The Last Stand [IC] - [Chapter 1]

[wadledo]

The party, traveling through the forgotten forest for what seems like eons, has been unnerved by the shadow following them for the past two weeks. Settling down for the night after a long days travel, they don't notice that the branches settle lower than they should on one of the trees in their makeshift camp.

As the night wears on and the fire burns low, they slowly sleep, dreaming dreams of death or home or both.

Then, a large ratlike creature falls from the tree above Varras, landing inches from him, face to face.

Spoiler

Show

Roll listen checks

[Rachel Lorelei]

Listen: (1d20+1)[15]

Siviss

"You lot had best get foolhardy last stands out of your minds right now. What were you expecting--to single-handedly turn back the horde?"
Leaning on her walking stick, the kobold trudges along, right up until something drops out of a tree. Her hand dips into her robe, reaching for a spell component, and blue-white smoke with the scent of electricity begins to trail from the corners of her eyes. "Explain yourself. Now.."

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Spoiler

Show

Nice reference to the title there. I may just continue it...
Listen: (1d20+2)[19]

(Earlier) Gerard nods his acceptance of Tharak's apology. He crawls along with the others, continually glancing backwards, almost wishing something was following them, but there was only an overlarge rat...

(Back to the Present Day) Gerard hunches himself down by the fire. "I will go back and fight one day." He says for the umpteenth time over the 2 weeks. "But still, any stand is better then no stand, though preferably not The Last Stand."

He falls into a dreaming sleep. He dreams of laughing, mocking doppelgangers, jeering him as he runs away, like a puppy, with his tail between his legs. Slowly, the doppelgangers turn into the faces of the villagers he knew. The bartender's look of surprise as an arrow seemed to grow out of his chest. The kind face of old Caroline smiling, and then her body, twisted and burnt, among the reckage of her old house. He has had this dream for the last week now. It is obvious that he is not having happy dreams, but he adamantly refuses to start the topic, and noone else has inquired about it.

Yet.

And it is from this nightmare that he awoke, to see a giant rat-thing hanging inches from Varras's face. He leaps up, and whips out his knife from his belt.
He sees Siviss questioning the thing, and moves closer to the thing.

Spoiler

Show

Just in case it matters, AC of 12. No armour, only clothes and the knife.

[wadledo]

Crew

Stepping away from the crazy kobold lady and towards the fire, the rat is revealed to be Crew, a beggar from Windheight that was jailed before the battle for being a were-rat.
"I ran out of beer and you guys are smart and I ran out of beer and nobody likes me and I ran out of beer and I'm not good with this kind of stuff and I ran out of beer and I don't know where to go and I ran out of beer and it's dangerous to go alone and I ran out of beer."
Large tears begin to well up in the corners of his beady eyes.

[Naleh]

Tharak

Throughout the two-week trek, Tharak did not say another word about Windheight. He focused entirely on the now, being as solid and practical as... well, as a dwarf. Except for his brief words in the tunnel, he seemed entirely unfazed that his place of birth, his home for sixty-seven years, had been destroyed. He found himself an escaped warhorse to carry his extra gear, and named him Findarin, Dwarvish for "lucky".

...

When the rat-like creature falls from the sky, Tharak jerks awake, reaching for his axe. Then he recognises the thing. "...Crew? I thought— Wasn't the jail— Ah, it's good to see you again, Crew." He moves forward and whacks the wererat on the back. "It's too bad you ran out of beer, though."

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Gerald looks closely at the wererat. "Crew? I vaguely remember a name like that."

[wadledo]

Crew

As Tharak hits Crew on the back, the were-rat begins to sway forward, then back again. As a wooden keg falls from a branch and shatters on the ground, he topples forward and hits the dirt with a thud.
"Noom......beer.......fish aardvark.
*SNnnoooooorraaarrrrrooooooorrrororoorororororo... .snerk*
He curls up in front of the fire, smelling of beer and pine.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

"I dunno, but I feel relatively certain that that thing poses no threat to us. He doesn't look like he could find my back to stab." Gerard returns to his rest.

[wadledo]

Crew

As the group wakes up the next morning, Crew is nowhere to be found, only his nest from last night and a shattered keg showing it wasn't all a dream.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Gerard is not overly worried. "That little rascal wouldn't have gone far. He'll continue following us."

[Neftren]

Dungeon Master

Make a listen check please.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Spoiler

Show

Listen:(1d20+2)[16]

[Naleh]

Spoiler

Show

Listen - (1d20)[18]

Tharak

"O'course he will. Crew's never far from trouble, and we're... Well, let's get going, shall we?"

[wadledo]

Crew

Far above the forest floor, up in the treetops away from sight, Crew hunts for breakfast. He raises his nose to the air, sniffing as though trying to catch the scent of the world.

Spoiler

Show

Listen: (1d20+4)[21]
Survival to predict weather: (1d20+6)[23]

[Neftren]

Dungeon Master

Wadledo hears an eerie rustling in the bushes beyond, then a swift hiss and a thunk as an arrow sprouts out of the tree next to him. "Nobody Move! We've got you covered!" A ragtag band of men and women appear out of the woods. They do not appear to be changelings. "State your name and business in these woods."

[wadledo]

Crew

Crew lays still as a statue as he clings to the branch.
"Nubgh igh nomd Cwel."
His nose twitches as his jaw remains clamped shut.
"Igh whass fullowin somd gus us o urning tings."
He beings to slip sideways, eyes bulging as his fur rubs against the bark of the branch.

Spoiler

Show

Use scent ability to find the number of enemies within 30 ft.

[Suzuro]

He wakes up in a state of confusion

Ugh...wha..? Crew, who the Duece is that? He had no clue, apparently having slept through the whole thing.

Spoiler

Show

Listen (1d20+5)[21]
Also, I'm just going to decided to fail that check since it's...well, it's kind of old

-Suzuro

[Neftren]

Crew:

Spoiler

Show

You sense about 20 individuals in the general vicinity.

[Naleh]

Tharak

The dwarf snatches up his axe, eyeing the newcomers warily. Finally he says, "...I am Tharak Ironaxe, knight of Windheight. But surely in days like these, you can understand that our business is our own."

[wadledo]

Crew

"Cwan I's movt now pwess?"
Crew is suspended from the branch by only the tips of his toes now, swing like a pendulem in the breeze as he dangles above the earth.

[Neftren]

Dungeon Master

Staring down Tharak, the leader squares his shoulders. "While in any other woods that may hold true, in this case... it's our business to know what your business is. Either you can come quietly, or you can go down with a fight. We will not allow you to endanger these woods."

Beckoning some men forward, they help Crew down from his precarious position.

[Suzuro]

Standing up, he gently set his gear down, looking defeated, tired....broken.

Ah jeeze....C'mon guys, there's tons of 'em, we couldn't stand up to 'em if we wanted to. Anyways...I'm just tired of all of this, let's just tell them and hope they don't cut our heads off.... He whispered to the rest of his traveling companions.

He somewhat walked a little bit around in a circle, and appeared that he almost collapsed.




-Suzuro

[Naleh]

Tharak

The knight bites his lip, indecisive. Then he gives in.

"Well, you could probably guess most of it anyway," he begins, lowering his axe. "Some of us are from Windheight, like me; some of us were just passing through... but the Army descended upon us. They razed the whole town. Us six were lucky enough to escape. And now we're looking for 'last bastion of freedom in the north'. Simple as that."

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Gwyn yawns. These guys probably weren't worth the fight, and everyone else seemed to be going quitely.

[Neftren]

Dungeon Master

The men visibly relax. "Well, it just so happens that you've found the last bastion to the North. We had heard of the destruction of Windheight. Indeed there are other survivors. Come with us. If any of you have any pressing concerns, best do it now. These woods are not safe after dark."

Spoiler

Show

If Rachel doesn't show after a day or two, then I'll advance the party and PM her.

[wadledo]

Crew

Remaining completely still while they help him down, Cew asks through a frozen jaw "Cwan I ges muy stuuf?
Isg in da trwe."

[Suzuro]

Th....the bastion?! You mean..there are others?!

He jumped up with a sudden burst of energy, astonished that there actually was this 'bastion.' He had hoped for it, but had never really put faith in hope.


I'm ready whenever you are!





-Suzuro

[Neftren]

Dungeon Master

The party travels forth, and just before dusk, they appear before a pair of massive gates. As they swing open, you see a huge citadel beyond. The grizzled leader of the scouts leads you inside and into a nearby inn. In the distance, you see a huge castle.

"Survivors of Windheight have been housed here. Your stay is free. Since you are more skilled adventurers than most, you will be granted access to our armory... if you can find anything left. Most of it was destroyed in battle. It's up at the castle."

Spoiler

Show

You have just entered a citadel. Most stuff is available, if you guys have any extra GP.

[wadledo]

Crew

"Got any beer?"
Crew almost jumps up and down with drunken-child-like eagerness.