[IC] Hero's Hall: CLOSED FOR REPAIRS

[Kenshi]

An old man approaches the newly formed party, ""I've been expecting you, come and sit by the fire, rest and I will tell you, why you were summoned here."
"First and foremost, I am called Zandor, and I too was once a young adventurer like yourselves."
Zandor pulls his pipe out and begins to puff on it, bringing life to it.
"Old gnome magic, I am amazed it still works."
"There is a great evil coming to destroy our realm, and only you can prevent it."
The old man sighs, " Unfortunately, I am too weak to aid you in this perilous journey, all I can offer you is map to Galifundal's lair."

"Pardon the interruption Zandor, but I too will be aiding them on this journey." said a cloaked man.
The stranger removed his hood,revealing an elven face.
"My friend, Athar, Have the council brought you in on this?"
exclaimed Zandor.
"Aye, they thought it best, if I tagged along."replied Athar.
"Please, carry on with the story." said the elf has he took an empty seat at the table.

"Where was I....ahhh yes, he is a powerful necromancer who plans to open the gates of Hell and unleash evil darkness across the realm."
"Your first quest shall be a stronghold held by goblins and orcs, we believe one of the chief orcs may be in league with Galifundal."
Athar will guide you , after all, he is best suited in tracking down these creatures.
Athar takes over the conversation, "one of our scouts were able to draw us a detailed drawing of the stronghold."

Stronghold

The Elf and the party study the drawing, "I would say it was built by someone else,the Orcs and Gooblins more than likely took it over."
The old man takes a sip of his ale and another puff from his pipe, "Any questions?"

[Dark Cloud]

Harlgan Ironbjorn grunted in reply to the wizard and slammed back his tankard of frothy mead, wiping the froth from his lips with an arm as he looked at the others gathered around the table.

"I kill monsters for a living," without humor the wild man spoke finally in a gruff voice "I don't kill for free old man." Harlgan explained bluntly not caring to restrain his incredulous tone.

[Moonshadow]

Kithri studied the map, the palisade would make a stealthy entrance difficult but not impossible. A grappling hook, line of rope, and a distraction and she could get inside. The halfling glanced towards the barbarian, they made good distractions. She finished her own drink and regarded the old man with a tilt of her head.

"How far from here is it," her hazel gaze shifted towards the elf. "How many orcs qnd goblins within, how many patrolling the exterior?"

His people scouted the location, they should have some information.

[Mae]

Vivienne's gaze roamed the map leisurely, a faint spark of interest hidden beneath a thick malaise. "Orcs and Goblins you say? No nasty surprises in the mix as far as we know?" she asked idly, hoping for a straightforward job for once. The healer shuddered as she thought of some of the untimely ends she had witnessed to mad wizard's abominations and undead horrors. Orcs and goblins were a terror in their own right, but Vivienne would be glad if - just one time - things could actually go well. She looked at the others gathered today around the table, thinking they looked like quite competent adventurers. A rogue for traps, both melee and ranged capabilities, perhaps a well-rounded team... she worried for the barbarian, as a healer she often had to keep an eye on the gung-ho types, but resigned the problems of the battlefield to the battlefield.

She leaned in a little closer, not wanting her thoughts to distract her too much from the matter at hand.

[Kenshi]

@ Dark cloud

The Elven Ranger looked hard at the barbarian, "I understand that your kind is use to living in uncivilized colonies where you speak to each other as if you were animals, but I demand you show Zandor some respect."

The old wizard placed his hand on Athar's shoulder, "Calm thyself Athar, he is right, no man should risk his life unless paid."
Zandor turns his attention to the barbarian, "All of you will be paid for your services. "

The Elf can not hold his tongue, " In my days we fought against evil because it was the right thing to do, and we didn't moan about being paid."

@Moonshadow

The Elf turns to answer your questions, " Three days ride, or five day walk to the southeast, we estimate no more than Twenty, and there are always two guards at the gate."

Zandor takes another puff from his pipe, "Supplies will be given to you for the journey, if that is all, make haste. "

[Dark Cloud]

@Kenshi

He had to grit his teeth at the elves audacity by referring to his people as animals, yet the northern people were not savages unlike how the general population thought. They were seafaring folk and explorers seeking new lands to conquer, they respected the words of their wise men who employed their druidic arts to portend the future and keep the primal spirits at bay.

But as usual the elf had a narrow-minded arrogance like all elves in his opinion, but for now the berserker kept his anger leashed as he grunted and nodded before downing the remaining contents of his tankard.

"You have my blade then wise man," Harlgan spoke finally as he set his empty tankard onto the table, but once he finished speaking all of his attention turned towards the elf Athar "You probably never ventured far from the capital," his eyes narrowed and his jaw set as he spoke straining to keep his cool "So I will let your ignorance go." deciding it wasn't worth fighting over the wild man cast his eyes over the others seated with them.

He vaguely acknowledged the halfling with a nod but his attention was fully drawn to the blonde haired woman as her appearance reminded him of that of a clerical type which sparked his curiosity since on his travels he had become quite familiar with healers in churches as it was more often than not he awoke in the walls of a church more than once. "What is your name lady?" cocking his head he directed the question towards the priest woman in the tabard.

[Moonshadow]

The halfling was, as she was used to be, over looked by the barbarian. That was fine for her, the fewer eyes on her movements the better. She nodded to the old man when he offered to handle supplies for the group. None of them knew who the other was, aside from Zandor who had gathered them and Athar, the elven friend. Did it matter? Not really.

"I will have to ride with another, if we go on horseback," the short brunette noted though it was surely common knowledge that her kind couldn't really ride horses. Her focus went back to the sketch of the camp. Twenty-two, perhaps a little more or perhaps a little less. Four of them, that was five or so targets a person. Shouldn't be too difficult, she considered. When the others were ready to leave, she would join them.

[Kenshi]

The journey begins, the party gather what supplies they need for the trip, and set out on foot.
The Elf, Athar takes point, a few yards ahead of the group.
It is around mid morning, calm winds, the sun is shining brightly upon this lovely day.
You are following the narrow road that leads into the forest, which is quite alive with birds and chipmunks.
Just a few minutes later, the elf returns to the group.
"Up ahead, about hundred yards, is a barricade of fallen trees,and I spotted at least 4 Orc raiders."

[Moonshadow]

Kithri looked to the others, waiting to hear if there would be a plan of attack, were she alone she would have simply stealthes her way around the orcs 4-to-1 were not odds she liked.

With a group, however, the odds were more favorable. "Might want to shoot one, grab their attention so we have an upper hand. Let these two," she motioned at the barbarian and the mace wielding cleric, "engage up close. I can stay hidden until their closer and get a surprise back stab in."

[Mae]

"Vivienne, acolyte of the blood at your service. May the ebbing lifeforce of your enemies empower you." she greeted formally, her training taking over her tongue momentarily. It was not long before the conversation turned to other things and they were soon preparing for their journey.

*

The morning sun was a foreign concept to Vivienne, but she enjoyed it's presence none the less. The trail was easy enough to follow well with the elf's lead, and so she took to listening to the pleasant birdsong and the occasional animal. Her attention turned briefly to the barbarian in the quiet as they walked. "You know, in the business of the past evening, I don't think I caught your name." she stated as the elf returned to them with news from up ahead. Vivienne paused to listen to his words and frowned, the upcoming raid displeasing to her. She didn't like their level of organisation, but then, they were orcs after all.

The cleric nodded in agreement with the halfling, eager to see how their untested party would fair in a fight. "Consider me at your disposal, miss."

[Dark Cloud]

Harlgan had followed along with his two companions and the elf with his greatsword resting on his shoulder as they walked before promptly stopping to plan their assault on the barricade.

Vaguely listening to the halfling woman the berserker nodded slightly acknowledging her comment before looking to the blonde haired woman Vivienne. "I am Harlgan Ironbjorn of the North" the berserker told the priestess "You must be strong if you wield such a mighty weapon," Harlgan said nonchalantly as he nodded pointedly to Vivienne's mace "You are different from the other priestesses I've met on my journeys" for once there was a hint of emotion in the berserkers tone, and he sounded slightly impressed.

[Kenshi]

The elf looked at the halfling, "Right, so the plan is, we all sneak up as best as we can, separated and I'll shoot an Orc with my bow."
Athar looked at the others, "What are y'all planning to do, after we try and get closer to them for the surprise?"

[Moonshadow]

That was all the approval the halfling needed before stealthily stepping into the trees to begin approaching the group of orcs, moving slowly and carefully as to not give away her position while the others finished their plan of attack.

[Kenshi]

@Moonshadow
The Halfling is so silent, as if she simply turned to wind.
The Elf is puzzled, he had sworn she was here less than a minute ago.

Athar looked at the cleric and barbarian, "It seems we have misplaced the halfling, she is simply gone, more than likely to backstab an Orc, which is why we need to act fast and not dwoddle about."

[Dark Cloud]

With a hearty laugh the berserker hefted his mighty blade upward as Harlgan rushes the barricade with the intent of both surprising and startling the enemy as he looses a guttural battle cry.

[Kenshi]

@Dark Cloud

roleplayerguild.com/rolls/20916

2. FAIL

As the Barbarian ran forward towards the barricade and Orcs, yelling his deathly battle cry!
A fly flew into his mouth, and he began choking and coughing, and tripped over a tree root.

[Kenshi]

The elf shook his head, "So much for a surprise attack now. "
Athar took off thru the woods, he was silent and gone by the time the cleric looked up.
The Elf moved like a cat, graceful and cunning, and came running out of the tree line firing an arrow at one of the orcs.

roleplayerguild.com/rolls/20925

5 epic success.

The Orc fell to the ground, an arrow sticking in his neck

[Moonshadow]

With the guttural roar of the barbarian and the sight of an arrow striking through the neck of an orc as it fell, the brunette halfling leapt down from her perch atop a boulder to strike one of the orcs from behind with her falchion.

[Kenshi]

@Moonshadow
roleplayerguild.com/rolls/20926

6 too successful

The halfling leaped from the boulder and brought her falchion down upon the orc's head, killing him instantly! Unfortunately, her sword is now stuck in the Orc's head, and there are 2 remaining orcs and they see what has transpired.
"Hahaha, little dwarf in trouble now. " said Orc3.
"That's not a dwarf you idiot." Orc4 said.
"Eh,what is it then?"
" That's lunch!"
The 2 remaining Orcs are advancing on the halfling.

[Moonshadow]

When her falchion wouldn't budge on the draw back, the halfling had a fleeting moment of panic. The banter of the orcs brought her mind back into the moment. Kithri gave a nervous chuckle, grinning up at the two approaching orcs as she begun backing up into the trees and rocks she had come from. She switched her dagger from her off-hand to her main-hand and would try to evade any incoming attacks with the aid of her agility skills and boots of spider climb. She could worry about getting the falchion back when the fight was over, surely one of the others would be capable of prying it out of an orc skull.

Thinking of the others, she gave a swift side glance to where they had been when she essentially disappeared. "A little help would be great over here!"