Dolgren carefully takes aim at the thing, and fires.
Search Posts
Dolgren frowns. He's not so sure there ever was a weeping lady - this feels like another of those fey tricks to him. He holds back, ready to duck if another of those firebursts comes his way.
Flashback, campfire:
Dolgren is silent for a while, considering Zort's question. "I was born on the same day as the human nation. The priests of Him Under Stone declared that my destiny is linked with it. Hence have I travelled much among humans, offering aid and counsel. The Southron rebels were oathbreakers and traitors - never could I abide such. Thus my decision." He pauses. "I must admit that I had little regard for the rights of goblinoids, but even so is slavery an abomination in the eyes of Him Under Stone." 'Him Under Stone' is one of the names of Torag, whose true name dwarves avoid saying - it is, after all, holy. "Good thinking, Didier. And we will keep you in view." Letting the stealthy ones do the scouting, Dolgren hangs back a distance, rifle primed and loaded.
"I have not the faintest idea what may be in this region; let us be on our guard." Dolgren checks that his rifle is fully loaded and that the action is working properly. "Shall we proceed, with caution?" He follows Treetopper's lead, keeping a wary eye out.
Dolgren blearily comes to; it's been a long day and he values his sleep. "What say you? A cry?" He listens keenly.
Flashback, campfire:
Dolgren shrugs, with a wry smile. "Four score and some years of practice will improve anything! I have been in battle more often than I care to remember: Bull Run, Manassas, Gettysburg..." He shivers slightly. "I pledged to protect the Union and we did, at no small cost in blood. Friends I had, good friends I lost. So it goes." He glances at Didier. "A shame indeed to no longer have your instruments; perhaps music would have soothed the savage beast!" Dolgren fishes around in his pack for his compass and takes bearings. He shakes his head at Zort. "The other direction, methinks. Let us press on."
Flashback, campfire:
Dolgren smiles slightly at Zort's evident discomfort; the dwarf pulls his rich furs closely around himself. The fire may be warm, but the air is bitter. In response to the goblin's question, he considers deeply before replying. "I have ever been a seeker of adventure; I was born the same day as the human nation of Nova Roma and it appears my destiny is bound with theirs. More years have I now spent above ground than below, with human than with dwarf. They are rash to the point of folly, these humans; perhaps I have caught something of their madness, but the life of quiet toil no longer appeals to me. My saga has time to run yet ere it is complete." He nods at Zort. "And what brings one to the wilderness, who is so evidently discomforted by it?" Dolgren does his best to help both Didier and Ozark. "Brave beast indeed, to spar with one so much bigger."
Agreed!
Dolgren steps out of range of the beast's jaws, and readies his rifle, seeking to fire at the thing. But the combat with Ozark means that he can't get a clear sight and the shot goes wide.
Dolgren looks stunned as the thing apparently materialises from nowhere. He is too slow to prevent Didier from being badly hurt, but recovers quickly. Unslinging his rifle from his shoulder, he brings it to bear and snaps off a quick shot at the beast.
Got it, thanks. In that case, my vote is to return back to the fort, stock up on provisions and head out again.
DM: can you just quickly run through the mechanics of exploration? Is it three days per hex (assuming we're not foraging)? How many days would it be if we foraged instead? Also, what do we get from exploring a hex versus travelling through it? I mean, we travelled through hex C9 but didn't explore it; we've now explored hex D8 - what's the difference?
Dolgren has experience in living off the land and foraging; between them, he and Didier can feed the group, although it's not ideal. The dwarf has spent a lot of time looking at the surrounding land, and is pleased with what he sees. All this is prime timber, and his own dwarven realms would pay gladly for it, as a source of pit props for mining and charcoal for smelting. To be sure, it would have to be transported, but the rail head at Omaha isn't so far away, and dwarven engineers could easily lay a spur to Fort Laramie. And then, deprived of cover, those damn fey would be easy targets... Dolgren smiles at his thoughts as the group trudges along.
Dolgren blearily notices Didier fall asleep and kicks him awake. "C'mon! There is more drinking yet ere you slumber." He rather muzzily looks around for the source of the voice.
Dolgren shakes his head blearily. "Whut? Pink dust... he he he he he. Pink, in a forest! Pretty. Nice laughter. Haven't heard laughter in... such a long time." He sniffs loudly. Dolgren gets maudlin when drunk. Too many of his old drinking buddies have died alongside him. Damned Southron rebels. He sniffs again.
Dolgren runs a thoughtful hand through his beard. "It would seem that we have vanquished our immediate threat; shall we return victorious to Fort Laramie to proclaim the news? We are two nights out, with scant knowledge of the land immediately around the Fort - my counsel is to return and explore that, ere we trek farther in this direction."
Dolgren looks back at Didier. "I see no courts in which we could offer him for trial; our Charter empowers us - compels us - to end banditry in this region. I doubt not that he pleads prettily now, but were our situation reversed and it were they who had the advantage, he would have a different tune, methinks." Dolgren looks with interest at the silver amulet. "A pretty trinket - is this what his followers wear?"
Dolgren takes 7 rounds to replace the ones he fired. He regards the handaxes with interest - they're of good make - but close quarter battle isn't his thing. He balances one carefully in his hand, looking thoughtfully at the prisoner. "What think you? One blow to the back of this knave's head should suffice."
Doglren slowly walks over to the fire, keeping his rifle at the ready. Making sure that Didier is covering the youth, the dwarf quickly rummages through the corpses of the dead, making sure that they are in fact dead and not faking it.
Dolgren has been refining his aim, and the flashes of gunfire from the bandits finally allows him to get the range. Aiming at the bandit who shot Didier, he sights along the barrel and fires.
Dolgren decides to make some noise, to cover the approach of his companions. "Though it is seemly to behold you Southrons grovelling in the dirt, would it not behoove you better to stand and die like the free men you claim to be, if men you truly are - and not curs who yap at your betters?" Dolgren lost some good companions in the War - for him, this is personal.
Dolgren aims a shot at the bandit doing the kicking.
Dolgren's shot flies wide of the prone bandit. He keeps them pinned down while he mutters to his goblin companion. Dwarven: "I shall lay down vengeance from here; canst thou move through stealth and make thy way around them, thus depriving them of cover? It seemeth to me that to engage them in mêlée, would be to lose our prime advantage, namely that we can see them, but they comprehendeth us not."
Dolgren doesn't waste time shooting at those in cover, instead aiming at anyone foolish enough to be in the open or still standing.
Dolgren spends the turn fixing his gun, muttering to himself in Dwarven.
Dolgren frowns at the reference to the South. "Bethought me that accursed nonsense were resolved! Belike there be one or two fools that will not take heed - or caution." Rapidly reloading his rifle , Dolgren sights down the barrel at the offending Southron and pulls the trigger.
He frowns as the barrel misfires. It will be but the work of a moment to clear, but an inconvenience nonetheless at this instant.
"By Torag! Another dwarf!" Dolgren is incensed by the treachery of not one, but two, of his race. Banditry - the forsaking of the law - is one of the gravest sins a dwarf can commit. Moving into position, he takes aim at the wretch, sights along the barrel and fires.
That's right - it's still blanked out BTW; it's weird, it was working just fine until yesterday.
Hi DM - for some reason I can't see anything on the Roll20 other than my character icon: everything else is blacked out.
Dolgren allows himself a grim smile at the bandits' complaints; this is just like the War against the secessionists. He takes cover amid the trees and aims at the next target.
Dolgren calmly rotates the barrel of his rifle and fires another shot.
Still concealed among the trees, Dolgren aims at the guard. It is odd to be preparing to shoot one of his own race to protect a goblin, but it is an odd world. Dwarves who forsake their honour and throw in their lot with bandits have offended Torag.
Dolgren follows Treetopper through the scrub, taking care not to be seen.
OK, planning - I'm not set on a headlong rush if people think it's too risky; we can do the stealth thing of eliminating the guards and then sneaking up, but the moment we open fire then all surprise is over...
"Out-gunned, perchance, but not out-matched. It seems to me that they have no watch if we approach from the North-East: the bank of trees would hide us from their tower guards. They are in the open, we would be firing from cover with surprise. But I will listen to other counsel." Dolgren is not rash - few dwarves are. But he has a liking for adventure and danger that sometimes gets him into trouble.
"I like that plan - it makes the most of our abilities and may prove decisive against their numbers." Dolgren considers the idea of scouting. "Mayhap some report of their disposition would be useful, ere we charge in. Can you be sure you will not be seen?"
Dolgren has spent the day deep in thought, absently following the tracks and brushing aside the snow as it intrudes on his awareness. Could a dwarf have taught a goblin of his own free will? Dolgren fought against the confederacy out of duty to the union rather than for the slaves; but if someone like Treetopper is the result, then he is glad of it. Not naturally expressive, he nevertheless does his best to convey this to the goblin. To be sure, there were some gaps in the story (what really happened to the other goblin, for example?), but he is willing to overlook them, at least for the time being. He will save his questions for another time. "I concur. Best to rest and take them with fresh eyes tomorrow. I will keep watch. "
"I am loth to interrupt our current task afore it is completed - unless these tracks head toward the Leveton's fort, my counsel would be to address the bandit scourge ere we pursue this new mystery." In common with most dwarves, Dolgren is temperamentally unsuited to multi-tasking: stick to what you're doing, finish it, and start something else afterward.
Dolgren follows Treetopper to investigate the tracks, possibly see how fresh they are and how many of the creatures there were; and any other information he can glean from their footprints
Dolgren is continually surprised by the lack of stamina most humans have; he was just getting into his stride, and there's a lot of daylight still, even in Winter. Nevertheless, best not to argue with those who can use magic; he blinks as Didier lights the fire with such ease. "If we must rest, then so be it; best to come upon them fresh tomorrow than weary tonight. I will keep watch."
Dolgren looks doubtfully at the horses they have 'acquired' from the bandits. "Ever have I relied on my own feet to march, with little detriment; but I see in earnest our need for haste in this matter. Therefore will I ride with thee, with no small reluctance however." He looks sorrowfully at Manassa: he cannot ride one horse and still guide his mule. He therefore transfers all her pack over to his new ride. "I pray thee, Goodman Leveton, take good care of her ere I return; she will repay in labour her cost of feed, I vouchsafe." Rubbing Manassa between her ears, he gives the mule a soft pat on the rump and makes his farewell.
Dolgren nods in agreement at the plan to track and take care of the bandits. "Better that than wait here ere they seek retribution for their losses."
Dolgren moves at 20 ft but needs to have a light load to access some gunslinger abilities; hence his mule. He doesn't have points in Ride...
I am a gunslinger and I have craft firearms. Problem: solved.
|