted him to complete while she was gone. His light skin paled slightly as he continued down the list. They were all ones that she put him through over the course of their long journey, thus he couldn't deny ignorance from names alone. She even wrote down how many times a week she wanted each one done. He would have shouted out in protest if he hadn't noticed the last few lines of the scroll...

'...Just in case the god of battle chooses to take me from you, I want to say that I care about you, Sylmar. I want to make sure you're strong enough to protect yourself and the woman you value so much. If you don't, I swear I'll come back from the dead, find you, and remind you how much of an idiot you can sometimes be. I know you'll make everyone proud. Tell Elishia that I wouldn't mind calling her 'sister' one day.
~ Keryli Sunderstone'

Sylmar had barely finished reading the text just as Keryli was walking off to meet up with Elishia. He gathered his belongings and made a mental note to at least try a few of the exercises...even if he had no intention of following Keryli's grueling training regiment to the letter.

The trio disembarked in Saltspree and Keryli announced that she would part company from them at the docks. Sylmar told her that the old road was likely the best way to reach the temple and asked that she at least stay long enough to earn a few extra coins with him and Elishia. Keryli casually waved off the concern, "I'll make my own way from here. This is as much a part of my challenge as anything else." Still, Elishia and Sylmar told Keryli where they were planning to stay should she need anything. The blonde haired elf simply smirked as she headed into town. Her goal was simple, go from tavern to tavern until she could find people brave, crazy or drunk enough to enter the temple with her while only offering a share of whatever they find together as a reward.


streetwise: [roll0]

[jlmdragon]

Saltspree was... Depressing. People here were clearly well off, but the houses and shops all had iron bars in the windows, and iron gates in front of the doors. Fionn had been here about a day, and still Arawn hadn't had anything new to say. Which probably meant he was on the right track, in the forest Arawn had only spoke if he was going off course, or to explain some little detail. Neither of which was happening here.

Fionn checked his pouch for money for the eighth time since arriving. It was still a pitiful 3gp. He needed money, and quite a bit of it. He had few options on how to get more.

One of these was begging, which wasn't ideal, but might net him a few coins. Or he could gamble his last 3 coins to win more in a dice or card game. But there the only way to be sure of making money was to cheat, which didn't really appeal to him. He could perform in the square, show off his powers and act like a street performer, but he didn't want the trouble that would bring.
Stealing was not going to happen.

He divided to flip a coin, heads for begging, tails for gambling.

Tails.

Looking around, he goes to find what looks the best inn or tavern to gamble, preferably one with drunk people playing games of cards.

Streetwise: [roll0]

if your trying to find a tavern here you don't need to roll, you easily find a tavern with people gambling in it, they are clearly not towns people and are broberly adventurers like you

[jlmdragon]

Rethan entered the town of Saltspree. It was nothing like the few small villages he had passed on his way. It was large, dirty, and intimidating. The only thing that it lacked was the atmosphere of homeliness. He had felt welcome in all the inns he had stayed in up until now; he had been given his own personal space, but with the assuring nearby presence of someone, willing to help him if he needed. Here in Saltspree, he had his own personal space, definitely. He just lacked any sense of welcome. 'Might as well make the best of it.' thought Rethan, before beginning his search for somewhere reputable to stay.

Streetwise Check: [roll0]

yeah you find a inn to stay the night, it not exactly hard to find a inn when the whole town seems to cater to adventuerers like you.

the person in charge of the inn does welcome you

"ahh i see that i have another fine and brave guest, let me guess a room for one night?"

[jlmdragon]

With just the slightest bit of regret, Lori gave her last couple of silvers to the innkeeper. All in all, the past week hadn't been quite as productive as she had hoped. She had come to Saltspree to find people interested in heading into the labyrinth. Considering the town's reputation as a hotspot for adventurers, it seemed like a reasonable idea at the time. Instead, she'd only been wasting her time and, more importantly, her money.

Oh, there wasn't a shortage of adventurers. That wasn't the problem. Most of them simply seemed unwilling to take her along or had a change of heart at the last moment when they heard some kind of exaggerated horror story about the labyrinth. The hours upon hours of waiting at bars eventually turned into days, and now she'd been in Saltspree for all of a week. Her last savings were finally gone, spent on some kind of grub or gruel that was supposed to pass for a meal. Guess the innkeepers had the good business sense not to bother with haute cuisine, what with newcomers to the town rarely staying long anyway.
But now that she no longer had any money left to pay for her room, Lori was left with a decision - either call the whole thing off or go on in alone. The former was completely out of the question, after all the trouble she had gone to just to to get to Saltspree in the first place. Yet the latter didn't sound so attractive either. If only half of the stories about that place were true, trying to explore the temple on her own would be complete suicide.

After pondering the situation for a moment, she decided to take one last shot at finding like-minded souls. One last day of chatting up locals and newcomers alike at bars and inns. She figured she could perhaps extend her stay a little if someone's coin pouch so happened to get misplaced, but it seemed too risky. To be left alone, without any mode of transport, in a city in the middle of the jungle? No... Saltspree was it. The end of the road. There was nowhere else to run to if things went sour.

Lori frowned, and headed for the bars. Some of the locals had already grown tired of her face and her incessant questioning - if anyone interested in heading to the labyrinth had dropped by, or if someone remembered anything of note about that place. No matter. Come tomorrow, one way or another, she'd never have to see any of their faces again.

Streetwise: [roll0]

stroling through the town you see a newcomer the seems a bit different, from his clothes you see he weras no armour yet he walks through the town unafraid, you guess that he must be a powerful magic user, he also seems troubled and keeps checking his coin purse, you see him enter a tavern which is renown for gambling but also for card sharks (cheaters)

so do you follow him to help him out, he should be greatful if you do and might share his money and even be willing to go into the temple with you.

you also see a dwarf wearing armour follow him in, another newcomer, maybe this will be your lucky day.

(this is Fionn you see)

[jlmdragon]

A well armored Dwarf strides into town with a slightly green complexion. Feeling ill from the voyage, Durvim cuts the fastest path off the boat and towards the nearest tavern. He quickly orders himself two pints of ale, which he downs almost immediately, making almost no mess. Tipping the bartender generously, he exits the tavern and breathes deep, thankful to be back on solid ground.

Durvim's first stop is an armorer or general store. He'll buy some oil and the necessary supplies to clean his armor, having forgotten his supplies on the voyage. He checks into the local inn and sets to cleaning his armor and weapon, making sure the trip across water didn't do any real harm.

Once that's done, he'll head back to the tavern and try to gather some intel about this temple.


streetwise: [roll0]


the stories you hear seem almost to wild to be belived, or maybe its the fact that the tellers of these stories seem to stink of rum which ever it is you not convinced that they are real you are advised not to eat or drink anything found in the jungle, however you do hear that somone has got some pills that make the water safe to drink but it might cost you a bit.

after some more searching you decide to try another tavern, you see a half-elf wearing no armour and walk into it and you follow him in, inside you spot an elf wearing armour looking right at you and the half-elf that just walked in

[jlmdragon]

((I had intended my first post to be longer but I suppose I can finish up now))

The docking couldn't have happened soon enough for Keryli's sake. Once she saw the island in the distance, she immediately gathered her gear and scoured the ship for her brother. She asked Elishia to wait by the gangplank for them. It was not a taxing search given that there were only so many places a person could hide themselves on a sailing ship. Eventually, she found her brother curled up in a spot below deck reading one of the few books he managed to buy at the last port before their voyage. She had spotted the top of his dark brown parted hair as he hid his face behind a text about agriculture. With a mischievous grin, Keryli quickly closed the gap between them. She grasped the top of his book and yanked it from his fingers so she could have his undivided attention, "Time to go, brother. We've arrived!" Sylmar frowned a bit as his blue colored eyes focused on the book his sister just stole, "I can feel the ship still moving and there is still the preparation for disembarkment. We have time. Can I have my book back now?"

Sylmar felt a little unnerved at his sister's grin. He recognized it and usually it meant she was plotting something for him. The feeling didn't go away at all even when Keryli held the book out as if waiting for him to grab it back. He waited a solid minute before cautiously reaching out. His sixth sense proved accurate as Keryli suddenly grabbed his slender right wrist. "Sister!" Sylmar cried out as he tried to pull away but it was to no avail. With her brother captured, Keryli set the book down on the floor and pulled a small piece of string. Although it was difficult, she managed to flick one end of the string around his right forearm. It soon became obvious that she was taking a measurement of his muscles. The elven paladin kept whatever she learned from the measurement to herself and put the string away in her pack. Keryli dug through her pack and pulled out a scroll. After placing it in her brother's captured hand, she replied coolly, "If I don't see any change when I return, we're going to be doing twice the sessions to make up the difference!"

Keryli let go of her brother whom quickly nursed his sore wrist. He stared long and hard at the scroll as if it carried a dreadful plague. Reluctantly he opened it up and gazed over all the workouts Keryli wanted him to complete while she was gone. His light skin paled slightly as he continued down the list. They were all ones that she put him through over the course of their long journey, thus he couldn't deny ignorance from names alone. She even wrote down how many times a week she wanted each one done. He would have shouted out in protest if he hadn't noticed the last few lines of the scroll...

'...Just in case the god of battle chooses to take me from you, I want to say that I care about you, Sylmar. I want to make sure you're strong enough to protect yourself and the woman you value so much. If you don't, I swear I'll come back from the dead, find you, and remind you how much of an idiot you can sometimes be. I know you'll make everyone proud. Tell Elishia that I wouldn't mind calling her 'sister' one day.
~ Keryli Sunderstone'

Sylmar had barely finished reading the text just as Keryli was walking off to meet up with Elishia. He gathered his belongings and made a mental note to at least try a few of the exercises...even if he had no intention of following Keryli's grueling training regiment to the letter.

The trio disembarked in Saltspree and Keryli announced that she would part company from them at the docks. Sylmar told her that the old road was likely the best way to reach the temple and asked that she at least stay long enough to earn a few extra coins with him and Elishia. Keryli casually waved off the concern, "I'll make my own way from here. This is as much a part of my challenge as anything else." Still, Elishia and Sylmar told Keryli where they were planning to stay should she need anything. The blonde haired elf simply smirked as she headed into town. Her goal was simple, go from tavern to tavern until she could find people brave, crazy or drunk enough to enter the temple with her while only offering a share of whatever they find together as a reward.


streetwise: [roll0]


you find a tavern and ask around to see if any adventurers are willing to join you but your only reply is "not yet dear maybe later" your about to leave when someone new walks in (fionn) although he wears no armour you get the same he is on a mission similar to yours and guess he is a powerful magic user, he is followed in by a dwarf wearing armour, why not ask them? what do you have to lose?

[Demonicheart]

Keryli was beginning to regret her choice of tavern. For the majority of her time here, she had found plenty of people but they were more interested in gambling the night away rather than the excitement that lay just a few days travel from the town. They were polite in their rejection but somehow the elven paladin felt that 'not yet, maybe later' was code for 'never, maybe ever'. If this was the best Saltspree had to offer, the elf would have been better off going alone. She could probably strong arm someone to go with her but there would be no guarantee that they wouldn't ditch her when the first monster attacked them. She would have to waste time and energy backtracking to beat some sense into them then drag them back. The scene would replay itself numerous times until her 'help' got the hint or tried to actually kill her. It would be a tedious and pointless exercise.

The elven paladin was about to leave when she noticed a young man enter the tavern. At first, she had thought he was another human but the semi-pointed ears quickly ended that notion. Something about him drew her curiosity. The dwarf that followed him in was equally as appealing. She figured if none of these humans were willing, maybe a dwarf would be. Needing no more incentive, the elven woman walked across the tavern floor straight for the half-elf. She figured the clanging of metal between her silver colored plate armor and the large greatsword strapped to her back would announce her presence even in a busy tavern. As soon as she got into easy speaking distance, she smiled and spoke warmly, "Hey there!"

The blonde haired elf appraise the half-elf first and focused her violet eyes on him, "Since half the people in this town claim to be adventurers, I'll get straight to the point. My name's Keryli Sunderstone and I'm looking for folks crazy enough to join me in a little tour of the ruined temple. I'm not paying for the help but I'm more than happy to share anything we find." Her eyes soon drifted to the dwarf next knowing full well that he overheard her, "Lately, all I've found are drunks and gamblers so I'm open to anyone tagging along for the ride. If you're interested, say so, otherwise I'll likely be going to another tavern to waste my time searching." If there was one noticeable trait about Keryli, she was always direct.

((Note: even though Keryli is focused on Fionn and Durvim, I rightly assume that Lori could also overhear her little speech since she observed our half-elf and dwarf going in and Keryli pretty much ambushed them at the door.))

[Reynard]

I'll choose my colour now, sorry that I forgot. Oh and Arawn will be the same colour as he was in the backstory. Remember that only Fionn can hear him.
((@Demonic heart: The only thing that looks human about Fionn is his height. Everything else screams full blood elf.))

Fionn Goronwy

As he looked for a card game with a free space, Fionn noticed an elf wearing plate and bearing down on him. His hands had started to raise his staff when she started talking, or rather, proclaiming.

"The Temple? Well, that's what I came here to do, I think. I'll come along, if you don't mind. Actually, I'll come along even if you do mind. Now, If you'll excuse me, I need money, and these people are about to give it to me, even if they don't know it yet. Can you come and get me when you're ready to move?"

She's a Paladin.
She is? I hadn't noticed, I didn't know they were that self-confident.
Very funny. You might want to watch out, they generally don't take very kindly to our sorts of magic.

Finding an empty seat, Fionn joins in on a game of cards, and sets about using his knowledge of people and his bare-faced cheek to get some extra coins into his pouch.
Insight: [roll0]
Bluff: [roll1]

[King Tius]

"Sunderstone? Sounds like a sturdy Dwarven name to me! You look a little tall to be one of my kin, but hello all the same. Durvim Runefist, at your humble service. Aye, I'm here about this temple, and I'll be happy to delve it with you, so long as you can show me the door. Let's have a drink, shall we?"

Durvim will pay for a round of drinks, insisting that both Fionn and Kerli have one.

[Freshmeat]

Lori stood up from her barstool. The boisterous elf, armored dwarf and elven mage (or was he perhaps a half-elf?) didn't seem all that familiar to her. Newcomers, no doubt. Better yet, newcomers who didn't seem to beat around the bush and were already making plans to go to the temple. It certainly was a considerable stroke of luck - it usually took Lori more than a day just to find one single person who had any concrete plans of going to the temple. But then she knew better than anyone that most of these 'adventurers' were adventurers in name only - so she wasn't getting her hopes up just yet. Still, the three of them seemed to have the right mix of boldness, enthusiasm, curiosity and what had to be either stupidity, bravery or desperation. Lori didn't mind. When it came to matters like these, she had no intentions of being picky.
Vowing not to let this opportunity slip away from her, Lori walked up to the group and introduced herself. Proper first impressions and all that.

"Excuse me, good folks. Newcomers to Saltspree, I assume? My name is Lori." she said while offering them a handshake and a warm smile, though she had some difficulty in concealing her eagerness.
"I couldn't help but overhear, but I do believe you three are planning to go to the temple just a few days from here. As luck would have it, I happen to be interested in going there myself. Mind if I come along?"

[jlmdragon]

(things seem to be to be going well, i surgest Reynard that you socialise with the other 3 players and if people really need money i could come up with a few little money earning tasks)

[Demonicheart]

((I can understand the reasoning since most of us probably have 3 gold or less. Standard adventurer's kit comes with 10 days worth of food and another 10 day set is 5 gold. Round trip to the temple and back would be 12 days on foot, 6 by horse. This doesn't even touch whatever evil plans you have for us inside. I can already see Keryli making endurance checks to ignore hunger.))

The grasp for his staff hadn't gone without notice but Keryli did not and would not let that act ruin her chance to find potential allies. Although she was pleased to find one in the robed figure, she found his words a little odd. Keryli arched a curious brow at the elven mage and replied, "Why would I mind, you're the first to actually agree to this venture." It was obvious that she had no inclination about the source of his powers. Keryli's thought shifted to something else completely, I've heard tales about how some people mistrust spellcasters even if magic is wide spread. Maybe he thought I was one of those people. Guess I'll have to talk to him about that later. Last thing I want is for him to think I'm some closed-minded mage hunter. His talk about parting the gamblers here of their gold amused her a bit but she didn't feel like taking part. Frankly, Keryli was more concerned that he would lose his last copper piece here by the time they departed. Still, she simply nodded without complaint since he seemed confident in his skills.

Keryli turned her attention to Durvim and grinned, "There's actually an interesting story behind the family name...at least if you love hearing about battles against the drow. Anyway, glad to have your help, Durvim." Keryli had known only a few dwarves in her travels but she always admired their perseverance. When she was a bouncer in Tyrsk's Red Stallion Tavern, she sometimes shared a drink with them during her off-duty hours. When the offer of a drink came, she readily accepted it, "I don't turn down ale. I even tried a dwarven brew once. Managed to get through a whole bottle without passing out. It might seem a bit pathetic to you but to most elves its an accomplishment."

Lori's approach didn't go unnoticed and the violet eyed woman gazed upon her with curiosity. Once she stated her business, Keryli couldn't help but remark, "I'm sure all the patrons here know what I'm planning now. I wasn't trying to keep it secret. Lori, is it? My name's Keryli Sunderstone. As I've told others, I'm not paying for help. I'm just agreeing that if you do help, you get a fair share of whatever we find. As long as you have no problems with that, I have no problems with you joining in." The elven woman kept a friendly tone. She was truly happy that there were a few brave souls in Saltspree.

"If you want to talk a bit about what you can do or wish to hear more about me, we can have a seat and chat." With that, Keryli decided to look around for an empty table. Thankfully, the paladin didn't have to wait long. One group of so-called 'adventurers' was calling it quits for the evening and departing. Keryli quickly claimed a seat and gestured for Durvim and Lori to join her.Things seem to be going well, but we still need to learn about each other. Else, we'll be stepping on each others boots during our first battles as a group. Thankfully, her choice of tables was next to where the elven mage was playing his game of chance. She figured he could join in when he finished up.

[Reynard]

((This is based on the awfulness of those rolls.))

The game wasn't going well, Fionn was down to his last gold piece. It looks like he still hadn't recovered from his experience in the forest. Maybe it would take a while for his confidence to come back.

"Freinds, I thank you for the game, but it seems Luck isn't with me today. I must leave before I waste my last coin. Maybe another time?"

After making his excuses, Fionn gets up and goes over to the table that had been claimed by the paladin, the top of his head almost clipping the beams in the ceiling. Careful not to let his staff get out of sight, he rests it against his leg when he sits down, and keeps his left hand on it at all times, as if afraid it would be taken away.

"So, made any plans on how to get to this temple? My attempt to get more cash failed, so how much do we have, altogether? We're going to need food and other supplies."

[jlmdragon]

At fionn's words a man dressed in some very weather worn leather armour approaches the table; he has a bow and quiver slung over his shoulder.

"Good day folks, I hear you are looking to make a little journey to the Temple?

Let me introduce myself, Gordian Fletcher, captain of saltspree's guard, or what’s left of it, recently we’ve been having lots of trouble with raiders and I was wondering if your group would be interested in a job?

I’m sure you are up to the task and I can pay you well, and from what I just heard some of you at least will need the extra money, so what do you say?"

[Dogmantra]

Rethan was just in the middle of mentioning that yes, he would like a room for the foreseeable future when a figure who looked rather like an adventurer walked up to a table around which several people were gathered. He apologised to the barman and made his way over to the table the moment he heard promise of adventure, reasoning that it would be a good test of his skills. He heard about a temple and some raiders, neither of which were familiar to him. "Excuse my intrusion, and my naiveté, but what exactly is this temple? I could do with some work, and I happen to be rather skilled in fighting raiders."

[Freshmeat]

Lori was about to introduce herself in more detail to the rest of the group when Guard Captain Fletcher suddenly approached their table. From what she had heard of him, he could be depended on, though Lori found it interesting Fletcher chose this moment to offer them a job. Considering his rather unsubtle remark about some of them needing extra money (possibly directed at Lori in particular), she felt his timing was rather 'convenient'. Perhaps the innkeeper she gave her last silvers to earlier today had already been gossiping about Lori's financial troubles around town, hence why Fletcher was here now. But then it might as well have been a simple coincidence.

In a way, Lori was glad Fionn had lost at his game of cards. Want of money made for a good motivation - one Lori knew all too well herself. Now that he stood closer to her, she began to notice some of his slight half-elven features, though even then it was impossible to say with any certainty that he was a half-elf indeed. Regardless, he'd most likely be looking to make a quick buck now. So, what with Fletcher's offer to deal with a handful of low-life raiders, Lori felt confident that she could at least count on Fionn's support. The task itself sounded simple enough in principle, even without any precise details, so she turned to Keryli, Durvim and Fionn and said "If it's okay with the rest of you, I think it might be a good idea if we took Fletcher up on his offer here. We'd be able to get to know each other better in the meantime, and get some sort of idea about what kind of opposition we can handle. That counts for you too, newcomer" she said, addressing Rethan, who had come to stand beside them right after the Captain had made his offer.

"I've got to ask though - how can someone come to Saltspree, a town almost exclusively known for the temple nearby, and not actually know about said temple?"
"If you're interested, I'll tell you all about it. I've heard plenty of stories about it during my stay here, although you should probably take some of them with a grain of salt. But that can wait. If you'd like to lend a hand with whatever Fletcher wants us to do about the raiders - though I've already got a pretty good idea what that is - feel free to come along. Provided you don't have any qualms about getting your hands dirty, that is."

[King Tius]

"Aye, I'd be interested to hear more about this place before we go busting down the doors. All are welcome, I suppose. Does someone want to take point and lead this endeavor?"

[jlmdragon]

Fletcher smiles hearing how eager the people are to help

"Wonderful, you don't need to worry about starting just yet, meet me at the inland gate at sunset and I'll tell you what the job is, see you then"

With that he walks out of the tavern going about his own business that day

[Reynard]

"...Well, that was...Convenient."

"So, looks like we have some time to kill. Um, where to start?"

"My name's Fionn Goronwy, and I was born and raised in the town of Stonewall, far in the forests in the north of the continent. I left there about a year ago, looking for the Elven side of my family. None of the Elves I met along the way had heard of the name my father had left with my mother, and I'd ran out of leads. I wound up in a village near the coast, which is where I heard about this place. Having nothing else to go on, I decided to start adventuring, hoping I'd stumble across something."

"I was attacked by wolves, and managed to get lost in the forest you can see on the mainland. I don't know how long I was there, but I found my way out a couple of days ago, and could see Saltspree across the water. I had to stow away to get here. I'm not proud of that."

"What about you?"

As the others start to to talk, Fionn's eyes glaze over, and he looks down and begins to mutter.

DC10: Perception Check

I mean it. DC10.

Fionn mutters, seemingly to himself.
"Did you know this would happen?"
...
"What sort of answer is that?"
...
"Godsdammit, Arawn."



Edit: ((Argh, that green is a little painful on the eyes. Anybody want me to change it?))

[Demonicheart]

Keryli was a little surprised by the attention of the captain of the guard and another elf. Still, she saw the side job offer as a blessing and wouldn't turn away help with it nor the temple dive. This actually works out fine for me. We can get some real experience fighting together with the raiders. The extra gold is simply icing on the cake. The blonde haired paladin nodded in agreement, "The raiders sound like they'd be a good warm-up. I'm alright with this little side trip before we head out." There really wasn't anything more to be said as Fletcher departed.

The female elf was already pondering about the type of raiders the group would likely face, Really there are only two types. The first are the cowardly ones. Sure, they'll be happy to threaten, beat up or kill an unnarmed old man; however, they run like a kobold who stupidly ticked off a dragon when faced with a real threat. Facing cowards would mean easy gold but no challenge. Then there's the bold ones. They'll take on a heavily armored guard if they think they can get away with it. They won't be easy money but they'll be interesting. Since the guards have been dwindled down, my guess is the second group...this is going to be a fun warm-up... All one needed to do is look in Keryli's violet eyes to see she was very interested in completing the task.

Keryli listened to Fionn's introduction with a vested interest. Aside for the newcomer elf, he was the only one who hadn't made introductions till now. She found it very interesting that he was looking for clues about his elven family, "Sorry, I've never heard of the Goronwy family but I'll keep my ears open all the same. I'm friends with a bard and my little brother likes to call himself a scholar. I'll ask them about the name." Although Keryli thought that stowing away on a ship was an odd and likely uncomfortable way to travel, she wasn't going to make a big deal of it.

Seeing Fionn finish, Keryli decided to take the initative next, "For all one of you who might not know me..." She shifted her gaze to the newcomer elf and grinned warmly, "...I'm Keryli Sunderstone. I was born in Shenari Grove far to the southwest and once I was older, I left home to travel with my little brother. We lived in the city of Tyrsk for a time and I even got a job as a tavern bouncer. Still, the wanderlust called to me again so I'm trying my luck in Saltspree. As for why, I'm so eager to go on what many probably think is a fool's errand, the reason's hanging on my back." Without missing a beat, the blonde haired woman grasped her sheathed greatsword and pulled it off her back. She placed the large weapon flat upon the table in front of her and pointed to the hilt.

There were two crests engraved on each side of the blade. The crest she pointed to depicted a closed gauntlet fist grasping a lightning bolt. A blade extended out of the knuckles and the entire shape almost seemed to shape a longsword. The second crest was a picture of a sword piercing a large boulder with five splinter marks spreading out from the impact point. The blade's hilt had several leaves branching from it like a tree. The blonde haired elf lightly tapped the second crest with her finger before drifting her hand back to the first one, "The shattered rock is my family crest if it wasn't obvious enough. As for the first, that symbol ought to be a bit more recognizable." Satisfied that everyone got a good look at the crests, Keryli grabbed her sword and strapped it onto her back again. She seemed amused at making everyone guess about the first symbol.

Keryli continued on with her introduction, "I enjoy taking point and testing my strength against others. If we're lucky, I'll be the only one giving and taking a beating in most battles. Still, I know there's a difference between being brave and being suicidal. I have some healing abilities which I'll use if we actually need them but don't expect me to patch up every little scratch." She thought about her words and nodded feeling that she hit on the more important points. Everything else was interesting but not really all that necessary. She figured there would be time to share more later. "Lori, I'd actually like to hear what you know about the temple. It seems like you've been here longer than the rest of us combined."

As she paid close attention to her newfound allies, Fionn's mutterings found their way into her ear. The words were as clear as day. Keryli was half tempted to inquire about it but decided to wait until later. Aside from a simple arch of a brow in his direction, she made no further indication that she heard him.

((Perception Check: [roll0]

DC 15: Religion Check to recognize the first crest symbol
You know the first crest is the symbol of Kord, the Brawler or otherwise known as the God of Battles. He favors bravery as the greatest trait any mortal can possess and cowardice as the worst. Worshipers are often known to seek out any challenge just for thrills or self-improvement alone. ))

[jlmdragon]

(let me know when you are ready to take on the "little task" or if you want your characters to do somthing before then)

[Freshmeat]

Lori squinted her eyes at the symbol on Keryli's sword, but couldn't quite place it. She'd seen it before, but didn't have much of an idea who among the pantheon was associated with lightning and swords. She'd wager a guess at Corellon, what with Keryli being an elf and all, but decided against it. The paladin woman might take offense if it was in fact another deity. The second crest seemed nice, so Lori just nodded along with the rest in silent admiration, her mind more concerned with what she was going to tell these people about herself. As she was about to start, she happened to notice Fionn mumbling to himself a little, which was rather disconcerting. Maybe he was one of those split-personality loonies? She certainly hoped not.

"So... my turn then, I guess," Lori said when Keryli was done, and she leaned forward on her chair a little with feigned eagerness. "There isn't all that much to tell, I'm afraid."
Which is to say, I see no point in being open about my past here solely to satisfy your combined curiosity.

"Well, as you know, my name is Lori. Maurin. Lori Maurin, yes. I grew up in a village several leagues south of here. Only child. I led a pretty easy life there, all things considered, but also a very boring one. When I turned nineteen I suppose you could say I felt compelled to explore the world a little. I'm sure there are some who would call it wanderlust."
Of course, they'd be wrong.

"I didn't really decide on being an actual adventurer back then. It was more a matter of needing a change of scenery, in more than one way. I wandered far and wide, perhaps too far and too wide considering my age at the time, but I'm still here in one piece, so I can't complain. I think I actually visited Tyrsk once, or at least a city close by."

"Well, basically, to make a long story short, I've been around. In the last few years I've been to a great many ports and trade centers, but I'll not bore you with the details right now or else we'd be here all night. I heard about the temple here in Saltspree a few weeks ago, and decided that checking the place out might be both interesting and profitable. The latter is admittedly, an increasing concern of mine. So... here I am."

"Hm, what else is there to say..." Lori wondered aloud. "I'm somewhat familiar with... defense and security mechanisms and... assorted equipment. We'll probably run into things like that in the temple. I also know all the good spots to get armor, weapons, a drink or a meal in town, as well as which alleys you shouldn't enter at midnight and such."

For a moment she weighed the pros and cons of bringing up the subject of her small frame and how much use she'd be in a fight - because that certainly would cross the minds of her companions sooner or later (probably sooner) - but preaching the virtues of underhandedness and skullduggery to a paladin sounded like a poor idea and a bad way to kick things off. Durvim might also not appreciate it, since dwarves were usually so big on clan honor and all that stuff.

"I'll let Durvim and our mysterious newcomer introduce themselves here first before I'll share what I know about the temple. I feel like there are a few parts I don't quite remember all that well, but it'll all come back to me in a minute."


DC 15 Insight Check:
(since everyone is doing it :smallsmile:)

You get the distinct impression that there is a lot more to the story than that, but that Lori is simply unwilling to tell you more. Considering her rather candid remarks near the end of the story, it seems quite likely she's broken the law at one point or another, which might explain her "wanderlust".

((OOC: I made my perception roll here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7823940&postcount=754). and my religion roll here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7824028&postcount=755). As for Fionn's speech colour, I agree that light green on a white background is a little difficult to read at times))

((Dragon, how much would a retroactive Take 20 on on Streetwise and/or History and/or Dungeoneering tell me about the temple?))

[jlmdragon]

((Freshmeat, make 20 history rolls and take the best one, the reputation of the temple has spread far and wide but if you want good information then you need a histroy roll))

[Freshmeat]

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

[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]

[roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14]

[roll15]
[roll16]
[roll17]
[roll18]
[roll19]

[Demonicheart]

Despite Keryli's bolsterous behavior, the elven paladin was hardly oblivious to subtly. When she was a child, Sylmar would often try to talk or trick her out of numerous training sessions. In the past, such tactics were very effective. However, the paladin quickly saw the truth behind his excuses. In a way, one could say that Keryli's little brother ensured that she wasn't gullible enough to take everything at face value.

When Lori began to share her life story, Keryli had actually not suspected anything wrong. Still as it continued, she felt that the young woman before her was doing a great deal of omitting. The skill at 'defensive mechanisms' combined with everything else barely caught Keryli's attention. ...She's much better at this than Sylmar...that's for certain. Her eyes focused on Lori for a few moments as if she was mulling over everything in her head. Afterward, she simply nodded and turned her attention to the remaining two companions.

If this were her little brother, she'd probably give one of her patent stare-downs to get the truth out of him. She might even consider using a headlock. However, Keryli knew better than to make a scene with a complete stranger. It would just be another thing she'd have comment about in private. First Fionn...now Lori...well this is just great. Still, as long as its possible to work together, I'm not going to just turn either of them away. There is only one question that I would need an honest answer from Lori anyway. All her other secrets are her own. The elven woman silently wondered what other surprises the others had in store.

Insight Check:[roll0]
I think it's a very good thing that Keryli is not Lawful Good or worse Lawful Stupid. :smallwink:

[jlmdragon]

Here is what you find out about the temple:

Originally it was not a temple but a castle belonging to a wise gold dragon called Aurix Sjir, who had the reputation for a massive collection of books about magic and magical creatures and who was himself a skilled wizard. It was this reputation that inflamed the envy of a weak but cunning dracolich called Vutha Faessi. Vutha had his vile minions watch Aurix waiting for the right moment to catch him off guard, the moment came when Aurix was called away to perform a request for the “Council of Wyrms” while he was away Vutha and his small army of undead minions attacked Aurix’s lightly defended home and set a trap for him, when Aurix finally did arrive home after being away for months his was ambushed and captured in his own bed chamber by a horde of reanimated abominations lead by Vutha himself, bound and gagged Aurix could only watch helplessly as his very soul was striped from him as a sacrifice, his body still roams his once glorious home but now the light of undeath shines in his eyes.

[Dogmantra]

"I suppose," said Rethan, "that I should tell my story, or at least introduce myself. I am on something of a mission to prove that strength is not important, which has ironically become an incredibly important thing in my life. You see, my father is the high priest of a church of Bane and, what with my disagreeing with the whole war thing, does not exactly care for me. While I was there, though, I trained a little with the Paladins, so I know how to fight and in my pursuit of knowledge, I studied the stars, and know a little of them. It's probably a good thing that my father tried to restrict my studies, it made me more eager to persue them. In addition to all this fighting and arcane magic from the stars, I can heal wounds, or protect you with Ioun's divine power."

'No need to go any further,' thought Rethan, 'I've probably gone too far already.'

He gave a nervous laugh and straightened his clothes. "I'd like to join you on this mission, if I could, though someone more experienced would have to show me the ropes. I'm rather new to all this adventuring stuff."

[Freshmeat]

"Well, all of that is very interesting," Lori said somewhat dryly, "but it might help if you told us your name too."

For a few moments, Lori waited to give Durvim the chance to say something, but the dwarf remained quiet for now. Maybe later.

"Well, about the temple then..."

For the precise details, refer to what jlmdragon said a few posts earlier. Lori has no reason to withhold anything or add parts that aren't true. She'll also mention some of the more common and practical things about the temple, such as how far it is from Saltspree, what the road in between is like, that it has a reputation for being extremely deadly, etc.

[jlmdragon]

((If no one else is going to do anything should we move on to the task you guys are going to do for Fletcher))

[King Tius]

Durvim

The dwarf listens intently as everyone gives their life stories right off the bat. He scratches his chin and shrugs a bit when it becomes "his turn." "Durvim of the Runefist clan. Not much to tell, really. My parents are cobblers and I'm not, so I wound up here. Pulled a few years in the Hammer Guard, but standing around and guarding doors just didn't feel right. So here I am, looking to make a name for myself and bring my clan name some honor. Maybe find my brother if he's still alive." Durvim suddenly looks very uncomfortable with all this sharing. "Alright, let's get a move on."

[Demonicheart]

So...Sylmar's long lost twin brother is join us...I guess I have more siblings out there after all. The thought was actually quite amusing to Keryli as she listened to elven priest. Of course that meant she automatically disagreed with a few of his views. She was silently grateful she hadn't taken a sip of ale when he talked about strength not being important. Keryli probably would have spit it out like a stone fountain. Beyond that, she found it odd that he would admit to being the son of a Banite but was sincerely impressed that he was still alive to find his own calling. She waited for him to share his name but it seemed like that detail slipped his mind. A small smirk formed on Keryli's lips as Lori commented on the lack of a name. It didn't bother Keryli too much since the paladin was already thinking of nicknames for him.

Keryli's face grew serious as Lori shared what she knew about the temple...or castle as the case may be. The paladin felt two solid emotions during the detailed explanation. The first one was concern. Although Keryli was not a coward by most standards, the thought of going from beating up drunks to facing ancient undead dragons of untold power was a little daunting. She never had much talent or affinity for magic and she was certain that either the previous owner or the usurper would have set up magical traps as well as the standard 'spikes in a pit' trick. Still, the idea of overcoming such obstacles quickly squashed the majority of her fears. She actually more eager to explore than she had been before. We can do this...just need to be careful.

After listening to Durvim tell his past, Keryli spoke, "Well, now that we know a little about everyone, let's get one thing clear. Everything we've said about our skills pretty much means squat if we can't learn to work as a group. That's part of the reason I want to take on this task. Better we step on each others toes against a few raider thugs than an undead dragon...though I'm still not sure teamwork would be enough for the later. Anyway, I'm eager to begin. I'll hopefully see you all at the gate by sundown." With that, Keryli stood up and began to walk for the door.

She placed her hand on the elf cleric's shoulder and spoke, "Do me a favor and give me a name to call you next time. Otherwise, I'm liable to come up with something stupid like Mescilhaw." The paladin had intentionally switched from common to elven with her last word. She had combined the elven words for 'wet' and 'ear' into an odd sounding nickname. She was calling him a wet behind the ears adventurer. Even if the name had been a tad insulting, clearly she meant very little offense by it. With a simple wave, Keryli left the tavern and made her way to the designated meeting point.

[Dogmantra]

Rethan let out another nervous laugh. "Heh. In all the excitement I forgot my name. It's Rethan. Rethan Marandas." He said, before adding "But I suppose Mescilhaw is okay too."

[Reynard]

For everyone still inside the tavern:
Fionn let out a sigh of both relief and exasperation.

"Paladins. This one seems less... aggressive than I expected from them. The stories I've heard portrayed them as crusaders, blindly doing the work of their god, no matter what. Well, I'm off..."

Standing up from the table and picking up his staff, Fionn says his goodbyes and as he straightens ups cracks his head on a ceiling beam.

"...'till our next meeting, I-" TWACK "Ahh...*brenmarw...Sorry, as I was saying, until our next meeting, I wish you good fortune."

With that, he leaves the tavern and heads somewhere to think until sundown.

Those inside the tavern that can speak Elven:

*deadwood.



((Don't worry, you didn't miss anything, just RP. If you're watching the exit of the tavern, you'll see me leave and wonder off into the rest of the city, heading roughly towards the docks. Oh, and I'm using Welsh for Elven in this game, is that a problem for anyone?))

[King Tius]

OOG: I don't speak either, so no problem here!

[jlmdragon]

(This is for anyone that goes to the main inland gate now)

Fletcher is talking to a guard with grim look on his face, you overhear

"Dam, as if the night raids weren't bad enough and now this. *sighs* alright, you had better get back to duty just stay sharp ok"

With that the guard leaves, Fletcher now sees you

"Ah hello there, you’re early but I won't complain if you want to start now, or do you have any questions before you start?"

[Freshmeat]

That went... surprisingly well Lori thought to herself. After all, this was usually the point where some of her fellow adventurers would make excuses and find something else to do. Some would even stand up and leave the moment the word 'lich', 'dragon' or 'undead' came out of her mouth. Pathetic.
If there really resided such a powerful evil inside the temple, it probably would've overwhelmed Saltspree long ago. So while Lori had no doubt that some foul and horrible creatures dwelled inside, the worst of it either lurked deep beneath the earth or had already left for calmer waters long ago. But then it was better to give potential allies the usual, 'dramatic' version of the story, just to see if mere stories were enough to scare them off. In which case it was better they ran off now than in the middle of a fight.

No, in fact, Lori was quite glad. She found herself a group willing to go to the temple and none of them had given her any reason so far to think ill of them. But it was probably best to see how Fletcher's task would go first, and make a decision based on that. Now was still too early to tell.

Smirking a little as Fionn bumps his head, Lori stands up as well.
"Well, I'll see you at the gate then," she says to the rest while giving them a polite nod.
Once outside, she casually strolls towards where Fletcher is waiting.

[Demonicheart]

Keryli gave a simple smirk as she overheard that Fletcher had a bit more on his plate than he had expected. Can't be easy running the guards. Its a challenging job to be sure but not the kind of challenge I'd desire. I rather risk getting my head caved in than drive myself crazy from the daily stress. When it was clear the guard captain was finished with his underling, the paladin quipped jokingly, "So what's the 'good news'? Did the raiders suddenly get themselves a legion of dragons to ride on? Though if that were true, I suspect the entire town would be swimming to shore right now." She was clearly trying to lighten the mood just a little bit before talking about more dire topics. "I guess I should stop jesting and get serious. If whatever you were talking about doesn't concern the task, it really isn't any of my business." Although Keryli was curious about it, she obviously wasn't going press the issue if Fletcher wished to remain silent.

The brawler's disciple never really considered herself a deep thinker. She believed that a person should follow their gut and heart first. The mind could catch up later. Still, there were times when a little forethought could mean the difference between life and death. Right now, Keryli's drive was telling her that this was one of those times. The island's large...so I could spend weeks searching for the blasted raiders if I don't at least get something to go on. After a moment of silence, the paladin spoke once more, "I'll start off with the basics. Any idea how many raiders there are or where they like to attack from? Do they just take anything that isn't nailed down or do they like to go after something? How long have they been a thorn in your side? Any idea who leads them? Finally, do you want them dragged back here alive if possible?" Keryli nodded a bit as she listed off her questions. She felt this would be a good start to figuring out how to handle the raiders. Still, there were plenty of questions she had not thought to ask at this junction.

[jlmdragon]

"Well firstly defense is the biggest concern, every night the raiders attack the town so we keep all the walls well defended but make it look like the gate is the weak point, this draws them to one place and means we can concentrate on defending one place instead of many places.

As for what they take, well... they take people, guards, civilians and adventures, anyone they can get.

As for where they hide out well... it’s a pretty big jungle and they can hide very well but we believe their leaders, if they have any, are at the temple. We also think they take the people that they kidnap there.

As for their numbers well I’ve been here since Saltspree was first founded 5 years ago, we have been fighting these raiders since day 1 and quite frankly there seems to be no end to them. But as long as there are people here to protect I’ll stay here and guard them with my life.

Were there any other questions?"

[Reynard]

"Yes. Are you sure they would hide in the temple? Doesn't seem to be the safest place on the island to hide. Maybe they have a camp somewhere along the coast, hidden."

[King Tius]

"We'd be happy to help put these dogs down for good. Maybe we should defend the town tonight and try to capture one?"

[jlmdragon]

fletcher takes a moment to consider what you said

"I don't truthfully know for sure that they are there, what I do know is these raiders have made any travel through jungle nearly impossible and the only info we get is from anyone brave enough to go into it"


(reply to Reynard)

[jlmdragon]

"We'd be happy to help put these dogs down for good. Maybe we should defend the town tonight and try to capture one?"

"You’re welcome to try and capture one although they only seem to talk in some kind of strange language"

[Freshmeat]

"Curious..." Lori says pensively, keeping her eyes cast on the ground in quiet reflection for a few moments. She hmms for a moment before speaking up again.

"It's interesting that their sole dealings in Saltspree seem to be related to kidnapping, and for a period as long as five years, no less. It's almost like they don't want to drive you away, or they would've taken more decisive measures earlier. Or simply given up the fight."

"Just what do these raiders look like, actually? Are they a local tribe? A cult looking for ritual sacrifices? A band of mercenary slavers? If getting rid of Saltspree isn't what they're after, there's got to be a reason why they kidnap people."

"Either way, Durvim's plan to defend the town tonight sounds good to me. We could get a look at some of them for ourselves, and might even follow them back into the jungle."

[Dogmantra]

Rethan spoke up. "I agree with Lori, for what it's worth. It seems there's more to these raiders than meets the eye, or the ear in the case of rumours."

[jlmdragon]

"To answer your first question they are kobolds, they may be native to the island, and before anyone asks we have tried peaceful negotiations which failed completely.

As for why they kidnap people you might be onto something about cults as kobolds are known to use live scarifies but the thing is though there aren't any dragons around here."

[Reynard]

"That you know of."

"Well, which direction do they normally come from? We should get ready for them."

[Demonicheart]

Keryli listened closely as she heard Fletcher's explanation about the situation. Slowly but surely, the others arrived and overheard enough to get the gist of the problem. It was troubling that the raiders were after people rather than valuables and she had to admit Lori had a valid theory about them, "So we wait for them, knock them senseless, get info if we can, follow the fleeing cowards to their hideout and deal with them there...Might be the temple, might not. Either way, we probably would've run into them anyway just by heading down the road."

The elven woman rubbed the back of her neck and let out a small sigh, "As much as I'd like to take the fight to them right now, it'd be pointless to just charge out into the woods and wander around. Let's help with the defense and see just what their capable of." An indifferent expression and a mildly disappointed tone were all the indication that she would've preferred a preemptive strike over an ambush. Still, despite her true feelings, she was willing to give the defense plan a try.

Her eyes violet eyes drifted between Fionn and Rethan, "Don't suppose either of you have a way to understand other languages magically? I get the feeling they either don't or won't speak common. I'd be a bit pointless to try to grab one alive if we can't bloody understand 'em." After asking her question, she turned to everyone equally, "I have a decent set of eyes but I'd like to know if anyone else would be able to track any runners."

Finished with her questions towards the group, she turned back to Fletcher, "So how 'unguarded' do you normally leave the gate? It'd be best if they didn't think anything was different this time. Would one or two guards be normal?" A small smirk appeared on her face that seemed to suggest her real question was 'mind if I be a decoy guard'. Keryli confirmed this notion with her final comment, "I'm terrible at hiding anyway. Too much clanging metal."

[Reynard]

"Er, well, I might be able to understand them. I can speak Draconic. Kinda. I'm better at it when it's written down."

[jlmdragon]

(reply to Demonicheart)

"Well we just leave the gate open, what usually happens is the kobolds come charging through only to be shot down, although we do need people to act as a second line of defense to take out any that get through"

Suddenly there is a horn blast from a tower next to the gate

"Here they come hope your ready now"

with that Fletcher notches an arrow ready for the attackers, you soon hear the sound of yips and yelps like a pack of strange dogs then you see them about 30 kobolds charging for the gate, arrows fly from the towers, and you can see some guards standing on the roof tops firing at them, some fall to the arrow fire but most keep on charging.

(roll for initiative)

(i have now uploaded the map here:D&D map 01.xls (http://www.4shared.com/file/218208049/909a322b/DD_map_01.html)
the map key is on a sepearte tab)

[Freshmeat]

Kobolds...
While this certainly wasn't the first time Lori met the cowardly pests, she still didn't really know what to think of them. The only thing she knew for sure was that, despite their rather pathetic appearance, they weren't nearly as stupid as they looked.

Reaching for her dagger, Lori dropped in a sort of half-crouching stance, ready to dart off in whichever direction would give her the best angle to strike from.

Initiative: [roll0]

[jlmdragon]

(rolling once for the kobolds)

[roll0]

[Demonicheart]

Keryli arched a brow as she saw the kobolds charge forward, "Bold little lizards aren't they." Although the paladin never had any experience fighting kobalds, she knew they would try to use their numbers to their advantage. A glint appeared in Keryli's violet eyes as she drew her greatsword, "Well, I'd hate to disappoint them by denying them a fight."

The elven woman waited eagerly for her foes to come charging in. As much fun as it would be to charge their ranks and dive right in, she was playing defense and trying to work with others. This was as much about working together as stopping the kobolds.

Initiative:[roll0]

[Reynard]

[roll0]

Fionn raises his staff and faces the kobolds, but he seems hesitant or unsure about something.

DC 10 listen check.
"Please work, please work, please work..."

Why! DICE GODS, WHY!!!

[Dogmantra]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7854966#post7854966

[jlmdragon]

i guess i'll be playing your character then cos the others will need a cleric

[jlmdragon]

iniative roll

[roll0]

[King Tius]

Durvim

The Dwarf draws his axe and readies his shield. He steps to the front of the group, ready for the kobolds to surround him.

OOG: Can you export the excel files as PDFs, convert them to JPEGs, and post them in this thread? That's how I run the maps in my game. Just a suggestion.

Initiative: [roll0]

[jlmdragon]

(not easily i want to be able to update the map when people make their move, can people read the spreead sheet file ok?)

[jlmdragon]

order of initiative

Lori 24

Durvim 22

Keryli 18

Kobolds 9

Rethan 2

Fionn 1

[Freshmeat]

Lori

Lori runs to the side in a low crouch, trying to remain out of sight from the kobolds. As she runs, her fingers touch her dagger for a moment, but then she changes her mind and reaches for a shuriken instead.

Move to G22.
If possible, I'll try to stay out of sight behind a cart or barrel or some rubble here.

Stealth [roll0]

[King Tius]

Durvim double moves to L18

[Demonicheart]

Keryli noticed immediately that Durvim was not wasting any time entering the courtyard between the first and second gates while Lori seemed more intent on ambushing the kobolds as soon as they passed the wall. As sturdy as she sure the dwarf likely was, she preferred that he not be completely overrun by the scaled lizards. Easily matching his steps with only a stride or so apart, Keryli followed the dwarven warrior on his left side. She jokingly commented, "Looks like there will be plenty of action for all. No need to hog it all for yourself." She seemed more than ready to watch his back if he would return the favor. The paladin's expression turned deadly serious as she focused on the charging mass of Kobolds, "May Kord find our struggles worthy."


Perception to listen to Fionn: [roll0]

Keryli's Round Actions
Minor Action: None
Move Action: Move to K21
Standard Action: Double Move to K18

[jlmdragon]

The horde of kobolds rush forward at the open gate the closest ones in striking distance of Keryli and Durvim, the foul smelling fiends screaming in their vile tongue.

map update here
D&D map 01.xls (http://www.4shared.com/file/219173494/194eba0c/DD_map_01.html)

for thaose that have draconic as a language
get them!!!! for the blood god!!!!!

[Reynard]

((Quick question: Can't just you tell us where they move to/appear?))

[jlmdragon]

charging forward with a cry of "for Ioun!" Rethan hurries up behind Keryli and Durvim ready to surport them with his divine and arcane tallants.

(double move to J19)

[jlmdragon]

((Quick question: Can't just you tell us where they move to/appear?))

because i would have to the list the moves of 27 kobolds and its easier if you see where they are now rather than going by co-ordinates

[King Tius]

OOG: Are they all minions? Are none of them minions?

[jlmdragon]

(your just going to have to wait and see my friend, wait, and, see :smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:)

[Reynard]

Still repeating his mantra, Fionn starts to walk forwards. As he reaches roughly the middle of the gates (J22), he holds his staff pointed at the Kobolds.

In Draconic:
"Go back to your hole, you rats!"

Eldritch Blast on J13.

Charisma vs Will: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

EDIT: As the light fails to leap from his staff, Fionn starts to mutter angrily to himself.

[jlmdragon]

(reply to Reynard)

firstly: Eldritch Blast is vs reflex not will

secondly: its a miss

Fionn's blast of magic sails over the target missing it completely

[Freshmeat]

Lori waits for a few moments as the kobolds come charging in, and then springs up, sending her shuriken flying at one of the kobolds in front of the whole pack. She immediately moves to join Rethan, Keryli and Durvim in their defense of the chokepoint.

(Sly Flourish) Dex vs. AC - [roll0]
Damage - [roll1]
Sneak Attack Damage - [roll2]

Move to J17

I'm guessing... overkill. :smallamused:

[jlmdragon]

to get a better shot fletcher rushes into position (moves to M27) then fires 2 shots from his longbow felling a kobold like a tree (killed kobold in M12)

the archers from the towers open fire taking down another 2 kobolds
(kobolds from squares K12 and L11 are dead)

(don't worry there are still 24 kobolds left for you guys)

[Freshmeat]

((That was targeted at the kobold at L13, by the way, since I think that's the nearest one I had line of sight with from G22))

[jlmdragon]

(reply to Freshmeat)

The kobold screams loudly but instead of going down bellows in rage and continues its advance however you can tell it is badly wounded and near death.

[Freshmeat]

((*poke* It's your turn, Tius.))

[King Tius]

OOG: Sorry, I thought I posted! Must not have registered.

Durvim moves forward to get into range of at least two kobolds (at or around L14) and uses Cleave.


Attack: [roll0] vs AC
Damage: [roll1]
If its, deals 3 damage to an adjacent enemies.
Both kobolds are marked whether I hit or not, taking a -2 to attack and I get to wail on them if they move from me, shift from me, or attack someone who isn't me!

[jlmdragon]

[roll0]

this is your damage and you can only mark 1 target at a time

[jlmdragon]

your cleave badly hits the one infront of you an nips the one adjacent to it, the kobolds you hit snarl in reply to your challenge

[King Tius]

Are you sure I can only mark one? The description says I mark any enemy I attack, whether I hit or miss. Doing damage to someone doesn't count as attacking them?

[Reynard]

You only attacked one kobold, the other was just a victim of cleaves effect.

[jlmdragon]

also the description only talks about a target not targets, its all in the wording, if they meant more than one they would have worded it target(s).

[Demonicheart]

If there was one thing Keryli was quickly learning about kobolds its that fighting them with a greatsword was generally not recommended. As they scurried about on their small legs, the paladin found she had difficulty just keeping one lined up with her overly large weapon. Her determination and annoyance grew as she ran up to the first swarm, "Hold still and let me squash you!" If the kobolds understood a word she said, Keryli ignored their response. She swung her blade in an upward arch towards the first kobold on her left. The blonde haired elf raised her weapon high and turned her gaze to the scaly beast directly in front of her, "Did you think I was ignoring you? Allow me to make it clear." Her voice deepened a little as she issued her challenge to the beast, "Fight me!"

With her challenge made, Keryli wasted no time in solidifying it. Her blade began to glow with a holy light as the paladin swung it down towards the second kobold's head. She knew that she was pushing herself beyond her limits rather early in the fight but Keryli still had a few tricks left up her sleeve.


Move Action: Keryli moves to K14
Standard Action: Keryli uses Valiant Strike on the Kobold at J13
Attack (Strength + 1 per adjecent enemy VS AC):
Damage: [roll]1d10+3
Minor Action: Divine Challenge on Kobold at J14

Action Point!
Standard Action: Keryli uses Holy Strike on Kobold at J14
Attack (Strength VS AC): [roll1]
Damage (1[W] + Str + Wis if marked): [roll2]

[Demonicheart]

ooc: Damage again for Valiant Strike since I apparently messed up that roll: [roll0]

Also, if either or both attacks missed, Keryli will use Elven Accuracy to re-roll them with an additional +2 to attack. If she has to choose between them, Holy Strike will receive the re-roll.

[jlmdragon]

your first strike hits home cleaving the kobold into two peices while you need to draw on all your elven skill to hit the second one

[roll0]

the second attack hits home dealing a mighty blow to the kobold

[jlmdragon]

the kobolds all advance to the gate with two striking at Keryli and two striking at Durvim

kobold at: M13 attacks Durvim
attack roll
[roll0]

kobold at: L13 attacks Durvim
attack roll
[roll1]

kobold at: K13 attacks Keryli
attack roll
[roll2]

kobold at: J13 attacks Keryli
attack roll
[roll3]

[jlmdragon]

kobold at: M13 attacks Durvim
damage roll
[roll0]

kobold at: K13 attacks Keryli
damage roll
[roll1]

kobold at: J13 attacks Keryli
damage roll
[roll2]

also both Durvim and Keryli are suffering the effect -1 to attack rolls (save ends)

three of the kobolds hit using their strengh of numbers to best effect the hits feel worse than just normal spears, and the two heros wonder if the kobolds have put somthing on them.

map update here:D&D map 01.xls (http://www.4shared.com/file/220844890/f156d6e0/DD_map_01.html)

[jlmdragon]

Rethan moves moves up to K16 to aid his teammates and casts healing word on Keryli heaing here by:
[roll0]

then he casts sacred flame on kobold in K13
attack roll
[roll1]

[jlmdragon]

spends an action point to cast it again on the same target
attack roll
[roll0]

[jlmdragon]

he hits doing radient damage
damage roll
[roll0]

and Durvim can either gain 3 temp HP or make a saving throw verses the negative effect he is suffering.

a bolt of white fire blasts the kobold while Durvim glows a little with healing magic.

[Reynard]

"Okay...Focus..."

Fionn sees the kobolds swarm and stab the paladin.

"You bastards. BURN."


Witchfire on J13

To hit (vs Reflex): 20+3

If hit: [roll0] fire damage, and the bugger takes a -5 penalty to attack rolls until the end of my next turn.

[Reynard]

Ah feck.

[roll0] that's the to-hit again.

EDIT: Gods above. What did I do to you, dice gods?

[jlmdragon]

i guess that is a miss

[jlmdragon]

Seeing them now tight together a guards form both towers throw down bottles of oil that cover the ground and the kobolds, then Fletcher fires two arrows with burning material on them into the oil soaked kobolds. The resulting fire kills nineteen kobold leaving the four that are still on combat leaft and trapped on one side of a wall of fire that now burns fiercely.

[Freshmeat]

Lori

Lori smirks ever so slightly as Fletcher lights the teeming scaly swarm before them on fire. With the kobolds distracted, she jumps forward, dagger gripped firmly in her hand, next to where Keryli and Durvim were holding their ground. Then, with an uncompassionate snarl, she delivers a swift kick to the panicking creature in front of her, sending him stumbling backwards into the inferno.

- Move to J14.

- Positioning Strike, targeting the kobold at I 13 (Dex vs. Will)
To Hit [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Slide him to K10.

At first I was a little disappointed since I was going to do a Blinding Barrage here for massive damage and then Fletcher went and stole our kills helped us out (:smalltongue:), but I think I find the kick-a-kobold-into-the-fire move to be far more appropriate in-character. :smallamused:

[jlmdragon]

knocked back into the fire the kobold screams aloud in agorny, staggers and falls to the floor dead

(if the fight had gone on much longer at this rate two players might be dead or worse, so i had the NPCs end it now)

[Reynard]

*pokes the thread*

[King Tius]

I'm a bit confused...is the fight over?

[Reynard]

Yeah, what's going on?

((Well, today I've been going avatar mad, and then I couldn't think of something to do, so I went through our char sheets. It's a shame only two people bothered with descriptions.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2799/4358748310_afbf134cf5_o.png
If you use it on the forum, width is 120, height is 116, to get the proportions right.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2726/4358748266_c85724e945_o.png
If you use it on the forum, width is is 74, height is 120.

Just though you might like them, you two.))

[jlmdragon]

(the fight is not over there are 3 kobolds left)

[Demonicheart]

((Three kobolds remain. One in front of Durvim, one to the front-right of him, and one to the front-left directly in front of Keryli. These three were the same ones that attacked us last round and were close enough to avoid the flames. The one in front of Durvim is still marked by his fighter challenge and the one in front of Keryli is marked by her Divine Challenge. It is currently Durvim's turn. Please post your actions.))

[King Tius]

Durvim

Durvim will attack the one in front of him, attempting to cleave to the one that is in front-right of him.


Cleave
Attack: [roll0] vs AC
Damage: [roll]1d10+5[roll]
Cleave Damage: 3

[Demonicheart]

Keryli winced visibly as she felt the kobolds spears pierce the soft spots of her armor. Worse, she was completely convinced that they were using poison. The elven woman could see a bit of her own blood running down the weapons as they were pulled back. She barely resisted the urge to venomously curse the kobolds. Thankfully, her pain was fairly brief as Rethan arrived to close her wounds. Keryli still felt a little sore but she would continue fighting. Although Fionn's attempts at magical support failed, she was a bit touched that he reacted so passionately.

Although the blonde haired elf was surprised to see the guards ignite the back wave of kobolds with oil and fire, it wasn't entirely unexpected, They put up with these lizards for years now. Kord knows they must have SOME experience fighting them. Although Keryli had every intention of fighting until the last kobold fell, she no longer considered this a battle. It was a rout. Lori proved that point when she kicked a kobold onto the flame pile. It a brutal but effective tactic, especially considering the beasts were perfectly fine with trying to weaken their targets.

Keryli briefly placed her left hand on her chest and muttered, "Kord, please grant me your strength." Finished with her decidedly short prayer, she raised her greatsword once more but shifted her stance. Her violet eyes gazed at the kobold directly in front of her, "You're lucky we might have a need for you to be alive when this is over." After the abuse she had took, the paladin was perfectly willing to chop the creature in half. However, she reasoned they might be able to beat some information out of it. The paladin swung her blade horizontally and tried her best to line the flat side up with the scaled fiend's head. Anyone could see she was trying to knock it out cold rather than kill it.

Keryli's Round Actions
Save to End -1 attack Penalty: [roll0]
Minor Action: Divine Strength (Apply Strength Mod as extra damage this round)
Standard Action: Holy Strike on Kobold in K13
Attack Roll: [roll1]
Damage Roll: [roll2]

If the kobold is brought down to 0 or less hit points assume Keryli only knocks it out and does not kill it.

[jlmdragon]

Durvim cleaves through his kobolds with ease while Keryli knocks the last one out cold, with that the battle is officially over and the guards at the towers throw dirt on the fire that is near to the wall letting the rest of it burn out, Fletcher calls you all over to him.

[Demonicheart]

A look of satisfaction crossed Keryli's face as she bent down over the fallen kobold, Being knocked silly with a heavy greatsword hurts, huh. Although she was feeling better about the battle, it could have easily gone wrong without Fletcher's support. Still, there were other matters to attend to. The young woman grasped the spear the kobold wielded and stored it with her belongings. She wasn't about to let the beast wake up with a poisoned weapon in hands. After checking for any additional weapons, Keryli pulled out a lengthy piece of rope from her pack. First she tied the kobolds clawed hands behind his back taking care to keep the rope as far from the actual claws as possible. She then wrapped a section of the rope around the scaled creature's neck creating a makeshift choke chain. Keryli allowed the last few feet of the rope to extend out into a leash. Her task complete, Keryli began to walk towards Fletcher while dragging the unconscious kobold with her. As she neared Fionn, she commented, "We'll need your help to talk with the lizard, Fionn. If he gives you any lip when he wakes up, just tell him to help or die while pointing at me. I'll take care of the rest."

[Reynard]

"I...I am sorry. The magic wouldn't work, and you almost got... I am sorry."

"Can someone help me tie this thing up? Kobolds are slippery buggers, and I'd rather it'd couldn't walk."

[jlmdragon]

As you get close to Fletcher you see him happy and at ease

"well we usually let the kobolds get past the first gate, let more guards have the chance to shoot at them but it looks like you folks can handle yourself, you each earned 100 GP for that little job. Hmmm looks like the lady there has a little pet huh? Just make sure it doesn't cause any trouble here."




((you also get 100 xp each))
((and you might want to have a look at the kobold's weapon to see how it was posioned))

[Freshmeat]

Lori

Lori eagerly accepts her money with just the faintest of smiles. A hundred gold! Just for killing a few kobolds! Things were looking up indeed, and the fact that Fletcher never asked her any earlier to help out with defending the gates did little to sour her mood. Grinning a little as Fletcher notices the kobold Keryli captured, she gives the small creature a little kick as he lies there.

"He's a cute one, isn't he? We should take some time to get to know him better. Find out where he lives and who all of his friends are."

With that, she pulls up the kobold, and whacks him over the head until he regains consciousness, clearly enjoying this.

"Wake up, scaly! We've got a whole lot of questions for you..."

[jlmdragon]

the kobold yells at you in a strange language (anyone know draconic)

[Reynard]

Yes, I know it.

[jlmdragon]

what it says in drconic:
you will all die!!!! sacrified to the great blood god!!!!!

[Reynard]

Also in Draconic:
Which, little worm? There are many. Have you met Arawn? I have. If you don't tell me where you've been hiding, I'll deliver you to him, personally.

To those who can't speak it: The only word you can make out is Arawn, which sounds like a name.

Any Elves in the audience:
Arawn is a spirit, formerly a god, of the underworld.

[King Tius]

Durvim

The dwarf cleans his axe and saunters over to where the "interrogation" is taking place.

"Let's tie him atop a pole and use him as a standard. That'll teach those little dragonspawn to mess with us!" He chuckles to himself before continuing on. His eyes sparkles and he seems quite invigorated by the whole fight. "That was great! Don't worry Fionn, we're all a little rusty, I believe."

[jlmdragon]

reply to fionn

the kobold says in draconic:
I live for Orcus and I die for Orcus. the difference is trivial.

[Reynard]

Draconic:How about living in pain? I can fill your insides with a fire that never dies down. And Durvim here can heal you before you die. Imagine that five times a day for the next twenty years. I know I have nothing better to do then make your life hell.

Tell me where the hideout is, and I'll end it now.

This time you hear Durvim's name amidst the growls and hisses.

[jlmdragon]

make an intimidate check

[Reynard]

[roll0]
Dice, don't fail me again.

EDIT. Sigh.

EDIT2: Any circumstance bonuses that might help? Such as it's alone, surrounded by enemies, etc.

[jlmdragon]

sorry no, this creture is fanatic to the cult and not easily broken.

[Reynard]

Draconic:Then I keep my word.

Fionn stands back from the kobold, and points his staff directly at it's face.

((Is a to-hit necessary? He's immobilised, right?))

[jlmdragon]

it will be auto hit but if he is reduced to 0 hp he will die for good, no raising the dead

[Reynard]

Draconic:If this kills you, any last words?

((I'm going to give the other players a chance to intervene. I imagine the Paladin has something to say.))

[jlmdragon]

the kobold spits right in your face

[Demonicheart]

After being paid by Fletcher, the young paladin focused on the interrogation. She had a lot of difficulty following along and all the exchanges just sounded like hissing noises to her. Keryli frowned a bit as she saw their captive seemed utterly determined to make a nuisance out of himself. The paladin certainly didn't take the spit towards Fionn as a sign of progress with negotiations and realized a more forceful method was needed. Although the elf would prefer the carrot to the stick, she always made sure to wield a tree trunk of a stick if need be.

She wrapped the 'leash' end of the rope around her right arm just in case the kobold tried to bolt afterwards. In a swift motion, the blonde haired paladin readied her greatsword and planted it in the ground inches away from the kobold's face. Fionn still had a clear shot but the kobold would have to be blind not to notice the weapon. She stared down at the lizard with her violet eyes making the intent of harm all too clear without uttering a single word. The paladin allowed her blade to pulse slightly with holy light. She knew the kobold would remember the same illuminated blade that took him down before. Her left hand held the balanced, planted greatsword while the right controlled the rope.

Intimidate Check:[roll0]

[Reynard]

((Anyone else want to point a weapon in the poor things face?))

Draconic:Last chance. Speak now, or die.

[King Tius]

Durvim

The stout Dwarf watches on, keeping his weapon on his belt.

[jlmdragon]

(kobold kabab anyone?)
the kobold spits at the palidin too

[Demonicheart]

((One order extra divine seared coming up))

Keryli's patience with the beast had run out as it spat towards her. She shifted her blade slightly allowing the weapon to take the 'attack'. She used the holy energies to burn off saliva. The paladin lifted her greatsword above the kobold's head and pierced the kobold between the eyes. As she watched the scaly lizard die, her cold, hostile expression shifted to one of annoyance and disappointment. Her voice was even when she spoke, "I saw it in his eyes. We would have to beat him up or torture him for days maybe weeks on end before he would break. Clearly, self-preservation never entered his little mind. I can't speak for anyone else, but I didn't come all this way just to play a month long game of 'who can make the kobold scream the loudest'." She took a deep breath and began the process of removing the rope from the kobold corpse. Although the elven paladin found a good deal of excitement in battle, she did not revel in the death that sometimes followed it. A small, sad smirk crossed her lips as she glanced at Durvim, "He'd make a poor battle standard alive and probably shrill non-stop out in the forest."

Once her rope was secure in her pack again, Keryli slung her greatsword on her back and pulled out poisoned spear. She was taking a closer look at it hoping that it might give them a better idea about the kobolds. Still, it was a slim hope. Periodically, she would glance up towards Fionn, "Please tell me he at least said something interesting inbetween the curses he was likely spewing along with his spit." Keryli frowned a little as she thought, Next time I shouldn't even bother trying to capture one. Its obviously a complete waste of time.

[King Tius]

Durvim

"Aye, you're probably right. Well, what say we get a move on? We've probably got a day at least before they launch their next attack. We should use the time to get into the jungle."

[jlmdragon]

Rethan takes a close look at some boils and sores on the kobold's chest and scrapes off some puss with a small knife, and seems to examine it

"Extraordinary! this kobold seems to have been afflicted with some sort of magical disease, this puss for example should have a negative affect on anything living it is used on yet it seem this kobold was unaffected by it, which just asks the questions of how the kobold contracted the disease and what else it was doing to the kobold. I would take time for me to do a full examination.”

[Dogmantra]

PSSST! I'm back. Give me some time to catch up and all will be well in the world!

[jlmdragon]

is anyone going to do anything?

[Freshmeat]

Lori

That went about as well as one might reasonably expect...
From what Lori could gather, the kobold hadn't been exactly helpful, which was somewhat disappointing. At the very least, she was glad the disgusting little creature hadn't had the chance to spit at her, too.

"What did the kobold say exactly, Fionn?"

[Reynard]

"Nothing, really. Just that it worshiped Orcus. And what amounts to 'Blood for the Blood God!'. Oh, and that we we're all going to die."

Fionn leans against the wall, looking at the body of the kobold.

"It's strange... I've never heard of them being so stubborn, or this aggressive."

[Reynard]

"...Wait a second. Since when did kobolds worship anything other than a dragon? This is weird."

((Bump))

[Reynard]

((Look, do I have to keep bumping this? There are few enough 4e games here already.))

[jlmdragon]

(well i'm still here i'm really waiting for the other players to post somthing to continue the game)

[King Tius]

"Doesn't matter who they worship. They'll all fall to my axe just the same."

OOG: Sorry, classes got crazy.

[Reynard]

"Yes, but something must have happened to switch them from Tiamat. I don't like this. Rethan, you said that you could find out more about that poison? Or whatever it is."

[Dogmantra]

"I suppose I could finish my examination..." Rethan takes a sample of the poison, "Though I'm not totally sure what I'm examining it for..."

I guess the only skill anywhere near related is Religion so [roll0]

[jlmdragon]

"I suppose I could finish my examination..." Rethan takes a sample of the poison, "Though I'm not totally sure what I'm examining it for..."

I guess the only skill anywhere near related is Religion so [roll0]

(You don't find out anything more from this sample but you believe that the disease must have been made in some kind of ritual, if you could find out more about the ritual it may explain what the disease is capable of and also help to explained why these kobolds worship Orcus instead one of the draconic deities)