Insight's "In the Shadow of Giants" [IC] - Prelude to Danger!

Insight · Sep 29, 2009

This is the [IC] (in character) thread for my "In the Shadow of Giants" game. The thread shall serve as the "prelude" to the first adventure, entitled, "Prelude to Danger!".

OOC Thread
RG Thread

***

PRELUDE TO DANGER!
Crossing the Yoirwood
The coniferous Yoirwood, which contains rumored rifts leading to the Feywild, is peaceful today. You each sense that that animals and plantlife found within the Yoirwood are more vibrant, more alive, owing most likely to the aforementioned connection with the Feywild. Aside from the occasional pink rabbit or talking bush (turns out they don't have much to say), the day has been pretty much uneventful.

The reason for your brief jaunt through the Yoirwood is simple. Saben's half-brother, a human priest of Pelor named Anhen has been stationed in Leften's Forge, a town on the other side of the Yoirwood. Your group's last adventure site being so close to Leften's Forge, Saben convinced the rest of the group to make the short trip through the forest so that the Paladin could visit his relative.

[sblock=OOC]For background purposes, your last adventure was fighting some Demogorgon-worshipping Minotaurs. Their lair was located east of the Yoirwood and you are now traveling west through the Yoirwood.[/sblock]

Amos and his wolf, traveling ahead of the rest of the group in an effort to scout (just in case), halt suddenly and motion for the rest of the group to do the same. Amos sees and smells smoke up ahead. This is more smoke than would come from a simple campfire, even a large one. In a coniferous, primeval forest with no known settlements, the presence of this smoke is curious indeed. This bears investigating!

[sblock=OOC]State your character's actions for the next one or two combat rounds, the equivalent of six to twelve seconds. If you wish to start an action that would take longer, go ahead. Make sure to include dialogue where appropriate.

There won't be a map unless combat begins. Until such time, use your imagination for distances and terrain.[/sblock]

Sparky · Sep 29, 2009

Amos crouches low, his senses yearning ahead. He grows still to silence the creaking of his leathers. He quiets his breathing. The birds have fallen silent, but for the cawing of distant crows. The wind is shifting. He waits, listening, stretching... nothing. He squints, dark brown eyes glinting. What's burning then...? He sniffs, breathing deeply and coughs.

Olcan, some yards off looks impassively forward. At Amos' cough, one ear flicks towards the tracker and back. The tracker's mouth twists, Yeah, har har, Olcan.

Straightening from his half-crouch, Amos pads back to the group, a tread lighter than his meaty bulk would suggest. The orc-blooded man rolls his shoulders, stretching them. The leathers creak. He grimaces, showing tusks, "There's smoke ahead. An' fire too, I'm guessin'. Well more'n a campfire," his brow is furrowed. Worried.

He looks over his shoulder to where Olcan stands at alert, then looks back, "Seeker, Mister Sorrenson, you want me to put on my wolf skin and take a closer look?"

Amos shifts his weight onto his left foot leaning until he's out of view of Brother Saben's shield. Damn, but that shield gives me the willies. A superstitious man, Amos sketches a holy symbol - a circle - over his chest, uttering a brief, silent prayer with a flick of his eyes skyward to ward off the sun God's ire on the chance that there was some unassigned Wrath floating around looking to settle on the head of a mild blasphemer.

[sblock=OOC]Breaking up my 'two rounds of actions' to bring word to the group, as is Amos' wont. He'll follow Brant's or Seeker's 'orders' pretty much without question.[/sblock]

hafrogman · Sep 29, 2009

Brant draws up at Amos's signal and stares off in the direction indicated. He frowns slightly and shifts his axe on his shoulder, his scowl deepens at the ranger's use of the word 'Mister', but leaves it aside for now.

"... a fire? I've got a bad feeling about this. How far is that village supposed to be again?"

He casts a gaze around at the others.

"I'd say this would be a bad time to split up. Stay close, Amos. Let's all go have a look together."

drothgery · Sep 29, 2009

"We've been at this for years." Corrin says, in that half-joking tone you're all used to from him by now. "I'm trying to think of one time when it made sense to split up, and there was even a hint of danger around. Just yell if you see something nasty."

[sblock=ooc]I'm going to assume you all know Corrin has a challenge-seeking dagger, and so know it's useful to leave a few targets untouched before he gets in the game.[/sblock]

Insight · Sep 29, 2009

hafrogman said:
"... a fire? I've got a bad feeling about this. How far is that village supposed to be again?"

[sblock=OOC]You are all vaguely familiar with this area. The town you seek, Lefton's Forge, is about 70 miles from this spot, well beyond the Yoirwood.[/sblock]

ShaggySpellsword · Sep 29, 2009

Gregor pulls his hammer from his belt and hefts his shield. After rolling his shoulders, to help his armor lay easier on his back, he says, "Aye Cor, it's NEVER been a good time to split up..." The dwarf pauses a moment and then adds "but of course that was one of those questions that needs no answer. Let's see what's burning through the forest."

Gregor moves forward when the rest of the group does.

renau1g · Sep 29, 2009

Seeker marched along the others, he was quiet this day, uncharacteristic of the deva. He seemed deep in thought and it was usually best to let him be during these bouts as he wrestled with the fog of past lives that resurfaced in his thoughts. Seeker drew his cloak in tightly even though there was no chill in the air this day and involuntarily shuddered.

The return of Amos and her report snapped Seeker back into reality, the gravity of the situation at hand enough to focus the deva.

"We should investigate this disturbance, if only to determine that it is no threat to us so we can travel without looking over our shoulders while we continue. Like always we shall travel together or die alone." Seeker says, drawing his orb from the sack at his side, hoping he wouldn't need it, but being prepared was always his specialty.

The deva follower of Ioun gestured for the others to take the lead, himself falling towards the rearguard to better keep an eye on the battlefield and keeping his staff held defensively in front of him.

[sblock=OOC]
Actions would be something like:
Round 1:
Minor: Draw orb
Move: With group
Standard: Total Defense (assuming Seeker would walk with his staff out as a walking stick, otherwise switch for drawing staff)

Round 2:
Minor: Perception perception (1d20 10=29) Looking for hidden threats.
Move: With group
Standard: Total Defense (Unless Seeker sees a threat, then I'll change accordingly)
[/sblock]

Sparky · Sep 29, 2009

Amos sets his jaw, draws his shortbow and falls in with the others as they advance. Scouting this out woulda been smarter. He grimaces to himself, But... 'A man that stands alone gets lonely,' Wilbur always said.

He shakes his head to clear the nagging thoughts, There may be trouble here, numbskull, pay attention! Olcan and he turn their keen senses forward.

[sblock=OOC]Actions:

** Special: Evade Ambush - (Brant, Seeker, Gregor or others if applicable)

Round 1:
Minor: Draw bow
Move: With group (Amos and Olcan together, 2nd rank out to the left a bit)
Minor: Pack Alertness, Amos Perception 22, Olcan Perception 22 (forgot to note the +2 for Olcan being a wolf in the Castle roll)

Round 2:
Minor: Pack Alertness, Amos Perception 34, Olcan Perception 31
Move: With group, with an eye to flanking and lines for charging
Standard/Minor: Possibly switching weapons[/sblock]

hafrogman · Sep 29, 2009

Brant grunts wordlessly and drops his axe from his shoulder into his grasp. He watches the others as they start off down the trail, then with a nod to Seeker, he sets off after them, watching over his flock.

[sblock=ooc]Round 1:
Minor: ready greataxe
Move: toward the smoke
Standard: none

Round 2:
Minor: Perception 1d20+7 =20
Move: toward the smoke
Standard: none[/sblock]

Oni · Sep 29, 2009

Saben's brow creased at the news of the smoke. He had been rather enjoying the relatively uneventful day after the recent nastiness with the minotaurs. Sniffing the air experimentally he glanced around at the others, seeing them readying for a fight, he frowned. Saben hoped it was nothing like that, but having learned to trust the intuition of his traveling companions he found him loosing his shield from his back and bringing it to bare.

"Well let's have a look then."

This seemed such a serene place, it wouldn't do to have anything disturbing that, he thought.

Saben moved automatically to the head of the column, falling into place next to Gregor as he had done many times in the past. Without thinking he drew his sword. Saben looked down at the blade, hmph, won't help much against a forest fire

As they walked in the direction Amos directed them Saben mentally called to his armour. A silvery mist swirled around him forming into metallic plates that encased his form. The half-elf shivered a little inside the bastion of steel (or whatever it was), he had only had the armour a little while, still it was a strange feeling donning it that way. He shook his head, telling himself to focus, again finding himself hoping that this would turn out to be nothing. From beneath the helm his eyes scanned the forest, searching for the source of their alarm.
[sblock=Actions]

Standard: Equip shield.
Move: Move toward smoke
Minor: Draw Sword

Minor: Use Summoned Armour
Move: Move toward smoke
Standard: Perception (1d20+9=23)

[/sblock]
[sblock=Ministats]Saben- Male Half-Elf Paladin 10
Initiative: +7, Passive Perception: 19, Passive Insight: 21
AC:30, Fort:20, Reflex:22, Will:22 -- Speed:5
Resist:none
HP:89/89, Bloodied:44, Surge Value:22, Surges left:12/12
Action Points: 1
Powers -
Enfeebling Strike
Virtuous Strike
Divine Challenge
Githyanki Silver Longsword
Summoned Gith Plate Armor
Valorous Smite
Hold Fast
Astral Thunder
Sacred Flame
Call of Challenge
Virtue
Second Wind
Majestic Halo
Name of Might
Ray of Reprisal
Wrath of the Gods
Lay on Hands
Lay on Hands
Lay on Hands
Githyanki Silver Longsword
Heavy Shield of Eyes

Conditions:

Full character sheet[/sblock]