"A good plan, Piret, save for the fact that I am an archer. I'll be better utilized from up high on one of the watch towers. I can also keep a look out to let you know when they're coming so you can get into position from there."
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"The alchemist's fire will help, although we'll want to be careful we don't set the trading post on fire. Any tar or pitch we could spread on the ground outside the trading post? It could slow them from approaching, and then we could ignite it with the alchemist's fire. I can post up on one of the towers to provide archery cover. Would anyone else be effective on the other?"
Stanislaw nods. "Agreed. We should see what kind of defenses we can bring to bear. Oleg, have you any bear traps or things that can be used to slow them?"
Stanislaw had climbed up to a better vantage point around the trading post to try and get a look at the surrounding area. He saw Harter approaching Piret, who was measuring off distances. She seemed...inexperienced. Of course, he was no seasoned soldier, either. Still, for all the apparent study and intellect she'd done, he wondered if it was her first time being out in the wilds. Well, she'd learn fast, he supposed. They all would, before this was through. Hopefully, once they dispersed the forward camp at the Thorn River, most of the bandits would decide that practicing their trade was too dangerous here and they'd move on to elsewhere. South, to the River Kingdoms, perhaps. A hardened core would remain - likely even this Stag Lord - but there would be fewer, and maybe they could focus on mapping the area instead of hunting bandits down.
Since we are about to hit that mark, will we be doing full hexploration of the area (complete with mapping and such) or are we going to do this more as a handwave kind of thing?
Stanislaw nods. "The camp is likely the best place to start, for the moment. I suggest we prepare to leave at first light. There is no sense delaying beyond resting for the night. Oleg, may we use the trading post here as a sort of base of operations? It would provide us a place to resupply and rest when not out in the wilderness."
Stanislaw thinks a moment, then says, "We could track the two who ran away back to where they came from - whether this camp or another - in order to ensure they will not threaten the trading post with retaliation. There is a lot of land west of here for multiple camps to be."
Still here, posting now.
I have returned, and am ready to continue.
FYI, beginning Friday I will be traveling to see family for the holidays. I should have time to get a post or two in, but my posting rate will likely slow down over the next week - week and a half.
I'm fine with people just using what we find without tracking shares. I also typically vote for having a "party fund" available that we can use for group consumables where needed, such as useful shared wands.
I concur. Cavalier only has Fort as a strong saving throw progression, so she needs as much of a boost as she can get. She's also a prime target for Protection from Chaos, once we start seeing hostile fey.
The bodies buried, Stanislaw returns to the fort to meet with Oleg and his wife. As they eat their meal, he asks, "The situation in Restov, as it was explained to us, is that this Stag Lord has styled himself the ruler of these lands, and that he is sending his thugs to menace and steal from those who live here. We saw that first-hand, here at your trading post, but is there anything more you can tell us about these bandits? Have you seen the Stag Lord? Do the bandits have any similar identifying markings?"
"Rope isn't a problem." Stanislaw unhooks a coil of rope from his backpack for Meredith to use to hook together the travois. He then assists with digging the grave for the bandits. It had been his idea, after all, and he wasn't going to make other people do the hard work if he wasn't willing to.
Level Up Warpriest 2
Skill Points (2 + 1 Int + 1 Human = 4)
Background Skills
Class Features: Fervor 1d6 4/day Spellcasting
"I took an arrow, but I'll be alright, thank you." He snapped the shaft of the arrow sticking out of him so that the head could be easily removed for healing, then stepped forward to make sure the bandits were all dead. "We should pick a place outside the trading post to bury the bodies. We don't want to deal with the smell of decomposing bodies or the threat of disease they carry, and if we don't bury them we may attract carrion animals and predators that could be dangerous to anyone traveling by." He, too, turned to look for the man that the bandits had been threatening to make sure he was alright.
I'm so sorry! I was just in the hospital for a week and a half. I promised to not do shenanigans again! Oh, yikes! I hope you're better now, or at least recovering well.
Popping back out of cover, Stanislaw sighted on the two bandits who had been attacking Harter, and loosed an arrow at the more wounded one.
I could probably dip into Trapper Ranger and pick up Trapfinding that way.
Stanislaw grunts as one of the archers manages to wound him. Realizing the numbers weren't quite in their favor, he called out, "Erastil, bring your blessing upon us as we bring justice to this land!"
Once that was done, he moved to take cover and minimize his profile against the archers.
I concur.
Everybody survive their week plus off?
Stanislaw sees no need to hold back. They had been given opportunity to surrender and flaunted ignored it. Their fate was now in the hands of the gods. Picking one of the bandits, he drew fletching back to cheek and loosed the arrow from his bow.
I haven't yet decided if Stanislaw is more of a patient, wait and see type or a kick the door in type. Given Harter's a bit hasty and overconfident, Stanislaw being more patient and cautious might make for a good counterbalance of showing how even followers of the same deity can be different in their approaches and attitude. On the other hand, he's also quite confident in his abilities and he is a young nobleman. A certain amount of overconfidence would fit somewhat well there. Much to think about there.
*Makes note to put a rank in Ride and a rank in Handle Animal at level 2*
Stanislaw let the reins of his horse hang down, trusting the animal wouldn't wander off. He drew out an arrow, nocked it to his bowstring, and gave the leader a plain, flat look. He knew he could put an arrow in the man's throat easily, and his expression made plain he was perfectly willing to do so.
I would like to know how many armed toughs we're looking at.
On the journey, Stanislaw did his best to try and get to know his new comrades. Learning Harter was an adopted youngest son of a Lebeda household made the other man's path to Erastil more clear to him, and he shared himself that he was a second son of a minor branch of the Medvyed family. The quite journey was quite pleasant. Upon arriving at Oleg's, and hearing the sounds of some of the Stag Lord's men inside, he paused, then dismounted. Grabbing his bowstaff from its place, he strung it, and lead the horse towards the gates behind Meredith and Harter. He wasn't well-versed in using his bow from horseback, after all. With Meredith and Harter taking the lead on entry, he hung back with Piret to provide ranged support if needed.
Stanislaw offered a short bow to Lady Jamandi. "I am sure that Kesten will determine who the true culprit was, as I am confident that Harter will be determined innocent." Hitching up his backpack and situating his quiver and arrows, Stanislaw said, "How well-manned is Master Leveton's trading post? Does he have any guard contingent, or is it just him out there?"
Stanislaw nods in acceptance of Jamandi's decision. Her house, her rules, after all. It was obvious that she wanted no delay in the expedition. "Yes, Dax, I think I'll venture into the Stolen Lands with Harter. Until we meet again, cousin." Bidding her farewell, he went to stand over with Harter's group. He'd seen Sven and Meredith acquit themselves well in combat, and Piret, with her odd spear, seemed quite competent as well. Athrehon seemed a competent spellcaster, as well, which would be helpful.
Stanislaw considered Tartuccio's accusation and Harter's defense. He didn't know the Lebedan very well, although he knew their house sent traders far and wide. It was conceivable they'd conducted trade with Pitax. On the other hand, few Lebedans became followers of Erastil. For Harter to have done so, he must have either defied his house or else was from a minor enough branch that he had more freedom than most. Most of the testimony in Harter's defense was of the character sort, but he strongly considered Elenaril's testimony about Tartuccio's magic, even as he thought back to the battle. Tartuccio could have been pulling his punches during the battle - or he could just be less skilled than he claimed to be. It was a point in Harter's favor, but not strong proof of Tartuccio setting the paladin up. He didn't recall having seen the ring on Harter's finger during the initial gathering, either. Of course, he hadn't seen Tartuccio give Harter the ring. Ultimately, there was no evidence to support Tartuccio's accusation that Harter was Irovetti's spy, apart from the ring, which Harter claimed Tartuccio had given him. There was also no evidence to show Tartuccio was Irovetti's spy, apart from the fact that he may have been intentionally holding back during the fight. If Lady Jamandi was serious about having them set out now, there would be no time to conduct an investigation. It would have to occur with both the accused and his accuser on their respective expeditions - and the difficulty with bringing them to justice from there. Idly wondering if Kesten would be offended by Harter's suggestion - although a noble of House Garess in Lady Jamandi's guard was somewhat strange - Stanislaw spoke up, "Lady Jamandi, as a fellow servant of Erastil, I do not believe Harter would have committed such betrayal, but there might be a way to put your mind at ease. If there is a high-ranking, spellcasting capable priest here in Restov, it should be a simple matter to clear up. There is a spell that can be used to compel the subjects to speak only the truth within its area. While it would cause a small delay, having the priest come here to cast the spell, and then having both Tartuccio and Harter give their testimony from within it, should serve to clear up this accusation."
Stanislaw answers Elenaril, "No idea, but I don't think they expected this much resistance." He looks at Tartuccio, and says, "If you have any way to assist in fighting from here, feel free to use it. Otherwise, I'd suggest taking cover out of the way." Looking over the melee, he sees Daxiana from the other side of the room loose an arrow at the armored man while Pyros moved in to fight him, and he shifts his attention to the three robed men maintaining the dome. "Magic requires concentration to maintain, yes? What say we disrupt that concentration?" He picks one of the robed men, taking aim and then loosing an arrow at him before drawing another to fire again.
Stolen Lands Group: Stanislaw had been awoken by the sound of fighting from the room next to his. He had just had enough time to string his bow and grab an arrow before the door to his room opened and a dagger-wielding human came into the room. Seeing him awake he rushed forward as Stanislaw fired an arrow, felling the man. Donning his armor and gathering his belongings, he cautiously exited the room, moving through hallways, until he found Harter and Meredith. Stanislaw frowned at Tartuccio. He still didn't like the gnome's arrogance, but he supposed everyone needed to be there. When Harter says he should draw their attention, Stanislaw chimes in, "Not alone, you shouldn't be. Who knows how many of these foes have attacked the manor? Meredith, Dax indicated you were a skilled combatant. Please join Harter on the front line, if you would. Sven, you look capable of holding your own on the front line, as well, if you could please join Harter and Meredith. I'll bring up the rear - a bow is most useful at range, after all. Let's keep our eyes open - these assassins are crafty." Stanislaw took up his position, arrow nocked and ready to draw at a moment's notice.
Looks good to me.
Looking at the excited young woman - who appeared to follow Sarenrae, Desna, and Shelyn all - as she eagerly approached Ikit, he thought to himself, This one has impulse control issues. She may draw trouble down upon the group in her overenthusiasm. To her, he says, "Good day, Elaina Newberry. I am Stanislaw Medvyed. Forgive me for saying so, but you appear to be quite eager and energetic. Such eagerness is good, but I would suggest tempering it somewhat. The lands to the south are dangerous, and untempered eagerness could land you in a thylacine's den. I've heard rumor of fey creatures, as well, who could prove dangerous to one's health if not approached with care. Fey can be quite fickle in their reactions." He half-smiled at Daxiana's comment about her bow. "I concur, cousin. I, too, will be reclaiming my bow when I leave this room." A thought occurs to him. "Speaking of, it has occurred to me that I haven't seen many others who favor the bow as you and I do. While I would enjoy engaging in this venture with you, in order to ensure that both groups have sufficient archery coverage, you and I should probably go in different groups."
"Ah, I see. A combination of arcane magic and siege machinery. I've made no study of arcane magic, but I can see the applications to siege warfare. If the plan is to build a nation, other magical devices may be helpful, such as devices that allow for faster harvesting of grain, or hoisting and transporting large pieces of stone for buidling."
Stanislaw had, somewhat begrudgingly, handed over his bow. He could probably find a weapon to use, but the bow was his preferred choice. Answering Harter's question about his training, he said, "My priestly training was largely handled by the priest of Erastil at home, around the Grozni Forest. I wasn't assigned to a larger seminary school." The warpriest of Erastil listened to Lady Jamandi and Lord-Mayor Sellemius's words, and others as they asked questions, quietly cataloguing information away in his mind. Having just arrived, he didn't know much about any of the others who spoke up. It seemed the purple gnome was incredibly ambitious and eager, however...perhaps too eager? He took a second look at the gnome, trying to figure out if there was an ulterior motive. It wasn't out of the question that if the Stag Lord had found out about this meeting, he would send agents to embed themselves in the gathering to sabotage attempts to defeat him.
As conversations around him pick up with the departure of Lady Jamandi and the Lord-Mayor, Stanislaw says, "You and I are in agreement on that, Harter. It does not sound like there are many settlements in the Stolen Lands with local traditions as it is, but there must be some people living there. Her words about the Nomen centaur raids in the Dunsward seems to indicate that there are some established settlements there, likely with their own traditions. Something must have stirred up the Nomen, if there had been relative peace for the past hundred years." Court politics were not as common in Medvyed lands, particularly along the Grozni Forest, but he'd learned enough to know that some conflicts were not as they appeared. With a glance at Ikit, he said, "Tell me, Ikit, what sort of inventions are you thinking of building? Siege weaponry, perhaps, or some of the strange Numerian devices I have heard rumor of?"
Do these numbers apply to 6-level casters, as well? As far as alignment goes, Stanislaw leans more into the Good part of LG as opposed to the Lawful part. He might slide a bit between LG and NG in terms of actions.
Stanislaw greeted the other two, "It is nice to meet you, Harter Lebeda, and Ikit, inventor. Tell me, Harter, for how long have you served Erastil? Are you an archer, as Dax and I are?"
"I am pleased to meet you, Gaxi, and you as well, Aelbourne. I, also, am unfamiliar with the Kobold tongue - although if he speaks the tongue favored by forest creatures and fey, we may find some shared communication."
Stanislaw replies to Daxiana, "You are, at that, although she may not see it that way. No, I am not here on family or church business, although I did get permission to answer the call to adventure before leaving. There are some advantages to being a second-born son." He turned his attention to the armored woman Daxiana called over. Meredith? Why does that name sound familiar? As the woman came over, he realized they'd met a time or two at formal occasions, although they had spoken little. "It is good to see you again, Meredith. Stanislaw Medvyed. No, not formal church business, just a personal venture. If I may ask, are you here on family business or a personal venture?"
Stanislaw was mostly privately trained in his priestly studies as opposed to going to a seminary. They could have met once or twice in passing, though. I'd def be interested in ties with other characters. Mere comes from a minor noble house, wasn't happy with her lot in life, took off to avoid an arranged marriage (that seems to be a minor theme here lol), off to make her mark on the world. Don't know if anyone else would want to fit in that in with their own, but I'm open. Stanislaw and Meredith could have met once or twice for familiarity's sakes.
Stanislaw strode into the Lady Aldori's manor, unstrung longbow at his back, along with two full quivers. Light mace, handaxe, and buckler hung from his belt, with the hilt of a dagger sticking out from behind his belt. His combat leathers were well-oiled, the studs polished to a shine. He still carried his backpack, cloak rolled up and strapped to the top - he hadn't had time to arrange an inn for the night, since he'd barely managed to arrive in time. Underneath the light armor he wore a clean coat of forest green, simple yet well-made, over a white shirt. His brown breeches were tucked into the tops of his boots, which he'd taken the time to polish. His holy symbol of Erastil hung about his neck - not ostentatiously, but not hidden. He didn't look a nobleman - he'd long since decided that such finery wasn't suited to the rumored expedition - but his appearance made it clear he wasn't a pauper, either. He should be at least somewhat respectable looking.
Scanning the crowd with his grayish-blue eyes, he starts. Is that Daxiana? He was quite honestly surprised to see her hear - last he'd heard, her mother intended to lock her in a tower and not release her until her wedding day. Moving through the room as smoothly as he could, he approached the crowd around her - which appeared to include a half-elf and...kobold? What strange company. Once he reached the group, he said, "Hello, cousin. I must confess, I am surprised to see you wandering free. Or will the house guards be coming in the door next to bring you back?" To the kobold and half-elf, he said, "I am Stanislaw Medvyed, servant of Erastil and warden of the wilds."
Hello, everyone! Looking forward to playing with you all. Daxiana: Given that we're both Medvyeds, I imagine we've at least met each other. Does cousins work for you?
Thank you for the selection! Looking forward to this.
Good luck, everyone! GM, I would also like to point out that Stanislaw is more Archer first as opposed to Divine.
Here is Phntm888's full submission with stat block, Stanislaw Medvyed. I'm reposting the other details from before so everything is in one place. Crunch:
Stanislaw Medvyed Human Warpriest 1 LG Medium humanoid (human) FCB: +⅙ Bonus Combat Feat Init +3; Perception +2 DEFENSE AC 17, touch 13, FF 14 (+4 armor, +3 Dex) HP 9/9 Saves Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +4 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee light mace +3 (1d6+2) Melee handaxe +3 (1d6+2, x3) Melee dagger +3 (1d4+2, 19-20) Ranged longbow +3 (1d8, x3) Ranged dagger +3 (1d4+2, 19-20) Special Attacks blessings (minor) 3/day Spells Prepared (CL 1st, Concentration +3) 1st-level - divine favor, magic weapon 0-level - guidance, light, stabilize STATISTICS Str 14, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 12 Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 15 Traits Child of the Temple, Erastil’s Speaker Feats Far Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (bows) Elephant in the Room Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise (at BAB +1), Deadly Aim (at BAB +1), Power Attack (at BAB +1), Weapon Finesse Skills (ACP -1) Climb +5, Diplomacy +6, Sense Motive +6, Swim +5 Background Skills Knowledge (nobility) +6, Knowledge (engineering) +5 Languages Common, Sylvan SQ Aura (LG), focus weapon, orison, sacred weapon Gear Longbow with 40 arrows, light mace, handaxe, dagger, studded leather armor, armored kilt, buckler (unequipped), Warpriest's Kit (backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, a cheap holy text, a flint and steel, an iron pot, a mess kit, rope, soap, a spell component pouch, torches (10), trail rations (10 days), a waterskin, and a wooden holy symbol), tent, 6 gp, 5 sp Backstory:
Stanislaw Medvyed, great-nephew of Lord Gurev Medvyed, has long since sought to prove himself. His father, Jakub, is one of Lord Gurev’s most ardent knights (in addition to being Lord Gurev’s nephew), and his older brother Antoni has shown great promise in following in their father’s footsteps. Stanislaw, as a second son, was to be tutored by the local priest of Erastil for an eventual path into the clergy. However, with his desire to prove himself a knight, he would sometimes skip his priestly training in order to spend more time learning from the house master-at-arms, Hasek Uliasz. Splitting his time between the two disciplines saw him punished, but he persisted in trying to master both skills.
The priest of Erastil, Father Tomasz, recognised that, although unconventional, Stanislaw’s dedication to learning combat suited him to be a more martial priest. He spoke to Hasek, and the two worked out a joint training schedule, with a particular emphasis on the longbow. Hasek and Father Tomasz approached Jakub together, and convinced him that the dual-training schedule would be in Stanislaw’s best interests. Stanislaw received training in both priestly disciplines and martial disciplines. Upon reaching his 23rd year, he was officially ordained as a militant priest of Erastil, and given the blessing to serve with Lord Gurev’s men as he walked a path to knighthood. For the next two years, he served as one of his great-uncle’s men-at-arms, protecting villages near the Grozni Forest from the occasional bandit group. For all the good he did, however, he found that his accomplishments were often overlooked in favor of his brother’s, who seemed to have developed a reputation for bravery and heroism, throwing himself into the worst of the fighting and rallying his men to ever-greater victory. Eventually, word arrived that the Swordlords were gathering together people to venture into the Stolen Lands. Tired of being constantly overshadowed, and seeing an opportunity, Stanislaw took his leave, packed his things, and ventured south to Restov. Perhaps in the Stolen Lands he could prove himself the skilled warrior that he knew himself to be. Character Role/Direction:
Stanislaw is built to be a ranged combatant as his primary in-combat role, with a secondary role towards buffing/healing due to spellcasting and class features.
Out of combat, Stanislaw can serve as an okay face/negotiator with Diplomacy/Sense Motive and will eventually help with survial in the wilderness and tracking. I like putting a single rank each into Climb and Swim when I have them as class skills at first level. Once the character hits level 2, those ranks will likely be diversified into Survival and Knowledge (Religion), so he can contribute on the Knowledge front. If the party shows a preference for travel using mounts, I will likely put a rank each into Ride and Handle Animal. Class-wise, I'll be going straight Warpriest. Stanislaw is open to being the Baron, something he never would have had the opportunity to do back home. He can recognize talent, however, and if someone else distinguishes themselves as being better suited to the role than he is, will accept a counselor's position instead. For myself, I am fairly experienced with both PbP and PF1. I have played through this AP before face to face, but the GM made some changes, including having us wrap after book 5 due to our teamwork being good enough that we were able to punch well above our weight. |