Ok so the party is going to try and outrun the pack of Lycanthropes? Does anyone have the Survival skill? or Knowledge Geography.
Yup, the farmer merc does. Doesn't Gared as well?
"I think there's a shortcut through the trees this way!", says silas who takes off without waiting to see if the rest follow.
Silas, you know that it will take at least 4 hours of marching to get to Falcons Hollow (12 Miles). It would take about 1 hour (3 Miles) to make it to the Orphanage.
Although the Orphanage suffered a fire it might have an area that could be barricaded until daylight.
Falcons Hollow or the Orphanage?
He follows, "If we use some streams right, they might lose our scent."
"Good idea, they hunt by sight and scent right? Maybe with Michael's aid we can lead them on a merry chase..."
"If the kids hold on tight, I could probably get three of them on here with me. One behind me, one in front of me, and me carrying another. It would be cramped and uncomfortable, as well as keeping Adrienne from anything more than a fast trot, but it's something we could do if we needed to."
"It may come to that, but how about trying to set a false trail first? If we can lead the pack astray the rest of us will get a huge head start. I'm thinking we might leave a few surprises for the pack too", says Silas with a bag of caltrops...
"What we need is a stream with some cover so we can make it look like we all crossed it but most of us went along it for some distance. Gared is there anything suitable?"
Ok so first, what is your objective town or orphanage?
Then what I'll do is make opposed rolls to your rolls. So, if you want to find a stream and cross, delaying the followers then its opposed Kn:Geography and Survival rolls, if you use magic to delay the followers it an opposed Will save, if you use combat to delay then instead of round by round combat, I'll use your attack rolls and the follower's AC. Each "win" means that either you get ahead by 1/8 mile or the followers lose 1/8 mile. Hero points can be used to modify or reroll.
So, the chase will be in turn by turn format. But you need to pick a destination and an action.
Your first turn will be to Cross Stream or Use Magic or Use the Horse to Turn and Fight? Your second turn can be another one of those or something else. Your turn can just be to Hustle using the overland movement rules, which then is just an opposed Con check.
Agreeing with Lucanor and Michael... =>to town
Ok, town it is.
You head to town which is 12 miles away. Each round will consist of 1/8 mile segments.
Your first action is to attempt to cross the stream and lose the Were pack. Going to take Lucanor's roll of 26 on survival and Silas's 17 on Kn: Geography to set the DC for the pack at 21.
Werewolves follow
The party now has a 3/8 mile lead on the werewolf pack and is 11 7/8 miles from the town.
Next the party attempts to use Illusions to slow down the pack.
Werewolves attempt to disbelieve and continue the hunt.
The party has a 1/2 mile lead now and is 11 3/4 miles from town.
What's next, you can post lots of options and rolls just let me know what order to resolve them.
"If we go over that rise to the left and follow the trail, it'll take us up a narrow stony path and with any luck they'll blunder into these caltrops...", suggests Silas.
"Works for me. Let's go."
"It might just work, especially if we can keep the wind going our way" Lucanor agrees.
The party has a 1/2 mile lead now and is 11 3/4 miles from town.
Th party drops caltrops, baiting the werewolves into going through a narrow pass.
Unfortunately the werewolves are not hampered enough by the caltrops, even tough the caltrops were dropped at the perfect location.
The party now has a 3/8 mile lead and is 11 5/8 miles from town.
Lucanor leads the party into an area, trying to use the wind to his advantage.
The party now has a 1/2 mile lead and is 11 1/2 miles from town.
"Perhaps there's something between here and town the pack won't willingly cross, like a field full of wolfsbane if something like that exists..."
"I doubt a field full of wolfsbane is anywhere around here, but give me those silver arrows I'll try to delay them a bit and catch up later."
The party now has a 1/2 mile lead and is 11 1/2 miles from town.
Silas goes looking for a field of Wolfsbane. But there aren't any nearby however, his excellent knowledge of the environs lead him through a small glen that might slow down the approaching Pack.
but the Pack isn't fooled and bypasses the area, keeping in hot pursuit.
The party now has a 1/2 mile lead and is 11 3/8 miles from town.
This prompts Michael to create a diversion. He spends some time and arrows to attack the Pack.
The party now has a 5/8 mile lead and is 11 1/4 miles from town.
"I wonder if we can use a stream to confuse the trail again, go a little way past it heading towards the half way house but double back, go downstream for some distance and then turn towards town. I could place another illusion to make it look like we're stretching our lead towards he half way house..."
"And I could try holding them off again. It seemed to work pretty well last time. They really don't like those silver arrows."
The area around the party goes quiet as night passes. In the distance the party hears the howling of the pack but it begins moving in another direction, as if they found new quarry or lost interest.
The rest of the night goes by, the party arrives exhausted to Falcons Hollow in the early morning hours.
Gared suggests taking everyone to the Sheriff's Home/Jail to rest.
"I think we should go to the Sheriff's and send runners to fetch the kid's parents. I also think we should ask Laurel and the Doc and maybe Cirthana too to see if they can do anything for Hollin..."
"Agreed. Everyone's had a rough night, and I figure that Baleson can at least keep the peace when the parents show up. I've got a strong feeling there's gonna be arguing between the folks about who's kid is to blame for all of them running off. We also need to get Lucanor looked at. He took a nasty bite, and we can't be having him turn on us."
The party heads to Deldrin Baleson's house. An on duty deputy is sitting on the porch, lantern in hand when the party arrives. He sees the children and instantly recognizes the party as the adventurers who cured the plague.
The deputy, a man named Barnabus, ushers the party into the home and goes to wake Baleson.
The now familiar half elf hobbles into the room, his left leg still partially paralyzed from the attack by the undead.
By Gozreh's lighting and thunder. You found those children. The Gavel has been mad with fright. By all the goodly gods, you did it. Baleson shakes his head in amazement of the group's accomplishment.
Hey, Barnie, go fetch the Gavel. Wake the other two louts before ya go and have them get Ralla, Colbrin, Vade and Kitani
Assuming the sheriff asks how we'd pulled this off.....
"This was no simple task sheriff. It's a rather complicated story involving kobolds and...."
Cue the details of the events....
"..and that's about it. Aside from us, how have things been here?"
Minutes later the sounds of running feet and Get out of my way, Where is JURIN!
And the High Gavel himself, Thuldrin Kreed, crashes through the door to the Sheriff's home. Uncharacteristically he begins sobbing and clutching his son, who looks mildly embarrassed but returns the affection.
To no one in particular Kreed says Who did this, who brought him back.
Lucanor would have asked for the wolfsbane now that they were safe, but nodded at the suggestion of taking the children to the sherrif and sending word out.
Minutes later the sounds of running feet and Get out of my way, Where is JURIN!
And the High Gavel himself, Thuldrin Kreed, crashes through the door to the Sheriff's home. Uncharacteristically he begins sobbing and clutching his son, who looks mildly embarrassed but returns the affection.
To no one in particular Kreed says Who did this, who brought him back.
"That'd be us, Kreed. We all brought him back. Your boy did you proud, he and the others were very brave. Some of them seen things that would make a grown man pale."
Michael just stands silently, waiting for the rest of the parents to arrive.
"Pardon me a moment, somethings I need to tend to..." Lucanor touches the wounds that were NOT caused by the bite, and tries to heal them up a tad.
Then he prepares the wolfsbane, but before he drinks it, says another small prayer.
then he downs the wolfsbane.
Lucanor gasps for a moment, as he feels the poison of the herb worm its way through his system as it hunts for any cursed infection within him. Sweat pours from his brow as the pain increases, and then blissfully is done. He still feels tired though.
"I think that'll do it, but if it didn't, there are other more permanent preventions." I'd kill myself before I became another threat to these good folks. Iomedae would understand.
Kreed answers Lucanor's response to his question
You.....you have done me a great personal favor. We will celebrate your achievement soon. He turns away from his son for a second and looks at the party. You will be richly rewarded for this.
With that Payden Teedum arrives with a posse of Consortium men and Kreed leaves surrounded by his toadies.
Colbrin Jabbs arrives with his wife and Kitani Eaveswalker as the Kreed crew leaves.
Colbrin grabs Mikra Jabbs and holds him close, while Kitani fusses over Kimi's hair and Kimi assures her mom that she is fine and it was no big deal.
The deputies return and one of them tells the group Vade wasn't home....and uhh....Bloodeye wasn't feeling generous with his girls.
You.....you have done me a great personal favor. We will celebrate your achievement soon. He turns away from his son for a second and looks at the party. You will be richly rewarded for this.
With that Payden Teedum arrives with a posse of Consortium men and Kreed leaves surrounded by his toadies.
"Just glad we could help them," Lucanor is tempted to wave off the reward but then ideas occur to him.
Once Kreed is gone, he suggests to the others, "Maybe we can get Kreed to pay for Hollin's health of mind as well as body. I don't like the man, but he could afford it."
Colbrin grabs Mikra Jabbs and holds him close, while Kitani fusses over Kimi's hair and Kimi assures her mom that she is fine and it was no big deal.
"I wouldn't say it was no big deal ma'am. Some dangers got pretty ugly, but all the children tried to be very brave, and Kimmi was probably the bravest of the lot. If she ever learns to mix some preparation with that courage, she'll grow into a force to be reckoned with."
It wasn't empty praise... it was pretty obvious that Kimmi was the leader of the gang, and might yet grow in that very role as an adult as well. If she stayed on the right, it would be something to see.The deputies return and one of them tells the group Vade wasn't home....and uhh....Bloodeye wasn't feeling generous with his girls.
"You know where your father could be, Savram?"
As for mention of Bloodeye and 'his girls', Lucanor jaw sets, "I have a feeling I'm not much going to like this Bloodeye when I meet him. Tempted to have a stern talk with him now, but I suppose the wiser course would be to stick around with Savram and Hollin until their kin can come for them."
Savram looks a little helpless at the question. I, uh, dunno Mister Lucanor. He leaves alot.
He looks troubled but then pipes up
I can show you where Hollin and his sister live.
Sheriff Baleson pipes up at this point That might not be uh, a good idea. Kabran Bloodeye is a right bastard and has more than a few toughs. We leave him be if he doesn't do his business right out in the open.
"I appreciate the offer, Savram. For now, probably best to have Lauren and the priestess look over Hollin anyway while we wait. Do you want to stay with me while we wait for your dad?" Lucanor tries to abide by the sheriff's wish in this. Besides, the man might be right. He at least, is in no shape for another fight.
Still, he asks the Sheriff, "Are these girls willing?"
"This Kabran has quite the reputation, seems likely he doesn't care one whit about the fate of the kids. Perhaps the temple could look after them in the meantime?"
Silas ponders and looks like he ate something sour as he says, "Have to admit I'd be sore tempted to go looking for the skeletons in his closet if we didn't have bigger fish to fry. That pack of werewolves will only get bolder if we don't hunt them down."
The Sheriff responds to Lucanor's question Well, this bein Andoran, slavery is illegal. But there is more than one way to keep someone in bondage... He stops and thinks but then says in a lower voice Honestly son, Bloodeye was the lesser problem, still is. He works with Kreed, pays him for the "rights" to run Brothels, probably thieves too down in the Bottoms.
"This Kabran has quite the reputation, seems likely he doesn't care one whit about the fate of the kids. Perhaps the temple could look after them in the meantime?
Lucanor answers Silas, "I think the priestess would be alright by that. The temple is supposed to be a haven to those in need, after all."
Silas ponders and looks like he ate something sour as he says, "Have to admit I'd be sore tempted to go looking for the skeletons in his closet if we didn't have bigger fish to fry. That pack of werewolves will only get bolder if we don't hunt them down."
"Bolder and bigger if they infect others. Yes, looks like we've got our hands full and then some."
The Sheriff responds to Lucanor's question Well, this bein Andoran, slavery is illegal. But there is more than one way to keep someone in bondage... He stops and thinks but then says in a lower voice Honestly son, Bloodeye was the lesser problem, still is. He works with Kreed, pays him for the "rights" to run Brothels, probably thieves too down in the Bottoms.
Lucanor nods and lowers his own voice in kind, "And Kreed's on my sour side all over again. I appreciate you trying to keep things in perspective, Sheriff, but this town's so bogged down in lesser evils some folks might as well BE slaves."
"The idea of freedom is a good one in theory, but in practice it tends to fall apart as soon as money gets involved. Perfect evidence of this being the Consortium themselves. Their lumberjacks are as good as slaves, just as the women at the brothel are. There's an old song around here that I remember from my younger days. I think it went something like this: 'You fell 16 trees and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. Pharasma won't call me 'cause she knows I can't go, since I owe my soul to the company store.' Pretty sure my old man said it was a working song, meant to help keep the rhythm while cutting, but it doesn't make it any less true."
"That song is new to me, certainly resonates... Do know any others?"
Baleson keeps quiet during Michael and Silas' discussion but asks a question.
You said kobolds took the children. Kobolds from the Crag? They've not ventured into the Vale as long as I can remember.