Verzale's page

Hide and Move Silently: (1d20 2=13, 1d20 2=18)

Dagmar: Init roll: (1d20 2=19)

Verzale: Init roll: (1d20 3=18)

Dagmar will delay until after Verzale

Skidd frowns. "Druidic power doesn't work that way on their animal companions."

Verzale looks thoughtful.

"Power is power whatever the source. It's how we choose to use it that marks us Skidd. I know that for sure. Dagmar is the closest thing to family I've got. What harms her, harms me."

He shakes his head. "This is getting philosophical. When we get back to Keeper's Dale and have some decent beer in front of us, we can argue about power sources. Right now, I'm more worried about whatever Bri found."

And with that, he focuses on the whatever is in front of them, keeping a close eye on Dagmar for any advance warning.

"Animals aren't the same as us.", Skidd says, "The spell is rather complex. It needs to be careful not to enlarge the brain in a way that would change it, and animals are unintelligent, so they can't be affected by the spell.

And Hattyn stays here."

"I don't know about that. Dagmar's got more intelligence than a lot of people I know. And more sense than I'll ever have. Druidic power works a little differently to yours I suspect."

Well, OK! Dagmar is Int 2, Wis 12 and not humanoid, so I guess not, but was worth asking :D

Just as a matter of curiosity, how many of us ARE there? I know we've lost Creed and Tuon, but for game purposes do I assume they've just vanished or that they were never there or what? For now I'll just stick with talking to the folks I know are around - which would be Bri and Skidd.

"Skidd, want to come along? An enlarged wolf would make anyone think twice about attacking. And Hattyn would like the outing."

Using his woodsmans skill, Verzale follows behind Bri, feeling unusually clumsy compared to his halfling companions.

"I really need to talk to you about that enlargement spell of yours." he comments to Skidd.

"Time to get neighbourly I think Bri. Did you see if our friends behind the crates were armed?"

Rising casually to his feet, he calls Dagmar to his side, pulls out his sling and prepares to follow Bri.

The druid snorts ruefully. "Ain't that the truth. She heard something I missed and Dagmar missed. Not sure I like that too much. Maybe we should take a look Skidd. It's not a good idea to let Bri just happen to someone, now is it?"

Survival roll: (1d20 9=21)

Verzale halts, annoyed with himself.

"How did I miss that?" he murmers.

Dropping down to Skidd's height, he looks cautiously around. "Follow her or stay put?"

Nani - you need to check out the discussion thread.

Distracted by the brightness of the morning, Verzale finds his mind wandering from his duties as a scout ...

Ahem. Not great. Move silently/Listen: (1d20 2=12, 1d20 7=12)

Shadowing Roderick on the other side of the trail, Verzale ponders aloud.

"I wonder how many of them there were? They might have sent someone to stay low, watch and report. If they did, that's not good news is it, and we can expect a big reception."

Unasked Verzale helps shift the wagon under cover. He looks at Roderick.

"Tuon's got a point about an ambush. We weren't discreet. A druid and a ranger between them should be able to scout ahead though. Want start the day with a bit of tracking?"

Still keeping a tactful distance from Tuon, Verzale's morning routine consists of grooming Dagmar in a kind of meditative daze followed by a long silent sit, staring at the trees. When he rises, he shakes out his long limbs, looking refreshed and much more at ease.

He joins Scarrd.

"What do you think? Follow on foot or try to take the wagon? That fearsome dwarf won't thank us if we leave it for any passing looters, so if we're not taking it, we'd better find a way to hide it."

Verzale drops into his accustomed light sleep, ready to take the next watch when Creed wakes him. Dagmar curls herself protecively beside him, head resting on his chest, orange eyes alert and watchful.

Verzale puts his woodland skills to use surveying the area for a good place to camp.

Spot, Survival and listen checks (1d20 7=25, 1d20 9=13, 1d20 7=27)

"We'd better set a watch. I know Tuon's not going to like this, but a wolf is a better scout than any humanoid born. I'll take my turn with Dagmar and anyone else who wants to keep an eye on both of us." he says placidly.

"When a man doesn't like wolves and meets a druid who may have cursed a friend of his, he's going to be touchy."

Verzale shrugs and smiles at Creed with some resignation.

"Don't worry about it. It may take a while. All I can really do is keep Dagmar out of his reach. I've got a temper and I can protect myself. She's the trusting type."

Verzale snorts slightly and shrugs. "That's me told. And shown. Good stuff."

"Ha! I only know that if I'd been gnawed by Krenshars, a few comforting words wouldn't hurt. Let's go. It shouldn't take long, there's not a lot left to talk to."

Keeping Dagmar with him, Verzale goes back to the body in the forest with Creed.

"The dogs could have been the Krenshar Bri and I took down in the forest. There's a body there. We should return him to Keeper's Dale.

The Krenshar came from somewhere. Looking for the lair's a good plan."

Finally, Verzale turns to Tuon.

"Look, I know you don't like me. I understand that and I partly understand why. What I don't understand is that you'd jeopardise a whole party because you're too proud to take offered help. So, next time you're injured, if I can heal you, I'm going to. Whether you want it or not. That's how it works."

Then he looks at Creed.

"You're the one with the priestly skills. Want to come and offer the poor soul in the woods some comforting words before we carry him back? I think he'd be grateful. Whoever he was, he's not resting easy."

"Bury them. No more fire in this forest. It's seen enough damage. I'll dig. Bugbear boy can be decoration, that's a good plan."

Verzale stays a little back from Tuon, but looks hard at the mark on Scarrd's chest.

Spellcraft to try and identify the mark - a very long shot, but it's that or Know(Nat). (1d20 8=24)

"Nasty looking slice he took out of you friend. Let me look."

Verzale expertly examines the wound and chants a few words over the oozing mess of diced flesh.

CLW on Scarrd (1d8 3=11)

Under his eyes, the edges of the wound knit together and although there's still a lot of angry scar tissue, it's clear it will heal well.

"Count it as a trophy Scarrd." says Verzale, grimacing slightly.

As red horns falls, Verzale closes his fist and the flaming blade snaps out. He turns to greet Creed with a rueful grin.

"Should have tried to keep him alive for questioning, but he riled me. Want to take a look for any handy gadgets he's got? I need to tend to Dagmar."

The druid holds out his arms to the white wolf and she jumps up to greet him.

"Hah - my one and only. Let's take a look at you."

Verzale croons at his companion as he swiftly runs his hands over her legs and jaw searching for any signs of damage. Seeing none, he looks over at the wagon and his companions.

"Anyone needing help over there? Nice work with that bow Bri." he comments sidelong to the halfling girl. "Glad I didn't know how good when we met."

AoO with flame blade (1d20 5=24, 1d8 1=8)
confirm crit flame blade (1d20 5=21)
crit damage (1d8 1=5)
Lummy. IC likes Verzale today. Flame blade operates as a scimitar in which case the 19 is a crit - for once that was a confirmed crit. Inconceivable!

Hurling himself headlong after red horns, Verzale swings yet again, hair and blade both incandescant with fury.

In goblin

EDIT

"Do you want to question this one?" yells Verzale, never taking his eyes off the enemy.

Still snarling, Verzale closes on the red horned caster.

in goblin

Slashing with flame blade (1d20 5=20, 1d8 1=9)

Verzale is at AC15 this round since he charged last time

Verzale snarls like his own wolf as he yells in goblin to red horns

"Dagmar - to him!"

At his command, the white she-wolf hurtles over the ground and sinks her fangs into the back of the spellcasters leg, trying to bring him down.

Moves 50' and attacks red horns (1d20 3=15, 1d6 1=5)

DM

Rapidly taking in the scene, Verzale charges the red-horned creature. Using his woodland skills, he sprints over the forested ground and brings his flaming blade down over the caster's hands. As the blade hopefully sears the creatures flesh, he lets out a hiss of satisfaction.

"Didn't expect to see us now, did you?"

so I guess he's now at G1?

Inconceivable! I take back all my harsh words about IC

Init: 1d20+3; [15,3] = (18)
Spot: 1d20+7; [14,7] = (21)

Dagmar Init: 1d20+2; [19,2] = (21)

Feels like late-arriving cavalry!

Astonished at Bri's turn of speed, Verzale runs after her.

"I'll send Dagmar round the back and see if she can trip one of them." he pants.

What can we see?

Forest

We probably heard some shouting?

"Right. Let's bring our brand of destruction to the mix. Come on Dagmar."

Forest

Dagmar and Verzale's next actions

Forest

Forest

Forest

Dreamweaver

Snapping at the Krenshar's legs, Dagmar goes for the tendons in true wolf fashion, trying to bring the creature down.

1d20+3;1d6+1; [15,3] = (18)
1d20+3;1d6+1; [3,1] = (4)

"Bri, Roderick - they're Krenshar. Just think of them as big wolves."

Verzale holds his voice steady and moves to intercept the incoming beast, masking his body with his buckler and looking for a vital spot.

Closing his mind to the howl, Verzale draws his scimitar.

Will save 1d20+6 → [7,6] = (13)- just!

"Dagmar - trip" he calls to his wolf companion, his own eyes alight with a mixture of joy in action and fear of what he's fighting.

What kind of abominations are these?

"Bri - stay back but get a shot at them if you can." he calls to the halfling girl.

Know(Nat)1d20+10 → [7,10] = (17) to identify the beasties

Focussing on the ground, Verzale starts to murmer pull in his will, concentrating on the roots of the plants and their ability to slow things down.

"Got a little something to slow them down if they rush us."

Prepares to cast Entangle. Then he'll move on to scimitar or sling attack depending on what happens next. Blasted low init. Dagmar will use her trip attack to keep them at range.

I am legend for my rubbish init rolls.
This is proof 1d20+2 ?¨ [3,2] = (5).
Dagmar is also rubbish 1d20+2 ?¨ [6,2] = (8.
Let's hope Roderick rolls better :D

"Great" murmers Verzale. "And we call ourselves good scouts ..."

Is there any point in Verzale trying to use animal empathy on the wolf things? EDIT How far away are we?

Perturbed by Dagmar's tension, Verzale listens for danger ...

1d20+7 ?¨ [10,7] = (17)

"Good thinking. We can cover more ground and keep an eye on the wagon and the trail. I'm an open air man myself. Cities make my claustrophobic - I've never lived in one and I never want to."

Verzale grins

"Good signal Scarrd. Nice touch of style there. Uhh - Tuon, you know your eyes have gone red?"

Signalling to Dagmar, he moves with practised ease into the woodland, blending into his surroundings in a way which seems unimaginable in a city. Even the flaming hair somehow becomes part of the fabric of the trees.

Nodding at Scarrd, Verzale looks at the surroundings with a professional eye.

"I can track you from the woods easily. Dagmar can scout as well. I'm still on trial with this group though, so it's up to you to make decisions among you. If we do follow that plan, we'd better arrange a signal in case either party spots anything."

Returning to the wagon, Verzale reports his findings.

"Dog and goblin tracks. Some of the dog tracks are abnormally large I'd say. They're going north into the forest. Drag marks from a wagon a bit further down the road as well, along with more goblin and dog tracks. And some bloodstains. I don't think they're close though. Dagmar's not sensing anything."

He looks questioningly at the team. "Drive on or divert into the forest and follow them?"

Now he's away from the city, a lot of Verzale's unease drops away and he suddenly seems a more confident, and perhaps more dangerous figure.

"Burnt trees, burnt property."

Verzale is almost hissing as his face tightens in fury. He joins Scarrd in the search, concentrating his efforts on looking for signs that might show where the perpetrators have gone.

Not sure what's most appropriate here, so I'm offering up Survial and Know(Nature) for starters

Survival 1d20+9 ?¨ [15,9] = (24)
Know (Nat) 1d20+10 ?¨ [11,10] = (21)

Can Dagmar sense anything?

Sitting with Dagmar as far away from Tuon as possible Verzale scans the passing countryside for clues.

His nose wrinkles distastefully at the smell of burnt flesh and charred ground and he watches Dagmar carefully in case her wolf senses warn them of approaching danger.

"It's Serenity Orchid, Creed. They say it brings peace to the one holding it. Under the circumstances I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Shall we do as Bri says and collect our wagon? I don't want to upset her again."

"Never seen anything like that before. Astonishing. Creed, may I look at the flower? I'm curious."

If Creed is OK with that Verzale will use his Know(Nature) to see if there's anything he can identify about the flower. Other than it being beautiful

Know(Nat): 1d20+10 ?¨ [11,10] = (21)

Oh...but the shoes! Uh...hmm. Let's go!

I keep telling you, nobody makes a decent boot in your size. Let's just move along.