DM Talomyr's Kingmaker

Game Master Talomyr

Turning her head, Rhiannon sees Clebeth once again savagely bitten, before managing to perform some magic and vanishing.

'Clever' she thinks, approving of the half-elf's evasive tactic, even as she dashes across the campsite to drive her blade deep into the wolf in tandem with Krezzik.

[dice=+1 Estoc/Prayer/Charge]1d20+10+1+2
[dice=Piercing/magic/Prayer]2d4+3+1

Current AC 20 after charge

That's a potential crit, give me a confirmation roll

Forgot to add the prayer bonus to Krezzik's shortspear attack for an extra +1 to damage.

Confirmation
+1 Estoc/Prayer/Charge: 1d20 + 10 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 10 + 1 + 2 = 18
Piercing/magic/prayer: 2d4 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3, 2) + 3 + 1 = 9

Tove does her best to keep her companions in the fight.

Krezzik stabs into the side of the wolf who had previously been chewing on Celebeth, just before Rhiannon comes rushing across the camp to skewer the same wolf through the throat.

Azen continues to land solid, but not lethal blows on the wolf aggravating her.

Wolf 3 up but blind. Wolf 4 injured but still up. Big Wolf badly wounded and still up.

[ooc]Garethane up to finish round 3. Kalaman can post his round 4 actions.

Garethane continues to hack away at the large wolf.

MW Longsword + FF + Prayer + Flank: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 9 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 251d8 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 10

Garethane's strike is true, dropping the large wolf.

Kalaman is up.

Kalaman turns back his attention to the wolf that had bitten him at first,

attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
damage: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (1, 8) + 7 = 16

And lands another blow, not as thundering as the one that devastated the large wolf, but still solid.

While not as meaty as his previous strike, Kalaman's next swing is sufficent to bring low the remaining wolf that still had its sight.

The party as a whole descends upon the remaining, blinded wolf, ending its life and with that, the threat.

Combat over.

"Well that sucked," rings out Celebeth's voice hollowly from wherever she's invisible.

"Garethane, does this mean we have to move camp? Some other predators may catch our scent. Especially with all of these wolf-corpses—could attract scavengers."

Celebeth, do you need some healing? If so, come over here.

"I'm all right. Tove managed to keep me intact through the wolf nibbles. Thanks, sis."

"There are dangers to be had wandering around in the dark. There are dangers to be had from the corpses attracting other scavengers."

Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 = 12

Survival: 1d20 + 13 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 13 + 1 = 22

After considering for a moment, the elf replies, "I think it might be best to drag the carcasses away from the camp a ways and harvest a pelt off of the big one at that location. That should both create a lot of scent away from the camp and provide plenty of provisions for whatever is attracted to it. And besides, someone deserves a nice rug out of the evening."

After the harvest / setting the bait, Garethane will cast a "Keep Watch" on himself and Rhiannon should she be agreeable to staying up the rest of the night.

Azen helps with getting the wolves away from their camp and covering their scent, then she casts prestidigitation a final time to clean off her own skin, and goes back to sleep.

Rhiannon assists Garethane in moving the carcasses a safe distance from the camp and aids in the skinning if needed. Once back at camp, she agrees to standing watch the rest of the night, happy to have the benefits of the spell.

The rest of the night goes by uneventfully, if somewhat less restful.

Moring arrives with a low-lying fog throughout the region and it is cool.

Back to the cottage? Something else?

As the group packs up camp, Rhiannon takes a deep breath of the cool, fog-laden air. "So, are we headed back to the cottage now?"

"I suppose we should check it out in the morning light. And check to see if there was any more predator activity near those wolf bodies."

"Back to the cottage," agrees Tove.

Tove prepares her normal spells for the day, with Detect Evil and Arrow of Law in her open slots.

Celebeth is groggy in the morning and slow to use her cantrips to clean her hair and her clothes. She takes a little while to get her things together, in some disarray. She stifles a yawn as she studies her spellbook and even dozes off while preparing her spells for the day.

"Sorry, sorry. Ugh. Broken sleep is, like, terrible."

"Um. Yeah. Let's head on back for one more try. Then um... I guess back home to resupply and figure out our next move."

Rhiannon rolls her shoulders with a chuckle. "As accustomed as I am to standing watch or sleeping in less than comfortable situations, I can't say I don't look forward to a night or two in a warm bed."

"I thought that my elven heritage was supposed to make me require less sleep! That was a lie," grumbles Celebeth.

I hate wolves. Azen says as she gets ready for the day, hoping her grumpiness will wear off by the time she has to talk to anyone.

"I'm not the biggest fan of them either...though the big one should make a pretty nice cloak." she quips with a grin.

After a late breakfast, the party heads back toward the hut in the swamp.

When you arrive, like before, you see a dilapidated mud-brick hut squatting atop a small hummock in the middle of a fetid marsh, a thin tendril of bluish smoke trickling through a gaping hole in its moss covered roof. A wooden fence surrounding the perimeter of the mound is festooned with rude fetishes crafted out of sticks, feathers, and animal bones.

The scene is very much the same as you left it, right down to the lone crow cawing noisily from the top of a nearby cypress tree and the pumpkin-headed scarecrow is propped up midway between the gate and the door to the hut.

What would you like to do?

Azen tries calling out again to see if anyone is home and to ask if they can enter.

While Azen calls out to any potential occupants, Tove approaches the fence and casts Detect Evil, taking her time and studying the fenced off area and the dilapidated hut for any hint of danger.

"There's definitely someone there, if not, either the heart-fire would have gone out, or the place burned down by now." Rhiannon says looking at the plume of smoke trailing from the roof.

The party waits for a long moment before a raspy voice replies, "What in the Nine Hells do you want?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

No evil auras detected?

”My companions and I were hoping to speak with you. I am Tove Hellstrom, Stag Lord of Elkmark and faithful cleric of Old Deadeye. We have been surveying the surrounding area and wish to get acquainted with those who already call these lands home. Would you meet with us?”

No evil detected.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Azen, smiling and trying to help convince the reluctant owner of the house to agree to Tove's request, says

It doesn't have to take long. We just wanted to meet you and find out a little about you, and then we can leave you in peace.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

An aged, hunched "human" woman with elongated ears and skin with a greenish tinge slowly comes out of the hut.

"Alright then, what do you want to know." she asks in the raspy voice you heard before, looking somewhat annoyed.

I'm Azen. This is my sister Celebeth, that's Rhiannon, and Garethane, uh, oh there you are, Garethane. You already met Tove. What's your name? What do you do here? Are you a magic practitioner, or do you make your living some other way? Me, I'm an archer and a songstress mostly, and I help this lot with the new settlement.

Garathane bows politely to the old crone when his name is mentioned, but lets the people with diplomacy do the diplomacy.

Rhiannon gives the old woman a nod, subtly shifting to out herself between the Baroness and the woman while keeping an eye on her hands.

'Probably a spell caster of some sort.'

"I've dabbled a bit in magic." she croaks. Thinking a bit more on the introduction, "You lot are all from that little town start-up, eh? Well leave me be and you'll not get any trouble out of me. Fair enough?"

"Indeed, our settlement Fort Redemption sits on the north shore of the Tuskwater. We worked hard to clear out the bandits and make this region safer for everyone." Tove replies with a friendly tone.

"We have no intentions of causing you any trouble here. You’ve fenced off some land here and I take it you wish to be left alone to it, we can respect that. We've met others in our travels, and we've always found ways to reach an understanding and get along with them."

"As the Stag Lord, it is my mandate to bring peace and prosperity to these lands. So, if there are any concerns you have or anything else you’d like us to consider to avoid any issues please let us know. What was your name again?"

The old woman spits at the mention of "Stag Lord". "You'd do best to pick a different name to call yourself, missy. Most the folk around these parts that have been here a bit don't take to kindly to that moniker."

A smile revealing yellowed teeth comes across her face as she admits, "I never told you my name...and for good reason...names have power in them. The folks around these parts that were here before you call me The Old Beldame. Suits me fine, and if its good enough for them, its good enough for you lot."

Is there anything that we can help you with before we go, Old Beldame?

Tove glowers at the impertinent old woman, but she holds her tongue.

The old crone's eyes narrow.

"Nothing. Leave me be and I will give you the same courtesy." she croaks, while the scarecrow begins to move toward the edge of the fence line.

Turning her attention to the automaton "That won't be necessary...they've kept their distance."

Azen bows to the woman and says

It was a pleasure to meet you. I am sorry that our company is so disturbing to you, but I would enjoy talking with you again, should you ever be open to it.

Then she backs off, waiting to see what the others do.

If she isn't evil, then I vote leave her in peace... maybe ask other people in the area about her, see if we can learn something. If she is a threat, we can always come back, but it doesn't really seem that way so far.

The hunter bows before backing away from the cantankerous old creature. "Well met Beldame. Send your black winged messenger should you need anything and I shall be happy to fly back and speak with you."

Celebeth gives a jaunty salute to the scarecrow, then says to the woman, "We might pass this way again. If you have any problems, let us know if we can help. On that, good day to you."

Observing the scarecrow, Rhiannon considers the best way to take such a creature down, and whether it would simply cease to be animated should the witch be dropped.

She gives the woman an assessing look and a nod of acknowledgment but does not move until the others are clear.

"Not our friendliest neighbour, it might be wise to do as she wishes and avoid her from now on..."

Tove looks to the others once they are clear of the area and Rhiannon has rejoined them.

"No evil auras… but I still feel ill at ease. What do you all think?"

"She might see things differently at some point when she needs something. As long as she doesn't pose a danger to those in the area, I suppose there's no harm in leaving her to herself." Rhiannon says glancing back at the hut.

Maybe we should ask around about her and see if anyone knows more, but reclusive doesn't equal evil. I vote we leave her alone unless we have evidence of some crime or offense. She clearly had some problems with the former Stag Lord, so maybe there is bad blood there. If the past one attacked her, then a bit of hostility is understandable.

"I suspect some would call her evil, based on her appearance and demeanor. But she is a little dot of order in these wild lands. Unless we find out she is an actual threat, I like the idea of her being out here. I suspect that some troubles will... cease to be troubles while she is around.

I think I should find reason to occasionally drop off a nice sweetbread wrapped in the latest broadsheet out of Brevoy to let her know she remains in our thoughts and otherwise give her wide berth."