Shoe Thief

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Battle Master, Level 03 HP: 27 / 31 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: F8 --> G11 Action: A little Push Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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As Cavendish continued to speak his strange tongue Kathryn thought of all the ways she would plant him into the ground for his attempt at cursing her. What gave the half giant comfort, he seemed to be having a pretty rough day himself. And they hadn't even gotten into melee range of him yet. She was hopeful for how the battle could turn out. When the order came to have Kosara killed and her horns removed, Kathryn prepared to put herself between the beast and the tiefling. Thankfully, the beast had other ideas and had decided to strike out against it's former master. At least temporarily. That meant that the party only had one monster to worry about instead of three. It seemed with that strike against Cavendish, she felt a feeling of weightlessness come over. She took a moment to adjust, but quickly realized that her strength had returned to her! She was ready again to dish out some punishment against Cavendish and what remained of his band of criminals. As the party dog piled against the last beast, Kosara with her sword set aflame, Marita positioning the beast that she was unable to move, and Blackberry opening up with... Kathryn paused trying to process this. In the last few days alone she had seen more magic take place than every day since she left home. Kathryn watched in shock and awe as Blackberry opened up with a lightning blast hitting both creatures AND Cavendish. She wanted to cheer out, and almost did.

Kathryn booked her way over way over as fast as she could once she saw things were not playing out as well as they needed too. Under better circumstances, she would have chuckled along to the monk's quips, but the beasts began to heal. The tanky monsters were recovering. "It was worth a shot Baronfjørd. You did well, and now we know. We'll learn and move on from there." She paused a moment before getting into position to assist with the beast. "I'm sure Cavendish felt it." Kathryn said in a reassuring tone. Soon Victoria rejoined, taking her own shot at the beast. Kathryn thought it was comical in a way how the beasts had begun beating down on the party and how the party was on the back foot to start things off. Forcing themselves to react to whatever the beasts did. Now? The five of them had the thing surrounded and backed up against a wall of fire. A wall of fire Kathryn was hoping to exploit. And maybe, even get the beasts to pound on each other like Marita had originally planned. Kathryn did a vertical swing of her newly acquired hammer, bringing it a little closer than she wanted to towards Marita, but letting it still strike true as it made contact with the beast's chest and sending it back into the cracked barrel full of fire.

The force and mass Kathryn felt as the beast attempted to resist her blow was intense. Had she not applied as much force, or if the creature had gotten a better foothold, she wouldn't be sure the blow would have struck as well as it did. Though close, the force she applied herself came true. She sent the beast back with enough force to begin rupturing the barrel, and the beast clambering over it only destroyed it more as it the creature. The barrel shattered to pieces, the creature burned as if it were the source of the fire itself, and Kathryn had regained some of her lost pride after failing to manhandle the beast not too long ago. She made sure not to follow the beast to it's doomed fate as it burned. She hoped the beasts would follow into Marita's original plan and battle it out between themselves. Leaving whatever was left of Cavendish to themselves. He had crimes he needed to answer too, and she felt that even though the beasts could dish out punishment, that they were not qualified to serve justice to a goon such as Cavendish.

@Sigil Let the punishments ensue!!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Battle Master, Level 03 HP: 27 / 31 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: F8 Action: Attempted Grapple Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Kathryn's visor locked with Cavendish's eyes as she spotted him past the fire barrels. She took note that the guards were not present. She hoped they backed off, but she couldn't bet on that. She had to assume they were still a threat until proven otherwise. Between herself and the constable, was a rather large swarm of rats. Many had burned to bits from the exploding barrel, though most seemed to remain. Had the rats and the fire not been in the way, Kathryn was pretty sure she could close the distance to Cavendish and send him into the floor. But not only were those obstacles in the way, one of the beasts was between them as well. On fire and in a frenzy, and lashing out at everything around it. There was the second beast too, which Kathryn turned just in time to see it give another heavy blow into Baronfjørd. The hit looked brutal. Kathryn couldn't risk going after Cavendish just yet. Deal with the beasts, keep her team alive, keep the hostages safe, then they could go after Cavendish. Thankfully, Kosara was on the case, sending a blast into Cavendish now that he was exposed. It looked like it hit true. "Great work Kosara." Kathryn gave her approval to the tiefling as she hopped back into her very dramatic pose. Kathryn thought it was silly, but a hit like that how could she place any judgement? Plus, it was a good hit. And a cathartic hit at that.

Baronfjørd worked on trying to get the hostages out, or at least gave them tools to do so. Kathryn also liked Marita's plan to get the beasts to fight each other. Sure, the party could dish out a fair amount of punishment. But it didn't seem to be going fast enough. If they were busy on each other they would have more time to reorganize, replan, and maybe even get another shot at Cavendish. At the very least, approach the next stage of this fight how they wanted too, instead of just reacting to the beasts ahead. The complication that now faced Kathryn personally, was Cavendish. Though she couldn't strike him, he had his own abilities to strike out at her. She briefly saw him beginning to whisper, and his eyes go dark. Kathryn struggled to process what was going on. Stunned at first at what could be happening. Then she felt it. Her limbs felt like they were made of stone. And for a moment she wondered if she could stand much longer. She corrected her posturing in an attempt to counter the magical effects. But this wasn't something she could just tough through. She could still stand, she could still walk, she could still fight. But it was going to be a lot harder for the time being.

Kathryn would still do her best to assist in Marita's plan. And she did her damnedest to make sure that the weakness she was feeling wasn't showing. "Just get that creature to me, I'll do the rest." Kathryn said with confidence in her tone. She wouldn't let the weakness she felt show. She wouldn't let her party down. She wouldn't allow such a cruel and inhuman person like Cavendish win. She looked over in time to see Victoria by her side reassuring her that she wouldn't be doing this alone. As the creature approached, Kathryn gripped her shield to use like a lever. Just like with the last one, the beast would be heavy. Kathryn dropped to one knee and lifted her shield into the creature's gut to begin the lifting process. Her free hand had gripped the beast around the neck, but she struggles to get her grip. She could feel the leverage but still she couldn't get it to budge. She felt the push from Victoria, and for a split second, Kathryn thought she could still pull the maneuver off. The moment her foot shifted to attempt to lift the beast, she could tell it was already too late. Her strength had been tapped and her leverage was lost. If she didn't disengage she could be crushed. In a split second she pushed the beast off herself. Not moving it at all, not even sure if she got it off the ground. "I- I can't..." Kathryn said weakly while catching her breath. But she wasn't crushed, and it still would have to go through her to attack the cage.

When her strength failed Kathryn had remind herself to stay focused. The failure to pull off her duty hit her hard. But she was still standing, and still had a job to do. And if that job just consisted of keeping herself between this creature and those that it would want to hurt that would be enough for now. She drew the hammer and raised her shield to prepare for another blow.

@Sigil Ready for all the retaliation as we prep Plan B!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Battle Master, Level 03 HP: 27 / 31 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: H10 --> F8 Action: Grapple [Action Surge]: Attack Bonus Action: Second Wind (9hp) Reaction: Opportunity of Attack

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Kathryn felt the wind forced out of her like a melon squished to the point of exploding to bits. Despite her attempt to block the force that hit her she found the wind knocked out of her. What she could surmise from this brute force? The creature was damn strong. Damn strong. And worse? It was damn fast to boot. Once the party established itself into defensive positions against the creatures, they pushed passed the party without a care in the world. Though not without taking punishment for it. But the creatures seemed either ignorant, or uncaring to the punishment they were taking. Despite blow after blow, it seemed until the creatures were flattened into mush they would keep crawling on to follow their orders. The goons have bought themselves more time then Kathryn thought they would. Cavendish's remark pissed Kathryn off more. Giving her a second wind of sorts as her motive to absolutely flatten the bastard increase. "You're running out of time Cavendish!" Kathryn replied to the taunt. Sure, she would deal with these beasts first. But then Cavendish. She was unsure how they could deal with such monsters. Especially before they got to the hostages.

Kathryn began to book it to face off against the creatures. She had a brief moment of consideration as she debated which to take on first. Watching Kosara blast one of them with her Celestial blast was something both terrifying and amazing to watch. But as she approached the creature, Kathryn realized the arguably most likely to get eaten member of the party was attempting to face off against the beasts head on. "Oh shite..." Kathryn mumbled under her breath. Kathryn thought it brave the tiefling would attempt to use herself as bait, but it still worried Kathryn. Kathryn approached the creature looking for a good opportunity to dish out some punishment to it. Supporting words from Blackberry were reassuring. She wouldn't feel like she was leaving members of her party out to dry. But they needed something fast if they were to even the odds. Maybe they had some sort of weakness? Some sort of gimmick to make them tic? Or... untick? Kathryn didn't know those terms too well either, she was a warrior, not a scholar. "On It!" Hearing Marita do another one of her abilities was also reassuring. Until it seemed not to work... How could they not be undead? "If they're not undead then what in the fourteen hell's are they!?" Kathryn said disappointed that Marita's ability didn't give them their needed leverage, and worried. Then she said it. Fire...

Kathryn knew she was far from the smartest, the wisest, the most socially adept person of the party. And her ability to physically punish things though useful, was limited to solely those situations. Kathryn saw an opportunity to carry her own weight and then some. And maybe even deal with Cavendish and his goons. Kathryn paused a moment, getting ready to redirect her strike when seeing Cavendish appear near Kosara and the beast she so graciously wanted to dance with. The pause was long enough to notice Victoria, and Kathryn hoped that this was some sort of magic trick she was doing. Putting herself between the beast and where she last saw the Constable, Kathryn prepared to try and protect herself and the people trapped inside. But this also gave her an opportunity to strike, and strike hard.

Putting the hammer back in her belt Kathryn freed up her hand and pulled herself alongside Kosara. Kathryn bent her knees down, pressing the top of her shield into the creatures gut and pressed it inwards. With her free hand she grabbed the creature by its arm. Extending her knees in a split second motion after her shield made contact she grunted as the large heavy beast left this planet to briefly join the heavens. Passing over Kosara, away from the cage, and soon over Kathryn. Held in the sky by The Noble Lady of the VanEmbar family Kathryn attempted to not only move the beast as far away as she could from the cage, but from Kosara, and to bring it down as hard as she could towards the Constable. Maybe she'd even hit him in the process? One could hope. She felt her strength waiver for a moment. The creature was heavy, and had the full means to not only fight back, but cause her serious harm. A single slip of the boot and she'd be crushed, and likely killed afterwards. "AAAAHHHHHHH" Kathryn let out the violent cry as the weight of the creature was released from her shoulders, and sent plummeting against the barrel with her full strength behind it. Sending it and the barrel toppling as she regained her footing, preparing to dish out whatever punishment she could to it should it still want to face her.

@Sigil OKAY! Ready for the next round of retaliations!

Call of Cthulhu - Talbott's Investigators of Mysteries Enlightened

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Margarete O'Bryon

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Location: Car Ride --> Streets of Gamwell, Massachuttets
Hit Points: 13 Sanity Points: 46 Luck: 75
Mental State: Sane
Skill:

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Coffee. There was little that could compete for Margarete's love than Coffee. Sprinkles being the only exception. But anyone who couldn't love a creature such as Sprinkle's had something wrong with them. So excepting the obvious, Coffee was her biggest love in this moment. She had to take extra caution as she sped along the roadway not to spill the coffee Elly had so graciously made for her. Pulling into Gamwell Margarete had to slow her vehicle enough so she wouldn't hit any Jays and have to deal with all of that mess. Not that she was driving slow by any means. The vehicle stopped at a near violent jerking stop on what could have been the town's main street for all she knew. "Talkin' to the law seems like a good starting place. It'll be good to know sooner rather then later if they are on our side or not. Or if we should expect pushback in our work." The whole down gave her anxiety. Nothing to do with the town itself, but the thought that this could have anything to do with that manor in France made her want to find what had caused all her pain and put a bullet between it's eyes. Her own eyes however, drifted to her handbag between the seats. The hilt of the old Calvary revolver barely visible. Large for a hand gun, but it was available when she needed one. Not that she was particularly good with it. She had fired it a couple times. Enough to be familiar with how to operate it. Most of its use nowadays was taking it out of the drawer at night and putting it away in the morning when she woke.

Eleonora's idea of sorting out housing for the night before getting anything else done had some logic to it, but she worried about not having a starting point by the time dark settled. "I would prefer to at least talk to the client tonight if nothing else. I would like at least our key bits of information before we get too far. If you want to sort out lodging first we can. But I would need us to make it snappy. We can unload bags after we talk with the lawyer. I would also like to talk with the sheriff as well, but at least the lawyer before we call it a night." She wanted information to ponder through the night. She knew she wasn't the fasted when it came to mental gymnastics, and wanted as much time to think something over as possible. But she did like the idea of securing a room for herself. Not that she didn't trust her current company, but she had trouble trusting a lot of people. She was a bit cautious like that.

Margarete started the car back up, sped down the roadway as if she was back on the back roads and stopped suddenly in front of the guest house looking place. Getting out of the car Margarete stretched, realized she had been sitting far too long, and heard a cracking noise as she finished up. Feeling better though, she grabbed her hand bag and looked at the guest house. "May be worth splitting up. But I would like more information up front either way so we have an idea of what we are looking for. I think it would be best to talk tot he lawyer first before we decide to split up. That way we're all on the same page before we go putting out noses into places." The idea of securing a room first was more an more appealing as she walked up to the guest house. She hoped that they would have enough rooms for all of them. She didn't fancy the idea of sharing a room.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Battle Master, Level 03 HP: 31 / 31 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: H12 --> H10 Action: Attack Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Kathryn chuckled at Kosara's comment about Cavendish. She had seen people try to use size to intimidate others her whole life, and she had met few who tried on those smaller than themselves. And generally all Kathryn had to do was walk into the room to humble the ego of someone making a scene. Offer something nice to drink to the parties involved, and remind everyone who needed reminding, that violence wasn't in their favor. Kosara also stated Kathryn's thoughts on the matter well. The constable had a job to do, and not only had he failed it, he was going out of his way to be the thing his people needed protection from. Such a crime could never go unpunished. Though Kathryn did jump a little bit hearing the tiefling's voice boom. She didn't think so much sound could come out of such a small woman. "Don't worry Kosara, he'll take his punishment like the coward he is once we're done with him." Though Kathryn was one for justice done by governing bodies, if justice had to be dealt out with blunt force trauma, so be it. She had put down others like him before, and though she wasn't a fan of torture, she held little reservations for body counts. Thinking about it though, Cavendish wasn't like the others she had confronted in the past. She had battled kobolds, goblins, human bandits, but she had never faced on a town guard formally equipped with magic weapons.

When Baronfjord made a comment about his guards, Kathryn noticed the numbers too. "Another got away no? Be prepared, they may be waiting in the treeline for a chance to ambush. Or pull off some other trick." When Cavendish replied to her attempts to limit the damage, he had seemed to snack. Kathryn gave a small chuckle at the being children comment. Coming from the one shirking his responsibilities for personal power? She knew children with better honor then that. His followup comments had more to be concerned about. Kathryn heard the drops of water before she saw the beasts. The droplets splashing onto her helm as she turned to see the two giant beasts. They were... Nothing she had ever expected. Targeted for the people between her and Cavendish. As soon as things kicked off, an urge crossed Kathryn's mind. Charge Cavendish now, send him into the dirt, and maybe the beasts would stop being responsive. But if she was wrong, there would be less in their path to attack the prisoners. If she failed not only would her party be down a person, Cavendish would have his hammer back. No, the beasts would have to be dealt with first.

Marita and Blackberry had struck first. Hammering into the creature who seemed to care not what damage it took. She took note the guard's did nothing. Were they waiting for something to happen? A chance for their backs to turn? In Kathryn's thought she almost missed Marita's comment about how the creatures may be able to take more punishment from blunt force, Kathryn was in a pickle. Her family sword may have done the trick, but it wasn't silvered. She held off trying to keep old traditions. She had no idea if these creatures were immune to regular weapons as well, and she wasn't sure she was in a position to check that. If the hammer seemed ineffective, she'd still have the silvered axe. That would be something, and she was still good with it. And, she could politely give that to Cavendish as well. She hoped he wasn't picky on what Kathryn gifted him.

Though blunt force seemed to not be as effective, Kathryn figured she had to try for something here. She hoped the magic powers embedded into this weapon would be enough, or that her skill in combat could do enough damage that even being resistant wouldn't be enough. As she prepared her attack, she heard a tune she hadn't listened to in many a year. "Daughter of Arcanaple" wasn't something she had heard since she still lived in a keep, the emotional surge that came hearing music of her homeland inspired Kathryn. She felt just enough of a boost to establish her confidence in the fight. When they won, she would have to ask Victoria where she heard the tune.

She was not in a position to stop both creatures. She simply wasn't fast enough. But one creature had already been beaten down a bit, maybe if they were able to dish out enough punishment, they could all focus down on the last one before turning their attention. She returned a knowing look to Cavendish and his goons through the slits of her helmet. Reminded them of her words before she maneuvered around Blackberry with elegance not normally shown by the half giant, nearly oaf. As she moved she swung the hammer hard with all her might into the torso of the undead looking beast. Though it does not react to pain, and the attack didn't emotionally phase the creature in any noticeable way, she felt the crushing force as the hammer made contact. A force that any smaller or weaker creature would walk away with bones broken, flesh bruised beyond repair, and enough force to send it back to the cobblestone. She doubted the creature held any resistance to the punishing force she dished out. She ended her attack by sliding her feet into position on the other side of Blackberry shield raised, and hammer posed to strike. Her body now in the path that this creature would have to take should it want to advance any further, and hopefully holding it in place. Also allowing her to strike either beast should they be able to keep it still.

@Sigil The X2 may retaliate now.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Battle Master, Level 03 HP: 31 / 31 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: Streets of Avonshire --> Town Square Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Off to war they went. Though she wasn't the most experienced in combat, she had faced off against goblins and bandits a few times prior to joining the party. None of those situations compared to the caution she needed to exercise against the constable and his goons. Though a direct assault had some more risks, she was a bit relieved to be going this route. It was what she was most familiar with, and the type of environment she thrived in. Assuming she didn't get knocked flat on her ass again, or get caught out of position. Marita's comments on the constable seemed accurate enough. He played his battles with tricks and fear. Showing Cavendish that they would not bend to his will may help the party deal with him. She hoped at least. "So we hit him head on. We've already showed him we can go toe to toe with him and his goons, and I'm sure he'll remember that when we arrive." She also hoped that maybe she could talk down some of his goons, get them to back off until the fighting was over and deal with them afterwards. Kosara's point about being in the center of town was also valid, anywhere they decided to go afterwards they would be close, and be able to get there in short time. She had offered a chance for them to back down, and they declined. Kathryn was ready to end the life of any who had gotten in her way of saving those who were taken, and take those that survive into whatever form of custody was left within town when they were done.

"Shame we don't have marching drums. I always thought those were pretty cool. Cavendish shall know we're coming in with confidence none the less." As they moved on, Kosara began her light show, and Victoria played her music. It pumped her up, and it did help regain her confidence in the situation. Not that it had faltered, but she had her concerns. She had to remind herself, they had already defeated him once. They could do so again. Before arriving to the town center, Kathryn walked up beside Marita and offered her the silvered dagger. "I think I got enough weapons. And a few backups. Take it, just in case." Kathryn offered softly to the Cleric. She wouldn't push if she didn't want the dagger, but after she gave hers to Lizbeth Kathryn figured a new dagger could be helpful. She wouldn't miss a dagger. She had the hammer, her silvered axe, and a short sword still. Plus a non silvered axe, and her family's clan sword. And a short bow with the arrows it came with. And her pack. She was definitely well equipped.

Kathryn turned to give a friendly wave to those who dared to look outside. In her rusted, dented, and worn armor, she hoped the gesture wouldn't come across as hostile. But she had no way to be sure. And at this moment, she needed to focus on the mission at hand. Her helm would stay on for now, and her shield equipped. Kathryn noticed the flames first. As they grew brighter, and brighter. The cleared town square reminded her of arena grounds Ser Lucas had attempted to make money in after they had fled Arcanaple. Instead of an audience wanting to see blood of the fighter spilled, it was an audience of tall trees, looking down on the party as they stepped in. In the VIP seats, the hostages. Cecily included. Then Constable Cavendish and what remained of his goons. The eye slits on Kathryn's helmet locked with the constable as she walked in, almost golem like as she found her place to make her stand. "Your niece is safe. And she'll be even safer when we are done here." Kathryn said, a dark undertone in her voice as her polite demeanor was replaced with her professional warrior posture. She watched the constable, and took note of his guards around him. There were less of them, she hoped that meant their friend had not been discovered. She would still have to deal with him later, but she would take a crack at it when she had the chance. Added with that, he didn't seem to have anyone to replace the lost goon.

Kathryn took a few steps forward, away from the fountain, and making sure to put her person in the front of the party. Whenever Cavendish unleashed whatever trick he had for them, it would have to path it's way through Kathryn to do harm to the party. When Cavendish finished his proposal, Kathryn eyed the group of former town guards as if debating something really stupid. But she couldn't help it, she wasn't a fan of the idea of caving in someone's skull without giving them a chance to back down. "Option B." Kathryn spoke coldly. "Those of you with any moral compass left to your name, who care for what is right and wrong, or those of you with any sense of self preservation, now is your chance to back down, and prepare yourselves for surrender when we're done here." Kathryn took a deep breath, deciding how she wanted to phrase her statement. She wasn't the best at this, and she worried she would regret not running this by someone who was when she was done. "Keep in mind, the battlefield is bloody. And last time you lot had a lot of advantages. Last time we had doubts about your allegiances, last time you got the first strike in. Last time you had a chance at a second surprise, and failed to utilize it effectively. Last time we were poorly equipped, and split up. Last time initiative was yours. And last time, you had another in your ranks, who is no longer with you." Kathryn said matter of factly. "This time, you have whatever trick you have up your sleeve, and when we get past it we'll deal with you lot, our patience spent." She made sure to turn her head to lock her eye slits with the guards other than Cavendish. "I've seen how you react when Cavendish wields this hammer. You were concerned for what would happen to you once it was used. And that was in this goon's hands." She said pulling the hammer, and pointing it at Cavendish. "A man who is supposedly on your side. If I bring it down on you, it'll be with intent to kill. This time, I'm not going to be flat on the ground for you to stab away at. But you will be if you last longer than a couple hits." She paused when she lowered the hammer. "So option B: Back down while you lot still have the chance. Whatever advantage you think you have has much less a leg to stand on then last time. And you're running out of room to run away." Kathryn emphasized the municipal building behind their foes with the hammer in hand.

She hoped she got her point across. She wasn't sure if she could really get through to them, but she had to hope. Bring the odds a little more in their favor. Maybe they could collect information from one of them sooner rather than later. It was clear Cavendish had a big part in this, if not leading it himself. But she wanted answers for all the pieces of this puzzle. Each and every one. She had doubts Cavendish would share anything with them once they defeated him, but maybe one of his goons would be more cooperative?

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@Sigil

Brief recap on what’s going on in discord, and anyone feel free to correct or add to what I am saying.

Most of the plans mentioned IC are the same ones we’ve brought up in discord so far, though I don’t think we’ve committed to any specific one yet. So I think we’re still spitballing a little bit.

As well!! In my last post I mentioned kosaras short tail, Riv has pointed out that kosara has no visible tail. So!!! Can I have permission to edit that in my post?

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Battle Master, Level 03 HP: 31 / 31 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: Streets of Avonshire Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Marita's assurance that the rat wouldn't attack had some sound logic to it. Her concern was more that the creature either didn't have the ability to reason like that, or that it had a totally wild train of logic to base it's actions off of. But if it was in league with Cavendish, then she supposed that Marita had a point. They had the ideal chance to do something not too long ago. Maybe it was missed while the party was inside, or maybe they had decided it wasn't worth the risks. It didn't matter too much either way. Kosara was able to get the note while not being attacked. Though Kosara's lack of concern for the situation only concerned Kathryn more. At the tiefling's comment about regrowing her tail, Kathryn held a puzzled look under her helm. Looking at Kosara's tail, it did infact seem... off. It was entirely non existent! Not that she was any expert in tiefling tails, but she would have to ask about that at some point. Was she attacked? Some form of cruel punishment? Torture? She wondered if the childlike shell Kosara put on was a reaction to some sort of trauma. But with that in mind, she couldn't be so sure on that either. She was no wizard who studied brains, nor doctor who studied tieflings. She was a simple woman who was very good at using her size, speed, and strength, to knock the cruel and evil down a few pegs when the occasion called for it. And a shoulder to rest on when those who did the same needed one. She did take a moment to acknowledge Blackberry's comment about Kosara. "Everyone has their own ways for dealing with the world. I guess this is Kosara's."

So that was some good news in this nightmare. Kosara wouldn't turn into a were-rat yet. Though thinking about it, she wasn't convinced rats under the control of were-rats could do that to anyone. Kathryn did take note of how quiet it was now. Not so quiet the world became deafening, but as if the whole town had just let out a huge sigh of relief, that they had been spared despite others not being so fortunate. And now waited for the inhale of the weight of the situation to kick in. Kathryn had no reason to trust the tone of whoever had spoken. For all she trusted it, there would be more attacks the moment they finished doing whatever they wanted to those already attacked. Be in before dawn, or the following nights. The whole thing reeked of deception. Though Kathryn was the last to wish for a fight, she wanted to sock whoever was speaking right in the face with her fist, and sit him down on his ass to give him a lesson in morality.

Kosara's explanation of the situation wasn't good, but she figured that is what Cavendish would want. A chance to deal with those who had beaten the shite out of him and his goons on broad daylight. Something that for legal stakes, Kathryn would request a pardon for later. Just to cover their own asses. "Even if Cecily isn't with him right now, she was taken by him. Even if we avoid a trap, we gotta locate her. And that may mean meeting him. Maybe we can do so on reserved terms. I worry about more crossbowmen like before though. Only now he'll have a proper chance to prepare for us." Sure, they had a moment to prepare, but they had no idea if he had more goons than what he had before, or if he would find some other sneaky trick. "A combined approach maybe?" Kathryn said in a hushed tone. "One or two of us meet him, the rest work on trying to find and free Cecily, or to remove as many of his goons from the picture as possible before they can react. A sort of... counter ambush. Though he may be expecting that... we could be making claims that the rest of the party left to get help from the fort. Or are inside the town municipal building." She wished she had more to offer in those regards. With a hostage, her skill set was just as much a liability as an asset. She wasn't a quiet fighter, and she was also only really effective up close. Sure, she was very effective, and if Cecily could be removed as a hostage, she is pretty sure she could take on Cavendish in a one on one without too much problem. She hoped. "It's apparent I am not good at a lot of these sorts of things, so if we go with an approach like that, I'll go meet him while the rest coordinate a way to save Cecily." Or if enough attention was pulled away, maybe she could do so herself? But in reality, if that plan were to work, she would need to keep all eyes on her.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Kathryn Pyke Human, Battle Master, Level 03 HP: 31 / 31 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A Location: Inside bed and breakfast Action: Perception / Arcana Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Kathryn held for a tense moment waiting for the door to open. She was ready to invert the face of whatever poor bastard was going to try and harm those in the building, and then correct their face into its original position by force. But when the door opened, there was nothing. Nothing, but the Axe she gave Cecily to defend herself. Kathryn's heart dropped, and he posture weakened. "No..." She mumbled inside of her helmet. She let the hammer drop and she followed the others outside. She was slump, shocked, and barely coherent trying to process what was going on. That was, until the voice boomed over the town. By the time the second word had finished, Kathryn was back into a fighting stance, shield up, Hammer posed to strike. But there were no targets to hit, no hostiles' faces to invert, and no Cecily. Kathryn gritted her teeth to the mockery, and dared the poor bastard to say his words to her face. See how that went. For now, she slid the hammer back onto her belt, and walked with heavy determined steps to her hand axe still embedded into the door. "Glad we're on the same page Kosara. Let's find a presence to that voice and give it a piece of our mind." She said trying to hide her vengeful tone. She wished she did more to act when she had time. Now, she was determined to make up for it. After pausing for a moment, she wondered if she had heard the voice projecting before? After thinking it over, she drew blanks. She wasn't sure this could be called a setback, but it wasn't super helpful either.

"Aye, it's mine. Cecily should have had it on her when she was here. Warning or taunt though, it does not matter. What matters in the message they are sending." Kathryn yanked the axe from the door with enough force to take a few chips out with it. "I vote we answer in kind." She said in a little more of a confident and calm tone. She took a few more deep breaths, and reminded herself not to let hate and anger get in the way of reason and smart decisions. Though she would still invert an asshole's face if given the chance. As she attempted to put the axe back into it's loop, and realizing she gave that to Cecily too, she took note of Kosara interacting with... A rat? "What in the four hells?" Kathryn said cramming the belt under her belt. She was starting to feel like a walking armory, not something she was against, but it was getting to be a bit cluttered.

Kathryn paused for a moment, wondering about wererats. "Kosara, careful. What if you get turned into one?" Not that she had a ton of experience with Wererats. But she thought about it briefly, and had actually recalled a story or two once long ago. And though Were creatures had many forms, she never recalled them doing anything like... That rat. "Or makes you sick. Rats are... Rats." But shy of physically removing Kosara from the situation, she figured there wasn't anything she could do to stop her. And she also wondered what the note said. Unsure if it was a lapse in her better judgement from her curiosity, or if she worried that the note could be much needed, she would let Kosara take the note.

Call of Cthulhu - Talbott's Investigators of Mysteries Enlightened

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Margarete O'Bryon

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Location: Streets of Arkham --> Home --> Benny's --> Car Ride
Hit Points: 13 Sanity Points: 46 Luck: 75
Mental State: Sane
Skill:

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The plan was simple, but it would get the job done. Gather up their gubs, take care of affairs, drive to the job. Simple enough. "I agree, a second car may prove to be a liability as much as a help. One should do the job just fine. I doubt we'll do a ton of driving once we arrive anyways." Her car would likely be used to help move about boxes if they needed to, or if they needed to check out locations outside of town. "If we want to meet up by my shop when we're ready to leave I think it'll make things quicker than trying to track everyone down. It's the beige two story building with the little tower that looks like a bell tower." In actuality, it was just a pretty chimney topper. But she liked calling it a tower. It felt more like an adventure to her that way. She gave a farewell to her party members, and began her stride to her home.

It wasn't a long walk, but knowing she may be gone for a few days was an uneasy feeling for her. Apart of the job, any of her jobs, but she still didn't like it. She would be tossed into environments that were chaotic, and she held little influence over. The same was true for when she was out in nature, but it felt... different in these cases. In nature, she felt like another piece to a grander picture. Anywhere else she felt out of place, and that everyone else there knew it too. Entering her home, she took note that Sprinkles had not greeted her at the door. "Oi, you wee bastard are ya not going to say Hi?" She called out. No reply from the cat. Walking up to the counter of her shop she reached around to grab a small jar of kibble treats and bacon bits. The moment the jar left the counter a little bell could be hear as sprinkles jumped up onto the counter. "Meow." He announced himself with the biggest smile on his face. "Fatass." She called her cat as she gave him a couple of the treats.

Margarete went about the building gathering up some spare clothes, some gear, and some stuff for Sprinkles. Instinctively, the first thing she began to pack was the 12 gauge shotgun. Placing it on the bed with some of the ammunition. Store with it, some of the .45 caliber she kept on hand for her pistol she almost never used. Today, it would sit in her hand bag. Just in case. Grabbing the shotgun with both hands, she put her finger on the release and began ejecting the shells onto the bed until the gun was empty, then disassembled it like someone who had been practicing with the weapon for a long time. When broken down it fit nicely into a small and thin leather bag. Though a bit wide, it shouldn't draw too much attention to itself unless she decided to unpack it. She grabbed 20 shells for the shotgun, deciding if she needed more she could come home or buy more. For her grandfather's handgun, she grabbed 30, plus the six still loaded in it. She would not lack protection on this trip, that's for sure. She'd grab some of her tools of the trade incase her brains decided to take a turn helping her out, her outdoor clothes, lantern, and a bottle of fine wine for when this was all over. A good little reward for the group when they had a job well done.

Walking out back, she began loading up her bags into the Nash Touring. Suitcase for clothes, the rectangular leather bag, and a small metal box that could be identified as an ammunition box for the munitions she brought. The lantern would be packed neatly in her suitcase, and the wine under her clothes. Deciding she should have an option that didn't involve going guns blazing, she would grab the baseball bat she kept behind the counter. There are countless situations where drawing a gun would only escalate a situation, but where violence may still be required. Thankfully, other than the bat, most of her things fit into the two bags, and the munitions box. She figured she still had a bit of time before everyone would arrive, so she returned to her home and approached the sleeping Sprinkles who was enjoy the best of catnaps when his mother decided it was time to no longer sleep. Picking him up with both hands the big kitty was clearly confused as he was hugged and squeezed while trying to enjoy his nap. "Who's a good boy. Who's going to behave for Benny while Mother's working? That's right, you are, you are!" She said in a cooing voice, before stopping and realizing she had done so. "Gawd dammit sprinkles yer making me soft." She said in a more stern tone trying to redeem her embarrassing act her cat had witnessed. Sprinkles seemed more concerned with getting back into the bed, but realized his fate was sealed when the kitty harness that he may have been a bit too big for was attached to him. Despite his biting and tugging at the thing, it would not come off. And Margarete held him tight as she gathered his treats, a bag of litter, and some blankets and toys for the cat.

Rushing over to Benny's she made it short and sweet for the poor lad. He had put up with her nonsense for years at this point, and he did a damn good job doing so. But she did push it from time to time. "I know it's short notice, but I need you to watch after sprinkles for me. I'm leaving town for a job, shouldn't be more than a couple days. But things happen. If it takes longer I will do what I can to update you. I won't be able to share much yet, but I'll tell you what I can when I get back. Make sure to give him tons of love, affection, and attention. Also do not eat in front of him unless you plan on sharing. He gets really upset when people eat in front of him without having anything to eat himself. I got litter, and it should be enough to last until I am back. You'll have to figure out food, but he loves eggs, bacon, salmon, and chicken. You can do cat food but he'll get sick of it fast without something to break it up. I got his treats and toys so he should keep himself occupied as long as his other needs are met. Also, make sure to take the harness off once he is inside. He will begin to bite after a while if he is stuck too long in this thing." A bit of an info dump for poor Benny, but he would understand. "I'll pay you back and then some when I return. But this is important. Thanks!" She said as she passed off the very much resisting cat to the poor Benny, who had to watch there confused and awe struck as the most agitated cat in town was tossed into his arms. Margarete left the young man mouth wide open in confusion, still unable to get a word out by himself with Sprinkles as she closed the door and ran off back to the car.

Arriving back, she was surprised to see Ellie already at her car. Not thinking much of it, she unlocked it and stood by the trunk door as she unloaded her belongings into her car. She would do this with all, a compulsion to keep the situation with her vehicle under as much control as possible. Once or twice rearranging how everything was packed in together. Either for space efficiency, to make sure her most important things were easily accessible, or to just make sure all the right things were in just the right place. She took another note of Ellie getting into the passenger seat of her car. She was used to keeping that one free for her hand bag, but supposed in their tight conditions she would have to adapt and overcome. But once in the car, she had no room to complain. She had been handed money, and the greatest gift god had given the human race, Coffee. "Thank you very much." She spoke in a sweet, yet professional tone to the payment. She took a bit of note of the flirting, and thought no mind to it. It was far less crude than what she was used too before she got burned.

The road trip wasn't all too bad. Sure Margarete drove a little bit too fast for the roads, and very much enjoyed the feelings of the engine of her car going full burn across the road way. But it was just some harmless driving. "If that thing leaves so much as a speck of ash, or a single smug on my car, we're going to have problems Ms. Estelle." She spoke sternly. She loved this car, and it was her biggest financial sink outside of her current home since she left her old family cabin. She wouldn't have it ruined by a cigarette. She did ponder the thought of something to eat. Breakfast had its own hiccups, so she wouldn't mind. But she would hold off for a bit. "I'll be fine for now. But thanks anyways lass. Feel free to ask again when we get there." She continued driving a bit like a mad woman, but they would make very efficient time.