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Standing behind Raseri, Tobias simply nods to the barbarian, ready to follow her in.
Sorry to see you go, Lies. Take care of yourself, and good luck with your endeavours! Feel free to drop back in and tell us how you're going =)
"Nay, lass. She's a savage beast of the north, not a pup." Unfortunately for Tobias, he chooses to say this just as Storhrid yawns widely and snaps at her own tail. "Well, in theory, she is," he sighs, shaking his head as he makes for the stairs.
"You'll be safe with us," Tobias reassures the noblewoman, flashing a toothy grin at Raseri. "We should look upstairs. It's likely he knows of our presence, and waits."
I think I owe everyone an explanation, and an apology. In my circle of gamer friends, I'm known as the one with terrible luck. When I play at a PFS table, my dice conspire against me, seldom rolling above a 9. When someone gets sick, I always pick it up. If technological eff-ups happen, they're always to me. I'm the bad luck magnet that soaks the bad stuff so everyone else can be awesome and have a good time. So it dismayed, but didn't surprise me when, shortly after getting my replacement tablet, my charger stopped working, and I had to wait for a replacement to arrive (and it was only through goodwill that I was able to get one). Then I came down with sinusitis. Then I had to start involuntary volunteer work to keep my welfare payments (remember, I'm unemployed [not for lack of trying], and the Australian job market is tanking). Then I developed laryngitis. It sounds ridiculous, but it's all true - and my friends would back me up and say it wouldn't happen to anyone but me! The sinusitis has passed, and the laryngitis is on its way out (finally!). I'm hoping to return to my (ir)regularly-scheduled posting soon. I'm sorry for my radio silence, and I wish I could promise more regular posts, but... the simple fact is, I don't know *how* life's going to kick me next.
"Come on, lass." Tobias lays a cold glove on Raseri's shoulder. "Amma is right. We need to make sure he won't follow us. The Lady will be safe with us." He whistles sharply between his teeth, nodding to the Lady, and Kaveri obediently stands next to her, head lowered. "Especially with him," he chuckles.
"Don't we need to teach Rohkar - what was it again? - the folly of raising the dead for his dirty work?" Tobias asks grimly. "This hunt may not yet be over."
My replacement device has arrived, and I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. Hopefully I can start posting in my games tonight or tomorrow!
So here's the situation. I haven't been in a good place lately (again). My desktop computer has died due to a hard drive issue, and my one-year-old tablet has decided to stop working as well. This restricts me to posting on my phone, which is amazingly difficult due to a cracked screen and prohibitively slow loading times. I'm up against a deadline for job searching, I can barely afford to pay my bills, and the constant stress is leaving me pretty drained. Right now, I'm at a friend's house posting this. I'll be around, and trying to post occasionally from my phone, but until Microsoft get me my replacement device, I'll be spotty at best.
"Seems Rohkar doesn't care much to defend you," Tobias says grimly. "You stay out of our way, and we won't cause you any trouble." He offers a thick-gloved hand to the half-orc. "On my honour."
Since all the cool kids are doing it: Tobias gains:
Kaveri gains:
*Unless anyone has a better suggestion?
Tobias scuffs the toe of a well-worn boot in the flour, eyebrows raising slightly. "Very clever, lass,", he mutters, nodding approvingly. "Yes, we are here for the Lady, and to make sure Rohkar will harm no-one in the future. You've fallen in with a bad crowd, and we won't hold it against you, if you truly don't want to hurt anyone." Nodding to the crossbow, he adds, "How about you point that thing somewhere else, and tell us where your... associate is keeping the lady?"
"The men here before your lot were Sentinels. Good men, and good for the land and its people." Tobias lifts his chin and drops the point of his sword. "Our quarrel is not with you, Ten-Penny."
Not a bad roll. Tobias will be levelled next time the part rests (unless the majority levels beforehand).
I'll level up Tobias next time the party rests. Can we get an updated map, if we've gone down a floor?
Tobias closes his eyes, making the sign of the bow across his shoulders again. "Safe hunting, brother," he murmurs, "in this world or the next."
Holding a hand to stay Kaveri, Tobias glances over Raseri's shoulder, trying to pinpoint the voice's source. "Did you harm those who were here before the bandits came?" he asks, his accent thick and his tone grim. "Do you count yourself among the bandits?"
Tobias makes a quick sign of Erastil's bow across his shoulders, sternum, and throat as he follows Raseri. "You want to stay in the lead, lass?" he asks, his voice hoarse.
I'm jetlagged and stuck in a rut, but I'm here.
I'm back, folks! Vacation was pretty great, and it's time for me to kick jetlag in the butt and start posting again. Bear with me!
"For the last time, no burning down the lodge," Tobias growls. "There are good people here. Kaveri, niður!" he barks. With the surrendered bandits unconscious and stable, he nods to Raseri. "Care to do the honours?" he grins, gesturing to the next door.
Tobias whistles to Kaveri, nodding his head sharply at the bandit to his left, before climbing onto the table to take the fight to the other one, narrowly missing Lies' fingers with his boot.
Jeez, it just keeps coming, huh? ;-)
Tobias grunts as the bandit lands a blow in his side, pressing one hand against the wound. Quickly taking stock of the fact that the man is sickly, he scowls. "Drop your blades, and you'll live yet," he growls, his voice low and guttural, waiting to gauge their reactions.
Carefully stepping around, closer to a flanking position, Tobias tries to distract the bandit with a swing of his own.
Sorry, DM; I'm posting late and I'm a bit frazzled... do both I and my animal companion now have a full round worth of actions?
Glad to hear something awful hasn't happened to you. Thanks for the update. :) -Posted with Wayfinder
Hey guys, I just got the internet connected. Might take me a while to get into the swing of things again, but I'm back! DM, it's been the Humble Bundle deal. They sold something like 77,000 bundles, which is hundreds of thousands of pdfs, and the site got really slow and buggy. Seems to be up and running again now. Who's up in initiative?
First up, I'd like to apologize for my silence. I've been working up to moving house, and the big day was today. We don't have an internet connection yet, and probably won't for several days (though we're working on it). I have a smartphone with a data plan, but 500MB doesn't go far when I'm using it for job-searching as well. However, my mother lives 5 minutes away and I'm welcome there any time, and there's a library within walking distance, so I'll be around. Please don't write me out of the campaign, as this is temporary. I'll be here, but sporadic. If I'm holding things up, bot me. If there's something Tobias would reasonably do that would help the party out of combat, have him do it if I don't get to it first. His combat MO is to maneuver into a flanking position with Kaveri and attack with his longsword, using Combat Expertise if he takes a solid hit. If it's a big combat, he'll activate Kaveri's primal transformation (alternate statblock in the wolf's profile, under a spoiler) which lasts for one minute. Kaveri flanks and bites (don't forget his free trip), and has fast healing 1.
As the door is forced open, Tobias points at the closest raider and barks, "Fá hann, Kaveri!" As the wolf leaps into the fray, he follows quickly after, sword in hand.
I'm ready. Have Raseri kick in the door, and we'll get this moving.
"If there's anything you can do to help us, it'd be appreciated," Tobias mutters to the crow. [smaller]"'Less anyone says otherwise, we go in hard and fast. On my signal."
Tobias steps up behind Kaveri, nodding to Raseri. "Ready for the hunt, lass?" he grins.
Tobias locks eyes with Kaveri and motions to Raseri, before slowly creeping forward himself. The wolf blinks slowly before walking to the fiery-haired woman's side, crouching by the door like a coiled spring.
Gritting his teeth, Tobias fixes the bandit with the hard, unblinking stare of an alpha staring down a subordinate. "That would've been good to know from the start," he growls. "Anything else you've failed to mention?"
"Right. Lies, reckon you're quiet enough to get around unnoticed?" Tobias asks of the young woman, clapping the snow off his gloves.
"Grandma, Mabs, you know anything 'bout this?" Tobias asks of the old woman and the crow, crouching by the carcass and pointing out the wounds. "Some kind of infection, maybe?" When Blaize suggests smoking the bandits out, he shakes his head. "No. No fires," he says firmly. "Like I said, it's good people what own this place. Can't go burnin' down their lodge, 'specially if the bandits have 'em still in there." He fixes Blaize with a hard stare, hoping his instincts are wrong. Trying to recall what he knows of the layout, he frowns, drumming his fingers on his thigh. "Should be more'n one door," he mutters. "Been awhile since I was here. Happy to sneak 'round, see what's there."
Once he recognizes the path the bandit is leading them on, Tobias stops, grabbing the man by the shoulder and addressing him in a low growl. "Your lot are at the old Sentinel lodge?" he asks, lips pulled back from his teeth in a canine snarl. "What did you do to them?" Turning his head slightly to explain to the group, he says, "The High Sentinels are a group who patrol these woods - take care of bandits, animals that pose a high threat - basically keep Heldren safe. Asked me to join their ranks once, but I preferred my solitude too much at the time. Worked with 'em once or twice. They patched me up after a run-in with a bear, let me sleep by the fire a few times, bought some o' my best furs - that sort o' thing. Good folk." Turning back to the bandit, he grunts. "Don't matter much, anyway. 'Least you're, personally, doin' the right thing now." Shoving the man's shoulder to get him moving again, he trudges next to him through the snow, his eyes dark with anger. He shakes his head at the sight of the carcasses - "Bloody waste, that. Good meat on some of these, and what would've been good hides on most." He pauses to look over a deer carcass full of wounds, trying to figure out what manner of beast could have caused them.
"Right. Here we are, then," he mutters, pausing the group a good distance from the lodge. "'Less anyone objects, I say we go in and hit 'em hard. Front door seems the obvious choice, though if anyone reckons they can handle going in through a window, could work well for us. Get 'em from more'n one direction at once."
Hope everyone's doing alright. Sounds like rough times all 'round.
Good to go. Tobias gets his spells back, as well as his minute of primal transformation; Kaveri's bonded to the Life spirit today, so he has constant fast healing 1. *thumbs-up* Blaize, that sounds nightmarish. Australia's the opposite right now - heat waves, constant temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm melting while you're freezing.
Tobias makes sure to offer the bandits breakfast - after everyone else has eaten (right down to Lucine), but he offers nonetheless. "Even the lowest of the pack deserve their share," he says with a short nod. "Long's you're with us, you're our responsibility." As the group is ready to leave, he takes the more receptive of the pair to the front with himself. "You're with me, lad. Take us to this cabin you lot've been holed up in." As they walk, he tries to remember the lay of the land, see if he recalls any cabins - and whether the fellows are telling the truth.
"I picked up a few tricks out here," Tobias puts in. "Need be, I can patch up a few wounds. Raseri has the right of it - we strike them as hard and fast as we can. We have a way to their hideout, and we're all well-rested." Standing and sweeping on his cloak, he whistles to Kaveri, who stops trying to roll Lucine onto her belly and trots to his side, pink tongue lolling out of his mouth. "Soon as we're ready, we go."
Tobias groans as he wakes, staggering over to the fire, shaking a spoonful of grounds into his coffee-pot and leaving it to heat on the flames. "Damn weather didn't clear up, I see," he says grimly, pulling up his left trouser leg and massaging his calf. A wicked mass of knotted scar tissue covers most of the surface from knee to ankle; he hisses as he stretches out the limb. "Had to be today, eh?" he mutters to himself, pulling on his boots and beginning to work into his armour. "Everyone sleep well?"
Tobias waits until Raseri's eaten her fill before starting on his own meal. At his side, Kaveri waits his turn before eagerly gulping down his own share. The hunter doesn't object to the bandits keeping their own watch - if they wanted to not trust them, that was their choice.
While Tobias is alert, Kaveri seems more interested in pacing around Raseri and Storhrid. "Oh, come on. They're fine," Tobias grumbles, motioning for the wolf to watch the trees. Ignoring him, Kaveri nudges Storhrid's nose with his once before laying down next to her and Raseri, trying to share his own warmth with the two of them. "You're getting soft, aren't you?" the hunter chuckles, shaking his head at the wolf, who ignores him. "Ah well. Guess I'll keep watch for both of us, eh?" he mutters, shaking his head. After a few moments' thought, he crosses over to the pile of bodies, spreading his cloak over the Ulfen lass. He's used to cold winters, after all.
As Kaveri sits near the former bandits, watching them with his hard stare, Tobias glances in the direction of each howl as it reaches his ears. "Don't seem to be getting closer," he mutters. "Any of 'em come near while we're sleeping, get me up first, and I'll see 'bout shooing 'em off. "As for watch order, reckon I'll go first, give you ladies a chance to sleep. How about you and Lucine go after me, Lies; then Raseri and Storhrid, and let Grandma take the last watch, let her rest her old bones?" Glancing at the sky, he adds, "Not sure if the nights'll be longer with this unseasonable weather, but if they are, we can give Blaize a watch as well."
Tobias chuckles as Kaveri, apparently satisfied with Blaize's wariness, leaves her be and slumps down at his side, resting his head on his paws. He scratches the wolf behind the ears fondly. "He's a big softie, once you get to know him. You two, what're you doing standing around? Still room by the fire." He motions for the former bandits to sit, indicating space on either side of the wolves. Have to be the best spot for 'em, he thinks. As Mable works, he squints up at the sun. "Getting late," he mutters. "Should set up a watch. Happy to go first or last; I'm used to going long days."
Helping Raseri set up camp, Tobias glances over to where Kaveri continues staring down the gnome. "Don't worry about him," he calls. "It's a dominance thing. Eye contact's how he asserts his position in the pack. Thinks himself the beta male. Just look away after a bit, he'll leave you be." He goes to answer Raseri's question, but sighs when Blaize interjects. "I know that gnomes are cheeky little blighters who like to interrupt," he answers, with a wolfish grin. "Other'n that, not much. Know they're part fey, and you can't trust anything what's part-fey." He glances back at Blaize, adding, "No offense. For all I know, you're the exception." He takes his seat by the fire again, shaking his head when Raseri hands over his cloak. "You've still got a nasty chill. You need it more." Watching as Mable begins pulling supplies from her pack, he chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief. "Don't tell me you have a whole kitchen in that pack of yours!"
"You two know each other?" Tobias asks of Mable, his suspicious stare softening slightly. "Why would you be looking for them?" Kaveri approaches Blaize boldly, sniffing at her face, watching her with hard eyes. As Lucine inspects the newcomer, one paw comes down carefully between fox and gnome. |