Sergeant Hersk's page

""I'm in on this bust with Bungo, we've been tracking down counterfeits and frauds like Silas for the past 10 years together, I'm on the good side here." Bluff: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (7) - 2 = 5

Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (18) - 1 = 17

"I'm not sure what you've been doing for the past ten years, but you can save it for the Sheriff."

"Ahem, There once was a very nice sarge. He arrested a guy named Marge, and threw him in the barge, But then one day a caravan came and threw large Silas Gribb in the Barge."

"Wow, halfling, you sure do know how to use rhyme. Now come along with me. There are a lot of questions to be answered."

"So, Sergeant would you like to hear my poem about you?"

"Alright, young fella, just put that crossbow of yours away, first."

"Very sorry sergeant, i still haven't fully recovered from being knocked out. We weren't supposed to bow our cover until we knew who Silas was selling to."

"Very well, let's take Silas Gribb in to custody and I can introduce you all to Sheriff."

"So, who are all of you?"

no reply?! (Did you miss Hersk's question to you?)

"So, I take it that you guys are just thugs working for thug Gribb?! Bungo, I'm going to have to ask you to help me manacle these guys. The Sheriff is going to want to interrogate the lot of them."

Pulling out manacles the Sergeant first handcuffs Silas Gribb. He then pulls out several other pairs of manacles and moves to handcuff Kardan, Lojhan, and Yardix.

"So boys, are we doing this the hard way or the easy way?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1

"This was all just a ploy. Bungo's the name, law enforcing is the game." I've been following Silas for months now, acting like part of the group. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to throw him in the brig."

"What? Wait a minute. You are an enforcer in disguise?! Man, you sure were believable. You even had me fooled! I thought you were just another one of those thugs that keeps taking advantage of the good people of Belhaim. I'm Sergeant Hersk, but you can just call me Hersk. Well, that or Sarge. I'm a deputy in this town and help out the Sheriff when I can. In my military days I was a Sergeant in the 5th division of the mountain brigade of the Taldor army, but now I just help out here in the village. So, who are all of you?"

The verteran pulls a flask from his belt and takes a swig from it.

Then he calls out in a commanding tone,"Everybody drop your weapons! I am in charge here and you are all under arrest! You can tell your story to the Sheriff and we can all avoid any further loss of life. Now, drop your weapons and we won't need to spill any more blood."

Round 3

"We had enough of you thugs in this town! You will not pay us off any longer! Prepare to go down!"

Hersk drops his sap and grips both hands tightly around his great axe and then attacks Bungo.

Great Axe: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Damage: 1d12 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Round 2

"I cannot believe a cleric of Sarenrae would side with this scoundrel! May the Dawnflower have mercy on you!"

The Sergeant draws his sap and knocks out Lojhan with it.

Sap Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Non Lethal Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

"Alrighty, which of you is next?"

Round 1

Sergeant Hersk dodges attacks from Kardan, Lojhan, and Bungo.

The sergeant swings his greataxe at Lojhan, who was the first to swing at him.

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Damage: 1d12 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

"Drop your weapons now, or somebody is going to get badly hurt!"

"Its sounds like you want to do this the hard way! Very well. We can do that."

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Sergeant Hersk turns from Silas and begins to walk away with a pouch in his hand and then he calls out to the guards in the gatehouse, "We've got trouble here boys, send for backup!"

Turning to the four of you (the guards of the Silas Gribb's small caravan), Hersk calls out, "Drop your weapons and raise your hands in the air! We have a situation here!"

“Why, yes it is.” Bungo moves up to Sergeant Hersk.

“Bungo’s the name, knowledge is the game.”
“Never been to Belhaim, but the people seem delightful.” Bungo winks.

"Nice to meet you, Master Bungo. I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Please ignore my friend here, it's been a very long trip. It apears he still has yet to recover."

"You wish me to ignore him? That I may do, but I have yet to hear your own name, good sir. Are you here for business or pleasure? Do you have something to hide?"

A moment later, the a large gate opens and a balding guard with a long moustache comes out the door and introduces himself. "Greetings, folks. I'm sergeant Hersk and I'm here just to ask a few questions before I let you through. This shouldn't take but a minute."

The sergeant gives an appraising look over the company and then begins asking a few questions. "So where are all you folks from? You don't look like you're from here. Is this your first time to Belhaim?"

"And what would happen, say, if the Drellin's Ferry folk simply decided not to pay??? Are they actually going to kick everyone out of the grounds or something? How is it that we stand for this highway robbery?!?!"

"I agree, halfling. If the people refuse to pay, then let's see what they do. If this Maug fella start causing trouble, then I say we just go in and start thumpin the extorting thug!"

"Well Mantooth, Mutamba, Sergeant Hersk, and most importantly Captain Soranna, lets get on the road. I would not expect the horde to arrive today, but perhaps in a day or so. But, I definitely would prefer to not be here if they arrive earlier than expected."

Obviously a little out of shape, Sergeant Hersk attempts to climb up onto the wagon with some difficulty. After a few tries, and slightly out of breath, he makes it into the seat and replies, "All set . . . Ready to go when you give the word, Captain. Is everything secure back there?"

"Are you kidding? My middle name is reliable."

"I would be happy to escort it, Captain. I promise I will not tell anyone what it is, and I will certainly make sure it stays out of enemy hands!"

@ Mantooth and Mutamba

"You won't see me do it either, Sergeant. Not with all this extra.. plating."

"Hehe, it sounds like you wrestle with the same problem that I do, too many plates for dinner." The Sergeant grabs hold of his well rounded belly and laughs. Then turning to Mutamba he adds, "I don't see you climbing across the rope like the wee gnome and halfling. Do you have too much plating as well?"

"Was there anything eventful happening while you were at your post, Sergeant? See anything unusual?"

"Well, it has certainly been unusual for me to see so many towns folk pack up and walk or ride out of town, but under the circumstances, I suppose that is to be expected." The Sergeant thinks for a moment longer and then replies thoughtfully. "But now that you mention it, I've been thinking that the dark clouds gathering over the Wyrmsmoke mountains look a bit unusual. They just sort of gather and clump there. It's a little unusual to see such strange weather patterns. Even when the rest of the clouds move across the sky, the ones over yonder just seem to stay put. I'm just glad they are not hanging over us. There is nothing worse than marching a bunch of town folk through wet and muddy roads."

Sergeant Hersk yells across the river, "Hey! You forgot your wagon!"

Turning to Mantooth, the Sergeant adds, "Don't ask me to try that. Hehe, I think I would break the rope with all of my extra . . . . uhm . . . padding."

@Tirion, Mutamba, and Mantooth

"I don't know what is wrong with the damn ferry. It seems to be working just fine earlier today."

Then Sergeant Hersk whispers to Tirion, "Does your secret weapon float by any chance?"

@Mutamba, Mantooth, and Tirion

"Holy Sheet! Did you see that little fella run across the ferry rope like he was walking on air?! How the hell did he do that? If you folks are expecting me to cross the river like that, you are completely out of your mind!"

"Hey Drathgar, get that damn ferry over here! We are on official business and we need that thing you call a boat over here as quick as you can say Top Secret!"

"No, it is magic. As I said, if we accidentally summon a dragon now, it will not be available later when we are facing the horde and their evil dragons."

"That would not be helpful. We definitely want the good dragons to come when we need them. Besides, I hate the thought of trying to feed them while we wait for the enemy!"

"If you want to see what we have, you will just have to come with us to Brindol and see what the combined might of dwarves, elves and humans - with a few gnomes and halflings thrown in for good measure - can do to an army of evil."

"I will be comin. Don't you be fearing that, gnome. We may be letting go of Drellin's Ferry, but when the time comes where we can stand and fight, you can bet that I will be there."

"Now then, we need to get to the river to make sure that this valuable cargo gets across and on its way to Brindol."

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let' get that wagon rolling and get er over the river to rest of the wagons! I will personally escort you down the hill and see that it gets safely across."

The Sergeant grabs a backpack from the guard hut, closes the door and announces.

"I'm all set to go. Onward, my friends!"

@Tirion and Mantooth

"This is a secret weapon which we think can summon good dragons to fight for us. We need to make sure that it gets across the river and to Brindol before the horde gets here. If they got it, then we would not have any good dragons helping us. We cannot open it now because the good dragon might be summoned early and not be available when the real battle for the Vale begins."

"Really?! It can summon good dragons?! Is there really such a thing? That sounds very impressive. What does it look like? Can I have a peek? I promise I will not say anything to anybody."

"I am sorry sergeant, but the captain swore us to secrecy. If you must, you are free to get her. It should be enough to know that these are stores which we do not want to fall into the hands of the advancing horde."

The Sergeant looks back with an expression of disappointment, but politely but insistently tries to learn some more information. "Surely she did not mean to keep this secret from someone such as her own Sergeant! What do you think I am going to do, walk about the town announcing this secret weapon like it was some juicy bit of gossip! I am a Sergeant. Seargeant, I say. I am not some dinky twit of a guard who doesn't know how to keep his trap shut. Now let's hear what is going on so I can help see you on your way! Here, come closer and just whisper it to me. I promise, I will not tell anyone."

@Mantooth & Tirion

"We were attacked by hobgoblins not long ago and I would beseech you to please let us get into town as quickly as possible so I may remedy this."

"Holy Gorum, what happened to you? That must have really hurt! I appreciate the urgency of the situation, but you can't simply expect me to ignore my duties as a Sergeant of the militia? Don't you think it would be important for someone such as me to know what is going on here? Now speak up and let me know what you've got in the wagon. Is it some sort of catapult or something that flings boulder upon the enemy?"

"Actually, we are not attempting to make a profit. These are some goods that the captain wishes to take to Brindol to help with the defense of the Vale. We are just helping to take them across the ferry."

"Wait just a minute, gnome. I don't mean to be nosey, but I can't help myself. What do you have in the wagon that the captain thinks is so important?"

@Tirion and Mantooth

"Well that all depends. We left through the gate about an hour ago. Shouldn't you be with your family packing to leave?"

"Oh yes." the Sergeant says with recognition, "You are one of the Heroes from Brindol. But what are you doing out here with a wagon of goods? Shouldn't heroes be doing something other than trying to make a profit at a time like this?"

"Shouldn't you be with your family packing to leave?"

"What do you take me for, a moving man? I'm a Sergeant in the town militia, and I'm not about to abandon my post just because everybody else has already packed up. No, I live alone, so it's a soldier's life for me anyway."

@Tirion

"Good afternoon sir. Well met, it was a long ride through the woods. The horse have been skittish, let me calm them down."

"How far have you come from? Have you run into any trouble with humanoids coming through the Witchwood?"

The Sergeant ponders for a moment and then adds, "You look familiar to me. Do I know you folks?"

@Tirion, Mantooth

As you pass the guard house on the way back toward Drellin's Ferry, you are greeted by Sergeant Hersk who comes rushing out of the stone hut to greet you.

"Welcome to Drellin's Ferry. You are the first merchants we've seen coming into town from the West in a very long time. Tell me what you've got to sell in your wagon, folks. Mind you, you may not find any merchants to buy off of you, but depending on what you have, it may prove to be valuable to the town."

"I better go and run and get Speaker Wiston. He'll know what to do!"

The burly sergeant gets up and hastily exits the door, but not before grabbing a handful of cheese and crackers.

Nija problem fixed!

"My good sir, if you realized who we are, you may not be so quick so assume tomfoolery or pranks. You are speaking to all of the surviving Champions of the Elsir Vale Tournament of Heroes!! I give you my personal assurance--which would be vouched for by none other that the Lord Jarmaath personally--"

Still unable to swallow the truth behind the stories, the Sergeant replies sarcastically, "Euuuuw! You must have competed against D. . . D. . . Durgin Fortkeep! I am sorry, little fella. I did not realize that you were friends with Lord Jarmaath of Brindol! I suppose I should have offered you tea first! Now, you little folk, get out of here!"

"Sergeant Hersk, I am afraid what Tirion and Bofus has just said is true and it would do you well to take everything we tell you seriously from here on out. We have returned from our reconnaissance mission to find a force of at least a thousand goblins, Minotaurs, dragonspawn, and one red dragon heading this way. The ancient bridge does indeed lay at the bottom of the river - it was our last effort to delay the approach of the army."

However, as the paladin speaks, the Sergeant begins to slowly grasp the situation. He looks at Mantooth in the eye, and with his dumbfounded expressions stares at the paladin, trying to comprehend the enormity of what the knight is saying.

Sense Motive 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

"Wait, wait, wait! You are a knight, a man of arms and servant to Iomedae, and you are honor bound to tell the truth. Your code dictates that you cannot lie. Therefore, you are actually telling me that this is not a prank?!" As realization dawns upon the sergeant he swears under his breath,"Holy Gorum! We are all as a good as dead! Hell, we better go find the Captain and alert the town!"

The door to the Old Toll House opens and the Sergeant, who is still in his underbritches, runs back inside, calling over his shoulder as he races, "Wait just a minute, I'll be right there!"

A moment later, the Sergeant returns, wearing his leather pants, a shirt of chain mail armor, and he is fastening his sword and scabbard to his waist.

"Ok, folks! Follow me, it is time to find the captain!"

The burly man slams the door shut behind him and quickly strides across town to the residence of Captain Soranna Anitah.

Reaching the steps, huffing and puffing, he pounds on the door. A young, but very able looking young woman answers the door with a surprised expression on her face.

"Pardon us, Chief Constable . . .(wheeze). . . Soranna. These folks have something . . . (wheeze again) . . . to tell you."

"I heard that gnomes were fond of pranks, but this is way too much! Who do you think you are, disturbing my free time, telling me about dragons and an army of monsters?! You even claim that you destroyed Skull gorge bridge! Now, that is scandalous! That would ruin trade in these parts for weeks to come! Now, get out of here before I have you flogged, you little miscreant!"

After knocking on the door of the Old Town House, you wait as you hear footsteps approach. Then a small portal opens in the door and a face peers out at you. You recognize him as Sergeant Hersk, the charming, burly man with the long mustache who first welcomed you to Drellin's ferry.

"Waddyawant! Can't you see that the town office is closed?! We're off duty in here, so if you have a problem, you will need to go to the guard house or come back tomorrow!" He bellows out.