Mikam Orlovski's page

Mikam, unable to watch the proceedings, retreats to the other side of the bunkhouse, out of sight.

Ping!

"I am sorry. I cannot do this right now. I am not even certain that I have it in me to kill in combat, much less when we have them at our mercy."

"And yes, I can see the logical and logistical challenges of frontier justice...I just can't work past them right now."

+2

Mikam stands in shock, watching Reynard drag the corpse of the bandit leader.

"I...I really hadn't thought through all the implications of the frontier. Are we really going to hang all these men? Is there not some way we could keep them alive?" Mikam asks aloud, more to himself than to anybody in particular, and it is quickly apparent that Mikam is thinking.

After a moment it looks like he has come to a decision as he suddenly taps out his pipe and goes to help Reynard with the body.

There are no good options. No way to move prisoners back to Rostov. There isn't a jail here, and there isn't any way to support the prisoners if there were. Jail and true jurisprudence are for civilization, not here beyond the ragged edge. Here, it appears, the edge of the blade is law enough.

"I think we will have to watch for opportunities to be merciful in the future. I don't think that these bandits are interested in reforming...otherwise they would have surrendered.", Mikam says aloud as he helps Reynard move the body up the wall.

"Huh. I guess that spell didn't last as long as I assumed it would." Mikam says, hearing the shout and watching Reynard dash off towards the gate.

Feeling rather useless and foolish, Mikam follows after Reynard, looking for an opportunity to attack the bandit.

Mikam stops, and turns to address Wyatt. "Honestly Wyatt, I have no clue. It isn't as if I engage in combat on a regular basis." Mikam says, enunciating as carefully as he can to ensure that Wyatt understands.

He then goes off to the bunkhouse for a few minutes, before reemerging with his pipe.

"I think that what Reynard says is correct. We should restrain the bandits while they are incapacitated.", Mikam says before wandering off to the bunkhouse looking very distracted and muttering something about rope.

So are the horses knocked out? Mikam was more curious to see his spell's effect on equine targets. He is a magical engineer, after all.

I think I moved Mikam over to the gate in the Mapping program...but if not, he is standing right by the gate from last round.

"Ah. The bandit is still standing outside. Well, this will be an opportunity to see how a horse responds to the spell as well...", Mikam says, removing a pinch of multi-colored sand from his spell component pouch. He carefully says a few oddly-clipped words and blows the sand off his hand and through the crack in the gate, bathing the bandit, and several horses in multi-colored light.

Color Spray, DC14

Seeing that most of the bandits have been dispatched Mikam moves to the gate to see if he can get an angle on the bandit leader.

"Is the leader still up?" Mikam asks, looking through cracks in the gate curiously.

Is the gate open enough to cast through next round?

"Well! That seemed to work. I will have to try it again and see if I can do a bit better!" Mikam says.

"Unfortunately, I don't see an opportunity to engage two individuals simultaneously. Perhaps an opportunity will occur later." he mutters to himself.

Delay

Hawaii. HST.

Mikam steps out far enough to see the nearest bandit. Realizing that he is close enough for the spell to work, he smiles, dips his hand into his spell component pouch and tosses some sand towards the warrior while spitting out a few clipped words. The bandit is suddenly bathed in multi-colored light.

Color Spray, DC14

Mikam finishes smoking and moves his pack into the bunkhouse, claiming the bunk furthest from the door by the simple expedient of tossing his pack on it. The rest of the evening Mikam studies his spellbook at the table outside, his staff lying on the table and shedding enough light to read by.

The next morning finds Mikam hiding in the stables, awaiting the arrival of the bandits.

Mikam listens carefully to the discussion, simply smoking while his companions make their plans.

"So it sounds like plans are coming together. We allow the bandits to come inside while we remain hidden. The moment they are within the walls, Wyatt, and Urzug (if he agrees) will close the gate and strike from behind. The remainder of us then advance from hiding while Oleg takes cover. Does that sound like what we are saying?" Mikam asks to clarify.

Agreed. They pretty much told us that the bandits were backing off month by month on how many showed up to snag the trade goods, a military unit would do that. They also wouldn't arrive on the same day every month.

Mikam snorts. "I think the hardest thing about that plan is getting Urzug to not attack them straight-away."

"As for dealing with them, if they are reasonably clustered together, I think I have a spell that will serve to incapacitate them nicely. But even if that doesn't occur, I think that our combined arms will be sufficient to the task."

Mikam stands and bows toward Drek. "Drek, you are absolutely correct, I was inadvertently crushing their spirit. I will be more careful in the future and defer to your judgement when we speak to other people in the future."

Turning his back to Drek, Mikam takes a small draw from his pipe and listens to the others thoughts before answering Wyatt.

"While I applaud your calm demeanor Wyatt, I have to say I don't understand...talk to them for what reason? Svetlana and Oleg have said these rogues have repeatedly stolen from them. When they arrive tomorrow and demand the tribute from our hosts, we will hardly need any confirmation of their intentions. As our companions have suggested, we should probably subdue them through some means and then make our demands, rather than spoil our surprise by attempting to chat them up."

Mikam continues, now talking aloud to himself. "It also wouldn't due to let any escape inadvertantly. As Svetlana and Oleg have said, there are others in the group, or were. It stands to reason that those who flee might warn any others, and return in greater numbers...I wonder if we could lure them inside and shut the gate somehow..."

"Ah. So they have been returning every month? And they will most likely return tomorrow? Well then, this seems the perfect opportunity to ambush them and eliminate your problem in one swift blow." Mikam says, punctuating his words with his pipe.

"Did you hear that Urzug? You may get to hit someone tomorrow."

Mikam blinks a few times at Drek's words, confusion obvious on his face.

"Can anybody please translate for me? I have no idea what Drek just said. I am certain it was Taldan, because I understood the words, but the meaning escapes me entirely. He certainly couldn't be verbally attacking me for saying that I admired the grit and determination of Oleg and Svetlana, right?"

After a moment, Mikam shrugs then turns back to Svetlana. "In any regard, as Reynard and Wyatt have said, we will most certainly deal with banditry when we encounter it. But, as your husband inferred, we are not soldiers, paladins or lawpersons. So we aren't going to be riding white chargers into the sunset, flashing swords drawn against the tides of evil. We will just deal with any problems as we encounter them or as they threaten."

Mikam takes a draw from his pipe then continues. "Svetlana, if its been three months since the last attack, then the bandits may have moved on out of the area, in which case you would have little to fear. If they haven't, then I imagine Urzug will make short work of them."

Looks like it works. I won't be able to access it at work though.

Do you mind putting the url below your name so we can access it easily?

Mikam makes a wordless salute with his pipe, acknowledging Reynard's words with a trail of smoke. He turns back to Svetlana.

"It sounds like the bandits didn't run you off though. I can appreciate that. Traders who run away at the first sign of adversity aren't worth their salt."

Mikam shakes his head at his companion's responses.

"Seriously? You are going to confuse them. If you are going to tell the story, you have to explain it right...you lot would make some pretty poor traders."

Settling down at the bench by the fire, Mikam sighs contentedly, then continues.

"What they were trying to explain is that we have been chartered by the Swordlords of Restov to map and explore the Greenbelt. They want us to also take particular attention to any bandits that we may encounter and deal with them as best we are able. I don't think that is our primary job though. We really are supposed to be just mapping."

Setting his pack on the ground next to him, Mikam riffles around a bit before pulling out a small clay pipe and pack of tobacco. With the ease of long practice, he quickly packs it and lights it with an ember from the fire.

"Now that IS much better."

Mikam looks around at the fort with a sour look on his face before hobbling over to the gate and leaning up against it.

"Gods, I am glad we are here. I swear my left boot gave out about a mile ago. Either that or I have a stone the size of dragon tooth rattling around in there." Mikam says, pulling off his boot and shaking it out, looking for anything to drop out.

"Well. That has to be better. We are going to sleep for a few days before heading out to explore right? I could use a day or two of sleeping on a bed rather than the ground." he says as his companions stream past into the fort. He watches Urzug making a beeline for the cooking fire where Svetlana is working.

"I think that Urzug beat me to the punch. I could use a bit of stew, a bit of wine and a good sit. So, thank you for welcoming us so warmly Svetlana." Mikam says, limping a bit less as he makes his way across the courtyard to the firepit.

Mikam is ready for play. I look forward to adventuring with ya'll.

Mikam is complete.

Mikam is throwing his hat into the ring as a Universalist Mage. His focus is going to be on artifice and the creation of beautiful and novel magicial items. I figure in a long-term campagin like Kingmaker, he should be very useful. Especially as there will be downtime to create new things.

Crunch will be done in a bit. With background to follow.

I don't know. I haven't seen any activity from the DM in a while though.

I have this odd sensation of abandonment.

Yes he did.

Mikam sputters a bit more, uncomfortable with the attention.

"Yes, that is true. But I obviously wasn't accusing her of anything...I was just concerned that she didn't know where we were going...really! Hey, I think I saw somthing moving over there!", Mikam points with great animation towards a copse of aspen crowning the top of a hill nearby.

I dunno. I would expect that we would continue throught the break.

Knowing the stories of the Vishanti and their cards, Mikam has no interest in taking the cards...much less touching them, and the look on his face underscores his words.

"Uh, thank you Katie...that won't be necessary, I don't need to hold your cards as collateral. I am fine...I was just, um, asking a question because I was concerned, I wasn't questioning your motives, more like postulating that you weren't actually certain where you were going..."

yeah right.

The mention of danger in the woods gets Mikam thinking again.

"Um, Katie, not to be a stick, but we just met you today...where are you leading us?" Mikam asks tenetivly. "I think that we would be a bit upset if you led us right into an ambush or bandit encampment."

Mikam relaxes slightly at Katie's words. Then shrugs when Raxus asks if he is coming. "I am certainly not staying in this plagued town. So it seems that the best thing we can do is deal with the disease before it gets out of hand...and besides, we may engender some good will from the people of the town if we save some of them."

Mikam follows the group, listening to Katie.

Sorry Katie...I know you want to get on with it. Mikam is not convienient unless there is combat going on. Just bludgeon him with logic or lie to him, and we can get on with it.

Mikam moves along the dusty road with the group, moving in Raxus' shadow. Thank goodness we are getting away from that town. Although, she just walked right up to us...

In sudden horror Mikam stops, his boots seemingly rooted to the earth, his eyes wide with horror.

"You...Eaglefeather! You were in contact with the plague-ridden in that town, weren't you? So you have the plague! And here we are walking around with you...even worse, letting you walk around the countryside! Thank goodness we haven't run into anyone yet...you would have gotten them sick too!"

Katie, I agree with Thalia. You are doing a solid job with the posts, you just need to step away from the modern terms like "immune system" and "patient zero". I would recommend "humors" or "vapors" when talking about disease. If you wiki Humorism and look at Hippocratic medicine, I think you will have some seriously fun material to work with for your medical diagnostics.

I recommend you leech Thalia first...she seems to have an overabundance of yellow bile.

;p

"Did she say anything about where to get this root? I think I want to take it before we head in town....plus, what if she is wrong. I wonder if the people who are sick shouldn't just stay in the town, and those of us without the disease should go to get the root."

See ya Sev!

"I don't like the idea of unnecessary killing either. But killing bandits is like killing roaches or fleas, unpleasant, but necessary for the health of the greater populace." Mikam grimaces as the thought of fleas reminds him of the lack of baths, causing him to begin scratching.

"Yes...we need to be sure that they are safe before they rejoin us. How can we do that? Do we know anyone who knows what the plague looks like, or has magic to detect it? And what if its a magical plague that resists detection?"

Mikam stands in the dusty road and watches Sev and Thalia walk into the town apprehension and trepidation wells in his chest.

I am not going in that place...not while there is plague there!

Seeing that Raxus is staying outside the town, Mikam relaxes slightly.

"It isn't wise for all of us to go into the town at the same time, so I am glad that you are waiting out here also Raxus. Seriously, if we all went in at the same time, we could all catch the illness simultaneously, then we would be easy prey to the bandits. This is definitly the best plan...yah." Mikam sounds a bit like he is trying to convince himself rather than Raxus.

LOL, Thalia, that was great!

I am ready to proceed as well.

"Here Lothar," Mikam says, handing the man a trail ration package. "This should see you through the day, though that exhausts my rations, and I will have to replenish my supplies in the town."

"Trade goods, and possibly a further source for information...and perhaps some armsmen? That does sound good. Thalia, I was just talking to Cyean about using this small inheritance of mine...its only about 90 golds or so, but if you have any suggestions of how to use it...", Mikam trails off lamely.

Suddenly embarrassed by the flush and smile on Thalia's face and twinkle in her eye, Mikam busies himself readying his pack. After a moment of mental steadying to calm his nerves, he settles his backpack on his shoulders and looks at his companions.

"Lothar, or whoever is leading, I think we are ready to go", Mikam says, waving at the rest of the group, and trying to seem more confident than he feels.

"Well the wand casts a minor healing spell. It appears to have three uses remaining. We should probably sell the rings as well...they are no use to us if we are dead. I agree with you though, we should buy some potions...they may be the difference between our survival and defeat. Perhaps some bows or crossbows too? Should we hire anyone to help us...swell our ranks before we take on the bands?"

"Potions, weapons, hirelings? I don't know. I am not a warrior to know what we need to fight these battles. We have a hundred gold in coin, and perhaps another 20 in rings."

Mikam places the rings and wand on the ground, and after making a complicated gesture with his right hand, spits out a single word in gutteral hiss.

Detect Magic

Spellcraft to determine what items are: DC15+level of spell 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

"Cyean, can I talk to you for a moment?" Mikam says, motioning him off to the side of the group. Mikam stands quietly for a moment, figeting, before placing his back to the bandits and pulling out the pouch. "You know, I am not sure that we have the equipment that we need to truely take on any of these groups. I have some money...an inheritance of sorts..." Mikam says as he pours out the pouch into his hand.