New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 12 of 49 FirstFirst ... 234567891011121314151617181920212237 ... LastLast
Results 331 to 360 of 1458
  1. - Top - End - #331
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    bcool999's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Kuros, no longer relying on stealth, goes for the kill as quickly as possible. He draws his bowstring to his cheek with an arrow ready, while simultaneously drawing 3 javelins in his free hands. He releases the arrow, and prepares himself to rain projectiles on the remaining enemies with his next volley.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show
    Move action: Draw javelins in case bandits survive this round.
    Standard Action: Shoot at Bandit 2 that Three has been whittling down.
    Attack: (1d20+6)[13] (Crit on 26)
    Damage: (1d8+2)[4]
    Crit confirm: (1d20+6)[12]
    Crit Damage: (2d8+4)[18]
    Avatar by MeanMrsMustard

  2. - Top - End - #332
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    BluesEclipse's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2011

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Korlann rushes forward, moving through the creek in front of him towards the bandits. As he does, he focuses his strength into a single attack, bringing his spines up towards the nearest bandit in a powerful swing.

    Spoiler: Actions
    Show
    Move to S11
    Stunning Fist against Bandit 3
    To Hit: (1d20+6)[25], Crit on 26
    Damage: (1d6+4)[5], plus target must succeed on Fort DC 15 or become Stunned for 1 round.
    Zio Avatar by acelegna

    Spoiler: Currently Running
    Show
    None ATM


    Spoiler: Current Characters
    Show
    None ATM

  3. - Top - End - #333
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2015

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Swerving to his left, Dergosh continued towards the bandits, but now on a path more parallel to the little stream. The cleric had an extremely low opinion of the bravery of these goblins, moving to cut off any possible retreat as he thought it more likely that they would run away than present any credible threat to the Wolftooth Company.

    From just on the other side of the stream, he launched his attack on the trailing bandit. Dergosh’s mouth formed a screaming rictus; while no sound could be heard by anyone other than his foe, out of the half-orc’s mouth shot a translucent spear, the Spear of Gruumsh, its ghostly head dripping blood as it flew towards the man across the water.

    Spoiler
    Show
    Move to roughly U12 and use piercing scream domain ability against the bandit at T9. damage - (1d6)[3]. The target is also dazed for one round unless he makes a DC 14 Fortitude save, in which case the daze is negated and damage is halved.
    Dergosh the Loud M Half-Orc Clr 3/Bar 1 | HP: 38 (26 with rage)| Init +10 | AC 17 T12 FF15 | Fort +7 Ref +3 Will +6 | Listen +1, Spot +4 | ATK +7 (+9 w/rage) melee 1d8+3/x2, +5 ranged 1d6+3/x2 | Cleric Spells: 0--guidance, guidance, light, resistance; 1st- summon monster I, cause fear (DC 15), sonic blast D (DC 15), resurgence; 2nd-restoration, lesser (x2), sonic weapon D
    Domain ability: piercing scream (DC 15)


  4. - Top - End - #334
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Thorn River, the Greenbelt, the Border Kingdoms
    Morning, Third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)


    Dergosh's unique ability struck, and took. A javelin of pure sound and fury crashed into his shoulder, forming a ghostly brother to the javelin that Kuros had hurled and caught the bandit with in his leg. The half-orc's ability, though, had one more trick to play: the bandit's eyes glazed over, and blood came trickling from his nose as he staggered in place.

    The bandit closest to Ruk and Gakan (though he hadn't seen them) had no sense of loyalty; he took one look at the monk and the cleric, glanced up at the wooden platforms on either side of the camp, then turned and ran, as fast as his feet would carry him, back southwest, down the path toward the Thorn River.

    The last was already screaming in pain. Bolt and arrow had hit him, and now Korlann came whirling in on him. The monk ducked lithely under the man's raised arm, and thundered a fist into his ribs. The man's groan of pain rattled with the breath that had been blasted out of him, but Korlann also noticed he'd resisted the energy of ki that he'd blasted into the strike.

    That said, he made his second mistake. He began to turn to run. Korlann's stiffened palm lashed out, once, force concentrated down to the three inches of the leading fingertips on his right hand.

    The blow sheared through the medulla at the base of the skull, and the man was dead before he took another heartbeat or another step, collapsing to the ground.

    Spoiler: Tactical notes
    Show
    End of tactical combat right this second, anyway.

    Quick choices to be made: Bandit 3 is dazed, and completely helpless if you plan on finishing him off. Any of you could take him out at your leisure, whether ranged or melee.

    Bandit 4, the one who fled, is running hard, but those of you with ranged options probably have enough time to get off one shot if you want. Kuros is about 120 feet out, Three is a good 195 feet out. And then there's if you want to try and run him down anyway.

    We'll cover XP and gear gains once these choices are made and resolved. Nice work, though, guys, not a scratch again!

  5. - Top - End - #335
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    bcool999's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Seeing the one bandit run, Kuros prepares himself for his shot muscles tensing as though his entire body was a bow. He fires his arrow, then nearly doubles over as he sends his three javelins chasing down the runner.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show
    Full Attack on Fleeing Bandit:
    Bow: (1d20+2)[22] (-2 for MWF, -2 range) Crit on 22. Damage: (1d8+2)[9]
    Javalin 1: (1d20-2)[6] (-2 for MWF, -6 range) Crit on 18. Damage: (1d6+5)[7]
    Javalin 2: (1d20-2)[1] (-2 for MWF, -6 range) Crit on 18. Damage: (1d6+5)[10]
    Javalin 3: (1d20-2)[9] (-2 for MWF, -6 range) Crit on 18. Damage: (1d6+5)[8]
    Spoiler: In case of Crit threat
    Show
    Bow Confirm: (1d20+2)[3] Crit Damage: (2d8+4)[13]
    Javalin 1 Confirm: (1d20-2)[7] Damage: (2d6+10)[20]
    Javalin 2 Confirm: (1d20-2)[11] Damage: (2d6+10)[18]
    Javalin 3 Confirm: (1d20-2)[10] Damage: (2d6+10)[12]
    Avatar by MeanMrsMustard

  6. - Top - End - #336
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    BluesEclipse's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2011

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Seeing the remaining bandit turning to flee, Korlann turns to give chase, pushing himself forward as quickly as possible.
    Zio Avatar by acelegna

    Spoiler: Currently Running
    Show
    None ATM


    Spoiler: Current Characters
    Show
    None ATM

  7. - Top - End - #337
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Thorn River, the Greenbelt, the Border Kingdoms
    Morning, Third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)


    As Korlann sprinted after the fleeing bandit, there was a loud thwum from the western platform. Kuros' arrow slipped past the monk and implanted itself clean in the bandit's hip, and the bandit fell, blacking out from the sudden pain, collapsing at the top of a small rise which overlooked the murky, shadowed waters of the Thorn another hundred feet away. Korlann had no difficulty catching up to him in that state at all.

  8. - Top - End - #338
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2015

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Growling with frustration as the bandit sprinted away, Dergosh readied himself to give chase when he saw the man brought down with a well-placed bowshot. Now laughing with satisfaction, he instead splashed across the shallow stream and casually yet forcefully smashed his mace into the dazed bandit's skull, saving Korlann the trouble of having to carry out another execution.

    "Goblins," he muttered disdainfully.
    Last edited by Mercurion 2; 2018-08-07 at 11:19 AM.
    Dergosh the Loud M Half-Orc Clr 3/Bar 1 | HP: 38 (26 with rage)| Init +10 | AC 17 T12 FF15 | Fort +7 Ref +3 Will +6 | Listen +1, Spot +4 | ATK +7 (+9 w/rage) melee 1d8+3/x2, +5 ranged 1d6+3/x2 | Cleric Spells: 0--guidance, guidance, light, resistance; 1st- summon monster I, cause fear (DC 15), sonic blast D (DC 15), resurgence; 2nd-restoration, lesser (x2), sonic weapon D
    Domain ability: piercing scream (DC 15)


  9. - Top - End - #339
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    almondsAndRain's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    New Jersey

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    The warforged cursed again as her second bolt hardly harmed her highwayman, this time directing the words towards herself. She was aiming at his torso, and the wind wasn't bad- there was no reason for the bolt to go so far off course, except for her loading her crossbow really badly. Three pointed the business end of her weapon at the floor of the platform, and placed her foot in its cocking stirrup.
    Then she heard a loud thump from the field, and glanced down the field. Korlann was in the process of killing her target, but the last bandit had turned to flee. Three refocused on loading the crossbow, and pulled back her drawstring, hoping to have it ready for use before the man was out of range. A fwip of a bow and three thunks from javelins though, and the last bandit had been killed by her six-armed companion.
    She finished loading and put the crossbow in its holster, before walking to the edge of the platform to get a better look at the battlefield. Three put her hands on the wall and leaned over, to get a clearer view, and let out a light, “Oh, good.” Three-of-four of the battles they've fought together were without casualties, which is not a ratio to complain about.
    Before climbing down the ladder to join her allies, Three gave one last admiring look at the carving Dergosh made in the platform. It was very well done, definitely better than what she could put out.

  10. - Top - End - #340
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Thorn River, the Greenbelt, the Border Kingdoms
    Morning, Third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)


    Korlann reached the bandit at the top of the rise, and turned the man over.

    A shard of wood had gone through the bandit's neck. In virtually any other place or moment it would have been harmless. But the particular way the bandit had fell had somehow managed to jerk the wood upward and it had formed an elegant wooden stake at just the right place and moment for the bandit to collapse atop it with the force of his fall, killing him outright.

    The bandits were all dead.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show

    125 XP for each of you.

    In terms of recovered gear, the bandits' bodies turn up the following:

    20 gp each, for a total of 80 gp
    4 x leather armor
    4 x short swords, again of the gladius type - it's a bit curious the bandits you've run into thus far have all been armed with weapons styled from a good century or more ago, but apart from that the weapons are unremarkable
    2 x longbows, with 2 x 20 arrows
    1 x carcass of a big grey elk buck, which is enough for a day's forage for all of you if it's consumed in the next 24 hours, i.e. you won't have to use up any of your trail rations for a day if you cook this up instead, but it'll spoil if you leave it longer than a day.

    Once you've policed all the bodies - I'm assuming they're all going under that dirty tarpaulin the rest are under - and collected what you can, the question becomes: what now?

    Distilling everything that was previously discussed so far, I was sensing your group's interested in one or more of the following things right now:
    (1) Set out for the wanderwood glade about half a day to the northeast, where you've heard some kobolds have been seen;
    (2) Head back to Oleg's Trading Post direct to make some trades and pick up rewards - a couple of bandit heads or hands would suffice to collect the bounty;
    (3) Explore this particular hex in order to pick up some XP (and make it easier to travel through here in future).

    As a reminder, option (3) would require you to stay in this area for 2 days of exploration time, though again setting a slow, normal, or fast pace affects how many actual days you wind up being in the hex (or indeed whether you get lost.) Again, it's 2 days of exploring time because that figure depends on the exploring party's lowest speed, which is really Mule 1/2 and 2/2 at 30 feet with everyone else variously riding, walking, or on the back of the Company wagon.

    At option (2), if you're planning to head for the glade, realistically I can only see one route directly there: plunge northeast, maybe following the line of the bandit tracks back toward Oleg's and then trying to locate the glade once you think you're in the general vicinity of the place. I'd just need to know whether you're setting a slow, normal, or fast travel pace. Fast travel pace would get you there in a couple of hours, Normal pace will get you there about sundown today, and slow pace will get you there around this time tomorrow. The other effects of fast, normal, or slow travel are in the front of the OOC thread if you need to review what they do.

    At option (1), if you're planning to head back to Oleg's first, then again you've got a choice of paths - trail the bandit tracks back through the Greenbelt, or follow the Thorn River southeast until you hit the edge of the Greenbelt and then back north, using the edge of the Greenbelt as a guide and then due north once the Greenbelt's boundary swings west. And again you'd need to decide your pace - fast, normal, or slow.

    Fast pace trailing the Thorn River would (assuming nothing goes wrong) get you back to Oleg's a day and a half from now, normal pace would get you there two days from now, and slow pace would get you there four days from now.

    Fast pace direct back through the Greenbelt would (again, assuming nothing goes wrong) get you back to Oleg's around sundown today, normal pace this time tomorrow, slow pace two days from now.

    Whichever of these you pick, I'd assume Kuros is acting as your navigator since he's got the highest Survival check at this point, which is the applicable skill (unless someone gets a massive WIS modifier anytime soon :) )

    Over to you!

  11. - Top - End - #341
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    BluesEclipse's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2011

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Korlann nods to himself, hefting the corpse and bringing it back towards the bandit camp with the rest of the group. Setting it down, and helping the group deal with the bodies and gather everything, he says, "So... now that this lot's been done with, do we make our way back towards Oleg's to let him know, or do we go looking for his wife's ring first?" Sitting on one of the logs himself, he looks at the others before remarking, "It's probably a good idea for us to spend some time familiarizing ourselves with the area regardless of where we go from here."
    Zio Avatar by acelegna

    Spoiler: Currently Running
    Show
    None ATM


    Spoiler: Current Characters
    Show
    None ATM

  12. - Top - End - #342
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Zombulian's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Denver, CO
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Ruk emerged from the bush.
    "I don't see anything wrong with familiarizing ourselves with the area some. But," He kicked a clawed thumb towards Three, holding her crossbow, "I'd like to get back to Oleg's at some point and see if I can grab one of those. And maybe some alchemical supplies."
    Quote Originally Posted by Deeds View Post
    Caster backstories require a reason as to why they can cast spells. Wizards study hard to learn spells. Sorcerers often learn of their powers and then hone them through traveling. Clerics use piety to find the gift of spells through the gods or their ideals. Druids shun deodorant until a riding dog appears and they learn Entangle.
    Quote Originally Posted by Red Fel View Post
    Zom, my imaginary hat is off to you. *Horns? *What horns? *It's just an unusual hairstyle.
    Quote Originally Posted by Venger View Post
    There are certain advantages to a game being as badly written as 3.5.

  13. - Top - End - #343
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    bcool999's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Kuros climbs down from his perch and joins the others in picking their earnings off the bandits and leaving them in the cart. At the discussion of what to do next, Kuros shows a complicated expression and says, "Originally I had wanted to return after getting Svetlana's ring, but assaulting the Gremlin lair can wait I suppose. The area around this camp would be good to have explored, the river provides water, and the underbrush is thin. Besides," Kuros adds with a grin, "With the bandits having camped here for so long it is doubtful any truly harmful wildlife is nearby."

    Kuros washes his hands and gets to work butchering the deer for the groups supper.
    Avatar by MeanMrsMustard

  14. - Top - End - #344
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2015

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    A heavy, muffled thud accompanied Dergosh tossing the last body atop the others. He counted eleven, maybe even thirteen, of the bandits as he dusted his hands off and pulled the tarp over the pile. Wolves, or other predators, would discover them soon enough, he supposed. Good riddance to bad goblins.

    While the rest of the company busied themselves with sorting through gear and butchering the elk, he led Bahgtru upstream a few dozen yards and ensured the tatter-eared horse was watered before they sent out from the camp. Taking whatever coins Three handed him, he dumped them haphazardly into his horse’s saddlebags uncounted.

    Preparations complete, the half-orc was ready to leave camp and follow Kuros as he plotted a course through the wilderness, keeping a sharp eye out for dragon snakes.
    Last edited by Mercurion 2; 2018-08-10 at 10:54 AM.
    Dergosh the Loud M Half-Orc Clr 3/Bar 1 | HP: 38 (26 with rage)| Init +10 | AC 17 T12 FF15 | Fort +7 Ref +3 Will +6 | Listen +1, Spot +4 | ATK +7 (+9 w/rage) melee 1d8+3/x2, +5 ranged 1d6+3/x2 | Cleric Spells: 0--guidance, guidance, light, resistance; 1st- summon monster I, cause fear (DC 15), sonic blast D (DC 15), resurgence; 2nd-restoration, lesser (x2), sonic weapon D
    Domain ability: piercing scream (DC 15)


  15. - Top - End - #345
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Somewhere northeast of Thorn River Camp, The Greenbelt, the Border Kingdoms
    Late afternoon, Third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)


    The day had started out well enough.

    Having butchered the elk carcass sufficiently to make for the promise of a memorable meal that evening, they had set out from the Thorn River camp shadowing the nettle-banked river back to the northwest. And about quarter of a mile upriver the happy accident had happened: Dergosh had yawned mightily on Baghtru's back and idly flicked a small rock he'd been rolling in his palm into a dark patch of the river's waters. And instead of the loud tha-ploompshh that one might have expected from a rock tossed into a deep river, there was a loud pa-klash ... as of a rock striking another rock and falling into water that was pond-shallow.

    The thick shadows of the overhanging trees in that part of the river had provided impressive camouflage to that point. But now they had a chance to look closer, the waters here were not flowing and relatively smooth as the rest of the Thorn's length seemed - they eddied and burbled, agitated by something not far below. Kuros had brushed through the nettle at the edges of the water, ignoring the plants' sting on his skin, and probed experimentally with the blunt end of one of his javelins. The javelin didn't sink in more than about a third of its length, perhaps a foot in depth.

    It took about a half hour of experimentally wading the water and poking ahead with javelins and other blunt nonessentials, but the result was quite clear: they'd managed to find a ford across the Thorn River, a wide bank of sand and stone where the Thorn thinned from its cavernous thirty-foot depth down to one or two feet at maximum. The ford wasn't that wide, of course, maybe no larger than a couple of cart-widths across, but it would certainly accommodate Three's wagon and the two mules. They wouldn't have to venture downriver to the bandits' preferred crossings - they had one right here, and one that presumably the bandits of the Greenbelt didn't know about.

    Recording the detail, the Company had moved on, well pleased with what appeared a good omen, and a couple of miles upriver turned east and began to work their way through the Greenbelt proper, moving from one tree-choked dell to another, following hunters' paths through sunlit glades and emerald halls of beech and oak. The day passed without much incident.

    Until now, that was, maybe an hour or two from dusk.

    The clearing ahead wasn't directly on their path, and it would be straightforward enough to go around if they wished to. It also didn't have anything that looked, from this thirty feet out, to be any sort of trap - but the clearing had its own grotesque compulsions nonetheless. When they had first noticed the clearing and had a hint of its content, they had immediately looked for any sign of something waiting, and had looked carefully, but nature carried on its life and there appeared no sign of any sort of predator lying in wait. Indeed, the clearing's content was more apt to repel the inquisitive rather than attract them.

    There was a woman's hairbrush lying closest to them. Tufts of hair lay a feet or two away. In the clearing, under fading light, blood, flesh, entrails, and horrible things had been scattered across with a careless abandon that somehow did not seem to have been generated from simple rage as such. Nor was it generated out of ritual, as Ruk initially suspected; no sky burial, this - random body parts lay where they seemed to have been thrown and there was more damage to the body parts than simple truncation would have warranted. For those of the Company able to hold their stomachs, the collection of body parts suggested the remains of two people were here - a man, and a woman. The remains of a light cart lay in the centre of the clearing, little more than firewood. A few random belongings seemed to have been strewn about, but it wouldn't be possible to make a more detailed inspection until the Company moved into the clearing itself.

    That was, if it wanted to at all.

    Spoiler
    Show
    What do you do?

  16. - Top - End - #346
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2015

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    The cleric had had no luck throughout the day spotting any sign of the dragon snake, or even that pretty boar that he’d see on the poster back at Oleg’s, but he had even worse luck searching for food as they traversed the Greenbelt. He had spotted a swath of gooseberry bushes, but their fruits had been picked clean by birds, or more likely the Spirits of the Greenbelt. Likewise, he had spotted a large patch of lion’s tooth in a sun-drenched clearing, but the plants had almost universally gone to seed and the old leaves were tough and bitter.

    So instead of searching for plants, Dergosh took to carrying a meaty rock in his hand with the vague plan of braining a hare or squirrel, but none of the forest animals had deigned to show themselves for a proper execution. After a few fruitless hours, Dergosh hurled the rock into the bushes in frustration, electing a shallow, clacking splash.

    ~~~

    Dergosh peered into the clearing, a heavy frown on his face. The smell didn’t bother him, nor did the sight in particular, except so far as it portended trouble. Destroying your enemies was the right and proper thing to do, but flinging their body parts haphazardly around seemed excessive, even to the half-orc. He examined the area closely, looking for any clues as to the perpetrators of the violence.

    Spoiler: Spot check
    Show
    (1d20+4)[6] Looking particularly in the trees and at the trees themselves.
    Last edited by Mercurion 2; 2018-08-12 at 02:53 PM.
    Dergosh the Loud M Half-Orc Clr 3/Bar 1 | HP: 38 (26 with rage)| Init +10 | AC 17 T12 FF15 | Fort +7 Ref +3 Will +6 | Listen +1, Spot +4 | ATK +7 (+9 w/rage) melee 1d8+3/x2, +5 ranged 1d6+3/x2 | Cleric Spells: 0--guidance, guidance, light, resistance; 1st- summon monster I, cause fear (DC 15), sonic blast D (DC 15), resurgence; 2nd-restoration, lesser (x2), sonic weapon D
    Domain ability: piercing scream (DC 15)


  17. - Top - End - #347
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Somewhere northeast of Thorn River Camp, The Greenbelt, the Border Kingdoms
    Late afternoon, Third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)


    There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about the trees around the scene. Nothing obvious seemed to be waiting behind or in the leaves or branches above, though the light to Dergosh's eyes wasn't terribly suited to picking out fine details in the foliage.

  18. - Top - End - #348
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    almondsAndRain's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    New Jersey

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    The Company's trip since leaving Kressle's camp behind was a nice and easy one, contrasting harshly with what the adventurer's were now looking at: two corpses, torn apart and flung about haphazardly. It almost reminded Three of those few unfortunate occasions when she would dig up the corpse of a person killed by an animal in the territories surrounding Irl.
    But she couldn't be sure that this was an animal attack, not until she inspected the bodies or saw something big and hairy prowling through the area. The last time she and her friends inspected something that was none of their business, they got a clear view of a Will o' the Wisp eating a cow. The last time they encountered a dangerous creature in this forest, they had to be saved by the Fey. In this case, the Company would probably be both inspecting something that was none of their business and encountering a dangerous creature, but without the help of a farm animal. Three fully believed that, by all rights, they should all be dead if not for their luck. She also believed that shouldn't press their luck any further than they have.
    From seat of her wagon, Three spoke to the group, “This is ominous. Perhaps moreso than when we heard the cow moaning from the Wisp.” She paused for a moment, hoping that reminding the party what happened the last time they examined something they should have ignored would get them to keep away from the clearing ahead. “I suppose I'll reiterate what I said a few days ago. I will back up whoever goes into the clearing, because we are a team, but I would very much prefer if we ignored this. And if we do go in, please keep an eye out for predators.”

  19. - Top - End - #349
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    bcool999's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Kuros draws his weapons when he sees the carnage ahead. He holds his Hammer, Longsword, and shield, but instead of drawing his Gladius, he takes out his longbow and nocks an arrow with his bottom two arms. Scanning the clearing, Kuros pulls from his wilderness lore to try and find a suspect that would leave the bodies mauled yet uneaten. Kuros doesn't yet move on the clearing but says to the others in a low voice, "This is fresh, otherwise scavengers would be fighting over those entrails. Whatever this is, I would much rather face it prepared then have it sneak up on us in the night at the camp."

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show
    Draw weapons noted above (Lucerne Hammer (2 hands), Longsword (1 hand), Shield (1 hand), and Composite Longbow (1 hand (2 when firing)).
    Knowledge (Nature): (1d20+3)[9]
    Avatar by MeanMrsMustard

  20. - Top - End - #350
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Somewhere northeast of Thorn River Camp, The Greenbelt, the Border Kingdoms
    Late afternoon, Third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)


    Looking over the clearing from this far back, it was difficult for Kuros to place what manner of creature might have been responsible for this. If he was closer or indeed in the clearing itself, things might become more apparent - particularly if he had the opportunity to look over whatever tracks had been left behind, since creatures of this sort of savagery weren't likely in his experience to conceal their passage. About the only tranche of beast he could eliminate from possibility was a bird of prey or some massive flying beast -- the canopy huddled too close in here for a roc or some other winged creature to fully open its wings getting in or out. He also couldn't think of any wild beasts that would tear up their prey like this in order to wait for scavengers to drop by and then accost them.

    The wind shifted, sending leaves rolling and tumbling in the clearing. There was some sort of very faint smell on the air. Not strong enough to be some sort of predator lying in wait, to Kuros's mind, but rather a faint, sweet, meaty foulness that seemed familiar from somewhere - but the silverbrow couldn't place it. Some part of Kuros's mind reluctantly concluded that to get a better sense of what had happened here, he most likely would have to get closer or even in the clearing itself.

  21. - Top - End - #351
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    BluesEclipse's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2011

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Korlann nods at Kuros's words, saying, "Indeed... I'd say it's at least better to know what we're dealing with here, so that we can determine whether it is a threat or not. That said, Kuros, do you have any ideas of what might have done this?"
    Zio Avatar by acelegna

    Spoiler: Currently Running
    Show
    None ATM


    Spoiler: Current Characters
    Show
    None ATM

  22. - Top - End - #352
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2015

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Glancing to his right at Kuros, and then to his left at Korlann, a fierce grin spread itself across Dergosh’s face. He liked where this was going. He’d been prepared to reluctantly move on at Three’s request, but now his ferocious clan mates were talking like real Wolftooth tribe members. Best take threat head on, not leave it for another day. He glanced back at Three, his smile turning a bit apologetic knowing she did not fully approve.

    “Maybe magic bear?” he guessed as he surveyed the clearing, picking one of the many creatures they had been told about but immediately doubting his own guess. “Bear not leave bodies like this, unless maybe defending cubs.” He waved one finger is a circle and looked at Kuros and Korlann, “We go around clearing and see what did this? Three,” he added, “you cover us from here with bow?”

    He turned to Rik and Gakan, a perplexed frown on his face. “You two,” he said, pausing, “hide in bushes some more?”

    Waiting to see if Kuros and Korlann were in agreement, he readied to move out with them and explore the clearing.
    Last edited by Mercurion 2; 2018-08-13 at 09:36 PM.
    Dergosh the Loud M Half-Orc Clr 3/Bar 1 | HP: 38 (26 with rage)| Init +10 | AC 17 T12 FF15 | Fort +7 Ref +3 Will +6 | Listen +1, Spot +4 | ATK +7 (+9 w/rage) melee 1d8+3/x2, +5 ranged 1d6+3/x2 | Cleric Spells: 0--guidance, guidance, light, resistance; 1st- summon monster I, cause fear (DC 15), sonic blast D (DC 15), resurgence; 2nd-restoration, lesser (x2), sonic weapon D
    Domain ability: piercing scream (DC 15)


  23. - Top - End - #353
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    bcool999's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Kuros answers Korlann's question with a shake of his head, "Can't tell from this far away. All I can tell you is that it was unlikely anything that flys judging from the canopy thickness." Kuros sniffs at the air with his brows furrowed in concentration and says, "Something about the smell though... it's at the tip of my tongue, but I need to get closer. Checking the wounds on the pieces scattered about and looking for tracks will help narrow things down. Quite a lot of difference between claws dismembering or something pulling limbs off with sheer strength."

    Looking to Korlann and Dergosh's readiness, he gives a glance at the other three mempers of the Company before cautiously stalking into the clearing searching every ten feet or so for clues and danger.

    Spoiler: OOC
    Show
    Hide (If there is concealment available): (1d20)[18]
    Move Silently: (1d20)[7]
    Spot: (1d20-2)[2]
    Listen: (1d20-2)[14]
    Survival (to find tracks): (1d20+10)[29]
    Avatar by MeanMrsMustard

  24. - Top - End - #354
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    BluesEclipse's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2011

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Korlann nods, saying, "Right... we'll take a look, then." With that, he follows Kuros into the clearing, his tread light and his eyes and ears focused on anything out of the ordinary.

    Spoiler: Rolls
    Show
    Hide: (1d20+2)[10]
    Move Silently: (1d20+2)[3]
    Spot: (1d20+6)[10]
    Listen: (1d20+6)[12]
    Zio Avatar by acelegna

    Spoiler: Currently Running
    Show
    None ATM


    Spoiler: Current Characters
    Show
    None ATM

  25. - Top - End - #355
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Somewhere northeast of Thorn River Camp, The Greenbelt, the Border Kingdoms
    Late afternoon, Third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)


    Korlann, Kuros and Dergosh slowly crept forward, weapons at the ready. It was the longest thirty feet they'd walked in their lives. Memories of the gleaming, harsh light of the wisp haunted them.

    But nothing hid in the undergrowth around the clearing, and nothing charged from the brush or the trees as they moved in. Nor as they slowly scouted the clearing's perimeter, nor as they finally and carefully moved into the charnel house of the clearing itself.

    Flanked by monk and cleric, Kuros focused on the clearing and on the ground itself, from time to time touching his companions on their shoulders so they didn't disturb an intriguing patch of ground which he had still to look over. But it only took a few moments looking around the blood-spattered earth to get a picture of what had happened here. Indeed, it was a picture, formed by his imagination in his mind, from the tracks everywhere around them - it sprang into sharp relief in his mind. Geralt, his mentor, had said this might happen one day; the old huntsman had a phrase for it, which he said came from the Shou, which he called getsumei no michi, which he never translated to Kuros, but which Korlann would have recognised as Way of the Moonlit Path, meaning that suddenly the moonlight fell on a darkened path and all was clear in silver and shadow.

    There had been a man and a woman, the tracks told him. They had come from further west, on the other side of the clearing, on the back of the cart that lay in splinters off to one side. The cart had been loaded heavy and hitched to a small horse. The horse had been cantering. They'd been running from something - there was no other explanation for why anyone would be running a horse through the foliage in the Greenbelt.

    Ironically, though, the horse had hit an old foxhole, here, in the clearing. It had gone down hard. The cart had tipped, spilling goods all over the place. The man and the woman had started to get up from the wreck. A young man and young woman, given the imprints.

    And that was when what was pursuing them had caught up with them.

    The smell Kuros had detected earlier climbed from familiarity to recognition in his mind - for the tracks of the creatures that had come into the clearing from the west, pursuing the cart, were unmistakeable. Long, to support long bodies; thin; a weight distribution that allowed for long claws on the feet and which indicated a gangly frame. The smell, which matched that of the tracks, was that which lingered after the earth had suffered the presence of a troll. No wonder the forest's scavengers were giving the clearing a wide berth; the same creatures that ate dead meat had learned over millennia to avoid troll kills in order to avoid accidentally ingesting a fallen troll part and suffering a horrific demise as the part regnerated inside them.

    Kuros hesitated a moment, counting imprints, looking at broken branches on the west side of the clearing. Not troll - trolls. There'd been four. That likely meant one female -- and sure enough, there its tracks were, just that little bit lighter than the three other sets of tracks. Most likely a small gang on the move through the area. Kuros doubted the trolls were inhabitants of this area as such. If they had been, Kressle's little camp would've been worm food long before.

    They'd caught up to the man and the woman and the horse. There was no sign of the horse's carcass here - its prints disappeared from the ground after the impact, though given the blood splatters the odds were good one of the trolls had killed it and carried it away from here, given one of the sets of tracks was suddenly heavier printed into the ground after leading up to the cart. The man and woman, though, they had apparently decided to have some fun with. Some body parts were chewed, it appeared on closer inspection; others were not, though given there weren't full corpses here the odds were that the trolls had eaten partially while here. Then they'd set to the wagon and started smashing that as well, throwing random items all over the clearing. And finally, when they'd gotten bored, the gang had headed off east, deeper into the woods.

    There was one other thing interesting to him here. A second troll's tracks had gone heavy after being near the cart, and shadowing this troll's imprints were little discs of silver pieces, fallen in random patterns wherever that troll walked, and presumably deeper into the woods off east. It seemed the troll was carrying some sort of box of money - a box that was damaged and losing coins all along its trail. That alone would make the trolls' trail easy to follow, if they chose to do so.

    The fact the trolls had headed due east after this slaughter further strengthened his thought this wasn't an indigenous band to the area. Trolls on the move tended to stick to heavily shadowed areas - like the woods - and invariably dug a relatively small (for them) burrow when they stopped to rest while travelling - a trollscratch, as Geralt had called it. If they could find a more permanent home like a cave or a suitable ruin of some kind they might settle in, but either way Kuros guessed they wouldn't be that hard to find - though a trollscratch was usually camouflaged with branches and leaves, trolls usually weren't bright enough to cover their tracks or lie in wait along their backtrail -- so someone sufficiently brave, well-equipped, or foolhardy enough to go spoiling for a fight with them could just follow their trail right up to the scratch and knock.

  26. - Top - End - #356
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    bcool999's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Kuros didn't know wether to feel relief at having missed the trolls, or fear for almost running into them unprepared. He sheathes his weapons and motions to the group waiting outside the clearing that it is relatively safe here. Once the Company is within speaking distance Kuros begins to share his findings, "Looks like these two were very unlucky. They came across a band of trolls, four of them if I counted tracks right, and as you can see they didn't manage to get away from them. Their horse tripped here and was carried away by the trolls for dinner, while the man and woman became a snack." Kuros takes a moment to spit in disgust, "The trolls seem to be a roving band, not native to the area. Otherwise Kressle and the bandits would have been long gone before we got to them. The trolls tracks head east if we want to follow them. It is of note that the trolls seems to have made off with the carts lockbox judgeing by the spilled coinage following the troll tracks. I personally hope they just keep on moving. They do likely have a female in the group so if they find a place they like in the area they could start multiplying."

    Kuros turns to the group and asks, "The trolls might be dangerous in the future... but we would need to be able to beat their ability to heal before we face them, and it would almost be suicidally dangerous without a really good plan. I recommend we don't persue, gather what we can from the wreckage, and keep some vials of alchemists fire on our persons in the future."
    Avatar by MeanMrsMustard

  27. - Top - End - #357
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    almondsAndRain's Avatar

    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    New Jersey

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Three stared down at her crossbow while Kuros spoke, hoping that she really did load it correctly this time. Not that it matters- if the Company faced four trolls, there was only one way that fight could go. All of her bolts could fly straight, and those creatures would be perfectly fine only seconds later.
    She looked up and nodded at Kuros, before turning to speak to the rest of the party. “I second Kuros' recommendation. We are not yet prepared for this kind of fight.”

  28. - Top - End - #358
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    BluesEclipse's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2011

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Nodding, Korlann replies, "True. I've heard tales of trolls from travelers I've met before - hardy enough that my blows would hardly faze them, hide thick enough that my spines would barely pierce it, and capable of recovering from nearly any wound. Let's see what we can gather here, and we'll move on. We'll want to make sure we let Oleg know of this as well, so that he can warn anyone else who might be planning to come into the Greenbelt." With that, he makes his way towards the remains of the cart, intending to see if there's anything salvageable there.
    Zio Avatar by acelegna

    Spoiler: Currently Running
    Show
    None ATM


    Spoiler: Current Characters
    Show
    None ATM

  29. - Top - End - #359
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Perth, West Australia
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    Somewhere northeast of Thorn River Camp, The Greenbelt, the Border Kingdoms
    Late afternoon, Third of Kythorn, Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)


    Thanks to the depradations of the trolls, there wasn't that much left in a salvageable state in the cart or really in the clearing itself.

    Indeed that itself was a bit puzzling. The general theme of the goods seemed to be of a farming or settlers' variety - a shovel, a hoe, and a small work hammer, all unsuited for martial use, were still intact, as was a wooden bucket. There was what looked to have been a butter churn in one part of the clearing, although it had been exploded into splinters. A broken rocking chair lay to another side. But the inclusion of these items and a lack of more practical and immediate things such as tents, or seed, or an anvil or any sort of cutting implement like an axe were glaringly apparent. It didn't seem likely to Korlann that a bunch of trolls would be that interested in things of that nature, which begged the question of why they hadn't been left. Maybe the coins that had come with the two people had been intended to buy those things, but one had to wonder why they'd been crossing straight through the Greenbelt rather than veering northeast and finding somewhere like Oleg's. Or any town in southern Emmerock.

    He dutifully followed the trail of small silver coins to the edge of the clearing. There'd been a spray of them near the cart. All up, he collected a good 36 silver pieces. He looked a little closer at one of them - they weren't Emmeryn silvers, the common legal tender across Emmerock. These ones were imprinted with a man's profile and inscribed with the words "Minted under Irovetti of Pitax." Pitaxi coinage, then - from the settlement west, on the far side of the Greenbelt and some miles beyond that. Most likely it would do as trading tender in Low Emmerock and in particular at Oleg's, but the currency wasn't well-regarded in places like Themsulter or Xin Jubei back on the coast.

  30. - Top - End - #360
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    BluesEclipse's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2011

    Default Re: Kingmaker in the Forgotten Realms [IC thread]

    "Pitaxi silvers," Korlann says, rejoining the group. "Not something that's often seen here - normally more common to the west of here. I'd be surprised if Oleg were to turn the coin away, though it's not fondly regarded in places like Xin Jubei." Handing the coin to Three to split among the group, he continues, "Still, it seems odd that these people would've been coming through here without practical needs such as tents, axes, or the like, and I don't see trolls taking the time to grab such things... it's rather curious. Even if they intended to purchase provisions at Oleg's, you'd expect them to have some such supplies on hand if they're travelling from a western settlement." Pausing for a moment, looking back towards where the coins were, then the other direction of the clearing, he says to Kuros, "You think it might be worth trying to trace the tracks back, see where they were coming from? Or would we be better just leaving it be for now?"
    Zio Avatar by acelegna

    Spoiler: Currently Running
    Show
    None ATM


    Spoiler: Current Characters
    Show
    None ATM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •