The Once & Future KingMaker

Game Master Aest

Valeria will, depending on survivors, try to fight off any remaining combatants, or stabilize a fallen foe.

Attack if still fighting:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10, another +2 if flanking.
Damage:1d10 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Heal check if combat is over:1d20 ⇒ 7

I was skipped!
Turn 1
Torod slashes at the closest bandit.
Scimitar 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 2 + 1 = 21 damage 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Strawberry jumps on a bandit's face
Bite 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 3 + 1 = 23 Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Claw 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9 Damage 1d2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Claw 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 = 7 Damage 1d2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Trip 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9

Turn 2
Torod slashes at the closest bandit.
Scimitar 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 2 + 1 = 10 damage 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Strawberry jumps on a bandit's face
Bite 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 1 = 10 Damage 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Claw 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 1 = 11 Damage 1d2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Claw 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 1 = 24 Damage 1d2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Trip 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 3 + 1 = 21

Rd 1 Scimitar Crit
Scimitar 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 = 8 damage 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Rd 2 Claw Crit
Claw 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 1 = 12 Damage 1d2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

If any of the bandits still stand after all of this, Asta calmly comes out of her hiding spot and tries to get within thirty feet of the survivor(s) -- where she chants a brief spell, which ends with her pointing at whichever survivor looks most formidable: "Simul clamo; simul moris."

The unlucky target will hear the young Ulfen woman's voice rise to a terrible shriek in his head, an outcry fit to rattle the skull and scramble the brain, but no one else will.

Asta casts Ear-Piercing Scream if there is still an enemy standing. If there isn't, she just comes out of hiding. Damage to the spell's target: 1d6 ⇒ 3. Fortitude save 15 for half damage. Fail the save, and you don't just get full damage, but you're dazed until the start of Asta's next round.

The bandits all fall into death....

Oleg gives a hoot and begins to strip the bandits down, and to move the horses into the stables.

He nods to you as he does.

Svetlana is concerned until it seems that no one is injured.

She indicates that fresh bacon, eggs, biscuits, butter, molasses, and honey is ready for breakfast.

"Well, so much for round one," Asta says as she joins her travelling companions. In a much lower tone of voice, pitched only for their ears, she adds: "Round two is guaranteed to be more stressful."

Croft comes fluttering down to her shoulder from where he had been sitting lookout. "Do you think he'll want the eyeballs?" the raven asks in a conversational tone of voice. "He can't eat all of them, right?"

Taking a moment to let herself come down from the rush of adrenaline, Valeria moves over to the guesthouse wall and leans against it. She calls out to Oleg, "Oleg, let us know if they have any maps.".

Looking over to Torod, she says, "We are going to have to find the main camp before they notice these men haven't come back and come for revenge. Think you could find their trail and follow it back?"

Oleg shakes his head about a map, but he holds up a silver necklace with a stag in front of a shield....

Torod assists Oleg. "Someone should get their horses too."

Terri finishes climbing down and nods at Torod before gently leading the horses to the stable.

Valeria moves over to help everyone clear the area.

"They have anything we could put to use?"

Heptamegistos shakes blood from his muzzle and clops across the courtyard to drink. Afterwards, he nickers and blows at the dead bandits' mounts, establishing his dominance with a squeal or two if necessary before letting them drink.

After the battle, it's probably not really necessary.

"That necklace--you found it on one of the bandits? The leader, maybe?" Jennet accepts the medallion for a minute, wrinkling her forehead as she examines it. "Erastil's herald is a stag. I doubt the bandit was one of Deadeye's faithful though. Anyone recognize the heraldry?"

I'm guessing no one does, since no one switched a skill point to Knowledge: Local. :(

"Maybe you know someone who could tell us about it, Oleg. One of the trappers that trades here, perhaps? We should try to reach your customers in any event. They should be warned we're at war with the bandits. We should also speak with the bandit's other targets...your outpost can't be the only way they have to fill their pockets."

She bends over, snaps the end off the arrow jutting from the hollow of the dead bandit leader's throat, and fingers its goosefeather fletching. "It would take a steady hand to make that shot, or Deadeye's own luck. Well done, Terri...'Courage is fear that's said its prayers.'"

"Occultum video," Asta mutters, and she flicks her fingers at the dead bandits and the loot taken from their bodies.

Asta casts Detect Magic.

"So, about those eyeballs..." Croft says in a slightly louder voice. "Can I call dibs?"

The bandit's blood still on her claws and muzzle (do cats have muzzles?), Strawberry stays close to bodies, keeping an eye on Croft.

"A reputation for killing bandits will be useful, Blackheart," says Jennet, waving at the raven. "A reputation for eating bandits will not. There's bacon."

"Bandits call their leader the staglord, surely this means these are his men."

"Well, if that was the person you said came by the first time, then we need to deal with them before they realize they are being taken out. Lets finish dealing with these bodies and their equipment and then try to find their main camp before these men are 'missing'"

"I have no interest in human eyeballs for tea," Asta says, sounding slightly nauseated. "That's all Croft, here."

"You don't know what you're missing," the raven croaks.

"The Stag Lord, eh? Well there's only one Stag Lord and he does not share the title. I will tear this bandit's head off and dump down his neck."

"You said that you suspect their camp to be close. Which way do they ride when they leave?"

Asta makes a face at Torod. "Are you sure you're part Elf?" she asks.

"Yeah," Croft pipes up. "Elves don't usually leave their droppings on perfectly good foo-- KAW!"

Asta stops shrugging the shoulder Croft is sitting on and gives him a Look. "That is enough out of you," she says, her voice a little too calm.

Well, I know what I'm going to do for my next character if Terri bites it.

Terri mentally thanks Asta for quieting Croft.

"If it didn't take more than a day or two for them to get here, we could follow the trail they left."

She looks around at the others, suddenly unsure of herself.

"Couldn't we?"

"Y'all need any o this gear?.....I found some gold too."

"Heptamegistos can follow a trail like a bloodhound, certainly," Jennet tells Terry. "We also have guides, now." She indicates the dead bandits' horses. "Those geldings know the way to their regular pastures as well as their riders did...maybe better. Turn them loose and that's where they'd go."

"But I don't think we should stick our heads into the dragon's den just yet. This bandit lord doesn't know what happened to his men--he'll have to send more to find out. Perhaps we can pick those off too, without giving ourselves away. In any case, if we wait, there might be fewer men at their camp than if we go before he sends scouts."

The three bandits had shortbows, daggers, 20 arrows and longswords, Happs had a longbow.
They are all wearing leather armor....

Valeria thinks for a moment, then shakes her head. "I don't think so, Jen. I think we should hit them while they are not possibly considering any sort of threat. Surprise and all that. Plus, if this 'Stag Lord' guy has more men at his disposal, the faster we take out a large number of them the more cautious we make him about retaliating."

"I am part elf, part human, and, for these bandits, I am all the vengeance of the World."

Jennet gives Valeria a curious look. "Why would bandits ever not be expecting an attack? Their camp will be watched and fortified against the animals of the wild, monsters and humanoids, rival bandits, vengeful trappers, and of course each other."

"We don't know a thing about them. Are they all human? Then a night attack might be best, but if they have other races among them, the dark will give us no advantage. Have they magic? Do they set traps? Is this hatchet woman the leader, or just a lieutenant? Is the stag lord close or far, human or no? How many are there, and how armed?"

"We won't surprise them...but they might surprise us. Best to gather information from Oleg's trappers and neighbors first."

"We can also send in a spy, once we have an idea where the bandits' camp is," Asta offers, stroking Croft's black-feathered back. The raven puffs up with self-importance. "Croft is not that smart" -- the raven deflates again -- "but he understands the Common tongue and can report to me."

"In the morning, I'll ask Erastil to allow me to speak with the animals. I'll ask the horses and be off. You can come with or not. Your choice."
"Oleg, I'll need supplies. You got any tea? How many arrows you have?"

Valeria listens to the options available, then responds, "Okay, okay. But I don't think we should just sit on our hands the rest of the day. We can at least ride out and have a look around ourselves, get to know the area around this outpost."

Valeria picks up one of the shortbows and a quiver of arrows, testing the bowstring afterwards.

Jennet snickers. It's a slightly horsey sound.

"Ask the horses who makes decisions: the stallion, or the mares."

She turns to Asta. "Good idea, Blackheart. Can Croft manage in dark, or would he have to scout by day?"

"By day, I'm afraid," Asta says, still stroking the raven's back.

Croft presses his head into the Ulfen's snowy locks and mutters: "Bloody owls. Can't stand owls."

Valeria perks up and says excitedly, "Hey, why don't we have Croft go ahead and try to fly around and find them, while we ride out and explore the area. Two..." she pauses and looks at Croft, "...um, two for one!"

"I don't mind," Asta says. "I won't have him go close in on the first trip, however. They might use him for target practice."

"Thank you, mistress," Croft says, his head still half-hidden in Asta's hair. "I got the hint. 'No flying over to strangers and begging them for cheese'. I remember."

Torod grins at the thought of going after them now. "You know you're sexy when you're all forceful like that." When Croft takes flight Strawberry runs off after him. "Letter them try and use her for target practice. And beskdes her presence would only make the horses skittish."

"Agreed, then," Asta says. "Fly!"

The Ulfen raises her arm, and Croft takes off, cawing hoarsely.
"Beat you to the meat, Strawberry Fleabag!" the raven calls down scornfully when he sees the great cat follow, but he shuts his beak thereafter.

I assume we sent them off in the direction the bandits road in from...

Valeria blushes at Torod's comment.

Jennet nods and clicks her tongue to call Heptamegistos.

"Thank you two for your hospitality," she says to the Levetons. "Please ask any trappers who come by to stay the night so that we can meet them on our return. If we don't return or send word before tomorrow morning...prepare for the worst." She smiles to soften the warning. "But I don't think the gods called us all this way just to die that easily."

Terri listens to the plans being made, but her mind was elsewhere. She was going over the events of the battle, as brief as it was.

Watching as Torod picks out the leader's longbow and Asta begins going over the bandit's horses, Valeria approaches Oleg and says, "We talked it over, and want you to take the rest of this to help get your store up and running again. There is a lot of good stuff here. In return, could we possibly use this outpost as a 'base' for our explorations down here? We won't be any trouble!"

Assuming we are aware of his supplies, Valeria will make arrangements to acquire the two cure potions as part of our deal as well.

Official loot list:
2 alchemist’s fire
4 leather armor,
4 dagger
1 longbow with 20 arrows,
8 days of trail rations
1 silver Stag Lord amulet worth 20 gp,
65 gp

3 shortbows with 20 arrows/each
4 long sword

5 horses, saddles, bridles

"This be my entire inventory o potions, two curing cure light wounds and one faithful shield potion of shield of faith +2."

"Take these fer your help."

"Thank you for your generosity," Asta says in silken tones.

I'll Take 20 or 10 to track them if I can, otherwise
Survival 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
and perhaps I can get a little help from my friends.

Survival Aid another: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

"Well, I guess we'd better get going. If they are only a day or two away, we'll need to move quickly."

Oleg and Svetalana answer some more questions regarding the bandits...

"All the ones we seen was human, not seen any others with them."

It is slow going as the tracks are fairly clear due to the bandits making no attempt to hide the tracks.

The tracks go pretty much staight down the middle of the hex that has Olegs in it.

You come to an area near some woods.
A new tracking roll is in order

No sign of Strawberry Deathstrike and Croft yet?

Some time down the trail, Jennet rides up next to Asta. "Is that a map you're making?" she asks.