Sigil

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@Dragoknighte@rivaan@Remipa Awesome@Lewascan2@Sigil

Post is up. Please remember that we are indeed still in the Narrative, and everyone has a one day extension. I would remind that waiting until the last hour possible makes me weep uncontrollably, but as we're behind screens I still maintain plausible deniability. You will notice that we have come to just inside of the Township, and as long as your post contains reactions to that, pretty much everything else is good to go, within reason.

Now might be a good time to discuss divvying up treasure found along the way, and what you might do as a group if something more solidly treasure is received. Now is also a good time to decide whether the party is going to be transparent, and with whom, or whether you are sticking to the cover story. In any case, we have officially arrived at the investigation and shenanigans part of this adventure. There will be opportunities to poke around town. Same goes for roleplaying opportunities with the locals. You might get into a scrape or two. And yes, there are events which are time dependent, the most obvious one being the Harvestide celebration. And remember, there is a shiny Milestone level at the end of this. Be thinking ahead.

Go ahead and ask about things which happened along the way, if you want a more in-depth explanation of how things look or where things are. There are no dumb questions. Well, until you ask a dumb question and then I'll let you know.

Good luck!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@Dragoknighte@rivaan@Remipa Awesome@Lewascan2@Sigil

Dragoknighte as asked for and received an extension until Friday, February 18th, citing acceptable reasons for said extension. If any ongoing IC stuff with Marita the Cleric cannot be postponed, please get with me and we'll handle a workaround for the time being. Otherwise we will proceed as normal, all things considered. Please adjust reactions accordingly.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@Dark Cloud

Regretfully, yes. There is one slot open for a specific member of the RP community, but to the general public there are presently two others who have priority. Time and finances permitting, I would love to run multiple one-shots and campaigns for as many dice goblins as I could, but reality is a cruel mistress.

Feel free to submit a character using the rules provided if you want, with the understanding that it could be a while. And I do appreciate your interest in my little adventure.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Victoria Belmont Half-Elf, Bard, Level 3 HP: 23 / 23 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Avonshire Region, roadside, post-battle Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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A tiny smile grew on Victoria's face. It was slight at first, prompting her to maneuver her dagger elsewhere for a moment that she might politely cover her mouth with a free hand. But as the sideways counterpoint to the answer she gave about what possessed her continued, the signs of secondhand embarrassment for her fellow Half-Elf began to show around her eyes, until the quiet covering of her mouth turned into a full facepalm. She closed her eyes as to avoid the overt showing of a eyeroll so profound it might have been confused for a coming seizure. The young Bard tried as best she could not to let her frame shimmy from the giggle she held back, in hopes of maintaining her composure while there was still serious work to be done. There was simply too much that was off about the statements given, yet they were issued with such steadfast conviction; and so she wasn't sure where to begin. Perhaps it was best not to.

When the lengthy condescension concluded, Victoria could only shake her head a little, and propose an alternate course of action. "Maybe..." She had to pause, her tone bearing just a little too much mirth to be taken with the decorum for which she was aiming. Clearing her throat, she tried again, this time with enough diplomacy and compassion in her delivery that it at least sounded sincere, "Maybe we shouldn't speak to each other for a while." She nodded slowly as she spoke, eyes on Hugh, "Yes, that would be best."

Another smile, this one with more genuine cheer involved, showed itself when Kathryn returned with the oxen. Victoria waved to her as she came closer, and moved to speak to her once more. Being as she was the one involved, and they seemed to have already come to a settled understanding prior to this latest dredge of patronizing chatter, Victoria wanted to make sure that the open declaration of peace and friendship that was issued very publicly just before still held, despite other factors. Getting along with one's party was preferable to not, in her opinion. "Oh, Kat!" she called, bouncing up on her toes a couple of times as she waved. "Hey girl, look... I want to make sure we're okay. Okay? Like, are we okay? If you don't say we're okay, I'm going to keep saying 'okay', okay?" Her burgeoning use of the word which bordered on humored annoyance was punctuated by a charismatic smile that seemed to warm her whole outward appearance despite the fact that she was still bearing a loaded handful of severed Goblin ears.

"We're good," responded Kathryn, still seeing to her task with the oxen. With an affirming nod, she summarized plainly, "Yeah." It was honest enough, and was received as such.

"Okay!" came the bubbly musings of a relieved Bard. "First drink is on me when we get to town!" This rectified mishap settled once and for all, she hoped, Victoria moved on to other business. Her demeanor shifted from personable to dead professional in the second it took to turn around.

The first thing she did was visit the wine merchant's wagon. There was good canvas there, thin and strong, with cordage to tie it down if necessary. She took a length of the cord and used it to string up her prize of eleven Goblin ears; all lefties. These remained with the wagon, hung in an obvious place to the casual observer. She inspected the wagon and the oxen attached to it, giving a satisfied "Hmm." The suggestion from Marita about splitting up wagon detail seemed as good as any. Downright logical, even. And keeping Kosara with their lent vehicle made sense for her, as she was learning - driving behind another wagon gave the mule a logical stopping and starting point, especially as it was trained to pull an army wagon. This would help a lot. "Good idea!" she called to the Cleric, her mind already preparing for what she might tell Kosara about being in a wagon train. "I'll take this one!" she announced, laying her claim.

There was one other task which drew her attention. More than this, one of the few things that inspired a sense of duty from the woman. Victoria acquired the canvas from the back of the wine merchant's wagon and solemnly made her way over to the campfire. The bones of the departed remained, along with the blackened skin and now very well done flesh of the foot roasting above. She delicately gathered each bone that was possible to gather, some of the smaller bones notwithstanding as they were consumed by the fire. They were placed in the piece of canvas as respectfully as she was able. Many had obvious marks from small, pointed teeth scraping across them to remove all of the tender, human-y flesh. The remains of the leg were another ordeal. It was a far more fleshy affair than the rest, and needed a little more time to store properly. A stroke of gruesome luck emerged when the lion's share of soft tissue parted from the bones as it was raised away from the fire. It plopped into the coals with a squelching hisssss, leaving a small amount of steaming meat left to cling upon the osseous tissue, which was quickly shaken off. These creatures had cooked it low, slow, and well done.

Victoria took a moment to pick up and give regard to a few finger bones of the deceased individual, poring over them in a seemingly studious manner before pouring them back with the rest. mental notes on the state of them were taken, very little ascertained about their nature. Her hand retreated to a pouch at her side briefly and then she made a sprinkling motion above the assembled skeleton. There wasn't much else to do. Slowly, she rolled the canvas around her new bundle and tucked it into the merchant wagon. "Can anyone help me get this coffin loaded up, please?" Morty, ever present as he was, did not have the height nor thumbs which might have been useful in this endeavor. They needed to get moving soon.

_{Kathryn was bunnied with permission from her player.}

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Victoria Belmont Half-Elf, Bard, Level 3 HP: 23 / 23 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Avonshire Region, roadside, post-battle Action: N/A Bonus Action: N/A Reaction: N/A

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Morty was doing an effective if mechanical job of dragging the bodies to a central location between the campfire and the cart. Some of them doggedly clutched their weapons in dead hands, while others limply let their metal stabby-tools slip to the ground; those and the remaining dropped ones had to be collected by the animated, smoky hog soon after, also to be organized in a central location alongside the corpses. Were the animal to have the manual dexterity (or "manuals" whatsoever) and cunning necessary, Victoria might have had it roll the Goblins for loose change.

In any case, she had her hands full. Literally. One hand carried a dagger while the other kept up with the growing number of pointy, green, left ears. The sudden gust of wind got her feeling a little uncomfortable as well. She was still bleeding evenly. Between that and her exposed skin now that she had to shed her damaged outer garment, it was getting chilly. This was the last thought that passed through her head before she saw Kosara, blessedly offering magical healing to her. "Oh, um, sure. Thank you," she responded, somewhat grateful for the warning first as well as the actual healing. Victoria tucked her dagger into an underhanded grasp and held her arm up so that the optimistic Tiefling could get a good view of the wound.

But it was all some sort of ruse! Some deranged plot to hug her again, as if she was some pretty piece of Half-Elven candy there for snuggles at the drop of a hat! The sheer and utter audacity of this woman to ...to... Okay, that was starting to tingle some. Healing energy and warmth flowed into Victoria, knitting her wound shut and restoring her vitality. Soon a light smile graced her features and she brought her arms in to return the hug. The knife and ears were still carefully in her grasp, but aside from that unfortunate business it was actually a touching moment. Until one of the ears slipped from Victoria's hand, that was, hitting the ground with a quiet plop. The Bard pulled out of the embrace with a little more red in her cheeks than she might have liked, apparently still unaccustomed to spontaneous physical contact. "Thank you," she said again at a whisper, imparting gratitude before getting back to her labors, now with renewed vigor since she wasn't nursing a damaged arm.

At least she might have, but for the strange question offered up by her healer. "Our cover story is that we're Goblin hunters. Not psychopaths. The ears are elegant enough proof of a kill if anyone asks questions. Ooh! Or if there's a bounty offered!" The idea of extra coin for their efforts wasn't a bad one.

"Hey," Victoria spoke, as if remembering something suddenly, "Kosara, sweetie? Would you feel comfortable trying to solo our wagon down here?" She nodded her head reassuringly, adding, "I've seen how well you took to the reins. I'm sure you can manage." This was intended to impart two things - knowledge that they were capable as a group of utilizing two wagons, however temporarily, and building Kosara's confidence in her goal of acquiring a new skill. Of course, if she would rather take it slower, Victoria looked ready to handle it herself or give assistance if desired.

Getting back to business, Victoria looked over the weapons. Not bad quality. As good or better than many an adventuring type had to start their careers. And having backup equipment just in case might be a prudent move. As much as she liked her rapier, a slim bladed shortsword as a backup couldn't hurt. From the pile, the purple-garbed lady selected a small sword and two daggers, determined to stash them in her traveling chest when the opportunity presented itself. The origin of the weapons eluded her completely, upon inspection. But she gave the sword a test swing, decided that she liked it, and tucked the sheathed weapon under her belt for the meantime.

Past this, the apology from Kathryn was appreciated, and really she couldn't stay too horribly mad at her, circumstances being as they were. "Come now," Victoria started, a charismatic smile forming on her lips, "This is the first time we fought together, and I daresay it shan't be the last, Lady Half-Giant." A quick wink let on that she meant the title kindly, and not as an insult. "Missteps, muddled plans; these are to be expected until we have better understanding of one another. I am feeling much better now, and I greatly hope that we can be friends after this." Ever the theatrical one, Victoria gave a quick bow, flourishing with her ear-hand in the process. Before the rose back up from said bow, she took the opportunity to slice off yet another one. Waste not, want not.

Morty... just kind of stared.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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It's a beautiful setting, really. All one might have to do is take up a rake and cover over the corpses of eleven Goblins with the glorious fallen foliage, and this might just be an excellent spot for a picnic! Maybe do something with the humanoid leg which is now charring over the fire, venting ever darkening smoke that only burning skin can produce. That kind of picnic was valued by no one who still drew breath along that stretch of road. Well, we hope. I honestly have no idea what horrible things lurk in the hearts and minds of the average adventurer anymore. In any case, without the potato salad and cucumber sandwiches, can a group of stalwart adventuring types really put on a decent picnic in the midday autumn hours? I shouldn't risk it, myself.

While some inspect equipment and others look for tracks, others admire wine, and of course, there was the obligatory argumentative back-and-forth that came with the territory of a new group. A fly on the wall might extrapolate that this would not be last similarly tense conversation between these people, and I personally wouldn't bet against the fly.

Things to note: The baying animal sound from somewhere in the distance has not been addressed directly as of yet, though it has not sounded since. Two hogsheads of unopened wine lay unclaimed upon the field of battle. Another one lay opened and thoroughly pilfered, obviously the founder of the Goblin's drunkenness. While the weapons have been looked over and a few claimed (including all of the remaining arrows, though two bows and quivers remain), the bodies of the fallen have not been thoroughly ransacked as of yet. They are, however, being dragged into a neat row by the Bard's hickory-smoked beast of burden for comparative ease of stated ransacking. The party's lent wagon and mule are still back up the way you came. No sound nor sight of it has been detected since this skirmish began. Remains of what is left of the (we assume human) body are yet untouched. And I am positive that there is another issue or two which could be addressed by an observant and/or inquisitive soul.

Avonshire Township lays to the north along the road about another hour or so, the group's wagon was left to the south just past the rise, and the whole region seems to hold more mysteries than most agricultural areas have a right to. It's a hell of a day to be alive.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@Dragoknighte@rivaan@Remipa Awesome@Lewascan2@Sigil

Let's keep this short and sweet. Shorter and sweeter than the IC, and that was a relatively short update. So here's to it:

I have a few inquiries and check results that are waiting for their moment on the screen. Because of this, we've got another rotation of posts at least before moving on doesn't cut off actions already requested. So, keep those interpersonal moments coming, keep those actions rolling in, get done what you think if feasible in this setting of death and dismemberment. I will respond to new ideas, propose rolls for new lines of inquiry if necessary, and see where this takes us all. Basically, you keep doing you.

Let us assume that at least fifteen minutes or so has passed since the fight. This gives ample time for the multiple checks made, and actions related to those checks following.

And quick question - do you think that Goblin tastes like chicken? What about with hot sauce?

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Victoria Belmont Half-Elf, Bard, Level 3 HP: 16 / 23 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Avonshire Region, roadside Action: Harvesting Ears Bonus Action: Morty arranges corpses Reaction: N/A

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Victoria wore annoyance well. Granted, she wore everything well, being blessed in that regard, but even something as minor as being annoyed seemed to suit her. In this instance, it was a combination of pain from the arrow wound, the need to have her garment repaired, and the words that her esteemed colleagues were using at or about her, without actually speaking to her about the issue at hand. That was another thing - the issue at hand. Gritted teeth held her tongue behind them like prison bars, lest she actually say what was on her mind. It was a feat, considering acts of will of this nature were not her forte.

Instead, she tried to focus on the aftermath of the battle, and how best to utilize this situation. First, Victoria removed her cloak and, as best she could without fully removing her armor, slid her damaged and bloodied slim-fitting jacket from her torso and inspected her wound more closely. The black silks she wore beneath her more robust clothing and her light armor kept Victoria modest, though one could note her svelte and graceful form were one so inclined. She hardly seemed to notice herself, instead putting pressure on the wound to help slow the bleeding. A sigh escaped her lips, along with a shake of her head. Kosara had volunteered to handle her healing and she was going to just deal with things until the Tiefling lady did so. Victoria herself might have expended some energy to do so herself, though the offer meant that she wouldn't have to tax her pull on the strings of The Weave any more than she had to, so long as she could wait until her healer-to-be dismounted the big rock. In the meantime, she could keep herself occupied.

The sturdy rapier was replaced by her dagger; a far more utilitarian tool for the job to be done, and the bloodied Half-Elf strode to the nearest Goblin corpse, even as the others made their rounds. "Hmm," she pondered aloud, "Is it the right, the left, or both?" A smile and a shrug came next as as Victoria reached down with her free hand and grabbed the dead Goblin's ear. "Left it is," she crooned, her blade deftly slicing off the pointy projection.

After a couple of ears were collected, Victoria heard Hugh's assessment of the situation, which she disagreed with just enough to lose the hold on her mouth for a moment. "Really? What exactly possessed me?" She motioned with her handful of ears at the rest of the party, her wound starting to bleed afresh, and asked a question of her own. "What happened to the plan? You know, the plan we were all supposed to follow? The one where I accompany you, Bounty Hunter," She spat the term out, remembering their introductory conversation from the previous evening, "over there and provide support while Kosara backed up the two heavies while they took point? Somehow that got turned around, and that's fine. It happens." They had never worked together before and sometimes plans got jumbled. Victoria understood this as well as anyone. "But there was no way in whichever Hell takes note of these things that I was going to leave Marita to get swarmed by herself because no one had her flank."

She did not outright mention Kathryn's name in the course of this rant, though she did spare a glance in the powerful lady's direction. The object was not to pick a fight with someone who could maneuver full barrels of ...really good wine, she finally noticed... completely by herself. Continuing, "And if you didn't notice, I WAS our frontline today. It was that, or make the Cleric our only frontliner at the start." She removed another ear, adding it to the growing collection, "But don't you mind me. This isn't the first time I've bled. Gods know it took some serious getting used to..." Her voice trailed off, as if an unrelated thought came to mind at that moment. Snapping back to the present, she intoned, "What possessed me was loyalty to my group, even if not all of them have earned it yet."

Upon immediate reflection, Victoria was puzzled to realize that, despite the clear and plain differences in ethic and points of morality to the point that they would certainly never socialize were they not thrown together by those letters from the Sheriff, she gave the most trust to Marita. Especially after this battle. Another ear joined the collection with a wet slicing sound, followed by a glance up the road, back in their wagon's direction. More softly, she mentioned, "Don't worry about my proclivities. I play many roles and wear many hats. I am what my party needs, when we need it. Today we needed another body watching the front's flank. It's not everyone who can look good doing it, but here I am."

A quick mental command saw Morty coming to Victoria's aid, in this case beginning to drag the bodies to one spot, in a line, that they may be more easily searched by their companions. Her work completed, Victoria looked over to the bones in and around the campfire. "Whomever this is, they deserve a proper burial. I'm taking the remains with us." It was spoken with finality. Now she had to locate a more or less respectful yet practical means of transport, and that coffin probably wasn't it. It looked nice, though. Comfy even, in a macabre sort of way.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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The fall of the last, retreating Goblin signaled a greater sense of quiet which befell the once chaotic stretch of lightly wooded road. Blood stained various bits of the detritus of recent combat, showing a clear cut victor in this skirmish. The sound of a light wind through leaves and the creaking of one slowly revolving wagon wheel upon the overturned merchant wagon were the only things to break the quiet of the afternoon, now that the clanging of metal and expressions of the arcane had ceased. In moments that the wind died down a little, the sound of meat sizzling could be detected.

Taking a quick look around the battlefield, one can easily point out eleven Goblin corpses. Mostly because they're out in the open and, let's face it, the party assisted greatly in the decor with this. An interesting item of note for whomever looks over the bodies of the fallen is that, while their armor is unattractive yet functional in the manner of their people, their weapons looked fairly new, uniform, and not of usual Goblin manufacture.

One can also spot the campfire, which still contains a now scorching leg from the knee down. The coffin remains where it was abandoned, now opened to reveal a fairly plush, comfortable looking interior. Between this and the construction noted before the fight began, it could be assumed that the former owner was likely financially well off. Three good hogshead casks could be seen littering the area, two of which are completely intact. One of them bears the obvious marks of having one end pried open, the majority of its contents missing and (one might assume) imbibed by the ropey green bandits.

As for the wagon itself, a cursory examination reveals that damage done to it is minor, and if righted, the vehicle may still be serviceable. Still inside, held by wooden bracing and stout rope, are five more casks, marked in the same manner as the others. For those versed in more epicurean or oenophillic pursuits (or someone whose background has them in taverns a lot), one can point out the words "Fortified Zinnoberrot", indicating an interesting balance to the vintage, and a vineyard name, "Rose River", burned into the barrel staves. As a touch of irony, it might have paired excellently with moderately spiced cannibalism.

In the distance, large herd animal bellowed. The sound of it seemed comically out of place with the surroundings being what they were then.

The day is yours! So far, anyway. There's a lot of daylight left, so... how are you spending it?

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@Dragoknighte@rivaan@Remipa Awesome@Lewascan2@Sigil

Thank you all, and congratulations for getting our first battle of the game out of the way without too much in the way of hitches. The issue with Reactions hasn't been fully addressed, but I can more forward a little more confident now that when the issue becomes problematic, we can discuss objectively and handle it. Let's get a couple of things out of the way first:

1) We are back into Narrative posting as of now. Regular rules apply.
2) The timer is being reset for everyone. Your seven days start NOW.

I would request that you please do not ride the clock and handle this last minute. If you do, this means I have to as well. If I have to, it's less fun for everyone.

Now, heading off a couple questions which may arise - Arrows spent will go by basic rules on the subject. Half are lost. However, as there were other archers on the scene, restocking shouldn't be an issue. Ongoing spells are toast, so that Bless is gone. If I remember correctly, Bardic Inspiration was used up by Kathryn and Marita. If I'm wrong, hit me up in the Discord and we'll talk rolls before it wears off.

Aaaaaand ...ACTION!