We get Gargax up on his feet and stumble towards the Coldfoot Inn, bloodied and bruised. Gargax and I stumble into the bar. I see the barkeep cleaning it while chatting with one of her patrons about something or another. Her attention shifts when she sees us stumbling in noisily. Gargax slumps into a chair at the closest table. The barkeep looks over to us, and she rushes over with a worried expression.
"Is everything alright? What happened to you two? You look like you've taken on a pack of giant rats," she says.
"Husks", I manage to get out, unslinging my pack and letting it fall to the floor, and immediately looking over the Dragonborn.
(Medicine roll DC 15 13 rolled +3 skill bonus)
I see nothing more than a few deep lacerations and some bruising. Taking a day or two to rest should help ensure that he'll be back on his feet again. I look to the barkeep and ask if she has a healer's kit? Stop the blee"ding, she nodaffirmationative and rushes over to get it. Gargax shouts
"And some Ale Olfa" (this is obviously her name, but I was in a bit of a rush to check Gargax over to make sure he was ok), she rushes back and hands the kit to me, I look at her and say
"What's the cost?" she mutters, but I make out
"um uUm, 4gp if you can get him sorted"
I stitch up the worst of what he sustained and satisfied that all is in hand jethro returns to his temple, and Olfa brings the ale over for him, which he drains in one and says
"I shall head home and rest, remember midnight". I look at him and say,
"tomorrow my friend, we both need to take it easy after that", he waves me off and says,
"I'll be ok after a sleep, we can't wait", he walks off befor i can say anything.
I sit back and drink my ale till a cough brings me back out of my thoughts. I look about and see Olfa standing nearby,
"Oh yeah, let me get your payment for the healer's kit" I pull out my pouch and remove the four gold coins from it, handing them over to her.
"I'm a bit short of gold. I don't suppose you have any work that can be undertaken? Though ideally nothing too strenuous based on today's misadventure?"
She takes the coin and says
"Tell you what i've gained a lot of patrons which your convoy walking in through town. I've had my hands full; I need to take stock and see who has paid and who needs to pay up and get it all settled. I'll pay you 10gp or something from my stock of equal value, your choice once you finish. What do you say, lad?"
I accept and go to rise, but the tenderness from where I was hurt during the combat, Jethros spells seem to have sealed the wounds. The problem is that the body still needs time to heal the tenderness and bruising. I think it'll be a while before it doesn't hurt, but Gargax is adamant that we sort this issue out tonight.
I quickly cast a spell,l summoning 10 berries to my hand and discreetly eating half of them. I sit back for a moment, feeling the positive energies flow through my body. This also grants a slight numbing, allowing me to get up and do as Olfa asks.
I leave the common room and climb the stairs to the dormitories. I investigate the floor, looking for how many patrons are using the inn.
(Investigation DC11 rolled a 14+1 so 5 will pass)
I ascertain that all of those who came with me from the road are using the inn as a place to safely rest, though some are still wide-eyed with terror (i Wonder if some heard the fight outside). I work my way through the crowd, asking who has paid, and who hasn't. About half of them tell me.
(Insight check DC14 I rolled a 14+5, so it's a pass).
I then ask the rest of them and find only 1 who hasn't and was trying to skip out on payment.t
(DC14 insight again i rolled a 9,+5, so they almost got away with it)
I make my way down the stairs to the common room again with the missing payment and take it to Olfa, who is relieved that the job is done and everyone has settled. She wholeheartedly thanks me for helping her resolve this issue, as I went through all the patrons, ensuring no one skippedout. She paid me an extra 10gp so 20gp in all for the job.
She also says she'll knock some money off 9f anything I pick up from her (this works out as a 10% Discount on purchases)
I'm debating ordering some food when I hear from some patrons nearby who loudly gesticulate
"nah i told you, you are mispronouncing the levitation spell. You have to roll your RRRR's more, you fool" I excuse myself from the bar, and Olfa saying ill be back shortly and take a mug of ale from the bar and head over to the people.
(Arcana Roll DC 15 to recognise the spell. I roll a 2+3 skill, so 5 is a fail here).
"I'm not sure whether he is right or not", I declare, and the three turn to look at me, and one of them says
"Thish ish none of your buishnesh"
"I don't know if you were in here earlier, but the owner of that wand was in here an hour or two ago Bleeding after he helped me fight off some husks that attacked the village? I think that makes it my business, as if he actually had the wand, he wouldn't have needed to enter the melee" One of the men stands up and says
"yeah well, we won it fair and square, he bet it in a game of dozen and three, and he lost, so that's his issue, not mine". With this, he drains his mug and calls out.
"Oi Olfa more ale".
He wipes his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt and says,
"You have 2 choices: you can either pay us 50gp for the wand, and it's yours,s or take us on at a dozen plus three? beat each of us wizards, and it's yours easy"
"yeah it's as easy as that," another chimes in, trying to goad me into partaking.
"ok i'll play your game, but how does one play a dozen plus three?" A smile spreads across the "Wizards" faces.
"Easy roll three dice and get the closest to fifteen, if after the first roll you don't get near roll one more dice, best outta three, what do you say?"
I pull up a stool and say
"whats the bet then?"
 |
| The "Wizards" Duel |
Wizard 1
game one. 1 Gold Wager
Braak 13 (5,3,3,2) 17 ( 5,6,2,4)
Wizard 15 (5,6,4) 14 (4,6,4) Winner
Game Two, 1 Gold Wager
Braak 14 (6,2,6) 14 (5,5,4) Winner
Wizard 13 (5,6,1) 16 (6,6,2*,2)
(* as it was a draw, I used an Oracle to ask if the "wizard" pushes their luck and rolls again i got a yes)
Game Three, 6 Silver wager
Braak 12 (2,2,2,6) 13 (6,1,1,5) 12 (2,3,2,5) Winner
Wizard 16 (6,4,6) 14 (6,4,3,1) 16 (6,2,2,6)
They hand over the wand somewhat reluctantly, and I say,
If I'm still in town later this week i'll give you a rematch if you are game? What do you say?"
I then return to Olfa and order the Quail for supper on Gargax's recommendation, as it was already late afternoon at this point, and I'm feeling very hungry right now.
Gargax has impeccable taste. The quail was exquisiteand worth the coin spent on it.
i return to Brumhilde's potion shop to help her with the noisy attic. She helps me into the crawl space and wishes me luck. As I enter the attic, old smells from past potions assault my nose, sandalwood, mandrake and sulphur. Themix is not the most pleasant, but I crawl about looking for what could be causing the annoyance.
(perception roll DC10 19+5 rolled)
I see some feathers lying on a wooden beam. I look at it for a moment and realise that it is from a thumper hawk like the one I fought off last night, this could be from where it came from.
remembering the lessons i was taught in the circle in my days as an adept hawks tend to try and find a safe place to nest to then mate, this could be what is creating the noise, i have a look around and find a single nest in the wall by the chimney where some stones have come loose, i draw my scimitar as the ceiling is low and to swing the quaterstaff may break the low roof in here, i wait for what feels for hours but it is probably 25-30 minutes my paitentce pays as a thumper Hawk comes into the attic and heads for the nest and stats to preen herself, she does this before screeching out calling for a male to come to mate.
It takes me back to the circle, my leader, the guardian of the grove, who had a hawk live in the tree above their Hovel, though these birds pale in comparison to the majestic hawks of home. It hasn't spotted me, so I try to creep closer to it through the attic
(stealth opposing roll, Braak 1+3 so 4 total, Thumper Hawk passive perception 12, so i'am spotted)
Its eyes lock onto me, and it shrieks before lunging at me
Initiative
Braak 8 (Dex 15)
Hawk 8 (Dex 15)
i made an opposed D6 roll (B5 H2) so Braak goes first,
I swing the blade through the tight space, trying to turn the blade to swipe and scare the bird off
(I rolled a 20+5 is a hit against AC13, so I critically hit it 2D6+3 Damage 4and 2 on the dice so 9 pts altogether)
the blade connects and sends the bird into one of the support beams and it falls to he floor dead, i only meant to scare it away, i'm a little on edge obviously and need to meditate on this and calm myself i need to wait to see if a male comes to find the female, I sit in wait I try to hide my self behind a beam
(Stealth roll 4+3 so a 7)
And try to collect some of the feathers of the female to try and make something of a totem so that her death isn't for nought.
(Survival roll DC10 roll a 1 + 2 so a 3 and fails)
My mind isn't in it; I seem to defile the bird's corpse rather than make something useful. I place the bird upon my old shirt and, though to no one in particular, vow to bury the hawk at first light. I hear something scuttle through the hole, making its way inside the attic. It is a male answering the call of the female. I mustn't be as hid as I hoped, as it looks at me and shrieks and comes for me.
 |
| Braak vs Thumper Hawk Alpha |
initiative
Alpha 12
Braak 17
Round 1
I swing at this Male as he is out for blood, as he is here for the female, and my presence he views as competition, so he will go all out at me. My sword connects (I do 5 damage to the hawk), the hawk's talons rend my face, drawing blood (it hits for 4 damage)
Round 2
I swing again but find myself overextended and nearly lose my scimitar (I rolled a natural 1 and made a DC10 Dex save to keep hold of the blade). Its talons dig into my shoulder as I rebalance (it does 4 more damage)
Round 3
I make an all-or-nothing swing, as at this point I feel as if I'm near passing out due to pain building up and my already injured body being pushed to the limit and hit (deal 5 points killing the Hawk).
I scatter the nest pushing most of it through the hole then using what i have to hand fill it (survival roll of 8 it may hold who knows? who am i kidding) and gaather the birds up placing them in my backpack and i climb back down into the shop. Brumhilde is waiting for me i look at her and she smiles though it shifts from delight to concern when she sees the wounds,
"wow they did a number on you Braak what was it Thumpers?" i place the pack down exhaustion making me sway slightly and say
"yeah thumper hawks and it was a female nesting trying to find a mate and her Suitor"
she looks me over and says
"by the looks of you it looks like they gave as good as they got. Here lay down here and let me help clean these wounds and see what we can do for you"
she clears a table and places a comforter and a pillow on it i take off my armour and shirt and lay on the makeshift bed and brumhilde washes the wounds and applies a poultice to the area, there is something relaxing in the poultice as i find myself relaxing and drifting off to sleep
(while Braak rests Brumhilde administors care and through her minstrations she rollled a 19+0 on a medicine check, the scarring will be light thanks to her)
I awake with the sunlight through fog shining on my face, and I sit up with a start
"gargax i was supposed to help him with something last night. I must find him at once!"
I don my armour and go to walk out. Brumhilde holds out a potion and says
"here take this for what you did last night"
I take the potion and bow low in gratitude (surprised at the lack of protest my body gives) and head out the door to find Gargax.
