Pushing Back the Dark IC

[ClothedInVelvet]

Welcome to the IC thread for the Pushing Back the Dark campaign. Active players in the campaign are welcome to post here. Anyone else can feel free to PM me to discuss it.

For the OOC thread, go here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=235606).
For the IC Conversation Thread, go here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237015).

Remember, things posted in this thread will be, by default, in character. Please post mechanics or snarky comments in spoilers. If someone posts a spoiler with a name on it other than yours, don't read it.

Enjoy,
-CiV

[ClothedInVelvet]

Setting (posting the introduction here to preserve it for the campaign):

System: D&D 3.5
Player Count: 5 players (1 post/weekday); 2 alternates in case they are needed
Style of Play: Good story (I hope). Combat will be present, but story will be deeper.
Allowed Content: All characters subject to approval regardless of source. If you have a build in mind, get it pre-approved to save on complications later.



Anything found on d20srd.org
Completes
Other WotC material (feel free to ask if something will work)
No homebrew. Yes, the paladin is broken-use the crusader. I know core is unbalanced too, I just don't want to bring in material I don't understand.


Character Creation: Please use mythweavers, for simplicity's sake. Try to reduce min-maxing, but also be capable of dealing with diverse situations.



Backstory: Required: 500+ words, enough that I know your character and can use his/her history in the story
Experience: 1st level (should level up quickly; exp for combat, out-of-combat encounters, roleplaying, and story advancement)
Wealth: 300gp
Ability Scores: 32-point buy
Hitpoints/Health: max at 1, average (rounded up) for the rest
Alignment: Good or close. Other possible if there's a good reason and it won't cause any problems in a good party


Other Notes:
To apply, PM me your backstory and character concept (I don't need all the mechanics if you don't have them yet). This is for serious players only. If you can't post each weekday, don't apply. If you're going on a three-week vacation next month, don't apply. I'll keep alternates up to date in case a player needs to drop. I will run this until at least July. Please note if you are able to post between 6am and 3pm GMT. If you take an action that requires a roll (attack, spell, bluff, etc), feel free to use the forum roller in a spoiler. Otherwise I will roll things like saves and the like.

The setting is my own. Here is the hook (should you choose to accept it):
The world has been cast into darkness by the recent Dragon War. Massive swaths of humanity were caught in the crossfire as the evil spawn of Tiamat tried to exterminate the good dragons. Bahamut's servants did little better, willing to sacrifice anything to defeat evil. Finally, the remaining mortals bonded together and fielded a great army of knights and mages. They killed any dragons they could find, good or evil.
Since then, three main nations have solidified power: Elstar, Grolton, and Sydrian.

Elstar:
Queen Ariana is a benevolent monarch, ruling her empire with grace and fairness. The royal family is exceedingly wealthy, but rather than sit on their gold, they have invested large portions of it into Elstar, spurring the economy to impressive heights. Further, Elstar benefits the entire world. Elstaran forces can often be found defending small towns or hunting down dangerous monsters, and Elstaran relief teams are common in disaster or poverty-stricken areas.

Grolton:
Grolton is a military society. Every man and woman serves three years in the ranks of the Grolton Guard, defending the city or campaigning abroad. Grolton lost thousands of soldiers in the Dragon War and the scars are obvious even on the stoic and hardy society. Grolton's noble families have official authority in the city, but the populace mainly just moves in the paths carved by centuries of tradition.

Sydrian:
Sydrian is both a city and a single tower. The smallest of the remaining nations, it mostly consists of elves, drow, fey, and other high-magic creatures. If Grolton is the strength of the world, and Elstar the heart, then Sydrian is the mind. It is ruled by a council of mages and its "live and let live" philosophy appeals to many.

Queen Ariana recently sent out a notice requesting the service of adventurers who might aid the empire. Five adventurers answered the call and are currently waiting in the antechamber of the royal palace for a meeting with the Queen herself.

Pantheon (same reason):
Most High Divinity:

Plaeton (The Truth): Contained within Plaeton are all things, good and evil. He holds all power, but often contents himself with observing the interactions of his son and daughter. He occasionally intervenes on the mortal plane, but he usually keeps it secret from both gods and mortals. Priests of Plaeton typically wear silver and grey, and they are known as "Watchers" for their practice of observing without interfering.

Celestial Sovereigns:

Astaine (The Light): Favored daughter of Plaeton, Astaine is the epitome of goodness in the world. Despite her fierce struggle with her brother, she rarely visits the mortal plane in battle attire. Instead, she is often found healing the sick and providing for the poor. Her sacred color is blue and her priests are tasked with being her emissaries throughout the world.

Nestere (The Plague): Esteemed son of Plaeton, Nestere brings destruction and pain to the mortal realm. His chief instrument is war, but disease and pride are also his tools. He has fewer followers than Astaine, but they often have a more significant impact in the world. He wears red and his armor is always reflecting the flames of the fires that burn the world.

Aristonne (The Law): Passion, appetite, emotion, and warmth. These things roll off of Aristonne's shoulders completely without impact. It is said he was born out of the mountains themselves and knows nothing but truth and order. No plea or rationalization has ever changed his mind, and his decisions show neither mercy nor malice. His priests are judges and his followers are model citizens. His banner is half black and half white.

Epucane (The Vigor): Born of the sea and ever-changing, Epucane is the surprise of life, both good and bad. She dispenses love, revulsion, fear and honor. Her followers revel in the pleasures of life and weep bitterly over the sorrows, shielding themselves from neither. Her sacred artifacts are said to change from yellow to emerald to orange and back again.

Heavenly Pillars:

Corvinnes (The Templar): The son of Astaine, Corvinnes was taught by Aristonne. Myth says he sat in the heart of a mountain for a thousand years to understand the meaning of steadfastness. His mother taught him to channel his remaining emotion as passion for goodness and justice. His followers defend the weak, punish criminals, and bow to no one.

Danten (The Chain): Son of Nestere, Danten's anger and strength was molded by his pride into a lust for power. His rule is oppressive and complete, but always fair. Many join his cause seeking power to fulfill their desires, but they either learn to control themselves or find another patron. The discipline of Danten allows for no error either in the controlled or the controller.

Aquirna (The Blessing): Daughter of Astaine, Aquirna is both the warmth of a soft kiss and the sorrow at the loss of a loved one. She is the fierce defiance of tyranny and the comfort of those whose hope has long since died. Her followers are aesthetes and lovers, and the only reason they would fight would be to prevent the imposition of another's will.

Voltane (The Wrath): Daughter of Nestere, Voltane was more pure even than her cousins. Her heart was entirely devoted to Aristonne, but when he neither reciprocated nor cared, Voltane's heart betrayed her. Her shame and pain turned to rage and hate, and she was entirely consumed. She is followed by all those who have neither control nor kindness and are ruled solely by their selfish passions.

Minor Deities:

Renace (The Blade): Although he has neither temples nor priests, Renace is prayed to by every soldier entering battle. It is said he joins the battles himself, killing indiscriminately with brutal skill. He is the god of war.

Sersent (The Fire): Goddess of evil dragons and fire, Sersent is almost universally reviled after the Dragon War. Many of her followers, both dragon and human, were killed in the war, and many more were slaughtered in anger afterwards.

Glisted (The Wealth): God of good dragons and money, Glisted has managed to retain some followers, although most of his dragons are dead. When the war ended, his fury abated and he grew to regret the destruction that he and his servants caused.

Shilstar (The Warmth): God of the sun, stars and nature, Shilstar is often worshipped by druids and astronomers. His favor is believed to bring good harvests, fair weather, and good travel.

Indara (The Wand): Few magic users worship the goddess of magic, relying instead on their own powers. Indara is most often worshiped by magical scholars who have discovered some of the secrets of the universe.

[ClothedInVelvet]

You sit in a lavish chamber. Grand double doors on either end of the room are flanked by guards in shining silver armor. Cushioned chairs line the walls, and when you look down, you can see a clear reflection in the white marble floor. The room is about fifteen feet wide and fifty feet from end to end, but the guards only have to watch the five of you for now. The walls are black, but silver trims the corners and surrounds the lamps on the wall. The air is cool enough to keep you awake.

Get to know each other, introduce characters, be sure to post physical descriptions so the characters know what they're seeing. Be as verbose or brusque as your character would be. Pick good colors for dialog. You'll meet the queen Monday. Let the games begin!

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho ambles about somewhat aimlessly, seemingly unsure of where in the large hall he should stand. The human is slightly above average height, with cropped brown hair, matching eyes, and a few days' worth of scruff on his face. His equipment is dirty and scuffed from travel, but his weapons appear to be maintained in good condition. A short sword hangs from his belt, and a sleeve, probably containing a bow of some kind, is slung across his back, strapped onto a worn backpack. After starting to approach one tapestry, then another, he settles for striking up a conversation with the nearest non-guard.

"So uh... where you from?" he asks.

[Lionheart]

Balmung Fezalion

Balmung stands to the side of the room, his green eyes noting the abundance of weapons in the area. His dark cloak shrouds his form, hiding any weapons that he wields himself. The only things visible are a large steel shield, polished to a silvery gleam, and a necklace hung with a silver symbol of Leon, the Lion Whose Roar Is the Dawn. As he reaches up to flick back his hai
lr a flash of gold glimmers from the ring on his finger, he fingers his holy symbol as his sad eyes meet the gaze of the human before him.
"What an interesting question, I hardly know how to answer. I believe it's more important to know where one is going." He leans forward, peering deep into Letho's eyes, "Do you know where you're going, boy?"

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho smirks.

"Through those double doors," he replies with a nod, "unless unless you know something I don't know."

The young man smiles and extends a hand in greeting.

"Name's Letho," he says.

"any idea what this is all about?" he asks, glancing about the room, surveying the other three guests.

[razorback]

Hoppy sat in the chair, its plush seat an old memory that he failed to notice. He was focused on why Corvinnes had brought him to this point, his faith the solid rock that told him that he was destined to be here, that he needed to be here.
As the two others began to talk, the conversation brought him out of his revery. The deep ridges, to world weary for his young face, softened as he scrubbed his hand against his close cropped black hair. Feeling his face and the scruff on it, he realized that he that he hadn't shaved, let alone bathed, in several hard travelling days. Looking around at the rest of the assembled group, he realized he wasn't the only one. When he had a moment, he would ask one of the guards for hot water and a towel to wipe away some of the travel.

Hopsin Devissun as he extended his hand back to the pair But everyone calls me 'Hoppy'. As to your question, Letho, I imagine we will find out soon. The Gods or fate, as you may believe, have brought us together for a purpose he continued, a faint glint of zealotry in his eyes and it is my duty to do what I am called up to accomplish.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra Tirel

Chandra opened her mouth to respond to answer Letho's question but immediately stopped when someone spoke before her. Not wanting to interrupt the conversation taking place, Chandra nervously brushed her hand through her long hair and made an effort to slowly inch out of the view of the rest of the group. Chandra knew they were probably all there for the same reason so she would just wait in another part of the room until they needed her. Chandra made an effort to not intrude in whatever the rest of the party was engaged in but they could easily spot the tall woman if they glanced away from each other. It seems unlike the rest of them, Chandra went to great lengths to stay clean and keep all her equipment in just as good condition. The rest of the folks gathered in the chamber have shown sighs of their travels while Chandra looks like she came straight out of a bath house with brand new equipment to boot.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane

Grevane watched the rest of the group with a pleasant expression on his young face. His simple clothes and equipment were well kept, albeit a bit worn. As he listened to Letho, Balmug, and Hoppy speak, he noted the holy symbols on prominent display. He briefly tugged out his old symbol of Plaeton and glanced at it.
We seem to have quite a few holy symbols around here, don't we? he said, finally walking over to the others. Reminds me of a story I read once about a bunch of Plaeton clerics who killed a Dragon together. I'm Grevane, by the way. Nice to meet you all.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho nods.

"I hear good things about the Queen, just hoping reality matches up with the stories, I guess... how'd you end up here, anyway?" he asks.


Anyone feel free to respond, just trying to get the ball rolling...

[Lionheart]

Balmung looks around him in surprise, it was strange to him to be approached and talked to by strangers. He cleared his throat nervously, attempting to reply to everyone at once.
"I am no cleric, this belonged to a very dear friend of mine." He shrugs the shining shield higher up his shoulder, reliving a painful memory. "I'm here on his behalf really. What about you?" The question is asked to those close to him, but his green eyes linger on the tall, well-dressed woman across the room.

[razorback]

Hoppy smiles back at Balmug
Neither am I a priest. pointing to the holy symbol around his neck and the matching markings on his armor, he continues I am one of the faithful of Corvinnes yet I am but a simple warrior in this world.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane

Grevane laughs and runs a hand through his hair.
Well that's interesting. We're a collection of not-actually-priests then. I'm no cleric either. I grew up in the temple of Plaeton and kept the symbol when I left.
I'm here mostly out of curiosity. I have a feeling there's an interesting story brewing here, and I want to witness it.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra remained away from the group but still kept watch over them. As Balmung spoke his question however, Chandra attempted to manipulate her way out of his gaze as she felt she may have been blocking his view from something.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Although there are no windows, you wait long enough that you're certain the sun has set. Finally, you hear a sharp knock on the door to the queen's chamber. The guards open the door and nod for you to enter. As you pass through the doors, you enter a room unlike any other. The white marble floors stretch out in front of you, and your steps echo through the cavernous space. Four gigantic pillars, each six feet thick, rise from the floor and ascend to the ceiling high above. The walls are black, but the ceiling leaps from pillar to wall to pillar in a series of silver arches. In the center of the far wall is a pedestal, twenty feet high with a half circle of stairs around it. At the top of the pedestal is a silver throne shaped in gracious curves and encrusted with so many diamonds that the treasury must certainly be empty.

Despite the size of the chamber, you can only see three other people in it. Two young men stand behind the throne. Their skin is so fair it practically glistens. They appear unarmed and are dressed in exquisite white robes with silver chains hanging from their necks. They appear so similar it would be difficult to believe they are not brothers. Sitting in the throne in front of them is a gorgeous woman. Her hair is silver, and her face is slightly lined from countless smiles, but nothing can diminish from the regal way she holds herself or the strength, confidence, and kindness in her gaze. On her head rests a shining circlet set with a single gem the size of a peach that seems to contain all the colors of the rainbow. Her left hand holds a scepter made of solid silver and her right hand beckons you closer.

When you are standing at the bottom of the stairs, the queen begins to speak. Her voice is soft and gentle, and you don't even realize how devotedly you are listening. "Good evening my children. Thank you for answering my summons. Your courage and ambition are noted.

"I have asked you here because something troubles me greatly. There is a small city to the north of Elstar, situated in the wilderness, named Fremmton. It is not a part of my empire, but recently my seers have reported that its future is shrouded in darkness. They do not understand what is blocking their sight, but I do. The future of Fremmton is in flux. Some great power is moving in or near Fremmton, and it has torn the fate of the city out of the hands of destiny herself."

The queen's face somehow manages to convey both sobriety and concern without losing a drop of beauty. "I need you to go to Fremmton. You must discover what is going on in the city. Whatever has done this is extremely powerful, so proceed with caution. If you discover a way to deal with it, do so. If you find that it is beyond your capabilities, report to me immediately.

"Your success on this mission will be most valuable and will earn my favor. The city is two days ride on the north road, and I have arranged for you to leave at dawn. You will be provided with horses for the journey. As I will it, so shall it be done."

With those final words, the queen's gaze suddenly passes over you as if you no longer exist. Feeling your dismissal, you silently retreat across the vast room. Still reeling from your audience with her majesty, you barely notice when stewards escort you to extravagant bedrooms, each ornately furnished. In your dreams, the queen's speech plays over and over, her words rolling into you. Finally you wake, but it is not until you ride through the the city gate that the trance is broken. Although you've rediscovered your surroundings, the queen's voice still echoes in the back of your mind: "Some great power is moving in or near Fremmton, and it has torn the fate of the city out of the hands of destiny herself…"

Apologies for railroading you through that. I did it for two reasons: 1) doing anything but listening and bowing in the queen's presence would have necessitated a complicated and probably negative social situation that would not have done much for the plot, and 2) if you don't accept this plot hook, it could take forever to get this game off the ground. From here on out, you're on sandbox mode. I have a plot laid out, but you're free to jump the tracks at any point with no ill feelings from me. I can't guarantee that things will turn out well whether or not you stay on the rails.

You're now on the road. You can continue your conversation, determine riding order, post any special travelling instructions, etc. Whatever you wish.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra felt a great unease as she spent the night in the luxurious bedroom. Not wanting the ruin the room, Chandra went to great lengths to not touch anything and then to make up the bed as neatly as possible in the morning. Chandra had developed a habit of waking up as the sun rose and that morning was no exception. Before the rest of the party had left their respective rooms, Chandra had already made it down to the stables where their horses were waiting. With the time she had left before the others arrived, Chandra made sure that all the horses were in good condition. Although the horses were as immaculate as everything else in the castle, Chandra still took the time to make sure they were brushed perfectly and all the stirrups were fasted well. As the rest of the party came down to claim their horses, Chandra first chose the one she thought was in the worst condition as her own.

When the group left the confines of the castle, Chandra always stayed at least two horses behind everyone else. Chandra never spoke a word and kept her head slightly bowed so not to stare at anyone.

So did anyone win the best picture award?

[Lionheart]

Balmung grimaced as he rode his horse unsteadily along the road, he had never liked being controlled. But if it's for the good, I will accept it.
He surveyed his companions as they travelled, trying to assess how useful they'd be in a fight, which of them might get them all killed.

[ClothedInVelvet]

As the sun rises higher into the sky, you pass through stretches of farmland and small towns. Much of the land has been cleared, but stands of forest remain. The farther you get away from the Elstar, the farther apart the towns. The forests are denser and the fields are overgrown. It is clear from the condition of the road that few travelers venture this far north.

I haven't gotten an entry from Razorback yet, but it was a weekend, so I'm not holding anything against him. I'll probably keep the winner secret until I can deliver the prize.

Also, you can decide whether to spend the night in a town or camp somewhere.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho takes point and keeps his eyes peeled for trouble; no sense in walking into an ambush if it could be avoided by simply looking for it.

"I could use some company up here; four eyes are better than two," he says.

"I'm not from around here... See much fighting north of the city? " he casually asks.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Letho:
Although your campaign was to the Southeast of Elstar, just south of Sydrian, you know that there was a northern campaign during the Dragon War.

Chandra:
Although your family's farm was to the east of Elstar (between Elstar and Sydrian), you are familiar with this kind of territory and would be skilled at communicating with them if you decided to do so.

Grevane:
You're aware that this is largely untamed wilderness. Further north is a mountain range where a few dragons sheltered. There are also giants and other creatures living in the mountains. The towns basically protect themselves by forming militias when crises arise and relying on help from nearby cities.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane spent some time the previous night recording a description of the encounter with the queen. Such an imposing yet kindly figure... he never wanted to forget her.

On the road north, Grevane fidgeted in the saddle quite a bit. Used to walking rather than riding, it was a bit of an odd experience for him. When Letho invited someone to ride beside him, Grevane, after a couple failed attempts, moved his horse up beside him.
Well, I'm not from around here either, but from what I've heard, there are some nasty creatures in the mountains to the north. The cities in that area are more likely to work together against giants and the like than fight amongst each other.

[razorback]

Hoppy was astride his horse, not uncomfortable on top of the great beast, as they rode forwards. He had his shield across his back but kept his broadsword level across his saddle as he rode.

He was about to move forward as Letho spoke, but seeing Grevane's attempt to move his horse forward, he kept his horses stride even. Looking back at Chandra, he noticed her lagging behind the rest of the group.
<I wonder if she is intimidated or is keeping rear guard> he wondered to himself.

Slowly moving his horse towards Balmug, he nodded towards Chandra and asked
What do you make of her?

[ClothedInVelvet]

You spend a long day riding, travelling many miles. As the sun sets and the light slowly fades, you make camp in a small clearing near the road and only a short walk from a small stream. Balmung, obviously used to this kind of lifestyle, sets up a small tent. The rest of you enjoy a night under the stars (although it gets a bit nippy close to dawn). Although you couldn't find any food in such a desolate place, you did manage to get a fire started and there were enough trail rations to satisfy everyone.

In the morning, after packing up camp, you continued riding. Some were well-rested, and some were a bit sore. But you made good time and towards mid-afternoon, Grevane and Letho spot the distinct shape of a walled city on the horizon.

I'm not sure if you want to approach in a special way or just ride in. So I'll stop you here and let you do whatever.

Balmung:
From now on, you can share your tent with one other person if you so desire, but it will be a tight fit. It's up to you.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho squints his eyes in an attempt to bring out details of the distant walls.

"Think that's Fremmton?" he asks, "More importantly, think we should tell them why we're really here? Might not be such a good idea, especially if whatever we're looking for doesn't want to be found."

[razorback]

Hmmm Hoppy ponders a moment as he adjusts his seating on his saddle and sheaths his sword. Rising up in his stirrups gives him a marginally better view as he squints off into the distance.
It is probably best if we proceed with caution. First, we do not know what we are looking for nor do we know what kind of opposition we may meet. According to the queen, her seers didn't know if the 'flux' was here or on it's way here.
He looks around at the rest of the group to see what they have to offer up.

[Lionheart]

Balmung looks around him at the group the queen assembled "I don't think we should make ourselves known until we know a bit more about what's going on. Let's enter the town, but remain inconspicuous.
We wouldn't want anyone to recognise me...

[Siege Tower]

With no objection or approval from the tall woman, Chandra merely stays apart from the group and listens to their discussion. Chandra remains on her horse with her head bowed, waiting for the others to make their move into the city.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane nods to the others. Agreed on keeping it quiet. Though if anyone is looking, we may be noted anyway, what with the horses and armor and swords and so on.

That done, Grevane decides to approach Chandra. He walks over and nods to her, clasping his hands behind his back and smiling tentatively. Uh.. Hi. Look, I can tell you prefer to keep to yourself, but we're traveling together and I don't even know your name... That just doesn't seem right to me. If we're going to be working together on this task from the queen, we should at least get acquainted, right?
He takes off his gloves and holds out a hand to shake. I'm Grevane, if you hadn't overheard.

[Siege Tower]

Having been directly addressed, Chandra steps off her horse with her back turned to Grevane. With a turn of the body and a parting of the hair, Chandra reveals the very beautiful features she was blessed with up close for the first time; upon them, resting a happy and genuine smile. Also for the first time, Chandra speaks to a member of the group in her soft soothing voice.
"I'm very sorry if I've been behaving inappropriately. No one seemed to have had a use for me so I didn't want to be a bother." With that, Chandra raises her flawless looking hand to take Grevane's "My name is Chandra Tirel." Chandra shakes Grevane's hand as she announces her name. It becomes obvious to Grevane the moment the two shake that Chandra's hand feels nothing like it appears. Chandra's palm feels very heavily calised despite it looking like that of a princess's.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Very pleased to meet you, Miss Tirel. And no no, you haven't been doing anything wrong. I just thought it'd be a good idea to get to know each other before we all walk into who knows what in Fremmton together, Grevane says, smiling warmly as he shakes Chandra's hand. He decides not to mention the inconsistency between what he saw and felt, but makes a mental note to write it down for later.
Although, speaking of being useful, that brings me to another point, and this goes for everyone. Suppose we run into some trouble in Fremmton, are we ready to handle that? I'll tell you, I'm not much of a fighter myself. Healing sure, but the armor and the star are mostly just for show, he says, pointing to the chainmail under his coat and morningstar at his belt.

[Lionheart]

Balmung lets out a low rumbling laugh. "Have no fears on that count friend Grevane, I'm sure we're more than capable."
A sick smile creeps over his face as he speaks, his hand clenching and unclenching the hilt of an invisible sword.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

"I've got a bit of training myself, but not much, I'm afraid to say," Letho replies.

"Up close and personal, or picking off targets with my bow, either way, I'm equally poor," the human adds with a smirk.

[razorback]

Hoppy looks at the group that he now belongs to.

I have been training with the sword since I was a child he says as he draws his broadsword, the gleaming and polished surface a contrast to his well weathered armor My parents, before their death, thought it would be important. Afterwards, I trained with the knights and temple guards of Corvinnes. While my faith in Corvinnes is strong, I lack the healing abilities that the priests exhibit.
Resheathing his sword, he continued
As long as are actions are right and just, we don't have anything to fear. But, our duty lies in protecting the people of Fremmton, indeed, all the good people of the world, even if it is from themselves.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra waits for everyone else to speak before she discusses her possible role.
"Um..I don't have any method of fighting from afar..." Chandra stares down at her feet to avoid looking at the group once again.

"But I'll learn to use a crossbow if you folks want me to. In the meantime I can stay in the front. I'm okay with a mace...and only a mace. I'll take some of the pressure of Grevane as well though because I happen to know a few things about healing. Um...I also happen to know some defensive... Chandra begins to trail off with her last sentence making it inaudible to anyone except Grevane who caught the word "defensive".

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane nods to each person in turn as they speak. Balmug and Hoppy's confidence and enthusiasm is reassuring, and the others sound at least as experienced as he is himself.
Well, sounds like we'd be alright then. Though if we're lucky, we won't even have to find out. No need to go looking for a fight.
Shall we head on in then? I'm pretty curious what we're going to find here.

[razorback]

Hoppy watches the rest of the group, as each gives a short account of their experience, nodding to each in turn.

No need to go looking for a fight.
Shall we head on in then? I'm pretty curious what we're going to find here.

Agreed, going in swords drawn is rarely the answer.
With that, he nudges his horse along the road, eyes looking for anything out of the ordinary... and for an inn to stay the night.

[ClothedInVelvet]

As the five of you approach, you pass a long string of farmers leaving the city (presumably after selling their produce). You politely stop one of them and ask after lodging.

"Lodgin', eh? Well, dere's da Flyin' Boar in the city, dey got a coupla rooms upstairs." He studies the position of the falling sun, "Should still have 'nuff time ta get in before dey close da gates. Udderwise, you'll have ta find a soft patch a grass."

Looking back at you with squinted eyes, he pauses for a moment. "We don get many travellers round here. Where'd you say you was from?"

[razorback]

<Dung! We should have thought of this, coming up with a cohesive reason for being here without telling of our real reason. Nothing but the truth should work, even if it isn't the whole truth.> he thinks to himself.

Thank you for your help, good sir. We are travelers from the south come up north, to get away from the various dealings that happen in the southlands, with an eye open to possibly earn a bit of coin. he said with a smile.


Diplomacy
[roll0]


Any suggestions or advice that you can impart upon us?

[ClothedInVelvet]

The farmer lets out a good laugh. "Fine'ly Southerners wit some sense! We ain't all rich o fancy-like, but we got good lives. If ya lookin' to work, ya could talk ta some a da merchants, dey maybe got some goods to send South. If ya wanna farm, just talk to Aleandor bout some land. Ya'll have a good day now."

With a cheerful slap on the rear of his horse, he resumes his journey home whistling.

[Lionheart]

Balmung watches the farmer departing, mulling over his words "He didn't mention any unrest, perhaps what we're here for hasn't occurred yet. We should head to that inn and make inquiries."

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane listens to the farmer attentively, noting the particularities of his accent and manner. Something to write about later.
At Balmug's mention of the inn he nods eagerly. Agreed! On to the inn, and let's not slow down till we get through the gates. I'm not sleeping on grass tonight!

[Siege Tower]

Chandra goes back to her place at the back of the group, keeping her head bowed once again.

[razorback]

Hoppy urges his horse forward, keeping pace with the rest of the group.
While not uneasy sleeping under the stars, he knew he had a mission and the sooner the group could accomplish it, the less pain and misery their would be.

[Thundercracker]

Letho
The young scout keeps his eyes open as the group rides towards the walls.

"He also didn't mention the name of the city, though we're the right distance..." he remarks casually.

[ClothedInVelvet]

You reach the city gate just as the sun begins to set. A young man stands at attention right outside the gate, dressed in armor and looking warily at you. Seemingly placated by your non-aggressive attitudes, he lets you pass without challenge.

As you pass through the gate, you find yourself in a small, but bustling city. The wide road continues a fair ways before encountering the wall on the other side of town. Another road follows the wall until they curve out of sight. On the road in front of you, a number of shopkeepers are busy closing up shop while pedestrians walk home carrying bundles. Signs inform you of the location of the blacksmith, butcher, tanner, general wares, alchemist, and the barrister. About two-thirds of the way down the street is a sign that appears to be the image of a flying boar.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra stayed to the back of the group and attempt not to gain the attention of the others. Out of the corner of the woman's eye, Chandra noticed a type of shop she was very familiar with closing down for the day. Without missing a beat, Chandra broke off from the group to speak with the owner before she closed for the night. After a short time, Chandra came back to her usual place in the party; hopefully without anyone noticing her sudden escapade.

[Lionheart]

Balmung walks warily through the town, hood and hair bathing his face in shadows. His sharp eyes watch for any who might wish them harm, or who might recognise him.
He hurries along the street towards the sign of the flying boar, wanting to escape eyes he felt all around him.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

After walking through the gate, Grevane whirls around, as if having forgot something and walks back to the guard.
Hey uh, what's the name of this city?

[razorback]

As the group rode into town, they noticed the sign and guessed that this was the Flyin' Boar the farmer talked about.

I'm going to go and get rooms for everyone. Does anyone need to do anything else?
Looking around to see that no one else was close enough to hear.
Afterwards, I'm going down to the common room to find anything out, if anyone wants to join me.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

"Oh yeh, I could go for an ale or three," Letho says as he follows Hoppy into the inn.

[Lionheart]

"I suppose I could come down for a drink, it'll be interesting to see what people are talking about."

[ClothedInVelvet]

Grevane:
The guard looks at you, puzzled. "This is Fremmton, sir. Are you lost?"

The Rest:
You make your way down the street without incident, and step through the door of the Flying Boar Tavern. Inside you find a dimly lit room with a low ceiling. Scattered through the room are tables and benches, and the opposite wall is a bar. Behind the bar stands a large man who appears to be in his 50s. He looks up from the glass he's polishing. "Can I help you folks? Have a drink to slake your thirst?"

Only one other patron is in the bar at this early hour. He sits at a table to the right side of the path to the bar, and about halfway to the other side of the room. He looks middle-age, but that could be a result of the drink. He nurses a flagon expertly and glowers at the interruption to his peaceful love affair with his drink.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

"Ale, and lodging for the night," Letho says.

The warrior leans against the bar, casually glancing to the lone patron for a moment before turning back to the innkeep to accept his drink.

"Thanks, he says, taking a long swig, wiping his lips with the back of his sleeve.

"We've only just arrived and don't wish to ruffle any feathers," he continues, " is there anything we should be wary of, aside from the usual?"

[Rigel Cyrosea]

No no, if this is Fremmton I'm not lost. Just wanted to make sure though, I haven't traveled this area before. He smiles to the guard. Thank you sir. I'll be on my way then, he says, and walks off, back into the city.

His question answered, Grevane hurries back in the direction of the Flying Boar to join the others. When he gets inside, he's disappointed by the lack of patrons. Also no cards or dice tables. He sits down by Letho and orders an ale. He tries to think about everything he's heard of Fremmton and this area as he waits for, and then slowly nurses his drink.

CiV:
Not sure if my earlier knowledge of the mountains and so on covered one or both of these, but I figure it can't hurt to roll them.
Knowledge (History)[roll0]
Knowledge (Local)[roll1]

[Siege Tower]

As the rest of the party settled in at the tavern, Chandra sat at a table in the corner, separate from the rest. Chandra had avoided showing it but she was rather sore from carrying all her gear so she placed it on the seat beside her. Chandra also took this opportunity to use the item she had purchases earlier while she thought nobody was looking. With that, Chandra remained in the corner of the room and simply watched everyone else as they went about their business.

[Lionheart]

Balmung looks uncomfortable, but orders an ale. He sits with the others and does his best to act naturally, attempting to copy their mannerisms.

[razorback]

As Hoppy finishes his drink, he nods to the barkeep for another round and one for the patron they had disturbed.

Glad to be off the road. A warm bed and hot food always calms the soul.

[ClothedInVelvet]

The bartender nods at your orders. As he distributes drinks, he talks in a deep voice, "I've got two rooms upstairs, three beds apiece. They typically each go for a gold piece, but I'll make you a deal and let you have both for the week for a mere five gold pieces. If you make it nine I'll throw in a free meal each day."

When you're all sipping ale (and the man has another set in front of him), the bartender leans on the bar and ponders Letho's question. "Looking to stay out of trouble? That shouldn't be much of a problem. We're friendly folk up here in the North. Got to be. The only way a man can survive up here is if he can count on others to help him when he needs it. If you stick around for a couple weeks until winter sets in, you'll see what I mean pretty quickly."

As you drink and talk, the sun sets and a few more people start to trickle in. Three single men enter (including the guard from the gate, now sans armor), and each in time looks for reciprocated interest in Chandra. Two couples take tables in another corner, and two young women enter. One seems like a commoner and the other is obviously in the tavern on "business."

Grevane:
From what you remember, Fremmton is considered a sort of "last outpost" in the north. It supports the farmers and settlements in the northern wilderness, but has little importance in the southern regions. In the past, it was a trading hub, connecting the south with dwarven kingdoms in the mountains and even more exotic civilizations north of the mountains.

More recently, the north has lost much of its order, and wild (or dark) creatures have been taking over. You remember hearing that there is a large hunt every fall that goes out from Fremmton to hunt among the horde of migrating baboons passing nearby.

OOC: Excellent roll, I figured it was good enough to give you this.

Also, everyone except Chandra owe 4cp (Hoppy owes 8).

[Siege Tower]

Chandra ignores the obvious advances of the other patrons and instead looks to one of her party members whenever she is spoken to. Chandra gave an indication that she was with members of the group but never spoke to anyone who approached her. If directly given a drink or a more drunken patron sat close to Chandra, she would move closer to her group members but not directly involve them.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

"Do the roads close in winter?" Letho asks the bartender.

If the bartender gets busy at any time serving other patrons, Letho will move his attentions to the the woman plying her trade at the bar. He does, however, keep an eye on Chandra, and if he happens to meet her gaze, he'll grab an extra drink and sit down at her table to rescue her from her plight.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Nine for the week and free meals sounds like a good deal. Consider that my share, Grevane says, putting down 2 gold pieces on the bar. He then walks out to a slightly more central location in the bar and asks Anyone fancy a little game? I've got some cards right here. He holds up a small deck from his pack.

OOC:
I'm assuming gambling is generally legal. Also, I figure the exact details of the game aren't important. Grevane prefers games that require some careful thought and intelligent play over those of pure chance, but he'll play anything.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Not sensing any interest from Chandra, the young men keep their distance, but when Grevane offers a card game, all three casually join.

The bartender answers Letho's question, "The roads don't officially close, but travel can get pretty nasty. Most folks will stay at home, but a fine group of adventurers could trek out if they were careful and well-equipped."

When he moves on, the "companion" smiles knowingly at Letho's advance. "How are you handsome? You in town for a while... or just for tonight?"

We'll assume poker is common enough, mainly because I like Mel Gibson's movie "Maverick." You won't actually need to deal with your hand.

Chandra notices Letho glancing at her, but whether or not she uses her eyes to acknowledge him is up to her.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra was prepared to try and keep close to Letho to avoid future advances by men in the inn. However, after Chandra noticed the woman Letho was speaking to, she decided not to interfere with his night.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

The young man turns his attention back to the 'companion' and smiles.

"Definitely tonight, and probably a few days longer... Not sure how long though, I hear it gets damn hostile in the winter up here," he says before tipping the rest of his ale into his gullet and wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve, turning his head slightly and stifling a belch as he does so.

"Any truth to that?" he asks, turning back to the girl.

[ClothedInVelvet]

The woman smiles again, "Well, you know what they say. The nights are cold when you're alone in bed. But I'm sure you wouldn't know much about that."

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho starts to smirk at the young woman, but the smile fades and his eyes glaze over, staring at something that isn't there.

"Sorry, I uh... my companions...," he mumbles, distracted, shaking his head slightly, "maybe another time." he says. He stands abruptly, nearly knocking the stool over, then waves to the bartender for two more drinks, sits down heavily next to Chandra and stares into the wooden table with that faraway look in his eyes.

[Lionheart]

Balmung is very uncomfortable with all the revelry and flirtation going on around him. He rises slowly, leaving much of his barely touched ale behind him. He stifles a fake yawn, and adds two gold coins to those on the table.

"Well, I'd love to stay and play, but I'm going to bed. Wake me when you need me."

With that, and a flourish of his cape, Balmung heads upstairs.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra doesn't say anything as Letho sits down next to her; though she does give him a relieved smile as he does. Letho would notice as he approached Chandra that the usual tavern smell of sweat, ale, and, smoke would shift to a very pleasant aroma of flowers. Letho's own unbathed self would not be noticed near the clean woman. Chandra sat with Letho for some time without saying a word but indicated through her mannerisms that she was glad he was there. Chandra did notice that Letho seemed a little distracted by something and took a breath to ask him about it but was caught off guard by the two cups of ale placed in front of them. Taking him up on his gesture, Chandra took a sip of her drink and smiled as she did so but was unable to hide the obvious displeasure she had from tasting the alcohol.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

A long moment passes when nothing is said, then Letho slowly lifts his mug to his lips and takes a large swallow.

"Thought you don't drink," he casually remarks, placing his mug carefully back down onto the table directly in front of him.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra continues to take small sips of her drink even though it is rather obvious she's not enjoying herself. Being a very inexperienced drinker, Chandra's small swigs have her drinking foam and not much else. After a particularly awkward inhale of froth, Chandra attempts to stifle a cough and places her mug back in front of her. After a turning away to silently clear her throat, Chandra smiles and begins to speak to Letho with her soft voice.

I do drink sometimes, just when it's offered. I don't usually order any myself. That doesn't mean I don't like it though. Thank you for ordering an extra mug for me; I did enjoy it. I don't think I'll be able to finish the whole thing though. If you would like, you can have the rest of mine since yours seems almost empty. This big serving would just go to waste on me.

[ClothedInVelvet]

I'll advance the story when you all go to bed, but I don't want to cut off any RP. If you'd like, I can make another thread that is something like an IC conversation thread, and it can contain conversations you have amongst yourselves that don't have any time-specific import. For example, if Hoppy and Grevane start talking about their love of horses, that could go in there because that conversation could come up while they're traveling, hanging out in a bar, or preparing for bed. Let me know.

Additionally, remember that you have two rooms with three beds each. Four members of your party are male and one is female. I don't know if that will be significant for any of your characters, but it could be a factor.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

After an hour of the game, Grevane decides to head off to bed. He thanks his opponents, collects his cards, and gets up. He nods to Chandra and Letho as he passes on his way upstairs. He takes the far bed in the room where Balmug is already resting, trying to remain quiet.

An IC conversation thread is an interesting idea. I haven't done anything like that before, but I'd certainly be willing to try it. If it works out, we don't end up with several players waiting to advance the story while two RP a conversation, nor do the RPers feel like they have to cut it short to keep things moving.

For the game, how do you want to handle the result? Shall I assume that nothing significant changed hands, or do I make a roll? If so, what kind? Poker can be won through both through knowing the odds (seems like int) and reading the players (seems like wis). Let me know if you'd like me to roll anything (or roll it yourself if you prefer, you can see my sheet).

[Thundercracker]

Letho

"Well, you twisted my arm," he says, accepting the mug from Chandra and taking a sip.

The young man strategically places the second mug next to the first.

"So, what's a lady like you doing in a place like this?" he asks, putting on a fake sounding voice to bring some levity to the oft-used pickup line.


IC conversation thread sound swell, I'm up for it.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Gambling:

Here's my plan, let me know what you think.
Card games are the "gentleman's games." No big wins, no big losses, mainly social interaction. For each game (lasting 1-3 hours), roll a sense motive check. Take the result, subtract 10. Then divide by 3. That's how many silvers you win. The average person could win 3, but will typically break even. If you're in the negatives, you lose the same amount, but it's rounded up instead of down. So it's weighted against the extremes.

Dice games are the real gambling. You can bet what you will, but unless otherwise noted in the situation, people will stop playing once you're at a net profit of 10gp. You can roll all these checks when you play.
Under/Over: 2d6. Bet if a roll will be under or over 7. 2:1 pay-out for the right bet. You can bet the roll will be 7 which pays out 5:1.
Chuck: 3d6. Bet on a number between 1 and 6. Payout of 1:1 for one right number, 2:1 for two right numbers, and 3:1 for three right numbers.


IC Conversation Thread:
Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237015) it is. Check it out, use it if you think it works. It's an experiment. If it doesn't work, that's fine. If it turns out to be the best thing ever, remember you heard it here first.

[Thundercracker]

Letho
Once the conversation with Chandra is finished, Letho will pay his share and head up to one of the paid for rooms at randomthe unoccupied room, fairly tipsy, but far from drunk.


[roll0], 1 = Grevane and Balmug's room.

[razorback]

Hoppy sits back, enjoying his drink while watching his new comrades interact. He sees them playing cards but decides against playing, keeping an eye on those coming and going. As soon as Grevane heads up to the rooms, he bids goodnight to whoever is in the room and follows him up, taking one of the unoccupied beds.

[Siege Tower]

Noticing the rest of her companions heading to their rooms Chandra does the same. Chandra quickly payed her share to the barkeep then headed up the stairs. Chandra was unsure of which room she was to sleep in so she slowly opened the door of one to peak inside. The woman immediately noticed three figures so she instantly closed the door and hoped she wasn't noticed. Chandra made her way into the other room and looked to see Letho sitting inside.

Chandra smiled at the man and gave a small nod of the head then went to place her bag and shoes next to the bed farthest from him. Chandra sat on the bed with her knees brought up to her chest and rested her back on the wall to the bed's side. Chandra said nothing to Letho but would greet him with a courteous smile if he ever glanced her way.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho simply waves to Chandra, rolls over, and goes to sleep.

[Siege Tower]

As Chandra hears Letho snore she lets out a sigh of relief. Chandra didn't want to show it but she was very uncomfortable sharing this room, especially with the man who's foul scent could no longer be ignored by her. Chandra would most likely be awake by dawn and could avoid any more contact with Letho but she didn't want to risk him waking up in the middle of the night. When Chandra was sure that Letho was in a deep enough sleep that he wouldn't be woken by her leaving, Chandra picked up her gear and headed back downstairs. Chandra could hopefully stay up the whole night in the tavern, if the barkeep does have to close at some point, Chandra will go back to her room and pretend to sleep.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Morning finds most of you well-rested and comfortable. After the trip, a soft bed has done your bodies good. When you come down to the main tavern room, you find Chandra already there. The man who was present when you entered yesterday is now passed out with his head on the table. Otherwise, the room is empty and looks a bit dirtier (though, whether that's real or just better lighting is difficult to tell).

Chandra:
You'll be fatigued until you get eight hours of sleep.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho yawns as he stomps down the stairs.
"Man, I could use some breakfas-" he starts, but cuts himself off when he notices Chandra's tired expression, "Sorry, did I snore last night? Didn't mean to keep you up."

He yawns again.

"So anyone have any idea of what we're actually supposed to do while we're up here?" he asks, once the group is assembled.

[Lionheart]

Balmung looks at Letho fairly coldly, a gentleman would have left the room to the lady.
"I believe we should start by keeping our wits about us, perhaps there are a few more taverns you could grace with your presence..."

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho sits down at one of the tables and glances up at Balmung, leaning back slightly.

"You might want to rethink going for drinks so early in the morning Balmung, people might think you're some kind of ale hound," Letho replies.

"Not that I'm judging you," he adds, raising his hands slightly, palms outward, in a gesture usually made to avoid offense, "but uhh, most people socialize at night."

[razorback]

Hoppy comes downstairs, his stomach grumbling.

Seeing the group assembled, he nods agreement for breakfast.


"So anyone have any idea of what we're actually supposed to do while we're up here?"

I think that, due to some of the short comings of divinations, we might have to poke and prod a bit or whatever this... situation is/will be, we may have to wait until it surfaces and deal with it. Personally, I would rather meet it head on like a wyrmling before it has had a chance to grow into an adult.

[Lionheart]

Balmung smiles at the jibe, matching Letho's body language and enjoying the banter.
"I'm sure that's one of many things you could teach me about socializing, perhaps, as an exchange, i could teach you something of a gentleman's etiquette?"

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho nods to Hoppy.

"Agreed. Might want to go meet with whoever's in charge... mayor or whatnot," he replies.

Letho scratches his head as he turns back to Balmung.

"Etiquette huh... Guess you can try, what'd I do wrong this time?" he asks.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

As Grevane comes down the stairs he yawns and streches. Morning everyone. Sleep well?

Grevane sits down and takes out a roll of parchment. He begins to fill it with notes on the various things he's learned in the last few days. Normally this is a nighttime ritual, but having neglected to finish last night, he is catching up.
He listens as he writes, and chips in as Hoppy and Letho are discussing what to do.
Can't say I like the idea of just waiting for something bad to happen, but we don't seem to have many options. As for meeting the mayor, what reason would we tell him for our visit? I thought we were trying to lay low...

[Siege Tower]

Chandra very suddenly brightens up and looks to Letho smiling.

No hun, you didn't keep me up at all. There's no need to worry about that.

Chandra would try and maintain a facade of good cheer and health but the noticeable bags under her eyes stick out very prominently on her normally flawless complexion. Chandra doesn't contribute to the conversation at hand as she was far to tired to focus.

[Lionheart]

Balmung frowns at the serious turn of the conversation.
In principal I agree with you suggestion, friend Grevane. Though the question of why we're here is not unimportant. Perhaps, with our plethora of holy paraphenalia, we could pose as some form of religious order? Perhaps a united church of our respective deities?"

He clears his throat, it has been long since he has talked so freely,

"Such a thing is unorthodox, but perhaps believable.
He eyes Grevane carefully, "If presented by the right person that is."

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Well, I suppose that's a possibility, but it seems a little risky. I doubt I could fool an actual cleric of Plaeton into thinking I'm one of them. I'm not much of an actor.
Grevane finishes up his note taking and puts the parchment away. He looks around to the rest of the group. Anyone else have any ideas?

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho raises his hand, glancing around to make sure nobody is listening. He keeps his voice low regardless.

"Mercenaries looking for work," he offers, "Explains our weapons, and gives us good reason to talk to people who want to cause or stop trouble. Plus we might make some gold on the side, if the cause is good."

He purses his lips in thought.

"Or we could be ore prospectors, looking for good mining sites and business partners. Gives us a good reason to explore the land around the city and talk to different people," he says.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

I like both of those better than posing as priests. I'd cast my vote for mercenaries, personally, but either could work. Grevane says, nodding to Letho.

[Lionheart]

Balmung makes a small apologetic noise, nodding slowly at his companions' suggestions.
"Mercenaries, yes, that's far more plausible. It didn't come to mind since I am, as you can see, unarmed. Very well, I shall pose as your chaplain. But what of Chandra? No offense my dear, but you hardly look like a sword for hire."
He purses his lips in thought, pondering the situation. "Of course, we could be overthinking the whole thing. What mayor isn't approached by adventurers every so often?"

[razorback]

I agree with the mercenary plan. I do not like the idea of using the church of Corvinnes in that fashion.

While he speaks amiably, the look on his face is stern.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra shifts her tired gaze to Balmung as he addresses her.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to ruin yours plans. I think I could pass for a mercenary if I really tried. I haven't been wearing it but um...I kinda have some armor and weaponry on me."

[Lionheart]

Balmung looks at Chandra, surprised.
"I'm very sorry my lady, I had no idea you were so prepared. By all means, let us pose as soldiers of fortune."

[Thundercracker]

Letho

""Well, not much of a disguise needed for me then," Letho says.

"Why don't we all take a look around town, bit of recon, just in case we need to find something later," he says, "once everyone's ready, that is."

[ClothedInVelvet]

If you decide to explore the town (I don't want to push you out the door or anything):

As you look around the city, you begin to get a feel for it. The main street runs from north to south, and it's full of the shops and such that you saw yesterday. About halfway up the street, on a short byway that you passed yesterday is a larger stone building that would appear to be a government structure. As you take side streets farther away from the main road, you get deeper into residential districts. Near the north gate, in a residential district, you find a large cathedral. Its blue banners proclaim its allegiance to Astaine.

The main street seems more crowded than it did yester-evening, probably a product of the farmers selling their produce. Housewives shop and a small number of city guards patrol up and down the avenue. No one gives you any trouble. In fact, the atmosphere is almost festive.

[razorback]

Hoppy walks with the group as they proceed through town.
It might be best if we split up. We can cover more ground and we might not seem... so intimidating to the locals.

With that, he breaks off from the group and walks up to one of the merchant stalls, looking for some fresh fruit.
Good man, what do you have that is fresh and tasty? he says to the merchant, a broad smile on his face.

[Thundercracker]

Letho
Letho watches Hoppy head off, re-adjusting his bow sleeve so it rests more comfortably.

"I'm going to inspect the church, anyone want to come with?" he asks.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra bites her knuckle and looks a bit tense before she speaks.

"Um I....I could come with you. I know a few things about churches. Um...would it be better that I start pretending to be a mercenary now?"

[Lionheart]

Balmung looks around the town, eventually deciding to inspect the governemntal structure. He has no real plan, just curiosity.

[Thundercracker]

Letho
Letho nods to Chandra.

"Yeah, better go get changed before we make our way there," he replies, "I'll wait here for you."

[Siege Tower]

After Letho's last words, Chandra moves back upstairs to change. Having not spent the night in her new room however, Chandra just now realized that she never acquired a key for which to lock the door with. Not wanting to go back downstairs and admit she was never in the room during the night, Chandra quickly closes the door and pushes a small table in front of it. After feeling sure that no one was going to see her change, Chandra dons the armor she had been keeping hidden before.

Chandra returns to the remaining group now fully equipped in case of trouble. Chandra's former sheepish appearance had been fully replaced by her now intimidating demeanor. Chandra was as tall if not taller than most men in the tavern and her current lack of slouching showed it. Chandra's armor itself also benefited her attempts at her mercenary facade. Although Chandra's armor was as well maintained as the rest of her possessions, the very sharp clean spikes on her shield looked even more dangerous in a well maintained state. The mace that Chandra rested on her shoulder looked even deadlier. Finally, the full suit of scale armor Chandra wore demanded respect. It had obviously been custom made for her and the blue coloring of her armor that circled around it like a sash was obviously an indicator of some sort of status. If Chandra was a real sword for hire, she wouldn't be the type to come cheap.

Although Chandra made a great effort to look like a real fighter, her voice carried the same light tone and fragile weakness as always.
"This armor is heavier than I remember."
Chandra's intimidating aura is suddenly shattered as she drops her arms in exhaustion, still feeling the effects from her lack of sleep.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Hoppy:
The farmer greets you warmly. "My good sir, I have all the best of the autumn produce. Apples, pumpkins, some corn, and even a few tomatoes." All priced just to suit your needs!"

Balmung:
The government structure appears large and solid, its walls made of mortared stone. The double doors are solid wood beams as thick as you are, banded in iron and flanked by guards. As you pass through them, you find yourself in a finely (but not lavishly) decorated entry hall. A door in the far wall is open into a room containing a large table with chairs around it. A few closed doors are on the north and south walls (to your right and left). Two clerks talk in the far corner of the room, but no one pays you any mind.

Chandra and Letho:
The cathedral architecture manages to be solid and impressive without being oppressive or intimidating at all, and you feel very comfortable walking through the doors. The sanctuary inside is lit by many high windows, and the light shining down into the quiet room gives the impression of sanctity. Both the rows of pews and the room as a whole are largely empty. Parishioners scattered through the rows kneel in prayer, and two men in clergy robes appear to be studying a tapestry in the far corner.

[Thundercracker]

Letho
Letho doesn't even try to contain his surprise at Chandra's appearance. On the way to the church, he glances over to her no less than three times, as if not believing his eyes.

Upon entering the house of worship, Letho walks right up to the two men studying the tapestry.

"Good morning your holy-nesses," he says without introduction, "we're recently arrived in town and I was wondering if there are any religious festivals in the next few weeks. Also, I figure people might come to the church for help from time to time, so if there's any jobs that need doing that aren't too safe, we might be able to help them out... if you know of anything, that is."

[razorback]

Hoppy looks at the mans produce for a minute and the replies.

I'll take these 3 apples and a handful of corn, good sir.

As the man proceeds to put the goods together, he continues

My name is Hopsin, but everyone calls me Hoppy. I am new to your town, looking to make a bit of coin. Do you have any suggestions? Maybe someone looking for extra guards?

[Rigel Cyrosea]

While the others are exploring more purposefully, Grevane simply wanders around, watching and listening to the people of the city. He tries to get a feel for the culture and mannerisms of the populace. He knows it's always easier to get along with people if you can act in a manner they're used to, so he does his best to emulate them.

[Lionheart]

Balmung looks around warily, then approaches the two clerks, making his holy symbol obvious, and clasping his hands in a priestly manner.
"Good sirs, i come seeking to spread the light of the dawn, tell me, is there any task for a humble priest looking to expand the bounds of good and righteousness?

[ClothedInVelvet]

Grevane:
As you spend your time watching the people move about, you notice an aberrant cluster of townsfolk around the blacksmith. They seem to be examining and cleaning weapons. Upon further study, many of their weapons are spears, javelins, and a few long knives. No one seems to be carrying any armor and the lack of discipline suggests no affiliation with military affairs.

Hopsin (I have noted that you are the one who suggested splitting the party:smallmad:):
"Extra coin, eh? Well, I haven't heard of much going on lately. I live outside the city, so I only hear about crime and such, but the city guard has been doing well lately. If I needed a job, I would probably talk to Peder over at the Smith. He's got a lot of business this time of year and might be able to use a young man to pump the bellows.

Balmung:
The clerks look up, surprised to be distracted from their intense discussion on the miraculous advances in ink being made in Sydrian. "A priest? We typically leave religious matters to Calarus; his church is on the north end of town. If you're looking for a job, you could speak with the administrator. He always seems to be worried about something, maybe he would want to delegate something off his plate."

Letho and Chandra:
As you near the priests, you see they are studying a tapestry depicting Astaine leading a dozen peasants through a snowy mountain pass. The detail is intricate and the priests seem to be examining the left foot of the goddess as she is depicted hovering over the snow.

When Letho speaks, they turn to greet you. "Hello, and welcome to the Church of Astaine. May you find peace within these walls." When Letho expresses his offer to help out if they need anything, the priests explain that they have little authority in the church. They direct you through a door in the other front corner and down a hall, where the vicar's office is. He would be the person to talk to.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

If Chandra voices no dissent, Letho will follow the clergymen's directions to the vicar's office and rap on the door, perhaps a tad too loudly.

[Siege Tower]

Without a word, Chandra follows Letho's lead. Being inside the church however, Chandra has lost her mercenary facade. For reasons unknown to Letho, Chandra knew that she would never pass for one among the clergymen. The matching colors of the church to the design on Chandra's armor very heavily hint as to why.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Letho & Chandra:
At your knock, the door opens to reveal an older man wearing a white robe with blue trim. He nods graciously at you and invites you in. When you are seated in front of his desk, he sits as well and asks how he can be of service.

Chandra:
He is obviously the vicar of this church and so is in charge of this city in matters pertaining to the church of Astaine. Proper protocol would be to greet him as "Most Reverend Servant of Astaine." If he asks who you are, protocol would be to introduce yourself as "Astaine's least servant Chandra" because of your low rank in the church. The vicar in the church nearest you would be referenced as "Most Reverend Servant Istac" (his name is Istac). You would be bound by duty to carry out his orders, but if you explain that your current adventures are a mission from your home church, it is likely that he would respect that.

[razorback]

Hoppy gives out a hearty laugh to the man as he hands over the coin for the apples and corn.

While a worthy profession, good man, it was not what I had in mind. taking a bite out of one of the apples, he nods his appreciation to the man.
That being said, hard work and money makes the soul stronger, so I may end up looking into it. Thank you and good day. he says as he nods with a smile and walks off as he continues eating his apple.


Edit: how much does Hoppy owe for the produce?

[Lionheart]

Balmung nods to the two clerks, trying to keep his face as serene as possible.

"And where would I find this, administrator?"

[Siege Tower]

Having growth quite aware of Letho's lack of tact, Chandra decides to speak first before the vicar is insulted in some manner. Chandra steps in front of Letho and performs a ceremonial bow typical within the church.

"Most Reverend Servant of Astaine, I and my companion have been sent here by a high ranking authority because of a looming evil that is threatening this city. The particulars of what this threat is is unknown to us however. The seers tasked with uncovering the nature of the evil have had their vision clouded by another unknown force. I humbly request that you share with us any knowledge you possess that may pertain to what we seek."

Chandra was not afraid to reveal information to the vicar. The woman was very familiar with the church and knew that any information shared between all those present would not leave the confines of the room they were in.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane meanders over to the blacksmith's and nods to the folks cleaning the weapons. He doesn't let his surprise at their numbers show on his face. Clasping his hands behind his back, he steps up to one of the townsfolk.
Quite the array of weaponry you're working on here! Is there something going on that I should be worried about? he asks, grinning.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Chandra & Letho:
The vicar appears mildly surprised, but his face quickly turns to a warm smile. "Beloved child of Astaine! It is always good to see a novice of our order. And it is obviously the will of Astaine that you would come to me with this information today. Last night I dreamt a terrible omen. I was standing on the wall looking out from the city and I saw a darkness approaching the city. When I turned to warn those inside the wall, I could find no one. I do not know the meaning of my dream, but I am afraid that there are evil things at work here. I will attempt to do further divinations tonight, but I have not yet been able to discern the source."


Hoppy:
4 copper pieces for your goods. Where do you intend to go?


Balmung:
The clerks direct you through the door into the meeting room and towards an office at the far end. As you approach the office, you meet a man coming out. He is about six feet tall, with blond hair and fair skin. His bearing is erect and noble, but his eyes and the tilt of his head tell you he's anxious and under great stress.


Grevane:
The men all seem to be in a jovial mood and laugh at your question. Amidst their laughing, they explain that they're preparing their weapons for the hunt. It is apparently something of a city holiday, and these men intend to be prepared. They all seem deferential towards a man who slew three baboons in last year's hunt.

[Lionheart]

Balmung bows to the blonde man, extending his hand in greeting.
"Would you be the administrator? I can see you're in a hurry, so i'll be brief. My name is Fezalion and i am here to help you. Now tell me, what would you have me do?"

[Siege Tower]

"If you have felt it as well, surely we must attempt some form of preparation. It seems the whole city is in danger from this threat but the populace seems unaware. We shouldn't risk having the city caught off guard. It also appears that there is some form of festival that is soon to begin. This festival seems to be occurring eerily close to when disaster is going to strike."

[razorback]

After Hoppy pays the farmer, he wanders around the market place for a bit before heading to the blacksmith. His surprise is evident as he walks into the opening of the building and sees Grevane talking with the assembled group.

It looks like you beat me here, friend. Anything of interest?

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane laughs along with the men. As they mention the hunt, he connects the dots and nods.
Ah, that's right, the migrating baboons- I've heard of that! Sounds quite fascinating. He turns to the man the group is deferring to.
And you slew three last year? Impressive! I doubt I could catch a single one myself, he adds, laughing. I'll have to hear the story from you some time.

When Grevane sees Hoppy, he waves him over. At Hoppy's question he nods and gestures to the crowd.
These fine men are preparing for the great hunt. Every year a number of migrating baboons pass through the area, and they intend to catch as many as they can, right? he finishes, turning to the crowd.

[razorback]

Baboon... hunting? I've never heard of it. Sounds interesting.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Hoppy & Grevane:
The men gladly explain how the hunt works. Basically, thousands of baboons pass through the wilderness around the city, so hunters spread out from the city and catch a few if they can. Some just try to get them with thrown spears or javelins, others actually try to catch them in nets, and others try to chase them into trees and kill them there. The skins and meat are then all used for a small feast at the end of the hunt.

Balmung:
The man stops, startled that you're speaking to him. "Well, yes, I am the city administrator. My name is Aleandor. I'm pleased to meet you Fezalion. I appreciate your offer of help, but I'm not really sure what you mean. Do you have any particular services that you're offering to the city?"

Chandra & Letho:
The vicar carefully considers your words. "The hunt has been going on for many years, I doubt that it is a corrupt worship of the demon princes." He gives a small smile. "But I am not sure what we can do. We have little information, and although our city administrator seems to be a decent man, there is little he could do with a vague notion of impending doom. If we had a credible threat, we could certainly inform the government authorities, and perhaps the church authorities as well."

He sits back and thinks for a moment. "Perhaps you're right. We should talk to Aleandor, at least to see if he has any information that could shed light on the situation. Go speak with him, but be discerning in what information you share with him."

[Lionheart]

Balmung smiles at the man, steepling his fingers as he does so.
"There is much that i can offer you my friend, but let me be brief. I know that something is coming to this city. Something big, something... Dangerous. Tell me what you know of this, and i shall keep your city safe."

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho keeps his mouth shut for once and lets Chandra do all the talking. He does, however, seem to be following the exchange with great interest.

[razorback]

When do you men expect these baboons to come through?

[Siege Tower]

"At once. Before we leave however, where do we find this Aleandor? If he could help protect the city then there should not be any issue with us telling him the information we have gained thus far."

[ClothedInVelvet]

Balmung:
The man's surprise turns to alarm. "Something big and dangerous is coming to the city? What are you talking about? Are we being attacked? There are thousands of people here whom I am charged with protecting!"

With that nearly hysterical outburst, the man sinks back, practically falling backward into a wall. His eyes are wide and his mouth continues mouthing things like "attacked" and "what am I going to do?"


Letho & Chandra:
The vicar nods, "Aleandor is the city administrator. He will likely be in Civil Hall on Main Street. He works harder than anyone else in this city, just trying to keep people safe and healthy."


Grevane & Hoppy:
Apparently a few baboons have already been spotted in the area, but the hunt is not for another two days. The men continue talking about places they've scoped out, and in which direction from the city will be the best hunting ground. From what you can pick up, it seems like there will be a lot of hunters out.

[Siege Tower]

"Thank you for your help. I have one further request before we go to speak with the administrator. My companion and I are foreigners to this city. Would it be possible for you to write a letter for Aleandor or give us a token that shows we go to him with your blessing?"

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho simply smiles and nods, trying his best not to sabotage what appears to be a successful meeting thus far.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Letho & Chandra:
The vicar nods and quickly scribbles something on a piece of paper before sealing it with wax and his ring. "Go with the blessing, beloved child of Astaine. And you sir, travel well."

[razorback]

Hoppy looks at Grevane

So, do you feel like joining the hunt?

Looking at the assembled group he asks

Is there a prize for the most kills or anything similar?

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane raises his eyebrows. Me? I don't think so. I'm not cut out for that sort of thing. But I look forward to witnessing it. Sounds like it could make a great story some day.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho nods to the vicar as they leave his office. Once safely out of the church, he speaks openly again.

"That was great, I think I should let you do the talking from now on," he says.

He looks first left, then right.

"I think they mayor's building is this way, let's get moving and pick up any of the others we see on the way," he says.

[Siege Tower]

After leaving the church, Chandra loses the confidence she seemed to have had for that one moment. Her mercenary facade seems to have slipped away as well for the tired woman is having trouble carrying all of her equipment in her exhausted state.

"I'm sorry, I should have let you speak. Things probably would have gone better. I'm sorry, I just wasn't sure if you knew how to speak to the vicar. I'm very sorry, I should have asked before we went. It probably wouldn't be best to let me handle talking to people. I just know stuff about the followers of Astaine. You could probably talk to other people better than I could in the future. Things went okay this one time but I'd probably screw up if I tried again, sorry."

Chandra begins to follow Letho from behind with her head bowed as before. Chandra makes no further attempts to portray herself as a mercenary even though she is still wearing her combat gear.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

"Nonsense, you were great," he replies.

As Chandra begins to fall behind though, Letho finally seems to notice the woman struggling under the weight of her gear.

"Do you want me to carry some of that for you?" he asks "just until we reach the mayor's office, I mean."

He stops and eyes Chandra appraisingly, as if seeing her for the first time.

"I don't know how anyone can fight in all that," he remarks.
"Yeah, the armor means protection, but you look ready to drop, and we're just walking around. I guess I always liked speed over armor." he continues.

[Siege Tower]

After noticing that Letho is growing suspicious of Chandra's tired posture, she does her best to try and fain comfort while carrying her equipment.

"No no, I'm fine. I'm...I just slept weird so my leg is a bit sore. I'm fine, really."

[Lionheart]

"Calm yourself friend, tell me what it is, specifically, that you fear. By the Lion's Roar I swear it shall not come to pass."

[Rigel Cyrosea]

As Hoppy is asking the men at the blacksmith's about prizes, Grevane turns around and spots Letho walking by. It takes him a minute to realize the woman behind him is Chandra, with the unfamiliar armor. He turns around to Hoppy and taps him on the shoulder.
I see the others walking by- I think I'll go catch them up. You coming, or do you have more questions for these fellows?
He then thanks the crowd at the blacksmith for their information, waves, and heads off to catch up with Letho and Chandra.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

"Does everyone from where you're from sleep sitting up? Have you tried sleeping lying down?" he asks, "it might help"

Letho smiles encouragingly, then spots Grevane approaching.

"Oh hey Grevane, find anything useful? We're just on our way to see the mayor. Want to come with?" he asks.

Chandra/GM:

sense motive to see if Letho suspects Chandra is hiding anything (specifically regarding why she's so exhausted): [roll0]

[Siege Tower]

Chandra doesn't react to Letho's attempts at humor. As the woman sees Grevane approach them, she uses that as an excuse to not respond to Letho's comment. As her two other party members catch up, Chandra slips apart from the group and tries to remain inconspicuous.

Letho/GM
Bluff to roll against the sense motive: [roll0]

Edit: Chandra is very obviously hiding something.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

As Chandra slips behind, Letho faces forward and speaks softly to Grevane.

Grevane:

"Don't turn around. Have you noticed Chandra can barely stay on her feet? She said she got a good night's sleep but she looks half-dead today... she was already up when I woke up. Any idea what's wrong?" he asks.

The young warrior shakes his head as if to clear away some bad memories, then speaks again, with more conviction.

"We can't be half-asleep when the chips are down," he continues, "not when a split-second's reaction can mean the difference between staying alive or not."

[ClothedInVelvet]

Balmung:
The man stutters and looks at you with wide eyes. "You just told me that we are being attacked!"


Hoppy:
The men admit that there's no prize, apart from the renown. It seems to be a largely recreational activity, and a focal point of the year for these men. (Imagine deer-hunting combined with the Super Bowl for people from northern Wisconsin. If you decide to join the others, you may read their section as well.)


Chandra, Letho & Grevane:
When you arrive at the government building:
The government structure appears large and solid, its walls made of mortared stone. The double doors are solid wood beams as thick as you are, banded in iron and flanked by guards. As you pass through them, you find yourself in a finely (but not lavishly) decorated entry hall. A door in the far wall is open into a room containing a large table with chairs around it. A few closed doors are on the north and south walls (to your right and left). Two clerks talk in the far corner of the room, but no one pays you any mind.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Letho:
Grevane nods at Letho's question. His usual smile disappears, and his gaze becomes far harsher than normal.
Yeah, I noticed. Listen, are you sure she got a good night's sleep? Think about what you just said. She was already up when you came down, and she looks half-dead today. And you two slept in the same room, didn't you? With how shy she is, do you really think she was comfortable with that?
I don't know her very well yet- none of us do. But I'm already pretty sure she'd lie about her own wellness so you wouldn't feel bad. She's too polite for her own good...
I also think she's hiding something. Do her hands look rough to you? They don't to me. But they feel rough. When I shook her hand earlier, it was like a farmhand's.
Grevane sighs and shakes his head. His face returns to it's usual pleasant expression, though his smile is weaker than before.
In any case, there's really nothing we can do about it until tonight. Then we make sure she can get a proper night's sleep. Alone, I think.


OOC: Since the next bit of plot is already up, it seems like the rest of this conversation, if anything, should go in the IC Conversation thread.


Grevane looks around the building, appreciating the architecture. It's not the most impressive he's every seen, but not bad either. He turns to Letho and Chandra.
So, uh... what's the plan?

[Siege Tower]

Without saying a word, Chandra slips the letter she was given to Letho then goes back to her place behind the group.

[razorback]

Hoppy nods to the men and wishes them luck has he thinks on joining the hunt.

Catching up to Grevane and the others, he falls in line.


So, uh... what's the plan?

He looks at Chandra and Letho before asking.
Were the two of you able to find anything of interest?

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho blinks a few times as he takes the letter.

"Guess that means I'm telling them. Yeah... believe it or not, Chandra here's a pretty good talker. She got us a letter from the city's vicar to the mayor. Apparently the vicar's been having dreams of something bad coming, so it looks less likely we're on a wild goose hunt," Letho says.

"That about sums it up," he says, "what about you guys?"

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane is quite interested by the news of what happened in the church. He taps his fingers against his chin as he listens.
Dreams, eh? Did he describe them?

When Letho asks about what happened to him, he shrugs.
Wandered around for a bit, then I ran into a crowd working on weapons at the blacksmith's. There's a herd of baboons coming through here in a few days, and they were preparing for the festival to celebrate hunting them. That's about it.

[razorback]

Grevane sums that up. Did the Vicar elaborate on what his bad dreams were about?

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho shakes his head.

"Nothing useful, far as I can remember," he replies.

[Lionheart]

Balmung looks pensieve, studying the haggard face of the administrator.
"Perhaps I approached this the wrong way. I thought i'd perform admirably as the herald of bad news.

He smiles, remembering a simpler time.
Let us just say, i was led here by a premonition of darkness shrouding this city. I came to see what could be done to stop this. Now, i know of no enemy that would wish this place particular harm, but i do know that danger is imminent. It is imperative that you reveal to me every possible root of this threat, that i may counter it. For the good of your city, tell me, who would wish you harm?

[ClothedInVelvet]

Balmung:
The man visibly relaxes, though he remains slumped against the wall. "Imminent danger? I don't understand. We have no enemies. We are a peaceful folk and have no conflicts with anyone. We were allies with the southern cities during the Dragon war, and our relations with them have not soured."

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane looks unhappy with Letho's answer. He shrugs and heads in the direction of the clerks he saw coming in.
Hello there! I've got a letter that needs to be delivered personally to the Mayor. Can we see him?

[ClothedInVelvet]

Gang (everyone but Balmung):
One of the clerks looks at Grevane, slightly annoyed at the fact that you've interrupted his conversation, and points through the open door. "The administrator's office is right through there."

When you walk through the door, you see Balmung apparently trying to talk to a man who is leaning against the wall, seemingly exhausted.

(You're all together again, in a room with Aleandor, the city administrator. It might be advisable to catch each other up on what's going on, but you could also try flying by the seat of your pants. Good luck, and have a great holiday weekend.)

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho keeps his voice down, so as not to be heard by passerby.

"He dreamed of some kind of darkness approaching the city, but when he turned to warn the residents, there was nobody there," Letho replies.

"Not sure what it means, but it's too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence, I think," he adds.


Edit: Sorry, this is my mistake, post should have been earlier, while we were still on the streets.

[razorback]

Hoppy, understanding Letho's caution, looks about and nods.

It would seem Corvinnes or some other power of good has forseen this and is trying to avert it.

His brow creased as he concentrated.

This is beyond my ability to think through. I can only hope that we can decipher what is going on before it is too late.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

"He dreamed of some kind of darkness approaching the city, but when he turned to warn the residents, there was nobody there," Letho replies.

"Not sure what it means, but it's too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence, I think," he adds.
Grevane nods and scratches his chin. Sounds interesting. I know a bit about dreams. I'll have to take some time to ponder this one later.


One of the clerks looks at Grevane, slightly annoyed at the fact that you've interrupted his conversation, and points through the open door. "The administrator's office is right through there."
Thank you, and my apologies for intruding, Grevane says. He walks over to the indicated door, opens it, and takes a look inside.

[Lionheart]

Seeing Grevane's face appear around the door, Balmung smiles broadly. He waves his.friends into the room. "Ah! My friends, come in! Aleandor was just explaining his ignorance of any possible threat to the city, apparently they have no enemies. A rare luxury in these troubled times.

[razorback]

Hoppy looks at Balmung and wonders a bit if, maybe, they were being a bit too loose with the information they were intrusted with. With a small, internal sigh, he looks at the others.
Resisting the urge to roll back on his heels, he sits stock still, waiting to hear what other information Aleandor might have to say.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane walks into the room, nods to Balmug, and bows to Aleandor.
Pleased to meet you, my Lord. I see you've already been discussing things with my comrade. We also have a letter to deliver to you from the Vicar.
He motions Letho to hand over the letter.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho glances at Chandra briefly before stepping forward and passing the letter to Aleandor. He nods to Grevane and wordlessly steps back to stand near the door once more.

[ClothedInVelvet]

From his face, it would appear that Aleandor cannot decide whether to be relieved or collapse into a nervous fit. He takes and reads the vicar's note and looks helplessly at all of you. "Hello to all of you. Are you here to confirm that my city is under attack? I apologize that I am not better prepared for this meeting, but I have been worrying about the upcoming hunt and had not heard of this great threat until your companion informed me a few minutes ago."

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho glances about then steps forward.

"Or maybe it's a practical joke,"" he says.

"We can't do anything more than keep our eyes open for clues. If there isn't a threat, we don't want people to panic for nothing. If someone is planning something, we don't want to tip them off that we know they're coming.... though with that monkey hunt, it might be a good excuse to make sure the guards are all alert and defenses are all tip top..." he says, his voice growing softer towards the end

Having said his peace, Letho drifts back to his earlier spot by the door.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Aleandor brightens at a discussion of things he can do to help. He quickly rummages in his belt pouch and pulls out a handful of papers. "Oh yes. I have been trying to figure out how to best deploy the guards throughout the forest and around town during the hunt. I'm sorry to say that in the past few years, the wilderness has gotten to be a lot more dangerous around here. I've got a deployment plan that I hope will cover most of the trouble areas, but I don't have enough guards to patrol all of the nearby areas and cover the city as well.

"I've tried to urge caution among the hunters, but you know how young men are. They don't believe anything can hurt them, and this hunt is such a cherished tradition in the area. There's no way they'll let me cancel it, probably not even if one or two of them get ambushed by terrible monsters. It makes my job very difficult, I'm sure you understand. Our resources will be stretched to the limit, and we're going to have holes here and there."

[Siege Tower]

Chandra tries to remain inconspicuous in the corner but listen intently on everything said. Chandra would have something to add but her timidness combined with her exhaustion makes silently leaning against the stone wall a far more appealing prospect.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho coughs politely and speaks up from the back of the room.

"Maybe we can work for the city during the festival, help plug the holes," he says.

[razorback]

Hoppy nods, impressed by Letho's idea.

This would seem to kill two birds with one stone, don't you agree, my lord?

[ClothedInVelvet]

"You would really do that? The city doesn't have much money, so I can't pay much, but it would be a great assistance!"

Aleandor excitedly consults his maps and charts. "Can I have you patrol area 4?" He shows you that area 4 lies to the south and east of the gate you entered, in a particularly dense area of forest. A number of other areas are marked as well, some with names that you assume correspond to guards.

[Lionheart]

Balmung smiles happily, glad to have reached a consensus. It was a new experience for him to work with others, and wasn't sure if he had taken the correct course of action.
"Well I'm glad we've come to an agreement. Is there some sort of uniform we require?

[razorback]

Hoppy grimaces at the mention of uniform.
<Humpfhh...would Corvinnes understand?> he thought to himself. The Templar, he thought, would be ok with his putting on the uniform of the guard since it was to help the locals from whatever catastrophe was about to descend upon them.

So, we have a few days, it would seem, to get aclimated to the area. Probably best to get started as soon as possible. he said to the assembled group.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Aleandor shakes his head, "No uniform necessary, as you won't exactly be in an official city capacity. You'll just be an extra few swords if anything goes wrong. If you hear two quick blasts of a horn, it is our signal for trouble."

You have a couple days until the hunt, but I'll probably speed that up so we can get to a new chapter (and maybe even combat!). Post anything you want to do in the meantime. When it looks like you're done with that, we can jump ahead.

[Siege Tower]

Chandra has spent more than one night in the past staying awake. She should be able to stay up for at least one more day before she needs sleep. Although she nods off for a minute here and there she remains ready to respond to anyone who may approach her.

[Lionheart]

For the next couple of days Balmung will stick with the majority of the group, whatever they decide to do. He'll be observing their interactions and attempting to understand their behaviour.

[Thundercracker]

Letho will ask around about any natural dangers in the area, wild cougars, pitfalls, lightning, whatever. He'll also ask about the particulars of the baboon hunt. Aside from that, he spends time every day exercising, keeping himself in shape, and tries to get to know the inn keeper and tavern regulars, along with his companions.

[razorback]

Hoppy, after getting the information from Aleandor , proceeds to go back the the inn and ask about the area that was noted on the map, to get a feel of the history.

[Siege Tower]

Depending if Chandra collapses or not, Chandra would spend all of her time helping someone else rather than pursuing her own interests. If she stays up for more than two days then she spends one day sleeping while everyone else is away. To make people think she wasn't asleep, Chandra would sometimes gain information from her ties to the church and then withhold it until there was a time people were wondering what she was doing. Chandra would still insist she doesn't want her own room and would pretend she was still sleeping at the same time and place as the others.

CIV
Depending if Chandra's sleeping scheme is found out or not, she will still be fatigued.

[ClothedInVelvet]

(It seems like you're done in town, if you've still got stuff, we can retcon it quickly)

As the day of the hunt dawns with clear skies, you walk out to your designated area. It's an area of heavy woods, surrounded by lighter woods and fields. From what you've been able to gather, there's nothing too special about it (no good stories or grisly murders). A few predators (bears, wolves, etc.) are standard for this kind of territory, but it's unlikely they'll surprise experienced hunters or a large group. A brisk breeze blows through the forest, reminding you that autumn is upon you.

The hunters are spread out throughout the woods, a few in pairs or teams. They seem excited, maybe with a touch of nerves, for the event. As you patrol through your area, you occasionally hear baboons screech nearby. You even see a few hopping through branches high above you, but few come close.

There isn't much excitement until mid-morning when you stumble upon two hunters arguing over a kill. Apparently, both threw spears and only one hit. After examining their remaining weapons, you're able to determine which hunter owned the spear and awarding the kill.

A few hours later, however, two quick horn blasts sound from deep in the woods.

Chandra:
Letho seems to have gotten a hint, and you're left alone to sleep. Getting a good nights rest restores your strength and you're fully able to participate in the hunt.

Grevane:
The symbols in the dream are not significant to you at this point. As you develop more understanding and experience, especially in this town, you may discover significance.

[razorback]

As they are walking on their patrol, Hoppy chats quietly with his comrades, trying to get a feel for each of their character, to see if they are noble in their cause or not.

I think that the dragon wars might have been averted if...

He stops midsentance at the sound of the horn blast. After the second blast, he looks back and asks That can't be good. Which direction did that sound to you? he said to the others.



Listen check to figure out where the horn blast came from
[roll0]

[Siege Tower]

After spending a good deal of her time exhausted, Chandra couldn't help but feel stronger than ever after finally resting. Although she was feeling far more healthy, Chandra still remained at the back of the group and never spoke unless spoken to first. Chandra remained in her place watching over the group until the horn was heard.

CIV
Listening for the direction of the horn.
[roll0]

[Thundercracker]

Letho

"I think it came from over there, but I'm not sure," Letho says.



listen: [roll0]
Do we know what the horn means? Are we free to investigate? If so, Letho will suggest it to the group.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Letho points and Hoppy and Chandra agree. The horn blasts were obviously the trouble signal as described by Aleandor.

I'll be out of town Saturday, so I'm not sure I'll manage to post. I'll try to be back Sunday. If you decide not to pursue trouble, posting obviously won't be as urgent.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Before the horn blast, Grevane has had his eyes on his feet almost continually. Mostly this is simply because he's afraid of tripping over things, but he's also not feeling particularly talkative today. He's worried- he's got a bad feeling about this whole business.
When the horn blasts sound, he finally looks up and glances around. He nods to the others. He quickly grabs a small bag from inside his pack. He pours out the contents- several sticks marked with numbers in some strange pattern. He sifts them apart and chants under his breath for a few seconds, then closes his eyes. Beneath the lids, they move erratically.

Casting Omen of Peril (Spell Compendium 149). The path Grevane at least has chosen is to follow the horn blasts, so the result should be relative to that.

[razorback]

Hoppy starts to pull his broadsword in anticipation of charging off into danger as Grevane do his magic. Not sure how to react, he looks at the others and shrugs his shoulders a bit.

I guess we give him a minute???

[ClothedInVelvet]

Grevane:
Your weightless body stands on the deck of a ship on the high seas. The clouds are dark overhead and the ocean is choppy, but the brisk wind gives you a significant boost to your speed.

[Thundercracker]

Letho draws his bow and notches an arrow, and walks a few steps swiveling his head back and forth, sweeping his gaze across the trees.


Omen of Peril casting time is 1 round

[Lionheart]

Until now Balmung has been silently admiring the flora and fauna of the area, but now that swords are out he throws his cloak over one shoulder and smiles, facing the sound of the horns.
[COLOR="Indigo"] "Shall we?" [/COLOR="Indigo"]

[Rigel Cyrosea]

A ship in a storm...? Grevane mumbles to himself. Turning back to the others, he nods to Balmug.
We should get moving. It doesn't look promising, but speed is important. He then starts to jog in the direction of the horn blasts.

[Thundercracker]

Letho follows closely, straining his eyes and ears for sounds of battle or clues as to what lies ahead.

[Siege Tower]

Without a word, Chandra follows and keeps her place at the back of the group.

[ClothedInVelvet]

After hustling through the woods, you discover the trouble. Ahead of you, a group of four hunters stand with their backs to a large tree. Surrounding them is a dozen goblins. Some are armed with spiked clubs and some hold pointed sticks. They have obviously heard you crashing through the woods, and they look slightly alarmed, no longer sure whether to menace the hunters or turn their weapons on you.

The nearest ones are approximately 40 feet ahead of you.

Initiative:
Grevane: [roll0]
Letho: [roll1]
Balmung: [roll2]
Chandra: [roll3]
Hoppy: [roll4]
Goblins: [roll5]

If you beat the goblins, you have 24 hours to post your actions. Good luck.

[Siege Tower]

Wanting to avoid any harm coming to the hunters or her companions, Chandra gets into a readied stance to charge the goblins but speaks first.
"Please cease what you are doing! We mean you no harm!"

If the goblins do not speak common then Chandra is going to inquire if anyone can communicate with them if violence does not ensue immediately.

CIV
Diplomacy to stop the goblins and hunters from attacking. [roll0]

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane quickly draws a symbol in the air in front of him. He mumbles under his breath, and his body is surrounded in a halo of light. He then moves back a short distance, so that there's at least 50 ft between him and the nearest goblin.

Casting Nimbus of Light, Spell Compendium 148, 1 standard action, then moving back ten feet.
Are we going to do this without a map? Not that it's impossible, but maps do tend to reduce confusion.
It's pretty easy to use something like google docs to do mapping. Here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqooijAdI_FRdHZUU1Z5WkdlN0JjU2FpSUlOWkpDN Wc)'s an example I made in about ten minutes. Anyone can edit that. Let me know if you think it'd be useful.

[razorback]

Hoppy, on seeing the goblins surrounding the hunters, adjusts his stance as he prepares to charge.


"Please cease what you are doing! We mean you no harm!"


He pauses as Chandra yells at the goblins.
Not likely on both counts... he thinks to himself as he lets his thoughts trail, preparing his attack if/when the attempt at diplomacy fails.


Hoppy is in Iron Guards Glare stance.
He is readying a charge against what he thinks is the leader or, failing that, whoever is the largest goblin he sees.
Spot to figure the leader
[roll0]

[ClothedInVelvet]

The goblins appear uncertain of what to do. Many of them shift from foot to foot. One (highlighted dark green on the map) responds to your shouts in broken common: "No Stop! Attack Big Tree! Hurt People!"

The hunters, obviously more farmer than trained soldier, seem close to panic. "Help us! Don't let them kill us!"

Hoppy:
Although you are too far away to read all the runes and such on their jewelry, the goblin who spoke appears to be large and it's safe to assume he is the leader of this little pack.

All:
I was going to try without a map, but Rigel's is quick and convenient, so I've adjusted it to make it accurate. That will work well, so thanks Rigel. Everyone has 48 hours from now (I won't have internet tomorrow, but I'll try to post a mid-round update in 6-8 hours if anyone has posted).

Map:Here. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqooijAdI_FRdHZUU1Z5WkdlN0JjU2FpSUlOWkpDN Wc#gid=0)

[Siege Tower]

"Big tree?"

Chandra lessens her threatening stance slightly to try and help convince the goblins they do not mean to attack them. However, Chandra did take the hint that something else was amok in these woods.

CIV
Roll spot to see if anything is odd about the large tree the hunters and goblin are around as well as the tree immediately next to the party. [roll0]

Knowledge Arcana to figure out if there are any harmful trees Chandra knows of.[roll1]

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho gets a prickly feeling at the back of his neck and turns to his right, looking up at the tree behind Chandra. He then slides slowly to D16.

"Chandra, why not come over here," he says quietly.

If any of the goblins attack the hunters, Letho will fire an arrow at the lead goblin.


spot to notice something unusual about the trees: [roll0]
knowledge nature to know something unusual about the trees: [roll1]

[Lionheart]

In a gesture of friendship Balmung lowers his shield to the ground, then clenches abd unclenches his fists, ready for whatever happens.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane simply stays where he is, keeping an eye on the Goblins, but not making any aggressive actions. He adopts a defensive posture.

Just doing Total Defense for now.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Spot DC 5:
You can see that the tree at the center of the conflict appears to have some sort of markings on it.

Spot DC 15:
You can see that the markings on the tree appear to be runes of some sort.

Knowledge (Religion) DC 20:
You identify the runes as a type of dragon magic, denoting a sacred fountain of magic that keeps evil outsiders at bay. You know of no connection between the dragon magic and goblins.

Knowledge (Nature) DC 10:
The tree that is in the middle of the hunters is different from the other trees in the area. It is both larger and of a much darker color.

DC 20:
It appears to be a Wimblos tree. These trees are extremely rare and renowned for their intense magical energies. Most have been chopped down to make staves for powerful wizards.

DC 25:
Most Wimblos trees are ancient enough that no one knows their origins. There are small seeds (walnut-sized) on the branches, but no one has ever made a Wimblos tree grow from one. They're typically ground up as regents for powerful magics.

Sense Motive DC 10:
The goblins appear anxious and uncertain. The hunters are desperate and nearly frantic.

DC 20:
Underneath their uncertainty, the goblins are angry and insulted, but are not sure how to direct their feelings at this point.

The goblins are openly watching you now. A number of them keep their weapons pointed at the hunters, but it is clear that they are waiting to see what you do.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

"No hurt humans, humans come here," Letho calls out to the goblins.

"That tree, the one the hunters and goblins are around... that's a Wimblos tree; wizards use them to make staves. I didn't know any still existed," he says quietly, moving back to H20.

"I think the goblins might be there to destroy the tree, or harvest the walnuts for some magic ritual," he continues, "anyone know what those runes carved into the bark mean?"

[ClothedInVelvet]

(Since no one's responding to Letho, I'll jump in. If you have something to say, you can either put it here and we can retcon it, or the IC thread.)

The goblin leader is clearly frustrated that he is not being clearly understood. "NO COME! ATTACK BIG TREE!"

[Siege Tower]

Chandra speaks to her comrades before she direct her attention back to the goblins.

"I suggest one of us attempts to strike the tree so that the goblins know we are on their side. Can any of you do that without approaching the tree or posing any risk to the goblins or hunters?"

Chandra walks forwards towards the opposing group and speaks once again.

"Hunters! You've heard what has been said. Something is amok with that tree. Please lower your weapons and come to us. Do not provoke the goblins."

CIV
Diplomacy to get the hunters to leave the tree. [roll0]

Chandra makes it to tile I14 before she slows her movement to let the hunters approach her faster than she approaches them.

[razorback]

Hoppy grunts a No as he shakes his head.

Realizing that the stalemate wouldn't continue forever, that one group would flinch and the other would strike, he sheaths his sword and moves methodically with hands above his head towards the hunters.

Lower your weapons and move back they way I came. he says loud enough for everyone to hear.
To the goblin leader he says Once they are out of the area, we can deal with this tree. and gives him an acknowledging nod.

[Lionheart]

Balmung sighs as he sees that things are heade towards a peaceful resolution, he moves to the closest tree and leans upon it idly, whistling disappointedly.

[ClothedInVelvet]

The goblins don't react as Chandra and Hopsin approach. But when the nearest hunter takes a step away from the tree, three goblins shout fiercely and shake their weapons. The hunter hurriedly retreats, but the goblins continue to yell.

The leader's voice cuts through the din: "NO! ATTACK BIG TREE"


Map:
Here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqooijAdI_FRdHZUU1Z5WkdlN0JjU2FpSUlOWkpDN Wc#gid=0) (I've adjusted it best I can, please note anything you feel is incorrect)

[razorback]

Looking at the goblin leader, Hoppy points to the human hunters
They leave now and we will resolve any issues. Tell your soldiers we want to resolve this without anyone getting hurt.
as he continues to walk calmly and slowly towards the hunters.


Diplomacy on the leader
[roll0]

[Siege Tower]

After the hunters escape attempt fails, Chandra directs her attention to the goblin leader.

"Why attack big tree? What happen if do?"

[Siege Tower]

CIV
Sense motive to see if the leader responds honestly and if there is any hint that harm would come to the hunters. [roll0]

[razorback]

Hoppy continues to make his way towards the hunters, his hands raised in an unthreatening manner but his mind racing.
<If one of these goblins flinches> is what he thinks to himself, prepared to draw his broadsword and charge to save the hunters if necessary.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Hopsin continues to advance, practically standing next to one of the goblins, within striking distance if hostilities commence. Chandra continues to attempt to communicate with the goblin leader while the others hang back.

The goblin leader steps closer to the tree and hunters as he continues to yell: "NO ATTACK TREE! KILL!"

Chandra:
You feel like the leader is frustrated and feels like you do not understand him. He seems to be gesturing violently with his spear.

Map:
Here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqooijAdI_FRdHZUU1Z5WkdlN0JjU2FpSUlOWkpDN Wc#gid=0)

[Siege Tower]

Chandra beings to get rather worried fearing that violence could break out. The woman looks back to her party members to try and find a solution.

""We may have to just do what the goblins want. They won't just let the hunters walk away from that tree but we won't know what will happen if we attack it like they say. The options I currently see in front of us is to incapacitate the goblins before anything happens to the hunters then examine the tree in more detail later. Otherwise we could somehow attack the tree as they say and avoid any repercussions for having not done so. I don't believe any of you know of a way to tell what would happen if we did that, do you? If we attempt to attack the tree It's probably best one of us shoots an arrow well out of the range of the hunters or goblins but still hit the tree in question. Probably a more dangerous option but potentially beneficial is that I myself wade past the goblins and hunters and touch the tree to see if anything happens to me. The hunters seem to be too distressed to do anything themselves and I don't know how much patients the goblins would have if we started to try and communicate with them."

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane simply stays where he is, ready but not yet moving.

We're risking too much with this negotiation. Those hunters could die if we say the wrong thing. Better to strike first and minimize the damage. The damn tree can wait."

[Siege Tower]

Chandra bites her lower lip afraid of the fact that the two groups may have to resolve this issue with violence.

"Grevane...the goblins really seem to have no interest in the hunters. If they wanted to attack them they would have done so by now. The goblins are focusing all of their attention on that tree. Something has scared these folk and if we don't figure out what, it could happen again. The goblins know something about this tree that we don't and it's obviously not something good. If we don't learn what that is the thing they fear may come to fruition...whatever it is."

[Lionheart]

Balmung steps forward, to within 60ft of the tree in question. He sighs, looking around at his companions,
"If you want something done...
He cups his hands, fillng them with eldritch shadows, then hurls the dark energy at the tree.
Eldritch blast
[roll0]

[ClothedInVelvet]

Balmung's eldritch blast flies into the branches of the immense tree, leaving no visible marks.

The goblins are stunned for a split second, and then they erupt into a flurry of activity. At the same instant, they all begin shouting in their own language.

Initiative (we need to re-order after the surprise):
Letho: [roll0]
Grevane: [roll1]
Chandra: [roll2]
Balmung: [roll3]
Hopsin: [roll4]
Goblins: [roll5]

Everyone is surprised, so we'll move right into the first round. If you go before the goblins, you have 24 hours.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane grimaces and swears under his breath. He holds his other hand out, pointing towards the goblins. The halo of light around his head moves down and begins circling his wrist, but doesn't fire off yet. As this is happening, he jogs towards a closer tree, ending up beside Chandra.

Move action to get the Nimbus of Light ready to fire, then moving to J14. Map is updated.

[ClothedInVelvet]

The goblins, tensed so long, finally spring. One (L6) hurls a javelin at Hoppy, the point impacting his shield with a dull thud.

Two others charge him, going at him with their spiked clubs. One swings early, missing Hopsin entirely, but the other connects with his arm.
Hopsin: 2 damage. Delayed damage pool?

Chandra and Grevane's position is similarly charged, but Chandra wards them off with her shield.

The hunters are not quite so lucky. Unprepared for battle, they are unable to fend off the goblins. One hunter goes down after a vicious blow to the head, and the amount of blood is certainly not promising. Another falls to the ground under the assault, but you are unable to tell his condition.

The hunter closest to you takes a club to the shoulder, but remains standing and draws a knife, swinging ineffectually at his attacker. His companion receives a spear in the chest, sinking down without a sound or movement.

(Everyone goes; 24 hours. Good luck)

Map:
Here. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqooijAdI_FRdHZUU1Z5WkdlN0JjU2FpSUlOWkpDN Wc#gid=0)

[Lionheart]

Balmung smiles as the battle begins. He rushes forwrd to support Hoppy, standing ten feet from the goblin on his left. A long glaive of smoke and shadow appears in his hand, and he swings it viciously at the goblin.
Eldritch glaive
[roll0]
Damage
[roll1]
I'm also now threatening squares out to ten feet.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho moves to F13 and fires an arrow at the goblin leader with a sharp *twang* of his bowstring.


attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

[Thundercracker]

Letho
With a sickening *thunk*, Letho's arrow finds its mark, lodging in the goblin leader's neck for a potentially mortal wound.


Hope you don't mind I took a bit of artistic license with the action for the natural 20.
critical threat: [roll0]
damage x3: [roll1]

[Siege Tower]

All the blood seems to drain from Chandra's face as the battle brakes out. Chandra ceases to speak and does not even cry out as she begins to swing her mace. With no emotion expressed while fighting, Chandra seems to turn into a lifeless doll being forced to fight.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[razorback]

Hoppy, feeling the spikes being buried deep into him from the goblins club, draws his broadsword, swinging it in a deadly arc, looking to cut the goblin from breast to hip, grim determination on his face.


Hoppy
AC ~17; Current ~ 17
HP ~ 13; Current ~ 13; Delayed Damage Pool ~ 2

Move Action ~
Drawing broadsword


Standard Action ~
Attacking with Leading the Attack
Attack (+1 from Furious Counterstrike)
[roll0]
Crit Conf (if necessary)
[roll1]
Damage
[roll2]




Effects~
Stance ~
Iron Guards Glare -
Readied Maneuvers ~
1-Crusaders Strike
3-Charging Minotaur
5-Leading the Attack




We did not want this! he yells at the goblin leader

[ClothedInVelvet]

(Still waiting on Grevane, so I'll hold off on the goblins over the weekend)

The shock of Hopsin's retaliation drops his target like a rag doll. He shouts to the goblin leader with desperation, but his voice carries a note of control and confidence that inspires his allies.

Balmung's strike misses his target, but Letho's arrow slashes through the leader's throat, destroying muscles and arteries in its path.

Chandra's mace connects solidly with her target's head, and he falls in a heap.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane takes a quick step behind Chandra, then looses the light from his arm at the nearest goblin.

Sorry for the delay, going before the goblins mixed me up a bit. I had it in my head that I didn't go again yet for some reason.
Five foot step to I15, ranged touch attack with nimbus of light on the goblin at H13.
Ranged Touch: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[ClothedInVelvet]

Grevane's target sidesteps his blast. He then steps close to Chandra and brings his club in under her shield and drives its spikes into her thigh.

Chandra: 5 damage

Hopsin also fails to get his shield up in time, taking a club to the shoulder.

Hopsin: 5 damage

The goblins turn from the hunters are begin moving on their greater opponents. They seem slow to approach after seeing the bodies of their companions laying on the ground. A few of them throw javelins, one scratching Balmung's arm.

Balmung: 1 damage

(Everyone goes; 24 hrs.)

[Siege Tower]

The club hits Chandra with an audible crunch. Although obviously badly injured and bleeding profusely, Chandra doesn't react to her wound and instead just attacks the other goblin standing near her.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Assuming the goblin leader to be out of the fight, Letho falls back to F15 and fires an arrow at the goblin in G9.


attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

[Lionheart]

Balmung grimaces, both at he pain and in disappointment of his own abilities.
"Have I forgotten how to fight without relying on my powers?

He swings at the nearest goblin
Eldritch Glaive (melee touch attack)


In case it hits
[roll]1d6

[razorback]

I really need to work on my footwork Hoppy thinks to himself as the other goblin as he takes a blow from the goblin in his shoulder.
Seeing the hunters taking blows, too, Hoppy surges forward at the goblin who attacked him.




Hoppy
AC ~17; Current ~ 17
HP ~ 13; Current ~ 11; Delayed Damage Pool ~ 5

Move Action ~



Standard Action ~ Iron Guards Glare (-4 to attack vs. Hoppy's allies)
Attacking with Leading the Attack
Attack (+1 from Furious Counterstrike)
[roll0]
Crit Conf (if necessary)
[roll1]
Damage
[roll2]




Effects~
Stance ~
Iron Guards Glare
Readied Maneuvers ~
1-Crusaders Strike
2-Douse the Flames
3-Charging Minotaur
5-Leading the Attack

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane runs around the remaining goblin beside Chandra, staying out of it's range until he and Chandra are on opposite sides. He fumbles with his morningstar as he goes, but is slow to retrieve it, and isn't able to strike once he's in position.

Moving to G12 and drawing a weapon. Unfortunately, since my BAB is 0, that takes a move action on it's own.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Chandra's devotion to battle pays off as she drops her opponent with a quick blow to the head.

Letho's arrow glances off the goblin's helmet. The goblin is stunned for a moment and stands still, but his companions surge forward.

Balmung's energy blade misses the goblin as it steps quickly to one side, a maneuver that also throws Hopsin off target.

Grevane draws his weapon and moves to defend his allies.

The goblins counterattack fiercely. Two move to attack Grevane, and the others rush toward Hopsin and Balmung.

Grevane easily knocks one blow aside, but the other goblin bruises his hand with a quick blow.

Grevane: 2 damage

Balmung cuts down a goblin that tries to engage him before it can reach him with a nasty slash of his energy glaive, but he immediately forced to dodge three javelins, cutting his victory celebration short.

Hopsin evades his opponent's blow, stepping back directly into the path of a club from a new attacker. The blow glances off his armor, but leaves a small bruise to mark its passage.

Hopsin: 1 damage

Map:
Here. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqooijAdI_FRdHZUU1Z5WkdlN0JjU2FpSUlOWkpDN Wc#gid=0)

(Everyone goes)

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Slipping around the tree in D10, Letho moves to a position closer to the injured hunter. He releases another arrow at the goblin in J9 before it can engage Balmung or Hoppy.


attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

[Lionheart]

Balmung remains in place, sneering at the pitiful attempts of his adversaries.
He surges forward, eldritch blade slicing at the goblin before him. As he strikes, he begins to laugh.
"This is more like it"

Eldritch Glaive at the goblin in K10
Melee touch
[roll0]
and damage
[roll1]

[Siege Tower]

After both the goblins near Chandra crumple into useless heaps, the woman walks very robotically to f14. Chandra then raises her arm to get ready to charge the goblin in front of her. However, as Chandra readies her mace she notices blood dripping from her arm that was obtained from a goblin. Chandra looks down at the bloody wound at her side but instead of wincing she merely touches it with her off hand. When Chandra removes her palm, the bleeding had stopped.

CIV
Cure light wounds [roll0]

[razorback]

Hoppy feels the weak blow from the goblin and realizes that this can end only one way.
Giving up on diplomacy, he yells to the others

We have to get to the hunters before they are overwhelmed!


Hoppy
AC ~17; Current ~ 17
HP ~ 13; Current ~ 6; Delayed Damage Pool ~ 1

Move Action ~
5 foot step to K11 to keep Balmung from being overwhelmed.



Standard Action ~ Iron Guards Glare (-4 to attack vs. Hoppy's allies)
Attacking goblin M10 before moving, using Douse the Flames maneuver on him
Attack (+1 from Furious Counterstrike)
[roll0]
Crit Conf (if necessary)
[roll1]
Damage
[roll2]




Effects~
Stance ~
Iron Guards Glare
Readied Maneuvers ~
1-Crusaders Strike
2-Douse the Flames
3-Charging Minotaur
4-Vanguard Strike
5-Leading the Attack

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane swings at the goblin directly in front of him. As he does so, he yells out, trying not to let his fear show. As he recovers, he takes a quick step to the right, trying to put the tree between himself and the goblin.

Morningstar attack on the goblin at G11: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Five foot step to H12.

[ClothedInVelvet]

Letho's arrow plant's itself in the shield of the unaware goblin. It turns to see its attacker and hurls a javelin into the tree next to Letho.

Balmung's strike goes wide when he is again forced to duck to avoid javelins thrown at him.

Chandra pauses a moment, mid-combat, to rejuvenate via divine energy.

Both Hopsin and Grevane fight valiantly, but miss their targets. Hopsin fights valiantly against his two opponents, avoiding one blow and deflecting another. Grevane steps behind a tree, limiting his exposure and making it easier for him to deflect the blows of his opponents.

Map:
Here. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqooijAdI_FRdHZUU1Z5WkdlN0JjU2FpSUlOWkpDN Wc#gid=0)

(Everyone goes)

[Thundercracker]

Letho

Letho moves to E7 to get into a better position and takes another shot at the goblin in J9, then attempts to get a good look at the hunter in H5 and the goblin leader to see if either are still alive.

attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

[Lionheart]

Balmung grits his teeth and swings at the same goblin.
"Don't you know who i am?"
Eldritch glaive again, i will hit something!
[roll0]
[roll1]

Also, do i not get aoo on the goblins ranged attacking in my threat zone?

[Siege Tower]

Chandra takes a 5-foot step forward and proceeds to attack the nearest goblin.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Siege Tower]

Chandra takes a 5-foot step forward and proceeds to attack the nearest goblin.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

(OOC: Lemme fix up that last roll since you can't edit it.)
Attack: [roll0]

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Grevane takes another swing at the goblin in front of him, putting all of his (limited) strength into the blow.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[razorback]

Realizing that he was going to be overrun along with the rest of the group if they didn't cut down the odds a bit, Hoppy lashes out at the goblin on his left, striking with an almost divine purpose, his fury lending a small part of Corvinnes strength to his allies.


Hoppy
AC ~17; Current ~ 17
HP ~ 13; Current ~ 5; Delayed Damage Pool ~ 0

Move Action ~




Standard Action ~ Iron Guards Glare (-4 to attack vs. Hoppy's allies)
Attacking goblin in K10 with Vanguard Strike.
[roll0]

Crit Conf (if necessary)
[roll1]

Damage
[roll2]



Effects~
Stance ~
Iron Guards Glare
Readied Maneuvers ~
1-Crusaders Strike
2-Douse the Flames
3-Charging Minotaur
4-Vanguard Strike
5-Leading the Attack

[ClothedInVelvet]

Hopsin swings fiercely, knocking aside the goblin's shield and opening a serious wound on his chest. The goblin looks up, stunned, just long enough to see the looks on the faces of his enemies before Balmung finishes him off with a blow that drops him to the ground, bleeding profusely.

Grevane manages to wound his target with his mace, the priest putting his body into the blow. Seeing her ally's success, Chandra steps forward and knocks their target to the ground with a swift blow. Despite the sounds of battle around him, he does not stir.

Moving quietly, Letho slips behind the goblins, letting an arrow fly as he moves. As the shaft pierces straight through the chest of his target, he checks on the goblin leader and the hunters. Although both the leader and nearest hunter appear to be dead, one of the hunters is sitting on the ground, holding his wound.

The goblins, shocked by their companions' quick demise, turn to flee,

Map:
Here. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqooijAdI_FRdHZUU1Z5WkdlN0JjU2FpSUlOWkpDN Wc#gid=0)

[Lionheart]

Balmung swings his smoking blade up to point at the fleeing goblins, sending a spray of flesh blood arcing through the air.

"After them! Leave none alive!"
After shouting, he looks around and remembers were he is, he mutters an apology, coughs and wipes the sweat from his brow, fingering his holy symbol

I need to keep it together, I'm different now

[Siege Tower]

As the last of the goblins flee Chandra regains her senses and begins to express emotion again. The blood does not return to her face however as it is evident she is now feeling complete despair. Chandra sheaths her weapon and runs to the most injured yet still living hunter, ignoring any possible remaining dangers. Chandra's hands begin to shake noticeably and any words she attempts to speak are mumbled or replaced by worried whines.

CIV
Chandra casts Cure Light Wounds on any hunter she has a chance of reviving until they are stable.

[razorback]

"After them! Leave none alive!"

Hoppy is only briefly surprise at Balmungs reaction, as he had seen that before when others blood was up in the middle of combat.

No, he said, the tiredness becoming evident as he started to feel his own invigoration leave his limbs and, as the adrenaline slowed in his veins, he began to feel the bruising and bleeding his body had incurred we must make sure that the hunters are ok... and figure out why the goblins were so keen on hacking up those trees.
He began moving towards the nearest hunter to check to see if he still lived.

[Thundercracker]

Letho

On hearing Balmung's command, Letho moves 40' to M6 and is about to take a shot at the goblin in S5, but checks his release on Hoppy's words. He watches the goblins escape into the woods, then attempts to retrieve as many arrows as he can. If any of the hunters are still wounded at that time, he will use a charge from his healing belt.

"We should be away quickly, before they return with reinforcements," he says.

[razorback]

Hoppy nods at Lethos words, as he checks to see if the man he is hovering above is alive.

We need to figure out who lives still... who can walk and who needs to be carried.