I'm still here. I've just been very very busy. I still want to continue playing in this and I will make an effort to read up and post sometime soon.
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I have been swamped with work and for that I apologize. I should have updated more often. I will try to do so on a more consistent basis, I have just been very busy lately and did not have time between projects. I hope I have not slowed everything down.
I've been swamped with work lately. I should be able to update tomorrow.
Work has kept me very busy with projects this week. I will catch up soon. Feel free to take actions for Ulryk if needed and I haven't posted.
Hope everything went well with the move and that you are enjoying the new location.
Ulryk takes a defensive position guarding Svetlana and Kent. For the moment he has his ranseur out, though for those familiar with his fighting techniques, they know that means little considering how quickly he can draw and replace a weapon in his hands.
"It's a wall." Ulryk says quietly stating the obvious. He begins searching about for a way beyond the tunnel and to the area beyond. Noticing that Svetlana had the same idea, he does what he can to assist her in getting out of the tunnel, utilizing his knowledge of engineering where applicable. He had little love of crowded spaces and musty old tunnels.
What are we doing with our horses, mule, etc? Can we bring them into the tunnel with us or is it too short / narrow. I want to move them someplace safe and not easily discovered by any bandit patrol sent out. GM Daniel for reference Ulryk has the following weapons on him. Guisarme, Ranseur, Flail, Pilums (8)
Will accept aid others for this roll.
Ummm skinning a sentient being to make a map is kinda evil... I think it might be viewed as distasteful and the callous way Kent goes about it could be somewhat Amoral, but I don't think it is necessarily evil. It is no more evil than cutting off the heads of slain enemies to make a statement or collect a bounty, or collecting their ears, etc etc. I do think Neutral good isn't exactly a good alignment fit for Kent however. I'd peg him as true neutral.
Ulryk asked Akiros a question before Svetlana led him away. "What do you know of Nettle?" He did not want to get into too much detail with the man, but he thought it prudent to at least find out more about the tormented spirit. He did not wish to be tricked into aiding something with true malevolence. He then called upon Damen and Brigid to come look over the dirt drawing of the fortress he had sketched out. On it were three locations marked with X's. "These locations are the most likely for a secret passage if there is one. Let us keep our distance and avoid the South Hill, but see if we can see anything. Remember, the Stag Lord likely has lookouts about at the moment. Bows might be our best recourse.
Ulryk shot Kent a look that spoke of his distaste. Kressle may have been a wretched, vile human being, but the thought of lugging about her corpse through the wilds struck a nerve with Ulryk Lebeda's more traditional upbringing and simple faith. "What can you tell us of the Stag Lord and the bandit opperation he has been running?" Ulryk said as he stroked his bearded chin. He did not yet trust this Akiros individual. It was either incredible good fortune that one so willing to accept the olive branch of redemption was the first to be captured or it was some kind of trap. He studied Akiros, but he could get nothing from the man. He tended to judge men by their actions, not the thoughts and emotions they kept hidden within. He gazed off in the direction of the fort and then began dragging his pole-arm's butt through the dirt. Scribbling down a few measurements and trying to figure out where a secret passage could potentially reside.
Ulryk spoke up, his voice projected in a manner learned from his noble birth, laced with command and a subtle hint of threat. "Would you, if it were offered, take the chance to repent for your life of Banditry and embrace a more noble path? If yes, would you join us against the Stag lord without seeking to betray us?" Ulryk knew that Kent had cast some sort of spell to detect lies and he decided it made sense to get to what he considered most important. Did this man Akiros have to die or not? He held his weapon at the ready and was glad that the bandit sympathizer was no longer with them. Ulryk had never enjoyed passing judgment but he knew it had to be done.
I have a long distance move today and this weekend as I previously mentioned. Will not be readily available.
Ulryk kept his thoughts focused on the dangers at hand. For now this was Svetlana's show and he would play along, trying his best to keep hidden crouched down amongst the heavy foliage. He was glad he had worked to make the location well hidden while Svetlana was away, for in his giant form he could only keep hidden so well.
Been extremely busy this week with a long distance move, including arranging telecommuting with my job. Posts will be sporadic from me for the beginning of april.
Yeah you could throw a hand-axe into Dovan's face. Maybe it will kill him and prove your toughness. Maybe it will just make him angry and you have to run away. However now it seems like more and more characters are getting involved you might just have to go under cover. Yet it seems Kressle was the Stag Lord's woman... which could be serious trouble.
Yeah I can use wands that appear on the Alchemist lists without need for UMD (Which I have anyway for other things like scrolls). I will store this little wand away for emergencies. What level is it?
Before Svetlana Left Ulryk held up a hand indicating that the Priestess should wait a moment before going ahead with her plan of infiltration. He wasn't personally fond of splitting up, especially since he didn't know whether Svetlana would be able to convince the Stag Lord or his minions of her forged identity. It was best to aid her in any way he could if she was going to go through with this plan. Walking over to his wagon, he went through its well organized contents and pulled out two hand axes and held them handle outward to Svetlana. "Do not forget that Kressler was a woman of great cruelty before I ended her life. Don't hesitate to lash out at those who question you. Her weapon of choice were these hand axes and it would look unusual for you not to have them on you. Take them." Ulryk said as he let his gaze trail to the ancient Iobarian fortress. "Remember there were two passwords. The first is 'And so the stink marks the jackal in a den of wolves'. The second was 'By the bloody bones of St. Gilmorg, who wants to know?' I don't know who St. Gilmorg is, but that might be the one to utter if they question you when you get close. Be safe and send out lights if something goes wrong." At the ambush location Ulryk held off on drinking any wine or relaxing from the ambush position and instead continued to work on making certain none of the companions were noticed, nor were the horses or mules. He tore down underbrush, moved branches and covered tracks. Eventually he sat down to wait. Unlike the other two warriors he did not also have a bow across his lap. He owned one and it was within easy reach, but for now he favored Pilums and throwing axes. If the ambush worked, he wouldn't need the advanced range the bow gave him. His bow was a nice enough weapon, though one day he would have liked to gain a composite one that could truly take advantage of his considerable strength. His role was not that of the sniper. He knew that. He was the last defense of the wizard and the heavy hitter. "My birthday was the first day of the year. The first day of Abadius." Ulryk decided not to speak more of it. Most had forgotten his comparitive youth and he liked it better that way. He considered himself a man and he looked back on things like the celebration of a birthday as childish. "But years are not what make us experienced. It is the actions we take each day and whether we learn from the traditions of the past and avoid the same follies in the future."
Brigid you are rather more focused as a fighter than Ulryk is. Everything you do is from the point of view of increasing your capabilities with a bow. In many ways I wish I had just taken one weapon with Ulryk and focused on that to the exclusion of all others. Ulryk is considerably less focused, though perhaps more versatile (I can trip, I can disarm, I can power attack, I can increase my defense)
Oh to be a ranger. Fighters get so little on leveling up, even on a 'big' level like four.
Ulryk had not agreed with the plan of pushing forward. There was still much more he wanted to see of the land, but he did not put up enough of a fight to deter his more over-zealous companions. Eventually the trip South revealed a fortified tower and a more recent pallisade. If this wasn't the fortress of the bandits, he didn't know what was. Grumbling to himself wasn't going to help anyone so he provided his own insight. [b]"We also have the stag head amulets. They are clearly identifiers of bandits loyal to the stag lord. Wearing one might further the disguises of those we wish to send forward. I don't recommend sending Svetlana alone. Who should we have pose as bandits and who should we have wait in ambush?"
"I thought the original plan was to continue scouting North and West up the length of this river first, that way we have knowledge of the terrain in case we need to fall back after running into the Stag Lord and the rest of the bandit scum?" Ulryk said with a bit of frustration. He wasn't fond of impatience and favored a methodical and exacting processes.
Maybe that will help.
Ringing the bell was an action of haste and foolhardiness. It could easily have been trapped, some left over from the bandits. Ulryk would have scowled at Kent, had not the unliving corpse of the river emerged. He wondered what the creature was. Who it was? Was this perhaps Nettle? It was a pity that he did not know more about the local legends. He had wanted to ask the walking corpse more, but it disappeared back into the depths before he could form the words. Ulryk did not at first want to get involved. He knew that he had accidently insulted the two women last night and was not eager to tempt the coals of the female temper, but as Kent and Brigid continued to bicker and quarrel about how to proceed Ulryk decided he had to wade into the conversation. "This conversation is pointless. We will give the tormented soul what it asks for. It has been wronged in so heinous a fashion that it cannot seek rest in the embrace of Our Lady of Gentle Repose. I for one would see it have rest, even before Brigid had sworn an oath to its vengenace." Ulryk took a step away from the river and turned to Svetlana. "Besides, do you think our Priestess of the Savored sting would let a chance to fulfill a beings undying vengence go unanswered? Svetlana in your training have you ever come across such a creature? Kent, Damen have you ever heard tales of a Nettle?" Ulryk then gave a passing glance to Kent, a warning that they should drop the previous line of conversation.
Sorry. I am sick. I'll try to read up and chime in, but unfortunately I couldn't afford to take a day off from work, so I've been extremely drained.
How many HP did I get from sleeping? I'm not at full.
"Perhaps we might even be able to better it. The open lands we previously traveled though might be good for farmlands or vineyards, and if the rivers do not have an easy method to cross we could put down stakes to build a bridge. The game is plentiful here and suitable for a hunting lodge and I suspect the rivers hold a bounty of fish." Ulryk touched his chest and remembered the attack of the cursed bear as well as the encounter with the owlbear and troll. "Of course this land is not without its dangers and challenges."
"I think it would be best to survey our immediate surroundings first, rather then search in a general southwardly direction. Better we have good knowledge of the terrain before we make contact with the bandits, just in case their numbers are more formidable than we anticipate and a withdrawal is necessary." Ulryk said after a moment. He was somewhat intrigued by the creature of the river that was mentioned and wondered whether it was another fey. It was something to perhaps ask the Grigs or that Psuedodragon if they ever reappeared.
[ooc]Before we go West, we should finish exploring this hex so that we do not forget about it. Daniel said we had not finished exploring just North of the river. I think we need to do that first, then head West and North West.
When morning comes Ulryk awakens and after unstaking his tent and feeding both his horse and his mule, he prepares for the day at hand. It would be good to get out of the dankness of the caves and to the fresh, wild lushness of the open greenbelt. He agreed with the accessment made by the rest of the party that the best path of exploration is to backtrack just North of the river where they had no searched, then proceed West and North following the river back to the original bandit camp. Before departing he joined Kent and Svetlana into inquiring about what knowledge the kobolds had, as well as reminding them of their promises and asserting the good will between them. It was best to leave in such a fashion as to have the Kobolds be friendly upon their return.
Personally I was never much of a fan of selling magical items because I am of an old mentality that they are rare wonders that you should find and horde, finding uses for them even beyond the obvious. I do understand however that the system has moved away from that however and most items can be broken down into a currency value.
Kent in regard to the loot conversation, I just went with what was on your character sheet. It said you had a wand of mage armor with 10 charges or something like that so I just grabbed it.
We want to make sure no one feels like they are being given a smaller share of the rewards. I've bought most of my stuff from my own funds, including mastwork armor I already paid for. (Not last time we were at Olegs, but the time before.)
I think either Kent or Svetlana should have the boots of elvenkind, as the acrobatics could help them get out of melee. How much gold / Silver / Copper do each of us get?
Damen take the masterwork shield. Ulryk only uses bucklers due to needing to use both hands for the Pole-arm. It's a light shield so I have no interest in it.
Ulryk decided to hold his tongue. Brigid was already cross with him for his comments and there was no need to make Svetlana cross with him as well. In truth however his frustration was more at the priestess than the archer. Brigid had been compelled to feel due to powerful magics, whereas Svetlana's retreat had been her own choice and one that Ulryk viewed as tactically risky. It could have put the rest of them in jeopardy. Instead he merely nodded his head and began wiping the blood from his ranseur. There was no need to dwell on the situation and while he might not be good with sensitive consoling, he was not a total callous oaf. Later that evening he would ask for the ministrations of the Prietess and her goddess to heal the wounds the shaman's magic had inflicted upon him. Then would rest and keep watch as was necessary. At one point he would inquire with the chieftan of the Sootscale Kobolds what his tribe intended to do next, able to communicate in the language of the dragons.
Ulryk gets hit with the cloak and then frowns as he picks it up off the ground and his eyes follow Brigid's quickly departing form. A look somewhere between annoyance and being flabbergasted shifted across his features. He gave Svetlana a confused shrug of his shoulders, as if the emotions of women were some arcane formula that was way beyond his level of understanding. "What did I say that made her so angry? I understand that the Shaman enchanted her or something like that. I was not calling her a coward and was only speaking of my own dark passions and fire." It was clear that Ulryk was confused and frustrated, but he resisted reaching for another drink for now. Drapping the cloak over his shoulder he looked over the various items. The items would need to be divided and some, like the wedding ring, might need to be held onto until they can be returned to their proper owner or someone worthy.
Yeah, plus I don't think the Shaman really thought we were going to betray him and get his own people to turn against him. From the loot standpoint it doesn't look like there is much in there for Ulryk per say, but I suspect the boots could be good for anyone who moves around a lot or needs to get out of combat. The arrows would serve brigid or damen.
Ulryk considered Svetlana with a side-long glance, then looked back to the flask of wine. He took another gulp of the wine and then closed up the wineskin, leaving it a quarter empty. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a deep breath. He looked from Svetlana to Brigid, trying to mask his annoyance from them. He didn't like being abandoned in the thick of combat and even though they managed to take down the Shaman, neither of them had any way of knowing whether he had additional allies or more powerful sorceries. "It might be best to wait a while. Let my passions cool before your goddess begins heightening them. It wouldn't serve for me to lose my temper now." After a moment he allowed himself a small grin to the noblewoman turned priestess. "The pain will be a good reminder that no armor can protect from every attack."
Ulryk followed the falling of the Shaman's form with his eyes and then stabbed at the body one more time with his pole-arm. The shaman was a master of dark magic and it was best to be safe and make sure the creature was dead. Though little obvious sign of his wounds showed, internally Ulryk had taken a good deal of damage and a bit of blood coated the inside of his mouth. He looked back for Svetlana, but neither her nor Brigid were anywhere to be seen. Anger flashed across his features and he clamped his mouth shut. He would fume silently and not speak any words that might cause problems later. With a respectful nod to Damen, he added "Excellent swing." He then looked to Kent and gave a brief cough "Can you make certain that the shaman's magics are all accounted for? The Kobolds of the sootscales said he was hording a large treasure." After speaking he reached down onto his belt and pulled out one of his drinking flasks, uncorking it he brought it first to his nose, and then took a long pull of the biting red wine.
Arcane energy slammed into Ulryk in two bolts expelled from the wand that the Shaman gripped. While Ulryk was no great student in the ways of magic, he recognized a threat when he saw one. With the violent energy still wracking his form, ignoring all protection his armor provided him, he forced his pole-arm over Damien's shoulder and snagged the Kobold's wrist between two of the Ranseur's points. With a sudden twist, he forced the wand from the shaman's hand, possibly breaking bone in the process. Ulryk then swept his pole-arm off to the Kobold's other hand, attempting to jar loose anything else the creature was holding.
That's actually exactly what I was planning on doing. ;)
Is it my turn again?
Seeing that the Shaman has not surrendered, Ulryk pushed away from the wall and brought his ranseur to the front. Leveraging his position, he plunged the weapon into the crevice where the shaman sought to hide and speared the wretched kobold upon two of the three deadly prongs of the pole-arm. With a continued thrust, he forced the weapon deeper into the shaman, pinning the pitiful creature against the rock wall.
Haha! Ulryk is going to have some words for the women when this battle is over. I'm not sure he will be fond of both of them abandoning the conflict (what it appeared to him).
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