A Simple Adventure (IC)

[Seharvepernfan]

A Simple Adventure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spoiler

Show

Go.

[JanusJones]

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

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

Spoiler

Show

Went.

[Tyrann]

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

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

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

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

"HihowareyoudoingI'mfinethanksjustalittlenervousth at'sall."

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

[JanusJones]

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

Spoiler

Show

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

[Tyrann]

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

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

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

After a big swig he adds, somewhat calmer now

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

[Raginmund]

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

[Cavir]

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

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

[JanusJones]

Spoiler: Reminder of where our conversation left off ...

Show

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

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

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

After a big swig he adds, somewhat calmer now

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

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

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

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

[JanusJones]

Spoiler: OOC - Oops!

Show

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

In any case, a Bluff's in order!

(1d20+8)[14]

[Blue_C.]

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

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

[JanusJones]

Spoiler: Incidentally ...

Show

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

[Seharvepernfan]

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

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

[Blue_C.]

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

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

[u-b]

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

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

[Raginmund]

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

[The Dragon]

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

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

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

[JanusJones]

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

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

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

[Cavir]

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

[Raginmund]

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

[JanusJones]

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

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

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

[The Dragon]

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

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

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

[Tyrann]

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

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

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

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

"Hello, Risper will do."

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

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

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

[CrimsonKnight]

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

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

[Seharvepernfan]

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

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

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

Spoiler

Show

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

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

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

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

[Cavir]

"Look out! Here's your fight!"

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

Spoiler

Show

No current stance
AC17 with shield

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

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

[Tyrann]

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

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

Spoiler

Show

Risper moves to F5 and attack the creature in B1
Attack - (1d20+3)[16]
Crit Confirm - (1d20+3)[7]

Damage - (1d6)[1]
Crit - (1d6)[6]
And on the off chance it somehow applies
Skirmish - (1d6)[4]

[Tyrann]

Spoiler

Show

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

Hoping to figure out what exactly we are fighting and what to be careful of.
Knowledge Religion - (1d20+2)[13]

[u-b]

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

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

[JanusJones]

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

[Seharvepernfan]

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

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

Spoiler

Show

Kosnark:

Spoiler

Show

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

Risper:

Spoiler

Show

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

Everyone else may act before the other figure.