So with a simultaneous initiative the lancer misses with his attempt to spear you and drawing alongside the carriage, jumps from his horse to grab the top rail and begin to climb up to engage you in close combat.
The driver urges the horses faster.
Dalin breathes but unconscious.
The archer priest of Silvanus fires a volley of arrows at Renata who closes to combat but misses with her scimitar.
The dueling comes to an abrupt end. The lancer lunges and the elf ripostes. A stab through the ribs and the trooper falls from the carriage. Seeing the guards all defeated, the wagon driver abandons ship like a drowning rat and jumps into the undergrowth.
Further down the road, Renata gets a head battering but swishes an uppercut which dismounts her opponent. Within a few minutes you can bring the wagon under control and each swing a relieving portion of the Potion.
You only have a few minutes as though dismounted, the priest of Silvanus is still alive and may come looking. So you pull the carriage into the dense wood on the side of the road and approach the locked and sealed metal door. Through the grilled window you can see a terrified guard, protesting he will "Kill the prisoner." and the half naked prisoner Reisling insisting "Let me loose so I can eat his heart out."
The prisoner is shackled by shiny metal cuffs on his ankles and his arms are tied above his head and cuffed to a chain and bar which is fixed into the interior sealing.
Questions and statements made, the guard insists he doesn't have the key to unlock the door. "Lance Sgt has it not me."
I think dwarves have better open locks ability than elves so I will trust Dalin to do the business.
Instead I will search the strongbox and driver's seat and through any luggage or baggage still on the carriage. Also if we turned off the road, did the loose horse also follow? I wouldn't mind getting the horse for myself.
If Dalin fails in his Ok attempt I will have a go after or once opened try in the shackle locks.
Will get on the lancers horse and return to the trail to scout the road for the body of the lancers and guard. He also needs to check upon Dawg Dann and he is mindful too that the priest of Silvanus, though unmounted was still alive.
The two rogues take the carriage further into the dense woodland and begin to shield it from being seen by disguising the tracks and covering the rear with cut branches.
A search of the luggage bags and strongbox reveals a haul of 150gp and three times that in silvers. (450sp). There is also a light crossbow and six silvered bolts. The baggage contains mostly personal belongings such as clothes. Despite you frisking them through, no special items of worth are found.
Vann Hector scouts the trail once again. In a few minutes you come upon the body of the lancer, his shiny half plate cuirass blotched crimson with his blood. His distinguishing helm cast to one side. You can drag his body into the foilage to hide it. Upon this body is a money purse of 15gp. His broadsword and silvered lance can be taken or left with the body.
Further down the road, the rooftop guard also lies, face down in a muddy ditch. He has meagre possessions, certainly no keys to the sealed door.
After dealing with his body how you see fit, you can continue down the road to reach Dawg Dann. You hireling dead from an arrow to the chest and a huge gash in his ribs from being lanced. You close his eyes and also pull his body off the road.
next actions and any specifics with the bodies you have found on the road.
Dalin will keep going through dead bodies of the fallen guards and escorts until a key is found. As for currently found items he will let Vann figure out how to split the coin found.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
As you both trot along the road, you realise how fast the coach must have been going for it covered a league of miles as you battled in the carriage roof. You come to the rock fall area and the broken body of the horse and lancer smashed by the falling boulder. Already a gaggle of travelling merchants have gathered by it peering with interest. As you approach, a grey horse erupts from the underbrush and a masked rider, the Inquisitor of Silvanus, fires a volley of well aimed shafts at you both. Ordinarily they may have hit but the distance between you is just enough to put the archer at a medium range handicap and the arrows narrowly whizz past each of your ears.
The rider whips his mount into a frenzy before you could respond though lacking any range weapons, the advantage belongs to the attacker who soon disappears around the trail bend towards Ironguard.
"Thief, bandits, murderers!"I am going to shout at the fleeing rider in the hope I can convince the watching merchants that Dalin and I are nothing more than honest travellers also waylaid by brigands upon the Duchy highway.
Dalin, you go and check up the hillside where Dawg Dann and Renata fought those other lancers, I will chat with these merchants and check this other body out."
The elf moves to the merchants, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible and speaks. "My companions and I were also waylaid by bandits further down this trail. Sadly my comrade took a mortal wound and died. We could do nothing more for him.
Seems like a nasty trap? Did they spring this upon you. Come let me help you move the body of your guard from under his horse. It is a shame to leave him like that." he tries to converse, assuming the dead lancer must be their guard and goes to drag him from under the stricken horse, all the while trying to sleight of hand his pockets and pouches for any set of keys.
Dalin nods his head provided he was able to hear Vann (unsure of how far apart we are) and heads for where Dann and Renata were.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
Dalin checks the two lancers whose bodies lie further up the hillside, their corpses attracting carrion crows, the noun collective, 'a murder of crows' testimony to your brutal heist. The lancers each have a silvered lance, shiny breastplate cuirass and cavalry sabres. Frisking pouches find purses of mixed coinage, a handful of silvers and gold but no keys. The two horses are located further up the hillside, relieved of their burdens, they munch on wild berries. As you think about searching saddle bags you hear a whistle from below, Vann Hector has a bunch of keys.
The merchants are as unsure of the pair of you as they are the whole incident they have stumbled upon. You feel it is best to get moving while they concern themselves with their own affairs.
Assuming the Inquisitor will be heading towards Ironguard and any assistance, you have little time to dally. You ride back to the off trail location where the carriage is hidden. Renata has cut the two coach horses free and hobbled them nearby. She awaits your arrival. Then it is a case of dealing with the remaining guard inside the carriage. A crossbow pointed through the grill and a threat to "bite him and slobber over him or even turn him into a werewolf," if he doesn't lay down the weapon and not slay the prisoner, is enough for the guard once the doors are open to lay down his sword.
Reisling once free punches him across the face, knocking him out. He greets the trio of brigands, thanking them for his release. There is little time for explanations or introductions.
Renata"We will take the coach horses and ride to the Moathouse. I will release your friend as promised from any indenture with Bjornark. It has been a strange adventure but I think best we part ways here though if either of you are in need, you can call on myself or my comrades. Seek them out in the Toasting Troll in Bogtown. Show them this."
She gives you a signet ring. The brigandine and the fugitive werewolf mount up bareback on the loose horses.
so you can exit here and decide where to go next. Back to Helix, Ironguard, the Moathouse, Bogtown or somewhere else.
When you get to the next place of 'civilization', I will close this expedition and award some co awards.
Subject to any more random encounters.
decisions, actions and any final comments to Renata or Reisling.
If Rondahl will be set free, accompanied back to Helix then I am fine with finishing here if we can make 'civilization'. I don't think Ironguard a good choice as the Inquisitor will have a good description of us and even going through the gates may be trouble if the horses are branded and will point us out as horse thieves.
I am fine with Helix though Dalin might have reservations.
Vann Hector collects his things. (We also have the two horses of the Helix guard) I would like to at least take Dawg Dann back for burial in Helix if possible and I remember that Lady Azul mentioned the carriage might have anti-lycan magics enchanted upon it. The only thing mentioned in the interior of the carriage are the cuffs and shackles. So I will pry them loose if any fixtures and out them in a saddle bag. Who knows they could be useful later if they are magical?
I think Dalin and I can split what coins we have, maybe leaving a share for Rondahl (though his player has been absent for a month plus)?
We have the uncut gems as well as the coins and any extra weapons and kit we added which might be saleable.
Dalin"We can make better discussions once we are further from here Vann. For now I suggest we split the coin and offer some to Dann's family or whomever would inherit his estate I suppose. As the legal phasing of it usually is put by officials. But best to talk of this when we are at least back at the moathouse. I have no quarrel returning Dann to be buried in Helix. Though I think I at least should get some sort of disguise before setting foot back there." beyond that Dalin accepts the signet ring and a nod of his head to Renata "I think that us parting might be wise Ren. I hope you don't mind me calling you that." aside from that he offers a polite bow to the released Reisling as he gathers what coin was found for now and helps get Dann's remains tied to a horse to transport.
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred "If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling
Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
Vann Hector and Dalin make the split from Renata and Reisling, taking the extra horses and after scouting the trail is safe, retrieve the body of their fallen comrade Dawg Dann.
His body is placed with dignity across a horse covering him with a spare saddle blanket.
Deciding to risk entry to Helix, (not sure how a red bearded dwarf can disguise himself? Shave? Moradin forbid!). The duo jerk their mounts into a trot, perhaps a gallop past the Ironguard crossroads. They journey along the narrow rutted trail, overgrown with low hanging boughs. Despite an unease and wariness, the journey continues unhindered and by midday you reach the outskirts of the village. Tempting fate to enter in case militia guards are in the lookout, you are not challenged at all.
And so, returning to civilization your expedition to find the lost rangers ends here. Old Basil's whereabout unknown but you have discovered a ruined stronghold and several other NPC characters. How vital they are to any personal story arc is down to you to develope.
Post any last actions and comments and discuss any division of plunder. I will write up a summary of experience awards and note some treasure below.
Vann Hector you can roll play in the Mercenary Guild or Chapel thread how you deal with Dawg Dann and consider any bard tributes or item memorials to your expedition to gain some additional xp.
Last edited by Spearmint on Sat Aug 28, 2021 11:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
but what would that say about my character? Hey who would know? No, let's do this.