Post by TheUdjat on Aug 5, 2009 15:42:47 GMT -5
Elric-
Elric attempts to feign fleeing, only to disarm the man at a weak moment with a deft swordstrike, sending the guard’s weapon spinning out of his hands. He fumbles for it, stooping over and giving Elric a clean opportunity to really flee, darting around his person and heading off down the alley. He is, for the moment, not pincered between two sets of guards.
But the others don’t make it easy for him to escape. They leap onto a hasty pursuit, slashing their weapons at him, though most of their strikes are too clumsy to land a hit. One, though, gains a solid strike the slam down into Elric’s shoulder—but he manages to twist at the last moment, turning it into a glancing strike that, though jarring, deals no lasting damage. It’ll be a sizable bruise come morning, no doubt.
Unfortunately, the guards are still dogging his path. He might not be so lucky in the next several seconds.
(Combat Actions)
[If you’d like to state general tactics for a few rounds, I’d love to speed this along.
]
Jakob-
Jakob, noticing possible trouble at the tavern, decides to try responding to the magus mind-to-mind via THINKING REALLY HARD, an action that is as irritating for Amalric to feel as it is for Jakob to do in the first place.
His job done as best he can, the woodsman idles about for orders, the dull buzz of gossip and activity going on around him.
[Sit tight, unless you’ve got a plan of action.]
Amalric-
Amalric stalls the situation as much as he can, revealing as little as he can to this nobleman and his retinue. He acknowledges he knows of an Elric, and opts to begin—slowly—leading him towards the inn. With the wagon necessarily in tow, it isn’t difficult to make slow progress of it.
While he moves, he checks on Elric’s progress, but is disappointed to discover that the sparrowhawk has lost track of him through the winding backstreets, necessarily keeping some distance away from them.
Proving he has an impressive talent for multi-tasking, Amalric checks around the marketplace for his scattered comrades from the Covenant. He spots no hint of them, unfortunately, though there does appear to be a lively bustling of activity, pairs of guards unrelated to those before him stalking around with their hands uncomfortably close to weapons. They appear to be looking for someone—probably a thief or ne’er-do-well of some sort or another. It might be too much to hope it is unrelated, things going the way they are.
Out of the corner of his eye, Amalric spots an old man in worn robes and a rough beard, propped up on a knotted cane—or maybe it’s just a tree branch improvised for the task. He smiles toothily at Amalric. People are steering well clear of him—no oddity there—but he doesn’t appear to mind. A moment later he hobbles on in the opposite direction.
[The timeline is a little skewed, I know, but try to work with it as best you can.
]
Rupert-
[Repost]
The man sighs heavily. "Silly boy. I keep telling you, I'm no magus. Certainly, I have some power at my disposal, but it's very limited, and what I need help with I cannot do myself." His shoulder slump unhappily--but abruptly, they lift as his countenance brightens. "However, I can help you! I could give you all manner of assistance. I could make you invisible, if you like, able to move about the city to your heart's content with no guardsmen the wiser. Or perhaps a new, fine crossbow, with enchanted bolts instead of that silly bit of linen, or... or whatever else you might want. Think of something you want in exchange for helping me, and I'll give it if it's in my power to do so."
"Don't be shy now, think of anything! Might be I can't do it, but it might be I can." He smiles hopefully.
Arnaud, Tawno, Joseph-
Arnaud speaks up again, trying to get around the tree-man’s peculiar speech and find a way to some useful bits of information.
With a groan of creaking wood, one of the larger limbs of the tree looms down to stroke the tree face’s chin, the thinner branches seeming to move like elongated fingers. He frowns. “Reedle? I’m not sure I’m familiar with—” He brightens. “Oh, Riddle!”
The tree laughs. “Oh, goodness, don’t be silly. Many Riddles—how ridiculous. There’s only the one Riddle in these woods, and what a nasty little bugger that one is. Always tromping about like he owns the place, ordering his little ones about. Why, they once tried to take my acorns, did you know that? My acorns! Who does that, I ask you?” The tree huffs disdainfully, a rather impressive gesture for, you know, wood.
“To answer you, fellow, no, I certainly can’t give you Riddle. Not that I think anyone would miss him—though why would you want him? But if the wizard’s sent you to ‘solve’ his Riddle, why, you best be along with it. Whatever that means. And pain of death?” Tsk. “That sounds just awful. But it’s usually anyone’s life if they get caught in the woods after dark, these days. Those little ones going about like they do, you know, always shooting first and jabbering after, as it were.”
A pause. “Oh, I suppose Grigori didn’t even tell you where to find Riddle, did he? Absent-minded brute. He’s about a league off in that direction. Lives up in the trees with all his little ones. A little tricky to spot, unless you’re looking up.”
[More questions for the oak?]
(Condition Track)
Elric attempts to feign fleeing, only to disarm the man at a weak moment with a deft swordstrike, sending the guard’s weapon spinning out of his hands. He fumbles for it, stooping over and giving Elric a clean opportunity to really flee, darting around his person and heading off down the alley. He is, for the moment, not pincered between two sets of guards.
But the others don’t make it easy for him to escape. They leap onto a hasty pursuit, slashing their weapons at him, though most of their strikes are too clumsy to land a hit. One, though, gains a solid strike the slam down into Elric’s shoulder—but he manages to twist at the last moment, turning it into a glancing strike that, though jarring, deals no lasting damage. It’ll be a sizable bruise come morning, no doubt.
Unfortunately, the guards are still dogging his path. He might not be so lucky in the next several seconds.
(Combat Actions)
- Move-by-disarm attempt at +3: 18, hits. Damage vs. Str: 20 (Elric), 14 (Guard), he is disarmed. I will rule that the guard is fumbling for his weapon too much to bar Elric’s course, allowing him to move on by. Around 20’, anyway.
- Guards give chase, gaining three attacks. The one disarmed recovers his weapon and pursues. Attacks vs. AC 16: Nat. 20 (does not confirm), 13, 6; one hit. Toughness Save @ +6: Nat. 20, still fine.
- Elric’s go.
[If you’d like to state general tactics for a few rounds, I’d love to speed this along.
]Jakob-
Jakob, noticing possible trouble at the tavern, decides to try responding to the magus mind-to-mind via THINKING REALLY HARD, an action that is as irritating for Amalric to feel as it is for Jakob to do in the first place.
His job done as best he can, the woodsman idles about for orders, the dull buzz of gossip and activity going on around him.
[Sit tight, unless you’ve got a plan of action.]
Amalric-
Amalric stalls the situation as much as he can, revealing as little as he can to this nobleman and his retinue. He acknowledges he knows of an Elric, and opts to begin—slowly—leading him towards the inn. With the wagon necessarily in tow, it isn’t difficult to make slow progress of it.
While he moves, he checks on Elric’s progress, but is disappointed to discover that the sparrowhawk has lost track of him through the winding backstreets, necessarily keeping some distance away from them.
Proving he has an impressive talent for multi-tasking, Amalric checks around the marketplace for his scattered comrades from the Covenant. He spots no hint of them, unfortunately, though there does appear to be a lively bustling of activity, pairs of guards unrelated to those before him stalking around with their hands uncomfortably close to weapons. They appear to be looking for someone—probably a thief or ne’er-do-well of some sort or another. It might be too much to hope it is unrelated, things going the way they are.
Out of the corner of his eye, Amalric spots an old man in worn robes and a rough beard, propped up on a knotted cane—or maybe it’s just a tree branch improvised for the task. He smiles toothily at Amalric. People are steering well clear of him—no oddity there—but he doesn’t appear to mind. A moment later he hobbles on in the opposite direction.
[The timeline is a little skewed, I know, but try to work with it as best you can.
]Rupert-
[Repost]
The man sighs heavily. "Silly boy. I keep telling you, I'm no magus. Certainly, I have some power at my disposal, but it's very limited, and what I need help with I cannot do myself." His shoulder slump unhappily--but abruptly, they lift as his countenance brightens. "However, I can help you! I could give you all manner of assistance. I could make you invisible, if you like, able to move about the city to your heart's content with no guardsmen the wiser. Or perhaps a new, fine crossbow, with enchanted bolts instead of that silly bit of linen, or... or whatever else you might want. Think of something you want in exchange for helping me, and I'll give it if it's in my power to do so."
"Don't be shy now, think of anything! Might be I can't do it, but it might be I can." He smiles hopefully.
Arnaud, Tawno, Joseph-
Arnaud speaks up again, trying to get around the tree-man’s peculiar speech and find a way to some useful bits of information.
“Oui,” Arnaud replied to the tree-face. “Zee weezard Greegoree ‘sent’ us ‘ere in a manner most peeculiar. We were transported to zis forreest- wizout choice- from Freiburg, where we followed a trail of bread crumbs- literallee- to zis spot.” The troubadour’s recounting of events was embellished subconsciously and came complete with waving arms, shocked gasps, and a mock sprinkling of crumbs along a trail. “We were told by zis Greegoree to solve a riddle before sundown, or die,” Arnaud finished the last part with a heavy sigh, as if it were a part in a drama.
“So you can see how we ‘oped you may ‘ave a riddle.” Arnaud continued, backtracking somewhat given the tree-face’s previous responses. “I am cairtain you know a great many reedles, as you appear to be a very wise oak. But not any reedles you were to give to us at Greegoree’s behest, non?”
“So you can see how we ‘oped you may ‘ave a riddle.” Arnaud continued, backtracking somewhat given the tree-face’s previous responses. “I am cairtain you know a great many reedles, as you appear to be a very wise oak. But not any reedles you were to give to us at Greegoree’s behest, non?”
With a groan of creaking wood, one of the larger limbs of the tree looms down to stroke the tree face’s chin, the thinner branches seeming to move like elongated fingers. He frowns. “Reedle? I’m not sure I’m familiar with—” He brightens. “Oh, Riddle!”
The tree laughs. “Oh, goodness, don’t be silly. Many Riddles—how ridiculous. There’s only the one Riddle in these woods, and what a nasty little bugger that one is. Always tromping about like he owns the place, ordering his little ones about. Why, they once tried to take my acorns, did you know that? My acorns! Who does that, I ask you?” The tree huffs disdainfully, a rather impressive gesture for, you know, wood.
“To answer you, fellow, no, I certainly can’t give you Riddle. Not that I think anyone would miss him—though why would you want him? But if the wizard’s sent you to ‘solve’ his Riddle, why, you best be along with it. Whatever that means. And pain of death?” Tsk. “That sounds just awful. But it’s usually anyone’s life if they get caught in the woods after dark, these days. Those little ones going about like they do, you know, always shooting first and jabbering after, as it were.”
A pause. “Oh, I suppose Grigori didn’t even tell you where to find Riddle, did he? Absent-minded brute. He’s about a league off in that direction. Lives up in the trees with all his little ones. A little tricky to spot, unless you’re looking up.”
[More questions for the oak?]
(Condition Track)
| Amalric | Arnaud | Elric | Jakob | Joseph | Rupert | Tawno | |
| Fatigue | |||||||
| Bruised | |||||||
| Hurt | |||||||
| Dazed | |||||||
| Wounded | |||||||
| Staggered | |||||||
| Disabled | |||||||
| Dying | |||||||
| Dead | |||||||
| Misc. |
