Heart of Gold - IC [Party 2]

[SensFan]

The Summer Solstice in the town of Eterna could only mean one thing: the Gala of Summer. The annual festival held in this coastal town. As usual, hundreds have flocked to Eterna for the celebration, from all surrounding areas and beyond.

It was mid-afternoon on this particularily hot day, and you all were in the vicinity of the large fountain, a huge stone statue of a Dragon, spewing a jet of golden-coloured water at least 100 feet in the air. The slight cooling effect of the misty water felt wonderful on anyone close enough to the fountain to feel it, a perfect way to deal with the heat of the day.

One person in particular seemed to be really enjoying the fountain. The Halfling must have been no more than 8 or so, a young child. He was frolicking about in the mist of water, laughing and giggling, trying to catch the water in his outstretched hands.

Then, all of a sudden, an Orc ran past at break-neck speed, grabbed the child, and ran off just as fast. It all passed so quickly, no one realized what was happening until a few seconds later, when the Orc was out of sight.

Another minute or so pass as you check your surroundings, check for any other danger, and what have you. Before you have time to even really react to the incident, a Halfling woman ran up, hysterical.

My son! My son! she screams to the six of you, What happened to him? He was just here a few minutes ago! Did any of you see him?

The six of you are the only ones close enough to have noticed the incident, though there are a couple dozen or more people within 100 feet that are now looking or walking over, attracted by the screams.

[Critical]

OOC: I choose the blue color.
Also, do we know each other ICly?

The beautiful, graceful human, or maybe an elf, it wasn't clear, because his ears were covered by his blond hair, was enjoying the celebration. As he was a bard, he felt like a fish in the sea there, socializing and improving people's mood, which he just loved doing. Vycros was enjoying himself at the celebration, as halfling woman came up to them, screaming something about her son. Vycros, as a true defender of freedom, decided to help the woman and spoke up, as he usually did - he always felt that he was the leader, and perhaps it was like so. Please, calm down! Tell us what has happened! - he said, trying to calm down the woman. - If you tell us what happened, we might be able to help you.

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Diplomacy roll to calm her down and generally to improve attitude :D
(1d20+13)[16]

[Calenestel]

In the spray from the fountain the simply clad dwarf had been sitting cooling himself for almost half an hour. Enjoying what relief he could found this hot and thirsty day. The hayloft where he had found board in exchange for working the stables where particularly horrible a day like this and he sorely needed some rest. He had hardly paid his surroundings even half a mind when he suddenly heard running footsteps but he had only just opened his grey eyes when an orc ran past him, just in front of him, with a halfling child in his clutches. Bewildered he lept to his feat, grasping for a swordhilt that wasn't there. What in the blazes?!

When the halfling mother comes yelling for her son he quickly marches over to her, his booted feet stomping the pavement in a most confident manner. I saw 'im, ma'am! A stinkin' orc just ran past me, carying yer lad!

[Dax Thura]

Koto and Finster are resting in the shade, enjoying watching the people frolic about. When the young halfling is taken by the orc, he figures that it's some sort of game and doesn't give it another thought until the mother comes screaming hysterically.
How could I have been so stupid?!
He quickly mounts Finster and they run in the direction he saw the orc go.

[Derjuin]

Such a wonderful celebration! Deliah smiles at the halfling child playing in the fountain, then turns to admire the celebrating people around her. Right as she is about to take her eyes off the child, however, an orc hustles past her, grabs the child, and dashes away from the fountain.

She nearly stumbles as the child's mother approaches her and the others at the fountain, hysterical. "I saw an orc running off with him! He went - " She starts and points after the orc, who was already being chased by one of the others at the fountain, then takes off in that direction, yelling back to the mother. "We'll find him!"

[SensFan]

The two of you still by the fountain

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The woman is gasping and panting heavily, clearly overcome with shock and panic. An...an Orc? she sputters, getting paler and paler. B...but how...how...how will I ever...g...get Rufus b.back...from an Orc... Her breathing slows very slightly, and she seems to regain some sort of control. Please, she begs, desperation in her face, you have to help me. Please, rescue my Rufus.
By now quite the croud is forming around the fountain, as more and more people are attracted by the screams. Many people are shouting now, and its hard to make out anything in particular, those most appear to be pointing in a vaguely southern direction.

The two giving chase

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Finster is a faster runner than Deliah, but finds it harder to run through gaps in the croud, and so Deliah keeps pace as you chase after the fleeing Orc. You can make out his large and bulky figure a ways in front of you, but due to the force with which he pushes people out of his way, you can't close the gap on him. His figure leaves town in a south-western direction, and once free from the large crouds, he easily outpaces you, and you lose sight of him in the distance. Along the route the Orc took through town, people are on the ground and belongings have spilled all over the place; even a kiosk appears to have been knocked over.

[Dax Thura]

Koto pushes Finster on. He guides his faithful friend to follow in the wake of the fleeing kidnapper. He knows that once out of town, Finster's greater speed will close the distance swiftly. Then the orc will have to face his fury.

[Critical]

"Don't worry, maam, we'll save your son." - the half-elf said and rushed chasing his friends and the orc. An innocent child should be saved at all cost! - he thought to himself.

[Calenestel]

"Aye, the elf's got the right of it. We'll find the wee one!" With that the blackbearded dwarf stomps of after the half-elf, patting his brown vest as he runs. In fact he's checking his daggers with more than a passing wish that he'd brought his other gear along. "Now don't ye start runnin' of without me, ye durned longlegger! His considerably shorter legs pumping furiously he does his best to keep up, and does as well as could be expected. Still he is aware that in the short distances none of his kin can stand up to a man or an elf, or whatever the other man was.

[Derjuin]

Deliah continues after the orc as they leave town, and then uses the other giving chase to the orc as a guide, but stops before she's too far away from town. "He's...so fast..." she mutters under her breath, looking back. I should probably wait for the others...

[SensFan]

Finster picks up considerable speed once free of the croud, but the Orc's headstart is enough to keep him out of reach, the Orc running faster than any you've ever seen or heard of. Finster is barely faster than him, and so your quarry disappears into a forest a couple hundred feet or so from the town. Deliah falls behind the both of you once out of the city, with Vykos and Borts following behind.

[Dax Thura]

He's been magically enhanced. Koto thinks. That probably means there's more of them.
He has Finster turn around to join up with the others giving chase.
There's more to this situation than just a random kidnapping.

[Calenestel]

Huffing and puffing but his short legs working unrelentlessly he makes good speed, for one of the bearded folk at least. But of course the orc would have won out without any possible magical aid. When he finally reaches the town's gate the orc is long gone. But there seemed to have been more pursuers, even mounted. At the gate Borts stops, waiting for those returning and catching his breath at the same time. Well, did any of ye see where the durned orc got hiself of to?

[Critical]

"Ouch, he probably got some magic on him!" - Vycros said as he saw no sign of orc near. As he saw Finster and hopefully, everyone else who followed, he began to speak. - "Any pathfinders amongst ya? The footprints should be pretty fresh." He thought about something for a second, and added: "Oh, and what are your names, by the way? Name's Vycros." - he said and smiled.

[Dax Thura]

"I'm Koto Glintwhistle and this is Finster. I'm no pathfinder, but I do know my way around the wood."

[Calenestel]

Borts, be me name. Borts Stormaxe. And I be no tracker. I be a locksmith and engineer. But If any of ye knows yer way around the woods, then ye can count on me. The blackbearded dwarf sighs lightly and looks down at his unarmoured chest. But I hope ye can spare a moment. I think I should gear up afore we go anywhere.

[Dax Thura]

"I have a suspicion about the circumstance and would like to have a word with the mother before continuing after the orc. So I think we can make time for you to become suitably dressed my good dwarf."

[Calenestel]

With a quick look at the oddly mounted halfling the dwarf cracks a grim smile. Then he nods in agreement. Aye, ye go talk with yer kin. I'll meet ye here. With that and a quick nod to each of the other two the dwarf sprints of again, now into town to get his equipment in order.

[Derjuin]

"I'm Deliah Dawnglow; though I'm not really a tracker, I know a thing or two about forests." She smiles, and turns to Vycros as the two head back to town. " Do you think we should wait for them to come back? I'm pretty sure I've got everything with me..." The last part of her question trails off as she checks to make sure her sword and other belongings are in there proper place.

[Dax Thura]

Koto turns to Deliah and Vycos,
"It seems odd to me that an orc would be that well prepared for just a random act of pillaging. I think that there's more to the tale than is immediately obvious. I am new here, so perhaps one of you can tell me if this sort of thing has been happening recently. "

Assuming that neither of them have any information
"I'd like to have a brief word with the child's mother before going into the forest to track down that orc. I suspect he'll have friends as well. I suggest we work together on this."

[Critical]

Thinking about everything told, Vycros has finally came up with a decision, he turned his eyes towards Deliah to answer her question. "As much as I would like to, I believe that without a tracker or something to give us much more speed to catch up with him, we're better off investigating in the city." With that, he moved back towards the city, hopefully along with the others.

[Dax Thura]

Once back inside the city, Koto seeks out the child's mother.

[Calenestel]

Flaming orcs inside the town proper! These durned humans have no idea how to guard anything important, do they? Muttering under his breath the dwarf goes straight for the inn where he stays. There really isn't any time to waste and he goes straight through any obstacles, even groups of humans.

[SensFan]

The mother is not at all difficult to find. She is still by the fountain, and still causing quite a fuss by screaming loudly. The croud formed around her is comprised about equally of people trying to calm everyone down and those who are adding to the chaos with yelling and screaming of their own.

There are two inns in the town. One of them, The Eternal Pub, is considerably more popular, and is the main inn. The other is a somewhat seedier and quieter venue, Greenfields. Which inn would Borts be staying at?

[Derjuin]

Deliah heads back to town, thinking over and over: Who could be so depraved as to steal away a child from its mother? When she arrives in town, she seeks out the mother again, her heart sinking a bit as she approaches the crowd around the woman.

[Calenestel]

OOC

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@SensFan: It depends. Which one is most likely to give free room and board for an extra hand in the stables?

[Dax Thura]

Koto takes a moment to assess the mother's sincerity before going to ask her any questions. Sense Motive (1d20+3)[12]