[LPF] Kaedyn's Quest

[perrinmiller]

~ Day 15, 11:54 - Miles North of Thornbury ~

Thuvian shrugged, “Well, it is true that we did not question the survivor, so he could have been lying. But his injuries and appearance looked convincing enough.”

“Maybe he ran down the road instead during the confusion of the battle. It certainly appears that the one who ran into the woods did not make it,” he gestured to the body you brought back with the arrow in the back.

Looking at the Trade Road’s hard packed earth, there were several partial prints at the edges where the turf was softer. But outside of the most recent hoof prints, you cannot really tell much based upon your skill (or lack thereof) as trackers. Even though you did not disguise your own prints, you would have a hard time tracking them back down the road to Thornbury.

[sblock=Tactical Map]

[/sblock][sblock=Combat Information]

Party Status:

Ru:        39/39 HP remaining; 
Damaris:   27/27 HP remaining; 
Thuvian:   27/27 HP remaining; 
   Nora:   13/13 HP remaining;
Rhas:     55/55 HP remaining;
Umthirn:   52/52 HP remaining;
  
Spells Cast: 
Abilities Used:
  Ru: Ki Pool 0/3; Rngr Foc 0/1
  Damaris: Bard Pef 0/12; Spells 1st 0/4, 2nd 0/2;
  Thuvian: Dark 0/1; Blind Dark 0/7; Spells 1st 0/5, 2nd 0/4, 3rd 0/3
  Umthirn: Stun Fist 0/5
Conditions in effect:

[/sblock]

 

[jkason]

Ru Brike, rangerish human ninja

Ru shrugs.

"It's possible, Shadow," Ru admits. "Like I said, I'm not very good at this kind of thing. But without tracks, I've also not got many ideas on where else we might go."

He's steadfastly ignored Damaris' declaration to reply to the wizard first, but finally, his shoulders slump and he turns to her.

"Some day you're going to teach me how to make people do what I want with those puppy dog eyes, Princess," he say, then winks, adding, "Not that I don't have a few tricks of my own, but a fellow likes to have as many tools as he can."

"Without a good indication of direction, I guess one's as good as another," he admits. "How about we check that side trail a little ways back? If we don't find the gnolls then, you can offer youself to Captain Stinkface's tender mercies with a warning. I promise I won't even call him Captain Stinkface.

"Not when he can hear me, at least."

[sblock=ooc]I'm largely out of ideas. As in the previous posts, it's hard to justify Ru in character going back to help the town; he's fairly selfish and amoral, and has a history of very much not liking folks who talk down to him (everyone needs a failing ). But with no other good options presenting themselves, and since he's got a soft spot for Damaris and Thuvian after they survived what they did, he can be dragged along.

Though he's not past dragging his feet a little by exploring the side trail. [/sblock]

[sblock=mini stats]

Ru Brike
AC: 19 (Touch 14, Flatfooted 15)
HP: 39/39

Initiative: +4
Perception: +7 (+8 Traps) Sense Motive: +5
CMB: +3 CMD: 17 Fort: +6 Reflex: +10 Will: +3
(conditional: +2 vs. divination effects)

Wakizashi: +8, 1d6
Wakizashi (TWF): +6/+6, 1d6/1d6
Nunchaku: +7, 1d6
Shuriken: +7, 1d2
Conditional Attack mods: +2d6 Sneak Attack (when denied Dex), +1 Dirty Fighter (flank), +2 Attack / dmg vs. Ranger's Focus (1/day)

Conditions:None

In Hand: Wakizashi x2

Ki Pool: 3/3 remaining
Ranger's Focus: 1/1 remaining
Shuriken: 9/10 remaining
CLW Wand charges: 45/50 remaining

Used: 15 days' rations[/sblock]

 

[soulnova]

"Thank you Ru" Damaris nods and offers a smile. "There's no rush in going back. Let's take a last look..."

She will think deeply on the problem at hand.

[sblock]

Damaris will use Lore Master and Take 20 on her Knowledge Arcana to a total of 28. Then take 10 on K.Local (18) and K.Nature (17) to recall any other information that could help them resolve this mystery.

BTW, I'll be a little busy this week. [/sblock]

 

[perrinmiller]

~ Day 15, 11:54 - Miles North of Thornbury ~

Thuvian offered, “Well, I can summon my magical steed and gallop back to town and find out if there was more to be learned from the wounded survivor. While the rest of you continue to look and search around, maybe I will learn something and I can race back.”

Damaris recalled much the same arcane lore as Thuvian when it came to spells. But she did remember that druids can be capable of passing without a trace in the forest and have certain spells to aid others to do so.

[sblock=Tactical Map]

[/sblock][sblock=Combat Information]

Party Status:

Ru:        39/39 HP remaining; 
Damaris:   27/27 HP remaining; 
Thuvian:   27/27 HP remaining; 
   Nora:   13/13 HP remaining;
Rhas:     55/55 HP remaining;
Umthirn:   52/52 HP remaining;
  
Spells Cast: 
Abilities Used:
  Ru: Ki Pool 0/3; Rngr Foc 0/1
  Damaris: Bard Pef 0/12; Spells 1st 0/4, 2nd 0/2;
  Thuvian: Dark 0/1; Blind Dark 0/7; Spells 1st 0/5, 2nd 0/4, 3rd 0/3
  Umthirn: Stun Fist 0/5
Conditions in effect:

[/sblock][sblock=OOC]Bump for Systole. We currently only have three players in the group now. So I need participation for everyone. I know you guys are struggling with the clues, but there are things you can do and guesses you can make. Brainstorming IC might be useful?[/sblock]

 

[jkason]

Ru Brike, rangerish human ninja

Ru shrugs.

"Works for me," Ru says of Thuvian's offer. "The closer to 'never again' I see of Captain Stinkypants, the happier I'll be."

He takes one last sweep through the site at Damaris' urging, though sifting through, he doesn't seem to notice anything new that pops out at him.

"Hacked up bodies don't seem to tell me a direction, so I'm for trying the side road back thataway," he points with one of his Wakizashi. " We can head further down this road, but since it's the direction the caravan was coming from, I'd think they'd have been ambushed further up that way if that was the direction of Gnoll-or-not central."

[sblock=ooc]I don't believe you can re-roll Perception, can you? I read back through the other posts and nothing popped out at me, so as above: try the side road or keep going on the road we're on. I figure try the side road because it's there.[/sblock]

[sblock=mini stats]

Ru Brike
AC: 19 (Touch 14, Flatfooted 15)
HP: 39/39

Initiative: +4
Perception: +7 (+8 Traps) Sense Motive: +5
CMB: +3 CMD: 17 Fort: +6 Reflex: +10 Will: +3
(conditional: +2 vs. divination effects)

Wakizashi: +8, 1d6
Wakizashi (TWF): +6/+6, 1d6/1d6
Nunchaku: +7, 1d6
Shuriken: +7, 1d2
Conditional Attack mods: +2d6 Sneak Attack (when denied Dex), +1 Dirty Fighter (flank), +2 Attack / dmg vs. Ranger's Focus (1/day)

Conditions:None

In Hand: Wakizashi x2

Ki Pool: 3/3 remaining
Ranger's Focus: 1/1 remaining
Shuriken: 9/10 remaining
CLW Wand charges: 45/50 remaining

Used: 15 days' rations[/sblock]

 

[perrinmiller]

[sblock=GM Note]

I don't believe you can re-roll Perception, can you? I read back through the other posts and nothing popped out at me, so as above: try the side road or keep going on the road we're on. I figure try the side road because it's there.

You can re-roll Perception for searching. You can take 2 minutes per 5x5ft area to Take 20.

For most cases, the Perception checks you cannot re-roll are ones that you only get one chance to spot or hear something.

The rolls I asked for so long ago are banked for kicking off an encounter later and not related to any actions you have taken.[/sblock]

 

[jkason]

[sblock=ooc]Okay, let's just take 20, then: 27 on the search. Since there's nothing really pointing one direction or another, might as well be as exhaustive as possible looking for clues at the only site we have[/sblock]

 

[soulnova]

"A druid" Damaris claps her hands suddenly remembering something. "Druids can pass without trace, leave no clue behind... AND they can help others do the same"

"A gnoll druid?"

Damaris will help searching too, taking her time to go about.

[sblock] Gotta run. Take 20 on perception too [/sblock]

 

[Systole]

Rhas shrugs. "Well, there ya go. If it's one o' them nature-specialty types, I imagine we aren't going to find 'em. O' course, I imagine we could get them to come to us if we set a bit of a forest fire. Or if they're just thieves, we could walk along down the road saying, 'Oh, worry, worry me. This pouch full o' gold and precious gems is so heavy.' Tha'd get their attention."

[sblock=Mini Stats]Rhas Ironeyes

AC: 18 (14 flat-footed, 14 touch)
HP: 55/55
CMB: +7 CMD: 21
Fort: +6 Reflex: +5 Will:+3
Weapons: Heavy Crossbow (+10 or +8/+8, 1d10+6, 19-20x3) or Dwarven Waraxe (+7, 1d10+3, 20x3)

Perception: +13
Initiative: +4

Reliable Strike: 1/1

Weapon in Hand: Heavy Crossbow (+10 or +8/+8, 1d10+6, 19-20x3)
Conditions in Effect: None

Used Items:
None
[/sblock]

 

[perrinmiller]

~ Day 15, 11:54 - Miles North of Thornbury ~

Thuvian casts his spell and the riding horse he spoke of magically appeared with his summons. “Good luck. I shall return if I learn something.”

“Where should I look if you are not on the Trade Road? Will you leave me a marker to follow?” After you answered his questions, he galloped away down the road.

The rest of you started scouring the roadside in the area of the ambush. After several minutes, you have found that there was no attempt made to conceal tracks along the road itself or on the east side of it. But there are a few points were a print is heading away from the road, but after 5 feet there was no trace that you could discern.

Farther south along the road, you stop seeing signs of the battle on the softer turf along the edge. But near the bolder, there was another booted print and you found a place where someone must have hid behind the large rock.

[sblock=Tactical Map]

[/sblock][sblock=Combat Information]

Party Status:

Ru:        39/39 HP remaining; 
Damaris:   27/27 HP remaining; 
Rhas:     55/55 HP remaining;
Umthirn:   52/52 HP remaining;
  
Spells Cast: 
Abilities Used:
  Ru: Ki Pool 0/3; Rngr Foc 0/1
  Damaris: Bard Pef 0/12; Spells 1st 0/4, 2nd 0/2;
  Umthirn: Stun Fist 0/5
Conditions in effect:

[/sblock]