Dwalin let's out a loud grunt. He stands up with his shield raised in total defence (+4 ac, standard action) "Adwonus, go get your weapons and my axe, just leave her the knife! I'll take care of this little bastard! "he then takes a step back over to where adwonus  was sitting, positioning himself in between Taisiya and chen
This message was last edited by the player at 05:35, Tue 23 Dec 2014.

"I can get myself out, you go!" She told him and held her hands open for the knife. "I'll help once you cut this bastard to ribbons and get my baby back from his filthy thieving hands." She suppressed a growl in her tone, thinking of this human trafficker holding and using her sword against her own allies.

Dwalin held his shield high, bracing himself against the cold metal. He glanced down at the wound, but it was nothing he couldn't handle – he was a dwarf afterall. Hastily, Dwalin pushed himself off the ground. Chen swung out in frustration, and Dwalin felt the blow thunder fruitlessly against his shield, and the vibration tremor through the wood {AoO: Miss}. Next to him, Adwonus had grabbed the knife and was cutting his ropes furiously, "Almost there." As he sawed, Dwalin stepped over him. "Got it," Adwonus breathlessly muttered. His rope bonds fell in a shredded pile behind him, and Adwonus lay huddled {Sitting} beneath Dwalin's stance {Squeezing}.

Taisiya struggled where she was, malice rising with each swing that bastard took with her sword. And in spite of her fury, he took another. Chen swung once more at Dwalin, but again the edge harmlessly struck the shield's edge; the dwarf was almost completely hidden behind his wall {Attack: Miss}. The old man was shouting in his foreign tongue, hastily digging for something behind his counter. Then, the door to the cabin flung open as Jiao sprinted into the room. For a young Shan-tai girl, she could move fast. Jiao ran toward Dwalin and swiftly drew a dagger from her belt, one of several. Suddenly, Dwalin felt surrounded.


This message was last edited by the GM at 12:38, Tue 23 Dec 2014.

In reply to DM Ryan (msg # 14):

The half orc sprang to his feat, dagger in hand. He grimaced, hesitating a moment before cutting Taisiya's bonds instead of fighting.

"Thank you, Adwonus!" Taisiya said, springing to her feet as soon as the bonds were cut. Her eyes flickering between Jiao and Chen. She wanted to rip Chen's head off, but still realised for the moment, Jiao was a far bigger threat to her.

[Private to DM Ryan: She immediately allowed the feeling of power to flow through her. If she can't get her physical weapon down then with the secrecy. She would not let herself or others die in order to keep her magic secret. Besides... She thought to herself, If it helps I doubt they would ever want to use it against me... right?]

Ropes fell to the ground as Adwonus scrambled to his feet, his body brushing against Dwalin's cold armor. Anger tinged his face, and he stood hastily in his frustration, sloppily. Chen lunged. Adwonus was stunned, shocked even, as the sword slid into his chest. Senses went silent, and Adwonus suddenly couldn't hear a thing. Whether it was from disbelief or cardiac arrest, he couldn't tell {AoO Hit: Adwonus takes 16 Dmg. ~ Critical}. Slowly, dreamlike, he continued with his motion, not uttering a word nor howl of pain. The girl stabbed him in the side, but he still said nothing - his senses had gone numb {AoO Hit: Adwonus takes 3 Dmg.}.

Adwonus could see Taisiya shouting to him, panicked, but not a sound seemed to come out. Watching her in a frightening daze, he mindlessly cut her bonds, freeing her all the while. She stood up and immediately grabbed his shoulders, trying to get something through to him. But to Adwonus' ears, the world had gone mute, his thoughts with it. He watched her mouth move, trying hard to figure out what she was saying. 'Behind you?' The sword came down again, carving a scar across the half-orc's back {Hit: Adwonus takes 4 Dmg.}. Jiao fumbled with her dagger, not expecting her opponent to stand so still {Miss}. Like a zombie, Adwonus stood on the verge of oblivion, gazing thoughtlessly - almost peacefully - into the distance.

Some blood spattered in Dwalin's eye, and he lurched forward, nearly stumbling into the table across {B2}.



[Private to Taisiya Northwood: Taisiya looked at the blood on her hands - Adwonus'. The spatter tingled where it stained, a sensation which spread and spread, as though it awakened something deeper within. Was it fear or magic? Then she thought, maybe, the two were more similar than she'd realized.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:01, Thu 25 Dec 2014.

Dwalin steps to the side and picks up his axe. He turns around ready to attack anyone who draws near. He has a grin on his face showing the happiness from being reunited with his weapon.

Taisiya tried to hold Adwonus steady as he was slashed and battered. She felt drenched in his blood with panic boiling into anger. Her face changed from terrified to enraged as her wide eyes became slits. Her mouth down turned into a grimace. "All three of you. Every single one of you can burn." Her voice juxtaposed her threat with an ice cold tone as she pointed a single finger at Jiao.

[Private to DM Ryan: ((Burning hands I'm sure you can guess.))]

Dwalin hastily groped for his axe, hands reaching across the table. When they finally grasped the handle, a subtle joy rippled through him, for he'd been reunited with a part of himself once more. As he turned, Taisiya uttered a cold threat to Jiao, "All three of you. Every single one of you can burn." She pointed a finger, but Jiao, instinctively expecting a weapon of some kind, ducked beneath it {Evaded}; Taisiya's felt a flash of fear as she realized. . . she was pointing directly at Dwalin. All Dwalin saw was a flash of fire when he turned, as though someone was throwing a torch in his eyes. He quickly raised his shield, but his arm still felt hot behind the metal, bracing himself against the underside {Reflex Success: Dwalin takes 1 Dmg.}. Lowering the shield, he thundered, "Where the hell did that come from?!"

Taisiya hastily started to speak, to explain, but she never had the time. Jiao, small and nimble, whipped around her black ponytail as she sprang to her feet. She spun to the side; her dagger was a blur as it circled her body, until it was abruptly shoved into Adwonus' gut. Taisiya almost screamed, but only the smallest sound came out. Staring into the distance, having lost his senses before, Adwonus collapsed on the ground without another word, eyes closed {Adwonus takes 2 Dmg.}.

The old man was loudly shouting in his foreign tongue, pointing at the Taisiya with eyes full of greed, seeing a lot of money soon to be made. Chen pivoted and swung his sword down on Dwalin, but Dwalin was already in an upward swing with his axe. The edge of Dwalin's axe bit into flesh, giving Chen a new scar on his chest {Hit: 4 Dmg.}, but Chen's blade struck Dwalin almost simultaneously {Dwalin takes 3 Dmg.}. Suddenly, the party realized what the Old Man had been doing behind the counter as he pulled out a loaded crossbow and rested it on the wood. He fired. The bolt flew like a small bird darting through the air and struck the side of the table next to Dwalin, protruding from the furniture {Miss}.

Dwalin glares at chen with fury after seeing his companion fall. He swing his axe first,(16+4) then immediately follows by lunging at him with his shield,(9+3). He yells to Taisiya as well"Attack them or something!" damage rolls if i hit (Today: Dwalin Grayhammer rolled 5 using 1d4+2. shield damage.
00:49, Today: Dwalin Grayhammer rolled 7 using 1d10+2. axe damage.)
This message was last edited by the player at 05:51, Tue 30 Dec 2014.

Taisiya flushed deep, guilt rolling through her when the flame hit Dwalin. "I am trying to thank you very much!" she snapped when he yelled at her. She redirected her attention back to Jiao, realizing less enemies at the moment would be for the best.

[Private to DM Ryan: ((Cause Fear))]

Sweat and blood stained the inside of his chain shirt, but he pushed through it nonetheless. Dwalin swung his shield outward, and the banded wood thudded against his enemy's chest, rather forcefully {Hit: 5 Dmg.}. Of course, this was just a distraction. Muscles tensed, Dwalin heaved his axe over his shoulder in an arc following the blow, and the edge thudded into Chen's head, just like splitting a log {Hit: 7 Dmg.}. Chen instantly collapsed to the ground without a sound. The old man started howling and wailing, his speech slurred.

Taisiya closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, but it did not last long. Jiao slashed with her dagger and cut Taisiya across the thigh, tearing through clothing {AoO ~ Critical: 6 Dmg.}. Pain clouded the visualization, and it was lost {Concentration: 10}. Swiftly, Jiao then darted between Taisiya and Dwalin, but she was too fast and small to hit {Tumbled}. Pressing herself against a pile of junk, close to her grandfather, she tried to stab Taisiya once more. Taisiya backed away, the tip coming inches within reach {Miss}.

The old man hastily loaded his crossbow and slid a little further down the counter. Shouting angrily at Dwalin, he fired, and the bolt shot harmlessly into Dwalin's shield; the tail end protruded from the wood {Miss}. 'Better it than me,' Dwalin thought.

This message was deleted by the player at 23:55, Tue 30 Dec 2014.

In reply to DM Ryan (msg # 23):

The half orc gets to his feet. Grimacing, but knife in hand...
This message was last edited by the player at 02:08, Wed 31 Dec 2014.

After seeing his foe fall to the ground, dwalin turns and stares at jiao. "Now it's your turn! you captured the wrong people!" Dwalin runs at her and raises his axe. He lets out a shout as he swings it down at her.
02:40, Today: Dwalin Grayhammer rolled 7 using 1d10+2. damage side quest .
02:40, Today: Dwalin Grayhammer rolled 14 using 1d20+8. attack roll sidequest.

Dwalin ran toward the Shai-tai girl, weapon twirling overhead. His heart was thundering and his blood pumping, dwarven blood. Grease and sweat made his beard look ragged and damp, but it only darkened his countenance further. Dwalin swung his axe in a flat arc which cut through leather {Hit: 7 Dmg.}; blood seeped out of the tear, dark against the clothing. As Dwalin took a step back, he glanced at Adwonus who slowly pulled himself to his feet, clutching his wounded torso. The dwarf could hardly believe it, thinking him dead for certain.

The old man set down the crossbow and stepped behind Dwalin, suddenly pulling out what looked to be a long needle or hairpin, but even Dwalin noticed the wetness upon its tip – poison. He thrust the needle forward {Miss}, and Dwalin hastily swung out his shield, knocking it away. While the dwarf was turned, Jiao tried to capitalize, lunging with her knife. It futilely bounced off the hard brass rings of his armor, harmless against such protection {Miss}. Impenetrable, swinging axe and shield in a fury, Dwalin was on a rampage.

Taisiya quickly scurried over to where Chen's body lay slumped on the floor ((C3 specifically)). She carefully pulled her sword from his corpse. "I am never letting you out of my sight again." She said in a hushed tone before turning around. She held her sword tight in her hand.

[Private to DM Ryan: ((And I'm sorry I'm still not 100% clear on some of this but I'm assuming that's all of her actions used and she wouldn't be able to just whip around to go at Jiao, correct?))]

Taisiya eyed her sword on the ground and hastened to it. As she reached down for the handle, Jiao thrust out her dagger hoping for a strike in the back, but she missed {AoO: Miss}. Feeling the coolness of the hilt, the leather gripping beneath her palms, Taisiya felt as though she'd found a long lost friend. Light from the lanterns hanging in the cabin reflected on the broad side, glistening, except near the end where it had been stained. Both Adwonus and Dwalin's blood were visible on the edges. Taisiya grimaced at the sight.

Dwalin shifted uncomfortably between his two opponents. The Old Man held his long needle and searched desperately for a gap in Dwalin's armor. He thrust the point toward a crevice in Dwalin's shoulders, but the tip struck the shoulder pads instead, not doing a thing {Miss}. Jiao immediately followed with a swing of her dagger, but Dwalin pushed it away with his shield {Miss}. A look of dire worry crawled over her face. She then spoke in a crude Common tongue, clearly not well-practice, "Wait. We talk. Kay?"

"So now you want to talk?" Taisiya piped up. "What is it?" She asked, her eyes darting between Jiao and the old man to watch for movement. She kept one hand gripped tight around the sword, the other flexing as if it was itching to let something out of it if either of them made a move.

Dwalin keeps his eye on the old man and occationally looking toward jiao  with his axe ready to attack and his shield raised. "here's the deal, your gonna let us leave with all of our equipment or else we will kill you. if you don't like that, I'll gladly split your head open too."

Jiao smirked, "Just kidding." The old man crept up behind Taisiya, needle in hand. She immediately turned around and swung with her sword, almost instinctively. Shocked, the old man gave a blank expression as he collapsed feabily to the ground. Taisiya's sword was nearly red and would be in dire need of cleaning later {Hit ~ Critical: 8 Dmg.}. Jiao dove to roll over the counter, but Dwalin quickly followed with his axe. It plunged into her back, and she fell into the edge of the counter, nearly knocking away Adwonus' axes. After a moment, Jiao's body too slumped to the ground {Hit: 9 Dmg.}. Suddenly, the room was silent, perturbed only by the sound of dead or dying people.

In reply to DM Ryan (msg # 32):

The half orc lurched forward past the corpses and gasped his prized weapons again. He coughed, still wounded. "Glad that's over... sorry I was so useless.... let's get out of here... I need a hand walking fast though..." No
This message was last edited by the player at 19:05, Tue 06 Jan 2015.

"Go on Dwalin, I'll get Adwonus," Taisiya took one of Adwonus' arms around herself to help support his weight as best she could. "You are just fine, you did everything you could," Taisiya reassured him while she moved as fast as they collectively could out of that room and off the ship.

Dwalin steps over the corpses and leads the way for the team out of the room. He keeps his axe out until he reaches the pier. "Well you certainly absorbed a lot of hits for us. It's been quite some time since I've seen somebody tough enough to get hit and keep going."

Taisiya put her arm beneath Adwonus' shoulder, supporting a fair amount of his weight. He breathed heavily, slowly. If his leather wasn't already dyed dark red, he'd likely look as bad as he sounded. Dwalin gave one of the bodies a kick as he walked behind the counter, searching. Adwonus grabbed his pair of axes and slung them on his back. "Come on, let's – cough - get out of here before the rest of their crew comes - cough." "Yea," Dwalin grunted. He could feel the calm that comes after a battle. Perhaps it was a dwarf thing, but when the adrenaline lessens from flames to cool embers, a subtle bliss takes over; something he knew he'd earned.

Adwonus was heavy, or so Taisiya realized, but to her relief he could still walk well enough. Leaning on her as a support, they meandered out the door and over the decks of the ship, dodging all the ropes and tangles. Following close behind, Dwalin paused a moment to glance over the water; the bay shifted restlessly beneath low-hanging clouds. And across to the south stretched Lower Herrod, though from here it merely looked like an endless forest of buildings. "Come on Dwalin. We should hurry," Taisiya called back. Without delay, he caught up and together they left the ship.

Feet finally back on the pier, they were a stone's throw away when they heard chattering voices. The party looked back toward the ship and saw a decent sized crew of ten men returning, laughing and still merry from their time on shore. Adwonus smirked, "They're going to be real upset in a minute." "Let's not be around here when that happens," Taisiya added. Dwalin started chuckling. "What is it?" They could see the smile beneath his thick beard. "They're going to be even more upset we they realize this is missing." He pulled out a small cashbox from his backpack, the sounds of coins clinking inside. "Heh – cough – nice work." Dwalin dug a hand in his pocket and pulled out a bottle as well, filled with a bright teal paste, "And this too." He tossed it to Taisiya. Adwonus' raised his eyebrows, "Do you know what this is? It's elven medicine!" "I know." "This is worth five of those cashboxes put together; could save a life someday." Taisiya smiled, "Profitable day!"

Then, they heard a distant cry back from the ship, "Hey! Our captain's dead!" The party swiftly looked at each other. "Run." "Yep." Without further adieu, the group of adventurers clumsily ran down the pier, happy about the new cash in their pockets, but happier still about not being sold as slaves today.

The End.


{Quest Completed: A Cup of Tea}

Rewards
The party gained 17 gold pieces, 98 silver pieces, and 35 copper pieces.

Roll a d20! Highest number wins the special prize: Elven Medicine, Moderate!

Dwalin: Gained -1- Clay Token
Adwonus: Gained -1- Clay Token
Taisiya: Gained -1- Clay Token

Side Quest #2 Experience
Dwalin: Gained 95 XP
Adwonus: Gained 85 XP
Taisiya: Gained 95 XP