a rainy day

[drack]

As you find your way to this grove that supposedly embraces both life and death, living in peace not only with themselves, but with each other, you come to a large tree. An apple tree all knotted and scribbled, full of bright green leaves, with a sigh hanging from it reading "GRUNWALD" in a jagged script, the words carved in with a knife. On the tree you see a bounty of small apples, and beneath you see several undiscernible corpses swarming with so many maggots that you can hardly make out what's beneath them, as if they were all trying to crowd each other out in order to better consume the corpse. On the road itself you see the old dirt road up ahead almost instantly turning black with a dark slimy moss, tendrils waving eerily in the faint breeze. Somehow the trees seem taller and the shadows darker within, spots of sunlight shining through the few holes in the forest canopy under which tall bushes of weeds appear. Vines hang down the trees, and you can't help but wonder how high they might stretch as a monkey's call carries through the woodlands.

[Baveboi]

"By Sid'Jax, this place is worse than the deserts." The opaque skinned wizard turns to address the vanguard as they break into the refreshing cover of threes. The unit has been looking worse and to wear a bit sickly since they caught sight of the vivid foul apparitions laying everywhere. He can see in their faces the exhaustion that had settled in their muscles and bones after two days of marching with but an eye-blink of rest. The wizard himself had had little time to study his psellbook and was on the verge of collapsing.

"Scout lieutenant, tell Captain John Grey we will be making camp inside the cover of the forest for the night. It's an appalling idea, I know, but the entire line is breaking down. We have no choice. Now stop frowning that nose of yours. Dismissed."

Dezered Tazzadar Dandrarhana had seen many horrific things in his long studies of arcane mastery, from horrific Demonology to the corrosive destruction of Vitriolicism. What could this nightmarish forest offer to broaden his experiences, he mused. *"Scorpiox, seems like you will feast on as much carrion and death as your fiendish belly can hold. Never be said that I am not a generous master..."

The giant fiendish scorpion, nicknamed Scorpiox, gives out a guttural, but pleasurable laugh. A sound that could sour milk and make a lesser man shiver. Dezze didn't pay it much attention. *"Carnage. Heh heh. Plenty meat. Rotting flesh. Tastes good when you chew. Hah hah hah!"


------
* = Abyssal Language

[Baveboi]

OOC: So... what? Are you just gonna let my group of people invade your land to take a freakishly big nap and have a giant fiendish scorpion pasturing your lawn cadavers? :smalltongue: Not gonna threaten us or offer us some quest or try to devour our immortal soul and throw us over the Worldedges?

Oh, on another note, I am sorry I stopped with the flirting in the Recruitment Thread, but we were kinda flooding the place. I'd like to continue if you are ok with that.

[drack]

OOC: checking something with gaiy first.

Flirting: sure, so long as it's all in good sport. :smalltongue: As I said on the thread I've never tried one of those stereotypical romance/flattery conversations, so I figured it'd be fun. Usually the extent of my "romance and flattery" in conversations is limited to just my simple quick wit. :smalltongue:

[drack]

The corpses prove to bear little meat, having been thoroughly picked by maggots for some time, and the trees provide shelter only for a time until their branches fill with water, focusing it into larger droplets that feel all the more profound. Worse all the wood your people sent off to gather it for fires seems to be made of a slimy rot, sopping wet to the touch with hardly any wood left in it.

As the sun sets the forest awakens with the occasional guttered scream among the hiss of footsteps and the howl of wolves. The screech of bats fills the air, but somehow it's the lapses into silence that seem most profound, as if death had stolen upon the wood robbing it of all these primal noises... or as if they had all found prey to silently stalk at once. By the time an hour has passed, countless reports have been given of people in the bushes just beyond sight, things passing through the camp, and of how the woods are teeming with monsters.

[Baveboi]

Between the roaring dragons of the hills southward and the death smelling miasma of the forest, both John Grey and Dezered are at their breaking limits. Dozens of reports from scouts in and out of duty have reached their ears to wake them up time and again and the entire thing became to sound even more and more like a ridiculous turn of events.

"Why can't we find a place to rest!?" It was now John's turn to shout and wave around in the wet tent they raised on the rotten swamp-like bedding of moss that covered the entire place. "Ever since that... that hell-damned Empire has driven us out of our homes, of our farmlands, we have been on the run from something scary and big and hungry. First that... thing down in Vale, then the deserts and the dragons in the hill-lands! Now this unholy jungle full of insects" -he gives a strong swat at his neck, splashing a bug just for effect- "and completely rotten, with only the gods knows what lurking about!"

Dezered is rubbing his temple, looking at the other scout lieutenants. Poor bastards were too tired to be scared and too scared to shut even an eye. He realized he must be in a very similar condition himself. "I know things look bleak, Grey, but there is no way-"

"Can't you do anything about this, wizard? For all your magic is worth it has helped us turn and again, but we can't continue like this!" He had cut in before Dezze could end his reassurances and that was the hammer that drove the nail home. All of a sudden, with a burning hatred in his guts, Dezered stood up and walked out without a word. Grey meant to follow him, but stopped short of going out. He was warned not to.


-----


*"Scorpiox!" He screamed at top of his lungs, looking out for the giant beast who was enjoying a meal of maggots and brittle marrow-filled bones somewhere. *"Bring your pus filled carcass to my presence this instant! So I summon!" In but mere seconds the ruffling of trees gave away the lumbering creature's movement as it came out of the shadows holding a carcass in his mandibles with maggots running around his hellish eyes. Without a word he stared at Dezered, waiting.

The wizard took out a small knife and cut loose the restraints in his pincers and sting. *"I promised you a new hunting ground when I took you out of the deserts. May it never be said I am not a generous master. We are going out hunting!"


-----

OOC: Yeah, everyone is fed up with running all the time. Dezered and Scorpiox will start to hunt down the apparitions and haunts that are disturbing the scout's rest. First, Dezze will summon 3 webs congruent to each other around the camp, so as to leave a 40ft long opening at the northern side, covering the flanks and the rear in webbing.

The webs will last half an hour each, while Dezze and Scorpiox check them thoroughly for any signs of captives. If they catch sight of anyone moving around their perimeter, the scorpion will run at them with a 100ft charge and grab them with both pincers, but will not sting nor constrict while Dezze catches up, as per his orders.

They are both protected by magic, Scorpiox has SR 10, DR 5/Magic, they both have Darkvision 60ft and Scorpiox has tremorsense 60ft.

Here is his sheet (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=684974), and dezze's (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=680199).

[drack]

From behind the treeline several hundred lizardmen emerge, spears drawn. "Who dares approach the lair of Armdajark"

[Baveboi]

OOC: Am I to assume they showed before I cast the web spells?
If the lizardfolk spoke in Draconic or Common, then I will answer in the according language. If, I will just scream in accusation in Common.
Also, how far are they from me and Scorpiox?

Finally having something to dispense his ire at, the wizard turns around, fire in his guts, blood in his eyes. He speaks in common. "My name is Dezered, the Tazzadar of Imaskar, firstborn son of family Dandrarhana! Your kind has frightened my men, stolen us of our precious scant hours of rest and have therefore acted with hostility against me. What is your defense?" His hands are ready to cast if given provocation.

[drack]

"We are the defenders of Armdajark. Who are you to demand a defense. My people have done nothing to you, yet you tear up our sacred grounds to erect these grotesque skins of your foes?" The Lizardmen asks gesturing to your tents. "Why should we care for your trifling rest. Rest is a luxury to be had when it can be, not a right to be demanded, or taken affront at the absence of. State your business."

[Baveboi]

"You fools! Those skins are made from cattle and cotton, farmed and raised with the care of hard-working people. People that was driven out of their land and forced to march for days only to survive." Dezered is furious and stressed to the point he needs to actually struggle against sicking Scorpiox on the lizardmen and the fiend knows it. His name is scrapping at the wizard's mind, desperate to be free. No such luck today, yet.

"You say rest is a luxury; fine then! I will pay you for that luxury. What do you want? Steel? Gold? Magic?"


OOC: Are you actively ignoring my questions, drack? That's kinda rude of you. :smallamused:

[drack]

Nudging his friend the lisserdman jests. "Cattle he says. So were I to take the skins of a stock breed, for instance some lowly humans, it would be perfectly fine to flaunt them about on someone else's land."
Waving once more in the direction of your encampment he asks "So, are you deph or just plain stupid? You going to tell me what you're doing here on our sacred grounds rubbing your filth into our nice clean muck?"

OOC: I would never. Though you seem to be ignoring those of the lice lizard guy. :smalltongue:

[Baveboi]

OOC: I actually did tell them. We are running away, driven out of our home by the DE. :smalltongue: Also, please forgive Dezze. He is very level-headed, even if a bit racist, but he is completely exhausted so he kinda took it personally when they started harassing the men.

IC: "Enough! I will no longer listen to the babblings of ignorant lesser races. We will leave your forests by tomorrow and never turn back. The same way you don't care for our much needed rest, we don't care for your backwater morals. We just want to be left to pass, unmolested, and I am not in a good mood. If you won't accept gold or my words for it, we will trade in blood." Dezered leaves that undertone of a threat in his words, but he is so tired that the prospect of a fight would mean the end them... Unwise decisions are always taken under such terrible conditions, terribly.

[drack]

OOC: nope they asked why you're pitching tents on their sacred ground, not why you ended up there. :smalltongue:

IC: And how are we expected to perform the hunts of death to eat some tasty undeads if we can't even bask in the sacred springs before the stars are so bright. I demand you leave our sacred grounds now!

[Erik Vale]

Behind the freedom fighters camp, there is suddenly a low boom of the mass displacement of air.
To those that look behind the camp, they see roughly 100 soldiers, all in the colours of the Beltran Rebelion suddenly appearing, at their head a wrathful god glowing in all his might. Looking around Sid'Jax's eyes halt at the lizardmen, then move to focus on his champion, who receives a telepathic message.
<"Relax, they mean no harm... I think.">

With that the god disappears.

[drack]

How many does the merc have again? :smallconfused:

[Erik Vale]

At the moment, 1 Level 6, 2 level 3's, amd 2 units of level 1's, which are actually numbering... 192 men.

Yes, I am dropping this on you, it's just the only spot I could really think to drop them, it gets them out of the area like they wanted and meets them up as they wanted...
And hey, now you can hire them all, not just one unit.

[Baveboi]

OOC: We are humans. Humans sleep in tents. If you ask why are we raising tents here, it is because we aren't raising tents where we should be. Humans will always raise tents when they don't have houses. :smalltongue:
Gotta love cultural barriers. Well, I think Dezze would have handled this better if I had rested through the night, I think. You still didn't answer my question pertaining distance and the time of their impromptu interruption.


IC: "Your pathetic demands are useless, as leaving now would mean death and I will not ask my men to take their own lives in a futile effort to appease two-legged lizards. You either wait for us to leave in a day's time, in which case a sum of compensation could be agreed upon, or you kill us all. It's in your hands now, lizardman. Make your choice." Scorpiox start to snip at the air with his pincers, his poisonous sting dangerously low. Dezered's hands are also at the ready, waiting to unleash his magic.

The wizard will ready a casting of either Web or Obscuring Mist, depending on availability. The scorpion, readied since the first turn, will then charge 100ft and try to grab the first lizard.

[drack]

At the moment, 1 Level 6, 2 level 3's, amd 2 units of level 1's, which are actually numbering... 192 men.

Yes, I am dropping this on you, it's just the only spot I could really think to drop them, it gets them out of the area like they wanted and meets them up as they wanted...
And hey, now you can hire them all, not just one unit.


I would, but they didn't really enter my village, and my village is bad at night, the outskirts are worse. :smalltongue:

You'll also note I said "hundreds" of lizardmen, so that's not so much 10:1 :smalltongue:

OOC: No, humans sleep all sorts of places. Some humans sleep in tents. :smalltongue:

"Your pathetic bipedal monkey whines mean nothing to us. This is our sacred ground. How would you react if you left your precious skins and returned to find them soiled and contaminated with the wastes of a lesser breed. We've named our price, and that is that you good for nothings show a bit of respect and raise yourselves off your monkey tails into your monkey trees or wherever else it is your kind go." The lizerdfolk lower their spears perhaps three hundred in all ready to charge at the first sign of violence.

[Erik Vale]

I would, but they didn't really enter my village, and my village is bad at night, the outskirts are worse. :smalltongue:

You'll also note I said "hundreds" of lizardmen, so that's not so much 10:1 :smalltongue:




OOC: Oops, editing.

[Baveboi]

"What the...?!" Feeling the telltale presence of his Patron and the awesome magical presence of his transportation spell made Dezered lower his guard. For a moment Scorpiox almost charged at the lizards, his fiendish brain caring much less for numbers and much more for pain and gore. The booming sound of his True Name made him refrain from doing so and twist in agony. *"Don't you dare challenge my will, Rth'O'Ya'Lk'Yarn! Remain where you are or face annihilation!"

Anger disappeared from his face almost as fast as it came as Dezze saw now the colors of the new arrivals. He almost cried with sheer relief and joy, and he would too if he wasn't so tired. "Razak! Razak Ronko! Is that you and yours?! John Grey, come quickly, Sid'Jax, his miracles be praised, have brought Razak back to us!" Dezze will turn his back to the lizards and run toward Razak (more like limp energetically), but Scorpiox won't move an inch, his bloodthirsty yellow eyes still fixed on the Lizardmen like a ravenous watchdog.



-----

OOC: Ok, I did it stupid not to guess this was happening. :smallbiggrin: Let's see if Razak has a better way to deal with the lizards!

[drack]

As they turn about to greet their comrades several lizardfolk prod them with spear points. "You turning away to move your nasty skins?"

[Baveboi]

OOC: Damn, I posted but my net ate it! :smallmad: Posted again.
There is not much I can do anymore, anyway, since my boss is the one calling the cards now. We gotta wait Admiral now.

IC: While running Dezered has only a second to turn around and point to the lizards. "Do not move. We are not done talking yet." He then races to see Razak. He has never been so happy to see a surfacer before, that's for sure.

[drack]

(If you continue moving again they poke you again until you talk or they loose patience with you.)

[Baveboi]

OOC: I do realize that, but the orders are Razak's now, not mine. His unit, his power, his responsibility. If the lizards want to talk with him I will be glad to take them there, but The Admiral is the leader now. I guess we have to wait for him now, much to my impatience. :smalltongue:

[drack]

In the far distance a wave of flame can be seen through the rain in the desserts to the south, a small tongue of flame from this distance.

Shortly afterwards a man in a long heavy robe of interwoven fines emerges from the woods, the mud making a long squelching sound with every footstep. his face is covered by a mask, and as he approaches he silently looks back and forth between the two parties.

[The_Admiral]

"Captain, what's going on?" Razak asks Dezered as he approaches the man.

[Baveboi]

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you, Baal Amin. It's been so long that I had doubts we would even find anyone when we came back." The wizard is looking worse to wear than Razak have ever seen him. His clothes have dried blood on them, salt and old bandage wraps, his hair is equally disheveled. There is a tired look about his eyes that tells of forced marches and lack of any effective rest. However, he still beams with joy at the sight of his commander.

"John Grey should be here any moment, I am sure he is as excited as I am to hear of you with us once more. But celebrations will have to wait. We got a problem in our hands. Our men are falling apart, exhausted from the march from the deserts. They need their rest and as if the rain and this accused jungle wasn't enough, there is a group of native lizardmen demanding our departure, or that we surrender our tents. I am not sure, they aren't making sense to me. Could you please talk to them?" Dezered points in the direction that he came from where Scorpiox was on duty for a while.

"Don't worry, the giant scorpion is in my power. I have a lot to tell you, Baal Amin... Wait- Who is that dreary looking person? He wasn't here before." The wizard is quizzically pointing in the direction of the masked stranger. He puts himself one step behind Razak as to urge him to do the talking, feeling relieved but yet in need of immediate rest. And a dry change of clothes.


OOC: Yay. Everyone is here. Razak you will have to deal with The Martyr for now, I have PENALTIES.

[The_Admiral]

"Calm down captain, go take a stock with the Wreckers, I'll try to talk to them." He says, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Lifting the hand off, he approaches the lizard men saying, "Hail, I apologize for my subordinate's behaviour, he is merely exhausted from days of forced marching, tell me what is it you want and we may hopefully come to some form of compact."

Diplomacy.
[roll0]

[Jojomo]

While Razak approaches the lizardmen and attempts to smooth ruffled scales, Sunbringer sidles nonchalantly over to Dezered (or at least attempts nonchalance as far as his almost 8 foot tall frame will allow) and mutters in a low voice, "Do I take it that you have also been caught up with this glorious band of mis-fits? And did I hear you right, that you have tamed that beast?" The last question is accompanied with a nod to Scorpiox.

[drack]

The lizardmen do not look appeased. "Then they will leave our sacred grounds now, and take their ugly skins with them."

Recall gaiy's doing diplo where it needs fluff with it to work, and that's not too far off from much of what bave's been giving them.

[The_Admiral]

"Please, they are tired having spent days marching, if we are to leave these grounds, at least allow us alternate accommodations. These men have lost their homes, their families and their entire livelihoods in a span of mere days, all we want to do is rest, and we are willing to work for these allowances." he almost begs the lizardman.


He was a merc, being rude to your employer is a good way to not get paid.

[drack]

Indeed, though it may be less serious then all that.


Behind the Man in the robe of vines, several rotting corpses emerge, stopping to watch. Stepping forward the man faces first the lizardmen nodding his head in acknowledgement. "If you will allow me, I will attempt to speak on your behalf."
The lizardman, seemingly startled to see him there, nods faintly.

"Strangers, I fear you are in the center of their lands of cleansing. It is a ritual they repeat at the start of every night before their hunt. If they do not cleanse themselves, then they believe that they may taint their prey before tasting it's flesh. They request you move your site at least a half mile from it's present location."

[Baveboi]

Having never met the Goliath before, or A Goliath, Dezered is quite surprised and taken a back. He thought the skin of the Imaskari was as stone, but this man could just as well be made of the rock of the mountains. He was a rough bolder of granite to Dezze's smooth marble complexion and not just in skin shade. He stutters for a moment, his head too heavy with all that's happened this days. "I-I... Y-yes. Yes, Scorpiox is a fiendish creature I captured in a compact, it has to serve me for a 100 years before I send it home. I am sorry, I don't think we have met before. My name is Dezered Tazzadar Dandrarhana. It's a pleasure." He extends his hand weakly like he have seen the people of vale do before. Shaking hands was a strange costume to him. Since his people valued their spellcasting above all else the hands have been sacred tools of artistry and military might, an artist doesn't simply offer his brush nor a warrior unsheathes his sword on a friend, but he knew the custom meant a lot to the surfacers so he long ago fought against this prejudice.

[The_Admiral]

"Thank you for your generosity good sir, we shall begin moving at once." he replies to the man, bowing respectfully wary of the walking corpses.

"OI APES! HELP THEM PACK UP, THEY'RE LEAVING US ALONE IF WE MOVE HALF A MILE FROM HERE!" he turns around and shouts. His frostbitten men who were busy warming up immediately begins helping the Freedom Fighters pack up their tents.

[drack]

"If I might ask, why has your encampment decided to pitch your tents in the Grove? You don't seem to have much interest in the hunt if I understand this."

[The_Admiral]

"We didn't have much choice in that matter, Dezered was sent to a desert and I was teleported to his location, from what I gather, he stumbled upon this grove the troops with him exhausted and searching for a place to pitch camp. This was the first safe seeming place they found."

[drack]

"Well as you may be new to our customs, in our land, murder and canabalism become legal at night, and night is almost upon us, would you like to participate, or accompany me to a hob goblin settlement that has recently joined our fine nation?"

[The_Admiral]

Razak almost chokes on his saliva as the man dropped the bombshell, "WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE NOW!" he turns and shouts to his troops.

"Will it be safe for my troops?" he asks.

[drack]

"Yes, yes." The man replies sounding somewhat disappointed. "I fear many of our customs are new to them there, so they may not even yet celebrate the hunt, though within residences any who do not wish to participate may simply wait it out."

[The_Admiral]

"I see, To you your culture, and to us ours, as long as we are not harmed or threatened by this practice we will respect it."

OOC: Can we just gloss over the travel?

[Baveboi]

Dezered indignantly walks to Razak to protest against this course of action. "Sir, it will be an absurd. To move the camp even a mile would mean severe exhaustion! More than that is likely going to kill the most tired among our troops!"

OOC: I am not kidding when I say we are exhausted beyond the limits. We just used all our MPs, to the last point, for the week (third week that is) and have marched two days consecutively, 48 hours of walking. The man will have to roll some fortitude, I think, if we are marching further than some meters.

[drack]

Which hex did you end on? As it stands you're directly between 120 and 125

[The_Admiral]

"I understand but if we don't move, we're going to have a group of locals who think it's perfectly alright to kill us and eat our bodies do exactly just that. And they outnumber us. Most of the Wreckers are still fine, we can help the more exhausted members of the fighters."


"Sir, if possible may you grant a single night's immunity to this hunt to my troops? I don't think half of them are capable of making it to the settlement as they are."

[Baveboi]

OOC: 125. But I guess if we are just half-way IN, we might go half-way OUT. I don't know if it would be enough to go to the hobgoblin settlement. Whatcha think drack?

[drack]

OOC: so long as movement through hills is easier or as easy for your unit then movement through forest it shouldn't be a problem. Anywho a note on scouts: you do know they only eat free on wild hexes right? So in my city they'd ideally still be munching supplies, though through FoB mechanics you only need replenish once every season, and you're expected to have the rest in supply carts. Of course by standard rules transporting those supplies as you move costs a fortune in RP, but Gaiy waved it, so shouldn't be a problem. :smallsmile:

IC: The man shrugs as more of the undeads that had been following him build into a small crowd around him. I can offer you my protection for a time, though I fear my presence is demanded there, so we'll have to go sooner or later.

[Baveboi]

OOC: Yup. The Freedom Fighters have lots of supplies from an agreement with a wild kobold camp we made in the deserts. Plus 48RP which Dezze means to hand to Razak for upkeep and all that. Most of our heavy stuff is being carried by the scorpion, the rest are on pack mules and backpacks.

[Jojomo]

Let's roll to see if Sunbringer notices the reluctance of the handshake. Call it DC 12 Sense Motive. Hilarity may ensue. :smallwink:

[roll0]

Well, that's fairly conclusive.

Sunbringer cocked his head to one side slightly as the Imaskari extends his hand gingerly. Attempting to put the stranger at his ease, he ignores the hand, simply placing his right hand over his heart and bowing formally, "I hope you will not think me rude, but you seem reticent and it would never do to offend a stranger. I am Kilthilan Sunbringer of the Anakathino. I stumbled upon your band in the mountains and followed your captain when he marched upon Riva. One thing led to another and now I find myself here. He smiles, adding as an afterthought, "This will all make a fine saga when I have the time to write it."

He looks warily towards the scorpion, he has never seen anything like the creature before, and if this new acquaintance spoke the truth, the creature hails from the bowels of hell, "I just hope your control is strong enough to hold that beast. I wouldn't choose to face him in a fight."

When the mage moves towards Razak to interject, he strolls amiably behind leading Tanvo, his long strides easily keeping pace with his shorter companion. Hearing talk of the hunt, he raises an eyebrow and turns his gaze towards the lizardmen, keeping an eye out for trouble.

[drack]

As two oak trees and four colossal redwoods join the congression of undeads, the martyr begins leading the motley group of sleep deprived mercenaries, undeads, trees, and giant scorpion into the hobgoblen town below.

[The_Admiral]

OOC: So where are we going?

[drack]

OOC: Hex 125, gaiy told me to tell him when I'm going there, so there may be a surprise in store. It's a hob-gob thorp under my control.

[Gaiyamato]

Actually this thread would be as good as any as you are all travelling together right?

[drack]

yup. :smallbiggrin:

[Gaiyamato]

Ok, just as you are arriving at the Hobgoblin hex, before you reach the settlement. The forces stop for the night due to the tired humans who have just been force-marched.

You guys would have a command tent/thing?
Detail who is in the tent and what guards are present. Be reasonable. lol.

[drack]

My people sleep in the branches of our tight grove.
(trees and undeads don't sleep, so we're just waiting)

[Gaiyamato]

You are on the march through the hills. No grove. Not talking about sleeping though. When you and your commanders and the rebels sit down to talk through your daily logistics. Would be just before dark at the end of the current day.
The humans would have a command tent or similar.

Need the guard detail and which characters are there, which would be all of you I am assuming.

[drack]

The Martyr doesn't really believe in privacy, for the most part because there isn't any in the grove (the armies on the march probably feels a bit lonesome to him truth be told since it lacks the chatter of a thousand insects). He brought the trees so he could stay in the woodlands while traveling, so I kinda am being serious about that. :smallconfused: Least he could be caught with is one of the redwoods or with one and the other commanders if they call him in on their meetings.

[Baveboi]

OOC: Sorry took me so long, I had a hardcore test today and have another one tomorrow. I am probably not gonna elaborate much, but I think I can organize a Command Tent, yes.

The camp should surround the Command Tents, there should be two of them (one for the Fighters and one for the Wreckers), but since the Wreckers is bigger we will use that one for big meetings. I will call that Dezze (even in his exhausted condition), Sunbringer (who was chatting with Dezze), Razak and the Martyr would be in there or around it because they were also chatting. Around the tent there should be the Martyr's Trees, his undead host and at least 8 guards, two in each square convergence so that they can keep a good eye out, and they should all be the fittest Wreckers (some have frostbites and frostburns and the Fighters are all exhausted).

I think this should sum it up.:smallbiggrin:
Also sorry Jojomo, I will answer your post when I have a better chance. Gotta go have diner and lay down again. Another test tomorrow early.:smallsigh:

[drack]

Undead host may be wandering about the camp except for 5 which will be in charge of looking after the other trees. Chances are decent that two of the big trees will be off with the two little trees in a more densly populated area with the other big one looking out towards the hob-gobs, they should be a solid minuet or two away each. (admittedly he did say to be practical, and it would make more sense for most to be by the cook tents and such where they can protect more people. At least one should be in place least an army come from that way. Martyr will sit cross legged beside the remaining tree at the entrance to the command tent.

Perhaps several human guards since they seem to feel the need for great security? :smallconfused:

[Jojomo]

Right. What they said. Thought I'd let the folks who are actually you know, "in charge" decide, rather than doing the "big man go yell at people 'til they stand where I tell them" bit.

Oh, and Baveboi, no worries, RL for me right now is insane, at least until next Wednesday. Hoping it will calm a little after that. Good luck with the tests! :smallsmile:

[drack]

Right. What they said. Thought I'd let the folks who are actually you know, "in charge" decide, rather than doing the "big man go yell at people 'til they stand where I tell them" bit.

... I'm in charge... :smallfrown: Or at least I like to pretend to be. :smalltongue:

Still perhaps we should give the admiral a chance to approve it.

[drack]

(Double post for subscribers)
(From PM)
Stumbling out the brush a human man drags his broken arm, attached to hm by the elongating stretch of sinew that was being slowly pulled form his body, the hand had long turned skeletal, but was still visible from the muck and gore.

The man stumbled forward, not caring for his arm, or destination, only fool lowing orders, a piece of parchment bitten in his mouth.
_________
The Martyr instructs the wood woose that serves as his aid to retrieve the message, reading it carefully before rolling it up and pocketing it. He then has the wood woose use it's thorns to cut the skin off the dead man's back, spreading it upon the tree. Soon an attendant comes, using burning hands to heat a knife that the Martyr procures, heating it to a soft red glow with which he begins to sear his words into the dead man's skin. Even with the cherry red steel his hand is steady as if he didn't notice the heat, his print fine and delicate as if he's had much practice at this. Having completed his message he casts a quick create water over it to be sure that the writing doesn't "smudge", through burning into itself, before rolling it up once more, using the knife to seal the roll of skin shut, and taking the time to sear a small crop of trees to the front of it. After this he has the wood woose give it back to the undead to return to his master.

[The_Admiral]

Razak blinks at the Martyr as he does this strange process, attempting to not be visibly repulsed by what was being done.

Gathering up the courage, he asks, "I apologize for any rudeness but what was that?"

Ooc: sounds good, though it'll be very hard to get ahold of me next month. Imagine if you had to sit for papers from 7 am to 5 pm for most of a month, that's what I'm facing and most of my electronic device rights have been revoked during that period of time, so don't expect much.

[drack]

The Marty shrugs as if to dismiss it. "It is a correspondence with the ruler of the Dark Empire. They seized some land that was under our protection, leading to the lives of some hundred or so of my personal staff. A mistake I'm sure."

OOC:
Mind if your champions make the big decisions for that span then? :smalltongue:

[The_Admiral]

"A mistake? You are talking about the very same empire that deprived these men of their homes, who now rule their formal lands with an iron fist, I apologize for my rudeness but this is no mistake, the empire wants to expand, it has too, I've seen their armies and they can't keep them running without taking lands, this was most likely no mistake,"

Ooc: nope, not at all, remember people keep genre savvy.

[drack]

Frowning the Martyr replies "Well I would hate to be forced to destroy them. We have in the past found their leader to be a most savage, yet peaceable man, though I have yet to meet the man myself. Fortunately the Grove does not quickly judge or hasten to war. We will hear his explanation."

[The_Admiral]

"Very well, I cannot force you to take action, but I plead that you take caution in all your dealings with them."

[drack]

The Martyr looks rather at ease with the scenario. "I would, though it wouldn't do to take the whole of the Grove's armies to treat with the man, as I'm sure he'd only take the barest of escorts himself. It's funny though, how quickly these humans change leadership. Why it was just the other day that the old Dark Emperor visited the grove entitling us by their laws to safeguard those lands." You get the distinct impression that the Martyr did most everything in his own time.

[BelGareth]

A crack of thunder boomed through the clearing, or was it a wing beating the air?

Your suspicion is confirmed when the outline of a large Dark skinned Dragon is beating its wings against the air slowly lowering to the ground. On its back, you can see a rider, decked out in metal armor from head to toe.

With an audible thud the dragon lands. *Thummmp*

Swiveling his head, the rider surveys the scene.

"Well well well, what a surprise." he says simply.

[drack]

One of the massive redwoods moves, balanced perfectly on the tipped ends of a hundred roots, leaving countless thin trenches in it's wake like a child scribbling on the surface of the earth. On the end of one such root a man sits wearing a seemingly tribal mask, wearing a robe of interwoven vines. His feat and hands protrude from his garb, grey and rotting, the veins upon them still beat pumping oxygen deprived blood through his body. As he draws closer to the dragon, the man calls out to the rider in a soft rasping voice. "Hello there, who are you?"

[BelGareth]

the man atop the dragon slowly turns his gaze to the one asking questions, you could almost see the raised eyebrow, the question forming on his lips, the strange sense that he was amused and confused all at the same glorious time, and he seemed to enjoy it.

He answers the speaker with a simple answer: "I am Emperor Gaheris."

[Jojomo]

Sunbringer simply stares as the dragon lands, overwhelmed by the sheer size of the beast. As the rider exchanges words with the man in the redwood's branches he whispers a quick prayer and scans the horizon warily, wondering if there are any other surprises to come.

Gaheris used to be the leader of BelTran until the Empire invaded right? Sungbringer was from near there, but I'm not sure he'd recognise Gaheris by appearance or name.

On the off chance he might notice anything even worse coming:

Listen [roll0]
Spot [roll1]

[drack]

The masked man in the heavy robe crooks his head unnaturally. "Of the Dark Empire?"

[Baveboi]

Dezered was meticulously arranging the tent and the positions for the Wreckers for a defensive cordon when a scout burst in screaming of a knight riding a dragon inside the camp. Running out of the tent was a bad idea as he promptly stumbles upon a group of Wreckers that were gawking at the sight. It was sight worth of much, at least.

"What is the meaning of this?" He didn't ask to anyone in particular, but a scout replied him that the strange man of the woods had gone up and talked to the one riding the undead dragon. "We have no idea if it is hostile or friendly! Arm your bows, get your swords and get into position!" The wizard starts giving orders and yell at a young scout to go and get Razak and Sunbringer.


Dezered can't even go to sleep anymore! :smalleek:
Did Gaheris just land in the middle of a camp with two units of people that hate his guts? Can that end well?

[BelGareth]

it's not a skeletal dragon, it's a whole dragon with flesh and everything, it's still dead though

you see nothing else coming in from land or air

[drack]

The masked man waits for a reply without moving a single muscle.

[Jojomo]

Sunbringer was already approaching at a run as Dezered began shouting orders. Seeing the frenzied activity he slowed to a jog as he saw the Imaskari, "I see you've already heard about our visitor then," he says with a wry grin, "you intend to battle a dragon and one who rides one?"

Still grinning, he draws his greatsword slowly, giving a quick flourish with the blade, "Even if we die here, they'll sing sagas of this for years."

Can't really crunch the numbers since I don't know his stats, but normally a dragon of any serious size would just strafe archers into the ground while they feebly try to penetrate DR. I'd think twice before making any aggressive moves.

Also, "nothing coming from land or air"?

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, THEY'RE COMING FROM THE UNDERDARK! :smalleek:

[BelGareth]

without pausing he answers " is there another?"

a moment goes by and he remembers his meeting with the hands, "yes, of the Empire"

[drack]

Slowly the man begins rocking side to side on the branch in time with the gentle breeze. "I don't know. How many have there been since you met my hands? After all it seems they die as quickly as flies. One day one comes to my door, and the next a new one says that the other is gone, and all obligations of his nation wiped clear."

[Baveboi]

The wizard understood what the Goliath meant, but he was no reckless fool. "It's not my intention to start a fire that I can't put out myself. We are just getting ready to answer in case our winged friend doesn't agree with me on that." He smiles to Sunbringer, eyes weary but yet full of intelligence, and lets out a throaty chuckle. "A while ago you asked me if I was controlling the Scorpion. Short answer is no, I am not. But, by Sid'Jax, he isn't going anywhere I don't tell him to."

*"Scorpiox! Get your filthy self here! If this interloper has such a prestigious pet I might as well bring you along." The fiendish giant scorpion appears from inside the tents, mouth still infested with flesh devouring maggots. His rotten breath expunges just a simple few words in abyssal before resuming picking at the vermin. *"Yes, my lord."

[Jojomo]

Sunbringer's smile vanishes as he nods approvingly, "I'm glad to hear that my friend. Glorious end or not, dead is still dead. We'd be doing a poor job of fighting the good fight if we threw our lives away."

As Dezered explains about the scorpion, the goliath eyes the creature warily. "If you think it safe to treat with such a creature I won't stop you, gods know we need any help we can find. Still, I'll be keeping a close watch on that thing, as will you I imagine." With that parting shot his wry grin returns, as if that moment of seriousness was all he could stand.

[BelGareth]

"how many emperors have there been? To my knowledge I am the second, how many emperor Gaheris? Only one." he looks side to side, you sense the frown on his hide face,

"Are you the martyr? I am inclined to speak to your leader, not a proxy, there are important matters at hand, the shape of this realm could be changed by our actions here."

[drack]

"I am, and yes, I do lead my people." Slowly the man sinks his back into a crook in the root he's resting on. "And if I understand correctly you have reborn 72 of my people. Before we move onto other matters I must ask that you pay our governing body a recompense for this. It would not do to allow anyone who wishes to reborn our citizens at any time after all."

OOC

Anywho sorry bel, seems I've brought a larger then necessary force. Was kinda expecting you to bring a small army of your own. :smalltongue:

In any case I should warn the rebels that the Martyr is currently neutral bordering hostile with Bel. Still the Grove is a peaceful place much in the mindset of druids and treants where they do not eagerly jump to violence, so attacking bel in the middle of a peace talk won't really earn you his support in said struggle. Plus I'd feel bad killing Bel like this if he didn't have an army with him to buy him time/give him a chance...

Naturally once the army jumps out of the bushes it'd depend more on how he responds.

[BelGareth]

Gaheris turns his head to the side as he looks at the 'Martyr', looking over his shoulder at the treants, and redwoods, he then scanned the Rebel camp.

"You demand repayment? Repayment for gelding a disrespectful mouthy, incompetent commander? I did you a favor, I was threatened, my own lieutenants were threatened, we did nothing out of order, to threaten me is to know being undone. I will not have it."

The dragon flaps both wings and hovers 10 ft back from it was.

"If you have bought me here for demands and recompense, then I am sorely disappointed, I had hoped to sit down with you and hash out some deals out with you...If you require the recompense however, I can snuff out 73 of my own with a thought, but you would have to trust me, that or wait the week for my legions to get here."

He looks around again. "Your choice."

As he does look again, the rebels catch his eye "And yet here you are catering to the rebels of Beltran, thieves, backstabers, and honorless whores, they harry us at every turn, if only for those damnable gods, my lieutenant would have them now, serving her elderberry wine! How about we make a deal, you give these...'people' up and we call it even, it would be a measurable show of faith."


No worries.

He has a readied action to fly away if things get crazy

[drack]

The Martyr considers the emperor's offer of recompense, ignoring for the moment the slander of being honerless whores. "That will be acceptable. "

Thinking a moment more he adds questionatly "Rebels?"

[BelGareth]

To clarify, he called the rebels whores.

And what is acceptable?

[drack]

Sacrificing 73 of your own. You know how the Grove views death. It has more to do with a balance being maintained where one doesn't slaughter the other's troops without cost to self, otherwise there may be less point in negotiating since it would end in taking what we want from each other.

"And yet here you are catering to the rebels of Beltran, thieves, backstabers, and honorless whores, they harry us at every turn, if only for those damnable gods, my lieutenant would have them now, serving her elderberry wine! How about we make a deal, you give these...'people' up and we call it even, it would be a measurable show of faith"

Anywho glad you have an escape plan, though a while back, when I was wondering why you aren't dead, I noticed why you don't die easily, so I'm not really that worried about it. :smallsmile:

[BelGareth]

Gaheris smiles which is cut off at the question of rebels.

"These men and women you are catering to, they are enemies of the Empire and I would sorely like to see them bought to justice. I shall release a unit of mine for recompense, more than is needed, I would see it as a peace offering if you were to allow me to deal with these..." he gestures to the rebels "people, they have caused me much grief, it would be an honorable action on your part...and I would be in your debt."

He then concentrates for a moment.

Telepathically he communicates to Thanifex.

Release 100 of the zombies, they have served a great purpose but are not needed anymore.

To anyone who can sense the conduits of life and death, you feel 100 zombies fall to nothing, their bodies no longer animated by Thanifex.

"It is done."

He is still hovering, with a readied aciton

Yup, he is definitely a BBEG, but I don't want to abuse it though..

[Baveboi]

For that alone you deserved a web to the face, and believe me when I say the dragon would not be able to fly if I had it my way. My spellcasting way. :smallamused:

If I was by myself, we would definitely come to blows, Bel, but I am hardly the man to make such calls in the presence-absence of Admiral and Jojomo, as they are here now, but not present in front of their keyboards. Everyone has finals and papers due and all that. Can you guys wait untill tomorrow so we can decide if we attack or do nothing?

[Chilingsworth]

Also, the divine treaty is being worked out. Sophia will not be intervening personally, but there are other resources that might be coming into play.

[drack]

"I fear they are not mine to give. The mercenary group came to me seeking gainful employment dispatching of my enemies. I am to offer they help remove some unwanted gardeners from playing god in the Grove's domain. As for the others, I fear I haven't had time yet to sit down with either yet. Some god or another deposited them on my doorstep as I hear it, though be they an opposing nation than I fear it would not be my place to make any rash decisions before first learning more of their culture." Shrugging he continues. "Still, I will keep it in mind. From what I have heard they are savages that struggle to destroy the cycle of life and death through construction of structures and plant cropping of limited growth." The Martyr seems somewhat confused as to why everyone seems to value death so much, but he lets it slide, more interested in hearing the man out.


Fare enough, though I confess after I noticed it I noticed that a type of unit I designed to take out a certain type of nearby monster overcomes that advantage rather easily... :smallsigh: Still cleverly hidden in some respects. :smalltongue:

Also chilling, remember, my nation is perhaps the most ready to battle deities and of the most willing to do so. this may not be the best place to waste said divine resources. :smallwink: After all the rebels look to be the most prone to violence of this gathering.

[BelGareth]

He listens and expects every word that came out of the Martyr's mouth.

Nodding in understanding he answers "So they are mercenaries under you Nation working for you coin? That is a pity, long have they been a thorn in my side, one that I wanted to extract with some...pleasure. I would have them be my servants in the next life, have them be reborn, but if they are indeed under your command, I will defer to your choice out of respect"

He turns to the rebels

"Another time and place then."

Turning back to the Martyr, "can we speak earnestly of other things that concern the two of us?"

Chillings, unless sophia is watching and/or the solar is watching, nothing can be done without breaking the contract...
else I'm missing something...

[drack]

The Martyr nods. "The day when one cannot speak in earnest with me is a day I may ever morn in my unbeating heart." Somehow this trikes you as odd considering that the man has blood flow. :smallconfused:


Or some other mortal servant of some power.

[Baveboi]

After all the rebels look to be the most prone to violence of this gathering.


Do not talk of violence to these people, drack. They have had their land destroyed and their lives in ruins thanks in part to that man. If it does come down to a confrontation, the rebels will try their best to snuff the unlife from Gaheris. That you have my word should be enough, if I must remind you it is not given lightly.

No hard feelings towards Bel or you drack, but a despicable act is always despicable. :smallsmile: I play evil of all types and all the time, but I am always aware of how rotten I am so that I might smile the day of accounting for my sins. If the Martyr stands on Gaheris' side... it will not go unnoticed, either.

I am getting ahead here, since Chilling did nothing with Sophia yet, nor do we stand a smudge of a chance against a Death Knight and a dragon, specially one with so many boons, so you could probably devour our lives in an hour or so of heavy hacking. :smallbiggrin:

Also, Bel, Dezered is a devotee of Sid'Jax and Sophia, along with Razak and Sunbringer (each one more of either or other) so if we pray, their divine sense catches our prayers... There is also someone else watching, Gaiya be willing. :smallcool:

[Chilingsworth]

Sophia is watching. I received a prayer and activated my remote sense ability. (I wouldn't be watching this thread, otherwise.:smalltongue:) As for the treaty, it has yet to be finalized. So, exactly what options, if any, are available to me is something of an open question. One that I'm choosing to answer with "nothing" for the moment. Also, Gaiya is sick again, so divine negotiations are likely stalled for however long he needs to recover.

[BelGareth]

Well it's moot, drack just claimed them as hired mercs...

[Chilingsworth]

Yeah. Actually, thanks drack! Glad we don't have to make a decision about this while Gaiya is out of commission. Just wouldn't be fair to anyone.

[Erik Vale]

Actually, he only claimed one unit. Admiral and the wreckers [the elite guys] are still free.
Also, Sid'Jax is similarly watching using a idol one of the freedom fighters made. He however is mostly flicking through.

[drack]

Do not talk of violence to these people, drack. They have had their land destroyed and their lives in ruins thanks in part to that man. If it does come down to a confrontation, the rebels will try their best to snuff the unlife from Gaheris. That you have my word should be enough, if I must remind you it is not given lightly.

No hard feelings towards Bel or you drack, but a despicable act is always despicable. :smallsmile: I play evil of all types and all the time, but I am always aware of how rotten I am so that I might smile the day of accounting for my sins. If the Martyr stands on Gaheris' side... it will not go unnoticed, either.

I am getting ahead here, since Chilling did nothing with Sophia yet, nor do we stand a smudge of a chance against a Death Knight and a dragon, specially one with so many boons, so you could probably devour our lives in an hour or so of heavy hacking. :smallbiggrin:

Also, Bel, Dezered is a devotee of Sid'Jax and Sophia, along with Razak and Sunbringer (each one more of either or other) so if we pray, their divine sense catches our prayers... There is also someone else watching, Gaiya be willing. :smallcool:

Truly? I confess the thread erik gave me was the one I commented in, so I still haven't heard of your woes, only your triumphs. :smalltongue: Still it wouldn't change the fact that they seem most ready for a fight. Bel is ready to run, and while the Martyr isn't opposed to killing, he's slow enough to act that he's effectively nonviolent. I'd say were combat to break out, Martyr would have power, Bel maneuverability and the choice not to fight, and the rebels would have a choice to make were they caught in it. :smallconfused:

As for despicable acts, is this in reference to having bel kill off a whole unit out of hand? :smallconfused: I figure it'll be remembered, but it'd be out of character to do otherwise. From the Martyr's perspective people popped out of nowhere while he was on his way to meet this foreign dignitary. they tell him of their displeasure with the dignitary for in some unnamed manner disrupting a lifestyle that seems as alien to him as his may seem to you. Still the Martyr has not yet allied with the Dark empire. They've asked several times, but he tends to view them as a savage underdeveloped culture that has hardly grown since the time of their deaths. All in all the two have little to offer each other, and little to gain in killing each other, so they're at peace. After all the Grove views the ways of the dark empire slightly less strange then of others, and sees Bel's transformation as a chance that they might learn something if given time.

Playing: Heh, heh, heh... I fear I wasn't joking about killing divine bits that step into my lands with such intentions. :smallcool: Chilling that applies to your "options" too. Keep in mind we're between two Grove population centers.

Bel: perhaps.

Yes, I did claim the one unit mercs, and said I had yet to finish negotiations with the second implying that they may too become mercs. Your welcome divine whispers of madness from the heavens above. The voices in my head that even I do not hear are real I tell you! :smalltongue:

[Baveboi]

What is fair here? That we cannot die fighting for our cause or that that cause is as dead and lost as Gaheris' soul?

If I had it my way, the Kaela Mensha way, I would go after Gaheris exhausted, injured, under-equipped, under-staffed and overwhelmed, and he would have to watch himself around me. No man disrespects the Dandrarhana name and simply leave and I would love to educate Gaheris on that subject.

[drack]

Perhaps another time in a scenario with better tactics where you're storming his capital after he and I fail to come to some kind of mutually acceptable agreement. :smallcool:

For the mean time... :smallwink:

[Baveboi]

Perhaps another time in a scenario with better tactics where you're storming his capital after he and I fail to come to some kind of mutually acceptable agreement. :smallcool:

For the mean time... :smallwink:


You don't have to goad me, drack. I am no fool. :smalltongue: I am 100% responsible for my actions and if they seem reckless, they are calculatedly so. Sorry for not responding to you before, I didn't have time to read you post, therefore:

Truly. Dezze has only won and triumphed, but the Freedom Fighters have shed more blood and sweat than him till now. It is a little bit of manipulation from Admiral's and Gaiya's part, but the Fighters are a band of survivors hastily trained for guerrilla and they are supposed to be composed of young, elderly, women and men alike. They deserved peace and a good place to live, not this life they lead...

And no, the despicable thing I was talking about was Gaheris destruction and corruption of Vale and Riva and the later reanimation of its people, not to mention compacts with cruel and malign entities.

Don't go shooting Sophia now, I am not really planning anything, but if something happens her help, or Sid'Jax, should be minimal or even non-existent beyond their pained concern for our well being.

[drack]

I fear I must hold some responsibility for what transpires within my own nation.

Anywho I didn't threaten to kill them for watching, just intervening. :smallcool:

The Martyr nods. "The day when one cannot speak in earnest with me is a day I may ever morn in my unbeating heart." Somehow this trikes you as odd considering that the man has blood flow. :smallconfused:

[BelGareth]

Nodding he continues "Very well then, I am displeased by your hiring of these thugs, but I will concede the point, however, know that if you ever want to gain the good graces of the Dark Empire, delivering them to me would be a good start." he glares at the uppity men of the Beltran rebels, "Let us talk about other things, I'll be succinct, I want to procure a non aggressive pact with you, our borders will be closed to you as yours will be to mine, and you are to not support our enemies, any such act will void this agreement."

He pulls on the reigns of his Dragon, forcing it to compensate slightly "And as for whether we will uphold our end, it really depends on whether I survive or not, but as long as I am in charge, you have my word."

[drack]

The Martyr laughs, a light musical laugh. First we hear that our claim to lands will be acknowledged, then we hear you have taken these lands from us. Now we hear that we are not to aid some lands we have yet to hear of, and that you will break this agreement too when convenient.
Shaking his head faintly he continues
In order to make such an agreement our faith in your word would need to be restored. I would have you return the hobgoblin lands to the south to us, freeing you to return to your westward expansion. We would also lay claim to the mountains to the north, requesting that we each keep non-diplomatic forces at a minimum of twelve miles from each others lands to be sure that each of our forces aren't tempted to violate this contract of their own volition.

[BelGareth]

Gaheris scoffs

"You invite me here, then you demand repayment for your own peoples follies, I said ok. And then you provide haven for my personal enemies who even now eye me with the hatred only a human can have, their spite filled anger is almost palpable, I said fine to that, and then you demand that I give lands taken by right? I offer a reprieve from the hordes at my command, and you jest."

His anger seems to be rising as he talks "I am not laughing, we have balanced our debts, do not talk to me of gifts and favors so long as your spurn me in plain sight."

[drack]

the Martyr doesn't look at all offset, as if he had expected this response. "We do not spurn you, only several customs of your people. A people are as one, and their system of governance is a reflection of that.

We do not mock or demand, we ask that in the interests of peace, that you show us that your nation has a law of governance, and will abide by treaties it makes. Surely you wouldn't want, for instance, were I to disregard our agreement to peaceably talk through our issues, but instead besiege your nation. Such an act would clearly stew in contempt until such a time as you decided to violate the next piece and to strike us in turn.

I'm sure you understand that if your nation acknowledges a territory as belonging to us, and then mindlessly seizes it, it would suggest to us that in your culture it is proper to seize lands and slaughter troops in peace."

[BelGareth]

He shakes his head.

"I tire of these word games, Martyr. I am leaving, either as your enemy or your foe, your choice, accept my terms, or not, I care not any more."

The dragon moves slightly higher, as if to leave.


Time to be the bad guy I guess...

[drack]

Well... Sorry Bel, that'd trigger my readied action that I PMed chilling near the start... :smallfrown: [roll0] lets see what it does...

In an uncanny motion, almost as if growing rather then reaching, the branches of the tree fold around the dragon, from limbs to twigs trapping the dragon in a web of woodwork. Shaking his head slightly the Martyr patiently explains. "Please don't. By coming you agreed to speak with us and work out our differences, Let us not rashly discard yet more such agreements, and instead speak of the lasting peace and goodwill I do so home we can find it in ourselves to bear each other."

That was an attack roll to see if it can hit with touch attack. It's grapple is higher then your dragon can resist.

[Chilingsworth]

At this point, Sophia is cracking out the popcorn. :smallamused:

Also, since it's going off:


figured here's as good a place as any. Readying an action that if bel attacks or flees, or if any fool in the crowd charges him, the redwood will grapple them. it has ~+50 grapple, and grapple is a touch attack to which it has +25, so it should be able to catch most things virtually automatically. (1-3 fails to catch bel's dragon, 1-4 should capture the angsty mage.)

[BelGareth]

I'm sorry, but how in the hell am I within reach, in my mind, I was never in reach of anything, and I were, I would have not moved there originally....:smallfrown:

[Chilingsworth]

I'm sorry, but how in the hell am I within reach, in my mind, I was never in reach of anything, and I were, I would have not moved there originally....:smallfrown:

I think it's because you're being grappled by the fracking tree?

That's not an official ruling, since I have an interest in the outcome, I'll recuse myself from making those.

[BelGareth]

Well then, However Gai wants to do this:

[roll0]
[roll1]

[drack]

Only two post referencing distance/proximity.



One of the massive redwoods moves, balanced perfectly on the tipped ends of a hundred roots, leaving countless thin trenches in it's wake like a child scribbling on the surface of the earth. On the end of one such root a man sits wearing a seemingly tribal mask, wearing a robe of interwoven vines. His feat and hands protrude from his garb, grey and rotting, the veins upon them still beat pumping oxygen deprived blood through his body. As he draws closer to the dragon, the man calls out to the rider in a soft rasping voice. "Hello there, who are you?"

Gaheris turns his head to the side as he looks at the 'Martyr', looking over his shoulder at the treants, and redwoods, he then scanned the Rebel camp.

"You demand repayment? Repayment for gelding a disrespectful mouthy, incompetent commander? I did you a favor, I was threatened, my own lieutenants were threatened, we did nothing out of order, to threaten me is to know being undone. I will not have it."

The dragon flaps both wings and hovers 10 ft back from it was.

"If you have bought me here for demands and recompense, then I am sorely disappointed, I had hoped to sit down with you and hash out some deals out with you...If you require the recompense however, I can snuff out 73 of my own with a thought, but you would have to trust me, that or wait the week for my legions to get here."

He looks around again. "Your choice."

As he does look again, the rebels catch his eye "And yet here you are catering to the rebels of Beltran, thieves, backstabers, and honorless whores, they harry us at every turn, if only for those damnable gods, my lieutenant would have them now, serving her elderberry wine! How about we make a deal, you give these...'people' up and we call it even, it would be a measurable show of faith."


No worries.

He has a readied action to fly away if things get crazy


To hear a soft rasping voice one would need to be relatively close. because of how readied actions work, I would loose my actions each round until such a time as you had the dragon fly away from the encampment or until you attacked. After that first 5' of motion my round would begin at which time the tree would get 30' of motion, and 30' more reach. Considering that the background noise was an entire armed camp, and the buffeting of dragon wings, proximity should be close enough for it. :smallsmile: And you do know that when readied actions are concerned, rolling initiative only happens if the events occur at the exact same time right? (so for instance were the tree to charge you yours would trigger after 5' and you'd get a full move of distance)

[BelGareth]

I concede the point of who acts when.

I'm also curious how the tree has ~+50 to grapple?
With an attack bonus of +25, there is a 25 discrepancy, Huge nets +8, Impr. Grapple +4, for +37...I'm not seeing ~+50...My dragon has a +34 bonus to Grapple, so I'm just curious is all


EDIT: also, he has Concealment from the Hover feat.

[drack]

Colossal, not huge, that gives an extra 8. Anywho this mean I should start rolling more stuff? :smalltongue:

[BelGareth]

Holy ****

Gaheris screams as the tree lurches for his mount, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I MOTION TO LEAVE AND YOU ATTACK ME, YOU LURE ME HERE FOR THIS!!!!"

Had no idea there was a tree in front of me (my own fault), especially that it was colossal....

[drack]

The Martyr remains unmoving. "I don't lure you here, you come of your own free will to speak as a somewhat civil man. Now I know you probably spoke too quickly and let your anger get the best of you, so fear not. The Grove will understand, and won't take any further hostile action against this deceleration of war while we resume our peaceful talks."


As he speaks the branches pull the dragon down into the root systems that hold it more firmly, pinning the dragon beneath itself, and depositing it's rider onto the ground.


Yup, sorry about that. I suddenly noticed it partway in and said to myself. "Funny, how'd that get there?" Still, I figured the hot headed death knight would want to walk out, so it gave me some leeway to negotiate more *hem* freely, and to expect these peace talks to work better.

[BelGareth]

If you are going to do that, we'll need to roll opposed grapple checks and my concealment check.
[roll0] less than 21 is a miss
If misses, he flies off.
[roll1]

EDIT: well. that settles that.

[drack]

:smallbiggrin:
Well statisticly there's about 4% chance of escape every two rounds if it struggles, but then I may end up doing something else too... :smallfrown:

[BelGareth]

The Dark Emperor rolls to the floor and gets up slowly, you can't tell where he is looking but his helm never leaves the sight of his mount.

"A fine bargaining maneuver, you are underplayed as a diplomat and tactician, I shall have to sing your praises to all I meet, fear the Martyr, for his devious ways will not go unheard."

"You have me échec et mat, you would demand the province I claimed for the release of my dragon? You would force this out of me under duress? I will cede the settlement for their deaths." he points to the mercenaries. Again. "You have made me the fool, I must ask for recompense."

[drack]

"I will grant it." The Martyr replies. Signaling, one of hispeople releases two burning hands into the air, and the remaining trees from across the camp begin to move towards you. While we wait though, I would ask, is this not the same as you did to that little thorp of mine in the desert? Did you not take what is mine and call it your own, Suggesting that I should accept it as yours, thinking me to make countless demands when I only, so to speak, ask that my dragon be returned? Were you not making some point about how what one takes is then theirs, and that he who lost it has no room for complaint. Come come emperor of the dark nation, I do not force your hand in some power play, I merely illustrate to you the contradiction of your words and your desires, and ask that we settle this reasonably. So I ask you, by your own laws, would this not now be my dragon?

[Jojomo]

"I will grant it." The Martyr replies. Signaling, one of hispeople releases two burning hands into the air, and the remaining trees from across the camp begin to move towards you.

"You" here is referring to the rebels? :smalleek:

If so, time to be somewhere else methinks...

[BelGareth]

He hisses at the Martyr's words, "You twist my words like a jagged knife in the gut, I didn't take lands that were not rightfully mine, they were my Generals, your former deal with the dead emperor was no longer valid, he held rule as do I, his word was what held that deal together, not mine, not the nations, I am who rules the Dark Empire, My word is law as his was. That all fell apart when he died."

He looks to the trees walking towards him with a sense of discomfort...

"You bargained with a realm that runs thusly, it would behoove of you to know such social standards when dealing with them."

[drack]

"You" here is referring to the rebels? :smalleek:

If so, time to be somewhere else methinks...


Nope, gathering with Bel, they're already amidst the rebel mass. :smalltongue:

"Perhaps, yet in turn you deal with a nation that believes in pacts with the world that last longer then the mountains and rivers. After all you have died too, does that mean that your lands not belong to another?"

[BelGareth]

"Why are you not doing as promised? You can get rid of them right now, yet you linger and wait, what is it you are doing?"

[Jojomo]

Nope, gathering with Bel, they're already amidst the rebel mass. :smalltongue:


Ah, that's a relief... I think. I thought you were granting his request to kill us off, which seemed odd considering you appear to be holding all the cards right now.

Or did I get that right?

[drack]

When alas the trees arrive the Martyr makes a motion, and a tree stands at the center with the others around it, as one they begin to bash the tree chipping flakes of wood and snapping branches with every hit until at last, after a mere twenty seconds of thrashing branches, the tree collapses, dead. "You have had your recompense, savor it. Then you can tell me why it is that your nation continues to refuse us those lands?"

[Chilingsworth]

How long have these negotiations been going on?

[drack]

IC? I think only a few minuets.

[Gaiyamato]

Well you both stated you had readied actions to act. So clearly initiative is required in this instance.

Also Gaheris did state and demonstrate his intent to keep well out of the reach of the tree. When two armies meet no commander is going to allow the enemies troops to simply walk right up next to them during a parlay...

That said 60' 45' between it's reach and movement is a heck of a lot. It seems reasonable that the Treant can reach that.
EDIT: Treant's only have 15' reach and 30' movement. It could have run I suppose though.. lol.

So I would say that given both of you had readied actions to respond in the event that either of you used your readied action essentially (LOL) initiative needs to be rolled (Gaheris got 3, so unless the tree rolls a 4 or less it will get to go first). However Treants do not have any ability that allows them to ignore the AoO from a grapple check. Which means Gaheris and his mount both get an AoO against the Treant. If either hit the grapple fails and a combat will begin with the 4 of you as if a duel, and the rest of the armies will activate as a normal FoB battle.

If Gaheris misses his AoO, as does his mount, then proceed with the squishing. :smallbiggrin:

[drack]

Uh... he didn't use his readied action. Readying an action requires that you not use that action, and he clearly expressed that he was using a move action, thus mine would trigger in response to his movement. :smallconfused:

[Gaiyamato]

No he said he was turning to return to his army and leave. Your readied action was for if he flees. Which is different from a normal withdrawl.

Also a massive Treant running across an area of open ground and attempting a grapple still will not get a surprise round. Also regardless it STILL generates AoO as per normal.

[drack]

Correct, there are AoOs. Though it's less a surprise round, more that preparing to spring, it springs quicker when the time comes. (hence readied action, not surprise round. Readied action is when you keep bumping yourself back in initiative order until the time you're readying for comes. :smallwink:

[Gaiyamato]

In fact I am not sure your Treant could do that at all.
Ready Action (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialInitiativeActions.htm) only allows a standard or move action (or free) to be readied, and only a 5' step during the action, not a full move (unless that was the readied action).

So the treant would have had to be within 15' to initiate a grapple.
Bel moved back 10' earlier. So the treant would have had to be within 5' of his former position, which is rediculous for a massive red-wood tree as it would have had to be between you and him and would have blocked all line of sight, not to mention the conversation.

So you can either go with the AoO or the Treant never could grapple to begin with.

[BelGareth]

Rolling attacks

Gaheris
[roll0]
[roll1] + [roll2] + [roll3]
takes [roll4]
Heals 5 from Crystal of life drinking, greater

Serathis (the Dragon)
[roll5]
[roll6] +9 vile

[drack]

In fact I am not sure your Treant could do that at all.
Ready Action (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialInitiativeActions.htm) only allows a standard or move action to be readied.

So the treant would have had to be within 15' to initiate a grapple.
Bel moved back 10' earlier. So the treant would have had to be within 5' of his former position, which is rediculous for a massiev red-wood tree as it would have had to be between you and him and would have blocked all line of sight, not to mention the conversation.

So you can either go with the AoO or the Treant never could grapple to begin with.


Ah, true, but that'd be 30' still, only 30 of it was a move. :smallwink: that means 5-20' to hear a soft rasping voice. sounds about right still don't it?

Edit:

oh yeah, and both hit for what it's worth.

[Gaiyamato]

Ah, true, but that'd be 30' still, only 30 of it was a move. :smallwink: that means 5-20' to hear a soft rasping voice. sounds about right still don't it?



No it only has 15' reach. So 20' total including the 5' step. Bel moved back 10', so it would have had to be within 10' to begin with, but it fills a 10' by 10' area at it's base. It would have had to be right up in Bel's face and you would have been at least 20' away from Gareth calling out to him from around the massive ****ing tree blocking your view. lol.

Either way the grapple either never happened and Bel left or his AoO and then flew up out of the way...

[drack]

Martyr, as stared, was seated in a crook if it's root. and no, 30

[Gaiyamato]

Well fair enough, but either way then Gareth escaped and successfully takes flight on the back of his Dragon.

Now it is up to him if we enter a FoB battle or he leaves.

If Bel choses battle something else happens before it begins though.

[drack]

If ya say so. Just seems a bit pointless to ready actions though if they never trigger. :smallconfused:

[BelGareth]

Can I go up to 500 ft and launch an abyssal blast at the mercs ? (its a fireball with half divine)?

He's pissed and saw that as an act of war, but is not going to engage them all by himself, a parting shot will do nicely, if not, he'll just leave

[Gaiyamato]

Drack your readied action did go off. You got the grapple check.
Bel got his AoO as per normal. The Grapple failed, so then Bel gets to take his action which was to fly up out of the way and leave.

Gareth as for the attack, you can make it, but it would trigger a battle I think.
You may chose to activate your other assets still however as they are present among the rebels or do both I suppose....). Regardless the two Realms can now be considered at war officially (so free Irregulars etc. or other ramifications on a FoB scale can come into it after this encounter completes).

[BelGareth]

Drack your readied action did go off. You got the grapple check.
Bel got his AoO as per normal. The Grapple failed, so then Bel gets to take his action which was to fly up out of the way and leave.

Gareth as for the attack, you can make it, but it would trigger a battle I think.
You may chose to activate your other assets still however as they are present among the rebels. Regardless the two Realms can now be considered at war officially (so free Irregulars etc. or other ramifications on a FoB scale can come into it after this encounter completes).



Very well then, I'll activate the other asset and fly off.

Another day you rascally Rebels!

[Gaiyamato]

Just going to call out to them here or will you activate them via the network later?

[drack]

Ah, true. Had forgotten that bit. :smalltongue:
Hmm, so martyr officially knows he's at war.

[BelGareth]

The vague is being vague

Activate via network later.

[Gaiyamato]

Then you may proceed with the exiting from this thread unless Drack wants to start a FoB battle against your forces.

[drack]

Depends, are his forces here? :smalltongue: (too many spoilers)

[Gaiyamato]

Yeah, the following day. So his forces would not be far away.
It would be everything you guys have against everything he has essentially.

[Chilingsworth]

Should I Now?

[Gaiyamato]

Now what? lol.

[drack]

Yeah, the following day. So his forces would not be far away.
It would be everything you guys have against everything he has essentially.
I suppose if he's attacking I'm defending. I'll swing by the grove and grab some backup though. :smalltongue:

Should I Now?

Now what? lol.

this.

[Chilingsworth]

Ok, need clarification: Are the rebels being attacked?

I thought the "other thing" that might happen if battle was started was Sophia's (or rather, Lydia's) intervention.

[Gaiyamato]

Nope he flew away and that is it. Drack is going to go and get reinforcements first. So this thread is over.
No attack is taking place by anything on anyone. Just one slightly damaged Treant. :smallsmile:


Nope the "other" thing was nothing to do with Sophia.

[Chilingsworth]

I'll merely keep one of my remote viewing slots trained on the rebels. I'll ask Lydia to remain on "stand-by" Actually, I'll suggest she use an extended (via DMM) wind walk to fly near the area and loiter. (she wears white, so she'd probably be mistaken for a cloud (80% chance, if anyone even thinks to look.) If the rebels get attacked with force sufficient to overwhelm them, or my remote viewing goes dark, I'll ask Lydia to investigate.

[BelGareth]

I'm curious what would happen if the rebels were part of an attack they willingly entered?:smallamused:

[Erik Vale]

OOC: Given that they're about to be defenders, you won't be seeing anytime soon.
However, they have done so. They we're responded to by a CR 3oish monstrosity and had to be saved.
Oh, Baveboi, I need to stat up a few things for FOB scale combat, would you like me to also do that for your scorpion or are you fine doing it/have you already done it?

[Chilingsworth]

I'm curious what would happen if the rebels were part of an attack they willingly entered?:smallamused:

Depends on what it looks like, and whether or not Lydia saw it personally.

If it was obviously an attack they initiated, Sophia probably wouldn't prompt Lydia to intervene. But, if Lydia saw them endangered, she'd probably come to their aid on her own initiative.

[BelGareth]

I'm curious what would happen if the rebels were part of an attack they willingly entered?:smallamused:


OOC: Given that they're about to be defenders, you won't be seeing anytime soon.
However, they have done so. They we're responded to by a CR 3oish monstrosity and had to be saved.
Oh, Baveboi, I need to stat up a few things for FOB scale combat, would you like me to also do that for your scorpion or are you fine doing it/have you already done it?

Semantics, I meant to say 'combat' they willingly entered...I think you know what I'm saying :smallamused:

[drack]

The Martyr leaves the town telling the rebels that he's off to get some more muscle, soon several more trees arrive. Guess that puts me about set for it. :smallconfused: (Gaiy, PMed numbers PM back if you disapprove, otherwise I guess I'm ready. The rebels are out of move, so there's that.)

[Chilingsworth]

If any rebels are still looking, you might want to check your IC thread.

[drack]

If any rebels are still looking, you might want to check your IC thread.

Should I know about whatever this is? :smalltongue:

[Gaiyamato]

So Drack spends half a day to a day mustering his troops.. Everyone else leaves leaving Drack feeling lonely.

Your capital is not a stroll away, it is two hexes away dude. lol.

So no battle, no combat unless Gaheris wants to rock up with everything and start the biggest battle of the game so far. :smalltongue:

[drack]

I think I just came from my 1 hex away city. (was kinda vague about where the martyr's been having his appear in both, but the NPC I'm visiting was staged as one in the city that everyone visits, which is the nearer of the two. :smallwink: assuming move points spread equally over days, it should take him 1/6 of a day to get there, and 1/6 of a day for his troops to arrive. (go roads):smalltongue:

[BelGareth]

So Drack spends half a day to a day mustering his troops.. Everyone else leaves leaving Drack feeling lonely.

Your capital is not a stroll away, it is two hexes away dude. lol.

So no battle, no combat unless Gaheris wants to rock up with everything and start the biggest battle of the game so far. :smalltongue:

I'll let you know once we start the next, my units are all out of movement anyhoo (reason i didn't bring them)

[Gaiyamato]

Yeah battle will need to take place day 1 week 4.

[drack]

whoops, more like a day to get back. silly planes :smallconfused:
Anywho gaiy I think I'll resume my old action list and just have that as a stop when passing through.

[Chilingsworth]

Should I know about whatever this is? :smalltongue:

I don't think so.
The thing in the rebel's thread is communication to Sophia's followers. It wouldn't be audible to others.

[drack]

AllOh yeah, someone anonymously PMed me to remember that they have reach 30', so assuming readied action triggers at 15' or more (5' or more for movement/initial placement, and from 10' away for the 10' move, then Bel would be out of range to get an AoO in the first place.
That put us back to this point? ( http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16337674#post16337674)
(since this[/url put us back [url=http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16337326#post16337326]here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16337758#post16337758)

[BelGareth]

AllOh yeah, someone anonymously PMed me to remember that they have reach 30', so assuming readied action triggers at 15' or more (5' or more for movement/initial placement, and from 10' away for the 10' move, then Bel would be out of range to get an AoO in the first place.
That put us back to this point? ( http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16337674#post16337674)
(since this[/url put us back [url=http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16337326#post16337326]here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16337758#post16337758)

Reach doesn't negate the aoo.

[drack]

You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you’re unarmed, you don’t normally threaten any squares and thus can’t make attacks of opportunity. :smallconfused:

[Gaiyamato]

They (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/treant.htm) only have 15' reach. Changes in size do not alter reach.

Reach does not negate AoO. So his AoO still negates the attack.

[drack]

Gaiy, I swear, did you read that e-mail? :smallconfused:

[Gaiyamato]

Threatened space only applies in combat after initiative has been determined as it simulates an active combat. It does not apply pre-combat.

In fact under the rules you cannot ready actions outside of combat as it is a special combat action. But most players/DMs ignore that bit.



Gaiy, I swear, did you read that e-mail? :smallconfused:

Still downloading. 4311/19804.

[drack]

Yes, though since we both readied actions combat had been going through the whole negotiation. :smallwink: Also sorry, that's threatened area from under http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/attacksOfOpportunity.htm they also mention ranged weapons like spears which have longer then usual range.

Still downloading. 4311/19804.

coulda PMed it if ya had space. :smalltongue:

[Gaiyamato]

In that case Gaheris has a lot of free attacks on the tree first, and any action the tree makes also triggers AoO... and the tree has a lot of free attacks on Gaheris. I can assure you if you go down that road you and the Treant are both dead.

That makes no sense though. Everyone is stood down, still and waiting during the parlay. There is combat and no threatening one another with attacks.
Thus no threatened squares etc.

I see no where where you said the Treant as actively threatening to imminently harm Gaheris if he moves, if you had Gaheris would have responded in kind bringing us back to the top scenario. A readied action does not equate to threatened squares. It equates to holding yourself ready mentally instead. So the Treant was sitting back still and quietly watching Gaheris like a hawk waiting to pounce if he made the wrong move.
It pounced, Gaheris broke free and flew away.

[drack]

A readied action does not equate to threatened squares. It equates to holding yourself ready mentally instead. So the Treant was sitting back still and quietly watching Gaheris like a hawk waiting to pounce if he made the wrong move.
It pounced, Gaheris broke free and flew away.



only bit being that if he didn't break free, just as you turned back time to when he wasn't captured after introducing the AoO, I'd point out that without the AoO (which can only be done in the threat range, which the tree can grapple from outside of), then we should be back to how it was, no? :smallconfused:


readied actions:
Free attacks? No, it went like this:
Drack: readies action to do X
Bel: readies action to do Y
Drack: readies action to do X
Bel: readies action to do Y
Drack: readies action to do X
Bel: readies action to do Y
Drack: readies action to do X
Bel: readies action to do Y
Drack: readies action to do X
Bel: readies action to do Y
Drack: readies action to do X
Bel: readies action to do Y
Drack: readies action to do X
Bel: readies action to do Y
...
As all times when two players ready actions like that do. I mean in a 6 minuet talk you can always say you could have had 60 free attacks, but any such attack changes the things afterwards. Combat rules however start applying when people do such things, and if not then , then I'd say that making AoOs out of combat in the first place wouldn't make sense, so may as well go with the limits on reach stated in AoO no? :smalltongue:

Anywho no rabbit hole, just another name for the same thing.

[Gaiyamato]

Right so all of you spent the entire combat having a tense staring competition. In the last round the Treant went first, attacked, Gareth's AoO foiled the attack, Gaheris takes off and buggers off as per his readied action.
Combat ends.

However you did not roll initiative at the start and declare a combat.
Meaning no combat, a non-combat situation.
So strickly speaking neither of you had any readied actions.

In which case nothing happened and Gaheris flew away.
Take your pick.

[drack]

I'd pick the first, though it seems odd that I'd loose him to an AoO that's outside the range in which he can make AoOs :smalltongue: I'd be fine with being at war, though if we play through with the grapple working then I loose it on a technicality, regaining it on a technicality seems just as fair ay? :smallconfused: If it goes from grapple to free if the rules give a way out for him, then wouldn't it go from free to grapple if I show that he didn't have that way out in the first place? :smalltongue:

I suppose you can always give a flat "no", just that it'd make me raise an eyebrow. :smalltongue: Still I don't think you can use the grounds of my technicality being wrong for that. :smallconfused:

[Gaiyamato]

You made a grapple attempt. Grapple allows an AoO against it (knocking the attacker back if it succeeds and breaking the attack off).
The defender does not need to be threatening the attacker to make the AoO, just not be surprised or already restrained. It states that under the Grapple rules. Grappling simply always triggers a free AoO.

The Treant has no way of preventing the AoO. So the AoO goes ahead.

[drack]

Ah, so anonymous tip is silly. gotya. :smallbiggrin:

[Baveboi]

Oh, Baveboi, I need to stat up a few things for FOB scale combat, would you like me to also do that for your scorpion or are you fine doing it/have you already done it?

Yeah, no prob, I can do it. Also, I think I will level up so I should update my sheet next time Gaiya give us XP or you give me some for quests, Erik.

@drack; actually, yes, the Treant has a threatened area of 45' per 45' because they are huge and thus take a 15' per 15' area in the proverbial board. That said, I don't think Gaheris would get closer than 30' from the treants (maximum range for not-shouting conversation), so it would still put the treants 15' away from him. HOWEVER EVER, the cannon now is he was talking to you, he tried to leave, you reached for him, he hacked at the treant's arms/branches/pseudopods and freed himself. Thus begins war.


I am a little stunned, so I will finish reading the other updates and post my own actions from now on.

[drack]

(this living tree happens to be colossal) :smallwink: It's the constant use of that argument that spurs me on most of all.

[Baveboi]

(this living tree happens to be colossal) :smallwink: It's the constant use of that argument that spurs me on most of all.

Oh! Then they would reach, Gaheris and his dragon would AoO against the treant's grappling appendages and things would still have gone as stated by canon. :smallsmile:

[drack]

Yup, I'd be cool with that, just figured I'd give the tip a shot. :smalltongue: the threat not mattering on grapple makes a bit more sense since it's reaching into their threat.

[Baveboi]

Back in IC:

Dezered wanders warily to the giant tree in which the Martyr sat atop of, like a crow in his ruffled nest. He speaks aloud so he can hear him well. "That could have gone better, I think. Could you perk down from that branch so I can speak with you face to face? In sight of what just happened I have a personal wish to ask of you, Martyr." The wizard will speak to the druid of passages leading to the underground and ask permission to cross his domains in the wake of morning. He wishes to go back home.

[Gaiyamato]

heh had Gaheris failed to hit with his AoO however he would be busily getting squished to death about now. lol.

If you guys are done for the week I can skip to the next scene right at dawn of day 1 week 4, then we just have to wait for some of the other players to catch up before week 4 can begin (most of whom are waiting on me).

[drack]

"It might have. Now I fear I'm at war, in which my people will needlessly die. You'll be fighting on the morrow I take it?" Slowly the root upon a crook of which the martyr was sitting lowers slightly.

Edit: well in terms of done for the week I may be but for a few things I list on the last post of my thread. :smallwink: And mayhaps a chat with our lovely rebels. :smalltongue:

[Gaiyamato]

Yep you guys can do this scene. I will run the rebels encounter in their own thread as it no longer involves you as per the orders that just went down the DE network. :smallcool:

By the way Drack. The DE hatred for the rebels just saved you from dying. :smallbiggrin: :smallwink:

[Baveboi]

OOC: That we can do. I will describe our takes on tomorrow morning in the Rebels thread and copy it here (if needed). Since we are already using this place, we might as well stay here, right?

IC: "I... will not. I will be fighting in a grander scheme of things, if I have anything to say about it." Dezered looks somber and pensive. "Tell me, Martyr. Of what roads do you know that go to the underworld?" -You can PM me any information you have, drack, or simply state none. But anything you can give me might save you later and I will be very grateful-

[Gaiyamato]

OOC: No keep the morning stuff separate in the rebels thread.

Also Drack has no underdark entrances nor does he know of any.

[drack]

Well I should on both counts. :smallconfused: (One of the bits I seem to recall having been waiting on you for...)

[Gaiyamato]

OOC: You cannot just dig down. I made the underdark entrance building for that reason, I don't want an entrance to the underdark in every single hex. Also most of the underdark is solid rock.

So right now. No luck dude. I'll get to those issues in your thread shortly.

[drack]

Ah, that's what you meant. :smallconfused: Ah well. :smalltongue:


How much xp do rebels and I gain for having defeated Bel once before the battle has even begun? :smalltongue:

[Gaiyamato]

I'll sort xp for everyone before week 4 stuff can start. Still more to happen yet.

[drack]

*sleeps* *wakes up* *looks* crap... gaiy's right, I was looking at the wrong stat block for the tree... or rather I was misreading something. :smallsigh: my bad mates. :smalltongue:
(The old stat blocks to have in the second generation versus stat blocks held now type thing.)