The woman continues beating Keldorn's breastplate with her bare hands. "You TOOK her! TOOK my Gertruda!" How dare you take her! Give her back... GIVE HER BACK!" Abruptly, unable to keep up the assault any longer, she sinks to her knees, weeping. "Give her back..."
"My daughter..." the woman says, fat tears rolling down her face. "Always I raised her apart, so that the monster did not know of her! And now she is gone... GONE! She would never have left on her own... YOU must have STOLEN her!"
"Get ahold of yourself woman. We do not have your daughter (if she has your looks we don't want her). If you need help finding her I'm certain that large man you were beating your fists uselessly against will feel the need to assist you."
Valygar feels a bit responsible for Marya's outburst and obliged to rescue this sad lady's daughter.
"Madam, please calm down so we can help you. Who is this monster that you referred? When did your daughter go missing? Are there anyone else living with you?"
*kneels before her, tears forming in his own eyes* Your poor girl, taken from you... *gulping for air* your own daughter gone. I wish I was the horrible demon Strahd so you could strike me down, leaving my own child alone without a father. *unbuckles his breastplate* Please hit me here on my flesh, I need to feel the pain. Am I any better than this thing outside, I left her, she would never recognize me.
Marya, you a better mother than I could ever be as a father, you protected what I ignored.
The woman strikes him a few times, but her strength is gone and they are weak, ineffectual blows. Irina comes to stand beside Keldorn and Marya, touching the woman's arm with a compassionate hand. "Our village has done you a disservice all these years, Marya- you have chosen the harder path. We go to confront Strahd- and if we find that he has her, we shall bring her back to you, this I swear."
The older woman looks confused for a moment, then simply drops her head. Without another word, she goes back into her bedroom and shuts the door.
*stands up and buckles his breastplate back on* I think we are done here, need we anymore evidence on the evils of Strahd. The land itself seems to cry out for his doom. Irina, show us the way, I doubt we can end the evil tonight, but we can make it known that it is no longer tolerated in these lands.
*walks over to the toys, looking for a small doll, kisses it on the head and puts it in his bag*
Tears spring to Aerie's eyes as she watches the paladin lift the child's doll. "I am sorry," she whispers. She wipes a hand over her face and turns toward the door. "I'm not usually the bloodthirsty type, but Strahd needs to die. He's a monster. Evil. I'll even send him screaming to the lowest levels of the Hells myself if I have to, and I won't be even a little bit sorry. "
Irina nods and takes you back downstairs, out of the house, and through the other side of town. From here, you can see the village church, which seems to strain feebly against the dark pressing down upon it. Light flickers from inside, and you hear a strained male voice crying out prayers to the gods of light. Amazingly enough, the church still seems to be free of the evil, both petty and great, that stains the town. Irina takes a long look at the church as you begin to pass it. "Father Donavich still holds back the night with his voice, I see."
"That woman didn't seem overly concerned that we broke into her house. I also thought it ironic that Keldorn pilfered that doll given how much he hates thievery."
"I think she assumed we were the ones who had taken Getruda, so she thought we had broken in before..." Irina said. "And she cares more for Gertruda than the sanctity of her home. It does explain her attitude towards the village when I was growing up- if she sought to keep her daughter from Strahd's knowledge, she would also have to keep her safe from the village's as well."
Just before you leave the village, Irina halts her horse, and your own as well. "Bad as it is, the village is relatively protected. Out here, the monster Strahd's minions roam. No one I know of has been to his castle and returned... I do not know the way myself, but I will try to guide you from what I have heard."
She takes you down the single road leading out of town and you ride across fields until you reach a great stone bridge across the river. "The River Ivlis," Irina says quietly. She seems a bit reluctant to cross, but eventually rides her horse across the span, only pausing once to look back at town, where her brother has stayed. You hear her murmur, "Be safe, Ismark..."
You ride on, your horses' hooves thundering across the road. A howl sets up on all sides of you, and 12 HUGE wolves attack. And by huge, I mean, Dire Wolf sized (6' at the shoulder).
How close are we from the surrounding wolves? I think all of us should concentrate attack on one side. Relieve a break point so the fragile mages and thieves can retreat.
If there is adequate distance, Valygar will use the crossbow of speed and arrow+1 (OCC: Does the crossbow of speed gives a faster weapon speed factor, an extra attack per round or acts as if the user is wearing a boot of speed?)
As the wolves are closing in, Valygar will draw out his spear. He will thrust the spear forward to keep distance from the advancing wolves. His priority is to engage wolves and protect the weaker party members from close quarter combat.
Ack! Branwen draws her warhammer, as the spurs her horse on to charge. Having listened to Valygar's shouted advice, she concentrates on the wolves on the same side as the others are fighting, trying to create a space for mages and archers to attack unmolested. Sh also hopes that by taking down a few quickly the rest may retreat. 111 "For Tempus! and Victoryyyyyyyyyyy!"
OCC: yea I know...apparently, no one in this group has bolts for ammunition. So, I thought there was no distinction in this rpg. Also, Valygar is proficient in Longbow, so the crossbow of speed is useless anyway for Valygar.
In that case, Valygar protects the flank of the party with a giant spear.
Alora will start firing sling bullets with her Sling of Seeking. (If she gets a critical miss and clonks Keldorn on the head with one she will not shed too many tears).
I'll cast entangle at the opposite side of the main attack, if it would not ensnare my allies, else I'll pull out my non-magical longbow and non-magical arrows and start shooting, switching to my scimitar +2 if any dire wolves get too close.
I'd cast Doom on the forefront giant wolf. If they start to charge the group of caster, then I'll cast barkskin on my self, and draw my scimitar to protect the other casters.
Skie will use her Short Bow +1 and regular arrows on the wolf that her companions are most concentrated on, then when that one dies move on to the next one. If wolves start to get close, she'll attempt to kite. If they get really close, she'll switch to her Short Sword +1 Flametongue.
OOC Do I get extra attacks because I am wearing Boots of Speed or would I have had to put them on my horse?
OOC: You only have two boots. If you put them on the front feet, your horse will drag the rear feet around. If you put them on the rear feet, your horse will just plow into the ground. If you put them on the two feet on one side, your horse will run around in a circle. If you put them on diagonal feet, I actually can't predict what your horse would actually do in that case.
Comments
The woman continues beating Keldorn's breastplate with her bare hands. "You TOOK her! TOOK my Gertruda!" How dare you take her! Give her back... GIVE HER BACK!" Abruptly, unable to keep up the assault any longer, she sinks to her knees, weeping. "Give her back..."
"Get ahold of yourself woman. We do not have your daughter (if she has your looks we don't want her). If you need help finding her I'm certain that large man you were beating your fists uselessly against will feel the need to assist you."
"Madam, please calm down so we can help you. Who is this monster that you referred? When did your daughter go missing? Are there anyone else living with you?"
Your poor girl, taken from you... *gulping for air* your own daughter gone. I wish I was the horrible demon Strahd so you could strike me down, leaving my own child alone without a father. *unbuckles his breastplate* Please hit me here on my flesh, I need to feel the pain. Am I any better than this thing outside, I left her, she would never recognize me.
Marya, you a better mother than I could ever be as a father, you protected what I ignored.
The older woman looks confused for a moment, then simply drops her head. Without another word, she goes back into her bedroom and shuts the door.
I think we are done here, need we anymore evidence on the evils of Strahd. The land itself seems to cry out for his doom. Irina, show us the way, I doubt we can end the evil tonight, but we can make it known that it is no longer tolerated in these lands.
*walks over to the toys, looking for a small doll, kisses it on the head and puts it in his bag*
*whispers* I will bring her back.
Just before you leave the village, Irina halts her horse, and your own as well. "Bad as it is, the village is relatively protected. Out here, the monster Strahd's minions roam. No one I know of has been to his castle and returned... I do not know the way myself, but I will try to guide you from what I have heard."
She takes you down the single road leading out of town and you ride across fields until you reach a great stone bridge across the river. "The River Ivlis," Irina says quietly. She seems a bit reluctant to cross, but eventually rides her horse across the span, only pausing once to look back at town, where her brother has stayed. You hear her murmur, "Be safe, Ismark..."
You ride on, your horses' hooves thundering across the road. A howl sets up on all sides of you, and 12 HUGE wolves attack. And by huge, I mean, Dire Wolf sized (6' at the shoulder).
If there is adequate distance, Valygar will use the crossbow of speed and arrow+1 (OCC: Does the crossbow of speed gives a faster weapon speed factor, an extra attack per round or acts as if the user is wearing a boot of speed?)
As the wolves are closing in, Valygar will draw out his spear. He will thrust the spear forward to keep distance from the advancing wolves. His priority is to engage wolves and protect the weaker party members from close quarter combat.
"For Tempus! and Victoryyyyyyyyyyy!"
In that case, Valygar protects the flank of the party with a giant spear.