Alusair: [20d1<!- Official Roll ->] => [1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1] = (20)
Alusair: K
Arothir: ...kay
Arothir: Shen
Arothir: You hear a light tingling in the treetop
Arothir: You can, of course, pull your pole free
Shenvallei: biggest tantrum Ive ever witnessed with dice… Uth 1995 at our friends house. He rolls nothing above a 5, 4 times in a row.
Shenvallei: He picks up the die….
Arothir: He eat it?
Arothir: :P
Shenvallei: Puts it in his mouth
Shenvallei: And bites it as hard as he can with his teeth
Alusair: OUCH
Arothir: ...that went well
Arothir: jesus that would hurt
Shenvallei: Oh man I was rofl.
Alusair: no wonder Uths such a tard.. he shattered his jaw on a d20
Shenvallei: LOL
Arothir: lawl
Arothir: Worst tantrum I’ve ever had with a die
Arothir: was simply rolling a d100
Arothir: and trying to find it afterwards
Arothir: ...I still don’t know where the fuck it is.
Shenvallei: lol so true! Till they started putting sand in em.
Arothir: lol
Arothir: did they? nice of them
Arothir: I have a 1st edition d100
Arothir: :P
Alusair: we’ve only got 1 real d100 in the entire group…
Alusair: they’re not worth it
Shenvallei: not at all.
Alusair: we pretty much have it for amusement
Alusair: lol
Shenvallei: though I wouldnt mind having one.
Arothir: yeah
Arothir: they’re fine
Arothir: if you have a box
Arothir: and a microscope
Arothir: Any’oo
Arothir: Shen, do you retrieve your stick?
Alusair: Head towards that building.
Arothir: You manage to make it without incident
Shenvallei: Can I reach it?
Arothir: Yes.
Arothir: It’s within reach, despite having been yanked out of your hands
Shenvallei: I will. Did I hear anything from my listen check?
Shenvallei: Ill climb up and detach it from the rope.
Arothir: Yes, you did
Arothir: And you don’t need to climb up
Arothir: You hear a light tingling in the treetop
Arothir: When you set the trap off, as well as when you pull the pole free
Shenvallei: Does it sound like a bell?
Arothir: A little bit muffled, but yes
Arothir: Alusair, in the half ruined building, you see rudimentary fortifications have been set up
Arothir: But are mostly run down
Arothir: Within there are many humans, dead, mostly burnt, some used as impromptu barricades
Alusair: “Guys. . . .?”
Arothir: There’s one man, laying with his back against the wall, dressed in a green tunic and brown pants, with both seem scorched. He’s missing a leg, and has a crossbow across his lap. His face is all smudged, and a machete is embedded in the wood right next to his head.
Shenvallei: I will avoid the tripwire and towards Alusair.
Arothir: Van hurries over to you
Arothir: ”...what the hells has happened here?”
Arothir: You hear Jess throwing up around the corner
Alusair: “Shen, explain it.”

• Alusair goes over to console Jess. *
  Shenvallei: “Apparently gnomes attacked this village and burned everyone to a crisp. That old man in the alley house was a resident here that escaped apparently.”
  Arothir: Van:...that explains why he’s…off…
  Shenvallei: “He wants us to basically kill the gnomes or maybe just their leader.”
  Shenvallei: “The gnomes no doubt know of the portal since there are snares all around it.”
  Shenvallei: “Further theyve probably made their way into Sigil already.”
  Shenvallei: “Why they attacked is why we are here. To get their side of the story. Right Al?”
  Alusair: “Their si… you ..”
  
• Alusair blinks, turning towards Shen *
  Alusair: “You want their side of the sodding story? Look the shite around you!”
  Shenvallei: “Well they better have a good reason for slaughtering the whole village.”
  Shenvallei: At this point Ill actually look around.
  Shenvallei: Are any women/children victims or are they all militia?
  Arothir: Half the bodies are so charred it’s hard to tell
  Arothir: But…there are some smaller “sandbags” as it were.
  Shenvallei: “Al, can your god hear your prayers on this world?”
  Alusair: “Why would she not? This is a Prime world.”
  Shenvallei: “Good to know.”
  
• Alusair stays with Jess. *
  Arothir: Van idly kicks at a piece of rubble
  Shenvallei: Ill take a look around the perimeter looking for traps and any sign of activity.
  Arothir: Alright
  Arothir: Listen check
  Alusair: “Bloody hell.”
  Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [2] = (2)
  Shenvallei: “Quit kicking rocks around Van, I cant hear anything.”
  Arothir: Shen, for reference, AC?
  Shenvallei: Depends. How many hours have passed since morning?
  Arothir: it’s probably 1 PM
  Shenvallei: Ok then AC 14
  Arothir: You feel a sharp pain in your side. A quick glance reveals a dart lodged in your side. [1d4<!- Official Roll ->] => [3] = (3)
  Arothir: 3 Points of pain.
  Arothir: Another one whistles by where your ear was before you turned
  Shenvallei: I yelp.
  Shenvallei: loudly
  Arothir: Van looks over
  Shenvallei: Ill pull out the dart and duck looking where it came from.
  Arothir: Jess, having recovered from her trip to the vomitorium, looks over.
  Arothir: You see, well, quite frankly, three evil faces staring out from the underbrush at you
  Shenvallei: Is there any cover I can get behind?
  Arothir: The nearest cover isnt far away
  Arothir: it’s the building
  Shenvallei: Ill break for it.
  Arothir: Van moves towards you to cover you
  Arothir: Initiatives
  Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [20] = (20)
  Arothir: jebus
  Shenvallei: +4
  Arothir: Morgan?
  Alusair: [1d20+2<!- Official Roll ->] => [4,2] = (6)
  Alusair: yeah, anyway
  Arothir: Van [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [20] = (20)
  Arothir: Jess [1d?<!- Official Roll ->] => 1d?
  Arothir: Shen, go
  Arothir: Full run action?
  Arothir: You can make it to cover if you run
  Shenvallei: No half. I want to throw a spell then I will keep running next round.
  Arothir: Alright
  Arothir: Throw your spell
  Shenvallei: Half move then Sleep.
  Arothir: You Sleep
  Arothir: You hear nothing from the woodline
  Arothir: Van takes up position between you and the last dart fired
  Arothir: Two darts ricochet off his breastplate
  Arothir: Jess breaks for the house
  Arothir: Morgan!
  Alusair: Stay in the house,draw weapon
  Alusair: and wait
  Arothir: you do so
  Arothir: Shen!
  Shenvallei: Can I actually see who is firing the darts?
  Shenvallei: Or is it covered by brush?
  Arothir: It’s covered by brush
  Arothir: They seem to be firing/retreating
  Shenvallei: Ill delay my action.
  Arothir: You stay out in the open?
  Shenvallei: behind Van
  Arothir: Van doesn’t seem too pleased to be acting as a meat shield
  Shenvallei: at least it will give partial cover Im hoping.
  Arothir: He’s looking around nervously
  Shenvallei: lol
  Arothir: One dart flies out from another part of brush, pinging off the blade of his halberd
  Arothir: You can see the gnome that fired it
  Arothir: it’s not near where you last saw them
  Arothir: Shen?
  Arothir: You can act, if you want
  Shenvallei: k
  Arothir: Morgan, Jess is cowering behind you
  Shenvallei: Ill delay again until Van goes.
  Arothir: That’s the thing…Van isn’t.
  Shenvallei: he is delaying too? lol
  Arothir: He seems like he’s defending the area around him.
  Shenvallei: Oh good ok sec then.
  Shenvallei: Ill cast silent image.
  Shenvallei: To make an illusion of a thorny wall appear in a half circle behind them in hopes to fool them that they are trapped.
  Arothir: You do so
  Shenvallei: A big half circle as big as I can make it.
  Arothir: Kay
  Arothir: Do you move?
  Shenvallei: yes Ill continue to the cover.
  Arothir: Van now looks a bit like a tool, defending a vacated area
  Shenvallei: hehe
  Arothir: Shen, as you’re running to the house, a bolt lances between your legs, causing your head to turn and you see a spurt of blood from the forest.
  Shenvallei: Where did it come from?
  Shenvallei: And who did it hit?
  Arothir: The bolt originated from the one-legged man, who is currently laying prone behind some dead bodies in the house, struggling to reload the crossbow
  Arothir: And you don’t know who it hit
  Arothir: Morgan?
  Arothir: No action again?
  Alusair: Glance quickly behind me, then keep looking out from the building
  Alusair: Keep between Jess and any opening.
  Arothir: You do so.
  Arothir: There’s just one half of the house that’s open
  Arothir: Alright
  Arothir: Shen
  Arothir: Your go
  Shenvallei: Peek out from my cover and scan for the attackers.
  Arothir: No apparent attackers
  Shenvallei: Does the dart Im holding look like it was poisoned at all?
  Arothir: Not that you can
  Arothir: tell
  Arothir: Do you have ranks in poisoning?
  Shenvallei: no
  Shenvallei: just looking for an odd color/odor
  Arothir: Well, there is no color or odor
  Arothir: which an dsometimes be just as bad
  Shenvallei: true but no news is good news so far.
  Shenvallei: Screw this.
  Shenvallei: whats the density of the brush?
  Arothir: uh…dense?
  Arothir: 9.8 kg/m3?
  Arothir: I’m not sure, why are you asking?
  Shenvallei: dry or green
  Arothir: green
  Shenvallei: want to know if it will go up in flames if I set it ablaze
  Arothir: Well
  Shenvallei: guess not.
  Arothir: It probably will
  Alusair: tropical forest doesn’t burn easily
  Arothir: It doesn’t look like it’s rained in a while
  Alusair: not without alot of work, anyway
  Arothir: So you might get a bit of flame
  Alusair: oh? Surprising
  Arothir: but you wont start a forest fire
  Shenvallei: Ill dig out my flask of oil
  Arothir: Alright, you do so
  Arothir: Van runs back to cover
  Shenvallei: Is he next to me?
  Arothir: He’s somewhere nearby
  Shenvallei: “Van, can you go ahead and see if they are still up? Not sure if any were affected by my sleep spell or the guardsman’s crossbow.”
  Alusair: “Sheeeeeeeeen?”
  Arothir: Van grumbles
  Shenvallei: “Here Al. Im ok, I think.”
  Alusair: ”....”
  Arothir: “Sure Van, you look expendible, go play in the forest by yourself with the genocidal gnomes…”
  Alusair: “Whats with the oil, mate?” (at Shen)
  Shenvallei: “No idea, I was grasping at straws.” I put the oil away carefully.
  Arothir: Combat seems to be over for now
  Arothir: and Van doesn’t look like he’s going out into the forest by himself
  Shenvallei: I stand up and dust myself off.
  Alusair: “Somebody talk to that guardsman, find out what he knows.”
  Shenvallei: “He looks pretty badly hurt.”
  Shenvallei: “Can you do anything for him?”
  Arothir: The guardsman rolls over
  Shenvallei: Ill head over and offer him some water.
  Alusair: “Not today, mate.”
  Arothir: Man: Huh…son, don’t worry about me…I’ve been through worse.”
  
• Alusair puts an arm around Jess, “You OK?” She still keeps an eye out towards the tree-line. *
  Shenvallei: “Amusing how humans think we elves are so young isnt it Al? Good man here have some water. We are friends.”
  Arothir: Jess seems to be pretty okayu
  Arothir: Although she doesn’t seem to like being around the dead bodies
  Arothir: The man accepts your water
  Shenvallei: “Glad you both are safe.” To Alusair and Jesebel.
  Arothir: Man: Huh, so good old Alfred finally got through and sent reinforcements… I thought the damn buggers had gotten him… I had all but given up hope.
  Shenvallei: “If you call our small group reinforcements. What happened here?”
  Shenvallei: “Alfred did not explain fully.”
  Arothir: ”...well, these gnomes…they uh…came and slaughtered our poor little village… a few of us fought them off, but we’ve dwindled over the years…”
  Arothir: “I’m all that’s left of our peacefull little hamlet, 5 years ago…”
  Arothir: Spot check, Morgan
  Alusair: [1d20+5<!- Official Roll ->] => [19,5] = (24)
  Arothir: You notice some movement, closer to the building.
  Shenvallei: “What do you mean 5 years ago. Is that when the Hamlet was founded?”
  Alusair: “Uh.. boys? Hate to break things up..”
  Arothir: “Yes…it’s when we first arrived here..”
  
• Alusair kisses Jess quickly, “Watch yourself, I think even you’d have trouble making darts look fashionable.” She lets go of the girl, shifting her sword to her main hand. *
  Alusair: “Somethings working its way in, gents. Not sure how many.”
  Shenvallei: Ill head over to Al and take a look.
  Arothir: You head over to where Al is and take a look
  Arothir: The man begins to reload his crossbow
  Arothir: Spot checks?
  Shenvallei: [1d20<!- Official Roll ->] => [5] = (5)
  Shenvallei: +3
  Shenvallei: +4 that is
  Alusair: [1d20+5<!- Official Roll ->] => [4,5] = (9)
  Shenvallei: woot pair of 9s
  Arothir: You two both see the man sprout a small hatchet from his throat, as well as a small font of blood
  Arothir: You see this equally well
  Arothir: As six little…gray…evil looking gnomes clamber over the dead bodies
  Arothir: Carrying all manner of mean cutlery
  Arothir: they all have blowguns, although they are currently belted
  Alusair: Hmm.. quaint
  Arothir: Initiatives!
  Alusair: [1d20+2<!- Official Roll ->] => [2,2] = (4)
  Alusair: ...
  Alusair: I’ll just go last, shall I?
  Shenvallei: [1d20+4<!- Official Roll ->] => [12,4] = (16)
  Arothir: lawl
  Arothir: [1d20+2<!- Official Roll ->] => [17,2] = (19) Van
  Arothir: Van leaps straight up into the air, the remainder of the roof blocking what you can see, but moments later, he rockets down, planting his halberd straight down into the head of one of the emaciated gnomes, causing…a mess.
  Arothir: Shen!
  Arothir: 5 Monkies remain
  Shenvallei: Scorching ray on the monkey nearest me.
  Arothir: Alright
  Arothir: Damage? Save?
  Arothir: I’m lazy and not wanting to look it up
  Shenvallei: dont know let me read it
  Shenvallei: 4d6 and no save but it requires a ranged touch attack
  Shenvallei: whatever that is
  Shenvallei: any idea?
  Arothir: Roll a touch attack
  Alusair: ranged touch attack.
  Alusair: attack roll
  Arothir: d20+BaB+dex?
  Alusair: dex and BaB applies
  Shenvallei: whats bab
  Alusair: base attack bonus
  Shenvallei: oh like a bow
  Arothir: ...sort of
  Arothir: lol
  Alusair: yes
  Alusair: or any other ranged attack
  Alusair: the only reason the fact that its a ranged touch attack matters
  Arothir: minus…one that doesn’t.
  Alusair: is that armor doesn’t apply
  Arothir: da
  Alusair: just dex, magic bonuses, etc
  Shenvallei: [1d20+5<!- Official Roll ->] => [6,5] = (11)
  Arothir: The ray of flame lances past the indicated gnome, but strikes one nearby!
  Arothir: Roll damage
  Shenvallei: [4d6<!- Official Roll ->] => [3,6,3,3] = (15)
  Arothir: One of the poor little gnomes bursts into flames
  Arothir: Gibbering uninteligably before collapsing
  Arothir: MORGAN
  Arothir: GO!
  Alusair: [1d20+6<!- Official Roll ->] => [17,6] = (23)
  Alusair: [1d10+6+3+6<!- Official Roll ->] => [7,6,3,6] = (22)
  Alusair: attack and damage
  Alusair: lord but I love two handers
  Arothir: Alusair steps forward, cleanly lopping off the head of one of the gnomes, but…well…how clean IS that anyway?
  Shenvallei: hehe
  Arothir: The GNOMES ATTACK
  Arothir: One of them swings at Van, his axe bouncing off his chestpiece, another stabs at Shen, but only manages to tear clothing, and a third looks at Alusair and wets itself
  Shenvallei: hehe
  Alusair: Huh.
  Arothir: Van manages to get his halberd stuck in one of the remaining three.
  Arothir: Shen?
  Shenvallei: Ill draw my blade and take a stab at the one that attacked me.
  Arothir: YOU STAB!
  Shenvallei: “Ai-Ya!” [1d20+1<!- Official Roll ->] => [9,1] = (10)
  Arothir: ...
  Arothir: As much as it pains me to say it
  Arothir: Shen’s attack of suprise catches the creature so off guard
  Arothir: Roll damage
  Shenvallei: lol [1d6<!- Official Roll ->] => [5] = (5)
  Arothir: ...Shen slays one of the vile gnomes!
  Arothir: Morgan!
  Alusair: [1d20+6<!- Official Roll ->] => [8,6] = (14)
  Arothir: ...that’ll hit.
  Alusair: [1d10+6+3+6<!- Official Roll ->] => [8,6,3,6] = (23)
  Arothir: The final gnome is cleft in twain.
  Arothir: Whatever a twain is.
  Arothir: Van sets about cleaning his Halberd with some of the rags they had on it.
  Shenvallei: hehe always wondered that myself.
  Alusair: the answer would be “old english” meaning two
  
• Alusair sniffs idly at the blood on her sword, making a face before wiping it off with a rag. *
  Arothir: Sniff check
  Arothir: or Con
  Alusair: [1d20+5<!- Official Roll ->] => [13,5] = (18) sniff, [1d20+0<!- Official Roll ->] => [15,0] = (15) con
  Alusair: :P
  Arothir: You don’t gag.
  Arothir: The blood is…putrid…at best.
  Arothir: You find it doesn’t come off easily, either
  Shenvallei: “What caused these gnomes to go insane in the first place?”
  Arothir: Van shrugs
  Shenvallei: Is the guard dead/
  Arothir: “Power? Greed? Sorcery? What causes anything to go insane?”
  Arothir: If he’s not dead, he’s having trouble talking because his vocal cords are cut
  Shenvallei: “Can anyone help him, I have no idea how to mend a wound.”
  Arothir: Van leans down and feels the man’s neck gingerly. “If you’re wanting to get more information out of this one, you best hope your prayers are strong.”
  Alusair: “Dead?”
  Arothir: he nods
  Arothir: “Probably better off for it too… can you imagine living in this nightmare?”
  Shenvallei: Search his body.
  Arothir: You do so
  Arothir: You find he pulled the machete from the wall when he moved into position
  Arothir: You find a heavy crossbow
  Arothir: No discernable armor
  Arothir: a map
  Arothir: a compass
  Alusair: “Lovely, ain’t it? Well, here’s the question then..”
  Arothir: A small painting of a woman, worn by age
  Arothir: And a hand crossbow
  Alusair: “Do we stay and try to deal with these gnomes, or move on?”
  Shenvallei: Take the map/compass/painting and inspect each of them carefully.
  Arothir: You do so
  Arothir: The painting, at a guess, would be the man’s wife, although she looks decidedly very much too attractive for him, as well as…uh…revealed.
  Shenvallei: “We should at the very least set the bodies ablaze.”
  Arothir: Van shrugs complacently.
  Shenvallei: Open the map.
  Alusair: “Set them ablaze, is it? And make it even more apparent that we’re here?”
  Arothir: You open the map
  Arothir: You see the village circled in red
  Arothir: with ad-hoc defensive positions drawn
  Arothir: you see several arrows pointing in the direction of the village
  Arothir: From a much larger town down the coast
  Arothir: You also see arrows pointing away from the village, all in a straight line, a short distance to the north
  Shenvallei: Hmm.
  Arothir: To a tri-circled point on the map
  Arothir: Knowledge check?
  Shenvallei: anything in the center of the circle?
  Arothir: History would probably work
  Arothir: Newp
  Alusair: These arrows..
  Shenvallei: Dont have knowledge history.
  Alusair: they start outside the town
  Alusair: and point in towards it?
  Arothir: Yes.
  Alusair: “Attack routes, most likely?”
  Alusair: “Avenues left open in the defenses to draw them in?”
  Shenvallei: “Yes but the arrows are comming from the town down the coast.”
  Shenvallei: “I doubt the gnomes are comming from there.”
  Shenvallei: “Gnomes usually dont frequent human cities. Then again maybe the town isnt human.”
  Alusair: “Hmm… in which case it could be that the attacks started there, the population fell back here..”
  Alusair: “But then why would anyone still be here..”
  Alusair: “I think we need to investigate the larger town.. as well as whatever those circles is.”
  Shenvallei: “We will have to investigate both areas.”
  Alusair: Time of day?
  Shenvallei: “Ill follow your decision as to where to go first. I need to meditate.”
  Arothir: It’s Probably 3
  Shenvallei: I let Zola out of the familiar pocket and tell her to keep an eye on the area warning me if anything approaches. Ill then rememorize.
  Shenvallei: New spell list will be whispered to you.
  Arothir: Alright
  Arothir: Luna?
  Arothir: Or Zola?
  Arothir: What?
  Arothir: :P
  Shenvallei: Luna right
  Shenvallei: sorry
  Arothir: It’s fine
  Shenvallei: thats my other cat name
  Arothir: Two cats, lawl
  Arothir: :P
  Arothir: Van hops up and perches on the charred roof
  Arothir: ”...hey, Alusair?”
  Alusair: “Hmm?”
  Arothir: Van hops back down
  Arothir: With a strange device in his hands…well, not overly strange…
  Arothir: It appears to be a tripod with a mount on the top
  Alusair: Investigate..
  Arothir: After some poking about
  Arothir: You find that the crossbow has a similar mount
  Arothir: And that they fit together quite nicely
  Alusair: “Interesting…”
  Arothir: Jess: ...cute!
  Arothir: You sit and wait for Shen?
  Alusair: Nothing else to do
  Shenvallei: I rise head over as soon as Im done.
  Arothir: You do so
  Arothir: Although, how long does a re-memorize take?
  Shenvallei: checking
  Arothir: It may be best for you to spend the night
  Alusair: ...yeah.
  Shenvallei: 2 hours.
  Shenvallei: 1 for memorize
  Shenvallei: 1 for re-mem
  Arothir: Okay
  Shenvallei: I look up at the sky.
  Arothir: So, do you set up watches?
  Shenvallei: Does it look like the same sky as home?
  Alusair: depends.. we staying here?
  Alusair: for the night?
  

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Return to Session Six – Part One

Continue to Session Six – Part Three