Kingmaker (HPV) IC

[hpboy111]

It's a calm and peaceful day as the five of you make your way westward. Clouds are few in the sky, a light breeze blows from the north, and the sun has just started it's afternoon decent. It is approximately 2:00 PM.

The five of you have come from various backgrounds, but you have all come together for one reason. The Swordlords of Restov, the leaders of the capital of Southern Brevoy, put out a call for travelers who were experienced in their craft. Some of you volunteered, some of you were approached by the agents of the Swordlords. During the meeting they told you that there was a dual purpose for the call. The Stolen Lands, a large tract of land to the south of Brevoy, has remained empty of civilization for years. Bandits have come to call the area home and banditry was becoming a serious problem for some of the southern settlements of Brevoy. The Swordlords asked you all to explore and map a particular section of the Stolen Lands, a tract of land 36 miles to the East and West, and 60 miles to the south of Olegs Trading post in Southwest Brevoy. The charter also gave permission to deal with any bandits as the law of Brevoy requires, death.

(The exacts words of the charter is as follows: Be it so known that the bearer of this charter has been charged by the Sworldlords of Restov, acting upon the greater good and authority vested within them by the office of the Reagent of the Dragonscale Throne, has granted the right of exploration and travel within the wilderness region known as the Greenbelt. Exploration should be limited to an area no further than thirty-six miles east and west and sixty miles south of Oleg's Trading Post. The carrier of this charter should also strive against banditry and otehr unlawful behavior to be encountered. The punishment for unrepentant banditry remains, as always, execution by sword or rope. So witnessed on this 24th day of Talistril, under watchful eye of the Lordship of Restov and authority granted by Lord Aoleski Surtova, current Regent of the Dragonscale Throne.

Ahead of you, stationed on a small souther curve of the road, is Oleg's Trading Post, a small way station for travellers of all sorts. Despite its name, not much trading really gets done there. It is small enclosed area; one wall measures about 140 ft. The main gate stands open, facing south toward the land you have been tasked with exploring. As you near the trading post you can hear the sound of metal striking wood, as if someone were hammering away at something.

And so it begins. What you do from here is completely up to you. That sandbox element will always be present and I will do little to railroad you in one direction or another. Now the question is, "What do you do?"

[XianTheCoder]

Ri'Anthal, a taller than average Elf with Silver hair and Green eyes, wearing brown traveling clothes and a backpack, stands on the road looking towards the trading outpost. His left hand rests on the pommel of the dagger at his belt. His right hand holds his shortbow down by his waist. Here we are. Does anyone require supplies? Ri'Anthal will wait for responses before continuing. So where does consensus lead us? My Personal preferance would be to head directly south, it keeps us on a set trajectory that will be easy to map and explore in pieces.

[Keylac]

As the group stands on the road, Donat considers the elf's question. Idly, he pulls off his hat, scratching at an itch beneath.

"Sure'n, there's something to be said for heading south to start. We should be stopping at Oleg's first though. We'll be heading back here often enough for supplies, we should at least say hello first.

More than that, they might have some information for us that could get us started. They're a lot closer than Restov; they'll likely have a better idea of what's going on round here. Might even have a suggestion about where to start exploring."

[Exthalion]

The elf Aubrey considered his companions for a few moments before speaking. "I agree we should stop for the night. I am not in favor of going south however. The area specified in the charter is such that going directly south will leave us with two long treks through unexplored wilderness before being able to return here. I suggest east or west, that way our total round trip will only be about seventy miles instead of one hundred and twenty.

That is, if we intend to use this trading post as our base of operations."

[XianTheCoder]

Ri turns to Donat, That is why I asked if people need supplies. Surely you didn't think I was planning on bypassing potentially our last stop at civilization. Turning his attention to Aubrey, Should we complete the charter and explore the entire region, the total treck is going to take the same amount of time as long as we minimize backtracking. I like moving south because it easily slices the region into more managable components to map. Moving East and West accomplishes the same goal in the end, but it's more likely to result in fewer initial returns until we move further south anyways. That being said, I wouldn't argue a consensus view to move east or west.

[Exthalion]

"I was more of the opinion that we have to carry several weeks of food with us and that if we find anything that will add yet more weight. We are limited to the strength of our backs and we don't seem particularly suited for portage of freight. Logically then we would want to think in terms of reducing the hundreds of pounds we are going to be carrying as much as possible.

In theory we could explore in expanding half circles which would maximize how close we were to the trading post."

[Giegue]

With charter in hand and a a land to explore Alice was one step closer to this new land, a land she could claim for her and her dark goddess. As she walked closer to the small trading post she came upon a group of squabbling "adventurers;" she knew she had found her "team." She could make out their conversation as she drew nearer, a debate about which way to go. She sighed as she came upon her "teammates" and began to speak

"What's all this squabbling about? You can't figure out what you want to do? I think the best course of action would be to explore the area around the trading post and then rest there for the night. If we do what the mage said and explore in circles around the trading post we can get a general idea of what we will be getting ourselves into while staying close enough to a safe place so we can rest for the night. Also, lets be honest, none of us are fit for the front lines. By doing this we can hopefully kill something that I can animate so we have something to put between us and the enemies when we start seriously exploring.

[XianTheCoder]

Squabbling? Perhaps he's never heard a group having a discussion before? . Ri'Anthal will turn as the newcomer speaks, not liking the tone or word choice. After a few words Ri turns his back, ignoring the newcomer, while he finishes his condescending rant. I think it is safe to assume that the immediate area surrounding the outpost is fairly well documented and explored already. The charter calls for more in depth exploration. Also, a mule is a small price, I would happily contribute a couple gold to a party beast of burden if people are concerned about carrying capacities.


A donkey/mule is 8 gold for those interested in contributing.

[Exthalion]

"Is the terrain suitable for that? The beasts cannot traverse certain inclines and uneven footing safely I am given to understand.

I am not however in favor of the necromancer's suggestion. That art is replete with more then enough magics of degradation that we need not add murder for the sake of improving our ability to do murder to the list of uses we have put it to."

[XianTheCoder]

Unless you intend on climbing sheer cliff faces, a donkey or mule will be able to traverse the terrain just fine. Since we have some kind of dead magic user amongst us perhaps he also posses the magic to deal with issues of carry capacity or overcoming terrain not suited to travel by a beast of burden.. Ri says the first part matter of factly, just answering the question. The second half he says with condescending amusement, clearly not crazy about the latest addition to the group. On the topic of corpses shuffling around in front of us for battle fodder, I'm of like mind, I don't think it conveys the appropriate message I am here to send. Ri will look up and motion into the air. Iago, his parrot companion wheels around in midair and lands on his shoulder. Ri digs in his pocket for a treat and places it in the parrots beak.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra sneaks up behind the group, Oh great, more wizards... hope none of them ask to many questions. She walks up and waves. "So, more poor saps who got conned into trekking miles of swampland? Howdy, the names Kyra. Just Kyra. Don't ask why, its a long story, would bore you. Kinda like the trip here. Also I overheard something about killing something to kill more things? Sounds fun. But I think first things first..." She grins as her little energetic introduction stops and walks past the group to oleg's little trade fort, "FOOD! And a bath... mostly the food though!" She muses to herself. For the most part she seems to ignore the conversation about where to go first or at least no interest in joining it until she gets the finer things in life handled.

[Exthalion]

... Great, another psychopath. Maybe that star wasn't pointing here. Or perhaps I should wait fifty years or so.

"If we do decide to seek out a beast, where to we presume to purchase it? This trading post doesn't seem the sort to keep that kind of expensive to maintain stock."

[Giegue]

Heh. Your an interesting one, Kyra. I think I will enjoy seeing you in action." Alice said yo Kyra after her remarks.

"As for you two, your no fun. Whats wrong with having a skeleton or zombie around? It's not like I was going to bring it into the trading post. I'm not an idiot, you know. I know what most people think about Necromancy. I thought you where all more pragmatic then that, most wizards I've dealt with are. Undead to me are no more evil then a warrior's sword or thief's dagger. Both are tools that can be used for good and for evil. However, if your going to all be spoil sports and ruin my fun then I won't animate anything for now. Our strength as a team is more important then personal entertainment and as a result I want to avoid anything that would cause too much infighting and possibly destroy our little group before we even start our journey.She said to the two wizards who where against her use of undead minions.

[XianTheCoder]

Why am I getting a bad feeling about this? So he's not an idiot, and knows that people don't like seeing undead walking around, yet thats the first thing he introduces about himself in a new group of companions? Yeah... he's NOT an idiot...

Ri'Anthal has little reaction to the latest addition, instead he responds to Aubrey, They are the cheapest of the pack and riding animals, they can be found in even the smallest and poorest of villages, I would imagine that they could be found here, but honestly... Ri'Anthal sweeps his gaze around the assembled party before settling back on Aubrey, I think it might be too much responsibility right now. He makes the statement very blankly, but his skeptism about the assembled group is painfully clear.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra turns around on her heel and tilts her head. "Hm, sorry to butt in, but... wouldn't keeping a goat or pony or beast of burden or whatever be a problem when traveling threw a swamp filled with all kinds of flesh eating animals and monsters and the like? If anything, I say we let a skeleton or something carry our luggage, necromancy will at least scare off any natural predators, plus it has no meat to attract them! Or at least, it can be told to protect our stuff and can fight back... Plus, your all capable... "wizards"..." She sighs. "Or the like. Meh, whatever, just seems kinda hypocritical that you would let an animal be our slave and bring it out into the dangerous wilds when a corpse is already dead and can't suffer pain, feel fear, or exhaustion. What kinda morals is that? A undead is just like an animated table, it has no soul, the owner is already in the afterlife burning or sipping tea, so picture it more like an automated wagon if you have to." Her ranting moment over, she crosses her arms with a huff. You get the odd sensation shes a talker and indulging her would leave you here for hours discussing nonsense.

[XianTheCoder]

Ri'Anthal closes his eyes during the rant, Is she a child? When it ends, he sighs, shakes his head, and starts walking towards the outpost. If anyone needs me, I will be in there. He will point towards the outpost. There is no way I am missing out on my last chance to be around people other this this group... Ri'Anthal walks, not looking to see if anyone is following him.

[Keylac]

Wisely, Donat decided to avoid any of the arguments before him until they become pertinent. Instead, he watched the people around him with a sort of benign confusion. Truly, people everywhere were good, but these ones were a little odder than the peasants he was normally around. If the fast-talking lass had it right, they were all wizards too... That would make this interesting.

Shrugging, he steps slightly to the side, out of everyone's way, motioning after the silver-haired elf. "My friends and comrades, Ri seems to have the right idea. We can discuss the basics of a plan much better over a cup of wine than standing about in the road. After you, please."

OOC
I'm using the assumption that Ri, Aubrey, and myself were at least introduced to each other, and had traveled for a time in company, while Alice and Kyra joined us when we stopped (maybe we walked too fast for them) :smallbiggrin:

[hpboy111]

I am going to assume that you are all following, if not immediately behind then at least a short distance behind those that have already wanderd off towards the trading post.

As you grow the closer to the Trading Post, the sound of hammer falls grows louder. Upon entering the post, you can see that the noise is comming from a man stationed on roof of a building off to your right. He appears to be working on fixing the roof.

Layout of the Trading post:

I will provide a detailed map if it becomes necessary.

To the right of the entrance is a building about 15 by 35 feet, this is the building that the amn is working on, there is a ladder leading up to the roof propped against the wall closest to you. A large, open structure to your right appears to be stables, but there are currently no animals staying there. Parked in front of the stables is a large cart designed to be drawn by a horse. A third building, far smaller than the others, is placed almost agaisnt the back wall. And a fourth building, the largest, is in the back right hand corner. It has a couple of large tables and benches laid out in front of it


As you enter, the man on the roof, glances upward and notices you. Looking over his shoulder he calls towards the largest building, "Svetlana! They're here." He then crawls over to the laddder and lowers himself down, moving to a position a few feet away from you. As he does this, a woman comes out from the largest building and makes her way towards you, she is wearing a smile.

The man looks to be in about his forties. He's about 5'11" and little wide for his height. He has a full head of shaggy brown hair and an equally shaggy beard. The woman, Svetlana you presume, also in her forties, stands at about 5'6" and has blonde hair that reaches just past her shoulders. She has a small smile on her face and a look of relief in her eyes.

"Welcome to Oleg's trading Post, thank you so much for coming. I've prepared a hearty stew and fresh bread for you all. I've even popped open a bottle of wine as thanks. You have no idea how relieved we are that you are here. Thank you so much for coming." Svetlana speaks with a slight shake in her voice and you can tell that she is incredibly relieved, as if a great burden has just been lifted from her shoulders.

[XianTheCoder]

Ri will wave at the man as he is noticed. After he comes down and the woman comes out he will approach them and shake both their hands. Thank You for the hospitality, I hope it wasn't too much trouble, I would hate to pull you away from your work. You look relieved to see us, are we later than expected?

[Exthalion]

"It is not the proper necessity to earn compassion with sacrifice: The purpose of sacrifice is to recompense the expense of the gods for service."

Having so quoted he continued, "What troubles you woman, and how might we go about relieving your concerns? For I seek to affirm that it is good that one should render assistance to another."

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra pipes in. "Yeah, you look a bit worried for ware, did something happen while we were on the road here?" She curiously looks around the trading post to see if there was maybe an attack.

[hpboy111]

"They don't know..." Turning around and throwing his hands up in the air, "OF COURSE they don't know! Shouldn't have expected anything less from those damn aristocrats." The man begins marching off towards the large building where he props himself up against the wall, crosses his arms, and glares at the ground, muttering something under his breath.

"I'm sorry, please forgive my husband. He's been under some stress recently. You see, we were under the impression that you were aware of what was happening. Well, we've had a bit of a bandit proble, for the last several months. We sent word to Restov asking for help, but when we recieved word back a few days ago, we were told that the garrison that they were sending were not going to arrive for several more days. They did mention though that there was a group of people on their way with charters to explore the Stolen Lands that would be more than willing to help. You are those people correct? If so, we are deeply in need of your assistance as the bandits are scheduled to return tomorrow to pick up our stock again. We can provide free room and board for the night if you could just stay here and help us tomorrow when they arrive. Svetlana sounds somewhat dissapointed while talking but there is still an edge of hope in her voice.

[XianTheCoder]

As part of our charter, removal of bandit threads is included. While we may not have been informed ahead of time, this falls squarely within the guidelines of why we where sent here. I fully offer my bow in assistance. Can you tell use how many typically come, who leads them, and anything else that you think is pertinent.

[Exthalion]

"More particularly, would you mind telling us how attached you are to your stock? A solution to this problem occurs to me and I would like to know all the facts before I suggest it."

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra thinks for a moment. "Well, like he said officially we were also sent to wipe out any bandits we encounter while mapping the area, if they come to us, all the better! The name's Kyra, servant of House Medvyed, and I dunno about these guys but I am itching to get started!" To show off for emphasis she uses prestidigitation to light blue flames in her hands and snuffs them out. "Heh, I don't see why we should wait though, you could just point us the right way and we can put these bandits out of there misery, I could use the warm up after that boring trip. They wouldn't be expecting trouble to land on there doorstep, and the irony would be delicious."

[Exthalion]

"Kyra is it? Well Kyra I for one have this rather unusual attachment to being alive. Odd I know, but we all have our own hangups. In actual, real, combat people die. In any real combat that I am in there is a significant chance I will be one of the people dying.

All this being the case, I like to stack the odds heavily in my favor first. Part of that includes not charging after armed men used to violence, in terrain they are more familiar with, with no knowledge of their numbers or ability.

Is all this making sense, or should I try again more slowly and with fewer and smaller words?"

[hpboy111]

Svetlana invites you all to sit at one of the long tables and takes a seat herself.

"It all started 3 months ago. Twelve of them showed up, ten appeared to be low ranking thugs, they were led by a cloaked man with a bow and woman with two hatchets in her belt. They threatened to burn down the trading and..." She hesitates, seemingly afraid of continuing, but the man continues, still standing by the wall.

And they threatend to take Svetlana and do with her as they pleased if we didn't turn over that months stock. We turned it over and they left, but not before the woman nearly took one of my hands off while mocking me. After that she took Svetlana's wedding ring as 'Payment' for not 'shortening my reach'." Since then they've been here twice. They always come on the first day of the month within an hour after sunrise. They keep sending fewer and fewer people, last time there were only five of them, with any luck there will be even fewer tomorrow.

As for our stock, we've lost the last several months worth and we've suffered because it. I'd prefer it if we didn't lose another one. And Kyra, I can't point you at the bandits because we don't know where their base is. they're somewhere down south, but we don't know where exactly."

[XianTheCoder]

Ri'Anthal smirks at the mention of the bandits being south, Score one for Elven intuition. Well, for starters we need at least one alive for questioning and to lead us to the others. Beyond that I think it makes sense to let them come to us and to to decide on a strategic battle strategy. I prefer to fire my bow from above, perhaps taking a vantage from one of the roof tops. We should have someone route behind them and cut off their retreat.

[Jane_Smith]

"Easily remedied. We ambush them here and leave one alive to tell us how to get there. Maybe you threaten to "shorten there reach" if they don't give us what we want? Poetic justice at its finest." She smirks as she finish's, looking around the room as she talks.

"Though, i don't fancy the idea of you and your wife being around when the fun starts, bringing people into the crossfire is too messy, so you got anywhere to hide if they arrive while were staying here?" She muses and looks back to oleg as she leans back in the chair a bit, her arms crossed in front of her as she relaxes.

[Exthalion]

"Here I was thinking about finding some poisonous mushrooms like the amanita and poisoning them all. It takes several hours for the onset of symptoms meaning if done right they will all be dead or so sick as to be easily dispatched before we even arrive.

There is also the fact, that if we follow them we can be sure we know where their camp is as opposed to persuasion which is notoriously unreliable. Especially since we would have to kill several of our captives friends right in front of them meaning even magic might nowbe sufficient."

[XianTheCoder]

while I consider it a valid idea, do you believe you can locate enough poisonous materials? Also, it means poisoning the entire food supply, which is another months loss for these two. We don't know what we will find when we reach the bandit camp and can't be reliably sure that the distribution of food will make its way through the camp at any point in the near future. The other major concern I have is that one of us needs to follow them and lead the rest of us. This leaves discovery of being pursued, and lead into a trap a valid concern.

[hpboy111]

"If it comes to it, we can hide in one of the buildings, yeah. Mind you, I can take care of myself in a fight if I have to. I'll gladly lend a hand when the time comes.

As far as an ambush is concerned, I like your idea of sticking to one of the roofs. You can get up onto the Guest Quarters and should have a decent position from there. On or two of us can hide behind the stab;es and wait until they're inside then we can block off their escape."

Yaking a quick look at Aubrey, he also adds in, "Not that I can't see the merits of such a plan, I'm just not sure it's such a good one right now. The bandits always come in with horses. If we try to follow them back chances are they'll be moving too fast to keep pace and tracking them would be difficult. I'm not capable of it and I don't know about any of you, but I'd rather not risk it. Interogation can work just fine, so long as we leave him a light at the end of the tunnel."

[XianTheCoder]

Ri'Anthal turns to the necromancer, You've mentioned your abilities with death, do they extend to life as well? We need someone capable of keeping at least one alive in case things get out of hand. If you're capable, then I suggest you being on the ground close enough to reach one if necessary.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra plays with her chair a bit more and rocks in as she leans back. "I dislike the poison idea, mainly because we can't grantee they do not have a healer or medicine men of some sort, and, as stated, it would cost oleg food that they might not all eat at the same time. The reward is not worth the risk or cost... But, I don't have any other ideas." She sits back normally and sighs.

[Exthalion]

Aubrey rolled his eyes. "If we want them incapacitated here, there is always sul*fur and bi*tu*men." He sensed blank stares.

"We mix the two, close the gates behind them, and set the masses on fire. The resulting smoke will make them unconscious in seconds and kill them in a few minutes if we don't get them out of it.

Both are very common, I have some of both in my spell component pouch and our host should have both in stock. We mix them and smear them over wood so that the burning area will be maximized. Bitumen is used for water proofing, especially roofs.

Oh right. Bitumen is pitch and sulphur is brimstone. The smoke they produce when burned has been used in warfare before, especially by dwarves and kobolds."

[Keylac]

Donat had been quiet throughout the greeting so far, as was his wont. A deliberate and considering man, he preferred to think a great deal before speaking. He's thought enough for now however, and leans forward, first addressing Aubrey.

"A clever plan, my friend. I must admit, it's nice to see people with knowledge of Alchemy; so many just skim the surface of what is truly a grand discipline.

"However, there's one great flaw I don't think you've considered. Their horses. Goodman Oleg here mentioned they use them, and I would like to capture them." Here a crooked smile. "Truly, it would be easier to explore this land with them, and easier by far to use them to find the rest of the bandits he spoke of if less than twelve come to these doors."

"With that in mind, I think we might go with a more traditional approach. Oleg can lure them in, then retreat to the house to guard Svetlana. I can hide by the gate, closing it after they enter, trapping them inside. The rest of you can wait on the rooftops, out of danger."

Here, a melancholy sigh. "I'd prefer to give them a chance to surrender first, but that'd be too great a risk to Oleg and Svetlana. Still, we should be able to capture at least one. Hopefully more."

Leaning back in his chair, he takes up his cup again. "Does that suit you all?"

OOC
Here's a map (http://brennor.dyndns.org/~steve/Kingmaker/Maps/Map-OlegTradingPost.jpg) of it by the way.

[Exthalion]

"Might it not be possible to turn the catapults inward? The non-combatants on the walls should be able to get off a coordinated volley. Though that might damage the horses.

The problem as I see it is that horses are likely to die no matter what we do and, more to the point, working to keep them alive puts us all at greater risk as we will have to hesitate while they will not. If they discover our plan they may begin using their horses as cover which would put us in quite a bit of difficulty."

[hpboy111]

The catapults haven't worked in years. If you head up there to get a clear view of them you'll see that three of them are complete heaps of junk and the fourth one is barely being held together. I've never really needed them so their maintenance was always a low priority.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra blinks and tilts her head. "Lemme get this straight, you live in one of the most bandit infested regions on this continent, filled with swamp monsters like giant crocodiles, owlbears, monsterous fey, trolls, or worse, and you never found a reason to keep a catapult properly maintained?" she asks bewildered, "Either you have the luck of a god or these so called "stolen" lands are more tame then a child's sandbox."

[XianTheCoder]

Regarding the horses, while I would love to comandier them, I think Oleg and Lana are owed them for what has been stolen from them. The horses will fetch a respectable price and they could use the money more than us to reinforce the outpost and replace that which was stolen. With luck there will be plenty more horses available when we find the bandit camp. On a side note, was there not just concern about the ability for donkeys and mules being able to traverse the terrain? I only mention it because they are each more efficient and capable of navigating the various terrains compared to horses.

[hpboy111]

I'd say we were lucky then. The bandits never became a problem until a few months ago and we've been out here for two years. This used to be an old fort and the catapults were here when we got here. We just never found a reason to get them fixed until recently. Problem is I don't have the expertise and we definately don't have enough time to get them in working condition before tomorrow.

As for the horses, you can keep them if you want. You can keep any of their equipment. Consider it part of the thanks for dealing with the bandits.

[XianTheCoder]

Ri will concede on the horses and equipment, Well if he wants to give it away... I hope one has a longbow... If no one has alternate plans or can think of any concerns with the current plan, then I suggest we eat while the stew is still hot, I am sure Svetlana worked extremely hard on it. Afterwards, we can inspect the area and decide on exact placements and potentially moving of obstacles. I will plan on raining arrows down from above, by placing myself on that rooftop. Ri will point to the roof closest the entrance.

If no one raises any other concerns or comments then Ri will prepare for the meal, finding a place to wash his hands and face before eating.

[Metroid33]

Well then I'll be down on the ground, behind the guest house and I'll be ready to fight. Also I agree food comes first. Aven then goes to find a place to wash his hands, and returns for the food.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra is already happily eating, luckily for her, as she can clean herself without the use of water. She has the table manners of a animal, and is already on seconds within moments. When she finish's she gets up and excuses herself and thanks Svetlana for the food she so quickly devoured and decides to go outside and saying she will return later, obviously avoiding the tactical discussion for now.

She takes her time and finds a safe way to get up on one of the broken catapults and straddles it to get a good view of the area and whispers to herself, What did I do to deserve getting sent out here to the middle of nowhere Ioseph? You know I can't refuse you, but am I not your loyal servant? Was I not good enough? Damn you, you could have at least given it to me straight, I would have trained harder, I would have actually studied one of those damned spell books. She sighs and leans back into the catapult to relax and try to cool down, biting her lip in frustration.

OOC: She will likely be on the ground about 80 or so feet from the gate to barrage the bandit's with bolts of energy, behind cover. From what angle, I have not decided yet, but likely near other members of the group for quick backup.

[Keylac]

During the dinner, Donat absently engaged in small talk, still mulling things over. The plan seemed like it would work in the morning, though he was more worried then he'd care to admit that someone might get hurt. He'd tried to place himself as the obvious target, but he wasn't sure if that would be enough.

At least Desna had already shared a little luck with them. In one swoop, they were going to start making a dent in the bandit population and help those in need - and earn the goodwill of people they would depend on for supplies. With just a little more of Desna's goodwill, they could also secure horses for the journey. Donat deeply regretted not having already secured steeds. He might not have owned one himself, but if he'd but thought of it, the Swordlords would probably have provided some. Despite his melancholy belief that they would end up killing many of the bandits, he had to admit that recovering things from the bandits to use in helping this land appealed to his sense of justice.

Remembering something he had almost forgotten while considering a plan of attack, he turned to Svetlana. "Pardon me Svetlana, but could you describe your wedding ring to us, the one the bandits stole? I confess, I'd forgotten about it while planning, but if we run across it, it would be my pleasure to return it to you.

"Such things," he said quietly, "should not be lost to the greed of others."

[hpboy111]

"Thank you very much for the offer. I don't think I likely that you'll find it but... thank you. It's a simple thing. Two silver bands wrapped around each other in the shape of a circle with a small garnet inlaid in between the two bands."

[XianTheCoder]

Ri will also engage in small talk with Donat and the others during dinner. In the process he will try and learn as much as he can about the immediately surrounding area from the residents.

[hpboy111]

Dinner passes without excitement. The food is good and Oleg and Svetlana are good hosts.

Small talk covers a variety of subjects, and from it you all learn that the Trading Post doesn't have many visitors. It makes a living off of the hunters and trappers who work in the northern most regions of the Stolen Lands. Other than that, there's an old hermit who lives to the southwest of the trading post who occasionally stops buy to sell potions and purchase the occasional necessity. Other than that, neither of them know much about the lands to the south of the Trading Post.

Once the early dinner is over, Svetlana brings all of the dishes into the largest building and sets about washing them. Oleg shows you all to the guest's building, the one closest to the gate, where there are four beds laid out. He offers the fifth person the couch in the main building to sleep on. He then leaves you all to your own devises, promising to wake you an hour before sunrise the following morning.

If you guys have something you want to get done, by all means, you can do it now. If not just post to say your character settles down to bed and then we can start the next day.

[Exthalion]

Aubrey made to take the couch. As an elf he didn't strictly speak so a bed wasn't entirely necessary.

[XianTheCoder]

Ri'Anthal will settle done on one of the beds for the night.

[Metroid33]

Aven moves outside and settles down in the stables to stay somewhat connected with nature, forming a bed out of hay.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra returns about an hour later, thanks there hosts and goes to bed. She doesn't take off any of her bulky clothes or even her hood, and looks like a pile of rags when curled up in a blanket.

[hpboy111]

Proceeding under the assumption that Donat has settled down to bed.

The night passes uneventfully. As promised, Oleg wakes you all just as the sky is beginning to lighten. He tells you all that he is setting everything up just as it has been for the last two visits. The gate is open, Svetlana is in the main building, and the door to the stock is open. Oleg explains he will stand by the stock and let the bandits go about their business until you all decide to act. He treats you all to a light breakfast before urging you to take your positions.

I'm going to put together a battle grid that we can use. In the meantime, could you all post in the OOC where you plan on starting off. You have access to the map, just take a look and let me know where you all want to begin the fight from. After that's done, I will post the beginning of the battle.

[XianTheCoder]

Ri takes his position on the roof of the building to the right of the gate.

[Keylac]

Donat waits on the wall to the left of the gate, crouched down as to remain unseen. He's ready, as soon as all the bandits are inside the fort, to leap down and close the gate behind them.

[Metroid33]

Taking up position on the far side of the guest house, Aven prepares to charge in and attack once the bandits are inside the compound.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra goes by the main house and stays by the east corner out of view of the main gate.

[hpboy111]

An hour and a half passes before your patience comes to anything. Hooves are heard riding up the road and into the fort. A quick peek shows four men riding in on horses laden with sacks. Three of them have longbows on their backs and shortswords at their waists. They are simply dressed and non-descript. The fourth is wearing a hood with a composite longbow on his back and sneer on his face.

"Hallo there Oleg. Has it already been a month? Seems like such a longer time. I assume the stock is in the same place as usual? Good, now back off and let us get our payment."

The bandits dismount and begin loading the horses with supplies from the small building. Oleg backs off slightly towards the main house and says, Of course. Wouldn't want to get in your way..." He then looks around edgily, waiting for you all to make your moves.

[XianTheCoder]

From the rooftop Ri prepares himself to spring up and launch his attack A composite Longbow.... Dibs! As Oleg speaks and gives them their signal, Ri will quickly rise and fire his bow at the bandit with the composite longbow.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage:[roll1]
Initiative: [roll2]

[Exthalion]

Initiative [roll0]

Working his way behind the guesthouse, Aubry slipping behind the open gate so that only a thin line allowed return fire. As he did so he reached for his belt and drew forth three pinchs of colored sand. As they sat in the palm of his hand he began the words of power.

"Nebul! Prisma!"

The sand seemed to vaporize so that a varicolored mist hung suspended above his palm.

"Verwirrung!"

He thrust his arm palm forward and an incandescence spilled from it his hand, catching the bandits in its coruscating patterns.

I want to hit as many of them as possible. If I judged the distances wrong, have me go around the guesthouse to catch as many as possible. I think I can get them all if I stand in the right place.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra walks out from behind the corner with grim determination as her arms begin to release a light blue energy, a mist like essence that falls into her hands and begins to take shape. She throws her hands forward and it sounds like a small explosion as two bolts of raw energy screech directly at the bandit with the composite longbow without saying a word.



Taking 5 foot move action to get out from behind the corner.
Using 7 Mana (Now at 24/31) to cast Magic Missile (CL 4th due to spell specialization/magic-blooded). Both bolts are targeting the same enemy).

[roll0]

[Metroid33]

Aven quickly runs over to the gate and closes the side closest to him shut.

Initiative:[roll0]

[Keylac]

Watching from the wall, lying down so as to not be noticed, Donat watches Oleg interact with the bandits. As soon as he sees they have dismounted to load their ill-gotten gains, he rolls off the edge of the wall, twisting to land on his feet next to the gate. As soon as his feet touch dirt, he throws himself into the west gate leaf, moving to close it before the bandits can react.

OOC
Thanks for helping close it Aven, I hadn't realized how far apart the two leaves would be. :smallsmile:

Rolls
Acrobatics roll to avoid damage from the fall: [roll0]
Strength roll to close gate (if needed): [roll1]
Initiative Roll: [roll2]

[hpboy111]

Ri unleashes his arrow, the first to act. It impacts the back of the bandit, but appears to have had little success in piercing the man's leather armor. Auberon, moving almost at the exact same time, dashes out towards the bandits and unleashes a cone of multi colored lights. As the lights envelop two of the bandits and two of the horses, both horses collapse to the ground, as does one of the bandits who had been carrying a sack over his shoulder. The bandit with the composite bow seems to shrug off the spell affect, ignoring it completely. At this moment kyra steps out from behind her shelter and unleashes two spheres of pure force. Both reach their mark and the man visibly sags under the nature of the assault, collapsing to one knee, holding his torso in pain. It is now that Aven and Donat both run for the gates and push them closed. While all this is occuring, Oleg makes a dash for the main building, heading for the room that Svetlana had taken refuge in.

The two bandits who had not yet been injured or stunned can only stare in horror at the events unfolding around them, watching as their leader crumples under strength of the missiles.

Exthalion, you did misjudge the distance. I had you move a little bit further than your movement speed allows since its a surprise round. You weren't able to hit them all, but it was still pretty effective.

On a separate note, had that arrow landed, the one with the composite bow would be dead. Very effective surprise round. Now round one begins. Post your actions in any order and I'll rearrange them for the initiative order once they are all up.

[XianTheCoder]

Ri draws and nocks another arrow, takes aim at the next bandit, and lets fly the arrow.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Exthalion]

The elf shouted in the brief moment after his attack struck,

"Throw down your weapons and you will live. I swear this by my self and the honor of my people!"

Assuming that doesn't work, another color spray to try to catch the remaining two. Also, did the one make his save, or was he higher level?

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra continues her relentless assault and charges another pair of missiles to streak at the man she had injured, not giving him even a moment to draw his weapon. She grins at the elf's words and say coldly, "Speak for yourself, our orders were crystal clear. Kill them all, and honor them with a quick death in a fight rather then at a noose, its all they deserve."

Using another magic missile at CL 4th, now at 17/31. Using both bolts on the same man again, he seems to tough not to focus down, I don't want him getting his barrings and getting a chance to hit us.

[roll0]

[Metroid33]

"I say I have to agree with Kyra on this one," Lifting his hand as he speaks and points a finger at the strongest one,"they all have to die." After saying this last word an icicle emerges out of his finger and flies forward.

To hit[roll0]
and damage if it does [roll1]

[Exthalion]

Aubrey rolled his eyes, aborted his attacked, and, with a look of disgust on his face, got out of the way of any return arrows.

"A plague on all their houses." He muttered loudly enough to be heard.

[Keylac]

Turning away from the gate, Donat takes a split second to survey the situation. Deciding that they had the bandits on the run, he decides to try and make sure he had the bandits attention - as well as attempting to get another prisoner prisoner to talk to.

Striding around the wagon and into the midst of the bandits, he draws his pistol, pointing it straight at the head of the bandit in front of him, from a range of 5 feet.

"I'd really prefer you just give up now, instead of making me kill you," he said, sounding quite sincere. “But if your hand touches metal, I swear by my fathers pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.”

OOC
Pretty sure I had to take a double movement (It's hard to see the squares) and stopped 1 square away from the still standing bandit in the middle.

[hpboy111]

Raising his hand quickly, Aven fires off the icicle, missing by several inches as the man dives and rolls to his feet. Donat's warning is not recieved well by the barely standing bandit who simply snears in response. Ri's second arrow flies by the same bandit by several inches and embeds itself in the ground behind him. Auberon, having chosen not to attack, retreats to the far side of the tables to avoid fire. The two horses that are still standing appear to be well trained as they do not try to flee. They stand their ground, awaiting orders from their masters. Kyra then unleashes her next two spheres of energy, bith of which impact the man in the same general area. They send him sprawling and he doesn't move. The two remaining, concious bandits each act differently. The one nearest the gate runs to the cart and attempts to leap over the side and into it before continuing to to run. He fails miserably and falls flat inside the cart. The other instantly raises his hands and shouts out, "I give up! Don't hurt me!" He then falls to his knees, closes his eyes and mutters a few words under his breath.

I feel sorry for these guys. Didn't stand a chance.

[Exthalion]

Standing, Aubrey made his way to the one who had surrendered.

"By the Dawnflower, you shall be given this one chance.

I place this man under my protection, any who slay him are guilty of murder and subject to judgement!"

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra follows the fleeing bandit and throws another set of missiles at him while he is still within sight. "Fine by me, but we cannot let the other escape for oleg's sake. Take him down before he can warn the others!"

I will move 30 foot in a short sprint to keep him in sight, and use another magic missile, putting me at 10/31, and fire both bolts at the fleeing bandit who tripped over the cart and is trying to get away.

[roll0]

If its 11 again I am picking it as my lottery number...

[Metroid33]

Aven walks over to the cart and climbs into it, "Ok fine you can keep that one alive," he then positions himself over the bandit and stabs down into him with his short spear.

[XianTheCoder]

Watching the display from above, Ri can't help but roll his eyes at Aubrey. Just a little presumptious there Aub... As the other bandit tries fleeing Ri will draw and nock another arrow and let fly.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Keylac]

Seeing his allies moving to finish off the one bandit that had the chance to run, Donat decides to leave them to that. Instead, he moves to those that Auberon had felled. Checking first to make sure neither the bandits nor the horses require immediate aid, he grabs some rope and begins to tie up the disabled bandits, leaving Auberon to deal with the awake one.

[hpboy111]

Metroid, you forgot attack and damage rolls so I did them for you.

Aven clambers into the cart and drops his spear down on top of the bandit while Kyra's missle's follow just behind, ending the man's life.

Tying up the unconcious bandit is simple enough. The one that threw up his hands gives up his weapon if prompted and will sumbit to being bound.

The unconcious bandit and the two downed horses wake up after about a minute. The horses begin to panic and thrash about. The now bound man begins shouting in a rather unpleasent manner, uttering threats about how he will skin you all alive once he gets free.

Combat is now over. I need a Use Rope Check for Donat by the way.

[Keylac]

When the horses awake, Donat moves over to calm them before they hurt themselves. He urges them back on their feet, then takes them over to the stables for water and some oats.

OOC
Sorry about not rolling Use Rope, I'd seen the skill wasn't there anymore, and then didn't hunt around to see what replaced it. From what I can tell from the PFSRD, I first have to Grapple the bandit, then I can just tie him up, with a DC of 24 to break the bonds. So here's a Grapple roll, and a second one as well, to tie up the surrendered bandit.

First Bandit: [roll0]
Second Bandit [roll1]

As for calming the horses, an untrained Handle Animal check, taking 10, for 15.

[XianTheCoder]

While others are tying bandits up or caring for the horses, Ri will climb down from the roof and begin inspecting the dead bandits. He will rummage through pockets and backpacks looking for anything that will be useful in learning about them or something that can be used during the interrogation.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra rubs her head at releasing so much energy in that fight and leave the "interrogation" to the men and goes over to a bench to sit down and relax to recover, but stays nearby just in case she is needed.

[hpboy111]

Donat:
The horses hear your soothing voice and settle down after a few moments, though you can tell that they are estill somewhat on edge. They do however obey your prompts and follow your lead into the stables, as do the other two horses.


Ri:
Searching the bandit in the cart yields you: His leather armor, a quiver with an unstrung longbow and 20 arrows, a shortsword, 2 days worth of trail rations, and a small pouch filled with 10 gp.

The one with the hood has the following equipment: His leather armor, a dagger, A composite longbow (of the +2 variety), 20 arrows, 2 days of trail rations, a pouch with 35 gp in it, and a silver amulet around his neck shaped like the skull of a Stag.

Ussually I use this format when giving out information that only another character would have. Just getting you all used to it now even though all of this is pretty noticeable by everyone else in the party. You can feel free to read the spoilered boxes, but just know that ussually your they will only have things in them that your character shouldn't know. (Unless your name is above it.)

[XianTheCoder]

Ri will compile all the loot and shove it into one of his empty sacks, he will then carry the sack around to each of the other bandits, he will strip them of any items they are wearing/carrying and place them in the sack. He will then place the sack somewhere where it won't be in the way but also won't be out of eye sight. Once he is done he will make his way over to his two shot arrows to see if they can be salvaged. After collecting any arrows he will then turn his attention to what's happening with the prisoners.

[hpboy111]

After a little while the rowdy bandit calms down but if looks could kill, he'd have stabbed you each fifty times over. The other one remains quiet, a blank stare on his face.

Oleg and Svetlana exit the main building a short while after the conflict ends. "Now that's what I call a job well done. Thanks for the help," Oleg says as he surveys the scene. "What are you planning on doing with those two?" His voice taking on a somewhat dangerous tone as he nods at the two bound prisoners.

[XianTheCoder]

I forgot that I wanted to inpsect the amulet, so can i please amend my previous post to reflect that Ri keeps the amulet, and puts everythign else in the bag. He will then inspect the amulet while waiting for the others to finish their business.



Ri leaves those dealing with bandits to answer Oleg. He will spend a few minutes inspecting the amulet that was pulled off the lead bandit.


Knowledge [Arcana]: [roll0]
Knowledge [History]: [roll1]
Knowledge [Nobility]: [roll2]

Hopefully it's one of them, because that exhausts my trained knowledges.

[Jane_Smith]

Kyra leans back and lays down on the bench and puts her arms behind her head. "Meh, I don't care what we do with them, but apparently the little foul mouthed one forgets were here to kill his kind..." She shoots a glare to him. "We could always kill that one and use him as an example for the other to be cooperative, and so long as he doesn't say or do anything stupid, we can just have him work his bounty off. Either way, I think we should teach the vulgar one some manners." She grins.

"What do you think "thug"? What would you do in our shoes? The pacifist might have sworn protection to you, but in the end the law of the land is clear and he can't stick with you forever, and I will have absolutely no qualms with blowing your head off if you so much as call us anything lower than "my lords or lady", so you might want to start kissing our asses right about now. Groveling helps as well. Considering keeping you alive would be nothing but a burden for us, and hell, the region as a whole, we need a convincing reason..." She casually asks, turning to her side to get comfortable and fixing her stare on the bandits.

[Keylac]

The horses settled and munching happily on some feed, Donat saunters out of the stables in time to hear some of Kyra's speech. Smiling a little - sure, she may be bloodthirsty, but at least she's consistent! - he walks over to the more cooperative of the two bandits.

"I think, before we do anything rash, I'd like to have a talk with these fellows, one at a time. They may not have realized what harm their actions caused, and be willing to seek redemption."

Calmly pulling the quieter bandit to his feet, he leads him over to the guest house. Over his shoulder as he walks, he remarks "Things tend to work out a lot better if you're just willing to talk them out first."

Talking
Once in the house, guest house, I sit him down and make sure he's at least semi-comfortable. I'm then going to use Diplomacy, attempting to convince him that 1) banditry is bad, and 2) we can help him get out of the game with his head attached to his shoulders. I'll also add the occasional white lie as needed, like "I think I can stop the crazy magic-lady from making a suit out of your skin." :smalltongue:

Once I think I've convinced him to help out as a way to redeem himself/save his neck, I'll ask for information:

1. Who was the leader of the group (the bandit with the compound bow, I assume)?

2. Where are the rest of the bandits?

3. Where's the goods they stole from Oleg?

4. Specifically, where's the Wedding Ring?

5. What can he tell us about the area?

Rolls

Diplomacy:
Bluff: [roll1]
Sense Motive: [roll2]

Additional Diplomacy (if needed): [roll3]
Additional Diplomacy (if needed): [roll4]
Additional Diplomacy (if needed): [roll5]

Additional Bluff (if needed): [roll6]
Additional Bluff (if needed): [roll7]
Additional Bluff (if needed): [roll8]

Additional Sense Motive (if needed): [roll9]
Additional Sense Motive (if needed): [roll10]
Additional Sense Motive (if needed): [roll11]

Edit: The rolls don't appear to have worked, so rerolling.

Rolls Try 2
Because... Bleh.

Diplomacy: [roll]1d20+13
Bluff: 1d20+9
Sense Motive: 1d20+5

Additional Diplomacy (if needed): 1d20+13
Additional Diplomacy (if needed): 1d20+13
Additional Diplomacy (if needed): 1d20+13

Additional Bluff (if needed): 1d20+9
Additional Bluff (if needed): 1d20+9
Additional Bluff (if needed): 1d20+9

Additional Sense Motive (if needed): 1d20+5
Additional Sense Motive (if needed): 1d20+5
Additional Sense Motive (if needed): 1d20+5


Edit Again: Apparently my initial screwup is preventing any rolls here from working... so here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14116239#post14116239). I rolled them all out again over in the Test Roller for this post.

[hpboy111]

Xian:
The amulet is just an amulet. It does not remind you of anything in particular. Perhaps the man wearing it had been a hunter.

In response to Kyra's threats, the foul-mouthed man just laughs. "Hah! Yeah, like I'd call you a lady. Even if I did want mercy or showed remorse, it's a dammed if I do dammed if I don't situation. I'll get hung, or killed by the boss, if I listen to you and come quietly, and if I don't you'll kill me any ways. I might as well enjoy my last few minutes alive. So screw you and long live the Stag Lord! Unable to move his hands into a position to provide a suitable enough inappropriate gesture, he resorts to the childish act of sticking his tongue out at Kyra.

Keylac:

The bandit seems somewhat reluctent to talk but after a little while he opens up a bit. He believes you completely that you can help waive the death penalty for what he's done and he does appear to show genuine remorse. He then proceeds to answer your questions.

1. He tells you that the man with the Composite bow was named Happs Bydon. Happs was not their leader, but rather their leader's boy toy. The woman who led them is named Kressle. She came out on the first raid to Oleg's but hasn't been out here since.

2. The bandit camp is at a crossing of the Thorn River about 30 miles to the southwest of Oleg's Trading Post.

3. He says that the loot all ends up in one of two places. Either back at the bandit camp, or shipped off to an unknown location. (He says that he's suspected Kressle of working for somebody else for a while now, but he doesn't know who.) Just yesterday though a group of Mites snuck into the camp and made off with several bags of loot, so the Mites currently have some of it. He also tells you that the Mites have a den under an old sycamore tree about 16 miles to the southeast of the camp.

4. He doesn't know where the ring is. It could be with the Mites, with the bandits, or at the unknown location.

5. He's already given you all of the information he can.

He appears to be telling to the truth in evrything he says.

[Metroid33]

Diplomacy:[roll0]
"Hey you rude mouth, who's the stag lord? Hmmm?" As he says this Aven slowly walks closer kneeling down next to him, not close enough for the bandit to head but him or anything.

[XianTheCoder]

Ri'Anthal will put the amulet in his pocket, disappointed that there doesn't appear to be more that can't be gleaned from it. With the amulet out of the way he will bring his attention back to the bandits. Seeing that there's various attempts at intimidation and question already underway he will leave the others to it. While he doesn't agree with some of the approaches, he isn't interested in creating conflict over it. While waiting for the others to finish with their questioning, Ri will take the composite longbow and begin taking a few practice shots with it, seeing how it fires.

[Keylac]

Once his new friend has finished spilling his guts, Donat will poke his head out of the door to see how the others are doing. Seeing that the others are already working on the more stubborn bandit, he decides not to interrupt them and simply waits, leaning in the doorway, musing over what he's been told.

[XianTheCoder]

Seeing that Donat has finished with his questioning, and lacking anything else to do while waiting, Ri will walk over and lean next agains tthe wall next to the doorway. Did you have any luck learning something useful?

[Keylac]

Donat nods to Ri as he approaches the door. "In did in fact. According to this fella, these guys come from a camp about 30 miles southwest of here, at a crossing of the Thorn River. I was figuring that after we're done with that gent' the others are talking to, we could head on down there, maybe surprise them. There might be more bandits around sides them, but they seem to be the closest ones to Oleg, so capturing them should keep the trading post safe."

[XianTheCoder]

Ri nods, Sounds good. Did he tell you what kinds of numbers they have and what kinds of security measures his camp has?

[Keylac]

Not yet. Thought I'd wait till we can all ask our new friend questions."