There are a few things about Trosk that seem constant.

First, it always smells like wet sackcloth.  Maybe it's the humidity.  Maybe it's the thick carpet of vegetation that clings to the riverbank like a tick clinging to that patch on your back you can't quite reach.  But there's just a pervasive odor like some sack somewhere nearby is wet and mildewy and on the verge of rotting.

Second, the people are inclined to not say much.  You have been able to pick up on who's a local by the level of stoicism.  Those who are here for the mission of venturing into the Badlands all seem to have a sort of quiet grimness to them.  They tend to stand tall, arms crossed over their chests, and study whatever or whoever is standing in front of them.  Like a judge sizing up the accused.

Lastly, things seem to go from bad to worse fairly quickly in Trosk.  Case in point:

You had business at Watch Post 5.  It's the watch tower farthest to the west of Trosk, tasked with watching traffic and whatever that comes up from the Mist Swamps.  Watch Post 5 is also the location of several administration offices for the settlement. Because the best place to put those offices is in the watch tower farthest outside of town apparently.

Maybe you needed to check on the status of your application for refuge.  Maybe you wanted to see if there was a new wanted poster up and if there was, if it had your portrait on it.  Or maybe you were just looking for work.

Whatever the case, you found yourself in the small crowd outside of Watchpost 5 when someone shouted out, "Hey!  That boat's comin' in too fast!"

Boats and ships come up and down the Serpent all day long.  Most this far south are either the smaller riverboats plying trade or canoes for fishermen, trying to eek out a living off the river.  This particular ship is a medium sized galley, probably hailing from one of the human settlements further upriver.  It's fitted for oars, but there's no one rowing when it comes into sight.

The galley rushes against the current, speeding upriver like a rabbit out of a wolf's jaws.  It's heading on a slanted course towards the shore.  Suddenly, just twenty feet off the shoreline from Watchpost 5 the galley shudders and comes to a halt, it's hull striking a large outcropping of rock not far from the shore.

The galley shakes and trembles, listing a bit to one side.

As it does, a t'skrang woman leaps off the deck into the water.   She sinks immediately, then comes up quickly, suddenly swimming for the shore.

The people in the crowd with you seem to stand still.  Some seem unsure what to do.  Others are crossing their arms in front of their chests, narrowing their eyes, and regarding the boat and the t'skrang woman with a skeptical air.

The woman pulls herself up onto the shore.  She seems to be wounded.

She takes a few steps up onto the beach when suddenly the sand around her begins to explode upwards into a cloud.  Sand lobsters are surging forth from under the beach, snapping at the woman's legs.

The woman steps back involuntarily.  You can see she is wounded.  Looking towards the crowd, she calls out, "Someone!  Please help me!  I can pay!"

So.

You guys are standing in the area marked "The Crowd".

The T'Skrang woman's position is marked.  And she is surrounded by what appears to be two, maybe three sand lobsters.  Any of you can get there in 1 round if you so chose to.

No one seems to be rushing forward at the moment.

Would any of you like to assist her?

Let me know if there are questions.  Thanks.

A ship mysteriously running aground, a woman desperately jumping off and no crew in sight, just what was going on? J'Rass M'Ron of House V'Strimon had many questions, but when the lady came to shore and was suddenly attacked by giant lobsters he jumped into action without a moment's hesitation. For he was a T'Skrang Swordmaster and a chance to build his legend would not be ignored, nor the plight of the lady, whoever she might be.

Thus he jumped forward, drawing a long sword and grabbing his shield, fully intending to maneuver himself between the lobsters and the woman.
"Hold on! I, J'Rass M'Ron of House V'Strimon shall save you!" He yelled loudly with boastful voice to ensure his audience knew his Name.

Azud-del did not immediately pay attention to the vessel as it thrust its way across the water. The river held little interest for him - not least because he was a windling - so he rather took the opportunity to snake his way between Name-givers who were suddenly fixated on the occurrence. Even under the worst of circumstances, he would have had few problems - despite his stature, one of the tallest windlings he had ever met, he stood far less than two feet tall, and it was a simple matter to maneuver himself between the larger Name-givers near the watch tower. They paid the pale, wingless, raggedly-clothed windling no mind.

Only when he found he could progress no further did he finally allow himself a moment to take in the goings-on. The ship had crashed into the shore, or at least near it, and disgorged a t'skrang - female by the way she dressed - into the water. She was splashing quickly toward the shore, and he had no doubt she would be fine.

Nevertheless, there was cause for concern: where was the ship's crew? No seaman he, but Azud-del was not entirely ignorant of the workings of a ship. And he had never before heard of a vessel that sailed itself.

The windling offered the line he'd been hoping to bypass an annoyed grunt. The Passions were fickle, monstrous creatures. He had decided that long ago, following the death of his mother - even before-

The t'skrang pulled herself from the water, and moments later she was followed by a lobster larger than he, himself, was. Azud-del did not hesitate. The moment they appeared - even before the woman offered pay - he took a step forward, drew back his arm, and made as if throwing a spear. As he drew back, power flooded around his first - dark power, power that only one who could sense the astral plane could see - arced up his arm and into his fist, momentarily forming an iridescent bolt before it sliced through the space between he and the nearest lobster.

19:54, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 14, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Thread Weaving. I'm assuming threads can be held, thus allowing me to use Spellcasting as the "first round" activity.

20:02, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 6, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Spellcasting: Astral Spear. There's my RPOL luck.

On the off chance that hit...

20:03, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 11, with a step number of 11 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Astral Spear: Effect (Mystic).

He had arrived at Watchpost 5 looking for a job, probably a stablehand, or maybe a scout if he got lucky. T’veyn liked the humidity, it felt good, warmth and the glistening sheen on his scales. Idly he’d been scratching some of the dead scales off his forearm when the mysterious galley riding in hard took his eyes.

He frowned. Nothing smelt like a serious raid here. Which was good. T’Veyns optimism faltered as the Tskrang woman appeared, disappeared, then swam to shore.

What really irked him was the explosion of the sand lobsters, so close to a crowd, and the reaction of said crowd. We’re they compassionless?

“Garlen touch you all!” He said softly, hoping to move someone to assist as he strode forwards. Even as he did, others in the crowd burst forward with more conclusive actions. His brows and crest rose sharply….

In reply to T'veyn Streamtrail (msg # 5):

T'veyn and J'Rass, you move forward, arriving as the rather fetching looking t'skrang woman dodges backwards away from the claws of one of the crabs.  She seems to be clutching something like a pouch close to her chest.

Azud, you quickly twist the threads in your matrix.  Pinching yourself and flicking your wrist, you let the dart fly...

Azud, you hit.  Please roll your effect.  Will+2 I believe.

T and J, you guys may have at.  The lobsters are fixated on her and not paying you any attention.  They will be blindsided to your attacks as a result.  Their PD this round is a 6.  It is usually an 8.

You guys can go ahead and post actions and die rolls.  Just roll init once at the start of each combat.  Do not wait until you think it's your turn to post actions/rolls.  Just post.  I'll sort it out by init results.   Please remember to post OOC info in orange like Azud did (Azud, you may have a cookie).

Questions?  Thanks.

Azud-del was not pleased to see that his blow had struck true - why would he be? There was no reason to be happy. Injuring these animals was a bit like torturing a cat - or a windling. It was a necessity, perhaps, but not one that was worthy of praise. Although it appeared that one of the t'skrang that was helping - a Swordmaster, he guessed, by the flowery nonsense he spouted - disagreed.

The Nethermancer paid them no mind. Rather, he walked forward slowly, pinching himself again  as he did so. Once more he flicked his wrist at the nearest lobster, watching passionlessly as the dart - only someone with sight of the astral plane could see it - consumed the distance between he and his target hungrily.

OOC: Huzzah! A cookie! ... Wait. What kind of cookie? Hopefully not one of those salty-tastin' t'skrang cookies... ;)

Here is the Effect roll for last round's Spirit Dart:

10:35, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 9, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Spirit Dart: Effect (Mystic). Note that it also reduces the target's Mystic Armor by 2.

Here are this round's rolls:

10:38, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 3, with a step number of 5 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Initiative. Clearly Azud-del feels he has nothing else to offer. *facepalm*

10:48, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 13, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Spellcasting: Spirit Dart.

10:49, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 3, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Spirit Dart: Effect (Mystic). Oof. At least the Mystic Armor stays reduced, assuming he hit in the first place.

Incidentally, since it may come up, Soul Armor is currently the other spell in his Matrix. I feel like I may need to Reattune that one on the fly as well. :/

T’veyn dropped into a crouching lope, scampering in behind one of these crustacean threats. He hated the feeling of fighting without a known and understood reason, but the abdication of action was likewise distressing. As the creature had its attention on the Tskrang woman, T’veyn made good his approach, his tail whipping up the sand as he sprang at it from behind. The talons that formed on his hand seemed poised to remove this shelled beast from the fight, but sadly rang the dull grating of claw meeting armour, before the hook of one talon lodged beneath a plate. Instinctively he yanked hard, tearing at the exoskeleton.

T’veyn grunted in the effort of such a violent assault, but prepared to face the claws of the creature as it fought back, exactly as it should

OOC:

21:50, Today: T'veyn Streamtrail rolled 23, with a step number of 20 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Correct damage roll, with +4 from extra successes to hit! Sorry, still learning!

17:16, Today: T'veyn Streamtrail rolled 6, with a step number of 16 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Damage (surprise strike included for blindside).
17:15, Today: T'veyn Streamtrail rolled 19, with a step number of 14 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Aggressive Unarmed vs lobster.
One point of strain for aggressive attack.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:54, Sat 31 Dec 2022.

J'Rass swooped in, deftly getting behind the lobsters and giving the nearest an enormous slice of his sword with the grace of a Swordmaster.

---

OOC:
Initiative: 1
Simple action - Maneuver: 6 (succeeds) (1 karma spent)
Standard action: Aggressive attack Melee Weapons (+2 maneuver, +3 aggressive): 11 (+1 success)
Damage (+3 aggressive, +3 surprise strike, +2 successes): 17

Modifiers on J'Rass:
-1 Karma
-3 PD, MD (aggressive)
+2 PD against attacked lobster
3 strain (maneuver, aggressive, surprise strike)

Cap'n - Since there are initiative-dependent talents, I think we should roll initiative every round.

23:53, Today: J'Rass M'ron rolled 17, with a step number of 19 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system with rolls of 7,2,8.  Damage (+3 aggressive, +3 surprise strike, +2 attack bonus success).
23:50, Today: J'Rass M'ron rolled 11, with a step number of 16 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Melee Weapons (+2 maneuver, +3 aggressive).
23:37, Today: J'Rass M'ron failed, rolling all ones, with a step number of 7 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Initiative.
23:34, Today: J'Rass M'ron rolled 2 using 1d6.  Karma (Maneuver).
23:33, Today: J'Rass M'ron rolled 4, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (3rd ed) system.  Maneuver.

J'Rass and T'veyn, you are almost upon the lobsters when one of them suddenly flinches, as if struck by something unseen.  Then they are both struck by something quite visible:  you two.

One of the lobsters manages to snag the ankle of the T'skrang woman in a claw.  She grunts but pulls away without any hesitation.  There's a fine spray of blood but she seems more concerned about getting out of the way now that help has arrived.

Both the lobsters make a noise like wet shoes squeaking and start to spin around.  Then the one that flinched first flinches again.  Doesn't stop moving.  But does flinch.

Your guys go.  Blind side advantage has been lost, at least for the moment.

Thanks
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:39, Mon 02 Jan 2023.

Azud-del was pleased to see that a second t'skrang had entered the fray - not, of course, that he was particularly concerned with the outcome of the battle, but a second obvious target meant the creatures were less likely to pay him any mind. For his part, the windling pinched his arm one more, flicking casually toward his previous target.

OOC: 08:50, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 5, with a step number of 5 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Initiative.

08:51, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 6, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Spellcasting: Spirit Dart. (MA on target reduced by -2 from last round.)

08:52, Today: Secret Roll: Azud-del Wind-Dancer rolled 12, with a step number of 9 on the Earthdawn (1st & 2nd ed) system.  Spirit Dart: Effect (Mystic).