Kevin's Watch

Skyseeker says, "I think I would be best suited to the javlins, as I tend to bustle about and hurl at targets of opportunity. Although Led, you could skirmish equally well with them. Friend Beauregard, I would suggest you take the shield?"

Marrik says, "I think no one else has even the slightest interest in the Half-Plate....."

Vynarkus looks over at the Paladin as he talks about the armor. "Friend Marrik, some of the scrolls were of divine spells. I may be able to trick them into working for me, but you should be better suited. Would you like them?

"Also, I expect that the bracers increase the benefits of your armor. I may not need them as much as some people, but I would like them if no-one else has a better claim to them.

I would also like the cloak if it is what I think it is."

[ooc]Seven, I think the cloak is a cloak of resistance. That would be very useful if I am right...[/ooc]

Bearegard looks at the elegant woman with raised brow. "Far be it for me to refuse a gift, however, I think it willbe better suited for another. It would seems that little suits my needs right now, so, at the risk of insult, please allow the shield to go to another who can make better use of it."

Seven Words wrote:Skyseeker says, "...Although Led, you could skirmish equally well with them..."

Led picks up a javalin, weighs it in one hand, then hands it back to Skyseeker. "The most useful thing I could do with those is give them to you. I wouldn't know which end to point at the enemy."

"Of these items, I think only the bracers would benefit me. If they grant extra armor, perhaps they'll keep that worg's teeth out of my flesh. But, maybe our friend the dwarf could use a shield? I see he's cutting down some of that non-magical armor to fit, but a magic shield is a magic shield."

After the magic items, including the potions and scrolls, are distributed in whatever way is decided upon, Vynarkus goes into the leader's hut with anyone who is willing to help and tries to determine just what is in the carefully sealed pouch.

He then goes to the armory and attempts to find weapons he is capable of using.

[ooc]This will be delayed if the group does something else that is best faced as a whole group, such as gaining access to the stone structure mentioned by the dwarf. When in the armory, Vynarkus looks for a crossbow so that he can still fight at range against someone who is blocking his magic, so bolts for it, and a morningstar, with a heavy mace being the back-up choice if he can't find one of those.[/ooc]

Vynarkus wrote:[ooc]This will be delayed if the group does something else that is best faced as a whole group, such as gaining access to the stone structure mentioned by the dwarf.[/ooc]

"Agreed. We should save the bigger exploration stuff for after the fight. Getting weapons / potions / scrolls sorted out will help us in the fight. Anything else without an immediate payoff can probably wait."

"I think ideally, the ranged attackers should be on top of the armory, so they can snipe without worrying about being attacked. It's 60' up, so they'll get even better range."

"The melee people, including myself and Marrik, our new dwarven friend, and these other prisoners should get into the pens and pretend to be depressed. We'll stow some additional weapons for the 15 prisoners who will join us."

"The orcs will arrive, find none of their friends, but will put the new prisoners into the pens with us. We'll let them get settled in while we quietly distribute the weapons, and then rush out and kill them all."

"I think the primary targets are the shaman and the worg, anyone with ranged weapons, and anyone trying to sneak around our sides. And if we can stay in a tight group, we can avoid getting flanked. Skyseeker and I will do better skirmishing around the sides of them, of course. So we'll try to focus on killing anyone who tries to flank our group."

Vynarkus nods slowly.

"Marrik, dwarf...What was your name again?
...No matter. I think that both of you are capable of using an axe, and although I understand if neither of you want to use the orc leader's weapon, if you don't have a magic weapon, it may be useful for you to use that.

And, Paladin, I think it is time to decide who should hold on to the scrolls and spells."

"I can't use it in combat, but since that axe has touched me in places that nothing else ever has... and it almost took my life from me... I'd like to keep it once the fight is done. Someone else should use it to allow us to survive the fight, however."

"I would like to lay claim to any and all arrows. If anyone knows how the different metal arrow heads are used, I would appreciate the instruction.

I will hold on to all of the scrolls for now; they seem to be a bit hazardous for any of us to use at this time. But I will keep their abilities in mind, if needed..."

Laurel wrote:"I would like to lay claim to any and all arrows. If anyone knows how the different metal arrow heads are used, I would appreciate the instruction."

[ooc] Use is as a normal arrow. No activation needed, just choose to fire one of these instead of your normal arrows.

8 Masterwork arrows - just better quality, +1 to hit. Firing the arrow destroys its masterwork quality, so you can't use it over again (it becomes just a normal arrow after that).

3 Cold Iron tipped, and 3 Silver tipped - Cold iron and Silver don't grant bonuses in themelves, but there are some creatures that are resistant to damage unless it is of a certain type (good, evil, chaotic, lawful, silver, iron, good and silver, etc.) So these would be able to penetrate those. (e.g. - you need silver to damage a werewolf) [/ooc]

Vynarkus looks around at everyone. "Since no-one else has expressed an interest in the cloak, I'll take it now.

...So Led, you want the bracers? I suppose they would be better for someone who is fighting in melee.

And someone needs to take the buckler. "

Darak, the dwarf, say "I'll take tha buckler. Tis smaller I'd like, but better small than none. I'll not be getting within arm's reach of aught if I can help it....not without solid metal about me body."

Musing to herself, the bard wonders aloud, "Is there a chain mail shirt among the chain Skyseeker spotted inside the armory? It might offer slightly better protection than this studded leather..."

Turning towards the others, the young woman smiles. "I see no sign of the approaching caravan yet, and with a plan in place (if we are all agreed with Led's suggestions) perhaps we should take some time get more of a feel for each other." Bowing towards Darak Stonehand and the other prisoners who have taken up arms and are listening in on the strategy session, she continues, "I am Laurel of Ventarii, a ree in the southernmost edge of the Darelline Confederacy. My family are simple farm folk, and my curiosity about lore and music frustrated them.

"We hunted rabbit and deer to supplement what we grew; that is where I have learned my slight archery skills.

"Finally, on my last birthday when I attained the age of majority at 17, I decided to leave. I have traveled since, picking up tales and songs as I go. I have little experience in battle and hope to be more of an aid than a hindrance in the fight to come."

Closing her eyes momentarily, she sings to herself a bit nostagically, for no other purpose than to focus herself and steady her nerves...

Hard not to be so hard on myself
I'm tryin to learn to keep my money in check
I listen to my friends, when they say
It's destiny, It's meant to be this way,

I've found that they're right,
and now i see,
that all this time 'n i had the key,
so now I'm gonna roll like i got nothing but luck,
with a spring in my step, as i strut down the block
I see the boys stare n', I hear them talk

As far as i go, as far as i know
I've always got, a place called home,
I cross all the seas, It's fine by me,
cuz I'll never be,
far from home

My heart takes a hit, and then my heart hits back,
and each day i find comfort in the fact,
I listen to my friends when they say
man just relax, cuz it's a game,
I've found they're right,
and now i see,
I'm gonna have my fun
and what will be will be

Now I'm walking up the street
whistling this,
everythings in place
cuz I can't miss
I smile at my girls n', blow em a kiss

As far as i go, as far as i know
I've always got, a place called home,
I cross all the seas, It's fine by me,
cuz I'll never be,
far from home

As far as i go, as far as i know
I've always got, a place called home,
I cross all the seas, It's fine by me,
cuz I'll never be,
far from home

far from home
far from home

Vynarkus looks slightly tense. "I would like to relax and share information, but there are still some things to do first. We should distribute the potions, or at least the healing ones, as evenly as possible among those who plan to fight, and determine who will have each of the other ones. We should also attempt to save one of the monsters if we are going to bother, because they will probably all die soon. And there is still one pouch in the big orc's hut that was taken so much care of that it should probably be looked at.

[ooc]Seven, we were only told what the potions from the leader's hut are. I would like to make Spellcraft checks to figure out what the four potions on the leader's belt were. And depending on how much time we have, he also goes into the leader's hut, with Beauregard to cancel any mundane dangers, and attempts to determine what is in the sealed pouch.

...He first uses Detect Magic first to see whether or not it is magical, and becomes even more careful if it turns out that the bag itself is magical and not just the contents.

...Since we should get to know each other better, however, I think we should just skip past all of that until Seven can talk to us.[/ooc]

Vynarkus walks back from the hut and sits down with all the potions and the pouch, and asks, "Is everyone ready to determine what to do with all of these?"

[ooc]Let's just determine what to do with the potions we have already identified right now. I don't think I can really concentrate on roleplaying until we take care of what we can.[/ooc]

/ooc--the ones on the belt are Barkskin (of indeterminate AC bonus), resist energy (fire) 10, resist energy (acid) 10, and Oil of Keen Edge.

The whatever-it-is inside that sealed pouch is intensively magic.....divine....evocation and necromantic. Marrik proclaims it also exudes an air of fantastic evil.

Vynarkus wrote:[ooc]Let's just determine what to do with the potions we have already identified right now. I don't think I can really concentrate on roleplaying until we take care of what we can.[/ooc]

1. Pot: CLW - prisoner
2. Pot CLW - prisoner
3. Pot CMW - Marrik
4. Pot CMW - Led
5. Pot CLW - Skyseeker
6. eagle’s splendor - Laurel
7. bull strength - Marrik
8. Aid - Beauregard / Vynarkus
9. Barkskin +2 - Marrik

1. Barkskin (of indeterminate AC bonus) - Led
2. resist energy (fire) 10 - useless now
3. resist energy (acid) 10 - useless now
4. Oil of Keen Edge. - Marrik

As Marrik and I will be the primary melee fighters, we should get the CMWs. We'll take the most damage. CLWs go to the other prisoners who'll be fighting with us, and one to Skyseeker. Bear's strength will make Marrik hit better and do more damage. Barkskin will give Marrik more armor. The second one, of indeterminate bonus will give Led more armor. Keen Edge only works on melee weapons, and makes them more likely to score a critical. Marrik is the only one of us with a bladed melee weapon, so he's the only one who can use it.

Eagle's Speldor gives a bonus to charisma, which will allow Laurel to cast additional spells. Since she'll be up on the building, this is mostly helpful for granting additional healing spells after the fight.

Aid will give Beauregard additional hit points, and improve his aim. (Since he'll be up on the building as well, he might want to save this for a later fight.) If we give this to Vynarkus instead, it would improve his aim. Given the amazing range on his arcane blast, that could be an amazing asset. The extra hitpoints would benefit him, but if Beauregard is going to stay on top of the building as well, they won't benefit him either.

The two resist energy potions are temporary, and we're not sure that our enemy will be using fire or acid magic against us. It's not very helpful to quaff them "just in case" so we're better of saving them for later, and distributing them at some point when we know there will be damage of that type. If you're interested in them Vynarkus, feel free to keep hold of them.

Making up her mind to switch out her studded leather for a chain shirt, or possibly even some chainmail if some mail consisting of mithral rings is found, Laurel turns towards the elf maid. "Skyseeker, do you see any chain which may be of benefit to me? I will look myself if need be, but I think you may be quicker at assessing what is available here..."

[ooc]search, spot, and appraise checks for any chain shirts or mithral chainmail I may come across if Skyseeker has not the time to help, if there is still time before taking position. I prefer to pass on any non-mithral chainmail, to avoid taking on arcane spell failure chances, but will take a chain shirt of any metal that is most beneficial.[/ooc]

[ooc]I have several questions and comments.

1.

Led wrote:Eagle's Speldor gives a bonus to charisma, which will allow Laurel to cast additional spells

D20srd wrote: Sorcerers and bards (and other spellcasters who rely on Charisma) affected by this spell do not gain any additional bonus spells for the increased Charisma

Seven may rule otherwise, but I wanted to point that out.
2. The word Pot in front of each of the cure potions suggests that they are in a different sort of container, and it sounds bigger to me than a normal vial. Is it, Seven?
3.

Led wrote:Marrik is the only one of us with a bladed melee weapon, so he's the only one who can use it

Won't Darak, the dwarf, also be using a weapon? And are you forgetting that we now have the orc leader's magic axe which can either go to him or Marrik?
4. Unless I found myself missing often, I wouldn't use it. After all, my attack is a touch attack, and Beau would probably choose to save it as well, although he should reply for himself.
5. Have we even tried to stabilize and interrogate one of the kobolds yet? Or are they all dead already?
6. If there is enough time, Vynarkus will look for any mithral medium armor he can find, preferably a breastplate, but any will do.[/ooc]

Vynarkus looks over at Skyseeker. "Do you think we have time to look for armor? because if we do, I would like to look for armor made of mithril as well.

Led follows Vynarkus and Laurel into the armory to help him find a breastplate [ooc - The dead orc leader had a breastplate, though it has not been identified as mithril or just normal] and her find a chain shirt. As they look, he gets back to Laurel's topic about sharing their pasts.

"My people... the ones Skyseeker names 'Those We Have Wronged' live on the eastern edge of the Darkwood. We're human, for the most part. Our legends speak of the elves being our great creators, or benefactors, or somesuch. To me it always sounded like they just meddled. Inferring from what she said earlier, I guess there was some kind of conflict, and they took humans and... changed them to be better warriors for them, I guess."

"But then the conflict was over, and they left. 'For our own good' so they say. But still, they left, and there we were. So, we settled in the outer section of the woods, where it's reasonably safe, and none of the big civilizations would bother us. The warforged are near us, as well. I guess they're also leftover weapons from the elves big war. Big living constructs, made of metal and wood. Nice people, very straightforward and loyal."

"To the east of us, once you get out of the forest, you hit the Heshic tribes. They're the only humans we really interact with. We speak their language, have their customs, and trade pretty much just with them. Since we're settled, there are things we can do that travelling nomads can't, like forge weapons and soforth. And since they all move in cycles, we'll trade with one tribe for a few weeks before they move on, then we'll trade with the next, etc. It works out well for all involved."

"So, when I came of age, my father apprenticed me to a Bearer of Words, in one of the larger clans. The Heshics have bards, but they mostly stick with their tribes as lawkeepers and advisors. They're very central to the Heshic people. But the tribes need to be able to talk to each other, and they sometimes need to write things down. Births, deaths, marriages, inheritances, large sales of livestock, treaties between the tribes, that kind of thing. We would travel widdershins of the tribes' migrations, so we could visit one tribe after another, and share messages between them all. Bearers of Words, or Serloth's Quills, aren't priests, but we serve his purpose of collecting and distributing knowledge among the Heshic people."

"When my apprenticeship was up, and it was time for me to be a journeyman, I thought about where I'd like to journey. And my childhood at the edges of the Darkwood called to me. The hidden mysteries of old ruins and dark grottos never left my heart. And though I'd spent the last several years on the plains, I knew I had to come back to the forests. So, I decided to serve Serloth's will my travelling between the villages outside of the Heshic people. I assume that people would want to send letters who could not write, or read those letters. So far, I've been able to support myself. When I left the tribes, I wasn't sure that I could care for a horse, so I left mine with my old master, and I've been walking ever since."

The bard listened to this tale, fingers itching to grab pen and parchment and record what she heard...

Led Pighp wrote:"My people... the ones Skyseeker names 'Those We Have Wronged' live on the eastern edge of the Darkwood. We're human, for the most part. Our legends speak of the elves being our great creators, or benefactors, or somesuch. To me it always sounded like they just meddled. Inferring from what she said earlier, I guess there was some kind of conflict, and they took humans and... changed them to be better warriors for them, I guess."

...

"To the east of us, once you get out of the forest, you hit the Heshic tribes. They're the only humans we really interact with. We speak their language, have their customs, and trade pretty much just with them. Since we're settled, there are things we can do that travelling nomads can't, like forge weapons and soforth. And since they all move in cycles, we'll trade with one tribe for a few weeks before they move on, then we'll trade with the next, etc. It works out well for all involved."

The bard looked at scribe with wonder in her eyes, not to mention the potential of innocent flirtation, "Is there no intermingling between your people and full humans? No offspring to see if the shifter traits are yet carried forward?"

Led Pighp wrote:"So, when I came of age, my father apprenticed me to a Bearer of Words, in one of the larger clans. The Heshics have bards, but they mostly stick with their tribes as lawkeepers and advisors. They're very central to the Heshic people. But the tribes need to be able to talk to each other, and they sometimes need to write things down. Births, deaths, marriages, inheritances, large sales of livestock, treaties between the tribes, that kind of thing. We would travel widdershins of the tribes' migrations, so we could visit one tribe after another, and share messages between them all. Bearers of Words, or Serloth's Quills, aren't priests, but we serve his purpose of collecting and distributing knowledge among the Heshic people."

"Cerana's kiss, but I can probably learn much from you, if you are willing to train a self-taught bard..."

Led Pighp wrote:"When my apprenticeship was up, and it was time for me to be a journeyman, I thought about where I'd like to journey. And my childhood at the edges of the Darkwood called to me. The hidden mysteries of old ruins and dark grottos never left my heart. And though I'd spent the last several years on the plains, I knew I had to come back to the forests."

"Between you and Skyseeker, my heart is eased regarding having entered these woods. Perhaps after the battle to come, some knowledge about the lay of the land around us would be welcome."

Led Pighp wrote:So, I decided to serve Serloth's will my travelling between the villages outside of the Heshic people. I assume that people would want to send letters who could not write, or read those letters. So far, I've been able to support myself.

Laurel gave the scribe a small bow. "I feel as though I am an apprentice myself. I had yet to consider others in my profession, other than to hear tales and songs and do my best to transcribe them for others to enjoy at a later date. What you do helps others now. It is an honorable profession indeed," she mused to herself.

Led Pighp wrote:"When I left the tribes, I wasn't sure that I could care for a horse, so I left mine with my old master, and I've been walking ever since."

Smiling winsomely, the bard gazed towards the scribe directly in the eyes. "He is far from what I hear of the majestic horses of the Heshic plains, but as I told you before, now that Hardy has made your acquaintance, you are free to approach him at any time. He would be a small substitute, I am sure. Yet perhaps he can help ease your longing for a horse for now."

Breaking off her gaze, the bard turned back to searching for some mithral chain mail, or a suitable chain shirt; keeping her ears open for any hint of the approaching caravan.