Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[nikolokolus]

Rhenmyr double checks his surroundings looking for anyone or anything amiss. He then makes sure his box is secure, readies his equipment for a fight, and carefully goes to investigate the commotion.

Spoiler

Are there any windows to look out? I'd like to get a good picture of what's going on before heading outside.

OOC

Nope, no glass windows. There are windows, but they are shuttered and typically only open during the hot summer months for ventilation.

 

[nikolokolus]

With very little light to guide them, Borric, Marcán and Ker pad along about 30 yards along the muddy track that leads to the stables adjacent to the longhouse. As you approach the door you all notice that it is slightly ajar and a large "lump" is lying across the threshold; from five feet away its hard to tell what it is - a large sack, a man? You can hear nervous whinnies and snorts come from the interior of the stable and the distinctive tang of spilt blood hangs in the air.

Meanwhile, the other companions standing just outside the longhouse's front door hear the shouting from the river increase in pitch. The dense fog and the intervening bank muffle most of what you hear, but after a few moments you all clearly make out a single strident voice, in a distinct Illyrian accent, that says, "Where in the fuck is Zelkor?!"

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Borric throws a stone at the lump to see what happens.

 

[nikolokolus]

You grope around in the dark and find a small stone near your feet. *Thud* You throw it and it bounces off of the "lump" - it doesn't stir, and it doesn't make any noise. As you peer intently into the near pitch dark of the stable door, you notice an almost black "patch" surrounding the lump. "Gods it's dark!" You think to yourself.

 

[Grimgravy]

Spoiler

Ok, 4 of you are at the stables. I'm outside the longhouse. Where's Heron?

Rhenmyr tries to remain hidden in the mist and sneaks toward the commotion at the river. "Where is Zelkor?" he thinks, "Where is anyone?"

 

[bert]

Spoiler

Anything I need to do? If not I'm going to keep heading to the stables.

 

[Helly]

Seeing how dark it is, Ker starts lighting his lantern and will get closer, ready to run away in case of any movement.

 

[Smashing Axe]

Heron rises quietly from underneath his sleeping furs, gathers his pack and makes his way as quietly as he can out of the longhouse. If he sees and recognises Rhenmyr he will greet him with a silent nod, and head towards the commotion towards the river.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"Sokrutiz! Where are you? It's Borric!"

 

[nikolokolus]

OOC

I'll try to tackle each person's actions and establish where everyone is at. Let me know if miss something:

Marcan, Borric, Ker and Sokrates are all clustered around the door near the stables. Heron and Rhenmyr emerge from the Longhouse and greet one another right about the time all of the shouting near the docks starts.

At the Stables ... After about a minute of striking flint and tinder, Ker finally manages to get a small flame going that he uses to light his lantern. As the light springs to life and illuminates your surroundings you instantly notice that the "lump" laying half-way inside the stable door is most definitely a body laying face-down in the muddy straw. A huge gaping wound runs diagonally across his back from his neck to his waist. Judging from the girth and size of the body you have almost no doubt that it's the fat ferryman Zelkor.

Meanwhile ... Heron and Rhenmyr crouch low and edge close to the crest of the river bank and peer down into the fog towards the dock and the sound of all the shouting. There are two men standing on the dock with their backs to you that are illuminated by a lantern, held aloft by a figure standing in the bow of a rowboat about ten feet away from the dock. You can also make out two rowers and a man at the stern manning a tiller. One of the men on the dock has his arms raised plaintively as the man with the lantern gestures angrily and shouts, "Look here, you gods damned sons of whores. I'm not going to ask you again; where in name of Bel is Zelkor? We only deal with Zelkor, not the likes of you scum. This wasn't part of the deal." The man on the dock with his arms raised replies, "Look friend, the situation has changed, just dump the package on the dock. You're being well compensated ... and would you please keep your voice down?"

 

[Grimgravy]

"Hmm. What's do you make of this, Heron? Smugglers, you think?" Rhenmyr whispers. "If things get ugly down there, should we help. If so, which side?"

Spoiler

Can we recognize the two men with their back turned? Do they look like the men who joined the Hyperborean?

Rhenmyr stays alert for anyone approaching from the darkness.

 

[nikolokolus]

OOC

In reply to Grimgravy: In the dense fog it's hard to tell, especially since both of their backs are too you and the only illumination is being cast on their faces. FYI, you are about 30 yards away from where they are standing on the short pier.

 

[Helly]

"By the horns of Cernunnos! Zelkor!"
Ker look around with his lantern for any sign of the aggressor or ruckus, then get closer to him.
"...There is nothing I can do for him, no one could survive such a wound. Marcan, we have to raise the alarm."
Ker try to see if something seems out of place, like some note or anything, but will not move the body.
"...Could this have been Socratiz's doing?"

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"Unlikely. Do we raise alarum now? We might get blamed otherwise for this."

 

[Smashing Axe]

"Smugglers, aye." Heron whispers to Rhenmyr, "If things go badly I may be able to pacify them all, we could sort them all out from there. If there's more out there though... well I wouldn't be much aid after that. Let's see how things play out for now"

 

[Grimgravy]

"It would be ideal if we could subdue them all. Sadly, I'm not lucky enough for there to be no more of them." whispered Rhenmyr in reply. "You're right, best to wait and watch."

 

[nikolokolus]

Heron and Rhenmyr watch events unfold on the dock with bated breath. The man in the bow seems to calm down a little (or at the least he's stopped shouting) and things go very still, with only the sound of the creaking dock or the occasional slap of an oar breaking the silence. Perhaps thirty seconds pass before the man standing in the bow turns and makes a gesture, the oarsmen dip their oars and the boat comes into the dock with a heavy thud. Then men in the boat move about as the two figures on the dock stand impassively. Silently. After a few more moments the two oarsmen lift a bundle maybe five or six feet long and dump it unceremoniously on the pier. One of the dockside men tosses what looks like a pouch at the lantern bearer in the boat, "pleasure doing business with you mate." The lantern bearer snarls back, "Fuck you." He then motions to the rowers and the boat pulls away from the dock and slips noiselessly into the fog.

 

[nikolokolus]

OOC

Everyone roll for surprise on a d6 (Heron and Rhenmyr are only surprised on a 1 because Rhenmyr is a Ranger, the people near the stable are too far away to take advantage of his heightened senses).

 

[Helly]

Spoiler

Surprise! [1d6] = 5

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Roll Surprise: [1d6] = 1

 

[Grimgravy]

Spoiler

Surprise [1d6] = 2

 

[Smashing Axe]

Spoiler

Rolled 3 for Surprise

 

[nikolokolus]

Dice Roll

Men on the Dock Surprise Roll [1d6] = 3

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Surprise! [1d6] = 5

Spoiler

Helly I'll let this dice roll stand, but in the future please attach your die rolls to your character. If you need help let me know.

 

[Helly]

Spoiler

Surprise! [1d6] = 5

Spoiler

Helly I'll let this dice roll stand, but in the future please attach your die rolls to your character. If you need help let me know.

Spoiler

I thought they were attached to my character by default, my bad.