"I always have manacles," Bryce replies with a slight bow. "Now, what do we have here?"
The ranger scours the area around the gravesite.
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"The sooner we go, the better chance we have of finding a clear trail? What do you hope to find at the graveyard?" Bryce thinks for a moment, and then adds in a doubtful tone, "We could consider splitting up."
"I guess that he left. He has thoroughly destroyed Faelstaff, and I fear what else he may do in the realm. But we don't need to guess, if we can find his tracks. It is only one night, with no rain. Possible." Bryce looks confident in his abilities.
Bryce looks ashen, but keeps his composure. "We will leave as swiftly as we may. I believe Shinami's guess is good, and I want to catch this Marrok before he arrives at another town. This cannot happen again." Bryce strides towards the tavern.
Excellent plan! And with the weekend fast approaching, too. It's all falling into place!
Bryce has been a constant presence through the exploration of the town, silently watching and judging from the back of the team. You have the sense that he is turning evidence over in his mind, looking for how the pieces fit, and has considered much that he is not yet ready to talk about. As Kayla's question moves toward the heart of the mystery in this forsaken place, Bryce tenses, and quietly unlimbers his bow, as if expecting trouble.
Never even heard of the movie. Feel like I've let the team down now...
For a moment Bryce looks troubled by something, then he shrugs and gets back to the task in front of him. Heard that song before, I'm sure of it. Something old, very old. Think about it later. "Well, it's very kind of the townsfolk to put us here while they stay somewhere defensible. Why don't you all get started on defenses while I search the insides for any surprises. Wolves in the cellar, barrels of oil in the roofspace, secret entrances, that sort of thing." Bryce heads into the tavern, then pauses, "Brynn, you've got good eyes. Come with me?"
Bryce looks over the old tavern carefully. Doors, windows, roof. How many entry points? Where are the viewpoints, fields of fire and cover? "How about Kayla and Cecil go meet the town council while the rest of us set up here? Remember to play nice."
Fan-effing-tastic! Go you :)
This is mid-day Saturday for me, and I usually can't post this much at work. Sometimes, but not always. It's nice to be more in the thick of things though :)
Ooh! Ooh! I have a gaming related question! Bryce has two favoured enemies:
Do werewolves count as both, either, or neither? How do I calculate attack and damage rolls if I'm not sure whether the target is human or un-changed wolf? Just let me know how want to handle it...
Bryce looks at his companions. "Into town then? Eyes open, weapons ready." The hunter suits deed to word, checking his blades, making sure his bow is ready to string, and his silver-tipped arrows are close to hand in their quiver. His gaze flicks from shadow to shadow as they move on.
Bryce nods slowly, "That'll do, I think. That'll do. Fare well on your travels." No one tells everything, and why should they? And yes, only a fool knows no fear.
Family: it's complicated! (tm) Family is what you choose it to be. The legal stuff is... beside the point, really.
"One second, Kayla. I have some more questions for our new friend." Bryce puts his hand on the peasant's shoulder, and continues in a firm tone that expects no dissent. He pauses between each question, allowing the man to reply. "How many different wolves have you seen with your own eyes? Have you killed any, or seen any killed by others?" "How many of them have you seen change from man to wolf? Have any changed back?" "How many armed or skilled people live in Faellstaff? Are any of them sympathetic to the wolves?"
I are following along with bemused appreciation.
"The real question," Bryce says in an aside to Osslend, "is does this man really need help, but is too scared to ask? Or, is he here to lead us into a trap?" Let Cecil try to charm him, but if that doesn't work we might need to ask some hard questions.
"Yes, that should be a good distance out. But this time we need to set a proper watch. Cecil, do you have any tricks that might help - magical alarms or the like?" Bryce agrees with Brynn's suggestion, and is determined not to be caught napping a second time. His memory of the enchanted campfire has not been salved by the few intervening days. "As for the axes," Bryce replies to Shinami, "I will rely on my bow for preference. I' could keep it on my belt for emergencies, but perhaps Brynn or Osslend has a greater need for a ranged weapon?"
Wow Cecil... Just wow. Nearly caught up on reading the mayhem and devastation, but have to sleep now before I pass out. Will be back tomorrow to post properly. Love your work, gang.
Bryce is too far away to make out details, but it seems like Cecil and Kayla are handling the situation with the cloaked observer. They've somehow picked up an extra companion, one of the town guards, but are back watching the matches. Guess we'll get the full story later. And it looks like Shinami might not need me after all! Not sure if I'm glad about that or not - it might be nice to have a simple violent but not fatal fight. Bah, let the young 'uns have their fun. I'll fight if I have to, and not otherwise.
Sorry to hear about your son - hope he recovers quickly. A few hours at ER is a great way to have a crappy day.
Bryce turns back from watching Cecil and Kayla, just in time to se Shinami launch a ferocious blow at Aya.
Bryce tries to keep one eye on the cloaked figure, and one eye on Shinami's fight. It seems that Aya is eluding Shinami's attacks handily, and now Shinami is on the other side of the ring from any help. Not going perfectly, I'd say.
Bryce looks round briefly from Shinami's bout. He sees Brynn and Osslend in the other ring, a glimpse of Kayla's young face, a glimpse of Cecil in the roaring crowd. Four unarmed. Two distracted. No-one on watch. Middle of a crowd. Perfect opportunity. Suddenly uneasy, Bryce looks around the crowd, looking for the ... person out of place ... the warning signs ... the shadow slipping forward to plant the knife.
Crunch:
Ach - nights are hard. You always on nights, or different shifts?
Nice recovery. Now, just stay on your feet long enough for me to... Bryce rolls his shoulders and stretches out his neck, taking deep slow breaths.
Yeah, I'm another 6ft-er out here in New Zealandonia. Tried to take this morning off work, but ended up going in anyway. So my day was meeting meeting meeting, bit of powerpoint, phone call, meeting. Now home with beer :) Everything looking up.
Bryce winces as Aya's fist crunches into Shinami's ribs. He stands outside the ring, one hand on the top rope. "Stay close and grapple," he encourages his companion. This isn't going to go well for me if Shinami goes down. Should never fight someone half my age on their own terms. Oh well, it's pride not lives. Bryce's thoughts are rueful as he studies the precise movements of his opponent.
Bryce, it turns out, is standing unnoticed but close enough to Shinami to answer him. The tall ranger steps out of the crowd and replies, "I usually prefer to have a little more range, and for my fights to be a little ... less fair. But I don't want to leave you without a partner - sign us up. Best this does not delay our mission though," he warns somberly.
Bryce reveals the few items that his search uncovered, , and offers to share the silver-tipped arrows with anyone who can use them. "I would like to investigate this town a little. It is strange to have naught but a youngling on guard, and I do not trust strange things at the moment. At least, I shall ask some questions while Osslend is shopping."
Feeling on edge, Bryce eyes the young guard with suspicion, though he says nothing. When the group camps in the stables, he pokes arounhd in every corner, looking for anything out of place. It is some time before he is relaxed enough to accept a cup of tea from Cecil. It's not paranoia when there was an assassination attempt recently and the most powerful man in the realm has decided we are an enemy... Crunch:
"In my experience, starving children don't generaly use magical traps, or take food but not shelter or coin. But we don't have time to investigate further. It's not our mission. Let us carry on." Bryce is clearly not happy leaving this unresolved, but prepared to let it go in order to make progress with their task.
Bryce curses roundly as he realises what the group's lack of attention has led them to... and what might have happened. So is this new trouble, or did it follow us from the palace? Could've cut our throats if they'd wanted. Whoever they were. Could all be laying bled out on the ground right now... He carefully checks his weapons, armor, and other supplies for sign of tampering. He also checks in on the horses. Bryce works in grim silence, and his anger is almost palpable. Eventually he speaks, through gritted teeth, "I'll look for tracks. Cecil, do you have enough provisions to get us to the next village, or should I see about hunting up some game?" He starts to circle the camp site, almost without waiting for reply. crunch: Survival (Track): plus an additional 4 if any tracks were made by humans, or plus an additional 2 if any tracks were made by magical beasts.
"You have a fine and suspicious mind, Lady Kayla!" Bryce gives a nod, looking impressed. "Perhaps we should ask Thobir to acquire us some spare mounts in case of ... ah ... accident?" Ugh, I must be half asleep. I really should've thought of that. Time to wake up, old man.
Bryce draws his silversheen great sword and takes a guarded stance, but otherwise does not advance or attack. His cool eyes consider the transformed commoner carefully. "Shinami, Kayla, can you bind it? We need information."
"Welcome back, Brynne. Did you get what you needed?" Bryce turns back to Cecil, and answers his latest question, "Unfortunately the bare bones, as outlined by Kayla, are all the information we have so far. I am hoping that a conversation with our servant, Thobir, will lead to more leads. We might also be able to glean something from one of the libraries you mentioned?" Bryce settles on one of the low chairs as he speaks, grabbing a glass of wine, and still gazing at Cecil intently.
The tall lean figure of Bryce leans comfortably in the corner of the room, and watches as the newcomer makes, all in all, an impressive entrance. His first guess... Arcanist of some sort ... is quickly proved correct as Kayla reads the letter. Bryce steps forward, hand extended in greeting. "Cecil? I'm Bryce. Good to have you with us. We were just talking over our first mission. Unnatural wolves plaguing some poor town. Hope you can help. So how did you get drafted into this situation?" Bryce's tone is friendly, but his eyes are cool and measuring, judging what Cecil might add to the team. Arrogant or just confident? Hard to tell with nobles.
Thanks for the kind words and thoughts, everyone. Things are a little more settled and I'm feeling about ready to come out of my man-cave and interact with the world again. -- DSP So far I have liked starting in media res with a big set piece action scene, and then being thrown off balance again when the tension started to slip. No serious suggestions for improving so far... that may change when I get caught up IC of course. -- If you were to consider replacing Maedoc, I would propose contacting the other arcanist from recruitment (Cecil? A sorceror?) before advertising the slot more widely. I thought he was a good roleplayer from what I saw.
Hi guys, some horrible crap happening in my life right now. I'll post as I can and be back ASAP, but please dmpc as needed.
Bryce greets everyone good morning, and grabs some fruit from last night's left over platter. He dresses in his customary dark and somber colors, perhaps taking a little more time over his greying beard and hair than usual. Well, this should prove... enlightening."
"Good work." Bryce approves of the clear thinking that the group has shown when it comes to the assassins. At least I'm not shackled to a bunch of sentimental fools. "And Kayla, thank you for the healing. Now I, at least, am off to sleep."
"I don't think we're going to learn anything by interrogating them, but it still seems wasteful to simply throw them overboard. Maedoc, I have heard of arcanists who can tell much from a strand of hair or a drop of blood. Is there any value to you in keeping them alive?" Bryce is still pressing a cloth against the gash in his side, it's now stained faintly pink as blood seeps through. He seems unconcerned.
"Ninjas out the windows sounds... very efficient. Have we thoroughly searched them all? As for the survivors, I suggest we bind them and let Brynn keep watch over them, perhaps with a helper in shifts."
Bryce presses piece of cotton into the still slowly bleeding gash in his side. He looks over at the headband that Osslend and Shinami are examining and says, "Might want Kayla or Maedoc to take a look. Can be hard to spot enchantments for us normal folk." Bryce nods in appreciation at Osslend's fast-growing caution. Suspicious people live longer... No doubting that. He moves to stand by a wall, with easy sight of the door, and unlimbers his bow.
Thanks. I'll go get caught up in the IC thread :)
Oh man, I am so embarrassed. Just come back from a lovely weekend away with my wife. Comfortable in the knowledge that all my PBP groups were well informed that I'd be away till Monday with no internet. Get back. Read this thread. Think: How did they miss my 'I won't be here for a couple of days post?' It's right there... there..? up a bit more..? ah cr@p :( Real sorry guys. Best intentions to be a mature and useful player, foiled by sheer incompetence on my part. DSP, I'll abide by your decision on exile, punishment, or rehabilitation. Sorry that I disrupted play.
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