Saddlebags are found that will be perfect for taking the loot away.

(Time to go? Or not yet?)

"I think we made a decent haul for our first attempt. I'd like to go retrieve my manacles and get out of here before backup arrives", Victor suggested. Unless Rasal objected Victor went in and unlocked the old man, collected his equipment, and then rejoined his partner so they could ride off.

Just as Victor is leaving the house for the second time, riders can be heard coming...

His equipment and the loot secured Victor attempted to jump into the saddle. "We could use a distraction to cover our escape," he suggested to Rasal before he started to steer his new horse away from the lodge.

"Right, on it," Rasal replies.  He focuses on the ground a short distance ahead, in the direction from which the riders are coming, and tries to summon up the image of fire and thick smoke to block their path.

Rasal rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 4,3.  Invoke.
Rasal rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3.  oops, wasn't rolling enough dice... (but I guess that didn't help anyway)

The fire and smoke scares the heck out of the horses of the coming riders, but the riders themselves are not fooled-- there's no sound of flames.

The coming riders urge their horses forward with great urgency, and eventually get through or past/around the image of the flames...

So on one hand, Rasal and Victor get much more of a head start than they would have otherwise.

On the other hand,

1. since their pursuers came via the road, they're going over countryside now, and there are occasionally fences or little streams to jump. (On the third hand, at least their pursuers have to deal with these things as well.)

2. They don't have such a head start as to be out of sight of their pursuers, though they would be very soon if they could go faster... but their horses are already going as fast as is safely possible.

3. Their pursuers are surely locals who know this part of the world better than do Rasal and Victor.

So, what now?

--Try to evade pursuit via another magical distraction?
--Try to evade pursuit via just riding and fast?
--Try to evade pursuit by taking advantage of some sort of topological quirk of the terrain up ahead?

--And whatever you do... You're currently headed sort of south-by-southeast, but where are you going?
----South, to the desert, and eventually The Sandstone?
----Southeast, toward the city (eventually?)
----East, toward the vineyards?

Victor looked over his shoulder after they had ridden away from the mansion. In the distance he saw the forms of pursuers. 'So the chase is on,' he thought to himself. "Head west. We'll lose them in the mountains," he shouted to Rasal before he steered his horse in the correct direction. He took point as he navigated his new horse through the wilderness in an attempt to lose the reinforcements.

11:32, Today: Victor Blackburn rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,3.  Finesse.

Rasal followed closely behind.  He wasn't the most experienced rider, but he was doing his best to keep up as they moved into gradually more difficult terrain.

Victor and Rasal get well ahead of their pursuers, and are soon completely out of sight of them.

Furthermore, Victor spots something ideal-- what is it, Victor?

(Is it the perfect spot for an ambush? Or is it more of the ideal hiding place for two men on horses, to try to get the pursuers to pass by? Or is it something else?)

The two rode through the mountain area. Victor navigated his way up and down various ridges. After a time he spotted something they could use. A shallow cave entrance he spotted deeper in the mountains. He directed his horse to the cave in hopes of hiding from their pursuers.

(Each of you roll Sneak, please)

21:16, Today: Victor Blackburn rolled 2 using 1d6 with rolls of 2.  Sneak.

(Oops... well, let's see how Rasal's roll is...)

Rasal rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 2,4.  Sneak.

Well that's a little better I suppose

The pursuers, wary, clip-clop up the trail slowly, on the alert.

When they're just about to pass, the horses that both Rasal and Victor are on get restless and sort of snort and stamp a hoof-- Rasal's not too bad, but Victor's more loudly.

Those on the trail stop. "--There! Listen! Did you hear that?!"


(Try to stay still? Rush past them and back down (they're somewhat in the way, but maybe you could strike at them on the way)? Or just fight now? Or magic?)
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:42, Thu 17 Sept 2020.

Rasal holds his staff firmly, takes a deep, slow breath, and then forms the image of two shadowy riders some distance further ahead, hoping to lure their pursuers away.

Rasal rolled 12 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,6,1.  Invoke.

"There they are!!" shouts a man, and their group gallops ahead.

(Rasal takes 1 point of light stress.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:14, Tue 22 Sept 2020.

Victor calmed his horse as they waited in the cave. He waited several moments for the sound of hoofsteps to fade. "Nice job Rasal. Now let's double back and get out of here." He urged his horse back down the mountains.

(Each of you roll either Finesse for speed, or Sneak for stealth, but

1. You both have to roll the same stat, BUT

2. You may roll one extra time more than you normally would get to roll)

12:30, Today: Victor Blackburn rolled 4 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,1.  Sneak.

Since neither stat is great for us I just picked one.

Rasal rolled 8 using 3d6 with rolls of 1,1,6.  Sneak.

Oh man, that extra die really saved me

(Victor gets 1 xp, but takes 1 new light stress (if there's no more room for light stress, take 1 medium, and so on.)


You might have just about gotten away with the escape completely, if it weren't for Victor's horse whinnying at one point.

Still, by the time their pursuers can be seen again, Victor and Rasal are far ahead-- the farthest they've been yet.

(Pick a direction to ride (but not East nor NorthEast), and then both of you roll Finesse, please. (Rasal, you get 1 extra die to roll again, because I said so))

As they pick up speed, hoping to lose their pursuers for good, Rasal says urgently "We should go southwest, closer toward home but not leading them straight there!"

Rasal rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 5,1.  Finesse (with extra die).

Victor cursed as his horse exposed their position. He attempted to calm the horse as he followed his partner in crime.


21:39, Today: Victor Blackburn rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 5,1.  Finesse.

The two men head for the edge of the desert (without making a beeline for The Sandstone nor anything like that).

Soon their pursuers are barely specks on the horizon.

The trouble is, the horses are getting pretty tired...

(Choice time: you can:
--try to put on extra burst of speed and lose them completely (risk: horses get too tired)
--try more hiding/cleverness to lose them amongst the dunes and chaparral (risk: doesn't work, they catch up and catch sight of you again)
--try magic to fool them again (risk: failure, not being fooled)
--something else I haven't thought of)