<OOC: @Vailin - you do not know that Ayrron is a sorcerer.....he has never shown any magic within the group's presence (Other than @Valik at the beginning meeting Goldmoon)>


Ayrron was not ready for the fast decent, and fell on his back with a loud thump. His hands red raw, le was getting up with a look of anger on his face as Vailin came down. "You could have warned me!' He muttered as he stood, flexing his hands.

With the brief discussion, the group followed Valik. The kender trusted the goliath's skills and followed behind, rubbing his hands. "Next time i'll hel you out of the tree's" He muttered looking at Vailin

DM ROLL: Guard troops rolled 15,1,17 using d20,d20,d20-1 with rolls of 15,1,18.

Following Valik's lead, the group headed west, quickly passing over the road leading through Solace.  The guards behind them were soon left behind, with two voices arguing over which direction the five of them had gone.  But this was small comfort as more voices picked up from the north and the south, approaching quickly from both directions.

OOC: You've managed to lose the guard troop coming down from the trees (they rolled the natural 1).  They're now behind you to the east.  From the south you hear the sound of armour and boots, moving quickly.  Probably guards.

From the north, you hear more feet, moving faster -- and mixed among them goblin speech.

Aelina followed the silent goliath as well as she could, but sounds coming from the north and south were not encouraging, those two groups closing in on the fleeing companions. Raking her brain for a solution, she smiled and put her hand in her pocket, fishing for the component for her favorite cantrip. With a hand gesture, the loud sound of someone tripping and falling down on the forest floor was suddenly heard 30 feet behind them. "That was me, go go go, it might buy us some time!"

Using minor illusion to create the sound, it might attract the pursuing groups to fight each other XD. Minor illusion does not need a verbal component. 

DM ROLL: DM rolled 15, (6,18), 3 using 1d20,1d20,1d20,1d20-1 with rolls of 15,6,18,4.

The tower-trained bard clutched the bit of fleece in her pouch, feeling the comfortable and familiar texture between her fingers.  Rubbing the fleece against itself, she felt the fibers scrape over each other, heard the whisper of sound the motion created, and seized it with her talent.  She fed the sound back over itself, letting it warp and twist until it matched her desired form, then released it into the dark of the woods behind her.

Suddenly, a clattering of armour and the scattering of many fallen leaves sounded behind them.  The sound of the goblins to the north paused momentarily, then erupted into cheers and shouts as they accelerated.  The snapping of bowstrings was heard in the mix.  To the south, echoing cries rallied up, with a single voice rising above them.  "The staff!  The staff!  Bring me the staff!"

"I think it's set them on our trail instead! Time for haste!" Knowing stealth was no longer an option, their only hope now was to outrun or outsmart their pursuers.

Well, that or kill them. Vailin won't like it...

Valik pushed on through the wood, toward Crystalmir.

09:55, Today: Valik rolled 17 using 1d20+3.  Athletics.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:56, Tue 18 Apr 2023.

Ayrron winced at the illusion and it's result, and when the arrows started flying, he set off at a run. Wether fear or something else, the young kender set off like a flash, grabbing the elf. "C'mon....time to go!"

---

<OOC: Ayrron rolled 20 using 1d20 with rolls of 20.  athletics check.>

Vailin did his best to keep up but his armour had him lagging behind.  He continued to serve as rearguard, his shield out to protect from attacks, but as he focused more behind than front his distance from the others increased.

Athletics: 8

The bard started running, hoping Valik's prediction would not become true but that her illusion would distract and confuse their pursuit.

Today: Secret Roll: Aelina rolled 16 using 1d20-1 with rolls of 17.  athletic .

As they ran, Ayrron fiddled with something in a pouch, and pulled out a small leather pouch with some metal contraption on top. "Please work." he muttered as he dropped it as vailin (the last of the group passed, and kept running.

A few seconds later, a small 'pop' sounded and the Kender looked back and smiled as the parcel exploded with a thick grey/brown goop covered the area.

He kept running.

---

<OOC: Casts Grease Between the group and the enemy in hopes to slow them>

DM ROLL: Guards rolled 18 using 1d20+1 ((17)).  Dex Save passed.

The sounds of booted footfalls and clanking armour faded, but did not diminish entirely.  At least one group of guards was still on the group's tail as Valik lead them to the shores of Crystalmir Lake.  Overhead, the silver moon of Lunitari shone weakly down on the lake, with the red moon tinging the water with just a hint of red.

Goldmoon stopped just behind Valik as their boots hit the water's edge.  "What now?  Surely they are right behind us?!" she said in a hushed whisper.

OOC: You've bought some time with your antics, but have not shaken pursuit entirely.  What would you like to do?

Valik looked at Aelina, "Our best bet would be a boat, so they cannot follow easily. Following the shore to the south and west will take us to the mountains, our second best option. Otherwise, we fight; unless your magic knows a better solution. Your eyes are better than all of ours in this darkness, Aelina, you may see something we do not."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:09, Sun 23 Apr 2023.

The half-elf would have liked more time to think but there was none. She looked south, and with a word a cat materialize at her feet. "I don't see a boat so south might be our best bet. Shakra, run north and make as much noise running in the bushes as you can... no meowing! I'll call you back. Valik, I can try to put those guards to sleep but I can't guarantee I would catch them all and that would mean figthing the rest. Follow me!"

With a gesture, she created the illusion of some footprints going north, as the familliar ran in the bushes to make them rustle, the bard leading the party south throught the clearest path she could see.

Today: Secret Roll: Aelina rolled 14,0 using 1d20+3,1d20-2 with rolls of 11,2.  perception. familliar charisma.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:21, Mon 24 Apr 2023.

With a muffled chirrup sound, Shakra vanished into the bushes.  Aelina turned and led the way along the lakeshore, heading southward.  Whether Shakra's antics had any success or not, it was hard to say, but the guards on their tail seemed to still be there whenever she listened for them.

Maybe a hundred meters down the lakeshore, Aelina spotted a pair of shapes in the darkness.  Overturned on the beach lay a pair of rowboats -- fishermens' vessels, no doubt.

Overhead, thunder rolled.  The wind began to pick up, and clouds could be seen blotting out the night sky.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:56, Mon 24 Apr 2023.

Ayrron kept pace, but grimaced at the sound of the men. "What the hells are they - part bloodhound?"

As the shapes were seen, he picked up speed.

Without stopping, the bard pointed to the shapes "There are some boats ahead, I'm not sure we have time to launch them before those pursuing us reach us though... and that sky is not promising for a boat ride... Valik, your call on this one!"

Realizing her ploy with Shakra had obviously failed, she mentally sent the cat back in the pocket dimension that was it's home.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:15, Tue 25 Apr 2023.

"Get to the boats. It saves the most lives." Valik's height made him one of the better equipped for flipping over boats, so he followed Aelina's direction to find them and do just that.

He would protect Goldmoon, no matter how many had been sent after her. The story of the staff, they had yet to hear, but he would keep her from harm and arrest. Killing goblins and their kin did not bother Valik, he'd seen what their kind were capable of, especially when following the orders of others and feeling no responsibility for their actions. He was all too familiar with that story.

If it was men and elves that came, Valik hoped for as little killing as possible. He was no stranger to killing people, but it was a part of his life he had left behind and had no particular desire to return to. He would, but he hoped he wouldn't need to.

Ayrron ran beside Valik with a grim look on his face. "As long as it saves ours, thats fine." He muttered

Aelina was not strong enough to help with flipping the boats right side up so she did the next best thing, where her darkvision was well suited, looking for the oars.

Today: Secret Roll: Aelina rolled 9 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 6.  perception. Not very good

Vailin eyed the boats dubiously, partly because he didn't like the idea of stealing boats, but moreso because he worried about a capsizing boat while wearing more than fifty pounds of chain mail!

Still the safety of his friends took priority.  He could make reparations later.

"Any idea who is behind?  I have no issue making a stand against raiders or monsters but would rather involve a fight with the Seekers.  The latter we should take the boats.  All of them."

"Seekers from the town, goblinoids from the northern patrols." Valik paused for a short moment to listen, "I have not heard the goblins for a time; we may have lost them. The Seekers still come."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:17, Fri 28 Apr 2023.

Working together, the boats were easily overturned and pushed into the shallow water.  Aelina and Vailin got into one boat, while Ayrron and Valik got into the other, the water level perilously close to the hull as the goliath climbed in.  Goldmoon climbed into the boat with Aelina and Valin just as the seeker guards who had been chasing them broke the treeline, running for the shore.

"Stop!  In the name of the law you are ordered to stop!" one of the guards shouted as they drew closer.

Two of the guards stopped, drew longbows, and loosed a pair of arrows, which arced overhead to splash into the water.  Two more of the guards, armed with spears, continued racing down the beach.

ROLL: Guard 1 rolled 11 using 2d20+1 with disadvantage (dark) ((15,10)).
ROLL: Guard 2 rolled 6 using 2d20+1 with disadvantage (dark) ((5, natural 20)).

---

OOC: Who's rowing each boat?  If you use your action to row the boat, it'll move 30 feet each round.  This leaves the other person(s) in the boat to perform other actions.

If you row for 5 rounds, you'll be far enough from the shore to be safe from bowshot.  While you're in the boat, you have half cover (+2 AC).  If you lie down in the boat, you'll have three quarters cover (+5 AC).  Hope none of the guards have sharpshooter...

Ayrron ducked down as Valik got in the boat and started rowing. the kender hadn't the strength to help, so he crouched town to stay safe. With his pack and Hoopak in the bottom, he looked at Valik. "Hope your feeling strong? I'll keep cover, though i'd rather not hurt any of the fools unless they push it."

---

<OOC: Will crouch down in the boat (AC+5, making his AC 19)

If anyone is injured, he will attack with firebolt>

Struggling to balance in his chain mail, Vailin was happy to take a set of oars.  The rhythmic pulling of the blades in time helped him drown out the voices.  "Stop in the name of the law."  Never would he expect to hear that said about him.  Why was he doing this?  Should he stop this before it got out of control?

For now the young human let his heart overrule his head and kept stroking powerfully.



Athletics: 19
This message was last edited by the player at 08:41, Fri 28 Apr 2023.

Valik spoke to Arryon, "Use me as cover if you need to. If they keep firing, insult their archers. See if you can keep them focused on us."

Valik took up the oars and put his long limbs to use.

The bard got her lute out to pluck a calm rythm and started singing
"Now hear my lullaby,
Calm your mind, baby,
Listen to my lullaby,
Stop running and sleep, baby"

With a hand flourish, she pointed at the men on the shore, targeting the archers first.

"That should give us a few moments. Don't worry, I didn't hurt them, they will only have a nice nap, perfect for calming excited little boys."

cast sleep for 21 HP, I would have like higher rolls, but its average.

Today: Secret Roll: Aelina rolled 21 using 5d8 with rolls of 5,2,4,4,6.  sleep.