Drancis Mordaron |
Drancis can barely see what is happening from his position at the bottom of the ladder, but he can tell Illonna is down.
"Hang on there!" He cries out as he motions at a piece of rubble on the ground. Squeezing the bubble tightly, he aims it at the goblinoid threading the proverbial needle.
Attack: Kinetic Blast, (Melee): 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 2 - 4 = 15; damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6 bludgeoning.
Zoreck the Unclean |
Zoreck climbs the ladder, and sees the bugbear standing over the unconscious body of his friend. "Gods-damned bugbears!". Drawing his battered pistol, he levels it at the monster and pulls the trigger. There is a bright flash, a deafening explosion, and a big puff of black smoke.
Ranged touch attack: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 2 + 1 = 20
damage: 1d8 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (7) - 2 + 1 = 6
GM Zed |
The bugbear regains its footing after its catastrophic miss against Rikkan - hearing Locke's incantation, it turns and sneers at him...
Agrizarga has 5HD and is not affected by Locke's Daze
And, as Astraea provides vital healing to the fallen Illonna, Zoreck fills the roofspace with light and noise - as the acrid smoke clears, it is clear their assailant has been injured - clutching its side, it ducks Drancis' missile and stabs at Rikkan once more...
Deflecting Rikkan's blade with one arm, it slides its own cruel blade between Rikkan's shoulder blades with ease...
Agrizarga, Dagger vs Rikkan: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25, Critical Threat
Confirming Critical: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9, Critical NOT confirmed: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
"MY FOOD!!! YOU WON'T TAKE MY FOOD!!!"
Everyone may take their turn now.
Rikkan Anardi |
"Click, I don't want your food!". Rikkan takes a 5' step to set up flanking with at least one party member.
I don't see the map has been updated for the upstairs. Am I missing it?
Flanking attack 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Damage 1d3 ⇒ 3
Locke Lestrange |
Locke throws himself at the creature blade first with a roar as he sees Rikkan wounded, "Foul creature!"
Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Hit: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
You know, I've been forgetting my own flagbearer bonus this whole time.
Drancis Mordaron |
His food??
Drancis feels a queasy feeling in his stomach even through the adrenaline-heightened state of awareness he is in.
I don't want to take his food, but I think he will not listen to reason at this point...
Drancis grabs another piece of trash in the attic and flings it at the bugbear...
Attack: Kinetic Blast, (Melee): 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 2 - 4 = 14; damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 bludgeoning.
Locke, I believe you need to hold the flag in one hand in order to grant the bonuses for the Flagbearer feat. If the bonuses do apply then please add +1 to his to hit and damage rolls GM Zed.
Shieldmaiden Illonna |
Round 2
Illonna's eyes open with a start and she quickly rolls onto her side, grabbing her sword with her good (and only) arm. Without bothering to stand up she slashes wildly at the bugbear from the floor.
Longsword: 1d20 ⇒ 15
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
GM Zed |
Her eyes flickering open, and quickly focussing upon the fight raging around her, Illonna swipes at the bugbear with her sword – but, from her prone position, she struggles to arc the blade cleanly – and misses. Drancis, still struggling with the crowded space, also sends his improvised weapon wide…
Rikkan and Locke though, combine well, and both hit the bugbear with their blades. Howling in pain, the bugbear – which appears to be badly emaciated, glances behind itself…
Waiting on actions from Zoreck and Astraea.
Astraea Guillory |
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
"Oh, don't run!" Astraea says, then hefts her spear and moves into position to block any possible retreat. "Give up now and you can still come out of this in one piece!"
The irony of Astraea trying to intimidate a bugbear, emaciated or not, is astounding.
Intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
Zoreck the Unclean |
Sense motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
Yes, he's a barbarian with a Wisdom bonus. Sue me.
Zoreck holsters his pistol and draws his sword.
"What she said. Or, as my people say, 'Surrender or die.'"
Intimidate : 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Rikkan Anardi |
Rikkan swings his dagger at the bugbear, not being quite as merciful as the paladin.
Attack 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5. If I am still flanking,'add +2 to the roll
Damage 1d3 ⇒ 2
Locke Lestrange |
Locke too feels no mercy toward the beast. You would kill and likely eat us all given the chance. He swings his blade sharply at its retreating form.
Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
GM Zed |
As Drancis is making ranged attacks, he can’t really take an AoO… Rolling Zoreck’s attack for the purposes of moving us along…
Zoreck, Longsword vs Bugbear: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19, hitting for 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Bleeding badly, the bugbear runs as fast as it can from the folks who have climbed into the attic – pushing the dangling body out of the way, it drops its shoulder and runs, at full pelt, against the roof… tiles smash outwards as daylight suddenly pours into the loft. Blinking in the sudden light, the friends see the bugbear slide down the roof… and hear a dull thud and cursing as it lands…
Assuming people aren’t chasing it down… but, if you do want to, no worries.
No longer hidden in darkness, the gruesome nature of the scene in the attic becomes plain to see – the suspended body, possibly a half-elf from his features, is half-eaten and is starting to attract flies… Also in the attic, a straw bed is positioned near the dead man – and, at the end of the bed, a small horde of valuables has been amassed: 15gp, a decorative darkwood bracelet of elven design, a small velvet pouch containing five uncut agates and a blood-smeared short sword, (Masterwork Quality).
None of the valuables are emitting any magical auras.
Rikkan Anardi |
Rikkan gathers the items, offering the shorts word to anyone who wanted it. "Could this blade open the chest in the sheriff's office, instead of a crowbar?"
Rikkan Anardi |
"Oooo, click, oooo, look out there! I bet there's a crowbar in that pile. Or at least a piece of metal that we can use as a crowbar." He scurries back down, happy to leave the awful place upstairs with all the death and mutilation. Once he gets to the ground level, he sizes up a good piece of metal, and leads the others back to the Sheriff's office, if there is no objection.
"Anyone want to try this thing?"
Locke Lestrange |
Locke grimaces in sorrow at the scene the bugbear left behind. "There are so many bodies to be burned or buried..." He sighs heavily and turns to Rikkan, "Rikkan... may I see that bracelet?" Locke looks for any elven script on the bracelet for some sort of clue as to the dead man's identity.
After gathering something to pry open the cupboard with Locke offers his arm in attempting to open it. "That is, unless Illonna would prefer to do so," he says, knowing she may in fact be stronger than him.
Rikkan Anardi |
Rikkan hands the bracelet over to Locke. "Can't tell much about it..."
Astraea Guillory |
"Um... can I take a quick look...?" Astraea inserts herself into the situation and concentrates a bit of magic on the bracelet.
Using guidance for a +1, then detect magic-ing this thing if there's any magic aura.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 1 = 21
Shieldmaiden Illonna |
After gathering something to pry open the cupboard with Locke offers his arm in attempting to open it. "That is, unless Illonna would prefer to do so," he says, knowing she may in fact be stronger than him.
"I can try." says Illonna.
Strength: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
GM Zed |
Locke - the body is clearly Yenser, the half-elf proprietor of the store - a gregarious fellow, he'd been living in Holver's Ferry for a number of years when you left...
Astraea – there are no auras from the bracelet... It is merely a decorative piece of jewellery.
Illonna – you can take 20 on your attempts to open the cabinet…
Using a sturdy section of angled iron, Illonna attempts to lever the cabinet open – her first attempt is not enough to force the padlock free however, with a second attempt and with some assistance from her friends, she manages to crack the locking mechanism open… the door to the cabinet creaks open to reveal a small arsenal of equipment:
- Three suits of studded leather armour,
- six hand axes,
- three short spears,
- nine daggers,
- four light crossbows and, for each of them, a case containing twenty bolts
- and a masterwork longsword.
At the foot of the cabinet, a small wooden box contains three potions of Cure Light Wounds, a wand and a purse containing 22gp.
Work out what, if anything, you are taking and then on to Rexel the apothecary?
Drancis Mordaron |
Drancis is silent as the party heads back over to the Sheriff's office. Not only the brutal death of Yenser but the display of cannibalism displayed by the bugbear obviously shook the young man to his core.
All this death...so senseless. Am I doing any good here? Is any of us??
Once the locked cabinet has been broken into he manages to shake his funk and proceeds to look over the gear and nods towards the others. "I think at this point we should take all we can use here. Perhaps I should put on this armor?"
Drancis would take a suit of armor, a dagger, a light crossbow with a case of bolts, and one CLW potion.
Locke Lestrange |
Locke silently takes up the masterworked blade. It seems fitting to face the horrors of this town with a blade owned by the Sheriff. He then considers the wand. Though he finds himself flummoxed.
Detect magic on the items, finding the wand.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Really? One off?
Rikkan Anardi |
Once the others tear through he supplies, Rikkan leads the group to he apothecary on the other end of town. Before leaving, he also pockets one of the CLW potions.
Astraea Guillory |
I'll try my hand on the wand. A quick prayer to the stars for guidance, and...
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 = 13 :<
I'll take one of those crossbows. Hey, I may only be able to see thirty feet in front of my face, but it's better than trying to struggle in melee! I'll have a CLW potion as well if I may.
Ready to move along to the apothecary afterwards. Sorry for the short post, it's laaaaate.
GM Zed |
With additional arms and armour from the Sheriff's office obtained, the friends make their way - following the directions from Vessa - to the Apothecary. Winding out of the village and past an abandoned building upon a large pond, the trail from Holver’s Ferry disappears into the woods for several dozen yards before ending abruptly at the foot of a great, gnarled sycamore tree. A narrow, wooden staircase wraps around the trunk a half-dozen times before reaching a small, two-story hut nestled between the branches thirty feet overhead.
A simple sign at the base of the stairs reads: “Apothecary. Come on up.”
Shieldmaiden Illonna |
Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Illonna notes the glass in the grass and looks up at the hut. "It seems has taken to dropping alchemical weapons on unwelcome visitors."
As they head up the stairs she will hug the trunk tightly, hoping to make herself a smaller target for any potential projectiles.
Drancis Mordaron |
Drancis is about to call out to the occupants before the signs of alchemical damage pointed out by Illonna silences his words.
I think caution here is warranted...no telling who lurks up there.
He takes his customary position to the rear of the group as they head up the stairs watching closely for any signs of danger.
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Rikkan Anardi |
Rikkan leads the way, warily, after the others point out that something like acid had been used as a weapon here. Rikkan picks up a shard of the glass...never know when that could come in handy.
If he can reach all the way up the stairs to the hut, Rikkan will risk it and knock on the door. "Click, we aren't monsters, or out of our minds, Rexel. Vessa, at the inn told us to talk to you. We are trying to figure out what's happened here at the town..."
If there is no answer, Rikkan looks as the door for traps.
Perception 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Locke Lestrange |
"Rexel, it's Locke Lestrange! You may not remember me, but you and the rest of the village helped me out of a bind once upon a time. You know I'm not here to harm you or anyone else, we only wish to help!" Locke calls after Rikkan, hoping a 'friend' may receive better treatment than explosives and alchemist's fire.
GM Zed |
With the friends halfway up the steps to the shop, a wild-eyed and crazy-haired face peeks over the edge of a platform, ”You! Yes, you! Stop where you are! Who are you! Be quick or I’ll rain down fire upon you… I will – don’t make me!” - the anxiety-filled face seems nervous… but quickly relaxes when he hears Rikkan, and then Locke, talk. Standing up, to a full four feet high, the gnome beckons the group to come up, ”Come up, come up… Sorry for the lack of welcome – things aren’t right here… but of course, you must have seen that”
When the friends make it to the top of the stairs, Rexel offers a hand of friendship to each of them, ”Tell me, what news of the outside world? Has this affliction spread through and beyond the woods? It is a terrible thing… a terrible thing”. The platform on to which the stairs lead is not particularly large and so, as it becomes more crowded, Rexel invites the friends into his workshop…
…which is smashed and looted beyond all use…
Rikkan Anardi |
Rikkan waits for the okay from Locke, confirming the alchemist's identity before he tells the group's story. "Clcik, not spread yet. But this town is in terrible straits. There are only a few who don't seem to have the 'madness,' whrrr.". Rikkan's whiskers twitch as he continues the excited tale. "I'm afraid we've been attacked by them, and some goblins, and a bugbear! And some undead....I don't know what's happened here, but something is clearly off. Click...we were told to find you, and that you might be able to tell us what is happening here. We did find a strange map at the Sheriff's with two places marked. And we took some times from the Sheriff's office to help fight our way here! Oh, and one of the crazed villagers had made some crazy drawings of the sky and stars."
He took a deep breath, looked at the others, as he waited for any details he had forgotten to be added in.
Drancis Mordaron |
Drancis looks around the workshop appalled by the destruction he sees. Being from an artisian family he knew someone else must have broached the shop earlier.
"What happened here? Did some of the crazed townfolk attack you?"
Astraea Guillory |
Astraea is grateful to find the gnome welcoming- Locke's familiarity with the town seems to be doing them all a great deal of good. Thankfully, Rikkan seems to have covered all of the questions she would have wanted to ask the gnome.
Seeing the state of Rexel's workshop, Astraea glances about,hoping to find an opportunity to be helpful. "Um, Rexel, right? Do you need any, uh, help cleaning up? It seems like the place is a bit of a mess... I often find that cleaning can be a great stress reducer, and this situation is... well, stressful doesn't quite cover it. Anyway, I'd be happy to help pick up in return for your help in figuring out a solution to this town's problems."
Locke Lestrange |
Locke clasps the gnomes hand gladly, I cannot imagine the despair I would find myself in if we couldn't save anyone. "Thank you for inviting us in, I think Rikkan and the others have all the questions covered, so I would just like to say it's good to see another person has escaped the afflication most of the villagers are suffering."
GM Zed |
Rexel giggles a little when Astraea mentions cleaning, "Oh my dear... It'll take more than a little elbow grease to bring things back to where they should be - I'm afraid my apothecary is quite ruined - it will take me quite some time to replace what I lost when the afflicted came here", Rexel - reliving the memory - shivers, "It was well over a week ago - it was folks I recognise yet somehow different. I had to fight them off with acids and all sorts of nasty stuff... They never came back"
Absent-mindedly turning a stoppered flask of water over in his hands, the gnome picks up on Rikkan's statement about the sheriff - a note of hope in his voice, "You've been to Sheriff Jerreth's offices then? Is she back? The building was locked and empty when I last went into the village - six days hence - but she's returned?"
Rikkan Anardi |
Rikkan shook his head no. "Didn't see any sign of Sheriff. Only a few people here and there. And bad things, too."
Drancis Mordaron |
Drancis shudders at the memories brought forth by Rikkan. "No, we have been trying to track her down. In her office we saw a map where she marked the spot of the old orphanage and also the small island which holds the ruins of Arvarenhode Manor. Have you been out that way recently?"
GM Zed |
Rexel looks dejected when Rikkan tells him that he hasn’t seen the Sheriff, ”She was always one to rush off once she had an idea or a hypothesis… too impetuous by half – and now she’s been gone at least a week. She said she had a theory as to why folks had started disappearing…”, pausing when he realises that the friends were unaware of disappearances, ”Oh yes, I’m afraid so – it was once the worst of the violence was over, people just vanished from their houses. It was always folks who seemed to have survived the madness. They hadn’t run away though… they didn’t take any provisions or clothing – they just up and left. The sheriff was convinced that someone was taking them… but when I got down to her office to talk about it, she’d gone”.
Rexel turns to Drancis as he describes the map, ”The Orphanage and the Manor you say? That must be where she headed!!! Maybe she went to get some help from young Silam – he knows the woods around here better than any other… Yes that must be it!!!”
Rikkan Anardi |
"Silam? Where was he to be located at? Is he an orphan? We need to try to find him then, click, if the Sheriff was right and he knew something."
GM Zed |
”Oh, I wouldn’t think poor old Silam knew too much; he’s a good-natured boy but he isn’t the brightest button in the box. More likely that the Sheriff just needed him as a guide – he’s a woodcutter, knows the forest around here like the back of his hands. He lives over in the old Orphanage across the lake – his mother used to run the place. ‘Course, I call him a ‘boy’ but he’s grown into a big man now… seven feet tall at the last count, but gentle as a kitten”, Rexel’s mood – which really does swing around a lot - seems to be veering towards optimistic again, ”If you’re here to help, you should probably start by tracking down the sheriff – she seemed pretty confident that she was on to something… and I’m worried about her”.