The Fey, the Far, and the Ugly Space In Between

[Tecklenburg]

I'm not. However, I will sprint forward until I can see beyond the ice-shield-snowflake-thing that she created. I need to make sure she actually vacates the area. I'll keep an arrow strung and the string taut as I follow her fading form into the darkness. I'm going to make sure that we all take turns keeping watch tonight.

When Otthor and Rawr find me, I'll be in the same position. When they come close, my eyes will still be off in the distance, bow still at the ready. I'll nod toward the staff that she dropped. "The Winter Court emissary is gone...but I fear this will not be the last we see of her and her people. This complicates tomorrow's journey I'm afraid."

I walk up to Saerie and put a hand on her shoulder as I pass. I walk toward the staff that she nodded to and bend down to pick it up as I keep my eyes on the dark distance that Saerie is minding.

Per Manbearcat
The darkness is cut only be the penetrating light of the moon. There is no sign of the Bralani, but there are shards of arrow shafts and trickles of blood here and there.

With weapons and shields drawn, your goblin companions rush out of the squat stone cottage. Several human children and a pair of human women filter out behind them into the cold night. In a dialect of the common tongue one of the women asks "...is it safe?"

The staff is startlingly cold, not cool, to the touch. See below:

Covenant of Winter

The cystalline staff is a translucent blue like a shard of ice torn free from an ancient glacier or a frozen tear running down a begrieved cheek. It is cold, not cool, to the touch and the power within it feels barely containable. Engraved on the shaft is a spine-shivering promise: "Cold and dark is the long night and steep is the price of its power."

When you call upon the elemental forces of winter, roll + Con. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, you pay winter's price and choose 1.

* Rend with ice and sleet.
* Repel with gale-force winds.
* Blot out the sun with snow.

I flinch at the freezing staff. I can feel the biting cold even though my gloves. I hold it out in both of my hands as I quickly walk over to Saerie, believing that her amulet should protect her. To the human woman and to everyone else, including Saerie, I speak in the common tongue. "No. I don't believe it is safe here. Not for any of us. The Winter Fey are vengeful if they are anything."

When I arrive at Saerie, I gently say "put down your bow my friend. There is no threat lurking out there. Take up this staff. I believe that you may be able to command its power and use it against our enemies." When she reaches for it, I'll hold it a moment longer and look her in the eye. "Be wary, my friend. Note the engraving."

After I hand her the staff, I greet Exel and Xanob with firm grasps of their shoulders and tell them it is good to see them. I then tell everyone that I will speak of what I discovered inside, out of the cold and the wind. I'll add that we cannot stay here tonight. It is not safe. The Winter Fey will return with reinforcements and attack us in the night.

As Rawr arrives, I'm looking around for our canine friend. "Where is..."

 

[Binks]

I walk up to Saerie and put a hand on her shoulder as I pass. I walk toward the staff that she nodded to and bend down to pick it up as I keep my eyes on the dark distance that Saerie is minding.



I flinch at the freezing staff. I can feel the biting cold even though my gloves. I hold it out in both of my hands as I quickly walk over to Saerie, believing that her amulet should protect her. To the human woman and to everyone else, including Saerie, I speak in the common tongue. "No. I don't believe it is safe here. Not for any of us. The Winter Fey are vengeful if they are anything."

When I arrive at Saerie, I gently say "put down your bow my friend. There is no threat lurking out there. Take up this staff. I believe that you may be able to command its power and use it against our enemies." When she reaches for it, I'll hold it a moment longer and look her in the eye. "Be wary, my friend. Note the engraving."

After I hand her the staff, I greet Exel and Xanob with firm grasps of their shoulders and tell them it is good to see them. I then tell everyone that I will speak of what I discovered inside, out of the cold and the wind. I'll add that we cannot stay here tonight. It is not safe. The Winter Fey will return with reinforcements and attack us in the night.

As Rawr arrives, I'm looking around for our canine friend. "Where is..."

There is a powerful sense of isolation and sorrow that I feel when grasping the staff. The cold is there as well but I'm mostly inured to it due to the warding amulet. I read the engraving on the staff out loud and tell Otthor that I will heed his warning. I'm sure I have some stray ties on my pack. I'll use those to tie the staff to my back until I can make a proper sheath for it.

"Our trusted canine friend perished during a climbing fall. His end was quick and he did not suffer. I'm so sorry my friend." Grieving and appreciation of the lost is important to elves. I take him to Lucky's pyre where we offered our companion up to the primal spirits so Otthor can pay his respects. I won't tell him that I'm going to consult a shaman in the Feywild or in this world and see if I can locate Lucky's primal spirit and return him to us. I don't want to give false hope.

After he has had his moment of grief and reflection, I'll bring us back to the urgency of the moment. "But I agree with you. It isn't safe here. The Bralani will return with numbers and will have Winter Court guards placed on this world's side of the Fey Crossing. We either must leave now and get beyond it or we must find someplace else to camp out here and then locate another, likely more difficult, way into the interior. I much prefer the former. The very last thing I want to do is strike out into the cold dark with these weary children, but we have no choice."

So here is what I'm going to do:

* I quickly introduce Otthor to our prisoner and relay to my friend the details of what we've found out, both from this cultist and from the womens' stories. I'm sure he relays what he found out from reading the etchings he took. Obviously we have to locate the black tower, find a way inside, and put a stop to this. And we have to do it by tomorrow evening.

I really have no idea what to do with our prisoner. If we leave him here it is a death sentence as the Winter Fey will surely kill him. Taking him with us will slow us down and endagers us all. What do you think Otthor?

* I ask the women if there is a secluded place that we can camp in the interior that might be safe from the Far Realm worshippers amongst their people? We can't just march into the interior and camp in the wild. The children, and perhaps us, will perish from exposure.

* I make sure Exel and Xanob are good to go for this trek. If we have to roll their Loyalty to convince them, I'll let Otthor handle that.

* I'll be taking the Trailblazer role on Undertake a Perilous Journey back the way we came to the interior. I know the dangers and the way so I can get us there very quickly. My role is a 10+ due to Elven Ranger. I'd like Otthor to take Scout and the goblins can take Quartermaster.

I'll warn Otthor of what to look for regarding all of the terrain and predatory dangers that lurk on our way to the interior; ice trolls, avalanches, etc. Decades of Experience for his Scout check?

 

[Tecklenburg]

I will definitely ask what happened to Saerie's sacred bow. When she tells me the sad tale, I'll ask her to please take mine. It has also been in my family a long time. It would honor me if she used it.

"Our trusted canine friend perished during a climbing fall. His end was quick and he did not suffer. I'm so sorry my friend." Grieving and appreciation of the lost is important to elves. I take him to Lucky's pyre where we offered our companion up to the primal spirits so Otthor can pay his respects. I won't tell him that I'm going to consult a shaman in the Feywild or in this world and see if I can locate Lucky's primal spirit and return him to us. I don't want to give false hope.

I grieve quietly at they pyre-site and offer up a silent prayer to the primal spirits of this world who have no doubt already taken in the trusty dog. Afterward I say to Saerie; "He had not many moments left in his already long-lived life. It is good that he perished on a road of adventure amidst caring companions rather than in that ruined hall at the hands of the abomination. I am grateful for this."

After he has had his moment of grief and reflection, I'll bring us back to the urgency of the moment. "But I agree with you. It isn't safe here. The Bralani will return with numbers and will have Winter Court guards placed on this world's side of the Fey Crossing. We either must leave now and get beyond it or we must find someplace else to camp out here and then locate another, likely more difficult, way into the interior. I much prefer the former. The very last thing I want to do is strike out into the cold dark with these weary children, but we have no choice."

"I very much agree. We cannot stay here. I also think that we should make the hard trek to the interior now. If we must pass it, we should do it now while the Fey Crossing isn't reinforced.

These are hard children used to a hard world. They will do fine I believe."

* I quickly introduce Otthor to our prisoner and relay to my friend the details of what we've found out, both from this cultist and from the womens' stories. I'm sure he relays what he found out from reading the etchings he took. Obviously we have to locate the black tower, find a way inside, and put a stop to this. And we have to do it by tomorrow evening.

I really have no idea what to do with our prisoner. If we leave him here it is a death sentence as the Winter Fey will surely kill him. Taking him with us will slow us down and endagers us all. What do you think Otthor?

This is a good chance to speak to the value of mercy to the two goblins. I make sure Exel and Xanob to be involved in this conversation.

After I meet the prisoner and we exchange our ominous omens, I suggest that we show him mercy. I will speak in the elven tongue to Saerie and then I will translate it to goblin for Exel and Xanob. "We will find the refugee family held in this Coldland settlement and put an end to this Far Realm Threat. We will then secure the other refugee family at Earthmaw. Once the mountain pass is again traversable, we will take the two remaining families of World's End to Giliad's Rest. I'm sure we are agreed on this. Perhaps new settlers will come during the next thaw and try to rebuild, but it is a ruin without chance for renewal right now."

I point to the young man tied to the chair.

"I sense this young man can be turned from his dark ways and possibly be a valuable asset to the people of Giliad's Rest. He can pay the proper penance for his crimes and help rebuild the lives that his father worked to destroy. And the people whom he has wronged can administer their own justice. I have seen young men who were born into their father's cruelty and wickedness reformed. It is not without precedence. It will make our journey more difficult, yes, but I vote we take him with us."

* I make sure Exel and Xanob are good to go for this trek. If we have to roll their Loyalty to convince them, I'll let Otthor handle that.

If we have to roll their Loyalty to get them to strike out into the night:

[sblock]Loyalty
5, 1 + 1 = 7

They do it for now, but come back with serious demands later. Meet them or the hireling quits on the worst terms.[/sblock]

* I'll be taking the Trailblazer role on Undertake a Perilous Journey back the way we came to the interior. I know the dangers and the way so I can get us there very quickly. My role is a 10+ due to Elven Ranger. I'd like Otthor to take Scout and the goblins can take Quartermaster.

I'll warn Otthor of what to look for regarding all of the terrain and predatory dangers that lurk on our way to the interior; ice trolls, avalanches, etc. Decades of Experience for his Scout check?

Definitely a good idea to have Saerie leading things. The faster we move here, the better.

[sblock]Scout (Wis)
5, 4 + 0 (possibly + 1 for DoE) = 9 or 10

If I can take advantage of DoE, it is a 10 +, otherwise it is a 7-9.[/sblock]

 

[Manbearcat]

In no particular order:

1) The woman that is most together is tall, with long dark hair. Her name is Aina. Her husband, Uthman, is a proud hunter. He lives most of his life at a lodge deep in the wilds. She only seems him once per week when the hunters bring their spoils to the village. It will be a two hour trek from the springs where you met them. But none of those hunters venerate the dark gods (she uses the word "gods" to speak of the Far Realm powers). She believes that they will give you shelter and they can perhaps be convinced to help.

2a) You can use DoE for Scout Otthor and you can Mark XP Saerie. Tell us precisely what you tell him about the dangers though and where you learned such things.

2b) As a default, you would need to Mark 2 rations for this harsh 1/4 day journey for the entirety of your large group, Saerie. However, you cut that in half (to 1) with the speed and precision of your Trailblazing (10+); turning a 1/4 day journey into a 3 hour one. You should arrive a bit past midnight. This doesn't include the rations for Rest at the end of the day.

2c) The women can handle provisions for the Journey so someone roll QM + 1. Complication will cost you 2 more rations. 10 + will cut the 1 rations spent to 0.

2d) Your Scouting is meticulous and efficient Otthor. You spot trouble (there are a few more Ice Trolls in these parts, plenty of topographical hazards, and some snow leopards) and you relay it to Saerie who deftly avoids it with her Trailblazing.

3) Exel and Xanob are now level 5 hirelings with a bump in Sentry and Loyalty:

[sblock]Goblin Brothers (5)

The goblin brothers, Xanob and Exel, are fierce, armored warriors of Kord. Lead them gloriously into battle and they'll stand between you and the blades, fangs, teeth, and spells that would harm you.

Sentry (Skill 3) - When the goblin brothers stand between you and an attack you increase your armor against that attack by the their Sentry skill, then reduce that skill by 1 until they receive healing or have time to mend.

Intervene - When the goblin brothers help you defy danger you may opt to take +1 from their aid. If you do you cannot get a 10+ result, a 10+ instead counts as a 7–9.

Loyalty: 2

Cost: Glory in Battle[/sblock]

4) Exel and Xanob agree with you both that the Winter Fey are going to likely assault your indefensible shelter with reinforcements so moving immediately and getting beyond the Fey Crossing is a good idea. No need for a Hireling roll there.

However...

Neither Exel nor Xanob are remotely in agreement with Otthor regarding what to do with the death cult prisoner who happens to be one of the son's of the founder. Mercy? Are you kidding? They're both incredulous and borderline outraged to be honest. He is responsible for Lucky's death as far as they're concerned and he would be responsible for any or all of your deaths with the enchanted bog. He wants to die...let him die. Leave him tied to the chair for the Winter Fey to torment as they wish or thaw a section of the permafrost covering the sucking bog and throw him in!

But take him with you? Maybe even allow him to try to redeem himself? Absolutely not.

I'll use the 7-9 (8 with the extra 1 for Loyalty) that you rolled earlier so they're somewhat on the fence at this point. Exel and Xanob are speaking vociferously to each other in goblin about this [MENTION=6775039]Binks[/MENTION]. It seems Saerie opposes Otthor on this point. If you want to make a problem of it, you can turn that 7-9 into a 6- if you want to Interfere (success would be - 2 to Otthor's Hireling roll) with a convincing and firm retort to his position. Otherwise they'll bend a little here and allow Otthor his cake...at least for now.

---

Let me know if you plan to oppose Otthor with Interfere and we'll take it from there with your resolution. If you aren't opposing him, just roll the QM roll and I'll transition to the hunter's lodge at midnight in the deep wilderness.

 

[Binks]

1) The woman that is most together is tall, with long dark hair. Her name is Aina. Her husband, Uthman, is a proud hunter. He lives most of his life at a lodge deep in the wilds. She only seems him once per week when the hunters bring their spoils to the village. It will be a two hour trek from the springs where you met them. But none of those hunters venerate the dark gods (she uses the word "gods" to speak of the Far Realm powers). She believes that they will give you shelter and they can perhaps be convinced to help.

This is where we will head. Hopefully we can convince them to aid us.

2a) You can use DoE for Scout Otthor and you can Mark XP Saerie. Tell us precisely what you tell him about the dangers though and where you learned such things.

The things that concern me most are the snow leopards and the loose snowpacks that could turn into deadly avalanche.

The snow leopards can easily stalk us in the darkness from above. They could pick off one of the children and retreat before we could barely react. I explain to Otthor their stalking habits and their ambush tactics so he knows where best to look for them and how to repel their efforts if we are indeed hunted by them.

While he is looking for them though, he is going to have to be traversing the slopes on our flanks. This is where any hungry snow leopard would stalk us. Here the danger is loose snowpacks, the disturbance of which could trigger a deadly avalanche that claims all our lives. I make sure Otthor is aware of precisely what a dense and light snowpack looks like and where the vulnreable points are that he needs to avoid.

I learned much of my alpine mountaineering in this very world amidst these mountains. The only place with topography like this back home in the Feywild is in the domain of the Winter Court. I have never ventured there...though that now appears likely to change in the near future.

[sblock]Marked 1 xp for Otthor's use of Decades of Experience for Scouting.[/sblock]

2b) As a default, you would need to Mark 2 rations for this harsh 1/4 day journey for the entirety of your large group, Saerie. However, you cut that in half (to 1) with the speed and precision of your Trailblazing (10+); turning a 1/4 day journey into a 3 hour one. You should arrive a bit past midnight. This doesn't include the rations for Rest at the end of the day.

2c) The women can handle provisions for the Journey so someone roll QM + 1. Complication will cost you 2 more rations. 10 + will cut the 1 rations spent to 0.

2d) Your Scouting is meticulous and efficient Otthor. You spot trouble (there are a few more Ice Trolls in these parts, plenty of topographical hazards, and some snow leopards) and you relay it to Saerie who deftly avoids it with her Trailblazing.

[sblock]Quartermaster + 1
3, 3 + 1 = 7

Use the expected amount of rations.[/sblock]

By the way, I'll definitely be making sure to obscure our tracks in the few areas where we might make them. If you need me to roll something for that, let me know.

3) Exel and Xanob are now level 5 hirelings with a bump in Sentry and Loyalty:

[sblock]Goblin Brothers (5)

The goblin brothers, Xanob and Exel, are fierce, armored warriors of Kord. Lead them gloriously into battle and they'll stand between you and the blades, fangs, teeth, and spells that would harm you.

Sentry (Skill 3) - When the goblin brothers stand between you and an attack you increase your armor against that attack by the their Sentry skill, then reduce that skill by 1 until they receive healing or have time to mend.

Intervene - When the goblin brothers help you defy danger you may opt to take +1 from their aid. If you do you cannot get a 10+ result, a 10+ instead counts as a 7–9.

Loyalty: 2

Cost: Glory in Battle[/sblock]

4) Exel and Xanob agree with you both that the Winter Fey are going to likely assault your indefensible shelter with reinforcements so moving immediately and getting beyond the Fey Crossing is a good idea. No need for a Hireling roll there.

However...

Neither Exel nor Xanob are remotely in agreement with Otthor regarding what to do with the death cult prisoner who happens to be one of the son's of the founder. Mercy? Are you kidding? They're both incredulous and borderline outraged to be honest. He is responsible for Lucky's death as far as they're concerned and he would be responsible for any or all of your deaths with the enchanted bog. He wants to die...let him die. Leave him tied to the chair for the Winter Fey to torment as they wish or thaw a section of the permafrost covering the sucking bog and throw him in!

But take him with you? Maybe even allow him to try to redeem himself? Absolutely not.

I'll use the 7-9 (8 with the extra 1 for Loyalty) that you rolled earlier so they're somewhat on the fence at this point. Exel and Xanob are speaking vociferously to each other in goblin about this [MENTION=6775039]Binks[/MENTION]. It seems Saerie opposes Otthor on this point. If you want to make a problem of it, you can turn that 7-9 into a 6- if you want to Interfere (success would be - 2 to Otthor's Hireling roll) with a convincing and firm retort to his position. Otherwise they'll bend a little here and allow Otthor his cake...at least for now.

---

Let me know if you plan to oppose Otthor with Interfere and we'll take it from there with your resolution. If you aren't opposing him, just roll the QM roll and I'll transition to the hunter's lodge at midnight in the deep wilderness.

We cannot bring this man with us. It is far, far too dangerous.

I speak the following in goblin very, very slowly so Exel and Xanob can follow:

"I understand your heart on this Otthor. He is a young man. It is a terrible thing to have such a wasted life and future. Perhaps this death philosophy was inflicted upon him by a ruthless, unforgiving father. Perhaps mercy would be best...among different circumstances. But these unforgiving circumstances, that we must deal with right now, do not afford us the luxury of discretion or mercy. He has condemned himself by his own actions. Exel and Xanob have the right of it. We canot take him with us.

However, we cannot leave him here for them to find as he will surely give away where we have gone. We will take him to the hot springs where I met these women. It is not too terribly far from here, slightly less than an hour if we make good time. We can stow him there while we trek to the interior. If the Winter Fey somehow find our trail and locate him, we will be several hours ahead of them at that point. That should put us beyond their reach."

[sblock]Interfere (Bond)
6, 5 + 2 = 13

- 2 to Otthor's Hireling check. That would put it at a 6-. Mark xp Otthor![/sblock]

 

[Manbearcat]

By the way, I'll definitely be making sure to obscure our tracks in the few areas where we might make them. If you need me to roll something for that, let me know.

If you want to lock that in such that I can't use it as a complication against you in the future, you're going to need to roll some dice. How about:

[sblock]When you travel through wilderness, roll +Wis. On a 10+, your party can't be tracked. On a 7-9, your party can't be tracked but you have to sacrifice either time or immediate safety. Your pick. Your GM will tell you how much time or describe your immediate danger.[/sblock]

We cannot bring this man with us. It is far, far too dangerous.

I speak the following in goblin very, very slowly so Exel and Xanob can follow:

"I understand your heart on this Otthor. He is a young man. It is a terrible thing to have such a wasted life and future. Perhaps this death philosophy was inflicted upon him by a ruthless, unforgiving father. Perhaps mercy would be best...among different circumstances. But these unforgiving circumstances, that we must deal with right now, do not afford us the luxury of discretion or mercy. He has condemned himself by his own actions. Exel and Xanob have the right of it. We canot take him with us.

However, we cannot leave him here for them to find as he will surely give away where we have gone. We will take him to the hot springs where I met these women. It is not too terribly far from here, slightly less than an hour if we make good time. We can stow him there while we trek to the interior. If the Winter Fey somehow find our trail and locate him, we will be several hours ahead of them at that point. That should put us beyond their reach."

[sblock]Interfere (Bond)
6, 5 + 2 = 13

- 2 to Otthor's Hireling check. That would put it at a 6-. Mark xp Otthor![/sblock]

Well, this is all well and good. You've certainly accomplished your task at swaying the goblins away from Otthor's proposition of mercy and reform. But your solution just doesn't go far enough. They don't want the man burdening/endangering your party in their travels for even one hour. And now that you've brought the prospects of the Winter Fey using the death cult member as a means to track you down...

Exel looks at you flatly, scrunches up his face as he shakes his head and looks at his brother. Xanob slightly shakes his head in dissapointment when his brother regards him. Exel draws a wicked knife from his belt as he strides purposefully over to the prisoner tied to the chair. With some starts and stutters and a few question mark-laden pronunciations, he works very hard and very slowly to speak the common tongue:

"Big...heart...elf. Lack...will...for...what...necessary..."

Either of you can roll +Loyalty to stop him if you wish, but you're taking - 1 Loyalty forward. Or you can do something physical. Or nothing at all. Whatever, just both of you check in with me before we move forward.

 

[Binks]

If you want to lock that in such that I can't use it as a complication against you in the future, you're going to need to roll some dice. How about:

[sblock]When you travel through wilderness, roll +Wis. On a 10+, your party can't be tracked. On a 7-9, your party can't be tracked but you have to sacrifice either time or immediate safety. Your pick. Your GM will tell you how much time or describe your immediate danger.[/sblock]

I definitely want to lock in a "pass without trace" so you can't use it against us as a complication later.

[sblock]Pass Without Trace (Wis)
3, 2 + 2 = 7

Your party can't be tracked but you have to sacrifice either time or immediate safety.

We don't have any time to spare at all so I'll go with sacrificing immediate safety as the complication.[/sblock]

Back to the goblins and the prisoner before we leave...

Well, this is all well and good. You've certainly accomplished your task at swaying the goblins away from Otthor's proposition of mercy and reform. But your solution just doesn't go far enough. They don't want the man burdening/endangering your party in their travels for even one hour. And now that you've brought the prospects of the Winter Fey using the death cult member as a means to track you down...

Exel looks at you flatly, scrunches up his face as he shakes his head and looks at his brother. Xanob slightly shakes his head in disappointment when his brother regards him. Exel draws a wicked knife from his belt as he strides purposefully over to the prisoner tied to the chair. With some starts and stutters and a few question mark-laden pronunciations, he works very hard and very slowly to speak the common tongue:

"Big...heart...elf. Lack...will...for...what...necessary..."

Either of you can roll +Loyalty to stop him if you wish, but you're taking - 1 Loyalty forward. Or you can do something physical. Or nothing at all. Whatever, just both of you check in with me before we move forward.

I'll let Otthor intervene with words or physical force if it comes to that. These goblins respect his physical prowess in battle even if they don't agree with his morals. Afterall, they pledged themselves to him after he defeated their former leader in single combat, not me. However, if it looks like Otthor is going to do neither, then I will intervene myself, as I'm surely not going to just let them slaughter the prisoner that I took like so much cattle.

 

[Tecklenburg]

Well, this is all well and good. You've certainly accomplished your task at swaying the goblins away from Otthor's proposition of mercy and reform. But your solution just doesn't go far enough. They don't want the man burdening/endangering your party in their travels for even one hour. And now that you've brought the prospects of the Winter Fey using the death cult member as a means to track you down...

Exel looks at you flatly, scrunches up his face as he shakes his head and looks at his brother. Xanob slightly shakes his head in dissapointment when his brother regards him. Exel draws a wicked knife from his belt as he strides purposefully over to the prisoner tied to the chair. With some starts and stutters and a few question mark-laden pronunciations, he works very hard and very slowly to speak the common tongue:

"Big...heart...elf. Lack...will...for...what...necessary..."

Back to the goblins and the prisoner before we leave...

I'll let Otthor intervene with words or physical force if it comes to that. These goblins respect his physical prowess in battle even if they don't agree with his morals. Afterall, they pledged themselves to him after he defeated their former leader in single combat, not me. However, if it looks like Otthor is going to do neither, then I will intervene myself, as I'm surely not going to just let them slaughter the prisoner that I took like so much cattle.

[sblock]Marked 1 xp for Saerie turning my Hireling Loyalty Move into a 6-[/sblock]

"NO!" I'm over the table in a flash, grasping for Exel's wrist that holds the wicked knife...

[sblock]Defy Danger (Dex)
5, 2 + 2 = 9

Success but a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
You're across the table, quick as a cat. Your hand takes hold of Exel's wrist with the knife precariously close to the tied man's throat...his eyes agape with terror looking down at the flashing blade.

Exel drops the knife from the force and speed of your assault but he immediately recovers, growling and lowering his head to ram it into your chest. The two of you fall to the bare cottage floor in a heap, your hands holding his wrists, legs kicking out wildly in the scrum and knocking the chair over that the man is tied to. The knife is kicked and spins away across the floor to the waiting Xanob who eyes it momentarily before stooping down to pick it up. The prone, tied man would make for a quick kill.

You're pretty well tied up. Going to give Saerie an opportunity to do something before I move you along Otthor.

Good deal. I see the knife spin over to Xanob and see him lower to pick it up. Through clenched teeth and the effort to control Exel I manage a "...mmmph...Saerie!"

 

[Binks]

Per Manbearcat
You're across the table, quick as a cat. Your hand takes hold of Exel's wrist with the knife precariously close to the tied man's throat...his eyes agape with terror looking down at the flashing blade.

Exel drops the knife from the force and speed of your assault but he immediately recovers, growling and lowering his head to ram it into your chest. The two of you fall to the bare cottage floor in a heap, your hands holding his wrists, legs kicking out wildly in the scrum and knocking the chair over that the man is tied to. The knife is kicked and spins away across the floor to the waiting Xanob who eyes it momentarily before stooping down to pick it up. The prone, tied man would make for a quick kill.

You're pretty well tied up. Going to give Saerie an opportunity to do something before I move you along Otthor.

Good deal. I see the knife spin over to Xanob and see him lower to pick it up. Through clenched teeth and the effort to control Exel I manage a "...mmmph...Saerie!"

As the spinning knife comes to rest at Xanob's feet, I see him look down at it. My feet are in motion before he begins to stoop as I intend to kick kick it away from him, across the room, and stand between he and the prone captive.

[sblock]Defy Danger (Dex)
1, 6 + 3 = 10[/sblock]

As the knife flies across the room, coming to rest after ricocheting across the wall, I stand between Xanob and the captive. My knees bend, my hand goes to the pommel of my short sword on my belt, and my hand comes up before me giving Xanob an open palm signalling "wait."

Per Manbearcat
Things having escalated dramatically, Xanob freezes and slowly comes up from his stooping position. He doesn't look at the knife which is now across the room. He stares into your eyes with aggression for a moment. This quickly passes and he gives you an authentically plaintive look.

Staggering with the common, he says "...no...more." He then says it louder and more assertive so Otthor and his brother can hear. "No more!"

Exel slowly and then completely stops struggling underneath Otthor.

I muster my best goblin. "Trusted companions. You've come far with us. Just a little further."

Per Manbearcat
The adrenaline rush has done some good to clear their heads, given them a bit of battle that they haven't had in some time, and reasserted you guys' dominance. Their Cost is fulfilled enough to give you + 1 forward Loyalty, thus negating the prior -1 forward. You can have the full + 2 Loyalty.

My effort it just to Aid Otthor. I'll let him perform the Coup De Grace Loyalty check.

[sblock]Aid (Bond) Otthor
4, 5 + 2 = 11

+1 for Otthor's Loyalty roll.[/sblock]

 

[Tecklenburg]

As the spinning knife comes to rest at Xanob's feet, I see him look down at it. My feet are in motion before he begins to stoop as I intend to kick kick it away from him, across the room, and stand between he and the prone captive.

[sblock]Defy Danger (Dex)
1, 6 + 3 = 10[/sblock]

As the knife flies across the room, coming to rest after ricocheting across the wall, I stand between Xanob and the captive. My knees bend, my hand goes to the pommel of my short sword on my belt, and my hand comes up before me giving Xanob an open palm signalling "wait."

Per Manbearcat
Things having escalated dramatically, Xanob freezes and slowly comes up from his stooping position. He doesn't look at the knife which is now across the room. He stares into your eyes with aggression for a moment. This quickly passes and he gives you an authentically plaintive look.

Staggering with the common, he says "...no...more." He then says it louder and more assertive so Otthor and his brother can hear. "No more!"

Exel slowly and then completely stops struggling underneath Otthor.

I muster my best goblin. "Trusted companions. You've come far with us. Just a little further."

Per Manbearcat
The adrenaline rush has done some good to clear their heads, given them a bit of battle that they haven't had in some time, and reasserted you guys' dominance. Their Cost is fulfilled enough to give you + 1 forward Loyalty, thus negating the prior -1 forward. You can have the full + 2 Loyalty.

I muster my best goblin. "Trusted companions. You've come far with us. Just a little further."

My effort it just to Aid Otthor. I'll let him perform the Coup De Grace Loyalty check.

[sblock]Aid (Bond) Otthor
4, 5 + 2 = 11

+1 for Otthor's Loyalty roll.[/sblock]

I get to my feet still holding Exel by the wrists. I then pull him up to his feet. When we're standing face to...well...face to belly button I guess, I nod towards his knife on the floor across the room. In a show of trust I calmly say "your knife" in goblin.

As he walks over to get it, I'm picking the chair up and untying the man. He'll remain gagged and his hands bound with rope and the same rope around his neck, forming a leash. Exel was the one who tried to execute the man so I'm going to put him at the rearguard.

I speak on goblin to them as we prepare to leave. "There will be nothing but glorious combat in the coming day, I promise you. We will battle men and terrible abominations from another world. Your mettle will be fully tested and your hands will be very bloody by the end of tomorrow. Kord will be most pleased with you whether you're still among the living or standing by his side in the afterlife."

I'll look at them both squarely.

"Can I count on you?"

[sblock]Hireling (Loyalty)
4, 3 + 2 (+ 1 Aid) = 10[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
Exel says in common "...count...on...Exel...Xanob". Xanob says in goblin "...we will bring glory to His (referring to Kord) name."

Alright then. So Exel at the rearguard. Xanob at the vanguard with Saerie, Rawr, and the prisoner. The women, handling QM duties, and children single file in the middle. I'm out scouting.

Per Manbearcat
I'll post this evening or tomorrow, transitioning you guys forward with the danger from Saerie's success/complications Pass Without Trace efforts.