After a party that stretched long into the night, you received your amulet proving your membership in the Phoenix Blades, and took your first quest: hunting down a group of bandits. To learn more, you were told to meet with a man called Regh the Dagger, in an alley in the merchant quarter.

When you arrive, you see the black haired man already waiting for you. He turns his deep-set brown eyes toward you, and asks "Are you... from the Blades?"

Perhaps almost overloudly, certainly full of pride, Ingris grins. "Certainly we are, my friend! Would you be..."
Suddenly realizing she might be tipping their hand a bit, her voice quiets to about-normal-conversational levels. "...Regh?"

Leila looked again at the letter, "met in the alley in the merchant quarter."  she looked from the letter to the new medalion. "in an alley? well iguess we are going to chace bandits, where else whould bandits hide." she said to her self.
she again made a mental note of all the things she tought she needed. and yet agin she looked at it all layed out on the bed. "to much. its to much" she muttered to herself. in the end she decided on just the basics. 'what ever the the woods could not provide, you did not need' she quoted Taredd Wranfir in her head. she fingered the old woden fox that hung at her neck. "oh papa, im going to be an advenetureer a real adventure." she let the pendant fall to rest on her chest. she dressed in her simple hide armor. placed 2 sashet of herbs for Poultices in her hip pouch. and grabed her walking staff. "now or never" she said to noone as she left her room.


As she headed out she spoted the others. she would more or less fall in line and follow them into the alley.

"Yeah, that's me." He nods. "I've been hired by a merchant who want to stay anonymous. A little thief managed to get his hand on a list of his clients. Clients who also want to stay anonymous. The problem is, the thief in question flew the coop, and went to hide with a bunch of bandits in Death Forest."

He glances toward the street as someone passes, then continues when they're gone. "You'll have to find their camp in the forest, and either get the list back, or destroy it. Whatever happens to the crooks, no one's gonna cry for them."

"And if we happen to get the list back... we bring it back to you, here?" Istvan asks, to see what the man will say...

He gives you a nod. "Yeah, just... ask your guild to contact me, and we'll setup another meeting. They'll know how."

Istvan had some concerns about this job-- why all the anonymity? But he supposed that if this guy wasn't legit, that the Blades wouldn't know him.

Istvan also supposed that when they found the bandits, they'd find the thief who stole the list, and then they could ask him what the deal was with this mysterious list.

So for now, Istvan just said: "Got any clues that'd help us find this bandit camp in this--" Istvan pretended to check an invisible set of notes-- "--'Death Forest'?" He tried as hard as he could to imply Some of us aren't from around here and only barely know where the Death Forest is in the first place.

"All I know is they like to attack caravan passing through the road between Ole Crick's and the town of Balatgah. You take the south road, and a couple of days into the forest is a good place to search."

Even for those who aren't from the area, Death Forest is hard to miss. Just like the Sunrise Reach mountains marks the northern border, Death Forest marks the southern one.

"Well that's useful... got any other tips like that one?"

Then Istvan thinks. "Wait, if that's such a good place to start looking, why haven't any authorities dealt with these bandits before now...?"

As long as these bandits aren't KILLING OR HURTING people, but just TAKING STUFF, Istvan (and Noric) don't care what they do (although it wouldn't surprise Istvan if they were also killing and hurting people, because bandits can be like that). But Istvan's concerned about the background of this mission-- why no one's dealt with it already. What's in the Death Forest besides bandits? he wonders.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:45, Tue 27 Oct 2020.

OOC: It sounds like Istvan would like to Spout Knowledge. Want to try a roll?

" I think we should see if a small caravan is about to leave and see if we can join it as guards or follow behind it. Am thinking they have spies in town to tell them when targets are leaving. "

13:03, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 10 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 6,1.  Spout lore, bandit engagements in Forest.

Anything about historic bandit attacks locations of hideouts etc. Figure might give us a place to start.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:05, Tue 27 Oct 2020.

(To Khaaven: thanks buddy

To GM: No thank you. Khaaven's Spout Lore will do. I'll settle for just having the man answer the question Istvan already asked out loud about why the authorities haven't already dealt with these bandits.)

Khaaven remembers that Death Forest is a dense woodland region, believed to be the hiding place of many Dark Elves and bandit gangs. The Province itself considers the border of the forest to be the limit of their kingdom, and they only chase criminals that they can find within a day of the frontier.

That leaves a few daring bands to hide farther along the road to prey on caravans, but they're not considered worth sending soldiers to root them out, as any intelligent merchant will bring adequate protection against such danger. Those that don't either don't risk crossing the forest, or are such penny pinchers that they deserve what they get.

Plus, any bandit preying on the road will likely establish a base that has a good view of the path, letting them quickly move to ambush travelers, while hiding away from any soldiers traveling through.

Death forest? Should have gone on the nobles hunt, bet the'er not going to the death forest. Soinds like mote honest work toob more straight forward anyway.

She thinks about the case. Why should she even be out there form some list about shady people doin business with shady people. Of couse of the wrondlg shady person, noble or polititon, falls. So to the economic standing and evertytihng falls into chaos. So for the balance of the city she wiuld see it done.


I would think with a name like death forest' there are plenty of reasons the authority have not investgated. And the whole shady people doing bysness with shady people. They dont want to involve the authority."she sorta mummbles to herself

OOC: If no one else has any questions, you can note any purchase you need to make (it's a one day trip to the inn, then two day into the forest). After that, I'll move the story along.

OOc how much coin did we get from that entry plot line so I know how much I have to spend on gear if needed.

OOC: You found 5 coins each. Not that you could ask the guild for a loan, either in money or gear.

How does 5 coin translate into rations? If we're going three days out, three days back, Ingris is going to want to stock up a bit.

OOC so as a druid i dont need rations? i what forage in the travles? also do i have coins i was not part of the intro

(GM: I bet you meant "NOTE that you could ask the guild?"

Ingris: 5 days of rations = 3 coins

GM: Istvan sells the box of spices he found, but he's good as far as personal rations. There's nothing he needs to buy right now.)

Khaaven would like a bow and some arrows, I prefer melee but having some range at times never hurts and hard to hunt with a sword a bow just has so much better range. If at all possible would like the guild to provide it because I can always return it to the equipment locker later.

(SON OF A GUN that's a good idea.

GM, I don't see Istvan as a bow-man... how much to get a sling and a pouch (or two) of well-rounded stones or other ammo?)

The group returns to the guild to pick up a few useful items, to insure they are ready for the trip. After discussing with Garth, the barman, you decide the best place to find a merchant crossing the forest is at Ole Crick's, at the edge of the forest itself.

OOC: I've noted the stats for the slings and their ammo in the rules thread.

The south road takes a large detour, adding half a day of travel before you reach the edge of the province. The front of the inn is quite open, with wide doors leading in the main room. Inside, the ceiling is low, with multiple stone arch supporting the higher floors. A long horseshoe-shaped bar takes almost half the room, with a dozen stools placed along it. Four more tables with colored candles take the rest of the floor space, while four alcove are settled in the walls.

You hear laughter from the crowd as an old toothless man tries to woo the tavern wench. Most of the patrons seems focused on their meal, though a few give you curious looks.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:00, Wed 28 Oct 2020.

And why wouldn't they? Ingris cuts an imposing figure, and grins as she ducks her head a little in the doorway.
"Tavernkeep! Meat and ale, and plenty of it!" She calls out, striding over to an empty table and grabbing a chair. "The road brings joy, but the roof and walls moreso!"

Leila's small frame looks smaller next to Ingris. "though the smells of cooking food is welcome, I must disagree about the walls." she said taking the seat next to Ingris. " I for one much prefer being out in the woods. to feel the wind on my face, and the soil under my feet."

"Welcome!" The wench seems glad for an excuse to get away from the old man, as she comes to your table. "A coin will get you a meal, and another will get you a room!" She hands out your food, before asking "What brings you to the frontier?"

"I'm on a mission from my god," says Istvan.

He has little interest in the present moment-- his mind is very much on the dangers of the near future... he's all wound up.

And a little paranoid? What if this wench is in league with the bandits? What a perfect early-warning source of useful information she would be for them!

He wonders if he's always going to get paranoid like this right before a dangerous mission.

Probably, he figures.

Ignoring the food on the table she picked at some nuts and dried barriers in her hip pouch.
There had been little in the way of chatter on the way here. Or perhaps the druid had just been in her own head. No more training this was the real deal. " what god do you serve? if I may ask, Istvan. so many in the world I know so little about any of them"

"Going to battle the dark elves of Death Forest? Be careful out there!" The wench heads off to get your food and drinks, before Istvan can reply to Leilatha.

"Ah-- Noric, god of freedom" he says, and of darkness, he doesn't add out loud.

The attention is soon drawn away from you, as a bard plays on his sitar. Looking around the room, it seems most of the people here are woodsman, either hunters or woodcutters, taking a break after a day of hard work.

Leans i. To the table and speaks quietly to her travleing companions.

Maybe someone here can help us." She gestured to the folks." They all look like they work in the forest. Right?" She pinpoitns a young man with an ax sitting by his side. " In the least some one might point us in the direction of were they dare not go.

Asking the man, Leilatha learns that the man is indeed a woodcutter. As there's little land to spare for forest withing the Moonstone's delta, the Death Forest is the province's main source of lumber. They never head deeper than a day though, for fear of the threats deeper in the primordial woods.

They haven't seen any bandits recently, but then again, the bandits usually prefer to target merchants or tired adventurers. They do warn of one threat, though: during the day, they heard the cries of an angry boar. Loud cries. Whatever made that noise must have been exceptionally large.

OOC: If there's no other questions or reactions for the inn, we'll move on to the next morning tomorrow.

Nothing more on this end than Ingris flirting with the barmaid and mentioning that boar meat is quite tasty, especially when 'fresh'.

The barmaid doesn't quite seem into Ingris, but she does welcome the attention, as it convinces the old man to leave her alone. After a good meal, you retire to your rooms.

The next morning, you set out into the forest, following the merchant road.

OOC: And it's time for decisions and rolls.

A dangerous journey requires three characters to roll+WIS:
 - The Quartermaster. On a 10+, he saves you one ration during your travel.
 - The Trailblazer. On a 10+, he reduces the time your journey takes.
 - The Scout. On a 10+, he spots incoming danger soon enough for you to make an ambush.

So, who will take what task, and what are your rolls?

(I'm cleric, I got Wis, I'll be... Scout.

13:21, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 6 using 2d6+2 ((3,1)).

SON OF A

...1 xp for me...)

I guess it makes sense, at least in character, that being the druid, I would forage for goodies, for example, nuts and berries, while we travel. i would be glad to share.

so I will roll for   

quote:

The Quartermaster. On a 10+, he saves you one ration during your travel.

17:44, Today: Leilatha Xilfina rolled 11 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 5,4.  The Quartermaster. 2d6+wis.

Khaaven fails while leading the party, having taking longer in several areas.

on phone failed roll.

With a name like Death Forest, you expected more... zombie? Monsters? Dead trees at every turn? Instead, all you get is a forest that seems to become thicker and greener as you travel.

Khaaven did his best to seek out trails that could lead to the bandits hideout, and only found it as the sun was beginning to set. Istvan scouts ahead, looking for a good place to place an ambush, confident that Noric's gift will keep him hidden... only to learn that Noric isn't too good at hiding scent, as he draws the attention of the boar the woodsmen warned about.



When they said it was big, they were not kidding... As Istvan tries to rejoin the group, the ground shakes as the boar charges through the forest, directly into your band.

What do you do to avoid getting trampled? Be sure to roll your Defy Danger!

Khaaven quickly maneuvers himself into an area with several large trees. He then attempts to get its attention by yelling at it, to then use a tree trunk as cover.

on phone used int for DD rolled a 9

Istvan attempts to quickly run for a big tree that's near some big rocks...

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals...6ca9d57665efcf37.jpg

09:58, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 8 using 2d6+1 ((6,1)).)

Leilatha transforms into a squirrel to quickly scurry up a tree to get out of the wat of the trampling boar.

15:11, Today: Leilatha Xilfina rolled 10 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 3,5.  DD wis mental fortitude.

Leilatha manages to get to safety, but the trees Istvan and Khaaven picked couldn't resist the crazed charge of the ridiculously large boar. They break like twigs, leaving the duelist and the cleric to make a tough choice: drop down now and face the boar's wrath, or ride the falling trees to the floor and hope they won't be too shaken from the crash.

OOC: Leilatha is safe. Istvan and Khaaven must choose between getting the Stunned debility from the fall, or take 4 damage that ignores armor.

You are all free to act.

Khaaven drops down to be in a better postion to engage the Giant Boar, the damage from the flying debris was just enough that he was unable to get off a successful attack. He instead was just out of sync with his inner chi so he attack was a total waste of effort.

Took the 4 damage, no armor. His attack was a miss, Bio is updated to reflect current HP and EXP

Istvan also drops down. The boar attacks him, and he attacks the boar. The problem is that the boar's attack hits hard, but Istvan's swing misses.

(Istvan, too, took 4 dam, and then attacked, and also totally failed his attack (gaining 1 new xp). So... counter-attack may be immanent...)

Returned back to normal.and perche din a tree. She waits for the boars return. She would atempt to jump on his back. And see if she can talk to it

"Why are you so angry mr boar" silly druid that sounds vary dangerous

Seeing the enormous boar causing chaos and pain amongst her companions, Ingris whips her greatsword from her back and leaps into the fray, bellowing a roar at the top of her lungs as she enters the beast's field of view!

10:07, Today: Ingris rolled 7 using 2d6+1 ((3,3)). As there's only one target, it falls prey to my taunting.

"COME! I long to make you into a months' worth of meals!"

Istvan and Khaaven move in, only to be swept up by the beast's tusks. They try to hand on for dear life, as the boar turns it's attention to Ingris, charging right at her.

Istvan and Khaaven need to Defy Danger before they can do more than hanging. Leilatha would need a Defy Danger check too to jump on, with either STR or DEX.

Ingris has the beast's attention right now. What do you do?

With brilliant agility, Istvan attempts to stop drop and roll away from the boar, tumbling to safety...

(20:30, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,3.  Get safely off tusks!)

Well, it mostly works...

Khaaven does his best to twist himself off the beasts tusks.

on phone but rolled a 9 for DD Dex

13:13, Today: Leilatha Xilfina rolled 5 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,2.  DD plus str. Jump on hang on to boar.


jumps on the boars back only to bounce off. Leilatha hides in bushes for a moment.

The three adventurers stumble painfully to the forest floor.

Leilatha, Khaaven, and Istvan take 3 points of damage from the landing. What do you do?

Khaaven was able to roll upon impact with the ground, allowing his armor to absorb most of the damage from the fall. Once back upon his feet he quickly focus his energy into his blade, the blade strikes the boar a heavy blow. As soon as the blade strikes, Khaaven's wounds began to heal and close.

8 damage to the Boar and Khaaven heal's 3 .

14:57, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 8 using 1d8 with rolls of 8.  Damage.

14:55, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 3 using 1d4 with rolls of 3.  Siphoning.

14:55, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 10 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 5,3.  Arcane Bladework .

Soul-Siphoning
Your attack heals you for 1d4. Heal 1d8 instead if this attack kills your target.

Leilatha thumps hard against the boars back as it passed under the tree. try as she might she just could not hold on. She was tossed to the ground like a heap of rags. luckily her hide armor took some of the impact.  She rolled into the bushes to hide for a moment.

"I must be crazy," she said to herself

15:54, Today: Leilatha Xilfina rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,3.  Shapshift. Bear 2d6+wis.

she takes a moment to breathe, to call the spirits of the forest.

With a grin and an absolute bellow of joy in the fray, Ingris waits for the boar to get right into range, then strikes!



18:48, Today: Ingris rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 6,1.  Time to make the bacon!

18:48, Today: Ingris rolled 12 using 1d10+2 with rolls of 10.  Baaaaacon! (damage).

Khaaven's blow slows down the beast, slightly. Enough, at least, for Ingris to ready her own attack. Using the beast's own weight against it, she manages to break through it's thick skull, and put an end to it's rampage.

With the sun starting to set, the group quickly make camp. And with plenty of meat to go around, you get to enjoy a true feast before you rest for the night. You take turn keeping guard, but no one interrupts your sleep.

OOC: You can each add another set of Dungeon Rations from the boar's smoked meat.

Istvan (unaware that his sleep will not be interrupted by some new threat) calls upon Noric to heal him somewhat.

(12! Very successful! Istvan heals 4 points' worth.)

"Anyone else want healing?" he asks his colleagues.

(It might be a moot point since we're about to camp uninterrupted, but Istvan doesn't know it won't be interrupted, so he's asking...)

"Thank you,  no,  Istvan. My cuts and bruises shall heal on their own, in time." she winced as she sat on a log at the fire.  " Nothing serious any how"

"Care for some nuts n beries " she offered.

Ingris munches contempletively. "Thank you for the offer. No, no healing for me. But... This is your first hunt with me. I would adorn each of you with the remembrance."

Carefully, she dips her scarred fingers in the blood of the boar carcass. "Come, let me make the mark for the first hunt."

"I am good on healing as well." Moves toward his new companion to get the mark of the first hunt.

'oh is this a new custom, what are you going to do with the blood?"

"One mark between the eyes, so that we may watch out for each other. One mark on the hand, so that we may work for each other. And one mark on the lips, so that we may taste the successful hunt."

Ingris holds out her two fingers, ready to mark any who agree to be so marked.

"You lick the blood from your lips. The rest, you may wash off as you will, when you will."

Those willing join Ingris in her ritual, before settling down to rest.

The next morning, after your daily preparation, you head into the forest to seek out the bandit's lair.

OOC: And that's a Discern Reality check. Everyone can try it, there's no major penalty for failing.

Istvan rests through the night (and gets his remaining lost HP back).

In the morning, he tries looking for the secret bandit base.

(15:06, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 8 using 2d6+2 ((2,4)).

What here is useful or valuable to me?)

Khaaven fails his roll, on phone

What should we be on the look out for

16:37, Today: Leilatha Xilfina rolled 8 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 1,5.  DR 2d6+wis

Searching around the forest, Leilatha and Istvan finally locate signs of passing humans. Following the tracks, you soon climb a small hill, until you spot a small cave partly hidden by trees.

I will scout ahead. With that Leila droped to the ground and shifted in to a squirrel. She scampered up to the mouth of the cave



15:14, Today: Leilatha Xilfina rolled 12 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,6.  Shapeshift squirrel.

The druid easily slips inside the cave. It's not very deep, and enough sunlight filters in to see. A smell of cheap alcohol reaches Leilatha's nose, as she spots two human in leather armor sitting against the back of the cave. Between swigs of glass bottles, they joke about a merchant they attacked, leaving him with an unsightly stain in his pants.

leila does the squirrel thing. Hops and scurries around. She rinkles her tiny rodent nose at the smell.. She scurries back to her group. Thru squeaks and chitters she tries to relay the world Two.
"squeak squeak squeaaak squeaaak squeaaak." in morse code. Ohh!! Nut!!! She digs around in the groud for a bit

Ingris dead-pan looks at the squirrel.

"Is... Is that Leilatha? Does anyone know how we're supposed to tell? This plan is looking less helpful as time goes on."

It's either your druid companion, or a squirrel with a very fashionable leaf headdress. The same kind Leilatha always has in her hair.

Squirrel Leila came back to the group, cheek pouches full of seeds. "squeak squeak squeak"

{{ come on are we going to go forward, back. wjat are we doing?? }} not that anyone can speak squirrel. she would run forward a bit look back to see if anyone was following. Scamper forward again, and look back.

"I think it wants us to follow it. Which, honestly, means it's probably not too dangerous. Ready, fellows?"

Khaaven starts to move forward after the squirrel.

As you move closer, you hear voices from the cave...

"Ya seriously wanna eat that thing? It's like a... a tree rat!"

"Bah, better then the shlop Kreg makes."

"But it doesn't have any meat! You'll be chewing leather and bones!"

"I'm sure we can boil it into a nice stew..."

A leather-clad man appears at the entrance to the cave, holding a throwing dagger. What do you do?
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:50, Tue 17 Nov 2020.

Khaaven charges forward and attacks channel his energy into his blade. Khaaven slices the dagger in two and only slighty injures the man.

03:12, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 1 using 1d8 with rolls of 1.  Damage.

03:11, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,5.  Arcane Bladework .

The edge of your weapon hums with an unearthly light. You may slice through inanimate objects with ease and add the ‘messy’ tag to your attack.

Khaaven's blade breaks the flimsy weapon, but only scratches the man's armor. With a shout of panic, he kicks the Duelist away in the stomach to push him away in a surprisingly painful blow.

The bandit deal 5 points of damage to Khaaven.

Khaaven takes the blow which knocked him back and then continued an attack which misses.

23:38, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 5 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 1,2.  Arcane Bladework .

Enough parrying. Enough dancing about. Stealth was no longer an option, and fighting a mere scared bandit was beneath the longstrider of the plains! Her greatsword came out, and carved through as if the criminal were nothing more than paper.

09:16, Today: Ingris rolled 10 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 3,5.  Hack n slash. I'll take his attack and do the bonus +d6 damage.
Holy sh*t, y'all!
09:17, Today: Ingris rolled 6,12 using d6,d10+2 with rolls of 6,10.  damage! That'd be 18.

The blade passes through the bandit like he wasn't there, leaving both halves to fall to the floor as his companion just stand there, too terrified to move.

What do you do?

Khaaven moves to attack the remaining bandit, he successfully hits him. it was a solid hard hit.


12:19, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 7 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,3.  Arcane Bladework

12:21, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 6 using 1d8 with rolls of 6.  Damage.

Torrential
Your attack ends with a flurry of strikes that your opponent must dedicate effort to blocking or avoiding. If they instead attack you in response to your attack, deal your damage again (this does not apply techniques).

The blow cuts him down before he can defend himself, leaving you with two dead bandits.

Looking around the cave, you don't find much. It may have been an animal's lair at one time, but now it's just a small dead end the two were using as a drinking spot, judging by the couple of bottles of cheap wine. The bandits them selves don't have much, just 6 coins put together.

Istvan looks around. "Um, guys? If you wanna murder someone, I guess that's between you and your gods, but next time, maybe leave someone alive to interrogate?"

Igris frowns, but nods. "I apologize. When the battle is upon me, I do tend to get carried away. And my thoughts did not run any further than culling these less-than-men."

Squirrel Leila squeaks in agreement with Istvan.

Although there are no survivors, you could probably find where these two came from with a Discern Realities check.

"Now if someone was a wolf and not a squirrel they could probably track them down easy."

Khaaven goes about studying everything he can about the men and the cave area where they were at looking for anything to give him a clue as to what to look for when trying to find where they came from.

10:53, Today: Khaaven Gryphonblade rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,3.  DR

Khaaven does find a faint trail. Following it, you find it leads to a small hill. The bushes are dense enough that you can't see the top, but you can hear people talking up there.

{{ a wolf? Well yes, they do track well. however, shifting to a wolf is dangerous. A lousy shift could have me running off having pups for the next 10 months.}} "squeak squeak squeak" was all anyone heard. {{ besides I would turn if I had a good trail to follow, something soild.}}

Squirrel Leila perched on one of her traveling companion's shoulder. She happily snacked on some seeds and nuts from her check pouch, as they traveled. She may, or may not, have left hucks oh friends shoulder.

Ingris looked to the squirrel, then sighed. "Well, I suspect you're our companion, as you've been riding on Istvan's shoulder thus far. Could you, perhaps, scout into those bushes, then, when you come back, perhaps drag together as many leaves as there are bandits? Knowing numbers is a fine plan."

"squeak squeak " leila hops off Istvaans shoulder and dow in to the bushes. {{ oh berries! Oh how exquisite black barries,}} this might take a minute. {{ rasberries, }} nom nomnom. As she makes her happy squeaky little way through the bushes

You watch the squirrel vanish in the bushes, after nibbling some berries...

Leila heads back to her traveling companions. once there she takes a moment to clean out her check pouches of all seeds and nuts.  Shifts back to herself. "It's a camp. 10 tents. just about as many people minus the two dead ones back at the cave. they all wear the same armor anyway. save for one fella. his armor is not quite the same, he sits off by his own, apart from the rest" she gathers up the seeds and what not she spit out, into her hip pouch. "good idea the leaves. we need a good system for communication if I am in animal form." all the while her head and eyes keep shifting from side to side quickly as if looking for a predator. " so are we going in fighting ask questions later again? or we going to make a plan or something"

"How far apart from the rest is this other guy...?" Istvan asks.

Leilatha gathers a few acorns and spreads them on the floor to show the general disposition of the camp. It's not very big, about a dagger throw across. The isolated guy is on the north-east edge, where the tents are. The others are gathered around the south of the fire. The bushes are thick enough around most of the camp that it's difficult to sneak in, but not so thick that one can't power through them.

"I say we try to carefully power through the bushes as quietly as possible, so we can try to talk to this isolated guy without having to deal with the other bandits? Maybe our shapechanging friend could become something big, like an elk, to help lead the way through the foliage? Does this sound like a good pla..."

Istvan stops. "Um... wait... Let's call that plan B. I just remembered... Thanks to Noric, I can make myself invisible. Maybe I should go try to talk to this guy...?"

He turns to Leilatha. "...You didn't see any dogs, did you...?" he asks...

Leilatha didn't notice any animals in the camp.

As you discuss strategy though, you notice footsteps coming your way. What do you do?

Leila shape shifts in to a bear and roars. Stomps around making big bear sounds. Hopfully that will scare them away and we can still have ssuprise on our hands. Or at least resume our plans making.

13:06, Today: Leilatha Xilfina rolled 10 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 5,3.  Shapeshift bear.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:10, Fri 27 Nov 2020.

"Oh sh..." The bandit comes up just enough to see a large bear in his path, and quickly runs back to the camp, the call of nature being answered in the most unpleasant of way.

They haven't seen your group, but by the excited shouts in the camp, they're about to come back...

(15:03, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 8 using 2d6+2 ((2,4)).)

Istvan makes himself invisible. Maybe he can slip in and talk to the man while everyone else is distracted by a bear...? He'll try it...

(Istvan cannot cast Invisibility again until he rests again...)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:05, Fri 27 Nov 2020.

Istvan has no trouble slipping into the camp, with                         "It's huge! It's bigger than a horse!"
everyone distracted by the bandit running in. Looking around,
you spot five tents big enough for three or four persons each,      "Bah, you're full of shit."
with a sixth one fitting just one person.
                                                                                                         "That's not the only thing full of shit with him! Ah!"
There are seven bandits near the fire, but you hear complaints
from the large tents. And off to the side, near the smaller tent,       "Come on, let's make sure it's not a problem..."
is the last person Leilatha mentioned. He's just sitting there,
looking at the bandits in confusion.

As Istvan watches, four of the bandits light up torches, and prepare to leave the camp.

Since he can't get it back anytime soon, Istvan decides to start off by staying invisible for the moment.

"Excuse me, sir? Istvan Vanoson, cleric of Noric, god of Darkness and Freedom, pal to thieves everywhere, speaking..." he says, standing invisibly just a few feet from the man. "I don't mean to startle you, but I mean you no harm... May I have a few moments of your time to ask you some questions...?"

The man turns in a panic, his face pale. "Who are you? Who sent you!?" Istvan expected that kind of reaction, but strangely enough, he seems less worried about a phantom voice than he seem to worry about the person who sent Istvan.

The rest of the camp doesn't notice, as three more bandits walk out of the tents, apparently half-asleep. They give a confused look at the four guys with torches, as they leave the camp.

The rest of the group can see the smoke of the cheap torches the bandits are carrying, as they head straight for your hiding spot. What do you do?

"A fellow who says you've got some... information that belongs to his boss, that's who. But all the secrecy on the part of my employer, whomever they are, makes me more than a bit suspicious about what's really going on. I'd like to hear your side of it, if you please. Right now, I mean. I'm kind of in a bit of a hurry."

Bear Leila stomps and roars her way away from her traveling companions. Hopefully, any pressures will follow her; and her companions have the chance to jump them from behind.

The bandits with torches quickly spot Leilatha, and starts chasing her, chanting and yelling... and not noticing the rest of the group.

---

The thief looks around suspiciously, but keeps his voice low. "So... you're not part of the guild?" He says. "Look, I knew it could be trouble, but that list is my insurance. It's the only leverage I've got..."

"I'm a cleric, man-- and I'm not in a cleric's guild, either. I've been sent to get the list, but I'm not pleased with my employer keeping me so uninformed, so I'm willing to listen to your side of things first-- if you hurry! Spill it! Maybe we can think of a way to help each other!"

Ingris remains hidden in the undergrowth. The bear chase is... amusing. And it's obvious Istvan is doing what needs doing. If things turn south, however, she's ready to spring.

Then Istvan has an additional thought. "Say, and-- what if I told you I knew a sure-fire way to get the Phoenix Blades to maybe look into whomever it is you're afraid of? Might that help?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:00, Thu 03 Dec 2020.

The thief looks hesitant for a moment, before saying "look... I just want out man. I don't want the guards or the guild to chase me. I just..." He glances at the big tent close to Istvan. "I gave the list to the bandit chief so he'll let me stay here. At least until I could slip in a caravan to cross the forest..."

---

The bandits outside the camp laugh as the threatening bear seems to leave, and they stop the chase.

"I might want you to get it back from him soon, but before we talk about that-- what is this list? A list of what? Why's it so important? And who are you afraid of?"

"You... of course they didn't tell you. It's a list of the members of the thieves guild." He glances around. "The guards were getting too close to me, and the leader of the thieves guild didn't want me to leave. I did what it took to get out... I just need to get through the forest..."

returns back to normal, heads back to her traveling companions. wheres Istvan? whats the plan?

Leilatha has to make a big detour to reach the group, as the four bandits that chased her head back toward their camp.

"Hold on a second," says Istvan. "Lemmee check with Noric for guidance... Wait, I'd have to drop my invisibility for that. Okay, you stay here... I'm going back to my friends. I'll be back."

Istvan made his way back to his allies, drops his Invisibility, and prays for Guidance...

(11:18, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 10 using 2d6+2 ((4,4)).)

Istvan prays, and asks Noric for Guidance. Should he be trying to get the list of thieves from this fellow, because Phoenix Blades Job, or should he just help this poor guy escape, because Freedom?

Noric hears Istvan, and responds...

Istvan gets the feeling that helping one who seeks to be free is a worthy cause. As for the list, that is best discussed with the rest of the Blades.

Hearing the bandits tromp back towards the camp, Ingris simply rises from the bushes and draws her sword, grinning with incipient violence and waiting for the bandits to see her.

The bandits pause, giving Ingris a confused look. "Did one of you managed to bring a whore here?"

"Don't look at me, I haven't had any since the last trip to town!"

One of the puffs his chest, and walks toward the barbarian. "Looks like you're lost, lass. How about we show you were you want to go?" He grins at what he seems to consider a clever line.

Ingris stuns the bandit with the pummel of her sword, before kicking him down the hill with a mighty kick. The other draw their own weapon, ready for a fight.

What do you do? Are these four bandits close enough to be heard by the camp, or did you cut them off far enough that you can dispatch them discreetly?

(Ugh, looks like the party is shrinking fast.

I'll say that these four bandits have been cut them off far enough that we can dispatch them discreetly as long as none of them start screaming their heads off...

As for what Istvan will do...) I think he's going to ready his mace and watch for a chance to attack... probably moving quietly to guard the path to the camp...

With Ingris distracting them, Istvan can easily jump on of the remaining bandits.

Istvan eyes his allies, to see if they're moving to fight more alongside him, or alongside Ingris, or some of each...

Considering the others are AFK for now, you'll have to take the lead. The others will assist you in whatever plan you come up with.

Istvan decides that maybe there's been enough murdering today...?

"Hey guys, you're gonna have to understand that that guy had it comin', what with insulting a proud barbarian warrior woman like that-- her ways are not our own, you know? At least she left him so he'll just wake up tomorrow with a bad headache and a lesson painfully learned about respecting ladies, am I right?

So anyway, I'm Istvan-- cleric of Noric? You know, Noric, deity of the night and freedom, beloved everywhere by thieves and others who redistribute wealth? I was wondering if you could give me and my friends some directions...?"

(17:49, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 7 using 2d6+1 ((4,2)).)

Istvan's attempt to fast-talk the men is at least partially successful...

They look at you suspiciously. "That's a dangerous place you got yourself lost in... And swords aren't too good at finding directions."

Ingris glances at Istvan, and at his nod, sheaths her blades. The bandits do the same, staying at a relatively safe distance.

"So what are you travelers doing in these parts?"

"Did anyone get the address of that big tit bear?"

"...Besides shaking up nuts sized brains?"

"We're mercenaries... our employer sent us to find a guy who has some sort of important list of names. Guy has a price on his head for stealing the list, and our employer wants us to get the list back before someone like the Phoenix Blades find the guy and get their hands on the list, embarrassing our employer and maybe getting him arrested. When the trail led this way, we got worried that the dark elves might murder the guy before anyone else even finds him and helps him get away..."

(Istvan realizes near the end of his talking that they're all wearing Phoenix Blades amulets, but he's hoping it's dark enough that the bandits won't notice this. If they do, he'll try claiming that they're fake or stolen and that they're pretending to be Phoenix Guards...)

(I'll roll CHR again if you want...? Let me know...)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:16, Thu 07 Jan 2021.

Istvan worries fade as soon as he glances at his friends. Though the amulets project the image of a sword with flaming wings when held by their owners, they normally look like cheap metal tokens when left hanging freely.

The smartest bandit looks at you group, before answering "That's something you should discuss with the boss. We'll see what he..."

"Hey... did you hear that?"

"That's just your ears rigging."

"No... I hear something too... could be the bear coming back."

Leilatha looks confused for a moment, since she's standing right next to Istvan. But you clearly hear snapping branches, as though something big moves through the forest.

Uh-oh.

(08:24, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 7 using 2d6+2 ((1,4)).

When you closely study a situation or person, roll+Wis.

On a 7–9, ask the GM 1 question from the list below.

Take +1 forward when acting on the answers.

What happened here recently?
What is about to happen?
What should I be on the lookout for?
What here is useful or valuable to me?
Who’s really in control here?
What here is not what it appears to be?)

Something is coming this way. Something BIG. And judging by the footsteps, it's bipedal. Not something you'd expect in a forest.

The bandits, however, seems oblivious to what Istvan realized. "Should we scare it away again?"

"That's no bear-- run! This way!" orders Istvan, running straight to the bandit's camp. Fortunately, he's already closer to it than the bandits in front of him are.

Istvan's plan is to warn the entire bandit camp (and then whatever's coming will get killed as a group, and then he'll negotiate in the new spirit of camaraderie).
This message was last edited by the player at 00:09, Sat 09 Jan 2021.

Keeping her distance from the bandits, Leila follows Istvan back to the camp. She remains quiet, as she studies the camp.

"What's he talking ab-BY THE FIRE LORD WHAT IS THAT!?" Thanks to your head start, you're not immediately passed by the panicking bandits. A glance back gives you all the energy you need to keep up with them when you see what's crashing through the trees.



You stumble into the camp in one big pile, thankfully distancing that strange creature. You see weapons being drawn, only for the bandits with you to start shouting over each other in panic, causing general confusion around the camp fire.

"What's all that shouting about?"

The bandits suddenly grow silent, as their leader steps out of one of the tent, glaring all all present.

"Who the blazes are you lot?" He says, as he looks at your group.

"BAD THING COMING!" Istvan yells, pointing behind him. "Talk about whom we are later! Very large bad thing coming! Looked like maybe some kind of mad wizard's monster-making experiment! Imagine if someone sewed parts of a dead bugbear, lizardman, maybe a big hobgoblin and a troll and other things together into a big four-armed monstrosity and then turned it loose this way! Coming here! Very bad! It'll take all of us to stop it! Tell 'em, guys!" he urges the bandits who ran in with him and his colleagues.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:33, Sat 09 Jan 2021.

The leader looks at the bandits, who stumble over themselves to confirm what Istvan said. At the same time, the one person in the camp dressed in black leather, still standing at the edge of the clearing, tilts his head in curiosity. By the way he looks at Istvan, it seems he recognized his voice.

"Alright, enough shouting... Enough!" The bandits calm down. "Since you chicken can't deal with that, I'll teach you how a real man does it!" Despite the bandit's protests, he walks out of the camp, weapon drawn, and seemingly ready to take on the creature by himself.

Istvan stares at the bandits as if amazed by their lethargy. "Well? You gonna let 'im face that thing by himself?! Charge! It can't beat all of us...!" Istvan raises his mace and lets out the best battle yell he can, making sure the horrible monster knows which way to come.

(Again, let me know if you want me to roll.)

It's not clear if they Istvan convinced them, or if their loyalty is enough to follow their leader, but they head down the hill with their own war cries. Soon, only your group and the thief remains in the camp.

Istvan turns to the thief. "Hey there. Would you please go and get the list, quickly? There really is a monster out there-- but we'll stay right here and guard you while you go find the list and bring it to me..."

The thief nods, and runs into the same tent the chief left. Out of your sight, you hear "You think you're scaring me? Come on, boys! Let's show him!" Followed by sounds of combat.

Your target returns with the list not long after. "I got it!"

Istvan takes the list and tucks it away safely in an inner pocket. "Thank you... and now, unless anyone has any objections or better ideas, I guess we'll actually go help fight that monster? Because it can't be a coincidence-- someone must surely have sent it here, and it'd be nice if we found any sort of clue as to whom that might be..." Istvan looks at the list-thief. "Unless you can tell me? Have you specifically hacked off anyone lately capable of sewing different monster parts together to make a new, worse monster...?"

The thief shakes his head. "I... I never heard of something like that in the thieve's guild..."

"I'm not sure he was heading toward us..." Khaaven says. "It's hard to tell, but it seemed it was going in a straight line, ingoring the trail and just cutting through anything in it's path. It may be it was just passing close to this camp."

Judging by the sounds of battle, the bandits are still holding their ground. Likely due to the advantage of numbers.

"All right, just checking... Guys, let's go help, shall we...?" Unless anyone stops him, Istvan heads toward the sound of the fighting...

Ingris grins and runs ahead of Istvan, eager for a fight. As you reach the battle, you see the bandits are still holding their ground, though half of them seem injured. The creature is also injured, but it's wounds don't seem to bother it.

As you watch, the bandit leader manage to lop off one of the creature's arm. It lands near you... and then proceed to crawl your way.

"Chop it up!" yells Istvan. "Cut it to pieces! Otherwise there'll be no stopping it!"

Istvan, however, is at a disadvantage here, wielding a mace...

He tries turning the thing, in case it counts as an undead thing.

(14:47, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 11 using 2d6+2 ((6,3)).)

Istvan shout-chants, and his voice rings out like an (f-sharp) bell: "EVEN IN THE DARKEST NIGHT, NO EVIL SHALL ESCAPE MY SIGHT-- AND SO I REBUKE AND REJECT THOSE THINGS WHICH HAVE BEED DENIED THE FREEDOM OF DEATH, THOSE THINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN SHACKLED TO THIS WORLD BEYOND THEIR TIME-- I CALL UPON THE PROTECTION OF NORIC, GOD OF FREEDOM!"

There. That ought to give this hacked-up monster and its arm pause, if they're undead...

...IF they are.

But are they...?

The divine prayer does nothing to the monster... though the separated arm writhes in place, then stops moving.

With Khaaven and Ingris joining the fight, the tide turns against the creature, especially once Istvan tells them how to deal with the horror. Bits and pieces of the beasts flies off, still crawling and attacking until the sanctity of Noric banishes the forces animating them.

You're left with a bunch of tired and injured bandits, and a very stinky pile of body parts.

"Wow, that was... extra." Istvan turns to the leader of the bandits. "You know anybody who doesn't like you capable of sewing different monster parts together to make a new, worse monster? Because I don't know anybody like that..."

The bandit leader shakes his head. "Ne'er in my life. Must be one of those Drow gimmicks. But enough of that." He turns to your group. "You didn't tell me what you're doing here, or who you are."

Be sure to roll Parley if you want to make a request of the guy.

"Yes, sorry about that-- but you can understand the earlier urgency.

We're mercenaries... our employer sent us to find a guy who has some sort of important list of names. Guy has a price on his head for stealing the list, and our employer wants us to get the list back before someone like the Phoenix Blades find the guy and get their hands on the list, embarrassing our employer and maybe getting him arrested. When the trail led this way, we got worried that the dark elves might murder the guy before anyone else even finds him and helps him get away... So anyway, have you seen the guy we're looking for?"

Now, Istvan doesn't really care very much what the bandit leader says. Right now, he's kind of hoping the bandit leader will say "no, haven't seen this guy you're looking for" so Istvan and his allies can say "Oh well, thanks anyway," and leave right away.

The leader gives Istvan an appraising look. "Yeah, I know about him. We offered him a safe place to hide from his former friends." He glances around, but the thief decided to hide out of his sight. "Since you helped with that critter, tell you what. Go see your employer, and tell him we'll sell him the list for..." He makes a big show of thinking it over. "Two hundred coins. A small amount, to avoid going in the hole, right?"

Istvan opens his mouth... closes it. Then he shrugs. "...Well, it's not my money, and it's not my call to make. We'll go relay the message. I'm gonna guess that you'll probably see us back here, soon, probably with the money, but I guess we'll see. Come on, guys, let's go," says Istvan.

If nobody/nothing stops him/them, Istvan leads his allies back the way they came, back toward civilization (fast, once they're fully out of sight of the bandits).

The thief waits for the bandits to return to their camps, then runs after your group. "So... are you gonna take me south? Seeing how I can't really stay here since you got the list..."

"It's fine with me, but let's hurry, shall we?" says Istvan, and he gestures to encourage his allies (which now includes the thief, apparently) to pick up the pace even more...

You travel for a while, easily returning to the road, then heading south as you promised. You heard a few shouts as you were heading away, but they soon fade. Considering how beaten up they were after fighting the monster, you assume they're not overly enthusiastic about chasing you.

You still keep a rapid pace through the rest of the day, before setting up camp out of sight of the road.

(OOC: UGH, we couldn't make it back to civilization before having to rest? DARN IT.)

"Ugh, I hate to say it, team, but ONE, we'd better keep watch, considering that a random horrible weird monster popping up in our area is now a thing that we know can happen, and TWO, we'd better not make a fire, because of bandits who might be searching for us-- remember, someone happened to insta-murder two of them-- and also because of aforementioned horrible monster possibilities.

Anyone got any ideas, questions, suggestions...?"

"The animals are speaking. They feel no danger here." Leilatha says. "This is a safe place to camp."

You do your best to make a camouflaged camp, something helped by the amount of brush in the area. Sleep is sparse, but the night pass without interruption. The next morning, you set out along the road once more. As the sun starts to set finally see (after smelling) the town of Balatgah, a smoky village surrounded by a stone wall.

As you approach the gate, a guard shouts "Hail! Who goes there?"

Well, this'll either be a mistake or it won't. "Phoenix Blades, on a mission..." Istvan replies...

"Show us your symbol, then."

Khaaven holds up his medallion, showing the illusion of the winged sword.

The guards shouts back. "Enter and be welcomed, adventurers." The door opens, allowing you inside the town. "You can find the inn at the south end of the town, next to the stables."

As you walk through the town, you see most of the citizen deal with either cutting trees, or turning the lumber into planks or charcoal. Most of the smokers are downwind of the houses, but on a relatively still day like this one, the smell of their low burn hangs over the village like a haze.

Istvan and the party (and the thief) head for the inn. Makes sense it would be near the stables...

The tavern's sign is a shooting star. As you step inside, you notice a roped off section in a corner of the floor, where the floor has been broken by a large black stone that seemed to have crashed through the ceiling. By the look of the wood, it seemed to have happened a while back.

The clientele seems to be mostly locals, with the exception of an armored woman. She gets up as you enter, a bag of supplies in her hand, only to sit back down once she gets a good look at you.

The innkeeper shouts "welcome! Have a seat, travelers. I got a walnut crumble apple pie just out of the oven!"

"That sounds delicious, but we're kind of on a budget... But what's the deal with that big black stone in the floor?" Istvan is asking just to make sure it doesn't have anything to do with Noric (it being all black and stuff, like maybe it fell out of the night sky...?)

"Oh, that? That's the fallen star!" The innkeeper says as he hands you drinks. "One day, a piece of the sun broke off, and landed right through my roof! It cost a pretty penny to fix everything, I tell ya, but a lot of folks came to see it. So much so that my inn became the biggest in town! So I left it where it was as a souvenir."

This idea sort of bothers Istvan.

Istvan asks Noric for Guidance about the black stone.

(10:00, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 10 using 2d6+2 ((4,4)).

Noric, do you want me to do anything about this stone? Is it a problem I need to solve? And if so, any hint about how?)

No words from Noric, but you recal a bit of knowledge on fallen stars.

As most educated people know, the sun that illuminates our day is a ball of fires, launched from beyond the Ahsland, to land deep into the far reaches of the Mistshroud Ocean.

Sometimes, impurities will break off from the sun, glowing like stars as the crash to the world. Those stones sometimes include valuable ore, like steel of exceptional quality.

However, care should be taken in seeking out those fallen stars, as the followers of the old god, the Fire King, consider them to be sacred to their gods, and the place they fall on to be sacred land to their religion.

Istvan decides that it's nothing he wants to get involved with if he doesn't have to do so, and he starts eating his simple meal when it arrives...

The meal is pretty decent, with the promised dessert being the highlight. With little distraction other then alcohol, you soon head to bed in a large common room.

The next morning, you wake up well rested, and ready to head back to Metrosan's Breach. The only question is, do you cross the forest again, or head south to the country of Loward Down to take a ship?

...Well it's worked before, so...

It's Guidance From Noric time again... what would he prefer us to do? No sense having a hotline to a god if you don't pick it up and call...

(08:13, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,5.  Noric on the main line tell im what you wa-ant.

✴ On a 7–9, the spell is cast (meaning that it works normally), but choose one:
--After you cast it, the spell is revoked by your deity. You cannot cast the spell again until you commune and have it granted to you.
)

Your holy symbol turns, faintly, toward the south.

Istvan's relieved. If Noric felt it was best to return to the forest, then Istvan would have simply hoped that the bandits were no longer searching the forest for Istvan and his party... but what with bandits, the dark elves, and unexplained weird monster attacks... Taking a ship seemed better...

"Noric says, let's take a ship," says Istvan, and if there are no objections, he guides the party to go do so.

As they walk, though, Istvan speaks to the thief. "I think that since we've helped out, now would be a good time for you to fill us in on everything about this that we don't know..."

"There's not much else to say. Most of the thieves in the guild have managed to keep their identities secret. It's kinda important when you've got wizards who can track you with a weird line. I don't know if a name is enough for that, but who wants to take a chance?" He shakes his head. "Either way, you got the list, and I'm out of the province. That was our deal, so... I'll go my way now. Best luck on your trip!"

With that, he takes his leave. And once you finished your meal, you do the same.

The trip is far more relaxed then crossing the forest, as you travel along the Onyx Peak until you reach a mining town near a river deep enough for ships to navigate. A bit of negotiation later, and you're on your way to the coast, in the company of a traveling merchant smelling like moldy books.

(I'd... wanted to ask him why he'd decided to leave the guild...)




Hmmm... All right...

Istvan is still a little nervous about things-- after that sudden unexpected bizarre monster attack, he probably will be until this job is done... but he has to admit things have been going pretty smoothly since the party left the bandits...

(How long will the boat ride probably take...?)

It was briefly touched on, I think. His identity was discovered, and he had to flee his 'public life'. The guild leaders wanted him to keep working as a thief, but he was pretty much guaranteed to be caught if he did.

The river boat will take a day to reach Merchanton, according to the captain. "The Devil's Vein is a calm river, when there's no storm." You look up to the gray clouds above you, making the captain laugh. "That's just gonna be a light shower. Nothing to worry about!"

(Ahhhhh, an issue of his cover getting blown. Got it.)




Still concerned, Istvan carefully studies everything around him...

(12:36, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 8 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,2.  Discern realities.

On a 7–9, ask 1... take +1 forward when acting on the answers.

What is about to happen?)

The captain seems right, there's a bit of rain, but nothing dangerous. Leilatha points out that if a larger storm coming from the ocean collided with the Onyx Peak, the amount of rain that would wash the mountain chain would cause a flash-flood down the river, but there's no risk of that today.

The trip is safe. If you want, you can spend some time talking to the captain or the merchant. Or we can just skip all the way to Merchanton, or even all the way to Metrosan, if you prefer.

(Skip ahead, but one thing first...)

Istvan carefully makes two copies of the list he's carrying. He keeps one copy and gives one to two of his comrades. He's not about to slip and fall overboard when he gets off the ship and ruin the list (with no proof that he ever had it).

Also, he's hoping that making two copies will help him remember at least a few details of the list, in case some kind of magic or incredible bad luck does happen to all the copies and the original and he has to remember details to prove he had it.

You copy the list carefully, though the names are not familiar to him. Still, you're quite confidant that you won't lose the hard-won collection of names.

Your passage in Merchanton is pretty short. You just stay in the lower part of the city, where all the warehouses and docks reside. A quick trip in a bar marked by nine stars, and you have yourself a passage to the Province of the White Sword, offered by a member of the Celestial Nine.

And after a few more days, you return to Metrosan's Breach, and to your guild house. "Welcome back!" The little Corlis greats you as you enter. "How did your quest go?"

"Yes, we Phoenix Blades need to have a talk about that. Here's the short version:
--we found that the person who stole the list ran to the woods
--there to meet up with a bandit horde
--under Noric's blessing of being unseen, I talked to the thief
--then a bizarre monster attacked for no reason
--while the bandits were busy with the monster, I got the thief to give me the note from the bandit chief's tent
--then everyone chopped up the monster, and turning the undead destroyed the still-wiggling parts, although the original monster as a whole didn't seem to count as undead
--then I pretended I hadn't met the thief and didn't already have the list and the bandit leader wanted to charge me 200 gold for the list so I said I'd go deliver that offer
--then we ran away and the thief slipped away and came with us
--it turns out it's a list of names of the thieves' guild. The thief we met got his cover blown and stole the list as insurance
--anyway we got to civilization, let the thief go, and came back here which involved a boat trip.

So there you have it, the short version. But as a fellow member of the Phoenix Blades, I ask you: now that it's known that this is a list of the members of the thieves' guild... what should be done with it...?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 03:19, Sat 23 Jan 2021.

"The thieves guild?" The guild master, Della, walks closer. "Interesting. It wouldn't do for us to fail to complete such a simple mission... Of course, once they have the list, our contract will be completed. At that point, no one would fault us for leading the guards to them... Mortimer, do we have any magical compass available?"

"But of course!" The elf pulls a crystal hanging from a thread, and casts a short spell while touching the list. "There. This compass will now point toward the list. Now you can return it to the thieves, and discover their hideout."

"Good job." Della turns to you. "We'll signal our contact so you can turn over the list. Once you're done, I'll join up with you with a few guards."

"All right, makes sense to me. Let's go, guys," Istvan says to his comrades, and when things are ready, he goes with his party to return the list...

You reach the meeting point swiftly, and wait for Regh to arrive. It takes a while, but you soon see him run toward you. He stop at a reasonable distance, breathing heavily. "You... ah... you got the list?" He looks nervous again, but this time he's not looking around so much.

"Right here," says Istvan, getting out the compass-aligned list.

Now Istvan expects to be paid...

He takes a quick glance at the list, apparently in a real hurry. "Here." He hands you a bag of coins, barely giving you enough time to make sure the count is good, before running off with barely another word. You wonder if he's suspecting something for a moment, but he didn't seem worried about you...

Great, 250 coins.

Istvan waits for more Phoenix Blades to show up...

Bella arrives not long after, accompanied by a large squad of guards. "He has the list?" When you nod, she grins. "Good! Now we just have to wait for it to stop moving..." She turns to an elf you're not familiar with, who's holding the compass. "Lead the way, Spriggy."

The compass leads your through the town, until you reach a small plaza, mostly empty at this time of night. By the looks of it, the compass is pointing down.

(11:23, Today: Istvan Vanoson rolled 4 using 2d6+2 ((1,1)).

Istvan gets 1 new xp...)

Istvan looks around for some sort of hidden entrance or something... he doesn't see anything that seems likely, though...

A shadow watches the assemblage, silent, listening, trying to determine why such a varied group might come to this particular plaza on this of all nights.  She knew none of them, that much she was certain but was it possible their goal might lie with hers?

15:30, Today: Kharla rolled 7 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,1.  Discern Realities.
- hmmm, ask 1.   Kharla is trying to figure out who/why this group is here.  Let's try:
• What is about to happen?

And she'll take +1 forward when acting on the answer

Spriggy was both honored and nervous to be the one in charge of the compass, but did his best to lead the group to where it pointed. After all, he didn't want to screw up during his first official mission for the guild. When the needle pointed downward when they reached the plaza, he whispered to the group, "It must be below us." It was probably obvious to most, but he said it anyway.

But now that they were here, Spriggy wasn't sure what to do next. Look for the secret entrance to the thieves' guild, he supposed. Like Istvan (and unknowingly, Kharla), Spriggy used his sharp elven eyes to scour the area for clues. Of course, being new, he didn't really know how best to search discretely yet...

---

Looking for clues:
22:40, Today: Spriggy Glompgut rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,3.  Discern Realities - guild entrance clues.
First roll = first XP!

If it helps, he would have asked: What here is not what it appears to be?

Kharla quickly realizes the guards are planning to raid the thieves guild. Somehow, they managed to track down it's location... mostly. The guards seems to be guided by a group of adventurers, but they're now looking around in confusion.

Though your group draws attention, no one debates the presence of a squad of guards in this small plaza. And you see no signs of Regh about.

"You seem to be looking for something," the shadowed form moves partially into view, "Or perhaps someone?  It may be that I am aquatinted with the group you seek and have cause to wish you success."

"Don't!" she cautions when guardsmen flinch to move to take hold of her, "Don't presume you can catch me in these alleyways and streets which I know all too well.  At least," a twinkle of white in the moonlight from a smile, "until you hear my offer."

"I will open the way to you, even lead you past a surprise or two meant for the unwary or foolish.  And in return I ask only to be allowed to go my way.  It is enough that this den of lies and betrayal is ended."

The figure cocks it's head, "What say you?  And be quick.  It will not be long before your presence is noticed and your targets scurry away like mice."

10:49, Today: Kharla rolled 7 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,4.  Parley.
- hmmm, will do what I ask but need some concrete assurance right now

I suppose that means Kharla will let the guardsmen hold her as she show everyone the way into the cistern...

Unless you have something better in mind GM
This message was last edited by the player at 17:08, Mon 25 Jan 2021.

The woman in red raises an eyebrow, and steps up to Kharla. "Is that so? Are you trying to escape your past, or are you hoping for a pardon? I doubt the rulers would find a bit of guide works to be enough for either. But I may be able to convince them... for a price." She grins. "You'll have to join the Phoenix Blades. You'll need to earn your freedom by helping those who need it."

The guards don't seem too happy with that idea, but this woman, whoever she is, seems to have a lot of influence. "So? Do you accept my offer?"

The moonlight reveals a head of red as the figure steps out of the shadows, a lithe medium build and bright, laughing eyes.  "Well, well, The Blades is it?" her grin is wide, "You've a reputation of service, I'll grant you that."

"But know that such promises and goals were made by the leaders of the den you are about to enter," she shakes her head as she approaches the woman, "How they were the oppressed, how the nobles and merchants stole from and abused the poor.  It is bright and inspiring to its members until the cracks grow large enough to allow the ugliness to reveal."

Stopping before the woman, the newcomer looks round to those gathered and offers, still with that infectious grin, "I am Kharla and I will accept your offer.  You must be confident in the integrity of the Phoenix Blades to make it to me given that which I am about to do to the group that last held my loyalty."

With a wink she points, "Down, as you surmised, into the sewers."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:21, Mon 25 Jan 2021.

Spriggy watched with interest as a deal was made. He had not been expecting the transaction to end with a job offer, but it all seemed to work out. But their apparent destination was less than stellar...

"The sewers?" Spriggy said, curling his lip unpleasantly. But of course it made perfect sense that they would need to enter the sewers, considering that that is what was beneath the street. So he amended his comment with, "Is there a... non-putrid entrance or..." He let his question trail off, fearing he already knew the answer. He sighed reluctantly and moved to follow the newest member of the Phoenix Blades. At least he was no longer the most junior member. "You can call me Spriggy, by the way," he said to Kharla.

"Spriggy has a point." The woman says with a grin. "I'm not too keen on going through the sewers either." She slams her open palm on the plaza's cobble. Streaks of light slitter away from her like snakes, and as you watch, the plaza tears open like fabric. You soon find yourself looking down into a thieves' den, said thieves looking up in surprise at being suddenly exposed to the sky.

Shaking off their shock, the guards charge down to arrest the criminal, as their leader turns to the spellcaster. "That was quite impressive, miss Della Quake. But did you REALLY have to tear open the ENTIRE PLAZA!?!"

Della gives a slightly embarrassed shrug. "Well, I can close it up after..."

"This will still come up in your next review!"

You can only sigh at the scene, getting the impression that it's not the first time such shouting match takes place.

And that concludes the Bandit Hunt. You can return to the Phoenix's Nest to get some in-character discussion. I'll update the job board tomorrow morning.