Location: columbia, missouri, u.s. of north america, terra, sol III, Milky way, third demension
Posts: 4,843
"Is this rombard a donkey or a goat or ...?" Harn gives a shrug at his openended question then continues, "I can put forth an effort only with information about him or her."
Houwlou will follow the newly discovered trail for about fifty yards or so, far enough to be relatively certain that the creatures are maintaining a steady course, at least for now. Then, he returns and looks for Harnry, Keeland, Aodhán, and Kecil. When he finds them, "Our work is not yet finished here, I fear, friends! I have found the trail of these beasts, and I think we should be off at once to find and punish them for this affront," he says.
Stat Block
Houwlou Groulenas - Male Olcán Ranger 1
Initiative: +1, Perception: +8(?)(+2 more smell/sound,+2 more vs. undead), Low Light Vision 60'
AC: 17 (4Chain Shirt + 2Lg. Shield + 1Dex);FF16;T11
Fort:+2 | Ref:+3 | Will:+4
HP: 21/21
OOC: What's up with the OP site? I wasn't able to log-in to it when I tried tonight.
"Aye, let's see if we can't teach these...creatures a thing or two" Aodhán replies, standing up from the rock he'd been sitting on while the others completed their investigations. He'd spent the time refilling any waterskins for individuals in camp and for their group.
"Is this rombard a donkey or a goat or ...?" Harn gives a shrug at his openended question then continues, "I can put forth an effort only with information about him or her."
"He's my prize billy goat. Please say you'll bring him back to me!"
OOC
Once Harnry rejoins the party we'll get you guys off into the scrub.
"Well do what we can, sir," says Houwlou, "But protecting the caravan and the people in it must take priority, you understand. Speaking of which, the trail is growing cold even as we stand here and speak! Let us get on with the hunt!" Clearly, Houwlou is very much in his element now, and anxious to begin the pursuit in earnest. (And, no, we're not pursuing "Ernest", either! )
Stat Block
Houwlou Groulenas - Male Olcán Ranger 1
Initiative: +1, Perception: +8(?)(+2 more smell/sound,+2 more vs. undead), Low Light Vision 60'
AC: 17 (4Chain Shirt + 2Lg. Shield + 1Dex);FF16;T11
Fort:+2 | Ref:+3 | Will:+4
HP: 21/21
Location: columbia, missouri, u.s. of north america, terra, sol III, Milky way, third demension
Posts: 4,843
Harnrey will give as comforting a reply as possible, " Sir, If it is possible, we will bring him back. If we cannot find hime, we will report to you as such. Now the trail grows faint and i must leave for now." The wizard will pat the troubled man on the shoulder and leave the older couple to comfort each other.
Now he re-joins the group for the pursuit of Ernest, or somethng like that. . .
Sunlight wanes as the party heads north from the camp, following the faint traces left by the alleged Pugwampis. Shadows spear out long from every rock and bush, and there's something very creepy in the afternoon air. Houwlou's hackles make a stiff brush as they stand up stiff from his neck, and everyone is on edge and looking in every direction to make certain sure nothing's sneaking up on them.
About a quarter mile from the camp tracks similar to those found by Houwlou are plentiful, and obvious enough that everyone in the party can see them. Houwlou also finds tracks from a goat headed in the same direction as the dog tracks.
A few hundred yards later, the sun drops completely behind the shoulder of a mountain to the west. Darkness falls quickly in the mountains, and within a few minutes full dark will descend.
Tension ratchets up another notch, and everyone gets the inexplicable feeling that something terrible is about to happen. A cry rings out through the rapidly cooling mountain air . . . it sounds eerily like the wail of a child in pain.
Houwlou looks thoughtful for a moment as he tries to recall what sort of creature he knows that makes such a call. (OOC: Hmmmmm.... Pending results of skill check)
Stat Block
Houwlou Groulenas - Male Olcán Ranger 1
Initiative: +1, Perception: +8(?)(+2 more smell/sound,+2 more vs. undead), Low Light Vision 60'
AC: 17 (4Chain Shirt + 2Lg. Shield + 1Dex);FF16;T11
Fort:+2 | Ref:+3 | Will:+4
HP: 21/21
A short way farther on you find yourselves at the edge of a very dense growth of cacti. Rombard's bleating is becoming more frantic and that creepy feeling in the air ratchets up another notch.
It is now fully dark, but Keeland, Houwlou and Aodhán can see the goat thrashing around about 25 feet into the cactus patch. It's tethered to one of the cacti with a hairy, knotted rope and it's likely that it's attempts to escape are causing it some fairly significant injury (these cactus needles are long).
OOC
I'll need to know whether each of you is moving into the cactus. It will take 3 rounds of careful maneuvering through the cactus to avoid being stuck, and requires an Acrobatics check (DC 15) every round.
You're other option (besides letting poor Rombard bleed to death) is to barrel on through - this will inflict some damage.
Location: columbia, missouri, u.s. of north america, terra, sol III, Milky way, third demension
Posts: 4,843
rules question
does hand of the apprintice have to be a weapon? can it instead be the rope in the cactice tethering the goat? can I use the hand to lead the goat without endangering the party?
[ooc]ok, rules question has been answwered, however there are mitigating circumstances on the question, so harn will now act: [/ooc]
Harnrey, conjurer hope his armor and magic training can keep him safe in the catice patch. he starts to follow what looks like a possible path through the needls of excruciating pain...
He pulls out a sunrod and strikes the tip creating light to see by, the procedes into the patch.
Harnry begins his slow, careful way through the cactus patch and gets about ten feet in before getting thoroughly poked in the leg for . . . wait for it . . . one point of damage!
Aodhán pulls out his whopping war axe and begins carving a way through the cactus patch . . . the plants prove tough, their fibrous bodies resisting the edge of his axe, and he doesn't seem to be wielding it with his usual deft skill. Cactus juice coats the shaft and it slips round in his fingers, and the usually stolid dwarf finds himself slipping around as well. Several times he almost loses his footing! Eventually he makes it through, leaving a narrow path for the others to follow.
Harn and Kecil follow the dwarf through the patch, and the three adventurers find themselves standing on a thin strip of open land at the edge of a 15-foot wide ravine. A casual glance down the edge reveals a huge multi-armed, wickedly barbed cactus dominating the ground 10 feet below the ledge, almost directly below where the sad little goat Rombard has been lazily tied to a scrub bush. The goat is covered in cactus quills and is frantically pulling at the rope, bleating at maximum volume.
The goat is actually up here at the top of the ravine w/ you, but it's gonna take a Handle Animal check to get it to calm down enough to lead it out safely. For some reason the sight of humans isn't calming it as it should.
Houwlou begins the dreaded arduous process of talking himself into entering the field of flesh-piercing cacti. "Oh, brother! Didn't you guys learn anything about animals?"
Stat Block
Houwlou Groulenas - Male Olcán Ranger 1
Initiative: +1, Perception: +8(?)(+2 more smell/sound,+2 more vs. undead), Low Light Vision 60'
AC: 17 (4Chain Shirt + 2Lg. Shield + 1Dex);FF16;T11
Fort:+2 | Ref:+3 | Will:+4
HP: 21/21
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