The Fire and The Black: Daemonfold [IC]

[3SecondCultist]

"Certainly not," Marius agrees with the titanic woman as he takes in the stranger. The man's beard is not unpleasant to look at. When he gets close enough, he raises a hand in the fellow's direction. "Hello there! Always nice to see a new face."

It's hardly a lie. An new factor in what - to his mind, anyways - is an unsure situation always helps to balance out the chaos. A known unknown, I believe it's called. Or something.

"One can only hope you're not another claimant, looking to find the Parchment Eaters. Such a story would truly strain the limits of credulity."

[HowNowBrownCow]

The approaching figure of Sivudu gets close enough to them to speak in polite tones and ambles to a stop; his outfit could pass for an itinerant preacher or monk in it’s simplicity, if not for the sword strapped to his back next to his traveling pack. “You both speak truth in that I am not with you, and yet, in another sense we are with each other. A mutual friend of ours back in the city sent me along in your foot steps should an extra pair of hands prove, well, handy. All water is one which flows along the same riverbed, after all. Not much chance I’m mistaken, either. You’re rather distinct, Solys. Salvin’s description was spot on. So.” The monk executes a gesture with his right hand, a catching and twisting motion which lends itself to the idea of ambiguity snared.

“ I am Sivudu. Clearly, more formal introductions can wait. I do apologize for interrupting, Marius.” The servant of Irori executes a fractional bow, clasping his hands together in front of him, the motion setting the holy symbol he wears around his neck swinging, the slivers of sapphire set in it’s silver flashing with restrained splendor. He adopts a relaxed posture, far enough away that he’s not imminently threatening, a significantly more fluid arrangement than parade rest, as though dropping in on tense dialogues between strangers in the back country is something he does on the regular.

[Man on Fire]

Spoiler: Jack @PersonMan

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"If I'd have to guess..." Ilvaria says slowly, trying to give her voice calm and friendlier tone. "You are either a member of this group who realized what he's gotten himself into and wants out. Or you are chased by somebody and thought bandits could give you protection and now you find how wrong you were" She pauses in a way that weights heavily in the air.

Spoiler: thoughts

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"Ragathiel would not approve of cowardice. But I already lost to a group of bandits, I am no match to a whole camp or whoever is taking them out. At this point a tactical retreat and regroupig is the only way to go, as much as I'd hate it. Throwing my life away to avoid wounding my ego won't help anyone. But there is of course a chance this guy might be a real villain here, I need to remember that. And in current circumstances I cannot really check on him."

"I fight against evildoers. Whatever threat we are facing here, I believe coming with you will be helpful in defeating it." She interrupts the young man before he has a chance to explain. "I will protect you until we escape, then you will tell me all I want to know and then I will make further decision. Do we have a deal?"

Spoiler: rolls

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(1d20+8)[27] Diplomacy
(1d20+5)[10] Sense Motive

[Hazuki]

Solys decides that this situation has already become far too complicated for her tastes, especially with the arrival of somebody claiming to work for the person who hired them to do the job. She looks to Sheiri.

"We're going to a bandit base to find someone. We'll probably have to kill some. We can split the loot or bounty or, uh, whatever you want,
if we team up."

[3SecondCultist]

About to launch into his own ambling speech, Marius turns to observe Solys with a little grin of genuine amusement. "She speaks!"

Turning back to Sivudu - that's a name? - Marius nods graciously. "What she said, my friend. If you're telling the truth, then we could use an extra set of hands. All of us together with Shelri here would make quite a formidable team, if I do say so myself."

[PersonMan]

Spoiler: Marius, Solys, Sivudu

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Shelri chuckles. "Sure," she says. "They said something about doing their little ambush thing near the way to their camp - see any paths when you walked over these guys before?"

Turning to her companions, Shelri nods at the half-elf. "Knifey, go 'head and bring these three back to our spot. Have the fire ready for us when we get back, could be late," she says, and receives a nod. The half-elf begins pulling the bound men to their feet, while the other steps over, giving the group nothing but a curt nod in greeting.

Spoiler: Jack, Ilvaria

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The man grimaces as Jack speaks, then scowls at what Ilvaria says. "Fine," he spits, as if it's some vile curse. "You want to put his damn life on me agreeing to answer your questions? I'll do it," he continues, and throws the pouch in his hands to Jack, then pulls a small dagger from his belt, clearly intending to step forwards to cut his bindings. "I don't know how long we have, but - we can't wait."

[Archmage1]

Spoiler: @Ilvaria, Personman

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Noting the begrudging agreement, Jack's smile falters for a moment, but it quickly recovers.
An agreement that begrudging? He's definitely the sort to stab us in the back. Ah, well. It wouldn't be interesting otherwise, I suppose.
With the pouch flying towards him, Jack casually brings his hands out from behind his back, and catches the pouch, before looking in it.

After he finishes, he gives the man a look.
"What's the rush?"

[PersonMan]

Spoiler: Jack, Ilvaria

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At Jack's question, the man fixes him with a stare halfway between confused and angry. "Are you - did you - listen?" He asks, and looks behind him again. "If - look, you're going to," he pauses, and swears. "It's going to rip you apart and eat your soul. If you don't - if that's fine, then just take your time! Really!"

[Archmage1]

Spoiler: Ilvaria, Personman

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Tools in hand, Jack wanders quietly over to the chest, to open it once more, as he speaks to the man.
"What is it?"
(1d20+10)[21] open lock

Finding gear inside(And a set of full plate, which prompts a frown), Jack reaches in, and starts pulling his things out, tossing a dagger over to Ilvaria so she could free herself as he does.

[Hazuki]

"We can check." Solys says, then turns to leave and find the trail if the rest of the group seems willing.

[Man on Fire]

Spoiler: @Jack, PersonMan

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Ilvaria catches the knife and quickly works to free herself, in meantime talking to the man.
"What it is we can discuss later." She says in a businesslike tone. "Right now I'm more interested in how you plan to get us out. Will we be sneaking? Should we expect any opposition? Be prepared for fight? Or have you struck a deal with the bandits and we can go unopposed. How much time do we have?" Once freed she walks towards the chest reaches to it to see if het stuff is in there. "Depending on your answers.." She reaches into the chest and pulls out helmet of a full plate armor, showing it to everyone. "I might need to get dressed."

Anticipating his outburst, she raises her arm and shows the man open palm of her hand, in a gesture commonly used when ordering someone silence. "Before you start talking about the urging matters, please consider I already did agree to help you. For the moment, at least, we are allies and as such, to keept my promise I need to know what to expect and be properly equipped. Should we meet no opposition, I will just pick up this chest and carry it with me. But if we are to expect a fight the moment we step out of this tent, I will be no more than a sitting duck without the armor. So calm down, be brave and help me protect you."

Spoiler: thoughts

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"When he is terrified like this, he is no use. Fear is a bad adviser anyway. Says the person who feels irrationally uneasy in the shadows. I could use my gifts from Ragathiel to calm him down, we need all be focused if we want to survie. Assuming he will accept them, I know he is asking for our help, but I don't think he fully grasps what it means we're in this together.

Spoiler: actions

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Diplomacy (1d20+8)[21]
Extending Aura of Courage on the man and Jack.

[HowNowBrownCow]

“I seem to remember a small path, off to the right of the road just before the location of their attempted ambuscade. Perhaps that is what they spoke of?,” suggests Sivudu, and having supplied this factoid, he too seems eager to be off and in pursuit of their mutual quarry.

[PersonMan]

Spoiler: Solys, Marius, Sivudu

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The group departs, with Shelri and her armored compatriot seeming entirely content to simply say nothing at all. The way back to the site of the original ambush is easy, if somewhat time-consuming. Eventually, you all arrive, and coming from this side of the road you see the path as a way directly forwards - made somewhat less accessible by a fallen tree, the way is clearly well-trodden, and leads further into the woods, away from the road.

Following the path, which winds and twists along for roughly ten minutes, your movements are eventually covered by the soft, then intensifying, sound of rain. While little gets through to you, it does a great job of ensuring your approach will be difficult to hear. Eventually, Shelri pauses, and moments later you see what looks like a roadblock ahead. A single log, extending perhaps eight feet, blocks the path, held up at roughly waist height (except for Solys) by two pairs of crossed pieces of wood sticking up from the ground. With the exception of Marius, you can make out the shapes of two humanoid figures, one on either side, and what looks like earthworks behind - perhaps four feet of raised ground, hiding the details of what's beyond in combination with the terrain.

At present, you're roughly sixty feet away, but the path winds off to the right before going to the roadblock, allowing you to peer through the trees without being clearly visible and - by the looks of things - without having been spotted at all.

Spoiler: Jack, Ilvaria

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"They're looking the other way," the man says, pointing behind him. "But not for long. Told them I'm - using spells, to keep you under control," he continues. As Ilvaria pulls out her helmet, he bites his lip, seeming to stare at it as she continues, nodding before she's finished. "Yes, go - do, get it, you need it," he says, and sighs. He seems to take a moment to compose himself, and does seem to manage...to an extent.

"Once we're out of here...the tent, I mean. When we're out, there's a way - we're, they're cutting trees, around here. If we go through there, we can get out, into the woods, and then go north," the man says. "There shouldn't be many, in our way. Maybe even, none."

Spoiler: OOC

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Also, I forgot to mention it, but it started to rain around the time this guy came in here.

[Hazuki]

"How far away do you think we are?" Solys asks her compatriots, as she peers over the roadblock ahead. "I'd...like to get ready if we're very close. To the base."

[Archmage1]

Spoiler: @Ilvaria, PersonMan

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Jack shrugs, before he starts putting his equipment on, his motions quick, and practiced.
This is going to go badly. We don't know what we're hiding from, but this rain should help any trackers. And when it goes badly, I can leave them. Sad, but not worth my life.

[HowNowBrownCow]

The monk is quiet on the hike as well, observing the pair of adventurers he'd been sent out to assist. When they arrive at the blockade, his eyes gleam with interest and he tugs his mustache into shape. Sivudu considers what Solys asks, and answers,"I can't imagine it's much further on; it's really rather unlikely that these unsavory fellows would have multiple pickets. But, then again, I haven't been tracking them."

[Hazuki]

Solys nods and crouches down, at which point, a white hedgehog scurries down her arm and starts creeping through the forest.

Spoiler: Hardcheese

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Base stealth is +19, which is 23 in the rain and more at any distance. Taking 10 if possible. She'll scout until there's nothing else to scout.

[PersonMan]

Spoiler: Solys, Marius, Sivudu

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Hardcheese scurries off through the wooded area, returning after several minutes and giving Solys a report. With a series of questions and answers (the latter consisting of nodding and head-shaking), the information gathered by the hedgehog is passed on. According to her, the way ahead goes past the guard post, which consists of two spear-armed men behind the roadblock, then slopes downwards. The earthworks aren't that high, but the ground dips down behind them. The camp seems to be comprised of several smaller sections. One in front, which has four tents, each roughly large enough to comfortably contain one or perhaps two human-sized people, with another behind it, to the left, in another depression - that one is a single large tent. Finally, there seems to be another cluster of tents further back, but Hardcheese couldn't make out the details. There was also something else; a large, but very incomplete, wooden structure, near the back of the first group of tents.

[Hazuki]

Solys relays the information she's gotten from Hardcheese. "Um. Perhaps we should go around the roadblock? But, wherever we start fighting,
the rest will come soon..." She says, as she pulls a couple of potions from her packs.

[Man on Fire]

Spoiler: Jack, @PersonMan

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"Thank you. I'll make a haste." Ilvaria says to the young man and then starts quickly putting the armor on. "By the way, if we're up to be companions, we should properly introduce ourselves. My name is Ilvaria Barit'tar, a knight from the Order of the Spears of Saint Dio, at your service." She introduces herself with a tone more fitting royal masquarade than a tent in the middle of a bandit camp, but she does not stop putting her armor on for even a second. "And that gentleman's name is Jack." She turns towards the sneaky man. "Speaking of which, could you be so nice and help me with this belt." She asks.

If Jack does try to help her putting the armor on, she uses the opportunitty to whisper into his ear.
"You don't look like much of a fighter. Should the bandits or whatever this man is running from try to stop us, take him and run. I will hold them down as long as I can."

[Archmage1]

Spoiler: Ilvaria, Personman

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Preoccupied with putting his own armor on, Jack misses Ilvaria's introduction, but he finishes in time to hear her introduce himself, and he responds with a nod of his head.
"Charmed."
Knowing the difficulty of wearing full plate, Jack seeks to assist Ilvaria, acting the perfect gentleman as he pulls on various straps and plates at Ilvaria's direction.
_{"That I can do. Combat is not my forte, as you can tell."}

[3SecondCultist]

Marius surveys the area, doing his best to spot the opposition through the damning rain and failing miserably.

"We could always employ dear Solys here as our own roadblock, while those of us more adept at moving quietly can make our way around the edge of the encampment. The inclement weather ought to help some."

[Hazuki]

Solys nods and, while the sneaky members of the group are getting into position, spends a couple of minutes preparing extracts for the fight ahead. She drinks two potions in quick succession, the former doing nothing but expanding her perception, while the former lets a ridged tail grow under her robes. She then starts to charge towards the roadblock, a tentacle erupting from her robes to catch her shield as she drinks a final and third potion, her body growing and growing as she charges through the forest to become truly titanic.

Spoiler: Actions

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Preparing another Enlarge Person and a Cure Light Wounds.

Drinking Heightened Awareness, Mutagen, and Enlarge Person. And of course, charging at the roadblock.

[HowNowBrownCow]

“Well, I fall in the less-than stealthy group. I’ll watch Solys’s back. Be careful out there, Marius.”

While they bide and wait for the more circumspect members of the ad hoc bandit hunting group to make their way around the roadblock, Sivu sits and spends the time in mystic contemplation, prayer, or perhaps a brief nap. Hard to say from the outside, after all. After an appropriate interval has passed, he stands, dusts his trousers off, and cracks his knuckles.

“I’ll get the one on the left, if you’ll get the one on the right?,” he suggests to Solys as he starts to invoke the favor of Irori upon their righteous cause, using the spark of the divine to kindle the fiery strength that lies within himself, his frame expanding with newly minted might.

When their preparations are complete, Sivudu draws his nine-ring broadsword with a harmonic jingle, and charges alongside Solys towards the road block.

Spoiler: Actions

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Casting Bless (which will effect Solys as well as either of the other bandit hunters that aren’t sneaking with Marius), and then on myself Bull’s Strength and Enlarge Person, before charging at the bandit guards at the same time as Solys.

[PersonMan]

Spoiler: Jack, Ilvaria

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The man waits impatiently, but quietly, as Ilvaria puts on her armor, aided by Jack. He gives nothing but a short nod in response to their introductions, and doesn't say anything in return, preferring to nervously look out of the tent. As she finishes, he gestures for both to follow, and steps outside.

Outside, armed and armored, you find...no one, luckily. There's a smoldering campfire, several other tents, and a cleared area around the edges of the camp. Of course, said edges are defined primarily by where the undergrowth has been trampled away, making the distinction between 'cleared area around the camp' and 'camp' blurry. It does seem like the bandits have been busy, as what seem to be a dozen trees have been cut down, with only one still lying where it fell. A bit of equipment - a large saw, several axes, sturdy-looking wedges of metal and a hammer - lies scattered around one of the tree stumps.

To the right, what looks like a shabby, half-complete palisade is cut by a clear path leading towards another group of tents, roughly four in number, partly obscured by an incomplete wooden structure. Consisting of little more a somewhat-organized pile of roughly-worked logs, it's clearly meant to be a more permanent structure than anything else in the camp once it's complete. A path is half-visible that goes further from the cluster of tents up a hill. Shouts come from that direction, and the man seems distracted by the sound for a moment.

"Let's... go," he says, seeming ready to turn to the left, away from the tents and towards the forest.

Spoiler: Solys, Marius, Sivudu

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Marius, followed by Shelri, move through the woods, coming in from the side of the roadblock and approaching the edge of the trees, where the earthworks form a low barrier that partially conceals the tents beyond. They get fairly close to the roadblock and path, when the two men standing at it suddenly stop their conversing and look ahead. "Hey!" One shouts.

Then a pair of giants explode into view. One is a giant, thirteen-foot-tall horned woman wielding a massive glaive - an image that invites inaccurate but impressive-sounding comparison to a fiend of some sort. The second is a smaller (but still over twelve feet tall) and rushes forwards with a weapon easily as long as its soon-to-be recipient is tall, the sound of its rings signalling his approach as if him being a giant man running directly towards them wasn't already. Then, behind them, almost as an afterthought, a man in armor follows, managing to keep pace with the other two, several feet behind them.

The guards, having loosely held a spear each, fumble to respond. One drops his spear while the other simply spends a moment staring, as if hoping he was having a bad dream. Neither are able to act quickly enough, however, leaving you and your allies with the initiative.

Spoiler: OOC

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Yeah, RIP these guys. You folks all go first, Shelri and the armored guy will take their turns last (if there's anything left after your turns, they'll probably just go in for cleanup).

[Archmage1]

Spoiler: Ilvaria, Personman

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With Ilvaria finished, Jack follows the other man outside, walking quietly, and pausing as he hears the commotion.
Damn. Just the perfect time for the guard to arrive. Time to go. Quickly. I just hope Ilvaria doesn't insist on charging in, for honor, or glory, or something.
He speaks softly in response to the other man's statement.
"_{Definitely. Whomever that is doesn't need our help, but being caught in the middle of the battle is unhealthy.}"
With that, he quietly stalks off to the left, keeping the prison tent between him and the tents on the hill.
Unknown to him, the gem set in his left palm glows slightly, and the tent slowly starts to burn...

Spoiler: Spell

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Spark

[Hazuki]

The gigantic Solys charges at the two banditos as fast as her feet can take her there, her bardiche raised overhead before she brings it down in a mighty swipe.

Spoiler: Attack

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Charge, free action to Rage, also using Power Attack.

Attack: (1d20+14)[23]
Damage: (2d8+16)[25]

[3SecondCultist]

Seizing the momentary distraction, Marius dashes forward despite the rain. His rapier is already out of its sheath, but not sure of the distance, his fingers start to weave an incantation just in case he cannot close into melee range in time.

Dashing forward without an introduction? This is hardly his style. And yet, it's refreshing to know that he has some allies at his back.

Spoiler: Round 1 Actions

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En lieu of a map, Marius is going to rush forward and try to gut the guard who is still holding his spear (he doesn't threaten any squares if he hasn't acted yet, which is good). I'll roll the attack here, but in case Marius doesn't quite make it, he will cast shield for a +4 to AC and +2 to saves from Fated.

Attack (against Armed Guard): (1d20+8)[20] for (1d6+6)[11] damage (crit confirm: (1d20+8)[13])

Spoiler: Marius, Round 1

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Marius "Bonaventure" Cabral
Male Chaotic Neutral Human Swashbuckler (Inspired Blade) // Sorcerer 3, Level 3, Init 5, HP 24/24, DR -, Speed 30 ft
AC 18, Touch 14, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 5, Ref 7, Will 3, CMB +3, Base Attack Bonus 3
Masterwork Rapier +8 (1d6+6, 18-20x2)
Dagger +6 (1d4, 19-20x2)
Mithral Chain Shirt (+4 Armor, +3 Dex, +0 Misc)
Abilities Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 18
Condition None
Inspired Panache 5/5
Sorcerer Spells Known 0th level (∞) -- detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, mending, message
1st level (5/6) -- alarm, obscuring mist, shield, true strike

[Man on Fire]

Spoiler: Jack, @Personman

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Drow girl nodded to the man, who still has not introduced himself, and followed her companions. Hearing the ruckus behind them, she ensures to be running behind Jack and the man, not that she could keep up with them in full armor, so in case of any attempt at tyring to stop them, she can turn around and face their pursuers.

Spoiler: Thoughts

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"Wish I could just make a charge against them, but let's be honest, no god approves an obvious suicide."

[HowNowBrownCow]

Sivudu arrived to an already pacified checkpoint, the bandits down. And yet, beyond, in the camp ahead, there were more kidnappers to be sorted. Onwards, he charged.