Kill Bargle!

[Squark]

The PartyElen Verin, Human Bard; Amnesetic (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=274227)
Thyrrik, Gray Elf Beguilder; Show (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=303998)
Gaven Dell, Human Cleric; Steward (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=303996)
Crank, warforged Totemist; Danzbir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=303815)
Sinjian, Human Figher/Cleric; Archwizard (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=305967)
Roark, the Hireling (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=306112)

The Gold Dragon Inn is a fairly typical inn, in the usually quiet town of Stronghold. Yet it's oddly quiet, today. Ordinarily, the tavern should be bustling at a time like this. But instead, the bar is almost empty, and those who are there keep to themselves. A short, attractive young woman plays the mandolin on the stage, but it's virtually the only noise in the bar. The only other sight of note is a poster on the wall.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc78/TheGreatSquark/Kill%20Bargle/REwardPoster.png

Describe your character's actions at the moment. Gaven and Sinjian can meet the rest of the party at the church. That's Elen playing the music, by the way.
OOC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11221111#post11221111)

[Amnestic]

"Another empty hall," Elen thinks to herself as she strums a merry song. Her downtrodden heart is belied by the upbeat music which her fingers pluck away. "Tips'll be a might lighter today." The notice on the wall had been burning a hole in the corner of her eye for a while. 1000 gold...it was a lot of money. Enough to keep her well fed for a good long while. And all she had to do was a little bit of bounty hunting - for a murderer no less. She could get a new tale and some cash out of this. With a sigh and a shake of her hair, Elen brings her song to a close and stands, collects her meagre payment and her items and heads to the local church; leading her horse, Lulu, by his bridle.

[Show]

A shifty-looking gray elf leans back on his chair to an almost hazardous angle, waiting for the entirely silent, tall human opposite him to play a card. The two looked entirely mismatched, the elf constantly animated and the human almost immobile. The elf's eyes repeatedly flickered towards the poster on the far wall, as well as the other patrons who he suspected had the same goals as him. A pile of gear and random detritus seemed to tower over the table. Finally, the elf tipped forward, the chair slamming into the floor with a noise somehow muted by the subdued atmosphere. The two plates on the table, still half-full, nearly fell but were quickly caught by their owners.

Thyrrik glanced across the table. Roark steadily stared back. The sound of cards on the wood table created a gentle screen of white noise. The coins once again made their way across the table, as they had for the last two hours. Somehow, neither gambler was making any gains today, that in itself was either a testament to their skill or their lack thereof.

The bard's song ended, bringing an air of finality and a new sort of silence to the stagnant air. A few more quiet hands of cards were played, but little seemed to happen. Some nonverbal cue was given, and the pair stood and began preparing to leave. The human began meticulously packing all of their supplies into only an oversize backpack via some feat of astounding organization. He quickly went about dropping the remaining supplies into a sack as the elf gathered the deck of cards with a practiced air. He glanced around the room as his comrade continued to pack, now not even trying to conceal his attempts to discern which of those in the room were fellow adventurers.

Spot: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]

After a few moments, the elf, apparently uninterested in the remaining occupants of the tavern, gave a signal to the human. They exited the tavern, one visibly more quickly than the other, neither betraying the determination and focus which carried them inevitably towards the church.

[Steward]

Anyone who happened to be walking past a particular public altar would have seen the tall, stocky man kneeling in silent meditation, his callused hands gripping a plain wooden symbol. His prayer lasts only a few moments though, and when he rises to his feet he seems rejuvenated, restored.

Hmm, now all I need to do is find my erstwhile companions, Gavan Dell thinks grimly. He feels more than a little out of place, dressed more like a Paladin than a respectable man of the cloth. His wicked-looking great axe is especially startling, but he prefers to have it with him. If the powers of evil in this place had grown so bold as to attack a noble of the realm, it was best to remain armed to the teeth.

[Archwizard]

Sinjian stood in the halls of the church. He always feels slightly uncomfortable being back in this place since he left the clergy. I can't believe I'm back here. Strange how fate steers us. But his past and personal discomfort were nothing compared to what was important: a murder had occurred, and the murderer must be brought to justice. All that remained was to see who would be accompanying him.

[danzibr]

Wearing naught but his body, Crank stepped into a tavern, a rarity for Crank. With no want nor need of beverages, Crank rarely went to such places; the few times he did, it was only to discuss religion and philosophy, though Crank had long since sorted out his views on the matters. Crank almost didn't notice the poster on the wall.

What's this? A picture of a smug man in purple. Maybe he's some sort of playwright. Crank sighed. I wish I had taken the time to learn how to read. Maybe I can sound it out...

He started at the top with the big red letters. "W... wa... warted?" This man doesn't look like he has warts. Crank sighed again. Trying to read is no use. Maybe I can...

Crank approached a nearby patron, his voice neutral, almost hollow, "Excuse me."

The patron, a nondescript humanoid, responded, "What?"

Good, this person isn't put off by my appearance. "Can you tell me about this poster?"

The humanoid eyed Crank, "That's Bargle the Infamous, wanted for murder. I don't know much. Go to the church to learn more."

Wanted! Of course, not warted. "Thank you."

Looking at the man depicted on the parchment, Bargle the Infamous, Crank's emotions stirred, anger laced with righteousness. He made for the church.

[Squark]

The Church of Heironeus is a small place. You doubt the temple can seat more than a hundred people in the chapel. A part of you wonders how the temple can afford to pay a 1000 gold crown bounty. Meeting the high priest clears that up a bit; while he's so old he needs the constant help of an acolyte just to stand, there's a distinct aura of power about him, and he gives you a quiet smile as you gather in one of the antechambers (probably a confessional, by the looks of it.


"Ah. Adventurers. I wondered if we'd see a few of my brethen apply. Just as well, really. Can't stand bounty hunters, frankly. They have an oh so annoying habit of demanding more for their services. Still, you're here. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Minister Aeles; Former adventurer, and the high priest of this temple; Although frankly, being the only priest in a town of 2000 doesn't really merit the title of high priest, does it?"

The acolyte clears his throat.

"I'm rambling again, aren't I. I do that, you know. Irregardless, we come to the matter at hand. Terrible business, this. Aleena was such a promising young cleric. Lovely voice, too. No one would have thought something like this would happen to her. Not quite sure why, either. She was such a gentle creature. We don't know why he did it, you know."

"Minister, you're beginning to ramble again. I think it's time for you to go to sleep now." The somewhat frustrated Acolyte says.

"Oh all right. Take my advice, though. Don't grow old. You get old, and all these young people treat you like a child again. And they get all embarrassed every time you talk about-"

"Now, Minister. I'm sorry. He's really a sweet old man. Very insightful at the pulpit, too. But when he get's tired, he just keeps going. I'll be brief. We need you to bring Bargle back to stand trial. Or his corpse. Keeping mages prisoner isn't exactly easy, of course, so we understand if you can't take him alive. We're pretty sure he's hiding out i the old Mistamere castle. We're not sure exactly what lives there now, although Kobolds run rampant around the area. We'll pay you 1000 gold pieces for collecting the bounty. We are not negotiating your fee. There isn't much left of the old man's old adventuring wealth, and most of the rest is being saved for emergencies.

Are there any questions?"

[Steward]

Gavan inclines his head slightly. "None from me, Your Grace." In truth, a thousand gold pieces was far more than he had ever seen. Even split amongst a small war party, it sounded like enough to tide him over for years, even after tithing a percentage of his share back to the Church.

[danzibr]

Crank watched their speech from the back of the church. As the acolyte finished, noticing nobody else had yet asked, Crank raised his neutral voice, "I have a few questions, if you don't mind. What else can you tell us about this Bargle? At the moment all we know is he's a murderer and a mage. Is the castle his permanent base, or just his current retreat? Do you have a floor plan of the castle? Does he have other bases or lackeys? Does he work with the Kobolds? Is anything known about the Kobolds?"

[Amnestic]

Elen was in an odd mood. On the one, her bounty reward would be significantly cut to ribbons by the presence of others on their little mission. On the other hand, she would be a lot less likely to get stabbed, shot, beaten or otherwise brutalised with the four people between her and the nasties that lay inside the Castle (hereafter nicknamed Castle Bargle), and she was far, far too pretty to get injured like that. She kept silent until the tall robot ("Good 'meat' shield that one.") finished asking his questions before piping up behind him as well, "Do we have the luxury of time with this task or do we have a limit on how long we can take?" She didn't really expect to waste much time; she didn't have the capital to do so, but she hated rushing a job. For one thing it never gave her time to keep herself clean.

[Archwizard]

Sinjian listened to the Acolyte finish his statement. This does seem like a straightforward issue, although going after a mage might present problems.

Sinjian turned his attention to the others' questions. Interesting questions. I like how they think. It seems they will be useful in going after this criminal.

Having nothing to add to the questions before the Acolyte, Sinjian simply waited to hear what else was asked, and for the answers.

[Squark]

Bargle's a bit of a mystery, frustratingly. Frankly, we wouldn't know he was the culprit if Aleena hadn't told us. That's part of the reason we really can't negotiate on the fee. Those diamonds cost a fortune, and that merchant knew we needed them right away. The old man keeps forgetting he raised her, though. As near as we know, he's an orphaned nobleman who was cheated out of his inheritance. He eventually got himself apprenticed to a wizard, somehow, who he'd killed within the month. He gained his moniker after he murdered a cabal of wizards in their sleep and stole their spellbooks. He was... rather thorough, but luckily one of the wizards' familiar got away. We don't know any specifics, but he has had enough time to dig in at the castle. He's certainly capable of forcing the kobolds to submit, but again, we're operating on conjecture here. On the plus side, they've sighted him several times in the last month there, so you should have time on your side.

As for the kobolds themselves, they've been a nuisance for ages. Group of mercenaries came through here two years ago and cleared them out, and within two months, they where back to raiding caravans again. I knew we paid them too much. Anyway, they've been oddly inactive lately, so maybe Bargle's reigning him in. Again, I'm sorry I can't give you specifics here. Also, look out for... unusual things in the castle. There's an old legend about a local man who was out hunting and took refuge in the castle during a storm. Came back four years later, but didn't realise more than a day had past. Of course, this was back before the kobolds found the castle. Who knows what they've done to the place.

[danzibr]

These others, the humans, seem serious about apprehending Bargle. Good.

From the back of the small church, Crank listened as the acolyte answered questions. So Aleena's been raised. Two other questions rose in Crank's mind as the man spoke, "Did the man missing for four years age four years or one day, or can you tell? And is Aleena well enough to meet with us? She could probably provide the most valuable information, but I understand if she doesn't feel up to being questioned. Lastly, would you be interested in someone dealing with the Kobolds? Perhaps something can be arranged." Aging isn't a problem for me, but for the others...

Crank eyed the others seemingly interested in the pursuit of justice. Or perhaps just in the gold. Wasn't that the woman playing at the tavern? I suppose she'd be attractive by human standards. And the men. Are they holy men themselves?

[Show]

Thyrrik emerges from an alcove, apparently unimpressed by a quick look about the somewhat modest church. He fingers the hilt of one of his swords as he speaks, although he otherwise seems confident and relaxed, perhaps to the point of boredom.

"Yes, that's all very nice, but do you have anything more... technical? Maps of the castle? Anything more specific about the kobolds' habits? Otherwise, I'd agree that some information on how this cleric-Aleena-was killed would be important." He takes a moment to look about at the assembled group, sizing up each member with a lazy glance. "I simply don't enjoy working with rumors, especially where wizards are involved. I'm sure you can respect that?"

[Squark]

Aleena's bounced back nicely, actually. But I'm afraid she's on retreat at the moment, and she's not to be disturbed at the moment. As far as the murder goes... Apparently she was murdered while she was taking a walk. She hasn't given any details of what happened. He didn't... violate her, and I don't believe he was making advances... We really don't know, I'm afraid. Bargle's a mage of some skill. We know he cast several spells of invisibility on his way out of here, and he's thrown at least one fireball in his lifetime. She was murdered by a magic missile spell, that much is clear. Deal with the kobolds if you want. Like I said, we're cash strapped, so we can't pay you for it. As far as the castle goes... No one's bee in there since the kobolds moved in, and that was a generation ago. you'll be going down into the dungeons, though. The stairs to the upper levels broke centuries ago.

[danzibr]

Hmm, the Half-Elf has a good point.

Crank's mind began to wander at the end of the acolyte's speech.

It's obvious these others are interested in detaining Bargle. Perhaps we should travel together. Some people feel strange about those like me. I'll just observe, for now.

[Archwizard]

"It certainly seems like this Bargle is someone that must be dealt with. I would not take the quieting down of kobolds as a good sign. If someone as clearly dangerous as Bargle gets control of them, that is a bad sign for everyone. You also did not answer the question about aging that it", Sinjian nodded towards the large, mechanical creature, "asked. Personally, I think we need the answer to that question."

Sinjian looked at the group, "The law has been broken, by someone that clearly is beyond the abilities of locals to deal with. I am intent on bringing this Bargle to justice, and I hope by your presence you share my intentions."

[Steward]

Gavan nods solemnly. "I agree with... aahh... this one here. The way I figure it, this Bargle fellow needs a rousting, and if the good people here can't do it, then we must do what we can." He says. "With my good buddy the Morninglord behind us, nothing will be able to stand between him and us."

[Amnestic]

"Well then, it seems that we're in agreement. Perhaps we should do introductions and get that out of the way. I'm Elen, and in case the mandolin and bar songs didn't give it away I'm a Bard by trade, with a bit of freelance adventuring on the side. You know, just to pay the bills and all."

[Show]

"The name's Thyrrik, master thie... adventurer and magical prodigy. If there's somewhere we need to go, I can get us there unscathed. Well, more or less, if you don't value your life." He makes a dismissive gesture. "Traps, walls, rich old ladies with cavalry sabers, nothing can stop me. And this is Roark-" Thyrrik indicates the tall human behnd him- "my loyal companion for at least seven more days. He's a fantastic cook, you know. Doesn't really talk, though."
Roark shrugs and the bags he carries make an odd clanking noise as their contents shift.

Thyrrik is already speaking again as he does so. "This is a rather large group, but it will have to do... especially if this excursion is as dangerous as it is being made out to be."

[Squark]

Oh. The sleeping story. That's years before my time. Years before the old man's time, for that matter. But the story said he went to sleep in a bed, and woke up with an enormous beard. Supposed to have been a real shock for everyone. Seems everyone thought he'd run away when he found out his wife was pregnant. Bit of a shock for him when he came home to a three year old son. He'd certainly aged the four years, though. But... Look. It's an old folk tale. Probably has some truth to it, but these things are depressingly vague. Comes with being a myth, I suppose. On the plus side you do have a base of operations. The Greene Family's farm is relatively close to the castle, and the Greene family have kept that farm safe since before the orc invasion two hundred years ago. As long as Bargle doesn't start helping the kobolds, old Tomas Greene should be able to keep you safe if you need a retreat.

[Steward]

Gavan salutes the others as he takes them in. "Name's Gavan Dell. I'm just an old warhorse trying to get back into the game," He says in his deep voice. He is impressed with what he's seen so far. He can remember from his old army days the wonders what bards could wreak on the battlefield; one of them was worth at least five ordinary soldiers. And no one who'd seen a wizard in action could doubt their power. He has no doubt that the rest of their little entourage would be equally powerful.

[danzibr]

"I'm Crank," the Warforged announced in a flat tone, "lover of nature. Bargle should not go unpunished. With me you can sleep soundly. If I notice more than a week of stubble on your face I'll wake you. Except you, Elen." Crank nodded to the auburn-haired woman, "You'd have to sleep with your legs bared."

Crank paused, "This is, of course, given we're working together. I'm in."

[Archwizard]

Sinjian looks intently at the assembled adventurers. "The name's Sinjian. I have made bringing lawbreakers to justice my life's work. I will have no problem working with those that share my goal." Sinjian glances around the church and then shakes his head quickly, If there is nothing more for us here, and there does not seem to be, I suggest we head to the Greene farm."

[Amnestic]

"You'd have to sleep with your legs bared."

Elen let out a rather unprofessional giggle at this. "If I didn't know better, my metal friend, I'd say you were flirting with me." She takes a moment to compose herself. "Yes, lets head out." Making sure her gear was secure, she moved outside to collect her horse.

[danzibr]

"To the Greene farm," Crank agreed with Sinjian. All of his belongings in a worn pack on his back, Crank exits the small church after Elen, "My apologies. I'm still unskilled at human interactions."

[Amnestic]

"Not to worry, I'm not skilled at Warforged interactions either." Elen replies, with a smirk on her face and a gentle laugh.

[Show]

Thyrrik follows, unimpressed by the sheer number of holy warriors.
I knew I should have left well enough alone, but nooo, I had to go and try to make some easy money...

Roark trudges along behind, bearing the burden of the pack with a dogged indifference.

[Steward]

Gavan peers curiously at the mysterious one they call 'Crank'. Amazing what they're doing with golems these days, He thinks to himself as he makes his way out of the church.

[Squark]

With the directions, you have a clear path to the castle. It's getting late, though, and you might want to stay the night at the Greene farm. The family, while a bit suspicious of you, is willing to let you spend the night in the barn, since you'll be dealing with the kobolds and Bargle.

[danzibr]

"Alright, I'll keep watch at the entrance to the barn all night. Goodnight, all."

Crank makes his way to the barn's door, staring vigilantly into the rising twilight.

[Amnestic]

Elen carefully unrolls her bedroll and - making sure she was a short distance away from the males of the group (not that she worried much with Crank staying awake) - laid her head down to sleep. "Long day tomorrow," she thinks to herself wearily. "Hate the waiting."

[Steward]

Gavan nibbles at some of his rations. They are hard, tasteless stuff -- closer maybe to wood or stone than actual food but it is what he's used to, since his army days. Even sleeping in a barn didn't seem that bad; after all, it is likely to be the last safe night's sleep that he and the others would have until Bargle was safely in custody.

Before going to sleep, Gavan decides to take the opportunity for his nightly devotions. He creeps past the golem and away from the barn to avoid disturbing the others.

Kneeling in the dirt, perhaps forty feet away from the barn, he closed his eye and prayed in his heart.

Glorious Lathander, Morninglord,
Guide us through the way ahead
Let not the seed of evil bloom
And shield us all from untimely doom

He fishes a small seed from his pocket and pushes it into the earth with his thumb. Hopefully the Greenes wouldn't be too angry...

[Archwizard]

Sinjian watches the others prepare for rest as he tries to relax himself. It's always a little tense before going out on a hunt, and going after a wizard with a reputation such as Bargle's only adds to that internal tension.

Crank's ability to carry on without sleep must be incredibly useful Sinjian thinks, with just a tinge of jealousy. I wonder what he thinks about while nothing else is going on.

[Show]

After arriving at the barn, Thyrrik and Roark simply commandeer a few boards as a makeshift table, quickly going off to their own devices. Although the elf simply goes about sharpening his swords in a halfhearted fashion, the human carefully rummages through his bags, emerging with a few pots, pans, and other miscellanious materia. In a flash of dishes and cutlery, a seemingly miscellaneous pile of spices, dried food items, and trail rations transform over the course of the next hour or so into some form of stew, filling the cabin with a delicious smell.
Without a moment's hesitation, the two sit down to dine. Perhaps it's just unintentional, but their every action seems to be a mockery. Of just what, no one can tell.
Despite that they clearly have too much food for just the two of them, they make no invitation to the others. Rather, Thyrrik simply winks openly at his fellow adventurers and goes about soaking a chunk of bread in the broth.

Craft: Cooking. [roll0]
It's delicious!

[danzibr]

Looking over his bare, metal shoulder, Crank eyed the stew the human had prepared. Judging by its components, Crank doubted it would taste good, but Roark had an air of confidence when preparing the food. Perhaps it is good after all. Not that that affects me in any way. Vapor rose from the stew. It would be nice to be able to smell it, at least.

Crank stared out to the surrounding land, letting his mind wander, as he often did. Having so much extra time to think contributed to his philosophical nature.

[Steward]

After a few minutes, the hardness of the earth and the fact that the spot where he was kneeling also played host to a some thorny vine starts to get to the old soldier. With a weary sigh, he rises to his feet and ambles back towards the barn. A sweet scent was in the air, faintly spicy and unquestionably mouth-watering. It seems to be coming from the spread set out by the elf and his person.

Funny, I always thought them elves only ate grass and twigs! Gavan notes as he prepares to go back to sleep. He is tempted to ask for some, but if he eats now he would be up all night, and unlike the golem he needed his rest.

[Squark]

The night passes uneventfully, and you head towards Castle Mistamere. The castle is old and decaying. While once several stories tall, you doubt anything but the ground floor is still accessible. the outer gate is open; The now rotte doors lie on the ground to the west of the courtyard. The inner gate, though, is in relatively good condition. It's also closed, although there are signs it has been opened and closed recently. The inner wall has broken down in one spot; it wouldn't be hard to work your way past the rubble into the inner courtyard. Of course, going up is also a possibility; The walls are low, and you could probably scale them without difficulty.

[Amnestic]

Elen casts a steady eye over the Castle. "Not exactly the prettiest of places to live, I have to say. If this Bargle's really as dug-in as the priestly fellow seemed to think he was, going in the front door probably isn't our best plan which leaves climbing up or climbing over. Thoughts, anyone?"

[Steward]

"Goin' straight up and over the walls seems like the best option..." Gavan muses aloud. "Heck, the poor varmint doesn't even have a single sentry tower, nearest I can tell. This place is pretty darn vulnerable.

[Archwizard]

"I don't know about climbing over, seems like a good ambush spot. And climbing in this armor is not fun," Sinjian says, indicating his splintmail. "Either way, it's probably a good idea to have someone scout around."

Sinjian pauses for a moment, staring at the inner door, "Although, I have never minded the more direct approach myself...."

Spot roll: [roll0]

[Amnestic]

"Climbing in heavy armour does sound uncomfortable. With the alternate entrances, it's possible that Bargle wouldn't expect a group to brazenly storm in the front door, though he may have set traps..." Elen muses for a moment. "But I don't think we should send a scout, splitting up is the classic way to get people killed. I've read the stories, it never ends well."

Fourth wall breaking or in character expression? Well, maybe a bit of both :smallcool:

Spot Check: [roll0]

Bardic Knack is awesome.

[Steward]

"Even if he doesn't expect us, he'll see us, wouldn't he? I don't know much about stories, but I've seen magicians operate in the field of battle. They can see everything." Gavan looks up, frowning. "He's probably watching us now. Going over or going through, we're still vulnerable, but at least if we go over the walls we won't have to knock on his front door."


[roll0] (Spot Check)

[Show]

"I'd much prefer to scout around first. Maybe we can find a back way in? It's a crumbling castle after all. It's probably dangerous considering that he could be watching, but it would be more-so to brazenly walk up to that door and fall into whatever trap might be set there. Maybe we could find another way in? There's a whole castle here, I bet he couldn't have protected the whole thing. Even if he has, we don't lose anything..."

Spot: [roll0]

[danzibr]

Crank gazed at the scenery, mind wandering, only part of him hearing his companions' conversation. Blast, I wasn't paying attention.

"If one of you wishes to stand on my shoulders to see over a lower spot, I wouldn't objects," Crank offers. "Beyond that, I'd be comfortable with basically any means of entry other than the front door."
(spot)1d20+1 EDIT: apparently I don't know how to make the forum roller work. I used this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100917).

[Show]

Thyrrik shrugs, deep in thought. His eyes drift over the castle, restlessly searching for some place which might allow entry. Finally, he shrugs again, gesturing towards the gate.
"Let's climb, and once we get inside we can open it for anyone else. Sounds all right?"

He draws his crossbow, loading a bolt with a soft click.

"Think there's anyone inside?"

[Steward]

Gavan makes a fist. "Let's get to it, then. The longer we stand out here, the longer that Old Arglebargle has to get the drop on us."

[Archwizard]

Sinjian snickers "Arglebargle, I like it. If we're going to climb, then so be it. Whoever is a fast climber should go first to scout it out, then I'll go second to help cover the top while the rest climb up."

[Show]

"Might as well be me. Don't expect anything too great, right?"
Thyrrik appraises the wall before placing his crossbow back in its holster. He slowly approaches the wall with perhaps exaggerated caution, stepping carefully to avoid making unnecessary noise.

Climb: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]

[Squark]

Unfortunately, as quietly as Thyrrik moved, it seems something had already spotted your group. as Thyrrik approaches the wall, an enormous green worm, with tentacles surrounding it's mouth, bursts from a burrow it had built underneath the old outer doors.

Carrion Crawler Initiative [roll]1d20+2[roll]

Thyrrik, Elen, and Sinjian get to act in the surprise round.

[Show]

Thyrrik throws himself against the wall, reaching for his crossbow. With an air of practiced ease, he swings it up, firing a single bolt at the massive worm.

Free action to draw crossbow! :smalltongue:
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Archwizard]

Sinjian gets a determined look on his face, and attacks!

Designate the CC as Chosen Foe: +1 to AC/to hit, free action.
We never specified if our weapons were drawn, so DM fiat on that I guess, I tend to assume they are (going into known hostile territory and all), but at this point that seems a self-serving assumption, so whatever you feel is appropriate.
If weapon already drawn, attack, if not draw weapon.

Initiative roll: [roll0]
Attack roll: [roll1]
Damage roll: [roll2]

[Amnestic]

Elen, mandolin in hand utters a short word before starting to play a fast and fiery tune, her plucks and strums coming with furious speed, each note infused with dragonfire. She has a small smirk on her face, full in the knowledge that whatever the beast in front of her was, her song was more than enough to defeat it.


Swift Action: Elen uses Versatile Spellcaster feat to channel two of her Cantrips into one 1st level spell - which she spends on casting Inspirational Boost.

She then uses Dragonfire Inspiration. Everyone gains 4d6 (Levels +1, Song of the Heart +1, Masterwork Mandolin +1, Inspiration Boost +1=+4) Fire damage to all attacks

[Squark]

As Thyrrik throws himself against the wall, as the beast lurches towards the rest of the party. Sinjian whips out his blade in response, while Elen then completes her spell, igniting your blades with magical fire.



The maphttp://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc78/TheGreatSquark/Kill%20Bargle/Encounter1SurpriseRound.png

*By the way, Archwizard; your character sheet says Sinjian is a sword & board fighter, but that deals 1d8 damage, not 2d6. Also, just a reminder, you only get 1 standard/move action in the surprise round. Lastly, you can move backwards off the map if you want too. 10x10 was just a good starting point for me.

[Show]

Thyrrik frowns for a moment before casting aside his crossbow and charging at the worm, his swords practically leaping into his hands. Each flashes through the air once, creating an unearthly effect as they are wreathed in a dancing aura of dragonfire in mid-swing.


Move to G-5
Attack: [roll0]
Attack 2: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Damage 2: [roll3]
ROARK initiative: [roll4]

Roark, unimpressed by all the commotion, slowly removes his longspear and tower shield from his back, holding them in front of him with a unpracticed, yet lazy and unconcerned air.

[Amnestic]

Elen continues to strum along, continuing her fiery enchantment through the medium of song.

Yeah, know I'm last in initiative, but basically I plan to just keep strumming and strumming. Only got 3 uses per day, so I'll likely continue it after the fight is over until the next one, unless people think we should be quiet and I should stop doing awesome fiery music. :smallcool:

[Steward]

"Sweet flaming Pelor, that is one big worm!"

Gavan had been expecting that Bargle would send some his hobgoblin henchmen to hassle them, but this is something else. When it first burst out of the earth, he had thought that it was a dragon, but its appearance -- particularly the writhing mass of tentacles around what passes for its upper torso -- tells him that it's probably something different, though equally dangerous.

I better stay away from that thing. He thinks. Sorry, Axe Buddy, I can't use you right now... or can I?

He clutches the holy symbol around his neck as he whispers an invocation of the Archpaladin, Heironeous.

As he mutters his spell, a glittering silver axe -- an almost identical replica of the one lashed to his back -- appears in the air above him. Once he finishes, it whirls through the air, heading straight for the monstrous beast.

Casting "Spiritual Weapon" (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/spiritualWeapon.htm) --
[roll0] (Attack Roll for Spiritual Weapon = BAB + Wisdom Bonus)
[roll1] (Damage Roll for Spiritual Weapon = 1d8 + 1/per 3 Cleric levels)

[Archwizard]

Sinjian grins darkly as his sword bursts into flame. He puts all his muscle into a mighty swing of his oversized sword, trying to cut the filthy worm down once and for all.

Power Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]+[roll2]

[danzibr]

Well, I forgot to say this earlier, but I plan on binding Girallon Arms to my totem chakra at all times, then have Wormtail Belt and Blink Shirt shaped, with both essentia points (thanks to Totem Chakra Bind +1) on the arms. So assuming I'm actually combat-ready...

Staring off into space, Crank was completely taken by surprise at the massive purple worm creature appearing to his left. The loud noise snapped him to attention, ready to fight.

Initiative: [roll0]
5-foot step to E7
Full-round attack:
Primary, Girallon Arm 1: attack [roll1], damage [roll2]+[roll3]
Secondary, Girallon Arm 2: attack [roll4], damage [roll5]+[roll6]
Secondary, Girallon Arm 3: attack [roll7], damage [roll8]+[roll9]
Secondary, Girallon Arm 4: attack [roll10], damage [roll11]+[roll12]
Secondary, Bite: attack [roll13], damage [roll14]+[roll15]
Secondary, Slam: attack [roll16], damage [roll17]+[roll18]

[Squark]

Thyrrik charges towards the ravenous worm, but his blades fail to penetrate the creature's deep hide. The beast then lashes out at it's attackers. While its bite fails to pierce Sinjian's armor, both he and Thyrrik are left paralyzed. Crank moves to counter attack, and his claws rake deep into the creature's flesh, leaving deep burn marks on the creature's side. As Gavan gestures, the spectral blade strikes a telling blow, finishing off the strange green worm. With the aberration dead, you can't help but notice a glint coming from the creature's burrow- perhaps the remnants of one of it's previous victims?



Thyrrik paralysis [roll0]
Sinjian paralysis [roll1]

[Show]

Thyrrik coughs, his body shaking for a moment as he struggles to throw off the sudden stiffness that has overcome his body. After a moment, he swivels his arms a bit, sheathes his swords, and retrieves his crossbow. He nods at the cleric who managed to slay the worm creature.
"That was rather impressive."
He looks around, glancing at the creature's hole, and then up at the wall and the gate.
"I'd guess that the guards would have heard that. That is, if the worm is a recent addition to the scenery."

[Amnestic]

"I would say so!" Elen replied, her fingers still strumming along on her mandolin. She'd grown used to playing for extended periods of time; once she'd been 'forced' to play for three hours straight for some prince or baron or somesuch. After a while she had simply tuned out until she was done.

Of course, she got her revenge; the evening after she stole into his room and took his wife's jewellery, replacing it with a maid's undergarments. Word was that they weren't husband and wife for long after that. Speaking of jewellery though, Elen peaks into the hole left by the dead worm to try and see what was inside, though she didn't much fancy climbing inside it.

[Steward]

"Aw, shucks!" Gavan exclaims as the bizarre beast finally goes down. "It was all you folks, to tell ya the truth. I just happened to get the last lick in before he finally took a dirt nap."

I'm just glad I didn't have to get close to that monster. Regular troops are one thing, but this is too out there! He thinks to himself. Hopefully Bargle hadn't raised up anything else like that to guard his inner sanctum. But even as he thinks that, he realizes that Bargle probably had things even worse lurking around within. He wouldn't rely on ordinary military when he had access to some wicked world full of creepy-crawlers, just ripe for the summoning. After glancing back at the dead creature, he whispers a prayer for its soul -- assuming, of course, it has one.

Gavan looks over the others, frowning. "Y'all okay, right? This ain't a time to be actin' all tough; if you've got any injuries, I'm more than happy to fix 'em up with a spell or two."

[Archwizard]

Sinjian stands and looks down at the felled creature. Well, I guess it's good the others were here. Can't let something else get me like that though. Gavan seems a bit too chipper though.

Sinjian turns to the others and says, "Well, after that ruckus, can we just go in the front door now?"

[danzibr]

That beast fell rather easily. Elen's music certainly helped.

"I'm not really one for material possessions," Crank says, "but perhaps whatever it was guarding may be useful. I'll retrieve it if nobody has objections, though not necessarily with the intention of keeping it. I do agree that whatever other guards there may be likely heard our tussle."

[Squark]

A closer inspection reveals the somewhat mangled skeleton of a kobold. How exactly a kobold acquired what looks like several thousand coins (admittedly, in copper and silver) is beyond you. Also there are two small red gems (garnets, by the look of them) and a small leather pouch with a rather plain looking brass key.

The total treasure comes out to 1002 SP and 995 CP. Not that any of you can count that, at the moment. (and the gems, of course) An appraise check by Thyrrik/Roark (although how Roark can communicate his estimate I don't know) is probably called for.

[Show]

Thyrrik's eyes open a bit wider at the sight of the hundreds, perhaps thousands of coins. He grins a bit. "Well, we're getting our reward already. How nice is that? I'm sure Roark wouldn't mind holding the loot until this endeavor is over, would you?"
Roark remains impassive, although the quick of sight might have noticed him grimace at the thought of being burdened by yet more weight.
Thyrrik turns to the door, making a quick, cursory examination for any traps, and prepares to push it open a crack.

Search: [roll0]

[Squark]

The door doesn't appear to be trapped, but it also doesn't respond to Thyrrik's attempts to open it. Any further pressure on the door confirms what you might already suspect- It's barred on the other side. Of course, several hundred years of rain, snow, and wind have not done wonders for it's condition- A good, solid push might break through the door. Or, you could climb the walls, and there's still that hole in the wall further west.

[Amnestic]

"I say we head in the front, no sense making our lives difficult with climbing over things, and they gotta know we're coming now."

[Show]

"Yeah, sounds about right. Of course, it would be more fun to knock the door down, seeing as they already know we're here. It feels like it could go."

Thyrrik shrugs, nudging at the dead kobold with his foot.

[danzibr]

The front door or the side door?

Crank folded his metallic arms, "Not that I don't trust your man, but I say we each carry our own share of the coins. My offer still stands for someone to stand on my shoulders. That may be a better idea than ignorantly barging in either direction. The fact that they know we're here doesn't mean we should abandon caution."

[Archwizard]

Sinjian peers at Crank curiously, "Who said anything about abandoning caution? Just because we're thinking of going in the front door, it doesn't mean we're going to just close our eyes and barge in. But if their attention is already on us, standing here isn't good for our health, nor is obviously climbing and clanking about."

[danzibr]

"Oh." Crank was thankful his cheeks couldn't flush. His inability to communicate well with humans still embarrassed him sometimes. "I mistook Thyrrik's words. I meant no offense."

[Show]

"S' no big deal, I mean, it was a bit of a rash thing to say. But Sinjian 's right, we can't just stand around here. Whatever we're doing, let's do it fast."

[Steward]

Gavan decides to check the hole in the wall. Hopefully he can see something that will help them break in. He's certain that smashing down the actual door at this point won't be much of a problem but if there's a way to slip in without exerting unnecessary energy -- and raising an unnecessary noise -- he wants to consider it.

[Archwizard]

Sinjian walks up to the door and gives it an experimental shove. Sinjian looks at his companions, "Look, let's do this. I bet I can get it open, and I'm pretty solidly armored. If a couple people with ranged attacks are ready to shoot anything that comes out, and Crank is ready to step up and fight by my side, I'm sure we can handle ourselves."

Sinjian prepares to smash the door open, unless someone stops him.

[Show]

Thyrrik shrugs, stepping back and loading his crossbow.

"Ready here."

He stoops down, picking up the key that the kobold held, and directing Roark to take a share of the coins.
This ought to come in handy, whatever it is...

[danzibr]

Crank takes his place beside Shinjian, "Ready."

[Amnestic]

Elen stays back a little, not exactly being a frontline fighter. "Well then, if we're all prepared I suppose a push inside is in order. Ready when you are, chaps."

[Archwizard]

Seeing that his comrades are in place, Sinjian sheathes his sword, lowers his shoulder and says "Here we go."

Btw, sheathing the sword only because I am figuring that I cannot both smash the door and wield my sword and shield. If I can, then the sword stays out!

Str Check: [roll0]

Baha, oh god that sucks.

[Squark]

Despite his best efforts, Sinjian fails to break open the door. There is a rather loud crunch though. If they weren't already, the kobolds are probably guarding both entries by now.

[Steward]

"Looks like this old door is sturdier than I thought!" Gavan remarks. "I suspect some kinda mystical reinforcement." With a sigh, he turns to the others. "I don't fancy our chances of sneaking in unseen, creeping into Bargle's throne chamber, and wrasslin' him to a draw right now. What do y'all think we should do now?"

[Show]

"Eh, hardly matters now. Over the wall?"

Thyrrik pauses for a moment.

"What say I take a quick look?"

Grinning, he silently begins climbing the wall, doing his best to keep out of sight. As he nears the top, he peers over, careful not to expose to much of himself to any kobold eyes or weapons.

Climb: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]
Hide: [roll2]

I hope a cover bonus can help any rolls that were too low... or maybe my AC if they spot Thyrrik. :smallwink:

[Squark]

There are roughly a dozen kobolds, give or take a few. They didn't spot you, but they're looking around at the area at the two ground entrances. They are carrying slings and are arrayed in a defensive formation around the castle.

The Kobolds have cover from any easy approach. An approach from above the walls might deny them cover, but on the other hand, firing from the wall would be tricky, to say the least.

[Show]

Thyrrik glances down at his companions, trying to give as silent an indication of the kobolds' presence and numbers as he can.
He continues hanging on the wall, torn between trying to gain the advantage via ambush, or returning to the others.

OOC: How far away are they? More specifically, how many could I catch in a well-aimed color spray?

[Archwizard]

Sinjian scowls at the door and smashes it again.

Str check: [roll0]

Just, wow. Maybe we should all just climb over :smallfurious:

[Squark]

The kobolds are spread out in a crude defensive formation. It's a bit too far for your spell to reach any of them. You'd need to get closer, and without some sort of invisibility spell, it's highly unlikely you'd manage that.





OOC: Please don't try to sneak closer. I don't want to have to make 10 spot checks.

[Archwizard]

Sinjian puts his shoulder down and tries a third time!

Str check: [roll0]

[Show]

Seeing the door being assaulted again(with much more force than before), Thyrrik drops back onto the ground, his lips already forming the words to a simple defensive spell. A swirl of arcane energy surrounds him, forming a simple defensive ward and disappearing into the air.

Casting Shield.

Nice roll for the strength check.

[Steward]

"All right, all right, thirtieth time's the charm!" Gavan cries as Sinjian gives the door a good bashing.

Their man on the wall had signaled to them that some of Bargle's troops were waiting. Gavan looks to the others. "This is it, pardners. First blood. Um, apart from that darn wormy critter." He grips his battle-axe tightly. "So, we goin' in or are they comin' out?"

[Squark]

Third times the charm, it seems. The door buckles under Sinjian's determined assault.





Roll for initiative.

[Archwizard]

Initiative: [roll0]

[danzibr]

First... what the hell? I posted hours ago with my initiative. Argh, stupid internet. Anyways, [roll0]
Crank flexes his four Girallon arms, "Impressive, Sinjian. And Gavan, I'm no strategist, but I don't think they're coming out of there."

[Squark]

OOC: WARNING! IMAGE IS ENORMOUS!
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc78/TheGreatSquark/Kill%20Bargle/EnormousMapround1.png
Notes: The Barriers are about 1 and a half feet high; High enough for the Kobolds to hide behind, but low enough that all you'll get from them is difficult terrain.

[danzibr]

Perhaps feeling less fear than he should, Crank hustles over to catch some of the Kobolds from behind.
Move action to T21, standard action to move to X18.

[Amnestic]

Elen calmly brings up the rear, her song still a-playing.

Move to P25. Standard action maintain song.

[Show]

Thyrrik dashes across the courtyard, hoping that his agility and magic will be enough to keep the kobolds' crossbow bolts away. At the end of his manic sprint, he drops to the ground, ready to spring up and attack as soon as the current salvo of crossbow bolts dies down.

Double move to S-15 and drop prone.


Roark pauses obviously deep in thought, before failing to do anything whatsoever. Once he finally makes up his mind, he simply draws his tower shield, holding it firmly in front of him as he makes his way to the gate.
Move slowly to Q-27, planting tower shield as to gain total cover.

[Archwizard]

Sinjian runs in behind Crank, preparing to fight side-by-side.

Run action to move 3x move speed to Y-18. I don't have a Dex bonus to lose, so what the hell!

[Steward]

With a grunt, he tightens his grip on his mighty greataxe. All right. This ain't no different than fighting against other people. Except these critters are small, and cruel, and probably have some weird weapons, courtesy of their wizard employer...

He decides to charge in, preparing to defend any others who might be vulnerable to attack.

move to R19

[Squark]

The battle begins as three kobolds launch their slings at the charging Crank, hitting home near his armored chest plate. Meanwhile a pair of kobolds takes a quick shot at Thyrrik, missing badly. Gavan moves to a defensive position as the remaining kobolds fire a volley at him to little effect, while Elen and Roark move slowly towards the rear of the fight.

Crank takes 7 damage (plus a possible critical) from the three sling bullets, while Gavan only got hit once for 2 damage

Critical hit did not hold, even before fortication

REPOST: Round 2 beginning: A pair of kobolds launch a volley at Gavan, while another kobold tries to deal with the rampaging warforged before moving away.

Kobold 3 fires a sling at Gavan. Kobold 1 fires a sling at Gavan after moving to X13. Kobold 2 stabs at Crank, than moves to Y13, provoking an attack of opportunity from crank.
Sling attacks at Gavan
1d3[/roll]

1d3[/roll]
Kobold stabbing Crank
[roll2]
[roll3]
OOC: danzbir, you're up. I'll let you make the attack of opportunity.

[danzibr]

Crank takes a swipe with one of his Girallon arms as the Kobold attempts to flee.
Attack [roll0], damage [roll1]+[roll2]
Then Crank takes a single step towards the nearby Kobold and unleashes nature's fury.
Sorry about the cheesy language.

5-foot step to V17.

Girallon claw 1 (primary) attack [roll3], damage [roll4]+[roll5]
Girallon claw 2 (secondary) attack [roll6], damage [roll7]+[roll8]
Girallon claw 3 (secondary) attack [roll9], damage [roll10]+[roll11]
Girallon claw 4 (secondary) attack [roll12], damage [roll13]+[roll14]
Bite attack [roll15], damage [roll16]+[roll17]
Slam attack [roll18], damage [roll19]+[roll20]

That Kobold didn't move, right? Maybe I should've checked before typing all that stuff up.

[Show]

Thyrrik dips to the side for a moment as he stands, holding his hand towards the three nearest kobolds as he speaks an arcane word. A bubble of brilliant color appears before flashing out in a cone of nauseatingly brilliant light, engulfing the three(?) kobolds before him.
Will save DC 15.
Spell Text.

[Archwizard]

Sinjian moves up to one of the kobolds and attacks!

If the one that moved to Y13 is alive, move to Z14 and attack that one, otherwise move to V18 and attack the one in U17.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Oh and Show: T-E-X-T

[Amnestic]

Deciding that her song had gone on long enough, she drops her tune and moves forward, fingers already forming the hand forms necessary to unleash her magic upon the annoying kobolds. Upon reaching her destination, she gestures, summoning a huge torrent of grease which coats the ground around two of them.

Move to L21, cast Grease (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/grease.htm) (3 round duration) at the kobolds at I17/J18.

Song will maintain itself for another 5 rounds before its effects dissipate. Enjoy it while you can :smallwink:

[Steward]

Gavan winces as the kobolds pepper him with something -- they look like little pellets, but they sting like a swarm of hornets. "Consarnit--," He grunts, wishing he hadn't left his shield. "What I wouldn't do to be made of metal right about now..." Or to have a few extra limbs to play around with!

He advances, taking aim at any kobolds within range.

[roll0] (Attack roll) [roll1] (Damage roll)

[danzibr]

Crank glanced about. Did I imagine that Kobold being there? Not pondering his possible hallucination, Crank moves to deal with more Kobolds.
Move to X14 and attack Kobold 1.
Girallon claw 1 (primary) attack [roll0], damage [roll1]+[roll2]