Bloodcurse: Into the Woods

[AQuebman]

After they finish talking he then heads up to the king of the thunderbeasts. "Good King, I know we do not worship the same gods but perhaps with your blessing I could offer a prayer to your tribe from my guiding savior, the Silver Dragon Bahamut?"

Oggle:

Bahamut is the Platinum Dragon

King Gundar raises an eyebrow at the request, glances at Pollard, and then places a meaty hand on Oggle's shoulder. "I have heard tales of this Bahamut...and it is he who guided you here, yes? Perhaps he and Uthgar know each other...and it is of truth that I stand here because of Bahamut, healed and whole. Indeed, offer your prayer, warrior Oggle."

OOC: Bah excuse my brain fart today, if I said silver I meant platinum.

[AQuebman]

Oggle smiles eagerly at the king's acceptance of Bahamut. Yes, Bahamut the great Platinum Dragon God granted me use of his bulette. Without it my men would have died and we never would have crossed paths. I'd like to think that Bahamut and Uthgar are companions as we have been. Thank you kind king and may your venture end fruitfully.


Oggle turns from the king towards the rest of the people and clears his throat loudly to try and get everyone's attention.

With your king's blessing, before my fellow Riders and I take our leave I would like to leave you all with A prayer that has deep meaning in my heart. The Prayer of the Warrior, this one in particular I dedicate to my lord Bahamut. I like to think in my heart that Uthgar and Bahamut are friends. May this prayer guide and bless you all on your journey to cleanse the lands of Malar's filth.

Oggle pauses for a moment, takes a drink from a nearby tankard and begins his prayer.

"Heavenly Father,
Your Warrior prepares for battle.
Today I claim victory over Evil by putting on
The whole Armour of Bahamut!

I put on the Girdle of Truth!
May I stand firm in the truth of Your Word
So I will not be a victim of Evil's lies.

I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness!
May it guard my heart from evil
So I will remain pure and holy,
Protected under the Scales of Bahamut.

I put on the Shoes of Peace!
May I stand firm in the Good News of the Gospel
So Your peace will shine through me
And be a light to all I encounter.

I take the Shield of Faith!
May I be ready for Evil's fiery darts of
Doubt, denial and deceit
So I will not be vulnerable to spiritual defeat.

I put on the Helmet of Salvation!
May I keep my mind focused on You
So Evil will not have a stronghold on my Thoughts.

I take the Sword of the Spirit!
May the two-edged sword of Your Word
Be ready in my hands
So I can expose the tempting words of Evil.

By faith your warrior has put on
The whole Armour of Bahamut!
I am prepared to live this day in spiritual victory!

Amen"

[rtdersch]

Oggle smiles eagerly at the king's acceptance of Bahamut. Yes, Bahamut the great Platinum Dragon God granted me use of his bulette. Without it my men would have died and we never would have crossed paths. I'd like to think that Bahamut and Uthgar are companions as we have been. Thank you kind king and may your venture end fruitfully.


Oggle turns from the king towards the rest of the people and clears his throat loudly to try and get everyone's attention.

With your king's blessing, before my fellow Riders and I take our leave I would like to leave you all with A prayer that has deep meaning in my heart. The Prayer of the Warrior, this one in particular I dedicate to my lord Bahamut. I like to think in my heart that Uthgar and Bahamut are friends. May this prayer guide and bless you all on your journey to cleanse the lands of Malar's filth.

Oggle pauses for a moment, takes a drink from a nearby tankard and begins his prayer.

"Heavenly Father,
Your Warrior prepares for battle.
Today I claim victory over Evil by putting on
The whole Armour of Bahamut!

I put on the Girdle of Truth!
May I stand firm in the truth of Your Word
So I will not be a victim of Evil's lies.

I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness!
May it guard my heart from evil
So I will remain pure and holy,
Protected under the Scales of Bahamut.

I put on the Shoes of Peace!
May I stand firm in the Good News of the Gospel
So Your peace will shine through me
And be a light to all I encounter.

I take the Shield of Faith!
May I be ready for Evil's fiery darts of
Doubt, denial and deceit
So I will not be vulnerable to spiritual defeat.

I put on the Helmet of Salvation!
May I keep my mind focused on You
So Evil will not have a stronghold on my Thoughts.

I take the Sword of the Spirit!
May the two-edged sword of Your Word
Be ready in my hands
So I can expose the tempting words of Evil.

By faith your warrior has put on
The whole Armour of Bahamut!
I am prepared to live this day in spiritual victory!

Amen"

I do enjoy a good Biblical reference. Well done.

[hedgeknight]

Indeed - very well done! Taken from one of my favorite passages.

After the prayer, many of the barbarians shout and cheer and pound the tables with their fists, or raise their weapons. And more than one shouts out, "Go with us, brave dwarf!"
"We can use your swords!"
"Bahamut! Bahamut will fight alongside us!"
"Oggle Steambottle, caller of dragons!"

Obviously a little taken back, Oggle looks around the room at the shouting barbarians and sees the faces of his fellow Riders of Nesme. Steen has a smirk on his face and Cullen is smiling. Sgt. Broon looks like he's just eaten a rotten apple, and Captain Truman is standing with arms crossed, looking at Oggle, brow furrowed, one eyebrow raised inquisitively.

[rtdersch]

Indeed - very well done! Taken from one of my favorite passages.

After the prayer, many of the barbarians shout and cheer and pound the tables with their fists, or raise their weapons. And more than one shouts out, "Go with us, brave dwarf!"
"We can use your swords!"
"Bahamut! Bahamut will fight alongside us!"
"Oggle Steambottle, caller of dragons!"

Obviously a little taken back, Oggle looks around the room at the shouting barbarians and sees the faces of his fellow Riders of Nesme. Steen has a smirk on his face and Cullen is smiling. Sgt. Broon looks like he's just eaten a rotten apple, and Captain Truman is standing with arms crossed, looking at Oggle, brow furrowed, one eyebrow raised inquisitively.

As Oggle scans the room Nokrugh makes eye contact with him and with a smirk and a shrug of the shoulders, raises his tankard to him and drains it in a few long gulps before slamming it on the wooden table.

[AQuebman]

Indeed - very well done! Taken from one of my favorite passages.

After the prayer, many of the barbarians shout and cheer and pound the tables with their fists, or raise their weapons. And more than one shouts out, "Go with us, brave dwarf!"
"We can use your swords!"
"Bahamut! Bahamut will fight alongside us!"
"Oggle Steambottle, caller of dragons!"

Obviously a little taken back, Oggle looks around the room at the shouting barbarians and sees the faces of his fellow Riders of Nesme. Steen has a smirk on his face and Cullen is smiling. Sgt. Broon looks like he's just eaten a rotten apple, and Captain Truman is standing with arms crossed, looking at Oggle, brow furrowed, one eyebrow raised inquisitively.

Oggle raises his hands to try and calm the room. He eyes Nokrugh but keeps his face stern and focused on the rest of the crowd. "No brothers, the great Platinum Dragon calls me to follow my duty with the Riders of Nesme. You do not need me though, the dragon resides in each and every one of you! As you come upon these beasts of Malar may your voices roar like Bahamut's and may your steel slice them to ribbons like the Great Dragon's vicious talons! Put on your armor of Uthgar and ride into battle with the fury of Bahamut and no enemy will stand in your way! When I return and believe me brothers I will return we can exchange stories of glorious battle over a tankard and a warm fire!"

Oggle then steps down from the stage says his final goodbyes and returns to Captain Truman's table.

[hedgeknight]

Early morning, Mirtul 5th, 1358 DR

After two days of bartering, preparing, grieving (for some), and saying goodbyes, King Gundar Brontoskin meets a group of barbarians and adventurers outside the Stone Bow and with little ado, leads them into the Lurkwood on a quest to seek the servants of Malar the Beastlord who have been attacking the village of Grunwald.
Even though it is spring, the morning is cold and there is a sprinkling of rain. Within an hour or so from the village, your group, a dozen strong, is deep into the Lurkwood. Your group consists of:

Gundar, the King
Adain, his nephew
Finn, older barbarian
Cole
Darkstar
Greystone
Nokrugh
Tarrin
Four young barbarian warriors - Dorn, Gorn, Vorn, & Zorn

The terrain is rugged and the foliage is thick with various game trails running through the woods. Another hour passes before Gundar calls a halt and peers cautiously into the misty trees. The sprinkling of rain is still present overhead, but little of it reaches you below the canopy. Birds are calling to one another and three young fox squirrels are chasing each other around a scaly bark hickory a few yards off to your left, oblivious of your presence.

Okay fellers, I need some type of marching order and some actions...

[Computer +1]

I would like to suggest that we use Greystone, Darkstar and Cole as scouts, either in turns or spread at the same time. Greystone is the best suited as he is a scout, Darkstar should be able to move pretty quietly and Cole is a ranger and should also be able to move quietly.

[Hoondatha]

((ooc: I stay back with the main group, long bow out and ready to support wherever an attack might come from. We also need one of our scouts trailing the group, and ideally one on either side, so they can spot attacks coming from any direction. If there's time between warning and an attack, I'll probably use it to cast some sort of buffing spell (ie: Bless).))

[Alethan]

Before leaving for Lurkwood, Greystone stocks up on silver-tipped sheaf arrows, purchasing 18 of them for the price of 3gp.

(Inventory and expenses updated)

...

Greystone is fine with being a forward scout, though he is unfamiliar with the territory and will need to take general direction headings from the barbarians. He will scout with bow in hand and a standard arrow set to string.

[Belkregos]

Cole would take a point position scouting ahead (moving silently) and looking for tracks,

[Alethan]

Cole would take a point position scouting ahead (moving silently) and looking for tracks,

The thief skill Move Silently is mechanically different than the elven ability to surprise opponents. It would effectively reduce your movement rate to 1/3 normal, whereas having the elf in front 90' or more ahead of the group would allow the party to move at a normal rate while still keeping a stealthy scout ahead of the main party, due to his innate ability to remain hidden when alone and in a wooded environment.

[rtdersch]

Perhaps having our two best scouts at 10 and 2 o'clock about 30 - 50 yds with the last scout to the rear?

Nokrugh will hang with the King.

[Belkregos]

Cole would take a point position scouting ahead (moving silently) and looking for tracks,

The thief skill Move Silently is mechanically different than the elven ability to surprise opponents. It would effectively reduce your movement rate to 1/3 normal, whereas having the elf in front 90' or more ahead of the group would allow the party to move at a normal rate while still keeping a stealthy scout ahead of the main party, due to his innate ability to remain hidden when alone and in a wooded environment.

thats a great ability! i like oyur plan, the elf scout ahead then Cole looking for tracks, if you find anything you can come back and warn us an we move in silently or depending on the situation, the justifier also has this ability we can use if the occasion allows

Tactical Advantage: This ability allows the Justifier and his companions to gain a combat advantage by studying the enemy and exploiting their weaknesses. The Justifier must spend at least a full, uninterrupted turn secretly observing an enemy or group of enemies prior to making an attack. At the end of this period, the Justifier makes a Wisdom check. If successful, the Justifier has correctly assessed the enemy's weaknesses and is able to maximize the timing of an attack. The Justifier and his party automatically surprise the enemy and gain the initiative for the first round. A Justifier can attempt to gain a tactical advantage only once in a particular encounter.

[Alethan]

thats a great ability! i like oyur plan, the elf scout ahead then Cole looking for tracks, if you find anything you can come back and warn us an we move in silently or depending on the situation, the justifier also has this ability we can use if the occasion allows

Tactical Advantage: This ability allows the Justifier and his companions to gain a combat advantage by studying the enemy and exploiting their weaknesses. The Justifier must spend at least a full, uninterrupted turn secretly observing an enemy or group of enemies prior to making an attack. At the end of this period, the Justifier makes a Wisdom check. If successful, the Justifier has correctly assessed the enemy's weaknesses and is able to maximize the timing of an attack. The Justifier and his party automatically surprise the enemy and gain the initiative for the first round. A Justifier can attempt to gain a tactical advantage only once in a particular encounter.

Hey, that sounds good, too! Nothing like getting a guaranteed first swing...

[Computer +1]

Do we use Darkstar and Greystone up front then with Cole following and then the rest of the group?

Or do you want Darkstar to trail behind as a rear scout?



G D

C


Party


or


G

C

Party

D

[Hoondatha]

((ooc: My vote is for the second. I don't want to leave our back unexposed, plus it keeps our best archer (hopefully) out of melee range so you can be most effective.))

[rtdersch]

((ooc: My vote is for the second. I don't want to leave our back unexposed, plus it keeps our best archer (hopefully) out of melee range so you can be most effective.))

^This.

[Alethan]

((ooc: My vote is for the second. I don't want to leave our back unexposed, plus it keeps our best archer (hopefully) out of melee range so you can be most effective.))

^This.

Yeah, works for me, too.

[Belkregos]

sounds good, lets go with it