The Mercenaries' Rejects (IC)

[Artman77]

It was a wonderful day in the city of Angst. The birds were chirping and business was booming. There had been several more murders this week than usual, giving the mortuaries, coffin builders, priests and flower shops a fine increase in customers. The duke had just struck an agreement with the gnomish diamond miners and a new lawyer had shown up and gotten many ‘criminals’ out on bail, which had given the thieves guild new business opportunities and new recruits at the same time. And of course, mercenaries were being hired by the cartload to retrieve stolen items, settle turf wars, guard banks, serve as bodyguards to the wealthy, and protect the virtue of young ladies. The ladies were giddy to have a strapping young man by their side, and the mercenaries were even more pleased to accompany them.

A pair of would-be mercenaries are discussing this very problem at over a few drinks.

"Where's Jack? He should be here by now." Says an irritated woman in tight-fitting leather armor.
"Dunno. Probably looking for another sword. He said we would need a few more guys to do this job properly." The other says. He is--well, you don't know what he is. Half-elf maybe? He's skinny, short, has blonde hair and pointy ears. He's ugly though. Really ugly. Maybe he got his face dipped in acid during a job.
"What about Ace?" she asks, tapping her foot.
"Dead." He replies.
"Carter?"
"He's in prison, from what I've heard."
"I can't work like this Hugh. I--" you can hear the exasperation in her voice.
"Look," interrupted Hugh, "We've been over this, none of the options you have for work around here are ones you like. You won't work in a shop, you feel bad stealing, you won't--" he gestures towards her body.
"I know, alright?" she snaps.
"He said this was a big score. Huge. We could buy some proper armor, better horses... Let's just give him a few more hours, alright? Have another drink."
"I could use some new armor. I can't believe jack talked me into getting this one." she rolls her eyes. The armor looks like it was made more for the bedroom than for fighting. The one called Hugh laughs.
"Yeah, well, it got the job done! Our mark certainly was distracted enough to--"
"I can't just sit here. Where is he?" she growls, "He better not be down at Dragon's Head. I told him we were going to meet here."
"Yeah, but all the good fighters will be down at the Dragon's."
"--And all the snoops, and gossips, and backstabbers too. This crowd minds their own business."
"Alright then, show me a good fighter." Hugh challenges, gesturing to the crowd.

She looks around. The crowd is sparse, and not very impressive.

"What about that guy?"
"Ha! Are you serious?"
"Okay, that guy over in the corner."
"No."
"Why?"
"His clothes have holes, armor is dirty, there's a bit of rust on it. He doesn't take care of himself. No self respect equals no respect for others. His nose has been broken one too many times. I bet he's insubordinate too."
"Okay... what about her?" she points to a fetching blonde sipping whiskey at the bar. She seems to be giving Hugh a flirtatious look.
Hugh looks over his shoulder to see if a more handsome man is sitting behind him. There is not.
"She's looking at you Hugh," she says.
Hugh shifts uncomfortably in his chair.
"Jack would never go for it," he says.
"Okay then, this place is dead. I'll go put up a sign in the square. McGees?"
"Sound's good to me. I'll check and see if Jack is at the Dragon's, and we'll meet you there."
She gets up from the table and pushes her chair in.
"You got this?" she asks, gesturing at the empty mugs, "I'm all out."
"Mm-hmm," Hugh mutters, his eyes still lingering on the blonde...

[Mai]

Ziri sighed softly and finished her mead as she listened. Apparently she wasn’t even listed off as a decent fighter or warrior. Though the Apparently sexy lady eyeing the man was. Perhaps that was what was missing. Sex appeal. Mai’s expression grew hard for a second before relaxing. She had been facing away from them, still… It was sometimes so annoying being a gnome. Constantly underestimated. Sure she was wearing leather armor, a scimitar, and a dark wood shield. But no matter how clean and we'll taken care of her gear was, her size made some people treat her as a child wearing fake armor and a wooden stick compared to the human race. Well… whatever the race was. Her friends had assured her that humans, elves, half elves, etc. Were all different races. But as is common for gnomes, sometimes it felt like a big joke. They seemed so similar… but to them they weren’t. People are weird.

Regardless she listened on. So… one was heading to another place to find “Jack”, whoever that was. Another was headed to the square. Mcgees? Ziri wasn’t sure about that, but she say at the bar for a minute, giving a fake yawn and looking around. Hopefully looking every bit the patron that was ready to head out, before she made to hand the barkeep a small tip on top of what she had paid. She was down to notably less than 300gp. She wasn’t broke yet but she prefered to get to work anyway. Perhaps being modest and not having inclinations to bet of spend too much helped keep her coin purse full.

Ziri grabbed her strap and tossed it over her shoulder, and secured it. On her last profitable venture, which had been a while, She’d purchased this. While this enchanted pack was still pocket money compared to most magic items, it had still cost her 2,000 gold pieces. But… it would pay for itself eventually, and it helped lower the weight burden on both her and Mai. With her pack secure, she slid off the stool and walked out shortly after the lady had headed off to the square. Hopefully long enough to not be obvious, but should enough so she could still see her. She’d erred on the side of caution and had perhaps jumped the gun and left a tad too early to be truly inconspicuous. She debated darting for the woods and righting Mai to the square, hoping that would make her seem more strong and employable. But that would be quite showy, and unsubtle. In the end she decided she’d just follow at a distance. Hopefully arrive and look at the sign before she had left after placing it.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Ilianna watches the conversation between the two mercenaries, maintaining eye contact with the one called Hugh, but trying not to seem too interested in the substance of their conversation. This could be my chance she thinks to herself as she see's the woman stand and make her way to the door. She drops a few silver pieces on the bar to cover the whiskey, grabs her glass and makes her way to the table where Hugh is seated.

"Hello there my good man" she begins, a broad smile on her face. "My name is Anna. I'm new in town and I couldn't help but notice you across the bar." She gesturers to the empty chair, continuing "mind if I join you for a drink? You look a little lonely now that your friend has left." Not waiting for a reply she slides into the chair opposite Hugh. She finishes the whiskey in her glass and sets it on the table. "So are you a local.. Hugh is it? I thought I heard your friend call you that. Or are you a solider of fortune, like me?"

[Addy]

Garrett Creel

The scoundrel heard as much of an opening as he needed. When the female said, "You got this?" gesturing at the empty mugs, "I'm all out." He quickly ordered as many mugs of his favorite drink, the Lost Halls Porter, a Dwarven Stout whose recipe was lost for centuries and only recently brought back and commercialized to hell and back. With several mugs in hands he strolls over to the group with a confident swagger. "Well, doesn't look like that will be a problem any more. For you, and you, and each of you as well..." Garrett passes out drinks to the small group.

"My name is Garrett, and may this be the beginning of a beautiful..." he trails of to make a devilish wink to the woman in the tight fitting leather "relationship. Strictly platonic of course." The rogue takes a drink from his mug before continuing. "You need someone who can handle a big score... look no further."

Physical DescriptionSlightly above average height with a strong, chiseled build. Garrett has dark, well kept hair and a well trimmed build. His eyes are hazel and change colors with his mood. He has tan skin and a very handsome face. He dresses nicely and has an air of confidence about him. He wears a finely crafted mithril kukri on each hip.

Diplomacy: [roll0] BOOM!!! NATURAL 20!!!

[Artman77]

Garret and Ilanna
"Mmm..." The young woman steps towards the newcomer and leans forward, her breasts threatening to pop out at any moment. "Aren't you sweet?" Garret holds still, waiting for her to reach out and touch him. But she does not. She gives a dismissive laugh and sets the new drink down on the table.
"Hugh? He's all yours." and with that she turns on her heel and walks out.

Hugh chuckles.
"Sorry Garret, I don't think you're her type. I'll be honest, a pair of knives isn't that impressive. We're going to hold tryouts tomorrow, and it's going to be busy. If you want to make your case before tryouts I've got time to listen."

"Same goes for you, Anna. I can see you're not the physical fighting type, so you might not be a good fit for the Axe Gang. What other skills are you bringing to the table?"


Ziri
Ziri wasn't the only one interested in the posting. A mob of colorful job-seekers gathered round, each eager to see if the new posting was one in their field of expertise. The tradesmen sighed and turned away when they realized it was not. Ziri tried her best to make her way to the front, jostled by several unobservant men in the process. Two wooden poles held a large board that was covered top to bottom with bits and scraps of paper. Some were asking for specific professional services--architect, glazier, translator--but most were for cheap manual labor or else new 'talent' for the pleasure houses. A new piece of paper was unceremoniously tacked in the center and on top of all these. The note read:

Seeking all prospective Adventurers and Mercenaries
The Axe Gang is seeking new recruits for a large job guarding and transporting a precious cargo over a long distance.

Applicants must:
-Be skilled with at least sword or bow
-Possess the constitution to make a long journey
-Have no ties to the mercenary guild or other organization
-Have no outstanding warrant for their arrest

Additional skills such as trap-making, armor and equipment repair, rope work, animal husbandry, hunting, tracking, and scouting are a plus.
Anyone afraid of barbarian tribes, ogres, or trolls need not apply.

Interviews and try-outs will be held to-morrow the 5th, and the next 6th, at McGees Brawl House, located at the end of Oak Lane. Ask for Jake.


A big man pushed past her without so much as an apology. Other men tried to make their way to the front, squeezing her to the back.

"Hey!" came the sudden voice of man behind her. She turned to see who he was. It was a dark haired man of perhaps twenty, clean shaven and dressed in smart leather armor. "Your bag!" he shouted. She turned to see that her backpack was gone. Despite the multiple straps and buckles--how--? The young man took off through the crowd after the thief. "Wait here!" he called out as he flew past.

[Mai]

Ziri saw the sign and was thinking when someone made a point of her backpack. Aparently in all the shuffling and shoving her aside her backpack was gone Someone ran after the taker. And of course, most of her stuff was in there. If she didn't get it back she'd loose her bedroll, winter blanket, and far more. Mai pulled out a whistle and let out the biggest blast she could hopingMai, with her animal senses could hear from just outside town. Hopefully but it she wasn't too optimistic. She wasn't familiar with Angst. She sighed and quickly caste Longstrider on herself before giving Chase. Now at least she could move as fast as a human. She couldn't risk looking nearly all hernsuplies. She could get another pack eventually... She supposed... But that had cost a full 2/3rds of her funds by itself.

If on the off chance that this square wasn't too far from the edge of town, and Mai actually heard her, she was able to track by scent, so finding the pack with her scent all over it was not going to be terribly difficult. But that was a sizable "if".

If she was terribly lucky though the whistle would at least alert more people and someone the thief ran by would intervene. If not, with all her camping equipment and rations, the next week or so till she could resupply was not going to be so pleasant.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"Well.. I'm good with a bow, and of course I can get plenty physical when needed" she say with a wink and a smile, "but not until another drink or ten." She grabs one of the mugs of porter Garrett had set down, giving him an approving nod. "Thanks chief" she says, tipping the mug back and taking a long drink.

She sets the mug down and mumbling a few words; snakes her slender arm forward, turning her palm up and lightly touching the underside of Hughes chin with her index finger. She rubs her finger lightly over the stubble on the underside of his chin, saying "I have all sort of hidden talents that a traveling band of sellswords would find useful." Suddenly above their head, 4 small globes of light spring into existence close to the ceiling, circling each other in a tight arc, shedding bright light across the room.

The small globes slowly chase each other for a second, and before Anna says softly, "And that's just the tip of the iceberg sweetie.. I'm someone you should get to know." Then she winks at Hugh, and as she does the globes wink out of existence, the normal shadows of the bar reclaiming the space.


Using the Conceal Spellcasting skill trick to cast Dancing Lights. It's an opposed spot check vs my Sleight of Hand ([roll0]) to notice that I'm casting a spell.
Diplomacy check [roll1]

[TankLaser007]

Talisin rubed his hands together the mix of earth and blood peeled off and fell to the ground in black ribbons. It reminded him of the dough he used to help his mother knead, only is was a blend of Falada’s blood and the earth of her freshly dug grave. He began laying the stones he had collected early over the small mound of freshly turned earth forming a small cairn. The work had taken him the better part of the day, the morning had gone, and he would have to move soon if he had any hopes of entering the retaliative safety of a settlement before nightfall.

His work finished he said a few quiet words to Gadhelyn before turning his attention to the vellum map lain out near the makeshift grave site. He studied the ink scrawled work for a few moments, looking at the line of hills to the east he traced his finger along his previous path, pausing for a few seconds over the place where Falada and he had been ambushed the day before. He had tended her wounds as best he could and had hoped they would make it to a settlement where she could be treated, however that wasn’t to be. She succumbed to her injuries in the night.

He shook the memory of her passing, there was nothing that could be done now, and he still had his mission. He drew his long finger down the trail until it ended at a settlement, Angst. He hadn’t heard of it before but it would have to do. He removed the four stones from the corners of the the map tossing them near the base of Falada’s cairn, rolled the map and placed it back in its case. He gathered the rest of his belongings, shouldered his pack made sure his quiver was secured firmly as well before bracing himself for his final piece of equipment.

He knelt down, taking the eleven crafted saddle in his hands before hefting it on his shoulder, he turned once more before setting out to look at the grave, and bid his old friend Falada farewell and set off towards Angst.


...

So this was Angst. The elf surveyed the settlement, taking a moment to catch his breath before continuing. He would have to find lodgings for night, also a place where he could hopefully either buy another mount or sell Falada’s saddle, tack and harness. It would all depend on the prices here. His keen site picked up what looked to be a bustling town centre, as well as several inns and watering holes. He adjusted his hood pulling it a bit more forward hoping to obscure his features more in shadow, one never knew in these parts how the humans would receive an elf.

His ears caught the shrill sound of a whistle being blown and what looked like a little girl playing in the centre, running off and blowing her whistle in whimsy. Well one inn would be as good as any other he guessed, the Gilded Goat. Interesting name for an establishment but it was the first inn he came across and the saddle was heavy, besides he was hungry and thirsty and still there was the matter of looking for work, among other things, to be dealt with.

[Artman77]

Garret and Illana
"Mmm," muses Hugh, not looking up. He leans back in his chair and sighs, unimpressed. "I concluded you were an enchantress before you walked over. You're not a warrior, obviously, which left either enchantress or assassin. If you were an assassin the merchant's guild surely wouldn't have turned you away, but since you are here I can only assume you are practicing magic without a license. This doesn't matter to us outside the walls of the city--we do as we please--but inside the city we follow the law as best we can, which means you'll be useless to us while we're still here. And, if that was the case, it means you would only get half pay. Mysterious implications and allusions to your power will not convince us to hire you. We need demonstrable facts. What experience do you have?" Hugh turns back to Garret, taking a mug.

"Thank you sir," he says with a nod. "Can you wield an axe? This is the axe gang, not the knife thrower's club."
He pats the hefty axe laying before him on the table. The blade is the heavy style of the mountain barbarians, not something you would expect a half-elf as small as Hugh to wield.

Ziri
The crowds are thick, and the men are tall. You run as fast as you can, feeling your speed increase as the spell takes effect. You jump up on barrels and window sills to try and catch a glimpse of the thief, but he is lost in the crowd, as is his pursuer.

Talisan
The innkeeper is friendly. Overly friendly. He gives you the key to your room with a smile. He offers you some lunch, tells you where the best taverns are, even gives you directions to a stable where you might sell your saddle.

You unpack your things. The room is small but cozy. You check to make sure everything is in it's proper place. You turn to leave.

Six town guards in full armor block your path, their swords glowing menacingly with magic.

"Come with us." one says, the look on his face is cold and you know he means business.

[TankLaser007]

Talisin slowly raises his arms up, palms out and up to his shoulders.

"Of course." he says moving slowly towards the men in the direction they indicate.

"If I might ask as to what this is about?" he says as he continues to go where directed, all the while keeping his hands up. "I have only now arrived here and assure if there has been breach of law or custom it was not intentional."


[roll0]
[roll1]

To see if anything seems out of the ordinary regarding these watchmen

[Artman77]

Talisin
"Merely a precaution. We need to take you in for questioning, then you will be free to go. If you don't mind..." he holds up a pair of manacles. Two of the other guards move to collect your things.

the guards seem legit. None of them appear nervous or are acting suspicious or anything. forgot to mention that the room has no window.

[TankLaser007]

Talisin places his hands out in front of him for the guards.

"Very well then. I shall offer no resistance."

True to his word he offers no resistance and follows where they lead him.

[Addy]

Garrett Creel

Garrett frowns a bit and responds to Hugh. "Of course I can wield an axe. For a while I used handaxes, quite well actually. Though, to be fair, the balancing is a bit different and I won't be quite as... deadly as I normally am. Besides, you probably don't consider handaxes as 'real' axes." Garrett is getting nervous about the idea of getting back into a full blown gang. Last time that had rather unfortunate consequences. Now, this Anna... she seemed like his kind of partner. No not like that... well she could... but... anyway. Her magic would certainly be useful and he was typically mistrusting of those who thought they new the only way to pull a job. Diversity was useful. This Axe Gang seemed like the kind where everybody would repeatedly try to pound a square peg into a round whole, and anyone who suggested using a different peg would be laughed at, ridiculed, and ignored. Buuuuuuuuuut... Garrett was much to broke to be picky. Something about beggars can't be choosers or whatever.

Having no where else to be, Garrett waits around to see what this conversation will bring as he sips on his stout.

[Mai]

Ziri sighed as she finally had a vantage pointing to see no one. At this point she sighed and went back to double check the posting and commit commit it out I memory of she had it wrong. This was the biggest problem of her size. Everyone was so much taller than her, and faster in terms of walking speed. She could only hope the thirds pursuer was true to his word and wait for a while. No one seemed to have taken her whistling as a sign of alarm. Perhaps the people here were just inexperienced with gnomes and mistook her for a child. She hoped not, especially considering that she was over 60 and they were the children in comparison age wise. Regardless of her failed attempt falling her, she sighed and looked for a place next to the board with the notice to sit. If there were no benches, she’d lean against a wall and wait a while. It galled her that she had failed in her pursuit. All she could do now was so as he had said and wait here.

She had followed the last out when she said she was coming here to post the notice. She had hoped to apply then and there before she left after posting it. But the swarm of humans and the like had prevented her from reading the notice fast enough. So she hadn’t had a chance to. Oh well. No doubt Mai hadn't heard the whistle as expected. She hasn’t honestly hoped she had. But she would have hoped some of the people who heard it and saw someone running with a backpack that didn’t fit him (she was a gnome after all) and a guy chasing him would have intervened. All she could do now was find a visible place to wait. She’d have to wait till tomorrow to gather more information and apply.

Ziri’s face betrayed her weary, exasperated mood. She let out a stream of whimsical curses that might not actually be considered curses. Not only did she say her whimsical half curses in common, but mixed in celestial, gnomish, draconic, druidic, and elven. She muttered these to herself, constantly changing languages with each one. One would notice that each pseudo-curse would get more and more whimsical and goofy and her expression slowly betrayed humor and they got more and more whimsical.

She's half muttering these to herself, your likely to hear her if you pass by where she is within 5 or so feet. Though your unlikely to understand much of what she's saying unless you speak fluent elven, draconic, celestial, or gnomish considering she'a constantly switching languages. Anyone who just speaks common is unlikely to understand much.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"Implications and allusions are all our current setting will allow for. I've gotten good at concealing my spell-craft, but conjuring fire or another display of my power would be ill advised in the middle of a bar." Her tone had changed from playful, to all business. "As to experience, I've been doing this a long time and I'm still here. You need to be able to keep a cool head and keen wit these days if you want to survive, and I've got it."

She takes another drink from the tankard and leans back in the chair. "But I understand you not wanting to take my word for it. I assume there will be a more formal vetting process?"

[Artman77]

Ziri
The day passes. Your stream of random mutterings cause a few people to walk a wide path around you, mistaking you for a crazy person. A few people throw coins at your feet without looking, thinking you're a beggar.

Garret and Ilianna
"Yes, there will be tryouts at McGee's on the morrow. Take the smallest road in the market east. That is oak lane. You'll recognize it by the many oaks along the way. Follow it over the hill, and McGee's will be at the end. Can you both ride, and are you opposed to long-distance journeys? We have a potential client lined up for our services, but the job might be a bit more arduous than you are used to. To say it will be risky is an understatement--there will be financial compensation, of course--but it is quite probable one of you will be eaten by trolls."

Talisin
The guards put the manacles on and walk you downstairs, stopping to thank the innkeeper for his patriotism and tell him not to rent your room to another customer. They walk you outside and lead you to the center of the city.

The jailhouse is a mammoth three story stone structure fronted by a pair of watchtowers. There is a tiny, stuffy office to the left of the main hall, where a man in a dark suit pours frantically over piles of open books. There is a cell--or a cage--opposite the office where a pile of drunks are sobering up. The guards lead you down a narrow hall, their armor occasionally scraping the walls.

The door at the end opens to a huge office. The floor is quite clean. Other than bookshelves and a desk, the room is empty. The guards spread out once inside, thankful for the elbow room. An irritated middle-aged man is sifting through several stacks of papers, squinting at each through a pair of half-moon spectacles. The bloodhound that lays on the floor next to him lifts his head as you walk in. He gets up slowly off the floor and pads over. His nose twitches as he sniffs your hand.
"What?" the man grumbles, not looking up. His thinning hair hangs in greasy strands around his shoulders.
"We have an elf here, sir." says one.
"Do you now?" He looks up. "What is your name lad, and where do you come from?"

He narrows his gaze on you as you speak, measuring your words carefully. He thinks for a moment and then asks a series of questions in quick succession, his words cold. He wants to know if the place you came from your home, or is that somewhere else?
Why did you leave?
Did you travel alone?
Why have you come to Angst?
What do you plan on doing while here, specifically?
How long are you staying?
Do you know anything of the attacks by elves on human settlements along the boarder?
His words finally slow as he contemplates your answers.

"There was an attack on the north road just a few miles from here..." He takes his glasses off and places them gently on the desk. He folds his long, bony fingers in front of him, "do you know anything about it?" he looks casually at the bloodhound, who by now has stopped sniffing you and sits at attention.

[TankLaser007]

"What is your name lad, and where do you come from?"

"My name is Talisin Moonhunt, son of Kaiyasul and Ruxana, I hail from the Glade of Seven Arrows in the forest of Lorien."

He narrows his gaze on you as you speak, measuring your words carefully. He thinks for a moment and then asks a series of questions in quick succession, his words cold. He wants to know if the place you came from your home, or is that somewhere else?
Why did you leave?

"I have been away from my homeland for at least twenty years, I had... personal reasons. Let us say, a 'disagreement' between some of my people and my self, the nature of which has no bearing on the good people of Angst."

Did you travel alone?

"Until a short while ago I travelled in the company of Falada, my horse, other than her I am presently alone."

Why have you come to Angst? What do you plan on doing while here, specifically? How long are you staying?

"I am hoping to find another mount, perhaps some work, and there is the matter of some people I am looking for. A human woman she would be perhaps between forty and fifty years of age, maybe as old as sixty... she may be in the company of a half elf around thirty years of age. I only wish to inquire here about their possible whereabouts and perhaps make available some of my skills. I am a bower, fletcher and scout. I was not planning to stay here more than a few days, a week at most. "


Do you know anything of the attacks by elves on human settlements along the boarder?

"As I mentioned before I have not been home in almost two decades. Although, skirmishes along the hinterlands between Lorien and Rend have been occurring since I was a boy, however I have no news regarding these recent events other than to say it is unfortunate for all concerned and that I hope that things can be resolved peacefully."

His words finally slow as he contemplates your answers.

"There was an attack on the north road just a few miles from here..." He takes his glasses off and places them gently on the desk. He folds his long, bony fingers in front of him, "do you know anything about it?" he looks casually at the bloodhound, who by now has stopped sniffing you and sits at attention.

"I was, myself ambushed about a half a days walk from here. Falada, my horse, was injured in the attack. I didn't stick around to see who it was, crossbow quarrels and a few arrows, fortunately they were not that good of shots, but sadly a few of the bolts struck Falada. She is buried maybe four hours or so walk outside of the city, if you would care to inspect her grave or remains. Aside from that I am afraid I have nothing more beneficial to offer. I wish I could be of more help. If you would like I might scout the area for you, or assist in any security measures you might deem necessary. "


Everything he has said is true;
[roll0]

[Artman77]

Talisin
"Very well then, once you speak to Ashathalan you'll be free to go." The man puts his glasses back on and shifts a stack of papers from the center of the desk to the edge, and grabs a new stack.
"Um sir, Ashathalan is indisposed at the moment," says a guard.
The officer's chest tightens as he forces out a gravely, angry sigh.
"Then throw him in a cell until the inspector comes, inform him of the situation and tell him to bring another wizard."
"The cells are all full," the guard mumbles.
The man puts down the paper he was looking at and glares at the guard over the rims of his spectacles.
"Then throw him in the dungeon, I don't care, just--"
"The cells aren't all full," offers another guard, "They let Ignacio out this morning. Remember? That new lawyer??"
"What?" snaps the man, standing abruptly. The wooden legs of the chair scrape hard on the stone floor as he does so, and it nearly topples over. He runs out of the room.

The guards shrug, and lead you to a cell block at the back of the jailhouse. Half-orcs spit at you as you pass.
"I'm getting out of here soon," says a bald-headed man in the cell across from you. His arms are thick as tree trunks, covered in tattoos. He grins, and you notice he is missing some teeth.
"No you're not," laughs a brown haired rouge in the cell next to you. "You're getting the noose this time."
"Am not."
The rouge leans casually back against the wall, silent for a bit. He has seen better days. His armor is in tatters and he has a black eye. Blood drips from his nose. After a while he turns to you.
"What are you in for?" he asks.

[Mai]

Ziri sighs and grows irritated at the sideways glances and careful avoidance, even more So the money throwing she wasn’t begging. As people clearly incapable of understanding any other languages judged her She would slowly stop and wait in silence. However there was nothing to be done. By the time the day was starting to move towards night she had no luck or seen any glimpse of her backpack. She had hoped some human running with a gnome sized backpack would have caught attention but apparently no one used their wits, or no one could be bothered to care.

Ziri would wave over any beggars she saw (if any, at your discretion) and motion them to take the money thrown to her. She had no need of it compared I to them. Ziri would head back to the pursue had come from, and along the way purchase a flask. Thank god she still had her coin purse at least. She would stow it as discreetly as possible afterwards, having learned a valuable, if expensive, lesson about thieves. She sighed as she ordered a glass I of weak honey mead, and sat down looking around. Perhaps she would have done better to wait here and accost the person remaining here about the job like others seemed to have. She sighed wearily and frowned, before taking a sip. She wouldn’t be here long, she’d need to head out to set up camp for the night soon. Ziri fidgeted and adjusted her belt and spoke softly. ”Of all the days to have bad luck.” Ziri would sip anxiously and lightly at her drink and when she had drank enough for the rest to fit in her flask, she would. She had no desire to get drunk. She never drank strong drink, but as she had already had a glass earlier today, she would stow most of her drink in her new flask.

Flasks are 3cp and a glass of ale is 4cp, but mead is perhaps a little more expensive so I’ll pay 5cp, more within reason if for some reason my logic is off, or the price of honeyed mead is really important for some reason. :p Already deducted. Yes honey mead can be up to 20% alcohol at maximum, so I specifically specified she would order the weakest available. (It's low end alcohol content can be as low as 8 or less. (I specifically looked this up for this post. XD)

[TankLaser007]

The rouge leans casually back against the wall, silent for a bit. He has seen better days. His armor is in tatters and he has a black eye. Blood drips from his nose. After a while he turns to you.

"What are you in for?" he asks.

"Me?"

Talisin looks around his cell, then at the rogue.

"From what I understand I am here for being an Elf. And it would see to wait for someone named Ashathalan. And yourself why might you be here?"

[Addy]

Once out of hearing of Hugh, Garrett smiles at Anna. "So Anna, I am Garrett. Seems there is a chance that in the future, you and I may be working together soon. Even if this whole Axe Gang thing doesn't pan out, I think the two of us might be able to work up quite a hustle... or scheme, or well, maybe even just a good paying job".

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Well met Garrett, I am Ilianna, but you can call me Anna. It's been a while since I worked with a partner, but it's getting more and more difficult to find work these days. I must agree I don't particularly care for the tenor of potential employer. I've worked with men of his ilk before. Always thinking with their blade to the exclusion of everything else.

Anna will pass time in the bar the rest of the evening making small talk and keeping her ears open for interesting opportunities, before retiring the inn where she's staying.

[Addy]

Garrett decides that getting a room for the night and resting up for the big day tomorrow will be a good idea. Fighting hungover is no good, so off to bed. (How much for the drinks and a room?)

[Artman77]

Talisin
"Ashathalan? Cuthbert's mercy. Sorry to hear that," he ponders for a moment, his gaze on the ceiling.
"I'm probably here for tax evasion. Not that I don't pay my taxes--" he adds quickly, looking serious, "--it's just that I'm behind, that's all. Or they could be making a fuss over my papers, or fighting, or public indecency. I don't know. They have a law against everything it seems, nowadays. I've half a mind to be a hermit or a druid or something. Live in the woods somewhere by myself." He sighs heavily, his eyes focusing on something very far away.
"The truth is, I'll be about as lucky as you to make it out of here. I don't have the money for bail, much less a lawyer..."

There is a commotion at the end of the hall and all the prisoners get to their feet to try and see what's going on. A tall, dashing man in an expensive suit strides down the hall, his polished black boots clipping the floor. An unhappy looking jailer trudges along behind him holding a ring of keys. The man has piercing eyes, high cheekbones, and long black hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. The blue silk suit is heavily laden with gold thread and trimmed in white. A matching white scarf is wrapped around his neck.

"Which of you can tell me about the Axe gang?" he asks quietly. His voice is calm and even, but the question comes out more like a demand than a request. He glances quickly from prisoner to prisoner, but you get the feeling that his sharp eye misses nothing.
"I can," smiles the rouge, raising his hand and stepping forward.
"They're good for nothing," mutters a half-orc, "You should seek the Horrible Heathens. They know how to get a job done.

But the man doesn't hear them. Something else has caught his attention. He is focused intently on you. He steps closer to your cell.
"You. What is your name? Where do you hail from?"
"How was it that you came to be here?"
"Are you good with a bow?"
The man thinks for a moment as you answer.
"I am John Blackwood. You have been unlawfully imprisoned. You can let me secure your freedom and enter my employment, or remain here,"--he wrinkles his nose in disgust--"and take your chances with the inquisitor. Which would you prefer?" the question is rhetorical.
"What about me?" interrupts the rouge.
"I may come back for you."
He turns to the jailer.
"Open this cell." Once the door is open, he tells him to unlock your manacles. The man protests, but after a few stern words does as he is told.
"Come with me."

The sheriff has stepped out for the moment, so bail duties fall to the captain of the guard. The captain of the guard is not happy about this. John tells him, in no uncertain terms, that he will lose his job if he doesn't release you. John goes so far as to pay your bail--even though your arrest was unlawful--and says that he will return on the morrow to collect it. They return your things and let you go.

John leads you out into the street and down a dark alley, telling you to stay close. He points to a tavern across the bright sunlit street. Raucous music and jeering spill out from the inside. A few Half-orcs loiter outside.

"Ignacio is in there. I want you to go and get him for me."

Garret and Illianna
Hugh stands, the conversation having gone as deep as it could go in a public place like this.
"Good luck at the tryouts tomorrow. If you will excuse me, I have something I need to attend to," he offers a polite smile, tosses some coin on the table and walks out.

Ziri
Over the course of the day you see no evidence of the thief's pursuer or of Mai. You spy what seems to be a one-legged beggar at the edge of the square. He eagerly takes the coin you offer and tucks it into his filthy rags with smile.

The bartender doesn't ask what's wrong. He holds his hand out when you produce your flask.
"Give it here." He fills it with mead and hands it back. "On the house. Better luck tomorrow."

Tryouts
The narrow dirt road heads away from the center of town, through a dusty courtyard and past a number of shops. The buildings thin out and the trees grow larger as you head over the last hill, till it seems you are in some sort of wooded grove with a large wooden barn at its center. Shouts and cheers can be heard within.

The smell of sweat and cheap booze assault your nostrils as you enter. Ribbons of sunlight cut through the dark and dusty air. Small tables and stools surround a square arena lined with wooden rails. A pair of heavyset men are boxing in the middle, dripping with blood and sweat.
The skinny redheaded man behind the bar watches the door as cleans a pile of dirty mugs. Seeing you walk in, he catches your eye and motions for you to come over.
"I'm McGee. You here for the fight, or for something else?"

[Mai]

Ziri thanks the barkeeper profusely and heads off for the night. This night she'd sleep outside with Mai. Being a druid,this really wasn’t a problem for her. She could whip up a shelter to suit the terrain, be it a raised platform bed, a hammock, or a leantoo. This night it would be the latter and sleep curled up with Mai, having lost her bedroll as well. If it rained the leantoo would shelter them,if it was cold… well..., she was cuddling a tiger more than twice her size so that would help to be sure.

Ziri woke up the next morning in time to watch the sunset. She spent a while in quiet meditation as she watched, keeping herself in tune with nature and able to perform as a druid well. She’d spend some time taking care of Mai, and eating some breakfast. Mai was to credit for this, having hunted for breakfast. Ziri didn’t eat much, especially not compared to Mai. After that, she’d attack Mai’s barring and adjust it.

Not long afterwards, she and Mai Were walking up the path steadily. Ziri was riding Mai i n an exotic saddle or sits, situated right behind the shoulders, not in the middle of her back (which could be problematic for the tiger. As they arrived at the place she slid off and opened the door to come in. Mai possibly would cause a bit of a commotion when she poked her head in over Ziri’s shoulder, revealing her. Perhaps the Harding would make her more fearsome looking who knew. She would walk in and approach the bartender and answer. “Is Jake here?” unfortunately, perhaps a little irritated at being left out of town yesterday, Mai didn’t wait outside but rather pushed her way through the door and gave Ziri a sly look.


I can roll survival checks if you want and redo my posts for the results. I remember most of my skills. But mythweaver looking all my character sheet data hit hard.

[Addy]

Garrett wakes refreshed and makes his way to the trial. When asked he responds as confidently as he can. "Something else, Hugh sent me for the trial."

[TankLaser007]

"You. What is your name? Where do you hail from? How was it that you came to be here? Are you good with a bow?"
The man thinks for a moment as you answer.

"As I mentioned to the watch captain, or whomever that was, I am Talisin Moonhunt of Lorien, I am simply a traveller who, it would seem, has the 'misfortune' of being an elf in Angst. I minor misunderstanding that I am confident will be remedied. As for the bow, it so happens I am a boyer, fletcher and archer, among other things, should you be in need of such services."

"I am John Blackwood. You have been unlawfully imprisoned. You can let me secure your freedom and enter my employment, or remain here,"--he wrinkles his nose in disgust--"and take your chances with the inquisitor. Which would you prefer?"

Talisin listens to the exchange between the rogue next to him and this Blackwood, he stands as the door is opened and follows the man, he turns his head towards the human and says, "Luck to you, hopefully we can meet again under better circumstances."


"Come with me." Blackwood says leading him out of the prison and into a seedy looking alley, he checks his gear and as it is returned and fastens his belongings back to their places.

"Ignacio is in there. I want you to go and get him for me." he says indicating a seedier looking tavern with a few half-orcs loitering outside.

"What might this 'Ignacio' look like? And should I simply say that mister Blackwood seeks his audience?" Talisin straightens his quiver and shifts his weight a bit as he awaits John's reply.

[Artman77]

Talisin
he will be the biggest, ugliest, hairiest man in the room, surrounded by a crowd of people. Yes, tell him Blackwood wants to speak with him. In no uncertain terms is he allowed to stay in the tavern, I have to speak with him outside.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Anna awakens before dawn, determined to indulge in one more bath before setting out, with the uncertainty that it may be her last for a long time. She dresses and ties her hair back before migrating downstairs to eat a quick breakfast. As she hustles across town toward McGee's, she slows to take time to enjoy the line of oaks as she passes.

As she enter's McGee's, that familiar sense anxiety builds in her stomach and she can feel goosebumps rising on her arms. Constantly underestimated by men such as these, she hated the looks of doubt and derision she received, because of her gender and slight frame. She inhales slowly, composing herself and scans the room. When she see's the roguish man she spoke with the night before, exhales, relieved. She makes her way across the room toward Garrett and the man he was speaking with.

"Aye, I'm here for the trials as well." She says casting a glance and a smirk at Garrett.

[TankLaser007]

Talisin enters the tavern moving quickly past the half-orcs, he pauses by the door scanning the interior quickly so as to have a lay of the land as it were before the tavern's door has even closed. He treats this as hostile territory, and is a bit doubtful as to the "ease' of this little venture seeing as mister Blackwood, himself, is loath to enter Talisin has cause to think there is likely more here than meets the eye, and that usually means danger.

Assuming the patrons have turned to see who has entered the tavern, and still before the door has fully closed Talisin raises his voice above the din of the occupants, "I am looking for Ignacio, I have in my care a trust for him." the stays in front of the door and looks to see if a large man fitting Blackwood's description replies.

[Artman77]

Ziri
No one (except the bartender) looks up as you enter. They are focused on the fight. Or their drinks. Or their friends, whatever. Your answer is drowned out by the sudden roar of the audience as the shorter of the two fighters delivers a heavy blow to his opponent. There is no way McGee could have heard your answer, but he seems to know what you have said. He beckons you come closer and points to a door in the shadows at the opposite side of the arena.

His hand freezes abruptly in the mug he was cleaning, his eyes widening as you approach. Some people jump from their stools as you pass, realizing at the last possible second there is a tiger passing by mere feet from them. The commotion gives the other patrons time to shift uncomfortably in their seat, to move to the far side of their table, to act as if they aren't afraid.

If McGee is afraid, he doesn't show it. Perhaps time spent dealing with violent men performing blood sport for silver has steeled his nerves. He tells you Jack is "out back", motioning to the door.

You leave the dark interior and the noise of the tavern behind, warmly greeted by budding oak trees and sunshine. The six men in line ahead of you look more like beggars than fighters. You notice step in line behind you. The burly human hesitates upon seeing the tiger and loses his place to a skinny half-orc who brushes past him.

"Hey!" the man bellows. The orc whirls on him in an instant, staring up at the bigger man with a murderous look in his eye.
"What?" he challenges, his voice dry and gravely. His veins squirm wildly under his taught green skin. They glare at each other for a minute, the others in line seeming not to even have noticed. The big man decides it's not worth it. He rolls his eyes and they both go back to ignoring each other.

The line terminates at a long wooden table the opposite side of which sit three people. Hugh is there, and his female companion. Between the two is a taller man with medium-length brown hair. Jack, it must be. He looks tired. Disheveled. Slightly morose. His voice drifts across the quiet grove as he rejects one applicant after another.
"....too old, way too old...we......no......sh...i said......no. No."
The man at the front who was rejected shuffles past. He doesn't look that old. He is, you notice, lacking a certain energy though.
"....No..too young....need.......more experience....just no"
Although the next man to leave is rather young, he looks more than capable of being a mercenary. He is huge. Strong. Biceps the size of your head. He has both an axe and a sword, and thick, well-worn leather armor, and scars to match.
"You're too fat....we're....and traveling a long ways....need....nothing personal."
The fat man lumbers past, the breath whistling in his nose as he struggles to breathe.
The next one is a half-orc. He is well dressed, and speaks well. He says he can fight.

"Do you have your own weapon?" asks the man you think is Jack.
"An axe," the half-orc confirms.
"Can you hunt?"
"Yes."
"Can you read?"
He nods. Jack pulls out a paper with some writing on it from somewhere behind the table. He holds it out to the half-orc.
"I do hereby swear to pledge my strength, skills, and loyalty to the axe gang for as long--" the half-orc reads.
Jack takes the paper back, satisfied.
He smiles. He looks at the other two. They smile back.
"Alright sir, over here."
Jack stands up from the table, and motions for the half-orc to follow him. To the right of the table is the 'fighting ring', nor more than patch of dry dirt and sand. The edges of the ring are marked off by several small tree-trunks.
"If you can knock me off my feet, you've got the job."

The half-orc is a head taller than Jack, and faster too. He lunges at the smaller man's legs. Jack springs into action, his hands clawing for a hold around his neck, but it is too late. He hits the dirt hard, the breath whooshing out of him. The half-orc stands, lifting his shoulder off of Jack's stomach.

Jack likes the next man too. He is tall and charismatic. He is strong, and has nice armor. His sword is a custom import from Gishiliad. It crackles with lightning as he pulls it out. Everyone is impressed. Jack leads him to the ring. The contest will be to first blood. Don't hold back, Jack says.

He lunges. Jack blocks. Jack blocks again. And again. The fourth time Jack turns his wrist as his simple blade catches the magical one, and he sends it flying through the air. He gives the man a tiny cut on the cheek.

"Bye." The man's shoulders slump, and he retrieves his blade from a nearby bush.

It's your turn.

"What? No." Jack bursts out indignantly. "I'm sorry we don't take girls or children. This isn't a charity job."

Garret and Illianna
The bigger man pounds the smaller one with a furrious series of blows. Blood spurts from the man's nose and drips down his chest. The crowd roars quite loudly for it being this early in the morning. McGee points you in the direction of the door at the opposite side of the arena.

Outside you see a gnome and tiger companion talking to three people at a wooden table next to a patch of dirt. Behind her a big burly man and a skinny half-orc are quietly waiting their turn to apply.

Talisin
The tavern is a long thin hallway. On the right wall is a bar that runs the length of the building, and floor-to-ceiling liquor shelves full with glass bottles. On the left is a single file row of tables that goes to the end and a balcony with a railing, also full of tables down to the end. Dim chandeliers barely provide enough light to see.
The tavern, it seems, is the epicenter for the city's lowlife. No less than fifty people fill the bar and tables in here. The low chatter stops as you enter. All eyes are on you.

"So?" says a big man at a small table all the way at the back. He is surrounded by six "friends", all drinking an laughing.

He is hairy.

The place is about 20 ft wide, 80 ft deep, with 15 ft ceilings. The chandeliers are held up by ropes that are tied to the railing. The 2nd story floor is about 6 ft up from the first floor an has a stairway to your left, near the door. The top of the railing is about 9 ft from the floor.

[TankLaser007]

Surrounded by compatriots and hairy. It seems this John Blackwood was correct on both matters.

Talisin takes a few steps towards Ignacio's table as the door to the tavern closes. "Mister Ignacio. There is a Mister Blackwood who would like a moment of your time, if you can spare it."

[Artman77]

Talisin
The rest of the tavern is eerily quiet. Evey one is still.
"What? You didn't hear me the first time?" he looks at the people around his table. "I'm busy. Get lost."

[Mai]

Ziri sighs looking at Mai. ”Sorry… She’s… a bit irritable about being left outside of town yesterday.” But she said this softly and were words were no doubt drowned out by the reaction. No one seemed happy about a tiger just walking in. Several people compose themselves and try to look all tough and completely unafraid as others take this time to fall from seats or back away. Ziri sighed and thanks McGee, who is probably glad to see them out of his place. The sun is warm, and a healthy looking oak tree is a welcome sight. She shifts her weight and takes her step online as a minor fight erupts when someone is startled by Mai. In the end the bigger man relents and Ziri sighs softly to herself. Mai walks off slightly and waits near the begin i Ngoc the line as things advance. While doing so she shoots the big man and most other people smug looks. Tiger or not she is a cat.

The first man to get to them she sees is dismissed for age. He doesn’t look too old, but perhaps is acting it, he doesn’t look very energetic to be sure. The line slowly progresses. A half off knocks Jack off his feet and seems like he has a job. The charismatic man with a lightning sword looks sure to get in until he fumbles and gets disarmed. A fat man gets dismissed and walks away, having breathing issues. Jack seems to be someone polite in his refusal.

This led Ziri to begin readying herself should she need to prove herself. However the second she got to the table she was instantly rejected. Ziri cursed in gnomish. ”Does no employer in this city know what a gnome is?” She says irritatedly. However her light cursing and comment is overshadowed as Mai slinks up to her looking furiously at Jack, and a low grumble signifies she was working up to a growl. Given that they had edited the bar together the tiger seemed to have taken ziri’s automatic rejection as an insult against her as well, as if he had declared the tiger weak and unskilled.

Ziri sighed and places her hand on the tiger. ”Calm down, if this doesn’t work out we can make a living perfectly well as fur traders, hunters, or anything else perfectly well and happily. And most people here probably couldn’t.” Mai’s low growling slowed and a look of smugness mingled with her anger. ”No need to get all worked up. No one here doubts your prowess Mai.” Ziri worked her hand under the tiger's leather barding and scratched her ear lightly before withdrawing her hand. ”My apologies but even if you don’t see the value in having a druid come along, you shouldn’t judge quite so much by appearances. I’m not some meek human child who has never seen combat. Nor am I some city girl who has never walked a hundred miles or fought her own dinner. You seem like an intelligent man, nor do your comrades seem to be anything but intelligent, such people no doubt know that it is unwise to judge solely with your eyes. Of I am refused, so be it, I suppose I need the job less than most others here. I can merely head into the wilderness and live quite happily there.” Ziri spoke while holding herself upright, and not with anger or bravado, but with the self assurance that came from having done exactly that for longer than most of them had probably been alive. ” I may lack the size and brute strength of the larger races, but should you need a hunter, healer, tracker, or druid, me and my partner are at your service if not, so be it, and there shall be no hard feelings.”

[Addy]

Garrett is quickly becoming annoyed with this pretentious "Axe Gang". He is very happy with his decision to not bring and axe, and more importantly, is very much ready to not even get the chance at auditioning. Garrett eyes those that got rejected, looking to see who he should try to recruit to start pulling jobs as independent contractors.

[Artman77]

Ziri
Jack smiles sympathetically.
"Good. I'm glad you understand. Mercenaries work is hard work and a no place for a woman. You--"
"--Would be more than welcome to join us," interjects an elf from behind him. She steps out from under the shade of a large oak. You didn't notice her standing there, nor did anyone else, apparently. Was she there the whole time? Did she just arrive, undetected?
"What?" Jack balks.
"She will be joining us. We need her." The elf is tall and regal, with long elegant ears. She's dressed in plain leather armor and a green cloak. She turns to you.
"Please don't be offended by this...man. His way of doing things has been effective up to this point. I am Elliohina, servant to your employer. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She holds her hand out to jack, who reluctantly hands her a contract.
"Uh... next," He says.

Garret
Jack smiles as you step up to the table.
"Finally, a proper fighter! What's your name sir?"
"Areas of expertise? Special skills?"
"What experience do you have?"
"Have you been on a long journey or voyage before? Have you served as a guide in the wilderness before?"
"Can you hunt or track?"

His two companions do not look impressed. The woman seems less enthusiastic to speak to you than before. Hugh seems disappointed that you haven't brought an axe.
"We can do better," they mumble to him.
"Look, we need at least twenty people. We've rejected several old people, women, and people with less experience..."

He squints at you.
"Have I seen you before?" and, after a pause, "The gambling house! That's it! You were taking money from that lump of a dwarf at cards! Whoo-hoo-hoo he was pissed!" his eyes light up with excitement, "How did you fare? Did you take his dwarven gold?"

"Jack!", the woman hisses, disgusted, "You were supposed to be helping us find new recruits, not losing all our coin!"

"And I have! Right here! Welcome to the party Garret!" he extends a hand.

"Doesn't he have to try out like everyone else?" Hugh asks, raising a brow.

"Oh yes, of course," says Jack, leading you to the ring. "First blood?"
He draws his sword.

Illiana
"Next!" Jack says after warmly accepting Garret into the group. His spine stiffens as you approach the table.
"Uh... we don't take women, sorry."
"You know this isn't an assassination or a spy mission right? We don't need a woman to seduce anyone. This is a long, painful journey into the wilderness, risking life and limb?"

[Addy]

Garrett smiles and does his best to hid his annoyance and seem genuinely excited about this opportunity.

"The name is Creel, Garrett Creel, and I am equally skilled in fighting, stealth and diplomacy. My experience includes stints with executive protection, target acquisition, intelligence gathering, asset translocation, and security. Have served as a guide, both in the wilderness and urban environments. I am capable in hunting and tracking, though I am better at tracking people in town than beast in the forest." After giving the brief and clean version of his resume, Garret genuinely smiles at the comment about the dwarf. He did make quite a bit of gold off of that dwarf, and he was rather upset. A shame really, that Garrett blew all of that gold, but Jack didn't need to know that right. "The poor fella was rather upset at losing his clan's hard earned gold. Dwarf's tend to not know how to bluff."

Garrett remains loose when combat is mentioned. The best way to fight is to either avoid them, or win before it even gets started. Option A is out the window, and option B is fading fast. Without so much as saying a word, Garrett pulls out both kukri's and send one flying, end over end at Jack, hoping to catch him in the arm. He just wants to knick him, and not cause any lasting damage.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Diplomacy/Bluff: [roll2] +2 if Diplomacy instead of Bluff

[Mai]

Ziri Almost sighed as he begun to speak. Wow he was sexist. But… She was getting used to that. She was however, irked a bit these people. Truly this society was so rules by humans they seemingly had no interest in learning about other races. That said she hadn’t seen much diversity compared to other places. Oh well. At least she hadn’t been bluffing. She could merely retreat to the woods. This poor man probably couldn’t. Just as she was about to get a denial, though he did so as politely, if misguidedly, as possible, anelven lady stepped out from behind the tree. She hasn’t seen or heard her, not had anyone else so it seemed. Though from the way Jack conceded to her, She was clearly a bit higher up the rungs regarding Ziri’s potential employer.

”It is nice to meet you, I am Ziri, and this...is Mai. Sadly I haven’t seen any elves in this area.” Ziri spoke in fluent elvish, though she spoke somewhat quietly, not wanting to attract attention from anyone who might not care to hear the language. Ziri would first take a moment to point towards the tiger when introducing her. Which caused the tiger to take her eyes off Jack, finally, and walk over. Ziri’s master was an elf, and her old friend…. Ziri shook her head slightly and fingered the silvery line than dna from the right corner of her lips to her right ear. She must break herself of the habit. He wasn’t her childhood friend anymore. Ziri had a passion for languages, knowing a total of 5. Common, gnomish/gnome, druidic, elven, and draconic. She loves getting the chance to use them.

”I hope you are doing well. Thank you for…” Ziri nodded towards Jack. ”I am used to it, it seems most humans can’t tell a gnome from a child, and… that attitude about women isn’t exactly rare either.” Ziri didn’t look too off put. But the fact that Jack hand handed the elf a contract had begun to make her tense again. Contracts could be deal breakers. One piece of paper or parchment with the right words could make or break anything really. ”What next? I imagine just applying and meeting any qualifications probably isn’t it.” Ziri said, returning to common and smiling in a friendly way, idly scratching Mai’s ear, her hand between the tiger's Harding and fur.

I’ve underlined her speech because she is not speaking common. I want some way for others to easily know when she isn’t speaking it. However giving each language a symbol or change would be tedious. If you missed it, this time when she is speaking with underlined text, she is speaking elvish/elven.

[TankLaser007]

Talisin
The rest of the tavern is eerily quiet. Evey one is still.
"What? You didn't hear me the first time?" he looks at the people around his table. "I'm busy. Get lost."

Humans. He would never understand why they seemed to have hostility as their default state of being. Even the more aggressive animals were normally neutral when caught in their environments, and only goaded into aggression, and then usually only in defence. Yet humans. They revelled somewhat in violence and aggression, of all kinds, it was perhaps what made them so passionate in other aspects of their lives as well. He remembered Lokteelena and his cheeks flushed slightly beneath his hood.

"I would be grateful, and willing to compensate you for your time, it will, I should hope, only take but a few moments of your time and should be profitable for all involved." Talisin taps his belt-pouch as he speaks the sound of coin ringing in the silence.



Sorry I some how missed this

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"Yes," Anna says, annoyance in her voice. "I'm aware of the nature of the employment, that the journey will be long and hard, and I'll most likely end up as a snack for a Troll." She wanted nothing more than to unleash the full force of her magic on this boorish thug to shut his mouth, but thought better of it and controlled her temper. She took note of the elf behind Jack, speaking to them both. "I'm aware that I may not look like the typical brute you'd employ, but I assure you I can hold my own in a fight and have skills, both magical and mundane that my previous employers have found useful."

[Artman77]

Ziri
"I recognize your type." The elf woman says. "Three questions...
"Do you speak the language of the druid?"
"Did you buy Mai, or get him to come to you from the wild?"
"Can you tell the difference between a spearmint leaf and dragon's paw?"

She smiles and gives a curt nod, saying nothing else. No further testing is necessary, apparently.

Garret
The blade slices cleanly across the exposed skin of his upper arm. He stands there and stares at you. His poker face is better than the dwarf's was. You can't tell if he is irritated or impressed. His stony expression suddenly breaks into a smile.
"Well done, sir. Welcome to the gang." he scoops your blade up off the ground and steps forward to hand it to you, suddenly stopping to examine it.
"This is kind of an expensive knife to throw away like that though, isn't it?"

Illiana
"What 'mundane' skills do you have?" Jack asks. He doesn't look you in the eye, seemingly too busy taking care of his bleeding arm. He soaks up the stream of blood with a bit of cloth.
"Can you use a bow?" asks the woman sitting to his right. You still haven't gotten her name.

----------------

Talisin
The big man is quiet, considering you for a moment.
"How much?" he growls.

It looks like most of the patrons are willing to go back to their drinks, not wanting to be involved in whatever happens next. Ignacio glances to your left. Did his head just nod? You look to your left and notice a man leaning against the banister of the stairs shift his weight forward onto his feet. His hand reaches into his jacket. For something small. And brown. And worn. The handle of a knife.

[Mai]

"Yes I speak druidic, can you?" Ziri spoke in druidic, before changing tack. "err.. Yes I can. As for Mai, from the wild. What kind of druid buys their animal companion? Ziri smiled playfully, the question was rhetorical, but she really was curious why a druid would try to buy an animal companion. "My happiest memories are of forming my bond with Mai when she was still growing." Ziri drifted off slightly it was indeed her favorite memory.


[roll0]
[roll1]

The first is survival, the second is Nature (knowledge) she will answer correctly if she meets the DC, or admit she is unsure if she fails the DC, using whichever of the applicable rolls you choose, they could both logically apply, so I feel you should make the choice as the DM. No hard feelings, even if 1 gets it and 1 doesn't and you choose the lower. :)

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"I'm skilled as a lookout, negotiator, scout, and archer in addition to my magical talents. My father is a master bowman of the Woodendale elves and I have been trying with a bow since I was old enough to draw it back. I can hold my own in a fight." Anna says, seeming to talk past Jack at the woman who it seems to her is calling the shots.

[TankLaser007]

Talisin's right hand crosses over towards his quiver, his finger tips hovering just above its opening. His left hand continues to tap his purse, "How does five gold find you? Five gold for five minutes with mister Blackwood?"


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Artman77]

Talisin
"Five minutes. That's all," he warns, "I'm busy". The half a dozen men around the laugh. Their laughter belies the mirth in their eyes, their casual body language the condescending superiority they feel in this place. He pushes himself back from the table with exaggerated effort and stands up. The men watch him as he struts lazily towards you from the back of the bar. He is sixty feet away. A wicked smile grows on the face of one of his henchmen from his seat at the table. Fifty feet. One whispers to another. They chuckle. Forty feet. You get the uneasy feeling that they have become the audience to a play. Laughing because the new actor doesn't know his lines.

Thirty feet. The mood in the room is shifting. No one else is looking up. Their eyes are downcast. You see the veins pumping hard under his hair-covered arms. His neck and shoulders suddenly tense as he lunges forward.

In an instant he breaks into a run. The man to your left draws his knife.

[Artman77]

Anna
"Mmm..." mumbles Jack, unimpressed. "Sorry but--"
"Let's see some of your talents" says the elf behind him. She gestures towards the try-out area.

A roar is heard from inside the tavern as a boy, perhaps thirteen, exits the building and takes his place in line behind the big man.

[TankLaser007]

Nothing as sure in life as the greed of Dwarves, cunning of Halflings, wit of Gnomes, stink of Orcs and the treachery of humans. Talisin opens the door and begins stepping backwards into the street.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Artman77]

Ziri, Anna, Garret
After the elf watches Anna's performance, she asks a few questions. "Do you speak the mother tongue?" (By this she means, sylvan, not elven.)
"Do you recognize maternal instincts within yourself?"
"How well do you get along with children?"
"I sense a free spirit in you. This man, Jack, says the axe gang is the best group suited for our.....needs. If he orders you to do something you disagree with, for the sake of our mission, will you do it?"

The line moves. The small, angry half orc introduces himself as Cur. He quickly shows that he is competent with all kinds of weapons. His short, scrawny stature belies his strength. He out-wrestles Jack, and boasts he can throw knives better than anyone else in the group. Besides that, he proves he can throw a spear further, more accurately, and with more devastating force than anyone.

The big man behind him is quiet. Jack asks him his name.
"Uh, Bruce."
"Uh, are you sure?" Jack pesters.
"Bruce." he says again.
"Are you a half-wit?"
The man shakes his head no.
"What are your skills?"
"Uh... I'm strong."
"...I can see that," says Jack, looking him up and down. "Can you handle a long journey?"
The man nods.
"And follow orders? And read?"
The man nods.
"Do you have a personality?"
"Uh..." Bruce appears confused by the question.
"What weapons are you good with?"
Bruce points to Hugh's axe, which is sitting on the table between them.
"You don't own one?"
Bruce shakes his head no.
"Go a head then. Show us what you can do."

Bruce picks up the large axe as if it was hatchet. The weapon seems light in his grip, as if instead of oak and steel, it was made of mithril and balsa wood. He picks up a log from the edge of the ring, and stands it on end, balancing it for a moment before sending the axe crashing through its middle. Bits of soft, rotted wood fly through the air. Dissatisfied, he walks to a young oak at the edge of the clearing. The trunk is as big around as Jack's thigh. He cleaves it in a single fluid strike. The tree begins to fall. Bruce reaches out with his free hand, catching the severed trunk and lowering it gently to the ground.

Jack looks to the other two. They both nod. He looks to the elf. She shrugs.
"Okay, you're in."

The newcomer, the boy, is all smiles. He steps up eagerly to the table. He wears a rough leather breastplate that doesn't seem to fit quite right, and carries a shiny new battle axe.
"Hi! My name is Gazzek Bootmaker and I'm here to join the axe gang! My great-uncle was--" his words spew out in a rush.
Jack holds up his hand, cutting the boy off.
"Sorry kid. We don't hire children."
"But I'm fifteen! I--" Fifteen? He doesn't look fifteen.
"I said no, kid," says Jack. There is a sudden firmness to his voice. "Look you've got the heart, that's obvious, but you don't have the skills. I don't want to let you join, and then have you die, and have your blood on my hands. No. Go home."
"But my great-uncle--"
"I don't care about your great-uncle, who he is, or what he told you, or whether or not he gave you that useless, ill-fitting, hand-me-down piece of armor there. Tell you what, you obviously have never used that axe before, there isn't a scratch on it, I'll buy it off you for whatever you paid, deal?"
The boy stares right through him, off into the distance somewhere. All his expectations have come crashing down. His eyes well with tears.
"Forget it." he mumbles. Then turns and walks briskly away, so that no one will be able to see the tears as they fall.

The woman looks at Jack.
"Hey, I didn't enjoy that either, but it had to be done. He would've gotten us all killed." He defends himself. She sighs heavily in agreement.

Jack looks over the applicants and counts up the group. Altogether the group now stands at nine. Jack, Hugh, their female companion--yet to be introduced, the tall half-orc Rusk, the gnome Ziri, Garret, Ilianna, Cur, and Bruce. "Halfway there. Hopefully we will have a better turnout tomorrow," he mutters.
"Wait. Nine...Including us? The infamous 'axe gang' only has three members?" spits Rusk, incredulous. Jack's female companion shoots him a furious look. Jack ignores her. Neither he nor Hugh look too concerned.
"Yes. The axe gang only takes the most dangerous jobs. The death toll is usually quite high, but we get the job done. Only the best survive. If you don't think you have what it takes..." he motions towards the tavern, indicating the road beyond, "don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Rusk grumbles something to himself.

"Alright then," he addresses the group, "Contracts. By working for the axe gang you are entitled to certain privileges, including an advance on the bounty we'll receive for doing this job. By signing the contract you are agreeing perform your duties to the best of your ability and to follow the orders that I give and those given by whoever I designate in exchange for financial compensation. You agree that the contract is legal and binding, and breach of the contract could result in loss of pay, or legal action, or both." He passes out the contracts for everyone to read.
I do hereby swear to pledge my strength, skills, and loyalty to the axe gang for as long as it takes to complete our mission. I will obey Jack's commands at all times.

I will not compromise the mission by gossiping, gambling, entertaining sex, strong drink, mushrooms, or other wit-numbing drinks or food. Nor will I accept enchantments or spells from those that are not in the axe gang without Jack's permission, nor will I do anything else to compromise the mission. I will obey Jack's commands at all times.

I hereby swear that I am under no contract with another organization or am I employed by anyone else. I am under no enchantment or compulsion, and I understand the implications of this contract. By signing this, I agree that Jack is my boss. I will obey Jack's commands at all times, even to the point of death.

In exchange for my services I will receive, in advance, Two Thousand (gold) Crowns with which to purchase new supplies, to repair my equipment, or to save if my own supplies are adequate. I will also receive, upon completion of our agreed upon mission--as is satisfactory to our employer--Fifty Thousand (gold) Crowns from our employer. After such pay I may sign a new contract with the axe gang or be released.

In the unlikely event that the mission takes more than a year, I understand that I may keep my Two Thousand crowns without repercussion, that the contract will then be void, and the additional pay forfeit, pending re-negotiation of the contract as required by Rendan Law.

"As you know from the wanted poster, the job we will be embarking on will be a long and dangerous one. We will be transporting a precious item across Rend to the Areat Mountains, taking Helric's pass. This is why we made the statement about the trolls. There is a high likelihood some of you will be eaten. From there we will cross the lower part of Ordinkahn and the Orcish territories and arrive somewhere near the southern coast of the Mythic Sea."
He nods towards the elf, who is silently studying her potential guardians, and continues.
"Our employers wish the valuable item to remain a mystery, and our final destination is also a mystery. They assure us this is for our own safety. This is the reason it wasn't written in the contract. The whole trip should take eight months or less. We will provide horses, oxen, and wagons.
"After reaching the destination, you are free to take a ship from Dili-hani, or sign up with us again and make the trip back to Angst. Please don't discuss the mission or the pay with anyone outside of the group. Fifty-two thousand is a lot of cash and it will attract a lot of people we don't need or want. Any questions?"

Talisin
You take a step back and open the door as both men lunge towards you. Bright daylight cuts through the darkness. The smaller man to your left grabs you before your feet cross the threshold. His knife is out in an instant. Obviously not a professional, or his first move would have been to stab you in the throat. His body is somewhat in the way of Ignacio, thankfully, but he now has a fistful of your shirt, and is going to use it as leverage to plunge his knife deep into your belly.

You feel that the street behind you is empty.

[TankLaser007]

Talisin continues to move backward pulling the man with him as he does, unless he lets go that is, he also draws his own dagger as he does so. Trying to break free and or drag the man outside.

Yelling at the men in elven as he does so, ""Traitorous dog!""


OK not sure if we are grappling but I am assuming so.
Drawing the dagger as a Free Action with my Move Action
Using my standard action make a Grapple Check to break the Grapple and/or Move Half my speed (20') backwards. Also if I am able to attack with my Dagger this round I will do so. If I can break free I want to take a Full Action to Run (perhaps in the next Round) in which ever direction will allow the furthest movement (160'). The priority is to break free and gain distance, if that can't be done this round then move outside and stab this man until he let's go.Here are the rolls:

[roll0]
[roll1] possible -4 for grappling
[roll2] to break free (if needed)
[roll3] to move out of threatened area w/o AoO when trying to disengage (if needed)

[Mai]

Ziri read the contract through slowly, listening alertly as Jack spoke. Trolls huh? ”Are you afraid of trolls Mai? Though Mai was, obviously, just a tiger and couldn't speak, she was used to Ziri doing such things. Ziri spoke in Draconic to Mai, the choice random for the most part. When Jack finished she would go back and put her full attention into the contract and re read it. ”Only a fool signs before he reads.” She said lightly to herself, this time in elven. She would consider and take her time before signing. He was right, trolls were bad news. She really didn’t want to imagine what would happen if she got caught by them. That said,gnomes were trained for fighting large enemies, and she would probably have the size advantage. Bigger things have problems hitting smaller things in general. That said, Mai wasn’t really a small thing. She and Mai would train a bit along the way. ”You up for a long journey?” She teased the tiger lightly.

Ziri sighed and reread the contract a third time before signing. ”One doesn’t go stronger by running scared from danger” She said, again in elven. ”Sorry about that… languages are a hobby of mine… and using them is just a quirk.. I’ll try to tone it down a bit. On the other hand if someone doesn't speak common but speaks celestial, draconic, elven, or gnome/ish then...we have a translator at least.” Ziri said lightheartedly. Ziri would look around lightly, watching others, and handed her signed contract back to Jack. If only her pack hadn’t been stolen. Oh well. She could make due. She planned not to spend much of this advance payment. She’d probably get a new backpack, regular this time, and grab a a couple more supplies. She didn’t need to use advance payment for that though. She still had roughly 27 platinum left, which she had hidden on her person so it both wasn’t visible and was in direct contact with her skin. After her last encounter with a thief, she had taken more precautions. Still… That enchanted backpack was worth 2 thousand gold…. But they couldn’t have known it was enchanted, it looked like any other well used backpack. That meant the thief had taken what he knew then at least, was just a backpack. That was the freaky part. ”Assuming you find more tomorrow, when do we set off?” Ziri would ask.


I had to take 1 point from another skill for Celestial. I couldn't have her know it in the first page, before Mythweavers crashed, and suddenly not know it for the rest of the game. I needed to go back to that post to confirm what languages she knew. I hadn't realized I had forgotten one. -.- I can undo that if you prefer she simply not know it anymore. Well at least I've learned a valuable lesson, write such important details downonpaper too.

[Artman77]

Talisin
There is a flurry of movement as the the man struggles to drive the blade into your midsection. You manage to catch his wrist. His skin twists under your grip. He's strong. Your arm shakes from the effort it takes to keep the steel out of your gut. You step deftly through the now open doorway, easily saving your elbows from the door frame, your heel from the threshold, despite the taxing effort of holding the man and his knife at bay. Once outside you have the freedom to twist away from him, using your body weight and the door frame to bend his arm out to the side and wrest yourself free. The man yelps in pain.

There is no time to slam the door shut. Both attackers are bigger than you, and it doesn't have a proper latch anyway.

Your eyes sweep the street as you back away. No guards in sight. No warriors, knights, mercenaries, or clergy. No elves. You cast a glance back at the alleyway. No Blackwood. The big man barrels through the doorway, knocking the smaller man out into the street as he does so. A malicious grin spreads across his face.

"You're going to pay for that, elf," he says as he charges towards you. He draws a heavy short sword from the back of his belt. It's as much of a cleaver as it is a sword, but unlike a cleaver it's double-edged and has a wicked point.

Ziri, Anna, Garret
"We will be leaving no later than noon tomorrow," says the elf before Jack has time to answer. "Time is of the essence. I suggest you let us know where you are staying, else camp outside the southern gate, in the event we have to leave early."
"Leave early? For what?" huffs Rusk.
"We have a precious cargo that needs to be transported south with the utmost expediency, and are paying a greed-inspiring sum of money for the help to transport it. If word gets out tonight--as happens often in Angst, from what Jack tells us--than we would like to depart before trouble finds us."
Bruce shifts uncomfortably.
The half-orc named Cur folds his arms defiantly.
"I'm staying at the Dragon's Head." he says.
"Excellent, me too. I'll--" Jack begins. He is interrupted by his female companion.
"I knew it! Jack! I told you we shouldn't go there!"
"I know that..." they argue for a few moments until Jack says 'fine, fine, whatever' and holds up his hand to silence her.
"Okay, so we're leaving tomorrow, but could leave early. So, either stay with us, sleep by the south gate, or let us know where you're going to be so we know how to reach you. Any other questions?"

[TankLaser007]

At least there is more room to move here, we will see about this betrayal of Blackwood's afterwards. Talisin reacts more on instinct than actual tactical thought, perhaps that's why he didn't do well in Lorien's guard. He has danced this dance enough in his more than century's life, he just needed to keep out of reach a quick dart away was usually enough to keep him out of immediate danger, very few unmounted humans could keep up with him at a full sprint and most made the mistake of thinking he was retreating.

Talisin broke into a run, a blur of movement, placing his hand to the magical quiver his bow was in hands in an instant, as soon as he had put enough distance between him and this Ignacio then he would see how an elf paid his debts.


Run 160' away from Ignacio.
Draw bow from Quiver Free Action.

[Mai]

Ziri pounders this as she speaks. She has a valid point whether others want to deal with a nearly morning exit. Ziri would rather not get caught up trying to fight off a greedy mob going after something that all they know about is it’s worth that kind of money to transport. ”I’ll grab a few supplies like rope, maybe some canvas, that kind of thing, and camp out near the gate you suggested. I’ll be in relatively plain view and if not, if, say, I’m camping behind a couple trees, I’ll leave a clear marker. I’d rather we get out before trouble as well, and that means the logical and most efficient place to sleep is at the exit.” There was little emotion in her voice in that she showed no hesitation to do this or desire to drag the group down by making them run from inn to inn fetching people if they needed to get out fast. In addition there was the barest, most delicate emphasis, suggesting surprise in her voice. Macho manly Jack wanted to sleep in an inn or tavern, and do so knowing it could be a detriment to the group of they had to rush out. This implies, to her anyway, that Jack wasn’t as many or rugged as his bravado would have her believe. Here he was trying to say no to every woman, and yet he wasn’t even willing to sleep outside. Sexist Jack had to sleep in a soft bed.

She said nothing, she didn’t call him on it, she didn’t make a big deal out of it. But it amused her somewhat, despite her repressing it.

[Artman77]

https://68.media.tumblr.com/aefc87b78438f13226136596bb6baa40/tumblr_olxmg7Otj21uvm9nio1_1280.jpg

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Anna watches the elf intently, taking in her questions. She answers in elven. "Unfortunately I do not know more than a smattering of the mother tongue." She silently curses herself for never learning it. "As far as my relationship with children and maternal instinct; I guess my best answer to that is I really don't know. I've been traveling the land as an adventurer for hire my entire adult life. Mothers make terrible sellswords as I'm sure you know. I don't dislike children I suppose, but better seen and not heard." She stops and ponders her last question a moment. "I've sold blade, bow, and spell for a long time and have never had a problem with an employer. If Jack is true to his word about the nature of the mission, I can't imagine I would have any cause to question his orders. If the mission suddenly morphs halfway through into the siege and sacking of a peaceful village on the other hand, we may have problems."

She takes the contract when handed to her and reviews it carefully. The devil is in the details, dad always said. It seemed a bit heavy-handed, even for a band such as this. I will obey Jack's commands at all times was listed three times, and this coupled with the elves inquiry was beginning to make her nervous. But 50,000 crowns was more than she'd netted in the last ten moons combined at least. She gave the contract one last glance, quietly reassuring herself that she was just being paranoid. She nods in agreement of terms and makes her mark. "I'm staying at the Gilded Goat, and will be ready to depart at first light if need be."

[Artman77]

Talisin
The brute is fast. Very fast. Faster than you. As fast as a barbaric mountain-man. Perhaps he was one. He was certainly hairy enough to be.
"Turn and face me you coward!" he shouts at you as he gives chase, "Running away, just like a true elf! This is why men own the mainland!"

Some men and women flee to the alleyways to escape your path, Ignacio hot on your heels. A couple of men jeer as you pass, on acting as if he is going to trip you, but not daring enough to get close enough to actually do it. A group of half-orcs are strolling up the street ahead of you. They see the chase and spread out across the street to block your path. There is a two story building to your left, a flower shop, with a trellis leading to the roof. A cobbler's house is to the right, his door wide open. Each building has an alley on each side of it.

"Come on, you coward!! FIGHT ME!" bellows the hairy man. He sees the half-orcs ahead. He sees you eyeing possible escape routes. "There is no where for you to run. I own this neighborhood. Fight me here in the street like a man, or taste the assassin's blade later, your choice!"

Ziri, Anna, Garret
Rusk snorts as Jack takes the contracts from the two women.
"You know... You keep saying no females, but one of your partners is a female, and now you've hired two more."
"Who, her?" he thumbs in the direction of his female companion, "That's Sable. There's not a feminine bone in her body. She's pure hatred."
Sable rolled her eyes, but said nothing.
"As for these two; bosses orders. I'm the leader of the axe gang, sure. But for some jobs, you've gotta make certain concessions. If you don't like it, don't sign." Jack holds out his hand for the contract. Rusk snorts again, pulling away from him. He signs it and hands it over. The others sign as well.

"Well?" Jack muses, looking from Hugh to Sable and back again, "Should we wait to see if anyone else shows up or call it a day?"
A loud cheer escapes the tavern as the back door swings open once more. A big angry man storms across the lawn, a piece of paper clutched in his hands.
"Lets call it a day," Jack says waving everyone out, "We'll see you all tomorrow, thanks for coming out!"
Neither Hugh nor Sable move to intercept the big man as he marches up to Jack.
"What is this?" he demands, holding up the help-wanted ad put up by Sable yesterday. "Axe Gang seeking help? Without me? Why didn't you send for me? Don't say you didn't know I was here. How long have you been in town?"
"Look, Egan, don't get the wrong idea--" begins Jack, but Egan cuts him off.
"Don't get the wrong idea? Don't get the wrong idea??? And what idea would that be? That you'll hire dirty half-orcs and women now, but you won't hire me?"
Rusk snatches from the table and steps forward menacingly. Egan stops, but not because of Rusk. He has suddenly become aware that a large tiger stands within leaping distance from him...

[Mai]

Ziti watches the exchange but it doesn’t last long before, just as Jack was asking wether they should head out someone stormed out of the bar. Jack made up his mind in a hurry, not wanting to have such an argument in front of people. However Ziti had no chance to leave before the argument began. To Jack’s credit, he didn’t resort to violence. However Risk did grab a weapon and approach quite menacingly after the half orc comment. This wasn’t good. He stopped, but only because of spotting the tiger. Ziri hadn’t shown any sign of anger. Being 63 years old helped give you some self confidence. And a person confident in their gender didn’t become angered by suck simple insults.

This wasn’t good. She didn’t want anyone to get stabbed. Rusk being provoked into violence would compromise the team here. They didn’t need people getting hurt the day before the mission. Ziri, thinking of ways to calm the situation down, winked at Rusk first then said, toward the new guy, as if purely conversationally: ”You know they say fear is the leading cause of racism.” She. Ould have gone on to say, ‘a and the leading cause of sexism is lack of confidence in your masculinity.’ but she didn’t. She didn’t want to insult him, merely appease Rusk enough that he didn't attack. If he understood her comment, and agreed with it, he’d interpret any more slights against his race as the man simply being a coward.

This could cause any number of problems, but they couldn’t have a group member carted off to jail for attacking someone. If ‘sir angry’ took that as a slight, and attacked her, then it was better than Rusk attacking him. Why? Because this way instead of a group member starting the fight, he would have to, which hopefully would entirely changed the situation legally. Worse came to worse, he would physically attack Ziri. That said, Jack had somehow apparently mistook her for a child despite her armor, weapon, and shield, maybe he would as well and not attack. Either way… She felt somewhat confident things would go badly for him if he tried. Rusk meanwhile, having been present,would know she was a gnome,not a human child, as she's said it earlier.


I hope your npc, Rusk, likes that. You seem to have a good grip of their personality, so I am looking forward to seeing the reaction.

[TankLaser007]

Almost as fast as it had appeared the bow disappeared back into the quiver, catching the sight of the trellis and higher ground, Talisin reacted more than he thought, his legs tensed and his weight shifted, his right boot heel dug into the earth and acted as a pivot as he darted left, the man was faster than he looked, but Taliisin was hoping, he was also heavier then he appeared -- and he looked pretty hefty. The elf bound to the trellis and began to scurry up the makeshift ladder.


[roll0]

Assuming he makes it up safely and if Ignacio is trying to climb up also Talisin will try to dislodge the trellis from above by kicking it away from the base of the roof it any part is exposed, baring that prying it from the building with his long sword.

If he can by a round he can ready the bow and start, "discouraging" Ignacio and these half orcs.

[Artman77]

Talisin
He reaches out for you as dart suddenly to the side. You hear him grunt with effort and his heavy feet thudding against the earth as he tries to throw his massive bulk in your direction. You don't bother to look behind you, but he misses grabbing you by what you can only assume was mere inches.

The trellis looks well made, but you notice once beginning your ascent that it is quite old. A piece of wood twists in your hand. You continue up. The trellis shakes as Ignacio grabs it from the bottom. You're almost to the top. A young man sees you swing your leg over the edge of the trellis with ease. He smiles expectantly. The trellis is fixed to the wall with just a few nails, which are mostly eaten away by rust and rain. All it takes is a kick of the boot and the whole thing tips over.

It hangs in midair for a moment, slowly gaining momentum as it falls backwards. Ignacio's eyes widen with surprise. The trellis is three feet from the ground when the top of it hits the wall of the next building and it snaps in half, breaking where Ignacio's weight is suspended. He digs his way out of the rubble, angrily throwing old broken boards to the side. He almost fails to dodge the warning shot.

"You're not going to shoot him?" asks the young man, sounding disappointed. "He's a murderer, you know. He's got the some of the judges in his pocket. And he doesn't particularly like elves either. He is a dangerous enemy for someone like you to offer mercy to..."

Ignacio scrambles to his feet and races towards the front door of the flower shop.

[TankLaser007]

Looking quickly to see if there is another roof nearby, the elf nocks another arrow and half draws the bow, "Is that so? Do you know of a way from here to the Golden Goat? What is you name boy?" Talisin asks of the young man as he eyes the door leading from the first floor to the roof. "If I don't have to kill a man, I don't." he says raising the bow and readying a shot, should the man come barrelling out, while scanning the rooftop for anything that might aid in the likely altercation. "But if I have to..."


What are the dimensions of the roof? Also is there anything up here and how far are the nearest roof tops? The half orcs are still blocking the street below and from this vantage, can anything be seen regarding the rest of the streets and alley ways?

Readying action to fire the bow should Ignacio appear in the door way presenting a clear unobstructed shot, and trying to place as much distance between the door and the rest of the available rooftop space. What is the distance between the awning and this roof top? If it isn't too great and there is a place above the awning that presents line of sight to the door, then Talisin will wait there, hoping to fire on Ignacio and then drop off the rooftop onto the awning.

[Artman77]

The young man is dressed in plain brown clothes, a scarf hangs from his neck. He also has a small pack slung over his shoulder. You didn't notice that the first time.

"I am afraid I do not. The Goat is on the other side of town, I think, and I doubt you could travel by roof there." He appears to be right. This building has a flat roof, so the occupants can grow their flowers up here, but most roofs are covered by slick wooden shingles and have a steep pitch. You might be able to make across three or four, but then the buildings seem to thin out.

You look for other escape options. You catch sight of the boy out of the corner of your eye as you do so. He seems taller. Handsomer. His hair is darker. He looks a lot like John Blackwood.

"I have a better way." says Blackwood. He pulls what was the brown--now white--silk scarf from his neck and offers it to you. Immediately he grows in height. His cheeks raise, his jawbone sharpens, and his eyes turn bright green. His ears extend up from his head in sharp points. No longer eye-to-eye, you are now looking up into the steely gaze of a high elf. He extends the scarf.

"My name is Reraghuor Swordfall," he says in the mother tongue, "I have a job offer for you."

[TankLaser007]

Talisin's eyes dart furtively towards the door leading down into the shop. The elf relaxes the draw on his bow, allowing the haft and arrow shaft to rest in one hand as he takes the scarf in his other. Talisin replies in Sylvan "You are one seemingly full of surprises, Reraghuor Swordfall, I would hear your offer. Although I would prefer it in more... 'secure' environs."

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Anna watches silently as the scene unfolds. She had zero desire to get in between the two thugs. Let them beat each other senseless for all she cared. She did wonder who this Egan was, and why he was being shunned.

[Artman77]

Talisin
"Yes," Reraghuor agrees, "and soon. Wrap that about yourself, and imagine you are a human. An old man or a beggar, or perhaps a young boy. Someone that our pursuer will easily dismiss."
He whispers something you can't quite hear. An ancient tongue. The language of the wind. A gentle breeze blows his golden hair around his face, and when it falls, it is grey. His face is that of an old human now. His eyes appear cloudy, his cheeks hollow and wrinkled with age. His nose bends slightly. Blood spills from his nostrils and runs down his face. He continues to whisper. Soon his whispers join with the sounds of the gentle breeze and it is difficult to tell where one begins and the other ends.

Suddenly you see yourself take a step forward, detaching itself from your mind. You wonder if this is the out of body experience the wise men speak of. Your body turns and winks at you. Then turns, runs towards the edge of the roof, and jumps the gap across the alley to the shingled roof on the other side.
Just Ignacio bursts through the door, his arm dripping blood from the broken trellis, his eyes wild with rage.

"There!" shouts Reraghuor, pointing at your body as it crests the peak of the roof. Ignacio roars with anger. He puts all of his strength into a great leap and sails through the air after you--or what he thinks is you--and lands with a heavy crash on the roof. He scrabbles desperately for a hand hold, and then climbs carefully up and over the top of the roof, and is soon out of sight.

"That should buy us some time." Reraghuor smiles. You look down and notice that in fact, your body hasn't left you, it has been duplicated by magic. "You've seen illusions before, I'm sure?" says Reraghuor. It is as much a passing comment as much as it is a question. Surely all elves have seen illusions, even if they were from Lorien.

The two of you head downstairs, startling an elderly lady.
"Oh! Herbert, dear! What happened to your nose?" the woman asks in a shaky voice. A flash of realization crosses Reraghuor's now human-looking face.
"Nothing. my darling, nothing. Just bumped it, that is all. This fine man here," he gestures to you, "Just offered to buy fifty bouquets! Praise the gods!" Reraghuor reaches into his pocket and produces a fistful of gold coins. The old woman's eyes widen with surprise.
"He wants them delivered. I have to follow him to the place, I don't know where it is. I'll be back before supper!"
He places the gold in her hands and closes her fingers over them. She is speechless. He kisses her lightly on the lips and heads for the door.

He bumps into a very old, and very surprised man on the way out. The man's eyes are cloudy, but he could've sworn that he had bumped into himself just now.


-----------

Reraghuor, still in his magical disguise, leads you to the best stables in the city. He tells you to pick out a horse. He says normally he would pick the horse himself, that he would speak to each horse and the horse's spirit would speak back, but he is pressed for time. He haggles with the owner over price for a few minutes informing him that, should he get a good price, he will come back and purchase at least half a dozen more. With the horse purchased, the two of you make your way to the southern city gate.

The dirt road leading out from the gate is flooded with the melted snow of the last few days of winter. The sun's rays have heated the ground and your boots leave deep prints in the mud. A hundred yards from the gate you see a small stream that supplies the southern districts with fresh water. A cluster of small trees flank the river on either side. Reraghuor points to a massive willow grows atop a small hill nearby. He says it will be dry up there. A good place to camp out.
"Not everyone hates elves here," muses Reraghuor. You wonder who he's trying to reassure, you? Or himself? "It's merely a boarder town, you realize. Tensions exist between your nation and that of the humans. You were in no danger in the jail. You probably wouldn't be in any danger in most of the rest of the city either. Ignacio... was... a test. Which you passed. This is the next. He reaches into his bag as the two of you lead your new horse through the muddy, grassy terrain.

He pulls from the bag a small silver sphere, no bigger than an apple. Once the two of you are under the cover of the trees near the river and out of sight, he tosses the silver ball into the air. It slows as it reaches the top of its arc. But it does not fall. Instead, it just hovers there. Eight or nine feet in the air.
"I want you to hit that with one of your arrows. If you can."
As soon as your fingers touch your arrow the sphere lurches sideways, and then back, and suddenly down. It flies forward and back and then up again, as if a pollen-crazed bee around an invisible flower.

Ziri and Anna
Rusk didn't look down at the gnome, but fixed his gaze firmly on Egan. He doesn't lower the axe an inch. His nostrils flare.
"Fear is not the cause of his hate. Perhaps he has a twisted mind. I smell no fear." he growls.
"Hey!" snaps Egan, "I'm no racist! I'm just saying your new boss here needs to get his priorities straight!" He jabs a finger into Jack's chest.
Hugh casually steps next to Jack.
"You did say we could use more men," he says helpfully.
"Who's side are you on?" Jack asks, raising his eyebrows.
"I'm just saying..." Hugh shrugs.
"See?" says Egan, "Even the elf knows it!"

"Elf?" asks Rusk.
"Elf?" laughs Cur
"Elf?" says your elven employer, still standing back from the group.
"You mean half elf?" asks Rusk. Both Jack and Egan crack a smile.
"No," Hugh says flatly, "He meant elf. I am an elf."

"HA!" Cur bursts into laughter. "Elf! Right! and I'm a nymph! Ha-hahahahaha!" He braces his hands on his knees to keep from falling over.
"That's an elf," Rusk points at your employer, and then at Ilianna, "Even she's got more elf in her than do."
"Uh, you don't look like an elf," says Bruce, confused.
"No, he looks like a hairless gnoll!" says Cur.
"Like a halfling that got stretched on the rack!" laughs Rusk. Cur busts out laughing again.
Hugh and Jack exchange a knowing look. Hugh smiles.
"Like a skeleton with dropsy!" Rusk says again. Sable lets out a shriek of delight at the joke, the shrill note descending into a deep, rolling laughter.
"Dropsy! Hugh--Hugh---he---you---" she struggles to catch her breath, "Oh that was a good one!"

"Alright!" says Jack, putting his hands up, "Alright! Everyone, calm down. Egan, you can come. You gotta sign like everybody else, and you gotta follow orders. Everyone sign? Good." Jack writes out receipts for everyone and hands them out.
"These will allow you to legally buy weapons not available to the public, and get you a discount at Dave's smithy, should you need repairs done on any steel-work. Dave and I have a deal worked out. If you have no more questions, you are all free to go shop, or retire to your respective rooms, or camp at the gate, or whatever." Jack waves his arms forwards to punctuate his point.
"If you would like to hang out here and enjoy the charming antics of your new boss... you're free to do that as well, if you want."

Rusk hands Hugh's axe back to him, says he is pleased to meet everyone, and heads off to the Dragon's Head. Cur follows him. Bruce looks around awkwardly, unsure of whether he should stay or go. Egan walks a very slowly past the tiger, keeping a watchful eye on it as he makes his way towards Ilianna.
"Hey there pretty lady," he says smoothly, "What's your name?"

[TankLaser007]

Talisin felt almost as if he was in one of his mother's stories, where the hero underwent trial after trial to prove their worth. At least this was something with which he was more at ease than dealing with people, least of all people like Ignacio. His green eyes followed the silver orb in its movement, they didn't leave it, he began drawing the bow even as the arrow was levelled to the earth and his feet moved and his body weaved up then down as he tried to feel out what would be the best angle from which to strike, from bellow, the right, maybe rush quickly backward and launch an arrow so as to catch it more head on from a greater distance or to leap to the left. They were, the two of them, in orbit with one another in an intimate dance.

He felt more than thought, this was his relationship with the bow. It was a communion. It wasn't a weapon, or a thing it wasn't even an extension of him, no. It was him. It was his soul in his hands, I'cuarfea in the mother tongue. So as his eyes stayed locked fast on the bobbing silver satellite he saw two shafts dart out towards it, having loosed two arrows before he even realized it, as easy and unconscious as breathing, and like breath without thought or contemplation just simple action and being.


[roll0]
[roll1]

If I need to roll damage I can do it in the OOC, also not sure it there were any modifiers to the shots

[Artman77]

Talisin
Your shot strikes true shattering the sphere into a thousand pieces as if it is made of glass. Silver glitter rains down on the grass before you.
"Well done," Reraghuor smiles, "Few people can do that on the first try." He asks if you were trained by an Arcane Archer, and if you have ever considered leaving Lorien and joining their ranks. He walks forward and bends to pick something up off the ground. The silver sphere. It has materialized once more. He scoops it up and puts it back in his bag.

The high elf explains that he and his friends are transporting a very precious item halfway across the world. That the journey will be long and dangerous, and they will need help at certain points along the way. That you agreed in the jail cell to work for him in exchange for your liberty. Of course, he says, you didn't know the journey would take the better part of the year. He says if you don't want to come he understands, and that you may keep the horse regardless. He has to go back to the jail to see about securing more help. He takes the silk scarf and dons the persona of John Blackwood once more.

"I'll inform my partners you're camped at the south gate. Halinin will be along tomorrow, any mercenaries we hire will be along the day after, I expect. I am pleased we crossed paths."

[TankLaser007]

Returning his bow to the quiver Talisin explains that he has not trained except with those of his own people in Lorien but that he views his craft as many do a religion. "It is my path," he explains. "Although many high elves may be well versed in the arcane arts, my people, although not bereft of such talents likely pale in comparison. Most of those of my watch trained with sword, bow and spear. We learned the crafts of tracking, moving like wind in leaves, and some -- perhaps like yourself the secrets of speaking with beasts or even plants." When Reraghuor mentions their arrangement Talisin assures him he honours his debts. He thanks him again for the mount and asks if she has a name? "This Halinin how shall I know them? as well as the rest of this group are you to be in our midst or is there another who acts in your stead, if so who might they be?"

[Mai]

In the end everything seems to work out, thankfully. The big any guy gets a job... And Hugh? Is an elf apparently? She takes the slips he offers and figures she will probably see enough of their antics in the next year on the road. As a result, she decides she will go get some replacement gear. She watches them, as she adjust Mai's saddle of sorts, and climbs on, and reaches under the barding to scratch behind her ears before starting to head off. Just on a whim, as they begin heading off, they pass by Hugh and she speaks. [u]"See you tomorrow I guess as said before, I'll camp outside the gate." She says this in elven, nearest Hugh but loud enough anyone who hasn't left should hear unless they've wandered off a little or spread out. She gives a playful smile and if she doesn't get a response from anyone, she will leave, otherwise she will leave afterward



-Backpack, 2gp .5 pounds
-Bedroll, 1sp 1.75 pounds
-Blanket, 5sp, 3 pounds (not buying a small sizes one.)
-Another Blanket
-Soap 5sp, 1 pound
-Canvas 3sp, 3sq yards, 3 pounds
-Continual Flame Torch 110gp, 1 pound.
-Spell Component Pouch 5go, 2 pounds

270−118.9=151.1 (.1=1sp)

And then… on top of that, I’d like a price for an item not in the d&d log. Wire for snare traps. You know, for sharing rabbits, raccoons,and just in general small animals.

Most of that will go in a mix of Mai’s saddlebags of a sort and her own backpack. (Wether or not the original is lost forever I don’t know, and Ziri certainly doesn’t so IC she has to assume so. So I bought stuff in character.

I may buy more in town next post. I wasn't sure if she had the advanced 2k yet so I didn't try. Not that I have much I wanted to buy anyway. And certainly. Ziti'lo probably save that 2k.

[Artman77]

Talisin
He pauses, as if surprised you have to ask. "Her name is Uriel. Eternity." He smiles sadly, recognizing once more that he is far from home. Remembering that the gifts given to his brothers in Lorien are not the same as those given to his family in the Sylvan Isles. He tells you will recognize Halinin easily. His skin is the pale blue of a night elf, his hair dark as the evergreen leaves at midnight.
"I will not be sending a proxy. We must oversee this mission personally."
And with that he is gone.
The spring afternoon is quite warm, but a cool breeze blows and you know the springtime rain is not far off. The sun sets west of Angst, behind the tree-covered horizon, taking its warmth and the memories of Lorien with it. You continue your journey east in two days--perhaps less--but this time not alone.

You remember the stories of old, that your ancestors fatigued their minds with magic, and required a period of rest to quiet their minds and keep from going mad. The sons of Oron rested when the moon was high, and the sons of Calithilon meditated when the sun was high. Thus it was that the sons of Oron took on the appearance and characteristics of the sun, while the sons of Calithilon were most active at night and took on the characteristics of the night sky.

It is no surprise to you then, when you open your eyes from your peaceful meditation to find Halinin sitting in the grass across from you. He is shorter, and much younger than you expected. A youth who perhaps has just finished his schooling, and has taken the opportunity to go on an adventure with the guidance of an elder of his kin. His skin to be a pale blue and you expect his hair to be a dark green, but under the harsh moonlight it looks pure black. His expensive bow is casually slung over his shoulder, and an elven short-sword hangs loosely from his belt. There is no way to be sure, but you would not be surprised if it was mithril. When he speaks, it is in the common elven tongue.

"Greetings brother. What may I ask, are you doing out here alone on a night like this? A storm is brewing."
The sky is clear, save for a few wispy strands of clouds. Perhaps the storm he refers to has to do with the coming mission, or perhaps the political turmoil. He doesn't elaborate, but asks you details about why you are here specifically, and who sent you. He seems to relax when you mention Reraghuor's name.
"One can never be too careful. I am glad to have a fellow..." he pauses, "elf to share the journey with. We are quite a ways from home and I was beginning to fear the possibility that every one of our hired bows would be men or worse... orcs." The animosity between elf and orc runs deep, often to the point, that to be tainted even with a quarter of the blood of the enemy is to be the same as full-blooded.

He makes polite conversation for several hours, asking questions to reveal your opinions and your nature, but never so much as to ask any personal information. He asks if you are as saddened, as he is, by the unquenchable thirst that humans have for power and dominion over the entire land. He wonders aloud how it ever came to be this way, that once upon a time elves ruled the world, from the White Sea all the way down to the Dragon Mountains at the edge of the world. He asks about Lorien, letting you tell--but not asking--what life is like for people there. What the elves are like there. He wonders how different life is on the mainland. How elves get along with mankind. Or if you don't?

He stays until the sun rises. The light creeps back into the world, the sky slowly brightening to match the pale blue of his skin. He is enthralled by the talk of bow making, fletching, and crafting arrowheads, but when the sunlight presses hard enough through the willow to cast a shadow on the ground he stands. He stretches his legs and smiles.
"I'm really enjoying the conversation--we will certainly have to practice shooting together--but I'm afraid I must head back," he nods towards the thick woods south of town, "I have matters to attend to. I will return on the morrow to meet the rest. The father's blessings to you."

Ilianna and Garret
"So..." says Egan to Anna, "you've got a room at the Goat, do you? How's Ran treating you? Good I should hope. Maybe I should swing by and make sure he didn't cheat you out of one of the nice rooms. A nice girl like you deserves a nice room, you know."

Several men flirt with you as enter the main hall of the inn, some of them offering to buy you drinks.
"What'll ya have? Mead? Wine? A light beer perhaps?" The man is a bit dirty, but ruggedly handsome.
"Wine!" says another, "Elves drink wine of course! Didn't you know? Come here hot thing, let me show you why men are the dominant people in the land." a broad smile flashes on his face.

Your room is untouched, just as you left it. The furniture give the illusion of permanence and security, pretending to be the furniture of home that many travelers miss. Though it is just a single room, and you don't own it, it is much nicer and offers much more "security" than the thieves' wagons you slept in long ago.
'That was part of the fun' Artemis used to say, 'you never know what will happen in a caravan. You never know where you will sleep, or for how long. Sleep never becomes a vice then, like it does for the sluggard, but a gift from the Gods. To the man on the move, sleep will always remain a rare and fleeting luxury.' You can still remember the twinkle in his eye as he had said it, even though that was years ago...

Ziri
Hugh smiles as Ziri passes, not quite making eye contact, but smiling none the less. He turns to her after she speaks.
"Thank you, my dear," he replies in elven, "There are no bandits on the south road, but watch out for mud puppies, I don't know if they will make your tiger--Mai, is it?--sick or not." The large salamanders lived near the river and according to the locals, were responsible for the mud pits south of town, and would eat you if you got stuck.

Not sure if you're taking her into the shops with you. The merchants will be polite regardless, but if you took her in the shops, their personalities would be harder to tell because of their fear.

The merchants are polite, and more than willing to sell you whatever your heart desires.
The clothier treats you a bit like a child, perhaps unintentionally, bending down for closer eye contact and repeating back to you the things you say to make sure you understand each-other. He worries about you traveling alone.
The soap maker wonders that you are buying soap. No offense, no offense, he begs, but he thought that gnomes and halflings were people of the wild and bathed as a bird or a cat might.
The people in the street either ignore you, bump into you, and curse you to watch your step, or else give you plenty of space... perhaps fearing the tales about gnomes being thieves might have some truth to them.

The tall wizard working guarding the door at the 'Magicians' Emporium' tells you not to touch anything without asking first. Inside are several customers, clerks, and what seem to be apprentices discussing various wares, and the latest trends in item enchantment. You notice the large room is devoid of elves. Men and halflings wander about, a dwarf or a gnome here or there, but no elves.
The clerk who takes your money in exchange for the spell pouch and torch tries to sell you some diamond dust. It is a good deal, he says, half price. He wonders if you know anyone from Frey, or if you've ever worked in the mines there. He has a hundred questions about gems and alchemy, and says he would love to offer you a job, if his master would allow it...

Mai's tail flicks behind her anxiously as you near the south gate. She lifts her head to sniff the air as the evening breeze picks up. As you walk beneath the great arches of the south gate, your nose welcomes the smells that signal spring has arrived. The thawed ground has drunk up the snow, and the pungent aroma of the new mud dominates the smells of grass, budding flowers, and water-soaked bark.

You have to carefully pick your through the mud as you leave the hard dirt of the road to find a dry place to camp. The flooded earth is no good for farming apparently, you notice most farm houses are off in the distance a ways. Which means you can conveniently camp relatively close to the gate unnoticed and undisturbed. The ideal place, it seems, would be on that little hill by the river just to your left. You are not the only one who thinks so. A sparrow wants to land near you, but has been spotted by Mai, who gives chase. The little bird dances in the air just out of reach, but is tired, and flies as fast as it can towards the large willow that grows atop the hill by the river.

You may or may not see Talisin right away, depending on if he chooses to hide or not, climb the tree or not, etc.

Talisin and Ziri
The evening grows cold. In the evening hours the two of you notice a short blonde woman in heavy plate mail armor picking her way through the mud between the road and the river. She often sinks in up to her knees, cursing loudly in irritation every time she does so. She is looking for something. Or someone. She carries no torch, nor does she call out, but gradually she gets closer to where the two of you are. Ziri will recognize her as Sable.

Once near the hill, Sable greets Ziri and Mai with a wave.
"Don't let her eat me," she jokes. "By the GODS is is cold out here. And just look at my boots! Look at them! I almost lost one of them. The mud almost sucked it right off my leg!"
She continues to complain about the mud and the her feet being cold and wet, wishing desperately to dry her feet by the fire. (If you have one. If not, she implores you to light one. It won't be out of the conspicuous, she says.) You notice the tight-fitting leather armor is gone, replaced by a more practical steel breastplate, replete with a high leather collar, large steel pauldrons, chain mail sleeves and skirt, and steel banding around the hips.
"Hello," she says to Talisin, "And who might you be?"

Talisin is actually a day behind the rest, I believe. He met the night elf while everyone else was going to bed thinking about going to the tryouts the next day. Halinin will return again tonight, but I wanted Ziri, Mai, Talisin, and Sable the chance to meet each other first.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"Ran is treating me exceptionally well, and thank you for your concern, Egan is it?” Anna replies with a smile. Better to make friends rather than enemies this early in the journey. “You’re welcome to come by the taproom at the Goat, I’ll be drinking there tonight.” She nods to her new employer, “I’ll be ready and at the South Gate in the morning. I can’t imagine the group with be difficult to find, I’ll just look for the tiger.” She turns, and as she walks toward the door she pulls the two pins holding her hair up and lets her blonde locks fall over her shoulders. Reaching the door, she casts a final look back at the group before ducking gracefully through the portal, making her way quickly across the dank bar and out into the street.

She make a quick shopping trip, just picking up some mundane items she’d need for the road. Soap, a few spare outfits, warm blanket, some dried emergency rations, and a small mirror. She heads back to the Gilded Goat, bypassing the taproom for now and putting her purchases in her room. She removes the her chain shirt and lays it in the corner, next to her bow and quiver. She dons her favorite dress, smiling at the feeling of silk falling over her shoulders. Looks at herself in the mirror, cinching the dress at the bust and soothing the silk pleats that fell over her legs. It was shorter than most of her dresses, and she knew it would invite attention, both wanted and unwanted. She smiled as she headed for the door and made her way to the taproom to enjoy one last night of comfort before hitting the road.

She spends the evening dancing and flirting, never paying for a drink. She’s carful to not become overly intoxicated though, hitting he road in the morning would be hard enough without a hangover. She works the room carefully, trying to get close to anyone she feels is interesting or who may have a loose tongue, watching to see in Egan appears.


She’ll work the room for information and if Egan shows will engage him in conversation related to the axe gang and his relationship with the group. We can rp this too if you’d like just wasn’t sure if you were wanting to move us along to morning.
Gather Info [roll0]

[Artman77]

Ilianna
Egan is already sitting at the bar, sipping a beer, by the time you get back from your shopping trip. He nods as you enter.

His seat at the bar is empty when you return in your new outfit. You spy him leaning back in a chair at a table against the far wall. That side of the room is a bit darker, having no windows and the light from the chandeliers not reaching quite that far. A man grabs your ass as you walk past. Egan chuckles.
"That is quite the dress," his voice is a low rumble. He looks you up and down, and back up again, his eyes lingering on your long legs the second time. "I gotta admit, I would've tried the same thing had I been in arm's length when you walked past." There is a glass of wine on the table next to his mug. He slides it towards you. "For you." He says. After a few beers, he begins to open up about Jack.

"I worked for Davin before he hired Jack. We had a good thing then, there were a lot more of us. Jack was the best swordsman in the group. Well, the only swordsmen, back then. Well all used to carry axes, hence the name. Davin made an exception for Jack because he was so d*mn good with the sword. Jack could out-fight anyone. Any mark, any enemy, hell... any of us. Old man Ned died. Davin promoted Jack to second in command. Davin got killed during a job. That put Jack in charge."
"Jack was young, impetuous. Started changing things. Hiring new people. Not requiring them to use axes anymore. Taking more dangerous jobs for less pay. Gabe quit straightaway. Umber challenged his authority at every opportunity. I finished out my contract, but didn't sign up when they got a new job. Needed to take some time off to clear my head. I worked for the Blood-spillers for a while."

"The Blood-spillers weren't part of the guild, so between that and the Axe Gang under-cutting everyone on price, they couldn't compete. The money dried up, taxes increased, and all the sudden they couldn't afford to renew their license. I was out of a job."
"I went to Jack last year, offered my help. He said 'No, they had enough people', or whatever excuse it was. He never liked me for some reason. I said if he didn't need me now, that was fine, but if they did another job to let me know. He said 'Okay, sure'. They did whatever job it was that Jack 'didn't need me' for." He puts air quotes around the statement to emphasize his point.
"Ace ended up getting killed. Umber got killed. Carter quit. Raylen quit. So when I saw the posting for a new job, and realized they needed more people and he didn't come to let me know, I wanted to know why. And... well, you know the rest."

He he orders another drink, but doesn't get up when you want to dance, seeming quite content to sit and drink beer for the next few hours. Some of the men get handsy when they dance with you, some don't. The men who seem to have secrets don't share them, and the ones that are willing to talk don't have anything interesting to say.

As the night winds down, Egan stands from the table and says you each had better be getting to bed.
"And I still have to see about that room," he whispers. You get the impression that the room is not the thing he wishes to see. He is practically undressing you with his eyes.
"Shall we go?"

We can RP out some of this stuff if you want. I was just trying to keep things moving forward so that all the PC's could meet eachother. NPC interaction is important too though, so as long as it remains interesting for you guys I'm willing to keep doing it.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Anna dances and flirts the night away, trying to enjoy her last night before the road. Egan seems typical, but mostly harmless to her and she indulges his advances throughout the night. She finishes her last drink with a flourish as she listens to Egan proposition her. She leans in as she motions him closer. She lets her lips lightly brush his ear as she whispers "I'm sure it would be good, but you'll have to hold onto that feeling solider. I don't sleep with coworkers, and for now that's what you are." She draws back slightly and continues. "If we both make it through this thing we'll have one hell of a celebration though." She darts forward quickly, catching his lips and kissing him deeply, lingering for a moment. She pulls back and hops off the barstool, tossing a few gold to the barkeep and saying to Egan, "That's to tide you over sweetie. Get some rest and try not to think about me too much." She winks and exits the taproom, heading for her room.


I'm cool with keeping things moving. :thumbsup:

[TankLaser007]

Uriel neighed and stomped the ground, catching scent and sight of the approaching tiger, Talisin nocked an arrow and stuck his head out from the small shelter he had made from a shallow fox hole he had made in between two large roots lined with leaves and covered with a bit of tarp secured with rope.

He watched as the tiger approached, making out a small form on its back and noticed it was wearing a saddle and barding. When he sees they are coming his way he comes out from his shelter and addresses the rider, in common.

Discovering them to be friendly he invites them to share a dry place under the tree’s canopy but cautions Ziri to make sure Mai understands Uriel isn’t prey or food. The two speak in Sylvan, Elven and Common. He hears of her adventures in Angst and then they are joined by Sable, once the wet and mud sodden mercenary reaches them, Talisin introduces himself to the woman, “I am Talisin Moohunt a recent acquaintance of Reraghuor and Halinin and I believe we will all be working together. If you would like to build a fire you are most welcome to if I might take your leave I would like to rest a bit more before we set out, I have much to think on.” with that Talisin returns to his shelter to think on the last few days events and what the next days might bring.

[Mai]

Sorry! I meant to post yesterday! I had other ideas for this post But I won’t contradict anyone. I will make subtle changes no specified by Talisin or others. Talisin specified they didn’t have a fire, so I won’t make one till that point. It's not a problem Anyway, creating one is easy enough for a druid.

Ziri goes about her shopping at a fairly good pace,leaving Mao outside the stores, but visibly reluctantly, but she'd rather have no fuss and have stores try to whine and complain. It’s not like the tiger is dirty or something but… at any rate, her first purchase is a backpack, followed by winter blankets. She buys the various for medium sized people and makes sure to buy 2 instead of one. You never know when you are going to need an extra, or lose your only blanket. She buys soap and visibly frowns slightly 91st the comment. Soap is good to have, whether you use it to bath, remove oils or grease, or anything else. Soap is just handy to have. A whole pound of it should last a bfight least. She buys an extra component pouch because no one likes to find nice components and have no room for them.


Flint&Steel 1gp
3xFishhook 3sp
4x Rations (day) 2gp 1lb
5 chickens 1sp
115.91pp
-.34
=115.57pp


Overall the shopping is relatively calm and uneventful, well, compared to other parts of her day. Ziri smiles somewhat as she finally finished her shopping and starts to head back through town with Mai. Ziri Sights as she walks out of town, her shopping done and her new pack no longer empty. There is a chill in the air that tells her once Sun sets she will need a fire. The ground is unpleasantly muddy and she takes the driest path. Thankfully there happens to be a hill not far off the road, and she heads up it. Talisin finds her. Considering his bow she is visibly thankful he didn’t shoot first and ask questions later because that would quickly have devolved into a full on fight had Talisin refused to back down. Thankfully no one did that. He brings her up to a tree and they talk, Ziri thrilled for any excuse to not use common. Mai plays with a bird, who ends up flying away. ”Don't worry, she’s trained not to go after horses and the like. She’s my partner, we have been together for.. Years really.” Ziri will pull her torch out of her backpack, and set it on the ground. ”I had the chance to get one of these. No need to worry, it produces only light.” Ziri playfully holds her hand in the flame. ”Magic perpetual fire… handy to have huh.”

She and Mai will wash their muddy feet and ful her waterakin, before casting purify water on it. Cold or not thankfully it’s only their feet that is muddy. Ziri looks up at the sky for any signs of the future weather. If it’s getting cloudy she will ask if it’s okay to make a shelter against one side of the tree. If he approves she’ll try to make a simple leantoo with the slanted side against the wind, large enough for a couple people to sleep, using her canvas, branches and leaves on the slanted side. Of there are no clouds or concerns about major winds, she won’t bother.

Ziri will try to gather branches and sticks for a fire while Mai is eating her chickens. She will set a snare while doing so. She will also work on a bit on tinder. However Sable arrives soon afterward. ”Hello again! I have the pieces of a fire ready, some wood and tinder, but they aren't out together yet. It was more an emergency button so far, if it gets too chilly.” Ziri will then arrange the fire and light it with the purchased flint and steel. ”I’m going to try to get some rest too. The firewood over there, if I don’t wake and it starts getting low.” Ziri will motion to a pile of branches and sticks. Nothing for an extended camp, no logs, just enough branches and the like to last the night.

If the sky had been rainy looking or the wind picking up too much, and she had succeeded in making a leantoo, or it had failed or there was no need, she would instead curl up near the tree with Mai, and wrap up in a blanket. She's probably look like a child cuddling a gigantic house at as she slept. If it got too cold due to the fire becoming too weak she’d probably wake and stoke it before dozing off rather quickly again.

Ziri will wake up the next morning when the sun is riding and stretch. She will silently sit where she can see the sun, if possible while remaining at the camp. She will smile and gaze at the colors of the sunrise, spending a full out in pleasant, relaxing meditation. If others say anything she may respond, but will probably not look at them. Quiet meditation, enjoying the beauty of nature. Once her meditation is done, she will begin packing up as silently as possible if someone is asleep, deconstructing the shelter and folding the canvas for use if she made one. If not, just generally tidying up. If her snare day g it anything she will prepare breakfast, and search for edibles if she can get Sable or Talisin to cook the catch. The same if the snares yielded nothing. Either way, She will show her snare wire away for future use.


~Level 0~ 5
Naturewatch x2
Create Water
Detect Magic
Purify Food & Drink

~Level 1~ 5
CLW 1d8+5
Sporefield
Longstrider
Goodberry
CLW

~Level 2~ 4
Barkskin
Chameleon
Easy Trail
Embrace the Wild

~Level 3~ 3
CMW 2d8+7
Nature’s Favor
Vigor, Mass Lesser 17 rounds

~Level 4~ 1
CSW 3d8+7



I really tried to catch up with everyone so I’m not behind. Sorry if it’s too long. It took an hour or more because I only have a phone.

[roll0]
Survival, for putting up the shelter from rain if necessary.

[roll1]
Survival for using the snare.

[roll2]
Survival for finding edible plants.

[roll3]
Knowledge, Nature, just in case you would rather I use that for finding edible plants.

[Artman77]

Everyone
Sable pulls off her boots and warms her feet, thankful for the fire. Night falls, and the gnome is soon fast asleep cuddling her tiger, and the elf is in the darkness somewhere meditating.
"I guess I'll take first watch then?" she jokes to herself. Not that they were really in any danger. They were still in town, technically, and were probably not high that someone would randomly attack a camp that kept a loose tiger.

Soon dawn breaks and you are joined by Illianna, Egan, Bruce, and Hugh. Hugh says Jack will be "busy" for the next several hours...

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Illianna wakes early, bathes and sits at the mirrored desk, lingering a bit as she brushes her hair, knowing this will her last bit of comfort for a great while. She snapped herself out of her daze and dressed quickly, before heading for the gates to meet her new companions. She stopped on the way to buy fruit, and munched on an apple as she walked. The group wasn't hard to find, as she had though, she just looked for the tiger. Approaching the group she spied Eagan and nodded to him with a smile. "Morning love", she says playfully. I hope you slept well. Her smile broadened as she greeted the gnome. "Hello friend, I am Illianna but you can call me Anna." She truly enjoyed the company of gnomes, and appreciated the additional racial diversity in the group.

[TankLaser007]

Talisin spent the last few hours before dawn in the branches of the tree. He always loved the quiet of the this time, it was for him a magical time when it seemed all the world the heavens and the earth was motionless and mute. The breeze pause in her breath, the stars stopped in their eternal spirals. The beasts of air and earth, wood and stone all in pause, it was during these hours that he most often thought of her, and where she was -- if she lived -- and what might their child look like?

It was in these moments of stillness too that he liked to build I'cuarfea. He had made and destroyed 81 bows, 81 times he shaped his very soul in his hands and 81 times he destroyed it due to its imperfection. In these moments when it seemed for him time held still he would build her again. From planting a seed of a yew that would become her heart to the firing her for the first time. Every night he built her again and again. Until the white shafts of the arrows of dawn pierced the cloak of night a single shot skywards into the heavens followed there after be a splayed dazzle of gold each shaft wounding the dying eve and painting a new day in the red of night's wounds, blood across the horizon. So it was under the a virgin sun that a string of armour clad and pack bearing sell swords trickled out of the southern gate of Angst and onto that small hill.

Human and Elves all together. What a sight it was. Talisin dropped from the tree, brushing his hands off and calling to Sable as he walked over to meet the group as they arrived.

It seemed there were several Elves and even a Half-Elf,

"Anna, is it?"


"Do you speak the language of our people? I am Talisin Moonhunt of Lorien from where do hail, you are only half Elven are you not? Might I ask are both of your parents still alive?"


Returning to common, "And greetings as well to the rest of you, I imagine in the days to come we will learn much of each other as from what I have heard the road is quite long. I am Talisin Moonhunt of Lorien. Scout and archer." he looks at those assembled, "Is it only to be the ten of us or are there many more?"

[Mai]

Ziri returns in the e a Roy hours of the morning, when the sun is still relatively low, with breakfast. Breakfast consisting mostly of a cooked squirrel and several edible greens. Few would probably eat the greens because some weren’t the tastiest ever. Ziri emerged from the river varying a skewered squirrel in addition to plants, with a wild onion stalk protruding from her mouth. She had elected to do the disemboweling next to the river for cleanliness sake. Mao was by the river eating the things people generally didn’t want to. Animals had fewer compunction about eating nutritious livers and lungs, brains and eyes, that sort of thing. She would make more tinder and reignite the fire. Talisin was up, because, lucky him, he only needed to meditate several hours a night. Sable may or may not be up. If not hopefully she would wake up to the pleasant smell of cooking meat. Suspiciously a leg and muscles connecting it were missing. Ziri gave her portion to Mai. Anyone who asked about it or the innards would get the truth. Mao needed it most. Granted she hasn’t used much energy since devouring 5 while chickens. This would set a precedent, Ziri would go without before she allowed Mai to, besides, she had less bodily need for food due to her size. She would happily hand out portions of meat to any who wanted some, and chew on some wild greens herself. She’d share them of course if someone didn’t mind them.

When people arrived Mao would voice a notable concern. ”So… who among us can generally hunt and gather other than me and my partner? I’ll bet Talisin could shoot a deer every now and again… But with this many people this might become an issue if most don’t know their edibles from non edibles and can’t hunt.” Ziri says this calmly, as though expecting half these people would be perfectly capable of doing so. ”Ahh, good to know. I guess this gives us more time to get acquainted before we get going. Though on my end i’ not sure how much there is to say in terms of introductions, as most were there when I was…interviewed, and I talked a fair bit with Talisin last night. Oh and for any who don’t know the name, this is Mai.” Ziri would give a call towards her if she was still eating, doing so in druidic because that's the language she used while training her.


Talisin specified they spoke in his post, hence what I said above.

[Artman77]

Egan waits for Anna outside the Goat and walks with her through town, also buying a few things. Egan tells her he must stop at the temples of Kord and Fharlang to pray for strength and a safe journey. Then they meet up with Hugh, Bruce and Garret at the city gate and are soon trudging through the mud towards the rest of the group.

Some travelers pass buy the group on their way into town and wonder what they could be doing. Gypsies, no doubt. They think, or perhaps a traveling circus, judging by the looks of it; a troupe of half-bloods, an exotic woman, a big fat guy--probably their strong man--a gnome and a tiger.

Talisin and Ziri are up before Sable, who snores loudly. She is slow in getting up when Ziri wakes her, and wipes drool from the corner of her mouth. Her hair is a mess. She thanks her for the squirrel leg, and chews on it while the others approach. Bruce makes sure to keep a safe distance from the tiger, keeping the others in between the big cat and himself.

"No Jack?" she asks.
"No," says Hugh, "He's trying to find somebody. And yes, it will just be the ten of us, unless Jack's last man has friends to bring with him." he says in response to Talisin. "Has our employer been by yet this morning?"

[TankLaser007]

"I have not seen him this morning and I have been keeping watching since a few hours before dawn."

[Artman77]

"So... this is it?" says Egan, shaking his head. "You guy's couldn't find Carter? Or he finally did the smart thing and joined the guild?"
"He's in prison," says Hugh.
"And Vixen?"
"Jack got rid of her a long time ago," Hugh says flatly.
"What!? Why? She was--"
"What? Davin's plaything? Weak? Trouble? A distraction? A terrible mercenary?" interrupts Sable. Egan Ignores her.
"What about her debts? How was she supposed to pay those off?"
"She got a job at at the Naughty Nymph."
"Couldn't be. I stopped by there yesterday, the place is closed down. I had to go to Savannah's instead. I didn't see Vixen there, the place was just about empty. They were talking about some do-gooder picking fights with everyone and how it was bad for business." He sighs. "Oh well, I guess you will have to do." He says. Sable rolls her eyes. He saunters over to her and leans in real close. She pulls back.
"I don't think so," she says.
"Aw come on, no love for your old pal Egan?" he reaches for her. She puts her palm across his face and gives him a firm shove.
"Oh its like that, huh? You know Sable, the gods didn't give you a body like that for no reason. It's an offense against them to not share it."
"Your face is an offense against nature. If the gods wanted you to have women, they would've made you prettier."
"A man has needs, Sable."
Egan looks at Anna for a long moment, than glances over at Ziri. He sighs heavily. "Woman... am I right? He says to Hugh and Talisin, looking for some support.

Cur arrives next, the characteristic scowl on his face. He has used his advance to buy a large axe, some spears, and new armor. The tight-fitting black leather is covered with a floral design, and the waist is cinched tight with crossing leather straps much like a corset. Leather boots cover his feet and shins, but his thighs are bare... the topmost of which are barely covered by the leather strips that hang from his belt. They are uncharacteristically smooth for a man, much less a half-orc. You wonder if he shaved them. His arms and face are smooth as well. His long hair has been combed, washed braided tightly. He looks around for an indication that the group is ready to set off, but sees none.
"So are we having a love-in or what?"
He spies Talisin.
"So are you the other employer then? Or are were humans and half-elves not racist enough, and we need more elves now?"
"Calm down there sister," says Egan, "No need to get worked up before we even hit the road..."
Cur's eyes flare with anger.
"...Says the racist!"
"He's not really that racist," offers Sable, "Just an ass."
"Yeah, that's what people say about you when you tell the truth. Nice dress by the way." he gestures at leather skirt.
Cur ignores him.
"How are you my dear?" Cur walks over to Ziri, and bends down to speak to her eye-to-eye. "That is a beautiful creature you have with you. I have respect for a woman that can control such an animal. We will have to stick together I think, if this is how the men are going to behave..."

Rusk arrives next. It looks like he has purchased a new axe as well. His isn't quite as large as Cur's. He carries it in one hand, the other hand carries an old shield that has been dressed up with a fresh coat of red paint. On top of the red field, a black pair of axes cross the center. Hide armor, a bow and quiver of arrows, a small pack and a bedroll make up the rest of his gear.
Rusk says hello to everyone. Egan asks the him and Cur if they paid their respects to the gods before they left town.
"Of course I did. I'm not a barbarian." says Cur, head held high.
"Yeah, sure." says Rusk, but it doesn't look like he means it.
"Which ones?" asks Cur.
"Boccob," he answers, but his tone is uncertian.
"Really?" Egan mocks, folding his arms over his chest. "You know, turning your back on the gods is a good way to wind up dead."
"What? Is this some sort of convent? Or a traveling order of monks? What about you?" he points at Talisin, "Do you worship the gods? Or you?" he points at Ziri, "Do you worship the gods?"

"Were off to a great start it seems," mutters Hugh to Sable. "Oh look! There's Jack!" he points enthusiastically up the road at the welcome sight.
Jack is just exiting the city gate, riding on a horse, six horses and two wagons loaded with supplies trailing behind him. Each wagon is pulled by a pair of oxen and lead by what looks like another mercenary and a farmer.

[Mai]

Ziri listens patiently but says little. She will take her time and adjust and fit Mai’s Barfing as they talk, and then spend a minute rubber the tiger’s belly. No one seems to answer her comment, not even Talisin. But she disregards that, and climbs into Mai, and scratches behind her ears from the saddle lovingly. When Jack appears she heads down the hill towards him, taking this as a sign that They would head out briefly. Two wagons seemingly of supplies. Considering the 8 month journey ahead of them, this made sense. She wondered why a farmer was with Jack. At any rate, once down the hill she will save slightly.”Hi boss, how was your morning? Busy I’d guess.” and herein lies one of Ziri’s flaws. You have this big tiger wearing leather barding, and Ziri waves and talks nonchalantly from her position on top of it. Perhaps it’s because she’s a druid,perhaps because she trained Mai herself and knows the tiger isn’t going to maul anyone, and perhaps it’s because after spending enough time together Ziri sees the tiger,Mai, as her partner and friend, and not remotely threatening. However other people… Not so much sometimes.

Ziri knows that Mai won’t go for horses and oxen, and won’t raid the supplies. So it doesn’t occur to her at this junction to make any efforts to explain any of this unless provoked into explaining by the farmer of other mercenaries. ”Anything I can do to be of assistance?”

[TankLaser007]

Seeing the two half elves had caused Talisin's mind to wander back decades, he looked at their facial features very carefully the way the held themselves and moved. When he finally came to his senses he realised he had been addressed several times during his internal reverie.

"Yes. Ziri mentioned a good subject. We should know who has experience in what fields and how we might be expected to contribute to our shared objectives." "And yes Ziri I can help Mai in you in hunting and preparing game should you two need it, I imagine Mai is quite handy when both tracking and bringing down big game."

Talisin introduces himself to those he hasn't previously met before, Egan, Cur and Rusk, Jack, Hugh, Grant. He declines to respond to Egan, and instead answers Cur's query, "No I am not anyone's employer, I am here due to an arrangement between Reraghuor and I." then switching tack he says "Humans can be quite insufferable, as can Elves at times, but if you have a bit a patience I would like to think we may be able to work together." Talisin rubbed his throat, it was such a rough, harsh and guttural language.

He looked one last time of those assembled and smiled to himself. Elves, Half-Orcs, Humans, Half-Elves a Gnome and a Tiger all working together on a year long haul to the coast. Interesting times indeed.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"Oh we have needs too, dear" Anna says to Egan, "but there's a time and place for everything. And now's not the time or the place." She nods as the rest of the crew filter in. It would be a long journey with these thugs, she just hoped they could swing those axes.

She approaches Tailspin, smiling. "Thats a fine bow you sport there my elven friend. My father was an archer and taught me the craft. I never did have the time to learn the art of the boyer though. I imagine we'll have a lot of time to kill on our travels, perhaps you could show me a thing or two." Seeing Jack brought a smile to her face. "Finally, our commander has arrived."

[Artman77]

"Yes," says Jack to Ziri, "I just purchased these horses. Look them over and make sure that nothing is wrong with them. After that, check the oxen. We need what's in those carts, so we're going to need them to pull those carts. I already checked them of course, but I'm not a druid, so..."
The horses seem to be in good health, but are a bit nervous. Perhaps it is having a new owner, perhaps it is the sudden arrival of a six foot, two hundred pound tiger. It appears to be the same with the oxen.

The mercenary that leads the first of the two carts, it turns out, is the winner of the fight that took place at McGees yesterday. He was the smaller of the two men, and the underdog in the fight. He stands at barely five feet tall, has a shaved head, a red beard that has since been braided, and is covered in tattoos. His perfectly chiseled physique is now covered with thick leather armor, steel pauldrons, and a thick belt covered with pouches. The handles of the hand axes in his belt bump against the wooden seat of the cart as it bounces along.

"This is Killer," says Jack, "He was the fighter everyone thought was going to lose yesterday?"
"But they thought wrong," Killer smiles, revealing several missing teeth.
"And that is Les," Jack says, pointing at the second driver. "He'll be our cook and our doctor"

Les is not a small man, but he is not that impressive either. His tousled blonde hair shines golden in the afternoon sun. He waves as you approach, and offers friendly conversation with a smile.
"I've been in my share of fights, and have held dying men both in the church and on the battlefield. I may not seem like much, but I am no stranger to violence and death. I trust you all have said your prayers before you departed? In whom do you put your trust?" His warm countenance turns serious at the question.

Jack, much like everyone else, agrees with Talisin's logistical statement.
Jack says he is the leader, of course, as well as diplomat, fighter, and arbiter in the case there is a dispute amongst the group.
Hugh, Cur, and Talisin will serve as scouts. Reraghuor, Fuinel, and Anna have sharp eyes and can serve as lookouts as well as take the night watch.
Bruce, Rusk, Sable, Garret, Egan, and Killer are all solid fighters, with Bruce and Rusk able to do any of the major lifting that needs to be done.
Ziri, Talisin, Hugh, and Rusk can do most of the hunting, Jack says, unless they have any objections?
Sable will serve as advisor when in barbarian territory, and Cur and Rusk as advisors when they get to Ordinkahn.
Les will be the group's doctor and cook.
...And, the group has since learned that Ziri can speak several languages, so she can serve as an interpreter, should they need one.


--------------------

You are soon joined by your elf employers Reraghuor and Fuinel, who have brought another sword with them. The middle aged man is tall and handsome. He has a thick head of dark hair, a sharp jawline and a devilish twinkle in his eye. His fine leather armor is expensive, well fitting, and well taken care of. He walks with the easy stride of a well-traveled man. Ziri recognizes him at once as the man from the market two days ago. He has a small pack slung over his shoulder.

"Hello there young Miss," he says, "I believe this belongs to you?" He walks over to her and hands it to her with a wink.

"Excellent!" says Jack, "With these two, plus him, plus your other bowmen, were up to fifteen! We might just survive this journey after all." A wry smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.
"All you have to do is sign here," he says, walking over to the newcomer with a contract.
"I'm not signing that." he says.
"You have to, if you want to be part of the group." says Jack.
"That's just too bad. I'm not."
"Then you're out."
The newcomer looks around at the group, then at Reraghuor, who shakes his head.
"Sorry Jack," says Reraghour, "we need him."
"Well, you'll be taking orders so you should sign anyway, for the sake of the others. It wouldn't be right." argues Jack.
"I give orders. I don't follow them," says the newcomer, "Just ask her." He gestures towards Ilianna.
"What's your name?" asks Jack.

"This is Artemis," answers Reraghuor, then he addresses the group. "He has come a long way to Angst, and he has quite a bit of experience on the road. Jack will still be in charge of our mission, and we will trust his judgment in most cases. I have hired Artemis for personal reasons, not the least of which being that we are still painfully short on sword-hands."

"Hello Anna," says Artemis softly, "How've you been? It's been a long time."

"Unless anyone has any objections," continues Reraghuor, "I think we can head out? Time is of the essence."

[Mai]

Ziri smiles and nods and begins looking over the animals. They indeed seem to be in good health, and assure from clear nervousness seem find. Though a predator was near enough to kill them they clearly were not panicking. This meant they were well trained. Though she doesn’t expect them to understand or converse, she pays one gently and says: ”Don’t worry, she doesn’t go for horses and oxen. Good thing deer aren’t pulling the wagons because that could get tempting for her though.” She says this while patting a horse gently and not looking at anyone, but loudly enough for anyone nearby to hear.”[/color] Ziri inspects the Oxen as well, and found they were in berry good health as well.

Ziri will listen as Jack and other talk, throwing out the following statement: ”You have a good eye for animals, They look very healthy. Let’s see if we can keep them that way.” Ziri smiles and returns to Mai.

When the others arrive Ziri greets them, especially When the man who gives
her pack back to her. ”Thank you! I greatly appreciate it! What are the odds we’d both end up here?” Her sincerity is blatantly obvious,that or she is a highly skilled actor, which she imaged few here would bet on. She slides the new off and her enchanted pack on happily, holding the other in Her hands. ”If anyone would like one they are free to use my new one of they would like, just let me sort things out first.”

Ziri ponders who is really in charge here as they debate signing contracts. The man has some sway over Jack it seems. ”I already when you are! Oh, Jack, tell me if you ever want a bird’s eye view. I could shapeshift into an eagle or some such. I can’t talk while shapeshifted, but I daresay some signal could be created that didn’t resort to a bird suspiciously flying down to the ground or circling overhead, which would just alert anyone watching who had suspicions to the group's location. I can't do it too many times, 3 seems to be the limit without sleeping, but I can maintain it for several hours each time.” Ziri said this in a notably good mood, thinking it might cause the group to not be as efficient if she his her abilities from them.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Anna stands, mouth slightly agape, silent for a moment that seems too long. "H-hello Artemis." She finally stammers. She can feel warmth growing in her cheeks and suddenly becomes painfully aware of all of the eyes on her.

She composes herself quickly, but and continues. "I'm well, I guess, work is hard to come by these days. How have you been? It's felt like ages since I've seen you.. I honestly thought I never would again.. How in Hades did you find-.." She stops, remembering something and her eyes widen a bit. "Gwen doesn't know wher-.." She stops herself again, and looking around again at the assembled group decides to save the questions for a time time when they could speak privately.

"I mean, never mind, we'll talk later." She straightens her armor and runs a hand through her soft blond locks, letting it fall over her shoulders "It is good to see you Artemis, I mean that. I've missed our talks."

[TankLaser007]

When he hears Illianna mention that her father is an archer his heart jumps then he understands when she mentions that he taught her that he, and her mother are not who he thought. He smiles at her reply and wonders at her age as he sees her interaction with Egan and the rest, she seems far more at home with humans then he is. He wonders if she also easily merges with elven society as she does with these humans. There is a fluidity and naturalness about her speech that seems so very, for lack of a better word, 'human'. They are such an adaptable species vivacious, almost to the extant of vulgarity. He never quite understood how to act around them, except for her that is.

"I would be honoured to share with some of what we have learned with the bow, and we also be honoured if you were to also share with us some of your father's teachings."

Talisin watches as the carts and supplies arrive, as well as noting the man 'Jack' who every one seem to address as if he is the one in charge, Ziri checks on the livestock and Jack informs everyone of their expected obligations. The elf stares at Jack for a few moments imagining his features marred by bruises and the signs of a fight. Then he smiles, "I see mister Blackwood came back for you after all." he says to Jack with a grin on his face.

Once Reraghuor and Fuinel arrive he bows to them both and watches with interest the exchange involving this new man 'Artemis' who seems to be important and knows Illianna as well as Ziri. He finds it interesting that Illianna seems to somewhat loose her composure with this Artemis and wonders at the history there. Once everything settles and it is mentioned that they should get ready to go Talisin heads up to the tree to pack his things and get Uriel.

[Artman77]

Jack does his best to hide the sheepish look at Talisin's greeting. His awkward expression goes through several transformations as he contemplates if he should respond and how, or if he should ignore the comment altogether. To his relief, Reraghuor shows up with a new mercenary. That relief is short-lived. Artemis is cocky and defiant. Not only that, he is handsome. And kind.

"You are very welcome, my dear. The odds would be very slim, I would imagine. But then, stranger things have happened." His gaze travels to Anna. The two exchange looks, each pleasantly surprised to see the other. There is a pregnant pause as each of them try to find the words, or perhaps the courage to say whatever it is they want to say to each other. Everyone stares at them expectantly. Except Egan, that is, who is distracted by something in the trees to his left.

"Well!" interrupts Hugh, sparing the two from what could be an awkward moment, "I'd say we've dallied enough, yes? Shall we get a move on?"
"Yeah," agrees Sable.
"Indeed," says Rusk, swinging his new axe lightly in his hands.

Killer and Les get the carts moving once more and Hugh mounts one of the horses.
"There aren't enough horses for all of us?" growls Cur. It comes out as more of a statement than a question. He strides purposefully towards one, but it trots sideways away from him. Jack, Sable, and Garret each mount up. Rusk passes in front of Cur, calming the horse he has spooked. He pats it and strokes its mane, then mounts with one deft leap.
"Hey!" barks Cur, "That one's mine!"
"Sorry Cur, he don't like you." Rusk retorts.
There is one left.

"Uh..." mumbles Bruce, "I'll walk."
"Go ahead Anna," offers Artemis with a smile.
"What about us?" demands Egan, thumbing his chest and waving at Cur. He doesn't make eye contact with Anna.
"Ladies first, right? Surely you are not barbarians?" laughs Artemis, "I didn't buy them, He did. Take it up with your boss."
"Relax Egan," says Jack, "Our employers have more horses."

Artemis jumps in the first cart with Killer and introduces himself. Your elf employers hop in the cart with Les, and you are finally on your way. You pass by a dozen farm houses, and fields yet to be plowed. The road from town is covered here and there by thin grass and shallow puddles, but by the early evening it is nothing more than a muddy pair of tracks leading into the woods.

"We'll head through the woods for a bit before we make camp," says Jack, "Reraghuor says they have a camp set up deeper in the woods a bit. Away from prying eyes."

[TankLaser007]

Talisin breaks camp and affixes everything to Uriel, checks his equipment on last time and the mounts his new horse. He lays his bow across his thighs with the belly of the recurve hooked on the saddle’s horn. Two arrows also lay under the bow he canters up towards the wagon carrying Reraghuor and Fuinel,

"Reraghuor, Fuinel bright day to you. How do you wish for us to outride? How far ahead shall we go and do you want us flanking ahead parallel to our path or to only stay on the road, shall we scout camp sites, and how far ahead do you wish us within site, sound, or a specified distance. Also when do you wish to break for the day, and how often, once twice, only at eve for setting up camp and how long before sunset shall we break, or do you intend that we press on into the night?"

[Mai]

Ziri smiles at Jack. "Sorry about that,I guess I assumed that druids doing that was common knowledge. I'll guess that's because of my lack of experience living in cities and whatnot, who probably rarely see a druid. Anyway, tell me if you want me to, and we will work out a signal." She will place her new, non enchanted pack in a wagon if no one seems to mind and if they do, she'll fix it to Mai's saddle. Either way, She is glad to be on the road. She reaches down as they head along. She'd usually cast londstrider so Mai could keep up with horses, but given that there are oxen traveling with them, it slows them down a bit, so she doesn't really need to. Even if they were horses pulling the supplies, the weight would slow them down. Ziri is impressed by the oxen. The things are strong. They are an animal she doesn't see much of, given that there aren't many wild oxen.

She smiles lightly to herself and may talk occasionally but when she isn't she rides in a friendly, companionable silence. She tends to reach her hand under Mai's barding and scratch behind her ear and such, small signs of affection and encouragement. "Oh, for future reference if you want I have a spell that may help if the train becomes overrun. It has a limted range, but if I dated just in front of the oxen, it should ease travel for them. That said it's only really applicable if we have to move though overgrown areas full of obstructing plants, thorns, etc. But knowing we'd be traveling I made sure to have it just on the off chance. So if in the future of that's a problem just give me a heads up the day before or early morning before or during my meditation. Or I can always try to have it, though that will require I sacrifice another spell, which could lead to less emergency spells for something we may not need most days." Ziri didn't expect it to matter, but better make the boss aware that that's a thing she can do. It would suck to not prepare it and Jack knowing the trail would get rough but not know she could do that, didn't ask. How are they to work together if no one knows what the others are capable of?

[Artman77]

Jack scans the sky. The little gnome speaks of spells and magic as a way of escape, and his eyes seem to follow imaginary images as new strategies begin to form in the air in front of him.
"Thank you. We will have to discuss your power in more detail over the next few days. I've met plenty of druids, in my life, but I haven't worked with any. And keep an eye on the half-orcs. I've worked with plenty of them, but these two give me the creeps."
He pats his horse, whose trot has become somewhat erratic since Ziri and the tiger approached. Something draws Jack's attention. He looks over his shoulder.
"If you'll excuse me."

Jack steers his horse to the side, letting Ziri take the lead, Hugh and Sable close behind her. He nods at Rusk and Anna as they pass. Bruce and Egan walk past him, Bruce smiling at his boss, but Egan intentionally not making eye contact. Jack returns Bruce's smile. Artemis and Killer ride in the cart together, laughing and joking, while Cur sits int he back, riding in silence. Artemis gives Jack a hearty hello. Jack ignores him. He guides his horse into step with the last cart as it nears.

"Talking strategy without me?" Jack asks. It comes out as a Joke, but the two elves can feel the weight behind the question.
"Surely not," offers Les, smiling.
"Oh, you speak elven?" Jack raises his eyebrows.
"Talisin here was just asking how the party is to proceed," says Reraghuor. Fuinel sits in the back of the cart, watching the city as it fades into the distance.
"Artemis may be rough around the edges," she says, eyes still fixed on the distant south gate, "but all humans are, aren't they? You should give him a chance."
"Artemis." Jack snorts. He turns to Talisin. "I'm guessing since Reraghour found you himself--and since you've seen Artemis snub my authority--that you wouldn't be interested in signing a contract? How much is he paying you?"
"We haven't discussed terms yet, actually, he turns to Talisin.
"Would you mind signing on with Jack and his band of illustrious mercenaries?" he turns back to Jack.
"I hired Artemis for the same reason I hired You. Because you are the best. I have no problem with you being in charge of the group, myself included. We are in human lands now, and you know the territory and the dangers better than I. There are a few things that need to be taken into consideration to ensure the safety--" his voice falters, "to ensure that our cargo makes it to its destination, but we can discuss that when we break for camp?"
"Indeed."
"As far as travel is concerned, how are we to proceed?" he asks.
"How are we to proceed?" Jack turns to Talisin. "You and Ziri will ride ahead and scout for us... we will break for camp once each evening, at dusk, and rise before the sun. We've got a lot of distance to cover. Travel order and tactics we should probably discuss as a group. We'll go over it when we break for camp tonight."
"Which shouldn't be too long from now. We're up here on the left."

Though the springtime evenings are longer than the winter ones just passed, tonight the clouds cover the sun causing the sky to darken early. A pale gray silhouettes the black branches of the trees.

Reraghour and Fuinel jump down from the cart and run to the front of the group, leading them off the road into the woods. The underbrush is much fuller where they are headed. The elves disappear into a thicket.
"Is this what you were talking about?" Jack asks Ziri, waving his hand at the dense wall of briars into which the elves just vanished.
Hugh dismounts and draws his axe. Sable rummages in the cart for some machetes, handing one to Egan, Rusk, and Bruce.

[TankLaser007]

Listening to the exchange between the Jack and Reraghuor Talisin nods his head. "I have no issues speaking to regarding such issues when we break for camp." he tells Jack, once they begin to pull off the trail he brings Uriel to the rear of Reraghuor's cart tying her to the back he dismounts. Placing an arrow in his bow he creeps into the brush behind the pair of elves. Keeping on the lookout for anything unusual.



roll=Listen]1d20+8
[roll1]

[Mai]

Ziri smiles slightly and when Jack heads back Ziri wonders what is going on. Is Jack going to be very uptight about languages? Perhaps he's had issues with it before. She really can't say, but she wonders if she should try not to speak other languages. She hopes it doesn't come to that as she rarely gets the chance to speak with others in something that isn't common. She doesn't hate common it's just that common is common. It's like eatingonly one food would get boring fast, speaking one language constantly does too.

"Yes, I have a spell that will make plants part themselves, get out of the way, and them spring back to normal at the end of the area of effect. No doubt some good with the forest won't need it, but if we need to take the oxen for example through brush, they might not fare as well."


I am not sure if we, as in the entire group including animals, are going through there, but if everyone getting machetes that implies the need to cut a reasonable path. So if so, if the entire profession does head that way, she will cast her spell.


Easy Trail
(Complete Adventurer, p. 147)

Abjuration
Level: Ranger 1, Consecrated Harrier 1, Druid 2,
Components: V, S,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: 40-ft. radius emanation
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You radiate an energy that gently pushes plants aside, allowing easy passage and hiding your trail after you pass.
Anyone in the area of the spell (including you) finds the undergrowth held aside while she passes. This effect essentially provides a trail through any kind of undergrowth, reducing any movement penalties from terrain caused by dense vegetation (see Table 9-5: Terrain and Overland Movement, page 164 of the Player's Handbook). Once the effect of the spell passes, the plants return to their normal shape. The DC to track anyone who traveled within the area of this spell increases by 5 (the equivalent of hiding the trail).
This spell has no effect on plant creatures (that is, they aren't pushed or held aside by its effect).


Ziri will stay in the middle of the group giving the most room to everybody else. The range should allow quicker travel if the entire group, mounts and all, decided to pass through.


Ziri takes whatever route with a small smile, no drama, Ziri is most at home out in the wild. Ziri will take a drink from her water skin as they go on and scratch Mai’s ear. ”Good to be back huh Mai? I bet you didn’t much care for the city. Between the two of us, neither did I” Ziri says to Mai, speaking druidic in a low voice. [Color=blue]”It felt almost indecent not having to worry about thorns and catching dinner.”[\Color]


[roll0]
Listen

[roll1]
Spot

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"Thanks Artemis" Anna says with a smile. She had forgot how charming the human was when he wanted to be. She also remembered how brutal he could be when necessary and resolved to get him alone to talk. She mounted the horse and set off with the group.

She travels in silence mostly, keeping an eye and ear out for trouble. When the group stops she guides her horse back to Artemis' wagon and stops. "I always had you pegged as more a 'city adventurer'". She says with a wry smile. "Must've taken a pretty penny to coax you outland. So what did they tell you of our cargo?" she says, lowering her voice. "They've been heavy with the coin and light with the details with us so far. You know what a busy-body I am." She says with a wink.

[Artman77]

Talisin is just a few steps behind the elves, and somehow, they fade like shadows into the thick wall of brambles. One moment they were there, and the next they are gone. No flash of light, no smoke, no hint of magic. They are just gone.
Equally surprising is Ziri's ability to magically bend the briars and make a clear path big enough for three men to walk abreast. Jack seems doubly impressed.

All is quiet.

The clouds cover the setting sun, and the trees, sky, and underbrush have turned a bluish-gray. The worst possible light to see by. The best possible light for an ambush. Jack and Sable draw their swords and follow Talisin into the thicket. Hugh and Rusk tighten their grip on their axes. Bruce, unaware that the mood has shifted, plods forward, twigs snapping loudly under his enormous feet. Cur lingers nervously at the back by the carts and horses, his presence spooking the horses more than they might have been otherwise.

Your employers are nowhere to be seen.

A fog rolls in. Or was it here the whole time?

There is a thirty foot-clearing in the midst of the brambles, tiny red dots glowing at its center. Fading embers of a fire that was lit earlier in the day. Bushes and branches are reduced to shadowy shapes in the thick mist.
Three figures shift slightly in the fog, two are thin, about four feet in height, draped in cloaks. The third is an impressive six feet tall, perhaps, though it is hard to tell because it is crouching. The one thing you can see--and see clearly--are a pair of wicked horns curling back from his forehead...

[Mai]

Things were progressing along fairly well. She was glad to be of some good use. She patted Mai's ears and watched things progress. The light seemed to dim, be it from clouds or the overheard trees it made her anxious. Weather anxious herself or feeding off Ziri's emotions, her ears twitch around. Then, fog. Ziri saw three figures. One was hard to figure out, he seemed tall but crouching, possibly airing but she didn't think so, intimidating horns rose from it. Ziri slid off Mai and began casting, trying not to speak loudly. She then places her hand on Mai and the tiger begins to disappear, disguised into the grass. Ziri sends her to watch and stay hidden. Should violence erupt, her loyal partner should be able to flank someone and catch them unaware.


Chameleon
(Complete Arcane, p. 100)

Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Druid 2, Wu Jen 2,
Components: V, S, M,
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell alters the coloration of the recipient's body and clothing so as to blend in with the surrounding background, granting the creature a +10 circumstance bonus on any Hide checks. In areas where the background changes gradually (such as stepping from forest to green field), the coloration shifts quickly enough to grant the bonus while moving at up to one-half normal speed. When the background changes abruptly (from forest to stone wall, for example), the creature loses the
circumstance bonus for 1 round while the coloration change takes effect.
Material Component: The shed skin of a small lizard. (Eschew materials feat nullifies this)


Thankfully neither spell needed her to concentrate, which left her free to cast, not that she had any offensive spells prepared, mostly utility spells. Ziri doesn't ready her weapon. She didn't want a fight. She readies her shield and looks around, as if hoping the leaders would walk out of the brush towards her.


Mai's (the tiger's) hide bonus is 4, so now 14, and her move silently is 9. It's not instructed to attack, just stay hidden and protect them if a fight breaks out, preferably with an attack from stealth. You can see it's stats on my char's sheet near the bottom.

Summary: She cast a spell and readied her shield which if I recall is a free action. No movement.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Anna sees the shadowy figures peering though the fog and the hair rises from the back of her neck. She bites her lower lip softly as she slips from her horse, putting the beast between her and the potential threats. Let's see if we can get a look at you she thinks and utters a quick incantation, motioning toward the clearing.

Three globes of light wink into being above the heads of the interlopers, casting light down upon them through the fog.


Dismount as a move action and cast Dancing Lights (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dancingLights.htm). Each globe sheds light as a torch.

[TankLaser007]

Is the elves disappear and these new comers seemingly arrive. Talisin moves behind a tree, he lets his eyes take in the forms from his place of concealment as Anna sends out three magical lights to illuminate the area and these unknown individuals. An arrow nocked in his bow, he waits to see who or what is revealed in the light before raising the weapon.


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Artman77]

Jack makes his way into the clearing, crouching low, his footsteps hardly making a sound. The lights illuminate the three. The one in the center puts a finger to his lips.
https://68.media.tumblr.com/71b53e5be5bbb7b95c712a2925677dfc/tumblr_onb16yVFSA1uvm9nio1_1280.jpg

The horned creature appears to be a satyr. On each side of him are two night elf children, in cloaks much too large for them. They've put on brave faces, but stand close to the satyr as though he might protect them from you... or whatever perceived danger is out there. The satyr looks to the left, and nods to the newcomers to direct their attention that way...

[Mai]

Ziri sighs softly and relaxed such a tad, and tries not to draw over much attention. What was a satyr and dark elf children doing here? So far no one had sttackrf, no attack was ordered, and so she's try to prevent one from happening. Mai was still off in the grass, but she hadn't ordered her partner to attack, only defend. She tried to strain to see in the most, somewhat anxious, and didn't set her shield away in case of an ambush.


Nice art, did you make that yourself? You'd have had to, what are the odds of finding a matching work of art after someone changed it by putting the lights over them.

[roll0]
Listen
[roll1]
[roll2]
(Spot rolled a second time in case you rule I have disadvantage, not sure how the most works.)

Sorry my post is really short but I can't think of much to say. We are in a sort of....odd moment. We don't know what's going on, what's causing it, etc.

[Artman77]

Jack double checks his crew, glad to see that they are all alert, with their weapons out, waiting for his orders. Except for the women, who seem to be taking matters into their own hands.

The satyr silently mouths something to him, but he doesn't get it. Sable does however, and whispers into his ear. Jack nods. Sable and Hugh enter the thicket with the children. The fog, which had begun to thin, grows thicker again, completely concealing the children. The satyr follows Jack back out.

Jack points silently for Ziri, Anna, and Les to stay with the horses, and motions for Egan to take Killer, Rusk, and Cur around the south side of the thicket while He takes Talisin, Artemis, Garret and Bruce around the north side. Whoever is intent on attacking the caravan, for robbery or otherwise, is about to be in for a very bad night.

Off to the west, shrouded by the darkness of night, you hear the faint rattling of chains.

new spot checks, initiative

[Mai]

Ziri doesn't like it, seeing people walk into the most.what is her boss up to? However she doesn't have long to think about it before she hears rattling chains. What is going on? She tries to look around, trying to find the source. The leader gone, lowered visibility, less people guarding the wagons? This was the ideal time for an ambush. She raised her shield to defend, but didn't bother with her weapon. It was mostly a precaution, for the scimitar would do no good, it was only as good as a dagger due to it's smaller size. If it came to offense she would change shape. She grabs her divine focus on her hand and holds it anxiously.


Barkskin
Transmutation
Level: Drd 2, Rgr 2, Plant 2
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
Barkskin toughens a creature’s skin. The effect grants a +2 enhancement bonus to the creature’s existing natural armor bonus. This enhancement bonus increases by 1 for every three caster levels above 3rd, to a maximum of +5 at caster level 12th.

The enhancement bonus provided by barkskin stacks with the target’s natural armor bonus, but not with other enhancement bonuses to natural armor. A creature without natural armor has an effective natural armor bonus of +0. +e to Nat Armor, so if she casts it her AC goes from 17 to 20

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Anna scans the area nervously, waiting for the enemy to show itself.


Initiative: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]

[Artman77]

Then you see them. Three of them. Dark figures moving through the trees in the distance. Two of them are heavily armored and carrying dire flails. The third carries a staff.

Jack and the others ready their weapons and shields, crouching behind trees as they wait for the strangers approach. The fog is much thicker by the carts, offering a bit of concealment to the party, but doesn't reach that far into the woods. Perhaps one of the elves summoned it to try and hide their cargo.

A few tense moments pass as the party waits silently to discern the strangers' motives. Their weapons are clearly at the ready. They carry no torches. They are moving quickly and quietly... And their path wavers neither to the left or right. They are headed straight for the thicket.

Then you see three more to their left. Short. Halflings and gnomes. And three to the other side of the tall men in the center. More halflings. All of them are lightly armored and carry flails who's chains rattle as they break into a run.

"Kill or capture," hisses Jack to you, "If one flees he takes takes an arrow to the back! No one can know we were here!"

The halflings and gnomes fan out in an attempt the party as the two large men in the middle charge. Where did the third man go?

"Lay down your arms and no one will be harmed!" Booms a masculine voice through the forest.

Artemis darts between two trees to the left and spears one of the gnomes with the tip of his sword. His face is grim.
"Oh crap."


160 ft, medium forest, sparse foliage.
There is enough time that you can all take your readied action. Mai, you can go first.

[Mai]

Ziri used her readied action from the last turn to buff herself with barkskin, and uses her standard action from this turn to wildshape into a wolf. No move action, just using her turns standard for this round. (The spell having been used as the lady's standard as per the relules of readying an action)


WOLF
Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Trip
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +3, Survival +1*
Feats: Track B, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (7-16)
Challenge Rating: 1
Advancement: 3 HD (Medium); 4-6 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -

New Stats: AC 17 (14+3 barkskin) str13 dex15 con15 int12 wis17 cha10
HP: still 56
And if I recall I gain”Trip” but none of the special a v ilities/feats. (Ie no scent, low light vision, track,etc.)

I went with a wolf because most other animals aren’t any good for combat, or are classes as large+ What would I do with a weasel?


Ziri’s spell was cast and and now she saw them come closer, fanning out almost, or maybe it was just that she hadn’t been able to see the sides before. This was bad. Her scimitar was good for some things but paradoxically, not for dealing any damage or stopping people. She’d already instructed her partner, the tiger to protect her and the wagons, no doubt she was nearby, Biden via the most and her chameleon spell, waiting for anyone to attack the wagon or Ziri. It was time to join Mai now. A ripple seemed to course down the druid, her shield, armor, backpack and everything else melded into her form as she landed on her front feet, now all all fours. Ziri glared toward these bandits, and nodded toward Jack. He had solid reasoning. Ziri let out a loud snarl.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

Anna sees the multitude of threats and takes a half step back, collecting herself. She utters the incantation she was preparing and a glimmering plain of force momentarily surrounds her before disappearing from view.

She takes stock of the threats and decides the heavily armored brutes are at the top of the list. She fishes through her component pouch with her left hand while beginning an incantation. Finding what she was looking for, she hurls several tiny objects in the direction of the brute closest to her and traces a sigil in the air with a hawks feather. The sigil of magical light seems to hang in the air for a moment before dispersing as Anna waves it in the direction of the brute, hoping to disable him.


Readied: Cast Mage armor
Action: Cast Hideous Laughter (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/hideousLaughter.htm) (DC 18 will save) on one of he dire flail wielding brutes

[TankLaser007]

Talisin scans the clearing and surrounding wood for anyone coming near to the wagons, or any of their group. His bow is half at half draw as he scans the area ready to fire at a moment's notice.


Ready action to fire on anyone nearing the carts or threatening to near any of our allies.
[roll0]

[Artman77]

Egan takes Killer and the half-orcs around the south side of the thicket to keep the party from being flanked while Jack and Garret lead the charge on the north side. Artemis hangs back, keeping an eye on the wagons. Or is it Anna he is keeping an eye on?

The two large half-orcs surge forward, flails swinging wildly. The first one swings a Jack, but suddenly wracked with a seizure. No... laughter? The second one swings his giant flail with all his might. Garret goes down. It is hard to see through the darkness and the fog, but from where you stand, it didn't look good. Jack sidesteps the laughing foe to stab the other one in the leg. A halfling appears from nowhere. With Garret down it is three on two. Bruce stands there stupidly, staring into space. It is three on one.

A halfling sneaks up behind Artemis as he pulls his sword from the body of the now-dead gnome, and draws his sword to stab him in the back.

Les calms the cattle as best he can. He speaks loudly into the darkness.
"Save us might Key, King of Gods! Spare our lives this day!" He prays. A pair of gnomes charge him from either side, wild, murderous looks on their faces.
"Aint no one going to save you, fool! You had your chance for surrender!"

A clash of blades can be heard as Egan and the others meet the enemy on the far side of the thicket.

The tall man with the staff is suddenly visible on the left-most side of the battlefield, opposite the carts. He raises his hand and a bolt of violet light bursts fourth and slams Anna squarely in the chest.

One halfling sees Jack in a losing battle, the cart driver trapped by enemies, and the sorceress blasted by dark magic. They are winning. He turns his eyes on the wolf.
"Here pooch," he says in response to Ziri's growl. "Oh, you don't want a master? Fine then! Die!" and he swings his flail.

Talisin, you hid yourself well, no one sees you. You can take your readied action on any of the above targets.
Anna, you take 13 damage, roll a will save
Ziri, the halfling that swung on you missed, your turn

[TankLaser007]

The clearing exploded into action, chaos, there was a flash of sickly light, Anna was struck, half of their team was either down or frozen be it some magical morose or natural fear he wasn’t sure but there was no time for such thought. Only action, it was time to give himself to the bow not to think at all simply to be in the moment. He wasn't sure exactly when it had all happened but he felt the rush of air, then heard the soft twang and the he saw the white of the fetching as his first arrow was in the air then again a second. Action without thought, like the beating of the heart or breathing of the body.


I am unsure of the ranges of everyone right now. But my targeting priority is as follows:

1) The man with the staff that seems to be a spell caster. (if in range and line of sight both attacks against him)
2) The Gnomes charging Les (if Rng & LoS are good AND the above can't be targeted one shot for each Gnome to "get their attention")
3) The halfling sneaking up on Jack


roll=Attack 2]1d20+7


[roll2]


[roll3]
roll=Crit Confirm 2]1d20+7

[roll4]
[roll5]

[Mai]

Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d6+1)



[roll0]
Attack Roll

[roll1]
Damage Roll

[roll2]
Strength check for a trip attempt. He is small so he should get a -4 on his opposed right?




Tiger
Size/Type: Large Animal
Hit Dice: 6d8+18 (54 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural, +2 barding), touch 11, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+14
Attack: Claw +9 melee (1d8+6)
Full Attack: 2 claws +9 melee (1d8+6) and bite +4 melee (2d6+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d8+3
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Balance +6, Hide +3*, Listen +3, Move Silently +9, Spot +3, Swim +11
Feats: Alertness, Improved Natural Attack (bite), and Improved Natural Attack (claw).
Environment: Warm forests
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 4
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large); 13-18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —
These great cats stand more than 3 feet tall at the shoulder and are about 9 feet long. They weigh from 400 to 600 pounds.

Not sure if you or I control and roll for Mai but I will and if you are supposed to, you can override mine, and if not, I saved us some time by rolling just in case. My spell should still be in effect, as it wasn't concentration based. So Mai should have no issues moving through the terrain within 40 feet of me, and I’m defending the wagons. So that's a daily central point. So a charge should be possible. If not I’ll roll a contingency plan wit her for a regular attack? But she was asked to defend. You can also claim you make her actions and that's fine. But if I recall druid says “directing your animal companion is a free action” which implies I do. But I could be missunderstandng.


AC 14 while charging.

[roll3] (+2 if flanking)
Claw1 Attack roll

[Roll]1d8+6[\Roll]
Claw1 damage

[roll4] (+2 if flanking)
Claw2 Attack roll

[Roll]1d8+6[\Roll]
Claw2 damage

[roll5] (+2 if flanking)
Bite Attack

[Roll]2d6+3[\Roll]
Bite damage

(If using this she is charging so that's a +2 to attacks. And if she was hiding and they are running at the farmer type guy when Mai charges them from stealth they may count as flanking. It seemed normal but I didn’t add the plus 2. If you seem she is flank 8 by then, add an oven just add 2. Pounce allows a full attack after a charge, hence below.)



[roll6]
Attack Roll

[Roll]1d8+6[\Roll]



Ziri snarls at the halfling as he misses and attempts to bite his leg and yank him off his feet. .meanwhile Mai the tiger pounces on one of the gnomes running at Les. Ziri doubted they’d be too keen to attack Led when a tiger starting a mauling them.


Yay for tiger glomps! But… With claws… And teeth… owie… OwO


Edit: due to my stupid fingers hitting the \ not / buttons I'll roll those in the ooc so I don't double post.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

[roll0]
HP: 46/59


Anna yelps as the magical ray stakes her. She gets her teeth and her eyes flash anger as she returns fire on the one who had struck her. She barks a quick incantation and a globe of fire erupt in her hand. She hurls the globe at the man with the staff.


Feel free to disregard my action if I failed my save. Cast Lesser Orb of Fire [roll1] attack vs touch AC (+1 if he's within 30') [roll2] damage on success.

[Artman77]

The gnome screams as the tiger pounces on him from out of nowhere, his scream turning into a gurgle as the big cat sinks it's teeth into his neck. The other gnome nearly trips over himself as he backs away, looking for an easier target.

Anna
Pain claws at your chest, restricting your breathing. The corners of of your vision begin to grow dark as you cast the spell. No sooner do you hurl fiery orb than your vision goes completely dark. You can no longer see.

Suddenly there is a sharp pain and a sickening crunch as your hands are hit by a cold heavy object and flung to the side. Excruciating pain shoots through your hands and fingers as you try to move them.
"Anna!" Shouts Artemis.
You cannot see if he is running to your aid, but you hear him roar with anger.
11 bludgeoning damage.

The halfling goes down screaming as your teeth clamp around his leg. He swings at your face desperately with his flail, but it is all in vain. You shake him like a rag doll, bringing him swiftly to the ground.

Bruce runs back to you, grabbing you by the scruff of the neck. His eyes glow a sickly yellow color.
Don't worry little brother," he says, apparently to the halfling, "Vecna is watching over us."
he attempts to throw you. Roll a couple of grapple checks.


The mage barely avoids the blast from Anna's firey orb, but howls in pain as the first of you arrows buries itself into his chest. The second arrow sparks as if it struck a rock and glances off to the side.

You see the gnome that the tiger didn't attack charge towards Anna, swinging his flail with tremendous force over his shoulder. The end of it connects with her hands and she screams in pain.

Bruce suddenly turns and runs full speed towards Ziri, grabbing her and pulling her off of the halfling. His eyes are glowing a sickly yellow color and he is saying something to the halfling as he does so.

The mage's gaze flicks from Anna to you. He fires a magical bolt in your direction, the purple light from it temporarily distorting the features of his face.
12 damage, roll a will save

[TankLaser007]

The blast hits Talisin and he reels, he can feel his vision begin to fade as he'll have to make the next few shots count, he moves forward towards the spell caster, closing the distance between them and lets loose another volley, hoping it will be enough to take the fell caster out of action.


Close to within 30' and fire two arrows

[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]


[roll4]
[roll5]

[Mai]

Ziri grabs his leg and shakes, pulling him to the ground when Bruce pulls her off and throws her into the tree. Bruce? Why? Why betray the the group? Ziri gives him a reproachfull, betrayed look. If that was his brother his brother shouldn't have ambushed them. She'd try to ask Mai for aid, but they couldn't let anyone survive to tell people what they were doing. Mai would be busy. Did anyone else see Bruce's betrayal?


Ziri looks around. A 2 on 1 fight with Bruce and his brother wasn't appealing. If either of them approach she will attack.

[roll0]
[roll1]

(If I recall it uses up a move action to stand from prone.) (Readdied attack action if Bruce or his "brother" gets close.)



Ziri glared angrily at him and approaches again. She didn't want to kill here. And 2 on one are bad odds. But, hopefully some of the others will help her. Her eyes themselves ask the question. Why? What was worth you risking your life and the others for, knowing the cargo is so protected? It was also likely clear from her stance and eyes that this wasn't what she wanted. Just another person to kill under orders. She didn't like it.

[roll2]
[roll3]
(The only thing different here is a move action is used to approach them first.)


Meanwhile Mai rips the gnome a new mouth (in it's neck no less) and as the other gnome tries to find an easier target she springs into motion and when near enough, lashes out with a claw, as if to catch him and drag him back to her.

[roll4]
[roll5]


Yeah it may be confusing but a lot hanged on wether or not I was prone so I figured it most time efficient to give 2 courses of action and the DM (Art) can use the one that fits.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"Ahhh-dammit!" Anna exclaims, staggering backward. She'd been in many combats, and knew she had to stay composed if she wanted to make it out alive. She flexed her hands and winched in pain at the damage the chain had delivered. Well this is a fine start to things.. she thought with exasperation. couldn't make it through the first damn night without winding up in a pickle.

She hears Artemis, bellow a roar she hadn't hear in years and is comforted knowing she wasn't completely amongst stranger mercenaries. In her experience they couldn't always be counted on to come to the rescue in a pinch. Especially so early in the journey.

"Artemis! That fraking caster took my sight! Watch out for him!" She yelled as she reached for her short sword. As she wrapped a hand around the hilt, a radiating pain coursed up her hand to her wrist. She was sure at least one finger was broken, maybe two, and the blood trickling between her fingers made her grip on the blade unsure for a moment. She gritted against the pain and tightened the grip as she drew the blade from its sheath. She held the blade in front of her, assuming a defensive stance, her face twisting in anger. Well come on then cur she spat at her unseen assailant. Come enjoy what's left of your wretched life.


Take 5' step back
Draw weapon- move
Full Defensive- standard
Current AC Flat Footed(blindness) base: 14, -2(blindness), +4 dodge(full defensive)= 16
HP: 35/59

[Artman77]

Everyone
"Key!" Les continues to pray as the gnome dies in front of him, "Save us! Deliver my allies as you have delivered your humble servant! Let your righteous judgement fall on this band of thieves!"

The darkness and the chaos of battle make it hard to tell--especially when looking out for multiple threats--but perhaps the mage didn't completely avoid Anna's fire. Flames lick at his left sleeve. Momentarily distracted, he fails to avoid the first of Talisin's deadly arrows. The mage howls in pain. His eyes widen with rage at being struck, even as the second arrow is deflected. He unleashes a magical blast in retaliation, pain written all over his face as he struggles to concentrate.

"Kill that archer!" His command is more of a strained cry than a yell.
The mage turns and runs, putting as much distance and as many trees between him and the archer as possible.

Talisin can feel his movement. He takes a step forward. He can feel the distance of the trees. He takes another step forward, and one to the side. It is an easy thing to time the shot perfectly, for he is the bow, and the bow is the arrow, and the arrow is truth. Darkness creeps into his vision. He feels the the release of the string as if the tension was released from his own muscles. He feels the arrow pass through the air as if the wind was on his own face. He is blind now, but he doesn't have to see it. He can feel the arrow penetrating the mage's skin, passing between his ribs, piercing his lungs. His world is dark. He hears the mage's stifled cry. The soft thud as the mage falls to the muddy forest floor.

"Elf!" hisses a small voice to Talisin's left, "Just like he said!" There is a rattle of chains. Talisin jumps back to avoid the blow he feels is coming, but is struck from behind by a second attacker. Cold steal cracks his ribs. The impact knocks the wind from the elf. The first attacker seizes the opportunity to land his own blow. Another devastating impact, probably intended for his knee, strikes his thigh. The pain is excruciating.
26 damage total

You pick your bruised body up from the base of the tree and ready yourself for the next attack. From your defensive position you see Mai leap over the wagon where Les still prays, and run after the other gnome. The gnome winds back with all his strength and takes a powerful swing at Anna. Anna doesn't seem to see the blow coming, and he crushes both her hands in a single blow. Mai is behind him in an instant. The tiger takes a swipe at the gnome, claws sinking into his hip. He whirls around from the blow, blood pouring from the wound like macabre ribbons on the belt of a dancer. He hastily jumps away from the tiger and finds himself face-to-face with an angry Artemis. Artemis strikes fast and hard. The gnome's head tumbles to the ground. Artemis sees to Anna.

Bruce and the halfling both have murderous looks in their eyes. They take a step towards you.
"Kill that archer!" cries the Mage, his voice strained. Bruce and the halfling both look over their shoulder just in time to see Talisin fire another shot at the Mage. They abandon you for their leader, running to attack Talisin. They aren't the only ones. The halfling that was fighting Jack has abandoned that fight to attack Talisin as well. He strikes from the left. The other strikes from the right. Talisin can't avoid them. They each land a mighty blow.

Now fighting one-on-one, Jack easily has the advantage on the monstrous half orc. It tries in vain to land a blow to the smaller man, and calls out desperately to his laughing companion to get up off the ground and help him!

Egan, Rusk, and Killer are running around the back side of the thicket, axes glittering bloody in the starlight.
"Help him!" yells Egan, as he and Bruce run to Talisin's aid. Only, Bruce isn't running to Talisin's aid. He's running slower than Egan. Egan is in front of him. He pulls a knife from his belt and stabs Egan in the neck!
"Traitor!" yells Rusk.
Killer's holds his axes out, lightning suddenly crackling over their blades. He slashes each of Bruce's ankles. Bruce bellows in pain and falls to the earth. Rusk scans the battlefield, seemingly torn between beheading Bruce, or running to Talisin's aid.


You hear the attacker yelp with fright, then hiss with pain. There are sounds from multiple feet moving across the ground in front of you, then the muffled sound of a blade piercing flesh.
"Anna! Are you alright?" comes Artemis's worried voice.

Everyone
"Jack!" calls Sable from somewhere inside the thicket.

The muffled sounds of feet from somewhere behind the group.
"Help him!" comes Egan's voice, also in that direction.
"Traitor!" comes Rusk's voice from about the same area.
There is a sharp cry as someone is struck. Sounds of a scuffle. A heavy thud.

Your vision returns to you and you see Artemis standing before you, concern all over his face. A headless gnome lies at his feet. The tiger crouches next to him, muscles still tense. The mage is nowhere to be seen. Talisin is fighting two halflings at the same time. Rusk and Killer have joined the fight, running to Talisin's aid. Bruce and Egan lay dead on the ground nearby.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"I've seen better days" Anna comments to Artemis, holding up her bloody hands, "but I can see again at least. For a second there, I was worried I'd never see that handsome face again." She flashes a grin at Artemis as she shifts her blade to her off hand. Icy knifing pain courses through her hands and up her arms. "Just like old times."

She flexes her throbbing right hand and incants in a sharp voice "Arrouneth Emark!" Another globe of fire appears in her hand and she throws it at one of the halflings engaged with Talisin.


Cast Lesser Orb of Fire [roll0] attack vs touch AC (+1 if he's within 30') [roll1] damage on success.

[TankLaser007]

As the night becomes a sea of starless black as his vision is ripped from him, he changes the grip on his bow and strikes out at the sound of the voice to his left.


Using bow as Quarter staff:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4] vs 50%
[roll5] vs 50%

[Mai]

Ziri is ready to attack should they come but instead a mage bellows about an archer. Ziri turns expecting Falls in. Bruce appears to rush to his aid only to stabs comrade in the neck. Ziri eyes's her partner, Mai. The tiger comes and together they run towards the mage and Talisin.

Ziri, who was closer than Mai, runs towards Bruce and attempts to bite his leg. If her teeth find enough purchase she will shake her head and growl, and drag his leg out from under him.


Ma I moves 40 feet towards Bruce and Ziri moves to attack the same. Both have 40 movementnow so Ma I should be 20 feet from Bruce and Ziri, ready to attack next time. If Ziri's trip attempt works Bruce is going to have a really bad day next round. (Hopefully)

[roll0]
Attack roll
[roll1]
Damage
[roll2]
Trip attempt

[Artman77]

"Get up you fool!" shouts the giant half-orc as Jack presses forward. If one had time to pay attention, one might think that jack is actually enjoying himself. The big brute's arms are tiring. Jack easily deflects the weak attacks to the side. He presses forward. The bigger man steps back, stumbling a bit on a tree root. Jack seizes the opportunity, stabbing him in the throat. In an instant he whirls around and slashes his sword deep into the neck of the one still laughing on the ground. He goes limp. Jack rushes back to help the others.

Anna
Your broken fingers protest as you try to contort them into the proper shape. The tiny flame appears as you speak, and grows in heat, but then dims. It flickers, threatening to go out. You didn't spend years of training various ways to hide the fact that you were casting spells to fail because of a few fingers. You reach deep into your mind to find the fire. Never mind your hand, the magic is there, in your brain. The heat intensifies. Pain causes the flame to flicker again. Talisin could die, perhaps, if he was truly blind as you were just a moment before. Ignore the pain. The tiny orb grows. You throw the fire with your mind as much as with your arm.

It shoots across the battlefield, casting eerie moving shadows and illuminating the sides of trees as it passes them. It hits the halfling squarely in the back. At once he is engulfed in flame, and throws himself to the ground.

"How long have you been able to do that?" Artemis raises his eyebrows, impressed.

Talisin
You swing with the shaft of your bow, connecting solidly with side of the halfling's head. You hear a sound like a bag of potatoes being dropped. Suddenly there is a scream from behind you, and you are bathed in warmth. You turn towards the sound. The first thing you can make out as your vision returns is that of bright orange light. Your other attacker, you can now see, has burst into flame. He throws himself onto the ground in an attempt to put himself out. The flames quickly burn through his clothes and eat away at his flesh. He writhes in agony. His piercing scream becomes a horse, ragged growl. His body spasms violently several times, then he is still. The smell of burnt flesh assaults your nostrils.

Ziri / Everyone
Hugh and Sable come running out of the thicket through the wide tunnel created by Ziri, their faces and weapons coated with blood.
"What's going on?" cries Sable as she sees a wolf tear into Bruce's leg as he lies helplessly on the ground. Killer and Rusk stand angrily over him, apparently content to let the wolf maul him to death.

"Help!" he cries. His eyes dart back and forth between Killer and Rusk confusion. "What's going on? You-- Help me!!"
He beats furiously at the wolf with his fist, but suddenly stops. His eyes widen with fear as he sees the tiger charging towards him!

Suddenly the center of the thicket bursts into flame! The children, still inside, scream with terror! Their frantic cries pierce the night.
"NO!!!" screams Reraghuor, charging forward out of the darkness. He runs full speed into the fire, disappearing into it as quickly as he appeared.

The surrounding brambles light quickly, and soon the entire thicket is engulfed in a raging inferno. Killer and Rusk back away from the aggressive heat, leaving Bruce and the wolf to decided between themselves what they would rather do: run, or fight and get burned alive.

Les jumps from the cart and runs to the thicket falling before the fire and placing his face and hands on the ground.
"Hear me oh great and mighty one! Let not our sins be the death of these innocent children! Save them from the fire! Let them live!"

[Mai]

Ziri grabs his leg and tanks him down, shaking the limb violently as her teeth tear into it. Suddenly he's asking for help from the group after declaring the attacker his brother and stabbing a group member in the neck. Did he expect people to help him now?

Suddenly the area was aflame and their employer ran into he clearing when the chicldren screamed. Then, the fire caught in the thicket. Ziri, residing she could deal with the traitor some other time that didn't nessessitate burning alive, fled as far as she could. Ziri and her partner, Mai, ran as far as they could from the flame, catching sight of Les and wondering why he was praying in front of the fire and to whom. Ziri and Mai would run as far as they could towards other group members that were not near the fire. No fool ran into the woods during a wildfire, that would bribe of the worst possible times to get lost in the woods.

So that's no attack, just running. I'm wondering if Bruce was dominated or something. Who knows? Ziri certainly doesn't. I'd have her shift back and cast a spell but I doubt a mere 14 gallons of water would do much to help. I don't think Ziri has any fire-be-gone spells.

[Griff_Goodbeard]

"Learned a few new tricks since we've seen each other last." Anna replies to Artemis, smiling through the pain she felt in her hands.

As the thicket bursts into flames, she takes a step back surveying the scene, looking for additional threats.


[roll0] spot check.

[TankLaser007]

Returning his bow to his quiver Talisin runs after Reraghuor towards the burning thicket, drawing his Longsword along the way.

[Artman77]

Bruce rolls away as quickly as he can, mud clinging to his clothes, blood dripping from his mangled leg. The hair has been burned off of the right side of his head and his right arm.

Thick smoke billows from the mouth of the tunnel. Coughs and choking cries can still be heard within. It's amazing that they aren't dead yet. A miracle they aren't dead yet. The oppressive heat threatens to set ablaze anything within thirty feet. Luckily, it's still early spring, and the waterlogged bark on the trees seems enough to keep the trees protected.

Egan's clothes begin to smoke as his body lies motionless by the inferno. Les continues to pray under his breath, and shielding his face against the heat with one arm, makes his way towards Egan. He grabs a hold of the bigger man with both hands and drags him away from the blaze.

Bruce claws his way back to the group and flops onto his back, panting heavily. Killer looks down at him with disdain. Rusk is so furious he looks as if he is about to explode.
"What in Cuthbert's name is going on here!?" demands Jack, looking back and forth between Bruce and the rest of the group.

Talisin, be prepared to take a d6 of fire damage and roll a CON check for the smoke.
Anna, you see movement to your left, it looks like one of the gnomes isn't quite dead yet.
Ziri, you can tell the brush won't catch the forest on fire. It's like a pile of twigs without any logs. It burns SUPER hot and fast, but burns itself out in just a few minutes.

[Mai]

Ziri gives a selfish sigh, seeing Bruce's mangled leg and all else that has happened. Thankfully the farmer's brave and has hopefully saved Egan, doubtfully, but hopefully. Ziri, reluctantly, leaves her wolf form and becomes a gnome again and pats Mai, uttering a soft word of endearment and affection and featuring for her to chase down the haffling Bruce had saved. "Bruce attacked me for attacking one of the ambushed, said he was saving his brother. The enemy mage yelled for people to kill the archer...Bruce here stabbed Egan in the neck while Egan went after the mage I'm assuming. Then... I don't know. There was people rushing towards the people in the clearing when the bush caught fire. I'd offer to heal Bruce if he hadn't probably killed one of us when he joined them." Ziri was irritated and angry at Bruce, mostly for the "probably killed Egan" bit. You had to admire a person who could lift a wolf and throw it into a tree. That said... She was somewhat shaken when Bruce seemed not to get why he was being mauled. Was it play acting? Or...."Beyond that, boss, I have no clue. The best I can say as to why I mangled Bruce’s leg is this. He pulled me off an ambushed claiming said ambushed was his brother. Which implies, knowing we were escorting something valuable, he has a part in the ambush. Wired though, I've never seen a person's eyes glow yellow like that. Who is vecna? A deity? Her eyes grow slightly confused. Glowing eyes? They had startled her a bit but eyes don't normally glow. And there was a mage.... But Ziri wasn't an arcane caster and had no knowledge of such. "Hey are there any spells that would cause your eyes to glow yellow?"

Meanwhile, Mai heads for the haggling, doing as much as possible to avoid the flames. If she reached him she reached out and claws him.


+9 melee (1d8+6)
[roll0]
Mai's possible attack roll if she is in range.

[roll1]
Attack roll, again if Mai is in range of the halfling.

I'm guessing Bruce fell prey to a failed will save from dominate or something. But, Ziri attacked him anyway. Why? How could she not? Besides if so his leg can be healed.

I'd heal Anna's hands except I have no standard actions left.

[Artman77]

"Wait!" cries Sable as Talisin follows Reraghuor into the flames. He doesn't seem to hear her.
The smoke is thick and oppressive. Through the haze you can see where Reraghuor lies prostrate on the ground, his boots and clothes burned, his cloak blackened, charred to a crisp by the heat. His arms and his cloak do little to cover the two small, motionless bodies of the children that lie beneath him on the ground.

"This one betrayed us!" Rusk snarls. He hefts the axe in his hand, as if wanting to know precisely how it would feel to bring the full weight of it down on Bruce's head. Bruce cowers on the ground, his hands extended in a defensive manner.
"Is that what happened?" Jack directs his gaze to Bruce, the hard expression on his face demanding an answer. He glances around quickly to make sure there are no more threats, and then back at Bruce. The mood in the air is tense.
"This imbicile stabbed Egan in the neck!" growls Killer. "Blood for blood!" he charges Bruce. Jack plants a hand in Killer's chest, stopping him in his tracks.
"Not so fast, short stuff." Jack says. Killer's eyes go wild. He tenses, as if about to swing at Jack. Hugh is behind him in an instant, blade inches from his neck. Jack doesn't flinch.
"He just killed your friend! Is this how you repay your friends?" he spits, "By letting them die? We're supposed to pledge our lives to you, and you're going to let us all get stabbed in the back, without penalty to anyone else!!??"

"He's not dead, Key be praised!" Les's words come out as more of a horse croak than an actual yell. "Get me some water!" Wisps of smoke escape his mouth as he struggles to speak. He tears a sleeve from his shirt and holds it to Egan's neck. Ziri and Anna are the closest to the cart.
"Water! Be quick about it!" Jack points in their direction.

"Garret?" asks Hugh.
"Dead. Orc got him," says Jack. "Cur?"
"We lost him on the other side of the thicket. He might still be alive," says Rusk.
"Jack! The children! We have to help them!" Sable pleads, her eyes glistening with tears.
The screams have stopped. The cries have stopped. No longer can the sounds of clashing steel be heard, only the sound of wet branches, crackling and popping in the fire.
"There's not much we can do, Sable. It's too late." Jack says in a hushed voice.

"Alright men," he says after a few moments, forcing himself to look away from the fire, "Lets check the bodies. If anyone isn't all the way dead, make them so. Prisoner's are a luxury I'm afraid we can't afford."

[TankLaser007]

Coughing and blinking his bleary eyes he manages to make out the form of Reraghuor seemingly atop the children. He drops his longsword and rushes forward he only pauses for a second, he turns Reraghuor's body over and scoops the children up in his arms and begins running back towards the carts, his mouth is choked with thick acrid smoke as he opens it to scream:

"Over Here!! Over Here!!"


You mentioned before 1d6 Fire damage but you never rolled or told me anything about it. Just reminding you.

[Mai]

Ziri sighs inwardly with relief, Egan may not be her friend exactly of course but that's 1 less dead. Now however comes a more difficult cource. So many injured and she can't go running off all over the place to get to them all. Who here is most injured. She can't runn all over seeing to every injured person at once, and now things come to touch choices. If Egan isn't head he's probably heading that way in a hurry. Broken hands and burns shouldn't cause one to die as rapidly as possibly severed arteries in the neck. Unfortunately druids are not clerics and so she doesn't have as many healing spells currently accessible. She could conjure a unicorn, and that could do some healing on it's own, but that would take more time while at least 1 person was probably. She must also assume those who ran into the flames and the kids were injured, but those are further away still. And how injured? She couldn't guess. Ziri gives an anxious glance towards that direction, but gets to work trying to stop any extra deaths. Gnomes aren't as fast as humans. Thusly, in a rush, with the kids farther out, she'd probably only be able to make it to Egan and Anna. Egan's was life threatening.


Art didn't say if we are in combat or not when answering my OoC question, and merely said "You can do it in one round." Which... Didn't really answer my question fully. One round however implies we are "in combat" and so move/standard/swift/etc. actions are still being used. So, given that I have no clue how far anyone is from Ziri, yet don't want to slow us, the only solution I can see without being confusingly vague is to split my possible actions up depending on the circumstance.


The kids are too far to reach, due to the slower speed of gnomes. She can't get know how badly they are hurt, if at all, however she knows know Egan is probably 1 step from dead, given where his injury is.

Ziri, worried about the kids but know knowing how wounded they are,let alone able to rest them if she did, rushes to heal Egan. She doesn't pose as enough healing power to heal him fully, no doubt, but casts a cure spell on him to at least stabilize him and hopefully heal his neck enough to slow or stop the bleeding.

[roll0]
Cure moderate wounds



Egan is either not as bad off (not rapidly bleeding to death) as she expected, and isn't in danger of dying, and[\b] they are not in combat. Unicorns have 3 CLW and 1 CMW SLA's a day and thus 1 spell can be used to heal more people. (Assuming this is within Ziri's knowledge)

Ziri summons a unicorn... That's about it, and it will cast cure light wounds on Anna and whoever else seems considerably hurt, if we are not in combat use all the rolls. If we are and the children are revealed to Ziri [b]and are near death, it used CMWs on one of them and CLWs on the other and on Egan, in the order of severity.

CMW roll above

[roll1]

[roll2]

[roll3]




The children are revealed to Ziri as in danger of dying and she can reach them, and she is in combat and must choose between Egan and saving a child.

(As far as I am aware Ziri has no clue about the state of the children, the satyr, and their employer. Because it's not been revealed openly.?) if it is in some way and Ziri has to choose between children and Egan, She chooses to save a child instead. As a result, use the cure moderate wounds roll on one of them instead.


Gah lack of information makes this so confusing.

[Artman77]

Blood gurgles in Egan's throat as he tries to thank you for your kindness. Les urges him not to speak.

"What about me?" Bruce begs.

"Over here!" comes Talisin's cry, strained though it is by the smoke. He half-helps half-drags the two elf children away from the blaze, one under each arm. Jack, Hugh, and Sable rush to help them. They lay them gently on the ground and check for signs of life. Both boys are breathing. The group huddles around them, hoping beyond hope that they aren't dead. No one notices the absence of "Killer".

One of the boys coughs, and his eyes flutter open.
"What happened?" he looks at each of the faces hovering above him, searching them for a face that he knows. Not seeing one, he begins to panic.
"Who are you? Where's Reraghuor??"

Talisin: yes, i did mention that. No fire damage to you though, for some reason. :smallwink:
Ziri: sorry for the confusion, but real life battle is confusing. I wanted to explain everything in super-detail, but didn't want give too much away. I opted for the latter.

[TankLaser007]

"Reraghuor." Talisin strains. The Elf turns and starts running back the way he came still sputtering from the smoke, "I couldn't get him and the children..."We have to get him!" he yells as he heads back to where he saw Reraghuor.

[Artman77]

Talisin
Some of the others are following to help, you are sure, but you don't look back. There may not be time.

The fire isn't raging quite as bad now, since many of the briars have been consumed, but the smoke billows thickly now.

Reraghuor is near where you left him, struggling to make his way out.
"Fuinel," he coughs. His mouth works, but no more words come out. He coughs again. His legs wobble as you help him to his feet. His eyes roll back and forth in a delerious panic. He is looking for something. Someone. A violent cough wracks his entire body.

Angry shouts suddenly pierce the eerie stillness that had begun to settle. The sounds of anger. Betrayal. A voice of reason shouts to be heard. Not Jack. Not Bruce. Artemis.

As you exit the what should have been a funeral pyre for three elves, you see the humans are restraining one of their own. Killer. He has been disarmed, but not deterred. He momentarily breaks free and lunges for Artemis.

[Mai]

Ziti places a hand gently on Egan. "I have you stabilized at least. I will do my best, But I may have to heal some others as well. We'll get you cleaned up and what remaining healing spells I have will be used to help you. Just try to rest up and don't talk, your bleeding plenty, don't go tearing open again what's at least partially healed okay?"

Ziri tries to comfort him, but then Killer goes berserk. Ziri turns just in time to see him lob an axe at Atemis. Clearly he will not be easily restrained. Even as he tries to hew Artemis's head from his shoulders Ziri speaks an unknown word, to most at least, in druidic, and Mai lunges out to grab him. She doesn't rake and rend with her claws, but rather attempts to knock him down and restrain him. Ziri meanwhile will move to summon a unicorn.



[roll0]
Initiative roll

[roll1]
Touch attack to initiate grapple

So claw attacks and whatnot in the core SRD with a tiger are +9, but with 23 strength and a base attack of +4 that adds up to +10... I'm not sure what's going on and if it's a typo, but the math says ten for tiger stats as strength is applied to melee attacks and grappling specified a melee touch attack. If you wish to use +9 just subtract one.

Assuming she's back near Ziri (it's been a turn or two since all battle stopped.) in which case she can make a full round to grapple. In which case she is possibly close enough to not need to move, and can make a full attack to grapple.

But I'll roll once and if you seem Mai is near enough to killer to do thusly, and the grapple fails, then I guess more can be rolled I suppose.

[roll2]
Grapple check, large size gives a +4 (it also specifically says tigers have +14 to grapple, which implies the +9 to other attacks was indeed a typo, because otherwise 9+4(grapple mod from size) would be 13.

I suppose I should roll non-lethal damage add well for unarmed?

[roll3]
Subtract the 6 if strength does apply.

Unicorn is summoned for the use of it's healing SLA's I don't think it can move on the same round it's summoned though. That said Ziri may or may not be in combat... I'll leave it here and if you seem it so I could roll a heal in the ooc topic or something.

[Artman77]

No sooner does he break free than Mai leaps through the air and pins him to the ground. Her claws dig deep into his shoulders as he struggles to break free. He howls with rage. His eyes roll back into his head and he spasms erratically. His head shakes back and forth and he looks around in the dim light.

"What the f***?!?" he shouts, his voice a mixture of fear and confusion. "Get this f***ing cat off me! The gods curse it all! Gnome! Get this ***** **** **** off me!" he struggles in vain against the tiger. She bears her teeth at him.

Just then Reraghuor and Talisin stumble into the group.

"We're not alone!" gasps Reraghuor, his voice a horse whisper, "A necromancer. Quickly, search the bodies. Look for gems. Quickly!"

Smoke has filled the forest now, hiding where the bodies have fallen. A shadow moves in the darkness.

[TankLaser007]

Talisin, quickly readies his bow, drawing it along with an arrow from his quiver. He nocks an arrow and half draws the bow as he scans the clearing for signs of this fleeting shadow.

"Hold! Or we shall fire!" he says into the night.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Artman77]

"A necromancer? What?" Jack turns his attention away from Killer and back into the night.
"Key deliver us from these demons!" Les drops to his knees and begins to pray again.
"Calm down, peasant. There's no such thing as demons," says Rusk calmly, ignoring Killer's pleas for help.


The dark figure in the distance is about the size of a short human, but its head is shaped more like an orc's. It makes it's way over to where Jack and Artemis first engaged the ambush. It bends over. When it stands, another body stands next to it. The six-foot, 300-lb body of an orc.

"Dear gods," whispers Jack.

The figure is about 60 feet away. It doesn't stop when you command it. It is either a human or half-orc, but it's hard to tell through the smoke. You hear it whisper in what sounds like draconic.

[TankLaser007]

That must be him, the elven scout thinks to himself as he catches sight of the short form moving through the mist. He brings his bow to full draw and lets fly two arrows in the man's direction.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]

[Mai]

"Calm down then, Killer. You are the trying to kill people, not my partner, not me, and not Jack, and not Artemis. Calm down. People have died here today, people loose thier calm around death and that's understandable, not not loosing it so badly you try to kill someone. Relax. As for getting her off, that's Jack's call I think, as our boss." And with that Ziri gave her partner a scratch behind the ear and a pat, before turning to look to see if Jack is going to give a signal to get her off.

Just then though Reraghour comes out, talking about a necromancer. Just then a figure shows up, and whispers something Ziri strains to here. This is partly why she learned draconic. (Other than simply loving to learn languages.) Mages use it. Something stands up, an orc? This isn't good, there is too many dead just asking to be used by a necromancer. "Well... If you want to kill something to vent, killer, you may have just got your wish.... Jack?" Ziri looks towards Jack anxiously as Talisin shoots. "We may need killer's help here... There are a lot of dead... Perhaps if we could behead the bodies around us we could ease this, though I hate to disrespect the dead."

Ziri then directs her unicorn to heal one of the kids. [Cure moderate Wounds SLA] while she attempts to heal Sable's hands some.


[roll0]
Healing whatever kid seems most angered via unicorn.

[roll1]
Healing Sable's hands.

The latter seems to have poofed but in character Ziri will think healing the mate's hands a great move considering a necromancer is about.

Sorry for not posting sooner, I've been keeping an eye on the OoC assuming I guess something would be posted there when we got started again but clearly that was a bad call. :3

[Artman77]

The arrows find their mark and the man goes down. Two seconds later, the other orc body rises from ground.

Bruce and Rusk look a bit nervous as the unicorn strides into their midst to attend to the children. It touches one of them with its nose. A shudder runs through the unicorn's body as it sees the undead shambling forward. It stomps the ground anxiously.

"You're right, we need him. Call the tiger off." says Jack. He gives Killer a hard look. "You go psycho like that again, I'll kill you myself. Alright men, lets go cut some heads."

Hugh, Rusk, Killer and Artemis run to the fallen bodies and start severing heads. Reraghuor collects his wits, draws his sword, and stands at the ready with Jack as the two dead orcs charge forward.

Fuinel suddenly appears out of nowhere.
"Necromancer." Reraghour hisses. The female elf nods sharply and, just as quickly as she appeared, she is gone again.

I think you mean Anna, not Sable? Anna is the one who got her hands destroyed by the halfling's flail.

[TankLaser007]

Talisin draws another arrow nocking it to the bow he scans the clearing for any signs of other living enemies. Doubting the apparent ease with which this 'necromancer' was felled.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Mai]

Ziri nods to Jack and signal's Mai, then scratched behind her ear affectionately for a brief second before getting to work herself. She didn't like the idea of doing such to a dead person, but with a necromancer about she had no choice. If she couldn't behead any bodies with her small scimitar she would make an effort to at least break some legs and likewise.

Meanwhile Mai gives off a roar and runs at one of the orcs, lashing out with a claw towards it, and the unicorn works on healing the other child.


[roll0] Attack
[roll1] Damage

[roll2]CLW on the other child

And yes, Anna, sorry.

[Artman77]

The orcs are silent as they charge the group. They don't bellow war cries or scream with blood-lust. Their jaws are slack. Their mouths hang open. Their eyes are blank, lifeless. The first raises his massive flail over his head, about to bring it down on the elf.

It never makes it.

Mai sails through the air like a bird, hitting him hard from the side. Her claws dig deep into his flesh as she brings him to the ground.

The leader of the Axe Gang and his new employer smile. They each take a step away from each other to flank the other dead orc as it charges them. They strike simultaneously. Their swords would have felled a living creature, but the orc is not living. Immune to the pain of a sword plunging through his heart, he swings his giant flail. The wickedly barbed star sails over Reraghuor's head and slams into Jack's chest, spilling blood from his bare arm as it bounces off.

It is a nasty blow. Jake pretends to shrug it off. He can't show any weakness, especially not now. Fear is a powerful thing, and he can't risk the chance of it taking hold of his new recruits. They need to keep their wits about them. The orc swings his flail around for another heavy blow. Reraghuor stabs the orc in the back. The orc doesn't stop his assault. He doesn't slow, doesn't even feel it. Because he can't. Jack staggers back, trying to avoid the blow.

Suddenly a head-sized rock smacks the orc in the side of the head. He staggers, his flail missing Jack's head by inches. Jack looks over his shoulder towards the source of the flying rock. Bruce waves a shaky hand, his breathing to shallow now to speak.

"Thanks."

The smoke begins to clear. Talisin's keen eyes make out the form of the apparent necromancer, two arrows protruding from his chest, crawling on his hands and knees towards the dead body of a halfling. But if he was truly the necromancer? Where was Fuinel? Why hadn't she slain him yet?

[TankLaser007]

"Strange" he thinks to himself, where indeed was Funiel and why is it this 'necromancer' seemed far too simple to take down. Something was amiss here. Drawing back the string on his bow, he feels the feathers of the shaft brush his cheekbone before a rush of air, the first arrow gone a second is quickly in its place and before he can think the second shaft is already upon its way.


[roll0] [roll1]
[roll2] [roll3]

[Mai]

Ziri comes and joins Mai, slashing out with her scimitar towards the orc zombie that her partner is attacking. Her and Mai are a team after all, and Ziri would give her life for her partner, and so so without regret, so it was only natural for her to do this. "I'll heal you as soon as this is over Jack. I don't have much healing left in me after all of this, but I can probably take the edge off."


[roll0] Ziri's attack
[roll1] Ziri's damage

[roll2] Mai's claw 1
[roll3] Mai's damage 1
[roll4] Mai's claw 2
[roll5] Mai's damage 2

[roll6]Mai's bite
[roll7] Mai's bite damage

Ziri does a standard attack, Mai does a full attack, both are flanking the same orc zombie.

Where did griff poof to?

[Artman77]

The arrows find their mark, and the necromancer collapses into the dirt.

Jack stumbles out of the way as Mai lunges at the massive dead orc. Ziri helps her pet finish it off as Reraghuor turns his attention to the second zombie.
"Back off," calls Anna as she rushes to his aid. The elf pulls his sword from the beast's belly and steps to the side as Anna unleashes a jet-stream of fire from her fingertips. Shadows dance behind the trees as the dead orc swings his flail. The heavy star slams into Reraghuor's head, sending him sprawling. The air is filled with the sickly smell of burning flesh. The orc's flesh sizzles as it burns, but he doesn't go down.

[Mai]

[roll0] Ziri's attack
[roll1] Ziri's damage

(Assuming she's close enough to move and attack.)

[roll2] Mai's claw 1
[roll3] Mai's damage 1
[roll4] Mai's claw 2
[roll5] Mai's damage 2

[roll6] Mai's bite
[roll7] Mai's bite damage

(If I recall charging adds 2 to attack rolls, hence the numbers above.)

Add 2 to all rolls if Ziri can get to him and flank for Mai. I see this in my head as Mai charging and taking a full attack at the end, and Ziri is rushing to keep the zombie off the already very injured Reraghour.

Sorry.... I didn't mean to go 3 weeks without posting. I was waiting on Talisin because I didn't want to skip him, but then I got very distracted with life stuff and this kinda fell through the holes. My utmost apologies. I never meant to go so long without posting... And there really isn't a valid excuse. I was trying to be polite, and then... One of my faults I guess, is that these things slip my mind when they slow down too much. I am truly sorry.


Hearing Reraghour fall, she and Mai rush to attack his attacker, in an attempt to keep him as safe as possible. She rushes to his aid, and Mai charges straight toward the zombie, growling loudly, before pouncing on it on a flurry of claws and teeth. "I can't heal you now, I'll do my best when I can, but I'm pretty much out of heals. Stay alive, and I'll do my best to help when we aren't busy trying to keep everyone alive."