Kingmaker [Stolen Land] (IC)

[digiman619]

Beltin smiles back. "Hello as well. If you're going to get us food, be aware we have a fifth member of our party, but she's taking care of the horses at the moment." He digs into his pack looking for something. "And yeah, I suppose we're here to eat and board tonight, but there's a bit more to it than that. Ah, here it is." He grabs his commission, presenting it to Svetlana. "we're the expedition party that Restov sent."

[lostsole31]

"OLEG!" she shouts like a shrill harpy. "GET IN HERE AND GREET OUR GUESTS!"

Back to you, she is back to all smiles and cheer, though Beltin gets the sense that something is off. She looks over that charter. "See, we expected visitors to the trading post. We recently received a message delivered by a traveling hunter returning to the wild from a visit to Restov that our request for more defenses against bandits is just about approved, but it would still be a few days before a patrol could be sent. Message went on to inform us that a group of adventurers was on its way. I hear these adventurers were chartered could well be of use in defending the post against these bandits we been havin' troubles with."

[digiman619]

"Well, stopping banditry is one of our primary objectives, so to say." He paused "So, tell me about this bandit problem you've been having."

[lostsole31]

Svetlana ladles out a hearty stew, warm bread, and even opens a bottle of wine for the occasion to thank you for coming to their aid.

Oleg, looking somewhat mollified, comes in with a carry-bo of tools and mutters, "Just fixin' that leak, was all."

She looks back to the group as Oleg washes himself and puts his tools away. "This meal, and tonight's board, is yours free, if'n' you an' yours agree to take care o' these ruffians. But you asked about, and ain' fittin' to send you to fight 'em if you don't know a thing about 'em."

She proceeds to tell you while all of you eat your stew and bread (and enjoy a moderately good country wine).


The bandits’ first visit was 3 months ago—they threatened to burn down the trading post and abduct Svetlana for their own amusements back at their camp if the Levetons didn’t agree to hand over all of the furs and trade goods they’d accumulated over the past month from hunters and trappers.

Since then, the bandits have returned twice more, each time within an hour of sunrise on the first day of the month. The Levetons have learned to have their “taxes” ready and hand them over quickly—the bandits usually seem eager to return to their camp somewhere in the Greenbelt, which makes Svetlana think their camp is about a day’s ride away.

The first time the bandits visited, there were a dozen of them—10 lower-ranking thugs led by a cloaked man armed with a bow, and a woman who carried two small hatchets. The woman did the majority of the talking on that first trip, and her black sense of humor and the way she smiled when she spoke of what fate would await Svetlana if the Levetons didn’t comply frightened Svetlana all the more. The woman also seemed to be particularly sharp and observant, whereas the man seemed to be a bit more crude and foolish. This, plus the fact that the woman quite nearly lopped off Oleg’s right hand with one of her hatchets in a cruel bit of mockery, convinced the Levetons that she was the most dangerous of the bandits. As it was, the woman took Svetlana’s wedding ring right off her hand and tossed it to one of her men as payment for “not shortening Oleg’s reach.”

On the second and third visit, only the crude hooded man accompanied the bandits. The second visit, he came with only six other men, while on the third he only came with four. The Levetons suspect that the bandits have let down their guard and think the owners of the trading post are completely cowed. Hopefully, when they visit tomorrow they’ll be even fewer in number, and hopefully the scary woman with the hatchets won’t be with them.

"Waaaiiit," a minute says Linzi. "What do you mean tomorrow? it's the fourth of Pharast. Shouldn't they be here on the fifteenth, in about 11 days?"

Svetlana and Oleg look at each other and burst out laughing. "Dearie, me, what do you mean? It's the 28th of Calistril, the last day of the short-month!"

[digiman619]

Beltin held his hand up. "Wait. If it's supposed to be the last day of Calistril, that means we somehow gained four days." He paused, visibly confused. "I mean, if it was the other way around, that we thought it was the last day of Castril and it was actually the 4th of Pharast, that would mean that we somehow spent four extra days asleep, which while incredibly strange, at least make a modicum of sense. But this?" He shakes his head. "Unless this is some strange prank, I'm not sure how this happened, though that does somewhat explain where that extra grain came from, I guess. Though that itself raises even more questions."

[lostsole31]

Laughter is heard from the entrance as Lini is coming in. "Oh, Beltin. You tried that joke with the hunter we passed yesterday ... you know, the 28th of Calistril?"

She strolls up and hops up on a stool to share in the grub. "This guy. He's a joker. He's been trying to tell fey stories to passers on the road ever since Linzi told him a bedtime story the first night out. Yeah, no, we are only three days out from Restov, as you can imagine."

Lini is not convincing, and Oleg and Svetlana are confused, but when the alternate is unbelievable, they don't seem to protest.

Linzi picks up the ball, and she is far better, and comes up with a story about a fairy circle that transported a king and queen 100 years into the future. Svetlana and Oleg seem to forget the details of whatever Beltin was saying before, and enjoy the story immensely. "So, you see," she says in summation, "So after I told that story, Belty thought it would be a hoot to try and convince people that we were displaced in time by trickster fey. He's just not as good at telling stories as me."

She looks to Beltin. "Aren't you ...... Belty?" she asks pointedly.

[digiman619]

Beltin got the message loud and clear. "I'm sorry, it just seemed like the sort of spooky, weird story that we needed to break the ice." He sighs, perhaps a touch more dramatically than he needed to. "Anyway, we should get to the matter at hand. It occurs to me that we never got around to introducing ourselves. As they mentioned, I'm Beltin Oldiz. I'm a blacksmith by trade, though I'm expanding to this whole adventurer business. To my right, we have Linzi, an alumnus of the Pitax Academy of Grand Arts. She thinks that I'm on the verge greatness and has dedicated herself to be my chronicler, though time will tell on if my story's worth telling. I'm hopeful, in any case."

He the gestures to Lini "This in Lini, and before you ask, yes, the two small women have very similar names. No, I do not get them mixed up. She is our expert on the natural order and on the Great Outdoors in general. Next to her is her travelling companion Sajan. He's from all the way out in Casmaron, though I doubt I could point it out to you on a map. And finally, we have Harrim, cleric of Groteus. He's not the greatest conversationalist, but he's got plenty of skill with divine magic, and that's what matters."

[lostsole31]

Linzi blushes when she's mentioned. Sajan looks confused.

"Aw, it's okay," says Svetlana. "I do like your storyteller Lisa, though."

"Yeah," says Oleg in a much better mood than before, "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Heh, Belty ... har, har, har!"

[digiman619]

"With that out of the way," Beltin asked, his previous confusion quickly forgotten, "When the bandits came here, which direction did they come from? Knowing which way to look for them will give us more of a heads up when they finally appear."

[lostsole31]

Oleg scratches his head, and Svetlana cuts in, "We aren't on 'watch' when they come, since there's just two of us and a lot of chores. The best answer I can give you is, 'through the gate.' Sorry."

Oleg asks, "So, you what do you have planned for tomorrow when they come?"

Meanwhile, Sajan to himself is lost in thought, confused, "Casmaron?!"

[digiman619]

Beltin brought his hand to his chin. "Well, Linzi's pretty good with a crossbow, so she'll be on the battlement. Me, Sajan and probably Harrim will be on the ground floor, beside the gates and out of immediate sight. I'd prefer Lini on crossbow duty, as well, as her stature might make fighting mounted foes difficult without attacking the horses themselves."
And noting Sajan's confusion, he adds "Also, I feel I should state that I am horrible at geography and may have totally misremembered and/or just generally screwed up saying where Sajan is from." He briefly considered asking Sajan directly, but figured that if he wanted to clarify the situation and correct Beltin, he could and it was better to not call him out if he didn't.

[lostsole31]

"Wait, what?" says Lini. "I don't have a crossbow, I have a sling. I don't think I've ever used a crossbow. I agree, though. I will be on a separate watchtower with my sling."

"I have no skill at hiding," says Harrim. "Perhaps I should stand back from the entrance, but visible? That might draw bandits into the yard while you and Sajan are on each side?"

Sajan says, "I am from the island of Jalmeray in the Obari Ocean, but I have feeling that means nothing to you, so you might as well claim I am from wherever, for all the good it means to people. But what is your plan? Will you not stand to give the bandits notice, that they may have the chance and choice to change their fate?"

[digiman619]

Beltin rubs his face. "Sorry, I think all this travel is getting to me; I've lived in Restov most of my life, so being away from the city is taking some getting used to." He takes a deep breath. Addressing his companions one by one. "Linzi: Yes, I should have said a sling. I guess 'firing from a battlement=a bow of some sort' in my brain and a crossbow is the one escaped my mouth. Harrim: Yes, I think that you should be with Oleg and Svetlana; it'll help you keep an eye on them when the fight invariably breaks out. Sajan: Giving them a chance to repent is definitely a good idea, and one I want to implement. I just want to be able to close the doors to cut them off. If we don't stop all of these bandits and one of them makes it back to their camp to warn the rest, it makes our job much harder."

[lostsole31]

Beltin rubs his face. "Sorry, I think all this travel is getting to me; I've lived in Restov most of my life, so being away from the city is taking some getting used to." He takes a deep breath. Addressing his companions one by one. "Linzi: Yes, I should have said a sling."

Lini and Linzi both facepalm as Beltin confuses them again, Beltin calling Lini "Linzi." Acknowledging his mistake he continues, "I guess 'firing from a battlement' equals a bow of some sort in my brain and a crossbow is the one escaped my mouth." Lini demurs.

"Harrim: Yes, I think that you should be with Oleg and Svetlana; it'll help you keep an eye on them when the fight invariably breaks out."

Harrim nods, but mutters, "Not that it will matter as we will all probably die."

"Sajan: Giving them a chance to repent is definitely a good idea, and one I want to implement. I just want to be able to close the doors to cut them off. If we don't stop all of these bandits and one of them makes it back to their camp to warn the rest, it makes our job much harder."

Sajan nods. "I would like to think that if hostilities are inevitable, we'll know. But if it looks that way and you want the first strike, be sure to do this with the hand at your side facing me." With that, he does a surreptitious, casual move, almost like a fidget but slightly more deliberate.

Any amendments, or are we good?

[digiman619]

Beltin buries his face with his hands for a few seconds. The road really had gotten to him recently. "Okay, sounds like a plan. I'll want to take a look your stores at some point, but otherwise that will do. Could you show me to our accommodations? It's far too early to get some sleep in, I know, but I think just lying on a bed for a few will help me relax and get my head on straight."

[lostsole31]

Though technically it might make sense to parse out the four rooms to the men and the girls sleep in one room, as Lini's protector Sajan will be with her, and Linzi can get her own room. Linzi is willing to entertain Oleg and Svetlana in the dining room, as well as anyone else who wants to have some diversion.

Anything else for that night, or move forwards to the morning?

[digiman619]

Beltin relaxes on the bed, actually falling asleep for a good hour or so. He gets up in time to catch some of Linzi's performance before he got ready for bed. He did set up a watch schedule, with himself starting his shift closest to sunrise; if whoever was watching for the bandits failed to see them in time, Beltin would either have to waste valuable time getting into armor or run out without it and risk serious injury.

[lostsole31]

Knowing from Svetlana and Oleg that the bandits usually arrive shortly after sunrise, the entire trading post will be up early to get their preparations in readiness for what is to come. A simple, cold breakfast is served an hour before surise proper, and everyone's daily preparations are finishing up shortly after sunrise. Even among those who went to bed early in readiness, there is a lot of yawning, but people get themselves ready.

Meanwhile, it is very cold (15 F), with winter making its last gasps. Oleg makes sure that the fire in the central pit is burning well. He offers cold weather clothing to those who want it.

All of the NPCs want cold weather clothing. Beltin, how about you?

Spoiler: Cold Weather Clothing

Show

This outfit includes a wool coat, linen shirt, wool cap, heavy cloak, thick pants or skirt, and boots. This outfit grants a +5 circumstance bonus on Fortitude saving throws against exposure to cold weather.

[digiman619]

Beltin would wish to get a set as well; metal being such a good conductor of heat (or lack thereof) made wearing a suit of it quite cold.

[lostsole31]

"Here they come!" hisses Lini, hanging down slightly on the inside portion of her redoubt to warn Sajan, Beltin, and Harrim. "Four men on horseback, with two additional horses."

Beltin, are you looking to ambush them, or to accost them (per Sajan's recommendation) to give them a chance to retreat/ surrender?

[digiman619]

Beltin's plan is to wait until they enter the fort itself and then announce his presence from behind them. With a bit of luck, they'll move in rather than try to run them over to tell their boss, and they'd be able to take them out. With a lot of luck, at least a few would surrender, but he isn't holding his breath on that one.

[lostsole31]

Oleg and Svetlana, who were standing near the firepit, ready themselves as well. Svetlana stands to the south of the firepit, in full view.

The mounted men and extra horse arrrogantly ride in and up to Svetlana....

[digiman619]

Beltin raises his already drawn sword. In his most authoritative voice, he says "Get off the horse and surrender your weapons and you will be spared. Or raise arms against us and suffer the consequences."

[lostsole31]

The bandits, surrounded, are all agog and flustered. One with a bow standing by Oleg, who says, rather unsurely, "Get .... get 'em!"

Begin Round One ...

R1T16: Oleg bolts for the trading post.

R1T15: Linzi, who was up on the SW watchtower, appears right above the ladder going up to the rampart and shoots her crossbow at a bandit, hitting him in the back for 3.

R1T10: Beltin, you have a man on a horse that just got plinked by a small bolt right by you. What do you do?

[digiman619]

Beltin slashes at the man, trying to make an opening for Sajan to advance.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

SwA: Enter Vigilant Keeper's Stance
SA: Initiate Tactical Strike on the guy, giving Sajan the free movement.
(1d20+12)[28] (1d8+6)[13]
MA: Move as appropriate (seeing as there's no map, I'm giving you leeway to move me as needed

[lostsole31]

R1T10: Beltin slashes at the man, trying to make an opening for Sajan to advance. The longsword bites deep into the man's back and side from below, right where Lini had shot him, and he falls off of his horse, unmoving. Sajan wasn't quite ready for the tactical advice, and he stares at Beltin, trying to take everything in.

R1T9: Meanwhile, the next bandit in line moves over to Sajan and from horseback and pins Sajan's right arm with a crit for 13! It is a grievous blow, but Sajan is still standing, and the bandit is still holding his weapon in Sajan right now.

R1T8: Then the third bandit moves up to Beltin and attacks, but misses.

R1T7: "Sajan!" Lini cries out in alarm. Instead of using her sling, she runs down the SE watchtower steps onto the rampart, and intones a spell with gestures. There is a strange, momentary warping of the air in front of hair before that warping stops.

R1T6: With Lini's voice, Sajan finally snaps out of his distraction. With the held shortsword still stuck in his arm, there is a sudden shimmering around Sajan, almost like heat, and some of the bits of the last snow start to evaporate to a light mist. He goes into some sort of martial stance, albeit with a gimped arm. He takes the temple sword he had in his right hand, to his left, and hacks at the man. The bandit uses the horse to good effect to dodge the first attack, but didn't expect such a quick reattack as Sajan cuts into his left lower leg for 9, the man screaming in pain from the awful blow.

R1T5: The bandit that seems to be the leader calls out, "Get those front men in a pincer maneuver against the gate-wall, he calls out," though it is unclear to Beltin what tactical benefit that might provide. He does a fast dismount, draws his bow, and shoots at the man that downed the first bandit. An arrow hits the gate behind Beltin.

R1T4: Harrim is heard intoning a spell before he comes around to face the leader. Harrim is carrying a heavy flail that has paint on it to look like a skull.

R1T3: The final bandit finally moves up to Beltin to attack with his short sword. It is a brilliant thrust from high ground .... or at least, brilliant for a man of meager talent and training, as the sword cannot penetrate Beltin's armor.

End Round One, Begin Round Two ...

R2T15: Lini reloads at the top of the ladder and then shoots at the one right below her (who is attacking Beltin), but her bolt gets deflected in his leather armor, even being fouled in his cold weather gear.

R2T10: Beltin, you are being pressed against the wall by a bandit on horseback. Normally that might suck, but you saw this guy give some of his best ... and still not penetrate your armor. What do you do?

Sajan's bandit on deck, Lini in the hole ...

[digiman619]

Beltin does his best to keep the attacker on horseback off of him, while doing his best to cover Sajan.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

SA: Initiate Strike of the Infinite Protector, giving Sajan +2 AC (1d20+12)[19] (1d8+10)[17]
If it's feasible for the Collective to manifest this way, I'd like to spend my MA to Aid Another Sajan. If the strike hit, to give him +2 to his next attack; if it didn't to give him +2 to AC. If it's not feasible for the collective to manifest this way, I'll Aid Another myself for +2 to attack the guy in front of me. (1d20+12)[21] vs 10 AC. Regardless, this will trigger my Zeal.
I will Warning Roar the next attack at Sajan.

[lostsole31]

R2T10: Beltin does his best to keep the attacker on horseback off of him, while doing his best to cover Sajan. His longsword cuts deep into the man's left shoulder and into his lungs for 17 and knocking him down to the ground as well. Meanwhile, both horses of the men dropped scamper outside, away from the chaos.

R2T9: The bandit that was attacking Sajan, despite his great fortune on the first strike, isn't about to tangle with so dangerous an opponent. He tries to get away. He leaves his sword in Sajan's arm but Sajan takes his own temple sword and hits the man hard in the right hand as he retracts it for 9, disabling the man. As he maneuvers his horse around, Sajan attacks again, but wildly and almost loses his wind with the weapon in his arm. The horse and rider continue past Beltin, but Beltin - for the first time in his life - is in mortal combat. For all of his training, he has yet to kill or grant mercy, and his kinesthetics take over for morality in the split second while the enemy tries to slip past, but find that the area around the armored man must be muddier than remembered. He hits the man's swordhand - already devastated by Sajan - with a crit that hacks off the man's digits. The man falls backwards onto the ground as the horse continues out the gate.

R2T7: Lini jumps down the 10' from the platform, taking 6, before getting herself up. Normally a jump like that would break a man's back, and Lini is hurt, but she seems to whether it better than Beltin thought she might.

R2T6: Though there is one person yet on the field, Sajan looks to his arm and tries to pull the sword out, but can't.

R2T5: The bandit leader, now leading no one, realizes he and his were ambushed and outmatched. Failing a fast mount, he mounts normally, and then directs his mount to ride past Beltin, who is already pre-occupied with the last man he dropped. What he doesn't expect, however, is that the dark-skinned foreigner would be able to attack him on his way out, having likewise gotten in two parting shots on a man already. The strange stance Sajan is in allows him to deceptively maximize lines of attack to strike from reach. The curved sword smacks hard against the bandit leader's leather armor, just barely keeping it from touching the flesh underneath as the man's horse bolts past Sajan and Beltin and out the gate towards the south.

R2T4: Harrim strolls up to the first man Beltin had dropped, gathering some sort of strength, brings his heavy flail down on the man's upper torso with a sickeningly wet crunch for 14.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T15: Linzi loads her crossbow, and then fires after the bandit leader, hitting him in the back for 5. "That'll give him a good scar to remind him!" she calls down from the rampart.

R3T10: Beltin (full of zeal), the bandit leader is 30' down the road. Do you let him go, or give chase? Because two of the dismounted horses followed, they would foil a charge or you being able to really get to him on foot.

Lini on deck, Sajan in the hole ...

[digiman619]

Beltin did his best not to swear as the rider flew past him. He'd been hoping to prevent any of them from escaping and warning the rest of their ilk. He turns to face the fleeing individual and shouted "Stop that man!"

Or at least, that was the plan. Something strange happened as he pointed, though, as a bolt of lightning projected itself from his extended hand. As it arced to the fleeing man, he felt drained in a way he didn't quite understand. Though really, of all the strange things that had happened in the last few days, feeling oddly drained after firing lightning from your hand didn't really seem to be all that important.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

SA: Taking 2 points of essence burn to make my planar detonation a line and do more damage. (5d8+5)[40]. DC 17 Will for half. damage is NL electric
MA: move me closer if needed.

[lostsole31]

R3T10: Beltin did his best not to swear as the rider flew past him. He'd been hoping to prevent any of them from escaping and warning the rest of their ilk. He turns to face the fleeing individual and shouted "Stop that man!"

Or at least, that was the plan. Something strange happened as he pointed, though, as a bolt of lightning projected itself from his extended hand. As it arced to the fleeing man, he felt drained in a way he didn't quite understand. Though really, of all the strange things that had happened in the last few days, feeling oddly drained after firing lightning from your hand didn't really seem to be all that important.

Apparently, Beltin followed his own orders, as the man, his horse, and another unfortunate horse take a fall.

R3T7: Lini steps over and tends to Sajan's arm, proving to be a good battlefield medic as she takes out the shortsword carefully with no further injury.

R3T6: "Thank you, Lini," says Sajan. "I think they are all down. Beltin, what was that?!"

R3T4: Harrim steps over to the man with the mangled hand and crushes his skull with his flail.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T15: Linzi reloads her crossbow and looks about, even as the one untouched horse goes into a full gallop and disappears on the forest road.

R4T10: Beltin, you no longer have zeal or are in power attack, but vigilant keeper's stance. You do not see any active enemies in sight. What do you do?

Lini on deck, Sajan in the hole ...