Mad God's Key - Chapter One

Tinner · Oct 10, 2005

Ahhh ... early spring in the City of Greyhawk. What could be better.
It's the start of trade season in the Free City, and the street are packed with visitors. Merchants hawking wares jostle alongside wide-eyed youths seeking adventure.
It's a good bet that they'll find it too. Adventure seekers always do well in Greyhawk.
At least that's what you've been told.

Of course, if that's not true, then you've travelled a long way yourself for nothing! The four of you have each come to Greyhawk at this time seeking adventure and fortune.
The city is so busy this time of year that fate drove you all to share a room at the Blue Dragon Inn in the Craftsmen's Ward neighborhood.
You've only arrived a few days ago, and fate or the gods put four young adventure seekers in close proximity. Over the last few days you've spent some time getting to know each other, and discovered that each of you has an adventureous streak that longs to be satisfied.
If only someone would provide you the chance to get involved in some sort of daring escapade, or heroic endeavor!

Greyhawk city is a metropolis like no other. There is something here for every traveler, merchant, and hero alike. Adventure waits around every corner and danger lurks down every alley. Morning in the city of Greyhawk is much like all other times of the day - hectic. Today appears to be no exception. Although this part of the vast metropolis has not yet fully woken up, it appears that some of the lesser folk have. Across the street, a pair of flithy thugs has started to ransack a locksmith's shop. The few passers by that even take notice just cross to the other side of the street and move along. No one seems to want to get involved.

Where's a hero when you need one?

OOC Feel free to dive right in folks! You'll get one surprise round before they can respond.
Initiatives
Nuressa: Init (1d20+5=18)
Eldred: Init (1d20+2=14)
Kel: Init (1d20+7=10)
Urkulyr: Init (1d20=7)

Marek (Thug1): Init (1d20+2=5)
Flegon (Thug 2): Init (1d20+2=10)

Lobo Lurker · Oct 10, 2005

Rather enjoying the morning walk with her newfound comrades, Nuressa is startled the see the ne'er-do-wells ransacking the shop. "That poor owner probobly has six lifetimes worth of gold, sweat, & frustration invested in that shop." she mutters.

Making a snap decision she sidles up behind one of the ransackers, sheild out and her warhammer spinning, making soft thrumming sound. WHUM WHUUM WHUUM "Top of the morning to ya tall folk!" She smiles, wan light glinting off of her crooked nickle teeth. "Whacha up to so early in the morn? Should we be calling the watch?" Almost delicately, she leans forward and smashs the nearest hooligan in the back, attempting to drive the air out of him.

OOC: Move to 6 Horizontal, 4 Vertical; Attack with Warhammer, attempting to deal subdual damage. +1 attack (+1 BAB, +3 Str, +1 WF, -4 subdual), 1d8+3 damage.

helium3 · Oct 10, 2005

Urkulyr reaches back and undoes the buckles straping his greataxe to his back while muttering something about having to come up with a way to make the durned thing easier to get to.

You boys best step down. You don wanna make me use this thing on yor heads, be it the sharp part or the flat part.

ooc: One move equivalent action to unstrap my greataxe.

Dragoon · Oct 10, 2005

Walking along and enjoying the cool spring morning out with his new companions, Kel thinks, this sure beats back breaking labor of loading up a barge. When out of the corner of his eye Kel spots two men ransacking a shop.

"Argh, mates look to ye portside, some scalawags be pilferin' that store!"

"I say stop ye scalawags or I'll shoot!" Yells Kel across the street to the thugs.

occ: Kel will pull out his shortbow and ready an action to fire if the thugs attack one of the party members. -1 total to hit (firing into melee), dmg 1-6

sleepystyle · Oct 11, 2005

In a cafe across the street Eldred nurses a steaming cup of hot tea, red-eyed and bleary after a long night of research. At first he is just agitated at all the noise coming from the locksmith's shop, but random people on the street resonding to restore order catch his interest, or amusement. Intrigued, he steps out onto the street mug in hand to observe.

Tinner · Oct 11, 2005

Nuressa calmly strides up behind the first thug spinning her warhammer.
"Top of the morning to ya tall folk!" She smiles, wan light glinting off of her crooked nickle teeth. "Whacha up to so early in the morn? Should we be calling the watch?"
Almost delicately, she leans forward and smashs the nearest hooligan in the back, attempting to drive the air out of him. She connects with a solid hit, which forces him to gasp in shock before finally passing out from the force of the blow! Critical Non-lethal damage

In a cafe across the street Eldred nurses a steaming cup of hot tea, red-eyed and bleary after a long night of research. At first he is just agitated at all the noise coming from the locksmith's shop, but random people on the street resonding to restore order catch his interest, or amusement. Intrigued, he steps out onto the street mug in hand to observe.
OOC: I'll rule this as a delay. You can jump in next round on whatever initiative you'd like.

"Argh, mates look to ye portside, some scalawags be pilferin' that store! I say stop ye scalawags or I'll shoot!" Yells Kel across the street to the thugs, as he nocks an arrow in his bow.

Urkulyr reaches back and undoes the buckles strapping his greataxe to his back. "You boys best step down. You don' wanna make me use this thing on yor heads, be it the sharp part or the flat part."

OOC: On to Round 2, same initiative order. Eldred, please include what segment you'd like to take your delayed action in.
I added a number/letter grid to the map. I realized this was just a much easier way to handle movement.

Lobo Lurker · Oct 11, 2005

"What was that? Are you tall fellows so weak that you can't take a little tap on the back? Where I come from the folk be little be tougher that that." She says amiably. WHUUM WHUUM WHUUM sings the hammer.

Her expression hardens. "I don't much like killin', 'specially in places I'm not familiar with... Don't mistake mercy & level-headedness for weakness though. Lay down your arms and surrender, or you'll get a whole lot more o' my hammer then yer friend got!"

OOC: 5 ft. step to D7; Ready an Attack if the ransacker does anything other than what she says.
Attack +5 (BAB +1, Str +3, Feat +1), Damage 1d8+3 (warhammer + strength), 20/x3

helium3 · Oct 12, 2005

Urkulyr mutters a quick prayer to Chennet' and moves to close.

OOC : I'll move to square D9 if I go before the troublemaker. I'll attempt to follow if he tries to flee.

Dragoon · Oct 12, 2005

"Arggh the little red-eyed dwarf hits like a boom in thar head." laughs Kel.

occ: Kel will continue to aim his bow and will ready an action to attack, if the thug attacks a party member.

sleepystyle · Oct 12, 2005

Curious indeed. Why ransack a place publically in the middle of the day? Intimidation maybe? I'm sure taking a hammer to the head from a passerby wasn't part of the plan but still...

Then the waterfront slang catches his ear and he takes notice of Kel. A familiar face... Though it must have been a couple years, Eldred had once travelled by river on one of his family's shipping boats as an emissary to a merchant in Keoland. The wharf rat across the way with the bow had been a hand on the same boat. Anyone else might shrug and forget about it, but since he bagan his studies with the Royal Society Eldred didn't believe in coincidence anymore. Deja vu and coinicidence had long since been recognized as loose strands in the weave of fate and destiny and Eldred considered it his business to tease those strands.

These thugs are no real danger to me and as a 1st Level Wizard I have limited means to cast my way out of situations. Also I have no means to deal non lethal damage other than a club and I'm ill suited for hand to hand fighting. Murder seems a pretty bad response to larceny and would likely land me in jail. Then there is the fact that Eldred doesn't really care that much about enforcing law and order (chaotic alignment) when it isn't to his benefit or for the benefit of someone he knows. All that adds up to no good reason why he would jump right into combat. Just so you know I'm not being standoffish- It just isn't the right hook for him right now.