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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
'Waste not your pity. It's life and pain were a cruel joke, from which it is now released.
On the other hand, hunters stalk their prey, hidden, sometimes camouflaged, and there's trickery in that. Not all prey is caught. Perhaps even animals can lie, discern lies, and realise truth, and so be saved'.
Clearsight smiles at Halabur.
'Perhaps our departed friend has already reached a higher understanding. Shorn of its false form, liberated to a level of spiritual mirth we can only imagine. I must confess, I had not considered the theological position of animals before'.
Raif looks distant for a moment.
'Cuts too close to the bone'.
Raif Clearsight snaps out of his distraction, and frowns at the tracks.
'Well, I head that wolf packs are usually families, so perhaps these would be cubs and yearlings. A big pack. Hopefully the wolves won't need to hunt for a few days after a fresh kill. Unless the pack's really big. On the other hand, if it's a really big pack, maybe it's driven out any other wolves in the region. Either way, we should guard our horses carefully tonight'.
Clearsight chuckles...
'Oh I'm being dense. Not even a very artful lie, is it? Wolves could not have done this. Wolves cannot break bones, much less devour them. They lack the jaw strength'.
Clearsight frowns.
'I think something drove the hunter off the kill. Either the wolf pack chased the hunter, or the wolf pack brought the animal down, and were chased off by the scavenger'.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
"Well, either way if there's something particularly vicious out, it might be quite dire." Halabur pauses a moment. ...Dire? Hm. I've heard of animals mutated by magic, sometimes designated as a 'Dire' animals, such as wargs if I recall correctly.
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knowledge arcana: [roll0], specifically to recall whatever I know about dire animals or to see if there are any hints about the prey left behind to determine if a dire animal had attacked it.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
"Also, it may be just a womanish fancy, but I've heard that rain falls, that wounds bleed, and that predators kill to survive" She myopically sweeps the horizon.
"Wolves, be they Dire, Armour-plated, or strawberry-flavoured, are not our concern. If they attack us they'll know our mettle. And indeed, our metal. We press on. Unless somebody feels that saving the world is less important than conducting a zoological survey of the area--?"
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Eleanora smirked at Verossa's words.
"Aye, it's a long road we have ahead of us. Danger or no, we must press on,"
She eyed the corpses.
"If that's the best they could do, then they stand no chance against our steel. Let's ride!"
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Halabur:
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You know that Dire animals are bigger and more ferocious than their normal brethren. Also that an animal this size would not be large enough to satisfy the hunger of two Dire wolves let alone a whole pack.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Huh, saving the world indeed. For whom, I wonder? Let it burn, and reveal the truth. Let us make a new world.
'This sight makes me reconsider my equipment. Since we've stopped, this might be a convenient place to rest for a moment, and if I could have some help with my armour, that would be much appreciated.'
If Raif has some help, he dons his armour, and takes a quick drink from his waterskin, mounts Filofax, then continues to ride.
As they make their way onward, Raif pulls out his food parcel to finish off the grain, and finds it full.
'Hey, I've got someone's food parcel by mistake - I'd eaten most of mine, this one's full!'
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Eleanora sighed.
"Very well. If we must stop, we should at least be prepared," She quickly dismounted to once again assist Raif with his armor. "Help me with mine as well," She said as she worked. "Loathe as I am to admit it, I feel much better when someone else sees to my gear. It is far too easy to miss something important."
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Eleanora:
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While assisting Raif with his armour you look up at the top of the next hill and see the grass moving, though not in the same direction as what the wind is blowing.
Drayner:
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While taking the opertunity of the rest period to take another look round you see that about 70' back towards the hill there seem to be three forrows in the grass stretching back towards the mountains. They seem to be moving closer.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
"I'll help with your armour, Sir Dame." remarked Verossa with an odd light in her eyes. "Even though I'm used to lighter ensembles"
((I'm a bad, bad person))
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"Many thanks, Verossa," Eleanora eyed the moving grass with worried suspicion. "And do hurry. I am getting a very bad feeling about out surroundings..."
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'What do you mean by that, m'Lady?'
Raif Clearsight speaks quickly, his eyes narrowing.
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Drayner turns shadow around and stares quite obviously at the grass. "Be on your gaurd we may be in for a fight" After a few seconds of them getting closer Drayner raises his voice slightly but still quiet enough so only his companions can hear him to show urgency "Fight or Fly guys? if we don't make the decision now, others may make the decision for us... Fight or fly?" You see some black energy fizzling at his fingertips.
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Spot: [roll0]
Activating detect magic
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Just as Drayner finishes asking the rest of you which would be the better course of action, the option is taken away from you as 3 arrows streak into the sky, aimed at the three of closest to the edges of the group (Halabur, Drayner and Daranard).
Arrow One: Concealment: [roll0]
Attack Roll: [roll1]
Crit Confirm (if required): [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Crit Damage (if required): [roll4]
Arrow Two: Concealment: [roll5]
Attack Roll: [roll6]
Crit Confirm (if required): [roll7]
Damage: [roll8]
Crit Damage (if required): [roll9]
Arrow Three: Concealment: [roll10]
Attack Roll: [roll11]
Crit Confirm (if required): [roll12]
Damage: [roll13]
Crit Damage (if required): [roll14]
The first arrow flies wildly wide, falling amongst the grass behind you. The other two glancing off their intended targets (Drayner and Daranand) doing no damage what so ever.
Drayner:
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As you take a harder look just as the arrows are loosed you can just make out three short figures hidden in the tall grass. The appear about the size of Halflings but with longer arms and slightly shorter legs. Their skins, as much as you can make out, has a slight green/grey hue to it.
**Initiative rolls please**
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Raif swears under his breath, and begins muttering.
Next, Raif unlimbers his flail, holding the bridle of Filofax in his other hand, he shouts
'Halabur, get behind either me or Verossa'.
Raif looks about to try and see the danger.
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Spot [roll0]
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Eleanora raised her shield in a defensive position and turned in the direction that the arrows came.
"Show yourselves, scum, and save me some time!" she screamed to her unseen opponents. "Let us see how well you hide when your blood paints the earth!"
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
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OoC: Above action was supposed to be out of combat
Rolling initiative [roll0]
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Raif:
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You not only see the three figures in the grass who shot the arrows, but also another three emerging from the grass on the hill. You clearly make them out to be Goblins, though they seem to be quite feral looking. One looks back and yells something to someone behind it that you cant yet make out.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
"At last! Opposition!" Verossa gives a valkrian scream.
While thinking behind her eyes, since some people saw something, why didn't they say it in plain common instead of dancing around it like characters in a decadent drama. No matter. Time to kill.
Since her precise skills are of no use against archers, she moves as fast as possible to the source of the nearest arrow, her glaive leading the way. "Come out, come out, wherever you are. It'll be quicker that way. Better for you. Trust me on this." she smiles.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
"Aah! Halabur cries, "I told myself to prepare more Scorching Rays today!
Initiative: [roll0]
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
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Initiative: [roll0]
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Oh yeah, initiative
[roll0]
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
"Damnit, there goes our chance! They seem to be halflings... just less hairy, longer arms... and green!"
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Initiative=[roll0]
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
**For my own reference**
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Order of Action:
Halabur
Verossa
Bow Gob1
Raif
Spear Gob3
Spear Gob 1
Eleanora
Bow Gob 3
Bow Gob 2
Spear Gob 2
Drayner
Daranard/Unknown
.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Daranad
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Initiative: [roll0]
I grunt as an arrow grazes my said, but fortunately I am left with barely a scratch.
"Attack! Attack! Under my command, I swear we shall see victory!" My voice booms over the chaos. "Together, none shall defeat us! Are we not the chosen of the Coalition?!"
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Bardic Music (1 use): Inspire Courage
+1 vs. Charm and Fear. +1 Attack and Damage.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
'Not Halflings, Goblins!'
'Watch out, there are three more over there!'
Raif gestures with his flail in the direction of the second group of Goblins.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
Halabur whips out a wand of magic missile, "Alrighty gentlemen. I am Halabur Balaban, the strongarmed illusionist. You're facing the technique that's been passed down the Balaban line for generations, that's hardly a blessing!"
Magic missile damage to the two furthest left goblins at the top of the map: [roll0]
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
The two Goblins scream in pain as the arcane projectiles impact against their chests.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
((NOW I can see the map, I don't know if you changed something or if it's just the spotty nature of the internet here))
Verossa moves 20 feet forward (right) and strikes out with her glaive at the middle humanoid of the group on the flat.
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Attack:[roll0] Damage [roll1]
Crit confirm if required:[roll2]
EDIT: Forgot inspire courage (assuming it's actually taken effect yet) so +1 to both rolls if it's already in effect.
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Re: A Thorn In The Hand IC
((Oh, the top and middle speargoblins (they are Spears, right? Not Longspears?) only need to 5-foot step to close with her, but the bottom one will take 2 AoOs if it tries. Once from Hold the Line as it charges into the threatened area, once a regular one as it leaves it. So rolling those now))
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Attack[roll0]Damage[roll1]
Attack[roll2]Damage[roll3]
((If the do have longspears then the bottom one will still take the Hold the Line AoO No he won't, because he won't have moved far enough to count as charging))