(Adventure) Rivenblight's Castaway [Creamsteak judging]

[Thomas Hobbes]

First, sorry for the delay. Second, I'm afraid another will follow- I'm out of town from early saturday AM to late Tuesday PM, EST.

On a more game-related note, there are no large trees on the opposite side of the clearing within a single move distance of Troi (the clearing is 30 feet wide, so that's one move right there). He could double move and reach any number of places, however, and spend the round in full cover behind the tree. Is this what you wish to do? If so, you could get as close as 25'.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Sure, go with the double move to get behind a tree, and taking the full cover.

 

[doghead]

just a hello.

ooc: Hey all back from the hols.

Damn TH, you run a nice game. I'm going to have to up my game in the nameless. Between you and Gnomeworks, I'm happy to just sit back and watch and learn for a while.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Unaware I was doing anything spectacular, but thanks all the same.

Sorry that I was delayed more than I said. I came home from traveling to discover computer probelms. All fixed now.

Troi waits for a lull in the arrows before dashing across the clearing towards a large tree less than ten yards from his assailants. As he enters the opposite treeline, he spots as he passes over it another slapdash tripwire trap with arrow spikes- but fortunately for him, his stride his such that he misses it entirely. He hides behind the tree, waits a moment to regain his breath, knocks another arrow and swings out from behind the tree to fire.

One bandit has been waiting for his chance, and the arrow goes past Troi's head about a foot away. With a twang Troi responds, and the bandit is saved only by the fact that Troi's vision is impeded slightly by the underbrush, and the arrow goes past his leg and lands a few feet behind him.

The second bandit steps around a tree to get a better shot, and Troi is momentarily taken aback by the being's appearance. From scalp to toe it is covered in an intricate pattern of camoflague. Even its face seems to be of the color, and whatever the nature of its hair, the top of its head is covered by a hood or cap the same color as the rest of the being's outfit. The figure is short and slim, and may well be feminine, but the more obvious features of its (her?) appearance are all that is noticed before it (she?) sends two arrows thunking into Troi's tree and they both retreat into the partial cover of their respective plant life.

I've decided to only give the relevant numbers when they're important, like damage; if you are desirous of the knowledge of how much you made your reflex save by, etc., I will be happy to provide the numbers.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Troi - HP 10/20, AC 18

Doghead - thanks, though I'm not sure what's spectacular, either.

TH - no numbers is fine.

"Not too far, now." Troi says to himself, recovering from his surprise at the appearance of one of the bandits. "I can get one of 'em in melee an' take 'im down fast, an' then I can deal with th' other one..."

He drops his bow, readying himself for his next move.

Tactic 1: If there is no underbrush blocking movement.

Troi turns the corner around the tree and makes a blind dash for the position of the closest bandit, drawing his shortsword and the rapier as he goes. He runs up to the bandit and slashes with the shortsword.

Move 30 feet, attack with shortsword +7 (1d6+1).

Tactic 2: If there is underbrush blocking movement.

Troi turns the corner around the tree and makes a blind dash for the position of the closest bandit, drawing his shortsword and whip as he goes. He makes for a position that will allow him to attack the bandit with the whip, without having to deal with getting around any cover. Once in position, he lashes at the bandit viciously with his whip.

Move 15 feet, attack with whip +7 (1d4+1).

TH - reminder about the Delmontes Technique feat Troi has: damage with a whip is upped to d4 and is lethal damage, and he can deal damage to targets with up to +3 armor or +6 natural armor.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

The bandits are more or less of equal distance away, and will have at least a modicum of cover in any case. I assumed you went for minimized cover of your opponent.

Troi breaks cover and runs for the nominally closer bandit; for better or worse, this is the one of less bizarre appearance. The bandit, it appears, has again been waiting for some opportunity, and it is without the benefit of the tree that Troi faces the bandit’s inexpert marksmanship.

The arrow flies straight and true, and Troi’s grip on his sheathed weapons is loosened momentarily as the arrow finds what is perhaps the one weak spot in his armor, burying itself neatly in Troi’s lower right side. It appears to have struck far enough away from his midline to avoid puncturing any of the variety of important organs stationed below the ribcage. The pain, however… it’s entirely possible Troi has experienced sensations similar to it before, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it.

8 damage. His readied action triggered as soon as you stepped out from around the tree, so you still have 20’ of movement left and can change your action to moving back behind the tree for the moment and again accessing your healing salve.

One might even say I recommend it.

 

[GnomeWorks]

"Not good..." Troi gasps as the arrow hits home. He reverses his dash mid-stride, running back for his cover.

Once safely hidden behind the tree once more, he uses the last of his salve, applying it liberally to the wound after removing the arrow as carefully as possible.

"This ain't gonna work." Troi says to himself. "I'm not gettin' paid enough fer this..." He sighs. "Maybe I can con 'em inta lowerin' their guard... one of 'em's gotta be th' elf, maybe that one'll respond ta th' lingo..."

Thinking back to his childhood, he tries to remember his self-taught lessons of elven.

"Can you tell me again why we're fighting?" Troi calls, hoping that his voice is loud enough to be heard by his assailants - speaking elven from amongst the pain is difficult, and having not spoken the foreign language in some time makes the task no easier. "I mean, you don't even know who I am... who's to say I'm not a friend?"

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

As Troi reaches under his various layers to apply healing salve to the wound, the pain eases somewhat. Everything else that happens is much less soothing. Far from any sort of friendly response to his shouted Elven, there is only a brief pause followed by a sharp, female voice shouting orders from behind the tree of the heavily camoflauged bandit.

"As the snake!" the voice barks. Before Troi can even think about what this might mean, the other bandit breaks cover and sprints for another tree, diving behind it. Troi realizes that if one were to draw a triangle between the three trees (his and the two bandits), his would almost be the right angle. He can't take cover from both bandits at once now.

Finally, the voice responds to Troi. "Throw down your weapons, friend," (and here, she slips sarcastically into elven for the one word) "and we can talk." Her voice speaks of carefully controlled fury; Troi isn't sure how much actual talking would be involved.

Your move. Staying where you are means having no cover from one or the other bandit, and moving somewhere else means you will be out in the open for a period of time (and thus vulnerable to readied actions from the camoflauged bandit). Possible places to move in 1 turn include where the bandit was before (run action, heavy brush from both bandits and cover from either, your choice) and back across the clearing to the tree you were behind before.

Meanwhile, Tylkin looks around, irritation visible on his face, although it may well be a cover for anxiety. "You don't suppose he found a shady spot to take a nap?" he asks casually. Troi has been gone for some time.

 

[doghead]

ooc: TH - about how much time has elapsed since the last contact with Troi?

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

He parted ways with you just under three hours ago, and lost contact about half an hour into his journey.