The boat rocks slightly, making you frown.  It doesn't look like the most sturdy of vehicles, but you hadn't had much choice in the matter.  The canal you are piloting down bends slightly and you can hear the rush of the river ahead.  An hour until sunrise.

---

The past day has been busy.  Unfortunately you don't recall most of it.  You and the comrades you had fallen in with:  the bard Tarrov, the sword woman Zuni, the half orc wizard Izzick, the mouthy cleric Chandanar,and the elf who glowed and growled Selvin; had raided the Arkonas estate.  They had been looking for some official held hostage by the Arkonas.  You had been looking for Pol, the son of the merchant family you had been hired to guard.  You had seen him at moments:  the Arkonas seemed to be parading him around just to taunt you.  You descended with the others into the cellars of that damned house and found their odd labyrinth.  Unfortunately, there was some magic that separated you all.  And you and Tarrov wandered a portion of the maze.  You managed to defeat a gargoyle made of onyx and survived a room of mosaic wasps.  However, you soon ran afoul of the family, who overpowered you.  Everything went black.

When you awoke, Chandanar was ministering to you.  Apparently you and Pol had both been afflicted by the Arkonas' curse of lycanthropy.  Tarrov had also succumbed and the three of you had been pitted against Izzick, Selvin, and Zuni.  However, they managed to win the fight and Chandanar was able to lift the curse.  Your wounds were a bit more severe...damn mosaic wasps...and you had fallen asleep under the effects of the healing potions.

When you came to again, you found yourself back at King Pig's.  Pol was overjoyed to fill you in.  The bard and he had taken you back to the relative safety of Pig's.  You had been out twelve hours.  Tarrov had decided to organize a resistance to the Queen.  The others had left the city in search of information about the cause of the Queen's madness.  Something about Cinderland Barbarbians and a Dragon's skull.  Pol didn't make much sense honestly.

Tarrov had more details.  It seems, the bard told you, a tired smile on his face, </Aqua>that we live in interesting times.  The Queen apparently found some dragon skull in a secret room of the castle and it did something to her.  My guess is she has been possessed by some remnant of the dragon's soul or intellect.  Suffice it to say her madness may simply be a symptom of a much more serious cause.  Zuni, Chandanar, Izzick, and Selvin all left to venture out into the Cinderlands.  There are reasons to believe the barbarian tribes who wander there have some lore that may offer insight to that dragon's skull.  I am going to form a resistance to the Queen inside the city.  I need to ask you a favor.</Aqua>  He draws out a scroll tube and sets it before you.  Since we left Pig's fortress, his men found the remains of a wizard's lab.  In it they found some interesting devices.  These... he sets out a second scroll tube, identical to the first. ...were among them.  Apparently whatever is written on one scroll appears on the other, no matter the distance.  It would allow me to stay in communication with the others who ventured to the Cinderlands.  However, Pig's scouts have informed us that the Queen is marshalling a force to storm Old Korvosa.

We've decided not to fight them directly.  He nods to the look on your face.  Yes.  We are going to go underground.  In the confusion, we will slip most of our forces back into the main city and allow the Queen to do as she pleases with the ruins here in Old Korvosa.  That Chamberlain we rescued with Pol...Pig is going to slip him out of the city to a farm a few miles east of the city walls.  I think it would be best to send Pol with him.  They'll be safe I think.  From what Pig's men can find, the Queen has little influence outside the city walls thus far.

I want to ask if you can take one of these scroll tubes to the others.  They left a half day ago.  So I think you can still catch up to them.  They were going to try to land along the western river bank at a smuggler's checkpoint.

Pol had nodded to you.  The boy seems to have grown some during his captivity.  These people had saved him, as well as you.  So you had agreed.  Once you saw Pol off, some of Pig's men had lead you to a dock.  This rather old boat was waiting for you and off you went.  Headed north against the current.

---

Throwing a lot of info at you.  But wanted to catch you back up.  Let me know what questions you have and I'll give you an intro into the main thread.  Thanks

Seems straight forward enough. Thanks for the update.

Great. Let's begin then

The boat slips across the murky river water.  The current is stronger than you would like.  You end up having to beach the craft about a quarter mile from where this smuggling post should be.

You heft your pack on to your shoulders and step into the tree line that lines the bank. The woods seem unnaturally still.  Maybe it's just all the time you've spent in Korvosa lately, but it seems the trees are holding their breath. Waiting for some sign that something is about to happen.  You find yourself walking carefully, trying your best to be silent.  The mood seems to have had an effect on you.

The sun is just starting to purple the eastern sky the color of a bruise when you stop suddenly.  Something just triggers an alarm in your head. You very softly and quietly heft your weapon and peer around.

The 'path' you've been following looks to be an old deer track.  It heads up between two large oak and saunters to the west and further in to the woods.  You figure the post is about eight hundred feet ahead, around a bend in the river bank.  However, through the gap in the oaks, you can make out something unnaturally red.  As you watch, the red turns out to be leather armor of some variety worn by two men.  From their movements, you can tell they have some experience as fighters, though perhaps not as much as they think.  Both of them wear cestus with long steel claws attached.

They are unaware of you.  They seem to be advancing steadily and fairly quietly in the same direction you are going.

Belgar stops and slides into a space behind some shrubs.  His eyes widen and his nostrils flare as he begins to shadow the men.  Listening intently, he begins to gather information on the red clad warriors.

21:41, Today: Belgar Ironclad rolled 20 using 1d20+11.  Stealth
21:47, Today: Belgar Ironclad rolled 17 using 1d20+14. (21 vs humans and orcs) Perception.
.

In reply to Belgar Ironclad (msg # 4):

Has the advance team begun movement? Red A glances towards his compatriot.

Red B nods.  The report is that they investigated the warehouse and then moved to the tavern. Apparently they are trying some kind of spell.  The main group will launch an attack at sunrise.

Tch, tch's Red A.  I wanted to try myself against that elf that glows.  Instead we're to watch for survivors that flee.

Red B shrugs.  That's the problem with joining a death cult.  It's all hurry up and wait.

Heard that

They go back to watching the bend in the river.

Belgar quickly scans the forest one last time before slinking back away from the men.  He makes his way around, a safe distance away before working his way back to the trail.  Once he believes he's clear of danger, he picks up the pace and runs as long as he can.  Time is running out and his friends need to know.

In reply to Belgar Ironclad (msg # 6):

You manage a wide berth and swing back towards the river.  There's no sounds of those Red guys following.  Then again, would you be able to hear a ninja coming?

As you round the bend, you see the post.  A set of scruffy docks leading up to two buildings.  One is larger with a busted in door.  Presumably the warehouse those two were talking about.  The second one is smaller.  A tavern perhaps.

You can see three men in red perched on top of the roof of the tavern.  Another two are sneaking around one side of it.  There may be more men that you can't see.

Ok...  No time...  Belgar kneels and with a motion of his hands and an ancient word his skin darkens and wrinkles into a thick woody bark.  His eyes then lock onto the doors of the tavern.  Go go go...  Belgar begins to charge.  He raises his shield and draws his rapier.  As he reaches top speed he begins to roar as he attempts to bash through the door before the enemies have a chance to stop him.

In reply to Belgar Ironclad (msg # 8):

Thank you for a wonderfully timed roar.  You may now join the others back on the Off to the Cinderlands thread.

You can register the surprise your roar inspires in the Reds as they quickly spin around and jump back.  A couple of them manage to throw some darts your way, but your charge carries you past them and through the door...

Welcome back. See you on the other thread

Oh, by the way, as you charge, you counted 10 total assassins surrounding the cabin.  There are the 2 others back in the woods.  You don't know if there are more.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:58, Fri 17 Feb 2017.