Stealth:
Stanislaw opens an eye at the noise, slipping from the bedroll as he sits up as quietly as he is able, cocking his crossbow with a bolt and nodding for Notarius to fly up and get an overview, hopefully spotting whatever is approaching, as Stanis blinks the sleep from his eyes.
Perception +0 hahaha...:(
Mordecai is roused from his sleep, blinking and snorting quietly then sitting up and touching his sword hilt out of instinct as he looks about blearily for the source of the sound. He rises to his feet slowly, drawing his sword and eying the forest about them. He sees Lem about to go invesitgate and waves the man back, shaking his head and walking slowly towards the man and Ali who has his sling out.
Perception
Tam opens his eyes his sleep intereupted with the rustling in the brush, he slowly begins to sit up scanning down from his perch in the tree he had been sleeping in. Inching his hand he holds onto the handle of one of the daggers strapped to his waist. Trying to make out what was making the noise.
Stealth
At Mordecai's nod, Lem stops, and the expression on his face as Ali continues to move forward is one of concern.
Boar Perception
Ali, as you approach the source of the noise, creeping along with only your sling equipped, you smell a very foul stench like blood and feces and rot, and catch a glimpse of a very large beast with an elongated snout and several hooked teeth protruding from a powerful jaw. In your effort to get closer to identify it further, you slip slightly and make what sounds to you to be a good deal of noise, attracting this creatures attention immediately.
Notarius recognizes that Ali is likely in danger and a sense of alarm cuts through your empathetic link.
Initiative!
Stanis
James
Tam
Ali
Mordecai
Lem
vs.
Boar
"ALI! GET BACK! MORD! HELP HER!" Stanis shouts, voice shaking with alarm while his fingers move through intricate motions of spellcasting, in an attempt to rob the beast of it's senses for a second with a Daze cantrip, not having time to put it to sleep proper.
Round One - Fight!
Lem curses when he sees Ali slip, raises his bow and knocks an arrow while moving 20 feet to the side, taking a readied action to loose the projectile when the enemy makes itself known to him. At Stanis's indication, his eyes appear to narrow, focusing on the task at hand.
Tam, it is your action.
From her misty eyes she senses the bullet went wide of the mark and she braces herself for the terrible inpact....
Mordecai braces himself and puts himself between Ali and the boar, lifting his sword and ready to cleave the creature's head off should it draw too near.
Acrobatics
Tam drops down from his perch drawing a dagger as he does holding it ready to throw.
Stealth
Attack +1 from point blank shot if its withen 30'
Damage
Did that make any sense?
Round One!
James stirs from his sleep, and having only two move actions available to him, rises and pulls his crossbow this round. The boar, having heard Ali's intrusion on his morning rounds, charges from the brush after him, provoking several readied actions.
In order...
Lem's readied arrow hits the beast, but glances off it's thick hide, dealing no damage.
Boar Will Saving Throw vs. DC 14
Stanis's spell summons a confusing flash of light which stuns the boar.
Tam drops down from the tree, ready to join the battle, tosses his dagger at the creature and his dagger sticks deep in the creature's hide. If it were able to act, it may have reared up and bellowed, but such as it is, it remains still.
Round Two - Fight!
Lem draws another arrow and lets loose at the creature threatening Mordecai and Ali, but their presence causes him no small amount of worry and the shot goes wide.
Stanis draws his crossbow as part of a move action (having gained BAB at level 2), loads it and fires his bolt into melee, and miraculously brings down the creature when it buries into the creature's eye.
The boar makes a startled sound as it slumps in front of Mordecai and Ali.
...the impact never comes as Mordecai rushes out standing before Ali as her shot strays wild. Her heart beating against her ribcage as the boar bears down upon them only for Stannis to stop it with his magics before he puts a bolt in its head.
Suddenly Ali feels tired observing the life-blood gushing out of the animal. 'If only it could have listened to reason, I would have brought up a fog hiding us.' "Hey I wonder if it ain't forced out the woods thar's why it came for me? Could some creature have been directing it? T' cowardy bandit? Or the Stag Lord himself?" Realising this train of thought might frighten the 'reformed' bandits.
"Nah, it were just a wild animal. Prolly liked t' small of me." Ali says with a wink as she moves towards the beast. She then turns to the other; "Do ye need more meat? I thought we had enough from the last one ye 'unted. But now we have more gobs t' fill." she says the rusty knife drawn from her belt ready to end it's life and butcher it's remains.
Lem gives a nod to Stanis, and stows his bow and approaches where Ali sits carving the beast with her knife.
"Sorry I cannae be of greater help, Miss," Lem apologizes. "My hand with the bow is good enough with animals ranging, but with men so close..."
Tam strides over to retrieve his deeply lodged knife comically putting much more effort into it than needed. Looking at Ali's knife he frowns and hands her a clean well kept knife instead of her own. "Why don't you use this knife Ali might be a little more effective than that rusty ol thing."
With a swift thrust of the blade she ends the boars life and whatever suffering it was still going through. She says a few words in prayer for the creature.
Turning to the others; "See even t' most scholarly amongst us is a skilled hunter. And the scrawniest with stand in the face of an enraged boar; either that or I was too stupid or scared to run." Ali says with a self depricating laugh.
Taking the knife from Tam she thanks him and cleans her bloody knife off on a trouser leg before resheathing it. Ali checks it's nethers to make sure that it was male; not a sow with a litter of piglets around. She then cuts of the genitals and starts butchering the rest of the creature with efficiancy learned from her father and practised in her mothers kitchen.
"Any lolly-gaggers can go back to sleep for a bit now. I'll make breakfast and we'll break camp." Ali says continuing the grisly work.
Mordecai grunts when Stanis shoots the boar in the eye and he turns immediatly at Ali's words, his eyes half-lidded as he sets his sword back down and then flops down onto his front, head flat against the bedroll. He gives the others a thumbs-up and then resumes sleeping amid light snoring, as if he had not just been awoken for a life-or-death situation.
Stanis sits and stares at his crossbow in disbelief for a while. He had never been much more than middling in the training, missing almost as often as he would hit anything. Completely mediocre. Now, his every bolt seem to hit for devastating effect, as if Abadar himself was guiding his hands. "I guess I don't NEED my magic to be harmful for devastating my opposition." he jests with a chuckle "I think we should bring back what we can of this beast. Wild boar is among the finest meats you can find."
"Aye, ye don't waste life. Though in a forest every death feeds another." Ali says cutting pieces off the carcass. "And we have plenty of horses and ponies t' carry some on. We should be able to make some blood sausage, too."
"Sir Stannis, I thought magic was meant to be creative or deceptive not destructive. Working around the natural laws; and your magicks seem complimentary anyways. Anyways where did ye learn to shoot like that? Were ye int' Army like Mr Mord? Or living off your wits on t' streets like Sir Tam?" Ali asks.
Stanis shakes his head "I did my service to Restov through serving in the guard, aye, but I was never much of a warrior. My skill with the crossbow was mediocre, really, but out here, somehow, it seems I am able to hit just about anything I aim it at. My guide in life is Abadar, guardian of civilization, and his favored weapon is the crossbow..." he trails, then smiles sheepishly "Or maybe it's just luck."
Stanis decides to stay up and takes a seat next to the fire, poking it with the spent bolt to make it blaze again, looking at Ali as the boar is being butchered "But, if you don't mind me prying, I would like to know more about [i]your[/] magical talent. I have a certain understanding on how it works, invoking positive energy, drawing magic from the air with seemingly no preparation. As if magic itself is in your blood and being, secrets no-one ever told you, yet somehow, you know... am I correct so far?"
Ali shrugs sheepishly, "Well as ye can see, I can't. Ye speakings tha right of it. I sorta see not by light, but sensing the energy flowing through things. Take tha' tree over there. I can feel the life and energy flowing through it. Thus where it is, that's how i can see. Unluckily I can no see all that far, in fact no further than the brook from 'ere." Ali says with a smal wistful sigh. She loads another haunch onto a cloth to be moved away.
Ali continues "Aye, it is strange. But I can 'see' t' energy of beings flowing thats how I avoid falling over me feet. It's harder when I am in unfamiliar places but... worth it. I never really thanked ye and ye companions for savin' me. SO thanks fer that and taking us with ye." Ali wipes away the blood on her hands across her forehead. The gives Stannis her hand in thanks.
"As fer the magick's well it's seemingly like i just redirect the flow of life for this 'channeling'. Whereas sometimes I can focus it through me hands and apply it directly to another. That's why it is physically painful for me if anyone's hurt nearby, in fact if there's death then it's almost like I feel mine. It can be like I am a direct conduit for t' life or death. That's interesting I never thought of it before; that I was a sort of being of energy of life..."
"From whit I understood from Ma you Wizards learn from complicated equations in books, how t' break rules of t' world. As I'm just a illiterate thicky I don't really understand that. For me 'power' I don't know really why I ken do it. Maybe it's cause I am cursed or demons blood flows through me, but still I gotta try and help people..." Ali says sceptically with a tang of self-deprication.
"Maybe Dad were reet in his drunken rabblings tha' me Ma was a slattern that rutted with a demon tha's why I was cursed so. But tha' not to my mind, she was a fine lass. A more lovin' lady ye could not see, she told me stories. Both imaginary and real, that Brevoy were a gem and the Lords there were chivalarous and pious. Romantic men tha' could poet and handle a blade, tis true?" Ali asks with a glint of hope in her eye, that there is a place better than the poverty ridden forest.
Ali turns to Lem and the others; "Those that feel tired git t'blankets. The smell of poo-rk will rouse ye." She puts the sides of the beast into the saddle bags for the horses to carry, keeping a few cuts out for the days travel. The remnants she places outside but around the camp-site to make sure they can be eaten by carrion.
She moves to the camp-fire; the life-blood of any wilderness force and starts cooking up some food.
12 Pharast, Continued
Ali cooks up what remains of the boar you previously slayed and butchered, which is more than enough to feed yourselves and the bandits for the morning. Lem gives Ali appreciative looks while Vlade simply eats and Jess teases Hans about the benefits of their new mistress. It should come as no shock that Kressle wasn't the warm and fuzzy type who cooked breakfast for her men. None of Jess's language is particularly cruel, but neither is it civilized. He does, however, try to keep the cursing to a minimum, and responses to any of Ali's inquiries are snappily followed by a "ma'am."
Each of the bandits give a bit of a giggle as you lead your mixed party of technicolor ponies and light horses out of the forest. As per usual, James is in the lead, scouting ahead for any dangers inherent, waving Vlade back when he offers to join him.
Towards the middle of the morning, James returns to the group with a puzzled look upon his face. He has found track ahead, but it is unlike any that he has ever seen. There is some sign of dragging, but also a track of what appears to be some sort of feet. Since he discovered the track, you can easily avoid whatever left the impression if you choose, he thinks.
"What do you think it is James? Should we go after it or leave it alone? Hey you all, what makes these kind of marks? " He asks James before turning his head slightly to the captured bandits posing the second question to them fidgeting slightly with the hilts of two of his daggers trying to peer about ready for whatever.
Perception
Stanis gently takes Ali by the shoulders and shakes his head "Your father's drunken ignorance is not at all accurate. People like you, who are able to freely feel and direct life are more commonly sharing blood with creatures of the heavens, beings of so perfect virtue that goodness and life swirl around them and reside in their very souls. Your respect for life, and care for the well-being of all those around you only serve to reinforce this theory." he smiles and invokes a Prestidigitation cantrip to wipe the blood from Ali's face
"I am sure the church of Nethys, nor the masters of the various academies, would not approve of calling wizardry 'breaking the rules', but I cannot exactly say it is untrue. We basically learn how the multiverse works, down to the smallest detail, and then follow formulas that allows us to undo these laws to replace them with those of our choosing. I was as terrified at the concept when I began as I was enamored." Stanis explains with no small sense of respect for the power that magic holds.
Upon being asked about Brevoy, he seems to require a moment to find the words "There are some poets, but they are by large and far outnumbered by gruff masters of the blade. And those who squabble outnumber those again. But there are those who indeed fit your description, warriors who see the virtue of art, and make maidens almost swoon. Sadly, the emphasis on the sword shapes Brevoy more than the emphasis on most anything else." he shrugs and looks to the others "It does teach one to appreciate a good person when one comes along though. Which I think is a healthy way to see the world."
Stanis looks at the tracks and ponders if anything comes to mind.
Ali blushes thinking about Stannis kindly words earlier. 'I wish I were some sort of benelovant heavenly being, t'would be alot easier. I guess Brevoy isn't the paradise that Ma made it out to be. Where is...?'
James comes back to the group with his tale of strange tracks. 'I wonder what it is?'
Ali thinks for a while, it had been a long morning already. "Well the commission was to explore the area. The creature would also need pacifying if we's ever come this way again. I say we follow the tracks and find out who's making 'em."
She waits a while for the responses from the others, "There's also the fact that it ain't have t' be a fight. It could jus' be a friendly creature. Or the drag-marks; if they ain't part of it could be someone it's dragging away. Just waiting t' be saved." The contradictory nature of the statements draws a smile from Ali.
From the description of the track given by James, which unfortunately is subject to the GM's derp in text form, you believe that the creature is quite possibly an extremely large centipede. I will allow you a second roll when you see it to know its abilities.
The bandit Vlade balks at Ali's suggestion. "Aint none too many livin' in these wood that be friendly, Miss," he states flatly. "And if it be a creature draggin' a man, well, all the time we spent sittin' here gabbin' about it ain't gonna make a difference for the lad."
Knowledge Nature:
"Seems like a giant version of the common centipede. Judging from the drag-marks I would think it is a socalled 'Whiptail'. Their bite contains a potent venom that slowly paralyzes the victim, and it uses its tail to sweep the legs from underneath their prey..." he scowls "Insects are immune to spells that assault the mind, which means my spells are particularily ineffective. If we are to assault, we need to prepare. This monster is a dangerous foe. And one I do not want roaming around our doorstep..."
Ali looks stricken; "Well, if 'tis dragging a man, 'e may be paralysed. So alive... for now."
Ali goes over to the trail and tries to sense it there were 2 bodies making the tracks of if the dragging was of a single centipede dragging its' 'whiptail'.
"For if it be on it's own, we can mark the trail and try and find it later when it marks the hex. But if it's carrying a victim then...." Ali thinks for a few seconds. "Even if you haven't prepared the correct magicks, ye be still a good hunter."
Mordecai blanches at the news and places a hand on the hilt of his sword, his face a bit green as he looks at the tracks and at the size of his own feet. "If it isn't giant spiders, or boars, its bugs" he grumbles and then glances at Ali, the young lad's meaning sinking in.
"I say we follow it just to be sure it hasn't carried off some innocent hunter. Even if we're wrong and there was no victim, it's better than letting a gigantic insect roaming the woods to end up taking an actual victim later on." he glances at Stanis and then bends down to inspect the tracks.
Survival to Follow
He sighs and scratches at his head, not knowing what to make of the tracks either.
"Aye good words Mordecai. Don't worry lads you can keep back, fire a few arrows into the thing. And if we end up dying you can have a good laugh and run away." Ali says with a smile and a wink at Jess trying to inject humour into the grim situation.
Tam groans inwardly...A giant bug...really really?! I swear I will go back to the city and stay there!
Tam nods showing his obvious enthusiasm glad for his scarf hiding most of his face.
He draws two of his daggers and twirls them around nonchalantly. "Well what are we waiting for then?"
12 Pharast, Continued
The party easily follows the centipede tracks, laying buffs on Mordecai as they go . The bandits, for now, will hang back and provide support with their bows should it be required.
Centipede Perception
It is difficult not to find the centipede, as it is larger than most trees in the area. It coils up upon your approach and
Initiative!
Stanis
James
Tam
Mordecai
Ali
The Bandits
The Centipede
Stanis, your action, please.
Stanis stays back at 50 feet or so and recites a Silent Image spell from a scroll, making it seem like tall bushes sprouts from the ground along it's side and rear. Having already cast Enlarge Person, Mordecai is already large. Then he draws his crossbow, but keeps concentrating, not wanting to take a shot before the illusions have served their purpose.
Yes Tam, you can throw from 30' with your dagger, at a -4 for range penalty because the range of a throwing dagger is only 10'.
If you are within 30', you can throw, 5-footstep into concealment, and take a move action to hide. At -10.
Attack with thrown dagger
Damage if hit
Stealth
Tam quickly throws one of his daggers at the large centipede and then slips into the seemingly substantial bush to his side and ducks down hoping the centipede would lose him.
Round One - Continued
The bandits, having stopped at a distance appropriate to contribute to combat with their bows, unleash a volley of arrows at the creature. Several arrows simply glance off the creature's body, but more hit and deal damage than miss. The centipede rears and begins thrashing, looking rather agitated.
Ali, your action, please.
Ali stands there open mouthed for a second; 'This thing is as large as a tree, or the woodshed!' Remembering what she has to do Ali draws back the sling to unleash a bullet at the creature.
Round One, Continued
Ali's bullet glances off the creature's rigid exoskeleton, doing no harm.
James issues a rather James like quote about how Centipedes are the least of all vermin and the Wasp is superior as he levels his crossbow and fires a bolt at the creature. The bolt sinks into the creature and it reels and snaps its impressive mandibles in quite a good deal of pain.
Unfortunately for Tam, however, the centipede, now enraged, sees through his attempt to hide. He moves forward only so much as is needed to reach with its impressive body and completely fails to bite Tam.
Mordecai, your action, please.
Mordecai stomps over and raises his immense sword, roaring a battle-cry as the giant Centipede barely misses his brother with its foul pincers.
"I. HATE. BUGS!"
Attack, Charging:
Damage:
Round One - Fin
Having been stabbed by Tam, pierced with several bolts and arrows on account of the bandits, the centipede is utterly decimated with an enlarged Mordecai delivers the final verdict on its life, and splits the creatures elongated body in twain with his mighty longsword. The centipede slumps to the side, and not a one of its many legs even twitches. It is dead.
Ali breathes deeply at another few moments of terror, where she stood there doing little. After a few calming breathes she wanders back to ponies and waits.
Mordecai drags his sword out of the remains of the now deceased insect and grimaces, muttering loud enough for others nearby to hear him. "Boars, spiders, bugs...every time we go out I end up cleaning boar brains or spider guts of whatever...the hell...this stuff is!" he grunts as he tries wiping off the blade only to have his cloak stick to it as if the gooey ichor were glue.
While at work, he glances over to see young Ali wandering over to the horses and he cocks an eyebrow, wondering what was bothering the lad. He shrugs then and continues cleaning his sword, eventually stowing it back in its sheath well-cleaned before shrinking back to his original size.
He grunts at no one in particular, "Just once, I'd like a fight out here where I'm not cleaning some poor giant animal's guts off of my sword." He dusts his hands off then and strides back over to the horses, by now used to their bizarre appearance.
Ali walks over past Mordecai, patting him on the arm; "Well done, that was impressive. How does it feel to be so... tall?" Waits for his answer before joining the bandits with their bows.
Turning to Jess; "Don't comment. Anyway that was great support lads. See if we can work together, then we can stop something that big."
Jess gives a ribald laugh. "Listen, sweetness, if you think we ain't got enough practice 'not commentating' on the size of the lady's men, well," he laughs again.
Lem glances in Ali's direction, but it is Hans who speaks. "Is this what the freedom comes to? Being hushed? Can't see as that's any different than how things were."
"Enough!" Lem growls in warning. "We done our part well enough. Let these lads see we're ain't animals, 'pleasantries' will come soon enough."
"It's alright, Lem. I can appreciate a good jest like the next man; provided it's not too spiteful. If ye want to comment Jess, feel free. I'll even provide ye with enough straight-lines, if ye be alright with feeling me sharp tongue." she says with a smile, not having learned to keep her emotions from her visage.
Diplomacy:
Stanis interjects himself between Hans and Ali, shaking his head "Ali meant no offense by it, I am sure it was merely a clumsy attempt to deflect embarrassment. You were all intricate to our success, and without you, this might all have gone very different. This is just the kind of cooperation I was speaking of earlier, the kind that makes us ALL stronger, and able to withstand outside aggression. Well done, men. Well done." he steps over to Hans and slaps his arm in a comradely fashion "And if someone ever tells you to hold your tongue, know that we are all free to speak our minds, as long as we are prepared to deal with the consequences. And that goes for both free men and those serving time."
He looks to the rest of the group "Let us bring a token of our victory here, so that we might give credence to our boasts over a well deserved mug later!"
'Twere a clumsy attempt at a joke. Sir Stannis sure has a way with words.' Ali thinks.
12 Pharast, Continued
Vlade gives a nod, walks up and removes the head from the creature, then slings it into a sack and ties it to his animal. With Stanis's assistance, the gaffe passes with little other incident, and you continue to move. In another hour, you reach the limit of the woods, and as though you have exited a true fairy land, your ponies are restored to their former forms, allowing you to ride them again through the Kamelands towards Oleg's.
Tonight, however, even if you force your horses, you will not be able to ride to Oleg's. You elect to take a lesser pace on your trek north, and camp out for the night. The bandits are eager to join the rotating guard duty. With no objections, they do. If you object, Vlade and Lem will stay awake as they did previously.
There are no encounters this evening.
13 Pharast
Ali cooks up some of the boar steak from the previous morning, and after eating, the enlarged party hurries to Oleg's. The remaining leg of the journey should take no longer than four hours, and again, there are no encounters on this leg.
Two of Kesten's outriders meet you well in advance of the trading post, their blades drawn.
the rider tentatively identified as Marcus bellows. Marcus looks to Stanis, and subsequently to Mordecai. "Banker Branthorn, Sir, are these men attached to your party, or are you running from them?"
Mordecai looks straight at the two guardsmen and says in his best authoritative voice, "These men are indeed with us, and we shall expect the same treatment of them as given to their companions Matis and Devlin. Have these men report to Kesten Garress for skills analysis and training in whatever job they seem best suited for."
THen he turns to eye each of the reformed men with the same level look. "You will each obey Kesten Garress' command, as well as my own, the command of Ser Stanis Branthorn, or any of our company. You will behave civily at all times, courteous to those around you and so on. I will warn you all only once, so hear me well, the lot of you. You have repented your ways as lawless raiders, but break the trust I give you now and I will personally seperate your lying skull from your body."
Then he turns back to the guardsmen with a nod. "Are we free to proceed, Guardsman Marcus?"