(2/6) Jeromy 2016/10/03(Mon)15:00 No. 750959 ID: dea742
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Jeromy is reawoken to the stern expression of his companion Sunhammer. It can't have been more than an hour since the dwarf began his watch. Something must be wrong.

Sunhammer cups a hand to his ear and gestures to the road. He's heard something. Listening for a moment, Jeromy hears unsettling voices in the distance. At this hour, that bodes ill.

(3/6) Jeromy 2016/10/03(Mon)15:01 No. 750960 ID: dea742
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Jeromy sits up and glances at his party.

Rosa would give them hell if they woke her for anything "not worthy of her attention." Silkmoon, for her part, is clearly deep in trance. However, if things turn sour she will be right where they need her. She always is.

(4/6) Jeromy 2016/10/03(Mon)15:01 No. 750961 ID: dea742
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Quietly, the pair don their weapons and cloaks. Stealth isn't a specialty for either of them, but leaving their armor will help.

Carefully, they make their way toward the road.

The voices become clearer as they draw near, and Jeromy's suspicions prove accurate. No less than two voices speak in some monstrous tongue.

Suddenly, there's a commotion punctuated by sinister, chittering laughter.

(5/6) Jeromy 2016/10/03(Mon)15:02 No. 750962 ID: dea742
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Finally, they reach the source of the noise. A silhouette looms menacingly before them, at least 7 feet tall. With the break in the trees, the moon glints off of its sword and various bits of armor. Jeromy briefly considers returning for his shield, glancing frantically around for a second figure...

(6/6) Jeromy 2016/10/03(Mon)15:02 No. 750963 ID: dea742
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...but it's too late. They've been spotted.

Leather armor by looks of it right? Armed with some sort of hilted weapon, probably a sword. Try to start with diplomacy. Start with hand gestures and body language, try to communicate that you don't mean any harm. Only take up arms if you need to- avoiding bloodshed is almost always preferred, especially when you're likely to be the ones bleeding

They look like a parent with a toddler. It's kind of cute.

what is the relation between your society and races like kobold and orc? If you just kill each other on sign diplomacy attempts may waste precious time.
If talking is an option, try it. Without a race alignment thing, as far as you know those guys are just walking by the forest. You should want to have an unnecessary fight with a big armed orc, specially when you are lacking equipment, and they shouldn't want to have an unnecessary fight they are outnumbered.

>>750963
Well that's adorable. A lone orc with a kobold companion isn't much of a threat to your party, either. They do look armed though... and well-dressed. What kind of civilization do the monstrous races have?

How about you slowly raise a hand in greeting, then back away?

>>750971
Basically this. If the majority of orcs in your world are bloodthirsty marauders, you'll need to take a harder line then if not.

These 2 look more like travelers than anything.

>>750963
They were laughing, and one is giving the other a piggyback ride.

This implies they're simple passers by, or travelers, monstrous race or not. If they were scouts for bandits or the like, they would have been exercising at least a modicum of stealth.

Oh no, what a fiendish combat formation!
Seriously, these two are making no attempt at being prepared for fighting or stealth.

(1/3) Jeromy 2016/10/03(Mon)23:03 No. 751103 ID: dea742
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The orc speaks first, quietly and in nearly unaccented Eilish. "Oh, did we wake you?"

The kobold looks down, then follows the orc's sightline to Jeromy and waves eagerly. "Oy!"

Jeromy, frozen somewhere between drawing his sword and putting up a hand to gesture "stay back," finds himself unsure if he should be relieved that they can understand each other. However, unlike sneaking, diplomacy is one of his specialties. "That's not a problem. We-"

It isn't particularly one of Sunhammer's, though. "A bit out a' yer territory, orc. Wha' are ya doin' skulkin' around at night?" Jeromy winces at the dwarf's harsh tone.

The orc just shrugs. "We're on our way to Ashwall, and traveling at night is easier. Most folks around here aren't too friendly to people like us."

Sunhammer scoffs. "Nor is th' sun."

(2/3) Jeromy 2016/10/03(Mon)23:04 No. 751105 ID: dea742
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"Gahaha!"

The orc's sudden laughter, dark and guttural, catches Jeromy off guard and his hand tightens around his scabbard.

"Yeah, you start missing the caves after a while, huh? Up here people expect you to be awake and outside during the day. What jerks, right?"

Sunhammer doesn't respond.

"Right. The name's Sweible, by the way."

Jeromy takes a breath to calm himself, then makes a friendly gesture in an attempt to defuse the tension. "I am Jeromy of House Tamarin. We apologize for interrupting your travels," he says, glancing pointedly at Sunhammer.

Sunhammer leaves his hand firmly on the pommel of his warhammer. "Sunhammer," he says curtly. "Ye'll haf' ta forgive us fer not shakin' yer hand."

Swieble grins broadly at the dwarf's repeated verbal jabs. "Fair enough. I hear you should only shake hands with an orc if you know you'll get it back. This is my big bro, Hielok. Sorry, he only speaks Vs'shtak."

The orc looks up to the small figure on his back and says something in, presumably, "Vs'shtak."

(3/3) Jeromy 2016/10/03(Mon)23:06 No. 751107 ID: dea742
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Orcs and Kobolds aren't unheard of in surface society, but certainly aren't common either. Additionally, the party is headed toward Ashwall as well, though they'd taken a detour to deal with some kind of extraplanar fiend. Silkmoon would know the proper name, Jeromy just knows it was an evil lady with her head on backwards.

The problem is there's been news of raiding parties attacking Ashwall's outskirts and the surrounding hamlets. Raiding parties of undead and orcs. There's no evidence that these two travelers are in any way related to the reports, but it's still worrisome.

Perhaps they could travel together, and keep an eye on them that way. A bit less reliable, but likely safer, maybe Silkmoon could attempt to scry on them in the morning. Or they could just let the strange pair go on their way... again, there's no evidence of wrongdoing.

>>751107
Not sure how moral Jeromy is normally, but traveling together would probably be a good deed, since it'd improve everyone's chances of reaching Ashwall safely.

Sunhammer would probably want to keep an eye on them anyway.
I'd say- make the offer, they can take it or leave it.

>>751125
That seems reasonable.

>>751125
I vote join

Actually wait, they're traveling at night and you're traveling at day. It does not make sense for you to join up. Scrying would be more reasonable.

Either way you should warn them that Ashwall has been having problems with orc raiders recently, and while they don't look like raiders to you the locals might get the wrong idea.

(1/3) Jeromy 2016/10/07(Fri)01:43 No. 751736 ID: dea742
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Seeing an opportunity to keep an eye on the strange pair, Jeromy speaks up. "We're actually on our way to Ashwall ourselves. You might have an easier time if you travel with us, and we could always use an extra set of hands." Sunhammer glares at him, and they exchange a few glances. Jeromy adds, "Might I ask, what's waiting for you in Ashwall?"

"A new job, hopefully," Swieble answers flatly. "Last one dried up, and we heard they were having some bandit problems. Usually means some rich merchant is looking for fresh muscle."

"Well," Jeremy explains, "it's not so much bandits as it is raiders. Orc and undead raiders."

Sweible pauses for a moment, thinking. "Hang on, lemme ask bro what he thinks about grouping up..."

Sweible turns to confer with his companion briefly. Hielok hops down, looks over to Jeromy and gives him a decisive thumbs-up... and perhaps a smile? It's difficult to tell with a kobold.

"Well," Sweible says, "can't say it any clearer than that."

Sunhammer scowls but says nothing.

"Our camp is just back this way" says Jeromy, taking the lead.

(2/3) Jeromy 2016/10/07(Fri)01:45 No. 751737 ID: dea742
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The rest of the night passes uneventfully, though Jeromy and Sunhammer stay up "to chat." In the morning, Rosaphine startles when she wakes up to see an orc in camp, then introductions are made while they pack up.

After several hours of travel and idle conversation, a small village comes into view. Jeromy estimates that they're still a good two days walk from Ashwall, but they may be able to charter passage with a caravan in town and it will be nice to eat a proper meal.

(3/3) Jeromy 2016/10/07(Fri)01:47 No. 751738 ID: dea742
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The hooded figures of Sweible and Hielok gather some strange looks from passersby, but nothing more.

As they look for a decent place to eat, a startled shout leads them to a nearby inn.

>>751738
Damn. What happened? Be prepared for a fight as you scout out the inn as a group.

Someone should take a look through the window (and try not to get shot at through it) to see if the main room is clear, then you can try to get that guard woken up to tell you what's going on.

Hopefully it's just a bar fight, but with the stories of raiders its definitely worth being cautious. Tell your Orc friend to keep their hood up and then get flat against the wall or beneath the window sill and peer into the room

Jeromy 2016/10/07(Fri)16:39 No. 751780 ID: dea742
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"Sweible... do you think you could get a peek in that window?" Jeromy asks quietly, both as a source of information and an excuse to keep the orc in sight. Swieble nods.

They cautiously approach, with Swieble in the lead. The commotion inside quiets down somewhat and they overhear a commanding voice from within the Inn: "Nice to meet you, Mister Bojarski. What I've done to your guards is but a small fraction of my power, so per-" Suddenly, in the middle of his monologue, the shutter slams shut. "...what now, Ian?" the voice continues, followed by some stressed whispers.

Swieble turns back to Jeromy. "Uh, well. Should I maybe take Hielok and... have a look around the back?"

Jeromy considers his approach.

Sounds good. He can cover the rear entrance, we'll cover the front. Surround the place.

>>751782
Before we decide to engage with these goons, Jeromy how confidant are you that your party could handle armed city guards? If they'd represent a challenge, maybe whoevers kicking their ass warrants caution

Jeromy 2016/10/07(Fri)23:57 No. 751853 ID: dea742
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Jeromy gives the cloaked pair a nod, and they head into the alleyway.

Town guards don't concern Jeromy, in part because he does what he can to remain on the right side of the law. He must take care not to besmirch the Tamarin name. If it came down to it, though, he expects he could take at least a few on his own, and he considers himself more a tactician than a fighter. Large groups are Rosaphine's specialty anyway.

As Jeromy approaches the front door, a man kicks the unconscious guard's helmet aside and moves to block the entrance. "Yet another fool noble passing through today? What luck. Are you here to hand over your purses, too?"

It occurs to Jeromy that he still appears unarmored. Playing the fool could keep things from escalating too quickly.

How are Silkmoon's reflexes, anyway? If Jor dived aside conspicuously, could she drill him twice before he left the entryway?

Because I think the time for talk is over.

If he's after the purses of nobles passing through bars I doubt he's THAT strong. It seems a rather low ambition, so hopefully this guy is small fry. Have your companions get into position to tear him a new one while you stalk and play the part of the scared noble. Try to get him to reveal information on his capabilities; I'm assuming he can wield magic of some sort so be careful.

>>751877
That seems like a decent plan. Maybe stammer out something like "What did you do to them?"

(1/3) Jeromy 2016/10/10(Mon)02:02 No. 752167 ID: dea742
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>Have your companions get into position
>Try to get him to reveal information on his capabilities

"Wh-what did you do to them?" Jeromy stammers as he recoils, feigning terror to disguise a hand signal to his party. Engage when ready.
Sunhammer moves forward to shield Jeromy.

The caped man laughs sharply. "These men stood against me and tasted my power. You would do well not to face the same."

(2/3) Jeromy 2016/10/10(Mon)02:02 No. 752168 ID: dea742
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He gestures, manifesting a light show in his hand, and turns his attention to Sunhammer. "Don't be a hero, little man... dwarves aren't built for it. Holly?" A half-orc woman steps into view. "Stay quiet and do as I say-"

(3/3) Jeromy 2016/10/10(Mon)02:03 No. 752169 ID: dea742
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>the time for talk is over.

>>752169
Get in there and disarm them so that the town guard can decide their fates.

Mages usually need their hands and mouths for magic. Two of you should go in for the tackle, bind and and gag the lead guy while your companions disarm and subdue the half orc woman, non-leathally if possible.

Yeah, Jer should maybe get in there and take his sword away.
Sunhammer could strike at her knees and get her to taste some ground.

These appear to be bad people, but I don't want to kill anyone if we don't have to.

(1/4) Jeromy 2016/10/13(Thu)23:06 No. 752970 ID: dea742
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Jeromy tugs sharply on his cuffs and his clothes reform into armor around him.

>subdue the half orc woman
>get her to taste some ground

Sunhammer advances toward the half-orc as another foe emerges to flank Hielok.

(2/4) Jeromy 2016/10/13(Thu)23:07 No. 752971 ID: dea742
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Jeromy decides to leave the brawl to them and focus on the mage. After a moment's hesitation, his opponent deftly draws his massive blade which hums and flickers to life.

"Very well!" the mage declares loudly. "Then your fates are sealed. Prepare-"

(3/4) Jeromy 2016/10/13(Thu)23:08 No. 752972 ID: dea742
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>disarm them
>take his sword away

In one smooth motion Jeromy draws his sword and knocks his foe's aside. Behind him, he can hear Rosaphine finishing an incantation.

(4/4) Jeromy 2016/10/13(Thu)23:09 No. 752973 ID: dea742
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>non-leathally if possible
>I don't want to kill anyone if we don't have to

Jeromy shuts his eyes a moment too late and his senses are overwhelmed by a sudden barrage of color. For a moment, he has trouble seeing, and hears Silkmoon whisper from afar, "I've counted at least five of them."

It's okay, we're okay. Granted, there's more than the two, but we have numbers too.

Jero, lunge with your sword to get a sense of where he is, then apply body slam when you hear him backpedal.

Hopefully no one else is in trouble.

At least five? Well if we can take down these three fast, we'll have an excellent advantage against the last two or three.

Get in there and stab somewhere nasty but recoverable. Non-lethal does not mean bloodless or purely concussive. Just don't like, cut off their heads or stab them in the heart, unless someone needs to get taken out right that instant.

They've got at least five, maybe more. We have 6 people and an unconscious guard. Doubt that body will be much use in this fight but it's definitely something worth considering. We're blinded, but hopefully our enemies are as well. If our allies can still see then they can at least knock out the two we've come up against, and engage the remaining honstiles as a unified front. If we can show them we've beaten their leader and muscle, and that we're not planning on killing them, be may be able to posture our way into getting them to back down once we have the numbers advantage. No reason to risk blood in battle if you can get them surrender

Tackle the caster; he seems much weaker than you in a physical fight.

(1/4) Jeromy 2016/10/17(Mon)01:39 No. 753360 ID: dea742
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>Tackle the caster
>apply body slam

Jeromy doesn't wait for his vision to recover. His opponents are suffering from the same effects, and he's used to Rosa's spells.

"They're stunned, take them down!" he commands, hurling himself shoulder-first into a charge.

(2/4) Jeromy 2016/10/17(Mon)01:40 No. 753361 ID: dea742
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As his vision clears, he finds himself looking down on an unfamiliar form. Glancing around quickly at the bodies strewn across the floor, Jeromy makes a mental tally: the two fighters that Hielok and Sunhammer were tangling with, the guard they saw from the door as well as a second dressed much the same, and this man.

(3/4) Jeromy 2016/10/17(Mon)01:41 No. 753362 ID: dea742
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The mage, still standing, appears to have retreated from Jeromy's charge. Too far for Jeromy to strike, he begins incanting a spell of his own.

"Vinir Soh-"

(4/4) Jeromy 2016/10/17(Mon)01:46 No. 753367 ID: dea742
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"-hrk-"

The mage, too, falls. Even assuming the man he tackled was one of these bandits, at least one remains.

"Jay, did you catch that full in the face again?" Rosa chides. "Come on now. You heard me casting-"

>get them surrender

Jeromy holds up a hand to quiet her and collects himself. "You're the last one left, and this isn't a fight you can win." He announces loudly. "Surrender and w-"

A short, shrill shout from the back room cuts him off and is quickly silenced.

>Jeromy's tolerated nickname is Jay
Duly noted.

I guess we'd better proceed cautiously in the direction of the back room.

Tell the survivor to toss his weapon, and he's free to go.
Maybe ask him who's back there, too.

>>753367
>and is quickly silenced.
Swieble probably took out the last one. Go check.

Whoever has medical knowledge, attend the mage. We want him bound, unconscious and not bleeding to death. Choose someone else to stay in the room and round everyone else up, bind them and make sure they're out cold. The remaining four should head to the back room and overwealm whoevers there.

(1/2) Jeromy 2016/10/22(Sat)00:12 No. 754615 ID: dea742
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>attend the mage
>Choose someone else to stay in the room
>bind them and make sure they're out cold

"We'll need them for questioning." Jeromy says plainly. Sunhammer nods silently and approaches the unconscious mage.

Hielok seems busy restraining the last of the combatants.

>proceed cautiously in the direction of the back room
>head to the back room
>Go check

Jeromy starts toward the back room with Rosaphine close behind. As they near the door, he hears a sudden splintering of wood.

(2/2) Jeromy 2016/10/22(Sat)00:12 No. 754616 ID: dea742
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"Oh, hey. Had a runner."

>>754616
These new guys are really pulling their weight. I could get used to this.

>>754616
Good work. We're assembling the ruffians so that they can be questioned and arrested by the town guard.

Speaking of which someone should go alert the town guard.

(1/2) Jeromy 2016/11/06(Sun)21:20 No. 757252 ID: dea742
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"Good work," Jeromy says. "The others are just finishing up."

"You guys work quick," Sweible replies.

The fight finished, Jeromy removes his gauntlet. "Hielok really pulled his weight. Speaking of which, you mentioned looking for a job. Would you like one?"

"What, uh, kind of job?"

"Adventuring, bounty hunting, general heroics. More of this, basically. Pay is inconsistent, but-"

(2/2) Jeromy 2016/11/06(Sun)21:20 No. 757253 ID: dea742
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"That. Was. Tremendous! I've never seen such swift, decisive action. The way you coordinated your men and, er, others to keep those fiends on their heels. Incredible! It's lucky you came alongwhenyoudidifyouhadn'tblahblahblah"

Jeromy waits politely for a time to interject. There doesn't appear to be one forthcoming.

>>757253
Steadily increase pressure on his hand until he gets distracted by the pain, at which point you can talk.

Dude looks somewhat important. Lets play it safe.

Maybe clear your throat, and lead in with- "I don't think we've had time for an introduction."

(1/2) Jeromy 2016/11/28(Mon)01:28 No. 762024 ID: dea742
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"Ahem. Yes. I'm flattered. I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Jeromy of House Tamarin." Jeromy interjects.

"Oh of course! How thoughtless of me. I'm Baronet Manfred Spade. Whoo, that's quite a handshake you've got there. You know I-"

"The pleasure is mine. If you don't mind, the town guards need to be alerted. I'll be only a minute." Jeromy gestures for Sweible to follow him.

From behind him Jeromy hears a quiet voice trail off as he leaves. "M'lord, we've been distracted, but we do have a matter..."

(2/2) Jeromy 2016/11/28(Mon)01:30 No. 762025 ID: dea742
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"Right," Jeromy continues, "as I was saying, the pay isn't consistent, but I will offer you an even cut of anything we make. Not everything's a job and not every job pays, but the recognition can be reward enough."

Sweible thinks for a moment before responding. "Sounds alright, but I've got a couple questions and we still need to get the guards. Let's walk and talk."

"Oh, don't worry, Silkmoon's already on that. I just wanted to conclude our business before we were interrupted with a job offer."

"Yes! They're perfect! I'msurethey'llmumblemumble" the noble's voice trails off from within the inn.

Jeromy nods. "We've got time. What sort of questions?" Jeromy asks openly. "Were you, uh, taking that halfling somewhere in particular?" he continues, glancing towards the unconscious girl.

"What? Oh, she don't weigh much. Hasn't really been a good time to drop her. I'm mostly wonderin' about you. I keep an ear out for noble houses whenever I'm in a new area, but I don't recognize 'Tamarin.' You must be pretty far from home. Why?"

What made Jeromy and Rosaphine decide to take up adventuring? How much is Jeromy willing to say?

Jeromy's martial training suggests his family was steeped in a trade war or noble feud, perhaps one that started long before he was born.

He probably had to kill another young man of high rank in self defense, and the high court ordained he face exile to try to cool tensions.
Rosaphine was outraged, and elected to join her brother on the road rather than remain in luxury as he wandered.

The trade war is probably still going strong, as Jeromy searches for resources or allies to tip the scales.

There are probably secrets that have been (and will be) left out, however.

Character building, huh? If the J-man killed someone, there might be a black mark on his name. Maybe he's trying regain his honor.

Alternately, maybe it's the old "dragon burned my land down" story. Gotta respect the classics.

(1/4) Jeromy 2016/12/05(Mon)16:22 No. 763791 ID: dea742
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"Ah. Fair question." Jeromy clears his throat and begins. "Well, any noble house is measured by their power, which in turn is measured largely by money. On the eastern coast most of the money comes in through major port cities which makes them the focus of any in a position to claim oversight. The Lord Greywulf controls a great deal of land in the area and-"

"Right, politics, got it." Sweible interjects. "I don't care much for old feuds or history lessons. I want to know about you."

"I suppose you're right. The particulars don't matter much."

(2/4) Jeromy 2016/12/05(Mon)16:22 No. 763792 ID: dea742
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"There was another house and another heir. He invented some insult or injury I'd done him and challenged me to an duel. It was arranged that I'd lose for... political reasons, but when the duel started he came at me too fast and I overestimated his abilities. We were both born of Knight houses you see, and well, I suppose he didn't take the title as seriously..."

Jeromy pauses for a moment and sighs.

"My opponent lying dead on the ground in a minor duel I had intended to lose. my house faced serious charges. Lord Greywulf, to whom we owe allegiance, gave my father an ultimatum: take decisive action or allow all of House Tamarin to stand trial. His only choice was to exile me."

(3/4) Jeromy 2016/12/05(Mon)16:23 No. 763793 ID: dea742
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"After the decision was made, Rosaphine made a big fuss. Said she wouldn't live in the house without me, though I'm not sure if she was outraged or just excited at the chance for an adventure." Jeromy smiles for a moment before continuing. "Regardless, I am grateful. Had she not stood with me I would have been cast out for good. Instead, I was simply judged unworthy. If I am to return, I must first prove myself."

Sweible scratches his head. "That's quite the story. I was expecting something a bit simpler. Take me, for example. I hear my hometown was destroyed by a dragon about ten years ago. Apparently I was the only survivor."

"I'm sorry to... wait, you hear? Weren't you there?" Jeromy asks, bewildered.

"Well, that's what Ankin told me. I was too young to remember."

(4/4) Jeromy 2016/12/05(Mon)16:24 No. 763795 ID: dea742
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The clatter of armor from up the street announces the approach of the town guard.

"Well, talk my offer over with your companion when you get a chance" Jeromy finishes. "Let me know what you decide." With that, he turns to face the new arrivals.

"Check for injured." barks the man leading the guards. "Who can tell me what's happened here? And... who might you be?" he asks, looking between Jeromy and Sweible.

>between Jeromy and Sweible.

No surprise there. Halflings are kinda cute, especially when they're
'sleeping'. He can have this one if he feeds it.

>>763795
Say that the orc and kobold are traveling with you and helped apprehend these brigands or whatever that attacked... uh, whoever we just saved.

Just give him a summary of the events that took place here. We saw evidence of a break-in and fight, we investigated, their leader announced his intention to rob us, but they didn't manage it.

We are travelers, and Sweible was traveling with us. We found this sorcerer with some henchmen and a little skull in his belt fighting the town guard, so we stepped in to stop him.

>>763899
Seconded

(1/3) Jeromy 2016/12/14(Wed)00:56 No. 765793 ID: dea742
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"My companions and I," Jeromy gestures at Sweible, "were passing by when we heard a commotion and saw an unconscious guard, so we stepped in to help. A mage of some kind, apparently the ringleader, took credit for the chaos and announced his intention to rob us. We've apprehended the lot of them."

The captain snorts dismissively. "Secure a perimeter. We don't want any stragglers slipping out."

Sweible smirks. "If ya want runners you can have this one. Just remember: feed her twice a day, and keep the cage locked or she'll run off again."

The captain opens his mouth to say something, but can't seem to find the words.

"The rest are inside," Jeromy says quickly. "You can recognize the leader by the skull emblem on his belt."

The captain stifles a laugh. "Lead on then."

(2/3) Jeromy 2016/12/14(Wed)00:57 No. 765794 ID: dea742
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Jeromy turns and strides back into the inn. "Here you go. The rest of the group so far as we-"

"Sir Tamarin!" Manfred Spade exclaims the moment Jeromy returns. "I fear I wasn't able to properly express my thanks earlier, but have something of a situation at my estate. Well, rather more than a situation. The servants are terrified and my personal guards have been woefully unable to properly handle the problem. I would like to contract you and your companions to clear it up. I believe your group would have no-"

"If you could be a bit more descriptive, Lord Spade," Jeromy interrupts, "what sort of problem?"

"Oh it's horrible, truly. We've been beset by indescribable beasts with an ungodly number of legs and ferocious-"

"Scorpions," Manfred's scribe cuts him off.

(3/3) Jeromy 2016/12/14(Wed)00:57 No. 765795 ID: dea742
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"Flying scorpions the size of dogs."

Accept side-quest?

>>765795
That sounds like fun.

So, like Shiba Inus, or more like Dobermans?

Hardly a perfect mission, but few of them are. We'll need a sizable retainer up front for antivenoms.

Of course you will deal with those nightmarish creatures! You just need some anti-venom supplies.

>>765794
The person casting a spell is one of our guys, right?

Accept the quest, ask for a fee up front to cover the expense of anti-venom supplies

Ok, we'll look into it.

So they are large and flying; now would be a good time to mention anything else they do like burrow or spit acid.

(1/3) Jeromy 2016/12/16(Fri)23:58 No. 766425 ID: dea742
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"That sounds like quite the problem. Of course we'll-"

"Hold on," Rosaphine pipes up, finishing her spell. "What kind of dogs are we talking about here, 'cause that's a pretty wide range. Lap dog? Hunting dog? Riding dog?"

"And any other descriptors you could provide," Silkmoon adds.

"Well, I'd say they're roughly three to four feet long, primarily dark in color with bright red accents, and extremely aggressive," the scribe offers. "Unfortunately we can't tell you much more. We left in a hurry."

"That's fine," Rosa says dismissively. "Sounds simple enough. There's bugs, then there's fire, then there's no more bugs."

"Perhaps not. These sound like they have the markers of an infernal influence," Silkmoon starts. "It's possible-"

"Woah woah, hang on," Rosa interrupts. "These are giant flying scorpions from hell?"

"Not quite." Silkmoon states calmly. "Perhaps a visual aid."

(2/3) Jeromy 2016/12/16(Fri)23:59 No. 766426 ID: dea742
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With a few precise gestures Silkmoon conjures up a floating image of a scorpion.

"There are a number of ways that a creature could become tainted by the lower realms. While it's certainly possible for such creatures to be native to the the Abyss or the Hells, they would need to have found some way to our plane of existance, most commonly a summoner. When such a creature is summoned, however, it cannot range far from its master. They might also have come through a portal of some kind, but if that were the case we would almost certainly have heard of other more fearsome beasts on the prowl. It's more likely they are native to our realm and were merely warped by some dark energy. Perhaps the corpse of a long dead demon, or a cursed artefact, or just a side-effect of whatever magical experimentation stuck wings on a scorpion."

Silkmoon pauses for a moment to pull out a pointer. As she continues, she indicates various parts of the creature.

"Regardless, we should be aware of a few things. The claws and sting are the obvious threats, but there is more we can conclude. Flying bugs are not necessarily fast, but they are often able to turn suddenly and even come to a full stop in mid-air which will make outflanking them difficult. In addition, creatures so influenced are often resistant to both flame-"

"Damn it"

"-and electrocution, and are either extremely durable or able to regenerate minor wounds very quickly. There are any number of other possibilities as well, but any further speculation would be useless without some knowledge of what caused their altered state."

(3/3) Jeromy 2016/12/16(Fri)23:59 No. 766427 ID: dea742
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Jeromy claps his hands together. "Well, that sounds like enough to go on for now. We'll need to pick up some supplies before setting out, anti-venoms and the like." He turns toward the Baronet and adds, "If you could provide a retainer up front for that purpose, it would be quite helpful."

"But of course!" Manfred exclaims. "Bojarski here normally handles monetary matters, but for such an auspicious event I'll handle it personally!" he continues, obviously excited at his renewed relevance. "When we came to seek help, we brought along a sum of coins for exactly such a purpose. In fact, we expected to pay up front for something of this-"

"I never accept full payment for a job unfinished, Lord Spade."

"Just as I'd expect from a man of yourobviousblahblahblah..."

A few coins change hands, Silkmoon acquires enough anti-venom to supply the party, Jeromy purchases a carriage, and the group sets off.

During the ride, the party discusses their battle plan...

Barring additional complications, this is an extermination.

Start at the furthest points of infestation, remove the scouts, and work your way into the spawning zone. Since this is an estate, we probably can't collapse the lair with explosives, etc.

Take it slow, don't get overwhelmed. Addendums?

For the actual combat I think we're gonna want to focus on slowing them down so they can be hit properly. Disable the wings... ice perhaps?

If we have access to ice it would also be useful in turning venomous stingers and sharp claws into heavy blunt objects. Still a threat, but less dangerous than their natural counterparts due to the difficulty the creature will have adjusting to its cold covers. Freezing then out of the sky might prove an effective attack- if one can hit them. We cannot fly, so we can't engage them in the air but it means they have to stoop to our level, literally. If we can find defensive barriers like a tree line or heavy shields and furniture with which to fend off their swoops, we may have an easier time counter attacking with range behind such protection. Even if 90% of your shots miss, a suffient defensive line should provide the time for that 10% to result in casualties

>>766507
5 to 1 they're based the cellers and storehouses of the estate. Even if a few are flying around elsewhere. I think cramped hallways and rooms are gonna be the norm. But I don't know.

Certainly ice would help, but I'm not sure it's within Rosa's arcane sphere. Web spells might be a low level alternative.
Sweible may want to find himself a heavier striking weapon like a poleaxe or halberd, which he can probably do onsite.

(1/3) Jeromy 2016/12/19(Mon)02:38 No. 766819 ID: dea742
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"Seriously, bugs being immune to fire is just unfair," Rosaphine complains to Silkmoon. "Fire's, like, my trump card."

"What about your web spell?" Jeromy calls from the driver's seat. "Could we-"

"Oooh, fitting. Bugs in a web," Rosa smiles to herself.

"We should favor weapons with reach," Jeromy shouts. "Especially for fighters without heavy armor. I-"

Sweible looks up from a conversation with Hielok. "Good point. I'll see what I can do."

A pained shout from the second carriage stops the party's conversations.

"My vineyards! What have those fiends done to my grapes!?"

"M'lord, we should stop now," says his scribe. "We'll let Sir Tamarin take it from here."

(2/3) Jeromy 2016/12/19(Mon)02:39 No. 766820 ID: dea742
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Hielok hops out of the carriage as it slows to a stop and looks expectantly back at the door as the others pile out.

"Alright, keep together and watch for survivors," Jeromy instructs. "Silkmoon, see if you can spot where they're coming from."

Silkmoon switches goggles and climbs to the top of the carriage.

"We'll keep to the trees for cover and hold a defensive line while we move. Try to save your spells for larger fights, we don't know how long we'll be here. As soon as we're moving I want everyone to keep an eye out for scouts-"

>>766821
Holy shit FAST! Shield bash that shit!

>>766822
It's a plan, and it's simple.
Both are good right now.

>>766822
Yep.

Make your move for cover and make it fast. Don't want to get surrounded out in the open.