"We are getting really close, I would like to get closer stealthly to not scare the boar." Selaros prepares to sneak closer starknife ready in case the boar attacks.
Selaros, you poke through the brush. After a moment, you come across a big, nasty looking boar. It hasn't noticed you, and you can spot some firing lines for the ranged members of your party. You think you can set an ambush with your ranged attackers that will bring the boar into the path of your melee combatants as well.
Feel free to come up with a plan.
Selaros makes his way back quitely. "There is a rather big boar behind those bushes. I can see some firing lines for you and I Merrick, where we can try to lure the boar towards our melee combatants. Eloise will you be helping with the range attacks or joining the melee group?" He suggests rather happy "Can use some of my 'knight' skills here to stear the combat the way I want it."
"No I think we would benefit from fighting on ground since most of us is not trained in mounted combat. I think it would be easier for the ranged to sneak around the brush and lure the boar to run over where we are now, that way we only have a few people to move past the boar undetected."
Asa dismounts quickly, drawing her falcata. "I might be able to help with that. I refreshed my memory on how to conjure ghostly sounds last night... perhaps we can use them to lure the beastie where we want it to be?"
Merrick nodded at Calin, youthful excitement at the coming test blooming within.
"Just tell me where to set up. I can hit the boar from a hundred paces, no problem! I'll ready my attack...Selaros, go ahead and give me the signal when you're all set up! M'lord Foxglove, stay behind me, sir. I'll keep you safe."
Trigger- Selaros gives the signal.
"That could be useful Asa. You can help me guide it in the right direction so we can give Merrick a shot before it rams into Calin and the close combatants." Selaros says before moving around the bush again, placing himself in the opposit direction of the group, so he can scare the boar away from him.
HE started to get off his horse As he readied his flail... then stopped and frowned looking at the others. He should have brought a spear or something.
"I will stay on my horse, to chase the beast down if it runs..." "Or to be quick to extract someone who gets into trouble"
He finished with that dark thought, the frown on his face said he was thinking of other things..
I'm going to wait for everyone to respond but feel free to ready your actions so that once everyone responds I can start the encounter.
Please feel free to!
Asa turns to Aldern and smiles as charmingly as she can.
"Well, I am nobody special. Beyond having a little bit of skill with my falcata, magic, blacksmithing, and languages I am unremarkable." She laughs, though it is a bit hollow sounding.
"As I am not a native I am more curious about you, Lord Foxglove. What interests did your family have in this far flung region? Obviously you have enough wealth to not do anything, but how did your family acquire it to begin with if you don't mind my asking?"
Eloisa, Aldern finds your somewhat awkward demeanor and your lack of familiarity with horses rather endearing, and favors you with a warm smile.
Asa, Aldern rubs his chin for a moment, thinking before speaking.
"All things considered, the Foxgloves are boring. We're nobility through wealth rather than high birth. The family fell on some hard times due to mismanagement by my parents, before they passed when I was a child. Thankfully, I've no small amount of talent for mercantile pursuits. Foxglove Manor, my family's home, is right between Sandpoint and Magnimar. We were the preeminent purveyors of trade between Magnimar and Sandpoint, which is how we made our original fortune. And I've always found Sandpoint's, ah, rustic flair to be quite to my tastes!"
Anything I'm missing?
As they ride along, Eloisa answers Merrick's question about the language, Oh that's Thassilonian. I'm here to study the ruins, so it made sense for me to learn it. Asa and I discovered we have that in common. It's a very precise language. If you want to curse, Orc or Goblin are much better languages." Her mouth twists in a slight grin. I'll leave it to him to decide if it's the language or the ruins Asa and I have in common.
"Selaros I'll join the ranged group, but before I do that." she dismounts her horse which resembles a slightly controlled fall from the saddle and approaches to Asa. "This may help in the coming adventure. It's Mage Armor." She touches Asa's unburned hand and casts the spell. Then steps back and casts it on herself.
She moves into the position Selaros points out to her and readies her Force Missile waiting for the signal.
"Ah, traders... nothing wrong with that. My family was part of a caravan that traversed much of the northern Inner Sea region bringing goods and services to various towns and countries. It was a hard life at times. Still, I do miss it." Asa shakes her head, "I am sorry that your parent's died when you were young. Did you have extended family that helped make the transition to adulthood easier?"
Asa laughs to herself as she overhears Eloisa's response to Merrick.
"I appreciate this. I never quite had the talent to cause an armor spell to.... well, the last time all it did was to weigh me down as if I was wearing full plate mail without giving any of the protection. I stopped trying after that, focusing instead on trying to be better at not being in the path of the blade at all." She laughs sheepishly and smiles in appreciation.
Aldern shook his head, the ghost of old trauma playing about his face for a moment.
"I was still wealthy enough not to want for anything, but...no. Some of my father's retainers helped raise me. I did find out, early on, that the life of the merchant was for me. I started out with single caravans, but I had...have...a pretty good talent for finding what people want, and delivering it to them. It was only a matter of time before my fortune and my family name were restored!"
Asa frowns, but does not immediately respond. "I suppose that he could be referring to normal items like the stone for the cathedral or waterclocks... but something about that last line is suspect."
"It must be my imagination. I really do need to start getting more sleep." Shaking the though away with a smile, she finally responds.
"So what would it take to get special materials for the smithies in town? I know that steel and iron and the like are simple enough to acquire and deliver, but I was hoping to make something... special... for myself and my fellow 'Heroes'. You know, to both commemorate our triumph over the goblin foes as well as prepare us for any future threats that might beset the town." Giving him her most winning smile, she leans in and adds, "And while living steel might not be easy to obtain out here on the fringes of civilization, it is a bit easier to find than adamatium or mithril. Or even fire or frost forged steel for that matter."
Aldern thought for a moment.
"Well, to be frank, I don't deal much in crafting supplies. That said, I have some contacts I might be able to reach out to. I could put you in contact with them or act as an intermediary...but I would like to know the quality of your work. Perhaps if Korvut gave you a recommendation?
Asa smiles. "I may not be a master smith yet, but I do decent work as Korvut will vouch for. My most recent work for him was a pair of wrought iron horses made for a gate he was contracted for. He will likely put on the finishing touches while I get the bars and frame set, but the general shape and pattern is done." She shrugs. "Of course anything made with rarer materials would be a much longer project, one that would likely take the aid of Korvut. Perhaps Savrah and Dante as well, truthfully. Well, that last one if I can convince him to take up hammer once more, but I cannot think of better reason and incentive. Can you?"
Aldern shrugged. You'd never seen anyone shrug handsomely, bit the nobleman managed, somehow.
"I suppose not, but I've never claimed to be an artisan! If Korvut will indeed vouch for you, we can likely come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."
It could have been your imagination, Asa, but you could swear that the nobleman is implying something more than a business relationship. The man seems happy to spread his flirtation to each of the ladies,so it's difficult to measure how serious he is.
[Linguistics check]
************************************
Not wanting to unwittingly step on any more toes, Shaedeen's pretty quiet at the breakfast table, stables, and during the hunt, though she does return Lord Foxglove's flirtations...at least until Asa shows an interest in him as well. Then she backs off, having been shown her place in the pecking order in no uncertain terms just a few hours ago by the dhampir. Although not talking much, the teen does a good deal of listening (the polite term for eavesdropping) when Merrick, Eloisa, and Asa start speaking a bit about themselves.
When the boar is found, Shaedeen dismounts, ties her horse's reins to a stout, low-hanging tree branch, and loads a light crossbow. "I'm a decent shot with this thing," she announces. "I'd like to go with the ranged attackers."
for
Shaedeen, you come to the same conclusion as Merrick; it seems proto-Chelish, but there's definitely some significant differences. You are able to puzzle out a couple of words here and there.
Asa, you perform your cantrip (let me know what sound your making) and, in the space where you make the sound, after a few tense seconds, a large (Large) boar appears. Anyone with a readied action has it go off!
Merrick, Shaedeen and Eloisa, your attacks and spells hit, causing quite a bit of damage! The boar is bleeding from several projectiles and is bruised by the missile. Selaros, it's sudden movement brings it out of the path of your projectile.
It is time for initiative! To save time, I'm going to roll all your initiatives here (Merrick already rolled his);
Initiative Order
- Merrick
- Rast
- Shaedeen
- Boar
- Selaros
- Eloisa
- Calin
- Asa
At the signal from Selaros, Asa concentrates and focuses the magical energies required. Suddenly the sound of male boar can be heard grunting and pawing in the empty space before the firing line. This 'boar' is very clearly attempting to claim the prime copse of trees for itself.
Well I'll be dipped in dung and rolled in bread crumbs, that's a big animal!
There wasn't fear. There was only a type of detached interest and analysis. This happened every time that Merrick entered combat; he existed in a sort of trance like state. Time seemed to slow down, and he made his move.
Inhale. Draw. Nock. Pull. Exhale. Fire.
Inhale. Draw. Nock. Pull. Exhale. Fire.
In the span of two breaths, two arrows made their way from the quiver to their target...
Both arrows streaked towards their target. The shots landed in almost exactly the same point, the shafts quivering as they sink into the beast's flesh.
Merrick, your arrows pierce deep, and the boar is bleeding badly. It totters, definitely woozy, but does not fall.
Rast and Shaedeen, you are next. Shaedeen, the boar has yet to act in initiative and is thus flat-footed against your attacks. I will note that ranged Sneak Attack requires you to be fairly close, within thirty feet I believe?
Big pig! Shaedeen thinks, both admiring and fearing the beast at the same time. Rather than close on the thing, she opts to reload and fire another bolt at it before it can get up a head of speed and charge. Fear apparently wins out over admiration, though, as her second shot is nowhere near as accurate as the first.
for
Shae, your attack misses.
There are closer creatures to the boar, but it's focusing on the largest source of it's pain. Merrick, you stated you wanted to be a hundred feet away from the boar. That will keep you just outside of it's reach, but it double moves and makes it's way over to you. It is unable to move and attack.
Players, do thy worst.
Rast, you may only ready a Charge as a Standard Action, and when Charging as a Standard, you may only move your speed. I'm going to say you will have to move to be able to charge once the boar gets into melee range, but that should take your actions neatly.
The rest of you may go now :)
Asa silently closes on the opposite side of the boar from Merrick, swinging her falcata downward into its side, much as if she was chopping into a log with an ax.
"I think we made it angry. We need to end this quickly before someone gets gored." Asa steps back, keeping an eye on the bloody boar as she does.
Despite Asa's warnings about being gored Calin had one worry in the pulse pounding moments of the Boar's arrival...that someone may get hurt. He kicked his warhorse forward and as he neared the boar he quickly flipped his leg over and dismounted Directly in front of the boar. USing his shield to keep it fended off he brought his flail down to try and brain the beast.
The creature is Large so closing close enough to attack will incur an attack of opportunity. Do the two of you still wish to do so?
Also Asa you cannot five foot step if you move. You may only take a five foot step if you take no actual movement (though you may take move equivalent actions)
You do have the option to make an Acrobatics check to avoid the AoO if you wish. The check must exceed the target's CMD