[Game Thread] In Search of the Unknown

[Solomon777]

Esmarine smiles a return to Argus’s reasoning.

The two of them travel for several minutes more, once the cowering goblin is out of sight. The metallic ting-ting has withered to a faint whisper in the north. Glancing about, Esmarine acts as if she could sense something. She quickly looked from one direction the next.

 

Perceptions Dice Esmarine: 1d20+3 (6)+3 Total = 9 Please check Argus’s Perception and we can head into the next phase.

[JasonWFD]

Dice Perception:

1d20+2

(19)+2

Total = 21

[Solomon777]

Argus’s keen eyes pick out the moss-covered frame of a moss-laden, darkwood perimeter wall with its poles sharpened at the ends. The crude structure is toppled, and rested several paces away, yet upon closer inspection it appears to have been the beginning to a pathway. The rest of the rough wall has been lost to time and nature. Beyond the wall’s fallen archway, is what appears to be a wide animal trail. Argus’ innate ability at stonework, discovers the paved stones below a thin covering of moss. It’s a path.

Esmarine follows Argus’ gaze and puts her own mind to work. “It’s trapped, Argus.” She motions to a bend in the trees closest the trail. It takes little for Argus to see what Esmarine has seen, a snare has been set, to trap whatever enters via the trail. The snare would hoist any would-be victim off it’s feet, given the victim was of standard humanoid size. Argus can see the snare is either a fake or its broken. He's seen the hunters of the Consortium set snares to catch food before and this one is all wrong.

The forest around the aged path is thick and almost impenetrable; it can still be hacked through if your persistent enough.

[JasonWFD]

Dice Survival to find an easier way around?:

1d20+8

(4)+8

Total = 12

[Solomon777]

Argus has been near this section of the Darkmoon Vale only once, a few years ago. At the time the Lumber Consortium sectioned this area off for later cutting, for the entire region was thick with growth. The only are that Argus knows for sure that might be a way around is about twenty kilometers to the southeast.

The ting-ting of the Slave’s Song, is scant on the wind beyond the growth, but there is another sound with the metallic ring … an ever-so-subtle melodic tune; to dwarf ears the deep sounds of dwarfsong cannot be mistaken.

Esmarine looked at the wall of foliage and with attempts to peer into the growth. “What say you, Argus? Should we cut through or is there another way?”

She sighed, “We have come far to be turned away by plants.”

[JasonWFD]

Argus Argus paused for a second to listen more closely to the music on the wind. "The song you spoke of still rings, faintly. But there's something else. Another song. It's familiar, but I'm not sure why I hear it." He then pulls out his axe, and looks for the best place to start swathing a path around the trapped area. "It's still to the north, around here." The axe swung, and Argus started clearing a path.

[Solomon777]

Argus drove blade into the underbrush at an area that appeared to be safe from possible traps. Esmarine, who possessed a simple dagger turned to keep her eyes and ears alert should anything approach the noise from the clearing operations.

She cast a simple ward over the ground to their rear, “Erthak inertiumi … “ She returned to a position at Argus’ rear, “It’s not much, but hopefully it would keep our goblinoid friends at bay if they were to come behind us.”

Argus sufficiently hacked an area large enough to pass safely over the next half-an-hour, and the two were soon on their way. The metallic tinging sound had been completely replaced by the dwarf song, and it grew stronger in volume, yet there was something peculiar about it.

“What is that, that music?” Esmarine whispered.

The sky began to lighten; the sun was going to rise soon. Birds began a song from high in the trees and Esmarine warned, “Their song is one of warning, the birds.” She motions up into the trees.

Ahead, past a slight wall of vinery sits the mouth of a cave set into a low, earthen mound. Beyond, the mound it appears the forest simply falls away; Argus and Esmarine can see that they must be atop a ledge.

By sweeping aside some of the vines and branches, the opening becomes easily accessible. The wide opening leads to a short corridor a large wooden door that can barely be seen in the growing light.

 

Passive Checks Dice Esmarine Perception: 1d20+3 (14)+3 Total = 17

[JasonWFD]

Dice Perception:

1d20+2

(20)+2

Total = 22

[Solomon777]

The glint of light alerts Argus to the unnatural within this deep region of natures ever existing fingers. The glint revealed the form of a polished sword blade beyond the edge of the undergrowth. Subtly the blade moved, something had to be holding that blade.

Quickly two figures burst from the bushes. Both of them appeared human, taller than Argus and Esmarine, possibly male, but their faces were covered in black masks. “Yer valuables o’yer life!” barked one welding the polished sword. The other said nothing and wielded a crossbow. They have not crossed the area of ground where Esmarine had cast her ward, yet.

[JasonWFD]

Argus Argus was expecting something to go foul, and he was right. The one bandit spoke his obvious threat and brandished a sword. These were not like the goblins from before, and they were not running away. "Wrong choice," Argus said flatly as he mentally checked his grip on his greataxe. With a sudden burst of movement, the dwarf Dice Greataxe charging attack vs. sword bandit: 1d20+5 (9)+5 Total = 14 1d12+3 (8)+3 Total = 11 charged forward at the closest adversary, the one with the sword, and swung at him with a mighty downward arc.

 

HP/Max	AC	Fort	Reflex	Will	Wielding	Status
13/13	14 (16-2 from charge)	+5	+2	+2	Greataxe	Normal

[Solomon777]

Argus buried his axe blade into the swordsman with all the force of a woodsman and dropped the brash bandit where he stood.

The Crossbowman stuttered screaming, “Uthah!” at the instant felling of his partner and fired into the dwarf with his light crossbow and immediately began to reload. The shot slammed into the ground several feet from Argus.

Esmarine uttered an incantation and a spark flew from her fingers at the Crossbowman, slamming into his chest. He continued to reload, damaged but not deterred.

 

Argus I grabbed a generic pic from the web, but if you have another, more preferred please let me know.

Swordsman He is currently negative hit points, but he is not yet dead. I do run NPC damage as if they were PC's with a 'death's door' window.

[JasonWFD]

Argus "Learn from his mistakes." Argus turned towards the crossbowman and stood still for a second, then suddenly leapt - more horizontal than vertical - at the remaining bandit. He swung his large axe again, with the same practiced overhead arc, but this time he Dice Sunder attempt - CMB attack vs. CMD: 1d20+3 (12)+3 Total = 15 1d12+3 (8)+3 Total = 11 aimed for crossbow instead of the man.

[Solomon777]

Argus’ axe split the body of the crossbow and the now-weaponless crossbowman staggered back a step. His hands stung with the hit and his chest stained with the magic missile that had found his center. He staggered a second step and turned to flee without a word. This was evidently not the score he or his partner had thought of when they awoke this morning.



Esmarine inquired with an indifferent tone, “Should we let him escape? He could come at our backs later, retribution for his fallen bastard-friend.”

[JasonWFD]

Argus Argus lets the man run. "If he does, he won't receive mercy again." After waiting for the fleeing bandit to fall out of sight and earshot, Argus points to the dead human on the ground. "You can check him for useful things or money. I'm going to find out where they came from." He then began trying to Dice Survival: 1d20+8 (15)+8 Total = 23 find signs or tracks that would show how the bandits got here.

[Solomon777]

The fleeing highwayman doesn’t slow his steps as he thrashes into the underbrush. Considering the noise, the man was making, he either did not care about anything he might run into, or there was something else that made this section of the forest somewhat less threatening. Of course, Argus’ message could have been enough motivation to spark the man’s lack of care.

Esmarine nods, “Right.” and moves to the dead swordsman. She notices Argus’s move to departure and asks, “Wait, where are you off to?”

Argus notes a shallow clearing where it appears the two had hidden in wait. There is a travel pack sitting at the far edge of the small clearing. Argus is still within sight of Esmarine, but far enough into the underbrush to affectively hide. Inspection of the pack reveals a roughly drawn map with a signature on the bottom, its faded and hard to read. There is also wrapped mutton and cheese and one wineskin. Tied to a tether inside the pack is a silver ring. Beyond the clearing Argus spots a narrow animal trail leading away into the brush.

Esmarine calls out quietly, "He's got a few gold, but nothing extraordinary ... Argus, he also had a Lumber Consortium badge that was covered under his cloak."