IC [4] Warriors of Blackvale

[Felhammer]

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Rimander the Dark, Baron of Ft. Shieldtrap

In the two weeks since the trial of Ranger Galathan, much has changed in Westbow. The two great eastern defenses of the Barony fell, not to noble or gallant war, but to guile, trickery and bribery. Zanberon, the recently appointed Lord of Ashgrip Tower, forsook his oaths to Lord Halbrecht and threw his lot in with the invading Baron of Ft. Shieldtrap. As with her elven companion in the south, Lady Thodefa Knightsdaughter threw open the doors to Warmaxe Tower and freely bent her knee to Rimander the Dark. The city of Azbeta, still reeling from the attempted usurpation by the Romnid, fell in quick succession to the Knights of Pinewood, the mercenaries of the Viridian Foxes and the forces of Warmaxe and Ashgrip Towers.

All was not lost, however, as the village of Menkova was saved by the timely intervention of Lord Halbrect and Lady Lilyanna, at the head of a full wing of gryphon-riding knights. To add to the forces of Westbow, Lady Haug has purchased the services of a large mercenary company called the Trotting Gazelles. Their swiftness and the battle acumen of their leader - Captain Kidor Horak - saving the day at the Battle of the Lake. The men-at-arms of Hightower, Snowbrew Tower and Ft. Mastermore have been marshaled and sent to support the Baron. The forces in and around Vlastov have been put on alert but have otherwise not been mobilized. Thus far, the city's regular airship traffic has been unaffected by the war.

During this tumultuous time a powerful sorceress of the Dusk Ravens, Arna Blacksmithsdaughter, has come from Blackvale to aid her long-time friend and companion - Halbrecht. Using her mastery over the arcane and aided by Raka, Fare, Podley and Zid, she has forged a small but highly defensible tower that has come to be called the Raven. The Raven is the epicenter for the war effort, serving as Halbrecht's personal residence, the home of the North Ravens (Arna's Maghemian version of the Dusk Ravens), Commander Silith's temporary base of operations for the re-founded Rangers and the central church in High Priest Voj's Autumn March (a band of fanatical religious zealots devoted to protecting the Heroes of the Maw and Westbow).

The men-at-arms from Snowbrew Tower and Hightower, along with the Trotting Gazelles have laid siege to Azbeta but the town was resupplied and its defenses bolstered before the siege could begin. Bhalmur Palestone, Lord of Snowbrew Tower, estimates that it will be well into Winter before the defenders run out of supplies.

The Fangpaws, encouraged by their new Warchieftess - Ux - have swept across the southern hills like a plague and have even been spotted as far north as Sky Mount. Although the task is undisputedly arduous, Baroness Vera Krakova and her Horsemaidens have pledged to garrison the west and ensure its safety while the forces of the Barony march eastward. Silith's two proteges, Kindroth and Keishara, have been sent to and fro across the Southern Hills to help curb the gnoll advance and support the elves of Weselm.


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The Raven

It is late in the eve on the 29th of Kesalma. The Heroes of the Maw are resting in the main hall of the Raven. It is a spartan affair as the war has put a damper on the collection and the commission of artwork. Still, Arna has tried her best to throw up a few tapestries she brought with her from Blackvale. One particularly large and impressive tapestry depicts the the King of Blackvale and the Duke of Blackrock riding atop powerful looking white chargers. Their lances are aimed square at a hapless looking wizard who is in the middle of casting a spell. The look of horror on the wizard's face is a mixture of both mild amusement and slight terror. Lady Haug has delivered a whole pig to the Raven, a feast of a meal meant to celebrate the Battle of the Lake, which saw the mercenary Captain Kidor Horak defeat a band of knights from Warmaxe Tower. The pork was cooked hastily, as the party never knows when they will need to next venture forth from the fort, as such the meat is over cooked in some places and under cooked in others. The table easily sits ten men along each side. The Heroes of the Maw and their friends feast upon the pork, potatoes and carrots for about a half hour before their meal is interrupted by shouting from outside.

Kindroth, one of the elven Rangers recruited by Silith, bursts into the room. As he does so, he yells, "Commander! My Lord! Commander! My Lady!" as he practically slips on a wet piece of tile, "Commander! We've captured a Gnoll! My Sister did it, an arrow straight to the beast's knee! The gnoll was scouting the Raven. She had a telescope and a journal! I cannot read her writing but I am sure she is a Fangpaw!"

Just as he finishes his explanation, two men-at-arms bearing the sigil of Hightower, drag the gnoll into the room. Her knee still has the arrow in it, blood spurting out.

Over in the corner of the hall sits the azure-colored homunculus on loan from the retired wizard Badko Starimuz rolls his eye, "She's getting blood every where! The unseen servants are going to complain about this, I tell you. No rest for the unseen! Always working, not one thought spared for them."

Assuming the most heavily armored female in the room is the leader, the gnoll stares at Lilyanna and demands, "Free me! You have no right to imprison me!" The gnoll's leather armor looks to be a patchwork of repairs enacted by a variety of less than skilled tradesman. Around her neck is a hempen necklace with a thick, uncut, ruby gem hanging off of it. He has a satchel, which is flung on the table by the one of the guards. "I say again, free me!" Her common is quite good for a gnoll, surprising, really, since mastery over the tongue is something that evades most of her race in Westbow.


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Rrraj

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


*A week and a half earlier...*

Halbrecht looked out into the distance from the balcony atop the Raven's highest tower, his blue eyes piercing the evening fog. Turning to his left, a smile crossed his face as he saw who stood beside him.

Arna Blacksmithsdaughter, Dusk Raven, childhood friend, and now close ally.

"Our previous meeting was far too brief, Arna, as have been our correspondences. As such, I thought that, while time allowed, we needed to take one evening off, just to talk." Halbrecht strode over to a table and sat down. "Before we can talk of more pleasant things, however, we need to discuss business first. You have, of course, received my summaries before - and the exhortations to guard them, so that the world may know the truth should the worst happen. But this one, I shall deliver in person. I shall tell you the tale of the..."


Warriors of Blackvale

*summary will go here*


***

Table manners, Halbrecht had been taught, were an important part of eating like a nobleman. Likewise, eating quickly and efficiently was an important part of being a soldier. And in times like these, the former was forsaken for the latter, as Halbrecht - and his surrogate little brother pupil Starman beside him - dug into their meal in a manner that could charitably be likened to slavering wolves, not knowing if their repast would be interrupted.

As it turned out, it was not - but only just, for no sooner had swordsman and archer tidied themselves up than someone burst into the great hall - Kindroth, bringing news of a prisoner.

As the gnoll was dragged in, Halbrecht raised an eyebrow at her assertions that they had no right to imprison her.

"As Lord-Protector of Vlastov and Baron of Westbow, that is for me to decide. Who are you, and from which tribe do you hail?"

Barring anyone stopping him, Halbrecht picked up the satchel and took a glance inside, while, from his place at Halbrecht's side, Starman eyed the necklace.

Starman

Knowledge (Local) (to try and identify the significance of the necklace, if any): [roll0]

[Felhammer]

You recognize it as a symbol of Vela, the elemental lord of fire. Some wayward fools call him a god but according to official scripture there are only four deities. Worship of any of the elemental lords is officially banned in Araland, their worshipers interrogated and made to see the error of their ways.

The gnolls scoffs, "You would question me like a common criminal while I bleed on the floor. Clearly what I have heard of Halbrecht the Uncaring is true. My name is Rrraj and I was once an Axepaw. I now serve a higher lord."

Inside the stachel, you find a journal, a quill, some ink, a telescope, a dagger, two smoke bombs and a pouch of vials.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht's face was unmoved at Rrraj's words.

"You will forgive my discourtesy, Rrraj, but your comrades have not exactly been the most hospitable to us or our men in recent days, either. Still..." Halbrecht turned his attention to her knee wound, and frowned upon spotting how much blood was seeping out. "That is quite the wound, actually. I'm surprised you've not bled out already."

He turned to Lilyanna and Fare, nodding toward Rrraj. "If one of you would be so kind as to patch her up?" He then turned back to the gnoll.

Starman then pulled down Halbrecht and whispered what he'd recognized into his ear. Once Rrraj's wound was treated, he resumed questioning, idly opening the journal and glancing through it as he spoke with the gnoll.

"There we are, much better. Now - your claim that we have no right to imprison you. Does this, by any chance, relate to the necklace of Vela you bear? Or something else? And who do you pledge allegiance to, if not the Axepaws?"

Let's try out that shiny new Diplomacy modifier. Hopefully, once Rrraj gets her leg wound sealed, she'll be a little more willing to talk.

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna watched the goings-on with quiet interest, though she held her piece when the gnoll addressed her. After the trial, she had become resistant to speaking out of turn, believing it was not for her to speak for her lord unless bidden.

"Of course, my lord," the Paladin replied, and moved toward the gnoll. "I wouldn't mind a look at that book, however. I can read gnoll," she added quietly to Halbrecht.

Lay On Hands! [roll0]

Lilyanna does, in fact, have Gnoll as her other language.

[Felhammer]

Rrraj is very offended when Lilya comes over to heal her wound. The gnoll looks into Lilya's eyes and barks, "You let a MAN tell you what to do!? Disgusting."

The gnoll returns her attention to Hal, "I am chronicler. I record the legends, myths and history of the beastfolk. I have not sworn allegiance to any tribe. My duties transcend such petty notions." She grasps her necklace, "I worship Vela. As all Gnolls should. Through Vela, we maintain our lands and ensure our safety from the... Predations of no-furs."

Lilya flips through the book and finds that there are many drawings of the night sky, with particular care being given to what look like constellations and the movement of both the planets and the shields. There are also many stories and notes scrawled throughout the book. Most seem like stream of consciousness rather than anything coherent. You do see the name "Rhaszuhr Ragebear" written over and over again, especially in the margins.

Dear Daughter,

I congratulate you on your new position. You have done right by the Barony of Hightower and brought much honor back to our family. However, I cannot say I am pleased. Your decision has dragged the whole family into the war. Although we would have had to choose one side or the other eventually, your decision has forced our collective hands without the freedom to see how dedicated the two competing lords are to their respective causes. I pray you have made the right choice, for our family's destiny seems to be attached to this Halbrecht of Blackvale now.

I have sent the minimum amount of men-at-arms to aid this new Earl. I am keeping the rest of our family's vassals here at home. The worgs will be awakening soon and I wish to keep our lands free of their terror.

The other concern I have is the rise of the Fangpaw tribe. They have swept north like a storm, overwhelming our old Horsemaiden ally, as well as the Skypaws. One band of particularly blood thirsty gnolls penetrated our defenses around High Mount and attacked the Convent of Summer's Blaze. A priestess and three nuns were killed in the attack. They entered the inner sanctum of the Convent and stole the Cape of St. Marmara Kulkova. The cape, as you know, was donated to the Convent by the Kulkova family over a hundred years ago for our family's service in combating the forces of the unfaithful. That cape was a symbol of our family's preeminence in the region.

I have sent your bumbling buffoon of a cousin, Domir, to investigate the theft. I have also sent Sir Bedmond Vetnik to help him. Hopefully the knight can keep that fool pointed in the right direction...

If the buffoon should find himself in your company, I expect you to aid him as best you can. The recovery of the cape and winning of this war are our family's paramount concerns.

- Your father, the Baron of Hightower.

[BramsesII]

Silith

It had been a good two weeks. The events of Whitewillow left the ranger emotionally drained; the trial, the murders, the revelation, the awkward conversations... But now...

Silith shakes her head. It is the last night before the rangers return to their duties; Silith to the heroes of the Maw, and the elves to patrolling the lands. The three decided to have a quiet drink to celebrate a succesful week of scouting the lands outside the Raven. "Keishara, Kindroth, I'm happy that commander Levian sent you along to help out. There is no way I could do all this alone." She sighs. "I have to say, it's good to be doing ranger business again for a while. This whole heroing thing is incredibly draining, I can tell you that." The ranger takes a big swig of her ale, and smiles at the two elves at the table with her. "To be honest, I wish I could keep doing this for the next month or so. It's honestly relaxing, and you two are good company."

The ranger gets up, having finished her ale. "Unfortunately, I have to get back to heroing. And you two need to get out on patrol tomorrow. Without me, I'm afraid." A short pause. "Good luck tomorrow guys."

That night, despite her words, Silith finds herself actually looking forward to the next day. I haven't spoken to the others in two weeks. Weird. I didn't think I'd miss Hal and Aisha this much. And Fare, Raka, Zid... And Lilyanna. I should've never said what I did. But I can't undo it; I can only keep my distance. Should've done that from the start. Silith, you're an idiot.


The next day...

Silith is almost proud when Kindroth comes charging in with news of the captured gnoll. Have to remember to congratulate those two later. For now however, her attention is on the gnoll. She's relieved when Halbrecht takes control of the situation, since that means she can observe in relative peace. The ranger leans back, arms crossed, as she watches the situation unfold.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Insulting your healer isn't the most polite thing to do," the Paladin muttered. Rolling her eyes at the gnoll's rather blunt opinion, Lilyanna turned her attention to the book, noting especially the repetition of the name, "Rhaszuhr Ragebear."

After Halbrecht exchanged "pleasantries" with the gnoll, Lilyanna looked up from the notebook and asked a simple question, "Rrraj, who is Rhaszuhr Ragebear?"

[Felhammer]

The gnoll pays the paladin's backhanded comment no mind. Still looking at Halbrecht, she continues, "Rhaszuhr Ragebear was the greatest gnoll conqueror. He single-handedly destroyed the Pixie Kingdom of Rhahazenia, bested the strongest storm giants in feats of strength and butchered thousands of humans from Hookblade Isle. He was the single greatest gnoll to ever live. Also, one of the worst individuals to ever grace the world with his unfortunate presence."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


From what I can tell Rrraj appears to be on the straight and narrow, but I think we learned a lesson about not rolling SM all the time after we got tricked by the ranger-traitor's son.

Hal's Sense Motive: [roll0]
Starman's Sense Motive: [roll1]

In particular, he wants to know whether or not she's telling the truth about not being affiliated with any one tribe.

Halbrecht raised an eyebrow as Rrraj described Ragebear.

"Seems a little strange to describe someone as the greatest gnoll to ever live and one of the worst individuals - unless you're using different norms for those two sentences. Which leads to my next question: Why mention him? And, getting back on topic here - it was said that you were spotted scouting out this Castle. What did you intend to do with that information?"

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka had had a restless two weeks. Between her frustration with her (former?) patron giving her the silent treatment, and wanting to go out after the evil paladin, while having little to no idea of where to start. Raka hated feeling helpless, and she'd spent a fair amount of time feeling helpless lately. Hopefully with her new gear, Raka would be able to fix that.

HEaring the commotion, Raka hurried to meet up with the others. Once she arrived, Raka took a moment to just watch and observe before deciding on a course of action.

[Felhammer]

Rrraj looks to the ceiling and sighs, "Rhaszuhr Ragebear is a hero among the gnolls. He is revered like a god." Sneaking a glance at Lilya, she comments, "I did not bring him up, your wench did." Turning back to the lord, "I am a chronicler. If I am to pen the story that is to come, my notes must be accurate. I must know how the stars and planets move, I must know the comings and goings of this castle, I must know how the wind rustles the leaves. The more I study, the better my writing will be."

She seems on the up and up. More annoyed about being detained than anything else.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare has been quiet--well, not much more than usual--since the events of the trial. The emotional exhaustion that caught up with her there has been lingering ever since, not to mention the war being raged on several sides right now weighing in. And the Yasgaram priestess... Is Raevbrea really gone? Considering everything else, though, that part had gone surprisingly smoothly. Surprisingly.

Fare's brought back to the present when the two elves unceremoniously drag in the wounded gnoll. As Halbrecht questions the gnoll, she turns in her chair and considers the scene.

Is Rrraj really a chronicler? Sense Motive: [roll0]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht frowned as Rrraj referred to Lilyanna as his "wench".

"Dame Berngard is not my 'wench', Rrraj - she is my bodyguard and comrade-in-arms, among other responsibilities. And besides which, this is a war tower, not a seedy docks tavern. Now, as for your studies and writings..."

Halbrecht leaned forward.

"As far as I can tell, I have no reason to suspect that you have been anything but honest with me. But, here's the thing. This castle is kind of an important place. And though you claim no allegiance to any of the tribes, it would be rather foolish of me to allow to leave here with what you've gathered, and risk word of our weaknesses falling into the hands of one of the tribes opposing Westbow."

Halbrecht stood.

"So. Here's the deal. Until this situation with the gnolls is resolved, and the civil war brought to an end, you will have to remain either within the walls of this keep, or else at the side of me and my fellows. Until that time..." Gesturing to Lilyanna to hand the journal back over, Halbrecht placed it back in the satchel and handed it back over to her. "As long as that is the case, however, you will be free to roam about within its bounds and, as you put it, 'record the comings and goings of the castle' as well as our own acts as a party. And once it is done, I will allow you to go free. Do we have an accord?"

Operating under the assumption that Rrraj is meant to become part of the main cast, here's the most IC way of getting that to happen.

[Felhammer]

"Call her what you will but a woman who bends her knee to a man, is a woman who has lost all respect in the eyes of her peers. Women are proud, noble and gifted. Your society does them a great disservice by shackling them in the bonds of servitude. Any woman who freely accepts such shackles has lost all right to call herself a woman. She has become a lowly, disgusting, petty, vile man. No, she is worse than a man for men did not choose to be born as such. Women who forsake their natural place in society are reprobates."

As Halbrecht continued his lecture, Rrraj slams her fist down on the table with great force. Snarling, she responds, "No! You dare turn me into a reprobate!? You disgusting, loathsome man. I have a duty to my god and to my people. I am the chronicler who will write the foundational legend of the Age of Vivication!"

She grabs her journal and flips to a page in the middle. She flings it over to the Earl. Upon the page is a constellation that looks like an arched bridge. Upon the bridge are three circles - a grey one, a red one and a brown one. Near the bridge is a constellation that looks like a gnoll warrior wielding two great axes.

"Do you not see!? Iath, Rhy and Mrih have found themselves together. They are guiding Rhaszuhr Ragebear across the bridge of Trraes! This is a once-in-a-thousand-year event. The Great Conqueror shall arise once more and bathe the Isle in blood."

Although you do not call them Iath, Rhy and Mrih, you recognize them as the Eventide Tears - the strange stars that move across the night sky that do not obey the laws that the rest follow. They are independent and move to the beat of their own drummer. The Eventide Tears exert a great influence over the ley lines that cover the Amethyst Isles. The closer the Eventide Tears are, the more potent the ley lines become, the more distant they are, the weaker the ley lines become. When gathered together in groups, their potency increases by orders of magnitude.

There are five known Eventide Tears:


Cior: The Grey
Cald: The Red
Rai: The Brown
Ochta: The Large
Al: The Fast
Ainn: The Wrong

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith looks at Halbrecht and arches a brow. "Halbrecht. Considering the whole situation with the gnolls, do you really think it is a good idea to let one roam the castle freely? People will talk, as they always do." The ranger eyes Rrraj. "So you're saying that there's a great conqueror underway who's going to murder his way across the isles? I'm afraid he'll have to get in line." Silith shakes her head and goes silent again.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht looked back at Silith. "True enough, but then again, as we've seen, people will say things no matter what. In a perfect world, I would simply opt to let her go, but then we run the risk of that coming back to bite us later. And simply locking her up would be completely unwarranted - hence the middle ground. Compromise is the soul of negotiation, and whatnot."

He then looked back to Rrraj.

"Unless, of course, you can offer some sort of assurance - or insurance - that you will not let this info fall into the hands of the opposition until this is over. And what you know about Ragebear's rise - for you see, my friends and I have a duty to prevent murderous rampages across the islands. We have enough war and bloodshed already, and I have no desire to see any more. That would be my condition to let you go free."

Diplomacy (to try and persuade Rrraj to compromise a little): [roll0]

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare frowns, and finally rises from her seat to get a better look. "Iath, Rhy, and Mrih?" The unfamiliar names sound wrong on her tongue, but the chart is recognizable. "And they'll bring Rhaszhur back across the stars." She looks thoughtful, then glances at the others. "We know them as the Eventide Tears, by the way. They correspond to the power of...well, let's just call them the ley lines. Groupings mean that much more power. And maybe strange events."

[HanaRei]

Aisha

The silver haired woman had kept quiet watching quietly as the Gnoll was spoken to primarily by Halbrecht. She heard her tone seemingly disproving of Lilya being subservient to Halbrecht. She perked an eye brow a little bit surprised by such a remark. It was strange how some societies seemed to show such a view upon gender. When it came to dragons it typically relied primarily upon age and the expected wisdom one possessed often through age. Generally silver dragons kept very much independent, much of their work involving cooperation together. Whether one could produce offspring wasn't remotely even considered in such affairs.

She looked over towards Halbrecht giving a nod. "Any bloodshed is a waste. Any being who sees death as their end goal is nothing but wicked and deserves no respect." She spoke keeping her arms crossed resting against the wall looking to the gnoll. While she wasn't fond of her view on things, she wasn't exactly liking the idea of having to keep her prisoner either. If she was just writing about things she saw no reason to keep her captive. Still, she had grown to know better then to just judge things that simply. As Halbrecht mentioned the details could easily be used against them as well.

[Felhammer]

You speak of treachery when you are the one who has shot me!? You speak of your petty war when I speak of the great Conqueror rising from his grave for his once-in-a-thousand-year blood bath!? You are a worse fool than I could ever have imagined. Idiot! You simple minded MAN! " The woman throws up her hands in frustration! I am a chronicler. My duty to the future is to scribe everything I see. I cannot do that if I am shackled in your dungeon, nor can I do that if I cam bound to be your wench-servant-whore-prisoner!

The gnoll calms when she hears the Druid speak, "Yes! Yes! she speaks the truth! Vela be praised that a true woman is here to listen to reason! Yes, the Eventide Tears. They do not follow the predictable movements of the other stars. They wander around the sky, forging their own path! They influence the ley lines of this world. Making them stronger and weaker. When two or more gather, their effect is multiplied greatly! When Iath, Rhy and Mrih cross the Bridge of Trraes, the Blood Bringer will return to unlife in order to slay mortals so as to engorge the Amulet of Trraes with the souls of the fallen. So it has been for five thousand years, so shall it be for thousands more."

If you do not believe me, tell the elves-who-cannot-shoot-straight to go to Mt. Moi! You will see the shamans have gathered there!"

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"When you are brought before someone who has power over your life, it is wise to be polite, Chronicler Rrraj, no matter how much contempt you have for their customs and ways. A lesser man than Halbrecht would have thrown you in the dungeon - or simply slain you - before hearing your words. Indeed, there are some in this country who take no thought to the lives of gnolls and would slaughter them as beasts. Baron Halbrecht is not one of these, so I beg you, show some measure of respect, or at the very least an appreciation of your position." The Paladin once again took her position next to Halbrecht. "With such a high view of men, it's a wonder they have any children," Lilyanna murmured just loud enough for him to hear. "Best to find out what, exactly, it is she wants. If it is reasonable, I see no reason to hold her. Rude as she is, I do not think she is any danger on her own. The danger comes if she were to be captured and forced to give information that could hurt us, but that same danger is before all of us - we cannot make her pay a penalty for that, I suppose."

[Felhammer]

The gnoll grunts, "Perhaps I would be more inclined to civility had your men not shot me like an animal and dragged me over a mile through the bramble and brush, bleeding the whole way here. Perhaps I would be more polite if I was not being asked to accept my own imprisonment with a smile."

Rrraj then looks to Halbrecht, "I do not mean to be rude. I am just frustrated, as any would be given my predicament."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht nodded, a look of understanding on his face. "Which is perfectly understandable."

"But, then again, you spoke of Mt. Moi, and the Amulet of Trraes - all things connected to Ragebear's return. All important information. As such, my second offer stands - tell us anything else you know about Ragebear's return, and I'll let you go, completely free. No strings attached, and an apology for this whole affair included."

[Felhammer]

A thousand years ago, Ragebear awoke on Hookblade Isle. Having had his fill of the isle a thousand years prior, he sailed north to what is now Blackvale. Finding few worthy opponents, Ragebear trekked north over the Snowall Mountains and returned home to the primordial forests of Shehz. There inside, he found many worthy opponents including Cloud Giants, Moosemen and Harpies. He gathered to his banner the ten Gnoll tribes who called Shehz home and began a bloody campaign to exterminate the Giants, Harpies and Moosemen.

The gnolls were savage in their butchery, slaughtering scores of foes in their deadly raids. Hundreds had died. It very much looked like Shehz would become the domain of Gnolls...

Until a nameless elven maiden rose up to counter the gnolls. She was as tall as an orc and as powerful as a mooseman. She wielded a great pickaxe that was said to have been forged from the canine of a silver dragon.

The Conqueror watched in horror as his raiding parties were defeated with ease by this elven woman. Ragebear thus sent his ten greatest champions - the Chieftesses of each of the ten tribes - out one at a time to challenge the maiden. The elf slew each champion in turn, without breaking a sweat.

She then climbed to the peak of Mt. Moi and challenged the Conqueror himself. Ragebear could not refuse such a worthy opponent.

The shamans and storytellers say the battle lasted over three days and pushed each combatant to the edge of utter exhaustion. It is said Ragebear slipped on a bit of loose rubble and with that single mistake, the elven maiden buried her pickax in the gnoll's skull.

The elf left the corpse at the summit of the mountain. She ordered the gnolls to disperse and thus peace returned to the Shehz. The elven maiden drifted off into obscurity after that, never to be heard from or seen again.

That was a thousand years ago, the last time that Iath, Rhy and Mrih cross the Bridge of Trraes and brought Ragebear back to life.

The amulet was created by a Lich named Trraes, who is far more ancient and malevolent than Ragebear. Unfortunately, the gnolls do not know much of this Lich, for he came from a distant isle. His history and motivation are shrouded in the fog of history.

With all the turmoil caused by the Romnid, many of my people seek a great champion to save and lead them. The more militant among us believe Ragebear can kill all of the no-furs and return this land to its rightful owners - the Gnolls. The shamans of the remaining tribes have gathered to pray for his return and ensure the monster rises from the grave...

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith listens to the tale in silence, occasionally arching a brow. She leans over to Fare and whispers. "You've heard this tale before? If this is true... we need to stop that from happening."

[Felhammer]

The chronicler shakes her head as she looks at the ceiling, I do not believe any of you are capable of stopping the Conqueror. Only the Elven Maiden or someone wielding her legendary pickax - Ai'shakonkordha - can possibly stand a chance. Even then... This land may just become the Shehz once more.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"Do you have any idea where the pickaxe would be hidden? Or any other clues about it?"


*** Regardless of her answering yes or no... ***

Halbrecht sighed.

As if the war wasn't enough...

"Well, Rrraj... You've held up your end of the bargain. Now I hold up mine. On behalf of myself and all those involved, I would like to apologize for your capture, and that you were wounded in the process. I also thank you for informing me and the others about Ragebear - if any of this is even slightly true, then it must be dealt with, and soon."

He then swept his arm outward, and brought her satchel and belongings forward.

"You are now free to leave the castle in peace. Be careful out there."

[Rysc]

Fare


"You've heard this tale before? If this is true... we need to stop that from happening."

Fare has been listening intently to Rrraj's words. "Sorry, no, this isn't ley-line-stars and this also isn't Blackvale so..." She makes a small, vague gesture that could be a shrug. "But in any case I agree. Ragebear...I'd rather not meet." The druid rubs her forhead. "And it's not like we can change the Tears. And anyway if we somehow could I feel there'd be worse consequences." She trails off.

[Felhammer]

"Actually, I do know where the pickaxe was laid to rest but... It is sealed away. You would need two keys in order to enter the tomb. The first key is currently housed at the Convent of Summer's Blaze. I was headed there after I was done surveying the Raven. I was going to beseech the nuns to allow me to borrow the Cape of St. Marmara Kulkova so that I could open the tomb."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Ah, that's going to be a bit of a problem," the Paladin sighed. "I received a letter from my father the other day. This seems as a good a time to bring it up. According to him, a band of the Fangpaw tribe swept through my family's defenses around Highmount and raided the Convent of Summer's Blaze. Sadly, a priestess and three nuns were murdered and the Cape of St. Marmara Kulkova was stolen." Gritting her teeth, she continued on, "Domir, one of my cousins, is on the trail and accompanied by one Sir Bedmond Vetnik. Reading between the lines, I believe my father wants us to aid them in the Cape's recovery."

[Felhammer]

Well then... I suggest you find it, or else you will not be able to stop Ragebear." The woman thumbs through her notebook then says, "Ah, here it is. The second key is a literal key. It is locked away in a vault at the Monastery of the Feathered Hand, atop Mount Gryphon. The Vault can only be unlocked by inserting three legendary blades into the stone doorway - Rockblade, Raintalon and Roseheart. Hmm..." She looks through her notebook again, "Last I heard, Rockblade was in the possession of Kriegbrecht of the North, Raintalon in the hands of a collector of magical artifacts in Deepoath and Roseheart is... In the possession of Svaercoba, Vicountess of Ft. Pinewood.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht smiled.

Well, now. Finally some good news.

"Well, then. This might be simpler than I thought."

Halbrecht drew Rockblade.

"When I was granted this Barony, Kriegbrecht granted Rockblade and Raintalon to Aisha and I as gifts. That leaves only Roseheart... which will mean that we have to route the count's forces and take Pinewood, or else find some subtler way. And then, of course, there is the matter of the Convent and the cape - hopefully, whoever took it did not take the key as well, but knowing our luck, there's a very good chance. I think that should be our first port of call."

Since we seem to be headed the same direction, what do we say to inviting Rrraj along?

[BramsesII]

Silith

The ranger arches a brow. "I guess that means our time off is over then?" She looks at Halbrecht. "We're probably going to need that pickaxe. Your plan is sound, Halbrecht."

"You'll have to strike out without me again, Kindroth and Keishara." She shoots a small smile at her fellow rangers. "Try to avoid unnecessary confrontations."

[Felhammer]

Keishara walks over to Silith and whispers, "Should we venture out and try to fine Lady Lilyanna's cousin while you head east to Ft. Pinewood?"

[Rysc]

Fare

"All right. Find a sword and a cape." Fare glances back at the notebook. "It probably won't be as straightforward as that but honestly after...the whole gnome-trial-thing anything else is pretty straightforward."

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka silently watched as the situation resolved itself. She considered speaking up, but the lady seemed so easily offended that Raka didn't want to take that risk, even as the formulae for one of the spells she had been researching dance in her head.

Once the question seemed to be settled, Raka stepped forwards."Just one more question. What does Roseheart look like? So we won't get fooled by trickery?" Unbidden, the possibilities if the sword wasw a scimitar appeared in her head.

[Felhammer]

Rrraj flips to a page and shows Raka a drawing of the sword.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9c/99/82/9c99821f80603be65f757a3ced6eb30a.jpg

[BramsesII]

Silith


Keishara walks over to Silith and whispers, "Should we venture out and try to fine Lady Lilyanna's cousin while you head east to Ft. Pinewood?"


Silith looks to Keishara and gives a light nod before whispering in return. "You may, but stick to reconnaisance. You don't have the numbers to support a full-scale defensive operation. Only interfere if you see no other option, and even then only do so if you're sure you will not lose anyone." She offers the elf a small, sad smile. "You and Kindroth are too important to die."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht cracked his neck.

"In that case, I think the matter is settled. We depart at dawn. And, Rrraj..."

Halbrecht now formally offers the apology he made in his earlier post, with the following addendum.

"I know we got off on the wrong foot, but we seem to be traveling in the same direction, and with similarity of purpose. Pending no objects from the others, what would you say to travelling with us?"

[HanaRei]

Aisha

Aisha kept quiet listening in as it seemed as if she began to speak.... a bit less hostilely to the group. She was a bit surprised by the tail, pondering the idea of using a pickaxe as a weapon. It seemed a strange tool but then again there were many strange things around she witnessed just on her journey.

It was a bit more of a surprise when Raintalon was mentioned. She blinked looking down at her own blade curiously, gently grasping the hilt. Was there some link between the weapons and the pickaxe? Sure it was sealed using them in combination, but there had to be some link that they were ultimately used to seal them away. She looked curiously down, tilting her head a bit in curiousity how such a place was devised to seal the pickaxe before turning her head back up to look to the others.

[Felhammer]

The elves nod at their leader as they whisper, "We won't disappoint you, Commander."

Rrraj considers the point, "I am not sure... I am no combatant. I am more brain than brawn... But you will need my help to get past the hidden dangers within the Tomb of St. Marmara Kulkova... Very well, I will join you.

Once things settle down, Keishara walks over to you and asks, "My lady, Commander Silith has asked that we head out to the west to see if we can find your cousin. Can you tell us what he looks like?"

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

As Keishara asked her question, Lilyanna described the appearance of her cousin, adding apologetically, "Do be patient with him should you find him. He's...well, he's not the best choice to be leading an investigation. Sir Bedmond Vetnik should be with him, aiding as best he can."

Unsure what these guys look like, or how familiar Lily is with them.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht nodded gratefully at Rrraj's acceptance.

"Rest assured that we will do our best to ensure that you come to no harm, Rrraj. Now, as to our destination tomorrow, I think that our best bet is to stop by the Convent first, and see if the first key is still there. Does anyone have any objections?"

Also, while I am sure we want to get this show on the road, if Hal could have some concurrent RP time with his crush Arna, it would be much appreciated.

[Felhammer]

The party breaks for the evening and heads out to their own little corners of the Raven...

As Hal rests in his large bedroom in the main building of the Raven, a small knock is heard. Arna walks in. She is clad in black silken robes and a brown fur poncho. She takes a seat next to her beloved and smiles warmly, "Hello, my Lord." She giggles, "It is funny calling you a lord. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine you would become such a powerful and influential person." She stares into the knights eyes for a time before smiling, "I have a gift for you. Don't laugh. I am not a great weaver but..." She pulls a folded red bolt of cloth out of her backpack. She gently unfurls it, revealing the Coat of Arms of Castle Clearwater, resting atop a field of crimson. "Like I said, I am not very skilled but... I have enchanted this banner to help you in combat."

This is a Knight's Pennon, Battle (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/h-l/knight-s-pennon).


Silith and her two companions head up to the attic of the Church of His Lordship's Right to Rule Westbow, which has come to be the home of the Rangers of Southern Maghemia. The two elves are off staring at a map of the Barony, trying to decide where to go first on their quest to find Lady Lilyanna's cousin. A knock at the door is heard. The door opens, revealing the grizzled visage of High Priest Voj. "Hello, friends." The half-elf has been most instrumental in helping the Rangers rebuild after the massacre. He has gone so far as to offer both his own services and the wealth of the Church to aid the new Commander. "How goes the battle? The Autumn March is almost ready for battle. I have 20 men-at-arms at my beck and call. As I said last week, if any of the men or women capture your attention or interest, I would be most pleased to allow them to join the Rangers. Sonbahar knows you need more men."

The High priest pulls three simple leather belts out of his backpack, each with a clasp that has the symbol of the Rangers emblazoned atop the cornucopia of Sonbahar. "I had the leather workers make these belts for the three of you. I also enchanted them. Each should help you aim true and nail your enemies with great accuracy.

Belt of Incredible Dexterity (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/belt-of-incredible-dexterity)

Fare finds herself outside in the courtyard of the Raven. Two oak trees were planted and, with some druidic magic, have been coaxed to grow to full size in a matter of weeks. A yellow songbird flutters out of one of the trees and lands on the Druidess' shoulder, "Hello, Fare. We meet again," chirps the bird. "The Druids of the East report that the blight in the Tirnan is growing. It now encompasses fully a quarter of the woodland. An old Treent has gone mad/crazy. He is destroying healthy parts of the forest! We need someone of great power to speak with him, to see if he has just become evil, deranged or if he has become infected. We created a pair of bracers that we hope will prove useful for you while on your quest. They will fortify your defenses while also allowing you to store a spell in them! You will find them up in the tree. Sadly my bird form is not quite strong enough to make it here carrying them!"

Bracers of Armor +2 (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/bracers-of-armor) with the Spell Storing Property (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-armor/magic-armor-and-shield-special-abilities/spell-storing).

Lilya, Raka and Aisha find themselves in the great hall of the main building at the Raven. They sit in comfy armchairs next to a roaring fire. Most of the other residents and guests have left the hall, off to their rooms or out on patrol. Only the blue-skinned humunculous named Podly remains. He waddles over to the group and takes a seat next to Lilya. "It's too warm. This castle sure is a haphazard piece of slapdash dung, am I right? I could make something ten times as nice as this. We'd have card games and jesters too!" He taps his fingers awkwardly on the arm of the sofa. "Well... The great and powerful Badko Starimuz asked that I deliver a few surplus items that were junking up the master's closet to this grandiose lord of no-one-cares-castle and his less-than-esteemed-companions. I guess I may as well do that now." The humunculous stands up and sticks his hand into his mouth... Deep into his mouth... Easily into his throat... He smiles as he pulls out a burlap sack dripping in saliva. Podly pulls open the draw string, turns the sack upside down and dumps out a pile of items onto the floor. "Well my job is done." The little humunculous then waddles off out of the room with a noticeable spring in his step.


Tunic of Careful Casting (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/tunic-of-careful-casting)

Spellstrike Gloves (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/gloves-spellstrike)

Sheathe of Bladestealth (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/sheath-of-bladestealth)


Belt of Mighty Constitution (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/belt-of-mighty-constitution)

2 Elixirs of Swimming (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/e-g/elixir-of-swimming)

2 Scrolls of Cure Light Wounds

2 Scrolls of Fire Blast



The party makes ready to leave the Raven in the morning. After a hearty breakfast and fond farewells, the group treks off north to the sleepy village of Jinkova. After an hour of travel, they see black smoke rising up into the sky, coming from the direction of the village. The party races forward at great haste. As they come to the crest of a hill, they find a woman, beaten, bloody and half dead. She has a panicked look on her face. She spots the party and immediately yells, "Run! Run! The cacklefiends are attacking! They're kidnapping the children! They're killing the adults! I barely escaped with my life!

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare sighs. I'm sorry to hear that. I'd hoped we'd be able to stop it..." She glances at the trees. "I don't think I'll come across anybody, but if I do find anyone who might help the Treant...I'll send word. And thank you." After retrieving the bracers with ample use of magic, Fare remains outside for a precious few quite moments, before deciding to turn in early. She's under no delusions that the trek to the convent will be easy.

---

Hells.

At the first signs of smoke, Fare's heart had sunk, and the unfortunate woman just confirmed her suspicions. She'd never thought a druid would hope for a forest fire so much. Back in air elemental form, she hovers a little lower and looks to the rest of the party.

A little short on time for now so apologies for the short second half.

EDIT: oh hey also storing Frigid Touch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/f/frigid-touch) in those bracers.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

*** At the Raven... ***


A broad smile crossed Halbrecht's face as he saw Arna enter - even as the sight of his fire-headed childhood friend had become increasingly common, the joy it brought him had not dimmed. At her address, Halbrecht spoke.

"To be frank, I had never imagined that this would happen to me, either. But life's funny like that. And as long as we're alone, you don't need to call me Lord, Arna. We've been friends for a long time, now, and this promotion shouldn't come between that."

Staring back into her eyes, Halbrecht's hands had begun to inch slowly toward Arna's when she announced her present. Unfolding the banner, his smile redoubled itself.

"It looks wonderful, Arna. I would never laugh, not at such a beautiful girl-"

Halbrecht's eyes then widened as he realized what he'd just said.

"-er, present. Beautiful present."

Halbrecht's cheeks glowed bright red.



*** Back in the present... ***

Arna's pinnon flapping in the wind, his lance in hand, Halbrecht narrowed his eyes as he crested the hill and saw the woman fleeing the battle.

Oh, I'm running alright. Running into battle.

"Not on my watch, they're not. Get to cover and stay low. Everyone else: Charge!"

One last-minute purchase: I'm buying a +1 Lance, if permissible.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna spurred Jasper forward, looking around to get the lay of the land before the village. As the woman ran up to them, Lilyanna raised her lance out of the way and turned to Halbrecht. "Orders, my lord?"

Do I see anything of the village from the crest of the hill? Perception: [roll0]

[BramsesII]

Silith


Silith and her two companions head up to the attic of the Church of His Lordship's Right to Rule Westbow, which has come to be the home of the Rangers of Southern Maghemia. The two elves are off staring at a map of the Barony, trying to decide where to go first on their quest to find Lady Lilyanna's cousin. A knock at the door is heard. The door opens, revealing the grizzled visage of High Priest Voj. "Hello, friends." The half-elf has been most instrumental in helping the Rangers rebuild after the massacre. He has gone so far as to offer both his own services and the wealth of the Church to aid the new Commander. "How goes the battle? The Autumn March is almost ready for battle. I have 20 men-at-arms at my beck and call. As I said last week, if any of the men or women capture your attention or interest, I would be most pleased to allow them to join the Rangers. Sonbahar knows you need more men."

The High priest pulls three simple leather belts out of his backpack, each with a clasp that has the symbol of the Rangers emblazoned atop the cornucopia of Sonbahar. "I had the leather workers make these belts for the three of you. I also enchanted them. Each should help you aim true and nail your enemies with great accuracy.

Belt of Incredible Dexterity (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/belt-of-incredible-dexterity)


Silith bows to Voj. "Everything goes well so far, I think. I cannot yet say if there are people among your number who would be a good fit for the rangers. I'll need a little more time to get to know who they are. Perhaps Keishara and Kindroth have suggestions?" She turns to her fellow rangers. Upon the mention of the belts, she bows. "I am honored. Your gift will be very welcome for my fellow rangers. As for me..." She taps the belt she is already wearing. "I'm afraid I already have a similar belt. Again, I am honored, but I think a second belt is only going to get in the way. Unless you have a way to join the belts and their enchantments together somehow." The ranger laughs.


~~~

Noticing people in distress, Silith wastes no time in casting a spell that will no doubt come in handy in the next hour or so, before charging after the rest, bow in hand.

Casting Barkskin (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/barkskin)
Lasts 70 minutes, +3 AC

[HanaRei]

Aisha

Aisha looked on, a bit perplexed seeing such goods... essentially pulled from the humunculous's stomach. She had to admit it wasn't something she expected at all. "Thanks..." She spoke, not sounding very certain of it just perplexed how it managed to comfortably carry that things inside its stomach without issue. As innate as she understood the workings of magic... no one ever was ready to see that sort of sight.


****

Aisha saw the woman on the ground, a stern look appearing on her face. She unsheathed Raintalon, quickly charging forward not hesitating at all to act. She wouldn't allow for such horrible things to happen so long as she drew breath.

[Estralita]

Raka

At the Inn...

Raka chuckled over the homunculus's words, but they caught in her throat as she realized what was just lying around. True, not many had the knowledge to make the gloves work, but surely someone would have seen the power of channeling spells through weapons?

Apparently not.

Later...

Raka reflexively pulled out her old Wand of Shield (Not to be confused with her new Wand of Invisibility) and activated it.

[Felhammer]

Replies to Stuff from yesterday night will come tomorrow. Combat takes precedence when on a time budget.

As the party crests the hill, they can see the motte-and-bailey town of Jinkova. The tower is manned by several men-at-arms armed with bows. They are raining arrows down upon what look like throngs of gnolls armed with axes, bows and sturdy leather armor. A few of the gnolls seem to be wearing chainmail and wield very large great swords. The main gate to the town has been barred to keep the gnolls out. This has trapped many of the villagers outside, who run in large groups as they panic while they frantically try to find somewhere safe from the gnolls.

Rrraj hisses, "We do not have time to save a handful of no-furs. The town's gate will protect those smart enough to hide inside. The rest..." She frowns, "Are as good as dead already."

The Gnolls and Villagers are running around in groups. To save us time, they will be represented with a single stat block. Treat any of the G1, G2, etc. as a single, large-sized enemy, mechanically speaking.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht turned to Rrraj.

"I am sworn to protect these people, Rrraj. Even if it is unlikely that we can save those outside, I will not simply stand by and do nothing."

Putting the spurs to Suntalon, he then charged forward into battle, bellowing at the top of his lungs.

"FOR WESTBOW!"

Starman, having already readied his bow, was close behind, bellowing out his own challenge across the battlefield to the gnolls, including a few choice insinuations about their bravery.

As to the exact text of that, I'll let you write it, Fel, since you're nominally in charge of RPing him.

Anyway, actions! Halbrecht, since there are trees in his way, cannot run into battle, but he will take advantage of the +5 move speed of the road to move up to AA 101. Starman, in the meantime, will move forward to Z110, and then - assuming he can fire above or through the woodlands - let off a shot at Berserker 2.

Attack (minus -2 from Range Penalty and another -2 from Double Moving on a mount plus Mounted Archery): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Unfortunately, Starman's arrow went wide of the berserker, landing in the dirt next to the gnoll.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith realizes that this distance is a little far even for her to start shooting immediately. Being hasted by Raka, she rushes forward as fast as possible.

Double move to X97

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Come on, Jasper!" Lilyanna urged, and the gryphon lept into the air, flying straight north like a loosed arrow. "Almaharra, guide us all," Lilyanna muttered as she neared Halbrecht and Starman, casting a spell.

Double move with Jasper, shed a few squares to account for taking off form difficult terrain.
Lilyanna casts Bless on herself, Halbrecht, and Starman.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

The half dragon nodded in response as Halbrecht spoke up. She gripped her blade tightly. "To just give up before trying is no acceptable." She spoke sternly as she ran forward, her quicker speed granted through magic allowing the already fast woman move that much quicker. She wasn't one to resign to 'defeat', even if it was something that was unlikely they could do much about. She planned to do as she could to save as many innocent lives as possible.

Her blade rested on her shoulder as she moved forward, following the road and quickly shifting moving up the path attempting to get closer to the exchange trying to get up to the enemy as quickly as possible. A stern look lingered on her face ready to do what she can to take care of the thread.

Double move forward. Charrrrrrrrrge (well move but MEH Symantics)

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare speeds along the path, hovering upwards to get a better view of the gnolls over the forests. Once she spots the bows, she ducks back behind some of the overgrowth.

Flying to AA85 (aka double move).

[Estralita]

Raka

There was no time to waste. Raka cast a familiar spell over the whole group, dropping her wand in the process. Then she charged, while enveloping her scimitar in cold energy.

Basically what I said before. Standard Action on Haste, Free action to drop her wand, bonus action giving her Scimitar the Frost property, and Moving the full 60 ft.

[Felhammer]

The gnolls do not take much notice of the party as of yet, instead opting to harass and kill villagers.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht & Starman

"HEY! DON'T JUST IGNORE US!"

Starman yelled at the gnolls as, finally getting close enough, he was able to unleash a volley of arrows at the group across the bridge. Halbrecht, in the meantime, was unable to get close enough to attack via charging, but was able to finally close the distance to another group.

Starman uses Adamant to move and then unleashes a full attack versus Group 0!

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Rapid Shot: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Haste Attack: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Attack 2: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

[BramsesII]

Silith

The gnolls take no notice of the party and simply keep on attacking villagers. Silith takes aim for the most dangerous looking gnoll, and without a moment's hesitation she unleashes a full barrage of arrows on the gnolls near the bridge, hoping to save the villagers they're attacking.

Swift action to use ranger's focus on Berserker 0 (+6 atk & dmg)
Full attack on B0, then G0 (w/ rapid shot, manyshot, deadly aim, haste, ranger's focus, firing into melee; -2 atk, +12 dmg (-8 atk, +6 dmg for G0))


Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage 1 (Manyshot): [roll1][roll2]

Attack 2: [roll3]
Damage 2:[roll4]

Attack 3 (Rapid shot): [roll5]
Damage 3:[roll6]

Attack 4 (Haste): [roll7]
Damage 4:[roll8]

Three of her arrows strike their target, and the gnoll crumples into a heap. The ranger yells out. "Hey ugly! It's us you want!"

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Up and over the trees, Jasper!" the Paladin called, and the gryphon pumped its great wings, lifting the two of them high over the trees.

Going straight north up and over the trees. Not sure how tall they are, but I left off a few squares of movement to account for height. Lily ready's an action to attack anything that comes withing reach (just in case), which is 10' with her lance.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare flies ahead, hovering above one of the buildings. A glance at the farthest villagers--and the attacking gnolls--tells her all she needs to know, and she begins a spell. Tendrils burst from the ground and wrap around the gnolls.

Flying to 71 (hovering up to account for building height). Casting Entangle centered around M26/M27/N26/N27. Outlined in dark green on map.

Reflex:
G5: [roll0]
B5: [roll1]

G6: [roll2]
B6: [roll3]

not sure if these are inside buildings, so only if applicable:
G4: [roll4]
B4: [roll5]

EDIT: WELL THAT WAS HELPFUL

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka continued to run, hoping the fight wouldn't be over before she arrived.

Raka moves to AA103

[Lord Of Mantas]

Aisha

With Raintalon raised in her hand, Aisha charged forward into battle, rounding the corner and flanking the gnolls Halbrecht had opted to deal with.

Aisha triple-moves to T70.

[Felhammer]

The nearest Gnolls fly into a blind rage when they see one of their berserkers felled so easily. They all rush around houses and attack the poor Barbarian. Another group leaps and bounds over the bridge to menace Hal. Off in the distance, some villagers run away thanks to Fare's magic, while those at the town gate are brutally murdered. The castle guards try their best to attack but their efforts are for not. The screams of the dead and dying drown out all but the clang of the gnolls attacking Aisha.



B2 v Aisha, Power Attack
[roll0]
[roll1]

G2 v Aisha, Power Attack
[roll2]
[roll3]

G32 v Aisha, Power Attack
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht & Starman

Now seeing that the rest of the party was locked in combat, Starman chose that time to make an inspiring speech.

"We fight for Earl Halbrecht, and for Westbow! Forward!"

Starman uses Lion's Call, giving everyone within 60 feet (Lilyanna, Halbrecht, Fare, Suntalon, Jasper, Adamant, and Aisha), a +2 bonus to Will saves versus Fear effects and +1 to Attack (Competence bonus).

Hearing the roars of the Gnolls attacking Aisha, Halbrecht knew immediately he had to get in there.

But the corridor is too narrow for Suntalon to maneuver through in a timely fashion...

"Suntalon! Kill these gnolls on the bridge! I'll get the ones attacking Aisha!"

A few clacks in reply from his mount, and Halbrecht leapt off the tiger grypon, charging the group behind the house with lance in hand, while Suntalon slashed and bit at the ones coming over the bridge.

"IN THE NAME OF THE DRAGON, I CHALLENGE YOU!"

Halbrecht Fast-Dismounts as a free action (see OOC for check), then Challenges and Charges G2, with Power Attack and Furious Focus also on there. As a result, any allies gain +3 to attack rolls versus G2 as long as he is threatening them, and he gains +2 AC versus G2 and -2 AC versus everyone else.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Meanwhile, Suntalon rips and tears into G0!
Bite Attack 1: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Bite Attack 2: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
Talon Attack 1: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]
Talon Attack 2: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]

Though the impact from the landing threatened to send his lance off-course, Halbrecht was barely able to sink it into the heart of the group, skewering several of the gnolls that threatened Aisha. Meanwhile, the group facing Suntalon was able to dodge her bites; however, her claws struck true, scattering many of them.

[BramsesII]

Silith

With melee fighting having fully started, Silith decides to put away her bow so that she has her hands free for swordfighting. She rushes forward over the road to get into a better position, then yells out. "Over here!"

Move action to put away bow (OOC: I need a way to store weapons as a free action :smallfrown:)
Move action to U86

[Rysc]

Fare

Figuring the others can deal with the nearby gnolls, Fare flies ahead and chants a few words, hovering above one fork of the river. Stones begin showering down on the gnolls by the gate, quite a few also clattering harmlessly off of the village's walls.

Flying to X53. Stone Call centered around S33/S34/T33/T34. I might've gotten the outline on the map a little confused with the entangle one but the general area should be okay.

Damage:
B7: [roll0]
G7: [roll1]
B9: [roll2]
G9: [roll3]
B1: [roll4]
G1: [roll5]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Jasper, up and over We must reach the villagers!" As Jasper pumped his wings, Lilyanna raised a hand toward the nearest group of gnolls, trying to ascertain whether they were truly evil, or merely misguided. She also hoped in the back of her mind that Halbrecht would be fine. There were enough allies in the area he was fighting so that he should be, and Lilyanna figured the best way to uphold her office was to even the playing field.

Lilyanna Detects Evil on G0.

Jasper flies up and over the buildings, heading straight north.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

As Aisha was struck she simply took the blows, a fierce look in her eyes not seeming to be disrupted at all by being struck. She gripped her blade tightly, letting out a shout as an intense rage overcame her. She gripped her blade high striking down upon the goblin Halbrecht had charged with full force striking out with her blade at the goblins holding nothing back as she swung her weapon without hesitation twice.

RAGE! Rawr!
Attacking G2: [roll0] for [roll1] damage.
Attack 2 G2: [roll2] for [roll3] damage.

[Felhammer]

The adventurers take to the field of battle with gusto, easily overwhelming the unprepared gnolls. One of the gnolls pulls out a horn and sounds an alarm. Moment later, 8 harpies descend from their hiding place in a cloud and swoop down out of the sky! The Harpies are all armed with bows. They loose a rain of arrows down upon the would-be saviors of the village. Meanwhile the Gnolls press their attack against the beleaguered Aisha and continue to try to free themselves from the entanglement! Sadly the Gnolls on the bridge, frieghtened by Fare's power, flee to the south west... Right into an oncoming swarm of villagers. The poor village-folk are butchered in quick fashion by the blood thirsty Gnolls.


Harpies are all 40 feet off the ground.

H1 v L
[roll0]
[roll1]

H2 v L
[roll2]
[roll3]

H6 v L
[roll4]
[roll5]

H7 v F
[roll6]
[roll7]

H5 v F
[roll8]
[roll9]

H4 v F
[roll10]
[roll11]

H3 v H
[roll12]
[roll13]

H8 v H
[roll14]
[roll15]

B2 v Aisha, Power Attack
[roll16]
[roll17]
[roll18]
[roll19]

B3 v Aisha, Power Attack
[roll20]
[roll21]
[roll22]
[roll23]

G2 v Aisha, Power Attack
[roll24]
[roll]1d10+4/roll]
[roll25]
[roll]1d10+4/roll]

G0 v Suntalon, Power Attack
[roll26]
[roll]1d10+4/roll]
[roll27]
[roll]1d10+4/roll]

[HanaRei]

Aisha

Aisha was struck several times more, her fierce eyes glaring over at the group of goblins. She gripped her blade, letting out a shout as she swung across, lashing out at the group of goblins with a great amount of fury. Her blows extra ruthless applying her abnormal strength to each fierce swing.

Rage still! (6/8)
Attack G3: [roll0] for [roll1] damage.
Attack 2 G3: [roll2] for [roll3] damage.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Suddenly, aerial support appears. Silith curses as she whips out her bow again and unleashes a barrage of arrows at the nearest two harpies, hoping to shoot at least one out of the sky.

Free action to draw bow
Full attack on harpy 3, then harpy 8 (w/ manyshot, rapid shot, deadly aim, haste: -4 atk, +6 dmg)

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage 1 (Manyshot): [roll1][roll2]

Attack 2: [roll3]
Damage 2: [roll4]

Attack 3 (Rapid Shot): [roll5]
Damage 3: [roll6]

Attack 4 (Haste): [roll7]
Damage 4: [roll8]

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare grits her teeth as the fleeing gnolls overtake the also-fleeing villagers, but her attention is quickly diverted with the sudden appearance of the harpies. She throws up a spell that claws at the harpies' wooden bows, and takes the opportunity to move a little further away--not that it'll do much good, but better than nothing.

Casting Warp Wood (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/w/warp-wood) targeting the bows of H2, H4, H5, H6, & H7.

Will vs. bows (if they're magical):
Bow2: [roll0]
Bow4: [roll1]
Bow5: [roll2]
Bow6: [roll3]
Bow7: [roll4]

Flying to W46, lowering if possible to use the building to break line of sight with the harpies (if the shacks are too short, she'll just stay high enough to be out of reach of the gnolls on the ground, ~15ft).

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht & Starman

Intent on finishing off the gnolls in front of her for good, Suntalon continued to rip and tear... and failed miserably, the scant few left easily dodging her claws.

"Archers!"

At Halbrecht's call, Starman made a snap decision of his own. Deciding that the best bet would be to try and finish off the gnolls on the ground before turning to the harpies, he loosed an arrow there before turning his gaze skyward, and promptly loosed a torrent of arrows at the harpies.

Starman will target, in order: G0 - H3 - H8

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Rapid Shot: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Haste: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Attack 2: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

Meanwhile, Halbrecht watched as the gnolls continued to attack Aisha.

This is bad... I've got to get them off her or she's finished.

Maneuvering around, Halbrecht thrust forward with his lance.

Halbrecht 5-steps, then attacks. In order, his targets will be G3 - B2.

Attack 1: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]

Haste: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11]

Attack 2: [roll12]
Damage: [roll13]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Charge!" Lilyanna shouted to Jasper, and the Gryphon dove toward the group of gnolls trying to beat their way past the gate, lance and gryphon's beak and talons raised.

Charge attack vs G1: [roll0] (Includes +2 from charging, +1 from being higher than my target, and +1 from Haste)
Damage: [roll1] (includes double damage for charging with a lance, which also has reach)

Jasper is going to charge+pounce. So that's a bite +2 talons attacks + rake for each talon. -2 to attack bonus per multiattack on the talons and rake attacks.

Bite: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Talon 1: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Talon 2: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

Rake 1: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]

Rake 2: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11]

This brings Jasper and Lilyanna down to the ground.

Note: Lilyanna and Jasper take a -2 penalty to AC from charging until their next turn.

[Estralita]

Raka

Finally within range, Raka shot a fireball at the bunched up Harpies

Hope I remeber how to do this. Let's Fireball! Centered on Z52 to avoid hitting buildings

Harpie 7 [roll0]
Harpie 6 [roll1]
Harpie 4 [roll2]
Harpie 5 [roll3]

Damage:[roll4]

Its been awhile, please correct me if I rolled any of this wrong.:smallsigh:

[Felhammer]

A foul scream falls over the land. The skies darken. Four shadow creatures appear on the battlefield. One high up in the tower. It immediately kills three soldiers. One in the town. Screams of horror and panic can be heard. Two more descend from the heavens near the party. These shadowy creatures look like... Nightmare Gnolls, complete with wraith-like bodies and gaping, glowing green wounds. They wield massive flaming great scythes. One falls near Starman, the second near Raka. Both swing their axes backward and slam them down upon their victims...

Meanwhile, the gnolls still try and to break down the gate but find themselves blocked by the gate. The other gnolls try their best to move but cannot. Those that are free head for battle with great haste. The harpies rain down arrows on their enemies. Yet one more harpy appears, this one clad in ceremonial wooden armor and bedazzled in tribal fetishes. She points a gnarrled finger at Lilya as a beam of dark energy shoots forward and strike the paladin.


Ray of Exhaustion v L's AC
The subject is immediately exhausted for the spell's duration. A successful Fortitude save means the creature is only fatigued. [roll0]
An exhausted character moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. After 1 hour of complete rest, an exhausted character becomes fatigued. A fatigued character becomes exhausted by doing something else that would normally cause fatigue.

H1 v L
[roll1]
[roll2]

H4 v L
[roll3]
[roll4]

H5 v L
[roll5]
[roll6]


H2 v F
[roll7]
[roll8]

H6 v F
[roll9]
[roll10]

H7 v F
[roll11]
[roll12]

H8 v H
[roll13]
[roll14]

B2 v H
[roll15]
[roll16]
[roll17]
[roll18]

B3 v A
[roll19]
[roll20]
[roll21]
[roll22]

B8 v L
[roll23]
[roll24]
[roll25]
[roll26]


N3 v R
[roll27]
[roll28]

N4 v St
[roll29]
[roll30]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht and Starman

As the Nightmare Gnolls descended from the heavens, the fourth of them cleaving across Starman's chest with its scythe, the young horse archer immediately decided on a course of action.

"Back, Adamant!"

Neighing wildly, the warhorse deftly stepped backwards, even as Suntalon lunged in for the kill. As the gryphon tore huge chunks out of the nightmare gnoll's flesh, Starman's rain of arrows rang true, with his final arrow lodging itself into the gnoll's eye socket, killing him.

Meanwhile, Halbrecht looked around as hell opened in the sky.

This is bad... we need to wrap this fight up quickly, and get to the town to help the rest of the people!

"Fare! Try to summon something to help the people inside! We can't let them get slaughtered!"

Halbrecht then continued to lunge forward at the gnoll berserker next to him.

5-step and full attack B2.
Attack 1:
[roll0]
[roll1]

Haste:
[roll2]
[roll3]

Attack 2:
[roll4]
[roll5]

[HanaRei]

Aisha

The noise quickly reaches her ears, seeing the creatures fly in. Her head turns even more resolved to finish off the remaining threat. She turns around viciously swinging her blade slicing at the berserker revolved to take care of it so she can potentially save others, blood trickling down her skin as the woman seemed resolved despite the wounds inflicted on her in her rage.

Rage still! (5/8)
Attack B3: [roll0] for [roll1] damage.
Attack 2 B3: [roll2] for [roll3] damage.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare's gaze flickers between the surrounding harpies and the nightmare gnoll in the tower as she weighs her options. With a final glance at the harpies, she begins a summoning ritual.

If possible, Fare will try to 5-foot-"step" into the shack for cover. Whether or not she can, she'll use Place Magic to boost CL by 1, then casting SNAV for an aerial (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-template-aerial-creature-cr-0-or-1) ettin (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/humanoids/giants/ettin) (swapping out Control Winds).

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith, looking up to the skies, curses when yet more enemies arrive. As she's considering her next target, one of the harpies in the far distance casts a spell. That's enough for a decision. She takes a small step and a short moment to focus before unleashing a barrage of arrows into the distance, trusting on the magic in her bow to carry the arrows far enough.

5-ft step forward
Swift action to use ranger's focus on S1 (+6 atk & dmg)

Full attack on S1 (w/ deadly aim, manyshot, rapid shot, ranger's focus, haste, 1 range increment: +12 dmg) then H2 (-4 atk, +6 dmg)


Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage 1 (Manyshot): [roll1][roll2]

Attack 2: [roll3]
Damage 2: [roll4]

Attack 3 (Rapid Shot): [roll5]
Damage 3: [roll6]

Attack 4 (Haste): [roll7]
Damage 4: [roll8]


Her first two arrows take the spellcaster out of the sky instantly, and the ranger cannot adjust the aim of her next arrows anymore to hit another target, unfortunately.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna's cry of elation at her foe's fall was cut short by the sudden weight of exhaustion that settled upon her. Letting her lance fall to the ground and swept out her greatsword, cleaving downward toward the closest gnoll. "Smite Evil!" She then urged Jasper back a step, and the gryphon attacked with rending beak and talons.

Which way Jasper moves depends on whether B8 goes down or not. If he does not go down, Jasper 5 attacks him. If he does go down, Jasper moves closer to the other gnolls and attacks. I'll roll Jasper's attacks in the OOC.

Lily Swift Action: Smite Evil vs B8.
Free action to drop lance.
Move action to draw greatsword.

Furious Focus Power Attack: [roll0] (Includes -3 from strength debuff, +3 from Haste, Bless, and Lion's Call, +3 from Smite Evil, and +1 from being higher than my target).
Damage: [roll1] plus [roll2] holy.

[Estralita]

Raka

From fire to ice. Raka concentrated on a new spell she had researched. If it worked, she'd be able to take out most of the Harpies.

Time for an Ice Storm, spreading from AA50. And no save!

Cold Damage:[roll0]
Bludgeoning Damage: [roll1]

[Felhammer]

As the battle proceeds, the gnolls take heavy losses. Many of their ilk are killed with great ferocity. A pack of gnolls makes it through the town gate and into the city, but their berserker friends are still stymied by the entangling roots. The remaining harpies rush forward and attack Lilya in the back! The nightmare gnoll near Raka scythes the poor girl, as the one in the town and atop the castle continue to butcher the villagers and soldiers.


H1 v L

[roll1]

H2 v L
[roll2]
[roll3]

H8 v H
[roll4]
[roll5]

B3 v A
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]


N3 v R
[roll10]
[roll11]

N4 v St AoO
[roll]1d20+14)
[roll12]

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith takes another step forward before searching out another target. With the gnolls' number falling rapidly, the harpies in the distance are a relatively easy target as they're not engaging any of her allies in melee combat. She unleashes a barrage of arrows, hoping to take both of them out of the sky, or one at least.

5 ft step to S84
Full attack on H1, then H2 (w/ deadly aim, manyshot, rapid shot, haste: -4 atk, +6 dmg)

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage 1 (Manyshot): [roll1][roll2]

Attack 2: [roll3]
Damage 2: [roll4]

Attack 3 (Rapid Shot): [roll5]
Damage 3: [roll6]

Attack 4 (Haste): [roll7]
Damage 4: [roll8]

Most of her arrows miss their intended target except for one, which takes one of the harpies clear out of the sky.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Keep it up, Jasper," the Paladin urged, guiding her mount forward. Lilyanna then swept her sword out again as Jasper attacked the next gnoll, the pair acting almost as one. "Smite Evil!"

Moving up to the next target and attacking.
Jasper vs B1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Lilyanna furious focus power attacks: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] plus [roll4] holy.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht and Starman

Turning to the lone remaining gnoll attacking Aisha, Halbrecht moved up and charged at it with his lance.

Halbrecht moves to U69 and attacks B3 with his lance.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Suntalon, also spotting the nightmare gnoll attacking Fare, dodged between the houses before swiping at it with a claw.

Suntalon moves to X72, then attacks N3. If B3 is still alive, she will provoke an AoO in the process.

Acrobatics (vs CMD of B3): [roll2]

Attack: [roll3] +2 from flanking
Damage: [roll4]

Meanwhile, Starman proceeded across the bridge, loosing a shower of arrows at another group of gnolls farther down the road.

Starman moves to L75, then looses a shower of arrows at G8.

Attack 1: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6]

Haste: [roll7]
Damage: [roll8]

Rapid Shot: [roll9]
Damage: [roll10]

Attack 2: [roll11]
Damage: [roll12]

Forgot to account for range penalties. Attack 2 does not hit.
Both Suntalon and Halbrecht found their marks, with Halbrecht completely impaling the Gnoll on his lance, killing it instantly. Starman, on the other hand, had much less luck, the range of his target and the jostling as he went over the bridge completely throwing off his aim.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

Aisha watched as the Gnoll was taken care of. Her eyes fierce as her rage continued. She rushed for the water quickly jumping into the water without hesitation to swim across getting the other side focusing upon the Harpy preparing to attack it once she can.

Rage! (4/8)
Swim!: [roll0]
Moving on up with double move!

[Rysc]

Fare

An ettin partly composed of swirling clouds and crackling electricity materializes in front of the nightmare gnoll in the town, swinging its flails at full force.

Fare, noticing some of the gnolls in the overgrowth coming dangerously close to freeing themselves, flies closer and chants another spell, mentally berating herself for not using it earlier. Thorny vines burst from the ground, twining around each other--and several unfortunate gnolls--to create a wall.

Ettin (flying at appropriate height, presumably ~15 ft) appearing at AG41/AG42/AH41/AH42. Full attacking nightmare gnoll.

Attack / Damage:
Flail1: [roll0] / [roll1] + [roll2] electric
Flail2: [roll3] / [roll4] + [roll5] electric
Flail3: [roll6] / [roll7] + [roll8] electric
Flail4: [roll9] / [roll10] + [roll11] electric


Fare is flying to R31 and casting Wall of Thorns (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/w/wall-of-thorns) which she really should've cast earlier. Adding another set of notations to the map to show where, sorry. G5, B5, G6, and B6 should all be caught and take piercing damage equal to 25-AC.

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka surpressed a shout as the gnoll's weapon bit into her. There wasn't time for that. Quickly, she charged her weapon with lighting and slashed wildly at the creature.

Casting Intensified Shocking Grasp, and swinging into action
Shocking Grasp Attack
[roll0]
[roll1]
Frost:[roll2]

Haste Attack
[roll3]
[roll4]
Frost:[roll5]

Normal Attack 1
[roll6]
[roll7]
Frost:[roll8]

Normal Attack 2
[roll9]
[roll10]
Frost:[roll11]

Shocking Grasp Damage:
[roll12]

Is the gnoll wearing metal armor?

[Felhammer]

Out of the sky come yet more harpies... Until a band of four gryphon riding knights zoom across the heavens, lancing a total of six of the winged beastfolk. They wear heavy plate armor and have banners of Ft. Pinewood streaming off of their lances. The Nightmare gnoll inside the town fades, momentarily, into the shadow plane, then re-emerges on the far side of the Ettin, slashing him across the back savagely. The gnoll party sees an opportunity and rushes forward to help! Another pack of gnolls race forward, slamming into Aisha. The poor woman is then shot by the harpy! The nightmare gnoll atop the tower heads inside...



G8 v A
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

G9 v Ettin
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]

H2 v A
[roll8]
[roll9]

N3 v R (if he is still alive?)
[roll10]
[roll11]

N2 v Ettin
[roll12]
[roll13] + [roll14]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Looking around and realizing there was no-one left for him to fight, and that Suntalon was still occupied with the Nightmare Gnoll attacking Raka, Halbrecht opted to charge forward, trusting that the gryphon would rejoin him when she was ready. Meanwhile, the gnoll tore into the gnoll with talons and beak...

Bite 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Bite 2: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Talon 1: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Talon 2: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

Forgot to add flanking bonus again, which means that Bite 2 hits.

Starman, in the meantime, realized that attacking from range would no longer suffice, and charged forward, moving to the side of the bridge opposite from Aisha and one of the other groups of gnolls... and promptly proceeded to unleash a barrage of arrows into them.

Adamant triple-moves using the effect of Haste to M49. Starman then unleashes a full attack on G8, taking a -1 penalty due to triple moving and Stable Gallop + Mounted Archery. He is not using Deadly Aim this time around.

Attack 1: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]

Haste: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11]

Rapid Shot: [roll12]
Damage: [roll13]

Attack 1: [roll14]
Damage: [roll15]

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith yells out. "One of them just went into the tower! We have to stop them!" Unfortunately, the ranger has run out of normal arrows in easy reach. So, she charges forward as she puts her bow away, hoping to get into melee at some point.

Move action to put away bow
Move action to U71

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The Paladin and her mount kept on at her target, hoping the gnoll would fall swiftly.

Forgot to move myself on the map last time. Taken care of now.

Jasper and Lilyanna full attack. If B1 drops, they 5' step and go after B9.

Jasper: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

Lilyanna, power attacking: [roll6] (Does NOT include bonus for smite evil because I don't know if B1 is still going to be alive or not. If it is, add +3 to attack)
Damage: [roll7] plus [roll8] holy (does NOT include +10 from smite evil, same as for attack).

[roll9]
[roll10] plus [roll11] holy

[roll12]
[roll13] plus [roll14] holy

[Rysc]

Fare

The Ettin roars in pain, and redoubles its attack on the nightmare gnoll in a desperate last attempt.

Fare, hearing Silith's shout, turns and starts flying back the way she came, pausing to bring down lightning on the gnolls inside the town.

Ettin full-attacking nightmare gnoll again.

Attack / Damage
Flail1: [roll0] / [roll1] +[roll2] electric
Flail2: [roll3] / [roll4] +[roll5] electric
Flail3: [roll6] / [roll7] +[roll8] electric
Flail4: [roll9] / [roll10] +[roll11] electric

Fare is flying to X46 and using Lightning Lord to hit G9 and N2.

Reflex:
G9: [roll12]
N2: [roll13]

Damage:
G9: [roll14]
N2: [roll15]

[Estralita]

Raka

It was like trying to attack smoke, but Raka wasn't about to give up. She stepped to the side and swung again, making a sort of pincer between her and Suntalon.

Attack! Again! Not casting a spell, so no penalty to attack rolls. And since we're flanking, Suntalon gets an extra +1 thanks to Raka's menacing blade.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]

Still holding the charge for Shocking Grasp. Should I reroll that if I hit?

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She was struck once more, turning quickly to her foe. Blood trickled down her frame evident of the wounds she was suffering although her face didn't show any slight knowledge of it. Her mind was fixated upon rid of the threats before her. She swung her blade quickly, her rage only continuing as she sliced upon the gnolls seeking to sate her fury on those who sought to cause harm to others. She struck down the gnolls cleavin them with her blade making quick work on the 1st swing.

Rage (3/8)

Attack G8: [roll0] for [roll1] damage.

Attack 2 G8: [roll2] for [roll3] damage.

[Felhammer]

As the battle slowly turns in favor of the adventurers, some of the gnolls panic and break. Some manage to break free of the entangling roots, while others remain stuck, or trample over their kin, brutally murdering them between jagged thorns with thick leather boots. The knights move into attack the gnolls, splitting off into two groups. They make quick work of the berserkers but the larger groups prove resilient. Screams can be heard from inside the tower. The Nightmare Gnoll and the Gnolls inside the town continue to focus solely on the Ettin. The remaining Nightmare Gnoll, although penned in by Raka and Suntalon, continues to attack the poor woman.



G8 was killed but not removed from the map.
G8 v A
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

G9 v Ettin
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]

H2 v A
[roll8]
[roll9]

N3 v R (if he is still alive?)
[roll10]
[roll11]

N2 v Ettin
[roll12]
[roll13] + [roll14]

[BramsesII]

Silith

As the number of gnolls is thinning, Silith makes a beeline for the bulk of the fighting. With the help of Raka's magic, she easily leaps over the water that bars her way.

Double move to T46 (120 ft w/ haste)
Jump check to cross river (w/ haste): [roll0]

OOC: How many more rounds does the haste last? I'd assume we're reaching the end of that.

[Rysc]

Fare

This is an excellent idea.

Fare continues speeding towards the tower, skirting the top and ducking down below...

Fare will stop within 5 ft of the stairs/whatever and yell loud, possibly obscene things at the nightmare gnoll.
She'll use her remaining 85 ft of movement to try to get to the next floor, whereupon she will enact the same plan as above.

[Felhammer]

The druid zooms up on top of the tower and listens. She can hear the Nightmare Gnoll, he is just beneath her. She calls out but her calls are deafened by the screams of someone vivisected.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht and Starman

Looking to the opposite shore, Halbrecht realized that the only remaining enemies were now there - as well as inside the motte and bailey, judging by the screams. He spotted Fare flying in there.

Someone needs to help her... but on the other hand, I can sense that the ettin inside the town is now gone...

"Suntalon! Get inside the town! Help the villagers!"

With a screech and a clack in reply, Suntalon swooped into the center of town, menacing one of the nightmare gnolls. Halbrecht, in the meantime, took off at a run, leaping across the river... and just barely making the jump, skidding to a halt in front of the town gates.

Suntalon, with her 80 foot fly speed, makes to AF45 with 15 feet to spare, which should be enough to get in range of Nightmare Gnoll 2. Meanwhile, Halbrecht Runs to Z48, allowing him to move quadruple his base speed at the cost of removing his Dexterity bonus to Armor for 1 turn. As part of this, he makes an Acrobatics check of 11, allowing him to long jump over the river from Z53 to Z50.
Meanwhile, Starman continued to ride forward, aiming at the lone remaining harpy. His first arrow struck true, but then his following two went off-target, leaving the last to finish off the bird-woman for good.

Starman double-moves to U42 and then unleashes another barrage. He attacks first H2, then B9 if H2 dies.

Point Blank shot applies for B9, but not for H2. Add +1 damage and attack to attacks versus him.

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Rapid Shot: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Haste: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
Attack 2: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"They're breaking!" Called the paladin, and for that she was glad. Her arms felt like lead as she hewed at her foe.

Lily power attacks B9 to attempt to finish it off. If she does, Jasper continues to G7 and attacks; otherwise he attacks B9.

Lilyanna power attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] plus [roll2] holy

Jasper: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4]

Actually, I don't think I can reach G7 in one turn with difficult terrain. I'll...take off into the air, I guess.

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka had just felt the gnoll dissolve underneath her blade, but there was no time to savor the victory. She turned and flew to rejoin the others.

Flying to Z51. If nothing else, Haste made moving around this field much easier.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Aisha

Charging forward, Aisha moved toward the gate before focusing her arcane energies into a spell, summoning several copies of herself.

Move action to X42, then a standard action to cast Mirror Image, summoning [roll0] illusory images of Aisha.

[Felhammer]

The Nightmare Gnoll moves over to attack Suntalon, using his mighty scythe to reap the poor gryphon. Meanwhile, the knights from Pinewood, while riding atop their mighty gryphons continue to make quick work of the gnolls trapped in Fare's entanglement.

N2 v Su
[roll0]
[roll1]

[BramsesII]

Silith

With the gate barred, Silith decides to try to go over the wall into the village. She rushes up to the side and attempts to scale the hill before taking a giant leap and attempting to grab on to the wall as high as possible so that she can climb over.

Move action to Z46

Climb check (DC15): [roll0]

Move action to high jump and grab onto the wall

Acrobatics check to jump (w/ haste: +12): [roll1]
Climb check to grab hold: [roll2]

OOC: Seriously? I roll a 1 on the freakin' climb check? :smallfurious:

Somehow in her hurry she manages to completely miss a few footholds and she finds herself pointlessly scrabbling to get up the hill.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare rushes in closer and switches to yelling in an unintelligible tongue. As she gestures at the nightmare gnoll, white flames explode around it.

Flying to M101. Using place magic to boost CL by 1. Casting Flame Strike (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/f/flame-strike) centered around K103/K104/L103/L104 to get the nightmare gnoll's attention.

Reflex: [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Up and over, Jasper," Lilyanna ordered, and the gryphon climbed over the wall in a gentle arc. As Jasper crested the height of the wall, Lilyanna plucked a bead from her amulet of fireballs and threw it.

Move for Jasper. Throwing a bead from my Amulet of Fireballs. Should hit both G9 and N2

Spell attack: [roll0] vs reflex defense of G9 and N2.
Damage: [roll1]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Realizing that he would be completely unable to climb the wall even on a good day, Halbrecht elected to take the long way around.

"Starman! Cover the entrance!"

It was thus that Halbrecht, slipping through the portions of the path not entangled by Fare's magic, slipped into the motte, while Starman - realizing that the knights had thus far been strangely non-hostile - did not loose an arrow at them. He did, however, notch one, ready to fire should they attack.

I believe we are at war with them at this point, so I hope it isn't out of turn for Starman to begin shootin' these guys. Hal triple-moves to AA38, while Starman unleashes a 'full clip' on K3. He also uses For The King!, allowing everyone within 30 feet to add his Charisma Modifier (+2) to attack and damage for one round.

Attack 1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Haste: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Rapid Shot: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]
Attack 2: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

As discussed in the OOC, I will be taking a mulligan on Starman's actions, and Starman will instead ready an action to attack the first knight that makes a hostile move toward the party rather than attacking outright.

Suntalon then proceeded to continue tearing into the nightmare gnoll...


Bite 1: [roll8]
Damage: [roll9]
Bite 2: [roll10]
Damage: [roll11]
Talon 1: [roll12]
Damage: [roll13]
Talon 21: [roll14]
Damage: [roll15]

Her biting and claws striking true, the Nightmare Gnoll was rent to pieces.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She looks over watching Hal move forward heading to the tower. She looked over nodding a bit deciding to follow him running forward following Halbrecht moving forward attempting to help at the tower.

Moving up, assault the tower inside!

[Felhammer]

https://s13.postimg.org/py49ccb0n/Matomir_Kozkop.png

Two of the knights whirl around, fly up and over the walls to the bailey and pierce a quarter score of the gnoll rabble with their lances, while their mighty gryphon steeds rake and bite the last few left alive. The nightmare gnoll inside realizes he is caught between a rock and a fireball and so decides to fade away in a haze of black smoke. Its distorted laughter can just barely be heard as the smoke clears... Meanwhile, the two other knights race forward to the edge of the bailey. Peering through the broken wooden gate, a knight peers in. The knight lowers his lance and removes his helm, revealing a mane of white hair and a thick, black handle bar mustache. He nods to Halbrechts and Aisha, "My lord, I am Sir Matomir Kozkop, Baronet of Poskal Tower. We saw the smoke coming from the village and so decided to investigate. We would have been here sooner, if not for the flock of harpies we encountered up in the skies."

Poskal Tower is a fort near the border between Westbow and Pinewood.

Link to Full Size (http://i.imgur.com/tuFr1U8.png)
http://i.imgur.com/tuFr1U8.png

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare, who had been bracing for attack, peers suspiciously into the rapidly disappearing smoke. A quick look upstairs confirms her hopes, though. She returns to the lower floor to relay the good news and help patch up any of the somewhat more fortunate soldiers. Once satisfied that the living will remain that way, she flies outside to where the others stand by the gates of the town, pausing slightly to dismiss what parts of the wild magic she can. There are dishearteningly few villagers within sight.

Where's Rrraj, I wonder.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Pulling Jasper around, Lilyanna landed where she'd dropped her lance, sheathed her greatsword, and retrieved the dropped weapon. Then she made her way to where Halbrecht was listening to the knights. "I, for one, am glad for your timely intervention," said the Paladin. She was leaning heavily against Jasper from the sheer exhaustion of the spell that had weakened her.

I think Ray of Enfeeblement wears off after a while, but I don't remember how long it lasts.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht and Starman

As the battle finally wound to a halt and the knights continued to prove their non-hostility, Starman lowered and stowed his longbow. Meanwhile, Halbrecht called Suntalon to his side, then affectionately scratched the side of her neck.

"Good work, Sun."

Turning to Sir Kozkop, Halbrecht inclined his head and extended a hand in greeting. "And a most heartfelt thank you for your intervention, Sir Kozkop. I am Halbrecht, Earl of Castle Clearwater and Baron of Lake Westbow. The gnolls and harpies really do look as if they had designs on this place..."

Halbrecht looked around, trying to get a sense for how many people, if any, they'd managed to save, then turned to Starman.

"Starman, ride back to where we left Rrraj and bring her forward. The last thing we want is for more misunderstandings involving arrows."

In the meantime, he turned to the rest of the group.

"Does anyone know what became of those in the motte?"

[Felhammer]

The knight bows, "I know full well who you are, my lord and lady. As well as your other companions. There is a 10,000 gold bounty on each of your heads; drawings of your faces have been plastered all over Pinewood." He chuckles, "Fret not. I am not here to collect the bounty, I find such a practice... Disrespectful and dishonorable. Sadly, such are the ways of "Lord" Hulrik..." The knight frowns and looks off to the east, in the direction of Pinewood. "We live in interesting times, my lord."

Starman races off south to pick the gnoll up. He finds her sitting upon a boulder writing in her journal. Are the squire approaches, Rrraj asks, "Do you know of the constellations, boy?"

"Yes... I know of the Imperial Constellations..."

"No, the gnollic Constellations."

"Then, no. I am sorry."

"Does your master teach you nothing?"

"Lord Halbrecht is a..."

"Excuse me, I forget sometimes that the tongues of you nofurs is less.. Aggressive, than gnoll." She points to the south-eastern sky, "Tonight, look up there. You will see Rruul the Wise, the first gnoll Chieftain. He ruled a vast land in Hamarah-of-Old called Rrruuh. Rhuul was a proud and nobl Chieftain that united the beastfolk in the before-time and lead them through the tragedy that was Spirefall. When he died, he was rewarded a position in the heavens by the gods."

She stands up, "Let us head down and meet your lord. I am sure he will have questions."

After a fashion, Rrraj and Starman return to the part. Sir Kozkop's men gawk and whisper when they see Halbrecht's squire return with a gnoll. Matomir flashes a questioning glance at Halbrecht and Lilya, "Is... She a prisoner?"

The 9 men from the roof have all been killed, plus a handful on the top floor. One of the men on the roof was wearing a Cavalier hat, complete with ostrich feather. His armor is master crafted, with fine filagry. Sadly, the gnoll vivisected him...

As the druid heads downstairs, she sees that none of the thirty or so people housed in the Tower are injured. If the Nightmare Gnoll had been allowed to come down here... It would have been a blood bath.

A proud looking woman with a patrician nose and a lovely red silk dress strides up to Fare and asks, "How many did we lose? Did my husband survive?"

[Rysc]

Fare


"How many did we lose? Did my husband survive?"

Fare is prepared to deal with packs of direwolves and armies and nameless horrors but not...this. "Everyone on the roof, a few below." She drifts off. "Your husband? I...can't be sure, but if he was the finely dressed one then..." She shakes her head.

[BramsesII]

Silith

Silith grumblingly steps up beside Halbrecht and Lilyanna, only acknowledging the presence of the knights with a quick nod. It's obvious that she's not in the mood for speaking, and all the running around in this battle has left her a little winded. She does take the time to rearrange her arrows a little though, as her cheapest arrows are currently in a different pocket of her extradimensional quiver where they cannot be easily reached. That situation is quickly remedied.

[Felhammer]

Several younger women cry out when Fare finishes delivering the news. The patrician nosed woman does not flinch. She holds up her hand to quiet the others, "He died protecting us. He would not have wanted it any other way. Now, if you will excuse me madame, I must pay my respects to my husband." The woman confidently strides past Fare and walks up the stairs.

With her keen ears, the Druid can hear the soft sobs of the woman as she nears the top of the flight.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

A relaxation overcame Aisha. She closed her eyes taking in a deep breath, her rage finally settling down as a wave of exhaustion filled the silver haired woman. She walked forward keeping not far from Halbrecht following him along given their duty was done. She looked to the man at the mention of a bounty a little puzzled by such a thing. She looks around, rather upset given the general chaos that had unfolded. She could only hope they did everything they could to limit the amount of lives lost in what seemed to be a senseless slaughter.

She looked back on, keeping quiet not wanting to cause trouble at the moment. At the very least they seemed to not look to be up to no good. It was good to hear at the very least those who served underneath at least seemed to understand the value of maintaining peace particularly with a more serious threat abound.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


The knight bows, "I know full well who you are, my lord and lady. As well as your other companions. There is a 10,000 gold bounty on each of your heads; drawings of your faces have been plastered all over Pinewood." He chuckles, "Fret not. I am not here to collect the bounty, I find such a practice... Disrespectful and dishonorable. Sadly, such are the ways of "Lord" Hulrik..." The knight frowns and looks off to the east, in the direction of Pinewood. "We live in interesting times, my lord."
Halbrecht chuckled dryly. "10,000 gold pieces? Hulrik flatters me." At his comment regarding interesting times, he nodded.

"Indeed, we do. And speaking of which, while I am grateful for the assistance with the gnolls, and for the fact that you have thus far been willing to converse rather than skip directly to fighting, I must ask: Why? Those I have met under Pinewood's banner have thus far not been so generous. Nor, I suspect, is your presence here mere coincidence."

Diplomacy: [roll0]


After a fashion, Rrraj and Starman return to the part. Sir Kozkop's men gawk and whisper when they see Halbrecht's squire return with a gnoll. Matomir flashes a questioning glance at Halbrecht and Lilya, "Is... She a prisoner?"

"She is under my protection as part of a deal made between the two of us. You'll understand if I neglect to go into details, I'm afraid."

[Rysc]

Fare

Still not daring to let herself feel anything, Fare gets out, ""The rest of my companions are outside..." before cutting off, partly because she can never remember Halbrecht's actual titles and partly because she's also never sure if she should be mentioning things like that in possible war zone. She briefly bows her head, the flies up again, pausing only by the woman on her way up to whisper, "I'm sorry."

As she rejoins the others, she says, "The guards on top of the tower and a few the next floor down were killed, but the rest are unharmed." before sinking back into silence.

[Felhammer]

The Baronet looks Hal dead in the eye and says, "I came to see if you were the abominable foreigner intent to reap and pillage across our homeland that Sir Hulrik and his cronies, like Galathan, claim you to be. I also wished to speak to the Baronetess about yourself and ask her why she follows your lordship. I also came to speak with the new Commander of Southern Maghemia and - from what I am told - is a powerful Druid who accompanies you about a plague that is spredding in the woodlands in Pinewood.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

At Fare's return, Halbrecht gave a sigh of mixed sorrow and relief.

We may not have been able to save everyone, but at least we were able to save some of them.

Halbrecht nodded at Fare gratefully before turning back to Sir Kozkop, his gaze hard as steel.

"If that is your question, then let me answer.

Upon every ounce of honor and dignity that I have, I swear that I have never had, nor do I have, any designs on conquest, nor on reaping or pillaging. My goals are to end the gnollish hostilities, return my borders to what they were before this latest round of war between us and Pinewood began, and to protect those whose lives I am entrusted with. I have no interest in Pinewood, beyond that which is necessary to repel them from my lands. There are things of far greater import, now and in the long term."

[Felhammer]

The Baronet nods, "That is what I presumed. I must warn you, there are many lies being spoken of you, especially in the courts of the nobles to the north and east. Without Elector Kriegbrecht being here to vouch for you, you will need to conduct yourself with implacable honor in order to unsully your tarnished reputation."

He turns to Lilya, "If I could have a moment."

He leads you a distance away and then says in a hushed whisper, "I must inform you that the Baron of Ft. Shieldtrap has sent an offer of an Alliance to your father, the Baron of High Tower. I do not know the details of the offer but Lord Hulrik is desperate to conquer Westbow, so I am sure it is a... Generous offer.

He then pulls Silith and Fare off to the side, The Baronet sighs, "The elves of the Tirnan, of whom I count many as my friend, have informed me that there is some kind of... Blight, spreading in the forest. The blight causes hideous black boils to appear on both animals and plants. The pustules grow larger and larger until they burst in a horrifying goopy green spray. Anything the spray touches becomes infected. Fully a quarter, to even a third, of the forest is infected. When I have brought this matter up at court, both Lord Hulrik and the Baron seem nonplussed and, if I am going to be fully honest there, completely dismissive of the issue. I was going to bring the matter up with a Ranger friend of mine when next he returned but..." The Baronet looks east in the direction of Azbeta, "He... Is gone now."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Of course," said the Paladin, following the Baronet to the side. She listened to the information he gave, a frown appearing upon her face. "Sir Matomir, I thank you for bringing me this news, but moreso, I thank you for your timely assistance even though our lords be officially opposed to each other." She gave the man an encouraging smile as she leaned heavily on her lance. "In these difficult times, it is good to find men of honor."

"A few moments ago," she continued, "You mentioned wanting to ask me why I follow the Lord Halbrecht. I assume you know something of the politics of our land, so you will know that my family has a long history of providing bodyguards to the Baron of Westbow. With my brother's disappearance, that duty falls to me. At first, I was skeptical of the barony being handed over to a foreigner, but in my brief time traveling with the new Baron, I have seen evidence of his being a kind and honorable man, seeking the good of his people before himself. That is why I follow him."

I'm going to assume that Ray of Exhaustion wears off shortly. At least before the next combat. :smallbiggrin:

[Felhammer]

Sir Matomir nods, "I trust your opinion, as a representative of your noble and stalwart family. I had a feeling the tales Lord Hulrik was weaving in Ft. Shieldtrap were... Less than truthful."

The Baronet leans in and whispers, "He spoke of how Halbrecht had struck a dark bargain with a dragon to scorch Blackvale; how His Lordship's sorcerous companion conjured a devil to wreck havoc in Darkpoint; how she bound the souls of the recently dead to gargoyles and forced them to kill guards in Blackrock; how she conjured a ghost in Blackrock, who killed scores of people; and worse of all, how Halbrecht had sent his silver tongued enchantress to Elector Vexx's Castle Winterwood and is now secretly controlling her grace...

With a questioning looks he asks, "None of that is true, is it?"

[BramsesII]

Silith


The Baronet sighs, "The elves of the Tirnan, of whom I count many as my friend, have informed me that there is some kind of... Blight, spreading in the forest. The blight causes hideous black boils to appear on both animals and plants. The pustules grow larger and larger until they burst in a horrifying goopy green spray. Anything the spray touches becomes infected. Fully a quarter, to even a third, of the forest is infected. When I have brought this matter up at court, both Lord Hulrik and the Baron seem nonplussed and, if I am going to be fully honest there, completely dismissive of the issue. I was going to bring the matter up with a Ranger friend of mine when next he returned but..." The Baronet looks east in the direction of Azbeta, "He... Is gone now."

Silith nods, her expression stern. "I'm sorry. We lost a lot of good people that day." Silith looks at Fare. "Fare, what do you make of this blight? I'm not sure what it could be... perhaps if we were to get a look at it. Do you know anything else about this blight, sir Kozkop? Or anything else unusual that could offer a clue as to what is happening to the forest?"

Knowledge (nature) check: [roll0]

[Felhammer]

The Baronet shakes his head, "Sadly I do not. Due to the war, I have been... Preoccupied."

Silith seems to remember something she read in one of the many Ranger books she had brought to the Raven. The blight was similar but caused icicles to grow on creatures and plants, which would explode into a spray of tiny glass-like shards. Each shard was coated in a dark magic, which spread the Frostrage (Yasgaram's favored way of sewing discord in civilized lands during the winter). However, this blight, as the baron calls it, seems slightly different. Perhaps some dark force has concocted a similar plague?

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"None that I am aware of, no," she confirmed. "It seems rather outlandish, I should say. At the very least, if Halbrecht had that kind of power at his disposal, we would have made rather quicker work of these gnolls," she added grimly.

[Felhammer]

The Baronet almost looks relived when you say the accusations are false, "Good. Good. I will be sure to inform others in the Viscounty of Pinewood of this revelation. After all," he chuckles, "The last thing we need is a dragon coming here to scorch the land."

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare sighs. "I've been informed a little about this, but not much more than what you--" she nods at the Baronet "--have. And I don't think I can make much more of a guess as to what it is other than some...dark magic." She grimaces. "So helpful, I know. Getting a closer look would definitely be hlepful."

[Felhammer]

Since the Commander leads the Rangers for the whole of Southern Maghemia, she would have no issue crossing the border. Fare... Would have more of an issue, since she is clearly aligned with the Earl of Castle Clearwater. To be honest, I would feel better if all of your companions could join us for the investigation, I am sure there is something... Malevolent behind the blight."

The Baronet ponders the matter for a time and then smiles wryly, "I will send a raven to Elector Kriegbrecht. His word would be immutable! With a letter from him granting access we would be able to have everyone inspect the forest! Perfect."

"This will take several days, perhaps a week. I will send my squire, Larika, to find you once I have the letter in hand."

[Felhammer]

The Baronet walks back to the main group and nods to Halbrect, "It was... Interesting, my lord. Hopefully this war will be over with sooner rather than later. There are too many threats here in Maghemia for stalwart men like ourselves to be divided over petty politics." He walks back to his jet black Gryphon, hops on and flies off with his men.

Where to?

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She watches as the man leaves, letting out a soft sigh shaking her head. "I agree with what he said... I never got why there are so many stupid politics when it comes to all the leadership. It makes little sense to not focus on larger threats and to focus upon maintaining order between the realms from those who have malicious intent with others. In the end maintaining the world for the better of all mortal races should take priority over any trivial mortal matters." She spoke out loud to herself in frustration with it all.

She had been shaped in many ways to be much more like her dragon side, viewing things in a large picture rather then over trivial matters. Mostly raised on the human side of things, her adopted parents were much more falling in line with her mother. It was much more about the broad issue rather then some short term one. She wasn't one to tend to lean at taking things to a personal extent instead far more 'global' in her outlook. Simplistic perhaps... but Aisha wasn't exactly the easiest type to get into the mindset of people being far more black and white in matters.

She turned her attention to Halbrecht, though being broad in her questioning. "What do we do now?" She asked questioning how they should act.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


"I agree with what he said... I never got why there are so many stupid politics when it comes to all the leadership. It makes little sense to not focus on larger threats and to focus upon maintaining order between the realms from those who have malicious intent with others. In the end maintaining the world for the better of all mortal races should take priority over any trivial mortal matters."
Halbrecht nodded. "I agree, Aisha. But far too often petty selfishness overtakes the hearts of men, and in their lust for what other people have they sow the seeds of discord. Such is the nature of things. All we can do is try to tip the scales back in favor of the side of good."


"What do we do now?"
"Right now? I need to speak to whoever is in charge briefly, to offer condolences for those lives lost in defense of the village, and see if some relief or aid can be arranged. Once that is done, then we must continue on our mission to the Convent - knowing our luck, Ragebear's return will not wait for when it is convenient. We must ascertain the fate of the key and cloak."

And Halbrecht will do just that.

Also, in our efforts to wrap up the battle, I never did get a resolution to post #46...

[Felhammer]

https://s23.postimg.org/xj2jj91cb/High_Tower.png

Halbrecht and the party travel up to the tower to offer their condolences to the grieving Lady of the village. She thanks his lordship for coming and personally offering his condolences. She says that she will remain resolutely behind Halbrecht in the war but will require men and materiel to secure the tower and hold it from the oncoming Pinewoodians.

The party then treks off to the west, along the banks of Lake Westbow. Off in the distance, they can see the half-sunken ship that goblin cultists have occupied. A perpetual rain cloud hangs over the wreck, a hard rain and pours down on the lake below. As they round the edge of the western lake, they can see the shimmering crystalline monolith, that looms over Vlastov. Soldiers - Mercenaries by the look of it - march out of the town and are heading due east, along the northern bank of the lake. Based on the reports that the party received, they are meeting up with the Baron of Ft. Mastermore's gryphon force and will try to outflank Azbeta and cut Pinewood's supply lines off. The party turns north. After most of the day's travel, they find themselves in the narrow mountain road that forks in twain, one way leading to High Tower, the other leading up the mountain and to the Convent of Summer's Blaze. Hightower is an imposing fortification built right at the base of Mount High, some of it even being partially embedded into the cliff-side. The party can see thirty or so soldiers training on the grounds; a stately looking noble watches them from a balcony. Although you are too far away to make out facial expressions, his body language is one of displeasure.

Suddenly you hear a high-pitched voice yell, "No! We must investigate the Convent BEFORE we go south, Sir Bedmond! We must find out how the gnolls infiltrated the building and then we can track their foot prints... Or something...!"

A much deeper, more even toned voice says, "No. Our orders were to head south immediately. We are to meet up with the Baroness' Horsemaidens and scour the land for the gnolls."

"Well... I am interpreting my uncle's orders differently... And I am in command, as per... My uncle's order..."

As the party rounds a bend in the road leading up to the Convent, they see two men standing upon the road. One of tall, handsome and muscular. He wears half-plate armor with a thick wolf-fur pelt atop his broad shoulders. He is running his hands through his think mane of black hair. The other man is a full head shorter. His build is much more scrawny and small, compared to the knight beside him. The shorter man does not wear armor, instead preferring a trendy robe that is more suited to the life of a courtier than a traveler. He has a glass of wine in his hand, taking dainty sips between each sentence.


https://s23.postimg.org/kdn1d57gr/Sir_Bedmond_Vetnik.png https://s23.postimg.org/fqgzbdk3v/Dormir.png

You recognize these men as Sir Bedmond Vetnik and your bumbling cousin Domir.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna pulled Jasper to a halt and let out a long sigh. "And that," she said to the others quietly, pointing to the scrawny man, "Is my cousin, Domir. I apologize in advance for his behavior." Urging Jasper forward once more, she raised a hand in greeting. "Hail, Sir Bedmond Vetnik. Hail, Cousin Domir." Jasper continued until Lilyanna was a few yards apart from Domir. "In my experience, cousin, it is usually unwise to interpret my father's orders in a way he did not intend."

[Felhammer]

Dormir practically spills his wine when he hears Lilya's voice. Collecting himself, he stutters, "C-c-cousin Lilyanna,,, Lady Lilyanna...! What a... Special... Surprise to see you here. Off to talk to your father about the war, I presume?" Awkwardly grabbing the knights shoulder, Dormir proclaims, "We - that is to say Sir Bedmond and myself - are headed to the Convent to investigate this most inauspicious theft! Yes, yes! Investigate the theft and bring the dastardly cur who committed the crime to JUSTICE!"

For his party, Lord Vetnik tries to play along but the look of annoyance and depression radiates off his face like the noon-day sun in summer.

[Felhammer]

Arna blushes at Hal's response, clearly it caught her a little off guard. TA warm breeze blows in gently from the open window. She rests her hand on his thigh and smiles, "I know what you meant. What you..." She stares into the Earl's eyes, "Really meant."
The Priest shakes his head, "No, I do not have a way to combine enchantments. Perhaps I could commission a new piece of gear for you. A magical ring, perhaps?" He smiles, "You will need a signet ring to place your mark upon documents. I will devise something appropriate."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

*** Nights previous, back at the Raven... ***

Welp. That cat's out of the bag.

Staring back into Arna's eyes, Halbrecht's cheeks continued to blush an incandescent red.

"Arna... I..."

Oh, to the hells with it.

Taking a deep breath, Halbrecht leaned forward and slightly awkwardly, but firmly, planted a kiss on Arna's lips.

"I know we were apart for a long time, and we had not the time to fully rekindle our relationship until now, but... Every day after you left, my heart ached, and every day since you became part of my life again, it has seemed just a little bit brighter."

"Arna... I think I'm in love with you."

And Hal finally confesses.

*** Meanwhile, back in the present... ***

After meeting with the Lady of the village and offering his condolences, Halbrecht quickly wrote down a message, asking for sufficient supplies to meet her needs, and gave it to Silith to send off via animal messenger.

Would Halbrecht have better odds sending the message to Vlastov or to the Raven, if he wished for the village to be reinforced properly? Once I have the answer to that question, I can fill out the rest of it IC.
Later, at the end of the day, as they approached the man who turned out to be Lilyanna's cousin, Halbrecht could not help but roll his eyes a little as he saw the noble, his exasperation rising quickly as the man reacted to Lilyanna's presence.


Dormir practically spills his wine when he hears Lilya's voice. Collecting himself, he stutters, "C-c-cousin Lilyanna, Lady Lilyanna...! What a... Special... Surprise to see you here. Off to talk to your father about the war, I presume?" Awkwardly grabbing the knights shoulder, Dormir proclaims, "We - that is to say Sir Bedmond and myself - are headed to the Convent to investigate this most inauspicious theft! Yes, yes! Investigate the theft and bring the dastardly cur who committed the crime to JUSTICE!"

For his party, Lord Vetnik tries to play along but the look of annoyance and depression radiates off his face like the noon-day sun in summer.
AND TOGETHER, WE CAN BE JUSTICE
Halbrecht quirked a right eyebrow at the rather awkward-looking Dormir before speaking.

"Well, now, that is quite the coincidence - we were also headed to the Convent, as well. Although, we could not help but hear as we approached: What's this about meeting up with the horsemaidens instead?"

Halbrecht looked to Lord Vetnik with the last part of the sentence.

[Rysc]

Fare

Thoughts of the blight still running in the back of her mind, Fare only belatedly notices the arguing pair in the road. It takes her another few moments to connect which man Lilya was pointing out to the names mentioned, but as Lilya's cousin continues talking her full sympathy is with the stormy-faced knight.

What idiot brings a wine glass...?

[HanaRei]

Aisha

Aisha had nod in agreement with Halbrecht before they had ultimately set off, paying respects for the fallen before leaving with her group to move forward. She hoped they would be able to remain safe. If they were lucky, they might be able to find a way to stop any furhter attacks from occurring again.

Arriving by the two men, she tilted her head curiously at Lily surprised hearing her mentioning of the one fellow being her cousin. She couldn't help but look at him noticing his more elaborate outfit not seeming very fit for combat at all. She kept quiet looking on listening to them speajking back and forth. Even Aisha could recognize the awkwardness in it all despite being on the slower side in recognizing such things. It was quite strange to say the least observing it. She heard Hal's voice, keeping quiet attempting to do her best to get an understanding of it better not completely certain.

[Felhammer]

Arna is shocked by the sudden kiss but quickly settles into the warm embrace of the Earl’s manly lips and firm – but gentle – tongue. As the two part, she stares longingly into Hal’s eyes. “I... I love you as well… Since the day we first met, all those year’s ago. I could never admit it because our lives were headed down very different paths. You a stalwart knight in service to His Majesty, me a Sorceress in service to the realm… We were always sent off in different directions, never knowing when we would next see one another, and - if we are being honest – never knowing if we ever would meet again. The lives of a Dusk Raven and a Starless Knight were… Tenuous, at best. War is common, monsters ever present, winter a cyclical enemy…

She looks to the ground. Then returns her gaze back to her friend, “Can we make this work? You, a lordling, me a simple sorceress… This land is just as violent as Blackvale, if not more so. Danger exists around every corner. I… I don’t want to give myself to our love, only to be left a widow…”


Sir Vetnik goes to speak but is interrupted by Dormir, "We are going to investigate the theft at the Convent, my lord, and then head down south to see if the Horsemaidens of Ft. Stormsnow were able to pick up the trail of the thieves and - with any luck - have already captured the cacklefiends."

Rrraj immedately growls, "Don't use that word!"

Dormir recoils in fear, "A cacklefiend has sneaked up on us! Quickly Sir Bedmon, kill it!"

The knight unsheathes his bastard sword and points it at the gnoll, "I do not wish to kill you! What business has a gnoll here, among the nobility of Westbow? Are you a thief!?"

"I am here to stop the return of a malevolent evil. Your oafish lord is a Hruulk!"

Dormir looks around, "What is a Hrrruulk?"

"She is calling you a dumb bald monkey, my lord."

"WHAT!? KILL HER!"

Sir Bedmond looks to the Earl and to the Baronetess, "By your leave, shall I end this gnoll's life?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

*** Last Night... ***

Halbrecht felt his heart soar in elation as Arna revealed that she returned his feelings - but could not help but chuckle a bit as she mentioned 'ever since the day we met'.

"Ever since the day we met, hm?" He asked in a teasing voice. "As I recall, you initially called me an 'obnoxious brat' for the first two weeks we knew each other, until I got in that fight with the Harvarsson boys when they tried to steal Emilya's doll and you sucker-punched Adolph when he was about to break my nose."

His voice then returned to a more serious tone.

"But all joking aside: I know we can make this work, Arna. The world may be a violent place, but I think we both could never live with ourselves if we didn't try to improve it - and I know we would always regret it if we never went through with this. There may come a day when one of us falls in battle, but until then..."

He took his hands in hers, and squeezed them tightly.

"Know that I promise that, until the day it is no longer possible, I will always come back to you."


*** Meanwhile, back in the present... ***

At Dormir's sheer lack of perception and display of cowardice, Halbrecht felt his temper flare.

Touch her and your head goes flying.

With great effort, however, Halbrecht was able to restrain himself from tearing Lilyanna's cousin a new one, and emphatically shook his head, a frown on his forehead.

"Rrraj is formally under my protection, and has business with us at the Convent. She has reliable intelligence of a potential threat to Westbow, and in order to combat it, we need the stolen Cape of St. Marmara Kulkova."

"Speaking of which... if the gnolls have already escaped with the cape, I am much more inclined to meet up with the Horsemaidens first. The tracks will still be there regardless of what we do first, but if the Horsemaidens have picked up their trail and need assistance, that is a much more touchy situation."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Still feeling annoyed at her cousin, Lilyanna raised a hand to forestall any further speaking on his part. "Dormir, allow me to make one thing perfectly clear. You serve my father, who serves the rightful Baron of Westbow. This is he." Gesturing to Halbrecht, she continued, "And as I am acting for my father as Highguard, I expect you to follow my lead in this investigation. We will be taking over for you, though my Lord Halbrecht may have a part for you to play. It is up to him." Turning her attention to the knight, she beckoned him over and dismounted. "Now, I wish to speak with Lord Vetnik. Privately."

[Felhammer]

Dormir is completely flabbergasted at what Hal is saying and doubly so with Lilya backing him up. He just sands there stunned, staring at Rrraj. Sir Vetnik sheathes his blade and nods, "By your leave, my lord. I was merely protecting my charge from a potential hostile threat." With a nod he follows Lilya over to the side of the road.

Sir Bedmon smiles, "It is good to see your ladyship once again."

[HanaRei]

Aisha

A stern look came upon Aisha's face hearing Dormir speak up about killing the gnoll after finding out he was tossed a insult. She heard as Hal spoke up, followed by Lily's direct response being much more scolding. She watches Lily move getting up close to Dormir. It wasn't hard to tell she was angry at him. She didn't know how serious his words were though she only could assume they were serious enough to inquire such a response from Sir Bedmound's response and the remark from Hal and Lily.

"Don't you dare utter about taking a life all for the sake of being called some name. You're a petulant and spoiled child if you think such a response is correct, and a disgusting individual for looking upon life being worth taking for simply being called a name."She spoke out quite bold in her voice not at all hesitating to insult him for his remarks not had to tell she was angered by how quick he was to react in such a way with no regard to life.

[Felhammer]

Dormir sips his wine as he listens to Aisha's rant. When she finishes, he merely says, "Well, at least I am not ugly."

[Rysc]

Fare


"Well, at least I am not ugly."

Against her better judgement, Fare responds, "That would've been very unfortunate, wouldn't it. I'm not sure how you would've gotten anywhere otherwise." Then she contents herself with glaring off in a different direction.

Idiot.

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka was not normally one to speak up when politics or social issues were involved. She was always painfully aware that she was a wanderer with no formal training, while most of these people had been doing the politics thing their whole lives. But the sheer ridiculousness of his comeback forced an involuntary laugh. "Yes, because that is what matters. Not intelligence, or skill or kindness. Just having a pretty face."She looks him up and down exaggeratedly. "Shame."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Sir Bedmon," the Paladin began, "You have no idea how good it is to see a familiar face. Not to speak ill of my companions, of course, as they have all been good. And I am satisfied with the Baron's leadership in the short time I have known him." She kept her voice low so that Dormir would not overhear. "Now, I wish to hear in your own words what has happened and what progress the two of you have made in your investigation. Please spare no detail for my cousin's sake."

[Felhammer]

Dormir throws his hands up in the air, "Sonbahar, save me from this overwhelming avalanche of busybody hags!"

He looks Raka right in the eye, "I do not mean to be rude but a peasant should know her place."

Starman whispers in Hal's ears, "Sir Dormir is only a Gentleman, being the youngest son of Lady Lilyana's first cousin once removed*...

Sir Bedmond looks away from Lilya, as if slightly ashamed. "Sir Dormir... Went drinking - as he is known to do - and accosted many of the villagers that at the Tame Heart in Berngard. We met a Horsemaiden named Gablena Sulkova last night who had captured a gnoll along the road leading to the Convent. The gnoll said he was headed back to the Convent because he forgot something. Sadly, Sulkova lanced the gnoll when he tried to escape. After your cousin awoke from his drunken slumber, we set off to investigate the Convent immediately... Which was about fifteen minutes ago."

"I sent a raven to the Convent asking for the nuns to investigate for us, while Sir Dormir and I headed south to pick up the fresh trail of the gnolls that Sulkova had chanced upon yesterday but... Once he was awake, Sir Dormir insisted that we investigate the Convent first. Since I am oath-bound to serve and protect him on this mission... I was forced to acquiesce.



Sir Dormir and Lady Lilyanna share a Great-Grandfather.

You know that Dormir is your 2nd Cousin, so you share a Great Grandfather with him. His branch of the Berngard family lives in Mikola, to the west. They serve as knights to Slaka Petnova, the Countess of Eaglefeather (to the west of Westbow). Dormir was considered to be a prodigy at a young age and was actually granted the right to attend the Blue Hunter Academy in Scrollford (they only let a handful of people into the academy every year). He was drummed out of the academy for being a "lazy, belligerent drunkard." He's kind of the black sheep of your family. He was sent to stay with your father after he came back home, with an eye to "man him up" and help him get his life back in order. So far, it has not helped.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht had had it.

"Enough! Everyone, please, settle down. Now is not the time to be starting arguments." He then glowered fiercely at Dormir. "And as for you... These women are my dear friends and companions, and have fought with me through thick and thin, battles the likes of which you could only imagine. So I would thank you kindly if you did NOT insult them, and apologized like you meant it, my dear Gentleman."

[Felhammer]

Dormir is a bit taken aback by the fervor of the Earl. With out thinking, he bows deeply as he says, "I apologize most humbly..." Suddenly a bottle of win slips out of his un-fastened satchel, shattering as it its the rugged, mountainous terrain on the side of the road. He mutters "Darn it, that cost two hundred gold..." as he sighs heavily.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare has several choice words for Lily's cousin, but decides that the best way to match his idiocy is to just ignore him completely. She goes over to stand by Rrraj while Lily and the other man continue talking, desperately hoping that regardless of how it looked the two parties wouldn't have to travel together.

[Felhammer]

Rrraj whispers to Fare, "He is quite the vile nofur, would you not say? A product of too much money and not enough exposure to people outside of his nofur nobility, I presume."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Putting a hand to her forehead, Lilyanna sighed in frustration. "Thank you for your patience, Sir Bedmond. I'll be sure to tell my father you have performed your duty well." She patted him on the shoulder and glanced toward Halbrecht. "I'll need to confer with the Baron, but I believe we will be taking over the investigation from Dormir. I wouldn't mind having another loyal knight with me, but we will see how things go. It would probably be best to leave Dormir in a location where he can do relatively little harm to himself or others."

Lilyanna then went to Halbrecht, motioning the knight to follow, and spoke with her liege-lord, sharing what the knight had told her. "The decision belongs to you, my lord, but I might recommend visiting the Convent first. The trail of the gnolls is likely already cold, and much could be gained from starting at the beginning. I will, of course, defer to your judgement in the matter. I would also like to keep Sir Bedmond with us, but..." she lowered her voice, "We need to get rid of Dormir - leave him somewhere where he can do no harm."

So what does Lily know of Sir Bedmond himself, Gablena Sulkova, and the Tame Heart?

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht frowned. "How old is the trail of the gnolls? If it has been more than a day, I would have no choice but to agree with going to the convent."

He then lowered his voice.

"And I concur with abandoning your cousin. He insulted every single other one of our team-mates."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht then listened as Lilya relayed the rest of the information.

"Only just yesterday, hm? In that case, I would be more inclined to go after the trail. It may still be salvageable, I think - and then, in the meantime, I would advocate sending your cousin back to Berngard."

[Felhammer]

Sir Vetnik shakes his head, "It was the order of your father that sent him on this quest. I do not think it wise to so willfully cast him aside, even if he is a useless drunkard. At any rate, my duty is to the Baron of High Tower. I was told to both protect your cousin and investigate the attack. I cannot do both if Sir Dormir is resides in the Tame Heart.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

With a heavy sigh, the Paladin agreed. "Very well, he comes with us, but I'll have some strong words for my father when I see him next. What was he thinking, sending Dormir on a mission like this? It isn't as if I wish him harm, and this is a potentially dangerous mission. He could get himself or others killed." Turning back to Halbrecht, she nodded. "If it has only been a day then, we should push on. Perhaps Silith can strike their trail and lead us to a swift rendezvous."

[Felhammer]

Sir Bedmon looks quizically at the Baronetess, "Important mission? I know recovering the cape is important but it does not require diplomacy or human interaction... Unless it winds up on the black market. I should think the gnolls are merely stealing that which they thought valuable. As much as it is a token of your family's prestige and preeminance in the region, it is still but a lone object. You seem to be implying that it has some other purpose, a purpose beyond being an object of veneration...?"


https://s24.postimg.org/rzpma941h/convent.png

The party then strikes off up the trail leading to the Convent of Summer's Blaze. The road narrows and narrows as it ascends Mount High, until it is but wide enough for a fully armored man to walk precariously along the cliff-side. Thanks to their powerful wings, the two gryphons take to the skies - preferring the open air to the ever slimming road. Rraj traverses the trail with ease. She is both surefooted and confident. Her relative size and bulk belie the grace of a skilled acrobat. At some points, she even takes a scroll out of her pack and reads it as she walks. The young squire and Dormir both have trouble. For the former, it is the first time he has ever been challenged in such a way; the latent fear of falling evident on the lad's face. For the latter, his tipsy mood causes his body to sway and make unexpected (and unwanted) movements. More than a few times, Sir Bedmond grasps the ne'er-do-well noble, for fear of his charge slipping to his death. Poor Adamant struggles up the trail. Much like his new master, the beast clings as close as possible to the cliff-side. Thankfully, the ever vigilant and experienced eye of Sir Vetnik is able to lead the horse around several tricky bends.

As the party reaches about a third of the way to the summit of the mountain, a small valley reveals itself, inside of which is a patch of green farm land and an alabaster white building. The building has a tall steeple, which reaches high up into the sky. Many nuns, clad in the traditional yellow robes with a dark black veil, walk outside of the Convent. Some are covered in dirt, grime and blood, others in fresh clothes. Several bodies have been set outside, with blankets covering them up. The nuns do not take much note of the party, most seem more concerned with attending to the dead or ambling about in a shell shocked manner. A more highly decorated nun stands above a corpse, praying to Almahara while wielding the Lady of Summer's holy symbol.


https://s23.postimg.org/q8qxaopl7/nun.png

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Yes, it seems that the cape is more important than previously known," Lilyanna replied, and then elaborated, bringing the knight up to speed with the rest of the party. "And apparently the cape is one of two keys to open a tomb, within which is some magical pickaxe wielded by a legendary Elven maiden. There's something in there about preventing the return of some Ragebear. If you speak with Rraaj, I'm sure she can explain it all in detail, but be wary for she will call you a 'lowly, disgusting, petty, vile man.' At least, I think those were her words." The Paladin smirked at the Knight. "But at least you aren't one such as I, who have bent the knee to such a deplorable being. Apparently that makes me lower than slime. Or something." Lilyanna put enough mirth into her words to relieve the knight of any notion that she might be bitter at the gnoll.

At the Convent

As the party made their way past the nuns, Lilyanna's heart went out to them. She glanced over at Halbrecht and tried to pick up his gaze. "We have to make sure this doesn't happen again, my lord. Please."

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare had spent most of the ascent trying to be in a relatively useful position in case anyone fell, though she doubted if she could actually catch anyone. When the convent finally comes into view, she has a brief moment of hope--then notices the nuns. She stays silent, trying to see if there's anything she can possibly do as the party moves forward.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

As the trail finally broke away from the cliff and the road gave way to the valley, Halbrecht turned to his pupil and former steed.

"Are the two of you alright?" he asked, concern in his voice as he ruffled Adamant's mane and patted Starman's shoulder. "You were looking a bit uneasy there."


***


Upon finally arriving at the convent, Halbrecht turned to Lilyanna as she spoke. Silently, but firmly, he nodded his head in reply. Then, carefully approaching the more highly decorated sister, he waited until she seemed to have finished with her prayer before speaking up.

"Pardon me, Mother, but may I have a moment of your time?"

[Felhammer]

The fairly beautiful looking nuns curtsies deeply, "Blessings of the Summer Lady upon you, my lord. I apologize for the lack of a proper welcome but recent happenings have... Dampened the mood. I am Prioress Monela Seblikova, leader of this convent. We nuns keep to our own, tending to the fields that the Baron of High Tower gifted our order. We seek only to pray to the Honorable Lady in peace. The attack was sudden and without warning. Our beloved guards - two Horsemaidens - were butchered while they were praying at the alter. Several more of our order were likewise killed. I have asked my fellow sisters to perform a through investigation of what was stolen. I have written it down so that I may give it to either your lordship or, one of the representatives of the Baron." She glances at Lilya and Dormir as she hands the scroll to Halbrecht.

- The Cape of St. Marmara Kulkova
- Two sets of Rays (prayer item)
- 5 Silver Holy Symbols
- 2 Gold Holy Symbols
- 3 Prayer Books
- 2 Swords
- 2 Shields
- 2 Throwing Axes
- 2 Horses

[HanaRei]

Aisha

Arriving before the several bodies and the nun, she listened in seeming rather distasteful. She heard her explanation keeping a fierce look on her face. Even if she wasn't one for following the worship of powerful entities, she was one who showed respect towards someone's form of worship so long as it didn't cause harm to others. The fact they were struck down when engaging in any sort of simple ritual left a sour taste in her mouth. The actual intentions of the attack mattering little to her.

"Who was it that attacked?" She asked in a stern tone. She didn't care so much about whatever motivations the attack might have or why they would go about even stealing goods. She was eager if possible to bring justice for the mindless slaughter for those who seemed to be minding their own business.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"My deepest condolences for your losses, Prioress."

Halbrecht inclined his head.

"Would it be possible to view the area where these items were being kept? We may yet find some sort of clue."

[Felhammer]

The Prioress looks down at the ground as she responds to Aisha, "The gnolls did this. A warband, as best we can tell (although none of us are very learned in the art of war)."

She returns her gaze to the Earl, "The shrine is this way." She leads the party around to the backside of the convent, so an adjacent, octagonal-shaped building. Monela pulls a large ring of keys off her belt, fiddles around with the double dozen keys that hang off the ring before finding the proper one. Seblikova unlocks the door, revealing a gilded hall filled to the brim with paintings, golden idols and tapestries of Almahara. In the center of the shrine is a life-size golden statue of a powerful looking warrior, striking a victory pose, with a wooden pickax thrust high into the air.

As you near the statue, you can see dried blood coating the ground around it. Clearly someone, perhaps two people, died protecting the shrine.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht bowed his head, sadly, before going over to the bloodstains, kneeling down closely to examine them.

"Based on what you told me earlier, I'm guessing these were where the two Horsemaidens fell? Were they the first, or did the gnolls attack another part of the Convent first?"

Time to reconstruct the crime scene. Hunting for clues time!

Perception: [roll0]

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare quietly surveys the grim scene, looking for...anything, really, though she doesn't think they need more information as to why the gnolls came. After a few moments she asks, "The statue...who's the warrior?"

Maybe they know something different than Rrraj.

[Felhammer]

The Prioress looks at the statue with a smile, "That is the statue of St. Marmara Kulkova, who is also known in the tongue of dragons as Thurirl di Darastrix. She was one of the greatest warriors Maghemia has ever seen. She single handedly defeated a brutal Gnoll warchief whose sole aim was the complete destruction of all life on Warblade Isle. It was said that she wielded three magic items crafted by three of the four great dragons who live in the south of Warblade Isle - Sha'la, Rueserond and St. Rowan. From Sha'la she was given a mighty pickax; from Rueserond she received a beautiful cape; from St. Rowan she received a pair of elegant boots. Each item on their own was potent by itself but when combined together and used by such a noble and skilled warrior... None could oppose Thurirl di Darastrix.

Our order was gifted the Cape of St. Marmara Kulkova by the Baron of High Tower who in turn received it from the Kulkova family (who live in Scrollford). It was believed the only surviving piece of her legendary kit should be laid to rest near where her greatest victory occurred.

Turning back to Hal she says, "I do not believe the gnolls knew where the Cape was housed. They entered the main convent first and killed or maimed several nuns, as well as the Priestess who was overseeing morning services. That is where they stole many of the items listed in the scroll. When they realized the Cape was not in the main building, they poured outside and attacked both this shrine and the second, dedicated to King Letnin the Defender (a man for whom our order is petitioning Archbishop Walner of Blackvale to canonize).

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"Did they take anything from the shrine to King Letnin? And what happened that made them withdraw, in the end? Did they simply take what they came for, or did something else happen?"

And did my previous perception check turn up anything?

[Felhammer]

With a mournful tone, the Prioress says, They did not breach the doors to King Letnin's shrine. Once they were in possession of the cape, they withdrew post-haste, stealing the two Horsemaiden's steeds. Thankfully they did not breech the second shrine, or else they would surly have discovered the other item our order protects - the legendary blade - Roseheart. It was given to me for safekeeping by the late Viscount of Pinewood, who feared... Familial quarrels would lead to a war over the sword's rightful owner. I was instructed to keep it safe, here in the Convent, until lady Svaercoba came of age."

You look around the grounds and notice the Gnolls sped off in the opposite direction that you came (so the west side of the mountain), which leads into the Howling hills and Eaglefeather.

You also notice that the Horsemaidens appear to have had their long hair cut off by a jagged edged blade.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Roseheart is here?! Roseheart is here! ...Roseheart is here. And the legend that the mother speaks of, of Malmara Kulkova - she's got to be the elf Rrraj is talking about.

And the nuns, sworn to protect it, have already suffered such a loss.

Taking a deep breath, Halbrecht steeled his nerves and spoke.

"If Roseheart is indeed here, Mother... then there is a boon that I must ask of you."

"Responding to your attack is not the only reason I am here. You may not believe me, but I have recently been given reason to believe that the gnoll warlord that Saint Kulkova defeated all those years ago, Rhaszuhr Ragebear, is due to arise from the dead - and that only Kulkova's pickaxe, now locked away, is capable of slaying him. I had hoped that, if we were successful in retrieving it, you would allow us the use of the cape - but now it seems I must plead for a similar use for Roseheart, for it, along with the cape, is one of the keys that locks her tomb."

Halbrecht took to one knee.

"I know you made a covenant with the Viscount of Pinewood, but this goes beyond politics. If Ragebear rises again, he will kill everyone, regardless of nation or creed."

Diplomacy: [roll0]

Incidentally, Fel, did Arna ever respond to Hal's promise that he would always return? (Post #146)

[Rysc]

Fare

Oh the sword's here too?

Fare spends the duration of the Prioress' story matching her words up with Rrraj's. A slightly bigger version of a story always helped, and what she had said about an warchief gnoll definitely confirmed at least part of Rrraj's tale. At the revelation of the sword, though, Fare couldn't help but wonder if maybe it would've been a better idea to entrust two sacred and/or legendary items to a slightly less pacifist enclave. However, it did make things a little easier for the party. Maybe.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

After having remained quiet as Halbrecht and the Prioress spoke, Lilyanna finally broke her silence. "What were their names?" She asked quietly, referring to the Horsemaidens. "I should like to pay my respects before we leave." She flicked her eyes to Halbrecht, a hint of anguish in her expression. "Remember, my lord, that I was a Horsemaiden mere weeks ago. These are my sisters, in spirit." She touched the Horsemaiden ring upon her finger before turning her gaze to the Prioress. Lilyanna bowed her head in supplication. "Please, allow us the use of the Roseheart. These villains must be stopped."

Aid Another Diplomacy: [roll0]

[HanaRei]

Aisha

The half-dragon stood quietly back as it seemed the sword they would need somehow had managed to fall into their lap... or at the very least its location. She kept quiet looking on crossing her arms standing back. Her vibrant blue eyes kept fixated up hoping they might be able to secure it. She hoped her companions words might be able to sway her to allow them to use the blade, even if as a temporary measure.

[Felhammer]

They were lovely young women. Fairly new to the order. Sent here to be educated in the ways of Almahara. The redhead was Hedcela Sedinkova, while the blonde was Marika Marlakova. Hedcela was the superior student but Marika was the superior warrior. The two were good friends. Both came from Azbeta... I heard both of their families were killed in the recent battles. Hedcela took the loss of her mother and sister very hard, Marika took it in stride, having faith that her parents were looking down upon her from the verdant fields of Almaland."

The Prioress pulls out her golden rays (prayer sticks) and rolls them between her hands, "Blessed are those who fight in the name of Almaraha; blessed are those who die with conviction in their hearts; blessed are those who ascend to Almaland with angels heralding their arrival."

The Prioress' calm demeanor becomes very anxious as the request is made, "I... I... Am... Honor-bound by my promise to the late Viscount to not let the sword leave this Convent. You are... Putting me in an awkward position, my lord and lady."

Arna looks deeply into the Earl's eyes as she gently kisses Hal on the lips. "Promise me that we will love each other until the day we die, and for the rest of eternity in Almaland." She rests her head on the man's shoulder, "What is mine is your's my love.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht sighed as the Prioress told him that she was honor-bound not to let the sword leave. "I feared as much. We will ignore Roseheart's presence for now, then. We need to stop Ragebear, but... I cannot and will not force you to break a vow of that kind. Almahara willing, we can find some other way around that problem."

Hopefully sooner rather than later.

He then once looked again to Lilyanna, sympathy and solidarity in his eyes, before gesturing to the tracks he'd found.

"Turning back to the immediate problem - from the look of these tracks, the gnolls appear to have gone in the opposite direction from whence we arrived, into the Howling Hills. Also, the hair of the Horsemaidens appears to have been cut by some sort of jagged blade. Probably not significant for now, but... these things have a way of being relevant later."

He then turned to the Prioress.

"By your leave, then, Mother, we will depart after those tracks. Hopefully the gnolls, and the cape, are still within reach."

[Felhammer]

The Prioress nods at the Earl, "Very well then, my lord. Safe journey to you and your companions. May Almahara guide your path."

The party rushes off to the other side of the valley and picks up the trail. Lilya's cousin calls out, "Wait for me! Wait for me!" As the party crests the edge of the valley and begins to descend to the road leading to the Howling Hills. Dormir pants heavily as nears the group, "Sorry. So sorry. Had to... use the facilities, as it were. Nothing like setting off on a long journey with a bladder full of... Well, you know."

Sir Bedmond rolls his eyes then says, "It is good you have returned to us, my lord, the quest dare not be completed without you present."

The half drunk Dormir takes this as a compliment as he saunters to the front of the group and confidently declares, "The tracks lead to the Howling Hills! Best be wary friends, talking wolves live over there... And worse...

The road leading down the mountain is as treacherous as the road you used to ascend to the valley but made more difficult by the presence of snow and ice, the presence of which is nonseasonal, to say the least. Although it is common for snow to be found in the mountains, even in summer (and especially in Maghemia), the sheer amount of it, almost a half foot deep, is striking. The sides of the mountain near the road are also covered with a three inch thick layer of ice.

"This is unnatural, if I do say so myself, exclaims Dormir, "My... Experiences as a Blue Hunter Cadet taught me that much. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say its a wizard, or maybe one of them Sorcerers that my lordship has invted to come settle in our lands. Ice magic is not common up here. We Maghemians prefer fire and acid. Both melt snow and ice, which we have more than enough of up here, if I do say so myself."

"Perhaps it was one of the Gnolls?" inquires Sir Bedmond.


You guys can confirm that this is the remnant of some kind of arcane spell.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare, who has done her best to ignore Dormir's prattling so far, has to make the unfortunate concession that something he's said might be helpful. Of course, she doesn't need to do so out loud. She hovers a little way to the side of the party, peering down the road ahead and trying to get a better idea of the source of the snow.

Perception, just checking to see if it looks like the snow's covering anything suspicious: [roll0]

Also casting Detect Magic on the snow.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Well, the law of averages says he was bound to spot something helpful at some point.

Looking over the mass of ice and snow, Halbrecht turned to Fare.

"See anything?"

Going to make my own attempt at contributing.

Perception: [roll0]
Survival: [roll1]

[HanaRei]

Aisha

As they made their way along the road encountering snow, brought to her attention of it being usual as the man from before spoke. The woman looks up as Dormir spoke looking about. She looked about detecting magic finding it to exist within the area. Her eyes glanced about quietly. "It is indeed some sort of Arcane Magic." She spoke out loud as to confirm what he had said.

Arcana to see if maybe she can identify what it might of been and confirm things. ^^
Knowledge(Arcana): [roll0]

[Felhammer]

You sense evocation magic.

As you venture away from the cliff-side to get a better pictures, you realize that this ice and snow is actually the remains of a hulking ice elemental that was completely obliterated by some kind of powerful fire spell.

Hal cannot make much of the snow and ice but something out in the Howling Hills catches his eye - dire wolves. A pack of thirty of them. Probably 3 miles away (and a thousand feet down).

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


*** The previous day, back at the Raven... ***



Arna looks deeply into the Earl's eyes as she gently kisses Hal on the lips. "Promise me that we will love each other until the day we die, and for the rest of eternity in Almaland." She rests her head on the man's shoulder, "What is mine is yours my love.

"I promise."

Gently, Halbrecht returned the kiss, and then grasped Arna's hands.

"And what's yours is mine."



*** Scene End ***


I had originally meant to include this in my last post, but, silly me, I forgot.



*** Meanwhile, back in the present... ***

Looking to the Horizon, Halbrecht frowned deeply as he spotted the wolfpack.

"Oh, this is most assuredly not good."

He turned to the rest of the party.

"A pack of dire wolves - at least 30 of them - 3 miles out and 1000 feet downhill. What do we still have, in terms of spells? After the battle at Jinkova, I'm not certain we can take another fight like that - not without some sort of overwhelming equalizer."

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare drifts back to the others, deep in thought. "Well, good news is that the snow wasn't set up specifically for us, but the bad news is that it's from someone powerful enough to fire-blast a very large ice elemental. Which also had to come from somewhere. They don't happen to be..." She trails off as Halbrect speaks up.



"A pack of dire wolves - at least 30 of them - 3 miles out and 1000 feet downhill. What do we still have, in terms of spells? After the battle at Jinkova, I'm not certain we can take another fight like that - not without some sort of overwhelming equalizer."

At the mention of another fight, Fare begins cursing under her breath. But something Hal had said bothers her, and she can't quite place her finger on it.

Wait...wolves? Isn't this place the Howling....something...

The druid frowns. "Uh, magic-wise, I can speak to them. The ones with the giantess we freed...we may not have to fight." She squints in roughly the direction Halbrecht had been looking, trying to make out where the pack is. "But, well, that depends on whether the wolves have actually been talking. Or they're not...magically controlled or enraged somehow. Or if this is anywhere near the right place. Would anyone happen to know if there's a Four Shields Rock in those hills?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht brought a hand to his chin. "Let me think..."

Rolling knowledge!

Hal's Knowledge (Geography): [roll0]
Starman's: [roll1]

[Felhammer]

Starman and Lilya would know that the Four Shields Rock is in the Howling Hills, but it is across the border, into Eaglefeather, probably about 8 miles or so.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"I have most of my protection spells remaining for the day if it comes to fighting," Lilyanna stated, as she took a mental inventory of her available resources. "Perhaps if Fare were to fly out and speak to them? Wolves cannot fly, so she should be safe if she stays high enough."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"If there's any chance we can avoid an un-necessary fight, I'm all for it." Halbrecht turned to Fare. "What do you think, Fare?"

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare takes another look off into the distance and says, "Better than nothing, but it might take...a while. I'll be sure to come back and tell you if we should get ready to be mauled. Maybe try to figure out where the elemental or the spell came from while I'm gone."

***

Why couldn't I have thought this through before suggesting it

As she comes to a halt a safe distance above the pack, Fare realizes she has slightly less ideas on how to strike up conversation with a pack of wolves than on how to start one with an average person--the latter of which isn't spectacularly high to begin with. A few moments after casting her spell and listening she growls, <Hello. Where are you going?>

They...might be hostile? So no introductions yet? Augh.

Flying for 3 miles, which should take anywhere between 7-12 minutes depending on whether you can "run" while flying. Once about 20ft above the pack she'll cast Speak with Animals (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/speak-with-animals)

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka stood lost in thought. She was not concerned about the wolves, as Raka trusted her team to be able to fend them off, even after being worn down by the previous fight. She still had many more spells she could cast. Even the person who had blasted the ice elemental didn't impart much concern, since they were no where to be found, and might not even be hostile. No sense borrowing trouble. Especially when there were other things that needed to be borrowed...

When Fare left, Raka turned to Hal. "So, what should we do about Roseheart?"

[Felhammer]

When Fare wafts over to them and hails the pack, the beasts immediately stop and stare, almost as if in awe. Their leader, a brown and black dire wolf - who is easily larger than a Clydesdale horse - looks up and howls, "Praise be to our goddess, ZEPHYNE!" At once all thirty dire wolves drop to the ground and roll over onto their backs (a sign of submission). The leader (while on his back) asks, "Why have you blessed us this day, my goddess?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


Meanwhile, several miles back...



Raka

Raka stood lost in thought. She was not concerned about the wolves, as Raka trusted her team to be able to fend them off, even after being worn down by the previous fight. She still had many more spells she could cast. Even the person who had blasted the ice elemental didn't impart much concern, since they were no where to be found, and might not even be hostile. No sense borrowing trouble. Especially when there were other things that needed to be borrowed...

When Fare left, Raka turned to Hal. "So, what should we do about Roseheart?"
"At this point? There's not much we can do, other than wait for an opportunity to present itself to win the sword honorably. If it comes down to it... I would rather take the sword than not, but if there is the slightest chance we can gain it without infringing on our honor or the prioresses, I will hold out for it."

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka couldn't quite surpress a snort. "Yes. Honor." What honor did a peasant like her have to lose?

[Rysc]

Fare

Huh.

...Hells.

<Please, stand up. I'm...much less holy than you think.> Before she has more time to think about whether or not she should've said that, Fare addresses the leader. <What is your name?> After a pause she continues, <A group of gnolls stole something important to my companions, and they believe the gnolls came this way. Do you know of anyone who came through here, not too long ago?>

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


Raka

Raka couldn't quite surpress a snort. "Yes. Honor." What honor did a peasant like her have to lose?
"You may scoff, Raka, but the nobility and the church take matters such as these very seriously. If we break agreements and contracts in the name of short-term gain, it will come back to bite us all in the ass later - because as far as they're concerned, it will have shown we're not trustworthy. The last thing we need at the moment is to give our enemies any ammunition with which to tarnish our reputation, and our allies any reason to doubt that they made the right choice in sticking with us."

[Felhammer]

The alpha coos, "You show us great favor, my goddess. My name is Akuba. Leader of this pack, second only to the great Komla." He turns around and whisper in the ear of one of the fellow Dire Wolves, "Yaaba, my Beta, tells me that our subordinates saw three gnolls headed down the mountain. They met with five humans, one wore a blue robes, the others armor. The gnolls traded a cloak for a trunk. My subordinates do not know what was inside. The Gnolls then traveled south-east to their packmates. The human traveled to the south-west to a man-town."




http://i.imgur.com/4b7bVLU.png
http://i.imgur.com/4b7bVLU.png

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare thinks for a moment, then growls, <Thank you, Akuba. And Yaaba. Could I ask a favor from your pack? If in your travels you come across more gnolls--or any not-wolves--see what they are doing, but don't be seen. If you think their actions are suspicious or even just out of the ordinary, try to remember them. It may help me if we meet again.> She pauses again. <I am sorry to ask so much of you, but if you could find out where that gnoll-pack is heading...I think my companions and I may head to the man-town. But you have my thanks, even if you cannot do any of this.

[Felhammer]

Akuba bows, "We shall keep an eye on gnoll activities for you, my goddess. I shall send an omega to find you or one of your clerics if we discover anything unusual." He turns around and howls to his pack, "Praise be to ZEPHYNE!" The crowd of Dire Wolves howl back, "PRAISE BE TO ZEPHYNE!"

Fare then jests off back to the party.

The party can see Fare hovering over the mass. Suddenly the whole pack begins to howl. Their deep throated call can be heard clearly, even from where you stand. Fare then moves away from the pack and returns to the party post haste.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Well... they're not charging toward us, which is a fairly good sign.

As Fare returned, Halbrecht looked toward the druid, a sign of hope in his eyes.

"Tell me you have something."

[Estralita]

Raka

Before Fare Returns...

Raka grimaced. "Back before I got involved in this do-gooder nonsense, I didn't make promises, and no one bothered trusting anyone. None of it mattered so long as the job got done, and you didn't directly inconvenience them. And if they did get mad,it only mattered if they could do something about it. A lot simpler back then. Now, I still don't make any promises, but if I break someone else's promise for the sake of doing something good, all hell breaks loose."

She turned back towards Hal, and gave a lopsided smile. "That said, there's still something to be said for having someone you can trust around. I'd like to keep it that way. And we still have some time to figure this out."

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare has a strange look on her face, halfway between amused and terrified, as she starts speaking. "Well, the wolves say the gnolls gave a cape to five humans--one in blue robes, maybe a spellcaster, the rest in armor--and headed off to the southeast. The humans, with the cape, went to a town in the southwest. I asked the wolves to keep an eye on the gnolls, because presumably they'd be better at that than heading to a settlement. Also, some of the wolves here seem to think I'm Zephyne? Or something like that. There...will probably be problems with that later but I'll also deal with those...later." She pauses. "So in case you missed it they're not going to attack you. I think that covers most of it."

[Felhammer]

Dormir saunters up to Fare and nudges her slightly. With a coy smiles he says, "I didn't take you for the type to impersonate heretical deities. I'm impressed."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The Paladin ignored her cousin's comment as she thought about the news Fare had returned with. "It seems clear to me that we should search for the humans who received the cloak from the gnolls."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht nodded approvingly at Fare as she related what she had been able to accomplish. "Excellent work, Fare. I knew we could count on you. With that, our course is clear. To the southwest!"

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She blinked hearing the mention about a deity from Dormir after Fare mentioned being mistaken as one. She scratched at her cheek a bit in surprise. It did make some sense she had to figure. Even animals could have enough intelligence to be more aware of things, including powerful entities. At the very least it seemed as if they wouldn't be a problem for now. She looked to Halbrecht giving a light nod. "Yes, let's go." She spoke simply in response.

[Felhammer]

https://s29.postimg.org/fanr7t55j/Mikola.png

The party adventures south-west of their current location, towards the town that the dire wolves had mentioned. As they descend into the Holwing Hills, the yelps of barks of wolves most large haunt every footstep. Through the dense grass and the rolling hills, no wolves are ever spotted yet, you cannot shake the feeling that you were being watched, from afar, for the entire journey. About halfway through the region, a lone stone pillar stands. It is but four feet tall, barely taller than the grass and weeds it finds itself amongst. Upon the stone is marked "Westbow" on one side and the other, "Eaglefeather". The party thus leaves the safety and security of the Earl's demesne and ventures forth into a rival's territory. As they do, Sir Bedmond cautions, "We must be careful, my lord. There is a price upon your heads - or so we have been told - since we have left the safety of Westbow, who knows what dangers lay before us. I highly suggest we cloak ourselves, hiding our heraldry and claim to be mere mercenaries."

"A capital idea, old friend!" Drunkenly states Dormir, "Indeed, we shall be nothing more than the refuse of the war to the east... Of course, I will have to shed my disguise to go see my dear friend Slaka Petnova, the Countess of Eaglefeather. She and I have enjoyed many a fine night in each others company. Since we were children, you see. I was to be wed to her, but my short lived stint with the Blue Hunters dashed such hopes. Woe is me, cursed to be too gifted with both magic and beauty for my own good!"

Sir Bedmond rolls his eyes, "Regardless, a disguise would be important... Unless your lordship and ladyship would like to announce our presence..."

"Don't be daft Bedmond! My lord is no fool! Mikola is a town full of the worst sort of mercenary scum. It is no place for the faint of heart, or for those who have bounties on their heads..."

After donning simple cloaks and putting away any noteworthy items, the party ventures forth to the the walled town of Mikola. It is a dark sort of town, perpetually, it seems, cast in a foggy rain. The roads near Mikola are soft and muddy, your feet easily slip a few inches into the moist earth with each step. Outside the main gate you see a throng of peasants surrounding a makeshift stage. A man stands atop the stage. His face is gaunt and weary, covered in scars. He wars only a brown burlap robe, tied at the waist with a thick hemp rope. His speech is boisterous and deep, "THE END OF TIMES IS UPON US! DARK AND MALEVOLENT FORCES ABOUND! DRAGONS RAZE THE SOUTH! BEASTFOLK LITER THE NORTH! WAR IS UPON US! PLAGUE! PLAGUE IS NEXT! IT COMMETH FOR ALL THE UNBELIEVERS! THOSE WHO HARBOR GOOD AND LOVE IN THEIR HEARTS, BEWARE! THE SICKNESS SHALL STRIKE YOU FIRST!"

If the outside of Mikola was dark and dank and awful, then the densely packed, narrow, twisting roads of the town proper are terrifying. Many alleyways lead off the main road. Figures clad in black cloaks with shady looks on their faces eye the party wearily, some greedily, some jealously. The nearest tavern to the main gate is The Cursed Blade. The inn is a sprawling single story wooden building, with several shuttered windows and a large cellar. Accommodations consist of a single large room with wooden cots and straw mats near the hearth. Many of the tables in the common room are used for gambling. Prostitutes, both male and female, walk around the tavern, plying their trade, looking for easy marks. The innkeeper is a willowy female dwarf named Horborg. Given the seedy nature of the tavern, the presence of such a dainty creature seems... Out of place. A brawl flares up in the corner of the room, two drunken mercenaries duking it out over who can share the company of a prostitute first. Before you have a chance to react, a bolt screams across the tavern and flies straight into the mantle above the hearth, mere inches from one of the brawlers. The dwarven innkeeper, now holding a well worn repeating crossbow yells, "Oye! You lot stop it! Take your fight outside, or else the next shot won't miss!" T aking the hint, the men duck outside, and then proceed to continue their fight in the muck filled street.


https://s29.postimg.org/n24h6d9av/dwarf_barmaid.png

You feel like the gaunt man locked his gaze upon you and was speaking directly to you as he said, "THE SICKNESS SHALL STRIKE YOU FIRST!"

[Rysc]

Fare


"I didn't take you for the type to impersonate heretical deities. I'm impressed."

"I'm still very much not," Fare mutters, before quickly speeding to the party member farthest from where Dormir is standing.

***

As the group enters the tavern, Fare scans the crowded scene for anyone who might vaguely resemble the wolves' descriptions--or anyone who might be taking too much of an interest in newcomers. She doesn't have much hope for finding the former, but you never know. Better than straight-up asking someone, she supposes.

Perception: [roll0]

[Felhammer]

Fare scans the room and finds three men wearing blue cloaks. One is a portly dwarf drinking at the bar, the other two are humans, both men, who are playing cards at a table. The first has raven black hair and a large amount of gold coins near him. The second has fiery red hair and a very tiny amount of gold near him.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"Very well, disguises then," Lilyanna agreed, though there was a hint of distaste in her tone. "And not a lick of sense in the world," she muttered quietly about her cousin. "Dormir, under no circumstances are you to shed your disguise unless I or the Lord Halbrecht give the order."

Lilyanna led the way inside and glanced around the room, searching for potential threats to her ward. Too many. Far too many. As the group passed by the quarrelsome men, the Paladin glanced over her shoulder at Halbrecht. "Oh, I like her," she said, gesturing toward the proprietress.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

As the party descended into the Howling Hills toward Mikola, Halbrecht turned to Sir Bedmond as the man addressed him.



"We must be careful, my lord. There is a price upon your heads - or so we have been told - since we have left the safety of Westbow, who knows what dangers lay before us. I highly suggest we cloak ourselves, hiding our heraldry and claim to be mere mercenaries."

"A capital idea, old friend!" Drunkenly states Dormir, "Indeed, we shall be nothing more than the refuse of the war to the east... Of course, I will have to shed my disguise to go see my dear friend Slaka Petnova, the Countess of Eaglefeather. She and I have enjoyed many a fine night in each others company. Since we were children, you see. I was to be wed to her, but my short lived stint with the Blue Hunters dashed such hopes. Woe is me, cursed to be too gifted with both magic and beauty for my own good!"

Sir Bedmond rolls his eyes, "Regardless, a disguise would be important... Unless your lordship and ladyship would like to announce our presence..."

"Don't be daft Bedmond! My lord is no fool! Mikola is a town full of the worst sort of mercenary scum. It is no place for the faint of heart, or for those who have bounties on their heads..."

Not for the first time, Halbrecht found himself missing Ash again.

She'd have all the magic tricks we'd need to pull this off for sure.

Sometimes I'm kind of sad Hal never found about Ash's gender-swapping shenanigans. Now would have been a perfect time to introduce Hannelore.

"No, Sir Bedmond, you very much have a point - if we go around without any sort of disguise, we'll be caught for sure. And Dormir -" Halbrecht gave a sigh. "Unless I say otherwise, you are not to go see Countess Petnova. You may have a history with each other, but we are in the middle of a war, and that does very, very funny things to past relationships. We simply cannot risk that she will give us, or you, away."

As he spoke, there was a mild tinge of apology in the Earl's voice.

Diplomacy: [roll0]

*** Later, inside Mikola... ***

Easing into their seats at the cursed blade, Halbrecht spoke softly to the others.

"Alright, everyone. We are very much in 'avoid conflict mode' now, so a few things to note. No lavish spending, no drawing attention to ourselves unless absolutely necessary. And don't be afraid to act a little boorish if you have to - it sells the 'mercenary' image. Not too much."

He then turned to Fare.

"See anything?"

Hal makes his own Perception check.

[roll1]
As stated in the OOC, apologies it took so long to post.

On a side note, though, guess what has two thumbs and a new car?

[Felhammer]

Hal scans the room and finds three men wearing blue cloaks. One is a portly dwarf drinking at the bar, the other two are humans, both men, who are playing cards at a table. The first has raven black hair and a large amount of gold coins near him. The second has fiery red hair and a very tiny amount of gold near him.

Sir Bedmond and Dormir saunter up the the bar and each order a stout. After a short - hushed - conversation with the dwarven barkeep, Dormir heads upstairs, alone. Sir Bedmond turns around and rolls his eyes.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare mutters to the others, "The two men gambling there. Blue cloaks. Not what I'd be doing after...well, that but to each their own. Dwarf by the bar too, but less likely. Maybe. Her gaze follows Sir Bedmond to the bar. "I guess that's a better idea on what to do first, though."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"I see them as well. As for the other thing... make sure we all have no more than a couple. We'll need our wits. I'll go grab our order."

Having said this, Halbrecht sauntered over to the bar."Six ales for the lot of us." He gestured roughly toward the table. "Amber if you've got any."

[Felhammer]

The dwarven barkeep pours six amber ales and smiles, "What is a fine looking man like yourself doing in a dung heap like this?"

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka took her ale and scowled. Since she had been a mercenary until relatively recently, she felt no particular need to behave differently, and one thing that she had not missed about that life was hanging out in seedy taverns like this. It reminded her too much of the life she had before she was a mercenary, after she set off on her own .While she had never been driven to join the ladies of the night, being leered at and groped serving drinks and dancing for the same men's pleasure had been their own brand of awful.

And now we know how Raka gained those two points in Perform(Dance)!

On an unrelated(I assume) note, Raka is not commenting on the warning because I was uncertain how to write "Raka dismisses the foreshadowing as nonsensical ravings" in-character

[HanaRei]

Aisha

Aisha's eyes darted around looking upon the establishment. It was far from the most savory place to say the least. She cared little about the strange types seeming to be talking around with people flaunting themselves in such a way (naively not realizing they were prostitutes at all) though the rather shady dealings that seemed to occur within such an area. She truthfully didn't hold that much care for the laws that might be part of civilization as much as what she viewed as more universal 'common sense' laws. It seemed ripe for those looking to swindle others out of their things, and it wouldn't surprise her if it was possible to find people willing to murder for some coin.

She looked to Halbrecht as he ordered drinks, looking upon the ale presented before her. She wasn't much of a drinker... at least in general when it came to attempting to do a job. She couldn't say exactly she never drank before... after all it was something she had done before going beyond her own limit without realizing it a few times in moments of celebrating... as well as those darker times being so easy to pressure into drinking more to drown her problems.

"I don't like this kind of place much..." She spoke idle under her breath. The short frail looking half dragon gulped down a good portion of her ale without much thought about it not likely looking too fitting of such a location herself, despite being quite an able brawler herself even if she physically didn't seem to be so.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht


"What is a fine looking man like yourself doing in a dung heap like this?"

Note to self: Muss hair up a bit more and apply a little more grime next time I do this. It'll sell the image better.

In the meantime, Halbrecht let out a grunt, cracking his shoulder.

"Feh, usual mercenary type thing. Been hard up for work lately, so I thought I'd pop round for some info, some leads for work. Y'know the drill, I'm sure. Don't suppose you get any juicy rumors floatin' through lately, do you?"

It's not a lie, really. I do want info.

Counting out some wands, Halbrecht slid his payment over to the barkeep, waiting to see if she would mention anything before he returned to the table with the party's drink order.

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Drinking sparingly to maintain her edge in case another fight broke out, Lilyanna kept her gaze roving over the crowd. The tavern made her skin crawl. I'll need a bath after we leave this place, she thought.

Perception: [roll0]
I meant to ask this earlier, but I forgot. What does Lily known about Sir Bedmon? Does she know him well, or are they merely passing acquaintances?

[Felhammer]

The dwarven barkeep pours Hal another ale, "Mercenary work, eh? Lots of mercenaries since the war started. Hopefully that Earl keeps the war from coming over here." She smiles as she says, "You work for a mercenary company or do you freelance? If you are looking for work, I know someone who might be interested. He needs an escort to take him to another city.

You see that a two humans clad in black cloaks seem to be watching Halbrecht intently. They are sitting on the opposite side of the tavern. They are doing their best to not appear as if they are staring but your keen eye catches them multiple times.

Sir Bedmond is a knight in service to your father. He is a stalwart man who has served your father admirably for many years. He was a mercenary who proved his worth while escorting your father on a mission. The caravan was assaulted by Dire Wolves. Sir Bedmond slew 7 Dire Wolves by himself. For his bravery and martial prowess, your father knighted him. Since then, Sir Bedmond has been exceedingly loyal to your family and is a trusted ally (in a world where allies are fleeting).

Your OOC cracked me up! :D

[Rysc]

Fare

As the barkeep continues speaking, Fare keeps her best neutral expression on and pretends to be very interested in the drinks--though she keeps an eye on the rest of the tavern. She definitely couldn't convinve anyone of anything, but she could at least look out.

Any of the blue cloaks doing anything suspicious-> Perspective: [roll0]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht



The dwarven barkeep pours Hal another ale, "Mercenary work, eh? Lots of mercenaries since the war started. Hopefully that Earl keeps the war from coming over here." She smiles as she says, "You work for a mercenary company or do you freelance? If you are looking for work, I know someone who might be interested. He needs an escort to take him to another city.

Well, we share that hope, at least.

"I work for myself, along with a few other friends. Tell me a little about the escort."

Probably not going to take it, but it can't hurt to listen to what she has to say.

Only one more day of work before I finally get a break! Woohoo!

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

After keeping her gaze on the two watchers for a moment, the Paladin nudged Halbrecht softly and turned her head to the side. "Two men. Black cloaks. Seem a little too interested in you," she whispered.

[HanaRei]

Aisha

She looked over to Halbrecht, a bit puzzled as he asks about the escorting job not really catching on immediately to what he was doing. She noticed Lily nudging Halbrecht to try and whisper something. She blinked glancing around looking at the place. A place for mercenary work seemed to make a bit more sense... it did seem to be a ripe area for people to obtain all sorts of work... much of which was likely on the unsavory side.

[Felhammer]

You notice one of the men in blue cloaks keeps eying the staircase that Dormir just ascended.

The dwarf pours Hal another drink, "Simple mission. Escort the man and his bodyguard from here, across Westbow to Ft. Pinewood. Let the man do his business, then escort him back here. Simple and easy. To avoid the army, you will have to take the long away around through the foothills of the Snowwall Mountains. Lots of beasties out there. Very dangerous... But I think you could handle it."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht felt Lilya nudge him, and he decided to wrap things up.

"Gonna have to run it by the girls first, but we'll think on it. Thanks for the tip."

Paying for his drinks, Hal lead them back to the table.

"Any idea why? Any attention's questionable, but... well, I suppose we'll just have to keep an eye out. Now, the big question... How do we get that cloak off the people in blue?"

[Rysc]

Fare




"Any idea why? Any attention's questionable, but... well, I suppose we'll just have to keep an eye out. Now, the big question... How do we get that cloak off the people in blue?"

"Actually, how do we find the people first," Fare corrects. "One of them keeps glancing upstairs but honestly that's the least suspicious you can get. They could just like blue. And if we just happened to come to the same place those people are currently staying at--I'd be surprised."

[Felhammer]

The two men who are gambling look at one another and nod. They politely stand up and walk up stairs...

Meanwhile, the two men in black cloaks continue to stare at Halbrecht.

[Estralita]

Raka

Raka had kept quiet during the initial conversation (although Hal sounded almost painfully out of his depth pretending to be a mercenary) and discussion of the cloaked men. But the too-casual way they both got up and headed upstairs screamed "I am planning to rob and/or murder the noble dumbass."

"I don't know why you're worried. Sounds straightforward and like good money. Plus it has to be better than our last job babysitting the noble pain-in-the-ass. Luc'd agree, which reminds me-" Raka slammed her drink down and headed towards the stairs. "If he wants to be part of the group, he needs to do more than fool around with the ladies of the night"

Hope this doesn't screw things up too badly.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht spoke in a low voice to the others.

"Should we follow her? I hate to leave her alone, and of course there's the matter of Sir Dormir we have to protect, but too many of us and we risk giving ourselves away."

[Rysc]

Fare

Or not. Well.

Fare internally sighs as she notices the two men head upstairs. She looks Halbrecht in the eye at his question, nodding slightly to the bar. Then she gets up and follows Raka, muttering, "Idiot. If we have to drag him down again..."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

"Alright. Let's do this. Keep it quiet - if any of you still have those saps from a while back, now may be a good time for them."

Standing up, Halbrecht also made to follow Raka upstairs.

[Felhammer]

Many in the bar watch quizzically as the magus walks up the stairs with two of her companions.

The upstairs is more of a small loft than an actual level of the building. A heavy set man with a think blond mustache stares at you menacingly. Behind him is an open room with a circular gambling table. Dormir is sitting at the table, along with three other well-to-do men wearing fashionable hats and trendy tunics. They are playing an intense game of cards. The largest pile sits next to Dormir, while the other players' piles seem very small. The mustachioed bouncer merely says, "500 gold buy in."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

Lilyanna remained behind, nursing her drink. In reality, she wasn't particularly thirsty - especially not for something that could dull her senses - and she felt she could do her companions better by remaining downstairs and keeping watch for anything else suspicious. Her first impulse was to follow Halbrecht, but protection did not always mean being stuck to the man like glue. She did, however, shift closer to Sir Bedmond. "I don't like this place," she whispered as she leaned over. "Too many threats."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

As the impromptu fireteam arrived in the attic, Halbrecht's mind filled with concern.

This isn't right. Where are the men in black cloaks who came up here?

As he looked around, Halbrecht rubbed the back of his neck a touch awkwardly.

"Erm... bit steep for my purse at the moment. Unless one of you wanted in?.." He briefly turned to Fare and Raka before quickly scanning the room.

Perception (to try and figure out where the men in dark cloaks going into the attic went): [roll0]

Sense Motive (on the off chance this guy is hiding something and not just your standard tough bouncer persona): [roll1]

[Felhammer]

Dormir scoops up his winnings and slides them into a sack. "Ah, looks like my friends have arrived." He stares over at the party, "Is it lunch time already? I suppose we must go."

The three men sitting with Dormir jump to their feet. "You ain't goin' anywhere? You need to stick around so we can have a chance to win our money back!" The men menasingly put their hands on the hilts of their swords.

The Men in black did not go up stairs. That was in the redacted post. :)

The knight nods to the men in the black cloaks, "They... Will attack us after we leave. They arel ooking for an easy mark, and I assume one of us looks quite alluring to them. We must tread carefully."

[HanaRei]

Aisha

As she watched as part of the group went upstairs, she remained as she was seeming uncertain standing as she was. She looked curiously over towards Lilyanna who had remained. She looked over glancing around the place quietly not certain what she should do herself. She looked to Lily, debating whether to interject before deciding not to push herself into the conversation. She stood up, wandering towards the stairs, stopping however short of going up instead leaning against the side keeping herself a bit alert deciding to stick by the stairway incase. She wasn't really certain what to make of anyone there, being generally uneasy of everyone she saw keeping alert.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Uh-oh. This isn't good.

Realizing that the situation would quickly turn ugly if he didn't intervene, Halbrecht spoke up.

"Now, now, everyone, let's just calm down a touch. Yes, no-one likes losing a hand of cards, but is it really worth spilling blood over? There will be other jobs, other games, other times where that money can be won again. Tell you what - come down, we'll all grab an ale, and the next round will be on me. What do you say?"

Diplomacy, don't fail me now.

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

The knight's remark had a strange effect upon the Paladin. Whatever concern she might otherwise have felt at the prospect of an attack melted in light of the stronger desire for battle. Anything to break away from the stealth and subterfuge the party had had to practice while in enemy territory. "Let them come," she near-growled under her breath.

[Rysc]

Fare

Fare briefly has time to wonder how in the world the party is supposed to stay inconspicuous if Dormir insists on gambling and winning to such a degree. Losers tended to have excellent memories. And tempers.

As Halbrecht attempts to calm the group down, she narrows her eyes but stays silent. Better to see how they react first.

[Felhammer]

Sir Bedmon coos, "I agree. Let them come. They shall meet a quick end at the tip of a sword of house Berngard!

The men look over Dormir, look at Hal and sigh. "You win this round, you lout..." They push their way past the party, each making sure to shoulder check Hal on their way out.

Dormir scrapes the table clean of his winnings and smiles, "That was eventful. Practical too. I know where the man in blue is. He is staying in another inn. He is looking for an escort to take him from here to Ft. Pinewood. If we hurry, we can lure him into a trap and steal the cloak back. Then we will have bot... I mean we will have one of the two items necessary for your quest..." He hurriedly grabs the last few gold wands on the table and makes a move to quickly transition downstairs...

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Halbrecht blinked as Dormir shared his information.

Well, I'll be damned. The drunkard actually contributed meaningfully. Traps are not really my style... but we can hash out the details on the way. The important thing is, we know where the cloak is now.

"Excellent work, Dormir. Let's go downstairs and get the others."

Going back downstairs, Halbrecht motioned to the others and exited the bar, looking around for a more secluded spot before sharing what Dormir had learned.

[Felhammer]

With Dormir forging the trail, the party hurriedly rushes out of the tavern. "I know a shortcut. We must hurry. Another party of adventurers was headed to the cloaked man!" Taking the back alleys, Dormir leads the party to the other end of the town. The farther they go, the narrower and tighter the corners. Suddenly a bolt slams into Dormir's shoulder! He screeches in pain.

Eight cloaked men hustle up and block the exists out of the courtyard. They wear black cloaks and smile as they approach. "You owe the boss a lot of money, little Dormir. 1,000 Wands. Pay up... Or else your friends get it!"

Dormir looks to Hal and Lilya apologetically, "I... Uhh... Well.."

[Othniel]

Lilyanna

"No," Lilyanna stated, taking a step past Dormir. As she moved, she drew her glittering holy greatsword and concentrated on the speaker, shooting a glare his way. "You, and all your associates, are going to go back the way you came and forget about Dormir here. He is under my protection, and if anyone else tries to harm him, you shall feel the bite of my blade."

Moving forward in front of Dormir + drawing greatsword. Move action to Detect Evil on the guy talking, who I assume is C1.
Intimidate to get him to back down: [roll0]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Halbrecht

Even as he heard Lilyanna speak, Halbrecht knew the men would not be swayed.

Oh, bugger it all to hell.

"Dormir, stay down. We'll protect you."

Drawing a sap from his belt, Halbrecht prepared himself, and made one last-ditch effort to dissuade the would-be thieves.

"This is your last chance to walk away. Believe me when I say that we have fought, and defeated, worse foes than you. Is a sword through your gut or a blow to your head really worth this?"

Drawing my sap and making an untrained intimidate check of my own for the win.

Intimidate: [roll0]

[Estralita]

Raka

In hindsight, this was probably the most obvious way things would have gone, (including Dormir somehow managing to solve their problem, and make it ten times worse) but Raka couldn't claim she same it coming.

"I suppose us simply handing over the Wands isn't an option." Raka commented drily, drawing her own blade and enchanting it with power. While normally she preferred to not draw attention to her blades magic, today, she let the pale flames of pure cold shine.

Drawing Raka's scimitar, and spending one point to give it the Frost property.

For the record, do we have that much money on us?