a Very (un)Common Quest -ic

[Trivino]

It appears to be a typical Thursday in the small town of Ro. However, local legend Val is on edge. He has called for a town meeting and paces nervously as the peasants gather at the town square.

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson

So, what news? Did that bear follow me here?

[Newcomer]

Ellie hears about the town meeting, and surely wants to be there. But will they let kids into this meeting? She decides to sneak in where no one will see her, to make sure she can hear what's going on. She looks for an ideal place to hide, and finds that someone left a cart on the edge of the square, near enough to where Val will undoubtedly be speaking that hearing shouldn't be a problem. She picks an opportune moment and ducks into the cart.

Hide: [roll0]

[nersxe]

Charles hovers at the edges of the square. He's not much for big groups of people like this; he's at his best one-on-one, or in small bunches. He watches the people around him, trying to smile in response to this greeting or that nod.

[moskeeto]

Tommy hurriedly dropped off a barrel at the tavern and rushed for the town square. Tommy edged his way through the crowd to be right by Val. As Val readied to speak to the small town, Tommy felt an unfamiliar ping of excitement build up inside of him.

[Trivino]

Val chuckled at Jackson's inquiry. "Not quite, my dear friend."
Val waited for the crowds to settle before addressing the growing mass.

"My dear people of Ro, I have been informed that there is an Orcish army heading this way. We must be wise in the handling of this situation. We do not need to run heedless and unprepared into battle."

As Val took a moment to choose his next words, an unfamiliar man ran through the small town. He quickly made his way to Val and whispered in the man's ears. After a quiet moment, Val looked back to the crowd and thanked the stranger.

"I have just been informed that the Orcs are heading over now. They will be by here soon! Before we take any course of action, I need input. What shall we do? Shall we inform the king, or shall we stay and fight?"

[nersxe]

Charles

Charles bites into his lip. He dithers a bit, fingering the pouch of sling stones at his side. He knows he can take down a few orcs on his own, but also knows the rest of the village is full of farmers and tradesmen, not hunters such as he.

"Send-" His voice cracks, and he coughs. "Send our fastest runner to the king! If the orcs are at our gates, we haven't enough time to get the oldsters and children out, but we can defend them and pray by the grace of the gods that help arrives in time!

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson

Does the village have an armory of any kind? My master taught me to use a crossbow, but the bear broke it.

[Newcomer]

Ellie gasps. Orcs! How can we stop an army?!

[Dudeons]

"Gods," Aaron thinks as he walks into the town square, "There had better something important happening here, something to give me reason for abandoning the graveyard."

Aaron walks towards the town square, where several people are gathered around. There's a man Aaron recognizes in the center, Val.

"...there is an Orcish army heading this way..." Val was saying.

This caught Aaron's attention, briefly taking his mind off of the graveyard that was surely being ravaged by some intruder. Maybe that brat Ellie finally got up the nerve to sneak in while all the adults were out at this meeting.

"...Shall we inform the king, or shall we stay and fight?"

Now this question started to make Aaron wonder a bit. He stayed back a long ways, trying to find some of the darker shadows of the area to avoid notice.

"An army," Aaron thinks, "If we stand and fight, it will produce no shortage of deaths and work me to the bone. How is one town to stand before an army?

Hide check
[roll0]

[moskeeto]

As the crowd began to murmur, Tommy slowly raised his hand.

"I... I'm not sure that staying behind to fight would b-b-be wise. Perhaps we should m-make an effort to move everyone to the king?"

Tommy nervously scratched his head as he finished.

[Trivino]

Val looked over to Jackson. "We do not have an armory here, Jackson. You know that. However, Morgana, do we have anything that can help us with these Orcs?"

A brunette stepped forward and brushed a long strand of hair from her face. "I don't have anything of particular use, I'm afraid. I just have some basic supplies. New shipment wouldn't come in until tomorrow."

Val let out a slow exhale in response. "Well, I guess that's that. Now what about Tommy's suggestion? Do you all believe evacuation would be the best course of action?"

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson

Evacuation would probably be the best course. Still, don't we have some obligation to the kingdom? Can we do anything that might slow the orcs down a little? Maybe rig up some sort of booby-traps?

[nersxe]

Charles

Charles bites his lip, but speaks up. "I don't know about traps, but I can slow them down. I'm good at hiding, and I've got a good arm."

[Newcomer]

I'm good at hiding, too! I'll be your assistant, thought Ellie. The orcs sounde scary, but she'd have Charles there to guide her and keep her safe.

[Trivino]

Val smirked at Charles's offer, but shook his head. "I can hold back the Orcs. I've still got some fight in me. Besides, you will need all the help you can get with evacuating everyone. Now, make quick work of getting your things together, my dear friends. It is time for you to leave."

As the crowd began to disperse, Val unsheathed his oversized sword, eyes focused on the hills.

[nersxe]

Charles

Charles takes a deep breath, and steps forward. "No. I won't leave you to face them alone, Val. If you insist, I'll run after I fell a few, but this is my village, too."

[moskeeto]

Tommy watched in amazement at Charles's courage. He felt a strange emotion rise up inside of him, pushing him towards Val.

"I... I will stay and fight as well."

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson

Val, you and the others took me in. I don't want to abandon you, either.

[Newcomer]

Out of the cart pops Ellie, much to the others' surprise. "If you lot can't find me, neither can the orcs. I can help, too!"

[Dudeons]

Aaron watches as man after man proclaims that they would stay behind to fight. Astonished, he watches Val telling everyone that they would leave soon. Then he watches Ellie pop out of a cart nearby.

"Well, looks like she's not invading my cemetery.," Aaron thought, "At least SOMETHING is going well today. But what to do here? I have no interest in dying, not while there are still men for me to bury in this world."

[redzimmer]

Randolph

With hay still in his hair from the loft he squatted in the night before, Randolph wanders to the town square.

"Huh. Did I miss something? harvest fair start already?"

The stares that meet his question range from incredulous to scorn to outright hatred. Having not great store of common sense, all this washes right over Randolph's head.

[Trivino]

Val looked over to Randolph, slightly confused. He quickly brushed off the late-comer and looked to the rest of brave souls that had stepped forward. He gave a quick nod of affirmation and smiled.

"I would be honored to have you all fight by my side. As for the rest of you, please head for the castle."

Val watched as the rest of the village began making their way for the castle. Before long, it was just Val and the brave villagers. On the nearby hills, a large number of Orcs began to appear. They were charging... and fast!


(prepare for battle)

[nersxe]

Charles

Charles nodded jerkily, unable to speak past the lump of fear in his throat. He pulled one of his sling stones from his pouch and readied it, starting to swing the sling in anticipation.

Held action: First orc within 100' gets a sling bullet to the face.

[Dudeons]

"They've come already?," Aaron thinks as he sees the orcs in the distance. Aaron turns and runs back to his graveyard, going into his crude hut immediately. He knows he'll need a weapon if they come here. He grabs his shovel and steps out, waiting for the orcs to come into the graveyard.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

In a hungover haze, Val's words only slowly begin to seep into Randolph's thick head.

Orcs?

Knowing Val has at least some combat prowess, he vows to stay near the man at all costs. He takes up his walking stick and brandishes it in a way that he hopes looks menacing.

"I am behind you all the way!"

[inexorabletruth]

Town meeting... pfft. thought Rodney as he checked the fishing lines tied to his big toes to make sure there was still bait on the end of his lines. Everyone had gone. Even the tavern was shut down. Probably some land dispute, or some celebrity politician coming to visit. So, he had decided to make the best of it and try his luck at the nearby fishing pond. With the whole town hushed, he might actually catch some nice perch for dinner. He leaned back and chomped into a particularly juicy pear, then closed his eyes as a calm breeze chilled the dribbling nectar from his chin.

"Leave it, I don' care! Let's just go!"

Rodney's left eye pops open at the unwarranted disturbance to his rest. A donkey brays nearby, and he jolts up and wipes his chin. "Heh... looks like my moment's peace is already over." He looks down at his fishing lines with a frown. "Damn... they scared the fish."

Rodney unties his strings and stands up to a sight he'd never before seen. The entire town... on the move. Mothers wrangling children, fathers throwing valuables into carts, some people just untying horses and riding off. What could cause such an exodus? Rodney runs into town half expecting to see the whole thing on fire.

What he saw instead was dust... the dust of a horde approaching, while Val and a group of friends hold a grim last line of defense to protect the evacuees. He drops his pear and fishing line and beelines to his cottage, thrusting supplies and clothes into his pack, breathing short and heavy in a panic and spewing vulgarities. He grabs his crossbow and pauses, thinking about his friends... "To hell with them... they're choice to hold the line." and slings his crossbow over his shoulder, then continues to shove some food rations into his pack. "They know what they're doing. It's their own fault if they get themselves killed." He says, trying to convince himself. He heads out the door and sees Charles load his sling. "He's good with a sling," Rodney thinks. "They'll be fine." Then he sees Ellie. Even a kid? He slams a fist against the door jam and curses once more, then charges of towards the motley militia.

"Aaron, Randolf, Tommy! What in the nine hells is going on? Are we being raided?"

Not waiting longer than necessary to hear an answer, he unslings his crossbow and begins to load it. "What can I do to help?"

[Newcomer]

While the villagers are starting to leave, Ellie comes up with a plan for battle. She knows she won't be much use in hand-to-hand combat, but she has a few useful skills.

Ellie selects a tree near where the remaining fighters are standing (preferably off to the side a little). She sets up her caltrops (usually just toys for her) under the tree, where she thinks the orcs would come from, and proceeds to hide them under a layer of leaves. Then she climbs up high and hides herself in the thick branches. Before she settles into a waiting crouch, she also ties one end of her rope around a strong bough, in case she needs to make a quick escape. Finally, she draws her sling and waits, while a rush of adrenaline and fear flows through her.

I'm assuming there is enough time to prepare this much, since the orcs were spotted not long after all of the other villagers finished departing. If that's not the case, I'll adjust Ellie's actions.

She'll hook a rope around a branch to help her climb, then take 10 for 11.
I don't know which skill to use for hiding the caltrops.
For herself, she'll take 10 for an 18 Hide.
For Use Rope, I think taking 10 for a 13 is enough.

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson

Feeling singularly useless, Jackson tries the only thing he's come up with so far:

He heads first to Morganna's, then to the tavern, looking for any flammable liquids. If he finds any, he starts making crude firebombs out of them.

[Elrihm]

Wow, this is being posted fast! I didn't get a chance to get on until now, and I guess i'm going to be fighting orcs because of that.

EDIT: BTW, using the spike trap from DMG 2 under booby traps. Or whatever traps can be scavenged.

Aldaer the smith will stroll up, his pipe burning with heady fumes, his bare feet kicking up dirt from the road, and sees the group preparing for war.

"What in the forgotten is going on?"

As he pulls his pipe out of his mouth, then tamps it out, he looks around, and sees the orcs coming over the distant hills.

"Damnation....."

The glowing crystal floating after him flickers a bit, and gives a bit of a "Bwoo?". For a moment the man's eyes flicker to the retreating villagers, and the over to the group remaining.

"No, I do not.", he responds, "It's not our problem, it's our Kings's", he says, the contempt dripping from his words.

The crystal glows a bit brighter, and the responding chirp is much louder.

"FINE! Fine, we'll fight, and die and then how will you like it?", he throws his hands up in the air, and walks over.

"I can set up some quick traps, if you have the materials. Make it snappy though, I'll need all the time I have.", he offers to Val, "Alternatively, I can conjur up a large quantity of some lethal poisons if you have any means to use it." The crystal behind him glows smugly.

[moskeeto]

Tommy swallowed hard at the sight of the incoming Orcs. He adjusted his armor and prepared himself for the upcoming fight. His knees began to wobble slightly as nerves took over. He looked around and watched as some of the townspeople began setting traps and taking care of other things. He simply looked down at his spear and shield and let out a quiet sigh. It wasn't much, but he would do whatever he could to contribute.

[Trivino]

Ellie:
Caltrops are placed, rope is set, and you are hidden from view.

As the Orcs begin to close in, Val tightens his grip on his sword and exhales.

"Tighten the perimeter! Get those weapons drawn! We cannot let these Orcs break through!"

The Orcs (a total of about 10 Orcs) make their way to the small town in a matter of time. They pass through the area that Ellie had trapped with her Caltrops, and three of them pass through the Caltrops...

Caltrops attack- [roll0]

From here, the Orcs stop and let out a vicious roar. They look around, determining which party member to attack first.


Here is a (crude) map for reference points.
Map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aps6qRy4Ve3hdDlCOGZSalotMnMzaENLQzFRUUhsV 3c#gid=0)

Also, for the initiatives, I will handle the initiative rolls outside of the forums and post the order in the OOC.

[nersxe]

Charles swings his sling so fast in blurs in midair, then launches the sling stone within at one of the orcs in-between him and where Ellie sits in her tree.


Attack roll: (+3 modifier, -1 distance): [roll0]
Damage roll: [roll1]

[Dudeons]

Aaron anxiously stands near the entrance to the graveyard, looking for orcs off in the distance. Swallowing with anticipation, Aaron grips his shovel firmly and prepares to attack the first orc he sees.

"They will not have me or my graveyard," Aaron decides, "They'll have to kill me first, and I plan to take a few of them down to hell with me."

Aaron looks over at the grave where he buried his father years ago.

"I'll be there soon, father," Aaron says to that small tombstone in the distance. Tears well in Aaron's eyes, but he brushes them back and looks out to the distance again, grimly prepared for whatever may come.

Making a Spot check to see incoming orcs.

[roll0]

Readying a action; first orc in melee range gets a shovel to the face

[Elrihm]

Aldaer swears as the orcs close in faster than anticipated. The ground shakes ever so slightly beneath his feet, as he watches the approaching raiders. After a quick glance around to see if an orc is trying to sneak through (Spot +3), he settles in.

In that short quiet before the storm, his brain floods with adrenaline in anticipation, and the world takes on a strange surreal feel. There an orc, here a tree, a building, all pieces that he can't put together into a battle. Strangely, there is no emotion, no fear or bravery and he would have expected at least one.


Attacks

When he has picked his target, Aldaer will give a deep retching cough, hacking until he launches a stream of clear liquid that splatters, and sizzles where it lands. His psicrystal will draw in the same colored mist around him, until it coalesces into a liquid that spins around him until it launches out at the same target.




If an orc looks like it's making its way to him, he'll launch his salvo at them. Otherwise, he'll attack any who engage with Charles or Randolph.

Attack, Ranged Touch Attack, Aldaer: [roll0]
Damage, Acid, Aldaer: [roll1]

Attack, Ranged Touch Attack, Psicrystal: [roll2]
Damage, Acid, Psicrystal: [roll3]

[Newcomer]

Ellie crouches in the tree, remaining hidden. She can hear the rough breathing and the vicious roar of the orc warriors below her, and she trembles. She sees the other villagers standing around Val, and knows she must help. Ellie draws back her sling, but she freezes in place as terror seizes her.

Readied action: if any of the orcs turns to attack her, or if all of the orcs advance at least 10 feet forward past her (so row 6 or lower on the map), she will fire, aiming for the one threatening her or the nearest orc.

[moskeeto]

Tommy nervously clutches his Shortspear as he stumbles his way towards the Orcs. He swallows hard as the Orcs close in quick.

Move to D19

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Randolph ducks in time to not be hit by Charles' whirling sling.

Self-preservation and common sense war with each other a moment, then he determines that it would best to give Val some room to swing his sword and Charles to sling his...er, sling.

Moves to A22, wielding his quarterstaff two-handed as if a club.

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson lights one of his firebombs and moves to G14.

[Trivino]

Begin Round 1-

Jackson-19
Jackson lights his firebomb and moves slightly away from the band of Orcs and towards Morgana's.

Val-18
Val delays his turn as he patiently waits for the Orcs to close the gap...

Tommy-16
Tommy carefully moves towards the Orcs.

Ellie-15
Ellie waits patiently as the Orcs move past her in her over-sized tree. With her sling in hand, she patiently waits as they continue towards the rest of the party.

Randolph-14
Randolph hurries to get out of the way and tightly grips his Staff with both hands as he waits for the Orcs to close in. He lets out a quiet breath as he looks over at Charles.

Aldaer-12
Aldaer holds his position as he readies himself to protect his dear friends, Charles and Randolph. His psicrystal shines brightly behind him, anxious for the Orcs to get in range.

Charles-11
Charles furiously swings his sling and watches as the stone soars across the town square to the Orcs. It hits the armor of the front Orc, but simply bounces off the armor. The Orc looks over to Charles, brow furrowed.

Aaron-10
Aaron grips his shovel tightly as he readies himself for his first true test of protecting the graveyard. Ready to sacrifice himself, Aaron clutches his shovel and waits for an Orc to dare challenge him.

Rodney-9
A butterfly lands on Rodney's nose, distracting him for the next 6 seconds...

Orcs-5
The Orcs notice movement from all across town and spread out immediately towards different targets. As the Orcs pass her, Ellie fires her sling at the nearest Orc (Orc3 at C7) and hits it for a total of 1 damage. The Orc turns and looks at her, eyes red with rage.

As the Orcs come closer, Val takes the opportunity to charge at the Orcs. He charges all the way to C10 and takes a vicious swing at Orc8 (in C10). The Orc drops immediately as its head comes clean off. Val then looks back at the Orc who had taken a swing at him while charging (Orc at D11 made an attack of opportunity, but missed). Val takes another vicious swing at the Orc and blasts the Orc for 10 damage. The Orc looks at the blood flowing from its body before collapsing in a crumpled heap.


Begin Round 2.

Edited Map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aps6qRy4Ve3hdDlCOGZSalotMnMzaENLQzFRUUhsV 3c#gid=0)

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson runs up behind Val, and tosses his first firebomb into the orcs in front of him.

Move to C12, then toss the firebomb at orc2.

attack:
[roll0]
Break chance (low breaks):
[roll1]
Damage if hit:
[roll2]

Plus splash damage to adjacent orcs.

[nersxe]

Charles re-loads his sling, firing it at another orc. I hope Ellie is okay, he thinks to himself, worrying despite the fact that he knows he'd have seen it if one of the orcs got to her.

Firing at Orc1, unless that counts as firing into melee, in which case firing at Orc4.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will watch the battle unfold, and shakes himself out of his stupor at Val charging forward.
"Alright, move, you coward, move!", he'll mutter to himself.
He will cautiously move up, and stand at 22c, ready to launch his salvo at any orc that comes in range.

[Newcomer]

Promised IC post of Ellie's attack, from last round. Note that due to the readied action, Ellie's initiative count is now 4? or 5?

None of the orcs seem to notice Ellie, and they all pass by her towards the other townspeople. Phew! Ellie breathes a sigh of relief, and the terror that had frozen her subsides for a moment. Then she realizes that the orcs are attacking the other villagers, and before she even thinks through what she's doing, she releases her sling bullet towards the nearest orc. It hits with a solid thud. Yes! .. Uh...

The orc turns and makes eye contact with her. She's been seen, and he looks terribly angry. Ellie emits a tiny squeak as she ducks her head behind a branch, a moment too late.

[moskeeto]

Tommy watched in awe as Val single-handedly took down two Orcs. Snapped back into reality, Tommy nervously makes his move. As he gets within reach, Tommy tosses his spear at the approaching Orc, then gets ready for the coming attack.

Move to A13, then throw Shortspear at Orc4 at A11.

Attack-[roll0]
Damage- [roll1]

Mark Orc4 for Dodge.

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney gets a bead on an orc closest to where he saw the child last, then lets one bolt loose towards its foul heart. It hisses through the air and buries itself deep into the orcs neck. His eyes brighten with hope and thrusts a free fist in the air. Ha!" He exclaims triumphantly as the orc falls dead to the ground.

He humbles himself quickly as the orcs continue to press, and backs up to a safe distance while loading another bolt.

Attack:
[roll0]
[roll1]

Confirm, if threat:
[roll2]
[roll3]


Move:
*Moving back 30' to keep a safe distance from the orcs.

[Trivino]

Round 2-

Jackson -19
Jackson runs behind Val and anxiously tosses his first firebomb. Sadly, the firebomb misses the Orcs and instead hits an empty area behind the Orcs.

Tommy -16
Tommy rushes to the left of Val and tosses his shortspear at the Orc directly in front of him. The spear pierces through the Orcs, dropping it to the ground. It lets out one final growl before officially dying...

Randolph- 14
Randolph is distracted at the moment by the growling of his stomach...

Aldaer- 12
Aldaer is in awe at Val's vicious effort and slowly follows the older man. He moves forward, ready to attack any Orcs that happen to make it past Val.

Charles- 11
Charles breathes slowly as he prepares to launch another stone at another Orc. The stone hits the Orc, but sadly bounces off the Orc's armor. The Orc shoots a death glare at Charles and clenches his hands around his weapon tightly.

Aaron- 10
Aaron thinks he hears something from the graveyard behind him. He looks quickly to simply see a squirrel chattering as it munches on an acorn...

Rodney- 9
Rodney hurries to fire off an arrow at the Orc that has been staring at Ellie for quite some time now. The arrow pierces the Orc from behind, sending him to the ground face first in a pool of his own blood.

Orcs- 5
The Orcs continue to make their moves towards their specific targets and take swings at their target (those within range)...

Luckily for the townspeople of Ro, every single Orc misses their target and lets a vicious growl of anger...

Val- 4
Val angrily takes a powerful swing at the Orc directly to his right with his oversized weapon. He slices the Orc in half as the helpless Orc collapses in a bloodied heap. Without hesitation, Val focuses on the Orc next to the one he had just killed. He pauses a moment to enjoy the fear he can see in the Orc's eyes before taking a second powerful slice. This Orc lets out a painful grunt before crumpling to the ground...

Ellie- 4
Ellie ducks behind a tree branch as the Orc notices her up in the tree. Luckily for her, another townsperson strikes the terrifying Orc with an arrow and kills it. She is safe and undetected... for now.

Begin Round 3.

Updated Map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aps6qRy4Ve3hdDlCOGZSalotMnMzaENLQzFRUUhsV 3c#gid=0)

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson steps away from the orc threatening to disembowel him to regroup with Val. Then, lights and throws his second firebomb at said orc.

Actions:

5ft step to B11
Light firebomb
Toss at orc 10. (yes, I know this draws an AoO from orc 6.)
[roll0]
break chance (low breaks)
[roll1]
damage: [roll2]

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Hmmm. I missed breakfast. Wow these orc are big. I wonder if they speak elf?

Seeing no reason not to, Randolph attempts to fake out the orcs while assisting Tommy.

In elven he shouts:

"Archers! Fire on the survivors!"

Bluff if any orcs speak elf (Randolph ain't that sharp.)
[roll0]
Move toward B17

[Newcomer]

Ellie's Round 2 action. I was waiting for the orcs to move first.

Ellie sees the threatening orc fall, and the tide of battle seems to be turning. She quickly slings another bullet towards the nearest orc.

Attacking Orc 1
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Critical: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]

[nersxe]

Charles pulls his 'lucky' sling bullet out of his vest. I've missed every other shot, he thinks to himself, but not this one.

Hoping against hope he hits this time, Charles winds up and fires.

*Draw masterwork sling bullet (free action)
*Fire (standard) [roll0]
*Damage [roll1]
*Confirm critical (if necessary) [roll2]
*Critical damage [roll3]

[Elrihm]

Aldaer is inspired by his compatriots actions, and wants to get in on a little bit of the action. He'll draw his smiths hammer, move to f20, and unleash his salvo at orc7.

Ranged touch attack, Aldaer:
[roll0]
Acid Damage:
[roll1]

Ranged touch attack, psicrystal:
[roll2]
Acid Damage:
[roll3]

[moskeeto]

Tommy watches in amazement as the Orc before him drops to the ground. He lets out a quiet chuckle as he is overcome with glee. His celebration is cut short, however, as a second Orc makes its way towards him, now standing between him and the Orc he had killed. Nervously, Tommy takes a step back and tosses some Caltrops to the ground.

5ft step back to A14, then drop Caltrops at A13.
If Orc steps on the Caltrops- [roll0]

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney points his crossbow at Orc7, not happy about how close he is. But he holds his shot as Aldear zooms by, launching his weird acid attack at monster.

"That's nasty, Aldear..." he mumbles. "That's just nasty." He smirks and pulls the trigger.

Attack Orc 7: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Confirm if threat:
Attack Orc 7: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

"Two for two! These orcs ain't so tough!" He laughs. Liking the idea of a meat wall between him and orcs, he decides to move left this time, behind Charles, as he loads another bolt. "You can do it buddy." He says with a reassuring clap on the shoulder. "We got em on the run! And I've seen you drop finches mid-flight with that sling of yours. Let's finish em off!"

[Trivino]

Jackson- 19
Jackson makes a quick move towards one of the lumbering Orcs and prepares to fire his second firebomb. While doing so, he catches the attention of a nearby Orc that promptly takes a shot with its blunt weapon. The Orc hits Jackson for a total of 4 damage (no Fort save is needed. You are fine.). Sadly, the fire bomb misses and lands, without exploding in a nearby patch of grass.

Tommy- 16
Tommy slowly takes a step back from the oncoming Orc and drops some Caltrops in hopes of slowing the raging enemy.

Randolph- 14
Randolph yells for the help of (imaginary) Elven archers. While his bluff is very convincing, and may fool some Elven-speaking allies, the Orcs did not understand his words and simply continue.

Aldaer- 12
Aldaer confidently makes his move to the lone Orc standing making a move towards Aaron in the graveyard. He takes a distance shot at the Orc, but sadly misses. His crystal on the other hand, connects for a total of 1 damage.

Charles- 11
Charles feels a rush of adrenaline as he shoots off another stone at an Orc. He feels confident as the stone soars through the air, but sadly, it simply bounces off the Orc's armor...

Aaron- 10
Aaron is mesmerized at the moment by Aldaer's crystal...

Rodney- 9
Rodney watches as Aldaer takes a shot at an Orc to his right. Without hesitation, Rodney coolly aims his crossbow at the Orc and fires, shooting the creature directly in the chest and sending it to the ground in a crumpled heap.

Orcs- 5
The Orcs, dwindling in numbers, fill with fury as they make one last attempt at the villagers. They all swing furiously, but they all miss their targets...

Val- 4
Val watches as an Orc lands a hit on one of his villagers. He personally takes it upon himself to send the Orc to the Inferno (or wherever evil Orcs go). He lands a powerful blow on the Orc, killing it instantly. In one fluid movement, Val continues his powerful swing at the second Orc in his range and slices the creature in half.

Ellie- 4
Ellie watches from her tree as Orc after Orc continue to fall. She can't help but feel excited as she launches a stone at the last remaining Orc. She manages to hit the Orc for a total of 1 damage. The Orc lets out a painful yell as the stone connects.


1 Orc left! Finish it!

Updated Map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aps6qRy4Ve3hdDlCOGZSalotMnMzaENLQzFRUUhsV 3c#gid=0)

[Newcomer]

Ellie fires again at the remaining orc, as she begins to feel the thrill of victory.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Crit Confirm: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]


In her excitement, she fails to focus on the angle of the shot, and her bullet sails wide.

[Elrihm]

With the battle wrapping up, Aldaer is left trembling after the grip of battle lust has left him. He slowly hangs his hammer from his belt as in the distance an orc is terribly, horribly murdered. His party is celebrating amidst the gore and horror of battle, when the smell finally penetrates his sense. He retches, and then vomits , the acid bile eating into the ground in front of him. Slowly, he'll get up, clean his mouth, and move to disassemble the traps, lest they hurt someone.

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson clutches the side the orc bashed.

Then, he casts ray of frost at the remaining orc:

Touch Attack (into combat):
[roll0]
Damage [roll1] cold
Crit Confrim (threatens on 20):
[roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3] cold

Then he moves further away from the orc, to C8.

[nersxe]

Charles dashes off to the side to line up a clear shot, heartened by his comrade's words. He tosses a bullet in his sling, winds up, and lets fly at the last orc.

Move: C17
Attack:[roll0]
Normal damage: [roll1]
Confirm: [roll2]
Critical damage: [roll3]

If someone else has already killed the orc by the time his turn comes up, Charles dashes off to the side anyway, readies his sling- and then deflates, realizing it's dead.

[moskeeto]

Tommy looks around the town square and notices that the only Orc standing is the one directly before him. He feels a bit of nerves overcoming him, yet he still violently bashes at the Orc with his shield.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Absolutely pleased with the progress of the battle (coupled with his doing absolutely nothing), Randolph begins to appraise the orc corpses for any valuable loot.

search check of any nearby orc bodies.
[roll0]

[Trivino]

Begin Round 3

Jackson- 19
Jackson shoots a ray of frost at the last remaining Orc, in hopes of knocking the foe out, but the ray barely misses the Orc, blowing right past it...

Tommy- 16
Tommy bashes at the Orc with his shield, but misses the Orc...

Randolph- 14
Randolph runs to a nearby Orc and loots the body. He manages to find a club, leather armor, and 10 gold.

Aldaer- 12
Knowing that the battle is all but over, Aldaer runs to disarm his previously set traps. He now possess 2 traps on his person.

Charles- 11
Charles runs to get a clear shot at the remaining Orc. He fires off his sling and the stone soars through the air. As the Orc notices the stone, it connects directly in the center of its face, sending him flying backwards. As he lands with a hard thud, his tongue flops out of his mouth and blood pours from his corpse...


Battle over.

[Chilingsworth]

Is... is that... all... of... them?

Jackson pants, holding his side in obvious pain.

[nersxe]

Charles

Charles exhales slowly, bending over to rest his hands on his knees. 'It's over,' he tells himself, willing his pulse to calm and his head to steady.

[Trivino]

As the last Orc drops, everyone gets a share of the loot from the corpses (keep in mind you don't need to take anything):

1 Leather armor/player
1 club/ player
20 gold/ player

Also, you level up. You are all level 2 Commoner now! Congrats!


Val watches impressed as Charles takes out the last Orc. As everyone recollects their equipment and meets back up with Val, he looks back to the hills.

"This was merely a scout team sent by the Orcs. When they don't return, the Orcs will undoubtedly be sending everything at us. I need you all to hurry to the castle now before this happens. Tell the king of the situation. I'll stand back and hold them off as much as I can. Now go!"

Val then drops to his knees and begins to pray silently...

[Elrihm]

Aldaer listens to Val talk and pulls a bowl out of his wooden backpack. He concentrates for a second, and a thick green gell fills the bowl. He puts it on the ground, and says to the group, "Come, and rub this in your wounds. I've manifested some healing salve."

Using a power point to use minor creation to manifest Healing Salve, Tome of Blood style. 50 applications, and 1d8 healing per dose.

With that done, he walks over to Val, and takes him by the shoulder saying, "Come with us, Val. You'll be more useful leading the survivors than defending this backwater. I'm not going to leave you to die, goddammit! Homes can be rebuilt, land retaken, but you are not replacable. We could even torch the lot to leave nothing behind for the scavengers. Good luck feeding a horde without spoils of war."

[Chilingsworth]

*Jackson nods and takes enough healing salve to ease the pain in his side.*

Aldaer, how long do your traps last? And, how many can you make?

For that matter, how much oil and hooch do we have left? I can fashion more firebombs for you, Val. Least I can do before we leave.

[Newcomer]

Ellie unties the rope and instead loops it over the bough, holding both lines as she carefully climbs out of the tree. She re-coils her rope and runs up to Charles, giving him a big hug.

"We did it! We beat the orcs!" She doesn't say how terrified she was.

As the group divides up war equipment from the orc party, Ellie tries on a suit of leather armor. It feels stiff and makes it hard for her to move, plus it makes it feel like she's pulling a carriage. Ellie always keeps her sack light because she isn't very strong. She tries running and rolling in the armor and realizes it's as likely to get her killed as to save her life.

Giving up on the armor, she tosses it aside and starts brandishing one of the clubs. The others might notice that she's imitating some of Val's moves from the orc fight, as she bludgeons imaginary orcs to death.

[Elrihm]

"My traps last until they're sprung. With some quick scouting, I'm sure we could find enough materials to make more than enough to occupy me setting them up until the whole host arrives. I'm not too sure we should leave Val behind though."

[moskeeto]

Tommy is overcome with a wave of relief as the last Orc falls. He takes a deep breath and collects his spear from the dead Orc. He then regathers his caltrops as well.

After hearing Val's request for the villagers to leave, Tommy shrugs his narrow shoulders.

"I... I agree with Val. We need to go warn the king about this, but if we leave Val behind, we need to set him up with as much as we can. You're sure you want us to leave you behind Val?"

Tommy looks around the town square at the dead Orcs. He still could not believe they had stopped the Orcs!

[Trivino]

Val finished his brief prayer and looked back at the remaining people of Ro. He listens to their requests and questions and brushes them off. He still wears an encouraging smile though as he says, "Please conserve your energy. After that hard fought battle, you need to use your energy on informing the king. I'm not staying behind to protect the building. I'm staying behind to protect you. Now please, trust me. Hurry to the king while there's still time."

[nersxe]

Charles hugs Ellie back with a smile, then adds the gold to his pouch.

"I think we should take the armor with us," he suggests, "if nothing else, I'm sure the king's men could use some spare sets." He hesitates, then reaches to clasp hands with Val. "It's been an honor."

[moskeeto]

Tommy nods in agreement. "Thank you Val for all your help."

Tommy then gathers his equipment and is then ready to head to the castle.

[Chilingsworth]

*Jackson nods*

He claps Val's hand.

Thank you for taking me in when I stumbled into the village.

Please, retreat to the castle as soon as you can.

[Dudeons]

Aaron watches the slaughter going on further off in the town. As the conflict finishes, Aaron lowers his shovel. He moves in towards the town to see what's happening to the others. Val is speaking, and he hears Val say that they are to go to the castle. Aaron turns and heads back to the graveyard, accidentally tripping over a bisected orc. Looking down, Aaron finds a small bag on the orc's belt. Picking it up, he finds 20 gold coins. He quickly pockets these and continues on his way.

Reaching his crude hut that had served as a home for so long, he goes inside to gather his belongings. His lantern, some rope, a bedroll, a few vials of lantern oil. He carefully gathers these in a sack, swinging it over one shoulder and gripping his shovel in the other hand. He walks out, turning towards the graveyard one last time. Setting down his things for a moment, he walks up and down the rows of familiar graves, murmuring prayers in Celestial as he passes them. Then he reaches the grave he buried his father in. He kneels beside it, gazing at the tombstone.

"It appears I do not join you today father," Aaron says to the grave, "It looks like I'll have to leave the graveyard behind, the one you and I cared for. I'm sorry."

Aaron weeps briefly, digging his fingers into the soil near the grave. He pulls up a small handful of soil, letting it run through his fingers. He gets to his feet.

"I'll still honor the dead, just like you taught me too," Aaron says as he begins to edge away from the grave, "I promise."

Aaron walks away, going to pick up his sack and shovel again. He reaches the gateway within, turning back one last time.

"Goodbye father," Aaron says, his voice choked. He wipes his eyes and heads out into the town square, ready to leave his home for the first time in his life.

[Newcomer]

When Ellie senses that the group is about ready to depart, she goes and collects her caltrops from under the tree. Blech! Orc blood! She wipes them clean as best she can and is ready to go.

She looks up at Val with admiration. And then she stifles a shudder when Aaron approaches.

If anyone else has carrying capacity, they can take "Ellie's" armor, but the weight is a bit much for Ellie.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Already composing a ballad called the Battle of Ro in his head, Randolph pockets the coins and boots it for the castle.

Whoops. And the armour.

[Trivino]

As the party leaves Ro behind them, you find yourselves walking on a beaten dirt path towards the castle. The area is cleared, save for some oversized trees, making the walk rather simple and relaxing.

The castle eventually comes into view, and in a matter of moments a small caravan of guards approaches the party. A guard makes a step towards the party, hand resting on a weapon.

"Halt!" the guard orders. "Identify yourselves!"

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson steps forward.

We are refugees from the village of Ro. We're fleeing an orc incursion into our lands. Our headman is valiantly trying to hold them off, after insisting we flee and send word to the king.

[nersxe]

Charles lets Jackson handle it. He's sure he looks perfectly ridiculous, holding the suits of leather armor that wouldn't fit in his backpack, and isn't sure the gate guards would take him seriously.

[Elrihm]

Aldaer had pulled his pipe out of his bag shortly after leaving the village, and has been smoking in sulky silence ever since. His psicrystal senses his moods, and has only issued subdued "woo's...". As he hoists his wooden backpack higher, he spits on the ground, and it sizzles there a little. He seems to be following the pack, but not there mentally.

"It doesn't sit right with me, abandoning that man.", he thinks at his psicrystal, "Are we just savages?"

There is no response from the crystal.

[Trivino]

The guard looks at Jackson, eyes squinted.

"You say... you say you're from Ro? And who is the headman?"

[redzimmer]

Randolph

"Val was the headman. I regret he may have fallen already, captain!"

Randolph always figure elevating the ego a jumped-up thug like this guard with a minor "promotion" helped them to pay attention. In reality, Randolph would be surprised if the man had any authority beyond the weapon in his hand.

"He tasked us warn the king before it was too late!"

[Trivino]

The guard looks over at his partner for a moment before looking back at the party. He pulls out his sword and scowls.

"I hereby place you all under arrest under the orders of the king. Into the prison cart, peasants!" the guard orders as he points a large sword to a small cart.

The other guard looks menacingly at the party and adjusts his armor, a sort of warning that the peasants should think twice before doing anything funny.

[nersxe]

Charles steps back, drops the armor. He is not, under any circumstances, getting into that cart. "Under arrest? Wh-What do you mean? What could we possibly have done?"

[Trivino]

The guard slowly exhales as the peasants begin to protest. He calms himself before responding.

"We have been placed under the order of the king to prevent round up any peasants from the nearby villages. Nothing personal folks, just following orders."

[nersxe]

"You said arrest!" Charles takes another step back. "Arrest means I've done something wrong, and I haven't."

[redzimmer]

Randolph

"The beasts are just the first wave! Val warned that giants are in their vanguard!"

He tosses down the leather armor that he pilfered from the orc.

"He said the invasion has begun! The King must be alerted, sir knight!"

Bluff? What the hell.
[roll0]
Someone better than my -2 WIS hopefully will try to sense motive...meta-hint, meta-hint...

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson tilts his head at the guard.

Here goes nothing... maybe roll better than a 1, eh?
[roll0]

And... is still apparently something of a drooling moron. :smallannoyed:

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney hoots in celebration at the victory and snatches up some supplies. The equipment he finds doesn't suit him well, so he just stuff's them into his backpack. The gold he finds causes him to emit a low whistle. This is more gold than he'd usually earn in a week. "No wonder they become adventurers…" he chuckles aloud. But, when he hears Val's proclamation of unnecessary self-sacrifice, he loses his mirth.

Rodney had no intentions of staying in Ro a second longer, but he hadn't expected someone to want to stay behind and throw themselves in front of an impending horde either. He starts to protest Val's decision, but the rest of the group speaks first. After Val proves his resolve, he walks up to the man, holds his hands out to shake it, then says with a sarcastic sobriety. "Val… yer an idiot." His wink and weird smile shows that he's only teasing, but as he slings his crossbow back over his shoulder, he looks back at Val. "We would'a died here without yer help. Don't stay in Ro too long."

Rodney hangs in the back of the group as they march along the merchant road to the city, and he whittles away at some sticks he picked up along the way. He'd recovered as many bolts has he could from the battle, but the shafts were too badly damaged to be usable. Still the bolt heads could be reused at least, and he had nothing better to do to pass the time. Besides, Aldaer wasn't offering much in the way of conversation except to occasionally mutter or gesture at that weird crystal he always keeps with him. He thought a few times about cheering Aldaer up, but ultimately decided the guy was best left to his own thoughts. When his odd traveling companion spits acid onto the ground, he jumps aside and eyeballs the man nervously, increases the space he gives the guy, and tries to play it off by whistling a fun tune.

Craft (Weaponsmithing) check to make some replacement bolts (DC15?)
1. Item Value: 1 gp (10 SP)
2. DC: Assumed 15 (Crossbow ancillary gear)
3. Craft Cost: 3 SP (or 2 SP if this is considered a repaired item)
4. Craft Check: [roll0]
15 x 17 = 255 (25.5 times the value of bolts in SP.)
7 days / 25.5 = 6 hr 45 min. to craft 10 bolts.

When they're stopped by the guards, he looks up from his work and lends an ear to the conversation. He never trusted guards. They're little more than thugs with badges anyway. But any sword is better than none right now… maybe they could go lend Val a hand…

His eyes pop open when the guards tell Randolph they're under arrest. He starts to pop off with a retort about how his tax money pays their salary, but Randolph beats him to the punch with a line that might get them out of this without a severe beating. "Yeah!" He says sticking his thumb into his belt like he's someone important. "You got a lot o nerve interferin' with the emissary of Ro. War is on, and yer king is about to be ass deep in orcs if you don't get to the front lines now." He looks past the guards. "Maybe lend us some of yer horses so we can get there even faster. We got important intel on their only weakness. An' I'll be damned if we're gonna' trust an' oaf like you an' yer lot to the details. Chop, chop, soldiers. You got work to do, an' we ain't got more time for ya." He claps his hands sharply as he barks orders to the guards.

More Dice Rolls:
Not sure if this should count as my own bluff or aiding Randolph. But I'm hoping to blend a bluff with an intimidate check here. I'll roll everything and let the DM decide.
Bluff: [roll1]
Intimidate: [roll2]
Aid Another: Bluff vs. DC 10

[Trivino]

The guard looks back at his partner, slightly confused.

"What do we do?"

The other guard simply shrugs and shakes his head. The guards seem to be at a complete loss as they struggle to come up with an appropriate response.

"I... uh... I guess you all may continue on then. Just... be wary."

The guard simply makes his way back to the cart and the guards ride off down the path, leaving the peasants of Ro behind them. As the peasants of Ro look ahead, the castle is actually very close.

[Newcomer]

Ellie just stood in the back trying not to be noticed while the adults discussed their situation with the guards. It was a little alarming when they said they were under arrest, but it seemed they must have misunderstood something.

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney raises a hand to interject as they ride off, "The hors- ah damn it." He slumps a little when he realizes they're going to have to walk the rest of the way. "Guards…" he spits the word out sarcastically. "It must be awfully dark and lonely between their ears. Anyway… shall we?" He gestures down the road toward the castle.

[moskeeto]

Tommy shrugged as he quietly followed Rodney towards the castle. He was simply relieved that he had friends with silver tongues. He had just frozen up when the guards stopped them...

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will trundle along with the group, and finally perks up when he hears they're being arrested. He looks around the group, realizing they've made it to the castle, and see's similar looks of alarm around the party.

Thankfully, the bewildering combination of Charles diplomacy, Randolphs threats and Rodney's abrasiveness seem to have gotten them out of trouble. It seems though that not all is well in the castle, if they are arresting innocent civilians who have already fought once against the oncoming hoard.

[Trivino]

It doesn't take long before the party makes it to the castle. As they approach the gates, they receive several strange looks from the guards, but noone stops them as they continue into the castle.

Once inside, the entire atmosphere changes drastically. Everyone is laughing and smiling, the aura of joy is overwhelming; the people living here are practically ignorant of the chaos outside the castle walls. As the party walks through the castle, they can see where the king's court is dead ahead. They should be informing the king of the news. To the left, however, are some markets. Perhaps buying some gear may be useful before making any other moves. And still, to the right is a tavern/inn that is sure to have all sorts of interesting people of interest. Perhaps making the right contacts may be of help. The party is literally standing at a crossroads...

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Looking down at his shabby peasant garb, Randolph is all too aware that he would be laughed out of the throne room before he could open his mouth.

He looks about for a clothier that may have the means to outfit him as a minstrel or wandering troubadour.

And he will spend up to 20 gp for it.

"Right the lot of you, we may be poor and we may be wretched but dammit, I forget what I was going to say! Now let us find a way to get word to the king! Er... but first I better get some decent togs."

[moskeeto]

Tommy jingled the coins in his pocket as he looked over at the tavern. He was feeling rather thirsty...

"I wouldn't mind checking out the local tavern. Maybe they have my favorite drink..." Tommy said as he made his way into the tavern.

[Newcomer]

"But we need to tell the king!," protests Ellie. "Val's still out there!"

She doesn't understand why the adults wouldn't head straight to the king's court and spread the word.

[Dudeons]

Aaron watches the others leave, surprised by their actions. He hears Ellie protesting to this.

"Well, it looks like she's making a good point for once," Aaron thinks, glancing at her. He adjusts his sack, and realizes it's been somewhat tiring to hold.

"If I'm going to be doing any more traveling after this," Aaron thinks to himself, "I'm going to see if I can get a backpack for myself."

In the meanwhile, he waits with the group.

[nersxe]

Charles scoops up the armor he bought before heading into the castle, still nervous but less so now that the guards aren't in his face.

"Come on, Ellie, Aaron," Charles takes a deep breath, holding his head up, "if they want to delay this important news, let them. We'll make sure the King hears about this."

That said, Charles starts to walk toward the court, stride determined.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Dropping 3 gp for some more flashy clothes, Randolph casts about for info on how to get himself an audience with the king.

I guess I should look in on the other rabble. It wouldn't do any good to see them arrested for vagrancy or something.

It never once occurred to him in the hours he spent glad-handing that time may be running out.

Gather information, dropping coin to get his foot in the door at the castle.

[roll0]
Also sold my peasant's clothes for a hefty 5 cp.

[moskeeto]

Just as Tommy is about to order an ale, he watches that little girl, Ellie, lead the way to the castle.

"They're already going? Come on!" Tommy muttered. His thirsty lips begged him to stay, but he quickly stepped away from the enticing bar and ran after the rest of his fellow peasants.

[Trivino]

As the party makes their way towards the king's court, a hulking guard stops the party. Three other guards stand by the doorway as the peasants approach, all of them holding large axes in their hands. The hulking guard looks down at the peasants and lets out a deep, guttural growl.

"Who are you?"

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will watch Tommy, then Randolph move away, and hears Charles call his friends to go to the castle.

"Alone again...", he mutters. The psicrstal at his shoulder will nug him, and give a reassuring bwoo.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Busy, busy, busy...", he responds, "Well, come on. Let's try to make ourselves useful."

Aldaer will move off, try to find the artisans section of town, and maybe talk shop with someone there. In such a large town, there would have to be someone who could teach him a few tricks.

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney stands at the crossroads as everyone parts ways, confused and ambivalent. After all, they came alllll this way to get reinforcements for Val and warn the king of an impending attack, but now that they're here, the castle does seem a bit imposing. What if they're all just thrown in prison for saying the wrong thing to the king's wife? Or what if they're just laughed out of the courtroom? Why were the guards just arresting everyone they find coming out of Ro? Maybe the king wants the orcs to tear through the farmlands. But... why would he want that?

A thousand thoughts and conspiracy theories rush through his head as the city crowds mill about him. "We should'a made Val come with us." He grumbles. He holds out a hand to impede the movement of the nearest townsman. "Oy, sir." (madam if Rodney caught a female) "I need help. I'm from Ro, an' my village was sacked by orcs. There're still men defending the village now, but they'll die without help. With whom do I speak about getting 'em reinforcements and provisions? Please..." He lets the plea trail off, lest he waste words blubbering, but the tone of desperation is no less obvious for it. He stares into the citizen's eyes waiting for a response.

Diplomacy: [roll0]

If the citizen doesn't respond quickly:
"A guard captain? Nearby adventurers? A militia? The king? Please. I have no idea where to start, and I'm no good in a city."
Diplomacy round 2: [roll1]

If the citizen attempts to ignore him and walk away:
Rodney grabs the citizens shoulder to stop him/her. "Please! People... innocent people are going to die." He struggles for any sort of bait to offer the citizen. "Val! Do you know of the paladin Val? He sent us here to get aid as he stayed behind to die for our lives!"

Diplomacy round 3: [roll2]
Bluff: [roll3]

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Having completely wasted his time and money, Randolph tries a different approach.

Whipping out the ol' lute, Randolph begins to strum and sing his ballad The Battle of Ro.

Emphasizing the last stanza of Noble Val sending hero Randolph to warn the king of the orcs' impending arrival.

[roll0]

[Trivino]

Aldaer:
A shop full of mysterious objects, grabbing your interest. As you walk inside the shop, and old man marches directly towards you. He has a bushy, bushy mustache that covers half his face. As his soft, gray eyes stare directly to you, he offers a wave.
"Anything I can help you with?"

Rodney:
You grab the nearest townsperson. The young man looks shocked at the unexpected encounter. He pulls himself away from Rodney and shifts his eyes uncomfortably.
"I... uh... guess you would have to speak with the king about it."

Randolph:
As you begin to play on your lute, some of the nearby townspeople begin to take notice. They aren't too impressed with your performance, but stay around for the entire performance. Sadly, not once do these townspeople realize you are actually trying to send out a warning...

Everyone else:
The hulking guard looks down at you, growling through gritted teeth. He grinds his teeth for a moment, before replying.

"If you have nothing to say, I suggest you keep walking," he growls.

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney lets the citizen go, then rushes off to the king's castle to join up with the others.

[moskeeto]

Tommy felt himself shake a little at the hulking guards tone. Still, he forced himself to step forward and speak for the group.

"Sir, we are from the village of Ro. An army of Orcs is headed this way and we have left behind the leader of our village. We need reinforcements quickly!"

[Chilingsworth]

Yes sir, it's just as Tom said! Val and us fought their first wave off, but who knows how long he can hold out?

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will stare in wonder at the objects around the shop in wonder, before the psicrystal will telepathically clear it's throat, and he snaps out of it. He'll pull the pipe out of his mouth, put it away, and wander about.

"What a magnificent shop, you have! Look at that, I say you even have...", Aldaer continues in this vein for a while before he realizes the old man is still there. He will walk up, and stick out his hand, " Pardon me, I seem to have lost my manners. Aldaer at your service. I'm the village smith from Ro....well, I was at least."

[Trivino]

Aldaer:
The old man pulls at his mustache after shaking your hand and introducing himself as Geit. He looks you over for a moment, deep in thought. He then notices the psicrystal.

"I do say, that is quite the crystal you have there. Seems like you and I share some interests," Geit says as he nods to a psicrystal of his own, hiding in the corner. "What brings you to the castle anyways?"

Randolph:
You continue playing for the moment, hoping that someone will get the hint that you song is more than just cheap entertainment...

Everyone Else:
The hulking guard takes in the information for a moment, before replying.

"Is this really everyone from your village?"

[nersxe]

"Is this really everyone from your village?"

"N-No," Charles replies nervously, "everyone else was sent ahead of us. They should have gotten here already."

[Elrihm]

Aldaer grows somber at the questions, and his face hardens a bit.

"My village, Ro, has come under attack. We managed to fight off the first wave, but more are coming. Not...", his voice cracks, "Not everyone made it out. My compatriots are going to the castle as we speak to warn the nobles."

Aldaer will cough, sniff and shake his head to keep the emotions from Val, and his home at bay. He clears his throat and says, "Anyways, I'm not much use in court. I decided that I should find my kind, but seeing your shop, I hesitate to compare us. I fear my meager talents would not hold up."

[moskeeto]

Tommy steps up boldly next to Charles to help the poor young comrade. He looks over at Charles and offers an encouraging wink.

"Sir, my good friend here is correct that a larger group of peasants should have come through already as well. We've also left our leader, Val, behind as well. Perhaps you know of him?"

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Disgusted at the crowd's inability to take a hint, Randolph shoulders his lute and heads towards the castle.

[Trivino]

Aldaer:
The old man looks down at you confused.

"Your talents don't match up? Well, that's no problem at all! How about I show you a thing or two?"

The man looks back at a shelf covered in magical items and looks back at Aldaer, awaiting an answer.

Everyone Else:
The hulking guard looks back at his fellow guards as the peasants of Ro tell of the others from their village.

"Anyone seen any peasants from Ro?" He asks the other guards. As he asks, they all quickly straighten their postures.

All of the guards shake their heads and insist they haven't seen anything. The hulking guard looks back over to the small group and shrugs.

"We haven't seen any other peasants come through here. Looks like your little friends didn't make it..."

[nersxe]

"We haven't seen any other peasants come through here. Looks like your little friends didn't make it..."

Charles goes pale. "L-Little friends? That was an entire village, you unfeeling son of a-"

[moskeeto]

Tommy steps between Charles and the guard.

"Calm yourself, friend. Feisty words will get us nowhere."

"Sir, with all due respect, those are human lives. We need to make sure they are okay!" Tommy says to the guard.

[Newcomer]

Ellie watches the scene unfolding before her, and can't quite believe what she's hearing. Where could they all have gone?

Sense Motive on the guards: [roll0]

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney remembers the guards on the main road who were arresting residents of Ro, and whispers this in Tommy's ear.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Arriving long after the others, Randolph sees them once again at an impasse with a no-neck thug in a metal coat. Puffing out his chest and smoothing the sleeves on his new outfit, he walks past the townsfolk as if he does not know them.

"Stand aside! Stand aside you rabble!"

Hopefully distancing himself from the rest of the Ro refugees, he addresses the big man.

"You sir, bondsman! Where is the tradesman entrance? I hear tell they need a new minstrel after the... incident."

He waits for a reply before continuing.


[roll0]

[moskeeto]

After listening to Rodney, Tommy's eyes widen. He is quickly reminded of the mysterious guards that almost arrested their group. He offers a glance to Rodney before voicing this to the intimidating guard.

"Sir, on our way here, we encountered some strange guards that almost arrested us. Know anything about this?"

[Trivino]

Everyone except Aldaer, who is still speaking with the mustachioed man:
Ellie:
From you observations, the guards don't seem to know what you are talking about...


As Randolph approaches, the guard simply offers a grim stare at the eccentric man. When Randolph asks for an entrance, the guard sighs.

"Go ahead. Be quick," the guard says, nodding at the doorway.

As he waits for Randolph to pass through, he looks at the rest of the peasants before him.

"I know nothing about these guards that you speak of, peasants. Nor do I know anything about the people of your village."

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Not wasting any time, Randolph moves through the servant's entrance and waits for the chamberlain.

Someone will be coming along to ask who the heck Randolph is.

On second thought, he moves along to avoid just a thing. He may at best be kicked out, or even killed on sight.

[Trivino]

Randolph:
You find yourself walking through the large corridors of the castle. The vaulted ceilings hang high above you, as bright rays of sunlight light up the room. As you wander about, a well-dressed man notices you wandering through the castle. He makes quick work of addressing you, making a direct route to you. He's wearing a silk, green cap, and seems to be wearing makeup of some sort.

"Can I help you?"

[redzimmer]

Randolph

With a low bow, Randolph introduces himself.

"Ah, my fine fellow! I am Randolph Hostlerson. I am the new minstrel your man in town hired! Er, where is my quarters? He promised me room and board."

He hand the painted man his quarterstaff as if assuming he is at his Randolph's service.

"Oh yes, the rest of my troupe will of course be staying at the inn. I don't suppose you will be funding their wardrobe...?" he says, hoping that the man will be more inclined to believe Randolph a nuisance and not an intruder.

[roll0] bluff

[moskeeto]

Tommy watched in confusion as Randolph was let through without issue. He was ready to protest, but in the end decided it was best to have at least someone in the castle. Tommy looked over to the rest of his friends and offered a forced sigh.

"Well, I guess we aren't going to be getting entry then! Come now, let us venture through the town."

[Trivino]

Randolph:
The green-hatted man drops your quarterstaff as he rolls his eyes. He holds a manicured hand to his face as he lets out a frustrated sigh. He mutters something unintelligible under his breath and finally looks back at you.

"Welcome then. If you are indeed our new mistral, the king could use you now. He's been a bigger headache then usual. Just follow this corridor and take a left."

[redzimmer]

Randolph

"Well could I at least get you to let the rest of my troupe in? The poor folks are confused by doors. I can certainly recompense for your trouble..."

Randolph doles out ten, then five more for a total of 15 gp. He bends down and retrieves his staff.

diplomacy check. If rebuffed, acts as though it is customary practise (I.e. bluff)

[roll0] diplomacy
[roll1] bluff if needed

[Trivino]

Randolph:
"Very well, sir. I will recollect the rest of your friends..." the man says as he turns on his heels and begins walking towards the door.


Everyone else (besides Aldaer):
As you all prepare to leave, a well-dressed man with a green hat comes out of the door and calls out to you.

"Excuse me! Peasants! Your comrade has requested that you visit him. Please, follow me." The man looks over to the hulking guard, and the guard backs away slowly.

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will nod his head to Geit, and say, "You are too kind. It would be most appreciated. I fear that my poor band will need all the help we can get before long."

[Newcomer]

Ellie isn't quite sure what kind of game Randolph is up to, but she eagerly passes in and follows the man with the green hat. There's something weird going on here, and no one seems to care very much about the orcs.

[nersxe]

Charles follows the man with a frown. He can't say he knows what's going on here, but he can say he doesn't like it.

[Trivino]

Aldaer:
Geit smiles in delight and leads you to a work station. Before he begins his lesson, he looks up at your expectantly.

"I do hate to do this, but perhaps you can spare an old man 5 Gold? Business has been a little slow..."

*If you oblige, Geit continues with his lesson, teaching you the fundamentals of being a good Archivist (now allowing you to level into into Archivist... and Trapsmith... haha).*

*If you reject, Geit pauses for a moment before remembering he had an errand he needed to run. He will direct you outside, then get to work himself.*



Everyone Else:
It doesn't take long before the green-hatted man leads the party to Randolph. He lets out a sigh before wandering away from the party. He reminds everyone that the king is simply down the corridor and to the left.

[nersxe]

"Come on, Randolph, let's go," Charles urges, "every second we wait here is a foot the orcs are moving closer to the castle."

[Chilingsworth]

Indeed.

Then, whispered as an aside to Randolf:

What's this about us being your band, though? You know I can't sing worth cow dung.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

"Look, my forte is getting us into things, as you all remember from the incident with that traveling priestess of..."

He looks at Ellie, his face coloring.

"Nevermind. Rodney, your job is getting me out of these messes."

He makes a 'get on with it' gesture and heads towards the king's location.

[Trivino]

Everyone (except Aldaer):

As you walk into the king's court, you are immediately taken aback at the beautiful decor. Purple banners hang along the walls and guards seem to line your direct path to the king. The king sits on his throne, a frustrated look plastered on his face. He notices you walking in and readjusts the crown on his silvery head.

"Halt!" he orders. "Name yourselves at once!"

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney points at himself incredulously. "ME-E?! I never wanted to-" He cuts himself short as they make it to the throne room.

Seeing Randolph's gesture, he scoots forward timidly and stammers for a bit.

"I-me. You see, your kingship." He bows absurdly low. "Thwee" he gestures to his group "hast news of great… badness… upon thou." He adjusts his hat as he stands up, then suddenly remembers he probably shouldn't be wearing a hat, and takes it off, wrinkling it in his nervous grip. "Upon… thy… um. Kingship. ORCS!" He looks back for reassuring nods from the group. "Orcs in Ro! Val-said-to-leave-we-stayed-to h-..." He gasps as he looks at the confused face of the king. "Help, but he wanted us to go." He pauses awkwardly. "Send… for… h-h-help."

[moskeeto]

Tommy watched as his good friend Rodney struggled in the presence of the king. And rightfully so too! The king did not appear amused with the visit of peasants. Tommy took a deep breath and stepped forward next to the stressed Rodney.

"My friend here is correct, sir. We hail from Ro, home of the great Val, sending a message of warning. Orcs are on their way here, your majesty, and if action isn't taken soon, they will be upon the castle shortly."

Tommy looked over to Rodney and offered an encouraging nod.

[nersxe]

Charles watches quietly and lets his friends handle the talking. As he has been repeatedly reminded (and recently, no less), he is not exactly the best when it comes to persuasion.

[Newcomer]

Seeing Rodney falter, little Ellie decides to take matters into her own hands. She steps forward and addresses the king.

"Please, mister king, sir. These terrible orcs attacked our village, and we had to fight them off ourselves. But mister Val said more of them would be coming, and so we came to you, because surely our wise king would know what to do." She puts on her pitiful child act that usually works on adults, giving the monarch her pleading puppy dog eyes, capped off with an awkward curtsy.

[roll0]
Remember the circumstance bonus for being a cute little girl with puppy dog eyes!!...

[Dudeons]

Aaron follows the group into the throne room, very uncomfortable with what's happening. Entrance to the throne room did nothing to soothe his nerves as he adjusts his tattered cloak. He watches Rodney fumble over his words as Ellie steps in to try and help.

"Gods," Aaron thinks, "Now we need a child to assist us in diplomacy? There's no way this can end well."

Aaron does what he can to stay near the back, ready to run out of the room if his group gets too harsh of a reaction. He watches the king, silently praying to the first god he can think of that his group can get their act together.

[Trivino]

The king looks down at the peasants of Ro that barged into his court and let out a sigh. He brushed off Ellie's poor diplomatic approach and looked over to Tommy and Charles.

"You say you are peasants? From Ro? And... you know of Val?"

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Well here goes nothing...

"Your majesty!" says Randolph pressing his way to the front, Randolph doffs his hat and bows his lowest bow yet.

"Ro has fallen! The orcs are no doubt on a mission of destruction, and parties unknown have abducted those who escaped the onslaught. Brave Sir Val stands alone to guard our retreat so that we might bring word to you! In your infinite grace I beg you to aid us, your most humble of servants!"

[roll0]

Gorramit.

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson bows low

It is as my friends have said, your Highness. I would add that on our way here, we were accosted by bandits claiming to be your Highness' soldiers. Claiming that you had ordered anyone traveling the roads arrested. We convinced them of the import of our mission, and we so allowed to continue. But I suspect that they are responsible for the abduction of our kinsmen.

[Trivino]

"Filthy peasants! Disgracing my court, making threats upon my kingdom, and mentioning that filthy fiend Val... guards! Take them away at once!"

Before any protests can begin, the guards grab the peasants (can try to worm out, but it's highly unlikely you'll win the grapple check...), and lead them from the courts.

The peasants of Ro are led down a dingy staircase towards a dingy prison cell. It barely has enough room for everyone as everyone is crammed inside like sardines. A guard closes the iron gate and chuckles to himself as he locks the door. He orders for several guards to stand watch and disappears upstairs...

[redzimmer]

Randolph

"You know, I am beginning to hate this town."

He looks down at his outfit.

"And filthy?! I paid three crowns for this outfit!"

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson

*bursts out laughing*

Only beginning?

[moskeeto]

Tommy sat in the corner of the small cell, trying to prevent the harsh circumstances from sinking in. He was just arrested by his own people for no reason! As Randolph lashed out and Jackson laughed, Tommy simply sulked. He let out a slow breath as he rose to his feet and banged a fist on the wall.

"I cannot believe they would arrest us! For what? Trying to warn the kingdom?! I don't understand!"

[nersxe]

Charles hunches in on himself, seething, then forces himself to remember his companions.

"Ellie? Are you alright?" He asks, trying to keep his anger out of his voice.

[Newcomer]

The guards grip Ellie and pull her harshly. She tries to struggle against them, but she's too small, too weak. Then they throw her into this tight cell and laugh at her. After fighting the orcs, and leaving home, and struggling to get into the king's court, it's just too much.

As tears start to bead up at the corners of her eyes, she can only be glad that the light is dim. She can't let anyone see how weak she is. She has to be strong enough for this. She's a big girl now. She fought the orcs, for Pelor's sake!

Ellie can usually control her emotions, and at least now she's able to quiet her breathing. She's a master of subterfuge. She makes as if to sort through her sack while she carefully wipes her eyes, and coughs to cover a sniffle.

"Ellie? Are you alright?"

Apparently Charles caught one of her stifled sobs. She wanted to kick the guards, for making her weak in front of Charles. She wanted to kick the king, and pummel him with her club. She wanted everything to go back to the way it was.

"'Course," she lies. "This ain't nothin' compared to the orcs." Please let that be convincing.

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson smiles at the girl.

You know, Ellie has a point.

Then, he looks out into the dark halls of the dungeon.

Hey we survived orcs, we'll survive this, you hear!

Then he wiggles his fingers and mumbles something.

*the tears (and for that matter, the dirt and whatever else other than skin and her hair) on Ellie's face disappear.*

You had a smudge on your cheek, El. Got it for you. *he winks*

Anyone else want a quick cleaning?

Casts prestidigitation, then starts using it to clean up.

[nersxe]

Charles knows better, but lets Ellie say what she wants. Sometimes you need to believe you've fooled the people around you.

"Um, I've got some blood in places, from carrying all that armor...." Charles offers, when Jackson starts cleaning people.

[Dudeons]

The guards dragged Aaron along with the others to a dungeon cell. He's roughly shoved in with the others, and he's not sure how to respond. He tries to stay out of the way from everybody else, staring at the floor and trying not to get in the way of other people.

"I should've stayed with my graveyard," Aaron thinks.

Aaron looks to the side and sees Ellie, crying but trying to hide it. For the first time in his life, he actually felt a bit of pity for the girl. He watches as Jackson simply waves his hand and the tears and dirt on her face vanish. Jackson reaches out and the others around him are immediately cleansed. Aaron finds the dirt fades from his clothing, making them look somewhat cleaner than usual. He looks up at Jackson, impressed. A hint of a smile appears on his face as he leans back against the wall. He works on trying to rub off a small spot of rust on the blade of his shovel with his cloak edge in order to pass the time.

[Newcomer]

Gee, thanks.. now everyone knows I was crying, thinks Ellie. At least none of them are making a big deal about it. But she notices Aaron looking at her, and she's even more embarrassed. Who knows what he's thinking...

She inches closer to Charles, and asks, hopefully, "got anything to eat?"

[moskeeto]

As Tommy banged on the wall, he turned and noticed that young girl, Ellie, tearing up. She was trying to hide it, but was doing a poor job of it. Seeing as nobody else was pointing out the obvious, Tommy decided to say nothing as well and took up Jackson on his offer.

Things were definitely looking grim at the moment, but his friends were right. They would survive this. Somehow, they would find a way and make it through this situation, wherever it led. Tommy closed his eyes as he let this thought sink in.

"Yes... we will survive this."

[redzimmer]

Randolph

This is all Rodney's fault. I was running a great con and he blew his part. Now I gotta get this lot out of trouble again…

He paces angrily, wallowing in his impotent rage; oblivious to the others, he considers what the king meant about Val being a 'filthy fiend'.

[nersxe]

Charles pats himself down, then shakes his head. "I was planning on going fishing today. I've got a half-full waterskin, but nothing to eat. Sorry, Ellie."

[Trivino]

After what seems like an eternity of solitude in this cramped cell, the steel door opens. A steel-clad guard looks at the peasants and smiles.

"Time to go."

The guard leads the party up the stairs, surrounded by guards, and out the back of the castle. He never says a word to the party, simply walks in silence. As the party gets outside, the fresh air is a welcome sensation in your lungs. However, the excitement of freedom is quickly grasped away as a group of Orcs approach the party. The largest one, a greenish yellow color, examines each peasant for a moment before acknowledging the guard.

"These will do. I'll give you 500 gold," the Orc grumbles.

"Well you have the child too. I believe that's easily another hundred gold!" the guard replies.

"You dare defy me, mortal? I am Grul of the Outerlands! You do not defy me!" the giant Orc roars.

The guard stiffens in fear as Grul leans in. His rank breath flowing past the unfortunate guards nose.

"Five... hundred... gold," Grul says slowly.

"D-d-done! Men, give him the peasants!" the guard orders as he accepts the gold from Grul. As soon as the exchange is finished, the guards run back into the closing, securing the door behind them.

Grul looks down at you and orders for you to get into a cart. Several other Orcs mock and taunt at you as you make your way to the wooden cart. You crawl inside and are surprised to see the rest of the villagers from Ro. They all wear a somber look on their face as the cart begins to trudge onward, away from the castle.

[nersxe]

At first, Charles is too stunned to fight back against the guards attempting to sell them. Then, when escape crosses his mind, he sees Ellie firmly in the grip of one of their captors, and he seethes instead of running.

When all of them are in the cart, he murmurs under his breath in Elven, "we're going to make a break for it. If you know a language that isn't common or orcish, tell the others what I say after I say it." He takes a deep breath, eyes flitting between his companions.

"Jackson," he looks the mage-in-training directly in the face, "when I say the word, you shock one of the horses. Everyone else, the horses spooking is the cue; we're going to run for it. I don't blame you for staying here, but I won't let them take me to gods'-knows-where. Ellie, when we get going, jump on my back; I'll carry you. Everyone should run in as many different directions as possible, so they can't recapture us all. Don't worry about them hurting us, if they didn't need us alive they would have killed us by now."

Charles keeps his voice as low as it can possibly be and still reach the others in the cart, and prays to whatever gods are listening that none of the orcs in front can understand Elven.

[Trivino]

The other peasants of Ro look at Charles in terror.

"No! We must not leave! We must stay," one of the peasants protest. "You... don't understand..."

[nersxe]

"Keep your voice down,"Charles hisses, eyes flicking to the front of the wagon. "What don't I understand?"

[Trivino]

The young man looked at Charles with hopeless green eyes. He stares in silence for a moment as the cart rides along the bumpy road before explaining.

"We were sold... by the king himself."

[redzimmer]

Randolph

This news snaps Randolph out of his malaise. Sell him?! Randolph Hostlerson?!

I swear to whatever power will hear me I will be avenged. I will not rest until every person from this orc to that &^%$ king are dead by my hand.

He repeats Charles' instructions to anyone who speaks halfling.

No one sells me.

[nersxe]

"If he sold me to orcs, he's no king of mine," Charles lifts his head, looking around at his fellow townspeople.

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney keeps his head down during the imprisonment with hopes of using Aldear's acid spit on the bars when the guard was away. He knew he dropped the ball in the king's court and wanted desperately to make up for it. Weird how they didn't take our weapons or supplies. He thought to himself. Maybe they think we're that non-threatening. He resolved to use that to his advantage.

Regardless, his plans were shot to hell when he was suddenly being whisked away to a slave auction. He noticed, not entirely surprised, that the buyers were orcs. "Figures." he mutters.

As they're being corralled into a group with the other peasants of Ro, he listens to his new orcish overlords, seeing if any of their chatter would give him some clue as to where they were going or what was going to happen to them.

Listen: [roll0]
Sense Motive (if also necessary): [roll1]

He's surprised to hear Charles spatter out some weird sing-song nonsense and hopes against hope that he's about to use some weird spell or something. But alas, the locks don't burst free and the orcs don't fall dead. Then sense is made of the nonsense when Randolph translates to Halfling. He suppresses a smirk.

[Chilingsworth]

Umm... Charles, I don't have any of the spell you want left. I cast it in the battle. Between that and my prestidigitation, I only have a detect magic left.

Jackson looks terribly embarrassed.

[Newcomer]

As they're frees from the prison, only to be sold to orcs and led into the cart, Ellie can hardly feel anything at this point. She's gripped with terror until she hears Charles hatching a plan in Elven. Unfortunately, it's the only foreign tongue Ellie has studied.

"Why would the king sell us? And why would I be worth more?"

[Dudeons]

Aaron sits in the cart, even more surprised by this turn of events than any other previously. As he sits down in the cart, he notices a few people close to him look uncomfortable and edge away a bit. He slumps, confused and frustrated by everything that's happened so far. He looks about, watching what's happening so far. He hears a few of the others speaking in a language he doesn't recognize. Aaron looks around, trying to estimate how many people are in the cart and how many orcs are surrounding it. Having done so, he sits back and tries to gather his thoughts.

[Trivino]

Rodney:
You can barely make out what the Orcs are saying, but you manage to pick up the words "slaves" and "fortress".

As you continue riding down a path, the other peasants continue cowering in fear. They are obviously terrified by the Orcs. Before too long, however, the cart comes to a complete stop. Grul appears to the party and lets out a terrifying growl.

"Come. It's time to check you in." With a bunch of Orcs watching, Grul begins heading towards a small stone structure. As you look around, you can see many other peasants wandering about (not all humans). All are working tirelessly digging up stones, gathering stones, separating stones. All of them looked focused on the task at hand and don't even bother to look up at the incoming troop. Grul waits by the door of the structure, arms folded.

"Move slaves!"

Everyone:
The small structure is simply a place to check you in. They will hand you a set of work clothes and a Heavy Pick. Grul will wait outside as you are filtered through.

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will gladly pay the man five gold for training, and they set to it for the day. Afterwards, he leaves the shop, and goes to meet his friends at the tavern he saw Tommy in. He sits, at the bar, smoking his pipe, and time passes...and passes. Eventually he'll wave down the barkeep and asks, "Have you seen a group of peasants come through? They would have said they were from Ro."

[Trivino]

Aldear:
The bartender looks you up and down for a moment and shrugs. "Ain't nobody here said they were from Ro, but I did see someone dressed like you walk in. He left before buying anything. Looked like he was headed for the castle..."

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will nod, and puff on his pipe for a second. The blue smoke will trickle out of his mouth, giving him a moment to think. The memory of their run-in at the gate comes back, but he shrugs it off. The king probably held them in waiting for a while, spoiled noble that he is. Still, no reason not to take precautions.

He will excuse himself, and head down to the privy. When he gets there, he'll take out the leather armor he scavenged, and replaces his rags with it. He'll then vomit into the privy, filling it with acid, and drop the rags in.

He'll make sure his head is freshly shaven, and then head up to the castle.

[inexorabletruth]

In Halfling:
"Guys, this isn't our last stop. We're heading to some kinda fortress. I don't know about you, but I'm not waiting around any longer to find out what fortress we're spendin' the rest of our lives in. Anyone else interested a coup d'etat?"

He very cautiously gets his hand in position to draw his crossbow.

Sleight of Hand? [roll0]

[Chilingsworth]

Guys, run!

Jackson then bugs out, running as fast as possible for the path, then down it .

[Dudeons]

Aaron stands with the others, watching some sort of mining force working.

"Well, I'm used to digging," Aaron thinks, "Maybe this won't be too ba-"

Suddenly, Jackson shouts something in a language Aaron doesn't recognize and sprints for the path. Aaron quickly follows his example, remembering the many times he's had to run from bullies in the past. He sprints down the path, taking a quick glance behind him as he runs to see if the others are following before refocusing his efforts on running.

[moskeeto]

Tommy watches, dumbfounded, as Jackson bolts down the pathway. He hears Jackson yell something, but doesn't understand it. However, knowing full well that the Orcs will make a move for Jackson, Tommy sprints after Jackson.

"Hurry! Into the forest!" Tommy yells to the rest of his comrades. As he gets to the path, he makes quick work to drop some caltrops as he runs.

Drop Caltrops onto G20.

[Trivino]

Aldaer:
As you approach the castle, you are immediately stopped by a hulking guard. He looks you up and down, stares at you, then grunts.

"What do you want, peasant?"

Rest of party:
As Jackson, Aaron, and Tommy make a dash for the pathway, the slaves take notice. Chaos quickly ensues. Slaves begin challenging nearby Orcs, while the other peasants from Ro make a run for Grul. The Orc quickly slays one of them, but the rest seem unfazed as they continue attacking Grul with anything they can. One of the women looks back with a crazed, frantic look in her soft blue eyes.

"Run!"

[Newcomer]

Seeing the others bolt, Ellie realizes it's time. She takes off after the others, and shouts to Charles.

"Don't stop to carry me, race you to safety!"

She sees and avoids Tommy dropping caltrops, and decides she'll think about using hers after she gains a little more distance.

Run action, 120 ft.

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will pull the pipe from his mouth, and look at the guard.

"I'm looking for some people. I've been tracking them, and I was told they came this way. I want to find them for personal reasons, but if you can tell me what happened to them, I can make it worth your while.", he says. As he speaks he'll pull out a gold coin, and hold it up.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

"I am not a slave!"

In a mad rush, he charges toward the one called Grul.

Move: Head to D8, swinging quarterstaff.

Intimidate: [roll0]

"Go!" he shouts to the others. "Remember it was Useless Randolph who saved you!"

[nersxe]

Charles runs for it, angling for Ellie so he can try scooping her up and running with her.

Come on, now. He doesn't know child PCs get the full 30' run speed everyone else does. Fixed.

[Newcomer]

Ellie keeps herself a few steps ahead of Charles, which pleases her immensely. He may be bigger and have a longer stride, but she's a natural sprinter.

But he can't exactly catch up to her if she takes off first... Same speed and all...

[Trivino]

Randolph
As Randolph charges after Grul, Grul lets out a roar and directs his attention to the oncoming peasant. About 7-8 peasants stand between Randolph and Grul, making it practically impossible for the two to interact with each other. Although Randolph does notice that Grul is slightly hesitant...

Aldaer-
The guard scoffs at you as you hold the gold coin.

"You try to bribe me with one gold coin?! Silly peasant. What do you think I am? A peasant?"

Everyone Else:
As you continue running down the path, a quick look back shows the lone orc chasing you step on Tommy's Caltrops, slowing him down significantly.

As you continue down the path, dense forest stretches past you on either side. Besides the countless trees, the way is cleared.

Suddenly a voice calls out to you from the bushes. "Quick! In here!"

[nersxe]

Charles, blindly trusting, darts toward the voice.

[Chilingsworth]

Seeing no better options, Jackson likewise runs towards the voice.

[moskeeto]

Tommy dives into the bush, following Charles and Jackson...

[Newcomer]

Ellie starts toward the voice, but she's on her guard for its source. She has no intention to run from one danger into another.

[roll0]

[Elrihm]

"Fine. I can see you will be of no help.", Aldaer will tuck the gold back in his pocket, a hefty sum for a commoner, and leave. "Where to now...", he will think, beginning to suspect the worst, "I don't know that I want to spend the night in a city like this, but my friends are missing."

Aldaer resolves to leave the city, and set up a camp about a mile from the town, in a nearby forest. He will just have to come back tomorrow to search again. Before he leaves, he'll buy rations for five days. When he sets up camp, he'll spray acid down in junction with his psicrystal at the base of a large tree, to create a cave underneath the tree to sleep in. Hopefully the roots will reinforce the walls, and form a stable structure.

Knowledge architecture and engineering to keep it from falling in. Taking 20, so 22.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

"At 'em People of Ro! He is weak and alone!"

Bugger this, Randolph says to himself, turning towards the rest of his group's flight path.

He heads towards the caltrop-injured orc in an attempt to clear his path.

Move to the orc who stepped on the caltrop.

Attack [roll0]
Confirm crit if needed [roll1]
Damage [roll2]

[Dudeons]

Aaron grinds to a halt, casting a quick look towards the area where the voice came from. He hurries into that area with the others. After he enters, he's going to get his shovel in both hands if he see any sudden moves.

Spot check
[roll0]

[Trivino]

Aldaer:
You set up camp in a tree trunk for the night, and the structure is more than secure enough to house you for the night.

Randolph:
You take out the Orc with one amazing blow, sending it to the ground immediately. When you look back up the path, however, you notice the rest of your friends have disappeared...

Everyone else:
As soon as you dive into the bushes, you come face to face with an Elf. To the Elf's left is a Dwarf, and to his right a Gnome. They all look at you, jaws relaxed. The Elf steps forward, his long reddish-blonde hair resting on his shoulders.

"Hello, friends. I am Elrond. The Dwarf is Kemble, and the Gnome..."

"I'm Ianben!" the little Gnome bursts out. His buggy brown eyes wide with excitement.

"Yes," Elrond continues, "I understand you were sold into slavery? Please, follow me. We have much to discuss."

Elrond turns and leads the Dwarf and Gnome away, stopping every few feet to make sure you follow.



The sun has begun to set, and it will be dark before long. Be preparing to get some rest!

[nersxe]

Charles' eyes widens. He's only seen a handful of elves in his entire life, and never a gnome or a dwarf.

"Thank you for your assistance, Elrond, but-" Charles looks over his shoulder. "If you've got more allies, a lot of our townspeople are still back in the mines. They need rescue!"

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Randolph pauses to search the orc for coins and mundane items, then he looks around for the others. Seeing no one, he rolls his eyes skyward.

"Great, I put my magnificent arse on the line to save them and they all boot it," says Randolph in disgust. "Typical!"

Shrugging, he looks to see how the peasants he left behind are faring before heading into the wood.

[Elrihm]

Aldaer sets up for the night in his hand-made cave. He drags some limbs over it to disguise the entrance, sets his psicrystal to watch, and sleeps.

[Newcomer]

Ellie follows the three strangers, sharing both Charles's concern and his amazement. She has only seen these races in illustrations, and she's only seen a handful of those.

"Yes, our whole village was captured!"

It is obvious from her tone and facial expressions that Ellie is particularly proud at this moment that she can speak in Elven.

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson follows the others and nods at Ellie's comment.

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney whips out his trusty crossbow and fires a shot off towards Grul as a final salute to Randolph, nods and turns tail.


Swift Action: Load Crossbow
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Move: With group towards the forest.

Confirm Crit if threat:
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

OOC, bit IC relevant:
I'm going to assume that during the time I'm running, I have time for another swift action to reload.

"Quick! In here!"

Rodney starts at the sound and nearly falls over trying to dart away from whoever said that. He snaps his crossbow in the direction of the sound, squinting into the trees to find out who did it. He herds Ellie close to him, unsure of what to do.

When it becomes evident that everyone else is going that way, he shrugs and turns to Ellie. "Strength in numbers," he says and tiptoes hesitantly into the shrubs, still holding his crossbow out in front of him.

"-uch to discuss."
His jaw nearly falls off when he sees an elf, a gnome, and a dwarf in front of him. "Well now I've seen everything," he gasps, and only then realizes he's pointing a crossbow at one of the fair folk. He doesn't lower it, but he does relax his posture some. The group seems to trust the strangers as they lead him further into the woods, and no one seems to notice, or maybe care about, Rodney keeping his crossbow loaded and pointed at the elf, so he contents himself that this is a fair compromise and follows the group quietly. However, he makes note of his surroundings as often as possible so as not to get too lost, in case he has to make another break for it.

Survival (Untrained): [roll4]

Once it seems apparent that they're a safe distance away from the slave camp, Rodney tries to break the ice. "So... what's an elf, a gnome, and a dwarf doing in a forest near a slave camp at this time of year?" His tone is jovial to disguise the accusatory nature of the question.

Diplomacy: [roll5]

[moskeeto]

Tommy does a double take at the sight of the Elf, Dwarf, and Gnome. He has to remind himself what they are, as he has been simply living in Ro with Humans his entire life. Tommy followed the trio, not really worried about any threats from them. As Charles and Ellie began speaking in Elven, Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Can someone translate please?"

[Chilingsworth]

Sure Tom.

Charles thanked them for helping us, and Ellie told them that our entire village was captured by the orcs.

[Trivino]

Randolph:
You manage to find 3 gold pieces on the Orc, as well as his club and leather armor. As you make your way back to the camp, the fighting is still going on. Grul has disappeared, and most of the fighting is working its way towards the dark mines on the far side of the camp. You casually make your way towards the forest and wander, eventually settling in for the night... You will be well-rested for tomorrow.

Aldaer:
You are resting, and will get a full 8 hours of sleep.

Everyone Else:
As Elrond leads you through the forest, he listens as Charles and Ellie voice concerns about the people they had left behind.

"With night upon us, I'm afraid that will have to wait until morning. At this point, they will either be okay or they won't. It won't matter if we're there or not," Elrond replies in perfect Common. "As far as our purpose for being in the woods, we are simply hiding. We... have alot to discuss, but that will have to wait until morning."


As Elrond finishes speaking, you find yourself entering a small camp. All different races walk from tent to tent, occasionally looking up to see who was entering their camp. A fire crackles in the middle of the campground, where a Half-Orc smiles as he pokes the fire with a stick. Elrond points at a nearby purple tent.

"That is where you will be spending the night. If you need anything, let me know. If not, I will see you in the morning, and we can discuss the issues at hand."

[nersxe]

Charles stiffens at the sight of the half-orc. Orcs, half or not, have been the source of too much suffering lately for him to take another one easily.

"No, I don't think this can wait," Charles says, switching back to Common as well. "At the very least, we do need to know what your intentions are toward us. The last people who were supposed to help us sold us into slavery."

[Dudeons]

Aaron looks about and see three figures standing before him. He's shocked by the sight, but keeps the surprise contained with a simple raised eyebrow. He looks them over as they speak, paying particular attention to the elf. One of the rumors about him that he'd taken to believing was that he was partially elven. The being before him made him see a similarity or two, giving his mind something to mull over as he walks with them.

Then his surprise only increases as he follows the group to a camp filled with non-humans. His calm drops noticeably and he takes a moment to gather his wits. He eventually pulls himself together and heads for the purple tent, giving plenty of space to the half-orc in the center and any others he sees.

[moskeeto]

As Tommy walks into the camp, his eyes are immediately drawn to the Half-Orc sitting by the fire. He felt his blood boil as he watched the creature poke the fire with a stick. He looks over at Elrond immediately.

"You have a half-orc?"

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney nods his accord with Charles, but gives a friendly wave to the half-orc. His time spent in taverns getting rowdy with half-orc travelers has taught him a thing or two about their ways, and (to Rodney anyway) it gave this odd group more credit if they'd welcomed someone like like a half-orc in to their fold.

"Yeah, I think a few answers'd be nice, friend. Besides, I don't think I'm gonna sleep much tonight anyway. There's been a lot of… runnin' for my life, ya know? The blood's pumpin'."

"To hell with your tents, elf. I'm tired of bein' told to go here, run there, be sold to this guy. We've been taking a 10' pole up the rear end since those damned orcs rolled through our village and no one's so much as extended the courtesy of a reach around or leave a little change on the dresser. I've had it with orders. I'm with Chuck here. We deserve some answers!"

He has disarmed his crossbow by now, but it's still not slung back onto his back.

Diplomacy if that's in order: [roll0]

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson was heading to the tent when Rodney had his outburst.

He stops, stunned, and having a very hard time withholding his laughter.

Seriously, that was hilarious!

[Trivino]

Elrond passes a shocked glance at Rodney.

"A reach-around? I'm not aware what that is... Regardless, if you are all going to be so insistent, I am left with no choice. Years ago, the true king of the Waelti kingdom was overthrown. The new king, King Onri, has been far from a fair king. Choosing to alienate the peasants living on the outskirts of his kingdom.

However, rumor has it that the former king lives. No one is quite sure where, but we do know that the former king is in hiding, waiting for the moment when he can reclaim his throne. We... we intend on finding the former king and restoring the throne."

[Chilingsworth]

Hmm... the "king" called our village headman, Val, a filthy fiend. Maybe he knows something worthwhile?... If the orcs haven't killed him.

Jackson frowns, saddened.

[Trivino]

Elrond looks over at Jackson, slightly confused. "Val? Hm... never heard of him. Well, if you believe he may know some answers, we will go search for him tomorrow. Do you know where he may be?"

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney calms down a bit and tries to focus on the solutions rather than the problems. "Val was a boring, self-righteous, preachy windbag who loved nothing more than the sound of his own voice, but he was no fiend. In fact, Val is the reason we're all still alive, and that makes him a hero in my book. But if he knew anything about this, he wouldn't have sent us to see the king. Regardless, I'm all for going to save him. He's the best in Ro with a sword, and if anyone's got a chance of surviving a horde of orc raiders, it's him. Waiting till dawn, however, seems like throwing all his chances of survival into the bonfire, doesn't it?"

He pauses for effect. "I don't speak for the group, but I'll help your cause any way I can... if we go and save Val first. I'm not interested in trusting a group that leaves a good man to die."

[Chilingsworth]

I don't know if Val would know anything. As Rodney says, if he knew a great deal, he wouldn't have sent us to the "king." Still, this pretender apparently knew of him. That means he might well have some role in this. Also, he is indeed the best our village has to offer, and should be saved on that account alone, if we can.

[Newcomer]

Ellie realizes that these discussions are important, and the idea of a missing king sounded interesting. But as her stomach growls, her interest wanes. She asks Elrond a different question.

"Do you have any food? We haven't eaten in ages!" Then she adds, thoughtfully, "I have money to pay for it..."

[nersxe]

Charles shakes his head. "If we're going to try getting the rightful king back on the throne, Val can help. Regardless of whether or not he knows anything, he's a good man, and he took on at least half those orcs we fought back at the village."

[Trivino]

Elrond looks up into the sky, staring up at the countless stars shining back down. He nods his head slowly as he appears to be processing what the peasants of Ro are saying.

"If you all believe Val can be of help, then perhaps we should go get him. However, it is getting late, and you are hardly trained for combat. Would you rather wait a day, get some rest, and learn a little more about combat, or do you just want to go now, as ill-prepared as you may be?"

[nersxe]

Charles thinks for a few seconds, his crisis-inspired confidence draining away. A huge yawn decides for him. "I need sleep."

[inexorabletruth]

"The longer we wait, the more likely it is Val is dead. For all we know, he may be dying now, or worse. An' if he did somehow make his escape, he could be headin' to see the king an' face the same fate we faced. I don't think I can find him alone. Hell... I'm not even sure where we are. If it's the groups will to stay, I'll stay, but I think that would be the best way to assure Val's death."

[Chilingsworth]

If we waited long enough to complete my Mage's apprenticeship, Val might die of old age before we're ready. Or am I wrong? But if you have a spare crossbow and some bolts, I'll be able to contribute something.

[Newcomer]

Ellie walks towards the tent and the fire, but keeps her distance from the half-orc. When someone else from the camp passes by, she asks, "Would you share a bite to eat? I've been sitting in a prison for hours..."

If necessary, she repeats her query to a couple others before giving up, dejected.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Resigned, Randolph looks for a suitable hedge to sleep under.

And here's hoping no random encounters...

[Trivino]

Randolph:
You get some sleep...

Ellie:
As you wander about the camp looking for something to eat, you come across an Elf. The young Elven woman looks down at you, offering a gentle smile.

"You poor soul! Here follow me, I'll be sure to fill you up!" the Elf offers as she darts into a nearby tent. The aroma from the tent suggests that she was serious about filling you up!


Elrond looks over the party and shrugs.

"So have we made a decision yet? Will we be going to get your Val or resting up? I would recommend getting at least some basic training before we head out though. We would be of little use to this Val character if we aren't able to defend ourselves."

[nersxe]

Charles listens to Elrond, then turns to Rodney, his body language drooping bit by bit the longer they stand there.

"I don't mean that I want to leave Val, but I need sleep," Charles says, fatigue evident in his voice, "I've been up since before dawn preparing skins, and none of us have eaten. If we try to get Val, I'll be more harm than help, and I don't think I'm the only one."

[moskeeto]

Tommy steps forward next to Charles and nods.

"I agree, we need to take care of ourselves before we head out to Val. We would be more of a hindrance than a help in our current conditions. Now, let's find something to eat, get some rest, and perhaps get a little training in."

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney starts to protest against Charles, but sees the group slowly disintegrate into the crowd, seeking food or sleep and realizes he's beaten.

That's when he stops to take stock of the group. "First Val, then Randolph." He droops his head to observe the patterns his worn shoe draws in the dirt. His expression is forlorn as he recounts what he considers to be the dead. "What the hell is-" he pauses and looks up with a confused look on his face. "Hey... has anyone seen Aldear?"

[Chilingsworth]

Jackson sighs.

Charles is right. But I'd like to know more about what you hope to teach us.

[Newcomer]

Ellie is momentarily wary about following the strange elf into her tent, but the aroma of food is too much. Besides, these people seem to be friends.

So she follows the elf into the aromatic tent, her mouth beginning to water.

"Oh, thank you very much, ma'am!" Then she thinks to herself, ...can you call an elf ma'am?

[Trivino]

Elrond shoots a glance over at Jackson and smiles.

"We will talk in the morning. Now get some rest!"

Elrond quickly turns on his heels and points the party to their tent for the night. As darkness comes over the camp, everyone manages to get a full night's rest in before the sun rises in the morning.

Aldaer and Randolph
As the sun begins to rise over the horizon, you awaken to find an Elf staring down at you. He looks you over, slightly confused, and sheaths his weapon after checking you out.

"You... are you with those other peasants?"


As the sun comes over the camp, you awaken to a loud yell from the camp. A quick glance outside of the tent reveals the Half-Orc laughing hysterically at a comment from Elrond. Elrond notices you waking and makes quick work of approaching you.

"Good morning! Now, I believe we are just about ready to find this Val of yours. Now, how about some quick training? Anyone want to learn archery? Stealth? Power? Magic? Let me know now before we head out!"


OOC- This is where you learn enough to begin to branch into another class, so simply tell Elrond what you wish to learn.

[nersxe]

Charles flinches at the half-orc's laughter, but steps up when Elrond calls for it. "Archery," he says without hesitation, "and stealth."

Going for ranger, here, with scout as an acceptable alternative.

[Chilingsworth]

Well, I'd like to finish my mage's apprenticeship. So, magic.

But, do we really have enough time?

Also, if you have a light crossbow to spare, I'd appreciate a loan.

[redzimmer]

Randolph


Rage welled up in his throat.

So they go ang live with the elves while I get left to die. Rodney was always jealous of me.

He nods curtly at the elf, wary of his weapon still near at hand.

[moskeeto]

Tommy offers a devilish grin at the offer from Elrond.

"I want to learn how to wield a sword!" Tommy declares excitedly.

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will ignore the alarms from his psicrystal, who was watching. The elf had startled him, a rarity in these parts for sure.

"I'm not sure I know you friend, or trust you. I am looking for some of my friends, but they were in the castle, talking to the king. You must have me mistaken, my good man."

While delighted to see an elf, Aldaer did not trust this stranger. Best to have him off, and get back to the search.

[Newcomer]

When Ellie awakes, she feels great. The day before was a crazy day, but it was thrilling and exciting, too. And so much food! She ate so much before bed that she didn't think she'd be able to walk today.

At the prospect of training, Ellie isn't quite sure how to respond. "Umm.. well, I'm little and not very strong. If I have to fight, I want to have surprise on my side. People don't usually think I can handle things, but being underestimated can be an advantage." She thinks a bit more about it. "I like to climb on things and hide in corners.. and think before striking.. So train me at whatever that sounds most like??"


As you'll recall, I'm going for swashbuckler and rogue levels, please! :smallsmile:

[Trivino]

Randolph:
The Elf leads you carefully through the woods, and in a few minutes, you find yourself standing at the center of a camp. You notice Tommy holding a large sword, Ellie and Charles sneaking there away around, and Jackson reading a small book. The other peasants of Ro seem to be occupied doing tasks as well. The Elf looks you up and down as your guide walks away.

"Name's Elrond. And you are?"

Aldaer:
The Elf shrugs. "Very well. We just had some peasants come from a nearby prison camp so I expected you to be a part of their group. Have a nice day then!"

As the Elf disappears into the woods, you find yourself alone again in the woods. As you take a moment to examine your surroundings, you find that you've disturbed a nearby snake. The snake hisses at you before attacking. It tries to bite you, but barely misses... (your move. You are within 5-feet of the enemy as a point of reference.)

[Dudeons]

Aaron woke up, feeling much better after getting some sleep. He gets up and heads out. He meets with Elrond, who is discussing the concept of training. Aaron thinks for a while, glancing at the ground as he ponders this concept. He looks up after a minute or two.

"I want to learn how to fight," Aaron says, "Intelligently, with precision and power. And incorporating my shovel into combat."

Aaron unslings his shovel from his back and looks it over.

"I've used it to fend off people invading my graveyard before," he says, "I think it'll do the trick for me anywhere else, too."

Aaron looks away from Elrond, wondering if he was asking too much or if his request sounded dumb. Whoever heard of using a shovel as a weapon of choice? Despite this, the shovel simply felt more comfortable in his hands than any sword ever would be.

Until I meet the prerequisites for that Soul Reaper prestige class, I think I'm going to try going into Monk.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Knowing a toff when he sees one, Randolph bows low and introduces himself in Elven.

[roll0] diplomacy

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney spends most of his night getting to know the people at the campsite, making connections, telling jokes and asking questions. Consequently, he's the last to awaken when the elf calls them all out to begin training.

Gather Info: [roll0]
Diplomacy?: [roll1]

His left arm is completely asleep and his right cheek is crusted in drool when he drags his weary body out of the tent. He half listens to the elf prattle on about training or whatever as he stumbles toward the coffee. "Izzat hameneggs?" He mumbles to the cook as he clutches the handle of the coffee pot and reverently pours its contents into a cup. "I'll-uhh… I'll take sommathat."

After setting himself up with some nice breakfast and slams the hot coffee down his throat, he smacks his lips a few times then rubs the sleep out of his eyes. It occurs to him that this was an opportunity he shouldn't be missing.

"Hey! Hey Elrond!" He takes his plate and runs up to the elf, stuffing his plate as he goes. "Y'know. Iwaffinkin'." He swallows. "I met a bard once. Passed through Ro. He said I had a knack fer it, ya know? Said I got what it takes to make a good bard too." His stomach growls and he answers with another mouthful. "Faid I fould tryta lookimup an' he'd teaf me." He wipes his greasy hand on his dirty tunic and looks down at his empty plate as he swallows again. "I hear bards make good money. Magic, swords… all that rubbish takes second to cold hard cash in the real world, am I right?" He chuckles awkwardly and nudges Elrond with his elbow in a jovial manner. "Plus, he had a power with words. Had a way of makin' people listen. I wanna be like that. A guy like him coulda' got the king ta change his mind an' go save Val, I'd bet."

[Trivino]

After a quick hour of training, Elrond has the peasants of Ro meet up.

"Our new comrades, it is time to go and rescue this man Val that you speak of. May we be swift and powerful. To the true king of Waelti!" Elrond says as he raises his sword.

The others at the camp give a cheer as Elrond leads the party out of the camp and through the forest, leaving the rest of the forces behind. He warns everyone to be careful of potential dangers in the forest, so watch yourselves!


Everyone at the camp gains a level... outside of Commoner! Your choice, just know you won't be able to multiclass until further notice.

[nersxe]

Charles doesn't care much for kings, these days, but he'll go along in search of Val. He nods to the other peasants of Ro, and follows behind Elrond, sling at the ready.

[Elrihm]

Aldaer will call after the elf and hurry after him.

"Erm, could I follow you back? Maybe those are my friends. It's certainly a sight better than being stuck in the woods alone."

[Newcomer]

During her training session, Ellie finds that her movements are too slow and unwieldy. Her club feels heavy in her hands, and she wishes it would move faster.

Ellie asks the camp members whether they have any other weapons available, preferably something small and light, like a dagger.

Something light and/or Weapon Finesse-able is what I'm looking for, like a dagger, sickle, or light mace. She can afford to buy something. She can even afford a rapier.

[Dudeons]

During Aaron's combat training, he learns how to use his shovel to great effect, as well as some supplementary training about fighting unarmed. At the end of his training, Aaron feels faster in combat and much more effective. He wipes sweat from his forehead and goes to pick up his bag. He realizes that carrying his sack everywhere just wouldn't work.

"If I encounter combat, I'll need both hands in order to fight," Aaron thinks. He heads off to try and obtain a backpack or something along those lines, and gets a few loops of cloth incorporated into it in order to hold his shovel when he's not using it. Once he's obtained it, he rejoins his group as they head off. In a better mood now, Aaron walks with the rest of the group, keeping an eye out for anything that could be dangerous.

I'll assume I bought the backpack, so I'll subtract the appropriate GP from my character sheet and add it to my inventory. Also, Spot check.

[roll0]

[Trivino]

As everyone hopes to stock up on supplies, you find the people here to ne kind and generous. You got one free mundane weapon, and up to 20 gold in free mundane items.

[redzimmer]

Randolph

Randolph graciously declines the offer of additional training but does accept some basic equipment. He divests himself of the more-worn of the orc armors he picked up but keeps the other as a badge of honor.

No matter the cost, I shall have bloody vengeance.

He looked about, seeing if any of the others had noticed the "change" he had undergone in his night alone. He does his best to be cheery and non-chalant.

[roll0] Bluff

[Trivino]

Aldaer:
You manage to catch up to the Elf and follow him all the way to a camp. Everyone at the camp has seen your fellow peasants, but you have just missed them. The people at the camp willingly point you the direction they headed, saying something about rescuing Val...

As you wander through the woods, Elrond tries to start conversation...

"You know, according to our maps, Ro should be a good distance to the West. Regardless, we need to stay confined to the forest and off the paths so we can avoid detection from any guards."

As Elrond finishes explaining, a lone figure stands before you in the forest. As you get closer, you recognize a familiar Orc. He's missing an eye now and he is drenched in blood. As the party approaches, Grul lets out a vicious roar and pulls out a weapon...

(Roll Initiatives... MAP! (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aps6qRy4Ve3hdERVQjNKaVpMeE5fVHVpTERRVllhc nc#gid=0)!)

[nersxe]

Charles quickly stows his sling and draws his bow. This enemy calls for serious measures.

[roll0]

[redzimmer]

Randolph

"Old friend!" Randolph exclaims upon seeing Grul. "Shall we pick up our dance from whence we last met?"

[roll0]

[inexorabletruth]

Rodney amuses himself with the bag of marbles he picked up at the camp as they walk along back to Ro. The resistance group offered him more deadly supplies, but he wasn't the killing kind. Better to make allies than corpses, he thought to himself. Besides, it's always nice to have a game to play when we break camp for the night.

"Ah hells." Rodney groans as Grul shows up.

Initiative: [roll0]