IC Area - Chapter Four - "High Seas Gambit"

[apn]

Klemitz barked "Stop!" in his commanding 'don't take no but give it out' voice.

As Klarrrrchur and the Delvers turned, the Sergeant marched up. "What do you mean, Franick has been and gone? I left him not two hours ago where he was still at the witches place sorting out the rabble and queues that gathered around the jetty. Barely got some kip then a runner was knocking me up and I headed down here. Franick is still at the jetty far as I know, won't have had time to get there with the word. 'Lucky' for me I live in a dung pit on this side of town, hence here I am." he said, tucking his shirt into trews, but other than his sword on a scabbard and a dagger in a boot there was no uniform or mark of insignia.

The tired looking guards knew who he was though and they could see the vein bulging at his forehead. All knew what that meant.

As they stood in the street people going about their business this early in the morning, stall holders with barrows of wares and the like, grumbled as they made their way around, pulling faces at the smell. Normally they'd have hurled abuse but six armed men and a wizard suggested tongue be held, and right they were with Klemitz' sour mood.

"Who did you give the plant to?" hissed Klemitz, looking about in the street...

[nialldubh]

Klarrrrchur Deathaxe:

“Have no fear, two hours is a long time. The witch probably divined our arrival and sent Franick to collect the plant and he just left this moment returning as fast as he could to the docks. Have no fear sergeant or yer have a heart-attack, we are good, no harm would come to us now that we are in the city with your fine militia to watching over us!”

“Come on, now to the inn, I desire quenching, and now I think of it Wenching!”

Actions:

Actions of Dwarf... Stomps onwards...

[houndle]

Will Darness
 "Something smells fishy to me," murmurs Will . "And I don't mean the harbour. Firdle, did you not have a spell that reveals things which are hidden? At this point I don't trust anyone in this benighted town. Are we even sure that Rathmere was really wounded? Or is this some deeper plot which is yet to be discovered."

 ACTIONS
Will is on high alert for anything suspicious. It seems such a short time ago that he was a naive country lad.

[nialldubh]

Klarrrrchur Deathaxe:

“Ah, forget it Will, we done our job, we brought the plant back to Jepistra and we are finished. Its time to enjoy the fruits of our labour at the inn. Gee, what a fuss!”

“Will the apprentice wizard, revealing spells, ah!” Scoffs Klarrrrchur, “what a laugh!”

Actions:

Actions of Dwarf... Stomping...

[cupboardgnome]

FIRDLE
"I agree with Will, something is off. But as for spells Will, I can discern magical or hidden things, but not specific things."

[apn]

Klemitz waves his tired/disinterested soldiers back. "Watch out for... anything." he snarls.

Then, leaning into the Delvers, he hisses "It's not common knowledge about the shape shifter that tried to kill Rathmere, otherwise everyone would be doubting one another. What I am saying is..." and his voice dips lower. "Whoever that was that you gave the plant to, it wasn't Franick. Did they seem ... strange... 'off' to you? I know you've only known the Cap'n a day or so but... did it seem like him? Where did they go? Rathmere is running out of time and you just handed the thing that can save him to... the enemy!"

He looks about. "Which street did they head down? Who was 'he' with? We need to catch him!"

[nialldubh]

Klarrrrchur Deathaxe:

“We spend our time searching a hostile jungle full of dangers for the cure while you knowing your town was infested with chameleon assassins did not try to divine there whereabouts, with wizards, warlocks and witches at your disposal?!”

“That way,” he points down the left road to the wharf or so he thought, “and my short Dwarf legs will not catch a sloth in heat, let alone a troop of long legged lizard spies!”

Actions:

Actions of Dwarf... Sprint doun left road...

[apn]

Klemitz bit back a snarled reply, mindful that he was ratty in the morning until he'd had his first beer.

"Whoever is behind all this has magic an' resources behind 'em. They want Rathmere dead because..." he glanced at his men.

"COME ON!" he roared to his men and started jogging alongside the Dwarf and the Delvers as they headed back to the gate and back to the left hand street.

"...best 'old that thought till we get back to the witches place. She managed to get Rathmere talkin' fer a bit fore he slipped under again. Important stuff is happenin'. Big stuff."

He huffed and puffed a little, the massive muscles on the Sergeant bulging with every stride.

"War stuff."



"Down 'ere you say? All th' roads lead ta the town centre but this one turns off to the North gate an' the road ta Jepik. I'll bet ya a bottle o Khazan Red Fire Ale that he's got fast 'orses waitin'! No time ta waste!"

OOC Speed AND Con checks for everyone if you please! Open ended so the higher the better. Human players just roll the re-roll if your first roll sucks, we don't want another issue with mountains of rolls and having to pick them out!

[nialldubh]

Klarrrrchur Deathaxe:

“Firdle give Klemitz yer pony, Will ride on and see if you can see them...!”

Actions:

Actions of Dwarf... Still running doun road....

OOC: Told ya, my legs are too short...

Nialldubh rolls 2d6+13 = 1 +2 + 13 = 16 fumble... (SPD)

Nialldubh rolls 2d6+34 = 3 +6 + 34 = 43. (CON)

[houndle]

Will Darness
 "Here we go again!" mutters Will. "At least in the jungle we knew who the bad guys were. Come to think of it, pretty much all of 'em were bad guys!"

ACTIONS
Will's feet move as if they had wings attached, or so he fondly imagines. His stamina is barely adequate.

Speed SR
WillDarness rolls 2d6 = 3 +3 = 6
WillDarness: DARO
WillDarness rolls 2d6 = 6 +5 = 11
TOTAL 13 + 6 + 11 = 30 L3 PASS

CON SR
WillDarness rolls 2d6 = 4 +6 = 10
TOTAL 10 + 10 = 20 L1 PASS

[apn]

Klarrrrchur goes face down, slipping on some sludge in the street.

Will is off like a shot, sprinting like he's being chased by a hoard of Snee! Firdle... does stuff (OOC until the dice get rolled anyway).

Klemitz and his guards jog after Will, the Sergeant calling back "You need ta watch yer footin' 'round 'ere. Catch up when ya can."

Will pounds his legs up and down, slowing slightly to check down alleyways to see if the fake Captain and guards had gone down that way. They were only a few minutes ahead, surely they can't have...

He runs past the end of an alley and screeches to a halt.

Moving back to the Alley he peers around the corner. About fifty feet away mostly covered by empty wooden crates and trash, a group of soldiers are changing clothes... into Pirates! Or should that be 'changing back into their Pirate Clothing'...?

Will looks back up the street. Klemitz and his guards were some way back, a hundred feet or more just coming around the bend of the street. No sign of Klarrrrchur or Firdle yet.

He saw half a dozen Pirates posing as guards but there may be more. There had been a dozen with fake Franick.

Would Will challenge them on his own or (perhaps a wiser choice) wave to Klemitz and wait for the others to get there. All the while fake Franick might be getting away!

[houndle]

Will Darness
Will signals frantically to Klemitz (though still wondering if there is a perfectly innocent explanation, for example that he has stumbled on a pantomime rehearsal). Then with as much confidence as he can muster, he swaggers towards the quick-change artists.

 "Ahoy, me hearties! Shiver me timbers and likewise splice the mainbrace! Did ye secure the plant? If so, then on with next stage of our dastardly plot!"

 As if by accident his hands stray towards his dual engines of destruction.

ACTIONS
Will tries to distract the pirates with easy banter hoping they might (a) betray art of their plan, (b) allow him to get close enough to launch a surprise attack, (c) delay long enough for Klemitz and the others to catch up.

[apn]

Some of the Pirates look at each other and talk in a low voice to one another.

One of the bigger ones starts walking forward, easy grin on his face. "You be one o them lads got th' flower ain't ya? Big 'ero you are, savin' Rathmere's 'ide. 'Cept Rathmere is a turncoat, ee done that worst thing Pirates can do. Turn on 'is own cause of some... notion... that he needs to... what's th' word..?"

"Atone." someone shouted out.

The Pirate scowled "You was always too keen ta read th' books 'fore they went on the fire fer warmth, Jakes!"

"Anyway." he says, closer now but still twenty feet or so away. "We was thinkin' you need thankin'." he says, still grinning with yellow gap toothed smile. He seemed to have had a shave and hair combed back, so at least they'd tried to look convincing.

"GET IM LADS!" roared the fellow, pulling out a curved sword and running forwards! Half a dozen of the other Pirates roar and start forward, daggers, hand axes, machetes, iron bound clubs, blackjacks, knuckledusters and more at the ready!

OOC seven Pirates headed Wills' way. If he stays here they'll get to him before Klemitz and his three men do, and certainly before Klarrrrchur picks himself up and Firdle arrives....

[houndle]

Will Darness
 "Well at least that distracted them. Now what do I do?"

 Will backs away slowly, eyes divided between the pirates and searching for a defensible spot which would prevent him being too badly outnumbered. His swords are naked in his hands, Asuwil purring in anticipation of slaughter.

ACTIONS
Will backs away slowly and warms up his swords. Depending on how (un)promising his final position he'll unleash the Vorpal or whammy effect. He's probably also thinking of some heroic quips with which to baffle his opponents.

[nialldubh]

Klarrrrchur Deathaxe:

Klarrrrchur turns to Firdle sitting on the Dwarf's pony. “I rather go to the inn, but...!”

He mounts Will's pony and clatters down the road, after the militia...

Actions:

Actions of Dwarf... Clattering...