Game Thread Master of the Fallen Fortress - Page 2

Brian · #16 Jul 24th, 2021, 01:30 AM

Argonar

"Right then, it's settled. If we need to we can rotate whose riding to keep anyone from getting tired. Pleasure doing business with you Lady McGee." Argonar walks over to Dorin, opening his scroll cases. "Here, I got these for you. I did some reading, Scroll of Expeditious Retreatthis one here makes you move faster for a bit, in case you need to get away from something, or towards something. And Scroll of Cloak of Secretsthis one lets us have a private discussion if people are watching, or something like that. I thought they might be useful to you, to use or write in your book." He then turns to Gilda and pulls out his last scroll, "And Scroll of Cure Light Woundsthis one here can help heal anyone that gets hurt, seems best in your hands Gilda." he rubs the back of his neck under his hair, "And that's all I've got for now."

Icereach · #17 Jul 24th, 2021, 02:36 PM

Always Bigger than You AssumeEyeing Argonar oddly, the girl dipped her head in an obviously confused manner, then scratched at her skull. When the big man turned away to consult with Dorin, McGee shrugged and gave one of the donkeys a friendly pat on the neck. She then opened the stalls simultaneously, grabbed both beasts by their halters, and led them calmly down the alley to the covered object with the shiny wheels.

Uncovering the contraption revealed it to be much larger and roomier than any would have previously assumed. An open-aired sled with low sides that rolled on three axles, the cab sported three rows of surprisingly comfortable looking benches. The monstrous thing seemed far too heavy for two jacks to pull unaided but the young girl hitched them to the front confidently. After a moment straightening harness and tress, she climbed up on one bench and drove the beasts forward with her clear, sharp voice. The cab rolled across the cobbles with ease.

When she came level with the Foundlings once more the young girl looked down smuggly and held out her palm for recompense.

Amarga · #18 Jul 26th, 2021, 07:28 PM

Henry

Henry gave a low whistle and grinned widely as he saw the contraption wheeled out. He jokingly asked Argonar, "You got a scroll of invisibility tucked away in those cases somewhere?"

Whether or not he recieved a response he walked up to McGee and counted out 10 gold coins for her, "We're in your hands, mistress of Donkrell."
He hopped aboard and waved to the other foundlings, "Let's get movin'! I can't wait to see what's waiting for us in that tower!"

Brian · #19 Jul 26th, 2021, 08:12 PM

Argonar

Argonar grimly looks into his scroll case, before pronouncing, "I thought I did, but damn if I can see it!" he chuckles to himself while waiting to boost Dorin and Gilda up, if they need the help, before signaling to Anja, taking up position on the right side of the cart, gripping the sideboard with his left hand, ready to set off.

Sorcerious · #20 Jul 27th, 2021, 08:09 PM

Dorin

"Thank you!" Dorin said gratefully accepting the offered scrolls and tucking them into his case after a moments examination. "If I do not use them today I will add them to the book so we have access later." After a brief pause he looked at Argonar and asked "You don't think we will need to make a quick escape today do you?"

He gave their new ride an appraising look. Addressing their host Dorin gestured at the low sides and asked "I don't believe I have seen this exact style of carriage before, is it a regional preference or do you have some expertise in custom designs? " With a nod to Argonar's offered hand he pulled himself up into the cart without help and when their host was not looking signed to Henry and Gilda "The seats above an axle will have a bumpy ride". He seated himself in a spot that was not above an axle and admired the workmanship. He made a point of paying attention to how the ride felt as they began moving, something about how the carriage rolled made him wonder if there was not more to their ride then met the eye. Normally large wagons such as this lurched significantly more and required more animals to move easily. It is possible it was just really well made and if that was the case he would still be happy to see it in action.

GeneT · #21 Jul 27th, 2021, 08:23 PM

To the Stacks

Near the gate, as the Donkrell gets moving, Anja lets it pass before stepping onto a rear rail and hitching a ride like a urchin of the street. She watches as they move through the gate and thickness of the walls. Eventually, as the city become smaller and smaller, Anja will hoist herself over the rear gate and roll into one of the back seats.

As they move through whatever comes, she looks out and investigates their surrounding. Catching landmarks and sights.

Icereach · #22 Jul 29th, 2021, 11:29 PM

A Road Between TowersMcGee waited dispassionately as the Foundlings arranged themselves to their comfort, idly chewing on her lip and occasionally glancing across the crowded square to best gauge their pace. For their parts the donkeys stamped in restless boredom, with the occasional twitch of an ear or tail to dissipate their restless energy. If the overly large carriage looked near comical before, tethered to the jacks that stood shoulder to chest with the average human, it now bordered on obscene.

After the group had settled and found a decent center of balance, McGee clicked out of the side of her mouth and the ponderous-looking cart rolled forward smoothly. The animals didn't show any sign of unusual strain, while their pace remained even and unhurried. Though her hands occasionally toyed with the thin cords attached to the traces, the girl did very little in the way of actual steering. The donkeys knew where they were going, and how fast they could get there in the crowd.

Leather and padding, cleverly hidden in the undercarriage, did much to diminish the discomfort for passengers. The shock of each individual cobble was impossible to entirely banish, however, exacerbated by the amount of time they were forced to spend crossing it. Six axels and no hinges doesn't make for tight turns. By the time the cab approached the gate, the guards had long seen them coming.

The girl was, apparently, not only immediately recognized but awarded some measure of privilege in passing through the gate. She bypassed the customary search with a congenial wave, never slowing their progress. As they passed, one guard peeled off to walk beside them the short distance to the outer portcullis.

"Keep to the main road with the turistas, eh, Bobbie? Lotta traffic out that way lately with that tower and all. Not all of it the honest smellin' type, you got me?" At the girl's absent-minded nod, the woman rolled her eyes and slipped back to her post. The girl rolled her eyes as soon as the guard was out of range and muttered under her breath. The word 'bloodsuckers' distinctly emerged amid the jumbled mush of her gerund-laden street speak.

Once they cleared the last of the town's immediate fortifications, McGee clicked her tongue again and the cab picked up pace.

*

The tower was visible from quite a distance off, truth be told. The real problem lay in getting there. Though only a mile of earth separated the old siege castle from the city walls, that earth was ripped and torn and pitted as if some angry god had fallen from the sky aflame and smote the earth in their agony. To call it passable by foot was to assume a fair bit of athleticism and constitution. Instead a well traveled, hard-packed road of pounded stone wound almost directly north, veering sharply away from their target.

If there was a scenic route through the Cairnlands, this seemed to be it. Though the donkeys pulled the heavy cart along at a better clip than their size suggested, that speed shied just north of plodding. The road itself wound through several miles of desolate, broken land, though none as tortured as that to the south. Its route ran more north than westerly for a good ways before finally curving around to come near the Fallen Fortress from the rear. In all the journey took around two hours - time free of any real distraction after their first awe-inspiring encounter with one of the legendary towers.

The landscape was fair littered with the abandoned husks, and they ranged in size from simple turrets to impressive fortifications. Following the main road as advised, their guide took them past many of the most famous in the region. Knowledge many members of the party would be happy to indulge in... Had she bothered to share. McGee's face had long grown still and even and while not exactly taciturn, communicative was not an apt description of the girl.

A bend in the road and poorly located fortress in miniature hid much of the approach to their destination. Once they cleared the bend, however, the massive structure popped into sharp relief against the open sky behind it. The Fallen Fortress itself, one wall gashed open as the earthquake rent its very foundations, stood tall and proud and somehow domineering, standing apart from the rest of its varied kin.

The assumption had been that they would be alone in the challenging the tower. This proved false the minute the unhurried jacks tower them close enough to see clearly. Immediately in front of it was packed a large wagon with a variety of tools and plenty of empty space; leaning against it was a man in a rusty brigandine, simple conical helm strapped to his head, idly trimming his nails with a dagger. A pair of true horses stood off to one side, tethered, feed bags strapped around their long muzzles.

Their route had ruined any chance of the group arriving unnoticed; indeed, the man straightened up immediately. Even at this distance it was impossible not to notice his hand resting on a scabbarded sword at his hip. Nevertheless, McGee pulled the cart to a stop just outside of easy shouting distance and glanced back questioningly at the group.

"Doing of the thinking?"

*art by Steven Belledin

Brian · #23 Jul 30th, 2021, 05:19 AM

Argonar

Argonar spent the ride to the tower splitting his time between taking in the landscape they were travelling through and looking suspiciously at the back of McGee's head and the cart they rode on. Something didn't square between the urchin, the elaborate cart, and the small livestock pulling the load. Was she a house agent? In the employ of some larger organization? Discovered a Donkrell super-food? She didn't seem talkative and he doubted he'd get a straight answer, so he let it lie.

As the cart and its guard came into view, Argonar wasn't disheartened. Kurgess taught that competition was good, and if they had to race another team for the medallion, so much the better! Still, as the wagon came to a halt, he Perception 16scanned the area looking for other soldiers, archers, or anything out of place.

Leaving his backpack with his crossbow in the cart, he hopped off the wagon and held his empty hands up to show he was unarmed. "Greetings! By the Fleet-Footed, you got off to an early start, well done! My friends and I are just going to pop in and see what we can find, we've no intention to hurt you. Tower's big enough for two teams, you reckon?"

Icereach · #24 Jul 30th, 2021, 03:21 PM

DirectionLet me get a Perception check from everyone.

Sorcerious · #25 Jul 31st, 2021, 07:17 PM

Dorin

"Look, at that tower! That tattered flag looks like it might be from the 3rd imperial siege. oh oh! guys that tower is huge and it looks like dwarven engineering on the support buttress's!" Riding with Dorin was not that dissimilar to riding with a young child. He even had trouble staying seated when looking at some of the more exciting ruins. "Maybe we can come back and explore after we have finished our mission?" he said to nobody in particular. It was not until their guide turned around that he realized something was up and adopted a quieter stance though he still had trouble keeping his focus with all the interesting debris around them.

Amarga · #26 Jul 31st, 2021, 08:42 PM

Henry

Henry was leaning back in his seat with his eyes half open, partially dozing and partially enjoying the ride. The rumble of the cart, the amusing way this strange girl was so regarded by the guards, the array of old ruins and fortifications. It all blended together into one enjoyable trip tied together by the ambient drone of rumbling cobbles and Dorin's excited, low pitch chatter.
This whole thing was doing wonders to help him work of the remnants of last night's escapades.

So when the cart stopped a half-awake Henry started with a snort and stared around blearily, to try to guage the mood of the stranger. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes Henry asked, "Is that another guide? Competition?" He peered around at the landscape and stretched his jaw, "Are we there yet?"

GeneT · #27 Aug 3rd, 2021, 08:00 PM

Under a grey sky

The sky was grey and the land broken. Anja lay back, lounging sidelong on the rear seat, head in the lap of whatever brother or sister had joined her in the back. She was probably alone though given that she still had yet washed and stunk. But, a seat for one is a seat for one and that was fine by her. She watched the grey sky move above, searching it at times for hovering scavengers or other signs of high eyes watching the ground for running moles and mice or the carcasses of larger things. Now and then, as they came into view of a new ruin, she popped up on her elbows and looked about before settling back down.

Tired from a night out, an engagement, and too much drinking, Anja rested. Eventually, her breathing softened and she smiled quirkily as some dream settled into her. In time, she even murmured unintelligible words until sighing deeply and becoming quiet. Argonar and Henry's voices woke her just as much as the stopping of the carriage. She sat up and stretch, better off than she had been when they had left the gates. She remembers thinking it odd the guards would search people leaving, but she figured they were grifters with uniforms more than anything else. The price to pay for safety was letting those in charge steal openly from everyone.

Sliding from the opposite side of the carriage than Argonar, Anja eases forward, pretending to be just stretching her legs. Her eyes are bright and she is well-rested. Small and likely discounted, she let Argonar do the talking. If the man put up a fuss, she'd stay quiet unless that fuss became more than it should.

Icereach · #28 Aug 5th, 2021, 06:16 AM

A Word from PaizoThe ruined siege castle now being called the Fallen Fortress rises out of the churned earth of the Cairnlands. No doors or windows mar the otherwise smooth expanse of the tower's walls. The itself is quatrefoil in plan; its eastern wing has largely collapsed, exposing the interior floors to the open air. Only the topmost level seems hole, though its eastern portion hands precariously over the mountain of rubble left by the collapse. At ground level, the rubble frames a gaping hole in the side of the building that provides access to the tower's darkened interior.

Footsteps on the HardpanAs Argonar exited the carriage and closed the distance with the other scavenger and potential partner, three large forms stirred and then sallied forth from their resting area beneath the man's cart. Seemingly the size of ponies, the burly white dogs bore coats dappled in inky black and slate grey, heavy-jawed muscles, and canines like daggers. They surrounded the scale-clad man in three easy bounds and gave the friendly young man an unfriendly grin in return.

Then another player joined the game.

As the devout of Kurgess raised his voice to offer a pact, and his found family moved in their own ways to support him, the air behind Argonar shimmered like heat haze. Out of the distortion stepped an unassuming man of indeterminate age, wearing notably modest robes that left his shape somewhat obscured. Anja, perhaps, got the best view of the man from her vantage, brief glimpse that it was. Round cheeks and a faintly pallid complexion, he could have fit in near anywhere half-elves peopled and passed unremarked as a member of any crowd.

"No, I don't 'reckon', child of Ejlvajn," the man hissed hatefully, his lips uncomfortably close to Argonar's ear. The world seemed to slow to the space between heart-beats as the man's fleshy hand fell on the young champion's shoulder. With that, the world went black.

Less than a heartbeat the Foundlings spent in timeless blank space. The world then flitted seamlessly back into motion. Though none had moved from their respective positions, it was clear the world had changed. The man who thought to accost Argonar with his bare hand had vanished into the ether once more. Though the snarling dogs stood their challenge unmoving, the man they flanked now stood sneering at the party wielding a short sword, and his size rapidly doubled. Most telling of all, perhaps, was that though McGee and her cabby remained -and the young girl's confused expression indicated she was just as mystified as the orphans- the other party's cart had mysteriously disappeared.

It didn't look like talking was going to get them out of this one.

DirectionRoll for initiative!

Icereach · #29 Aug 9th, 2021, 05:08 PM

Dog 1 [D1]

The lead guard dog, seemingly well-trained in group combat by its master, gnashed a menacing set of teeth but held its ground. The beast clearly wasn't going to attack on its own... But its packmates were already in motion.

ActionsDelay turn until after D2

DirectionWe're going to try this first combat posting in Initiative order. Try to keep your entries short, but don't feel like you need to sacrifice quality all together. The grid, as per usual, represents five foot squares. Make sure you continue to indicate your Actions clearly, separate from the narration, and link your rolls back to your posts. I'll update the map at the top of the round, so read back as necessary to ensure you've got enemy and ally positions right when you take your turns.

If your action provokes a counter reaction (say from a readied attack or an attack of opportunity), carry out your action as if it would not. I will jump in to respond before the next player goes, barring life getting in the way. I know this will disrupt the narrative somewhat, which is why we're doing this with the first combat. I'm dedicating extra time in the evenings specifically to this game, so I'm trying to keep our pace up. I can almost guarantee that we'll do something different for the next combat; I'm just establishing a baseline.

Combat Table

Order	Status	Defenses	Conditions
Dorin (D)	8/8	12/12/11	None
Henry (H)	8/8	14/13/11	None
Dog 2 (D2)	Full	?/?/?	?
Dog 1 (D1)	Full	?/?/?	?
Dog 3 (D3)	Full	?/?/?	?
Human Enemy 1 (HE1)	Full	?/?/?	?
Anja (AB)	11/11	17/14/13	None
Gilda (G)	10/10	19/10/19	None
Argonar (A)	12/12	17/14/14	?

Sorcerious · #30 Aug 10th, 2021, 08:22 PM

Dorin

Hold

Dorin will Delay his action until after Argonar

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