Kingmaker (Pathfinder IC)

[balistafreak]

Hawke

Augens

As Zora charges off towards the kobalds, Augens yells in vain after her. It seems battle is upon us. He sighs, which is cut off as the wind is knocked out of him by a stone. Turning to Hawke, he extends a hand, touching the paladin on the shoulder and infusing him with a shield of divine favour. "Go, Hawke; this battle has been inevitable, and now begins."

"Zoraaaaaa!" Hawke cries out after the charging halfling. Too late - the previous clue hadn't been enough.

Rocks whistle amongst them, and Hawke raises his shield in defense, although nothing even comes close. Then Augens touches him, giving him his blessing. "Thank you, father, for your gift," he intones back in a deep voice, suddenly rather serious and not himself - as one emissary of a god to another.

Then he breaks into a run, following in Zora's wake.

Actions:

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80 foot run after Zora... but not directly into combat with that set of kobolds. If possible, he'll be a short distance away and to the side so that he can charge into a flanking position with Zora, but if the area is generally congested with them, then yeah, he goes for right with Zora.

Running = lose Dex to AC, by the way.

Summary:

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Hawke
HP: 12/12. AC: 19, 12 Touch, 19 Flatfooted.
Saves: +4 Fortitude, +2 Reflex, +0 Will.
Effects: +2 deflection AC from Shield of Faith.

[Lost Demiurge]

Krul and Hawke move up, running to close the distance and meeting their own knots of kobolds. Agash follows at a more leisurely pace, letting them draw attacks and readying to rend something next round. Kurt watches from behind a tree. Samantha's bowshot goes wild... And Zora's axe literally cleaves a kobold in half.

There's a pause, then the little lizardfolk start shrieking in fury and stabbing everyone they can reach.

Hawke realizes something, perhaps not too useful at the minute, however.

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Hey, these radishes are Moon Radishes! Rare and valuable, peasants love finding patches of these. You can sell them for large amounts of gold to alchemists and herbalists. (Well, large amounts of gold to a peasant, anyway.)

ROUND 2

Kobolds

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AC 15, 5 HP apiece.

The kobolds try their best to stab the heck out of Zora, Krul, and Hawke.

Zora is missed entirely... The two facing her look nervous.

Two of the three facing Hawke flank him, and one manages to gash his arm where the armor doesn't cover.

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(1d6-1)[1] damage

One of the two on Krul manages a lucky strike. The other misses horribly.

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(1d6-1)[1] damage.

[Leviathan]

Augens

Augens advances further towards the kobalds, now not far from his embattled companions. None of their wounds are serious, but the priest nonetheless calls down the power of his goddess to heal those he can.

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Move 30 feet towards the fighting. This puts me 20 feet away.
Channel energy, selecting only party members (including myself). I'm assuming that, since I'm 20 ft away, I can hit at least one person with channel energy (30 ft range). If I can hit both Krul and Hawke, I will, but if not, I'll prioritize Krul.
Healing done by Channel energy: (1d8)[4]

[balistafreak]

Hawke

"Zora! I'm right behind you!" Hawke calls out. With a quick snap of his arm, his shield moves high onto his upper arm, leaving his hand clear for knife-work. Right as he does so, he catches a spearhead on the newly-cleared part of his arm, and he frowns in annoyance. Oops.

And so knife-work he does, swiping in all directions. It does not please me to do this. These souls are redeemable - but we are enemies now...

Actions:

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A swift action puts away the Quickdraw Shield, reducing Hawke's AC by 1 but freeing his other hand and knife for some lovely full-attack action.

Kukri Attack: (1d20+3)[12]
Kukri Damage: (1d4+4)[8]
Critical Confirm: (1d20+3)[20]

Kukri Attack: (1d20+3)[17]
Kukri Damage: (1d4+4)[6]. One 5 HP kobold goes down.
Critical Confirm: (1d20+3)[20]

Summary:

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Hawke
HP: 11/12. AC: 20, 14 Touch, 18 Flatfooted.
Saves: +4 Fortitude, +2 Reflex, +0 Will.
Effects: +2 deflection AC from Shield of Faith.

[RocketMan]

Zora

Zora whirls around, axe singing. "Zora defeats you, lizardmen," she declares, taking another swing. She wonders momentarily whether kobolds can go to the Great Hall of the Ancestors when she kills them, but quickly puts this from her mind.

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Zora attacks one of the remaining two kobolds who are within reach.

Attack roll: (1d20+8)[23]
Damage roll: (1d10+7)[9]

[Blackfish]

Samantha Harlan

Seeing her first shot go so wide, Samantha bites her lips and steadies her herself. She then pulls two of her marked arrows from her quiver and fires them at the remaining kobold near Zora, being careful not to accidentally hit the halfling.

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Ranged attack 1: (1d20+2)[16]
Ranged damage 1: (1d6+2)[5]

Ranged attack 2: (1d20+2)[19]
Ranged damage 2: (1d6+2)[6]

[SanguinePenguin]

Krul deflects one of the kobolds spears off of his forearm. A twinge of pain surges through him, but a quick glance reveals it to be only a minor scrape. Dodging the other's weapon, he swings his own axe at the creature's neck... cutting deep into its shoulder.

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Attack: (1d20+5)[18]
Damage: (1d8+6)[12]

[Lost Demiurge]

ROUND 3

Kobolds DIE.

The last two, one by Hawke and one by Krul look at each other and beat feet down the hill, making it 30 feet away.

They do not seem interested in fighting anymore. Their friends lie bleeding and dead among the radish patch.

And Augens heals Hawke, Krul, Kurt, and himself with barely an effort.

[balistafreak]

Hawke

Watching the kobolds beat a hasty retreat, the paladin throws out an arm himself. "Don't chase them down - Zora!" he calls out, ready to restrain the halfling should she suddenly charge after them.

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Readied action to move into Zora's path if she charges. This is all it takes to interrupt a charge.

Turning back, he waves Augens forward. "We need to heal them. Not enough to wake them up and have them trying to kill us again - just enough so that they won't be dead when their friends come back."

Wiping his knives against the grass, Hawke does another scan... looking for the same auras he saw earlier to assist Augens in finding the wounded.

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Detect evil. Since 7/8 of the kobolds were evil, finding the kobolds that suddenly aren't evil probably means they died.

[Leviathan]

Augens

Augens sighs sadly at Hawke's optimistic words. "Some of these kobalds are beyond powers to heal." He eyes the bloody mess amongst the radishes. I must act quickly; if there are any yet alive, they will not be for long. He steps into the kobald-strewn battlefield, vaguely aware of how dirty his once-pristine garb has become. He raises his holy symbol up above his head, calling once more on Sarenrae's healing light. "Dawnflower, mend what can be mended; undo what evil can be undone! And take unto yourself the souls of those that lie dead, that by your divine grace they find the peace we have denied them." His holy symbol flashes with light.

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Since any kobalds that are alive probably don't have long, and will run away even if I roll high and make them conscious, I'm using another channel energy. This time, targeting everything in the area.

Amount healed by channel energy: (1d8)[4]

[RocketMan]

Zora

Zora cries out triumphantly. "Ha ha! Zora wins great victory!" She lifts her axe above her head, letting out another jeering laugh at the fleeing kobalds. "Zora has slain many scores of lizardmen. Is honourable. She must find honourable trophy." The halfling sets out inspecting the dead kobalds for anything potentially of value.

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She's searching the kobalds.
Search: (1d20+0)[11]

[Blackfish]

Samantha Harlan

As the battle ends, Samantha closes the distance to the group. Hoping that the two arrows that hit did not break, she immediately sets about trying to locate them, as well as the third arrow that missed.

"If nothing else, we aren't going to want for food for some time."

[Lost Demiurge]

The kobolds that fled keep on fleeing, disappearing into the trees down below the hill.

Zora finds a nice bone and tooth necklace on one of the kobolds, and manages to pull it off before Augens releases the warmth of Iomedae's grace upon the fallen lizardfolk.

Three of them fail to stir, but the rise and fall of their chests indicates that they live. The other three struggle to their feet, groggy and surprised to be alive.

One of them glares at Zora and starts to raise his spear again. The one next to him swiftly knees him in the crotch, then turns to wave both hands frantically as his "friend" rolls on the ground groaning.

"Smeesta! Smeesta Hurm! Zif neub barabba groor, pod brobo gin Mrr?"

Kurt

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"We're sorry! We're really sorry! Uh, not that we don't like it but why are we still alive?"

Hawke

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All three of the kobolds currently standing are evil. Tiny, dim evil, but evil.

Samantha

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The third arrow is sticking out of a tree and retrievable. The two arrows that hit are sticking out of kobolds that are currently babbling and moving around

[balistafreak]

Hawke

Moving to surround their captives, Hawke does his best to stand imposingly, blocking an escape route. He looks completely baffled, however, by the language. "Please say that someone understands them," he chuckles nervously.

[balistafreak]

Kurt

"They're asking why we spared them," Kurt relays.

[Draconic]"You tell me," Kurt says. [Draconic]"You raised arms against us and started this fight. I think you deserve what your friends got, but let's see what my own friends want with you."

The gnome looks back to Agash, who leers at the kobolds threateningly. "Okay, priest, what did you want with these kobolds? Surely you want something."

Hawke

The paladin for his part simply looks annoyed at Kurt's obvious brusqueness. "We wanted to spare their lives. We didn't want to fight, but it happened before we could keep the peace." He glares at Zora. "You need to calm down," he throws in before continuing. "Now, since we're exploring the nearby area, we need to know where they live. We may have just made bad neighbors..." he trails off.

[Lost Demiurge]

The kobolds jabber at Kurt, seemingly more surprised by the minute. Kurt translates.

"We live southeast of here, in the caves. We attacked you because you were gonna take our food, but we lost so its yours now. You are all very terrifying and we are sorry we tried to kill you."

A few further questions, and they clarify the location of their lair.

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It is in F6, on the side of a hill just north of the Shrike River

[Leviathan]

Augens

"I believe that we should let these creatures go. I know that many of you do not share my convictions, but we have made an enemy of the kobalds already; perhaps this would repair some measure of that damage."

[RocketMan]

Zora

"The lizardmen, they are defeated in battle," Zora asserts firmly. "Now they must offer tribute to us, show our strength. Send them as the messengers to south caves, demand tribute from all kobolds. This is the way things are done."

[SanguinePenguin]

Krul leans in to whisper softly to Augens, "it is possible that the kobolds are bandits as well. We should investigate their caves for signs of banditry. If we find none, we can let things stand. Otherwise we stay true to our task."

[balistafreak]

Hawke

Nudging Zora, he gives her a... strange look. "You know, that's not a half-bad idea. But not tribute. We have no use for money or goods out here. What we want are... good neighbors. And if we prove it with might, then maybe, just maybe..."

Turning away, he directs at the kobolds, "We weren't going to take your food... although..." Hawke mutters to himself for a second, bending down over the radishes. Priceless! So valuable! So... delicious... Yes, the turnips were better when actually cooked and prepared, but...

"We're... sorry about hurting your friends," he said, bowing his head low. "But no one died. And that's good. Tell you what!" The young paladin claps his hands. "Let us harvest these radishes, and bring them to your tribe. They will be a valuable, delicious gift. We will tell them of your brave deeds," he goes on, getting more and more into his plan, "of how you defended your findings against us, when you thought us robbers of your precious find, that you were going to take back to your tribe," he insists in a emphatic tone, winking heavily. "We can talk there, and make friends!"

He's so insistent, he runs back to his horse, grabs a shovel, and starts digging up the patch with all the expertise of a former farmer, not even listening to the conversation anymore.

[Leviathan]

Krul leans in to whisper softly to Augens, "it is possible that the kobolds are bandits as well. We should investigate their caves for signs of banditry. If we find none, we can let things stand. Otherwise we stay true to our task."

Augens

"I believe these two ideas are not incompatible. We may go with these kobalds and try to make friends of them. Doing so will allow us to assess whether or not they are bandits. If they are, we must endeavour to show them the error of their ways. If they will not be moved... He pauses grimly, clearly not at all pleased. "Then stronger measures may be necessary."

He walks back to his horse. Having no shovel, he prepares to leave should the others accept this plan of action.

[Blackfish]

Samantha Harlan

Augens

"I believe these two ideas are not incompatible. We may go with these kobalds and try to make friends of them. Doing so will allow us to assess whether or not they are bandits. If they are, we must endeavour to show them the error of their ways. If they will not be moved... He pauses grimly, clearly not at all pleased. "Then stronger measures may be necessary."

He walks back to his horse. Having no shovel, he prepares to leave should the others accept this plan of action.

"Why don't we see how they live before we plan on how to deal with them?" Samantha picks her way across the field, careful not to step on any of the valuable radishes. "If they can be reasoned with, they would make good allies. They live in these lands, so they are bound to know more about them than we do."

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Knowledge (Dungeoneering) check to see what I know about Kobolds: (1d20+3)[15]

[RocketMan]

Zora

"Such strange ideas outlanders have, defeat lizardmen with honour only to give gifts to those who are bested!" Zora shakes her head, unable to comprehend. "But Zora agrees, we go to cave, find the wealth of the lizardmen. If there is much, even lowlanders might agree with Zora to take some tribute."

[balistafreak]

Hawke

Zora

"Such strange ideas outlanders have, defeat lizardmen with honour only to give gifts to those who are bested!" Zora shakes her head, unable to comprehend. "But Zora agrees, we go to cave, find the wealth of the lizardmen. If there is much, even lowlanders might agree with Zora to take some tribute."

"Nonononono, you don't get it!" calls Hawke as he throws a great deal of dirt around. The massive white radishes begin to stack up, and he calls for assistance in packing them into the saddlebags. "We don't want their tribute, we want their trust. And their friendship. If things go well, we can ask for far greater favors than a pile of treasure." He thinks for a bit of an analogy. "Would you rather have the harvest of one field now, or the workers to grow and harvest ten fields?" Not the most helpful one, talking to the barbarian...

[Lost Demiurge]

The kobolds seem quite surprised by your offer, and huddle for a bit. Finally they nod.

"okay okay." They pick up their unconscious friends and try to awkwardly carry them, AND the baskets. It doesn't work so well.

Finally, with a combination of lashing baskets to the horses and the kobolds making stretchers for their comrades... Combined with the two kobolds who fled returning cautiously and getting told what's going on, the little lizardlike creatures are ready to go.

It soon becomes apparent that this is going to take a while. The kobolds are not mounted, and more hills keep cropping up as the forest thins. Judging by the distance they told you, it'll take two days of travel to get there.

At one point you see a wolf pack watching you from the deeper part of the woods, but the wolves quite clearly want no part of you, AND your horses, AND the kobolds. Those odds don't look too good and they leave.

On the plus side, Krul's hunting is turning up quite a bounty, and combined with some spare radishes, you have a large dinner that evening. Soon the moon rises high in the sky, and the kobolds start falling asleep, and bullying each other into keeping watches.

[RocketMan]

Zora

As night falls over the camp, Zora speaks to her companions, her tone glum. "To Zora this makes no sense. Take two days to visit cave and be friends? Not even tribute? Zora asks what good friends are lizardmen who are so easily defeated in battle?" Turning to Hawke, she says, continuing, "Zora does not want fields, not even ten, Zora wants gold. Gold is honourable, fields are for slaves. Even if Zora did want fields, how can weak lizardmen turn one to ten by being alive longer?"

[Blackfish]

Samantha Harlan

Zora

As night falls over the camp, Zora speaks to her companions, her tone glum. "To Zora this makes no sense. Take two days to visit cave and be friends? Not even tribute? Zora asks what good friends are lizardmen who are so easily defeated in battle?" Turning to Hawke, she says, continuing, "Zora does not want fields, not even ten, Zora wants gold. Gold is honourable, fields are for slaves. Even if Zora did want fields, how can weak lizardmen turn one to ten by being alive longer?"

Samantha sets about unpacking her bedroll for the night. Stifling a yawn and laying back on it, she tilts her head toward Zora. "If we attacked them, we might lose one or more of our own. So why would we take that risk if we could possibly turn them into allies, rather than enemies?"

She tucks her pack under her head. "With our kindness now, and some diplomacy once we reach their caves, we may have a valuable ally in the future. Information and aid is worth more than gold."

[Leviathan]

Zora

As night falls over the camp, Zora speaks to her companions, her tone glum. "To Zora this makes no sense. Take two days to visit cave and be friends? Not even tribute? Zora asks what good friends are lizardmen who are so easily defeated in battle?" Turning to Hawke, she says, continuing, "Zora does not want fields, not even ten, Zora wants gold. Gold is honourable, fields are for slaves. Even if Zora did want fields, how can weak lizardmen turn one to ten by being alive longer?"

Augens

"We are but six, Zora, and these kobalds are many. Is it not true that even the mightiest of warriors may be felled by many lesser men? Even though they may be weak, together they are strong. If these kobalds can be taught to heed the codes of civilized lands and the divine edicts of the gods, then it is fitting they should be our allies." He unpacks his own bedroll, says a short prayer, and lies down to sleep.

[SanguinePenguin]

Krul frowned deeply, though he certainly did not agree with Zora, he did not see wisdom in this plan. He spoke softly to his comrades while the creatures slept, "while we should not wrongly assume others are enemies, we should also not wrongly assume that others are our friends. While among these kobold's perhaps the might makes right mentality has bought us some loose allies, but if might makes right, what happens to our allegiance when their leader sees how vastly outnumbered we are? If might makes right, then an order to attack us could not be wrong."

[balistafreak]

Hawke

Sitting up in his bedroll, Hawke thinks for a second, then gets up. Rummaging in his packs for a few seconds, he suddenly whips out something that's been cluttering his packs for a few days now: the charter.

"I didn't really understand this," he admits, "but doesn't this say we represent the king? I mean, I've never met him, but if the king is ordering us to do this than doesn't that make us more powerful than a tribe of kobolds? I mean, surely we're not the only band of explorers out here. Zora came, for example," he points out. "That should keep them from outright killing us... right?" The unsteady note in his voice clearly reveals his trepidation.