Strongwood League IC

[thechosen2nd]

There's nothing particularly exciting in the Direwolf's den. Just a bunch of gnawed bones from various animals, and scraps of hides. A lot of the remains appear to be from cows, but there are clearly bones and tufts of fur from other animals as well. Some large hollow bones and colorful feathers look like they came from an enormous bird of some kind, and a large broken-apart rack of horns appears to have once belonged to a moose, a creature which has grown rare in this region due to over-hunting. Some of the remains are from humanoid creatures, but there is nothing of value there; just decaying corpses.

[thechosen2nd]

With your mission completed, you begin the long trek back to Thornspire. The thrill of victory, combined with the fact that your return trip is downhill, makes for a much shorter journey that the trip you made this morning. Trading jokes and stories the whole way back, it seems like no time at all before you find yourselves in front of the gates back into the city.

The enormous stone walls that surround Thornspire are deceptively large; from afar you don't really get an appreciation for how thick and tall the walls are, but as you walk through the gate you are always boggled by the sheer amount of stone that must have been used to construct the fortifications. At least 10 feet thick, and over 40 feet tall, the walls are a vestige of wars long ago, when the unsettled lands to the east and enemy nations to the south presented a constant threat. Although these threats are long forgotten, the walls still stand as an impressive monument to the strength and determination of the residents who reside within them.

The city itself is a bustling center of action. A veritable mixing pot, members of all sorts of races known throughout the world can be found in Thornspire, making a living however they see fit. All manners of guilds, magical academies, religious orders, and other organizations make their headquarters here, and the economy is quite robust, with a large variety and volume of trade goods constantly going in and out of the city. Various travelers journey for many miles to come to Thornspire in search of the rare or expensive goods that their smaller villages lack.

It is not a particularly colorful city, nor is it exceptionally beautiful, on the whole. Many elves find that Thornspire feels "pale" compared to the lush forests their brethren inhabit, and Dwarves sometimes find themselves unimpressed by the utilitarian craftsmanship that characterizes the city, longing instead for the ornate and decorative architecture their race is known for. Most of the human residents, however, (who of course make up the vast majority of the population) are perfectly content with the ambiance of their settlement. The pragmatic and sensible architecture accurately expresses the general sentiment of the people of Thornspire- a community of determined and free-thinking individuals who prefer usefulness over appearance. Frilly monuments and manicured gardens are not what make a community successful; determination and grit are what matter at the end of the day.

The sun is setting over the horizon as you meander through the city towards the Strongwood Longhouse, eager to finally finish the last ceremony necessary to become a true Warden of the Strongwood League. The streets are mostly empty, as most people have gone home to prepare dinner and be with their family, although there are still a few folks out running a few final errands before heading home. On the way to the Longhouse, Jacen remembers that he needs to stop by the herbalist's shop, and he heads off towards the marketplace, promising to meet you back at the guild in just a couple of minutes.

No sooner than Jacen is out of sight however, you suddenly hear the telltale sounds of a fight ringing out in the streets, coming from the direction of the guild. As you rush towards the sounds of battle, you recognize the unmistakable battle-cry of Floki, a dwarf you know within the Strongwood League. He is an abrasive and opinionated character, and he has been known to pick fights on occasion (and perhaps has even gotten into a scrap with one or two of you at some point or another.) All the same, he is a member of your guild, and whether you like him or not, you figure you should probably at least find out what he’s fighting about this time, and maybe lend the obstinate dwarf a hand.

As you round the corner, you see Floki surrounded by 4 hooded individuals wearing identical black silk cloaks with dark purple accents, and armed with Flails. Their faces are covered by strange masks, but even so you can tell from their actions that they appear to be attacking with murderous intent. Floki is doing his best to fend them off, but he seems to be struggling, and you can clearly see that he is already bleeding badly. It is immediately apparent that this is no mere street brawl; it’s far more serious.

Spoiler: OOC

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Roll initiatives! Once I get the chance, hopefully Saturday morning, I'll post the round of combat before you get there, and then you can jump in.

MAP

Place yourselves in the little box I gave you.

I'll extend the map further down if it comes to it. I really have to go to bed now, I gotta get up in like 5 hours (I got carried away...)

[King Tius]

Dash's normally bright and relaxed demeanor darkens at the sight of a fellow guild member being attacked. He instinctively reaches for his bow as he moves into a better position.

"No time to waste, we need to get in there!"

Dash begins to sing again, though this time it's a harsh and choppy battle hymn.

Spoiler: Combat Actions

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Initiative: (1d20+4)[20]
Standard Action: Inspire Courage
Move Action: Draw shortbow, move 30 ft south

[esorscher]

Davor nods and rushes forward, drawing and firing his longbow in a single smooth motion.

Spoiler

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Initiative: (1d20+5)[24]. I will delay until after Dash if necessary to get the bonuses from Inspire Courage.
Move: Move 30' south along the road, draw longbow.
Standard: Attack the nearest robed figure with longbow. (1d20+8)[15], (1d8+3)[6]

[TheEmperor]

When Leman first noticed Floki in a brawl, he didn't think much of it, since Floki was usually in a fight with someone or the other. A second glance, however, revealed that the brawl was far more than the usual, since Floki's attackers seemed to be flailing on him with the intention to kill. As his comrades retaliated with their ranged weapons, he silently cursed his inability to reach there quickly. So, he ran forward, towards the site of the conflict, while drawing his weapon.

Spoiler

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Init: (1d20)[3]
Double move action, because this time, it's not a surprise round, correct?
Of course, draw weapon

[Metroid33]

Lavinia Looks down the ally and sees the warden being attacked. She pulls out her bow moving just a tad to the south and fires at the closest target to her.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Initiative (1d20+6)[21]
Attack and damage (1d20+7)[23] (1d8+3)[11]