Indosira: A Bold Beginning

[slapdash]

The girl's gaze follows the kobold warily as he disappears into the left tunnel. After a moment, she snakes out of the group, handing the torch off to Octavius and dropping into a kind of crouch and, with one hand on the wall, begins to move down the tunnel on the right, following the curve and trying to find the source of the noise.

[Valairn]

Shalana

Shalana looks about and simply decides that staying put is the best bet for now.

[ajw79]

Raite

Raite motions for Theron's attention and, with a quick look in the direction that Worm has gone, quietly asks, "Should we let her go off on her own your highness? She's the only one of us with experience using magic."

[DoNotFearToTread]

Theron, who's eyes had previously been fixed on the back of the retreating kobold, turns to watch Worm stride off in the opposite direction. Without a word he turns his attention back to Raite and motions for the Vigilant to follow her. He leans in between Darien and Dacin after that, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Would one of you mind keeping an eye on that thing..." extending a finger in the direction of the kobold's slinking form as he speaks "...while we try to keep the absent-minded apprentice out of trouble?"

Worm

The short tunnel winds to the right and as you arrive at that bend you can make out light. It flickers and casts shadows along the cave wall. Long, twisted shadows that move of their own volition. Your eyes follow them, forming in your mind a figure with gangly limbs as it brings something up to its face and begins to chew. Those sounds accompany the motion, tearing and rending. Then choked laughter and the clattering of metal as several of those same inhuman voices rise up in a cheer.

[jng2058]

Dacin

Dacin nods silently and stalks off into the darkness after the kobold. It wasn't much of a favor he was doing Theron...he'd been thinking about going after the thing on his own anyhow...but this way he got to score a few more points as a a team player, so it was all to the good.

More, he had a better chance keeping an eye on the thing than the nightblind Prince Darien would have, so there were practical concerns as well.

And of course, once he was out of sight of the rest of the group, his chances to acquire some loot on the side went way up...

With a hidden smile on his face Dacin did his level best to keep out of the kobold's sight as he followed it down the corridor.

Spoiler

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Hide - (1d20+3)[10]
Move Silently - (1d20+3)[8]

[ajw79]

Raite

Raite follows the apprentice down the curving tunnel. Moving as quickly and silently as possible in his bulky armor, he tries to keep Worm in sight while scanning every shadow for hidden threats.

[Valairn]

Shalana

Shalana looks about the group as they split up and grows frustrated. Had they forgotten the lessons of the recent past so quickly? Who knew what could be lurking around the corner.

She glanced over to Theron and with her arms crossed said, "Someone needs to teach these people some discipline, they are going to get themselves killed...."

[slapdash]

Swallowing hard, Worm resumes her motion, walking cautiously toward the light source and trying to get a better look at the creatures in the room. Her spell had worn off, and she could no longer understand any of the strange words being bandied about the cave.

[DoNotFearToTread]

Shalana & Darien

Theron shakes his head, unable to conceal his growing frustration. "You can't save people from themselves." The words are muttered through gritted teeth as he stalks off in after Raite and Worm. The light from Octavius' torch flickers suddenly, as if caught in some draft. The Velaxian looks up from the careful examination of his feet and his eyes narrow on the main passage that you've been following. He grabs for Darien's arm and steadies the halberd on his shoulder. "There's something down there. I saw it moving."

Worm & Raite

The scene beyond the tunnel's end is too much to take in at once. An open chamber, larger than the tunnel's opening will allow you to see, is lit by several cooking fires. Those same creatures from before, though notably larger and more fearsome, sit about the room as they feast on some carcass. The smell of roasted meat is pungent here an the scraps of bone and flesh do nothing to give you a clue as to what they're eating. They laugh again, yelling across the room at one another. If it weren't for their appearance you might not see a great difference from a banquet among your own kind. Two of the creatures seem to be growling at one another, yelling back and forth, and they immediately break from their food to charge one another. They come together with knives bared, falling to the ground in a struggle as the others try to save their food from the chaos.

Dacin

Zesh moves along the narrow passage for near a minute, coming out into a small room and immediatly planting himself against the wall near the door. A wheezing breath alerts you to a presence in the room beyond your vision. The flickering light in the room is enough for you to visualize the kobold's odd hand gesture and your ears pick up a sound like stomping feet fading into the distance, followed by a second pair. Moment's later the kobold is moving into the room, his attention fully devoted to a large wooden chest against the back wall. As he stoops over it you can make out his deliberate attempts to pop the lock using the wire he'd hidden away. This was theft, plain as day, and whatever he was after had to be valuable to make it worth the risk.

[Valairn]

Shalana

Theron's response was completely true, but it still irked her. What were they doing? Don't they value their lives at all? She sighed, being the foreigner of the group had its price.

She turned her mind toward her bodyguards that had fallen to the dwarves. They had given their lives for her, and she had been attempting to keep it from her mind, Yunis would probably never hear of their deaths, but when she had time she would honor them.

Treaties and trade agreements, the forged path set by the matriarchs, she could not deny their wisdom, but what would they do? When they heard of her disappearance and the sacking of the capitol how would they respond. She thought back to when she stood in front of the council and heard the course they had selected for her life. The tears of leaving her homeland still burned her soul. And now here she was in the cold dark earth searching for a way back to the light.

She knelt down in the dust, and closed her eyes, the rocks bit into her skin, but she thought nothing of it as she recited the litany against despair,

"I will not despair,
Despair bends the will against itself,
Turning joy into shame, and hope into fear,
I will step into the light of life,
And let it shine through me,
I will cast my despair behind me,
And let peace reign."

She stayed in that position for a bit holding her mind still and thought of the cliff next to her home, where she used to dance to the wind in the trees.

[jng2058]

Dacin

Dacin smiled. Pure avarice. This was a motivation he could understand. Probably the strange little thing was just like him...desperate for any kind of wealth just to make sure it survived. Too bad for it that Dacin felt the exact same thing...

Keeping an ear out for the creatures who had just left, Dacin snuck up behind the working kobold, trying to time it so he arrived just as it finished unlocking the chest for him.

Spoiler

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Move Silently - (1d20+3)[23]
Hide - (1d20+3)[5]

Holding his dagger at the ready in case the thing decided to try and get violent about matters, Dacin whispered from behind Zesh, "Nice job. Split what's in there with me and I won't tell the others about it. Don't and I'll spill to Theron, and you'll have to split eight ways instead of just two."

[Rachel Lorelei]

Prince Darien

The prince starts after the kobold, but allows Dacin to move ahead; he purses his lips, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of following, and decides to remain. His expression grows even less pleased when Theron stalks off after Raite, and he glances down at Shalana, pressing a finger to his lips, when she does what he interprets as something along the lines of prayer.

Octavius' hand on his arm and sudden words do nothing to smooth his expression. He nods, and moves a little ways out, keeping close to the tunnel wall and squinting ahead into the darkness. His grip on his blade's hilt tightens; he keeps the flat of the blade pressed against his leg and the tip low but not to the floor, in order to avoid scraping it noisily against the rock.

Spoiler

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Hide: (1d20+3)[11]
Move Silently: (1d20+3)[9]
Spot: (1d20+3)[9]

[slapdash]

The young apprentice staggers back as a fight erupts in the room, mouth hanging slightly open as she tries to take in what she just saw. So enthralled is she by these creatures and their strange mixture of civility and animal instinct that she fails to notice the Vigilant approaching behind her, and she smacks fully into him, stumbling over her own feet and falling over the Nasjtorian.

[DoNotFearToTread]

Worm & Raite

As Worm make a mighty fool of herself by failing to control her own feet, Theron reaches Raite's side and lays a hand on the Vigilant's shoulder. He watches the opening to the room for several seconds before exhaling a breath, seemingly convinced that the creatures are none the wiser. He reaches down to help the apprentice back to her feet and urges you both backwards towards the others. "This place is not for us. Let's keep moving."

Dacin

Zesh doesn't react violently to your arrival. In truth he doesn't seem particularly suprised. Those crimson eyes size you up and, though his alien features are hard to read, it almost seems like he's amused. He curls his fingers under the lid and lifts it up to reveal a curled up skeleton. Clearly on the creatures that inhabit these caves, it appears to have been dead for many years. Zesh reaches in and pulls out the skull, cradling it under one arm, and then retrieves a cloth wrapped bundle as well. Beyond the bones, the chest now appears to hold nothing.

"Follow, then." Once he rounds the first curve back towards the group, he lays out the bundle and begins to unfold it. "Tia'ka was mighty with magics. Her skull holds great power for my people." The cloth parts to reveal a small metal bottle and a narrow strip of bone with metal wire around the edges. "This water keeps the pain away. Tia'ka made many when she lived. They say she made this..." he picks up the bone as he speaks "...from her own rib. She used it to keep her warriors strong in battle." Folding the cloth back into a small bundle, he slides it over to you. "You take. Keep safe from White Eyes."

Darien

The darkness works to impede your attempts at making out any movement before you. By the time you see the crossbow it is already too late. The *twang* of the string cuts through the silence and half a second later Octavius staggers backwards into Shalana. Two creatures move forward from the tunnel's curve, each bearing crossbows sized to fit their tiny hands. They're not the locals, though, instead bearing a resemblance to Zesh. One stops to reload his weapon while the other lines up a shot on Shalana. You hear stirring from around the bend and can be certain that more are moving beyond your vision.

( You can throw down an initiative roll. )

Shalana

Your reflection is interrupted by the Velaxian's impact against you. You are able to twist with it, retaining your balance as you rise to standing. Octavius, however, continues backwards and lands solidly on his back. His torch slides out of his hand and rolls along the floor, casting angry shadows about as he gasps in a ragged breath and clutches at the short shaft of wood protruding from his chest. The growing stain is barely visible against the dark green of his doublet. Your straining eyes can barely make out movement in the direction that Darien went but you can't be certain what you're seeing.

( You can also roll initiative. )

[slapdash]

Thankful that, in the darkness, Theron can't see the bright red that overtakes her face, Worm nods sheepishly in response and, one hand on the tunnel to steady herself, begins to retreat, occasionally looking over her shoulder back toward the creature's dining area.

[Valairn]

Shalana

Not entirely sure about what just happened, Shalana gathers herself, drawing her sword while she moves toward the torch(if it is still lit), she raises it above her head and follows after Darien as fast as she can.

Spoiler

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If she sees anything hostile she moves to attack it. I'm not sure if I have enough time left to attack though but I'll roll anyway.

Initiative: http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=1292926 (Truly epic roll of 1! At least I have an init bonus.)
If I have time left: Attack and Damage: http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=1292930

[jng2058]

Dacin

Dacin nodded and stashed the bundle in his tunic. He'd want to examine his "prizes" later, but the other creatures could be back at any moment, so it was time they got moving.

"Agreed. Let's be on our way, then."

Letting Zesh lead the way back to the group, Dacin felt a bitter disappointment well up inside. A piece of bone and a bottle of what could be anything? Not much reward for risking his life to follow the little creature.

At least he wasn't getting ripped off...the skull didn't seem much better, "magic" or not, so he was quite happy to let the little thing keep it.

What a waste of time, he thought.

[ajw79]

Raite

The vigilant fights back a slight smile as he offers an arm to steady Worm. Without a word, he guides the young apprentice after Theron and falls into line behind her while keeping watch for any signs of pursuit.

[Rachel Lorelei]

(Initiative: (1d20+5)[12])

Prince Darien

The twang of a crossbow makes the younger prince bite off a curse and spring into action. He rushes forward, side-sword coming up, and skitters close before dropping into a crouch and swatting with the flat of his blade at the loaded crossbow, hoping to knock it away.
"Stop it! We're not with the goblins, we're with Zesh," he snaps in Najstor, hoping that these creatures will recognize the name.

Spoiler

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Disarm attempt: [roll]1d20+7[/roll], with a +4 bonus for being larger than the kobold included. The kobold gets a -4 on its check because the crossbow isn't a ranged weapon.

ETA: can't edit rolls in; that'll be 1d20+7=23. 24, actually; MW weapon.

[DoNotFearToTread]

Worm & Raite

As you round the corner you immediately realize that the others are not waiting in the intersection. Theron's torch lights up the area around you but you cannot make out anything beyond it's radius. As he holds it up and forward you can make out the outline of a prone figure in the center of the intersection, but the details are unclear. Somewhere ahead of you the sounds of a struggle can be heard. While it is currently muted it certainly runs the risk of alerting the feasting creatures behind you if it grows louder.

( Initiative and actions. )

Dacin

As you round the corner you immediately take note of the fact that the torches are gone from the intersection. Light appears at the far end of the opposite tunnel as Theron, Worm, and Raite come round towards the center, giving you enough illumination to make out the a prone body in the center of the intersection. From the clothing you believe it to Octavius. Zesh grabs you and pulls you back against the wall, hissing in what you can only assume to be a whisper. "Listen." The sounds of combat reach your ears soon after, from somewhere out of your vision.

( Initiative and actions. )

Darien & Shalana

Shalana scoops up the torch and pulls the sword free of it's bindings. A second bolt cuts through the darkness, planting itself firmly in her left shoulder. Pain shoots down her arm, followed by the warmth of blood, as she starts forward, her steps carrying her towards the source of the attack. Darien steps out from hiding and lunges down, catching the crossbow with his rapier and sending it skipping across the floor. She soon finds herself face to face with two creatures, one bearing a small crossbow and the other facing off with Darien. They look much like Zesh, though the light shows their coloring to be a pale yellow bordering on white. The unarmed creature draws a small blade, readying it against Darien as the prince speaks. The creature bears yellowed teeth and seems no less inclined to spill blood. The other brings it's crossbow up, a fresh bolt loaded and ready.

( Actions for round 2 please. Both of you get to include an attack of opportunity in your rolls for round 2. )

( Shalana - Your movement and drawing claimed your actions so you don't get that attack. The attack did 3 damage to you. )

Ahua

The trip through the portal had left you disoriented. Nothing from your homeland had prepared you for something so completely alien. The darkness was a problem but you found cloth soaked in oil from a broken lantern and a pile of sticks near the portal. This provided you light and told you that the others probably came this way. The makeshift torch flickered in the cold of the cavern as you made your way through the narrow passage. Letting instinct guide you, you chose to go right at the intersection and found yourself facing yet another narrow hole in the wall. It was as you were standing there, considering the value of continuing forward versus going back, that a loud smack against the stones behind you sent you spinning about, spear in hand.

A man was laying on the ground behind you, apparantly having fallen from the hole in the ceiling nearly twenty feet above you. He looked familiar, one of the Vigilants sent with the heirs during their escape, except now his armor was dark with blood. He struggled to rise to his feet, gasping in breaths like a man starved for air. His hands slipped along the stones, the blood and gore that covered them making his task of standing difficult. He looked up from the ground, his eyes focusing on you for several seconds before he spoke. "Must find the princes." His voice was strangled and raspy, and as he craned his neck up you were able to see the dark brusies around his skin there. He seemed to focus, holding his breath and pushing against the floor until he was on his feet again. His light-colored hair was streaked with red, falling into his face without resistance.

"I remember you." He had to pause between phrases, the effort to speak clearly a labor for him. "I don't know how you got here but I don't have time to question it. Have you seen the princes?"

All


Current Intiatives (I'll update this as people make their rolls, so they're in one place)

Theron 15, Kolbolds 14, Darien 12, Zesh 6, Dacin 4, Raite 4, Shalana 3

Ok, so I don't confuse everyone I have made you a little map of the area. It shows where everyone, with the exception of Ahua, is as of the start of Round 2.

Spoiler

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Everyone is 30ish feet from the intersection and can make it there with a move action. The picture isn't to scale, it's just a representation so you can get an idea of where everyone is standing.

[Rachel Lorelei]

Prince Darien

As Darien--fighting left-handed, as always--recovers from his lunging disarm, he shuffles closer and shifts into a side-stance to make himself a smaller target and give Shalana more room, simultaneously; his side-sword traces half of a tiny, wrist-controlled moulinet to bring the point back in control, and then his blade's tip flicks out to catch the guard of one kobold's dagger and twist it out of its grasp in another, more traditional disarm. If need be--if it should try to fire--he's prepared to swat the crossbow out of the other's grasp on the backswing.
"We're not your enemies, damn it!" Darien hisses, prepared to give up talking and fight. His teeth are clenched, but his body is in a fencer's relaxed stance despite the pounding of his heart; the imitated ineptitude and shaking hands of earlier aren't present.

Spoiler

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(1d20+8)[10] to disarm the dagger, provoking--unfortunately--an AoO; (1d20+8)[21] to disarm the crossbow as an AoO if the other kobold shoots (thereby negating the shot, if successful). Both kobolds get -4, one for the bow and one for a small dagger.

[TheGreatJabu]

Ahua of Chamahez

The rainbows dancing before him, the sundering of mind and body; surely this wasn't real, but a vision given by the Paiasi? Ahua's tough, calloused hand reaches down to his side to check his pouch. No, all the paiasi powder is there. This Large-World is strange, indeed. His thoughts were disturbed by the sound of the man clammering up behind him. Seeing that he was one of the Large-One warriors and not of the Hairface tribe, he hung onto his spear and listened to the man's question.

"No, warrior. Ahua has sees none of the seed of Chieftain Large-Auldaria!" He stops for a second. "Has seen. Ahua can hunt - Hairface tribe has not followed I!"

In his excitement he very nearly takes off into the unknown darkness before he stops for a moment. This place smells of earth and death - this is no longer the capitol of Large-Auldaria. He turns back ready to ask the man as to his whereabouts, but he finally notices his injuries. "Warrior bleeds! Ahua has strong herb - can stop the dying heat...er, 'fever'. Stop blood! Sons of Chieftain Large-Auldaria must be strong - not needing Ahua as you!"

Despite his linguistic difficulties, Ahua genuinely appears to be wishing for consent to aid the man.

[Valairn]

Shalana

Shalana gripped the sword tighter trying to ignore the pain. She heard Darien call out and realized suddenly that these kobolds were in fact similar to Zesh. It did nothing to dull the burning haft in her shoulder though. She shut it from her mind and flashed her sword forward attempting to disarm the kobold.

Spoiler

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Disarm: (1d20+3)[13](16)

[jng2058]

Dacin

Dacin swore under his breath. "Damn!"

He and Zesh had managed to get in and out with a pile of loot, no matter how paltry, and it was the rest of the group that had gotten in trouble!

It was typical, really.

Scooting up to the end of the corridor he was in, Dacin carefully peeked his head out just long enough to get a good idea what was going on, taking care to keep himself hidden as much as possible...

Spoiler

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Initiative - (1d20+3)[4]
Hide - (1d20+3)[9]

[ajw79]

Raite

Raite motions for Worm and Theron to follow and rushes towards the intersection. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, he raises a hand to those following him in a signal to stop. The young man readies his sword as he peers around the corner.

Your highness, Prince Darien and the princess are engaged with two of the creatures who live in these tunnels and Shalana appears to be injured. Someone needs to watch for enemies coming from behind and Octavius needs help."

Spoiler

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Initiative (1d20+2)[4]

[slapdash]

Worm follows on Raite's heels, peeking around the Vigilant's sturdy frame and attempting to evaluate the situation outside the corridor. Her face contorts in worry at the sight of Octavius' body, and she gets on tiptoe and stares down the corridor behind them with trepidation.

"Prince Theron, if they hear, it won't be safe here," she whispers urgently. "We gotta help the Velaxian and get everyone out before we're caught on both sides."

[DoNotFearToTread]

All Present

Theron is staring at Octavius as Worm and Raite give their assessments. He lowers himself into a crouch and squares his shoulders. "Raite, get my brother and the princess back here. I'm going to move Octavius to cover on the other side. Worm, follow me and stay low. When you get there, watch this tunnel and tell me if something is coming." With a quick inhale he darts forward, dropping his torch to free up a hand and grabbing the Velaxian by the shirt.

The blade wielding kobold slashes out, catching Darien high on the thigh and drawing a line of blood across his clothing. Sharp, firey pain courses downwards and the prince's leg goes numb for a second, sensations quickly returning in full force. The little beast then gives a screeching cry, one that echoes through the cave loud and clear. Four more of the creatures round the corner, likely the ones Darien heard previous, and the sounds of others behind them rise up as they seem to give up on remaining quiet. Two open up with crossbows, unwilling to fire on the closest humans and risk hitting their own, towards the intersection while the others draw their swords and start towards Shalana and Darien.

One bolt hits the stone near Raite and Worm's position, skittering off into the darkness. The other catches Theron in the leg, drawing a grunt of pain from him as he struggles to pull Octavius to safety.

The kobold with the crossbow lifts it to fire, not at Shalana but past her. Darien's blade is faster, however, and he smacks the bottom of the weapon. The creature loses it's grip on the weapon as it flies up, arcing off into the darkness. It draws its sword in response, only to have Shalana land a stinging blow with the side of he blade against its hand, sending the weapon spinning to the floor. As Darien returns his attention to the kobold swordsman, he sweeps the tip of his blade out and attempts a similar action against the weapon. The creature slashes up, hoping to take advantage of the opening, but his blade finds only air and then Darien's weapon knocks it aside. The kobold hisses angrily at the loss of its weapon and backs away closing ranks with the reinforcements.

Dacin

Zesh takes one look at the battle and draws back into the tunnel. Theron's torch, having been discarded close by, gives you light enough to see the whole situation clearly. The kobold scrambles along the wall and begins to push against a sizable stone set against it. "Bad...Blood Snakes...eat their own kind. Worse than White Eyes. Hurry, we must go. Push here!" The creature's efforts shift the rock enough to reveal the edge of a gap behind it.

Ahua

Pain is etched across the man's face, but resolve quickly masks it. After a moment of puzzling out the meaning he seems willing to let you try, but a shrill screech and the clang of metal from up ahead steals his attention away. "No time to bleed." And he is moving, crawling through the small gap and into the hallway beyond. Light flickers down the tunnel, and the shapes of figures dance in it. One man pulling another along the ground while two more fight creatures that are shorter even than you. There appears to be a pitched battle in the distance. The creatures involved almost remind you of the bipedial lizards from your homeland, except these are smaller and bearing metal weapons.

( That'd be initiative from the little man. )

Round 2 Mechanics

Wow. Hope I got everyone's intended actions. If I miss stuff, let me know.

Dice

Darien - 2 Damage

Initiatives

Theron 15, Kolbolds 14, Darien 12, Worm 12, Zesh 6, Dacin 4, Ahua 4, Raite 4, Shalana 3

Updated Map

Spoiler

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I made all NPCs squares (cause they are!) and all PCs circles. I don't like the color for Theron, it's too close to the gray for enemies, so I'll give him a new one if he survives this encounter.

Points of Clarity

The Kobolds are all within range to advance and engage in melee for everyone except Ahua. The two nearest to you are unarmed. The two in the back row on the ends have crossbows. The two in the back row in the center have short swords.

[jng2058]

Dacin

After the briefest moments of consideration, Dacin decided to try and save his group rather than just slipping off with Zesh alone. After all, if he could manage it then it'd be safer to stay with other human types rather than hope that Zesh and his people don't like the taste of Half-Elf.

Besides, Theron still had all that gold he was carrying and it be a shame to let the Blood Snakes or White Eyes get it.

Yelling at the top of his lungs and banging his dagger against the side of the tunnel to boot, Dacin called out in Auldarian, "Children of Auldaria!! Head THIS way!! Its our only chance!! Those aren't Zesh's people, and they'll eat you if you let them!! THIS WAY!!!"

His message delivered, Dacin scurried back to Zesh and started pushing, all the while praying that he could get all of his people into the tunnel beyond, leaving the Snakes and Eyes to fight amongst themselves...for surely the White Eyes must have heard the racket he was making.

It's all a matter of timing now. Hope I didn't screw it up....

Spoiler

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Strength Check - (1d20+3)[12]

Crap, error. should be +1, not +3. Got used to typing +3 for all my rolls. That's a 10 result, not a 12.

[Valairn]

Shalana

Hearing Dacin's cry Shalana quickly grabs Darien by the cuff, "We have to escape there is too many", and starts running towards the voice yelling in jest through her pain, "Yunis's children will also gladly oblige!"

Turning her head slightly to gauge where the kobolds might attack next she runs as fast as she can hopefully dragging Darien along with her.

[Rachel Lorelei]

Prince Darien

"Taker's balls!" Darien hisses, gritting his teeth against the pain in his leg.
I've been cut before, I can deal with it--been doing better than I figured--she's not half bad either, weird style but at least as good as I am, no problem, no need to protect the maiden--but we need to get out.
He casts the briefest of glances over his shoulder, protecting himself with a moulinet performed from the elbow. He returns to a guard position, and then his blade rises--flicks up--then comes down, as he simultaneously salutes Shalana and covers a backstep.
"Let's go--together, now," he tells her as she urges him to do the same, and thrusts a point out before beginning a series of lightning-fast fencing backsteps once he's sure Shalana is with him.
Sod, the Velaxian's down. She's stronger.
"Help them, I'll cover you--" he snaps in Shalana's general direction, taking up a position at the tunnel corner; his blade extends visibly into the tunnel to dissuade pursuit, and he can hop behind cover should one of the kobolds fire at him. His right hand holds a dagger, which he prepares to fling at any kobolds who try to approach.

Spoiler

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Delaying to Shalana's initiative. Then moving back to the intersection, to the tunnel corner, then readying an action to throw the dagger at any kobold who gets within 20'.
(1d20+3)[23] to hit, (1d4)[4] damage if it manages to do so.
Edit: whee! To confirm the critical, if it comes up (confirmation roll/extra daamge): 1d20+3=13, 1d4=2