Return to Northmoor IC

[Redclaw]

Orthanach here says someone on the boat is hurt, Breccan says. I don't know more than that, but the fact that she's run aground, we don't see anyone working to free her, and our godtouched senses injury leads me to fear the worst.

[PrecociousApprentice]

"I see. I guess a little prudence is in order. I trust your instincts. It's been a long time since I was a soldier, and while I haven't been shut away in a monestery, I haven't really been on the front lines in a while. I hired you for just such circumstances. What is it that you suggest?" His deference seems surprising to you, as he is the Captain, but his trust is apparent. "I would be a fool to ignore these kinds of things."

[Atanatotatos]

Culhwych quietly follows McLynn and the others, keeping appropriate distance for an archer, in case cover fire is needed.

[pathfinderq1]

Aiffe looked curiously downriver for another moment- then she grabbed one of the long barge-poles and moved to the front corner of the raft. She needed to focus most of her attention on the task at hand, that of getting the Cat in to shore properly; physical labor had never been her forte. Any attention she had left over was devoted to listening to the debate going on- you know, just in case...

[Sparky]

Orthanach steps gingerly into the canoe, slipping and landing hard in the bottom. He rights himself and moves to sit in middle, ears coloring. He studies the bottom of the boat carefully and rubs at the palms of his hands, one then the other.

[PrecociousApprentice]

"Orthanach! Speak up, boy! What has you so shaken up?! You seem as if you are about to soil yourself! I want to know why you are holding things up around here!" MacLynn's manner is back to all-business, and if he were a dog you might say that his hackles were up. There have been too many things that have happened this morning to make it easy for anyone to stay calm. "I was under the impression when I hired you all that you could handle what the river sent our way. Well, it is time again to prove it. I either need to know why I shouldn'e go down there, or I need to go down there so we can get that boat out of our path. What is the holdup?"

[Sparky]

Orthanach stoically endures MacLynn's temper. "I sense only pain, Master MacLynn. Not danger." The young man turns and cranes his neck at the stranded boat. "With no one on the decks, we're like to find danger as well." He takes a pole-staff proffered by Breccan. "I am ready to shove off."

[PrecociousApprentice]

"Well, if is that case, I think that we might approach this a little differently than I had thought. Seein' as how we can't go back upriver this time of year, and we can't go down river with that boat stuck down there, we should probably make sure we are in as little danger as possible."

The soft breeze brings the comforting smells of the river. The wind ripples the mostly flat water. The call of the grey hawk is heard from a large tree on the east bank.

Looking down the river at the other raft, it is hard to tell what is going on down there from this distance. With crates piled almost 12' high, it would be hard to see anyone working or hiding on the other side of the raft. Even with the eyes of the grey hawk, the boxes would make spotting any mischief would be difficult.

"Unless anyone has a better idea, maybe we should put the Cat ashore, and all head down river to see of we can dislodge that stuck boat. Any other ideas are definitely welcome. Leaving the Cat alone is not my favorite idea, but it ain't going nowhere until we move that boat down there, and I am thinking that we should stay together."

[Lukeworm]

Cian

“Maclynn you know the river better then anyone here, if you say that leaving the Cat beached is safe then it should be. We need to decide what to do soon or the current will bring us closer to that stuck boat.”

[PrecociousApprentice]

"Safe or not, doesn't much matter about the Cat if we don't get that other raft moved. Unless someone has a better plan, we will put the Cat ashore and look into the happenings on the other raft." MacLynn looks furtively downriver, then back to Cian. "Military tactics were never my thing, so you'll have to lead the approach. Don't just go shootin' everything down there neither. Even if the raft was taken by bandits, that doesn't mean that there aren't good men down there. Maeger and his crew are friends of mine. Odds are that he is carrying some of the finest Lindinis dark ale down to the Hole On The Water. If everything is OK down there, we might just trade Maeger a little labor on the river for some of that ale when we camp tonight. Don't get yourselves surprised, but don't be over-spooked neither. We need to know what happened, and then get the Cat safely to the Lost Village."

[pathfinderq1]

Aiffe continued to listen to the strategy session between MacLynn and the others- she didn't have the kind of tactical training that some of her friends did, but the subject was interesting, and she was, after all, very smart. As she listened, though, she continued to work the heavy barge pole, doing her share to edge the Cat in towards shore.

[Redclaw]

Breccan listens carefully, and starts considering plans. Aye, we'll go and check the raft out, he says to MacLynn. But you need to stay back and let us do the heavy lifting. That's what you hired us on for, and the Cat needs her captain. You're the only one who can get us out of here after the way is cleared.

As for the rest of you, he turns to the others. We need to stay together. We're much stronger in close concert than we are spread out. Just like we did on the raft, ranged power shielded by muscle. Let us protect you while you do your thing.

Culhwych, you take point with Llewellyn and Cian close behind. At first sign of trouble get behind them. Aiffe, stay by Orthanach and I. We don't know what's over there, but I don't want to take any risks. You can all laugh at my paranoia over that cask of ale.

[Atanatotatos]

Culwhych nods at Breccan's direction and pulls his hood on his face, readying to do battle, arrow already in hand.
He's not yet spoken a word today, and it's not unusual. All the more since he's been busy fixing the string on his bow, that made him miss more than once in the previous skirmish.
If an archer misses his target, Culhwych knows, it's his companions that pay for his mistake.

[PrecociousApprentice]

"By stay back, do you mean on the Cat, or just a good distance behind, and out of the way? I would be good for any interactions with Maeger and his crew, and I am not bad with a weapon, but I understand you wanting me to keep out of the way. If you think that you can handle this all without me, I would also be just as happy guarding the Cat while you are out." MacLynn is visibly releived that his hired guards have taken command in this situation. A thought about his reputation as a coward crosses your mind, but remembering how he launched himself at the boarders earlier this morning quickly stamps out this thought.

[pathfinderq1]

Aiffe listened carefully to Breccan's plan, the nodded in acknowledgement. "That sounds like a good plan to me. Let's get the Cat in to shore and get started." When MacLynn spoke up, she gave a glance towards Breccan before responding. "When we get the Cat secured, maybe you can stay right up on the bow- if the first team can find someone on board, you ought to be close to hail them and be recognized, but still out of danger. You'll also be right close by if we need to get back on board in a hurry." She ventured her own suggestion with a faint smile- hopefully she had understood the plan well enough to fill in that answer...

[Redclaw]

Breccan nods his agreement to Aiffe's suggestion. That sounds like a good solution to me. Are the rest of you ready? We should get moving in case someone is heavily wounded over there.

[Sparky]

Orthanach gracelessly extracts himself from the canoe. "I am ready for whatever is needed." He takes up a barge pole and a post ready to pole the Cat in whatever direction her Captain requires.

[Lukeworm]

Cian

“We are all agreed then. Once the Cat is ashore we head to the Rose on foot, we go by the formation suggested by Breccan. Just remember if the rose is indeed carrying ale to the hole on the water it is our duty to make sure it is of the finest quality, in fact I volunteer to test it.”

With a mischievous smile Cian goes to the front of the raft making sure there is a rope ready to secure the raft to the shore, and an axe to cut it loose in a hurry.

[pathfinderq1]

OOC: Just an FYI- I am experiencing DSL/connectivity issues, so my posting may be spotty for a few days, until things get straightened out.

[PrecociousApprentice]

After deciding on a plan, you put the Cat ashore in a small cove surrounded by rushes. It isn't necessarily hidden, but it is the best that could be found upriver of the stranded boat. You gear up with your weaponry in anticipation of a fight, but MacLynn insists that you bring several shovels in case it is just a matter of a stuck raft.

The slight breeze still rustles the leaves in the oaks in the surrounding forest, and the cottonwoods along the banks add to the gentle melody of the river sounds. The six crew members of the Blackwater Cat climb aboard three canoes, with the Captain of the Cat taking a place at the front of one canoe. He stands tall, so as to be recognized by the the crew of the stranded boat.

The trip downriver to Maeger's craft was relatively short, and as you approach, there doesn't seem to be anyone on board. When you have come within 30 yards of the other vessel, MacLynn shouts "Maeger, is everything alright?" There is a pause as you canoes drift closer to the stuck raft, but eventually there comes a reply.

"Yes, mostly. I wasn't sure it was you, Guidry. We have run into a little trouble on the river this trip, and this sandbar was not the start of it." MacLynn visibly relaxes when he hears the voice. As the man you assume to be Maeger speaks, you notice two red haired archers, obviously brothers, step from behind crates on the raft, easing the arrows in their bows. Another man with a scruffy beard and a notched sword stands up from behind another crate. Beside him, a middle aged man with a thick black beard rises from a crouch behind a stack of rolled carpets covered in a tarp. He is holding a crossbow, but it is pointed at the deck. All of them are quite muddy. "I lost three crewmen yesterday to bandits. We repelled them, but it left me a little short on deckhands. That is why we ran aground here on this sandbar. I could use some help getting off of it."

"We are here to help, and I would like to get you out before those bandits come back. We ran into them as well, just this morning. I am not eager to face them again. How can we help?" MacLynn is back to his usual brusk, businesslike manner.

OOC

This is intended to be a Skill Challenge, only we will be running it a little different than core rules. There will be three "rounds" to this Skill challenge. Each character is expected to act in each "round". In general, this challenge is physical in nature, and should mostly depend on the Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, and Thievery (for mechanics) skills. These skills can be used any number of times. Creative uses of Heal, any Social skill, or any Knowledge skill will be allowed, but only once per each character. Any creative use of any other skill may be used only once during this Skill challenge. I will decide what is creative after the check is made and description is written, and each of these may or may not count, depending on the effort that goes into making these non-standard skill uses believable. I will also add +2 to each skill check that is really well played.

The DC for each skill check is 18. Natural 20 is an automatic double success. Every character is expected to make a skill check on their turn. Choose a skill, make a roll, describe it how you like within reason and within the bounds of what the dice results are, add details to the world to help make the description interesting, and collect successes. I will not be counting failures, only successes, that way no one should be afraid to attempt to contribute. The stuck raft should only become free after you have gotten enough successes, and only after the third "round", so I will describe that. I will secretly be counting the number of successes, with success being the raft is freed, and failure being........