Giantslayer

Game Master Haldhin

I meant that I have my damage bonus wrong. Should have been 4+5 for 9 non lethal rather than 10. I'll take my Round 3 turn now

Desperate Improved Maintain grapple: 1d20 + 7 + 1 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 + 5 = 17

Growling now Zavier keeps trying to choke the assassin into unconsciousness.

non lethal damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Grok will pick up his weapon and attack the assassin in E8.

attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
damage: 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 1, 6) + 6 = 14

Finally, he will 5 foot step to D6.

Sorry about the delay, but we still haven't heard from Racket. I'm going to assume he just does Full Defense.

Round 2

At the Ramblehouse

Grok tries to attack the assassin near him, but does not hit. He can't step to D6, though, because that would be through a wall into another room....

The two assassins return their attacks.

Attack on prone but full-defense Racket: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Thanks to taking full defense, Racket is not hit. Racket: where does your +3 armor bonus come from? You have that listed, but no armor listed anywhere in your gear.

Attack on Grok: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Grok, however, who was not sleeping in his armor (as it is medium armor), is hit and take damage. The oread falls uconscious, and really hopes that Racket posts.... He also hopes that Zavier from down the hall comes to check on them!

At Nilus House

The assassin takes a step forward towards Brawd as the wolf steps back. She swings at Brawd.

Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Brawd is badly damaged and near to passing out from his wounds.

Round 3

At the Ramblehouse

Down the hall. Zavier is able to maintain the grapple, and nearly squeezes the life out of his attacker. She drops to the ground, unconscious, her strange alchemical blade skittering on the floor. (Zavier, you still have a move action in round 3 if you want it.)

PC Status

• Racket: 2/9
  
• Grok: -2/13
  
• Brawd: 2/16
  
• Nilus: 9/9
  
• Zavier: 9/13
  

Mpas on the Wiki

I'm not sure why Racket hasn't posted...he has posted in other games. I can only surmise that he has kinda forgotten about this one due to the infrequent nature of the updates.
Nilus and Brawd both attack the would be assassin furiously

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 Braw's attack misses

Nilus w/Hopeknife: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Sorry guys, this one slipped under my radar. It was partially because of Paizo's downtime the other day (my tabs were gone so it was hard to keep track of all my games) and partially the July 4th holiday, which I just returned from. If this happens again, please feel free to send me a PM to nudge me along, I'll likely see those quicker.

Oh, and sorry, the +3 is studded leather, I always forget to list armor in gear because it's in a separate section on the sheet that I use.

"You bastards, leave us alone!"
Racket is desperate now. Seeing the assassin take down Grok, Racket steps over to aid his friend (to E7) for the moment ignoring the other assassin.
dagger: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15
damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Keeping a hold of the unconscious assassin by the scruff of her neck Zavier hears the commotion in the other room and rushes towards it roaring as he goes COWARDS. FIGHT FACE TO FACE LIKE REAL WARRIORS!

I think can move up to J5

Racket -- note that you're still prone, so can't take a five-foot step.

Oh boo, thanks. He'll direct that attack against the one that attacked him instead, then.

At the Ramblehouse

Grok Stabilization check: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

Grok is unconscious but stable; he will not bleed out, if nobody keeps stabbing him.

Zavier runs out into the hall yelling; Grok and Racket can hear it down the hall, as can all the other guests of the Ramblehouse. He slams through the door that the assassin left slightly ajar as she came into his room.

Racket, still prone, stabs at the assassin near him, but, prone, isn't able to hit.

The assassin next to Racket stabs at him, wounding him grievously. Racket also falls unconscious.

First attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

The other assassin moves out into the hall to meet Zavier's approach.

At Nilus house, Nilus is able to wound the assassin. Feeling outmatched by this druid and his wolf, she starts to flee (takes the withdraw action), turning the corner heading to Nilus' back door.

Maps on the Wiki

PC Status

• Racket: -6/9
  
• Grok: -2/13
  
• Brawd: 2/16
  
• Nilus: 9/9
  
• Zavier: 9/13
  

You guys are up again. Both Racket and Grok are currently down... Grok is stable, but Racket may be in a bit of trouble. Hopefully Zavier is coming to the rescue.

Dropping the assassin in his hand Zavier moves to the closest assassin and tries to smash her head in.

Desperate Unarmed: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 221d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Brawd and Nilus both pursue, hopefully they can capture this assassin
Brawd , ar ôl ei!
Brawd Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16 Trip!: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Nilus stabs the assassin, unless they are unconscious from the previous attack

Hopeknife: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 and she should be prone...I hope
Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

If she is unconscious and bleeding out...Nilus will stabilize her or at least try to

Heal: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

At the Ramblehouse

Zavier smashes the assassin at the door and wounds her badly. She swings back at him with her alchemical blade:

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

but fails to hit. She takes a step back, and the unwounded assassin steps in and attacks.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

This second one does hit, wounding Zavier badly.

Man, the dice hate you guys.

Racket stabilization check: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Racket bleeds, a bit more of his life seeping away.

At Nilus' House

Brawd pursues the attacker. He bites her, pulls her off of her feat, and does enough damage that she's unconscious and bleeding.

Stabilization check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Although she's passed out from her wounds, it doesn't look like she'll die right away.

Nilus, fearing that his companions may also be the target of an assassin, leaves the woman there and makes the best time he can for the Ramblehouse. When he gets there, he hears Zavier yelling upstairs, and he runs upstairs himself. (Yes, it turns out that the first few rounds at Nilus' house happened a few minutes earlier than the first few rounds at the Ramblehouse... the assassins didn't have a Message spell or other way of perfectly coordinating their attacks.)

Combat Map on the Wiki

Could Nilus have grabbed his bark scrolls?

If so,

Nilus moves forward, drawing a scroll of curing. M4
Brawd stalks forward also... H4

If not,

Nilus moves forward, his hopeknife dripping with blood. G4

Staggering from his wounds Zavier is heartened to see Nilus' wolf appear alongside him. Ah. Not alone!

Switching style from Desperate Battler to Dodge Zavier hits out at the unwounded assassin fighting him and gives her a very hard kick right in the ribs.

Unarmed attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 221d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

So Round 5 MA: Switch feat to Dodge for +1 AC or 15 AC, SA smack

"gurgle"

Yes, Nilus can have grabbed his scrolls on the way out.

Nilus and Brawd run forward, Nilus pausing to pull out a scroll. Zavier delivers a solid kick to the assassin in front of him, sending her reeling.

Both assassins are badly wounded at this point, and step forward to combine attacks with their liquid blades on Zavier.

First Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Second Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Zavier is able to dodge one attack, but in so doing inadvertently moves right into the other attack, and the blade slashes deeply across his gut. He falls to the ground, bleeding.

Stabilizing Roll for Racket: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Racket, unfortunately, continues to bleed.

Things are looking grim... but both assassins are badly wounded now!

PC Status

• Racket: -8/9
  
• Grok: -2/13 [stable]
  
• Brawd: 2/16
  
• Nilus: 9/9
  
• Zavier: -5/13
  

Map on the Wiki

Nilus, barkscroll in one hand hopeknife in the other moves forward to stand over Zavier

Hopeknife: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Brawd charges the assassin

Charging Bite: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19 Trip: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7 Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Brawd can't charge, since he isn't moving at least 10 feet. However, he still hits.

Brawd moves forward and bites the assassin, who was already near the limits of her endurance. She goes down.

Nilus is not able to hit the other assassin with his hopeknife.

Only one increasingly desparate assassin is left. She slashes at Nilus with her liquid blade....

Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

These assassins have been pretty lucky with their die rolls.

...and hits, bloodying Nilus for the first time this night.

Racket stabilization roll: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Zavier stabilization roll: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

Racket continues to bleed out, but Zavier is stable.

Map on the wiki

Nilus and Brawd combine to attack the remaining Assassin

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 Trip: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Hopeknife: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

If the Assassin goes down, Nilus will use 3 scrolls of CLW to heal his allies

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

I'll take the 7 if I can pick :)

Brawd takes down the remaining assassin, who falls unconscious.

With his scrolls, Nilus is able to restore all three of his companions to consciousness, although Racket is still teetering on the edge of consciousness. The bodies of two assassins lay in on the floor of the hallway outside.

As the noise of battle calms down (and gives way to the sound of somebody reading a divine scroll), a few other doors in the hall crack open.

Just about as Nilus is finishing reading his scrolls, Cham Larringfass, the halfling proprietor of the Ramblehouse, runs up the stairs in her nightdress, asking, "What happened?!?"

Racket groggily stands. "What happened? We got attacked, is what happened! Those bastards! Teach us to post a watch though... Ugh."

Nilus says Cham. Fetch the watch commander. We will need to question these assassins.

Nilus will wait until the watch commander arrives, and hopefully at least one of the assassins survives.

Nilus strokes Brawd's fur
Rydych yn gwneud yn dda brawd . Da iawn he says in Druidic.

Zavier comes awake with a start Stinking Cowards! he says in a loud voice as he struggles up. I knock one in my room out. We make the coward talk, yes?

Cham Lassingfass, her eyes wide, nods, turns, and goes to get the watch commander.

Looking at the two assassins on the ground, Nilus can see that one has bled out, but that the other one has stabilized. With some attention, she should survive.

Let me know how you proceed.

This one. I will revive him, Zavier please refrain from killing him until I am finished with my questions. I would prefer he danced at the end of a rope myself, but justice would be served either way.

Nilus will use another of his barkscrolls to heal the surviving Assassin.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

You will begin by telling me your name. I am Nilus, and you attacked me in my home.

Racket looks ready to stab him instantly, but refrains in favor of getting information from the assassin.

Zavier drags the assassin from his room back to the others and dumps her unceremoniously in the corner of Racket and Grok's room.

For some reason my games weren't updating on the site, i'm fixed and back now.

"GROK SLEEP WITH ARMOR ON TONIGHT."

During the interrogation, Grok looms behind Nilus, polishing his sword.

As Cham runs off, and Zavier cleans up some of the bodies, Grok and Nilus wake up the one surviving assassin, forming a suitably intimidating pose that she reluctantly agrees to speak. She tells you that she's from Feedom Town, a town that's on the border of the Hold of Belkzen and Lastwall, which at least Nilus will know is renowned for being a lawless bastion of criminals on the run, exiles, and escaped slaves. She tells you that she was hired several days ago to be here as backup saboteurs. Just yesterday (i.e. during the day before the current night), they were given your descriptions and locations, and told to hill you. The man who hired her was a half-orc with quite a collection of facial tatooes; they were never given his name.

Nilus doesn't recognize the description as anybody in town.

A couple of town guards, together with Kurst Grath, arrive from Cham Lassingfrass.

"What happened here?" Kurst asks you as two of the guards take the surviving assassin, the ohter start cleaning up the bodies. The halfling cham Lassingfrass is hovering in the background, fretting over the mess, and a number of the doors at the Ramblehouse are open as people watch in frank curiosity.

"These bastards were paid to kill us by some half-orc. Said he has a bunch of facial tattoos. Sounds to me like a clansman. Any thoughts on which clan might want us dead?"

Indeed. These were to murder us and sabotage the town. I can only surmise that an attack is imminent...the militia should be called. Nilus says, frowning at the would be assassin.

Town filled with sneaks! We find letter from people who had Roderick murdered! They also poison and let loose wolves in town. Zavier turns to the assassin YOU! You know of militia captain to be murdered like you tried to murder us?

The assassin just shakes her head. "All I know is that the tatooed half-orc hired us to be on hand, and then told us to kill you. I don't know about the militia captain."

You can ask her further questions if you want, but it seems she doesn't really have a lot of good information. She does give you a description of the tatooed half-orc, but Kurst confirms that it doesn't match anybody in town.

A couple of guards haul the assassin off. Kurst, seeing how wounded all of you are, suggests that you check in at the temple to Iomedae tomorrow morning, in hopes that they might be able to provide you with some healing.

The rest of the night passes without incident... but let me know if in the future you want to start doing watch orders for sleeping!

What do you want to do the next morning? (I'll let everybody get one hit point back from sleeping, but most of you are still down quite a bit.)

The 1 HP actually gets Racket back to full :)

The group now knows to post watch even in the relative safety of an inn, and Racket offers to take first watch that night.

The next morning, Racket stretches and says "Alright, let's go find this half-orc $(%&#$( that tried to have us killed. I'm tired of waiting around in town."

Zavier takes the second watch and sleeps fifully when he does as the deep cut from the last assassin bothers him terribly.

Next morning he grunts. Heal first.

"YES. HEAL TIME."

Grok HP 3/13

"Fair enough. Can't have my bodyguards in such a shape. Let's go find a cleric to fix you all up."

Can we find a cleric at a local temple and pay for some healing? I don't think we have enough gold to afford a wand of CLW quite yet.

I'm hoping we get some charity since we're the only ones trying to help the town and almost got knifed for the trouble

You go to the temple of Iomedae. There, you meet Tyari Varvatos, the high priestess whom you met before. She tells you that she's heard about what happened, and provides healing services free of charge (getting you all back to full health). She agrees with you that there is clearly some sort of conspiracy going on, and that Roderick Grath almost certainly did not commit suicide. She encourages you to keep searching for justice for him, and again tells you that if you can find the missing half-orc oracle Katrezra, he might know something.

After that, you head to the house of Omast Fraum. Omast Fraum has just woken up, and has quite a hangover. He does not seem to have heard any of the news from last night.

"Hello? You're the folks who got me to bed last night, yes? Thank you for that... I was quite a mess. Poor Roderick. Come in."

Let me know how you proceed.

We need to find Katrezra, he may know more about what is going on. There is a plot at work here, and all Trunau may be at risk. Half Orc saboteurs were sent to slay us...presumably for trying to solve the murder of Roderick. Nilus is blunt and to the point with the militia captain, they have important work to be about.

Omast Fraum's hair is still a mess of bedhead. He sits down, gestures for you to do the same, and rubs his face for a moment.

"Tell me what you've figured out already. Half-orc sabateurs... and you've been attacked. What have you looked into? What evidence have you gathered?"

Well...

Nilus will fill the Militia captain in on the previous day's findings, the mad oracle, the wolves that were alchemically altered, the assassins, the note and hopeknife...Did I miss anything?

I'm pretty sure that's everything. Only addition I think was that the oracle was Roderick's 'muse' when he was doing his investigating

Omast Fraum says, "Interesting. It does appear that there is some sort of larger plot here. I wonder if the graffiti swords I've been trying-- without success, dammit-- to get off of the walls have anything to do with this?"

You recall seeing one of the graffiti swords -- if indeed that's what it was, for it was a pretty basic drawing-- on the wall over where you found Fraum completely drunk yesterday.

"Let me see the hopeknife."

Assuming you show it to him: he frowns (a Fraum frown), and says, "Hmm. This is not up to Sara Morninghawk's usual work; it's fine, but it's merely workmanlike quality. And it doesn't have the inscription on the order you found. I don't think this is the hopeknife she made. I'd suggest you go back and ask her about it."

Show her hopeknife? Zavier says scratching his head. OK

Nilus shrugs in exasperation Alright then. and he heads to Sara Morninghawk's again

This hopeknife. Is this your work?

"YOU MAKE THIS KNIFE? NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS YOU MAKE."

Grok points at the knife and steps back questioningly.

Racket stares silently at the knifesmith, letting the others interrogate Fraum for the moment.

The four of you, accompanied by Omast Fraum, return to Clamor, the common name for Morninghawk's Fine Steel.

Upon seeing the hopeknife, she exclaims, "There it is! And it's not finished yet. I'm embarrassed that that got out there. You say that this was found on Rodrik's body?"

She shakes her head. "I don't know how that happened. It wasn't supposed to be out of the shop until the blade had been completed, the edge honed. And, of course, the inscription was supposed to be placed on it."

You recall that Rodrick was in a relationship with the half-orc Brinya Kelver, whom you've met. You also recall that a relatively new apprentice, Urnsul, was the one who was doing at least the initial work on the new hopeknife.

She looks up at you, looks at Omast Fraum, and then looks back at you. "Except for Nilus, I don't really know who you are. But, you're clearly clinging to this investigation, and you're serious about clearing Rodrik's name. I've also heard about the attack last night, so you will take the fact that there is a conspiracy seriously. There is somebody you should meet. Come into my shop."

She leads you into her shop, and then to a back room. There, standing up from a cot, is a well-aged male half-orc, several weeping sores evident on the skin of his face and his arms. Nilus immediately recognizes Katrezra; the rest of you are tipped off to his identity by Omast Fraum's exclamation, "Katrezra!"

Sara Morninghawk confides in you, "Katrezra has come here, and has been hiding here in fear for his life since Rodrik's murder. He fears that those who killed Rodrik may come after him, for Rodrik would confince in Katrezra. You should speak with him."

Let me know how you proceed.