Balancing the Scales, part 4

Log Info

• Title: Balancing the Scales, part 4
• Emitter: Cryosanthia
• Characters: Aimarra, Elyanna, Glasha, Tawyse, Joro
• Place: Eldwyn Road, Eldwyn Forest, and Bendywine River
• Time: Thursday, August 13, 2020, 6:01 PM
• Summary: The kobolds retreat into the forest as the party pursues. Joro and Locien are unconscious, while Aimarra, Tawyse and Elyanna are trying to surround the kobolds and convince them to give up. Glasha participates from a distance. There is a lot of back and forth, with the kobolds arguing amongst themselves, although a few answers are given to Elyanna. Aimarra takes a shot, which is returned by the blue kobold firing on her with the Thunderbelcher, and Tawyse is stuck down with a tanglefoot bag. Aimarra tries a trick to entice the kobolds closer, while the group converges.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Aimarra      5'1"     128 Lb     Half-Elf          Female    Brown hair and eyes, breastplate, leathers, pointed ears.
Elyanna      5'11"    153 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    An oddly complected woman in a raven feather cloak
Glasha       5'8"     100 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    Green-skinned, young lady with bleached hair.
Tawyse       3'0"     33 Lb      Gnome             Female    An orange-haired Gnome in green leather armor.
Joro         8'10"    532 Lb     Giantborn         Female   A towering female Jotun clad in scale mail.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

The first shot has been fired! The red kobold shot the giantborn, opening up a gash on the side of her head as she struggled through the underbrush on the side of the road. The kobolds have also left the road, and are struggling on their own towards the forest. She's currently the closest to them, at one hundred and twenty feet. The mourner rode up behind, channeling some healing, and trails her, following at five feet. The rest of the party is split, the half-orc bard and gnome druid behind the caltrop line, thirty feet back from the jotun, and barely fifteen feet out of the bend in the road. The elf archer is in the woods, one hundred and fifty feet away from the kobolds, closing on a diagonal. The underbrush is a little sparser between the trees, allowing for slightly faster movement. Meanwhile, the half-orc wizard of the party waits with the cart, too far away to easily engage, but able to hear the sounds of battle.

Squinting, the Gnome glances about, before hopping down from Chaucy. She runs a hand along his carapace. "Stay here, Chaucy, and be vigilant. Come if I call for you." Crouching, Tawyse begins moving towards the sounds of gunfire and shouting, dodging quickly from tree to tree.

Despite the healing, the jotun's injury leaves her swaying on her feet. She lies down in the brush, taking a moment to recover.

As the magic particles clear, the blue kobold says, "Gotss healer. Ranger danger too." <draconic>

"No care, taking Biggie," the red retorts, then shouts loudly at the party, "You sstop now! Sstay down!" <draconic>

"Reki, they no understand. Sspread sshoot, more wounded, lessss chasse." Blue says, "and no kill." <draconic>

The green pulls something from its belt, "Ready throw sstuff Blubbss, ready parassol," <draconic> then switches to tradespeak, "Sstop run up! You sstop we talk!" They keep moving for the treeline, their location easily determined from their bright armour, and the coloured parasol they're carrying.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (4)+8: 12 (Gila Percep)
GAME: Elyanna rolls handle animal: Trained Use Only: 0
GAME: Elyanna rolls ride: (1)+2: 3 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d6: (5): 5
GAME: Caltrops damaged Elyanna for 5 points. 22 HP remaining.
GAME: Elyanna rolls fortitude: (5)+1: 6
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d2: (2): 2
GAME: Giant Wasp Poison damaged Elyanna's Dexterity for 2 points. 2 total damage.
GAME: Elyanna rolls diplomacy: (17)+8: 25

That Elyanna's horse is not one accustomed to battle is well established by this point, but just to drive the point home, it choses that moment to buck and throws the red halfbreed from the saddle, who lands flat on her back with a scream as the upright spines pierce her flesh. "nate bang" She takes a second before trying wobblingly to get to unsteady feet, 'Wwwah...Wait!' A shake of the head, and she tries louder, 'WAIT! S-stop! Everyone, We can end this cleanly.' The cloaked woman managed to get more or less fully upright, though she weave a touch uneasily, 'Alex is using you!' <unknown>

As the mourner lowers his symbol of Vardama, the sound of Elyanna's horse spooking and dropping her on the caltrops draws his attention. His horse, better combat trained than he is, isn't startled, but also isn't aware of the hazards at the mourner's level. As he turns his horse around, he smacks directly into a low tree branch, knocking him to the ground and the air out of him. His horse stands protectively over his prone form.

Glasha's eyes are fixed on the two stuck kobolds, but her expression is softening a bit. She can't hear the other kobolds well enough to work well as a translator, and she couldn't grasp the rudiments of Fireball, yet. She thumped the haft of her axe-staff against the ground and said, "You two are being very good, very quiet boys. If you keep behaving this well, I might be tempted to give you a treat before we let you go." She doesn't take her eyes off them save to occasionally blink, but that's pretty tedious. <draconic>

"Turn over, not sssee axe come?" Jak asks Glasha, very quietly. <draconic>

"Alex using you!" The green kobold yells back at Elyanna, perhaps simply repeating whatever the last thing said to it was. Its arguments do seem to be echoes, although it does add, "Kobold river, Kobold bridge, Kobold toll!"

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (6)+8: 14 (Gila Percep)

Still, Aimarra makes her way through the woods, dodging brambles and undergrowth, trying not to sprain an ankle as she gets closer. She has a goal in mind, one she has not shared with the others, but the others are minded to negotiate, so that buys her some time. She makes no indication to anyone of her exact location, and ensures that her movement is from tree to tree, always pausing behind a tree as she closes in.

GAME: Tawyse rolls perception: (6)+6: 12
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (17)+8: 25

Still crouched low, the Gnome moves along as quickly as possible while avoiding getting tripped by, or tangled, in the underbrush. Thusly, her path is not as straight as it could be, meandering a little in favour of an easier passage.

There is a quiet snoring coming from the bushes beside the road. Locien's horse looks over and whickers. Elyanna's horse runs around riderless.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d6: (5): 5 (Waltzing Matilda 2, Next 2 takes)

The trio of kobolds keep moving, finally reaching the tree line where it's a lot harder to see them. The green one seems to be doing its best to drag the other two through the underbrush. The red kobold has its hands all over the thunderbelcher which is almost as large as it is, reloading it surprisingly quickly. This seems to upset the blue, which admonishes, "Reki! Going break Matilda." <draconic>

"Fine Blubss. Reloaded, you sshoot, you sshow." <draconic> The last visible thing they do, is two of them swap items, the red takes the parasol and the blue one takes the thunderbelcher.

"No sshoot, talk" <draconic> the green one says, "You lie before, why not lying now? Bring cart for bodies, get bounty."

The mourner's horse noses him.

GAME: Elyanna rolls fortitude: (20)+1: 21 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
GAME: Elyanna rolls diplomacy: (13)+8: 21

"Think!" Elyanna replies crisply as she brings a hand to her head, giving a final shake before she manages to get her stability back, "When we were few, made you flee. You have not killed. If we just wanted the bounty, you would be dead now. Choose to live, or to die, but do it now."

As she says all of this, Elyanna carefully steps around the caltrops still on the bridge, while several of their bretheren are still stuck in her back, making movement rather uncomfortable.

GAME: Glasha rolls Perception: (16)+1: 17
GAME: Glasha rolls Diplomacy: (6)+0: 6

Glasha sighs. "Jak, I'm trying really hard to make this clear to you. You're being a good boy, and we're going to let you go if you keep cooperating. I'm only going to put this axe through your skull if you try to escape," she says calmly, then her expression sours again, "or if you keep talking," she says, calmly still, though her tone of voice is much colder and her knuckles pale as she grips her greataxe more tightly. "That was the deal, if you remember," she adds, still calm and cold as ice, despite the smile baring her tusks fully.

Glasha now calls out, "Reki! Blubs! You bring Matilda here this instant! I won't tell you boys again!" She's got the tone of voice of someone yelling at children to come inside. Like she'd already told them twice already. "Jak and Trak are waiting for this to be over so they can go home with you!" <draconic>

Over in the cart, lying on his back and staring up at the half-orc wizard, Jak is all eyes and very attentive. As she instructs him to shut up, he does, maintaining his unblinking gaze.

However, the trio in the woods hear the shouted words of both the half-orcs, though the swashy-bard's are more mollifying. The green kobold's hissy reply comes, once again giving away their position. "You kill Trak, you kill Jak! You come for shiny boom! Choosing live and run away."

"Not coming! Ssneaking ssoftsskins ssurrounding. Iss trick" One of the other two calls back, the kobold sounds angry as well as high pitched. It's likely Reki, the red one, "Matilda ssay no!" <draconic>

The elf has crept closer, and the kobolds have moved closer to her, placing her seventy feet away.

GAME: Glasha rolls Diplomacy: (5)+0: 5

Glasha huffs out another breath. 'Children,' she mutters to herself. "Jak," she addresses to Jak. "Trak," she addresses to Trak. Then to both of them back and forth, she says, "Please shout the following three words at the others. One, then the other," she says, pointing between the two. "Say, 'I am alive.' Only this and nothing more." <draconic>

GAME: Aimarra rolls stealth+16: (3)+5+16: 24
GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (10)+9: 19
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (12)+8: 20 (Gila Percep)

_Oh, so they are fleeing, are they?_ Aimarra cocks an ear to the shouted attempts at diplomacy some distance up ahead, and again as the sounds of movements through the brush come closer. Coming closer - they are coming this way! An immediate change of plans is called for, and the half-sil immediately looks around her for an appropriate patch of underbrush to conceal herself in. The concealment job is less than perfect, and a dead branch jabbing her in the side makes it less than comfortable to stay still, but stay still she does, waiting and listening.

GAME: Tawyse rolls perception: (17)+6: 23
GAME: Tawyse rolls stealth: (10)+6+20: 36
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (16)+8: 24 (Gila Percp)

The kobolds are barely visible. Blue has the Thunderbelcher, Red has the Umbrella. Red and Green seem to be in the same space.

The orange-haired druid's ears perk up slightly, and she grins, angling in on the convenient mouth noises the fleeing Kobolds continue to make. She's also able to more easily make out what they are saying, at least the bits in tradespeak.

GAME: Glasha rolls Intimidate+4: (6)+2+4: 12

As diplomacy doesn't seem to be working and she's lost patience dealing with the childish kobolds, the half-orc wizard discoveres an aspect of her heritage. Namely, it's a lot easier for her to be intmidating. The angry Mommy face is working better to keep the two in the cart silent.

Distantly on the north stretch of road, the snoring continues.

<OOC> DC10 percep to have noticed riding by perhaps
GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (9)+2: 11

Jak and Trak stare up at Glasha, prone, at least one of them bound, they're quite vulnerable and it's obvious by their body lanuage - and smell, that they are afraid. Her kind demeanor doesn't seem to be convincing them, and then she switches to angry-mom mode. Oddly, they respond better to the abuse.

They don't say anything, however. The instructions seemed quite clear, don't talk. Now, they're being told to speak. Jak looks over at Trak, then they both look up again, their expressions getting worse. Speak or not? Is this the trick that kills them? She's gripping that axe like she's ready to swing, she's so big. Orcs are easily angered.

They remain terrified and silent.

"I did not kill Trak. Both live!" Elyanna replies, trying to keep all the irritation out of her voice. She looks back the way she came, "Show them the taken live!" she hollars back. There's a low growl in her throat as she turns again, and lifts a free hand to try and get the caltrops out....

The trio of kobolds are in the trees now, and seem to have some familiarity. They're moving quickly, three silvery forms darting from bush to bush, between the trees, occasionally visible when one looks up and around. All have something ready in their hands, and while the blue has the thunderbelcher and the red the parasol, it's not obvious what the green carries.

And they keep talking, "Guyss, can sssort out. They got Trak, Jak. Not dead." It must be the blue one, even in draconic the pleading tones come across. <draconic>

"Isss trick Blubsss. Not got." ; "Reki, can't leave them." ; "Reki, Blubss, let talk." ; "They worssship you Gila, can't abandon." ; "They fault they get captured." ; "Reki, talking, Blubss, be ready. Sstill ssneaking." <draconic>

Finally the green one yells a response, 'Keeping Ssshiny Boom. You not lying, not kill, talk trade. What for Trak, Jak?' From the sound of its voice, the group has gotten further south and closer to Aimarra's hidden position.

Their chatter keeps giving their position away, providing a general position even when they aren't visible.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (7)+8: 15 (Gila Percep)
GAME: Elyanna rolls preception: (15)+preception: 15
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "DC 12 for them to see you"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (1)+8: 9 (EPIC FAIL)

The mourner, meanwhile, is lost in a dream and on a battlefield. The sky is a stark white, filled with ravens. Around him as far as the eye can see lie bodies, the only colours are grey and black and blood. He can't move. A skeletal horse stands over him, nosing exhaling charnal fumes, the scent of the crypt. Riding the horse is grey figure, indistinct in robes. It is a nightmare, or perhaps for a devotee of the Grey Lady, a pleasant portent of things to come.

"They live. Where did you get the boom?" Elyanna calls back in return, starting to move up along the road to close the distance and regain sight of the kobolds, still trying to negotiate, "Talk, and find another way. You can live! Show all you are not vermin. You are clever, show you are wise! Choose!"

GAME: Glasha rolls Intimidate+Strength+4: (10)+2+2+4: 18

Glasha looks at Elyanna, then looks back at the two kobolds in the cart. She turns and jumps up, her thicc, muscular, half-oruchish booty thumping between the two. Pinching the haft of her greataxe between her knees, she grabs Jak by his arm and Trak by his arm, holding them up. "Hey, I got two live Kobolds, here. Living Jak and living Trak. You didn't want to play nice," she says up at the two kobolds as she shakes them about. "Say the damn words!" she shouts up at the two terrified kobolds. <draconic>

"We alive" Trak shouts, Jak adds, "Gila, we alive! Ssssave us." The both kobolds stare in terror at Glasha as she shakes them around, "Ssssorry! Sssorry. I alive!"; "Yes Gila, I alive." <draconic>

"You ssslowtails! You wreck plan, thiss your fault." Clearly the red one responds first, the blue second, "Gila, do ssomething. Ssave them." <draconic>

"Sshhssss. Gotss thiss. Thinking." <draconic> The green one rubs its head, "Okay. Not lying. Wantss them. Trade for Trak, Jak. Get sshiny boom far away, not Alex. Get T-bow Alex. Will Trade T-Bow."

Still dangling, the two kobolds speak automatically, in stereo and awithout thinking, "Sssorry Reki, lotss sorry." It's not loud enough to be heard beyond the cart. <draconic>

Hidden in the underbrush as the kobolds amble closer, Aimarra's in no hurry to go anywhere, her bow held in one hand against the ground, barely daring to breathe. Oh, and that stick is still poking her in the side.

<OOC> Cryosanthia nods, DC7 to see them.
GAME: Tawyse rolls perception: (11)+6: 17
GAME: Tawyse rolls stealth: (9)+6: 15

Tawyse continues to close, moving carefully so as to remain as silent as possible while still moving forward.

Taking the most adorable dirt-nap, Joro has been unconcious for a while now. The impact of the thunderbelcher knocked her out cleanly, for whatever reason may be. Still, it would appear she's fine, thanks to the now also unconcious healer. She lays in a heap, thankfully hidden in a particularly dense area of underbrush. Well, she would be hidden if she hadn't started snoring just now, and it is -loud-. Is it an earthquake? Is it an angry bear?

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (9)+8: 17 (Gila Percp)

It's not hard to follow the progress of the kobolds, while they are small and slide easily through the bushes, their constant inter-chatter roughly indicates where they are. Searching in the right direction, it's not long before there's a flash of silver, or coloured parasol, or the duller hues of scales, as well as telltale signs like bushes shaking or tiny twigs breaking underfoot.

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "It's DC12 to spot them. 
      DC -10 (signs of battle) because they're talking,
      +20 distance of 100',
      +2 they end in underbrush."
GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (7)+2: 9
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (11)+8: 19
GAME: Elyanna rolls diplomacy: (12)+8: 20

Elyanna still travelling to try and lay eyes on, and allow the kobolds to lay eyes on her, she keeps her hands raised so they can see them empty. She sighs, cocking her head slightly as the hissy-growly issues from back by the wagon, then she looks toward where she thinks the kobolds are, "Good start! Who gave you the boom?" A frown for a moment at a particular twinge from a caltrop in her shoulder, then, "Come. Trade Jak and Trak for answers. "

Up on the north road, Elyanna's horse trots up beside Locien's horse.

Glasha thumps the squirming, screaming kobolds down on either side of her and puts her hands back on her axe. "You two wastes of chroma are giving me a headache," she says. "Why couldn't you be nice kobolds. Silver or brass or bronze or gold. Something pretty and shiny and prone to good." She shakes her head. "Instead, I'm stuck guarding the most childish chiton-covered cowards this side of the sea." She hops up onto her feet and turns, axe in both hands. She considers her options before scooping up Jak under one arm, Trak's chain taken in that hand as she drags him from where he is on the cart. 'I'm coming!' she calls out toward Elyanna. "And for the record," she shouts out impatiently in draconic, "I am the one who has been insisting we keep ALL of you safe. We are MORE than capable of handling this with bloodshed. Would have been faster, too." She looks around. 'Damn it, where are you, Elyanna?' she calls out finally, having been too focussed on the cart's kobolds to keep track of where everyone else is. <draconic>

The bushes keep rustling as the kobolds keep moving. Then, a little after Elyanna makes herself visible, the green kobold leads the other two into a small clearing, they're all visible, the red and blue crowded close together, the green standing a little apart. The blue kobold has its goggles down, is looking around, "Where isss?" <draconic>

"Over there Blubss," The red kobold, conspicuously not wearing goggles but also squinting in the light, points at the half-orc. The blue shoulders the thunderbelcher and aims at her, with the red dropping the parasol protectively, the gun-barrel over it. The red growls, "Where othersss?" <draconic>

"No sssee. Be ready." <draconic> The green one hisses, holding something low and out of sight, "Ok sssee you. You sstay there. Trade ansswerss for Trak, Jak. How many? Get sshiny boom from Fizzzs!"

Jak and Trak, wastes of chroma that they are, remain compliant and aside from some pained noised as they are yanked around, come willingly with Glasha.

<OOC> Aimarra says, "I'm claiming both cover and surprise."
GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d20+6: (17)+6: 23
GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d6+2: (3)+2: 5

Out of nowhere, as that thunderbelcher levels at Elyanna, from off to one side, a well-placed arrow _slams_ into the thunderbelcher wielder. "Put that down," Aimarra's voice comes out, warningly and none too kindly.

From the brush roughly thirty degrees from where the arrow appears, the underbrush parts to admit Tawyse. Quarterstaff in hand, she stops just outside comfortable melee range. "Look. We all understand that a thunderbelcher is always loaded, so if you're pointing it at someone, it means you intend them harm. So I would suggest you stop pointing it at people. I will heal your wound, once you relinquish the thunderbelcher. If you persist, this will go poorly for you. We've more archers in the woods now. One thunderbelcher is not going to help very much against them.

She leans upon her staff. "Let us not descend further into violence, yes? Your friends are still alive, back in the cart."

GAME: Tawyse rolls diplomacy: (4)+1: 5

The kobolds have moved away into the treeline, the jotun is now one hundred and eighty from them. The party is scattered in the woods and on the road. Locien is unconscious and his horse is watching him. At their distance, pretty hard for you to see anyone, but you have an idea of where to go because they're talking, combat."

GAME: Joro rolls intelligence: (19)+-2: 17

With a snort that suggests that slumber has been put on hold, Joro mumbles to herself as she clambers to her feet. Looking around she stretches and yawns, smacking her lips a bit as she comes to, or what's available of, her sense. "Joro dream bad..." she says off-handedly to herself, and rubs at her aching head. Most would make an effort to dust themself off after taking a dirt-nap, but not Joro. Suddenly, she seems to remember what happened before her nap, and her head whips around towards the kobolds, and then to Glasha, then to the treeline. She heads that way in a hurry, hopping over underbrush when possible, to end up just inside the treeline.

"Not dream, not dream!" Joro repeats as she heads into the trees themselves.

"Kill! Kill her! Elf shoot you before!" The red kobold screams, pushing the blue, turning its aim, readying the parasol defensively. Tawyse steps out, and while her words are good, perhaps only one of them understands any of them beyond their tone, and it isn't the kobold with the gun. The blue steadies the Thunderbelcher. Chambers along the weapon start to glow, first a sphere filles with blue-ish light, then a green glow extends up coils along the barrel. As it's charging, it says, "No kill Reki, remember no kill."

'Point because liess. Point because sssneak up, disstract! Ssoftssskin lies like last time! Attack when you attack. You sssurrender!' the green one shouts back, flinging something it was holding at Tawyse.

>>BOOOM<< <draconic>

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Ranged touch on Tawyse"
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (9)+6: 15
GAME: Tawyse rolls reflex: (4)+3: 7
GAME: Tawyse rolls 2d4: (7): 7 (7 rounds entangled)
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "and, ranged CMB on Aimarra, Disarm attack. 20 concealment miss will apply after the roll.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (5)+4: 9

There's a thump at Tawyse's feet, the magic particle explosion from the thunderbelcher was a huge distraction, and a sticky bag explodes and glues the gnome down.

A bullet rips through the bushes surrounding Aimarra, near her bow hand. It would have hurt if it hit, but, perhaps the blue kobold wasn't shooting to kill? Or perhaps it is blind with the goggles on.

The trio start hustling away from Aimarra, Tawyse, and distantly Elyanna. They're being steered away from Glasha as well. Fortunately, the undergrowth stops them from getting far, unfortunately, they'll have an easier time hiding.

And the red just might be holding back something to fling if there's another sudden surprise.

GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (16)+9: 25
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "+2 AC, 20% miss. Blue has."
GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (17)+2: 19
GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d20+6: (16)+6: 22
GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d100: (57): 57

Boring conversation anyway,

After having the belcher aimed at her again, to much the same effect as last time, before it unloads at her comrades, the halfbreed unloads a sulphurous curse and starts to move closer, calling back in Oruch, "lookaumn paskyna kok be comaumn hoav" for Glasha's benefit, irritation suffusing her voice. Caltrop spires still glinting from her back from the errant shaft of light, she clambors over roots and through underbrush as her hand finally scratches the itch and closes around the grip of her silver tressed whip and pulls it from her belt. <unknown>

"Damnit, bubble-headed buffoons. A pox on this damned forest, and this tree and the's gods-damned spikes in my back!" Elyanna snarls through interlocking fangs. <goblin-talk>

GAME: Tawyse rolls strength: (6)+0: 6

"Softskins are liars? That's rich." Aimarra's getting a little tired of being poked by that branch, and it is time to move. That was a close call. She dashes out of the brush and behind the nearest tree, aiming with keen eyes at the bush they disappeared into. "Who was it that used a torch and an empty barrel to pretend they'd explode the bridge if we didn't pay up, mmm?"

Tawyse squeaks in surprise, and huffs in annoyance as she's stuck in place. She grunts and pulls mightily, but remains firmly rooted to the ground. "Augh, this is disgusting!", she says in frustration.

GAME: Joro rolls perception: (14)+8: 22

Moving along inside the trees, Joro hurries, but not with reckless abandon. She is swift, however the crunching of underbrush and fallen branches within the trees suggest she is indeed suggestive that her progress is slowed from her usual pace.

GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+14: (14)+14: 28 (Red stealth)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+13: (12)+13: 25 (Green Stealth)
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+13: (14)+13: 27 (Blue Stealth)

No response to the taunts this time, perhaps it's being shot at, perhaps their opponents are too close. Maybe they're less beligerent without a loaded gun. Red folds up the parasol and the kobolds make an effort to melt into the underbrush.

GAME: Elyanna rolls perception: (6)+2: 8

The two horses watch over the prone human.

Elyanna continues along her 'path', weaving and ducking and- getthesedamnedthingsoutofherback!- The red woman peers around, trying to catch sight of the kobolds, but to little apparant avail and and starts to look around quickly for a second or two before she stamps her foot and howls, "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!" <goblin-talk>

Glasha just walks with her kobold prisoners toward the others, grumbling, annoyed at literally all of this. She's not sprinting, she has kobolds she's taking care of. She's not yelling, but Jak is likely close enough to hear the frankly upsetting language she's muttering in her anger, and it is ALL in language he can DEFINITELY understand, making SURE that, even if it isn't aimed at him, he UNDERSTANDS the EXTENT of her frustration. Now, in truth, this isn't something a rule-following lady who endeavors to help people would generally do, but with 'the rage' in her family, sometimes even the ladylike half-oruch fumes now and again. As the boom echoes through the forest, birds that had re-settled into trees flooded the skies. "Why can't you idiots just surrender ths shiny so I can go home?!" raises the muttering of the half-oruch so at least the two kobolds near her can hear. She continues. "You KNOW what that sound was. /I/ know what that sound was. If your people loosed the first volley, they're dead, and I don't hold out much hope for you idiots, either, in that case," she concludes as she trudges along. "IDIOTS!" she shouts almost violently. "CHILDREN! TODDLER DRAGON LACKEYS WHO ARE TOO DUMB TO KNOW NOT TO STEAL ANYTHING TOO VALUABLE OR YOU DIE FOR YOUR TROUBLE!" She looks down to the following Trak and says, "I'm done pushing for the peaceful road, you understand that, right?" <draconic>

GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (16)+9: 25

Aimarra peers out from behind the tree, searching for any sign of the kobolds, then stops abruptly and comes back fully out into the opening, gesturing to the others to join her, and only when someone gets close does she whisper, _Make them think we've lost them. Hide. Make them wonder where we are. And scatter._

And that plan is enacted.

Combatty Stuff

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|   Name   |   Race   |   Class   | CHP | HP  | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Aimarra   |HALF-ELF  |Rgr        | 22  | 22  |20/17/14 | 18 | 5  | 6  | 2  |
|Elyanna   |HALF-ORC  |Bard/Swb   | 22  | 27  |17/15/12 | 17 | 1  | 8  | 5  |
|Glasha    |HALF-ORC  |Wiz        | 13  | 13  |11/10/11 | 14 | 2  | 1  | 4  |
|Joro      |GIANTBORN |Bbn        | 14  | 21  |17/15/12 | 19 | 6  | 2  | 2  |
|Tawyse    |GNOME     |Dru        | 22  | 22  |15/13/13 | 13 | 5  | 3  | 7  |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 ==================== Current Initiative Order - Round 10 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     20   Tawyse           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     20   Joro             1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     19   Kobolds          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     18   Elyanna          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     18   Locien           1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 7    Glasha           1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     6    Aimarra          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay, so last session dragged a little, my apologies. I'm trying a few different things, to make things snappier, and hopefully can get turns down to 12 minutes so we can cycle at least a round an hour. I'll do my best to provide relevant tactical information ahead of time, and if it isn't something relevant to the whole group please save the questions for your turn."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Locien is not able to make it, due to finals, and we discussed a few options but I'm going with the first one he suggested, which is he fails a ride roll and gets knocked unconscious. It does take your healer out, but if I NPC'd him I'd be directly influencing how the battle went, and collectively decided what he does each round could introduce delays. Not here, not participating, seems the best strategy even if it ups the difficulty for you. That sound ok?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Cool. Okay, the forest is 'medium density' so mostly small trees, a few large ones, and a significant amount of light undergrowth. You can share a space with a tree, it gives you +2AC, +1 Reflex, and assume it's dense enough you can end your move on a tree if you want, or in underbrush, or in the open. The underbrush is 70, so, you're movement rates in the forest are a little better than 1/2. 20'/r drops to 15'/r, 30'/r -> 20'r, 50'/r -> 30'/r. Trees and underbrush prevent charging/running, but you can get a double move if you like. There are also perception negatives, which will come into play. At ranges 60' and under, ranged attacks are normal, at ranges 60' and over, it's +2AC for 10' to reflect trees in the way. Also, if you want to 'Spur self', you can make an Athetics roll DC15, to get 10' more movement, and take 1d3 NL from crashing through bushes. Basically the same as 'Spur Mount', although mounts take real damage I think. To give you some more options and tactics"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "outside the treeline and beside the road, essentialy all light underbrush, so a little slower movement, some steath bonuses if you end in underbrush (+2 to your steath roll)"