A Murder in Hawksridge

[Krezzlar]

Talonus

"Let's go procure some horses and pack our things then. Pack light though. We can go to the north gate and see if anyone matching Ormand's description has headed out that way this morning. We will then get some rest and I will perform at Chadwick's tonight. We'll head north at first light tomorrow and push hard."

[Breece]

Dagon

Dagon agrees to the plan and makes preparations. Seeing as how the berries he prepared earlier today should last through until the morning after tomorrow, he alters his nightly preparations.

Spoiler

Show

Unless something is happening in the night, Dagon will be ready at sun-up. I'm altering his spell preparation, switching his level 1 spells to be cure-lights.

[Kinthas]

Travel Preparations Are Made, Talonus Gets Ready to Sing

You return to the stables where you had left the horses loaned to you by some of the villagers in Falston. Those horses were already on their way back to Falston, but the stable master has others that he is willing to sell. He wants 300 gold for three horses and riding gear, but Talonus talks him down to 200 with a tale about a greedy merchant that is forsaken by the gods, leading a life of misery and woe. Talonus picks out three horses that are in good health. They are fine animals.

You pass the afternoon making preparations for travel to the wilderness. You purchase some supplies, alter your spell preparations, and take a few hours to rest up for what will be a long, hard day of riding. After the sun goes down, you make your way back to Chadwick's. He greets you warmly. Dain and Dagon find themselves a comfortable place to sit. Chadwick brings food and drink, for which he will accept no payment.

The place is crowded. The food is excellent and many local folk have come to enjoy it. Talonus spends a few minutes soaking in the atmosphere, getting a feel for the crowd. There is a small sqaure of open space in the centre of the room, free of tables and chairs. Talonus makes his way there. He stands in the open central space for a few moments until people begin to notice him. A murmur of expectation spreads throughout the room...

Spoiler

Show

I'll let you describe the story you want to tell. Do you use an instrument? Tell me what effect you are trying to create. And include a roll for performance.

[Krezzlar]

Talonus

"Dagon, keep an eye on the crowd and the door. If Ormand is here or enters, we need to know about it. Oh, and applause when I point to Dain."

Talonus breezes through the crowd, trying to keep the butterflies in his stomach from getting out. Once he gets to the centre of the room, he pulls out his vihuela (a medieval spanish guitar) and strums a few notes to hear the acoustics. He gives the crowd a big smile, then quickly launches into a quick, high spirited folk song. He'll put on a show, dancing as he plays and getting the crowd to join him in singing the chorus. After the first song is done, he'll do a few more songs, mixing up the pace, some fast cheery songs, some slow, mournful ones. After 6 songs, he'll address the crowd (who are hopefully having a good time by this point):

"Ladies and gentleman, I'd like to share with you one last song, about a great hero who has tragically been cut down before his time. Some of you may have known him, some of you may not have had the honour but I would like to do my small part in showing you a glimpse in how this great man lived. We are privileged to have his son here with us tonight *indicating to Dain* and while nothing can ever replace his father in his heart, hopefully this song will help him find some peace."

Spoiler

Show

"Dorn, the Hero of Falston" will be a soft, catchy tune that celebrates the life Dorn lived, the people he's helped and shares the mystery of his death. Talonus wants everyone to remember the song and hopefully the song can catch on. He figures if enough people are aware and feel bad about Dorn's death, maybe something will turn up that can help them. Also, hopefully it will help ease the grief of Dain, Dagon and himself.

Perform roll (1d20+8)[24]

[Breece]

Dagon

Dagon had long admired Talonus, not only for his age and wisdom, but for his skill with music as well. He wondered if all elves were artistic geniuses, or if it was a particular trait of his friend. He prefered to believe it was the latter, for something so wondrous could not be common banality. Then again, as far as Dagon was concerned, nothing about elves was common banality.

Letting his mind ease at the sound of Talonus' tunes, Dagon openned his senses to the room. No note of discord would be allowed to enter unmolested, and if Ormand showed himself tonight, Dagon would make sure to know of it.

Spoiler

Show

Spending 1 Void on a Spot check:

(1d20+10)[11]

It goes without saying that Dagon claps boisterously and congratulates Talonus on his masterful performance. Unless anything else happens in that evening, he will go to be early, and rise early the next day.

[Kinthas]

Dorn, the Hero of Falston

The last strains of Dorn, the Hero of Falston die away as Talonus lowers his instrument and bows his head to the assembled patrons. A moment of silence follows, in mute homage to the memory of Dorn, hero and friend. The silence is broken by the sound of sniffles amongst the crowd. You see some of the patrons dabbing their eyes and blinking away their tears. Sniffling gives way to applause, a more heartfelt and enthusiastic applause than you have ever received. Shouts of "Again! Again!" and "Dorn, the hero!" are taken up by a few at first, then by many.

Not one to disappoint a happy crowd, you play the song again, in its entirety. By the second chorus, there isn't a dry eye in the place, including Dain, whose tears have made the ends of his moustache quite wet. His beard is soaking up the overflow. At the end of the song, the crowd calls for another encore. You solemnly oblige. As the third round comes to a close, Chadwick himself comes bustling out to centre stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he booms in his deep, but good-natured voice. "With a touch as of the softest feathers and a tongue as of the finest silver, I present to you, Talonus the bard!" Raucous applause ensues. Chadwick bows alongside you, then steers you expertly off-stage and into the kitchen. "Master bard, 'twas the finest performance I have seen in many years. Excellent. Most excellent. Please sit and have something to eat. We must let the crowd calm down." Already you hear the dim roar of conversation and laughter resuming through the open doorway. Occasionally voices are raised in exuberant toasts, offered to such legendary characters as Talonus Silvertongue, Talonus Feathertouch, and Dorn, the Hero of Falston.

Dagon sits through the performace, transfixed by Talonus' skill and artistry. Suddenly, he remembers he should be on the lookout for Ormand. Scanning the crowd, Dagon sees... a very attractive woman. She's dancing merrily with some lout, a local farmer no doubt. Surely he's no match for your nimble wit and charming smile. Wait, wait... you're supposed to be on guard for Ormand. No time to be checking out the ladies. You return to scanning the crowd. Was that a halfling you just saw duck under a table? A dark-cloaked figure slipped in the doorway, you think. You're trying to follow his movements and identify him and you realize that... the woman is standing by herself. Lout nowhere in sight. Hmm, this could be the opportunity you've been waiting for. All you have to do is walk over there confidently and ask her to dance, flashing her a trademark Dagon smile. Oh, shoot. There he is, walking back over to her with a couple of full beer mugs. The lout, that is, not Ormand. Right, Ormand! Gotta keep an eye out for Ormand. Anyone here look like Ormand? Gee there's a lot of people here. You wonder where they all live. People are really enjoying the music. Talonus sure is good. You wish you could sing like that. If you could sing like Talonus, maybe you could write a song and sing it to that beautiful woman over there. You can't believe she seems interested in that guy. He's such a clumsy fool. And he doesn't even look like he washes regularly. Yech. Probably not too bright. She sure is beautiful though...

Spoiler

Show

Talonus, you can make a Gather Information check with a +10 bonus.

[Breece]

Dagon

Well, at least it looks like SOME people are having fun. This rots. We should have just headed out tonight before the evening.

Dagon grumbles to himself about his lack of lady-luck and tries to focus on looking for halflings. Satisfied that there is no sign of Ormand, he heads over and orders a few more rounds of the town's signature ail - Chadwick's Choice!

[Krezzlar]

Talonus

Talonus moves over to the table and sits, downing a mug of ale as soon as he is seated. He had been so focused on giving his best performance, he hadn't taken into account how giddy the crowd's appreciation would make him. He smiled back at the cheering crowd, egging on those who may have broken into spontaneous song as he quickly had a few bites to eat.

Spoiler

Show

Gather Information roll [roll]1d20+18[/roll]

[Krezzlar]

Talonus

Second try...

Gather Information [roll]1d20+18[/roll]

Looks like forum roller might be down. Mind just rolling for me?

[Kinthas]

Talonus Revels, Dagon Sulks

Spoiler

Show

Talonus rolls an 8 + 18 = 26 on his Gather Information check.

Chadwick hurries back out into the bar, leaving Talonus to eat alone for a few minutes. You refresh yourself and revel in the euphoria of your performance. Feeling that the time is now ripe for gathering some useful information, you pour another drink and head into the crowd. Everyone is happy to talk to you. The subject of Dorn comes up easily because of the song, with little prompting on your part. Most people have nothing valuable to say. They express their sincere sorrow at the tragic loss of such a fine dwarf. You allow them to discharge their feelings and then you move on. More than one patron claims that Dorn was not only drinking with Finnias the halfling the night he was killed, he was seen leaving the bar in his company. They took a bottle of wine and some sausages with them. There is a lot of speculation that Finnias is the murderer. If not Finnias, then those mysterious Cirruneth, surely.

You also pick up some of the latest news. Galt, the leader of the outlaws in the north woods, who have become troublesome of late, is believed to have been recently and violently removed from office. A local farmer by the name of Mulgin has claimed the reward for Galt by presenting the bandit's head, though no one really believes the farmer's story of how he accomplished the feat. The two Cirruneth who were at the town meetings had an audience with Balimthorpe III, the Earl of Hawksridge (the hereditary ruler of Hawksridge and its surrounding territory) on the evening of Dorn's murder and were seen leaving the city early the next morning.

Dagon, meanwhile, is sulking at a corner table with a few mugs of ale for company. You take a moment to congratulate Talonus on a wonderful performance when you get the chance. He's really quite popular tonight. In fact, as you look up from your drink you see him chatting with the pretty woman. She seems fascinated by him. Just then, a boisterously drunk man steps on your foot and elbows you in the back of the head as he loses his balance. He steadies himself on your table. "Hey! Watch where you're going, chum. You almost made me spill my drink," he says as he sloshes some beer on you inadvertently.

[Breece]

Dagon

"The hell?" Dagon mutters as he reflexively rubs the back of his neck.

He just looks at the man in a half-daze, not really in the mood to be friendly, but without the energy to really put up a true retort. He picks up a towel and dabs himself off. He decides to just ignore the man. No need to ruin the good mood Talonus has managed to drum up.

[Breece]

Spoiler

Show

Not sure if this will be relevant, but:

Sense motive: (1d20+3)[9]

Dagon's not actually suspicious per se, but he probably sizes up the man with a "what's your problem" kind of attitude.

[Kinthas]

The Spilly-Talker

The man returns your glare for a moment, then moves on. You think the whole episode was an accident. He did seem very drunk, but you're not certain.

[Kinthas]

Morning Comes, The Journey Northward Begins

Spoiler

Show

Unless there's something else you guys want to do tonight...

Eventually the crowd thins out as the night wears on. Before you get too drunk, Dain reminds you both that you must get up early the next morning if you are to make it all the way north to the inn in the Hawkswood (it has no real name, though folks seem to refer to it simply as the Forest Inn). He leads you back to the Kettle & Drum where you fall asleep promptly.

The morning dawns brightly and far too early for your tastes. Nonetheless, having an important mission, you force yourselves out of bed and head downstairs to take a light breakfast. By the time you've packed your bags and retrieved your horses from the stables, the sun has passed above a low ceiling of dense clouds and the morning light takes on a hazy grayness. The air feels moist. You sense it will begin to rain shortly. The three of you make your way out of the city through the northern gate. Once out of the city's confines, you urge your horses to a faster pace and begin to close the miles between you and the forest's southern edge.

The rain begins, a steady drizzle that soaks through your clothes within a matter of minutes. It is a warm day, but the rain and the wind created by the speed of your travel combine to make the experience a chilly one. Pastures and crop fields pass on both sides of the road. Cows moo at you occasionally, while huddled together for warmth and company. The road becomes muddy after a few miles and you are forced to slow down a little.

Spoiler

Show

You are cold, hung-over, and tired. The pace you set is gruelling for both the horses and riders. Make fortitude checks, DC 15. Failure will result in a temporary loss of 2 CON until you can rest somewhere warm and dry. Dain's fortitude check: (1d20+7)[27].

You reach the fringes of the Hawkswood within about three hours. The thick canopy of leaves offered by great deciduous trees provides welcome reprieve from the rain. You stop to enjoy a brief lunch of cold meat and dried fruit under the shelter of a great old oak.

You make good progress after lunch. The trees here keep out the worst of the rain and the roads stay relatively dry. The damp woodland air is so vibrant it's almost refreshing. The afternoon wears on. The horses require rest occasionally. The sun is creeping towards the western horizon when Dagon sees something--a glint of metal spied between tree trunks about 50 yards away. It is visible only for an instant. At the rate you are moving, you will reach a point parallel to the spot in about fifteen seconds.

[Breece]

Dagon

Dagon focuses and imagines the essence of alcohol evapourate off his skin, as if he could, through sheer force of will alone, undo the indiscretions of the prior night.

Spoiler

Show

Fort save (spending 1 void): (1d20+6)[24]

Taking one of the enchanted berries himself, he eats it in lieu of a meal. While the others muched no their hasty repast, he meditated upon a nearby fallen log. In the glow of midday, filtered through the towering conifers, he tried to bid the last vestiges of his ale goodbye.

Spoiler

Show

Meditation check to regain Void, Concentration:

(1d20+6)[8]

During the ride, as he spies the metal, he reins in his mount.

"Wait!" he says urgently, unslinging his shield with his left hand. "I see the glint of metal up ahead... over there!"

[Krezzlar]

Talonus

Spoiler

Show

Fortitude check (1d20)[20]

Wow, totally expected to fail that roll.

Still elated from the events of the previous evening, Talonus barely felt the cold. As they travelled, Talonus kept going over the performance in his mind and asked Dagon and Dain for their opinions whenever possible.

Hearing Dagon's warning, he tries to rein in his horse before going any further.

"Woooo... what's going on?"

[Kinthas]

An Ambush, Of Sorts

There is a cry from the woods to the west of the roadway. The trees here are smaller and denser, making it difficult to see between them. In some places, thick green underbrush grows to heights of four feet and more. There are many hiding places for potential ambushers.

Dain reins his horse to an abrupt halt. "Brigands!" he spits.

There is some rustling of leaves as two men drop to the roadway fifty yards in front of you. They are carrying loaded crossbows and have swords strapped to their backs. Four more men join them from the west side of the road, nocking arrows to their longbows as they drop spears at their feet. You also hear more than see evidence of other men rushing through the brush to the west. The telltale scrape of blades being drawn sends shivers down your spine. You are not sure how many there are. Your horses are getting nervous. One of the crossbowmen on the road yells, "Dismount or perish!".

Spoiler

Show

If you feel that your actions are likely to result in the start of combat, please include initiative rolls and initial actions.

[Krezzlar]

Talonus

Can't we ever get from one spot to another without someone trying to take something from us?

Talonus flashes his winningest smile and says "Ah, excellent. Just the people we have been looking for. Put your weapons down, we are hear to warn you. Or would you prefer not to hear about the warband heading this way? I believe they called themselves.. Galt's Vengence?"

Spoiler

Show

Bluff roll (1d20+8)[20]

[Breece]

Dagon

Dagon has his hand firm on the reins, but doesn't make any move to dismount, indeed, he nudges his trakehner lightly and it stomps its foreleg slightly as if getting ready to charge.

I hope this works, Tal. Because if it doesn't...

Spoiler

Show

Init: (1d20+2)[16]

[Kinthas]

Brigands on the Forest Road

The speaker is a stocky fair-haired man in his twenties. He's got a thick blond beard and a slur in his speech. He turns to the other crossbowmen, a slightly older and taller man with short dark hair and a poorly trimmed goatee. He looks somewhat familiar. "Tor, you sure these is the ones we want?"

Tor growls back, "Yeah, I'm sure. These are the ones."

The blond man turns back to you. "Well then, even if you is telling the truth, and I don't think you is, we'll deal with you and be gone 'fore they get here. My man Tor here has a score to settle with you folks. We want yer horses, yer gear, all yer stuff. Then we let you go. I count to three. If you still be on yer horses, we gonna shoot. One..."

The sounds of the men off the road to the west are getting closer. You catch glimpses of them through the foliage. Some of them are within 20 yards. There's at least four, probably more.

[Kinthas]

Enter Naizan

Naizan, you are riding south on the Corlan Road. You passed the Forest Inn a few hours back but decided not to stop for more than a quick refreshment. It is now late afternoon. The rain stopped about an hour ago and the clouds have moved on. The sun hanging low in the western sky creates long shadows through the forest. Mosquitos have just started to come out for the evening and to avoid being bitten you've quickened your pace slightly. Mosquitos have always liked you. Luckily, you have become quite adept at swatting them out of the air.

You've ridden this way many times, as you are often sent to Hawksridge on official business. You let the horse guide you most of the time so you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and keep an eye out for unharvested berry bushes. You know there are also sometimes bandits on this road and you are wary of other people. You are confident in your horse, though, knowing that you can outride most pursuers.

Nonetheless, as you round a bend, the scene that unfolds before you is a little unexpected. About a hundred yards away, six armed men stand shoulder to shoulder across the road. Three riders, an elf, a dwarf, and a man, sit farther back, facing them. You can read the tension in their postures and the nervousness in thier mounts. No one has noticed you yet.

[Malefax]

Rounding the curve on the forest road, Naizan reins his steed to a halt and surveys the standoff with an air of puzzlement. He is a stocky, white haired gentleman, dressed in robes of green silk, embroidered with hummingbirds and irises. A large ring adorns his left hand. The otherwise impressive figure he would cut is marred somewhat by his crooked nose, large ears, and the visible stains of berry juice in his silvery beard. He rides a piebald horse, caparisoned in green and black, bearing some sort of heraldic device over its chest. Aside from a dagger in his belt, his only armament appears to be a bundle of javelins quivered on the right side of his mount.

Naizan waits to determine what the nature of the standoff might be, pulling free one of his javelins in case things prove violent, as they so often do.

(PS how do I do the die rolling and the ooc button message thingie?)

[Krezzlar]

Talonus

"Geez Tor, what did we ever do to you? Let's be realistic here. First, I'm getting off my horse so let's not get jumpy here."

Talonus sighs and dismounts in a way to keep his horse between him and the brigands.

"Now, see my dwarf friend? Do you really think your crossbow bolts will faze him with that shield and all that armor? I doubt you could take him down before he gets to you and I really wouldn't want to be in your shoes when that happens. You wouldn't be the first brigands gutted by his axe, I can tell you that. As for my other companion, he's as likely to bite your head off as talk to you. Now why don't we settle this without anyone's heads being bitten off and I'll give you my horse and and my money and you let us be on our way? How does that sound?"

Spoiler

Show

Diplomacy check (1d20+12)[25]
*you can decide on the penalty but it's difficulty 15 with a -10 penalty if I'm trying to change Unfriendly to Indifferent with a single round action*

Initiative roll (1d20+3)[16]

Also might want to make an Intimidation roll for Dain after I talked him up.

For Malefax: Use for example [r0ll]1d20+3[/r0ll] . I used zeros in "roll" instead of O's so it wouldn't actually roll for me.

[Breece]

Dagon

Spoiler

Show

Welcome aboard, Malefax :)

The ooc tag is achieved by using the [ spoiler ] blah blah [ / spoiler ] tags. I've inserted spaces next to the brackets which should be removed in order to make it work.

Also (and this is just nit picking), it's handy if you preface your post with the character's name bolded.

Whenever your character speaks, have their text be coloured. Find a personal colour so it's easier to detect.

If you character thinks, you can have it coloured and italicized.

I'm not sure what you can do regarding the elf's body odour. We just kinda tough that one out.

Dagon weighs the options and decides any sort of unusual prayer might result in hostilities being joined. Instead, he watches Talonus closely, waiting to see what the bandits do next.

[Malefax]

Naizan
Naizan has seen enough to recognise who are the brigands, and who the brigandees. In his experience brigands are a cowardly lot (those with excess bravery often end up hung early in their careers).

"They probably won't like the idea of being surprised from behind, and they won't know immediately whether I'm alone or not. If the brigands flee off the path, that might give these strangers time to escape, not to mention me a chance to ride right through them".

Naizan carefully gauges the distance, hefts his javelin, and hurls it at one of the longbow armed brigands, spurring his horse into a canter after the javelin is let fly.

Spoiler

Show

Initiative (although I presume this would be a surprise round). (1d20+2)[roll0] Javelin attack (1d20+30[roll1] Damage (1d6+3)[roll2] Intimidate (1d20)[roll3]

"Don't let the brigands escape!" Naizan shouts in as booming a voice as he can muster, pulling another javelin from his quiver.

Spoiler

Show

What Naizan does next depends on a few things. If the brigands look spooked and start to run, he will continue riding his horse down the path, yelling and throwing another javelin if he can manage it while on horseback. If they turn and aim arrows at him, he will ride the horse off the path into the woods to take cover in the trees, slowing it to a walk and throw another javelin. If someone somehow gets within melee range before his next action, he will kick them repeatedly in the eye. Here are what rolls might be required: Deflect Arrows (1d20+5)[roll4] Another Javelin throw (1d20+3) [roll5] Damage (1d6+3) [roll6] The kick to the face is the same as the Javelin, it just has an extra +1 to hit. Also Ride (1d20+2)[roll7] might come up, and if I fall off my horse Tumble (1d20+7)[roll8] (are my rolls upposed to look like that? I don't see numbers)

[Krezzlar]

Spoiler

Show

Should've mentioned it earlier.

1) You can't edit rolls (i.e. change [ roll ] to [roll] or 1d20+3 to 1d20+4)
2) You can't preview the post before rolling.
3) You also can't "edit in" rolls, as in adding rolls through edit.
4) You can edit the text around the rolls.

My guess is you did one of those things.

There's also the possibility that the forum roller is screwed up... which I guess I can test by making a roll somewhere but I didn't think of that until starting to edit.

[Malefax]

Spoiler

Show

Ah, I previewed the page to see if I had done the tags right. So I'll just redo all the rolls here.

Initiative D20+2 (1d20+2)[10]
Javelin attack 1 D20+3 (1d20+3)[17]
damage 1d6+3 (1d6+3)[4]
Intimidate D20 (1d20)[8]
Javelin attack 2(if I have a surprise round, etc.) D20+3 (1d20+3)[5]
damage 1d6+3 (1d6+3)[9]
Ride 1d20+2 (1d20+2)[11]
Deflect Arrows reflex save 1d20+5 (1d20+5)[20]
Tumble if I fall off horse 1d20+7 (1d20+7)[16]

[Kinthas]

Standoff

Spoiler

Show

Naizan, you've got your formatting a little twisted around. Speech is simply coloured with the [ color ] tag. Titles are bolded with the [ b ] tag. Thoughts are coloured and italicized, but not bolded, unless you're going for special emphasis. You do indeed get a surprise round (and will as long as you remain undetected), but you are too far away to effectively use your javelins. You started at 100 yards=300 feet away. I'll allow that you closed one full round of movement while watching the situation unfold, which is 60', so you'd be 240' away still. Javelins have a range increment of 30' and a maximum distance of 150'. You could attempt to throw at full gallop, but you take a -8 penalty for the horse's movement and you'd still have another -8 penalty for 120' of range, though you'd finish the move in melee range. D20 is a game of many rules... I had to look all this stuff up just now so I understand that it isn't obvious. Regardless of the details though, you're just too far to throw a javelin at these guys, especially in a forest where there are trees hanging over the roadway. If you'd like, go back and edit your post. Otherwise, welcome to the campaign!

The brigands watch Talonus warily as he dismounts. Your speech seems to have sapped some of their willingness to fight. The blond man has stopped counting to three, though the men in the bush are still coming closer. They may not be able to hear you well over the racket they make as they push through the foliage and crunch twigs underfoot. Dain has also hopped off his horse while unstrapping his great shield from his horse's side. Dagon remains mounted, poised and ready for action.

[Krezzlar]

Talonus

Leading his horse by the reins, Talonus walks up to Dain and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Hold steady brother, we may not need to butcher all these people after all. In fact, there may be a job I have for the lot of you and I'd be willing to pay handsomely to have it done too. But first, let's make sure we don't have any accidents. I'll have my friends calm down a bit and you can call off your men in the woods and lower your crossbows. Then Tor can tell us why he's got an axe to grind with us and we'll see what we can do to fix that situation. It's looking to me that it's fortunate both sides have found each other, I can get my task completed and your men can get paid handsomely without having to risk being dismembered."

Spoiler

Show

Diplomacy roll to go from Indifferent to Friendly (assuming I have a minute to talk) (1d20+12)[32]

Holy cow, Tal is rolling ridiculous. Kind makes up for the fact that my minotaur is rolling so poorly.

[Malefax]

Spoiler

Show

Okay, nevermind all that. I foolishly thought ranges were in increments of yards, but no, that was first edition. And yeah, the formatting came out wierd for some reason. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon enough.

Naizan sits motionless on his horse, not drawing any particular attention to himself. His brow is furrowed in concentration, and he grasps his javelin lightly in one hand.