|
Post by enchilada on May 8, 2019 19:59:09 GMT
That noise from the orc lady was... fun. Honey wondered if she always was so loud and clumsy and clueless, and she hoped that Dredka wasn’t loud and clumsy and clueless in a fight. From her body, the rabbit suspected not. But, maybe she was super lucky. Not as lucky as herself, but lucky all the same. She noticed that nobody else seemed to have much to say to anybody. Oh — oh well.
Honeybun tried to sniff out Kara’s intention. Mostly she smelt horses, thanks, big horse-guy, and something plain, oily, mild. She put a hand on her knee, stretching up closer. She wasn’t sure if trying to smell intention actually helped, but it usually comforted Honey’s own thoughts. There was little intention to find other than... she decided it was concern. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked if she could still fight from cover.
Honey drew back.
She pushed her hat up as high as the brim would sit, and shook her head. “Don’t have anything of the sort. I have some spells. Well, one spell. But that’s better than nothing!” Honeybun emphasised her lack of feeling at all bad about it with a sick, quick riff of her dulcimer. She knew she was small, and less experienced than the others, but she knew deep down that she could still contribute to the fight!
“I’ll do my best, Kara. I’m sure I’ll be absolutely fine, anyway!”
|
|
khorne
Approved
Linked Characters: Igostrom
Posts: 44
|
Post by khorne on May 9, 2019 3:57:00 GMT
Igostrom was excited on the inside. His skills were always appreciated, but usually not from an equal or superior, as Kara was. He also perked up slightly at talk of tracking. He did have some experience in this field...
"Kara, I have led more than a few orc hunting parties myself. I believe I can consider myself more than a simple amateur at tracking them." Igostrom turns to Honeybun. "Honeybun, please, take this. I believe it will be of more help to you than I." He says, handing her his light crossbow and bolt quiver.
|
|
khorne
Approved
Linked Characters: Igostrom
Posts: 44
|
Post by khorne on May 9, 2019 12:24:59 GMT
Igostrom makes an Animal Handling check: 8zZly_QZ1d20+31d20+3
|
|
|
Post by enchilada on May 9, 2019 14:29:44 GMT
Honeybun took the items, doing her best to sort out having her rapier, and her dulcimer, and this crossbow and its bolts, and everything else, but after sorting out her things and some shuffling, she got it figured out. Honey smiled at Igostrom, forced, but it was still felt.
“Thanks, dude. You’re alright.” She stated, practicing aiming with it, unloaded. It felt fairly simple to her, it should be easy enough. Honeybun could do this! She’d hide! She’d cast her spells! She’d shoot this crossbow. And she’d contribute.
“Yes, Kara, I do in fact have a ranged weapon.”
|
|
Jarovbees
Approved
Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
|
Post by Jarovbees on May 9, 2019 15:21:11 GMT
Warden shook her head at mention of tracking experience, frowning a little as there's not much she has to contribute in that area. She never had to hunt anything, let alone orcs. "It's not my forte, but I'll still try to help. A lack of learning has never stopped me before, honestly."
She nodded in approval at Igostrom's offer to Honeybun; competent and a team player, he was a good choice to have on this orc-hunting party. Glancing at Honeybun, she nodded her encouragement. One didn't have to be on the front line to contribute, after all. She knew as well as anyone that a party's support could make or break their mission.
"It's probably a good idea to space out the healers, anyway, just in case."
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 9, 2019 16:29:28 GMT
Kara nodded at Honeybun, firmly, accepting her promise to do her best. She glanced at the others, frowning. Her eyes settled on Igostrom’s crossbow.
In what felt like a rare moment of synchronicity, the centaur walked over and offered the weapon to the rabbit. Honeybun took it, checked it with surprising confidence, and proclaimed that she did have a ranged weapon.
Kara’s face twitched at something smile-like, but she just nodded again, gravely, once at Honeybun and once more at Igostrom.
Igostrom was a tracker then; good. He was proving more and more useful by the moment.
One last item on Kara’s mental checklist: stealth. She opened her mouth to ask, then paused, thinking. Kara looked down at herself and her rattling half-plate, over at Warden in her armor, at Dredka with her noisy broken chains, and then at Igostrom, an enormous centaur also wearing armor.
Kara crouched back down to Honeybun, frowning. “Do you have any spells for stealth?” She asked.
|
|
|
Post by enchilada on May 9, 2019 18:11:55 GMT
She shook her head. Honeybun might have been able to help them with stealth, but there was only so much helping she could do, before she was worn down and unable to help anymore. In terms of spells, no, she didn’t know any at all to help with stealth.
“Sorry, Kara. I’m all out on that front, but I’ll bear it in mind for if there’s a next time!” Honeybun wasn’t sure if there would be next times, if there were, then it wouldn’t be exactly the same. Maybe Kara wouldn’t be there, or it would be a different assignment altogether, or maybe Honeybun would never go back out again. There wasn’t the possibility in her mind of that being because she was too injured to leave again, but because she might decide, at some point, to focus much more on learning and reading and researching.
But the best way to practice anything was to actually do it. Honeybun could read and read, but that would never make her a better magician. She could watch and nod along to masters of misdirection, but that would not give her the full scope of what was going on. Her muscles wouldn’t feel it, her eyes wouldn’t see it, she wouldn’t fully understand the process, even if she knew it.
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 9, 2019 18:19:45 GMT
Kara nodded, glanced down at herself, glanced around at her companions, and shrugged. Not like anyone else was helping as far as stealth was concerned. Honeybun was probably the only one of them with any chance at all of it.
Kara rose back up to her feet, glancing at her squad.
“We’ll move out soon,” Kara said quietly. “Igostrom, I want you in front as a tracker.” She would take the back herself. “When we hit combat, I’ll - ride you.” That was a new sentence. “Warden, Honeybun,” she paused, “Dredka,” the name grated but she forced it out, “stay between Igostrom and me. Scan the woods to our right and left for any signs of trouble.”
Kara paused. With a week there would be more she could do - training, drills, mock battles. There wasn’t time for any of it today. “Last chance for questions,” Kara said, finally. Now or never.
|
|
|
Post by Dredka on May 9, 2019 21:38:38 GMT
(I’m assuming that Igostrom’s animal handling check is for the concept discussed on discord. When we get to the ‘tracking’ portion of the adventure this will be handled as a Skill Challenge, so everyone will need to contribute a skill to describe their part in hunting the orcs down. I’m happy enough to hold Igostrom’s 19 for that – but in future please don’t roll without making sure it… fits! There’s nothing in the post to indicate what it is for!)
Dredka wrapped the whistle around her wrist, apparently finding that easier than trying to force it over the mass of hair and her thick neck. She was busy binding it into place when Kara gave her orders, and she nodded in understanding. Staying between the woman and the centaur was something she could do easily enough, she was sure.
“No questions.” She said, drawing one of her javelin from the quiver hidden under her hair, and testing its weight lightly. In the event that she needed to act quickly, she wanted a weapon to hand. One that she could hurl.
“When we start fighting, it will be loud.” She promised. “So blow whistles loudly please. I don’t want to miss the plan because I was shouting.”
|
|
Jarovbees
Approved
Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
|
Post by Jarovbees on May 9, 2019 22:00:12 GMT
"No questions here. I'm ready." Warden gave a decisive nod, ready and eager to get going. Nothing came to mind, except getting rid of the orc threat and she didn't see that as especially complicated. Time would tell if she'd come to regret that inner train of thought. Glancing over at Dredka, she gave a thumbs-up. "Fair enough. I'm pretty sure I can handle that, so no problem on this end. And if someone else can't blow as loudly...well, I make no promises but I'll try to listen for whistles at any volume."
Dredka wasn't wrong, battle could indeed be quite loud, especially when some of the part were already heavily armed and armored. Hopefully they could manage to work around it.
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 9, 2019 22:11:18 GMT
Kara looked at her four squad members again. For a moment, she felt a rush of – fear. It was fear, Kara realized. Fear of losing another colleague, fear that she herself would fail as a leader, that when faced with orcs she would break and run. She never had before, but – perhaps this time –
Kara’s face snapped into a scowl, and she shook her head once, banishing the fear with a quick prayer to Helm. Not today, she promised. She would not let him down today. She, and these others, would help to protect Waterdeep, and all the beautiful life inside its walls. And if anyone, Kara thought while looking at Dredka, tried to stop them, they would pay.
With a nod, Kara turned towards the forest. “Let’s go.” Kara said, glaive held in hand like a walking stick. Kara would let Igostrom go first, followed by Dredka, Warden and Honeybun, and take the rear herself. No time to second guess, to doubt or hesitate. There was work to do.
|
|
|
Post by Dredka on May 10, 2019 8:12:11 GMT
(Okay, as said above - everyone please pick a skill that you are using to track the orcs and roll it along with a description of how your assistance benefits the group. Igostrom doesn't need to roll; I will do Dredka's properly when I get back from work. The DC is 16.)
|
|
Jarovbees
Approved
Playing: Solstice (Paladin 6)/Umbrae (Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4)/Avren Wands (Rogue 2/Sorcerer 1)
Posts: 706
|
Post by Jarovbees on May 10, 2019 19:10:53 GMT
Warden wasn't experienced in tracking, so she left that to Igostrom, but that didn't mean she couldn't find a way to contribute. It paid to stay alert in some of the seedier areas of Waterdeep; in fact, it could be deadly not to cultivate some danger sense, especially in her line of work as a vigilante. So, she tapped into her senses and focused as much as she could on the here and now. If there was an orcish presence anywhere nearby, she hoped to spot trouble before trouble found them.
Perception: orWkL|1|1d20+21d20+2
|
|
|
Post by moralhazard on May 10, 2019 19:12:12 GMT
At the back of the group, Kara focused largely on making sure no one could sneak up on them from behind, trusting Igostrom to do as he had said he could, and track the orcs from the front. She kept her ears and eyes alert, listening attentively for indication, be it sound or sight, of orcs.
Perception for sight/sound of orcs from behind: KtSLPKox1d20+31d20+3
|
|
|
Post by enchilada on May 10, 2019 19:36:04 GMT
While Honey may have been better off, in some way, talking, she didn’t want to let anyone down. She had her hat in her hands, ears working overtime at every unusual scuffle she could possibly pick up. She also thought, maybe, she might be able to smell the orcs coming. They smelled bad, right? Right? Honeybun didn’t know for sure, but she could guess. Maybe. tu6RuTTU1d20+1 (perception) 1d20+1
|
|