Fort Knocks - knight otu judging

[Kahuna Burger]

Rurik complains from high atop his oversized mount: "Arr, vex! 'S us tree all what's goin' nah, or's every'un else fixin' ta wait fer the 'Ore Suns ta get their byoo'ty rest?! Pr'aps I ought ter pitch camp right 'ere!"

Not waiting for an answer, Rurik climbs down from his horse, and fists clenched, marches directly back toward the hostel.

Throwing the door open with a boom, Rurik stands a moment in the doorway, arms akimbo. After a second's pause, he speaks.

"I'm sure an' if we talk about it long enough, them zombie's a juss fall o'er by thesselves!

An' dun take my word fer it, after all I only kilt a demon me ownself, but tha firs' part o' valor is gettin' off yer barstool ta face it!"

Somewhere on her way home, Kirin smiles and says, "that's my Rurik...."

(ooc: I think the pc's have been waiting on the flighty kahuna god, who ended up being called into work ysterday. The plotwill be advanced by brute force shortly.)

 

[Someone]

(Now I realize that I´ve forgotten to mention that, once Nodis spends the psionic focus he´ll try to recover it at soon as he can. As a reminder, this takes a full round action and a Concentration check, DC 20. Retries are allowed, so that shouldn´t take, at worst more than 2 minutes. So I think it´s safe to assume he gets the focus again after each combat and after awakening)

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Shortly after Rurik's outburst, A couple of the learners bring out some bundles of traveling food and the group from the red dragon starts out, accompanied by a few of the Hoar Suns who also seem impatient. As you travel the three young mercaneries (a half elven woman and two young human men) seem eager to hear anything they can about the greater world, and press the slightly molified dwarf for details on this demon slewing.

[ooc: if any of you want to talk to the hoar sons some, we'll play that out then catch the rest up for nighttime camping]

 

[Sparky]

Rainca nods at Skeeter's words, "Yes, rest is a good idea, but not for Rainca. She would like to press onward."

Her hawk's eyes scan the gaggle of Hoar Suns deliberately, counting their number, "Rainca thinks it best if the assembled group," she gestures with a sweep of her calloused hand at the ready adventurers, "Rainca and," her eyes flicker to Andrew, Susan and Skeeter, "And Skeeter depart now."

At the varied looks of relief and protest Rainca continues, "Rainca and Skeeter will go ahead to prepare the villages and towns along the way for the coming of a roving band of armed men and women." She smiles her lopsided wolf's smile, "Even as handsome and respectable as the Hoar Suns may appear, Rainca and Skeeter may need to mark a way through the wilderness around less... receptive villages."

She moves over to the table where Jenrald has spread the wealth of the Mortalists, "Our thanks, Jenrald Hearthkeeper, for sharing the bounty of your works with us." She bows, hands touching brow, lips and chest, to the leader.

"Rainca will guard this with her life, even as it guards the lives of others." She picks up the healing wand, and holds it across both palms, singing a quiet prayer in her quiet fluting voice.

OOC: Ah, crumbs... cross post.

 

[dpdx]

Shortly after Rurik's outburst, A couple of the learners bring out some bundles of traveling food and the group from the red dragon starts out, accompanied by a few of the Hoar Suns who also seem impatient. As you travel the three young mercaneries (a half elven woman and two young human men) seem eager to hear anything they can about the greater world, and press the slightly molified dwarf for details on this demon slewing.

[Should someone roll me a Perform:Storytelling check for this, ye reckon? ]

"There arn't much ta tell," Rurik offers as they travel, bemused. "Kir'n, Br'er Ishmael o' the Wood Sword, me boyo Sturm, Tel'rin, Ar'nel 'as with us. 'Eroic lot, them was, an's why I'm 'ere nah. Would lay me don fer that bunch, I would, an' nearly did, much's 'ey can vex me a'times.

Any'ow, 'twas ferals: transmoggerfied beasts, worgs, orcs, 'umans, poin'ers mebbe e'en. We storm the castle, sure's ya like, an' when we get ta the basement, is this... nature priest, like. An' off tha other sides 'is group o' venturers, like us - like ye 'Ore Suns, e'en - an' tween us, we're 'ammerin 'em purdy 'ard a' that. Worgs, ferals, whatnot droppin' right an' lef', so's it come to this, would ye say, drood, stannin' tha middle. An' we're takin' some, as well, monks' dyin'..."

Rurik pauses to wipe a wet eye. (Hard to say if it's sympathy or just road grime...)

"So, drood starts with some kinda 'cantation, an' nex' I know's is gigantic beast, mean as 'ells, lookin' ta eat them's still standin'."

Rurik's face twists into a wry smile.

"'En it come fer me like I kilt 'is missus..."

The smile blossoms into a grin.

"'An I coulda swore's reachin' fer me bow ta plink 'e drood, 'cept instead, I 'auled back an' swung me axe, reflexive like. Nex' thin' I know, 'e demon's 'ead come offa 'im, bonsed a coupla times o' the floor, last worgs go down, drood turnt inta bird an' flew off, Br'er Ish's callin' me Demonbane."

 

[Boddynock]

The smile blossoms into a grin.

"'An I coulda swore's reachin' fer me bow ta plink 'e drood, 'cept instead, I 'auled back an' swung me axe, reflexive like. Nex' thin' I know, 'e demon's 'ead come offa 'im, bonsed a coupla times o' the floor, last worgs go down, drood turnt inta bird an' flew off, Br'er Ish's callin' me Demonbane."

Brother Eusebius draws alongside the Hoar Suns to listen to Rurik's story. As he listens, the fire grows in his eyes, and at the end of it he laughs triumphantly, and says, "Ah, friend Rurik, you are a hero indeed. 'Demonbane' - now that is a name to conjure with. May the Lord grant me such singleness of purpose when next I am put to the test!"

Here, Eusebius falls silent, looking grimly at his feet as he trudges along the trail. "May he, indeed," he says softly to himself, "for there is so much to atone for ..."

 

[dpdx]

Rurik faces Eusebius, eyes downcast as if embarrassed by his story's unintended ego-boost.

"I thank ye, Br'er Eusebius, but please, ye canna call me an 'ero. 'Twas six o' us, an' more besides, what 'ad an 'and in the justice that day. Ye do what 'as ta be done, when it 'as ta be done, wh'er it be ta save yer own skin, or that o' yer comrades: or ye die. O' such is valor sometime, off as not owed ta circumstance as character.

I am not a wise man, nor any more dear ta me god than 'e nex' wag, Br'er Eusebius. My sing'ler purpose, all my days, 'as been ta do what I could fer me fam'ly an' fellas, as are ye all nah, e'en ye lasses among us. Ye may not be likely ta find a dwarf what's dif'rent in tha' respect, anyway - canna tell ye of 'alf-orcs, elves, gnomes, 'umans, or 'alflins, but my valor, do it pain me ta call it that in me own case, is o' circumstance.

'Ard ta put meself forward as an example, e'en, 'cept as a warnin' ta those who may not 'ave the experience; circumstance, like valor, finds who't finds. Mebbe you, mebbe me again, mebbe one o' these others, canna tell you when. Bein' ready's enough - hasta be, for 'tis all we 'ave a' the moment, asides bein' lucky.

Or we die.

So says ye foolish dwarven friend, anyway."

Rurik winks, before turning his attention once again to the trail ahead.

 

[Boddynock]

So says ye foolish dwarven friend, anyway."

"Of such wise foolishness, may there never be an end!"

 

[Kahuna Burger]

The two groups meet up again at a campsite late that evening. Rurik can be atisfied by the distance traveled that day, and according to the map provided by thr mortalists, tommorrows travels will take them through a minor city where they can buy additional traveling supplies. The half elven hoarsun had left the camp after the red dragon group arrived, and returns a fw hours later with two rabbits and a huge grin. As she cleans them to add to the group's supper, she says shyly to Rainca, "Perhaps some of us could travel farther afield as we go, ma'am... We could do a bit of hunting and you could teach us about scouting and such?"

ooc: by way of a roll call, can I get a spot check from all the PCs to cover the day's travels?

 

[azmodean]

Artax's spot check (1d20+5=17)