Kingdom of Alynnor (Pathfinder IC)

[bookguy]

Browne's is a fairly large establishment, on the east side of the river. It has all manner of metal tools and implements. At the counter sit a few potions and other magical curiosities. There is also a collection of a variety of types of finely crafted weapons, the prize of which is a scimitar with a jeweled hilt. A repetitive clanging sound can be heard from the blacksmith's workshop, connected to the back of the store. Behind the counter sits a slightly overweight man with a peg leg. He converses with a lady making a purchase in a tone a bit louder than one would normally talk. After she leaves, he turns to the store in general and says "Anything I can do for anyone?"

OOC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14835117#post14835117) recruitment thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14823956#post14823956)

[Metroid33]

Kasumi Looks at the man, not sure how she should reply him. "Um I..I'm OK Ju.. Just window shopping". Looking around she takes in the shop and all of it's wares.

[bookguy]

"Don't worry, pretty lady. Good 'ol Hurst won't bite. Take yer time," he says, in an overeager attempt to be friendly.

[Metroid33]

Blushing slightly as the shop owner calls her pretty. Kasumi walks around picking up some of the weapons, feeling their weight and potential usefulness. Few of them she felt comfortable with and none were like the weapons from her homeland. Finally she looks around to take in the other people in the shop.

[Shinovar]

Szeth was walking by Browne's with Shadow on one of his daily walks. Bored, he decides to poke his head in and see if they had any new exciting shipments. From time to time they would, and Horst was usually willing to tell Szeth all about them. Horst seemed to like the attention.

Leaving Shadow at the door (he still scared some of the meeker folk), Szeth entered the store.

"Hey Horst, got anything new this week?"

[Metroid33]

Seeing the Gnome walk in Kasumi catches a glimpse of the creature outside. Squealing in fear she drops the club she had picked up. "I.. I'm um.. sorry." Scooping it up she puts it back on the table and moves away, still unfamiliar with this town and it's people.

[Shinovar]

Szeth looks over at the startled woman. He had become used to these reactions, especially among strangers. He had found it better to put them at ease early on than to let their fear and suspicion build.

"It's ok miss, he won't hurt anyone. He's quite funny actually. You can even meet him if you like. Or, if you prefer, I'll let him know to keep his distance from you so you don't have to face him. He's quite used to people being afraid of him at first and tries to be accommodating."

Szeth had found that people loved options, and he also knew that few young people would choose the later option. It was too hurtful to their pride. And besides, talking about Shadow as an accommodating being with feelings usually aroused more pity than anything else. And Shadow knew how to put on tricks to put people ease once they were willing to meet him.

[Seleborn]

Crom walks in, fingering the edge of his massive greatsword:

Crom's blade in need of work.

[zimmerwald1915]

At the sound of conversation, Felak looks up from the cache of maps he'd been browsing. They were all area maps anyway, and would not have been helpful to him. He needed a map of the town itself. Through the window he catches a glimpse of a bearlike creature with smoky sable fur.

"You're lucky," he says to the gnome, his voice a deep, rolling bass that seems to have had the accent beat out of it with a hammer. It might have come from anywhere. "Your friend outside's a real beauty." The dwarf steps up to the pair and takes the human's hand. "I mean no disrespect to you, lady," he says. Felak's first impulse, the teaching of his goddess, is to give the hand a courtly kiss, but he then he remembers why he's here. He touches her fingertips to his brow instead, then lets the hand fall. "But all beauty should go remarked, and Mister Browne had already done that duty by you."

Having mentioned him, the dwarf turns to the shopkeeper. "As for something you can do, Hurst," he says, hesitating a little, "Do you happen to know the way to the house of Kheled Ginilul? It has been many years since I was here last, my stay was not long, and the town has grown in the meantime."

[Metroid33]

"I.. I think it wi.. will be um like ok, if your creature st.. stays" Moving off to the side Kasumi tries to shy away from all of these strangers. Feeling uncomfortable by how they are all treating her.

[Seleborn]

Crom gives Kasumi a big toothy grin, his facial features more on the orc side than the human.

[Shinovar]

Acknowledging the dwarf with a thankful nod, Szeth turns to the human. "All right then, I don't mean to be a bother."

Szeth is a little confused by the woman's actions. She seems very unsure of herself and possibly afraid.

Szeth decides to try one more time. "My name is Szeth Gnomkin. Is everything all right?"

[Metroid33]

"Oh um yeah everything's ok. I.. I'm just not from around here. No.. Not used to like um people and stuff." Realizing the gnome thinks shes afraid Kasumi swears to herself not to let one of these men touch her.

[Shinovar]

"Oh, a traveler! Where is the most exciting place you have ever been? Korrack is a fine town, but a bit dull. People are nice though."

[Metroid33]

"Oh I don't kn..know, I.. I've been on a straight li.. linesince I le.. left the.. the eastern lands." Kasumi's muscles are relaxed but ready to punch this man if he touched her.

[Shinovar]

"Eastern lands? Like out by the capital?"

[zimmerwald1915]

"Probably further than that," interrupts Felak. He can see the woman doesn't really want to talk anymore, so he'll try to change the subject. "The world is wide, friend. I've only returned from the Dwarven Lands myself."OOC 1

OOC 1If there's a more specific name, I'd be delighted to know it.

[Shinovar]

Starting to finally catch on, Szeth turns to the Dwarf. Wow, the Dwarven lands. You must have had a long journey. What brings you to Korrack?

[zimmerwald1915]

"Kheled's my father. I bear his name - Felak Kheledul." Felak introduces himself with great seriousness. A name is a powerful thing. "I have not seen him, or the rest of my family, since they moved here from the Capital."

[Metroid33]

"Sorry I.. i got mixed up. I.. meant the we..west. Like far west."

[bookguy]

"We can sharpen and polish yer blade, big guy," says Hurst, oblivious to the tension in the shop, "or enchant it, if that's what you want."

He turns to Felak, and speaks in the most respectful tone he can muster. "I don't know Kheled, sir, but Rurik in the back maybe knows. I'll ask when he stops hammering. And I'm just Hurst Trenholm. I work for mister Browne."

A man with unwashed, blond hair and tattered clothes walks in and begins looking at some daggers.

[Seleborn]

I doubt I have the coin for any enchanting done.

Crom ponders this. Magical weapons were a rare thing in his tribe, usually found off of the corpses of dead adventurers or in dungeon treasure holes. He was never able to get his hands on one, but he has seen what they can do. He looks at his greatsword and imagines it on fire.

[zimmerwald1915]

"My mistake, Hurst," says Felak. "Like I said, I have not been in town for years. Some details get hazy. Thank you for asking Rurik."

[bookguy]

"Hi Szeth, nice to see you again," Hurst says conversationally, trying to keep up with what everyone is saying, "Nothing new in today, but tom-"

Hurst's eyes widen as he notices the blond man swiftly and surreptitiously moving toward the exit, holding several items plucked from the shelves."Stop! Thief!"

Initiative:
21-Crom
16-Thief
15-Szeth, then Felak
10-Christo, then Kasumi

[Metroid33]

Seeing the thief trying to take off Kasumi runs straight up to him, and kicks him in the back of his head.

Attack:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1]

[Seleborn]

Crom charges, gleefully (in case Kasumi misses or fails to incapacitate)

Initiative: 13
CMB for Grapple: 14

[zimmerwald1915]

"Yes, stop, thief." rumbles Felak. His voice is barely louder than before, but seems to churn with the energy of a river. Seeing the others spring after him, Felak changes his command slightly. "Drop the goods."

Actions
Cast command (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/command) spontaneously, sacrificing bless. The thief must make a DC 14 Will save or drop everything he's holding.

[bookguy]

Crom reaches the thief first, enveloping him in a great big bear hug. As the thief struggles unsuccessfully to escape, his arms stiffen, as he if he is fighting some force trying to take control of his movements. Kasumi's foot connects squarely with the back of his head, eliciting a shriek. The thief drops the items and goes limp in Crom's arms, barely conscious. "Please... I give up... Stop..."

Kasumi, Crom, and Felak each earn 45 XP for defeating the thief.
RPXP (I'll assign this after every combat for roleplay since the last combat):
Kasumi:15
Szeth:15
Felak:15
Crom:10

Hurst yanks open a door in the back. "Rurik! Qeven! Robber in the store!"

[Metroid33]

Kasumi looks down at the floor, scooping up the items she puts them back on the various shelves then looks down at the floor nit sure what to do.

[Shinovar]

Szeth looks over at the dwarf. "Well, that was exciting. I heard you asking about the house of Kheled Ginilul. If you want, Shadow and I can take you there."

[bookguy]

A half-elf with long, black hair bursts through the back door, followed shortly by a dwarf carrying a hammer with one end glowing red-hot. The half-elf shouts "Who's robbing the store? Where did they go?"

[Metroid33]

Pointing at the man now in a bear hug by the half-orc Kasumi mutters out the words, "Th.. that man tried"

[bookguy]

The half-elf takes a moment to compose his demeanor and straighten his clothing, and then walks over to Crom. "Thank you for catching this criminal for us, sir. I am Qeven Browne. Please allow me to fetch my father, the owner of this store, so that he may properly reward you." He then dashes out the door.

Seeing the situation resolved, Rurik returns to the smithy and resumes his work.

Hurst walks towards Crom in an ungainly gait and takes a look at the captured man. "Definitely human. D'you think he's a runner?"

[zimmerwald1915]

"I would be very grateful," says Felak to Szeth. He nods at the back of the departing half-elf. "We've still got business here, though. And then we've got to deliver our sticky-fingered friend to the guards." Felak sighs heavily at all the obligations that have already piled up, and the thought that still more might be on the way.

"What do you mean by a runner, Hurst?" he asks, trying to change the subject again. "Is that a special class of person or just someone who's reasonably in shape?"

[bookguy]

Right, yer new 'round here. Well, King Harold is starting a war with someplace up north, past the Skyreach Mountains. He wants a really big army this time, so he made every human man join, if they can. My old peg leg kept me out. Anyhoo, some men don't want to fight, so they run. 'Course, it's considered treason, so runners don't usually make it far.

[Seleborn]

It is not honorable to run, or steal.

He deposits the man on the floor.

Too bad he didn't put up a bigger fight. This army you speak of wiped out my people in it's passing. Do you know where it is headed?

[Shinovar]

Szeth is taken aback by Crom's statement about his tribe. Szeth imagines loosing everyone he has ever known. He looks at half-orc in a different light, unsure what to say.

[Metroid33]

Thinking to her self she remembers her parents and how they suffered at the hands of the slavers. Kasumi just thinks of this and moves away.

[bookguy]

A long, lingering pause in the conversation ensues. Hurst hesitantly speaks up. "I'm... I'm sorry for your loss..."

[Seleborn]

Loss is loss. It's a dangerous world we live in, no matter what race you belong to. They died as the ancestors would have wanted, in glorious combat.

He continues to run his fingers over his blade.

I seek to do the same.

[bookguy]

Felak and Kasumi notice an unknown person watching from across the street. Before any details can be made out, this person swiftly vanishes into the shadows.

[Metroid33]

Seeing the man vanish, Kasumi wonders what he was up to. Running across the street she takes a look around the area.

[Seleborn]

Crom wonders if there is anything on the incapacitated bandit that could be of use. It's time to loot the body!

Spot check: 10

[bookguy]

The thief lies on the ground, moaning softly. Crom sees that he has quite a few items on and scattered around his person. He puts up no resistance to Crom relieving of his possessions. Besides the goods he attempted to steal, the thief has a sling with 13 sling bullets, a dagger, 10 feet of rope, two fishhooks, 1sp 8cp, and a sack of wild mushrooms.

Kasumi briefly glimpses the figure slipping around a corner into an alleyway, still 10 feet ahead of her. She doesn't see this person long enough to get any real detail. Meanwhile, she also notices Qeven returning from the other direction with two others: an old man with white hair dressed in fine robes, and a bald man wearing a blue uniform. They are still a good distance away.

[zimmerwald1915]

Knowing he has no chance of catching up to someone who both knows the town better and has longer legs than him, Felak does his best to etch the unknown onlooker's face and build into his memory.

"Good idea," he rumbles to Crom. "The guards will want all that stuff for evidence." There is no question in his mind that they will be turning the runner, if runner he is, over. He wouldn't have given his future beyond that a second thought were it not for Crom's tale. Felak's own people had benefited mightily from Alynnor's expansion under King Harold, but Crom had revealed that not all was rosy for those in the armies' path.

Before he can muse any further on the issue, Qeven reappears, leading two others. "Mister Browne senior, I presume?"

[bookguy]

The old man with Qeven looks like he would have been very dashing when he was younger. Now, with smoothly combed white hair and elegant robes, he still looks extremely dignified. The other man wears a blue uniform, emblazoned on one side with a thorny purple flower, the symbol of Alynnor, and on the other with a black dragon and a gold dragon locked in combat, the symbol of King Harold. From his belt dangle a number of items, including manacles, sacks of money, and a whip. Hearing Felak address him, the old man replies, "I am Cralig Browne. I do not believe I have had the pleasure of making your acquaintance."

[Shinovar]

Seeing Crom search the body, Szeth walks over to him and whispers "Find anything good?"

[zimmerwald1915]

"I am called Felak, son of Kheled," says Felak, making even more sure than usual to enunciate clearly. Something about the old man inspired respect. Felak had to resist the impulse to incline his head to him. "You are correct, we were not introduced before now. My friends and I," he says, indicating the the two gathered around the thief and the woman coming back from the alley with a wave of his hand, "were availing ourselves of the help of your employees and your selection when this man," another wave at the thief, "tried to run off with some of it. Your son thought you ought to be told." Though he is speaking to Cralig, Felak watches the blue-uniformed man. He looks very much like a guard, and Felak wants to know how he reacts to the word "run".

OOC
Sense Motive [roll0]

[Metroid33]

Giving up on the would be chase, Kasumi heads back to the store and listens in on the conversation.

[bookguy]

As Felak speaks, the uniformed man twitches with impatience. When Felak mentions the word 'run,' his hand reaches almost imperceptibly toward his belt. However, he restrains himself from taking any action so far in the dialogue.

Mr. Browne responds to Felak. "It is an honor to meet you, Felak son of Kheled. I am extremely grateful to you and your friends for defending my wares from burglary. I am familiar with young Szeth, but I would greatly desire to meet your other two friends, and to properly show all of you my appreciation for your brave actions today." He speaks unhurriedly.

As the older man is speaking, the uniformed man walks over to and manacles the thief. He then waits for an opportune moment in the conversation to interject.

[bookguy]

Noticing no one else speaking up, the uniformed man addresses the group in general. "Good work, it looks like you caught a runner. Here's the bounty." He places a handful of coins from a belt pouch onto the nearest table. "I'd best be bringing him in then. Is there anything you need before I go?"

If anyone inspects the money, they will find 10 pp.

[bookguy]

When no one answers him, the guard starts hauling the runner out. "Well," he says to the runner, "it's too late to catch up with the army, but the folks in Capital City would be happy to put you in for 10 years of forced labor instead."

[zimmerwald1915]

"That is probably for the best," says Felak, though he does not sound terribly enthusiastic. After what Crom had said, he isn't as sure about supporting the war effort as he once may have been. He will have to meditate on the matter.

[Metroid33]

Taking a quick look at the cash Kasumi picks up 3 of the gp, fair share for helping in the capture. Then she scurries off to the side depositing the gold in her pouch.

[bookguy]

After the guard leaves, Mr. Browne speaks up again. "Can I provide any of you with any service to compensate you for your risk in fighting that criminal?"

Kasumi: It's platinum, not gold (1pp=10gp).