Legends of Arhade IC

[TwoBitWriter]

The six of you have been crowded into the small cell, which reeks of fresh blood and sweat. It has long ceased to bother you, you have been through
too many fights in the arena. You have long been captives in the Mosium Theater, the largest stadium of its kind in the entire Dunhardown Empire. You hear the calls of thousands of Dunhardown's citizen that have come today to watch the fights.

It is here, in Dunhardown's capital city of Tik'Terar that you are expected to meet your fate. But you have resisted, and you have survived longer than any other group of slaves and professional gladiators to come before you. A bond of brotherhood has grown and each of you trusts the man beside you more than you would your own family now. You each have a different history, a different background, and differing philosophies and outlooks in life. But you are brothers.

"Up the tunnel now, maggots. You get the privilege of dying in front of your emperor. Thats right, Emperor Jonlas Tonaro himself! You six have been lucky so far, but I don't rightly think you can pull out of this one alive," says one of the guards. He pushes Ardek forward with the butt of his halberd, prompting the rest of you to file up.

As you slowly walk up the blood-colored stone tunnel, you hear Hanrik Oktusson, the Emperor's Herald, yelling out to the crowd.

"Loyal subjects of Dunhardown! Your Emperor greets you!" Hanrik stops to let the crowd cheer, speaking again only when it subsides. "Today is a day of celebration! This is the day that our noble and brave Emperor won his first victory in his holy crusade to reunite the Old Emperor of his great ancestor, Emperor Arhade de Marcon Aurelius!"

More cheers. How you hate the crowd at times, particularly when they are cheering someone other than yourselves.

"Today is the first anniversary since our illustrious ruler's defeat, conquest, and cleansing of the evil and unholy principality of Elder's Grove. You will all remember how it came about. How the Emperor had offered the young princess, on the eve of her coronation, his hand in marriage as a symbol of friendship and unity. She refused, and called upon the pagan gods of Bahamut, Correllan, Moradin, and Pelor to curse our glorious Emperor and the one true God, the Living Arhade!

Boos and hisses reach a frenzied level, and the ground rumbles with the stomping of thousands of feet. Dust falls from the ceiling of the tunnel as you reach the massive bronze gates that lead to the arena floor. It is very rare for you all to fight together as one. You were told, however, that this would be a fight similar to the Wall-Assault games that you have had to do before.

"Of course, our Emperor could not allow the name of our God and our Empire be sullied. He was forced to cleanse that kingdom by the sword!"

"And now, for your entertainment, the Mosium Theater is presenting a reenactment of that glorious siege of the palace of Elder's Grove, and the defeat of their armies that outnumbered our own nearly three to one. I present to you, the heretic army of Elder's Grove!"

You hear the bronze gates at the opposite end of the arena floor slowly creak open, to the boos and hisses of the crowd. The boos are replaced by horrified gasps and shrieks.

"And now, I present to you, the heroic army of Dunhardown!"

Your turn... the doors creak open, revealing the massive theater in its entirety. It is oval in shape, and you see thousands of people standing in their seats and cheering. To your right, in the Emperor's personal box, is Emperor Jonlas Tonaro himself. He sits in a throne of silver wrought with emeralds and sapphire. He is flanked by his bodyguard. Two elven concubines are seated on the floor beside his throne, dressed in silk. His face is tanned, and well-defined. He is staring at your direction, his glare cold.

Ahead of you, you see it. A hastily constructed wooden fortress has been built on the sandy floor of the Theater. Manning its walls and standing before its makeshift gate are a mass of goblins. You count ten initially, but there are likely to be many more on the inside.

Instinct takes over, you know what to do. You surge forward...

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Unsheating her rusted longsword, Zophiel scans the battlefield, trying to ignore the crowd and focus on the enemies ahead. Stepping lightly on the sand of the arena, Zophiel moves a little to her side, getting the goblins into full sight. Holding her longsword firmly in her right hand, Zophiel concentrates her arcane energies on her left hand, while remembering the mystical words of power taught by her ancient ancestors. With a quick command, a silver-colored bolt of arcane energy sprouts from thin air, and flies towards the nearest goblin.

Seeing the magical bolt miss, Zophiel curses, and takes a look to her comrade's actions, while thinking about what to do next.


I'm already posting my action to speed things up.

[roll0] - For knowledge on goblins
[roll1]
[roll2]

Edited the post to include the action's results.

[RoyaleWithCheez]

As the gates screeched open, Tarnus made sure to position himself in the middle of the group.

"Get out of my way," he grunted, pushing to the front.

This was, after all, going to be his battle, and though his "comrades" might manage to take down a few goblins, the glory was reserved for him. The light washed over him, casting a long, intimidating shadow that would have made him proud if he could have seen it.

The goblins were easily in range. Reaching for his javelin, he soon grasped the familiar wooden shaft. He took a long look at the emperor (the crowd eats this stuff up), and his grip on the javelin tightened. No...too many guards, too many people. There'd be no way out. Stick to the goblins.

He drew the javelin back in perfect form, and then let it fly.

Just for kicks, how many guards are there? Perception:
And for the attack: [roll1]
Damage:[roll]d6+3

[fendrin]

Theren

Speaking too quietly for the crowd to hear, Theren groans as the details of the battle emerge.
"I've already fought this battle. I don't particularly feel like fighting it again.
Like she'd ever marry him.
Hmm... think we could convince the goblins work with us to fight our way out?"

OOC:
Action to come at initiative time.
Speaking of...
[roll0]

[darkzucchini]

Groduk

Hmph, Groduk grunts, his thick, hairy arms crossed above his chest, So I get to play the hero today, I guess its better than having to play the villain. Besides, I'm tired of disappointing the fight arrangers by winning.

Uncrossing his arms, Groduk grabs two of the blades strapped to his chest; one the tip off a ranseur, and the other a large, wicked-looking carving knife. Charging out from under the gate, Grudok flips the carving knife into the air and then catches it by the blade before hurling it with all his might at one of the goblins atop the battlements.

Standard move forward.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[fendrin]

Theren

Still too quietly for the crowd to hear:
"Well, I guess now's not a good time. Still If I have to fight this battle, It's going to be on my terms."

He then shouts out, loud enough for the crowd to hear:
"For Elder's Grove! For Princess Elanna!"

Quietly again:
"This is probably going to get me killed..."

Theren then begins singing the Elder's Grove national anthem quite loudly. He is obviously not a trained singer.

While singing, he steps out in front of his fellow gladiators and fires two arrows at the goblins.


Move action: Move to the front.
Minor Action: Set Hunter's Mark on nearest enemy
Standard Action: Twin Strike (with Prime Shot)

Attack 1 (vs. quarry)
vs. AC
[damage]1d10-1 +

Attack 2 (vs. quarry if still up, otherwise any other goblin)
[roll2] vs. AC
[damage]1d10-1
[roll3] (if vs. quarry)

EDIT: Screwed up the damage rolls, they will be in the OOC thread.

[Adjudicator]

Morthos

The young Tiefling joined his companions on the trek up to the arena. He drowned out the narrator's voice, focusing instead on thinking the battle through. While he knew the details of the Battle of Elder's Grove, Morthos doubted that the Empire would perfectly recreate the scene. But there would be a fort, and the Wall-Assault Games that had been presented to the group before would make a good base for tactics.

As the party stepped out into the arena sands, Morthos hefted his warhammer. The haft was splintered and the hammer itself flawed and damaged, but it was still a weapon capable of dealing fierce damage. As was normal, Morthos let the others attack first, working instead to keep an eye out for any goblins that might try to flank the group. Until the range closed to melee, Morthos could not do much to attack the goblins. Instead, he focused on being aware of the party's needs and on moving to the front of the combat line to close the range to melee as soon as possible.


Free Action: Knowledge History roll for insight into either the Wall-Assault games tactics or details from the real Battle of Elder's Grove: [roll0]
Move Action: 5 squares forward towards closest goblins on the ground
Standard Action: None

[Boggs]

Ardek

Coming out of the gates, Ardek shoves his way to the front spear and shield in hand. He moves in front of Zophiel to shield her while she lets loose her Bolt of Arcana. While shielding her, Ardek glances across the battlefield looking for a strategic point to begin an assault.

"Remember, to come out of this alive we need to work together." He looks to Grudok, "You might have the best chance of sneaking in unnoticed. I can provide you with cover."


[roll0]
[roll1]

[TwoBitWriter]

Init Order:

1)Tarnus
2)Zophiel
3)Goblins
4)Theren (Has higher Init Bonus than Grudok)
5)Grudok
6)Ardek
7)Morthos

Morthos Knowledge Check:
You know that Elder's Grove is where Theren is from, and the princess that Hanrik mentioned was under his protection. From the few stories that Theren has told you, Dunhardown had only sent a relatively small force to conquer the small principality. Though outnumbered, the Dunhardown forces emerged victorious. Their soldiers seemed to be filled with an inner strength and were possibly magically aided. Elder's grove was known for having the best archers in East Arhade. You know that the Dunhardown were nearly defeated after making their way through the front gate and being ambushed by Elder Grove's elite skirmishers.
As for Wall-Assault games, the premise is usually the same. A force guards a pre-fabricated fortress that is assembled and dissasembled quickly by slaves and it notoriously unstable. Usually the attacking force is larger than the defending force, but you are representing a small force that successfully besieged a fortress with a larger defending force.

Boggs Perception
You notice that the pre-fab "Fortress" used for such games has been assembled even more hastily then normal, and the goblin slingers that man the battlements seem to stand rather uneasily upon the walls. You can see the walls shifting and bowing slightly as the relatively light goblins run back and forth. The gate itself is down, and several of the goblins are desperately attempting to raise it but are having difficulty.

Tarnus Perception
You can see four goblins on the walls, bearing slings. There are about six goblins on the ground, armed with tarnished and rusty short swords. If there are more, then they are hiding behind the wall itself.

Results:

1) Tarnus flings his javelin towards a slinger on the wall, but the nimble goblin ducks.
2) Zophiel flings her magic missile toward another slinger, but her target ducks behind one of the wooden battlements. The bolt strikes the wall with a flash, taking down a good chunk of the wall. The crowd cheers, appreciating the display despite the miss.
3) The four slingers take aim and fire, striking Ardek and Tarnus for 8 and 6 HP damage respectively. The Six Goblins on the ground scream and charge toward you. Four more Goblins appear from behind the gates and rush forward as well.
4) Theren swiftly draws his bow, singing patriotic Elder's Grove songs. The crowd boos the performance and Theren notices Jonlas Tonaro's face reddening. He turns and whispers to an aide and makes a throat-cutting motion with his finger.
Theren looses two arrows, striking and instantly killing two of the slingers. They fall over the front of the wall to the ground, kicking up small clouds of sand on impact.
5) Grudok can't quite reach the slingers with his dagger, but he manages to throw his dagger through the leather breastplate of one of the charging goblins. The goblins wails in terror and pain and falls backward, twitching.
6) Ardek (Awaiting your action and rolls)
7) Morthos (The goblins have entered within range, you may make an attack action instead of waiting if you wish.)

(Ardek and Morthos, go ahead and make your current actions and your actions for next round. Everyone else post what you are doing for the second round. The initiative order remains unchanged and the goblins on the ground are within melee range. Theren and Grudok risk an opportunity attack for further ranged attacks but Zophiel is currently safe, covered by Ardek.)

[Boggs]

Ardek

Seeing the Goblins struggling with the gate, Ardek flings a spear at the closest one near the gate. Afterwards, he awaits a response from Grudok.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[RoyaleWithCheez]

Tarnus wipes away the blood from where he'd been hit.

"That had better not leave a scar," he says to himself, and then, to Theren, "I wish you'd left the little bastards for me."

He pulls out his greataxe, surges forward, and swings at the first of the oncoming goblins.

Reaping Strike [roll0]
Damage (Hit) [roll1]
Damage (Miss): 3

By the way, on my last turn I was checking out the Imperial guards lining the arena, not the goblins.

[darkzucchini]

Groduk

Damn fool is going to land his head on the chopping block, Groduk thinks to himself as he watches Theren out of the corner of his eye hum a patriotic tune from his homeland. But as long as its not my head its worth seeing that overstuffed 'Emperor' turn so red.

"If you can get to the gate and hold down those enemies I would be more than happy to slip in and slit a few throats", he yells over the cacophony of battle to Anon as he thrusts his dagger at one of the charging goblins. Ducking and spinning away from his enemies, Groduk charges towards the gate, hoping to take cover from the sling fire by getting close enough to the wall.

Attack Goblin in melee, then moves towards the wall, attacks of opportunity be damned. Make it a run action if that will get me to the wall this round.

Piercing Strike
[roll0]

[roll1]

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Still behind Ardek, Zophiel concentrates her powers once more, hoping that her ancestors guide her energies to strike her enemies. With a flash of light, another silver-colored bolt of energy jumps from her hand, going straight to a goblin.


[roll0] - Magic Missile, vs Reflex, aimed at nearest goblin not engaged with a party member
[roll1] - Magic Missile damage

[Adjudicator]

Morthos

As the goblins stormed forward, Morthos stepped up and lashed out with his warhammer at the closest enemy, the long haft and heavy head of the weapon speeding quickly to the goblin's defenses.

As the goblin recoiled from the blow, Morthos followed up with another lightning fast attack and then moved past the attacker to step up beside Theren and present a solid front to the remainder of the goblins.


Morthos
AC: 16
Fort: 14
Ref: 13
Will: 13
HP: 25/25
Round 1 Action: Viper's Strike (STR vs AC, enemy provokes an Opportunity attack if it moves away from Morthos)
Round 1 attack: [roll0]
Round 1 damage: [roll1]

Round 2: If he's still standing, Morthos will attack the same goblin and then step up beside Theren.
Round 2 Action: Viper's Strike (STR vs AC, enemy provokes an Opportunity attack if it moves away from Morthos)
Round 2 attack: [roll2]
Round 2 damage: [roll3]

[Boggs]

Ardek

Following Groduk's start, Ardek shouts across the arena floor, "Tarnus! Morthos! Let's move in to stop the fate from rising. We need to help Groduk get in the fortress to overtake them from the inside!" He looks back to Zophiel, "Do your best to stay out of range of their slings. If you need help don't hesitate to ask..."

With this he runs to the gate. Hoping the first spear he threw skewered the Goblin, he charges towards the next switching the spear in his shield hand to the other.


Marks the Goblin with Divine Challenge; using Holy Strike.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[TwoBitWriter]

Init Order:

1)Tarnus
2)Zophiel
3)Goblins
4)Theren (Has higher Init Bonus than Grudok)
5)Grudok
6)Ardek
7)Morthos

Results:

1) Tarnus swings at one of the adjacent goblins, barely hitting the little monster. But he manages to cut the creature's neck open. It falls down to the ground squeeling in pain but quickly dying.

2) Zophiel is unable to get an accurate enough shot and it goes long once again, missing her mark.

3) The goblins surge confidently forward. They mob up on Tarnus, Ardek, Theren, and Morthos. The two slingers remaining on the wall aim for Grudok
- Tarnus is attacked by two goblins who slash at him with their rusty shortswords, one manages to plunge his blade into Tarnus side, bypassing his poorly-made armor (4 hp damage)
- Ardek is mobbed by three goblins, but none have managed to flank him just yet. They pounce on him, but only one manages to make his hit connect (4 hp damage)
- Theren is attacked by a goblin while reloading his shot, the little monster howls and slashes at him with his blade, but the elf is able to nimbly dodge away before being struck.
- Morthos finds himself being attacked by two of the goblins, who jump at him viciously, both striking him hard, (total 8 hp damage)
- The slingers launch two stones at Grudok, who is able to dodge both attacks.

4)Theren ignores the goblin standing beside and rushes forward, intent on stopping the goblins from raising the gate. The goblin next to him takes a quick swipe as he passes and manages to cut into him (4hp damage.) Now clear of his assailant, Theren fires two arrows toward the gate goblins. He misses the Eastern goblin on his first attck, but pierces it through the heart with his second attack. It drops dead on the ground.

5) Grudok, after dodging the slings, dashes to the wall, reaching the section of wall directly next to the gate, next to the corpse of a goblin that Theren had just killed.

6) Ardek, slightly taken aback by the sudden goblin rush, is unable to strike his mark. The goblin mocks him and shifts to Ardek's left, leaving him now flanked.

7) Morthos, with lightning fast precision, quickly dispatches the first goblin with a downward swing, crushing the monster's skull. He whips around to strike at the other goblin, hitting and killing him as well.

There are now a total of two slingers on the wall, two goblins by the gate, and six goblins in the melee with the party. Grudok is now beside the gate and unable to be attacked by the slingers, but has two goblins to contend with now. There is still no sign of additional goblins manning the fort.

Morthos has no goblins currently adjacent, but nearby Theren is being harrassed by one. Tarnus still has two goblins, Ardek has three on him and is managing to keep them off of Zophiel, who is standing right behind the massive Dragonborn.
(Battlemap posted in the OOC Thread.)

[fendrin]

Theren

Theren stops singing and devotes his entire attention to the battle.
I'm not in this alone, I have allies to think about. With a little luck we can get out of this without any major injuries. To us, anyway.

He swiftly dodges the goblin's blade once, but takes a cut on to his leg as he dashes in a curve past Morthos.

I can't let them get that gate closed.

He targets the closer of the two gate goblins and fires his arrows.

Move NW 1, N 2, NE 1; putting him 4 squares north of his current position.
Mark the eastern gate goblin
Twin Strike:
First shot at the eastern gate goblin
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
Second shot a the same if still alive, if not then against the goblin directly to the east of Ardek.
[roll3] (-1 if not against the gate goblin)
[roll4]
[roll5] (only if against the gate goblin)

[Boggs]

Ardek

Adopting a more defensive stance, Ardek continues to shield Zophiel. He looks to the three goblins, Perfect, I do better with swarms around me... He gives a loud roar, "Bahammut give me strength!" He lunges at the Goblin to his left.


Attack using Valiant Strike*
[roll0]
[roll1]
If that kills the Goblin, he will shout to Zophiel, "Move to my left!"

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel quickly prepares behind the dragonborn, now chanting different words than before. Praying that this new attack hits, Zophiel let's out a sphere of pure force energy, aimed at one of the goblins near her defensor.


Using Force Orb on the goblin to the right of Ardek. If it hits, secondary attack against the goblin above the first.

[roll0] - Primary attack, versus Reflex, against goblin to the right of Ardek
[roll1] - Primary force damage, against the goblin to the right of Ardek
[roll2] - Secondary attack, versus Reflex, against goblin above the first
[roll3] - Secondary force damage, against the goblin above the first

[RoyaleWithCheez]

Tarnus clutches at his wound.

"That's going to leave a scar."

He returns his sticky, red hand to his greataxe. Bellowing in anger, he swings horizontally at his attacker, aiming for his partner as well.

He yells to Grudok, "I'll be right there!"

Cleave, primary target is whoever hit me. [roll0]
And for damage, To primary: [roll1] and then 3 to secondary
If I kill the goblins in front of me, I'm going to move toward the goblin by the drawbridge. Otherwise I'll stay put.

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

Seeing that the gate is still closing, Grudok quickly moves towards the apperatise and thrusts the blade of his dagger through one of the links in the chain that is being used to pull the gate up before it disappears through its hole.

Hopefully that will hold for a little while, he thinks to himself, drawing another dagger and waiting by the gate for his companions to arrive.

[roll0]

[fendrin]

Theren (Round 3)

Theren fires another two arrows in quick succession, then performs an unusual maneuver: he attempts to get atop the wall by leaping onto the rising gate and then from there to the top of the wall.

Mark the gate goblin
Twin Strike:
First shot at the gate goblin
vs. AC - [roll0]
damage - [roll1]
hunter's quarry - [roll2]
Second shot at the same if still alive, if not then against the goblin near Morthos.
vs. AC - [roll3] (-1 if not against the gate goblin)
damage - [roll4]
hunter's quarry - [roll5] (only if against the gate goblin)
Move NW and jump... not sure how many of what kind of checks I'll need to make, so here's a few athletics and acrobatics checks, let me know if you need any more rolls
Athletics
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
Acrobatics
[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11]

[TwoBitWriter]

Init Order:

1)Tarnus
2)Zophiel
3)Goblins
4)Theren (Has higher Init Bonus than Grudok)
5)Grudok
6)Ardek
7)Morthos

Results

1) Furious at the blow he just received, Tarnus swings his greataxe in a wide arch, slicing the goblin in front of him completely in half and embedding his weapon in the chest of the goblin to the first one's left. Both fall to the ground, dead. The crowd roars their approval and Emperor Jonlas can be seen nodding his head with a smirk. Tarnus moves up against the wall, beside the gate.
2) Chanting and drawing upon a stronger Arcane power, Zophiel shifts to a better position behind Ardek and hurls an orb of energy toward a goblin to Ardek's right. However her Force orb misses, exloding on the stadium floor behind the goblins and exploding, kicking sand high in the air. The crowd again shows their appreciation for the spectacle, even if it was a miss.
3) The goblins retaliate. The remaining gate goblin gives up his work on the gate and rushes Theren, madly swinging his short sword and missing by a wide margin. The target of Zophiel's Force Orb turns on her, swinging and striking her. (4hp damage.) The two other goblins continue fighting Ardek, attacking him with only one managing to land a blow (4 hp damage.) The crowd roars again, seemingly enjoying one monster being harmed by another. The two slingers take aim, and fire at both Morthos and Theren. Morthos is hit by a stone (4 damage) but Theren manages to avoid damage. The last goblin on the ground charages at Morthos swinging at him and missing.
4) Theren shoots at the goblin that has approached him, he misses the first time but manages to hit it with the second. The creature attempts a quick attack before Theren can fire but the Elf dodges and shoots the second arrow directly in the goblin's face. It falls and dies. He rushes toward the fort's walls. The pre-fab wooden walls are covered in countless holes and dents from previous battles, and they are not too tall. Theren easily begins his ascent (I will say that one more move action will get you to the top.)
5) Grudok quickly attempts to shove his dagger between the links of the gate-chain, but he slips and the dagger goesn't go in that well. It manages to stop the rising gate, and Grudok can hear (and understand) the goblin working on the gate winch cursing. The dagger isn't well placed though, so the gate will likely only be open for a few moments. (1 round probably.)
6) Ardek, calling out to his god, quickly and mercilessly shoves his spear through the left goblin's heart. The creature squeels in agony. When Ardek quickly removes his spear the goblin howls and falls instantly to the ground, twitching. He is no no longer flanked.
7) Morthos, having been attacked by another goblin, performs another quick strike maneuver, quickly bashing in the goblins skull and killing it. He moves over to assist Ardek and Zophiel.

(Update Round Result Map will be posted in OOC Soon.)

[Boggs]

Ardek

Ardek smirks as Groduk stalls the gate from rising, he calls back to Zophiel, "Make your way to the fortress and stop the Goblins! We can't let them raise the gate. I'll handle these two..." His smirk fades as he arches his neck back, he lurches forward slamming his foot on the ground; bolts of light blue lightning flash from his mouth.


Dragon Breath vs. Reflex
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel looks to the dragonborn and to the goblins. Damn, I'm useless. He can handle this alone. She nods to Ardek, then starts running towards the wooden gate, while chanting a new spell. With my luck today, I'll miss this as well...

While running full speed towards the gate, Zophiel shoots a bolt of icy energy, aimed at one of the goblin slingers on top of the wall.


[roll0] - Ray of Frost attack, against Fortitude, against the goblin slinger on the right
[roll1] - Ray of Frost damage, though with my luck I won't need this roll lol

[Adjudicator]

Morthos

After shaking bits of goblin brain from his warhammer, Morthos cast a quick glance to his right. With only two goblins facing Zophiel and Ardek, the Tiefling felt confident they could handle the pair of attackers. Turning his attention back to the fort, Morthos took a running start and moved to climb the makeshift walls and gain the battlements with Grudok and Tarnus.


Morthos
AC: 16
Fort: 14
Ref: 13
Will: 13
HP: 25/25

Round 3 action: Double move to put Morthos on the battlements in U13, next to the first goblin.
Athletics skill check: [roll0]

[Boggs]

Ardek

Brief bolts of electricity are still waving through the Goblins bodies when Ardek turns to follow Zophiel. We'll make it out of this alive. And to think, for a moment I was worried... He smirks as Zophiel flings a ray of energy at the Goblin slinger, "Nice shot!" he shouts, turning to run towards the gate.


[roll0]

[fendrin]

Theren (Round 4)

"There's a whole mess of ugly in here. Why don't we just seal it up and burn it down? That would be a fitting move if we're supposed to be the Arhadians." His voice is filled with obvious disgust at the Arhadians' methods. He fires two arrows into the crowd of goblins.

Mark the closest goblin
Twin Strike:
First shot at the mark
vs. AC - [roll0]
damage - [roll1]
hunter's quarry - [roll2]
Second shot at the same if still alive, if not then against next closest goblin.
vs. AC - [roll3]
damage - [roll4]
hunter's quarry - [roll5] (only if against mark)

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

Grudok eyes the knife that he stuck in between the links of the chain as it rattles and shakes, slowly dislodging itself from where it was wedged.

Thats not going to hold for very long, Groduk thinks to himself as he frowns, might as well just scale the walls like everyone else, we can lower the gate once we get down to the floor level if need be.

Grudok moves to start climbing the wall, but the gate suddenly slams down behind him. Whirling around, Grudok faces his new opponents, a dagger in each hand. He isn't full prepared for the assault the two goblins sneak past his guard, stabbing him in the side. Grudok grunts in pain as the blade slices through his armor and into his chest, but he retaliates quick, striking like a serpent at his enemies face before pulling his dagger back to defend himself.

[roll0]

Oops, that was meant to be an Athletics: Climb roll, my bad.

New action in OOC Thread.

[TwoBitWriter]

Init Order:

1)Tarnus
2)Zophiel
3)Goblins
4)Theren (Has higher Init Bonus than Grudok)
5)Grudok
6)Ardek
7)Morthos


Results:

1) Tarnus - Steps calmly forward and swings, striking two more goblins with one swing, and killing both of them. They fall to the ground, gasping their last breaths.
2) Zophiel rushes toward the Fortress, flinging a ray of frost at one of the slingers. This time, her spell connects and coats the small creature completely in freezing frost. It doesn't have time to make a sound, but simply falls forward, landing in the sand with a nasty crunching noise.
3) The one slinger goblin left, seeing Theren scale the wall, yells a warning in Goblin to the others inside the fort. The gate suddenly drops down, kicking up more dust. Four goblins rush outside, charging Grudok and Tarnus. Two swing at Grudok, both connecting their blows (8 damage.) One manages to reach Tarnus, he swings and connects (4 damage.) Three goblins run up to the battlements where Theren is standing but are unable to reach him before Theren takes his action. Three more run up the other side's battlement, joining the lone slinger. They each throw rocks down at Zophiel and Ardek, one of them hitting each of the two (2 damage on Zophiel and Ardek.)
4)Theren - Theren takes aim at the goblins approaching him, but the unstable pre-fab floor he is standing on disrupts his aim, and both shots barely miss their mark. The goblins curse and mock the Elf for missing.
5) Grudok - With a swift move, Grudok takes a deft swipe at the goblin in front of him, striking the foul creature in the chest. It falls to the ground dead.
6) Ardek - Furious at the two little monsters that have been able to avoid his attacks, he unleashes the fury of his ancestors by breathing lightning on the two hapless goblins. They both convulse with the electricity, wounds pop through their burned skin. Eventually, both fall to the ground, blue sparks still streaming through their smoking corpses. The crowd gasps in fear at the monstrous display, but soon voice their approval with thunderous applause.
7) Morthos - Morthos rushes to the wall, leaping up on it and climbing to the top, the goblin slinger is waiting for him, swinging at him but missing.

(Updated Battlemap, pre-Grudok and Morthos Actions, is posted in the OOC.)

[RoyaleWithCheez]

Staring at the awaiting throng of goblins within the fortress, Tarnus sees his opportunity to appeal further to the crowd. Crossing the bridge, he again slices right through a goblin and into its companion.

Cleave goblin at Q13 [roll0]
Damage to Q13 [roll1], 3 to goblin at Q14 (if not already dead)

[Boggs]

Ardek

Shedding the hit from the rock, Ardek roars furiously (Bloodied). He moves to the closest Goblin plunging his spear into it's torso.


I suppose the Goblin would be Q13-15 depending on who dies or not.
Shielding Smite
[roll0]
[roll1]
Zophiel receives a +2 shield until the end of my next turn.


I think I　forgot the +1 for being bloodied, that should be a 14.

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel moves slighty towards the gates, while looking to the walls above.

"Damn, we should take care of those slingers..."

WIth a quick hand movement, a bolt of arcane energy is summoned forth to strike the goblin atop the walls.


[roll0] - Magic Missile attack, against the goblin on V-13
[roll1] - Magic Missile damage, against the same goblin

Zophiel will also move to R-15.

[fendrin]

Theren (Round 5)

Theren fires off two more arrows at the approaching goblins, then runs back along the wall.

Minor Action: Mark goblin at O12 (O13 is marked from last round)

Standard Action: Twin Strike
First Attack (vs. O13)
[roll0] vs. AC
[roll1]
Hunter's Quarry Damage - [roll2]
Edit: CRIT! Damage: 16

Second Attack (vs. O13 if still up, otherwise O12)
[roll3] vs. AC
[roll4]
Hunter's Quarry Damage - [roll5] (both targets marked)

Move Action: Move to J6

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

Grudok crouches low to the ground, his twin blades held out in front of him to keep any foe at bay. He slowly circles his enemy. And then, lightning quick, lashes out with one of his daggers, letting out a mighty roar as he thrust the blade at his opponent's face.

Move to flank an opponent if I can without drawing any AoO.

Reposte Strike
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

If the target attacks me before my next turn, I make a second attack as an interrupt.
[roll3]
[roll4]

If there aren't any goblins left living in sight, I will climb the wall instead.
[roll5]

[RoyaleWithCheez]

Killing the goblin, Tarnus rushes into the fortress, retrieving his fallen javelin. From the inside he targets the back of one of the goblins standing on the wall, and flings his javelin at it.

Attack[roll0]
Damage[roll1]

[TwoBitWriter]

Init Order:

1)Tarnus
2)Zophiel
3)Goblins
4)Theren (Has higher Init Bonus than Grudok)
5)Grudok
6)Ardek
7)Morthos

Results
1) Tarnus moves inside, retrieves his javelin, and throws it at the goblins now swarming the walls. Unfortunately, his aim is off and he misses.
2) Zophiel approaches the gate, flinging another Magic Missile at the last slinger goblin. Her aim strikes true and the disgusting creature falls forward off the wall with a squeel. The crowd sends another roar of approval.
3)The Goblins make more moves. One charges Theren, swinging and connecting with his rusty blade (4 damage.) Another attacks Tarnus and strikes the muscled warrior (4 damage.)
Morthos is attacked as the three goblins approach him on the wall, the lead goblin attacks and hits the Tiefling (4 damage.)
Grudok finds himself accosted by two goblins, who jump at him swinging. Only one's blow manages to connect though (4 damage.)
4) After easily avoiding the goblin's opportunity attack, Theren sticks an arrow point blank in the creature's chest. his second attack misses, however.
5) Grudok, incensed at taking another hit, does a quick attack with both of his daggers. He misses but has positioned himself in a ready stance, prepared to strike one of his attackers before they can attack him again.
6) Ardek reaches the gate, standing beside Grudok, while making sure that the Zophiel is covered, he attacks, but the goblin is able to avoid his blow.
7) Morthos (Need your latest action please)

(Updated map in OOC)

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel looks to her allies, she can see that the battle is nearing to an end. She focuses her mind on the goblins still alive, especially those on the walls. With quick words of power, a bright greenish glow appears in Zophiels right hand. With a quick strike, the green bolt flies to the goblins atop the walls.


Casting Acid Arrow on the Goblin at S13

[roll0] - attack against S13 goblin, if it hits, secondary attacks bellow, if it misses, half damage to S13 and no secondary attacks.
[roll1] - acid damage against S13, ongoing 5 damage.

Secondary attacks:

[roll2] - Attack against T13
[roll3] - acid damage against T13, ongoing 5 damage.

[roll4] - Attack against R13
[roll5] - acid damage against R13, ongoing 5 damage.

[roll6] - Attack against S12
[roll7] - acid damage against S12, ongoing 5 damage.

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

Growls at the goblin as it dodges out of the way of his attack but quickly continues his assault, slashing with his off hand blade.

Reposte Strike
[roll0]
[roll1]

If the target attacks me before my next turn, I make a second attack as an interrupt.
[roll2]
[roll3]

[TwoBitWriter]

Order posted:

1) Tarnus swings his axe, slicing the pathetic goblin in front of him in half. He runs up the nearby ramp to assist Morthos on the wall.
2) Zophiel's acid arrow completely covers her target, melting the goblins flesh as it dies in agony. The spray covers two more goblins, who die in a similarly horrendous fashion. Three total melt into a pool of blood, acid, bone, and flesh. The remaining acid seeps through and melts away some of the wooden fort's surface.
3) The remaining three goblins, seeing the horrendous death of their companions, immediately throw down their arms, falling to their knees and begging for mercy. The crowd roars for their death. You turn to the Emperor, who stands, opening his arms to the crowd before turning to face you with eyes burning with a cold intensity. He forms a fist with his right hand, sticks his thumb out to one side, then turns it to point downward. The crowd begins to chant "Blood for the Emperor! Blood for the Emperor!"

[fendrin]

Theren

Theren briefly considers firing off a couple of shots at the Emperor, but decides it wouldn't work.
Even if I kill him, they'll probably just bring him back and call it proof of his Godhood.

He looks at the Goblin cowering before him.

I've taunted the Emperor too much already. If I don't do this, he'll have me killed for sure. I have to live to escape. I have to live to rescue the princess.

Theren whispers to the goblin.
"If you want to live, play along. Hide with the corpses then try to escape."

Tossing his bow off the wall, he picks up the goblin's blade. Pulling the goblin to it's feet and positioning it between the Emperor and himself, he as subtly as possible smears the dagger with blood from his own wounds. Then, he jabs the dagger into the back of the goblin, but at the last moment, turns it aside so he merely punches the goblin in the back. He then pushes the goblin down and holds the bloody dagger high in the air before tossing it aside.

I Just hope that the distance is sufficient to fool them.

He hops down off the wall, recovers his bow, and walks back towards the Gladiator's entrance.

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

When will this senseless slaughter end ?

Turning aside, Zophiel slowly walks to the entrance with Theren. She does not look to the emperor or to the crowd; she is too sick of them.

[RoyaleWithCheez]

This was getting old. He had done this many, many times, and each time, the part where he surrendered his freedom to the will of the emperor had always been his least favorite.

Thumb down, thumb up. It was all a joke. The thumb never went up. Time to go to work.

He swung his axe at the first goblin, beheading it with ease. Its blood sprayed all over him; he wiped off his face and stood triumphant for the roaring crowd.

Moving on to the second goblin, he again pulled back his greataxe. The goblin looked back at him with fearful eyes. They had already gone lifeless. In that moment, Tarnus saw his opportunity to rebel. He put away his greataxe and picked up the goblin by the back of his neck and threw him a few feet forward. It's impact sent up a cloud of sand.

By the time the sand settled once again upon the trembling goblin, Tarnus had already exited the arena.

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

Grudok quickly grabs the goblin standing before, winding one massive, clawed hand about the creatures neck. His other hand strikes quickly, opening the pathetic creatures jugular with blade of his knife. One for the road...

Tossing the limp corpse aside, Grudok walks casually back towards the gate, tossing a snide remark to his allies along the way, "I'm afraid we may have embarrassed the poor Emperor, beating his elite troops' time and all. If he'd had warriors half as good as us, he'd have the whole world under his thumb. Let us thank the gods hes decided to through us in this pit instead, hah."

[TwoBitWriter]

The battle is over, and you are all tired. You reach the end of the bloody tunnel and enter the pits beneath the Mosium Theater's floor. The cheering of the crowd fades to a dull roar as you descend deeper under the earth.

The tunnel is lined with more Theater guards than before when you went up, curious. They look at you with admiration mixed with fear, and they nervously grip their halberds. These private soldiers are not nearly as well-trained or equipped as their Dunhardown army regular counterparts.

You enter the lower levels, and six guards escort you first to the armory, where you drop off your equipment amongst the rest of the shoddy gear they force on the gladiators. You then march back to your cells. The six of you share the same room, a mere twenty foot square, with six piles of straw for bedding and a chamberpot in the corner, which Zophiel had put a blanket up to curtain it off from the rest of the cell.

After you rest and the Theater's healer tends to your wounds (Use how many healing surges are necessary to fully restore your health) you are left alone. Soon enough, a guard shoves six bowls of what you have termed "Victory Gruel" through the feeding slot of your cell door. It is actually better than what you are usually fed, as they only feed it to groups and individuals who have won fights. It is hot, and you lounge around and chat for most of the day. Grudok pulls out a deck of cards that he pilfered from a guard the month before and quickly a card game emerges. Soon, you can only guess that it is night when the guards begin extinguishing the lanterns. It has been so long since you have seen the night sky (as you only fight during the day) that you have almost forgotten how the stars look draped around the moon.

You eventually retire for sleep. You sleep lightly, your time in this setting having taught you the benefits of that. The night passes uneventfully.

A guard banging his halberd on your cell door awakens you the next morning. "Up and at 'em, you filthy beggars. Breakfast time!" The boorish man calls out, tossing in six plates of "food."
"Eat hearty, lads. Today you got another fight. One of you'se seemed to anger the Emperor real bad, because I 'eard they got you fightin' a bloody dragon this time!"

He walks away, his laughter booming and echoing through the halls. His laughter is interupted by a loud incantation, a burst of light, and a scream.
The door to your cell is blasted open by a burst of arcane light. A human male enters, shirtless, and with a blazing Gold Dragon tatooed on his chest.

"Time to go, lords and ladies. Prince Alain de Warbeck frees you! If you wish to survive, make for the sewers, find the Black Bazaar. From there, if you wish to know your benefactor, go to the Larova Wood. Tell Prince Warbeck that Hector sent you!" He says with a bow. He rushes off, shooting off more arcane energy and freeing more prisoners from their cells. Before you know it, there is a full scale riot going on.

This is the only opportunity of escape that has ever befallen you. You have long dreamed of this moment. But you are currently defenseless... The armory is nearby, and the entrance to the sewers is well known to you. There may be a fight with the guards, but if you hurry, you may be able to make it out before reinforcements arrive...

[fendrin]

Theren

Rolling to his feet, Theren stands at the door waiting for the others.
"Come on, we've talked about this often enough. It's time to get out and..."
He hesitates, aware that his particular goals may not motivate the others.
"...and pay back the emperor for what he's done."

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel smiles at Theren's words, and completes with her own thoughts:

"Among other things, of couse. Let's hurry, I bet you guys will need weapons."

Jumping to her feet, Zophiel also moves to the door, ready to leave the damned cell she lived on for so long.

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

Ahhhrwahah, Grudok lets out a massive yawn and rubs his eyes with his clawed hands. His monstrous face almost adorable when half asleep, all squinted eyes and tussled fur. "Your lucky, Theren. I was going to have flense your skin from your body and forcing the Emperor to wake us up so early. But it looks like I would be getting up early today anyways".

Slowly Grudok rolls out of bed, stretching his massive arms and yawning once more. "I'll scout out the way to the armory. See if anyone is still guarding it". He slips out of the blasted doorway and into the dark corder...

[roll0]
That should actually be a 23, forgot that I get a +2 bonus for being a bugbear.

[TwoBitWriter]

Grudok:

Despite towering over many of the escaped prisoners, you are able to remain unnoticed by the guards desperately trying to fight them off. The pits are in chaos, and the morning-shift guards seem on the verge of being overwhelmed by vengeful fighters. The gladiators are working together quite well despite having fought one another numerous times, and have taken the armory. One man in particular, an ex-officer of the Dunhardown Army who everyone calls "Captain," is in the armory, distributing weapons to all the prisoners.
"Hoi, Grudok, right? Whats your pleasure? Daggers I wager..."

[Boggs]

Ardek

Rising to his feet, Ardek hastily moves to the armory with the group. At the armory he looks to the Captain, "Goodday, Captain. I'll take what can be spared."

After grabbing his equipment, he waits for the others near the hallway to the sewers. He looks over the area carefully, to build the confidence of a clean escape.


[roll0]
After everyone is ready, he will discuss strategy. In movement he will take either the rear to fend off any encroaching threats.

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

"Daggers are good, but I need to pick up a few more my teammates as well. Lets see... a spear, a bow, some arrows, a great ax, a warhammer, couple of shields, some hide armor, couple sets of leather, suit of chain and some scale mail". Grudok looks for about room for such items and gathering all that he can find and carry to bring back with him to his allies.

[RoyaleWithCheez]

Tarnus

I must look ridiculous.

Tarnus guards the entrance to the sewers, repelling the stream of guards and soldiers with whatever makeshift weapons he can find. He uses 4 of the 6 breakfast plates as projectile weapons, managing to do a surprising amount of damage. Getting impatient (and running low on dishes), he calls down the hall to Grudok.

"Would you hurry up? They'll be here any minute!

[TwoBitWriter]

You flee together, toward the sewer entrance which is guarded by Ardek and Tarnus.

You take turns equipping and arming yourself and holding back any guards that come your way. Fortunately, they have mostly retreated to await reinforcements and no real combat erupts.

When Tarnus and Theren are finally able to throw on and buckle their armor, Ardek kicks down the sewer entrance hatch and drops down. You go down one by one, until finally Tarnus descends, closing the door above him.

You know that it won't be long before armed Dunhardown soldiers begin to scour the sewers for escapees. You must find this black bazaar fast... The sewers are in a poor state of disrepair, and it requires a good deal of climbs, jumps, and squeezing to avoid falling into the rushing sewage below. The fall itself would not be fatal, its only about 10 feet down, but it would be extremely unpleasant. Not to mention there is no telling what sort of foul creatures live in that filthy river...

OOC:
Make one of each of the following rolls:
1) Streetwise
2) Stealth
3) Athletics
4) Acrobatics
5) Perception

[fendrin]

Theren

Strapping on his newly acquired armor and stringing his bow, Theren looks back at the others.
"I was trained as a scout, so I'll take lead. There will likely be pursuit, so lets keep up a good rear guard. Zophiel, stick to the middle. But I didn't really need to tell you that, did I?"

With A wry smile he drops into the sewer, which smells only slightly worse than the cell they had so recently departed.

[Boggs]

Ardek

Donning the shoddy leather armor, Ardek takes two spears and a shield. He looks to Theren, "You lead us safely through these murky waters and I'll make sure no one attacks from the rear." Assuming the sewers are narrow, Ardek keeps a wide stance to avoid the guards view on the other party members.

[TwoBitWriter]

You move rapidly through the sewers.

Grudok, Theren, and Zophiel have a pretty good idea where the Black Bazaar is located. It tends to move rapidly, but they always form in hollowed-out areas seperated by a false brick wall.

You all manage to evade any guards, and none of you feel as if you had been followed. Zophiel slips and falls into the disgusting muck below, but you are able to quickly pull her out before attracting any unsavory creatures. Zophiel is able to use Prestidigitation to clean herself but the stench is quite overpowering for a few minutes.

Grudok is the first to find the bazaar entrance. With a short rasp on the false bricks with his massive hand, the door slides open and two men in dark cloaks quickly usher you inside.

One of them removes his hood, a dust-colored tiefling. "Welcome, friends, to the Black Bazaar. Here, no one cares what your name is and what your crimes are... As long as you have gold... You do have gold don't you?"

Before you can respond a slender human female, also cloaked, approaches you. "These people are contacts of mine," she says with a wink toward you. "And they do have plenty of gold..."

She tosses each of you a belt pouch filled with gold coins! (500 gp each...)
"These are from Prince Alain... he wishes to meet with you in Larova Wood. The town of Pova will be likely be the easiest way to avoid too much trouble. But you will have to get past the Imperial foresters on your own... I must go, equip yourselves, and good luck!"
As silently as the woman appeared, she disappears. You are amazed that someone can disappear before your own eyes. You suspect possible magic...
You are even more amazed that you have suddenly acquired so much wealth... After all the time you have lived in squallor, it seems like your luck has changed.

The bazaar is actually quite large. Most armor and weapon are illegal to carry or wear in public in Dunhardown, but the shopkeepers here give forged weapons/armor adventuring permits with each sale. Normally you have to pay a hefty fee and swear personal allegiance to the Emperor to get one.
There are people selling anything you can imagine needing. Weapons, armor, adventuring gear, even the odd magic item or arcane implement...

(Purchase 500 gp of gear for your character, mundane items have a 10% markup on price. You can purchase any Level 1 Magic item that you wish, using standard market value. Please post your purchased item list in the OOC Thread. Naturally you keep the gold you don't spend.)

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel curses when she falls, but doesn't complain about it. It was her own fault, after all. After the meeting with the strange woman who dissappeared in thin air, Zophiel starts to think that everything is suspicious... But they are free at least, and that is what matters.


Bought a Magic Staff+1, 70gp worth of Alchemichal Reagents and some mundade itens, tottaling 459gp.

[Boggs]

Ardek

Ardek sighs with relief when they reach the Black Bazaar safely; yet he is still hesitant to negotiate with the lot of folks a place like this would attract. Ardek grudgingly buys his euipment without haggling, all in an effort to avoid unwanted attention. After he has acquired his goods, he will return to his companions, "I've purchased my necessities and set some aside for another day. However, I still have a bit of coin remaining (130 GP). Perhaps one of you may find a better use for it now... please, do not hesitate to ask for it."

After saying his piece, Ardek will sit quietly near his companions. Discreetly, he will use his dagger to engrave Bahamut's Symbol on the inside of his shield.

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

Grudok passes through the market stalls silently, testing out the strength of the rope and looking over the heaviest knives that he can find. He picks out a bandoleer of heavy throwing daggers before spotting a large, curved knife, with an ivory pummel and engraved with a stylized serpent. It sports a hefty price tag but most good things do. Grudok forks over the gold to merchant and straps the blade around his waist.

Having gathered together all that he will need to survive in the wilds, Grudok begins to wind his way out of the bazaar when he a spots a merchant selling fenced clothing. Grudok quickly grabs a hooded brown robe and a faded black scarf, plus the larges leather gloves and boots that he can find. "I'll take these," Grudok growls, shoving a piece of gold under the nose of the old man watching the stall. He pulls on the book and the gloves, a tight fit but they will do, and wraps the scarf around his head before throwing the robe and hood over himself, covering his inhumanity.

Bought Adventuring Kit, Tent, Thieves' Tools, Leather Armor, 5 Large Daggers, 1 Large +1 Magic Dagger

[TwoBitWriter]

With your purchases completed, you see no further reason to remain behind. You all mentally resolve to remember this place, though you know it will likely move before you ever come back.

It isn't long before you are climbing up a ladder and emerging from the sewers to find yourself in a dark alley off the Token's Way, a major street that runs from North Gate to the city core, where the Emperor's Palace is located.

It is now night, and you can't believe that you spent the whole day in the sewers and the Black Bazaar. But Tik' Terar is a city that never truly sleeps and the streets are well lit and frequented by guards and various commoners/merchants/mercenaries on their way to their homes and inns for the night.

You peer out of the alley and look down both ways of the road. To your left, a few blocks down, is North Gate. You also notice a piece of paper hammered to the wooden building to your right. It posts a reward of 20 gold pieces for information leading to the capture of an escaped Pit Slave. It offers 50 gold pieces for bringing them in yourself, Dead or Alive.

One thing is clear, you can't remain in this city for long.

Normally, leaving the city at night requires a special gate pass. But that requires a visit to a local district's guard office and speaking to the Magistrate on duty. You have forged adventurer's licenses now, and that could possibly work, but it would also be expensive, costing about 10 gp per person, per pass.

Of Course, thats just the legal way. You know that most guards are willing to accept a few gold coins "under the table" to allow people to leave. That could potentially cost less than a pass itself if you are able to convince them. You could also attempt to scale the city walls and try to sneak past the guards. That would be free, but the consequences of getting caught would be unpleasant.

Waiting until morning will allow you to pass the gates freely, but that itself holds many risks. Even if you can convince an innkeeper to put you up for the night, theres no telling how many of the inn's patrons will recognize you as escaped slaves. You did put on a show in front of thousands of citizens the day before...

You slink back into the alley, and the five of you mull over your options...

[Boggs]

Ardek

Ardek looks at the forged pass in his hand. Even as a slave he tried to abide by a code of laws... but now it was different. He had a reward on his head. Any attention that may be on him, or his comrades, was too risky this soon after their escape. "I propose that we use the passes were were provided. It might take too long for us to meet with the Magistrate." He pauses, looking at himself then Grudok, "Not to mention some of us draw more attention than others. If we approach the sentries at the gate, we might be able to slip out of the city undetected."

[fendrin]

Theren

"I don't think that's wise. With the price on our heads, we would be a tempting target to each of those guards out there. Fifty gold is probably more than a month's pay. We could easily defeat them, but at the cost of attracting a lot of attention."

He ponders a moment.

"I say we try to slip over the wall. at worst we end up in the same situation as if we tried to leave via the gate, but I think it's less likely."

[RoyaleWithCheez]

Tarnus

Tarnus smiles as he hears the proposal to scale the wall, chuckling quietly to himself as if such a feat would be child's play. That's not to say that it wouldn't be; he had scaled walls for years before even entering the arena. During his career as a gladiator, climbing challenges had become his strongest point.

"Scaling the wall wouldn't be a problem for me. Besides, I've been looking forward to breaking in this climbing kit. Can't say if the rest of you would make it, though."

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

Making sure that no one is looking, Grudok tears the WANTED paper from where it is pinned and, crumpling it up into a ball, tosses it into the gutter.

"I agree with scaling the wall. The fewer people who know where are the better. I'm not about to trust my secrets to these Emperor's filth guardsmen, they'll take our coin then turn us in for the reward. I'll try to find us a good place to scale the wall."

Grudok searches the depths of his mind, trying to remember where a good location to scale the wall would. Somewhere where they would be unlikely to be noticed and where they could easily watch the roadways for the Emperor's patrols.

[roll0]
Ouch!

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

"I don't know, I'm not a very good athlete... But the thought of having to deal with these guards doesn't make me happy either.

[RoyaleWithCheez]

Tarnus

Tarnus turns to face the wizard, speaking in an overly confident tone, instantaneously taking on a swagger dripping with machismo.

"You don't need to worry about that. I'm sure I could carry you."

[TwoBitWriter]

Knowing that its risky, but that you have precious time to waste and possibly less risky than trying to deal with the authorities, you decide to sneak out of the city by scaling the city walls.

You are not too far from North Gate, but getting up to the wall's battlement will prove challenging and will require a great deal of stealth and athletic ability to avoid detection. Failure will likely bring the City Guard upon you, and they will be a bit touger than the goblins you fought yesterday...

After taking a deep breath, you take to the streets. Luckily, though the streets are lit, you are able to make the best of the many shadows. Soon, North Gate looms up ahead of you.

Skill Challenge Instructions:
One of you will be designated the lead person for the Stealth and Athletic rolls, but everyone will have to make a Stealth and Athletic roll, your success or failure will modify the lead roller's rolls and will play a part in you getting out of the city.
Those are the primary skills involved here. However there are other factors to consider here, regarding the layout of the city, noticing approaching guards, or fast-talking someone if you are noticed, and the like. Therefore, you may also make use of the Bluff, Insight, Perception, and Streetwise skills for your rolls. Go one at a time, in no particular order, with the skill you wish to use. Success or Failure will count toward your success/failure count only if you are rolling for stealth and athletics, and then only if you are the designated person for each (one person can't be designated for both.)
The secondary skills listed will provide a conditional bonus or penalty to a future Stealth/Athletics check depending on the success of your roll, but do not count toward your ultimate success/failure tally.

Does everyone get that? :smallbiggrin:

Edit: For now, stick to Stealth checks until I determine that you have successfully reached the city walls...

[fendrin]

Theren

His hunter's senses trained for any signs of guards, Theren begins the ascent.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

nice...

[Boggs]

Ardek

I'm not entirely sure this is the wisest of escape methods...

Ardek goes over the plan in the walls of his own mind, in each scenario some minor detail gone wrong always places them back in the gladiator stocks. Still, this may be the easiest way for securing a way out of the city. As they're walking, Ardek keeps a keen eye for anyone of suspicion, primarily guards. He practices in his head ways to talk with the guards as a way of distraction.

What do they call guards? Constable! Strangely adorend men just ran off with my coin! They were cloaked and a bit hard to see... they might have been the escaped gladiators! Say, isn't there a hefty reward on their heads? He thinks for a moment then mutters to himself, "Constable?"


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel follows the rest of the party, a little worried about their method of escape.


[roll0] - Athletics roll
[roll1] - Stealth roll
[roll2] - Perception roll

[TwoBitWriter]

You manage to find a secluded spot on the North Wall and begin to climb, watching out for guards. Slowly, but surely, you help one another scale the stones. Eventually you make it to the top.

You notice no patrols nearby, and drop your ropes to the ground outside. The descent is much faster and before you know it, you are outside the city!

You run away from the gate, going northward up the main road. Eventually you come across a lone Eladrin woman... As you approach her, she speaks to you...

(Awesomeologist, your turn!)

Everyone:
You each get 40 xp for successfully completing the skill challenge... barely. But I decided to count your last success before your last failure.

[Awesomologist]

Sanarzia, Eladrin Artificer

Sanarzia looks up from a small leather bound book as the group, moving quickly from their escape no doubt, come up the road. A glowing square stone which had been in her hand to illuminate the book at night winks out as she slips it into her belt pouch. Closing the book with a snap, Sanarzia smiles quickly at the group and waves at them, signaling she is a friend.

In a voice that can only be taken as highly educated, she speaks to the group, "Good evening! Lara said you would all be attempting to leave Tik' Terar tonight. I am Sanarzia, a member of Prince Alain's forces," Sanarzia bows to the party before proceeding.

"I have instructions to take you to the prince in Larova Wood. I'm sure you have many questions that no one has answered so far, so let me apologize in advance for my lack of knowledge as well. Feel free to ask me anything, but know that I only have instructions to escort you to Larova Wood." Sanarzia puts her book away in a side pocket of her backpack, half of which looks like it has been neatly and meticulously pack. The other half seems to be thrown together in haste, an assortment of flasks, glass balls, and pieces of wood and stone etched with runes bulge out of a few pockets. Sanarzia quickly straps these items back into her pack and slings it over her shoulder. "Come, we should not dally too long here by the side of the road."

Sanarzia takes a few steps before wheeling around to the party once again, "Did any of you meet an Eladrin by the name of Berlsian in the slave pits?" A slight sense of urgency gives way in her otherwise calm voice.

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel is surprised to see another of her kind so soon. She returns the compliment of Sanarzia, and proceeds to answering to her question:

"I did not meet any of our kind in the pits, I'm afraid. However, I may have forgotten. We had to fight so many times in that cursed place and met so many people that it would be hard to remember everyone." After a short pause, Zophiel continues, while starting to walk alongside Sanarzia - "Why do you seek this eladrin ? Is he an acquaintance of yours ? Oh, forgive me if I'm being rude, it has been long since we had someone else to talk to."

[Boggs]

Ardek

Happy that he didn't need to indulge in lying to evade the city guards, Ardek approaches Sanarzia. "I fear that those I travel with are the only companions I've known for many years, at least, the ones who have lived. If there had been another Eladrin in the pits, I'm sure I would have remembered."

While walking his stomach growls, "Shall we make this walk a brisk one? Apart from fleeing the guards, I don't believe my tongue has ever tasted anything but bland porridge and molded bread."

[Awesomologist]

Sanarzia, Eladrin Artificer

Hearing no word of Berlsian a brief sigh escapes Sanarzia's lips, "Forgive me for bringing up my own personal trials. Berlsian is my brother. He has been missing for about a year now while in the service of Prince Alain. I did not expect him to be in Tik' Terar, our scouts and spies would have told us..." Sanarzia's words trail off before she continues to speak, this time with a sense of pride, "Of course the emperor would be a fool to allow Berlsian near a sword! But enough of my troubles, I'm sure you all have plenty on your minds already." The tone of Sanarzia's voice, while not dismissive, certainly indicates that she will not speak any more about Berlsian.

Ardek's grumbling brings a slightly amused smile from Sanarzia, "If we travel quickly we'll reach Pova soon enough. We'll have to keep an eye for Foresters. No doubt they've been alerted to your escape.

[RoyaleWithCheez]

Tarnus

This was just great. Two Eladrin broads? Tarnus wouldn't have allowed himself to have been led by the first, and he wasn't about to submit himself to the one he had just met. On the other hand, there was no better reason to be traveling in a different direction. For now, he'd just grit his teeth and bear it.


That's not to say, however, that he wouldn't briskly push past the artificer and proceed to walk at a strong, steady pace in front of the rest of the party.

[fendrin]

Theren

Theren simply nods in greeting to the artificer, his mind on someone else entirely, whom he cannot help but feel he is abandoning.

[darkzucchini]

Grudok

Grudok lurked massively at the back of the party. If there was anyone capable of such a feat it would be him.

[TwoBitWriter]

You move north, avoiding the main road. You are constantly looking behind you and remaining alert in case you encounter any odd monster or Imperial patrol. but Sanarzia seems to know her way, and you encounter no resistance.
It isn't long before the dark night lightens and dawn threatens. You begin to grow tired from having little rest for such a long period.

Ahead you spot an inn. However, it is by the main road to Pova. The land around you is mostly hilly plains, and there is no place to hide in the daylight. At the top of a hill you can begin to make out the Larova Wood ahead, but it is still almost a days journey to the logging village.

[Awesomologist]

Sanarzia

Seeing the fatigue set in on the faces of her new charges she points out the inn in the distance, "We'll head for the inn now so each of you can rest. I'm sure you are all tired and could use a warm meal. The road here is a bit safe since the imperials rarely come this way. Once everyone is sufficiently rested we'll continue onto the Larova Wood."
With that she continues to lead the way down to sloping hills towards the inn. Once there she will make whatever arrangements are necessary to accommodate the party.

[Boggs]

Ardek

Ardek smiles when he hears the news. "I was going to keep my mouth shut. But, since someone else mentioned it, I could use a hot meal, warm bed, and my first taste of wine." He keeps in stride, eager to reach the Inn and fill his belly. However, an aura of caution is still over him and he slides his dagger into his boot, hoping that the evening's events won't call for him to unsheath it.

[TwoBitWriter]

You enter the Inn. as you approach you notice that it is a large, three story establishment. A small cobblestone path leads from the main road to the large stables and to the massive oak door that serves as the entrance.
From inside you hear music, laughter, and the clinking of ale mugs. With eager thoughts you enter.

There is a flaring fire burning, contrasting nicely with the chilly dawn air outside. Seated in front of the fire is a group of four halflings, each one playing an instrument and entertaining the patrons. There is a hat with a few coins of copper, silver, and even a single gold piece. They supplement their music with occasional feats of acrobatics and dancing.

The patrons of the inn are a motley bunch, but mostly human. In a corner table you see an armored, and armed, group consisting of a Human, an Elf, a Dwarf, and a Rust-colored Dragonborn. They are chatting amongst themselves and going over a small parchment on the table.

An attractive serving woman brushes by Tarnus, and smiles coyly at him as she brings a tray of foaming mugs of ale to a table.

The bartender sees you enter and bellows joyfully. "Welcome to the Golden Harvest Inn! A bit early for arriving, but what will be your pleasure? We have fresh bread, meat, and a variety of wines and ales for your palate. If its accommodations you want, we have several rooms that are currently being cleaned and will available in about an hour."

[Boggs]

Ardek

Ardek pauses as he enters, he looks around the room, pleased to see entertainment that doesn't involve violent screams and inevitable death. He walks to the Halflings, watching them with a smile on his face. He kneels down to make an effort at eye-contact. Both amused and impressed by their skill, he tosses five gold coins into the hat. He looks back to his companions, "It's nice. You know, to not be the main attraction..."

After watching the Halflings, he approaches the bar. Extending a hand to the bartender, "Ardek's the name! I'll take the largest meal you can muster and a nice glass... no... bottle of wine. Also, I would like one of those fine rooms for later this evening, if that suits you, of course."

While conversing with the bartender, Ardek takes notice of the other Dragonborn. All those of his race he's ever known have been slaves... and most have honorably died at the other end of his spear. Cautious of the reputation of his kin, he hesitates to approach the table. Occasionally eyeing them in hopes to conjure the courage to approach them.


[roll0]
[roll1]
(OOC: Sorry for such a long post...)

[Awesomologist]

Sanarzia - Eladrin Artificer

Sanarzia looks about the common room briefly before approaching the bartender asking for only a small room and some food. Sanarzia turns to address her companions before any of them can wander off too far, "We will only be here enough time to get everyone rested before we move on. I suggest no one go too far or get involved in anything that will draw attention. So get some food and some rest."
Sanarzia will get a table and is willing to be joined by anyone until the rooms are ready.

[RoyaleWithCheez]

Tarnus

Tarnus grins at Ardek.

"I'd sure like to get involved with that waitress."

He calls her over, orders a large glass of the house ale and an equally large meal, and tips her twice the cost.

"There's plenty more where that came from if you keep the beer coming."

[fendrin]

Theren

The sheer normality of it all strikes Theren like a hammer strike to the solar plexus. He just stands there by the door for a moment slightly quivering, overwhelmed by the simple freedom of being able to eat what he wanted rather than just whatever slop the guards brought. His first instinct is to order large quantities of food and drink, to revel in this newly regained freedom, but he then visibly takes control of himself again.
Excess will not help her. Helping her is all that matters. All else must be secondary.

Calmly, he walks up to the bartender.
"Some bread and a little meat, please. A glass of wine, as well."

Taking a seat at a table with a clear view of the armed quartet in the corner, he studies them carefully, trying to determine if they potential allies or potential enemies.

I'm guessing that would be Insight, but I'll throw in a Perception check too. Use what you will.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel is also overwhelmed by a moment, but she quickly gathers her nerves together, relaxing. She joins Sanarzia on her table, and orders a meal while watching over the other party members. I hope they don't do anything stupid.

[TwoBitWriter]

The Halflings smile at Ardek, giving such a generous donation, and they all bow to him and cheer, "thanks to a generous tipper!" which is accompanied by a magical shower of sparks, courtesy of one of the Halflings. Eventually they finish, announcing that they are going to take a break.

You all receive your food and drink, and it is of excellent quality. This may be tempered by the fact that you have had nothing but moldy bread, thin gruel, and water for what seems like forever, but it is still a pleasure you have not had in a long time.

Ardek and Theren try to listen in on the group of adventurer's that are huddled in a corner table. You only hear bits and pieces but you get the impression that they are preparing to leave for the day, apparently headed for Surostok, a major trade-city a few days ride west of Tik' Terar. You get the impression that these are experienced adventurers and have been on the road for some time now.

The Rust-colored Dragonborn takes immediate notice of Ardek when he enters. He excuses himself from his companions and walks over to Ardek, offering a handshake. When he approaches, you notice that he has a long scar running down the right side of his face, across a blinded eye.
"Hail, and well-met, noble kin! It is good to see one of the Brethern free of chains. My company and I are out of Pova and headed for Surostok. apparently there is good work to be had in the Merchant's City. Where are you and your companions bound?"

[Awesomologist]

Sanarzia - Eladrin Artificer

Sanarzia grabs a book and a few polished stones and pieces of wood from her pack while she eats. Occasionally she pauses to inscribe runes with a piece of chalk as if in preparation. She looks up from her work engaging in small talk with Zophiel and any others at her table. Upon seeing the Dragonborns greet each other she looks intensely at the pair, partially out of interest but mostly keen on Ardek's words.

[Boggs]

Ardek

As the Dragonborn extends his hand, Ardek looks up from his meal. Half-excited and half-embarassed due to his mouth shoved full of meat and bread, he quickly swallows, wipes his hand across his pants, then accepts the handshake. "Hail and well met to you as well, my friend! I've never seen another Dragonborn outside captivity, especially one so well-spoken and friendly. Most of our kin that I've ever seen were forced to violence; a negative stereotype of our people. I suppose other races could come to that assessment when such a large portion of our people fight in the pits."

He stops himself and snickers, "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I guess I'm excited to speak to another face-to-face. My companions and I have business to be settled. After that, well, I can't honestly say I'm aware of our plans. But there's business in... Surostok, you say? Honest work? I'm afraid I've never seen the Merchant City."

He glances to Sanarzia. Although confident in his words, he gives her a look to imply he needs help.

[TwoBitWriter]

The Dragonborn laughs. "I am the one who has forgotten his manners! I overheard your name when you entered, but neglected to give mine! I am Bharash, and I'm the leader of my small company of fellows. We were briefly employed with the Imperial Foresters patrolling the Larova Wood but felt our fortunes could be better made possibly guarding a merchant caravan or some similar duties."

Bharash glances back at his companions, then turns to Ardek and whispers in Draconic.

Ardek
"I can trust you are not 'favored' in Dunhardown, same as I. I don't know why you are headed for Pova...and the woods beyond... but try to avoid entanglements with the Foresters... He motions toward his scar, then resumes speaking in a boisterous Common.

"Well, good luck in your travels. If you ever happen to come by Surostok, look around for me. I might be able to refer you to some good, honest work in service of our great Emperor..." He says the last part a bit louder, as if he wants the whole room to overhear such a statement.

[Awesomologist]

Sanarzia - Eladrin Artificer

Hearing the dragonborn's loud outburst for the Emporer Sanarzia raises an eyebrow but returns to her book without interfering with Ardek.

[Boggs]

Ardek

Ardek listens carefully to Bharash, after he finishes, Ardek moves over a chair, "Have a seat, friend. Tell me about the work the Emperor has over some wine." He motions to the bartender to order a full bottle, when he goes for the bottle, he speaks softly to Bharash.

In Draconic:
"There's much I could tell you of how disfavored I am in Dunhardown. I'm travelling with my companions to meet with the Prince. Apart from that, I know very little. You could say this is my first time outside Tik' Terar..." he hesitates to continue, trying to judge the Dragonborn's reaction.

In an effort to avoid drawing attention, he shouts aloud, "I can understand that the Emperor would need to hire mercenaries for Larova Wood. That place crawls with filthy goblins."

[TwoBitWriter]

Bharash speaks quietly in Draconic, occasionally speaking louder in Common.

Ardek

"Foresters have disallowed nearly all access to the wood after the Prince's last raid. They only allow those who work for the Emperor's Lumbar Yards in to practice their trade, but each work group is accompanied by a squad. The Foresters are skilled warriors, and excellent trackers. You will be hard-pressed to sneak in properly. Speak to Hardin Alacaster, a Dwarf supervisor and... "friend."

Bharash speaks loudly so that the rest of the party can hear. "Ol' Hardin Alacaster can get you and your friends good jobs with the Emperor's Lumberers if you are in need of extra coin before your next venture."

Bharash's companions stand and motion that they must go. "I must leave you, friend. I'm sure we will meet again."

They depart. You are all tired, and could probably use some sleep.

[Boggs]

Ardek

Ardek nods to Bharash and whispers in Draconic, "Bahamut be with you, brother." He looks back to the Halflings and a smile spreads across his face. He calls to the barkeep, "Could I trouble you for some more wine, cheese, and bread? Also, do you keep pipe and tobacco behind that bar?" He smiles and turns again to the Halflings, Hmm... entertainment without bloodshed... I could grow used to this...

Ardek will continue to enjoy the music until they finish and then head upstairs to his room. Also, he will keep a keen eye and ear out for any who may enter the tavern.


[roll0]

[Silverkiss]

Zophiel

Zophiel will finish her meal and wait for the other to go up before also going to her room.