01 - Life's Bazaar: IC

It's late in the evening. The sky dark with clouds that are bringing a light drizzle down on the city of Cauldron. Most of the city is shut down at this point, any one of decent reputation having long since gone to sleep. You have all just finished cleaning up after the first and final showing in the city of Cauldron. It's a nice quiet night for now. Your five year contract with the circus is up and you're back where you first joined up. The three of you have headed out for something to eat at one of the taverns.

The silence is broken by screams and a weak cry for help. The three of you see two men being assaulted by a group of brutish thugs in the middle of the wide main street.

OOC

Jaythor sighed and started walking toward the melee saying under his breath, "If your going to mug someone at least have the decency to do it quickly and in private."

He then slips into the shadows and approaches the gathering of men in silence.

Hide:
Dice Roll: 1d20+6
d20 Results: 4 (Total = 10)

Move Silently:
Dice Roll: 1d20+6
d20 Results: 5 (Total = 11)

Edit: Maybe not in silence per say...

Deril heard the scuffle long before he saw it. He had hoped that Jaythor would simply keep walking by...but of course he didn't. Deril didn't want to get involved but now he didn't have a choice.

ready action to cast an extended "voice of shadow" spell. (same as command)

Siirna grinned enthusiastically and melted into the shadows. "Ahhh, it's good to be home" she whispered as she crept closer towards the scene, making no more noise than a mouse. "Don't be too hard on them, after all, I have a reputation to keep up here" She murmured to her companions, eyes narrowed as she looked to get a better glimpse of the group ahead.

hide:
Dice Roll: 1d20+16
d20 Results: 12 (Total = 28)

move silently:
Dice Roll: 1d20+14
d20 Results: 4 (Total = 18)

spot:
Dice Roll: 1d20+7
d20 Results: 20 (Total = 27)

Jaythor makes good time, and while not as quiet as he'd like to be, the thugs are quite focused on their prey. Unbeknownst to him Siirna is moving up the street as well.

As you get closer(about 50ft away now) you all hear one of the thugs say, "Mind your own business, this is a warning" as he slams one of their victims face onto the cobblestone street. "We'll kill you if you don't leave it alone!"

Another thug holds the other victim while the remaining thief raises a large wood club to break the mans knees.

OCC

The party wins initiative. You can all take the standard surprise round and then another a full round. Thank goodness for high dex. None of the thugs are aware of your presence yet either.
Unable to find the game forum

Thug Initiatives:
Dice Roll: 1d20 1d20 1d20
d20 Results: 9
d20 Results: 10
d20 Results: 5
These dice were omitted, altered, or moved: 1d20+4
Original Dice: 1d20+4

These dice sets were omitted or moved: 1d20+5, 1d20+2, 1d20 1d20 1d20, 1d20 1d20 1d20

Seeing the man raise the club sent shivers down Derils spine. The sound of breaking bones echoes through his skull as he imagines what is to come.

Cast Enlarged and Extended Voice of Shadow as a full action (range is now 60 and lasts 2 turns if successful)

When the last words spill from his mouth the shadows behind the man with the club mold into a solid mass. When the "form" grew as tall as his target a large drooling maw sprouts from its mass and quietly whispers the words "drop it" into the thugs ear. Deril hoped he was not the only one who could see this happening, but he had the feeling he was.

thug needs to beat a whopping 14 will save or he drops his club for 2 turns

Seeing the one thug slam a victim's face into the stone irritated Siirna. She clenched her jaw and continued advancing quietly. Once she was a bit closer she reached for a pouch on her belt and her lips began to move, eerily soft sounds emanating from them as her hand moved in slow, steady motions. Quickly, a stream of some strange, filmy substance spread about on the ground, directed towards the most thugs it could reach. As soon as she was done she slunk back into the shadows for cover.

hide:
Dice Roll: 1d20+16
d20 Results: 19 (Total = 35)

(Spell cast is Grease)

Jaythor draws his axe and continues to creep toward the scene of violence taking the gruesome brutality of the thugs in his stride as he prepares to spring into action.

He bursts from the shadows at a precise and calculated run; no battle-cry, no scream, no wasted energy, just an intent to harm. Strangely the shadows seem to cling and swirl around him and make him elusive even in the well lit street he was running down.

Drawing his axe=The surprise round.
Activating Child of Shadows=Swift Action of the 1rst round of combat.
Creeping 10' closer=The 1st action of the 1st round of combat.
Moving 20' toward the melee=The 2nd action of the 1st round of combat.

Hide:
Dice Roll: 1d20+6
d20 Results: 7 (Total = 13)

Move Silently:
Dice Roll: 1d20+6
d20 Results: 5 (Total = 11)

Child of Shadows=Stance: Concealment from melee and ranged attacks if the user moves at least 10' in a round. The effect lasts until the beginning of the user's next turn.

I didn't know if the surprise round was 1 move action or a full round action. The current is for 1 move action; In case of a full round action switch the Creeping action into the surprise round and make the Move action a charge attack. Use the attack and damage rolls below.

OOC

Attack:
Dice Roll: 1d20+7
d20 Results: 8 (Total = 15)

Damage:
Dice Roll: 1d10+6
d10 Results: 1 (Total = 7)

The thug with the large club freezes, his eyes wide, that sensation of having something behind you, but there's nothing there.. The club drops to the ground with a loud thunking noise.

The thug that seems to be the leader, the on doing the talking barely manages to maintain his footing, but completely misses noticing the dwarf with a battle axe moving through shadows at an alarming rate.

The thief holding priest looses his grip and ends up face down on the ground in front of Jaythor. He sees the dwarf, but only the boots, strange swirling shadows and more importantly the rather large axe. "Splintershield's ghost! We're getting out of here, to much magic." the more vocal of the thugs shouts to the others as they start to withdraw to a nearby alley.

The priest, now free rushes over to the other man, raises a large silver holy symbol and heals him. The man gets up, dropping his badly torn cloak revealing himself to be quite well off.

"Thank you for your timely assistance citizens." the man says in a melodic voice. "Ruphus and I were in a bit of a pickle there." he says nodding towards the priest while simultaneously spitting out a tooth.

Both the men look quite roughed up, a split lip, black eye, and plenty of bruises, but nothing life threatening.

Knowledge

Three thugs paid to "rough someone up" aren't going to stick around for an axe and magic fight when all they have are light clothes and short swords.
+300 XP each for driving the thugs off and not letting the two victims be harmed further.

Unable to find the game forum

These dice sets were omitted or moved: 1d20+5, 1d20+2, 1d20+4, 1d20+4

Jaythor grunts in response to the man as he eyes the alley that the thugs retreated into.

If I had gotten here sooner then they would not have as much to thank me for... Not that I did anything anyway... Jaythor thinks to himself scathingly.

Turning to his companions he says, "You work well together." Which between that and the previous remark might be the most volunteered speech that they have ever heard from him in such a short period of time.