The End of the World

[headwarpage]

Nearly a day after the disaster, you manage to dig your way out of the rubble. Still dazed and aching from your brush with death, you make your way through piles of rubble and smoldering ashes towards the center of town. The scope of the destruction is incredible – virtually nothing is left standing. A light breeze blows the smoke rising from the city away to the east, but otherwise, the ruined city is eerily still. Broken bodies dot the streets, but there are no moans of the wounded, no survivors digging through rubble, not even crows come to eat the dead.

Just as you begin to think you might be the only living soul in the city, you come to the grand plaza at the city’s heart, or at least the broken flagstones that used to be the grand plaza. A few survivors have gathered here – maybe a dozen in all, but a few other stragglers ((the other PCs)) are also making their way into open space. A makeshift tent has been erected, and a handful of townspeople are at work digging through the wreckage of Duke Berrick’s manor under the direction of a man in a battered breastplate. Nearby, a few others, with arms or legs in splints, watch the work. One halfling woman sits against a stone, weeping, but the others are moving purposefully at their tasks.

As you approach, the man in the breastplate turns away from the work and comes to meet you. Middle-aged but still fit, his head is bandaged and he looks bone-weary but determined as he greets you. “More survivors, Pelor be praised. I was afraid we wouldn’t find any others. I’m Colonel Teren Neel, and for now, we’re looking for survivors and getting ready to rebuild.” He looks you up and down, taking note of those of you bearing weapons and armor. “Warriors, are you? That will come in handy. So far, I’m the only member of the Guards here.” A pained expression crosses his face, and he turns away briefly, but a moment later the determination is back on his face. “Any other skills to offer? Masonry? Smithing? We could use a–“

“Neel!” A call from within the tent cuts him off. “My head is killing me! Get that barber back in here!”

“Yes, Lord,” Neel calls back, but he turns back to you before making any effort to comply. “You’ll be pleased to know that Gerden’s Wall has not been deprived of its nobility. Duke Berrick’s son Relden has survived. I don’t suppose any of you is a healer?”

Ok, now’s your chance to introduce yourselves and describe your characters.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald stumbles over to Colonel Neel. Harald stands a bit shorter than Colonel Neel. Harald's short, scruffy brown hair is greasy, damaged, and a bit bloody. His nose is short and straight. He is skinny, but still good-sized. He has a bright demeanor, and his eyes betray knowledge and wisdom normally unheard of at his age.
"I know a bit about masonry and architecture. What'dya need?

[Tura]

Jaelle
A young shapely woman, with dark eyes and a casacade of black hair - now very dusted - ,wearing a chain shirt over a light green dress and a torn cape. She carries a backpack and a flail.

Jaelle arrives at the scene evidently tired, but not disorientated. She glances around, looking for familiar faces, and turns to the Colonel. One of his requests makes her blink with disbelief.
Stonemasons? We're just a handful of people, what does he expect us to do, rebuild the whole town? Or build a few houses and live in a damn graveyard? There's nothing here for us any more.

However, she responds very politely.
"I'm afraid I'm no healer, Colonel, and not much of a warrior either. Don't let the flail fool you, the most I've ever done with it was when..."
her voice trails off and she sighs. For once, she's not in the mood for stories.
"Jaelle Walder is my name, and I'm a travelling merchant. Or was. Best thing I can do for us, is show the way out."
Her last words come out with a sad smile, she then greets Harald with a nod and turns her gaze towards the wounded and the halfling woman.
"But first, let's see who needs help here."

Knowledge (nobility) [roll0], for what sort of person Relden is known to be
Knowledge (local) [roll1] for other known survivors (Neel?).
(If Bardic knowledge is appropriate, it's +4)

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald surveys the area, looking at the fallen buildings. He walks over, turning equations over in his mind. He tries to remember facts about the local nobility and guard too.


[roll0]Arch. and Eng. for the stones and stuff.
[roll1]Local for Colonel Neel
[roll2]Nobility for Relden.
[roll3] Bardic Knowledge check for Colonel Neel and Relden.

Harald has a lot of book knowledge, but, except for theater, he doesn't pay much attention to local events.

[Bandededed]

Talm approaches the gathering slowly, limping from a slight injury to his shin. His short, dark hair is dusty and dirty, and his sun darkened skin is as well. He's carrying his armor and weapons, and is wearing light colored, billowing clothes.

He barely hears Neel, but when he gets close enough, he says, I'm not much for anything but fighting, but I can wield a shovel as well as any." He then winks, thinking humor is a fine way to ward off depression. "At least dirt doesn't sift back into the hole as fast as you can pull it out."

OOC:
He's making a joke about sand, since he's from the desert.

[JackMage666]

Travis Wingbeat, a tall and lanky man wearing a set of travellers clothes, covered in scratches and smelling like an unattended stable walks towards Colonel Neel.

"I know a bit of healing," he says, "But only enough for my normal travels. But, uh... I was in the sewers, see, and I don't know if Mr. Relden would really appreciate my, uh, aroma."


EDIT: Accidentally typed Tourists Clothes, meant Travelers

[headwarpage]

Knowledge check results: Jaelle:
Knowledge: Nobility - Relden is Duke Berrick's eldest son, and at the age of 17, he has yet to do much of anything to distinguish himself. The general consensus among those who think about such things is that he's not the man his father is.
Knowledge: Local - Neel has served in the Duke's Guards for nearly 30 years, and by all accounts is a reliable, trustworthy sort. Though his common birth has prevented him from rising too highly in rank, word is that Duke Berrick respects (respected?) his opinions. You also recognize one of the men clearing rubble as a man who has twice tried to sell you stolen goods. You think for a moment, and recall that he gave his name as Arik.

Harald:
Knowledge: Arch. & Eng. - The manor house used to be a fine example of early Nicanian construction, but right now it's a fine example of a pile of smoking rubble. A lot of the stone could be re-used, though. You also think that such a large stone building would be among the structures in the city most likely to harbor survivors - possibly a reason Neel's rescue efforts are focused here.

Bardic Knowledge - You recall that Colonel Neel distinguished himself early in his career by saving the life of Duke Berrick's father during the Caldaran campaign. You can't recall that Relden has done anything worth telling stories about.

Colonel Neel frowns at Travis' explanation. "I won't ask what you were doing in the sewers. If you're a real healer, you're the only one here, so you can tell Lord Relden that he can choose between your aroma and his headache. Go ahead in." He turns to Harald and Talm. "Good enough, though it's rocks we're moving, not dirt. We're trying to get though to the armory. I think that's where the Duke was, and the walls are thick enough that he might have merely been trapped. You say you know masonry, you're in charge of the work - try to do it without causing the building to collapse further. From his expression, Neel doesn't really believe that Duke Berrick is alive, but it seems he's decided to dig him out anyway.

Finally, he turns to Jaelle. "I won't ask a lady to dig through this mess, though we would certainly appreciate your help." You do see a couple of women working on the rubble, shifting stones as large as any the men are moving. "But anything you can do to help the wounded or keep spirits up would be welcome as well."

[Bandededed]

Talm looks to Harald. "You point and I'll move, buddy," he says as he moves toward the rubble and rolls up his sleeves.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald nods at Talm and begins overseeing the work, pointing out certatin rocks to move and where to move them, making sure not to let it collapse.


I guess another Arch. and Eng. check is in order, eh?
[roll0]

[JackMage666]

Travis musters the courage to go with Neel into the tent. If it's one thing he learned, nobles hate the peasantry, and right now he smells like the lowest of the low. Perhaps the circumstances will work in his favor, though, and it's always good to have a noble in your debt, even for small favors.

"Alright," he says, "Show me to the injured."

[headwarpage]

Neel takes a moment to show Harald and Talm the location of the armory and the work that's been done before showing Travis into the tent. There isn't much to see - a space maybe 10' square, with a young man sitting on a cot and looking at you expectantly. His head is lightly bandaged, but otherwise he seems to be in pretty good shape. His fine clothes are dirty, but otherwise undamaged. All things considered, you're fairly sure some of the diggers outside are hurt worse, to say nothing of those unable to work.

"It's about time," he greets Neel as you enter. "I hope this one's better than the hack you sent me before." Relden wrinkles his nose as you approach. "Where did you find him, a sewer?" Finally, he addresses you for the first time. "Well? Get on with it."

Out at the dig site, a half-dozen men and women greet Harald and Talm (and Jaelle, if she's going to dig) with nods and grunts. Most of them have rather blank looks, and they move mechanically, going through the motions of moving rocks, but clearly thinking about other things. Two or three of them, though, are wild-eyed, and attacking the rubble as though their lives depend on it. One thing they all have in common - having this task to work at is clearly all that's keeping them going right now.

The work itself is slow, as you have to stop frequently to reinforce the excavations and prevent collapses. It is also gruesome, with mangled bodies crushed within the wreckage. The wild-eyed workers will often examine the deceased anxiously, but they never seem to find what they're looking for, because the bodies are unceremoniously dragged to the side, and work continues. As the afternoon drags on, the hole slowly grows, but there are no signs of survivors, and it's clear that it will take days to reach the armory at this rate.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald shakes his head at the slow work, despairing that it's taking so long to dig out the armory.

Harald walks over to Colonel Neels. "Hey, um, I think we should begin working on something else. Listen, even if the duke is still alive, by the time we reach him, he'll have run out of air. Or water. Or food. I don't think we need the weapons."

Harald pauses for a moment, looks down and runs his hand through his hair. Harald loooks back up, and stares Colonel Neels directly in the eyes. "However, Colonel, we do need food, water, shelter, clothing, medical supplies, miscellaneous supplies, and I think we'd be better off looking for those than digging through the castle. And, even so, it would make it much easier if we got a few of the sick and injured on their feet, get pickaxes, ropes, and other digging supplies. Harald sighs, and looks off into the distance for a moment, and then returns to looking at Colonel Neels. "I just think it would be a good idea to go look for supplies, essential ones. What'dya say?"

[SPOILER]
Diplomacy roll for convincing Colonel Neels to look for other supplies.

[JackMage666]

Travis, unsure what to do due to the circumstance mumbles the verbal components of his spell, and reaches out to touch the nobleman.

"Here you go."

Casts Cure Light Wounds, healing [roll0] points of damage.

"Now, um, if you'll excuse me, there seems to be other people who need it a little more badly, sir."

[headwarpage]

Lord Relden tests his head, and finding it free of pain, he smiles. "Thank you. You may go now. Neel, you stay." After you leave, the muffled sounds of an argument can be heard coming from the tent. About half an hour later, Colonel Neel stalks out, grimacing, only to be waylaid by Harald.

"Did I ask you?" he snaps once you're done talking. Before you can respond, his face softens a little. "No, I'm sorry. Everything you say is true, I was just hoping nobody would realize it for a day or so. And if you tell anybody that, I'll kill you. Look, short-term, we can find what we need. We've already got enough food for a week, if we ration it. Long-term, well, I'm working on that, and I'm open to suggestions. But right now, these men and women need something, anything, to do, and they're not ready yet to let go of what they've lost. So they'll dig for a day or two, and maybe by then they'll be willing to accept that they need to move forward. Besides, that keep was as solid a building as this city had, and it's entirely possible that there are people trapped in there. If we find any survivors at all, it's worth the effort. And if we don't, at least we've given these people some hope when they needed it."

"So, any other questions?"

[JackMage666]

Travis spends the rest of his 1st level spell slots casting Cure Light Wounds on whoever needs it. (He has enough slots to cure 2 more people).

"Anyone need water? I can create a bit, but not much. If it'll make the digging easier, it may be best to soften the earth with the water instead."

[Halna LeGavilk]

"Did I ask you?" he snaps once you're done talking. Before you can respond, his face softens a little. "No, I'm sorry. Everything you say is true, I was just hoping nobody would realize it for a day or so. And if you tell anybody that, I'll kill you. Look, short-term, we can find what we need. We've already got enough food for a week, if we ration it. Long-term, well, I'm working on that, and I'm open to suggestions. But right now, these men and women need something, anything, to do, and they're not ready yet to let go of what they've lost. So they'll dig for a day or two, and maybe by then they'll be willing to accept that they need to move forward. Besides, that keep was as solid a building as this city had, and it's entirely possible that there are people trapped in there. If we find any survivors at all, it's worth the effort. And if we don't, at least we've given these people some hope when they needed it."

"So, any other questions?"

Harald shakes his head. "No, sir. I'll try to keep up morale over the next few days."

Harald goes back to digging and directing the activity.

[headwarpage]

Travis' healing is gladly received by two of the worst injured, who join in the excavation. The offer of water is likewise accepted by thirsty workers. Work continues for the rest of the day, as slow progress is made into the ruined keep. Neel watches the work, or perhaps the workers, his face expressionless. Relden, despite presumably no longer suffering from his injuries, remains in the tent for most of the day, only coming out to watch the work for a few minutes.

Eventually, darkness forces the digging to halt for the night, and the survivors share a mostly silent meal and, exhausted from a day of labor, bed down in makeshift shelters. As you prepare to sleep, Neel circulates through the camp, speaking a few words of encouragement to the survivors. The four of you he saves for last, and rather than speaking, he simply motions for you to follow him. When he has all of you gathered near the flickering flames of the dying campfire, he launches into his speech without preamble.

"I have a request of the four of you. Somebody needs to go to Aldeira, to see how things stand there, and to ask King Theren for help. If he lives. If he's in a position to help anybody. Frankly, I have no idea what you'll find when you get away from Gerden's Wall. I've picked the four of you because I think you're most able to deal with whatever you find out there. I'll give you a letter to bring to the King, telling him how things stand here. Whatever you find, I'll need you to come back and let the rest of us know how Aldeira fared."

"So, can I count on you?"

[JackMage666]

"Hmm... Aldeira, to meet a King no less... That sounds like a journey I've not ventured on before. I'm used to traveling, so I can make the trip easy, I'm sure... But, I've never traveled with others..."

Travis surveys the other three adventurers, eventually deciding they won't wuss out on the journey.

"I'm in. Haven't been even around Aldeira for awhile anyway."

[Bandededed]

Talm grins. "Are there going to be any monsters on the way? I hate monsters." He laughs. "I'll just have to introduce any we find to my chain."

He stops grinning suddenly, and he says seriously,
"I'll go, of course. Digging is only not boring for so long..."

[headwarpage]

"Thanks for your help. I'm not expecting monsters, but I'm not not expecting monsters, or bandits, or anything else, either, so stay on your toes. I'd like you to leave tomorrow morning, so let me know if you need anything before you go. And the two of you? Will you do this?" Neel looks expectantly at Jaelle and Harald.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald grins wildly. "Are you kidding me? A chance to explore a new world, visit other countries, gain knowledge? Of course I'll go! Why wouldn't I?"

[headwarpage]

Neel looks at Jaelle for a few more moments, then shrugs. "It's your choice. The rest of you, be ready to leave at dawn."

((OOC: One last chance to ask questions, get to know each other IC, talk to NPCs, dig through the ruins for spare change, or what have you. When you're ready to move on, post that your character has gone to sleep.))

[JackMage666]

"Mr. Neel, if it's not too rude to ask, are there any shopkeepers who have...."

Travis tries to find the proper phrasing, but can't grasp it.

"Kicked the bucket? I mean, if in the rubble of their shop we could find something useful to our travels, they're certainly not going to need it anymore. Any magic shops, blacksmiths, potion vendors, things like that that are missing their owners, that maybe with a little digging we could find something useful?"

Travis is, of course, hoping for a decent location to dig for a few hours, hoping to find some good equipment and items to ease the journey. His leather armor and clothes smell like the sewer, so he looks as if he'd take any locations Neel would offer up.

[headwarpage]

Neel frowns in disgust, but after a moment, shrugs. "I suppose there's no harm in it, and it might help you at your task. There was a blacksmith the next street over, and a that pile of rubble used to be the house of a mage who sometimes did work for the Guards. Just try not to be too obvious about what you're doing. If people see you looting the dead, they'll want to go do that instead of working on something useful."

[Bandededed]

Talm gets up off the ground and stretches, saying, "The mage's shop seems like the place to go to me. I'll head out there and see what I can find,"

He heads out, trying to be sneaky about what he's doing.

I'd like to take 20 on a search (22 total), but if I can't [roll0]
Also, a disguise or hide check, to hide what I'm doing?
[roll1]
[roll2]

[JackMage666]

"I think I'll go with you," Travis says, and walks with Talm. "Travis Wingbeat, Traveller." He says and reaches out his hand.

So, um... If any of the villagers ask, what're we doing? Are we maybe a small group selected in order to retrieve supplies? No... No... Then they'll expect some... Maybe a group looking for the Mage? I mean, they're wiley, always getting out of tight spots, right? Maybe you should tell them that, though... I'm not a very convincing liar.

Rolls

I'll so the same with rolls - Taking a 20 on Search, or [roll0] if that's no possible.
Hide - [roll1]
Disguise - [roll2]

Also, I plan to work to around Midnight in game, so if we finish the search hear before then, I'll move onto the Blacksmith

[headwarpage]

The ruins of the mage's house are a jumble of partially charred timbers, so hiding the fact that you're digging through them doesn't seem like an option. Travis comes up with the idea of pretending to gather firewood, so as you dig through the debris, you periodically haul some of the larger pieces back to the sleeping area. You aren't sure if the others buy your act, but nobody asks any questions. The work is slow going, especially in the dark, and you aren't able to complete as thorough a search as you might like, but by midnight, not only have you amassed a sizable pile of firewood, you've found the following:

1 chain shirt
3 scrolls

The next morning, you wake to a dawn filtered by smoke hanging heavily in the air as fires continue burning somewhere. As you prepare to leave, Neel meets you and hands you a sealed letter. "This should explain the situation to the King. It shouldn't take you more than a few days to get there, if the road is still good, so hopefully I'll see you again in a week." He pauses, and looks around, taking in the ruins and the bodies piled to the side. "We won't be able to stay here that long, though. Look for us about a mile upriver when you get back. If you don't have any last-minute questions, good luck."

[Bandededed]

Before sleep: Talm shakes Travis's hand. By the end of the night, Talm has come to like the wanderer.
Talm considers the pile of plunder they amassed during the night. He sighs. "Travis," he says, "You can have those. The armor is a bit cumbersome for me, and the scrolls would be useless, since I can't read them. If you'd rather use your armor, let's unload that quick, so we don't get too far behind."

[JackMage666]

Travis takes the scrolls, not quite sure what to do with them himself. It's clearly not common, but he isn't sure how to decipher them. Perhaps he'll has Fharlanghn for guidance in the future regarding the matter. The armor, though, he refuses.

"I'll hold onto these, I'm sure they'll be of use at some point. Maybe. We'll just have to hope so, right? The armor, though... Not much use to me, either, but I'll hold onto it too... A mage had it, so it must be decent, right?"

Travis likes the sturdy man. Should be able to fend for himself, that's good.

The next morning, Travis works the Chain Shirt and scrolls into his backpack, careful not to break the ink vials inside. He takes out an ink vial, a pen, and a book. He plans to plot the travel in his map book, as the specific path they're taken isn't in it yet.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald gathers up the meager supplies he managed to get from the ruins of his house. He checks over the empty books, ink, and quills he managed to save. He spots Travis and the book and walks over.

"You a bookworm too?" Harald asks in a tired voice.

[JackMage666]

"Hmm..? Oh, this? Oh, no, heavens no. They're just some maps and graphs I've composed through some of my travels, nothing fancy, just a bit about the proper routes to take and things like that. My topography skills are rather weak at the moment , still, so I doubt anyone would even be manage to read them, though I pray Fharlanghn will improve them"

Travis shows Harald the book that composed mostly of scribbles, x's, and lines.

[Halna LeGavilk]

"Ah, yes. I'm actually going to be taking a lot of notes about our travels, so, if you need any help with anything, just ask. " Harald says. He gets the two books out of his backpack and checks them over again, making sure they aren't damaged.

[headwarpage]

You set out from the ruins of Gerden's Wall, traveling south along the Caldaran River, as you will for the entire three-day journey to Aldeira.

The land you travel through was devastated by the cataclysm, though. What had been fertile fields and peaceful hamlets a few days ago is now a torn, scorched wasteland. Buildings, fields, and forests are in ruins, and in many cases are still smoldering, filling the sky with a thick, smoky haze through which the sun penetrates only weakly. Little sign of life remains in the wasted landscape, only a few birds picking at carcasses. Once, you see a wolf worrying at the remains of some creature, but it slinks off as you approach, dragging a useless leg behind it. Other than that, the countryside is empty, and eerily silent.

The day passes uneventfully, and you make good time. As the sky begins to darken, you look for a place to camp. As you are doing so, you notice the flame of a fire burning ahead of you on the road, casting a brighter and more lively light than the dull red glow of the smoldering embers dotting the ashes around you.

[JackMage666]

"So, uh... Should we check it out? Given the circumstances, it might not be a good idea..." Travis says, wary of the flame.

[Bandededed]

Talm shrugs. "I'll go check it out, if no one else minds. I'll be back soon, and tell you all what waits ahead"

Talm waits on the agreement of his fellows.

If no one objects, [roll0] : [roll1]
He will move at half speed so as not to incur any penalties.

[JackMage666]

"...Fine... I'll go with you..."

Travis casts Longstrider on himself, increasing his speed by 10 ft for 1 hour. He then tries to stealth with Talm to the light.


Hide - [roll0]
Move Silently - [roll1]

[headwarpage]

Travis and Talm approach the fire stealthily while Harald remains back down the road a little bit. Upon nearing the fire, you approach from behind a boulder, attempting to remain hidden. When you get close enough, you peer around the boulder, and see what appears to be a campfire burning unattended in the shelter of a large rock. There is no sign of whoever might have built the fire.

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm pulls Travis close, and says (as quietly as possible), "Let's stay here for a moment or two, because whatever made that fire can't be too far away. I have no desire to be sneaked up on and attacked"

He then begins to look around, trying to see anything suspecious

I'd like to stay long enough to take 20 on a spot check, or a 10, but if we can't : [roll0].

Ew, I need some ranks in that.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald sneaks up to the large boulder. "Sorry I'm late guys. I'm not all too confident in my sneaking abilities. Alright, what've we got here... "

Harald looks around at the campsite, trying to spot anything unusual with the ground, the campfire, or the rock. He also listens carefully, trying to hear footsteps or other strange noises.

Finally, he checks his knowledge base to see if he can find anything strange about how the campfire is built, or if there is the makings of a camp, or rubbish or anything. Harald also checks the rock to see if there is anything unusual about it




[roll0] Hide check
[roll1] Move silently
[roll2] Knowledge (Geography) for the ground
[roll3] Knowledge (Geography) for the rock
[roll4] Knowledge (Arch. & Eng) for the rock.
[roll5] Spot check
[roll6] Listen check
[roll7] Survival check for the fire.

[NoDot]

Zeng

A young mage wrapped in a black cloak sits in the middle of a "rock," about to nod off when he hears footsteps approaching. He stays, sitting, in his illusion.

((I was hoping no one would want to look at the rock. It's a DC 15 Will Save, anyway.))

[headwarpage]

Harald, your hand passes through the boulder as you go to examine its surface. It is abundantly clear that this is an illusion of a rock. The rest of the campsite, however, seems normal.

((OOC: Since Zeng hasn't technically revealed himself, I think we should play this out until he actually shows himself IC.))

[JackMage666]

"See, it's fake, it's worthless, let's just go now, before whoever made it comes back." Travis says, anxious to get out of the situation.

[NoDot]

Zeng

"It's far too late for that."

At the will of the mage, the rock dissolves into smoke/dust, which swirls into a sphere in its creator's palm before vanishing. (The invisible illusion moves over to the fire.)

Rising to his feet, Zeng turns to his visitors. "Who are you?"

[roll0]

[JackMage666]

"Uh... I'm Travis Wingbeat, traveler and follower of Fharlanghn. You are?" Travis says uneasily, waiting for his comrades to answer.

(OOC - Interaction skills don't work on PCs)

[NoDot]

Zeng

((Yes, they do, but not to the same degree. I can't railroad you people about, but rolling an 18 with a +6 mod should still make your character a little uneasy.))

[headwarpage]

((OOC: DM's ruling - Interaction skills don't work on PCs. If you want to be intimidating, you'll have to roleplay it.

On another note, I'm going to give you a little longer to get to know each other before I move things along.))

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm sighs and cracks his neck, clearly put out by the appearance of the young mage. "Tch, only a person. And I was so hoping for something to whack. Ah well.

Talm simply lifts an eyebrow at the mage after his question, while his head slips a little to one side. "I'm Talm Aloysius, not that it matters. Didn't anyone ever teach you manners? You should always introduce yourself before asking the identities of others.

OOC:
Geez, I'm glad I didn't have to try for a twenty on a modified level check - 1d20+1, blech!

[NoDot]

Zeng

((Could I use Prestidigitation to set Talm on fire? Also, would they need a second saving throw if I manipulate the Silent Image back to visible, or would they already know it's an illusion?))

Ignoring Talm, Zeng turns to the one who pierced the illusion, waiting on his reply.

[headwarpage]

((Prestidigitation cannot be used to set people on fire. As for the illusion, it would depend what you did. But just play nice.))

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald bows. "I am Harald Halkin, former librarian and collector of knowledge. And Talm is correct, it is rude to ask names of others without giving your own."

[NoDot]

Zeng

"You attempt to sneak into my campsite and accuse me of being rude?"

With that, Zeng reforms his Silent Image as a circle of fire surrounding the three intruders which leaps from the campfire.

(If any of them claim that it is likely another illusion, "You saw that I know how to project illusions, but which of you care to stick out your hand and see if this is another one?")

[JackMage666]

"You're camp?" Travis looks suspiciously at the mage, now angry at his claiming to own the road, "Your camp was set up on the road, which is public domain for anyone who wants to use it. If you're done here, we'll be moving on then."

[NoDot]

Zeng

"So, you would do the same to anyone's camp? That, I would call rude."

"Also, you may not wish to touch those flames. I may be able to project illusions, but do you really want to stick you hand it and find out if that is an illusion?"

[JackMage666]

"I would do the same to anyone who thought they were important enough to set up camp in a location impeding the travels of any other creature. The road is not yours, you self important mage, no matter how many illusions you throw on it. Now, if you please, calm your spell and let us pass."

[NoDot]

Zeng

Zeng ignores Travis. Instead, he pulls out his bedroll and prepares to go to sleep.

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Unfortunately, my misinformed mage, actual fire makes sound. That snapping and crackling? Yeah. Come on guys, we need to find a place to rest."

With that, Talm strides boldly through the fire, in the direction they came from.

[JackMage666]

Travis

Travis follows Talm, not even wanting to look at the mage again.

[NoDot]

Zeng

"Fire does not crackle or snap. That is the burning wood; a Wall of Fire would not crackle or snap! Has the Prime Material Plane's loss of magic not been accompanied by an increased knowledge of physics and chemistry!?"

[headwarpage]

Regardless of whether the fire should be making sound ((and please don't start arguing sides of that)), the fact that it produces no heat as Talm and Travis approach gives them no reason to doubt their conclusion, and the fact that they are unburned as they pass through confirms it.

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm stops unexpectedly in the middle of the fire.

Then he begins to laugh. Not a little chuckle, but a full blown laugh that eminates from his middle and bursts out like a shout spell.

"You know," He says, wiping a tear from his eye, "He's actually right, and I'm darn glad I'm not on fire now!"

Talm walks back just inside the false flames - since standing in them makes him uncomfortable (In flames, Eek!!) - and says, "Look man, I'm sorry. I just got to this place and then freaking boulders fall from the sky, and I haven't had anything to beat up in days. I was really hoping your camp was some goblinoids, and I took my frustration out on you. I'm sorry if I woke you, since you do seem a little grumpy."

[NoDot]

Zeng

"Then I offer this advice: control it better. My father is a high-tier Berserker. His rage is strong enough to kill magic effects, much to my mother's displeasure," he adds in an undertone. "However, mindless fury and frustration don't do anyone any good."

Zeng turns to the fire. Yes, it won't do anyone any good-even me. Fury and outrage don't do anyone any good. You need to focus your energy to a point.

Standing up, Zeng bows. "I am Zeng, first child to Foo and Sang, student of Magic of Thought, undeserved exile to the Prime Material Plane, Search Master, Trap Master, Gadgeteer, and Student of Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering." Zeng rattles his titles off without pause.

[headwarpage]

As you gather around the campfire to talk, Talm sees a flicker of motion out of the corner of his eye. - a humanoid - no, three humanoids, moving stealthily outside the circle of firelight.

((Talm, you may act on your natural 20 Spot check in any way you wish. If you do anything drastic, roll initiative.))

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Don't make a fuss," Talm whispers fiercely, "There's something out there. Three somethings, at least. Keep acting natural! Don't give them any warning. We'll get them if they mean to attack,"

Talm readies his weapon, trying to act nonchalant about it.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2] (for hiding my weapon readying, if necessary)
OOC: and w00t for nat 20 spot checks

[NoDot]

Zeng

Zeng leans back, completely unafraid. "Where are they?"

((If I know about where they are, can I cast Entangle on them?))

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald sits down by the camp fire, and laughs when Talm whispers, putting his hand on his sword and readying to draw it. "That's funny, and true."


[roll0] Initiative
[roll1] Bluff
I'm readying the Draw Weapon action.

[headwarpage]

"Why, we are right here," announces one of the figures in response to Zeng as he steps out of the shadows. A moment later, two other figures do the same, one on each side of the first, forming a semicircle around the campfire. They appear to be... well, you can only assume they are elves, because they are lithe humanoids with angluar features and pointed ears. But there are differences from any elves you have seen, the most obvious being that each of them stands as tall as a tall man. There are other differences as well, if you look closely - the angular features are strong rather than delicate, but that doesn't stop them from possessing an air of unearthly beauty. Other than that, they look like typical elves, dressed in supple leathers and carrying longbows. Each of them has an arrow nocked and pointing in your general direction.

"And I must congratulate you on your alertness," the center elf continues, smiling. "This hunt is looking more and more promising. Game has been terribly scarce in this land, and were beginning to despair of finding any entertainment. But I'm sure the four of you will give us a good chase. What do you say, friends? Should we give them a head start?" He looks to his companions on either side, who shrug, looking bored. "Very well. You shall have 10 seconds. Make good use of them, as I would hate for this chase to be dull. Your time starts... now. 10... 9..."

((Everybody, please roll initiative with your next post, if you haven't already. The elves are spaced out around half the campsite, with one side open. They're about 30-40 feet from where you sit around the fire, and about 45 feet from each other.))

[NoDot]

Zeng

((Again, can I hit then with Entangle?))

[roll0]

Zeng draws on his knowledge of the creatures of the multiverse and tries to figure out what they are. [roll1]

"Keep together, shut up, and move!" Zeng says, making his way away from the campfire.

Once they make it 30' away, Zeng either casts Entangle near the "elves," making sure to capture all three and the fire too, or he casts Silent Image of smoke around them.

If he can only cast Silent Image, he'll shout, "Now, to vanish!" ([roll2]), and cast it. After he casts it, he'll whisper quietly, "OK, stop for now. They can't spot us for the moment, and we'll be invisible soon." ((The smoke should grant Total Concealment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatModifiers.htm#concealment).)

[edit] ((Forget Entangle.))

[JackMage666]

Travis

"Y'know... I could probably outrun your arrows, right?"

Initiative = [roll0]

Planned Action = Use of Run feat. At 45 ft lands speed, that's 225 ft a round.

[NoDot]

Zeng

"That's a bad idea, unless you think you can survive without me."

[JackMage666]

Travis

"Less people want to shoot me than you, Mage."

[NoDot]

Zeng

"They want to shoot, but would they hit?"

[JackMage666]

Travis

"Let's hope so, or I'd have noone to heal."

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald stays down and keep his mouth shut, draws his sword, silently, if possible, and tries to figure out what the elf-creatures are.


Alright, let's see....

[roll0] Knowledge (The Planes). Trying to figure out what sort of elves these are.
[roll1] Knowledge (Local). Trying to figure out what the elves are.
[roll2] Knowledge (The Planes) If the first check works, figure out the elves weakness.
[roll3] Same as above.
[roll4] Trying to figure out the hunt-thingy.
[roll5] Knowledge (Geography) check to see if any tactical advantages could be gained by the ground.
[roll6] Bardic Knowledge check to figure out the elves and their weaknesses.

And Harald draws his sword.

HWP, if you set us up against Hoary Hunters, I'm gonna be ticked.

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm smiles into the smoke and says, "A thick covering of smoke, eh? Nice. I'll be going 'round their formation, see if I can pick one off."

I'm going to move at half speed (so no penalties) and head around to the right, trying to stay under cover. If one of them spots me before I can hit him, I'll retreat.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[headwarpage]

((Note: Under ordinary circumstances I'd post daily and act for anybody who hasn't posted yet, but since the boards haven't been consistently up, things are slowed down a little.))

Round 1
(to whatever extent combat has started)

Zeng and Talm retreat from the fire and are enveloped in a cloud of billowing smoke, which blocks your sight and, presumably, conceals you from the elves. Zeng remains in the cloud, but Talm attempts to circle around behind the elves. Unfortunately, two sets of elven eyes track him as he leaves the concealment of the smoke ((Spot checks of 15 and 20)). The leader smirks at him, but offers no comment.

Harald merely stands where he is and looks the elves over. They look back. "Come now, friend - give us some sport," the one on the left says, perhaps a bit peevishly. Despite your extensive learning, however, the only thing you are sure of is that you've never seen or heard of elves like this before. The idea of them hunting you seems pretty straightforward, but it doesn't fit with anything you know about the behavior of elves, who are generally quite polite, if somewhat aloof. ((You'll have to specify what type of bonus you're looking for from your Knowlege:Geography check. That roll will get you something, but you need to explain what bonus you're looking for and how your knowledge gets you that advantage.))

Travis jumps up like a jackrabbit and sprints through the cloud of smoke and across the burned fields away from the elves. The elves give no sign of pursuing.

As you all move, the lead elf continues counting. "8... 7... 6... 5... 4..." As he counts down, all three elves raise their bows and begin to draw the strings back, but they don't seem to have chosen their targets yet.

[NoDot]

Zeng

Oh, why did they not listen to me? Ah, well, time for my fun.

Zeng spends his round pushing the limits of his spell to their breaking point. He's attempting to use the illusion to make a bubble around him which will render him invisible. If he can't he'll maintain a large cloud of smoke.

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Burn it!," Talm curses. He dives back to the edge of the smoke, and ducks behind a nearby tree, hoping this time his skills will hide him from the elves. Stupid forest with stupid trees. No sand, nooo, just bloody trees and rocks. Rocks! Bah!!

[roll0]
I'm hoping to have either 3/4 or full concealment from the elves, if possible. Honestly, if this keeps up I might have to climb a bloody tree...

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald examines the ground around the elf on the left for minute bumps or dips that may help Harald trip the elf up.

[headwarpage]

((OOC: I'll give you the bonus based on you knowledge check from the previous round, and it's a free action in any case. Do you want to take an action this round? Also, please say somewhere what specific bonus you want as a result, possibly in a spoiler in the form of "Harald is trying to get +1 to attack rolls against the elf on the right". I'd read what your wrote as "+2 to my next trip attempt against that elf," which may or may not be what you were actually going for. The variant knowledge skills are designed to be able to get a wide variety of advantages, and I'd like you to be able to pick the benefit you'd like to get.))

[JackMage666]

Travis

'Crap, Crap, CRAP!"

Travis pulls out his dagger, unsure what to do with it. He takes cover under whatever is near him and not on fire.

[Halna LeGavilk]

OOC: Yes, I was looking for a +2 to my trip attempts, thank you.

IC: When his turn comes up, Harald rushes over and attempts to trip the elf on the left.


[roll0] Touch attack on trip attempt.

[headwarpage]

Round 2

Talm, seeing that he has been spotted, dives back into the cover of the smoke, then sneaks out again. This time, no eyes spot him, and he is able to get to within 10' of the elf on the left.

Zeng attempts to figure out how to manipulate his illusion to make himself invisible, realizes it can't be done, and settles for maintaining the cloud of smoke.

Harald rushes the elf on the left, who dodges nimbly out of the way.

Travis hides behind a boulder a solid 200' from everybody else.

"...3... 2...1.... 0!" As the lead elf finishes his countdown, the elf nearest Harald steps back to get some space and looses an arrow at him. Ducking reflexively, you feel the arrow fly over your head. A heartbeat later, another arrow flies past your ear from behind you, and a third embeds itself in your thigh (3 damage)

Summary:
Talm is hidden in the undergrowth near the left elf.
Zeng is hidden in a cloud of smoke about 45' from the left and right elves and 65' across the campsite from the leader.
Harald suffered 3 damage and is 5' away from the left elf, who took a 5' step back to fire his bow.
Travis is 200+ feet away from everybody else, and can't see half of what's happening because of the cloud of smoke between him and the campsite.
All three elves are focused on Harald, since he's the only one they can see at the moment.

((Actions for round 3, please.))

[Bandededed]

Talm

Tch, this was how it was supposed to be the first time, Talm says mentally. Then he grins. He whips his chain around at the elf, then tries to circle him, so the he and Harald are flanking.

Sneak attack Bitch!!!... eh, sorry. I got excited.

[roll=Damage]2d4+2d6+3

[Bandededed]

Sorry for the double post; the forum roller hates my formatting :smalltongue:
[roll0] - spiked chain damage
[roll1] - sneak attack damage
Total: 15

[headwarpage]

Talm's chain whips out of the shadows, wrapping around the neck of the elf and dragging him to the ground. ((Figured I'd get that out of the way before anybody else posted, since Talm goes first in the initiative order anyway.))

[NoDot]

Zeng

Zeng takes out one of his Oils of Entangle and lobs it at the enemy, hoping to hit one of them.

He also maintains the smoke cloud.

((Oil of Entangle should spread from the point of impact, so he only needs to hit within 40' of one of them.))

[Halna LeGavilk]

OOC:Is the elf dead or just prone?

IF THE ELF IS ALIVE:

Harald lashes out at the elf on the ground, stabbing him.


Attack
[roll0]
Damage
[roll1]


If the elf is dead:

Harald runs over to whichever elf is not hit by the Oil of Entanglement, and slashes at him.


Attack
[roll2]
Damage
[roll3]

[JackMage666]

Travis

Maintains his position, peeking over the bolder to try and get a better view of the fight. He tries to calm himself.

(OOC - Wouldn't I be able to see somewhat clearly through the smoke, as he told us it was an illusion?)

[headwarpage]

((OOC: My ruling on illusions of the figment type is that because they create actual images, which occupy space, you cannot choose not to see the images, regardless of whether you're aware that they are only illusions. Since Zeng has created the illusion of an opaque cloud of smoke, anybody looking at the illusion will see an opaque cloud of smoke, regardless of whether they know it's an illusion or not. If NoDot abuses this ruling too terribly, I'll reverse it.))

Round 3

Zeng hurls a vial out of the cloud in the general direction of the two remaining elves. It shatters on the ground halfway between the two elves, sending livid green droplets flying in all directions. Immediately, roots and stems rise from the ashy ground wherever the droplets fall, but both elves twist and turn, avoiding the writhing vegetation (Reflex saves 11 and 24 against DC 11). Worse, Zeng's efforts to find a target for his oil break his concentration on the illusion, and the cloud of smoke vanishes.

Harald begins to rush towards the lead elf, but stops short as the ground in front of him begins to sprout writhing roots. Unable to see a clear path to the elf, he instead circles around the affected area, hoping to herd the elf towards the others. ((OOC: I had to take some liberty there, since the entangle spell prevented you from reaching the elf in time to attack and I didn't want to force you to attempt reflex saves anyway. If you'd rather have done something else, let me know and I can probably retcon it.))

Travis continues to watch from a safe distance, but now that the cloud of smoke is gone, he can see what's happening.

The lead elf begins to pick his way out of the entangling roots, moving into the shadows away from the campfire. He eventually breaks free onto open ground, but because Harald is blocking his shortest route, it takes him longer than he might have hoped, and he is unable to take any other actions.

The other elf also moves outside the circle of roots, moving away from Harald and Talm and towards Zeng. Upon reaching safety, he looses an arrow, which skewers Zeng through the ribs (8 damage).

Round 3 Summary
Talm nearly took an elf's head off with his chain. It is unconscious and bleeding out.
Zeng took an arrow through the chest, suffering 8 damage. He is also unconscious and bleeding out (roll to stabilize)
The lead elf is outside the area of the entangle spell, approximately 30 feet from Harald. He also gains concealment (20% miss chance) from the shadowy illumination away from the campfire.
Elf #2 is also outside the area of the entangle spell, directly across it from Harald, but closer to the fire.
Talm is approximately 60' from both elves, but a straight line to either of them would pass through the edges of the entangle spell.
Travis is far, far, away, on the far side of the campfire from the lead elf, but somewhat closer to elf #2.

[NoDot]

Zeng

[roll0]

[JackMage666]

Travis

"Oh... The mage is down... That's, um... Crap....."

He gets out of his hiding space and runs towards the encampment, full speed (225 ft, Max, though I'm stopping at Zeng), and dives down beside him, hoping to avoid the arrows.

(OOC - Running doesn't make me lose my Dex to AC, as I have the Run feet. I plan on diving to the ground so that I get prone, giving me a +4 bonus to AC against ranged attacks)

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Oh, [expletive]", Talm curses. He ducks behind a nearby tree and attempts to hide, so that he can once again sneak towards an elf.

I plan on circling in the direction that will take me closest to Zeng and Travis, so that, if the need arises, I can pop out in front of them to try to ward off some arrows or something.
[roll0]
I'll only move at half speed unless I realize that I'm not hiding effectively, in which case I'll just move my speed.

[headwarpage]

((Update delayed until Halna posts.))

[Halna LeGavilk]

OOC:Sorry 'bout that. Was in the middle of posting it, and had to go to bed.
Anyway...
IC:Harald sneaks out into the shadows, trying to use the shadows to sneak towards the lead elf, whom he then attacks.


Hide check to sneak out into shadow:[roll0]
Move silently check:[roll1]
Hide check to sneak towards Elf:[roll2]
Move silently check: [roll3]
Attack:[roll4]
Damage:[roll5]

[headwarpage]

Round 4

Talm, taking cover behind rocks and charred stumps, moves towards Elf #2 in what he hopes is a stealthy manner.

Harald attempts to duplicate the feat, and although he's fairly sure the elf saw him coming, he does manage to penetrate its defenses and cut its shoulder fairly deeply. The elf merely grins and dances backwards a step, loosing another arrow at point-blank range, but his shot is rushed and the arrow deflects harmlessly off Harald's chain shirt.

Travis sprints into the campsite and dives to the ground next to Zeng. As he does so, he hears an arrow whistle over his head.

Round 4 summary
Harald dealt 4 damage to the lead elf, who then took a 5-foot step away from Harald to gain room to shoot. The elf still has concealment.

Talm moved 30 feet around the area of the entangle spell, and stopped about 10 feet short of Zeng and Travis. He's about 50 feet from Elf #2, and has a clear line to charge, if he so desires.

Zeng is still bleeding, and is down to -5 HP. Travis is prone next to Zeng.

[NoDot]

Zeng

Zeng continues to bleed.

[roll0]

[JackMage666]

Travis

"Here... You better be grateful for this....."

Travis casts cure light wounds on Zeng, healing [roll0] points of damage.

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm glances at the distance between himself and elf two, and makes a gut decision. He races from his hiding place, charging straight at the elf. As he approaches, he readies himself to knock the elf prone.

Charge!!! I'll go straight at the elf, then try an overrun. Glad they're using ranged weapons, or I might be hurting. I also plan on stopping one square past him, no matter what he does.
If he doesn't get out of the way...
[roll0] - strength check to knock him down.
If he does get out of the way, the overrun doesn't count against my actions so,
[roll1] - attack
[roll2] : [roll3] - if he didn't know where I was / is flat footed against me.

[headwarpage]

((OOC: I'm going to have to rule that you can't attempt an attack if the elf avoids your overrun attempt. Attacking during a charge requires that you end your movement in the closest square from which you could attack your opponent, and besides, the idea of turning around during a charge and attacking the guy you just ran by just doesn't seem right. Let me know if you'd like to attempt the overrun or just make a standard charge attack.))

[Bandededed]

OOC:
I guess I'll just attack then. He'd probably just avoid me anyway...

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald slashes at the elf again.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Miss chance for concealment: [roll2]

Do I get the miss chance for concealment from being in the same shadowed spots as the elf?

[headwarpage]

((OOC: Sorry for the slow posting, real life is kicking my ass right now. I'll get a post up tomorrow morning. And you would get the same miss chance, except that elves have low-light vision.))

[headwarpage]

Round 5

Talm leaves the shadows and rushes past Zeng and Travis, lashing out with his chain as he nears the elf. His chain wraps around the elf's torso, biting deeply as Talm draws it back. Wounded, the elf retreats, drawing back into the darkness well away from the fire.

Harald again advances and attacks the leader, but the elf easily dodges out of reach. "You fight well, little thing - this is the most fun I've had in days," he says in a cheerful voice as he draws his bow again. Harald is nearly able to twist out of the way of his shot, but the arrow grazes his arm (1 damage), and the elf laughs merrily.

Meanwhile, Travis heals Zeng, who opens his eyes and looks around a little frantically before getting his bearings.

Round 5 Summary

Talm did 6 damage to Elf #2, who retreated well away from the fire and gained total concealment from the darkness. He's somewhere out there, on the same side of the fire as Talm, Travis, and Zeng.

The lead elf did 1 damage to Harald.

Travis healed Zeng back up to 2 HP.

The lead elf is located directly across the area of the entangle spell from Talm (80', 120' around the outside of the spell), and almost directly across it from Travis and Zeng (100', 125' around the spell). The 5-foot steps he's taking to stay away from Harald are gradually bringing him around the spell towards Talm.

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Travis," Talm asks quietly, "You don't happen to have any spells of light you could lay on my chain, do you?"

OOC:
I'll delay my turn until after Jackmage's, and hopefully get a really bright light that I can carry around to find that bloody elf

[JackMage666]

Travis

"No, but I have some tindertwigs... Or, use the fire! I don't know."

"Mage, do you need more?"

Holding action, seeing if Talm needs the tindertwig, and if Zeng needs more assistance.

[headwarpage]

((OOC: Update delayed until I get more actions.))

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald yells and slashes at the elf again. "Talm! Need some help over here!"


[roll0] Attack
[roll1] Damage
[roll2] Miss chance for concealment

[Bandededed]

Talm

Hearing Harold's yell, Talm quickly grabs a burning log from the fire, using it as a torch. He moves around the spell towards Harold, ?and launches a dagger?.

I'm not sure if I can throw the dagger, it depends on how I have to move to grab the impromptu torch and go towards Harold.
Anyway: Attack - [roll0] Damage - [roll1]
And I probably have some kind of huge penalty because I'm so far away, but oh well :smalltongue:

[NoDot]

Zeng

Enough of this.

Zeng removes his Oil of Entangle with one hand. With his other, he attempts to use (cast) Silent Image to mimic Glitterdust (in a 20 ft. cube). He'll stay prone.

((To blind; I don't know if it could reveal the invisible. Also, eat two DC 15 Will Saves!))

[headwarpage]

Round 6

Talm hurls his dagger in the general direction of the elf, comes nowhere near hitting him, grabs a branch from the fire and heads around the fire toward the elf.

Harald again pursues the elf and, lunging, pierces him through the shoulder. Badly wounded, and aware that Talm is coming in his direction, he disengages from Harald and withdraws into the darkness.

An arrow comes flying from the darkness in the general direction of Travis and Zeng (presumably from elf #2), but sticks harmlessly in the ground between them. Following the shot, you can hear the elf moving through the darkness, you think away from you.

With both elves out of sight, Travis and Zeng hold their actions.

Round 6 Summary

Harald did another 4 damage to the lead elf, and he retreated into the night. At this point, both elves are somewhere well away from the fire, hidden by the darkness.

((OOC: By the way, NoDot, Silent Image cannot duplicate the effects of Glitterdust. Regardless of the nature of illusions (which, as I said, I'll reconsider if you abuse it), you just can't use a lower level spell to duplicate a higher level spell.))

[NoDot]

Zeng

((So, I wouldn't be able to use it to create a Silent Image of a Balor?))

"Everyone get over here! It's time to scram, and I have an idea."

[headwarpage]

((OOC: You can certainly create a silent illusion of any creature you wish, provided that you have some IC familiarity with it, but that Balor wouldn't be able to deal damage, speak, move objects, or do any of the other things a real Balor could do. In the case of Glitterdust, you could create an illusion of specks that looked a lot like the Glitterdust spell, but you couldn't simply duplicate the effects of Glitterdust, because those effects rely not only on the appearance of floating specks, but also on magic that is specific to the Glitterdust spell.

Basically, Silent Image is exactly what it sounds like. The images it can create have no qualities beyond the fact that when you look at them, you see them. It's very versatile, in that it can create any image you care to describe, but limited in that none of these images have any actual substance. Because of the wide variety of possible illusions, I have to make a lot of ad-hoc rulings about what, exactly, happens when characters interact with these illusions. In doing so, I keep two things in mind: what seems logical, given the spell description and the image you describe, and what seems appropriate, given that Silent Image is a first level spell. Broadly speaking, duplicating the effects of other spells, especially those above first level, doesn't seem like it's in keeping with the intended power level of the spell.))

[NoDot]

((Glitterdust creates a bunch of golden particles which blind an enemy. While the particles would temporarily blind the elf anyway (preventing it from seeing), lots of light from the particles would still blind the elf, wouldn't they?))

[JackMage666]

Travis

"I'm sticking with you, mage, in case you need more help from me."

Holding any movement to match Zeng.

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm hurries around part of the entangle spell and calls out "Harold, meet me halfway!"

I'll take a readied action to throw my torch towards the next arrow that comes near myself or Harold.

[headwarpage]

((NoDot, PM me if you want to debate the uses of Silent Image.))

You wait anxiously, but no further arrows are immediately forthcoming. In fact, you can hear the elves moving away from the campfire. In a few moments, everything is silent, save for the rustling of animated roots still seeking something to grasp.

((In other words, you've driven off the elves, and combat seems to be over for now. Carry on.))

[Bandededed]

Talm

Glad that the elves have been driven off, Talm carefully picks his way over to their only kill. Taking the bow from the corpse, he tests it's pull and gathers up the quiver before heading over to the rest of his companions.

"I don't know if I can ever find that dagger, but I'm not being caught without a bow again!"

He does do a quick search for his dagger, though, just in case.

Can I tell if the bow is mighty, and if I can wield it without penalty?
Search: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]
Whichever I should use

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald walks back over to the campfire, and sits on the ground. "Ugh. Who wants first watch?" Harald unrolls his bedroll and lies down. "I'll take second. I gotta rest. I got cut pretty ba...." Harald falls asleep.

[JackMage666]

Travis

Travis goes over to Harald, mumbles something incoherently, and lays an hand upon the wound.

(He's casting Cure Light Wounds, healing [roll0] points of damage)

"I suppose I should get some rest, too... I need to regain some of my spells."

[headwarpage]

Talm, the longbow seems fairly ordinary, and you don't imagine you'd have any trouble using it. You also find a dagger and set of leather armor on the elf's body, and after a bit of searching, you manage to track down your dagger as well.

The night passes uneventfully, and in the morning, you set out once more for Aliera, with Zeng accompanying the original group. You expect that you should reach the town of Nim's Crossing, the largest settlement on the road from Gerden's Wall to Aliera, around noon. As noon approaches, you do see an increase in the number of burned-out farms along the road, but no town appears on the horizon. Just as you are starting to wonder at this, you do see something ahead of you - a handful of people and a few crude structures, too far away for you to make out any other details.

[Halna LeGavilk]

"Alright, who wants to take point? I'm pretty good with people, but I don't know much about local cultures. You guys?"

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Should I go in for recon? I am well suited to the task, but I'm not sure if it is required. These could merely be what's left of the town of Nym's Crossing,"

He pauses for a moment.

"Those falling rocks did quite a bit of damage to the town we were in, it stands to reason that the same might have happened here."

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald thinks for a moment. "Can you sneak in and blend with the rest of the survivors, then the rest of us will approach in a friendly manner." Harald looks at the survivors, trying to see how many.

[roll0] Spot check.

[JackMage666]

Travis

"Guys... It should be fine to just approach. They might be in the same situation here, after all, and a bit of extra help should be favorable to them."

Travis walks on, not thinking of even checking for danger.

[headwarpage]

As Travis (and whoever goes with him) approaches, he can see that the structures are crude huts of charred logs, obviously constructed in the past day or so. A handful of bedraggled individuals are, in fact, working on another one as you approach. All told, there might be twenty people gathered here, mostly human. All of them look like they've seen better days.

As you approach, the people notice you and stop their work to watch you approach. As you draw near, they look uncertainly at each other before one of the men, a lanky fellow in his middle ages, steps forward to greet you.

"Welcome, my lords. You're the first living souls we've seen in two days, Pelor be praised. Are you come from Gerden's Wall to help us?" The man looks at you hopefully, as do most of the other people, all of whom have stopped what they were doing and are gathered around you.

[NoDot]

Zeng

Following Travis, Zeng's eyes dart around, examining everything around him as thoroughly as possible in such a little time frame and throwing Sense Motive on everything and everyone. ((I enjoy odd uses of skills. Sense Motive is my weird-dar.))


[roll1]

Reacting to the man's praises, Zeng tries to recall anything about Gerden's Wall: [roll=Knowledge (Anything and Everything)]1d20+4.

"What happened here?"

[edit] ((I'll put it in the OOC, then.))

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald follows Travis. Harald sighs. "Isn't it obvious? Same thing that happened to Gerdan's Wall. Big rock hit." Harald turns to the man and mirthly smiles. "I'm Harald. We're from Gerdan's Wall, and, unfortunately, we are in the same situation you are." Harald's eyes brighten for a second. "Actually, um, we have a letter for the king. Is he...um...alive?"

[headwarpage]

((You're still a day or so shy of the king. This is/was just a notable town along the way.))

[headwarpage]

The man's face falls when he hears that Gerden's Wall is also destroyed, and he collapses in on himself a little, as though something vital has been taken from him. Nevertheless, he manages to pull himself together, and even makes a decent show of sympathy. "I'm sorry. We saw the falling star, but I had hoped it missed the city. We felt the impact here, but that's not what destroyed Nim's Crossing. A little after the star fell, the earth began to shake, and a chasm opened up beneath the town. Those of us who were in the fields survived that, but then the fires came..." The man trails off, shaking his head sadly. "As for the king, I couldn't say. We haven't heard a thing fom Aliera. Maybe things are better there." From the sound of his voice, he doesn't believe it.

[NoDot]

Zeng

"Chasm? Fires? Tell me more."

[roll0]

[headwarpage]

The man frowns at you. "What more is there to tell? As you can see, everything burned. As for the chasm, you'll see if if you continue on the road, it's right where Nim's Crossing used to be."

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Cheer up, friend," Talm says as he claps the fellow on the shoulder. "Everything will be alright. You're still alive, right? You cannot control fate, but never allow it to beat you. What do you need help with? I'm sure we could spare a day or so to help,"

Talm says all of this with a cheery face, and shoots secret glares at anyone who disagrees with him aloud.

[headwarpage]

The man looks at you for a moment, then nods. "I'd appreciate that. There's a lot to do, and many hands make for light work, as my pa used to say. My name's Robar, by the way. Robar Allwood."

((OOC: Any objections to this course of action? How long do you plan to stay? And what are your sleeping arrangements going to be? Any watch? Um, not that anything's going to happen tonight. Nope, nothing unusual at all.))

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald nods. "Sounds good. I got no objections, as long as it's only a day or so. What needs doin?" Harald rolls up his sleeves and gets to work.

After the whole day, Harald walks over to whatever makeshift campfire they make. "I'll take first watch. I don't want a repeat of those damn elves."

[NoDot]

Zeng

"I think I should go examine this chasm."

[roll0]

He'll also throw off Sense Motive against everyone he runs across.

[headwarpage]

Robar shrugs. "What doesn't need doing? But if you want to see the chasm, you can recover some stores from the ruins. We have enough food that we aren't in danger of starving, but we'll need to find more soon. If you can find some seed, we might be able to get a harvest in before winter, if the frost comes late. Tools would be helpful as well - we need almost everything, really. And it goes without saying, that if anybody still lives in the ruins, rescue them." He looks around at the survivors, most of whom have resumed working while he talked to you. After a moment, he calls over a boy of perhaps 10 years. "Pitr, these men are going into the chasm to find supplies. Will you show them which areas we already managed to search?"

((OOC: Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been fighting off a cold for the past couple days.))

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm smiles at the child. "Let's go, Pitr. I'm glad to be able to help."

Once he gets to the chasm, Talm begins searching carefully, determined not to let the smallest thing that could help these people get by.

[roll0]
[roll1]
Edit: Why did I roll 2 search checks? Oh well, the first one's better!

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald also follows Pitr, and begans searching along with Talm, looking for anything that might help. If they see anything trapped or partially buried in rubble, he thinks of the quickest way to move the stones to get it out.


[roll0] Search
[roll1] Search
[roll2] Arch. and Eng. check to move stuff
[roll3] Int check, if needed, to move stuff

[headwarpage]

((OOC: Y'all are getting ahead of me here. Save those skill checks.))

Pitr leads you to the chasm, although you're fairly sure you could have found it without him. As you continue on the road, you can hear a dull roar that grows louder as you continue. The cause soon becomes apparent, as you come upon a rift in the earth with a river pouring into it. The sound of the newly formed waterfall fills your ears until you have to shout to be heard, and the sunlight makes faint rainbows in the spray. It takes you a moment to realize that a town once stood here, but you see a few low walls still standing at the edge of the chasm, and on the far side, the abutments of a bridge that once spanned the river.

Pitr leads you to the edge of the chasm and points down. The sides of the rift are uneven, and a few ruined buildings cling to a ledge maybe 40 feet down. "We looked in those," he shouts over the roar of the waterfall. Indeed, it seems like it would be a relatively easy climb to get that far. Farther down, you can see a few more buildings on another ledge, and there are some clinging to the far side as well. The rest of the town, as well as the river, is out of sight somewhere below. The rift in the earth begins a few hundred yards upstream from the ruins and continues out of sight in the direction the river is flowing.

((By the way, the road to Aliera continues on the far side of the river, about where those bridge abutments are. Aliera is near the mouth of this river (which happens to be called the Erisflood, if you care about that sort of thing), but the road runs down the other side from here. Just something to keep in mind for when you're done here.))

[headwarpage]

Hello? Anybody?

*crickets chirping*

[Bandededed]

Sorry, my thread thing didn't update or something... either way, here goes

Talm

"Pitr," Talm calls, "Does anyone happen to have a climbing kit? I'm not really an expert at it and I could use the help."

He waits to see if Pitr can bring him anything, taking off his armor and leaving it in one of his companions care. He begins, carefully, to climb down the side of the chasm.

I'm assuming I can take 10, since I'm not in immediate danger. This makes my check 12 by itself, 14 if I get some kind of kit, and 16 if I get a masterwork kit.
At any point, if I find that the going is getting rough, i.e. the DC's are getting higher and approaching my check, I will stop and go back (since swimming isn't really going to be fun).
If I do make it to the unsearched houses, I'll use that search check I rolled earlier, if you don't mind

[headwarpage]

"Climbing kit? I'm not sure... maybe a rope or soemthing." Pitr doesn't sound like he's entirely familiar with the concept of a climbing kit, to tell the truth.

Talm, you're able to make it to the first ledge (the one that the survivors already searched) without any trouble. You start down to the next ledge, but encounter a steep spot that forces you to turn back. The ledge you're on contains the ruins of three buildings, which have clearly been searched already. From here, it's about 40 feet down to the next ledge, and you can see a few more buildings below that.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald looks down. "Talm, you need any help?"

[Bandededed]

Talm

"I don't think I can get down there by myself. Are you any better at climbing that I am? I haven't had much practice in it..."

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald bites his lip. "I really highly doubt it. I'm not very, um, physical.". Harald then looks up and his eyes start to shine. He calls back down to Talm. "Can you climb back up? I have an idea." Harald then turns to Pitr. "How much rope do you have?"

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm scurries back up the rope. He dusts himself off and says "Phew, I'm glad I didn't get stuck anywhere. What is this idea you have, Travis?"

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald blinks. "My name's Harald." He stares off for a second, then shakes his head. "Anyway, if we have enough rope and a sturdy peice of wood or something, then I was thinking we could tie two peices of rope to each hand and just lower one of us down there. Kind of like a basket."

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm slaps his head so hard that everyone else is surprised it doesn't break. "Sorry Harald. My memory isn't what it should be. That sounds like a good idea, though. How 'bout it Pitr?"

[headwarpage]

((OOC: Sorry for the delay - real life holding me back again.))

"I think there was some rope here..." Pitr digs through his pack and produces a 50-foot length of hemp rope.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald shakes his head. "I don't think this is gonna be enough. Do ya have any more? If we have to, we can cut it in half, but you'd have to climb the rest of the way, Talm."

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm strikes himself on the head again, and this time it seems like he hurt himself, because he rubs the spot for a few moments before speaking.

"Leave it to me to completely forget that I'm carrying silk rope and a grappling hook when I need to climb something," he says.

He takes off his pack and digs through it, pulling out 50 feet of silk rope.

Looking at Harald, he says, "If we tie these together, we should have ninety-some-odd feet of rope. Do you think that'll work?"

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald smiles. "That's the beauty of it. We don't need to tie them together. What we need now is a nice, thick peice of wood. "

[SPOILER]
Search for a peice of wood, preferably around 2" diameter, with a flat-ish side about 2" wide, strong, and circuler-ish, if possible.

[headwarpage]

After some searching, you manage to find what you're looking for and put together a rig to lower Talm to the second ledge, some 100 feet below the rim of the chasm. From this far down, you can see a lot more of the strange landform. Several hundred yards upstream, the Erisflood plunges into the chasm, and though the waterfall itself is hidden from sight, it fills the chasm with a cool mist and a constant roar. The chasm itself has nearly vertical sides, with only a few small ledges like the one you're standing on. From here, you can see some of the bottom of the chasm, still over 100 feet below you. Rubble and ruined buildings fill much of what you can see, partially damming the river and forming artificial rapids.

The ledge you are on contains the ruined remains of only a couple of buildings. A quick search of the buildings shows that you are lucky - one of them seems to be a general store. A quick look shows you household goods, some foodstuffs, and rope. The building is in bad shape, though - it would take several hours to thoroughly salvage whatever else is buried in the rubble.

From here, you can see another small ledge down and to your right, but the majority of the town seems to be at the bottom of the chasm. If you could get down there, though, it looks like the buildings aren't significantly worse than the ones on the upper ledges.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald peaks over the edge of the cavarn, and calls out to Talm. "You find anything? You need me to come down?"

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Yeah, actually," Talm calls back up. "I did find some stuff. It's the remains of a general store or something down here, so there's food, some household stuff, and actually some more rope. I don't want to go disturbing the other buildings; they look like they may fall on me. We should probably get this stuff up first, but if we can get down any lower, there's another set of buildings that looks to be in better shape than these,"

Talm grabs some of the items and comes back up, making a pile some twenty feet from the edge. He sorts them into piles depending on what they are.

[NoDot]

Zeng

While Tarald and Telm try to find anything salvageable, Zeng walks along the chasm, trying to figure out what might've cause this and searches for clues. ("Natural causes... anything from below...")

[roll0] (To anyone he meets: [roll1])
[roll2]

[headwarpage]

Zeng, you don't find anything particularly interesting. The chasm's sides are nearly vertical and very irregular, so that you can only occasionally catch a glimpse of the river at the bottom, and about all you can tell with your limited knowledge of geology is that it formed from a sudden even rather than slow erosion from the river, which you knew already. There are no people at the rim of the chasm other than your companions and Pitr, and the landscape is pretty much the same burned wasteland you've been traveling through.

Talm, you manage to gather up some foodstuffs and tools (it's pretty mundane stuff, so I'm not going to list it all - ask me if you're looking for a specific item). About the only thing of immediate interest to you is another hundred feet of rope. It is, however, exactly the sort of thing you imagine Robar is looking for, but you can tell you've only salvaged a fraction of what the people of Nim's Crossing will need if they're going to make a go of it in the long term.

Your salvaging is cut off, however, as you glance towards the ruins at the bottom of the chasm and movement catches your eye. A moment later, the movement resolves itself into a human figure moving in the rubble.

[Bandededed]

Talm

Initially stunned, Talm quickly recovers. "Hello man in the rubble!" he shouts down, "Are you all right? Do you need any help?"

He looks back up to Harold and relays what he's seen.

[headwarpage]

It takes a minute for the figure to look up at you, and when it does, you see that it is a human woman. However, she seems just as surprised to see you as you were to see her, and it is clear that she can't hear you above the sound of the river.

[Halna LeGavilk]

OOC: We have around 200 ft of rope now, correct? Also, I need a hammer, nails, maybe a saw, and some workable wood. I've got an idea. Also, are there are any trees or such near the edge of the pit? Even dead ones?

[headwarpage]

((OOC: Yes, 200 feet of rope. Wood can be salvaged from collapsed buildings, and a hammer and some nails were among the tools Talm recovered. However, the only saw you found was badly bent out of shape. And yes, you can find at least a sturdy stump near the edge of the pit.))

[NoDot]

Zeng

Frustrated at finding nothing useful, Zeng returns to the others. "Did you find anything?"

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald nods at Zeng. "I'm gonna need your help."
He calls back down to Talm. "Try to signal her. We're gonna use a stump to help pull that person up. 'Kay?" Harald begins to tie the rope together.

[SPOILER]

However, if I can take 20 and it takes less than a minute, I do so.

[headwarpage]

The woman is clearly aware of you - she shouts back at Talm, but he can't hear her. She has now moved towards the side of the chasm directly below you and is looking for a way up.

((OOC: And I'm not going to make you roll to tie two ropes together. Unless you're trying to make a knot to do a specific thing, you'll auto-succeed.))

[NoDot]

Zeng

"Alternately, I could use one of my spells to make an illusion of a note..."

Zeng has difficulty hiding a grin.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald finishes the ropes. "Alternatively, we could use that bow that we found from those damn elves, and shoot a note down to her, so we don't waste your spells. We have no idea who she is. We might need them later."

[NoDot]

Zeng

Technically, that is the correct use for those spells.

[Bandededed]

Talm

Talm gestures for the woman to wait, hoping he gets his meaning across, before clambering back up to the others.

"How we do it makes no difference, but I don't have any paper on me. Cast your spell while I try to help Harald with this project. Do make sure you have something ready if she tries to kill us,"

Talm rolls his eyes a little at the end, but smiles at Harald.

"No offense meant friend. We don't need to be quite so cautious. Let's get to work. Tell me what you need done,"

[NoDot]

Zeng

Zeng casts Silent Image, making the image of a red-orange sphere with "Please wait there. We are coming down soon." moving around it on the equator like some futuristic ad. He manifests it near him and sends it down to her.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald finishes the rope, and sets it in place. "Alright, Talm and I will stay up here, and lower you down Ze- no, that won't work, we need Zeng up here, in case we need spells. Talm, you're gonna have to stay up here too, you're a lot stronger than I am. Can I go down guys?"

[Bandededed]

Talm

"Seems alright to me. I'll lower you,"

Grunting like a manly man, Talm's laughter is outrageous.

"I'm ready whenever you are!"

[Halna LeGavilk]

Harald ties the rope around him, taking his time with the knot.

He then walks over to the edge, backwards, and leans back. "Ready!" He calls out. He walks slowly down the ledge, until he is at the bottom, at which point he unties himself, draws his sword, and looks for the girl.

[headwarpage]

((Sorry for the lack of posting over the past week. I'll update this tomorrow))

[headwarpage]

With the rope to work with and Talm ready to catch you if you fall, you are easily able to make it to the bottom of the chasm, though doing so takes all your rope. And finding the woman is no trouble at all - she is standing at the bottom, watching you come down. In fact, she rushes over to you and helps you get down the last few feet and onto your feet at the bottom. With her leather armor and light pack, she looks like a person at home in the wilderness, but that doesn't say much about how she found herself at the bottom of this chasm.

((And I'm not going to say much on that front. This is a new PC, so I'll let her introduce herself, whenever the player checks in.))