Veridian Swiftarrow's page

Beg your pardon and apologies to all, but I am going to withdraw from this game. The pace is slow and nothing much has happened yet, so it shouldn't upset the story too much if Veridian just goes home.

I am trying to consolidate the games I'm in so I can offer to run another campaign or two on the boards, as I find the GMing more fun than the playing these days.

My time isn't unlimited, so I have to pick and choose. It's pretty easy to walk away from this one at this point, so I'm taking the advantage.

Hope it becomes a spectacular success, and I'll watch from the sidelines. See you around the boards sometime!

"Aye friend, penance is a burden. But if you have changed your ways, then I say, well met! Too many have turned aside the path of good and walk in darkness. I am Veridian of the local wood, ranger, warden and protector of the forests. I am not often in Kor and know not these people. The unbinding of a man's mortal coil in such a callous manner, makes me want to find the answer to this mystery."

Veridian speaks more to the repentant man, after he opens up to him about his past.

Veridian nods to the man requesting his help. "Aye sir, I will attend the crime scene with you."

As they stroll down the street, Veridian asks:"You are not from around here, I surmise. What brings you to this fair corner of the world?"

Veridian is stoic as they walk down the street to the orc merchant's house. He wonders why going to see the dwarf was much a part of the guardsman's duty, or was it just making them comfortable.

"Aye, let's be off again. I don't know if anyone in this town will be much help."

Veridian looks calmly around the metalworker's shed, not seeing much of interest nor hearing anything that resembles a clue. "Why would the town guard this Bram send us here then. The dwarf is of no help."

Frustrated, the elf ranger looks down at the dwarf and murmurs impatiently:"Did you even know the stable boy? What about it, do you have anything helpful to add or not?"

Diplomacy, Gather Info: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7

"Aye friend, well said." calls Veridian. "Let us be about this business."

He rises and assuming the others are coming, heads out the door of the inn, headed down a few stalls to the weapon shop.

Veridian rolls his eyes at the dramatic display of the bard. He does help prepare breakfast and then goes to pack up his bedroll and other items.

Once all is squared away, Veridian sits calmly waiting for the others, and joins them as they go to visit Dorrin the Dwarf and his weapons shop.

Veridian stays vigilant watching over the little group, until the time comes to wake the next shift, which I believe was Godfrey.

Stirring the man, Veridian waits until he is up and around, then goes back to his bedroll for another few hours of rest before the morning comes around in earnest.

Veridian nods and chooses to get a little shut eye in the inn. After a few hours, he wakes motions for the dwarf to take a rest.

"I will take the watch for now, master dwarf. Grab some sleep where you can. I will wake the next watch for you."

Planning to go back to his camp in the nearby woods, Veridian stopped when he saw the dwarf go into the stables for the body, he had laid there out of the weather.

He followed back and peeked in the window of the inn seeing the action play out. He purposefully strides up to the dwarf and offers his hand in greeting:

"I too would see some form of justice done here. Not revenge for the stablehand who I did not know, but because a murderer so complacent as to kill the lad and leave the body in the street, is a danger to everyone. I'd prefer to not have to look over my shoulder, or more likely, be accused."

"Where do we start? Did anyone get the lad's name? Or who might want to hurt him? Or do you think he was waylaid? The tracks are a human man's, but they are quickly lost in this weather."

SM: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Veridian sees the movement from the bard, but is confused for a brief moment as to what he's signifying. Just before the lovely elf chastises Villyn, the ranger shrugs. "I was not meaning to take his things, you see. I was just looking if there was an identifying or strange items on his person. Of course the coins should go back to his family. The fact that he had his purse, no matter how meager, on him is a sign that he likely wasn't robbed as well."

He hands the effects to the militiaman Bran, and pats Villyn on the back whispering "It wasn;t enough coin to be worth the trouble my friend. 'Small prizes keep a man honest', they say." He winks at the bard, and lifts the dead man over his shoulder in a firemans' carry, taking him to the barn/stable and lying him either in the hay or a wagon-bed (if one exists).

Once the heavy work is done, Veridian heads back into the tavern, hoping to finish his meal in peace and head back to his forest lean to.

Foiled by the gravel, Veridian turns and finds the local militiaman, Bran. "Do you recognize the dead man, sir? Perhaps knowing who he is will help us identify the killer."

Veridian kneels at the side of the corpse and begins to search the personal effect, looking for any clues.

Veridian also advanced to the body and sees the footprints. "I am a tracker, but this weather is not helpful. Let me see if I can tell where these might lead us."

Veridian removes his hood despite the rain, and examines the tracks carefully, looking at the size and depth of impression to try to get a gauge of who we might be looking for. He also looks for a blood trail or any other tell tale sign while following the tracks.

Survival: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Perception, if necessary: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Not sure if there's a penalty for the rain, but the mud would actually make tracking easier, so maybe they offset. Would also like to determine if it's a human, elf, etc, and approximate size and weight if possible.

Is the body man/woman young/old? Anyone we recognize?

My prior post was ninja-ed a bit, so I deleted and reposted here for continuity

Seeing the charming bard at work on the lovely elf, Veridian just opens his mouth to try and patch things up with the girl named L, when the door bursts open. The man exploding into the room is enough to leave him tongue-tied once again. As Bran barks out commands, Veridian slides his chair back, and lopes to join the militiaman, and his makeshift crew. Hearing that violence has been done already, Veridian draws his blade.

Once at the door of the inn, Veridian's eyes accustom to the dark of outdoors faster than expected, the low light not affecting his sight terribly. He looks around earnestly, trying to see if someone is actually hurt nearby.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Veridian is taken aback by the stare of the scarf-covered stranger, and actually stunned when she removes the scarf to reveal a lovely elf lass. He feels himself stir inside as she stares at him; he returns her stare for a moment, transfixed, but then remembering his shunning by the elf clan and the pain that exclusion gave him, a scowl cross his face. He blurts out in a sarcastic and biting tone:"You do know it's rude to stare, eh miss? But I'd expect nothing less from a high-and-mighty elf princess such as yourself."

As she comes near the fire, he stands, makes a mock bow, and readies to head out into the rain again. As the bard begins an enchanting melody, the ranger stops and listens instead of departing. He moves to a table in a shadowy corner, signalling to the new barman for refill of his tankard, and tossing a few silver sails into the bard's upturned hat.

As the new barman, the one wearing spiffy clothes comes near with the fresh tankard, Veridian asks him sotto voce:"Who is the elf lass, man and what is her business, if ya please?"

When the bard finishes his performance, Veridian applauds and motions that he'll buy the man a drink and to come join him.

Would Veridian who is a woods dweller in the area, know of Godfrey's past banditry and recognize him? Not sure how infamous he might or might not be. Knowledge local is not a skill he possesses.

The bar sign said "Wet Dog" and that was fitting indeed. "What dog wouldn't be wet in this downpour?" Veridian thought to himself. He had come to town to trade furs, but found the furrier away on holiday, then as he'd turned for home, the skies had opened up and he was soaked to the bone.

The inn offered good food by the smell of it, and a fire to dry out, but also the crowd and discomfort that brought. Veridian debated not entering the inn at all, but taking his chances on the road in the wet. "I'll catch my death of cold out in this wet. Safer to go inside, and warm up and let this blow over." LIttle did he know that as fate guided him inside the Wet Dog, he may never be safe again...

Once inside, the half-elf does his best to stay hooded, and out of sight, his green and gray homespun a little out of place indoors. He looked for a seat near the fire, ordered a bowl of soup and a tankard of grog, and tried unobtrusively look about the place.

A bard was making a pitch to what must be the owner, a dwarf was loudly ordering and making a scene with his coin purse, and ...what's that, someone trying harder than himself to not be seen. With a scarf covering, and sitting in the shadows, that person was drawing his attention not avoiding as they obviously hoped. "Best keep an eye on that one, lad." he thought.

He slurped his soup, and began to dry out a bit. The grog and the fire combining to make him a bit sleepy, Veridian stifled a yawn.

Healing and magic might be challenges however. Hopefully we can find a CLW wand soon.

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