The Lands of Sanetch - Alpha

[Zweanslord]

Marius Thanador

Taking the last sip out of his glass of water, Marius listened closely to what Dravia had to say. His mind, up until then, had been elsewhere, pondering. The thoughts were not completely aligned with the events of the day, but showing some affiliation to it. When Dravia raised her voice and spoke up about a man's dying wish, Marius felt like Dravia was playing with words. Surely, he normally would want to heed to a man's dying wish, but considering he had been a thief, he might not want to heed to said man's dying wish.

"It truly depends on what the dying man's wish is, madam. I respect the dying and the dead, but I can not respect a wish that goes against the principles of good." As Marius had said that, he had gotten up from his chair. "With that in mind, would I do best to excuse myself or listen?" Is the question he rose towards Dravia.

[iop]

Dravia seems to ponder Marius' question for a moment, then she looks down onto something behind the bar. From the movements of her arms you guess that she is unpacking something. First, she looks very curious, then puzzled, then very surprised. Finally, she looks up again.
"It is, of course, impossible to predict all consequences of an action. But I cannot imagine how it could be evil to bring back a...", she cuts herself off, and takes a deep breath. "I believe you should rather stay."

[Zweanslord]

Marius Thanador

Marius nods towards Dravia and moves towards a position closer to her and whatever she will soon show. "Alright." Then, he looks towards the others, to see what they are going to do. Marius would have to see what this would turn out to be.

[Kai-Palin]

(Yeah, that was the time to go on, sorry, I'll mention that in OOC thread next time.)

Raël
"This is an excellent vintage, ma'am, I thank you." Raël raises his glass to Dravia, choosing not to comment on her personal adornments, but noting it in the back of his mind.
_________________________________________________
"It was a shame enough he had to die," says Raël, still holding his glass. He stands up and steps lightly toward the counter. "I honor all death wishes, as the Lady bids."

[Job]

Hector

“I would like to hear this.” Hector takes a tentative sip from his glass of water. “Then I think it would be prudent to sleep on the issue.”

[iop]

Dravia lifts up a package and carefully sets it down on the bar. "When the man came in, he was clutching this to his chest. I took the package from him when he was dead", Dravia explains.
The package is wrapped in a rough cloth. It is about 2.5 feet long, and a foot in diameter. Beneath the cloth Dravia silently reveals another layer of wrapping, this time a foulard made of expensive silk with a royal blue border and some kind of drawing on it. As she unfolds the foulard on one side of the package, you discover the head of a human baby. The baby is motionless, though if one listened very carefully it would be possible to hear it breathing.
"I have no idea who this baby could be, and I have not heard any news of the abduction of a child. However, the colors of the foulard point are common in Malager, and since he carried a thieves' dagger from Malager, it is possible that he abducted the child and felt remorse when he knew that he was about to die."

[Job]

Hector

At seeing the child, Hector bolts from his chair knocking it over in the process. He stands in stun silence until just long enough to allow Dravia to finish her explanation. Then screening his words through clenched teeth, making no attempt to mask his contempt, he responds: “By the grace of the lady, what have you done, if at the moment you touched this child you realized its predicament and did not inform the guard.” Hector pauses for a moment, realizing the baby in unmoving and leans in to check its pulse and breathing.
~
When satisfied with the child’s condition, Hector slams his fist on the table and turns his back on Dravia, walking slowly a few feet away, fingers locked behind his head. He listens to what he hopes will be cooler conversation from his companions.

[Zweanslord]

Marius Thanador

Marius has raised a hand to his head, where his head is now leaning upon. Gently nudged, his eyes gaze towards the young child. A sigh escapes from his lips and stirs the air. Why do these things happen? Marius wonders in thought. Looking with a sad gaze, Marius takes back his hand and rests both hands before him against his body. The head shakes momentarily, after which Marius looks towards Dravia. The sight has been unfortunate and while Marius feels a great urge to make sure the child's position is improved, there is a question that needs answering first. "I must ask the same. Why did you not inform the guard and instead relied on strangers to tell this to?"

[iop]

The baby is breathing slowly, as if in a very deep slumber, and it's pulse can be felt, even though it is weak. When Hector looks up again, Dravia looks straight into his eyes and answers in a level voice devoid of emotions: "I did not know what the package contained until moments ago when I checked following the request from Marius." She takes a deep breath and continues, more relaxed. "Had the man been a local, I would not have interfered. However, when I noticed it was a stranger who was dying under Olof's arrows, I did not hesitate to honor his wish. I'm sworn to serve a justice that is not going to be twisted by the hate of Malager Olof of Hungund harbors, and the schemes of Mugdal. Now that I know that the stranger was a thief who had kidnapped a child, I know that I did the just thing. If a kidnapper gives his life to be able to entrust the child to strangers rather than dumping it somewhere, or handing it over to Mugdal, it means that he was convinced that Mugdal must not have it; at any cost." She looks at Marius. "You may be strangers, but you rushed to the help of a potential enemy without hesitation, while Olof tries to abuse his position to get over the fact that his wife left him, and to get more power. Who would you rather trust to set things right?"

[Kai-Palin]

Raël
"Peace, friends, let us hear her out!"
______________________________
Silent throughout the rest of the exchange, Raël nods at her comments about the justice she serves, feeling them resonate with his own ideals. Then he stands and asks, "What would you have us do? I am not particularly well-versed in human childcare, but if we could help escort the infant home, I would guard him(her?)."

[iop]

Dravia nods gratefully when Raël has finished speaking. "What you do is your decision. If you decide to escort the baby, you will have to take care of it yourself. I could show you how to take care of the baby, but I cannot accompany you, and I doubt that any local would want to travel with you. The way to Malager is not without danger, and being distracted by a baby is going to make the journey more difficult. If you could, at least, carry a message to the elves running the Inn of the West Tower [DM's note: that's the place where you will be spending the following night, in case nothing major happens], and one to Malager, it would be possible to arrange for someone to bring the child back to Malager and to look for", Dravia peeks under the diapers, "his parents."
Dravia looks at the guests, especially at Krusk and Levvenol, who have been silent so far.
"I suggest that you get some sleep before you make the decision. I will take care of the little boy, though I would appreciate if you could have a look at him, mister Thanador. I fear that the thief may have used the poison on him to keep him silent."

[Zweanslord]

Marius Thanador

In a steady pace, Marius makes his way over to the child. Standing besides Dravia, he bows over the child and examines him thoroughly, not just checking for the poison, but also to make sure the child is otherwise healthy. As he does, he responds to Dravia. "I will indeed get some sleep. Such a situation is not what I usually come across and I will need to devote some thought to it. May the good gods guide us in our decision."

Spoiler

Show

Heal, take 10. Result: 26.

[iop]

Marius detects the smell of the poison on the silken foulard that has been used to wrap the baby. He cures the little boy of the poison, but finds that the dose must have been chosen by an expert: The baby is in excellent health. Except that he starts crying the moment he wakes. He is quite probably hungry. Dravia takes the baby in her arms, and heads for the kitchen, wishing you a good night, after which everyone retires.

[ooc]Please check the ooc thread[/ooc]

[Job]

Hector

With Dravia gone and tending to the baby, Hector turns back to face his companions, no longer wearing a contemptible look. “A fine situation we have ourselves, eh?” pausing for a moment to right the chair the knocked over he continues “I think I will take advantage of the bed provide, and we’ll confer in the morning with our decisions.” Hector nods, and then climbs the stairs.

[iop]

After a restful night, Dravia wakes you a bit before sunrise. She has rings under her eyes, as the baby didn't sleep very well. When everyone assembles in the common room, you notice the absence of Krusk, the half-ogre. Dravia simply mentions that he is not going to travel with you.
There is only a short discussion about the baby, while you eat the hearty warm breakfast. It is clear very soon that everyone agrees that the baby should be brought back (except maybe Levvenol, who keeps silent on the issue, but doesn't voice any disagreement). The question is rather who is going to take care of the little boy, who happily coos in Dravia's arms, grabbing her hair and her jade pendant from time to time. Dravia once more explains that she cannot leave the inn, so all eyes fasten themselves on Marius, who eventually agrees to the task.
Dravia seems very relieved that you are going to escort the baby home. She hands the baby to Marius, and also gives him a letter for someone named Sujo, keeper of the Inn of the Balance in Malager. She tells you that he may be able to help you find the baby's parents. She also hands the foulard to Marius, and mentions that it bears a coat of arms - maybe of the child's family. Unfortunately, she doesn't know about the families, or houses, of Malager. Finally, she hands a bag with food for the baby and diapers to Marius, and gives a boxed lunch to everyone for free.
As you leave, Dravia brings back the weapons from storage and wishes you a safe journey, not without warning you to be careful, especially when you cross the swamps. She also suggests not lose too much time on the way, because the Inn of the West Tower is really a day's march away.

~~~

The way out of Naregal leads across the marketplace. The market is buzzing activity there now that the fishermen have come in with the fresh catch. A few kids stare at you, but most people are too busy buying food to waste time watching a small group of strangers making their way through the crowds.

“Ah dear travelers!” a middle-aged man calls out to you, as he falls into step with you. He wears a well-worn coat that seems rather excessive for the time of the year, even though it is a slightly chilly summer morning. “Did you know that the swamps around here are haunted by a Medusa? It is a creature that will come to you in the form of a pretty human, but one look into the monster's eyes and you will turn to stone forever, stone that sinks easily in the swamps, so no one will ever even find your body. But don't you fear. I have exactly what you need!” He pulls a three-inch wide amulet out of his coat that is adorned with a two-inch mirror and all kinds of colored gems, and dangles it in front of your eyes. “For only fifteen gold pieces, I sell you this amulet that will ward you from the gaze of the Medusa, so you will be having a safe journey!”

[Kai-Palin]

Raël

Satisfied with the solutions, Raël thanks Dravia for her hospitality and service, and walks close to Marius, with a stance that warns of danger to interferers, despite his relatively small stature.

Spoiler

Show

Maneuvers Readied:
Leading the Attack
Battle Leader's Charge
Tactical Strike
Mountain Hammer
Crusaders Strike
And, iop, you know how the crusader gets his maneuvers, right? I'll explain it if necessary, but I think you've got the book.

Raël thinks carefully about the Forest of Orbain, trying to recall its inhabitants and their possible alliances.

Spoiler

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Knowledge: Local- Forest of Orbain/area b/w here and the next inn: [roll0]

Still walking near Marius and the child, he wheels toward the peddler, positioning himself between the man and the child. His hand straying near his dagger hilt, he looks at the man and asks, "Well, do these things really work?"

Spoiler

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Sense Motive: [roll1]

Regardless of the outcome, he asks, "And what other hmm... useful items might you have for sale?"

[Kai-Palin]

(Sorry for the double post, the board is acting funky again)

Knowledge: (1d20+7)[23]
Sense Motive: (1d20+5)[15]

[Zweanslord]

Marius Thanador

Holding the cloth with the child in it in his arms, Marius tries to keep the child satisfied, hopefully not too disrupted by the many such and loud activity around them. When the man approaches and makes his offer, Marius seems to be occupied by the child. As he lets his attention slip from the child to the man, Marius seems to shrug. Honestly, a medusa? I think this man simply seems to make some money of the local rumour. For now, Marius lets Raël do the talking.

[iop]

"Ah, a skeptical customer. Well, I have not had any complaints about the amulet so far, but I haven't used it myself, yet. I do not travel to Malager." The peddler pauses, and looks around. He continues, whispering: "I have something that could interest you even more. I guess you must have met Olof at Dravia's yesterday and given him some of your hair, so that the Eye of Mugdal can scry on you, right? In this case, I have exactly what you need." The peddler pulls a smaller amulet with a yellow-brown shimmering gem out of his coat. "It works only once a day, but that's enough - the Eye of Mugdal has way too much to do to waste time on trying again. Too many people substitute their hair for an animal's. I normally sell these for a thousand gold pieces each, but I'm going to give you a discount. The amulet is yours for 800 gold pieces." The peddler pauses. "I may get knock 50 gold pieces off the price, if you tell me what happened at Dravia's. Rumors abound that Olof surprised a thief at her place, who almost killed Klav, Olof's nephew. Only because a healer was there...wait...would you happen to be Marius Thanador?" the peddler exclaims, turning to Marius, who carries the baby in a sash. The little boy is fast asleep. He doesn't seem to mind the noise at all.

[ooc]
Kai-Palin

Spoiler

Show

Yes, I know the drill for Crusaders. You roll a d5, cross the maneuver from the list, roll a d4 and cross the next one from the list, and the next round, you roll a d3 to get another one granted by divine might (I can do the rolling, if you want).

Raël remembers that there are elves living in the forest of Orbain, who call themselves protectors. He knows there are contradictory legends about their history, though they claim to spend their life guarding the travelers. He knows that r'baïn is old elven for the kind of dangerous spiders that haunt some of those ancient forests on the continent that have grown evil over the course of the centuries.

The peddler seems not much different from others Raël has met before: Willing to please if it helps business, but not particularly trustworthy. Raël is not sure whether he senses some tension or nervousness in the peddler, or whether it's just his imagination.

[/ooc]

[Zweanslord]

Marius Thanador

Smiling at the baby, Marius looks up when his name is mentioned. "Yes, I am Marius Thanador, but how would you know my name?" Marius looks a bit confused. News does not travel that fast, does it? He wonders, a bit naively. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

[iop]

"Marius Thanador!" the peddler exclaims. "What a pleasure to finally meet you. Your sister has passed through this town recently. She was looking for others traveling through the forest, because it's dangerous, and she was accompanying a very sick man. We chatted quite a bit while she was here - she is a fine lady, if I may say so - and she told me that you might come by here. She didn't tell me that you were bringing your child with you, though." The peddler hesitates, as if weighing an uncomfortable decision in his head. "Your sister..., she turned out to be quite a shrewed card player. But generous as she is, she told me to give this to you and all of those who accompany you, instead of having to pay her immediately. Please tell her that I kept my part of the bargain when you see her!" This last sentence he said in an almost pleading voice. Apparently, Marius' sister has left quite an impression.
The peddler pulls three more anti-scrying amulets out from beneath his coat, and hands one to everyone of you.

[Zweanslord]

Marius Thanador

"Uhm.." The man had, rather obviously, surprised Marius. This was because Marius had not need been prepared to such a method of getting a message through from his sister. He did not mind this surprise though, and quickly regained his composure. "It is a pleasure to hear about my sister. Thank you, good man. We will take your repayment, though admittingly, it strikes me as a somewhat unusual method. But no matter, I am pleased to hear of her and we will tell her. As for the child, well, it is not my child. I am just taking care of it for now. But, may I know your name, good man?" Marius asks, as he takes one of the anti-scrying amulets from the man. his face is in a smile, and he made a half-bow towards the man in gratitude during his talking.

[iop]

"I'm Kobas, glad to be at your service."
The peddler bows to Marius in return.
"So, why don't you come and sit down to have a drink? Yesterday evening must have been quite exciting, with the thief being caught. And did they make you a Hero of the Kingdom of Mugdal?"

[Kai-Palin]

Raël

More than slightly confused at the rapid interchange, Raël nevertheless remains fairly expressionless. To Marius "It wouldn't hurt to be careful with these types, especially with the child". To Kobas, "I'm afraid that we must be on our way my good man, and I thank you this favor. To your credit, I would like to purchase one of your charms against petrification. I'll give you twenty gold, fair?"
After he recieves it, he slips it over the baby's head, and grins as the infant gnaws slightly on his knuckle.

((Yep, that's right about the maneuvers, except there are 2 chosen at the first turn, then one every subsequent turn))

[Zweanslord]

Marius Thanador

"He's right, we should be on our way, but I thank you for the offer. Also, as for the answer to your question, they made me Friend of the Kingdom, but honestly, I think that honour was too much to be bestowed upon me. I merely did my duty of helping out a person in need, and cured a poison." Marius shrugs momentarily, then smiles at Raël as he puts the charm on the baby. "Have a good day, Mister Kobas." Marius nods towards him and will then follow Raël.

[Job]

Hector

Having been silent until this point, Hector decides to continue the trend and simply nods in thanks to Kobas as he receives the amulet. As the group walks on Hector takes several backwards steps allowing him a parting glance. Whispering to his companions “Raël, would you help me done my armor? I’m become more uneasy about this situation.”

[OOC]
Sense motive roll on Kobas as we walk away (1d20+10)[11]
[/OOC]

[iop]

The peddler's gaze suddenly becomes distant as Raël offers 20 gold for the charm. He quickly agrees to the deal. Though he thanks Raël profusely, his heart isn't in it, and he doesn't even try to find out more about the previous night when Marius claims you have to leave. Instead, he abruptly bids you farewell, turns around and disappears into the crowds. Hector is fairly sure he saw an evil gleam in the peddler's eye. Turning around yourself, you see the guards slowly patrolling across the market in your direction. Not particularly caring for a possible chat with them, you head toward the road leaving town.

The road out of Naregal leads you through fields and pastures that are separated by tall laurel hedges. You stop soon so that Raël can assist Hector with his armor, and to feed the child with some of the puree Dravia prepared for him. Although there are hills ahead the road falls gently but steadily. Soon, there are no hedges anymore, though the grass seems to have recently been cut to both sides of the road, except in several small dips, that look like green islands in a yellowing sea. Those islands become more frequent and larger as the road keeps falling, and among the grass of one close to the road you see the reflection of water. Finally, you reach the swamp. The road is raised by a foot above the water that forms uncountable pools at the feet of the reeds and the swamp grass. From time to time, there is a handful of twisted trees growing tightly together, indicating that the ground is slightly higher there.
Right after the road passes through one of these mini-forests, you come upon a grueling sight: A horse is lying on the ground, still attached to the cart with the splintered wheel, and still alive, even though several dog-sized lizards are tearing into its belly. The horse ever so slightly raises its head and looks at you with pleading eyes. One of the lizards pauses, turns his head, and makes a few steps into your direction. It eyes you suspiciously, blood still dripping from its mouth, and produces three bursts of rapid clicks.

[Kai-Palin]

Raël
((Actually, Raël offered and paid him 20 gp, he was trying to be a little generous.))

"Of course." Raël helps Hector do up the straps and buckles of his armor, and, suitably armed and armored, moves along with the group. He carries his bow, but leaves the arrows in his quiver (he's just being cautious).
__________________________________________________ __________

"Guard the child, Marius, we'll see what we can do to help the poor animal. Look sharp how you move, these creatures can take a chunk out of you, armor or not!"
(Activate: Major Aura: Motivate Care (+1 AC)
Minor Aura: Master of Opportunity (+3 AC bonus against AoO)
Stance: Bolstering Voice (+4 against fear, +2 to Will save) 2 free & 1 move action)
Raël stands in front of Marius, and nocks an arrow to his bow (1 free action).
He readies an action to shoot at the clicking lizard if it moves toward him or his allies. (1 standard action)

[Zweanslord]

Marius Thanador
AC 20, HP 47/47, Initiative (if it becomes necessary): (1d20)[17]

Marius nods and takes a step back, while making sure his defences are up to par (Total Defense). He grabs his spear while doing so, leaving the baby in the sash and moving carefully not to disturb him.

[Job]

Hector

Upon hearing Raël accept his request, Hector removes his armor from the satchel that he carries. The armor is a suit of full plate, having a lustrous black surface; it is of high quality but is noticeably unembellished with the exception of the helm. The faceplate is painted and shaped to resemble a bleached skull. Once suited hector ties a small vile containing a bit of parchment to the back of the helm, so that is dangles near the back of his neck.

~~

Hector moves to Raël’s side and makes ready to attack any creature that approaches, His heavy flail swaying patiently in his hands.

Spoiler

Show

Initiative:(1d20)[2]

Move action:
Move next to Raël

Standard action:
Hector will ready an action to strike any lizards that he threatens, and do so taking full advantage of combat expertise (-5 to attack +5 AC)

AC: 18 => 23
HP: 44/44

Note on ready action: I believe that the “cost” of a ready action is the same as the action readied i.e. a readied action to move is a move action, and a readied action to attack is a standard action.