SeanDM's Leverage

Game Master Mur

Orla's plan sounds good, perhaps we stay together and head to the closest available cover (woods etc.), do a quick rest, then split up from there. Is anyone in need of assistance with recovery after "Healer's Gift" or are we ready to bolt? Thringorn will stay at the rear of the group as we move to cover pursuit.

Zvia gets to spend a healing surge (When you have negative hp and you receive any healing, your HP first reset to ZERO and then you get the full healing power... so, Zvia should be at 7hp and conscious).

Zvia wakes from what felt like a strange dream. Savi supports her as she gains her bearings. She is conscious and as healthy as can be expected after falling 30-40 feet.

Asside from Thanis hanging from the top of the rope (carrying Corin) and Duller waiting for him at the bottom. The rest of your fellow-prisoners are already gone. (Most headed S/SW, while the first two to run were headed SE into the Talenta Plains). You party is up and ready to go. Thringorn and Alester are hanging back. Orla had a plan...

<< Map of the Area >>

My theory is that we definitely want to be heading into the Talenta Plains, so we should going somewhere in the quadrant between south and east at the moment. When I looked from the top of the wall, you said this was a really desolate area, but there are a few hills. Enough hills to provide even a little cover? I'd love to get out of the line of sight of the keep, even if just for the five minutes necessary to get everyone healed up.

How many days' walk do I think it is to the Ghallandan Inn which is due east of us?

@Cover: The immediate area around the Keep is relatively clear and free of cover (as you'd expect). You will easily find cover the farther you get from the wall. You would expect if you-all kept running for 10-20mins or so you would be able to get out of sight of the wall, take a 5minute break, and recatch your bearings (short rest).

@The Nearest Gallandan Inn:
It's about 75 miles away.
At your speed, if you did a standard overland travel speed, it will take you 4 days to get there (10hr of walking a day == 20miles in this terrain).
You can Push Yourselves during the day and try to keep walking for more than 10 hours... but that will require DC 20+ Endurance checks (failure means loss of healing surges, but you do get to keep going - see running below).
You could also opt to Run. You cover twice the distance per hour of running... BUT! You may only run 1 hour a day without penalty. If you run longer than that, you lose a healing surge per extra hour spent running. If you run out of surges, you start taking damage equal to your surge values instead. You still gain the benefit of the run, you're just exhausting yourself.

PS. Undead do not tire (one of the reasons the Karrnathi use them). They will move their fastest speed after you in pursuit. Your best bet may be to push yourselves or run.

Let's get the group together and all run East and as soon as we get beyond sight of the wall, take a short rest, then push/run to the Inn. It may be wise to split into 2 groups after we rest as well.

If we think we can run to cover and rest up for a few minutes to give everyone time to heal, I think that is our best bet. If we Push ourselves and people fail, we'll be running out of healing surges and I would rather start at full health and hopefully not need them until we get far enough away to completely recharge.

I would also make sure that Thanis makes it down with Corin before leaving the area. He stuck with us during the fight and is helping another, so he's a good guy in my book.

Does having another group heading SE make the Talenta Plains less appealing? Savi has been in the Plains before and wouldn't be afraid to go back...she might actually know some places. I just wonder if we don't want to split off and go somewhere else...if south seems natural, maybe north or west are better choices?

If you are waiting for Thanis, Duller will take note and shout over to your group, "We'll need your help stablizing Corin, he's in bad shape!"

Duller will assist. Whoever tries to roll the DC15 Heal Check to stablize will get a +2 from Duller.

Thanis slides down the rope and has to eventually drops the remaining 10ft. He's one the ground and ready to run (once Corin is stable).

Orla will double back and Heal Corin as soon as she can. Are we still on turns?

Heal: 1d20 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 5 - 2 = 12

As for escape, I think running 20 minutes and then resting 5 minutes seems like a good start to a plan. If they really are tireless and relentless, then in the longer run we either need to figure out how to lose them or we need to figure out how to confront them and win.

Orla, you also get a +2 on the check from Duller's Aid, if someone else rolls an aid check (DC11 Heal Check), then Corin is stable. Zvia? You probably have the best Heal Check with your Wisdom score.

Assuming Zvia succeeds
Will your group be going after Rallnik's group (that's Rallnik, Nirifanya, and the other 4 prisoners) -- they went south/southwest -- away from the inn, but not that bad -- you'd be able to split off and head towards the inn after your rest.

.OR.
Will your group be going after the first two prisoners to flee -- they went southeast -- more in the general direction of the inn.

.OR.
Will your group pick a completely different direction.

(Thrin made it sound like he wanted to stay in a bigger group till after the first rest. That seems reasonable... Savi wondered about heading North, keep in mind that north is Karrnath, the Kingdom that arrested each of you and then left you in Fort Bones -- you may not want to head right back into Karrnath right away... The Mournlands and/or The Talenta Plains give you room to disappear for a bit... just a thought).

Cover and a secure rest spot should be available in any direction.
Whichever direction you pick, Thanis, Corin, and Duller will stick with you till after the short rest and then a decision can be made.

So,... which way?

"East," Orla yells, "we need to head east!"

I'm really tempted to follow the two going southeast, just so we can have the scene where we discovered their bodies and try to figure out what did them in before it gets us too.

Thringorn is not concerned about the direction, just getting to an immediate point of cover. He will encourage the rest of the group and those escaping here to stay together to better the fighting odds until we can get out of the immediate danger of the Fort.

"Make haste, reinforcements are coming!" yells Thringorn. "Follow her, I will cover the rear" he says pointing to Orla.

Thringorn will essentially delay and use his move actions to follow the group staying close to the last person to cover the rear as we move to safety.

Excellent. The group decides to head East directly towards the nearest Gallandan Inn that Orla can remember. Thanis, Corin, and Duller will stay with you till you get a chance to rest.

You see the other half of your group disappear to the southwest as they too look for a suitable place to catch their wind. There is no sign of Egger and Feln who were last seen running at full tilt to the south...

Everyone needs to make a Stealth Check at -2. The results will be averaged to determine how well your group can cover it's tracks while trying to run for cover.

Zvia, would you also make a Heal Check DC 11.

Also begin thinking about how fast you want to push yourselves. It is early/mid morning. You can still get a full day's journey under your feet. Do you want to try and travel for more than 10hrs or if you would like to try to run more than one hour today or if you'd like to do both?

Strength Check
1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

ouch. Thringorn pays too much attention looking after the group and bumbles along in clumsy manner. Thringorn will want to push forward and get distance from the fort. After taking a short rest and getting everyone healed up, he will want the group to push forward and run as much as possible. The skeletons will be able to cover more ground following us so we need to try and get a good head start.

Stealth Check 1d20 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 5 - 2 = 12

Hmmm, set a trap for whatever skeletons follow us?

SeanDM, does this count as another checkpoint thingy for getting rid of the damnable -2 penalty?

Heal Check: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 6 - 2 = 16
Steath Check: 1d20 + 4 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 4 - 2 = 21 I don't know why the others have such troubles moving without impacting the environment, it's easy...

Just realized we all missed the -2 to the Stealth check. Sigh.

I just realized I did a strength check instead of stealth, so the bonus should have been 0, making the roll effectively 1.

Stealth Check
1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6 Maybe it is the coming back from the brink of death thing that's made Zvia so light on her feet, but the rest of us are just floundering.

I am all for running the hour, resting for a few minutes and then walking more if no one is actively trying to kill us.

Can I be all nature-y and try to find the best path for a large group to keep moving smoothly?
Nature Check
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

<< Alester's Roll >>

Alester thurnders along behind the group... but at least he's a bit more stealthy than Thringorn!

Stealth Check: 1d20 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (8) - 2 - 2 = 4

Duller does his best to try and match Zvia's steps, but it seems the rest of the group is rightfully just fleeing for their lives and not giving a care to how they step.

After about 15 minutes of hard running, you drop under a slight ledge and collapse in the shade of a few trees to catch your wind.

Combat is Over!
You may take a short rest, regain all encounter powers, spend healing surges (Remember Orla grants you +5 hp PER surge spent... that is if she chooses to sing, lol)
As for the negative prison effects, unfortunately you'll need one more milestone... (basically, 2 encounters == 1 milestone; you've had 3 "encounters", you'll need 1 more to get the 2 milestones). The next planned "encounter" will be running from the Keep the remainder of this day - it will be a Skill Challenge - and it will count towards your milestones, so when you break for camp at the end of this day, the three affected characters will be free and will wake normal --- unless the undead get them in their sleep... muahahahahah <cough> <cough>, sorry about that.

Please indicate how many surges you're spending, how many hp and surges you currently have, and any actions you'd like to take in the next short while.

@Savi: I'll save your Nature Check for later - it is part of the next leg of the journey, and it will be useful.

Of course Orla sings the Song of Rest. She spends 1 healing surge at this time.

Arcana check to see if Orla knows anything about how the skeletons track? Maybe that will provide a useful clue how to slip our pursuit.

Arcana: At the last moment Orla remembers to take 10 for 10 + 11 - 2 = 19.

HP: 29/29 Surges: 3/8 AP: 0

Thringorn will immediately rest and take inventory of all his gear and assess himself and the situation. He uses 2 surges to regain all lost hp. Thringorn will assist any nature folks in trying looking to see if there's anything that can foraged in the immediate area for food. He will be ready to move as soon as the group is ready.

Nature Check

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

HP: 42/42 Temp HP: 0/0 Surges:10/12 AP: 0/2 Buffs: NA

I take some time to sort and repack the things that I grabbed during our flight from the prison. Although exhilerated to see sky and feel the sun again, I am also edgy...constantly jumping at the sounds that suddenly seem too loud.

I use 2 healing surges to take me to full.

Savi's stats
HP: 37/37, Surges: 4/11(-1), AP: 1/1

I check myself over, quietly delighted to be in one piece, more or less. My gear... I adjust my new longbow a bit, hoping to find a bit more accuracy next time I need it.

I speak up, trying to keep my voice down. "Does anyone know what ikensta means? I am not familiar with the word."

I believe it takes 2 healing surges to get me back to full...

HP: 28/28 surges: 3/7 AP: 0/1

Not sure if that would fall under arcana, history, or streetwise.
Looking for information on ikensta...
[b]Arcana:[b] 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 11 - 2 = 23
[b]History:[b] 1d20 + 11 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 11 - 2 = 11
[b]Streetwise:[b] 1d20 + 10 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 10 - 2 = 23
Orla has apparently slipped in history -- should have spent time in class instead of out causing trouble -- but is doing nicely otherwise.

I'll do the same...
Arcana: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33
History: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
Streetwise: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (18) + 0 = 18

I look at Zvia, brow furrowed...that seems so familiar...

Excellent rolls! A crit on Arcana even!

Orla and Savi can't think of any historical references to the word ikensta. Nor do their knowledges of humanoids help them much... Savi has a slight fleeting memory of some arcane connection to the word. Her memory isn't clear, but she remembers reading somewhere in a magic tome about the ikensta or something like it. (The crit is what gives you the small hint of knowledge... perhaps it's a reagent, a magic item, a particular spell caster, who know's... it's just somehow related to magic).

(Even though he didn't roll) Thringorn's the only one that speaks the correct language - it sounds Draconic. Thrin wouldn't know much more, other than it could be a draconic name that means "rock" or "stone".

You will need more research/resources to learn more.

I'll give Etienne a bit to check in before we start "The Run"

Etienne said he was going to check in... so we should have an update soon and begin the chase from the Keep.
@Etienne --> Make sure you check your surges and current hp.