Discord IC

[AgentPaper]

Our story begins in the city of Greymont, largest city and capital of the Sylvan Kingdom. Though your origins and circumstances are different, fate has brought you together here in the city square. And although no one of you has seen the other before in your life, you feel an odd sort of kinship and familiarity to each other. As you wait among the crowd for the announcement, vague images of deeds past and present rush through your mind. Then, just as quickly as they came, the sense of deja-vu vanishes as you introduce yourselves to these new-found, long-lost strangers.

[Tashio]

Andoran stood in the busy square, trying to find a quiet corner away from the masses yet close enough to see and hear. The large crowd was disquieting, so different from the silent libraries he was used to. Through all that he felt this was where he needed to be, a sense of rightness and familiarity.

Andoran fidgeted while waiting, the studded leather armour chaffing him uncomfortably. "Why did I put this blasted armour on, it's not like I'm going anywhere dangerous today. " He slouches to the side slight shifting his heavy backpack from one shoulder to the other trying to get more comfortable. His long black hair, tied back in a traditional elven tie, contrasts against his pasty white skin. While of average elven height he seems shorter slouched against a wall, almost trying to hide from the crowd.

[Ichneumon]

Otto was short, even for an elf, and he could see nothing, with all these people standing in front of him. He was dressed in simple common clothes, the type you would expect from a poor simple sailor. Loose, with a lot of room to move. The clothes weren't dirty, but you could see they were quite old and had often been repared. A big red bandana was tied on top of his head and covered his shoulder length blond hair.

He felt claustrophobic. "See if you can find me somewhere more quiet, or at least somewhere with more space to breathe, will you?", he whisphered to the owl that was sitting on his shoulder. Sally had dozed off and seemed disorientated at first, but quickly flew up high in the sky.

Sally the owl circled above the crowd and directed Otto to an open space near a wall, on the edge of the crowd. There Otto saw another elf [Andoran], who seemed to have a similar heavy backpack and seemed similarly uncomfortable.

As Sally quietly landed again on his shoulder, Otto walked towards the other elf, and with a smile, started some small talk:

(In Elvish): "Morning! You come from far too?", nodding to both their big backpacks. "There are many people on the streets today. I have nothing against people, don't get me wrong, but I just can't... like... get used to so many of them, all on the same spot... You know?"

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola stood, annoyed as per usual, at the amount of people around her. She wasn't claustrophobic, and this crowd didn't frighten her.....but she just really did not like people, esp in such large numbers. She stood there, disgruntled, waiting for the pompous whoever to come out and talk about crap she was going to pay no nevermind to anyway. I wish they would get this over with. I need to get back to the temple. Tola had wounds to heal, bones to mend, and lives to save. She didn't have time for this show of politics, something she cared very little about.

Then she heard the hint of elven coming from the crowd and turned to see two elves standing next to each other, both seemingly dressed fro travel and adventuring. This was actually something of interest, so Tola walked to them. Not being one to act on ceremony, Tola just started talking, in elven, <I hear ya, I hate bein' 'round people in general. But this many just irritates me. I wish they'd 'nounce whatever in the hell they're gonna announce and git on with it. Some people have important stuff that need doin'. I'm Tola."> Tola's accent was one that was rough and hard on language. She seemed to attack language as opposed to speaking it. So when they elves heard her speak their natural language, there was something decidedly unnatural about the beautiful, lyrical language of the Fey, being beaten up by this woman's tongue.

so, I do my thinking in Italics, and tend to do my languages other than common <in between these guys>. Then my regular speaking just with color.

[Farmerbink]

Hopton sits near a wall on the outskirts of the crowd. He couldn't say what made him take that position, but the elf with an owl was just odd enough to warrant watching. Nothing else interesting was going on, that's for sure- and there's only so much time you can spend fidgeting with a single card before your brain itches for something more filling. And then that woman walks up and joins them in their language!!

Hopton kicks a small rock in annoyance. I bet I could learn Elven if I didn't have a Dwarf for a teacher.... I suppose I'll just listen, for now. He jumps slightly, startled by the sound of his own voice, having meant to leave that last part unsaid. He looks around, but no one is paying any mind to the halfling, so he settles back onto his haunches to listen.

[Tashio]

Andoran looked up in supprise as he was addressed, a bit taken back that someone would be talking to him. (Elvish) "Um. Hi. Uh, no I'm from about here."

"Who is he, why is he talking to me, what does he want? Actually, why does he look familar, he's obviously not from around here."

(Elvish) "Crowds are not my thing either, but this seems important, I don't know why though." Andoran finally gives up with his backpack and drops it to the ground, nearly squishing Tola's toes as she approached.

Andoran blushes looking really embarressed and flustered, (Dwarvish) "Oh so sorry! Didn't see you there." He shifts his pack out of the way. (Dwarvish) "So sorry."

Andoran sighs. "More people, more questions. Hope they get on with this soon." He leans back against the wall shaking his head.

[Rokku]

Flying Lion found himself on the periphery of the conversation, listening to the strangers he'd stumbled into.

"Three elves, a human, and a halfling run into each other in the city square," he says as way of an introduction, "there's probably a joke that starts like that, and it's probably dirty. What's the hubub, folks?"

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash wanders around the outskirts of the crowd. Dirt dulls his silver scales, and his simple, greenish-brown clothes and large backpack are adorned with what appears to be a dead rabbit hanging from his waist.

He looks around at the mass of the crowd and grumbles to himself in Draconic. "Only softskins would announce an announcement.


Krivvash hears some chatting in Elvish behind him. He turns and steps nearer to the others laden with backpacks. He tilts his head confusion around the group; first to the elf with a bird on his shoulder, next to the one spontaneously swapping to Dwarven. When the last elf speaks, he steps up and responds, in common. "I also would like to know what's going on here. So many people running about and no one knows why."

[AgentPaper]

As you wait for the announcement, more and more townsfolk filter into the square, clustering towards the podium at the front, which is attached by a short, narrow bridge to the castle itself. From the back of the crowd, you can see a few soldiers keeping the area around the podium clear. You overhear bits of conversation from the crowd, mostly inane, but you can hear someone talking about foul play in the castle. Before you can spot the speaker, though, a large group of soldiers passes by, the crowd parting to let them through. They ignore you and the crowd, intent on their task, but by the time they’re gone, the speaker has disappeared into the crowd.

[Ichneumon]

Otto laughs at Flying Lion's joke. "Haha, nice one. My name is Otto by the way and my feathered companion here is Sally the Wise. I'd be lost if I could not count on her guidance. To answer your question, I don't know what this tumult is all about. I've faced ferocious storms when I was at sea that were a lot more easy to navigate, than this noisy crowd of humans ... " He smiles and offers to shake everyone's hand.

"Did I hear that correctly? Something about stuff going on at the castle. Shall we have a look?"

[Tashio]

Andoran bumbled about trying to find his words as more people gathered about his once quiet spot. The distraction in the crowd giving him time to recompose. "I'm not sure what is going on, someone was supposed to speak, are they still coming? Then again any excuse to get out of here."

Andoran half shakes Otto's hand while picking his backpack back up and shouldering it.

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash looks down at Otto's outstretched hand and pauses a moment before reaching out to shake it. "Krivvash."

After a moment, he continues: "I doubt they will let us get close enough to learn anything new, but it's worth a try - better than standing around here, anyway"

[AgentPaper]

The gates of the castle open and a procession of soldiers marches out. One man among them stands out with gold-etched armor framed by a flowing, dark purple robe. Unlike the other soldiers, he wears no helmet, revealing a battered, grim face and short dark hair. The other soldiers kneel before him as he walks towards the marble podium. He scans the crowd. and as his gaze passes over you you could swear that he looked directly at you before moving on. You hear a few people mention the name “Gerrik” and “The Lord Captain”, before the crowd begins to hush in anticipation.

[Rokku]

Lion shakes Otto's hand firmly.

"A sailor, huh? I'm a man of the sea myself. Name's Flying Lion. And it looks like whatever's going on here is finally starting."

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola Hedekir tils her head to the side as the elf speaks dwarven to her, and she answers in kind, <"Don' worry about it, no harm no foul."> She sees a few others walk up, much with the same look as she once had.....adventurers. She has been back at her temple for two years now, but she had recently gotten the itch to go exploring again. Maybe this lot was just the group she needed to get back out there.

"I'm Tola, cleric over at the temple of the Sun. If you've got an ailment, I can cure it. Stab wounds, broken bones, arrow in the leg....I've healed it all." She looks around and sees that what seems as a man named Gerrik stepped out into the podium. He looks around the audience and his eyes seem to settle on everyone. They settle on Tola and she just gives him a hard stare right back....she is not one to be intimidated by anyone. "It look like our master of ceremonies is here......just get on with it."

History here, since I am making a post anyway [roll0]

[Farmerbink]

[QUOTE=Irish Musician;18517824]"It look like out master of ceremonies is here......just get on with it."

Hopton's ears perk up as Tola mentions an MC. I never will understand the tendency to gather like this. I bet no one else can see anything, either.... Uncharacteristically, he pipes up with a question to the folks gathered around him, can you guys- and ladies- see anything? Who is it? What's going on here?

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola shrugs at the little halfling, "Hell if I know. Looks like some guy in shiny armor. I think he's the army's leader 'round here.....I think he may be 'The Lord Captain' I hear people talking about here and there. But I just know him by name, no idea what he looks like." Tola raises an eyebrow, "But if I had to guess, I'd say it was him."

[Ichneumon]

Otto says in agreement to Tola,"Yes, I think that is him too., the Lord Captain of the Royal Guard. I've heard that the king has been making less public appearances lately and that this Lord Captain is the leader of the armed forces. He has been very busy recruiting more soldiers. Not sure why or where he sends them."

To Hopton, Otty says, half-jokingly: "A group of soldiers is marching by. There is one guy with fancy armor and no helmet. We think that is him. If you want, I can continue describing ithe scene to you. Or maybe you can sit on anyone's shoulders? Alternatively, I might be able to cast a terrifying illusion to scare away all the people blocking your view?":smallamused:

Ok, that was what I learned through the History check. Now we all know. :smallsmile:

[Farmerbink]

"A group of soldiers is marching by. There is one guy with fancy armor and no helmet. We think that is him. If you want, I can continue describing ithe scene to you. Or maybe you can sit on anyone's shoulders? Alternatively, I might be able to cast a terrifying illusion to scare all the people blocking your view away?":smallamused:


Hopton smiles at the joke, but makes no other movement or statement either way.

[Tashio]

"Ah Lord Captain Gerrik, I would hazzard a guess he is our speaker today. If he has something to say it'll be important."

Andoran turned to face towards where the podium was setup.

"Strange though, they kneel before him almost as if he was the king, this could get interesting."

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash does not say anything, instead just standing and staring at the podium, waiting impatiently for this man to finally speak.

[Irish Musician]

""[COLOR="#008080"]Strange though, they kneel before him almost as if he was the king, this could get interesting."

Tola nods her head, "This is weird. My da was in the military and soldiers salute the higher ups.....not kneel. Kneelin' tended to be reserved for royalty." Tola narrowed her eyes in thought, and waited for the announcement to come and bracing herself for whatever it was.

[Ichneumon]

Otto nods slowly. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Although Otto didn't know the guy at all, the fact that people were kneeling before him, just felt... wrong. He agreed with Tola. Kneeling was reserved for kings and queens, and that guy certainly was no king. He had no divine right to rule.

Otto was worried. He had joked to the halfling just a moment ago about using spells, but if he was truly honest with himself, he had to admit it hadn't really been a joke at all. He was a wizard after all and he had dedicated many years of his life to learning spells. And he felt it was his responsibility to do something useful and not waste these talents. He had studied not to sit in a library and waste his life, no, he had done so to cast spells, to go out, into the world and make a difference, improve the lives of those who were less fortunate than him. That is why he had left his homeland and served on all those ships for years, fought against all those pirates. Because as a wizard he could make a difference. If this Gerrik guy was planning a coup or something, it was Otto's responsibility as an experienced master of the arcane arts, to intervene. Even though he had no idea how...

[AgentPaper]

The gold-clad man begins to speak, “I am Gerrik Tollarn, Lord Captain of the Royal Guard of the Sylvan Realm. I come before you today with grave news. The Sylvan King is dead.”

The crowd, quieted to listen to the announcement, suddenly becomes completely silent, as if the air itself has frozen. Then, chaos erupts as the crowd cries out in shock, fear, anger, and disbelief. Out of the cacophony, you hear, “Who did this?!”, “How could this happen?”, “That’s impossible!” and “We’re doomed!” among many others as the crowd reacts to the death of their immortal king.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola isn't one to show surprise or many emotions on her sleeve. But when Gerrik announces the King is dead, her jaw drops a bit. "Well....I do admit wasn' expectin' that news. This.....will be changin' alto of things....."

[Farmerbink]

Horton looks around, confusion evident on his face. Ummm... I suppose I should know why that's a big deal, yeah? He shrugs, and adds, I never knew the king before, and he never interfered much with my life, so... I don't get it. Maybe I should, but I don't... What am I missing?

[AgentPaper]

Eventually the soldiers manage to calm the crowd enough to allow Gerrik to resume his speech. “I know that this news brings as much sorrow to all of you as it brought to me. However, I must ask that you remain calm. I assure you, everything is under control. Already we have conducted a thorough investigation into this matter, and we have found out those responsible.”

An aide quickly scrambles forward carrying a large bundle of rolled-up parchment. He hands a few out to a handful of soldiers, and each of them begins to unroll them. As you do, you can see that each of them contains a portrait showing six faces: Three elves, a human, a halfling, and a dragonborn, all strangely familiar...

Gerrik continues, “The Sylvan King was killed through the treachery of this group, whose likenesses you can see behind me. Their names are: Andoran Quarthorl, Otthradiel Maglindiros, Flying Lion, Tola Hedekir, Hopton Watchburrough, and Krivvash Kirrihylon.”

[Farmerbink]

Hopton, unable to see the parchments, clearly recognizes the sound of his own name. He points to the woman, and in a stuttering whisper says, "Y-y-y...you're T-t-t..Tola, right!? I'M Hopton! I know I didn't do nothin'! ... You did'n either, right?! As realization dawns, his eyes widen beyond belief for such a small head. Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, NO! We gotta go!! Without another word, he slips into the crowd, all-but disappearing from sight.

ummmmm I *think* that's a dexterity check with the proficiency bonuses that are applicable? [roll0]?
I want to stay close enough to watch the rest of the group, though.
(which is a wisdom check with appropriate proficiency bonuses?) [roll1]?

edit: well that ain't gonna do much. Apparently, I'm not just role-playing his fear, I'm roll-playing his fear! (ba-dump, tss)

[Ichneumon]

Otto had listened carefully and had wanted to ask whether the king had died of natural causes (disease or anything) or had been murdered. When he heard the names, his face turned pale. "Otth.... Othradiel Maglindiros... how? That's my elvish name..."

He quickly looked around to the others, "Listen, I am assuming you guys are as surprised and as innocent as I am. I think we should get out of here, quickly."

He sees Hopton try to escape into the crowd, and fail. This is of no use. We need a distraction. We need magic. Think, Otto, think.

"I wonder how quickly these people get scared of fire..."
Otto closes his eyes for a moment, breathes in and out, then, when he is sure no one is looking directly at him, surrounded by a lot of people, so that no one can see him cast the spell, he casts Minor Illusion aimed at the other side of the crowd, where he tries to create the sound people screaming "Fire!" "Help! It's burning!" "Run! Run!" "Aaaaahhhh!!!!" "Fire! Fire! Fire!"

Otto hopes that the crowd will panic and that people will start running, screaming etc. and that hopefully they will forget about them.

"Guys, I think it is time to go... Any suggestions where to run to?"

Otto doesn't just stand there, waiting for a reply or seeing how people respond to his illusion. He starts retreating into the other direction, into the crowd, assuming the others are following him.

Ok, I think it is just a matter of running away really quickly now. I'm not sure if I should roll for this and if so, what.

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash's eyes go wide and he turns to the group, speaking in a loud whisper, "The gate. Can we get to the gate and be out of this place before our likenesses are placed everywhere?".

He scans the unfamiliar city, past the crowds to the extent that he can, looking for a way out.

[Tashio]

Andoran's jaw drops as his name is called, "But, but but, I didn't do anything."

How did they get a picture of me, I didn't do it. Why would they blame it on me. Six of us just randomly standing here, six up on that wall. Fates be damned!

As the illusion of the fire springs up and the crowd starts to bustle instinct takes over and he follows Otto almost being dragged along by momentum.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola's eye grow wide, and then they narrow and her face starts to turn red. She quickly turns and starts running, telling the others to do the same, and getting them to get a move on. "We need to clear out of the city...NOW. Get yer asses in gear!" As she runs down the streets she grabs a hooded cape from a merchant's cart and keeps on moving. She throws it on and puts the hood over her head.

[Rokku]

Flying Lion briefly clicks his tongue in response to the announcement.

"Nnnnnope," he says, and moves to vanish into the crowd.

[roll0]

[AgentPaper]

The nearest exit from the city is the Water gate, to the east. By the main road, it's only about 700 feet away, but a quick glance shows a number of guards patrolling it, and not a lot of crowd cover. You could also attempt to move through the twisting alleyways to either side of the main drag, which would roughly double the distance as there is no direct route, plus the possibility of getting lost if you aren't familiar with the city (intelligence check, advantage if you've lived here for at least a year, auto-succeed if you grew up here).

The only other ways out of the city are the Fire gate to the north, the Air gate to the west, and the Earth gate to the south, all of which are at least twice as far, but otherwise have the same options.

No guards have spotted any of you yet, that you can see, and the illusion has created a decent distraction, though more confusion than fear.

I'll need stealth checks from anyone trying to blend into the crowd, as well as what direction they're moving, whether it's through the alleys or the main drag, or somewhere else. If you're going into the alleys, I'll need an intelligence check as mentioned. If you're just running as fast as you can, I'll need an initiative roll and an athletics check instead of a stealth check.

[Ichneumon]

Otto goes for the Water gate, through the different alleys. No sense in trying to rush past the guards. He tries to blend in crowd, not trying to make to much noise or catch attention, which is difficult as an elf with a owl.

"Sally, I wish I had brought a city map with me... This city looks like a maze."

Stealth: [roll0]

Intelligence: [roll1]

[Tashio]

Andoran follows Otto till he is out of the square, "There's a farmstead a couple miles down the main road, try meet up there," before splitting off into one of the side alleys heading North towards the Fire Gate.

He slows down to a more regular pace, once into the streets and alleys trying to blend in. "Well this is going to make getting into the library more complicated."



Stealth
[roll0]
Intelligence
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Farmerbink]

Hopton notices Otto and Andoran moving purposefully, and attempts to follow, while hoping to lose any watchful gazes from the crowd. Looking to the east, he surmises their intentions, and also attempts to sneak back that direction.


question: does size play a factor in stealth checks? I am not clear how to apply it, so my rolls do not include any bonuses from being wee.

I already rolled a (pitiful) stealth check (10), but if this is sufficiently different, [roll0]
[roll1] intelligence check(+2 more, if investigation)

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash follows Otto into the alleyways at a small distance. Standing more than a foot taller than some of the humans in the crowd, he hunches over slightly so as to be slightly less noticeable above the crowd, cursing that this kind of thing should happen in a place where he was so recognizable.


Stealth: [roll0]
Intelligence:[roll1]

[Rokku]

Meet? thinks Flying Lion, being a group of six just means it'll be six times as likely that we're tracked down.

Lion heads for the alleys and takes to the rooftops at the first opportunity. Hardly anybody ever looks up, and it's make it easier to plot a safe course out of the city.

Stealth [roll0]; Athletics [roll1]; Intelligence [roll2]

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola makes her way through the alleyways. Growing up in the city she had at least some knowledge of where to go quicker than those who didn't. She makes her way to one of the gates as well, hoping to pass through without incident.

Since she grew up there, I assume she gets through pretty easily to the gate, as was stated.

Her stealth sucks, so instead she is just going to move with strong purpose to right before she gets to the gate, then try to calmly walk through. IF she gets stopped, she will deal with it from there.

[AgentPaper]

The party has split up into three groups:

The main group consists of Tola, Krivvash, Hopton, and Otto, who are making their way through the alleyways towards the Water gate. Tola, being a local, is easily able to guide you through. Krivvash's stature and features stand out*, but fortunately the rest of you are able to cover for him and you pass without notice.

Flying Lion and Andoran have gone off on their own, Flying Lion east** over the rooftops and Andoran north, towards the Fire gate. Neither of you has been spotted, however you have both become lost.

Since none of you have been spotted, I'll do another round of stealth checks, plus intelligence checks for Flying Lion and Andoran to find their way again. Each check corresponds to ~150 feet of movement, so 4 more to reach the water gate for the main group. Flying Lion is taking a more direct route, so only 3, assuming he passes the athletics and stops being lost. Andoran is taking a longer route, so he'll need 6.

Tola: [roll0]
Krivvash: [roll1][roll2]
Hopton: [roll3]
Otto: [roll4]

Flying Lion: [roll5]
Athletics: [roll6]
Int: [roll7]

Andoran: [roll8]
Int: [roll9]

All DCs are 10 to pass. I'll keep posting updates until something happens.

*I should have mentioned being a dragonborn gave you disadvantage on this stealth check. I rolled for you, a 1. I also rolled for Tola, a 16. Trying to move inconspicuously through the crowd and not draw attention is a stealth check, whatever your method. Since it's a group stealth check, you only need 3 out of the 4 of you to succeed.

**I assume. You didn't say which way you went, though is suppose it doesn't matter now.

[AgentPaper]

Flying Lion and Andoran remain lost, and make no progress. A guard calls out to Andoran, asking him to stop. The guard is about 20 feet away, and alone, though there are a few other civilians on the streets around you.


The main group is 450 feet from the Water gate when a guard calls out to Otto, asking him to stop. Hopton tries to make a distraction by pushing someone, only to realize too late that the man he pushed to the ground was another guard. His three friends are now very aware of who you are.

Initiative:
Tola: [roll0]
Krivvash: [roll1]
Hopton: [roll2]
Otto: [roll3]
Guards: [roll4]

If you try to make a break for it, roll Athletics. If you want to try and lose them in the twisting streets, roll Stealth. Or you could try and subdue the guards, in which case you have the surprise round and one of them is prone.

Edit: Otto reacts first, followed by Hopton, then Krivvash, then Tola. (The guards don't act since they're surprised)

[Tashio]

Andoran takes a few steps before stopping, digging in his pack and pulling out his book and quill. He looks up at the nearest building and scribbles a few things in his book ignoring the guard as much as possible as he approaches, or call out to him again.

"Oh, oh I'm so sorry, did not notice you. Rather caught up in my thoughts right now." Andoran taps the book against his head. "My thesis you see, modern architecture and the growth of cities around prominent points of interest or importance. Such as rivers, castles, points of defence or simply places where major trade routes cross. It is interesting to see how different places encourage different types of structures and how their placement affects the growth of other areas of industry and commerce. The Great Library such a piece of architecture, wish I could have met the person who designed such a monument. " Andoran rambles on until the guard interrupts him.


Not sure if needed but will throw this roll in here, no proficiency no stat bonus hope for the best.
[roll0]

[Ichneumon]

"Excuse me, gentlemen." Otto says to the guards. "We really don't want to bother you. This whole situation is really blown out of proportions and frankly I find the whole thing tiring, don't you?":smallamused:

Otto casts Sleep on the guards.

I must roll 5d8 to determine the amount of hit points of creatures the spell can affect. I'm assuming i can cast it in such a way I'll only target the guards, if not, I'll cast it in such a way I do not endanger the rest of the party, even if that means that not all guards are within range of the spell.
Sleep: [roll0]


Otto doesn't wait to see if any of the guards fall asleep. He is feeling scared, hunted and out of control. "Why is this happening to us?!"

To the others, he shouts: "Guys, if things continue like this, I'll be out of spells before we reach the gate. I hope that the farm Andorran mentioned earlier is easy to find. Let's make a run for it, shall we?"

Unless the other adventurers decide to stay and fight, he'll continue running to the gate. Athletics: [roll1]

[Farmerbink]

Jaw dropping slack in awe, Hopton nods at the wizard with a vague expression. How did he do that!? he wonders aloud as he breaks out into a pitiful, halfling rendition of a sprint.

[roll0]

edit: bahaha! I knew that was doomed to failure.

[Demonic Spoon]

Shoving aside anyone in his way, Krivvash begins sprinting off towards the gate. When he passes by the faltering halfling, Krivvash reaches down and hoists him up by the arm before continuing on.



Athletics: [roll0]

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola nods to the wizard, "Good. I didn't really want to hurt them. They aren' part of this whole thing, so no need to hurt 'em. That bein' said, lets get the hell out of here! Follow me." Tola sprints off, trying to get out of the city with the rest of her new-found....well fugitive.....friends so that they can figure out what in the Sun's name is going on here.

Athletics [roll0]

Also, DM - Tola gets disadvantage on Stealth as well due to her armor. Just wanted to point that out.

[AgentPaper]

Main Group:

One of the guards and a nearby civilian slump to the ground and begin snoring loudly. The two standing guards seem confused as to what's happening for a moment, giving you a small lead, but then begin running after you, shouting for you to stop. The guard Hopton tripped over scrambles to his feet, then moves to check on the sleeping guard and civilian rather than chase you.

You are now sprinting towards the Water gate, which is 600 feet away. Assuming you dash every round, it'll take you 10 rounds to reach it. You have a 30 foot lead on your two pursuers. You can dash for 3+con mod rounds, after which you need to make a DC 10 con save each round or take a level of exhaustion (PHB 291).

Each round you'll also be rolling athletics. If your lowest result is below all the guards', they'll gain 5 feet on you. If all of your results are higher than all of the guards, you'll pull another 5 feet ahead.

Athletics:
Tola: 13
Krivvash: 13
Otto: 17
Guard 1: [roll0]
Guard 2: [roll1]

Complication: [roll2]


Andoran:

The guard ignores your babbling and walks toward you, taking a club and a pair of manacles off of his belt. "Now don't give me any trouble, you got that?"


Flying Lion

After wandering around trying to find your way, you've become hopelessly lost. As you try to look around and figure out where you are, you hear some talking in the street below. Looking down, you see one of the elves you met in the town square, holding a book and a quill and babbling some nonsense. As you watch, you see a nearby guard moving towards him.

Just as you're about to act, you catch a faint glimpse of movement in the shadowed alleyway below you. Taking a second look, you can see that there are two more guards down there. They're moving slowly, trying to take the elf by surprise, and doing a fair job of it from what you can see.

[Farmerbink]

From his perch in the arms of the dragonborn, Hopton shakes his tiny fist at the oncoming guards. We didn' do nothin! Heck, I didn' even know who the king was!! The jostling of the big man's shoulders and arms quickly silences his nearly incoherent yelling.

[Rokku]

Lion looks down on the scene and sighs. Oh, son of a bitch...

Gripping his spear tight, Flying Lion flings himself from the rooftop, crashing down on the guards sneaking up on the unsuspecting elf.

Spear [roll0][roll1]; Martial Arts[roll2][roll3]

[AgentPaper]

Initiative:

Andoran: [roll0]
Flying Lion: [roll1]
Guard 1: [roll2]
Guard 2: [roll3]
Guard 3: [roll4]

Guard 1 is by Andoran, the other two are in the alley, now quite visible. Guard 2 was damaged by Flying Lion's attack.

Edit: Turn order is Flying Lion, then Andoran, then the guards. Flying Lion is up first.

[Rokku]

Lion whirls, continuing his assault on the guard. The quicker this was over, the better.

Spear [roll0][roll1]; Martial Arts [roll2][roll3]

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola hears Hopton shouting at the guards, "Somethin' tells me they won' care about any of that, little one. How many times you think they hear 'We didn' do it' by guilty parties?" Tola manages a smirk and keeps running. Got to get out of this city. Maybe I can contact my father and figure out what to do......

[Tashio]

Andoran takes off running ducking down the stairs trying to lose the guard around some corners.


Andoran takes a dash action.
[roll0]

[AgentPaper]

The first guard dashes after Andoran, trying to keep up with him. Andoran has a 10 foot lead on the guard.

Athletics:
Andoran: [roll0]
Guard: [roll1]

Andoran easily out-paces the guard, and widens his lead to 15 feet.

The other two guards turn on Flying Lion, attempting to subdue him with their clubs:

Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Attack: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Flying Lion nimbly dodges the guards' feeble attacks.

[AgentPaper]

Meanwhile, the main group continues their flight towards the Water gate.

Athletics:

Tola: [roll0]
Krivvash: [roll1]
Otto: [roll2]
Guard 1: [roll3]
Guard 2: [roll4]

Complications (for next round)
Party: [roll5]
Guards: [roll6]

[Rokku]

Flying Lion strikes at the injured guard again, hoping to disable him and keep the other from chasing his original target.

Spear [roll0][roll1]; Martial Arts [roll2][roll3]

[Ichneumon]

Otto kept running, but he was getting tired. "By the great sea demons! This is farther than I thought, Sally!", he shouted to his owl. "I guess I'm not used to sprinting."

If he sees any bystanders standing in his way, he is going to shout loudly, while waving his hands: "Get out of my way! This elf is going to EXPLODE!", hoping to scare them away so he can continue running.

As we're getting closer to the gate. Can I spot whether there is anything standing in our way? Like any guards that might have appeared? ... I think that is a Perception check check, right? I guess 'spot' isn't a skill any more in 5e.. [roll0]

[Tashio]

Andoran ducks around a corner trying to put more distance ahead of himself and the guard following him. He keeps an eye out for obstacles to put in the way of the guard or a side alley to duck down that might provide cover or a way to break line of sight to the guard.


Continuing to use dash moves to get away and find a way to get the guard off his back.

[AgentPaper]

The guards gain on you a bit, closing the gap to 20 feet. A crowd blocks your path, and both you and the guards struggle to make it through.

Tola: [roll0]
Krivvash: [roll1]
Otto: [roll2]
Guard 1: [roll3]
Guard 2: [roll4]

[AgentPaper]

The guards become swamped in the crowd, allowing you to pull ahead again to 30 feet.

You've been dashing for two rounds. The guards start making saves on round 5, Otto on round 6, and the rest of you on round 7.

Round 3: [roll0]

Round 4: [roll1]

Round 5: [roll2]
Guard 1: [roll3]
Guard 2: [roll4]

Round 6: [roll5]
Otto: [roll6]
Guard 1: [roll7]
Guard 2: [roll8]]

Round 7: [roll9]
Tola: [roll10]
Krivvash: [roll11]
Otto: [roll12]
Guard 1: [roll13]
Guard 2: [roll14]


Andoran and the guard are having a separate chase:

Round 2: [roll15]

Round 3: [roll16]

Round 4: [roll17]

Round 5: [roll18]
Andoran: [roll19]
Guard: [roll20]


The two guards continue to attack Flying Lion, attempting to subdue him:

Attack: [roll21]
Damage: [roll22]
Attack: [roll23]
Damage: ([roll24]

[AgentPaper]

Main group:

Round 3: You run into a brawl in progress.

Tola: [roll0]
Krivvash: [roll1]
Otto: [roll2]
Guard 1: [roll3]
Guard 2: [roll4]

Round 4: Nothing

Round 6: Otto and one of the guards starts to breathe heavily. You've each taken 1 level of temporary exhaustion. In addition, during the chase you come upon a pack of dogs fighting over food.

Tola: [roll5]
Krivvash: [roll6]
Otto: [roll7]
Guard 1: [roll8]
Guard 2: [roll9]

Andoran: Not once, but twice, you and the guard run into large crowds gathering in the street. You do your best to dodge and weave around them, while the guard pushes through behind you.

Andoran: [roll10]
Guard: [roll11]

Andoran: [roll12]
Guard: [roll13]


One of the guards lands a critical blow on Flying Lion, dealing 5+[roll14] damage.

[AgentPaper]

Forgot round 5: A maze of crates and barrels stands in your way. Tola and Otto attempt to find a clear course through the maze, while Krivvash and the guards try to duck and weave through the obstacle course.

Tola: [roll0]
Krivvash: [roll1]
Otto: [roll2]
Guard 1: [roll3]
Guard 2: [roll4]

[AgentPaper]

Summary:

Round 3: All of you manage to push through the brawl unharmed, you maintain your lead of 30 feet.
Round 4: No change.
Round 5: Tola finds a clear path through the crates, but not anyone else. Tola is now 10 feet ahead of everyone.
Round 6: Tola, Krivvash, and one of the guards get bitten by the dogs as they pass. The other guard makes it through unscathed, but pauses to check his companion, allowing you to keep your 30 foot lead.
Round 7: No change.

Andoran: You get through the crowds much better than the guard, allowing you to gain a lead of 35 feet.

Note: If either group manages to get a lead of 60 feet or more, they'll be able to make a stealth check to try and hide from the guards. If you fail, the chase resumes, with the gap 30 feet closer than before.

[Rokku]

Lion drops to a knee with the impact of the blow. Gritting his teeth, he sweeps at the injured guard's legs, hoping to put him down.

Spear [roll0][roll1] Martial Arts [roll2][roll3]

[AgentPaper]

Flying Lion

Your spear whips around and sweeps the injured guard's feet out from under him. You quickly follow up with a roundhouse kick, landing a solid blow on the other guard. The guard, seeing his friend fall, backs off and starts calling out for reinforcements, holding his club between him and you in an attempt to ward off your blows.

The guard has backed off a few feet and is using the dodge action. You can either continue to attack (at disadvantage) to hopefully stop him before reinforcements come, or you can try to escape, in which case you should roll stealth.

Complications for the main group: [roll0]
Complications for Andoran: [roll1]

[AgentPaper]

Con saves:
Tola: [roll0]
Krivvash: [roll1]
Otto: [roll2]
Guard 1: [roll3]
Guard 2: [roll4]

Andoran: [roll5]
Guard 3: [roll6]

A beggar tries to block Andoran and his pursuer's way, holding out a can asking for change. Andoran and the guard both try to dodge around him.

Andoran: [roll7]
Guard: [roll8]

Main Group

Everyone but Tola now has 1 level of (temporary) fatigue. You're only a bit over a hundred feet from the gate, and you can see that it is open, but there are two guards standing in your way, partially blocking the path. Seeing the commotion, another guard seems to be attempting to close the gate, but it's slow, and you're pretty sure you can make it through in time with just a bit of luck.

[Rokku]

Lion waves, kicks the fallen guard's club into the face of his compatriot, and dashes away.

[roll0]

[AgentPaper]

Guard Perception: [roll0]

[AgentPaper]

Con saves:
Tola: [roll0]
Krivvash: [roll1]
Otto: [roll2]
Guard 1: [roll3]
Guard 2: [roll4]

Complication: [roll5]


Con saves:
Andoran: [roll6]
Guard: [roll7]

Complication: [roll8]

[AgentPaper]

Main Group

The two guards, exhausted from the chase, start to slow and eventually stop, instead calling out to the other guards at the gate to stop you as best they can between labored breaths. You are now just a short distance away from the main gate, and no longer need to dash to keep ahead of your pursuers. You can see more guards starting to rush down the stairs to the left of the gate, but the stair to the right is still clear. Will you try to push through the two guards trying to block the gate itself, or do you go for the stairs to climb the wall?


Andoran
As you're running, a horse card suddenly pulls out of a cross street and blocks your path. You and the guard attempt to dodge it (DC 15 Acrobatics):

Andoran: [roll0]
Guard: [roll1]

Edit: Both you and the guard stumble around the cart, but at least you were both slowed equally.

Flying Lion

You've successfully escaped your pursuit. Do you want to resume sneaking towards the Water gate by rooftop?

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash pants as the long run begins to takes its toll.

He stares down the guards in front of the gate. Krivvash then draws his pick and raises it above his head as he charges, the halfling still on him, yelling out in Draconic. <"Out of my way, weaklings!">


Intimidate, at disadvantage due to exhaustion

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Ichneumon]

Otto breaths heavily. We are finally there! We can see the gate! He sees what Krivvash is trying to to do and tries to help him:

"Watch out, you fools! That dragonborn is wild and he eats men flesh! He'll bite your arms off if you don't get away!"

Intimidate, also at a disadvantage.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Tashio]

Andoran heads for the nearest narrow alley dropping a few coins on the ground outside the alley. He calls out "Free Money!" as he does so then drops another small handful inside the alley itself hoping to draw the crowd into it.


He will try avoid dropping to much gold but he's not going to slow down to pick them out of what he grabs.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola, with the others, runs right to the gate trying to get out of the city as soon as they could. As they run their hearts out, she points her mace at the wizard, a divine light overtaking him. It seems to create a bubble that hovers over his being, just slightly. "That should help ya get through the guards without too much pain. Just try and dodge them as much as ye can."

Tola keeps dashing and uses a bonus actions to cast Shield of Faith on Otto, giving him +2 to AC for, I believe, 1 minute.

[AgentPaper]

Main Group

You charge straight through the two guards attempting to block the gate, just before the gate closes. One of them lashes out at Tola, and the other at Otto.

Attack vs Tola (AC 18): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Crit: [roll2]

Attack vs Otto (AC 14): [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]
Crit: [roll5]

Both guards land glancing blows, but neither can do anything to stop your flight, and don't give chase, apparently reluctant to follow you through the quickly closing gates. A few guards on the walls yell down at you, but apparently they do not know the extent of your crimes, and do not fire at you.

Congratulations! You've escaped the city! I'll reward XP once everyone's out.

Andoran

Nearby townsfolk flock towards the coins, rushing to grab what they can. The guard tries to push through them.

Guard Strength (DC 15): [roll6]

The guard becomes swamped by the crowd, and seeing that he won't be able to catch you, gives up and joins the crowd scrabbling for coins.

[AgentPaper]

Andoran

Forgot to roll this before: You drop [roll0] copper, [roll1] silver, and [roll2] gold coins.

Flying Lion

Returning to the rooftops, you begin making your way towards the water gate. With the guards distracted by the chase, you're able to make your way there without any further trouble. Unfortunately, now the gate has been closed, and there is no easy way to get to the wall from the rooftops. There is a 20 foot gap between the buildings and the walls all around. You would need to succeed a DC 16 Strength (Atheletics) check to make it. You could also attempt to scale the walls, though that would take longer, putting you at risk of running into more guards.

[Ichneumon]

As Tola casts the spell on him, Otto feels a strange warmth radiating through his body. It feels somewhat similar to the tingling sensation he feels in his fingers every time he casts spells, but this felt more... foreign and... what is the word for it?, Otto thought. Celestial! That is it! It was a divine feeling and it motivated him to run faster. The Gods are at our side!

When Tola and Otto try to run past the last guards standing in their way, he gets hit, hard, but he doesn't care. They are free!

"Yes!", he shouts in joy!

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash places his pick back on his belt, lets Otto down to the ground, and keeps moving forward along the side of the road. "Hurry. Eventually they'll see those posters and come out after us. We should at least get out of sight of the walls.

Krivvash sniffs the air slightly and glances down at the rabbit carcass, still hanging from his belt. "Let's get to that farmstead, have a meal, and then get far away from this place"

[Farmerbink]

Hopton gently brushes himself off, and looks up at the big dragon born, with a sheepish expression. Thank ya, mister! I was afraid they were gonna catch me, for sure! I'm pretty good at being sneaky, most of the time, but I've never been much of a runner...

He nods, before continuing. Yeah, lets get out of here!

[Rokku]

Lion judges the distance, says a brief elven prayer, then gets as much of a running start as he can and makes the leap.

Athletics [roll0]

[Tashio]

Andoran ducks through a few more side alleys before give a sigh of relief, confident that he has escaped the guard. He continues to make his way towards the north gate. He moves quickly but not to fast as to draw attention.

[AgentPaper]

Andoran

With his pursuit thrown, Andoran has no trouble reaching the Fire gate, all the guards seem to be distracted elsewhere. Once you get there, you notice a large column of soldiers marching in through the Fire gate, at least a hundred, and assembling in the large clear street in front of the gate. As you're approaching, you see a man in shining silver armor riding atop a horse, walking back and forth in front of the guards, inspecting them and apparently speaking to the gathered soldiers, but you're too far away to hear him.

There are still guards streaming in through the gate, so passing through will be impossible until they're all gone, which could be minutes from now, or hours. You could also attempt to sneak closer to the knight, to try and eavesdrop on his speech. (stealth check) You could also attempt to make a break for the walls and try to scale them before someone can stop you, though you'll almost certainly be spotted crossing the 20 feet of open space between the nearest buildings and the walls.

Flying Lion

You sail cleanly over the gap between the roofs and the walls, landing lightly on the top of the walls. A guard patrolling the wall calls out for you to stop, but he's too far away to stop you from sprinting across the wall and leaping off the other side into the deep moat below.

Acrobatics (DC 10): [roll0]
Damage (on fail): [roll1]

You slice cleanly into the water, taking no damage from the 40 foot dive. The guard above stares over the side in shock as you easily swim to the shore and climb out of the water.

Congratulations! You've successfully escaped the city!

[Ichneumon]

A smile appears on Otto's face when he sees Flying Lion jumping over the wall. "We're doing it. We're escaping the city! We can do this!"

Otto looked at his fellow companions. He didn't really know them well, but he felt they were going to be a great team. Chased by the authorities for a crime we didn't commit.... Yet we promptly escaped that well guarded city. We'll likely still be wanted, so we'll have to be careful. But maybe we can work as mercenaries or something, while we try to clear our name?

"Let's go to that farmstead and make plans. So... did any of you experience something like this before? Any suggestions on how to clear our name?"

Just kidding, but we're sort of like the A-team (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MVonyVSQoM)! :smallbiggrin:

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola tried her best to keep running until they were outside the gate a fair bit. She, too, saw Lion fly over the wall, and met up with him. She takes a quick count of everyone and notices one person missing. "It seems we are down one person....that elven fighter I believe. Anyone see where he went?" Tola nods at Otto, "Yeah, lets get to the farmstead and talk there. For now we should keep moving to get as far away from the gate as possible. Someone framed us for killing the king.....they won't rest until we are found."

[Farmerbink]

Hopton eyes widen in shock as the monk makes a flying leap from the wall into the moat below. That was amazing! he thinks outloud, before realizing he has spoken with a sheepish grin.


"So... did any of you experience something like this before? Any suggestions on how to clear our name?"

Err... Actually, sort of. I... wasn't always on the right side of the law, when I was younger. My family, of course, always defended my, while secretly admonishing me for my... behavior. It took quite a while to convince the elders that I had changed, though. I'm not sure they believe me, still... but we didn't even do anything! Why are these people mad at us? With an expression somewhere between irritation and confusion, he marches along with the group towards the aforementioned farmstead.

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash grunts. "I haven't been in the city for more than a day, I don't know who would even want to blame me for this.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola stand with the others, listening to their tales, and thinks about recent events. She then reaches into her pouch and produces a small, silver skull. "I was healin' this guy the other day, a bit of charity that I do from time to time for those that need it. When I was done, he didn' say a word, but gave me this small skull." She shows it to the others and continues, "I don't know if it means much, but anythin' weird like that happen to y'all? This is the only thing I can think of that happened to me."

[Ichneumon]

Responding to Krivvash, "Have we considered the possibility that there is no one actually trying to blame us? Could this actually be a mistake? I don't think we've ever previously been on the same location at the same time before?"

With fascination he listens to Tola's story. He always liked mysteries."I don't see how it could be connected.... But I was involved in a shipwreck, not too long ago. We were attacked. A man was dying, I tried to save him..." Otto hesitates. "Before he died, he gave me a small metal cylinder, about two inches long, asking me to return it to his master. Before I could ask anything more though, it was already too late" Otto doesn't bother getting the cylinder out of his backpack, unless people ask him too.

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash gives Otto a strange look. "Are you saying that someone accidentally blamed us for the crime?"

He looks back at the gate as he walks, searching for an indication that they are being pursued, before turning back to Otto.

"No. Someone must be targeting us. Maybe he had one of us in mind and decided at the last moment that the rest of us standing around were involved. I wouldn't put it past one of the humans to pick me out for such treatment"

Krivvash shakes his head dismissively as Tola speaks about the relation between trinkets and regicide.

[Tashio]

Andoran tries to move around with the crowd to get closer to the mounted knight, keeping an eye out on the nearest stairway up the wall and escape routes if noticed.


Sneaking up on Knight
[roll0]

If spotted Andoran is making a dash for the nearest stairwell up the wall, then if possible moving along the wall a bit away from the gate before going over.

[AgentPaper]

Andoran

As you sneak up close to the knight, you start to hear what he's saying. "...to the castle as planned. Sir Trast will give you your orders when you arrive. Fifth banner, to me." A group of a hundred soldiers breaks off from the main group, and collects in front of the knight, while the rest of the column continues their march into the center of the city.

"We have been tasked by Sir Gerrik to capture the traitors. There have been sightings near the Water gate, and I suspect they have fled the city, but there is a chance they are still a few hiding out in the city. I want a full sweep of every street between the square and the Water gate before dusk, then report to the Water gate barracks. We leave with the sun tomorrow to pursue the traitors. Understood?" The soldiers make a quick salute, swords pointing up and held directly behind their large, square shields.

You can tell by their armament and coordination that these soldiers are much different than the undisciplined and poorly equipped guards you ran into before. Luckily, you're well blended into the crowd, and nobody here is actively searching for you, at least for now. The knight and his entourage march off quickly to the south and east, just starting to fan out through the city before you lose sight of them. In front of you, the column of soldiers continues to march past. At least a thousand have already come through the gates, and there seems to be no end to them.

[Tashio]

Andoran moves away from the gate as the Knight leaves. He makes his way as best he can away from the Fire Gate towards the Air Gate, seeking a way up onto the wall.


Andoran is making his way towards the air gate and trying to find a way to get up onto the wall to go over it. Then basically heading South around the whole city unless it seems like the gathering army has cleared out.

[AgentPaper]

Main Group

After having successfully escaped the city, you arrive at the humble homestead that Andoran told you to meet him at. You are greeted by a surprised but warm-hearted old human couple, who readily agree to let you stay the night, and refuse any offer of coin in exchange for their hospitality. They seem a bit nervous around the imposing Dragonborn, apparently not used to seeing his kind, but make no remark about him.

After listening to the couple talk about their grandchildren, the good harvest, and how unusual it is for them to get visitors this time of year, they eventually leave you alone in the large common area with a few blankets and a merry fire to keep the chill of the night at bay.

Andoran

You begin making your way across the city once again. (DC 8 stealth, 4 checks needed)

Stealth: [roll0]
Stealth: [roll1]
Stealth: [roll2]
Stealth: [roll3]

[AgentPaper]

Andoran

Just as you turn away from the Knight and his entourage, you find yourself face-to-face with the guard you escaped earlier. He immediately cries out in alarm, no doubt catching the attention of the large column of soldiers just 60 feet away from you.

[Tashio]

Andoran slams his shoulder into the guard in an attempt to shove the guard off his feet before dashing off down the road.


Surprise
[roll0]
Initiative
[roll1]
Shove
[roll2]

And the merry chase begins again.

[Farmerbink]

After listening to the couple talk about their grandchildren, the good harvest, and how unusual it is for them to get visitors this time of year, they eventually leave you alone in the large common area with a few blankets and a merry fire to keep the chill of the night at bay.


Hopton curls into a stunningly small ball in the warmth of the fire. I still don't understand why they're after us? I mean. I know I didn't do anything wrong, so I'm inclined to believe that you all didn't either... so what's this all about? he asks, of no one in particular.

[Ichneumon]

Otto walks around in the room. When he was still a sailor, there were always little things that needed to be done, so even in his 'downtime' he was always on the move, walking from one part of the ship to the other. Now that he was on land, he still had trouble sitting down quietly and instead he nervously walked around the room. With interest he listened to what the halfling had to say. "I share your... frustration and your fears, Hopton." he said, his voice trembling. He was tired, both physically and mentally: physically from the chase, mentally from all the over-analysing that he did, trying to make sense of the situation, yet he didn't feel he could rest before they had a solution. What if they are still hunting us down? Of course they are! They think we murdered the king! What would they do if they catch us? Execute us on the spot?

"Am I correct in assuming that none of us, just like Hopton, understands why we were blamed for the king's death?", he felt he had to ask it one more time, hoping some of the others would provide an answer.

He looked around the room. Otto was getting concerned for Andoran. He still wasn't there. I hope he managed to escape the guards. If they caught him, they might kill him. We might have to go rescue him.... By the Gods, I hope he arrives soon. I don't want to be the one to have to propose to the group to start a mission tomorrow to get back into the city to save him, right after we just barely managed to get out of the city alive... Still, if he is caught... they might torture him and he might be forced to tell them about our whereabouts, so it would not be safe to stay here for long anyway if he doesn't get back soon... Otto closed his eyes and sighed.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola thanked the couple numerous times for their hospitality. She asked if she could at least heal any wounds or sickness they may have, as that was her job. After dinner and a little conversation with them, the new friends sat for a bit in silence. The Halfling finally broke the silence, as did the wizard. Tola shook her head, "Naw, I don' know any reason I'd be targeted for this 'orrible crime. Imma Cleric of the Sun, I heal people, even those that can't afford proper temple healing. Yeah, I am kinda a tough cookie and am rough around the edges, but I can' think of any reason someone would want me dead." Tola looks at the others, "And you're damned right to be thinkin' that we will die for this, unless we figure out who is framing us. Killin' a king ain't like stealin' some bread."

Tola sits in thought for a moment, doing her best to rack her brain for ideas. She then speaks up, "Well, only thing I can think of doin' is to try and get in contact with my father. I don' even know how to do that at this point, but if I can get talking to him, maybe he can help us clear our names. He's a solider in the army, a Colonel."

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash sits by the fire, half-focused on the conversation, and half on roasting his rabbit.

"Maybe your father could at least tell us what we're accused of or why they suspect us." He looks around the common room and continues. "We can't stay here. We should leave in the morning. Hopefully the other elf will have found us by then, but to stay any longer risks both ourselves and our hosts".

Grumbling, he thinks of the farmstead - exposed, virtually nothing stopping any random patrol from finding them.

[AgentPaper]

Andoran

Guard Strength: [roll0]

[AgentPaper]

Andoran

The guard resists your attempt to push him down, and calls out to the nearby soldiers to help him. A few of the soldiers start to move towards him, but an officer quickly yells at them to get back in formation. The guard seems reluctant to chase you on his own again, and by the time he's explained what's going on to the officer, you're already too far for them to catch. You are now hidden again, but you saw at least a dozen soldiers starting to fan out to search for you before you moved out of sight.

Stealth rolls again:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

You successfully reach the Air gate without any further troubles. You quietly join the steady stream of travelers moving through the gate, and before long you're well on your way south around the city and towards the farmstead. Assuming you travel quickly and without rest, you should make it there just before dawn.

[Ichneumon]

Otto listened with interest to what the cleric and the dragonborn had to say. Tola's idea of contacting her father gave him hope. He felt relieved when hearing Krivvash's comments about leaving in the morning.

"Indeed, we should stay on the move, constantly. Is there any way we can contact your father, Tola, without having to go back into the city?"

[Tashio]

Andoran weaved through the crowd and headed out onto the main road. "Hope they are not patrolling the roads yet. Who is this Sir Trask, is he part of the regular guard or is he the part of this new group, and who are they, they are definitely not regular guards. So many damn questions." Andoran continues to rack his brain trying to find answers.

He stumbles into the farmstead just before dawn.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola shakes her head, "I dunno how to get in touch with him now. My childhood home is near the Sun Temple, but gettin' in there would be quite the ordeal. Plus, just havin' run our way out, I'm not to keen on runnin' back in anytime soon. I'll think about it an' try to get somethin' figured out."

Does Tola know of any way to get a note or something to her father? Maybe a small village nearby that she could send someone from, or someone who's life she's saved that might do something for her?

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash finishes roasting the rabbit. After tearing a chunk off and swallowing it whole, he continues.

"In the morning, we should flee into the forest while we plan our next move. It'll be harder to track us, and no one else will suffer over this. If the other elf hasn't returned by then, we can try to find him from there.

[Ichneumon]

Otto gazes into the fire, looking at the roasting body of the dead rabbit, thinking about what the guards would do to them if they were caught. He stays quiet and simply nods in response to Krivvash's suggestion. Krivvash seems like a guy who knows how to survive in the wilderness, he thinks.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola nods in agreement, "Sounds good. Now lets get some sleep, we need to get an early start so that these people don't pay the price. And hopefully, our other outlawed friend will show up soon."

Tola falls asleep, but she doesn't sleep well. She is plagued by dreams about her father's execution, her torment and execution, and her Sun abandoning her in her time of need. She woke early, the others were still asleep, and went outside for a moment to get from fresh air. The morning air was cool and crisp and helped her cool down from the awful images she saw in her dreams. She stayed out of sight from the roads so any passing guards wouldn't spot her. As she was looking out, watching the sun just starting to peek over the horizon, she saw an elf running to the house. As he gets closer she pops out of hiding and ushers him inside. "Andoran, yes?! Glad to see you are still alive. I wasn' lookin' forward to havin' to go in and rescue you from that city." She gives him a wink, and plops him down by the fire. She gives him some water and a bit of the leftover rabbit. "Take a seat and catch yer breath. Have you been runnin' all night?" She tries to be as quiet as she can as to not wake the others, but dawn is here and they need to get started off soon.

[Farmerbink]

Hopton, unsettled by the talk of execution and the fact of becoming a refugee, sits in the corner most of the night, unable to sleep. Finally, well past midnight, his fatigue gets the better of his anxiety and he drifts off into an uneasy slumber.

When Tola and Andoran sneak in, he is awakened by the door opening. He jumps up from his corner, and runs to the two of them. In a harsh whisper, he cries, You made it! Oh, I was worried they were gonna hurt you, mister! Though... Well, do you have any idea what to do next? I think we were gonna go into the jungles, just to avoid the people looking for us...

[Ichneumon]

The hard noises made by the halfling wake Otto up. He hadn't slept well, as he kept dreaming about the guards catching them and roasting them alive...

He lights up when he sees Andoran enter the room. He stands up and walks towards the others, greeting Andoran with a warm smile and with the same words he said to him when they met a day earlier: <in Elvish> "Good morning!" :smallamused:

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash rolls off his bedroll and stands up as everyone crowds around Andoran. "Glad to see you made it out, though I think we need to get going very soon."

[Tashio]

Tired Andoran collapses on the nearest sitting place glad to be off his feet. "Things are far worse than it appears. There is a huge army moving into the city, trained warriors and knights, not city guard type. I was not able to catch the name of the leader but one of the people co-ordinating orders is a Sir Trast, not sure if anyone knows who he is. I'd say this is a coup, and blaming us is a way to deflect what's really going on."

"They know we've escape the city and will be looking for us soon as the sun is up. We need somewhere to go."

[Farmerbink]

Hopton speaks up from where he leans against the wall. Wait, if this is all a setup, the people of the Sylvan Kingdom need to know! We have to... uhhh....we have to... do something...? He smiles up at you all with a pained expression on his face.

As his voice trails off, it's plain to see the little halfling has no idea what to do, but that he feels strongly about.... doing it.

[AgentPaper]

Not long after Andoran arrives, you can see soldiers marching down the road out of the city. As you watch, you can see half a dozen riders spread out to either side of the road, plus another dozen riders in the center, moving steadily along in front of a column of at least fifty additional soldiers on foot, trailed by a handful of wagons stacked high with crates of supplies.

They're still a few miles off, but as they move away from the city, you can see them start to speed up. It will take them less than an hour to reach you, and less than that to be close enough to spot you as you leave the homestead.

[Ichneumon]

Seeing the soldiers coming closer, Otto turns to Krivvash. "Earlier, you suggested fleeing into the forest. You are a ranger, right? I suggest we go. Now, there we'll have more time to decide on what to do next."

Unless someone else objects, Otto packs up his things and is ready to go.

[Farmerbink]

Hopton nods, agreeing with Otto. Yeah, plenty of good places to hide in the forests. Without dogs, they'll have trouble finding us at all!

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash picks up his belongings and looks around briefly for any signs that they had been there. With his back turned, still looking, he responds to Otto.

"The forest is no danger, and by far the safest place we could be. Yes, we should leave now"

[Tashio]

"The forest is probably the best option, if they do catch us they will be spread out and we may be able to deal with them one or two at a time. I don't know much about what's out there."

Fishing two silver coins from his pouch and placing them on the table he continues, "We should probably take a few supplies from here."

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash gives Andoran an odd look. "These people do not have anything that we need. Anything we lack can be foraged for, and we don't have time for this anyway. We need to go, now."

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola nods, "We can figure out supplies later. These people unknowingly put themselves in danger for us, and we need to get out of here as soon as possible." Tola scribbles a quick note to the couple, thanking them for their generosity and leaving a few gold. "Alright, lets get the hell out of here before the sun gets up too high. Hopefully we can get to the forest without being seen." Tola then heads out, towards the forest, so they can try and figure out what has happened to them and what the should do.

[AgentPaper]

As you move east, you soon come to a curve in the road, where it turns south to circumvent the deeper parts of the forest. However, instead of following it, you instead leave the road and head straight into the forest. The trees quickly close in around you, until you can only see glimpses of the sun through the trees. Low brush and uneven terrain make your progress difficult, but you can only hope that it slows your pursuers just as much as you.

Using the sun as a guide, you are easily able to keep your heading due east, which should bring you straight through the forest and to Greenridge Pass, which forms the border between the Sylvan Kingdom and Al Badiya.


After a few hours of travelling, you come to a narrow gully, roughly 10 feet deep and 20 feet across, with steep sides and a fast-moving river at the bottom. The river itself is about 5 feet wide and at least that deep in the middle, though it's hard to tell for sure. There are no obvious ways to cross it that you can see, and the gully extends as far as you can see to the north, and for a few hundred feet to the south before a curve to the east puts it out of view behind the trees.

[Demonic Spoon]

"We need to figure out where to go from here," Krivvash says, navigating the unfamiliar forest. "After the pursuers lose our trail, of course. Any suggestions? I don't know this nation much at all."

[Ichneumon]

Otto looked to the other side. If there is a way to cross it, without us leaving any tracks, chances are they won't know where to search.

He looked at his owl familiar and said: "Sally, go fly high up in the sky and beyond those trees over there. See what is there. Hopefully some way to cross the gully." And he let the owl go to the South, to see what is behind the curve and the trees.

After letting the owl go, he turned towards the group: "Do any of you have an idea? I was hoping there would be a way to cross the gully. What do you think our chances would be to just go wade through the water?"

[Farmerbink]

Hopton looks from side to side, not seeing an easy way to clear the chasm. The water doesn't look like it's too wide, but the distance from bank to bank is... further than I can jump, to be sure. Can we get one of us across the water at the bottom to tie a rope to that tree over there? That would make it easy to wade through the stream, even with it's current. Jump most of the way, holding the rope, and everyone work together to get you out on the other side?

[Ichneumon]

"That sounds like a great idea! I have a rope", says Otto, while putting down his backpack to get it out. "Here"

"Maybe we could tie the rope to you, Hopton? And have Krivvash throw you to the other side? We already know he can carry you, whilst being chased..." :smallamused:

He hands one end of the rope to Hopton. Unless people interrupt him or come up with a better idea, he'll proceed to tie the other end of the rope to a tree or some such on their side of the gully.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola rolls her eyes at all the talk, takes a few steps back, and jumps over the river. She then turns around and looks at the others, "Well....come on, lets not wait for the grass to grow." Tola then moves a little bit out of the way so the others can jump over without running into her.

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash looks down at the halfling and sizes him up, then up at the crossing. "I could probably get you across the river with a rope. If you are alright with it, of course. Otherwise, we could cross manually."

[Farmerbink]

Hopton looks up at the big man, warily. I guess... I mean. Heck, it's only 5 feet down there, right? If you climb down there with me, you shouldn't have any trouble giving me enough of a boost to get across, right? I think I can get up the other side without help, and then I can tie the rope over there to help cross the stream and climb the bank. He sighs deeply, before beginning to scramble down the near side of the embankment.

His feet dangling over the ledge, he adds, hopefully. I don't suppose anyone is confident they can make the jump? His sheepish grin fades and he slips off the edge, scrambling down the slope.

I'm not sure if I need to or not, but if you want an acrobatics check to climb down the slope: [roll0]

[Farmerbink]

As Tola streaks across the space above him, Hopton gasps loudly. What in-! The exclamation lies unfinished as she catches herself on the far ledge and scrambles to the top, at which point he begins to clap, excitedly.

Well done! That was awesome! He looks back up to the rest of the group on the near bank. Well, throw her a rope!

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash nods at the display of acrobatics and uncoils a rope from the side of his backpack, throwing one end across to Tola.

[Tashio]

Using the rope Andoran makes his way down the embankment and with a short run up leaps over the river, before attempting to climb up the other side.


Not sure if we get advantage for using a rope while climbing or not, can't seem to find rules but pretty sure read something at some point.
Decent
[roll0]
[roll1]
River Jump
[roll2]
Catch if Needed
[roll3]
Acent
[roll4]
[roll5]

[AgentPaper]

Not long after tossing the rope across, you hear the sound of a horn from behind you, playing a long, loud note. As you hurry to cross the stream, a group of six soldiers bursts out from the woods to the north. Two of them are holding crossbows, while the other four are carrying spears and shields, charging towards you.

Targeting Krivvash
Crossbow Attack: [roll0]
Crossbow Damage: [roll1]

Targeting Tola
Crossbow Attack: [roll2]
Crossbow Damage: [roll3]

You don't need any rolls when using the rope. The guards with the crossbows are 80 feet away. The spear guards have moves 60 feet towards you, putting them just 20 feet away now.

Tola is already on the opposite bank. Hopton and Andoran were the first across, and have just joined her. Otto and Flying Lion are in the river in the midst of crossing, while Krivvash is at the bottom of the bank holding the near end of the rope. The river is 5 feet wide, but crossing it takes up 15 feet of movement. Climbing up or down the banks takes 10 feet of movement. From there, it's another 20 feet before the forest thickens again.

If you want to try and jump the river, you'll need to make a DC 10 Athletics check (since you can't get a proper running start on the banks). Otherwise, no checks needed to move about.

[Farmerbink]

As Hopton watches his companions crossing the river, he sees the guards coming out of the trees. Get into the woods, quickly!! Behind cover! Heeding his own advice, the halfling scampers behind the tree where the rope has been attached, and draws his short bow.

I'm not sure how combat works in 5e- hopefully similarly.

[roll0] initiative
if I can,
[roll1] attack w/ short bow
[roll2] damage.

How do crits work in 5e?

[Ichneumon]

"By the spirits of great seas! They've found us! They've actually found us!", Otto shouts to the fellow adventurers, baffled by their own misfortune.

"I warn you, stay away! We do not want to hurt you!", he shouts to the soldiers.

When the soldiers start shooting arrows, Otto concludes that there is no peaceful way out of this situation. "Very well then, we will have it your way.". He starts to utter arcane words and make strange gestures with his hands, evoking a mote of fire that he hurls towards one of the soldiers charging at them with spears and shields.


If necessary, initiative: [roll0]
Ranged spell attack: [roll1]
Damage if hit: [roll2]

[Tashio]

Andoran scrambled up the last bit of the embankment as the arrows start flying. Drawing his bow he ducks behind a nearby tree to use as cover while firing at one of the guards with a crossbow.


Initiative
[roll0]
Attack
[roll1]
Damage
[roll2]

[Demonic Spoon]

As the crossbow bolt glances off his armor, Krivvash backs up a little bit and begins running towards the embankment, yelling across, "Back into the forest!"

Reaching the end of the embankment, he leaps off, attempting to clear the river in a single jump.


Using the Dash action

Athletics: [roll0]

In case it's necessary:
Acrobatics: [roll1]



Krivvash picks him self up and runs for the rope, trying to climb the embankment



Landing as gracefully as one of his kind is able, Krivvash starts moving into the forest, drawing a javelin as he runs.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola does her best to keep her shield up as everyone goes past her, even though she has an arrow stick out of her back. "Hurry, get into the forest!! There is better cover there. Last one up, cut the rope!" She sees the wizard start to cast, "Otto, run! Don't waste time on fool spells right now." Tola ducks behind a tree, but waits for the rest to get to their side of the river. Trying to delay the soldiers as much as she can, she calls upon her powers and makes strange sounds seem like that are coming from the forest, "Do not pass further into this forest," she yells at the soldiers, "for it is haunted with evil, foul spirits and they shall steal your soul should you be fool enough to follow us!" As the soldiers come closer, they start to hear whispers coming from, seemingly, all around them. The whispers can't be understood completely, but a word here and there can be heard....such as 'death', 'doom', and 'soulless'.

Move behind a tree to get cover from the crossbow guys. Then cast Thaumaturgy as far out as I can (30 ft). I can create sounds, like whispers, when I cast it. I am hoping that the soldiers will get all freaked out when they get in range of my spell and it will at least delay them, if not outright stop them in their tracks. If I need to make a roll, let me know!

[AgentPaper]

Tola intimidation: [roll0][roll1] DC 15

[AgentPaper]

The party successfully makes it's way to the top of the opposite embankment, though you aren't safe yet. Hopton and Otto's attacks fail, but Andoran hits his mark, sinking a bolt into one of the guard's thighs, causing him to cry out in pain.

Tola's words, combined with the dark whispers of her magic, seems to unnerve the guards. One of them calls out, "Wh-what kind of fools do you take us for, to fall for those old w-wives tales?" Though his words are brave, you can see the fear in their eyes, and you can see their hesitation as they look to each other for support.

Andoran's Turn.

Everyone is in partial concealment/cover, full cover can be reached with one turn's normal movement.

[Tashio]

Andoran ducks further into the tree line seeking more cover. Readying his bow he takes aim at the nearest guard.


Andoran is readying his action to fire in case they back down. If any of the guards attempt to move into the gully he'll fire.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[AgentPaper]

Seeing their friends hesitate at Tola's words, but unable to hear them or the whispers at that distance, the two archers both level their crossbows at her, hoping to remove the source of their allies' fears.

Crossbow Attack: [roll0]
Crossbow Damage: [roll1]
Crossbow Attack: [roll2]
Crossbow Damage: [roll3]

Another bolt bites into Tola's shoulder, and the pain and shock prove too much, rendering her unconscious as she slumps to the ground.

[AgentPaper]

The spear guards, seeing the source of their fears fall, rally and begin to charge across the gully, shields raised. Andoran lets loose an arrow, but it sticks harmlessly in one of their shields.

Krivvash's turn.

The guards have moved most of the way across the gully, they now have partial cover just near the lip on your side. They've taken the dodge action, so attacks against them will be with disadvantage.

[Demonic Spoon]

EDIT: Actually failed to read what AP posted before. Actual response incoming.

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash holds for the right moment before darting to the tree that Tola is slumped behind; he tries to reposition her behind the tree as much as possible as he uncorks the top of a small red vial and gently pours it into Tola's mouth.

Krivvash shakes her impatiently after the liquid is drained. "Wake up! We need to go!"

[Ichneumon]

Otto hadn't expected they'd face this amount of force. Tola's right, he thought. We should be running.

When he sees Tola fall down, he panics. He aims one more bolt of fire at one of the archers that hit Tola and he starts running towards the others, fleeing from the approaching archers. If he can reach it, he tries to get to a tree near the one where Krivvash and Tola are hiding behind, searching for cover. "Is she okay, Krivvash?", he shouts.

I made a move action and one... action action? Not yet 100% familiar with 5e combat rules.

For the spell:
Ranged spell attack: [roll0]
Damage if hit: [roll1]

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola shakes her head, having recovered after the life-saving potion. She blinks a few times getting her bearings and looks up at the Dragonborn and the wizard, "I'm fine, I'm fine, lets get the hell out of here!" She gets up and starts to run with the others, placing a hand on her chest with healing powers pouring from her hand to her body.

Turn
Move + Action - Dash 60 ft
Bonus - Healing Word [roll0] on me

[AgentPaper]

As you flee deeper into the forest, the crossbowmen stop firing, unable to see you. The other soldiers, already wary and without the support of their friends, seem content to let you go for now, though already you can hear the sounds of more horns and stomping feet in the distance. You've gotten away for now, but you can be sure that they're still searching for you.

After a few hours travel, you start to notice the woods becoming both thicker and darker, and not just from a lack of light. Black marks dot the trees and their leaves. A strange quiet hangs over you, the normal sounds of the forest and it's inhabitants gone.

Just before dark, you spot something in your path. What at first appeared to be a rock turns out instead to be the corpse of a large black bear.


Otto: [roll0]
Andoran: [roll1]
Tola: [roll2][roll3]

You recognize this place from a scroll you read in your library. It matches the description of the "Blighted Forest", a section of the Sylvan Wood that is said to be cursed. Though the text was absent on the exact nature of the curse or it's origins, you remember this since it's one of the few places of legend that you haven't been able to find in any of the ancient manuscripts your studies focused on.

[Tashio]

Andoran beckoned for everyone to stop. "I've read a bit about this place though there are very few records detailing why it is like this, or the exact nature of it. They say a curse lies on this land. They call it the Blighted Forest. I suspect that bear is an example of the condition."

"I think before we continue we need to form a better plan of where we are going. Running aimlessly at this point is well, pointless. This place makes me rather uncomfortable it is not natural."

Andoran looked over to the bear once more and shuddered.

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash steps up to the corpse and kneels down to examine it, looking for any sign of what killed it.



not sure what/if any roll is necessary for this, but just in case:

Survival: [roll0]
Medicine: [roll1]

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun

Tola nods in agreement, "Aye, I agree. We need a plan...and now that they know we are here I think we need to keep moving." She checks behind him, "Those soldiers will have told their commander, and then he will tell his commander....and so on and so forth. Until the whole army will know we are here......so lets not be here, yeah?" Tola kneels with Krivvash and looks over the bear, trying to see if she can recognize what happened to the poor beast.

Medicine to see cause of death [roll0]

[Ichneumon]

Otto nods. He doesn't really mingle in the discussion. He's mostly both intrigued and disgusted by the dead bear. When Andorran mentions it being unnatural, he kneels down besides Tola too. "So, what do you think? What did it die from?"


Otto looks at it, and if applicable, I'll roll a Arcana check to spot whether what killed it is of a magical nature. [roll0]

[AgentPaper]

Medicine:
The bear's corpse at first appears to be in good condition. There are no obvious wounds, and the body is intact. You might think it was merely asleep if not for its unnatural stillness. Upon closer inspection, you start to see what killed it. The body is covered with dozens of small, deep punctures into it's flesh, along with a few long wooden needles that suggest at their origins. There are also lines of abraised skin suggesting that the bear was bound in some way.

Most chilling, though, is that while the bear's body is intact, it has been completely drained of blood, and no sign of blood spilled on the ground. You also can't see any signs of rot or scavengers tearing at the corpse, suggesting that it was killed recently.

Arcana:
You can't find anything to suggest that it was killed by magic, nor are you aware of any spells that would cause wounds like these.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola looked over the bear, did a little poking and prodding, dead things tended not to bother her. She has been around dead bodies and sick people for the better part of her life, so it was just business as usual. Though, something about this wasn't right. "There is something.....odd about this bear's death. It seems as though it was stabbed to death by a bunch of tiny..." as she trails off she reaches into the bear's fur and tears out what looks like a small, wooden needle "....these things. And it looks as though this thing was chained up...or bound somehow." Tola trails off and then seems to think hard about something. "The weirdest thing, though......there is no blood in this bear's body....at all. I don't even know how in the hell it got here. It must have been drained somewhere else and then dumped here, because there doesn't seem to be a blood trail either. I don't know what in the nine hells is going on....and I am not really sure as to whether or not I want to deal with soldiers....or whoever the hell did this......" Tola looks around the group and seems to ponder something...though she doesn't make it know what.

Religion check to see if any cults or evil religions might do something like this [roll0]

[AgentPaper]

Religion:
There are stories of Death cults that ritually kill humans, but you've never heard of anyone ritually sacrificing animals, at least not like this.

Also, just to clarify: The needles are about half an inch in diameter, and range from 1-2 feet in length. They're made from solid, blackened wood, but strong and light, almost like steel. They also appear to be natural in origin, with no marks like you'd expect from wood that was shaped with tools.

Nightfall is approaching. Do you want to make camp nearby, or keep moving? You can travel through the night (rules for Forces March are on page 181, I'm going to say you've traveled for 8 hours as of right now).

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola's face goes straight and the color drains from it just a little bit. "I.....I have an idea of what could have done this." She stops and looks at the others. "I have heard, in my travels, of plants in this forest as large as horses.....and some that get even larger than that. Of course, I have no idea, but these needles look as though they are naturally made. As though....they came off of something that grew these itself." Tola looks around their surroundings again, "Keep your wits about you , boys. This is going to get a LOT worse before it gets better."

[Ichneumon]

For a few seconds, Otto didn't move. He just looked at Tola, in disbelief about what she just said and frankly he was unsure whether she had made a bad joke. :smallconfused: "Plants?" Otto had faced pirates and sea-monsters before, but he had never seen a plant walk or even attack a person, let alone kill a bear. He didn't believe her, but he didn't want to be disrespectful. "So, what do you suggest we do? Keep moving? Or camp here for the night?"

"Personally, I don't like traveling after nightfall, especially if Tola is right and these... killer plants are out there somewhere. I wouldn't like to be ambushed. Let's make a fire and set up camp. I'm fine with keeping watch first."

Unless someone suggests otherwise, Otto will make a fire (using his magic Fire Bolt spell) and help set up camp.

[Tashio]

"I agree camp might be a good idea, not sure I want to be running off into the dark blindly."

"We may want to move away a bit from here, that corpse might start to draw some attention."

Once a camp location is found Andoran assists in collecting wood and other bits for a fire and the camp.

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash looks around for firewood at the edges of the camp, checking each branch twice for signs of movement.

[AgentPaper]

You're able to find plenty of firewood lying on the ground and soon have a fire going. The cheery light of the campfire contrasts starkly with the dark and unnatural woods, and though you have light and warmth to see, as you lie down for the night the eerie silence of the forest seems to close in on you even further, the only sound coming from wind-blown branches high above you.

Who's taking first watch?

[Tashio]

"I don't need as much sleep, I don't mind taking either of the middle watches."

Once the watch order was decided Andoran unpacked his sleeping pack and sat down.
"How on earth did I end up here, in the middle of no-where with three strangers and accused of murdering the king."

Andoran sighed to himself, fiddling with a scroll case attached to his belt, "All this knowledge and not a single bit of it of use at this time. Fates be damned!"

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
"I'll take first watch, I don't mind. I am usually up to all hours of the night healing anyway, so staying up a little while longer isn't anything to me." Tola helps the others collect the firewood and make a camp. "We should get a move on as soon as we can in the morning. The soldiers will be up early looking for us, and I'd rather not be caught sleeping by them. I'll be up early anyway for my morning prayers, but just keep en extra eye out around then." Tola looks at the fire as it is starting to flicker, "And put this fire out with dirt or magic....no smoke to give our position away then."

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash sets down a bedroll near the fire. "I suppose I will take the last watch, then."

Looking over to Tola, he seems somewhat surprised. "Sensible. Hopefully our position isn't already known

[AgentPaper]

Perception checks for each watch:

Tola: [roll0]
Andoran: [roll1]
Otto: [roll2]
Krivvash: [roll3]

Andoran, during your watch you hear an odd scraping sound in the distance, like wood rubbing against wood, but it doesn't come closer, and eventually fades away.

Otherwise, the night passes without incident. The sun has risen and now it's time for you to plan your next move.

[Tashio]

"Do we have any plan on where we are heading towards? I have not travelled out this way before."

"What are our options from here?"

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash grumbles, getting hungry. "We could simply stay out of the area for some time until those chasing us lose interest."


"Or, we can leave this place now, go back, and investigate while the issue is still new. He looks over at the bear corpse. "I do want to know what caused...that, though. I've never heard of anything like this. I would like to go hunt some breakfast, but I wonder if these woods themselves will punish me for it.

[Tashio]

"I can think of quite a few thousand reasons not to go back and they are armed, and want us dead or dead."

"We need to figure out what is going on but I'm not sure where the best place to do that from is, and if we can even resolve it at this time. We need to find someone who will stand on our side, otherwise we'll just be swept under the rug and disposed of."

[AgentPaper]

A you discuss your options, movement draws your attention to a nearby tree. What appeared to be a mass of vines clinging to a tree shifts and resolves into a humanoid figure. It steps away from the tree and turns to face you. The vines that make up it's mouth shift and twitch in a mockery of speech. In a low, rasping voice, it says,"...come....with us..."


Something I'm going to try and remember to do in the future now, is give a brief overview of where everyone is and what your surroundings are each time I make a post, unless nothing has changed since my last post. Should hopefully make it easier for you guys to know what's going on and what you're able to do, though of course don't be afraid to ask for more details if I miss something.

The four of you are standing close to each other in the clearing where you slept. The vine creature is about 20 feet away. The trees are close here, about 10 feet between each, but the underbrush is low, so the terrain is not difficult.

[Ichneumon]

Otto wanted to answer to Andoran, with the suggestion they might go to the closest city, but then... the plant-thing arrived.... He looked to Tola and said, with a smile: "You didn't say they could talk, Tola?!" :smallamused:

"Who are you?", he shouts. "We... come in peace."

Whispering to the others: "At this point, I think we might as well follow him. What do guys you think?"

[Tashio]

"I think if they wanted us dead they would have attacked us during the night."

Andoran nods towards Tola. "I agree we follow them, I'm out of ideas from here as it is."

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
As they others discuss what to do, Tola sits deep in thought. She doesn't often worry, but she is now....but not for herself or her new, reluctant comrades. She is worried for the safety of her father and her temple. Would the new "King" want to questions them, and even torture them, for information as to her whereabouts? Given the situation, she has no doubt they would. But her father was a smart and crafty old soldier. If he felt in danger, he would definitely do something about. Tola just hoped that it would be done in time.

Tola's thoughts were ending and just as she was about to speak up to the others as the vines of the forest start to move. Tola immediately jumps up, weapon and shield in hand, and is on her guard. The vines creep and crawl into a figure and it then speaks to them, beckoning them to go with it. Now, Tola isn't surprised too often.....but for the second time in two days her mouth hand ever so slightly open. She whispers back to the wizard, "I didn't know they could speak. I'd never actually met one, just stories." Tola looks the thing over and tries to get a read on its intentions.

Insight check on the creature, try and gauge its hostility towards us [roll0]
Tola shrugs, "Well, as good as I am reading people.....this isn't really people I'd say. But, there is something familiar about it.....can't put my finger on it though." She looks at the others and clips her mace to her belt, "I'm going with it. You are welcome to come as well."

[AgentPaper]

The creature is unreadable, which is impressive, as you fancy yourself a good reader of faces and expressions. The vine creature's voice is not completely expressionless, but you get the feeling that the voice somehow does not completely belong to it, like a record played by a machine. You'd just as well try to read the intent of a book or a carving.

It's body movement is a bit more interesting. Its gait is awkward, but somehow slightly familiar, though you can't quite pin exactly where you recognize it from. It seems relaxed, almost lazy in it's movements.

The vine creature turns without acknowledging you, and begins to lead you deeper into the forest. As you follow, you see a handful of smaller creatures, what appear to be humanoid bushes, also standing from their positions near your camp and keeping their positions around you.

The vine blight leads you on a twisting path through the forest. After a few hours travel, you catch a glimpse of a large stone structure in the depths of the woods, two stories high with large, gaping windows. Creeping vines and moss cover nearly every inch of the structure, and you can see the broken remains of what appears to have once been stained glass in the windows.

[Ichneumon]

Otto smiled at Tola's remark. "Well, I guess we are about to get to know them.", he said and he joined the others in following the strange creature.

In the hours that they followed the creatures, Otto remained mostly quiet. Surrounded by all the trees he started to feel claustrophobic and his fingers were tingling and started to feel cold. He distrusted the plant creatures and was afraid of what they might do. Ever so often he looked around to stop and listen to imagined sounds. The thought of using his magic to incinerate the creepy plant creatures and turn the entire forest to ashes amused him. He couldn't help but giggle.

His own crazy thoughts frightened him. I guess this is what being hunted down does to you, he thought. I hope we get out of this mess soon. This isn't healthy. I'm a sailor, maybe I need to get back to sea.

When they reached the old ruins, he turned towards the others, he hadn't spoken in hours and his throat was sore. He coughed. To the others he said: "Look at those windows. Maybe this is an abandoned church or temple of some kind?"

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash keeps one hand on his pick for the duration of the travel. Plants don't talk. This isn't right he thinks to himself.

He turns to Otto and responds. "Maybe the old home of some mage that created these ab-" he stops himself. "Creatures"

[AgentPaper]

The vine creature stops at the entrance to the structure, and motions for you to enter. "...you....go in..."

[Ichneumon]

Otto nods in agreement to Kirvvash. "Yeah, maybe. If it is not inhabited by anything but these creatures, we might be able to turn this into a base? These ruins would be easier to defend if soldiers would find us then a basic camp near the side of the road."

When the creature asks them to enter he sighs and readies himself for whatever they'll encounter inside, friend or foe.

[Irish Musician]

Tola Hedekir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=60232), Cleric of the Sun
Tola shrugs and walks right into the tower, "Ain't no time like the present. If I am going to die, I'd rather it be at the hands of these plants than blinded, idiotic soldiers that believe lies." She passed into the tower, keeping her eyes open for any clues as to what this place used to be.

[AgentPaper]

After seeing you enter, the vine creature seems to lose interest, it and the rest of the plant creatures begin walking off in the direction you just came from.

Inside, you can see that for all it's size, the building consists of only a single, large room. Thick pillars support the high ceiling, leaving a large open space in the center of the room. There, you can see a single, small pedestal, about four feet high and two feet across. A medium-sized, sun-bleaches skull sits upon it, lying among the dusty remains of what you assume was once the rest of the skeleton.

Inscribed all across the walls and the pillars are ancient texts and pictograms.

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash looks around as the plant creature recede, then stares squarely at the skull. He speaks to the rest of the group, not taking his eyes off of it, "What is this? Does it speak or something?"

He briefly looks behind him to verify a path of escape, should it become necessary, and then resumes his gaze towards the skull.

[Ichneumon]

"I'm glad the plant creatures are leaving us alone now. They gave me the creeps." Otto shivers when he sees the skull. "And yet, we find something even more creepy..." :smalleek:

He looks at Krivvash, worried. "I'm not sure. Better not touch it!", he says to Krivvash.

Otto walks towards the walls, looking at the writings on the walls and pillars. "Maybe some of it makes sense and can explain what this is..."

Maybe an Arcana check is warranted/needed to see if Otto recognizes something on the walls and pillars, assuming they are magical or if he can read it. He can also naturally read common, elvish and draconic. [roll0]

[AgentPaper]

Otto: The script used is like nothing you've seen before, so you have no hope of deciphering it. However, luckily whoever made this place thought to include pictures as well. The pictures on the wall, starting just to the left of the door and continuing around the room, are:

1) This picture depicts four humanoid figures standing close together. They all wield swords, which they hold above their head and pointing together.

2) This picture depicts a humanoid figure with a crown on it's head, lying face-down. Four swords, identical to the ones shown in the first image, protrude from his back.

3) This picture depicts four humanoid figures at the bottom, then a horizontal line above them, with many smaller humanoid figures standing on it.

4) This picture depicts a rough sketch of the continent, with many small humans fighting each other all over it.

Each of these pictures has a few lines of text under them. In addition, all of the pillars are covered from top to bottom in even more text, finely printed. Unfortunately, much of the text on the pillars is badly damaged, while other parts are too high up for you to read them.

While the script here isn't one you've seen before, you've seen ones like it during your studies. With a bit of work, and using the pictures as a cross-reference, you think you could figure out how to translate at least the text on the walls, if not the pillars.

DC 15 investigation, 1 hour, repeatable with a night's rest. Advantage with Otto's help.

[Tashio]

Seeing the pictures and the text on the wall Andoran's posture seems to shift to something more relaxed. He grabs a book from his pack and pulls out a collection of writing utensils. He scribbles quick copies of each of the of the primary images into his book, and then begins to place various other images in between trying to decipher the information. He hmms and aahs as he works, his face giving away when things fall into and out of place.

He often points out pieces to Otto and asks for interpretations or possible options in a faded image, as well at reading out the text as scribed which he writes into his book with a large gap underneath for a translation.


Investigation
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Demonic Spoon]

Krivvash shakes his head dismissively at those examining the text on the wall and steps up to the pedestal, closely examining the skull and the remains near it. He avoids touching the pedestal or the skull itself, despite the burning curiosity. "What do those plants want us to do in here..." he mumbles to himself.

[Tashio]

"These plants are merely constructs, following the bidding of another, or more likely others," Andoran stops his scribbling and note taking and looks up.

"If my assumptions are correct whomever created them, created them to spread the illusion of the blighted land to prevent incursion into the area in order to prevent or maybe protect others from finding this place or maybe this along with others. "

Andoran pauses a moment before continuing, "I speculate that our presence together in the market place along with our flight leading us to this place, means perhaps we are meant to be here. Until I complete translating these writings and images I am unsure of the exact reasoning. I am hoping they will shed some light on our current predicament."

He returns to writing in his book trying to translate the various writings.