Adventure 2: Jaston's Good Fortune

[Powderhorn]

Day 2 - The Road North of Erilune, Late Night

The merchants are all aghast at what happened, but Eabha's calming words and leadership abilities quickly put them at ease. The Instant Clay! (Just add water) does indeed turn into clay as the blood seeps into it, and while it seems some may be salvageable, the value of it appears to be more in the salesmanship than the material itself.

Isanbert, the iron merchant, is the first to speak once an appropriate lull has come up. "What should we do with his cart and mule?"

 

[Ikul]

Suibne raises his eyebrows, then flips the still-bloody knife in his hands. "Huh, you're right!" he responsds to Eabha. "Guess it's good luck for me!" He wipes the blade on the bugbear's clothes, then yanks the spear Otto threw at it free to return it to the young man, and tucks the knife away. Then, he focuses on the dead merchant. "Poor guy."

With a sigh, he goes to work moving the corpses. In sharp contrast to Otto he is, while not exactly his usual cheerful self, taking things in stride. He's happy to let Eabha and the others handle further questions of ownership, though.

[Tecumseh]

Otto Eckhart

Otto buries the merchant, covering him in the now-spoiled silt. He joins Toktok and Suibne for the funerary rites, following Eabha's clear and authoritative instructions.

He's slightly relieved to see that Eabha has poured honey in the other merchants' ears and calmed them down. They raise a valid point about the deceased merchant's possessions.

"We'll bring the cart and mule with us to Jaston," he says.

"There we can make inquiries. Presumably there is someone there who the merchant was traveling to sell to. A potter perhaps, or a brickmaker. We can ask around, see if anyone knows whether he had family or not. If so, we can either deliver the cart and mule to them, or sell the proceeds and deliver them to the next-of-kin."

He looks around the campfire. "We'd do the same for anyone." He's trying to sound reassuring, but once the words are out of his mouth he realizes that the implied danger could rattle the merchants. Maybe that's fine if it gets them to run when we say 'run' and jump when we say 'jump', he thinks to himself. Besides, the danger is already self-evident.

[Bobcloclimar]

Toktok holds back on burying the poor merchant until he's had a chance to scout the surrounding area, checking for other nefarious ne'er-do-wells that might be hiding nearby waiting for a free delivery of Instant Clay! (just add water).

 

OOC

Assuming another Dex/Sneak and Wis/Notice check like the last time he went tromping around in the bush.

 

[Powderhorn]

Day 2 - The Road North of Erilune, Late Night

No further ambushers seem to be waiting. The evening excitement does indeed seem wholly over. However, now offers a chance to apply lessons learned. What will the marching order be going forward? What will the evening watch plan be? What other changes might be made?

 

[another aka]

 

Xan Lycas

The other woman did not know that Xan had struggled to hold fast with her decision to protect the other carts and so did not know how well-received the validation was - how could she? Returning the nod, she notices where her peer's clothing had been rent during the fight, and gives silent thanks Morrigan for having watched over Éabha as well as the others.

She nods again at the obedient survive; an adage that bore saying more often, and hewing to more closely. For all that she is out in the world looking to develop her independence, Xan knows the value of obedience. The merchants might not like it, but they would be well served by it. Stifling a yawn, she stretches.

 

"I am going back to sleep - please wake me as needed." To the merchants she adds, "You might not want to sleep, but at least rest. Tomorrow's travels will not be made any easier by exhausting yourselves now." Otto and Éabha had seemed confident that they could handle the night's watch between the two of them, and she is loath to call that into question now. They could strategize about the next leg of the journey in the morning. Unless of course the others wanted to do so now... She worries that they would think her lazy or mistake her pragmatism for flippant insouciance, but tries to ignore the feeling.

[Powderhorn]

Day 5 - The Road North of Erilune, Late Night

The next three days passed uneventfully. The merchants, now more used to the rigors of being on the road, circle the wagons as ordered each night, the mules unhitched and tied to a feeding hitch in easy eyesight of the guards.

Eabha and Niahm patrol external to the wagons, while Otto surveys his comrades internally. It is, in truth, an excellent system that those resting are able to find great comfort in.

 

Dungeon Master

Those on watch, please give a Notice roll. Add a bonus +1 for the well-thought out guard plan.

 

[Tecumseh]

Otto Eckhart

Otto is relieved that a few days have gone by without anyone dying under his watch.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about his guilt or if he preferred to bury it deep down. If I can use this to be more vigilant... he thinks to himself, then perhaps this crappy feeling can be fertilizer for something better.

If there's a silver lining, Otto takes pride that the armor he made for Eabha held up under duress. He felt confident it would, but it's always gratifying to have your assumptions confirmed.

His work is his escape hatch, tinkering and sharpening things overnight, although he can't quite lose himself in it so fully as he used to. The patrols by Eabha and Niahm do provide a measure of comfort so that he isn't tightly wound up all night.

Otto stands periodically to stretch his legs. He walks the perimeter of the campfire to make sure all is well.

[Powderhorn]

Dungeon Master

As Otto is patrolling, he notices the slightest glint of metal. Looking more closely, he quickly realizes there are more than a dozen armed people in the treeline waiting for the signal to attack.

---

Otto can, if he desires to "play it cool" roll a sneak roll to see if he can hide that he noticed the armed group. He would need to roll a 7 or better, as opposed rolls go to the PCs in the case of a draw.

 

[Tecumseh]

Otto Eckhart

Otto tries to play it cool... and does. Here we go again, he thinks to himself.

He sighs. Time to go to work.

His grip on his spear tightens. He feels his muscles tense up as his heart starts beating faster. The first tendrils of adrenaline course through him.

The fact that the armed bandits haven't attacked yet might mean that he has precious moments to alert the others. Maybe Suibne and Toktok would even have a minute to put some armor on this time. If nothing else they can grab their shields.

"Hey!" he says in an urgent stage whisper. "Look alive! We've got company!"

He quickly walks around the group, shaking the others awake. When he draws Eabha's attention, he points to the tree line. Her third eye will be able to track them better than Otto ever could.

Edited April 4 by Tecumseh (see edit history)

[Powderhorn]

Dungeon Master

Otto's calm composure is able to alert everyone to the threat before it springs, and those wishing to arm, equip, and stage are able to do so.

---

If there is any particular positions people want to be in before the attack, Otto's warning gives that chance.

 

[Bobcloclimar]

Toktok, more on edge after the last attack, quickly armors himself and moves to plug gaps in their fortifications.

 

OOC

Wearing his armor + shield and handaxe, with a second hanging from his belt. Will update with a more precise location when the map goes up.

 

Edited April 4 by Bobcloclimar (see edit history)

[Tecumseh]

Otto Eckhart

Otto helps the others get their armor. Being well-acquainted with each set of armor, he makes a passable squire.

He grabs his spear and his hand axe and goes to one of the gaps. He intends to throw the spear and then use the hand axe for the work that's up close and personal. He knows it will be more effective at chopping through wooden shields and damaging armor than the spear would be.

His trusty stiletto remains on his hip should someone need to be stabbed through their visor.

OOC

Otto technically has four items Readied (shield, stiletto, spear, hand axe) and, given his poor Strength score, is technically Encumbered. That means he can only move 20 feet per Move action, instead of 30. However, as soon as he throws the spear he'll be unencumbered again and can resume his normal movement speed.

 

[another aka]

Xan Lycas

Xan whispers a prayer of thanks to Morrigan for Otto's battle-readiness, and asks the Goddess to extend Her blessings to him over and above the others. His weapons, shield, and armor gleam in the soft glow of the campfire; a level of armedness worthy of one of Her faithful.

With a sharp exhale, she is on her feet, taking a crouched fighting stance that her companions can now readily recognise from her training sessions over the past few days.

"They will know fear and then death." The words, spoken more loudly than she realises, are tinged with a venom that briefly mars her kind if oft nervous demeanor. The death of the silt clay merchant sits heavy but unexamined in her heart and so their small group being assailed yet again stokes a sense of outrage that has her looking forward to accommodating the many faces in search of a fist which await just beyond the tree-line.

Warped by the geometry of combat strategy, the short distance from said tree-line to their circled wagons seems endless; fortunately, it is likely their assailants who would have to close it. Unless of course they have archers. She shudders at the thought of arrow tips catching the light of their campfire, glowing flecks of light arcing towards them like a lethal meteor shower.

While Xan (is mostly sure that she) can parry arrows if need be, she is not particularly keen to have to do so at length. "Were you able to see how they are armed?"

 

[Ikul]

Warned in advance, Suibne grabs his belongings, moves near a wagon for cover, and then proceeds to make sure he's well-equipped for what promises to be a prolonged fight. He raises his eyebrows a little at Xan's intensity, showing a mix of surprise and amusement, but stays quiet for now.

OOC

Suibne can carry up to seven items, in his case -

Armour - 3

Shield - 1

5 throwing blades - 1

New Lucky Dagger - 1

Handaxe - 1