[furryoldlobster]

The following is an introduction to the upcoming tutorial walk through.   Once we've got enough players (we only need 1 more!), the story shall continue with everyone participating.   I will also provide list of do's, don'ts, and suggestions for playing Dungeons and Dragons: The Claytonia Ed. 



Everyone awakens at the same time.  The thunderous crack of a falling tree would nearly wake the dead.  No one can move as they find themselves bound by their ankles and wrists.   Everyone looks around, and although the dim light from a single oil lantern hanging from the ceiling is weak, its enough to survey the situation. 

There are three of them tied and lying on the floor.  Of the two men, one is far larger.   He looks to be nearly seven feet tall, and bound, not by rope, but by chains that scrape against his sun-beaten skin.   His turkey sized head is covered with a curly puff of brown hair that leads into heavy sideburns nearly down to his massive chin.  He's wearing simple farmer's garments; a light gray cotton shirt that is dirtied by soil and sweat from toiling in fields and dark blue heavy cloth pants.   They don't add much protection, but are perfect for working in the country.

The other man is of average height, but looks to be fit.  His dark hair is nearly shoulder length, but neatly tied back so as not to impair vision.   He lacks any facial hair on his long and narrow face.  His drab is definitely that of a hunter.   He's wearing padded armor tinted green to blend in with foliage with an empty quiver that would most likely hold a dozen arrows, and a leather belt with ample space for pouches that a hunter might need.   

The lone woman in the restrained group has short dark hair, nearly entirely brown, but with red steaks flowing through it.  Her fair skin juxtaposes against the dark leather armor she wore.  Only her face and hands can be seen under her gear, revealing pale skin and the features of someone her mid twenties.  The could definitely be called pretty if not for the frustrated expression of someone held against their will.   

The room itself isn't very large; perhaps ten feet by ten feet.  There is a single door, but no windows, and two lidded barrels standing in one of the corners.  The walls and floor are made of wood.  Remnants of old grain and seed scatters the floor, which means this room is likely some sort of storage space.   

Suddenly, the door swings open, revealing a tall woman with long dark hair hung past her tanned shoulders.  Her roughly hewn clothing was bound tightly at the elbows and knees, but otherwise flowed freely about her body in a riot of color.  She held a handmade staff made of driftwood with a small pink conch shell perched at its crown. 

"You need to leave here immediately", she exclaims, sounding out of breath.  "You are in danger!"

[furryoldlobster]

"Leave?", questioned Felicity, ferociously twisting and turning in a vain attempt to escape her bindings.  "Not unless you have a key on you.   The big guy over there?   That chain is padlocked to him". 

A quick glace at Leneord shows the large chain wrapped around his feet and ankles with a single length connecting the two behind his back.   Indeed, the padlock must be removed in order to free Leneord. 

"Do you have a blade?" Felicity asks the girl in the doorway (Dahlia).   



<sub>It may take a few turns to get into the swing of the game, but thats ok.   Generally, out of battle, and during regular conversation with NPCs, or one another, anybody can speak at any time.  Although an NPC has prompted Kindre, anybody may jump in with something.   Its best to preview post several times, because once you've posted (with few exceptions), there is no editing allowed (the's a warning on the post saying the die/dice roll was tampered if any part of the post was edited). 

Look at old posts.   They give critical info for continuity and story building.  Be sure to add detail.  If you swing a sword, add how you swing the sword (ex.  she swung her blade underhand, forcing it upwards towards her opponent's jaw).  Little things like that add to the game, and you'll find everyone building off one another.

Additionally, as well being the GM, I will control Felicity as an NPC until we get another player.</sub>   

[Zito]

Name: Rovin               Bonuses:           Str:+1     Con: +1
Health Points: 13/13                                          Dex: +2     Int: 0
Strain Points: 9/9                                                                 Wis: 0    Cha: +2
Armour Class: 13                                           Luk: 8


   "Someone must have a blade of some sort, speak up now, we need to hurry it would seem." Rovin said, in a slightly bored tone, seemingly unaware of the urgency of being trapped in a cell against his will. Meanwhile, he tries to get out of his bindings and looks around for anything he might be able to use.

Spot Check
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 19, total 19[/blockquote]

Escape attempt
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 10, total 10[/blockquote]


Alright, so I'm obviously a bit rusty. If I can only choose one of those actions (as I'm not sure if that would count as two whole actions at once), I'd rather do that spot check please :3.

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


Glaring at the apathetic Elf briefly, before realising the imminent danger; Dahlia quickly pulls a short knife out of her rear belt-line.
"Here, I have this. It won't help with those chains though.."

Noticing Rovin's escape attempts, she moves to assist with her blade, attempting to work at the bindings keeping him in place

[blockquote]Rolled 1d4 : 4, total 4[/blockquote]


Do I have to wait for actions to be processed before posting?
Not sure if I was allowed to post this quickly after Zito

[furryoldlobster]

Rovin looks about the room more intently than before.  He spots a small hole in the wall opposite the door.  Some clever rodent must have created it, and stolen its share in grain.  The barrels, although old, look sturdy and could probably be moved if they aren't very full.     

He scans the room further ending at the woman in the doorway.   Although it was difficult to be sure before, the half-elf has a much better look at her.   She's younger than he first thought; maybe twenty years old.  In her hands, she holds a few supplies; mostly gauze and ointments.   He can deduce she is a healer of some sort.  Then he spots it!   A small blade mixed in with the supplies.  Its probably meant to cut the gauze, or maybe even perform simple surgeries.

Before Rovin even suggests, Dahlia is already attempting to cut through the rough hemp rope that scrapes against the ranger's skin.   

She drops the knife.

Her hands fumble on the ground she picks it up and starts slicing again, and eventually cuts through the last strand.   Unfortunately in her haste and Rovin's constant wriggling for freedom, Dahlia cuts too far and punctures the ranger's wrist, though its nothing more than a small fleshwound and was more surprising than it was painful.  After some more work, she releases Rovin from the rest of his bindings.


_{Its totally fine to post that early during non battles encounters unless otherwise specified.  I'll always preview posts which warns me if there was another post.   I'll simply improvise (which is totally part of the fun)}

[Zito]

Rovin yawns loudly and stretches his slender limbs as he gets up. "Thank you, I appreciate you releasing me. Although you didn't need to cut me," he says. Then, turning to the frantic woman in the doorway, "So, why are we in danger again?" after saying which he walks over to the barrels and checks them out.

Spot Check
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 6, total 6[/blockquote]

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


"Oh, sorry", The cleric blurted hurriedly. "You were rescued from your ship after it hit the shore earlier! A couple of the hunters from my tribe brought you here, but they had restrain you all for safety. I think they're coming back to kill you right now! I'll explain more later!"

Frantically, Dahlia moves to free the next prisoner with her knife.
Noticing Rovin eyeing the barrels in the corner, she quickly mentions: Those barrels are just full of grain. Try that wall over there", pointing to the far wall shrouded in shadows. "We usually hang our tools over there"

Returning to the material binding the female captive, she attempts to cut through them with her blade

[blockquote]Rolled 1d4 : 4, total 4[/blockquote]

[Yellow Goat]

Leonord attempts to sit up to greet his fellow captives, but is hampered by the chains binding his ankles and wrists. Leonord yells, panicked:"What's holding me back? Get it off me!" Leonord stretches his arms apart with as much strength as he can muster to try and break his bindings. "Groooooar!"

Chain breaking attempt
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 4, total 4[/blockquote]

[furryoldlobster]

Chain Break
Unsuccessful

Leneord grunts with all his might and tried to pull his arms around his body, but without success.  He remains lying on the floor on his side. 

Rovin moves to the barrels.   They are standard sized oak storage barrels three and a half feet tall (exactly three and half feet.  Rovin has an eye for measuring distance) and can be used to age fine beverages, or store various dry goods.   Fully stocked with flour, something like this would weigh at least 150 pounds, but Rovin was never great at judging weight so it could be more.  The circular lids also made of dried oak, are just loosely applied and there is no locking mechanism to stop any pilfering.  The ranger does note a thin layer of dust on the lids indicating this room hasn't been used much lately.

Rovin then looks to the wall where the stranger said there might be tools.   He finds a short, flat length of metal; one foot in length.   It may have been used to open storage containers, but could perhaps make decent impromptu weapon. 

Dahlia works right away on the other set of ropes.   The cleric begins rope wrapped around the captive's wrists.   She has little trouble and quickly cuts through.  Unfortunately, the blade breaks while slicing the other ropes!   

"BLARG", yells the half freed leather clad vixen.  "This is less helpful than you might think".   Felicity struggles to her feet.   She, literally, hops to Dahlia, grabs her by the collar of her colorful attire.   "Now who is after us?"

Suddenly, the door swings inward again so violently that it falls off its hinges.  Two men stand in the doorway just outside the storage room.   They're wearing bright golden chain mail that seems to reflect the early sunlight in all directions.  They didn't wear any sort of shirt underneath the torso of glimmering protection, but did have thick layer of red cloth from the waist to the knees to add some defense as well as a level of concealment.  They each wear a monstrous mask with large menacing eyes meant to stare down any opponents.   There is a bird's beak in place of where a normal human mouth might be.   Feathers sprout from the top of the mask to cover any distinguishing features.  They each hold golden sabers in their hands.

In her haste, Dahlia didn't recognize the men before.   These are the royal guards of her father.

"Your father needs to speak with you",  one speaks, slightly muted because of the mask focusing on Dahlia.  "It concerns them too", turning to Felicity, Rovin, the and chained giant.     

"Oh", Felicity says as she gently unhands Dahlia, nonchalantly brushes off the cleric's shoulder's, and gives the sort of innocent smile a child might give a parent after breaking something expensive. 


_{great work everyone so far.   I'm sure someone will roll higher than a 4 besides Zeets.  And in case anyone is wondering I rolled a luck check to see if the knife would break, and unfortunately it was a particularly bad roll for Tslat the second time around}

[Zito]

"So you're with the ones that brought us here? Why are we here? Tell me!" Rovin says, steadily gaining volume in his voice as he continues to speak. Rovin attempts to hide his new "weapon" in his belt at the small of his back as he angrily fumes waiting for an answer.

Sneaky Sneaky
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 13, total 13[/blockquote]

[furryoldlobster]

Sneaky sneaky:
successful

Perhaps it was the terrifying masks blocking the guards' vision.  Or maybe Rovin really IS that good.   Either way he is able to sneak the weapon behind him, and slide it into his belt.   The bar is hidden for the time being.   

"Her father will explain", one of the guards speak.  The guards do their best to lift Leneord off the ground.  It takes a few tries, but they are able to upright the giant man, but lack the tools to free him from the chains.  He can walk, albeit slowly and impaired.  The guards' attention shifts to Felicity, who they see can move her arms at ease but can only maneuver through a series of hops, jumps, and very short leaps.  Without warning, one of the guards swings his blade overhand like he's about to split a log of wood towards the binding.  He perfectly lands the strike, freeing Felicity from her confines.  "Now as quick as you can.  Follow us.  Your questions will soon be answered"

The guards walk outside, and await the group.



_{Players are definitely encouraged to discuss options together, either through in game-conversation, PM, or on discussion boards}

[Zito]

Name: Rovin               Bonuses:           Str:+1     Con: +1
Health Points: 13/13                                          Dex: +2     Int: 0
Strain Points: 9/9                                                                 Wis: 0    Cha: +2
Armour Class: 13                                           Luk: 8


   Rovin sees no reason to try and fight someone with such accuracy in his current nearly-unarmed state, so he follows.

[Yellow Goat]

Name:Leneord               Bonuses:           Str: +3     Con: +2
Health Points: 27/27                                           Dex: 0     Int: -2                                                            Wis: -1    Cha: 0
Armour Class: 9                                           Luk: 1


"Thank you, shiny chicken men." Leonord says. He follows the guards out of the shack at a hobbling pace. "Are we going to have breakfast soon?" he inquires. The thought of a hearty meal pushes any worries about his current circumstances aside.

[furryoldlobster]

Felicity doesn't have to study the current situation very long before deciding that these me aren't the enemy and goes along with them as well. 

"I'm Felicity", she starts without any prompting.  She continues speaking as she exits the storage space  "And I'm going to kill the man in the purple jacket".   

Straight to the point.   That's the rogue's style. 

Felicity, now outside the confined area, looks around.   Its dirty, but not city dirty to which she's been acclimated.  There are a dozen small, but sturdy wooden buildings to the left and right of the storage area.   The dusty road is mixture of gravel and sand, patted down by years of pedestrian use.  Every building has a protective roof made of mud, clay, and some sort of tropical leaf that Felicity did not recognize.   She smells the pungent aroma of salt water and fish in the air. Most structures are quite open.   Windows lack any sort of shutters, but instead have many lengths of beaded strings that flow with the wind and click as they brush against each other.   

She looks ahead the very end of the simple road and spots a much larger building with smoke billowing from the roof.  A wooden palisade blocks any most of the view, but from the angle, Felicity sees a dome roof built using the materials at the rest of the village.

The group follows the two guards through the palisade.  Dahlia knows exactly where they are.   The village elders and her father meet here in times of crisis.  The building that they stood in front was not a towering castle or fort.  It was long, with its roof standing just a story above the ground, and its walls made of bark and hides.  It had a warmth that stone and mortar lack.  The guards open a heavy wooden door, intricately carved out of a single piece of lumber.   After they usher the group inside the two guards walk back out, closing the door behind them.

A fire pit in the center of the room grasps the attention of everyone.  Several figures, blurred by smoke and unbalanced light, sits just past the flames.  "Hello, Dahlia", rumbles a deep and throaty voice. "It is good to see you".   The cleric recognizes the voice immediately.  It is her father, and ruler of this village. "And you three.", referring to Felicity, Rovin and Leneord.   "It seems you must have a story for me.  Please", the man paused and calmly finished.  "Tell me how you got here". 



_{I gave everyone personal stories.   Use these stories how you see fit.   Anything not explicitly stated is up to your imagination.}

[Yellow Goat]

Name:Leneord               Bonuses:           Str: +3     Con: +2
Health Points: 27/27                                           Dex: 0     Int: -2                                                            Wis: -1    Cha: 0
Armour Class: 9                                           Luk: 1


"Well, I was in my bed, sleeping and dreaming nice dreams, like  catching frogs and riding horses" Leonord grinned. Only in his fantasies could he play such games without risking accidentally crushing or injuring the poor creatures. "But then there was yelling. The animals were scared away and I started waking up. Then..." Leonord trailed off. Remembering silly dreams came easily to him, but events in his waking life took more effort to recall. "Then it got quiet. I went outside to see what'd happened. There was a crowd of people; they mostly looked dirty and tired. One guy was different, he was tall, and he was wearing a pretty purple coat." Leonord was scraping his mind for every last detail, his face contorted into one of heavy concentration. He felt like his head may catch fire if he thought any harder. "I couldn't tell what was going on, so I got closer to ask him what happened." He blanked out for a moment, then resumed: "Then he said for everyone to sleep." Leonord had no memory of anything beyond that point, and so with a smile, concluded his story. "The End"

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


"Who's this purple-robed character that keeps coming up?" Dahlia thought to herself.
She briefly considered explaining what she saw to her father, but knew better of speaking out of turn in the main hall.
Instead she resigned to shuffling awkwardly in her spot, while looking down at the broken pieces of blade which once formed a handy knife.
"I guess I'm going to have to replace this at some point then"

[Zito]

Name: Rovin               Bonuses:           Str:+1     Con: +1
Health Points: 13/13                                          Dex: +2     Int: 0
Strain Points: 9/9                                                                 Wis: 0    Cha: +2
Armour Class: 13                                           Luk: 8


   Seeing no harm in telling what was already revealed, Rovin cut off the beginning of his story and told it his way. "All I know is that I was walking towards a small village, and saw a large group of men who did not look friendly at all. Included was this purple robed man. He spoke the word 'sleep' and I woke up in that storage room."

[furryoldlobster]

Felicity did not hesitate in telling her story...

It was 15 years ago.   He looked younger then, but he still wore that coat. 

It started with a simple knock on  the door.  He literally invited himself in.  "Hello", the man greeted.  "Invite me in for dinner".     

Mother complied.

Father cooked bacon that evening.   A meal fit for kings.   "I want all of your bacon", the purple clad man calmly declared. 

Father complied.

The man in the purple jacket ate it all.  When he finished his meal, the man told me to find a closet, go inside, and stay there. 

I complied. 

I closed the door behind me.   It was the last time I saw my parents alive.  It was hours before I could leave the closet.  There was no one to take care of me, so I did it myself.  Whatever it took.   I traveled around, taking jobs, hunting the down the man in the purple coat.

A few nights ago, I heard of a man so influential, he could make anyone give up their bacon.  It had to be him.  I went to a certain pub where I knew I could find information. "Work?", questioned the barkeep.  "Yeah I might have heard of something".  He spoke of a crew at the docks, led by a scrawny, tall man wearing an attire not fit for the sea.  "They say he wears some kinda ridiculous long purple jacket".

It had to be him.

I found them within hours.  I immediately saw him calmly giving his crew orders.  I wasted no time. There were many dark corners in which to hide.   One of his crew got too close.   There wasn't even a scream before my blade took him down.  The crewman wore a heavy jacket with a hood for added protection against ocean hazards.   I put it on.  It doesn't have to fool them long.  Just long enough, I thought. 

This would be simple.  I would just pass him and stab him i the gut.       

With my eyes fixated in front of me, I walked towards him.   

I was so close!

With a stiletto in my hand, I reared my arm back, ready to strike.

"Stop"  He saw me.  I couldn't move.  "Who are you?  Why are you here?", he questioned.

Without hesitation, I told him my story.  I told him my plan.

"Put her below", he spoke to one of his crew.  He then spoke to me.  "Sleep".

I was so close.

"Then I woke in your supply room and harassed by your ridiculous birdmen", Felicity ended.



_{Thanks for you patience.  I'll add Dahlia's father's response next, but feel free to discuss this information between yourselves.} 

[furryoldlobster]

The leaders voice rumbles again.  "You know Dalhlia", he begins.  "I didn't always want to rule this village.   I dreamt of being an adventurer, and of leaving this island for wealth and fame.   A boy's dreams really, but when I was a little younger than you, I set out for the main land.  You see, the waters surrounding us do not obey rules of mother nature.   Other forces seem to command them.   They allowed me safe passage.  I traveled for five years.  I found riches beyond anything in the village had ever seen, but eventually, every adventurer begins to feel it.   I was ready to be home.  I made sail for the island, but the waters did not allow it.   A storm appeared out of nothing.   Waves crashed against the hull.   The ship overturned.   I swam for days, abandoning pieces of treasure as I waded towards what I believed was my home.  It was when I finally released the last coin of gold did sea send me home". 

Dahlia's father realizes he may be straying off course.  "A dozen men came to the village today and demanded information.  They told me they shipwrecked nearby and had lost valuable cargo.   I said nothing but they said they would return tomorrow evening with torches. The village will burn if I fail to give them anything."

A the door opens behind the group, and the same two guards haul in a large chest, with one holding each end.  "These are various weapons that find their way to our shores from time to time"  One of the bird mask wearing men opens the chest.  Inside are a handful of different weapons that the same man distributes to the group.  Rovin receives a shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows, and a dagger.  Felicity receives a set of shuriken and stiletto.         

"The sea sent you here for a reason", he speaks "I will not question it".  He motions to one of the guards who takes a single handed war axe out of the chest.  He swings at Leneord and in one sweep of the blade, frees the fighter from his chains.  The guard then hands the weapon to Leneord.
                       
"We can prepare, but aside from my two guards, there isn't a proper fighter among us.   We desperately need your help.   Please stop these scoundrels who threaten us".  He turns to his daughter "I want you to go with our guests.  You've yet to explore what our island has to offer past our village.  I suggest you start with the beaches north of our village.  I've gathered supplies for you already".  The guards distribute packs to the group.  Each one contains rations for two days, flint and steel, and a waterskin filled with water.   

The guards usher the group out before they can get a word in with Dahlia's father.  They are escorted to the main gate leading to a simple dirt path.  They are told it leads to a small jungle.  The group can find the northern beaches just through the jungle.  The guards turn around, make a quick turn, and disappear in the village leaving Dahlia, Rovin, Leneord, and Felicity at the village entrance to decide on their next action. 


_{I will edit your character sheets to show new gear and weapon stats}

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


Dahlia stood firmly in place, staring off into the distance where the guards were once walking off.
Unable to comprehend her feelings, she looks back down at her broken pieces of what was once a useful blade and realises she has very little to defend herself with.
"Great." she muttered under her breath.
Those feelings passed quickly though; it was a situation she knew all too well.
Her father had never been keen to let her get too close to any potential danger, keep her restricted to medical training and learning healing magic.

She pondered how much danger they could be getting into before quickly realising that this would be one of the only times she has been much further than the village its nearest shoreline.
Slowly, her face lit up with hope and excitement as she daydreamed about the adventure to come!

[Yellow Goat]

Name:Leneord               Bonuses:           Str: +3     Con: +2
Health Points: 27/27                                           Dex: 0     Int: -2                                                            Wis: -1    Cha: 0
Armour Class: 9                                           Luk: 1


Leonord sees the Cleric still holding the pieces of her broken knife. "Don't worry, Dolly, was it?" Leonord smiles at Dahlia "I'll share mine with you."
Ecstatic to have the use of his arms back, Leonord tightly grips the head of his war axe with his left hand and the handle with his right.
He raises the weapon high above his head. "Grr-GRAAAAGH!" Leonord exerts awesome strength to pull the two pieces of his weapon apart.

Senseless Weapon Destruction Attempt
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 20, total 20[/blockquote]

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


Dahlia jumps back as she hears a loud shout, before spinning around to see the giant smash his new axe down onto a rock, splitting the handle right down the center.

Staring in bewilderment as Leneord gestures to her the rear end of his handle with a satisfied grin, she cautiously receives it from his grasp before replying "Thank you so much!"

She slips her two blade pieces into her clothing quickly before firmly grasping the splintered wooden pole with both hands, taking a better look.
It must have been made out of a strong wood; even the splinters were extremely rigid and sharp. It would make a very useful pointy stick when the time came.

She quickly spun around to stifle her laughter over the event, before suddenly realising just how much strength he must have exerted to break such strong wood in two.
She would be sure to stay on his good side from this point on.


Wrote this assuming that a 20 roll means 100%?
I can remove this if I'm incorrect

[furryoldlobster]

Felicity watches as the giant fighter musters a great deal of strength, and manages to perfectly split his axe.   He couldn't do that again, she thought to herself.  Was she impressed?  Sure.   Jealous?  Maybe a little.

Most of all the rogue found the situation slightly humorous.   These two put so much effort into breaking a perfectly useful weapon into two when...Dahlia...was that her name?...they never properly introduced themselves.  Regardless, they put so much effort into this particular venture that maybe she forgot the conch topped staff the cleric kept with her which would make for a very decent bludgeoning weapon.   It was no matter.   Whats done is done.     

Felicity senses an opportunity and speaks. "so....I'm Felicity", she starts.  "I mentioned that part before.  I take it you are Dahlia", motioning to the cleric.  "I got that much from 'Daddy'", she says mockingly.  She faces the other two members of the party "Do you have particular names, or can I call you whatever I'd like?  Oh yeah...and how do we beat someone who can literally make us jump off a bridge?"   



_{Whenever a player rolls, definitely wait for the GM response.   In this case it isn't as important because the roll was a 20 (and it'd have to be in this case).  I didn't want to make a big deal because I want to keep moving the story forward as well as continue to fine-tune the game.}

[Yellow Goat]

Name:Leneord               Bonuses:           Str: +3     Con: +2
Health Points: 27/27                                           Dex: 0     Int: -2                                                            Wis: -1    Cha: 0
Armour Class: 9                                           Luk: 1


Leonord greets the rogue "Hi Felisf-, Ferisi-- um" Getting to know new names can be hard for Leonord, and four syllables was a particularly tall order.

"Hi Feisty. I'm Leonord. I hope we'll be good friends." Leonord smiles.

Nailed it.

[Zito]

   Name: Rovin               Bonuses:           Str:+1     Con: +1
Health Points: 13/13                                          Dex: +2     Int: 0
Strain Points: 9/9                                                                 Wis: 0    Cha: +2
Armour Class: 13                                           Luk: 8


After checking out his new weapons and walking off a few steps, Rovin turns quickly at the sharp cracking sound. The "Giant" had just broken a perfectly good weapon. How unfortunate. Seeing no reason to even mention it, Rovin answers the Rogue's question. "I'm Rovin." He was always a man of few words. "In my opinion, all we'd have to do is take him out from afar."

[furryoldlobster]

From afar...

But how far would we have to be...

Feisty, as the giant called her, has almost a half dozen shuriken, but she no expert.   She is confident if the target is within 20 feet, but any farther out and her accuracy will greatly diminish.   How good does this ranger think he is...?



The group begins their journey along the simple path.   Dahlia has heard stories from villagers who traveled this land.  They would return, often nursing injuries, and would call upon the elders for aid.  Dahlia and the elders treated their wounds and listened to their tales.  By far the most terrifying injury was from no blade.   The wound had a single impact point the size of the head of a nail. The skin around the wound swelled to an incredible degree before turning purple and began to rot.   The elders told her it is from a flying insect called a Mirignat, indigenous to jungles on the island.  They can be as large as a housecat.  Their sting, left untreated leads to hallucination, paralyses, and eventually, death.  They build large honeycomb hives within tunnels.   Mirignat honey is rumored to be one of the sweetest substances in the world and have incredible healing properties.  She saw the elders treat this wound.   Its quite simple.   There is a yellow flower that litters the island.  Crush it and add it to the area after adding a layer of common medical ointment.  Cover the wound with gauze dipped in seawater.  Or was it dip the flower in salt water and then add ointment and bandage?  She couldn't remember he order, but definitely recalls the correct materials.   

After a few hours traveling, they come across an open field 50 feet across.  The area is then surrounded by waist high dry, golden grass.  They spot an unlit firepit in the center of the area.  They still have 10 hours of good sunlight left in the day.

Does the group wish to stop for rest?

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


They'd only been travelling for a few hours, but Dahlia knew better than to push into the forest unprepared.
"Let's take a break guys" Dahlia called out to Rovin and Felicity, who had taken the lead.
"Just for an hour or so, I need to tell you something before we go further into the forest."

Both Rovin and Felicity seemed like the type to continue pushing relentlessly, abandoning care. But Dahlia hoped that even if they didn't want to stop, her new-found friend Leneord would be willing to take a break.
Perhaps she could even use the time to try and practise some with the handle of a war-axe the giant had given her. Fighting with a pole-arm was unfamiliar to her, since with the very limited combat training she was given was focused mostly on small blades and daggers.

At any rate, Dahlia needed time to explain the Mirignat to the group. Travelling unprepared into the forest could easily be their downfall -- she'd seen the injuries that unwieldy travellers had returned to the village with.

[Yellow Goat]

Name:Leneord               Bonuses:           Str: +3     Con: +2
Health Points: 27/27                                           Dex: 0     Int: -2                                                            Wis: -1    Cha: 0
Armour Class: 9                                           Luk: 1


"Break time means breakfast!" Leonord was unsure of how much time had passed since he'd been gone from his home on the farm, but he felt like he hadn't eaten for days. His impressive physique wouldn't be of any help if he didn't have the energy to keep moving, and the trek from the village was starting to wear him down.

Leonord called to the two in the front of the party. "Come on, Feisty and Rover. Let's stop and eat!" He was already digging through his pack for his rations. After locating the bundle of food the villagers had graciously prepared for him, he plopped himself down onto the golden grass, causing a softened yet audible thud, and began to chow down. The taste was unfamiliar, but not unpleasant. Leonord was never one to turn down a free meal anyways, he was by no means a picky eater.

His mind began to wander to his own mother's delicious home cooked meals. He remembered the peaceful evenings at home.
His brothers and sisters all crowded around the supper table, good cheer and happy faces abound. After everyone had their fill of casserole, baked duck, or any other of the many heavenly dishes mom had lovingly prepared, they'd sit back and enjoy the rich scent of a fresh baked pie wafting into the dining room from the kitchen, invigorating their appetite once more.

These thoughts gave Leonord an unfamiliar feeling of homesickness. He hoped everyone was doing alright at the farm.
Leonord tried to push this unpleasant anxiety out of his mind for now, worrying wouldn't solve anything.
Instead, he continued to wolf down his rations and waited to hear what Dahlia had to say.

[furryoldlobster]

Felicity concurs with Dahlia and rests with the group.   This is as good a time as any she supposes and brings up something on her mind. "Ranger, how good are you with a bow?", she asks with rummaging her bag for a ration.  "How many shots can you get off before your target decides he doesn't want to be struck by an arrow?"  The rogue devises a simple test.  If the ranger can fatally strike a target from outside any audible range, Rovin's plan might just work.   Felicity believes her pack filled with brush and leaves would make a decent target, but the height is wrong.  She performs a spot check of the area to see if there's anything usable to increase the pack's height.   

Spot Check:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 2, total 2[/blockquote]

[furryoldlobster]

Felicity does't see much besides a few charred logs in the firepit.   Those will have to do as she places one vertically roughtly 30 feet away from the group and drops the pack on top.   The size is still all wrong, and its still within shouting distance, but it will have to do.   

"Do your best, Rover", Felicity challenges the ranger.   


_{Spot checks are a special type of action.   Instead of complete fail/success, the player will find varying degrees of success depending on how high he/she rolls.   Felicity rolled very low, so she only noticed things right in front of her.} 

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


While the other two are organising Rovin's archery challenge, Dahlia takes the time to sit down with Leneord and talk.
With a slight reserve, she quietly sits down in the grass next to him.
Sitting next to his large frame makes her feel very small, almost dauntingly so. But his overly positive demeanour and seemingly free spirit instills a sense of trust.

She looks up at the giant, who seems to be completely unaware of her presence. He continues staring off into the distance with a grin while happily chomping on whatever food he can find in his pack.
"So.." she begins, awkwardly. "How do you know those two?"
She meekly points to the rogue and ranger 10m from where they were sitting.

[Yellow Goat]

Name:Leneord               Bonuses:           Str: +3     Con: +2
Health Points: 27/27                                           Dex: 0     Int: -2                                                            Wis: -1    Cha: 0
Armour Class: 9                                           Luk: 1


Leneord follows where she's pointing and looks a bit confused, oblivious to the crumbs stuck in his sideburns. He returns his remaining one day's worth of rations back to his pack. He rests his hands on his knees and looks down at Dahlia. "I woke up in chains with you all this morning. That means we're friends, right?" Leonord turns his gaze back to the other two of their group. "They seem nice." He feels at ease around his new friends.

[Zito]

Name: Rovin               Bonuses:           Str:+1     Con: +1
Health Points: 13/13                                          Dex: +2     Int: 0
Strain Points: 9/9                                                                 Wis: 0    Cha: +2
Armour Class: 13                                           Luk: 8


   "Rovin. My name is Rovin." Seeing no harm in showing the girl that he is as good as he knows he is, Rovin takes the challenge.

Twang goes the dynamite?
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 16, total 16[/blockquote]

[furryoldlobster]

Twang goes the dynamite:
Success!
7 damage inflicted on stump-pack

Rovin releases the bowstring, sending an arrow in the air and hitting charred stump just below the pack.   It is indeed a hit, but a death blow it is not.   "Just a little outside, Elf-boy", jokes Felicity, who is honestly impressed, but does her best to hide her true impression.  "I've been up close to this monster.   Unless we can find a way to make the strike fatal, ranged attacks will not be enough".   Felicity looks to the fighter and cleric.  " Lenny!  Dolly!  Any ideas?"


_{....formatting is so tough on a phone...}

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


Dahlia furrows her brow in concentration, trying to come up with anything that may help if the time comes.
She stood up and casually began walking towards where she left her pack earlier, and replied:
"I don't know guys, I've never even heard of this purple-cloak guy you seem to have run across. Judging from your stories though, every time something happens, he tells you what to do and you follow his commands, right?
Well what if you just block your ears so you can't hear him?"

She could tell by the looks she received back from the two fighters that they clearly weren't impressed by her suggestion.
"That's all I have, sorry"

She reached her pack, knelt down and began rummaging through it, trying to take their focus off her.

"Damn. He's definitely friendly, but with chewing sounds that loud, I couldn't even hear myself think" she thought to herself.

[furryoldlobster]

Felicity sure wasn't happy.  Block their ears so they couldn't even hear the man in purple.  Why didn't I think of that, Felicity internally stewed.

"Thats a good plan", she spoke with strained enthusiasm.   It reminded her of a story she head from a couple of sailors who were desperately attempting to impress her.  She told the group what the men told her...

Apparently off the coast and somewhere to the east, there are women of the sea called sirens.   Their song could entrance the entire crew of a ship.  Lost in a trance, they ran adrift and quickly shipwrecked.  To counter this, they stuffed their ears full of wax; candle wax, beeswax; anything to block their hypnotic tones.  She didn't believe their story of sea ladies, but the general idea still remained feasible. 

"Any idea where we could track down wax?", questions the rogue.         

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


"Oh no. No..no no no. No we're not doing that" Dahlia thought to herself.
"Sigh.. They're going to find out one way or another anyway"

"Uh.. I might.", her voice shaky and uncertain. "It's actually the reason I wanted to take a break. I need to warn you about the Mirignats"

She waited until everyone had come closer to listen before continuing:
"In these forests, there is a species of insect called 'Mirignats'. They are very large, some as large as a small dog or cat, but much less friendly.
They're bright orange, and their skin covered in chitin tougher harder than steel.
People come back to the village all the time with stings from them, and only a few of our healers know how to remove the venom.
If you don't remove it, your skin inflames to such a degree that you cannot walk, and you begin to rot from the inside."
She paused, noticing uncomfortable twitches from Felicity and Leneord.

"They build giant hives in tunnels they forge from the surface, which are always filled with their miracle honey and Mirigwax. The village always tries to keep a stock of their honey because of its incredible healing properties, but since we can only retrieve it from abandoned hives, we never have much.."

This information began to spread a sly smile across Felicity's face
"But they're way too dangerous!" Dahlia interjected. "We would all die trying to get anything from them"

She looked at the others, knowing that this information was probably providing too much of a temptation for them to refuse, but she hoped for everyone's sake that they'd listen.



My posts aren't too long are they?

[Zito]

Name: Rovin               Bonuses:           Str:+1     Con: +1
Health Points: 13/13                                          Dex: +2     Int: 0
Strain Points: 9/9                                                                 Wis: 0    Cha: +2
Armour Class: 13                                           Luk: 8



   "I don't really think we have a choice in the matter, unless someone has a better plan?" Rovin interjects. He doesn't fancy the idea of rotting from the inside out, but this purple robed man has to be stopped.

[Yellow Goat]

Name:Leneord               Bonuses:           Str: +3     Con: +2
Health Points: 27/27                                           Dex: 0     Int: -2                                                            Wis: -1    Cha: 0
Armour Class: 9                                           Luk: 1


Leonord spoke up: "On the farm, if a cow doesn't want to give us any milk, we gently scratch her all over to calm her down" In truth, milking duty was reserved for his siblings who were far more adept at not smothering animals than him. "If we pet them nice, maybe the bees will give us honey. Dolly said they were made of steel, so I don't have to be too careful." The thought of a small creature Leonord didn't have to hold back his affection for was making him giddy. He was liking this idea quite a lot. Maybe if it worked, the others would let him take home a Mirignat as a pet.

[furryoldlobster]

"Then its settled", Felicity says plucking the arrow out of the stump.   She hands it back to Rovin and slings the pack on her back.   "Off to milk these organ melting beasts?"

The rogue awaits on the road for her companions.   



_{No, Tslat.  The game is better with your detailed posts.  Keep it up!}

[furryoldlobster]

The group heads out towards their destination.   

After a few hours of travel, the open plains begin to blend into forest.  The sea of brush is quickly overtaken by overreaching ferns and dense ceiling of deep green. 

Slivers of sunlight sneaks through the treetops to brighten an otherwise darkened landscape.   Sounds seem to echo out of nowhere, surrounding everyone.  Birds, insects, and reptiles create a symphony of natural noise.

Its not before long the group hears a deep buzz somewhere above them.  Helmet sized bight red flowers bloom from the trees overhead.   The leaves rustle near them.   Then, two orange beams poke out followed by the giant head of a mirignat.  It's got a shiny, tough orange exoskeleton   Its two jet black compound eyes take up nearly half its head, with mandible that are capable of cleaving to the bone.   The rest of the beast soon revealed itself.   The head connected at a small point to a middle section with wings and six legs to hold it up.   The last section was the most menacing as it ended with long stinger nearly half a meter in length.   It is dabbing its hind legs into the flowers, gathering pollen into huge chunks to bring back to its hive.   Rovin estimated it nearly a full meter in length from head to stinger.   
   
It hasn't spotted the group yet.

How does the group want to proceed?



I'm going to break character and be tutorial Lobster for a moment.   Players have several options here that don't involve combat.  Spot checks, listen checks, knowledge checks are all important.  They can give you valuable information about the environment.  Simply roll a d20 for any of those.  The DM will account for skill/class/attribute modifiers of the character. 

At the same time, there is nothing wrong with combat.

[zerokiriyu]

Her eyes falter from the insect, and scan the area. Searching for anything they might use to trap it.

Spot Check
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 3, total 3[/blockquote]

[furryoldlobster]

Felicity scans the scenery.   The same flower pattern that attracted the mirignat appears a few times above them, but she doesn't spot any more rustling around them.  The ground is uneven due to the sheer number of tree roots lining the jungle floor.   It makes any quick movements a potential tripping hazard.  The rogue doesn't spot anything else particular notable in the area.

The mirignat has not spotted the group yet.   

[Yellow Goat]

Name:Leneord               Bonuses:           Str: +3     Con: +2
Health Points: 27/27                                           Dex: 0     Int: -2                                                            Wis: -1    Cha: 0
Armour Class: 9                                           Luk: 1


Leneord is entranced by the luster of the mirignat's exoskeleton. He quietly observes as the large insect continues it's routine.

Spot Check
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 16, total 16[/blockquote]

[furryoldlobster]

Leneord watches the large insect with scrutiny.    It scurries above them and contues to dab its legs into flowers, collecting the pollen.

Then, the fighter spots several well blended in vines hanging from a nearby tree.  He points then out to the group.  There are several of them, ranging in length from under a meter to nearly three meters.   The ends are just out of reach for most humans, but Leneord can just reach bottom. 

The mirignat has not spotted the group yet.

[Zito]

Name: Rovin               Bonuses:           Str:+1     Con: +1
Health Points: 13/13                                          Dex: +2     Int: 0
Strain Points: 9/9                                                                 Wis: 0    Cha: +2
Armour Class: 13                                           Luk: 8


   Seeing what Leneord was pointing at, Rovin attempts to sneak around the beast to get some vines to tie it with.

Sneaky Sneakier (Oh please don't let it be a 1)
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 8, total 8[/blockquote]

[furryoldlobster]

Sneaky Sneakier (Oh please don't let it be a 1):
UNSUCCESSFUL

Immediately upon moving, the mirignat tilted its head in his direction.  Dahlia suddenly recalls the creatures are completely deaf, but can sense motion in any nearby direction.  The orange beast's wings begin to beat faster and faster.   It releases from the jungle ceiling to roll itself midair from its upside-down position, then swiftly darts, stinger first into Rovin.   The ranger narrowly avoids the strike. 

The mirignat hovers about half a meter above the ground, facing Rovin, not much more than three meters from the group. 

Battle Order

Rovin, Dahlia , Leneord, Felicity, Mirignat



Welcome to your first battle encounter.   Just above is the battle order, and the character in bold gets to attack next.  The order was not random.   Its a combination of me rolling a d20 for each individual character, and then adding the dexterity modifier.   Rovin had a 17, Dahlia a 13, Leneord 10, Felicity a 7, and the Mirignat rolled a 1.  The process is called rolling for initiative.

During the battle, only one player may attack at a time.  To attack, simply say how you are attacking (what weapon do you use, how do you swing it, etc.) and roll a d20.   I will calculate if you get a hit based on the mirignat's AC, which is 10, by the way.  If you roll a 10 (unique skills and modifiers included), you get a hit.  Then, I will calculate damage based on your weapon, unique skills, and attributes. 

There is a limit to the number of actions you can attempt.  Each player has 1.5 actions during a battle encounter round.  Any sort of environment check is half an action. Unsheathing your weapon is also half an action.  Any sort of attack or attempt new position on battlefield is one full action.

Some players have special attacks/actions from unique skills, such as Leneord and his move, cleave.  Just like attacking, write out that you're using cleave, and roll a d20.  I'll handle the rest.  Magic users cast spells the same way.  Write out the spell you are attempting, and roll a d20. 

I will update your headers on character sheets with current HP, SP, gear, etc, but you'd still have to add it to your post yourself.   

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me.   

[Zito]

Name: Rovin               Bonuses:           Str:+1     Con: +1
Health Points: 13/13                                          Dex: +2     Int: 0
Strain Points: 9/9                                                                 Wis: 0    Cha: +2
Armour Class: 13                                           Luk: 8


   Rovin quickly draws his bow and attempts to fire at the beast

Fire at Wi-Mirignat
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20 : 13, total 13[/blockquote]

[furryoldlobster]

Fire at Wi-Mirignat:
HIT!

8 damage inflicted on mirignat

In a single fluid motion, Rovin slings his bow into position, notches an arrow, and lets it fly towards the hovering orange beast.  It punctures the creature's abdomen, where its carapace meets its wings.  The arrow, with its end still sticking out of the wound, has impeded the mirignat's flying ability, limiting it to unbalanced and uneven fluttering.   


Battle Order

Rovin, Dahlia , Leneord, Felicity, Mirignat

[Tslat]

Name: Dahlia               Bonuses:           Str: 0     Con: +1
Health Points: 18/18                                          Dex: +1     Int: +2
Strain Points: 17/17                                                                 Wis: +1    Cha: +1
Armour Class: 11                                           Luk: 8


Impeded by a paralyzing fear of the insect, and the sudden realisation that her melee-only weaponry will prevent her from effectively harming the beast, Dahlia instead decides to focus on her healing magic in the event someone is hurt

She draws her Wooden Staff of Healing, and moves to a rear position behind some large shrubbery, preparing to cast

Dahlia moves to an overseeing position
This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d20 : 6, total 6


Um.. Do I need to roll to move somewhere?