# To Con the Con-man



## HolyMan (Mar 28, 2011)

This is a low level game that is linked to my Off to War campaign. And as I have to be at work in 6 hours I am not going to do much but get the ball rolling and hope the two starting PC's can RP for a day or two.

Anyone wishing to join in with their own 1st lvl PC please feel free to pm me for now I will post links tomorrow night.

Ok [MENTION=99953]Zerith[/MENTION] and [MENTION=93196]Axel[/MENTION] this will be your game and it should run till Key to Victory is over and help you level up enough to catch some of the players on that group.

HM


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## HolyMan (Mar 28, 2011)

The dwarf stares at the young nobleman a long moment. His bushy eyebrows turned down to help with the scowl on his face. 

"Guess'n ye don't tink ye are in hot water do ya boy?" Martomum asks but continues on like he doesn't exspect or want an answer.

"Dat mage don't do ye or the gnolls a favor just den. He might just 'ad sealed theirs and your doom. *Alden! Alden!*" the dwarf's voice booms. "Where is dat lazy guid fir no ting man. *Alden!*" Martomum shouts once more.

[sblock=Axel] Please post up a description of your character answering the dwarfs call. You were assigned to this duty as it is considered the lowest of the low. You have been a messenger mostly as you have a mount and make the trip fast between camps. I will brief you more when I figure out more. [/sblock]


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## Zerith (Mar 28, 2011)

[sblock=Silence broken!] Monologue Mode: ON!!! XD [/sblock]

Truthfully, Alexander knew that how Dellex left could have gone far better. And while he was tempted to also cover his nose in some manner, he did not; it could be seen as a sign of weakness…. And he would have to get use to the stench sooner or later; he thought of it as getting use to the smell of horses, all, over, again.
After dismounting while Dellex left, Alexander neared the dwarf and entered the shade of the tree; he held the reins of his horse while he aproched, he did not pout it past the Gnolls to take it and eat it if he left it unattended just yet.
He walked up to Martomum until he was almost looming over the dwarf, it was not so much Alexander choosing to impose, but Alexander was tall for a human and Martomum was, well, a dwarf; then again the dwarf was at ease around Gnolls that made Alexander look short, and so Alexander could only assume raw size was about as intimidating to Martomum as it was to himself. So he considered it a nonissue.
  [sblock=The tree] in the thread this Is continuing from Martomum was in the shadow of a tree (along with several resting Gnolls) and I’me keeping that in mind with this post ^_^ [/sblock]


  Then he and the dwarf had a bit of a stare down; it was much more literally for Alexander who stood at six feet three inches tall, or a full six four when he had his boots on; they were comfortably padded.
Alexander was rather at ease: his black and golden hair (that formed into feather like locks came black out of the roots, made a golden vee shape, as in most feather patterns and then turned strat back to clack without any gradation.) framed his face and casted a shadow over his face, in addition to the shadow that the tree was casting onto both him and the dwarf. The only features that priced the shadow were his eyes, or more accurately his golden inner irises that gave off a metallic glint.
One could feel his content smugness through his gaze as if he was giving off some kind of demented monologue.


  Martomum then talked to Alexander and called for his aid, or so Alexander assumed.
  And the truth was Alexander had a not so slight addition to language; and being able to talk to someone in their native language at the drop of a hat; that was something he was prideful in.
“Yah, I can zee he just uzed me as a chezz piece to bump you about; but do tell, about how far did you punt hiz Familiar to make him, zomeone who’ I don’t think is ztupid, foolizhly remove a commander that is rezpected by des troops for a loud mouth vho he haz juzt meet?” Alex began in Dwarven while rising a questioning brow as he grinned and briefly glanced in the direction Dellex left.
Martomum likely noticed that, while Alexander fully grasped the basics of Dwarven, and likely understood it fully, he either picked up an agonizingly heavy accent with distant influences from his teacher when he learned the language or something else to that effect.

“It seems a bit Daft to change a command while the only seen quality in the new, inexperienced, commander is being able to, literally bark orders and get regulars to march off in a fit.” Alexander then commented in common; the dwarf was going to learn the long winded way that whenever the conversation was in Alexander’s hands, it stayed there until he stopped throttling it, and to remove the need of Martomum asking if Alexander could even speak Gnoll he simply continued in it “And yet, he saw fit to replace thee with me at first opportunity; I sense political jockeying at work… and only a few possible ways for it to play out in his favor.” Alexander yapped, very onwards smugly at the tail end


  Still not giving Martomum a chance to reply Alexander Monologged onwards in Dwarven “Und do tell me alzo, vhat vaz him, Moondancer, doing vith vound in das camp?” Changing laugages yet again Alexander decided to give the dwarf a chance to speak and spoke what little he would untill the dwarf had time to answer.
    [FONT=&quot]“The day just gets more and more interesting; and there might be more left to happen, but I must admit, if I am to not make the Gnolls see me as a pawn to be ate I will be needing some wisdom from you.” Alexander ended, again in common, and gave Martomum a chance to, _finally_, take it all in and reply.[/FONT]


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## Axel (Mar 29, 2011)

Sensing a break in this newcomer's wall of sound, a dirty and tired looking man of average height steps forward.  Perhaps once, in better days, he could have been considered good looking.  His brown hair looks in desperate need of a cut, and his beard was suffering from severe 5 o'clock shadow.  He is dressed in the standard-issue soldier's gear:  leather armour, boots, backpack and weapons.  Keen, green eyes look out from beneath his untidy mop, studying the expensive and foppish clothes of the newcomer.  

Without taking his eyes from this odd looking, and quite clearly multi-lingual stranger, Alden butts in "Yes boss?  Something up?"


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## Zerith (Mar 29, 2011)

Given the man’s manner and response Alexander assumed he was Alden, Martomum's aid(or so he assumed any ways), the man was dirty to say the least, at least to Alexander’s eyes; while he could not claim to easily see something sneaking up on him, even from the front, he was able to examine things that he knew were there very well.
With the smell of wet Gnoll around him growing he was tempted to just start expending arcane energy left and right and clean the entire camp right then and there; but as he found out earlier Gnoll’s were superstitious of arcane magic: getting an entire camp of Gnolls, that he was in the middle of, riled up for such a petty concern really was not something he needed to do; his nose protested all the same. Doing what any sane man would; he started breathing in through the mouth and exhaling out through the nose so that he would only have to smell his, polluted, lungs.

getting back to the newcomer , who he assumed did not smell much better than the Gnolls; his sense of smell was not so keen that he could tell just how bad anything smelt when he was in such a stink unless it had a pleasant smell to it, like that of citrus. He would have at lest zapped the filth of the comer but he still did not know just how easy it was to rile up the Gnolls, and antagonizing them through someone they have a working rapport with was not something he dared to do just yet.
All the same, Alexander thought, hopped, Martomum had maintained a neutral odor, not that he could tell or even that it mattered while they were surrounded by such, noticeable, solders… 
while he knew it was not a real priority, he did have a growing pipe dream of getting them all to bath, but to them, it might have been a good smell… Alexander very much wanted to know just what he could expect from the Gnolls, but to add further questions after asking two before Martomum had the chance to reply would just be rude; being rude to the dwarf when the dwarf had nothing to lose, and perhaps something to gain, buy not helping him went Alexander would have to be foolish to do so.

This mad his mind real back around to Dellex: Alexander knew, or at least thought, the wizard was smart, but this was just foolish of him.
  Alexander was the hire apparent of one of Pesh’s most prestigious houses; sending him to the Gnolls blind would ether avail him nothing save the removal of Martomum from its command or getting, as the Dwarf told the wizard, get the young noble, him, killed. Liked by the king or note, sending Alexander into a war party of Gnolls could be a very large risk for whatever the wizard was planning. As it stood all the nobles who took interest in the fledgling barony were looking at Duke Bairan and tolerating the war hero. Having them stop looking at the bear and examine Dellex with a fine toothed come after getting one of Pesh’s most powerful, and by far the most paranoid, counts would at best gravely wound the barony’s ability to barrow affordably from other provinces.

As a new barony without much time to fill its coffers for a war effort while at the fringes of Pesh, and with what he gauged as well equipped ‘regular’ troops Alexander could see only a few possibilities.
- The Barony was fueled by Duke Bairan’s own personal treasury that was built up as he and Dellex adventured. This would be stop gap at best: the taratory had just been tamed, and Alexander could not see it producing enough income though taxes and other revenue that the bear could harvest to brake even with a large fielded army very soon, and between wages and initale equipment he did not think Bairan’s personal coffers could last long enough for the war to finish, even more so given the Duke’s reputation with the barony’s people.


  -The Barony was running up a dept or otherwise being funded by the more established provinces through their nobles: while he could not see most liking a common born as a duke, Alexander knew most were damned smart enough to at lest found the bear enough to maintain an army during a war: keep the ‘hero’ on the front lines; then he will either motivate and inspire Pesh’s army in the region against their foe or he would  get himself killed and become a rallying cry for all the solders in pesh, perhaps even the rest of the five kingdoms.
  A win for the nobles either way: but it would still be unwise for Dellex to do something that could case the nobles to change their tone; once favorable loans can be changed after all.

-King Haspen, along with the barony’s lands, has fed it a treasury to get it off the ground, and might even be renewing it; king or not, if Dellex got the remaining hair of one of Pesh’s most prized provinces killed through negligence he could get Bairan’s Barony openly called a blight on the kingdom. And then Heaspen could be antagonizing the majority of his kingdom’s nobles by propping up the barony.

It was likely a bit of each, but all the same, there simply could not be enough infrastructure for the barony to hold up its own weight just yet; and Dellex would have to know that.
Meaning one of five things

-Dellex saw the Martomum as such a threat  to whatever the wizard was planning that he simply had to remove the dwarf from the Gnolls and back into the irregular’s camp were he could keep the dwarf in constant check
-Dellex knew for certen the Gnells would not kill the Gnolls, and that Alexander would not antagonize them into doing anything rash, given Dellex’s manner towards the Gnolls Alexander thought this was unlikely.
-Dellex’s endgame was removed from the continued existence of the barony and it was just a handy tool for the present.
-Dellex knew of some wealth the provinces have that could make the barony self sufficient far sooner than Alexander figures it could be.
-Dellex is just plain foolish, short sighted, and stupid.

Alexander figured the latter was the least likely, but the other four were rather interesting to him all the same. he likes these games and the Wizard's was big, he could feel it.

[sblock=OoC] Fodder post :3
you said EXP was gotten through posts, right? XD
Now imagine how large this post could have gotten if Alex actually did something other then breath? :3[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Mar 30, 2011)

Martomum turns from the talkative Alexander to address Alden. "Aye, ye be needed. Seems dem gnolls gots a new leader and I am ta be going back to the human camp. Since ye be an irregular and under me orders even more knows, I be needed ye ta stay 'ere and..." He looks to Alex and his expression doesn't change and if possible is even more serious. "...babysit."

"I'm going back ta dae camp, ye needs ta stay 'ere and be messenger tween both even more now."

With that the dwarf looks back to Alex. " 'Ave anyting else tae say afore I go? Or is ye word limits fer tae day used up?"

[sblock=OOC] Just a note yes you earn XP by posting but they are not based on length but on content. You need to stay in character as well as show character growth when you believe it will occur. A post that helps show your characters demeanor or gives a good description of the way they are acting now. A post need not be talking between characters and NPCs the best post are those that give me insight to your character's mood/thinking on a situation. Or can be a flash back that adds to their background and explains why they act the way they do.

And also the XP formula I use sets a min/max XP per post based on your lvl so length is really not a factor. [/sblock]


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## Axel (Mar 30, 2011)

"Really?" was all Alden could blurt out.  Inwardly cursing himself at such a gauche and stupid comment, he decided on feigned politeness as the best way out of the situation.

"I can't say it's been a pleasure Martomum, given the circumstances.  Good luck though, whatever the future holds for you.  I think you'll need it." Alden added a bow, and mocked doffing his non-existent hat.  

_So, a teenaged noble that can bark like the dog-men is in charge now?  Think of the possibilities man!!  _Alden's spirits were soaring, for the first time since arriving at the camp.
[sblock=OOC]
I will write Alden's private thoughts in coloured italics.  His verbal offerings will be in normal coloured font.  Descriptions and the like in normal white font.
[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Mar 30, 2011)

"Aye really!" the dwarf snaps, "An a nay ye be corrupt'n 'em. I needs ye tae keep yer head clear and on dae mission we 'ave tae do."

Martomum watches as Alden seems confused and he rolls his eyes skyward. "Ye is suppose tae be look'n fir Tharivol, members? Half-elf twit who is a miss'n an a dae say is needed fir dae fight wit deem knife-ears."


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## Zerith (Mar 30, 2011)

[sblock=OoC]I like making large posts though, also, when I need to make essays that are at least so long, being to drop a few pages on a whim is handy 
That said, good to know :3

…Also, Alex is thinking Alden is a twige to be bent about his pinky finger because of that remark, XD
[Note: Alex places the most value on the most recent events, meaning this outlook might change very soon ^_^][/sblock]

  Alexander chuckled lightly to himself as Alden spoke, he was tempted to make a bet with himself over which was ‘really’ simpler, this man or the dog men. But alas he still needed to question the dwarf while he was there.
'I'll have to antagonize Alden latter after Martomum is gone...' Alexander cackled to himself, the day, aside from the smell, relay was geting better and better as far as he was considered.

Alexander looked down at Martomum, still smiling smugly; he was trying to decide if the dwarf was just being forgetful or was trying to avoid the questions. It was also interesting that the dwarf did not take interest in that he could speak dwarven or any of his questions. But the Dwarf did ask him if he had anything left to say, and it would be rude not to answer.
Alexander’s smile turned to a grin and tweaked to the side and turned devious; his glistening teeth, along with his golden inner irises, pierced the shadow that was still obscuring his face.

“well,” Alexander started while rising both hands to either side of his face, palm open and facing Martomum  with his fingers pointing upwards before he secured his third and fourth fingers against his thumbs, leaving only his index and middle fingers still stretched upwards. “only” Alexander continued while making the two sets of two fingers contract, once before and once after, he spoke the word mockingly. He was going to fulfill the meaning of the word but perhaps trample the general meaning.
Without even allowing enough time for his hands to fall down Alexander perked his head up, dispelling the shadow that hid it and steamed onwards.

“that I would like to Know how much weight you would think my word will have with them, can they be expected to charge and or disengage as ordered. What could I do to make them respect me as they seem to do you. Which Gnolls hold a position over that of mere scout or warrior; what do these individuals look like and were can they be found. What would you figure would win, one of these Gnolls or a Treyloran Elf. What side do you figure would win between a group of ten Gnolls and a group of ten Elves. Do these Gnolls see deception, guile and trickery as a virtue, a sin or are they simply indifferent to it. What is their mindset on battle, do they think it is best to die honorably in battle, to simply survive, to win nomatter the means needed, or maybe something else. Just how easily can the enemy brake them in combat.” Alexander nonchalantly prattled before his brow flared with chirping whimsy
“Would they bother bathing if they were asked or just laugh.” he commented before going back to the rest of his monologue  without breaking stride but with more spring in his words.

“What mission could have caused the Gnoll Moondancer to receive a wound and walk into the irregular camp. How many Gnolls are presently deployed else were, were are they, and what are their missions. How many Gnolls are presently in the camp. How logistically self sufficient are they. What to they hate. What do they like. What do they fear. What do they laugh at.” Alexander continued while his grin widened and became mischievous before tilting his face back downwards, the shadow again engulfing his face. “I want to know why you are looking for a half-elf. I Want to know why Dellex seems to loath you so much. I want to know what could cause the wizard to act on what seem like whims. I want to know a great many things! I want to know why Dellex has structured the command structure of the army so centralized, I want to know why he has deemed slow witted solders of higher quality to much rarer specialty troops that can think on their feet and call bluffs, I want to know why he has apparently forbid any with the ability to question from the regular camp, I want to know why he thinks sending an unproven young lord into the middle of a camp of beast men to lead them is wise, in short I want to know I want to know all there _is_ to know about the command, past, present, and future." Alexander prattled on and on and finally seemed to end still grinning at Martomum; the young lord did not seem to think he was in any kind of real danger just yet; from what he figured he would have at least days before anything drastic might happen.

With a gleaming smug smirk Aleanxder finnaly said his peace “But the real question here is: how much do you care to share with a young upstart of a noble wet eared brat who's ego is far too large for the breeches of a mountain?” he asked Martomum with a slight attempt at humor. Knowledge was power, and where he was, Alexander needed power; the dwarf, from the impression he gained from Moondancer, had power to burn, but how much of that power could be, or even would be, he did not yet know. Worst case, as Alexnder figured, for the next day or so at least; would be that Martomum would regain the command, and Alexander would not have to smell the mass of them constantly any more.


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## Axel (Mar 30, 2011)

"Errr, yes boss." Alden was pleased to actually be taken into the dwarf's confidences about his goals for the gnolls.  To date, everything he knew had been pieced together from eavesdropping, rumours and relaying orders from one camp to another.

Addressing the newcomer directly, and offering his right hand "Alden Jahl, messenger extraodinaire and general dogsbody." Glancing at the nearby Gnolls and flashing a smile he added "Not...errr....as literal as some around here though."

"I can point out Wet-nose, Poo-breath and Scar-face later.  They seem to boss the others around the best.  I don't know - or care - what they call themselves, but the names fit.  You'll see."  Alden flashed his smile again.  This new lord (Lord didn't seem to sit squarely on his shoulders yet) could either be the best or the worst thing to happen during his time in the army.  He was determined to make it the former.

"Now, in my opinion, half of our problem in finding this half-elf is that the dog-men can't get close enough to any likely hiding places to actually find him without a full blown lynch mob of farmers forming.  The other half is that I don't think he wants to be found..."


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## Zerith (Mar 30, 2011)

[sblock=OoC]The fast track to pissing Alex off, mention his brother or come between him and what he wants, regardless of intent; he does not like it! [/sblock]

  Alexander glanced at Alden with a questioning, and flatly annoyed brow: he was asking Martomum.
Would Alexander have asked the fool if Martomum did not answer those questions? Yes, he likely would have even asked Alden for more details latter if Martomum did respond to those questions. Instead this low brow peasant just showed Martomum that he was competent enough to answer at least basic questions for him: this meant the dwarf who already showed an affinity to cutting through conversations and just getting to the meat of the conversation would spend less time at the Gnoll time, and that mean he would now most assuredly not answer the questions that Alexander was most interested in. For the brief time Alden spoke Alexander throw knifes at the man with his eyes; when Alden was finished Alexander’s mood would shift back to the more pleasant one that he was addressing Martomum with earlier. ‘I’m going to turn the twerp bright _pink_ with neon green hair latter…’ Alexander thought in the back of his mind while he refocused his attention onto Martomum, he could only hop at this point that Martomum would answer some of his other questions, but now he would be lucky to get at least trivial answers…
‘neon green hair with red swirly, poka dots…’ he added to himself vengefully

[sblock=OoC]Is Alex smart? Yes. Is he manipulative? Yes. Is he egotistical? Yes. Is he immature? Yep ^_^[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Apr 1, 2011)

Martomum looks to Alden and nods, "Ye gots it 'ights I do tink. Es mays be'in 'idin. Ye know what be go'in ons bring 'ems up tae speeds. I am a headed back tae camp I's need answers an a knows who tae ask."

Martomum starts searching around for his gear pointed ignoring Alexander as he gathers his equipment.


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## Axel (Apr 1, 2011)

"Will do boss.  Once you've got the answers, do tell.  I like a good story."

_I've seen bloodier changes of ownership. All told that was quite painless_ Alden thinks.

"Well, the first thing you need to know errr....boss? is that you get used to the smell.  If you take a seat under the tree I'll get us some privacy to discuss what in the name of all that is unholy is going on.  I don't know if any of these dogs can speak Common."  With that, Alden turns around and walks towards the lounging Gnolls, waving his arms in the air.

"Go away you stinking bastards.  Get lost!  Scram!"

Watching the creatures scurry away from the tree with satisfaction, Alden flops down on the patchy grass beneath the tree and grins at Alex.  "Welcome to the most despised detachment in The Bear's army.  If what we're doing isn't unimportant, I don't know what is - nobody back at the main camp could give 2 copper pieces what's going on up here."  Again, the grin is flashed Alex's way.  "This has its advantages though.  We can do pretty much whatever we want and, like always, nobody cares."

"Officially, we are looking for a half-elf.  Name of Tharivol.  Beats me who the hell he is, or why we're looking for him,"  Alen shrugs.  "This Tharivol...he's supposed to be in the mountains north-east of here.  Dunno who decided that.  Mostly we've been looking - well, the dog men have been looking - around the farms in the mountains.  There's a little village there too, Rem.  Never been there, but I've been told it's only slightly more interesting than the camp."  Alden grimmaces at the thought of people actually choosing to live in such a dreary, dull and forsaken place.

_Give me a proper city, with people everywhere any day of the week..._

"The blue-cloaked dunderheads searched Rem when the army arrived.  That was before I...errr...enlisted, so I can't tell you much.  The farms though, I can at least tell you a bit about them.  Like I was saying before the stinkers don't go close enough to tell a man from a gnome, let alone a man from a half elf.  They're miles apart too.  We're lucky if two get checked a day.  Using walking dogs to check human farms for a half-elf is one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard of.  Still, I'm not here for deep thinking.  Just trying to stay out of trouble."  Alden shrugs again, with a sad look on his face.  

"So...how much did Dellex tell you?  I don't think I've ever seen him up this way before."


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## Zerith (Apr 1, 2011)

*Alex is an Arse hole *

Alexander studied Alden while the man spoke, and started judgmentally; Alden was distinctly a street rat to Alexander, and likely a too bit crook.
The first, painful, hint was the man’s use of “boss”, while they were in what could be considered a backwater they were still in a military camp, even if Alden did not know who Alexander was he did know that Alexander was his direct superior and the generic title to be used would be sir. In and of itself the use of “boss” was not enough to get Alexander to tag any one as a street rat, but the list of rat like traits was pronounced.

That Alden thought no one cared about what they were doing also told Alexander that Alden was a street rat, a further clue was his dislike of what Alexander assumed was a rather generic secluded village: to what Alexander knew these were hell for street rats For starters very few people and very dispersed making it hard to ‘accidentally’ bump into a passerby and take their coin purse, further given the low population its rather easy to weed out such individuals without the normal effort and there is no crowd to get lost in; except for the angry mod wanting their purses back. This is why Alex kept his inside the inner pocket of his under coat: a thief would have to defy the laws of _magic_ to get it without him noticing, but this is off point.

Then there was the, very awkward pause before he said ‘enlisted’ most would simply say they enlisted or they were drafted. There was no “I….errr…” to it; this screamed to Alexander that he was serving his sentence out in the army, not that it mattered much to him, just meant he could keep the man on a tighter lease… in this regard it was a boon. Then there was how well the man kept himself.

Sure, the Gnoll camp was smelly to say the least, but just because the camp was smelly was no excuse to completely forget hygiene. And in Alden’s own words “nobody back at the main camp could give 2 copper pieces what's going on up here.” There was literally nothing stopping him from taking at least some efforts in keeping himself clean and shaven, nothing save habit. When no one cares if a street rat keeps up their appearance, they don’t; further, by being as smelly, or nearly as smelly, as their surroundings, it was easier for street rats to blend in. the remark about trying to stay out of trouble only made Alexander certain of his verdict: any sane man who was given such a detail would say nothing about staying out of trouble because they would have to go out looking for it to hind it in this situation, unless they were already in I and it was why they were there in the first place.

Alexander subtly glanced about by rolling his eyes to make sure there was no Gnoll paying close attention and that Martomum was already out of sight, he then figured ‘To hell with it, it’s neon green swirly time.’ As he started a brief chant using his dwarven dialect as a mask, ‘fluttered’ his right hand in front of himself and towards Alden and lead and turned to one side while rolling his eyes again as if rambling on in annoyance. He presumed the dwarven dialect would throw Alden long enough to zap the filth off of Alden and color the man’s hair Neon green with bright red swirly poka dots, and, of cores, make his skin a brilliant bright pink. He would bring this part of the spell, which extended to Alden’s facile hair and creeping downwards, to the man’s attention and explain why momentarily.

As he evoked the spell, Alexander snapped his head back towards Alden and grinned an awfully devious, devious smug grin as a very faint bolt of arcane lightning leapt from his fingers and then ‘poofed’ onto Alden.
[sblock=OoC] Prestidigitation, there are No saves for it! [/sblock]

Not Giving Alden even so much time as to begin to react to what just happened Alexander started his long awaited reply. “You didn’t enlist, you were drafted under _unarguable_ circumstances.” Alexander began smugly while staring Alden down; he did so love tearing through deceptions.
“Don’t pretend to fool me with such a frail misdirection: I can tell you aren’t as stupid as you’d like other to believe, you’re just lazy. If you had ever bothered to think of a way to say how you joined the Duke’s army then you would have said just ‘I was drafted’ it’s not a lie and it rises no eye brows. Pah!” he paused with annoyance, Alden’s performance was very sloppy at this point of Alexander critique.
“you could have even said that you were drafted because of your talents and accomplishments and still not lied!” he continued with his eyes pointed upwards and hands help up like open claws as if demanding: ‘why can’t this buffoon get the simple things right?’ in frustration
 “I can only assume that you were conning enough to manage to convince what I’m assuming were rather annoyed guards into letting you serve out a sentence in the army instead of just taking one or both hands, perhaps even your life. I can also assume that, given the disputation of the regulars, if you so much as looked at one of their coin purses, and they knew of you, then you’d be walking to the gallows that same day: you can’t be trying to stay out of trouble here unless it comes looking for you.
And before you start thinking I’m complementing your intelligence and skills when thinking you can out wit guards and that you are some kind of thief: you were stupid and sloppy enough to get caught, weren’t you?” he continued with a golden eyed and judgmental stare.

By this point Alexander noticed that Alden’s skin near his hands was a _lovely_ shade of pink. “As I’m sure you’re now noticing, yes. You’re changing color, that spells did a few things, among other things, it cleans rats.” He said, cackling like a crow at the end and still gave Alden no time to reply before continuing. “When _I_ Addressed Martomum, I was not addressing _you_. The dwarf can talk directly to the Gnolls, he has first hand insights about them that you simply don’t have to offer. The instant you opened your trap with any kind of information you relived him of his burden to inform me about the camp, and its occupants, and placed it on yourself: if you didn’t do so I could have gotten information from him you simple don’t have, and then I could have asked you about possible details he left out. But now…”

Alexander paused while letting out a frustrated breath through his nostrils, “now, Now _I’m_ stuck with only the information that you have, and it being colorful is of no boon to me. This means I won’t know details that could prove vital” he continued as he leaned forwards and templed his hands together.
“The spell I just used on you,” Alexander continued while letting his temper ebb “has many uses, and I’ll leave it to you to ponder what, nefarious purposes it ‘might’ have if I so ‘wish’ it, also, you’ll be less… colorful, in an hour” Alexander continued ending with a smirk as he said ‘colorful’.

“But I seem to have you at an unfair disadvantage, I am not a ‘Boss’ I am a _Lord_, all be it a young one; or if you would rather, Lord Alexander Julian Ravensworth, the fourth. And you should know we have orders arriving in the morning. So you see, you might have just ruined _my_ last chance at asking Martomum a damned thing before we are deployed into combat: so instead we shall make a long day of discussing this pack of ‘walking dogs’. But I do need to thank you, I don’t know how the Gnolls would have reacted to me using magic while they rested so near to us, you shooing them away let me zap you without worry.” Alexander ended. he could have said Dellex told him nothing, about the camp, but then he would have been less imposing, and he still felt the need to let it sink in that Alden leaped out of the cabinet, over the skillet, and into the fire.

[sblock=OoC]… He’s an arse hole! World’s greatest arse hole! XD
Also, you can make a knowledge roll to see if he knows of Alexander if you like. :3[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Apr 1, 2011)

"Dat's 'nuff lads!" Martomum says from where he just finished gathering his gear. "Undo ye little trick or I'll sick da dogs on ya." Martomum says with enough venom to know he is not bluffing.

"Alden he no be under yuir commands. He be under mine. Da dogs dae be yuir only command ye igget."

Martomum waits to see if Alex undoes his spell his bushy eyebrows drawn down to give his face the appearance of a thunderhead.


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## Zerith (Apr 2, 2011)

Alexander peaked over his shoulder, he over looked the dwarf. ‘Oh well, no fixing that now…’ He thought nervously.
Honestly Martomum was far more intimidating just then than Alexander let on when he dryly glanced at the dwarf: Alexander’s brows flared up at the expression on the Martomum’s face. This dwarf was firmly on Dellex’s S-list; having a deadly and short temper could have been why. The hair on the back of Alexander’s neck leapt up, it did not raise, it did not stand, it leapt up while his heart rate also did leapt up and his breath became shallow. The Dwarf managed to become more frightening then his father, more frightening then his father while his father was on one of his raving-madman-rants and accusing him of all manner of things and believing that Alex was the soul culprit to every affront. A rather terrorizing thing when at one word of said madman ten iron golems in the room will squish you at the madman’s whim.

This was by far the most fear Alexander had felt that, to be frank, he could recall in the last ten years; a deadly realization crossed Alexander mind, Dellex did not send him here to command the Gnoll’s he was sent he to tick off a raging dwarf so Dellex could get the thing executed in short order and be thanked by the nobles for it. If that was true, he was massively underestimating Dellex and he had just blundered dearly.
A crake in his armor appeared when his lips attempted to pull themselves into a slight smugly smile, that vanished in flight before it had the slightest chance to form, a further twich brifly puled the already gone grin to the left for the briefest of instances.
Alexander slowly, calmly, turned to face Alden again and spoke the chant backwards, while fluting his left hand towards Alden before a second thinly arcane lightning bolt leapt from his figures and poofed onto Alden, dispelling the affect. Alexander inhaled deeply and let out a very soft ‘poow’ of relief. Still, he did have something to say to the dwarf all the same. Not that he could meet the dwarfs eyes just yet, as they remained turned to Alden. “Not that I doubt your resolve to fallow through with your threat,” he started slowly in an utterly flat voice, all he could manage at the time without his voice shaking. “but doing so would give Dellex every excuse to have you executed on summery; Alden’s nor the Gnoll’s testimony would not be remotely enough to gain any leeway from any of the nobles who would take interest in a lord from a prestigious hose getting butchered.” he continued onwards while taking effort to keep his voice utterly flat, he was talking slower than he had before, not because he wanted to make the dwarf understand what he was saying, but because he was being very careful in what he said and how he said it. “And yes, it was a little trick, in bad taste I'll add; in case you were worrying about it, the most nefarious thing it could have done was tie his hair in knots, or perhaps brad it. And I hope you don’t mind, but I did not resoil him while removing the petty, harmless, spell.”

Fallon’s warnings were screaming in Alex’s head right then, he almost wanted to strike the old man next time he saw the cleric, but it was rather plane to see the man was right… he would have to admit so latter, if he could admit so latter. “I have a bit of a temper,” Alexander continued slowly as he neared the end of his comments towards the dwarf “and sometimes act without thinking; I hope you can overlook this, trespass.” Alexander finished towards Martomum before speaking a short sentence towards Alden. “I’m sorry for the prank and the threatening, belittling remarks.” He ended while giving Alden a small, polite, slow bow of the head.
Alexander knew full well that, while the Gnolls were then under _his_ command on paper, if Martomum gave them the order to kill him, they would fallow it without much forethought. They respected Martomum and were use to fallowing his orders, Alexander was an unknown and still needed Martomum tell the gnolls that the command had been transferred over to him before he could expect them to do what he said.

'One petty impulse destroyed what was shaping up to be such a good day…' he thought regretfully.

[sblock=OoC] 10, 10, 9, and 10 points to Martomum for honestly spooking and frightening Alex and getting him to apologize to someone he just called a rat, at the same time! [/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Apr 2, 2011)

"Ye no time fir squabblin and pranks," Martomum says donning his pack. "Ye needs stay alive an a 'inds Tharivol. And ye live me business wit dat mage out 'o yuirs, I can 'andle me-self."

He looks to Alden to make sure the man is alright before continuing. "Guid den. Now gets yuirself tae Rem and see what ye can do. I will send ye 'uman 'elp as I can. But now wit two o' ye, ye will 'ave each other tae watch'n yuir backs."

He starts off towards the irregulars camp grumbling about that stupid wizard doing him a favor. 

Alden realizes now why Martomum never allowed him to venture into the village of Rem. It wasn't because he didn't trust the man as he thought. It was because there was no one to go with him to watch his back.

He looks to Alexander and wonders dubiously if he has that someone now.


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## Zerith (Apr 2, 2011)

Alexander stood and dusted himself off briefly as Martomum implied that they both, he and Alden, should go to Rem and steeled himself as he turned about to face the dwarf. “I cannot comply until the morning.” Alexander commented flatly before continuing. “With all due respect, I’ve been told by that ‘stupid wizard’ that I’ll be receiving orders in the morning; leaving my post the hour that I’ve given it while knowing full well that I’ve orders coming from the second highest power in this entire barony borders on treasonous. If you can hasten the arrival of those orders and they can be accomplished while doing this task that is one thing, but I cannot just leave here without those orders to do a task that has already been allowed to rest.”


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## Axel (Apr 3, 2011)

_I can tell we're going to have a wonderful working relationship_ a rather stunned Alden thought.  From genuinely being open and honest for the first time in awhile, to being coloured....pink...to having the immature young noble apologise all within a few minutes?  Things were FINALLY getting interesting.

"Thanks Marty" he says, addressing the Dwarf.  "Pink doesn't really suit my complexion, does it?"  He'd never thought the Dwarf had actually trusted him with anything more important than food runs before.  A good day for revelations...  "If you're still quartermaster down at the camp rather than Fallon, I might drop around later and pick up some supplies."

Turning to Alex, Alden says "I didn't know you were a wizard boss.  Explains a few things."  He grins again, amused by alex's poposity.  "Come this way and I'll introduce you to Poo-Breath."  Alden takes a few steps away from the tree, checking to see if Alex is following.  "I'm pretty sure he licks his own butt when nobody's looking.  Mind you, the others probably do too, but Poo-Breath is by far the worst of the lot."

With a glance over his shoulder to be sure that Martomum was out of earshot, he added in a quiet voice, "I'll show you how the army really works tonight.  There's no chance of making Rem before nightfall anyway once we pack for a trip.  You see, people here are judged and aportioned responsibility by what they can do and what they have done.  Now don't take this the wrong way, but in my experience beneath all the Lord this and Duke of Nowhere titles of the men and women nominally in charge lies a bunch of scared  children waiting for Daddy to fix their problems.  Their second-in-command tends to be someone very practical who understands how the real world works.  I'll introduce you to those guys.  If you want something done, talk to them, not Baron Whatsisname."

Alden quietly appraises Alex during their walk away from the tree, paying particular attention to some of the more distinguishing traits, like eyes and hair.  "Now, with hair like that you must be one of the Ravensworth clan.  I didn't realise that the house traits extended to eyes as well.  They're weird man.  How'd you get them looking like that?  Magic?"  

[sblock=OOC]
Yes, first dice roll of the thread is mine!  [/sblock]


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## Zerith (Apr 3, 2011)

[sblock=OoC] Congrats 
And you can find the resolution to that roll at the bottom post here, you just barely made the DC for his information :3
Just noticed a typo in it  D:
"intellect that as allowed"the 'as' should be 'has', I feel stupid >_< [/sblock]

  Alexander grinned, the street rat was becoming enjoyable, and so he let the weird comment slid. “Define magic,” he began comfortably “because my family has been gifted with easy access to nearly every Arcanum for as far back as any tome of history I’ve ever encountered cares to say, and given our, regrettable, constitution we have used it to invigorate ourselves for even longer still. Thus over numerous generations, in addition to the house’s more, outgoing, ways, we inherit innate qualities that are unheard of in other noble house’s that do not share in our lineage.” Alexander informed him smugly “But if you’re asking if I’ve some enchantment, similar the spell just used on you, that gains this appearance the answer is no.” he answered before going to his next string of comments while he fallowed.

“And I’m under the impression that the ‘baron’ of this barony is more commonly referred to with the title of lord, and that he earned this territory through an act of heroics.” he commented smugly “Further, if I’m not mistaken he is most commonly called, and simply, the Bear: have you heard of him?” Alexnader chuckled teasingly “This barony is fledgling and ruled by a man who has no noble blood in him, that titles mean little here is not shocking. But here I am with a command, and if what you say is true for no reason other than I’m able to speak Gnoll. But at the same time, I’m replacing someone who is experienced and can more then likly also speak Gnoll. This makes no sense, don’t you agree?” Alexander grinned. “Further, the lords you’ve got to watch out for the most play the fool only to show themselves as true masters of their domains when it suits them.” He added.

“If politics had nothing to do with anything here, then I would think Martomum would easily still have command of the Gnolls and I would be doing some kind of trivial labor because I’m an arse. But here I am. And further, if lodging was done simply on merit; were is Martomum’s tent? Wouldn’t it be rather large and would he not have more than just one man here with him? I would think anyone with a command would have at least one runner, more depending on how many other commands are needed to be contacted regularly, how commonly they need to be contacted and how far away they are. Given that this command may take up a scouting role three would be reasonable; the second in case something comes up while the first is gone, and the third because something might happen to either of the former runners, or they just might be fatigued. Then you would want at least one capable and trusted lieutenant, who must be able to speak to the troops of the command; situations may arise were the command much be split, or something may happen to the command’s commanding officer and a secondary figurehead must be present to maintain order.
And even then plausibly more support staff in the form of advisers and other attendances such as cooks and clerks, but those are all optional and would likely be misplaced in a unit like this.” Alexander explained before adding “But no Gnoll that I saw took great interest to an outsider approaching Martomum and riling him up, this tells me none of them are his lieutenant, and you can’t speak to them so you really can’t be a lieutenant in this sense either. Dos an under staffed command seem like something he has earned or something that he was burdened with?” Alexander asked Alden; no matter how Alexander looked at it, Dellex was attempting to, at least, constrain the dwarf. He then briefly wandered off into thought.


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## Axel (Apr 4, 2011)

_Perhaps he's not as arrogant as his reputation suggests, but he's certainly immature...  _

"So magic can use a man like men use magic then?  That sounds dangerous."  

Alden smiled broadly at the mention of Lords playing the fool.  He would have laughed loudly had he been in more familiar company.  New acquaintances warranted caution.  "You're no doubt right about some Lords acting the fool to trap the unwary and stupid.  Still, I reckon that the longer anyone plays a role, the harder it is to lose it.  Some Lords might be good actors playing the fool.  Others are fools pretending to be actors."

"Now, your problem in understanding your job here is the same as almost every other noble I've run into.  Please, forgive me for speaking bluntly here but it seems you can't think of any situation where you're not at the centre.  Marty over there wears a lot of different hats in the army.  He's needed in a lot of places at the same time.  This job isn't as important as the others that he has to do, but until you came around nobody else could do it.  You're the solution to Dellex getting Marty back into the main camp and doing something useful again.  He probably doesn't care much if you do well or not, as long as Marty can do other things.  Make sense?"  

_It was true_, Alden thought.  Alex didn't seem able to relate to other people without making it all about _him_.  _Even if he is a fool, and not pretending to be one, he might still make a useful idiot._

Alden stopped walking near a large and particularly odorous Gnoll, who was lounging on the grass.  "This is Poo-Breath."

"Poo-Breath, this is new boss.  You listen to new boss now" he added in loud, slow words.  Apparently he considers this an appropriate introduction.


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## Zerith (Apr 4, 2011)

Alexander looked to Alden as the man preached unto him. “Spells allowing a caster to understand a Gnoll, are common. So, if Martomum is in such high demand, then explain to me why Dellex can’t spare even one of the lesser mages delegated to irregulars camp to free Martomum of the burden? Even if none of the mages the camp could spare were able to produce such a spell there are other alternatives: has Martomum ever attempted to teach either you or a Gnoll the tongue of the other? Why hasn’t there been an effort to find someone able to speak Gnoll? A locale of this region is more to know Gnoll than those else were; they have had dealings with Gnolls for a long time, and even if the reactions were openly hostile the odds that no human nor Gnoll learnt the language of the other is preposterously low. If it was as you say, this would have been solved before now. The fact that I’m the first here, aside from Martomum, able to speak Gnoll is also preposterous; a noble from the far side of Pesh is the only human available who can talk to Gnolls.” Alexander commented smugly “The idea is utterly preposterous!” he cackled with a mockingly bellowing tone before they neared the Gnoll, and then Alexander had to ponder: what was more fierce, the look Martomum had shot him earlier or the ordure of the Gnoll. Alexander used the reprieve afforded by Alden talking very slowly to allow his nose to recover from the shock.
  __


  Alexander shifted his eyes towards Alden after he approached the Gnoll. “He seems to believe that by talking slowly thou will understand him.” Alexander commented before  turning his gaz towards the Gnoll “However, I now inquire to thy name.” he communicated towards the Gnoll with an air of authority subtly bleeding through as he took a proud, unwavering poster.


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## HolyMan (Apr 5, 2011)

The grizzly gnoll looks on as Alexander speaks to him. His body is scarred heavily across the chest and arms. He looks to Alden and in common says. "No boss, just boy."

"You are odd. One so young who speaks as if he was born a gnoll and not a hairless man-child. My name is Starfinder. And what is yours?" Poo-Breath replies in gnollish giving Alexander a good whiff of how he came about his common name.


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## Zerith (Apr 5, 2011)

Alexander grimed as ‘Poo-Breath’ commented towards Alden and flared his right brow, producing a knowing and mocking ‘ha!’ that either Alden or Starfinder could see and obviously at Alden’s expense; he was just saying the odds that neither a Gnoll nor human could speak the other’s tongue was unlikely and then one spoke to Alden that very minute. “My name is ‘Alexander Ravensworth, the fourth’ and I hold the title of ‘Lord’; the literal meaning of my given name is ‘Protector of Mankind’ and while my title is merely a boon of my birthright. but jadedly calling me a boy, and thus assuming I am unable to fulfill my tasks while not knowing what I can do, invites misunderstanding, if nothing else, from all parties.” Alexander answered and then commented while sizing up the Gnoll; Alexander, for the time being he noted the Gnoll as a clan champion or possibly a clan leader. The Gnoll was not partially old and while Starfinder was scared, he talked with a very direct, deliberate and somewhat diplomatic  manner, and not like some brut that simply saw some puny twig limbed human standing before it.

“But onto the matters at hand, Starfinder, I don’t know how much time I have to examine this camp so I shall not wast time; what is thy role here?” Alexander asked the gnoll, unflinchingly before its breath, meanwhile if one peered into his mind they would hind him quietly pleading the stench would vanish before his lungs gave out. 'This is not as bad as getting use to horses, it is worse, oh so very worse…' he thought, but at the same time; his glutinous pride would not let him back off, no matter how much his common sense or nose begged otherwise.


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## HolyMan (Apr 6, 2011)

"I am the guide and pathfinder of the clan." Starfinder says looking truly baffled at the question. "If you are the Protector of Mankind have you come here to bring doom to the peoples?"

To Alden he asks, "Where Stonebreaker?"


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## Axel (Apr 6, 2011)

Alden nearly fell over with the shock of hearing Poo-Breath speaking common intelligibly and in a structured and coherent sentence.  "Hello. You. Never. Speak. Before. Why. Now?" Alden began in his slow and limited style of speaking to Gnolls.  Some habits die harder than others.  _He's never spoken Common like he knows it well before!  I wonder if he knows what Poo-Breath means..._

"Stonebreaker. Gone. Away. Boy. New. Boss." Alden smiled to himself as he added his last "sentence.  Today was a great day!  Insulting Lord High-and-Mighty twice by implication, and not a thing he could do about it!

"Boss, a moment if you please."  Alden stepped away from Poo-Breath to have a private word with Alex.  "I know some of the dogs can speak a bit of Common.  It doesn't mean that they understand what flank attack, or retreat, or any of those other army words means though.  I still reckon you're here to translate orders from The Bear into Gnoll for the stinky buggers.  You ready to move on?"


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## Zerith (Apr 6, 2011)

Alexander raised a questioning brow to the Gnoll&'s question that was asked in regards to what Alexander name went; Gnoll's seemed to take names much more seriously than most other races. He was then interested in knowing when a Gnoll was named, or if they had to earn their names; he assumed that it was not at birth, at least one the name they used to their graves. But he could ask that latter.

Then Alden made a fool of himself in front of the Gnoll, by talking even more cumbersomely then before, and then taking Alexander along side.  Alden then started explaining something he could already gather. "Think carefully for two seconds and ask yourself 'what are Gnolls known for' and then tell me why they would not just wait until after your usefulness to them had ended, and then boil you alive to make stew? Any successful predator can always understand what its prey says; further, it's much easier for a Gnol; to understand common then speak it." Alexander asked while rising a brow before giving Alden a pearl of wisdom.

"Also ponder about when I zapped you; how many spells did I hit you with? How many did I latter dispel? One? Two? Maybe I only dispelled _three._ Maybe turning your skin pink was just something flashy to hide what I was really doing. Consider that next time you call me 'boy'." Alexander spoke bluntly before adding "So no, I will not tolerate you using implications to 'poke fun at me' when I wish to do so, I do so myself. Further, you labeling me a _boy_ in front of those I am to command under cuts my authority, my ability to issue orders, my ability to fallow my own orders. Not to mention" Alexander gave a brief and blank pause while he leaned towards, over, Alden "it makes us both look expendable. Think back to what Gnolls are known for."

Straitening back up Alexander gave Alden even more to think about. "Also, even if they can't understand every word it's rather easy to teach anything that a distinctive sound means a simple thing: if not, then you would never see a commander with a horn to sound the retreat. Further I could just take a hoop and have it hold many pieces of paper and then write a single word on each piece: the word on each piece would be written twice, once in common and once in Gnoll. I'd make it a note to include 'Poo' and 'Breath' are on this ring: these Gnolls seem to believe that the meaning of a name is very important, at least Starfinder here took interest at the meaning of mine. But personally, I think that yours is rather ironic right about now, oh old and wise one!" Alexander ended with a light chuckle

Alexander turned his gaze back to the Gnoll; he could have commented that he was given the name at birth, or some such, but for his purposes that was unnecessary, and he could always say so latter without losing face if it served his purposes at a future date. "There is no 'the' is the meaning of my name," Alexander corrected Starfinder; while doing so might have been seen as him lowering his own importance, it also definitively conveyed, there was more were he came from. Given what he was about to say, it also implied that revenge was policy. Alexander then answered the Gnoll's question. "and while my goal is to bring doom; it is to bring it down with fullest furry unto the knife ears until I feel the punishment to a long past injustice has been ratified." Alexnader answered with a seething rage flaring within his eyes from the moment he spoke of the knife ears onwards, then he briefly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, through his partly parted mouth, and then out his nostrils as he dispelled the emotion and then reopened his eyes.
"But worry not, thee, nor thy kin, are subject to my wrath; my lands are to the south west, on the other side of the kingdom much less this territory, and I do not presently believe thee nor thy kin are involved." Alexander then told the Gnoll before turning back to face Alden. "Yes, I'm finished with the pathfinder for now; lead on to the next."

[sblock=OoC]every time I edit  my posts go crazy, but n a bad way [/sblock]


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## Axel (Apr 7, 2011)

"That went well then, did it boss?" Alden enquired, facetiously.  He wasn't sure he could keep a straight face for the next interview.  The Gnolls didn't seem smart enough to catch onto the game he was playing.  Either that or they didn't care.  Alex didn't seem like he'd caught on either, at least.  _Pompous git sounds like he's howling at the moon when he talks to the dogs..._

The two humans left Poo-Breath behind and headed towards a larger gathering of Gnolls.  They were standing around in a circle, watching a thin and wiry looking Gnoll bark and act out some sort of story.  The onlookers were growling and what could only be described as Gnollish-giggling at intervals.  Presumably in line with what the thin and wiry one was saying.  Or doing.  Alden found it hard to tell.

As they draw closer to the gathering, the thin and wiry one becomes more distinct.  He - it was clearly a he - was above average Gnoll height and had a nose so wet it glistened in the afternoon sun.  With the movements required for telling his story to the others small drops were flung off at intervals.  Neither he nor the onlookers seemed to care.

"This delightful creature is Wet-Nose."  Alden advised, rather unnecessarily.  "I'm sure you can see why I call him that" he added, before barging his way through the crowd to stand in front of Wet-Nose.

"Wet-nose. Here. New. Boss. Stonebreaker. Gone. Listen. New. Boss."


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## HolyMan (Apr 8, 2011)

Wet Nose looks on confused as if whatever was being said was spoken way past his comprehension.


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## Zerith (Apr 8, 2011)

Alexander looked to the Gnoll as it took its pause before attempting to remove its confusion. “Stonebreaker has been relieved of command, and so I am replacing him,” Alexander commented flatly without emotion to the Gnoll, thus  simply that he had just spoke in definitive fact, while he stared directly into its eyes “also; what is thy role here?” he then asked it with a commanding presence seeping into his ‘words’.

[sblock=OoC]Random comment not sure this was an issue last time but “thy” means “your” ^^;
And I’m thinking I’m going to be able tocopy/past this post in a few days XD[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Apr 8, 2011)

Wet Nose looks shocked (as does the other gnolls about) at the small human speaking(barking) in perfect gnoll.

He looks to the others and shrugs. Speaking to them he says, "I hear dae humies take leaders not based on strength sume times." He shakes his head and dripple from his nose flings out and in different directions (Alden knows to get out of the way quickly). 

Turning back to Alex he thumps his chest and says, "Me great tracker," then he points to his nose (almost sticking it up and in on reflex). "Me sniff out anybody any ting."


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## Axel (Apr 8, 2011)

Watching the interplay between the two creatures, Alden could only surmise that Alex has been put in his place by Wet-nose.  Chest thumping was never a good thing...  Wet-nose drawing attention to his nose wasn't either, but at least it was amusing.  "Ready to go again Boss?  Wet-nose is never that talkative."


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## Zerith (Apr 8, 2011)

[sblock=OOC]Just a reminder, Alexander is actually big, if weedy, by human standards ^^; [/sblock]

Alexander looked at the Gnoll with a small grin. “Do thee” he began while briefly surveying the other Gnolls “think anything would be fool enough to replace Stonebreaker with anyone who is incompetent?” he then asked blankly, apparently uncaring of the Gnoll’s remarks and yet again just stating yet an other fact, his small grin then grew. “Also, as I understand it, there is a standing task to find a half elf, a half knife ear, surly this is no great task to accomplish for thou, thou who can sniff out anybody, or anything.” He then prodded the Gnoll, if he was going to be sent after the half elf in the morning having a tracker riled up and eager for the hunt would work for his advantage. And if not, he could deal with the riled up tracker latter. Before the Gnoll had time to respond however, Alexander interjected “I might put thy nose to the test in the morrow.” He spoke with a certain knowing smugness as if he turned about it, almost as if he planed entire event start to finish, almost.

He doubted the Gnoll would try anything: it may have tried to undermine him, but the only way it could avoid his counter ‘challenge’ would be by backing down from it immediately after said it said it was a great tracker. While Alexander likely did just wound it’s pride, it had more to gain from rubbing in just how great of a tracker it was into Alexander’s face, then just comforting him after he dared it to track something down after mosting it could sniff out any thing. “He is a braggart of a tracker, but likely useful.” Alexander commented as he departed wet nose's gathering


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## Axel (Apr 10, 2011)

"Right boss.  The last one of the big three, as I call 'em, freaks me out.  Scar-face lives in the big tent over there.  Some sort of holy man or healer I reckon.  Try not to stare at his face too much." 

Alden leads the duo towards the large tent he indicated.  As they approached it became obvious this was no ordinary Gnoll tent.  Surrounding it were half a dozen spears planted in the ground, with skulls of many sorts of creatures planted on them.  Curiously, every skull had been rammed on with the spear through an eye socket.  The tent flap was down as the two men stood before the tent.  Large didn't begin to describe it, really.  It was large enough even for Alex to stand up inside.  Swallowing dryly, Alden lifts the flap and steps into the smokey interior.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor at the far side of the tent, Alden spies a tough looking old Gnoll wearing a bone necklace.  A spear decorated with several small skulls and a censer of unpleasant smelling burning incense sits at his feet.  At least the incense smells better than the collective odours of a Gnoll camp.  Sensing the presence of something inside his tent, one of the Gnoll's eyes opens.  It quickly becomes apparent why Alden has named him Scar-Face.  The left eye is completely gone.  A huge scar runs along the side of his face, catching where the eye would have been, when it existed.

Gulping, Alden whispers to Alex "Don't stare at the un-eye" before stepping forward a pace.  "Hello Scar-Face.  I bring you new boss.  Old boss now gone."


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## Zerith (Apr 10, 2011)

The Gnoll lived up to the name Alden gave it. Alexander was tempted to do as he had with the other Gnolls but felt walking more softly was warranted. Given Alden's reactions prodding the Gnoll would be most unwise. taking things slow, at lest at first, was what Alexander settled on, but at the same time, he was not going to take a submissive poster. He was there to take command of the Gnolls, but at the same time he knew he could not best one in a fight, and the one before him looked particularly fierce and seemed to have far more influence than any of the others he had seen thus far, or at lest it had enough wealth and luck at surviving to give an appearance of great influence.

  Alexander leveled his gaze on the Gnoll's eyes, the one still there and the one that was not before speaking to it; he would have liked to be able to claim that he locked sight with it and one of his eyes locked onto it's eye-socket and his other eye to its remaining eye, but as soon as he set his gaze onto the Gnoll's eyes, he felt his gaze starting to waver.
  But instead of letting himself look into, he instead forced himself to instead gaze fixedly into the Gnoll's remaining eye as he spoke.

"Stonbreaker has been relieved of the command." he started flatly while his eyes settled onto the Gnoll's eye, his voice was level throughout despite his attention being diverted mid sentence. "I shall be assuming the command in his stead, and so I have come to inform thou of this personally; and to request thy name.”


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## HolyMan (Apr 11, 2011)

The gnoll remains seated as it looks at Alex with it's one unblinking eye. Then it takes a deep breath of the smoke before answering in plain common.

"I have seen your coming Protector of Mankind. It is as Sepritia has said.

_The young hairless pups will come. And the people will march to war...
The Protector of Mankind will look for the half-man in a realm of scorn...
Those who help will reach the Jefron, those that impede will be casted into The Bore.
Go with them and chose your fate. Go with them or mourn."

_Scar-face looks deep into Alex's eyes. "You must go to the human village in the mountains. What you seek is there. Go now and may Sepritia guide you."

The scarred gnoll closes his eye and looks to be starting a deep meditation as it breathes in and out in a steady rhythm.


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## Zerith (Apr 12, 2011)

Alexander would wait for a time, shorter than longer, before simply turning about and leaving the Gnoll if it failed to do more than just meditate. If it was the first or second Gnoll he ran into he would have been impressed by the meeting, however their was time for Starfinder to get word to the scared Gnoll while he was meeting with wet nose, so it lost a lot of the impact it could have had, but the Gnoll knowing common so well was interesting. It was plain to see Alden did not know that this one as so adept at speaking common, else he would have talked to it with less bulk in his words.

Further, the Gnoll just came out and spoke in common after he made it perfectly clear he could understand Gnoll perfectly. Did Alden just avoid it that much or did it previously see a reason to hide this capability but now thought doing so was worthless?


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## HolyMan (Apr 12, 2011)

After a respectful wait Alex and Alden exit the tent of Scar-face. Perhaps shock has Alden acting abnormally quiet, but the prophecy of the gnoll priest was a little... foreboding. 

It didn't say anything about this being a pleasant trip.


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## Axel (Apr 13, 2011)

Alden let out a slow sigh as he stepped outside, followed by a deep intake of breath.  "Can't say I've ever heard him say stuff like that boss.  Don't think I ever heard him say much more than Yes and No before.  Now, I dunno if you count directions from a holy-dog or whatever Scar-face is as good or not but it sounded pretty impressive."

Glancing at Alex, he added "What's he mean about the saviour of mankind?  Sounds like somwhere I don't want to be, or someone I don't want to meet.  And who's Sepritita?  Oh...it's all to hard."  With a glance in the sky, and a wink at Alex Alden said  "I could use a drink after that.  Get the taste of incense out of my mouth.  Besides which, it's a tradition that all humans joining the dog squad have to buy drinks for a night."


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## Zerith (Apr 14, 2011)

Alexander gave a brief laugh before saying “Much too late for regret now, old wise one, and I do say, do you really not know the meaning of a name so common?” Alexander grinned smugly “I told you my given name once already, but the Gnoll’s tend to have name that have their meanings on display, and so I told them the literal translation of mine: ‘Protector of Mankind’.” Alexander commented grinningly as he glanced over to Alden to see the man’s reaction before continuing on.

“As for Sepritita, you said yourself that Gnoll is something of a holy man, so we can only assume it is scar face’s god or goddess. And as for being impressive, it could have been if there was not enough time for Starfinder to tell it my name while we met with wet nose. From there everything it spoke was either prophecy, or far more likely just information it had on hand about their present mission and assumptions on what I would want to hear from it.” He commented before rising his right hand to his chin and pondering for a moment. “However, that the Gholl put not only itself but its entire people in such a weak, submissive position is odd. Caution is warranted here… it knows something.” He added before lowering his hand and turning to face Alden with a final remark “Also, given that you’re the only human here that know of, I assume the dwarf told you this. So congratulations; you agreed to pay the tab for a dwarf based on the assumption that the Martomum was not creating the tradition on the spot because his purse was light and he felt like having a few kegs. That must have cost several gold coins.” Alexander then chuckled at Alden

[sblock=OoC] I wouldn’t expect Alex to hand out anything unless he has to or it benefits him to do so; also, he does not drink(he can’t hold it well, go figure). That said, he does not like feeling like he owns anyone anything, so you don’t have to worry about him being a mooch.
One of his favorite lines in most any establishment is “I will be paying for myself and myself only, so please keep my tab separate”
Yesh, sticking him with any kind of bill is not an easy thing to do, and giving him warning about the possibility is not going to make it easier ^^;[/sblock]


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## Axel (Apr 18, 2011)

Alden chuckled along with Alex.  "You must've thought that I'm as fresh as spring flowers!  That tradition has been in place about 2 hours.  Still, its a good 'un if you ask me."

"Besides which, how in the nine hells can you protect mankind with arms that compete with a 12 year old for size?  Seriously, I think even my weedy guns have got a headstart on you," he added with a smile.  

"If you'll excuse me, I have a suspicion that tonight will be the last in this oh so comforting dung heap for some time.  I've err...a little business to take care of before we move out.  Gotta see a man about a dog, y'see."  Alden hoped desperately that he was being as transparent as he hoped.  The stupider and less devious Alex thought he was, the easier his life would be.

With the oderous task of introducing Lord Muck to the dogs complete, Alden wandered off towards the irregular's camp.


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## Zerith (Apr 18, 2011)

Alexander had thought that he had hidden  his overly slim physique well under wraps; as soon as Alden turned about Alexander seized the opportunity to brifly glance at his left arm; he did not think it looked too thin; then again he did know just how many extra layers of clothing were filling out the girth of his over coat. The thickness of his clothed arms was not at all impressive, and while he did then ponder adding yet an other layer, doing so would not have only made his already heavy, wardrobe too hot even if it was made of very aired cloth, but also make the added bulk start to look fake, he would just have to accept that he was going to look scrawny no matter what. But he also doubted Alden knew just how thin his arms were; his comment was far too light hearted to have known that, all the same, he did not wish to relight the subject.

Not even a proper moment past since Alexander glanced at his arm he looked back to Alden and made comments “Perhaps as fresh but nearly as refreshing to smell.” He started with a grin. “As for protecting mankind,  I can do more than just club things like a cave troll.” He added before continuing with a grin “Also, that is just the meaning of my name; as I said a moment ago, your name means old and wise, qualities you might or might not ever have.” He said smugly before finishing “But go ahead and do your task, just make sure you’re back here when the orders arrive; I won’t be making excuses for you if you’re late. Martomum made it clear you’re his subordinate and I can only hope you’re competent enough to return be morning.”
Alexander then turned about and started walking at a moderate pace towards the tree were the dwarf was resting beforehand; he figured the moderately trampled blades of grass smelt better than the rest of the camp.

[Sblock=OoC] a Narcissistic noble, oh no! it can’t be possible!!! ; [/Sblock]


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## HolyMan (Apr 19, 2011)

The next day dawns clear but cool, hinting at a warm spell to come. As Alex walks through the gnoll's sprawling camp he is joined by a quiet Alden. By the look of the man he might have had a rough night or maybe he looks like this every morning, only time would tell.

They end up at the default "command post" and sit under the tree to await their orders.

It isn't long before a messenger bringing an extra horse enters the area holding his nose. He quickly turns over a scroll case to Alex. The reins to the extra horse he gives to Alden and without a word turns to leave quickly.

[sblock=Orders]
Inside the case are two letters both address to Alex. One is signed by Lord Dellex the other by Fallon (but says it is in Martomum's name). 



> _Good Morning Commander, I hope this finds you in great spirit for your first day. Your orders are to continue the search for the half-elf Tharivol. You may use whatever resources you deem necessary but you are not to use mine or Lord Bairan's name in any type of negotiations and/or pledge making. Also use the gnolls to scout out any Treylor that remain in hiding through out the area as you search. Please keep them out of any civilized areas as we don't wish an uprising of the common folk.
> 
> Once Tharivol is found bring him to me at once.
> 
> -Lord Dellex_






> _Alexander - I am writing this on behalf of Martomum (mostly due to his poor penmanship). He wants you to know that the horse is for Alden and there should be a few potion vials for you both in it's saddlebags. He says if you are commanded by Dellex to keep searching for Tharivol that Wet-Nose and Poo-Breath are your best scouts use them wisely, and stay out of trouble.
> 
> -Signed for Martomum Stonebreaker
> 
> ...



[/sblock]

With your orders received the two make ready to visit the village of Rem.

[sblock=OOC] Will need to know how many gnolls you wish to take along to Rem outside of Wet-Nose and Poo-Breath.

Note: The more you take the greater chances of them running into locals as you near Rem.

In the saddlebags are four small vials each marked - light healing (potion cure light 1d8+1)[/sblock]


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## Axel (Apr 19, 2011)

_Standing, holding a horse's reins with a throbbing head in the morning sunlight is a perfect way to start a day_ Alden thought. _The only thing I'm looking forward too more is the fact I'm probably supposed to sit on the damn thing and bounce up and down for most of the day making my balls and butt feel like my head does... Last time I drink all night with those regulars from Siere..._

Putting on a cheery voice entirely at odds with his thoughts, Alden piped "So boss, what's the deal? Guess I'm supposed to sit astride this animal in a suitably dramatic pose and survey the countryside like some rich kid with a wooden horse playing at exploring?" 

Rummaging through the saddle bags, Alden quietly notes the presence of the vials, supressing a whimper at the thought he might actually have to fight something. "No food in here. We can't be going far eh?"

[sblock=ooc]
Yay, healing potions. I was wondering how we were going to survive the second encounter. 1 crossbow bolt each and it's game over man...
[/sblock]


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## Zerith (Apr 19, 2011)

While not as miserable as he had feared, the night spent sleeping in the Gnoll’s camp was not nearly as pleasant as those he had endured in the irregular’s camp. Still, better than expected was still better than expected and for that he was grateful.
After awakening, early, he promptly promptly donned his overcoat, which he had taken off before retiring for the night briskly. While he did not do so in a rush or sloppily, he did not waste time in doing so either; he always felt exposed without both of his coats on.

After he had his overcoat in place and fastened, he then, and much more casually, donned his boots, over belt and then his cloaked mantle. Again properly dressed, he stowed his bedroll onto his horse and then set about to do what little else he had to do before the messenger arrived.
After the messenger and Alden arrived, Alexander took the two messages and read them while the messenger left and Alden prattled on. Alexander was pleased with his decision to prod Wet-Nose’s ego the night before; as he saw it, it was best if the tracker was eager for the hunt.

He then turned towards Alden; who did not seem as light footed as before, he also seemed like he was trying to act as before despite his present condition. Having not know Alden beforehand Alexander would have gave it no thought, but the man wanted Alexander to pickup his drinking tab the night before; and if not for the stench of the camp he thought he might have smelt the stench of Alcohol blowing from Alden’s mouth. 
“Nay, you should ride the animal like a man and not draw attention to us; we do not unwanted attention while we are traveling in the company of Gnolls; my orders even state to avoid letting the Gnolls be seen. So ride normally, I don’t care if you enjoy it or if you find it utter misery, just don’t act out to draw attention: I believe you’re able to do so.” He commented before telling Alden “But for now, bring Net-Nose and Poo-Breath, they will be accompanying us and I will give them an additional command before we set off: I wish to do so soon, so you being swift about it would be preferable.” He finished while looking at Alden, he would have spoken up to see if Alden filched because of a hangover, but that would help nothing at this point.


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## Axel (Apr 19, 2011)

_Not draw attention to us...  How could I, when I look normal next to Lord Freak-eyes, _Alden thought to himself. _Us is interesting though.  It seems he wants or needs me to come along.

_"Right you are boss," he replied, before making a poor showing of mounting his horse.  Grasping the reins clumsily he copied what he had seen the Outriders do countless times - prod the horse with his heels.  Clutching wildly at the front of the saddle as the horse cantered off, he muttered to himself "Wonder what your name is beastie.  I reckon we could be spending a bit of time together.  No...no you don't!  We're going this way," before hauling the horse's head around to the right.

A short distance later he was muttering to himself again.  "How do you stop this bloody thing?  I dunno...bugger it."  With a quick glance to see where he was, he bellowed "Hey Poo-Breath.  Boss wants you.  Now!" as he passed Poo-Breath's tent at a trot.

Without waiting to see if Poo-Breath had even heard him, let alone was going to react, he pulled the horse's head around towards where Wet-Nose could be usually found.  _This aint so bad...getting the hang of it I think.  Wish the bugger'd stop bouncing up and down so much._


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## HolyMan (Apr 20, 2011)

Poo-Breath heads for the tree as Alden trots by. 

Wet-Nose is where he normally is and lounging about.

______________________________________________

As Alex waits a number of gnolls pass by him and give him both looks of awe and chagrin. It must be hard to be the center figure of a prophecy.

[sblock=OOC] Next post up assume the two gnolls show up and after you tell them what's up I will post your heading out. [/sblock]


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## Zerith (Apr 20, 2011)

[sblock=OoC] never fails the one time I don’t check to see if it went to a new page: it dos >_<
here to a crappie late-night extra early morning post[/sblock]
Alexander did not take much note of the Gnoll’s reaction to him, honestly their reactions were a source of normalcy for him; how they acted towards him was not dissimilar to how commoners at his father’s countship treated him. Because of the unlikely normalcy, he overlooked that they were not acting as he suspected they would towards him

When the two Gnolls arrived Alexander would tell them, ether at the same time or intern, that they were to each choose one other Gnoll to come with them while making a preference for individuals who could conceal readily and knew how to fight; he would also tell them if there was an additional individual who’s talents could prove useful to bring them, and there merits, to his attention. He was not so focused on stealth that he would let a potently useful individual site behind idle just because he wanted to keep their numbers low for the sake of concealment.

Alexander was moderately worried that he was choosing to bring too few; if there were Treylor forces in the area he did not want to be outnumbered by elves; if that were to happen their odds would be very poor indeed. But at the same time if Wet-Nose was half as good of a tracker as he claimed then avoiding a large part of elves would be easy enough.

Assuming neither brought a fifth or sixth Gnoll he would tell them to make ready to disembark. He would tell them details after they disembarked.


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## Axel (Apr 21, 2011)

Spying Wet-Nose lounging on the grass Alden yanked hard on the reins, pulling his horse's head back and bringing it to a stop a dozen paces from the dripping Gnoll.  "Wet-Nose.  Come.  Boss.  Now."

Ready for the jolt this time, Alden presses his heels into the horses flanks and holds on grimly as it picks up speed.  Giving the reins a gentle pull to the right heads him back towards Alex, who seemed to be the centre of subtle attention from the Gnolls.  _Gods above help me if I have to endure a whole day of this...jiggling._


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## HolyMan (Apr 24, 2011)

It takes nearly an hour before Everyone is ready to go. Wet-Nose brought two more gnolls after a short trip back into the gnoll camp. Poo-Breath found only one other gnoll to accompany the group. These last three gnolls are heavily armed with bows, axes, and spears. <and if this were Star Trek they would be wearing red shirts>

So Alexander explains one more time what it is they are setting out to do...

[sblock=OCC] Time to give out your instructions they play a big part in this. I wish not to have any "But he would have told them this" or "He would have made sure they knew that." Please be specific and as detailed as you like - BUT p) remember these guys aren't to bright (especially Wet-Nose) And I will be playing them as such.

Also figure out how you will be going down the road to the village. [/sblock]


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## Zerith (Apr 25, 2011)

[sblock=OoC] A Gnoll without a class level can whip Alden or Alexander at this point, and heir red shirts!? .. Crap…[/sblock]

  Alexander would address Wet-Nose first “Our goal is the capture of the half-knife-ear, further there could be knife-ears in the area, if thou smell any we are to avoid them, we do not need to be ambushed to succeed this quest.” He addressed Wet-Nose before adding “also, if thou smell humans, tell me; the orders addressing not being seen are still standing.”
Then he turned to Starfinder “We shall start the search by moving towards the mountain town he was last tracked to, we will need a seldom traveled path to avoid unwanted attention, also it would be preferable if the terrain around the path allowed thou and thy kin to readily vanish from sight if need be. I shall leave it to thou to choose the path and the pace. Finally, tell me when we near any settlements.”
 
He spoke before addressing the Gnolls in general “We are to capture the aforementioned Half-Knife-Ear, so no killing it; ye, however, are free to wound it if need be, further ye are free to slaughter any hostile Knife-Ears we run into at need, but I should like to capture at least one if the circumstances allow it. Also, when and if we are brought into a battle I will feign madness and divert attention onto myself while ye flank to the sides. Finally, if we are meeting on our way ye are to all vanish wherever ye are able to.”  He finished before causing the party to head out.

  From here Alexander would have Alden ride a dozen yards in front at the point, to use the mounted man to act as a visible shield for the Gnolls in case something came from in front; if it was other humans who came, namely commoners, Alden would be further instructed to steal their eyes, to make them look at himself for a short while as the Gnolls hid themselves. If a fork in the road, or some other impasse as to the path to be taken appeared Alden would be further instructed to do one of four things:
[sblock=Alden’s orders]If there was nothing coming or in sight he would be told to simply wait for Alexander and the Gnolls to ketch up.
If commoners appeared while he was at the impasse he would naturally, slowly, approach the commoners and make short conversation before ‘going on his way’ until he was out of sight of the commoners, and then double back a few moments later. Meanwhile Alexander would instruct the Gnolls to hide

If Alden saw a couple of Treylor troopers, or another group of foes they could readily beat, Alden would be instructed to abruptly turn tail and flee with all hast past were Alexander and the Gnolls would have been. Meanwhile Alexander would order the Gnolls to hid and then charge, preferably from both sides, as the enemy passed. At this point Alden would have a further order, turn about again and charge down their throats; at this point they would have been caught off guard by the prompt ambush and would “…not be able to adjust to the further shock of their pray turning about and charging them while they’re still realizing they had just ran headlong into an ambush.”

  And finally, If Alden saw a force of Treylor troopers, or other foes, that was either risky to fight or simply so large that direct combat would mean death, Alden’s order would have been to, again, turn tail and run; the difference would be that Alden would also be ordered to scream, yell, or flail a free arm; if he was not seen he would be instructed to do a variant of this. He would be told to instead return more slowly so that he would not case the enemy force to become aware by causing a sudden gallop to sound, Alden would in this case also be instructed to wave his arm but would be definitively instructed to not yell or shout. In either case this would be cause to back off and make a wide birth.[/sblock]

  Alexander himself would bring up the rear, but unlike Alden he would be close to the Gnolls who he would tell to travel in single file; optimizing their ability to hide between himself and Alden. If viewed from the front or behind.

[Sblock=OoC]Alexander is not one to do things half arsed when he can do them overly complicated! [/Sblock]


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## HolyMan (Apr 27, 2011)

And thus ready Alexander leads his first mission with his new charges. Alden in the lead surely hopes the young man knows what he is doing.

It is easy going for th first part of the journey. The morning his clear and cool and after about twenty minutes Alden is so sore as not to notice the pain anymore. But once they head up into the mountains things start getting rather unpleasant. The uneven trail along with the thick forest has everyone keeping extra alert.

The possiblity of a loose stone causing the horse to tumble added to there being a hundred places the Treylor could hide and send arrows out of without warning has everyone on edge.

OCC: Perception checks plz.
EDIT: Opps I have to remember this is 3.5 and not Pathfinder Spot checks please.


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## Axel (Apr 27, 2011)

_Riding out the front isn't so bad_, Alden thought as the horse trudged through the morning, with his mind wandering.   _At least I'm free of the pompous git's opinions out here, and Poo-Breath.  Can't get far enough away from him.  Besides, if there's going to be any fighting I'll probably be dead before I know what's going on.  Humans and elves look the same from as far as they can probably shoot a bow.  Dead...now that's an unpleasant thought.  Why would I think about being dead?  And how the hell did I go from having a cushy job running errands for Marty to riding at the front of a convoy of these stinking dogs?!  At least I can't feel my butt aching anymore._

With a quick glance over his shoulder to check that the dogs were still following, his thoughts returned to macabre musings.


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## Zerith (Apr 27, 2011)

[FONT=&quot]Alexander thought lightly on the possibility of Alden not being able to turn the horse about and getting away if trouble arose because of his lack luster horsemanship, but even if Alden failed miserably at controlling the mount and turning it about when it mattered, he figured the horse would at lest have strong enough survival instincts to turn tail and run; if not, it could not be helped and it was better Alden then him. There were numerous reasons o have Alden far in front after all, and while Alexander did not bring a great surpluses of pawns, he was already one up from Wet-Nose bringing two and it was always better to seed a pawn then lose the king…

[/FONT]  After thought, that was to minor for Alexander to act on, aside he was not paying any particular attention to anything along the path, it was not even noon and he figured nothing would be so close to gnoll camp and be willing to expose itself. It was an assumption he might soon regret. Instead he had three options, talk to the Gnolls, Sing and or hum, or be stoic.

  He chose to hold off on talking to them, he would need something, moderately, engaging to do latter, and he also chose to hold off on singing or humming, first impressions were important and carelessly making idle sounds was not exactly productive, also, it might confuse the Gnolls if their commander was singing and not simply giving out orders. Thus he chose to be stoic, he leered strait forwards unbrokenly and sternly. Their objective was forwards, and he did not need to look away     from it, or so he thought.


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## HolyMan (Apr 27, 2011)

Suddenly from the bushes in front of Alden a strange large cat jumps onto the path. It growls menacingly before Alden watches in horror as the skin covering it's face starts to fold backward.

Soon the pink muscles are all that can be seen covering it's head where there was once flesh and fur. Giving off a high pitched screech it sets itself to attack.

Alden has no time to react as his horse rears up <ride check to stay in saddle plz> before bolting back down towards and past the others.

Alex hears the screech and then witnesses the horse rearing, before it statrs to gallop by. <with or without rider still to be determined>
[sblock=Image]






[/sblock]


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## Axel (Apr 28, 2011)

[sblock=OOC]
Am assuming that Stay in Saddle DC=5, as per PHB p80. If not, will edit the relevant portions.
[/sblock]

_What in the nine hells is that? A demon??????!!!!!_ was perhaps the last thought to fly through Alden's head, as the transforming cat screeches and sets to pounce.

Clutching wildly at the pommel of the saddle and leaning forward as his horse reared up at the sound and smell of the creature, he was perhaps saved from an ungraceful fall more by his balancing instinct than any particular ability at riding. Horsemanship became a moot point as the animal turned to flee the creature, Alden's desire to put distance between it and himself dovetailing nicely with the horse's instinct.

As the mounted man galloped past the column of Gnolls, it was possible for the others to make out a panicked "Deeeemooooon!!!!" before he was past the column and made any attempt to slow down.


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## HolyMan (Apr 28, 2011)

After Alex watches the man and his horse bolt by he turns to see what caused the sudden flight.

 Poo Breath also notices what it is and says, "Ghost-cat! All of you go after that one," he says pointing towards where Alden fled down the road. "You know he is riding off towards the pride. Protector and I will deal with this one."

OOC: GtG with the DC 5. Everyone roll INIT please.


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## Axel (Apr 28, 2011)

Hearing barking behind him, Alden suppresses a giggle at the absurdity of the situation. _Of course the first thing we find is a cat! The dogs are going to chase it all the way to Rem!! Why didn't I bring a ball along to keep them amused?_

Suddenly realising the seriousness of the situation, and the consequences of choices he would have to make in the next few minutes Alden attempted to rein his horse in, ready to turn back towards the Gnolls and Alex.

[sblock=OOC]
D'oh!  First natural 1 for the thread.  And it came before a natural 20...  Figures.  I am well known in my RL gaming circles for having abominable luck.  Looks like it extends to internet games too  
[/sblock]


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## Zerith (Apr 28, 2011)

[sblock=OoC]Um, aren’t Alden and Alexander on horses, and thus considered large? ; oh well, moot point given what I’m about to do. :3[/sblock]

Alexander did not know exactly what to make of the, thing, in front of them. But the name told him it was not something to be  take lightly, and that Alden was about to charge into a pride of them did not bold well, and Alexander never truly needed a reason to shout orders to a commoner. “You’re Riding into more of them you twit!” he informed Alden with an not so gentle shout before setting his attention onto the thing in front of them

Alexander did not yet see a reason to second guess Starfinder’s… advice, but that did not mean he was just going to rush the thing because the Gnoll thought it wise.
  Alexander hoped off his mount, and then summoned a suit of arcane armor.
“Hol Vra Kor” he evoked with voice and jester before being bathed in an aura of violet so deep and thick it was nearly black. The Aura shimmered and formed into a smoky vapor that wrapped and coiled about him until it condensed and formed into armor formed of pure arcane energy that was steaming off excess power. Materialized onto the material plane the armor developed further; the helm mimicked the shape of his hair while his cape was gathered and absorbed into the aura. It bellowed and flowed around him obscuring most of its form.

A blinding golden glow flared through the aura briefly before consolidating as embodiments on the cape and detailing and rimes. The Helm hade the same V shaped golden pattern on its numerous leafing plates as Alexander had on his locks of hair and its face appeared as little more than a deep void with two small brilliant golden irises peering out. While it might have been impressive visually to most, a more experienced mage would have seen it as a wasteful display; allowing arcane energy to just dissipate away really was not the most efficient way to make a defense, but he compensated by simply using more energy in the first place; thus the display.

His armor was in place almost as quickly as he evoked the words, and with it in place he inquired to Starfinder “What is this banshee, what can it do?” before drawing his weapon and carefully advancing so that he was in line with the Gnoll, his words were warped by the raw magic he bathed himself with.

[sblock=OoC]I Gota try drawing Alexander’s Mage armor latter :3
... Just thought of somthing, think Alexander's mage armor is going to give credence to that one Gnollish belief that human magic is evil? 
Addon: ack, consider the actions taken after he evoked his armor to be pending actions: the fast dismount was so close yet so far >_<[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 3, 2011)

"It is a ghost-cat. And it never hunts alone," Poo Breath says griping his spear in both hands tightly, his body tensing. "The other_ man_, he is in danger."

Alex and the gnoll watch as the strange cat stalks closer it's tail twitching back and forth in a slow way. It stops and paws at the ground growling low in its throat.

________________________________________________

Down the path Alden desperately tries to stop his fleeing horse. He...

[sblock=OOC]Notes: Alden needs a Handle Animal check DC 10 to halt his mount. If not it runs another 70 feet and sorry but into an ambush. 

Gnolls + Wet Nose run at 30 * 5 = 150 feet Rd1 (puts them 35 feet off map 2)[/sblock]

[sblock=Combat]

```
Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           [COLOR=RoyalBlue]16[/COLOR]   8  rapier/[I][COLOR=RoyalBlue]mage armor[/COLOR][/I];[I][COLOR=Lime]mounted[/COLOR][/I]
Alden          14   6  reins/[I][COLOR=Lime]mounted[/COLOR][/I]
gnolls(3)      13  11  spears/none
Wet Nose       ??  ??  b.axe/none
Poo Breath     ??  ??  l.spear/[I][COLOR=Orange]ready[/COLOR][/I]
krensharA      [COLOR=Cyan]19[/COLOR]  11  none/[I][COLOR=Cyan]totalDef[/COLOR][/I]
krenshars(4)   15  11  none/[I][COLOR=Orange]ready[/COLOR][/I]
```
[/sblock]

[sblock=Actions]
*Round 1:*
Alex - cast mage armor, guide with knees(auto success), draw rapier
Alden - need handle animal check (and then actions plz)
gnolls - run x5
Wet Nose - run x5
Poo Breath - Ready action
krensharA - move, total defense
krenshars - ready[/sblock]

[sblock=Recap] Alden is up to help finish the round. If he succeeds on his check I take it he is turning his mount around and putting gnolls between him and the krenshar. If not I have some partial charges to make.

And yes you should be taking up two spaces being mounted just note that the space behind the direction you are facing is the horses rump. 

And remember attacking from higher "ground" grants a +1 to hit - "ground" in this case is from horseback[/sblock]


----------



## Axel (May 3, 2011)

"Woah, boy, whoah.  That's far enough" Alden said, encouraging his startled horse to slow down, and stop.  _My poor butt is never going to feel anything anymore, _he thought to himself, as the thundering hooves stopped pounding.

_I wonder what Lord High-and-Mighty wanted?  He said something as I went past, probably talking about himself again._  Alden turned his head, to see what has happening to the demon-cat.  _I so hope__ the dogs chase the ugly thing all the way to Rem..._ 

"What did you say Boss?  There's four of them?  I can only see the one?"

[sblock=OOC]
Phew!! That was more nerve-wracking than a "pass or die" roll... (no way Alden could live an ambush barring an apocalyptic dice failure on HM's part).

Actions:
- Stopping where he is (didn't hear Alex clearly)!  I have assumed a listen DC of 10 based on distance, noise of hooves etc.
[/sblock]


----------



## HolyMan (May 3, 2011)

Alden pulls his frighten mount to a halt and looks back to see Wet Nose and the other gnolls running towards him. Alex is almost two hundred feet down the road still.

A low growl from behind him jerks him around in the saddle. He casts about before seeing four more of the odd "cats" lurking in the bushes.

[sblock=Note] LOL, no the success means you just saved your horses life. [/sblock]

[sblock=Combat]

```
Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           [COLOR=RoyalBlue]16[/COLOR]   8  rapier/[I][COLOR=RoyalBlue]mage armor[/COLOR][/I];[I][COLOR=Lime]mounted[/COLOR][/I]
Alden          14   6  reins/[I][COLOR=Lime]mounted[/COLOR][/I]
gnolls(3)      13  11  spears/none
Wet Nose       ??  ??  b.axe/none
Poo Breath     ??  ??  l.spear/[I][COLOR=Orange]ready[/COLOR][/I]
krensharA      [COLOR=Cyan]19[/COLOR]  11  none/[I][COLOR=Cyan]totalDef[/COLOR][/I]
krenshars(4)   15  11  none/[I][COLOR=Orange]ready[/COLOR][/I]
```
[/sblock]

[sblock=Actions]
*Round 1:*
Alex - cast mage armor, guide with knees(auto success), draw rapier
Alden - handle animal (success), delay?
gnolls - run x5
Wet Nose - run x5
Poo Breath - Ready action
krensharA - move, total defense
krenshars - ready[/sblock]
*
OCC: Top of Round 2*


----------



## Axel (May 3, 2011)

Catching sight of more of the creatures Alden is rendered speechless for perhaps the second time in his relatively short life, though not for a lack of trying as his jaw works soundlessly. The realisation of how tenuous and dangerous a position he holds brings that deep feeling of terror and vividity that only mortal peril can bring. Everything seems to happen in slow motion, to the sound-track of a slow heartbeat...

Alden is saved again by his mount, as it smells the creatures threatening from the other direction. Without direction from its rider the horse begins to trot back the way it recently came.

As Alden passes the group of gnolls coming down the road, ostensibly to his rescue, he snaps back to his senses. _Thanks mate, nice move. I owe you one,_ he thinks to himself, patting the horses neck before dismounting behind the gnolls.

[sblock=OOC]
Actions without so many words:
- Move behind gnolls (move action).
- Dismount (move action). 
[/sblock]


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## Zerith (May 4, 2011)

Alexander pondered Starfinder’s words briefly before deciding on his action. He, mindfull to only move as far as need be, bid his mount to move around, further to the beast’s left and Starfinder’s right and advanced just close enough that he could attempt to overwhelm it’s mind while also making it easier for the Gnoll to flank the thing. From Starfinder’s response he figured the thing was just scary, and simply scary did not bother Alexander in the least.
Meanwhile he rose his free hand and clenched it into a lose fist, as if he was griping some unseen object; the excess of his smoky, viperous mage armor that surrounded him collected briefly in his hand as it whorled around an unseen sphere that was growing in his hand, that was raised beside his head and palm pointed upwards.
The cloth of his gloves was made tight as if he was throttling a throat and then his fingers, hand, and even his arm started to twitch and shake as if from strain as he then tiled his hand downwards and leveled his palm with the monstrosity’s head. The hallow sphere had grown to the point that it had not only forced Alexander’s lose fisted grip open but to the point that even with splayed fingers Alexander’s grasp was losing out to its growing girth.

The mist born from Alexander’s arcane armor was being thrown off the orb and could only maintain its purchase between the sphere and Alexander’s palm; Alexander pivoted, turning his right armor, his sword arm, towards the beast while coiling his left hand that held the sphere. Alexander held briefly as his hand trembled from what it held before pivoting again, losing his grip, and shoving the sphere forwards forcefully and strait into the thing’s very mind; as the sphere left Alexander’s hand the remaining mist that had gathered in the palme of his handspread away to the sides in a shock wave, forming a ring as the colorless sphere bolted forwards

[sblock=OoC] Aren’t Alden and Alexander on Horses at the time of the grid? And since horses are large dos that not make them, in terms of squares occupied, also large? missed it and thus feel silly ^^;
As for actions: 
-move: flank around the animal and get within 30’(the range of whelm) of it,
-cast whelm: on mr creepy face.[/sblock]


----------



## HolyMan (May 5, 2011)

The gnolls near Alden see the ghost cats looping forward so they take and throw all their spears at the creatures. The cats prove very quick and dodge the trown attacks with ease. Then the gnolls draw an assortment of weapons and prepare to go toe to toe with the things.

Alex moves his mount carefully around to the far side of the beast. When he is almost behind it he thrusts out an arm his palm facing towards the ghost cat. There is a dull *thump* in the air and he can see the cat's fur flatten as if it was being squashed by some invisible hand. But it does little more.

Poo-Breath moves in quickly and thrusts his longspear at the beasts side. The thrust is high and teh growling beast let's out another one of those high pitched screams and the gnoll is greatly effected by it. He turns to run down the road where everyone else fled to . 

Then the cat with it's skin pulled back from it's face turns it's head to eye Alexander and his horse.

[sblock=Combat]

```
Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           [COLOR=RoyalBlue]16[/COLOR]   8  rapier/[I][COLOR=RoyalBlue]mage armor[/COLOR][/I];[I][COLOR=Lime]mounted[/COLOR][/I]
Alden          14   6  l.bow/mounted
gnolls(3)      13  11  spears/none
Wet Nose       ??  ??  b.axe/none
Poo Breath     ??  ??  l.spear/[COLOR=Cyan][I]charge[/I][/COLOR]
krensharA      15  11  none/none
krenshars(4)   15  11  none/none
```
[/sblock]

[sblock=Actions]
*Round 2:*
Alex - cast whelm (DC ??)
Alden - dismount draw weapon
gnolls - throw spear (all miss)
Wet Nose - throw spear (miss)
Poo Breath - charge (miss), save (failed)
krensharA - scare vs Poo Breath
krenshars - double move[/sblock]
*
OCC: Top of Round 3*


----------



## Zerith (May 6, 2011)

Seeing his spell do little more than just flutter the beast’s fur and Starfinder charging it, Alexander decided that if magic could not deal with the thing, steel would.
  He dismount, and then would charge the thing the moment it moved; not a prospected he liked, but with Starfinder on one side of it and him on the other, it’s odds of being able to fight them both a once.

  He would have liked to have stayed mounted in the fight, but if his horse became rattled by the feline and bucked him off, that would be far worse than being merely on his feet. Further, he did not choose his weapon with beats in mind, it was a dueling sword, it lacked the raw brute to outright slay such a large animal with just an instinctive thrust or swing, and his limited physique was not suited to the challenge either, that said he was not going to simply wait for it to do what it wanted to do: the moment it moved to get inside of Star finders reach, or to charge him, he would in turn charge it and attempt to stable it’s chest before it could adjust… then it screamed again and Starfinder bolted away in fear.

Had the circumstances been less preoccupied Alexander would have much underwhelmed by the Gnoll’s flight, it figured the ghouls would have been more steadfast… however, he was not ready to back down just yet. If he could smite something that could get one of their own to flee in adjunct fear in single combat, then that would give him some amount of respect… but he would have to wonder, just how much they were worth if one animal could cause one of the more well know individuals to outright flee; would they even fight if brought before elves?

But when it glared at Alexander so close and with such intent, he had a, slight, idea of why it startled Starfinder so, still, he had bigger game to hunt, and one animal, however unusual, was not even a mere stepping stone in his path.

  [sblock=OoC] his L1 spells have a DC of 15… Why did it have to steal the Nat 20 when he tried to blast it!?!
  T_T

  Any ways: Dismount, ready action; charge (it moves, Kill it!!! )[/sblock]


----------



## HolyMan (May 9, 2011)

The odd cat paws the ground a few times before leaping towards the young noble. It obviously doesn't want to scare off all the prey and decided that Alex will be it's next meal.

But the young arcane armored warrior was ready for just such an attack.

[sblock=OOC] Take your ready action and remember that it's AC is reduced by two due to it charging. [/sblock]


----------



## Zerith (May 9, 2011)

Alexander attempted to bait the feline’s attack with his free hand free hand while he counter charged, he held it forwards and high; he would raise his hand up and away back to raise the animal’s head above its torso, perhaps even get it to rear up on its hind legs and make itself even more venerable, before thrusting his weapon through its throat and its heart.

[Sblock=OoC] well crap, I refreshed it and it did not show the dice roll so I did it again :/ sorry about the two extra rolls ^^;[/sblock]


----------



## HolyMan (May 10, 2011)

The ghostcat charges forward and Alexander clips it across it's ugly face before it can reach him. It rears back both claws pawing the air, before coming down to scratch at the young nobleman. The claw bounds off the arcane armor that protects him. The creature roars in challenge not ready to give up.

[sblock=Combat]

```
Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           [COLOR=RoyalBlue]16[/COLOR]   8  rapier/[I][COLOR=RoyalBlue]mage armor[/COLOR][/I]
Alden          14   6  l.bow/mounted
gnolls(3)      13  11  spears/none
Wet Nose       ??  ??  b.axe/none
Poo Breath     ??  ??  l.spear/[COLOR=Cyan][I]scared[/I][/COLOR]
krensharA      15   [COLOR=Orange]7[/COLOR]  none/none
krenshars(4)   15  11  none/none
```
[/sblock]

[sblock=Actions]
*Round 3:*
Alex - ready action attack  - (hit, dmg: 4)
krensharA - charge Alex - (miss)
[/sblock]
*
OCC: Top of Round 4*


----------



## Zerith (May 10, 2011)

Alexander’s stance was with his free left hand far in front and splayed, as if he was reaching out to grab something, and his body pivoted so that the same side faced the animal. His armed right hand was held higher and bent at the elbow: his rapier was tilted slightly downwards so that the blade tip was positioned between the end of his thumb and index figure. Sensing that the beast had still not fully recovered from his previous attack he attempted an other thrust and attempted to stab its left eye out; he rammed his weapon forwards turned his body so that his right shoulder faced the beast and flung his left arm back as a counter balance.

 Missing his mark he took a step back; he did not want to allow it to take the initiative and attack before he could react to its action


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## HolyMan (May 12, 2011)

Although the strange creature doesn't know much about tactics it does seem to understand the weapon Alex holds and what it is capable of. It lunges forward like the wild beast it is and claws and bites desperately at the young nobleman.

Alex's arcane armor protects him from all the wild clawing and biting and he poises himself ready for a counterattack. 

[sblock=OOC] Axel is away from the world and the internet for a week or more. Just going to run your fight and it will dictate the fate of both battles. No pressure.[/sblock]

*Alex is up.*


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## Axel (May 12, 2011)

Keeping one eye on the nearby demon cats Alden can barely keep his hands from shaking as he fumbles in the saddle bags for his crossbow and arrows.  _How did this happen?  I don't want to die in a muddy ditch!  I don't want to die at all!!_

Finally retrieving the weapon Alden's hands fumble the bolts as he tries to load it, dropping a few bolts onto the stony ground.  Finally, something seems to go right, and he succeeds in getting the weapon loaded.  Hefting it to his shoulder, the weight of the wooden object is comforting somehow.  Taking deep breaths to steady himself, he thinks _"Just treat it like target practice.  They're big bales of hay...  The're big bales of hay..."_

[sblock=OOC]
Standard action:  Retrieve crossbow and bolts.
Move action:  Load crossbow.

Good to be back in the game!  I didn't realise I would miss it so much.  
[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 12, 2011)

[sblock=OOC] NP and WB  [/sblock]

The odd cats take to growling low in their throats as the gnolls yip and bark back at them. Neither side ready to make a move, both ready to charge into the other.

[sblock=OOC2] Ok I think that last post was round 3 - round 4 the beasties all growl at one another. Better take a shot while you can, before they all get mixed up in melee.[/sblock]


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## Axel (May 12, 2011)

Squinting along the length of the crossbow with his left eye, Alden lines on the closest demon-cat.

Jerking the weapon's trigger, precisely how he was trained not to do, Alden hears a "Twang!" followed by the second most unnerving sound he has heard today.  He had completely forgotten that crossbows produced that horrible, unearthly scream as the bolt flew through the air in an arc well above the demon-cat.

Cursing his own ineptness, he kneels down and fumbles to reload his weapon.

[sblock=OOC]
standard action: shoot southernmost Krenshar.
move action: reload crossbow.

Thanks for the opportunity to catch up. Good to be back in civilization, with no communal shower blocks...
[/sblock]


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## Zerith (May 12, 2011)

[sblock=OoC] your notice Alexander took a step back; IE a 5; step, thus avoiding the possibility of claw attacks. But I’ll try to be more clear on the matter in the future.[/sblock]

The animal was more aggressive than Alexander had initially realized; he would have to slay it before it could find a nick in his defense to wound him through. Just because he had not done anything to him yet did not mean he would not or could not respect what it could do if he allowed it to.
Alexander leaned in and motioned to stab downwards into the things body at a diagonal before rotating his weapon mid swing[FONT=&quot], attempting to turn the thrust into a pummel strike to the head to stun the animal so that he could end things quickly, however the animal daftly ducked the blow, his attack ending in failure again Alexander made an abrupt leap backwards to escape its reach before it could attack him again.

[sblock=OoC] actions: attack, 5’ step backwards.
Also, with these crapy rolls, they are going to mule Aliden and the Gholls in 5, 4, 3, 2…[/sblock]
  [/FONT]


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## HolyMan (May 14, 2011)

Alex horse bolts away from the fight as he and the krenshar are now locked in... mortal combat. 

_______________________________________________________

The crossbow bolt goes wide of it's target. The twang of the string is as almost as good as fight bell as the two group rush forward clawing, stabbing, and biting.


----------



## HolyMan (May 14, 2011)

OCC:Moving up

[sblock=Combat]

```
Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           [COLOR=RoyalBlue]16[/COLOR][COLOR=Orange]   4[/COLOR]  rapier/[I][COLOR=RoyalBlue]mage armor[/COLOR][/I]
Alden          14   6  c.bow/none
gnolls(3)      13  11  spears/none
Wet Nose       ??  ??  b.axe/none
Poo Breath     ??  ??  l.spear/[COLOR=Cyan][I]scared[/I][/COLOR]
krensharA      15   [COLOR=Orange]7[/COLOR]  none/none
krenshars(4)   15  11  none/none
```
[/sblock]


----------



## Axel (May 17, 2011)

Hefting his crossbow to his shoulder again, Alden squints down the sights. All he can see is the back of a dog trying to bite a cat. In the middle of the road. _OK, this is just getting weird now. _

"Get out of the way you stupid dog! I can't see anything!" he shouts, before moving around to get a better angle. Ready for the horrendous shriek of the crossbow this time, a stone rolls under his foot just as he squeezes the trigger.  The bolt flies harmlessly wide, not even close to the demon cat to draw its attention.

[sblock=OOC&combat description]
Move action: Move diagonally south-west 2 squares (15'). Move west 3 squares (15'). Have assumed not difficult terrain for the green squares. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Std action: Shoot southern Krenshar. Should be just the -4 for shooting into melee.

It's official...my eDice hate me just as hard as my real dice...  Last RL session I made 6 successful skill checks to ambush a sorceror using slippers of spider climb or somesuch.  Then a 1 on my attack roll...  

Still itching for the chance to eShout 20!!!!!!  
[/sblock]


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## Zerith (May 17, 2011)

Alexander had thought the arcane might he was bathing in was far superior to what it actually was and over reached to dire results.
When it attacked, instead of trying to entirely evade the strike he chose to grab its head and put a swift end to the conflict, and he briefly succeeded.
he grabbed it by its lowers jaw, raised it high onto its hind legs and drew the lion’s share of his armor onto his left hand to prevent it from harming his hand. Seeing his victory nigh Alexander Grinned with a devilish malice unrivaled by common men as he pulled his rapier back and started to send it plummeting into the animal’s left eye in a final death blow; it was over, or so he thought.

The beast was clawing frantically at what he assumed was it’s final moment; with the aura covering his breast thinned considerably, there was nothing preventing it from sundering his flesh as it swiped across his chest. Suffering his first true wound Alexander’s grip loosened and his strike hit the beat’s exposed skull and did no more than paining the animal while it escaped his grasp and he stumbled back while roaring out in agony as he clutched at his wounded chest; his situation just turned dire. If he turned about and simply fled it would ketch him in an instant, and if he hastened himself with an Arcana before trying to flee it would fall him before he could both get the spell off and turn about to fleet.
He was out of options; he was never out of options. This was not suppose to happen, this couldn't happen, This could not be the end.

He looked at his hand with wide eyes filled to the rim with panic and fright, it was soaked in blood and his face turned pale as he realized his own mortality, his own weakness and arrogance flashed before his eyes, then his pride and ire caused him to roar “NEVER!!!”he bellowed out gutturally while clenching his teeth, flaring his brows furiously and steeling himself one last time while surging all the arcane might he could muster around himself to reinvigorate his armor.
His eyes flared with rage; he then sought to murder it with pure bloodlust.

A _shattering_ end was nigh.


----------



## HolyMan (May 19, 2011)

Most of the gnolls visiously attack to no avail while Wet Nose and another cut deeply into two of the creatures. 

The wounded krenshar growl and flee as the ones remaining attack. Wet Nose takes a little scratch while the gnoll closest to Alden gets mauled nearly to death.

_____________________________________________

Meanwhile Alex's slight blow across the creatures flank just causes it to attack even savagely than before. His armor manages to keep the creatures claws at bay but it's sharp teeth break through the enchantment to sink into the young nobles arm.


----------



## HolyMan (May 19, 2011)

[sblock=Combat]

```
Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           [COLOR=RoyalBlue]16[/COLOR][COLOR=Orange]   2[/COLOR]  rapier/[I][COLOR=RoyalBlue]mage armor[/COLOR][/I]
Alden          14   6  c.bow/none
gnolls(2)      13  11  spears/none
gnoll          13   [COLOR=Orange]1[/COLOR]  spears/none
Wet Nose       17  [COLOR=Yellow]-2[/COLOR]  b.axe/[COLOR=Yellow][I]damage taken not current HP[/I][/COLOR]
Poo Breath     ??  ??  l.spear/[COLOR=Cyan][I]scared[/I][/COLOR]
krensharA      15   [COLOR=Orange]6[/COLOR]  none/none
krenshars(2)   15  11  none/none
```
[/sblock]


----------



## Axel (May 19, 2011)

Alden watched on in astonishment as the creatures he had ridiculed and teased for so many weeks ripped into the fearsome looking demon-cats...and came out well on top!! "Alright then", he muttered to himself. "I'll get out YOUR way shall I?" 

_No more jokes about balls and barking..._

Bending down and bracing his crossbow to reload it, Alden caught sight of Wet Nose ripping into a demon-cat out the corner of his eye. "NICE ONE WET NOSE" he yelled, watching a cloud of what could only be described as nose spray streaming from the animals nose as he breathed heavily in combat.

With the situation seeming well under control, and his crossbow ready for action again Alden risked a glance back up the road to where he had last seen Alex and Poo Breath. Catching sight of Alex locked in combat with one of the demon cats he wondered to himself _I thought he was a wizard? What's he doing fighting it with a sword?? Doesn't look like he's any good with it..._

Returning his attention to immediate surroundings, he stepped a little to the right and fired on the most visible demon-cat - the one Wet Nose was ripping a new .

Clearly Alden's focus was elsewhere for the moment. The crossbow hadn't been reset properly, causing the firing mechanism to snap the string when Alden pulled the trigger. Hearing a CRUNCH, closely followed by a SNAP! is never a good thing when using any weapon... Alden glanced at the now useless crossbow in disgust, before flinging it to the ground.

[sblock=OOC & Combat]
Woohoo! Go Redshirts Go!! 

Hahaha!! I rolled a 1...does that mean I hit Wet Nose by accident?  Will re-write if you think it should.

Move action: Reload crossbow
5' step to east
Std action: Fire on krenshar fighting Wet Nose.

Free action drop crossbow
[/sblock]


----------



## Zerith (May 19, 2011)

[sblock=OoC]The rolls are against me… >_<[/sblock]
Alexander was worried, nay, panicked and frightful after his initial wound but was soon overcame by furious anger; and the animal further mauling his dominate arm only deepened his growing rage to the point he could no longer think with his unseal discipline, but his body was amazingly light, he could hardly feel anything but his heart beating wildly; he knew he was hurt, and that his arm was likely ruined but oddly it still felt all right despite it being used as a chew toy, and neither he nor his arm was a chew toy and he, adamantly refused to be treated as such.

While he animal was still taking a chunk out of his forearm, he wrathfully griped its skull with his free hand and began a familiar invocation as the misting veil of his armor again began twirling about his hand and thus the creatures’ vile head.
round and round the mist span, fast, quicker, swifter churning ever fiercer ever faster; He had completely forgotten that every time he had attempted the spell with anything in hand it had failed miserably.

Where he expected to feel a muffled impact he instead saw the spell disperse harmlessly and then creature release his arm and shake free from his weaken grasp effortlessly, Why?

While the spell strained against his fingers, and he could only assume the animals very mind, he could have sworn he could feel its skull about going to buckle. Even if he knew that would not happen he could have sworn it.
while the spell strained to reach its zenith he grind dementedly, knowing that the victory he was just cheated of was walling back into his hands were it belonged, and then he would end the wretched thing brutally. He grinned, cackled and divined what a good throw rug its pelt would make.

He was very, very pleased.

then victory seemed to just slip and fall between his figures yet again; why did fate mock him so?
His grin turned into a snarled as he then attempted to recover before its next onslaught.

[sblock=OoC]and I'm also rolling duds on what to write; I seem to be having a rather off month...[/sblock]
​


----------



## HolyMan (May 20, 2011)

Wet Nose and the gnolls send the last two ghost cats packing.

Soon Alden watches as they disappear into the brush of the forest.

________________________________________________________

Alex's swordsmanship could use some work. As he swings defensively he leaves an opening the hungry cat beast attacks.


----------



## HolyMan (May 20, 2011)

Alden yells out in celebration as the cat things retreat. He turns to look down the road and make a comment that Alex should come and see, but his words die on his lips.

The man watches in chagrin as Alex falls and the beast moves over top of him as if defending it's kill.


[sblock=Combat]

```
Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           [COLOR=RoyalBlue]16[/COLOR][COLOR=Orange]  [COLOR=Red]-1[/COLOR][/COLOR]  rapier/[I][COLOR=Red]dying[/COLOR][/I]
Alden          14   6  c.bow/none
gnolls(2)      13  11  spears/none
gnoll          13   [COLOR=Orange]1[/COLOR]  spears/none
Wet Nose       17  [COLOR=Yellow]-2[/COLOR]  b.axe/[COLOR=Yellow][I]damage taken not current HP[/I][/COLOR]
Poo Breath     ??  ??  l.spear/[COLOR=Cyan][I]scared[/I][/COLOR]
krensharA      15   [COLOR=Orange]6[/COLOR]  none/none
krenshars(2)   15  11  none/none
```
[/sblock]

OCC: Distance to target 150'  +


----------



## Axel (May 20, 2011)

Alex looked dead from Alden's vantage point. Still, Alden knew what had to be done. Marty would never let him forget any nobleman being eaten by demon cats. Or demonic cats dragging off a dead body to do....unnatural things to it.

Fumbling at his belt for his sword he grasped the unfamiliar object and pulled it out. It felt heavy in his hand, and not reassuring at all.

"Wet Nose! Come! Now!" he shouted, before racing off up the road towards where Alex's body lay. He aimed a sly kick at the broken crossbow lying on the road as .

"Stupid bloody thing. Could've used you now..." he muttered to himself as he left it behind.

[sblock=OOC & Combat]

Move action: draw short sword. Stupid BAB+0 rules...no running for me this round. Why-oh-why did I write about breaking my crossbow last round?!
Move action: move 20' north-east (4 squares) to road. Move east 10' (2 squares) 

[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 20, 2011)

[sblock=Alex]Not truly aware of what happen Alex finds himself suddenly standing on a stone bridge. "Did I teleport? Planar travel? I wonder how much power I truly have?" are the thoughts that go through his mind as he looks around.

The sky above seems to be covered in purplish clouds. The sun must be behind them and setting to give them such color. The bridge arches away from him in one direction towards what looks like a dark cave in the side of a mountain that stretches for miles. In the other direction it leads to a set of golden gates that are surrounded by the purplish clouds. To these he decides to walk.

As he does so he finally hears a strange noise coming from below the bridge, almost like massive moving water. He goes to the rail-less edge and looks over. Below him is not water but what looks like more clouds, these thick and red and black, moving as if they were a huge whirlpool. They dark hole at the center looks miles wide. The black and red swirling clouds go as far as he can see. Lightning lashes across the clouds constantly and the noise Alex heard is the muffled thunder they cause.

As he nears the gates he notices they stand over seventy feet high. They start to swing slowly open as he stand sbefore them. Beyond them the young noble can see nothing but a bright light coming forth. Shielding his eyes with his arm he sees three forms moving towards him, they too are over seventy feet tall.

_"Be unafraid warrior of..." _a feminine gnoll voice starts to say but is immediately interrupted.

_"Look it is a man!" _a harsh male gnoll voice barks.

Suddenly a spear the size of a pine tree is leveled at Alex's breast.[/sblock]


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## Zerith (May 21, 2011)

[sblock=OoC] the Giant male Gnoll is going to get verbally mauled! By what amounts to a perverbeal mouse! XD
Also I was asking if he had it in hand and I’ll just assume he is no longer wounded[/sblock]

The last thing he could recall was being mauled, to death, by the cat and then reparing else were, this gave him a few options: he was about to die and was simple having a dream of no consequence, he had been summoned and healed to some strange land, his mind was yanked away to who knew were, or he was already dead and his cropes was brought back to the Gholl camp and the Gholl shaman was calling on its ancestors and or gods to revive him. But that hardly mattered at the moment.

‘Great more, and even stupider, Gnolls…’ Alexander thought while the foolish one interrupted the friendly one that sounded like she had a functional brain.

Alexander did not partially enjoy the jester; he arched his browns and narrowed his eyes at the thing, before looking up at were, he assumed, the face of the one who dared rise a weapon, or rather point down, a weapon at him before moderately rising his right brow as if questioning the sanity of the one who had just threatened him.
“Cause bloodletting, or put thy glorified stick away; my temperament is not well enough that I will endure foolish posturing for the amusement of others, regardless of who they be or who thee be!” Alexander began unimpressed by something so large acting like he was a threat
“And how observant thee are! Yes, a man! And look at this!” he continued while motioning to the weapon that was, because of its great size, comically unsuited to fighting him “a spear!” he added while feigning horror, very badly, and looking at it again, brows still arched.

Alexander posed briefly before looking back to the rather brutish figure he was about to berate further. “I shall say, I’m _very_ underwhelmed by thee, have thee no pride at all? I dear say I’m not the size of thy _hand_ and yet thee react as if I’m an immediate threat so deadly that the only reasonable action is to aim thy weapon at me simply because I have wandered here; For this I pity thee, thy lake of self-confidence seems to only be bettered by thy lack of intellect and manners.” he yapped onwards while growing a very slight grin, but still very much annoyed by the foolish figure.
“Or do you assume thee the only one here with any eyes at all? Do thee think thy companion blind and only choose fights with things thee can step on without breaking stride? If so I deeply pity thy apparent lack of valor and over abundant cowardice.” He belittled the veiled figure further.

“And in case thee has not noticed, thy girth dos not invoke fear, because thy actions seem to speak of thy fear, meanwhile the maiden’s words, the ones she has been allowed to speak, while meant to reassure have spoken volumes; I should fear Her and not Thee.” he commented further and flatly, with a tingle of enjoyment seeping through his voice. “I should fear her and not thee because while thee see me as a threat she seems me as something so weak next to her that she believes that I will be immediately afraid of her simply because of awe, and thee, _thee_ act like I’m, at least, _thy equable_ in terms of might.”

Alexander raised a brow, as if questioning if the over blow Gnoll, its weapon, weren’t in fact nothing more than a harmless illusion.

“Thus I shall say, Prove my accusations correct and attempt to strike me down, or put that shaft, that thee seem to treat as worthy only enough to hunt rabbits with, and let the lady whom thee have so ruddy interrupted, without cause nor need, speak.” Alexander prattled on before giving a summation “it’s up to thee; destroy thy honor, or act civilized before both your kin and a wanderer who still has no clue what is going on.” He finished while turning towards were he assumed the female voice sounded from, his eyes were still narrowed, do to the brightness, but he allowed his brows to ease.
he really did not care if had just incurred the wrath of a god: if it was a god it obviously was not his and as such it might be choosing a fight with one of its peers by assaulting him, and given how threatened it was by a mere mortal the risk of fighting a god did not seem like something the being before him would do over a loudmouth, and if it was going to smite him for being a loudmouth: it was going to smite him sooner or later any way, and if not, he might have just made a fool of a god and talked down to it like it was a mere child. 

How could he resist doing that?

  And in any case he did not feel as much threatened by it as annoyed by its foolishness.


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## HolyMan (May 21, 2011)

OCC: Will let Axel post an action for Alden then we do another round of "conversation" and so on till complete.


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## Axel (May 22, 2011)

Without even glancing to see if Wet Nose or any of the other Gnolls were following him, Alden continued to barrel up the road as fast as his aching thigh muscles would carry him.

Waving his sword as he ran, and shouting obscenities at the demon cat in his path, he continued towards the fallen nobleman without much thought for his own safety.

[sblock=OOC]
Full round action: run till 20-25' short of the krenshar, if it can be reached in a single run.

Have skipped the obscenities I had in mind, given ENWorld's auto-censoring...  

[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 23, 2011)

The ghost cat poised over Alex turns to watch Alden running up the road. It gives out a screech while the pulled back skin on it's head flares a bit.

OCC: Will save or become scared. DC 13


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## HolyMan (May 23, 2011)

[sblock=Alex]"Stay your weapon Halnaior." the feminine voice barks out laying a hand on the spear wielders arm.

She steps closer and as Alex's eyes adjust he sees now she is clothed in a shimmering silk robe, tied up the sides in dark ribbon and lace. Her fur is a light brown tat looks to be as soft as dow. Her face is like a long nosed fox, but with longer ears and softer eyes. She wears jewelry in abundance but it seems to make no noise as she moves about.

"I am sorry for The Guardian's outburst... um... warrior. But your presence here is... unnatural to us. How is it you have come to be on The Bridge to Jefron?" she asks curiously.

The guardian puts up his weapon and lays the butt of it on the ground as if to bar the way. He is dressed only in an odd kilt with a belt of fur. His only jewelry is two golden bracers about his forearms. His face and coloring is that of a wolf, the savage grey black one accustoms to a hunter or killer.

The third form is lost in the shadows and the light. It is shaped like a gnoll but details are hard to see on it. But the form is shorter but not due to it's height it looks like this large gnoll is hunched over.[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 23, 2011)

Meanwhile in Rem... 

Tio was bored. 

It wasn't the kind of boredom one associates with doing something repeatedly. Or the kind one gets when they have nothing to do (V.P. knows he had plenty to do before the others returned to their rooms at the inn). It had more to do with... Rem. He couldn't put his finger on it yet but something was off in this town and he wondered about it constantly.

Today he took the main road (the only road) through town north. He hadn't been this way before and maybe he could find something to help him understand what was up with this little place. Maybe there would be some...

"Screeeeechhhhh!" 

Suddenly a loud fierce cry, like that of a wild beast or unholy monster, echoed off the mountain walls. Tio froze in his tracks for a moment. He listened hard and when he was just about to start walking once more...

"Screeeeechhhhh!" 

Well that was deftly not something friendly, but it was hard to tell where it came from with all the echoing going on. But then again it was probably something more exciting than Rem. Checking his weapons he headed out of the north end of town hoping the Velvet Protector had answered a prayer he hadn't uttered yet.


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## Axel (May 23, 2011)

"Is that the best you've got you ugly piece of ?!," Alden shouted at the demon-cat standing over the prone form of Alex. "I've seen that trick before. Don't you know anything else?"

The adrenaline rush of a combat was quite something. Alden certainly knew why soldiers do what they do over and over again now. 

With a roar and a lunge, Alden threw his sword arm forwards as he raced up to the creature.  It was more agile than he thought, with the thrust passing harmlessly down the side of the creature.

[sblock=OOC]
Full round action: Chaaarge!

At least I rolled well enough on the Will save.  :|

[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (May 23, 2011)

_Though the talks are necessary, they take up too much time.  Time that could be better spent preparing for war.

_Tio broke into a jog, pausing only to scan the area and strain his hearing for any sign of the odd noise.

_I mean, yes, the merchants are going to lose manpower to the war, but war is always good for long-term business.  There's no one to defend Rem from attack should it be discovered, which means they'll lose the mine, which means they'll lose money._
 
Tio shook his head.

_Come on, man, focus!
_


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## Zerith (May 23, 2011)

Alexander puzzled for a moment Jefron was a familiar name, but he momentarily could not put a finger on it; then he recalled Scarface’s prophecy and it clicked together. He then knew it was either a delusion brought on by his imminent death, or he was actually before Heaven, the heaven of Gnolls; he was worried, because if it was just a delusion then the ordeal would have been much more savage and the goddess before him as egotistical as he assumed a god would be nor as dim as he assumed any given Gnoll would be, God or not.

After his brief pondering Alexander answered her. “I had a run in with what was called a ‘Ghost-cat’, and I assume thee can gatherer how I came to this plane from there.” He barked flatly before continuing “I shall Volunteer to thee my name, Alexander; as I assume thee know, its meaning is ‘Protector of Mankind’ as I assume thy name is Sepritia and that thee has referred to me as a Hairless Pup to an aged Gnoll.” After speaking he stared to gaze about to take in his suroundings, it was not every day he steped up to the threshold of a goddess ream.


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## HolyMan (May 24, 2011)

The ghost cat jumped nimbly aside as Alden came rushing in. It could be said his blade missed by a mile but at least he got the thing away from Alex.

Growling low in it's throat the creature attacks the young rogue in earnest. Claws and fangs filling Alden's vision.

The gnolls reach the mad melee but instead of attacking the circle the two combatants. It looks like they are content to let Alden fight the thing one on one.

[sblock=Combat]

```
Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           ??[COLOR=Orange]  [COLOR=Red]-2[/COLOR][/COLOR]  rapier/[I][COLOR=Red]dying[/COLOR][/I]
Alden          14   [COLOR=Orange]3[/COLOR]  c.bow/none
gnolls(2)      13  11  spears/none
gnoll          13   [COLOR=Orange]1[/COLOR]  spears/none
Wet Nose       17  [COLOR=Yellow]-2[/COLOR]  b.axe/[COLOR=Yellow][I]damage taken not current HP[/I][/COLOR]
Poo Breath     ??  ??  l.spear/[COLOR=Cyan][I]scared[/I][/COLOR]
krensharA      15   [COLOR=Orange]6[/COLOR]  none/none
krenshars(2)   15  11  none/none
```
[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 24, 2011)

[sblock=Alex] Please sblock your responses should another player not wish to know what is going on. And RP learning.

"The Protector of Mankind before the Gates of Jefron," the female gnoll says with what looks to be a grin. "A day many have awaited but none, not even we, could perceive. I am Sepritia. And you are welcom..."

"NO it can not be allowed to enter Jefron. Cast it into The Bore!" the spear wielding gnoll Halnaior exclaims.

"No," the shadowy figure says quietly. It's voice like that of one who is very very old. "If the Protector is not allowed to enter Jefron, he can not be cast into The Bore for the same reason. I say we judge him as we have judged all who have come before."

"But it is a MAN! No man has stepped before us for judgement."

"But we knew he would be here. It has been told and retold that The Protector of Mankind will stand before the Gates of Jefron and this will mark the time of great change for The People. Telimir are you sure we are to judge him?" Sepritia asks hesitantly.

"It is what we do to all who stand before us." Telimir says rasping softly. "Judge the warrior fit for Jefron or cast him into The Bore. We knew he would come but not what to do once he was here. We should do as we have always done and trust to the Fates."

Sepritia nods and turns to Alex. She stands in the center flanked by Halnaaior and Telimir. "Welcome warrior to the Judgement of The Three. Seek you the right to pass through The Gates? To enter Jefron?"
[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 24, 2011)

Tio follows the road north out of the city. He quickly realizes it hasn't been used in a long time. Due to nothing of note being north of Rem probably.

The road curves around and Tio realizes that this is some type of back way into Rem. The only people who could want to come into Rem from this direction are those who don't wish to be seen coming into town.

The screeching stops but he starts to pick up the sound of faint yipping and barking coming from somewhere ahead and around the next bend.


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## Axel (May 24, 2011)

As the demon-cat's claw raked his sword arm, Alden felt a huge burst of pain. "Aaaaarrrgh! That hurt!" With his arm bleeding and making his sword grip less sure, plus the pain of his rash over-confidence taking centre stage in his mind, Alden adopted a more defensive and cautious stance.

Feinting to the left with a swing he hoped to line up the demon-cat for a fatal thrust... The creature was smarter than it looked too, seeing through his intended maneuver like it was written in big letters on his face. Sweating and gasping from his exertions, Alden casts a glance to the left and right...searching for a way out. Spying the gnolls standing around, he calls out "What's wrong with you lot? Get stuck in!"

[sblock=OOC]
Std action: Fighting defensively, standard attack
Move action: None.

Meep....was really really hoping for a 20 on that one... 

[/sblock]


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## Zerith (May 24, 2011)

[sblock=I'm not dead yet, heal me you damned Gnolls >_<]
Alexander did not know the implications of entering Jefron, but at the same time, just waiting before the gates wondering what was beyond would drive him to madness; he knew what madness would bring. He wanted to know, Halnaior’s demeanor made him want to know more, and Telimir’s indifference intrigued him further. He did not have to ask himself at this point, he wanted to know too much to refuse, and the added bonus of infuriating Halnaior further was just too delicious for him to even have a second thought about it.

“Do yee think I could stand here now and not seek to see what was beyond these splendid gates?” Alexander asked before a brief pause and answering more directly. “Yes, I will undergo thy test,” after a brisker pause he turned his head to face Halnaior once more “and I think thee much too rash, a guardian should know well the difference between an annoyance and an honest threat; through both action and word thee have ernestly invited needless conflict before both Sepritia and Telimir.” Alexander spoke, blatantly unimpressed by Halnaior; he was highly tempted to verbally thrash the guardian more but he thought better of pressing his luck again just yet.[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (May 25, 2011)

Tio frowns.  _I must be mad with boredom to chase after the screams of some random monster.  Well, I'm here now... wait.  What's THAT noise?  Wild dogs?_

_Ugh, I HATE dogs!  They drool, and they smell, and... _

Tio paused, straining his ears to determine... well, he wasn't sure. _

Maybe they're just hunting and I can ignore them..._


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## HolyMan (May 25, 2011)

The cat continues it's savage attack as the gnolls look on. It lashes out and Alden holds his own for as long as he can fighting off the attacks, but a claw swipe gets through scratching him and bring out a scream of pain and fustration.

The gnolls start to beat their spear butts onto the ground in unison. The yip out something that sounds like a war chant.

Nobody notices Alex inside the circle give out a small moan.

[sblock=Combat]

```
Character      AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Alex           ??[COLOR=Orange]  [COLOR=Red]-2[/COLOR][/COLOR]  rapier/[COLOR=Red][I]stable[/I][/COLOR]
Alden          [COLOR=RoyalBlue]16[/COLOR][COLOR=Orange]   1[/COLOR]  s.sword/[COLOR=RoyalBlue][I]fightingDef[/I][/COLOR]
gnolls(2)      13  11  spears/none
gnoll          13   [COLOR=Orange]1[/COLOR]  spears/none
Wet Nose       17  [COLOR=Yellow]-2[/COLOR]  b.axe/[COLOR=Yellow][I]damage taken not current HP[/I][/COLOR]
krensharA      15   [COLOR=Orange]6[/COLOR]  none/none
```
[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 25, 2011)

[sblock=Alex]"Very well," Sepritia states to Alex. "Name the greatest foe you have..." she stops in mid question, her eyes looking past Alex.

"You see! You see! He is not even dead in the mortal world how can his spirit be brought to Jefron?" Halnaior says pointing with his spear to the other side of the bridge. 

Alex turns to see the cave at the end of the bridge. It takes up the whole end and one would have to enter it to leave the bridge. Before it had been a dark foreboding cave, but now Alex sees the center lit up with a white soft glowing light.

"Is this true? You have not died? But how...?" Sepritia asks confused.

"It matters little the mortal world calls it back. Send it away." Telimir says off-handily.[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 25, 2011)

Tio cautiously approaches the bend in the road. He takes what cover he can and creeps forward. 

As he gets a few of the road once more he sees a group of gnolls standing in a circle around what looks to be a human. Three gnolls have their back to him and block what it is the man in the middle of the circle is doing.

Suddenly the man cries out as if wounded and the gnolls all beat their spears to the ground and chant. Whatever is going on it can't be good for the guy in the middle.


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## Zerith (May 25, 2011)

[sblock=these are annoying ^^;]That, greatly annoyed Alexander greatly; he loathed when anything made decisions for him, even if it were fate and even if it was for his own benefit and it annoyed him yet more when something undid his own decisions for its own. But still, whatever the trail was he needed at lest a majority, or so he assumed. Two of them were blatantly ready to keep him out and the third was bewildered to the point she was not likely to let him in weather. That said, he was relieved to, apparently, not be dead, Relived, but still highly annoyed.

“I’ve said once that I do not know why I am here, thine is a name I’ve only heard a night ago and only now have I heard their names.” He spoke to Sepritia with a raised brow before turning about face. “Also, it would appear I’m more stubborn than death itself.” He said with a devious chuckle as he started down the bridge; he would have stayed to chat, but nothing good ever came from antagonizing fate.[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (May 25, 2011)

Tio's eyes opened wide.  _Gnolls?  Here?  They... they're huge!  I don't know what's going on... but that guy is in trouble._

Tio sheathes his sword and draws his sling.  Twirling it above his head, he calls out, "I'll try and distract them, stranger!"









*OOC:*


Attack the "lead" gnoll.













*OOC:*


Man, there's nothing less discouraging than missing your first attack roll. *LOL*


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## Axel (May 26, 2011)

Alden was starting to panic. The last claw had caught his leg just above the knee. Between a bleeding sword arm and a wounded leg it was getting difficult to fight properly. _And I haven't even scratched it yet!_

Then the chanting starts... _What in the nine..._

_DUCK!_

_...hells is going on? _

_BLOCK! COUNTER!_

_I'm DYING here... _

_BACKPEDAL! Try to suck in air..._

_There has to be..._

_STEP RIGHT. CIRCLE..._

_...a way out! I'm not dying on some fool's errand._

Alden's head flicks left, then right....looking for a gap in the circle. 

_One last attack, just to..._

_BLOCK!_

_...keep it off guard._

_DUCK! STAB!_

Missing wildly, again, Alden desperately hopes his flailings have distracted the demon-cat for enough time to get away in a mad dash.

_Where is my horse? There were healing potions there!_

[sblock=OOC]
Welcome to the party Herobizkit. And don't the eDice hate the party... :|

Standard action: Attack! (defensively)
Move action: Move 30' towards the nearest horse.  

Score 1 attack of opportunity for the krenshar.  Forgot tumble is trained only...
[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (May 26, 2011)

Alden's fighting style is odd but the gnolls watch on with much enthusiasm. He blocks with his sword and moves quickly out of the way right before another claw can rip open his flesh. But they are perplexed by the warrior suddenly showing his back to the beast, is this some human tactic they have never seen. 

Before whatever grand move Alden was about to make can be finished the ghost cat reaches out and bites the warrior in the thigh. Alden falls with a scream face first into the dirt.

__________________________________________________________

Alex moves to the bright cave and is embraced by the warm light. He has the sensation of floating before everything becomes dark.

__________________________________________________________

Tio's bullet flies way to high, but it does gather one of the gnolls attention. It turns it's head and growls, then turns to it's companopns to get their attention.

At the same time Alden screams in pain and pass out from the shock. Tio sees the human fall and then all of the sudden every one of the gnolls is stabbing into the center of the circle. 

Tio watches in horror as the spears move quickly up and down and blood flies into the air. *"NOOO!!! STOPPP!!"* he screams swirling his sling over his head once more.

The gnolls all stop and look up and at the young bard. Then one barks a harsh word in gnoll and they start to scatter. They run down the road and into the bushes. The barker stoops to pick up something that looks like a lump of bloody fur. It too runs off and disappears into the woods.

Tio rushes over to where the gnolls stood. Lying in the middle of the road are two young human men. Both looked like they were mauled by some ferocious cat.

OCC: I'm glad things fell into place so nicely. AoO 1d20+2=21, DMG=2


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## Axel (May 26, 2011)

Alden's last conscious thought, before an explosion pain ripped through his mind, was one of regret.

_I'm going to die and meet my ma! But what do I going to tell her I've done with my life...?_


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## Herobizkit (May 26, 2011)

Tio looks at the fallen men with exasperation.  _What the hell am I going to do?  I'm not trained in healing..._

_Well, first things first... gotta find some bandages, or some clean cloth, or something..._









*OOC:*


Try the Heal skill anyway; attempt to stabilize them, using whatever materials are at hand.


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## HolyMan (May 27, 2011)

OCC: Alex was already stable so I used your second roll for Alden. He loses one more HP before Tio stabilizes him.

Tio believes he has done all he can. He knows they won't die of their wounds but those gnolls may come back.

But how is he to get two full men back to Rem where they can be help.

"......."


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## HolyMan (May 30, 2011)

OCC: bump for HB


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## Herobizkit (May 30, 2011)

Tio examines his handiwork, crude as it is.

_It looks as though you may yet live, stranger.  But how to get these men safely back to camp...?_

Tio's head snaps around as he hears a whinny from the underbrush.

_A horse?  What luck!_

Tio carefully approaches the horse, not wishing to spook it.  Ne notices that the horse bears a bit and bridle.

_Hm... he must belong to one of these men._

Tio gently reaches for the horse's reins.  Once in hand, he leads the horse to the fallen strangers.  Tio then lifts the the unconscious bodies and slumps them over the horse's back.

_It appears that Death will have to wait for these two._ _Praise to the Proctor for their good fortune._

With the two strangers and a new horse in tow, Tio swiftly returns to camp and begins seeking aid for the injured.


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## HolyMan (May 31, 2011)

Tio hurriedly gets the two wounded men back to town. He goes straight to the inn he and the other delegates he is with are staying at, The Wandering Waif. 

One of the stable-hands helps him get the two men down and layed out in some hay in one of the stalls. As the stable-hand watches the two men Tio bolts into the inn to find Padre Gole. 

The old man is right where he has been for most of the groups stay, before the warm hearth dozing. After quick explanations and a long wait while the old man walked to stables Padre Gole healed both the young men bringing them back to consciousness.

[sblock=OOC] Current stats when you wake up is laying in a stall full of hay. Stable-hand, Padre Gole and Tio in attendance.

 And Zerith if you wish details right them in yourself to add the flavor you wish. Herobizkit said he used whatever was on hand. If you wish more detail have Alex notice whatever the "close to hand" was. And go from there.[/sblock]


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## Axel (May 31, 2011)

With a sudden intake of breath, Alden found himself awake.  His eyes fly open, quickly taking in the strange surroundings.  In particular the old man leaning over him.

"Who are you and where am I?" he asks suspiciously, sitting up suddenly.

_Why don't my arm and leg hurt anymore...my head still hurts?!  Where have the demon-cats and those bastard dogs gone?  If I EVER catch Poo-Breath he'll be sorry..._

With the better view granted from sitting up, Alden catches sight of two others behind the old man.

"And who are you?" he adds, directing the question at the younger men while testing his weight on what was his wounded leg.  The weight of the dagger in his boot was reassuring more than annoying, for the first time since he put it there.


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## Zerith (May 31, 2011)

While lifting Alexander onto the horse, or down from it Tio likely noticed that Alexander was lighter then he looked, further, when grabbed, Alexander’s clothing compressed more then was normal; it was then obvious that Alexander was very thin, perhaps not sickly so but definitely far thinner than is normal.
His appearance was made more proportionate by his cloths, that puffed his appearance out to the point that it was normal.

When he awoke he mumbled something lowly while sitting up and instinctively grabbing at the taters on his chest were his wound was; it was wholly gone and then looking around while Alden reacted to being rescued.

‘How, undignified…’ Alexander thought while removing the excess hay from his hair as Alden talked. He glanced a bored and golden eyed stare briefly at Alden, not very impressed by the sudden exuberance, they were in the stables, not were captives would be. Alexander raised his left eyebrow and looked about. The two of them were most definitely not captives.

Alexander thought about talking but, undignified or not, Alden did more or less ask what was needed for the moment, and so Alexander took the moment to further examine just how ruined his cloths were. He was going to have to have them, properly, mended latter, as he doubted he could hind proper replacements from them.


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## Herobizkit (May 31, 2011)

Tio blinked once, then burst into a wide grin at Alden's sudden stammering.  "Do not worry yourself so, friend.  You are safe."

A large man of over six feet stands before you.  His gold locks are cropped short and parted neatly down the middle, allowing a pleasant view of his blue eyes; icy in color, but clearly warm in demeanor.  A well-groomed goatee covers his chin, a chin that has seen barely eighteen summers.

He wears the clothes of a man who wishes to appear prepared for all possibilities on the open road, though much of his wardrobe is covered in a scaly suit of armor.  He carries an assortment of weapons staggered about his body, most notably the trio of daggers strapped neatly about his upper thigh.  A longsword is sheathed behind a wooden shield on his back, and a large pouch suggests a collection of bullets for a simple sling.

He stands slightly crooked, favoring his right leg.

"My proper name is Tiagio Anangale _[tee-AH-gee-oh ANN-un-GAH-lay]_, but should you wish to become my friend, you may call me Tio."


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## HolyMan (Jun 1, 2011)

"And I am Padre Gole. Tio brought you to me for healing. By your wounds I say you were both mauled by a dire cat of some sort." He puts up a hand before any explanations can be made. "I don't want to know. My adventuring days are way behind me. Maybe Tio would like to hear your story though, least you could do seeing as how he saved your lives and all."

The padre heads out of the stables mumbling something about returning to his comfortable chair.


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## Axel (Jun 1, 2011)

Judging the situation to not warrant fighting, particularly given his recently demonstrated prowess and current lack of a proper weapon, Alden opts for the diplomatic route...

"Well met Tio.  Padre Gole is right - we were bound for Rem when we were set upon by four demon-cats.  They screamed so loudly and painfully that our horses could not stand it, making us easily outclassed on foot."

Alden steps forward, happy to feel his leg working properly.  His left arm runs along his right forearm, feeling for any lasting damage, before he holds out his right hand to Tio with an impish grin.  "Alden Jahl is my right name, but most who know me well call me Al or AJ according to their preference.  I owe you my thanks, and my life.  Without your efforts I dare say I'd be a good deal less comfortable than now.  Now I like a good story as well as the next man and would dearly like to hear how you chased off the last demon-cat in exchange for how we came to be on the road to Rem.  Is there somewhere more comfortable nearby?  Perhaps with food, and something to drink.  Come to think of it, what is nearby?  Where is here?  I'd be happy to be anywhere above the nine hells, so don't be shy."


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## Zerith (Jun 1, 2011)

As Alden again spoke at length Alexander checked to see if he still had his rapier, and to a leser extent his dagger, and if any of his positions he had on his person were no longer were they should be, he then eased onto his feat and stood to his full height and allowed himself a brief stretch. He stood just taller than Tiagio. His hair formed into feather like locks with a pattern, which abruptly changes from black to gold then to black again, that mimics the natural V pattern found in feathers on any given lock of hair.

Alexander’s hair cut had four locks forming bangs, the two towards the middle were much shorter than the outer two and drop down to the point that they moderately fall below his eyebrows; the longer two fall down beside his face and framed it while dropping down to be level with his mouth. All four of his bangs shoot up before bending down into their specified resting places; if pulled strait down, they would obscure his eyes and cover his face’s length respectively.
  The rest of his hair forms into what could be described as a feathery mane that surrounds his face, and hides his ears. Those seeking his wrath could also say his hair style looks like an odd sun flower.

His eyes were possibly more striking than his hair; they were fairly large and abruptly change from a near black gray at the outer irises to a blinding golden hue before hitting the void of his pupils.



  Honestly he was a great bit annoyed by Alden’s story, because either story was about to get trapped and sundered by Tiagio, blemishing his own reputation with his rescuers or all of the Gnolls fled the fight and they were utterly unreliable. And the last things he needed were a reputation as a liar or having to worry about being asked what his orders were by a disorganized pack of gnolls infront of commoners while he was trying to find a blasted half elf.


  When Alden finished Alexander interjected “And if Mr.  Jahl here is finished attempting to find were he can drown himself in ale, I’ll introduce myself as well.” Alexander began dryly apparently not too shaken from the experience. “I’m Lord Alexander Julian Ravensworth, the fourth, and it would seem I owe you a great dept; you have my thanks” Alexander continued, ending with a slight, polite nod towards Tio before continuing. “And Tiagio , while I do not wish to sound rude, my own vanity disallows me from prancing about in clothing that has been effectively ruined, is there anywhere I could have my clothing mended or find a proper replacement for them? Also, do you know where my horse got to? It was a black mare” he then asked while subtly shifting his head to the right in inquiry as he took the momentary pose to dust off his coat and mantle.


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## HolyMan (Jun 1, 2011)

OCC: Alex's horse was the one used to bring the men to town. Alden's was nowhere to be seen.


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## Herobizkit (Jun 3, 2011)

"The good news is, you've made it to Rem," Tio stated to Alden.  "I heard the screeching of what I assume to have been those demon-cats, and it was all I could do to keep myself from falling asleep in the middle of town.  With all the negotiations taking place, there is little a soldier can do here during the day."

Tio gives a sidelong glance at Alexander.  "As for Your *Lordship*, I am certain there is someone that can accommodate your needs."

_Wonderful_, Tio thought,_ another noble who thinks himself too important to look like he works for a living.  I thought I left all that behind.


_


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## Zerith (Jun 4, 2011)

Alexander Smirked at Tio’s response. “Lordship? You make it sound as I’m already a land owner.” He commented with a toothy chuckle before continuing “And as for me wanting to have my cloths mended or replaced; who wants to go around in tattered clothing? Also, it’s a want, not a need, like…” Alexander paused for a very brief moment, he wanted to make sure his next sentence would not alienate him, he very briefly considered commenting about being clean as opposed to filthy, but that would have made him sound like a biggest. “..Comfortable boots. There is no need of them, but who in their right mind would choose to suffer uncomfortable boots when they could have a properly cobbled set?” He questioned with a teasing rise of his brow and a smug grin.

“As for my title, I’ll be honest, I do like the sound of it, it holds a sound of power that ‘Count’ simply does not, and so I choose to enjoy being one while I’m able; I’ll leave it up to you weather you wish to use it or not, it truly does not matter to me either way.” He prattled on, it was becoming increasingly obvious that Alexander was much more of a talker then Alden could ever hope to be. “It would be around this time I would like to give you the cliché ‘my weight in gold’ but the purse I’ve brought with me is rather modest and I have not brought any object, or objects, worth nearly eight thousand  and five hundred gold coins with me…” He continued before slowing to halt, he saw his horse, which had his change of clothes. His grin perked and he continued “…and it would seem that I still have a change of clothing.” He added happily before containing. “Well, with that petty crises avoided, is there anything here that as cached your eye? So long as it is not larger then my meager purse allows I should do at least that much for you, in the now.” Alexander finished, he considered asking Tio about Tharivol, but he did not wish to ask anything, much, of Tio just yet.


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## Axel (Jun 6, 2011)

"Well Tio, shall we leave his *L*ordship to change in peace and make for better part of the inn?  I'm pleased on two accounts - firstly making Rem alive, and secondly not having been misled about it by my firnends.  Let me buy you a drink at least.  I find it helps stories to slide out the throat."

Alden begins moving towards any obvious door away from the stable, hoping Tio follows.


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## Herobizkit (Jun 6, 2011)

Tio smiles at Alexander.  "No, no, there is no need for payment.  Soldiers are expected to look out for one another."  Truth was, Tio didn't easily accept any kind of charity.  The joy of being helpful and using his own muscle, rather than coin, to solve issues... that was the true reward.

"Now a drink, and stories... those can be shared.  I accept," Tio says, following Alden.  "And if his Lordship can endure, I am certain he may join us."


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## Zerith (Jun 6, 2011)

Alexander, truth be told, liked the sound of Lord, and was annoyed by the sound of lordship, made him sound like an object with all the character of dirt.
He would have considered commenting that he liked the sound of lord, not lordship, but to do that would have changed the mood and his own was well enough to just shrug it off without sign of complaint; that said he did decide to not remove the blood from Alden’s cloths with another zap.

Alexander said quite simply “I clear my own debts, and if one currency is unsatisfactory there are always others.” Alexander then shrugged his shoulders briefly and stared walking towards his horse at a casual pace, while he walked he spoke an evocation and promptly pointed at one of the blood stains on his overcoat, which was then stuck by a small, almost unoticable, bolt of arcane energy that started to remove the stain as the over coat started to unbutton itself “But for now I will simply have to ‘owe you one’ and I find the two of you latter…” Alexander commented while he started carefully digging into his horse’s left saddle bag to get to his spare cloths, but he then glanced over to Alden and continued “But I don’t know why you’re both fine with walking into a public place with hands and cloths that have been smudged or otherwise stained with blood; it also eats through the fabric if you leave it to long.” Alexander spoke with certain smugness bleeding into his voice that remarkable had nothing to do with his title or social status. He was just pleased with himself, and wondering how Alden would respond to the comment after Alden was trying to make a point of Alexander not wanting to go around with tattered, blood stained, clothing.

If either of them wanted to get the blood off, he would just zap them as well should either ask.


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## Herobizkit (Jun 6, 2011)

Tio paused.  "You know, the man has a point.  Wandering into the tavern with blood-smeared clothing would raise many questions, and we'd likely never get that ale."

At the sight of Alexander's magical cleaning, Tio perked up.  "Ho!  I would not have guessed you were a magician.  If you would use your magic to clean MY clothing, I'd consider your debt cleared!"

_After all, thought Tio, it's not like I DID anything other than scare the gnolls off.  And I wonder if it was even me that did so..._


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## HolyMan (Jun 7, 2011)

The three men head into the common room of the inn after Alex is presentable.

The room is dimly lit and has the smokey haze of pipe smoke curling across the low roof beams. A table and three chairs sits empty in the corner and Tio takes a seat and watches Padre Gole for a moment as he dozes by the fire.

A young slim serving girl comes over quickly to the table as the room is not very busy. "What may I get you?" she asks pleasantly.


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## Herobizkit (Jun 8, 2011)

"Buyer chooses the drink," Tio says with a smile, gesturing to Alden.

After the drinks are passed around, Tio takes a thoughtful pull from his tankard.  "Something's been on my mind about the attack on you two."

Tio takes another pull before continuing.  "You said you were hunting ghost-cats, and you certainly had the wounds to show it.  But the gnolls... they had spears, but none of them were bloodied.  And, they outnumbered me three to one, but fled at my noise-making."  Tio pauses, considering his next words.

"I've not seen much in the way of battle, but it just seems odd, given the reputation of gnolls around these parts."

Tio leans back in his chair, unsure of what to say next.


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## Zerith (Jun 9, 2011)

[sblock=OoC]the Gnolls had just got done fighting other cats and, if I recall right, one of them was bloodied and then an other was majorly mulled, there should have been 4 of them by Alden, if not 5, and they then all stabbed that last demon cat, so they would have all had bloodied weapons. :/[/sblock]

Alexander glanced at Alden with narrowed and glaring eyes; he was not amused, not even in the slightest. He knew Alden was readying to eat his own foot back at the stable, but this was just ridicules!  Alden had the foolish impulse to completely omit the gnolls from his story without knowing how much Tio knew, there were so many better ways Alden could have spon the story that the story could have been spun that the story would have been harmed by Tio knowing Gnolls were invalid; being vague when trying to do things suddenly was a virtue. Alexander did not like doing damage control for the blunders of others; since it was Alden’s story, and he did not know everything that happened, Alden had to do the closing. Alexander was not amused at all.

Alexander quickly discarded condemning glance towards Alden and then looked towards Tio “Attacked, we were not actively trying to find the things; why would we seek anything so dangerous?”  Alexander corrected Tio before query him and then turning his gas back onto Alden. Alexander still was not amused.
“As for you,” Alexander began with venom, “Are there any more details you’re omitting from us? I’ll admit I fell first, but I’m also curious how such a large detail was lost on you.” Alexander spoke condemningly to Alden before grilling him further with veiled ideas as he lend forwards deeply and templed his hands “When the gnolls appeared were they more interested in you or the animals? Did they leap from the bushes? Did they take action immediately? What did they do?”
Alexander spoke judgmentally and commandingly, he was annoyed at Alden, and he did not choose to hide it, he chose to invoke it to give Alden a natural reason to be off center if he did not have a smooth retort ready for tio.


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## Axel (Jun 10, 2011)

[sblock=OOC]
Apologies for the late action...been on an emergency trip to the Pilbara region of West Australia (Pannawonica if you're Google Map savvy).  These trips are becoming more common....  I had typed a massive post on my phone at the airport that does not seem to have been added.  (((

In a more game related vein, happy to throw a bluff check, diplomacy check or any other e-Check our esteemed DM deems fit.  
[/sblock]

"Well gents, now that the dirt of travel and honest labour has been washed off you, I would happily remind both of you that the ladies love a hard working and bloodied man.  To me, I think it encourages the mothering instinct.  Didn't you see the way she looked at me when she came over?"  Alden grinned broadly at his last comment.  

"Asking questions of the gnolls is to get ahead of ourselves, Tio.  Please allow me the luxury of starting at the beginning, as is customary.  It is not a long tale to tell...  To my right, and just quietly between ourselves," Alden said in a low voice, indicating Alex, "sits the commander of Bear's G-division.  I am but a poor aide-de-camp in comparison.  I can't tell you why we were on the way to Rem, even if I knew...  Still, we were and that is all that is important."  Alden paused, to take a gulp of ale.  Catching the eye of the serving girl he holds up his mug upside-down, hoping that she catches his drift...  

"Before we arrived, an unearthly screeching sound came from beyond the hills.  I daresay you heard it too.  Horrible noise, and I am thoroughly glad it was not the last noise I ever heard in this world.  Our horses were proper spooked at the sound.  It took a good deal of horsemanship to keep in the saddle and under control, even if I say so myself."  Alden looked up as the serving girl came over with more mugs of ale and winked at her.   "Thanks love, you have no idea how good this tastes after a long trip."  

Raising his fresh mug, he takes another gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh.  "So, the screeching.  Over the hill comes one of those demon-cats.  The fur pulls back from its face when it sees us and screeches again!  Not knowing what manner of beast it was we set off at the double towards Rem.  To my everlasting surprise there were four more of them across the road, right in front of them.  Oh...gods above it was a horrible moment when THEY started screeching too!  I think my stomach is still in my boots somewhere.  The horses were near uncontrollable by this point, so we dismounted before being thrown off.  Now, this is where the story gets strange."

"Drink up lads!  Near-death experiences don't come around too often.  Enjoy surviving them, because I didn't enjoy being almost dead."  Alden takes another gulp.  It is becoming apparent he is, well, rather relieved at being alive.

"Now, the strange part.  His Lordship does what any good soldier and noble would do.  He drew his sword, gathered his magical powers and marched straight up the centre at the four demons.  For myself, being slightly more practical minded about fighting four demons, I got out my crossbow.  I had one down before the boss here got close.  Then, the weird bit.  The demon-cat that we first saw was still chasing us.  And behind is was a pack of Gnolls!  Dirty great big ones too, waving spears and barking and yipping at things!!  I will admit that my first thought was something along the lines of Bloody Cats and Dogs!  Hard not to laugh it was, and must've put my aim off with the giggling. From that point, I don't think I could've hit the water if I had fallen out of a damned boat.  Eventually I have up - it was too hard to shoot without hitting the boss."

More ale goes down the back of his throat at this point, as if Alden is surpressing some horrible memory.  "So, seeing as the pack of dogs caught the demon-cat at the back and, for all I know made some sort of hat outta it... I draws my sword and runs in to help the boss.  He had given a good account of himself, but three - two it was by then - demons is more'n enough for any man to fight on his own. 'fore I get there the boss goes down.  I should've thought more about that at the time, but 'twas all I could do ta keep meself from getting smashed.  I got the last one just after the boss went down.  Disgustin' effen stink to the ichor and blood....ugh!"

Alden tries to drink again, but realises his mug is empty again.  "MORE ALE LOVE, THASSA GOOD GIRL!" he bellows at the serving girl.  "Drink up I say!  It's a good day to be alive."

"The effen dogs caught up to me'n the boss by then.  They made some sort of circle or somefen and started barking.  I dunno...was too busy trying not to die.  The last demon-cat got me 'fore I got 'im.  Then there was an old geezer looken' at me when I was onna floor."  Alden stares at the bottom of his empty mug of ale, wishing it was full again.  

"I dun wanna talk about whad happened inbe'ween the fight an' the floor.  's not nice.  When'd you come 'long Tio?  I didn't see ya.  And how'd you chase the dogs'way?  Fought 'ey was gonna eat me I did..."

"Ah, more ale.  Drink up lads!"  

_By the gods I hope they both buy it.  Playing the drunken fool is easy enough, but its a fine line between pretending at and being.  Still...Lord High-and-Mighty deserves whatever he gets.  Commander of the Gnolls.  Pffft!

Still, I don't mind that serving girl.  Its not going to be all bad up here..._


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## Zerith (Jun 10, 2011)

Alexander immediately saw two gaping flaws in Alden’s cover story; he narrowed his eyes on Alden and subtly frowned. He did not like the actions of others forcing his and Alden was not doing him to many favors in that regards. Luckily the peasant was already heavly playinghimself up and swiging down drink, making it seem more natural and widening the story’s margin of error; events getting mixed yp while the story teller plays up themselves is not unheard of.  


  [FONT=&quot][sblock=Not for hero to read][sblock=No really]Hero if you read this and then use this imformation to your character's 'advantage' you’re being a poopy head[sblock=Any ways...]-Alexander had already, affectively, calmed he was oblivious of the gnolls, meaning he was either down before the gnolls arrived or that he was unaware of them before he fell; Alden pout the Gnoll’s, very loud, arrival well before Alexander fell and himself near enough to Alexander that Alexander would have no real excuse to not notice they Gnolls, even saying that he must have tuned everything out while fighting the beasts would be a far stretch at best.

-Alden noted Alexander was a commander; a commander, much less a commander who is also a noble, almost never moves without at least a small guard while either at war or near an unsecured area, meanwhile they were at war, in a area treated by the enemy, wild beats, and, by all appearances, Gnolls. few sane commanders would even joke about traveling were they were with only an aid.[/sblock] [/sblock] [/sblock]

Alexander could address the latter of the major holes in Alden’s story readily, but the former was unapologetically contradictory to what he had already conveyed, he would have to imply that Alden got his facts wrong and hop Tio was ready to believe Alden was still jumbled from the incident and the resent drink.[/FONT]


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## Herobizkit (Jun 14, 2011)

Tio listened to Alden's story, first with rapt attention, then with growing disinterest as Alden appeared to become quickly intoxicated.  He wondered if any man could take to liquor so quickly; he reasoned that the near-death experience made Alex's body hunger for any sustenance, happy to be alive at all.

Tio's eyes drifted to Alexander, trying to get a read on him.  Alex was clearly irritated by Alden's story.  Perhaps Alden had played down Alex's role in the combat, or perhaps Alex was humiliated for having fallen so early in the fray.  Tio was unsure, but one one thing he WAS certain - if Alex was upset, there must have been something in the story that Alex did not like.  And that made Tio curious.

"That is quite a tale," Tio slowly began, "And a heroic one at that.  I do have one question for His Lordship..."

Tio paused, deadpanning a blank expression.  He counted, one, two, three...

"If you are the commander of G-Division, what happened to the rest of your unit?"

[sblock]You guys are great writers.  I feel like I'm not pulling weight with the narrative... it's never been my strong suit.[/sblock]


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## Axel (Jun 15, 2011)

[sblock=ooc]
Great writers my left foot!  Alden has the easiest personality to understand of any D&D character, ever.  He is just a normal person placed in unusual circumstances...  Meanwhile, Zerith can't write a sentence without typos left, right and centre (plus Alex's speech colour is hard to read).    You're doing great HB, keep it up.  Playing-by-post is a little different to placing face-to-face.  It took me a few weeks to get used to it, but it grows on you.  
[/sblock]

Alden let out a mental sigh of relief when Tio turned his attention to Alex.  _Whatever it is he doesn't like, it wasn't my fault.  If Lord High-and-Mighty gets himself into trouble, that's his problem...and it serves him right leaving me to clean up the mess._

_Tio has a serious stare on him though.  Like a bloomin' judge! Another few minutes and I would have been reliving my trial.  He was older though, and more intimidating.  I think it was the weapons and armour...must remember that._

Alden idly watched the play of emotions across Alex's face.  _Must...not...smirk...  I still have to work with this guy, somehow.  _

"'scuse me gents," Alden said, while pushing his chair back and standing up.  "When ya gotta go you gotta go," he added by way of unnecessary explanation.  

_Remember to walk like you're three quarters pissed too you idiot!  Three steps, small stumble.  Four steps, stumble.  Five steps, stumble.  Stop, sway.  _

"Hi love," Alden said to the serving girl, near the bar.  "Whereya keep them chamber pots 'round 'ere?"


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## Zerith (Jun 15, 2011)

[sblock=OoC] Grammar is evil, forth must die, don’t you see, yes? Yes? Yes. Just be happy you can understand the guy who was told he would never read when he was a kid. Expect the typos to last 
That said, feel free to send me any constructive criticisms :3[/sblock]

Alexander gave a slight grimace at ‘His Lordship’ he was going to have to correct them sooner than later.
  Alden seemed better at playing drunk then Alexander figured, or the man had no tolerance for ale, Alexander could not see the latter being possible.
  Alexander then turned a hooded and grievous glance to Tio. “I’ve only just gotten the command, and the commander I’ve replaced is both experienced and respected by the division; this mission seemed simple enough to do with a minimal amount of effort. I figured I would not need much assistance on this endeavor and that it would be a quick enough way to garner the respect of those I command. Further I assumed that, for the moment, it would be safe to move without a large escort, but I had not counted on such fierce animals not only being in the area but being so damned aggressive.” Alexander commented, scrolling at the end, he did not like running into things he did not expect and using said irritancy to misdirect Tio was too convenient to not evoke.

Alexander then briefly sighed and continued with a, moderately, softened expression “And while I could have brought platoons with me, causing a panic here could only drain resources that could be used better else were; even if there was no panic caused then it could adversely affect moral. If the citizens here see a host of warriors and assume they’re here for their protection, and then that host simply leaves the next day; disillusioned citizens make for woeful, unmotivated warriors.” Alexander then leaned back, eyed the _beverage_ in front of him with bane and then motioned for the waitress who he would ask to bring a glass of water.


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## Axel (Jun 15, 2011)

Alden had to suppress a smirk as he pretended to stumble in the direction of the chamber pots.  _Guess the bugger knows how to tell a good story after all.  I did hear him say he was worth his weight in gold to anyone that saves his life...  There MUST be a way somewhere._

_Wonder why Tio declined eight thousand gold though?  He must be rich too!!!!  Eight thousand...that's nice..._

Stumbling back to the table, Alden plonked himself down heavily.  "Ay' lads, yer no' drinken'!  Whassa madda withya?"


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## Herobizkit (Jun 15, 2011)

Tio pondered Alex's words.  To him, it sounded like bravado and arrogance were the cause of Alex's folly, and he found that typical of most privileged nobles.  Still, he did have to give Alex credit for not endangering his own men on some fool errand to prove himself.

"What happened to the previous commander?" Tio asked carefully.  The answer to this question would solidify Tio's opinion of Alex.

A sudden idea flashed in Tio's mind, causing him to smirk slightly. He decided that stirring the pot was the quickest way to see the real relationship between these two.  "And Alden... I assume you were just following orders when His Lordship directed you to join him?"


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## Zerith (Jun 15, 2011)

Alexander dropped his left brow and rose his right brow while he face contorted in mild comfusion; Alexander hadn’t a clue why he would need to explain _that_ he rolled his eyes from Alden and then turned his attention to Tio again.
“I simply replaced the previous commander, and I’ve had Alden come with me on my predecessor’s recommendation; when trying to earn the respect of a division it pays to not disrespect the recommendations of those the troops in it respect.”


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## Axel (Jun 16, 2011)

"Di' I miss wha happened when 'e showed then?"  Alden made a childish pouting face, while discretely studying Alex's expression and tone of voice in reply.

_It ain't going well between those two.  Could be some fireworks, or at least pink coloured hair..._

"Wha' is Lor'ship's sayin' is tha' he 'asn't done nuthin' yet.  'e only took over day 'fore yest'rday.  I bin in G-d'vision fer 'bout six months.  'ol Marty jus' got kicked out.  D'no why........'e wasn't a bad boss."


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## HolyMan (Jun 16, 2011)

The trio continue to banter for another few minutes before the door to the inn opens forcefully and a group of well dressed men enter. The noise wakes the Padre out of his doze and startles the serving girl as she sets Alex's water before him.

"Looks like negotiations have not gone well," Tio sighs as he notices the men.

Two pot bellied men in white robes and bedecked in jewerly enter before two obvious warriors with swords showing over their shoulders. One of the two men nods to Tio the other sees him and dismisses him without pause. Both pass the table and head upstairs. 

The warriors take a table near the trios and order drinks. As they wait they remove their helmets and one comments towards Tio.

"Be glad you only had to watch the rooms and the Padre today. Those two are in such a huff after talking to that _half-elf_ I think we were going to have to cut are way out of town."

"HA HA!" the other laughs. "Would suit me just fine."


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## Herobizkit (Jun 16, 2011)

Tio wrinkles his nose at the distraction, but quickly recovers and gives a sympathetic look to the warriors.  "It's often said that elven blood begets a stubborn lot.  Has there been any progress at all?"


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## Axel (Jun 16, 2011)

Alden tried hard to hide his excitement and interest at the mention of a half-elf.  _You're supposed to be drunk you worthless lump!  There must be a way to drag out more information from these guys...there aren't too many half-elves around these parts...._

_Agent provacateur!  That's it.  Just stir the pot and with any luck they're angry enough to come straight out with it._

"Did I 'ear you say there's a stinking knife-ear in these parts?!" Alden bellowed towards the two warriors, thumping his mug into the table for good measure.  "Wha's intha nine 'ells does 'e think 'es upta?  'f I wasina bad mood I'd head ovathere and teach 'im and 'is filthy cous'ns whadi think of 'im!" he added, turning back to Alex and Tio.

_Might as well throw one last hook out, _he thought, turning back to the two warriors.  "Wass this knife-ear call'iself anyways?  Prancin' Moonlight or somethen girly I bets,"  Alden adds, laughs at his own joke.


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## Zerith (Jun 16, 2011)

Alexander gave the waitress a slight, polite node as she brought his water glass.

Alexander did not agree with Alden’s method, far too much room to back fire, but all the same, regardless of if or if not it was Alden’s real sentiment, Alexander had minute difficulty in keeping his stance plane to see.
For a mere fraction of a moment Alexander’s cheeks quaked into the inklings of a grin while the quiver of a light chuckle was stopped short. Not even a brief moment passed before Alexander’s expression began and then faded away to nothing. 
Regardless of his opinion on the elves he was not going to just turn around and say it, much to lose, little to gain from doing so just yet.

Alexander added yet an other question for Tio to answer, but also spoke just loudly enough so that either of Tio’s, friends, could naturally answer as well if they were paying the conversation any mind “Drunken murmurs aside, what are your principles negotiating that could cause you to need to cut your way out?” Alexander was honestly interested in this, but he was more interested in the half-elf’s name at the moment, but it would be suspect if he just asked for the name of the half-elf without first asking for the names of the two principles that had just huffed by. Meanwhile the odds were Alden’s question, the half-elf’s name, was about to be answered either way and even if it was not there was nothing stopping him from asking latter; Alexander was in no furry, he could take a day or two if he needed to.


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## HolyMan (Jun 16, 2011)

"No progress, but at least the yelling only lasts for a half an hour now." one of the guards answers. Then listening intently to Alden he asks Tio, "Who are these men? Locals?"

"HA! Probably looking for a way out of this miserable town." the other says taking a deep drink of his ale.

"Well as to why we would need to cut our way out. Friton is not known for his ability to make friends. He was the lighter complexed man who went upstairs. If it weren't for Heneth I think we would have been fighting the town guard on day one."

"HA! I wish!" 

"How he got to lead this expedition for ore rights I haven't a clue."

"His father has influence," Padre Gole says from his chair. "And money."

They sit in silence a moment drinking and then order more ale. "What was that about the elf's name? Not sure something odd but didn't pay much attention to it, sorry."


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## Herobizkit (Jun 16, 2011)

Tio thought hard and tried to remember if the Padre or anyone else had told him the half-elf's name... or anything about him, for that matter.


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## Zerith (Jun 17, 2011)

Alexander smirked when the man implied that he might be a local. He might not have been nearly as laden with jewelry as either Friton or Hemeth but his clothing was still infused with golden accents and was his hair, even his eyes, seemed to be at least in part made of the substance.


  He gave a golden eyed glance back to the men who had just struck his funny bone relentlessly with hammer; he was trying, desperately, to stay composed, but it was simply too much, someone, somehow, managed to actually look at him without a cull of who he might have been? Not knowing exactly who he was, that was nothing, but thinking he might be a local in the backwater of the bear’s destitute barony? It was just to asininely amusing! Alexander attempted to give a reply to the accusation but instead found he could do little else then restrain himself from making bellowing laughter. He only partially succeeded as he instead gave a heartily chuckle at the comment; his face betrayed that he was holding off his laughter as best he could. The idea was so utterly preposterous that he raised his left hand to his chest and preset against it, as if he did not trust himself from bellowing out in delight; he then picked up his glass and attempted to drink some water soomthly.

Alexander had to pout effort to keep from chuckling even while he drank, the water in his glass quivered from the withheld chuckles while he attempted to clam himself with the action of drinking. When he finished his brief drink he resumed chuckling, albeit more calmly immediately. He raised his right hand slightly and held up his index finger, motioning to give him a moment to recompose himself. ; his chuckling quickly died down and he finally spoke still very much amused by the idea “Oh I know, I blend in every were I go, and while I know I look like some potato farmer” Alexander jested sarcastically before continuing after a chuckle “I am Lord Alexander Ravensworth, the fourth…” Alexander thought of just saying that little while he composed himself further, bu he just could not help himself from adding one last jab “…and he who looks like a common serf!”  Alex gave a toothy grin as he withheld an other chuckle before he asked a question “And who might you be, Mister …?” Alexander did not think such a simple misconception could be so amusing; he was happily wrong.


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## Axel (Jun 17, 2011)

"Alden Jahl be m'proper name gents.  'n we was seekingt' get 'ere.  Nearly dinn't...got 'tacked by demons....  Tio saved us!  Chased 'way a whooooole pack'a Gnolls by isself 'e did!!  'ave a drinkfa Teeo...'e issn't dringing..." Alden smiled beatifically at his latest offering to the room at large.  _These two hired muscles couldn't be any more obtuse if they tried..._


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## HolyMan (Jun 19, 2011)

Tio wasn't privy to any information about the meetings be held. He barely knew they were to meet a half-elf till they arrived in town and found out. Odd dealing with one was all that came to mind then, still is odd.

"Well been out adventuring and having a good old time while we watch to old priest?" the one starts to say.

"And one with a permanent sore tooth to boot, HA!" the other adds in.

"Right Sef, Friton is a bugbear of that there is no doubt. My names Ritter. This is Sef. Nice to meet you Alden. Your Lordship."

Sef just raises his tankard before taking a big pull in the way of greeting.

"Best you not let Brother Friton know you were out an about, Tio. I don't mind as I hardly need someone to babysit me while I sleep, but Friton might take it amiss." Padre Gole says before once more tucking his chin to his chest and closing his eyes.

"Right the Padre is Tio? What's this about gnolls? Are there marauders about? How many did you see? Sef you still have that bow?" Ritter asks business like and flexing his arms.


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## Herobizkit (Jun 19, 2011)

Tio smiles warmly, glad to be among the 'working men' once more.  He sums up the story as best he can to the two newcomers, adding, "A heroic tale to be sure, but the story feels... broken, like there are pieces missing.  Alden here seems to know the score, but he's too drunk to fill in the blanks."


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## Zerith (Jun 19, 2011)

‘…dos he still have a bow?’ Alexander asked himself before concluding that the man might have been considering going on a ‘hunt’, Alexander did not want nor need the countless complications that could case. He decided to make the idea unpalatable.
While his face still betrayed he was amused by Ritter’s comment, Alexander’s jolly expression faded away and turned to a serious one that was augmented by a small and amused smile.

He leaned a little closer to Ritter and Sef.

“While I can’t say how many Tiagio saw or complet the story, as it were…” Alexander began in a hushed and clam tone so as to avoid rising attention and make listening in harder “and while I can’t say any details in public, I _highly_ ill-advised any action agents the Gnolls” Alexander then gave a brief pause “I realize you can’t simply leave this building while your principles are in it, but I also assume you know a spot that is less open. If you want to hear details just tap your table twice and I’ll fallow in a moment.” Alexander finished, readjusted his poster and then took a smugly sip of water.


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## Axel (Jun 20, 2011)

Alden turns to Tio and says "Y'still haven' said 'ow you knocked 'em off Teeeyo.  Didja kill 'em all?  Throwwa ball for 'em?  What didja do man?  I wanna know!"


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## Herobizkit (Jun 20, 2011)

Tio shrugs noncommittally.  "To be honest, Alex, I didn't do much.  I saw the gnolls upon your fallen bodies, I whipped a grossly inaccurate sling bullet at them, then the trio just up and ran away.  It was the strangest thing."


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## Zerith (Jun 21, 2011)

Tio’s comment made sense to Alexander, and the Gnolls did as he would have wanted them to.
  This left Alexander  in a good position to make actions against the gnolls further ill-advised.

Alexander’s face eased into a relived and pleasantly pleased smile “good…” he began lowly in a relived sigh.
  His happy smile grew into a knowing grin “That would mean the pact still holds, good; that is one less worry…” Alexander spoke lowly as if his mind was drifting off while he leaned deeply onto the table and templed his hands. “...yes, this simplifies things massively…” Alexander mumbled smugly as if in thought while realizing his objective had just become closer to achievement as his voice faded away to naught.
Alexander was very smug by this point.


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## Axel (Jun 21, 2011)

"Izzat it??! I thought you wassa big'n'heroic warrior Teeyoo. And ya killed 'em all..." Alden frowned in surprise.

_Typical. Wet-Nose is a comfirmed coward twice over now. Once for leaving me to be killed and again for fleeing from a single man... Just wait till I catch up with him._

"'nyways...thanks! And cheers. Bottoms up!" and Alden drained his mug of ale again.

_Boss is bloody mumbling to himself again. Wonder what he's on about..._


"So more ale then Teeyo? Boss? Or ya both workin' t'night?" 


"MORE ALE PLEASE LOVE!"Alden bellowed in the general direction of the serving girl, while ruefully contemplating his ripped and torn pants.

_Now that's an idea..._

As the serving girl approached with more mugs of ale, Alden piped up with, "M'pants don' seem t'have come through th'fight any good. Y'know a good tailor 'round town love?"


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## HolyMan (Jun 23, 2011)

The serving girl giggles off after dropping off another round of drinks. She looks back at Alden once before a stern faced barkeep sends her to the kitchens.

"Well if he didn't kill them all then we would probably be doing the town a favor if we did," Ritter says taking up his mug. "Probably at the least save them from losing a few sheep or head of cattle."

"*HA!* A fight at last," Sef comments slurping down his ale. "When should we go?"

They both listen to Alex's cryptic statement and Sef giving a werid grin to his fellow warrior bangs the table twice with his mug. "*HA! *if you got something to say boy just say it?"

"Yes what's this pact? Wait. Why were you two traveling to Rem by the back road? What is your reason for being here?" Ritter says his hand going from his mug to his hilt in an obvious manner. "And why is he trying to get us to drunk to stand?"


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## Herobizkit (Jun 23, 2011)

Tio slowly nurses his drink and watches the exchange with growing interest.


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## Zerith (Jun 23, 2011)

Alexander leaned back up a bit and smirked ‘ye who wan answers but never listen’ he thought while he, again turned Ritter leaned an elbow and forearm onto his table and spoke softly “I’ve told you I’ll give you details but for this I demand discretion, a tavern has _far_ too many ears.” Alexander leand closer, still with apparent amusement on his face and spoke again in a hushed whisper “a _hunt_ will place Rem in far greater pearl then you realize and in more danger we can deal with.” Alexander spoke in a harsh and deathly tone with piercingly jaded eyes. He turned back to his table, took an other drink of water and then got up. He reached into his inner left breast pocket and took out a single silver coin and place it on the table, more than enough to pay for the… drink… that he was given that he did not partake of and for one of Alden’s.

“And since you’ve failed to properly tack the imitative it then falls to me, such a bother…” Alexander sighed haply and sarcastically while rolling his eyes away from the conjoined party while he adjusted the cuff of his over coat’s left sleeve before he glanced about for a more isolated spot within the immediate area, the further out of ear shot the better. Given that Ritter and Sef were affectively guarding the inn while Friton and Heneth were in it he took into consideration that the duo would want to be somewhere that could observe the tavern’s front door, but was not, and would not settle for a location were their conversation could be easily listened to without the listener making themselves obvious.

Once he had found an adequate location and the other had joined him he would continue. “Before I say anything I trust you shall keep this to yourselves, a panic, or fools starting a _war_ they have no hop of winning, could get us killed in short order.” Assuming Ritter, Sef, and Tio implied they accepted Alexander’s term he would continue. He would pause accordingly to let any passersby leave or let any of the three who did not agree also part company.
[the fallowing assumes all three fallow and stay]

“Rem itself is of little consequence to the war, a Gnoll host that is presently not openly hostile towards humans  is between Rem and any hope of reinforcements, the Host is a warparty presently out to kill ‘kniff ears’ and there’re Treylor forces in the area. We can have a few Gnolls mucking about to scalp elves we ourselves want dead or we can have them marshal their forces and remove Rem from the map entirely well before word can even get to a force large enough to fight them. And this is assuming such a force would be sent at all, the loss of Rem might not be seen as worth the loss of fighting strength needed to battle a Gnoll war party and by the time such information would get out any sane commander would assume Rem already lost, and far from  worth the effert.” Alexander would say this while staring at Ritter and Sef judgingly. “The pact, as I assume it to be, is more or less an alliance, or at least a truce and I don’t know what it will endure; If the Gnolls want to take a few head of cattle? _Let them._ Rem is safer losing a few cattle to glorified wolves then being attacked by either the Elves or the Gnolls. If Rem would be so lucky if all that is lost is a herd or two, leave it be.” Alexander then smirked yet again and glanced to Tio “and I thank you for missing them.”

Alexander smiled smugly and then continued.

“As for why we took the back roads: the Gnolls are thicker there. And since one of my duties is as a linguist I chose to take the safer, if less pleasant road. If we happened onto Gnolls I felt it would be easy enough for me to just talk my way though, meanwhile I’ve no clue just how infested with Treylor forces the main road is now; I assume their watching traffic to and from Rem, perhaps even Rem itself, to see if it is worth purging: the less seen activity the better. As it stands my hop is they will just ignore Rem in much the same regard we’re doing.”
  Alexander again looked to Tio “And given that you found Alden surrounded by Gnolls, and by his account they surrounded him while he fought a beast I can only assume they were giving him a chance to finish his own battle before stepping in; since there was no trace of the beasts I can only assume they took the corpses with them, their probably gnawing on the bones right about…” Alexander gave a dramatic pause, rolled his eyes up and to the leftward, made a leftward smirk and grinned wickedly.

  Alexander raised his right hand beside his head and extended his index finger like he was pointing strait upward “Now.” He chuckled menacingly as he clicked his finger and hand forwards, he was relishing the idea of the things that tried to eat him were being eaten themselves. He snickered like a serpent briefly before continuing.

“All things considered I think the encounter with the Gnolls went very well, it means the Gnolls value the pact enough to leave an attack behind; for the moment their presence is to Rem benefit,” Alexander glanced back to Ritter and Sef “Antagonizing the Gnolls could make situations _Dire_ where they need not be. So let the Gnolls eat the Elves and let the Elves slay the Gnolls. Preserving the statuesque in this regard is vital for Rem and anyone in it and it aids the war. That said, once the war is over and don with, feel free to get yourselves killed, just don’t do anything that can get a whole town raised to the ground in the process.”


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## HolyMan (Jun 25, 2011)

"That hardly answers my questions," Ritter says standing with crossed arms and loud enough to be heard by all. "I want to know what you are doing here in Rem."

Sef watches the door and Alexander at the same time his body tense and ready for anything.


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## Zerith (Jun 25, 2011)

Alexander intimacy frowned when Ritter  spoke overly loud, but then grind at Ritter’s full answer.
“That it is amusing, and I mean no offense by this, but I did not figure you were going to shrug off that your previous course of action was bound to get everyone in this town murdered and that by instigating a panic could likewise get them all killed without batting an eyelash.” Alexander spoke without hint of being threatened, intimidated, or much impressed by the display, honestly he fund it amusing that so many thought crossing their arms made them look imposing; they might as well be tying up their own hands.
“Sadly I also find your recklessness in that regard concerning; my discussion in this matter is less for my own sake rather than that of Rem’s and by extension the two you’re protecting, but as to your question of why I’ve came here” Alexander’s expression drew blank as he continued on and his eyelids lowered warily before locking his golden eyes onto Ritters.

“Simply said I owe you nothing, you’re plainly not a authority here and I’ve already volunteered much to you already; but as a last boon I will tell you this, as things presently stand I do not know wither my orders interfere with your principles’ objectives, if they would be at odds with those objectives or be a boon to those objectives.” Alexander then gave a disappointed sigh and continued. “Beyond this you’ve just proven I can’t share more with you, you act with a heavily weighted maul when all that is needed is a blunted table knife.” Alexander shrugged lightly while giving a slight and dismissing wave of his head before taking a few steps forwards.

He then set his eyes forwards, towards neither Ritter nor Sef, stopped, and spoke softly to the man after he came within arms reach “Now, I believe I shall now return to my seat and have meal, also I think your masters are more than agitated enough with having to deal with just the one half-elf; I doubt they want to deal with having one or more of their subordinates interfering with another nobleman who is in service to, and fallowing orders from, the Bears army during a time of war. But if you think it wise to impede me from doing what I was ordered to do and leaving as quickly as possible, please, make a further scene; I’m sure Friton and Heneth would love to know that a man who is accountable to them, and thus their responsible for, is keeping an officer who's next standing objective is destroying Treylor's forces that persist in this area from doing his earned quickly and getting the area around Rem safe.” Alexander would then walk past, go back to his table and order a well cooked stake.


He would have offered to speak to Friton and Heneth; the half-elf they were dealing with could have been Tharivol, but he wanted the two beholding to him, not the other way around. Also, the odds that they would not soon learn of another noble who just arrived, at their inn, and being shouted at by their own personal guardians was all but imposable.
And that Alexander did not go and hand out an invitation to meet the two did not hurt his odds of meeting them, it just implied that he was not after anything from them, thus implying there was little, if anything, to lose from the meeting him for them, and that his only displayed objective was surcing the area around Rem strongly implied that he had the means of giving safe passage, or failing that capable of telling them when it was safe to leave, even if they did not wish to leave in the next day or two it was information they would surly value.
He would then attempted to recall what he could about Friton and Heneth while awaiting his meal.


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## Axel (Jun 27, 2011)

Alden stayed in his seat, watching his mug of ale and feigning being lost in thought.  In practice, he was straining his ears to try and catch what was being said.  _Might finally know what it is we're supposed to do up here.  Are we s'posed to kill the half-elf?  Capture him?  Blackmail him?  Bribe him into helping as a double agent?  This job is so messed up..._


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## HolyMan (Jun 28, 2011)

[sblock=OOC] I think it is time to use the dice to determine your fate. I thought some RP would be enough but all the double talking in circles doesn't give me a clear out. So rolling will have to do it (and you spent your skill points need to put them to use).

Alex: Needs to roll a Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Bluff or Intimidate, and Know(religion)

Alden: Needs to roll a Bluff, Sense Motive, and Know(local)

Tio: Know(nobility), Know(local), and Sense Motive (Diplomacy of you want to try and smooth out Ritter's ruffled feathers )

Roll all of them even untrained but let me know which ones are untrained. Will update after I get some results and roll some opposed checks.[/sblock]


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## Axel (Jun 28, 2011)

[sblock=ooc]
Fair enough I suppose. We haven't really given you any clear indication of what's going on. Lies and double speak aren't helping. But did you really expect anything else when you named it "to con the con man?" 

Dice rolls made.  Finally rolled a reasonably high number!  
[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Jun 28, 2011)

[sblock=OOC] Just a note I made up the title before the adventure I'm still working on the "con". LOL gotta love pbp for giving you the time needed. 

EDIT:That was a close one.[/sblock]


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## Zerith (Jun 28, 2011)

[sblock=OoC] a noble with a name like "Raven's Worth" is going to be confounding at every bend! XD

And yes, Alex is a scary scary man, hes got black and golden irises you know! XD
Also I find it odd that he intimidates better then he bluffs, given that he is more of a bluffer :/

Addon: Crap, forgot to fix an error, Intimidate should be +9 not +8 ^^; [/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (Jun 28, 2011)

Tio sizes up the pair of guardsman, noting their growing agitation at Alex's endless prattling and self-worship.









*OOC:*


... And is as clueless as a babe in the woods.


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## HolyMan (Jul 1, 2011)

Ritter looks taken aback at Alex's mention of the whole town coming under attack from a gnoll horde. He looks visibly shaken and even Sef is at a loss for words. After he finishes the man gulps to wet his dry throat and says hoarsely. 

"We would not want to interfere it is just that our mission, or the priests mission, is important and I could not be sure you may have been sent to sabotage it. I am sorry." he finishes coming to stand near the table.

"Sef come on we have a busy day again tomorrow and should check in with Friton before they turn in."

Sef nods but says nothing keeping an eye on Alex before turning away to climb the stairs. 

"Nay sure but I do believe they are going to go and report this to thier superiors," Alden says under his voice. "No disrespect Tio old boy just wanted to voice what I sense."

Tio only nods his ok and takes a drink as if lost in thought. 

"They are of no concern we need to speak with this half-elf of theirs any ideas." Alexander replies taking a sip of water. The young noble knows properly cowed people when he sees them.

To this Tio answers since he knows where the half elf lives. Alden spends the next twenty minutes gather a load of information out of the man about the town until the rogue feels like he could walk the streets blindfolded.

After word with still a couple hours till dark the two decide it is time to locate the man they believe they cam e looking for. 

"Wait! I want to come with you," Tio says before they leave the inn. Unsure as to why the man feels that helping them is right somehow.

Alden happily puts an arm on the warriors shoulder. "Aye, welcome aboard."

Alex says nothing and just hurries out into the street eager to find the half-elf, to see if it is this Tharivol that Dellex is so eager to find.

[sblock=OOC] Sorry for the playing of characters. I think I have them pretty well figured out. Just wanted to get things a moving. 

The group is headed to the half-elf's house. Please post up what it is you plan to do once you arrive. Here is the stuff from the know(local) check.

Know Local
The mine near Rem is drying up and so the miners had sent word they wish to renegotiate their contract with the merchant guilds of Fanshaw. With the war coming the guildmasters have no time to deal with this and sent a small group with a shrewd negotiator (Friton) to lead them. A spokes person for Rem was hard to find as everyone was indecisive as to what it is they should do - Get enough money to pack up the town and move. - Get enough money to retire the whole town for a generation or more. - Or get enough to explore other areas near Rem for iron, silver, or gold mines.

Enter the half-elf (Tio still doesn't know his name) as they are some of the best negotiators themselves he was assigned to head the talks representing Rem. It is still unclear what it is he is to negotiate for hence the aggravation of Friton.[/sblock]


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## Axel (Jul 1, 2011)

Squinting, out in the fading afternoon light Alden thought t_his place is every bit as bad as I feared.  There's not many people around and those that I can see aren't doing much._ 

Out loud, he says "Tha' must be t'other pub...ummm...The Duck Inn up there boss.  Some of tha'betta shops are s'posed to be around the corner from it.  Mebbe we can walk past on the way?"

Stepping out with every intention of walking past these shops, even if they aren't on the way, he adds "So, umm, whaddawe gonna do when when we get there?  Tio, whas'is place like?  A big mansion or som'it?"


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## Herobizkit (Jul 5, 2011)

Tio thought about it a moment, then answered, "Y'ever hear those stories about stuffy old wizards in their stuffy old towers, high above everyone so that they can do their work undisturbed and feel superior to everyone under them?"

_Pause for dramatic effect._

"Well, from what I hear, the half-elf's stuffy, and he does feel superior to everyone, but that's only because he's always hanging about the nobility and the nobility value his skills quite highly.  It would surprise you how much gold a glib tongue can fetch in the right company."

"What's more," Tio added, "he does have his own tower.  I'm not surprised you missed it - rumor is it's been enchanted to... well... it's not quite invisible, but it tends to go unnoticed by many of the common folk.  Seems like only the people who have business with the half-elf ever mention it, and I'll be surprised if I even remember I told you about it once our business with him is done."

"Elves are shifty people."


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## Axel (Jul 5, 2011)

"So this elf be a wizard too eh?  Fancy sort'a fella," Alden replied with his eyebrows raised, while stroking his chin.  "I think I know th' type though.  We is going t'enjoy this meeting, I can tell."

Glancing in the direction Tio had mentioned the half-elf lived earlier, he pointed and added "S'pose that be it over there then?" 

With a glance towards Alexander, who appeared lost in his own thoughts and plans, he set off towards the tower.  Via the shop windows.  _There's nothing I particularly want...but you never know what you want till you see it, _he thought, as they wandered away in relative silence.

The first and only shop Alden stopped outside was a bowyer's.  Something in the window display caught his eye - a gorgeous and deadly looking crossbow.  The hilt was made of yew inlaid with an inctricate spiral patterns of oak, and highlighted with traces of what looked like silver.  _If I ever get rich saving Lord high-and-might's life and I'm still stuck in the bloody army, I want one o' them..._

Without even a backward glance at the shop, Alden strode onwards towards the tower with his...well...companions I suppose you could call them.  Not friends at any rate.  Not yet...


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## HolyMan (Jul 7, 2011)

The towers front door is up a winding stair case and you each navigate the narrow steps carefully. Tio knocks and is let in by a servant dressed in grey robes. 

"What is it you seek from the master?" the servant asks looking at each man questioningly.


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## Axel (Jul 8, 2011)

Alden straightened his back before the man opened the door, doing his best to assume a military posture.  "We be seeking several things.  None to do with you save as a guide.  Still, what we be seeking depend upon your answer to this question."

"What be your master's true name?"


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## Zerith (Jul 11, 2011)

Alexander glanced down at Alden banefully; he was very tempted to wound the man, grievously, for being so unimaginatively foolish; they had just walked up to a Wizard’s tower, in broad daylight no less, and Alden had the immense ignorance to make an open demand of the wizard through the wizard’s lackey and just to make matters worse he gave away most of what they were after! It would have been a simple thing to just introduce themselves and get the half-elf’s name that way, and even if the half elf was the one they wanted did not mean they had to announce it or act immediately. They were to bring the thing back to the bear's camp as soon as possible, not make efforts that end up causing needless delays.

Alden’s actions may well have just made the wizard be on his guard and untrusting.
  Alden could have done little to worsen the situation further.
Alexander hated picking up after Alden’s mounting fiascos.

To Alexander there was no point in hiding what they were doing any more or who they were after, but this did not mean he felt it necessary to volunteer everything, or attempt to gain entry into the tower, by any means, before he had an idea of if or if not doing so was safe.
  [FONT=&quot]“What this _insufferable oaf_ meet to say is that I’m on an errand to fetch a half-elf by the name of Tharivol; if that is your master’s name then I would like to ask him to travel to Duke Bairan’s camp while under my protection. If he is not, then I would like to ask him if he knows of Tharivol. I also belive he can both agree the oaf may remain outside in any scenario.” Alexander spoke, inquisitive to any reaction the servant made, mainly in regards to Tharivol’s name, and more prosaically if the man seemed confused, had to even briefly ponder the name, or just seemed to accept the name without any thought at all as if it were well known to him.

[sblock=OoC] crappy post yes, but I’m behind on my quota it would seem :/
also, about how far away is the Gnoll camp? [/sblock][/FONT]


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## Herobizkit (Jul 12, 2011)

Tio smirked at Alden's brazen delivery, but was quickly replaced with eye-rolling at Alex's attempt at a recovery.  Insufferable oaf... _No wonder his G-Team or whatever they were called abandoned him._


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## HolyMan (Jul 13, 2011)

"Ah yes, yes. The master has had many names, many. But he did mention that one to me. Please he must not be distrubed. I will, will send for you when he is not in his magical studies. Where are you staying."

After trying unsuccessfully to see "the master" the group gives up. They could have forced their way in but then they might not get this Tharivol's cooperation. And they were promised a summons on the morrow to come and visit. 

As they leave they are watched from a nearby alley by a woman with brown hair and wearing studded leather. Thinking to herself they don't look like lackeys, she decides to follow them as the wizard is almost easy to find after the months of searching.

OCC: Will pm you Hera's reason for being in Rem. For now player roll-offs LOL. Hera's hide vs. everyone elses spot. Have fin with the posting up of your rolls.


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## Axel (Jul 13, 2011)

Alden tried hard not to verbally lash out at Alex... _I'll show 'im an unsufferable oaf... Might'as well be hung fer'a lamb as a sheep! Least I didn't jus' stand there like a blasted statue when asked a perfectly plain question in an intelligible language... _Despite an apparently impervious external shell, Alden was quietly seething at the rebuke. _I only done what I thought was proper. If the the boss had done his bleedin' job 'en I wouldn'a had'ta guess at wha'e wanted... Insufferable Oaf!!_


Alden was so caught up in his thoughts of revenge that he forgot his main reason for coming to see the tower - reconnaisance.  _Now tha' I think 'bout it I dunno what the doorman even looked like...  Prob'ly th' half-elf 'imself...  Ha!  'f I saw th'boss at th'door I wouldna' opened it either._

"So, boss.  You mus'be norm'lly in bed by seven 'r'so, right?  Need time t'study yer wizardy stuff?  Don' mind 'f I see a bi'mor'a th' town meself.  Tio, wha'else 's there t'do 'round 'ere in th'evening?" he spoke out loud, completely oblivious to his surroundings.


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## Herobizkit (Jul 13, 2011)

Tio watches Alden attempt to restrain himself, his face tense and anger flashing in his eyes.  After a few beats, Tio breaks the uncomfortable silence.

"Tell me, your _Lordship_," he snapped, "Do you make it a habit of calling your brothers-in-arms 'insufferable oaf'?  If you cannot respect the men who serve with you, how do you ever hope to garnish_ their_ respect?   A soldier may follow your orders out of duty, but may not respect you enough to save your life should the time come."

Here he paused a brief moment, considered to add insult to injury by pointing out Alex's missing G-team.  He thought better of it, and waited to hear what Alex had to say.


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## Zerith (Jul 14, 2011)

Alexander simply turned to Tio and looked at him calmly, for about one second, then his entire face became tweaked with no small amount of furry.
His brow turned inwards and he then all but snarled at Tio’s response; were they truly so dense?
“By very definition his action was insufferably clumsy! He demanded a mage’s _true name_, at his own tower no less! If the half elf is the least well read into magical lore he would _know_ that such a thing could allow someone else to either enslave him or outright slay him with a single damned word!” he spat with growing fervor, he fisted his hands. He truly wanted to wring both their necks at this point; he never was good at controlling his temper once it flared.

  He then, tried, to contain himself but could do nothing to quell the inferno that blazed within the gold glow of his wrathful eyes.

“I do not _care_ if either of you like me, and while respect is independent of it, I also do not care if you respect me, but I’ll tell you this; what Alden did was _utterly_ insufferable. He endangered our purpose here and perhaps even our lives; if that does not make him an insufferable oaf, _nothing_ ever will.” Alexander spoke with venom as he clenched his teeth and nearly ground them as he spoke while tilting his head suitably towards Alden.

While Alden was the obvious aim Alexander’s ire the rouge had the good sense to hold his tongue; to not do the same, or at least not try to do so, would have been improper.

“And you need not worry; I suffer not the need of a tome or idle preparation to perform my craft; I can readily perform my magic without need of such worthless crouches.” Alexander leered down at Alden condemningly while he spoke with thinly veiled ire and then inhaled hissingly though his teeth before continuing onwards. “Tact, a trait I thought you had but now know you know nothing about; even if the half-elf was awe struck by your _blunder_ there were too many ways for your demanded to have been misunderstood. Would his true name be his first name, middle or last? Which one would a servant assume is a true name, what names if given plural? Is Tharivol a first or middle name? Is it a sir name that would leave us with an entire family to bring? Or maybe, just maybe, it could be an assumed name; something that is the opposite of any kind of true name; in this case a true name would have given us misinformation with the party at fault being us because you asked a smart question idiotically meanwhile it would have been amazingly simple to just introduce ourselves and extract a name that way at no risk without even informing him that that was one of the reasons we were there in the first place. Or an even better  way for your demand to fall flat on its face, as we’ve just been informed, the elf has ‘many’ names and Tharivol seems to be one that has been shed along the wayside.”


“How you presented yourself, and thus us, gave every opportunity for abject failure one could blunder into and then strictly for some sort of sick amusement we would then also have to worry about the possibility of either the elf or the servant lying to your face. You of all people, or I should at least think, know that people are liable to simply lie when confronted with an unknown figure that takes a dominant stance. And did I mention that by taking such an aggressive stance you could’ve also put them on guard while also alienating us needlessly?” Alexander spoke and allowed his furry to start to ebb as he monologued. “Your one simple question carried a mountain of dire complications and complexities; Tact, use it.”

Alexander's brows remained scrunched and downturned in displeasure and display of his recently made foul mood; he considered giving the duo more of his mind, but he knew that doing so would just grate himself needlessly, instead he turned and started away towards the inn with great annoyance.

At this point, he wanted little else then for the day to be over.



  [FONT=&quot] [sblock=OoC] While I might be a slow but, RP wise it does not matter if I take 3 seconds or 3 years to make my posts  ^^;

Also, yes, Alexander is blunt and mean when he thinks someone acts stupid or ignorant and is utterly unapologetic about it.
He walks the line of his alignment and well, you’re gonna have to wait and see what I mean :3
…but I will say he is not nearly as fun loving as me ^^; [/sblock][/FONT]


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## Megan Voss (Jul 14, 2011)

: Hera made no effort to conceal her purpose.  Within that tower lay her goal and these strange gentlemen would prove an excellent ferry to that end.  She stepped out from the shadows and strolled after them easily.

Hera was tall, strong, and clad as an adventurer would be.  She was a good squinter and had a strong jaw.  Most men found her sight rather strange, long before they found her attractive.  Some said it was her aura, some said it was her sword.  Either way, Hera was questing now and her God had little time for short-cuts or long.

"Gentlemen."  She announced.  "I greet you.  Pray hold a moment."

Her voice was strong and fearless.  Certain that her approach would get their attention if not demand it.

"Now, you fellows have a meeting inside that tower tomorrow.  Well, I'm coming too."

She placed her hands on her hips and asserted her position with ease.

.


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## Herobizkit (Jul 14, 2011)

Tio stood and bore the brunt of Alex's long-winded assault.  It reminded him of warrior training, of how loud and obnoxious the squad commanders were, how it was paramount that everything was done just so.  Discipline can be taught, but for some, it is a hard lesson.

"If what you claim was so amazingly simple," Tio said plainly, "Then pray, why did this poor insufferable oaf beat you to it?"

"As I mentioned in my tale, were this not the tower we seek, we would have no knowledge of it... hence, all Alden has done is spare us from another hour's worth of your pointless banter."

Tio was about to continue, but then a comely giantess melted from the shadows before him and demanded to join in with tomorrow's visit.  She stood a full three inches taller than Tio, and Tio gave that some concern before saying, "You must be confused, for no one in their right mind would want to join us in our fool's errand."


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## Zerith (Jul 15, 2011)

“It was a simple that question Alden gave: the situation not nearly so clean cut.” Alexander began to Tio “And belief in a world of static blacks and whites is deathly meanwhile we’re already dealing with out such clear lines. Thinking of what I’m going to say for a mere moment implies that the matter is not to be floundered into” Alexander commented, his mood none improved. He then turned towards and up to the, newest, interloper.

His left brow flared for a brief moment, he hadn’t expected the voice that immerged from the shadows to be taller, then him he flatly assumed she had some giant in her and then brushed her stature aside.
he face was initially contorted, obviously a failing attempt at concealing his festering mood, he then gazed on her; a devilishly pleased grin grew on his face.

She was a welcomed distraction; things became interesting again.


  [FONT=&quot]“Interesting; you’ve just made yourself truly interesting” Alexander bluntly stated as he locked his obsidian and golden eyes onto hers. “Be you thief, kidnaper, slayer or assassin?” he asked with an increasingly uplifted mood. “You cannot be on an honest errand, because you just came out of hiding the moment we got out of easy earshot of the tower; further, you approached newcomers who would have no insight as to your ends nor means.“ Alexander spoke with a chuckling snicker ebbing sutaly though his flattened tone of voice.
“The only reason for this is that you’re not confident of getting inside by yourself; their already two nobles who’re coming back and forth from this residence and you’re blatantly watching the tower. You’re either avoiding them because your purpose conflicts with theirs or they know something about you we obviously don’t know; if not then this is all one big coincident. One grand coincident were you stalk a negotiator while he barters with the prosperity of Rem and miss two rather plump nobles and instead latch onto a fresh party that demands attention, one that a woman of your ‘stature’ could be in without drawing too much unwanted attention onto yourself.” Alexander gave a soft, short though arrogant chuckle before he prattled on.

“It’s a far stretch even if I did believe in Coincidences; do you have anything to add before I flatly assume your ends, or means, are a detriment to mine?” he ended smugly with a grin, he was egger to hear what she had to say for herself. Was she going to make an excuse, try and sneak away, flee, or fight?

[sblock=OoC]Oh yes, he just asserted a Paladin was a brigand and a murder in the same sentence no less XD[/sblock][/FONT]


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## Megan Voss (Jul 15, 2011)

:  Hera remained, as so often she did, ..perfectly poised.  Unfettered at the lengthy monologue that so often is assumed to be attributed to villians and devils.  Her quick, chiming response followed swifty.

"I _Am_ coming with you.  You need not fear a Servant of the Church of Limberrie.  My sword shall aid your meager quest for as long as our destines are intertwined.  I am your humble servant.  You need speak no more."

It was a response most directly given to Tio.  Enforced by the loving and good aura that she so sweetly shared with the party.  However, to Alexander the Long Winded, she gave a curt reply.

"...And you.  Sir Detective.  ...Need never speak again.  Nor would I will you do so.  So much of your speaking have I heard that my ears are deaf to your tones and chimbles.  Chime if you must, but know this..."

She pointed to him with her slender finger.  An accuasion from a woman that stung men like the edge of a pointed sword.  Wounding pride, and ego alike, with it's sharp touch.

"...your percussions will go unnoticed and your chorus will continue unsung.  I'll not have your lip, good sir, unless it is to taste the heel of this madam's boot.  Thus saith a lady."

She recoiled into her heroic posture and smiled politely.  Hands on her hips in a gesture of civil talk and proper tones.  Motioning the gentle company to resume their quest in earnest.

"...Now?  Let's get going, shall we?  ...Carry on.  Carry on."

.ooc. verbal smite. once per day. ...check.  =]


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## Axel (Jul 15, 2011)

"By yer leave ma'am I'll carry on from righ' where we left'off" Alden added, mock-doffing his non-existant hat before rounding on Alexander.

"You jus' don' geddit do ya' ya big stupid git?!  'f you reckon yer th'leader o' this li'l exp'dition then ya gotta'nother thing comin!  There ain' none o' yer hoity-toity servants 'n' bu'lers 'n' wha' 'av yas out 'ere.  's jus' you, 'n' me, 'n' it seems these two." he began angrily, pointing his finger at the bean-pole of a wizard's chest and glaring up at him, undaunted by the height of the man, or the other two giants standing around.

_I must be the last normal sized person left in this blasted town..._

"Y' got 'sactly wha' ya wanted outta tha' bloody tower.  Y'know th'wizard's name now.  Or one of 'em.  Wha' diff'rence does 't make anyways what he calls hi'self?  'f you wanna break th'door down 'n' kidnap 'im, or jus' talk to 'im civ'lized like - if ya even knows how - then tha's your choice!  Jus' bloody do't if we's all holding ya back,"  Alden added, warming to his theme.  He seemed about to start shoving Alexander towards the door, then thought better of it.

"A'leas', for th'sake o' th'gods, show some blasted lead'rship 'f ya think you is runnin' the show!  Dun jus' stan' there like a statue when som'un asks you a civ'lized question! 'n don' jus' 'spect 's'all t'do wha' you says.  I isn't under yer orders, 'n' neither is these two.  We is ALL in it t'gether...  O'th'wise I jus' gonna leave you t'die on th'road nex'time."


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## Zerith (Jul 16, 2011)

Alexander cocked his head, smirked, and blinked blankly; he was taken aback and she was more interesting and _far_ more hilarious then he first thought; he could not believe the connection he had just seen and yet “Thus saith a lady” gave him a very crooked smile. He took a moment to gather himself while barely holding back a joyful, and very hearty, chuckle.
  If only the woman knew just how hilarious what she just said was, and that the hand gestures only added to the affect. 

  Alexander braced his gut with his forearms, he then found her about as threatening as his little niece Alexandra*, if the woman before him started pouting her lower lip and pivoting side to side slightly the image of his niece in another twenty or so years would be complete and he would simply have had to cackle with joyful madness.
  [*She had the same hair/eye colors and pattern as her uncle Alexander, and so was given his name, or a variant there of; Alexander was initially aghast by this, three people in his immediate family with the same name, however, he has since taken pride in it]

Then Alden spoke and Alexander turned to reply to the man, with a less manic but none the less a smug smile; he was starting accept how ‘pathetically small minded’ Alden was.
“Put simply, yes, I am the leader of this endeavor, from what I recall your orders amount to assisting me. While Tiagio is free to also aid in this task at his pleasure, aiding and leading are not one and the same. And then we have our newest… acquaintance here, who has given us no real reason to trust her other then because she says so; she won’t be coming unless she can convince _me_ otherwise.” Alexand said before giving a brief pause to allow what he said to sink in “Alden, you’re free to desert, during a time of war, at your whim, but as to how wise it is; I’ll leave that up to you. I’ve already explained why what you did was foolish to the limit of what my present mood will allow, and it was not  I who acted as a statue, it was you who leaped into action without thought.” Alexander commented blankly completely unflapped by the man’s banter.

  Alexander turned back towards the woman and his grin regained some of his previous joy as it again broaden “You seem to misunderstand, ‘ little lady’, I don’t care who you say you are or who you are working for.” he began chuckling while fearing a questioning brow she was amusing him into forethought and recollection, oh the hypocritical nature of it.
“I care about what your _purpose_ here is. Until what happens are ‘our destinies intertwined’?  Are our destinies only intertwined until you see the half-elf? Forgive me if I find that you swear your alliance until a time to be determined at your pleasure to be concerning, but it is.”

“You’ve not given me, or any of us for that matter, any reason to trust in the least; you claim to be a humble servant of Limberrie; what proof have you given? I’ve never seen an acolyte who goes around in studded leather and a greatsword with not even so much as an amulet hung around their neck to denote their highest lord and master. I do not seem to see one around your neck.” Alexander chuckled; he could not bring himself to dispel the oh so silly image from his mind.
  It was far too precious to do so; it was priceless.

“And before you do as you’ve said and simply ignore me, consider this; I’m the ranking officer, a lord no less, you’re a potential threat to my mission and you have the audacity to assert that you will accompany me were you like? Even if you did fallow us around does not mean I will simply allow you to tag along, it is of no effort to me to stat you’re an interloper when you act as one.” Alexander spoke confidently and chucklingly while he continued to see what his niece might be like in several more years. 

“Now, quall my inquiries or rest along with them; _So saith a lord._” Alexander ended while resisting the urge to pout in childish mockery; if the woman had spoken any other words. Alexander could not help but envision that pathetically cute face attempting to look serious as he spoke to the woman before him.
That he had just gave her the same, pervade, reply he gave his niece when she wanted to stay up late did not help matters.


[sblock=OoC] um, its PbP, I can take five minutes or five years to make a reply and it does not have any affect on in game time; and given that there was no noted delay in Alexander’s reactions, it is most accurate to assume that Alden simply seized inisativefrom Alexander who was not in a rush to jam words down the servant’s thought before he had a chance to see the man’s deposition :/

Also, Alex acts more like a smart NPC  with crazy high Will and Sense Motive scores then a normal PC, his character is unbending, so he does not just flow with things that are odd, like a 6’5” woman appearing out of nowhere and just saying she is their to help ^^; 
[this said, unwritten past events are used as I see fit to amuse me randomly! ^_^]


  and yesh, the/one of the youngest characters here is seeing the oldest one as akin to his four year old niece :3
(oh yah, Axel, Alden’s Personal Details  still need to be added)

... I need to stop making late night/hyper early morning posts :/[/sblock]


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## Megan Voss (Jul 16, 2011)

:  The tall and postured woman was not amused.  But her distilled expression of assurance remained.  In fact, she daned to smile.  Of the present company, Alden and Tio seemed gentle fellows.  And the tension between comrades was clear in the words of the first.  This 'nobleman' of much speaking, was something of a tempestuous necessity.  The Gods are fickle today.

With a smile on her face Hera approached nearer the party in a long stride.  Bold, not free.  Easily bowing in the presence of Alden and granting him the pleasure of her company and aura.

"Thank you, kind sirs"

Ignoring the presence of Alexander altogether,

"I am called Hera.  My assistance I grant unto you until the Gods see fit to remove me from your company.  Blessings I bring with me.  And blessings I give unto you.  Until the time of our parting.  For it is the law of the Gods that I serve, and I serve them humbly still."

Then she glanced effortlessly at Alexander,

"...And the laws of fools and idle words, I keep far from me.  For pride is the domain of the damned.  ...And reason not with fear, but with patience held still.  For the wise see withing seeing, and even the blind can watch carefully all the same."

Her eyes removed again to Alden and she bowed slight again.

"I am yours to command, good sir of the unsteady road.  May your quest, difficult though it may seem, be mine as well in heart alone.  A'Shaun A'non.  And A'man."

With her prayer of fellowship concluded she returned to her standing posture.  Ready to move forward and the see the will of the God speedily done.  And in Alexander she sensed no evil, but wary she remained of his intents.  For the hearts of men are deeper still and murky in the depths of their desires.  His riddles she would not ask, and no answer to him would she give.  For separate not a fool and his words, as they say.  For they are coupled together by God.  That when he comes again to judge the wicked they might be found together still, and his judgments shall fall upon them both.

But Tio and Alden, good men of fortunes fine fate, she would render glad service.  And in serving them, they would by simple means, serve her.  And thus fate is one eternal round and all serveth God.  And Hera was pleased.


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## HolyMan (Jul 17, 2011)

Before Alex can speak a rebuttal, a massive explosion rocks the area. Windows vibrate in their casings and loose shingles fall from roof tops. Smoke starts to rise ominously into the clear sky.

<assuming heroes charge ahead - stop me if you don't>

Running back the way they came the group is shocked to see that the smoke comes from the half-elf's tower. His servant is just moving down the stairs to the road as smoke still pours from the upper windows and holes from the roof.


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## Zerith (Jul 17, 2011)

This was, entirely, not part of the scheme much less the plan; Dellex more than likely wanted the half elf _alive[/]. He pinched his left eye between his brow and his cheek and further destroyed his face, he was not amused by this.  He clenched his teeth and exhaled grumblingly with venin through his nostrils, seeing the servant he had two options, wait for the servant to get around or just bolt up the stairs and drag the fool down by the ear; the servant would take an unknown amount of time and Alexander was not in the mood for delays that could get the blasted half elf killed in any number of ways.

Instead of bothering with the servant Alexander chose to charge past and then  race towards the source of the disturbance, Tharivol may have caused the explosion himself and if not he could search from the top down while the others, the much slower others, came from below unless they chose inaction.
The elf was not allowed to die until he was dragged to Dellex, kicking came to it, but alive none the less. “Qual Dras” Alexander commanded boomingly before the infusing his and screaming if it being with raw manna to make himself swifter.

[sblock=OoC] E-retreat, search the site of the explosion/smoke, if elf not there, serch from top down
Also, had to do a quickie post ^^;[/sblock]_


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## Axel (Jul 18, 2011)

Deciding the simplest course of action may also prove safest AND most effective, Alden elected to get help, especially seeing Alex charge off toward the tower.

"FIRE!  There's a ruddy great big FIRE!!!  Bring 's buckets, quickly!!" he bellowed through cupped hands at the collection of buildings around the place.  Glancing quickly around to see if there was anything that might help him, like a bucket, or a ladder, or a big thick blanket, he dashed off to help the servant away from the smoking tower.

[sblock=OOC]
[MENTION=36150]Herobizkit[/MENTION], thanks for the props but it doesn't take that long for me to write in "Alden speak", which is how he normally speaks - I think I'm happy with it...but we'll see.  He has a few different "voices" depending on the audience, but the more upset he is the closer to his native "street voice" he gets.  I imagine it to be a cross between Raych (from Prelude to Foundation, by Asimov) and a northern English thug.  Given I know a few northern English thugs in RL its not difficult to superimpose their accent onto things.  I also write out his speech sections in "Queen's English", and bastardise them afterwards.  Easier for me to understand what he's saying.  Hope it's not too hard to read.

Also, will make a spot roll.  To see if he notices any items remotely helpful around.  
[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (Jul 18, 2011)

"Looks like we're getting our audience after all, hey Alden?" Tio said, a smile starting to creep across his face.  "But if no one can see the tower, how are they going to help put out the fire?"

As he races toward the tower, he turns to look at Hera and says, "I can't yet tell if you're good luck or bad."


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## Megan Voss (Jul 18, 2011)

:  Hera watched as the tower breathed smoke like a dragon's lair.  Excessive as it was and more dangerous than anyone could percieve.  She disliked this situation altogether.  But the pleasentries were finally over now and they could begin moving forward.  Sadly, she hoped that her goal was not compromised in that explosion.  Otherwise this whole quest might have been for naught.

"Good or Bad, I will assist."

The priestess ran behind Tio and accompanied him to the base of the burning Tower.  Her second priority would be to entertain the Tower Servant.  Questioning him might be of greater service than anything else at the moment.  She certainly didn't want to enter the burning Tower.

"...Hail steward.  What is the meaning of this bright sound?  Why does the tower burn?"

Hera spoke with distress and empathy in face.  But her voice demanded great speed in the Servant's response.  This was no time for slow answers.


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## HolyMan (Jul 20, 2011)

The servant looks unhurt just a little shaken by the blast. "The master he was working and something went wrong. I think... I think his magical device exploded. Please help him! Find him!" the man says before someone comes to take him a way and see to him.

Alex, Alden, Tio, and Hera stand before the tower as smoke bellows from it's upper floor. The door to the lower area stands open at the top of the stone stairs and free of smoke.

OOC: Whose is first?


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## Zerith (Jul 20, 2011)

OoC: Alexander pritty much speed himself up and then started  up towards the explosion before anyone else made up their minds about what to do.


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## HolyMan (Jul 20, 2011)

OOC: Need to let me know what spell you casted. And those are intended actions not completed (i.e. searching) but if no one else posts up he will be first in.


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## Axel (Jul 20, 2011)

Puffing slightly from his dash to the tower, Alden faced Tio and returned the smile.  "Ahm no wizard, but I'd like't know'f ma house was 'bout ta burn down.  Even 'f I couldn'ae see't."

Turning to the servant, he gave him a gentle push toward the outside.  "Git out'ta here man.  Jus' wait for's at th'pub eh.  Don' s'pose y'ave any blankets 'r similar round 'bouts?"

Alden glanced with trepidation at the front door to the tower.  _I don't fancy the elf's chances in there...  Still, Lord high-and-mighty has decided to go in.  Stupid git...hope he gets himself stuck.  Then I can "save" him and retire with eight thousand gold!_


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## Zerith (Jul 20, 2011)

OoC: Expeditious retreat, although he is using it like "expeditious charge"


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## Herobizkit (Jul 20, 2011)

Tio raised an eyebrow, first looking at the expression on Alden's face, then at the door itself.  "Do you... do you see the tower there?  The one that's all smoky and... um... tall?" 

"Ummm... Are we just gong to stand here, then...?" He said after a brief pause.  "Not very heroic, if you ask me, but I'm sure things will work out in the end."

"How about you, Hera?  Fancy a round of stand-about while His Lordship saves the day?"









*OOC:*


I completely forgot this until I looked at my character sheet and saw the picture I chose for the portrait.  I was originally going to emulate the character of Miguel from The Road to El Dorado.  I need to play Tio more fast and loose with a bit of a sense of humour, not this tight-arsed Solider-boy I've been making him out to be so far.


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## HolyMan (Jul 21, 2011)

Alex is followed by the others into the stone tower and they quickly (though not as fast as Alex) run up the stone steps to the top floor.

Inside the room Alex sees a strange device that looks like two hollow rings set one inside the other. Bothe rings spin sowly in opposite directions and in the center is only darkness as smoke pours from the center, as if coming from some otherworldly area. An odd weather vane sits atop the device spinning wildly to and fro.

A desks and bookshelves line the outer walls as the odd device is in the center of the room. Most of the books and papers lie scattered on the floor tossed about by the explosion. But nowwhere in the room does Alex see the half-elf wizard.

OCC: Spot and Listen checks from everyone as you enter the room please.


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## Megan Voss (Jul 21, 2011)

:  "Well, I'd hate to see him do all the work."

Sarcastic and passive.  Hera was more than happy to let Alexander do most of the 'footwork'.  She was more interested in her surroundings.

"What _is_ this place?"

She held in awe and moved not an inch.  Curiosity was a tease indeed.  Today was a day of spectacle.  A a spectacle was brewing quickly.

.

ooc: if unopposed, assume 'take 10'.  if opposed...


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## Herobizkit (Jul 21, 2011)

"Well, now, that's more like it," Tio smiled as the group ventured carefully into elf magic territory.  He glanced all about, looking for potions and musty tomes and rat skulls and other wizardly accoutrements.









*OOC:*


And so curious was he, that he forgot to look forward or listen up! *lol*


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## Axel (Jul 22, 2011)

Alden raised one eyebrow and looked at Tio in an amused way, with a big smile on his face.  " 'eroic, eh?  D'no what yer talkin' 'bout.  I is quite 'appy for th'git to get 'iself burned and proper buggered up.  Still, we gotta job t'do..."

With a small, resigned sigh he stepped across the threshold and took in the, well, unusual scene before him.  To Hera, he responds, "It be jus' a room.  I be wond'rin' what all tha' crap is though.  'specially th'spinny things.  Them be weird."


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## Zerith (Jul 23, 2011)

Alexander arrived in the room in a puff, he was not one for running and his multi layered wardrob did not make the trek up the many stairs any easyer.
Had his enterance into the room been under better circumstances he would have taken a moment to pause and examine the odd device, but he was presently more interested in finding his quarry and escaping a tower that may, or may not, explode, yet again, and topple with _him_ inside off it at its zenith.

  He would briefly survey the room, taking interest in sizable mounds of books, pappers, and other maaterals large enough to harbor a recently buried half-elf, small though they may be, or otherwise odds objects, for all he knew the blasted fool might have just made himself tinny and was in danger of being trampled, but at the same time if there was no noticeable evidence of magic gone awry, aside from the earlier explosion, he would simply leave the room and start hurrying downwards while briefly searching each room he came across, he did not want to be in the compromised tower longer then absolutely necessary.
Assuming he did leave the room he would irritatedly mumble “Move.” when and if he passed the others as he would race past.

[sblock=OoC] I are rock/ground type Pokémonz, slow and hyper dense to the world! [/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Jul 23, 2011)

"Did you hear that?" Hera asks the others as she cocks her head to hear better.

The group stands poised a minute looking and listening...

Then suddenly a small winged creature that looks made of the same smoke that pours from the center of the device hopes down before the group.

OOC: Hera gets a surprise round action (then the mephit will go)...

It has an AC 17, HP 13


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## Megan Voss (Jul 23, 2011)

: "Kill it!  It's a Mephit!"

Hera cried and pulled her sword.  Mindful to engage the beast with shock and pleasure.

...

ooc:  speech-free action, draw-move action, knowledge check-non action.


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## HolyMan (Jul 24, 2011)

[sblock=OOC] Note Megan Voss that during a surprise round you only get 1 move or 1 standard action. 

No need to move the room is small and everyone is within a 5' step of the critter at the moment.

Need to make a random roll:
1-2 Alex
3-4 Alden
5-6 Tio[/sblock]

The creature hisses as Hera draws her massive weapon. But it isn't to warn or scare as it begins blowing out a mouthful of smoke and ash. The breath weapon reaches out towards the warrior woman and a surprised Tio.

EDIT: Need reflex save (DC 11) from Tio and Hera. If unsuccessful takes the 1 dmg plus blinded.


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## Megan Voss (Jul 24, 2011)

:  _"What on earth!?"_

With the good luck of reflex, Hera evades the mysterious effects.


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## Herobizkit (Jul 24, 2011)

Tio catches the mephit out of the corner of his eye.  "Oh, isn't that adora-ohmyGOD!" he screams as he dives out of the ash's path.


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## HolyMan (Jul 24, 2011)

OOC: Now INITs and actions from everyone surprise is out of the way.


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## Zerith (Jul 25, 2011)

OoC: I'm assuming Alexander still has Expeditious retreat on? Flanking time. ^_^

Alexander would blitz around the others while drawing his rapier; potion himself behind it, and the attempt to batter the thing wit the fist guard of his weapon.
the woman seemed to known what it was and instinctively attempted to charge it with a blade, meaning to him that it was not, entirely, immune to mundane weapons.


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## Herobizkit (Jul 25, 2011)

Tio unhooks his whip from his belt.  "I've never seen one of those before.  I do hope we can keep it."









*OOC:*


Move action: draw and ready Whip.  Standard Action: Trip attempt on the Mephit.


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## Axel (Jul 26, 2011)

"S'a Mephit's 'nother blasted Demon eh?  Seriously, wha's up wi'th Demons 'round these parts?"

Instinctively reaching for and drawing his sword on his belt, Alden was glad Tio - or the Padre - had put it back after rescuing him.  He had forgotten all about it, not thinking that he could or would be attacked in the town.

"Tha's a farkin' big sword t'use in a small room ma'am.  Migh' wanna put it down!  'r oth'rwise watch out for ma head."

Watching everyone else racing to get stuck in, Alden held back to see how the creature reacted.  If it made to escape, he'd be on it in a flash.  _If there is more than one hanging around...then we're all doomed.  Damned if I'm going down with 'em.

_[sblock=ooc]_
_Actions: delay until last in the round (unless I end up there anyway, then will revise).
[/sblock]


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## Megan Voss (Jul 26, 2011)

:  With the action already underway, Hera slashed happily at the disgruntled monster with her greatsword.  Smirking at Alden's comment all the way.  She made a power attack.


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## HolyMan (Jul 27, 2011)

Alexander dodges around the strange device to get into reach of the strange creature as it looks to point to the device as it whirls. The young lord misses with a thrust as the thing moves slightly and then intones something in a strange language (smoke mephit common?). And suddenly another creature appears from the darkness and smoke. 

It leaps high in the air exuberated by it's new found freedom. It pirouettes to the top of the device before noticing something on a bookshelf and flying over to investigate.

Hera and Tio both try and subdue the first creature to no avail as Alden waits for his chance to get into the fight. 

[sblock=Status]
*POSTED in INIT order*

```
Charatcer         AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Mephit1           17  13  none/none
Mephit2           17  13  none/none
Alexander         12   8  rapier/none
Tio               17   [COLOR=Orange]7[/COLOR]  whip/none
Alden             14  10  none/delay
Hera              14  [COLOR=Orange]11[/COLOR]  g.sword/none
```
[/sblock]
[sblock=Actions]
Round 1:
Mephit1 - summon mephit
Mephit2 - does a little dance (double move)
Alexander - attack (miss)
Tio - trip attempt (miss)
Alden - delay -is up to finish the round
Hera - attack (miss)[/sblock]


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## Axel (Jul 27, 2011)

_I KNEW there was going to be more of 'em,_ Alden thinks to himself while grimacing and drawing his sword. _I suppose the new one is going to make a third one, and before we know it we're going to be fighting the whole blighted demon kingdom._

"'n you wan'ed on'na these blasted t'ings as a pet Tio?!" he exclaims, ducking behind Hera as she attempts to decapitate what appears to be, in essence, just smoke. And maybe mirrors?

Ending up Hera's right side he drives his sword forwards in an uncomplicated strike at the centre of the smoke creature. _Here's hoping cold steel can actually hurt the thing,_ Alden thinks, as his strike appears to hit nothing but dirty air.

[sblock=Actions]
Move action: Moving 25' between Tio and Hera to end up on Hera's right (directly opposite Alexander), and drawing sword. Hurrah for a flank, and BAB+1!!
Standard action: Skewer it!! Or not...
[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Jul 27, 2011)

*Round 2*

The surrounded mephit quickly scratches at Alex as it tries to get away from everyone and over to it's companion. With a quick scratch across the back of the hand it leaves three thin lines of blood marking Alexander. <dmg = 3>

As it moves everyone attacks it once more. <everyone gets an AoO>

It skitters up next to the second mephit and whispers something. The mephit nods and stands tall as if waiting for the group to attack it. <ready action>

OCC: Top of the second.


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## Axel (Jul 27, 2011)

"Y'might as well try t'hurt th'air i'self!" Alden exclaims, breathlessly driving his sword toward the creature again.

_Hang on...they both came from the weird ring things. Maybe they're linked to it...if I smash the rings then they'll BOTH vanish._

With a cry of frustration caused by a REALLY long and crappy day, Alden hefts his sword overhead in two hands as he races towards the rotating rings - bring it crashing down onto them with a thoroughly disappointing clunk.

[sblock=ooc]
Finally a hit!! It's only taken 15 pages, 2 combats and about 10 attack rolls, but I have finally hit something!!!

And...I roll a 1 for damage. Figures. 
[/sblock]


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## Zerith (Jul 27, 2011)

[sblock=OoC]My brain farts randomly, and thus I missed HM’s reply to my question ^_^;[/sblock]

Alexander  grimaced as it managed to invade his hand guard and claw at the back of his hand; he did not think they would be _that_ aired.
  He snarled his face and abruptly twisted his wrist and flung the end of his weapon into the thing, wounding it.

Not liking his tendency to get wounded in melee, Alexander decided to move around but not towards the due, he then raised his free hand and coiled his fingers around an unseen orb, that, by appearances, was expanding in his hand.
He coiled his arm back to his shoulder and then tossed the unseen orb at the twerp that had the adosity to wound him.

[sblock=Actions]move around while maintaining range and then cast whelm on the wounded/original mephit.
I'm starting to run low on level 1 spell slots :/[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (Jul 27, 2011)

"They breed like rabbits, but without the awkward morning after...!" Tio quips, though his eyes betray his growing concern.  He fails to snag the flying Mephit as it floats by.









*OOC:*


waiting to see what Alex does before finishing post.  Also, can we get an updated map?


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## Megan Voss (Jul 28, 2011)

: Hera wasn't about to let this little evil get away.  She pursued the beast with precision and cutting intent.  In the back of her mind this tower was on fire.  But right now, this little dust bunny needed to be chased out.

ooc: move D3, power atk mephit 1.


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## HolyMan (Jul 29, 2011)

OOC: Got the AoO's from everyone and Alden and Hera's round two action need everyone else to finish up. Oh and maybe someone who does <hint> a lot of damage </hint> should tack some whacks at the device.

[sblock=Status]
*POSTED in INIT order*

```
Charatcer         AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Mephit1           17  13  none/none
Mephit2           17  13  none/none
Alexander         12   [COLOR=Orange]5[/COLOR]  rapier/none
Tio               17   [COLOR=Orange]7[/COLOR]  whip/none
Alden             14  10  s.sword/delay
Hera              14  [COLOR=Orange]11[/COLOR]  g.sword/none
Device            00  10  none/hardness 5
```
[/sblock]
[sblock=Actions]
Round 2:
Mephit1 - attack (hit, dmg=3), move
Mephit2 - ready action
Alexander - none yet
Tio - none yet
Alden - move, attack device (no dmg)
Hera - none yet[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (Jul 29, 2011)

Hint taken?

Tio watches Alden smash the wizardly device, then sighs.  "You're really going to break this wonderful machine, aren't you, Tio..."  Dropping his whip, he pulls out a crowbar from his pack and starts to wail on the Mephit-inducing hardware.









*OOC:*


No hit roll necessary, sooo...


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## HolyMan (Aug 1, 2011)

OOC: Was thinking of Hera and her 2d6+4 dmg but that was a solid hit HB no disable attempt allowed sorry Axel this is a brute force play 

The group keeps the pressure up against the mephits, while Tio takes out his crowbar and starts to dismantle the device. 

A good strike on one of the spinning arms and it starts to wobble. As it collides with another moving piece it breaks off falling to the floor. The mephit's screech and as one breaths a cloud of ash and smoke at Hera the other moves around to stop Tio from wrecking the machine. 

[sblock=Status]
*POSTED in INIT order*

```
Charatcer         AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Mephit1           17  13  none/none
Mephit2           17  13  none/none
Alexander         12   [COLOR=Orange]5[/COLOR]  rapier/none
Tio               17   [COLOR=Orange]7[/COLOR]  whip/none
Alden             14  10  s.sword/delay
Hera              14  [COLOR=Orange]11[/COLOR]  g.sword/none
Device            00   [COLOR=Orange]5[/COLOR]  none/hardness 5
```
[/sblock]
[sblock=Actions]
Round 2:
Mephit1 - attack (hit, dmg=3), move
Mephit2 - ready action (unused)
Alexander - cast whelm
Tio - attack device (dmg=5)
Alden - move, attack device (no dmg)
Hera - move, attack (miss)[/sblock]

*Party is up. Hera needs a Reflex save plz.
*


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## Axel (Aug 1, 2011)

Alden watched Tio's blow come crashing down on the spinning ring...thing.  The size of the dent Tio produced relative to the minor scratch he had managed drew attention to Tio's bulging biceps, which Alden hadn't noticed before.  More than a little envious, he encouraged Tio, "Aye, you're goin'ta destroy th'demon machine.  'f tha's beat'ful t'you, then yer a strange 'un Tio."

Spotting the demons' reactions to the two men's efforts only firmed Alden's opinion that they were somehow linked to the device.  Remove the device, remove the demons.  "Smash t'rings ya stup'd nuggets!" he yelled at the other two, who didn't seem to have made the connection yet.

Realising his most useful role would be to give Tio more time to wreck the rings, he sighed and dived into combat with the demon behind Tio. "Jus' keep goin' mate.  I'll hold't off."

[sblock=actions]
move action: move behind Tio
standard action:  attack Mephit (fighting defensively)
[/sblock]


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## Herobizkit (Aug 1, 2011)

"To be fair, this is all YOUR fault," Tio snaps at the Mephit.









*OOC:*


Whacky Whacky at the machine.


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## Megan Voss (Aug 2, 2011)

: ...Hera is forcefully struck by the monsters breath attack and becomes temporarily blinded by it's affects.  She curses the creature underneath her breath and dives forward with her sharp blade in an attempt to kill it.  However the creatures seems to have total concealment against her vision and there is a high probability that her attack will miss.

...Remarkably, her attack is surprisingly effective against the fiendish monster.  Even blinded as she is, Hera knows she hit her mark.  Though she is also very aware that she now faces the danger of counter-attack in her weakened state.

.

ooc: takes 3 damage and blinded on the monsters turn.  blinded status: -2 Ac, -1 Ac Dex, -4 Search, -4 Str/Dex checks, 1/2 Speed, auto visual checks fail, 50% miss chance.  attack: standard action. current HP 8.  current AC 11.


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## Zerith (Aug 4, 2011)

OoC: Sorry about vanishing but I'm still not out of stat so I may be extra sluggish for a few days still ^_^;

Alexander noticed that while he and the woman were the immediate threat to the two, things, they both seemed far more interested in the easily distanced duo while they shouted to each other and smashed at something...

'What are they...' Alexander thought before hearing a metallic "tink" and then a "tonk" blood strained from his face; they had no idea of weather or not the explosion happened because of the half-elf tinkering with the device while it was in operation or not, and these two were trying to destroy it... During operation.

Alexander did not feel safe.

He grumbled and charged forwards, given their early manner the would not heed his warnings and he loathed cowering; if the two had any ears left to chew, they would not for long once it was over.

He thrusted at the nearest foe.


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## Herobizkit (Aug 5, 2011)

"The HELL are you doing, man?!" Tio yells to Alexander, "Aren't you a _sorcerer_?  Use your magic on this contraption already!"


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## Axel (Aug 5, 2011)

If Alden hadn't been in such a tight spot he would've laughed at Tio's comments.  _I never even heard of a wizard who hates using magic so much as this fool!_

Instead, all he managed to gasp out between ducking and weaving was, "His....magic....only......for show...."


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## HolyMan (Aug 7, 2011)

OOC: Sorry EnWorld wouldn't let me on last nite.

The mephit fighting Hera withdraws into the air and towards the smoke. When it reaches the bellowing smoke it sighs in relief as it wounds start to heal.

The other mephit attacks the amazon in a flurry of claws. Blinded her armor protects her from all but minor scratches.


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## Zerith (Aug 7, 2011)

[sblock=OoC] a turn/round/thing is about 6 seconds long. How many sentances can be squized into 6 seconds while taking the 1 second to understand what the last guy said without exeeding 6 seconds[/sblock]

Alexander took the brifest of oportunites to step back andrebutal the two fools. "Foolishnes! We don't even know what that thing dos or what caused the earlyer explosion and you're both hacking away maddly!" Alexander rebutteled with annoyance before turning his gaze brifly to the foulable duo and spoke with furry in his voic and an inforno in his eyes. "Were is the half-elf we're here for and what do you think caused that explsion?!? What do you think would happen if I flung raw mana into a damaged device of arcane origen? 
Predicable results!?!" he roared

OoC: Actions, 5 step back and standered action for speach; Alexander dos not say 'just a few things' when he is annoyed


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## Herobizkit (Aug 7, 2011)

"Here's a predictable result," Tio snarls back, "I break this and it stops working.  Then YOU'RE next!"

Tio points at the Mephit who is enjoying a healing smoke-bath and yells, "Quit your yammering and GET THAT MEFFIT!"


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## Megan Voss (Aug 7, 2011)

: Hera is cut and annoyed now.  Blinded only to the mephit's attacks and not the companions quips, she can't help but feel this conflict is going sour.  But that is only a momentary conclusion.  Until these foul creatures lay dead at her feet, she will continue to fight them.  Visionless or not.

Fighting defensively now, the tall woman cuts downwards toward the foe that afflicts her.  Confident that the monster's proximity to herself will not endanger the companions by her swing.

Sadly all she gleans open is empty space, missing in her attack against the belching beast.  Remiss, she growls at her futile attempt.  Her voice is confident and harsh, mixed with enough volume to echo in the chamber.

"I can't see whats going on!  Finish these creatures fellows!  Or pull me towards the door!"

.
ooc: attack: standard.  voice: free.  fight def: -4atk,+2ac. Hp7. Ac13.


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## Axel (Aug 8, 2011)

With a sinking feeling, Alden realised that SOMEONE needed to take charge of the situation. _Lord high-and-mighty doesn't know what the  is going on, AND he's so incapable of leading people he might as well be a blasted chamber pot!_

Glancing around, he quickly took stock of the worsening situation. _Tio looks like he's got the whacking under control. If I'm wrong and wrecking it doesn't banish the demons, we're in trouble... Since no-one else is taking charge, guess I got the short straw._

"'era! Listen t'sound o'my voice 'n' don'it me! Them demons' be all 'round ya' 'n' can reg'n'rate 'r som'ten. We goin't 'it t'same one t'gether 'n' kill't. On ya' left in 3...2...1...NOW!" he shouted, timing his movements to coincide with his voice.

[sblock=ooc]
Move action: Moving around the rings to set up a flank with Hera. Pretty sure it can be done in 30', but can't see a map.
Std action: Attack! Am presuming with a flank. If not, we can revise any actual results...  Missed anyway.  How surprising.  :|
[/sblock]


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## HolyMan (Aug 8, 2011)

The healing mepjit stays in the smoke and reaches to attack Tio as he swings at the machine. A scratch across the face catches the man off guard but he continues to wail on the device. It whirls awkwardly and looks to be on it's last leg.

Alden gets behind the mephit and as he thrust the creature catches his forearm with a nasty clawed hand drawing blood. Alden think smaybe he should draw attention to himself so much in a fight.

[sblock=Status]

```
Character         AC  HP  InHand/Condition
Mephit1           17  [COLOR=Orange]10[/COLOR]  none/fast healing 2
Mephit2           17  13  none/none
Alexander         12   [COLOR=Orange]5[/COLOR]  rapier/none
Tio               17   [COLOR=Orange]5[/COLOR]  crowbar/none
Alden             14   [COLOR=Orange]8[/COLOR]  s.sword/none
Hera              [COLOR=Yellow]13[/COLOR][COLOR=Orange]   7[/COLOR]  g.sword/[COLOR=Cyan][I]blinded[/I][/COLOR]
Device            00   [COLOR=Orange]2[/COLOR]  none/hardness 5
```
[/sblock]

OCC: NO need for map place is so small your movements need not be noted.


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## Megan Voss (Aug 8, 2011)

:  Aided by Alden's voice, Hera continues to attack the nearest flailing creature.  Sight or not, she would enjoy hearing these devils scream.  She leaned into her strike and gave the Mephit a powerful attack.

Unable to connect, Hera grunts at her plight.  Even with allies close by this fight is still a time consuming one.

.
ooc. pwr atk: standard. Hp7. Ac11.


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## Axel (Aug 9, 2011)

_Son of a bitch that STINGS!! Fighting's for fools...its too tiring, too painful and just plain stupid._

"Yer sword.....be too big....'era. They be dodgin' it.....easy like. On one 'gain....3...2...1...NOW" Alden called out, thrusting his bleeding arm and sword forward.  He succeeded in hitting nothing but plain air, pulling up just inches short of the lunging Hera.

OOC:  This attacking malarkey is such a waste of time for me.  I hate e-Dice!!!!!!  >:-(

"YOU!" he shouted after recovering from his mis-strike, and pointing at Alexander with his spare hand, "Farkin' 'elp or get t'fark outta 'ere."


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## Zerith (Aug 9, 2011)

Alexander was not amused at the slightest by the growing fiasco; he needed to vent, and scaring something that was annoying him to death in a langue it may or may not understand? Causing one of the things terror seemed like the thing to do.

Alexander stomped over to the previously ignored mephit and frowned.
His left eye twitched
He went off on the aired thing .

“What do any of you mongrels think you are!?” he galled with ghastly ire that reverberated through the air “Mere shadows of things that I step upon!” the he whaled while making a failed attempt to brutally stomp mepjit forthwith.
“And soon you shall be naught even that!” he roared at the thing while leaning into it and nearly striking it with a pummel blow that struck the ground and produced a wooden crack.

He then rose and loomed over it, turned down his head so that only the furrus glow of his golden eyes could be seen from his face, and a twiching grin that shined with mallice.

[sblock=OoC] + 3 vs + 13[/sblock][sblock=OoC] 
Also, unless someone else can speak what amounts to air elemental, no one can understand Alex right now, except maybe the mepjits :3

Actions: Move towards Mephit 2 and intimadate the hell out of it with gusto! :3

PS: tryed fixing the duel OoC, but it just would not let me :/ [/sblock]


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## Axel (Aug 9, 2011)

_I think he's finally gone insane!  Eye twitching...shouting and raving in a nonsense language...  Yep.  Insane.  And holding a sword..._


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## HolyMan (Aug 10, 2011)

OCC: HB to finish this round


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## Herobizkit (Aug 10, 2011)

Tio's eyes widen in shock as the creature scrapes him.  For the first time, he realizes that he's in a real life or death fight.  Tio frantically bashes the machine, hoping that once the machine is gone, the mephits will go with it...


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## HolyMan (Aug 11, 2011)

Tio takes and finishes off the crazy machine as he knocks one of the arms free and it falls to the floor. The other arm starts to crack as the stress of something unseen pulls at it.

The smoke surges out and the dark spot in the center of the room grows and the mephit's cry out in jubilation.

Those cries are stopped short as suddenly the dark spot starts to suck in everything around it. The smoke, papers, and anything not nailed down and to light to resist starts to make it way into the center of the dark void.

The mephit's are made mostly of smoke and they too get pulled in towards the center of the odd circle. The claw at the floor and the ruined pieces of the machine as they are dragged into the darkness and lost from sight. 

The terrible wind continues for a few seconds more before the void shrinks to the size of a child's ball, and with one last *whoosh* it sucks up a few pieces of paper and then vanishes completely, leaving the four heroes in the messed up room alone and alive.

The odd weather vain at the top of the machine wobbles like a top before coming to a halt in the rooms center.

OCC: Combat Over


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## Axel (Aug 11, 2011)

Standing in the trashed room Alden struggles to catch his breath, blood dripping from the gash in his right arm over the guard of his sword and onto the floor.  Eventually he manages a weak grin towards Tio and a thumbs up from his left hand.  "Nice one mate.  That was close."

Glancing around at the devastation as he cleans, then stows his sword Alden ponders out loud the question at the forefront of his mind.  "Where be the half elf?  Did it get sucked INTO that machine, or be it hiding somewhere, or what?"

Wandering towards what remains of the twin-ring device he starts to examine the device with all his lack of magical ability.  _What is it made of? _he wonders._  How did it spin?  Can I salvage bits to sell?_


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## Herobizkit (Aug 11, 2011)

Tio says slowly, "That... was... fan-TAS-tic!"  His face bursts into a grin despite the wound on his face.  "Did you see the way the monsters were all like RAWR and we were all like YARGH and then the magical sucking thing..."

Tio looked around for any sign of the half-elf.  Seeing none, he continued,  "Indeed, and speaking of magical things that suck, where is His Lordship?  I need to put a bend in this stout crowbar and his head should do the trick."

Something was nagging him about the machine, though.  The weather vane.  Seems like an awful lot of trouble for a machine that can tell which way the wind blows.


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## Megan Voss (Aug 12, 2011)

:  Hera was knocked prone from the shock and awe of the threatre.  Being blind didn't help.  She thought there was only two of the creatures they were fighting.  But she heard three alien voices just before the whole world went white.  Black, then white.  In that order.

Now she was just ignoring all the chatter ringing in her ears and trying to steady herself and her sword.  Getting up was always annoying with equipment and greatswords.  It didn't help she had landed in a sea of books.  Smoking hot, burnt, and unappreciated; And that was just how she was feeling right now.  The books were a whole other story.

"If you don't mind fellows.  ...I'd like to leave this burning castle now."


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## Zerith (Aug 12, 2011)

The thing was acting like a vacuumed and Alexander immediately grasped the most substance object that was near enough to his reach, a rather hearty bookshelf; regardless if he needed to or not. He did not want to find out where the mepjits had just gone, they did not seem like wherever it was.
When the thing vanished he gave a low sigh of relief and let go of the bookshelf.

Then the carless duo were acting like nothing was wrong and making jokes, and it did not help that one was at his expanse. 
Alexander, still, was not amused.
He saw the arcane device Obliterate not only the mepjits but objects that were native to their own plane; this could have included the two by the machine he himself, or the entire tower they were in! and they did not seem to think a morsale of how wrong things could have gone.

Alexander was breathing shallowly for a moment and was pale, more so than normal, he still did not think the tower was safe, not because of more of the mephitis or the like, but because none of them knew how sturdy the tower was. But he was rapidly regaining his color, and then some.

Alexander looked at the two, and subtly turned his head side to side as if dismissing them, before giving him a small pice of his mind; that most would not think were that small .
“How careless and foolhardy are you two!?” he started aghast, almost dumb struck with their actions.
“We’re in a tower, of unknown stability, that has just endured and explosion of unknown origin and then a phantom of ash appears before us, and you decide to destroy an exotic object because you _assume_ something positive will happen!” he continued with rising furor.

“What do you think just happened?!” he inquired as he started to near the two, sword still in hand and obviously still tense, eyes boiling in anger.
“You’ve just blundered into tearing a dimensional rift!” he shouted, drowning out any immediate attempt to either explain themselves or what they thought had just happened “This tower’s stability has been compromised by the earlier explosion and what do you think caused that explosion!? What do you think would have happened if things were being shot out of the rift and not a sucked in?” he roared at the duo, grinding his teeth as he leered at them “That sphere could have remained open and gained strength instead of pedaling out! There are numerous ways this could have finished with a catastrophic end unimaginably worse than merely those two things that we were dealing with!” he, not so, politely informed them as he narrowed his eyes.

“For all I know that was a portal strait to the damned infernal reams…” he trailed off as his eyes did the same and lost their intensity. He looked brifly at Hera and then sighed in agrance. “Let us find the one we came for and leave this forsaken place forth with...” He finished as his eyes briefly darted back to the two.
Alexander then briefly flinched and jerked his sword hand, gratingly he glanced at it and then sheathed it while breathing an obscenity and then shaking it once before rubbing the scratch with his other hand and then continuing the search.


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## Axel (Aug 12, 2011)

Alden doesn't even bother to look up from glancing through the debris as Alexander goes off the deep end.  Again.  Though he does try to hide his giggles and smirk at the reference to magical things that suck.  Still, his retort is measured and fairly quiet, "Least we did som'en more 'n' try't cut through sol'd air wit'a sword 'n' fancy words.  Didn't see you 'chieve anyth'n much.  Jealous, eh?"

Standing up, he seems more annoyed than his tone of voice first indicated.  Speaking louder than before, he adds, "Stands t'reason dunnit?  T'demons came from t'ring things.  Break t'rings 'n' they gets banished.  Din't y'ever get fairy tales as a kid?"

Hearing a rustle and feminine voice come from the edge of the room, Alden looked over to see Hera struggling to stand.  "Pardon ma'am.  Thought you could use yer sword as a brace fer t'windy stuff.  Forgot that big trees be t'ones that fall in storms."  Walking towards her, he discretely pockets a shard of the device, and offers an arm to help her stand up.


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## Herobizkit (Aug 12, 2011)

"Oh, I wasn't kidding," Tio said to Alexander in a most serious tone.  "While the three of US were trying to come up with some kind of way to deal with this mess, YOU were running around waving your hands in air, crying and doing nothing to help."

Tio advanced a step.  "YOU are the person who should have known how to deal with this.  But instead of coming up with solutions, you chose to shut up for once and leave it to us big, dumb fighters."

Another step, at arm's length.  "And THEN when we actually DEAL with the situation, you whine and cry some MORE about how we didn't realize how foolhardy we are.  HOW is that OUR fault, your LORDship?"

Tio spat, his ire in full force now.  "You royal types are all the same.  Too important to get your hands dirty and only too quick to dismiss your own folly on your supposed lessers.  Just remember that a Lord with no followers is just a man... and from where I stand, YOU are not much of EITHER."


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## Megan Voss (Aug 12, 2011)

:  The leather-clad Paladin regained her feet with Alden's help.  It was much appreciated given her circumstances.  She would remember it.

"I hear no elven voices here, Good Sir."

She spoke to Alden with little volume.  The others seemed distracted.

"...Please.  Guide me outside and to the safety of night.  To remain here is folly worthy of sin indeed.  I sense no half-elf among us, only peril and smoke.  Please, soldier.  My cuts need good air."

Hera begged in the dark of Alden's good care.  He would have to be the guiding hands of her God now.  To deliver her outside from the burning wreckage and to the cool air of the night beyond.  It was a small miracle they were all still alive.  A miracle she was not about to waste in much-speaking.  Besides...  She wasn't much good at laying hold of a powerful wizard in her current state.  Her quest would have to wait until she had the strength again to pursue it.

"Please brother.  Let us go outside."


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## Axel (Aug 12, 2011)

"Prob'ly not a bad idea," Alden says to Hera, eyeing the other two men in the room and their belligerent postures.  _I need to put that fragment somewhere safer than my pocket anyway...  Looks like nobody noticed at least._

"Here, take my arm," he adds, suddenly remembering that she can't see anything.  "There be a healer of sorts back at the pub for yer eyes.  And I want to talk to th'guy that called 'isself a servant," he adds while leading the amazon downwards.


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## Zerith (Aug 12, 2011)

Alexander was about to launch into a rebuttal, and then Alden said something intriguingly irritating.
By this point Alexander was already nearing the door, he turned about and glanced at Alden while holding his sword hand in his off hand and thumbing the wound their on, positively dumb stuck. Alexander blinked, twice “‘Called himself’?” Alexander said audibly, more to himself than anyone one else; he did not even consider the idea, did he get even the slightest glance at the so called servant’s ears? No, he brushed the unassuming ‘servant’ aside without a second though! Perhaps Alden was smarter than Alexander gave him credit for, about one thing at least.

“Thank you…” Alexander said to Alden with a loathingly, grindingly, twistedly antagonized tone through bared teeth; he was still none to plased!
The worst part was not that Alden noticed before he did, but because Alexander had read, several, books were the protagonist did _the same exact thing_ and he did not even consider it.
He turned about and one could simply feal the young lord’s face twist into oh so many knots.
He, ‘calmly’ departed the room, his footfalls managed to get louder as he then started racing down the tower, as did a brief bit of frustrated yelling that was blatantly aimed at himself; the yelling, centered around the words “stupid”,  “blind” and several expletives.
He managed to get it out of his system midway down.

Once out of the tower he would look about for the servant or anyone else who happened to be near by.


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## Herobizkit (Aug 12, 2011)

Tio screwed up his face in amazement.  He did not expect the sorcerer to just turn away.

After a brief pause, he shouted, "That's RIGHT!  THINK about it!" before following the rest of the group outside.


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## Axel (Aug 13, 2011)

As first Alexander, the Tio passed Hera and Alden on the stairs, Alden smiled a little to himself.  _Didn't even know Lord High-and-Mighty knew the words "thank you".  

_As Tio passed, he said "He's headin' for th'pub and the servant I think.  I 'as a hunch...  Would y'mind entering through the stables 'n' checkin' on 'is 'orse?  We'll be a bit further be'ind..."  

Huffing and puffing with the effort of helping Hera down the stairs he thought to himself, _helping a half-giant down stairs in full bloody combat getup is h_arder _than it sounds...and it don't sound easy!  _

Alden pauses in the living space on the first level to catch his breath he takes the opportunity to look around, checking to see if there are any portraits of the half-elf on the wall while making small talk with Hera.  "So, umm...what brings ya t'this travesty of a town?" he asks, realising he knows next to nothing about the huge lady.


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## HolyMan (Aug 13, 2011)

The group exits the tower and finds a crowd of onlookers. They ask if there is a fire and when they find out that there is none most move on.

In the crowd is Padre Gole. The old man watches carefully as the group nears him. Seeing them in bad shape he offers to heal their wounds for them and then what had happened.

With the fresh air to help the ash finally leaves Hera's eyes and the young amazon can see once more. Then her wounds are healed and she feels better than she has in days.

When Alex asks after the servant the crowd looks around and shake their head. Nobody knows where he went until...

A young girl steps forward and says to the group shyly. "I saw the man that first came from the tower walk that way." she says pointing down the road to the back of Rem. "And I thought I saw his ears grow while he walked. Honest I did."

OCC: Alex gets a little insight. Disguise Self. 

OCC2: Time of day getting really late. Hour maybe two till dark.


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## Megan Voss (Aug 13, 2011)

:  Alden tried for small talk as he lifted her down the stairs.  She couldn't blame him.  Things had gotten very strange, very quickly in the past hour.  Truth was, she wasn't sure she was ready for just a normal conversation just yet.  Her mind was still full of danger, smoke, mephits, and mages.  She managed a meager reply,

"Sometimes.  I ask myself that same question."

She didn't smile.  Not even after they had seen to her wounds and recovered her sight.  Granted, her eyes and lungs still burned from the ash and smoke, but it was a small price to pay for getting everyone out alive.  It even sounded like the half-elf had managed an escape as well.

She sat on the ground now, in a bad temperment, and trying to ignore the crowd of onlookers.  Adrenaline still leaving her, headache in full swing, and alien blood still wet on her sword.  Hera couldn't help but notice that she no longer smelled very good either.  Fighting in a burning tower did that to you, I suppose.  Left you smelling like a campfire.  Her hair would suffer from that for days.

She hadn't learned much either.  The artifact she had come seeking was no longer in a convient place setting.  Either destroyed, misplaced, or carried on the mages person now.  The poor Paladin hadn't much choice.  She would need to continue forward in pursuit of the elf.  Which meant accompanying these strange "soldiers" for an even greater duration than was previously suppected.

Hera kicked a rock across the ground and cursed under her breath.  Her God was playing with her still.  This quest could go on for weeks.  Months even.  ...Oh gosh?  Maybe even years.

"I can't allow that.  Perhaps it's time I learned my limits.  Whatever small trinket the village required is now long lost to them.  I will return and declare the deed to be done.  Like it or not.  I'm getting out while I still can."

The large amazon rose to her feet and shouldered her blade.  She was content to leave the merry band of soldiers to their Gods end.  Disappearing into the crowd and then onto the road beyond.

Her part in this grand story was over.  But for the rest...  It was only the beginning.

ooc: dropping from thread.


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## Herobizkit (Aug 14, 2011)

*OOC:*


[MENTION=6679267]Megan Voss[/MENTION]: Dropping the thread?  You're quitting?  How come?


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## Axel (Aug 15, 2011)

_So I was right the first time,_ Alden thinks while looking in the direction the girl points.  Out loud he says "Well, mebbe he listened to me after all and is waitin' at th'pub?"

Hearing the creaking of leather armour and over-stressed joints behind him, Alden turned to see Hera standing and striding off.  She didn't look like she wanted company...  _Now that I think about it, she said something a few seconds ago.  I think she's gone back to whatever place she came from.  Maybe she was an avatar of the Gods, come to help us?!_


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## HolyMan (Aug 16, 2011)

It is late when the group reaches the inn. The "servant" is nowhere to be found and it is getting to dark to search. The group turns in with thoughts of starting out fresh in the morning, and Alex knows of a few "trackers" he can find to help.

_________________________________________________

You all sleep soundly after a day of adventure and awake to a clear cool morning. Heading down to the common room you find Padre Gole and the other members of his group already there and preparing to leave. Tio is there but does not have his pack and looks like he will be staying.

When questioned PAdre Gole says with a smile, "Tio's fate is intertwined with your own. Alden, Alexander, each of us has his role to play and it has been decided Tio's role will be fullfilled alongside the both of you."


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## Herobizkit (Aug 17, 2011)

Tio rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at the ground.  He was clearly still upset; nothing had been resolved between him and Alexander.

With a wan smile, he looked up and said, "Well, let's try to make the best of it."


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## Axel (Aug 17, 2011)

Alden came down the stairs feeling good. He had just had the best night's sleep in months, and in a comfortable bed nonetheless. Given the return to civilization, he had celebrated by shaving off weeks of untidy beard growth and generally tidying his appearance. The overall effect bordered on quite dashing...

He had spent the time before sleep examining the fragment of the device pocketed in the battle's aftermath in the privacy of his room. What is it made of? Is it worth anything?  Alden was pretty sure he knew what it was...  Still, he had put it securely into his pack, just in case.

Nodding to the Alexander on the landing before the stairs, Alden wondered _What's all the commotion? The whole negotiation deal must've gone sour after the half-elf vanished._

On hearing the Padre's explanation of the crowd, he faced Tio, offered his hand and grinned broadly. "Glad t'ave y'with's mate. Be good t'travel wit' some'n 'oo can 'old a conv'sation."

To Padre Gole he asked, "Not stick'n 'round then, eh? Y'get whatcha wanted outta th'place?"


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## HolyMan (Aug 18, 2011)

OCC: You could use that piece of device to buy that crossbow you saw.


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## Zerith (Aug 18, 2011)

Alexander  was not too shocked when the alleged paladin left the day before, from what he knew about paladins they were blunt and forth coming; she was blunt, but not  all that forthcoming; she had either given up on what she wanted, or got it and thus simply left them.
If he had not bee in such a tizzy after leaving the tower he could have gauged which.
___

When he entered the commons and heard the initial conversation, it was too early in the morning to have had a new conversation and packed, unless those two... ample... nobles either managed to have a late conference and resolve the issue that night or the duo packed very lightly... or the backwater village decided to accept one of the duo's earlier offers, or vica versa; given the duo's tone the day before the latter was unlikely.
he also was not very interested in the subject, but he did see an opportunity to gain a insight into the half-elf's where about.

Alexander looked briefly to Tio; his eyes held little interest in the man, either for or against, but he seemed to be rather anxious.
Why? Alexander was not aware just yet, for all he knew the man just got fired for leaving with himself and Alden the night before; in addition to who knew what else.

He turned his gaze towards the ample duo.

"Did someone have to cut the negotiation short?" Alexander asked idly as if making conversation; he would then attempt to bring the conversation towards the half-elf, and then to if they had an idea of were the half-elf was going or had went.


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## HolyMan (Aug 20, 2011)

The priest (other than Padre Gole) are in no mood to talk. It seems they have lost the contract they had come for and must return home empty handed.

After the small party of priest and bodyguards have gone, the group sits down to breakfast. As they eat in silence a young man comes running into the tavern out of breath.

"A monster! The guards caught a monster! A dog-man, they're bringing it into town now."


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## Zerith (Aug 20, 2011)

Alexander’s eyes flared open, he started t shout ‘what’ but found his tongue bound behind locked teeth, he was now greatly displaced and rather angry; he fisted his hands and abruptly stood, all but slamming his fists onto the table at the same time “WHERE!?!” Alexander demanded with a grating shout as he turned a leering stare towards the boy. “Where are they taking it; Show me, *Now.*” Alexander insisted as he walked towards the door and the child whom he was soon looming over with a furiously enraged glint in his eyes.
He honestly did not care if he had just traumatized the poor lad, because the child knew a detail that had just became vital to him and that was that.

He needed to prevent further, pleasantries before the town did something he, and perhaps they, would soon regret. Assuming he got there before anything rash had happened he walk into the scene, not run, not jog but walk into the scene in a slight hurry while seething with great anger and frustration; obviously aimed at yet another fiasco happening before his eyes and demand that further action, beyond confining the gnoll in question for the time being, be halted immediately and that he speak to “...the suicidal fool in charge...” in an insulting and angered tone.

Regardless of which gnoll was held captive he would not pay more than a passing glance, if that; associating himself as the gnoll’s ally so soon would just cause further repercussions and anything the gnoll had to say would have to wait until things were sorted out anyways. 
‘one thing after another!’ Alexander thought to himself with contempt.


OoC: We know what is about to happen, now that I've wasted that 19 I'm going to roll again in a bit and get a natural 1! XD


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## Axel (Aug 23, 2011)

Alden's stomach plummetted into his boots after hearing the boy speak.  _I was having such a good morning.  Why does this crap always happen to me..._

Still he ploughed onward through his breakfast before rising.  He had been soldiering for a few months now and knew the advantages of a full stomach and hot meal.  One never could tell when it will be the last meal for the day.  _Lord High-and-mighty can rush off all he wants.  I'm finishing my food.  Beats bloody army rations every day of the week._

Making a grimace at Tio, Alden said, "There always be a bloomin' problem with 'im.  Pity.  I wanted to go shoppin' today."

OOC: The ENWorld dice roller is complete poop.  I can only roll above 10 in non-combat situations...


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## Herobizkit (Aug 24, 2011)

Tio's face lit up.  "Dog-men, you say?  Hey, now wouldn't that be something if it was one of those Gnolls I chased away?  Maybe he'd have some answers about... well..."

Tio watches Alex storm off and frighten a poor child with his incessant foul mood.  Not skipping a beat, he turns to Alden with a wide smile says, "Shopping, you say?"


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## Axel (Aug 24, 2011)

"Aye, shoppin'.  Be better'n chasing Sir Grumpy round'a'bout.  I'd wager 'tis one'o them dogs ye' chased away.  I've no d'sire to see any of'em again."  Having finished his breakfast, Alden rose from the table and winked at the serving girl hovering around.  "Thanks love.  One'o'the better meals I's had in months."

"So, Tio, I be goin't' get m'pack from upstairs.  Fancy a trip to th'bow shop, or you be wantin' t'see the dog man?" he added while turning to head upstairs, intending to do retrieve his kit.


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## Herobizkit (Aug 25, 2011)

Tio grins.  "I've seen the dog-men.  They're ugly.  I haven't seen the bow shop.  Let me gather my things as well, then let us meet here and travel into the bustling world of mercantile... um... merchanting."

"I may even be able to negotiate a good price for your wares," he accentuated the last by turning around and pointing at the embroidered symbol of the Velvet Proctor on his cape.  "I'm one of the gang."


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## Axel (Aug 26, 2011)

Alden reflected on the wisdom of asking Tio to come along when he was, effectively, planning to pawn stolen equipment as he gathered his things.  _Must be a way to disguise it_, he thought, before running down the stairs two at a time.

Once Tio had joined him Alden set off through the front doors towards the bow shop he had passed yesterday.  He noted the gathering crowds, if it was possible to call them that, coming to see the dog-man and hoped that Alexander didn't blow things apart at the seams.  _I might need a new weapon sooner rather than later.  Hope not...don't really like the idea of killing villagers because of that dunderhead._

Glancing at his intended purchase through the window on the way in, Alden strode up to the counter without a pause.  He spoke to the clerk in a voice devoid of his usual vocabular mangulations, "Good morning sir.  I find myself in need of a fine crossbow and in possession of a valuable piece of metal at the same time.  Noting your wares on display I would dearly like to try that fine example of your craftsmanship.  Perchance have you a target butt nearby?"


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## HolyMan (Aug 26, 2011)

Alexander finds one of the gnolls (who he doesn't know the name of) tied up with a lot of rope, with about ten feet leftover to use as a leash. he pushes through the crowd to the man holding the rope.

When the gnoll sees Alex it starts growling, yipping, and baking excitedly.

[sblock=Gnoll] "Protector! Protector! Help me! We came looking for you! We have a knife ear! Tell these brutes to let me go and take you to him!" [/sblock]

"Ere now you. Gets back yuir exciten da' beast inta a frenzy!" the leash-holder says menacingly.

________________________________________________

"The bow in the window?" the man Alden stopped at the front door from closing his shop early. "That thing has been there forever. No one around here has the kind of money it is worth."


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## Zerith (Aug 26, 2011)

Alexander was unimpressed by the man who was trying to act impressive; nor was he in the least bit caring that he was getting the gnoll exited. He was however still angry; as was his custom when he thought something stupid and or foolish had just happened.
“No, I think not.” He commented monotony as he neared the man at a comfortable pace while leering into the man’s eyes. “But I do think that you should tell me what _suicidal buffoon_ is in charge of this here fiasco before it because truly regrettable for this virtually undefended village.” Alexander stated lowly with venom.


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## Axel (Aug 27, 2011)

"Yessir, the bow in the window.  And you see, I am not from around these parts.  Just passing through really, hence why I expect I have the sum of money you require.  Incidentally, what are you advertising it for?" Alden enquired.

Without really waiting for a reply, he strolled over to the crossbow in question and lifted it out of the window before proceeding to test it's weight, balance and all other manner of things that he thought might make him appear a connoisseur of crossbows.


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## HolyMan (Aug 27, 2011)

"Dat be me. Ye needs ta be gettin' on yung'in." The man says moving between the gnoll and Alex. "I tink ye tone be one dat will be get ye in trouble."

_____________________________________

The shop owner rubs his hands and looks outside through the window. Alden can tell he wants to be made an offer so as not to under sell the crossbow.

As he hefts it Alden notices that the thing is a work of art. With brass inlays for balance and a hard grain wood polished till it shines. It is of masterwork quality for sure and thus expensive.

The shop keeper looks to Tio. "Sorry I only have the one. See anything else you might like?"

OCC: Place is full of items HB what are you interested in.


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## Zerith (Aug 28, 2011)

Alexander finality was, slightly, amused; but still more angered and annoyed then anything else.  “Don’t tell me you’re trying to sell that yelp of a pup here.” Alexander chuckled mockingly while grinning wickedly and speaking just laud enough for anyone who might be interested to hear clearly.
“It’s simply a pathetic example of a gnoll, It did not put up much of a fight did it? Nether you nor it looks all that hurt; making it worthless of trained to be a guard, but wait theirs more, it’s at the worst possible age to acquire! it’s right at the age where it starts building the nerve to challenge its alpha male for supremacy, and even if accepts you as it’s ‘alpha’, for now, it would quickly challenge any prospective owner for dominance; and they don’t bother to give you warning when the challenge comes.” Alexander stated insultingly “Meaning a prospective owner would have to be both able and willing to wrestle with a _growing_ Gnoll, with or without weapons, on a moment’s notice even if sick, and let’s get to the real _meat_ of the issue; the upkeep. Gnolls are carnivores, they can be sustained on grains for a very short time, sure, but in the long run it costs far more just to feed one then to pay for a skilled laborer to do the same job with better results and no risk of being ate the moment you release its bounds so that it can do work!” He chuckled, before digging deeper into the subject.

“Also, their terrible miners, their more liable  to cause a cave in from picking mindlessly then finding any useable ore, and even then the ends of the shafts will need to be redug so that there is room for it to work, there is not one task here that is suited for a gnoll, and if you or someone else wanted to sell it off else were, you would have to hop that other gnolls could not find you before you got to where you’re going, and the odds are they would find you with in short order the only thing that gnoll is good for here is to bargaining chip to its friends, and I think they would sooner kill you then bother asking why you have one of theirs bound: best yet…” Alexander continued before leaning in and talking in a hushed whisper “…if you kill it now, the _other_ Gnolls will smell its blood and Rem will face a full blow Gnoll war party before the body is cold; Rem is presently seethed between those we now war with and the gnolls, who up until now have been happy just scalping Treylor solders and leaving us alone, and now you’ve taken steps to starting a _second_ war with what was a neutral if not friendly faction.” Alexander grinned with sadistic satisfaction and whispered one last sentence with great amusement “if the gnolls come to Rem now, it’s on _your_ head; you’ve taken that burden _from_ me.”

Alexander retook his full standing height while still grinning “But if you were looking to sell it I think, all things considered, three gold coins would be more than generous considering the danger inherited simply in being around the thing for any length of time, that it untrained and virtually worthless here even if it was trained.” Alexander then said flatly before adding “And while I’m not in a generous mood, I’m already running late enough as it is; I’ll buy that _burden_ off of you for three gold coins.” He finished with a mellow tone.


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## Axel (Aug 29, 2011)

Propping and cocking the crossbow, Alden hefted it again, pulling the trigger without a bolt loaded.  The recoil was minimal and the mechanism faultless.  Still, he grimaced slightly and turned back to the shop owner.  "Regrettably it is not as good as I had hoped it to be, although it is a remarkably...pretty weapon."

He hands the crossbow back to the shopkeeper as he shrugs his back off and places it on the floor.  Undoing the flaps and reaching inside he grasps the device fragment that had kept him up half the night in the palm of his hand.  _This guy's pretty desperate to sell.  Probably only gets one chance every other year to sell something this expensive.  He'd accept anything remotely valuable if it gets the weapon out of the shop and some food on the table.  Condidence and bravado man, that's the key.  Been missing a bit of that lately._

"Luckily for you, sir, I am partial to a pretty weapon.  I have here a lump of alchemical silver recently obtained as payment for consulting services to a wizard.  I offer it in exchange it for this weapon," he began, placing his hand with the metallic lump in the shopkeeper's free hand.  "I do not expect you will get a better offer this year, sir."


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## HolyMan (Aug 30, 2011)

"Wha?? I no want tae sell this 'ere dog-man. And if I did why would ye want to buy 'em?" The man says starting to look about. After seeing someone he knows he continues speaking over Alexander's head.

"Mayor! Mayor! I tink dis yung'n be up tae sumetin. Sumetin odd!"

______________________________________________

The shop owner stares at the lump of percious metal in his hand and then at Alden. Before he can answer the yelling from outside can be heard. "Done and done! I am closing gents. Closing to see the dog-man, you see. Come again. Please come again." he says ushering the two towards the door.


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## Axel (Aug 30, 2011)

_I thought he was going to put up more resistance to a barter than that.  Guess the metal was worth more than I realised..._

Glancing at Tio who had been unusually quiet throughout the whole process he said, "Guess we 'ave t'see the stinkin' dog now, eh?  Nothin' much else t'do.  You feelin' alright?"

As they stepped out of the shop Alden stopped again to attach his new crossbow to his pack.  _Two crossbows make me look like one of those crazy buggers that can shoot one in each hand.  _The thought of himself holding two bows brought a huge grin to his face.


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## HolyMan (Aug 30, 2011)

"Well just tie him up too. Trouble didn't start around here till all these strangers came to town." A deep voice says as Alex turns to face the mayor of Rem. "Tie them all up and we can sort this out afterward."

"Yeah tie 'em up! Fir dey cause any mischief!" the leash holder cries out grinning.

"Tie him up!" a man calls.

"Who has extra rope?" asks another.

_____________________________________________

Alden and Tio exit the shop in front of the owner, and the man pushes by to hurry towards the gathered crowd. They can just make out the calls from afar to tie up all the strangers.


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## Herobizkit (Aug 30, 2011)

*OOC:*


Sorry, guys, been busy the past couple of days.  Will try and get something up tomorrow.


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## Axel (Sep 2, 2011)

Alden's grin fades as he hears the sounds of a mob, and their intent towards him.  Turning to Tio he says, "Get y'self t'gether mate.  I be thinking you need y'wits 'bout y'soon.  T'bean pole Sir Grumpy dun' sound like he be doin' too good."


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## Herobizkit (Sep 2, 2011)

"Sir Grumpy..." Tio repeated, then laughed.  "I suppose even HE doesn't deserve a hanging.  Let's head over and see what's what."


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## Axel (Sep 3, 2011)

"Fair 'nuff," Alden added as he headed towards the sounds.  "I don' really wan't'get caught in t'middle though.  How'bout we stay on the edge?"


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## HolyMan (Sep 5, 2011)

OCC: Last chance or a preemptive strike or charm before we start rolling INITs Zerith.


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## Zerith (Sep 5, 2011)

Alexander was not amused, and he let his ire shin as he paced back and forth while getting both the mob and the ‘dog catcher’ right in front of him and the Gnoll just out of the way “Do _Any_ of you ingrates know who I am?” he roared while gesturing at them “I'm on an errand and I don’t have the *Thoram!*” he shouted in rage, before calming down with a devilish grin as if on a switch while he proceeded to dazzle and blind the mob.
Assuming the mob and the catcher was amply subdued, Alexander would simply take the Gnoll’s leash, softly bark “Fallow in silence.” and guide it away back towards the inn’s stable; he was not going to leave his horse and as long as they were blinded he did not need to make a racket to let them know where he went while thinking 'they _always_ expect you to finish the monolog.'

OoC: Cloaked casting + Color Spray


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## HolyMan (Sep 7, 2011)

OCC: Was rolling saves but have decided to let this play out. So DM voluntary failing the NPC saves rule in effect.

Alden sees the bright lights and can quickly guess what is going on. After blinking the spots from his eyes he sees Alex moving quickly towards the stables, gnoll in tow.

Alex's spell catches the leash-holder and mayor off guard. he two men slump down unconscious, with a few of the townsfolk. The gnoll starts to bolt but Alex grabs the leash and hurries towards the stables.

Those few people who weren't effected by the spell quickly run towards the closest building seeking cover. Cries of "Wizard!" and "Watch out his gaze will turn you to stone!" follow the slamming of doors.

And though he got the drop on everyone it isn't long before a few brave men gather arms and start heading towards the building Alex entered.

OCC2: Alex and gnoll are in the stable. Four armed men are about 50 yards from there. Alden and Tio are 30 yards from them.


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## Axel (Sep 7, 2011)

_What have you DONE you stupid...arrogant...jackass...  _Alden's face contracted into a snarl as he strode towards the waiting men, hand on his sheathed sword.  Very rarely was he so angry as he was right now.

"Make way! Or deal with the wrath of the army," was all he said as he approached.  _I don't know if they're going to move...I don't care if I have to stab them all...just going to get out of this gods-forsaken crappy little village before I die here._


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## HolyMan (Sep 7, 2011)

OCC: Add Intimidate or Bluff and see if Tio wishes to aid another.

The men look confused by Alden and Tio coming towards them and stand waiting to see what they want.

OCC2: Zerith they are grouped together.


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## Zerith (Sep 8, 2011)

Alexander knew that could have gone, better, but it could have gotten far worse; not that it was yet over.
Alexander turned an eye towards the entrance of the stable, saw none yet entering and then drew his dagger “Be still.” He commanded before abruptly pulling the leash taught and then cutting the knot it came from, and any others that that continued to bind the gnoll.

Baring a further occurrence Alexander would then quickly sheath the blade, mount his horse and then tell the gnoll “Lead, quickly.” While motioning for it to move forwards; when he left stable he would check if there was a small group of armed citizens marching towards him and grouped together he would cast sleep to delay them until he was well and clear.


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## HolyMan (Sep 8, 2011)

OCC: Ok that will call for INITs please add one to your upper post. I'll roll for the group. I will assume even though you didn't mention it that you started the casting before opening the door and walking he horse out (because if not it takes a round to cast).

"Hey! He's trying to get away!" one of the men yells turning from Tio and Alden.


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## Axel (Sep 8, 2011)

*OOC:*


Meep...this is going to end badly.  Anyone know how many rounds and/or Ride check DC or similar it takes to saddle a horse?

I threw a Bluff roll on the page before (result 3+9=12) so probably ties in well.  Alden is not good at impersonating soldiers. 

Or apparently knowing when his Bluff fails...


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## Herobizkit (Sep 11, 2011)

Tio's eyes open wide as he watches Alex attempt to free the Gnoll.  

To follow the man's yell, Tio draws his longsword and yells:

"Lord Alexander! You are charged with consorting with the enemy!  Surrender at once, and follow me!"


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## HolyMan (Sep 14, 2011)

As Alex sits his horse and starts casting Tio and Alden break through the line of men to confront the noble. The startled men seem taken aback and willing to let the better armed (more knowledgeable) warriors take charge.

They wait to see if Alexander surrenders and ready the swords in case he doesn't.

OCC: Sleep takes one round to cast and you didn't get back to me on how you wished to start the round. Sorry if it seems like these men were on top of Alex at the get go. Alex went to the stable freed the gnoll and saddled his horse. As he was leaving that was when the group spotted him. So if you wish the spell will go off now or you can play along with the successful Bluff.

INIT order:
Alexander
Tio
Alden
Warriors(4)

ROUND 2


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## Axel (Sep 14, 2011)

Alden's head was whirling - there were many conflicting thoughts and ideas racing around...  The magistrate at his sentencing with his strident and commanding tone of voice, _"...I am prepared to take your offer in mitigation Mr Jahl.  By your own admission you have caused our liege to lose the service of 36 men.  I sentence you to your own period of service in the armed forces of our liege in addition to substituting your own service in lieu of those lost plus a penalty to deter others.  I am informed that the average length of service is one year.  Mr Jahl, you are therefore sentenced to a minimum of 60 years service in the armed forces without pay.  You have remarkable talents young man.  Use this time - the remainder of your natural life - to find a use for them more acceptable to the world."_

The trusting look Martomum gave him at their parting just days ago struck Alden at about the same time as he realised that, despite all his moaning and groaning about the food and the mud and the horse , he really did fit in with army life.  He understood people at an inuitive level.  

_I get most people...'cept for this tall crazy one.  No idea what makes him tick._

Seeing Tio - a man who saved his life just yesterday - about to attack Alexander with lethal intent it was all he could do to blurt out "Tio!  Stop!!" before adding in a more normal voice, "There be a whole story you 'asn't 'eard!  Put it'way mate."

Looking around at the, frankly, scared looking yokels with swords the tone of voice and non-verbal quirks of some of the Regular's sergeants back at the camp came to him.  "Listen up, you four!  Spread out, keep your distance!  Keep these two apart.  Quickly now!!"

Spying an empty cart a short distance away, Alden ran towards it and sprang up onto the back of it.  "People of Rem, by authority of Lord Bairan this town is now under martial law!  The next man to move without permission is a dead man."

[sblock=ooc]
A big block of text for a standard round.  If unreasonable, consider everything after telling Tio to stop as Alden's action for the 1st round and 2nd round as necessary.
[/sblock


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## Zerith (Sep 14, 2011)

Alexander cracked a grin; he expected the rouge to be sneaky, but this was something else. And while did not work with the discretion he wanted to maintain, that was already well blown.
“We’re in one war Already.” Alexander started with sinisterly amused tone, while easing away from the citizens while feeling his chin in an odd manner and looking about as if in crazed thought and then commanded “Zeran.”  Just as a thick mist sprung up around him. “I’m only preventing the second from occurring needlessly.” Alexander then commented smilingly with a hint of general disappointment and a shrug just before he was obscured in mist. “Move, swiftly.” he then barked lowly to the gnoll.

OoC: Where is the Gnoll in the int?
As for actions: Move and cast Obscuring mist.


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## Herobizkit (Sep 18, 2011)

Tio's face fell as he heard Alden's command, then watched him leap out of earshot and onto a cart.  There was no way to tell Alden that he was trying to open a peaceful avenue of egress for the high and mighty Alexander.

_Well, what's done is done.  Time to see how the show plays out.
_


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## Herobizkit (Sep 22, 2011)

*OOC:*


Bump.


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