Eberron's Kin IC

[ZeroNumerous]

Hunter

Instead of eyes, only the cold reflection of Rose's face can been seen against Hunter's goggles. "Right. Rose."

Hunter wastes no time guiding them to the corpse. This time, he doesn't hide so that neither Wildmane nor Rose gets lost. He does, however, walk as quietly as possible.

"Found 'im here. Best I can figure is that he's a hunter. I figure the lion nabbed 'im. And he ran away." Hunter points toward the bite wound to add credence to his theory. "And my name isn't important. If you need something to call me, then just call me Hunter."

[Valairn]

Wildmane

"Hunter is fine. Where do you want me to put the body?"

[Jacob Orlove]

Tam

'Linnea' warms herself at the fire, shaking her head in distaste as the others head out into the woods. After a few minutes, she sets out into the swirling snow herself, to investigate the second blast site in the distance, and see how similar it is to the first.

***

Tam grows worried; this disguise was only going to be one-use, meant for the casual scrutiny of a rail coach, but not designed to hold up under the stresses of an investigation, or a night in the wilderness. Already it was coming apart at the seams. He just had to hope no one noticed that he was pretending to be afraid of the woods, yet willing to venture alone into the blizzard. Still, what choice did he have? He couldn't change his demeanor from how he had been acting before the crash, but he would need to make a full report to his superiors about the event.

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Is it getting dark? If so, Tam will get out a lantern and some oil from his pack.

[MandibleBones]

It is indeed getting dark; the sun has set. Tam's lantern bobs through the show as the changeling heads toward the second blast site in the distance. This site looks much the same as the first, down to the packed snow around the crater.

[Jacob Orlove]

Tam

Finding nothing of import, Linnea heads back the way she came, to wait for the rest to return from the woods. Once back, she hangs up the lantern inside the ruined coach, for a bit of light, and introduces herself to Caleb while waiting for the others to return, "Hi again. I guess we're stuck here for a while. I go by Linnea; what's your name?"

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"Looks like he died this morning." Rose says softly. "I wonder why the cat didn't try to eat him..."

She grasps her pendant and lowers her head, saying a prayer over the man.

[MandibleBones]

The body shudders as Rose speaks to her goddess, horror crossing its face, and then lies peacefully still. All who watch get the sense that something wrong has been made right, if only for a moment.

[ZeroNumerous]

Hunter

".. Guess I was right to get you, huh?" He off-handedly remarks to Rose. He speaks as if he were speaking of the weather or the color of Rose's dress.

Without a word further, the dark-skinned man grabs the corpses' legs and begins dragging it downwind from the crash site. He tries to position the body so that it's scent overlays their camp, and thus a predator that smells it would go for the easier meal rather than them.

"I dunno, gir--Rose. Most predators I know of just eat whatever's nearby. Dead or living, elfling or human, it's all a three-course meal, no?"

Hunter leads the two of them back to the cabin. He doesn't retrieve a torch or lantern, but he does make a show of sniffing about. He's really just using the movement as a cover to glance about.

When they return to the thrown over train coach, Hunter takes a seat abit further than necessary from the lantern. "You should really avoid taking that lantern out and about. Carrying a little yellow ball is like lining your pockets with meat."

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Forgot to note the "Keen Elven Senses" on my sheet. So spot/listen checks are actually at a +2.

Spot/Listen - (1d20+10)[17]/(1d20+10)[25]

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Rose's eyes flick open and she jerks her head to stare at the corpse as it reacts to the prayer.

She gives it a long look but glances up as Hunter speaks.
"Yes, just my point... why did it attack us when it already had a full meal as it were?"

-=-=-=-=-

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Knowledge: religion check = (1d20+7)[23]

She also casts Deathwatch.

[ZeroNumerous]

Hunter

The man looks up when Rose speaks. He isn't looking at her, but more in an upward direction. Beneath his hood, shadowed from the light of the lantern, his ears twitch as he listens intently. He as quiet as possible, Hunter puts up his index finger and presses it to his lips, an international inter-species sign of "quiet". Eventually he makes another strange hand-gesture, making a 'mouth' with his right hand and thumb, to indicate for her to keep speaking.

Hunter stands and slinks toward the exit. He quietly draws the longknife and turns toward Wildmane. He mouths the words "someone is outside". If Rose is still quiet, he makes the sign to tell her to keep talking.

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I dunno what kind of skill check sign language would be.. So.. Bluff VS Sense Motive to understand it?

1st Sign(Shh) - (1d20)[17]
2nd Sign(Keep Talking) - (1d20)[14]
3rd Sign(Pretend nothing is wrong) - (1d20)[14]

Hide/Move Silently - (1d20+9)[14]/(1d20+11)[18]

[Valairn]

Wildmane

Wildmane acknowledges Hunter with a slight nod, and lifts his hands and places them on his knees close to his weapons, but makes no motion to draw them. He listens closely to see if he can hear what Hunter hears.

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Listen: (1d20-2)[9]

[Jacob Orlove]

Tam

Noticing Hunter's caution, Linnea rises to her feet as well, and silently follows him towards the entrance, one hand on the pouches at her waist.

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Is everyone back in the coach? Or are you guys still in the woods? I can't tell for sure. If you're in the woods, I'll revise this post.

If you're in the coach, here's some rolls to go with the above:
Sense Motive - (1d20+9)[17] to get the messages
Free actions: Listen - (1d20+7)[25] (and Spot - (1d20+7)[8] too, just in case)
Move Silently - (1d20+8)[25]
And just in case: Initiative - (1d20+4)[18]

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"This man was cursed..." Rose says thoughtfully and a little angrily, continuing to speak, and keeping her ears out, but not looking about. "Thats why it wasn't being eaten. The cat could sense it. Be wary..."

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Listen check = (1d20+9)[28]
Also, does she sense any undead?

[MandibleBones]

Rose hears the sounds of boots in snow outside, lightly - not so much someone sneaking up on them as someone walking around. Whatever it is, Rose's spell picks it up as brightly living - clearly neither dead nor dying. No undead are within the range of her deity's grace-given senses, though flickers of life around the edges speak of a second being somewhere out in the snow.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Rose points in the direction of the sound she hears and says so softly she almost mouths it, "There is one, but I think there may be another nearby..."

[ZeroNumerous]

Hunter

Hunter points outside, then holds up five fingers. He immediately ducks down and crawls outside slowly. He sticks to the shadows, and glances around.

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Hide/Move Silently - (1d20+9)[22]/(1d20+11)[27]
Spot/Listen - (1d20+10)[17]/(1d20+10)[30]

He moves out and ten feet toward the sound.

Bluff to Portray Message - (1d20)[14] ("Five second, then follow")

[Valairn]

Wildmane

Wildmane signals a yes as a reply and sneaks out after Hunter.

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Hide:(1d20+3)[13]
Move Silently: (1d20+3)[10]

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Rose begrudgingly reaches under her skirt and pulls out a silver stiletto from a sheath on her leg.

She waits and then creeps outside with the other, her small form moving strangely unobtrusively.

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Move Silently = (1d20+9)[19]
Hide = (1d20+3)[21]

Readying an action to cast Sanctuary

[Fax Celestis]

Caleb unknowingly warms himself by the fire.

[Jacob Orlove]

Tam

'Linnea' follows Rose, but remains at the entry of the ruined coach, feigning reluctance to actually face whatever is outside. Perhaps Tam intends to protect those still within, or perhaps he is simply very cautious.

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Spot - (1d20+7)[19] and listen - (1d20+7)[14], again.
Rolled initiative already, see above (got an 18).
New stealth checks too, I guess: Hide - (1d20+8)[11] and Move Silently - (1d20+8)[24].

[MandibleBones]

A wild-eyed man, frothing at the mouth and clad in the leathers and furs of a hunter, is staggering out of the forest. His clothing is caked with red, packed snow and his bare feet are horribly frostbitten.

The whispers, for those who can hear them, suddenly stop as if all the world were focused on this insane creature.

He sniffs the air, and his eyes pause momentarily on Wildmane and Tam before settling on the blissfully unaware Caleb. Though he seems frightened of the fire, he sees a path around it, and with a slow, slogging motion, he crunches toward him, snapping his teeth... and then he throws back his head and howls in an unearthly voice.

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The Frostbitten Man is 40 feet away from Caleb and the fire, toward the woods. He will take two rounds to move around to him (since he's moving around the fire), and goes on an initiative of 13.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"WATCH OUT!" shouts Rose, no longer taking pains to remain unnoticed. She snarls and gnashes her teeth, and behind the wild man the sound of a small pack of wolves growling ferociously and running through the snow can be heard.

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Initiative = (1d20+3)[12]

Casting Ghost Sound.

[ZeroNumerous]

Hunter

"Idiot!" He leaps up, almost appearing from nowhere among the snow. He immediately begins running toward the the crazed man with his red front. The movement that brings his knife to bear is one fluid motion, a movement of a trained hunter and practiced killer. He dashes forward and stabs toward the one area he knows kills practically every humanoid.

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EDIT: Oops. Forgot the Initiative Roll.

Swift Action: Change stance to Island of Blades.
Move Action: Charge.
Standard Action: Burning Drain Vitality.

Attack roll: (1d20+5)[12] (Includes Flanking Bonus from Island of Blades)
Damage roll: (1d6+3)[8].
Sneak Attack: (1d6)[4]

DC 14 Fort save or he loses 2 CON.

[Fax Celestis]

Caleb (hopefully)¹ hears the howl and shifts with a start. Seeing the man and fearing for his safety, he yelps the draconic word he spoke before² once the man lurches to within range.

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Initiative (1d20+1=20)
¹Listen (notice howl) (1d20-1=13)
² Power Word: Pain. No save, SR Yes. Power Word: Pain duration (1d4=3, 1d4=2, 1d4=4, 1d4=2) Less than 50 HP: duration is 11 rounds. 51-75 HP: duration is 5 rounds. 76-100 HP: duration is 3 rounds. First four rounds of damage (1d6=6, 1d6=2, 1d6=1, 1d6=2) Six now, two on my next initiative count. Anyone who speaks Draconic recognizes his utterance as the Draconic word for "pain".

[Valairn]

Wildmane

Wildmane spits at the ground before breaking into a full run towards the madman. He draws near and seems to unleash the same strike he did earlier, it looks obviously like he has practiced it many times.

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To be particularly redundant, Wildmane uses a swift action to move into the stance Blood in the Water. He then moves at his full speed(40ft.) up to the target while drawing his weapons, and unleashes a Wolf Fang Strike.

Initiative: (1d20+4)[4](8)
Main Hand Attack: (1d20+3)[6](9)
Main Hand Damage: (1d4+4)[6]
Off Hand Attack: (1d20+3)[10](13)
Off Hand Damage: (1d4+2)[5]

[Jacob Orlove]

Tam

Tam shook his head softly. Sabotage on the rail line, a corpse in the woods, and now another man, all in this one spot. Any two could be coincidence, but all three? And these hotheads saw no better course of action than common violence. What a waste.

Unable to think of a way to stop the others and question the wild man without drawing undue attention to himself, Tan writes the whole thing off as a lost cause. Then he hears wolves howling in the forest, and braces himself for their appearance.

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Make spot and listen checks again. Should I keep rolling them myself?

Tam will ready an action to start casting Sleep as soon as he sees those wolves. Should I roll a Will Save, or does he need to do something specific to "interact" with the illusion?

[MandibleBones]

As Caleb speaks the word of power, the man drops to the ground screaming. Hunter runs toward the man, dropping into a combat stance as he stabs the raving man in the face. Rose, no doubt hoping to distract the man, conjures the sound of wolves, which only serve to make the man scream louder. Wildmane, meanwhile, charges the man and slices two more gashes into his writhing body.

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Tam: Will Save, DC 13, to disbelieve the ghost sounds... next round, once you've "interacted" with them by listening intently for them. Also, please continue to roll your own spot and listen checks when you feel you need to - I'll roll them for you when you're about to be surprised.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"THATS ENOUGH!" Rose shouts as the man goes down, running for him through the snow. "He's not in his right mind, try to restrain him!"

[ZeroNumerous]

Hunter

Hunter ignores the girl. Restraints do well in a city when there are people to police the insane, but here.. This man would be the death of them. He drops to his knees when the other man falls, and immediately stabs his knife downward toward his foes' throat with all the strength he could muster. He continues to apply pressure to the blade until the writhing stops, then pulls the barbed knife-sword out and wipes it off on a clean section of the man's coat.

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Coup'de'grace.

Damage: (2d6+6)[8]
Sneak Attack: (1d6)[4]

Since he probably survived: DC 22 Fort save or die.

[Valairn]

Wildmane

Wildmane looks back at Rose, as Hunter drives the dagger through the mans throat, he becomes frozen in inaction, looking at the man, then looking at the hunter, then looking at Rose again, his confusion is evident on his face and he simply stops as it washes over him.