Western Woodlands IC

[cecil1994]

More muttering to herself. "aw **** yeah im the boss in bold print"

[Toliudar]

Corian

Corian carefully removes a clearly ill-fitting cloak from Krel's back. Using slow and careful movements, he wraps it above and beyond the shackle on Krel's wrist.

"This may sting a bit. Hold still."

Placing his hand on Krel's shackles, Corian chants several words of power and a tiny burst of energy flashes in the hand. Then Corian does it again. Using the liberated cloak to wipe any liquid away from Krel's skin, Corian points to the shackle.

"Try to break it off."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I'm hoping that the imprecise nature of Acid Splash is mitigated by reducing the range to "I'm touching the target". Corian will acid splash the shackle enough to weaken the metal.

[jakarta]

Corian

Corian carefully removes a clearly ill-fitting cloak from Krel's back. Using slow and careful movements, he wraps it above and beyond the shackle on Krel's wrist.

"This may sting a bit. Hold still."

Placing his hand on Krel's shackles, Corian chants several words of power and a tiny burst of energy flashes in the hand. Then Corian does it again. Using the liberated cloak to wipe any liquid away from Krel's skin, Corian points to the shackle.

"Try to break it off."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I'm hoping that the imprecise nature of Acid Splash is mitigated by reducing the range to "I'm touching the target". Corian will acid splash the shackle enough to weaken the metal.

So, Acid Splash does 1d3. Energy attacks do half damage to objects, so you have done 2 points of damage to the shackle. You were careful enough to not injure him. He follows instructions.

Krel raises his hand above his head and slams the shackle on the table.

(1d20+4)[6]

[jakarta]

The shackle does not break, and the 1/2 ogre bouncer comes over to your now somewhat damaged table.

HEY! Easy on the Fufnature. You Breafk it you buyfs it!

[Toliudar]

Corian

Corian smiles at the others gathered around the table.

"Thanks for your patience. I'm guessing we'll all feel better with this not swinging wildly off his arm.

Wrapping the cloak up around the shackle again, Corian repeats the simple incantation another ten times, then wipes off Krel's arm and discards the cloak under the table.

"Try again, Krel. Uh. Maybe on the floor this time."

[jakarta]

He seems mystified as to what Corian is doing. But he follows instructions.

He kneels on the floor and raises his arm.

BAM.

The shackel clanks open on the floor.

He stares at his wrist.

He doesn't know what to say or do next.

[Toliudar]

Corian

Extending a hand down to Krel, Corian encourages the half-orc back to his feet, and then guides him back to the chair that has, thus far, held his weight. A good omen.

"Unless you want to go back to the boat, you should stay with us. We will feed you. We will keep each other safe."

Corian was confident that the group had now done so much to draw attention to itself that anyone within the town limits who might be interested in their business would already be listening. No point in getting furtive now. He looked around the table and speaks with the flourish of a journeyman street hustler.

"Welcome, all, and thank you for joining me. Know that I am Corian Shadowgaunt, Master of the Two Streams, and I offer you the opportunity to join me. Nearby, a mad wizard, Eralion, has made his lair. I have reason to believe that he has fallen prey to unfortunate circumstances. I believe that I have the key to access this lair. I need your help in navigating his home, in getting there and back safely. In exchange for your help, we will each take an equal share in any treasure, mundane or magical, that we find in his home. The only exception to this will be Eralion's notes and journals, which I claim as a finder's fee. Questions?"

He drains the last of his now-cold-and-bitter coffee and grimaces.

[jakarta]

Corian

Extending a hand down to Krel, Corian encourages the half-orc back to his feet, and then guides him back to the chair that has, thus far, held his weight. A good omen.

"Unless you want to go back to the boat, you should stay with us. We will feed you. We will keep each other safe."

Corian was confident that the group had now done so much to draw attention to itself that anyone within the town limits who might be interested in their business would already be listening. No point in getting furtive now. He looked around the table and speaks with the flourish of a journeyman street hustler.

"Welcome, all, and thank you for joining me. Know that I am Corian Shadowgaunt, Master of the Two Streams, and I offer you the opportunity to join me. Nearby, a mad wizard, Eralion, has made his lair. I have reason to believe that he has fallen prey to unfortunate circumstances. I believe that I have the key to access this lair. I need your help in navigating his home, in getting there and back safely. In exchange for your help, we will each take an equal share in any treasure, mundane or magical, that we find in his home. The only exception to this will be Eralion's notes and journals, which I claim as a finder's fee. Questions?"

He drains the last of his now-cold-and-bitter coffee and grimaces.

Krell accepts guidance back to the chair, and listens to Corian's suggestion that he stay with "us".

"STAY?"

He looks at his wrist, the tankard, the soup pot, "STAY!'

[cecil1994]

Em winces. "I'll admit that this might be the sort of jaunt where aptitudes for disarming magic traps would come in handy. Can still spot the ****ers, though. If you'll have me."

[Toliudar]

Corian

Corian smiles with what seems to be developing into genuine fondness for the tiny thug.

"I'd be delighted."

[Ancient]

Rakim

Merciful Lady Rakim thinks as he glances at the odd assortment of characters gathered around the table and the chance of adventure laid so fortuitously at his feet. She does in deed work in mysterious ways. She smiles upon the bold.

"It seems a bounty of providence has been lain before me. I would join you, if you would have me. I am not an unskilled healer, and my blade is sharp in the service of the Dawnflower...not that you will need either, I am sure this will be a simple and uneventful trip, as all adventures are..."

[Toliudar]

Corian

Corian's smile widens.

"Cool. Thanks so much, Rakim. That'd be great."

He pauses and mumbles to himself.

"Yeah, it'd be good to have somebody who can deal with undead."

Plastering a smile across his face, he turns to the remaining member of the maybe-a-group, Kearn the Intimidator.

"How about it, Skinny Man. You in?"

[Saintheart]

"Well, uh, sure. Yeah. I, um, need the work. And the name's Kearn, not skinny man."

Kearn had never quite figured out the trick of making his speech turn particular colours. As far as he'd ever been able to go was to cause quotation marks to appear around them.

[jakarta]

"If you are using a phone, go to the browser settings and choose "Desktop site" to get the full forum interface." suggests the waitress rather anachronistically as she passes by...

Before you can process her odd advice the quarreling gamblers at the other end of the table advance the plot.

"Dragons are High!"

"No. Demons!"

"You both been cheating!"

Sounds like they should have set the rules of suit precedence before laying bets ...

All 3 stand, shouting and drawing weapons. Stabs and slashes later, all 3 lie dead slumped over the table and their pot, a red pool forming on both the table and floor.

"NOBODFY MOVFE!" orders the Bouncer, as the cut-scene starts...

[Ancient]

Rakim

Rakim tries to push past the wall of muscfle.

"I'M A HEALER! I CAN HELP!"

[jakarta]

Rakim

Rakim tries to push past the wall of muscfle.

"I'M A HEALER! I CAN HELP!"

As the cut scene plays around him, Rakim is ignored, but his examination reveals...Ow, Wow! All 3 managed to crit and roll max. They all rolled nat 1's on their saves too. They are all Hella dead.

The city guard from outside comes in and puts crime scene tape around the whole table, including your newly formed party in the crime scene.

The bouncer puts on a smock with "Coroner" stenciled on the back. He lifts and drops each head. "Dey Deadf." he declares to the waitress, who makes out official death certificates on her order pad, which the bouncer then signs and places on the bar before the bartender. The guard places various paperwork found on the bodies on the bar as well. the bartender disappears below the bar.

The bouncer walks back to his station, takes off the smock and pulls on a black shirt what has "Bailiff" on the back.
The straightens, and pronounces Archf Crossings Profbate Courft, Starfving Stirgef Anfnex, isf nowf in sesfsion. Thef Honfonabled Magfistratf Tayflor Griffonf prefsidfing.

THUMP.

You turn to see that the bartender, now in a black robe and powdered jurist's wig, has slammed a large book on the bar by the paperwork.

Well...., he places his finger on a well used bookmark, flips the book open, and puts his finger on a passage. Without looking at the book "The precedence is clear here. When someone dies during a card game, and the winner cannot be determined, the pot is split between all those sitting at the table. That be you lot. He gestors in the party's direction. I further rule, THAT as the bodies are actually in the pot, that you also are awarded custody of the bodies, the goods of the deceased, and their bills.

He looks though the papers, and the waitress hands him a bill. While he is looking, a waiter drops off 6 orders of steak, potatoes, mushroom soup, and steamed carrots at your end of the table, and 6 flagons of ale. Those guys must have been hungry.

"All right....looks like their cash coves their, bill, your bill, court costs, taxes, Crime scene clean up, and standard funeral expenses. There are claim tickets here for your wagons and animals, at BILL'S Stable...that is by Ferry Terminal 4. There is a Royal charter for an adventuring company...standard terms...I'll sign that over to you...you can fill your names in..You have a delivery contract in the Western Baronies.. and something about a land claim and an inheritance...oh...you shouldn't' stay too long, you have tickets on the ferry at Terminal 4 that leaves in 3 hours.

Apparently done, the bartender takes off his wig and starts catching up on the back order of drinks.

The guard removes the tape as 3 clerics of Wee Jass start collecting the bodies. 3 bloody weapons, 2 knives and a sickle are delivered on a try to your end of the table by the waiter, and the waitress drops of the charter and other documents.

[Toliudar]

Corian

As the bouncer/coroner/bailiff/plot device rolls through the narrative, Corian blinks in incomprehension. Then gets over it.

"Well. As you all know, we live in a world in which adventuring is a regulated profession even though there's no clear role for them within the social order unless you think of them as a kind of wandering landborne version of privateers, except without the 'using them as a weapon of commercial terrorism against other states' parts.

So...sign here."


He pushes the charter into the centre of the table.

[jakarta]

The charter is for THE ORDER OF THE BURNING BRIDGE. This reward/plea agreement bans the party from lands east of the TEN RIVERS (most of the cities in the civilized lands) under PAIN OF DEATH for 5 YEARS for their roles in the incident destroying the bridge and protecting the Lands form the MAD PLEAGUE outbreak. It grants the party RIGHTS to extract from non enclosed lands in the WESTERN BARONIES and WOODLANDS ...HERBAL PRODUCTS, SENTED WOODS, and FRUITS, NUTS, and BERRIES.

(Royal Charters are often used to send away people who are, or who might, cause trouble, such as firebrand clerics and paladins or overly ambitious 2ed or 3rd sons of nobles. .. or anyone politically undesirable at the moment.)

There is a codicil agreeing that the parties will take equal part, where able, in an inheritance of NEMORAN...

And an agreement with THE ALLIED CHURCHES to deliver 2 parcels in exchange for WAGON TEAMS and Provisions, and 500 GP per delivery.

[Ancient]

The charter is for THE ORDER OF THE BURNING BRIDGE. This reward/plea agreement bans the party from lands east of the TEN RIVERS (most of the cities in the civilized lands) under PAIN OF DEATH for 5 YEARS for their roles in the incident destroying the bridge and protecting the Lands form the MAD PLEAGUE outbreak. It grants the party RIGHTS to extract from non enclosed lands in the WESTERN BARONIES and WOODLANDS ...HERBAL PRODUCTS, SENTED WOODS, and FRUITS, NUTS, and BERRIES.

(Royal Charters are often used to send away people who are, or who might, cause trouble, such as firebrand clerics and paladins or overly ambitious 2ed or 3rd sons of nobles. .. or anyone politically undesirable at the moment.)

There is a codicil agreeing that the parties will take equal part, where able, in an inheritance of NEMORAN...

And an agreement with THE ALLIED CHURCHES to deliver 2 parcels in exchange for WAGON TEAMS and Provisions, and 500 GP per delivery.

Rakim mutters a brief prayer over the bodies.

"Nemoran? 2 Parcels? All the Fruits, Nuts, and Berries we can carry?"

Obviously, the witnessing of a suicide pact in front of his very eyes has Rakim a little flustered.

[jakarta]

Rakim mutters a brief prayer over the bodies.

"Nemoran? 2 Parcels? All the Fruits, Nuts, and Berries we can carry?"

Obviously, the witnessing of a suicide pact in front of his very eyes has Rakim a little flustered.

Suicide pact? You mean the charter, or the results of the card game?

And not as many as you can carry, as many as you can export...it is almost a monopoly.

[Ancient]

Suicide pact? You mean the charter, or the results of the card game?

And not as many as you can carry, as many as you can export...it is almost a monopoly.

Suicide pact? You mean the charter, or the results of the card game?

And not as many as you can carry, as many as you can export...it is almost a monopoly.

Well, hopefully just the card game. The ramifications of the resource rights are not lost on me, methinks most plunder I receive will be put to exploiting such, for even greater profits, so I can build more Churches in Sarenae's name. I did miss the two parcels though.