Ranger Rick
First Post
James Heard said:
Could he have visited some of the Human Lords (like mine) in the area? BS and drink and carouse and look for work? Maybe do card tricks or even have have your own apprentence?
The Reconquista OOC
- Thread starter Branding Opportunity
- Start date
Could he have visited some of the Human Lords (like mine) in the area? BS and drink and carouse and look for work? Maybe do card tricks or even have have your own apprentence?
James Heard
Explorer
Not at that time, unless he was just weaseling for people to help him infiltrate the Giant lines. That could be interesting I guess, if George was one of those guys that Mavic got George to follow him on his fool's errand west of Mettleberg? He might have known some of the Keolandish nobility from before though, since he was operating out of Niole Dra for more than a decade and I'm guessing even in Keoland nobles have to show up every so often and tell the King that he's The Man. As for card tricks...that doesn't really seem Mavic's style, even when Giants hadn't been involved. Maybe for small children, pretty girls, and kobolds though...
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Seeten said:If the adventure involves a ship or a big river, I wont be in my full plate
Masterwork PJs - don't leave home without them!
I figure Reivik was around 3rd/4th level at the start of the second invasion... picking up some proper martial training (fighter levels instead of barbarian) from the soldiers in the fort while he did his labouring.
In downtime - initially, an unskilled manual hand for support, and storyteller/historian as a hobby; later, as skill ranks begin to outstrip the Cha handicap, he'll start telling stories to put food on the table.
-Hyp.
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Seeten said:
Mine aren't too bad - Jump +14, Climb +7, Tumble +2 (I love the image of tumbling in Battle Plate
), Balance +2...... oh, yeah. Swim -6.
-Hyp.
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Thanee said:Heh. It is kind of cool that the dwarves can tumble in full plate...
Fixed it for you
-Hyp.
Branding Opportunity
Explorer
First Adventure Synopsis
OK, I know I said that the adventure synopsis would be short ... sorry. The next one will be shorter, I promise!
You probably won't like the ending, but I figured this is a war, and things don't always work out for the best. You can't always be the one on the horse, riding off into the sunset.
Please feel free to modify and add to the basic story as you see fit. I will try to make the next one a little more open and malleable. But hey, I'm learning
[SBLOCK]FIRST ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS
It was the 3rd of Fireseek, 585 CY and it was the beginning of the end. Fate, that most inscrutable of mistresses had brought you all to the village of Fitela, on the southern banks of the rushing Davish river.
Much of the March of Sterich was already in flames, put to the torch by large bands of marauding orcs and bugbears who slaughtered every living thing in their path. Sadly they were only the vanguard of the main assault. Once they had drawn out the brave Sterich halberdiers and the rightly famous light cavalry onto the field of battle, the giants of the mountains appeared out of nowhere. They drove a blinding snow in front of them, freezing unprotected men in their tracks. Thousands died in these assaults, and the brave men and women of the March’s forces, blinded and half-frozen, retreated in desperation to the capitol Istivin. This had been a week-and-a-half before.
The village of Fitella was in a panic. The village alderman, in consultation with the local priest of Allitur had decided to wait for further instruction from the Earl. They hoped that he and his forces would be able to stop the advancing forces at Istivin, safe behind the enormous, protective curtain walls which had withstood assaulting armies for centuries. At the moment, the battles back west seemed far away, although they were beginning to inch closer.
Your group found yourself huddled around an enormous fire which had been started in the barn-like town hall. Most of the townsfolk of the village and the outlying communities were gathered here for warmth and comfort. It was the middle of the night, yet fear kept everyone from finding sleep. All were waiting for word from the capitol, but none so far had come. Anxious faces looked around, or stared blankly into the fire, unable to fully grasp the enormity of what was happening.
Never ones to just sit around for the end, you decided that despite the near-whiteout conditions outside, you needed to venture forth. You had heard that even this far east growing bands of humanoids had been spotted in the high saddle east of Mount Holeen, only a six hour journey on foot in good conditions. This news, however was more than two days old and you feared that the enemy would not be content to remain there.
Just before sunrise you headed out. The wind had blessedly died down, and the falling of the snow seemed almost peaceful now. An hour out of town you spotted a group of at least 40 or 50 man-like creatures, approaching at quite a clip. Fearing the worst you set up and ambush, but quickly realized that these creatures were too small for giants, and did not have the gait of an orc or a bugbear. Thankfully they turned out to be dwarves from a Holeen mining camp. They were lead by Grinnur, “The Hammer of Moradin”, pulling improved stretchers laden with their wounded.
They reported that there was indeed a band of bugbears which had attacked their camp the day before. The dwarves, under the concise leadership of the Hammer had given them quite a bloody nose, retreating into their mine, and using the enclosed tunnels to their advantage against the much larger bugbears. This had worked until the cunning humanoids had started an enormous fire it entrance, using the logs of the buildings of the mining camp as fuel. Unwilling to be trapped like rats, the dwarves had fled using an old, abandoned shaft which led them to an exit much higher on the mountain. From that perspective they could see a huge force of orcs only a few miles away, headed their way. Realizing that they were not equipped or provisioned for a prolonged battle or siege, Grinnur decided to retreat to Fitela, and warn the people there.
After conveying these events to you as you traveled together back down the mountain, you spotted the larger humanoid force behind you coming over a ridge. Nervously you realized that the slower dwarves would be overrun before you reached the village.
A cunning plan was hatched, and a magical evacuation order was sent with all possible speed to warn Fitela. Your group stayed behind to slow down the approaching hoard.
Your plan worked and in addition to slowing down the bugbears and orcs, you were able to kill a great many of them, without being overrun yourself. In the end, however, their overwhelming numbers forced you to hasten the rest of the way down the mountain.
The delaying tactic had worked and had given the dwarves and the villagers enough time to begin shuttling people across the icy rush of the Davish. The miners had also begun laying various traps for the invading army around the village.
Although your continued actions and the dwarven traps picked off more of the attackers, eventually you were beaten back to the banks of the river. Less than 50 villagers remained there, waiting for the boats to return from the other side to pick them up.
On the pebbly banks of the Davish is where you made your final stand, back to back with Grinnur and a select group of his dwarven warriors in addition to a few of the militia men from Fitela. Grinnur’s flaming warhammer sang with the power of the Forger of Souls, and many an orc fell before him, but many of your brothers-in-arms died as well. Then, the biggest bugbear you had ever seen, covered in scars from countless battles made his way through their ranks, bellowing out a challenge for one of you to meet him in single combat. He boasted that to simply slaughter you would too easy and not earn him enough glory, and that if he were killed, he would let the rest of you go.
Grinnur was about to step forth and accept the challenge when you realized that he was far too tired and cut in too many places, and that he would not survive this encounter. Instead, one of you stepped forward before he could say something and accepted the challenge.
It was then that the rescue boats finally approached from the far bank and began loading the the villagers. As the last of the folk of Fitela pushed off, you realized that you might never see any of them again. Unwilling to abandon your champion, your group and the remaining dwarves were now surrounded by hundreds of orcs and bugbears, and there were barely two dozen of you left.
The one-on-one combat began well, with your champion landing a few decisive blows. Sadly this did not last long, as the bugbear chieftain had the strength and endurance of a bull Oliphant. A few mighty blows from his enormous battle maul later your champion lay on the ground, grasping for breath with his/her armor caved in. At that moment a missile weapon/spell came from another one of you and struck the bugbear through the eye/caused his head to implode/burst into flame (you get it, you get to pick) and he collapsed in a lifeless heap.
You figured that now the end had finally come, when one of the orc chieftains began to laugh. He applauded your group for their treachery, and belittled the dead bugbear champion for agreeing to such a stupid challenge. “Still,” he proclaimed, “we are not a people without honor and you defeated him. Therefore you may go.”
A few of the bugbears began to object, but at the command of the orc leader, their objections were permanently silenced. It seemed that the head orc had been planning a takeover for a while.
“You think you live flatlanders,” the orc chieftain went on, “but in truth you and all your peoples are already dead. There is no point in killing you here.”
Realizing that it would be better to live and fight another day, yet with very heavy hearts and spirits, your group made their way downstream, the orc’s jeering laughter ringing in your ears.[/SBLOCK]
OK, I know I said that the adventure synopsis would be short ... sorry. The next one will be shorter, I promise!
You probably won't like the ending, but I figured this is a war, and things don't always work out for the best. You can't always be the one on the horse, riding off into the sunset.
Please feel free to modify and add to the basic story as you see fit. I will try to make the next one a little more open and malleable. But hey, I'm learning
[SBLOCK]FIRST ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS
It was the 3rd of Fireseek, 585 CY and it was the beginning of the end. Fate, that most inscrutable of mistresses had brought you all to the village of Fitela, on the southern banks of the rushing Davish river.
Much of the March of Sterich was already in flames, put to the torch by large bands of marauding orcs and bugbears who slaughtered every living thing in their path. Sadly they were only the vanguard of the main assault. Once they had drawn out the brave Sterich halberdiers and the rightly famous light cavalry onto the field of battle, the giants of the mountains appeared out of nowhere. They drove a blinding snow in front of them, freezing unprotected men in their tracks. Thousands died in these assaults, and the brave men and women of the March’s forces, blinded and half-frozen, retreated in desperation to the capitol Istivin. This had been a week-and-a-half before.
The village of Fitella was in a panic. The village alderman, in consultation with the local priest of Allitur had decided to wait for further instruction from the Earl. They hoped that he and his forces would be able to stop the advancing forces at Istivin, safe behind the enormous, protective curtain walls which had withstood assaulting armies for centuries. At the moment, the battles back west seemed far away, although they were beginning to inch closer.
Your group found yourself huddled around an enormous fire which had been started in the barn-like town hall. Most of the townsfolk of the village and the outlying communities were gathered here for warmth and comfort. It was the middle of the night, yet fear kept everyone from finding sleep. All were waiting for word from the capitol, but none so far had come. Anxious faces looked around, or stared blankly into the fire, unable to fully grasp the enormity of what was happening.
Never ones to just sit around for the end, you decided that despite the near-whiteout conditions outside, you needed to venture forth. You had heard that even this far east growing bands of humanoids had been spotted in the high saddle east of Mount Holeen, only a six hour journey on foot in good conditions. This news, however was more than two days old and you feared that the enemy would not be content to remain there.
Just before sunrise you headed out. The wind had blessedly died down, and the falling of the snow seemed almost peaceful now. An hour out of town you spotted a group of at least 40 or 50 man-like creatures, approaching at quite a clip. Fearing the worst you set up and ambush, but quickly realized that these creatures were too small for giants, and did not have the gait of an orc or a bugbear. Thankfully they turned out to be dwarves from a Holeen mining camp. They were lead by Grinnur, “The Hammer of Moradin”, pulling improved stretchers laden with their wounded.
They reported that there was indeed a band of bugbears which had attacked their camp the day before. The dwarves, under the concise leadership of the Hammer had given them quite a bloody nose, retreating into their mine, and using the enclosed tunnels to their advantage against the much larger bugbears. This had worked until the cunning humanoids had started an enormous fire it entrance, using the logs of the buildings of the mining camp as fuel. Unwilling to be trapped like rats, the dwarves had fled using an old, abandoned shaft which led them to an exit much higher on the mountain. From that perspective they could see a huge force of orcs only a few miles away, headed their way. Realizing that they were not equipped or provisioned for a prolonged battle or siege, Grinnur decided to retreat to Fitela, and warn the people there.
After conveying these events to you as you traveled together back down the mountain, you spotted the larger humanoid force behind you coming over a ridge. Nervously you realized that the slower dwarves would be overrun before you reached the village.
A cunning plan was hatched, and a magical evacuation order was sent with all possible speed to warn Fitela. Your group stayed behind to slow down the approaching hoard.
Your plan worked and in addition to slowing down the bugbears and orcs, you were able to kill a great many of them, without being overrun yourself. In the end, however, their overwhelming numbers forced you to hasten the rest of the way down the mountain.
The delaying tactic had worked and had given the dwarves and the villagers enough time to begin shuttling people across the icy rush of the Davish. The miners had also begun laying various traps for the invading army around the village.
Although your continued actions and the dwarven traps picked off more of the attackers, eventually you were beaten back to the banks of the river. Less than 50 villagers remained there, waiting for the boats to return from the other side to pick them up.
On the pebbly banks of the Davish is where you made your final stand, back to back with Grinnur and a select group of his dwarven warriors in addition to a few of the militia men from Fitela. Grinnur’s flaming warhammer sang with the power of the Forger of Souls, and many an orc fell before him, but many of your brothers-in-arms died as well. Then, the biggest bugbear you had ever seen, covered in scars from countless battles made his way through their ranks, bellowing out a challenge for one of you to meet him in single combat. He boasted that to simply slaughter you would too easy and not earn him enough glory, and that if he were killed, he would let the rest of you go.
Grinnur was about to step forth and accept the challenge when you realized that he was far too tired and cut in too many places, and that he would not survive this encounter. Instead, one of you stepped forward before he could say something and accepted the challenge.
It was then that the rescue boats finally approached from the far bank and began loading the the villagers. As the last of the folk of Fitela pushed off, you realized that you might never see any of them again. Unwilling to abandon your champion, your group and the remaining dwarves were now surrounded by hundreds of orcs and bugbears, and there were barely two dozen of you left.
The one-on-one combat began well, with your champion landing a few decisive blows. Sadly this did not last long, as the bugbear chieftain had the strength and endurance of a bull Oliphant. A few mighty blows from his enormous battle maul later your champion lay on the ground, grasping for breath with his/her armor caved in. At that moment a missile weapon/spell came from another one of you and struck the bugbear through the eye/caused his head to implode/burst into flame (you get it, you get to pick) and he collapsed in a lifeless heap.
You figured that now the end had finally come, when one of the orc chieftains began to laugh. He applauded your group for their treachery, and belittled the dead bugbear champion for agreeing to such a stupid challenge. “Still,” he proclaimed, “we are not a people without honor and you defeated him. Therefore you may go.”
A few of the bugbears began to object, but at the command of the orc leader, their objections were permanently silenced. It seemed that the head orc had been planning a takeover for a while.
“You think you live flatlanders,” the orc chieftain went on, “but in truth you and all your peoples are already dead. There is no point in killing you here.”
Realizing that it would be better to live and fight another day, yet with very heavy hearts and spirits, your group made their way downstream, the orc’s jeering laughter ringing in your ears.[/SBLOCK]
James Heard
Explorer
OotS Translation: Please send me an appropriate challenge for my level so I can earn some XP. Tangent translation: Bugbears are dumb. Dead bugbears can't hold their bladders, much less bands of villagers.Mr. Bugbear said:
That is all.
Branding said:
Anastasia, still barely 20 years old, and vastly inexperienced, steps up to the challenge.
"I will accept your challenge! I will defeat you, in the name of Mayaheine, for the people of Sterich! You will go NO FURTHER!"
She strode forward, completely without fear, and began her assault on him. unfortunately, though brave, and worthy, her inexperience did not help her in the end, as his last series of blows caved in her shield, and smashed her to the ground. What she thought was her last thought.
"This cannot be. I cannot allow my weakness to cause my people to suffer! Never again!"
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