GM Lorenzo's PFS-Sanctioned Module: Daughters of Fury (Inactive)

Game Master Lawrence Smith 2

"Greetings Sir!" Lord Braggett says with a bow, although he stays astride Sir Kibble, "I also would like to express my sincerest sorrow for the loss of your best friend. If only we had left Vigil a little earlier, we would have surely saved his life in the most heroic of fashions. Curse that magnificent breakfast, I just had to have seconds!" He lowers his head in shame, "But we, at least, avenged his death with the help of our newest friend here." He says, motioning to Vegazi.

"As Sir Hanlin has already expressed, Wate's body and all his possessions are already safely within the walls of Arwyll Manor..." His brow furrows in concentration, and starts patting himself down, "Actually, if I remember correctly, we may have a necklace of some sort here amongst our things... The old habits of an adventurous life, I'm sure you'll understand." He adds with an apologetic expression.

Auto succeed at Aid Another for Diplomacy. I'm pretty sure we did, Hanlin, all except the necklace, scroll of invisibility, and a potion of some sort.

"You are men and women of honor and great courage," Terrin Shaw replies in a tone of newfound friendship.

The scoutmaster offers you a heavy purse. "From the Arwyll family's coffers. You all have earned such a reward." (The pouch contains 500gp.)

Terrin looks toward the chapel to Iomedae. "With Phazia dead, Acolyte Ovir Radan is the sole remaining cleric in town."

The scoutmaster asks, "Would you be willing to help me, Ovir, and the other townsfolk bury those lost in the raid and the attack on Wate Arwyll’s convoy?"

Vegazi observes your conversation in thoughtful silence, curious about how you will respond.

Earlier
Erlathan isn't shy about his displeasure having to chase an invisible devil through a spooky crypt. He groans with emphasis. "I believe I must be sure to learn the ways of seeing invisible fiends, and with haste. For now, let me have a look at that wand..."

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Defeated, he tosses it into his pack. "Nope, not today, friends. I'm afraid my arcane prowess fails me. I blame the Zebub. Really threw me off..."

Now

"Well, having lost my time to shine in aiding with the devil extermination, I'm feeling particularly generous," he grins. No fangs. That's an improvement. "I would gladly assist in honouring your dead. Perhaps I might use levitation magic to slowly lower them into their graves," he adds, waggling his eyebrows.

Hanlin gets a look of slight offense at the option of NOT helping the town recover and bury their dead "I would think of nothing better than to give my sweat and blessings in helping this town recover. Afterwards I hope we can help unravel the mysteries of these attacks quickly!"

Scoutmaster Terrin Shaw leads you back to the chapel of Iomedae. Jerem rushes over to Mayor Proum and the elders, Shovann Orda and Gallus Crevac, informing them of your heroics in the Catacombs.

Acolyte Ovir Radan is already busy trying to organize the recovery effort.

The cleric wipes his sweaty brow with the bloodied sleeve of his soiled vestments. "We owe our survival in no small measure to your bravery. You have my thanks." The mayor and the two elders nod in agreement and shake your hands.

Ovir’s gaze encompasses the death and destruction within the Stead. "Considering the number of dead, I won’t be able to perform individual services. I’ll have to conduct a mass ceremony."

He looks to you, a glimmer of hope in his weary eyes. "If you’re willing to help, you may perform any of a variety of tasks to aid in the funeral."

"Collecting the bodies of the fallen is the most labor-intensive part of the funeral. You could help the town’s guards lift and move the bodies of our dead comrades to the funeral pyre." (Gathering the Dead: Requires a DC14 Strength check.)

"The least glamorous (but certainly no less important) task to be done is clearing the streets of the dead devils and washing the blood from the cobblestone walkways." (Cleaning the Streets: Requires a DC14 Dexterity check to get the job done in a timely manner.)

"Each dead body must be stripped and wrapped in linen before it is ceremoniously placed on the mass pyre." (Burial Preparations: Requires a DC14 Heal check to complete, as well as a successful DC8 Fortitude save to avoid becoming nauseated by the experience.)

"Building the funeral pyre requires making sure it is large enough to cremate the deceased and ensuring its flames won’t spread to any nearby structures." (Building the Pyre: Requires a DC14 Survival check.)

"I would certainly appreciate some help performing the proper funerary rites." (Officiating the Funeral: Anyone trained in Knowledge (religion) can attempt a DC14 check to help officiate the ceremony. You can attempt a DC16 Bluff or Perform (oratory) check in place of the Knowledge (religion) check.)

You may each attempt to perform any or all of these tasks. In lieu of your own attempt(s), you may Aid Another. One attempt per PC per task.

Hanlin immediately steps forward and volunteers his services in honoring the dead "I will assist you in the funerary rites. I have done these before and it would be an honor to lend my voice."

+4 to K Religion, so take 10 for a 14. I don't have many skill options as a cleric I'm afraid.

"But before that comes, we have a lot of work ahead of us. I'll assist in any way I can in those tasks."

Hanlin will make assist checks for the other tasks, see below.

Assist Collecting Bodies, DC10 for +2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Cleaning the Streets, DC10 for +2: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Assisting Funeral Pyre, DC10 for +2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

Assist in Funeral Prep, DC10 for +2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Fort Save vs Yacking, DC8: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Five tasks. Everybody may attempt each task, if they'd like to do so. We can speed things up if each PC makes all of his/her Skill/Ability or Aid Another checks in a single post. No need to take turns. Up to 5 checks per PC, if that wasn't clear. We're out of combat, so Taking 10 is an option. No Taking 20, though.

"Of course we'll help," Nina agrees. "What sort of heroes would we be if we didn't? Come on, let's get to work!"

The wide array of tasks to be done in mind, Nina immediately dashes off to help...

Gather the Dead (DC 14): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
"Oof! Um...a little help...please?"

Clean the Streets (Aid Another): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
"It sounds really gross but see, if you tie some wet rags to your feets and then use some grease magic..."

Burial Prep. (Aid Another): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (12) - 1 = 11
Fort (DC 8): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
"I've...done this sort of thing before, with some help. You need to make sure to clean their faces off, see?"

Build the Pyre (Aid Another): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
"Stack the wood like this? Got it! Er...oh no, I don't got it! Watch out!"

Officiate the Funeral (Kn. Religion DC 14): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
"...and remember, the darkest hour is just before dawn and the dawn brings new light - and a new beginning for us all."

Bishop looks at the priest and then nods as the others start to head off to offer whatever assistance can be provided. 'Not what I expected to be doing after the battle but these people are lucky to have survived...'

Gather Dead (Aid Another): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Cleaning Streets: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Burial Prep (Aid Another): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Fort save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Build Pyre (Aid Another): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18

Officiate Funeral (Aid Another): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

"It would be an honour to assist you, Sir!" Lord Braggett says with a slight bow, "Why, with out exceptional skills, I think you'll find that the task much simpler than you imagine. You concentrate on the spiritual, while we deal with the physical..." He then runs off after the others, eager to help in his own extraordinary way.

Gather the Dead (DC 14): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
First he rushes to Nina's aid, "Even I wouldn't have attempted that all by myself! Here, you take the legs, Lady Brightspark, and I'll take the shoulders..." Although he turns a very bright shade of red from all the exertion, and is frightfully close to getting a hernia, the pair of gnomes manage to do their bit.

Clean the Streets (DC 14): 1d20 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 2 = 5
Braggett does his best to clean the streets, but he just can't find it in him to dirty his fine curly-toed shoes in the way Nina suggested and his meagre prestidigitation magic is not up to the task, "Ugh! What disgusting creatures, they somehow managed to get into every crack..."

Burial Prep. (DC 14): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16
Fort Save (DC 8): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Even the usually talkative and enthusiastic knight is quiet during this task, cleaning faces as instructed by Nina. The fact that he has yet to have had anything to eat today turns out to be a boon, and he only just manages to avoid the embarrassment of running for a bucket...

Build the Pyre (DC 14): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6
"Did we break any tables at the Blissful Badger, the wood might come in handy- Agh!" Lord Braggett jumps for cover as a stack of wood falls on top of him.

Bluff at Officiating the Funeral (DC 16): 10 + 9 = 19
After studying Hanlin for a few minutes, Braggett manages to convincingly copy the priest, seeming to know exactly what he's doing while performing the funeral rites.

I only used one of the Aid Another bonuses to attempt cleaning the streets, so Erlathan you can go for broke with these remaining unclaimed bonuses. :)

Gather the Dead: 0
Clean the Streets: +2
Burial Prep: +4
Build the Pyre: +4
Officiate Funeral: +2

Erlathan suppresses his usual aversion to manual labor and pitches in to help the survivors of the hellish raid bury their fallen loved ones and neighbors.

Bending over to drag one of the dead bodies to the funeral pyre, the elf groans and grabs his lower back, "Hanlin, I think I slipped a disc."
DC14 Strength: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7

The disintegrating remains of the devils turn to powder in his fumbling hands, making the messy clean-up worse.
DC14 Dexterity: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 2 = 8

Trying to prepare the bodies of the deceased for burial, the elf struggles, tangling himself like a mummy in the linen bandages. The smell of spilled blood and burst intestines, however, doesn't bother him a bit.
DC14 Heal: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
DC8 Fortitude: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

The arcanist knows a thing or three about flame. "Now that's a fire!"
Eddie Murphy, Delirious
DC14 Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Funerary rites are just one of the elf's trivial pursuits. "Feet and arms crossed, a copper over each eye, a handful of frankincense and myrrh in the censer. There we go. Okay, who's got a tindertwig?"
DC14 Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 2 = 25

Vegazi pitches in to help as well.
DC14 Strength: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
DC14 Dexterity: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
DC14 Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
DC8 Fortitude: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
DC14 Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Lord Braggett and Vegazi lead the efforts to gather the dead and prepare them for burial, though Vegazi struggles to avoid retching at the smell of death.

Bishop supervises the clean-up of the streets.

Erlathan takes charge of construction of the funeral pyre.

Hanlin, Nina, Lord Braggett, and Erlathan, all contribute to officiating the funeral ceremony.

---

The townsfolk of Arwyll Stead warm to the party, recognizing your defense of the community and appreciating your efforts to pay your respects to their dead. Their initial suspicion and indifference when you arrived yesterday has been replaced with bonds of friendship forged by shared danger and suffering.

The hours-long ceremony, solemn prayers and sorrowful hymns last long into the night.

The acolyte Ovir Radan approaches you after the villagers have gone to their homes to mourn in private. "Please, accept these gifts. There are four potions of cure light wounds, a scroll of remove curse, and three flasks of holy water. And this is a periapt of protection from curses."

---

Back at the Blissful Badger, Isald Forgemore pours you all a stiff morning drink, murmurs her thanks again for saving her inn and her friends, then heads back to work.

The usually taciturn Vegazi proposes a toast, "To my first true friends. I am honored to be counted among you saviors of Arwyll Stead."

Relationships with Vegazi:
Bishop: Relationship Score +7; Level - 'Friendship'
Erlathan: Relationship Score +6; Level - 'Friendship'
Hanlin: Relationship Score +10; Level - 'Friendship'
Lord Braggett: Relationship Score +11; Level - 'Friendship'
Nina Brightspark: Relationship Score +9; Level - 'Friendship'

Your relationship with Vegazi begins with your CHA modifier and then changes as a result of your actions.
You earned 1 relationship point for each task you completed during the funeral ceremony. (Ultimate Campaign, pp. 176-177)

End of Chapter One: Hell's Quarry

Daughters of Fury, Ch. 2: The Border Standings

Early in the morning after a hearty breakfast, you escort the Pathfinder paladin, Chastity Nevagonnagetzum, to the gates of Arwyll Stead. He mounts his steed and sets off on the return journey to the lodge in Vigil.

The Master of Scouts, Terrin Shaw, hails you from the wall walk west of the gates. When you reach the top, Terrin’s voice is tired, and he doesn’t look like he’s slept for a long while.

"There’s a problem... again," he says. "We sent guards to bring in the citizens from the houses outside the walls. The guards spotted more devils in the sky, and it’s got me worried about the outlying homesteads. The folks who live that far out are a bit better at defending themselves, but they’re used to fending off occasional orc scouts—not hosts of devils."

He rubs his gloved hands together in the chilly morning air. "Mayor Proum has asked that you all extend your stay here until we can figure out how you—especially Vegazi—are involved in all of this. That said, you’ve all proved yourselves in my book. We’re short handed, and could use all the help we can get, so I must ask you a favor for which you will be compensated."

He looks out from the walls to the rolling hills and plains and out to the mountains on the horizon. "Could you round up the outlying homesteaders and convince them to come within the walls until this problem is resolved? It’s not an official order—we haven’t seen an invading force and can’t say if the devils even care about attacking the homesteads—but we have a duty to protect the homesteaders. If you can get these people out of harm’s way, I can find something in the armory or wrangle a dispensation from Mayor Proum to make it worth your time."

Do you agree to help?

Erlathan points his twin serpent headed staff out, indicating the hills. "Ah, so we're to do a bit of a resident round up, are we? Shouldn't be too difficult, though, having said that the last time we agreed to investigate the catacombs, I should really bite my tongue." He smiles. "Know this, friends. This staff here can lob twice the number of magical missiles as before. It's like a wand of greater magic missile, if such a thing existed. How's that for some devil destruction, hmm?" He twirls his staff, but it's awkward and clumsy and he nearly drops it, especially with it being much larger than a wand.

Lord Braggett leaves Kibble down below with the two grubby looking children who keep following them both around, and heads up to the wall with the others. "Indeed, it should not be too difficult an undertaking." He says, stroking his beard and nodding along, "However, Sir Shaw, if any devils or orcs cross our path, we shall deal with them swiftly! Of that you have my word." He looks out towards the hills, following the direction Erlathan's fine staff, "Yes, it will be an honour to lead the homesteaders to safety! Why I daresay we shall have them all safely tucked up within these walls before the last tentacle drops from our comrade's chin." He looks around at his fellow agents, "I don't know about you, but I intend to stay here and do my utmost to see place is safe once again. No matter how long it takes."

Being incredibly well mannered, the knight only laughs a little when the staff almost falls from Erlathan's hand, "You need to find the centre of balance before you start twirling, Sir." He says as he draws his flaming longsword and shows off with a few fancy twirls himself, "I suggest that you practice for two hours every night, and every morning, and before long you will be mighty sight. Why those devils will fear you almost as much as they do me!"

Hanlin happily collects his new equipment from the squire, including as well a new, well made silvered light mace that he'd added in at the last minute. "Don't worry kid, your streak will end one day. And it will be a most awesome day!"

As they speak with Shaw Hanlin nods along a smile on his ever positive face "Definitely. You can count on us. Hopefully someone gets along well in the wilderness, because that isn't something I'm trained to do. I may need to do a bit of shopping for a rain coat..."

He gives the Elf a chuckle as he gets used to his new staff "Sounds like you've gotten yourself quite the weapon there! I look forward to seeing the devils shot from the sky with it soon enough."

I should be all leveled up by this evening. I added in a MW silvered light mace to my order, and also picked up a pair of 50g platinum rings for the shield other spell. Is there someone in particular that would make use of it? You've got to stay within 30' of me or the spell ends. That could be hard with many of you being mounted.

Maybe Erlathan or Bishop would get some use out of it?

"Oooh!" Nina gasps, watching with admiration as Lord Braggett shows off with his fiery weapon. "Lord Braggett's right, practice makes perfect! But I'm sure he'd love to show you how to twirl your staff properly if you still have trouble doing it yourself!"

As she speaks, Nina beams happily as she shimmies into her suit of lightweight mithral chain that she'd ordered from Vigil and stows away the two wands she'd requested as well. "Much better! These devils, if they're still out there in the wilderness, won't know what hit them. Now let's go round up some civilians!"

The scoutmaster appears a little uncomfortable. "Em, in Lastwall, gentlemen don't usually discuss 'twirling their staves' in front of a lady. Of course, I'm not judging anyone; you're strangers here. But within these walls, please, exercise appropriate decorum around the fairer sex."

Terrin thanks you and provides you with basic instructions to each homestead.

"I'm especially interested in the retrieval of an old homesteader named Grev, a retired soldier from Vigil who knew many members of the Arwyll family personally, including Adil and Wate."

He looks at your half-orc companion. "If anyone can verify the truth of Vegazi’s claim that she saved Adil from the Hell’s Fury tribe’s prison camps, it would be Grev. Even if you can’t retrieve the others, ensure you bring the hermit back to town to shed light on this matter."

When you climb back down from the wall, Jerem is waiting for you, his bright young eyes glistening with hero-worship.

"I heard what the scoutmaster asked you to do. Here, this will help." He hands you a rolled up piece of parchment. "I made you a map of the region around Arwyll Stead. Cartography's a hobby of mine."

Map of the Arwyll Stead Borderlands

Jerem explains his simple key to the map. "I've labeled each of the homesteads. I've also indicated how long it takes to reach them traveling on foot. See, the Border Ranch is 'D1,' which means it take an hour to get there. Grev's Homestead, 'D6,' is the farthest, about six hours one way."

Where to first?

Hanlin smiles along with Terrin at his crude joke "Ya, come on now, you're in the presence of ladies here!"

He heads down and takes a look at the map, complimenting Jerem on it "This is great. Well done. You're sure these distances are all accurate? Looks like we should stop by D4 on our way to Grev at D6. Then, depending on the light, we can start the trip back on the northern road and round up the rest."

Hanlin looks to the others for yay or nay.

"Lousy, stuffy scoutmaster..." Erlathan mutters under his breath, halting his staff-twirling practice abruptly. "I shall practice with dedication, until my staff moves as fluidly as if it were my third arm, Lord Braggett!" He declares.

As for the rings, he's less interested. "Perhaps Bishop here might benefit most from those platinum rings, Hanlin. I find the metal reacts poorly against elven flesh, and it seems I have left my moisturizer back in Absalom!"

"I was going to say we should visit these locations in order, but your planning seems a little more strategic, Hanlin. Perhaps we should head to Grev's homestead with haste, and worry about the other locales afterwards."

Bishop holds his amusement and looks on the exchange between the Scoutmaster and Erlathan.

sense motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

"Travel the furthest locale and make our way back inland with the homesteaders. Times are dangerous with all these devils running amok. If we delay with the closer homesteads we could lose our chance to save the people in the distant homesteads. As for your ring I'll take one.

I did not have a chance to speak with the messenger who delivered your goods so I will need to make due with what I have now. Let us be off unless there is more that needs to be said?"

Going with the 'Rule of 2.'

The party sets forth from Arwyll Stead heading south along the Path Road, destination Dessar Goat Ranch and Grev's Homestead.

You have been waylaid by enemies and must defend yourself...
Baldur's Gate

Two hours into the journey, somewhere near the fork in the road leading to Brethun Farm, you round a bend and spot a roving team of three orc warriors, savage creatures with green-gray skin and greasy black hair. They're wearing studded leather armor and armed with falchions and javelins.

Path Road Map

Round 1
Bold may act.
Hanlin
---
Yellow Orc
Purple Orc
Red Orc
---
Erlathan
Vegazi
Bishop
Lord Braggett & Sir Kibble
Nina & Incandescence

Hanlin, you're up!

Hanlin was looking up at just the right moment to catch the raiders heading their way "Orc bandits straight ahead, look lively friends!" He draws out his bubble inducing, enemy thwarting wand and blesses the group with its power.

Move to draw wand, standard to BLESS the party then 5' step forward.

The three orcs raise a war cry and charge the party, drawing their falchions as they go. The bright sunlight causes them to squint their eyes against the dazzling glare. Their blows bite deep into the summoner and her eidolon, but Lord Braggett's armor turns the purple-veined orc's blade.

Path Road Map

Round 1/2
Bold may act.
Hanlin
---
Yellow Orc (AC -2 after charge)
Purple Orc (AC -2 after charge)
Red Orc (AC -2 after charge)
---
Erlathan
Vegazi
Bishop
Lord Braggett & Sir Kibble
Nina (-12)
Incandescence (-10)

Everybody, then Hanlin, you're up!

"Yikes, that looks like it hurt," Erlathan gasps, watching the blades wound Nina and her pet. "Nothing Hanlin can't fix up, I'm sure. And now, I shall activate my staff!" He holds it up and twirls, but fumbles when its in its highest arc, dropping it into the other hand. He grunts in anger, and squeezes the staff to activate it. Two missiles in the shape of serpent heads fire from the end of the staff, both aimed squarely for the red-eyed orc's head.

QS of Entwined Serpents: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1) + 2 = 5

"Haha! You call that a charge? Back up a little and I'll show you how it's really done!" Lord Braggett taunts as he draws his new silver flail and starts spinning it over his head, "But first, here's a little something courtesy of Chastity Nevagonnagetzum!" While Braggett busies himself with tenderising his foe, Kibble takes exception to his orcish neighbour's treatment of his sister in arms - even if she is a cat - and gnashes at the red-eyed orc's knees.

Erlathan fumbles a moment but gets a grip on his staff and squeezes out two missiles, one in the form of a glowing white snake and the other in the form of a shadowy black snake. The arcane bolts slam into the red-eyed orc.

Lord Braggett swings his enchanted silver flail, bludgeoning the purple-veined orc in the solar plexus, while Sir Kibble hamstrings the wounded red-eyed orc and drops him to the ground.

To your astonishment, the two orcs remain on their feet, their savage ferocity keeping them in the fight.

Vegazi aims her bow at the yellow-toothed orc.

Precise Strike, PBS, bless; Damage: 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 5 + 1 + 1 = 221d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

Path Road Map

Conditions:
Bless: +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects.

Round 1/2
Bold may act.
Hanlin
---
Yellow Orc (-4; AC -2 after charge)
Purple Orc (-11; AC -2 after charge)
Red Orc (-9; prone; AC -2 after charge)
---
Erlathan
Vegazi
Bishop
Lord Braggett & Sir Kibble
Nina (-12)
Incandescence (-10)

Bishop, Nina & Inky, then Hanlin, you're up!

Hanlin draws his longsword and attempts to skewer the purple orc, before he can cause any more damage. "We've got you outnumbered, and still you charge in to your death?"

Longsword, Bless vs Purple: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 1 = 111d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Both Nina and Inky yelp in unison as the orcs crash into them, leaving both with painful, bleeding wounds. The gnome swears, knowing there's not enough room for wielding her shiny new lance at this close range.

"Biscuits! Who knew these orcs could be so tough? Inky, fall back a little!"

Not needing to be told twice, Inky obliges and steps back behind Kibble and Lord Braggett. "Son of a succubus! I told you to use that wand before we got started on the road, Nina!" the eidolon grouses, clearly not happy at being nearly cleaved in half in one shot.

"I'm sorryyyy! I'm still learning! Now hold still..." Nina replies as she tries to jab at Purple.

Attack vs. Purple (MW Lance; Arcane Strike, Bless): 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 1 = 23
Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 = 7

Knowing better than to let Vegazi remain undefended Bishop crouches low and rushes the yellow toothed orc while drawing his iron dagger. With his free hand he feigns at throwing a dagger at the orc's chest and then makes a quick strike at the orc's eyes.

No action = 5ft step; Move action = Improved feint; Standard action = slash with dagger

Improved Feint: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
Stab with dagger+Bless: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 1 = 19
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Sneak attack?: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 1) = 2

Bishop bobs and weaves, slashing the yellow-tusked orc.

Nina shifts Inky into reverse, backs up and skewers the purple-veined orc on her lance. The savage creature crumples to the dirt.

Hanlin sees him drop and steps over the body to thrust his longsword into the prone red-eyed orc.

The bloody orc tries to scurry out of reach, but Bishop, Hanlin, and Lord Braggett end its miserable life.

With his fellow warriors dead, the sole-surviving orc drops his falchion and raises his arms in surrender. He jabs a bloodied thumb at his chest. "Spare me, Thoracic Lumbar, and I will return to the Broken Spine clan. This defeat will be my secret shame for the rest of my days," he says in broken Common.

Path Road Map

Victory! What do you want to do with your prisoner?

"There will be no secret shame for you!" Lord Braggett says to the orc, still whirling his flail around threateningly, "No, if we let you go, your shame will be very public indeed. You shall tell your tribe all about how easily the "Knights of Arwyll Stead" bested you and your men, and you will tell them that these lands are under our protection. You will serve as our envoy and tell all the tribes that any further raids in this area will be dealt with in the harshest possible terms by the most capable warriors this land has ever known!" He looks the orc up and down, "If you give us your word that you will do this, I may be inclined to let you go." He looks around at his comrades, "But you had best be convincing, I am not the only one who has a say in your fate."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27 Intimidation might be better, but I fear the orc will just laugh at Braggett if I tried. :)

I don't know what y'all want to do with him. I'm inclined to let him go after a little questioning, or we could put Bragget's newly borrowed manacles on him and take him back to Arwyll Stead, but Braggett isn't the sort to kill someone who has already surrendered. ;)

Vegazi looks thoughtful. "The Broken Spine are rivals of Hell's Fury. They raid one another for sport, counting coup and stealing treasure."

Hanlin wipes down his blade and resheaths it, nodding at Vegazi's information "So why are you attacking these homesteads Thoracic Lumbar? Give me a good reason to let you leave here as Braggett suggests?" Aid Diplo: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

"Oh! Oh! And what do you know about what's been going on with the Hell's Fury tribe lately? That's another good question you can try to answer for us," Nina chimes in as she sees to Inky's wounds. "Help us help you and all!"

Diplomacy (Aid): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Wand of Rejuvenate Eidolon, Lesser: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Wand of Rejuvenate Eidolon, Lesser: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 Charges remaining (48).

"Allll better," she beams, giving Inky an affectionate pat on the head. "And now, uhm...well, once we figure out what we're doing with Mister Lumber here, I'll know if I need to put some protective magics on you - okay?"

"You sure I can't just eat him? No? Fiiiiine," Inky sighs. "But really, if you're going to insist on this whole knight shtick then you need to prepare better! What're you going to do if I get hit by another charge like that and end up taking a one-way trip back to my home for the rest of the day?"

Vegazi is impressed with the perceptive summoner's question. She also nods her approval of Nina for tending to her eidolon's wounds first, even before treating her own.

The good cop, bad cop interrogation seems to work. "Our scouts speak of a growing, female-led tribe in the north called the Hell’s Fury tribe. They have heard that devils aid the Hell’s Fury tribe’s leader—and that she may even be one herself. The upstart’s probably been conquered by now, by her foes or by ambitious rivals within her own clan."

After revealing all he knows, Thoracic Lumbar slams a clenched fist to his breast in salute. "The Broken Spine have no interest in Arwyll Stead. I will tell my chief, Hogrot, and our shaman, Magra the Mad, that its homesteads are defended by such fierce warriors as yourselves. This my eyes have seen, and to this my scars will bear witness."

He sets off at a dog soldier's easy lope, grateful to be alive but carrying the shame that he didn't die a glorious death in battle. Soon enough, Rull the Thunderer will grant this warrior another good day to die...

"Aha, Good lad!" Lord Braggett cheers as the orc sets off back to his tribe, then the proud knight turns to his friends, "Once word spreads of our legendary skill, these homesteads will be safe for decades to come. That is, once we have dealt with the Hell's Fury tribe. Devils very rarely listen to reason unless you force them to sign a contract to that effect." He then looks towards Inky, "Don't be so dour, my feline friend. I saw the ferocity and skill of that initial charge, and I dare say those blows would have struck even me." He pauses for a second to let the enormity of that revelation sink in, "I'll have you know that being a knight isn't about avoiding all blows, but about how you act when you receive them. And it most certainly is not shtick!" Kibble barks his agreement, tongue flopping out the side of his mouth, somehow managing to look both proud and goofy at the same time.

With his little rant over, Braggett turns back to look towards the distance and asks, "Onward to Grev's?"

"I wonder how they come up with those names," Erlathan muses. "The Broken Spine. Was the Shattered Fist already taken?" He smiles. "I implore us all to come up with a name for ourselves. Vegazi here is an orc, she must know a thing or two about how her tribes are named!"

Oliver and Adelaine Dessar own this ranch of 30 goats. They have five children ranging in age from 3 to 17 years old and two hired hands, Blake and Reubel.

Oliver is sitting on a three-legged stool, milking one of his goats as you approach the cabin. He calls out to Adelaine, who steps through the door, wiping her hands on her apron. The children are busy with chores, working in the garden and shucking peas under the shade of the porch. They move closer to the cabin and to their parents as you walk up. Blake and Reubel are in a nearby lean-to, butchering a goat with quiet efficiency, and they, too, stop what they're doing and join the Dessars, large bloody knives in their hands.

"Howdy, strangers. What brings you to the Dessar Goat Ranch?" Oliver stands up and hands his eldest daughter, Maizie, the pail of milk, keeping his hands near the loaded heavy crossbow leaning against the cabin next to his stool. "We don't want any trouble from you. Things are bad enough around here."

"We are here to admire the goats." Erlathan smiles. "Just kidding. We're here to warn you of the devil danger out here. It's not safe, not at all! No, no, and I can only imagine what devils might do with goats. Better to bring them into the walls of Arwyll Stead, where they stand a much larger chance of survival."

Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 11

"Yer prolly right, elf." Reubel spits a gob of yellow-brown tobacco at a passing horned toad. He squints out at the nearby hills, where the goats are grazing on the scrub brush and the saw grass.

"Boss, it'll take us a few hours to round up the flock. Stubborn, contrary critters, goats are." Blake opines, sending his own stream of tobacco juice at the scurrying toad.

Oliver nods. "Well, we appreciate the warning, but we ain't going anywheres till we've gathered our goats."

Adelaide's a clever woman. "Oliver, dear, perhaps these fine folk could deal with the predator that's been killing our flock. If they can deal with it, then the goats can fend for themselves, while we quickly get the children to the safety of the Stead."

Do you want to wait for the Dressar's to gather their livestock and herd it back to Arwyll Stead, or do you want to find and eliminate the creature preying on their livelihood?

on the road...

"Perhaps it comes from the manner of the previous leader's death at the hands of their rival? Hogrot broke the last fellow's spine and renamed the tribe to make it his own." Lord Braggett muses, "As for a name of our own... Hmm, I shall have to think on it for a while."
___

back at the ranch...

"If there is anything we can do to hasten your safe journey to Arwyll Stead, my Lady, we shall do it!" Lord Braggett says with a little bow towards Adelaide. He then turns to Oliver, "Your goats will be safe from predators while you are away-" He interrupted by a loud grumble coming from Kibble's stomach as the wolf stares hungrily at the goat in front of him, "Ahem... We shall protect your goats, of that you have my word as a knight and a gentleman. But please, make haste to Arwyll Stead and get your children to safety!"

I'm guessing it'll surprise nobody that Braggett will take action over waiting. But I'm open to herding if y'all think we'll have trouble tracking the predator down.

Hanlin heads to the ranch and is a bit taken back by all the goats "Quite the ahh herd of goats you got out here. Any idea what's been bothering them?" He looks to the others when it comes to tracking down a wild animal.

"Yes, this... Predator. What does it look like?" Erlathan ponders. "Lord Braggett, Hanlin, I say we pursue this predator and teach it the ways of respecting goats. Might even get some cheese out of it, if we're lucky," he says with a short smile towards Adelaide.

"Agreed. If your flock is decimated what is there to return to. We will hunt down the predator so that you might leave free of worry. Where is the last place that you saw this creature kill one of your flock. We can track it from there."

"We can't just leave the goat-eater to run free," Nina agrees, nodding her head with conviction. "This land is a home for animals too, not just people. The cycle of nature is one thing but what if this creature decides to start eating people once it runs out of goats??? No, we can't let that happen! We have to save everyone - or at least try!"

She peers up at Oliver. "Can you tell us anything about the attacks on your goats?"

Blake and Reubel take you to a nearby copse of trees beneath a stone outcropping. "The thing took a nanny goat right here, night before last. Nobody's ever seen it."

Vegazi crouches down, examining the ground. "Small creature, walks on two legs, clawed feet like a lizard." She straightens up. "They lead this way, into the rocky hills."
Survival DC10: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Following the tracks takes about half an hour, and leads to a small group of hillocks.

Vegazi and Incandescence spot a flurry of movement as something emerges from beneath a pile of large stones. The small lizard-like creature charges forward upon two muscular legs, a mane of spikes running down its scaly back. It pounces at Vegazi. The half-orc dodges two of the blows, but one of the lizard's claws opens a wicked gash in her thigh.
Bite, Charge, Pounce; Damage: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 2 = 101d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Claw #1, Charge, Pounce; Damage: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 2 = 231d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Claw #2, Charge, Pounce; Damage: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 2 = 91d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Vegazi steps out of reach and looses an arrow at the vicious creature.
Bow, PBS; Damage: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 1 = 231d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 = 3

Inky moves around to some higher ground, finding a charge lane for Nina.

The lizard pursues Vegazi, attacking with razor-sharp teeth and claws. Its teeth sink into Vegazi's blood thigh, but it can't hold on as the half-orc twists away from its bite and claws.
Bite; Damage: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 231d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Grab: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Claw #1; Damage: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 121d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Claw #2; Damage: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 151d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Vegazi steps away, draws and fires another arrow at the lizard.
Bow, PBS; Damage: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 5 + 1 = 261d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 = 3
Crit!?: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 1 = 8

Map & Image

Round 1
Bold may act.

'Lizard' (-6)
---
Lord Braggett & Sir Kibble
Erlathan
Vegazi (-5)
Bishop
Hanlin
Nina & Inky

Everybody, you're up!

Kn (Arcana): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Special Attacks, please

"It's a chupacabra, a magical beast. A magical beast about to be obliterated with magical missiles!" Erlathan points his staff with fervor, launching two serpent missiles at the creature.

MM: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (3, 3) + 2 = 8

Erlathan reaches deep down into the dark recesses of his elven mind and dusts off a piece of esoteric data.
Chupacabras are known for their ability to pounce and for something else, particularly wicked:
Chupar (Ex) A chupacabra that pins an opponent or maintains a pin can suck blood from that opponent as a free action once per round, dealing 1 point of Constitution damage. Upon successfully draining blood, the chupacabra is invigorated, gaining a significant boost in speed for 10 rounds similar to the haste spell. The invigorated chupacabra can still drain blood—and in so doing increase the length of its invigoration—but it gains no additional effects.