(Adventure) Rivenblight's Castaway [Creamsteak judging]

[Thomas Hobbes]

Right, one last thing and then I'll actually say what happens. Your first track check allows you to follow them for 1 mile, barring complications,before making another, and the message spell lasts 30 minutes, about 5 of which have expired. It takes you 1 hour and 20 minutes to travel a mile moving at half speed through a forest. The upshot of which is that you only get about a third of a mile before you're out of contact.

Just thought I'd clarify now, rather than spring it on you a third of a mile away from reinforcements.

 

[Sparky]

Ioleta's brow furrows at Tylkin's joke and she squints ahead at the road as it winds through the trees, You know, Tylkin, you're not half bad." A smile plays across her face briefly and is gone as quickly as it came.

Ioleta tries not to let the hush of the forest get to her as Troi ranges away tracking, Gods, I'll be glad when this is done. Jaan speaks and she shrugs, adding quietly, "Who else is it likely to be, Jaan? It couldn't hurt to know whoever they are."

 

[GnomeWorks]

Jaan
"Troi. Is there any indication that they were positioned to ambush the wagon? Do we have any reason to be sure that they are the bandits tracks?"

"Good question." Troi whispers as he goes. "I dunno... not here, I don't think. But they might be headin' fer a spot like that, er there might be one further back, er somethin'."

Right, one last thing and then I'll actually say what happens. Your first track check allows you to follow them for 1 mile, barring complications,before making another, and the message spell lasts 30 minutes, about 5 of which have expired. It takes you 1 hour and 20 minutes to travel a mile moving at half speed through a forest. The upshot of which is that you only get about a third of a mile before you're out of contact.

Hmm... that's a bit of a problem.

Before I get out of contact...

"I dunno how far th' trail's gonna go." Troi whispers as he goes. "I dunno how long th' spell's gonna last, either... but if somethin' happens, I'll shoot an arrow up. Hopefully ya'll be able ta see it. Listen fer sounds in th' forest, too, I'll try ta make alotta noise if it ain't dangerous. Wish me luck..."

Ensuring his weaponry is still within easy reach, his whip in hand (sheathing the shortsword so as to be able to track), he follows the trail.

This has 'bad' written all over it.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Tylkin frowns. "In order to avoid spending the night in the forest, we can't stop. We'll be pushing on for more than is good for the horses as it is. Will that man-" he doesn't use Troi's name- "be able to catch us up?"

Meanwhile, Troi makes his way into the forest. It's just past midday, so he has plenty of light, but the terrain is less than simple to travel across, and going is slow. He's just navigated up a steep rise covered by prickily bushes when he realizes what a mess the tracks have become- not only has some care been taken to obscure them, but it seems whoever he's following either crossed paths with another group or spent no small time making it look like they backtracked and diverged. Which, for what it's worth, means you probably gained some ground on them while they did it. Trusting to your instincts, though, you make your way past it- just barely. Troi's not sure exactly how many footprints go onwards; they might have lost a member.

Troi finds him, though, some half-hour later. He's just bent down to check a bootprint when he notices, out of the corner of his eye, some movement. Whoever it is, they know enough to color themselves like the forest, and it's mostly luck Troi sees him, her, or it at all. They're about sixty feet away, with a straight line from the stranger to Troi running perpendicular to the trail.

 

[GnomeWorks]

"Sonova..." Troi curses under his breath. He makes no indication that he has noticed the movement. He follows the trail a little further (5 or 10 feet), replacing his whip on his belt and drawing his longbow instead.

Having drawn his longbow, he then looks at a piece of ground near him in the direction of the movement, as though something has caught his eye. He then heads in that direction, towards the movement, nocking an arrow as he goes and trying to keep down as well as possible, all the while watching for more movement, keeping his bow ready so as to be able to fire at anything that moves.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Troi's just put away his whip and is reaching for his longbow when he hears the twang of a bowshot. Fortunately for him, the shot (which would have taken an unarmored man through the belly) snaps in two as it glances off his chainmail and shatters against a nearby tree.

In combat. Your move. The forest is fairly dense- unless you're both standing in one of the rare spots lacking brush, concealment is mutual (20% miss chance) and heavier cover can be shot (40% miss chance). Small trees (quarter cover) are omnipresent, and larger ones (taking up a 5 foot square and providing as much cover as you care to take) are also available (within one move). Your opponent, just having shot at you, has half cover against you.

 

[Sparky]

Ioleta shoots a questioning glance at Velbrik when Tylkin asks if Troi will be able to catch up. "I'm sure Troi will be fine."

She looks worriedly at the donkey. Poor thing. Sidling up to where Tylkin drives the wagon she, never ceasing in her vigilance, she murmurs, "You know Tylkin, it'd be easier the poor donkey if you walked. At least until we're out of the forest."

 

[GnomeWorks]

Troi - Init +3, HP 20/20, AC 18, Atk: Longbow +6 (1d8, 80 ft)

"'oly crap!" Troi cries when the arrow bounces against his chainmail.

"Ya friggin' bastard!" Troi yells, more to try to alert his friends to danger than in actual anger. He dashes through the trees, finding cover behind one of the smaller trees in his path, but taking care not to block his vision. He nocks an arrow as he goes, and fires when he pauses behind the tree.

Move 30 feet towards the attacker, taking quarter-cover from a small tree. Shooting with longbow.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Ack. One thing I forgot- light undergrowth halves your movement, heavy quarters it. Can't run or charge in heavy undergrowth. Also penalties (-2 and -5, respectively) to tumble and move silently, bonuses to hide (the same). So I'll just figure you moved 15 feet. Sorry about that.

Even as the forest swallow's Troi's shout in its muffling greenery, Tylkin speaks. "While you concern for dumb animals is commendably greater than mine, I assure you that I will make little difference when added to or subtracted from the substantial weight of goods in the cart. Do give me some credit- I know how to deal with pack beasts.”

Meanwhile, Troi pushes through the undergrowth. He has to use his hands to keep the branches from scratching out his eyes, only bringing them down when he stops moving to line up the shot. It cuts through the undergrowth towards his opponent only to bury itself in the tree he hides behind.

Having pulled back into cover at the shot, the man- Troi gets a brief glimpse of his face- comes back out to launch his own arrow. Troi is saved again by his armor, the enchanted mail turning a gut shot into a glancing bruise. Before the man pulls back, Troi can see is human, with the look of one who’s been in the forest for a while- unshaven and unclean. His leather armor and the rest of his equipment has been carefully camouflaged in forest greens and browns. Keeping the tree directly between himself and Troi, he starts to head into the forest, making enough noise pushing through the brush that he can easily be located. He couldn’t have gotten more than ten feet from where he was before, judging by the sound, putting him about sixty from Troi.

 

[doghead]

At the sound of Troi's shout (assuming he can hear it), Jaan tenses momentarily before forcing himself to relax.

"That sounds like the "lotta noise" Troi mentioned. But hold your positions for a moment. Troi knows where to find us. Hewik, what do you think about scouting just inside the treeline? It would help us get the jump on anything that comes our way."

If Hewik can, then