"The accent was a little strange but I believe it was either 'Retreat' or 'Run Away'."  Olivia takes a sip from one of her wineskins.

Not knowing anyone else's ability to see in poor lighting conditions Robin elects to head to the front...its not just an excuse to have allies at her back instead of potential enemies. But regardless of her true reasoning she slips into the shadows ahead.


23:14, Today: Robin rolled 33 using 1d20+14.  Stealth.

23:13, Today: Robin rolled 26 using 1d20+7.  Awareness.

So, with Robin taking the lead, and apparently Jarnbrautarlest taking the second position and Dia taking the back, that leaves Olivia taking third through elimination. Very good.

Now, I am of course assuming you follow Robin. If not, and you wish to hilariously let her walk off into the woods alone, you can.

Next to Robin, one of the effects of her cards makes itself known - right now.

"Hello!" A knight that is also Fey'ri materializes beside her. "I'm knight Redbreast and I'm everybody's friend!"

A lot of startled yips can be heard not far from Robin's location, and the whirling of slings can be seen in the brush as they wind up to fire. Fortunately, they do not seem to have noticed Robin.

So, unless hilarity is about to ensue for poor Robin, roll initiative, and Robin has the option of a surprise round. If you followed her lead, the rest of you are about... sixty feet off. She and her congealed companion are about thirty from the initial kobold attack.

Of course, if hilarity is about to ensue, the rest of you will arrive a bit later, once you decide to investigate. It all depends on whether you feel like rolling initiative or not. Robin doesn't even have to roll - she can just let her new meat shield VALUED COMPANION definitely a meat shield take the brunt of the attack.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:28, Fri 22 Jan 2021.

Dia Smirks at the location of the Kobolds.
He weaves the energies of Death with a practiced hand. Gesturing and mutturing to himself.
His right hand glows blue with a frightful power. A Power that calls to end all Life.

Then He walks towards the kobolds.



OOC:
21:07, Today: Dia de Muertos rolled 6 using 1d20.  What does Dia know about the local Kobolds.
21:08, Today: Dia de Muertos rolled 20 using 1d20+4.  Dia Initiative.

Standard Action to cast Chill Touch and Move Action to move 20 ft towards the Kobolds

Olivia followed along watching Derrick's head bounce with Jarn's stride.  It was enough that he had asked her to accompany him on some foolishness and after such a long time had passed between them.  It had been long enough that she had forgotten some of the stupid things he said and did.  This was just another one of those things.  But he had promised her this time a quid pro quo.  She becomes his +1 and he becomes hers to the Castle of the Fallen Toad where Idris will have to hand over the silver ring.  Olivia she thought she was talking to herself out loud for a moment.  Olivia, pay attention. She had been so lost in thought that she failed to realized the events suddenly taking place.  Dia passed Olivia and the little reptile familiar poked its head out from her shirt.  See the dead move faster than you.

"Shut up, Dickens," Olivia whispered to the familiar and pulled out her dagger hoping to avoid the action.

Jarn was just marching along, humming to himself, not giving a care, when Dia suddenly walks passed him all magically charged and shit. Then he notices the kobolds and decides that the best way to deal with vermin in a forest is with napalm. So Jarn drops Derrik, whip's out The Skorcha (his flamethrower), and lets loose, aiming at the largest group.


19:19, Today: Jarnbrautarlest rolled 5 using 1d20+1.  Initiative.

OOC: Flamethrowers don't require hit rolls.

19:20, Today: Jarnbrautarlest rolled 11 using 3d6.  Flamethrower Damage.

Anyone who could see Robin would note the tiny jump she made at the sudden appearance of Redbreast, punctuated by her own silent hand  stifling her surprised gasp. The yips draw her attention to the nearby kobolds. She moves to one all by himself and attempts to blenderize him.

17:56, Today: Robin rolled 4 using 1d6+1.  Short sword damage .
 17:55, Today: Robin rolled 5 using 1d4+1.  Gnomish quick razor damage.
 17:53, Today: Robin rolled 16 using 4d6.  Iaijutsu Focus + sneak attack damage .
17:51, Today: Robin rolled 21 using 1d20+8.  Short sword attack.
17:50, Today: Robin rolled 17 using 1d20+9.  Iaijutsu Focus.
17:48, Today: Robin rolled 24 using 1d20+10.  Attack lone kobold.
10:17, Sat 23 Jan: Robin rolled 24 using 1d20+9.  Initiative

The kobolds were preparing to shoot Redbreast with rocks from slings, but the sudden appearance of Robin along with the sudden and violent disappearance of one of their number reduces the impact of that plan, and then Redbreast attempts to close with them, failing due to being unaccustomed to moving through rough terrain in chainmail. Their morale barely holds, however, as Dia approaches them, they remember their training.

Dia is promptly pelted with rocks for being the closer wizard, or at least he looks like one, and he sort of looks like a gnome, so close enough for them to really hate him.

23:01, Today: The Elder Darkest rolled 5 using 1d20+2.  Kobold rain of stones.
23:01, Today: The Elder Darkest rolled 10 using 1d20+2.  Kobold rain of stones.
23:00, Today: The Elder Darkest rolled 3 using 1d20+2.  Kobold rain of stones.
23:00, Today: The Elder Darkest rolled 3 using 1d20+2.  Kobold rain of stones.
Hahaha no.

Thunder cracks from the treeline with the sound of a whip, and before she gets more than a glance, she swears she sees a kobold with a green beret, sunglasses, and a smoking weapon of some kind moving away from them deeper into the woods.

OOC: 22:55, Today: The Elder Darkest rolled 14 using 1d20+12.  A Tucker member attack.
22:57, Today: The Elder Darkest rolled 7 using 1d8.  Pistol damage to Olivia.
22:57, Today: The Elder Darkest rolled 8 using 2d6.  ...plus sneak attack damage.
You are down to four HP.

Jarnbrautarlest is caught off guard by this development, as he continues with his plan to torch the kobolds who really should have ran.

OOC: Two dead kobolds, a swath of fire through the brush, and maybe a tree or two.

Initiative order:
Robin
Redbreast
Dia
Now panicking kobolds
Mystery kobold
Olivia
Jarnbrautarlest

Press this advantage. Let these creatures know that the Darkest have returned, and their kind is no longer welcome here.

That means it is the next round - 2, although I doubt it will continue for much longer.

Dia thinks for a moment

Then charges one of the remaining kobolds. Slapping him in the face with a hand that is glowing Black and Blue with Negatave Energy.


Dia says to Robin.
"I got this last Kobold. Find the one that shot Olivia. You would be better at it than I would."

OOC:
11:25, Today: Dia de Muertos rolled 11 using 1d20+1.  Awareness roll.
what Dia Notices


11:47, Today: Dia de Muertos rolled 22 using 1d20+9.  Charging Charnel Touch attack.

Charnel Touch + Chill Touch Discharge Damage

12:02, Today: Dia de Muertos rolled 11 using 1d8+1d6+1.  Charnel Touch + Chill Touch Discharge Damage.

This message was last edited by the player at 14:57, Mon 01 Feb 2021.

Robin gives a gesture of acknowledgement to Dia and moves towards her intended target. She knows she can't close with him in time to shred him as she'd like to, so she settles for a shot from her hand cross bow.


20:54, Today: Robin rolled 22 using 1d20+10.  Hand Crossbow attack.

20:55, Today: Robin rolled 3 using 1d4.  Cross bow damage.

"Jarn I think these bushes could use a nice dry heat, think you could light it up?"

"You want more fire! Sure! But I'm putting this next shot on your tab!"

Jarn aim's in the direction of the Kommando Kobold who shot Olivia.

21:19, Today: Jarnbrautarlest rolled 3 using 3d6.  Flamethrower Damage Goes Put Put LoL

Jarn also interposes himself between the sniper and Olivia, attempting to cover her from anymore shots.

The blast from the Kobold Kommando is painful.  Very painful.  The sound of the pistol still ringing in her ears and the damage to her self and her clothes is a distraction, "Dickens?" she mutters barely hearing herself feeling the lizard cling tightly to the fabric of her clothes.  Looking for the little menace that attacked she lets loose with a trio of magic missiles towards the offender, letting the glowing orbs of energy find their mark without err.

Olivia Satterwhite rolled 10 using 3d4+3 ((2,1,4)).

OOC: 19:58, Today: The Elder Darkest rolled 9 using 1d20+4.  TK trying not to be on fire. Failure - he is on fire.

He attempts to flee the scene entirely, the crossbow bolt scratching him, as the last kobold in the other group runs for it. The one struck by Dia perishes swiftly.

He is pelted by magical projectiles that do not miss. Ever. That remains one of my favorites, for the record.

The large half-golem then ignites a swath through the treeline, still able to make out where the Commando is, and while he fails to seriously hurt him, the kobold is lit on fire and fails to put himself out.

Robin understands that there are several kobold clans, and that Tucker's clan is simply one of the more infamous groups. They are disciplined, well organized, and on their home territory one of the most dangerous foes one could face, being well versed in asymmetrical and alchemical warfare. This one was a scout, one that is unlikely to return home alive.

He is currently quite distressed about his ignition. The quasit is still hunting him, but is hesitant to close until he knows he can get a kill on this dangerous kobold. He's thinking about just heading back and saying, Sure, I got him, boss.

Initiative order:
Robin
Redbreast
Dia
Now panicking Tucker Clan kobold
Olivia
Jarnbrautarlest

Interesting. To my surprise, we've moved into Round 3, although the kobold has done an excellent job at putting distance between himself and you. You would need weapons that can cross sixty feet of difficult terrain to hit him, and he has some substantial cover bonuses at this point, should you choose to attack him. He also doesn't seem to be in that bad of shape - barring the fire, of course, of which there are now two trails of fire blazing through the woods.

Olivia is feeling the pain of the damned kobold's surprise attack and holds back.  Hoping that one of the others will finish off the beasts so they could hurry to wherever they need to go, Olivia nursed her wounds and tried to maneuver herself behind the gigantic Jarn to use him as a shield if something else decided to pop out of nowhere.

Robin scowls at the Tucker Kobold, she recognizes she can't close with him so she settles for shooting him out of spite. And then falls back to the group to resume scouting.

22:03, Today: Robin rolled 27 using 1d20+10.  Hand Crossbow attack.
22:04, Today: Robin rolled 2 using 1d4.  Cross bow damage.

22:06, Today: Robin rolled 29 using 1d20+14.  Stealth.

"hmmm... looks like I will have to put some more effort into it."

He stroles towards the Tucker Kobold and forms a spectral hand out of his own life force.

OOC:
Move action towards the Tucker Kobold and casts Spectral Hand as a standard action

08:14, Today: Dia de Muertos rolled 2 using 1d4.  Spectral Hand hp.

So Dia has an Incorporeal Hand that has an AC of 22 and 2 hp. And a range of 170 ft.

Since the Tucker Kobold is still within 60ft Jarn lets loose one last shot at him.

20:24, Today: Jarnbrautarlest rolled 12 using 3d6.  Flamethrower Damage.

Jarn then holsters "Da Skorcha" and picks Derrik back up in order to proceed with their journey. Jarn still positions him self in front of Olivia just in case.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:28, Sat 20 Feb 2021.

Once the quasit sees the Spectral Hand moving out, the malicious demon realized his boss was serious about this. Will do, boss man.

OOC: 22:19, Today: The Elder Darkest rolled 4 using 1d20+3.  Will save for kobold. Ooga-booga! hahahaha no

The kobold that tried to sneak off, after taking another scratch from Robin's crossbow, had a tiny demon seemingly materialize in front of him to make a face at him. "Ooga-booga!"

The kobold runs screaming back to the spectral hand, and runs right into Jarn's fire. It manages to avoid the worst of the fire, but let's just say that this kobold suffers any fate you want them to at this point. How about that?

Oh, and three long blazing trails of fire now cutting through the woods, but I'm sure that won't matter.

So, what happens to the kobold, are we resetting back to marching order, and what do you do? In my case, as the Elder, I'd tell you I have no stake in mercenaries that are no longer on my payroll... and never were so I really don't care about them, that you should because it is simple, and just head to town after finishing whatever you want to do out here, because you've covered decent ground so far, believe it or not.

OOC: Victory! fanfare plays

Dia smirks as his 'plan' comes together.
He walks leisurely towards they frightened kobold. Channeling Death, Darkness and Cold through his spectral hand and snuffing out the life of the kobold.

Dia causally walks up to the dead kobold and examines what he had. Especially that strange wand they used to shoot Olivia.

"What a mess.  And more importantly, what a pain," Olivia presses her tender skin wondering what she was hit with exactly.  "If we aren't close to a town, I'd rather not go traipsing around in the woods.  We could camp.  Dia," Olivia watched him crush the life out of a kobold and wondered if she should tell him not to play with his food.  "Or darkest heir, whatever.  Do you know this region?  Are we close to someplace safe?  I don't relish having, 'killed by kobolds' written in the annuls of death."

Before returning to the group. Robin looks at the road to see if she can find any hoof-prints, to clue them in as to which direction the Hamlet is in, and finds nothing or at least nothing reliable. Having failed at scouting she doubles back "Oi' ya want a heal Ms. I've got a healing belt...." She blinks twice while looking at Dia "In hindsight its a good thing I forgot about it with you isn't it."


16:59, Today: Robin rolled 3 using 1d20.  Survival looking for Hoofprints and hopefully which way they go.

17:00, Today: Robin rolled 13 using 2d8.  Healing belt charge if Olivia accepts it.

Dia looks at the positive energy being used on Olivia.

"Yeah. If you used that on me in the state I was in, I wouldn't have gotten back up.

Día is fine. Or Día de Muertos if you are feeling formal for some reason. I have always been call Día because of my sunny disposition.

Unfortunately. I don't know this reagion. But..."

Dia uses his glowing blue spectral hand in the direction we where heading in before we encountered the Kobolds.

"If we head in the direction we where going in along what remains on the toad. Then we should eventually reach the Town.

If we camp now, we risk the Kobolds stumbling on us while we are resting.
If we encounter them while walking,  at least we will be alert.
And if the Town is farther than we expect, then we can set up a camp later."

"My vote is we keep moving."

Jarn lugs Derrick over his shoulder and starts walking in the direction Dia points.

Oh, for... I'm sorry, you have a magitech cyborg with a flamethrower who has torched half the woods behind you, and you are seriously pretending you don't understand a kobold-sized automatic pistol?

You disgust me sometimes, you role-players.

Also, he has two flasks of Alchemist's Fire. Also, lucky you, Dia - he has a kobold sized chain shirt, and a buckler. He also has a spare clip for the pistol, with ten extra bullets.

Oh, I'm sorry. Let me rephrase that for you:

He possesses a small metal container on his side, with one of those strange brass cases inside of it. The container has room for ten more of these tiny brass cases, otherwise known as bullets, because you have a magitech cyborg with a flamethrower as a travel companion and you know how guns work, you cretin. You just aren't a good shot with them.

Olivia heals, if she doesn't oppose this for whatever insane reason, because she is not some crypt-spawn who dies when someone gives them a hug. Robin learns nothing, because of course she doesn't.

Jarnbrautarlest actually sees the town over the next bend in the road. The setting of the sun and the blaze of the forest provide ample illumination for the way ahead. He anticipates no further interruptions on the path, but what would he know with his lousy wisdom?

Anyways, if you wish to move ahead, I'll prepare the next thread for you. It isn't here, so let me know in that OOC place what you want to do.

The road presents no further obstacles to you, and neither to the Wilds generate them. The fires blaze behind you, but... eh. These woods have a way of solving their own problems. Or getting better from them. Either way, a wildfire won't actually hurt anyone I care about, so you will be fine.

Either way, the lord of the manor has returned.

And his Heir.

To The Hamlet!