So is this game dead? Narkari seems to have disappeared.
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Still here, checking in.
Aww, sorry to see you go, Alan! Suppose it's a good thing Narkari picked up some alternates as well.
As fighting breaks out, Quentin throws his cloak back and knocks an arrow even as he hoofs it to the closest copse of trees near the sleeping bandits. Taking cover amongst the branches, he whispers a brief prayer to Cayden Cailean to guide his hand against these criminals and lets fly an arrow. Only after loosing his arrow does he hear noises from across the camp. Yelling back over his shoulder to Ranzo, he alerts the group, "More coming from behind the trees! Mounted men, at least two!"
Oh damn, you guys have been waiting on me this whole time! Boy is my face red. ^^;
Narkari, do we need to roll initiative? If not, what is our initiative order?
Who's Quigly? Or is that meant to be 'quickly?'
Well, I suppose you can't get 15+ rolls consistently without it hitting the other end of the bell curve too, eh? *sigh*
Caught off guard by the fact that the new sentry apparently sees through his disguise (as far as Quentin can tell), he sighs and drops into a stance as though he is about to pitch a baseball, only to have a slimey greeb orb of goo coalesce in it as a whispered prayer passes his lips. Hurling it with one hand, he shoves his off hand into his buckler's straps and pulls free his rapier with the other.
Acid Splash Damage:
Wow, helluva day for rolling 1's it would seem. No worries, this would've happened at some point anyway...
Before the group heads out, he looks around the group. "Okay, I'm gonna need two of you to fake it as having a twisted ankle and the other helping him along. Decide amongst yourselves." Still focusing on his performance as Haps, Quentin makes sure to be out in front of the group as they approach, looking as annoyed as possible as he approaches. As he passes near the first sentry, he speaks up to him in a gruff but low voice, "'ey you! Get yer rump down 'ere, we need an extra body to 'elp unload and such since that idiot O'Brian ain't got eyes fer s$@~ and hurt 'imself." Not looking back, he thumbs over his shoulder at the shadowy group behind him with the one of the group being helped along at a limping pace. "See to it quick now, I'm too damned tired to deal with this s#!~e." With that he casually strolls toward the sleeping area, putting on a show of a big yawn and scratching himself crudely.
It did, thanks! Feels weird typing with a ring now, though. Apart from that we're just glad to be done with it! Though all the gifts are nice too. :D
Quentin does his best mean-spirited smirk, adding in a low chuckle for effect. "Maybe if you come next time 'round, you'll find out." Looking over to the wagon, he shakes his head and speaks back up to the sentry. "I'll talk to 'er when the rest of them lot gets back. Don't bother her, you know how she gets. Expect the rest in an hour or so, I'll double back and make sure they ain't done nothin' else stupid." Pausing once out of line of sight of the sentry, he makes a quick survey of the area that the group will be approaching from using the guidance on the Accidental God's wisdom before hoofing it back to the rest of the group.
With that, he disappears back into the woods and makes his way back to the rest of the group, relating what information he has. "Sentries are in lookout points. Didn't see any more but that doesn't mean there aren't any. Most of 'em are asleep, two playin' cards over by the fire, Kressle and someone named Neik are by the wagon. They think the rest of the group will be here in an hour. I say we strike now at their leadership and then mop up the rest."
Quentin approaches the eastern sentry well ahead of the group, doing his best to affect both the physical mannerisms and body language of Haps which he assumes to be rather aggressive and crude. "Oi, you there! We're back from that coward Oleg's little outpost, but the rest of the lot's held up on account of O'Brian turned his fool ankle in a gopher hole and's slowed 'em up. What's the situation 'ere? 'magine Kressle's gotta be lurkin' about, yeah?"
Bluff:
Hey guys, just wanted to throw up a quick post letting y'all know I probably won't be posting ICly today, getting married in a few hours here. Should be able to post tomorrow though.
Well, mind that's with taking 20, and a disguise kit, and some feat/trait bonuses, and a spell. But still, not bad if I do say so myself!
Oh! And almost forgot from my 'Augmented Disguise' feat, another +2 to Disguise as I have a 'prop' - both Haps' cloak and amulet. so 30 straight up, 40 w/ Disguise Self.
Sorry to hold up the boat all, but heading out to my stag party here in a little bit and probably won't be able to post again until tomorrow evening. If we want to move forward anyway: Quentin would basically just be approaching the camp and getting a general state of the camp from the sentry. I'll roll bluff here in case that becomes necessary, also I will be casting Disguise Self giving me another +10 on Disguise right before I head up to the sentry. Spell lasts 10 minutes so I'm looking to limit Quentin's interaction to that time frame. Bluff if necessary:
Just FYI Ranzo, Quentin does not have a crossbow - he has a shortbow.
Quentin doesn't seem to much like silence during the trip, and while he doesn't blather on incessantly about nothing, he does like finding things to talk about with his traveling companions - including Jimmy. Perhaps especially Jimmy, as it might give him an understanding of the bandits' overall mentality that could be useful in the upcoming ruse. In addition to whatever small talk other folks want to engage in, he does his best to get a complete picture of Jimmy's background, personality and character, ultimately getting to know him so he can broach the subject of why Jimmy became a bandit. Quentin does not bark at him or have the sort of obvious disdain in his voice that Ranzo did back at the fort, treating their captive as an actual human being, happily listening to whatever stories the other man may have about anything, no matter how minor a detail it may be.
I actually already started with a horse as per the Pioneer trait, so there's one more that Svetlana and Oleg can have. Also, Narkari: are you doing any sort of 'passive' perception for when we do not explicitly state we are keeping an eye out, or will you be rolling that secretly for us as needs be?
Before we leave in the morning, Quentin will be taking 20 using one count of his disguise kit (which gives +2) to appear as Haps as well as practicing his voice as best he can. Finally, once he actually gets to the camp he will case Disguise Self which will give an additional +10. So because technically Disguise is still random, this will take:
Now lets hope I get a decent Bluff roll. I figure the story of Haps coming back ahead of the group will be that one of the group (let's say O'Brian) broke his ankle in a gopher hole or some such and has slowed down the group and he (Quentin as Haps) got tired of their slow movement and idiocy and went on ahead at his own pace.
Whoops. Accidentally posted IC post in OOC thread. :P Too late to delete it now, too, suck. Also re: Haps disguise: what equipment was on Haps' person when we took him down?
Quentin grimaces slightly in embarassment. "Right, right, my mistake. But...yeah, I could. Especially if I have his cloak...I'll go take one last look at his ugly mug before he gets dumped in the ground and double-check with the brothers about the traps." With that, he makes his way to where O'Brian is burying his former comrades, kneeling down and getting a good long look at Haps' face. Having heard the man's voice, he has an idea of how to imitate it, but asks O'Brian if his former leader has any expressions he uses commonly, mannerisms that are easy to pick out, or perhaps a mode of speech that is distinctive. After picking the "smart" bandit's brains, he returns to the brothers to inquire in more detail about any traps, and even if they don't know of any, where they think traps might be placed, showing the map of the camp as a reference.
Quentin clears his throat. "One other thing, Ranzo, about the traps that are likely there...given time, the Drunken God can guide my eyes to anything unusual that might be there, like pit traps or the like, so I'm not sure if we might want to scout ahead to avoid any nasty surprises. Might not be a bad idea given that we know the password and I can disguise myself quite easily."
Ah, there it is! Thanks for the heads up. And sorry about the silence there for a few days Narkari, my wedding's this Saturday and have been getting stuff together, coordinating details, etc, so I've been a bit scatterbrained.
Ranzo, when you were referring ICly to the eastern sentry spot (K2), what map were you referring to? Don't see anything like that in the KPG and am not seeing a link elsewhere to anything except the grid map Narkari just posted. Am I missing something? o_O
Quentin purses his lips in thought at Ranzo's plans. "Well, I'm a decent enough shot with a bow, but I can't guarantee that it'll take him out with one shot. Given that we know their password and all, it might be easier for me to approach him, maybe try and con some information out of him, and then take him out in close quarters. I've got a few tricks that would help with that more so than with ranged attacks. Apart from that, sounds like a solid enough plan."
Quentin hangs back from Ranzo as the warrior announces the consequences of the thieves' actions to them, asking Svetlana in a quiet voice, "Are there supplies to fashion a ball-and-chain, or manacles of some sort in the fort? And...I hate to need to ask this, but should it come to it, would you have any problem killing one of these men should they try to turn?"
Sounds good to me, both punishment-wise and loot-wise.
Quentin would discuss this with all the other PCs about this, but what I'm thinking is we can make use of these thugs in literally building up our kingdom. They terrorized Oleg and Svetlana for three months, so they should work twice that (six months) in hard labor helping repair the fort, chop wood, clean kitchens, bail hay, plow fields, and any and other hard physical labor that needs doing. Hopefully there's some chain so we can make foot manacles or one of those old-time ball-and-chain things. That plus Oleg watching them with a crossbow/spear/whatever in hand should be a good deterrent. After they're sentence is up we'll give 'em a few coppers and send 'em north. They stay alive, we get free labor, their leader has been made an example of so they'll know we're serious when we say if we see them again in the Riverland after their sentence we will kill them, no questions asked.
Wow. Three 13s out of 4 rolls. Either something is very wrong with Paizo's random number generator or Quentin is very lucky. Either way, not complaining...
Quentin pays very sharp attention to each bandit's stories, if they're willing to talk at all.
Quentin plays good guard and shrugs at the idiots who very plainly tried to wriggle out of their bonds but failed utterly. "I'm not going to argue semantics with him, but that sounds like an awful lot of work to me. Save us the effort and make the right decision by the time we get back, eh?" With that, he starts with the wife-and-kid-having bandit, plying him for information and then repeats with each other bandit individually. Finally, he'll take one of the bandits for final 'extra' interrogation Ranzo suggests, appearing to be somewhat sympathetic if the bandit(s) show regret but not promising anything.
Quentin smirks as Endrance makes a show of insulting the man, shrugging as he walks away. "Well, he's not wrong," he notes to no one in particular. "And personally, cowardice is probably the smart thing in this situation," he muses to the captive bandit, arms crossed and looking down his nose at the prisoner. "Don't take that to mean I'm calling you smart, mind. Just smart enough to know when you're beaten. Keep playing it like that and you might just make it out of here without a nice hemp collar," intimating a rope around his own neck by wrapping his hand around his own throat loosely. "As I see it, the next smart move for you to make would be to spill it. All. Right now."
Quentin snaps his fingers in and grimaces in disappointment as the glob of acid only barely catches the thug, only to blink the next moment at the startlingly bright rainbow of colors that leaps from Alan's hands, knocking most of the bandits out cold. Unstringing his bow and meandering over to where the group has gathered, he listens to everyone's inputs on the situation before shouting back to Oleg, "Goodman Oleg, would you be so kind as to fetch some rope from your stores?" His tone is polite, not presumptuous, and makes sure to offer the older man a smile of thanks. With that presumably taken care of, Quentin puts in his own two cents. "Aye, we'll judge each of them individually, and I think we'd work well enough as a council of judges. As for interrogation..." Nudging one of the unconscious thieves, he smirks and looks back up to the group. "I have some experience with that sort of thing. Ranzo, you up for a game of 'good guard, bad guard?'"
Stat Block
Spoiler:
Round: 2 Initiative: 22 AC: 16 HP: 8/8 Saves (F,R,W): +2, +2, +5 Condition:
Weapons Ready:
As Ranzo ends the threat the leader presents as well, Quentin looks a little taken aback at the sight of the man's arm hanging on by a few cords of sinew, but shakes his head as if to clear it and then focuses on one of the more heavily wounded men. Leaving the bow slack in his one hand still, he conjures a sickly looking glob of greenish slime in the other and hurls it at the thug. As it flies, he shouts to the others, "What'd I say, cowards the lot!" OOC: Casting Acid Splash, targeting B1.
Stat block:
Spoiler: Round: 1 Initiative: 22 AC: 16 HP: 8/8 Saves (F,R,W): +2, +2, +5 Condition:
Weapons Ready:
Preparation: Spoiler:
Quentin would have been quite eagerly helping Alan until the wee hours, perhaps annoying the wizard with questions about how the trap will work.
Come morning, he would be hiding outside (taking 20 on Stealth w/ cover) w/ his shortbow knocked. Actions:
Stepping out from behind his cover, Quentin has his shortbow at the ready and knocked but not immediately trained on any of the men. "Banditry, and now attempted rape and arson! Damn, and here I thought we might have to work you idiots over to get a confession." When Ranzo steps out, he meets the eyes of the much more threatening looking warrior and nods as his attack on the leader makes the plan of action clear. Putting slack to his arrow, he uses his free hand to make a gesture as though turning a key in a lock and whispers a brief prayer to his patron.
Quentin's attention is placed elsewhere for a moment as he appears to reach under the table. Momentarily lost in a look of concentration that one has when searching for something, he apparently finds the flask that was in his boot and brings it up. A stubby tin thing, he takes a sip as he listens to Endrance and Ranzo's input. Clearing his throat and closing one eye a bit as the apparently harsh stuff goes down, he tilts it in the groups direction, looking to share. Handing it to whomever is interested or leaving it on the table in front of himself for future use as he offers his input on the bandits' character. "I know these sort of men. Cowards in the light of law, unrepentant thugs when left to their own devices. If our kind hostlers identify the men directly as bandits, then we question them and execute them. If we leave them alive, they will harry us later, and the wider scope of our mission involves rooting out lawlessness to create a viable colony of Brevoy. These men must be examples."
Quentin lets the other more battle-hardened members of the party discuss true strategy, and is equally curious when Alan suggests a trap, the mental image of arrow-filled trap being sprung on this lots of thieves bringing a little grin to his face. He's busy envisioning this only a moment though, and is paying close enough attention when Ranzo takes all of the groups ideas and brings them together. Nodding his agreement excitedly, the young man actually taps his fingertips on the table with nervous energy, all smiles. This is gonna be great! "Sounds like a good strategy," he compliments Ranzo. Turning to Alan, he asks, "Do you need any help setting up that trap? I've always been curious about how that sorta stuff works."
Equally attentive to both Svetlana's confession and the savory stew, Quentin perks up at Ranzo's hesitance to declare the bandits guilty on only the word of the outpost's keepers. Resting his spoon in the now empty bowl, he pushes it aside and leans forward a bit, demonstrating poor table manners and leaning his elbows on the table. Giving Svetlana a moment to gather her composure, he adds, "Not that that it'll be an issue, I think. If the rest of you wouldn't mind, I figure I could get it from their own mouths if need be. I know some...individuals...in Restov whose names I could drop, pretend to be a representative of a certain organization who would not be keen on being cheated out of a cut of the goods, and they'll sign their own warrants." Leaning back, he pats his belly. "After that, it'll be easy. Thieves are ultimately cowards when it comes right down to it. If there are some that aren't, then we'll take care of them simply enough."
Taking a few minutes to settle Rusty into the stable with a sack of oats and a quick grooming of his coat, he passes the time with a few idle questions to Ranzo. "Is it just me, or does it seem like our brave hosts have something on their mind? Might be that they're just nervous about their way of life what with this colonizing business, but I'm not sure, can't quite put my finger on it." Hanging the party's sacks and Rusty's saddles on hooks in the tack area, he shrugs. "Suppose the best way to find out is to ask them, eh? Let's not keep that stew waiting."
@Narkari: Updated my alias' profile with stat block and added information for close friend/friend/enemies for your potential use.
Having walked his horse laden with backpacks and the like most of the way to relieve the party of the weight of their gear, Quentin is as travel weary as any of the rest of the part. Well, except maybe the elf. That one seems to enjoy long walks in the woods. Bowing slightly when he's introduced, Quentin takes a moment to survey the disused fort, mentally making a tally of its defensive capabilities. His attention brought back by the mention of a home-cooked meal after several days of field rations, he perks up considerably and accepts the invitation readily. Moving alongside Svetlana, he guides his horse with the other. "Is there a stable here where I could put up Rusty? Once he's settled in I'm sure you'd both like to tell us about the area..."
Quentin A inquisitor to a party demi-god? :) do I catch that right? You do indeed! I tend to think of the class titles as archetypes to be used, not formal titles or what have you. Most "Fighters' don't think of themselves as such, I would imagine - they think of themselves as guardsman, soldiers, adventurers, bravos, archers, etc etc. I look at it the same way with Quentin. If anything he'd consider himself an "Agent" of Cayden Cailean. Not devout enough to be a priest, but still dedicated to his service, and not without his own skills. He does what needs doing for The Accidental God that others prefer not to, and is pretty decent at it. Or so he likes to think. ;)
Yeeeah, probably not gonna happen. Inquisitor's spell selection and casting ability is EXTREMELY limited. He can, however, use divine scrolls, as can Alendri. Generally a more cost-efficient route than potions if we have someone who can Scribe Scroll.
Alias up, will be filling in w/ info soon. |