Sorry, everyone - I didn't mean to ghost you all. I'm going to have to withdraw from this game, though. Good gaming, guys!
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Levn nodded to them. "Let's check it out once Bas is finished. Anyone see anything special in here?"
Levn was there in a flash, ready to cut the bharghest a new smile. His curved elven blade whipped out quick as lightning to strike the thing as it moved.
"Yeah, it got away," Levn grinned, his tone suggesting to Day it had not. "C'mon Kellen, let's go around the table." Levn ran into the room, gesturing as he passed them to Bas and Alfric to take the far side and the closer doors. They couldn't let that barghest escape!
I'll post tomorrow, but if that's too late, you can assume Levn will go in and try to get in a flanking position with one of the others.
"You're right - it must be bleeding. Day, can we see the bloodspatter when it moves, or does it stay invisible?" Levn kept his head on a swivel, trying to see everywhere... and listen.
Levn slung his bow and readied his sword, the waving belt clacking into place and merging seamlessly into a curved blade in the blink of an eye at the twist of his wrist.
"Stay alert," was his oh-so-helpful advice to the others, as he strained to pick up any sign of an invisible foe - a tapestry brushed by a passing breeze, the sound of claws on stone, even a bad smell - anything. (+3 vs. traps)
"Withdraw back here to us, Bas!" Levn called, hoping the kobold had the strength to do so. If he could just flank that monstrosity... of course, first he'd have to ditch the bow.
A bit sick at the moment, sorry! But you have free rein to roll for Levn if you like. He'll try to get the barghest off Bas, whether by attack or maneuver.
"As good a path as any," Levn agreed. "Bas, did you check the doors for traps?"
"They'd have to be blind and deaf to have missed this fight; if we used the drake to trigger the trap, I don't see how they could miss that. If we're going in, we'd better do it before they fortify their positions. Bas, can you disarm the trap alone? Or can we avoid it?" Levn was trying not to look at Day with concern, but he finally gave in and asked, "You all right, buddy? Seems like roast elf wasn't on the menu after all. Looks like Kellen saved your bacon again, haha! Nice work, Kellen." "And good work putting the drake down fast, guys. Let's go while we have some momentum. We can do some quick healing if needed while Bas deals with the trap."
Levn came running up to lunge into the air under the drake's wing, aiming to wound it so that the stupid thing didn't take to the sky again. Slipping in the scree, he didn't do as much damage as he'd hoped.
Finally aware that something had gone wrong, Levn looked back over his shoulder - and groaned. "Time for some thrilling heroics."
Levn will signal the others to come up. I'll post tomorrow, if no one else does by then.
"The drake is the only thing that might spot us, right Bas?" Levn asked. "If so, well, they aren't too bright. Kellen, maybe you could cast that mist somewhere else, approaching the dragon, and that might absorb its interest while the rest of you get in, once I have the doors open. Is that possible? But yeah, I'm thinking you all should hold back until I have the doors unlocked, unless Bas wants to come with me." He sighed loudly, shaking his head dolefully and clasping Day's shoulder. "Sorry, bud, but yet again it's up to us mortals to cart your elven butt around." Before Day could point out that they certainly had not been doing that, Levn rubbed his hands together and announced, "OK, so you three stay behind, and Bas and I go, or just me, and I signal to you when the doors are unlocked. Let's do it during the day, so the drakes don't have any unnecessary advantages with darkvision."
"You bet," Levn agreed, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what I can do to make this venture a bit easier."
(Fast stealth) +3 vs traps (unless he can take 10 or 20, in which case he'll do that)
Levn took a bow, with a flourish of his longcoat, and nodded in the direction of the others who had spoken. "Wrongs we might right, great King, if we should. Tell us about this wrong, if you would."
I have family in the hospital - please bot me if necessary.
"What mere thing could such as we hope to offer a king? True, we come empty-handed, but a gift you shall have - if you would hear a tale of mystery and derring-do? Let our poor gift appease your ire, king of the roses. Will you hear it?"
Levn strode forward with his companions , regretting that he'd never learned the simple magic to make their entrance a bit more impressive. He glanced at Daymar, hoping his "brother" would read his mind this once. On reaching the herald, he gestured at the wall of roses. "The Queen has blessed us with her grace and beauty. Herald us now, that we may speak with the King and end this trouble."
"You honor us," Levn breathed as he gently plucked the rose. "May your days be warm and your roots drink sweet water." He backed away with a bow before turning back to the others. "Let's pay the king our respects."
Levn cautiously held his hands out under the proferred blossom, in case the bush dropped it into his hands - he'd take that as blessing enough. "We thank you for the chance to look upon such beauty," he whispered to the bush in the fey tongue. "Grant us your blessing, and we will go as happy men."
Levn was a bit leery of assuming anything of the fey, so like Kellen, he spoke up, his voice quiet in the magnificent garden. "Is the Queen, the noble King's mother, present? We do but come to ask your blessing, but find a rare gift in such beauty as these roses."
Levn gave a slight nod, as though he always had the more eloquent man speak for him. In turn, he quirked a brow at Nock, as though to suggest that they were waiting on the fey.
Assuming we actually work for the Council, I can't recall:
"Our Royal Council knows the value of fealty," Levn said, thinking of the last time he'd seen the leaders of . What'd he'd mostly noticed was Parin, because she sent chills down his back without even looking at him.
Levn wasn't intimately familiar with fey politics, but he knew enough that he thought no one would take them seriously if they came in through what amounted to an underling's entrance. In fact, a little ostentation probably wouldn't hurt... he hoped. He stood before the double doors, and nodded to Nock. "You may announce us, if you do not wish your King to be surprised by our presence, sir Nock. We come not as petitioners, but as emissaries."
Whew! Given pause by the runes, Levn resisted the urge to glance at Day. Instead, he asked Nock in a courteous tone, "Good sir Nock, pray tell, whose blood in those pools is so proud as to be worthy to honor the King of Roses with it?"
"Take us to the King, sir Nock."
"I do not," Levn nodded gravely, hoping that the fey wouldn't ask him to clarify. "If you will grant us safe passage, we will bring our borrowed grievances to your Lord, that justice may be done."
Wow. Wtf, dicebot. Uh... someone needs to be more charming than Levn and help out with this. The fey obviously don't find his scruffiness dashing.
"Good Sir Nook, would you tell us fully of this trespass? We would know more, that our ire not be misplaced, and that justice be done."
Levn cleared his throat and stepped forward, speaking up because he didn't know how much Alfric knew about fey. "You may know our names. This good man is known as Alfric, the little fellow is called Bas, that one bears the name of Kellen, the elf is known as Day, and I myself, you may call Levn." "It seems you are a dutiful guard, Nock. Do you know who would cast suspicion of treachery on your lord, to make it seem as though he had cut down innocent men, not so far from here?"
Levn raised his hands in a soothing gesture. "Has there been some misunderstanding between our peoples? We have come to redress grievances on behalf of the living and the dead, and seek only to know if we have found those responsible for their demise... and perhaps hear their side of the story. Who is it that we address now?" + additional 3 if this counts as gathering info
I'll try to get a post up for Levn this evening. Got to run to work now.
Picking up on Daymar's look, Levn cast an appraising eye over the scene. Bas was out ahead of them... but the slippery kobold could probably handle anything that might pop out. Right? Elbowing Kellen, Levn raised his voice as well. "Oh, wait - are these flower fey? I thought they were powerful fey. My mistake. Yeah, let's keep moving. I'd hate to drop anything more valuable than a turd for these idiots. Can you believe that snare over there? It looked like a drunk goblin made it. Actually, goblins don't make anything that shoddy. Even drunk."
Levn rummaged through his pockets, ostensibly searching for a proper offering, while in reality listening hard for some kind of communications from the fey.
Levn gulped, realization spreading across his face even as Bas was yanked off his feet. "On second thought, this surely isn't a fine enough offering for such magnificent nature spirits! Are any of you carrying anything better?" He walked over to Bas as he spoke, but caught Kellen and Day's eyes. He jerked his head minutely at the bushes meaningfully, making a face that was clearly trying to communicate... something.
In fact, his longtime companions - and even Alfric and Bas - could read him like a book. The foes they were here to encounter were all around them - the rose bushes!
+3 vs traps Levn cleared his throat. "We should make an offering to the wise and powerful beings of this place," he announced loudly. "Only the finest spirits for the spirits, yes?" He withdrew his flask of cheap human whiskey from within his vest as he took a good look around, ostensibly to find the best place for his "offering." "Assuming they're here? It'd be a pity to waste something so fine," he said with exaggerated concern.
"If it's roseblood sprites we're facing, I'd expect they might be either at the old Taldan watchpost, not wanting to make their own place - or if they did, then maybe around Pointer's Rock? Shall we see if we can find some tracks to follow?" Levn turned to look at Kellen expectantly.
Levn went over the site minutely, picking up details and piecing things together.
Are we close to anything of interest?
Just fishing at this point.
LMAO Levn did his best to pressure Gyrad, but the other man already knew it was a good offer, and was far too used to dealing with his sort. With a sigh of acknowledgement of the man's firm offer and upper hand in dealing it out, Levn grinned and shook Gyrad's hand. "Well, I had to try. You're a tough man to bargain with," he said, his respect for Gyrad having grown in leaps and bounds. "We're on it. So, where exactly did you say this happened? Seems like a good spot to investigate."
Levn cleared his throat. "But a threat that took out 8 armed men must be dangerous. Surely you can offer a bit more cash on hand?"
A portion of the taxes? Levn liked the sound of easy money, if not particularly the knighthood that went with it. That sounded like a harness. Still, he figured it was up to them to refuse that when the time came. "It is a lovely valley. Are the rest of you game?" he glanced at the party.
Levn's face had turned serious as Gyrad spoke. Before he answered the man, he turned to his crew. "Small arrows? Does that sound like goblins to you, too? Or kobolds, maybe? But those little guys aren't likely to take on eight armed med... Smells like a mystery." He sighed, and gestured at Daymar. "I'd hate to get between an elf and a mystery. I hear they bite."
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