The Making of a Kingdom (IC)

[Icilia]

Max steps up to the hooded man and smiles warmly.

"Good morning friend! A friendly traveller are we? Where are you from?"

[LordHavelock]

Konrad stands at the side of, and slightly behind Oleg, fully armed and armored, sword at his side, and the two-handed cavalry hammer he employed to such devastating effect in his last encounter with bandits across his bad, both weapons wore openly, but not in hand. His cuirass in place, greaves, and gauntlets all free from the dust of the road after he took the chance to clean (if not polish) them the previous evening, he cuts an imposing figure indeed, especially with his helm now in place, the visor open to reveal his stony features and the grim look in his eyes. Oleg had been helpful in preparing Harbinger, and Konrad believed it was a good way for the post's owner to settle himself, though now he found himself wishing he had kept Harbinger by his side, or even met these brigands astride the war-horse, not giving them a chance to so much as open there mouths before he was upon them. Already, Konrad was imagining their simpering, hooded leader with a lance point buried between in his chest, but Oleg's harsh words brought him back to the present, and even raised a smirk on his features.

Letting Maximus do the talking for the moment, he let his eyes fixate pointedly on the hooded man, not letting them waver even for an instant to where Zarus, Adula, and Solenia were now hiding. Instead, he focused on the most brazenly antagonistic glower that he could manage, staring burning daggers at the outlaw's leader, and positively daring him to make a move.

[Odentin]

The leader narrows his eyes at Oleg before glancing at Konrad and finally fixing his gaze on Max. He speaks in a questioning, unsure manner, as if not sure if Max is serious, after Oleg's outburst, "Just a hunter, passing through..."

Oleg spits on the ground at the hooded man's feet, "This is him, boy." He says to Max, "This is the bandit!"

With this, the leader's eyes flare open, and he pulls his bow from his back and nocks an arrow, though doesn't take aim. Behind him, the bandits all draw their short swords in preparation. The hooded man takes a step back, his eyes darting between the three men, as if trying to figure out what exactly is going on...

[Xunthrae]

Solenia listened carefully, her body coiled, ready to shut the gate with all her strength once the signal words were spoken. She wondered what was taking so long, they were in, but she couldn't see anything besides the wall next to her and the gate in front of her. Once she was done with that she could call on the plants around them to entangle their foes.

[Icilia]

Max raises his hands in a defensive stance and takes a short measured step forward.

"How about we all lower our weapons and talk about this?"

Spoiler

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Diplomacy check: (1d20+9)[27]

Max takes a few second pause to see if the suggestion talks hold, then asks:

"Would you like a drink?"

[Odentin]

Spoiler: OOC

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Dat diplomacy. I'll give you a surprise round for that.

The leader visibly relaxes at Max's soothing words, but doesn't put his weapon away. His men relax as well, though none of them seem exactly willing to stand down while their leader is still ready for battle. The hooded man narrows his eyes, "Talk about...uh...no thanks?"

Spoiler: SURPRISE ROUND

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Everyone roll initiative and post actions. I'll be doing this the hard way, taking everyone's posted actions (in whatever order they've been posted) and reorganizing them into the proper order. Since it's the surprise round, though, you can all make your actions without worrying about the bandits...

Spoiler: Map

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[Xunthrae]

At the question of drink, Solenia shoves herself against the gate, slamming it shut behind the bandits, and begins to reach back and pull out her spear.

Spoiler: Actions

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(1d20+1)[18]=Initiative
Closed the door, but she doesn't have the spear out yet, That'll be next round since she doesn't have 1 BAB yet and can't do it as apart of a move action

[Icilia]

Still smiling, Max takes a few steps back, grasp his holy symbol and mutters a chant before a glowing light emeniates out, protectively surrounding him.

Spoiler

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Inititave: (1d20)[7]
Max moves back, and casts Shield of Faith on himself

[Anorin]

The twang of a bow was all that announced Adula's presence as the arrow streaked through the air, towards one of the brigands.

Spoiler

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Umm, heads up, I usually choose not to do any modifiers to the d20 rolling formula, because for some reason I've never rolled above a 10 when the modifiers are attached to the formula. Lemme know if this drives you crazy and I'll put the modifiers in.

Initiative: (1d20)[8] this'll be a +6

Bow Attack on Bottom Right Bandit (only one she has clear line of sight on): (1d20)[12] This'll be a +7 with Favored enemy and such.
Damage: (1d8+2)[3]

[LordHavelock]

At the mention of drink, Konrad's smile briefly flickers to life before fading entirely, as he raises two fingers to his lips and whistles out a sharp clear note that echoes throughout the post. Immediately, Harbinger bursts into view from the stable, raring into the air as he snorts and neighs, just over a hundred stones (1300lbs) of rippling muscled warhorse, who with a curt gesture from his master towards the hooded leader with the bow, charges forward immediately upon touching the ground once more, savagely barreling into the lead bandit with reckless abandon. With Harbinger now firmly between himself and his quarry, Konrad doesn't wait a second before swinging himself up into the saddle, drawing his cavalry hammer from his shoulder in the same smooth motion, and bringing it down in a wide arc from above along his steed's right side, the brutal head of the maul spelling destruction for whatever might be in it's way.

Spoiler: Actions

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Initiative: (1d20+1)[17]
Harbinger Charges 15ft straight forward to square northwest of hooded bandit: Attack (Bite) (1d20+6)[25], Damage (1d4+3)[7]
Konrad draws his Earthbreaker and Attacks the Hooded Bandit: (1d20+5)[16]], Damage: (2d6+4)[12]

[TachyonBlade]

Zarus reached into his spell component pouch upon the mention of a drink, and pulled out a stick of butter, which seemed awkward for such a situation, but certainly wasn't truly that bad. He enclosed his fist, causing the butter to disappear, and reappear as grease on top of one of the three bandits in the back, specifically the one closest to Zarus.

Spoiler

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(1d20+1)[8]

Initiative

A grease spell covers a solid surface with a layer of slippery grease. Any creature in the area when the spell is cast must make a successful Reflex save or fall. A creature can walk within or through the area of grease at half normal speed with a DC 10 Acrobatics check. Failure means it can't move that round (and must then make a Reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Acrobatics skill for details). Creatures that do not move on their turn do not need to make this check and are not considered flat-footed.

Spell DC: 10+1+ 4

[Odentin]

It is all very sudden. As soon as the signal words leave Max's mouth, Solenia's shoulder is on the gate, muscling it forward until it slams shut. All of the bandits spin to look at the source of the noise, including the hooded man, leaving himself wide open for Harbinger's attack, which leaves a bloody trail streaming down his arm. Meanwhile, one of the other bandits' reactionary turn leaves him a prime target for Adula, whose arrow impacts the man's chest, just above his heart. Unfortunately, the arrow catches in his armor, and doesn't manage to penetrate very deeply. Still reeling from the sudden attack, the bandit closest to the stables is unable to maintain his footing as a thick layer of grease appears over the ground, and he falls onto his back while Max casts his defensive spell.

Once the bandits regain their composure, though, they are rather quick on the draw. The two standing bandits make a quick dash to team up on Solenia while she's isolated from the rest of the group, though only one makes contact. The hooded man grabs the reins of his horse and pulls it while he steps back, away from the gathered group members. He then follows with a shot at Konrad. Finally, the greasy bandit crawls out of the spell area and stands, growling in frustration.

Spoiler: Combat

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Spoiler: Initiative

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Bandit 2: 22
Bandit 3: 21
Happs Bydon: 21
Bandit 1: 20
Solenia: 18
Konrad: 17
Adula: 14
Zarus: 8
Max: 7

Happs Bydon takes 7 damage.
Bandit 3 takes 3 damage.

Bandit 3 charge: (1d20+4)[13] vs Solenia
Damage: (1d6+1)[2]

Bandit 2 attack: (1d20+2)[3] vs Solenia
Damage: (1d6+1)[5]

Happs Bydon
Handle Animal: (1d20+7)[23]
Attack: (1d20+5)[15] vs Konrad
Damage: (1d8+2)[3]

Spoiler: MAP

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[Xunthrae]

Solenia growls at the one that struck her and tries to move to a safer range carefully, though not careful enough. Even as she moves she can tell she left herself open to attack. Once safely between the building and the wall, Solenia turns and gets into a defensive stance. She'll keep these two busy while the others are finished off.

Spoiler: Actions

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Attempted acrobatics check (11) to avoid AOO's.
move diagonally right and up, then right twice.
(1d20+1)[2] *Ignore this*
Total defense actions AC 17 for this round.

[Icilia]

Smiling cheerfully, Max draws his rapier with one hand, and with his other hand still on his holy symbol, he utters a short chant. Upon the completion of his chant, Max smiles gleefully as he rapidly grows in height and size, soon standing at eleven feet tall.

Spoiler

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Move action to draw his weapon. Standard to cast enlarge person. AC is still currently a 15 for nine more rounds, enlarge person for ten.

[TachyonBlade]

Zarus grinned once more, as he pulled out a candle and a small bag from his spell components pouch. The poor bandit was having such a rough time, aww. But wait, there was more! Using the arcane power of the world around him, he tore open a small slit in the plane, to draw in a rather large rat, right behind the bandit leader, and let it go wild.

Spoiler

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Summon Monster 1

DC: 10+4+1

Dire rat (Celestial alignment)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +4
DEFENSES
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 size)
hp 5 [7] (1d8+1) [1d8+3]
Fort +3 [+5], Ref +5, Will +1
SR 5
Celestial - Resist Acid, Cold, and Electricity 5
Fiendish - Resist Cold and Fire 5
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee bite +1 [+3] (1d4 [1d4+2] plus disease)
Special Attacks disease, Smite evil/good
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4
Base Atk +0; CMB -1 [+1]; CMD 12 [14] (16 [18] vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Climb +11, Perception +4, Stealth +11, Swim +11; Racial Modifiers uses Dex to modify Climb and Swim
Filth fever: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 11 [13]; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Dex damage and 1d3 Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.


Smite evil/good

1/day as a swift action (adds CHA bonus (+0) to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD (+1) against evil/good foes; smite persists until target is dead or the celestial/fiendish creature rests).

[Anorin]

Adula raced across the walkway, trying to get a better angle, when she saw the leader over the shoulder of one of his horses. He was trying to position another horse between him and Konrad, but that left him oblivious to her.

"Bad move human." Adula whispered as she notched an arrow, brought fletching to ear and released, straight for the bandit leader.

Spoiler

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Attack Roll (See OOC)

Damage: (1d8+2)[7]

[Odentin]

Konrad sneered as the hooded bandit moved back, putting his horse between further threat and to shield himself while he readied his bow. Already considering another swing from his warhammer to bring down the ruffian for good, Konrad was suddenly distracted by the sight of Solenia now outnumbered and facing down two of bandits only lightly armed and armored as she was. He would be loath to admit any more romantic drive or notions which then spurred him to action, but with a coarse shout directed at the horse whose reins the bandit held, the beast was convinced it best not to be between the armored knight and his quarry. A path now cleared, Konrad and Harbinger moved deftly around the patch of magical grease conjured by Zarus, riding right past the no doubt surprised bandit leader, as Konrad swung his cavalry hammer in an uppercut strike as Harbinger's momentum carried him right past, vaulting over the leads of the wagon to rear up before the two bandits previously threatening Solenia, now trapped between the closed gate and the towering, maul wielding knight.

[Odentin]

As the bandits converge on brave Solenia, she bravely runs away away, though she takes another gash from a sword as she does. Konrad, seeing his former lover in peril, guides Harbinger through the maze of horses, giving Happs a good smack along the way. As he rides up, towering over the two bandits near the gate, Adula makes her way down the walkway until she has Happs in her sight, and swiftly puts an arrow in his back. Seeing his boss fall, the greased bandit throws down his weapon and raises his arms into the air, calling out a surrender. The two standing in Harbinger and Konrad's shadow look at each other a moment before doing the same.

Spoiler

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Solenia takes 2 damage.

Happs Bydon is at -1 and bleeding out.
All three bandits surrender.

Combat over. 161 XP each.
Max and Zarus keep their spells, as combat ends before their turns.

Oleg is quick to make his way past the horses to the door of his home. He knocks in a certain pattern, then calls out for Svetlana to bring rope. Seconds later, she emerges, carrying a length of hempen rope. In a few minutes, all of the bandits are bound up and relieved of their gear. Oleg turns to the group with a nod, "Thank you. Really, thank you. You've done me a great service here today. For as long as you're out here doing your mapping, you can stay here for free. Meals and stabling, too. An' I'd like you to have these, too."

He gives the group a small pouch, containing 2 potions of Cure Light Wounds, a potion of Shield of Faith (+2), and 50gp.

"Anything you don't want off these punks, I'll take. Dunno what you plan on doing with 'em, though. Only good bandit's a dead bandit..."

Spoiler: Treasure

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The spoils are as follows:
4 suits of leather armor
3 longbows
1 composite longbow (+2 str)
79 arrows
3 short swords
1 dagger
8 days worth of trail rations
65gp

6 rather spooked horses
4 riding saddles
2 pack saddles

Happs is wearing a strange silver amulet in the shape of a stag's skull.

[TachyonBlade]

Zarus sighed as he felt that the combat was over. He looked over everything, and said "But we're not done yet. Theres a camp more of them, isn't there? Soon enough, they'll send people to find out what happened to these folk here... We'll have to take care of the camp, and it would be best if we did it soon. The element of surprise would be nice to have."

[Anorin]

"No," she corrects Oleg gently as she tests the resistance of her new composite longbow, perfect.

"There are two types of good bandits, the dead ones... and those you can sell to the authorities, specifically the group that's coming up behind us."

She looks to the bandits, "Might wanna start telling us what you're worth alive."

Adula nods at Zarus's words, "We'll need to clean up eventually, I see no reason not to start."

[Odentin]

The three bandits look at Adula with very different expressions, "I aint telling you sh¡t!"

"Speak for yourself, man! I don't wanna fμckin' die!"

"Well what do you think Kressle is gonna do when she finds out you talked?!"

"Yeah...but...crap, you're right..."

"Just keep quiet, you idiots!"

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm gonna need some social rolls if you want any information out of them.

Adula Survival: (1d20+6)[26]

Spoiler: Adula Survival Success

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Adula is almost positive she can follow the horses' tracks in this terrain.

[LordHavelock]

Konrad dismounts only once all the bandits have been disarmed and tied up. "Your thanks are welcome Oleg, and and your generous offer of reward." Konrad makes a point of accepting the potions and small purse of gold on behalf of his other compatriots. "Is anyone keen to tend to their leader?" He asks, "If there's any of them worth interrogating, it's likely that fellow in the hood that's lead them here."

The Chelish knight makes a point of speaking plainly in front of the other bandits to make a point to them of just how much he sees their lives as worth, before he turns to the task of apportioning their no doubt ill-gotten gear and goods. Reflecting on both Zarus and Adula's words he turns to each in their turn, counting out ten gold pieces from the leather purse of the reward offered by Oleg. "You're too right Zarus, the sooner their camp and the real villain behind their pillaging is dealt with, the better, and anything to ensure a swift victory will be of assistance." Moving then to Adula, he continues, "An interrogation should be our first order of business, to discern what these blaggards can tell us about their 'friends'." He sneered at the cowardly thugs, even quicker to surrender as they had been to prey upon the Levetons. "From there . . . Justice can be served most expediently."

Konrad almost makes a point of not looking at Solenia following the skirmish, knowing full well how she'd take any attempts to coddle or act as nurse to her, even with her injuries at the hands of the bandits. His riding cross the grounds to force their conflict with him, rather than the druidess was all he would allow himself.

[Anorin]

"Tell me wha-- oh!"

Adula breaks down laughing, it's almost a full five seconds before she regains her composure.

"GODS! You thought I was asking where your camp is?! I can follow six horses led by you three blindfolded! I was asking if Brevoy would pay anything for you!"

She bends and starts binding the bandit leader's wounds, making sure he doesn't bleed out, he's probably worth the most.

She motioned to Konrad. "But if you want to tell Sir Konrad there anything that might make him decide not to either put you to the Question or kill you, by all means."

[Odentin]

Before any of them can answer, Oleg clears his throat, "There's a four-hundred gold bounty for anyone who can reduce bandit activity. It doesn't give any names, though."

He points to the wall of the guest quarters, where the group slept last night. Hanging on a wooden jobs' board are four wanted posters, one of which has been posted for bandit activity.

[LordHavelock]

Konrad can't help but chuckle a bit at Adula's reaction himself, "Good to know we have such an able man-hunter in our number." He says, offering her a brief smile before he nods to Oleg and takes a survey of the other wanted posters.

After parsing out which jobs seem likely prospects, he makes a brief appraisal of the bandit's gear, selecting for himself one of the longbows and a quiver of 20 arrows, setting aside their gold and rations to be apportioned, ignoring the leathers and smaller blades till he comes to the silver stag ornament, lifting and eyeing the piece carefully. Setting it aside for appraisal later, he proceeds to drag the assembled bandits away wordlessly. One to the stables, the other to the shed, and the last inside the bunkhouse.

[Anorin]

Adula whistles when she hears the amount, but then her brow furrows. The leader was still bleeding out, despite her efforts. Aren't people supposed to stop bleeding when you tie bandages around the wound?

"Erm, Max? Little help?"

[Odentin]

Happs is bleeding out, slowly. Adula can't tell, but he actually is mostly stable.

Spoiler: OOC

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He's stable, with -3 HP.

[TachyonBlade]

Zarus hummed as he walked in a circle around the bound guards. None of the items recovered really interested him, as they weren't exactly things he could easily use. The gold didn't interest him, the weapons didn't, and the jewelry and armor didn't interest him in any way. "I think I'll pass on the gold, because its not like I need it... But how about this, give my share of the gold to Oleg and family, or their kindness to us..."

[LordHavelock]

Konrad looks from Zarus with a bit of surprise before regarding Oleg, arching an eyebrow. "What would you say to that Master Leveton? If you'd prefer not to think of it as charity, you may instead consider Zarus to be offering you his share of the spoils of victory. You did after all take the strength to stand against your foe, face them openly and would be deserving of the reward you offered us for dispatching them at least as much as us." Konrad catches himself embellishing somewhat, but realizes it's also an attempt to draw out Oleg's own sense of self-sufficiency and strength.

[Odentin]

Oleg snarls at Zarus' offer and Konrad's attempt to soften it, "It IS bloody charity and I won't take it. Don't insult me, boy! Take your damn coin. If you really want to part with it, I'll bring out my stock and you can buy something."