Morgrym Hammergun's page

Well, I was actually checking in to announce my resignation since my work has gotten crazy busy (the whole management level has been working weekends for the past month) but it seems everyone else is in a similar boat. Guess we will all just ride it out and see how things work. I'll keep checking in as often as I can.

"By Torag's Hammer... Morgrym swears under his breath, apparently stuck between the draw of a good fight underground and his reluctance to leave the party's valuables unguarded with the bandits. Finally, though, he makes up his mind and heads down the tunnel, shield and axe at the ready.

Morgrym will move as far to the front of the group as space and his fellow party members will allow.

Hey, sorry I've been missing. Storms took out my internet.

"Perhaps the goblin has presented us with a solution. We could smoke the creatures out rather than going in. Although it might benefit us to search the local area and make sure there are no other entrances nearby.

Ditto

Morgrym should be good to go as far as leveling is concerned. Of note:

Now has damage reduction 1 (Adamantium) and a +1 Natural Armour bonus.

Now has Lay on Hands.

Just a reminder plug that I have spell resistance and it is now 7.

The usually cheerful Morgrym has been getting progressively moodier as time passes, crossing both of the bridges only with great reluctance and much grumbling about "shoddy human craftsmanship" and "architectural morons". When a day of horse riding and bridge crossing appears to yield no results, his disposition only further darkens. No doubt surprising the rest of the party, who has surely grown accustomed to Morgrym's regular good humor by now, he vents his frustrations at Aaron.

"How is it that you're so well informed on where these Mites are located? Or are you just guessing, prolonging this aimless ramble? We've been searching this region for hours and only now do you offer this insight. How trustworthy are you really?"

Well, for now I'll stick with Stonelord and see how it goes. Rolling here for health:

1d10 ⇒ 2

Well, looks like I'm taking the average. Which would be 6, right? 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10=55, 55/10=5.5, which rounds up to 6?

Wow. I missed a lot. I want to apologize for my absence. My thin excuse is that I just shifted departments at work and have been acclimating to an entirely new chain of bosses as well as learning an entirely new division.

That said, I haven't read the gameplay thread yet but it looks like leveling up occurred. I have been considering making multi-classing to cleric to make some progress in the healing department.

Tassaden, how high is the bridge over the river?

I know I haven't been very active, but I am still here and check in when I can. It's just hard to post frequently when there's not much going on and Morgrym isn't really one for idle chatter

Oh, Aerynne's post reminds me. I will be busy with my ship this week and may also have decreased posting ability.

Honestly, scraps, the poor common is a colorful and entertaining part of your character that I don't think you need to get rid of. It's just that one post stood out as unintelligible even when it wasn't scraps speaking. I'm going to put it down to you being tired and rushed. No worries, it happens, but man was that one bad.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is keep it up because it is entertaining even if it makes my fiancee want to hurt me any time I read it out loud.

"Hmmph. Sounds like a fine idea to me except for one thing. What if they don't buy your bluff? The wee-man is more than capable in a fight, but you look like you'd be useless without that contraption of yours.

Morgrym looks at Scraps with genuine confusion. "I thought it knew how to speak. Is it bewitched?

Scraps, I understand that your character is supposed to be an uneducated goblin who struggles with a language barrier, but sometimes I have to spend twenty minutes re-reading what you wrote trying to figure out what you meant. This can be frustrating. Is it possible to tone it down a bit?

If the group decides to put the bandits on foot, a decision Morgrym doesn't have an opinion on, Morgrym will walk behind them under the pretense of "keeping an eye on the prisoners". However, if the group wants to put the bandits on horseback Morgrym won't make an issue of riding a horse again, though he is likely to continue getting grumpy.
You wouldn't like a grumpy dwarf.

"I really think it best that we resolve this issue now." Morgrym says, a head nod towards Kressle indicating what 'issue' he's referring to. "As it stands, we are under relatively little pressure or threat and have had the time to get a decent idea of our surroundings. I know we dealt with her easily enough this time, but we really don't need her coming to while we're on the road or, worse, facing a new opponent to our cause. I say we take care of her sooner rather than later."

"I don't expect you to understand the gifts the Dwarf-Father has given me. But know that I don't live my life based on hatred, I live it based on reality. I've seen what people like this can do and I've seen what can happen when you give them any more leeway then they deserve.

I've seen your soul already. I won't lie, it's as pure as any I've seen. But I've spent my whole life surrounded by the sorrow your kind brings everywhere they go so forgive me if I don't exactly trust you."

Morgrym pauses for a moment before regarding Aerynne.

"I agree that we should head for the mites soon, but we still have this one to deal with." he says indicating Kressle.

The rest of Morgrym's action will depend on what his 'detect evil' ability reveals.

While this conversation is going on, Morgrym will use detect evil on Kressle.

While the others may attempt to hide their feelings, Morgrym makes no such consideration. While his words in general are level and calm, anything that is spoken directly towards Scraps is openly mocking, condescending, or hostile in tone.

"Gerran's right. If I'm not mistaken, this land is under the legal direction of Restov. They have declared that, by their laws, the punishment for the crime of banditry is death. Kressle, Aaron and Hans are all guilty of this crime and therefore are all sentenced to death by the laws of this land. The laws that your charter, goblin, charge you to uphold. The question here isn't whether or not these men deserve to die; it has already been decided that they do. The question is if they deserve to live. Do you think she does, 'little one'? Even if you did, what would you have us do with her? Tie her over the back of the horses so we can spend every moment of every day watching her to make sure she doesn't escape? Or maybe we could put her on a leash for you and she can be your harmless bandit pet."

"The elf's right. We get what information she can give and then we follow the recommendation of the charter."

"Do we allow them to go unsupervised? They've been turned to banditry by extremis before. Who's to say it won't happen again? And I share Gerran's concerns about the potential dangers of turning Oleg's camp into a refuge for bandits that we have to take their word are reformed.

...but I suppose we can't just kill them either. Torag wills the fair treatment of prisoners and executing them wouldn't sit right with me in this case. Confound it all. Perhaps we can have them tag along for now. See if they can't help us find these mites they spoke of."

I know how you feel. I haven't been to medically school, but I went to the United States Naval Academy, and graduating from their was probably the most difficult challenge of my life to date. There were countless times that I wished I was in some way different, in some way better so that this struggle would have been less challenging. I constantly envied the people who seemed to have it all figured out, who were succeeding while taking on even more challenges while I was barely staying afloat with what was on my plate.

I'll say two things. The first is that not everyone has it as good as you think. There definitely are people who found the Naval Academy easy and I'm sure there are people who find Med School easy. But many of us go to great lengths to hide our flaws from others and to put out the impression that we are doing just fine when we really aren't. Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone and that many people struggle just as much as you do.
The second thing is that you should be glad that it's hard. It's only by seeking out challenges that we improve; that we learn what we are capable of. If everything in our lives was easy, we would never be forced to learn or to grow as individuals. Pursuing a goal that challenges you is both rewarding and fulfilling. Chances are, you will come out of this program with not only a better education but a better understanding of yourself and what you're capable of. You'll also have accomplished something you can be proud of. Not many people have made it as far as you have already. At this moment you are already a member of a very elite and exclusive group that you belong to solely based on your own effort and your own merit. That's nothing to shake a stick at.

However, I will once again throw in my plug that I'm glad your training is rigorous because it gives me the confidence that if, one day, my life were in your hands I could rest easy knowing you were qualified and that I was in good stead. I do agree, though, that the financial situation in which students find themselves today is inexcusable and that in a day when even successful individuals find themselves paying of their debt well into their fifties the system is broken.

I echo Aerynne on that one. I know exams can be stressful and I can only imagine the added stress caused by the standards they've given you. Well done.

"I don't care one stone on another what you think of me goblin. Besides, for such a pacifist you've certainly stopped your own share of men's hearts in the time I've known you. And frankly, if you aren't willing to continue doing so, then what good are you? This is hardly going to be the last time someone will try to kill us."

Looking away from scraps, Morgrym speaks towards the group as a whole though he faces Gerran while doing so.

"However, Torag has gracefully revealed the character of this pair's souls to me and they aren't tainted. I can't speak for the validity of their pitiful tale, but they aren't evil. I had actually thought of a very similar plan as the wee-man. Perhaps we could take them back to Oleg before chasing after these mites. Oleg himself might be able to reveal more about these two as well, if they were a part of any of the raids on his home."

Morgrym will use his detect evil ability on the two bandits.

"What do you know. Another group of innocent bandits who were forced against their will. Of course they're innocent. They didn't want to terrorize a helpless couple just trying to make an honest living. They didn't want to live their lives as thieves and murderers; parasites living off of the labor of honest folk. They didn't really want to fire those arrows at us earlier. I'm sure that if things had gone the other way and they had killed us all, they would have felt really bad about it afterwards. You two are scum. Worse yet, you're cowardly scum. Give me one good reason why we shouldn't have your heads."

Morgrym grunts and shrugs.

"If you've got the trail might as well see if we can't catch 'em."

I guess we are just too efficient...
And Wallop...you were right. Though you are never going to hear Morgrym say it.

Morgrym will check to see if any of the incapacitated bandits in the vicinity of the camp are still alive. If he finds one that is, he will stop and administer first aid.

Heal:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

Well, scraps, considering that Doctor error is the third leading cause of death in the United States (The JOURNAL of the AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (JAMA) Vol 284, No 4, July 26th 2000) I sure hope your tests are hard.

That said, study hard and good luck. We'll still be here once you've passed your midterms.

I hope you have safe travels.

In the mean time, I'm a little confused as to what exactly is occurring as far as time-line is concerned. Is anyone still pursuing Kressle and, if so, do we need to retain a combat order?

Seeing the halfling chasing after the bandit leader, Morgrym starts talking to no one in particular.

"Hmmph. Foolishness. Reckless pursuit may win a battle here or there but will inevitably get you killed. It is the slow and calculated combatant that lives to fight a thousand battles. If we are so concerned for Oleg and his wife then we should be making that our stronghold. Why not let the bandits come to us, I say. Damn better plan than chasing off through these woods. Besides, Torag be blessed, I wouldn't have to actually ride that stupid beast anymore. Stout folk should always have their feet on their ground, stone overhead, a friend at their side and a mug full of ale. Ahh, a friend at your side. What I wouldn't give to have Dorgan here. Or H'Rodor. ***"

If he's not interrupted, Morgrym's rambling continues but slips into the Dwarven tongue.

For an explanation of Morgrym's outburst, please see the novel I just published in the discussion thread
Edit: huh. It sure felt longer while I was typing it than it looks on the screen...

I wouldn't say that letting them go is against the charter. The charter says that we "should strive against banditry". The charter, as written, doesn't actually require any action of us but rather grants us rights we might otherwise not have; the rights of travel and exploration. So really, letting the bandits go is only potentially against the spirit of the charter. However, I would argue that it is more "in violation" of the charter to act in such a way that we become unable to further pursue the exploration of the Greenbelt. I believe that pursuing the bandits is just such an act for a number of reasons.
1) We have no familiarity with the lay of the land in the direction Kressle is running. We do not know if she is leading us through a "minefield", into a trap, or into an ambush.
2) We do not know what Kressle's true intentions are. She could be fleeing or she could be going for help. Alternatively, she could be engaging in a tactic that gamers refer to as "kiting" where she uses her superior speed to limit engagement to a single foe, takes a pot shot, and then runs off again, repeating until all foes have either died or given up pursuit.
3) We do not possess the means to pose a threat to Kressle any more. There are a couple of things we know about Kressle that allow us to surmise other things. Most importantly, she is the leader of a troop of bandits therefore she is most likely, barring the possibility of affirmative action placements, a highly capable fighter. In other words, Kressle is someone we should not take lightly and should probably deal with as a group. This is not currently probable since, by the GM's admission, Cadeyrn is the only one capable of catching Kressle.

Now, with those things in mind, the only way I can see Aerynne's pursuit ending (please don't take this personally) is with Cadeyrn's death and possibly Aerynne's as well. I realize that giving up the pursuit is going to make our job harder in the future but attempting a pursuit now puts us at great risk with very little probability of reward.

Instead, I recommend those with ranged weapons take as many shots as possible against any targets within range while the rest of us see if any non-fleeing bandits can be stabilized so that they can be interrogated.

"No! Let them go!"

Not clear on where Wallop moved to or which bandit he attacked, but Morgrym will strike the one that doesn't have a great-sword through the face...

Morgrym barely flinches as he deflects the bandit's blow.

"Weak faith, weak arms...

Power attack with axe; to hit:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Damage: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

"...Father Torag guides my blows. Surrender to his will and you may yet receive his mercy." Morgrym finishes as he strikes at the bandit.

Wallop, I'm under the impression that we are posting our round one actions. The round in which you attacked the bandit the first time was the surprise round. The round in which you were injured was the bandit's initiative for round 1.

Startled by the seemingly spontaneous eruption of violence, it takes Morgrym only seconds to assess the battle. Unfortunately, every second is precious in battle and Morgrym starts cursing himself for being caught so unaware. Thinking quickly, he hustles across the river and takes up position next to Gerran, raising his shield against any would-be attackers.

Not sure if Morgrym gets to act in the surprise round since he failed all of his spot checks even with the +5 bonus.

Morgrym will also cross, still trying to stay to the front of the group.

Perception Check:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

I looked through the previous posts, so I'm sorry if I just missed something, but was information provided on the river? Is this just a shallow brook or something where depth and current would be an issue?

I've been looking at the Roll20 map and don't see a token for Morgrym. I'm not very familiar with the program so I don't know if I'm supposed to put one on there or not. Just generally confused. If a specific position is needed, Morgrym will be one square east and two squares south of what I assume is wallop.

Sorry about that. Morgrym will take up his usual spot near the front of the group with his shield and axe at the ready.

"I don't like it but you've got a decent plan, lass. Without knowing what we are up against, rushing in could be suicide and I'd like to think Father Torag doesn't want to see me just yet. I'm no damn good at sneaking and hiding about, though."

Power Attack:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
Damage:1d10 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Morgrym has always preferred straight forward solutions to straightforward problems...

If conditions permit, Morgrym will charge the not-an-elk.

Attack +2 for charge -1 for power attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Damage +2 for power attack: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

"Better not be more of your 'elk'" Morgrym grumbles as he slides out of the saddle and reaches for his axe.

Knowledge Nature (untrained):1d20 ⇒ 8
Sense Motive:1d20 ⇒ 15

Unaccostomed to life in the forest, Morgrym does not recognize the strange creatures. However, he knows enough to realize they don't seem to pose a threat to the group. He scans around the camp site one last time and, failing to see anything else, passes the word of a false alarm.

Morgrym will also ready his axe and shield. Stealth not really being his forte, he doesn't attempt to hide but instead peers into the darkness, trying to see what's coming.

Perception:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

Morgrym will attempt to wake the others as quietly as he can. His objective is to alert them to the possible danger without drawing the attention of whatever might be out there. He will wake them in the following order as long as secrecy is possible: Gerran, Marius, Caderyn and Aerynne, Wallop, Scraps. If there is any indication that secrecy is no longer possible, he will give a shout to alert the camp.

Stealth Check: 1d20 - 5 ⇒ (15) - 5 = 10

After accepting the potion from Aerynne, Morgrym spends the trip to their campsite in silence. When his turn for the watch comes, he spends the night writing in his journal. When his shift comes to an end, he does not wake Scraps and will continue to keep watch. If she wakes on her own, he will still remain awake and keeping watch until it is time for Gerran's shift. Only then does he go back to sleep.

Potion of Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Morgrym is plainly not happy about having someone else tend to his wounds, but he lifts his chain shirt away from his wounds. When Gerran has finished he grumbles out a couple of syllables before walking back over to his horse and digging out his journal. It's hard to really be sure, but the grunted words almost sounded like "Thank you."