[IC] Reunion HotDQ

[Cristov]

Evendur

Evan notices the children moving out of cover and quickly moves to intercept them, having no idea of the fate of their mother, he could only remember his own past. "You three okay?" he asks as he stops the eldest from moving any closer to his mother. Evan turns quickly to the dragonborn "Darigaaz, ui mobi tivol wux shilta tir ekess letoclo jacioniv?" Before the children reached their mother, he needed to know if she was alive or dead to try and help prepare them.

[RadarD]

At first the boy is oblivious to Evan's approach but when Evan speaks in the same tongue as the vile creatures that attacked his family he pulls away.
"What did you tell that creature?! Stay away from my parents!" he shouts in Evan's face before trying to continue towards the bloody scene.

[Patrick?]

Helm:

Ordinarily, I'd be happy to let an enemy yield, but this one is more clever than craven - I reckon he'll come back with help rather than live and let live...

Helm runs forward to retrieve his discarded bow - somewhat stiffly - allowing his swords to fall from his hands as he does so - and then leans around the corner to take a parting shot at his fleeing nemisis.

Spoiler: pew pew

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Move to J19 by way of J17
(1d20+5)[13]
(1d8+3)[4]

[Cristov]

Evendur

At first the boy is oblivious to Evan's approach but when Evan speaks in the same tongue as the vile creatures that attacked his family he pulls away.
"What did you tell that creature?! Stay away from my parents!" he shouts in Evan's face before trying to continue towards the bloody scene.

Evan glares at the boy, intent on Keeping him from going any closer "I'm asking my friend if he can help your mother at all, I need you to try and calm down before you go over there. I know too well what it is to a family member. Please just listen to me." he says as he reaches out to hold the boy

Spoiler: restrain the eldest from running in

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Looking to use both hands on the boy's shoulders to keep him from going any further

(1d20-1)[17]

[RadarD]

Helms arrow strikes his nemesis and the kobold stumbles slightly before continuing to flee into the darkness.

Still adventurers turn(Darigaaz, Isilme, Devlin)

[KoalaOtter]

Isilme

The kobold she kicked had just turned to run when Isilme locked eyes with Darigaaz. He would take care of the woman, and she would finish this. The gods knew she wasn't a healer, as much as she wished she was.

She took off after the kobold. She was closing in when she heard more of whatever that lizard language was behind her, and it wasn't from the dragonborn. She looked over her shoulder, never breaking stride, to see the sorcerer grab hold of one of the children.

Her brain almost exploded. Enemies from within... But she was too far away to do anything, and she couldn't let this monster go...

"DIRT IN HIS FACE!" she screamed towards the boy, "THROW DIRT IN HIS FACE!"

She'd better finish this kobold quickly. Having caught up with the she-kobold, Isilme quickly swung her quarterstaff across and down, aiming at the kobold's hip area. She followed up smoothly with a sweeping kick, hoping to knock the kobold into the fire.

Spoiler: Finish her(?)

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Attack kobold2

QS Attack (1d20+5)[10]
Damage (1d8+3)[7]

Unarmed strike (1d20+5)[18]
Damage (1d4+3)[6]

[EltaninDraco]

Devlin

Seeing the final kobolds flee, Devlin sighs and tucks away his bow. The thought of those creatures getting away is not pleasant, but for now there's more important things to deal with. A look around and the gnome finds a likely route down the slope, and slides more than runs down the slope, hopping the deeper part of the creek to land in the shallows with a splash. From there Devlin walks up the shallow bank towards the others just in time to hear the monk's frightened command and he frowns. Coming up behind Evan, Devlin speaks softly in gnomish, as much to not startle his companion with his arrival as anything else "Jeg tror, ​​vores ven har knækket." Moving around his friend, Devlin goes up to the kid, and stands nearly eye to eye with him as he speaks, his voice calm but serious: "Son, we're going to do whatever we can for your parents, but we need you to help us by looking after your brother and sister while we do. Can you do that? I promise, no one is going to hurt you, least of all my friend Evan here." The last sentence he adds a bit louder, pitching his voice to carry to the other companions.

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[RadarD]

Isilme's staff swings high as the kobold ducks but her kick strikes home and she feels the kobolds fragile ribs crack as his body falls into the fire.

Meanwhile Evan grabs the boy who begins to turn in rage when the gnome appears in front of him. Devlin's words manage to calm the boy enough to hear the sobbing of his siblings and remind him of his duties as the eldest.
"Fine but my mother better be ok." he stammers as he waits for his siblings to catch up.

Still the adventurers turn(Darigaaz)

[Mondlevic]

Darigaaz

Hearing Evan speak his language caught Darigaaz off guard, but there wasn't time to question him right now. The dragonborn knelt down by the woman to check on her condition. She was still breathing, although barely. Her breaths were coming in so shallow, you wouldn't be able to tell if you didn't look closely enough. I'll have to work quickly to stop the bleeding and save her life. Darigaaz pulled some bandages from the pouch hanging form his belt and set to work.

Spoiler: Super secret paladin healing techinques

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Med kit uses remaining: 9/10

[RadarD]

As the last remaining injured kobold rounds the back of the barn and flees into the night the children settle down some under the watch of the gnome and some force from the sorcerer. Darigaaz stabilizes the women with his expert healing skills and the help of his healing kit but she still lies unconscious.

With the bulk of the fighting over the adventurers notice that despite the large blaze at the corner of the house it is mostly the kindling and hay the kobolds piled next to the building that is burning with only minimal damage to the house itself.

Spoiler: now what

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Unless Helm wants to chase after the kobold for one more shot, the kobold is now beyond the barn in some tall grass next to the path leading to the house and barn area(has cover), you will be out of initiative.

[Cristov]

Evendur

Evan laughs hearing Devlin's words before he releases his grip from the boy's shoulder as he kneels down in front of him, "I know you're worried about your mother, Darigaaz will make sure he does everything he can for her." He removes his cloak putting it around the boy, to try and help keep him warmer before turning to Devlin "we should probably do something about that fire before it gets too much bigger" As he finishes he stands up again would be nice to have some way of getting water from that creek. He looks around trying to find a large bucket, or something to get water from the creek to put out the fire

Spoiler: Fighting fires

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Not sure if I need a roll to find something, if so, let me know.

[RadarD]

There is nothing that would hold water in Evan's line of sight. However even as he looks the blaze against the house grows smaller as the fuel the kobolds piled on begins to dwindle.

The older boy accepts the cloak and wraps his siblings in it awaiting news of his mother.

[Patrick?]

Helm:

Helm takes a knee and releases an arrow at his vast vanishing nemesis. The darkness, magnified by light of the fire, is too deep for Helm to track the path that the arrow took. The kobold stumbles, but does not fall, and then rounds the corner and is gone.

Hrmm.

Helm turns back to the party, doing his best to sort out his gear as he went, pausing to retrieve his swords and return them to his scabbards.

Surveying the situation with the family, he saw Darry kneeling over the mother, his big hands quickly at work bandaging her wounds - a good sign, Darry didn't seem the sort to waste bandages on the dead. The father, on the other hand ... the sight of the bloody corpse made Helm's heart sink.

If only we'd been faster... this is the cost of our dawdling.

Helm approaches the children, and addressing the eldest, he speaks:

"Child, I am afraid the nightmare of tonight is not over - not yet. But we're going to get you to safety. Did your family have a plan? Are there any safe places in town?"

[RadarD]

The children huddle under Evan's cloak occasionally glancing towards Darigaaz and their mother. When Helm addresses them the oldest speaks up.

"We tried hiding in the house, they were ransacking everything, it sounded like they were carrying things outside, we thought they would pass us by..."

"Then they found us so we tried to run. I think we were going to head to the keep. The inner keep has big stone walls, nothing could get through those, I saw them last month. There are soldiers there too. They would protect us, my uncle is one of them."

The boy then grows silent and looks towards his fallen parents.

[Patrick?]

Helm:

"Very good. This could be very important, thank you."

Helm turns to his allies, not sure which course of action seems best,

"Well, friends? Do we escort these people to the keep? Or back up the hill to the caravan?"

[EltaninDraco]

Devlin

As Evan and Helm talk to the children, Devlin steps back, more than happy to hand off this burden now that the kids are a little less frantic. One problem down, now for the other... Devlin heads for Isilme, skirting the carnage and keeping well away from the fire. Speaking carefully, the bard tries to calm her down: "Isilme - Evan is on our side. He attacked the same creatures you did, he helped in the fight, and he certainly isn't hurting those children. You need to calm down - we have to decide what to do next."

[Cristov]

Evendur

As he listens to the boy he nods a bit before turning to Helm "well its not like they're getting to the Keep on their own, and I'm not sure that running back to the caravan at night when we don't know for sure that its safe here is the best idea." He takes a deep breath as he looks into the sky, even with it not being winter, without his cloak there was a bit of a chill to the air "Its good to see you still standing Sir Helm, you had me a bit worried taking on two of them like that" His tone far more personal than had been his norm. "You might want to avoid the pointy end a bit better next time however" He says with a grin, pointing to Helms injury.

[Patrick?]

Helm:

Helm shuffles his feet and adjusts his cloak to cover his injury further. His voice descends from a quiet speaking voice to barely a mumble.

"It's nothing. Just a scratch. Don't weep over it. Worse still would have been worth it to protect the villagers..."

Helm takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders and turns around briskly to address the group, louder, "His Highness has spoken. We'll make for the keep."

And then quieter once more, to the children, "My young friends, I'll ask that you stay close to Devlin, the angry little gnome over there. He's scruff looking, but he'll watch out for you...

With that, Helm clamps his mouth shut and goes to the prostrate form of the father, absent-mindedly rubbing his short beard with his hand as he goes.

Kneeling over the bloody corpse, he whispers at the body, "You fought bravely for your family. You did well - they are all safe. I am sorry that their care should fall to the likes of us, but you have my word that I will do as much for them as you would. Be in peace now. .. .Erm... We do not know if you would want your children to say farewell, or if you'd spare them the horror of your body ... But I do not wish to make an issue of it with the noble, so ... I'm sorry. ... I'm sorry."

Helm spends a brief moment prettying up the dead body - ensuring that his eyes are closed and his arms and legs are arranged peacefully, and then retreats to the shadows to keep watch while his allies finish their business.

[KoalaOtter]

Isilme


After dispatching the kobold, Isilme turned back quickly towards the party. Darigaaz was kneeling over the woman applying bandages and whatever else paladins used to fix people. She was relieved to see that the gnome had appeared and was helping the children. Evan appeared as haughty as ever, but otherwise was currently non-menacing and ...helpful? she thought as her eyes narrowed. We'll see. She saw Helm walk over to them. He appeared to be injured slightly, but was moving around pretty well.

As Isilme moved to see if she could help Darigaaz, Devlin wandered over to her.

Oh good, a lecture, she thought, as the gnome talked at her. How refreshing!

Ugh... why is he still talking?

It was always easy for cowards to counsel 'calm down' she mused. She wasn't surprised that an old gnome would feel it his place to tell her how should should feel or behave. And she also wasn't swayed by his remarks, but she waited quietly for him to finish.

She said nothing and continued to where Darigaaz was kneeling. She considered whether she would be better off on her own.

"Can I help at all?" she asked him.

[EltaninDraco]

Devlin

His words delivered, Devlin watches as the silent, and strangely calm, monk walks away towards the dragonborn. Seeing Isilme go from frothing mad to eerily silent in seconds sends a chill down his spine. Out to sea without sail or paddle, that one... Hells, I'm not sure she even has a boat. Shaking his head, Devlin moves to the periphery of the group, walking the perimeter to make sure there are no unwelcome surprises as the others decide where to go next. When Devlin hears Helm's description of him, the bard rolls his eyes but can't contain a chuckle Angry? Scruffy?! HA! he thinks to himself, absently straightening his jacket, I'll show him scruffy! And for the rest of his patrol, Devlin's focus is split between keeping watch and coming up with an entertaining plan for revenge.

[Mondlevic]

Darigaaz

Darigaaz was securing the final bandages when Isilme returned from killing the fleeing kobold.

"Can I help at all?"

"I think I have everything under control here, although Devlin seems like he could use some assistance," he said, nodding toward the children who had heeded Helm's advise and were now following the gnome as he scouted the perimeter. "Can you two round up the children and get them ready to move? I'll carry their mother."

To Helm and Evan he added, "The keep seems like the better option to me. It will be far safer than our caravan, not to mention closer. And I for one do not wish to draw any attention to our traveling companions. Surely there will be other villagers there as well. Perhaps we can gain some information as to why they were attacked."

With that, Darigaaz picked up the unconscious woman. Her eyelids flickered for a moment before she passed out again.

[KoalaOtter]

Isilme

Isilme nodded and moved towards the children.

She was glad they were moving on. This milling about was making her anxious.

"We're heading to the keep," she said. And then, to the children, "Darigaaz is going to carry your mom and keep her safe"

[EltaninDraco]

Devlin

When the children started following him, Devlin slowed his pace, pretending to not notice them, yet walking slowly enough for them to keep up. Give them something to do, something to keep them from worrying. At the approach of the monk, Devlin stepped forward, casually putting himself between the children and the unknown element before him. When she delivered her message not to him but to the air over his head, it took almost a physical effort to not comment or joke. Instead Devlin forced down the smile, nodded, and prepared to join the others with the children in tow. When she then continued by addressing the children he flinched, afraid of what it was going to be this time. When it turned out to be a simple and harmless enough update Devlin sighed out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and turned to the children as the half elf walked away. "Come now, you guys stick with me and we'll be to the keep in no time." And with a comforting smile Devlin led the children to the others, the whole while softly talking to each of them in turn, keeping them distracted and calm.

[Cristov]

Evendur

Seeing the rest of the group finally moving, Evan readjusts a few things on his pack. Satisfied he takes a place towards the front "Normally I'd think Darigaaz would be best suited to take the front but, with the current state of things it might be best if someone else takes point this time. I'll take lead, Helm rear guard, Isilme you and Devlin keep an eye on things to either side."

[RadarD]

The group begins to move along the creek towards the Keep, the children are fairly calm by now seeing that their mothers wounds are covered and her breathing is that of a calm sleep, Devlins words also keep them distracted. The little girl still lets out a faint sob now and then that can barely be heard over the bubbling water of the creek. Darkness surrounds the group at this point as the bushes on both sides block the light of any town fires and a cloud has blocked out the light of the moon for the moment. The outline of the keep is easily visible however with a clear view down the creek and the many torches illuminating the top of the wall.

As the creek widens slightly and becomes shallower anyone looking ahead of the the group can see the faint flicker of torch light much closer than the keep. About 150 ft ahead the creek curves left and the light can be seen shimmering off the water at the bend as well as illuminating the bushes on the right side of the curve.

Spoiler: Details

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You were at the 3 buildings in the bottom right corner of the Greenest map. Just southwest of the big number 3 on the opposite side of the creek as the number. You are now Northwest along the creek just to the north of the buildings. You are at the point where the creek gets slightly wider and the southern bushes get wider on your left as you move along the creek. You are in near total darkness unless you are using a light source of some kind.

Make perception to learn more about the light up ahead.
Also any other checks you would like to make would be fine.

[Cristov]

Evendur

Having taken the lead for the group, Evan tries not to be too noisy as he walks, his eyes darting about making sure their path was clear. Of course it would be so dark, and light would be too much of a risk. He shakes his head some as they carry on. As he notices the lights along the creek he slows his pace, motioning to the rest of the group to follow suit. he strains his eyes a bit, trying to assess the nature of the lights, knowing full well as it were the group may need to move closer to get a better idea of things.

[RadarD]

As the party pauses to observe the flickering light ahead they notice the bushes growing in illumination indicating the lights would be coming around the corner soon.

Spoiler: For Devlin and Evan

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You hear the faint sound of voices coming from the direction of the light though you cannot make out any of the words it sounds there are at least 3 distinct voices.

Spoiler: For Isilme and Helm

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You hear the distinct sounds of 3 men speaking in common and much fainter the tell tale raspy voices of kobolds muttering in draconic.

[Patrick?]

Helm:

Helm's ears prick up at the sound of voices, as he tunes in to the sound, he offers a rare thanks to the Elvish portion of his heritage - the keen hearing of his ancestors had saved him from more than a few sticky situations throughout his life - "Shhh. Quiet. Everyone. Do you hear those voices? More Kobolds. And ... Men? Prisoners or Allies? They must be setting another fire up there. Perhaps we should learn more?"

Helm looks towards Isilme, he doesn't speak, but as he makes eye contact, the intent in his glance is clear, "Are you up for another scouting mission?"

[EltaninDraco]

Devlin

At the sound of voices Devlin motioned to the children to be especially quiet, but he wasn't able to catch much. When Helm relayed what he heard, Devlin frowned and whispered to his companions: "Whoever it is, I say we hide and let them pass - no harm if they are friends, and we'll be safe if they aren't. We need to get our charges to that keep." And with that he looked around for a likely way to get himself and the young ones quickly and quietly out of sight.

[KoalaOtter]

Isilme

Isilme became completely silent on hearing the voices. At least 3 men, speaking surprisingly calmly in common, as well as some other voices speaking the harsh reptilian language.

Helm heard the voices too and notified the group to silence. He looked at her

"Are you up for another scouting mission?"

She paused briefly, thinking, and then shook her head slightly. Just audibly, she said in return, "Too calm" gesturing in the direction of the voices. Devlin was already collecting the children like baby chicks and looking around for a hiding place. Isilme nodded. He was right; even if they wanted to fight, they had three children and an injured woman with them. They were in no condition to engage the enemy at present. "We should hide" she agreed simply. "We could split the sides of the bank; fighters staying on this side to be closer if we're needed." She moved just slightly further down and moved into the brush to wait.

Spoiler: Stealthy hidey hole

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(1d20+5)[10] to hide in the brush like a tiger on the south side of the river