Holding Out- Solo in The Hold of Belkzen (Inactive)

Game Master Mowque


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Noche'Wa exhales loudly, as shocked perhaps as Sintonka. He asks the Shoanti for a moment with a commanding finger, turning to study the construction behind him. What civilization build those? How long ago? He wondered.

"Our ancestors have been watching over me. They have taught me an important lesson..." he says. "I must go now. My path lies elsewhere."

He makes his way to the surface, wondering if Korz is still there.


Noche'Wa guesses the old construction dates back to the Chelish age of the fort, when it was a secret spy station for that ancient empire. It is amazing it not only escaped the questing tunnels of the orcs but also still works.

Noche'Wa leaves Sintonka behind, who is tentatively exploring the new tunnel.

In the dim, rainy day above, Noche'Wa spots Korz sitting on a stone, gnawing on some root or other plant.

"You live?" he asks gruffly and says, "Are you now rich with the plunder of my people?" he says this without rancor.


"Is wisdom worth something? If so, then I truly am. Otherwise, injuries and fear is all I've found."

He says nothing else for a moment, just enjoying being alive and free.

"Right. Time to go, no?"


The orc stares at Noche'Wa for a long moment then shrugs, 'Keep your secrets human. But yes, now we go. before you left, we decided to cross the plains on open ground, yes?"

If you wish to change your mind, feel free

At the humans nod Korz tosses the mostly eaten root into a bag and sets off at a run. He leads the way east and north, into the hilly ankeg land but already Noche'Wa can see flatter land beyond, stretching brown and green to the distant horizon. The Shoanti sees no town or village upon that plain.

The sky overhead is turning blacker by the moment.


As he does his best to keep up with the Orc's impossible pace, Noche'Wa tries to explain that it was all fake babbles, well mostly, but the Orc doesn't seem to buy his story, for every time, Noche'Wa is pretty certain the pace accelerates.

Finally, he stops and says: "I'm no expert, but a storm is coming, no?"


The orc pauses, (a bit winded) and says, 'Aye, the plains are home to some big storms in this season. The gods themselves seem to take a hand sometimes. Our gods, the real ones." he says matter of factly.

They are on level ground now, the Skittermounds a brown rumpled shape behind them. All around the land is level and flat, the sky a great churning bowl of black clouds overhead.

'Will you melt in the rain? Shall we stop, pinkskin?"


"I might slip... But do you care, Korz?" shrugs the Shoanti and resumes running.

This will be a loooong night...


The orc looks rather offended, "Of course I care. You are my worthy companion. You saved my life at that bridge with the fish. I do not forget. So far you have earned my respect, and if you keep it, I will defend you to my last breath."

A small bit of orc culture is revealed.

As they move on, the storm catches up with them. The black sky unleashes a torrent of water, a total deluge that makes Noche'Wa feel like he is swimming. Massive hailstones mix in, some the size of crabapples, hitting his head and armor. Lightning flashes overhead and the booming thunder nearly deafens him. Korz looks up through the blinding rain and wind, which nearly tosses them around.

"Rull the Thunderer is having good sport with us" He points to a low spot in lands around them. "Sometimes we push bow to the gods. Let's try to get out of the rain."

Perception check

DC 15 Perception:
As they get closer Noche'Wa can make out two or so small tents pitched in that gully


"Rull ruins my day..."

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

"Someone's already there... Someones. Two tents." he warns and points, his head bowed by the pounding sheets of rain.


Nice roll

The orc growls at this and sniffs the air, then curses, 'Too much rain. Can't smell anything. Want to sneak close and see who they are? I'll circle around the other side." he peers through the slashing, cold rain. Don't look like orc tents...." he growls.


"Perhaps we should just avoid them? So far, there's been only trouble in people in these parts... I say we give them a wide berth." offers Noche'Wa.


The orc shrugs, "Very well although a tent would have been nice on a night like this. Then lead on to another place to take our shelter."

Knowledge checks for a dry place to weather the storm, if you want


"You think they'll share with us? I don't mind asking, but I don't want things to turn ugly. there's no need for that, not after today..."

He moves closer to the tent, moving in silence.


Korz actually breaks into a toothy grin, "No may folks in the disputed lands who believe in sharing. And even so, I can't think of anyone who would be willing to share with a human and an orc."


"Right. Who am I kidding... Then we look for shelter some place else..." the Wild Mouse decides, though he's not sure where they should go...

Knowledge geography: 1d20 ⇒ 18


Noche'Wa sees two locations on the flat, storm swept plain. One is a small clump of trees, looking battered by the wind and rain while the other looks to be a shallow ditch, a slight dip in the land.

Which do you choose?


"Over there!" the Wild Mouse says, and leads Korz to a small cluster of trees.


The orc and man find the small stand of trees a much nicer shelter. While they are not overly tall, the trunks block much of the wind and the leaves overhead turn the deluge of rain into a steady trickle. The ground is also softer, covered with leaves and brush. The air smells of sap and fresh wood. All in all, a good find.

Best of all, they appear to be alone.

The orc grunts, "Let us hope you have such luck all the way across the plains. Urgir is far from here. Want first watch?"


"Sure, but come here first, see if I can our clothes drier. I'm fed up of this rain!" says the Shoanti, and he tries to use his prestidigitation magic to get their clothes dry.

Then he settles for a watch, though desperately tired from the impossibly long day, followed by an impossibly long march, under an impossibly wet rain.


Korz enjoys the brief respite as the magic dries the clothes. "A very useful trick. Someday you will have to teach me." The orc then coils up at the base of a tree and fitfully falls asleep.

Around Noche'Wa the storm rages, only partially blocked by the trees. The howling wind, the driving rain. The hours creep by and Noche'Wa has to dry himself out a few times, as the rains oaks every square inch. All seems quiet though when he finally gets to sleep, leaving Korz to guard the little campsite.

Morning comes and it takes Noche'Wa a moment to notice the change. The dark sky is replaced by pure blue. The air is clear and fresh, smelling of rain and growing plants. On a dry plain like this, rain is rare and last night's storm may be the only substantial moisture for months.

Then he notices something else.

Korz is gone.

You are fully rested


Noche'Wa blinks at the missing Korz. He gets up, stretches quickly, then takes in the immense sky above his head, and the immense plain under his feet, and thanks the gods for their generosity, and his tribal ancestors for watching over him.

He then return the Korz's mysterious absence. First, he looks to the horizon, starting with the direction they were supposed to be heading, then the other directions, looking for the Orc.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Then he returns to their made up camp. Was he taken? If so, most of his stuff would still be here, disorganized, and there would probably signs of struggle. And why would they have left the other traveler?! Did he go hunting? Did he go check those tents they saw yesterday, or worse...

Pondering all those options, the Shoanti inspects the camp to see if Korz has left anything behind.

May be I snore too much... he thinks and shrugs.


Noche'Wa squints and looks to the east, over the flat plains. The ground is brown and even to the horizon. Little could hide on it, but from experience the Shoanti knows there are folds and streams in it. He sees no sign of an orc.

At the camp, he sees the orc's things are still here. His rawhide bag looks as full as ever.

And after some more searching, he does find some disturbed earth, a few snapped twigs, but little else.


For a long time, Noche'Wa ponders. On the one hand, his friend might have left, but without his bag? That was unlikely. No, he either was snatched, but then why not snatch the two of them? Unless it's a big animal and it's left with one catch, only to come back later...

Or Korz went to run some errand...

Undecided, he decides to give his companion some time. He settles deep in the set of trees to remain hidden and keeps an eye on his surroundings while eating his breakfast. He'd reconsider once the sun reaches its zenith.


Just to be clear there is enough space between where you were sleeping and where he was keeping watch to hide some disturbance

Noche'wa notes nothing, even as the day grows hotter and hotter. Unlike the previous day of black clouds, today the sun is brutally hot. Bug bite the human until noon. Then even they tend to fade away in the sunlight.

There is no sign of the orc.


A day... the Shoanti thinks. I'll give him a day...

Noche'Wa spends the day hidden in the trees. He will wait for his friend until sunrise, keeping watch over the plains surrounding him.


The bug return as the day slowly cools, biting and buzzing around his head. Noche'Wa sees nothing except a few squirrels and one very rangy fox dart among the trees. Darkness polls around the trunks until true dark steals over the landscape. Bats and nightjars fill the air, eating the night shift of insects.

He sees no signs of any Korz, or anyone else.

The next day dawns, if anything, hotter and clearer.


With a sigh, Noche'Wa watches the sun rise, then grabs Korz'z bag and searches through it, hoping for some clue, but expecting none.

Afterwards, he shoulders Korz's bag on top of his and heads for Trunau.


Noche'wa begins to head south, bag in hand. Just as he leaves the stand of tree, he smells something. Something foul and rotting. Following his nose, he finds, near some brush at the tree line a dead horse.

While the saddle and tack have been taken, it bears the marks of being a warhorse, a fine one too. It was a strong, powerful beast in life. Examining it, Noche'wa can see the neck has been snapped.


The Wild Mouse approaches the horse as much as his nose lets him, then inspects the ground around it, looking for signs of struggle. Snapping a horse's neck is no small feat... He starts to worry about his friend.


Noche'Wa examines the ground. There was a struggle, with at least one human. There are other hoofprints, which makes the Shoanti think there was a second horse. Digging through the disturbance, he kinds Korz's small knife tossed under some leaves.

Hoof prints lead south, soon vanishing among the dry soil.


Noche'Wa thanks the spirits for guiding his steps. He asks them to keep his friend safe from harm.

Then he goes south, trying to keep a Korzian pace.


Noche'Wa pounds south, following a dim trail over the dust. It seems to be leading south but not directly back to Trunau. For an entire day he punishes himself, hoping to make up lost time. As the sun sets, he strains his eyes south and sees, still miles away, the tiny glint of a campfire. His foes have stopped for the night.


Thinking he'll never get a beacon such as this, he decides to push and use the light as he walks through the night, hoping he'll have his quarry within sight when dawn rises.


It takes all night to cover the distance, although the flat plain is easy to travel, it makes things look much closer then they are. Gray light is starting to form in the east as Noche'Wa gets close to what he presumes is a small camp. It is nestled in a small dry riverbed but he can see nothing else unless he sneaks closer.

Stealth please


The Wild Mouse takes his chances, hoping the stars smile upon him.

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19


Sneaking up, Noche'Wa uses some dry brush and rocks to shield his advance. Creeping, he manages to get close enough to see in the early dawn light.

He sees two humans, one alseep, the other leaning over a fire. The one awake is wearing fine armor, covered with various holy symbols. A long sword hangs at his belt and a large bow is laying next to him.

Slightly apart stands a fine horse, a seemingly twin to the one with the broken neck that lies back in the forest glade, far behind Noche'Wa.

Then, near the feet of the horse, is a bound and tied figure, looking dirty and bloodied. Squinting, Noche'Wa can just make out the shape and form of Korz, trussed like a pig heading to slaughter. He appears to be unconscious.


Noche'Wa conjures the ancients to guide his arm, while summoning new knowledge on striking hard and fast. He then uses his magic to disappear and rushes forward, running like hell to strike down the man on guard before he can react!

StA: cast heroism; MvA: Martial flex for furious focus; StA: cast vanish; MvA: move until I reach them, charge if possible.

As he reaches the man, he prays for luck and drops his longspear's head and aims at his throat, gripping it tightly and letting his momentum do the work.

Longspear with Heroism, Luck, Power Attack, Furious Focus, Invisible: 1d20 + 9 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 9 + 2 + 2 = 181d8 + 6 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 6 + 2 = 16


Noche'Wa leaps right into action!

The Shoanti roars out of his hiding place, covering the dry ground in huge bounding strides. His long years in the fighting pits have made Noche'Wa very quick indeed.

The man barely has time to seek Noche'Wa coming, before the Shonati is upon him

The blow lands, although not on his throat. Instead it hits him in the chest, punching right through the gleaming armor. A dark and bloody hole appears, and the man is nearly thrown off his feet by Noche'Wa's powerful thrust.

Staggering the man draws back, arms raised up. There is a brief moment of glowing power as the man mutters a prayer. The blood pouring out of the wound turns to a trickle, as he is somewhat healed. The man still looks very wounded however, his face pale and hands somewhat shaking.

You were really close to killing him in one blow

The one man rolls to his feet, with the instant awareness of the trained warrior. In a blur he is upright, sword in hand, eyes fixed on Noche'Wa. Upon seeing his foe he looks somewhat confused.

"A man? Who in the name Iomeda are you, in these lands?"

Roll initiative please. You may answer if you like as well as a free action


Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Noche'Wa notices the holy energy surging through the man's hands. He knows that can'T be a good sign... Still, a Iomedan should not just be killed on sight.

"I am the Wild Mouse, and you have kidnapped my friend! I demand you release him immediately!"

Diplo with Heroism and Luck: 1d20 + 7 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 7 + 2 + 2 = 29


'You ambush us, nearly kill my friend and now you make demands? I think it is you who have to answer to us." Noche'Wa notices this one is a half-elf, a long pointed ear sticking out from behind his brown hair.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

The wounded man mutters another prayer and heals some more.

The other one holds his position, sword out in a guarded fashion.

"Put down your blade and we can talk. I give you my word as a Knight of Lastwall, I won't attack you unarmed."


The Shoanti drops his spear, but his demeanour remains tense and aggressive. He notices how the wounded man uses the truce to heal himself. By talking, he has lost the upper ground in this fight. He can only hope for a peaceful resolution...

"Ambush you? My friend Korz was taken from our camp and I find him trussed as if ready for the spit. You think I would give you a chance to do the same to me? I trust your word, knight, and I have dropped my weapon. Now explain to me why my friend is thus bound!"


The wounded man keeps his sword, but the other sheathes it. 'My name is Ioian Grayblood. This is my friend, Gareth. We are paladins of Lastwall, tasked with keeping these lands free."

He pauses then adds, "And who are you, exactly? And why do you travel with an orc of the Empty Hand as a friend?"


Noche'Wa stiffens. All these questions and no answer...

"You wish to know about me and my purpose, but you haven't answered my question... First tell me why you have kidnapped and bound my companion?" he repeats.


The half-elf looks puzzled, and his friend growls aggressively. Ioian waves him to silence. "We are on patrol, capturing foes for questioning. This orc appears to be a high-ranking members of the Empty Hand, a vicious clan that controls these lands." he speaks very slowly, like one would to a child or the slow.

"We bound him because he is dangerous. He already killed one of our horses." The man says, "Now, tell us who you are and if you are in league with the orcs."


Noche'Wa first clarifies: "My business in these lands is my own. This Orc is a trader. We set out from Trunau to explore abandoned ruins."

Then he adds, on the verge of losing it: "Now, let me get this straight: In order to maintain the peace in these lands, over which you have no jurisdiction, you go out, beat up, and kidnap people because of the way they look??? Did you attack him before or after he attacked you?"


The half-elf takes the words without blinking but his friends growls again and mutters, "Jurisdiction.."

The other man waves him back to silence frowning, 'This is an orc. They live in constant war with us, raiding our town and villages, killing innocents, constantly pressuring us. This has gone on for centuries, and goes on today. All orcs are enemies, and that is the way of life on these plains."

The paladin points to the bound and silent Korz, "Your friend may be a trader, but he is also a bandit and I'd guess, a minor chieftain of some import. he may very well hold useful information. he would do the same to us, or worse, if given a chance. Do I truly need to explain to a Shonati the depravity of the orc?"


"You don't. But do I need to explain to you how hatred and prejudice lead to hatred and prejudice? How violence breads violence? I gave this Orc trader a chance. I did not assume to know him, nor his motives. And we have become friends; Shoanti and Orc!"

"Now, from what you tell me, I can see that your path is the path of war. Your justice is based on status and prejudice, not on deeds. And your rights are about as tenuous as your hold on this land; you have no jurisdiction here. Just your might. These don't sound like the promise of hope I have found buried deep in the heart of the people of Trunau. By trading with Orcs, there is hope for understanding, and for peace."

He lets the words hang in the air, then closes: "As I have said, Korz is my friend, and I will die for him, as he will die for me. Release him."


Ioian is starting to look a little exasperated, 'This is not the time and place to discuss the war between Last and the Hold. Trust us we are not the aggressors here, but let us leave that aside. Your friend is a captive of war and treated, better might I add, as his side would treat us. It is not our fault you are caught between us."

The man holds up a hand, "We are heading south to the border with our land. At least, our land free of orcs. You can travel with us, if you wish. That way you can defend your friend's life and rights and make your grievance known to our superiors."

The other man looks very surprised but Grayblood says to him, "No more blood need be spilled."

He turns back to Noche'Wa, 'What do you say to that? Your hope for peace will due quickly if you bleed into the sands here."


"I have made my case. You have no jurisdiction here. Release my friend and let us leave unharmed. We will forget your offence. Otherwise, I am bound by duty. I am but one, but the land walks with me, the sky smiles to me, and my ancestors guide my blade. Choose carefully." the Wild Mouse replies, his voice booming above the elements and his demeanour defiant and certain.

If possible: SwA to summon Luck, MvA to get Martial Flex (Intimidating Prowess). If not, deduce from my roll.

Intimidate with Heroism, Luck, and Intimidating Prowess: 1d20 + 9 + 2 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 9 + 2 + 2 + 4 = 21


"I don't want to fight you." Ioian says, almost pleading, "Please, don't make us."

"Suit yourself." the other paladin says, raising his sword into Noche'Wa's face, apparently not bothered by the Shonati's strong words.

"Pick up your weapon and use it, or don't and leave. I don't have time for this."

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