"Never seen anything like that before. Astonishing. Creed, may I look at the flower? I'm curious."
Know(Nat): 1d20+10 ?¨ [11,10] = (21)
"Why are you all so interested about that flower? Let me see it."
To DM:Knowledge (arcana)1d20+6=24
"How do you do it, Creed? You could fall in a pile of s&*@ and come out smelling of roses." Tuon shakes his head at the lucky flower catcher.
"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."
"Why are you all so interested about that flower? Let me see it."
To DM:** spoiler omitted **
"How do you do it, Creed? You could fall in a pile of s!## and come out smelling of roses." Tuon shakes his head at the lucky flower catcher.
Skidd hands the flower back to Creed. "'Ware, Creed. This isn't just your typical garden flower. This flower, the Serenity Orchid, does, indeed, grant peace. It can be used to make a powerful sleeping poison. I'm not so sure how the poison is administered, but I don't think you should sniff it too much. Just...be careful with it. Somehow, I don't really think that this particular flower was given to you by chance."
"How do you do it, Creed? You could fall in a pile of s~!! and come out smelling of roses." Tuon shakes his head at the lucky flower catcher.
Creed smiles at Tuon. "Not so!" He says, "I'd come out smelling pretty close to what I smell like now! Haw!!"
He hands the flower to Skidd. "Perhaps you could make better use of this than me, eh? Or, should we sell it?"
"Somehow, I don't really think that this particular flower was given to you by chance."
"Of course it wasn't," he replies, "she obviously fancies big-boned men! HAW!!"
"How do you do it, Creed? You could fall in a pile of s~!! and come out smelling of roses." Tuon shakes his head at the lucky flower catcher.
Creed smiles at Tuon. "Not so!" He says, "I'd come out smelling pretty close to what I smell like now! Haw!!"
He hands the flower to Skidd. "Perhaps you could make better use of this than me, eh? Or, should we sell it?"
"Um...no. I'll keep it for now." He stuffs it in his pack. [url= ][/url]
After a quick check of the horses and wagon everyone piles on and Scradd flicks the reins. With the wagon empty the miles fly by and as the shadows stretch far behind you the smell of smoke and burnt flesh lingers in the wind.
Up ahead, the grass next to the road is burned down and the charred corpse of a horse is laying just off the road is still smoking.
YeeHaw says Bri as they are finally on their way. Bri thinks about going up to the front of the wagon to visit with Scardd but decides that she would rather hang out in the back and she if she can get Skidds goat or not!"So Skidd do we want to make any friendly wagers on anything while we have time. You know don't worry about it I just remembered that you have no money left. Don't suppose that you have anything good on you for us to keep entertained for a bit, now do ya?"
Tuon, in typical soldier fashion, falls asleep one we are underway.
He begins snoring lightly and drooling slightly.
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.
Creed is happy to be underway and installs himself at the back of the wagon, sharpening his greatsword. "We'd probably do well to keep our arms and armor out-of-sight," he comments to no one in particular.
As they approach the scene of the last ambush, Creed frowns and inhales. "Burnt flesh. That's an ill omen. Only cowards use fire and ambush when they cannot stand up for themselves in a fair fight."
Scardd guides the horses as the cart makes its way. Without knowing how or why, the reins feel somewhat natural in his hands. He hums a tune long hidden in his memory, the lyrics to the melody just out of reach. As the smell of burnt flesh becomes apparent, Scardd guides the horses to a slower pace and silences his song. The Half-Orc twitches his ears and scans the area for signs of danger and movement.
Creed gently nudges Tuon as Scardd slows the wagon; he whispers, "Tuon, we're here, yeah! Wake up, my friend!" Not wanting to give away the true nature of their 'load,' Creed stay hidden within the wagon's covering. "Verzale," he calls out quietly to the front of the wagon, "Scardd? Do you see anything?"
As you approach the burnt area you can see were the wagon was and the horse that was unfortunitly harnessed to it while it burned. Further down the road you can see several other burn spots in the ground.
“Hmmm, burnt horzzze,” Scardd says to himself but loud enough for Creed to hear. The Half-Orc stops the wagon completely, grabs his spear, and steps to the ground. The Warlock moves towards the horse but looks towards the surrounding grasses and trees as if the intermingling shadows between tree and tree are piercing and threatening eyes. Scardd reaches deep in himself to a corner not yet discovered. He feels the dark power surge and flow through his body from the inside to the outside until it fuses onto his skin. His skin itself turns into a chaotic swirl of dynamic colors and shapes pulsing with arcane power.
Lifting his arms, Scardd stares for a moment in astonishment at this transformation. Somehow he knows that this will help protect him as he searches around the area.
Tuon opens his eyes and stretches a little.
He smiles at Creed, "I was in a very soft place with a very friendly elf. Shame to wake up really."
He grabs his sword and shield and looks about to make sure everyone else is on the ball.
"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.
Survival 1d20+9 ?¨ [15,9] = (24)
Know (Nat) 1d20+10 ?¨ [11,10] = (21)
"Creed, Skid, maybe stay hid for a bit, see if the others can tempt the sneaky cowards out. What say you? Everybody eaten too. It could be your last chance for a while."
Tuon goes still and quiet as he calls on the powers of his mind.
Survival 1d20+9 ?¨ [15,9] = (24)
Know (Nat) 1d20+10 ?¨ [11,10] = (21)
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.
Scardd returns to the cart with little knowledge learned. He listens to Verzale, "Hmmm, vell ze plan wazzz to be ambuzzzhed. Zhould ve carry forward along ze trail? Zen again, vy believe zat ze Dwarf Woman vanted a body returned, No? Do zu zink zat ze bandiittzzz have it vith zem in zheir lair. But zen again, vith ze ambuzzhh, ve have zurprize on our zide to take out a fair amount of zem. Zen ve could follow ze tracks vith lezzz reziztanze ven ve find zheir lair."
After a moments pause, Scardd concludes, "Vy zay ve continue for a leetle biit and try and get ambuzzhed. Maybe Roderiick or Verzale can follow uuzz from ze voodzzz and report vith any findingzzz."
Scardd looks to his companions for any thoughts.
DM:
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."
DM:
** spoiler omitted **
for Scardd
Tuon nods to Scarrd and ignores Verzale. His eyes are now glittering like rubies again.
"And if we aren't ambushed, we return here?"
"And if we aren't ambushed, we return here?"
Scardd nods. "Vy zay ve go two more hourzzz on thiizzz trail. Iiff nozzing, ve return. Zound good, no?"
Scardd turns to Verzale, "Iiff zu follow uzz and zu zpot zomething, could zour volf howl a varning? And iiff I zpot zomething, vy zimply blazzzt zem. Zat vill be my zignal. Zound good, no?"
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.
"Ah the company of friends!" He sighs. "Strange ones at that, yeah? Ha!"
Bri listens to everyone moving about and decides to get out of the wagon, knowing that she will be able to hide quickly if she needs to. "I will go on the trail with you, Verzale. I am always up for a good hike now and then." (assuming that you will let me know)
"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."
Roderick nods to Tuon and follows the druid and halfling into the forest as Scardd gets the horse moving once again.
Perturbed by Dagmar's tension, Verzale listens for danger ...
1d20+7 ?¨ [10,7] = (17)
Flashback to as we boarded the wagon
Tuon looks at the magical gear. "The ring would benefit all of us, but I reckon one of Bri or Skiddifig would get burnt to a crisp fastest. As for the healing wand, I don't truly understand such things who can use it?"
---------
Back to the wagon, and Tuon's eyes return to normal once he is out of sight of the ambush.
"Skiddifig, what can you do at range? Can you blast them like Scarrd. I haven't seen you fight yet?"
Flashback to as we boarded the wagon
Tuon looks at the magical gear. "The ring would benefit all of us, but I reckon one of Bri or Skiddifig would get burnt to a crisp fastest. As for the healing wand, I don't truly understand such things who can use it?"
---------
Back to the wagon, and Tuon's eyes return to normal once he is out of sight of the ambush.
"Skiddifig, what can you do at range? Can you blast them like Scarrd. I haven't seen you fight yet?"
"Certainly not. I don't like flashy spells. I prefer spells of transformation, like the one I cast on you and Creed. I can shrink, and grow. But blast? Sorry, that's not my kind of magic."
Bri looks up from the ground and sees two pairs of eyes looking at the small group. She grabs for bow.
The mercenary smiles at the ambush working. Now they just have to survive.
"Great" murmers Verzale. "And we call ourselves good scouts ..."
Wagon:
Skidd mutters, "Here they are. Scarrd, shouldn't you signal Verzale?" He quickly draws his spear but remains in the wagon.
Roderick grabs his bow, an arrow and draws his bow. He switches between the two large wolf like creatures waiting for them to make the first move.
In the trees to your right you hear shouts and torches blaze to life.
Bri sees Rodrick prepare his bow and she follows suit. She looks for a tree to hide behind at a moments notice and waits to see what the beast will do.
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."
The Wagon