Hern Goff's page

Hern Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Duncan Perception, scent: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Initiative (Hern): 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (11) + 0 = 11
Initiative (Duncan): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

Hern chuckles nervously, teeth clenched in a forced grin. "Goblins? You don't say? And here I was hoping it might be just a clever ruse..."

As the crashing in the underbrush starts, Hern moves towards Duncan, planting himself at a point where he can take a brunt of the attack before they rush his dog and the family members in the back.

He barks back towards the front of the wagon, expression turned much more serious. "Utor! Don't let their chanting get to you! We'll lay down our lives before we let them touch you or your family! Just protect Chella and the babe!"

I've realized that I just assumed that when the drizzling began to become truly miserable, Chella and the boy would've moved into the back of the wagon. Hopefully that's not a huge deal.

Also, I'm not sure how you'd like to cover Duncan in combat, Wayne. Would you like him to take his turn on Hern's initiative, or should I handle their turns separately? I've included an init roll for Duncan just in case.

As a Trapper, no he doesn't.

From the UMD description:

Use a Wand, Staff, or Other Spell Trigger Item: Normally, to use a wand, you must have the wand's spell on your class spell list. This use of the skill allows you to use a wand as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list. Failing the roll does not expend a charge.

So if someone does have UMD, they can give it a try. I don't know if anyone has any ranks in it, though.

Hern looks torn. He glances towards the area of Satara's disappearance and then back towards the wagon. "We cannot leave the wagon unprotected. Duncan, defend!" Hern points towards Chella and the babe, and Duncan goes to guard near the back portion of the wagon, ears still flattened and looking unhappy about being relegated here when danger is about.

"Our priority is the family. The enemy, if that is what it is, seem to be all about. Let us see if we can progress any farther before an attack, but if no time is left, we make our stand here!"

Hern draws his longsword and shield.

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30

Oh, jeez. The gameplay threads didn't update for me again. That was happening in another campaign, nearly missed a week's worth of posts. Glad I caught it earlier this time.

Aye. Evil's on the prowl, and we've got work to do.

But yes, I think that commitment works very well. Obviously we're not setting any speed records, but I think if everyone can manage that, we'll survive. Slaying evil at a leisurely pace is just as good as at a breakneck one, in my opinion.

I'm also curious.

To be honest, I'm finding myself a little weary of this. A slow pace is fine, but a complete stop with no warning isn't. It may just be too difficult to keep this going at the moment, and that's okay, but we need to know.

I'd like to continue this campaign, and I'd like to have it be a regular (if slow) game, but just judging by our progress so far that doesn't seem to be feasible.

I think the most foolish thing to do would be to say that we're once again starting up, only to fall flat. Either there is a firm commitment to play and we hold ourselves to it, or we accept that it just isn't working and set it aside.

I've changed my Tactician feat from Paired Opportunists to Pack Attack and updated some of my equipment.

Which, uh, probably shouldn't've taken that long. My bad.

The inquisitor gets a fair number of healing spells. Remove Fear/Curse/Paralysis/Disease, Lesser Restoration and regular Restoration, and every Cure spell up to Mass Cure Moderate Wounds. Obviously the cleric has the healing advantage, especially with its ability to leave spell slots open and prepare new ones when something comes up. The real problem is that a lot of these are simply scroll spells, and you shouldn't waste Spells Known on them. This could be an issue, depending on how much we're in town. It seems a wilderness heavy game (at least early on), so we may rarely get the chance to pick any up.

But I think we can manage for the most part, especially with a wand handy. It might be interesting to see how we fair with a relatively low magic group.

Overall what I think would be best is to just continue on. We keep going, try and get into a rhythm, and when/if something comes up that we are just sorely lacking, we can reopen recruitment again.

I don't know how hopeful I am of his posting. His last was in July. To be honest, I'm concerned for the fate of this game in its totality.

"Indeed we will..." Hern mutters, scanning the area around them warily. He whistles for Duncan, who, tuned to the pitch of Hern's whistles, pricks up his ears and takes to sniffing the vicinity.

Perception (Hern): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Perception (Duncan), scent: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Hern looks to Utor, and then back at Leon, his face rather worried. This lasts only a moment, however, as soon he is smiling at the newcomer and moves towards the man, stretching out his arm to shake as he does so. "Well, welcome! I am Hern Goff." Here he whistles, and the huge light brown dog comes bounding around the carriage and up to Hern's side, panting as he sits by his master's side. "And this is Duncan, my constant companion. As for helping, well, I'm not quite sure. We've only just arrived, you see? Utor - is there any way we can assist with the preparations?"

Hern gestures around to his companions. "We've been brought on as guards for this young family. Obviously you're not under the same obligation to put yourself at risk for them, but as you seek safety within our group, I - we - expect you to assist in the defense of it."

That's what I'm doing, yes. If they don't appear soon, I'll make a more thorough post, having Hern respond to Leon.

Hern stops in his approach towards the caravan, looking at the visitor in mild surprise. "Greetings, friend. You're wise to seek companionship on your journey. These are dangerous times. However, I would defer our answer to the one who sought our assistance in the first place. Utor, what do you think?"

Hern gives a quizzical glance around to his companions, those of whom that know the true intentions of this journey.

Yeah, I think it was a universal problem.

Good evening (it's rather late here)!

I'm glad to see you here. And that Wayne lightened up a bit about having original characters (kidding, kidding). We've been a bit slow getting off the ground, but hopefully now that we've got some fresh blood and everyone's ready and committed, it will pick up.

Oh, and it's nice to meet you.

Hern waves at the assembled group. His weapons, aside from his longsword, hanging in its sheath, and his longspear, held in his right hand, are wrapped up in thick cloth and bundled over his backpack. He has covered himself in a sturdy dark green cloak, and he smiles out from beneath the cowl. "Greetings, everyone. How goes the day?"

Duncan bounds alongside Hern, and when they reach the wagon, he frolics up to it and takes to sniffing vigorously about the area.

I know this would be more difficult to fit in with regards to continuity, but perhaps we shouldn't demand they take on the name of one of the others? Is there no way we could fit in 2 original characters?

"... I understand. You seek to exact what punishment these things deserve upon them. I will not deny you this. I appreciate the conclusions you have drawn of me, but do not mistake this: I am a huntsman. I will track and scent and kill. I have come here to defend those who cannot do it themselves, but I spare no mercy for those who may wish them harm. If it were bandits or other similar villains, I would be more lenient. It is as our patron said - they only attempt to appease their greed. But we do not find ourselves confronting such simplicity. Worse things are at play, and we can spare no second chances with such malevolent folk." Here, as if uncomfortable with the rather somber tone of the conversation, Duncan whines loudly at Hern's feet. Hern pauses briefly to calm the dog, scratching at his ears and underneath his muzzle.

"It may well be that we will disagree. It is doubtful that the first of our problems will be the foes we seek. If we do encounter something that we cannot agree on - well, it could spark some discomfort between us. But perhaps this prior understanding will cool tempers. I certainly hope it will be so."

He smiles at Graven, nodding a couple of times as if to assure himself that he left the impressions he intended to, and then turns to Damien. "If you wish to watch over them, then be my guest. Be warned, that Utor seemed to have rather an independent streak. There's a fine line between protecting and coddling, and I do not wish to cross it so soon. It may be necessary in the future, as the risks become greater. But for now I would leave him to believe that we are just here to hunt goblins. If you do go out there - try to avoid him spotting you."

"Hmm. Well, that went rather smoothly. I would have expected to pay somewhat more, but so be it. I won't curse the sparing of our purses." Hern hands three gold coins to Graven. "Thank you for being so generous with your coin. But I must insist that we split the bill."

Hern turns back to Utor. "How's that, then? A guide payed for, and quite capable by the looks of it. Not that I doubt the authenticity of your map, but now if even our cartographic fortunes leave us we should still find our way. Here - five coins, to pay for your tab and anything you may wish to bring back to your wagon." He hands Utor five gold coins.

Okay, cool. Hern will definitely feel a bit bad leaving them in the dark, but greater good and all that. As long as we keep a close eye on them he won't be too torn up about it.

Hern gives Gordrun a slightly pitying look before turning back to Utor. "And no money to rent a room? If you're going to stay on here tonight, I'd be happy to lend you some coin. A young one like that shouldn't have to stay out in a wagon." Here Hern smiles kindly. "But about your journey... well, we'd like to accompany you.

Here Hern gestures to himself and his companions. He opens his mouth to resume his offer, but breaks off chuckling. "My apologies. I know we can't inspire the strongest of confidences. But I assure you, we're quite capable. We saw your request on the board, and we thought we might be a welcome addition to your journey. There also seems to be a fair number of guides in this town - the sheriff has offered to find us a guide, and the barmaid mentioned a "Sartara" that she would send our way."

"If you would have us, well... your axe would need not be the only weapon standing between the goblins and your family."

Diplomacy to add a sense of honesty and good will to all this. After all, we don't get anything out of it, so it might be a bit... out of place. Also, do you guys think we should be honest with Utor about why we're here or not? We'll have to hash it out in character later, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts now.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

I say we keep it going. Well, I'd like to, at least. Obviously it isn't just my decision. But I concur - I really enjoy both the idea of the campaign and Hern, and don't want to give up on either.

"It seems our family in need is situated, at least partially, over there. Shall we go and greet him? We can ask him his preferences for a guide and whether or not he would appreciate some stout guards. I'm sure he will, as we won't be charging - though he might be suspicious."

Seconded. Now that we're lacking any full caster support, opening recruitment could be quite beneficial.

Does the message on the chalkboard give any directions to the family? Or is it supposed to be presumed that they would be staying in the Dragon as well?

"Seems decided, then. We'll seek out this family." Hern calls over a server and orders a round for everyone. While he has them at the group's table, he asks whether they know anyone in town who would make a capable guide.

When Hern and Graven reconvene with the group, Hern takes turns with the inquisitor to relate everything the sheriff had told them. "So it seems we have multiple choices. We could request a guide from the sheriff, or look into finding a caravan to take us on." He then takes a look over at the chalkboard, and raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Hm. That's mightily convenient. We could take one of those caravan jobs, or perhaps join that guide as bodyguards for the family. Thoughts?"

Excellent! Glad we're still going.

Things have been a bit slow all around, it seems. Guess it's just the summer heat, heh.

Hey.

Hern leaves Duncan behind, but with a regretful look back. The huge dog gives a most unintimidating whine as he watches his master enter the building without him.

Hern accepts Hemlock's proffered hand and gives it a firm shake. "Of course, sheriff. We'd be remiss to not request a meeting with you before settling ourselves in your town. And thank you for the offer - while we'd be quite happy to help you remove part of your own goblin problem, our eyes lie further out. We hear the frontier, further out from Sandpoint, is a haven for the blighters, and we hope to change that. A guide would be excellent, though we would also be willing to wait for the caravan." He takes a quick look at Graven as he says this, raising his eyebrow, an invitation to interrupt if he disagrees. "If no such guide is available, perhaps we could even help you with the immediate goblin problem while waiting for the caravan."

I'm not sure if his offer for the guide/caravan is a lead to our destination? You mentioned the disappearances in connection with Sandpoint, but I don't know how far out they actually are.

Hern watches her go, his face noncommittal. He looks at the others with a questioning expression.

"She has the right idea, I suppose. Perhaps not all of us need to go our separate ways, though we certainly would cover a lot of ground. I'll head to where the sheriff is stationed, and any of you are welcome to come along."

Hern looks up in surprise when the ship is hailed from port, having been unaware of their proximity to Sandpoint. He steps out from the cabin into the sunlight, stretching. Duncan bounds out onto the deck and rears onto his hind paws, looking out over the town and sniffing the air. Hern scratches him on the ears as he passes the dog when heading down the gangplank after Gordrun, looking back and commanding Duncan to heel when he reaches the ground.

"Indeed it doesn't. I agree, we should find a place that the local rumormongers are likely to frequent. Perhaps we could seek out the local authorities as well."

Did the patron mention this lighthouse to us?

As the room descends once more into silence, Hern coughs and looks down at his legs again. After a few minutes of this, the silence gets to him and he speaks.

"Well, at least we have a plan now. I'm glad. Although I might recommend that if anyone has any other secrets that could immediately affect our partnership, they should speak up."

Duncan, his hound, stretches and yawns. Hern pauses to reach down and scratch him behind the ears.

"Others may enjoy the benefits of secrets, but we do not have that luxury. I suppose I should start, though I have nothing that even compares to Gordrun's. I used to be a member of a group called the Blackjackets. They're vicious, merciless people, devoid of sympathy. I have not seen even one of them in many years. But I doubt they would greet me warmly, as I deserted. Be wary in their presence, and do not believe a word they speak."

Hern lapses back into silence, content to let others speak or not, as they wished. He hopes that the group has at least formed some form of cohesion and willingness to speak their part, at least.

By-the-by, in my original post I meant to say "under the guise of goblin-hunters", not guide.

Seeing the sad expressions of his companions faces and hearing the sighs all around, Hern smiles somewhat, the corners of his mouth curling slightly up. He shakes his head and then speaks.

"Let's not become too gloomy over what might be happening to those taken. We know not what has become of them, nor the circumstances of their disappearance. Let's not give up hope. We won't get far if we run afoul of our own worries."

When Gordrun reveals his arm, Hern's eyebrows raise slightly and the lines on his face fade slightly as his skin tightens. He had suspected there was something strange about the half-orc; who wouldn't? But a third arm and a horror story of a past was not quite what he had expected.

He decides not to comment on the contents of the story itself; sympathy would not return the man's young adulthood to him. Hern nods at Gordrun and then says in an even voice, "I appreciate your willingness to share this with us. It must be difficult. And of course we'll stand together - we've all signed on for this mission. To stand against evil - well, I won't blather on about why it's a worthy goal. But to accept this, well, it shows a great strength of character."

Hern rests on a chair, leaning back against the far wall of the cabin, the front legs lifting slightly into the air. He has blond hair that looks to have once been severely close-cropped but has now grown out some. His blue eyes are scrunched and his brows furrowed in a near-perpetual state of frown.

A massive dog, which would match the height of any present if it were to stand on its hind legs, lays in front of him, head lowered onto its paws. It would look threatening if it wasn't currently taking a nap, light snores and snuffling occasionally being emitted from its nose.

At Damien's question, Hern's eyes look up from the spot they were previously occupied with (somewhere around his knees), and his frown deepens into actual displeasure. "Shouldn't we have discussed this earlier? Perhaps if the old one had provided us with more details as to what we were hunting, strategic discussions could have occurred."

He exhales sharply through his nose. "I suppose it can't be helped. I would think our first step should be to ask around town, as vague a proposition as that is. We can do it under the guide of goblin-hunters, as the old man recommended. I doubt the villagers will have any suspicions about these people's disappearance, but we can at least find out where they lived. I imagine we'll have to run on what information we find at their homes."

Here, ready and able.

Finally got my Hound Master finished. Was a bit busy, sorry for that.

And a bit of roleplay, why not?

"...Aye. Fighting seems to be the only approach left to me. Devastation is coming to Golarion, and its herald is the expansion of these ambitious human kingdoms. I have witnessed first hand the blind corruption of these fabled nations, those who claim to be prosperous when they truly are on a path of self-degradation. My quarrel with evil is with these people, who pervert the spirit of free thinking beings and the natural world alike. But these monstrosities you speak of... you say they use our own natures to vie us against each other?

I know not what depraved creatures you have encountered in your time, old one. They have not made themselves apparent to me in my journeys. But if they lead us further towards our future despotism, our future doom, then they are worth fighting. Perhaps they can show those who only think with their greed and self-interest a new path. Show me their domains, their crimes, and their intentions. If they be true to what you say, then me, my spear, my sword, and my hound will fight this good fight. I will join in your cause."