Feels somewhat dead in here.
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Just a quick heads up that I'm off to a beer festival for the weekend tomorrow, then on holiday with my family next week. I'll try and keep up with all of my games but posting may be a little erratic so please bot me if required to keep things moving.
"Agree. The fire risks drawing too much attention to us. We should leave now," Caeleron says, drawing his bow and looking round to make sure that the group is ready to move off.
Seeing the rock creature smash into the woman Caeleron puts his bow away and rushes forwards. "Get out, quickly!" he calls to her companion as Skalla leaps towards the creature. Caeleron grabs the prone woman under the arms and tries to drag her out of the forge while Callistra tends to her wounds.
Caeleron picks up Azure's bucket as he charges the door, and resumes throwing water over the thatch. "Those people need to get out quickly," he calls to Skalla. "The fire is spreading beyond our control."
Unsure whether the discarded bows are of relevance, Caeleron ignores them in favour of continuing to attempt to fight the fire. "Skalla, Azure - Faunra is right. We need to break down the door."
Caeleron backs away from the creature, knowing that time is running out to put out the fire. He steps back out into the yard and moves towards the trough. "Help me with this," he calls. "We can fill the trough from the pump, it will allow the bucket to be refilled more quickly."
Of all the things Caeleron expects to see in the forge, a small creature of stone and earth is quite low on the list. The creature's expression and body language are inscrutable, but the beaten body of a hobgoblin on the floor suggests that the small creature is capable of defending itself. "We mean you no harm," Caeleron says in the human tongue, then repeats it in both Elven and Sylvan just in case. He keeps his body language unthreatening and neutral, trying to avoid conflict with the creature.
Just a heads up that I'm off on holiday at the beginning of next week. I'll normally be posting from GMT, but the wife and I are flying to Mexico on Monday so it may set some of my posting back a little. We're only there for just over a week so things will return to normal after that.
Caeleron returns his bow to it's sheath on his back and moves to the gate into the pen, pulling it open to allow easy access to the full water trough inside. He then follows Skalla into the building to look for containers to fill with water.
With a clear view of the increasingly beleaguered hobgoblin Caeleron looses another arrow, hoping to bring the savage down before he can hurt anyone else.
With only one hobgoblin left standing, Caeleron again shifts sideways to get a clear shot. He steps to his right, his bow already up and an arrow already nocked. He focuses his gaze on the last hobgoblin, calmly aiming at it's heart the way he would a deer's while hunting, and looses his arrow.
The hobgoblins fight ferociously, dropping Skalla with a well placed blow. Caeleron takes advantage of the opening, stepping nimbly sideways, focusing on the invader that dropped his comrade, and loosing a shot.
Caeleron steps out from behind the fence, pulling and nocking an arrow as he moves. With his initial target now obscured he switches his focus to the one attacking Azure, loosing his arrow into the melee.
The smell of charred wood and burning thatch gives Caeleron a brief and unpleasant flashback to the attack on Nithvel. Seeing the hobgoblins calmly waiting outside the building angers him. "Kill them all," he mutters to his comrades before loosing an arrow at the nearest hobgoblin.
Caeleron collects what arrows he can from the dead hobgoblins. They are clearly inferior to his own, but without any idea of when he might have time to make more he must take what's available. "Whatever we're going to do, we should do it quickly," he says, beginning to stack up broken pews to form a fire. "I suspect more invaders will arrive should we linger."
I agree - it'll be much easier to keep track of everything if all the things we need to keep track of are available in the same place.
Caeleron looks up when he hears his name, despite the half-orc's imprecise pronunciation. "No, thank you. I made mine, and it has served me well for many years. I will trust in my work over that of a hobgoblin," he says matter-of-factly, intending no insult to Azure's offer. "I would value more arrows though, if there any to spare."
Caeleron looks on as Faunra hands out gifts to the others. He isn't offended that he was missed out - he isn't a villager, he doesn't know these people, and they have no reason to include him in their rituals. But he wants to help, wants to save these people - who are now probably as close as he has to friends - from the death of their home, the way he couldn't save anyone from the death of Nithvel.
The destruction in the shrine is astonishing. It's clear that the hobgoblins butchered everyone they found sheltering inside before taking their blades to the artefacts and icons. Even though he doesn't know any of the dead or feel any connection to the village's gods, Caeleron feels sorry for those that cared about these people and this place. He realises that he can provide scant comfort as an outsider and a stranger to the group, so makes himself busy collecting up the equipment and valuables - anything that might prove useful in their flight from the village. He works quickly and quietly, not wanting to intrude on anyone's grief.
With the hobgoblins dead the shrine is even more of a ruin. Broken furniture and pools of blood mar the floor, and destroyed and desecrated icons are strewn around.
Caeleron pulls a still intact arrow from a wooden pew and slots it back into his quiver. "We should look for any supplies or items of use. I do not wish to offend any of you, but I think we need to be pragmatic and take anything that will help us survive."
Caeleron begins searching the shrine, looking for food, clothing, weapons, or other items that will help the group escape Phaendar.
Caeleron moves quickly across the shrine, keeping Skalla out of his line of fire, nocking another arrow as he moves. He steps carefully over the pools of blood and the wreckage of the hobgoblins' depraved attack and fires an arrow at the last hobgoblin.
The invaders seem to care little for the shrine to the human gods. They are not Caeleron's gods, but they are important to his new companions, so they are important to him. He steps into the doorway and sees a hobgoblin defiling a statue at the far end while another is being cut to pieces by Skalla and Azure. Swiftly drawing an arrow, he nocks it to his bow and draws back the bowstring, sighting carefully along the shaft before loosing it towards the hobgoblin's throat.
The hobgoblin hears the commotion and turns at the last second, sending Caeleron's arrow smashing into the wall behind him.
"How many villagers are inside, and how many invaders?" Caeleron asks the young woman. She appears to be some sort of religious leader, and is clearly capable in a fight, which suggests that she is trustworthy and reliable. He grips his bow before creeping towards the shrine, trying to hear through the door or peek through the window to get a measure of the situation inside.
Not a problem GM, glad we're getting rolling again. Happy New Year all.
Caeleron sees the danger too late and the wolf is moving before he is. He swiftly draws an arrow as he moves laterally, trying to get a good shot past Skalla and the others. Once in position he knocks the arrow and lets it fly at the wolf.
Thanks for letting us know GM. I assume post rate might drop off a little over Christmas/New Year anyway.
Caeleron considers Azure's words for a moment, reflecting on what they have seen and what they have had to do already to make it this far. "You are right. We will protect them." His thoughts flash to Nithvel, to the deaths, to the burning. I will protect them, he resolves. "We must keep moving. The village will not last long, nor the villagers."
"It might have drawn the hobgoblins as it has drawn us. We should be wary as we approach," counsels Caeleron. "The civilians should wait somewhere safe while we assess the enemy disposition of the enemy."
Caeleron looks round as the wolf falls to the floor, hoping that their brief fracas hasn't drawn any attention. He moves over to check on whoever is underneath the cart. "You are safe for now. If you wish to leave the village, gather your provisions and join with us." He tries to take on an air of kindness, but he is fully aware that he is an outsider here, and that he may not be trusted.
The wolf seems unafraid of the group, a sign perhaps that it is one of the hobgoblins' attack dogs rather than a wild specimen. Though the wolf does not deserve to die, Caeleron has people to protect, which takes precedence over the life of the wolf. He moves sideways across the alley trying to get a clear shot past Skalla, before drawing his bowstring back and loosing an arrow with the smooth motions of one who has spent their life honing their skills.
"A wolf, interested in something beneath a cart. I believe there are people trapped there," Caeleron reports matter-of-factly. Before he can formulate a plan, Skalla and Azure have stepped out to try and scare the wolf off. Caeleron steps around the corner behind the pair, bow ready but not drawn, waiting to see how the wolf reacts.
Caeleron holds up his hand, signalling the group to stop, when he spots the wolf. Whether it had been drawn into town by the scent of blood or brought by the hobgoblin invaders, the wolf posed a danger to the inn's survivors. Peeking round the building, Caeleron tries to see what has caught the creature's attention while making sure that he doesn't get seen.
With the commotion upstairs likely to draw attention, Caeleron begins gathering the inn's patrons, making ready to move. "Pick up anything that will serve as a weapon - kitchen knives, table legs, anything you might defend yourself with." He tries to get them ready to flee, assembling the group by the door. He leaves them under Aubrin's watch then strides over to the bottom of the stairs. "We have to move. Now," he calls up to the others, hoping that they won't waste any more time gathering up recalcitrant stragglers.
Caeleron makes ready to move, checking that he has all of his equipment and that his blade is easily accessible. He draws an arrow and notches it to his string, before looking around outside to work out a safe route to the shrine.
The swirling chaos of a village overrun makes discerning a safe route virtually impossible, and he turns back to the common room. "Jet, please help Aubrin. Everyone else gather what food and weapons you can. We need to move quickly."
"I do not know many of the people of this village, but we should save as many as we can before the whole place is overrun," Caeleron says matter-of-factly. "We should not split up - individuals will be easy prey for the invaders. We will last longer as a group, even if we are slowed. If you do not wish to risk bringing the injured then they should make their way across the bridge now." Caeleron is clearly anxious to leave the inn and though he is not a native of Phaendar he has no wish to see another village and its people destroyed. "We need to gather up the villagers, and we need supplies to ensure their survival in the forest. The Fangwood can provide much, but it likely cannot support so many refugees without our help. I agree that we should go to the shrine first, and then gather supplies from the shops. We will need people to carry the wounded, and the equipment they will require in the forest."
Caeleron looks back at the sudden flurry of activity in the inn, surprised at the speed with which the villagers were prepared to leave their homes and community behind. He’d heard stories of the Nirmathi fleeing into the forest to avoid trouble, but he hadn’t imagined it would be with this level of ease. ”We should gather as much as we can as quickly as we can. The situation will only worsen. I doubt that we will survive if we stay here,” he stated, before turning back to guard the doorway.
The hobgoblin crumples to the floor, bleeding to death in front of Caeleron, who stoops to clean the blood from his blade on his attacker's cloak. He feels nothing for the dead goblinoid, and his mask of calm indifference remains unchanged as he picks up his longbow from the floor. Screams echo from outside and Caeleron moves to the door. He reaches up to the lintel where his errant arrow lodged itself. He pulls it from the wood and checks it for damage. A quick look tells him that the arrow isn't significantly damaged and he slides it back into his quiver. "We need to move away from here," he says. Looking around at Faunra and Callistra, who appear to be the more competent healer in the room, he asks "Can the wounded be moved?" before turning back to guard the doorway.
One hobgoblin remains, trapping Caeleron in the corner of the inn. The beast is bleeding freely now but seems not to notice. Caeleron remains silent, knowing that his opponent is not long for this world now that Skalla and Azure will be joining the fight. He strikes in a rapid succession of thrusts and slashes, hoping to get his blade past the hobgoblin's defences.
Caeleron is briefly freed from the hobgoblin's attentions by Callistra's deep dagger thrust into the goblinoid's side. Recognising that the hobgoblin is likely a much greater threat to Callistra than to himself he slashes out at the hobgoblin's throat, trying to put the savage down before he can hurt her.
Lots of it going around. Worry about yourself, not us. Hope you feel better soon.
Backed into a corner by the advancing hobgoblin, Caeleron has no room to shoot. He draws the short blade for its scabbard, the slightly curved edge and sharp point glinting in the light. He times his attack carefully, watching his opponent's much cruder blade to ensure that he strikes at exactly the right moment. Caeleron fights in silence, all his concentration directed toward the deadly dance he has become engaged in.
Caeleron slips aside at the last second, the hobgoblin's blade whispering past his leg.
Caeleron carries everything around all the time, because it's everything he owns now and he has nowhere else to stow it. Bear in mind that Nirmathas is a country at war, so I don't think it's unreasonable for people to carry a weapon or wear light armour while going about their daily business.
The door explodes inwards, and two hobgoblins appear in the doorway. Their weapons are visible and they mean harm. Not again, not another village, Caeleron thinks, his anger rising. With many villagers injured he knows he has to step up and defend these people, the way he tried to defend his own village. "Run. Run now," he says calmly to the startled customers. Caeleron moves quickly across the inn to get a clean shot at one of the attackers, drawing out his bow and an arrow from the quiver at his hip. He stands and looses the arrow, his form and technique as efficient and unhurried as if he were hunting a deer.
His arrow goes wide as he slips on the spreading pool of blood from an injured man lying beneath a nearby table and it thunks loudly into the door frame.
Caeleron nods politely at the newcomer before replying. ”Yes, I am Caeleron. Thank you, another drink would be appreciated,” he says. ”May I sit?” he asks the women, gesturing at an empty seat at their table.
Thanks GM, that’s reassuring. I wanted to tie Caeleron to the game, but I didn’t want to have gone too far.
Nope, just hobgoblins/goblinoids of some sort, connection to the Ironfang Legion to be determined by the GM. I wanted him to have a reason to fight, but I didn't want to create any story issues. |