Action Thread (Year 1153, Day 122) KEEPERS & CLAN

[atpollard]

Year 1153, Day 122: 11:00 AM [Forest]

After many days of work, the Clan has the Basement and Crypt levels of the KEEP completely cleared out and occupied. The West Wing on the First floor has also been cleared and the wall patched in the old barracks. The leaks have been plugged in the West wing; however, the Barracks currently has no ceiling and is open to the sky.

The South Wing on the First Floor remains as it was, the lair of creatures.

The drawbridge requires heavy chain to repair, but the gates are now functioning.

**********

It was on Day 122, your fourteenth day of probing the forest around the Keep, that the group stumbled upon a curiosity. You entered a small clearing, no more than 100 meters across. Near one side an old woman stood hunched over a bronze pot full of some dark liquid surrounded by a ring of seven lit candles. Scars, like tattoos, covered her arms in spiraling geometric patterns. She looks up as you enter the clearing and lifts a patch to stare at you with a milky white eye with no pupil. She grins a gap-toothed grin.

“So you’ve arrived ‘ave you. Ha. Ha. Death ‘as come seekin’ the killers.” She chuckled “Aahh. But what’s that me luv’? Can you not hear … death seeks its own.”

She blew out the candles and threw some carved bones on the ground “Old Meg saw it commin’, she did. Death huntin’ death. That should be a good fight!” Then the old woman just sat down to wait. Glancing back and forth between the Group and a small trail at the other side of the clearing.

Soon, horses and armor can be heard approaching on the path. A moment later shouts “Over here. He went that way.”

[Who wanted to come along and what do you do to prepare?]

[Bluetongue]

Bogarde

Satisfied with the Ruins restoration project going at pace under the Clan's cooperative, the half-orc joins the extended fact-finding surveys around the surrounding forests.

He is alarmed but not surprised that we stumble upon the camp.

"Vain hag. Your head would dangle upon a pike after kneeling at the chopping block or in olden days suffer a fiery retribution at the stake. Suffice to know your magics hedge you in veiled security for now."

He curses towards the old witch. Gifted of seer-sight through diabolic means, that she hasn't fled means she may have some vested interest in the forthcoming battle's outcome.

I will take off my longbow and hand it to Phaeus ."Take cover from the treeline and cover those who engage. Shoot her if she moves."

He then dons his metal helm, tightening the chinstrap and strides to the centre of the clearing with his halberd in hand, swishing it around his head in a few practices arcs.

"Stay close to me. Cuthbert's blessing will strengthen our arms this day." he says to any others who walk with him, intending to cast a 'Bless spell prior to combat starting.

[Rex]

Aari

Aari moves to the edge of the trees where he has some cover and concealment and readies his bow.

[Stirling]

Phaeus

Takes the longbow and a quiver of arrows, following Aari to a spot behind a thick trunk or fallen log, ideally flanking the folk in the centre of the clearing.

[atpollard]

Year 1153, Day 122: 11:05 AM [Forest]

Tense moments pasted as the party stood ready and waiting. A boy clutching a sack burst from the trail and stared suddenly wide-eyed at the axe wielding half-trollkin in the center of the clearing. He turned quickly and spotted ‘Old Meg’ staring with her milky white eye. The boy glanced back at the path and the sound of horses and shouts approaching. He offered a string of muttered profanities far beyond his years and fled away from the witch towards the underbrush in the only direction remaining.


Not more than a minute after the boy disappeared into the forest, the horses broke through the edge of the clearing from the path. There were five pale humans on light horses with spiked polearms designed to capture and hold the victim, and one giant hairy Trollkin riding a large, clumsy draft horse.

The ‘men’ form a line of battle near the path as the Trollkin dismounts and strides towards the witch. “Where is he hag?” said the Trollkin “He came this way.”

“Ave you come to old Meg to ave a question answered?” she smiled “Well now, you know Meg’s price for an augury.” She holds out her hand as if waiting for a coin.

“This is official Temple business. I suggest you loosen your tongue before we remove it!” the Trollkin growled at her. “Now which way did that filthy little creature run?”

Meg’s voice lost all sense of humor and the next words were spoken in a tone that sent a chill up your spines. “You forget yourself. I am not in your settlement and neither are you. Old Meg lives alone in the woods away from civilization. You and your men and your boy have all come into Meg’s woods. Do you really wish to threaten trouble for Meg in her own woods?”

The Trollkin scowls, but backs down. “No offense was intended. Witch.” Then he turned to face Bogarde. “What about you? A human boy ran through here. Did you see which way he went?”

From this close, you can see the layman’s Holy Symbol he wears and recognize it from the Demon Molech.

[Bluetongue]

well since only Aari and Phaeus posted I must assume I stand alone in the field? where is everyone?

Bogarde

"You ask me to augur for you? It would have been cheaper to pay the gold. Now you will pay with your heads," taunts the templar.

Assessing the line of horsemen in front of him he plants his feet in the ground, scraping a thick straight line in the dirt with the point of his halberd. He twirls it in a couple of nimble arcs and readies a swing, gripping his weapon like a baseball bat.

Bogarde: halberd melee [1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14 dam [1d10+3] = 10+3 = 13

He hopes the attack enough to lop off the head of the first charging rider, swinging it into the 'out of bounds' in the forest.

[Stirling]

Phaeus

Not sure if he is more unnerved by the imminent combat or the presence of a skilled archer in Aari beside him. Better suited to guile and riposte than bullseye targeting. He makes more of a pigs ear at loosing arrows towards the horsemen.


Phaeus looses arrows. [1d20] = 4 [1d6] = 3 [1d20] = 1 [1d6] = 4

[Rex]

Aari

Aari draws and the moment anyone on the other side moves to attack he lets lose on the Trollkin with both arrows.

Short Bow, Archer vs Humanoid [1d20] = 9 to hit [1d6+2] = 6+2 = 8 damage

Short Bow, Archer vs Humanoid [1d20] = 7 to hit [1d6+2] = 6+2 = 8 damage

[atpollard]

Year 1153, Day 122: 11:06 AM [Forest]

The Trollkin stepped back as Bogarde began spinning his axe in a slow, great arc that picked up speed and all of the enemy seemed equal parts startled and confused as a pair of arrows flew from the forest arcing wildly through the clearing. One arrow landed in the field and the second arced over their heads and disappeared somewhere behind them.

Surprise turned abruptly to shock and anger on the face of the Trollkin leader as an arrow ricocheted off his breastplate and another stuck into it. His bellow of rage was cut short as Bogarde’s axe removed his head and sent it rolling off into the woods.

Meg can be heard giggling from the side as the line of horsemen stand in stunned confusion … neither advancing to attack nor retreating. They seem to be waiting for their headless leader to give an order.

[Bluetongue]

Bogarde

Decapitates the leader, the headless body still upright on the draft horse before slithering off.

"Praise Cuthbert! another one bites the dust. Right who's next?"

I will step forward to attack the nearest mounted rider, trying to get close enough to be within his reach.

Bogarde: halberd melee [1d20+1] = 10+1 = 11 dam [1d10+3] = 8+3 = 11

(That misses all but AC10. I am thinking that mounted riders using pole arms are going to be disadvantaged trying to hit someone standing next to their saddle in melee with them).

[Stirling]

Phaeus

Aims at the other end of the line of horsemen to the attacking Bogarde.

Not that it matters, caught between the thought of taking down a rider or startling a horse into running off, he achieves neither as his arrows fall awry. He ducks back down behind the trunk and says to Aari. "Your turn. Can you cover our impetus templar?"

Phaeus looses arrows. [1d20] = 10 [1d6] = 5 [1d20] = 7 [1d6] = 6

[Rex]

Aari

Aari shifts his aim to the furthest rider.

Short Bow, Archer vs Humanoid [1d20] = 19 to hit [1d6+2] = 4+2 = 6 damage

Short Bow, Archer vs Humanoid [1d20] = 16 to hit [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3 damage

[atpollard]

Year 1153, Day 122: 11:07 AM [Forest]

Phaeus loosed the first arrow that stuck into the leather breastplate of the horsemen nearest the trail. As the man glanced down at the arrow, a second arrow launched from the bow of Aari sunk up to its fletching and pierced his heart. The rider fell wordlessly from the horse.

Bogarde reached the horseman at the opposite end of the line and the spike on the tip of his halberd caught the man under the chin and drove straight up into his head. As the force of the charge started to lift the man from his horse, the tip of the blade pierced his breastplate and the leverage split open his chest … dumping internal organs down the side of his horse and onto the ground.

A second arrow from the borrowed bow of Phaeus sailed past the rider near the first victim of the bowmen, who turns and takes an arrow in the back from Aari and flees wounded down the trail they entered from.

As Bogarde screams out in victory at his latest kill, the remaining horsemen retreat in complete terror. The CLAN held the field and Meg laughed and clapped from the sideline.

150 XP for each character (Aari, Bogarde, Phaeus)
2 Leather Armor (human)
1 Leather Armor (trollkin)
5 "man-catchers"
1 Morningstar
2 Light Riding Horses

[Bluetongue]

Bogarde

Would usually coup de grace fallen victims as a last rites to end their suffering but the three are obviously dead.

And three retreated to who knows where though one will leave a bloody trail behind. He leaves that to the ranger going instead to the cackling hag.

"Here is the death you prophesied. But I will have no more of your sooth saying. Some destinies are best left to be discovered."

He surveys the scene, the boy nowhere to be seem, bodies fallen. His instinct would be to destroy any pagan or occult findings. What or who is Meg? A wicked witch in a gingerbread house on a broomstick or a hermit scavenging the forest to survive on mushrooms and wild fruits.

He ignores pressing more details on her personal status but speaks, "The bodies should be buried. Let nature devour them. Take the troll-kins draft horse for your needs."

Not sure we have need of further weapons and armour but the horses will be useful. As I have a horse at the ruin, he gives the mounts to Phaeus and Aari.

"A prize from your marksmanship."

I am all for pressing on straight away but feel free to engage the hag if you wish.

[Stirling]

Phaeus

Mount's a horse. Riding unlike archery is a skill he has.

"Mystic Meg should look into the cauldron and see her own fate. I cannot think the templar will be so gracious should we come back this way. You know of these troll kin slavers. It would be prudent to share what you know."

[Rex]

Aari

Aari mount up and tries to track their fleeing foes.

[Bluetongue]

Bogarde

Trusts Aari to navigate the bloodied trail and follow the wounded horseman.

"We should be wary of them trying to ambush us." he says, weapon in hand.