A Simple Adventure (IC)

[Seharvepernfan]

A Simple Adventure

It is approaching mid-spring, or "Heartfire" as the locals call it, which means that the snows have melted and the rainy season is underway. Farmers have already planted their seeds. Folk can leave their winter holdings to do whatever traveling they intend to do; the going is slow due to thick wet mud, but at least there isn't snow as high as a gnome.

Bandits, brigands, and other wild folk have used up their meager food stocks and are on the prowl for whatever few travelers and merchants that are out and about this early in the year. For this reason, they hire as many guards as they can afford, and are willing to let armed and capable folk travel along with them for mutual safety.

In the small realm of Elfwind, in a town called Woodhaven, several different groups of travelers and merchants have all arrived for the night on their way to other lands. Woodhaven sits on the edge of the Verdant Reach, a great woodland, where it begins to overlap with the foothills of the Cloudspur Mounts (also known as the Lawless Mountains). Elfwind is a land of woods and meadows, fields and streams, hills and valleys. You've seen much of it in the past two days as you traveled through it to Woodhaven.

Woodhaven is a small town; a cluster of a few dozen one and two-story wood and stone buildings with a few streets between them, surrounded by smaller clusters of thatched-roof cottages, further surrounded by farms and woods. You've never been through Elfwind before, and it was only an hour before dusk when you arrived, and it was raining to boot, as it has been for a while. By the time you got things settled with the folk you came in with, and found an inn and some food, it was already dark.

The inn you chose; "The Arbor", was a two-story structure of timber beams with a thatched-roof, built around an enclosed "park", which was dominated by a large sycamore tree. The inn had an abundance of tiny-yet-comfortable rooms, each with a window looking out over the streets outside or the arbor inside, at a cheap price, and it catered to travelers. It's first floor on one side was a tavern with a sign hanging from a post over the street-side door that read "Seven Drunken nights"; it was made of once-polished cherrywood with letters of brass. It looks like it is missing a letter before "nights", perhaps due to vandalism. There is a door on the opposite side of the tavern that leads into the arbor, and the place is nearly full, so you suspect that many of the inn's customers are here.

The first thing you notice is the abundance of hooks on the walls to hang cloaks from, and most of them are covered. There is a stone fireplace on the street-side wall, which is opposite the bar. A mounted 12-point buck hangs from the fireplace. One wall is covered in booths that are separated from each other by small walls that rise just over head level when seated, and the wood floor is home to several small wooden tables. A few young women are carrying around several mugs in each hand, or else chatting with customers, they wear aprons and are clearly barmaids. The place is fairly small and crammed, with not much decoration. Except for the fireplace, the only lighting is two dim lamps hanging from the ceiling, so the place is also fairly dark.

Except for yourself, there is a handful of other armed and armored folk scattered around the tavern; mostly non-humans. Besides them, the place is full of local human and half-elven folk, and a gnome couple who sit at a (relatively) large booth in one corner that is sized for them.

You are either waiting for a room while relaxing in the warmth, or getting a drink or food or both. You are worn out from the road, but not quite fatigued, and soggy from the rain (at least where your cloak didn't cover, if you had one). It is actively pouring outside now, audible even over the din of the tavern and fireplace.

Go.

[JanusJones]

Grimm tugs the hem of a barmaid's skirt as she swishes past and holds up a single finger. "Something sized for someone twice mine, if you will." He flashes a grin and a copper and points to the fireplace. "And another if you could give a traveling man a lead on some work."

He makes his way to the fireplace and sits, cross-legged, as close as he can without burning himself. He wrings out the scarf he wears about his head, then works his boots off to roast his toes near the fire with a satisfied groan as he waits for his drink.

Went. :smallsmile:

[Tyrann]

A short elf that even on the best of days would look like a ghost walks in through the door and looks at all the booths nervously. He thinks to himself

"Okay. Nothing empty. That's okay. That's fine. I'm calm. No I'm not," before turning around and walking right back out into the rain.

"But it's too many people I can't. No, yes. You're right. I must. I have to. Have to be social."

He then storms into the tavern, forgetting completely to hang up his cloak and crashes down by the fireplace right next to Grimm.

"HihowareyoudoingI'mfinethanksjustalittlenervoustha t'sall."

He then sits there awkwardly and timidly, waiting for a response.

[JanusJones]

"Hi there, Fine. I'm Grimm - my name, not my disposition." He grins, raising an eyebrow. "Yours doesn't seem to match your name, either. I recommend drinking for that - if it doesn't calm you down, at least you eventually pass out." He raises his mug and takes a sip.

Assuming he's got a drink. I'll ret-con if he hasn't.

[Tyrann]

"Yes, yes, drinking. Good idea. Excuse me miss? Could I get a pint of ale please?"

It probably takes him a good while to finally attract the attention of a waitress, but when he finally does he offers her a copper.

When his drink arrives he raises his glass
"I'm Risper by the way. Risper Idone. Cheers."

After a big swig he adds, somewhat calmer now

"So I take it you're here escorting traders as well?"

[Raginmund]

A human with long black hair, clothed in worn hide enters the establishment. He looks around for a few minutes to get his bearings then gets the attention of a barmaid, "I need a meal. Something warm and meaty." He goes over to the fire and sits. I must share this warmth with you. Greetings"

[Cavir]

Kosnark does a quick scan of the tavern as he enters. He grabs a chair as he heads towards the fireplace and ordering up a meaty meal and hopefully something that will pass for dwarven ale. Plopping the chair close to the fire and the wall he drapes his cloak over the back and puts his backpack and shield between the chair and wall, his waraxe still strapped across his back.The barmaid arrives with the ale. Kosnark takes a seat and a big swig. He hooks the mug to a nob on a leg strap that seems designed just for such use whether standing or sitting. He puts his hands out toward the warm flames and turns to those also enjoying the heat. In a vaoice that is deep and gruff even for a dwarf:

"Greetins. Not quite the heat of a furnace but still nice, eh?"

[JanusJones]

"Yes, yes, drinking. Good idea. Excuse me miss? Could I get a pint of ale please?"

It probably takes him a good while to finally attract the attention of a waitress, but when he finally does he offers her a copper.

When his drink arrives he raises his glass
"I'm Risper by the way. Risper Idone. Cheers."

After a big swig he adds, somewhat calmer now

"So I take it you're here escorting traders as well?"

"Risper, then? Your name's moved on to become your mood and made room for a new title." Grim offers a hand. "An escort?" He pauses a moment, as if considering whether to impart something of grave import. He leans in close and whispers hoarsely, "I'm the personal bodyguard to the queen. Incognito, you know, but you seem a trustworthy type. There's an alliance to be sealed, and can't be done without the royal ring. Politics, you know."

Moments later, the fireplace is crowded, and the gnome seems game enough to make room. "I'm lucky to have come in so soon - if all you big folk had crammed in here before me, I'd have barely fit! Perhaps its just my personal charm?" He grins merrily and raises a cup to the others.

"Well then, to warmth and company on a cold and rainy night - or rain and cold on a warm and friendly night!"

[JanusJones]

Almost told the truth, then realized I'm playing a compulsive liar. It was cleverer the other way, but more entertaining this way, I suppose.

In any case, a Bluff's in order!

[roll0]

[Blue_C.]

Osra has had better days. Her cloak had been stolen as she slept last night, leaving her to get thoroughly soaked by this evening. She is cold, dripping, and she's glaring generally at the world as if daring someone to comment on either of these things. But, the fire is warm at her back, and the meat roll she'd bought had finally arrived. And, perhaps a couple of her fellow patrons could provide a momentary distraction.

"Yes, it's clearly your charm," she says to Grimm, moving slightly to turn towards the gathering, but not sitting. She gestures an acknowledgement to the others with vague wave of her meat roll. "I am Osra."

[JanusJones]

That was whispered before you got there, and we're sitting on the floor. :smallsmile:

[Seharvepernfan]

One of the barmaids comes in through the back door with a tray that has several steaming bowls on it. You can see that the area just outside the door is some kind of patio; an area underneath the second floor that leads out into the arbor. The barmaid must have come from a different part of the inn, since she is not wet from rain. If you ordered meat, she now delivers you a bowl which contains pot roast; beef, carrots, potatoes, and onions all in a stew.

When she finishes, she comes back over to the fireplace and and bends down to sit on her haunches (the floor is mostly wet except right near the fire) so that she is at Grimm's level. She speaks loud enough for those nearby to hear, "Well, sir, it depends on what kind of work yer lookin' for. There's always labor and crafts-work to be done in Woodhaven, but I'm guessin' that yer some kind of hired blade, given that armor yer wearin'. If so, you might take a look at the bounty posters; there's a few around town and down at the Marshall's. In fact, I'd just go straight there if I were you; often times she'll give out work to folk who're willin', instead of rounding up a militia posse. Of course, there's always traders needin' guardin'." She smiles, shrugs, and goes back to work. She talked quickly, not giving you any time to get a word in. The place is very busy.

[Blue_C.]

Osra finds herself perking up at the mention of a bounty board. The traders she'd arrived to town with had stopped here midday with the intention of joining up with a larger group, and so no loner directly needed her services.

But, the rain is pouring, and she still has no cloak. And the Marshal is probably not receiving visitors at this hours, even ones looking for work."Morning will be soon enough," she thinks.

[u-b]

A reasonably wet elf with short black straggly hair, clad in studded leather, is sitting among the customers with a mug of ale and an almost full bowl of stew. He does not exactly stand out from the crowd, so most likely attracts no specific attention.

He, on the other hand, has some attention directed at newcomers, between scooping spoonfuls of stew. He even stopped chewing when barmaid started to talk about work, and touched blackwooden dice amulet hanging from his neck. Then he resumed eating.

[Raginmund]

Magnar tears into his food with gusto. "Work is something I need as well" He says between bites. "I've heard of 'bounties'. Never hunted for men before."

[The Dragon]

Brandon had been stowing away his weapons and Oswald's saddle away. He now entered the inn, with the large dog following him not half a pace behind. The gnome was obviously a warrior. He was stocky, heavily muscled for a gnome, and with a certain something about his stance that showed that he'd had at least some combat training. He looked just about dead beat at the moment, though.
On the doorstep, he turned and looked at the dog sternly. It shook its fur vigoriously.

They then proceeded to enter the inn proper. He scanned the room, and went up to the fireplace, and patted the floor some paces away from Grimm and his new friends. Oswald obediently lay down on the floor, and Brandon himself sat down, leaning against his companion's side. He stroked Oswald's shoulder. The large, calm, brown and black motted animal started purring. "Good lad." he murmured to the dog, who was probably just as tired as he was.

For a moment, Brandon looked just about ready to go to sleep here, but instead he sat up straighter, rubbed some circulation into his hands, and signaled for the barmaid to get him a bowl of stew, and whatever they had that they'd serve in an dog-sized portion.

[JanusJones]

"My thanks, and coin." It disappears into the barmaid's cleavage too quickly for her to react, accompanied by a wink and a grin.

"Well then. Osra, is it? A pleasure. You and friend Risper look ready enough for all sorts of derring-do, and while the share may dwindle, the more the merrier, no?" He looks around at the others. "The warmest spot in the house looks to have attracted the roughest crowd; any of the rest of you care to share a name? By way of good faith, I'm Grimm, this pale and nervous sort is Fine, alias Risper."

He turns his back to the fire to focus on the small group and notices the gnome. "And well met, countryman! And noble steed." He nods respectfully to the hound, then holds up a piece of bread from his plate, raising an eyebrow to ask permission of his master.

[Cavir]

"Huntin men is different. Done wron makes you the hunted. If they resist I et some more practice with my axe." Kosnark takes another swig to wash down the meal. "It can wait til the mornin. My name's Kosnark. Kosnark Stoneblood."

[Raginmund]

"I am called Magnar." the barbarian says. He slurps the last bit of food from his bowl with his tongue and then adds"Everyone here is armed. Are we all warriors looking for fighting?"

[JanusJones]

When the dog's master offers no response, Grimm pops the bite of soup-sopped bread into his mouth and swallows, then stands.

"I'm looking for money; I prefer to avoid a fight whenever possible." He pulls on his boots and ties his scarf about his head. "But if one leads to the other, I suppose there's no helping it."

He nods to Risper and Osra. "If you're game, so am I."

[The Dragon]

Brandon is just about dozing off, waiting for the barmaid to come around.
At the mention of coin he perks up, however, and looks around for the source of it. Oswald and himself would be spending the last of their coin on staying at this inn. The rain made it neccesary, but he was in dire need of work.

He shakily gets up from his position on the floor, motioning for his mount to stay.
He approaches Grimm. "'Overheard you talking. About coin. Me and Oswald 've seen a few scraps, and we're a pretty good team. We could join you if you wanted."

Deciding he should probably introduce himself as well, he adds, seemingly relunctantly "I'm Brandon, by the way."

[Tyrann]

When Grimm offers a hand, Risper returns the handshake with clammy palm.

"The queen then? I worked for someone with that title once, but I found it somewhat of a disappointment. Odd fellow. But theater groups never really were my thing."

When the rest join he gets more quiet, mostly just staring at the ground in front of the fireplace, with occasional quick glances at the newcomers.

When he is introduced to the rest of the party he squeeks out

"Hello, Risper will do."

He clears his throat for a moment and goes on with a face redder than a tomato but managing just barely to keep his voice from cracking

"And yes, um. I was kind of looking for work myself. The caravan I came in with is merging so I won't be continuing on with them. So I'm game. I'm a pretty decent scout so there's that. Never really hunted bounties though."

He then hides in his pint, drinking almost all of his remaining ale in one go.

[CrimsonKnight]

The door to the inn quickly opened and closed against the cold and damp outside as a cloaked dwarf shoved their way inside, a large hammer balanced and casually resting across their shoulders and a shield strapped to their left arm. Finding an empty spot, the dwarf laid both the hammer and shield down, then shrugged off her dripping cloak to reveal a young female dwarf with a single tight braid of reddish-brown hair stretching down her back and wearing a serviceable set of scale mail marked with the golden hammers signifying a servant of the church of Moradin. Leaving her cloak where it would be dried by the roaring fire, the dwarf wandered over to an empty table and seated herself, waving at the busy barmaid.

"Evening dearie. Don't suppose I could trouble ye for some stew and bread, and mebbe a pint of your best?"

[Seharvepernfan]

"Sure thing, miss." The barmaid waits on a couple other people before grabbing her tray and heading out the back door, again letting in a breeze of cold wet air and the smell of rain. A moment later, you hear the front door open again, and then close quietly, but no one goes by. Whoever came in didn't walk any further.

Oswald lifts his head and turns towards the front door, which is around the edge of the fireplace, and begins growling. Osra and Magnar notice that the people in the first booth by the door are sitting still and quiet, staring at the newcomer with uncertainty and ....fear, maybe? A moment after, the back door opens again. You expect to see the barmaid coming in with new food, but instead see a figure of medium-height and thin build covered in a soaked, ragged, and dirty black cloak. All you can see of them is their lower face, which is ghastly pale and somewhat disfigured. That end of the bar quickly goes silent as people cease their conversations and look at the newcomer.

The figure turns it's head slightly to scan over those present for just a moment. The air seems to still and go cold, and you feel a strange sense of ...wrongness. It's mouth opens wider than a jaw should allow, revealing a mouth of sharpened yellow teeth and a long black tongue. It lets out a horrifying mixture of hiss and exhalation, while hunching and extending it's arms out from it's cloak, revealing an emaciated frame of dried skin and tight muscle over jutting bone. Some areas are a sickly yellow, some are rotted and greenish, and some are a dark almost-black red, as if blood had pooled there; it appears to be a corpse that couldn't decide what it had died from. Worst of all, it's fingers have partially rotted, leaving finger bones that are sharp like claws. A second hiss can be heard from the front door. It lunges forward, and people scream.

http://i58.tinypic.com/2myzoeb.jpg
Everybody is "squeezing" at the moment. Any square with a table in it will be considered "severely obstructed" and cost 4 squares of movement to move through, unless you manage to jump (and balance) your way across the tables (which are "lightly obstructed"). The floor is also "lightly slippery". There are probably three dozen people in the tavern at the moment, but none between the two figures; assume that you have to shoulder through and over people if you move through any table square (part of the "obstruction").

All of you noticed the figures in time to avoid surprise (Brandon and Kosnark only managed to do so because Oswald growled).

Risper, Kosnark, Grimm, and Atalayne may act. Everyone else is flat-footed until then their turns.

If my map looks lopsided, it's because it is. I'll be sure to fix that with later maps.

[Cavir]

"Look out! Here's your fight!"

Amazingly fast for a muscled dwarf, Kosnark spins out of his chair while grabbing his shield and barges his way straight toward the creature at the back door. By the time he is passing the first table his left arm is already through the shield straps. "Out of my way!" By the time he clears the table area and reaches the creature by the bar his dwarven waraxe is in his right hand, but there were too many people in the way to get the first strike in.

No current stance
AC17 with shield

Double move:
- Move 1: to D3 equipping shield
- Move 2: to C2 equipping waraxe

Readied maneuvers:
- Steel Wind
- Leading the Attack
- Moment of Perfect Mind

[Tyrann]

"It had to be undead. Of all things it had to be undead."

Risper ducks behind the rest of the party, and shoots an arrow at the creature furthest away from him.


Risper moves to F5 and attack the creature in B1
[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]
And on the off chance it somehow applies
[roll4]

[Tyrann]

Messed up the roll code for my knowledge roll in the above post.

Hoping to figure out what exactly we are fighting and what to be careful of.
[roll0]

[u-b]

Atalayne stood up from the table, readying his shield, then started to make his way towards the bar. To his understanding, there was a sufficient number of sufficiently armed people present, so there was no reason to change the habit not to be in front row. The work seems to be coming, rather than waiting, good question if it's gotta be paid...

"Noncombatants all get behind the bar please, or at least out of the way, thank you."

[JanusJones]

In the corner near the fireplace, there is a sudden tangle of shadows. Grimm leaps lightly onto a table, and then is lost to sight in the tumult.

[Seharvepernfan]

The first few seconds of the combat are deafening; when the thing exposed itself, nearly everyone in the tavern began to scream. Words were lost to the noise. The dwarf Kosnark plowed through the stampeding townsfolk while arming himself, and met the thing's lunge head on, keeping it from everyone else. The elf Risper moved out of the way of the others and let fly with an arrow, which sailed through the crowd, past Kosnark, past the bar counter, through the pale figure's cloak, and into the meat of it's shoulder, though the thing does not seem pained by the arrow. The elf Atalayne also armed himself and managed to shoulder through the crowd to the bar.

The pale figure lunges forward at the brave dwarf, throwing it's gaping mouth and both clawed hands at him, eager for it's first victim. He maneuvers his shield between himself and the creature's lunging face, blocking it's path with a satisfying thud. One of it's clawed-hands rakes against the scaled armor of his left arm with a noise like a knife digging into a coin purse, but the other clawed-hand drags along his right forearm where the scales do not cover, ripping through his shirt sleeve and digging three shallow red furrows into his skin. The dwarf does not shout or wince in pain; in fact he does not respond at all. He simply stands, apparently frozen in place.

http://i57.tinypic.com/30krn7m.jpg

Kosnark: You feel an ominous tingling in your right forearm where the creature slashed you (for 1 damage) like your arm has gone to sleep. It immediately spreads throughout your entire body, leaving you unable to so much as blink. You are paralyzed.

Risper: The creature is a ghoul, an intelligent animated corpse that possesses surprising athleticism. Obviously, it has fangs and claws, and anyone damaged by those weapons is rendered paralyzed for a short while, if they do not bodily resist it.

Everyone else may act before the other figure.

[The Dragon]

Brandon jumps onto the back of his dog in a fluid movement, spurring him out into the empty walkway between the intruders while drawing his sword.

Brandon's sword and Oswald's teeth flash as they come down on the horrible creature.

OOC
Does it count as having acted yet?
Attempting a fast mount. Ride DC:20:[roll0]
Autosucceed to guide with knees.
Move action to B4, while drawing my longsword. If it's not flat-footed, it get's an AoO on each of us here.
Ride check to fight while Oswald is fighting: DC10: [roll1]
If fast mount is successful, I attack the beastie, as does Oswald.
Longsword: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Bite: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
Trip on hit: [roll6]

My AC is 17, because I don't have my shield out.
Oswald's AC remains 19.
Incidentally, I now remember that I should have 2-handed my sword for extra damage. Oh well.

[Raginmund]

Magnar straps on his shield and readies his warhammer while moving towards the closest abomination."Back to the grave with you!" he cries as he swings his hammer in a downward chop.

Moving to 5c and attacking.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[JanusJones]

A sudden flare of purplish light makes a few of the combatants turn their heads. Standing atop a table, Grimm makes a few arcane gestures before hurling a diamond-shaped pane - something that looks almost like the pip from an ace in a deck of cards - whirling at the head of the creature that has not yet engaged in battle.

Touch attack against the critter NOT in melee (no -4 penalty that way - sorry, Dwarven buddy!): [roll0]/[roll1] for attack/crit, [roll2]/[roll3] for damage/crit.

[JanusJones]

Sorry - edited. Getting used to having the DM roll for me! :smallredface:

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina had a look of disgust on her face at the sight of the undead. Knocking the table aside, she swept up her hammer and shield and moved up next to the paralyzed Kosnark.

"Foul monster! How dare you threaten these good folk? Moradin's power shall destroy you!"

The dwarf put actions to words, swinging her maul right at the undead creature's face.

Move to 2c and attacking. Smite Evil, Power Attack (1).
Attack
[roll0]
Damage
[roll1]

[Seharvepernfan]

The burly gnome Brandon leaps upon his large hound and rides past the fireplace to face the thing that hissed by the front door while drawing his (to him) longsword. When it comes into clear view, he can see that it is the same type of creature as the one the others are fighting, but this one is somewhat smaller and appears to be female. Oswald lunges forward, his nails scratching the floor, and tears into the thing's thigh, which elicits a brief violent hiss that is cut short when Brandon brings his sword down on it's shoulder, his sword cleaving through it's collarbone and down into it's chest. It falls silently backward as Oswald pulls its legs out from under it, collapsing it to the floor with a crash. No blood sprayed from the thing when it was slashed, but near-black red ichor clings to Brandon's blade.

The oddly-colored Elf Osra stands, turns, and springs onto the fireplace behind her, running up the wall on all fours and onto the ceiling, from which she hangs upside down like a spider, her ponytail trailing below her. She points one hand at the surviving pale figure, emitting a flash of light, which cuts across the tavern in an instant and sears a black hole through the figure's chest, leaving a smoking black scar on the floor behind it out through the door.

The mighty human Magnar plows through the scrambling crowd, knocking over tables, chairs, and folk alike in his rush to the surviving creature. The people still seated in the booths turn to watch him, silent with hope that the other one will fall as well. He comes right up to the thing, knocking the dwarf Kosnark over in the process, and threatens it with a second death.

The other dwarf in the room, the holy warrior Jaina, rises up from her seat, flipping her table out of the way with her shield arm while grabbing her hammer, and moves to stand next to Magnar. She also threatens the thing, imbuing her weapon with holy power, and swings her hammer in a diagonal downward arc around the corner of the bar, which the pale figure dodges by crouching and ducking, using the bar for cover.

A spinning flare of purple light flashes through the melee from a table near the fireplace, striking the figure on the side of it's cloaked head, which splits it's hood open and sears a black line of charred flesh. The hood falls apart, revealing a pale hairless head that is barely more than a skull. Two horrifying black irises surrounded by blood stare across the room at the grinning gnome Grimm; the thing hiss-screams at the warlock duo.

Kosnark comes to a rocking rest on the floor beside Magnar's feet, still in the stance he had when standing, his axe still gripped tightly in hand. His left side hurts from the fall, but he does not even twitch; he is still frozen.

The screaming in the tavern has mostly abated; the townsfolk are now watching the fight, fascinated.

http://i57.tinypic.com/28tcqyt.jpg

Block one is up again. Kosnark is still paralyzed, and Grimm may only use a move action.

[JanusJones]

Grimm twiddles his fingers and purplish energy rolls between them as if spun from air. He waves a cheery hello at the staring monster before flicking it into the thing's angry eyes.

[roll0] touch attack (-4 for shooting into melee).

He looks up at Osra and winks. "You're pretty charming yourself, elf!" He grins and waves goodbye, as the shadows from the fireplace suddenly stretch and begin to dance around him.

[u-b]

Atalayne drew a dart. Space between him and the target was tightly occupied. The warriors attacking the thing were obstructiong line of fire, but Atalayne had no objections. He stepped left and threw the dart between the two, trying to hit the monster.

Dart: [roll0] for [roll1]
Point-blank shot: included
Cover: in effect (+4 target AC)
Shooting into melee: not in effect (feat negates)

Stepped to C3

[Tyrann]

Risper was already moving for the now Ghoul-less door, bow in hand with arrow notched and 3 fingers on the string, when he hears the remaining creature hiss again. The realization that Ghouls don't just show up randomly in taverns hits him. Either these got past the guards, in which case there's probably more of them out there, or someone took the effort to bring them here as a distraction, which means that going out now is probably not a very healthy idea in the long run either.

Cursing in elven, he tries to get in a better position for when people do start moving out, which means getting behind the people that voluntarily ran up to the ghouls. Once there he shoots the remaining creature while also trying to get a look at what's behind him.


Moving to B3
[roll0]
[roll1]
That's including point blank shot, and Risper has precise shot.
Also trying to look behind it, so incase it applies
[roll2]

[Seharvepernfan]

The elven warriors Atalayne and Risper move closer to the pale figure, both letting loose with their respective weapons. Atalayne's dart flew just above the edge of the bar, missing the the creature by mere inches as it was rising back up from under Jaina's swing. His dart flies into the booth on the other side and sticks into one of the seats. Luckily, the people sitting there have already climbed over into the next booth. Risper's arrow flew between the dwarf and the man Magnar, where the creature had been standing just an instant before, but the arrow zipped past the thing, flying out into the rainy darkness of the arbor; Risper could not lead his moving target due to the presence of the two warriors. It is difficult to hit a target when your aim is partially blocked.

A few people make a break for the front door, leaping the prone corpse as they head out into the rain. Herd mentality kicks in and several others follow suit. Many look unsure of what to do, others are mesmerized with the fight at the back door. Over near the fireplace, there is another flash of darkness, as if the fireplace went cold and relit an instant later; Grimm is nowhere to be seen. This stops a few people in their tracks; they're not sure what to make of all this magic.

Against common sense, the pale figure throws itself against Magnar in a flurry of claws, fangs, and violent hissing; the human warrior easily backsteps beyond it's reach when it lunges to bite him, and raises his arms over it's first sideways swipe, but the second swipe is too fast for him. He manages to block it with his shield, however. The figure's claws scrape across it with a loud noise like lumber being sawed; tiny flecks of wood fly out with the claws. Magnar can feel the rents being torn in his shield; this thing's claws are like knives.

The dwarf Kosnark still lays tilted on the floor, motionless.

http://i61.tinypic.com/2ccupee.jpg

Block two is up again, and once they go, block one.

[Raginmund]

Magnar growls as the thing scores his shield. Cocking his arm to the left he then swings his hammer hard to the right, aiming for its hideous face.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina nodded to the barbarian next to her. "That's it friend, smash its foul head in before it dares to harm any more!"

The dwarf put her words into action, swinging her maul again at the undead creature.

Attack.
[roll0]
Damage
[roll1]

[JanusJones]

Grimm reappears on the tabletop. As he weaves another blast between his fingers, he hollers: "Did they teach tactics where they taught you to swing heavy things? There are two doors - why doesn't somebody go around and flank the thing?!"

He flicks the light at the creature, and the shadows around him spring back to life.

[roll0] - again, no precise shot, firing into melee.

[The Dragon]

Brandon draws his shield, yet seems uncertain what to do. His allies are in the way of his advance.
"Let me through! I can't bloody well fight it from 'ere!"

Hearing the other gnome shouting from the shadows, a mumbled "Oh" escapes him. He rides over the fallen monster out the door, attempting to go round to flank the remaining creature.

[Seharvepernfan]

The walking corpse ducks ahead and under Magnar's left-to-right side-swing, but Jaina's diagonal downward right-to-left swing was already underway, and the thing had nowhere to go. With a sickening "CRACK!", she snaps it's head sharply to the left, but the creature keeps it's feet and rebounds immediately.

It looks at Jaina with redoubled venom, it's forehead caved in and cracked open, bumpy pinkish meat visible, with thick oily ichor slowly oozing from the wound. It gives out a deep throaty hiss, then suddenly stops and looks up sharply. Another beam of incandescent light flashes down from behind and above the two warriors to strike the floor just behind the creature, narrowly missing it. Osra has moved further along the ceiling to hang just above Jaina.

The mounted gnome warrior Brandon turns a circle on his dog, first wanting to help fight the second enemy, then taking heed of the sourceless voice of his fellow gnome and riding out the front door into the rainstorm. With a rasping of nails on cobblestone, the dog and warrior disappear from view.

The bearer of the sourceless voice then gives away his location with a flash of purple light, emitting a diamond-shaped pane of energy that speeds across the room faster than an arrow, spinning as it goes. The creature failed to see this attack coming, but Grimm could not get a good shot at it with Jaina blocking his aim, causing the energy to instead fly into the door frame behind the creature, blasting flecks of broken wood at the combatants.

http://i60.tinypic.com/29n8myc.jpg

Brandon: You ride out into the pouring rain, trying to get to the Inn's main entrance where you checked for lodging. It is around the corner of the building, on the center of the next side. The cobblestone streets are slippery with many large standing puddles, and Oswald gets off to a less than ideal start, but you make it most of the way to the other door. Outside, it is pitch black except for the many lit windows about town, none of which actually shed out into the street to be useful for you. You don't see any people outside, except for the dim outline of a few people down the street fleeing the inn.
http://i60.tinypic.com/2zf1w61.jpg

It is now block 1's turn again (except for Grimm).

Kosnark: Your eyes sting from the wood flecks that rain down, since you are unable to blink. You can start to move your body again, in small spurts and spasms, but it is still mostly unresponsive and painfully tingly. It's a similar feeling to when your limbs are asleep, but are waking up.

(One more round left)

[u-b]

Atalayne drew and threw another dart, aiming between two warriors just like previous time. Also, he started thinking. To say the truth, he never was particularly good at it, but a coordinated suicidal attack did not make much sense without some "big picture" going on. So far, no more monsters seemed to appear, though.

Dart: [roll0] for [roll1]
Point-blank shot: included
Cover: in effect (+4 target AC)
Shooting into melee: not in effect (feat negates)

[Tyrann]

When Risper sees that Kosnark is still moving so is probably not dead yet, and knowing what a ghoul is, he decides to drag the dwarf out of harms way. When Kosnark is safely on the floor behind Magnar, Risper slaps him in the face twice.

"You still with us?"

Just making sure Kosnark doesn't go right back down from the AOO when he stands from prone. -4 to AC is nasty buisness.
I suppose I could probably still take or ready a move action, but it wouldn't make sense in character so instead Risper will just help Kosnark get back on his feet.

[Seharvepernfan]

Atalayne draws another dart from his bandoleer, watching the furious melee in front of him, looking for an opportunity to throw. Sensing one, he hurls at the foe, but midway into the movement, Grimm fires his magic, which causes the creature to duck. The elf flinches slightly when the blast hits, and his weapon flies too far above the ducking corpse, sailing out into the rainy arbor.

The elf Risper quickly bends forward, reaching down with one hand to grab the dwarf Kosnark by his ankle and drag him away from the melee, past the quick-moving feet of the warriors.

By now, it is clear that this undead creature is going to continue it's attack until either it falls, or you do. It is so vicious and focused in it's attack on Magnar, that it hardly notices the dwarf being dragged away. Having just ducked the purple blast of energy, it throws it's right clawed-hand high at Magnar's face, which he quickly deflects with a raised shield, yielding little more than light scratches. It then quickly snaps forward, biting at the human warrior. It's head goes under Magnar's raised shield, it's fangs clamping down on his hide-covered flank, but he reflexively jerks hard to his left, using the now available floor space, stealing his flesh from it's mouth before it's teeth could pierce his armor. It puts it's left foot under it's shifted weight, then leans in to slash at him with it's left claw in a lateral movement, but yet again the barbaric warrior is proven too fast for his undead attacker; the claw rending only air as the man leans back out of the way.

http://i61.tinypic.com/29mradw.jpg

Block 2 is up.

[The Dragon]

Seeing the main entrance on his right, Brandon steers Oswald through it. The pair navigates the rooms within, hurrying towards the continuing sounds of combat.

Without a scale on that map, It's hard to tell, but I assume I can't get to the monster in time to hit it.
If I can, here's a ride check to fight while mounted(DC 10): [roll0] if this fails, disregard the following attack.
Brandon slashes with his sword: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Oswald bites(This happens regardlesss of the ride check result.)
[roll3]
Damage:[roll4]
Trip on hit: [roll5]

Once again, disregard the attacks if I haven't the movement to reach it.If I can reach it, I'll edit my IC writings to reflect my attacking.

[Raginmund]

Magnar barks a laugh at the ghoul as it fails to hurt him once again, forgetting that he has yet to connect himself. He swings his hammer up from below this time, hoping to land an uppercut.

Attack: [roll0] Would flanking apply here, as Oswald is attacking from outside? If so add 2 to the attack.
Damage: [roll1]

[Seharvepernfan]

Reversing his momentum, Magnar raises his shield to allow for an uppercut swing with his left arm, which connects solidly on the underside of the creature's jaw, shattering it. With a brutal noise like a tree branch snapping, the warhammer blasts through the jawbone, sending teeth and spittle flying up to the ceiling. The pale creature's hiss turns sharply into a gurgle, it's head snapped backwards. It falls flat on it's back, dead again before it hits the ground.

Shortly thereafter, Brandon appears astride Oswald while charging through the back doorway. He and the dog are drenched, and both seem a touch let down that the battle is over already. A few seconds later, Kosnark finally regains control of his body and is able to stand. A wild cheering roar erupts from the small crowd on the other side of the tavern. Patrons approach the group, hugging some and patting others on the back. Toasts are made in their honor, and the barkeep offers the entire group free drinks. Osra, still on the ceiling, gets no such praise, and actually seems to be avoided; perhaps due to fear, maybe due to simply being out of reach.

Everyone gains 75 exp.

[u-b]

Atalayne was not as cheerful as some of the patrons. He looks around with a somewhat abstracted expression.

"Umm... yes, yes, sure. That's normal?" - pointing at the monstrous corpses and looking at the patrons for reply; then looking at the gnome, at the door outside, grimacing, and looking at gnome again - "Can track?"

[Cavir]

Kosnark rises and lets out guttural shout of frustration. "ARRRHHH!" followed by his boot crashing down on the ghoul's skull, crushing it. "Aren't there any more? How did it come in the back door at the same time?"

Kosnark takes an offered mug from the barkeep and keeps the barkeep's attention. "How did it come from the back door? 'et the owner. The whole place needs to be checked to see if it ate anyone before comin' through the door." He takes a large swig then heads through the back door to take a look, axe and shield at the ready.

[Raginmund]

Magnar takes the first offered mug and drains it in a half dozen large gulps. "Thanks." he says and passes it back.

"Be hard to track in this rain. I'm with the dwarf, we should check and see if there are more." He goes to join Kosnark.

[u-b]

Atalayne nods, takes his javelins, puts the backpack behind the bar, taking and lighting one sunrod from it, pulls a dart from the wall and, making sure he's after the wolf and the rider, is to go outside too.

[Blue_C.]

"Agreed" Osra comments as she scales back down from the ceiling. The indifference/deference of the townsfolk does not ruffle her in the slightest, and no warmth colors her voice. "I will start from the front door, and meet you around back."

Naturally, she keeps the wall within reach as she walks, to maintain "up" as an option in addition to "back" and "forward."

[JanusJones]

"I'm with the lady - though forgive me if I'm not too obvious. I wouldn't want to impugn you by having you seen in public with me." This from Grimm with a wink to Osra, before the shadows about him lengthen and stretch again.

[Tyrann]

Risper declines the beer and instead asks the barkeep "Suppose this were a distraction, is there anything worth stealing or anyone worth a necromancer's time in this town?"
Regardless of the answer, after hearing it he moves out with the others to go patrolling.

[Seharvepernfan]

At first, nobody can hear what you say, and you have to get people to back away from you before you can ready your gear, but soon it becomes obvious to the rattled crowd that you aren't done yet, and they quiet down and back off. The barkeep seems a bit overwhelmed at your questions; it's obvious that he wasn't thinking along those same lines. He stammers through a slow-witted response, ""B-back door? ...How di-wha? Ate? These EAT people?!? I...uh, there are other exits from the arbor, leading to streets..." He is left staring as the dwarf exits into the arbor, but turns his head as Risper begins a softer line of questioning.

"A...a necromancer?" He looks confused for a second, then continues on, "I don't know about stealing, sir, ... I bet the Marshall has enemies." His eyes wander for second, "Maybe Valanthe...er, she's the priestess."

It's obvious to you that he doesn't know, but is trying to guess himself.

http://i61.tinypic.com/11kcq39.jpg

The first thing that catches your eye out in the arbor is the people at the door to the left, where Brandon went riding through. Several people are standing near that door or leaning out of it, looking in your direction. They look like Inn employees, in fact, one is the man who was running the place when you sought lodging. "Hey, what happened over there? We've sent for the Marshall, so don't get any ideas!"

The arbor is open to the sky, so the rain is falling out here as well, but you are under a sort of patio, and the tree blocks some of the rain itself. This area is covered in grass; no one laid any stones here, except for several stepping-stones that go out to the tree. There are several areas of bushes and young trees, which have been "gardened" with a light touch. To your right is a carved-wood statue of an elf woman who seems to be part of a tree, the "tree" forming the base of the statue.

Two other exits from the Arbor can be seen, on opposite sides of the inn and tavern doors. These are narrow passageways that lead out to the street, and are blocked by thin wrought-iron swing doors. The passage to your right stands open to the Arbor. Several windows, on both the first and second floors, shed light from the rooms within, and most have a face peering out.

You do not see any bodies or signs of combat out here.

Osra: The street outside is the same as it was for Brandon, but this time no people can be seen anywhere. You are immediately drenched (again) from the rain. You do not see any bodies or signs of combat out here.

[Cavir]

"Sent for the Marshall? His job was to make sure the undead weren't ambushin a tavern full of honest folk in the first place. They're smashed down now. You need to check all your rooms to make sure all is well. Shout out if you see somethin."

Kosnark takes another visual sweep of the arbor (darkvision) and if there is nothing of note then heads back inside. He grabs another mug of ale at the bar and downs it while heading to his grab his pack and cloak before heading out the front door to check things there.

He doesn't know others already went and checked the front, so he's going to check it himself. Darkvision might be of better help.

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina follows Kosnark's example and dons her own cloak before raising her hammer once again and heading for the door.

"We'd better go door to door and check all the houses, make sure the good folk of this town are unhurt. There could be more of the bloody things roaming about, or mayhap this wasn't the first place they attacked in town. I'd recommend moving in pairs so that they don't have a chance to overwhelm you before calling for help. Anyone care to join me searching the northern part of the town?"

[The Dragon]

Brandon breathing heavily, hopped down from Oswald in a somewhat dignified manner. He spent some tie petting the dog, while the other patrons were cheering. He didn't quite know how to handle this. He were mostly used to people he knew thinking him wierd.

When Jaina asked for help, he decided to follow her. "I'll join ye. Can't have them out and about eating people."
He sheathed his sword, and drew his shield, before hopping back up in Oswald's saddle. Grabbing his lance from where he'd left it, he was ready.

"Let's be off, no?" He padded after Jaina out the door towards the northern part of the town.

[Blue_C.]

Acknowledging the gnome with a nod, and seeing no signs of a struggle, Osra follows the walls of the building as best she can to meet up with those that left out the back entrance.

[u-b]

Atalayne goes outside and follows the larger bunch of people. He's looking around as much as the sunrod and the rain allow and waits for any loud screams to indicate the location where the events are happening.

[Raginmund]

Magnar stays out in the arbor, waiting for the Marshall and wondering how the creatures came through both doors at the same time. He stands in the doorway, keeping an eye on the arbor and taproom at once.

[Seharvepernfan]

Kosnark didn't see anything else of note in the arbor with his darkvision.

Osra leads a few others around the corner of the building, then to where the open passage exits onto the street. From there, they can see into the arbor. The ghoul could have come from this way.

Then, everyone except the human Magnar goes towards the north end of town to patrol, you think; none of you are actually sure which way north is. The rain is still coming down in sheets, and you are all cold and completely drenched. You don't hear anything unusual while walking around town; probably because you can't. It is hard to even hear each other speak. You often have to raise your voice to be heard by the people next to you. Sometimes Grimm can be seen trailing just behind the group, sometimes he's just gone...sneaky little bastard.

You check every house on your way, the group split in two for each side of the street. Some are dark, and no one answers the door, but most have lit windows. Every house where someone answers the door asks the same questions and responds the same, "Who are you? What? No, we're fine...haven't heard anything."

Within a few minutes of wandering around (maybe aimlessly), you turn a corner and see two cloaked figures in the middle of the street walking in your direction, perhaps 150ft away. One is holding a lantern high in one hand and a sword in the other, the other is holding a polearm, probably a halberd. They have noticed you, due to Atalayne's sunrod.

Magnar: While you are standing vigil, the people from the front room of the Inn come over to the tavern to inquire about what happened. They shriek when they see the ghoul lying on the floor, and take great caution in stepping around it. They speak with the people in the tavern for a bit, and it seems like everyone keeps looking at you. Several people come over to look at the ghoul lying on the floor with looks of horror and curiosity.

The Innkeeper hears the story and just shakes his head. "Sir, you and your friends are welcome here as long as ye like, no charge. Without ye, this would have been a bloodbath to stain Woodhaven's history for years to come." There are several nods and 'Aye's from the small crowd, even a "That's right!"

After a few uneventful minutes, lantern light can be seen outside. Several cloaked and armored people approach the tavern's front door. A couple are clad is scale and wield heavy wood round-shields and longswords, the rest are leather-clad and wield halberds. They are led by an athletically built woman of perhaps thirty years. She wears a leather helm, from which medium-length copper-red hair spills out, and is clad in chainmail. She stops the group with a raised hand to inspect the ghoul by the front door, then looks at you. She holds a slender longsword raised in one hand.

She has bright green eyes that stare at you coldly for just a moment, then warm up; she gives you a half smile, lowers her sword, then steps into the tavern to scan it over for a long moment. Two of the leather-clad folks step in behind her; the others turn around to guard the front door. She looks all around the tavern, apparently taking in the scene with all it's details.

"You killed that one." She points to the one at your feet with her sword while looking at the ceiling for some reason. It wasn't a question. "Where are the others? Out looking for more trouble?"

[Tyrann]

Risper was glad to be outside. He had always liked rain. It made other people quiet. But as he stood there under the warm and dry eaves of the Arbor, observing the thick gray curtains of water roaring loudly down and transforming the dirt roads into splashing mudslides, he wasn't so sure he wanted to brave it. Even breathing felt wet. And he'd only just gotten these boots too..

But when he saw the others go, he decided it would be best to go with. He pulled up his hood, tightened the cords and started sloshing down the road, trying very hard to not take point or tail, as well as trying his best to avoid at least the larger puddles when at all possible.

After a few minutes of walking he shouts to whoever is at the front of the group

"Did you ask for directions before we started walking?"

Just when he's thinking that he should probably ask at the next house they come across, he notices the two figures, as well as their weapons.

"They're holding weapons, so they probably aren't ghouls. Talking to them over this rainstorm means we have to get close. Damn it. Better get the bow out just in case."

He makes sure to stay behind the beefier front liners and lets the others do the talking while he's trying to get a read on these two strangers. The whole time this is going on he is fully expecting either of them to randomly charge at the party.

[Raginmund]

"Yes, I guess they thought more might be out in the town." He answers. "Does this sort of thing happen often here?"

[Cavir]

As the party heads out Kosnark sticks to the center of the road, keeping an eye out towards both sides, letting the others check on the residents and being in the best position to respond to either side. The darkness didn't bother him, nor did the hard rain. It was just another unpleasant environment like he had spent countless hours in training. At least here he had a cloak on and he had just eaten. His eyes and ears were on his surroundings, but his mind was on the failed parry that led to him being paralyzed. He was not happy with himself.

As the armed strangers approach Kosnark calls out to either side. "Here comes the Watch I think ." He is still armed with axe and shield, but both are lowered to be non-threatening. He stops and waits for them to approach.

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina narrowed her eyes at the approaching figures.

"Maybe, but after those ghouls came out of nowhere, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious."

With her right hand holding her large hammer casually by her side, her left grasped at the wooden replica hanging from her neck, and she muttered a few words in Dwarven beneath her breath. Her eyes briefly glowed as she scanned the figures with her holy powers.

Paladin Senses, activate! Using Detect Evil on the approaching individuals.

[Seharvepernfan]

The two cloaked figures stop, hold perfectly still for a moment, look at each other, and then begin approaching at a slow pace, with their weapons held up. The one with the halberd glances backwards once, as if they were expecting trouble. When they get about halfway to you, Risper can just be heard from the back of the group, "They're not ghouls." A moment later, Jaina confirms that they're not evil anyway.

They approach within maybe forty-feet, then stop and stare for a moment. The one with the lantern is a human male, not quite middle-aged. The other is also male, but might be half-elven, judging from his jawline and build; he seems young. They both wear leather armor, and seem suspicious of you, with narrowed eyes. They both wear horns on necklaces.

The halberd-bearing one shouts out to you, "I might guess what you're out here for, but I'll ask anyway!" His voice is fairly high and clear, and his tone might be described as "polite caution". He seems amiable enough. Nobody in this town seems to be offended or apprehensive about you carrying weapons around.

Magnar: The woman sheathes her sword, lowers her hood, and takes off her helm to hold under one arm, but is looking at the tavern crowd as she speaks, "Good, I suppose. I already sent out a few patrols; we'll know soon if anything is happening about town." She goes to check on the crowd, seeing if anyone is hurt, then speaks with the innkeeper for a moment; just asking some basic questions. She gives him a copper. Then, she walks back to the front door and says something to the guards outside, who come in and stand at either door, backs to you.

She then flips one of the tables back over and motions for you to sit back down. The two leather-clad men...actually, you see that one is a woman, come and turn over the other two tables, then take seats themselves. The crowd gradually spreads out to sit. She sits her helm on the table, drapes one arm over the back of her chair, leans back in it a bit and puts one folded knee on the edge of the table, balancing the front two legs off the floor a couple inches. She is fairly attractive, if rather unfeminine.

"Often? No. Sure, we get a problem now and then, usually more towards the edges of town or on someone's farm, but the only trouble we see in town is your odd drunk mercenary or the occasional thief. A young dragon flew about town once twenty-years ago." She looks at you and shrugs when she says that. "The militia stays on top of most things, and we're in the center of a rather peaceful area, besides." She seems distracted for a second, then continues; "This however, is something I've never seen in Woodhaven. I'm going to have a local priestess come and check this out when the storm dies down; things seem quiet now, but this can't be good."

A barmaid comes around with several mugs, serving the guards and the Marshall, then the two at either door, who seem very pleased. The other barmaids go about serving the crowd, and by then, the place is almost back to the way it was before the fight started. "Have you tried the cider?"

Your tribe did not have women like this.

[u-b]

"Looking for more ghouls. Seen any?" - Atalayne steps forward a bit as not to hide behind others while he is talking to two men - "We had two in "The Arbor". And you? Any ideas about it?"

Atalayne is holding the shield down and the sunrod up (just outside of direct view so the light from it does not interfere too much with night vision). The ghouls do worry him somewhat, though though this feeling is less about himself and more about "the situation". Getting drenched, on the other hand, is pretty much about himself, and does not exactly improve his mood. He tries to talk without showing any of these feelings.

[JanusJones]

"Who, us?" Grimm is leaning against a house under the eaves on the other side of the strangers, a good thirty feat away.

"We're just the stand-ins for the local constabulary. We happened to be having a beer when undead attacked the inn. If you've seen the local law enforcement, would you let them know they have some corpse cleanup and a bit of investigation to do? I, for one, am tired of being wet and underpaid for my work."

Readied action to hide and move - swift + move - if attacked.

[Seharvepernfan]

With that, the two men's eye's widen, then they relax and approach with their weapons down, though the half-elf (and it's obvious now) glances back behind them again. The lantern-bearer says something to the other, but you can't make out what. "Good, you had us worried. No, we haven't seen or heard anything. Some folks came screaming up to the Marshall's office, and she sent us out at once to patrol. 'Walking dead', they said...we didn't believe it." They look at each other as if letting it sink in.

[JanusJones]

"Not walking any more - just dead. Me for a beer and a good stare at some ugly corpses, then!"

With that Grimm pops out of sight.

Heading back to the inn!

[Seharvepernfan]

The lantern-bearer just shakes his head and mutters, "Gnomes..." He watches Grimm walk off in the rain with an annoyed look. The other turns back to the group, "I don't think I've seen you folks before..." He trails off as if expecting a reply.

[The Dragon]

Annoyed with the lantern-bearer, yet prone to sharing his sentiment, Brandon is rather flippant with his friend, the half-elf. "Aye. You haven't."

[Blue_C.]

"I was a caravan guard. We're not a formal group. Just the ones willing to fight when those creatures attacked." Osra says. "If you're patrolling, we can head back to the fire."

[Seharvepernfan]

"You'll have to excuse my partner, sir, he lacks our keen vision." The half-elf seems rather perturbed at the insensitive remark himself. The lantern-bearer looks at him as if confused.

"Aye. The Marshall'l want to see you anyway. A favor? Tell her you met us, and that we said it's all clear so far, but that we'll keep patrolling."

If you walk away after that, he waves and says, "Good luck!"

[Raginmund]

"Cider? No, I have not." He replies, getting a mug. "You are young for such an important job. Are you a great warrior?"

[Cavir]

"Aye. Be wary, they can paralyze with their claws. It's more important to seek help and 'et the word out. What names do we tell her?"

After their answer, Kosnark heads back to the inn.

[Seharvepernfan]

The half-elf nods in respect, "We'll keep that in mind, sir dwarf. It's Faelar and Marek." With that, the two guardsmen continue their patrol down the street. They seem tense and grim now that they know undead were afoot.

Your walk back to the tavern still instills you with a sense of dread, despite the good news that no other ghouls have been noticed. The rain hasn't let up, and it's heat-sapping has started to nip at your extremities and leave you shaking. Every dark window, alley, tree, and bush that you pass starts to seem like an ambush waiting to happen. However, you are among warriors and spell-wielders, and do not fear for your own life overmuch. It is a good feeling.

The front door to the tavern is wide open as you approach from down the street. As you get near, you can hear folk talking and laughing inside, as if the night's events never happened. A scale-clad figure leans out from the doorway to look at you, sword and shield in hand, but when it becomes apparent that you mean no harm and are not a pale-skinned walking corpse, the guardsman moves back in through the doorway to make way for you.

Magnar: "Don't leave town without trying it." She takes a drink of her own, and then snorts with mirth at your comment, "Well, I can swing a sword, but that's not why I'm the Marshall. There are plenty of better warriors than I in these parts; I'm just the best at coordinating them." She stares into her cup for a moment. "Truth be told, I haven't swung my sword at an enemy in several years. I sometimes wonder if I still have the nerve."

Her eyes go hard again, and you start to think she feels guilty about something, and is unsure of herself over it. You get the feeling she is confiding her insecurities to a fellow warrior, one who doesn't share the same social circle. You begin to wonder what the matter is, but before either of you speaks again, you hear a group of people coming into the tavern at the front door, and at least one of them is wearing metal armor. You think it might be the others.

[u-b]

Atalayne gets inside and is the first to order "Hot bath now, please, if you would be so kind." then thinks that "now" might be a bit too optimistic, so he adds "And some hot tea with a cookie."

Then he's waiting for the marshall, the bath, or some more undead, whatever comes first.

[JanusJones]

Grimm hops up on a barstool to order a round before the rest stagger in from the rain. "A few for the wet and bedraggled heroes, yeah?"

Grimm is busily burying his face in a tankard of cider, feet propped on a table, when the others arrive. He nods at the full cups. "Refreshments!" He accompanies this with a raised mug.

[Blue_C.]

Making a mental note to purchase a cloak, Osra accepts the offered drink with a demure nod.

[Cavir]

Kosnark comes back into the tavern and heads back to the chair he was using by the fire. As he removes his cloak he notices the tables and folk back to normal. He leaves his cloak, shield, and pack at the chair, axe strapped to his back, and walks over to the table where Magnar is sitting with others. Seeing his tablemates are well armed he gives them a respectful nod and turns to Magnar. "Thanks for coverin' for me and finishin' it off. My name's Kosnark. Kosnark Stoneblood." He removes the gauntlet from his axe arm and holds out his hand to Magnar.

If Magnar goes to shake hands Kosnark will instinctively shift it to a wrist embrace (each hand grasping the other's wrist).

[Raginmund]

"No need to thank." he replies to Kosnark, taking the proffered hand."All true warriors would unite against such creatures."

[Cavir]

"Aye. I see the Watch is here now." Kosnark glances around the table again. His beard hides his facial expression but the look in his eyes is confident and non-threatening. Still addressing Magnar- "Any issues?"

[Raginmund]

"No new problems." He then adds, gesturing to the doughty woman he'd been conversing with."This is the Marshall."

[Cavir]

Kosnark turns toward the woman leaning back in her chair. "Are ya now?" Nodding his head "Well, we came across Faelar and Marek. They were doin' their duty well and report all clear so far. We also found alls quiet besides the storm."

"We heard to find you for some work. Sounds like there are a few of us interested."

[Seharvepernfan]

The woman nods when Kosnark mentions the guard duo, "Good, but that worries me." She lets go of her mug, putting one hand over the other beneath her chin, and stares out the back door into the rainy arbor. "I have some suspicions about this attack, but I need to consult with a priest before I can be sure. I don't know why they..." She nods towards the ghoul on the floor, "would plan an attack on this particular tavern, in the middle of town, alone, then fight to the ...em, re-death."

She leans back in her chair and crosses both arms over her chest; she seems to drill holes in whatever random thing she stares at. You realize she isn't in the habit of making eye-contact. "If it were a mass attack on the town, or just against an out-lying house or farm, I could understand and counter it. As it stands," She tilts her head slightly forward and makes a small "chopping" gesture with one hand, "I don't know what to make of this. News of it will ...is spreading through town like wildfire, and I don't have an answer. This isn't a good way to start off the year, but then that's not strictly my concern as Marshall. I just protect the people."

The Marshall stops for a moment, takes a drink, then sits the mug back on the table and stares at it, "So, to answer your question: yes. Before tonight, I had a bounty; several actually, that I would have gladly sent you to look into, but now I may have something more urgent. If the priestess confirms my suspicion, then I will have a job for you; something I can't use the militia for. I can't promise payment up front, but if it turns out to be a real threat, I can, and I still have those bounties if not."

Finally, she turns to look at the two of you (and whoever has wandered over in the meantime), "If you're interested, meet me here tomorrow and we'll discuss the matter. Regardless, I believe you won yourself free food and a room." With that, she gives a half-smile and gets up from the table to speak with the guardsmen.

She is correct, free rooms for all of you, including amenities, and the food/drinks as well.

Atalayne: They don't have any tea ready, but they can send some up to your room later. As for cookies, you'll just have to go to the bakery in the morning; they simply cannot oblige you here.

[Blue_C.]

Having wandered over in time to hear the last exchange, Osra takes in the apparently irrepressible Grimm and the rest of the motely crew. And then she accepts them with a small shrug. "Works." she says simply. "Sounds good to you all?"

[JanusJones]

"Work, a payout, adventure, and a pretty lady?" Grimm hops atop the table and performs a sweeping bow, dripping foam from a full mug of cider. "At your service!"

[Tyrann]

Still shivering from the rain, Risper took off his cloak and looked for something to dry his face, neck and his hands. He debates for a few moments if he should take off his boots, but decides it's probably better not to. Feeling sorry for whoever had to clean up his mud-trail, he tip-toes to the fire to warm himself a little before heading upstairs. When he hears mention of work and Grimm's eagerness to get in on it however he turns and says

"I uhm. I'd like to join too. If that's okay.."

[Cavir]

"Aye, I'll be here or just out in the arbor warmin' up. Maybe this blasted storm will be over by then."

Kosnark grabs a bit of food and drink to finish up supper by the fire, observing the others in the tavern and responsive to others if addressed although his deep gutteral voice doesn't come across as the friendliest. He does tip the barmaid before heading up to a bath and an early bed.

He rises early and can be found in the arbor area practicing with axe and shield before breakfast. If it is still raining he'll be under the covered area if it isn't in others way, otherwise he'll be out under the rain. He has his cloak but his armor is still upstairs. If any warriors from last night come around he'll offer some non-lethal sparring.

Healing back 1 hp overnight

[u-b]

"Here tomorrow. Got that."

Atalayne gets tea and bath (any order), asks the staff to have his clothes dried (like by hanging them next to the heater), then goes to sleep.

[JanusJones]

Grimm enjoys as much of the common room's hospitality as he can afford before a bath and bed.

[Raginmund]

Magnar had had enough excitement and drink for one night. He decides to try out this whole bath thing to see what all the fuss was about and goes to bed.

[Seharvepernfan]

You awaken to the soft, diffused light of a chilly overcast morning, the sky outside your window being depthless white. You can't suppress a smile, however, since you are clean, warm, and dry for the first time in quite a while, and (might) finally have an interesting and well-paying venture to take part in. Outside, you can see that it is still raining, but it is a very light rain, more like a falling mist.

You eventually wander downstairs, get some breakfast and a good drink, and meet the rest of the group in the Seven Drunken _nights. The first thing you notice is that the ghouls are gone, though their black bloodstains remain. The damage from the fight has not been fixed yet, of course, but it has been cleaned; no wood chips or scorch marks remain. Whatever weapons you lost track of are waiting on the bar counter. Kosnark is out in the arbor patio, practicing with his axe and shield. The place is devoid of people, the fireplace is unlit (though logs are ready), and only one lamp is lit, dim at that.

Before too long, the Marshall shows up through the front door, still clad in her chainmail tunic. Her leather helm rests under one arm, and her sword is sheathed at her hip; her garb glistens from the rain. She looks like she hasn't changed or slept. She wastes no time in getting to the punch, "It is as I feared; the ghouls (she says this as if the word is new to her, and slightly ridiculous) were likely controlled. So far, we have seen no evidence that any others were in town, nor did these two attack anywhere except the tavern, and no one has been reported missing yet, though the priestess identified the female ghoul as a woman from a nearby village." She signs, "The motive for the attack escapes me."

She looks to each of you in turn while speaking, folding both arms around her helm in front of her chest, "This indicates that they were commanded to attack this specific location, having snuck through town to get here, during a rainstorm when few would be out and about and the act would not draw attention from those nearby, since they would not hear it. The priestess told me this was not usual behavior for the risen dead; normally they will attack only small numbers of people, in secluded locations."

The Marshall moves her gaze to the floor at your feet, lifting her eyebrows as if asked a question and the answer seems obvious. She moves an open hand out in front of herself, "This tells me that whoever was controlling the creatures knew this town, and knew that the tavern would hold many undefended people." She waves her hand at the back doorway, where Kosnark is standing, "The male did not flee despite overwhelming odds and having a sure retreat at his back; I can only speculate that they were ordered from afar, the controller having given the orders and not being present to order a retreat. They likely didn't expect the need." She manages a proud smirk.

"The good word, for you anyway, is that the controller must not dwell too far away, or wasn't last night, since the ghouls moved under cover of night, yet the hour was still early, and attacked during a heavy rainstorm; a move which I suspect was planned." She raises her other hand a bit, her pointer finger extended. "The bad news is, these ones bore unhealed claw and bite wounds; yet died from a sickness. The priestess informed me that these creatures carry a foul disease, spread through their fangs, that will slowly kill those infected. Most victims don't last long enough to die from the disease. Also, the disease is simple to treat, and the few who get infected but make it to a healer almost always survive. However, those that do survive, only to die from the sickness, will rise as ghouls. This usually only happens in the wilderness or other places devoid of healers." Her face and eyes are hard as she says this, as if impressing the seriousness of the matter to you.

After a brief pause, she continues, "The ones that attacked here were not created by some necromancer or fell priest; they were spawned by other ghouls. Obviously, there are more about to contend with. Worse yet, we have had no contact with any neighboring villages or outlying farms warning of an outbreak or attack." She smacks one fist into her other opened hand, "These were spawned nearby, from our own folk."

She puts one hand back on the helm, and spreads the other out to you, her tone lighter again, "Normally, I would send Gareth Nirshaier, a local ranger, to look into the matter. He is a veteran tracker and a capable warrior. He keeps watch over much of Elfwind, Woodhaven in particular, and frequently works with the militia and I. Gareth often disappears for days at a time, rarely more than a week, yet I have not heard from him in more than a fortnight. I have asked folk from nearby villages and homesteads who are currently in town if they have seen him,...they have not." She seems to be looking at something far away. "I can guess why, but I pray that I am wrong."

Regaining her composure, she keeps going as if bringing the debriefing to a close, "I have put a call out to the militia to stand watch in case of attack, and I have doubled the town guard, setting a constant cordon around Woodhaven. I have all my usual trackers and woodsmen scouring the surrounding area for signs. I need you to be my agents in this matter; I have no one to spare, and I will not have the militia venture away from their homes when I am not sure where the enemy is. I need you to find whoever is responsible for this, the source of the ghouls, if it is indeed anyone. If you can bring them to me alive, great, but don't expose your necks to do it. I can have the priestess question their corpse, if need be."

Talking fast, she finishes, "My men cannot maintain such levels of activity for long, especially not this early in the year when there is still much work to be done, so I need you to act quickly. I don't know which way to point you; I am leaving that in your hands, though I will give you any information I come across, of course." Finally stopping, she takes a long and deep breath, then simply stands while looking at the assembled group, waiting.

You think she is done speaking.

[u-b]

"Hmmm... trackers and woodsmen... so how many dogs do they have? I know it was rain and all, but the ghouls have some strong odor. Too bad they did not take track." - Atalayne looks at the gnome and the dog, then back at the marchal - "Well, anyway, if zero luck with the dogs, what's plan B? We will need the map, I think, at the very least, and should mark all areas that have been, are being, or are going to be, searched by your men. Other then that..."

Atalayne was trying to squeeze some more thoughts out of his head, but so far there wasn't any.

"Dogs. We need the freaking dogs to sniff through all potential ghoul sites."

[Raginmund]

Magnar scratches his head and tries to think."You say the female was from a nearby village? If tracking proves difficult, perhaps we could journey that way and see if any others from there have been changed."

[Cavir]

"Maybe the priestess can ask the dead from last night? Details of when they were attacked would help."

[JanusJones]

Grimm hasn't looked up from his massive plate of eggs. He lets out a satisfied belch, then crosses his hands over his stomach and places a pair of hairy feet on the table. He begins ticking off his fingers.

"No following a trail in the rain, dogs or no. Priestess would've questioned the corpses if she could. Origin of female body - good idea. If said nearby village was also this ranger's spot, even better." He finishes counting off options by noticing a bit of yolk on his thumb, which he pops into his mouth and sucks thoughtfully on.

He then hops to his feet and looks around. "Well then, shall we be off? Expecting, of course, that should we resolve all the various issues you face, there will at the very least be more delicious meals and comfy beds and general appreciation, possibly expressed in a pecuniary manner."

[The Dragon]

Brandon felt rather refreshed from a good night of sleep. He'd scarcely said a word since they returned from their evening patrol, feeling dead beat by then. The adrenaline that had fueled him through the combat and the following search had left him in quite a state.

He shared his attention between the marshal and the meal on his plate. It felt really good to have a full belly once more, and real food, no less. Trail rations might keep one going, but they were not especially interesting. He supposed that was one good thing about living with his relatives... They might be annoying, but at least the village cookouts promised well-seasoned grub.

A few moments after the marshal rounds off his briefing, and the others come up with a round number of ideas, Brandon sets aside his plate.

"Now, let's get down to the business. Me fine hound here's a good sniffer" he pets Oswald rather indulgently, "But 'e can't sniff things that the rain's washed away. Not even if they were dead and stank something awful. I imagine whatever mongrels the villagers keep won't fare much better. Though if we come across trails, I imagine he'll sound off. Usually does when he smells something he doesn't like."

[Tyrann]

Risper had never been particularly good at the meditation ritual that came so naturally to the rest of his race. But this past night had been terrible. The bed had been far too soft and the floor had been far too hard, so he had finally settled on sitting on his pillow in the now empty tub. Which was a far cry from comfortable, but it would have to do.
Of course the real problem had been that his mind had kept wondering. Ghouls. He had never actually seen them before. Let alone killed them. If that's even what you did to those things.
He even wondered what it would be like to be a ghoul. It might be peaceful.
He hoped it was anyway. For those people. Or what was left of them.
But more than anything he kept going back to the way the ghouls eyes had looked. Empty, but with so much hatred. He wasn't sure if it had a will, but it had a purpose. He'd never seen a determination like that in an elf. Or a human.

The next morning he came walking down the stairs in daylight, deep dark rings under his eyes. He sat down next to Grimm and slowly and carefully started eating his breakfast. He is very particular about where he puts his plate and how he places his cup, knife and fork. When work and tracking is mentioned he says

"If eh. If you guy have a hunch I'll go along. I don't have many ideas myself. I'd just like to learn a bit more about these ghouls. And paying work is always nice."

[Blue_C.]

Osra was simply grateful to be in dry clothing once again. The simple but warm food she'd ordered was a welcome bonus. "I agree. Let's begin at the corpse's origin. They should be warned, either way, and you said you have no one to spare for that task. We can do that as well."

After a moment of reflection, she adds. "I wonder if this woman made a habit of wandering the woods? If she'd stuck close to her village, there should have been a healer near enough to help her. Maybe her family or friends knows what she was doing away from there, and where exactly she might have met the ghoul that turned her?"

[u-b]

"Before we begin at the corpse's origin it might be somewhat useful to know if marshal's men also began at the corpse's origin. Dont' you think so?"

[JanusJones]

Grimm, who's now standing next to the Marshal, tugs impatiently at her pantleg. He whispers loudly and hoarsely, hand cupped over his mouth.

"Hurry up and POINT where the town was, or they might stand around all day THINKING about going instead of LEAVING ..." ... he turns, mid-sentence, and eyes the rest of the party, now staring at him, as though he just realized they were listening.

"Oh. Hey guys. Remember when I said we should go to where the girl was from? Let's do that. I promise you'll have all sorts of opportunities to chat while we're doing that thing one does to get from place to place ... erm, whachacallit ..." he snaps his fingers, suddenly, realization lighting up his face: "WALKING!"

He winks at Osra, walks to the door, and watches the Marshal for a sign.

[Seharvepernfan]

Atalayne: "They have many dogs, and you have one yourself. I have sent a messenger to Gladeroot, the village the woman was from, to warn them and let them know about her, but I did not think to search there...if you're going there, I won't need to. The folk from Gladeroot that I spoke to today did not know anything."

Kosnark: "She spoke to me of her ability to do so, but never mentioned trying to with the ghouls; I agree with Grimm. I'll ask her, to be sure."

Grimm: "Gareth has a cabin nearby. He is not from Gladeroot."

Osra: "I didn't know the woman, but I am interested in how and why she came to such a cruel fate."

[Blue_C.]

Osra follows Grimm out the door, reflecting that whatever else, following the gnome won't be boring. She does purchase a cloak before leaving town with the others, but otherwise says little as they get on the path towards Gladeroot.

[The Dragon]

Grimm reminded Brandon why he disliked gnomes. The smug bastard.
He muttered something under his breath.

Regardless, he followed them out the door, alongside Oswald.

[Cavir]

"I need to 'rab my pack and armor. I'll be down in a few."

Kosnark goes up, dons his armor, grabs his pack and heads back down- ready to go.

[Raginmund]

Hmm, he is small, but I might have to kick him at some point. Magnar muses silently about Grimm. Putting such thoughts aside, he speaks up again. "Very well. Let us travel to Gladeroot and search the forest between there and here for trouble." He strides out with the others, giving the marshal a nod as they left.

[JanusJones]

Grimm gives an exaggerated bow to the Marshal before leading the motley crew out the door. He whistles merrily as he heads in the direction the Marshal pointed.

He asked where the lady ghoul came from, not the ranger's origin, but one spot's as good as another! :smallwink:

As he does, he rolls a copper coin over his knuckles, flipping it end-over-end with a practiced motion. He turns and walks backward, grinning at Osra, Brandon and his hound, Kosnark, and Magnar. Flipping the coin in the air, he catches it and waves at the sky.

"See now, isn't this lovely? On our way and plenty of fresh air to share while we stretch our legs, no? And an adventure in the offing, to boot! Glittergold's grinning on us for sure."

[u-b]

Atalayne followed the band, having only a vague idea about where this Gladeroot is located and without a map to guide further searches, but the band was already on their way and the marshall did not seem to bother with geography anyway, so this all seemed like a clear path of least resistance to follow. One thing Atalayne liked in big teams, is that he does not have to have a slightest idea about how to do stuff and still not be personally blamed for the failure. One thing he did not like in big teams was that given enough size, there are going to be all kinds of personalities. Not that it bothered him much.

[Seharvepernfan]

"Good luck." The Marshall gives you quick directions and wishes you well.

On the way out of town, you pass by a patrol of three men; they are chatting among themselves and don't seem too serious or worried. As you exit the town, you pass through the "cordon"; a ring of watchmen who stand at the ends of streets or on the roofs of buildings in a rough circle around the town. Many young boys and some girls stand or play near them with wooden swords or sticks, obviously excited by the situation.
Some of the men you see are town guards, who wear scale or chainmail, the rest are militiamen in leather. They wield a variety of weapons. Most of them are young men, interspersed with a few bearded middle-agers and a couple of burly women. The guards wear green tabards emblazoned with a white tree, and are acting as something of a heavy infantry; they guard the road entrances. The militiamen all wear a splash of the same shade of green somewhere on their person; either a headband, an armband, a cloak, a pointed hat, a sewn badge, a tunic under their armor, or in one case a painted wood round-shield that bears the tree emblem.

None of them bother you as you leave, but several of them wave and smile, or if within speaking distance, congratulate you on your victory last night. A few ask where you're headed. Further outside town, as you pass through small clusters of houses built up around the road, and later out into isolated farms, you see a few militiamen here and there, standing watch, usually away from the road in some vantage point. Every other adult you see going about their business is armed.

The village of Gladeroot lies some fifteen miles to the northeast, mostly through forest. The Marshall said the last mile or so to the village is outside of the forest, in a vast meadow, in case it's dark and you don't know how far you have yet to go. There are signposts at the edge of town that show which road to take. It will take a full eight hours to walk that far, with Jaina slowing the rest of the group, so you should arrive around nightfall. It is currently mid-morning.

The greenery is bright and vibrant, due to the heavy rain and earliness of the year, and the smaller trees and bushes are budding in bright lime greens and light purples. The pines are a deeper green, and stand out due to their fullness. The road is one long river of mud with standing pools of opaque brown. You find it easiest to walk along one side or the other, where the ground is firmer from detritus, twigs, roots, and rocks. Small, sometimes colorful birds sing, chirp, and zip from one spot to another. Squirrels, chipmunks, and other assorted small mammals are coming and going, chasing each other and otherwise adding to the sounds. A few snow-tailed deer can be seen in the distance in a few spots, but you never manage to see them up close.

The road (a cart track, really) runs almost completely straight for hours from where it exits town, rambling up and along gently sloping bluffs and along creek-sides. The first mile or so is through lightly-wooded farms and fields of heath, but after that is completely forested, except for small pocket glades of dense brush. After several hours, the road starts to descend in elevation; you can see in the distance that the land has dropped into a valley. Abruptly after passing one large moss-covered boulder, the road turns and descends along a steep slope; someone took the time to dig out a mostly-flat gradient bolstered by stacked stones on the uphill side. A few logs have been partly buried every dozen feet or so, to provide traction. A miniature river flows back and forth down the sloped trail.

When you get to the bottom, you can begin to hear what sounds like wind in the trees at first, but you quickly realize it's the sound of a raging ...creek? river? You can't see it yet, but it's clearly at the bottom of this valley you're in, and it's not more than a couple hundred feet ahead at most. The ground begins to level out when Oswald stops, lifts his head with ears perked, looks around, then puts his nose to the ground and sniffs a few times while taking a couple steps, pauses again, then growls...

Just then, a female scream can be heard to the left, more than a stone's throw away in the brush; it sounded like a small woman, perhaps a youth or a gnome. The scream sounds urgent, as if she is actively in danger, and it continues...


...into your turn. Whatever is happening, each second is precious.

You've been walking for several hours, it is early-mid afternoon, and you have not met a single soul on the road; you have no idea who this might be.

The area you are currently in is mostly flat, with a slight slope being higher to your left and lower to your right, but not enough to affect anything. The road you are on is about 10ft wide, being very muddy and wet in the center. The forest to either side is covered in light underbrush, with several pockets of heavy underbrush, usually clustered together and amidst large trees (the underbrush is ferns and scattered small bushes). Trees, both large and small, are scattered about everywhere, along with several slick moss-covered boulders and upthrust spurs of rock. The trees are all deciduous (leafed, not pines), and many are sycamores in this particular area. A few stumps and fallen logs can be found here and there.

None of you can see anything noteworthy.

You are strung along in a line, ten feet from each other, with Brandon being in the lead like so:
kosnark > Grimm/Osra > Magnar > Atalayne > Jaina > Risper > Brandon
Grimm and Osra are only 5ft apart. You can be either on the left side or the right side of the road, whichever you like, but if you like trudging in deep mud for some reason, you can be in the middle.

Kosnark, Brandon, and Grimm may act first.

[Cavir]

Kosnark immediately squats down (impressive for a dwarf) looking in the direction of the sound. He calls out quietly but forcefully so that the party can hear him. "Wait! This is too easy a setup. We're stuck in the mud out in the open and the sound is 'omin' from uphill and 'ust out of sight with plenty of hidin' spots for someone. It might be an ambush. Someone keep an eye out behind us." Kosnark looks to Grimm quickly. " 'rimm, you like to sneak- take a look for us? Someone put an arrow or two into the heavy brush. Take cover!"

Kosnark has axe and shield ready and shifts to a nearby boulder on the left side of the road for cover, checking to his left (where we came from) and behind (the right side of the road).

[The Dragon]

For a fraction of an instant, Brandon stood indescisive. Were they being tricked?
Oswald had growled at the scent. This settled the matter.

"Is might be a trap, but I'nt taking chances. If it ain't a trick, tha' girl's dead!" Brandon shouted, as he spurred Oswald towards the scream, leveling his lance to about chest height of a ghoul or a bandit.

If 40 move speed closing on the scream brings him within 10ft of a hostile, he attempts to skewer it with his lance.
Hit: [roll0]
Damage(2handed): [roll1]Confirm - [roll2]ED: [roll3]
If it doesn't, he takes another move action towards the screaming, drawing his shield, although in this case he'll keep some distance in an attempt to set up a charge on his next turn.

[Seharvepernfan]

Grimm immediately takes off into the underbrush in the direction of the screaming. He passes several trees, and an instant later there is a flash of darkness, as if the sun spurned that particular area of forest, then the gnome is gone.

Brandon and Oswald tear off into the bush; Oswald making large leaping strides to better cover ground. Wet underbrush has a bad habit of flinging water droplets up into your face, making you flinch and blink; an unpleasant experience, but one that is unconsciously ignored in situations like this. After a few seconds, Brandon arms his shield, as there is no-one in sight.

The screaming continues into Block 2's turns.

It is coming from somewhere inside the red circle.
Map: http://i58.tinypic.com/ej9dog.jpg

Legend: Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders

Purple circle was the radius of the flash of darkness.
Red circle is where the scream seems to be coming from.

[Raginmund]

Magnar hustles towards the screaming, skirting what he presumes to be Grimm's area of darkness, ending behind a small tree at 19Q.

[Blue_C.]

"Watch out. There's something else here." As some of the others move towards the scream, Osra angles slightly away from Grimm and raises her hands to cover everyone's backs against whatever it was she heard in the bush.

Osra readies an action to fire at anything undead (or blatantly hostile) looking emerging from the bush where she just heard movement.

Edited to sound a bit better.

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina shook her head.

"You can wait if you like, but I'm not standing around while some farmgirl may be in danger!"

She fell in behind Brandon and Magnar, though her short legs were making it difficult for her to keep up with the two.

Full Round Action: Run (Move to 19U)

[u-b]

Atalayne takes off his backpack, dropping it under a tree alongside the road (Q25) and moves into the forest (P23).

Using stealth with appropriate penalties for moving at full speed.

[Tyrann]

"Eh guys.."

Risper looks at Brandon running and convinced there's no way he's going to stop him he just whispers to himself "That was not a girl.."

He runs into the grass, staying low and trying not to be too visible in case of surprise attackers.


Moving to V23, hiding as part of the move action.
[roll0]
[roll1]
Readying a bow attack for the first thing that attacks any of us, but he will wait for a clean shot (i.e. he won't fire into soft cover).

Just incase it comes up.
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll=Damage]1d6[roll]
[roll=Crit bonus damage]1d6[roll]
[roll=Skirmish]1d6[roll]

[Seharvepernfan]

As the group moves off into the forest at varying speeds towards the screaming, it suddenly stops and a different voice rises above the din of your movements. It is male and raspy, and seems to be intoning a spell. Those of you nearest the voice can see it's origin at the top of a carriage-sized boulder where a large log has fallen over it; a small and thin figure wearing a wolf pelt hood and green cloak, a longbow (sized for it) in it's left hand, it's right hand moving through the somatic component of a spell. It is astride a grey and white timber-wolf that is standing at the top of the fallen log.

The spell comes to an end, and you notice that all the ferns, roots, and small trees around you have begun to wave as if in a strong breeze, and suddenly they begin grabbing at and wrapping around you, trying to pin you in place and constrict your movements. At the same time, several other wolf-mounted figures erupt from the underbrush in the vicinity of the scream, rushing out in a circle around you, weaving around trees and dense patches, throwing javelins and loosing arrows. Then, a barrage of arrows buzz out from various areas of dense ferns and small trees around the group; shouts and grunts of pain can be heard from a few of your companions. Otherwise, the attack is largely silent; the crashing of the advancing wolves and the rustling of the grabbing plants being all that you hear.

All of the attackers that you see appear to be of the same race; small humanoids with thin and lanky frames, greenish-grey skin, and broad flat faces: goblins. They are ugly by your standards, and are all around Grimm's size, leaning towards smaller. They all wear wet and dirty leather armor with especially wet and dirty cloaks of dark green or brown. The mounted ones wear wolf pelts like the one who cast the spell; some of these bear large round wooden shields and have javelins slung across their backs. None of them are within the area of grasping ferns.

Brandon: The ferns on the ground around you wrap their fronds all over Oswald, holding him in place, but you manage to avoid their grasps, being higher up from the ground than he.

Two mounted goblins surge through the undergrowth towards you; one wields a longbow, the other javelins and a large shield. They both fire at you from wolfback; the arrow skitters off a tree between you and the bowman, deflecting wide and missing you entirely. The javelin flies straight to you just over a dense patch of tall ferns, but you raise your shield in a last-second block; you never saw the javelin after it hit your shield, but you felt it slam in and bounce back out. It was not thrown with much strength (compared to your own). You recognize their skill in riding, but they do not seem too skilled in matching their shots up with their mount's movements; you would know.

You hear a third impact on another tree ahead of you and to the left, but you never saw the attack.

Oswald is entangled, you are not.

Jaina: The ferns you are running through wrap their fronds all around your arms and legs, binding you in place. Several missiles barrage Brandon in front of you, and another arrow speeds towards you from the dense patch to his right. Before you can react, it slides between two of the scales guarding your abdomen, impaling itself several inches deep in your stomach. The pain is almost unbearable, but you still have plenty of capacity to continue fighting. You spot the little runt who shot you.

You are entangled and take 6 points of damage. You can try to break free as a full-round action with a strength or escape artist check.

Magnar: The ferns on the ground all around you lash their fronds at you in a constant flurry, but you manage to move quickly enough to keep them from grabbing hold.

Two other mounted goblins ride out to your left in a circling-arc; one rushes by with a bow in hand, seemingly set on some goal far to your left and behind you, the other scans the forest to your left, setting her eyes on you and letting loose with an arrow from atop her striding wolf. It has to go through a narrow space between two large trees to strike you; it is immediately obvious that it will hit the further tree, and you hear it do so.

Risper: The ferns you are trying to sneak through come to life to betray you, wrapping their wet fronds all over your crouching form, but you suddenly bolt forward out of their grasp, maintaining your freedom. From the edge of a dense thicket of young trees, an arrow buzzes past just ahead of you. You instinctively snap a glance in that direction, spotting the would-be marksman.

Grimm: The fern fronds you have immersed yourself in suddenly decide they like you a great deal, and try to show their affection in a stifling way. You quickly slip backwards out of their grasp, promising them that it's you, not them, and you can still be friends. Their wet fronds do not take it too well.

Several goblins have emerged from the forest to appear on your left, but you don't think any of them notice you, since none of them look directly at you.

Atalayne: You recognize the entangle spell as it is being cast, and are ready for it's effects, which you manage to nimbly avoid, seemingly while maintaining your cover; none of the goblins around the edges of the spell send any attacks your way, though this may be due to your position instead.

Kosnark: The forest all around your companions comes to life, trying to ensnare them in it's grasp, but the ferns around you are as calm as they were a moment ago; you must be outside the spell's effect. You are not outside the goblin's notice, however, as two emerge from the forest further on your side of the road, firing arrows at you from dense thickets of ferns. You could not react to the arrows before they reached you, but your choice of location saved you; both arrows ricochet from the mossy boulder at your back. The furthest goblin scrambles onto a large upthrust rock, seeking a better position to shoot you from.

Osra: You don't recognize the spell from it's verbal components, as the caster is far from you and you are not facing him, but it's effects make the entangle spell obvious to you. The ferns just behind you begin writhing and reaching in your direction, but they can do little more than brush against you from that distance.

From the other side of the road, two arrows sail out from dense patches of ferns and young trees on the other side of the fallen log. They both strike before you can react; the first arrow impales your left bicep, protruding bloodily from the other side, and the other embeds itself in your right thigh, inducing the worst pain you have ever felt in your life. You manage to spot both bowmen. Maddeningly, the nearest of the two goblins is just beyond reach of your eldritch powers.

You take 2 and 3 points of damage, respectively.


Feel free to read each others spoilers in this post; I only used them to keep things sane.

Map: http://i62.tinypic.com/20kvo6f.jpg

Legend: Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

Red circle is where the scream seemed to be coming from.
The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
Green G with Black W = goblin who cast the spell

[The Dragon]

Oswald attempts to struggle free of the gripping vines, but they grip him too tightly.
Oswald attempts to struggle free of the entanglement with a strength check - [roll0]
Ignore this:Light hammer throw, attacking goblin in V13.
The area is light green, so if this d5 comes up as a 1, I miss:[roll1]
Attack roll:[roll2]
Damage:[roll3]
Confirm:[roll4]
Damage:[roll5]

[u-b]

Atalayne gets out of the area of grabbing plants and uses a large tree on southern side of the road to get some cover from goblins occupying that side, the thoughts changing fast in his head. "Oh, sh*t... the druid... to run or not to run, that is the question... oh, the wolves... not to run... oh, SH*T..."

Double move to Q28. AC 16 now (shield is not up). Move to Q27 or O27*. AC 18 (readying the shield). Stealth at full speed, mostly not to over-inform farther located goblins. Passive spot/listen.

*Q27 if Q26 does not contain entangling plants (costs 5 feet to move through), O27 otherwse.

[Cavir]

Kosnark hears Osra's reaction to being hit. He glances in her direction and sees the arrows sticking out of her and Atalayne moving across the road. "Our rear is covered best it can for now." Calling out loudly: "There's four on this side. I'll take care of them. Osra- get to cover and stay down!" Kosnark moves up behind a tree in the brush, waiting to hack at any enemy foolish enough to come at him.

EDIT: Seharve commented in PM: "Getting to G23 would take 45ft of movment (despite only being like 12ft away, I know), so it would be a double move, and keep you from readying an attack." So I'm just doing the talk and movement.

Free: talk
Move: to G23 (Double move)
Ready: Standard action: attack when enemy comes in range. Single attack if it is the bowman or if it is the mounted pair then Steel Wind on both (wolf then goblin). If I can't delay the choice when I Ready then I'll stick with Steel Wind.

Attack (on solo goblin or Steel Wind 1st att on wolf): [roll0] (without +1 for goblin)
Damage: [roll1]
Crit Confirm: [roll2] (without +1 for goblin)
Crit damage: [roll3]
Attack (Steel Wind 2nd att on mounted goblin): [roll4] (with +1 for goblin)
Damage: [roll5]
Crit Confirm: [roll6] (with +1 for goblin)
Crit damage: [roll7]
No current stance
AC17 with shield and waraxe

Readied maneuvers:
- Steel Wind
- Leading the Attack
- Moment of Perfect Mind

With Osra- coverage in the heavy green plus prone should make her a very difficult target to shoot at. With CHA=8 he is self-confident but is weak on saying things nicely (and there's no time to waste on being nice in combat)

[Blue_C.]

Feeling no urgent need to mess with the attacking greenery, Osra does the only thing she can think of to actually take some cover: she moves closer to the goblins attacking her, and then drops prone.

She also, naturally, fires at the closer goblin once she does so. At the very least, she can keep these two off Kosnark's back for another moment.

Move to M28, then drop to floor (move action, then free action)
Reading the prone condition, it doesn't sound like my using Eldritch blast should be affected, so I'll assume not. -4 to the attack roll if it turns out it does.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[The Dragon]

Brandon decides to leave Brandon where he was, and get out of this tight situation. He drops his lance into the sea of grasping vines, and makes for the safe area while drawing his sword. "Sorry to leave you, boy."

Double move to 16X.

[Raginmund]

Magnar growls inwardly while looking at the spellcaster, he was sure to cause more mayhem, but for now he judged it best to get with the rest of the party. He turns and runs straight back to the road, taking cover behind a large tree.

Double moving to Q28.

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina gritted her teeth and fought against the green vines entangling her, trying to ignore the pain from the arrow sticking out of her chest. Stupid bloody druid magic... she looked up and sucked in her breath as she realized the little goblin blighter who'd shot her was right on top of her. This was a bad situation all right.

Full Round Action: Attempt To Break Free of Entanglement (Strength Check)
[roll0]

[Seharvepernfan]

The battle in the forest begins in full, with the group mostly evading the entangling ferns and the worst exposure to the arrows of the goblins. A light misty rain falls upon the battlefield, which, along with the nearby raging creek/river creates a background noise that slightly drowns out distant happenings in the fight. The wolf-riders continue to circle around the tangle of writhing undergrowth, falling upon a couple of your allies. A dome of shadows appears closer to the road, but persists this time, cloaking Kosnark in it's darkness. The goblin bowmen continue to launch arrows at whatever target best presents itself.

Brandon: You leap down from atop Oswald and rush through the grasping ferns, but you are too quick for them; they only manage to begin wrapping around you before you blow past. Oswald growls while struggling against their grasp behind you, but it doesn't sound like he makes any progress.

The goblin who cast the spell draws an arrow to his bow and urges his wolf mount to leap down into the ferns below. He directs his wolf straight towards you, guiding it with his knees, and looses an arrow, but not at you. The arrow disappears from your sight behind the tree you are standing behind, and you hear it clack against another tree; you suspect he was aiming at Oswald. He directs his wolf into a patch of dense ferns to avoid the area of his own spell.

The other two mounted goblins continue their rush towards you; the bowman driving his wolf through the same dense patch and coming to a stop a couple yards away from you, and shoots an arrow at you. You were still coming around the edge of the tree, however, and manage to halt your momentum and lean back behind it, forcing the arrow to miss. The other rider drops his javelin and pulls a shortspear from a sheath on the side of his wolf.

The bowman in the dense brush just in front of you tries to turn and plow through the thick ferns, leaving herself open to attack. You step forward, raising your sword, and bring it down in a slash aimed at where you thought she was, but the fern fronds fooled your eyes. "WAAAHHH!" The oncoming spear-wielder draws your attention away from her, and you lose sight of her for a moment, but then you catch a glimpse of her drawing her bow in your peripheral vision. You glance over and see that she is aiming at someone behind you, and that's all the time you have left to spare, as the wolf-rider is upon you.

The snarling wolf leaps up over a particular fern bush between you, coming down in a lunge with wide jaws. The rider stabs downward at the same time. The wolf plows through your raised shield-arm, clamping it's jaws down on your upper sword-arm; you can feel the pressure and hear the metallic clanking, but you don't feel any sharp pains. You wrench your arm out of it's mouth at the same time the rider jabs his spear past your shield and into your chest, but the spear tip slides down along the scales, also failling to penetrate. The goblin shrieks in a raw and bestial tone, frustrated and hateful.

Jaina: The mighty gnome Brandon closes upon the goblin who shot you, slashing his sword at her as she flees from him, drawing you from her attention. She leaves your sight behind the tree she was standing next to, though you see an arrow fly from behind that tree just a couple seconds later.

You push aside your pain, putting all your focus on your muscles, and pull against the grapsing ferns as hard as you can, snapping some and uprooting others, but for every one you free yourself from, another manages to grab you in the interim. You spend several seconds doing this, and fail to gain any ground.

Magnar: You plow through the bewitched greenery, refusing to be stopped by the weak magics of some pathetic goblin. You have to slow your momentum to run around a particularly thick area of brush, slowing your run and keeping you from reaching the road, but you are close. To your right, you see a patch of night appear, undoubtedly the weak magics of your own gnome companion. To your surprise, someone...no, several someones appear, moving to stand against the goblin bowmen who shot Osra. One of the figures, a female clad in chain, wielding a large round wooden shield and a one-handed crossbow, rushes across the road to kneel over Osra, covering the prone elf with her shield. You notice red hair spilling out from under her helm; it's the Marshall and her militia-men! You didn't see or hear approaching...how could this be?

Risper: You level a cold elven stare at the wretch who tried to put an arrow into you, then rush towards him through the cold, wet ferns. He tries to put another arrow to his string, but by then you are upon him. His eyes widen in fright when you slide to a stop just before him, loosing an arrow of your own, which slams straight into his chest, piercing his leather armor and quivering loudly in place for seconds on end. He looks at it blankly before his eyes glaze over, falling flat on his back amidst the thick ferns.

From the melee a ways to your left, the goblin who shot Jaina rounds a large tree, drawing her bow and loosing at you. You see the arrow coming through the rainy mist in slow motion, easily side-stepping the shaft long before it gets to you while drawing another arrow to your bow.

Grimm: You open your clenched fist, letting the shadows spill out and cloak you in a piece of night. Thus hidden, you prowl through the wet, enshrouded ferns towards the bow-wielding goblins to your left, avoiding their clingy neediness with the adriotness of a busy lover with many affairs under his belt; you grin smugly to yourself. You manage to get far enough to draw the dwarf Kosnark into your field of dark magic. None of the goblins out in the light seem to be able to spot you, though the darkness has their complete attention; many of them altering their course to go around it. The two bowmen both release arrows at where Kosnark was last, then turn and move away form the darkness.

To your left, Osra lies prone in the mud, two arrows protruding from her form, and fires an eldritch laser at a goblin bowman behind a fallen tree on the other side of the road. She seems in big trouble...

Atalayne: Your fevered flight from the center of the battle and the entangling ferns leads you out into the middle of the road, making you feel quite vulnerable, considering what you witnessed happen to Osra, but you manage to end in a spot that leaves you out of any direct lines of attack, and you armed your shield during your run to boot.

To your right, you notice another field of darkness, though this one lasts more than an instant. From it's nearest edge, several figures emerge; armor-clad and wielding weapons and shields...the Marshall?!? Osra fires one of her magic rays at the goblin bowman behind the log; you can't see it due to a large tree between you, but you do see splinters fly through the air on the far side, and you can hear the goblin shriek. The Marshall rushes on silent feet across the muddy road (without leaving any footprints, you notice) to kneel over the prone Osra, defending the wounded elf with her shield and leveling a one-handed crossbow over the top at the goblin bowmen in front of them.

From behind the tree, an arrow whizzes out, straight into the Marshall, no! Through! For a split second, you stand confused, then a second arrow streaks out, this one angled down towards Osra, who manages to roll away from it...through the leg of the Marshall...

Kosnark: You plow through the thick vegetation with undwarven fleetness but very dwarven bloodlust. As the goblins draw more arrows to their bows and take aim, all you can think about is which move you will finish them with.

One of the wolf-riders races between the two bowmen, releasing an arrow while the wolf bounds through the ferns. The arrow flies wide; you never needed to move. Just then, you are suddenly in darkness like you've never experienced; you can barely see your own arms! Everything around you is...well, ...dark. This must be what humans see at nighttime, yet it is daylight mere feet away...Grimm.

Your attention is rudely grabbed by an arrow that narrowly misses you, nicking your beard as it passes. A second arrow buzzes in at a different angle, thwacking through the fronds just in front of you; luck is with you. The goblins who shot at you turn and move away; one hopping up and over the fallen log behind it. The wolf-rider appears around the far side of the same log, looking much more confident and eager for a fight.

Osra: You skitter forward through the slippery mud, diving unceremoniously to the ground and unleash the fey-granted power bestowed you; the familiar violent buzzing-hum surging out from your hand to sear the air between you and your goblin foe. Your aim wasn't good enough, however, and your ray instead blasts a hole through the top of the log, sending moss and soft wet bark splintering through the air, causing the goblin to shriek in surprise and duck behind the log. The pain of your wounds seems like a deathknell, and you can't help but feel the dread of an approaching doom...then, in perfect silence, a wooden shield drops down in front of your face.

You turn your head to look up and see a crouching humanoid form in leather and mail. Your mind races, trying to figure out who this is, but you can't figure it out in the sliver of a moment before those goblins draw their arrows. Just then, you hear the buzzing hiss of arrowflight, which passes just above you...it must have been a close miss, as the figure never moved and you didn't hear an impact. From the edge of your vision, you notice the goblin at the far end of the log aiming it's bow in your direction; you see it eye the person above you in obvious suspision, then lower it's gaze to you. With no further warning, it releases the arrow. You jolt to your right as hard as you can, rolling up onto your side. You expected to hit the figure kneeling over you, but you didn't, and the arrow flies into the mud just to your left with a sad squishing sound.

The goblin grunts then dashes around the other side of the log, seeking cover.All the unmounted goblins on the other side of a log are kneeling (+2 AC).

Feel free to read each others spoilers in this post; I only used them to keep things sane.

Map: http://i62.tinypic.com/vii4k9.png

Legend: Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

Purple is an area of shadowy illumination.
The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
-with an "A" = armed with a bow
-with an "M" = armed with shortspear/javelins
Green G with Black W = goblin who cast the spell
Square tinted red = dying/dead character

[The Dragon]

Brandon let out a shrill whistle as he turned his attention on the uncoming greenskin. Oswald would know to come to him, they'd trained this.
Having wrenched his armored arm free of the wolf's jaws, he stepped back from it to make room to swing his sword at the rider. They were coming at him from an inconvenient side. He really wished he was left-handed right now.
Enough chatter! He focused wholly on the rider, and broght his sword up when he thought he saw a brief opening.
I hit the goblin in Y16 with my sword: Concealment, miss on a 1:[roll0]
Hit:[roll1]
Damage:[roll2]Hit:[roll3]
Damage:[roll4]
I use a move action to get Oswald to "come". Handle Animal DC10: [roll5]
Oswald attempts to struggle free with a strength check: [roll6]
Edit: I hate those ferns.

[u-b]

After getting out of the area of grappling bushes, Atalayne had some time to look around and while he did not reem to be in immediate danger from any of the goblins, the opposite also seemed to be true: no goblin was in immediate danger of getting a javelin from the cleric. On the plus side, there was a solid looking barbarian nearby, and we all know what clerics do to barbarians...

"Perisai iman!" - with these words, drawind a scrap of parchament from belt pouch and quickly forming several strange figures with his right hand, Atalayne stepped towards the barbarian and as the air around his hand began to glow lightly in mild golden tones, patted Magnar on the shoulder, leaving the parchament on him - "Go kill." - and, as the glow was slowly engulfing Magnar, getting fainter and fainter, drew a javelin.

Step to P26, casting shield of faith on Magnar.

[Blue_C.]

Goblins, a day at work. Nearly dying, luck of the draw. But stark impossibilities is a bit too much for Osra to handle this early in the day. She curls up, deciding that as long as her foes are confused and staying back, she's doing enough for now, and that surviving is her next highest priority.

Total defense action, while still prone.

[Raginmund]

Magnar is shocked by the appearance of the Marshall and her militia men. Had they been following them, cloaked in magic? Were they illusions? They seemed to be helping Osra though, so he decided to act as though they were friendly.

"Oh, I mean to." he say eagerly in answer to Atalyne. He moves across the road down closer to goblins crouching behind the log and hurls a throwing axe at the one on the far end.

Moving to O30 and attacking the goblin at P33. Taking a -2 penalty on the attack roll for firing one range increment beyond 10'.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Cavir]

Kosnark had planned on the goblins coming at him one or two at a time. Instead they were now creating an archers defensive line behind a fallen tree. He knew he had to break that growing advantage. He eyed a spot just right for him to get to- their line ended just short of a small tree in heavy brush. If he could make it there he'd be on their side of the log with a large standing tree to his back, a boulder to his left, the log to his right, and a line of goblins in front of him. A near perfect one-dwarf defensive spot to limit their numbers.

Kosnark barreled forward through the brush, trampling ferns and slicing any extra thick branch in his way. If there had been a friendly druid around they might not be so friendly anymore. Coming out of the darkness he gave a loud dwarven shout "Yeeeeaaahhhhhh". As he reached the log he slid across the top of it into the heavy brush. It gave the closest wolf a chance to strike but it was worth the risk.

"One dwarf is better than the whole lot of ya!"

Double move to C22 via F22 and straight across.

No current stance
AC17 with shield and waraxe

Readied maneuvers:
- Steel Wind
- Leading the Attack
- Moment of Perfect Mind

[Tyrann]

"I'm not.. running?"

Risper looks confused for a moment as the realization hits him. He should be running. He always ran. But he wasn't. This was odd. But it was right. It felt right. Exhilarating even. He briefly looked down at the slain goblin and considered that it was weird that death made him feel so alive. But then he looks at the next goblin, tilting his head slightly to the side and grins, revealing one single canine.

"I'm not running.. which means"

He speeds over to the goblin that tried to shoot him just before, comes to a gliding stop to get into a proper position to quickly aim and lets an arrow fly point blank, aiming at the goblins chest.

"Hi. have an arrow."


Moving to Z19, attacking the goblin in Z18.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina looked at the tree where the goblin had vanished for a moment before nodding her head in relief. "Not bad for a gnome. Argh, release me you damned vines!"

Once again, she struggled and fought against the greenery ensnaring her.
Full Round Action: Strength Check to free herself
[roll0]

[Seharvepernfan]

The two wolf-rider flanks each fall upon one of the group's warriors, but fail to bring them down, indeed they fail to so much as wound them. The dome of shadows moves closer to the two goblin bowmen menacing the road, swallowing up the Marhsall and her militiamen, and thus the prone Osra. The group's third available warrior, Magnar, rushes the two bowmen. The sounds of battle echo dully among the wet ferns and white-barked trees.

Brandon: You slip out of the wolf's jaws, and quickly step forward to slash laterally at the rider, but as wolf also steps back, a fern it was forcing down springs back up into place, flinging water and blocking your view, ruining your aim. Behind you, Oswald continues his growling struggle against the grasping ferns; it doesn't sound like he's been successful. He must be pretty confused and frightened right now.

The caster goblin urges his grey timber-wolf closer, rushing just past the other mounted bowman, then sharply left to stand in front of the boulder, beside a small tree. He quickly raises his bow, loosing an arrow at you, which flies through where you were standing just before you step forward to slash at the spear-wielder. Without missing a beat, he draws and nocks another arrow, re-aiming and letting fly. The second arrow flies low and tears through a fernbush to your left, which is currently between you and he, but misses your body entirely.

The spear-wielder's black wolf lunges forward again, snarling and flinging spittle, but you lean backwards just out of it's reach; it's jaws snap closed just a hands-breadth away from your neck. Meanwhile, the rider leans forward, jabbing his spear-arm towards you, his spear slamming into the scales of your left shoulder, sliding up and through the leather. The very tip of the spear stabs into your shoulder about an inch, feeling like a particularly bad bug-bite.

The other mounted bowman draws a shortspear from a sheath on her wolf's saddle with his right arm, holding his bow in his left. She leaps her wolf in a large curving arc over the edge of the grasping ferns; it comes down with open jaws onto your raised shield. You force it's head and neck to twist to the left as the rest of it's body comes down for the landing. The goblin rider then stabs her spear down at you, aiming under your shield at your legs, which she cannot actually see, causing her jab to also miss your legs.

You've never been in such a tight spot in your life, and it is both exhilirating and terrifying at the same time. You barely even notice the goblin bowman over in the heavy ferns fall from an arrow.

You take 1 point of piercing damage.

Jaina: Like the gnome's dog, you also cannot manage to break free from these damned ferns before yet more of them wrap around you. You've never hated magic more in your life than at this very moment. You notice the elf Risper burst forward and put an arrow into the goblin who put one into you, and you are apparently much tougher than the goblin, because it falls like a rock. The gnome is holding his ground admirably, and it seems some relief has arrived to help him.

Magnar: You cannot actually feel or see the elf cleric's spell, and you hardly care. He touched you as you were running by, and you continue running without a pause, crossing the muddy road and drawing your axe, then plowing through the wet ferns and launching the axe with all your might at the puny goblin bowman at the end of the log. Your axe spins twice rapidly in the air, before slamming hard into the small tree the goblin was standing behind. It hit before the goblin could react, causing the goblin to shriek and duck reflexively. You growl; if it weren't for that damn tree, the goblin would be on the ground.

The goblin then draws and releases an arrow at you, which you are too fast for, intentionally sidestepping it. The goblin watches with wide eyes, but holds it's ground bravely (or foolishly). The other goblin bowman opposite the log from you appears from behind the large tree that stood between you; it runs around an area of denser ferns, moving into a less-thick spot next to another large tree, then turns around and launches an arrow at you as well. It's aim was terrible, though, and the arrow flies far too wide. You did not even react to it. If you wish to attack the goblin you just missed, you'll have to stand on the log, giving up your concealment and make a DC 10 balance check (as the log is wet and covered in moss), but you'll gain a +1 height bonus to your attack roll. That's the only way to make an attack this round unless you want to throw another weapon.

Risper: These goblins don't learn very well, you notice. You burst forward through the ferns, sliding to another stop and releasing an arrow, which impales the thing through the neck, protruding bloodily through the other side as the creature hiss-gasps and collapses out of sight into the dense ferns.

A fierce melee is taking place just on the other side of the dense ferns and large tree from you. The gnome Brandon is facing off against three wolf-riders by himself and is faring well at the moment.

Grimm: The dwarf Kosnark rushes out of the shadows, hopping the log and sliding down into an area of thick brush. He is set upon by the goblins, but has chosen a good spot and fares well. You turn your attention to the fight on the road, moving closer to it and trying to remain hidden, though it seems no one is even looking for you.

Your dome of shadows covers up the Marshall and her militiamen, and they can dimly be seen holding their ground and looking around for other threats as the darkness consumes them. The warrior Magnar rushes towards the goblin bowmen despite their oncoming arrows, and flings an axe. It seems that the wounded Osra is not in any danger now.

The grasping ferns finally get their revenge, however, as you move back into the area of the spell and come around a large tree just behind the militiamen. Your brazen disregard for their feelings must have angered them, as they manage to wrap several wet fronds around you tightly enough to cut off the circulation in your small limbs.

You are entangled.

Atalayne: You touch the human warrior Magnar as he rushes by, granting him a touch of power from your god. He flings his axe at one, but narrowly misses, the axe instead embedding itself in a small tree. The two bowmen both shoot at him, but he gets through the attack unscathed.

To your right, the globe of shadows approaches to within an arm's reach of you, covering the silent Marshall and her men. The other two fights are largely out of your sight.

You did not draw your javelin at the end of your last turn, since you didn't have any actions left. Don't forget that you can't draw one as part of a move until you have a bab of +1.

Kosnark: You rush out of the darkness, somewhat surprising the goblins on the other side of the log, then hop up and mostly over the fallen tree, sliding down the far side. As you do, the wolf lunges forward and snaps it's jaws at you, but it apparently wasn't expecting you to slide, and so it's head flies past you as you go down into the ferns.

Behind the nearest goblins, one of the wolf-riders bounds towards you, stopping a short distance behind the one in front of you, past some small trees, and begins moving it's non-bow hand through a series of gestures, while muttering some arcane bull****. You brace for the spell, whatever it will be, and thus you aren't surprised when it shoves it's open palm towards you and you are assaulted with a sudden strong headache, which quickly passes without any further noticeable effect. You aren't sure, but you think you have resisted the spell. The goblin caster looks a bit unsure, herself.

While that was happening, the wolf-mounted bowman in front of you reaches for a sheathed shortspear with her right hand, leaning back to slide it out. Meanwhile, her wolf begins lunging forward for another bite. You take the opportunity to step forward and slash your axe down and onto the goblin's exposed collarbone, snapping it with a loud "CRACK!" and cleaving her chest open, splitting her leather breastplate and ribcage alike.

The wolf's jaws dart in and close down on your exposed armpit, and you feel the tight pressure of it's fangs and jaw muscles, but it's teeth never pierce your scale hauberk. The goblin passes out instantly, with no breath for a scream. It had begun to lean back from the force or your blow and from passing out, dropping it's bow and spear from both hands, but it is suddenly snapped forward when the wolf lunges. The wounded goblin stays sitting in the saddle, but is obviously out of the fight, with blood pouring out of it's wound down it's front and onto the saddle and the wolf's back.

Seeing this, the bowman behind her hops up on the log while drawing a shortsword from a sheath strapped across it's lower back, and begins moving towards you atop the log. Before it gets into position, however, it slips upon the wet moss and falls onto your side of the log, squeezed between it and the snarling wolf, getting lost to sight in the ferns. "WAAOOH"

The other goblin bowman follows the dome of darkness towards the road, stopping next to a boulder, then turns and shoots an arrow at you. You notice and begin to react, but the arrow flies low, thunking into the other side of the fallen tree. While watching it, you notice the spear-wielding wolf-rider from farther off begins rushing towards you, having dropped it's javelin and drawing a shortspear. It passes the foot bowman, avoids an area of dense brush, passes around a small tree, then leaps it's wolf up onto the log. The wolf's paws catch hold firmly without any slippage, and the rider howls, jabbing it's spear down at you from it's superior height (something it's surely not used to). The sudden stop must have thrown off it's aim, because the spear goes too wide, passing between the wolf's head and you in a diagonal thrust. It curses and spits at you.


Osra: You curl up in the fetal position on your side, the arrows sticking painfully out in awkward positions, your blood mixing with the wet mud. You hear someone run past towards the goblins, then you notice that the light has disappeared; you can barely see your arms in front of your eyes. You're not sure what's going on, but you aren't being shot at, at least.

All the unmounted goblins on the other side of a log have +6 from cover when standing, rather than +4, since they only barely rise above the log.

Feel free to read each others spoilers in this post; I only used them to keep things sane.

Map: http://i60.tinypic.com/25roy7a.png

Legend: Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

Purple is an area of shadowy illumination.
The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
-with an "A" = armed with a bow
-with an "M" = armed with shortspear/javelins
Green G with Black W = goblin who cast the spell
Square tinted red = dying/dead character

[The Dragon]

This was going amazingly well, Brandon thought. He might not have hit anything yet, but if someone told him this morning that by now he'd be holding off three goblins and their sodding greybacks, he'd have told them to go shove...

Just then, he felt the sharp pain of biting steel, as the wretch thrust a spear into the shoulder of his shield-arm.

Right. No time for congratulatory thinking. He whistled for Oswald once more, and stabbed wildly back at the goblin who'd just drawn blood.

Time to even the odds.

Oswald atttempts to get free once more. Strength Check:[roll0].
Rolling miss chance for Brandon's attack. Miss on a 1 - [roll1]
Attack roll:[roll2]
Damage:[roll3]Confirm:[roll4]
Damage:[roll5]

[Cavir]

The goblin unpacking his spear gave an opening that Kosnark took full advantage of, chopping down through its collar bone. The move briefly opened a chance for it's mount to bite Kosnark in his right armpit. The armor held and the continuing downswing had his upper arm push its muzzle away. With his dwarven waraxe low and to the left, Kosnark planted his feet into the ground, twisted his wrist to turn the axe blade upward, and put his whole body into an upward swing to the right, aiming to cut through both wolves. The power of the swing kept the axe going up past the wolf on the log leaving Kosnark slightly open but also left his shield in a good place to deal with his enemies.

Swift: Initiate Punishing Stance (+1d6 damage on melee attacks, -2AC)

Standard Action: Steel Wind (2 melee attacks on separate targets with no penalty)

1st Attack (wolf in C21): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Stance Damage: [roll2]
Miss Chance (fail on 1): [roll3]
Crit Confirm: [roll4]
Crit damage: [roll5]
2nd Attack (wolf on log in D22): [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]
Stance Damage: [roll8]
Crit Confirm: [roll9]
Crit damage: [roll10]
Punishing Stance
AC17 (-2 Punishing Stance, +2 small tree)
HP 14
Shield and waraxe

Readied maneuvers:
- Steel Wind (Used)
- Leading the Attack
- Moment of Perfect Mind

[Blue_C.]

Osra stands under the cover of the darkness. Between the darkness and those moving to this part of the battle, it was time she re-entered the fray.

But, first, time to find a tree.

Move action to stand, then another move action to make for the tree in K30. If she has move remaining, she will climb the side facing away from the log.

[u-b]

Assuming that Magnar will either handle two goblins just fine or spend an eternity chasing them through the woods, Atalayne still had to solve the dilemma about which flank to help. Not being sure that he's making right decision, he quickly moved west along the road...

Not running. Ending the movement in C26, F26, or anywhere east of that if cannot get that far.

[Raginmund]

Magnar throws caution to the wind and runs forward to leap atop the log the goblins have been crouching behind.

Balance:

From his new vantage point he slams his hammer down at the one in his reach.

Attack: [roll]1d20+4
Damage: 1d8+3

[Raginmund]

Sorry to double post, but apparently you can't edit in new rolls.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina's speech had descended into pure angrish and ceased to resemble any known language as she continued trying to get clear of the encroaching greenery.

Strength Test
[roll0]

[CrimsonKnight]

Reflex Save
[roll0]

[Seharvepernfan]

The tide of battle seems to be swinging in your favor; the goblins are being repulsed or chased off. Those that aren't, are facing much worse prospects than just a few moments ago. The dome of shadows at the center of the battle holds still; the entangling plants waving eerily in the darkness. Several shouts of pain ring out from opposite flanks of the combat, almost completely goblin in origin. A bright flash of multi-colored light can be glimpsed from over on Kosnark's flank.

Brandon: Oswald continues his struggle against the binding undergrowth, growling and thrashing all around; you think you catch the sound of him actually biting them in fear and frustration.

You step forward and thrust your blade into the weak little wretch who just stabbed you. Your sword-arm goes over the wolf's head; your sword passes the goblin's shield and pierces his leather breastplate, sliding deep into his abdomen. He squeals in pain, then squeals even louder when you retract your blade. He drops his spear, clutches his hand to his bloody wound, then promptly passes out, leaning forward over the saddle, his shield-arm hanging limp.

However, the wolf takes advantange of your closeness, jabbing it's snarling head towards your shield-arm shoulder, clamping it's powerful jaws down. This time, it's fangs manage to penetrate through, forcing several scales aside and going through the leather beneath them; you yell in pain as it's teeth poke holes into your shoulder-meat. It then drops it's body down, pulling back with all fours and trying to yank you off your feet. You catch yours, however, amidst the thick ferns, and manage to bash it's head with a gauntleted hand, breaking it's hold and gaining your freedom.

While that is happening, the elf Risper fires an arrow over your personal melee and into the caster goblin's shoulder; you hear him shriek. The caster goblin responds by directing his wolf past the one you are dealing with, through the dense brush behind it and around the small boulder. He spins around in the saddle, facing his mount's rear, and looses two arrows at you while his wolf rides past. The first arrow sails above you, too high to warrant a dodge, the second zips into the ferns between you two, disappearing from sight. He then spins back around in the saddle, chasing his wolf after the elf who shot him; he is clearly a skilled mounted-archer, moreso than you (despite his recent string of mis-aims).

The wolf-rider to your left urges hers into another attack, the wolf dashing forward through the brush to bite at your legs, but you step away, momentarily disappearing from it's view in the ferns, ruining it's aim. The rider, undeterred, tries to run you through with her spear, but she mis-timed the attack, and her spear comes up short.

The number of enemies you are directly facing has halved in the past few seconds, but you're not sure that's going to make the difference for you; your shoulder feels on fire.

You take 5 point of damage.

Jaina: With a surge of angry strength, you burst and rip every fern frond grasping your body, gaining your freedom. You quickly try to flee from the spell's area, which is agonizingly close. As you near it's edges, the plants try to wrap around you again, but this time you are moving too quickly and they fail to so much as brush against you.

The goblin responsible for your containment has just ridden a short distance past the large tree in front of you, and is menacing the elf named Risper who has just put an arrow into him.

Magnar: You rush forward and leap atop the moss-covered log, your boots almost slipping, though you manage to keep your balance and bring your warhammer down on the little runt who just tried to shoot you. It shrieks and ducks behind the small tree between you two, narrowly dodging your descending hammer, then fleeing without so much as a look back. It dives into the thick ferns behind itself, disappearing around a large tree and running off past it. The other goblin bowman watches this happen, a blank look on it's face, then suddenly turns and also flees through a line of dense ferns in a separate direction.

Cowards.

Risper: As the goblin you just shot descends into the thick ferns in which it stood, you are already nocking another arrow to your bow, scanning the melee in which Brandon has mired himself. You spot the bastard who cast the entangle spell, hanging back behind two other wolf-riders while loosing arrows at Brandon. You decide he needs a lesson, lifting your own bow and sighting in on him. You let loose, your arrow buzzing over Brandon and his immediate enemies, past the small tree the caster was using as cover, and into his bow-arm's shoulder. He shrieks and you grin, then dart around the large tree to your left, to prevent him from putting any arrows back into you.

However, he has apparently decided to not let this insult stand, and rushes his wolf through the brush towards you. He shoots a couple arrows at Brandon while riding over, but you don't hear any indication that they hit. Within seconds, he and his grey timber-wolf are on top of you, leaving you with no good options. You suddenly don't feel so smug.

You deal 6 damage.

Grimm: You decide to let the ferns have their way with you, though they are both painfully tight and uncomfortably cold at the same time. You have more important things to do than spend time trying to slip out of their graps anyway. You focus on the situation at hand, standing immobile in the shadows, one frond wrapping around your face and pulling your head to the right. Oh well.

Atalayne: Witnessing the two arrows fly past Magnar without harming him, and Osra standing to run behind a tree and start climbing up it with her strange powers, you decide to go help one of the more pressing battles. You quickly dash through the shadows along one edge of the road, passing between the silent marshall and her militiamen, exiting out the other side and coming up behind the defensive stand of Kosnark.

He is holding off against a couple wolves and their riders. One is balancing atop the large log, it's rider jabbing a spear down at the dwarf. Further past that, a third wolf-rider can be seen, armed with a bow and watching the fight with a look of concentration.

From behind you, out of the shadows, the Marshall and her men silently rush out, half of them armed with bows now (though they weren't carrying any earlier), and take positions along the road. A lone goblin bowman further off from the melee takes note with a look of surprise; he turns tail and runs off behind a tree without loosing another arrow. Just then, though you can't see it, you can hear Kosnark attack someone, and there is a noise like an axe hitting a block of wood. A wolf yipes and can be heard crashing away through the brush.

The distant wolf-rider then suddenly (and surprisingly) launches into a spell; you don't manage to catch just what it is before it goes off, but once it does the effect makes it obvious; a cone of intensely bright flashing colors. The caster then wastes no time in riding her wolf further towards the road in a diagonal line, disappearing behind a large tree from your sight. It seems like Kosnark resisted the spell, since you can hear metal tearing flesh and a goblin shriek in pain.

It was color spray.

Kosnark: You find yourself in an ideal position to use your best offensive maneuver,which you do forthwith. Taking a mighty, wide-legged stance, you raise your axe high above your head, then bring it down in a sweeping down-then-back-up slash, cutting the wolf on the ground in front of you across the snout, splitting it open, bringing the axe down towards the ground and then back up at the wolf on the log, avoiding the tree between your two targets. Your aim has gone awry by the time you bring your axe towards the second wolf, however, and your axe whiffs past it's head harmlessly. The wolf you slashed yelps, backing away like you've seen some dogs do when presented with something that smells awful, then turning around and darting off through the underbrush, tail between it's legs, with it's unconscious rider bouncing along.

The goblin who cast a spell at you earlier launches into another, which you prepare for by focusing your mind and hardening it against attacks. The spell comes blasting at you in a flashing cone of painfully bright multi-colored lights, assaulting your eyes and mind with hostile intent, but you barely notice the pain, and your actions seem unhindered. The caster rides off on her wolf with a look of bitter anger.

The rider on the log urges his mount to attack, but the wolf struggles to keep it's balance, and is unable to bring an attack against you. The rider suffers no such problem, however, and jabs at you again with his spear, but your change of stance let a few trampled ferns spring back into place, the spear darting in among them and losing it's way, never so much as touching you. The rider curses again in it's foul language.

The bowman who slipped off the log appears again in the brush, attempting to stand up and bring it's shortsword to bear; but you waste no time in bringing your axe back down at it, barely cleaving a long line through it's leather armor and across it's left flank and back, causing it to squeal pitifully in pain, then flee, leaving a trail of blood on the wet ferns.

You deal 4 damage to the bowman (it was a half-damage hit).

Osra: You muster the willpower to get up despite the pain and fear of getting pierced again, and you discover that the Marshall is not truly present; as you move right through her as you go. Having no time to think about it, you then run along the road a short ways, re-entering the overcast daylight, then dash into the brush and clamber up the side of a large sycamore, getting about a body-length off the ground.

All the unmounted goblins on the other side of a log have +6 from cover when standing, rather than +4, since they only barely rise above the log.

Feel free to read each others spoilers in this post; I only used them to keep things sane.

Map: http://i60.tinypic.com/nxkrqr.png

Legend:
Osra mini-letters: SC = spider-climbing, 2 = number of squares above ground level (so she's in the 5ft-10ft square, or the first one up)

Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

Purple is an area of shadowy illumination.
The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
-with an "A" = armed with a bow
-with an "M" = armed with shortspear/javelins
Green G with Black W = goblin who cast the spell
Square tinted red = dying/dead character

[CrimsonKnight]

"Finally! Moradin grant me strength, I swear I am going to cut this whole bloody forest down and use it to build a bunch of orphanages."

Ripping the arrow free of her chest contemptuously (her armor, fortunately, had prevented it from penetrating too deep), Jaina spotted the cause of her plant frustration battling Risper.

"You! I want to have a few words with you..."

Full Round Action: Move to 21Y

[The Dragon]

"Oswald, I need you!" Brandon was not having fun anymore.

He brought his sword around again, this time deciding that the dead goblin's wolf was more important than the other rider. And while the remaining goblin might not be a skilled rider, he was still not taking the gamble of attempting to take his wolf out from under him.

Oswald Strength check. [roll0]
If he's successful, Here's a fast mount check, if it doesn't work, I use a move action. [roll1]

Attack the riderless wolf (no edit here, no sir.)- Miss on a 1: [roll2]
Hit: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]Confirm: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6]Edit: Meh.

[Cavir]

The flash of colors causes Kosnark to glance in that direction in time to see the caster dashing off. He calls out loudly and firmly-

"Never mess with a dwarf."

Kosnark darts his head back to his immediate opponent. He lets out a mentally clearing breath. Strike True. and swings hard at the wolf's center of mass.

Free: Talk
Move: replace with a swift action
Swift+Standard: Recover maneuvers and melee attack on the balancing wolf

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Stance Damage: [roll2]
Crit Confirm: [roll3]
Crit damage: [roll4]
Punishing Stance (+1d6 damage, -2 AC)
AC17 with shield and waraxe, -2 for stance, +2 for small tree
14/14 hp

Readied maneuvers:
- Steel Wind
- Leading the Attack
- Moment of Perfect Mind

[Tyrann]

Realizing that this goblin ranger must be far more experienced than he himself was (probably four to five times more so, in fact) Risper decides that even though helping Brandon would be ideal, he really can't go toe to toe, or toe to claw if you will, with this aggressor and his equally aggressive mount.

Instead he attempts to dodge the wolf's bites while he retreats to the bushes next to Jaina in hopes of disappearing in the ferns. Fighting from cover is always the better option after all.


Standard action: total defense action for AC of 18.
Move action: Moving to W23. Attempting to hide as part of move action once he reaches the ferns.

[roll=Move Silently]+2

[u-b]

Atalayne steps out from behind the bushes and throws a javelin at the wolf balancing on the log, hitting him in the side, then draws another javelin.

Balance this, both of you!

Javelin [roll0] for [roll1] (point-blank shot and precise shot in effect)

[Blue_C.]

After carefully making her way around the tree, Osra sends a bolt of energy at the goblin just barely still in range of her bolt. As it flies, she considers saying something witty, but instead just grunts in pain.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Raginmund]

"There is no escape for you!" Magnar yells as he crashes after one of the fleeing goblins and hurling another axe.

Moving diagonally to N33 and attacking.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Seharvepernfan]

The three wings of the battle intensify, with almost the entire group actively engaged in the fighting. The sounds rise to a crescendo; screaming goblins, snarling wolves, buzzing arrows and searing blasts of eldritch power, metal slamming into wooden shields, flesh being torn, and the crashing of undergrowth both near and far, all over the quiet murmur of misty rain and the constant background roar of the flooding waterway. The dome of shadows stands still and silent in the center, separating the three wings from each other.

Brandon: Oswald whines when you call him; he's trying desperately to get free, but to no avail. You are on your own. You grit your teeth and get down to the task of slaying a wolf.

Doing your best to fend off three separate attackers at once, you time your movements so that you can swipe at one enemy without leaving openings for the other two. Noticing the riderless wolf edging closer, ready to lunge at the first opportunity, you try to bait it in by pretending to be off-guard; it bites. Lunging forward over the now-trampled ferns, the wolf streaks in, snarling and flinging spittle. You swing your sword sideways as hard as you can, trying to slice it's mouth open even wider, but the wolf manages to halt it's lunge for a fraction of a second, causing your blade to fly past harmlessly. It then continues without hesitation, clamping it's jaws down on your exposed arm, finding or making gaps in the scale, tearing your flesh open and snapping bone. Letting it's front feet hit the ground, it then tries to pull you off your feet again.

Slightly off-balance from your attack, you are in no position to resist it's tug. You are yanked hard, pulled to the ground amidst the wet ferns. The other wolf wastes no time in lunging forward as well, finding it's way through the ferns to bite at the back of your neck. You try to scramble aside and lift your shield, but you are in too awkward a position to muster force that quickly. You duck your head in the last fraction of a second left, with nothing else to do, and you feel it's fangs close down...then pain. With four separate wounds, each as bad as any you've ever had, the pain is unbearable; you can't think of anything else. You get light-headed, sounds start to seem distant and indistinct, then you start feeling warm and sleepy. Blackness.

Nobody saw it, but the goblin tried to stab you again and failed.

You fall unconscious.

Jaina: You hear a snarl and a sudden rustling; someone got attacked. The focus of your ire in close proximity, you rush out around the tree, amidst the ferns, gripping your maul and shield-handle tightly, your jaw set in determination. You are almost plowed over by Risper, who is busy fleeing the wolf-rider. You pass him by, drawing close to the goblin filth and it's mangy mount.

Turning to you with mild surprise, the goblin spins his wolf with his knees, guiding it to attack. It spins to the side and lunges towards you, coming off it's front legs to snap at your face, but it's feet must have lost traction, since it came up far too short to bother blocking. The rider leans back to draw a shortspear from a saddle sheath with it's right hand. It watches you intently while doing so, it's left hand held out in front of you, bow leveled horizontally, in a defensive stance. Standing to the wolf's flank, you take the opportunity to step in and swing your hammer at the goblin, but you were over-eager, swinging too soon. The maul whoofs through the air before him, striking nothing. He grins, baring his pointed yellow teeth, dull beady-eyes staring in anticipatory hunger.

Having drawn his weapon, he leans off his saddle to jab, the spear coming in over the bow to streak towards your neck, but you draw back and impose your shield into it's path. You can feel the spearhead slam into the shield with a "thud!", then the pull as the goblin yanks the spear back out; it left a crease for sure. It was obvious that he spent more effort on avoiding your swipe than he did on his counter-thrust. He tilts his head back and screeches at you with wide eyes, his thin purplish tongue exposed; the sound is painfully sharp and grating.


Magnar: You drop your hammer while leaping off the fallen log, drawing an axe from your belt loop as you do. A bright beam of light streaks down from a large tree by the road to sear the wet ferns next to the goblin, creating a small puff of smoke and steam; you snap your head in that direction to see Osra hanging from the other side of the tree, arm extended, face scrunched up in pain. You land in the ferns, taking a few quick steps forward, then hurl your axe through the dense brush at the semi-visible fleeing goblin. As soon as the axe leaves your hand, you know your aim was good; it spins once through the air to "THUD" into the creature's back, eliciting a scream as the wretch is hurled forwards off it's feet to land facedown in the ferns, now lost to view.

The other goblin bowman took this time to stop, turn around, draw an arrow, and let loose. You notice the movement to your side, so you turn and raise your shield, narrowing your profile while you're at it. The shaft flies clear of all the brush, passes the small tree you are standing behind, and still manages to find it's way to your center of mass, but your shield intercepts. The arrow sends a jolt through your arm as it thuds into your shield, vibrating violently, but not penetrating through to the other side.

The goblin stares at you with an almost sorry-looking expression, then turns and runs even further through the undergrowth.

The biggest "M" besides you is your warhammer, you can pick it up from any adjacent square, if you decide to do that.http://i57.tinypic.com/34qsl12.png

Risper: Deciding that you are no match for this pair of foes, at least not at so close a range, you focus your energy on escaping their immediate grasp without gaining any new holes in your body. You dart backwards while facing them, watching for any attack so that you can try to avoid it. Sure enough, the snarling wolf lunges forward; you jerk your legs back in an off-balance jump, letting your torso sort of float after overhead. It works though; the wolf's jaws snap closed on empty air while you glide away on quick feet. You then take the opportunity to high-tail it away; you can always sling arrows at it later.

As you pass the next large sycamore, you almost run in to Jaina who is headed in the other direction, mail jingling, towards the wolf and goblin; you feel a strong sense of relief knowing that a tough dwarven warrior is going to be between you and they.

Atalayne: You hurl your javelin at the balancing wolf, over the interceding undergrowth and past the large tree; it seems like your missile is flying true, but then the rider notices and immediately urges his mount to drop low, legs bent. He then leans back and raises his arms a tad, letting the javelin fly clear of both mount and rider, to soar past and into a small tree some ways distant.

The bowman who fled the appearance of the militia rounds a tree, grabs hold of it with their right hand to slow their momentum, then spins around while drawing an arrow. Seeing the javelin sail past, it follows it's flight path in the opposite direction to see you standing by the road empty-handed. It lifts it's bow and sights in on you, then releases. You watch the arrow come in; it was aimed far too high to ever hit you. The arrow disappears somewhere on the other side of the road from you, and the goblin holds it's position, shooting you with eye-arrows if not real ones.

You notice movement to your left and glance in that direction. You see the mounted caster appear from the other side of the tree it vanished behind just a moment ago, bow drawn and aiming in your direction. It releases the arrow then guides it's wolf back behind the tree, giving you no chance to retaliate. It's arrow was also mis-aimed, terribly so; it sails into the ferns some twenty feet away from you. You can't help but smirk at other race's lack of marksmanship.

More movement to your right draws your eyes, but not your ears; the silent militiamen have readied bows and throwing-spears, watching the goblin bowmen on your side of the road, ready to shoot if they expose themselves. You ready another javelin of your own.

The red line was her path last round; this round she came out from behind the tree 5ft, shot an arrow, then went back.http://i60.tinypic.com/qmz7za.png

Kosnark: The precariously perched canine seems like an easy target, and proves to be an iresistable one as well; you swing your axe in a horizontal slash, aiming for the side of it's neck. It can't manage a dodge, as doing so would send it off-balance, so it simply holds still as the axe comes in. However, your strike came in at a bad angle, and the blade of your axe only slices in among it's fur, sending some flying and failing to find any blood. The rider snaps his head to the side, catching something with his eye, then pushes down on the wolf, who promptly drops down to almost touch the log with it's belly as a javelin flies just over it's spine. The goblin leans back in the saddle and gasps in fear as the spear narrowly misses.

Having lowered it's center of gravity, the wolf quickly finds it's balance and lunges forward to snap at your face, though it seems it has yet to find it's timing; the snarling jaws clamp shut a handspan away from you. The rider then leans forward again, recovering from the dodge, and jabs it's spear at you with yet another sad excuse for a thrust; it comes in to your right, having crossed over the wolf's back. You're not sure why this goblin is having so much trouble; maybe it's nervous facing a dwarf?

Meanwhile, the fleeing bowman whom you recently slashed stops fleeing and turns around to find that you are not pursuing. It drops it's sword in the ferns to draw an arrow, then aims and releases. The arrow zips in, you have your shield raised and ready, to fly a foot over your head and smack into the tree behind you. The goblin promptly spins back around to resume fleeing. Further in the distance, the wolf who took an axe to the face is also fleeing, and is covering much more ground.

You shake your head. Goblins.


Osra: Seeing one of the goblins who shot you running laterally through the undergrowth, you decide to take revenge, extending your right hand around the tree in his direction. Your eldritch power coalesces, sending that wonderful surge of energy through your arm, then fires in a beam at the fleeing scumbag. The blast was ill-timed; you failed to lead your target. Smoke and steam rise up from the wet ferns where your beam disappeared into.

It's hard to aim when you're in such horrible pain, but you feel better when you see Magnar's throwing axe slam into the runt's back, knocking it off it's feet and into the brush.

All the unmounted goblins on the other side of a log have +6 from cover when standing, rather than +4, since they only barely rise above the log.

Feel free to read each others spoilers in this post; I only used them to keep things sane.

Map: http://i58.tinypic.com/2r2vvoh.png

Legend:
Osra mini-letters: SC = spider-climbing, 2 = number of squares above ground level (so she's in the 5ft-10ft square, or the first one up)

Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

Purple is an area of shadowy illumination.
The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
-with an "A" = armed with a bow
-with an "M" = armed with shortspear/javelins
Green G with Black W = goblin who cast the spell
Square tinted red = dying/dead character

[The Dragon]

Oswald keeps pulling, clawing and gnawing savagely at the roots that grip him.

[roll0]

[Cavir]

"You don't listen well do you?"

Refocused, Kosnark releases a combination strike at the goblin and its mount.
Standard Action: Steel Wind
IF I drop both targets I'll move 30' to C19 and drop my stance

Attack1 (goblin): [roll0] (+1 for goblin)
Damage: [roll1]
Stance Damage: [roll2]
Crit Confirm: [roll3]
Crit damage: [roll4]
Attack2 (wolf): [roll5]
Damage: [roll6]
Stance Damage: [roll7]
Crit Confirm: [roll8]
Crit damage: [roll9]
Punishing stance
AC17 with shield (-2AC Stance, +2 AC small tree)
HP:14/14

Readied maneuvers:
- Steel Wind (Spent)
- Leading the Attack
- Moment of Perfect Mind

[u-b]

Atalayne threw another javelin, this time at the goblin and moved into nearest bush, taking cover behind a small tree growing there. It was getting hotter than he would prefer, but then again, better sooner by two, than later by ten...

Javelin [roll0] for [roll1] (PBS, PS)

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina grinned as the elf darted behind her. "Heat getting a bit much for you? Then stand back and let me handle this. Come here, you goblin punk!"

Bringing her hammer up, she sent it slamming down... right at the wolf's head. First rule of mounted combat, eliminate the mount.

Standard Action: Attack the wolf mount
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Raginmund]

Magnar scoops up his warhammer and moves over behind the tree to the east. "You should have kept running goblin!" He says to the fool who just put an arrow in his shield.

Picking up his hammer and moving to P33. If possible, he'll also take up the throwing axe in that square.

[Seharvepernfan]

The heaviest fighting of the battle rages on, both sides suffering losses and great wounds. Screams, snarls, and sounds of impact continue to echo dimly from both sides of the fight. The dome of shadows stands immobile in the center, the Marshall and her militiamen vanish from sight instantly; perhaps a trick afterall.

Oswald: Your master is calling! He needs you! The big grass keeps grabbing you, though, and you can't get away. You bite and shake it, but it still won't let go. You try running and jumping, but you don't get anywhere. Other dog is hurting master!

Jaina: You slam your maul down hard at the wolf's skull, but it backs out of your reach, causing the head of your hammer to plow through the ferns and thump into the soil. You hear Risper rush around behind you; it sounds like he dove into a thicket.

From around the big white tree to your left, a second wolf-rider races past. This one also wields a bow in one hand and a shortspear in the other. As it passes, you lift your hammer to slam it's mount, but it quickly guides it's wolf out of the way, leaving you with no target. You can hear snarling and tearing flesh on the other side of that tree; it sounds bad.

As the circling rider comes around your backside, you hear a bowstring twang, and an arrow whizz past behind you. There is a sound of fleshy impact, then the rider shrieks and you can hear it's weapons fall to the ferns. The wolf snarls and lunges, but that was your shield-side; you push your shield into the wolf's closing face, blocking it's bite and forcing it back.

The caster goblin weaves his mount into the thicket as well, moving into a flanking position with the riderless wolf. He urges his wolf to attack, and it does so, springing out of the heavy ferns and clamping down on your hammer-arm. It crunches down, penetrating the scales and leather of your armor, ripping your forearm open and tearing the flesh away. The pain is horrible, but you were already in serious pain, and this only pushes your anger further. The wolf tries to yank you off your feet by your arm, but your arm doesn't budge; instead, you yank the wolf closer to you, then growl right back in it's face.

A look of concern comes over the rider's face, and the wolf seems a bit ...lessened by this show of force. The rider takes the opportunity to stab at you with his spear, which comes in at a slightly upward angle into your right shoulder, sliding under the scales and into your flesh, but this pain is far lesser than that from the arrow or the bite.

You take 3 and 1 point(s) of damage, respectively.

Magnar: You dash over and grab the handle of your axe, wrench it from the tree, slide it back into your belt loop, then reach over and pick up your hammer. The goblin bowman takes a shot; you can hear the arrow being fired. You spin around and raise your shield as fast as you can; the arrow sails in, it's fletching scratching the tree as it narrowly passes by. It almost impacts the hide covering your left shoulder, but then veers away at the last second to disappear somewhere in the dome of shadows.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2jt7vt.png

Risper: Jaina rushes forward to attack the goblin leader, leaving you with some breathing space. You know another rider is coming from around the large sycamore past Jaina, and you devise a quick and simple plan. Rushing forward then to the side into a dense patch of ferns, you do your best to get hidden, then draw your bow and wait for them to ride around the other side of Jaina; it seems likely that it would go in for a flank, and if it does, you'll have a surprise for it.

While briefly waiting in your position of concealment, you notice that Brandon is not visible where he was a moment ago; all you can see is a wolf with a wounded and unconscious goblin rider apparently biting away at something down on the ground. It doesn't look good...

Sure enough, the second rider appears and does indeed try to circle around Jaina. Shes goes in for a strike, but the rider steers it's wolf out of her reach, right into your sight. It didn't seem to notice you; it was probably too focused on Jaina. You release your arrow, which streaks straight over the ferns and into the goblin's chest; your timing was perfect. The arrow pierces it's leather breastplate with a satisfying sound, causing the goblin to shriek in pain and shut it's eyes hard. It drops it's weapons to either side and leans back in the saddle, unconscious. The wolf stops it's run to bite at Jaina, now directionless.

The goblin caster swings his mount into the dense ferns as well, setting up a flank against Jaina. Both wolves lunge in, one is met with a shield to the face, but the othere bites down on Jaina's hammer-arm, drawing blood, but failing to budge her. The rider jabs her with a spear, but it was only a flesh wound.

Atalayne: Kosnark swings his axe in a mighty downward chop, failing to strike the rider, but devastating the wolf in the back of the skull and spine with his axe-head. The wolf lets out a brief yipe before falling to it's side like a felled tree, causing the rider to scramble to the side off his mount. He lands on the log and manages to keep his footing, but not for long; you throw your javelin, which sails right in and connects with the goblin on the side of his abdomen before he can even react. Your missile penetrates his leather breastplate, drawing a small fountain of blood and loud scream.

Fear obvious on his face, he jumps backwards away from Kosnark to avoid a strike, then falls into the ferns on the other side of the log, dropping to the ground and lying still. The mounted caster to your left leans out from behind her tree, looses an arrow which clatters off another large tree between you, then rides a short distance to a third large sycamore by the road. You can hear a different arrow sizzle in and thump into something fleshy sounding; Kosnark grunts in pain. A third arrow comes in from the furthest bowman, but this one thunks into the other side of the fallen tree, having been aimed to low.

http://i59.tinypic.com/2074vtv.png

Kosnark: You reassume your powerful, wide-legged stance, then bring your dwarven waraxe down in a mighty chop, aimed to slice open the goblin and break the spine of the wolf. You miss the goblin entirely; you aimed to short, but you hit the wolf squarely in the back of the head where the skull connects to the spine. The wolf lets out a stifled "YIPE!" before going stiff and falling to one side like a felled tree. The goblin cries out and hops off the wolf to one side to avoid getting caught under it and falling off the log. It manages to find a foothold on the log, but then a javelin flies in from Atalayne and impales the goblin ex-rider in the side, causing it to squeal in pain, almost falling to it's knees. It looks to you with fear clear on it's face, then leaps backwards off the log to avoid another strike from you. It lands with a THUMP in the ferns on the other side of the log, prone, and doesn't move.

To your left, you hear a bow twang and an arrow sizzle in, you manage to glance to the side just as the shaft slams into your neck, just above the clavicle. You are jolted almost off your feet, and are assaulted with the worst pain you have ever felt in your life; you can't help but grunt in pain. The arrow quivers to a stop; it just feels "wrong" having something stick into you like this. Blood gushes from the wound and slides down under your armor; you can feel the warm wetness down your chest. You feel violated. The wretch who shot you then turns and rushes around a patch of dense ferns, almost vanishing from sight.

A second arrow flies in from the furthest goblin bowman, but this one went too low and thuds to a halt on the other side of the log, beyond the felled wolf.

You take 8 points of damage.

Osra: You can take two rounds worth of actions.

All the unmounted goblins on the other side of a log have +6 from cover when standing, rather than +4, since they only barely rise above the log.

Feel free to read each others spoilers in this post; I only used them to keep things sane.

Map: http://i58.tinypic.com/24bnb52.png

Legend:
Osra mini-letters: SC = spider-climbing, 2 = number of squares above ground level (so she's in the 5ft-10ft square, or the first one up)

Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

Purple is an area of shadowy illumination.
The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
-with an "A" = armed with a bow
-with an "M" = armed with shortspear/javelins
Green G with Black W = goblin who cast the spell
Square tinted red = dying/dead character

[JanusJones]

Dimly, in his darkness, Grim struggles with the vines. He can no longer maintain his illusions, and the Marshal and her militia fade away into the faint rain.

He curses as he expels a minute amount of magic and tries to hide.

It's a swift, so [roll0], with the penalty for entanglement included.

[Cavir]

"Uh" Kosnark grimaces and without waiting for more incoming fire darts around to the other side of the large tree, next to Atalayne and with the tree and log hopefully giving cover or better from the archers to the north.

"Nice throw. There's two archers back that way, one is hurt worse than me." He settles low into the foliage to be less of a target and with another grimace breaks off the arrow near the entry point. "The one you are looking at cast two spells at me so far. We're surrounded and with all this brush I can't 'et to them fast enough. How are you with a bow? Probably better than me. Want mine?"


Free: Stop Stance
Move: to C24 via D23 pushing the wolf off the log onto the goblin if that won't slow me down
Free: Talk
Standard: Total Defense (getting lower into brush) and Hide [roll0]
(hoping the distance provides a bonus)
Free: Drop/hand bow and quiver if Atalayne says yes.

That might be a too much for a turn, but basically I'll do as much of the above in order as I can.

No current stance
AC21 with shield and waraxe, total defense
HP 6/14

Readied maneuvers:
- Steel Wind (Spent)
- Leading the Attack
- Moment of Perfect Mind

[Blue_C.]

Magnar having their goblins well in hand, Osra decides to move towards the rest of the party. She comes down from her tree and moves around the edge of Grimm's darkness to where goblins threatened Korsnark's back and her fellow warlock.

Several move actions to get to I 23, and then another eldritch bolt at the goblin in I 17

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Raginmund]

Magnar finds himself torn as to what his next move should be; to keep pursuing this single goblin farther and farther away while his companions were fighting for their lives; or to go to help and leave this archer to sneak back to the fight?

He decides to keep pursuing the goblin he was nearest to and crashes into the thicker underbrush to the southeast of his position. (at Q34) He keeps his warhammer at his belt and a throwing axe in his right hand.

[The Dragon]

Brandon heaved against the roots trapping him; he smelt the blood of his master on the air, mixing with the deep brown scent of the forest, the musk of the grey wolves, and the stench of their green masters.

He was desperately tugging at the roots that bound him; Master must be in danger! he was no longer calling out, and the urgency in his voice followed by sudden silence was worrying.

Strength check, [roll0]
If it works, move to X17.

[u-b]

Atalayne glanced at the bow Kosnark has with him. It seemed like an ordinary shortbow... not all that attractive, but it was a ranged weapon and did come with a quiver of arows.

"I still have two javelins and some darts, so would rather have my shield up. Might be useful later, if we will live that long. Want to be healed? Can do."

The elf drew another javelin and got ready to throw it as soon as that goblin rider pops up.

Ready to throw a javelin as soon as there is either a clear shot at the goblin rider currently west of Atalayne or the conditions of the shot are about to worsen (from concealment to improved concealment or from not behind a tree to behind a tree etc.) hit [roll0] for [roll1] (point-blank shot not included, but might trigger)

If Kosnark acts after Atalayne next turn, he might get healed that turn.

[Cavir]

"Aye that would be helpful since I'll have to get up close once more. I'll leave the bow here for you and you can cover me?"

[u-b]

Atalayne nods, keeping his eyes on his prospective target.

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina gritted her teeth. Damn it, there were just too many goblins for her to handle. But with their wolf mounts, she had no chance of getting clear in this thrice damned overgrowth without them running her down. Hell with it, if it was her time she'd go down swinging, and maybe at least give that elf a chance to get clear before he too was overrun. With a scream of rage and a blue glow surrounding her hammer, she turned and sent it in a powerful swing at the druid before her.

Standard Action: Attack w/ Smite Evil & Power Attack
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Seharvepernfan]

The battle has passed it's climax, and it appears that you are the winning side, but it's not over yet. A few straggling foes remain, still dangerous. A couple more screams and shrieks can be heard over the sounds of brush-crashing and snarling wolves. The intonations of a spell echo from one side, followed by an eldritch blast, then a shout of dwarven fury on the far side. The human warrior Magnar calls out to his particular foes, apparently doing well on his flank. All the while, the dome of shadows holds it's position, silent in the falling light rain.

Oswald: You cannot understand what is happening; you try and try and try, but you cannot move. The grasping big grass pushes you past your breaking point; you begin growling and snarling and jumping up and down, fur ruffled, spittle flying everywhere, straining every muscle and putting everything you have into getting free.

Jaina: Your blue-glowing hammer rips through the air in a slightly-upward angle, moving quickly, you know, but it seems to float lazily towards your goblin foe; your victory against this goblin is riding on this attack and your senses have sharpened this moment and burned every tiny detail into your mind. Your aim is true, and you know how goblins tend to try to dodge blows; you have aimed accordingly. The goblin watches the hammer come in, trying to lean and duck in his saddle, trying to use his little bow to knock your hammer off course; none of it is working. With a half second's time to generate an expression, his face scrunches up in anticipation of pain, then shuts his eyes hard and begins to scream.

The hammer smacks into the leather covering his torso, on his left side ribcage. The leather softens the blow just a tad, then the harder resistance of bone is felt, then it too gives away with a sudden "SNAP!" The air is blown out of the goblin before his scream can take off, and the blow lifts him out of the saddle and to the side, sending him flying off, head towards the ground, feet towards the sky, his cloak swirling around him. You really doubt he's going to get up from that one. He lands atop the prone form of another goblin who has an arrow protruding from their chest.

The wolf behind you lunges in, but a sudden reposition of your feet unintentionally throws it off; you feel it's head slide along your right leg while it tries to slow it's momentum. The wolf you just freed from it's rider immediately snaps it's jaws around your leg, since you're already standing so close. It's fangs bite in around your left knee, piercing the leather and sinking into your flesh to scrape the bone. It then tries to run backwards and yank you off your feet, making you hop a couple times on your other foot while pulling back. You barely manage to keep your feet. The wolf loses it's grip and it's teeth slide back out, it's mouth and muzzle drenched in your blood.

You can hear Risper shoot another arrow, but you don't hear the impact; he likely missed. He then takes off through the brush towards the road; seemingly leaving you behind.

You take 2 points of damage.

Magnar: The goblin bowman leans out from his tree and lets loose another arrow, which zips by your left hip in the ferns; he misjudged your position while aiming too low. Without any reaction, it turns and moves off through the brush, keeping the tree between itself and you. You can hear it tramping off, but you can't see it. It's clever enough to avoid giving you a clear shot.

Risper: In a glorious all-or-nothing swing, Jaina de-wolfs the goblin leader (you assume), knocking him unceremoniously to the ground. She is then ganged up on by the wolves, one of whom manages to bite through her armor at her knee, but fails to trip her up.

You sight in on the wolf behind her, trying to get it off her back, and release an arrow, but the wolf suddenly moves right as you let go, causing your arrow to hit nothing but ferns. Jaina is on her last leg, and if she goes down, these wolves might come after you. You decide a little distance is in order, and you flee back to the road through the thicket.

Oh well, your streak had to end some time.

Grimm: You quickly decide this isn't funny and it sure isn't fun anymore. The fern fronds are much stronger than you had imagined, and everytime you manage to slide out of one, another graps you in the meantime. You make no progress, but at least you seem to be unnoticed in the battle.

Atalayne: You wait for the female goblin caster to show herself; you expect her to ride out and try to shoot you, but she doesn't. Instead, you hear her intoning the words to a spell from the other side of her tree; a long one, which you recognize with little trouble: sleep. She must not know much about elfkind.

You glance over at Kosnark, half expecting him to drop into a slumber. When she finishes the spell, you feel a feather-light touch across your the top of your head, like a relaxing shiver, then the sensation is gone. Kosnark frowns and hardens his eyes, jaw set, but does not collapse; it seems he is especially resistant to spells.

Behind you, an unearthly noise can be heard that you instantly recognize as Osra's eldritch ray. Towards the end of the noise, which only lasts a second, a goblin screams. You can hear two people moving off through the underbrush in that direction, in two separate directions.

Kosnark: From the far side of the tree where the goblin caster is positioned, you hear the beginning of a spell being intoned. You ready your mind again, focusing your willpower into an iron wall with which to deflect the spell. The spell goes long, but at the end, Atalayne glances over at you with a pitying expression, as if he expects you to react to the spell. Immediately after, a light-headed sensation washes over you, briefly, then is gone. Whatever it was, you don't seem to be affected.

From behind you, a sharp blast-like noise erupts from the forest; Osra's magical powers. A goblin screams, reversing the frown you had just started. You can hear what you assume to be the two goblin bowmen begin fleeing in separate directions.

You expend Moment of Perfect Mind.

Osra: You drop down from the tree into the underbrush, then rush across the road and along the edge of Grimm's dome of shadows (you're pretty sure it's his, anyway, you don't know where he actually is), timing your run to put you up against some cover just after the goblin on the far side of the tree you are approaching has shot an arrow. You time it right, and slide up against a boulder next to a small tree. The goblin turns to look at you with an expression of curiousity; you think it might be because you're not armed, or maybe he just wasn't expecting you.

You point your hand at him, and he stiffens. The power gathers and quickly releases, streaking over the wet ferns to catch on his right breast, blasting a hole through his torso and out the backside of his shoulderblade. He screams and clutches the blackened hole in his flesh with his bow hand. He shoots you a "What the hell!?" expression, grimacing in pain, then turns and moves off through the brush, keeping his tree between himself and you, to block a second shot.

The other goblin bowman apparently decides that she's seen enough, as she turns completely around and flees the battle in a straight line, not dashing behind any of the trees she passes.

All the unmounted goblins on the other side of a log have +6 from cover when standing, rather than +4, since they only barely rise above the log.

Feel free to read each others spoilers in this post; I only used them to keep things sane.

Map: http://i57.tinypic.com/2cdz9m0.png

Legend:
Osra mini-letters: SC = spider-climbing, 2 = number of squares above ground level (so she's in the 5ft-10ft square, or the first one up)

Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

Purple is an area of shadowy illumination.
The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
-with an "A" = armed with a bow
-with an "M" = armed with shortspear/javelins
Green G with Black W = goblin who cast the spell
Square tinted red = dying/dead character
Overlaid black "D" = disabled character

[u-b]

Atalayne holds the javelin in left hand for a moment, making gestures with his right hand and reciting a prayer. Soon enough he's done with this, patting Kosnark on the shoulder, some of dwarf's wounds closing up.

"Here you go."

Atalayne takes a look around deciding what to do next...

"I have to cover the girl. Will be around if that guy decides to get closer."

He nods at goblin caster and gets back on the road to move in opposite direction and off the road near another small tree.

Cure light wounds: [roll0]

Move to H25.

[Blue_C.]

Confident that Kosnark, Atalayne, and Grimm could manage on their own, Osra once again follows the sounds of fighting. Deciding to strike towards the road to cover as much distance as possible, she glumly considers her options, and takes a chance at running through the area of darkness. She didn't know how much longer she'd last, but every second could be precious.

Another double move action, this time to I-26, and then straight along the road through the darkness towards Risper.

[The Dragon]

Oswald desperately heaves and pulls at the roots sorrounding him. He had little experience with magic effects; one thing was battle, another matter entirely was plants moving on their own.

[roll0]

[Cavir]

Kosnark feels the arrowhead being expelled and the wound partially closing behind it by Atalayne's healing touch. "Thanks much."

Keeping out of sight from the goblin he calls out "Who taught you your spells? They won't work on dwarves! You'll have to have your wolf come do the job for you!"

As Atalayne moves down the road Kosnark moves up toward the road and his target, keeping low and hoping the goblin didn't catch his new position. Staying low, Kosnark tests out his arm mobility- moving his shield to protect his side facing the goblin and swinging his axe, skillfully missing the ferns as to not give away his position.

Move: to B25
Hide Check: [roll0] (-5 base, +5 for heavy undergrowth) (again hoping the trees, brush, rain and distance all help out)
Swift+Standard: Recover Maneuvers with defensive swing

No current stance
AC19 with shield and waraxe, +2 dodge for fighting defensively
HP 11/14

Readied maneuvers:
- Steel Wind
- Leading the Attack
- Moment of Perfect Mind

[JanusJones]

Grimm struggles to free himself, worrying that he'll be too late to help any of his companions.

[roll0]

He slips through and moves to the edge of the vines, dodging and weaving as the fronds attempt to wrap themselves about him.

Headed for the closest non-entangled spot!

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina dropped to one knee in pain. Just staying conscious at this point was proving to be a challenge for her, though she'd managed to finally give that goblin the thrashing it deserved. Too bad these damned wolves would surely run her down if she tried pulling back.

"What are you waiting for, I don't have all day..."

With a defiant cry, she turned and swung at the wolf behind her.

Standard Action: Attack (Maul) the wolf in grid 20x
Attack [roll0], Damage [roll1]

Status:
HP: 1/13

[Seharvepernfan]

The battle reaches it's final stage, with only one or two foes still remaining. A few more can be heard fleeing in several different directions. A call from the far side of the battle reaches out, "Over here! We need help!" Some of you were already headed in that direction, and now have a good reason to continue. The dome of shadows moves again, further out to completely cover the road. Victory is within sight.

Oswald: You fiercely continue your frantic bucking and pulling, doing everything you can to get free, and you almost do, maddeningly; your tear many of the plants from the ground, and you can feel several of them let go of you, but just as you're about to get free, several more manage to surround your legs and hold you put.

Jaina: From the road, you hear Risper call out for the others, trying to get them over here to aid you. Until then, you're on your own.

You turn (causing quite a bit of pain in your right knee) and bring your hammer down on the wolf behind you, who is less obscured by the undergrowth, smashing your hammer against the bridge of his nose. There is a "CRACK!", then a loud yelp as the wolf recoils, eyes closed, to escape further pain. Blood wells out on either side of the nose; you obviously broke bone, which then must have broken the skin on either side.

Back towards the road, you hear a quick sound of rustling brush, then the "TWANG!" of a bowshot. Just as you are glancing in that direction, you hear the loud buzzing of a near-flying arrow, which strikes the wolf you just hit. The wolf yelps again, turning and fleeing so fast that you never saw where the arrow struck. By the time your eyes catch up to the wolf, it has already moved away from you, in the direction of Brandon, but quickly gets caught up in the entangling ferns just like you did. You're not on your own after all.

With pitiful whining, the wolf tries to resist just like Oswald is doing. Just then, you hear a snarl, and are reminded that you still face another threat. You turn back around (with another burst of pain) to see the wolf lunging low through the ferns towards your legs, seeking the wound it already created. It's aim is ruined by the ferns, however, and it's jaws snap shut to the side of your leg.

Risper: You turn and face back down the road towards the others, calling for them to come this way. Then, you notice Jaina turn and strike one of the wolves with her hammer. You know that a wounded animal will often leave a fight, so you decide to capitalize on the opportunity and help Jaina survive. You rush forward to loose an arrow at the wolf she just struck, to force it out of the battle one way or the other, and your aim is true, despite your vision being slightly blocked by the dense patch. Your arrow flies into the wolf's flank, causing it to yelp and retreat from the battle, or try to, as it gets caught up in the entangling plants like Oswald. It wasn't a fatal shot, but it'll do.

The other wolf lunges at her, but her visible reaction shows that it did not land a bite. From the other side of the road, you can hear Magnar crashing through the brush towards you, and the form of an elf is visible within the dome of shadows; they are also heading in your direction. Jaina may yet survive.

Grimm: With a bit of good luck, you pull a fast one and manage to slip out of your ferny-bindings, then rush to the road to escape their attempts to recapture you. Osra had just passed you on her way towards the other side of the battle, and Atalayne is coming from the side she just came from. You hear Risper call out for help, and you can hear somebody on the far side of the road respond by rushing in his direction.

Kosnark: As you are advancing on the last goblin on this flank of the battle, trying to move up through the brush to keep covered, you can hear her wolf begin to move. They appear around the far side of their tree, streaking away into forest, at an angle away from you and the road, quickly disappearing into the forest, yet continuing to sound out with crashings through the brush. She is either fleeing or going for a wide flank, either way leaving you with nothing to do in your current spot.

You hear the elven voice call out from down the road, and can hear several people responding.

Atalayne, Magnar, & Osra: You either are already moving in that direction, or have decided to respond to the call, as your remaining foes are fleeing the battle. The sounds of battle continue from that direction; it sounds like a wolf or two was wounded, but at least one remains, as you can hear it's loud snarling and snapping.

Atalayne: You notice a small humanoid form emerge onto the road between you and Osra. It is in the center of the dome of shadows, and does not appear armed.

Map: http://i57.tinypic.com/2hs6m3m.png

Legend:
Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

Purple is an area of shadowy illumination.
The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
-with an "A" = armed with a bow
-with an "M" = armed with shortspear/javelins
Green G with Black W = goblin who cast the spell
Square tinted red = dying/dead character
Overlaid black "D" = disabled character

[Blue_C.]

Osra keeps moving towards the cry for help, keeping along the road to make better time. Once out of the darkness, she looks towards that voice for an enemy to attack.

Move to U26.
Eldritch Blast at the goblin at X19. It looks like it's within 60ft. of the road. [roll0]
[roll1]

[Cavir]

Kosnark reverses course and hurries back along the road, hoping to make it there in time.

Double move to N26 unless it is straight enough for a Run move to T26.
No stance.

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina actually managed to grin in the face of the sole remaining wolf despite the pain from her numerous injuries.

"Haven't figured out yet all the gobbos are dead or running, have you you beast? Run away, I'd rather not kill a simple animal just because its former master was evil."

Of course, she was hardly about to relax her guard around a wolf that had already taken a chunk of her leg, and kept her shield up and ready even as she slowly backed away from the wolf.

Standard Action: Total Defense
Move Action: Move to 22x
Status:
HP: 1/13
AC: 20

[The Dragon]

Oswald makes one last, desperate attempt to get free of the roots.

[roll0]

[u-b]

Atalayne was somewhat hesitant to leave Kosnark alone on the flank, but after seeing the goblin riding away and Kosnark hurrying in opposite direction, he hurried east along the road, to wherever that call for help came from.

[JanusJones]

Grimm moves towards Risper's position, then fires off a shot and disappears into the shadows before he draws any fire.

Move action towards Risper, fire at anything within 60 ft. that might be threatening him, then Swift action Hide in Plain Sight.

Attack/crit: [roll0], [roll1]
Damage/crit: [roll2], [roll3]
Hide/MS: [roll4], [roll5]

[Seharvepernfan]

The group converges on the last fight of the ambush, coming to Jaina's aid just in time; she is badly wounded and is being set upon by an unharmed grey timber-wolf whose nose and mouth is soaked with blood. Not far past her, another wolf, this one black, is caught up in the entangling ferns, as is Oswald, Brandon's mount. They are both jumping and pulling like mad, howling and growling and whining, biting the fern fronds trying to get free. Elsewhere, besides the noise of the waving and grasping plantlife, the forest is quiet.

Jaina, noticing her arriving companions, pulls a defensive retreat. She takes a wide stance, holding her shield out front, ready to block any advances by the wolf. Doing so, she slowly backs away in your direction, careful not to slip on the wet ferns. The wolf wastes no time in lunging at her, but comes up short as she moves away from it. Then, Risper rushes up through the thicket to a stop behind Jaina, releasing an arrow as he does. However, his aim is blocked by Jaina, and his arrow zips past the wolf without so much as nipping it. From the road, a sizzling white-blue ray streaks through the light rain to sear a black smoking line through the ferns, dispappearing below and in front of the wolf. This catches the wolf's attention; it stops and stands with head and ears raised, neck stretched, curiousity obvious in it's bearing. Just then, a second attack careens in, this one a fast-spinning plane of purple energy. In the blink of an eye, it blasts into the wolf's chest, leaving an instantly-cauterized black smoking hole. The reek of burnt fur and flesh hits you instantaneously. The wolf yelps and leaps into the air, already turned around by the time it lands. It tears off through the underbrush in the opposite direction, completely done with this fight. Immediately after the purple blast, there is a flash of darkness on the backside of the group, but it only lasts an instant.

As these attacks are cascading in, Magnar rushes through the undergrowth, crosses the muddy road in an easy leap, almost tackles Osra as she fires, and comes to a stop in the thicket behind Risper. By the time he arrives, the wolf is already in flight. Atalayne and Kosnark have already arrived along the road, but only in time to witness the attacks that end the active battle.

The only enemy left in close proximity is the struggling wolf caught in the goblin's spell. Many enemies are unaccounted for, but none else are in clear sight. However, snarling and tearing noises can be heard coming from the brush past Jaina and Risper, on the other side of the stuck canines, where Brandon was last seen.

Map: http://i60.tinypic.com/2pouuky.png

Legend:
Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
-with an "A" = armed with a bow
-with an "M" = armed with shortspear/javelins
Square tinted red = dying/dead character
Overlaid black "D" = disabled character

[u-b]

Atalayne continues his movement northeast, around thick bushes and between large trees. He tries to be as stealthy as possible while not compromising his speed, on lookout for whatever enemies might be nearby.

Double move to ZB21, stealth at -5, passive senses.

[The Dragon]

Oswald's lasr ditch attempt is drawing out. He doesn't understand what is happening, but can smell his masters blood mixing with the musk of the wolves and the scent of the earth.

Strenght check:[roll0]

[Blue_C.]

Warier, now that the party was once again gathered, Osra cautiously moves closer to the others, taking aim at the last of their enemies. She mutters something about, "people that charge off into dangers without watching their backs," but it is probably not audible to anyone else.

Move up to V22

Eldritch Blast at closest goblin not in melee. [roll0]
[roll1]

[Cavir]

Kosnark, hearing noises that are anything but peaceful, darts into the woods at a full run past his party mates, skimming the edges of the grasping plant life and aiming to reach the noises from a side flank.

Full Round: Run to ZA19 (105ft).

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina shook her head as the others charged past her, before picking up her hammer with a wince and headed for the nearby wolf.

"I warned ya, you have nobody but yourself to blame."

She brought the hammer down in a vicious swing.

Move to X20. Attack the wolf.
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[JanusJones]

Grimm grins happily at Osra. "Glad to see you still have your spark! I don't need back-watching, but you're welcome for watching yours - it was my pleasure. Quite a back, at that."

Slipping into the woods, he darts towards the nearest goblin, spinning a quick slice of purple energy around a finger as he moves. When he flings the shard, darkness spreads out and wraps him.

Attack/crit: [roll0], [roll1]
Damage/crit: [roll2], [roll3]
Hide/MS (after flash of darkness): [roll4], [roll5]

[Seharvepernfan]

With the grey timber-wolf fleeing, Jaina plows through the ferns to strike the entangled black wolf. Since it is held down by all the nearby plants, it is clearly visible and an easy mark. Her maul streaks down from on high to smash into it's spine, just behind the unconscious rider's saddle. There is a muffled "SNAP!", and the wolf lets out a half-yelp, half-whine, which is then cut off as the crippled canine passes out and slumps down, still held in place somewhat by the ferns. The goblin topples out of the saddle, likewise wrapped up.

The other warriors of the group converge to the right of Jaina, going around the area of entangling plants and large trees to fall upon the last remaining foe; the wolf that brought down Brandon. Risper looses an arrow once the wolf comes into his sight, but his aim is off and somewhat blocked by a large tree; his arrow sails high, causing the bloody wolf to raise it's head in alertness. The group's two arcanists move back into the forest, each firing off their respective blasts of magic. Osra's target is small, being heavily obscured by the various plants and trees in her path, and hers disappears into the verge with it's characteristic searing rumble. Grimm's is likewise obstructed, causing his to spin through the undergrowth to some unknown end point.

The incoming fire scares and agitates the wolf, who then snarls and bounds through the brush to the nearest perceived threat, which happens to be the running Kosnark. He hears the wolf come in, but barely sees it through the dense foliage until it bursts out right in front of him, blood-soaked jaws agape and full of snarling fury. Kosnark cannot slow his momentum enough to dodge, but luck is with him as the snapping maw closes down on nothing but air, a mere handspan from his blood-speckled beard.

Map: http://i59.tinypic.com/df829h.png

Legend:
Light brown road = regular movement
Dark brown road = 1/2 speed, "lightly obstructed"
Light Green = undergrowth, 1/2 speed, -2 Move Silently/Tumble, 20% concealment
Dark Green = heavy undergrowth, 1/4 speed, +5 hide, -5 Move Silently/Tumble, 30% concealment, running is impossible

Small brown circle = small tree, +2 AC/+1 reflex to anyone in that square
Large brownish circle = large tree, takes up the whole square
Large brownish circle with darker brown smudge = 3-4ft stump
Grey with green = boulders/rock, can grant cover, considered an "obstacle"
The long brown things are fallen logs; most are on the ground, a couple lean against trees or boulders. They can provide cover as a low wall.

The thin red lines are the paths your enemies took during their turns.

Red G = goblin with a composite longbow relative to it's size
Red G with Black W = mounted goblin
-with an "A" = armed with a bow
-with an "M" = armed with shortspear/javelins
Square tinted red = dying/dead character
Overlaid black "D" = disabled character

[Cavir]

Kosnark calls out to those following behind "Right here!" and slams his dwarven waraxe down onto the wolf.

Swift: Punishing Stance (-2 AC, +1d6 damage)
Standard: Leading the Attack (+4 for ally attacks if I hit)

Miss Chance (fail on 1-3): [roll0]
Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Stance Damage: [roll3]
Crit Confirm: [roll4]
Crit damage: [roll5]
IF that drops the wolf I'll move to Y18

[The Dragon]

Magnar makes his way to the melee through the greenery, and, with a wordless roar, slams his hammer upside the wolf's head.

Move to ZA 19
Miss chance on 1-3 - [roll0]
Warhammer - [roll1]
Damage - [roll2][roll3]
Damage - [roll4]
Edit: That felt good.

[Tyrann]

Rispers hisses a curse at his shaking hands. He's visibly having a hard time keeping composure knowing what the sounds of eating wolves on the other side of those bushes probably meant.

He runs a hand through his hair and nervously looks at the remaining wolf before running to the side to try and get a better shot.

Mostly to himself he whispers Don't be dead. Don't be dead. Please don't be dead.." before exhaling as he looses the arrow.


Move action: Move to ZA19

Standard action: Bow attack against the wolf in Z18
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5] (Don't think it applies but rolling it just in case)

[JanusJones]

Grimm moves along with the others, keeping his distance. Once more he twirls his fingers and releases the purplish blade - this time, without any accompanying darkness.

[roll0], [roll1] (touch attack/crit, with penalty for firing into melee)
[roll2], [roll3]

[u-b]

Atalayne moves forward a bit to have a clear shot and throws his javelen at the wolf, barely able to differentiate between the wolf itself and shaking bushes all around as the animal was trying to dodge the attacks.

Move to ZB19.
Javelin: [roll0] for [roll1] (concealment roll (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17270671&postcount=257))

[Blue_C.]

Seeing that the furry companions of the goblins are nearly taken care of, Osra decides she's unwilling to risk accidentally hitting the party's dwarf. Noticing she's right smack next to a tree anyways, she decides her biggest contribution to the battle would be intelligence. She begins climbing the tree, and scans the landscape in order to make sure no further enemies are coming towards them.

Osra chooses to ignore Grimm's fresh act of freshness, though her eyes betray her amusement. She hopes Grimm is too short to see her reaction.

Climb up the tree in W25, and look around to make sure the map is clear of goblins, animals, animated bushes, whatever.

[Seharvepernfan]

The forest ambush draws to it's end.

The mighty dwarf Kosnark takes a wide stance and brings his axe down in a powerful chop, but his aim is obscured; he sees a glimpse of the wolf's moving head and swings at it, narrowly missing. Magnar rushes up beside his dwarf comrade, swinging his hammer in a diagonal upward arc, catching the side of the wolf's head, cracking the bone and eliciting a yelp. The wolf obviously loses much of it's fire from this short chain of events.

The elves Risper and Atalayne move up behind the beefier warriors, each attacking with their respective ranged weapons, but failing to hit the wolf, as they have to aim around their allies. From further back, another spinning purple-pane of energy flies into a large tree next to Kosnark, sending wet and flaky bits of bark into the air. Jaina takes a moment to catch her breath and fight off the pain from her wounds, sure that the rest of the group can handle a single wolf.
Sure enough, the wolf takes note of the larger number of similarly-sized creatures that are attacking it (and the hammer wound to it's head) and turns tail, darting off through the brush away from the group.

With that, you breathe a collective sigh of relief, as there are no more enemies within sight. However, the matter of your fallen ally remains a timely problem. A moment after the wolf runs away, the area of entangling plants calms down and seems to be normal again.

Osra: As you climb up the large sycamore, near to the lowest of it's branches, you can see for quite a distance in every direction. You can note a few spots in the distance, on the same side of the road, where the undergrowth is moving and shaking; a few of your defeated enemies fleeing the battle. A short ways ahead of the group, the road turns at a 45 degree angle. Perhaps a hundred feet past that, you can see what looks like a stony gorge cutting across the ground of the forest; regardless, there is a large strip that has no trees and is thus brighter than the surrounding forest. You're fairly sure it's some kind of gorge, probably a river or large creek judging by the sound you can hear, and there is a sizeable wooden bridge crossing it at the road.

Ah. Just then, right past the bridge, you note a spray of water rising above the rim of the gorge; a sure sign of a waterfall. On the far side of the bridge, you can see a goblin bowman running across, drawing the attention of two more who were apparently hiding on either side of that end. The running one makes pointing gestures in your direction, which draws the stares of the other two goblins. You can't tell for sure from this distance, but they seem worried by whatever the bowman is telling them, then all three rush off into the forest on the far side of the gorge.

Besides that, you don't see any sign of danger.

[JanusJones]

Grimm moves to the bodies and begins checking each, quickly rifling pockets. When he passes their fallen comrade, he pauses for a moment, face finally mirroring his name, and closes the man's eyes.

Search: [roll0]

[Blue_C.]

Osra calls down to the others. "This immediate area is clear for now, but it looks like these ones had at least some friends. I only saw two more, plus one that escaped us. There's a bridge over a waterfall not far ahead; I lost sight of them when they crossed." After a moment, she adds, "I think I'll stay up here for now, and keep watch while we regroup. Just in case they get brave enough for another ambush."

With that, she settles as best as her wounds allow, and keeps looking around.

[Cavir]

Kosnark's attention on the fleeing wolf is grabbed by Oswald tearing through the brush. He looks in the direction that the dog is running in and sees the gnome on the ground. He hurries over to the spot but before even stopping he can see that it is too late. He watches in silence as Oswald reacts to his master's lifeless body.

After Osra calls down her sightings, Kosnark adds- "Some escaped from the other side of the battle as well, headin' away from the road. One was a spell caster on a wolf that never close enough for me to hit."

"We should collect up what we can so that the 'oblins can't come back and scavenge. We should stick in pairs, or more. Anyone have any preference over buryin' him here or brin'ing him along to the next town? If we bury him we still can't leave any items to be picked up by those that escaped."

Kosnark tries to calmly approach Oswald. If he is able to he'll get some of Oswald's food out of the saddlepack and feed the dog. Successful or not, he'll then head back to the other side of the battle area to collect up arms, armor, and anything else the goblins had on them.

[u-b]

First thing Atalayne did after the wolf got out of the way was getting to Brangon and casting a minor healing spell. After that Atalayne checked for any signs of life and, finding none, left the corpse for Grimm to attend.

"I think we pick up stuff, take him with us and really get back to town. We are not paid to chase the goblins through the woods and I would rather be among the old than among the bold. Anyway, who is in direst need of healing? Have last one left."

[Blue_C.]

"Save it for me. I'll come down once we're ready to leave," Osra yells back to Atalayne.

[Seharvepernfan]

A few members of the group approach their fallen comrade, Brandon. His mount Oswald bounded over as soon as the plants let him go, and now lays next to him, licking his face and whining. The ferns all around him are trampled and coated in blood, and the gnome himself is fairly drenched. The flesh of his neck is torn and ripped, so badly that his spine is clearly visible. It is a horrible sight; you are glad the gnome happens to be lying face down. As you approach, the dog Oswald looks to you pleadingly, ears and tail down, as if asking you to do something; he is not aggressive when you touch Brandon. The mist-like rain filters down to the underbrush; everyone is wet. The gloomy weather adds to the sense of loss.

The elf priest Atalayne quickly cants off a spell, touching Brandon as he does. However, the spell has no visible effect; it is clear that the gnome is dead. Kosnark finds the dog's food in it's saddlepacks, five rabbits, and lays one in front of Oswald, but the dog does not show any interest.

While Osra stands watch from high up on the trunk of her sycamore, a few members of the group go off to collect gear from the fallen and to retrieve their own thrown or dropped weapons. They quietly canvass the small battlefield, searching through corpses in tense silence, half expecting goblins and wolves to erupt out of the underbrush in a second attack. However, no one catches any sign of further trouble, and after about ten minutes, they bring back everything they find and lay it in a pile to be sorted: (Everything here is sized for small characters)

-x2 wolf riding saddles
-x3 longbows
-x2 composite longbows
-x3 shortswords
-x4 shortspears
-a heavy wood shield
-x8 suits of leather armor
-x3 wolf pelt half-cloaks
-x3 wolf fang necklaces
-x64 arrows (not counting those that were fired)

All of this is in fair condition; some may require a little touching up or repair, but can overall be sold at market value.

In addition, the goblin leader had:
-a masterwork composite longbow
-a masterwork shortspear
-a small hallowed tube made of some kind of yellowish bone with a stopper on one end that holds a small amount of liquid (hasn't been opened)
-two rolled-up bundles of hide, both in roughly the same shape as a peice of parchment, which once unfurled show to be scrolls; the characters having been branded into the hide like you would see on a rancher's livestock - you don't recognize the script; they are likely scribed spells

-combined total of 130lbs.

Besides this, the goblins were adorned with crude leather or fur pouches and slings, as well as tokens and trinkets made of wood/bone/teeth/fur/feathers/rocks/vines/arrowheads that are very simple and largely worthless; things that anybody could make. Some are coated in mud, clay, or blood. Then there are the corpses themselves.

Brandon and Oswald have the following: Lance, Longsword, Light Hammer x3, Scale Mail, Heavy Wood Shield, torch x4, Military Riding Dog Saddle, Waterskin, Saddlepacks, Meat x5, Trail Rations x5, 4cp, 8cb
-70lbs total (Brandon weighs another 50lbs)

[CrimsonKnight]

Jaina sighed but said nothing. Nothing for it but to tough her injuries out until she could get some proper healing, even though the blood loss was definitely making her feel lightheaded. She settled for finding a few pieces of cloth amongst the dead goblins' possessions that looked clean to crudely wrap around the bite marks and the arrowhead she hadn't dared try and dig out of her chest. None of the acquired gear seemed of use to her, though she'd help carry some of it if she could manage with her wounds.

Eh, quit complaining. By Moradin's grace, you're still alive, aren't you? Grandpa would smack you in the teeth if he heard you go on so.

Aloud, she replied to Atalayne's suggestion. "I'm all for heading back. Not that I wouldn't chase those damned goblins all day if I had half the chance, but right now I very much need the service of a healer before I find another fight".

[JanusJones]

Grimm stands among his companions, silent in the light rain, as they survey the spoils and carnage.

"I want to know. They're up to something, no? I'm no tracker, but if someone points me in the right direction, perhaps I could learn something of use."

He looks around. "Well? I'd go alone, but I don't fancy ending up lost in these woods. Might end up staggering back into town with claws and a ravenous appetite for people-meat."

[u-b]

Having two persons in need of healing, Atalayne took some time to think about it, getting back his javelins, then gathering and examinging all the loot, then finally came to a decision.

"Well, you know, this costs real gold, but given what Orsa said... let's better be safe than sorry." - with these words Atalayne got a parchament scroll from his pocket, read aloud some text from it and put his right hand ontop Jaina's head. She can feel that she's slowly getting better.

"I do not know what is inside that goblin potion, but I will keep it to experiment in case we're again attacked and anyone really drops down. Feel free to opt out. Will give it back as soon as we are in town. Now, I will also take this... and carry this... if you don't mind."

Taking:
small masterwork composite longbow
x32 small long arrows
small hallowed bone tube containing a small amount of liquid
55 pounds worth of other bows, weapons and armor

Healing:
Jaina for +11hp now
Orsa for +[roll0] later when she's down

[The Dragon]

"I say we push on 'till we reach the village. It cannot be far now, and I would rather not return to town with my tail tucked between me legs. We can rest when we're there."

Looking over the body of their dead companion, Magnar does some thinking. Maybe Grimm has some gnome customs that needs to be taken care of. He heard somewere that gnomes eat their dead, but that was probably a lie...

"So, there's a gnome god, right? Do you have any rituals that needs to be observed with the dead? I think the dog can drag him back to town for burial.

Magnar grabs the raincloak from the gnome's saddlepack, and wraps it around the gnome, making sure that his arms are well tucked in. He then picks up the body, armor and all, and carries him to the riding dog, where he slings the corpse across the saddle, before tying it down securely.

[Cavir]

"Jaina is right, We're probably less than halfway there. We should head back to Woodhaven, warn them, and re-arm. The pests will be sure to be ready for another round, as will we. We can use their stuff to buy healing. Perhaps the Marshall will see to having us well supplied."

Kosnark collects up anything left in the piles, not worrying about their weight.

[JanusJones]

Grim taps his foot impatiently, then shrugs.

"Okay. Solo, then. No-one wants to know what they're up to, how many there are, or any of that save me."

He nods to Brandon's corpse. "Sorry you died, mate. I'll try to make sure we're laughing when they die."

He looks to Osra. "Which way did they go?"

[Blue_C.]

Osra climbs down from her perch to rejoin the others. After accepting the healing, she points in the general direction of the bridge she saw the goblins disappear across. "You won't be alone, Grimm. I've accepted a job, we should try to finish it."

[Cavir]

"I do intend to finish it. We'll be back here tomorrow. I'll take front and center to draw their attention. Did you already for'et the pain you were just in? Atalayne can no longer help that way today. We have two sets of prey now. Takin' Brandon into battle is not a smart idea. If you head off into the woods now you won't make it to either town before dark. You know the affect of splittin' up already. Come on."

Kosnark gets the extra gear attached to his pack and nods towards Woodhaven.

[u-b]

"Hm?" - Atalayne looks at Grimm, then at Osra, than back at Grimm - "You go alone and you're a walking dead as soon as their wolves cross your track. And being two will not help with anything. If you're still determined, good luck."

(Atalayne will be on his way to Woodhaven as soon as he's not alone in it, silently praying for those risk-takers and not quite understanding what Orsa is up to)

[Blue_C.]

Now down, Osra takes a look at the scrolls the goblin leader had. "Before you all go, anyone mind helping me try to figure out what these say? I think I might be able to make out the words."


If you'd prefer to roll yourself, then disregard these dice, Seharvepernfan. Rolling once for each scroll.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Seharvepernfan]

The group stands to the side of the muddy road under one of the sycamores, mostly avoiding the rain. They argue about whether or not to go back to Woodhaven or to chase after the goblins who fled across the bridge (or at least try to reach Gladeroot), though some stay silent on the matter. In the end, the group splits in half to do both. Before they do, the elf priest Atalayne, aided by the elf witch Osra, attempts to decipher the two scrolls found on the goblin leader. He is mostly unfamiliar with both spells (and they are spells, they realize); he deduces that they are provided by the power of nature itself, and his goddess does not grant them. He manages to specifically identify one; the other eludes him. Afterwards, Osra takes both scrolls, though Atalayne takes the bone tube.

The two sub-groups then bid each other luck before heading off in opposite directions down the road.

One is a scroll of Pass Without Trace (CL 4).
Kosnark, Jaina, Risper, Magnar, Atalayne: The walk back to Woodhaven is long, cold, muddy, quiet, and sad. The overcast, the cold mist-rain, the endless boot-sucking mud, your wounds from the ambush, the loss of Brandon and the sight of his poor dog carrying the body, and the splitting of the group has sapped your spirits. You try to stay vigilant; you know you could be attacked again, and this time you would be much harder pressed.

The hours wear on, and the sky begins to darken, though the overcast begins to break up enough that you can see individual clouds rather than one mass of depthless white. You pass by several specific landmarks that you remember from earlier in the day; you know you are about to exit the forest into the farms and meadows surrounding the town. If it weren't for the circumstances, you might appreciate the beauty. The trees are budding in light greens, reds, and purples, and the bushes even moreso, with bright light greens and violets. The sky has begun to glow a soft pink, as the sun is beginning to set.

Just as you exit the forest proper, you see a couple of horse-riders erupt out of a thicket that lies near the road. One heads back towards Woodhaven, the other gallops towards you. At first, you are apprehensive; you're not sure if this is an attack. Though as the rider approaches, you can see that it is a human man in leather armor, with no weapons in hand, wearing a green cloak; likely a militiaman.

He hails you while slowing down for the approach, "HO! What news do you bring?"
Once told, he responds, "It is as we feared; our messenger did not return from Gladeroot. No one has come from this road since you left this morning. I will go tell the Marshall; she will want to speak to you when you arrive." With that, he turns his horse around and gallops back towards the town.

About an hour later, you arrive. The sun has likely gone under the horizon, but it is still light enough to see. The edges of town glow in several spots as if surrounded by an aura of fireflies; the lanterns of the militia cordon. When you get there yourself, several guardsmen are waiting to escort you to the Arbor, and a couple are waiting with a stretcher; they take Brandon off of Oswald, explaining that they were instructed to take him to the temple while you go speak with the Marshall. You notice that the streets are almost completely deserted, except for the militia. When you arrive at the Seven Drunken nights, you find it completely empty, except for the Marshall, who sits at a table near the fireplace with several wool blankets and an entire tray of mugs and bowls of stew, with a loaf of warm bread. The fire is the only source of light, giving the whole room a cozy feeling. Your escorts take up position just outside the door, closing it behind you. She manages a somewhat pitying half-smile.

"I heard, yet I would hear it from you. Come in, sit down, dry off, and eat up."
She sits in a relaxed slouch, her feet upon the fireplace, boots on the floor, clad in her leathers. Her helm rests on the table, and her sheathed sword lays across her lap.

Your sub-group will from now on be known as "The Warriors".


Grimm, Osra (& Dragon): The others disappear around the bend as you continue on along the road, which turns to the left as Osra predicted. Suddenly, you feel very alone and exposed, and begin to feel as if you are being watched. You half-expect the ferns to erupt with a new surge of wolf-riders and buzzing arrows. You do your best to suppress such thoughts.

Within a few moments, the bridge comes into sight, and the roaring of the water continues to get louder. It sounds as if a massive amount of water is cascading under the bridge, which makes perfect sense, given the rainstorm last night adding to the spring melt. The bridge is about seventy feet across, and maybe fifteen wide. It is made of several tall trees that have been cut down and placed over the gorge (you're not sure how they managed that), with wood planks laid over top. It is fairly new looking; probably about a decade or less in age, and seems as if built by locals who don't know much about bridge-building. On either side stand two large wood poles sticking up from the ground, wrapped in ropes that extend along either side of the bridge to the poles on the far side. Between them hangs a web of rope railings, which extends under the bridge in several places, perhaps adding support to the whole structure.

The gorge itself is rocky and moss-covered, but of indeterminate depth, as the river that runs through it is clearly flooding. The water reachs up to about ten feet under the bridge, and is brown in color, likely due to mud. The center of the river is a lighter color, since the water there is frothier and faster moving. A few logs and sticks can be seen here and there, floating downstream. Just a dozen or so feet past the bridge downstream (to your right) is a waterfall of about fifteen feet in height, which sends a spray of mist off into the air. This is the largest drop of water in sight, both upstream and downstream, and happens to be the most level stretch of water in sight as well.

Standing on your side of the bridge, you do not catch sight of any goblins, so you cross over, hands covered in eldritch energy, just waiting to be unleashed. Your crossing is uneventful. On the far side, you stop and spend a few moments carefully peering into the forest all around, trying to spot any sign of another ambush or any other dangers besides; again, there is no sign of any waiting goblins. While doing so, Grimm catches movement around the next bend in the road, but fails to see just what it is, he can only tell that something rather small, perhaps his size, is coming in your direction. The two of you move off to the side of the road to get a look at whatever it is before it sees you.

When it comes into view, you can see that it's a young gnome woman, clad in a chain-shirt and helm, wearing a light wooden shield on one arm. She is otherwise garbed in traveling attire, but wears only a dagger as a weapon. She is walking at an easy, unhurried pace in your direction, and does not seem concerned with danger or ambush. If nothing else, at least she's not a goblin (unless it's an illusion, of course).

It's Trixie.

From now on, your sub-group will be known as "Arcane Destruction".

I made a map of the bridge in anticipation of the fight moving in that direction, so you might as well see it.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2ile8nr.png

[u-b]

"Well, a dozen goblins and about half a dozen wolves seems to be enough to ruin a day." - Atalayne takes off the shield, the cloak, and the backpack, gets some hot stew and sits down close to the fire - "We have one dead and two more... let's say, too brave for their own good, but with luck they might still make it to Gladeroot." - takes several spoons of stew, bites a loaf of bread, chews, then continues - "An ambush near the bridge halfway there. Had casters. At least one druidic and one arcane... maybe one extra, I was not much on that flank." - takes a gulp from the mug - "To tell the truth, I would prefer the things to be less interesting. The ghouls were quite enough."

[JanusJones]

Grimm catches movement around the next bend in the road, but fails to see just what it is, he can only tell that something rather small, perhaps his size, is coming in your direction. The two of you move off to the side of the road to get a look at whatever it is before it sees you.

When it comes into view, you can see that it's a young gnome woman, clad in a chain-shirt and helm, wearing a light wooden shield on one arm. She is otherwise garbed in traveling attire, but wears only a dagger as a weapon. She is walking at an easy, unhurried pace in your direction, and does not seem concerned with danger or ambush. If nothing else, at least she's not a goblin (unless it's an illusion, of course).

Grimm grins at the girl and steps out. "Knew I was doing something right today - now we've got ladies coming out of the bushes instead of goblins. Wonder if I go wishing for gold we'll get rich quick."

He keeps a plane of purple dancing around his finger as he pulls a bow. "A wet and wooly afternoon to you, miss. Don't suppose you've seen any goblins in these parts, have you? We're awfully late to a tea party, and I'd hate to let the crumpets go stale."

[Blue_C.]

Orange light dances between Osra's fingers as she looks around, letting Grimm concentrate on the newcomer, although she feels the need to speed things along. She expected to be attacked on the bridge, and the lack of trouble is making her edgy. "We are making our way to Gladeroot, and looking for Goblins and other troubles along the way. If you are headed in that direction, feel free to come along."

[Cavir]

"For 'oblins it was a good setup. A cry for help off in the woods, an entan'ling spell to trap and separate us, then hit us from three sides. Your troops should know about that so they don't fall into the same trap. A few of the ambushers includin' a caster escaped and met up with others. We came back with our fallen and the arms from the dead 'oblins. Didn't want the 'oblins to rearm from their dead. We also hoped brin'in' their stuff back would help us resupply for tomorrow. I intend to 'o a'ain tomorrow with those willin' to come."

"It does raise the question- if the 'oblins were controlling the route, did the 'houls pass through there?"

"Any news from here?"

Kosnark grabs some food and drink to replenish with, but is more focused on the conversation.

[The Dragon]

Oh, he seems happy to see me. Handsome too, hmm? She's no fun, though.

"So you're looking for trouble. I'm Trixie. What's a handsome fellow and his dwarf doing alone on the roads?" Not caring that her words would have worked better as an initial introduction, she went on;

"I've only seen a goblin once. It ran away once the inn started burning though, and I think the ones you're looking for would be wearing decidedly less pink. What do you say I join up with you? You seem like exciting company, and heading for Gladeroot, too." Trixie turned on her heel and started walking in the direction she'd come from. "We can catch some goblins and when we reach Gladeroot we can have... Crumpets." Trixie turned her head to wink at Grimm, before she walked on towards Gladeroot, expecting the pair of them to follow. She'd clearly been adressing most of her words at Grimm, largely ignoring Osra save from initially listening to what she had to say.

[Blue_C.]

Osra rolls her eyes heavenward, resigned that she would spend the rest of the afternoon watching a Gnomish mating dance, but otherwise follows along after Trixie.

[Seharvepernfan]

The Warriors: The Marshall listens intently as you speak, nodding with every detail. When you're done, she looks back to the fire, "...this is troubling. The goblin population around here mostly leaves us alone, for fear of the elves. They largely stick to the plains out east, but a few small tribes live in the forest still. We get the occasional theft or missing person attributed to them, but mostly with no proof, and attacks are rare. Now we have two threats facing us, and I get the feeling they're in league." She sighs, then turns to grab a mug for herself, and takes a drink.

"You did well, as did I, in choosing you." She turns to look at you and smiles, but it quickly fades, "Alas, I'm sorry to hear about Brandon; he seemed like a great warrior to me. I would have loved to have him among my guardsmen. I had the men take him to the Lady's House to be cleaned and dressed for burial, though I would like to know if he had kin nearby. Though we can deal with that later."

She turns in her seat to face you, "These goblins had an organized war party, and planned a coordinated ambush. They targeted the group I had just assembled to counter a different threat, at the perfect spot, and disabled our line of communication with Gladeroot, where you happened to be going, at the same time. That is either chance, or an informed and calculated decision. Which does it sound like to you? It resembles the ghoul attack, does it not?" She arches her eyebrows as if signaling importance. "I'm beginning to think that we're about to be under attack. The question is: by who? I doubt the goblins are behind this themselves."

The Marshall glances at the floor in thought, "I need to know if Gladeroot itself was attacked, and I would have liked to know where these goblins came from. I can only hope that the others made some progress in this, though it was foolish of them to run off on their own. I also need to know what happened to my messengers; I don't look forward to informing their kin of the situation." She looks back up, catching your eye. "Stay here tonight and get some rest. I'll make sure you get good coin for all this plunder from the vendors and traders; you were right to bring it." She nods at Kosnark while placing her mug back upon the table. "Spend it well. Tomorrow, I'm sending you back to Gladeroot with a small contingent of militiamen who will stay there once you arrive, assuming the place is still intact, and a dog-handler in case you come across any other foes, so you can track them. These men have kin in Gladeroot. Hopefully you'll hear from the others."

She stands, stretching and yawning, and winces at some pain in her left shoulder. "To answer your question: they could have come from anywhere; I don't think the goblins were controlling the route before this morning, as people had come in from Gladeroot yesterday. We don't know how long that woman had been missing. As for news, there is some; the priestess has informed me that one cannot speak to any corpse that has been animated into undeath, so there is no information coming from there."

She moves to stand in front of the fire, then crosses her arms. "Since this has developed into a serious situation, I am going to procure your payment, but it will take a while. The town's coffers are for other purposes, and don't contain much anyway, but there are folk I can speak to whom I can persuade to give in the town's defense, though a few of them are quite a ways away. I suspect you're going to earn every copper. I've spoken with the innkeeper; you still retain your rooms from last night, and will continue to for a long time." She smiles.

You can either continue speaking with her, or post whatever your character does while in town before leaving.

Assume that you can sell all your loot at the normal price (that is: half), and that the pelts/necklaces sell for 15sp total (that's with the silver standard).

[u-b]

Atalayne raises an eyebrow when the Marshall mentions that she's "sending" people around. She later mentions her desire to pay (eventualy; to survivors, Atalayne had to presume, however many that is going to be; an unspecified sum, with some copper involved), but that was not exactly motivating, in and of itself. Anyway, since things did not seem like they are going to get any better than that, Atalayne decided the best thing he can do is to eat, sleep, and check with shopkeepers tomorrow.

Looking for:
1. Healing scrolls, all sorts, but lesser vigor above others
2. Healing wands (second-hand preferred)
3. Bows (medium size composite, +0 or +1 strength rating) - here Atalayne intends to seriously explore the possibility of barter transactions (i.e. exchanging a small masterwork composite longbow, in perfect condition, for a medium masterwork composite longbow, with maybe a bit extra pay or full pay for strength difference)
4. Anything else, cheap but useful, that local merchants might suggest

He is going to account for people's cash requests, sell enough generic loot to satisfy the demand, and then calculate who has the right to what share of the remainder.

[JanusJones]

Oh, he seems happy to see me. Handsome too, hmm? She's no fun, though.

"So you're looking for trouble. I'm Trixie. What's a handsome fellow and his dwarf doing alone on the roads?" Not caring that her words would have worked better as an initial introduction, she went on;

"I've only seen a goblin once. It ran away once the inn started burning though, and I think the ones you're looking for would be wearing decidedly less pink. What do you say I join up with you? You seem like exciting company, and heading for Gladeroot, too." Trixie turned on her heel and started walking in the direction she'd come from. "We can catch some goblins and when we reach Gladeroot we can have... Crumpets." Trixie turned her head to wink at Grimm, before she walked on towards Gladeroot, expecting the pair of them to follow. She'd clearly been adressing most of her words at Grimm, largely ignoring Osra save from initially listening to what she had to say.

"Oooh. You're Tricksy, I'm Grimm ... I'm sure there's a joke in that somewhere." Grimm watches Trixie walk away, clearly enjoying the view. "Butt ... you're going the wrong way, if you're interested in joining the tea party. We're looking for some very specific goblins. And it's a surprise party. Well, for them, anyway. We hope."

He winks at Osra. "I think maybe I should duck out a bit, give you two a chance to chat. I do better work when I'm out of sight, despite how much fun I am to look at."

There is a burst of darkness, and Grimm disappears from sight. His voice sounds from the shadows: "I'll scout ahead and see if I can't spot them before they spot us. Be ready."

[Blue_C.]

Refusing to be left behind to make chatter with yet another crazy gnome, Osra strides ahead once again towards Gladeroot. In order to lessen the chances of ambush, and to keep a distant eye on the gnome she knows, about every fifteen minutes she makes a brief stop to climb a nearby tree and survey the landscape.

[The Dragon]

Trixie doesn't seem to care much about her new companion's silence. She simply walks along, and stops to wait when Osra stops to scout from the treetops, her grin growing wider every time it happens. Something about the warlock's actions is clearly amusing her a lot.

[Cavir]

Kosnark is quite interested in the information the Marshall is giving, nodding often in agreement.

"Aye, the timin' is too convenient. If someone is spreadin' the news of our locations and plans that raises more questions. Without more leads it seems best to make ourselves a tarket once more to draw them out, grab a prisoner, and make them talk. If that fails at least we will make it to 'laderoot. The militia comin' with us should also have bows of some sort, and hopefully the name of the missin' lady."

"Is there somewhere I could find a little bit of healin'? I can pay for it. I don't want to 'ive the 'oblins or 'houls anymore of a head start. "

Assuming nothing to the contrary, Kosnark will:
- finish dinner
- get healing if available (just need 2hp worth, will heal 1hp overnight)
- sleep
- wake early and do weapons practice
- breakfast and discuss loot with the party
- sell loot
- buy potions as per OOC thread
- buy Rope, silk (50 ft.) at 10sp
- pay respects for Brandon
- be ready to head out

[Tyrann]

Risper had been silent from the moment he saw Brandon's lifeless body. He'd sulked behind the rest of the group, alternating glances between the dirt road, the clouds in the sky, and the moss on the trees around them, always making wide circles around the dog.

He hadn't even known the gnome that well but the reality of how easy it was to die out here was.. terrifying.

He would have liked to have gone to Gladeroot. It was the smart thing to do. He should have gone with. But.. he kept going back to the vision of the ripped out throat, and envisioning himself lying there in the grass.

It wasn't until the marshal was halfway through he speech that he snapped back into reality. Another run, tomorrow. With more men..

Well at least there'd be strength in numbers. For now he would just stock up on arrows and try to get some rest. If others were having a ceremony for the fallen he would pay his respects for appearances sake but.. the last thing he wanted was to have constant reminders of what had happened.

[u-b]

Atalayne looks at Kosnark, trying to estimate how much healing is required - "Well, I still have some little extra, let's see..." - he comes closer, casts two spells and Kosnark feels his health conditions slightly improving - "Let's hope there is no surprise night attack, but at least this much is free."

Healing 2hp to Kosnark

[Cavir]

Kosnark rotates his left shoulder and smiles. "Thanks once more, Atalayne. Assumin' you are with us tomorrow let's sell the plunder, share some of it and use the rest for healing supplies." He looks to the rest of the group for agreement.

[Seharvepernfan]

The Warriors: You amble back to your various rooms, clean off, and go to sleep. The next morning, you get up, go through your various routines, then meet back in the Seven Drunken nights for breakfast. You notice that the weather is better today; massive white mountains float through the sky in a sea of light blue, with the sun peeking through the canyons occasionally. In the tavern, the fire has smoldered out, but the lamps are lit and several locals are scattered throughout it. At the table with your group, however, sits a handful of armed and armored militiamen, as well as the Marshall. One is a more slightly-built older man with long grey hair and beard and a wide-brimmed brown suede hat. Sitting next to him on the floor is Oswald with his various packs and barding, and a smaller black dog, who is curled up and looks to be sleeping. Oswald looks a bit subdued; he rests his head on the man's seated leg.

"Ah, you're up. Good morning!" The Marshall waves a hand in greeting, diplomatic as ever. "These are the men who will be going with you today." You notice that Magnar is not at the table; is he oversleeping? "Enjoy your breakfast; I have some things to attend to. I've alerted several of the merchants that you will be visiting them today, and have persuaded them to give you a good price. I'll speak to you again before you head out." With that, she gets up and leaves the tavern.

The militiamen all turn to regard you with mixture of respect and uncertainty, though one, the smallest of the group, is clearly more on the "respect" side. They sit with you through breakfast, introducing themselves and asking questions about your two battles and speculating about what could be going on. The small one seems the most serious and motivated, and is certainly the most well-armed; at first he appears to be one of the scale-clad town guards, but you learn that he is a sub-leader of the militia instead. He is afforded the most respect out of the group, and it is clear he is both hardy and strong (mentally and physically), though somewhat dull. His name is Cirroc Woodhaven, and he is a direct descendent of the town's founder, though no one in his family has led the town in several generations. The dog-handler is Vern, apparently he does a lot of the tracking for the militia. The others are leather-clad archers who have family in Gladeroot and are eager to be off.

Your breakfast is large and varied, with cool water and ale, a pan of cornbread, roasted venisen, a warm loaf of bread with butter, several rather old-looking apples (from last year, no doubt), and a pot of vegetable stew. After breakfast, the militiamen stay in the tavern. They say to meet them back here when you're ready. You head out into town.

As she said, the vendors and merchants are ready for you, with cleared-off counters and scales, and have already been notified of what you have to sell. They don't try to haggle with you; they buy the goblin-gear at the prices you expected. Some of them openly wish you well. One of them mentions that there is a gnome community not too far from here whose militia might buy the stuff.

After selling the gear, you head over to the Lady's House, a temple to Ehlonna, on the edge of town in a small wooded area, along a winding dirt path. The temple is a large lodge made of white wood and feldstone that is built in a circle around the largest sycamore tree you have ever seen; it's trunk must be as broad as a wagon. It has a steep roof, large single-pane glass windows, and has a spotless appearance. The wood is polished with a finish about as smooth-looking as you have ever seen. Several deer, squirrels, and many different types of birds can be seen in the wooded area around the temple. They don't seem to concerned about you; they are probably left alone by the locals, given their location. A lone militia archer walks the paths around the House at a slow pace, bow nocked but relaxed.

When you arrive to the front doors (which are likewise smooth and white), the priestess opens them and welcomes you in. She is a beautiful middle-aged half-elven woman, with long blonde hair kept in a single loose braid behind her back (a rare color for elfkin; it must come from her human side), and green eyes. She wears a deer-hide robe that is cut off just above the knees and is dyed a light green, along with undyed deer-hide boots. Except for a simple leather belt and a wooden holy symbol of a prancing unicorn (of the same white polished wood of the House) on a leather string, she is unadorned.

The inside of the house is spacious and open, and looks more like an arboretum than a temple. It has slate floors and is home to an abundance of potted plants and trees, some of which hang from the ceiling below skylights (they must have been here through the winter, because all of them are already full and blooming). The temple is a ring-shaped building that circles the gigantic sycamore in the arbor (much like your inn, though round in shape). A few small brightly-colored songbirds flit from place to place, chirping and beeping. A couple other young women can be seen in the background, going from room to room, busy with something. An open-sided fireplace stands by itself in the center of this side of the House, rising to and through the ceiling. It is not lit at the moment, though a stack of firewood and kindling stands ready. The only thing that is out of place are two bodies lying on a table that are wrapped in burlap and tyed down with rope.

The priestess leads you to a round table with half a dozen chairs, that holds a glazed clay dekanter and several cups. She motions for you to sit down, then introduces herself, "Greetings. I am Valanthe, priestess of Ehlonna of the Forests. What can I do for you?" She gives an easy smile and sits down, leaning back in her chair and propping her head up with one arm; she kinda reminds you of the Marshall. With the exception of a life-sized wooden unicorn statue (also a polished white) surrounded by several leather mats and cushions, there really isn't much about the place that would indicate that it's a temple.

All of the things you wanted to buy are available. She is willing to sell potions/scrolls/wands at a 10% discount (after adding in my +5 charges rule). None of the merchants suggest anything special to Atalayne, though note that some special types of arrows are available, along with a rather large variety of alchemical items, probably due to the presence of elven and gnomish communities nearby.

I'll stop here for this post, so you can figure out exactly what you are getting.

Arcane Destruction: The walk to Gladeroot is long and uneventful. For Osra, it is grating and wearying. She is covered in mud and her own blood, she is completely wet, her arrow wounds still hurt, the road is slick and ensnaring, and her only companions are a couple of (currently) annoying gnomes. The climbing up and down trees is especially painful, and the constant vigilance is taking it's toll, both on her nerves and her eyes. Then there's the fact that she almost died, and one of her companions did. That poor gnome.

For Grimm, the walk is about the same as earlier in the day, except much more sinister and quiet. Now he knows there are enemies about, and he is with a much smaller and less martially capable group. On top of that, he's on point. He's rather glad for the light rain and gloominess; it makes it much easier to avoid detection. He too is burdened by thoughts of his fallen fellow gnome.

For Trixie, it is dreadfully boring. She just came all this way, by herself, with no one to talk to, and now she's going allll the way back, with only that tight-lipped she-elf to not-talk to, what with Grimm having vanished from sight. However, these two are looking for trouble, and seem to be arcanists of some kind themselves, so it might be worth the wait.

Luckily, or perhaps not, no other goblins are spotted. The trio pass through several hours of blooming white-barked trees, green ferns and bushes, and gently ascending hills. With the exception of a few small, harmless forest animals, they don't see another living soul (or unliving, thank the gods). As the sky is beginning to darken, and the clouds begin to break up, the group reaches a level area of ground. Just as the sky to their backs begins to pinken, the road exits the forest into a broad, mile-wide meadow.

About a spear-cast from the meadow, inside the forest, two tall, carved, wood poles stand flanking the road. They seem to be totems of some kind; the tops of the poles depict birds of prey with spread wings (the wings stick out from the poles), one is an eagle (or a hawk or falcon), the other is an owl. The birds stand on the heads of muscular elf-looking beings whose torsos connect with rearing horse (or elk) bodies. The bottoms of the poles widen a bit, depicting the creature's feet disappearing within wild grasses. The one with the eagle/hawk/falcon is a male, the other is a female. Both are nude, though the male carries a spear and the female a bow.

The edge of the forest is a narrow strip of younger trees and dense underbrush; it seems the forest is slowly retaking the meadow. At the center of the meadow is a stand of pine trees about a hundred-yards wide, from which several lit windows and small fires (maybe torches) can be seen. The stand of trees is home to a few dozen cottages, shacks, and tree houses (or so you assume; you can't see through the thick pines, but a few lights shine through their boughs). Several wood fences run through the meadow in various places, inside of which can be seen livestock; sheep, goats, wisent, cows, and horses. A few structures can be seen out in the meadow, some are shacks or cabins, some are tall wooden tower platforms, from which people can be seen standing or sitting. Pairs and trios of peole can be seen here and there around the village, standing guard and talking amongst themselves; they appear armed.

Far to one side of the village, Osra notes a cabin-sized white boulder which looks to be covered in some kind of markings (it's hard to tell from this distance), suspiciously out of place in the meadow; it is surrounded by untouched field for quite a ways in every direction. The closest third of the meadow to the forest looks to be unused wild field. The road leads straight to the little village, which you can only assume must be Gladeroot.

As you approach, three figures climb down from the nearest wood platform and begin walking towards you. Two humans, a bearded male and a long-haired female, armed with longbows and clad in leather, and a smallish male elf carrying a longspear and clad in studded-leather. The elf is very muscular and athletic, despite his small stature. They don't seem threatening, just curious. They approach calmly and with weapons down. The woman calls out, "Who are you? Did you run into any trouble on the road?" Her look of curiosity and concern turns into an unpleased frown when she see Trixie. When you approach within easy speaking distance, the gruff-looking bearded man levels a stare at Trixie, "We haven't forgotten about that cow."

[Blue_C.]

Osra's eyes almost cross when the townsman mentions the cow, but she chooses to focus on the woman instead. Based on the goblin's tactics, Osra only gives the earlier messenger even odds on making it this far, so she decides to begin at the beginning.

She briefly outlines the events of the previous evening and that day, including meeting Trixie after splitting with the rest of the party, and finishes with, "We originally came this way to see if anyone here had heard anything remotely related to the ghouls, and to hopefully get information on where your townswoman had lived and worked, but after the ambush, we also came here to warn you of the danger." She pauses, quite unused to speaking so much and wondering how long the gnomes would let her run on. "The marshall mentioned she had sent a messenger out before us, and we did not pass him. I have to ask, but did he arrive?"

[Techwarrior]

Hah! This would be much easier than I thought. Sure, they couldn't prove I'd taken anything, but this is much better. Let them think cow-girl did it. I'll just wait out my term of 'community service.' Blech.

The small, wiry elf looks over the group with wary eyes. Not only is there a longspear in hand, but he carries a longblade and a sling as well.

He also carries a pair of daggers strapped in wrist sheaths.

When he speaks, it's to his fellows, and he is quite agitated to be here.

I'm not even supposed to be here today!

" Who are you? Did you run into any trouble? Shouldn't we, as militia members, instead be asking them why in the Nine Hells they're even here? And I'm the new guy..."

[The Dragon]

"See? I brought something you'd want to hear. All very important I'm sure. On the subject of uncouth bovines: It was the cow's own fault. I warned it not to look at me like that, you know." She looks at the faces of the guards. "What? Ach, don't be such a bunch of wussies! It should still make decent beef. You did manage to fish it up, right?"

[Seharvepernfan]

Arcane Destruction: The woman looks at Trixie for a long moment; it looks like she's about to have an outburst, but then calms down and pulls her gaze back to Osra. The bearded man just stares. "Yes, he did. He came in this morning and warned us of the ghouls," she waves her arm back behind her toward the village, "thus the armed folk you see. However, he left soon after warning us. If you did not pass him, then I'm afraid he ran afoul of those goblins you fought. The wolf tribe, by the sound of them. We thought they were mostly diminished; you probably just ended their tribe. I don't know why they would attack such a well-armed group..."

The man speaks up, "Strange timing, what with them ghouls. People been goin' missin' here'n there, 'n nobody knows why or where to. We had Gareth look into it, 'n now he's gone. Bandit's been thick this year, too. I'd bet a horse there's more goin' on. Hrm. Wouldn't surprise me if she s'got sumthin' to do with it to boot." He jabs an extended finger at Trixie.

"I don't know about that...but, if you're getting involved with her, you'd better think twice." She ends with a half-grin and a raised eyebrow. "Then again, if you're trying to get to the bottom of this, you might be able to put these two," She indicates Trixie and Erindar, "to good use."

The woman's face loses it's mirth, "Now that he mentions it; that woman you spoke of, the ...g-ghoul? I bet that was...I bet that was Paetra. She would collect things from the forest, herb'n'berries'n'mushrooms'n'such. Sometimes she'd go to the Lady's House in Woodhaven. She's been missing for over a week now. My gods..." She looks over to the bearded man, and he catches her gaze. They share a worried look.

[JanusJones]

Grimm chooses this opportune moment to poke his head out of the surrounding bush and amble over.

"Do hope you don't mind, couldn't help but overhearing, don't suppose you know where, exactly, this missy was before she went miss-ing? Might help us dig up more company. We're doing tea, you know."

He grins and winks at Trixie. "And crumpets. Definitely doing crumpets."

[Cavir]

"Greetins, I am Kosnark, and this is Atalayne and Risper. We're some of those that dealt with the undead at the Inn, fought the 'oblins, and" pointing to the table "brought Brandon back. We came to pay our respects and hopefully purchase some healin' items from you so we'll be better prepared next time."

[Techwarrior]

"Ah, tea and crumpets? I know a nice herbal tea we could seep out of the trees *over there.* It's supposed to be really healthy and all that tripe your mother tells you to get you to eat something disgusting, but it's actually really good with toast."

He half-looks sheepishly at his 'commanding officers' for a moment.

"But uh, more on that later. We have people to find! Can't be seen wasting time on things not to have time wasted on."

With that, Erindar attempts to lead the group into town to begin their task.

[JanusJones]

Grimm c0cks his head. "Hrm. I know tea and crumpets are exciting, but let's try this again." He speaks very slowly, enunciating precisely, as if speaking a child: "Do any of you know where Paetra went missing?"

[Tyrann]

The planks in the floor of this temple were, if you stepped just right, just squeaky and just far enough apart that you could almost make a song with them. Risper had never been much of a musician, but on their way in he had accidentally "played" the first two notes of his favorite elven children's song, and Kosnark had involuntarily added the third note almost immediately after.
And so he found himself trying to be subtle about rocking back and forth to touch the right planks while Kosnark introduced himself.

He cringed a little - the plank behind his right foot had turned out to be disapointingly off key - just before joining in the conversation "Yes, hi. Risper here. I ehm." *squeek* came the satisfying sound of the board under his left heel. "Thank you. For tanking care of our friend." he bowed a little.

"Atalanye is a cleric too you know." he blurted out while shuffling a little to the side to look for his final two planks.

[Seharvepernfan]

The Warriors: The woman smiles, "Yes, I'm well aware. I would have been very busy if not for your presence. The gnome, Brandon; we'd like to know if he had kin around here. If not, there is a gnome community nearby who will take him." When you mention that none of you knew him or knew anything about him before the other night, she nods. When you mention the healing items, "The Marshall told me that you might come here for that, so I prepared some." She takes a minute to ask what you're looking for, tells you what she has available that is close to that, agrees upon a price (cheaper than you expected), then gets up while you start counting up the coins. "If you would like so say something, he is in *that* room. I'll be back presently."

After a few minutes, she returns with a small armful of consumables. "You're welcome, brother Idone, though I did little, in truth. Ah, yes, I'm aware of that as well. Olladra, by the Marshall's description of the symbol. I know little of your faith, brother Iardielmo, but the symbol is known to me. I am glad there is one among you can make use of these," she indicates a slender dark brown wooden wand with a lighter spiral engraving running down it's length, and two rolled-up scrolls of parchment. "I am lowering the price for these, given your efforts in helping Woodhaven. We truly appreciate your contribution. I fear there are dark times ahead." Her generally cheerful nature changes into one of solemnity as she finishes speaking.

Shortly thereafter, you leave the temple, feeling better armed, but much more exposed, as your group has shrunk by more than half. Magnar and Jaina are nowhere to be found today. Perhaps the Marshall knows where they are. With no further deals to be done, you head back to the Seven Drunken nights to meet with the militiamen before heading out. Most of the people you pass on the street take notice of you and either smile and wave, or else nod and make way for you. A few people take the opportunity to approach and thank you for helping so-and-so, their relative or friend, get out of that tavern with their lives. You remember some of these folk from two nights ago, either in the tavern or from when you went around town looking for other ghouls.

When you get back to the tavern, one of the barmaids tells you that the Marshall and the militiamen are waiting for you at the edge of town, so you head off to meet them there. Sure enough, they're waiting on the porch of one of the furthest houses. As you approach, the Marshall walks towards you, meeting you just out of earshot of those on the porch. "All set? Good. I'm sure you're wondering where Magnar and Jaina have gone to; I had a special errand for them. Now now," She raises her hands in a placating gesture, I know it seems untimely and foolish, especially since your group is already split, but I needed folk from out of town that I know I can trust. I'm certain that it's vital to your success and I ask that you trust me in this. If you're concerned about being short a sword-arm or two, Cirroc will go with you if you ask him to. He had wanted to yesterday, but I insisted that he stay here. Don't let his size fool you, he is quite strong."

"Is there anything you need before you set off?"

I'll stop here to give you a chance to speak. I'll continue tomorrow.

Arcane Destruction: The two militia members jump at Grimm's sudden appearance, though the elf does not seem surprised. They both look to Osra as if for an explanation, but are met with rolling eyes. While Grimm speaks, the woman daintily puts one hand up near her neck, as if calming herself. The bearded man, however, looks as if he can barely contain his anger. "Inna woods, you DUNCE! Where'd you think? Gods DAMN you, you oversized faeries with your blasted magic 'n ...glitterdust 'n..." the man suddenly stops talking and expresses an angry look that says "I'm done." With no further warning, he turns around and walks back towards the wooden platform. You get the feeling he does not have a high opinion of gnomes.

The woman looks a bit shocked, but notedly does not apologize for his outburst. She speaks in a quiet, rather subdued tone, "Perhaps you should speak with the elders, though I doubt they know more than we. We don't know what's happening." She then pauses for a moment, as if unsure of what to say or to continue speaking at all, then slowly turns around and follows the man.

If you're looking for information, a gather info check is in order. Erindar and Trixie know the basics about Gladeroot, but have only been here a short time each, so they don't know much.

[Blue_C.]

"Thank you for your assistance," Osra calls out to them.

She turns to Trixie and Grimm. "Perhaps you were right to begin in the wood, Grimm. Well, we may as well ask these elders, see what we can find out about the goblins and Paetra. it doesn't sound like they'll have much information, but anything might be better than wandering the woods."

"Maybe we should split up, ask around the village about any local hazards, like the goblins. If no one knows where the caster that raised the ghoul might be, they may know where the goblins hide out." After a moment, she asks, "Anything else we can ask that they might know?"

I'm not sure if you meant for us to actually roll it out, but just in case:
[roll0]

[Cavir]

Kosnark shakes his head politely. "Thanks for your help. We should be set now. If Cirroc still wants to he's welcome to." He looks to Atalayne and Risper to see if there is any objection. (Assuming none else I'll edit...)

Kosnark heads over to the porch and greets the miltia there. He gives a quick head scratch to Oswald and turns to Cirroc. "Heard you wanted to join us yesterday. The Marshall 'ave her leave for you to join us this time if you want. He looks at the group in general. "Sun's been up a while. Time to head out."

With that, Kosnark gives his pack a bounce to check on it and starts heading down the road at a brisk pace.

Kosnark gives 1sp each to Risper and Atalayne and hangs on to the rest for the others. At a discrete time he'll give 1sp to Vern for working with Oswald. He's carrying the rope for Risper.

Kosnark is perfectly fine to be out front of the group, bait if need be. By the time we get near the ambush area I'm sure we'll have taken some breaks and can discuss if Risper wants to scout out ahead. If he wants to then Kosnark will stick to being the most forward person in sight.

[u-b]

Atalayne is not exactly happy nor enthusiastic about getting back into the same forest, just with less people than yesterday, because, well, you don't count militiamen as full people when it comes to action. Very smart of the marshall to mention it just before we're leaving. In any case, Atalayne was not about to let all these people go with no one to swing that wand, so he decided he'll just stick to the center of the bunch and see if this will end well.

[Seharvepernfan]

The Warriors: The man grins, "Did she? My thanks, Master Stoneblood. I've been pacing like a wolf these last two days. I had half a mind to just go by myself." He pats Kosnark on the shoulder, "I've heard every detail of the ambushes; it seems I have skilled company."

Description: Cirroc is about the size of the largest elves, which is rather small by human standards. He has broad shoulders and a narrow waist, but is obviously thick with muscle. He has shaggy medium-length brown hair, fair skin, and olive green eyes, along with the fine features of elfkind; he has some fairly recent elf ancestry, for sure. However, his voice is surprisingly deep; a low baritone, and is flat, lacking the sing-song quality of most elven voices. He is also unshaven, which is something folk of pure elf blood never are.

He wears scale armor over soft leather garb, under a green tabard that displays a white tree. He wears a dark green armband on his right bicep, over his armor, as if to further display his militia status. His round heavy wooden shield is painted a sky blue color, and displays a darker blue triskelion rune; the same shape as the symbol on his necklace, which is made of the same white wood as much of the Lady's House.

He carries a shortspear in his free hand, a warhammer through a belt loop, and a couple javelins across his back, in addition to a backpack and bedroll. A lantern bounces along on his other hip.

With that, he waves to the men on the porch and begins to follow Kosnark down the road, albeit at the same pace as Jaina, which will slow the entire group. When he notices that Kosnark is exceptionally quick on his feet for a dwarf, he decides that he would rather not slow the group. He bades you to keep going, saying that he will catch up shortly. So, you head off without him.

The road is much drier today, though still muddy in many areas. It is a fair bit warmer as well, and lends to a "sunnier" disposition amongst the group. It's hard to feel in danger on such a bright, nice spring day. Several trees have sprouted large, bright white blooms, which starkly contrast with the greys and browns around them. You're sure these were not present yesterday. The first mile or so of the walk is uneventful; the militiamen are tight-lipped, wanting only to get to their destination intact.

Not long after, the sound of approaching hooves can be heard. Turning around, you see Cirroc and another militiaman riding a couple of horses along the road in your direction. Catching up, Cirroc dismounts, thanking the man for his assistance. The other man then turns them around and leads both horses back to Woodhaven. Cirroc is now wearing a suit of studded leather armor, but is otherwise geared the same as earlier. He simply smiles as he rejoins the group; he is obviously eager to be doing this.

When the group reaches the forest, he is quick to suggest a formation: Risper out front, followed closely by Vern and the dogs, then the rest of the group about a hundred feet behind. The other archers in a line in the center of the road, follwed closely and flanked by Cirroc and Kosnark, with Atalayne just ahead of them in the center.

(phallic symbol unintentional)

http://i62.tinypic.com/2q3cf9g.png

I'm gonna give Arcane Destruction some time to get caught up; they're still on the night before.

[Techwarrior]

Erindar attaches himself to Osra's side, trying to help finding things out. Between his bumbling social skills, smart-ass comments, and much-too-direct manner, he probably wasn't helping, but he was doing his awkward best.

Aid Another [roll0] DC 10