=) I'm with ya, bro!
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Fa'zakar fires his crossbow at the big pool of darkness that rounded the corner, aiming a little high so he wouldn't accidentally hit Gwen!
Seeing the croco-creatures being handled by his companions, Fa'zakar follows Gwen along the back of the building, his bow drawn and ready to release if the ogre comes around the corner...
Readied action: If the ogre comes into view, Fa'zakar will shoot it!
While Fa'zakar was ready for the ogres, he was caught a bit off-guard by the huge crocodile/reptilian beasts that came suddenly into, and almost through, the web trap. He raises his bow and draws back, aiming at the lead creature. "Well, this ought to be interesting..." he says to no one in particular.
"Right - magic trap between the buildings, some other spells and bows to get any other ogres, and our swords for the rest. Free the slaves, escape back through the hole we cut in the fence, and crowd as many as we can on the ship. Let's get this done before the hunters find us!" Fa'zakar summarizes.
"I may be able to get one or two of them to drop for a little snooze, too. And then our steel will take care of any that are left. I'm in!" Fa'zakar will sheathe both of his weapons and get his shortbow out and ready...he will then grab a pinch of fine sand from a pouch and stand ready to cast his spell on any group of ogres.
"We can try to set the slaves free - if they run it might give the guards something else to do besides gang up on us...IF they run." Fa'zakar replies as he searches the ogres. Grunting in disgust, he finishes and says to the group, "Nothing of value. Let's move."
"We should move away from this spot before others come to see what happened. Let me do a quick search of the ogres first, though. Never know what you might find!" Fa'zakar says before quickly searching the bodies.
Fa'zakar moves to his left, getting into a flanking position with Sulan, then stabs at the ogre with both weapons!
Finding himself in the back of the pack, Fa'zakar double moves through the wheat to close in on the ogre with Sulan and Victor. Now if he can avoid the monster's swinging...
Fa'zakar draws his weapons smoothly - a masterwork cold iron short sword in his left hand and a masterwork rapier in his right. He follows the sounds of the ogre guards, and is delighted when their outlines begin to glow. He will move to a flanking position on one of them if possible, and sneak attack it!
"Damn!" Fa'zakar exclaims under his breath. "Get ready for an ogre to come investigate Sulan's little slip-up. If we can take it down quietly before it raises an alarm, we should be alright..." he whispers to the group. He will then crouch in the field, gripping his weapons but not drawing them yet, ready to sneak attack a sentry or guard...
Although hampered at first by the near total darkness, Fa'zakar is sure-footed after spending many years perfecting his stealth... As he moves along, he keeps his ears open for ogres and bits of conversation that he might understand...
"Yes, that would be a great power to have! I am willing to follow any of you - I like moving in the dark - but not usually pitch black on my own. Shallwe, then?"
Once they link up with the rest of their group, the three scouts relay what they saw, how the prisoners appeared to head off at a loud bell or chime, the fence and how they cut the bottom strand. "So, do we go under the wire and do some more scouting in the dark? We have to cross about 20 to 30 feet of open area, with the fence in the middle, before we get back into the tall fields and out of sight. Or do you want to wait to morning?"
"Agreed - besides - they are probably getting antsy and would appreciate getting an update. We can come back after and look around some more, or maybe move in force. But let's head back and rest up a bit. We are in no hurry - yet."
As the sun sets, Fa'zakar smiles in triumph. His little trick seemed to work, and the ogres hadn't noticed. "It worked! We can crawl under now and scout further. Perhaps we should let the others know what we've found? Then all come back and get through the open area and into the wheat field...What do you think?"
Sorry - was on a business trip and the hotel computer had Paizo site blocked!! =\
"I'll see if I can cut through the bottom wire. If it's warded, this should let us know that while we're out here hiding and not in the open area. Hold on..." He draws his dagger, mumbles some arcane words, and the small blade drifts just above the cut grass towards the fence and a few feet to the right. You can see the dagger touch the bottom strand and start to move back and forth in rapid motion.
"Look, I have certain - arcane - skills that I may be able to use to cut the wires while we are still in the cover of the grass. Do you want me to try cutting it now so we can see if the ogres respond to it at all? If they do, we have a good chance of escaping..." he whispers again.
Fa'zakar looks for any ogres - they should be above the wheat fields and easy to spot. He also estimates the distance from the edge of grass they are hiding in to the fence, and the distance from the fence to the edge of the wheat field beyond. "We should wait for a while after things calm down to see if any guards come by...did you see any ogres or gillmen?" he whispers to Gwen and Victor.
Fa'zakar grins but shakes his head. "The real trick to stealth is not to get too close to the fighters, and have a team ready to take care of anyone chasing you..."
"Yes, a successful event requires planning and a decent site survey. I can be pretty quiet in the woods so I can go have a look and report back what I see if you want...although it would be better to have a back-up with me in case something goes awty."
When the last quip is translated Fa'zakar bursts out a quick laugh and says, "Oh yeah - these are my kind of people! I like them...tell them our knives are only for the water-people and the big stupid ogres. Maybe they can point us in the right direction to do that."
"They asked why I talk like a pest? Hahaha! That is a very good comparison! Tell them it helps to speak the tongue of pests so that you can keep them away from your home!" Fa'zakar says with a smile.
Fa'zakar also attempts to understand the creatures, testing a few dwarven and goblin phrases out on them...
"I think a light now would be in order..." Fa'zakar replies. "The voices beyond may not be enemies, though, so let's not start an incident by accident..."
After the voice speaks, Fa'zakar responds, "I would have him bound to his choice - never able to leave the temple he caused me to never be able to enter again."
Fa'zakar looks at the runes, and after his mutterings he exclaims, "Ah, Of course! Yes, if you transcribe these letters to the ancient Ubangi script, then juxtapose the palindromic signatures, it reads, 'If you be an ally, speak The Shadow Count's blessings and enter a home for the betrayed.' I wonder who the Shadow Count is?" This question leads to a discussion between Murob and Fa'zakar on the esoteric origins of the name, eventually leading them to realize that the moniker "Shadow Count" and the symbol carved above the portal refer to the holy symbol and an alternate name for a fey Eldest known as Count Ranalc, a Chaotic Neutral demigod of shadows, exiles, and betrayal. Slapping Murob on the shoulder, Fa'za explains to the rest of the group that this "blessing" likely refers to his method of worship, which is meditating in complete darkness, reflecting on those you wish to betray, or those who have betrayed you. "Put out the light, please. I have an idea!" When it is dark, he says aloud, "I was betrayed by Dru Colin, an apprentice in the temple where I spent my youth."
The man, who had been quietly trudging along with the group for several hours, finally moves up and examines the script and door. He mumbles something under his breath, moving his hands over the carved words, and then checks out the runic script again.
Well, everyone, today I leave for a two-week trip to Morocco! Because of the out-of-the-way places our trip will be going, I will most likely be completely off-grid until May 12th. Please bot Fa'zakar as your friendly neighborhood rogue! He prefers shooting at range, especially if he can get a sneak attack in. If he's up close he dual-wields his rapier and shortsword when possible, again looking for flanks and sneak attacks. His spells are something he tries to hide and uses them more for flavor and safety than anything else. Thanks, and look forward to catching up with you all!
Figured it was his new nickname for me =)
Fa'zakar moves slowly up the path, scouting ahead and to the flanks. He has difficulty with several of the steeper slopes, and spends more time looking for an easier path than watching for enemies, but he is exceptionally quiet while stumbling about...
"To the heights, then!" Fa'zakar will join the group heading inland, his bow drawn and strung. "I can scout ahead a bit if you want. I am used to walking alone in the wilds, looking for herbs and fungi..." He will move about 20 feet ahead and 15 feet to the left of the group, occasionally moving around to check the other flank and the area behind them.
"I like the cover of the trees, but not enough to tackle that climb, I think..." Fa'zakar replies. "Maybe we can stay in cover as we skirt the mountain?"
After their morning meal, Fa'zakar straps on a short sword, a rapier, and slings a shortbow across his back. His studded leather armor looks exceptionally well crafted, and maintained, for just an herbalist... Climbing over the bow and landing with a small splash in the waist deep water, he makes his way towards the shore, pulling the bow out and nocking an arrow as he gets closer to dry land.
Fa'zakar discovers that Victor also likes to cook, and helps him prepare a meal for the crew. Maybe some fresh fish, a bit of salt, maybe some citrus fruit if they have a lemon or lime, and these wonderful pungent but flavorful leaves that he can crush up and sprinkle on the skin side of the fillets... If they have a cook fire, that is!
Fa'zakar will find an opportunity to find where those who dove in hung their wet clothes to dry, and cast prestidigitation when no one is looking to dry them completely, and remove any bits of seaweed, sticks, dried salt, or whatever else would chafe or make them uncomfortable... "I can not see well in the dark, but we do have torches. Although I think waiting for the sunrise might at least put us on a level field, so to speak."
Hey - I'm in Morocco from 1-10 May! Cool =) I'm also at a church retreat this coming weekend and will not have any access, so please bot me as needed during both of these periods!
Fa'zakar makes sure that Gwen gets back aboard, as she is the one person he has known the longest here. Which isn't very long in the scope of even a human's life, but still...he wants to cultivate his friendships in this new land! "You alright, there? Pretty brave thing you did, diving in like that! You should get out of those wet clothes before they start to chafe...I wonder if they have any dry ones around? Give them to me when you're out of them - I'll make sure they get dry while you get something hot to eat."
"Not even the best spices could make that awful thing worth eating!" Fa'zakar says as he helps the others clamber aboard. Once everyone is safely on deck, he will douse the light spell to help the ship stay hidden from the shore. "I hope we haven't been spotted already..." he mumbles.
Fa'zakar takes the bow from his back, nocks an arrow, and sends it towards the devilfish!
Fa'zakar is startled by the sudden attack!. He draws his rapier and short sword, then looks towards the setting sun and hesitates a moment... We want to stay unnoticed...but I have to be able to see this accursed beast if I am to have any chance to fight it...damn it all!
Fa'zakar will help out wherever he can, even talking with Victor about spices and herbs for cooking, telling him that some have medicinal properties as well. He also shares his rather large supply of hot pepper powder, saying it will add a nice heat to the fish if added in the proper amounts! Once they reach the island, the young human quietly agrees with the plan to hide the boat and try to sneak in. "Maybe, by coming from the back of the island, we can catch the ogres one at a time rather than facing many of them at once! But they might be able to see in the dark, so I'm not sure if moving at night is a good or bad thing for us."
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