Harthar's Kingmaker Part One: The Stolen Lands

[Mari01]

Winter responds with half-hearted laugh. Nonsense. I'm not NEEDLESSLY cruel. I think that if we can all work together, we can successfully kill them all, with little to no casualties of our own. And I'd like it very much if one of you rough types would stand between me and someone with a sharp blade.

Winter turns to address Svetlana. While all this talk about bandit killing is a wonderful way to start our relationship with you people, do we at least have a good amount of time to prepare for them? And at the very least we should come up with a Plan B should our attack turn....less than desired.

[Harthar]

Gedriwyn listened to all of the suggestions and then, after looking around himself outside, returned with his own, ”I need not be outside at all. If we move the wagon inbetween the stable and the wall, and Renly and I are waiting behind it when the bandits arrive, we can push the wagon to block the exit. Renly can then seek cover and I can move in behind them. Dhovanu, if she wants, can be laying ontop of the wagon in the baggage area. The bandits shouldn’t be able to see her from below unless she pops up. She can then fire from the top of the wagon and can simply jump over to the palisade if she needs either to escape or to shoot anyone who manages to get past the wagon. Vasili, I’m sure we can get you up ontop of one of these buildings somehow, probably the storehouse itself would be best seeing as that is where the bandits are going. The roofs look sturdy enough.” for these last two things he glances at Oleg for confirmation before continuing.

”Crimson, you can be waiting in the stable and stealthily move out to attack, or even better take one of the bandits out when they are inside the storehouse if your stealthy enough. That leaves Winter and Elanore. You can both come out from the house, which puts you inbetween the bandits and Svetlana and it leaves a safe exit for Oleg once he is done luring them into the trap.” His dark cavernous orbs focused on Elanore then, ”I am sorry, but I don’t think you asking them to surrender will achieve anything save making you a larger target. They will see only one person standing in their way and, if they number at eight once again, you’ll have at least three or four archers loosing arrows at you. In the best interests of the group, I can’t allow that.” Even his oaths wouldn’t allow that.

Essentially his plan cut off the exits, surrounded the bandits and made for an affective crossfire, whilst putting him smack bang in the middle of it and risking his own hide should an arrow or iron shot not be as accurately aimed as one would like. It also meant he might get swarmed but that was a risk he was going to take, a larger risk considering he wouldn’t be on his horse. Then he paused again having a new thought, ”Or... we could go with your idea,” He nodded to Dhovanu, ”though my steed’s name is Cardoc for future reference, not ‘beast’.” His tone implied he had great affection for the horse and wouldn’t allow it to be insulted as such, even though she didn’t mean it that way. ”I can charge in on Cardoc through the front gate, Gregory and Renly can push the wagon to block the exit behind me and then we proceed as before.”

[Harthar]

Svetlana nodded at the question posed to her by Winter, ”We have probably ten hours to prepare.” She glanced out the window at the almost set sun to confirm her words, giving a slight nod to confirm she was right. "They don't come on horseback, but they bring horses with them."

Oleg spoke up next. ”The roofs are wooden framed with thatch; they are easy enough to stand on. As for getting up there, I usually build a wooden platform for when I need to repair one of the roofs. It’s a common enough sight, even with a few crates of materials piled up on them. Would that be enough cover for one of you?”

[Frivolous]

Elanore Dulac


Ela frowns at the scenario Gedriwyn paints; she'd like to follow her goddess' doctrine closely and offer a chance at mercy to the evildoer.

On the other hand, she would really like to avoid being skewered by a storm of arrows.

She nods reluctant acceptance for the need to not give them any warning or offer of surrender.

"All right. I can be on the ground as you say, guarding Oleg and Svetlana."

"Everyone should try to be within 50 feet of me," Ela says. "I can call on the goddess to bless us, but you have to be within 50 feet."

"I need to bathe and to eat. Then I'll do as you more experienced folk direct to help prepare."

Ela looks like she does not know whether to be embarrassed or smug that she has no experience with planning a battle or an ambush.

"Could someone direct me to a bathroom, or anywhere I can get some privacy that also has a drain?"

[Harthar]

Svetlana answers Elanore's question of a bath and drain. "Unfortunately we have neither. There are barrels of water in the storehouse, if you take a wash basin in there and get some then you can wash in Oleg and My room if you'd like." They were in the middle of nowhere, it would be hard to imagine such an out of the way place having proper bathing facilities like in Restov.

[Frivolous]

Elanore Dulac


Ela nods. Her noble upbringing and years of lady's etiquette tutelage have left her far too polite to complain.

"That will be fine, thank you. But I won't need the water barrels, just the basin."

"By the way, what weapons do you see the bandits wield? Bows and crossbows? Swords?"

"And if they bring horses... Would any of you know of a way to reliably make the horses go mad and maybe trample the bandits?"

Ela looks at the elven ranger Dhovanu and the horseman Gedriwyn as she asks that question.

[Harthar]

The Horseman shook his head, ”Well, assuming they are not combat trained, which I doubt they are, then any loud noise, even the battle itself, would see them run away. Though I doubt they would trample anyone, there is not enough room in here for them to pick up any great amount of speed to execute that. Even if we manage it, they will be a threat to us also. I’d rather they run away from us than run rampant and threaten us as well.” He really didn’t mind about himself, he would be mounted anyway and thus safe from being trampled, at least as long as he stayed in the saddle. But everyone else, save those on the walls and roofs, would not be so lucky.

Gedriwyn could see that Elanore was struggling with the idea of not offering the bandits a chance to surrender and so he moved over to her, risking a hand placement on her shoulder to reassure her. ”Once the initial surprise is over and we have lessened their numbers to something a bit more manageable, and then we can see about offering them surrender. In my experience bandits are not the bravest of men and will take life over death without much thought. However, do remember Elanore, that our charter specifies that bandits are to be executed, either by the rope or the sword. Whether they surrender or not, the result will be the same.” He said grimly before continuing, ”These are troubling times and even if we could keep them alive, this is not a prison, it is a restored fort and a small one at that. We cannot set them free with the chance that they will return from whence they came and warn them of our arrival. If that were to happen then a force far greater than we could handle would be upon us within a matter of days. I am sorry.” He let his hand fall to his side and then moved away again. The plan was for the best interests of the group, but he still felt bad that it conflicted with Elanore’s own ideals and tenets.

[Harthar]

Oleg shrugged as he contemplated her question, but finally answered, "Aye, bows and swords, maybe a few daggers. That is all that I noticed really."

[Frivolous]

Elanore Dulac


Ela nods numbly. "This will be my first battle. Three months ago I taught children. Tomorrow I will be dead or I will have helped kill someone."

She sighs, looking unhappy at the necessity. Then she goes to fetch the water basin and have her bath as she mentioned.

She still hasn't eaten yet. If she can bathe at all, Ela always bathes first before she eats or rests.

[North_Ranger]

Vasili listened to the exchange between the knight, the priestess and the proprietor with keen ears, his fingers drawing small circles on the polished wood of his gun's handle. "I'll take to the warehouse roof, then. If I'm lucky, I might get a shot at their headman first. Then we'll see how keen the rest of them are to fight. Also, if there is any way to block the spaces between the main house, the warehouse and the stables, we could make sure none of the bastards try to seek cover there. Any cover you can give me and Dhov we'll take, master Oleg."

It is Gedriwyn's words, however, that rouse the young man's anger. The memories flush back again, and for a moment his hand stops its almost tender caress of the gun and rise to his throat. The rough hemp chewing against his skin, the smell of sweat and anger - yes, angered men had their very special smell alright, just as real as their jeers and the rotten cabbages they hurled at the men at the gallows. "Justice untempered by mercy is like a sword untempered by water: it will break when you most have need of it", he spoke out suddenly, his eyes somewhere far away. Like those words weren't entirely his own. Blinking, he looked up again, drawing his hand away from his neck. "I am with Elanore on this, sir. If we take captives and even one of them wishes to make amends, we should consider mercy. I'm not saying we should let them all go on their word... but neither should we condemn them all to the gallows, lock, stock and barrel."

Vasili stood up slowly, stretching. "But that's a discussion after the battle. If you don't mind, master Oleg, we should probably take a look at the yard and set the scene for tomorrow. I'm no carpenter but I'll help where I can", the young man offered. He also considered finding a moment alone with Oleg, to ask if one of the bandits had carried a trophy with them: the twin of his pistol. Or if Oleg had even heard of such a thing...

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OOC: Vasili's ready for the fight. If there is nothing else - changes in the order of battle, philosophical discussions about the nature of evil, a game of cards - just assume he finds a nice, warm niche for him to sleep in. And a place to keep the odd little barrels of reagents he brought with him from Restov.

[PhilMeyer]

”though my steed’s name is Cardoc for future reference, not ‘beast’.”

"It was my understanding that in common, 'beast' is a classification, with no measure of degradation. In elven we say vadállan. But no matter, I will call your horse whatever you wish."

Dhovanu is fond of animals herself, so clearly meant no dishonor.

[PhilMeyer]

"As to your suggestion... My natural inclination is to attack from above, when the opportunity is presented. Much like my hawk in that regard, I suppose."

She considers the angles from the catwalk.

"But it does seem that I would get better site-lines from the wagon... And the wagon walls might give me some cover from return fire..."

I might even be able to shoot one or two in the back.

"So I do not oppose your plan."

[ApatheticAbacus]

"I'd like t' be close to the gate, close enough to be in throwin' range," Vill says, flipping the knife in his hand to hold it with a two-fingered grip on the blade. "And if this is a perfect world, it'd be with somethin' to hide behind, an' not so close that some big bad bandit gets funny ideas 'bout how my head's at a very convenient level for his sword."

The halfling takes a look around the courtyard for any such spot. "Hey, Oleg," he says mouthily, "you got any barrels or crates that fit a would-be hero of about three an' a half feet? "

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Ideally, Vill would like to hide in a barrel/crate from which he can easily extricate himself, and which would give a circumstance bonus on stealth.

[Frivolous]

Elanore Dulac


About half an hour later, Ela comes back from her bath, having made extensive and repeated use of her Create Water orison.

She has put her studded leather armor back on and is looking rather unhappy to be wearing it instead of a dressing gown as she'd like. But she's in the wilderness now, and it pays to be safe rather than sorry.

She asks Oleg and Svetlana, "What kind of supplies do you have that we can purchase or use for the ambush? May I see your inventory?

[Harthar]

Oleg, when asked about the barrel, nodded slowly. "In the Storeroom there should be an empty barrel, I'm sure we can move it to wherever you'd think is best for your ambush." The Levetons, once this discussion is over, assist the Companions with their efforts at making the fort ready for the ambush. The wagon is pushed inbetween the stables and the outer wall, ready to be pushed into place to block the exit off. The platform that would allow easy access to the rooftops was hastily, but sturdily, constructed with a practiced effectiveness from Oleg.

Meanwhile, Svetlana, having been approached by Elanore, showed her the storeroom with its barrels of drinking water, the barrel of lamp-oil, three lamps, a dozen candles, a weeks worth of firewood, a hooded lantern, seventy feet of hemp rope, a tent, and enough food for two weeks. The young woman also showed Elanore the stockroom, the place where Oleg and her usually do business with the travelling merchants and hunters. Of use in there was: a set of leather armour, a heavy wooden shield, two hand axes, five javelins, a longbow, two dozen arrows, a scythe, two spears, two potions of cure light wounds, a potion of shield of faith +2, two vials of antitoxin, six torches, two weeks trail rations and a number of animal furs.

Svetlana does inform Elanore though that the equipment in the stockroom can be used, but it is to be returned after the ambush; which disallows the use of the potions.

[Harthar]

The preparation of everything necessary to the ambush was completed within a few hours, after which the companions were able to rest, gathering their strength for the following day which would see, for some, their first battle and perhaps even the first time they had ever killed a person. The night passed slowly, many did not find sleep at all such was their worry about the coming conflict. An hour before dawn the companions awaken and prepare themselves, getting into position nice and early to ensure there are no surprises should the bandits arrive early. Renly and Gregory seat themselves on the very back of the wagon, out of sight from the entranceway. Dhovanu, laying on the wagon top, sends her hawk out to keep watch only to return when the bandits have been spotted. Vasili, sitting leaning against the crates on the platform is unable to be seen from the gates or even from below. Winter and Elanore, within the house await the signal to come forth and use their unique skills to the betterment of the companions and the detriment of the bandit scum. Whilst Crimson, for the moment, stands next to the barrel that he would in short order jump into when he sees Dhovanu’s bird return. Gedriwyn waits behind the fort, watching from around the corner to ensure he can see the bandits arrive and thus has enough time to mount, skirt the fort and then charge at the signal when it is given. Svetlana, at the order of Oleg, waits within the house worried about the outcome, but comforted that the companions are there to assist them overcome these trials. Lastly, Oleg readies the storehouse’s goods to be taken by the bandits as he has done this time every month.

The bandits arrive on time. They emerge from the tree line, startling a few critters. One of the bandits glances at the hawk that takes flight from one of the trees and wheels out over the hilly ground toward the trading post. Hawks are not an uncommon sight in the Greenbelt, though why it would fly in that direction was a mystery to the bandit, not that he gave it much thought. They approach the fort, eight in total leading four horses each with saddlebags meant for Oleg’s goods. They arrive at the fort swiftly, striding straight through the gates and into the courtyard without a care in the world. They had cowered the trading post owners after all and thus there was nothing for them to be worried about.

The leader of the bandits, a tall hooded man who appeared quite rough, but also observant, glances at the wagon and then the platform. ”Making a few additions and repairs are we Oleg? Where did you get the coin for that? Eh?” The hooded man motions for the bandits to begin loading the goods onto the horses, he wanted to get what they had came for and then leave as quickly as possible. ”Where is your lovely wife? Not here to greet us? I’ve been thinking about her for a good long while now Oleg, might be that this time is the time I get my fill.” He chuckles, as do a few other bandits.

Oleg does not rise to the bait though... ”Take your goods and go.”

The hooded man growls, moving over to Oleg and punching him in the face, sending the man sprawling to the ground. ”Don’t you be telling me what to do, you son of whore. I’ll do what I want and take what I want when I feel like it. Got it?” He gives Oleg a kick to the guts before turning and taking a few steps away.

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Ok, so you have a surprise round, I’ll leave it up to you to make the first move so that the bandits are truly taken by surprise. The bandits, once surprised, are so much so that they don’t immediately know what to do. All of the bandits won’t act during the surprise round, obviously, but the bandits also are so surprised that they are slow even to react after that surprise round, save for Happs who is a bit more seasoned. Assume when the signal is given, assuming it is Vasili's gunfire, that the horses bolt out the gate as Gedriwyn rides in and just before the wagon is pushed to close that exit.

Also the two bandits near Vasili are inside the storeroom whilst he is ontop.


Each PC gets a normal round of action as the surprise round, followed by a second round. Each of you please post what you do for both of these rounds, making the appropriate rolls for attacks, damage, abilities and whatever other things you may try. I’ll piece it all together once everyone has posted and write a post describing each round and what happens with an updated map at the conclusion of each round.

Initiative is as follows:
Elanore (24), Crimson (23), Dhovanu (20), Quray (19), Happs (17), Bandit Six (16), Bandit Seven (15), Vasili (13), Bandit Two (11), Gedriwyn (7, 17), Winter (7, 6), Bandit Four (5), Bandit Five (2), Bandit One (1, 18), Bandit Three (1, 12)

Good luck everyone, should be an interesting battle against so many, if there are any questions I’ll be able to answer them relatively quickly in ooc.

[North_Ranger]

OOC:

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I'm assuming we agreed that Vasili's shot starts the fight. If this is not the case, please correct.

Behind the platform, Vasili listens in on the conversation. Pistol in one hand, the powder horn in the other, he peeks from his vantage point, counting the bandits. A vicious little grin makes hus mustache perk when he notices that the bastard leading these men has put him in a prime spot to take a lead shot between his eyes. Old Dead-Eye is smiling today, the young man thinks, but his joy is cut short when he sees the bandit leader kick Oleg like the man was nothing but a mangy cur.

"Get this", Vasili mutters as he brings his pistol to bear. A squeeze of the trigger and the flintlock hammer strikes, a sparkle rises a fairy's heartbeat before the air echoes with the pistol's delightful k-thoom! Without waiting for the white cloud of smoke to settle, Vasili loads his gun again with practiced ease and fires again, making sure not to waste his advantage.

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OOC:
Surprise round:
Spend a grit point on Up Close and Deadly (1d6 extra damage on a succesful hit, half that on a miss). Firing at the leader, who's kind enough to be within range - meaning touch AC only for the sorry son of a beach

Attack:
(1d20+4)[16]

Damage:
(1d8)[8]
Extra damage:
(1d6)[6]

Second round:
Move action to reload pistol (thank you, Rapid Reload!). Then attack normally against the leader if he's still standing. If not, attack the nearest bandit - which would be the standing adjacent to the leader.

Attack:
(1d20+4)[13]

Damage:
(1d8)[1]

[PhilMeyer]

Dhovanu waits for the horses to run out of the way, having been spooked by the pistol shot. She doesn't blame them, she still jumps half the time that blasted fire-stick goes off.

She then stands up and fires an arrow at the nearest bandit. She says a silent prayer to Ketephys, the elven god of the hunt. May my aim be true.

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Attack (1d20+7)[17]
Damage (1d8+2)[6]
I did my rolls without point blank shot, but if the NPCs move the wagon out then they should be closer, giving +1 attack and damage.

I suspect that standing is my surprise round action, so this attack above is probably in the first round (Edit: nevermind, I see we are getting a full round). Here's a roll for my second attack. Again, perhaps with +1 to both rolls from PBS.
Attack (1d20+7)[26]
Damage (1d8+2)[9]

It looks like a good shot, so she fires again, trying to finish off the same bandit. No mercy.

[PhilMeyer]

Dhovanu orders Ouray to move up and attack the nearest bandit "Tavadás i' edan!".

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Handle Animal: (1d20+7)[15]
Distract: (1d20+3)[18]
On a hit, the enemy is shaken.

Next turn:
Ouray Full round attack...
Talon 1 ATK:(1d20+3)[5]
Talon 1 DAM:(1d4)[4]
Talon 2 ATK:(1d20+3)[14]
Talon 2 DAM:(1d4)[4]
Bite ATK: (1d20+3)[6]
Bite DAM: (1d4)[2]

Edit 1: I took out a roll that I don't think was needed (the second handle animal). Will check the rules, if it was needed then it wasn't a success.
Edit 2: I checked the SRD, and based on the language in the SRD, I'm assuming that the animal keeps attacking until otherwise ordered, based on the "Down" trick. Please feel free to correct my posts, I'm still learning some Pathfinder rules.
Edit 3: Forgot that Ouray gets my fav enemy bonuses, so +2 atk and dam. Sorry.

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[ApatheticAbacus]

Wait for it... wait for it... Bang! Vasili's gun goes off and Vill leaps into action.

He jumps from his hiding place, a dagger in hand. "How do you do, friend?" he says with his customary grin to the doubtlessly-startled bandit nearest him. "Well, I trust." He stabs his knife at the man's gut.

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Attacking the only bandit in melee range.

Attack: (1d20+5)[7]
Damage: (1d3+1)[2]+(1d8)[5] sneak attack.

[Mari01]

Stay safe Svetlana. I'll come let you know when it's safe.

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Surprise Round: Move 2 squares down so I'm outside.
Cast Sleep on the bandit closest to me.

[Harthar]

Gedriwyn watched as the bandits moved out of his line of sight, quietly and with horse in tow he moved forward around the back of the trading post, moving as close to the wooden wall as he could to avoid being seen. Once he reached the front corner he peered around slowly and carefully and just managed to see the tail end of one of the bandit’s horse’s move through the gates. Mounting his own horse he urged it forward slowly, as he did he took out the shortbow and a single arrow, notching and readying it for the signal. He had made this decision at the last minute in order to inflict as much damage and confusion on the bandits as he was able.

The gunshot fired, followed straight away by the sound of panicked horses. That was his cue, he heeled his horse forward, leading it with one hand until he was in the open. He took aim at the bandit leaning against the bunkhouse wall closest to him and loosed the arrow. Without even waiting to see if the shot landed he threw the bow aside and heeled his horse into a charge, one hand directing the beast whilst the other drew his longsword. He did not charge at the bandit he had fired at but rather the one beyond him standing near to the center of the market yard. The other horses rushed passed him as he charged forward, the horse’s speed increasing as the distance between him and his opponent closed. Just as he met the man he slashed downward in an attempt to slice through the man, not particularly worried about where considering the momentum of his charge and the lethality it imparted to the already lethally sharp blade.

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Surprise Round:
Move 15 feet right, attack, drop bow.
Bow Attack: (1d20+3)[7]
Bow Damage if Hit: (1d6+3)[6]

First Round:
Charge 30 feet straight forward, attack.
Attack: (1d20+7)[11]
(+1 Sword Scion, +2 Charge, +4 Longsword)
Damage: (1d8+4)[12]

[Harthar]

Elanore (24, Asleep), Crimson (23), Dhovanu (20), Quray (19), Happs (17, Dead), Bandit Six (16, Asleep), Bandit Seven (15, Dead), Vasili (13), Bandit Two (11), Gedriwyn (7, 17), Winter (7, 6, Dying), Bandit Four (5), Bandit Five (2, Dead), Bandit One (1, 18), Bandit Three (1, 12)

So, the bandit order that I’m going off, just to make it easier on everyone, is top to bottom right to left. So the two in the storehouse are Bandit One and Two respectively and so on downward, not including Happs of course, until the last bandit near the gate is Bandit Seven.

Elanore:
The cleric had rested shortly after all of the work had been done and awoke early to perform her daily routine of praying for her God’s blessings. It was unfortunate, however, that she was interrupted by the arrival of the bandits. She had only been able to pray for a short time and as such believed she had only a few of her God’s gifts at her disposal. Before leaving the safety of the house she cast Bless and then readied her sword. Once outside she moved forward to engage the bandit directly in front of her, using the scimitar she had been trained to use in a slash that would hopefully injure the man greatly.

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Obviously had to make the rolls here myself.
Surprise Round:
Casts Bless awarding a +1 attack roll bonus to all within 50 feet of Elanore.

First Round:
Moves directly south until she reaches the building and then heads west to attack the bandit there.
Attack: (1d20+1)= 4
Damage: (1d6)= 6
Wow, sucks to be Elanore also. I’m really not having any luck today, heh.

Winter, having moved forward out of the house on Elanore’s heels, before stopping short and casting Sleep at the bandit nearest to her. The bandit (Bandit Six), being the centre of the spell’s effective radius, falls to the ground induced into a shallow sleep. Elanore, running to the sphere of the spell’s area of effect is also sent into a state of sleep, falling mid step to the ground. Her second attack merely a thought within her state of dreamless sleep.

Crimson’s attack, whilst bolstered by a sense of ethereal courage which gives a certain boost to the accuracy of his attack, is still not enough to see the dagger land its potentially fatal blow to the bandit. The man, whilst now aware of the halfling’s presence, is stunned still too much to do anything at the moment.

Dhovanu rises to her feet as the pistol shot and fires her first arrow at the closest bandit (Bandit Seven), her arrow strikes the man in the shoulder, sending him backward into the wooden wall of the bunkhouse, the arrow holding him fast. He had only a few short seconds before a second arrow, fired from the same source, finished him off. The arrow skewering him through the heart, an effective shot that would have killed immediately had it been the first fired and as well aimed. Her hawk, a creature just as effective at inflicting damage as its bonded master, flies to the bandit directly in front of her master, distracting the man long enough to inflict some damage with one of its talons, though as the bandit throws his hands up to defend himself from the attack he manages to avoid the other furious attacks of the creature.

Happs, the leader of the bandits is just as startled by the pistol shot as the rest of his men, though that surprise lasts barely a moment. The time it takes for the shot to explode out of the end of Vasili’s pistol, travel the distance between it and Happs’ neck, and to then penetrate the soft flesh was all the time he had to consider what was happening. The shot pierced the man’s neck and then exploded out the other side, effectively destroying the man’s spinal cord and ending his life there and then. Vasili’s second pistol shot, directed at the bandit close to Happs, was hit also but with far less damage, merely a scratch compared to that of their leader.

Gedriwyn’s bow attack missed terribly, not that it would have been effective anyway given that the man was already skewered by one of Dhovanu’s arrows in the time it had taken the horseman’s arrow to leave his bow and travel the distance to the already, at the time, wounded bandit.

One of the bandits within the storehouse, hearing the gunshot was at first startled, but quickly managed to gather his wits and grab the bow that was slung over his back and notch an arrow. He stepped out of the storehouse and assessed the situation quickly. Happs was on the ground, blood pooling about the hole in his neck. This immediately sent him into a panic and his eyes darted for the exit; it was obstructed by a wagon, there was no escape. He might as well die fighting. He took aim at the first enemy he could see and had a chance to be successful at hitting; he aimed at the woman standing closest to the entrance to the house (Winter). Unfortunately for the Witch, this bandit’s accuracy and the lethality of this single arrow is beyond her.

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Attack: (1d20+2)=22
Damage: (1d8)=8
Critical Attack: (1d20+2)=17
Critical Damage: (1d8)x3=6
I am sorry, but that is a legit roll and I am cringing the whole time I’m writing this...

Winter, you are now in a state of dying, and at -5 HP. You have four more rounds before your character is dead. Hopefully one of the other characters sees your down and comes to stabilize you.

The arrow is aimed perfectly, striking Winter square in the chest and sending her flying backward, the arrow slides in between her ribs and punctures a lung. She is effectively laying on the ground fighting to breath and stay alive long enough for one of her companions to assist her.

Gedriwyn’s charge, whilst at first appearing as if it would not succeed, does in fact land. His charge and skill, coupled with the Hawk’s distracting attack against the bandit (Bandit Five), and lastly the effect of Elanore’s bless which is still active despite her sleeping state, causes the blow which would have fallen short to strike. This strike was just as lethal as its intent had been, the horseman’s blade slashed through the man’s neck, cutting it in half. The bandit slumped to one side, his head awkwardly angled as blood spewed out to stain the ground.

OOC:
So, because Winter is now incapacitated, we actually only need to wait for Crimson’s post to continue, though Winter you are more than welcome to post what your character is going through during the First Round.

Those who can see Winter is down, and bleeding, are Vasili, Gedriwyn and Crimson. Dhovanu your line of sight is obstructed, and Elanore is asleep so that doesn't help much.

Crimson, your post next. Following that I will make another post to respond to your attack and the actions of Bandits Four, One and Three. Though since you are attacking Four, you might be able to kill or incapacitate him and thus remove his turn entirely.

Everyone else please sit tight until I’ve responded to Crimson’s next actions and then we can start on Round Two, with a new map to show where everyone is.

[ApatheticAbacus]

Vill curses his infernal luck, lunging again with his knife at his still-alive foe. "Seems somebody important likes you... Let's see how much they care, eh?"

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Attack: (1d20+5)[7], damage (1d3+1)[2]+(1d8)[7] SA if applicable.
Attack 2 (for missing part of the surprise round, I believe): (1d20+5)[22], damage (1d3+1)[4]+(1d8)[7] SA if applicable.

Sorry for the delay guys. I've been dealing with some issues in my own game that have taken up virtually all of my PbP attention. In future, Harthar, you're free to bot me if I'm holding things up!

[Harthar]

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Just the one attack, as it’s a standard action and there was no attack of opportunity against the bandit.

Unfortunately you missed again though >_<

Bandit Four, the one Crimson is attacking, manages to somehow avoid yet another attack from the Halfling knifemaster. Now, after sufficient time to gather his wits, he acts quickly, seeing that the little man has nowhere to go and little to no ability to defend against his attacks, the bandit attacks with a mighty kick to the top of the barrel, his intent to tip it over and send it rolling away. The kick barely succeeds his foot landing against the middle of the barrel and sending it tilting backward for a moment before it crashes over and begins to roll toward the gates. It doesn’t get very far due to the ungainly contents which manage to spill out. Crimson, having rolled roughly ten feet away from the bandit before managing to kick himself out, is now laying on the ground. The bandit, noticing his master’s death and the death of two others knows that it is time to leave; he is just confused as to the direction he should be going in given that they are all effectively surrounded. Regardless he rushes south, passed the prone Crimson and toward the small gap between the wagon and the gate.

Bandit One, the other of the two that had been in the storehouse, rushes out to join his companion, his longbow also out and at the ready he aims at the largest target nearest to him, the mounted man. He draws back on the string and lets the arrow fly. Perhaps he should have taken some lessons from the man standing next to him as the arrow flies wildly away, missing the horseman and pretty much everything else nearby. Undaunted by his inability to hit the target he moves south, following his fellow that had moved mere moments before.

Bandit Three, having taken a grazing shot by Vasili’s second shot, also glances at his dead master and, finding no loyalty to him, turns and aims his own bow at the mounted man. His aim was certainly better than the last bandit to take a shot at the largest target in the Trading Post. The arrow strikes the man in the chest; the horseman’s armour deflects the arrow slightly but it still manages to pierce his flesh and leave a nice wound that will need to be seen to eventually.

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4 HP damage to Ged, as his AC is reduced to 15 from not using his shield and suffering the -2 AC from charging.

His arrow striking true the bandit follows his fellows and attempts to flee, heading south but avoiding getting too close to the horse and its now wounded rider. This brings him over the prone Crimson, whom he simply runs past.

Alright so the only bandits left standing/alive are those left on the map. I’ll bring back the corpses of the others once the battle has ended. Essentially with the death of their leader the remaining bandits flee to fight another day, and to warn the rest of their companions of the danger that Oleg’s Trading Post and the Companions now represent.

Elanore (24, Asleep), Crimson (23), Dhovanu (20), Quray (19), Happs (17, Dead), Bandit Six (16, Asleep), Bandit Seven (15, Dead), Vasili (13), Bandit Two (11), Gedriwyn (7, 17), Winter (7, 6, Dying), Bandit Four (5), Bandit Five (2, Dead), Bandit One (1, 18), Bandit Three (1, 12)

We will follow the same initiative order obviously for the second round. You are free to post in whatever order you like and I’ll mash it all together like I did the last one, hopefully it wasn’t too confusing for you all, heh.

Winter has four rounds left until she falls to her wounds, which reduce her health by one each round that she is not stabilized.

Alright, begin Round Two.

Elanore's eyes suddenly pop open, her mind races trying to put together the pieces of what just happened. She had been able to attack the bandit before her when she had simply fallen into a slumber that she had struggled to awaken from. Now that she was she noticed the bandit next to her had also fallen asleep. Her eyes scanned the scene of the battle unfolding before to try and piece together what had happened exactly, though once they fell upon the prone and bleeding form of Winter she pushed aside thoughts of tying up the bandit next to her in favour of rushing to the other woman's side.

Moving swiftly she closed the distance in a few seconds, kneeling next to Winter to assess the damage before producing a holy symbol from within her studded leather armour, holding it within the palm of her hand she quietly prayed for her god's power to be bestowed upon her and then channeled the positive energy of her faith.

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Elanore channels 1d6 worth of healing energy, which was 5 once I rolled. This healing is given to everyone within 30ft radius of her. So Winter gets healed 5 points of health, Gedriwyn gets 5 points of Health, Vasili could get it if he had suffered any damage. And even Bandit number six who is taking a nap could have been healed. This healing doesn't extend past maximum hit points though.

So Winter, your character is now at 0HP, which means you are stabilized (correct me if I'm wrong), and you are conscious, but any strenuous movement or ability use will see you take a single point of damage at the end of your round and you'll be dying once more. However, I wouldn't think using a CLW potion to be strenuous.

[PhilMeyer]

Dhovanu is pleased to see enemies falling around the square, one brought low by her own arrows. She is not about to let the cowards escape.

"Surrender or die, you will not flee!"

She takes a short step back, then fires her bow at the one closest to the exit.

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Five foot step to avoid OA, if needed.
Attack: (ended up being 24 see OOC) includes PBS.
Damage: (ended up being 6 see OOC) includes PBS..

[PhilMeyer]

The elf commands her bird to try and stop the escape, if it can. "Ouray, megállu i' edan devenlen!".

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Handle Animal: (1d20+7)[11] Target of 10.
Attack: (1d20+5)[22]
Damage: (1d4+2)[4]
Target is same one that Dhovanu attacked.
Edit: I think this should kill it?

[North_Ranger]

"You heard the lady! Drop your weapons or we'll drop you!" Vasili yells as he once again reloads his gun. Even though he is still unharmed, he feels the sudden wash of energy over him, like the warmth of the sun on a beautiful summer day.

There's little time to wax poetic, however, when one of the remaining bandits steps out of the warehouse. Taking a quick tally of the remaining bandits, Vasili picks the poor sod as his next target, intent on making his escape a short-lived one.

Quickly he takes aim and fires, the pistol speaking with the voice of thunder once more.

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OOC:
Shooting at the bandit nearest to Vasili. I think that's Bandit #2. Once again, against touch AC.

Spending the grit point gained from killing the leader on Up Close and Deadly once more.

(1d20+5)[13] (+1 from Bless)

And damage:
(1d8)[2]

And extra damage from Up Close and Deadly (halved on a miss):
(1d6)[4]

[Mari01]

Spattering out blood, Winter chokes out a raspy retort upon waking. I. Hate. Everything.

Grasping at one of the bottles on her belt, she quickly chugs it.
Remember that time when we weren't going to kill all these people Elanore? Yea, let's not do that. It's really hard to breathe with arrows in your lungs.

[Harthar]

Crimson:
His luck, it appeared was not with him for today. The fact that the bandit had kicked the barrel which had served faithfully as his cover and hiding place, now turned out to work against him. After recovering from his roll and the two bandits that managed to get passed him while he was trying to come to his senses, he quickly got to his feet and moved toward the closest bandit, the one directly north of him (Bandit One). His knife in hand he once more attacked to sink every inch of its blade into the man’s flesh. His knife sunk in, only a few inches before the bandit managed to move away and stop anymore damage being inflicted.

Dhovanu:
The combined attacks of the elf and her hawk were sufficient to lay the bandit low. The arrow pierced the man’s chest, penetrating into his lung, a lethal blow if but one that would take time to slowly kill the man. The hawk, however, swooped in and with a lucky strike slashed the man’s throat with his talons, finishing him off. Bandit Four, slumps to the ground, the blood still pumping from the throat wound for a few seconds before his movement ceases.

Bandit Six:
The bandit’s eyes snap open and he pushes himself to his feet, shaking his head to clear it of the slowness of sleep. He remembered nothing of what had happened but after a quick scan of his surroundings and the situation now unfolding before his eyes he could see that his leader, Happs, was dead and that most of his companions were also dead or surrendering. He saw that he had little choice. He did not want to be captured by these people and sent to jail, so he ran. Taking the corner of the building swiftly before running directly south toward the exit, though he was stopped short by the wagon and the horseman blocking his escape. Cursing his luck and knowing that it would be futile to try and escape in any other direction, he dropped his weapons and put his hands into the air, shouting, ”I surrender also!”

Vasili:
Once more the a shot from the damaged pistol hits its intended target, and whilst it is what would be called a grazing shot due to the proximity of the bandit to the pistol additional damage is done. The shot passed between the man’s arm and his chest, grazing the chest but causing considerable damage as it does so. The man reels backward, grasping at the wound and shouting. ”Alright, I surrender, I surrender. Don’t kill me, please.” He drops his longbow and falls to his knees.

Bandit Two:
Surrenders, his hand pressed against his wound to stop the bleeding.

Gedriwyn:
Recovering from the swing of his devastating sword attack he turned just in time to see the feathers of the arrow sticking out of his leg, just before the pain of the wound became apparent. He growled in pain, gritting his teeth to stop himself from crying out in pain anymore than he already had. Reaching down with a spare hand he wrenched the arrow free and discarded it. Turning his horse toward the bandit west of him that Crimson had been attacking (Bandit One), he moved his horse forward, getting him within range so that he could attack with his sword once more. The slashing attack takes the man across the chest, causing severe wounds but not enough to kill him.

Winter:
The witch quaffs the potion; her trembling hands making it almost seem as if she would miss. She managed to swallow the not unpleasant tasting liquid and almost immediately felt the magical energies that had been infused into the potion take effect, to such a degree that it seemed as if there had been no damage to begin with. The potion healed all of the wound that had been inflicted and allowed Winter to carry on as normal.

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Heh, the roll 1d8+1, turned out to be a 9. Luck is on your side it seems. Winter is fully healed.

Bandit One:
The bandit reeled back in attempt to get the knife wielding Halfling from inflicting any more damage to him with that little knife. He had already been skewered by the thing which was enough to cause him mild pain. Unfortunately, he backed toward the horseman who had come over to assist his companion. The resulting slash left him devastated. He fell to his knees and dropped his weapons. ”I surrender, please don’t kill me.”

Bandit Three:
Now the only one of his companions left standing, but still unwilling to surrender with the rest of them, squeezed through the gap in-between the wagon and the gates and began running south toward the bandit’s horses that were thirty feet away.

Elanore (24), Crimson (23), Dhovanu (20), Quray (19), Happs (17, Dead), Bandit Six (16, Surrendered), Bandit Seven (15, Dead), Vasili (13), Bandit Two (11, Surrendered), Gedriwyn (7, 17), Winter (7, 6), Bandit Four (5, Dead), Bandit Five (2, Dead), Bandit One (1, 18, Surrendered), Bandit Three (1, 12)

So you now have three bandits that have surrendered as they are pretty much dead or too outnumbered to stand a chance of escape, whilst having one more bandit that is now outside the fort and running for his horse. He will reach his horse at the end of this round, so if you are going to kill/capture him you had best do it quickly. Once he gets on that horse he is pretty much going to escape since there is no way for any of the PCs to chase after him with the wagon in the way.

Once he is dealt with and I guess the surrendered bandits are bound, then we can move on.

Round Three Begins