IC - Mad King's Monkey II

[Axel]

Bayar was struggling to breathe with the crushing weight of breastplate crushing his chest. "No...point...be...doing...this," he gasps, standing with his hands on his knees. "We...be...killed...soon...as we...catch him."

Feeling slightly better after a minute or two, he straightens and spits a great was of phlegm into the gutter. "Come then. We be better to set a slower pace, otherwise there be no point." As soon as Bran and Ullara are ready to move again, Bayar will accompany them.

[Sblock=ooc]
This is what I was getting at with the rapidly escalating DC! I've had the (mis)fortune to do a great deal of rapid middle to long distance running in my life. While none of it had been while wearing 40lbs of armour and a sword slapping at my leg, it is eminently possible for those at the upper end of 'normal' fitness (say Con 12-13) to run at 75% pace for up to an hour.

I'm not advocating a change in rules because we're failing epically (big fan of seeing things through to the bitter end). I do stand by my first point in the ooc thread though - that running this guy down is a statistical impossibility. [/Sblock]

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Ullara Halx, female human druid with dog companion Bran

Ullara has to slow to a walk give her lungs a chance to refill, for the stitch in her side to fade from feeling like a knife in her guts to that of a small thorn. She won't give up though, and even if her strength is fading, she won't stop, not yet. There's still a chance they might be able to catch the cruel man who would send rats against the sleeping and stab a child with a poisoned knife.

"Keep going Bran. I'm know we're slow, but don't stop," she says, encouraging her faithful friend to keep his nose to the scent as long as they can all still put one foot in front of the other.

[sblock=OOC]OOC: Rolled a 3 and a 10. Not worth burning attributes on the first.[/sblock]

 

[Guest 11456]

Li Thuan, male human monk

After the rat attack was over the strange man had gone back to sleep, oblivious to anything after that.

 

[ghostcat]

Puffing and panting trying to get his breath back, Libros gasps out "I suggest we pace ourselves. treat it like a long distance run not a sprint."

 

[Scott DeWar]

"The * dog * might * lose * the * scent * if * we * go * too * slow * " Pants the bard, saliva still drooling.

 

[doghead]

Day five, very early morning, in the streets of the city

The small party move through the city, pushing as fast as best able. The route taken continues to work its way through the smaller streets and alleys of the city. Whoever they are chasing has a good knowledge of the city. On a number of occasions, what seems like a dead end turns out to be a clever shortcut, returning you to the regular street via a dark gap between walls that you would never have taken for a passageway had you not just emerged from it.

Despite all the twists and turns, it slowly becomes apparent that you are heading towards the warehouse district that lines the much of the river as it passes though the city. After about ten minutes you figure that you must be pretty close assuming that the quarry has not been hustling as well. Unfortunately, the route taken, with its frequent twists and turns, has made it to hard to see very far head. On the up side, there have been only a few other people passed so far, making the scent easier for Bran to follow.

A few minutes later, you emerge once more from a narrow alley onto a main street, just uphill from a crossroad junction. The junction is a scene of confusion, as a bullock wagon seems to have collided with a small cart drawn by sorry looking nag. The two drivers are both on foot, struggling to calm their animals and separate the cart from the wagon. Already, despite the early hour, they have a audience of a few onlookers, taking a moment from their own troubles to enjoys someone else's. A few try to help but they are only yelled at by the red-faced drivers as they struggle to calm their unsettled animals.

Beyond the junction, the two streets travel straight for some ways giving you your first good look head for some time. Two figures, each about 60 to 70 yards past the junction are notable for their lack of interest in events behind them. A tallish figure in clock follows the street that continues along the line of the hill, parallel to the river. He wears a cloak, hood up, but from the way the cloak hangs, and the glints of steel visible from below the hem and at his wrists, it is obvious that he is armed and armoured. On the other street, descending slowly towards the docks, a thin figure in a dark cloak leans on another, child sized, also cloaked.

Bran, meanwhile, distracted by the nervous animals, the onlookers, or perhaps the heavy smell of sweating beast and fresh dung, losses the scent temporarily. The hound works his way around the junction, not endearing himself to the drivers any, as he attempts to regain it.

[sblock=OOC]We, I got drawn a little down the rabbit hole earlier. So after some thought, I decided to take results rolled so far and to and jump things forwards based on calibrated thumb working of them. As I don't have a record of Attributes burnt previously, and for the sake of simplicity, all Attributes are restored.

Bran will take a few (1d6 already rolled) rounds to regain the scent. Ullara can reduce the time with a Handle Animal check DC21. Note, Ullara gets a +4 bonus on Handle Animal checks made regarding her animal companion.

So, lets see who is still here.[/sblock]

 

[Scott DeWar]

While the dog searches Jan sings a soothing travel song to help the drivers with calming their animals. He knows this one well as it was sung often on the long caravan routs in wilderness country.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Ullara Halx, female human druid with dog companion Bran

Ullara coaxes Bran gently, keeping an eye on the shifty-looking character nearby, encouraging him to find the scent again. After snuffling around, Bran makes a small yip of excitement and goes dashing off confidently.

OOC: Got a 26 Handle Animal check (Rolled 15, +11 Handle Animal with Bran)

 

[Guest 11456]

Li Thuan, male human monk

After waking late and heading outside, Thuan gets instructions from members of the household of the direction that the others went. Then he headed off to try and intercept them with his superior speed.

 

[Scott DeWar]

After waking late and heading outside, Thuan gets instructions from members of the household of the direction that the others went. Then he headed off to try and intercept them with his superior speed.

ooc: good, you made it back!

IC jan will fade his song out and then take off after the dog and his pet.