Online Adventure!

[Kaylan Chargeender]

((are we then just using the same modifiers from the first three rounds? and does the negative for fighting the rider with the circlet change due to missing 2 clay warriors?))

[GM-Brad]

Same modifiers as the first three rounds (plus Nellie's +1, plus the bonus from Darius). The rider with the circlet does not seem any easier to hit, even though some of his clay copies are dead...

[GM-Brad]

Also, while 'taunt' does not seem to have any direct mechanical effect on him, he does not seem...pleased, let us say, by your actions. The rider with the circlet gives you an icy stare.

[GM-Brad]

To clarify my earlier post, any time you attack a horseless rider you will have +2, unless I give you a different modifier in the text to use (such as for a sudden dismounting).

[Kaylan Chargeender]

Wiping the dust from the crushed clay decoys from his eyes, Kaylan turns his attention back to the rider he decried as Svelnic at the onset of the conflict. again the dwarf taunts the rider to face him, and moves to make himself a tempting target.
When the rider has urges his mount to bring him almost into striking distance from the knight of Haven, his hammer flies out; not at the rider as Kaylan initially made it seem the target to be, but at the mount. The glowing and sparking weapon catches the undead horse under chin, causing it to pull up sharply.
Kaylan tries to take advantage of the surprise to fall on the rider, but the cavalier is skilled and is able to deflect the dwarfs attack only barely.

Round One total.....8=(3+4)+2(attack riders horse)+3(armor/weapon focus/enchanted weapon)+1(plot damage enhancer)+1 (Nellie's augment)-6(target the rider with the circlet)

The sound of a second ghastly rider cause Kaylan to glance over shoulder briefly, where he sees not another of the summoned horsemen, but Daruis riding up. The arrival of the Barl also catches the eye of Kaylans foe, and the crafty warrior uses that distraction to put Daruis between himself and the lead specter.
Waiting for the perfect moment to strike, Kaylan uses Daruis and his mount to distract the rider with the circlet and conceal his attack, which takes the form of a bench aided leap up to the riders level to deliver a heavy downward hammer strike to the wizard-warriors armored chest.

Round Two total.....15=(4+6)+4(Attack from the shadows w/ Basic crit strike)+1(curved blade)+3(armor/weapon focus/enchanted weapon)+1(plot damage enhancer)+1(Nellie's augment)-6(target the rider with the circlet)+1(Darius rides to help)

With a heavy grunt, Kaylan lands into a crouch as he watches the circlet wearing riders mount run to the far end of the room carrying the swaying and limp riders form.
Kaylan scans the battle and when his eyes catch Nell darting around the combat like a rabbit chased by a hungry fox, he breaks from his current foe and makes all haste to impose himself between her and her current enemy, his shield offering unwavering cover to her even if he is further endangered.

Round Three total.....8=(1+1[snake eyes!])+1(Defend Nell)+3(armor/weapon focus/enchanted weapon)+1(plot damage enhancer)+1 (Nellie's augment)

**Nell has a +3 in her 3rd round**

[Nellie Duncan]

Round 1: Total 15 = 6+5 (roll) +2 (Feint) +1 (Sage Buff) +1 (Crit Strike with Curved/Balanced Blade)
Nellie catches her breath rolling her shoulders to loosen the muscles as she plans her next attack, feeling burbling warmth rising in herself. A quick flash of teeth occur in a wicked grin and her stance shifts to a more solid state as a rider barrels down on her. She unhooks the hammer Kaylan had let her borrow and takes it in both hands. She kneels and braces the weapon horizontal to the floor as if to let the horse clothes-line itself into the shaft and steel head. As the rider pulls up hard on the reins to stop its horse from breaking its legs, Nellie leaps up and neatly swings the hammer forward and down with a hard crunch and splintering bone, driving all the way down from the crown of the rider's head to the floor below.

Round 2: Total 12 = 5+1 (roll) +2 (Use rope to trip a horse with aid from Thurton) +1 (Sage Buff) +1 (Crit Strike with Curved/Balanced Blade) +2(Clay Rider)
As the last Clay Rider approaches, Nell grins and turns to Thurton, hooking Kaylan’s hammer back to her belt and raising a length of rope out of one of her pouches. “Come on now, you can’t let the Barl’s have all the fun, can you?” She unwinds the rope, throwing one end to Thurton. They rush forward, pulling the rope taunt between them as they move far enough to the sides to avoid being hit, but their timing isn’t quite right as the rider takes the horses’ reigns in both hands and manages to urge its horse into vaulting over the rope.

Round 3: Total 17 = 6+4 (roll) +2 (Swing low) +1 (Sage Buff) +1 (Crit Strike with Curved/Balanced Blade) +3 (Kaylan Defends Nell!)
Barely after the attempted coordinated take down, another mounted rider that Nellie hadn’t spotted barrels in from the side. She drops her end of the rope and fumbles to unhook Kaylan’s hammer as she pivots and attempts to hop back at the same time, stumbling a bit in the process. Even as she expects the biting ache of steal through flesh, Kaylan comes charging out of right field, shield raised high to catch the rusted edge of the rider’s sword and deflect the blow. Finally unlatching her borrowed hammer, adrenaline from the near miss pumping through her veins and embolden by her friend’s rescue, Nellie darts out from behind Kaylan’s back in a rush, leaping up and putting more power than she should into a low swing for the rider that accidentally catches both rider and mount, squelching what rotten meat hangs off them and knocking straight through the horse’s throat and the rider’s pelvis, the horse's head toppling to the floor.

She lands, turning and makes a face at the carnage, one hand rising to cover her nose with a sleeve, as the headless mount and both halves of the rider crumble to the floor. She shakes the handle of the borrowed hammer to get what slick matter off that she could. “Ugh, that thing was ripe. Give me bony skeletons any day – at least that’s a clean fight.” She looks up, arm still across her face to shield her nose, and wriggles her finger's at Kaylan. "Thanks for the help, Captain!"

[GM-Brad]

That leaves one clay rider, one 'normal' rider, and one rider without a horse left.

[GM-Amanda]

Cirrus used the same tactic as the rider circled back to trample her again, waiting for the perfect moment to strike as the rider bore down on her again for another go. This time her attack was even smoother, a full vertical leap up and over the last remaining rider, cleanly decapitating the undead with a single swift strike. Cirrus landed with a heavy thump, and gave herself a moment to give a hearty screech of victory to the height of the cave.

Round 1 Total - 10 (Master Crit Strike) + 1 (curved blade) + 1 (Augment) + 0 (Normal Rider) + 5 + 3 = 20

Skip Round 2

Cirrus drew a bead on the last clay rider, and took off with a quick sprint not towards the rider, but the wall nearby. Quickly reaching her top speed, she leapt and ran along the craggy rocks for a few reckless steps, and nearly snarled in disbelief as the rider swerved to dodge away, but Darius rode up beside the clay rider and literally shoved himself and his mount into the antagonist, bringing Cirrus just into range to let her bring Four into position and smash the rider to pottery bits.

Round 3 Total - 3 (Elaborate, Fancy Maneuver) + 1 (curved blade) + 1 (Augment) + 2 (Clay Rider) + 1 (Darius) + 3 + 4 = 15

She tossed Darius an abbreviated salute with her left hand and took the time to smash a larger piece of the pottery with one talon into even smaller bits. With the grin that only showed up on her face in utterly lopsided combat, she advanced on the final, horseless rider.

[Phinkis]

Phinkis looks through his pouches and shakes his head. "Sorry Nellie, I'm fresh out of those as well." When he looks up he notices that the battle is all but over. Seeing one rider, now horseless, starting to stand, Phinkis walks over, and swings his glowing sword upward at the rider, cleaving him in two.

Round One total.....15=(5+3)+3(upward swing at the rider)+1(enchanted weapon)+1(Nellie's Buff)+2(targeted the horseless rider)

With the last rider fallen, Phinkis heads to check on Dresda's children.

[GM-Brad]

After the battle, the broken bodies of the undead horselords slowly disappear.

“I think they’re gone, now,” say Darius, dismounting.

Harmon adds his own thoughts. “I see they envied us our festival. But, it doesn’t look like enjoy it too much. They couldn’t eat or drink anything. And I wonder if the jousters truly enjoyed their matches without any fear of death. Maybe it was a good spectacle, though.”

“They were jealous of the living,” says Darius. “They’re back to rest now. And, it’s better that way. I think it was a torment for them, being half alive…” Darius seems pensive.

You turn your attention to Dresda’s children. It is an easy enough matter for Phinkis to disenchant the magic circle while the rest of you knock over the candles and smear the chalk on the ground to ensure its magic doesn’t return.

The ghostly doubles of Dresda’s children back away in fear, until Thurton appears. “Christie, Samuel, Gam,” he yells. At which point they rush to give him a hug. His customary scowl softens. “It’s alright little tykes. No Barl’s gonna harm you.” You can tell how relieved they are by the fact that the eldest –a boy of 17- doesn’t even bristle at being called ‘little tyke.’ “We’ll get you back to my cousin, and fix you up soon enough.” Over their heads, Thurton gives you a pleading look.

You are able to perform the same operation as you used on Thurton earlier (without the need for a healing potion, this time). Harmon steadies each body in turn while Phinkis disenchants their amulets. Their undead doubles suddenly disappear. Nellie then quickly cuts the amulets away from where they have been glued to the flesh, and heals their wounds. One at a time, Christie, Samuel, and Gam each come back to the living with a sudden gasp of breath. They all seem grateful, if shaken. Each amulet has a ruby. Each has a black root-like growth coming from it. Now that they have been removed from their hosts, the black growths shrivel and die almost instantly.

Darius watches until it is finished, then slowly steps forward. “I spent so long looking for you…years. Only after I gave up did you surface…I wanted to…I came to apologize. If had kept a better eye on you all those years ago…if I’d been more approachable, you could have told me your troubles with your mom… All of this trouble stems back from that day.”

The children seem timid, and confused, but the eldest, Samuel, steps forward, elbowing his sister to get her to calm down. “I remember you… It’s not your fault. We planned to run away. We didn’t think about the repercussions to anyone else, though...”

Harmon interjects, turning to you. “Can you do what you did for these kids to my son? Please, help him.”

You examine the pit, and you quickly realize the same technique used for Christie, Samuel, and Gam will not work for the horses…or for Darius. Their bodies have just been dead too long. But a sliver of hope presents itself to Nellie as she examines the corpses. Darius’s body, while shriveled, seems much more preserved than the others. The jewelry placed around his neck is a thin chain of silver rather than the bejeweled amulets around most of the others. Perhaps Dresda was short on time and used what was at hand. You reason it’s why his undead form didn’t appear as rotted and tormented as the horses. Over four years this body has been lying here…but the spirit is still around, and the body is semi-preserved due to the spell it's under. You wonder if those skilled in resurrecting the dead could do something though they would have to be either extremely skilled, or extremely lucky. You are afraid to give Harmon too much hope, but you tell him there may be solution.

Darius turns to his father, doubtful. “I’ve been on borrowed time, and I didn’t even realize it. I shouldn’t have stayed away so long, been so obsessed. I think we have to face the truth if this doesn’t work…that I’m…that I have been dead. Maybe I can let go if I truly can be forgiven for my mistake.”

Harmon puts his hand on his son’s shoulder. “There is nothing to forgive. And if there ever had been, it’s long forgotten by now. When you suddenly returned three months ago, I knew you weren’t yourself. You hardly ate, and you kept apart from the others so much. I knew something wasn’t right… but I refused to see it. You’re still my son.” He hugs Darius. “You always will be my bravest, most stubborn… most loyal son. I’ve always loved that loyalty. You came back and saved us.”

“It was not me alone.” Darius turns to you. “The Badule children would never have survived without your help. Thank you.”

Darius leans back, and scratches his undead mount behind the ear. She kicks her leg, appreciatively. Her deathly appearance suddenly changes before your eyes to that of a normal horse under his tender care. You are not certain he’s aware of it or not. “Well, I’ve still got a little time left it seems while the details get worked out. Shall we go back to the festival grounds.” Darius’s ghost doesn’t appear to be leaving any time soon. So, Harmon climbs into the pit, and lifts the body of his son to carry home. The two next to each other –son and father carrying son- make an odd picture.

You search the cavern once more before leaving, and with the aid of Kaylan and Cirrus’s keen eyes, you spot a large chest almost completely hidden in one corner. Inside it are some coins - most likely stolen by the riders- and a collection of interesting objects. They all sense as magical (Loot to be received at the event).

You walk off. Later you will send someone back to gather and bury those horses, with all due honor. And a team of people to haul the cart back with the bushels of wheat. The horse that originally was hitched to it must have run off into the woods, or been set free by the riders, for it’s nowhere in sight. Both Barl and Badule alike will cheer when you bring that cart back.

But for now, you content yourselves with ushering the children to safety. If you choose to resurrect Darius’s body, it will take much preparation (weeks of research and you must find a healer and an empath, of course). We will do it at the event.

Otherwise, for now, so ends the Festival of Barl and Badule.

(Though you may still roleplay these scenes in the cavern or on the way back.)

[GM-Amanda]

Cirrus pulled on a glove before plucking a ruby from the pile after Nell severs them from the children's flesh. The glitter that sparkles in her eyes is surely from the firelight as she peruses the gem, finally setting it aside with a sigh. "That sure as hezmana init worth it. Wish we had a Pele or something like to huck these in, even though they've been stripped of their ooky drenn."

Four went back into its sheath and she watched Harmon and Darius finish what they hadn't had the chance to. She smirks at Darius' words of thanks.

"I don't fight crime as much as solve problems with violence. You're very welcome."

Cirrus started to heft the chest, tugging away at the hasp and barely managing to drag it across the ground a few feet before giving up and gasping for air. Hands on her knees, she paused for a second, frowned, then looked up at Nell.

"You think you can fix my armor up Nell? I don't want to run into anything fun on the way out with it messed up like this."

[Phinkis]

Once the children have been attended to, Phinkis takes their amulets and adds them to the pouch with the one Thurton had been wearing. He then begins walking around the pit collecting the amulets from the horses, adding them to his pocuh as well. He leaves the one on Darius so they may try and save him later. He also leaves the one on Darius' horse. "You want us to try and and fix your horse too?" He calls to Darius as he's leaving. "We'd have to come back with a wagon to retrieve the body though. Otherwise you may want to say your goodbyes. These amulets may be dangerous, I plan to make sure they can't hurt anyone else." Phinkis looks at the others in the group, "Did anyone else grab the ones we found up stairs?"

[GM-Brad]

At the mention of fixing his horse, Darius blinks, confused. His looks into the pit, and there is a moment of silence. “I had forgotten… Oh, my dearest Patience, why did that woman have to harm you, too?” He scratches his horse under the chin, gently. “Patience has seen me through thick and thin along my journey. She could have left my side these last few years, and did not. If you can somehow save her too, please…”

You exam the body of his horse. It isn’t as preserved as Darius’s body, but not so far gone as the other horses. Patience has a silver necklace, similar to Darius’s, but flecked with gold. You reason that certain materials –rubes and sapphires - must have accelerated decay (and a part of you wonders, with a shudder, “could the undead feel the rot?”), while other, simpler materials- silver and gold- preserved the body more. It may be possible to save her too, but it won't be an easy procedure.

[Kaylan Chargeender]

((sorry guys, wasn't ignoring the thread. Was unable to get to the forum since last Sunday for some reason.))
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When Darius thanks the group, Kaylan replies " In all honestly lad, you are the catalyst. We would not have even known of this without your dedication to set things right."

Kaylan call cirrus over to scan the chest for trouble, and tallies the contents and split it for transport between himself and Cirrus. he looks to the others as the items are gathered, " I think this best carried by myself and the backpack of hoarding and its pet aviana unless one of you objects until we get back to town."

Kaylan walks the battle field, making sure no foe remains and gathering any amulet into his satchel he finds. Once they are all gathered he stops before the group as they help the children. When Phinkis is seen dong the same, and asks after the ones upstairs, the dwarf open his satchel to allow the wizard to gather them. "I have all the ones I could find that were hanging on the wall."

Kaylan turns to Harmon with a slightly sad grin " If the two of you wish, I will contact the king. Over a year ago I acquired 13 coins that each have the power to slightly diminish the permanent destruction of a spirit that is trying to be resurrected. I cannot say how many he has left, or what he will part with. The king tends to reward heroes, and I think your son...and his mount may well been seen as such." Kaylan looks to Darius and nods in salute. " if we can restore you lad, how would you like a position in the ranks of the royal guard of Haven? there can never be to many knights with your kind of resolve protecting the king..."
" the dwarf looks to Nell " if we get Markus and Alinar to aid Darius, one of more of the coins...like the one I sold you, may help."

Unless other business is brought up, Kaylan waits until the group is ready and walks ahead of the group to ensure safe return to the celebration. Upon arrival he explains he needs to contact the king and hastily gathers paper and quill form his chest and details the events, seals the letter and finds a messenger and sends a request for aid in restoring Daruis and his horse.

((Brad, I assume you can contact Taki about access to those gold doubloons ))

((awesome event brad!!))

[Nellie Duncan]

Nellie looks closely at everyone's armor, seeing if she can fix it after the arcane spell that had made it useless during battle. "Maybe? I can certainly try," she says, getting out her tools and working as well as she can.

Hearing about the coins, Nellie tilts her head. "Ah... Yes, I remember those coins. I ended up selling the one you gave me to a rare coin collector back in Susspin - they were very intrigued with it."