Now You Can't Say You've Never Done This Before - IC

[big teej]

Sohn eyes the halfling quisically for a moment but then shrugs and returns his attention to the conversation between the merchant and his elven (soon to be) compatriot

[arrowhen]

Joachim turns to the elf with a strangely wistful grin.

"But long walk is very pleasant, no? Warm sun in face, cool wind in hair. Open sky, distant horizon. Is nice. But maybe feet get sore, is not so nice.

"Hmm. I am thinking to walk, take maybe three day. Two and a half if you take turn carrying hafling." He shoots a sly wink in Beattle's direction. "Could lend horse from stable, you arrive in little over a day. Horse very valuable, though. You find trouble, horse killed or run away, I have to deduct replacement cost from wages.

"Other thought: wagon and two mule. Not any faster than walking, but easier on feet. Plus, who know? Maybe you find big treasure, good to have wagon to haul back, no? Or, maybe you find big trouble. Two wagon and mule cost less than one horse.

"Anyway, is up to you."

[luv2breformed]

Alton listens to the others carefully before offering his preference from his seated position.

"I prefer to travel light, so walking is quite agreeable for me. However, I am not wedded to the idea. Whatever method of travel you prefer would be fine." He says as he seeks to establish friendly terms with his likely new associates.

[big teej]

Sohn chuckles quietly and says
Being a rather optimistic person, I vote we go with the mules and cart. I'm highly in favor in being able to carry back more stuff than we could just in our packs. Besides, what if we find survivors of this village that seems to have fallen off the map? we can't exactly carry them all the way back, and no offence to our friend here Sohn gestures at Edrik but we can't count on him being able to see to all the wounded, as we have no way of knowing how many there are.

Sohn reflects for a moment.

IF there are survivors that is...

[Doombringer]

:Ricroar nodded and said: "I agree the mules and the cart would be pleasant at least as far as carrying things." :Ricroar then went silent once more..figuring all that was left was to move out.:-f-

[Rael_Orithen]

Edrik is eager to get on with the assignment: Taking a cart will be far too cumbersome and not at all beneficial. We need to complete this as soon as possible and waste no time trying to get more loot for ourselves. I say we take the horses and get there as quickly as possible. Otherwise, we walk.

[big teej]

Sohn quirks an eyebrow and gives Edrik a quizical look

And what would you have us do with any survivors? carry them back upon our backs? What if they are more injured than we can manage? Do we leave them there?

[Rael_Orithen]

DM:

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Is (was) there a St. Cuthbert's church in Greycliff? I ask because that might be a good place to take survivors we find, and Edrik would probably know if there was one there.

Edrik replies, What would survivors do here if we bring them back? If we take care of the problem properly, they should no longer be in any danger if they stay in Greycliff. Besides we would only put them in more peril on the return journey. I mean to take care of the problem quickly and ensure that peace is established... and of course complete this errand for our esteemed benefactor.

[Dementia]

Beattle listens to the bickering.

Horses might be convenient for them, but he has an aversion to the large smelly beasts. Besides, it’s foolhardy to rush in astride when the leisure of three days may provide the party with intelligence concerning the nature of the disturbance that awaits them.

The real question then, in Beattle’s estimation, is to walk or ride in the cart…the answer seems simple and easier on the feet. The cart! Not to mention much snugger if it rains.

“If we’re voting, my pebble goes for the cart,” Beattle chimes in. “It will perhaps give us the opportunity to find out what is going on before we reach Greyclyff. Not to mention a cart will be less suspicious, in these uncertain times, than an armed group of five brazenly walking down the road.”

Beattle casts a returning sly look to Joachim.

"And perhaps there is something additional our friend would like us to bring to Greyclyff."

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I'm new to this online thing too...so I'm uncertain of the etiquette. But, at this point if my brilliant logic hasn't outright convinced your character...may I humbly remind you to consider my character's well endowed charisma?

And, out of curiosity, what season is it? Since no one mentioned great hardship due to weather in their travails I'd guess we're in autumn or spring? Or we have a very hardy bunch!

[Rael_Orithen]

Sensing that further debate will only delay them further, Edrik concedes,
We will take whatever means will get us there and get the job done. I leave the decision to the rest of you.

[big teej]

Sohn nods towards Beattle, and then looks around at everyone.

Unless there is something else to discuss, I believe we are ready to leave.

[arrowhen]

[OOC: OK, if I'm not mistaken, it looks like you've decided to go with the wagon drawn by mules. Your journey will commence approximately one hour after I've dragged my ass out of bed tomorrow morning and poured a couple cups of coffee down my throat -- i.e., somewhere between 10am and whenever, Central Daylight Time.

In game time, it's evening. Once negotiations are complete, Joachim thanks you all in advance and shepherds you all back into the common room of the inn. For tonight, drinks, food, and lodging are on the house. If anyone does anything interesting before retiring to bed either post it now (that is, before my next post), or deal with it in a flashback.

Whenever I wake up and post, it'll be morning, and the start of your great adventure!]

[Doombringer]

:Ricroar looked to the one complaining about the cart and shook his head.:"And if the horses are hurt he takes it from our pay..and a carriage is much more easier on ones feet than walking." :Ricroar nodded..: "I will take you up on the offer of the carriage..and if there are damages I will gladly pay you back ."

[arrowhen]

Joachim smiles and claps his hands together again.

"Is good! We have deal! Go now, eat, drink, rest, is all on house! I have wagon and mule ready for you in morning."

The next morning, after breakfast, one of Joachim's aides takes you to the stable where your wagon is waiting, the mules already in their harnesses. The kitchen staff has prepared a week's worth of provisions: meat pies, loaves of crusty bread, dried fruits, wheels of sharp cheese, and the like.

If anyone wants to purchase any other supplies for the trip, go ahead. Between Joachim's personal stores and the traders and peddlers who can always be found hanging around the tavern, you should be able to find any kind of normal weapon or adventuring gear you're looking for.

* * *

It's a sunny, pleasant day in late spring. The air is warm, but a hint of winter's chill still lingers in the occasional breezes. The wagon is sturdy and comfortable, unroofed, but with a tarpaulin that can be set up to provide shelter in case of rain. The roads are in good condition, neither muddy nor overly dusty.

The area surrounding the Gilded Cage seems almost a village in its own right, a small cluster of fields and houses that thins quickly as you make your way north. After a couple of hours of travel, signs of habitation become scarce -- the remains of a campfire near the road, a lonely farmhouse glimpsed far in the distance, the occasional broken leather harness strap or other odd bit of road debris.

The terrain is gently rolling grassland, with occasional clumps of trees or brush.

Around midday the road crosses a small stream. Stone pillars on either side of the road indicate there was once a bridge here, but apparently it was washed away some time ago. Fortunately the water is shallow and you manage to coax the mules across with only a token bit of complaining on their end.

By late afternoon, as the sun is beginning to sink toward the western hills, the road begins to both curve a bit to the east and to rise, slowly but steadily.

Spot Check!

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- Spot checks vs DC 15 -
Ricroar Forgedawn makes a Spot skill check of 10 - Fails!.
Edrik Serpenthelm makes a Spot skill check of 22 - Success!.
Lynwood Beattle makes a Spot skill check of 21 - Success!.
Sohn Riverheart makes a Spot skill check of 10 - Fails!.
Alton Tu'neris makes a Spot skill check of 20 - Success!.

Toward the end of the day's travel, as the wagon rounds a slight bend, Edrik, Beattle, and Alton spot a human-sized figure in a brown robe or dress lying face down in a clump of grass about 50 feet from the road. They also spot some kind of movement in the grass near the prone figure.

* * *

Your progress so far:

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[luv2breformed]

Alton is quite happy with the choice of the wagon. Now that they are actually on it he feels much more like royalty and much less like a peasant. He spends much of the ride chatting with his new companions, trying to get to know them a bit more. Now that they are not in the presence of anyone in clearly high society, he is much less careful about keeping his tongue and his extroverted side begins to show.

As they round a bend, Alton spots a human sized figure laying in the grass, as well as some movement.
"Hold on, slow down a bit guys." He says in a hushed voice, trying not to attract attention. "Do you guys see that over there in the brush?" He asks, attempting to alert anyone in the party who had not seen the figures. "Who is that? What should we do?"

[big teej]

Sohn stops playing his harmonica and peers in the direction Alton is looking, reaches down to make sure his mornging star is still next to him when he left it (he gets quite engrossed in his music)

Keep your weapons loose in their scabbards he says quietly, and then resumes playing a very sedate and quiet tune, so as not to interfere with anyone hearing something.

[Dementia]

As the cart slows, Beattle deftly springs down from the wagon and mutters "find" with a soft snap of his thumb and middle finger.

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Beattle casts detect magic.

[arrowhen]

Beattle doesn't detect any magical emanations from the direction of the figure.

Rael_Orithen:

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Sorry, I forgot to follow up on this before. Edrik hasn't heard of a church of St. Cuthbert in Greyclyff. Small villages can't usually support a dozen or more different places of worship, so they'll have one dedicated to a particular deity (in human lands, usually Pelor), but containing within them shrines to other commonly worshiped non-evil gods of the region.

[Rael_Orithen]

Edrik notices the mysterious figure and movement just at the same moment Alton does. He moves a steady hand toward his crossbow and says, Steady, lads, be ready for anything. Then, addressing Beattle, Notice anything?

[Dementia]

Beattle shakes his head, "no magic." Beattle begins to inch closer to the prone figure.

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In the future, if you wish, please feel free to take over Beatle and answer as him.

[big teej]

Sohn eyes Edrik's crossbow with disgust and thinks to himself
I knew I forgot to pack something.


Sohn puts away his harmonica.

[arrowhen]

A black, shaggy shape rises from behind the fallen figure, its nose twitching as it sniffs at the air. It's a rat -- a four foot long rat with matted, spiky hair and a vicious gleam in its dull red eyes. Its two companions rise to their feet alongside it, their heads whipping around to peer in the direction of the wagon and the interlopers disturbing their afternoon meal.

Yay! Your first combat encounter!

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Initiative Order:

Lynwood Beattle 25
Ricroar Forgedawn 22
Edrik Serpenthelm 14
Sohn Riverheart 13
Dire Rats 11
Alton Tu'neris 7

Your Enemies:

Dire Rats:
AC 15, touch 14, FF 12
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3
If you provoke an Attack of Opportunity, they will take advantage of it. Their bite is +4 to hit, 1d4 damage, plus you'll need to make a Fortitude save at DC 11 to avoid contracting Filth Fever.



Battle Map:

{table]..|A.|B.|C.|D.|E.|F.|G.|H.|I.|J.|K.|L.|M.|N.|O.
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[/table]

DR are the Dire Rats
? is the human-sized figure on the ground
W is the wagon
B is Beattle; everyone else is still in the wagon. The sides of the wagon are low enough that you should be able to hop out as part of your move action.
O is a large, smooth boulder about four feet in height.

And yes, this map is ugly as hell. I'll try to come up with a more attractive map solution in time for our next combat.

[OOC: Remember you don't have to wait until it's your turn in the initiative order to declare your actions. Post whenever you get a chance to; everything will be resolved in initiative order once everyone's said what they're doing.

Also, I have no problem with players discussing combat tactics. I figure even lowly 1st level adventurers know more about fighting than most of us probably do, so if you want to say something like, "Hey, why don't you take a 5' step to the east so we can flank this guy," or, "you mind if I get out of range before you cast fireball?" or whatever, that's just representing things your characters would probably just do instinctively without needing to discuss them.]

[big teej]

Sohn hops out of the wagon and takes a few swipes with his morningstar to loosen himself up

[Dementia]

Beattle raises his arms above his head and chants "burnet Halja." A green-brown spark grows in Beattle's palms and shoots off across the clearing into the rat on the right-hand side.

[OOC: Beattle casts magic missile.
Damage roll: (1d4+1)[2]]

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Right hand side if you're facing the rats. So, dire rat J8 in the graph above.

[Rael_Orithen]

Not willing to waste any time, Edrik quickly grabs a bolt, loads it into his crossbow, mutters a few quick words to St. Cuthbert, and fires at the nearest of the vermin without even bothering to move from his spot on the front of the wagon.

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From the wagon to the rat at J6.
Attack: (1d20+1)[12]
Damage: (1d8)[6]

[arrowhen]

big teej

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Sohn hops out of the wagon and takes a few swipes with his morningstar to loosen himself up

Is that your only action for this round?
What square did you jump down in?

[big teej]

Arrowhen

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oopsies, he hops down into B6, and yes, me and my measly 8 hit points are going to camp out here by the caster. I'll probably start singing at people next round, depending on how the walking ironworks are doing

[Doombringer]

(sorry real life things popped up..)

:Ricroar moved quickly..his blade free he would charge toward the rat. Shield raised as he would take a slice trying to chop the filthy creature in half.:

(Charging to I6 and taking a swing at rat in J6)
(1d20+6)[26]


(I rolled to confirm ..cause I hate this dice roller and hit with a 15)

(8 points of Damage..)

[arrowhen]

[OOC: Rael_Orithen: Ricroar, who was ahead of you in the initiative order, just killed the rat you shot at. Obviously in a tabletop game you would have known that before you decided on your action. Such are the joys of asynchronous gaming. I'm going to just apply your damage to the next closest rat, the one at K7, if that's OK with you.

luv2breformed is waiting until his turn to post his actions, so...]

Beattle's bolt of arcane force strikes the rightmost rat, leaving a nasty gash along one flank. A split second later, Ricroar charges forth, his blade flashing in the afternoon sunlight as it cleaves the rat on the left from snout to hip.

Moments later, Edrik's crossbow bolt buries itself deep in the middle rat's skull. The foul creature falls over, twitching and bleeding.

The surviving rat, maddened with rage and pain, charges toward Beattle. It leaps into the air, gnashing its teeth at the halfling sorcerer...

Rat attack:

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Dire Rat (Bite) hits (8+4+2) AC 14 for 1 HP of damage plus disease

Lynwood Beattle makes a Fort save of 21 - Success!

No filth fever for you, halfling!

...in an awkward, clumsy bite which only the rat's speed and momentum prevents from missing entirely. Beattle suffers a bloody but relatively minor gash to his right wrist.

Updated map:

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{table]..|A.|B.|C.|D.|E.|F.|G.|H.|I.|J.|K.|L.|M.|N.|O.
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[OOC: Now we're just waiting on luv2breformed's action and we can commence with the next round, if necessary.]

[luv2breformed]

Alton springs out of the wagon into A8 rapier drawn. Making his way to B9, he lunges at the rat attempting to run it through. "Die you vile beast!"

(1d20)[17]
(1d6)[3]
Crit if hit 18-20:
(1d6)[2]