D1: Ashin's Commission (El Jefe judging)

[El Jefe]

The Stonepike Mountains

Round 6[sblock=Hulgyr, Michael, Ironwolf: ]
- Hulgyr threatened unpleasantness and got ready to tackle the soldier.

[sblock=DC7 Listen Check]You hear more talking from the woods. Sounds like Zaeryl in full rant mode.[sblock=DC17 Listen Check]Yup, it's Zaeryl, and he's saying, ""They have drawn their weapons and are menacing us and attempting to corral us in for the capture. The only rational action now is to end this--blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah (unintelligible)--Approach us if you dare, lapdogs of the oppressors. It may be time for Zephos to reap a new harvest." Hmmm. Could be that he's alternating between directing Eternity and/or Amayce and threatening the soldiers.[/sblock][/sblock]Michael 10
Private Kneeler 10
Ironwolf 8[/sblock][sblock=Zaeryl, Eternity, Almayce: ][sblock=DC7 Listen Check]More yelling from behind you. Sounds like Hulgyr and it sounds like he isn't happy.[sblock=DC17 Listen Check]Hugyr sez: "That's it! I count to three an you give the stone or i'll do ye!"[/sblock][/sblock]
- Zaeryl said the soldiers didn't play well with others and got ready to blast them.

We'll wait for Michael, then:

Soldiers 10
Eternity 8
Almayce 1[/sblock]

 

[ajanders]

Michael pauses to review the events of the days since the party fought the shadow and is greatly disturbed to think there haven't been any.
Right, no Sound Bursts for me today. And for choice, no combat.
The Sanctuary spell teases at his mind. He could just walk away from all of this...
Last resort. Like if Zaeryl's the only other one left.

He takes a 5-foot step away from Private Squatter...or whichever one has Ironwolf's psicrystal and hasn't run away after Zaeryl and glares at Ironwolf.
"I want you to know I'm very disappointed in you."

Then he calls on Sela's power again and casts Command on Private Squatter, feeling very embarrassed about the whole thing.
"DROP!!"
(Will Save DC 14 or "drop whatever it is holding...I think that means cloak, psicrystal, and spear.)

If everything gets dropped, Michael will step on the spear, making it hard to pick up.
If not, Michael will sigh and start feeling around for the sap at the back of his belt.

I was afraid this might come in handy...

 

[El Jefe]

The Stonepike Mountains

Round 6[sblock=Hulgyr, Michael, Ironwolf: ]- Hulgyr threatened unpleasantness and got ready to tackle the soldier.
- Michael told the soldier to just drop it.

Private Kneeler started to squat, then caught himself and shook off the effects of Michael's magic. He turned to run, and Hulgyr, standing in the path, reached out to grab him. The soldier tried to ward him off with his shortspear, but the tip skidded off Hulgyr's chain shirt. Hulgyr easily seized the frightened infantryman and bore him to the ground.

- The soldier started to run but Hulgyr gave him a great big hug.

"Kneeler" struggled mightily to break free of Hulgyr's grasp, but to no avail. He started yelling, "Help! Help! They got me!" at the top of his lungs and continued to wriggle in the powerful orc's grasp.[sblock=Grapple Adjudication: ]Soldier's AoO vs. Hulgyr, miss. Hulgyr melee touch attack to establish grapple, hits. Opposed grapple check to establish grapple, easy win for Hulgyr. Opposed grapple check for soldier to escape, another win for Hulgyr.[/sblock]

Big Ironwolf 8[/sblock][sblock=Zaeryl, Eternity, Almayce: ]- Zaeryl said the soldiers didn't play well with others and got ready to blast them.

OoC: I think I need to know just what exactly will trigger Zaeryl's readied action.

[sblock=DC5 Listen Check]You can make out Michael saying something above the commotion behind you. Sounds like he's ordering someone to do something.[sblock=DC15 Listen Check]You distinctly here Michael say, "DROP!" But just exactly who he is telling to drop is not clear.[/sblock][/sblock]All five individuals in the woods heard Private Kneeler's somewhat rustic voice cry out clearly, "Help! Help! They got me!"

OoC: When Rystil Arden answers we can proceed.[/sblock]Ironwolf 8
Eternity 8
Almayce 1

 

[Rystil Arden]

(OOC: Zaeryl's blasting when the bottom guy gets too close. Assuming he doesn't do something ridiculous involving provoking AoOs (something that can't be discounted based on their previous actions, I guess), they should both be in a nice SoC range. The moment they are, death rains from above. If they somehow don't do that, the first guy to begin to advance past that ten foot boundary eats a crystal shard instead. )

 

[El Jefe]

The Stonepike Mountains

Round 6[sblock=Michael, Hulgyr, Ironwolf: ]- Hulgyr threatened unpleasantness and got ready to tackle the soldier.
- Michael told the soldier to just drop it.
- The soldier started to run but Hulgyr gave him a great big hug.

As Hulgyr and Private Kneeler grappled, the squabbling of the forest was broken by the clarion call of a loud horn. It came from the direction that Zaeryl had fled into the forest, the direction that Eternity and Almayce had followed.[sblock=DC6 Listen Check]A new voice started barking orders from deep in the forest. Private Squatter, perhaps?[sblock=DC16 Listen Check]The voice is saying, "All of you! Drop anything in your hands, put your hands up, and go to your knees! No time for foolery now!" It sounds like whoever is talking is taking something quite seriously.[/sblock][/sblock]Big Ironwolf 8[/sblock][sblock=Zaeryl, Eternity, Almayce: ]- Zaeryl said the soldiers didn't play well with others and got ready to blast them.
- One of the soldiers in the clearing said he didn't like playing this game.

The three adventurers in the forest couldn't help but notice how quickly Private Stander's demeanor had changed in just a few short moments. In less than a minute, he'd gone from generously offering to escort the party to his camp, to chasing after a recalcitrant Zaeryl in annoyance, to the sort of anger directed at a misbehaving criminal, to wide-eyed fear. And Private Squatter had changed, too, although not so dramatically. Both men reacted to Zaeryl's words in a way that Almayce and Eternity both found quite odd. He must be using his mental powers on them, they supposed, but it must have backfired somehow because they were not acting in any way that they could imagine Zaeryl would desire them to act. Moreover, it seemed that they were frightened of no particular thing that Zaeryl said, but of the fact that he could spout what might seem gibberish in the fashion that he did at all. Their movements were of the sort one might use when dealing with a rabid animal instead of when dealing with a human. It seemed they would advance on him and run him through, then it seemed as though Private Stander would speak.

Just as he opened his mouth to do so, however, he froze. Clearly did all hear Private Kneeler behind them cry out, "Help! Help! They got me!" Instead of speaking, Private Stander removed a horn from under his cloak, and quickly winded it, taking a step back from Zaeryl in the process. Private Squatter became his mouthpiece, quickly barking orders to the three. "All of you! Drop anything in your hands, put your hands up, and go to your knees! No time for foolery now!"

........E
T........
...Z..A..
.........
..Q......

Eternity 8
Almayce 1[/sblock]Ironwolf 8
Eternity 8
Almayce 1

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Gods be damned--that idiot Michael and his foolishness is going to see all the villagers killed yet, I fear--KILL THE ONE WITH THE HORN NOW, or at least knock him out."

 

[Patlin]

Ironwolf will join in the grapple, since Hulgyr's allready initiated it.

 

[Erekose13]

"What the?" uttered Eternity as she launched an electric energy ray at the on Private Stander.

[sblock=ooc]expend focus, overpower energy ray. 3pp; using electricity if they are wearing metal armor, fire if not. +4 ranged touch if electricity (3d6) vs. metal armor or +1 ranged touch if fire (3d6+3).[/sblock]

 

[Xael]

If Eternity drops Private Stander, Almayce casts Command ("Halt.", DC 14 Will save or do nothing for 1 round) at Private Squatter, and readies his crossbow.

If Stander is still standing, Almayce will cast the Command at him instead.

 

[El Jefe]

The Stonepike Mountains

Round 6[sblock=Hulgyr, Michael, Ironwolf: ]- Hulgyr threatened unpleasantness and got ready to tackle the soldier.
- Michael told the soldier to just drop it.
- The soldier started to run but Hulgyr gave him a great big hug.

Ironwolf rushed up and piled atop the struggling soldier. The terrified soldier thrashed like a man posessed, but Ironwolf's extra size allowed him to easily overpower the man.

OoC: Ironwolf beats Private Kneeler's grapple check and successfully joins the grapple.

I think that's about it for the "clearing group" for Round 6. Hopefully the "woods group" won't take too long.[/sblock][sblock=Zaeryl, Eternity, Almayce: ]- Zaeryl said the soldiers didn't play well with others and got ready to blast them.
- One of the soldiers in the clearing said he didn't like playing this game.
- When one of his buddies said the others weren't playing nice, one of the soldiers blew his horn.
- Another soldier said, "Gimme all your toys!"[sblock=OoC: ]This is mainly for Eternity, but isn't private knowledge. Uh, first, Eternity is level 2, and Overchannel only raises it temporarily to level 3. At 3rd level, the range on Energy Ray is 25'+5'/2 levels, or 30' in this case. As you can see from this map:

........E
T........
...Z..A..
.........
..Q......

Eternity is not within 30' or even 35' of either soldier. Of course, she can take her regular movement and then manifest, but I don't know precisely where to move her. Can you help me out here?

Oh, and the soldiers are in leather armor, so this would be a ray of fire per your instructions.[/sblock]Eternity 8
Almayce 1[/sblock]Eternity 8
Almayce 1