Brujo
Eladrin may not need sleep, but they're subject to stress. Fatigue is slowing you down I reckon, but the main thing that's affecting you is fear. Partly, I freely admit, because having you role-play collapsing from exhaustion and taking a day to recover sounds like a bit of a game staller :D
Forcing himself upright Brujo faces down the menacing figure advancing on him. Unable even to draw a weapon, he's never felt more helpless. From very far away, he seems to hear reassuring words.
Feeling now that running or dying are his only options, he trys running, fails, and collapses at the feet of what he now realises is a tall half-elf woman, looking quizzically down at him. The world goes fuzzy and he passes out.
"Looks like we got ourselves a moon elf," the woman says quietly, "Leastways, he's seeing stars now..."
She lifts his limp body and carries him over to the group. She gently lays him on the ground by the fire and covers him in a blanket.
"Spooked, tired. Like a horse that's been runnin' so long it don't even know what it's runnin' from."
Caine turns to Chryzylyx, “Sure. I’ll accompany you. Would you cede to me first choice of the spoils?”
In reply to Leo’s question, “I believe the widow is looking for men of sufficient moral fiber to recover the body of her late husband so that a proper burial could be had.”
"Sounds fine, where exactly did he fall?" Leo replies.
"According to my source, the widow claims that she was told by the Lady Saharel where the body is. The widow is supposed to be staying at the Monastery of the Precipice."
"Wanna ask the widow?"
Seeing that the disturbance was only another weary traveler, Cronin relaxes and returns to the fire. Nodding at Fairwind, he says quietly, "Let me see if I can help." Suiting action to words, he checks on whether the eladrin is suffering any more than fright and exhaustion.
"Looks like we got ourselves a moon elf," the woman says quietly, "Leastways, he's seeing stars now..."
She lifts his limp body and carries him over to the group. She gently lays him on the ground by the fire and covers him in a blanket.
"Spooked, tired. Like a horse that's been runnin' so long it don't even know what it's runnin' from."
"Poor soul, I wonder what caused him to fall into that state?" Leo mutters.
"According to my source, the widow claims that she was told by the Lady Saharel where the body is. The widow is supposed to be staying at the Monastery of the Precipice."
"Wanna ask the widow?"
"I'm willing to lend a hand, I did assume this was a mission you're debating on?" Leo replies wondering if the Monastery was on the route he had planned.
"What have you heard about this Lady Saharel?" Leo asks Caine.
Cronin finds nothing physically wrong with the newcomer. Mental scarring is another story, but in order to find out anything about that, the cleric will need the patient to wake up and talk to him.
Using his skills, Cronin helps the eladrin come around. The newcomer finds himself beside a fire. Six faces wearing expressions ranging from concern to curiosity gaze down at him.
Cronin holds out his wineskin to the eladrin. "Drink," he says gently.
"I'm willing to lend a hand, I did assume this was a mission you're debating on?" Leo replies wondering if the Monastery was on the route he had planned.
"What have you heard about this Lady Saharel?" Leo asks Caine.
"She appears to be a seer or something but I would know about such thing. I'm just a soldier."
Caine addresses the rest of the people.
"Friends, are you by any chance looking for a job? Well there's this little employment opportunity that I know about that you guys might be interested in."
"It souns like this job of yours might give us some clues about the Spelltower. Maybe we should talk to this widow first, if it lies on the way." All this time, Chryzylyx has stayed tending the fire the wizard started and preparing servings of their combined food. She will offer the newcomer a plate when his eyes stop spinning.
"Caine," sh returns to her previous conversation.s "As far as I am concerned, first choice of treasure can go to you. As long as the treasure is not useful to me, that is." She smiles charmingly. And with her charisma, it is charming indeed. Except for the undercurrent of her witch-elf powers, but that fey power has an intoxicating charm of its own. At least to her it does...
Fairwind rolls her eyes slightly at the soldier's blithe dismissal, "Some sort of seer... listen, friends, I've taken folks up to that ol ' tower more times than I care to think, and I'm for telling you; you want a question answered, she'll answer it. Might not be the answer you want, mind. But that's what comes of talking to strange women, ain't it?" she adds with a smile.
"If she can help me find my sister, I don't care how strange she is," Perigia says after listening. "However, I am also willing to help the poor widow, if that is what you wish to do as well. In either case, perhaps we should make plans to relocate from here, just in case what ever was chasing our guest decides to show up?"
"I plan to visit the Lady," Cronin offers, looking up from his nursing. "I would be glad of company, not least for safety -- even if bandits are the least of the dangers here, we should be wary. A night such as this is their prime opportunity."
"If she can help me find my sister, I don't care how strange she is," Perigia says after listening. "However, I am also willing to help the poor widow, if that is what you wish to do as well. In either case, perhaps we should make plans to relocate from here, just in case what ever was chasing our guest decides to show up?"
Leo nods in reply and returns to guard duty staying close to the tethered horses since they may show the first sign of anything malign approaching if he doesn't catch sight of them first.
(Rolled a natural 20, thats a total of 27 for Perception)
"Well, seems like y'all have a hankerin' to see the Lady one way or another. Like I say, that's my job, showing folks like you the best way to avoid bein' stabbed or eaten. I just got back from the Tower, but I can go back there, if'n you got the coin to pay." the half-elf (for so her demeanour marks her out to be) adds.
"Whosoever wants to go to the spelltower, let us go as a group, it only makes sense to travel that way, and I prefer company to travelling alone. I am also not averse to helping our martial friend here with his task, if it will not take me away from my own for any great delay. But all of this talk of fees, treasures and the like: I have no response to that, other than to say I am happy for the company, but not willing to pay for it."
With that she quips "That'll be 5 silver for the meal."
Leo nods in reply and returns to guard duty staying close to the tethered horses since they may show the first sign of anything malign approaching if he doesn't catch sight of them first.(Rolled a natural 20, thats a total of 27 for Perception)
Leo
Squinting through the rain, all his senses alert, Leo doesn't immediately notice anything amiss. Just the odd call from an owl. Except, now he comes to think about it, that's suspicious in itself. Owls don't usually fly in the rain. Not rain like this. Nobody but fools, pilgrims or rogues would be out in this. He stays watchful.
Opening his eyes, Brujo is surprised to see a furry hand holding a waterskin. "Drink", a gentle growl asks.
"Shifter", Brujo says to himself. He quickly scans the area looking for threats, aswell as those around him.
"Where am I", he asks as he takes the waterskin.
Leo** spoiler omitted **
Leo nods in reply and returns to guard duty staying close to the tethered horses since they may show the first sign of anything malign approaching if he doesn't catch sight of them first.
(Rolled a natural 20, thats a total of 27 for Perception)
"Be careful, I think there's someone else out there, unless you know of birds that fly about in this weather," Leo mutters casually to Fairwind and Caine.
"Not many as I'd want to see again..." Fairwind replies as she draws another dagger, and waits poised to throw both.
"Where am I", he asks as he takes the waterskin.
"Among travelers. We will not harm you. But are you being pursued?"
"Where am I", he asks as he takes the waterskin."Among travelers. We will not harm you. But are you being pursued?"
"Are you need of help?" Caine grasps his weapon.
All of you
Only spoilered for length, there's nothing secretive about this.
Now is as good a time as any to run through the mechanics of combat. It works this way. I will post up a map. You tell me where you are on this map.
You roll initiative as usual and I'll then break you down into three or four combat blocks. A round might look something like this:-
I will generally summarise actions at the end of each block, if necessary either post a fresh map, or just post a list of new positions and note any now dead monsters. At the end of the round, you will get another map with the new positions all marked and so it goes on.
This system was developed largely by Pat and has been working well over on my other game. For those of you new to 4E, you will immediately notice that some powers allow you to move, teleport or push other beings around, so it is very important to keep track of who is where and when they have acted. Caine's powers allow him to manipulate you into better attacking positions and can even give you an extra attack.
Don't get too worried about posting out of order within your block, that is manageable. What is much harder to deal with is actions taken out of your block. It gets very confusing very fast indeed.
Don't fret about it - it's not as complex as it might sound. And you may not be astonished to learn that you are about to find this out, sooner than anticipated, due to Leo's horribly high Perception roll. Trust a paladin to keep his eyes open.
Also - advance apologies for the inevitable mistakes I will be making.
All of you** spoiler omitted **
(OOC: For what its worth I got an Initiative roll of 6 and a +2 for a total intiative of 8 barring any bonuses from Caine if that applies)
"Pursued is a good word to use", The moon elf gives a half-smile. "I perfer 'hunted' though in this case." Brujo adjust the left side sleeve of his torn shirt.
"I apologize for any inconvince I may have caused", taking on last drink from the waterskin, before handing it back. "I take it then that I'm near Spellgard, yes?"
"Yes," Perigia said. "Can you tell us who or what is hunting you?"
"Ah good. Than Thank you for your generousity, but I must be on my way", Brujo stands to leave, but his sore, aching body disagrees. "On seceond thought it shouldn't hurt to stay here for a bit."
"Who's hunting me? Depends how 'they' hired to do it that day. But to answer your question I am being hunted by member of the Dread Legion." The foul name rolls off his tongue as a curse.
All of you** spoiler omitted **
(OOC: For what its worth I got an Initiative roll of 6 and a +2 for a total intiative of 8 barring any bonuses from Caine if that applies)
Leo
"Ah good. Than Thank you for your generousity, but I must be on my way", Brujo stands to leave, but his sore, aching body disagrees. "On seceond thought it shouldn't hurt to stay here for a bit."
"Who's hunting me? Depends how 'they' hired to do it that day. But to answer your question I am being hunted by member of the Dread Legion." The foul name rolls off his tongue as a curse.
"I know not who this "dread legion" is, but I will stand by you if you will have me," Perigia tells the strange individual.
"The Dread Legions are Thay's army. The army is made mostly of the undead, but gnoll, orc, shifter, and slaves round out the bottom." Brujo starts to drift off on remembering his time there.
"The Dread Legions are Thay's army. The army is made mostly of the undead, but gnoll, orc, shifter, and slaves round out the bottom." Brujo starts to drift off on remembering his time there.
"Okay, how long have you been trying to keep ahead of them then?" Leo asks politely almost embarrassed that he thought they were Netherese.
"Perhaps the better question is just how much do they want you back?" Leo adds thoughtfully.
"That might give us an idea on what we're about to face and who we need to discourage further pursuit," Leo frowns pausing only to brush the holy symbol he is openly wearing clearly a symbol of Kelemvor.
"Interestin' friends ya keep," Fairwind says quietly, her eyes still scanning the forest.
"Escape is not tolerated in Thay. Especially the escape of a slave. Especially a slave who was meant to be reanimated in the service of Thay.", Brujo raises the shirt on his back. There sits an ugly brand.
"How long...since I can remember. I have no clue when I escaped, only that I did. Only two things I remember clearly. Sitting waiting to die and be reanimated in a crow cage, and standing outside a tunnel that lead to the plateau. And since than they've been behind me."
"It's a long way you've come. Must be pretty important to be getting back to Thay so bad." Fairwind says neutrally.
"Escape is not tolerated in Thay. Especially the escape of a slave. Especially a slave who was meant to be reanimated in the service of Thay.", Brujo raises the shirt on his back. There sits an ugly brand.
"How long...since I can remember. I have no clue when I escaped, only that I did. Only two things I remember clearly. Sitting waiting to die and be reanimated in a crow cage, and standing outside a tunnel that lead to the plateau. And since than they've been behind me."
"Well Kelemvor will have something to say about that!" Leo rasps drawing his sword and settling his shield into battle readiness.
Leo mentally repeats a prayer taught to him as a child and readies himself, if this one was right Leo thought whoever was out there was about to have a really bad day with one potential piece of good luck, since they weren't going to reanimated as part of Thay's army not if he had anything to say about it!
"Any idea of whom might be leading the force coming after you even if its just a guess?" Leo asks.
"Easy, preacher-man, Kelemvor ain't here, it's just us and some steel."
Commander Caine makes a few practice swings. "Whoever or whatever comes and makes trouble will be very sorry! I am tired, wet and the last client didn't pay up!"
"I have no clue who's leading them. Just a mashup of gnolls, orcs, and humans. And sometimes 'hired help'", He strecthes his tired limbs, and looks through his traveling gear. He pulls out some trail rations and begins to eat.
"I have no clue who's leading them. Just a mashup of gnolls, orcs, and humans. And sometimes 'hired help'", He strecthes his tired limbs, and looks through his traveling gear. He pulls out some trail rations and begins to eat.
"No undead, oh sorry Fairwind, afraid religious training kicked in there, I'll try and keep it down," Leo replies shaking his head as he returned his attention to the perimeter.
The rain is beginning to slacken and visibility is improving. The road (if you can call it that), curves from south to east. Spellgard lies to the east. Anyone looking in that direction can see the Scepter Tower itself, lit up like an eldritch beacon as well as the monastery lights.
You are in a small copse of trees close to the main path to Spellgard. Evidently it is a convenient stopping place for many, as you can see the remains of old cookfires and an area where others have camped in the past.
The owl noises have stopped. Lights can be seen coming into view along the road from the south. Three of them.
Brujo rests up against the trunk of the tree. He stretches once more as the rain breaks up.
Leo is wandering around the trees' perimeter surveying the area taking note of that section with what looks like barrels or chests before completing the circuit which should give an idea how steep that hill is before focusing on that road to the south.
"Exactly which direction did you reach the shelter of this tree from?" Leo asks.
"I'm wondering if we should be worried about enemies coming from all sides let alone from the south," Leo explains carefully stretching to ease the aches and pains from the night's vigil.
(OOC: Sorry I keep missing bits from the decsription!)
Perigia pulls a cup and some tea out of her pack, and pours some water into the glass. Using another minor spell she warms the water and offers it to Brujo. "Some tea might warm you up and help you to relax," she tells him.
I have had a sudden emergency and must be offline for awhile, but I hope to have things back by the weekend. Sorry for the trouble and don’t let me hold up the game.