[Game Thread] Chapter 1 - The Dark Highway

[tomplum]

The Highway Song "Another day, another collar After I sing and holler Oh it's my way of livin' And I can't change a thing In another town is drawing near Oh baby I wish you were here But the only way I can see you darlin' Is in my dreams It's a highway song You sing it on and on On and on Yeah the hurt you leave behind Is the hurt that's on your mind Oh and last night sure took it's toll on me Well the sky’s lights fly by me As I lay my body in my bed Oh and dreams of you flash through my head It's a highway song You sing it on and on On and on Highway song It's as long as As the road I'm on" The dwarf's low baritone echoed off the slopes of the Empty Hills not two days removed from Morynhill. His thick red hair was pulled back into a pony tail and hung down into his face mixing with a coarse red beard. His wide mouth rarely cracked a smile except when he glanced back at his captives and thought about the coin he would get for capturing them. He was armed to the teeth with a spike shield, large battle axe, shortsword and dagger all within arm’s reach. A breastplate could be seen under his faded green cloak and his legs were covered in dusty brown leggings. Thirdrin’s brother, Thofror, was just as armed and ill-tempered as his sibling. His hair was black and worn in two cords split down the middle by a bald scalp. While he did not sport a beard, he wore his facial hair as two giant mutton chops down his cheeks. Scalemail protruded from under a black cloak of bear fur. He had a battle axe to match his brother’s and a dagger stashed in a sheath against his chest. Thofror, carried no sword, however, opting for a shortbow and a buckler. A fine haul the brothers had found for themselves. There was a young rapscallion named Drake who was wanted for murder, kidnapping and arson. He was tall, svelte and dashing. A lethal combination if his rap sheet were anything to go by. A blackmailed noble wanted the man's head and was willing to pay well for it. Another prisoner in the wagon was a scorned woman wanted for murdering her lover. She was a human woman of average stature and slight build. She was in her late twenties or perhaps early thirties with sun-touched skin and dark brown hair. Simply dressed and barefoot, she wore a necklace adorned with a seashell, a rarity in this corner of the world, around her neck. Normally her crime wouldn't warrant bounty hunters but what the woman may not have known was that while the boy's mother may have been just some poor farmer, his father was a local sorghum baron of some renown located just outside Ballinton. While the boy was a bastard, the father took his murder as no less of a slight and placed a sizable bounty for the girl's return. The true prize of the wagon, according to the dwarven brothers, was a deserter and murderer named Kieran DanLuthar, a former Knight of the Spear wanted for killing fellow soldiers and leaving his post at Dun Finas. He had the hints of a man who had once been as dashing and sauve as Drake with sparkling blue eyes firm set jaw line. A large jagged scar of puckered flesh dragged across his left cheek causing his upper lip into a permanent leer. His hair had been shorn off near the scalp and he wore a scruffy beard over his gaunt face. His armor, which he still wore, showed signs of care and a holy symbol to Evelyn still hung from his neck. His cloak was fastened with an amber broach carved in the likeness of a phoenix. A spear which had been in his possession was now nestled safely away on the back of a mule named Sally along with any other weapons the dwarven brothers had found on their prisioners. As dusk approached the cart and its dwarven waggoneers rolled up to an old orcish ruin known as Galganatha. Myth and legend claimed it was an altar to an orcish horned god of unknown identity. Humans captured during the war were brought there to offer as sacrifices to the evil divinity. It now served as a meeting place for bounty hunters, slavers, and smugglers. This night did not disappoint as members of all three foul professions found reason to be present.

A troublemaker with secret knowledge and an unexpected visitor Shishia awoke to find her hands and legs tied to a pole being carried on the shoulders of two humans. She was a dark skinned halfling with long braided black hair tied up in simple copper bands, one of the mysterious Ghostwise, a hidden people who dwelt in a secret settlement in the northern reaches of the Empty Hills where the conifers began to grow on the mountainsides. Noticing their captive had awoken, the man behind her who could see her face, spoke. ”Eh, finally done raging about. Like a rabid kitten ya are. Funny ya comes into camp looking fer the same people who’re looking fer you. Maybe if’n you’d controlled yerself some of those people who’s tents ya thrashed about might of kept you hidden. Things bein’ as they were, they gave you up in a heartbeat just to be rid of ya. If all you halflings are as spirited as you the Greensleeves are gonna have their hands full to be sure.” The men appeared to be nothing more than farmers or laborers, but their intent was clear. There were those who wished to learn of the location of the Ghostwise and would pay for that information. As dusk approached, the men and their diminutive burden arrived at an old orcish ruin known as Galganatha. There was a cart with shackled prisioners, three to be precise, guarded by a pair of rugged looking dwarves. The humans carrying Shishia dropped her roughly to the stones and began conversing with the dwarves about compensation for the halfling, claiming the Greensleeves were very interested in halflings but didn’t want to associate with the group themselves. The dwarves argued that such discretion would cut the price in half. The humans seemed insulted and all wondered if the confrontation was about to come to blows when a stifled cry could be heard from the doorway to the ruin. A small human girl could be seen standing on the threshold. Where she had come from was anyone’s guess but all were taken aback by the appearance of the child. She was dressed in rags, a tattered white undergarment loosely covered by a green shawl. Her brown hair hung limply past her shoulders and looked as if it had not been washed in weeks. Her hazel eyes shown in the torchlight over her freckled cheeks and showed no signs of fear or trepidation. In fact, it seemed the girl was just as confused about her presence there as the rest.

[Jat]

Anna The girl stood for a second, but her weak knees gave way. She caught herself using her shoulder she slide against the door frame. "Please. Water and food." Her pleads and cries were simple. The simplest of mortal needs. She didn't understand her place or what they might think of a this wild urchin appearing out of no where. Anna had nothing to give or offer, but she needed their help to stave off the pains in her stomach. The ache controlled her even to be so unabashed that she would approach wardens of a full prison wagon. Unable to control her descent anymore she landed on her butt. There was a moment that exposed her pendant. A sharp blue and purple swirled in the flash. Only falling back behind her tattered shirt once she had settled on the floor. "Can I have some please dwarf." There wasn't a clear indicator of which one she was talking to, but she drifted into a soft surrendered sleep awaiting the answer.

[PeasOfCrab]

Picky Chooser Drake had seen better days. He was still covered in dried mud from when one of the Bronzemantles had tackled him into the mud during their merry chase. It happened not too long ago but also not too recently and, given his inability to freshen up what with being in shackles, Drake was beginning to smell a bit. Desperation and realization setting in both, perhaps. The human's arrival with some sort of girl tied up on a pole seemed like it had the makings of an opportunity. As quietly and subtly as he was able, Drake spat out his picks into a waiting hand. Half-hearing the conversation, he understood that the dark-skinned girl was actually a full-grown halfling. Marginally better than child trafficking, at least. Drake angled his hands so that the lockpicks were both hidden from his captors' and their guests' view while also being close enough to the keyhole that he'd be able to make his attempt on the manacles quickly. He looked around at his fellow prisoners and, to any who had noticed, he gave them a little wink and smile before turning his attention to the ongoing negotiations like the others. Suddenly, a girl - or perhaps another halfling - stumbled into the ruins, drawing attention even further away from the wagon. Drake moved quickly. An insertion here, a scrape there, and voilà. As the manacles unlocked, his green eyes lit up with excitement. While this was a new type of manacle to work on for Drake, with enough practice, he could maybe get them open within a couple of seconds. He stayed still, ready to lock himself back into hopefully temporary bondage or, luck allowing, make an attempt at the wagon door if surprises and distractions kept on turning up.   Forgot the roll, woops. It was a 22 Thieves' Tools Check.

[Vislands]

Shishia's first few moments of regaining consciousness were ones of complete disorientation. She groans, her eyes fluttering briefly before squeezing shut against the blaring of the sunlight that seemed to strike with unusual ferocity. Her memory was foggy, but the first thing she realized was that had one hell of a hangover. Her stomach churned with acid and her head pounded, and there was some sort of movement happening that was jostling her roughly that exacerbated each. She made to move her hands to her face to cover her eyes and found that she couldn't. She tried to move her feet, and they too were bound. The halfing's eyes fly open and her memory finally catches up, at least the parts that weren't completely fogged away by drink. "Goddamnit, let me go yew oafs! Yew'll sorely regret it if you don't, I promise yew will!" She begins to wiggle frantically, bouncing up and down on the pole slamming her small frame against it to no avail. "I really went and got myself captured by louts like yew!" The men mentioned Greensleeves and she goes silent for a moment, making the connection. The same scum that stole away her sister. Her struggling doubles, but just then she is dumped on a hard, cold surface. The men quickly begin to argue about a price for her, as fools would. While they argue, she begins to twist her wrists against the rope, in an attempt to free them. This she does much more stealthily, hoping to use their hollering as a distraction. Suddenly, the men go quiet and Shishia looks up cautiously to see what happened. She looks around, spying a young child begging them for food.

OOC   Actions Move: Action: Sleight of Hand to loosen the bonds 4 Bonus Action: Reaction: Interaction: Contingencies: Notes: Quick Stats Shishia Firbone, Level 1 Monk, Chaotic Neutral HP: 10/10 AC: 16 Speed: 25ft Passive Perception: 13 Initiative: +3 Saving Throws: Str +2 | Dex +5 | Con +2 | Int -1 | Wise +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Acrobatics (+4), Athletics (+2), Stealth (+5), Survival (+5) Racial + Feats.: When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.Lucky, You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.Brave, You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.Halfling Nimbleness Conditions:

[Astra]

Tamina Starwind Tamina's shoulders ached. When she'd been put on the wagon they'd not taken the manacles off of her wrists, and that was hours ago. The cold iron had grown warm where it touched Tamina's skin, forcing her arms behind her back and she longed to be able to stretch her arms out. She tried, with limited success, to take her mind off the ache in her joints by eavesdropping on conversations and trying to note where the wagon went. They appeared to have stopped at some kind of temple, a monstrosity of stone. Two men arrived bearing a captive tied to a pole, and the man in the wagon with her appeared to have vomited pieces of metal into his hand. Like a gosling that imprints onto a pair of boots rather than its mother, this poor thing must not have learned to eat properly. The man noticed her gaze and winked. Tamina gave him a sympathetic look in reply as he returned his attention to the commotion outside the wagon, still holding his metallic vomit. It was around this time that Tamina noticed the girl at the entrance to the ruins who promptly fell down the stone steps. "Wha- ?" was all that Tamina managed. Tamina returned her attention to the man in the wagon. He reminded her of a dog; pleasing to the eye but apparently willing to chew on whatever was laying about. "Yes," she said aloud with a smile, looking at him. Yes, a dog or perhaps a bunny rabbit. Then she noticed that the man appeared to have freed his hands from their manacles. Tamina felt a jolt of adrenaline course through her body, her pulse now thudding away in her veins. Her eyes widened and she now stared at his back and willed him to notice her in hopes that he might be able to release her wrists from the cruel, warm iron that encircled them. Look at me!

 

Questions or Comments for DM or Players My, but what a lovely bunch of placeholder text you have!

 

Dashboard 10/10 HP || AC 12 Left Hand: || Right Hand: Spell(s) in Effect: None Spells Prepared: Faerie Fire, Fog cloud, Goodberry, Ice Knife [B]Spell Slots Remaining: Level 1 - [b] 2/2 Character Sheet

[Vicorin]

Kieran stared in contempt at the other occupants of the wagon. Murderers and thieves, the both of them, and it made Kieran shudder to think he’d been thrown in with the lot of them. He’d spent most of the trip sulking by himself, not wanting to interact with the criminals, but he’d warmed a little, saying a few words occasionally. He did his best to hide his scar, facing it away from the others. He’d had it for a time now, but still hadn’t gotten used to the burn of strangers’ gazes on the ruined skin.
They pulled up to some ruins, and Kieran watched as the dwarves haggled for a 4th prisoner. Another murderer? It was likely, but from the tone of the conversation, it seemed they were less interested in the halfling herself, and rather her people. That was when Drake, the wreaking conman, had produced lock picks out of nowhere, and had opened his manacles. Kieran stared, eyes wide, mouth open, wondering if he should say something. After all, this man was a wanted criminal. He hesitated, feeling heat rush to his face. He was a wanted criminal too. Before he could decide, something else caught his attention.
He turned at a commotion, and was startled to see a small girl in the doorway of the ruins. She muttered about food and water, then collapsed. Instantly, Kieran was at the bars, calling to their captors.
”Please, I’m of the faith, I have some skill in healing. Keep the manacles on if you must, but if you would just let me out for a moment, I can help the child.” He pleaded, eyes fixed on the little girl. She was weak, possibly sick or wounded, and Kieran wasn’t exactly confident in the altruism of his captors. He’d let the convicts open their wagon and escape before he’d let a pile of wrongful convictions and a stinking dwarf’s pride be the reason this little girl died.

[PeasOfCrab]

Word to the Wise Both other prisoners had noticed his little maneuver it seemed. Not surprising, thought Drake, considering that they were all within a few paces of each other. The tough-looking, scarred man with piercing blue eyes had been giving them dark looks the entire time and, even as Drake impishly winked at the two of them, all the man gave him in return was a narrow glare. On the other hand, the woman's eyes looked sympathetic, for some reason. Did she think these manacles were beyond his skill? Perhaps so but nothing for Drake to have done but to try. When he finally got the manacles open, his heart soared. He knew the other prisoners might be watching him, even now, but he kept his focus on the ongoing scene outside the enclosure for a sign. Any sign at all that he should try for the next, larger maneuver. Suddenly, on the interior of the enclosure, the man across from Drake got up and approached their captors. His movement shook Drake's attention from the scene with the girl and he then noticed that the woman was giving him a pleading, desperate look. There were more pressing concerns, however, and Drake bent over double to put his face into his hands. As Drake prepared to need to suddenly devour his picks yet again, worries and curses flew through his mind at the possibility of this scarred man's foolish cooperation with the couriers of their collective execution. The man's words put Drake to ease soon enough, however. A thief, or murderer, the man hadn't really talked much about what he'd done, with a heart, it seemed. Drake pulled himself upright and crossed his wrists, each hand holding the two opened ends of each manacle, the picks also in his right. Keeping the manacles from falling, while also holding them such that they could easily be closed again if the scarred man brought too much attention to all of them, Drake got up onto his knees from his splayed sitting position and shuffled over to the woman. Very casually plopping down next to her, he spoke to her in a soft voice while, like the would-be healer, keeping his attention fixed on the sudden girl. His words were not loud enough to be too distinct to anyone except her, but also not quiet or furtive enough to seem like they were a whisper of conspiracy even while that was exactly what it was. "Don't look so excited. Right now, we're surprised and concerned about this girl. That's all. I'll open them for you if there's enough distraction. Then the door if there's even more. Once we're out, we split. Easier to get away if there's only one of those damn dwarves shooting. Anything happens and they start coming this way before I think to move on the door, we close the shackles. Try it another time. Right... Tamina?" Drake finishes with a question, as people had been not very outspoken in their introductions or general conversation. Quite naturally, really, given their upcoming executions. Even in the pregnant pause that filled the space between his proposal and her response as she processed the message, Drake kept his attention on the odd child, both to look natural and out of genuine curiosity. Poor thing, really. Could have been one of his brothers or sisters. Wasn't. But could have.

[tomplum]

A dead slaver Falling to unconsciousness, the girl slumped to the cut stones that made up the floor of the ancient temple. The dwarven brothers exchanged glances between each other and then to the pair of human slavers before Kieran's shout broke the confusion. Thirdrin ran over to the collapsed child and gently lifted her up in his arms to bring her over to the fire. He handled the girl more gently than any of the prisoners had seen him handle anything, including themselves. Thofror frowned during the entire ordeal and banged the back of his axe blade against the wagon bars, rapping it against Kieran's fingers. "Silence, fugitive. If'n I need yer help, I'll demand it. Otherwise park yer rear on the bench and keep yer yap shut. Yer worth more alive but dead offers a reward as well." While Thirdrin nestled the girl's head in his hand and tried to wake her with some cool water out of his wineskin, the humans who had brought the halfling moved off to the edge of the firelight and could be seen giving each other a knowing glance before one piped up and spoke to the dwarves. [b]"Good sirs, we would be willing to sell you the halfling at the price you desire if you would be willing to grant the girl to us. We know of those who would pay well for children of such an age. Before either of the dwarves could respond, one of the humans erupted in a fountain of blood as his midsection was torn open, spilling the contents of his gut onto the cold stones below. The surviving kidnapper stumbled back toward the fire faster than any would think a person would move, nearly rolling himself into the flame's embers in the process. Thirdrin stood from his place nearby, letting the girl down as he did and asked, Thofror, what the devil was that?" The red haired dwarf merely stood staring out into the blackness of the night, mouth agape as he soundless mouthed his answer. Frustrated, his black haired brother raised his voice to a shout which started Thirdrin and awoke the little girl from her fainting spell. "Speak, man! What did you see?" A mumbled response followed, "Th...th...there was movement in the darkness b...b...but not, I mean it came from...I...I...it was at the limits of me vision but I saw them...two green eyes shining in the firelight before...before it killed him." The black haired brother, Thirdrin crossed his arms and scolded his brother, "A tiger?" The dwarf then grabbed several logs out of the fire and prompted the remaining human to help him put a few more fires around the temple to ward off the wild animal while ordering his brother to 'keep an eye on the prisoners'.

ooc Firelight grants bright light in a 20' radius and dim light for another 20'. The wagon is 20' from the fire and the slaver was killed 40' on the far side of the fire, near Thofror's limit of his darkvision. I might try to get a map made up tomorrow morning. 20' south of fire was wagon and Thofror. At fire was Thirdrin and Anna. 40' north of fire were the two humans. Shishia was on ground between the wagon and the fire. Anyone can make perception checks if they'd like for any additional info about what happened. Anything over a DC 17 will yield something extra.

[Vislands]

"Over my dead body...!" The halfing says quietly as the men agreed to sell her to the dwarves for whatever paltry price they were offering. They'd captured her when she was quite off her gourd with drink, so they knew little of what she could do when she was sober and with her hands freed. But they would soon find out. The halfing began to twist her hands more earnestly, keeping quiet despite the pain the temporary dislocation would cause. With each twist, Sleight of Hand - Natural 20, 23 totalher small hands got closer and closer to freedom. Shishia smiles darkly. First, the humans. She thinks, giving the two men a death glare. At that exact moment, one of the men..explodes, his innards spilling onto the ground. Shishia stifles a swear and looks around, her eyes doing their best to Perception - 17pierce the surrounding darkness. Damned if she would be some wild beast's snack.

OOC   Actions Move: Action: Sleight of Hand to escape bonds, Look around for the threat, ROLLS Bonus Action: Reaction: Interaction: Contingencies: Notes: Quick Stats Shishia Firbone, Level 1 Monk, Chaotic Neutral HP: 10/10 AC: 16 Speed: 25ft Passive Perception: 13 Initiative: +3 Saving Throws: Str +2 | Dex +5 | Con +2 | Int -1 | Wise +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Acrobatics (+4), Athletics (+2), Stealth (+5), Survival (+5) Racial + Feats.: When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.Lucky, You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.Brave, You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.Halfling Nimbleness Conditions:

[Astra]

Tamina Starwind The man who reminded Tamina of a puppy spoke with confidence, and his words had a small calming effect upon her, but did not fully quell her anxiety. She sensed opportunity looming like a thunderstorm in the offing and leaned back to wait as calmly she was able. There was a long pause before Tamina realized the man had posed a question. "Yes yes yes, it's Tamina," she murmured in reply, attempting to match his tone. "That is how I am called. Your plan seems sound to me; let us wait and see what unfolds. If the opportunity presents itself I would like to leave my knife in that dwarf's back." She paused again briefly, relishing the thought. "And you? What is your nam-" Tamina stopped short and sat upright as best as the manacles would allow her. One of the humans was bleeding profusely from the midsection, his entrails dropping to earth in a most grotesque fashion. Tamina squinted out into the gloomy dark, trying to catch any glimpse of what stalked them.

 

Questions or Comments for DM or Players She'll mostly just sit tight (pun not intended) until Drake or someone else frees her.

 

Dashboard 10/10 HP || AC 12 Left Hand: || Right Hand: Spell(s) in Effect: None Spells Prepared: Faerie Fire, Fog cloud, Goodberry, Ice Knife Spell Slots Remaining: Level 1 - 2/2 Character Sheet

[Vicorin]

”I’m not your enemy dwarf.” Kieran shouted back, nursing his bruised fingers and glaring out at his captors. He sat back and fell silent, watching with a measure of surprise at how gentle and kind the brothers were to the girl. His lip twitched with disgust at the man’s proposal to buy the girl. He glanced at the man who’d unlocked his manacles. Then, there was screaming, and Kieran whipped back around to see one of the men laying with his guts ripped out.
They were saying something about a tiger, but in Kieran’s experience, wild animals usually did their best to avoid groups like this. Something wasn’t right here. He closed his eyes, lifted one chained hand to his holy symbol and clutched it tight. He pushed distractions from his mind and began to pray.
”Lady Evelyn, lend meyour light so that I may see the dark for what it is and banish it in your name. Lend me your light, your wisdom, and your strength, for I am but a humble servant.” As he muttered, the holy symbol warmed in his hand, and his awareness increased.

OOC   The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.   Movement: — Action: use divine sense. Bonus action: — Reaction: —

[PeasOfCrab]

Be Careful What You Wish For Surprises and distractions kept on turning up. The threads of fate, as always, eased themselves into a path for Drake to dance his fragile little life upon. Of course, one could not forget the tangles that were just as likely to be tripped upon. As the eviscerated man fell before the group, Drake shot Tamina a look of frustration and warning as the dwarf drew closer, before his features dramatically shifted into a look of anxious fear. In the act of this performance, Drake felt as though he actually had a touch of fear in this situation. Making his own heart race, his perceptions were altered or, at least, seemed so to his mind. As Drake peered out into the darkness, he recognized green eyes - much brighter and dreadful than his own. He looked around, still apparently nervous and gathered himself into a low crouch, turning this way and that. He kept his lock picks flat against the floor of the wagon with one palm and his manacles were already on by the time red-haired dwarf was ordered to "keep an eye" on them. He could read between the lines of this scene and the director obviously didn't think a daring escape was appropriate for this location. Still, Drake would do his best. There was an audience.

[tomplum]

A night at Galganatha The fires are spread and the captors return to the center and seeming safety of the fire ring. As he moved past the fallen human, Thirdrin grabbed the dead man by the scruff of his collar and tossed him further into the darkness. This brought a cry of objection from the surviving human. "There's some respect for the dead! Just toss him out to be devoured by gods knows what that was....and it weren't no tiger neither, I tell ya. I've seen tigers...and didn't see anything!" A dark glare was shot out by Thirdrin at the man's outburst. "Don't tell a dwarf about respect fer the dead. Our people are all but extinct. Driven from our homes by the dark forces of the deep. Dead is dead. Don't let nobody tell ya any different. Not even our Holy Deserter here in the wagon." While Kieran's prayer seemed to irritate Thirdrin, it unhinged Thofror. "Let's let a prisoner go...to attract the tiger and we'll get moving again. Travel through the night...how about that girl, just toss her out in the dark and let's get out of here." "Nobody sleeps tonight! Thorfror and I will watch the perimeter, you," Thirdrin pointed at the slaver, "Keep an eye on the prisoners. We'll rest a bit at daybreak and then move on." The dwarves moved back toward the central fire as the human took up a spot near the wagon where he could watch those in manacles plus his halfling tied to her pole. Once at the fire, the dwarves could be seen speaking in hushed tones at those at the wagon could not detect. The lead dwarf laid a blanket down for the small girl beside the fire and bade her to get some rest, they'd suss out her fate in the morning. The dwarves then each took up a position to either side of the fire, eyes staring out into the inky blackness of the night, relying on the fires and their darkvision to watch for any intrusions.

ooc If anybody wants to try something either brave or stupid during the night, let me know in the ooc thread and I'll give you a run down of the checks that would be needed for what you're planning.

[PeasOfCrab]

Among Thieves There was danger outside the bars of their wagon. Lethal danger, the slick bloodstains on the floor serving as a testament to that fact. However, there was also danger within the bars. The reaper stood among them, lulling them into despair and inaction as the faraway blades, ropes, and fire marched on ever closer and closer. Drake knew this and knew it well. The reaper was once his ally, staying silently beside the unwitting targets of the Shadowcast - ignorant of the death they'd soon face. Now it was his enemy and Drake's only advantage was that he could see it - right there - an annoyingly tireless member of his audience. He needed help beyond that which he could bargain, beg, and boast for. The woman was on his side, he thought. He turned to her and dropped his mask for a second to wink at her while the dwarves began their watch and the one human came closer to the wagon. Drake then looked towards the scarred, blue-eyed man. He had kept his nervous demeanor since the trafficker's death, except for signalling Tamina, and decided to stick with that approach as he drew close to the older man. Eyes wide open and with a fearful, anxious smile, he stuttered out, "You- you're a man of E- Evelyn, a- aren't you? Her blessings. They could have let you help that child... If the dwarves had been nicer... Right? ... Ahm - anyways. I haven't always been faithful... but that man. So horrible. It's still out there. I- I. Sir. Please. I have things to confess, before it's too late. Will you hear- can you let Evelyn hear me, through your ears?"

[Vislands]

Shishia lay still on the cold ground as the night hours grew long. She was free, but the monk was biding her time until she could be surer that the splattered guts of her captors would be covering her fists. The difficulty was that she was unarmed and outnumbered. Her mind was sober and clear, and her usual gungho attitude humbled by the fact that she'd already been captured once. What she needed was...allies. Her eyes went to the wagon, where she could spy the other prisoners seated inside. She closed her eyes and her mind reached out, sensing until she found a one who was awake...a point of contact. Drake hears a voice in his head... Oi! Ya in there? I'm tryna escape and kill these buggers. How many of ya are in there and are ya down to party? And by party I mean fight. There's three of 'em out here and if I could get some help I'm sure we could take 'em.

OOC   Actions Move: Action: Bonus Action: Reaction: Interaction: Contingencies: Notes: Quick Stats Shishia Firbone, Level 1 Monk, Chaotic Neutral HP: 10/10 AC: 16 Speed: 25ft Passive Perception: 13 Initiative: +3 Saving Throws: Str +2 | Dex +5 | Con +2 | Int -1 | Wise +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Acrobatics (+4), Athletics (+2), Stealth (+5), Survival (+5) Racial + Feats.: When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.Lucky, You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.Brave, You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.Halfling Nimbleness Conditions: