[IC] The Assaulted Caravan

[Linwelin]

It was about two days before you made it out to the site of the ambush, though the journey had not been a rough one. The turn of events was immediately obvious; arrows riddled the ground, blood and scorch marks marked the gullies beside the road, as well as the roadway itself. And then there was the wreckage. The coach that had been carrying the merchants' goods was smashed and off to the side of the road. All that remained was the remnants of broken crates, nothing of value left behind. Even the oxen, though assumed to have also been slain due to the pools of blood in front of the coach, were missing.

Efficient and deadly, that's all you could think. There was not a single body of whatever had attacked. This only meant that the perpetrators were bound to be somewhere nearby. All that was left was to search. Though the only real options were to venture into the forest on either side on the road. Where exactly, you couldn't say.

[spoiler]
Rolls/Effects/Summary:
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Stats:
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Round X in progress - Still to move:

Free turns
Kryas: 0
Lyolf: 0
Annial: 0
Ryine: 0
Katia: 0

Damage Dealt

Spells/Abilities/Potions used since the day:
Kryas

Lyolf

Annia

Ryine

Katia

Party HP - Lethal|Non Lethal
Kryas: 18/18|18/18,
Lyolf: 29/29|29/29,
Annia: 36/36|36/36,
Ryine: 38/38|38/38,
Katia: 9/9|9/9,

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Map:
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[Throndir]

There was a feeling of sadness and a hint of anger when Annia saw the ransacked caravan. She scanned the tree line on either side, hoping to see if there was anyone or anything lying in wait. If the attack on the caravan was still fresh, there may very well be a pair of eyes that even now looks at them, reporting back to their superiors or even staging an ambush. Making her way to the torn and broken down caravan, she wanted to get an account of the damage done, and to see if the perpetrators had left any sort of clue on the whereabouts of the attackers, as well as the goods. She knew she wouldn't face the future encounters alone though, the guild was there after all.

"Help me look through this... this wreckage." She glanced at her companions. "One of us should continue to keep guard while the other four searches. If there is one who is stealthier among us, speak now." Annia was familiar with the group save for one, a woman, perhaps around the same age Annia was or younger, carrying what looked like a crossbow and armored in a chain shirt. Annia recalled that the girl was some sort of magic user. The knight paused a moment, as if considering something.

"What's your name miss?" Annia asked.

[spoiler]Annia till take 20 on Spot and Search on the caravan rubble if able.

Spot: 23
Search: 21

If there's an issue, then here's the rolls:

Spot
[dice]Rolled 1d20+3 : 11 + 3, total 14[/dice]

Search
[dice]Rolled 1d20+1 : 1 + 1, total 2[/dice][/spoiler]

[kai927]

Katia looks over the ransacked caravan, without a hint of emotion marring her face. Her manner had been odd over the course of the trip, starting with getting her own set of directions to the ambush site and continuing with her way of focusing on things. Seemingly as soon as something moved, her interest in it vanished. And then there was her shadow; it moved of it's own accord, often in a mocking way, though it remained attached to the young woman, and it was ever present, regardless of the lighting.

At the ambush site, her shadow's frolicsome attitude dampened, and it stuck close to Katia. The young woman herself stuck to the outskirts of the caravan wreckage. She looked up when the knight woman addressed her, "My name...it is...Katia...No...formalities are...needed."

[Throndir]

"Well then Katia, it's a pleasure to finally introduce ourselves. If only it were in different circumstances." Annia replied back as she proceeded to examine the wreckage. "For now lets focus on the bandits. Likely they are still nearby."

[Mysticsage]

Kryas was lost in his own world as they approached the wreckage. For this much damage to be done on the main roads meant that there was bound to be a great deal of trouble a head for the town and thus the guild if there had to be constant worry about goblin attacks. As he moved forward to sift through the debris for clues or tracks he began hatching a plan. All out war with a goblin clan clan had to be avoided at all costs regardless of what happened here to kill the raiding party would surely bring even more trouble to the entire area once the vengeful creatures got wind of what happened. If he could only talk with them he knew he could get an upper hand on everything and maybe avoid the worst case scenario . That would mean however possibly breaking away from the group  and finding the raiding part on his own exposing himself to even more danger.

[spoiler]
kryas moves amongst the rubble

Listen for clues of the attackers whereabouts
[dice]Rolled 1d20+3 : 11 + 3, total 14[/dice]

Search for clues of the attackers whereabouts
[dice]Rolled 1d20+3 : 3 + 3, total 6[/dice]

Spot for clues of the attackers whereabouts
[dice]Rolled 1d20+2 : 1 + 2, total 3[/dice]

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[Lance]

The elf had remained taciturn throughout the journey, almost as if he had expected nothing less at the journey's end. Upon reaching the ambush site, he stood silently among his companions and, like them, began wordlessly perusing the damage dealt during the raid and the efficiency that had been involved in its execution. But that mattered little to the elf.

No matter the loss, even if all that had been stolen was a single crate and all that had been killed was a single man, two crimes had been committed here in his presence-theft and murder. And at their base, those crimes...

...were they not evil?

And as soon as that thought registered in his head, it was as if a switch was flicked within him. He began moving in a programmed manner wholly uncharacteristic of his previous self. For this was his purpose, his one and only true goal. Every muscle, every bone, every fiber in his being was pledged to this purpose. This was the cause he had dedicated his entire life for, despite all the hardship that such a cause would entail. And though he had already sacrificed much for the cause he believed in, he was willing to sacrifice more-all to ensure the eradication of all that is evil.

"Uli, fly above and out of immediate arrow range," he monotonously told his familiar, who began listening perhaps too intently on his outstretched arm. "Report back the moment you find them and oh-"

Lyolf smiled for the first time since starting the journey, only this time it wasn't filled with his usual cheer but with a frighteningly large amount of malice.

"Take the bomb with you."

[spoiler=actions]
Lyolf takes 20 on search, spot, and listen (rolls made if unavailable). Then he sends Uli off to scout and gives the thing his last prepared Bomb of Doom. Bombing runs FTW xD. Also rolling for Galas'nor (the sword) if allowed on this mission.

Search: 25
Spot: 26
Listen: 26
Search:[dice]Rolled 1d20+5 : 3 + 5, total 8[/dice]
Spot:[dice]Rolled 1d20+6 : 10 + 6, total 16[/dice]
Listen:[dice]Rolled 1d20+6 : 11 + 6, total 17[/dice]

Galas'nor:[dice]Rolled 1d20 : 10, total 10[/dice]
[/spoiler]

[Linwelin]

Search:
The wreckage had been sacked, and all that was left was debris from the cargo and the cart itself. Though getting closer to the cart itself intensified the smell of charred wood and, worse yet, burnt flesh. Seeing it up close, you could tell it was nothing but slaughter, and the remnants of that still hung in the air even after all these days. There were some broken crates and stray goods around, but nothing salvageable, nor really desired.

Listen:
Nothing out of the ordinary could be heard, strange as that seemed for a scenario like this. The leaves of the various foliage rustled gently in the breeze, bird calls of various kinds were heard around you, though not to the point of being overwhelming. Were it not for the current scenery, this would be a wonderful time and place to relax. But now was certainly not time for that.

Spot:
Remnants of death and small creatures were all that could be seen on the roadway and in the surrounding forest, but after enough searching, something caught your eye. On the south side of the road there was...something...watching you all. It was hard to tell what, but it was not of the usual forest scenery. Then, the worst happened, it met your eyes. There was no chance for surprise as it took the initiative; the initiative was used, however, to run back into the depths of the forest. That gave comfort...almost. Was it luring you, or running to alert more? You could not say.

[spoiler]
Rolls/Effects/Summary:
[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

Stats:
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Round X in progress - Still to move:

Free turns
Kryas: 0
Lyolf: 0
Annial: 0
Ryine: 0
Katia: 0

Damage Dealt

Spells/Abilities/Potions used since the day:
Kryas

Lyolf

Annia

Ryine

Katia

Party HP - Lethal|Non Lethal
Kryas: 18/18|18/18,
Lyolf: 29/29|29/29,
Annia: 36/36|36/36,
Ryine: 38/38|38/38,
Katia: 9/9|9/9,

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Map:
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[Wolfrin Fenris]

Wolfrin stood just inside the edge of the treeline, behind a large oak; the low foliage and underbrush effective in hiding him from the view of those on the road. Wolfrin had sent Buddy to hunt for tonight's meal, but rather than the rabbit he had expected his companion to return with, instead Buddy had returned with a somewhat mixed message. Though humans, elves, dwarves, and various other races were commonplace upon this road, and usually not cause for concern, Buddy's message had imparted fire. Fire and death. And so, here Wolfrin was.

What Buddy had not informed him of was the identity of the group currently investigating. Upon arriving he immediately recognized one member of the party, Annia Siadon, a fellow guild member and a curious female paladin. She was accompanied by four others, members of the guild Wolfrin assumed for he had not met many of the guild members to date.

Wolfrin had yet to take a job for the guild, had yet to really meet anyone in the surrounding lands yet. Though a solitary life was fine, for he always had his friends in the forests and other natural places, he had decided that perhaps his best bet at completing his quest lied with the Guild of Galas'nor, an so, his mind made up, Wolfrin stepped out from the tree line, slowly approaching the group.

"Well met Annia Siadon." "What brings the guild of Galas'nor out here," he questioned, with a pointed glance at the burnt and foul smelling wreckage.

[Throndir]

As much as possible Annia preferred to be on guard, after all, it was something that Jin had always attempted to train and teach her in. However, she was still caught unprepared at the arrival of a familiar face; it was Wolfrin. The warrior, rather than spend his time in the city, chose to venture out in the wilds and surrounding area. He visited the guild's headquarters often enough, but his true calling was really in the wilds. She shook her head, perhaps it wasn't so surprising to find him here.

She glanced to her comrades around her and raised her hand as if to tell them that he was no threat. Annia wasn't sure who else Wolfrin had met in the guild before, but the situation was tense, and certainly any stranger who they happened to meet now would have caused some concern or even suspicion with a ruined caravan before them.

"Well met to you too Wolfrin. It's fortunate we came upon you. Though, unfortunate that it should be on the wreckage of others. But in either case we'll be glad for another hand in this." She paused as she scanned the treeline for Wolfrin's companion and friend, Buddy. But there was no sign of the wolf, though likely the majestic creature was lurking quietly in the background, or perhaps even covering the woods just slightly ahead of their own group's attempt to make sense of the area.

"I take it Buddy's with you? The smell of blood's probably thick around here, any idea on how long ago this happened?"

[Wolfrin Fenris]

"Of course"

Wolfrin held his arm to his side quickly flashing a hand signal. To the left of them, about 10 yards away, the undergrowth momentarily rustled and then Buddy emerged from the tree line, slowly padding his way across the field towards Wolfrin and Annia.

"I would be glad to help in any way possible. Murder is not nature's way." He looked down at his companion, silver eyes meeting golden. Turning back to Annia, Wolfrin stated, "We will see what we can learn."

Wolfrin slowly walked up to the wreckage with Buddy at his side. His eyes scanned the charred wreckage, noting the burn marks on what remained of the carriage. Nothing was whole anymore, the wheels of the cart had various broken spokes, the tongue lay at an odd angle, and nothing remained of whatever merchandise this cart had carried except splintered box's. There was not much to learn from, no clue's left behind in the wreckage.

His eyes next scanned the blood that dotted the cart and ground around the cart. Wolfrin was fairly certain Buddy could track down the murderers from the blood train and Buddy's keen scent, however, he did not give the signal to him right away. Something seemed wrong with this picture, other then the heinous crimes likely committed. Wolfrin had known bandits in his life, and often heard tales from his father of Fenris' own encounters. The merchant was carrying cargo, likely valuable, and nothing was left of said cargo, so bandits certainly could be behind the assault on the caravan, but bandits weren't usually concerned with covering their tracks. And these devils, bandits or otherwise, had done a fine job of that.

Finally it clicked in his head. They had done a superb job of cleaning up all the evidence, they hadn't left anything, besides the blood stains, that could be of any use. Anything. There's no bodies. Not only of the merchant or driver, but of guards, or even the animals that had pulled the cart. Perhaps the lack of evidence could tell them something after all?

Satisfied that he would find nothing more from the wreckage, Wolfrin decided to see if the months of training Buddy would result in more than just dinner. Wolfrin pointed toward a fairly large blood splotch and spoke a single word, "Track."


[spoiler]
Handle animal skill check to get Buddy to use known trick, "Track"
[dice]Rolled 1d20+9 : 10 + 9, total 19[/dice]
[/spoiler]

If Successful [spoiler]
"Buddy, understanding the command approached the indicated spot and began sniffing.

Skill check for Buddy to track scent
[dice]Rolled 1d20+5 : 6 + 5, total 11[/dice][/spoiler]

[kai927]

Katia remained silent after Annia's welcoming, and busied herself with looking through the wreckage, her shadow staying pooling at her feet, as if it were high noon on a cloudless day. She did not notice the creature at the edge of the campsite, and is caught off guard when a stranger approaches the group. Visibly shaken, she nontheless stands her ground, while her hand strays towards her crossbow. At the same time, her shadow stretches towards him almost threateningly, but both she and her shadow relax when Annia greets him and treats the man as an ally.

[Annia Siadon]

[spoiler]The knight sighed as she dusted off a broken barrel, using the rubble as a make-shift chair. Annia wasn't usually that complaining, but she wondered where the invisible hand was that would guide the players to the next area or encounter.

"I guess the forums did die for a bit, but they're alive now right? Right?" She whispered softly to herself. Then an idea came to her as she stood back up to face Wolfrin.[/spoiler]

"It may have just been my imagination but was that you far in the south? No.. it was too strange." Still, the knight had a nagging feeling, if Wolfrin's wolf Buddy couldn't find anything, checking what it was that spied on them could be a clue.

[Linwelin]

[spoiler]Ok, so, for the sake of just typing when I know how to respond/lead on the story, I'm forgoing making maps. I will let you know which targets are in range, and when possibilities for combat maneuvers arise. If this ends up dead, I plan to make a new mission. Sorry for the long hiatus, it's my bad haha.[/spoiler]

As Annia notes her concern about moving shadows to the rest of the group, a squad of hobgoblins leap from the forest to the south and charge the group. From the looks of it, there are five rushing with longswords. However, just as you are preparing strategies to deal with the bunch, a new problem arises. From the woods, two javelins come soaring toward Katia and Annia. However, the former toss fell short, and the latter glanced off of the paladin's armor. Though no damage was done, it was now known there were at least two more within the woods.

Make spot checks if you wish to locate the hobgoblins in the forest. Otherwise there are two headed toward Wolfrin and Lyolf, and 3 headed for Katia, Annia and Kryas. None are upon you yet, but will be next round.

Stats:
[spoiler]

Round 1 in progress - Still to move: All

Free turns
Kryas: 0
Lyolf: 0
Annial: 0
Wolfrin: 0
Katia: 0

Damage Dealt
Hobgoblin 1: 0
Hobgoblin 2: 0
Hobgoblin 3: 0
Hobgoblin 4: 0
Hobgoblin 5: 0
Hobgoblin 6: 0
Hobgoblin 7: 0

Spells/Abilities/Potions used since the day:
Kryas

Lyolf

Annia

Wolfrin

Katia

Party HP - Lethal|Non Lethal
Kryas: 18/18|18/18,
Lyolf: 29/29|29/29,
Annia: 36/36|36/36,
Wolfrin: 38/38|38/38,
Katia: 9/9|9/9,

[/spoiler]

[Annia Siadon]

The moment the hobgoblins appeared Annia had begun to shout out orders and her observations.

"There are two more in the woods! Wolfrin, you're our best bet to search out those hobogoblins hiding in the woods quickly. Let the rest here handle the bulk of their group." The moment she had finished she began praying to Valtean, and within moments a glowing sphere surrounded her. With that done she too had begun to charge towards the oncoming hobgoblins, pulling out her greatsword in the process.

[spoiler]Spot:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+3 : 14 + 3, total 17[/blockquote]
Standard: Casts Protection from Evil on herself
Move: Moves forward as far as possible and withdrawing her greatsword.

This spell wards a creature from attacks by evil creatures, from mental control, and from summoned creatures. It creates a magical barrier around the subject at a distance of 1 foot. The barrier moves with the subject and has three major effects.

First, the subject gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves. Both these bonuses apply against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures.

Second, the subject immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects, such as charm person, command, and dominate person). This saving throw is made with a +2 morale bonus, using the same DC as the original effect. If successful, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by evil creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion.

Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by evil summoned creatures. This causes the natural weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creatures to recoil if such attacks require touching the warded creature. Summoned creatures that are not evil are immune to this effect. The protection against contact by summoned creatures ends if the warded creature makes an attack against or tries to force the barrier against the blocked creature. Spell Resistance can allow a creature to overcome this protection and touch the warded creature.

Annia's total AC: 21
[/spoiler]