The Adventures of Bronze Squad[IC]

[Tackyhillbillu]

Donovan

Donovan gives a breath of relief as he sees the Paladin make it. That relief lasted momentarily. Then he did the math, and realized he was the only one left.

...great.

Donovan shrugged.

"...guess its time to show why I am the best at running."

Donovan stepped into the shadows again, appearing on the back of his dog with a smile.

"LET'S GO!"

Donovan kicked his heels into the flanks of the Dog, and the animal started running toward Carrige.

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Shadow Jaunt + Move to move 90 feet.

[dangerprawn]

As Donovan appears on his dog the archers let loose their readied arrows. One is lost in the swirling darkness while another glances off his armor. A single arrow manages to pierce his defenses and slices across leg, cutting through the pant cloth and leaving a clean cut.

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Donovan takes 3 damage and is out of the Archers range, so you all can continue on out of rounds.

Good job everyone! It was kinda close for a moment there, but you all took down the horsemen and the cleric came in with some clutch healing.

[Tackyhillbillu]

Donovan winced at the cut, but it didn't stick, and he frankly had more important things to do then pull arrows out.

"They got lucky."

Donovan shook his head, riding forward to meet up with the crew around the Carrige. He looked over at Ajax and chuckled.

"Me, need help? Old man, when it comes to running, I'm the best there is. And frankly, I'm in better shape then you and the Paladin are. Let's hope that nobody else decides our super secret package is worth their lives."

[Hawk7915]

"Yeah, yeah, yer a real big damn *cough cough* hero, ya are. Very professional. Speaking of that precious cargo, ya wanna tell me what we're really hauling and why it talks? Is it slaves? Gnomes? Gnome slaves?

And doc..."Ajax leans close to the edge of the wagon. "I could use some quick doctorin', if ya'd be so kind. How you holdin' up, girl?" Ajax asks Ingol.

[dangerprawn]

Renault slows the stagecoach down for a moment to allow everyone to catch up and then continues speeding, racing through the dirty streets of the Dock Ward. The few people in the road hurry out of the way, yelling and cursing at you as you ride.

"Ok people." Renault shouts back over his shoulder. "Looks like word got out; that might not be the last of them. Stay sharp!" he yells as the stagecoach rounds a corner at a dangerous speed. Through the refuse and trash you can smell the salt air of the sea, getting stronger with every moment.

[Tackyhillbillu]

Donovan looked over at the old man, not done playing games yet. He wouldn't ever be, to tell the truth.

"You just noticed? Of course I'm a hero. As for our package... information has a price. You want it, you will have to pay."

With that, the Halfling kicked the sides of the Dog, and runs up alongside the Coach.

[Firebeard]

Pulling his wand from his belt, Whiskeyjack grabs Ajax's hand and quickly channels healing energy. Then, he taps Ajax 3 times on the hand in quick succession. "That should do it for now. Try and duck next time" he says with a grin.

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Standard action for touch of healing (6 HP), then 3 SAs for CLW wand x3. Rolling separate just in case you need to interrupt that sequence.

(1d8+1)[3]
(1d8+1)[8]
(1d8+1)[6]

Does Augment Healing work for wands? If so, add +2 to each of those wand taps.

[dangerprawn]

The stagecoach rounds the corner and turns down a long, narrow street. "Shortcut!" Renault turns and shouts over his shoulder. A scream from ahead brings his head around quick and he yells as he jerks the reins hard. Ahead in the street are two young children and a woman standing in front of them, shielding them from the oncoming stagecoach.

The horses rear up and go wild, slamming into the stone walls, running over the trash and debris in the alley. The right front wheel hits a deep crack in the road and the rear of the coach is lifted into the air. Renault is slammed forward and disappears over the drivers seat. The horses scream in pain as their reins are jerked tight and they tumble into each other, crashing into the street. The sudden stop lifts the rest of the stagecoach off the ground and it sails over the terrified woman and her children, slamming into the cobblestones. The harness snaps and the stagecoach skids across the road, sparks flying as it bounces and careens off the sides of the alley. It hops a final time and smashes into the stone walls and lays there, a broken mess of metal and wood.

The horses are tangled in a heap in front of you, some of them kicking and struggling to stand, others holding them down with their dead weight.

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Ajax, Ingol & Donovan - DC 13 Ride check to maintain control of your mount. A failed check means they run into an obstacle - dead horses, wreckage, stone walls, etc - and the horse takes 1d6 damage.

Whiskeyjack - You fall off the stagecoach and take (2d6)[5] damage. Reflex save DC 15 for half. Choose where you land either way.

Spot check of DC 15 will let you spot Renault immediately, stuck under the tangle of horses. Spot check of DC 20 and you can immediately see he's not moving.

[tonberryking]

"No wait!! We need to go back and make sure that--"

Ingol wanted to return to the attack site, unwilling to keep the archers running free, but now it's too late as the coach careens into its catastrophe. Keeping hold of both bow and reigns, she can't see the fate of the mother and children because she's trying to keep herself and Amelia from danger.

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Roll times! Ride--(1d20+6)[22] And spot for afterwards: (1d20+1)[19]

Which she manages with no trouble, her dappled mare fleet enough to dance around the crashing cart and thrashing horses. In fact it looks unsettling to see Ingol atop a calmly prancing horse as she wheels Amelia about. "Cleric! Renault! Are you alright?!"

[Firebeard]

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Reflex - (1d20+2)[10]

spot - (1d20+3)[4]

Whiskeyjack tumbles to the ground as the carriage flips end over end. Slamming into the wall, he finished by rolling to a stop a short distance fromt he thrashing horses.

"M'allright. Might've lost another tooth though." Whiskeyjack rubbed his jaw and then stuck a finger in his mouth to see if the tooth was gone. "Nah! Just wiggles a bit. What the hell were you thinking Renny? Renny? Aw hell!"

Whiskeyjack moves forward to look for his friend, assuming he under the carriage since his body is not lying out away from the wreckage.

[Tackyhillbillu]

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(1d20+5)[14] Ride Check
(1d20+2)[17] Spot Check

Donovan grabs the Dogs fur pulling it harshly, the animal sliding to a stop in front of a one of the Horses, the Dog dancing back to avoid the animals legs.

"...the Egg run isn't supposed to be this hard guys."

Donovan shrugs, patting his dog on the head to make sure the animal does not bolt.

"Renault is under the coach, over there, if that is who you are looking for."

Donovan points toward the man, shrugging. His guess was the man was dead, but let the Old Fellow figure it out himself.

"Either way, we really still should be going. Those Archers are going to find more friends."

[Hawk7915]

"Thanks for the hand, doc. This should be no prob now, everyone stay a...ah, ****!"

Ajax moves as quick as he can to keep control of his horse, grabbing the reins and yanking hard back

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Roll out!
Ride:(1d20+4)[18]
Spot: (1d20+2)[20]

The horse grinds to a halt, and Ajax looks around for Renault. He spots him and runs over to him.

"Doc, he's over here and he's hurtin' somethin' fierce." Ajax kneels beside Renault, shield ready. "Come on, ya dumb bastard, and get on yer feet. Doc'll have ya patched up in no time flat. Ingol! Donovan! Watch our flank!

OOC:

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Assume that if able, I will be Shield Blocking any attack on Renault (if he's alive) or Whiskeyjack. Also, did I get the full amount of healing before we got tripped up?

[Firebeard]

"I hate this spell" Whiskeyjack murmured as his eyes began to glow with a fell light. "Makes me wish I was sober."

With the sight granted him by his Deathwatch spell, he turned first to the crumpled form of Renault, and then to the carriage and the presumed passengers inside.

[dangerprawn]

Whiskeyjack

The world takes on a pale green overhue as you cast the spell. Through the tint the living creatures you see appear dim and insubstantial. Of the four horses on the ground, the two that are trying to free themselves and stand appear a little brighter and clearer, while the two horse that aren't moving shine bright in stark contrast to the rest of the world.

Renault's unmoving body is a shining light, visible under the thrashing of the horses.

Normally the heavy construction of the stagecoach would block your sensing into it, but the heavy crash has destroyed any integrity it had. As the green emanation filters into the wreck you sense a body, illuminated the same as the moving horses.


The woman slowly stands up, arms still encircling the children. The young girl begins to cry and the woman shuffles them out of the street, up against the wall. She looks at the wreck, then turns back to everyone standing near the horses. "Wha...what's going on?" She says.

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Dim/Translucent = Alive (you, your companions, the woman and children)
Bright = Fighting off death (two horses and the mystery person in the wreck)
Brighter = Fragile (none)
Shining = Dead (Renault, two horses)

Ajax received the full three wand charges, and I'll go with Augment Healing applying to the Wand.

[Firebeard]

"There's someone in the carriage, and they're still alive. Help me get to them!" As he tries to get tot he person inside the carriage, Whiskeyjack has the presence of mind to tap each of the horses once with his wand. "Might be needin' 'em in a hurry" he mutters mostly to himself.

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CLW on horse 1 - (1d8+3)[11]
CLW on horse 2 - (1d8+3)[10]

Reaching the shattered remains of the carriage, he calls in "Can you hear me? Can you talk? We are gonna get you out!" Whiskeyjack reached for his hip flask to find that it had been lost in the crash. "Damn! And now is the perfect time for a drink too."

[Hawk7915]

Ajax doesn't take too long to figure out that Renault is dead. He sighs heavily and gets back to his feet. "Sorry little lady, shortcut gone wrong. You and the young'uns might want to get indoors fast. As in now." . Ajax turns and helps Whiskeyjack haul smashed wood away to reveal the buried passenger. "Last thing we need is some dumb civvies further gettin' us killed an' hurt, eh? Damn shame about Renault...why does it never go smooth! Ingol! Donovan! Any sign of trouble back there?"

[Firebeard]

As soon as Ajax has the wreckage cleared enough for him to get at the injured passenger, Whiskeyjack worms his way in and lays a hand on the torn flesh. A gentle glow around the hand is the only sign of effort, but the flesh beneath knits itself together and the wounds begin to close.

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Touch of Healing to half health. I may have to hold off on further healing until we assess the situation

[dangerprawn]

The remains of the stagecoach are easy to dig through and Ajax and Whiskeyjack soon reach the person inside. As Whiskeyjack lays his hand on him, the light illuminates the figure to reveal an older man, a slight paunch showing under his dust covered blue robes. He coughs and wheezes for a moment before opening his eyes and shaking his head. "What in the nine hells happened?" He gazes around, sharp eyes glancing at the scene before him. "I take it we are not at the docks..." He says.

In Whiskeyjacks eyes, the man dims in illumination, going from bright to nearly translucent.

Ingol

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You recognize the man as Locun Jeral, a high ranking priest of Tyr from the local church. He is advanced in years and has spent the later part of his life speaking in courts, usually against corrupt merchants and guilds.

[Firebeard]

"Heh! That we're not. Rode through an ambush and Renny flipped the wheelhouse trying not to run over some poor mother and her kids. Bless his heart, he always had more skill than sense. "

Whiskeyjack said all this as he pulled the man to his feet. Looking at the two horses he healed on the way over, Whiskeyjack said "Can you ride? Seems to me that you be needing to get to the docks...preferably with no new holes?"

"Ajax! Can your young eyes see anyone coming? Or did we leave them all behind?"

[tonberryking]

Ingol

Until then, she had left crowd control to the others as she kept a notched arrow up, looking for any following threats, but Ingol finally drops her bow (literally) at the sight of the old man. Following recognition, she dismounts from her horse and tries to intercept the elderly man, whom she names as "Priest Jeral!? Tyr's hand, what were you doing in there??" Retrieving her bow, as a thousand self-inflicted curses go 'round in her mind for using her healing abilities 'selfishly', the paladin seems an entirely different person in front of someone whom she apparently knew before the Bronze enlistment...

[Hawk7915]

Ajax stares briefly at Whiskeyjack trying to decide how to take his comment, then shrugs it off. He hovers close to the passenger, shield ready to defend him or anyone else. "Jeeral, is it? Yeah, we missed the docks by a bit. Can ya ride? You can ride with me if ya can't and I'll watch ya, or I guess our archer knows ya well enough. We oughtta move out though...I gotta hunch we're going to be attacked again and soon."

Ajax sweeps his eyes back through the ally, looking for signs of trouble.

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Am I allowed my own, or are you still rolling for me? Just in case...
Spot Check: (1d20+2)[8]
Listen Check: (1d20+2)[21]

[dangerprawn]

The old, overweight priest accepts Whiskeyjacks help in getting up. He tries to brush the dust off his robe but soon shrugs and stops. "Your use of the past tense would indicate that Renault is..." he trails off as he looks over towards the horses and see the crumpled form beneath them. He closes his eyes and bows his head slight. "Final peace be with you, then." He says softly.

Opening his eyes he strides over to the horses and places a hand on one. "Easy, now." He says. Looking back he says, "Yes, I still remember how to ride." He turns toward Ingol. "Paladin. I was attempting to ride in safety to the docks." He stares at her. "Perhaps you will still be able to accomplish your task in that regard, as I am at the moment alive and free." His gaze hardens for a moment and then he shrugs. "Though I think there is a certain guild that would have me be otherwise."

Though the sound of the crash shook the walls of the narrow alley, no one has come into it to seek what caused it. Ajax watches as the woman pushes the children through a door. She glances back at you all for a moment, fear in her eyes before ducking in and slamming the door.

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You can roll spot and listen checks if you want your character to be on the lookout. I've just been doing passive checks for you guys when it was appropriate.

[Firebeard]

"In that case, perhaps it is worth another tap or two to get you topped off before we head back out." Whiskeyjack pulls his wand free again and taps the aged priest twice.

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HP - (1d8+3)[6]
HP - (1d8+3)[11]

[Hawk7915]

"Way looks clear, thank the gods for small miracles. Let's get movin' then. I'll take point; doc and you priest right behind me, Ingol and little man watch our flank to make sure we don't get more arrows in it. Let's go!

Ajax gets back on his horse and starts trotting forward, shield and sword drawn.

[tonberryking]

Ingol wilts under the gaze of the elderly priest, or at least what passes for wilting. Really, she's just averting her gaze down to her boots but for her this looks rather submissive.

"Yes, sir..." she mumbles, though immediately afterward she gives a glare towards the others, as if she expects them to match her servitude towards this obviously venerated, wise, priest. If anyone was curious as to which god she was a paladin of, (Tyr) it's a bit clearer now.

"Yes sir!" this to Ajax, her military attitude back again as she vaults onto Amelia's saddle, with her bow once more trained towards the back of the party.

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Spot and listen respectively: (1d20+1)[4](1d20+1)[4]

[Tackyhillbillu]

Donovan had been sitting quietly. Frankly, he didn't give a damn if the man lived or died. He was busy cursing. He'd been tricked, and he knew by whom.

"Old-timer, I really don't care. Let's get this over with."

Donovan could careless about gods and priests. He believed in the gods, fo course, and did what was required of him. But in the end, he survived by his own wits and skill, nothing else.

[Firebeard]

"Let's be off then." Whiskeyjack mounted up on the remaining horse and moved to the middle of the pack beside the old priest.

[dangerprawn]

The old priest climbed up on one of the rescued horses. He nods to Ajax. "Lead the way, then."

The alley empties onto a larger street, empty and silent in the late afternoon. It slopes downhilll for a long while and at the far end you can see the masts and sails of ships above the buildings. The cold, salty sea breeze whips through the street, offering a reprieve from the stench of the trash and refuse.

The sound of the horses hooves echo against the buildings. As you near the end of the avenue you can hear the water slapping against the ships in the dock and sailors shouting to another, yelling commands.

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The avenue is about a mile long...so you can do things if you need to before you reach the docks.

[Hawk7915]

"I don't like the smell a this, boys and girls. Seems too...easy. Even allowin' for our dead driver and near-lethal ambush for me and Ingol there...yeah. Make sure yer all ready to fight. If ya got a bit o' magic that can help us out doc, now would be a good time."

Ajax continues to move slowly towards the docks, guard up.

OOC

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As always, if I am in range and not flat-footed, I will pop Shield Block if Jeral or Whiskeyjack is attacked, granting them a +8 shield bonus to AC.

Obligatory spot and listen checks:
Spot:(1d20+2)[6]
Listen:(1d20+2)[14]

[dangerprawn]

Riding out of the street you empty on to the large avenue that runs the length of the docks. The masts of all kinds of ships stand tall like a forest and sailors are everywhere, working on the ships or lounging by the front of buildings.

Less than a hundred yards away you spot a brigantine, her sails out and straining against the wind. Figures move along the deck and you can see the ensign flag, a long black swatch of color with a white rose in the center. "Ah, there she is." the priest says.