[IC] Into the Unknown

[thirdkingdom]

Cadmus the Confused

Cadmus moves to engage the man armed with the pitchfork. "Go!" he shouts, "I've got this! Shut down those crossbowmen!"

[Vektunaxa]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

Alfius circles the tower wall to the stables.

[Julius Sleazer]

Combat Round Four

The adventurers are close enough to hear cursing and the manipulation of cranequins from within the castlet. The bandit with the pitchfork tramples over the fallen body of Tasco and soon closes to lunge at Decimus with his pitchfork. The dweomercrafter, however, deftly dodges the dastard.

Cadmus is soon upon the perpetrator of perfidies, but the cleric's bark is worse than his bite; he lunges with his mace, but the cruel comrade-slayer contemptuously crouches, avoiding the blow. Tacitus, roaring wordlessly, joins the fray, swinging at the same foeman. The adventurer's attack is ungraceful but effective, and the unarmored man's canvas apron is no ward against the brutal steel of Tactius' huge zweihander. Cloven nearly through, the cretin crumples, and his ruined corpse runs red, staining the frosty ground with gruesome gore.

From within the castlet, the bandits call out in rage, promising to fight to the death.

Round Four Initiative: 2#1d6 1 3

The bandits have the initiative this round.

Bandit from 2nd story window, attack on Tacitus: 1d20+1; 1d6 Short Range: 1d20+1 15 1d6 2 That's a hit; he's down to 21/29 hit points. I've updated the wiki accordingly.
Third story window, attack on Alfius: Short Range: 1d20+1 20 1d6 3 That's a twenty, but not a natural twenty. Alfius is down to 18 hit points; I've adjusted the wiki.
ACTUALLY YOU KNOW WHAT? THOSE ATTACKS ARE NOT VALID, BECAUSE THE BANDITS SHOULD BE RELOADING CROSSBOWS. I"M EDITING THE WIKI BACK.
Bandit w/ pitchfork, charge and attack Decimus. vs. Decimus: 1d20-1 7 1d6-1 4 Miss.

Cadmus versus Pitchfork Bandit: Cadmus vs. Pitchfork Bandit: 1d20 7 1d6 4
Tacitus, same: vs. Pitchfork Bandit: 1d20+1 10 1d10+1 4
hp roll: 1d8 3 Tacitus slays the bandit with the pitchfork.
Alfius, moving at 60, moves flush with the castlet. He's close enough that he's not subject to crossbow attacks next round from the upper windows; movement to the stables will have to wait until next round.

Spoiler for round five:
Bandits: must now make a further morale check. Morale Check, +1 penalty: 2d6+1 5

[Vektunaxa]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

Alfius calls out to his comrades, "I'm opening the stables! They'll not get away from us this time!"

[thirdkingdom]

Cadmus the Confused

Cadmus advances to join Alfius.

[MonsterMash]

Decimus

Decimus places himself where he can cast an enchanted web over the entrance of the castlet calling to Tacitus "Come with me in case any escape my magic".

[Julius Sleazer]

Combat Round Five

From within the castlet, the adventurers can hear sounds of metal clashing, and terrible curses, and booted feet slapping on stone. None of the bandits seems to have a shot on them, for now crossbow bolts issue forth to vex them. Alfius and Cadmus circle around to the crude wooden stables and throw open the doors without meeting any opposition. Inside, they find a baker's dozen of riding steeds crammed within a mean and mucky stable. No men seem to be inside, unless they are crouching low in horse-shit or buried underneath a haystack.

Meanwhile, Decimus moves around and casts a spell; a magic web now block the door to the castlet. Beyond the now-placed web, the door itself is ajar, and within he can see several writhing bandits ensnared in his earlier web, as well as other bandits in the process of donning mail shirts. At least two bandits have crossbows leveled at the door.

"There he is!" shouts one. "Shoot the bastard before he ensnares us all with his unholy conjurations!"

Tacitus stands, greatsword at the ready, to assist Decimus.

Initiative for Round Five: 2#1d6 5 6

The PCs lose initiative.

The bandits are presumably doing something (the PCs can hear metal clanking, cursing, people running up and/or down stairs, etc., but no one has a shot on them---their plan to get close to the castlet has worked.

PCs: Movement, and Spells.

The horses are all tied up, btw.

Intentions for next round?

[Vektunaxa]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

Alfius moves to release the first horse. To Cadmus, he confides, "I have a ruse that we can employ that might stall the bandits from killing the hostage. If we convince them that we are assassins sent to kill or capture the noble -- as well as avenge the slight on our honour when they loosed arrows at us on the road -- their goals will change from spiteful revenge to protecting the hostage as a bargaining chip. The first step, though, will be to release the horses so that our 'mark' cannot escape with his 'amici'."

[thirdkingdom]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

Alfius moves to release the first horse. To Cadmus, he confides, "I have a ruse that we can employ that might stall the bandits from killing the hostage. If we convince them that we are assassins sent to kill or capture the noble -- as well as avenge the slight on our honour when they loosed arrows at us on the road -- their goals will change from spiteful revenge to protecting the hostage as a bargaining chip. The first step, though, will be to release the horses so that our 'mark' cannot escape with his 'amici'."

Cadmus the Confused

Cadmus helps to loose the horses.

[MonsterMash]

Decimus

Decimus quickly moves out of the line of fire gesturing for Tacitus to join him.

"Now you are trapped, so listen to what we have to say before you try and use any more force against us"

[Vektunaxa]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

"After these horses are loosed, my halberd can hack apart these stalls for wood that we can use to start a fire. That will make negotiations more pressing."

[Julius Sleazer]

Combat Situation

After a few minutes, Cadmus has freed all of the bandits' horses and sent them on their way with slaps on the rump. A few of them amble about aimlessly near the castlet, but some head back along the track in the same direction from whence the adventurers originally arrived. A few of the bandits can be heard cursing loudly, presumably in response to seeing such steeds canter away.

Decimus and Tacitus, now having removed themselves from the line of fire at the enwebbed doorway, keep relatively close to the side of the castlet to prevent becoming a target for crossbow quarrels. Alfius, meanwhile, uses his halberd to hack apart various boards and other scraps of wood. He finds many brittle pieces of lumber which break easily, as well as others which are soggy and half-rotten, and should smoke heavily if cast upon a crackling fire.

Along with some straw and hay, he piles up numerous broken-up scraps of wood in clear view of the bandits and in such a location that the smoke would soon waft inside. Announcing the party to be a band of assassins bent on slaying or seizing the captured noble, he furthermore informs the bandits that the members of the party are here to avenge the slight on their dignity that occurred when the bandits waylaid them on the road and fired on them with their crossbows. A clamor of voice arises inside following this bold pronouncement.

"You must be in the employ of a rich individual or wealthy faction indeed," calls out a booming voice from an upper story.

[Vektunaxa]

Alfius the Aeviternal, Fighter

"Indeed," Alfius calls out. "One that pays out very well when we succeed in our mission. But for those five who shot quarrels at us yesterday? This is for fun."

[Julius Sleazer]

Bandit with Booming Voice

"In the interest of accuracy, I should let you know that you've done for one of those already. See yonder fellow with the pitchfork that yon man with the greatsword slew? He was one of those that fired upon you the other day."

[thirdkingdom]

Cadmus the Confused

Cadmus makes a show of counting on his fingers. "Hmm!" he exclaims, "that means we have three more deaths to tally, does it not! Unless, of course, there is something you would trade for the lives of three of your men!" He looks around. "Tell me!" he calls out, "is the inside of this tower framed in wood, or carved from stone? If it is wood I imagine it would burn quite merrily, like a chimney, from first floor to the top!"

[Julius Sleazer]

Bandit with Booming Voice

"I am forced to ruefully concede that you seem quite skilled in the vile art of arson! Come now, what sort of trade are you proposing? Even now, my men downstairs are hopefully seizing upon the conclusion that the most reasonable course of action is to take knives and axes and begin hacking away at the web with which you have imprisoned us."

[thirdkingdom]

Bandit with Booming Voice

"I am forced to ruefully concede that you seem quite skilled in the vile art of arson! Come now, what sort of trade are you proposing? Even now, my men downstairs are hopefully seizing upon the conclusion that the most reasonable course of action is to take knives and axes and begin hacking away at the web with which you have imprisoned us."

Cadmus the Confused

"Oh!" cries Cadmus, loudly, "they should be aware, then, that the most efficient way to free oneself from wizardly webbing is to set it alight! Nothing burns faster, nor hotter, than the sticky sorcerous silk! Allow me to apply a torch, and they will be free in seconds!"

[Julius Sleazer]

Bandit with the Booming Voice

"Hold a minute, cully! What exchange do you have in mind? Let me hear it, and then if I find it unsuitable, we shall test our steel and numbers against your flames and foul incantations."

[MonsterMash]

Decimus

"Firstly send out your captive so that we can deal with him in our own time"

[Julius Sleazer]

Bandit with the Booming Voice

"We shall do no such thing at this juncture! It seems he may well be all that we have to bargain with!"