Gavin Hawkins's page

Gavin sat quietly smoking his cigarette as the others him-hawed back and forth about what they were going to do. He didn't really care what the others chose to do, he was going to meet with their representative first. They had been sent there for a reason, and he was almost completely sure that partying with the locals wasn't it. As much as he'd love to spend time with himself and a bottle of whiskey, he knew that he owed the Marshal Wellness center a lot for what they gave to him and he was more than willing to repay them however they needed to.

His attention was piqued when Dorrigan was interrupted by a younger officer saying that they needed help. What situation is so bad that they need the head of watch to oversee it? Don't they have other officers for that? Not to mention the mass of other guards that approached them yesterday... He feigned ignorance to the situation, though, and went back to focusing on his cigarette.

He was able to hold that facade for a moment longer before both Naneko and Bora exploded, almost quite literally in Bora's case, in a fit of yelling. He glared at both of them, but his gaze held over Bora the longest. Rising to his feet, he put out his cigarette and straightened his hat on his head. He walked past Bora and the young man, stopping to lean in to whisper to the young man, "I'd do what she says," He widened his eyes and tapped the side of his head with his index and middle fingers, "She's not right in the head."

He stepped out the door and approached Roland. "I don't like walking into this as blind as we are. We're in an all new land that we know nothing about, involving ourselves in disputes we have no stakes in, and ignoring why we're actually here." He kicked some dirt up and continued, "I'll go, if only because if the guardsmen needed help, then you all may need help. But I'm just letting it be known that I don't like this."

Gavin woke slowly into a panic. Waking up in a hospital bed made him feel as if the past few days had all been a terrible dream his mind fabricated in combination of a real want to be whole again and childhood stories. Once he saw his new arm and that the hospital he was in wasn't his old one, the panic subsided. Just not enough to stop him from rolling a cigarette and taking a swig from his whiskey bottle. At least whoever dumped him in the middle of nowhere with the crazies had enough decency to leave him his personal effects.

After shaking off the panic and getting dressed, he moved through the halls to find the kitchen with Bora, Roland, Derrigan, and Naneko already there. He came in just in time to hear the tail end of Naneko's rant. He grinned as he pulled out a seat at the table to eat and said, "I believe in this city it may be a bottle that drops you, not "Mother", Naneko."

He turned to Dorrigan and continued with, "Speaking of which, is there any special events for the festival planned today? I know we need to report to Hawcroft, but we may be able to enjoy the city after our meeting with our hostess."

Gavin nods in thanks to Dorrigan and returns to the masks to pick his. After another quick look over, he finds one that resembles a wolf with harsh, angular features. The steel mask seemed to be a perfect fit, almost like it was made for him. Without reading too much into it, though, he donned the mask and followed after the others.

Once they safely made it to the hospital, though, Gavin removes the mask and sits on a bed out of the way of all the doctors and nurses as they tend to Naneko. He wasn't going anywhere tonight. He'd stay and make sure that Naneko was okay in the morning.

Gavin remained silent with his hand on his hilt. He seemed to have relaxed slightly, but his eyes were still narrowed in skepticism at the half-orc. This whole situation stunk terribly to him. Why was everyone left in the dark when dealing with this blasted company? For the time being, though, he kept his mouth shut. Being in front of all the staring people, it was not the time to start spilling the beans about their employers or their experiments. But if the others wanted to let loose the dogs of gossip about them in this town, then he'd let them. It wasn't his place to tell the others what to do.

As the hound-masked men emerge to confront them, Gavin's smile quickly fades. Instead, his face is painted with the sterness that he acquired with years in the field. His hand reflexively drops to his hilt, but instead of grasping it, he merely lays his palm on top of it. If this situation turned ugly in a hurry, he'd be ready for it.

Even when the half-orc woman emerged from the crowd to "protect" them, his hand remained steady. He didn't like the way this was going at all. He remained silent, though, allowing the scene to play out.

Gavin's face breaks into a wide grin when they enter the city at the sight of the festival going on. Maybe their tough time had finally ended. Maybe they could finally relax and enjoy their new way of life. Even if they were somewhere they had never seen before, they could still finally get out there and mingle with other people. Plus he had always loved seeing new places. It was part of the reason he had joined the army in the first place. Wanderlust and the call of the road had always been deeply rooted in him.

His grin continued when they were greeted by the shop keeper. "Well met, sir!" He meandered over to the stall and began to peruse the masks with the girls. If everyone was supposed to partake in the festival it might do them well to buy a few masks to help blend in. Looking over them, he listened to the man explain the festival and the masks to them. If these are all the dangerous creatures, then there has to be a wolf mask here somewhere...

Before he could continue to search, though, Roland produced the fox mask from one of the "daughters" they had killed earlier. He burst into a fit of laughter at the sight of the man stumbling back. He offers the man his hand to help him up and said to him, "No, not quite, but we did get to meet them. They seemed like a rotten group, and I assume from your reaction that you folk aren't too fond of them either."

Gavin pulled up the rear once they reached the city. He spat at the ground in front of him when Bora mentioned the series of events leading up to their arrival. "Right. And probably be arrested and executed in the process."

He allowed the view of the city to wash over him. It reminded him of the small hamlets he often passed through on patrols, but on a much grander scale. If anything, he thought the city was beautiful compared to the smoke and sewage choked streets he had just recently left behind. And he was ready to finally sleep in a bed. After a moment more of gawking, he said, "Well, we might as well go in. Not much is going to happen if we just stand here and stare at it all day."

Gavin stretched and rose to the sound of Naneko flying off the handle again. This time her assault was directed toward Bora, though. Gods, we are the most unorganized group of misfits. he thought as he straightened out his clothing and stopped by the fire to grab something to eat. He kept his mouth shut for the time being. No sense causing more problems than needed.

He had just finished up eating when Roland returned to the cave and broke the news to them that their guide wasn't going to be with them anymore. Gavin wasn't surprised really. It wasn't like they were the most welcoming group. Coupled with the fact that half, if not all, of them were insane, and Gavin wasn't surprised he hadn't left sooner.

He rolled a cigarette and lit it from the embers of the fire and said, "So, does that mean we're going to head to town?"

Gavin dropped his bag inside the cave and sat down next to it, emptying the loot they had taken from the fox-girls. He quickly divided it all evenly, gold, jewels, and amulets, among everyone in the group. Lastly, he pulled the trail rations out and placed them in the middle of camp for anyone who needed them.

Then, he took one of the rations and Naneko's share of the loot, minus an amulet since she already had one, and placed them near her. He moved over to Bora with her share and said, "Here's the spoils of our battle. If there's a particular piece of jewelry you'd want out of the other shares take it. Just be sure you replace it with something of equal value."

He then moved over to Amy and sat down near her, handing her share to her. "Same thing to you." After and moment, he continued with, "Did the graft not fix your tongue? Or do you just not like the company?" He gave her a wry smile to let her know he was joking.

Gavin shakes his head to Roland and says, "It seems you might be weighed down enough right now with that extra hardware. I can carry the rest of this stuff. Don't worry, I have it separated. We'll all get our fair share. Though, that does give me an idea."

He moved over to Naneko, pulling one of the amulets out from his bag. The +2 amulet of natural armor He kneels down next to her and gently drops the necklace around her neck. "She seems to need this a little more than we do right now."

He looked to the others and said, "Right, so Bora and Roland will watch us from above and Rourke and myself will keep Naneko safe down here." he turned to Amy, "It's up to you whether you want to stay down here with us or go up with the others. I'm ready to move whenever you all are."

Gavin collected the amulets, gold and jewels For the Loot!: 3d10 ⇒ (5, 10, 7) = 22, and the trail rations and placed them each in his bag. He'd divvy-up the gold and amulets among them later. Then he grabbed the flintlock and carried over to Roland. "It might be too far gone to save, but a gun's a gun. We might need it."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

He looked over at Rourke with skepticism. The man didn't look like he would be much use at carrying the girl, but he'd been proved wrong before. With the skepticism creeping into his voice, he said to the man, "Right... we should get moving now. But I think it best if we stick to the valley. We might have a difficult time pulling Naneko up the cliff again. Unless someone wants to go up and gather the herbs we need to heal her, that is. Whatever we decide, let us decide it quickly. I don't want to be here when "Father" decides to look for his wife." He gave a quick kick to the side of the dead Mother's head for added emphasis.

The rest happened before Gavin could even react. The rest of the party wiped out the daughters before they seemed to appear even. They fell like flies flying into a bonfire, dropping before they could even cause serious damage past what mother dealt out.

With the finality of the fight, Gavin shook his head to Roland. "I skipped corpsman training. I was never good at medicine. Though, if these folks were in the business of robbing people, they might have picked up something that could help her."

Gavin moves from body to body, searching them for anything that might help the party.

Gavin swore under his breath again as the fox-girl's "Mother" appeared in all her grotesque glory. Of course! We couldn't just get attacked by normal bandits! We have to get attacked by a hodgepodge of monstrous marauders!

Gavin rushed forward next to Naneko and leveled his blade to strike the charging monster (Ready attack) and called out to "Mother", "Stop, or die!"

If mother continues her charge: Attack

Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Damage: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Gavin drew his sword and swore under his breath as Naneko and Bora just attacked the newcomers. He lowered his sword towards the ground and called out to the final woman, "Don't move or you'll join your friends. What do you really want? Answer truthfully or we'll put you to the blade."

Gavin removed his hat and sat on the edge of the crevasse, using his arm-sleeve to whipe the sweat from his brow. Yes... months in a hospital definitely didn't help trekking in the wild.

He let a long whistle out when Amy did what she did, not quite understanding what it was for, but catching the drift that they probably shouldn't fall down the hole. Gavin instinctively recoiled from the edge of the cliff. He wasn't afraid of heights, but he didn't like being reminded of the very real possibility of falling to his death while perched on the edge of a cliff.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

I guess Gavin shoulda got the eye enhancement :/

Gavin doesn't notice anything particularly helpful, so instead keeps his eyes on the forest they had just emerged from. Without taking his eyes away from the forest, he asked Rourke, "How long do we have? I'm assuming not long, so we should probably find a way down soon."

Gavin woke last among the group. For some reason he was even more tired than he had thought. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't traveled as much since leaving the army, or perhaps he was just getting old. Either way, he planned on remedying it the next night.

He awoke and ate a bit of food that was offered by Rourke, thanking him graciously. Then he pulled tobacco from his bag and rolled himself a cigarette, using an ember from the fire to light it to save his tindertwigs. He sat there smoking for a bit, just taking in the wilderness and the soft chatting between the rest of the party. If there was anything he missed the most about the outside world, it was waking up with a camp of compatriots and just taking in the world around him before getting moving.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

He turned his head towards the sound of the howl and frowned as Rourke warned them about the beast. I guess there's danger no matter where you live. he thought with displeasure. As the others questioned their guide, Gavin finished up getting ready. He drew his sword and made sure it was clean, checked his gear in his bag, and straightened his tricorn hat. Once he was satisfied, he looked to Rourke and said, "Ready."

Gavin follows along in relative silence, taking in both their strange surroundings and the information being fed to them from their new guide. If I could just remember why we're here, all of this would be so much easier.

When they finally came to a stop, Gavin finally speaks up. While glancing over the stones he asks, "Why won't they stay here? What superstitions could possibly scare them that much?" He didn't like this place, but he trusted Roruke if he said there was nothing to fear. Gavin didn't believe in a lot of folk tales, though he probably should have started soon since they were quite literally living in one now.

"Ikarida... it sounds good enough to me. Lead the way."

He can see Gavin's iron wrist between where his jacket ends and his gloves start.

Gavin relaxed a bit. The Mourns... I guess whoever left us out here couldn't go the extra mile and drop us in The Land of Rainbows... or even just in Barrjka for that matter. The name didn't ring any bells in his head, but that didn't mean much. Hopefully, the others knew where it could be.

He leveled his eyes on Rourke and said, "I guess we're trying to get back to Barrjka. That's where we're from originally. But right now I think we'd just settle for a roof over our heads. Are there any towns with inns nearby?"

Gavin waits until the man reveals himself before placing his sword back in its sheathe. He walks around the tree to reveal himself unarmed, much like the man did himself. It wouldn't hurt to have at least one person not threatening the trapper with a weapon. Besides, if something did happen, the others would be ready for it.

He smiled at the man and said, "Well met, Rourke. Don't worry about your quarry, we weren't going to steal it from you. We are... well, we're... I guess the simplest answer is that we're lost. You wouldn't happen to know where we are would you?" Gavin didn't see the point in lying to the man. Whether he would help or not, they would move forward.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Gavin stopped dead in his tracks when he caught a slight glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eyes. He quickly looked around to see Roland had his musket up and ready. He side-stepped towards a tree and placed his back against it. Hopefully, the tree would provide at least a little cover for him if whatever was in the bushes was a gunman.

He nodded in agreement with Roland and Naneko and whispered back, "I think we should either let it pass or wait for it to come out. There's no point in us turning out backs to it if it is a threat. Or we can try to flush it out..." He let the last comment hang in the air for them to consider.

Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
In case we end up in combat.

Gavin nodded in agreement with Roland. "And whoever laid that trap might not be too happy with their quarry being interfered with. I say we leave it be." Gavin began to skirt around the beast and added, "It may be a good sign, though. Whoever laid that trap may be able to tell us where we are." To himself he thought, That is, of course, if they aren't gnolls or worse.

Gavin allowed each of them to get their introductions out of the way and the few questions they had for each other for the time being, but he was ready to get moving. He didn't want to stay out here any longer than they absolutely had to, especially since they had now idea where "here" was. He kept scanning the woods while they talked, keeping an eye out for anything that might either help them or do them harm.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Eventually, he said, "Right, so now that we have the introductions out of the way, shall we get moving? I don't know about you guys but I'd rather not be out here by nightfall. We can socialize on the way to the clearing." With that, he waited for the others to ready themselves then set off in the direction of the clearing he saw. He drew his sword to help clear away vegetation and in case they were attacked by something.

Gavin swore at himself under his breath when he reached as high as he could go. He couldn't see much, but it was better than nothing. He decided he should probably tell the others. He grabbed a handful of leaves before climbing back down.

Not sure if you want a check for the climb back down or not, so here's one anyway.
Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

Once back on the ground, Gavin held the small branch of leaves out to Bora and, with a wink, said, "You're bouquet, milday." He turned to the others and said, "I couldn't see much, but there's a clearing about an hour's travel from here. It might be worth checking out."

Gavin nodded to Roland as he spoke about their environment. "You're probably right about the magic. Though, in all honesty I don't have much experience with the stuff," he says with a nervous smile.

He again nods when Roland speaks, "You're right, introductions probably will help," He sheathes his sword and tips his hat at the others, Captain Gavin Hawkins of the 1st battalion out of Barrjka.

He looks around himself and says, "While you guys get acquainted, I'm going to see if I can get a better view." He walks up to a nearby tree and begins to climb it, yet another way to test his new arm.

Climb: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
If he reaches the top, Gatsby, he's going to look around for anything helpful.
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Gavin pressed his lips together as he reached an area that he could easily see Naneko thrashing about from. I guess she's not in as much trouble as I thought. He thought just as Bora leaned in behind him to whisper to him. So silence has gone out the window he thought with a sigh. Without taking his eyes off of Naneko he whispered back, "I don't remember her name, but I do remember her from the garden."

He looked back at Bora quizzically when she made the comment about the group needing crazy. Really? this from the girl who laughed maniacally when she could see again? he thought, but bit his tongue when he went to vocalize it. Instead, he said, "You're right, if she is mentally ill, scaring her won't do much good."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
For Roland. It would appear you just can't escape my dice rolls, friend lol

Gavin stood from his hiding place and called out to Naneko, "It's ok. We're from the hospital, remember? Do you have any idea where we are?" He kept his sword drawn, but pointed downward. He had seen someone watching them earlier and didn't want to be... There he is again! This time, Gavin got a better look at the man tailing them. He was sure it was the bounty hunter of the Long Eye he had talked to in the garden and the only one out of the group he truly remembered because of that conversation.

He started to move towards Naneko, and spotted the girl with the missing jaw leaning up against a tree on his way. He called out to her, "Come on. We won't bite. We need to figure out where we are and five heads are better than one," he thought a moment before continuing, "And Roland you might as well come out too. No sense having us all run from place to place trying to have a conversation."

He stopped a few feet away from Naneko and waited for the others to join them. "Now, does anyone have any idea on where we are? Because I can't remember a damned thing."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
To notice Roland

Gavin listened to Bora while she ranted about not knowing where she was. He didn't speak until after she finished her rant completely then, "I haven't been able to quite figure out where we are yet, but I agree a guide would be helpful. Though, last time I checked guides of the nose poking variety are hard to come by. I'm not quite sure why the Marshall Wellness Corporation would give us these great gifts and then just dump us in the middle of nowhere. It doesn't make much sense to..." He trailed off when he heard a twig snap under Roland's feet as the bounty hunter moved into position. He sidestepped, placing the direction of the twig snapping on his right and Bora on his left so that he could focus on the woods near where he heard the twig but still keep Bora in his peripherals.

He stood there in silence for a moment listening and scanning the woods.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
For Naneko
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
For Amy

Listening intently, he heard the sound of someone shouting in the distance. Something about taking her back to the hospital. Gavin recognized the voice, but couldn't put a face to it. Like most of his memories from the garden, this one was a little bit fuzzy. Keeping his eyes on the woods, he whispered to Bora, "We aren't alone here. Not by a long shot. It sounds like one of our fellow patients is in trouble though. I'm going to check it out. It'd be nice if you could accompany me in case I bite off a little more than I can chew. Stay low, and stay quiet."

With that, Gavin leaves Bora, whether she follows him or tries to strike out on her own is up to her. He cautiously begins moving towards the sound of the shouting, trying to move as quietly as possible and using the underbrush as cover.

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Stealth for moving into a position to better see Naneko's problem and perception to actually get eyes on her.

Gavin was just about to just choose a direction at random when he heard a familiar voice calling out. Apparently our scientist was chosen as well for this experiment. He grins at this. Even if she was a bit... eccentric, it was good to know that he wasn't completely alone.

He began to move towards the sound of her shouts, allowing the terrified wildlife running in the opposite direction to be his guide. While he moved through the brush, with his sword out just in case they weren't alone in these woods, he studied his surroundings to try and figure out where exactly he was.

Know. Geo.: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11

Finally, he reached the area that Bora was standing in. He lowered the tip of his sword towards the ground, gave a charming smile and wave with his off hand to her, and called out, "G'day, milady. A quite terrified little birdie told me you've got your sight back as it flew by at break-neck speeds away from this place. Do you know how we got here? I must've hit my head recently because all I recall is the garden..."

Gavin slowly came to from his unconsciousness. Gods, what happened? he thought as he slowly tried to bring himself to his feet. His head pounded like someone had hit him over it with a mallet and his body ached in the same way that it did after his first week of basic training. Absentmindedly, he reached for his backpack on the ground and...

What the...

He stopped midway to grabbing it to realize he was reaching with his right arm. The one that had been amputated. He stripped his muddy sleeve back to reveal an arm composed of what appeared to be iron. He stood there a moment, completely mesmerized by it. He kept bending it back and forth, opening and closing the fingers into a fist, and rolling his shoulder. He quickly grasped the hilt of his saber o his hip and drew it out with the arm. He stood in the small clearing dueling an invisible enemy for a moment more. Parry, parry, parry, RIPOSTE! A smile crossed his face when the final blow killed the imaginary enemy in front of him. The arm was awkward but completely responsive. It would take some getting used to, but he was sure that he could eventually get it up to par with his original arm.

Once he sheathed his sword again and pulled his pack and bow onto his back, he decided to look around. The forest around him was unlike any he had ever seen. Roses populated the underbrush and trees towered above him, but not even a hint of green upon any of them. At first he thought it was just snow, but upon further inspection he realized there was no snow.

What did I get myself into...

He looked around, trying to find either a path that led him to this small clearing or a good direction to start heading in. He needed answers and he wasn't going to get them just standing there stabbing made up monsters all day.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

If you hit the preview button it'll show you the results in your post preview

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6

Gavin listened as the others swapped stories in silence. Roger's in particular didn't seem quite right. I guess the Marshall Wellness Corporation isn't very discriminate in their choices for this little experiment. he thought with a humpf. The others each had their own sob stories that Gavin had true empathy towards, but not much shock. After all, they all had to be here for one reason or another.

What did shock him was when Jack spoke up. "Wait, you're the smallest in your tribe? I thought you were an orc not a mountain giant!"

So long as Roland doesn't end up with a cohort named Eddie of Deans I'll be ok. It'd be even funnier if you had lost most of your right hand >.> And I'm pretty sure I've been reading all of John's posts in John Wayne's voice.

Gavin nodded to the judge. "I meant no offense. I know all too well the power of a well aimed musket,"[/b] again he knocked on his prosthetic arm, "And I've come to welcome the rolling thunder of a platoon of muskets firing in unison and the smell of gunpowder in the air. I'm just saying that it's not for me."

Gavin doesn't flinch away from the gruesome wound. After years in the service he had himself seen wounds of that kind and others. He did however nod solemnly at Baldwin's statement. "Through one way or another. Otherwise we wouldn't be here."

He stares for a moment at the judge, not quite sure if he believes the man or not, but not willing to push the subject any further. It obviously perturbed him. Instead, he said, "Guns, nasty things. I've never been much of a shot with them outside of basic training with them. And the reason not is exactly the reason you two just stated. They're too unpredictable for my taste. That's why I've always stuck to my da's crossbow whenever a my blade wouldn't do. Silent and just as deadly in the right hands. Not to mention faster."

He runs his face over his freshly shaven chin and continues his revelry, "Though, truth be told, I can say nothing quite beats the feel of steel in your hands. The intimacy of swordplay is a skill seldom retained in this day and age. Give me a good saber any day of the week when I still had my sword arm and I could give the worst of the denizens of the Badlands a run for their money."

Hahaha nice!

"Yes, that was his name! One nasty brute who was deadly with a pair of pistols! I'm glad he enjoyed his time with us. It's not every day that we get someone from the outside who actually enjoys working along side of us. I've got some real horror stories of spooks from the Royal Intelligence Corps coming in and making our lives hell." He gave a wry smile. It was nice to finally be able to talk to a man who knew his trade as well after months being stuck in the hospital.

He nodded to Roland's comment about coincidence and responded, "Aye, it is." He rolled up his right sleeve revealing his dreadful wooden prosthetic and said, "I lost it in a skirmish a few miles out of Barrjka. Apparently, a few gnolls decided it was time to test the perimeter of our fine city. They laid and ambush and took us completely by surprise. In the confusion I was shot from my horse and dragged the hell out of there. By the time I woke my arm was gone. According to the battlefield surgeon, it was either lose the arm or bleed out on the table and since I wasn't exactly conscious at the time, they didn't ask me my opinion.

And what of you? How does one of the realm's bounty hunters end up in this pisshole?" he asked. Oh yes, this was more enjoyment than he'd had in a long while.

Gavin's eyebrow's raised at the mention of The Long Eye bounty hunter company. He turned to Roland and said, "The Long Eye's, eh? That's quite impressive. When I was stationed in Rowleech we had a member of your organization join us in a hunt for a goblin warchief who had been sending his troops to smash against the walls with fire bombs. I have to say he made a lot of my men look quite terrible to the higher-ups." He smiled as he remembered how the man had played tug-of-war with a group of goblins after they attempted to drag Private Jenkins down one of their holes. The game was won by the hunter shooting the last goblin trying to drag Jenkins down the hole in the face followed by the hunter rolling one of the goblins grenados down the hole after them. But I'm being rude. I'm Captain Gavin Hawkins, formerly officer of the 1st battalion stationed here in Barrjka. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He didn't offer the man a handshake because the man was obviously blind. A shame really, if he truly was the lead bounty hunter, he must have been a force to be reckoned with before whatever accident placed him in the hospital.

His lips pressed into a hard thin line and turned to John and Jack. "Yes... well met," he forced himself to say to the hulking brute. There was no reason not to be at least civil with the beast.

Wow... a couple of hours of sleep and a few chores later and I'm way behind lol

Gavin nodded when Sallrana spoke of her husband. 'For the duty of the realm'... interesting. I may have to talk to her later about her husband... After helping Bora find her seat, he took a step back from the bench to stand next to the Judge. His eyebrows rose when Sallrana corrected him and thought, A judge, not a father. This place seems to hold all sorts of people these days.

He stood silently as the others continued their conversation, still rubbing at his shoulder. He stayed that way until the giant orc rolled out onto the pavilion. Instinctively, he tried to reach for his sword on his hip with his right arm, but the prosthetic bumped across his torso lifelessly. He silently cursed his luck, but thought it ended well enough. It was poor taste to draw on a cripple, even one with such monstrous a heritage such as this one's. He sighed and thought, All sorts of people...

He introduced himself to the others as they made their way into the rose garden, but for the most part he remained silent. He kept looking over at the orc, expecting him to attack, but one never came. He should have probably place his prejudices aside, but they were so engraved in him he just couldn't. Years of fighting the monstrous denizens of the realm would do that to a man.

He turned his attention away from the brute for a moment to stare quizzically at Bora when she mentioned punishing nature and thought, My, she is an odd one, isn't she?

Finally, a large man was wheeled out into the garden with the rest and simply said 'mornin' to them before an orderly cleaned him up. Gavin frowned slightly and thought, A pitiful way to live. It would seem there are many who are much worse off than I am in this place. He tilted his hat to the man and said, "Morning, sir," before continuing Bora's thought about helping each other, "I guess you could say we make each other whole." He flashed a smile that only a few of them would be able to see at what he thought was a clever whip.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6

Gavin looked at Sallrana and grinned grimly, "Aye, that would be the skirmish that put me in the hospital of hard knocks." He used his good hand to knock twice on the hollow wooden prosthetic where his right arm use to be.

He turned to Baldwin and nodded. "That does make sense. But then why use us? Why not use ex-lumber workers who could be put right back on the job? I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't know much of anything about lumber work other than it's needed and that it involves chopping down trees." He finished his cigarette and crushed the remains under his boot. "It just doesn't add up to me."

Gavin turned his head to see two more had joined them. A lot of new faces today. I guess I'm not as social as I thought here. He gave a quick bow of his head to John and said, It's a pleasure, Father. The name's Hawkins. Don't see many men of the cloth these days."

Seeing Bora standing there, Gavin got to his feet and said, "Here, miss. You can take my seat, if you'd like." He gently touched her arm at the elbow to help her find her seat if she wanted. If not it didn't matter, he'd stand anyway. It would not do to stay seated when a lady stood. He absentmindedly rubbed at his right shoulder where his arm had been cut off. The phantom pains had all but ceased, but every now and again the arm would still give him phantom irritation. He hoped the man would get there soon so the meeting could get under way.

Gavin smiled at the lady and quickly pulled his cigarette from his mouth and placed it between the dead prosthetic fingers of his right hand. He then reached out his only good hand and said, "Captain Gavin Hawkins 1st battalion," his smile faded slightly and he added, "Well... formerly. Pleased to meet you, ma'am."

Before he could reach for his cigarette again another wheelchair bound patient showed up and asked about the meeting. Gavin allowed the lady to answer him and then introduced himself when she finished. He nodded his agreement with the lad's optimism and added, "Aye, but it is a bit odd. Don't ya think?" He pulled his cigarette from his prosthetic, took another drag from it, and added,"I mean, why do you think a lumber company wants to fund a medical experiment?"

Posting for inspection. This is Raven. I know I said I had a gunslinger, but I wanted to try out the swashbuckler really badly. So here's Gavin.