Maverick of the Outlands - The South Expedition

[himora21]

Farador took a short step back, allowing Gormadoc to continue his line of questions. Being question by the young priestess ruffled his feathers, but he decided that here and now was not the place to start an argument around three people he didn't know in the slightest.

"Yes, I realize that our mission is to be discrete, however I feel a man should be allowed to know why someone would question him so harshly, and definitely before he's taken to the block for treason. How would you feel if you stood watch, allowed your general in command through a gate, and then four people appear from nowhere asking questions, threatening you with a sentence before ever you know what's wrong? I, for one, would rather risk discriminatory behavior with a simple guard who was merely trying to do his job, than allow that one..." he says, gesturing slightly towards Gormadoc, "...to question our "witness" until he breaks down. Speaking of..."

Farador turns, and steps back to Gormadoc, laying his hand on his shoulder yet again, this time firmly. "Time to go, Gormadoc. We have a lot of ground to cover, and Eric here has a job to do."

[Strainseir]

Conleth just chuckled softly as he walked up with a wide smile to the guard that is being hassled,"So Mr Eric sir, where be the horses? I want to get a move on I do."

[hoverfrog]

"Farador, do not presume to instruct me and do not lay your hand upon me." he looks down angrily at the monk, "Do you know where to go, what direction to turn, where to leave the path and strike out? Pray share this knowledge with us."

"We begin our search here and Eric has the knowledge to help us," he shrugs off Farador's hand and turns to face the frightened guard, "Don't you? When Maverick rode through here where did he go next? We need to find him, where is the best place to search for him?" Though angry, Gormadoc tries to speak calmly.

[warbringer]

Melira sighs, then puts her foot down.

"He left the premises through the gate, there is no way a guard that was not suspecting something was off would check. Let us be on our way and stop wasting our time here on a pointless interrogation!"

[himora21]

Farador moves his hand back to it's place by his side as it slides off the large man's shoulder.
"I would not presume to give you an order, nor do I know where he went, but we need to move. The longer we sit here seeking answers, the farther he goes towards his goal. If he's headed for a boat or just a hideout, it won't matter if we don't catch up."

[hoverfrog]

Gormadoc looks at Eric and ignores his companions. Someone had mentioned horses so they wouldn't be going anywhere until they were saddled and ready. That was plenty of time for the guard to answer one question though he now seems terrified into silence.

[Aldurin]

A higher-ranked soldier steps out and intervenes, speaking sharply to Gormadoc. "Stand down! He answered to the best of his memory, and since he didn't know what was going on he didn't think to pay attention to details! You would do it, too, if you saw a person walk by and later heard that they needed to be located!" The commanding officer face begins to redden with annoyance. "Now the horses are here and you're holding up your group's departure, which I was ordered to make happen as quickly as possible. So unless you feel like you're free to bully a border guard because they're not a royal guard like you, then get your ass on that horse and ride out before I tie you to it myself!"

[hoverfrog]

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try." Gormadoc squares off against the officer ready for a fight but then visibly deflates, "You are not my enemy today. Though I could kill you easily I choose to spare you. You're right, there is nothing to learn from this boy and no reason to stay any longer." He climbs into the saddle looking dejected and follows the others as they depart.

[Strainseir]

Conleth honestly looks disgusted at the anger coming from this man. He was some sort of barbarian to be sure," If you cannot control your temper Gormac, You will get us all killed in the Waste, and be warned, if you draw blades against any in this group like you were about to against a man trying to aid us, one less of this group will return." he said for the first time in a serious tone before pulling himself up into the saddle with his bow still strung and in hand.

[hoverfrog]

"That much is certain," Gormadoc replies grimly.

[warbringer]

Fearing the group would quickly go out of control due to the massive tempers, Melira tried to soothe the situation.

"Men, let's remember why we are all so on edge and try to understand that from each other. Our beloved queen and princess have been murdered in cold blood! It is not strange for any of us to be upset. Let us take pride and comfort in our shared grief, and let it power our conviction for this mission!"

She looks around the group, hoping the party will agree with her.

[himora21]

Farador bows to the two guards, then turns to his horse, mounting it slowly. A smile cracks his lips as the young cleric spoke. It was like back when he was a youngling, getting into arguments with his peers that were escalating, only to be halted by an authoritive voice of reason. He quietly waited for the last of the group ti be ready and make way.

[Strainseir]

"Not ta be rude to the rest o he group, but can we be moving out now? I am rather anxious to take on the hunt. It does seem like it is going to be a lot of fun and I would hate to miss it. I bet the other group is already out there." Conleth said as he leaned forward on the horse practically laying on it.

[warbringer]

Satisfied, Melira mounts her horse and starts her way through the gate.

As the party sets into motion, she lets her horse fall in step with that of Conleth's. She looks at him sideways, smiles, and sneaks a quick wink at him. The marksman was rough around the edges, but she felt like she and the handsome man would get along pretty well.

"Conleth, pray tell. What's the mightiest foe you've ever taken down? I must say, I am quite curious for your tales of heroics!"

She giggles, and takes in a deep breath of fresh air. Ah, it felt so great to be out in the world, away from the monastery. Where she could serve her king and country, and throw herself into a world of adventure.

[Aldurin]

The party finally manages to exit the outpost, riding west to wherever their adventure will take them. The sun is bright in the sky and the rolling hills make for wonderful scenery, an almost breathtaking experience for anyone used to the urban and plains environments of Arcopolis.

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I'll give Strainseir a chance to answer Melira's question before anything important happens.

[hoverfrog]

Gormadoc will look at the roadside as the ride out. If he is lucky he may spot a track or a torn piece of cloak showing where Maverick left the path. He is brooding over his behaviour earlier. His anger was misplaced but he is too proud to apologise and still too angry to trust himself to speak. He wants to hit something badly and half hopes that some bandit or fool will cross their path so he can lash out at them.

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Survival check (1d20+6)[26] Without the Track feat vs DC ??

I doubt that I'll have much success as it's limited to a DC of 10 or lower and from horseback even a lone rider's tracks through mud might be hard to spot.

EDIT. Well, if there's any chance of successfully finding tracks you can't get better than a natural 20.

[Strainseir]

Conleth lounges in his saddle relaxing as he did so rather happy to be out of the city and in the land he was raised,"With me Da' we took down many a nasty beast in these places. The only thing large enough to really be a threat that I 'ave taken on meself was a dire wolf. He was old so I managed to get the drop on 'im. Otherwise that bastard woulda taken me throat out for sure." Conleth said with a chuckle.

[warbringer]

Melira had never encountered a Direwolf before, but from the way Conleth told his story, she was pretty convinced his feat entitled him to a good deal of bragging rights. She could not explain it, but she had quickly developed an admiration for the slightly uncivilized younger man...

"A Dire Wolf! I must confess I have no experience with them, but it sounds like that was quite an achievement!"

Melira looks at the archer next to her. Upon making eye contact, she starts blushing, and she turns her face the the other side of the road.

Melira clears her throat in an attempt to regain her composure."Hrm, we should keep our eyes open, lest we get ambushed by a group of highwaymen."

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Spot roll, with a -2 circumstance penalty from being flustered by Conleth:(1d20+2)[10]

[hoverfrog]

"Hurm," Gormadoc snorts, a dire wolf indeed. He did not believe the bow man but he had already done enough to make enemies of his travelling companions so he said nothing more. The maid was right about looking around for enemies though, if there are no tracks to be found then keeping a wary eye was certainly worth while. He rode a little way ahead so that the sounds of their conversation would not distract him and listened for anything unusual. A drop in sound from the local animals was a good indicator of human presence.

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Spot check (1d20+2)[15]
Listen check (1d20+6)[26]

I seem to be getting lots of natural 20s. Hopefully there's something to hear.

[Strainseir]

Conleth just shrugged,"Not really all that impressive. Me Da', ancestors rest him, took one on barehanded once just because he could. I'll surpass him one day. In time even royalty will know my family's name for our great deeds. This be just a stepping stone. " Conleth said with a soft smile looking up to the sky reaching his hand up to the sun as if to grasp it in his hand. Smiling lightly he let his hand drop back down,"So anybody see anything?"

[Aldurin]

As the group crests the hill in front of them, the road reveals itself to dip down into a small valley surrounded by tall hills and sparse coniferous trees. Along the north side of the road, a broken down wagon is in plain sight, a halfling woman in a commoner's outfit pressing against it as if she's using it as cover against some foe to her north. She sees the group and hurriedly waves to them, indicating that she's in some sort of emergency.

What do you do?

[warbringer]

Melira stares at Conleth dreamily as he is makes his speech, drinking in his words. As soon as he is done talking, she quickly looks forward again as not to let him notice her gaping.

When the group notices the wagon and see the halfling, she quickly whispers to them:

"Remember! We musn't let anyone know about our mission, and we should make haste. Let us see what she wants, but stay alert and do not let yourselves be dragged into something that will delay us!"

Melira edges in closer, guiding her horse to the side in attempt to get a better view of what might be troubling the halfling. She also makes sure to keep her eyes and ears open for any sign of trouble.

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Forgot to do rolls, so I will be doing those in the OOC thread to prevent double posting and keep the storyline going smoothly :)

[hoverfrog]

Gormadoc looks across at Melira incredulously but says nothing. Instead he rides cautiously forward. Is this woman hiding from someone perhaps "Do you need help, madam?" he announces. Of course they would help someone in need. If nothing else she may have seen their quarry on the road and could provide valuable information.

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Spot check (1d20+2)[13]
Listen check (1d20+6)[13]

[Strainseir]

The moment the halfling woman is running towards they like that Conleth stops his horse and practically leaps out of the saddle. He knocks and bow and takes a single deep breath. In his head head he imagines a single flame inside a dark void. He pushes all his emotions and thoughts into the flame becoming the calm void. Then as the woman runs towards them he keeps his eyes on everything ready to let loose arrows at anything that moves that is not the party or the halfling woman.

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Swift action entering battle mastery.
Spot check (1d20+5)[24]

[Aldurin]

Results of rolls:

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Warbringer:

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The woman seems genuinely distressed. You don't hear anything unusual, but you do notice that the wagon is in pretty poor condition, likely from age.

Hovefrog:

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You don't hear anything notable, but the wagon definitely looks like something that you wouldn't want to ride in.

Strainseir:

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The woman's clothes are pretty dirty for someone who would be traveling by wagon, and the wagon itself almost looks rotten.

The halfling continues to take cover on the south side of the wagon, shouting back to Gormadoc "Help me! This man is waiting over the north hill to shoot me, the things he said he was going to do to -" she chokes up trying to say it, and begins to tear up. She notices Conleth's bow and begins to break down even more, "Oh god, please don't hurt me!"

[hoverfrog]

Gormadoc rides to the wagon and climbs down from his horse, tying it up so that it doesn't wander, "What man is this that you speak of?" He looks in the direction that she was pointing and tries to spot who she means, "Don't worry, we aren't going to let anything happen to you."

Assuming he sees the person she was referring to he walks over in that direction, "Get out here and show yourself, coward. Explain to me why you've been threatening this poor, defenceless woman." He doesn't string his bow or unsheath his greatsword. This could just be a merchant or farmer's quarrel.

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Spot check (1d20+2)[9] or Search check (1d20+2)[13]

Obviously if we see a group of armed brigands or monsters then Gormadoc isn't just going to walk out in the open and start shouting at them.

[warbringer]

Melira, stopping for a moment to consider the state the wagon is in, doesn't understand what the halfling woman was thinking...

Why on earth are you traveling by yourself on foot? Are you trying to get yourself robbed, or worse eaten?" She asks the halfling.

[Strainseir]

Conleth seems to pay no attention continuing to look around carefully expecting an ambush or anything to come at them with this man people being this loud,"Come on then, if someone be out there I would rather enjoy a bit o' a tussel right now." he called out loudly while keeping the arrow drawn making sure not to point it at the tiny hysterical woman.

[himora21]

Farador rides to behind where Conleth stands and dismounts the horse. "You say you're being threatened? Have you physically seen this man that's threatening to shoot you?"

Cautiously Farador makes his way towards the crest in the hill. He takes a slow look across the horizon to check for this aggressor.

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Spot
(1d20+8)[22]

[Aldurin]

Checks:

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Gormadoc doesn't notice anything, and Farador notices the same details about the wagon and woman as the others.

As you approach the halfing to help her, you hear a shout from the south, "Don't move, weapons on the ground!". As you turn south and see 2 archers prone on the top of the hill, the halfling suddenly stops crying and says, "You'd better listen to him, we've been looking to cash in for a while." A glance back shows that the halfling woman is pointing two hand crossbows at the group. "We'll be taking your animals and possessions, and if you cooperate quickly we might let one of you live." She smirks, "Or at least, die quickly."

Initiative:
Farador: (1d20+3)[23]
Gormadoc: (1d20+4)[9]
Conleth: (1d20+4)[10]
Melira: (1d20+1)[16]
Archer 1: (1d20+3)[23]
Archer 2: (1d20+3)[5]
Halfling: (1d20+6)[11]

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