WotW: A Knot of Thorns The Second Parchment
Game Master Xzaral

The door opens and into the hallway strolls another guard. Seeing Cain on the stairs in an apparent drunken stupor, he can't help but laugh. "Wendell you fool, don't think I've seen you this drunk before! Blackerly must've..ugh!" He is cutoff as he enters the room, a dagger entering into his side from Gwyndolin, though not a vital strike.

Initiative Order
Kalina
Price
Gwyndolin
Guard
Cain
Xanos

Surprise Round triggered by Gwyndolin's attack, everyone make take one surprise action for Round 0.

Does that include Gwyn?

it would not

Updated map please? I need to check my sight line.

I cannot update that at present (computer I'm on doesn't load Google Docs properly). I can update when I get home (about 4-5 hours from this post). Otherwise, the guard is just inside the doorway.

Price tries to put an arrow into the guard's chest before her allies engage him fully...

Since I'm high up in the order, I'm hoping to get the first shot off without the 'Firing into Melee' penalty. If not, subtract 4 from this roll.

STAND: Longbow (crit: 20/3x)
HIT: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
DAM: 1d8 ⇒ 4
AMMO: 19

Jakes moves quickly to flank the guard with Gwyn, circling past Cain...

Not sure on exact placement / distance from guard. I will move as close as possible and make an attack. If I can't reach, I will double move next to guard on other side from Gwyn.

Attack - Main hand longsword1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Damage1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

The Map

I tried to place as best able. I'll take actions in post order, as soon as everyone besides Gwyndolin posts, we'll start with Round 1.

Based on map, looks like I will double move adjacent to guard.

Kalina, you have enough movement to get where you're wanting to go this round. Keep in mind, this is a surprise round, which means you basically only get one action. In this case, a move action to close on the guard. We'll get full rounds of actions once Round 1 starts. :)

Little sooner than I would have sprung the trap, but sometimes you just roll with the punches.

Cain, still acting the part of the drunk guard, staggers to his feet and closes on the ambush, "Whasat damned dwarf doin' lettin' theshe girlsh out?! Don't lett'em get outta the door, mate! I'll helpya!" As he staggers up, he also tries to get a look behind the guard to make sure they're all alone.

Surprise Round - Move action to stand, free action to bluff the guy.
Bluff (to stay in-character and convince the guard to hold the door) 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (16) + 0 = 16.
Percpetion (to see if there are is anyone else in the room through the door) 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Xanos continues to wait, a look of patient amusement creeping into his eyes.

holding

The guard, having come into the room, nearly takes an arrow from Price as Kalina moves to engage. "What the hell's going on, Wendell? Wait, you're not Wendell!"

We are at Round 1. Kalina, Price and Gwyn are up, I'll take by order of post for actions.

"Shutupshutupshutup! I am not going to die here!" Gwyn hisses through her clenching teeth as she stabs the man again.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Damage: 1d4 + 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (4) + (2) - 1 = 5 there we go.

"Shut your mouth, scum!"

Full round attack
Longsword 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Damage 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Knife 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Damage 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Stepping around the corner and into sight of the guard, The tall man makes a slight reaching motion with one hand and whispers something in a long-lost tongue.

Daze on the guard. DC 15 will save.

Price curses the swirling bodies in combat, making a decent bow shot all but impossible. She moves up to cover the room beyond in case more guards show up and casts a spell, trying to prevent the nearby guard from doing anything other than being a lamb led to slaughter.
.
.
RND: 1
MOVE: Within 10' of Kalina (map updated)
STAND: Cast Daze - Will DC:15

Gwyndolin and Kalina's combined assault upon the poor guard wounds him even deeper, sporting two new holes for which is blood to poor out from. Sadly for our 'intrpeid villains', this is still not enough to finish off the devoted defender of Branderscar. But as he is about to call out, twin spells sap him, forcing him to become unable to act, though the effects are only temporary.

Cain's up. The guard is still alive!! Though Dazed.

Perception 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

"We need to wrap this up now!"

Sorry for the absence (in all fairness - I did warn ya. :D)

Using my previous perception roll - total 14

"Agreed!"

He rushes forward, reaching to grab the guard and yank him into their room.

Move to R-3, and try to use a Reposition maneuver to get him into the room behind Cain.
Reposition 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 2 = 11.

Though in a dazed state, it is enough for the guard to resist Cain's attempt. He remains in the hallway.

Everyone besides Cain is up.

Map

Initiative
Kalina
Price
Gwyndolin
Xanos
Guard
Cain

In a desperate rush, Gwyn lunges forward with the dagger and tries to silence the guard quickly, but she almost falls over as she overbalances.

Attack: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7

Coughweaponfinessecough. Still not high enough, but just mentioning.

Realizing that she is merely doubling up efforts to no good effect with the tall mystery man, Price reluctantly knocks an arrow and tries to put a shaft into the guardsman's eye...

RND: 2
STAND: TWANG!

STAND: Longbow (crit: 20/3x)
HIT: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 2 - 4 = 17 Firing Into Combat
DAM: 1d8 ⇒ 3
AMMO: 19

Coughweaponfinessecough. Still not high enough, but just mentioning.

I keep playing too many fighters. Thanks I'll try and remember that.

After unleashing his meager spell on the guard, the tall man looks down at his hand for a moment with a mixture of annoyance and disgust, as if he cannot quite believe what he is seeing. With an exasperated sigh he looks back toward the debacle the escape attempt was becoming, his face a mask of pensive displeasure.

Excited to finally express the rage that has built up during her incarceration, Kalina savages the hapless guard with her longsword and knife.

Kalina, looks like you need to roll a confirmation roll on that critical threat with the dagger. Unless I missed something.

Ah, absolutely right.

Critical confirm: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Boo YAH! Kalina says "You're gonna die, GUARD!"

The guard drops to the ground, eyes going lifeless as he strikes the floor. As he falls, ahead, a doorway on the right opens slightly and another guard, this one unarmored, comes into the hallway, taking in the sight before him. He reaches for something at his side, but apparently finds it not to be there.

Everyone can take another surprise round.

"Get him!" Price hisses quietly.

Price will delay a bit to let the doorway clear before deciding whether to cast a spell, move, or shoot her bow.

The tall man looked at the new guard and reached toward him but paused, a word hung on his lips. Looking down at his hand he looked annoyed for a moment then stared toward the guard with renewed determination and whispered again exactly as he had done before apparently resigned to whatever disappointment he had previously discovered.

Daze again

Map

I edited the map abit (really added a new one).

The guard feels his mind starts to cloud, but he quickly shrugs aside from the effects, either trained reflexes or fear itself winning out.

Gwyn rushes forward, hoping to slit his throat before he can raise an alarm.

Seeing the guard is beyond the range of her spell, Price draws an arrow and sends a shaft streaking past Gwyn on its way towards the guard.

STAND: Longbow (crit: 20/3x)
HIT: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
DAM: 1d8 ⇒ 4
AMMO: 18

"You gotta be kidding me!" Cain grunts as he rushes into the room, setting himself up to contain and flank the unarmed man.

Mive to L-22.

Stats are unchanged from last time it was posted (and I'm posting from my phone to keep things moving).

Move to N22 and attack new guard

Longsword attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Okay, so it looks like the above is for the surprise round? Thus follows the normal round action:

Kalina wades into the new guard, blades flashing. Her longsword cuts low, and she follows up with a vicious knife slash to the head...

Per Price's correct audit of my incorrect move in my last post... Cain can only get to O-21 in the surprise round. So that's his current position. :(

Updated the map.

The guard goes down from wounds delivered by Kalina and Price.

I've moved Price up and placed Kalina icon in her final position. Hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes.

Perception 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23.

Cain stops when the man hits the floor, but his eyes immediately snap up to the door behind him. (The door between room 8 and room 10, right?) If he were a hunting dog, he'd be on point.

One finger goes up to his lips with a whispered, "Ssssshhhh" He presses his ear to the door, then acts like he's sleeping as he points to the door.

This guy's gear. THe same as the other ones we've killed? Are there any helmets? :)

Anyone else want a disguise?

Yeah, armor, weapons, and disguises would be good for whoever can use them. I think we should get the bodies out of the hallway though... maybe carry them back to #16, shut the door, do the armor/weapon exchange and then proceed. I say we whack the snoring guards... hopefully they are the only ones in #9-11.

Price nods that she understands and keeps a bow pointed down-range in case any other door opens in the corridor.

Perception 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

The one killed to the south (S22) had the same gear as the others. The one north (M22) doesn't have armor, shield, sword, bow or arrows (really just clothes and his cudgel). And yes the outfits do have helmets.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

A wicked grin spreads across Gwyn's face. She looks at the others, her eyes almost begging them to turn her loose.

Cain can't help but return the girls enthusiastic grin, but he holds up one forestalling finger. He stands, pulling the guard's helmet off his body before hefting said body onto his shoulder. He gets Jake's and Price's attention, points to them, points to his eyes, then points at the remaining doors.

Then he carries the first dead guard back into the stairwell room. He deposits the first body in the northeast corner -- at the foot of the steps -- before turning and pulling the other dead guard (the one now lying in an ever-expanding pool of his own blood in the near doorway) next to his brethren.

Once both bodies are out of eye-sight of any patrols, he quickly checks them both for anything else useful before standing and returning to the hallway with everyone else.

He gives Gwyn's door -- the one through which they heard the snoring -- an intentional look before shrugging, donning the helmet, hefting his now-empty bottle and mouthing, Move forward?

Doing all this as stealthily as possible, using perception to quickly search the bodies.
Perception 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10.
Stealth 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22.

People should use this time to grab whatever they want from these guys. If the one we killed first is armed/armored like Wendell, then we have another club, longsword, heavy shield, chain shirt, and longbow (with arrows) available -- not to mention his clothes. I'm hoping Cain's quick search will turn up a spell component pouch for either Xanos or Price. And one of them can take this man's clothes, too… I"m assuming he's some flavor of caster.

I updated the map - showing where Cain is dropping the two bodies.

OOC divvy up?