Rise of the Runelords, Part I: Burnt Offerings [IC]

[lostsole31]

The Goblin Squash Stables stands in southern Sandpoint, not far from the bridge leading to the town from the Lost Coast Road. In addition to serving as a stables to the community the business is owned and operated by an individual with a reputation that borders on legend, one Daviren Hosk. It is one of the first stables one encounters when coming from that road, and as such it is in an enviable location.

The sign above this door perpetuates one of the greatest fears of the lowly goblin—being trampled underfoot by a horse. Tended by a retired hunter named Daviren Hosk, Daviren’s hatred of goblins is nearly legendary in Sandpoint. In a somewhat grisly display, over the entrance to the stable’s covered barn is his collection of goblin ears: preserved and nailed to three different rafters, each bearing the goblin’s name burned into the leathery flesh—mostly because Daviren knows that writing down a goblin’s name is one of the worst things you can do to desecrate his memory. The bitter ranger’s pride and joy is a large glass bottle filled with brine in which he’s preserved the body of Chief Whartus of the now extinct (due in large part to Daviren and Caedmon's father) Bonegrinder Tribe.

"... and that's how your old man, Terence Merrill, saved my bacon against that thrice-cursed goblin shaman." Daviren looks wistfully to better days as a younger man, recounting his debt to the strapping man in front of him. His smile trails off some to some smoky memory, then slowly regains his blood-mirth. "Took your dad three days to die from the poison, we didn't have no proper healer. But I never done seen a man do so much with an ailing body in that time. We all owed him our skins."

He slams his hand down on the counter. "Hot damn, if you aren't the spittin' image of Terry, young Caddy! You've a face like an ogre, but 'rastil's beard if you don't have the shoulders to match!"

He guides the young man around the stables to a powerfully-built liver chestnut (darkest chestnut) horse with a wide, white blaze that goes from the top ofthe face down to the muzzle. "Well, here's what I got for ya'. This here's Caulfield, easily the best heavy warhorse I got in here. He's yours ... with military saddle, full tack and harness, blanket, saddlebags. You can stable Caulfield here at the Goblin Squash whenever your want - free of charge - and at no cost for feed, blueing, and if needed, shoeing, for the life of the horse. I'll give you 30 days of feed - however and whenever you want it, but up to that point - for trips on the road. After that, however, anything that's not stabling here will cost you. Travel feed is a bit more expensive since it's more compact than hay."

He smiles before becoming more pointed. "Of course, a mount like this isn't happy to trot in pastures, and it just so happens, afore you come into Sandpoint, we've been having troubles aplenty with goblins. The disrupted the Swallowtail Festival when the new cathedral was gettin' dedicated, causing more havoc than anything but killing a few folks. There's a goblin what holed up in a man's house and murdered him. The worst tragedy is that a bastard traitor to his father and our town took up with goblins, slaughtered his pop and all the workers of the glass factory, and made a right mess of things.

"Turns out a couple mercenaries discovered that this goblin tribe is looking to make the moves on us. The sheriff left for Magnimar to the south to seek out aid, and he deputized those adventurers to look into things whiles he's gone. Just so happens they came back into town - minus one of their number, a local witch who had a falling out with them - and with the help of one of our own area's goblin hunters, scored a blow against the Thistletop goblins. Now, lessen you just wearing heavy armor and carrying a fancy sword and you don't have none of your father's fire, I'm sure you go to the jail and they'll give you a job if it suits you. Just saying. Otherwise, looks like yer road-worn, so I'd say head to the Rusty Dragon for good quality place to stay without being robbed. Poor Miss Kaijutsu - the proprieter - is the one whose brother is the traitor and whose father was killed - so she could use the business since the family fortune's gonna take a hit, no doubt. Just suggestions, mind you, lessen you takin' Caulfield to seek better fortunes elsewhere.

"And don't worry ... you didn't introduce yourself with your family name at first. My guess is yer makin' yer own way without tryin' to live in your old man's shadow. I won't say nothing."

Caedmon

With a hand outstretched to the older man, Caedmon smiled a bright young smile. "I really appreciate this Mr. Hosk. I know you and he were close, and I'll do my best to try to live up to what he and Bryce left for me. Sounds like this goblin fiasco will be just that starting point. I'll leave Caulfield here for tonight, come get her in the morning." After the depature, Caedmon makes his way to the Rusty Dragon to go speak with a Ms. Kaijutsu.

[lostsole31]

The Rusty Dragon

This large structure is Sandpoint’s oldest inn, notable for the impressive (and quite rusty) iron dragon that looms on the building’s roof, doubling as a lightning rod and decoration. Owned and operated for the past six years by the lovely and popular Ameiko Kaijitsu, the Rusty Dragon is not only one of the town’s most popular eateries (made so, in large part, by the spicy and exotic food served here), but also a great place to meet visitors from out of town, since most newcomers to Sandpoint come upon this inn first, the north Lost Coast Road being less traveled. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Ameiko’s exotic beauty is more than matched by her skill at music, and few are the evenings that pass without at least two or three songs by the talented woman. Some bad blood exists between Ameiko and Cyrdak (a bard of local prominence that runs a theater), and one never seems to miss a chance to badmouth the other, but no one in town really understands the reason behind their rivalry.

Of greater concern to Ameiko is the long-running feud with her family—leaving town to become an adventurer scandalized her family enough, but when she returned, rich and successful (and with a seemingly endless supply of eccentric hairstyles), with a desire to purchase and renovate Sandpoint’s oldest tavern, her family officially took to shunning her. Ameiko claims not to care, but becomes evasive when anyone asks her why she returned to Sandpoint when she was obviously doing well as an adventurer. Some believe she has a secret lover in town, while others theorize that something happened on her last adventure that took the bravery out of her. In any event, the Rusty Dragon is probably the most adventurer-friendly establishment in town, with its ubiquitous “Help Wanted” board near the bar and Ameiko’s “discount rooms for anyone who tells an exciting adventure story” policy.
http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/215325/amiekoBig.jpg

[Savior]

Caedmon

The young adventurer walks in with heavy shoulders and a soft scrunch to his face. He isn't quite used to being around a bustling area just yet. He finds a path to the main counter, wishing to meet this Ms. Kaijutsu and ask for a room.

[lostsole31]

You see whom this Kaijutsu must obviously be. You don't know Tian or any of those exotic far eastern languages, but you recognize that he name is such, specifically Minkai ... though you don't know what profit that knowledge gets you. Sure enough, a woman of exotic beauty with interesting, smaller eyes comes to find you once you mention you are looking for her. "Ameiko Kaijutsu, sir. Welcome to Sandpoint. How can I help you?"

[Savior]

Caedmon

Caedmon starts with a smile and an extended hand. His sword sheathed and shield courted on his back with his pack slung over a shoulder. My name is Caedmon, Mr. Hosk sent me here, saying you were good people and to come to you if I needed a room. And, I just so happen to need a room for the night.

[lostsole31]

"Go see the hostess over there," she nods towards the woman so Caedmon can pick her out. "A room is only 5 silver. If you want a bath ... which I suggest, 2 copper pinches gets you a cold bath, 6 copper will get you a hot one. Meals will run you a silver sail to five, depending on what you want. Drinks cost extra."

[Savior]

Caedmon

The young man blinked and retracted his hand. "Sorry to have bothered you for no reason then." And with that, Caedmon followed the advice and moved to the hostess, asking for a room, a meal with water, and a cold bath. He hands her a gold piece with a smile.

[lostsole31]

"Will you be wanting to see your room first and have a bath to get the road off ya'?" the hostess asks. "We've got good entertainment tonight, so's I understand. Might want to polish a bit since a good show brings the farmer's daughters to town."

[Savior]

Caedmon

"That would be lovely, Miss."

[lostsole31]

Anything special once you get your room and your bath is poured (and after the bath)?

[Savior]

((I'd assume I don't need anything, the meal comes next, so don my armor set my bag down and get my sword and shield.))

[lostsole31]

The room is nice, the bath is nice, but your meal is ... spare: a husk of bread, a very basic stew, and water. Not at all what you might have expected.

[Savior]

Caedmon

Quite content with humble food, he smiles and leaves for the common area, wanting to mingle with any of the other new to town people, or these so called farmer's daughters. Caedmon can't help but smile at the last notion.

[PSinger]

Celiss will enter the Rusty Dragon with her companions and order up a meal for the table.

[lostsole31]

A quick scan of the room, and you see a sellsword that's a new fixture ... all the road is cleaned off him and he sports some nice, heavy armor (banded mail), a shield across his back, and what looks to be a fine longsword by his side. He sports no livery, tabard, or marking of any kind that really shows him to be in service to another ... though his shield (once you see it) does have a device. He's all alone. Definitely some manner of sellsword, mercenary, or adventurer.

[meemaas]

On the far side of the room sits a pair of adventurers. The first, the older male, appearing to be around the age of thirty, was dressed in a fine pair of robes with a thoughtful intelligent look on his face. He and his companion both share a similar look, almost as if they were siblings, although a closer look can see an almost ethereal ring, and a strange gauntlet that seems to be normally hidden by his sleeve. Despite the fact that they are visible, you are almost sure that they aren't actually there, just a trick of the eye, even.

"For the last time Rose, our magic isn't for that kind of use. Its bad enough that you've taken up THAT sphere of magic, don't make us more enemies than we need."

The young lady he is talking to shares his general look, but unlike her brother, she is armored in a a well made chain shirt, with a fancy staff strapped to her back. She occasionally looks at the seat next to hers, one that is empty, and talks to it quietly before turning back to her brother, whispering to her brother as though she didn't wish to be heard by anyone else.

[Savior]

Caedmon will sit at the bar counter by himself, asking for a refill of water every so often. Although polite and kind, the young knight has no idea how to strike conversation. Instead, the tall young man clad in armor took the index and thumb fingers of his left hand and spun the silver band that lay on his right hand. His shield stayed tight on the center of his shoulder blades while his sword was close at hip on the left side. He kept his shoulder length light brown hair pulled to the back and knotted like he always does.

[PSinger]

A woman walks right up to the man in banded mail at the bar [Caedmon]. She comes close to six feet, and is of a solid, athletic build. She's not bad-looking, but doesn't really seem to take focus in her looks. Her rust-brown hair is tied in a tight braid and behind her. She seems to be in her mid- to upper-20s. Her brown eyes are simple, and neither piercing, beady, nor over-searching. She wears no armor, and has a very fine rapier at her side.

"Not often a man not a soldier or caravan guard as outfitted as you comes strolling through town. One wise enough to not enjoy a drink when alone in a strange place. What's your business here, friend?"

[Savior]

Caedmon, turned the 90 degrees required to face the woman. The dual color of both blue and green nearly swirled to thought who saw it up close. With a nod, the young knight began to speak. "I only recently began travel. Before I was student and squire to a brilliant man and great friend. My wandering lead me here, and just in time to find help needed, and adventure to be had. Not to sound rude, but I always knew it to be polite to introduce once self before striking up conversation. The young man had a coy smirk whilst taking a long sip of water.

[PSinger]

The woman shrugs. "Perhaps, but being challenged in any manner usually doesn't carry those niceties with it. Acting Sheriff Nightrom ...." she lets that hanging, waiting for his name.

[Savior]

"My name is Caedmon, ma'am." With his words, the young knight offered his right hand for the gritty woman to shake, if she chose to.

[lostsole31]

A fireplug of a half-orc comes over to the Bolt Bench. "Hey, dere, pretty lady. You looks like you need a real man to protect ya, not this milksop. Or's he your valley?"

[meemaas]

Rose gives the Half-Orc an angry glare. She speaks quietly, mumbling, but still barely audible enough for him to hear her. "Do you value your manhood? Leave me be."

Rellin sighs and places his hand on his sisters. "Sir, with all due respect, my sister here is a strong fighter in her own right. Please leave her be. The last thing either of us want is for her to lay you out here in the pub. And I'm the last person that can stop her if she goes off on you like that." He speaks calmly, with the friendliest tone he can manage, hoping to dissuade the stranger from upsetting his sensitive...and possibly crazy, sister.

[Savior]

Caedmon, in his nervous habit of scanning a room thousands of times, notices the half-orc giving a hard time. He sits on the thought of helping for now, seeing the anger in the woman's posture.

[lostsole31]

"I wooden want dat, eeder," he says, closing in with a leer, "I radder we lay each udder in and out in my room."

[Savior]

Caedmon pardoned himself from the rather nicely built woman to go to the disturbed table with the drunk half-orc. He yet raise hand or sword, and was only casually stepping.

[meemaas]

Rose growls as he closes his face in on hers, and quickly thrusts her fist up into his chin. No matter if she hits or not, she quickly flips upward onto the table, yelling at the man as if to cause a scene. "You want another one, you half-breed ingrate!!!!" As she yells, her fists begin to catch a slight blue aura, and it almost seems like the heat around her is being sucked away.

Attack roll [roll0]
Damage [roll1] Nonlethal (Love unarmed strikes)

Rellin groans as she starts making her scene. "Promise me you won't do anything that requires me to bail you out again, please?" He seems otherwise unperturbed by the scene, as if he were used to it.

[lostsole31]

The punch clips the surprised half-orc in the chin.

The proprieter tears over to this table, "That's it. Outside, all of you! You don't start flashing deadly magics in here. Take your business outside."

It is clear that she is speaking to Rose, Rellin, Caedmon, and the half-orc.

The crowd hushes, and looks expectantly. Everyone's haunches are like springs, getting ready to jump up onto their feet to follow them outside for a little bit of diversion.

An elven woman comes over. She doesn't identify herself, but as she comes over there is a sense from the way others part for her that she seems to have some authority. She is bedecked with fine studded leather and has quality elvenwork weapons at her side ... save for a bow, which is gripped tightly in her right hand but used to slowly guide people out of the way. "No deadly attacks."

The thug smiles. "S'okay with me, depootee. Ladies first."

He looks at the armored man who came up to the table and now seems to have been embroiled in this. "I was talkin' to you."

[meemaas]

Rose points at the Half-Orc, then punches her palm, as if to indicate that she's gonna knock him out once they get out. She starts first, almost as if she's looking forward to putting him in his place. Rellin waits on everyone else to get out before he vacates, but stops long enough to talk to to the proprieter and likewise the elf. "Let me know if she broke anything. I'll pay for it, no problem. And I promise you that she was holding back. She's not exactly nice, but she wasn't out to kill him. Just knock him out." After he says his bit, he starts out the door, to see what happens from this point on.

[lostsole31]

What does Caedmon do?

Rellin, following last, does he have any intention of getting in on the fight? If not, how about the side-betting that will most assuredly take place?

[Savior]

Caedmon sighed but winked at the half orc. He brushed by, trying to leave right after the young firecracker of a woman. "I have no doubt you would beat him, but if you would allow me the honor to parlay with the brute. I believe he called me a woman." With a short pause, Caedmon turned once more to the woman after stepping outside with her. "Not that being a woman is bad in anyway."

[meemaas]

In a one on one fight? Rellin knows that his sister can take him no sweat. He's just gonna watch.

Rose growls at Caedmon, but doesn't say a word to him, she just heads outside to see how it goes from there.

[lostsole31]

The Rusty Dragon's portal seems to vomit forth nearly all of its bipedal contents outside to the front and the road. A squarish area is formed, larger than might be expected, but bodies packing tightly and cheers go up. People from other establishments around start to head to this spot, making it a wall of bodies that would not easily be overborne by someone inside wishing to get out.

As the elf walks out, escorting the 30-year-old, she talks with him. "Akashic magic, never seen it before ... why you have a helm and no real weapon to speak of makes sense now. Well, anyway, as long as she stays 'holding back' and doesn't pull out any deadly magics. I'd hate to see her get thrown into jail, and with such a nice brother. Which reminds me. I'm an acting deputy, Shalelu Andosana." She touches his arm and whirls him around - not forcefully - but more as a guide. "What's yours?"

It is as it this point that Rellin looks back to really notice her. She is one of those really tall elves - 6'3" - and yet barely a handful or two pounds more over a hundred. She has light green eyes, light brown hair, and she says with a wink and a peck on the cheek, "Don't worry, I believe in you."
https://db4sgowjqfwig.cloudfront.net/images/1102408/391px-Shalelu.jpg
Rellin realizes that while bodies have filled in behind and to her sides, they have not done so with him. A slow, dawning look around and he sees that he is on the inside of one corner of this 25' x 25' area. He is there with his sister, this well-meaning sell-sword on the one corner ... and a drunken, boastful, half-orc on the other.

"Two silver sails that pansy goes down first!" someone in the crowd calls amidst the betting chatter."

Rellin suddenly feels very, very naked and exposed.

[PSinger]

Pushing her way over to Shale, Celiss looks at the three determined warriors looking inwards ... and the one poor guy looking out at she and Shale.

"Good luck, Caedmon! It was a pleasure to meet you!" she calls with a laugh then to Shalelu. "This dumbfounded guy is nothing to the pool, might even hurt himself or the others. What's the action?"

She pauses and looks at the poor, helmed weakling. "It's okay, there's no shame in faking epilepsy. Just remember, most that have that fit don't have control over their functions, so you have an excuse now to wet yourself."

[Savior]

With a smile, the young knight draws his sword. He has a look down at it and sighs. It's moments like these he hates not being able to use only his fists. Bryce was so adamant on shield and sword, saying that you can hold back with these, more than you can push with just those. Caedmon lifts his trance with a new expression completely. Eyeballing the brute with no emotion, only steel, he draws his left hand against his shoulder blades, dropping his shield to his forearm.

[meemaas]

Rose, unbothered by the fact that her brother has been pushed into the fight alongside her, takes up her stance, leaving her staff strapped to her back where it belongs, as her fists take on the icy glow they had below, a magical aura begins to surround her, almost as if a second layer of armor.

Rellin smiles, after giving a second to gain his bearings. When the other female calls into the fray at him, he just shakes his head and calls back at her. "I'm not so fragile that i'd go down in a simple bar fight. But it's not a problem."

[lostsole31]

Shalelu says to Celiss, "Two and a half ... well, two-and-a-quarter ... still outnumbers him. I'm for upsetting the established order when it comes to these things. I'll take the underdogs for a gold."

[PSinger]

"You seem sure of yourself, and them. How about 2 gold?"

[lostsole31]

Shalelu nods. 2 gold it is ...

R1T22: Rose, what do you do? You are 20' from the brute.

[meemaas]

Rose pivots her body on one foot, a strange energy beginning to cover her fist, she holds out her hand to wave the brute towards her, as if beckoning him to attack.

Swa: Rose will Initiate her Dizzying Venom Prana boost
Standard: Ready an action to punch him if he comes at her.

Attack roll [roll0]
Damage [roll1] Nonlethal
If hit, staggers the target.
If hit, DC 15 Fort save or take 2 points of Wisdom damage

[lostsole31]

R1T22: Rose pivots her body on one foot, a strange energy beginning to cover her fist, she holds out her hand to wave the brute towards her, as if beckoning him to attack.

R1T12: The half-orc calls over, "I saves my dessert for last, girly-girl!"

He trundles forward to Caedmon and goes to swat the man's sword out of his hands ...

Caedmon, you have Combat Reflexes, and he does not have Improved Disarm ..... you get an AOO against him. This cannot be a "martial maneuver" (I don't allow them on AOO), but it may be a normal attack or (normal) combat maneuver. What do you do?

[Savior]

Take two AoOs
Attack 1:[roll0] -4 for non lethal
Damage :[roll1]
Attack 2:[roll2] -4 for non lethal
Damage :[roll3]

Caedmon uses his extensive training and intelligence to try and off kilter his foe before he can grasp the sword. First turning the blade flat to the half-orc's right ear.

[lostsole31]

R1T12: Caedmon uses his extensive training and intelligence to try and throw his foe off-kilter before he can grasp the sword. First turning the blade flat to the half-orc's right ear, but Caedmon fumbles and the half-orc slams the hilt out of the man's hand ... but not before the point goes up as the pommel goes down and gives just the faintest slice to Caedmon's hand for 1 bleed.

R1T11: Rellin, you are 10' from the half-orc (and behind your sister and this other man). Do you do anything?

Caedmon, you are on deck. Actually, your sword is on the deck, but you go after Rellin. The fumble made just a pinprick to your sword hand, and yet it is bleeding steadily for all that ...

[meemaas]

Rellin sighs as he watches the fight before him. So far nobody had really done anything, and all the talk about him going down seemed to have been for naught. He decides to make it just a little easier on his sister and the stranger, and holds up his free hand, summoning up his magic, the ring he wears begins to glow bright, and the Half-Orc begins to glow light blue, his movements starting to slow just a little.

Using the Slow ability from the Time Sphere.
DC 16 will save or be staggered for the forseeable future. Rellin will make sure to slide so that there is no straight line to him if possible.

[Savior]

Caedmon's usual face of stern kindness has become twisted and angry. His lips part for the grinding of his teeth, and his stature becomes only slightly hunched from pure rage. He bent to lift his sword back into hand, and then unleash an unholy slice upon the half-orc.

move to pick up sword
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Readied maneuvers:Iron Shell, Primal Wrath, Snapping Strike, Crushing Blow.

[lostsole31]

R1T11: Rellin sighs as he watches the fight before him. So far nobody had really done anything, and all the talk about him going down seemed to have been for naught. He decides to make it just a little easier on his sister and the stranger, and holds up his free hand, summoning up his magic, the ring he wears begins to glow bright, and the Half-Orc begins to glow light blue.

R1T9: To Caedmon's amazement, the man behind him uses a rare ability, rare indeed ... for it is one he shares, and that is the alteration of the flow of time around somebody to slow them. Seems the berobed man, amazingly, is a sphere-caster like himself, and also with powers over time. But Caedmon doesn't have too much time to think about this, as his usual face of stern kindness has become twisted and angry even as he takes another 1 bleed. His lips part for the grinding of his teeth, and his stature becomes only slightly hunched from pure rage. He bends to lift his sword back into hand, but the half-orc kicks his hand with his great strength for 6 NL (6 nonlethal damage). Caedmon is undeterred and retrieves his blade, and then unleashes an unholy slice upon the half-orc, but as his sword falls the half-orc flatly blocks it with his forearm and the blade is thrust aside as if by some unseen source. This doesn't mean he isn't a little surprised by what was obviously a strike meant with deadlier intent. He shouts something in a foul language ... but Rose knows the half-orc is not speaking Orc.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22: Rose, Rellin is pouring the time-crawl on the half-orc. He is 10' away, but he came at Caedmon at an offset angle so if you want to engage him in melee you would have to go 15'. This man just changed the nature of the game by escalating this combat outside of the province of "bar fight" and into deadlier fare. What do you do?

Thug on deck, Rellin in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Rose looks over at Rellin, who sighs softly. "Make sure he doesn't die. Please."

With Rellin's approval, Rose circles around to flank the drunk with Caedmon, spin-kicking the drunk in the side, her foot turning to ice as it connects, she hopes to hit hard enough to knock the man out.

Move action: Move to flank with Caedmon.
Standard action: Variable Flux (Spend 1 Animus to Enhance Manuever, adding +2 to her attack roll)

Attack roll [roll0]
Damage [roll1] (Nonlethal) + [roll2] Cold damage
Fort save DC 15 or Fatigued
Fort save DC 15 or Staggered

[lostsole31]

R2T22: Rose looks over at Rellin, who sighs softly. "Make sure he doesn't die. Please."

With Rellin's approval, Rose circles around to flank the drunk with Caedmon, spin-kicking the drunk in the side, her foot turning to ice as it connects, she hopes to hit hard enough to knock the man out, and doing 2 NL and 5 NL cold helps, but he doesn't go down.

R2T20: Celiss, you had something you wanted to do?

Shalelu (if any on deck), brawler in the hole ...

[PSinger]

"CAEDMON!" calls Acting Sheriff Nightrom. "Drop your weapon, withdraw directly to me, and stay put. We'll take care of that wound."
Charm person SLA. Will DC 11 negates.

A commoner has an even chance of ignoring this, but hopefully even if he resists it will make sense and he'll do it. I know it shouldn't matter with PCs, but just as a show of how (in)effective she might be to an NPC without magic, Diplomacy [roll0].

Caveat: yeah, I know, Rus. You roll them, but because it is a courtesy Diplomacy roll that can't actually affect him I put it in for flavor.

EDIT: Wow. Here's to natural 20's on pure fluff that is likely to have no effect.

[lostsole31]

R2T20: "CAEDMON!" calls Acting Sheriff Nightrom. "Drop your weapon, withdraw directly to me, and stay put. We'll take care of that wound."

R2T18: The elven woman shouts back at the half-orc in the same, debased-sounding language.

R2T12: The half-orc nods his head takes a five-foot step back from Caedmon, but is still adjacent to Rose. His fists are up in a boxer's stance.

R2T11: Rellin, I am going to assume that you are concentrating on your slow effect.

R2T9: Caedmon, it takes a little bit of willpower, but you realize that while the sheriff is quite persuasive in her own right, there was some type of charm-carrier in her voice. You throw it off, and it's up to you whether you follow her instructions or not, but you suffer yet another 1 bleed from the wound on your damn hand. What do you do? The half-orc is now just out of reach (10').

Rose on deck, Celiss/ Shale on deck (if you even do anything, I won't stop the action), half-orc in the hole ...

[Savior]

Caedmon moves his sword into the ground, attempting to fix his busted open hand by himself. He appreciates the woman's offer, but he can solve his problems himself.
heal:[roll0]

[lostsole31]

Rellin, if there is anything you want to do?

Rose, what do you do?

[meemaas]

While focusing on the Drunkard with one hand, Rellin holds up the other one, his sleeve sliding up to reveal his semi-real gauntlet, and with a quick gesture, a multicolored beam of light shoots from the symbols on the gauntlet, aimed at the Half-Orc. As he does so, he smiles.

Move action: Concentrate
Standard action: Activate my Storm Gauntlet

Attack roll [roll0] (Apply a -4 penalty to this for shooting into melee)
Damage [roll1] Shock, [roll2] Frost, [roll3] Sonic

After the Drunkard backs off of Caedmon, Rose turns on him and launches another powerful punch into his side. Unlike the previous one, while her fist is still icy, the connection appears to slow the man down, even in his already slowed state.

Standard action: Initiate Sands of Time Approach, spending 1 animus on Enhance Manuever for a +2 bonus to attack.

Attack roll [roll4]
Damage [roll5] Nonlethal
If hit, he is Fatigued for [roll6] rounds, no save.
As per Elemental Nimbus, he'll also be forced to make another save against the 1 round stagger. Fort DC 15, for what it's worth.

[lostsole31]

R2T11: While focusing on the Drunkard with one hand, Rellin holds up the other one, his sleeve sliding up to reveal his semi-real gauntlet, and with a quick gesture, a multicolored beam of light shoots from the symbols on the gauntlet, aimed at the Half-Orc. As he does so, he smiles. A smile which quickly fades as he misses.

R2T9: Caedmon moves his sword into the ground, attempting to fix his busted open hand by himself. He appreciates the woman's offer, but he can solve his problems himself. Or, at least he thinks he can ... though he fails to attend to his hand properly this time.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T22: After the Drunkard backs off of Caedmon, Rose turns on him and launches another powerful punch into his side, but he is faster and ready for the attack and he grabs her and gets her into a powerful grapple for 7 NL and her own hit never lands.

R3T20: Celiss, you're not sure what that gauntlet is, but you did see very deadly energy of three different types come shooting off of it. It misses, and only barely stops short of the crowd on the other side as it sizzles and rumbles and pops near their feet. Do you do anything?

Shalelu on deck, Rellin in the hole ...

[PSinger]

Ahhhh, crap. Celiss casts a spell and the air shimmers all around her briefly before going still again. "Everybody, clear out!" she shouts.

She draws her rapier and steps up to the robed man, threatening him. "Robed man, you will cease and desist all activities, drop all magics, and surrender to me, Sheriff Nightrom of Sandpoint!"
EDIT: Whoops, sorry!

SA: Cast extended mage armor.
MA: Move/draw rapier.

[lostsole31]

R3T20: Ahhhh, crap. Celiss casts a spell and the air shimmers all around her briefly before going still again. "Everybody, clear out!" she shouts.

She draws her rapier and steps up to the robed man, threatening him. "Robed man, you will cease and desist all activities, drop all magics, and surrender to me, Sheriff Nightrom of Sandpoint!"

R3T18: "Caedmon?" calls the elf. "That's your name, right? Leave the sword, withdraw to me and the sheriff. I am acting Deputy Andosana. Don't make this any worse, son."

She stays where she is as people are definitely clearing the grounds now that deadly magic is flying around. She draws and readies a shot in Caedmon's direction.

R3T11: Rellin, you have no idea what spell is that the sheriff just cast, though momentarily it seems to have affected her. What do you do?

Caedmon on deck (you can tell me your action if you'd like), brawler (grappling Rose) in the hole ...

[meemaas]

"Miss. I cannot just drop my magic. That is my sister there, and I am merely backing her up. If I am not mistaken about what has upset you, I assure you that the attack I used was nothing more than a pinprick. With how my sister is fighting, he may end up injured, but there will be no life threatening injuries. However, if you wish me to stand down anyways. Please break up this fight, and I will submit to your authority." he grumbles softly, meanwhile holding out the hand with the gauntlet, pointed at the ground, as a gesture of peace. "Didn't even want to be part of this fight in the first place."

Apart from the Move action to concentrate on his spell, Rellin will spend a swift action to remove the Essence invested on his Storm Gauntlets.

[lostsole31]

Caedmon, what do you do?

Celiss, feel free to respond verbally, but you can't take an action yet.

[Savior]

Caedmon sheaths his blade, grumbling. He maintains the hope of setting his hand's wound.
Heal:[roll0]

[lostsole31]

R3T11: "Miss. I cannot just drop my magic. That is my sister there, and I am merely backing her up. If I am not mistaken about what has upset you, I assure you that the attack I used was nothing more than a pinprick. With how my sister is fighting, he may end up injured, but there will be no life threatening injuries. However, if you wish me to stand down anyways. Please break up this fight, and I will submit to your authority." he grumbles softly, meanwhile holding out the hand with the gauntlet, pointed at the ground, as a gesture of peace. "Didn't even want to be part of this fight in the first place."

R3T9: Caedmon sheaths his blade, grumbling while his hand bleeds for 1. He maintains the hope of setting his hand's wound, and he is rewarded when the bleeding stops.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T22.1: The half-orc continues to press on Rose, doing 10 NL.

R4T22: Rose, you see all of this happening. What do you do/ say?

Celiss on deck, Shalelu in the hole ...

[PSinger]

"This fight is over!" calls Celiss to the half-orc and his prize. "Release the girl. Girl, when he lets you go, you will release your cold magics and stand by."

[lostsole31]

As a free action, the brute releases his hold on Rose. He shouts out something in that language that almost sounds like yipping and barking. The elven woman replies in the same language.

Rose, what do you do?

[meemaas]

Rose stumbles away and sighs softly. She's angry, but everyone else has already backed away, and she knows she can't win against everyone. She moves safely away and looks over at Celiss. "I don't control this. It'll fade on its own in the next minute on its own." She speaks quietly now, clearly looking embarrassed.

Once she's out of harms way, Rellin lets down his spell, then turns to Celiss and Shale. "Allow me to make amends for the damage my sister has done." After speaking, he holds his hand back up, his ring glowing once more, the Half-Orc gets covered in a white glow, as his body finds itself being reinvigorated from its wounds.

Rellin will spend 1 Spell Point to cast Cure from the Life Sphere. [roll0] health restored to the Brawler.

[PSinger]

Before he starts bathing anyone in anything, Celiss doesn't know what she has ... other than some guy waving magic around who already disobeyed her. "No, I don't allow 'it.'"

Celiss is going to put that hand he's raising in a manacle and put it behind him.

Do we need to intiative/combat roll this, meemaas?

[lostsole31]

As Sheriff Nightrom manacles Rellin, the elven woman comes up to Caedmon. "Sir, I'm going to have to take you in."

Caedmon, she has a pair of manacles. Do you resist?

[Savior]

Caedmon places his shield appropriately on his shoulder blades, and without facing anyone, responds. "Only if you can tell me what I have done wrong."

[lostsole31]

"Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Ask your questions in jail. If the next thing you do requires my lawful arrest to somehow be situational, you are resisting arrest, and I will put. you. down."

[Savior]

"Not going to resist, just going to say, as you restrain me, that I was drug into a fight that all i did was be hit. All of my combat training is with a blade so if some one comes attacking me, especially especially a large brawler who knows what he is doing, I will draw sword and shield."

[lostsole31]

Deputy Andosana manacles Caedmon (hands of manacled behind them). She then proceeds to do a pat-down and removes weapons (like Caedmon's sword).

Celiss, anything else or right off to jail?

[PSinger]

In response to Rellin's claims of healing, Celiss says "Didn't know that. Still don't."

I have the drunken orc and Rose follows us there.

Once at the jail, the two men are stripped of everything other than the most basic clothing ... armor, rings definitely after what occurred, other jewelry, weapons, packs of gear ... all of it. If it isn't a shirt, a pair of breeches (or a robe), stockings/socks, and footwear ... it's off. This does mean that Caedmon will only have his manacles off of one wrist so that the armor can be removed. Celiss will not engage in conversation except when giving orders to turn here, remove this, etc.

During this, I want Shalelu to detect magic.

Even after all of this, is there any resistance of any kind? Do you guys go into the individual cells peaceably?

[lostsole31]

The young man that was arrested ... you still don't rightly see his features ... his armor, gauntlets, and one of his rings won't come off. Shalelu recognizes what they are, and tells Rellin, "Unshape your soul magics."

[meemaas]

Rellin smiles softly at Shalelu. "I apologize, but I'm not actually able to dismiss these at will. I can deactivate them as much as possible, but as long as my hands are bound, I cannot use any of their active powers. The ring gives me protection, the helm enhances my senses, the gauntlet is my weapon. But activating it is the same as regular magic, I must be able to make the gestures. Now, as long as you are willing to trust me, having, after all, given in without any argument, then you will find that they will disperse on their own just a short while after dawn. However, will you allow me the chance to defend my actions now, before passing judgement upon me any further?" Rellin leans against the wall, dropping to the ground with his hands bound behind him, he looks out of the cell without even a hint of malice in his eyes or voice.

Rose mumbles quietly in the back, out of earshot of the girls, and then quietly walks up to them, speaking quietly, almost as if she wasn't the foulmouthed hothead that had started the scene in the bar. "They were just trying to help me. I bit off more than I could chew with that fight, even if that Drunkard was out of line."

[PSinger]

"What drunkard?" asks the sheriff, somewhat coquettishly (sp?). "You mean the half-orc that threw more ale on his face and neck than went in his mouth so that when he put his face in yours he smelled like he had been drinking ... but wasn't? That drunkard?"

:elan:

[meemaas]

Rose backs away softly, looking to her side and whispering as if talking to someone for advice before turning back to Celiss. "I-i'm sorry. He came on so strong and I thought he was slurring his words."

[lostsole31]

"He was slurring his words," said Shalelu. "But what would you expect from someone who sounds like mastery of Taldane is a kurgessian effort?"

"What do you say, Kurgol?" she says vaguely in the direction of the half-orc who sits in a chair on the other side of the jail, at a desk, reading something. "Like your xylem aren't providing the right nutrients to your brain to feed to your mouth, huh?"

The half-orc looks up with his daft expression. There's a pause, then he looks back into his book. With a deep voice, more resonant than just grumbly this time, he emphatically says, "Phloem."

Without looking away from Rose, Shalelu goads, "What's that, Kurgol?"

"You know what!" he barks, realizing he was baited. "Phloem ... not xylem. Xylem are vaguely similar to the cardiovascular system, but nutrient flow to the brain would be likened to phloem, since they deal with feeding organs. Oh, and as I'm not a plant, I don't have either, anyway."

He resumes reading his little book, though more annoyed than before.

Shalelu smiles at Rose. "Seems his stutter healed."

[meemaas]

Rose backs down, moving over to a chair to sit down, she looks at the ground, no longer sure of what to say.

Rellin calls out from the cell. "Surprisingly smart, considering how you presented yourself back in the bar. You are aware that the only reason I shot at you was because Rose was fighting in such a way that any damage I could cause would not mortally wound you before you passed out. While I consider myself a skilled mage, unfortunately I know little that could really work under bar-fight rules." After a moment, he turns his head towards the cell that the swordsman was stuck in. "Thanks for trying to help my sister by the way. Wish we could have met under better circumstances. Maybe I treat you to a drink after we get out of this?"

[Savior]

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't drink. My my ring back would be nice enough." Caedmon has stayed still and silent the entire visit until this speech.

[meemaas]

"Oh, I'd like mine too. Belonged to my father. Very important. But I doubt they'll let either of us get them back right now. Dangerous warriors that can't hit the broad side of a barn, we are." He lays his head on the wall and laughs. "I don't even know why I have this thing. I think I've hit Rose more than I've actually hit my intended target. Thank the Gods for magic, right?"

Rose smiles a little from where she is, but from anyone else's view, all they can really see is her head lifting a little.

[PSinger]

"Alright, for the record ... I need your full names. Your not under arrest ... but you, too, miss. Please occupation. If your occupation includes 'adventurer,' 'mercenary,' 'sellsword,' or the like ... please list specialties."

[lostsole31]

Shalelu looks at Rellin and squints her eyes. "I don't know the ins and outs of your special magic ... but I do know you can dismiss or dispel it. I don't care what you say something is, we don't know what it is. If you don't get rid of it ... we'll do it, whatever that takes."

[meemaas]

Rellin sighs softly. "I've never before tried it. It's just one of those things. Maybe you're right, and maybe it can, but I guess the only way to find out is to try." He closes his eyes and meditates, surprised by the fact that his veils really were starting to dissolve.

Once finished, he stops and answers Celiss. "Rellin Bolt. Mage. Specialized in support magic, especially healing. She is Rose Bolt, also a mage, although she specializes in physical combat with magic to enhance her abilities."

[PSinger]

Fixing tea on the little stove at the same time, Sheriff Nightrom calls over to the burly guy [Caedmon]. "What about you, killer? What's your full name and occupation?"

[Savior]

"I am not a killer. I simply wanted to stop a fight, and instead got drug into one, all because your desk jockey decided to trick people. Caedmon, and I suppose scholar and adventurer. "

[lostsole31]

"You started off well," says Shalelu, "or at least in the spirit of a brawl despite wielding a sword. It wasn't until Kurgol tried to do something he has no skill at doing, that opened him up. Instead of counterattacking to subdue, you attempted a downward chop to straight up murder him. Sure, maybe you wanted to hack a little left of center, but it was still a stroke that showed no restraint."

She shifts gears. "As a scholar, what is or are your area or areas of specialty? As adventurer, you don't listen to instructions to well, do you? But I guess sword-swinger, hothead, and scholar."

[Savior]

"Your man is very good. When facing such an adversary, one normally falls into the way they were most trained. My training just happens to be sword and shield. Scholar of martial knowledge, and nobility."

[PSinger]

Shaking her head, Sheriff Nightrom says, "Still no excuse. You didn't even try to approach it honorably. However unasked for, however 'outclassed' you may have felt, it was a bar fight. Pure and simple. I don't know what kind of dunderheads you are used to dealing with, but the folk of Sandpoint are a perceptive bunch. I have a whole of witnesses ... a whole lot of them, that will probably attest to how you attacked with deadly intent from the get-go. The young lady there? Yeah, she looks to be no stronger than a scrivener compared to your bull-mastiff frame, and even she went with the spirit of the battle. Everyone noticed that what you did was crossing the line, even if you don't think so. So that brings us to ... what to do?

"See, we could do this the standard way ... the hard way ... and you get charged for assault with a deadly weapon, and that is a hefty fine and some jail time.

"Or .... or ... you could work it off. You all seem to be fairly smart - you all claim to be scholars of one sort or another - and at least two of you are warriors. We seem to have a problem with goblins. They attacked the town openly en masse a little while ago. Then, through the treachery of the brother of the proprieter of the Rusty Dragon, they slaughtered everyone at the Glassworks.. My team and I killed them, rescued her from her traitorous brother and locked him up - he since was hung - and then we struck the first major blow against the Thistletop tribe. We attacked and killed the forward sentries and their druid. Our next move is against the tribe itself. We lost our healer, and we know we need more power - and possibly more healing.

"I think we could commute your sentence from fines and jail time to community service ... in the form of helping me and my team end this goblin menace."

[meemaas]

Rellin smiles. "I can certainly aid you in the form of healing and other magic. But seeing as Rose isn't charged with anything, you can't just expect her to just up and join you out of the kindness of her heart. I mean, she'll come with me because we're mostly inseparable, but I'd still like to ask that she get paid or something for her service."

[PSinger]

"Loyalty for most sellswords is in coin, and these goblins are raiders," Nightrom says. "Equal share of treasure for all ... sheriff, deputy, new recruit."

[meemaas]

Rose nods silently, agreeing silently but refuses to say anything more.

[PSinger]

"Caedmon? What do you say?"

[Savior]

"Considering this was your plan all along, I don't believ I have much of a choice but to accept the offer."

[PSinger]

Nightrom laughs - neither dainty nor musical laugh, but more alto - and hopefully Kurgol and Shale share in her mirth.

"Well, you aren't prisoners," she smiles, opening the cells ... that were closed but were never padlocked. "Your stuffs over there. Ameiko has two rooms reserved at the Rusty Dragon Inn. Whether brother and sister are in one and Caedmon in the other, or men in one and lady in the other, that's up to you. I'll give you a day to acclimated as you will. Be here at noon, though. She's actually from the general, broad area and is a goblin-hunter, and she'll tell you about them."

"Oh, as far as the Rusty Dragon ... your first three days are on the town. After that, you have half-price on meals, lodging (but she can only spare two rooms for the long-term), and drinks. After a week, it will be full price. So much was stolen and looted by the little bandit bastards, actually paying for our time here is important. Otherwise, the town gets looted, and we end up with that, and say that it's one-hundred percent our pay when the local economy needs help."

[lostsole31]

What do los tres amigos neuvos do?

[meemaas]

Rellin heads out first, with Rose behind him. Before he walks out the door, he turns towards the others and speaks. "Do you expect to have our support for the long term, that you've made accommodations for us to stay beyond a week? Or were you just preparing for the worst?"

[PSinger]

"Oh, no," said Celiss. "Long-term arrangements are up to you. They have a good undertaker in town."

[meemaas]

Rellin smiles. "Good. If we choose to stay long I'll have to find better arrangements. Wouldn't want to accidentally burn the bar down." He turns and leaves, with Rose following suit. They make their way back to the bar to apologize for the mess and set some stuff in their room, leaving Caedmon to have the other room alone.

[Savior]

Caedmon quietly gathered his things and left for the Rusty Dragon. Once there, he made for for his room. He took his armor off, and let down his hair, settling into bed for a long rest.

[lostsole31]

Besides sleeping, eating and drinking (and Caedmon did pay for a bath ... which is not inclusive) ... do Caedmon & The Bolts (a new rock group) do anything in the morning or fast forward heading back to the jail?

[meemaas]

Besides usual preparation, Rose and Rellin will do their usual things, nothing special. They'll be ready to skip ahead to morning.

[Savior]

Same for Caedmon.

[lostsole31]

You get to the jail about noonish with bellies as full as needed.

Sure enough, Shalelu Andosana gets right to giving you a primer on goblins.

Horse Hate: Goblins excel at riding animals, but they don’t quite get horses. In fact, their hatred of all things horse is matched only by their fear of horses, who tend to step on goblins who get too close.
Dog Hate: Although goblins raise horrible rat-faced creatures called (creatively enough) goblin dogs to use as mounts (and ride wolves or worgs if they can get them—goblins are quick to explain that wolves are NOT dogs), their hatred of plain old dogs nearly matches their hatred of horses. The feeling is mutual. If your dog’s barking at the woodpile for no reason, chances are he smells a frightened goblin hiding in there somewhere.
Goblins Raid Junkyards: Garbage pits, gutters, sewers… anywhere there’s garbage, you can bet goblins are nearby. Goblins are weirdly adept at crafting weapons and armor from refuse, and are fond of killing people with what they throw away.
Goblins Love to Sing: Unfortunately, as catchy as their lyrics can be, goblin songs tend to be a bit too creepy and disturbing to catch on in polite society.
They’re Sneaky: An excited or angry goblin is a noisy, chattering, toothy menace, but even then, he can drop into an unsettling silence in a heartbeat. This, matched with their diminutive size, makes them unnervingly adept at hiding in places you’d never expect: stacks of firewood, rain barrels, under logs, under chicken coops, in ovens…
They’re A Little Crazy: The fact that goblins think of things like ovens as good hiding places reveals much about their inability to think plans through to the most likely outcome. That, and they tend to be easily distracted, particularly by shiny things and animals smaller than them that might make good eating.
They’re Voracious: Given enough supplies, a goblin generally takes nearly a dozen meals a day. Most goblin tribes don’t have enough supplies to accommodate such ravenous appetites, which is why the little menaces are so prone to going on raids.
They Like Fire: Burning things is one of the great goblin pastimes, although they’re generally pretty careful about lighting fires in their own lairs, especially since goblins tend to live in large, tangled thistle patches and sleep in beds of dried leaves and grass. But give a goblin a torch and someone else’s home and you’ve got trouble.
They Get Stuck Easily: Goblins have wiry frames but wide heads. They live in cramped warrens. Sometimes too cramped.
Goblins Believe Writing Steals Your Soul: The walls of goblin lairs and the ruins of towns goblins have raided are littered with pictures of their exploits. They never use writing, though. That’s not lucky. Writing steals words out of your head. You can’t get them back.

[Feel free to look at the d20pfsrd for goblins and common goblin class types as she will discuss them in detail.]

She speaks Goblin fluently, and Nightrom and Kurgol a little less so (is not a pleasant language), and it turns out that was the language they were using when you guys were fighting Kurgol. Caedmon knows this, since he speaks Goblin.

After this, and as part of late afternoon rounds and going into the evening, Celiss and Kurgol will show you around Sandpoint and discuss all about the town, show you where things are, discuss other races in the area, local religion, and Sandpoint's relationship to Magnimar and Varisia in general.
In your E-mail I am sending you the .pdf for the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide. This helps you both as players. Your PCs would obviously know well about Varisia, but from what I understand neither of you are really knowledgeable about Golarion geogaphy and the like, so please at least give it a good scan.

Sheriff Hemlock is currently away to Magnimar, trying to get aid in the form of soldiers to help against the goblins.

Lonjiku Kaijutsu was killed by goblins and/or his son when his bastard son - working with the goblins - attacked and slaughtered the workers at the Glassworks in town. Ameiko had been captured. She was freed by Nightrom and company, and the son was jailed and later hung for his crimes.

[meemaas]

As the group toured Sandpoint with Celiss and Kurgol, Rellin took the time needed to explain a little about his magic, giving them the necessary information to understand that his magic was not offensive, but defensive and supportive, along with a few tidbits of why his magic seems so odd compared to traditional magic.

[lostsole31]

For the sake of adventure to come, does anyone mention actual spells/ effects capable?

[meemaas]

Rellin will explain his healing capabilities, and the magic he used on Kurgol, namely that it was a slow effect. The rest of his magic he will keep under wraps for now.

[lostsole31]

And Rose?

Caedmon?

[meemaas]

Rose is still doing the Shy thing, and doesn't talk much. Rellin doesn't spoil it either, he's just being friendly and explaining the basics.

[Savior]

Caedmon doesn't mention anything.

[PSinger]

Well, let's not waste time. Tomorrow we go to Thistletop and start killing goblins.

[lostsole31]

The next day ... you leave bright and early after a hearty meal. The group follows the Lost Coast Road, heading east, and you hit the Thistle River crossing pretty quickly - it's a six-mile journey (two hours by foot). You get to the mass of nettles that lead to Thistletop.

https://s.yimg.com/fz/api/res/1.2/LAl5mY.LbSP1j1eSgBX3MA--/YXBwaWQ9c3JjaGRkO2g9ODgxO3E9OTU7dz0xMTkz/http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/map_images/435279/sandpoint-hinterlands.jpg

The briars and thistles that grow so rampantly in Nettlewood grow even more dense and tangled here, close to the shore. Although not quite dense enough to block the sound of waves crashing on the unseen shores to the west, the undergrowth is certainly thick enough to block sight and access to the coast. Few trees grow this close to the edge of the sea, but the briars themselves often reach heights to rival them; here, the patch is nearly twenty feet high. There are a series of tight, low tunnels that wide around and open here and there in wider areas, but there are no guards or goblins or guard creatures. Shalelu mentions that they fought a major battle against Gogmurt (the tribal druid) and a host of goblins that were in this section.

Finally, the nettles open up and face a rope bridge which spans the gulf between the cliff and a roundish, flat-topped island sixty some feet to the north. Thick patches of nettles and briars grow here and there atop the island, but its most impressive feature is a wooden one-story stockade. Two thirty-foot-tall watchtowers guard the stockade’s southern facade. The rope bridge itself is made of hairy rope and thick wooden planks; the whole thing creaks and sways in the wind above the churning surf eighty feet below. The bridge seems treacherous.

What do you do?

[PSinger]

"Alright, scholar," says Nightrom to Rellin. "How knowledgeable are you with engineering?"

[meemaas]

"You'd be surprised. Give me a few minutes and I'll give you my judgement on this. If nothing else, we could always throw everyone across." He laughs softly, making it clear that it was a joke before studying the bridge from a safe distance, checking mostly to discern its structural integrity.

[lostsole31]

Without actually doing any kind of hands-on stress test, what you know is (likely) limited. Assuming this bridge is still in use (it is, as Shalelu can tell from the odd goblin tracks), it is safe to say that small goblins traverse this easily enough. How many at a time is unknown. Nonetheless, how sturdy it is for 100-plus-pound, medium-sized creatures is unknown just from eyeballs, but it definitely looks like it can't take a lot of stress.

[meemaas]

Rellin speaks calmly to the rest of the party. "The bridge seems to be sturdy for the most part. We'd need to test it to be sure, but I think most of us should be able to cross it safely. But I'd think it would be safest to do it one at a time, to be safe." Before he lets anyone try though, he steps out onto the bridge a few steps, while pulling at the ropes to test them.

[lostsole31]

Rellin determines that it would only be safe enough to bring over one person at a time.

[meemaas]

"Alright, it should be safe for us one at a time. Rose, can you go first? Just in case." With that, Rellin steps off the bridge, and lets Rose cross first, then crosses after her once she makes it to the other side safely.

[PSinger]

Celiss will make sure that all get across safely before going across herself. Once she is at the midpoint, she will test the bridge at various points to see if she can't get a more finite look at what it can or cannot handle.

[lostsole31]

Rellin probably failed way conservative, since the bridge looks sturdy enough to handle 2-4 Medium creatures, but he checked at the beginning and you are in the middle. Do you do any other checking, or finish gathering on the far side?

[PSinger]

Check again on the far side once Celiss (the last one) comes across.

[lostsole31]

Once you all get to Thistletop proper, Celiss checks out this side of the rope bridge. It seems that the attachment points were loosened such that the bridge would not deal with a heavy load. It would take some repair, but you could definitely do better than current. Currently, it looks as if the bridge could handle no more than three Medium-size creatures.

The stockade is made of thick wood. Closer inspection reveals that most of the wood seems to have been scavenged from ships—a few nameplates remain affixed to some of the timbers, while others look like they might have once been masts. There is some room to maneuver around the sides of the stockade. Shalelu can notes from tracks that the grounds are regularly patrolled by goblins and worgs. That said, there doesn't seem to be any guards and no alarum was raised when you slowly, person-by-person, crossed the bridge.

What is the plan, and do people do anything personally for preparations?

[PSinger]

Celiss will cast her extended mage armor (on herself, of course).

[Savior]

Caedmon will draw sword and shield and remain in his defensive stance. "I don't mind being in the front. I can take a hell of a beating."

[lostsole31]

Good point. Mee, PSinger, in addition to noting any preps, let me know what you have in hand.

[meemaas]

Rose will draw her staff from where it is strapped to her back, and use it like a walking stick, one handed. She also adopts her Elemental Nimbus Stance. Rellin keeps behind the martially focused of the party and keeps alert.

[PSinger]

Celiss looks at whatever this stance is that Rose has adopted. What's it like?

[meemaas]

For the most part, Rose's stance is an offensive combat stance, but a close inspection shows a hint of fire magic sparking around her, almost like it was waiting to ignite.

[PSinger]

"I noticed interesting maneuvers before, and now I see your stance," remarks Nightrom. "I'd be interested in talking with you about the martial arts some time."

[meemaas]

Conversation being brought to Interactive (so that it can be used)

[lostsole31]

Celiss ... what do you do/ command? Go around the outside? Knock on the stockade door? Pray for rain?

Any suggestions from anyone else?

[PSinger]

Celiss isn't waiting for a committee. We'll walk the circuit, heading clockwise from south to west to north and back around.

Shalelu will have point.
(10' gap)
Kurgol next.
Caedmon.
Rellin
Rose
Celiss.

[meemaas]

Rellin has no complaints about the order. He's here to provide magical support, not make plans. Rose likewise doesn't mind.

[lostsole31]

The party begins to creep along. Shalelu peers around the corner to the northwest, listening to a bunch of yipping around the corner. Well, it seems that she wasn't as stealthy as she thought might be as she makes that jump a person makes when they have been noticed.

R1T22: Kurgol runs right in front of Shalelu to give the archer a bulwark and he seems to take a second of concentration.

R1T19: A dog comes tearing around the corner, but it's face has the same flat nose, beady eyes, and protruding teeth as a rat. With those same terrible incisor it bites into Kurgol's right foot for 9 (max).

R1T18: Rose, what do you do?You recognize the rat-dog as a goblin dog. It is a bizarre type of canine, though it is a natural animal, commonly found among goblins. Except goblins, most creatures are severely allergic to a goblin dog's dander.

[meemaas]

Rose will close in on the Rat-Dog (Chihuahua? XD) and spin kick it, her foot catching fire for a brief moment as it attempts to spread onto the attacker.

Move action: Move to close in on the Goblin Dog (Hereby renamed chihuahua.)
Standard action: Variable Flux strike

Attack roll [roll0]
Damage [roll1] Plus 4 Fire Damage from her Elemental Nimbus Stance
If successful, Chihuahua must make a Reflex save DC 15 or catch fire.

[lostsole31]

R1T18: Rose closes in on the chihauhua and gives it a spinning kick, her foot on fire during her turn as she clips it for 1 + 4 fire. With that maneuver, Rose feels her energy grow within her and she is struck with a bit of inspiration as the very arcane essence of fire roils under limbs.Animus Pool and Defensive Combat now active. Spark strike granted.

Elemental nimbus simply does fire damage. Fire damage does not automatically assume the chance to cause fire in the same manner as alchemist's fire or a fire elemental's slam.
R1T17: Another chihuahua comes around the corner and opens itself terribly as it tries to bite Rose and she instinctively goes to trip it but it barely (4 legs) manages to keep its footing.

R1T16: A goblin appears from around the corner and shoots at Kurgol, but something deflects the arrow.

R1T15: Rellin, what do you do?

[meemaas]

Rellin holds up his hand, and with a quick gesture, a light blue light enveloping his ring, and the same color of energy enveloping the Goblin. The goblins movements seem to slow while it is wrapped in the aura, which Rellin seems intent on maintaining.

Standard action: Rellin will cast Slow on the Goblin, and maintain it through concentration. DC 16 Will save to negate, or else the Goblin will only be able to take a Move or a Standard action on his turn.

[lostsole31]

R1T15: Rellin holds up his hand, and with a quick gesture, a light blue light enveloping his ring, and the same color of energy enveloping the Goblin. The goblins movements seem to slow while it is wrapped in the aura, which Rellin seems intent on maintaining.

R1T14: Caedmon, what do you do?

[Savior]

Caedmon marched to the new chihuahua that attempted to bite Rose. With sword and shield already drawn, the young man attempts a quick strike at the small creature.
Standard action to initiate snapping strike.
Attack 1:
Damage :[roll1]
Snapping strike damage if attack successful [roll]1d6

[lostsole31]

R1T14: Caedmon marches right up behind Rose. Unfortunately, the traversable part of the path is only 10' wide, and since goblin dogs are directly in front of Kurgol and Rose (the front rank) and they haven't dropped anything, Caedmon can't attack right now. However, he readies himself to jump into an open spot as soon as one or the other drops one (though the young man hopes the one in front of Rose drops so he can be valiant).

R1T13: Whooping and yelling is heard from around the corner from several goblin voices. One comes around the corner and sees the strange event and shoots/ misses an arrow at Rellin.

R1T10: Shalelu moves up for better positioning, standing right next to Rellin, and she shoots an arrow into the chest of the first archer goblin for 11, disabling him.

R1T9: Celiss, what do you do? As with Celiss, you can't get through that front line to an enemy.

[PSinger]

Hearing the sounds of what might be a protracted battle with voices around the corner and an obvious alarm, Celiss pulls on the chronal strings surrounding herself and her companions to do the opposite of what Rellin is obviously doing to the goblin warrior. She casts her spell, and the world seems to slow around the heroes.
Celiss casts haste (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/h/haste).

[lostsole31]

R1T9: Hearing the sounds of what might be a protracted battle with voices around the corner and an obvious alarm, Celiss pulls on the temporal strings surrounding herself and her companions to do the opposite of what Rellin is obviously doing to the goblin warrior. She casts her spell, and the world seems to slow around the heroes [except Rellin].

R1T8-4: The sounds of more yipping goblin dogs is heard.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22-21: Kurgol takes out a special-looking type of handaxe and hits the goblin dog, dropping it. Caedmon leaps into the space of the fallen goblin dog, facing (from the side) the goblin dog that is facing Rose.

R2T18: Rose, you have a goblin dog right in front of you. Kurgol is to your right. Celiss is forward-right. There is a goblin archer behind the goblin dog; this archer is staggered by Rellin's time power. Your left is brambles and the like on the side of Thistletop (before the drop to the Gulf of Varisia). What do you do?

Rose's goblin dog opponent on deck, disabled goblin on deck ...

[meemaas]

Rose will pull her fist back, letting it catch on fire once more, and with a solid swing, hit the Chihuahua in the head.

Standard action: Initiate Spark Strike. I'll augment it with one point of Animus to 3d4, and a separate point (augmenting from the Animus class feature has its own cap separate from the Elemental Flux maneuvers augments) for +2 to hit.

Attack roll [roll0]
Damage [roll1] +4 fire from Elemental Nimbus, plus [roll2] fire from Spark Strike

[lostsole31]

R2T18: Rose will pulls back her fist, letting it catch on fire once more, and with a solid swing she hits the Chihuahua in the head for 2 + 11 fire, disabling the pooch. After this, she gets a hint of inspiration for fast striking.Flurry strike granted.
R2T17: Out of instinct, the dog snaps back at Rose and nearly gets her but her mystic awareness helps her block the muzzle. The dog, burnt and disabled, drops unconscious.

R2T16: Barely conscious, a goblin archer fires at Kurgol but the arrow clacks off of Kurgol as if it hit armor (which he wears none of). That goblin likewise falls unconscious from the strain.

R2T15: Rellin, you are currently putting the time-whammy on a goblin. What do you do?

Rellin's whammied opponent on deck, Shalelu in the hole ...

[PSinger]

"Understanding time is about patience, Rellin," says Celiss, "just keep dilating the goblin's time. You're doing great."

[meemaas]

Rellin shoots a look at Celiss, as if to question her input, while maintaining his focus on the enemy. Turning to another target, he holds out his other hand and lets out a trio of shots towards it, determined to help the combat as much as possible.

Move action to concentrate on Slow
Standard action: Storm Gauntlet.

I'll target any enemy that is not in melee with an ally, if possible, otherwise aim at the most weakened enemy based on my observations (Rose's chihuahua, probably)

Attack roll [roll0] (not taking into account a penalty from Precise shot, if necessary)
Damage [roll1] Cold, [roll2] Electricity, and [roll3] Sonic

[lostsole31]

R2T15: Rellin shoots a look at Celiss, as if to question her input, while maintaining his focus on the enemy. He holds out his other hand at the hapless goblin and lets out a trio of shots towards it, determined to help the combat as much as possible. The bolt catches the goblin in the chest for a total 7 mixed energy. Badly wounded, he is still the only enemy in view; sounds of a couple dogs around the corner.

R2T13: The same poor goblin ... staggered, wounded, tries to shoot at Rellin but then ends up entangling himself in his bow.

R2T10: The poor goblin in his bowstring does not pull on the heartstrings of Shalelu as she fires an arrow but her arrow goes waaaaayyyy overhead and out into the Gulf.

R2T9: Celiss, what do you do?

Kurgol on deck, Caedmon in the hole ...

[PSinger]

As soon as that last goblin is felled, Celiss will hasted move to the spot at the corner and around if she has room to engage the first goblin or mutant chihuahua that she sees. Since I'm not sure what will happen there, I'll let you roll whatever. She's not picky about a target, as long as there is a target ... stabbity-stab with the rapier.

[lostsole31]

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T22: Kurgol steps forward and hits the hapless goblin in the neck for 11, ending its misery as it falls. With that, Rellin's spell ends.

R3T22.7-.3: The way clear, Celiss moves with incredible speed around the corner and faces two goblin dogs and two goblins. The goblins were ready and they shoot and miss. The goblin dogs weren't quite ready though, and Celiss stabs one for 8.

R3T21: Caedmon, what do you do?

Rose on deck, Rellin in the hole ...

[Savior]

Caedmon follows after Celiss but not before entering a purely agressive stance. Once rounding the corner, Caedmon attempts attempt mighty swing attempt closest foe.


Entering Stance of Agression: -2 ac but +1d6 damage

Attack 1:
Damage :[roll1] +[roll]1d6

[meemaas]

Rose will burst around the corner and launch a powerful pair of strikes into the first foe she can get in reach of, her strikes so coated with fire that there is no hint of her own strength left in them.

Move action: Rose will use her full range of movement to close in on the nearest enemy she can find around the corner.
Standard action: Initiate Flurry Strike, spend one point of Animus for Elemental Attunement to change all damage to Fire damage

Attack 1 [roll0]
Damage [roll1] All Fire

Attack 2 [roll2]
Damage [roll3] All Fire

(I've added in the bonus from my stance straight to the damage rolls, since there's no need to differentiate the damage types this time)

Rellin will turn the corner and lay out another slowing effect upon the strongest foe he can see.

Move action: Go around the corner as best as I can
Standard action: Slow on a Goblin foe if possible. DC 16 will save to negate.

[lostsole31]

R3T21: Caedmon follows after Celiss but not before entering a purely agressive stance. Once rounding the corner, Caedmon makes a mighty swing at a goblin dog he faces, doing a mighty 11.

R3T18: Rose bursts around the corner, but with effective terrain only being 10' wide, she stops behind Celiss since two goblin dogs block Celiss and Caedmon.

R3T15: Rellin, not enjoying the incredible burst of speed from Celiss' haste, only has enough to get around the corner and behind Caedmon.

R3T10: Shalelu gets around the corner behind Rellin (putting him between Caedmon and Shalelu), and she looses an arrow to hit an archer in the right shoulder for 9.

R3T8-4: The goblin dogs attack, missing Celiss and not getting through Caedmon's armor.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

Kurgol zooms around the corner and readies himself to push past the line should a goblin dog fall.

R4T27.7-.5: An archer fires at Rellin, grazing him in the right upper arm for 1. The other fires at Rose and misses.

R4T22.3: Celiss, you are facing a heavily wounded goblin dog, and another next to it faces Caedmon. What do you do?

Caedmon on deck, Rose in the hole ...

[PSinger]

Celiss tries to "open the ranks" with her speed. She stabs at her own dog, and then at the other one (regardless if hers goes down or not).
Attack 1: [roll0], damage [roll1]
Attack 2: [roll2], damage [roll3]

[lostsole31]

R4T22.3: Celiss tries to "open the ranks" with her speed. She stabs at her own dog, disabling it, and then stabs at the other, dropping that one and clearing the way in front of Caedmon.

R4T22.2: Even before the man gets to react the half-orc brushes past him to move forward and sidestep to an archer. He doesn't get to attack, but he now threatens both archers; and the sidestep clears Caedmon for a charge (if he wanted to do so).

R4T21: Caedmon, you are hasted and in a stance of aggression. A goblin archer is 15' from you in a straight line (and another next to him). What do you do?

Rose on deck, Rellin in the hole ...

[lostsole31]

Sorry, Savior, but 3-day co-opt, especially since it's a battle. I know, I know ... double-standard as a DM, but I don't want to hold up the players, especially since I am back in full posting form.
R4T21: Taking advantage of the opening, Caedmon charges the goblin archer and hits him in the neck for max damage (20), decapitating it!

R4T18: Rose, Celiss is directly in front of you, and a disabled goblin dog in front of her. You could go around next to Celiss to engage it, if you wanted.

Rellin on deck, Shalelu in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Rose will leave the current Chihuahua to Celiss, and charge further down in to take on one of the Goblins instead. As she does, she draws her fists back and launches both of them into the Goblins body, a trail of flames following behind her movements.

Move action: Move to the nearest Goblin Archer
Standard: Flurry Strike, spend a point of Animus to change all damage to fire.

Attack 1 [roll0]
Damage [roll1] (All Fire)

Attack 2 [roll2]
Damage [roll3] (All Fire)

Rellin will fall back, now aware that he is for the most part too far away to contribute, he allows those more skilled in combat to finish this fight.

[lostsole31]

R4T18-15: Rose leaves the current Chihuahua to Celiss and moves in to take on the last Goblin instead. As she does, she draws back her fist and launches into the Goblin's body, a trail of flames following behind her movements (6 fire).Hunting serpent strike unlocked.Rellin falls back, now aware that he is for the most part too far away to contribute. He allows those more skilled in combat to finish this fight.

R4T10: Shalelu positions herself behind Celiss this time and takes a single shot through the lone goblin's upper right lung for 14 (max), dropping it.

R4T8: The disabled goblin dog, relatively surrounded, snaps at Celiss but is blocked. Its wounds overcome it and it falls.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T22.3: Celiss, all visible enemies are down. What do you do?

Kurgol on deck, Caedmon in the hole. Caedmon, you can feel free to post as well if you'd like.

[PSinger]

Celiss will ease the chihuahua's passing with her rapier.

[lostsole31]

Celiss ends the dog for sure. Shalelu moves forward and makes sure the other goblin archer is dead. Kurgol goes back around the corner the other way, and Rellin can see him axe the head of one of the goblins there. What do Caedmon, Rellin, and Rose do?

[Savior]

Caedmon resumes his defensive stance, holster in his sword, yet maintaining his shield. He calmly moved to hover around rellin as a sort of cover.

[lostsole31]

Rellin & Rose?

[meemaas]

Rose will move forward at a fast pace, looking to make sure that there's nothing else hiding, while Rellin calmly stays back and watches.

[PSinger]

"Everyone, that was definitely giving sounds of battle and alarm, so watch your high guard that nothing surprises you from the top of the fort ... like a hail of goblin arrows."

Celiss will allow Shalelu and Kurgol (and the others) to make sure the fallen goblins are ended as she keeps look upwards (and around, of course). Once that's done, we'll continue around the fort until we get back to the front or something else stops us. Same marching order as before.

[lostsole31]

Sound good to the others?

[Savior]

Yeah. Caedmon will re-draw his sword when they set off.

[meemaas]

Rose and Rellin both follow suit, regaining their spot in the marching order and heading forward.

[PSinger]

Onward to glory we go!

[lostsole31]

You don't get far at all with the oddly-built fort. Not too far you will find the way blocked by very thick bushes and brambles and unless you take extraordinary (and unnecessary) measures, ascending sideways along the cliff face would be the only way around on the outside. It's turn back to go to the entrance again, or not?

[PSinger]

Alright, back around to the front entrance.

[lostsole31]

When you get back around to the stockade entrance, Shalelu notes that where the doors were ajar before, they are now shut. No doubt the denizens behind the door shut them. It's a safe bet they're probably barred. The stockade wall is 20' high. Looking at the possibility of a climb, only Kurgol (unaided) and Shalelu (with a climbing kit) feel they might make it ... and even then it is challenging. The stockade is made so as not to be easy for invaders to clamber over. Surprisingly good for goblins.

Any plans of action/ suggestions?

[meemaas]

Rellin moves up to the front and starts to talk. "I can transport people up to the top of the wall, although to get down you would have to jump. I don't trust enough in my own ability to keep myself up, but I can send each of you who are comfortable in your abilities up there."

Rose looks up at the wall and then speaks up first. "I believe I can do it."

Once everyone else has weighed in, Rellin will use his Warp Sphere to Teleport each of them to the top of the wall (30 ft range), in the following priority order. Caedmon, Kurgol, Shalelu, Celiss, then Rose, omitting whoever refuses, obviously.

[lostsole31]

Caedmon, you're first. Are you good with this plan?

[PSinger]

"The idea is sound, but no ... not Caedmon," says Celiss. "Sorry, Caedmon, but a beefy boy in metal armor doesn't strike me as someone who is good if the top of the stockade door is surprisingly slender. Kurgol, you've got as good balance as Shalelu, but you can deal with getting shot at by archers that Shay probably doesn't. Kurgol, as soon as you're up, plant your boarding axe as a piton and tie off your rope. Give a status from up there - silently, with me. We'll determine if you can simply drop into the courtyard and open the door if we have to go piecemeal. If the latter, Rellin, I want you using this unlimited dimension door power you're talking about to get up myself, Shalelu, and maybe your sister. If Kurgol's report is that it is easy balance up there, include Caedmon. You're last. Any questions?"

[Savior]

Caedmon stood sword and shield next to Rellin wordless. He surely wasn't looking forward to standing on top of any doors.

[lostsole31]

Right. Shalelu up first, then?

[meemaas]

Rellin will Warp Shalelu up first, as following the plan.

[lostsole31]

Rellin touches Shalelu, mentally connects the two spaces, folding them in on themselves with an extremely controlled singularity, and the elf finds herself on the roof. A goblin-pitched "Bree Yark!" is heard from the guardtower to the right (which for this entire time had seemed quiet. But Shalelu, a career goblin-hunter, is readied for this tactic.

Surprise Round ...

With the alarm, on the guard tower to the left there is a chirp of alarm. Something glass shatters around the western side of the stockade (you are on the south side, toward the west).

S22: Shalelu knocks her bow and calls down. "Not a courtyard! It's a roof, though there's a courtyard further on."

S20-19: From the guard tower to the right appears the upper body of a goblin who throws a javelin which in turn is blocked by Shalelu's armor. Shalelu spins to that direction and fires her bow and hits the goblin for 11 (max). But this is a tougher goblin than the others, and even with that shot it doesn't go down.

S16: Another goblin from that same tower appears and throws a javelin at Shalelu.

End Surprise Round, Begin Round One ...

R1T23: Rellin, what do you do? You don't have a vantage to the western tower.

[meemaas]

Rellin moves over to Kurgol and places his hand on the mans shoulder, twisting space once more to send him up after Shalelu, allowing him to support her in the coming fight.

[lostsole31]

R1T23: Rellin moves over to Kurgol and places his hand on the mans shoulder, twisting space once more to send him up after Shalelu, allowing him to support her in the coming fight.

R1T22-20: Kurgol ducks an arrow from one side as a javelin goes wide of Shalelu from the one she wounded.

R1T19: Shalelu casts a spell on her quiver and goes to the base of the eastern tower.

R1T18: Rose, you have 1 animus. Flurry strike is your fixed-granted maneuver for this round. Animus and variety of maneuvers will increase with the rounds. You have a vantage on the eastern tower to two goblins with cover. What do you do?

[lostsole31]

R1T18: With her animus building, instead of taking a shot at a goblin with cover in a tower outside of preferred range, and knowing Kurgol will go up next, Rose calls upon the Mother to provide 10 healing (max) to Kurgol, one of her best ever efforts at healing, and enough to fully restore the half-orc.

R1T17: Caedmon, what do you do? Shalelu's report is that it's a roof, not an unsteady top of a gate.

[Savior]

Caedmon stands by Rellin as a protector while everyone else is being warped. He yells up to the people on the roof. "Do you lot need me up there? Will I be any use?"

[lostsole31]

R1T17: Caedmon stands by Rellin as a protector while everyone else is being warped. He yells up to the people on the roof. "Do you lot need me up there? Will I be any use?"

R1T17: Kurgol leans his head over the stockade. "Good footing up here, so it couldn't hurt. Ain't goin' in from the gate anyway, unless you want to start bashin' it down." He then withdraws from sight.

R1T10: Celiss, what do you do?

Caedmon, you are effectively delaying, do you do anything?

[PSinger]

To keep Rellin free for the others, Celiss tries climbing the gate.
Climb #1 [roll0]
Climb #2 [roll1]

[lostsole31]

Guys, I'm so sorry. I accidentally posted this on the wrong thread ...
R1T10: To keep Rellin free for the others, Celiss tries climbing the gate, but makes no progress and even falls on her bum (no damage, but prone).

R1T8: There's a second goblin in that eastern tower and it laughs and points at Celiss before shooting at her. Of course, while it looks like a easy target, the stupid goblin doesn't realize how difficult it is to hit a prone target with a ranged weapon.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T23: Rellin, what do you do?

A tower goblin on deck, Shalelu in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Rellin will move over to Caedmon next and transport him up to the roof alongside the others.

[lostsole31]

R2T23: Rellin moves over to Caedmon and transports him up to the roof alongside the others.

R2T22: A goblin from the western tower slips just before shooting and he shoots himself in the neck, topples over the tower, and falls to the ground outside the stockade rather than just the inboard top of the stockade. Good job, heroes! You struck fear so deeply into your goblin enemy that they'd rather execute themselves. :smallcool:

R2T20: A goblin from the western tower nails the "new guy" that just appeared, but despite the force of the javelin, Caedmon's banded mail still protects him. [I am assuming Caedmon is using his shield.]

R2T19: Shalelu moves 10' towards the eastern tower to shoot at the remaining archer and wounds him severely for 9, but the little goblin warrior is not so weak as to fall quite yet.

R2T18: Rose, you still have visual to the lone archer that just got nailed by Shalelu. You have visual to the goblin that nerfed himself to, but there's no doubt from his broken body that he is D-E-D. What do you do?

Caedmon on deck, the second western-tower commando in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Rose will delay her action.

[lostsole31]

Rose delays. Caedmon?

[Savior]

Same as Rose.

[lostsole31]

R2T18-17: Rose and Caedmon delay ...

R2T16: One of the western tower goblins throws a javelin at Shalelu, hitting her in the lower gut for 7 (max).

R2T13: Kurgol gives a warcry! He takes out a throwing axe and throws it at one of the commandos, but it sinks deep into one of the posts.

R2T10: Celiss, you are on your bum from a failed attempt to climb the gate. What do you do?

Eastern tower goblin on deck, Rellin in the hole, Rose/ Caedmon delaying ...

[PSinger]

That's it. :smallmad:

Celiss stands and concentrates, and a second or two later she now sprouts a pair of angelic wings.

[lostsole31]

R2T10: Celiss is brimming with anger, possibly at herself for trying to climb a gate when she is unskilled to do so. She seems to cast a spell and white, feathered wings appear.Entirely bogus. You don't know the mechanic, but that was no spell. Celiss basically spoke gibberish and made silly motions as if she wasn't really trying to fool you.
R2T8: The eastern-tower goblin makes a poor throw of a javelin at Caedmon.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T23: Rellin, Celiss and Rose are still down here. What do you do?

Rose & Caedmon are both delaying. One of the western-tower goblins on deck, Shalelu in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Rellin will move up to Rose and teleport her up next, as close in sight to where an enemy could be as possible.

Move action: Move to Rose
Standard: Teleport Rose

Rose, now that she's up with the fight, will move towards the nearest target. If she can't reach a target with one Move action, she'll use a Total Defense action. Otherwise, she launches into a flurry of strikes, her hands catching fire as she does with her full power.

Move action: Move towards the Goblins.
Standard action: Total Defense (+4 AC) if she can't reach a target
Otherwise: Flurry Strike, spending a point of Animus to turn the damage into Fire Damage.

Attack 1 [roll0]
Damage [roll1] All Fire

Attack 2 [roll2]
Damage [roll3] All Fire

[lostsole31]

R3T23-22: Rellin moves over to his sister, not because he needs to touch her to teleport her, but to get a bead on the eastern-tower goblin and to assure Rose that the warp-feeling she was getting was from him. Just as the goblin was out of point blank range for missile fire, so Rellin has to put a little extra oomph into his spell. Now in the guard tower, she stares down at the hapless goblin warrior and goes into a full flurry strike, her hands erupting into flames as she does so. Warping causes a slight disorientation so her first attack misses, but was enough for her to judge correctly and hit the goblin right in the head for 6 fire on the second strike. The goblin screams in pain, even as the energy briefly used briefly returns to Rose, as well as some inspiration.
So, here's a spot I failed before ... Rellin doesn't have sight to the top of the stockade. Unless he teleported his pals on the teetering edge ... okay, so note for later, though with one person up the rest can be sent up with others there to make sure they don't fall in a similar situation.

The eastern tower was just out of Close range, so a spell point had to be spent. You have ranged teleport; you don't need to touch someone to teleport them.

I have some real issues with the working of the animus pool. You start out with a bunch, and then you can basically spam the hell out of it. :smallconfused:

Rose gets spark strike.
R3T20: A west-tower guard throws a javelin at Caedmon and misses.

R3T19: Shalelu returns the favor to the same one to hit it in the left shoulder for 11, a second arrow hits a tower post, and a third arrow goes wide.

R3T17: Caedmon, you've been up here delaying this whole time. The eastern tower guard is fighting Rose within his space. The western tower still has the original two commandos there with one severely wounded. The western tower is 15' away, and 10' off the level of the stockade roof. What do you do?

2nd west-tower guard on deck, Kurgol in the hole ...

[Savior]

Caedmon rushes the western tower sword and shield in hands. If a move action is enough to make it, he will strike the one who threw a javelin at himself, using amiger's mark.

[lostsole31]

R3T17: Caedmon rushes the western tower with sword and shield. Though he has to fight across the barrier of the wood that makes up the guard tower, the man's wrath is undaunted and he swings his sword across the top ... likewise cutting off the top of the goblin's head at the temples with a great crit!

R3T16: The other west-tower guard steps back a few feet from Caedmon and Rose and takes out a vial, and then drinks it. His entire physique becomes jacked and crazy-burly, his eyes become oversized and bloodshot, and he gives a feral (albeit somewhat comic) growl.

R3T13: Kurgol likewise rushes the eastern tower, but jumps just to the outside of the outer part of the tower and tumbles into the tower itself to face the raging goblin.

R3T10: Celiss, what do you do?

Lonely east-tower goblin on deck, equally lonely Rellin in the hole ...

[PSinger]

Celiss holds out her hand to Rellin. "Need a lift?" (She delays...)

[lostsole31]

R3T10: Celiss holds out her hand to Rellin. "Need a lift?"

R3T8: The lonely goblin warrior steps back, readies his shield, and draws his dogslicer.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T23: Rellin, what do you do?

Rose on deck, Shalelu in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Rellin shakes his head. "I'm fine, I'll bring myself up after the fight has ended." He then moves to get cover from the goblins, letting his sister and the others fight it out.

Move action: Move to get cover from any attackers

Rose roundhouse kicks the goblin she's been fighting, and then backs away a little.

Standard action: Regular attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1] +4 fire damage

[lostsole31]

R4T23: Rellin shakes his head. "I'm fine, I'll bring myself up after the fight has ended." He then moves to get cover from the goblins, letting his sister and the others fight it out.

R4T22: Rose performs a brilliant roundhouse kick to the goblin she's been fighting, and then backs away a little. The blow caught the thing right at the base of the head by the spine at the back of the neck (and the medulla) for 11 + 4 fire and it is thrown out of the tower and out to the east, tumbling out of sight down the side of the Thistletop.

R4T19: Shalelu shoots at the last goblin but hits the tower instead.

R4T17: Caedmon, the last goblin in play is against a corner, and now Kurgol is there with you. Because it is in a corner, you won't be able to position for a flank. What do you do?

Goblin commando on deck, Kurgol in the hole ...

[Savior]

Caedmon sees himself with Rose and Kurgol and nods to them both before bursting off towards the last standing enemy. Having gotten a footing for roof fighting and feeling confident for his previous kills, he rushes in, or as close as he can get, with a collected stance, but hoping to hurt the foe badly.

Caedmon switches to stance of Defending Shell and then moves in to use Crushing Blow maneuver

[lostsole31]

R4T17: Caedmon sees himself with Kurgol and nods to him. Having gotten a footing for roof fighting and feeling confident for his previous kills, he easily vaults over the tower partition and moves in to stand against the final foe, taking a more defensive stance. Despite that, he snarls and brings an overhead slice down with his sword that gets deflected by the goblin's dogslicer.

R4T16: The goblin strikes back at Caedmon, who likewise deflects the blow.

R4T13: Kurgol wraps the goblin up in a grapple.

R4T10: Celiss, what do you do?

Rellin on deck, Rose in the hole ...

[PSinger]

Celiss flies up and around in a wide circle so she doesn't struggle to stay mid-air, but otherwise looks over the scene for any other trouble.

[lostsole31]

Rellin (I imagine) chills and waits for an all clear. Rose, you are in the eastern tower alone, with no enemies. What do you do?

[meemaas]

Rose will calmly stroll towards the other tower while Rellin waits for the fight to end.

[lostsole31]

R4T10: Celiss flies up and around in a wide circle so she doesn't struggle to stay mid-air, but otherwise looks over the scene for any other trouble.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T23-22: Rose clambers out of her guard tower and calmly strolls towards the western one while Rellin keeps cover until the battle is done.

R5T19: Shalelu moves over to the mini-wall of the western tower and draws a bead but doesn't shoot at the grappling mass.

R5T17: Caedmon, what do you do?

Goblin on deck (grappled), Kurgol (grappling) in the hole ...

[Savior]

If Caedmon's original foe is up he'll attack that one. Otherwise, assuming it is safe to attack the enemy if an ally has him grappled, Caedmon will do that in a flanking position.

[lostsole31]

You can't flank with a grappler, because a grappler is in the same space as the opponent and not "on the other side." Even special class abilities and the like that some have that allow adjacent, threatening allies aren't flankers in a grapple, because when you are in a grapple you are not adjacent, but actually part of the same unit of wriggling flesh. Luckily, it's easier to hit enemy grapplers in PF than it was in 3.5. Still, someone grappling an enemy in front of you makes an enemy woefully vulnerable with the penalties brought by the grappled condition. This is the only goblin remaining.
R5T17: Caedmon steps forth and brings his sword down on the grappled goblin for 12 (max) damage!

R5T16: This goblin is too ferocious (and as yet unwounded) to be taken that quickly, despite its angry screams of pain and fury. He is held enough in abeyance that his swing against Kurgol goes wide.

R5T13: Kurgol does 16 damage to the goblin and it goes limp. "Clear!" calls Kurgol, signaling that the last of the goblin tower guards has been subdued.

Combat Ends ...

What do you do?

[PSinger]

Celiss will land atop the stockade. "To my foot," she says down to Rellin, holding out her leg low and her foot flexed to act as a "landing platform" for a teleporter while holding her hand as a "bar" to hold onto.

[lostsole31]

Kurgol will break the neck of his foe to make sure and Rose will get to the western tower to meet with the other two. Rellin?

[meemaas]

Rellin will teleport himself up to the platform granted by Celiss, then moves to rejoin the rest, happy that the fight is over.

[PSinger]

Once Rellin is safely atop the stockade, we'll boogie on over to the west tower to meet up with everyone.
How is everyone health-wise?

[meemaas]

Rellin takes in the sight, looking at the far side of the stockade to get an idea of the area.

Rose and Rellin are fine. If someone is injured, Rellin can heal them. I'll allow Rusty to roll the necessary dice rolls. (Just one per person, if someone is still injured, he'll apply an Invigorate to the target too.

[PSinger]

Alright, boss, what do we see? Also, if there is anything worth taking off the two dead goblins here ...

[lostsole31]

The first goblin commando that died in this tower has a vial that detects as magic that Celiss is able to determine to be a potion of rage (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/r/rage). [Anyone interested in it?]

Both actually have masterwork horsechoppers, but it's problematic right now to go through to pick up everything just yet ... and while well-balanced horsechoppers (a type of goblin polearm), it's STILL a goblin-made junk-cobbled horsechopper, just that they happen to both be well made. You won't find a seller.

I am not going to try and draw out an unprovided top-level map of this irregularly-shaped stockade. However, to the north and west corner there is a courtyard.

Shalelu will do a quick belly-scout ahead to look down into the courtyard, making sure the rest of you are only back far enough (10') so as not to be seen from the yard. She's just not as stealthy as she thinks she is, and dogs quickly bark like crazy.

Begin Round One ...

R1T21: In response, Shalelu stands - annoyed - and casts mirror image on herself (5 images). "Four goblin dogs," she mutters in disgust.

R1T19: Rellin, what do you do?

[meemaas]

Rellin will move forward to where he can see the fight and teleport Kurgol forward close enough to the Chihuahuas to allow him freedom to fight faster. "Kurgol, I'm bringing you in to help Shalelu!"

[lostsole31]

R1T19: Rellin will move forward to where he can see the fight and teleport Kurgol forward close enough to the Chihuahuas to allow him freedom to fight faster.

Kurgol, now standing confused in the exercise yard, looks up at Rellin.

"Kurgol, I'm bringing you in to help Shalelu!"

Rellin's poorly timed information little suits the still-flat-footed Kurgol in a yard full of goblin dogs. :smallfurious:
Yup, prolly should'a said that before you literally threw him to the dogs.
R1T16: A goblin dog charges Kurgol and bites him in his left foot for 5. He wouldn't have been hit if he had been ready.

R1T15: Celiss, what do you do? You are not yet looking into the yard.

[PSinger]

Fly into the yard. I don't see things now, but as I fly in if there is a way to build flanking opportunity with Kurgol, great. Land. Stab.
Attack [roll0], damage [roll1], no flanking modifier here.

[lostsole31]

R1T15: Celiss speeds into the yard and lands behind the goblin dog (which, by the way, are actually really large rodents, and not true canines) and you stab it for 6 and it screeches in pain.

R1T14: It can't make a charge, but a goblin dog comes up behind Celiss (and is in turn flanking the flanker). It does a good job of biting past her extended mage armor, but not enough to get past her natural armor.

R1T12: Caedmon, you are 10' from the edge of the stockade roof so you aren't seeing all the goings-on right now. What do you do?

[Savior]

Suppose Caedmon will attempt to get down as best as possible. Kinda not following all the goons ons.

[lostsole31]

Caedmon, you move up 10' to the edge of the roof and look down. The exercise yard is 20' below. How do you try to get down?

[meemaas]

Savior has noted to me that he just stops at the edge without trying to get down. (Don't take my word for gospel, just helping move the game forward.)

[Savior]

What he said.

[lostsole31]

R1T12: Caedmon moves up to the edge of the roof and looks down and waits for a safer means of getting down other than throwing himself 20' down while wearing heavy armor into a den of ravenous goblin dogs. :smallsmile:

R1T10: Rose, what do you do (10' from edge)?

[meemaas]

Rose moves forward and dives off the side, rolling to soften her fall and then continues up to back up Kurgol.

Move forward off the edge, using Acrobatics to soften the fall (Can't remember the details, but since you do these rolls, don't really care right now, lol), and then use her other action to move up next to Kurgol, hopefully to deflect the chance of him getting surrounded before Caedmon is brought into the fray

[lostsole31]

R1T10: Rose moves forward and dives off the side with an incredible leap and lands/ rolls on the ground next to Kurgol. She is prone, took 5, but it was still spectacular.

R1T5: Kurgol hits the goblin dog he's flanking with Celiss for 5 (min). It's still not down.

R1T4: A goblin dog charges in at the prone woman to bite her in the side for 8.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22: Yet another runs in at Rose but she manages to kick at it to fend it off.

R2T21: With the yard fast filling up, Shalelu shoots at one of Rose's aggressors but only grazes one for 4 (min, not quite in PBS).

R2T19: Rellin, what do you do?

Badly wounded-flanked GD on deck, Celiss in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Rellin will teleport Caedmon down to the fray, and then back up a bit, letting the fighters do the fighting, while surveying from the top.

[lostsole31]

R2T19: Rellin teleports Caedmon down to the fray, flanking one of the dogs on Rose. He then steps back from the edge, letting the fighters do the fighting while surveying from the top.

R2T16: The badly wounded goblin dog turns to snap at Celiss.

R2T15: Celiss, what do you do?

GD behind Celiss on deck, Caedmon in the hole ...

[PSinger]

Celiss stabs. On phone and busy, roll for me...

[lostsole31]

R2T15: Instead of going for the terrifically wounded one Celiss turns and stabs the one that is nipping at her from behind to stab it for 8.

R2T14: The same goblin dog fails to counter effectively.

R2T12: Caedmon, what do you do?

Rose on deck (literally), Kurgol in the hole ...

[Savior]

Caedmon rears his blade to rhe goblin directly before him, attempting to agitate the foe enough to force the goblin to give Caedmon his foe attention.
Standard attack using amiger's mark.

[lostsole31]

R2T12: Caedmon rears his blade to the goblin dog directly before him, attempting to agitate the foe enough to force the goblin dog to give Caedmon his full[?] attention. He does this by critting the dog across the eyes to blind it and do 12!

R2T10: Rose, you are prone and facing two dogs (though one of them now seems to be horribly wounded and blind). You are flanking them with Caedmon. What do you do?

Kurgol on deck, lesser-wounded of Rose's goblin dogs in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Rose will flip up to her feet (yes, taking the AoO's) and spin kick the injured Chihuahua with a raging flame caught upon her foot.

Move action: Stand up from Prone
Standard action: Spark Strike manuever (Remember that she technically entered combat last round so she already has animus, her two chosen manuevers, and a random one on top of that, so Flurry Strike and Spark Strike are her chosen ones.) spending one point of animus to augment the damage to 3d4

Attack roll [roll0]
Damage [roll1] + [roll2] Fire Damage (Spark Strike + Elemental Nimbus Stance)

[lostsole31]

R2T10: Rose kicks up to her feet, using that motion to push aside one of the bites of a goblin dog. She then does a spin kick to develop friction and hits the head of the blind dog. It howls in pain as it is covered in pain and falls, burning. Rose feels energy building inside of her.
You currently have 5 Animus, and you've gained variable flux.
R2T5: Kurgol kills the flanked goblin dog.

R2T4: The other goblin dog on Rose attacks but Rose blocks it.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T21: Shalelu doesn't waste an arrow. "When you can get me there, Rellin..."

R3T19: Rellin, what do you do?

Celiss on deck, her goblin dog in the hole ...

[meemaas]

"You're up next, don't worry." With that, Rellin draws upon his magic once more to teleport Shalelu down next, putting her as close to the fray as he can without putting her directly in harms way.

Standard action: Teleport Shalelu

[PSinger]

Heading to bed now. When you get to me, just have Celiss stab whatever goblin doggie is nearby my, including moving to one if need be.

[lostsole31]

R3T19: "You're up next, don't worry." With that, Rellin draws upon his magic once more to teleport Shalelu down next, putting her as close to the fray as he can without putting her directly in harm's way.

R3T15: Celiss makes a hard downward thrust at the ... ground. The rapier goes in solidly, getting stuck. Celiss gives an Abyssal curse.

R3T14: The goblin dog thinks it has an opening and snaps at Celiss, but she just bats it on the nose (no damage) to stop the attack.

R3T12: Caedmon, you are flanking a wounded goblin dog with Rose. What do you do?

Rose on deck, Kurgol in the hole ...

[Savior]

Caedmon readies himself back into a proper one-handed swinging position to attack the dog between himself and Rose.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Full attack on the dog.

[lostsole31]

R3T12: Caedmon drops the goblin dog with a solid stroke, and now only one remains, the one attacking Celiss.

R3T10: Rose, 10' to stand next to Celiss and threaten the final goblin dog. What do you do?

Kurgol on deck, Shalelu in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Rose will dash towards the last Chihuahua and lets out a quick pair of strikes into it, hoping to put it out of its misery for good.

Move action: Move to threaten the Chihuahua.
Standard action: Flurry Strike, spending a point of animus to make it all fire.

Attack 1 [roll0]
Damage [roll1] (All Fire)

Attack 2 [roll2]
Damage [roll3] (All Fire)

Edit: Add 2 to both those rolls, due to this little nitbit I discovered and had forgotten about.

Use of discipline-specific weapons with Broken Blade inflict an additional 2 points of damage.

[lostsole31]

Sure enough, though the first is s miss, Rose's second flurry strike ends the goblin dog, and the fire is enough to keep Rose from contacting irritating skin.

The lot of you put out the goblin dog (technically a large rodent, not a canine) that was fully on fire.

So you are now in a large exercise yard. Each square is 5' square.
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Thistletop%20Exercise%20Yard_zpsofuroz6j.png

[PSinger]

Have folks listen at all doors just to check. Then, since the door was to the south (because we approached Thistletop from the south, right?) we'll go to the south door. Let's try to cinch up our exit before exploring too much farther in.

[meemaas]

Rellin agrees heartily with the suggestion, but stays back, allowing Rose to do the listening and scouting while he keeps an eye on the rear.

[lostsole31]

The "door" on the west wall of the northern spur is not really a door but hasty boards that have been put up. A horse snorts and whinnies inside. Nothing else is heard at any of the doors.

[PSinger]

"Let's batter down that barrier. Kurgol? Everyone else stand clear so you don't get run over by a cooped up horse."

[meemaas]

Rellin will back up, and Rose will watch the rear, to ensure that the group can't be surprised by an attack while focusing on the doors.

[lostsole31]

"Wait a minute!" snaps Shalelu. "There is a scared horse in there. Can we finesse the boards off slowly while I try to offer it food and calm it? Otherwise, we'll have a scared horse just try to bowl everyone over and we'd have to put it down."

To "finesse" the boards would require a Disable Device check. Rose, up to the task, or do you not want to be at the opening if the horse does come crashing through?

[meemaas]

Rose will give it a try, but only if Rellin promises to be prepared to teleport her away if the Horse comes through agitated.

[lostsole31]

Rose, roll a Disable Device check.

[meemaas]

[roll0] Roses Disable Device

[lostsole31]

It takes Rose a whopping 17 minutes of work, but she finally manages to get the board off and gets to the side as Shalelu steps forth without weapons to try and calm the horse, holding out some of her food as she does so. The horse is very leery, but the food defeats its will and it finally eats out of her hand. It is a magnificent heavy warhorse, and yet it appears to have suffered from starvation.

Caedmon, you actually recognize the horse as "Shadowmist," and he belongs to a local Sandpoint merchant. No doubt a reward would be given for his safe return.

What now?

[PSinger]

Caedmon, do you share that info?

[meemaas]

Posting on Saviors behalf

Caedmon is willing to share the information.

In response, Rellin asks. What should we do about it? Leave it and take it back with us when we're done?"