Sigil

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@Dragoknighte@rivaan@Remipa Awesome@Sigil@Arty Fox

Aaaaaaaand the update had been updated. Posting rules (or the loosening thereof) for the next two weeks have been set in the Discord, but don't let that stop you from getting some words in or asking some IC questions. I will need an accounting of who stepped into the silversmith's shop and if indeed the place was locked up behind you, as well as the location and general treatment of the captured Guard. Aside from that, please allow me to wish you all a spiffy holiday season.

Roll them dice!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Weather: Still raining lightly, still cool of temperature. The wind is thankfully low, though the occasional mild gust makes things interesting.

Time: Mid to late afternoon.

Ambience: The cessation of hostilities in what had been a pitched battle just a minute prior and the tense but subtle movement of shutters among the braver or more curious of townsfolk come to an end, bringing about something akin to stillness. Silence was not accurate as the white noise of rain was constant, yet this atmospheric sizzling sound blotted out anything too far away from the party. Everything stood localized to the former battleground and the silversmith's shop. They were most definitely not in the Township by themselves, even if the immediate surroundings hinted at this.

*****

The downed Guard offered nothing in the way of resistance. His state of general unconsciousness made this an easy, if involuntary lack of action on his part, though if he were awake he might have voiced some objections at how his damaged arm was being treated. In the end, he became like so much (mostly) human luggage, bound by rope and being carried away from wisps of his own blood upon the ground and his dropped spear. Or to put it simply, the half-dead guy came along quietly.

Inside of the shop, the silversmith looked to Kosara oddly, correcting her reference to his surname with a simple, "Mallard," before turning to Marita. Or trying to. His eyes and attention were arrested by the damp, skinny pig wrapped in burlap following the auburn haired musician. He appeared to shake it off and responded to the Cleric with, "Yes, yes... I fully intend to relocate. I have to wait a little longer, first." He nodded almost feverishly, as if in vigorous agreement with himself. "I have to give my family time to get further away from this place. After the full moon of Harvestide has gone, I shall go to them. I am buying them time, in case anyone goes sniffing around for them or I am taken by the rats."

A heavy sigh and Jacques declared, as a break from his ongoing train of thought, "If you bring that poor bastard in here, he enters with his eyes closed and he leaves that way, too. I don't care what state he is in, otherwise." A lamp was acquired and lit, providing much better illumination in the small storefront.

Getting back to it, "Do you mind if I work while we talk?" he asked, but immediately responded without waiting for permission, "Good. Lots to do, lots to do. Who else needs a silvered item?" His eyes shifted to whomever else was within his direct vicinity, then took up the slim sword left by Victoria. "Elegant looking for a common blade. I'll fix it up well - and anyone else with you. You paid good gold, and I think I owe you my life, too." Jacques gave a wry smile and picked up a couple of his tools, including the strange stylus-like object he used to fluidly score the metal from the manacles earlier, and said, "I'm not entirely helpless. But I cannot hold out forever; this is true. Enjoy the safety of my walls for as long as you need, but you really should get that package to Bob before nightfall. He'll need it. This aside, how else might I be of help? Ah, and take a look around the shop, if you like."

The careful hands of the silversmith locked the cut & thrust sword into place with a vice and began to score fine, artistic patterns into the blade. The pot sitting over the flameless heat of his small forge rippled momentarily across the surface of the molten metal within.

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: Exterior Silversmith's Shop -> Interior Silversmith's Shop Action: N/A Bonus Action: Morty Reaction: N/A

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The battle came to what seemed was the end, or at least quiet enough as to constitute a lull. So it seemed like an excellent time to get out of the open while a chance presented itself. The bow of her violin pulled five more notes from the air which melodically sounded a variation of a recognizable instrumental outro. She gave one more twirl which, while showy in its own well also served to give a quick glance at the whole of her surrounding environment. Victoria did have a tendency to incorporate dance into the more martial portions of her career as an adventuring Bard and this time had proven to be no exception. Perhaps this would make for an awkward campfire conversation later. She would have to cross that bridge when she came to it.

With the music done and the antagonists down or driven off, Victoria couldn't help but smile a little. Success was good, and she couldn't help but notice that, unlike the last fight she had gotten into, she hadn't received so much as a scratch. Some of the others couldn't make that assertion. So it was taken as a sort of secondary victory. Be it that she was arguably the most flamboyant, center-of-attention member of her new group, her spellwork was subtler than most and benefits she could give to others fairly abstract, which probably prevented her from being the target of archers. That, and keeping away from melee didn't hurt matters any. In any case, her sword was elsewhere, which limited her close fighting options further.

The Bard looked up to the illusion of a wall covering the sniper's window, above, and gave it a dismissive wave. It faded translucent, then transparent, then blinked out of existence. Minor illusions of this sort were always ever a delaying tactic in combat anyway and keeping it up now served no purpose.

Victoria saw the downed Guard getting assistance from Kathryn. She shook her head slightly and looked away, lest anyone ask her to help with him. There was sure to be a very good, logical reason why he was being tied up and his injuries assessed, but she wanted no part of it, nor did she have any mind to waste her arcane resources on the poor, potentially dead bastard. Were it solely up to her, she might have left him where he lay. This would be another discussion to have, sooner rather than later by the look of things. She cast a look in Morty's direction and issued a mental command, prompting the smoky creature to attend at her heels. Both she and Morty made their way carefully up the steps to Jacques's shop, maneuvering past Marita with a cheerful, "Why thank you, Lady Acolyte," as she passed into the building with Morty to reclaim a piece of dryness from the warmer room within. Victoria reminded herself to give congratulations where it was due among the party. This fight turned out much better than she expected at its outset. Drunken and sleep-deprived Goblins were usually not a respectable test of a full group's combat prowess. Or so the stories might say.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@Dragoknighte@rivaan@Remipa Awesome@Sigil@Arty Fox

And we have officially dropped out of Initiative Order. Yay! Posting rules go back to regular cycles and characters have full range of action (within reason).

Congratulations on surviving the battle. Some of you are more than a little banged-up, but that's okay! This party is heavy with the potential heals. To recap: Cavendish escaped as if by magic, though not before losing his hammer. One of the Guards lay in the middle of the street in uncertain-to-dead condition, and three have hightailed it after taking respectable damage. It's a victory, even if it promises further conflict later. Also, mild apologies for getting the update set without a great deal of detail. Seeing as I've been describing this area for the past couple of months IRL and there are maps, I think we're good for a shorter update. If you have questions, fire them at me in our Discord or tag me here.

Timers have been reset. Seven days from today to post. There has been a request for a possible extension which, due to the season, I fully understand. There will also be a pause as we get nearer to Christmas/Hanukkah/Yule, so if you need time just let me know. Happy Holidays, and whatnot.

Per usual, tag me in Discord for rolls or judgement calls, and welcome back to the RP/Exploration parts of the Avonshire adventure.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Weather: The rain lightened but remains steady. The wind has picked up, pushing wet air into damp clothes, but otherwise the overall ambient temperature hasn't changed much. Cool but not overly cold, colored sharply with the breeze. The weather is incrementally more comfortable than an hour ago though you would be hard-pressed to believe it, conditions being what they are.

Time: Mid-afternoon, as the only time that has passed was the amount needed to drive off Cavendish and his pals.

Ambience: Rainfall, once faded into the background of perception in favor of the more urgent noises battle, came back to the ears with encompassing distinctness. Yet still, over this sound the tinier movements of shutters cracking open nearby could be detected. The clash of magic and steel now over, the braver of the commonfolk risked a glance outside to see the particulars of the commotion. One couldn't get into a pitched skirmish in the Township's main streets without attracting attention. A big question might be - were these worried citizens of the realm, or were these others part of the potential moonrise threat? A not-too-distant peal fo thunder rolled across the sky as an ominous trumpet to the darker of those possibilities. Off in the distance, a hissing sort of laughter could be heard to the south, seeming to move away from the scene.

*****

Outside Silversmith

The moments following and accompanying cooling of blood allowed those present greater awareness of injuries suffered; spots and rivulets of spilled crimson were swiftly carried away from those venting it, finding its way down the street and into the storm drains nearby. It might even be pretty in its own right were it not the arterial paints of the fellowship of adventurers. Mostly. There was yet one Guard remaining, crumpled in a heap with his arms at an odd angle. Body broken in a few places, he too added his redness to the passing rainwater, face partially submerged in the clear, cold stream that was once only a cobblestone street, in a way that was not healthy. His spear lay beside him - a reliable if not quite decorative piece - as a sign of involuntary submission.

The door to the Silversmith's shop cracked open just a little, though the view from the inside was mostly of Marita's back. The door was allowed to swing open a little more freely, as if a staying hand was removed from it for easier access. "Come in, come in," half-whispered Jacques, "Safer in here, for now." A little paranoia tinged his voice as it had at their first meeting, though his words carried a greater implication of trust for the party.

Jacques Mallard, Silversmith

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Guard 1

Location: Just Off The Map, West

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This Guard lay in the standing water of the cobblestone thoroughfare like a sack of inanimate meat, face partly submerged and limbs bent in angles that were at best uncomfortable, at worst arduous were it not for the apparent lack of awareness of his own situation. In short, it sucks to be him.

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Guard 2

Location: Q4 -> Off The Map, South

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It turned out that the Guard had indeed slowed down just enough, took the turn around the building wide enough to get attention. More than that, someone to follow. Bright smiles indeed. He didn't quite count on the Dragonborn with the gigantic, glowing arms to be able to move quite that fast. Giving his scaly opponent credit, he was damn near able to down him, but his slippery, wily nature overcame the physical training of the Monk.

The Guard gave a wicked smile as he saw the tall woman in rusty armor round the corner. He was still in motion when he echoed Kathryn's words of "Yeah. Not worth it," with a laugh. The laugh continued for a little longer as he poured on the speed, initially in erratic movements to better disengage with the potential continuation of direct hostilities. His sprint took him south, down a side street in the general direction of residences.

@Arty Fox Baronfjord is good to go next. Again, if you're still going for combat, do your thing. Otherwise, post per regular while keeping in mind that we are still technically in initiative order.

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: K14 Action: Skill Check, Arcana Bonus Action: Morty Reaction: N/A

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The fight was turning in their favor - or at least it appeared to be. Victoria did not like the way that Cavendish poofed out of sight in a cloud of white vapor and paid it a piece of attention, attempting to figure out exactly what happened with him. That he had used magic was obvious, but whether it was from an item or personal ability to wield arcane forces was beyond her. She let the note she was playing on her violin carry for a moment before quieting, twirling slowly one last time before coming to a stop. The fact that the Constable had magic at his disposal altered her perception of the situation slightly and raised more questions than not.

Victoria gave a tiny mental impression in the metaphysical direction of her quadrupedal meat-servant, Morty, and drew it back a little closer to the building they were both next to. The only attacker that she could see was laying prone after having been blasted by Kosara but she didn't want to take chances, making sure that her Morty was actively playing the defensive for herself and covering the nearest blind corner, among its usual standing orders. She couldn't see where the Dragonborn had gotten off to except in pursuit of one of the retreating guards. Deep down, she hoped that whatever happened came up positive for the Monk but had no desire to follow and find out.

"We should get out of the open," she said to no one in particular. Her voice was not overly loud but clear enough to be understood over the white noise of rain hitting rooftop and cobblestone for those nearby. "This tale's antagonists know who we are now, and some of you are hurt." Victoria remained tensed, things expected or unexpected braced for as best she was able. Blood was still hot, breath was still heavy, and there was more that needed to be done. All this seriousness was not her forte, if she was honest with herself. But dying or being turned into a slavish rat-beast was far less so.

@rivaan Kosara has a regular turn in Initiative now.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Battle Map

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Cavendish

Location: ?

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Having just stepped into a convenient and spontaneously appearing swirl of white mist in the middle of an open, rainy cobblestone street and disappearing instantly along with said mist (leaving no trace of himself behind), Cavendish was likely somewhere laughing his ass off.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Guard 4

Location: B17 -> ?

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Let it never be said that getting stabbed in the gut with a magical floaty dagger wasn't a painful experience. However, it might be said that going through that mush pain under circumstances such as this can change a person. Yes, as his life's blood flowed from his abdomen, darkening his tunic and coloring the floor with vivid red splotches, he had what might be referred to as a moment of clarity. he was a legitimate town guard once, just two towns over from the place he grew up. It wasn't the most glamorous life, but it was honest and he had the respect of the locals. Discounts at bakeries. The occasional free ale. When he was younger and impressionable, this wasn't the career path he envisioned. Barely even Human anymore, beholden to an authority figure that likely didn't have his best interests in mind, and firing an issued crossbow at people defending a citizen that he was once sworn to protect from ...things like him... Perhaps it was time to stop all of this. He had been dirty for a while now. It was time to get clean.

Then his brain recollected from the wooziness that oft accompanied a sudden change in blood pressure when someone gets gutshanked. He had no idea why he had those mind-bogglingly stupid ideas in the first place and cursed the moment of goofiness that clouded his intentions. Clasping one hand over his wound, he heeded the order of the Constable and followed his fellow crossbowman's example, traveling away from the great stabbing implement composed of divine energy. Gathering up his weapon, the Guard retreated to the back of the room and toward whatever lay beyond, staying to the command to scatter. Continue the plan as ordered. Facepalm later for his journey into the asinine and NEVER TELL A SOUL ABOUT IT.




@rivaan Kosara had an End Of Round action coming. Now's the time, you are up.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Guard 3

Location: D12 -> ?

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The screams of his fellow crossbowman on the other side of the room wound its way into his ears with sharp notes, commanding his attention away from the target of his next attack. This was immediately followed by alarm. Their vantage point gave them some protection from magics which may have originated from outside of the building, but this? One of them (probably the relatively shorter one with the shield) had conjured up something that could most definitely hurt them inside of their defenses. The fact that this dagger-shaped force had just shanked his associate and looked like it was deciding who it was going to stab next did NOT boost his confidence, either.

The idea to retreat to the back of the bailey and away from partial line of sight from the people below was a good one. This was reinforced by two things which happened from below: Firstly, their boss commanded them to scatter. Second, his half of his access to natural light just got cut off by the sudden appearance of a stone wall covering his window. It was time to move.

In the next second or two, just long enough to make the split decision to do so, Guard 3 scrambled northward for the back of the room and whatever lay beyond its confines as fast as he could scurry.

@Dragoknighte Marita is up next. Huzzah.

THE POSTING TIMER IS STILL PAUSED UNTIL MONDAY THE 28TH. Don't have to if you don't want to. Enjoy the holiday.