Chapter 0: Prologue - Quite the Crew You've Got There!

DM Post #1 wrote:: ooc: DM Post #1

The afternoon sun shined brightly down on the city of Sesolston. On the fringes of town, a dark elf had just finished doing a task he may never have envisioned himself doing in his wildest dreams - or nightmares. The lithe, strong young elf stood up again, a large pile of discarded vegetation sitting before. All around him, the soil was loosened and mixed.

"Oh, thank you so kindly," the old woman said to Rasa from the doorway of her hut-like house, her hunched body resting heavily on her wooden cane. "I would never have been able to get these weeds out of the garden all by myself.

"You know, my husband was suspicious of you at first... but I believe in you. You have your reasons for wearing a mask, and I can respect that. My children thank you too... we'll be able to survive another season thanks to your kindness. Now go along, young ones," she said, shooing along her children into the garden, "and help your pa plant some more seeds."

The children squealed with delight - they were too young to know the difference between work and play - and ran into the sunny day, faces smiling and dirt-stained hands holding a handful of seeds. One of them carried on them a small pale, and as the children began planting the seeds, she started watering the soil, with an innocent, childlike care. The dark elf helped them finish planting seeds, under the weary gaze of the old woman's husband.

...

By the time the work is finished it is late afternoon.

"I'm so sorry," the old woman says as she gave Rasa a small pouch. "This is all we can give you right now. We didn't do too well last season I'm afraid... and..." She looks on the verge of tears, but fights them back with a forceful sigh and a smile. "Heh! Nevermind us, young man. We will finish paying you for your work as soon as we can. Please forgive us in the meanwhile. Thank you again!" The family heads inside their house.

DM Post #2 wrote:: ooc: Rasa, please make an Intelligence check (for the work done the fields earlier that day). I will respond shortly with the bag contents.

Alterith, if you are hoping to make your wilderness home a concealed area, hidden from prying eyes, make two checks: Survival, and Intelligence.

The dark elf left the SomiStars Bar in seemingly good spirits. The citizens of this part of Somi-Sesolston seemed to be warming up to him a little. At least it was an improvement over several weeks ago, when they still regarded him coolly at best. But now some of them were at least grudgingly willing to enter into some light, gruff conversation with him, though many still seemed suspicious of him. Perhaps the ignorant will always fear what they do not understand...

After having helped himself to some good old-fashioned ale in a mug, and overhearing and conversing with other patrons at the counter, Rasa learned the following news, some of the happening around the Kingdom of Somi, where this town of Sesolston lay:

- Extravagant preparations are underway for the twentieth birthday of Princess Somi, Royal Daughter of King Somi. It will be occurring in about a month in the kingdom's army-capital, Somi-Siegard.

- Military representatives from the Jinam Protectorate of the Seventh Shell have come hundreds of miles up-world to launch a licensed advertising campaign for military recruits looking for grand adventure. Their representative groupmembers are spread throughout the neighboring kingdoms.

- It has been at least a tenday since some merchant ships that left for trade to the west across the Sea of Sauron with the nearby elven Kingdom of Tenamis have returned - they are overdue and Sesolston's town officials are starting to grow a little worried.

- In the town of Somi-Bartholemew, a few days' travel away, near the border of the neighboring Kingdom of Kadimous, the people have begun to despair over the deaths of a disturbingly high number livestock and young, old, and sickly townspeople from some unknown illness that has plagued the town over the past month and seemingly grown in severity in the last few weeks.

The following morning...

Alterith jogs through the forest, doing his morning exercises. For someone of his (lack of) height, he carries himself as an experienced martial athlete equal to that of any of the taller townsfolk, his small but powerful body tensing and flexing with the rhythmic pumping of his heart and breath.

ooc: Auto-Listen made for Alterith: 15 + 4 = 19 vs. DC 5 - success

He suddenly stops, hairs on the back of his neck tingling, and disappears behind a tree. The sound of children, both little children and young children no more than ten years of age, reach his ears. Peering around the trunk, he sees a group of malicious children taunting a crying girl further up the road. The girl's pretty light blue dress is stained with dirt, and the children skip in circles around her, taunting and jeering at her. She looks up at them, her eyes red with tears, with pain, anger, and pleading.

"Please," begs the little six-year-old. "I need to go talk to Mister Alterith! We need his help- Ow!" One of the malicious children cuts her off with a thrown pebble. The girl falls back to the ground on her tiny rump, sobbing harder and clutching her face. The heart-wrenching scene might have even slightly thawed Rasa's icy soul, if only for a small moment. "Sissy-girl pants, sissy-girl pants! Go get the dumb halfling, sissy-girl pants!"

Alterith's ears twitch slightly.

DM Post #3 wrote:: His tough, sinewy legs pranced like a monstrous bird's. The creature crashed through the undergrowth of the forest lining this strange town. The air was alien and sour in his tiny but solid chest, the sunlight a dull glow compared to the blinding glare he was used to. He kept running - to stop meant to surrender his life to forces unknown. The nightmare in the mothership... he could not return. His memory slipped from his grasp like slippery ice, but flashes, vivid and painful, surfaced occasionally. Men, women and children of all races being tortured, the sound of whirring machines looming menacingly over their half-dead bodies. The crack-crack-crack of the bone saw, the piercing screams.

The little creature fell into a slight depression of vegetation and lay absolutely still. Its small suit of armor held in his left hand, the air suddenly became very still. A few more moments... and the creature seemed to vanish entirely.

The crunch of boots filled the air as three tired humanoid forms trudged toward the depression where the creature lay absolutely still. One of them wiped oily hair from in front of his eyes with a dirty hand.

"Are you sure that little thing went this way?" he puffed. His two companions wordlessly nodded as a fourth figure, much smaller in stature, charged up to them. His face was beet red with rage, and he was still trying to finish putting on his garments.

"Ye blasted sure little blasted scumwully went this way!" he snarled at the three men. "I paid you three lazy blokes to guard me, guard me, GUARD me! And then some little halfwit little slithering... lizard!... robs me blind in my own house? Wot's wrong with the lot of ye? I'll tell ye..." As the tiny man continues with his tirade, the tired men cast glances at each other. We don't get paid enough for this... says the looks on their faces. The small angry man finishes and begins kicking their shins. "Well... FIND it you fools!"

***

After a mid-morning snack, Rasa arrives back at Alterith's abode to find the place empty. His friend's tools and skins are still set about haphazardly, in ways the dark elf could only guess resembled some form of organization to the halfling. Rasa's ears suddenly perk up, and he darts outside, ignoring the discomfort of the sunlight.

He sees three men about one hundred paces away, moving around while digging at the ground randomly, searching for something. A fourth man, much smaller, about Alterith's height (though much more jolly around the sides) stands there, barking incoherent remarks at the first three.

DM Post #4 wrote:: The dark elf appears not to have been detected until the time of his choosing, calling out to the three mysterious men goaded on by the fourth more rotund man. Their heads dart up, and one of them immediately contorts his face with suspicion. Another one of them looks more relaxed, though the posture is forced.

Said half-quietly but still intentionally within Rasa's earshot, "Well now, lads... it's that dark elf from Novemterra's lower bowels come to suck our blood, drain our life, and make off with our children for snacking... like all those creepy crawlies in the bottom Shells like to do in their spare time..." Louder now, he calls out, "hail, dark one! We would normally be looking for trouble with ye... but today we have a different task in mind. Right now we're- Oof!"

The rotund man has just planted his heavy boot on the talking man's backside and sent him to the dry dirt ground.

"Enough talk!" he snarls. "Dark elf! We seek a little halfling-sized reptilian cretin of a creature with who stole some of my adventuring equipment goods from the store! He fled this way and my men and I are pursuing him so that I can reclaim my things and throw the little scumwully off the side of our fair Shell! Have you seen such a little thief of a lizard? The little rogue has disgusting yellow eyes and a yellow-greenish scaled body!"

The men look at Rasa expectantly, somewhat cautious, while the man who was talking earlier gets up slowly, rubbing the small of his back gingerly, darting glares at the little fat man.

ooc: Skythar, you hear this exchange and see the encounter between Rasa and the men. You are holding two items - in one hand is the leather armor and in the other hand is a sack with other adventuring items inside. You are still hiding in the underbrush just off the trail. The men have been searching the underbrush on the other side of the path.

***

The malicious children yelp in surprise as Alterith's rough yank sends them onto their backsides on the dirt trail. The three other malicious children surrounding the poor little girl look up with surprise and instant fear. They scream and dart away as the halfling charges in their midst, shielding the girl.

"S-s-s-s-sorry M-m-m-m-misterrrrr!" They screech after Alterith's threat, fleeing head over heels. The two boys that were pushed onto the ground scurry to their feet, one running away as fast as his little legs can carry him. "We're telling on youuuuuu!" one of them screams behind his back. "Stupid savaaaaage!!" The other one trails tears from his face as he holds his leg, limping away as quickly as he can.

The girl quiets down and swallows hard. She hesitantly reaches out a hand and takes Alterith's. The halfling helps her up, and her eyes still water with her remaining tears.

"Thank you, Mister Alterith..." she squeaks. The halfling's rage at the youths' unjust behavior subsides, and he immediately recalls her as old woman Shiane's youngest daughter, of the family Rasa helped the other day.

"We need your help," she begins. "Last night the... the 'strange men' came again... m-mother told them that we didn't h-h-have enough money to pay them... so they... they took... my brother..." She tries to fight back her tears, slowly failing. "Th-they are the reason w-w-we haven't been able to pay y-y-your dark elf friend recently... they have been b-bullying us, and s-s-some others..."

ooc: Auto-Intelligence made for Alterith: 12 vs. DC 5 - success - it can be assumed that Rasa probably hasn't been paid as much recently for his work. This is probably interfering.

- What Alterith infers: The older brother, Shilo, has been kidnapped by what she describes as 'big, scary men.' They are probably some tough humanoid race, possibly orcish, goblinoid, or even reptilian in nature (the description she gives isn't very clear). It sounds like they have some kind of small hideout around the area, deeper in the woods. They shouldn't be located more than a mile away from the fringes of town where Alterith's home is.

DM Post #5 wrote:: "Th-thank you!" The little girl accompanies Alterith back to his abode and waits for him to gather his things. She stares in wonderment at the assortment of small skins and furs arrayed about, but doesn't seem scared at all of the dried blood. After all, war and killing is one thing; harsh everyday life with hunting and slaughtering livestock is another.

The men glare at Rasa, half angry and half fearful. The short, rotund man who almost reaches Rasa's height has an especially red, livid face. But after subsiding somewhat, the round man's face lights up. "Ah yes, that little halfling!" he says. "Come, you buffoons! We'll find that halfling savage that lives out here somewhere and see if he knows where that little creature ran off to!" He takes off in a direction, and with some quiet cursing and grumbling, the men head off in the same general direction, following the round man. After several lingering minutes, they are much further down the path and almost out of sight, definitely already out of earshot.

Skythar, what was your Move Silent check for, exactly?

Auto-Intelligence check made for Skythar: 8

Skythar overhears the exchange easily - the dark elf has just said that he had seen him go a certain way. Shortly after, the men and the dark elf end their conversation, and the sound of the movement of the men's feet slowly fade away. Several minutes pass by, and the lizardman realizes that he has remained undisturbed. Surely if the dark elf had actually given away his position...?

Auto-Search check for Alterith: 10

Alterith and the little girl soon come upon Rasa, near a tree. The little girl's eyes shine slightly in recognition of the dark elf, but she remains quiet.

Skythar hears people approach the masked elf. Risking a glance, he sees a halfling and a little human girl. The larger men who were pursuing him earlier seem to be gone.

***

Krytox's large, powerful legs propelled his massive body through the denser part of the deep woods. Foliage of all densities bent out of the way for his flailing arms. This new land was so strange and alien to him (he had never experienced such bright sun light!), and that lended to his energy. He could not hear his pursuers behind him, but he knew that if he rested now, they would surely, inevitably find him. He did not fear his captors, for their bodies were soft and frail. What he did fear, however, were the frightening tools they had at their disposal. And the fear churned and bubbled within his soul into a rage, a hatred for the injustice dealt to so many of his people and even other races of honest, simple folk living throughout his homeland. Unlike this relatively peaceful Shell, his homeland was hostile by nature, and many of the monstrous civilizations there (even monstrous by a lizardman's standards!) certainly slavery or justice. In fact, just like any population of people, even some members of his own race deserved just punishment on occasion. But this was an outrage. To be subjugated by species that were physically inferior! Krytox had been taught since birth that might made right, the weak eventually died and were eaten, and these enslaving creatures were a living antithesis to the hard, honest, harsh, simple life he had known to be all of his existence.

Hours must have gone by; the lizardman did not know, for none of the foliage here seemed to be discerning enough to tell time, waving dumbly in the gentle breeze of the afternoon. His enormous lungs were unused to the air, but it was not altogether unpleasant. The only sound he could hear were the crashing of bushes and plants as he trampled them to the ground, and the beating of his own heart.

Finally he stopped running. The sounds of the pursuers had faded away into nothing. All around him were the sounds of the alien woodscape - chirping avians, buzzing insects, small chittering animals, occasional gruff barks and howls. Definitely an extraordinary experience. And startlingly more peaceful than his homeland.

Krytox looked at the ground. The weapons he had stolen from his captors arrayed before him. Thankfully, most were those he could use. Discarding some of the more archaic-looking ones and throwing them aside to leave to whatever savages in these woods may chance upon them, he looked at his remaining small arsenal and growled gutterally at the remaining weapons of a true warrior. Gathering them and using some torn leather strips to fasten them to himself and his armor, stained with the blood of its former owner, he continued on.

Eventually Krytox stopped again - it was about noon. He looked ahead of himself and saw that the vegetation was thinning out. Continuing onward, he stopped: Before him was a hill, and in the side of the hill was a dark opening - the mouth of a cave.

DM Post #6 wrote:: Rasa leads Skythar the small reptilian and the girl back to Alterith's hideout. The lizardman takes in his surroundings curiosity but ever alert, his nose pits on his snout twitching as his forked tongue darts in and out from between two scaly lips and small knife-like fangs. The girl stands on Rasa's left, clutching his arm, not taking her eyes off the lizardman standing off to Rasa's right, using the dark elf's black robes to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. She is afraid of the reptilian, but also curious, staring at him wordlessly, transfixed.

Less than an hour later, Alterith arrives back to the hideout on his mount. The little girl's face brightens upon seeing the halfling, and suddenly she is not as afraid as she was.

***

***

***

Hours have passed now since Krytox' fleeing into the forest. Even with no signs of the pursuers the lizardman dares not let his guard down; if any living (or even non-living) thing in his homeland can be an enemy, a spy - why not anything here in this strange land? However, after a long while of waiting and resting, Krytox begins to see that the pleasant melodious chirping of the birds mean him no harm. Could there really be benign creatures in the world that do not prey upon other sentient life in some way, either as a parasite, predator, or symbiote? Unthinkable!

A sound coming from the woods off to his right near the edge of the woods before the cliff face snaps Krytox out of his thoughts, and the lizardman dives back into the vegetation and lays still. A little boy emerges, dirtied with small cuts on his face and arms. The boy appears to be crying angrily as he marches resolutely toward the cave. A small human boy, no bigger than a snack... alone? He does not enter the cave, but stands outside and utters some words that the lizardman strains to hear.

The air in front of the open mouth of the cave seems to shimmer slightly, and then the boy runs inside. The lizardman waits a while, but he does not emerge.

Just when Krytox thinks nothing will happen and begins to get up, he freezes again, stock still. Two heavily-armed humanoids about his size emerge from the cave, accompanied by a smaller, reptilian-looking creature, with legs almost as dainty as these strange avian creatures flying above his head. One of the larger humanoids looks like a human crossbreed, while the other looks like a hyena.

They immediately begin to move, in the direction from which the boy had originally come.

ooc: Krytox, make a Listen check, following by an Intelligence check.

Last edited by on Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:35 pm; edited 1 time in total

DM Post #7 wrote:: The little girl look at Alterith and Rasa hesitantly. "I... I don't know where the big scary men are..." she sounds scared to speak of them, but also disappointed. Her lip trembles as she recalls that her brother was taken from her family, and she is sad over the fact that not knowing where the bandits are means not knowing where he is.

Suddenly, the group is interrupted by the sound of fast, heavy footsteps approaching, and ragged breathing. "Oi!" a voice calls out. The surprised group turns around and finds a thin, gaunt man practically on his knees crawling towards them, waving a hand weakly above his head. "Oi, citizens for Sesolston!" he shouts tiredly. "Oh!" He stops, startling, upon seeing the lizardman, as though he'd never seen a creature like him before. Looking more closely at the group, his eyes widen as they pass over the dark elf.

"Oi, oi..." he quickly scrambles to his feet, and backs off slightly. But seeing the halfling and the little girl seem to ease his discomfort, although his confusion is not helped at all.

"Fair... folk," he begins - not sure what term he should have used - "I am Aohald, from the town of Bartholemew. I was on my way to the city of Sesolston to seek aid for my townspeople, who are suffering from a terrible disease!" He stops, panting for breath. "That is why I dare not approach thee any further - I fear I too have contracted this horrible plague, though I have not yet been afflicted for long.

"I was not the only one sent on this trip - three of us came. But I fear that before I chanced upon thee, we were waylaid by a band of savage brigands, and two of my companions were wounded in the encounter. They screamed at me to flee to the city to spread word and find help, so I did. I..." He swallows his emotion, "...I fear the worst for my fellow townsmen, but pray even now that Pelor's light shines upon them and has rescued them from death." He pauses again, regaining his breath.

"The bandits I saw were headed this way, the way I came, about more than half a mile further down this road. There was a large, mean-looking man, probably a half-breed, accompanied by a kobold and a gnoll." A hacking cough seizes, the sick man, and it is after several minutes that he is finally able to continue.

occ: Skythar knows what a gnoll is - they are indigenous to his Shell. However, he does not know what a 'kobold' is. The others know what all of the creatures mentioned are.

"Fair folk, if you would, could any of you lead me to Sesolston? Thankfully, I have travel documents with me, so I need only find an audience with the town officials... and perhaps a good merciful cleric or two. However, the clergymen working without pause in my town have been as of yet unable to stop the cursed plague..."

The group hesitates, considering the task they are about to set out on, weighing the circumstances. The little girl suddenly perks up. "I'll take you, sir!" she says, proud that she can finally be of use to her halfling and dark elf friends. "I don't really wanna see the big, scary men anyways..." The sick man from Somi-Bartholemew smiles at the child.

"Blessed are ye, little child! But remember now, please keep your distance from me. I do not want to spread the disease to you fair folk!" The little girl and the man look about ready to set off back to town.

ooc: Alterith, Rasa, and Skythar, make Spot checks.

* * * *

The lizardman, by nature of his coldbloodedness, is accustomed to waiting while motionless, and wait is exactly what he does. An unknown amount of time passes, before Krytox is finally confident that the tough, savage-looking humanoids that left the cave are not around the area any longer.

The great, black-scaled lizardman saunters up to the cave opening and utters some of the words he thought he heard earlier, his jaws wrapping around the syllables with great difficulty. However, he manages adequately. Nothing happens. Shrugging, Krytox begins to enter the cave...

And is pushed back by an invisible force, like an impenetrable bubble. However, the lizardman, standing at the open, exposed mouth of the cave, can see nothing holding him back.

ooc: Auto-Listen made for Krytox: 19 (success)

Krytox's ear pits twitch slightly - the lizardman has heard something, very far off, from somewhere behind him, in the direction that the little human boy had come, which was the same direction that the savage bandits had headed off in. In the stillness of the bright, sunlit air, he barely hears the faint clanging and clashing sounds of a small, desperate battle.

ooc: Make a Strength check if Krytox wishes to force his way past the invisible barrier.

DM Post #8 wrote:: Even as Rasa is somewhat deep in thought, Alterith pauses for a moment. Something about Skythar's appearance bothers him, but he is not sure what. Skythar's kind had indeed been drafted by armies of the factions of Impetus to aid them in their wars (who knows where all the creatures of Shell 7 really came from? The Seventh Shell was a mixing pot of the worst kind and the halfling doubted that most of the races he encountered were indigenous there to begin with). But looking at the reptilian now, the halfling is slightly confused. The small lizard is different from his other Shell 7 brethren in some way... but he just can't put his finger on it.

Alterith snaps out of his thoughts in time to hear the sickly young man say "Ye have my word, halfling." Lester snorts and departs at a brisk pace, the little girl clutching tightly at the reins. The dark elf still appears deep in thought. Skythar stands motionless, save for the occasional bobbing of his head as he continues to survey the alien forestscape around him. Then they set off for the source of the trouble.

* * *

Krytox flexes his powerful muscles, determined not to be blocked by some invisible force. He begins forcing his way in, and suddenly with every inch traversed, the air around him grows heavy and sticky, until he can no longer proceed forward. Hissing, the lizardman continues to press through the barrier, and he is actually able to take one small step into the cave, when he is gently but inexorably hedged back out, clawed feet grinding backwards against the ground stirring up brown-yellow dust as the invisible wall slowly bends back, pushing him back out into the sunlight.

"Help!" A tiny voice in the distance calls. Krytox's head snaps up and swings rapidly to the side. His murky white eye surveys the edge of the alien forest from which he emerged - there! Along a nearby path, farther down for less than a quarter-mile, a ragged human male runs weakly in his direction, fleeing from something... possibly the battle? Before Krytox can react, a faint shimmer sails through the air like a sliver of light - and the man jerks forward unnaturally and falls to the ground, still. An arrow protrudes from his back.

* * *

As the unlikely trio head farther down the path, they begin to hear the sounds of a desperate battle. Arriving closer, they see the source of the disturbance: Another ragged, sickly man attempts to poorly fend off a ravenous hyena-headed gnoll with a small blade. The gnoll is practically on top of the wounded, screaming man, trying to fit its drooling jaws around its victim's head. If left to fate, there is no doubt in the trio's mind that the man will lose.

ooc: NPC Spot check: 8 (failed)

Neither combatant has seen the arrival of the trio.

ooc: Rasa, Alterith, Skythar, you may declare partial actions for this first round. It is a surprise round because you have not yet been noticed. Initiative is still needed, unlike what I said before. Sorry.

The gnoll and diseased human are about 20' away from you three. Normally drawing a weapon is a move action in itself, but this first time we'll assume you all had weapons ready since you were expecting trouble.

DM Post #9 wrote:: ooc: Rasa scored a normal hit.

Rasa's crossbow bolt sails through the air and pierces the back of the gnoll's neck, sending it into a gurgling frenzy of frothing blood.

ooc: Gnoll initiative: 17.

A moment later, the gnoll's battleaxe comes slicing downward again. The sickly man screams as the blade cuts deep into his shoulder. Blood spatters to the ground and all over his clothes, also covering the wooden shaft of the weapon.

ooc: Forgot a -2 penalty assessed to Alterith's ranged attack for attacking over two range increments. 20 total, still hit.

A moment later the creature jerks backwards violently, releasing the axe as a dagger thumps into its back. Another arrow shot by the lizardman puts the wretched creature out of its misery. It falls onto the ground a few feet away from the sickly man in a pool of its own blood and bile.

ooc: They are both unconscious.

DM Post #10 wrote:: The halfling's suspicions regarding the sickly man are right. Rasa kneels down at his side and notices the grievous cavity of a wound in the man's left shoulder and left chest caused by the gnoll's battleaxe before the evil creature was dispatched. The dark elf fumbles through his equipment, and produces some basic herbs and bandages. He tries to clean the wound and minimize the alarming rate of bleeding, but to no avail. The man's condition seems to worsen by the moment.

Alterith and Skythar move to the perimeter of the area and scan everywhere for any additional perpetrators. However, they are unable to find these creature's alleged accomplices. They may perhaps be in another part of the woods, or farther down the road. Perhaps the sickly, now dying, young man lying off to one side of the street could help explain, but he is unconscious at the moment, and may die if not properly treated.

* * *

Krytox moves forward, and finally reaches the grisly scene - a ragged man lies facedown in the dusty dirt road, the solid wooden shaft of an arrow protruding grotesquely from the small of his back. A small pool of red flows out from underneath the man's body, painting the dusty pebbles on the ground a rusty red-brown. The lizardman looks to and fro, eyes scanning the alien vegetation and trees for an attacker, but finds no one.

Looking back, and seeing that he has already left the small cliff face and the cave with the small boy inside a long ways off (though it is still barely visible), the lizardman decides to move on, hunting for the source of the disturbance. Perhaps these events could have something to do with his being here on this Shell... and if that were true, Krytox would probably be better off taking the offensive against his captors and securing his freedom by defeating his dreaded enslavers.

After several minutes of fast-paced walking, Krytox's massive tail swaying left and right like a small tree trunk, the lizardman looks over to his left, where the treeline has thinned out. Past the foliage on the side of the road, the forest opens up into a large, beautiful, shiny surface. The light issuing forth from the glimmering surface blinds Krytox for a second, and his murky reptilian eyes stare hard as the initial pain goes away. Before him is a large body of water, and had the lizardman the vocabulary (or the concern) he might have described it as 'beautiful.'

ooc: Auto-Spot for Krytox: 8 (success)

Krytox notices a small wooden structure - a tiny building - near the edge of the shimmering surface, past where the forest thins out to avoid touching the strange glimmering surface.

ooc: Auto-Spot and Auto-Intelligence for Krytox: 19 (success)

Suddenly the great lizard squints, narrow his eyes, and hunches over, leaning in the direction of the building. Krytox notices some movement around the outside of the shack... a small, wiry creature, holding something long and slightly curved in his hand. Krytox's reptilian eyes widen slightly as the small figure tenses up, and it becomes clear - the creature was the same tiny reptilian he saw earlier emerge from the cave, carrying a bow, and he is now nocking an arrow and slowly pointing it at the currently unseen occupants of the shack.

The small, twisted raptor-like reptilian from the cave. The dead man on the road. And now this. There can be no mistake.

* * *

Squin and Mystia converse idly, enjoying a quiet noontime around her humble lake abode. The morning catch was plentiful, and they enjoy some of the excess of the fisherwoman's spoils - some beautiful carp, roasted over a small, open fire by the shore's edge and seasoned with delicious spices. That afternoon, like on every other day as it had been in the recent past, Squin the centaur would do his work by carting Mystia's catch to Sesolston's town market, and bring back profits. The young woman always had a way with fish... her catches were always large, beautiful, healthy, and absolutely delicious. Squin almost never returned with any fish remaining on his cart. The few that had accumulated were salted and spiced and put into tightly-woven barrels for preservation. The two could not know that this afternoon their lives and destinies were about to be changed forever.

ooc: Auto-Spot for Squin and Mystia: 25 (success) and 10 (success)

The centaur glances up and, through an open window in the wall of Mystia's small wooden hut, suddenly sees the head of a small, ugly reptilian creature holding a bow, nocking an arrow through the window in their direction!

Before Squin can shout a warning, Mystia, who was drying off her hands on a small rag near her wash basin looks up and sees the same. The small reptilian flares up, and he hisses upon being discovered. His small, beady eyes narrow as he stretches the bowstring taut.

ooc: Zadok and David, roll Initiative for Squin and Mystia. They did not have weapons out, so you will have to spend a move-equivalent action to get any of them from the ground where they lay. The window of the hut is 10 feet away from Squin and 20 from Mystia, and to get to the kobold you will have to travel 50 feet (along the wall, around the corner, and along the outside of that same wall).

DM Post #11 wrote:: Krytox brings his greatclub to bear and dashes through the thin underbrush headed for the little hut and the bow-wielding reptilian.

ooc: Currently we're on Round 1. Running at full speed (x4 movement per round) will get Krytox to the hut at the start of Round 3.

The kobold hisses upon being discovered but is not deterred - as Squin and Mystia begin to move from their spots the reptilian nocks his bow and lets loose an arrow.

ooc: Attack vs. Squin (flat-footed): 14 (hit for 4 damage)

Thwack! The arrow lodges itself into the centaur's shoulder, and despite being wounded, Squin still manages to grab his weapons from the ground. A quick glance around the area reveals a high probability that the kobold is alone... though other similar creatures could still be lurking about, out of sight due to the hut's walls.

A moment later, Mystia also manages to get to her weapons. Neither of the pair have any concrete idea as to why the kobold would be here attacking them, but Mystia realizes that it could be just a lone bandit or highway robber.

* * *

Alterith attempts to aid the dying man, but his condition does not better.
The only thing the halfling can ascertain is that the sickly young man is creeping closer and closer to the gate of death. Whether that gate will belong to the Reaper, the Ruby Sorceress, or the Shining One, none of them know for certain.

Rasa's suggestion falls upon his companion's ears, and the dark elf awaits their responses.

DM Post #12 wrote:: As Skythar prepares to haul his end of the makeshift stretcher, Alterith tries once again to assuage the young man's wounds. Even without the proper materials, the halfling is this time able to stop the bleeding, and though the young man still appears in bad shape, the trio conclude that anyone caught on the angry side of a gnoll's axe would look somewhat like him. Add to that a strange disease apparently emanating from the neighboring town of Somi-Bartholemew several miles away...

At least the man now appears stabilized and no longer in danger of dying... unless the unthinkable should occur. The three glance about their surroundings, nervousness pecking at the edge of their minds. They might have missed something.

Considering the factors of sharing the weight of the sickly wounded man on the stretcher affecting Alterith and Skythar's load capacities (each has +75 lbs, factoring in Medium loads, the slowest Movement rate, the least of the Constitution scores, and terrain type - it'll take approximately 15 minutes to get back to Sesolston (to where they could bring him to the city constable or a church), and then about 10 minutes to get back.

[edit: Skythar actually being at Medium load (not Heavy as I previously thought) makes things a little faster for them]

* * *

Round 2 commencing (same Initiative order as previous round)

Mystia and Squin are now armed and ready to confront the kobold threat, but they turn and see the reptilian glancing to his right, away from the window, hissing with surprise. Then, the little lanky reptilian moves slightly away from the window and points his bow at something approaching. The two companions' sight is blocked by the walls of the hut of whatever caught the kobold's attention.

Combat: Kobold - Standard Attack (target Krytox) - 18 [Hit - 6 damage] (target Clobbered)

Krytox thunders through the underbrush, pulse pounding in his scaly head. Suddenly, a streak of silver slashes through his field of vision. The lizardman twists to avoid the arrow, also presenting his naturally armored shoulder to bear against the shaft in case his nimbleness is insufficient. Krytox looks down mid-stride and sees the shaft sinking into his flesh in between his dark, murky scales.

The lizardman looks back up as he continues his maddened charge, wounded but undaunted. The little reptile's eyes widen with fear.

Krytox is clobbered for Round 2 and so will only be able to move 30 feet. This would put him 40 feet from the kobold at the beginning of next round, Round 3.

Awaiting Mystia and Squin's actions. They are not wearing their armor but are no long flat-footed. Squin is clobbered this round and, barring further injury, will be able to act normally for the next round.[/i][/color]

DM Post #13 wrote:: "Ye seem to be different from what we've heard about ye kind," grumble a couple townsfolk Rasa manages to find. "Besides, the fact that there was a sick man who came to town earlier also from ole' Bart sick in the skin similar to how you describe means that ye prolly ain't lying... but if ye are, we'll see to it that ye don't set yer foot in Sesolston ever again."

Skythar and Alterith make along at a decent pace, and after about ten minutes without any disturbances, they see the dark elf coming back along the path, two townsfolk following closely (and suspiciously) behind.

" 'hoy, halfling," one of them mumbles in greeting. "Aye, looks like the shadowy elf wan't lyin' after all," murmurs the other. "He looks real bad, worse 'n the other one. Say, what-!" The man stops at the sight of the sickly prone man's battle axe wound. "What in the Nine Shells is-!" He begins looking at Alterith accusingly and upon seeing Skythar, yelps in surprise at the sight of the small lizardman.

"Never seen its kind before!" exlcaims the man. "Halfling, you didn't...!" The other man shakes his head. "Calm down friend," he says. "Look - the halfling's blade is clean. He wouldn't cleave a sickly young man, even for sport." But this one might, he glares briefly at Rasa. "Anyways, we ain't here to meet any newbeast," he said, dismissing Skythar. "We'll take this man to town. You folk just... stay out of trouble."

The men take the stretcher from Alterith and Skythar and head back to Sesolston at a brisk pace. Then they stop briefly, long enough for the man to shout, "oh yeah, halfling, the girl is with her mama. She's alright." Then they continue marching off and after about ten minutes, they disappear down the path over a gentle hill.

The trio find themselves surveying the thinning woods around them. They are now formally in the outskirts of Sesolston town, where the end of the fields meet the edge of the woods.

***

ooc: Kobold gets cover vs. Squin's attack from the window. The kobold is within 30' of the centaur.

Squin lets loose with an arrow of his own after taking one in the shoulder, but the centaur's shot which normally would have hit thuds against the window sill and crack! splits down the shaft as half of it burrows into the wood and the other half shatters wooden fragments onto the top of the kobold's head. The reptilian's beady eyes dart back and forth as its head jerks toward the window to see what had happened. It hisses in surprise and fear upon seeing Squin still alive, wielding his bow.

Mystia tends to Squin's wounds, calling upon the child goddess of the sea for healing. A soft hum and gentle blue outline surround her hands as she places them quickly over the centaur's shoulder. Squin experiences a slight tingling, almost tickling, sensation as his flesh and skin are rewoven. When Mystia removes her hands, only an extremely faint scar remains.

ooc: Squin is restored to full hit points.

Krytox continues his maddened charge at the kobold, though he is slowed somewhat by the pain the arrow wound has caused. Nevertheless, his battle fury has not yet been quelled, and probably will not be, until the kobold is reduced to bloody pieces on the lakeshore ground.

* Round 3 *

The kobold, now about to be attacked from two angles, backs up hastily, small, scaly legs waddling backwards. Because Mystia and Squin are inside a hut that possesses three walls (its fourth side, facing the lake, is walless and completely open to the outside), the kobold is now completely visible to the pair as its scrawny clawed feet find themselves sinking ever so slightly into the sand on the shore.

Trembling, the kobold bares its small fangs and hisses, raising his shortbow again at Squin, since the lizardman appears to have been slightly slowed by its first shot, and the centaur is the one also wielding a bow at the moment.

Kobold - Move 20' backwards/Attack Squin - 5 (miss)

The arrow sails through the air and Squin and Mystia jerk away from each other as the shaft flies right through the space they had occupied just a moment before thuds loudly into the corner behind them.

Krytox is now no longer clobbered for Round 3. He can move and/or attack normally. The distance between him and the kobold is now 60 feet. He could run the remainder of the distance and get to melee range of the kobold for Round 4 (next round), or close the gap by 30 feet as a move action and then attack with a ranged weapon (drop the greatclub as a free action then drawing a ranged weapon as part of his 30' move as a free action), or whatever else Krytox wanted to do.

Awaiting actions from Squin and Mystia for this current round (Round 3).

DM Post #14 wrote:: Woodland animals of the forest surrounding Sesolston chitter and chatter as they dart in and out of the underbrush. Their simple, animal eyes have never seen a more unlikely trio - a halfling, a dark elf, and a foreign lizardman. Alterith, Rasa, and Skythar, accompanied by the halfling's pig, head back deeper into the woods on the dirt path leading from town, and come back across the gnoll's battered, dying body. The vile creature's two equally vile companions are probably wreaking havoc in another part of the woods.

The small group wonders what to do with the gnoll - revive it for questioning, or finish the job they began and put the bleeding, wheezing, unconscious body on its final journey to the Creator's fiery core. As they deliberate on that decision, a quick rummage through the gnoll's belt pouch reveals a small rusted knife and a tiny dirtstained scroll, bound loosely in simple thread.

Hearing a sudden cacophony of sqawking and fluttering, the trio looks up from their findings to the top of the treeline about a quarter mile down the path just in time to see a flock of birds erupting from the treetops, into the sky. Something's brewing in that direction, no doubt.

As the group travels down the road to get closer to the source of the disturbance, they see that they are nearing a decent-sized lake to their right, farther up ahead. The halfling stops and pauses for a moment. Wasn't there somebody living close to the lake? A... fisherwoman, somewhat new to the area since the past month or two? And one of quite exceptional talent, at that? If that were the case (if what he's heard about her from the townsfolk is true), the disturbance would be happening... close to her fishing spots along the lake. Birds don't take suddenly take flight because they're scared of some young, gentle fisherwoman...

ooc: Alterith, Rasa, Skythar are about two hundred feet now from a point up ahead on the dirt path closest to the lake - there is about another 250 feet of underbrush and light forest between the side of the path from that point to the shore of the lake. Need Spot checks from the three.

* * *

As the kobold hisses at his missed shot (how could he have missed such a large, four-legged target?), his beady reptilian eyes do not catch Krytox's slick movements as they drop the club and unfasten a throwing axe at his waist. The throwing axe hums through the air, spinning end over end, propelled by the large lizard's powerful muscles.

Attention divided between the three, the kobold screeches loudly, "Hsssshhrrraak! Commmme, fooool...! Hellllppp! Unnggaaak-!" But by the time the kobold turns his head back to notice Krytox's charge, it is too late. He finds himself staring into his own death as the throwing axe connects.

Thwack!

The kobold's broken, bloodied body crumples unceremoniously to the sandy ground. The small reptile hisses a small sigh as his final breath and life leave him.

Squin, now in his new position behind the left wall, and Mystia, readying her trident, pause, and lower their weapons hesitantly. The enemy has been vanquished by a yet unseen source. The creature that threw the axe is behind Mystia's hut, though the rear wall of the hut has no window from which to view what might have done this.

Strangely enough, the appearance of the axe is strange, and even now stained with blood and half buried in the scaly, lifeless body of the kobold, the pair can make out that it has definitely not been made by the local weaponsmith. Its make might even be alien to this kingdom.

ooc: Squin and Krytox, make Spot checks.

Last edited by Boomerwang on Thu Jun 05, 2008 3:01 pm; edited 1 time in total

DM Post #15 wrote:: The group exchanges introductory remarks. Despite the uneasiness in the air there is a glimmer of hope that the bonds of trust, friendship, and comraderie will strengthen over time and trial (and fattened purses wouldn't hurt either).

Agreed that the group must set out and rescue the boy, Squin and Mystia gather their gear. As the six turn to leave the woman's hut...

"Heh!"

A deep, gruff voice barks at them from around the corner. Startled, the group members put their hands on their weapons, ready to draw them in an instant. A figure moves around the corner of the hut wall, and the group sees that the voice was issued by... the half-breed orc.

*shhhhk!*

The strong, massive man smirks at the group's hostile reaction, eyes twinkling dangerously at their drawn weapons. He hunches his broad shoulders slightly and tilts his head to one side, scarred lips puckering up. "Oooooh!" A sarcastic moan of fear escapes his lips. Straightening up, he shows them the upturned palms of his hands.

"Now, now, der's no need for any o' that," he growls, grinning at them. "I was sent out here to deal wit'da 'lil runt messing in our business," he jerks a clawed thumb at Alterith, "but one thing ye civilized scum just don't learn is'at we may be big... but we arn't dumb." The half-orc tilts his head back and laughs loudly, a couple of terrible-sounding barks.

"I've split many o' bloody human and beast twain 'afore," he continues, "but I know when a fight turns hopeless." A wicked-bladed scimitar falls to the ground in front of his feet. He begins to pace, slowly. "I could prolly take out a coupl'ya before the Reaper came and dragged me to Shells' Hells, but there none'be'needin any o' that. Hell, I don't even like me much the beast in charge of dis small operation. Waste of bloody time, your city is. Not enough warrior spirit in it to make things fun." The half-orc grins again.

"So here's da deal: Like peaceable beasts, I get ya's into our little cave hideout just half a mile that way," the half-breed points westward away from Sesolston, down the path and lakeshore, "and you'be's lettin me go, make me a livin' in another forest far, far away from here. Now, I know what you think," he adds, seeing the groups skeptical reaction. " 'Don't need some half-breed telling me how to enter a cave,' right? Well... this entrance ain't just one you can just wander into. Our leader's second-in-command - some pint-sized reptilian like your friend there *points at Skythar* - is some kinda magicker... and whipped up some nasty surprises for people who be's stickin their heads in where they don't belong. You'll need me help to get you past those. If you kill me, you basically got no way o' stoppin my group's raids on your... heheh... quaint liddle town."

The half-orc looks at the group again and grins without fear. He knows he's making a ridiculous proposal. But that's precisely why my plea for mercy is going to work. I may love slitting throats and breaking backs, but unlike the stupider of my kind, I'm not about to throw away my life to some misfits in the name of The Many, or some thrice-accursed berserker spirit leftover from Cataclysm. His grin widens.

"Whaddya say?"

DM Post #16 wrote:: ooc: Sense Motive check result: half-orc is basically telling the truth. No suspicious body language seen. Not likely to be a trap, through lying at least. Most likely, the half-orc is counting on the two groups (yours and his) injuring each other to the point beyond saving.

The group begins following the halfbreed, at about fifteen feet, as he begins leading them to where his group has been hiding out - and ultimately, the location of the boy.

"There's 'bout'e dozen o' us. Some like meself, dems liddle reptilians... even some mercenary squishies." The halfbreed leers at Mystia with contempt. Led by Holg of the cursed Bloodaxe clan. Responsible for all the bullyin' and extortion and whatnot goin' on in ye quaint liddle town in the near past. Even a liddle kidnappin'... don't ask me what it's for 'cause I dunno. Second in command is a small lizard magicker known as Mekron... only second in command 'cause he got the Art. Won't find a spellbook on dat one, ye won't. Got some natural talent n' all that. 'Dragon's blood,' pheh!" The halfbreed spits on the ground. "I be bettin' me Shells' Bells hain't nothin' to do with dragons."

The halfbreed stops for a second, along the path. Then a twisted smile crosses his tough, scarred face, and he grins again.

"Other than that... no more, ah, so sorry..." More laughs, loud barks.

"As fer you, oh scaly one," he continues, "I'd tell ye why the liddle brat knows of us... but I'd rather you found him yourself, preferably alive. So he can 'fess to ye what dirty trouble he's been in. Beheheh. Ha! Heheheh. Ha!" More barks.

The seven arrive at the entrance of the cave. Krytox recognizes this as the place the boy went into - and the place this vile one came out of. The halfbreed murmurs some unintelligible words, and waves his hand dismissively. There is a faint shimmer in the air just at the entrance of the cave, and then nothing.

The half-orc turns to the group and grins again. "Well, there ye go, magic's down... say 'hi' to that thrice-cursed Holg Bloodaxe fer me... preferably with the sharp end of ye swords!" Baring his sharp but broken, yellow teeth in a malicious smile, the halfbreed turns to go.

DM Post #17 wrote:: The halfbreed turns back around to face Alterith and shrugs. "Vaetar eefs jiinam," he says. "Da liddle bubble stays down fer a coupla seconds at a time. (1 round) It won't be affectin' ya's on yer way out." His eyes narrow slightly.

"The actual hideout be past dis cave, which doesn't be a'reachin in too far. Hain't goin' into the hideout with ya's... but if ye want me holdin yer hands into da cave..." He holds up a thumb and a finger and rubs them together.

ooc: Characters can attempt either a Diplomacy check or an Intimidate check to convince him to take you into the cave, at least to the entrance of the hideout which is assumed to be near the back. The DC for the Intimidate check is higher, but would get you in for free. Note that a significant margin of failure for either check from any character will work against the group.

[quote="DM Post #18"]

The half-orc's grin turns into an ugly snarl. "Watch yer tongue, half-pint," he growls at Alterith. "I've already been more'n fair. Yer the one who demanded to see the boy. I promised you entrance to da cave. Now y'got it." He looks over behind the halfling, at Krytox and Mystia, heading into the cave. He sneers and bends over slightly, lowering his voice, addressing the rest of the group.

"Now I'm gonna ask ye all one more time, te Shell's Hells with what ye'all want: If ye still be wantin' my help up to the hideout entrance past a coupla goodies in the cave... fork over ten Miderth gold. If ye hain't gon'pay, we're done. The boy's deep in the hideout, past the cave. I ain't goin' in there, n'das it."

The half-orc looks ready to leave in a few seconds.

The half-orc has substantially lowered his asking price for assistance in getting past initial obstacles in the cave. It looks like he will leave unless the group agrees to pay him for such further assistance.

The cave disappears into the complete dark just 20 feet after the magical barrier at the entrance.

Skythar, Krytox - check PM.

**August 16, 2007: End of Chapter 0.**

August 16, 2007: End of Chapter 0.

» Chapter 1: Don't Go Into Dark Places Alone
» Chapter 7: Bankruptcy
» Chapter I: So Where's the Tavern?
» Chapter 3: Magically Delicious
» Chapter 4: Quenching the Burning Plague, Pt.1