Taking 20: When you have plenty of time, you are faced with no threats or distractions, and the skill being attempted carries no penalties for failure, you can take 20. In other words, if you roll a d20 enough times, eventually you will get a 20. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, just calculate your result as if you had rolled a 20.Taking 20 means you are trying until you get it right, and it assumes that you fail many times before succeeding. Taking 20 takes 20 times as long as making a single check would take (usually 2 minutes for a skill that takes 1 round or less to perform).
As I said, undoing the bar by yourself is a DC 20 check and requires 1 minute as you very carefully brace the 10 ft long, 8 inch square beam so you don't drop it on yourself as you lower it. Two people can do it without a check in 15 seconds. Taking 20 takes 20 times longer, so 1 minute * 20 = 20 minutes. And yes, you can jump and look over it with a good acrobatics check. You won't be able ot see the ratfolk, but you'll be able to see the half-elf.
Sorry for the repeated questions on the bar :)
No problem. :) I'd much rather people ask questions if they aren't sure about something.
The frogman begins jumping up and down behind Natalie, making ribbity noises as he jumps several feet into the air.
Then there's a booming thud from the gate.
Then the gate opens a foot or so, and Ikit and Katlin can enter the village.
"Mine." Katlin said rather guardedly.
Katlin slowly enters, her Bastard sword at the ready. She looks at the frogman, glaring at the frogman cautiously.
"Is it safe?" she asked.
He nods and takes a few steps back. As the door opens though, he ducks behind some cover and watches.
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Gorruum looks even more threatening and takes a step toward the gate. He doesn't yet notice the rat man. "MORE POINTY EAR HOOMS!" He stops bracing the halberd and appears to set it like he is about to charge. "GOLD LIZARD AND FRIENDS KILL HOOMS! GIVE VILLAGE THINGS TO GORRUUM! GO NOW OR DIE! UBAGUB! COME!" Behind him, a giant pink toad-like lizard creature with tusks as long as your arms comes flying over the fence on the far side of the village and begins careening toward the frog-man.
The next morning, after everyone has recovered from the midnight attack of the wolves, Wilhelm and his group take to horse again, and move northwest toward the indicated Dryad's grove.
However, in the mid morning, they begin to see a few dozen vultures wheeling overhead up ahead. Never a good sign, the group alters course slightly to investigate. They come upon what looks like a village surrounded by a high wooden wall made of cut down trees. The walls are covered in bits of iron painted black, all over it.
A large gate in the wall is open, and a short robed figure stands just outside the gate, peeking around the edge. A slightly taller human(?) girl with brown hair stands in the gateway, holding a book. Beyond her a taller older woman with black hair stands, all looking into the village proper.
From within the village comes a familiar burbling roar, sounding like a bullfrog with stones in it's mouth trying to speak draconic. The head of a halberd can be seen deeper in the village spinning around and around, as if someone were waving a halberd over their head as they roar.
In the distance, a hiccuping bullfrog hiss the size of an elephant can be heard, and distant thumping as if some large creature were charging.
Anastacia wakes to a clashing headache. What with bugs, and animal noises, and wolf packs in the night, she feels terrible. The cleric calls on Pharasma's healing might to sweep away the fatigue. The dark circles under her eyes remain, however.
"Good morning Gentlemen. Shimmer." Anastacia greets the others with a forced bravado.
At the village, Anastacia holds back at the forest edge; an ash-blonde haired woman dressed in shiny black armor and matte black clothing. A black cape flutters at her back, while on her left arm rests a round shield marked by a silver spiral. A crossbow is gripped in the woman's right fist, though it is aimed at the sky. She rides a large dapple grey charger. A wild-eyed beast with darker mane and tail.
"Friends, yes yes? " the small rodent asks his magical pointy eared friend
"Or bad bad people? Ikit only try to help help. Not hurt"
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Having lowered the beam down to the ground, Natalie once again turns her attention to the frog trying to calm it: Look Gorruum we are not here to take all the villager's things away from you. Here we can add to your list of loot
Natalie pulls a dagger from her backpack and toss it gently towards the frog, landing around halfway between us.
Too distracted by the frog Natalie doesn't notice others have arrived
Riding towards the vultures, Fhârn felt his heart sink. There wasn't supposed to be a village here. And there certainly wasn't supposed to be ruins of a village here. With a nod and a gesture, he sent Munin ahead to get an aerial view of the scene as they broke the forest line.
Fhârn is clad in a silver glimmering platemail. Closer inspection, or keen sight, reveals that the armour is actually dull steel covered in lots of lots of silver runes. He rides upon light grey and white horse, without armour but carrying several saddlebags. What set him apart from the other armoured knights of the party was his choice of weaponry, a poleaxe with a long slim blade, and the black raven that was perched on his shoulder. Some moments after the party appeared at the edge of the forest, the black bird took wings and flew towards the village.
"Friends, sure." the girl said, slowly backing away from the door.
I suppose I should re-describe her, shouldn't I? She's a young girl, roughly ten, maybe nine years of age in her stance, and yet to even hit puberty. Her eyes are a fairly pale blue, and she's rather small, even for a girl her age, clocking in at roughly four foot two. Her hair is, for the most part, a disaster zone, being a mangled mess of wavy hair, covering her head. However, she stands like a fighter, someone who had the ways of combat drilled into her at a young age. Her stance is that of someone who was raised fighting, someone who's prepared to fight. Or, in this case, run.
You watch as she silently draws a pair of wands, lying back, her back against the door, and spending the next twelve seconds readying herself.
She then looks out, durring this time, for any major threats to her continued survival out there- And spotting the new folk coming this way, but not quite seeing them yet.
"Who are you!?" The girl said quickly, brandising her sword as she slid her spellbook into her Haversack, "I'm warning you! Don't come closer!"
Ikit looks from one to the other. Hiding behind what ever he can.
"Ikit no want fight fight! Ikit friendly! Ikit promise, yes yes!" he calls to the new group. But he was ready to run if needed. That was his life at the moment
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Seeing Gorruum beginning to lower his halbarde and looking mord calm Natalie turns to Katlin and Ikit, just to realize that yet more rather armed travelers have joined at the entrance: Who are these people? Natalie asks confused.
After their night time interruption, Dante cleaned up the campsite while the others got some sleep. So when they woke, he had some roasted wolf meat for breakfast. It was gamey and tough as meat from predators was prone to be, but better than nothing. He also kept the furs of all nine wolves, he was fond of wearing large wolfskin cloaks. In fact he wore one now, riding with the grew through the morning light.
He rode next to Fharn and had the same grey steel armor minus all the runes. He thumbed his nose at the sighting of vultures and wordlessly turned his horse in step with the others toward this new mess.
Rowan thanked Anastacia for the healing before assisting Dante in cleaning the campsite. He knew he wouldn't have been able to sleep anyways. After the skinning of the wolves was finished, Rowan reviewed his maps as Dante made breakfast.
Coming abreast with Wilhelm, Rowan speaks to the young girl and rat-folk. "We're not looking for a fight either, please put away your blade. My name is Rowan, I'll let my companions introduce themselves if you're willing to talk."
Shimmer sighs as she takes in the current scene, it always seems that they were putting out one fire after another.
Natalie's 'speech' makes Gorruum want to hold his head, "TOO MANY WORDS POINTY EARS! GO!" Behind him he hears Ubagub thundering around as the slurk builds up momentum to clear the fence. Then the half-elf goes for her dagger. "KNEW IT! HOOM LIES!" The boggard gets ready to dodge the dagger and charge when it falls harmlessly into the dirt between the pair. Large eyes roll down to the dagger and back up to Natalie as Gorruum finally processes part of what she's trying to say. "Knife for Goruum?" Keeping a close eye on her, he edges forward, lowering his halberd, but not putting it away. Reaching the dagger, he snatches it up and tucks it away when he sees Natalie turn to address the newcomers. "More hooms?"
"Ikit talk talk. Not need to fight then?" he asks slowly getting up from where he was hiding
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Hanging her crossbow at its place on Avalanche's saddle, Anastacia slides down from the warhorse's back. "Yes, let's talk. I'm Anastacia. Cleric of Pharasma and Agent of of Domeriov. What's going on here?" The young woman holds her hands out, so all can she she is unarmed. (Of course she does wear a sturdy mace at her hip.)
Gorruum no not hooms, a group of travelers. They say they don't want to fight us.
"Ikit dont know. Ikit just want to help help. Them from thing yells. Ikit no want to be eat eat!" he points at the creature
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Gorruum is joined by a giant lizard frog that's pinkish lavender in color, it glares at everyone other than Gorrum, then hiccups and slams it's head into Gorrum's hip affectionately.
Removing her hand from the rapier "Yes let's talk. I'm Natalie, me and my travel companion came to this village looking for a missing person, but the closed gate and stench of carrion have halted us a bit. Here we also met this ratfolk Ikit and the frog-creature inside"
"Yes yes. Ikit find friendly pointy ears, Ikit offers help help. Ikit just hide from frog. In case Ikit look like snack snack"
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Wilhelm, having had the last watch, rouses his companions from their beds and greets the dawn by praying to Iomedae for Her blessings. His morning ritual complete, Wilhelm returns his companions bleary-eyed greeting with forced cheer, "Good morning, Anastacia." It's obvious to any who look that the long hours of their exploration and the difficulties of the forest have begun to wear through the Baron's stoicism. He speaks sparingly as he gathers his equipment and mounts Triumph.
Riding at the head of his party, clad cap-a-pie in finely tooled steel armor that glows faintly, is a tall, sturdy man bearing lance and wickedly curved blade. An unusual fur cloak hangs from his shoulders and pools around his horse's saddle. The horse he rides astride is a snowy white stallion with an usual red-gold splotch on its forehead that (if seen up close) bears an eerie resemblance to an Iomedaean sunburst. As he approaches with his band, he removes his helmet, revealing boyish figures that are at odds with the full beard he keeps. He studies you silently for time with emerald eyes that glow faintly, giving time for the others to speak.
Apparently satisfied, the man sets his helmet in a saddlebag and stows his lance. He slides from his horse with practiced ease and lands heavily, his armor clanging and clattering. "Be at ease, as Anastacia says we aren't here to fight. Well met, Anastacia and ... Ikit." Wilhelm studies the small ratfolk for a moment, looking away and blushing faintly when he realizes he's staring. It's obvious the young man hasn't met a ratfolk in person before. He addresses Katlin, "It's well to meet you as well, child. We mean you no harm, but it's obvious some tragedy has befallen the village. It is my duty to learn what I can of what happened here. My name is Wilhelm Orlovsky, Baron of Domierov and the Greenlands and Paladin of Iomedae. These are my companions and trusted advisers."
A sudden thought seems to cross his mind and he looks back to Natalie. "Did you say 'frog-man?'" Wilhelm doesn't wait for a reply and shouts behind the wall, "GORRUUM, IF THAT'S YOU, COME HERE WHERE WE CAN TALK PROPERLY. WE WILL PARLAY." Sighing in vexation, Wilhelm waits for the frog-man to show himself.
Ikit barely blinks. The white rat looking the arrivals over
"Ikit. Yes yes. Of clan Skryre. But clan gone gone. Ikit only one left" he says sadly
He quickly looks at door and ducks down again
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Gorruum calms down after hearing Natalie's words and lays a reassuring webbed hand on Ubagub. Upon hearing Wilhelm call out "GORRUUM...PAR LAY!" in his familiar voice, Gorruum slides the halberd under a beaten leather strap on his back. "Ubagub, we par lay!" He hops onto the strange creature's back with a 'squelch' and together they lurch up to the gate. "PAR LAY!" He grins widely, proud of his command of the common tongue.
Katlin nodded, slowly moving backward, into the village. After that, she collapsed, hiding behind the door.
"Okay! Good to meet you!" the girl said, lying back.
She breaths in for a while, before slowly standing up.
She looks out, "I'm Katlin. Pleasure to see you." she said.
As everyone (other than Gorruum) come to the gate of the village, they see the sight Gorruum has seen for the last hour.
Bodies are scattered around the village, predators have been at the bodies, but only vultures so far, so the bodies are mostly in tact.
The dirt is stained dark with dried blood, as are some of the walls of buildings.
The large U shaped building (A3) has what looks like an elderly woman pinned to it's front door, two handles of some sort of weapons sticking out of her shoulders. Blood coats the door and the porch under her body. Being protected by the roof of the porch, the woman's body appears to be the least disturbed and bloated.
You didn't look in A3, something about it made you very twitchy. Same with A9, which made your skin crawl for some reason.
Not focusing on Gorruum anymore, Natalie realizes just how bad a shape the town is in. "This is horrible, what kind of twisted mind could do such a thing to these villagers. I hope we are not finding Svetlana's nephew between the corpses.
Looking to the new arrivals as if hoping to get an answer.
"Are you searching for Vebstyr Klain as well?" Rowan asks curiously. "I don't know who is responsible for destroying these lives but I do know that we will do our best to bring whoever is responsible to justice."
"Seems my work is cut out for me..." Anastacia frowns at the carnage. "These folk will need a proper funeral."
"So that no living be consigned to the fire, Pharasma grant me your vision." The cleric sketches a spiral in the air, adding embellishments to lend power.
"Might as well start with her." Anastacia heads toward the hanging woman checking her for life signs, with the necromantic sight granted by Pharasma.
Katlin just watched as they walked in, staring at all the corpses. She sighs, getting up, and walking around, spending time looting them.
Gorrum croaks out, "Big hoom building bad. Bad place. Something wrong. Round building too. Don't go!" With some difficulty, he slides back off Ubagun and collects his new things possessively as the others begin filing into the village.
"Rowan it sounds like we are not as alone in our search as I believed. I always welcome new infomations if you have any"
Looking toward the the big building Natalie is scanning for any opening where she can peer inside and identify what in lack of better words scares Gorruum.
If I can find a spot I look inside
Anastacia finds nobody but the current moving and talking people alive.
All the corpses laying around on the ground appear to have been recently looted as Katlin begins searching them.
As Natalie looks over the A3 building, it looks like a regular building. She does find a window on the right side of the building that has a crack in it, but looking through all she sees is something smooth and white pressed up against the crack.