The Iron Carnival - Pentor Lionsmane's Mercenary PbP - #2 Squad

Game Master Monkeygod

Tok stands his ground against the rushing bandits - he prepares a flurry of blows towards a stupid-looking, but very angry bandit.

Flurry of Blows

Attack 1:
To Hit: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Attack 2:
To Hit: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (15) - 1 = 14
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

As the two guards come running towards you, Tok meets one of them head on. The lean, powerful dwarf pounces on him and unleashes a small barrage of strikes, leaving his opponent looking very beaten up.

Seeing that nobody is in immediate need of healing, Torque draws his light crossbow and fires at the bandit who wasn't intecepted by Tok

To hit: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5

Hey Monkeygod, you want an initiative roll from me or am I just going to go at the top of the order?

You can just go at the top. Not like its gonna get much beyond you

Torque's bolt hits the coming guard sqaure in the leg, and he starts howling in pain.

DC 10 Perception check

perception check 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15 By the gods I saw something! How many of the highwaymen are left standing?

Three, one of them badly injured, one so-so, one totally fine still behind the barricade(he who shot you, that fool!)

Valen, annoyed by the crossbow bolt that grazed his cheek, cries out, "You cheeky bastard! Well then if you're so intent on killing me, see if you can do it without your weapon!" Valen's hands begin moving in a familiar fashion as he speaks the arcane words and casts Grease on the bandit's crossbow.

DC 16 Ref to not drop the weapon and any time he interacts with it.

Current HP 6
AC 11

Round 2

Perception -> 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

If two more rushed out, can one rush in? If so Nine Tail will rush in attempting to reach the archer. If not, he will attack the one Torque shot.

"You send boys to stop men?"

Bastard Sword attack -> 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Confirm Crit -> 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Ha! No crit there.

Bastard Sword damage -> 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Status: AC 19, HP 16

Perception Check: 1d20 ⇒ 7

Acune attacks the nearest bandit, using her quarterstaff.

full attack 1d20 ⇒ 16 1d20 ⇒ 19
damage 1d6 ⇒ 5 1d6 ⇒ 2

Gremm continues his assault.

Power Attack

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Status: AC 16, HP 13

The bandit who shot Valen suddenly finds his hands covered in a greasy, slippery substance and he's unable to keep a grip on his weapon. Unarmed, his throws up his hands in surrender.

Nine Tails attacks with his bastard sword, and the force of his swing drops his target. The lovely Acune wallops the highwayman Tok pummeled with her quaterstaff, knocking him out.

Combat is pretty much over, unless somebody wants to attack the surrendering bandit

Once we drop out of initiative Torque, drawing his light mace as a precaution, moves to disarm the nearest stunned bandit.

"Well, that went better than could be expected. Can someone fetch me some rope so we can get these fellows tied and bound? No need to have some pride-wounded criminals at our back."

Tok then helps bind the unconscious bandits.

Valen smiles widely at the group's success. He mutters a few words and getures and the air is filled with small bursts of colorful light akin to fireworks. "Well that wasn't too hard was it? Now, let's see if these bandits have anything worth apropriating." Valen chuckles and begins to search the bandits of any money or other items of value, but leaves any items that appear to be of sentimental value.

"Ey, Torque, once you talk that bandit out of his weapon - Put that poor-excuse-for-kindling mace away. He won't give you any trouble. - come over here and give me a hand with these boys."

Nine Tail will follow along behind Valen. Efficiently stripping weapons, armor, and anything that looks sentimental..that might have value. Seems he has done this before. "For our next recruits. Or we can sell them in the next town, to the next group of wanna-be bandits. Good for business either way. Yip-Yip"

Valen shrugs. "True enough. But I figured we'd leave the personal stuff that obviously belongs to them here. Wouldn't want an angry bandit swearing vengance for us stealing his wedding ring."

ok, so beyond the group you all are dealing with, you have the bandit who has surrendered and three who are attempting to run away

Valen looks up from his "items acquisitioning." "Hmm, it would seem a few of our friends are getting away. Does someone want to go after them or should we just let them go?"

"Gremm, your legs are long. Why don't you and Nine Tail go collect the runners?"

"We were sent over here to clear the barricade, and it's clear. Let's not take risks. Let those fleeing go - I suspect this episode will make them think twice about setting up shop again once we've passed"

He then gestures up at the lone bandit left on the barricade

"I reckon we should tell him to beat it too"

Torque then moves to help Tok

"You're doubting my weapon choice? I reckon I'd have looked like even more of a prat if I'd showed up with a greatsword I can barely lift. I'm the medic - if it looks like I'm useless the fight is going well"

"I agree Torgue. Out priority is the caravan. Lets get this road block dismantled. Gremm will be better put to that use. And then burn it. You! Get down here." He gives the barricade a kick and motions for the surrendered bandit to come down. "But I don't know about releasing them. We might get a good bounty on their heads at the next town."

He looks up and sees the fleeing forms. "These bandits are mostly kids...lets hope they now have a tale for their grandkids about their short career as a bandit.

Valen nods in agreement but then pauses thinking. "Of course we could give them a couple scars. Every good story involving a fight for your life should leave you with at least one." A wolfish predatory smile spread across Valen's face as his hand begins to glow sickly green and small drops of acid fall to the ground. "What do you think?" Valen asks turning to the young bandit standing on the barricade.

Intimidate 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

"No bandit is worth chasing, says Pa. If they managed to get away with their lives, that should be treasure enough for them. Now, if they come back, we can deal with them."

Gremm smiles and begins to wipe his blade.

The young bandit, who appears to be no older than 15, is already quite afraid even before Valen's display and manages to stutter out "p-p-please d-don't kill me, I-I was j-j-just trying to h-help my family"

"We're not gonna execute you, boy."

Torque somewhat angrily glances at Valen

"And we're not going to torture you either. These guys don't look like the sort to have a worthwhile bounty on them."

"Still, their weapons look like they should fetch a bit"

Location: Ustalav, Vieland, on the road to Lepistadt, near a roadblock
Date: Toilday, 4th Sarenith 4708
NPCs:
The Iron Carnival Squad - Corporal Two Bears
Merchant Caravan - Merchant Iris Olaman
6 Drovers,
6 Travellers

Corporal Two Bears seeing that the fight is over leaves the caravan where it is and walks up to the rest of the squad.

Looking at the prisoners and the fleeing highwaymen in the distance, the big Corporal gives a grunt of frustration before speaking in his rumbling voice.

"The merchant tells me that there is a village not far from here. Secure the prisoners and search them for any weapons and loot. Don't forget to search the barricade as well before we tear it down."

Looking up at the frightened teenager on the barricade Two Bears says "Come down from there boy. If you tell us what we want to know I promise you'll be safe. If not I'm going to hang you from the nearest tree I can find."

"Heh. No need for a Tree Corporal, we have Gremm here!" Grinning, Jax pats the tall man on the shoulder before moving back to the barrier and looking it over once more.

Sorry about the absence. Back!

"Heh. No need for a Tree Corporal, we have Gremm here!" Grinning, Jax pats the tall man on the shoulder before moving back to the barrier and looking it over once more.

Sorry about the absence. Back!

Looking over the barricade Jax realises that it's going to take about half an hour to clear the poorly made wooden barricade out of the way, but they could clear a path for the caravans in less than five minutes if they didn't worry about clearing the road for other travellers.

The young frightened highwayman leaves the barricade and walks towards where the squad waits, with his hands held up high above his head. Corporal Two Bears watches the young man like a fox and gestures for one of the squad members to secure him. Once that's done he looks at the squad members nearest him and indicates with a grunt to get on with his previous orders of securing the prisoners, dismantling the barricade and looting everything they can find.

Once he's sure that all that's under way he heads back to the caravan preparing it to move forward when the way has been cleared.

"Are we going take down the barricade completely or just clear it out for our lot? I vote for the latter. It's best we be on the move - who knows what other toll booths we may face on our way."

"Yeah, sounds about right. Those that made it away could be coming back with re-enforcements for all we know."

Location: Ustalav, Vieland, on the road to Lepistadt, near a roadblock
Date: Toilday, 4th Sarenith 4708
NPCs:
The Iron Carnival Squad - Corporal Two Bears
Merchant Caravan - Merchant Iris Olaman
6 Drovers,
6 Travellers
1 Prisoner

A few minutes later while the squad is still discussing what they are going to do with the barricade, Corporal Two Bears has bought the three wagons of the caravan forward to the barricade.

"Still haven't got that barricade down I see?" says Two Bears with a grin. Wandering over to where the prisoner was restrained, Two Bears fixed him with his best glare.

"What were you talking about when you said that you were robbing people to help your families?"

As it seems more apparent he isn't going to be killed, the youth calms down some "Our lord lost his estates somehow. I don't even know what happened. All I know is that a few months ago, he stopped sending excess food to us and his patrols no longer came around. It's gotten dangerous and are crops are failing this year, so without the extra food we have next to nothing. Henric there thought it would be a good idea to set up this toll, to keep an eye potential trespassers and to maybe get our families some extra money and food" He points out the red-haired leader as Henric.

"Then Henric was a fool to put you in harms way like this. Plenty of squads I've seen would have set you running and killed you for sport. You're lucky we were the ones to shut you down."

Torque then moves over the the barricade and starts trying to shove the mass of wood out of the path of the carts, clearing a trail just wide enough to get them through

Strength check (for speed): 1d20 ⇒ 6

He makes scarcely any progress before finding an overturned cart that will not budge.

"Tok, Gremm, how about you come exercise those muscles you keep on about?"

Curse it, I should have left this to the heavies. I am just not in good enough shape for this job. I wonder if there's some way of refining condensate to enhance rather than heal. Let's see...no, the numbers don't add up. Until I work out a way of doubling the yield of the condenser I won't have the power available for any attempts at muscle transmutation. Adding muscle is difficult...hang on though. Arcane magic can be used to enhance as well...that's it! Instead of applying a spell to existing muscle mass arcane magic could be used to simply alter the dimensions of such muscle. Why, arcane power of a magnitude similar to that of the condensate I can already harvest would be able to bring about such a dimension change. Alk showed me that condenser apparatus can contain arcane magic as well as positive energy, but...how can I create an arcane power source based on the equipment I have to hand? I'd need biomass that contained arcane potential. Ah ha, wait a minute..."

Torque gives up trying to shift the barricade. He instead leans against it and glances thoughtfully at Valen.

No checks needed. In fact, unless its something like combat, an important skill check, like bluffing a guard, leaping over a chasm, etc no checks will be needed.

"Your the first group that has given us any trouble. Perhaps I am a fool, but my lot in life can't be much worse than many of your own" Henric says, rousing himself from the effects of Valen's spell.

Gremm smiles.

"Can do, boss. However, I'll let you know, I'm still pretty tired from the fight. I wouldn't mind a nap," chuckles Gremm.

Strength check

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Ok, i am having a weird issue here. Torque has a rather long post, wherein he ponders a way to enhance his strength, yet all I can see of the post is up to his Str check. The rest isn't there, until I go to make a new post, and I can see the whole thing.

Tok moves to the barricade and begins helping Gremm shift the larger pieces out of the way. "Don't worry yourself, Torque. And stop looking at Valen like that. He's less help than you are for any physical labor."

Nine Tail hops up to where the youth was, cleaning out any equipment stowed on top of the barricade, before Tok and Grenn get carried any in their demolition.

From on high, he calls down. "Hey Two Bears! Sounds like this local lord might be having trouble. Something like that might be worth checking out after this gig. A lord in trouble is ripe for our special talents...rich and desperate. Yip-Yip!"

MG, I have had that problem before, where I can see part of someone else's post only while I was actively writing or editing my own post. As soon as a sent it and went to the regular display, that part of the other post was hidden again. Definitely was weird, and it was only me having the problem.

You all manage to clear out the barricade and are on the move again. About twenty-five minutes later, you arrive in a fairly decent sized village. The main road cuts right through town, though there is a couple of side roads along the way.

Two-Bears talks to the Caravan Master then gathers you all around "Ok lads, we're going to break here for the afternoon and try to figure out what happened to the local lord. Our employer wants to find out if what we encountered could happen again, worse this time. And of course, if we need to rescue a local lord, well that just means more money for us kindhearted souls" He follows this last comment with a bit of a laugh.

"If there's worshippers of Desna among the household, that might make diplomacy easier," comments Acune. "Other than that, I'm afraid I won't be much use dealing with the nobility."

Gremm stretches a bit before shaking his head.

"Well, I may have as many stories as a bard has songs, but I'm no talker. Nope. No sir. Fury, fancy a drink? I saw you earned it with that shot from earlier. Who knows? You might go cross-eyed and actually straight!"

Gremm begins to chortle at his own antics.

Torque looks to the prisoners

"Where does this lord of yours lives then? I've got a gold piece here for a decent set of directions, payable upon my return"

He then turns back to Two-Bear

"Sir, it seems that we have to find the local manorhouse but keep the caravan under guard at the same time. Perhaps it's time to split into the offence and defence teams we suggested at the start of the journey? Myself, Acune, Gremm and Ninetail could scout it out whilst the rest of you quiz the prisoners further? Perhaps the travellers who will be returning soon will know something as well."

"Aye. Time to split up I think." Jax walked slowly back to the Merchant train, keeping his eyes on the prisoners. "Sooner we secure the road, sooner we can move on. I can go in Gremms stead, if he would like to stay here and rest." Jax grinned, reloading his crossbow as he spoke.

I have been having connection issues. Sorry. Im trying to make them better.

"I can stay here. I'm not much of an interrogator. I'll keep an eye on Valen, though. Make sure he doesn't galavant off with some 'fair maiden.'"

Two-Bears looks over his crew, and shakes his head at their suggestions "I don't think this is an interrogation type situation here. From what I've gathered, this is a small, decently industrious village that has just fallen on incredibly hard times over the last few months. Our employer has traveled through this town several times, and found the people to be friendly and helpful. He doesn't even think we need to guard the caravan while here. So here's what we are going to do: split into teams of two and circulate around the town. This isn't a diplomatic mission nor are we trying to interrogate the townsfolk. Just chat with them, and see what you can learn. Meet back here at sunset."

"Aww gee Corporal... We have a curfew?" Jax grinned before saluting the man and moving off to gather with the rest of the Squad.

"Lets do this properly lady and gents. No casualties and no combat. We go in, talk up a storm and see if we can help these people!" Smiling, Jax moved over to Valen, clapping his hand on the mans shoulder and squeezing tightly. "Your with me Chuckles!"

"Perfect. I'm worse at chatting than interrogating. I'll go along, but I'll let Torque and Valen do the talking."

Tok removes his scarf and places it with his other personal items. He starts to put his pouch of shurikens away, but, with a glance at Two Bears, decides to keep them on him.

"Any particular place we should start...mingling?"