The Crucible of Freya (Inactive)

Game Master Grimmy

Vhillish shoots the priest a grin look;

"The gorger eh? Gluttonous basterds are never good news at the best of times whot! Best we leave it slumbering and wait for reinforcements eh? Pip-pip!"

The diminutive veteran communiques the presence of the ogre to the incoming members of their adventuring company, then loads his trusty arbalest...

Sorry,been a busy few days

Kevezyat smiles at Jerrid's jab then nods her acknowledgment of her heritage's dark pedigree.

She allows the two smaller and more quiet companions to approach the sleeping ogre, advancing to the doorway, sword at the ready should the beast rise from its slumber.

As the others come through the window , she hushes them with a motion of her hand.

Janna moves over by Leo next to the door heading out to the west. whispering but hopefully loud enough for the others to hear. I'll keep this way secure. you should take out that ogre now or we may have to face it in its terms.

As Janna's legs disappear into the window, Damien shoots Firean a look, "Here's your chance for a little revenge? Gorger's just up top."

Grabbing hold of the rope, the veteran plants his feet against the wall and quickly walks himself us up to the window. Levering his torso onto the landing, Damien slithers himself into the room.

Regaining his feet, he gestures to Janna and Cullen to continue holding the west door before unslinging his shield and unsheathing his shortsword. Taking up position near Kev, the former lieutenant waits for Jerrid and Sam to make their move.

The mouse is like me. It can scuttle away quickly too.

Jerrid Wisdom: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

Jerrid recalls seeing Barelli the half-orc cook feeding scraps to a mouse when he spied on her in the kitchen.

Firean the bandit queens' eyes turn steely upon hearing Damien's report about the ogre. Following Damien up the rope with a dagger blade clenched between her teeth, she bursts in through the window, stomps across the room and barges in behind Sam and Jerrid, shouting "It's my kill. That ogre slaughtered all of my men!"

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

"S&+#...", Damien mutters at Firean charges past him, "Right you lot, hard and fast!"

Seeing his shoulders, the veteran moves in to confront the groggy ogre.

Initiative?

Sam tried to finish off the ogre.

cdg damage if applicable: 2d3 + 10 + 2d6 ⇒ (2, 1) + 10 + (6, 4) = 23

Subtract 8 if we are not using unchained.

"The cook had a mouse pet, Sam! Watch out."

Jerrid swears under his breath at the shouting and decides to attack the prone ogre straight after Samduc cuts into it.

Initiative (if needed): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Attack: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 5 + 4 = 27, damage: 1d4 + 5 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + 5 + (6, 3) = 15

The ogre wakes gurgling blood from a slit throat, and plants it's fists at it's side on the ground to prop itself up on it's hindquarters, only to feel a slice on the leg as Jerrid opens a major artery. The beast heaves up, flails about, and collapses at Firean's feet.

Subtract 8 if we are not using unchained.

This ? refers to dex to damage? I ok'd rogues rebuilding with the unchained version when the book came out, I am all for it. Did you rebuild Sam with the unchained version of the rogue class?

Damien warily lowers his shield as the ogre's flailing subsides. He gives an appreciative nod to Sam and Jerrid before nudging Firean's arm, "Who spills the last drop of blood is irrelevant, just be content knowing no one else will join your boys..."

Putting the ogre out of his mind, he addresses the next step of the plan, "Right, Janna and Cullen, hold that door. Shout if you need backup. Rest of us sweep the tower. Kitchen first, then above and last we all move down to this well."

"The cook, Barelli, may be inside the kitchen."

Where is the mouse now? Has it scuttled back under the door?

Indeed, the mouse scuttles back under the door.

Firean shoots Sam a respectful look, ignoring Damien's comments and Jerrid's contribution. "You didn't flinch boy. I knew you were made of tougher stuff then it appears."

Back on the ground, Herl the ranger is tying the rope around Knotty's trunk.

Janna and Cullen don't hear any activity outside on the parapet.

All quiet on the western front. she whispers.

so far she mutters more to herself not wanting to really face something super deadly right now.

Damien raises an eyebrow, "Is she now? Right then, eyes peeled Deputy. You see orcish hands trying to start an incantation, kindly put a bolt through one of them."

Raising his shield once more he gestures for Jerrid to try the door.

Sam calmly cleans off his dagger on the Ogre's tunic. He turns to Firean.

"You need to think like a professional by keeping emotions in check and trusting others to do their jobs. I have great plans for you. I would think you can put together a respectable mercenary company, but you have to consider the endgame like a capable strategist. Anyway, Jerrid and I had it taken care of. You almost botched it barging in like that."

Sam gives Firean a wide smile. "Brute force can only get you so much. I should tell you a story about the Wizard's Amulet. It shows that the oblique approach is often best."

Jerrid ignores Firean and pushes open the door for Damien with a quick nod. He moves out of the way going a couple of steps down. Then points at the other door onto the ramparts, "Skeletons might come that way, unless they have been ordered to stay as archers."

Dark red blood drips off the sickle onto a stone step.

As instructed Vhillish stands ready in overwatch... his eyes, ears and tache twitching and sharp to danger:

"Right you are sah! Keen as mustard whot-ho!"

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Am slammed at work folks, will be until Friday, then have guests from Norway until Sunday evening. If I go off the grid, run the good Deputy as you see fit - but don't hold things up on my account whot-whot!"

The door to the kitchen swings open. Inside, it is unnocupied. The huge iron stew pot sits in the middle of the room, standing shoulder high and 4' wide.

Kevezyat watches bemused at Firean storms past , only to come up as the two little sneaks dispatched the ogre.

She turns at the warning about the cook, then looks down at the Sergeant , murmuring "Keen as mustard?"

She then joins Jerrid in the stairwell, "Let us check the top floor." and begins to ascend...

I moved Damien and Vhillishes tokens to the kitchen.

Firean follows Kevezyat to the third floor, to check her own chambers W7.

She stops short at the open door to the barracks W6, and looks on in horror. The bodies of the slain bandits are piled up inside, a chalk diagram drawn around them on the floor, ritual implements of the dark cult sitting in preparation. It appears that when the cultists return here, these fallen bandits will be added to the undead army, or suffer some other terrible fate in death.

Am slammed at work folks, will be until Friday, then have guests from Norway until Sunday evening. If I go off the grid, run the good Deputy as you see fit - but don't hold things up on my account whot-whot!"

Damien, you still have that Vhillish bot alias?

there are not enough red "X"'s on the battle map guys, lets do something about that.

Firean holds Kevezyat's gaze for a moment in a silent plea for revenge before proceeding into her own chamber. "All clear in my room," the bandit queen reports to the drow holy warrior.

Damien, you still have that Vhillish bot alias?

I actually don't have a bot for Vhillish yet, though I could have sworn otherwise. Regardless, I'm happy to run the good Deputy for a few days.

Damien approaches the large stew pot cautiously, leaning over the edge to check it's contents. Provided there are no surprises within, he casts a cursory look around the room before returning to the others, "Clear so far as I can tell. Sam, Jerrid, see what's on the floor below."

Damien Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

The stew pot is full of dark cold broth. Damien sees a breathing straw poking out of the surface, and spies the form of a person hunkered down in the soup.

The former Sergeant's moustache twitches at the drowess' query, "Captain Mustard if you must know ma'am. Spot a recruit with scuffed boots from clear across camp in a wind storm that one could, whot-whot."

Please forgive any liberties taken Master Quarrelwick :)

The stew pot is full of dark cold broth. Damien sees a breathing straw poking out of the surface, and spies the form of a person hunkered down in the soup.

A wry smile crawls across Damien's face, "Sam, Jerrid, need you two in here."

Once the two scouts have joined himself and the Deputy, Damien smacks his shortsword against the stew pot producing a solid clang, "Right, out you come. Else I'll put the lid on and stoke a fire!"

When Firean follows Kevezyat upstairs, the deep gnome decides to stay put. He eventually enters the kitchen to look at Damien banging the full cauldron. His eyes roll and then he too sees why the theatrics were needed.

"Hold the straw tight - that should bring Barelli out," he adds with an evil grin.

Then the deep gnome searches the room for anything useful. The cook is probably not a turncoat - more of a coward.

Perception(search kitchen): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32

Kevezyat nods in acknowledgement of Firean's desire, then strides over to the implements of descacration and kicks them over, grinding them underfoot.

She then takes a knee before the fallen bandits and mouths a quick prayer for their souls.

Rising, she says "We'll leave those skeletons on the roof for now, come let us go back down."

Barelli bursts out of the stew pot. "Thank goodness it's you! I was hiding from those cultists. I used a charm on that ogre to help you earlier, and when I lost control of the ogre I put it to sleep. I know some charms and hexes. I was a medicine woman in my tribe before I came here."

Snooping about the kitchen, Jerrid notices a row of clay jars in the back, coated in dust... but one of them has been opened and moved more recently. Inside, Jerrid finds a bundle of arcane scrolls, most of them used up... But wrapped in cloth, there it is, the fake amulet that Vortigern stole in the battle at the farmhouse. The one Samduc carved as a ruse.

Even as Jerrid makes this discovery, Janna hears an order echo over the courtyard, and the the skeletons out on the parapet come clambering towards the door.

Likewise, Kevezyat, decending the spiral stair, hears heavy bootsteps clomping up the sam spiral stair from the ground floor below.

Barelli has not noticed Jerrid snooping yet. She is busy talking with Damien. But there is a certain little mouse about somewhere.

Jerrid sees another little crook behind the row of clay jars, a hidey-hole where something else might be stored. But now Firean is calling, "Orcs on the stair!"

Kevezyat sees them too.

Orc Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Firean Init: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Firean reacts quicker than the orcs, thrusting past Kevezyat with a longspear to meet the first orc up the stairs.

Longspear (higher ground): 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 2 = 9 but she misses.

Everyone roll your own initiative this time. As long as you beat init 4 you can go (and the orcs are flat-footed against you).

There is no token for Firean on the map but she is behind and above Kev. There are just two orcs coming up the stairs.

Also, the door to the parapet is a normal oak door, lockable but unlocked. Janna thinks it sounds like there is a skeleton coming to the door.

Skeleton Init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Samduc Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16 Also, Sam thought he heard someone downstairs give those orcs an order to ascend the stairs.

Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Round One

Even as the sounds of approaching combat begin, Jerrid has to mention this - "look!" as he waves the false amulet from the niche towards Damien and Vhillish, "its the amulet that Sam made and the imp took for Vortigern!"

he quickly turns back and sweeps the scrolls into his backpack. Empty and still written it doesn't matter now that battle is joined.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Round 1

Kevezyat takes a few short steps down and confronts the first orc ascending the staircase, Valkyria flashing through the air...

Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
Damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (4, 5) + 4 = 13

whiff! kev can take a bonus for higher ground but the orc flat-footed ac is 16

Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Leoven stands beside Janna and draws his shield.

Ready action to throw holy water if skeletons come through the door.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Round 1

Damien's eyes blaze as Jerrid brandishes the wooden symbol. He rounds on Berelli, "Where did you get that? Answer me woman!"

The sounds of battle joined from the stairs causes Damien to growl in frustration, "Never mind, have to deal with you later. Hands now or you'll spend the battle slumped in a corner.", sheathing his sword quickly, the veteran retrieves the coiled rope tied to his pack and gestures for her to hold out her hands.

Think that's two move actions, have to wait till next turn.

Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Round 1

Vhillish glares at the orcish cook, "Treachery afoot! Friend of Vortigern perhaps? Slowly now or I let fly."

Shuffling towards the door to have a vantage on the battle in the other room, Vhillish keeps a bolt aimed squarely at Berelli's neck should she resist.

Readied Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Yikes, lets hope she sees reason :P

Barelli lets herself be tied up, and explains herself. "Those things, they belonged to a wizard. I met him at the gates, when I was out picking mushrooms for the soup. He wanted to go inside the keep, he thought he had a key to a vault, or crypt. I escorted him inside, but the key was no good. He left it behind. I kept it as a trinket. I surrender, please just keep me alive!"

initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

Round 1

Janna hears the sounds outside. skeletons can't unlock doors, right? I mean they don't have brains, right? she asks as she locks the door to the western parapet.

Once locked she takes a few steps back, dragging Leo with her. If the come in, I think they will be in for a shock

ready action to blast the skeleton or undead that comes through the door

ready action ranged touch: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
electrical damage if hit: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

OK, Cullen would have the key. That will be his turn too, giving Janna the key.

Ok Samduc is up next. It is hard to tell how much space is there to fight in the spiral stairwell. If Samduc is wanting to sneak attack the flat-footed orcs, I say with a acrobatics check he can find a space to attack from. If he tries it and fails he provokes AoO. DC is 16 (monster CMD).

Sam is happy to toss a knife in a economical overhand throw from behind cover.

dagger throw to hit: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
wpn damage: 1d3 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
precision damage: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7

He quickly replaces his off hand knife with another.

Oh yes a thrown knife is always an option! That looks to be a miss though due to cover and shooting into melee.

Herl the ranger spills into the room through the window and gives the rope a tug behind him. "Climb, Knotty, climb!"

"I've tied the rope to his trunk in case we have to haul him up ourselves," he says as an aside. "It remains to be seen whether he will take to the idea of rope climbing..."

Round 1 Orcs

Kevezyat is faced down by two orcs deep beneath her on the descending stair. The one in the back thrusts first with it's longspear, then steps down a couple steps for the one in the front to pull back far enough to make use of it's own weapon effectively.

The spear thrusts are not enough to get past the armored warriors defenses, however.

Longspear: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Longspear: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Using 5' steps I think they both get to take a shot at Kevezyat with their reach weapons, but they don't beat her AC.

As Janna predicted, the skeletons are completely flummoxed by the locked door.

Round 2 Go

Round 2

Kevezyat steps around one spear point and lets the other slide off of her armor. She allows her sword to continue in its trajectory, pivoting suddenly in the stairway, elbows and wrists working in concert, snapping the edge toward the nearest orc.

Attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Damage: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (4, 5) + 4 = 13

The orc's eyes go wide, not knowing it has already died.

Edit: keeping him up but staggered for orc ferocity.

Round 2

Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2 Ha!

Damien narrows his eyes briefly at the stew sodden cook before putting stuffing the bundle of rope away with a scowl, "S#@+, might be true. Don't fancy lugging you around anyway. Stick to the back and try to make yourself useful. Any funny business and I swear I'll gut you on the spot."

Turning his attention to the fighting, Damien stows his shield and begins reaching for his hammer, shouting, "Leave room behind Kev, this is reach work!"

I'll be able to get behind Kev and back her up next round.

Round 2

The good Deputy casts a suspicious eye at Berelli as Damien warns her, "Indeed. That goes double for me, whot-ho!"

With a last menacing look, Vhillish spins on booted heel and slips past Sam to a vantage point of the stairs. Squinting, the determined arbalester threads a bolt between Kevezyat's legs and into the barely visible throat of the wounded orc, "Back you bounders! Covering Fire!"

Move Action : Move to get sight on green orc.
Swift Action : Arcane Strike
Standard Action : Shooter's Resolve shot on Green Orc

Spend 1 grit for Shooter's Resolve, shot ignores cover and concealment penalties.
Arbalest: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8