Garyn finishes his preparation and saddles up Barley, ready to meet the brigands head on.
85g in coin
Total: 328.5g
Per person: 65.7 g
This is a quick and dirty way of splitting the loot. Let me know if anyone objects!
Oleg happily buys any spare equipment from you.
2nd day of Kuthona
In the morning, the party is served a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon prepared by Lana. As they head out to deal with the brigands, they confirm that Calvin is still alive, having passed the night in the locked shed during the cold winter's night, only with a blanket to cover himself. He screams obscenities at the party, as they start leaving the tradepost. Oleg promises to keep an eye on him and wishes the party luck.
Cale suggests that the party should travel on horseback for the sake of speed, and also because he's tired of walking. Calvin's obscenities gain him nothing more than a glower from Cale as he shuts the door on the bandit and bars it. "Oleg, thank you for keeping an eye on him. I don't believe you'll have to look in on him until we return. In fact, I'd recommend that you do just that. Less chance of things going... awry." He says the last with a raised eyebrow, suggesting that it's not just the bandit's behavior he's concerned with. He then has a look around for the tracks outside the trading post.
Garyn ignores Calvin, thanks Oleg for his hospitality, and promises to return with good news. The ranger looks for the tracks left by the bandits, following them to their source with the party close behind.
"Thanks ye for the good wishes. And as fer ye, ye should be thanking every god ye can name that yer still alive."
Strovan stretches a little and sets off with the rest of the group. "Ahhh tis good to be off and it will be nice to see this part through."
Silstaren accepts one of the vials of alchemists' fire. He considers a long bow too. The shortbow is easier to maneuver and use in dense brush or while riding. The longbow has greater range.
Garyn easily finds the bandits' clear horse tracks on the snow from the day before and follows them across the moors and grasslands of the Stolen Lands, heading southwest. Here and there are a few copses of trees but not very many. Little other organized travel is seen in this area, so following the tracks is quite easy. The temperature is in the low 40's, but little wind chill. After about 5 hours of travel, the trail leads into the densely vegetated forest, but Garyn's skill is evident, as he quickly picks it up again.
After another 3 hours of travel, following the game trail the bandits followed, some movement catches the party's eye up ahead.
Strovan slogs on, looking more and more concerned with how badly his armor is chafing during this trek.
Cale can't find the trail at all, and when Garyn points it out with such ease, he acts as if he wasn't even looking in the first place. "Your skill at woodscraft is exceptional, Garyn. Where did you pick it up?" Cale asks, just trying to pass the time with conversation. The motion ahead doesn't register with Cale, unfortunately.
Cale can't find the trail at all, and when Garyn points it out with such ease, he acts as if he wasn't even looking in the first place. "Your skill at woodscraft is exceptional, Garyn. Where did you pick it up?" Cale asks, just trying to pass the time with conversation. The motion ahead doesn't register with Cale, unfortunately.
1d20
"I picked it up here and there, Master Sur...uh, Cale. Some from me Da and some from other woodsmen along the way. Hold there..." Garyn raises his hand suddenly, calling for a halt.
"Ahead, about forty feet. See the boar there? Maybe if we are quiet, he'll move along and we can avoid an unnecessary fight."
Silstaren stalks through the woods behind the human ranger, checking the signs, and nodding to himself at Garyn's skill.
"I see him. Just off the edge of the trail. Could be dinner."
Survival:
Perception:
Strovan draws to a halt and whispers, I think I see something, but I'll take yer word for it. Is there any way we can avoid it, I bet we are close to the bandits and if we fight we could alert them. I will follow your leads on this one, keep in mind I aint the sneaky type.
Cale follows Strovan's lead, whispering, "I killed my first boar when I was 12. I don't have a boarspear, though. Let's hope the mean sucker doesn't see us."
"As you will. Let us circle wide off the trail around him then.'
Silstaren puts an arrow to his bowstring and glides into the brush on the right.
Stealth:
Barley sniffs loudly and whickers, causing Garyn to whisper harshly, "Quiet now! Ye're gonna wake the dead, ye silly nag!"
Numerous twigs snatch on armor and break, as the party halts upon seeing the beast. The four foot long boar turns away from its leaves and starts walking in the direction of the party.
Numerous twigs snatch on armor and break, as the party halts upon seeing the beast. The four foot long boar turns away from its leaves and starts walking in the direction of the party.
Garyn hops down from the saddle draws his own bow and looses an arrow at the great beast.
Thus, Garyn dismounts and draws his bow this round.
Thus, Garyn dismounts and draws his bow this round.
"Bah, any plan that requires stealth out of me is doomed for failure."
Init:
Silstaren bends back the bow and releases. I hope I drop him. If he charges ....
To hit: Damage
Initiative
Attack
Cale whips out his bow, cursing. A boar wasn't an animal to be fooled with, and he could lame someone before they brought it down. He lets an arrow fly.
Garyn's arrow flies true and damages the beast, causing it to grunt loudly. Silstaren and Cale's arrows fail to penetrate its thick hide. The beast then charges Garyn, attempting to gore him with its tusks, but the ranger quickly sidesteps the boar's awkward attack, as the animal runs into a tree stump but seems unfazed. Strovan lashes out with his rapier, but again the boar's thick hide protects it.
Attack:
Initiative:
23 - Garyn
19 - Cale
15 - Silstaren
6- Boar
2 - Strovan
Delaying - Greehr
"Gorum's balls, that was close!" Garyn shouts. He steps away from the rampaging beast and quickly notches and fires another arrow.
Garyn.............Strovan
............Boar.........
Silstaren drops the longbow and dashes toward the beast, drawing his sword. He slashes at the boar's hindquarters, trying to hamstring it.
Attack
Damage
Even flanking won't let that hit.
Cale draws his blade, knowing that his skill with that is much better now that the creature is close. The swing is clumsy, though, as the swordsman is far less comfortable fighting this beast.
Garyn's arrow, Cale's sword, and Silstaren's 2-handed sword all bounce off the boar's thick grey hide. With bloodshot eyes, it focuses its anger on the person who harmed it and steps toward Garyn, intent on disemboweling him! But again, the human manages to back away just in time to avoid the beast's sharp tusks.
Attack:
Blast of all the stupid luck, to get attacked by a slab of bacon.
Strovan's pointy blade fails to cut through the bacon's skin.
Round 3
23 - Garyn
19 - Cale
15 - Silstaren
6- Boar
2 - Strovan
Delaying - Greehr (watching the horses)
"Blast it and damn it, porkchop, leave me be!" Garyn snarls, stepping back another few feet and firing at the beast yet again, this time finding his mark.
The beast yells in pain but still advances!
Attack
Damage
Silstaren's long curveblade swhishes harmlessly over the pig's back. Using the momentum of his swing, the elf moves to give Cale more room.
Cale darts in, hoping that if they surround the pig, they'll bring it down before it injures anybody. He swings his blade in a wide arc at the animal, scoring a line of blood along the boar's flank.
Though the blow would have killed a lesser creature and the boar's knees did buckle, the beast refuses to die, groaning and making a deafening squealing noise, and quickly turning its head to gore Cale with its tusks, catching the warrior unawares in the chest, almost puncturing his spleen, and causing the noble to scream in pain and cough up blood. The boar's wounds continue to bleed but it still stands.
Damage:
Blast, I was hoping we could get through this without injury.
Strovan's weapon finally penetrates the boar's hide, causing it to squeal even louder, but it continues to fight.
Round 4
23 - Garyn
19 - Cale (bleeding)
15 - Silstaren
6- Boar (bleeding profusely)
2 - Strovan
"See to Master Surtova!" Garyn bellows firing another arrow at the beast.
Round 4
Cale screams in pain as the boar shreds his legs. Making more of an effort to keep his shield between him and the beast, Cale lashes out with his sword once again, his pain adding a desperation to his swing that sends it slicing through the beast.
Silstaren is momentarily shocked by the boar's attack on Cale. They can be so quick. The boar's turn leaves a wide flank exposed for the elf's sword.
Attack
Damage
Finally, both Cale and Silstaren's sword blows end the boar's life, as it collapses in a heap on the floor. The party, with the exception of Garyn, looks like it has spent a day at a butcher's shop, as they are covered in the beast's blood.