1-20 Ic

[mucco]

October 26, 593 4E: Anmer is well on its way of becoming a united federation which is not a tyranny. Things are steadily becoming better and better, and the dark days of the Cuthbertian revolution are far away. The population is experiencing a boom in the most important city centers, but in the last few years there has been a wild uprising of evil populations, especially goblins and gnolls. These populations are sometimes threatening the town of Galsaff, where you have been brought captives. Gnolls and Goblins, who usually don't see eye to eye with each other, usually work together in the assaults to Galsaff, and that's worrying. Those of you who have been here for the last few weeks know of the recurring rains of fire that plague the land in this period. None of you, however, has ever seen them... yet.

You have all been put in the same cell. there is a long chain that connects together the restraints on your ankles. This makes you unable to leave the rest of the group. With you, chained, there are a couple of other people. They have been brought in together with Vorel and Trent, from the boat which landed at the city dock on the river Sayn. Their name is Ruckey and Waxx and they look pretty sturdy. They're pretty young, but they show the sings of a rough life. Ruckey is missing two fingers from his right hand, while Waxx has two devastating scars that cross his face like an X. They haven't said a word, so far, from the moment any of you has seen the for the first time. They do sometimes look at each other as if they were communicating something though.

Life in the prison is very hard, and you can see in the cell nearby (there are no walls dividing them, just big metal bars) an old man, with most of his teeth missing, who is repeatedly holding his breath, passing out, regaining consciousness after a few minutes, and repeating the same process again. The prison guard who just brought him in is sitting on a stool out of his cell, watching him in amusement. His smile has a hint of wickedness.

The game's afoot! GL everyone, try to survive. :smallwink:

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris sits on one end of the chain, huddled in the corner of the cell like a caged animal. He appears to be a young human, for the most part, however short blue-white fur grows lightly at the nape of his neck and spreads down his upper arms and back where it becomes lighter. He appears to wear a helm created from the head of a preserved white wolf. Its iceblue eyes are glassy, and from beneath in the shadows of its maw, blue pin-pricks of light sometimes flicker. All he wears for decency is a loinscloth. Until now, he hasn't spoken much, and nothing more than an occasional grunt.

[TimelordSimone]

Trent's eyes move rapidly from person to person, taking in the prison guard, the toothless old man, and his various cell mates. He opens his mouth as if to speak, but remains silent. His fingers absent-mindedly turn a link in the chain at his ankle.

[chrisrawr]

Knowing it to be a futile gesture, Roland continues trying his strength at the chains. He's got nothing better to do, anyways. "Anyone want help taking a crack at their chains? Least we can do is make a go of it, put a show on for the guards. Their job's almost as boring as ours!" he finishes with a wry chuckle, that soon turns into a hacking cough. Spitting out god knows what was in his mouth, he returns to rattling his chains.

[King Tius]

The Dwarf that is bound with you in the cell sits stoically and patiently in the middle of the chain gang. He sits cross-legged and shirtless, wearing only some simple leggings. Despite the group's present predicament the dwarf seems rather unperturbed. If anything, he seems....content.

[mucco]

The guard speaks up, addressing Bomgar.

Aren't you liking the show, priest? We wanted to let you enjoy a good show for once, life here is boring... and this dude is really amusing!

He laughs, as the old prisoner passes out again. The guard throws him a bucket of ice-cold water to wake him up, and keeps laughing. The old man sobs silently and shivers because of the water. It's stormy outside, and it's starting to get pretty cold despite the warm climate of the area. Winter is at the gates.

[King Tius]

The Favored Soul points his finger at the guard and mutters an incantation. A large globule of water (a gallon, I believe) appears above the guard's head and splashes down onto him, just as ice cold as the bucket of water was.

Bomgar chuckles at the guard's upset reaction and lowers his hand, resuming his neutral expression.

Summary

Using Create Water to produce freezing cold water right above the guard's head

[mucco]

Azrael sat in the corner, the steel chains around his ankle not worring him in the least as he sat there very quietly for a warforged, as he watched this cleric summon water above this poor fools head Azrael gave a very human laugh. That laugh told everyone in the cage that he was there along with the fact just to anger the guards more. Azrael had been thinking about how strong these chains are and how easy it would be to snap them in half but he wanted to wait for the right moment to try.

wow you are dumb guard.... you should know better then to piss off a cleric they can do things that are so funny Azrael was aiming to piss this guy off so much that he walks into the cage and tries to hit him.

*cough* I'm sorry man, but your character hasn't been approved, so you're not allowed to post here. Please refrain from posting more. Sorry again.

That was odd... anyway good job humiliating the guard, KT. :smallbiggrin:

[Havelock]

Vorel seemed halfway to relax on the floor, arms supporting her head up against the "walls" of the place.

Bellman, why don't you go find someone that knows the finer points of entertainment, what this establishment has to offer is much too crude for my tastes.

[mucco]

Sheesh, we have touchy subjects here, continues the guard. He smiles, then glares at those who answered to his provocation while trying to dry himself. Then he continues.

Do you know why this guy here keeps holding his breath to faint? It's the only way he can try to suicide. He knows he'll be subject to another torture session in a couple days, and he's trying the only way out. And, needless to say, failing miserably. The guard bursts into laughter. Ah, forgive me, this job is so lacking any entertainment, I have to cope with what I've got. And, thanks to your kind shower, I believe we'll have another man trying to suicide very soon. The guard chuckles again.

Anyway, my shift is almost over, you'll be happy about that. My friend Pestal is going to do the night. She's too kind for my own tastes, so probably it'll be right for you.

Roland:
Pestal is the guard with which you have the contact.

[chrisrawr]

Roland's face lights up momentarily, his struggles ceasing while the guard talks. After a while, he recedes back into brooding and tugging at his chains.

[King Tius]

Bomgar ignores the guard completely.

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris waits for something to happen.

[mucco]

After a half hour, the annoying guard leaves and Pestal takes on guard duty. She's bringing a cart with your dinner. It has a foul smell, but most of you have gotten used to it. Pestal is a very young woman, probably at her first year of service in the military. She smiles at Roland and then asks, Are these guys trustable, Rol? It's important for me to know.

As she is speaking, the old man in the other cell is still moaning, and shivering a bit for the cold. The temperature is pretty low, and thunders and rain make a lot of noise.

[chrisrawr]

Roland looks around and spits before speaking. There's blood in it from an earlier beating, but it doesn't show in his voice. "'sfar as I can tell, none of them has any love for the guards. Couple of 'em could use a good scaring before they see things our way, but at the worst they'll be fodder if something goes wrong." He clears his throat and spits again, before nodding towards Bomgar. "The joker over there particularly has a grudge-on for the guards. We'll have to make sure he doesn't do something stupid."

[TimelordSimone]

"Excuse me?" Trent focuses his attention on Roland, indignant, "Fodder? You know we can hear you, right?"

He rolls his eyes, muttering to himself "Trustworthy or not, of course we have no love for the guards keeping us prisoner."

[chrisrawr]

"Simply stating facts," Roland states amicably, "If you can't handle your share of the work, you'll end up handling some one else's share of the arrows they send our way."

[mucco]

Very well, Pestal says. She starts speaking in a softer voice as she gets closer to the bars, more for shyness than for fear of being caught. So, our city scouts have reported movement in the goblin camps in the East. We're predicting an assault for tomorrow evening, as the sun sets - and the guards are about to end their shift. This "friend of mine" has asked me to free some of you, some people whom he can trust, during the attack. I have set up some hidden explosive charges at various places in the building, and if I calculated right, they should explode together leaving you with a clear exit towards the farming fields and the Dark Wood. I have no means of helping you take out the chain though, that will be up to you.

Pestal pauses for a moment and looks around before continuing. You should hide in the Dark Wood for a couple days until the guards stop looking for you, then we will come to seek you and arrange a payment for your liberation. It would be best for you if you showed up - my friend has powerful contacts, they are much more likely to hunt you down than these guards. Here, they're only good at insulting prisoners... and saying dirty sentences to girls. But you'll talk to him about all this, of course. I'm no diplomatic.

I will not appear here anymore, of course, I'm burned after this. In case you were asking. Maybe we'll meet again. So, do you like what I'm saying? Any questions?

[chrisrawr]

"No help for the chains, eh..." Roland deliberated for a moment. "...You sure you couldn't arrange for a hacksaw or a good axe - hell, even some grease - to be left somewhere inconspicuous? I'd make it up to you, personally, once I get out of here. The guards would never find the chain, or the implement, I promise."

Diplomacy [roll0]

[mucco]

Pestal blushes. Unfortunately, they do search guards too, when we enter. That's why I couldn't smuggle in anything useful. Such jackasses. Oh, right! I did place some charges around the armory too, though. When you get out, turn left immediately and you should reach it, so you should be able to get some weapon.

[chrisrawr]

"Well then, I suppose you have gotten us an axe. My favour is still in your hands, along with our lives. 'till we meet again, I'm going back to breaking my teeth against these chains."

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris looks at the food as it is brought and sniffs it dubiously; despite being in these cells for several weeks and subsisting on the slop they were fed, he would never like the stuff. A low grunt with a hint of a growl would be the first indication he was listening to the conversation with the turncoat guard, "I might be able to take care of the chains. Don't want to try it before it's time, though."

[mucco]

I hear no questions, so I am done here. Since you asked, I will try to leave you something that you might find useful outside. Look for the Big Yew near the road for Icmud, at the start of the forest. I'll put whatever I can gather into a sack and tie it on a branch there.

Pestal sits on her stool, trying to sleep.

The morning after, she wakes up, wishes you all good luck, winks to Roland and goes away. It is raining again. Just a few hours and you are able to hear the worried voices of the guards anticipating a goblin attack. They even forget about your lunch, and you do not have a guard watching you in the afternoon. From the small window in your cell you can see a lot of movement in the road.

When the screaming is loudest, you can spot Pestal in the road giving you a signal to prepare yourself and stay away from the wall, because she's about to set the bombs off. You realize you will be freed within seconds.

Then, an explosion deafens you for a second. The whole outer wall crumbles to dust perfectly, revealing a deep moat between the prison and the road where Pestal was. As you see her run away, you also notice the old man in the cell nearby being unpleasantly crushed beneath a huge, man-sized boulder which hit him during the explosion. Many other parts of the wall have been destroyed, and you have roughly four or five feet of debris you can walk over, along the moat. You have to find a way to pass it - it's fifteen feet wide, roughly.

You should be able to reach the prison's armory by walking a bit on the left, over the debris. The explosion also caused a wooden roof to collapse on your right, and maybe you could use the planks to cross the moat. Both the armory and the plank remains are about fifty feet away, in opposite directions though.

Hardly anyone has noticed anything, with the chaos of the attack.

[chrisrawr]

Roland screams, "Quickly! To the armoury! We must have weapons if we are to free ourselves of these chains!" Despite his wearied condition, the fatigue of captivity, and the ache of his head, Roland is up within seconds, and tugging the other prisoners chained to him toward escape.

[TimelordSimone]

"Damn right. I'm not going anywhere without a weapon."

[King Tius]

Bomgar springs into action, running towards the armory. Since he's at one of the free ends of the chain, he will lead the way.

[mucco]

It takes your group half a minute to reach the armory. Among the dust and wall pieces, there are scattered on the floor loads of usual weapons. Some are broken, but a good number of them aren't. Most of the weapons are swords, some longer and some shorter. There are some wooden shields. There even are some chainmail and chain shirt armors around. And there is a guard at the door, terrified by the sight of the dwarf. He screams, To arms! There is a breakout! Prisoners are armed! and runs away in the corridor, away from your sight.

As you start to search for suitable weapons, you hear the sound of a horn on the prison roof. Or, on what remains of it after the explosion. People on the road are running away from the moat, terrified by your presence.

There are about ten short swords, long swords and daggers; three small wooden shields and three large ones; one chainmail and two chain shirts. You will need some time, about a minute, to pick it all up in the mess, that is if you choose to pick everything up. You have no backpacks to store stuff in, remember.

[chrisrawr]

Ronald isn't having any of it. "No time, no time! Grab something quickly and move!" He stoops to grab some chainmail, a sword, and a shield. Slinging the chainmail over his shoulder, he straps the shield to his arm while others grab their selection. "I'm running in about fifteen seconds, if you don't want to be jerked off your feet, you'll be running with me. We still need to get across that moat!"

[King Tius]

Bomgar grabs a large shield and a longsword. He immediately starts looking for something hard and made of stone to start put the chain up against so he can try and break it with the sword.

[TimelordSimone]

"I am not sure we have time to spare right now trying to get these off." Trent says to Bomgar, rattling the chain with his foot for emphasis.

Picking up a short sword and chain shirt, he addresses the group as a whole. "There seems to be more people than armour. If somebody else needs this more than me I'm willing to go without."

[mucco]

There are plenty of rocks you can put your chain on to break it, but you realize it would take some time, and you hear steps of guards on the first floor, above you. It looks like there is little time to escape. Waxx and Ruckey seem agitated, and as they pick up some weapons they want to run away as fast as possible.

Items picked up:
Trent: short sword, chain shirt
Bomgar: long sword, large shield
Ronald: long sword, large shield, chainmail
Fenris: still to decide
Vorel: still to decide

Waxx: short sword
Ruckey: long sword, large shield

King Tius, the chain has hardness 10 and 5 hp. With your longsword, your damage roll is 1d8+6 two-handed, or 1d8+4 if you keep the shield on. This means you have no chance to break it in one hit, as your max damage is 14. Alternatively, you could take 20 on a strength check as Roland uses Aid Another, and burst the chain. But breaking it is probably faster.

[Havelock]

Vorel grabbed a chain shirt and a long sword.

[King Tius]

OOC: I guess we can fight as a chain gang, it'll just be harder to do so.

If nobody else wants the chain shirt, Bomgar will put it on.

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris will look for a spear, and if he cant find one, just picks up a shield.

[mucco]

As Roland gestures to everyone to run out, Waxx and Ruckey immediately dart out. Ruckey shouts, Run guys run! This is going to be hell in one minute, we need to get away fast!

As you reach the section with the smashed roof, you see several wood plaks laying around. Waxx quickly puts a couple of those across the moat and gestures frantically to Trent, who's at one end of the chain, to cross the moat on the planks. it seems quite unstable right now though - you only have about two feet of width to walk on. The wind and rain are also making the crossing a bit harder. You still hear shouts on the inside of the prison, but nobody has showed up on the roof yet. You realize it might be a matter of seconds though.

Items picked up, final list. Feel free to add them to your inventory.
Trent: short sword, chain shirt
Bomgar: long sword, large shield
Ronald: long sword, large shield, chainmail
Fenris: large shield
Vorel: long sword, chain shirt

Waxx: short sword
Ruckey: long sword, large shield

[TimelordSimone]

"Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going..." Trent mutters as he makes his way hurriedly across the makeshift bridge. "You guys okay?" he shouts back to the others, "because I don't want to have to drag any of you out of the water."

[mucco]

Since the chain is too short for someone to cross alone, you all have to cross the improvised bridge in short sequence. It goes pretty smoothly, aside from Roland almost falling down the moat before regaining his balance. The feat required some time, and as a result the road you now are in is prefectly empty, save for two guards who shout at you. The guards carry the red emblem of Galsaff's militia, and wield a shortsword and a small shield.

Hey, you prisoners. Lay down your weapons and we won't hurt you too much when we execute you. Now get back in your cage, scum!

You do notice they sound a lot braver than they seem to be. They're trying to keep their distance, and they are right in the middle of the path towards the Dark Wood, west of Galsaff. You might be able to run from them as there are side streets, or you can try to overcome them and run straight for your freedom. The Dark Wood isn't more than a mile away.

Rolling Spot checks.
Vorel: [roll0]
Roland: [roll1]
Bomgar: [roll2]
Trent: [roll3]
Fenris: [roll4]

Roland, Bomgar and Trent notice a third guard hiding on the roof, readying his crossbow. The wind and rain will probably make it harder for him to hit you but he might nevertheless prove dangerous.

[Sir Shadow]

Seeing as he is stuck in part of a chain gang and can't really move anywhere, Fenris readies an action to move along with the rest of the chain. "Let's go through the side street, no point in getting into a fight when we're stuck like this," He whispers to those beside him.

[King Tius]

Bomgar casts Shield of Faith upon himself. With his sword he points at the crossbowman on the roof and then at the talking guard.

"Get out of my way and I'll not put my holy foot up your arse!"

[mucco]

One of the guards steps forward and tries to make Bomgar lose his grip on his sword.

Are you not listening? I told you to lay your weapons down!

Bomgar's AoO for Disarm (you can choose not to do it, just tell me, rolling here for the sake of speed).
To hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Opposed rolls.
Guard 2: [roll2]
Bomgar: [roll3]

As the guard tries to get nearer to the Favored Soul, the dwarf strikes him unconscious in a single hit.

Trent up.

Fenris does have room to maneuver a bit. The fact he is chained to everyone else means he can't run away, but he is able to fight effectively and move up to 10 feet during a turn. Including a charge, if you wish to do it. :smalltongue:

[TimelordSimone]

"Ha! Excellent work." Trent lauds his dwarven companion as he swings his sword at the other guard, making sure not to forget about the crossbowman.

I've assumed I can manoeuvre myself to melee distance.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: Messed up the tags. In OoC thread.

+1 Dodge bonus to armour class against the crossbowman.

[mucco]

As you advance to strike the second guard, the crossbowman tries to snipe you.

To hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

His bolt hits your chain shirt in a place well protected. Though, you miss the guard you were trying to hit - he easily manages to dodge your attack.

Roland up. Nice job so far guys.

[chrisrawr]

Roland charges up beside Trent. Bringing his sword to bear on the guard, he summons up all the indignity of his time in captivity - and with this hatred behind it, he slams the sword into the guard.

Chage Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]

[mucco]

Roland hits the guard in the guts, which makes his scream and fall to his knees helpless. Save for the crossbowman, it seems that the path is clear. The storm is making visibility a bit difficult, but you can make out the outline of the Dark Wood.

[mucco]

*Cough* going to move things up a bit, if that's ok with everyone. We got to do 20 levels, so we better not stop now. :smallbiggrin:

As you run for freedom toward the forest, the crossbowman tries to avenge his comrades with two more shots.

Attack 1, against Bomgar
To hit: [roll0] vs AC 12 - hit
Damage: [roll1]

Attack 2, against Roland
To hit: [roll2] vs AC 19
Damage: [roll3]


The first bolt hits Bomgar in the leg, causing him a great pain. Roland sees the bolt directed at him fly a couple feet away from him.

After about two minutes of running, you exit the town limits and are now in open fields, with the forest getting always nearer. In the distance, you can spot a brigade of goblins marching toward the improvised fortifications. The heavy rain has made the terrain muddy, so you advance slowly. Fortunately, nobody seems to be running after you in the chaos of the battle. There are no peasants either, as the temple bells had recalled them back into the city earlier. You are alone in the torrential rain.

It takes you a hour of crawling through knee-deep mud to reach the first trees of the Dark Wood, and it's dusk. The rain is starting to slow down, and the temperature is falling rapidly. Being wet doesn't help, and you all start to feel a very annoying cold. You hear the battle raging, especially in the direction of the crossroads with the Big Yew, it seems. Visibility is still a bit too low to make out the outline of the magnificent tree that was described to you.

As you finally reach some solid ground, you also find some rocks to break your chains with.

Let's hear about some plans for the evening and night.

[King Tius]

Bomgar casts Lesser Vigor upon himself at the first opportunity, healing his wounds over the 7 rounds following that.

"We need to find clothes and put some more ground between us and the prison. They'll send a search party after us, I'm sure."

[Havelock]

Clothes, uhm, you see the seamstress shop over there? Vorel gesticulated towards the trees in what occured to be a random direction Because I don't, now I suppose we are not so lucky that one of us actually knows how to live in the wilderness?

[Sir Shadow]

"I do... and I don't think we should worry too much about the guards searching for us... well, at least I'm not important enough to chase into a forest filled with things that want to kill you; don't know about the rest of you." Fenris grunts out these words as he lays his chain on a rock and smashes it with a borrowed weapon.

[mucco]

as he smashes a random rock into the chains, because apparently that will work.

It won't, but they provide a solid base to use as an anvil while you smash them with your weapons, now that you have some time. If you do want to break the chains. :smalltongue:

[Sir Shadow]

Then yea, let's do that.

[chrisrawr]

Roland turns to Fenris and tosses him his borrowed longsword. "Use this, break my chains near the manacle, I'll return the favour. I'll be more handy with the length of chain than the sword, anyways."

[TimelordSimone]

"I think we should make a fire?" Trent suggests, shivering from the cold, "If we can find some dry wood or something..."

[mucco]

Around you, there is no dry wood you can see. The forest is pretty thick however, to find some good wood maybe it's better to go deeper. Otherwise, there are some branches of green wood around. Young trees are much more impervious to rain, but they create a lot of smoke when they burn.

As you discuss the course of action, the sun sets, reducing visibility. It's a lot harder to spot the smoke of a fire during the night, of course. Also, it has almost stopped raining. You still hear the sound of battle, but it's getting quieter as the night falls. The attack will probably end soon, and it seems the city has held.

Vorel:
Knowledge (Local): 18, see OoC thread

Vorel remembers that goblins do not limit themselves to frontal attack, but are often known for employing different strategies. However, she is not able to remember any.

[chrisrawr]

"We should get deeper into the trees." Roland feels much more confident with a length of chain between his hands; it carried memories he'd rather leave buried, but it also increased his chances of survival. "I don't like the idea of a fire just yet, but if you see any dry branches or twigs be sure to grab them; a cold sleep on over-exercised muscles is not something you want to feel in the morning.

Then, as an afterthought, he adds "We'll need to work out a watch."

[mucco]

As you walk a bit around, you are able to find decent wood. Nothing too awesome, but it *should* be able to burn with some help.

So, as an improvised spiked chain that is not spiked, I'll give you a -2 to hit and it deals 1d4 bludgeoning instead of 2d4 piercing. It will otherwise work like a spiked chain.

To everyone else, are you still here? I was expecting more activity in this game.

[Sir Shadow]

(( I was kind of waiting to hear whether or not the chains were broken, should post later if they were... ))

[mucco]

They were. Waiting for actions on everyone's part. :smallsmile:

[Havelock]

Good thing we don't have to rely on my skills to keep us fed, then there'd be starving. Vorel shrugged. I know some good stories though, so we there would not be any boredom.

[TimelordSimone]

"Oh I hadn't even thought about food yet." Trent looks around vaguely, "does anyone know what plants are poisonous and the like?"

He sighs lightly, before adding "I'll take first watch."

[chrisrawr]

"Plants?" Roland sneers, incredulous. "Got nothing there - never thought I'd have to go farther than the market for something to eat." He swings the chain around, testing its arc and heft, idly wincing as the lack of weighted ends brings one swing around too slow, and causes another to flop. He was going to need his old lion beater, fast, or they'd run into trouble the kind they couldn't handle. He'd hate to run into a boar out here without a pike, too. "...Sure be nice to have some boar, though" he mutters...

[mucco]

Waxx steps up and says, I am going to take the second watch.

Ruckey instead is more prone on exploring a bit to find something useful. Anyone wants to come with me to the Big Yew? Roland, your friend said something about a tree, not that I remember well. If you do, want to check that out?

[chrisrawr]

"She said she'd get something out to us, yeah. I suppose I'll take second watch after I get back from searching." Roland rubs his face to get rid of some weariness, and then trundles off after Ruckey.

[mucco]

It takes about 15 minutes of careful walking for the two of you to get to the Big Yew. It is... really big. More than one hundred feet tall, it towers over the crossroad for Icmud. You can sense something odd about this tree, but you can't quite understand what it really is. It is unsettling but beautiful in a sense.

This feeling grows stronger as you approach the tree and search it. And, surprise, you find something! It's a big sack containing three backpacks. One of them is full of dried food. One of them has dry clothes in it. The third has a very big sheet made of a material that seems to be quite waterproof, like the big sack. Enveloped inside it there are five torches and flint and steel. In the big sack there's also seven bedrolls, and a letter with the word "Roland" on it.

Roland:
Dear Rol,
this is all I could put together. the bedrolls were easy to get, but I had some difficulty with clothes. They're well suited to people like you, and they did cost me a bit. I am sure you will find them awesome - about time for a small treat! The food is mostly salted meat from my parents' farmhouse. We always keep a good supply of it in case of emergencies like this one. But don't expect us to feed you on a regular basis, of course! My mother was annoyed enough at me for these already.

Anyway, my contact will come to meet you in two days, early morning. Be prepared and tidy if you can, because he's an important person and doesn't like dirty people. I won't be there, sadly, because I have other business to attend to.

I hope we can see each other soon, Rol. I really do. Hugs

Pestal

Ruckey is amazed at the contents of the sack. Man, you have awesome friends Roland! I feel I love that girl already... I'll surely give her a try next time I see her! I mean, out of gratitude, no? He laughs. Jokes aside, let's bring this stuff over to the others quickly. Waxx will be happy about this...

You can see nobody around in the night.

Contents of the sack:
10 trail rations. Luxury trail rations.
5 Explorer's Outfits.
7 Bedrolls.
1 Sack.
3 Backpacks.
1 very big waterproof blanket (15x15).
5 Torches.
1 Flint and steel.

Feel free to split the stuff up. Also, after you get back (if you do), someone is starting to feel sleepy.

[chrisrawr]

Roland puts on the clothes, tucks the note into a pocket, and lights a torch. Then, he hefts the sack over his shoulder and begins his way back to camp.

[mucco]

You come back to the camp safely, noticing no dangers, patrols or other during the trip back. You find people trying to set up a rough camp before sleeping.

[Havelock]

As Roland returned she could see Vorel sitting on a branch, pop a mushroom up in the air, catch it with her mouth and chew on it Not poisonous!, she sounded relieved and slightly nervous.

Bluff [roll0] she's just putting on a show, probably won't even work on anyone with ranks in survival. She wouldn't do that if she didn't know it to be safe, and she's only got half a rank :smallcool:

What have you there? the girl seemed to have energy to spare, despite everything they had been through today, as she jumped down and almost danced across the clearing to see what Roland had found.

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris spends his time assisting setting up camp and generally sniffing around the area looking for anything useful.

[roll0]

[mucco]

As you see Roland returning with the equipment, night grows late. It is pretty cold now, and maybe a fire would help. Pestal's rations taste good though, and for you it is a satisfying meal after many disgusting days in prison. Fenris, after looking and sniffing around, is able to garnish his meat with a couple aromatic herbs and mushrooms. He also puts up a reasonable tent with tree branches and the large waterproof sheet.

Your two companions drift off to sleep immediately, very tired of the day. As you discuss the last things to do before going to sleep, Trent prepares for his first watch.

I am assuming everyone of you has eaten a trail rations from the sack, leaving three more. The NPCs are surely eating theirs, state if you don't. Also Fenris is not able to find a full ration's worth of food because that's a check that requires hours. It does however help for setting up a camp and garnishing the meat. :smallsmile:

I want to know:
- whether you light a fire before sleeping;
- any other actions you intend to do.

If I get no answer in a reasonable time, I assume you don't light the fire and you go to sleep with the NPCs. I will then start the night and bad stuff will obviously happen. :smallbiggrin:

[chrisrawr]

"Anyone handy with a flint? I haven't had to light my own fire since god knows when as a child."

[Havelock]

Oh, let me show you Vorel grabbed the flint and steel, and ignited the woord. Your turn next time

[King Tius]

Bomgar

Bomgar smiles as the clothes are revealed. "Ah, I see you did manage to find a tailor." Bomgar rifles through the clothes and finds something that suits him (ideally a vest and some pants, but he's not picky). With the fire being prepared, he approaches Trent and takes a seat.

"Mind if I join you for first watch? I don't think I'll be able to sleep even after all the excitement."

OOC: Back from my trip, sorry for the absence!

[mucco]

As you go to sleep, the temperature falls sharply but the fire is there, warming your bodies. It is a small fire and it is giving off quite a bit of smoke, but the night is very dark and you can hardly see the smoke in the air. As time passes on, before you end your first shift, you can hear a loud BOOM in the direction of the city.

When you look to see what's happened, you notice that the goblins have managed to sneak a small detachment right behind the main walls and into the zone you exited the city from, and have now destroyed the defenses in that location. It looks like it will be a very, very bad night for Galsaff...

Nothing else, aside from screams of civilians, disturbs you during your shift, which ends peacefully. Just as you stand up to wake your companions for the second shift, you can spot the goblins rushing out of the city, followed by the human soldiers, satisfied of their incursion. They also spread out, but nobody is coming your direction.

[TimelordSimone]

Trent wakes up the guys for the second watch.
"Guys, there's a lot of noise coming from town. We may not get an entirely restful night, but I think I'm going to try and get some sleep anyway" He stretches and yawns. "Good night. Have fun."

[mucco]

Trent goes to sleep after having awakened Waxx, and the next thing you hear is birds chirping in a chilly, yet sunny, early morning. The sun has just risen and the sky isn't fully lit yet when Waxx wakes you all up.

Heya, people, time to stand up and decide what to do. I put out the fire before sunrise, so nobody would see us. We got no food for today though, so I suppose we should be searching for some. With such rain, I wouldn't be surprised to see lots of mushrooms 'round here.

As he walks closer, his voice almost becomes a whisper. He steps into a shady position, making the X-shaped scar on his face look frightening. Besides, I've seen a couple guards around. They haven't pushed as far as here, but they'll get here eventually. We got to move and quickly, or they'll find us. I know them.

[chrisrawr]

Roland grunts, and nearly rolls over to go back to sleep, before releasing a long sigh. The ground was a lot softer of a bed than he'd been used to in a while, the thought of which brought a laugh to his throat.

"I suppose you're right," he says, as Waxx finishes talking, "At the least, we'll meet up back here before sundown to set a new watch. Other than that, we've got nothing to do until our esteemed colleague meets us - we might as well scrounge up a little grub."

[mucco]

Very well, says Waxx. He glances for a second at his friend Ruckey, who has stayed silent the whole time. As Ruckey answers the silent signal they both take their stuff and walk away. Waxx speaks one more time: So, see you this evening, right here. Try not to get caught!

The two friends quickly disappear in the Dark Wood, leaving you guys alone. After a few minutes, you hear the bells of Pelor's church in the town and realize the guards might start searching for you heavily soon. You don't know much about your surroundings, aside from the city roughly a mile to the West, the forest expanding eastward and northward, and a lot of hills to the south.

There is a road going east, leading to the city of Icmud, which none of you has visited yet.

Vorel
Knowledge (Geography): [roll0]

You know the Dark Wood to be very, very big, but you aren't sure exactly how much. You also seem to recall Icmud to be in a swampy place.

[Sir Shadow]

"We should head deeper into the woods, and I'd suggest we not reconvene here, it's too close to the city."

[Havelock]

Do we know where we are supposed to meet this guy? Vorel surveyed the surrounding area for something that might be edible Because it would be sort of silly to be walking around in circles not meeting each other

[mucco]

You know it's by the Big Yew.

[King Tius]

Bomgar
"Aye, let's get a move on, then." The stoic Dwarf gets to his feet before dusting himself off and starting to walk off. He gets about 10 paces before stopping and turning back. "Someone else should probably lead the way. I've not spent much time above ground."

[mucco]

You start wandering around in the forest. The lush vegetation gives you a bit of trouble moving around, but that's not really a problem since you aren't going anywhere. This forest seems more similar to a jungle sometimes. What's strange, you are in almost complete silence. No birds are chirping and no wind is blowing. The only sound is rainwater dripping from leaves, but as the day progresses that sound stops too.

Survival checks for food
Roland: [roll0]
Vorel: [roll1]
Bomgar: [roll2]
Fenris: [roll3]
Trent: [roll4]

You are able to find 11 rations.

In the afternoon, you stumble on a pretty big mound with what seems to be a trapdoor on its side. There are also evident tracks of a man having been here, probably after the rain. There also are spots of blood over the leaves nearby.

[chrisrawr]

Aaaaaand with that, Roland backs away, and then heads back to camp, to await the time of meeting. Having just escaped jail, any kind of guard worth their salt is going to rank the merry gang he'd gathered as suspects numeros unos when blood's involved. Curiosity killed the were-cat, as they say.

[Havelock]

Where do you think you're going? Vorel glares at Roland inquisitively.Let's check it out!

[chrisrawr]

"I'm going back to camp," Roland drawls, "We've got an important meeting that we'll regret. missing. Especially if we're in jail."

[Havelock]

This doesn't look like a jail to me

[TimelordSimone]

Trent glances between Vorel and Roland "I think we could have a quick look, and then later we can decide whether or not to investigate further."

[mucco]

Assuming Roland goes back to the camp while everyone else stays there.

Roland goes away as you other guys remain around the bloodied mound.

Roland:
It doesn't take you long to find the cmap you left in the morning, but before you reach it you are able to spot two Galsaff guards which are searching throuh the remains. They seem to be looking for clues, and they're wielding weapons as if they were expecting an ambush. They seem very wary.

Listen check: [roll0]

You are not sure, but you think you heard them talking about going back to report to their sergeant.

Everyone else:
All seems still around you as Roland walks away.

What do you do?

[chrisrawr]

Roland freezes for a minute to work things through in his head. If he kills the guards, and they fail to report, more would come, and he'd be charged with murder as well as escape. If he lets the guards report, their camp will be flooded with trackers, and there's no way they'd be able to hide from that. In the end, his conscience wins through, and he turns to run back as silently as he can - he's got to warn the others, they need to get everything they can and run. He wouldn't have blood on his hands for this, but he couldn't just let them get caught all over again, not after being free. They needed to hide their tracks somehow, but he could think on that later.

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris shrugs, and decides to do what no one else had done as of yet... Open the door. He casually walks up to it and attempts to pull it open. If it resists, he'll knock.

[mucco]

Roland:
You start to make your way back toward the others, but it'll take a little while.

Everyone else:
As Fenris opens the trapdoor, he reveals a very steep staircase made of packed earth. It goes down straight for about fifteen steps, then it turns so you can't see where it's going. There seems to be no lighting inside, but you can make out the outlines of unlit torches hung on a wall. The first steps after the door also feature blood spots.

[Havelock]

So, are you headed down or not? Vorel didn't seem to approve of waiting.

[Sir Shadow]

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I can't see in the dark." He looks down the stairs at the darkening passageway.

[Havelock]

You better get a torch going if you are afraid of the dark, then. Vorel headed down the stairs to look around the corner, she didn't mind the dark.

[Sir Shadow]

"I don't mind the dark, I mind what's in the dark that I can't see..." He offers no further argument though, and instead follows her cautiously down.

[Havelock]

Vorel mumbled some not so nice words about "lesser races" and their inferior eyesight in draconic as she descended the staircase.

[TimelordSimone]

"Hey wait up you guys." Trent follows behind, taking and lighting one of the torches from the wall.

[mucco]

All but Roland:
Assuming the marching order is Vorel -> Fenris -> Bomgar -> Trent. The staircase is five or six feet across, so you can't really be side by side.

You begin descending the staircase, with the bold Bard leading the way. The steps take a turn to the right, leading to a short corridor before another turn right. When Vorel turns right, she finds a place filled with darkness she can't seem to look through. Amidst the blackness, she can quite clearly see four small red lights pointing toward her, and everyone can hear deep, threatening growls. Nobody but the bard has seen the red eyes though.

Initiative!
Trent: [roll3]
Bomgar: [roll2]
Vorel: [roll0]
Red eyes 1: [roll4]
Red eyes 2: [roll5]
Fenris: [roll1]

Trent is up.

Roland:
As you walk back to the mound you left before, you stumble in Waxx. He is frightened, terrified even. And wounded. HELP! I need your help! We were attacked by a horrible monster holding a huge spear! And Ruckey was hit by it... and I thought he would die, but he seemed to lose his mind instead. He turned against me! He looked like he was completely mad... out of himself.

After he calms, Waxx is able to explain that his friend was badly wounded, and that was probably why Waxx was able to escape. He also says that the monster, a strange sort of giant, seemed pleased enough and retreated when he saw Ruckey turn against him.

[TimelordSimone]

Trent draws his sword and moves forwards cautiously, stopping next to Vorel. He holds the torch up in his off-hand, and braces himself to fight, shimmering out of focus.

I've activated my Arcane Stunt, so I'm blurry for a round. 20% miss chance.
Ready action: attack the first enemy to move into range.

[mucco]

Trent's torch isn't able to clear the darkness ahead, but it does provide Vorel with enough ambient light to help him make out what exactly those things are: two horned, black and red hounds with scary fangs.

Bomgar up.

Link to the map (https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AqQvX9p8QbyJdGpfdnNWRFRkY01saUN0eTZaNXV2X 1E&hl=en&authkey=CPnrwJUH)

[King Tius]

Bomgar moves to F6 and casts Shield of Faith on himself.

[mucco]

Vorel up.
Spellcraft: [roll0] (forgot before)

[Havelock]

I delay, want those things out of the darkness (assuming they don't do ranged attacks).

[chrisrawr]

"We've got bigger fish to fry, Waxx. Go find the rest of the escapees, I'll help your friend!" Roland hastily explains to Waxx where the rest of the group is, hoping he'll be able to find it in haste. Then, he sets off on Waxx's old path, hoping he can find the man's friend before the 'monster' finds him.

[mucco]

Roland:
Waxx looks shocked, but agrees. He starts going the way you say as you retrace his steps back. However, after a while you find that Waxx apparently had changed directions often, and his older path crosses yours a couple of times. Waxx is much ahead though by now, and he's not on sight anymore.

DM's comment: heh, heh, heh. Nice. :smallamused:

Everyone else:
The two figures emerge from the darkness, revealing their nature of hellish hounds. They charge the first liners and try to bite them but, as the first of them arrives, Trent manages to attack it.

Trent's readied action, attack R1.
To hit: [roll0] (crit: [roll1]) miss
Damage: [roll2]

R1 attacks Trent.
Concealment: [roll3]; to hit: [roll4] (crit: [roll5]) miss
Damage: [roll6]

R2 attacks Bomgar.
To hit: [roll7] (crit: [roll8]) miss
Damage: [roll9]

The first hound bites into Trent's arm without hurting him, thanks to his chain shirt, while the swashbuckler isn't able to retaliate. Bomgar defends himself well from the attack of his enemy, as well.

Initiative:
Fenris: 3
-
Bomgar: 19
Vorel: 17
Trent: 16
Red eyes 1: 16
Red eyes 2: 5

Fenris up.

[Havelock]

Timeout

I delayed, and would have wanted in directly after R1 had moved, since I then can full attack it, so Vorel should now be between R1 and R2. Bomgar also should get an AoO on R1.

Time-in

Full attack, two claws:
To hit: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2] Damage: [roll3]

And:

To hit: [roll4] Damage: [roll5]
Crit: [roll6] Damage: [roll7]

[mucco]

Alright. Too bad both of your attack miss.

Bomgar doesn't get an AoO because he didn't draw a weapon (I'd let him retroactively do it, but with a BAB of 0, he can't combine a move action with drawing a sword), so he doesn't threaten the squares crossed by R1. Speaking of which, King Tius, I'd be glad if you could update your sheet with your equipment, thanks. :smallsmile:

Initiative
Fenris: 3
-
Bomgar: 19
Trent: 16
Red eyes 1: 16
Vorel: 5
Red eyes 2: 5

[King Tius]

Bomgar
Current AC: 17 (+2 from Shield of Faith)
The surly Dwarf draws his sword and attacks!


Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

OOC: Sheet Updated. I could use some armor lol.

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris rushes toward one of the beasties and attempts to do what he does best at this particular moment in time: Grapple.

Trying to grapple closest one
Touch Attack: [roll0]
Grapple Check: [roll1]

[mucco]

Fenris tries to squeeze past his opponents in order to find a suitable place to confront them. While moving, though, he exposes himself to attacks.

Map (https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AqQvX9p8QbyJdGpfdnNWRFRkY01saUN0eTZaNXV2X 1E&hl=en&authkey=CPnrwJUH)

As you have to move to G7 to do what you said, you provoke two AoOs.
R1's AoO:
To hit: [roll0] Damage: [roll1] miss
Crit: [roll2] Damage: [roll3]

R2's AoO:
To hit: [roll4] Damage: [roll5] hit
Crit: [roll6] Damage: [roll7]

Fenris takes 4 points of damage.


Fenris then grabs one of the hounds by the horns and holds it tight. The hound seems to suffer a lot.

You win the grapple check, rolling here damage for you. Assuming it is lethal.
Damage: [roll8]

While Fenris is doing this, you hear an odd sound, which could be described as a mechanical gear rotating, in the tunnel behind you. However, you are not able to see what it exactly is.

Bomgar hits heavily the monster in front of him, rendering him unconscious with a single strike.

Initiative:

Trent: 16
Red eyes 1: 16
Vorel: 5
Fenris: 3
-
Bomgar: 19

[TimelordSimone]

Trent swings his sword at the creature Fenris is grappling, taking advantage of its limited mobility.

I think it loses its Dex bonus to AC because it's being grappled? Woo.
Attack roll: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

[chrisrawr]

Roland stops before he gets lost, and tries to find a vantage point with which to orient himself. At the worst, he can try to... awwww crap.

Survival to not be awww crap [roll0]

[mucco]

Roland:
You aren't lost, because you can find your own tracks as well as Waxx's ones. Actually, you have quite a good grasp on your location. You don't know, however, where Waxx's tracks go. You have before you both your former tracks, which lead back to the group and the ones Waxx has been following, and Waxx's earlier tracks, which are wandering in the forest. Which ones will you follow?

Everyone else:
Trent misses with his attack.

On his turn, the hound tries to escape the fight with Fenris.
R1's grapple: [roll0]
Fenris' grapple: [roll1]

Apparently, the hound manages to excape the grapple against all odds.

Vorel is up.

[chrisrawr]

Roland:
You aren't lost, because you can find your own tracks as well as Waxx's ones. Actually, you have quite a good grasp on your location. You don't know, however, where Waxx's tracks go. You have before you both your former tracks, which lead back to the group and the ones Waxx has been following, and Waxx's earlier tracks, which are wandering in the forest. Which ones will you follow?


OOC:Oops :smallredface: I thought I'd lost Waxx's tracks. WELL THEN! Nevermind, Roland continues following the tracks.

SNEAK ATTACK!

[Havelock]

Delay.

If Fenris does his grapple thing and succeeds, I want in (because I can then five foot step into the square he left and full attack), otherwise I want in after Bomgar, and tell him to make room for me (5 foot step forward or whatever).

[King Tius]

Bomgar
The Dwarf takes a five foot step forward and attacks again:

Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[mucco]

Bomgar
The Dwarf takes a five foot step forward and attacks again:

Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Not your turn yet, I'm sorry. And something will happen before your turn comes up...

[Sir Shadow]

Now that he's this close to the creature, Fenris figures he might as well press his advantage.


Touching is good: [roll0]
Grapple w/ me!: [roll1]

[mucco]

As you try to catch the horns of the hound again, he manages to dodge your grasp.

While you are trying to wrestle your foe, you all hear the sound of someone slowly walking in the tunnel, behind you. Trent is able to recognize the body of Ruckey, your former cell companion. In the darkness, though, you can't tell anything about him aside from the fact he seems to be limping. And he is silent.

While you are noticing this, Bomgar slices the hound in half.

Bomgar: 19
UP NOW -> Trent: 16
Ruckey: 14
Vorel: 5
Fenris: 3

[TimelordSimone]

Trent stays where is, and calls out to Ruckey as he approaches. "Ruckey? You okay man?"

[mucco]

Ruckey seems to catch sight of your group, but he does not answer your question. Instead, he emits a low sound while he hastily shambles toward you. He comes into the light of the torch Trent is holding, and it is now clear what happened to him.

His skin turned grayish, his muscles not able to sustain him in a proper fashion anymore, his eyes now moving emptily from one direction to another, and most of all, the huge hole in his chest...

He lunges at Vorel's figure, muttering...

To hit AC 18: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2] Damage: [roll3]

Hit for 7 damage. Vorel got a bit unlucky :smallsmile:

...BRAINS...

I don't think anyone will have to roll Knowledge(religion) for this one. :smallbiggrin:

Initiative
Bomgar: 19
Trent: 16
Zombie Ruckey: 14
UP NOW -> Vorel: 5
Fenris: 3

[mucco]

Enforcing the 48-hour rule. NPC-ing Vorel, as I don't really want her to lose her turn now.

Vorel, harshly hurt by the zombie, sidesteps before scratching her foe with both claws. One connects and tears some rotten flesh away, but the other is dodged.

5-foot step to D8 to make room for another combatant.
Full attack
Claw 1: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

Claw 2: [roll2] Damage: [roll3]

Crit rolls aren't necessary this time. :smallsmile:

Initiative
Bomgar: 19
Trent: 16
Zombie Ruckey: 14
Vorel: 5
UP NOW -> Fenris: 3

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris isn't quite sure what's going on here, but he moves to restrain his one-time companion, careful to avoid being bitten. Really, he'd like to know how this occurred, but it doesn't seem like 'Ruckey' is in much of a mood to speak. He gracefully steps into the square Vorel recently occupied and lunges for the grey-skinned fiend.

TOUCHING!: [roll0]
GRAPPLING!: [roll1]

[mucco]

You win the grapple, Damage roll: [roll0]

Fenris catches the zombie by an arm and holds it very tightly, twisting it behind the creature's back.

Initiative
UP NOW -> Bomgar: 19
Trent: 16
Zombie Ruckey: 14
Vorel: 5
Fenris: 3

[King Tius]

Bomgar
Current AC: 17 (+2 from Shield of Faith)
With the zombie partially pinned, Bomgar attempts to kill the undead creature without hurting his companion.

Attack Roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

OOC: Wish I had Cure Light Wounds to cast on this zombie!

[mucco]

Bomgar chops away the head of the zombie, which collapses to the ground, immobile.

Nothing seems to be moving anymore. It is all very, very quiet. Ruckey's head, slightly distorced by the transformation and now severed, lies in a corner. The unexpressive face seems to be looking at you as you decide what to do next.

Roland:
You keep following Waxx's tracks, but it'll still take a bit of time.

Everyone else:
Out of initiative order. Please update your sheets with damage taken and spells cast. And good job.

[TimelordSimone]

"So... that was interesting." Trent nudges the head that used to belong to Ruckey with his foot, visibly unnerved, "We should find the others. See if they're okay."

[mucco]

As you discuss what to do next, you see Roland coming back. There are also more huge footprints around.

[chrisrawr]

Noticing Ruckey's body on the ground, Roland lets out a couple censored words. "Crap, have any of you seen a giant lately? Actually, nevermind that - We've got to get out out of here. There's guards at our camp and who knows what-else looking for us. Our best bet is to break for the Yew, and hope our benefactor gets there early."

[TimelordSimone]

Trent pales at the mention of the word 'giant', and begin anxiously chewing his lower lip. "Oh gods, Roland what's going on up there?"

[chrisrawr]

"HAH! I wish I knew," Roland barks, harsh and cold. "I just..." he starts, pausing to find the right words, "I just want to go home."

"HAH! I wish I knew," Roland barks, harsh and cold. "I just..." he starts, pausing for dramatic effect sympathy points to find the right words, "I just want to go home."

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris looks down the dark hallway leading to the unknown. He wants to know where it leads but... "Yea... I think we should make a run for the Yew..."

[TimelordSimone]

Trent follows Fenris' gaze into the darkness. He, too, would like to know where it leads. "Yeah. We can't stay here, could be a dead end. Hopefully we can come back when it's somewhat safer."

[King Tius]

OOC: Was Ruckey wearing any armor? If so, I could use it!

Bomgar's eyes light up at the word "Giants."

"What's this now about Giants? Haven't had the chance to kill one of them in a good long while. If our camp's been taking let's get to the Yew and be quick about it."

[mucco]

No armor, he had a large shield.

Waiting on your actions, good RP so far. :smallsmile: From now on, if nobody else says anything, I'll assume you're going to the Big Yew.

[mucco]

Very well, Big Yew it is.

As you come to the place Roland visited before, the giant yew marking the crossroads for Icmud, nothing of importance happens. From here, you can see the (maybe not so) free town of Galsaff rebuilding its fortifications. It's been a quiet day so far. This might mean that today more patrols are around and, as you can well imagine, the crossroads is one of the busiest places in the near countryside.

Around the Big Yew, all seems quiet for now. There are some wooden poles stuck in the ground, left from the last market stalls that were set up here. It is common practice for some merchants to move around their stalls and this is one of the places they like to camp in, apparently.

It is a sunny afternoon.

[TimelordSimone]

Trent plonks gracelessly to the ground and sighs deeply. "So, now we sit here and wait to find out the cost of our freedom?" He scratches the ground absently with the point of his sword.

[chrisrawr]

"I'll stand, thank you. But yes, more or less looks that way." Roland sighs, "Better than getting turned into a zombie..."

[mucco]

After a couple hours, nearly at sunset, you catch sight of a couple guards walking toward you. They seem to have seen you as well, and they're quietly approaching, weapons sheathed.

[chrisrawr]

Roland whispers to the others, "Let them get close. They don't know who we are, and we don't look like prisoners anymore. We're just out of home, from the goblin attack. Act cool."

[TimelordSimone]

"Yeah. Yeah. Cool. I can be act cool." Trent speaks quickly, fingers worrying the hem of his shirt anxiously. "I guess they are probably looking for residents. Yeah? Yeah, that'll be it." The idea calms him down somewhat, though he continues to fiddle with his clothing.

[mucco]

The guards approach. One of them starts speaking, while the other stares intently at each of you.

Greetings, travelers. Are you coming to see our fine city? If so, please, I require you to explain the purpose of your trip. It's not a good period for security now, so we're keeping an eye out for foreigners. Especially those with explosives... do you carry any? I warn you, lying on this matter will get you sentenced.

[chrisrawr]

"We're, uh... Explosives!?" This wasn't what Roland had expected, not at all. Recovering swiftly from this turnaround, he changes tactics to something he's a little more used to. "You think you can just come around, telling people off? We're citizens! The explosions forced us to leave the city! What are your names? I'll have you out on the streets! I'll have you thrown in chains for this!"

[roll0]

[Sir Shadow]

Fenris tries his best not smack Roland in the back of the head. The guards obviously thought we were travelers, and no citizens would leave the relative safety of the city for the deadly cursed woods.

[mucco]

You interrupt the guard, which backs off a bit. Hey, dude, chill! I'm not arresting you or anything, please, don't lose your temper, ok? he says, a bit worried (probably because he's outnumbered, as well). You can hear his voice shaking as he keeps speaking. We... we are just doing routine controls, so we have the authority to ask you those questions, I believe. Zarim?

The other guard steps forward, staring at Roland now, and replies: Indeed. We have the right to ask questions and, in cases where it would be necessary, to apply violence as well, since we're still within Barony land. I hope it will not be necessary, as I am sure you are going to give us proper explanations, am I right? His tone is firm but still calm. He is an aging man, and looks like the type who has seen a lot of these situations.

[chrisrawr]

"You've got your explanation - Our homes were attacked, and there were goblins. We're scared, we're on edge, and I'm going to have someone's hide for it."

[mucco]

Very well, that suffices. I wish you and your group a good evening. The elderly guard bows and turns to go home, waving the other soldier to come with him.

You are now alone, and remain so for the rest of the night, which passes quietly. A bit cold, maybe.

The next morning, a thin haze has surrounded the place, reducing visibility a bit. It makes for a very gloomy landscape, which contrasts heavily with the mood of your contact. He comes early in the morning, riding a white horse, accompanied by Pestal, whom you already have known. His long, brown hair covers a couple of big earrings and his clothing is flamboyant, concealing his middle-aged appearance.

In an agile move, he dismounts the horse and bows to you. Sir Faldr Honnis, at your service. Or, should I say, that you are at my service, aren't I right? He smiles. Of course I am no evil man, so you don't have to fear me. I summoned you because I am in dire need of a favour. By the Nine Hells, I couldn't find anyone with such a big debt with me to "convince" him to do this! So I had to craft myself a big credit with someone obviously, and here you are. Smart, huh?

*cough* *cough* Anyway, here's the problem. My son has been kidnapped and you are to find him. He is called Dsaaz and is four years old. I've had a friend tell me that he was taken by some sort of giant, but I am not sure. What I am sure of, is that my son is in this forest. Meet you in a week with him? He smiles again... he doesn't seem at all worried by the disappearance of his son.

[TimelordSimone]

"Hang on..." Trent mulls over this Faldr's words carefully, "Are you saying you got us arrested?" Trent's displeasure is clear on his face.

[mucco]

Faldr laughs. Hah! Of course not. I merely asked your acquaintance here (he indicates Pestal) to find some decent people in that horrible, overrowded prison which could help me out. It's full of innocents in there, you know. The Baron tends to be paranoid at times...

[chrisrawr]

"A giant... Waxx said something about a giant... WAXX!" he shouts, "Where did Waxx go?!"

[mucco]

Nobody has seen Waxx since you told him to get back to the cave.

[mucco]

The noble looks surprised. Waxx? Who is this fellow? Oh, nevermind, I imagine it would be one of your comrades. I am sure you will be able to find him quickly. He would never run away from his opportunity to become a free man (who would be me), he bows, so he's probably been trapped by whatever lurks in this wood. I am confident you are very talented at finding people. Mostly because your future depends on your talent, am I right? He smiles.

Anyway, don't worry. I have already pulled the right social levers and will see to ypur rehabilitation shortly; regardless of the outcome of your mission, the next time you will enter Galsaff as free men, I can assure you. He hesitates for a second, looks all of you straight in your eyes, and speaks again: Any questions?

The whole time, Pestal is quietly looking at Roland and seems excited.

[chrisrawr]

Roland sighs. "Sounds good," nodding his head toward the man, "We'll find your son, pick up Waxx, and... deal with whatever we need to." Swallowing, his focus shifts to Pestal. "Looks like our dinner will have to wait a little longer - I look forward to it, have no doubt." When everyone else has said their piece, he asks, "Well... are we ready to be free again?"