Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 1243907" data-attributes="member: 6294">&quot;Bounty Hunters&quot; by Jim Gillispie's Module Workshop - Part 9Though they have the diamond, the group still has no guarantee that the bounty hunters will not insist on taking Marble McCray's life - or their own, for that matter - so when they return to the surface, they plan how to defend the ruined tower, if an attack should be launched.The Padre takes the lead in planning, musing as he paces back and forth across the tower.&quot;We need someone on watch.&nbsp; Someone with good eyes, who isn't likely to be seen -&quot;Mantreus shrugs,&quot;Twinkle.&quot;&quot;- who is also reliable.&quot;&quot;Not Twinkle.&quot;&quot;Elspeth, you're probably our best choice.&quot; The Padre glances at the elf, &quot;Just try not to shoot anyone until we know they're hostile.&quot;&quot;Is it a good idea for one of us to be outside, alone?&quot; Mantreus questions, &quot;These guys aren't amateurs.&nbsp; When I become the richest man in the Duchy, I'll pay people like them running errands for me -&quot; he pauses, &quot;- or maybe I'll just magic 'em into doing my bidding - but for now they're going to be very dangerous to tangle with.&nbsp; We'd be best to stick together.&quot;The Padre considers,&quot;We do know they have to come to us.&nbsp; We should probably all stay in the tower.&nbsp; One of the lighter people can climb up and keep watch out of the slit windows.&nbsp; That way, we can all be ready when they come through the door.&quot;&quot;Sounds good to me.&quot; Elspeth is in an aggressive mood, having not had a chance to kill anything in their fight with the Harpy, &quot;They come in, we fill 'em full of arrows, then chop up whatever's left.&quot;&quot;It's not going to be that easy.&quot; Briar warns, &quot;I'm with Mantreus on this.&nbsp; At least the parts about these people being dangerous.&nbsp; His delusions of grandeur are another matter.&quot;&quot;Hey!&quot; the sorcerer protests, &quot;Just because you've got bosoms now, doesn't mean you can make fun of me.&nbsp; If anything, it should mean you swoon at my studly good looks.&quot;&quot;How did those happen?&quot; the Padre frowns at Briar's chest.&quot;It's called puberty.&quot;&quot;You're getting off track.&quot; Anastria interjects, with a pronounced roll of her eyes, &quot;Humans.&nbsp; Always flitting about from subject to subject.&nbsp; Can never keep their minds on one thing -&quot;&quot;That's not what the barmaids tell me.&quot;&quot;Shut up, Mantreus.&quot; The Padre waves a hand wearily, &quot;We do need to keep on track here, if we don't want to end up dead.&nbsp; And personally, I'm not that eager to meet Saint Cuthbert.&quot;There's a momentary pause as everyone tries to work out if the priest just attempted a joke.&quot;I like the 'hiding in the tower and ambushing them when they come in' plan.&quot; Briar shrugs.&nbsp; There is a chorus of agreement, broken only by Stormstrider,&quot;What if they don't come?&quot;The Padre snorts,&quot;We have their diamond.&nbsp; They'll come.&quot;They don't come.At length, the Padre stirs.&quot;What time is it?&quot;Mantreus squints at a gap in the roof of the tower,&quot;About an hour before dark.&quot;&quot;They should be here by now.&quot;&quot;They should have been here hours ago.&nbsp; Apparently they didn't get the invitation.&quot;The priest ignores he attempted witticism and walks over to the door of the tower.&nbsp; Staring out into the woods, he shakes his head,&quot;I think they're here.&quot; He says at last, &quot;We just can't see them.&quot;&quot;How do we find out?&quot;&quot;Unfortunately, there's only one way.&quot; The Padre turns back to the door, clears his throat, then bellows, &quot;We have the diamond!&quot;After a few moment, a calm voice calls back out of the woods,&quot;We know.&quot;The priest glances back at the others,&quot;They're here.&quot;&quot;So I noticed.&quot; Elspeth snorts, &quot;So why haven't they attacked?&quot;&quot;Waiting for darkness, probably.&quot; Mantreus offers, &quot;That, or they figure we'll run out of food and have to leave, sooner or later.&quot;Briar nods her agreement,&quot;Tell them we want to trade.&nbsp; Maybe they'll agree, if we suggest it.&nbsp; From everything we've been told, their main goal is to get the gem.&quot;&quot;It's worth a try.&quot; The Padre admits, &quot;How about a trade?&quot;The terms prove surprisingly easy to agree.&nbsp; If the diamond is left out in the open, well away from the tower, the bounty hunters will take it and depart.&nbsp; Or at least, they say they will.The Padre is the only one with the courage - if that's the correct term - to be willing to venture outside the tower.&nbsp; Gripping the diamond in one hand, he gives the others a stern look,&quot;If I die, at least try to get my body back to the church, will you?&quot;As last words go, they're not a terribly inspiring choice.Fortunately, the hunters are true to their word: the Padre inches out, leaves the diamond on a rock about forty feet from the tower, and then hurries back inside, without any attempt being made to harm him.&nbsp; By the time he has turned to look back the way he came, the diamond is gone.&quot;Right.&nbsp; That's that dealt with.&quot; Elspeth marches off toward the entrance to the dungeons below, &quot;Now that no-one's waiting to kill us, let's go search that place properly.&nbsp; There's bound to be some stuff we missed.&quot;Some adventuring groups might have balked at the suggestion.&nbsp; Night is falling, and they've been on their feet - and on edge - all day.&nbsp; The treasure (if there is any) will still be there in the morning.&nbsp; But this is the Company of the Random Encounter.&nbsp; They follow willingly.&nbsp; After all, there must be some way to make a profit from this deal ...</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Capellan, post: 1243907, member: 6294"] [b]"Bounty Hunters" by Jim Gillispie's Module Workshop - Part 9[/b] Though they have the diamond, the group still has no guarantee that the bounty hunters will not insist on taking Marble McCray's life - or their own, for that matter - so when they return to the surface, they plan how to defend the ruined tower, if an attack should be launched. The Padre takes the lead in planning, musing as he paces back and forth across the tower. "We need someone on watch. Someone with good eyes, who isn't likely to be seen -" Mantreus shrugs, "Twinkle." "- who is also reliable." "Not Twinkle." "Elspeth, you're probably our best choice." The Padre glances at the elf, "Just try not to shoot anyone until we know they're hostile." "Is it a good idea for one of us to be outside, alone?" Mantreus questions, "These guys aren't amateurs. When I become the richest man in the Duchy, I'll pay people like them running errands for me -" he pauses, "- or maybe I'll just magic 'em into doing my bidding - but for now they're going to be very dangerous to tangle with. We'd be best to stick together." The Padre considers, "We do know they have to come to us. We should probably all stay in the tower. One of the lighter people can climb up and keep watch out of the slit windows. That way, we can all be ready when they come through the door." "Sounds good to me." Elspeth is in an aggressive mood, having not had a chance to kill anything in their fight with the Harpy, "They come in, we fill 'em full of arrows, then chop up whatever's left." "It's not going to be that easy." Briar warns, "I'm with Mantreus on this. At least the parts about these people being dangerous. His delusions of grandeur are another matter." "Hey!" the sorcerer protests, "Just because you've got bosoms now, doesn't mean you can make fun of me. If anything, it should mean you swoon at my studly good looks." "How [i]did[/i] those happen?" the Padre frowns at Briar's chest. "It's called puberty." "You're getting off track." Anastria interjects, with a pronounced roll of her eyes, "Humans. Always flitting about from subject to subject. Can never keep their minds on one thing -" "That's not what the barmaids tell me." "Shut up, Mantreus." The Padre waves a hand wearily, "We do need to keep on track here, if we don't want to end up dead. And personally, I'm not [i]that[/i] eager to meet Saint Cuthbert." There's a momentary pause as everyone tries to work out if the priest just attempted a joke. "I like the 'hiding in the tower and ambushing them when they come in' plan." Briar shrugs. There is a chorus of agreement, broken only by Stormstrider, "What if they don't come?" The Padre snorts, "We have their diamond. They'll come." They don't come. At length, the Padre stirs. "What time is it?" Mantreus squints at a gap in the roof of the tower, "About an hour before dark." "They should be here by now." "They should have been here hours ago. Apparently they didn't get the invitation." The priest ignores he attempted witticism and walks over to the door of the tower. Staring out into the woods, he shakes his head, "I think they're here." He says at last, "We just can't see them." "How do we find out?" "Unfortunately, there's only one way." The Padre turns back to the door, clears his throat, then bellows, "[i]We have the diamond![/i]" After a few moment, a calm voice calls back out of the woods, "We know." The priest glances back at the others, "They're here." "So I noticed." Elspeth snorts, "So why haven't they attacked?" "Waiting for darkness, probably." Mantreus offers, "That, or they figure we'll run out of food and have to leave, sooner or later." Briar nods her agreement, "Tell them we want to trade. Maybe they'll agree, if we suggest it. From everything we've been told, their main goal is to get the gem." "It's worth a try." The Padre admits, "[i]How about a trade?[/i]" The terms prove surprisingly easy to agree. If the diamond is left out in the open, well away from the tower, the bounty hunters will take it and depart. Or at least, they say they will. The Padre is the only one with the courage - if that's the correct term - to be willing to venture outside the tower. Gripping the diamond in one hand, he gives the others a stern look, "If I die, at least [i]try[/i] to get my body back to the church, will you?" As last words go, they're not a terribly inspiring choice. Fortunately, the hunters are true to their word: the Padre inches out, leaves the diamond on a rock about forty feet from the tower, and then hurries back inside, without any attempt being made to harm him. By the time he has turned to look back the way he came, the diamond is gone. "Right. That's that dealt with." Elspeth marches off toward the entrance to the dungeons below, "Now that no-one's waiting to kill us, let's go search that place [i]properly[/i]. There's bound to be some stuff we missed." Some adventuring groups might have balked at the suggestion. Night is falling, and they've been on their feet - and on edge - all day. The treasure (if there is any) will still be there in the morning. But this is the Company of the Random Encounter. They follow willingly. After all, there must be some way to make a profit from this deal ... [/QUOTE]

Verification