Trent signaled the other rangers to start moving, and he followed close behind with his bow in his hands and an arrow knocked, ready to shoot anyone who would be his foe. He could see the tension in Tellard's movements, but the fellow soon relaxed as he drew one of his knives out of its sheaths and continued to creep along in the shadows of the wooden crenelations of the wall, seeing him relax Trent turned his eyes to the sights below and began scanning for anything of importance ...
Look for anything important, a richly decorated tent, a keep, or an open door/window leading further in. After finding one began making our way but try to remain hidden. If we are spotted kill the guard as quietly as possible and hide his body for continuing on.
[3] The keep follows a basic motte and bailey design with tents littering the outer bailey, but there is an inner bailey of stone. A shield painted with a seal and a spear hangs on the wall, but there is only one entrance and it is by a heavy wooden door, [3] flanked by a pair of guards in armour and with swords. [1] You try to head towards it but run straight into one of the archers on the wall, [1 vs 6] who shouts a warning and smacks Tellard off the wall [1] into the ditch beyond. You hear a snap as his neck breaks.
[2 vs 1] You step into Tellard's place and gut the man in one smooth motion, throwing him over the edge after your friend, but the damage is done. Someone starts clanging an alarm bell and there is stirring within the tents. [2+1 vs 2] You go flat against the platform ringing the walls, dragging Tikath down with you. The other bowmen shout and pace, trying to find you, but the torches blind them to your position.
Things are going wrong quickly, and you can see armed men emerging from the tents. How would you like to proceed?
After the dinner, Rusty heads to the Iron Hound for a drink, ordering Kylila back to the manor to guard the Crown of the South. He keeps his eye out for anything strange or suspicious, looking almost desperately for a fight.
[6] You head to the Hound through a series of back streets, in the mood for a fight. [6] You hear the sounds of several men approaching you from behind and turn to face them... only to hear their fellows flank you from behind. [4*2] Four men flank you on either side, but you've had time to draw your blade. They are [3] armed with short knives and clubs, [3] wearing thick leather jerkins and leggings that provide some armour. [2] They tell you to drop your weapon and fork out your drakes, 'noble swine'.
Elric smiles, before giving a nod, kneeling and setting the blade down, pulling a large golden coin of foreign make from his boot, his hand near the blade as he held it out, ready to grab it back up and bash the flat of it against the first person dumb enough to walk up, straight into their ankles, hopefully knocking them off their feet before springing back up and being ready to fight the others, using non-lethal means, if possible.
You're a practised liar and charismatic, [1+1] but even you aren't quite good enough that one of them falls for such an obvious trick. The one who spoke sees what you are doing and [5 vs 6] isn't quite quick enough to bring his club down on your head as you snatch the sword and duck out of the way.
Thugs: 8/8hp, Weapon +1, Armour +1, Numbers +1
Rusty: 3/3hp, Weapon +1, Armour +1, Skill +1[
6 vs
4] You try to stand and go for his legs, but the leader clubs you hard in the ribs as you try to manoeuver. [1 vs 2] A thug tries to grab you from behind, but you spin out of the way in a move vaguely reminiscent of Kylia's fighting style and slash your sword along the side of his unprotected calf. He goes down screaming and clutching where you nearly hamstringed him. [2 vs 3] You continue the spin, cutting up the forearm of another thug as he slashes at you with his knife - he drops the blade and runs for it, clearly unused to prey fighting back. [5 vs 6] The pain in your ribs is starting to fade from shock, but the leader ducks and grabs the fallen knife. He charges at you with the blade, swinging the club to try and catch you as you dodge, but you feint and step the other way. Your sword smashes into his knife-hand, cracking the bones.
[2 vs 2] The chief thug swings the club at you in rage, but you narrowly avoid it. You try and riposte with your longsword, but a jolt of pain from your side causes the stroke to miss. [1 vs 2] You turn the blade and as the head thug comes in for another blow you smack him hard in the temple. He drops like a brick.
You turn to face the remaining five thugs, but some of them have already fled. The rest turn and run rather than face you, dragging their hamstringed fellow with them. After all your years of fighting, you had started to forget that most people will just run rather than fight to the death.
You tear a bit of the remaining thug's trousers and use them to bind his hands and feet, then roughly dunk his face in the gutter until he wakes up. If you are in the mood for finding things out, or for a spot of vicious fun, or just to give him a stern warning, he is utterly at your mercy.
Action: The King orders a sweep of the castle after the guests have left. Stocks and valuables are checked to determine if anything was stolen in the night.
Talinth and Sahainn return to the castle hallways after the feast, [6] and although Sahainn is easily able to pick up the scents of many of those who left through unconventional routes, most of them lead to quiet corners and secluded archways. Talinth actually finds some discarded underwear at one spot and immediately ceases following
that lead. [5] The inventory is more productive. Several items of silver have been stolen, particularly cutlery and goblets. Most of them were used in the feast, but some were in other castle rooms in an apparently random pattern. [2] Unfortunately, visiting the rooms Talinth is not able to determine anything that would help - it seems whoever took the items probably just took them out of opportunity; there is nothing to suggest they were any part of a particular staff in the castle. [3] The Bravos are fairly co-operative, [6] though Talinth senses an unease about them. He moves towards the garret he had been to before, but the Bravos keep taking him to other areas to search. Their distraction is polite and he cannot be absolutely certain it is not just coincidence, but throughout the night he is unable to visit that particular guardhouse.
[4] Sahainn sniffs a goblet similar to the ones stolen and tracks scents through the castle. She tends to come across other goblets of the same type, but disregards them. Eventually she leads Talinth out of the castle and to a nearby inn, where she growls softly. [6] Several men see the worg and immediately shoo both Talinth and Sahainn away with a degree of aggressiveness unexpected even at seeing a worg. Rather than cause a scene (and because there are about five of said men of varing ages) Talinth draws back to the castle to consider matters.
In Northwatch Keep...
"I require a well-balanced sword, a bow and arrows, and some leather armor. Is that clear?" Karas says to the armorer.
[2] Beggars cannot be choosers, and the Keep is flat out of available armour and weaponry since the new regiment of archers started training. You are able to get an old sword (paid on credit, since you are one of the King's men), but no armour, bow or ammunition.
[4] You try and find another shop with little luck, but you notice a drunken man by the keep's taproom who looks rather familiar. For a moment you actually think he is the guide who brought you into the marshes, but his face bears the lines and marks of a different life. [5] You get the man a drink (
Bohromu, the King's credit is good here!) and ask him if he knows the guide who took you out. He starts crying, and a few drinks later reveals that he is the guide's brother. You try to offer your condolences for his loss, but he snorts with derision. He explains that his brother has been 'captured' by bandits before - in fact, three times. He is certain that his brother has actually been deliberately leading travellers into the hands of the Black Arrows.
You ask him where his brother might be found, [3] and he says he cannot say, but gives you directions to his home village in the marshes. That is the best he can do for you.
Author
Topic: You are King III: Spring 938 AAL (Read 133744 times)