Lira turned before the running man had hit the ground and lined up which ever of the two riders to the front of the group that she could see. Once she had a window to attack she left fly with her weapon.

Lira rolled 18 using 1d20+10.  Attack.

Lira rolled 9 using 1d10.  Damage.
Lira rolled 1 using 1d8.  Pierce.


-

[OOC: Okay, so Lira's attack looked right, but I'm not sure where you're getting the +5 for Oliver from? He should have +1 for class, +1 for Dex, and +8 for the bandit's AC for +10. I see you had a correct roll already in the dice roller... either way, it looks like both Lira and Oliver narrowly miss.]

Lira and Oliver's shots go wide as the mounted fighters become a tangle, dusty tumult of a melee. Callum continues his pursuit of the bandit leader, managing to drive the man through with his sword. The corpse of the man in the felt hat slumped to the ground, his horse panicking and charging off in a random direction. Wheeling around to face the other bandit, however, Callum takes a heavy strike from the warhammer, right in the chest. It is nearly enough to unhorse him, but he manages to stay upright and raise his sword in defense...

[OOC: Callum took a Piercing blow for 8 damage, so he's in rough shape. Only one bandit left, though.

Bandits 13
Oliver 11
Lira 9
Callum 4]

String back and bolt in groove, Lira was mechanical in her preparations before placing the slot towards the man with the hammers chest. Holding her breath she pulls the trigger and lets the bolt fly.
Then the crossbow is off her shoulder and she is reloading again.

Lira rolled 24 using 1d20+10.  Attack.

Lira rolled 10 using 1d10.  Damage.
Lira rolled 2 using 1d8.  Pierce.


-

Oliver steps up and moves towards the rider, removing his cavalry sword from it scabbard as he does so. He raises the hand guard to his ear and advances on the rider, thrusting forward when he is within range.

Should be +1 for class, +2 for Str, and +8 for the bandit's AC for +11 This round ?

Oliver Fitzwilliam rolled 25 using 1d20+11.  Attack.

Oliver Fitzwilliam rolled 7 using 1d8.  Damage.
Oliver Fitzwilliam rolled 1 using 1d6.  Pierce.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 02:14, Tue 09 Oct 2018.

[OOC: Okay, think you got it!]

Callum and the remaining bandit are too consumed in their mortal struggle to notice Lira re-stringing her crossbow or Oliver stalking forward with his sword. Callum and the bandit's weapons clatter loudly against one another until the bandit's horse almost backs up into Oliver. With a cruel thrust, Oliver runs the bandit through before either he or his steed can twist away. Lira holds her fire.

Once the chaos is over, Callum removes his coat and his leather cuirass to inspect his wound. The heavy blow from the hammer broke the skin, and an enormous discolored bruise now graces Callum's sternum, which is miraculously somehow unbroken. Ribs are intact, too. Callum mutters some prayer and pulls a flask of alcohol from one of his horse's packs. He drinks deeply from the bottle, but doesn't seem to get drunk. Callum never seems drunk. [OOC: Callum drinks a flask of alcohol, but doesn't take any inebriation penalties due to his Iron Liver trait. Just a natural reaction to a near-death experience, I think.]

"Were that a sword, I'd be dead," Callum says between gulps. "Captain," he says to Oliver, "if that happens again and I die, you must deliver this to the lieutenant." By 'the lieutenant,' Oliver knew Callum meant Lieutenant Jonathan Frame, the leader of the Ranger outfit they both were hunting. Callum pulled a sealed letter from his hip-pouch, waving it in Oliver's direction. "I hereby charge you in the name of the Golish Royal Mail, and all that." Callum drank again, grimacing and shrugging his cuirass back on. "And second, next time, just give them the damn gun." Callum finished the bottle, and either grimaced or smirked. It was hard to tell.

[OOC: Don't mind Callum! He's just grouchy. That went pretty well, I think. Pierce die were interesting and the whole thing had the exciting, high-stakes rocket tag feel I was hoping for!

The bandits have on them: 5 silver pieces, their clothing, two pistols, a carbine, a musket, a heavy cavalry saber (1-handed weapon), a warhammer (bludgeoning 1-handed weapon), four daggers, five days of trail rations, and a riding horse. You can try to hunt down the other horse if you want, but I will need some kind of check and some idea of how much time you devote to the endeavor.

As far as Callum's injuries, I haven't really figured out healing yet, my bad. Here's my idea: you regain HP every 24 hours. You regain your level in HP from just natural healing and clotting, even if actively adventuring or running for your life the whole time. If you have the opportunity to rest for at least 8 hours during those 24 hours, you instead regain double your level in HP. If you spend the whole time on bed-rest, it's triple your level in HP.

I need to be generous with healing, since it may be a long time before you get reliable magical healing, and is really up to chance whether you get it at all. It also fits the swashbuckly, Shadow of the Demon Lord-y flavor, I think?

You are three days to your destination, and it's up to you how fighting fit you want Callum to be.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:36, Tue 09 Oct 2018.

Oliver took a knee as he looked over Callum's injury, he said nothing until the letter came up, "Don't you worry you can hand it to him yourself. Here let me have a look ?" Oliver does what he can before adding <rose>"We will camp here for the night and see how you are in the morning. Here lets get you comfortable while we make camp. Oliver will give up his bedroll and blanket to Callum if he does not have anything to lay down in.

Then he sees to the horses, removing their tack, brushing and rubbing them down and creating a horseline for the night. Lastly Oliver checks their hooves after the ride and battle making sure nothing has gotten in there. By the time he was finished Lira had a fire going and was working on her tent so he went to help getting everyone's accommodation for the night up.


-

Standing and watching as Oliver tried to help Callum with his wound Lira was at a loss to aid him. It had been her mother who was the healer, midwife and bone setter. She had said they would begin Lira's learning once the harvest was in for the year, but then the bad stuff began to happen and her mother stopped talking to her.

She turned so the tears would not flow and began to get the fire ready when she had a few flames licking the wood Lira went and searched the fallen bringing their goods over to Callum and laying them out on his blanket as she went to sort out her tent. Then lastly she fetched some water and put it to boil as she helped Oliver prepare the evening meal using the rations they had found.

As they sat together and finished off the last of their meal Lira asked "Oliver, should we bury the dead ?" A nod as he ate the last of the black bread and then once he was up he offered his hand to Lira and they set to digging the holes they would need. A long and tedious endeavour that was not over soon enough.


-

The group quickly makes camp, while Callum rests up. There's not much to be done other than clean and dress the small laceration where the skin split from the blow. The rest is simply terrible bruising, so Callum does his best to rest and brace himself for the pain to come tomorrow. He shoos away Oliver's fussing, and manages to erect his own tent despite his injuries.

Burning bodies is the common custom along the hardbitten northern border, the better to prevent draugr if a wightstorm blows in from Golinlund. But shallow graves suffice just fine, as fuel is scarce and pyres take time to build. With the graves filled and some food in everyone's stomach, the group rested for the night. Nothing troubled them, and it wasn't too long before they were greeted by the gray light of dawn.

[OOC: So, you rest and we'll fast forward to Callum getting 2 HP back. If you travel three more days, assuming you camp for 8 hours a day (which is fine), he'll be perfectly back at full HP by the time you reach your destination. Assuming no more random encounters or anything of course, heh.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:34, Wed 10 Oct 2018.

Once they break camp in the morning and after some more food they continued onto their destination. As they rode Oliver took note of the country they pasted and updated the map as they went should someone need it once they returned.

Just before they leave for the open road again Liver will offer up the gunpowder weapons to whoever would like one, if there are no takers he takes the better of the two pistols, checks it functioning and the loads and places it in the opposite holster on his saddle. He also hands out the silver to the others giving them two and taking one for himself.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 02:13, Thu 11 Oct 2018.

Lira helped Callum with his own gear and then saw to her equipment as they broke camp. She tied the horse they had acquired to the rear of her own and then fell into their marching order as they moved off.

Lira declines a pistol or carbine, preferring to stick with her crossbow given its excellent performance to date.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 02:14, Thu 11 Oct 2018.

Callum gladly accepts a pistol and the silver. He isn't personally interested in the long arms, but offers to carry them on his horse so they can pawn them at the next village.  Firearms are sorely needed in border villages, and are worth something nearly everywhere in barter.

[OOC: You can generally sell things for about 10% their buy price, so firearms are worth a bit of gold. Also, I just realized we made a big mistake! Lira's weapon dice (damage and pierce) are limited by class to 1d6. So her crossbow does only 1d6/1d6 + Dex damage.

Oliver has a much larger maximum weapon die of 1d10, so all of his attacks were correct.]

After three days of hard but mercifully dry travel, the trio arrives at Littlewater Point. As they approach, they see clear signs that the watchtower is inhabited. The tower itself is dark, but but the small building at its base seems occupied. Oliver, Callum and Lira can see three men outside, wearing nondescript travelling cloaks as they mill about outside the tower. One tends to a powerful-looking black furred horse. There are obvious fires for cooking and heating burning. These men seem to be staying here, at least temporarily. The watchtower was right on the edge of the Golish border, with a small creek on the northern side supposedly marking the actual edge of the cursed territory itself.

[OOC: Being vague about distance and stuff because I'm not sure what you want to do or how you want to approach. Let me know.]

Given they are looking for a patrol that should be resident at the tower Oliver saw no need to hide their approach. After conferring with Callum and as long as the rider deems it prudent they will ride up to the men at the tower and announce themselves.

Standing off somewhat Oliver stops his mount and rises his hand in greeting before introducing everyone in his party.

-

Lira follows the others and when they stop to survey the tower she leans out from her draft horse to get a better view before sitting upright again.

She does not offer any advice as to whether they should approach or not, though she was looking forward to a normal bed and something other then preserved trail rations.

-

Callum reminds Oliver that the reason they're searching for the Rangers is because they've failed to report in for over a month. They had previously been assumed dead, but if the men before them really were the lost Mounted Rangers, then they may have intentionally gone deserter. But if that was the case, why were they just hanging around the last place they were assigned to patrol? It made no sense.

So Callum reminded them there was a chance these campers, even if they were the wayward Rangers, might still be dangerous. He did not object to simply talking to them, however, as he saw no better option. The Golish courier rode side-by-side with Oliver up the dirt trail to Littlewater, and it wasn't long before they were spotted.

The men at the tower see the party coming, and immediately scramble to defensive positions. One man rushes into the tower to retrieve a musket, taking up a firing position behind the watchtower's retaining wall, alongside a man in a cloak with a longbow. The third man mounted the black-furred warhorse and rode down the path to greet Oliver, Callum and Lira. The trio were naturally a little nervous having guns trained on them once again, but out here in the hinterlands of magic-plagued Aventaine, it was an expected response. You never knew which innocent-looking traveler might be a draugr in disguise or some other unseemly undead thing, and warlocks were feared more than respected by the rank and file.

Under the scrutiny of the men at the watchtower, Oliver and Callum advanced, with Lira bringing up the rear. The lone rider on the dark horse lifted a hand in greeting. "Hello there. What brings you this far north? Are you with the Royal Lancers?" As he spoke, Oliver saw two more men emerge from the shadows of the watchtower's entryway. These men did not heft any weapons, yet, but they watched from the distance with a wary eye.

[OOC: The Aventinian Royal Lancers are the other big prestige cavalry force of Aventaine. Whereas the Rangers specialize in keeping the art of the bow alive and performing recon versus magical threats, the Lancers are a more traditional cavalry company, and are the royal family's "heavy cavalry". They've used lances for centuries, but were early adopters of gunpowder weapons and are very good with them, too.

It's up to you if Oliver's former service was with the Rangers, the Lancers, or some other unit. It might have some minor little influence on how this scene goes. Please also make Charisma and Wisdom checks for both Oliver and Lira. Oliver can add Cavalry Commander to the Charisma, and Lira can add Exquisite Physique to the Charisma.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:08, Sat 13 Oct 2018.

Oliver crossed his hands on the pommel of his saddle and replied, "Well met... yes 17th Legart of the Lancers, though I am now retired and you and yur men ? It was fairly obvious what unit he had been a member in, the pennant  on his lance was the black and white with the cross skull of the 17th.


Oliver looks beyond the man on the black horse as he waits for any answer and studies the tower and the ground around it looking to see if these men maybe the victors in some smaller battle.

Oliver Fitzwilliam rolled 8 using 2d6+2.  Charisma
Oliver Fitzwilliam rolled 9 using 2d6.  Wisdom


-

Lira catches a glimpse of the man on the horse approaching, but waits until he has stopped before leaning out to get a better look. She looses her balance and has to use her hand to steady herself against her horses flank. This allows her cloak to fall to the side exposing the top of her ample cleavage, neither Oliver or Callum see it but it would be hard to know if it was on purpose or not.

Lira rolled 9 using 2d6+1.  Charisma
Lira rolled 8 using 2d6+1.  Wisdom.


-
This message was last edited by the player at 23:34, Fri 12 Oct 2018.

None of the men seem injured from what Lira and Oliver can see, though the man on the horse seems a bit thin and drawn. The party notices arrow-shaped buttons on the man's riding gloves, and the man wears a clasp in the shape of the Mounted Ranger's symbol, an eagle with three arrows in its talons.

"Retired?" The rider asked. He still seemed suspicious, but let his guard down a bit, relaxing visibly. His gaze fluttered toward Lira before returning to Oliver's face. "You're not here to arrest us, then?"

[OOC: There was a chance they were going to attack you, because these guys are kind of... twitchy, for reasons you will soon come to know. But everybody succeeded in their Charisma checks, so they won't attack you unless you attack first. Go ahead and ask whatever you like.]
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 04:38, Sat 13 Oct 2018.

"Why would we arrest you ? Your unit has not checked in and we need to talk to your commanding officer... is there something going on here ?"

Oliver looked the man in the eye as he spoke.

-

Seeing his chance, Callum pulls out the missive he's been charged to deliver. "I need to deliver this to Lieutenant Jonathan Frame. Are you him? Are you the commanding officer here?"

The man wearing the Mounted Ranger clasp shook his head. "No, no. The Lieutenant rode north about, uh, three weeks ago." He pointed north, indicating the Golish border. There was an awkward silence as the man on the horse stared blankly at Oliver and Callum for a bit. He then shook his head, as if coming to some decision. "Well, no sense standing outside where the draugr might see us. Come in and have some tea."

The man turns the horse around, raising his arm in an open-handed gesture to the archer and musketman behind the wall. The men lower their weapons and seem to relax, standing up from the cover of the wall. The man on the warhorse advances down the path toward Littlewater Point.

Two more men leave the entryway of the tower to inspect the new visitors. Seeing them up close, they are all a bit vaguely worse-for-wear like the rider on the black horse, but none seem injured. Frame's unit was only equipped for a short two week patrol between border villages. Their superiors suspected they were killed by some enemy contact at Littlewater Point, but that didn't seem to be the case: these men all wore the subtle regalia of a Mounted Rangers, and many were equipped with their distinctive bows. They didn't seem to be impostors, but they had been bivouacking here for at least two weeks. Why?

Oliver, Callum and Lira had been hunting a unit of a dozen men, but so far had only seen five, with the Lieutenant apparently fleeing into Golinlund. It's possible they had sustained casualties.

[OOC: I will take a little break here to let you describe your actions and decide whether or not you're going to follow them into the tower. It's a pretty small watchtower, but has a building attached to it that looks like living quarters.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:20, Sat 13 Oct 2018.

Oliver suspects what may have happened here and so has no reason not to enter the tower. He follows the soldier into the building and if directed to he will take a seat having removed his sword and scabbard so he can with ease.

"So.. what is your name first of all ? I am Oliver Fitzwilliam."

He accepts the offered cup of tea with a nod of thanks, drinking deeply.

-
This message was last edited by the player at 20:53, Sat 13 Oct 2018.

Lira tied up her horse at the hitching post, it was more for convention then anything else Charger would not move unless forced to. When Oliver past her the reigns to his horse she did the same and then turning saw Callum disappear into the tower leaving her outside.

Unsure what to do she stays with the mounts and preforms some maintenance on their feet, checking for stones etc... having pulled a hoof knife from her pocket


-
This message was last edited by the player at 21:00, Sat 13 Oct 2018.

Inside, the party finds a small mess hall. Though not a very large room, the long, empty tables give the place a cavernous feeling. The men have a tea kettle going in the fireplace, and pour the party weak cups from well-used tea leaves.

"I'm Sergeant Cooper," the man from the road says. "You saw Evers and Weirhart outside..." the man continues, offering a few more introductions. Two more men enter from the cramped barracks-room to the west, bringing the total Rangers to seven, with the missing Lieutenant making eight. Four still unaccounted for.

Another room with a closed door and the staircase to the proper watchtower are to the north.

"Lieutenant Frame headed over the river about... sixteen days ago?" Cooper says, glancing at the men gathered around the fire for confirmation. All bob their heads. Cooper nods, continuing, "He ordered us to not enter the tower and wait for his return. Food ran out a few days ago, but Weirhart is a good hunter with that musket of his..."

Outside, no one pays Lira much mind. The horses seem healthy, including the warhorse the Rangers had remaining.

Grasping the cup with both hands for warmth Oliver asks why Lieutenant Frame crossed the river and had they seen anything out of the ordinary once he had left, attacks on the tower etc... "Have you explored the tower completely ? Why did the Lieutenant advise you not to enter had he seen something when you arrived ?"


-
This message was lightly edited by the player at 00:26, Sun 14 Oct 2018.

Cooper nods, answering Oliver's questions. "Yes, we cleared the whole tower when we first arrived. Some local highwaymen were squatting here, and thought to run us off. The Lieutenant shot one, and we managed to fell another half dozen before they broke and ran. Corporal Adams was unfortunately lost, he took a bullet from one of the scoundrels."

Callum grunted, tucking away the lieutenant's letter. "Think we may have met some of the brigands you routed," he commented. Oliver couldn't help but note that the Golish Royal mailman looked crestfallen at the notion of actually entering Golinlund.

"We went up into the tower once, after we first drove the squatters off. Everything seemed normal to me, but the Lieutenant went white as a sheet when he looked into Golinlund. That's when he ordered us out of the tower, and also summoned a daemon in the back office." Cooper jerked a thumb at the closed door to the north, saying this quite casually. It was true that the Mounted Rangers often received special dispensation from the king to practice daemonology, but it was strange to be so blase about it...

"We did go in once more, to bring Adams' and the brigands remains up to the peak of the tower." Cooper furrows his brow a bit before continuing. "To preserve them in the cold, the lieutenant said. I'm not sure what spooked the lieutenant, but he was  a stout man. Unshakable, even. Real lead from the front type. We all serve the lieutenant out of real loyalty, Oliver Fitzwilliam. He ordered us to stay, so we stayed."

[OOC: Go ahead and give me another Charisma check and add Cavalry Commander again.]

"Well first we should probably go up and try and see what the Lieutenant saw at the top of the tower, I will ask our traveling companion to come with us she... has a feeling for these things. You have done your duty and that is all we can ask... You and your men should be proud of that."

"If there is nothing more Sergeant Cooper we should have a look upstairs and then be on our way."

Oliver Fitzwilliam rolled 12 using 2d6+1.  Charisma.


-
This message was last edited by the player at 07:14, Sun 14 Oct 2018.