Lost Farrain [IC]

[Maerok]

Introduction:

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You're arriving by carriage with a load of supplies from the distant command center, Thevadale - home to the Order's efforts to reclaim a large spread of land long ago taken from the human kingdoms. The besieged town of Farrain is not too far off now. In the hundred years since the orc clan took over no force has been able to challenge them until now - reclaiming the land had seemed a lost cause.

Captain Rhomyr, head of the Thevadale outpost to the Order of Pelor, chose Farrain to be the first major victory as it would serve to be a symbolic gesture when its once famous temple to the many gods of benevolence is reclaimed. The captain's war plan was sanctioned by the Order itself but would receive no additional troops for the foreseeable future. The latest word places the advancing force at the edge of the woods that surround the clearing that encompasses the town and its farmlands.

You've been hired to assist the Order in reclaiming the town and then to recover any important relics you may find as the paladins move out to continue their march. The town of Farrain was an unrealized cultural icon in its time and may still contain a wealth of historic and valuable treasures. But after its fall there is now more to be found than just harmless trinkets.

The Road to Farrain
"A sunrise like this is an omen. Pelor's might is with us this day." The carriage driver, Toenn, speaks softly as the sun reaches up from its nightly rest. One of the four horses at the front snorts as if to agree.

Trees continue to pass by the carriage windows, as they have done for the last twenty miles of forest, but the town is within reach. The trip has been pleasant enough but there's a sense of restlessness now. You are in the carriage with your fellow companions, all hired to accomplish the task at hand.

The small caravan is comprised of the team of horses pulling a carriage linked to a wagon loaded with rations and supplies for the Order's attack. Periodically a pair of scouts on horseback ride alongside the cart and run ahead of the wagon to check for ambushes; for the moment they are gone. The sounds of the battle ahead are yet to reach you through the wooden domain.

[Sduser]

Clink... Clink... Clink... As time passed he would pick his sword, the tip held down towards the floor of their transport, upwards and let it fall with a metallic thud. Time was passing too slow for his taste, too much time sitting in one spot. Beneath his helmet, his eyes were shut as he counter each moment in his head.

The warrior sat above move other men, his family armor worn beneath a furred cape. A few strands of his obsidian hairs riding out of the few crevices of said helmet. The task sounded fun, and it wasn't anything worse than what he had did before. The gold was good, and that was what mattered. Twirling the Greatsword in place as he opened his eyes, an annoyed and impatient sigh leaving him.

[mozae]

Sidar was relieved that there was a break in the silence, for it had left him alone with his thoughts. I'm sure Pelor is with US, but WE, my brave man, are going to be doing the fighting while you ride back to Thevadale. He wanted, no, he needed more knowledge, but he knew one of these adventures would be his last and he asked himself if it was worth it. He smiled to himself when he thought of what the average gnome back home would write on his epitath: "Sidar, he died looking for scrolls".

After a brief pause Sidar utters, "Well if no one is going to speak up, I will begin boring you to sleep with my vast knowledge of orcs...and seeing how no one wants to hear that I suggest we start formulating a strategy before we have knives at our throats."

[greenstave]

Rand sits quietly at the back of the caravan, constantly looking out the rear for any signs of trouble. His bow is at the ready. Every so often he would catch a glimpse of one of the scouts on horses moving about, keeping watch. That is what he should be doing. Not sitting. He asked the commander that much, but was turned away. He needs to be fresh and ready for battle when he arrives, they said.

He turns to look at Mozae. I agree, but we are just on our way to a forward camp. I am sure there will be strategies waiting for us. I, for one, can't wait to get into the orc encampments and tear them apart. They are wretched creatures who have been stealing the land of goodly folks for a century. We are going to stop them."

He turns his gaze back to the rear of the wagon, and stares as the path, and forrests, slowly wind behind them.

[TheTick]

"Well and truly spoken, Master Gnome. I know a little about Orcs, and enough on where to stab 'em. But please go on, the silence is maddening. The name's Niles, by the way." He sticks out a hand to shake, and will do so vigorously to anyone that so much as comes in range. He has a shock of brown hair, bleached blonde in streaks by the sun, and a wide, friendly face. If no hands are offered in return, he will shrug and wrap his cloak around him, and try to catch a few minutes of sleep.

[Sduser]

By now his blade had left a few decent marks in the floorboard. He stopped twirling said blade for a moment to look up, his helmet aimed at those he was traveling with as the silence was broken by something other then the horses. If they could see his face, they would know he was smirking a bit.

With a cockiness that could have only been gained by experience, the warrior spoke as well, "We are all anxious to get to the fun, atleast. Hopefully once battle begins, we will all keep the same level of excitement."

Anouther series of clinks from his blade, as he resumes lifting it up and dropping the tip into the wood below. While not shaking his fellow adventurers hand(s), he was atleast giving them his attention.

[TheTick]

Niles grunted. "We shall see. Don't think there's any artistry in fighting Orcs. Brutes. Now, pirates, THEY have style!" You can't quite tell whether he's serious or not.

[Virtue]

"..."

Some of his best friends were Orcs.

But that was a different time. A different world.

Ghi' remained silent. The thick cloak wrapped around his body, the hood leaving his face in shadow. There was only one reason he had accepted a group mission; the coin. And this one should prove to pay quite well. But the company...

He frowned in the darkness of his hood, and simply remained resting against the back of the wagon. He clutched his backpack tighter into his body. It wasn't that he had something against humans, but it wasn't that they were his favorite race either. His tribe had dealt with humans before, but the nomads of the desert were far different than the stable villages elsewhere.

So often, did he miss the desert sands of his home, that the cool chilly atmosphere of this climate would often shake him to his bones. His constant thoughts would drift to the sole purpose he engaged in these mercenery ordeals, and he knew that when he was strong and rich enough, he would one day, find his way back to his tribe and enrich it. Maybe even find a nice Bhuka girl and...

Ghi's reverie was somewhat broken, by a bump the wagon rolled over, and it shook him against the wall. He let out a faint growl, and rubbed his head, before curling back against the side of the wagon.

He would let the others talk and plan and pretend they knew what they were doing. The only reason that most considered hiring him in the first place, was to keep people alive anyway. No one ever questioned him on his own life and purpose, nor seemed to care more about him than beyond the realization that he was in fact a Goblinoid. Perhaps, he was better off that way anyway.

He hadn't come to the human lands to make friends anyway.

Ghi simply lowered his head, closing his eyes, and waited to head to their destination.

[Sduser]

Sebastion crooked a grin beneath the helm, "In a straight fight, an Orc will outmatch a Pirate. They are born warriors, regardless of their primal roots. Regardless of how Artsy their styles are, I've lost more companions to orcs than I ever will Pirates."

Purposely leaving out the fact that reason is because he will never step foot on a ship unless he downright had to, and thus would probably never meet a pirate in his life.

[Maerok]

The Road to Farrain

There's a sudden shout in the woods off to the left.
And one to the left, followed by heavy hooves.
It's getting closer to your position now.
Someone is approaching very fast.
Right at you from both sides.
But then the noise stops.
It's quiet for a moment.
If you try to listen -

BANG!

One of the scouts slammed directly into the side of the cart.

SWOOOSSHHHHHH!

His counterpart skids in front of the team of horses before him and his mount tumble across the side of the trail.

The whole wagon assembly, with you all inside, shakes violently. Toenn tries his best in all his many years of driving to maintain control but it begins to tip. It's tipping now. And soon enough it's tipping sideways - sky and ground become one.

[Maerok]

Rolls:
Please make a DC 15 roll in OOC to avoid a most unpleasant landing.
(Choose one: Climb/Jump/Tumble/Strength/Dexterity/Reflex)

If you pass:

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You ride the tipping cart safely. Roll initiative.

If you fail:

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Roll 1d6 damage and knocked prone. Roll initiative but you'll have to try and get up for your first turn.

[greenstave]

Rand

Rand lets out a curse as the scout slams the side of the cart.

Being right at the back, Rand easily rolls with the tipping cart and avoids any serious damage. He quickly draws his bow and prepares to act.

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init: (1d20+4)[10]

[Virtue]

Suddenly the cart is violently shaken, and Ghi' is pulled from his thoughts into the real world.

"What in Kossuth is going in here?!"

Ghi is thrown from his seat, and desperately lunges forward in an attempt to steady himself. His mind reels between saving himself, and saving his possessions, including his private jar within his backpack.

Steady Attempt :

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Reflex Save : (1d20+3)[11](14)

If successful :

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Initiative : (1d20+1)[19](20)

If failed :

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Damage : (1d6)[2](2)
Status : Prone

[Sduser]

Sebastion's eyes went wide, spouting a low curse as the carriage began to tip. He moved with the carriage, grabbing on to what he could as he tried to keep himself upright, finally pulling himself out of the carriage when it met the ground. Sword already drawn, as he let the fur cloak fall from his shoulders and land on the ground behind him. THIS is what he knew best.

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Initiative Roll
(1d20+4)[11]

[TheTick]

Niles expertly rolls out of the tipping cart and bounces up onto his feet, landing with a flourish. He scans quickly to see what has happened.

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Initiative: (1d20+3)[11]

[Virtue]

Ghi' is thrown from the carriage and lands face first, tumbling into the dust. A rock had cut him in his arm, and he winces at the pain. His body aches, as he lays prone on the ground, still in a state of shock.

The hood was thrown back, and the Bhuka glares, as he tries to look out at what happened to the cart. We're the under attack, or did they hit something?

[Maerok]

Combat! Round 1
Following the shock you all can see the remains of the two scouts - each stuck in the back with a few black arrows. And as the dust settles from either side of the trail come two roaring orcs with falchions gleaming as they cut through the underbrush to get to you.

The one on the right moves deftly over thorns and weaves around tree trunks as a bloodlust begins to take hold in its mad eyes.

Turn Order:
Ghi - 20 (caught by surprise attack; down for the turn)
Orc(Right; 30 feet from carts) - 19
Niles 11 (higher Dex breaks tie)
Sebastion 11
Rand 10
Orc(Left; 60 feet from carts)- 4

Orc Details:

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The orcs are wearing studded leather with a shield strapped to their backs. They keep to the shadows even though the sunlight isn't bright enough to dazzle them yet.

[Maerok]

Combat! Round 1
Following the shock you all can see the remains of the two scouts - each stuck in the back with a few black arrows. And as the dust settles from either side of the trail come two roaring orcs with falchions gleaming as they cut through the underbrush to get to you.

The one on the right moves deftly over thorns and weaves around tree trunks as a bloodlust begins to take hold in its mad eyes.

Turn Order:
Ghi - 20 (caught by surprise attack; move action spent to get up)
Orc(Right; 30 feet from carts) - 19
Niles 11 (higher Dex breaks tie)
Sebastion 11
Rand 10
Sidar - 5 (caught by surprise attack; move action spent to get up)
Orc(Left; 60 feet from carts)- 4

Orc Details:

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The orcs are wearing studded leather with a shield strapped to their backs. They keep to the shadows even though the sunlight isn't bright enough to dazzle them yet.

[Virtue]

Orcs? Here, now?!

Ghi' quickly pulled himself up, and tried to steady himself against the overturned wagon. The other assorted strangers were just as surprised as he, and were arming themselves and preparing for battle. The goblin gritted his teeth, and emptied his mind, letting his divine power trickle down his fingertips. A cool, orange glow filled the amulet around his neck, as he muttered quietly.

"I'm not getting paid enough for this."

He placed his hands together, and whispered the name of his God, and with a quick burst of wind, a devious pale orange fog emanated and circled from his body, flowing out around him. His image blurred, as the goblin got lost in the divine fog, and the mist spread out around him.

"At least I'll be safe." Ghi'chinik muttered again, too low for any to hear. If push came to shove, he could defend himself, but until then, let the Orcs attempt to fight in the Fog. As he took a step back, he silently dared them.

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Ghi'chinik Niski
HP : 31 (33)
AC : 24
Misc. Action : Move Back 5 Feet
Free Action : Speech
Swift Action : -NA-
Move Action : Recovering Prone
Standard Action : Casting Obscuring Mist
Target : Self
Duration : 5 Minutes
Effect : A misty vapor arises around you. It is stationary once created. The vapor obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature 5 feet away has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker cannot use sight to locate the target).

[mozae]

Sidar, still reeling from being thrown from the carriage lays flat on the ground. With eyes still out of focus, the wetness on his back is the first thing he notices and a light pain. Thats too much liquid to be blood. Glass... it's glass....its a shattered potion.

After a few choice gnomish swears under his breath, Sidar realizes that he hadn't yet discovered the reason for the crash. As he stumbles to his feet he reaches around to his back and removes the small glass shard from his lower back.

With the haze clearing from his eyes he quickly realizas that a shattered potion is the least of his worries. Bolts! Where are my bolts?, and he begins fumbling through his pack to retrieve them...

[TheTick]

Niles feels his pulse quicken as he spots the Orcs. One of his carriage-mates conjures a strange mist, and Niles steps just outside the edge so he can train his bow on an Orc. To the one on the left he yells "Hey ugly! Did your mother try to scrub your face with a washboard?" He follows that up with a shot from his crossbow.

Bow shot - (1d20+8)[21]
Damage - (1d8)[7]

Niles then drops the bow and steps back 5 feet into the mist and (if need be on the next turn) readies his rapier and dagger.

[greenstave]

Rand

Rand recovers from the falling wagon and quickly looks for the nearest attacker. Orcs! Of course it is. He quickly moves outside of the mist and takes a shot at the closest orc. After shooting, he moves away once more.

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Without a map I am assuming I can do all this!

Move 15ft. to get an Orc within a 30ft. range. Attack with Skirmish.

attack: (1d20+8)[17]
crit: (1d20+8)[22]
damage: (1d8)[5]
Extra skirmish damage: (3d6)[8]

Move back 15ft. into obscuring mist. Also receives +1 to AC for moving at least 10ft. in the round

[Sduser]

Sebastion - Initiative 11

Sebastion charges up to the front of the Carriage, sword held ready in his hands, looking out at the small attack party. Slamming the blunt side of his sword against his armor a couple times, as if challenging the orcs's might or courage. Though keeping himself in front of his companions so that he could keep them out of harm.

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Translation: 10-15ft movement to the front of the carriage, since I can only move 20 due to heavy armor. Attempting to taunt the orcs into coming at me rather than the others. Will roll if DM decides it has a chance to work.

[Maerok]

Ghi's fog surprises the advancing warriors. They begin to circle around to the sides unsure of where to attack.

Orc1 advances to the edge of the fog where Niles pops out to shoot it with his bow before moving back into the mist.

Sebastion's taunt draws Orc 2's attention while Rand shoots it in the shoulder. The creature growls and lumbers up to Sebastion as it swings its blade overhead. The sharpened, bloodied edge glances off his armor and carves a deep cut into the forest floor near his feet.

Round 2:

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Initiative:
22 - Orc Scout
20 - Ghi
19 - Orc1
11 - Niles
11 - Sebastion
10 - Rand
5 - Mozae

From under the dead foliage on the ground pops up an orc scout with a bow trained on Sebastion. The creature fires a pair of black arrows at the warrior, hitting him in the shoulder once. (Orc Scout appears, initiative 22; Sebastion -3hp)

[Virtue]

Ghi' hears the sound of battle, as the Orcs get closer. The other mercenaries around him call for battle, but Ghi' is unable to see much outside of the fog.

Though, that was the point.

The goblin runs forward and to the front of the wagon, his back against the wood. He clasps his amulet in his fingers again, and calls on his divine power.

It isn't a spell he normally would cast on his own, but in these circumstances, it seemed best to aid the others, and let them do the work.

Muttering a simple prayer to his diety, an orange power seeps down from Ghi's fingertips, illuminating in a dim orange, every ally or enemy within range.

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Ghi'chinik Niski
HP : 31 (33)
AC : 24
Misc. Action : -NA-
Free Action : -NA-
Swift Action : -NA-
Move Action : Move to G5
Standard Action : Casting Prayer
Area : All allies and foes within a 40-ft.-radius burst center on myself.
Duration : 5 Rounds
Effect : You bring special favor upon yourself and your allies while bringing disfavor to your enemies. You and your each of your allies gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks, while each of your foes takes a -1 penalty on such rolls.

[TheTick]

Niles hears arrows all around, and reminds himself to stay low. He angles out about 10 feet further south and east, staying within the edge of the mist, hoping to catch the near Orc unawares. Either way, if he can get to the Orc, he's attacking.

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Niles
Move to H10
[roll=Hide]1d20+11[/roll]
[roll=Move Silently]1d20+9[/roll]
Attack rolls if needed, -2 for each hand TWF, +1 Prayer bonus since I act after Ghi.
Main Hand Attack - (1d20+8)[19]
Main Hand Damage - (1d6+2)[7]
Second Hand Attack - (1d20+8)[18]
Second Hand Damage - (1d4+2)[5]
[roll=Sneak Attack with +6 for Craven feat]2d6+6[/roll]

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Sduser]

Sebastion - Initiative 11

Sebastion let out a low growl as the arrow pierced his armor, but shrugged the pain off without much worry. It wasn't a life threatoning wound, at the least. He stepped toward the orc who's blade had glanced him, roaring aloud with a warlike rage, his sword pulling up earth as he swung in an upward arc, aiming to cleave the orc in two.

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Greatsword attack against Orc 2

Roll to hit: (1d20+4)[22] +1 for Prayer
Damage: (2d6+5)[12] +1 for Prayer

[mozae]

He felt a wave of positive energy at the same time his fingers finally located a shaft of a bolt berried deep within his pack. Thank you goblin, Sidar thought, already more more valuable than a dwarf.

Without hesitation he drew the crossbow and notched the bolt. The closest target was engaged with Niles alone. Two against one is better odds, he thought at he advanced toward the Orc to the left of the wrecked carriage. He then lift the crossbow and aimed at the Orc's right eye and let lose the bolt...

[greenstave]

Rand sees the scout appear. He recognizes the purpose of the scout right away, and yells at his companions. "If he gets back to their hoard, they will know we are here, we have to stop him"

Rand launches into action running towards the scout. He takes a shot with his longbow.

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Move to B5.
Attack with longbow: (1d20+8)[18]
Damage: (1d8)[8] + Skirmish damage: (3d6)[10]
If the Orc is chaotic add damage: (2d6)[11]

[Maerok]

Round 2 Results
As Ghi's prayer goes up the orc on the right steps into the mist and swings around at where Nile had retreated to before. Niles is able to sneak out behind it and strike it in the back, dropping the orc warrior into the fog as it begins dying. Sidar's bolt misses the orc and hits a tree instead.

Sebastion deals a heavy blow to his orc and Rand's arrow plants itself firmly in the throat of the now dead orc scout. The remaining orc roars and swings at Sebastion but misses with its falchion.

Round 3

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Orc 1 is now dying. And the Scout is dead.

Initiative:
20 - Ghi
11 - Niles
11 - Sebastion
10 - Rand
5 - Mozae
4 - Orc2