Almaric's Tale

Almaric’s Tale - Big Bird (aftermath)

[/OOC You didn’t give me a d10 roll from last turn so I did one for you. You got a (2), which nets you the AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonus card (again) - succeed at any STR or CON check OR gain 5% Bonus XP.]

After cleaning his sword, Almaric takes some time to administer to his wounds. This leaves him feeling slightly better but still far from fully fighting-fit.

[/OOC Almaric uses First Aid on himself. He regains (1) HP]

Next, he turns his attention to the dead bird and the deer carcass. Almaric spends a short while searching for a nest for this strange bird but fails to find anything. Before moving on, he drags the bird into the clearing’s edge, but leaves the deer carcass where it lies.

He then proceeds through the clearing and continues west along the winding path.


The meandering path stops as it passes beneath two massive pine trees. A circle of giant pines enclose a small area dominated by a flat stone altar. The altar is supported by two short, stone columns. No writing or inscriptions are evident, although a thick layer of pine needles covers the altar and obscures its surface.

[/OOC: You have gained: AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonus card. You have lost/used: 1 bandage.
Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He also has MIGHT, LUCK and FINESSE bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Altar

Almaric approaches the altar with reverence and, with a gloved hand, carefully wipes the detritus from the altar’s weathered surface.

Sweeping away the pine needles, several carvings gradually take shape on the top of the altar. The figures of men battling strange and horrific beasts cover the entire stone. In one scene, a warrior is clearly depicted kneeling before a shrine whilst in the act of placing (or removing) a sword from atop a stone altar resembling this one.

[/OOC The images are fairly stylised so no specifics as to creature type or race can really be determined, just the overall theme of good vs. evil.]

Apart from the images, there are no other symbols or pieces of text that give him any clue as to who made, or for what purpose, the glade and altar were created.

[/OOC: Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Sword and the Altar

Kneeling in front of the altar, Almaric draws his sword and carefully places it on to the surface of the shrine whilst trying to mirror the imagery depicted in the carvings. At first, nothing appears to happen. It is only as he steps back and kneels before the stone blocks, bowing his head, is he aware of something occurring.

Even in the mid-morning light, Almaric detects a brightening around the glade. There is a faint humming sound that lasts only for a few seconds, growing ever louder until finally there is a loud, crackling static zap terminating in a ringing ‘sching’ - rather like the sound a blade makes as a whetstone passes over its tip…

Finally daring to raise his gaze from the glade floor, Almaric looks up and even from his current eye level view, it is obvious that something ‘magical’ or at the very least ‘supernatural’, has occurred. Gaining his feet, Almaric looks down at his sword. It is gleaming as if fresh from the hands of a master sword-maker. If it were not for the fact that the hand grip was the same worn leather that he recalled, Almaric would swear this was a different blade. Gone are the small dings, nicks and scratches that had previously identified it as being a serviceable but well-used sword. Even at a distance, Almaric can feel the diffusing heat radiating from the metal - as if the blackened sooty area surrounding it on the stone surface was not evidence enough that immense energy had been at play here. The steel is now a bright silver-blue that is losing its tinge as it cools.

The silence that descends on the glade is total, marred only by the sound of Almaric’s nervous breathing and the slow ticking of heated metal as it cools.

[/OOC: Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Bright Blade

Approaching the altar, Almaric reaches down and carefully picks up the sword, angling it so the sunlight plays back and forth along the length of the blade, marvelling at the exquisite perfection of the metal and the razor-sharpness of its edge. With fluid motions that are second nature to him, the young hero goes through a series of practice sword manoeuvres, testing the feel and balance of the sword, all the while using the swift passes through the air to help cool the metal. Ending on a final flourish, he notes the blade is now fully silvered, all traces of the blue tinting gone.

Offering up a silent prayer to the unknown God the shrine belongs to, Almaric issues a final sword-salute to the altar and, since the blade is now cool enough, puts the sword back in it’s scabbard.

So as to show no disrespect to the shrine, Almaric backs out of the glade through the twin pines and returns once more to the crossroads. From there he proceeds down the closest unexplored path - the southern trail.

The smell of smoke first alerts Almaric to potential danger ahead. A small cabin is outlined beyond the trees farther down the path. Smoke rises from a crooked stone chimney and he can hear raised voices, as if an argument is in full swing. Behind the cottage Almaric can see the forest stream that flows swiftly from east to west. On the opposite side of the stream the strange green fog obscures the forest beyond. The fog is extremely thick and forms a high wall that stretches east to west, just as it did where he found the second canoe. There is a horse tied to a hitching post outside the cabin. Almaric instantly recognises it as Osgar.

[/OOC: Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The cabin in the woods

A quick look at the cabin from his vantage point on the path reveals that there is a wooden door on the side facing the path and at least one window, on the right hand (or northern) wall.

Almaric quietly removes his backpack and hides it in the forest edge. Using the arguing voices to cover his approach and trying to avoid being seen from the side window, he slowly moves over to the cabin.

[/OOC The cabin’s occupants are distracted and not actively guarding so they only have a 10% chance of detecting Almaric’s approach. After rolling for each one individually, nothing seems to be amiss.]

Once at the cabin, Almaric attempts to ascertain how many people are present before deciding on his course of action.

The front door is slightly ajar. Listening for a while, he thinks he can hear three distinct voices, still engaged in a heated disagreement about whether or not they should ‘report back’ or just take their loot and head out. Someone says something about a ‘mad mage’ and how his plan is just about done, to which another implores them to ‘think of all that treasure’. Finally, a more commanding voice tells them to ‘quit flappin’ their gums and let him think, damn it’.

Without moving around the cabin, Almaric is unaware of any other exits or windows beyond what he can see from the front and right sides. The door has a simple lifting latch, but nothing else visible that could be used to secure it closed from the outside. A whinny from Osgar suggests that he might have caught scent of his owner.

[/OOC: Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Gang of Three

Sensing that he is outnumbered, Almaric knows he needs some sort of advantage. Slowly moving over to Osgar, trying to keep him calm, he untethers the horse and attempts to lead him back to the trail keeping his hand over Osgar’s mouth.

[/OOC Rolling for detection by those in the cabin. Nothing.]

Arriving back at the path, away from sight of the cabin, Almaric loops Osgar’s reins over a branch and attaches his pack to the saddle. He notes as he does so that it looks as though his poor mount has not been particularly well cared for - his saddle has been left on for a couple of days now.

Whispering comforting words to his restless steed, Almaric rummages through his pack. Getting out a torch and lighting it, he returns to the cabin door…

[/OOC Again, rolling for detection by those in the cabin. Once more, nothing.]

…and places the torch at the bottom before retreating to the edge of the path…

[/OOC Last chance for them to notice him… Nope. Oblivious. Grrrr… stoopid NPCs!]

…and readies his bow.

The burning torch begins to char the wood at the base of the door and smoke is drifting about.

[/OOC Increase the chance of detection to 25%. Rolling for each inhabitant - still too busy arguing! Huh?!?]

After a minute, the flames are visible to Almaric at the edge of the clearing and a moment of panic sets in as he recalls that if these are the bandits that robbed him, they still might have have his possessions in the cabin that he has just set fire to!

[/OOC There is now only a 25% chance for the occupants to FAIL to notice the smoke coming through the door…]

There is a momentary pause in the sounds coming from the cabin. This is quickly replaced by a series of yells and the door is yanked open. Through the billowing smoke, Almaric can make out the forms of three humanoids within the doorway.

Not wanting to give them too much time to react, Almaric prepares to shoot the first figure even though the smoke is partially obscuring his view.

[/OOC Rolling for surprise - normally since the bandits were unaware of Almaric and he had effectively avoided their detection, I would award surprise to Almaric. However the smoke has obviously alerted them to some form of danger but they are still unaware of who or what is about to happen, Almaric needs them to roll a 1 to 4 on a d6 to achieve surprise. They roll a (6) - and are Ready.]

The three figures emerge through the smoke-filled doorway and look about in angry confusion.

[/OOC Initiatives for Round 1: Almaric (9+1)=10, Bandit #1 (7), Bandit #2 (12) and Bandit #3 (12)]

One of the bandits spots the burning brand and attempts to kick it away and stamp out the flames. Another looks around the clearing and spots Almaric. He issues a cry and points at the young warrior. He then ducks back inside the cabin.

Almaric realises that he has lost the element of surprise but can now clearly see two targets. He elects to shoot at the bandit that is in the doorway since the once stamping on the torch seems distracted.

[/OOC Almaric shoots an arrow at Bandit #3, close range, no modifier. He needs a 9+. He rolls (14)-**(Bandit AC)=HIT
Arrow damage is (1)+DEX mod.(1)+Fighter mod.(1)=3 HP. KILLSHOT
Sadly, Bandit #2 is too far away from Bandit #3 to qualify for a CLEAVING bow-shot]

The bandit collapses to the ground with an arrow sticking out of his chest.

[/OOC Progressing to Round 2: Initiatives are, Almaric (17+1)=18, Bandit #1 (13) and Bandit #2 (1)]

With only one visible target, Almaric shoots at the stomping Bandit…

[/OOC Almaric fires at Bandit #2. He needs a 9+. He rolls, (8)-**(Bandit AC)=MISS]

Only to see his hasty snapshot fly wide.

The first bandit rushes out of the cabin again. He is dressed in chainmail unlike his leather-clad compatriots and is wielding a longsword and shield. He charges at Almaric, yelling angry curses at the bowman.

[/OOC Bandit #1 CHARGES at Almaric. This nets him a bonus to hit but will leave him with an armour penalty until he can act next round. Also, since he is using a sword, he cannot double his damage if he hits.
Bandit #1 rolls (3)+Charging mod.(2)-Almaric’s AC(5)=0. MISS]

Almaric rolls to one side as the sword slashes into the area he once occupied.

The bandit stops stomping and with a yelp, dashes back into the cabin.

[/OOC Round 3: Initiatives are, Almaric (8+1)=9, Bandit #1 (19) and Bandit #2 (2)]

The bandit attacking Almaric makes another sword swing…

[/OOC Bandit #1 attacks Almaric, he rolls (8)-Almaric’s AC(5)=3. MISS. He recovers from his charge, no AC penalty now.]

Once again, Almaric dodges away from the sword blow.

Dropping his bow, Almaric readies his shield and draws his longsword - which sings clear of its scabbard with a heroic ‘sching’. He quickly slashes out at his attacker.

[/OOC Almaric attacks Bandit #1. He needs an 8+. He rolls (14)-(Bandit AC)=HIT
Damage from sword is (2)+STR mod.(2)+Fighter mod.(1)+
=KILLSHOT
There is no other assailant within reach so he cannot make a CLEAVE attack.]

The fine blade parts the chain links of the bandit’s mail as if they were cloth, before slashing deeply through his ribs and ending his life. The body topples to the ground just as the last bandit emerges from the cabin, clutching a shield and short sword.

[/OOC Seeing his two companions fall to the young warrior causes the bandit to check his morale with a -2 penalty. He rolls (6)-2=4. FAIL - Fighting Withdrawal]

Licking his lips and furtively glancing around the clearing, at first it looks like the bandit may attempt to make a run for it. Then as he sees that the horse is no longer tied up next to the cabin, all fight seems to drain out of him and he drops his arms by his sides. “Awright mister, you win.”

[/OOC: Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Gang of Three (aftermath)

Almaric tells the remaining bandit, “Throw your weapons away and sit down on the ground or you’ll join your friends in the afterlife.”

At first the dejected bandit looks uncertain but seeing the steely look in the young warrior’s eyes, he complies and he drops his sword to one side while shaking off his shield to the other. He flops into a cross-legged sitting position with his hands fidgeting on his knees.

Returning to Osgar, Almaric quickly retrieves his rope and throws it to the bandit, “Bind your knees together then turn and lie on your stomach, arms outstretched palms up.”

Fumbling with the rope, his hands shaking, the bandit begins to plead. “Please mister, we was desperate like. We needed 'orses ta get away. We 'ad to, 'es nuts 'e is!”. Finally managing to get some form of knot tied, the bandit does as he was instructed and lies face down in the dirt, his panicked breathing blowing up little dust clouds as he tries not to think of what might be about to happen.

Almaric approaches the bandit and, placing his knee in the bandit’s back, proceeds to tie the bandit’s wrists together. “Stay still and you’ll not be harmed”, warns Almaric. He then proceeds to enter the cabin, putting out the last wisps of smouldering wood fire as he goes. Occasionally looking out the door to make sure the bandit is still where he lift him, Almaric searches the building.

After about ten minutes, Almaric has concluded his search, recovering the last of his missing possessions along with a few other things - among them: 110 gold coins, 85 silver pieces, two amethysts (which he quickly appraises as worth around a hundred gold each, a scroll which he knows contains some form of magic (having seen such things in the past) but the exact content is a total mystery to him, and finally, a potion bottle, clearly labelled in neat script as ‘Healing’. There is also the arms and armour of the two dead and the trussed up bandits to consider - 2 suits of leather armour (1 damaged), one split chainmail shirt, 3 light helms, 3 shields, 2 short bows, 2 short swords and a longsword.

Looking down at the gear and the roped bandit, Almaric considers his next move.

[/OOC: Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Story of The Three

Feeling proud of himself, Almaric bundles all the recovered items into his large sack - the coins and gems go into his belt pouch - and packs it all onto Osgar’s saddle.

Returning to the remaining bandit, he sits down so he can see the man’s face.

“So what’s your name, who is this mad mage that you’ve been working for and what’s his plan?”, he asks the bandit. “Answer me truthfully and I’ll consider letting you go.”

The dishevelled bandit looks at Almaric, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes. “Me name’s Seb.” He points with his chin towards the bandit with the arrow in his chest, a brief, bitter smile touches his lips. “That’s me brother, Lew.” Turning his head he nods at the fallen chain-clad bandit. “And that be Tocca. It was 'im as got us into this mess. What with all ‘is big talk an’ fancy ideas.”

He pauses while he collects his thoughts. Finally he speaks again, a slight tremor to his voice. “We… me an’ Lew, used ta be labourers but a week or so ago, Tocca - ‘e was Lew’s mate - anyways, Tocca comes up an’ says ‘e’s got this job ‘e needs ‘elp with. Says ‘es workin’ for some wizard, a weird foreign-type, all dark-skinned an’ all. Goes by tha name o’ ‘ar-Assad. Anyways, this mage wants ta find somethin’ real bad. An’ this somethin’ is real valuable, so ‘e needs a spot o’ muscle, just in case like, while 'e 'unts it down.”

Seb continues. “Fings was goin’ just fine at first, we’s just doin’ what we always did - lug stuff about fer folks as’n can’t or won’t do it fer themsel. Then, three days in, an’ we come across a lake an’ all this green fog. Now that stuff’s just plain creepy it is. Kills ya if’n ya breathe it, burns ya if’n ya touch it. Some o’ the others found that out tha 'ard way, on orders offa tha mage.”

He shuffles a bit, as if to get more comfortable and then goes on with his tale. “We spent a coupla days on a beach at tha waters edge. Made oursells a coupla canoes an’ tha Mage ‘ad us paddlin’ all about tha lake an’ tha stream, all tha while ‘es examinin’ tha damn fog an’ makin’ notes an’ mutterin’ to ‘imself. We lost a coupla tha lads an’ their canoe when it strayed into tha fog. I ain’t never 'eard anyone scream like that afore.” He shudders as if recalling the sound again. “Damn near pissed down ma leg when I saw what was left o’ them. Right 'orrible way ta go.”

With a sniffle, the bandit continues. “Anyways, tha next day, we’ve moved on down stream an’ tha mage thinks 'e’s finally sussed the fog. Says ya kin’t go through it, but ya kin go under it!” A sad shake of his head. “Believe me, no bugger wanted to try that but the wizard was very - insistent. Now ‘e comes across all calm an’ collected at first, but man, ‘e’s got a right temper on ‘im if’n he gets all arsey. So after a guy ‘volunteered’ to try an’ swim under it, we all sat around an’ waited ta see what ‘appened, some prayin’ fer ‘is soul, some of us jus’ prayin’ we weren’t next.”

“Jus’ when we figure ‘es a gonner, ‘is ‘ead pops up out tha water an’ e’s all excited an’ stuff. Says tha fog ain’t that deep an’ there’s a shoreline not far on tha other side. Well now, don’t this give tha wizard a right ‘ard on? Straight away ‘e’s orderin’ us all to pack up an’ start ‘eadin’ under tha fog. Some o’ tha lads can’t swim, so we ‘as to tie a rope to ‘em an’ drag ‘em along behind us. Luckily, me, Lew an’ Tocca kin swim jus’ fine, so we get tha job o’ actin’ as escort fer thems as can’t, an’ baggage 'andlers fer some of tha supplies. Took us all a while, but we made it safe to tha other side. That’s when things really started to go bad.”

Seb seems to be warming to his narrative, he goes on without pause. “So me, Lew an’ Tocca, we ain’t no fighter-types, not like some o’ tha others this mage ‘as taggin’ along. We git left at tha base camp near tha landing point while tha others is off ‘untin’ fer whatever it is tha mage is after. Each day we gets ta 'ear stories about stuff this wizard ‘as done. Nasty stuff. Stuff that we didn’t sign up fer. One o’ the lads made a joke that even the dead weren’t safe from 'im. Said if’n tha mage thought she ‘ad somethin’ on 'er that ‘e wanted, ‘e’d even dig up ‘is own granma! That’s not funny. That’s just wrong. Anyways, while tha others was off doin’ whatever they was doin’, me an’ tha lads,” he indicates the two dead bandits, “decided we’d 'ad enough. We wanted out, first chance.”

“That came later that day. We was runnin’ low on supplies so Tocca suggests ta one o’ tha goons that we could get some from an inn we know that’s not too far away. Sure enough, ‘e runs it past tha wizard as if’n it was all ‘is bright idea an’ we get the thumbs up. Tocca gets given some cash an’ we ‘ead off back under tha fog. Soon as we’s safe on this side, me an’ Lew are all fer peggin’ it straight 'ome, sharpish-like. Tocca says we can’t. Says if’n we sticks anywhere 'round ‘ere, chances are tha mage will find us an’ we all know 'e’s not gonna be 'appy when 'e does. So Tocca comes up with a plan to get us some ‘orses an’ supplies so we kin bugger off someplace safe. Trouble is, me an Lew din’t find out exactly what 'is ‘cunning plan’ was until 'e’d knocked ya off ya 'orse. By then we was in over our 'eads, mad-ass wizard who’s nuttier than squirrel shit on one side, unconscious but bound ta be pissed off warrior on the other.”

He shrugs. “An’ that’s about it. We ‘ad yer ‘orse, we ‘ad some cash but we needed at least one more ‘orse an’ we needed more cash to ‘elp get away. That’s what we was arguin’ ‘bout. Lew an’ me wanted to just git gone since by now tha others was bound to suspect somethin’ was up an’ possibly come lookin’, but Tocca was all about stickin’ ta that plan. Fek ‘im an’ 'is damn plans.”

With a gobbet of spittle flung at the body of Tocca, Seb ends his tale.

[/OOC: Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - A deal is struck

Almaric considers what the bandit has told him. "Interesting tale Seb. You seem to have gotten yourself into trouble through your associates and I’m going to punish you for that. I’ve got what I came for, so how about I make you a deal?

"If you agree to give me a rough map of what you saw on the other side of the fog, numbers of people following this wizard and any other information you may think of use, I’ll release you from the ropes and escort you out of the forest to the main road. At that point I’ll give you your weapons back and you’ll be free to go wherever you want.

"If you try to double cross me at any time, I’ll leave you to the wildlife like that Ogre I saw wandering around a while ago or the wizard if he returns from the fog.

“Well. Do we have a deal Seb?”

Seb’s eyes have been getting wider as the warrior explained the situation. Finally, his adam’s apple bobbing furiously as he tries to get his nervous-dry throat to work, he croaks out a feeble, “Deal mister.”

Almaric unties Seb’s wrists and allows him to undo his own legs. As he is doing so, Seb begins to explain what he saw of the other side of the fog and what he knows about the wizard and his followers. Apparently he never ventured beyond the base camp but he heard some of the others talking about some kind of roadway and platforms but he doesn’t know exactly where they are or where they go. He shows Almaric on his map where he crossed under the fog wall, which turns out to be the place with the usable canoe although he says they found the boats more trouble than use and most just waded out to the fog before diving under and swimming across. From the landing area, head south and at the junction, head east. That is the base-camp. The southern trail is the one that the wizard and his cronies were exploring. Apart from the mage, Seb says that when he left, there were a total of a dozen guards and some woman who he only ever caught glimpses of because the mage kept her in his tent. What he did see of her suggests she might be some kind of slave or concubine since she was wearing ‘next to nothing and what there was weren’t decent!’ and she was never allowed to roam free.

As Almaric listens to the information, he gets Seb to assist him in stripping the bodies and swapping out gear, etc. Seb refuses to continue until he’s been allowed to bury his brother, but Tocca can rot as far as he’s concerned. Almaric agrees to his request and finishes his packing and sorting while Seb uses a shield as a make-shift spade to dig a shallow grave and then place a lone rock as a grave marker.

By the time all of the preparations are completed, it is nearing mid-day when they are all done.

[/OOC: Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Road Back

As he ties one last strap and adjusts a final buckle, Almaric turns to his captive. “Come on Seb, let’s get out of here - you first.”

Seb drops his head and moves off ahead, past the tethered Osgar who flicks his ears at the bandit’s whispered 'Nice ‘orsey.’ Almaric takes the reins and leads his mount along behind the thief.

Walking along the paths that lead back to the main road, Almaric mulls over what Seb has told him, all the while watching the bushes and listening for possible signs of trouble. The thought of taking down a mad wizard and rescuing a damsel in distress is the reason he travels the roads. He resolves to at least investigate the possibilities when he is uninjured and well equipped.

The trip is uneventful and they eventually reach the main road unmolested. Almaric asks Seb, “Which way are you going to go?”

The man looks momentarily confused. “Ain’t I goin’ wherever you want me ta go?”

Almaric shakes his head. “No Seb, the deal was you tell me what I needed to know and behave yourself until I say otherwise. Now I’m saying otherwise. You’re on your own now, it’s up to you to decide your fate from here onwards. If what you’ve told me is true, then I suspect these parts will not be good for you. You might want to move on and start fresh some place else.”

Seb looks at Almaric and then looks all around him for signs that things might not be as they seem. Under the young warriors calm gaze he seems to come to a decision. “Awright. Reckon you 'ave the right of it mister. I always wanted to see a city so’s I reckon I’m for Dolmvay.” He nods back along the road that brought Almaric to this area in the first place. He turns and is about to head off when Almaric calls his name and the man stops dead in his tracks, his exposed back to the warrior and heart suddenly hammering in his chest. This is it, this is how he’s going to finally die…

But there is no sudden blade thrust through his back, instead he hears a noise behind him and then Almaric is by his side. “This should help you get started.”

Looking down at what Almaric has in his hands, Seb sees some trail rations and his eyes almost leave his head when he sees the handful of gold coins. He looks at Almaric’s face, confusion warring with greed, fear and hope for who gets top billing. Almaric presses the items into Seb’s hands and turns back towards Osgar. With an easy action, he quickly mounts the horse and turns away to head in the opposite direction along the road towards the Travelling Man when Seb finally finds his voice. “'Ere mister. What’s yer name?”

Glancing over his shoulder, Almaric replies, “My name’s Almaric. Stay out of trouble Seb. A man only has so much good fortune.” And with a flick of the reins, trots off along the road leaving a stunned ex-bandit in his wake.

[/OOC: Cross off the rations and the gold. Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - Back to the Travelling Man

Returning to the Travelling Man, Almaric tethers Osgar outside, off-loads all his loot and goes inside to look for Hugo, who he finds cleaning down the surface of the bar and sorting out flagons. The smell of cooked food is in the air. The innkeeper looks surprised to see the young lad back so soon.

“Greetings Hugo, I was wondering where I can stable my horse and off-load some ex-bandit possessions”, he says with a grin, putting all the stuff on a table. “Oh, and I’ll have lunch, an ale and one for yourself.”

Hugo raises an eyebrow. “Ah, I see. Successful hunting trip then?” Nodding to a corner table, he ducks into the kitchen and says something to Kel. Almaric takes a seat at the indicated table and Hugo returns a moment later with a plate of pork ribs and beans. Setting the dish in front of Almaric he tells him that Kell is seeing to his horse, who will be stabled out back. He then goes behind the bar and fetches up two flagons of ale, giving one to Almaric and setting the other down across from him where he eases himself into the chair.

Whilst stuffing his face, Almaric tells Hugo what occurred and that, when his wounds have healed, he’ll be going back to try and rescue the girl. Hugo is not very happy about Seb roaming free but Almaric assures him that he thinks it was the right thing to do, since everyone should be given at least one chance to redeem themselves and possibly put things right in their lives. This seems to strike a chord with Hugo, who glances at the kitchen before nodding his agreement.

“If I leave some items with you, can you sell them for me to any merchants that pass by?”, asks Almaric.

“Aye lad, that I can. Dunno how soon I’ll be able to sell them or that you’ll get the best prices but most folks are usually open for a spot of trade when passing through.”

After lunch, Almaric goes to his room and lays out the loot, cleans it up and puts together a bundle for sale. The bundle is comprised of: one split chainmail shirt, two light helm, one shield, two short bows, a short sword, one longsword and the magic scroll. He places the spare shield in the chest in case his gets broken, along with both Amethysts.

Once done, he takes the bundle of goods down to Hugo who inspects it all and says that Kel might be able to fix up the chain shirt, or at least give it a try.

[/OOC: Almaric is injured, he is down to 6 of his 9 HP. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - In Search of the Wizardn

Almaric rests for the remainder of the day and contemplates what he has uncovered so far and what he is likely to encounter when he sets off into the woods again, this time in search of the wizard and his associates.

[/OOC Gain 615 XP (including 10% bonus)]

The next morning during breakfast, Hugo informs him that the travelling healer arrived last night when Almaric was resting in his room and Hugo haggled on his behalf. He presents Almaric with two healing salves and two healing poultices that he bartered the emerald necklace for.

Almaric spends the remainder of the day resting up.

[/OOC Almaric spends another night at the Travelling Man while he tends to his wounds. He recovers, 2 HP (natural healing) + 3H HP (Healing Proficiency)= 5HP. This leaves him fully healed again.]

Almaric rises early the following morning and assembles his kit. After breakfast, and giving a Osgar a pat and a couple of apples, he fills his waterskin with fresh water, obtains four days worth of food from Hugo - telling him that if he doesn’t return, Osgar and the contents of the chest is his room are his and to use whatever he gets from the loot to keep his room.

Feeling confident, Almaric walks out of the inn and, with a merry whistle, sets off down the road. His destination, the cabin in the woods.


The brightening dawn light has chased away the last of the early dew and footmists as Almaric arrives back at the cabin where he encountered Seb and the other two bandits. Everything seems as it was except he notices that there is no sign of Tocca’s corpse and it looks as if something has had a tentative dig at Lew’s grave.

[/OOC: Almaric is uninjured. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Wall of Fog

Having checked that nobody else has taken up residence in the cabin, Almaric heads out of the clearing and back north to the crossroads. From there he heads west, following the looping trail down to the wide lake in the south where Seb indicated that they found the water deep enough to swim under the fog. He briefly considers using the canoe but again recalls what Seb said about them sometimes being more trouble than they were worth and as he would be the only one trying to control it, he decides against using it.

Since he doesn’t know what he’ll encounter on the other side of the barrier of fog but knowing he’ll have to swim, Almaric takes off his pack and hides it in the forest edge. Planning on only taking his armour, shield, weapons, healing and strength potions at this time, Almaric wades into the water.

[/OOC His current encumbrance is 7, 2/6 (Armour [5] + Weapons [1, 5/6] + Pouch & Potions [3/6]), which puts his movement back up to 90’/30’]

He wades very close to the fog and the lake is still only a little more than four feet deep, the water mid-chest in height. This close to it he can smell a decidedly acidic smell coming from the wall of fog. Turning his head from the smell, Almaric takes a few deepening breaths until he fills his lungs with a final deep breath and dives beneath the surface, under the strange green fog and begins swimming towards what he hopes will be the shore.

Using every second of air his lungs can hold, Almaric swims as hard as he can, but finally he has to surface for air. Coming up he realizes he has made it past the wall of fog. It now lies behind him. The lake’s shoreline is not far off and he can see a path leading from a gravel beach.

Crawling out of the cold water Almaric welcomes the dry land and warm sun. The forest on this side of the fog wall looks much like it did on the other side. There is a quiet that pervades the area. Few birds seem to be about and even the constant chatter of insects is diminished. A path leads away from the lake and into the woods to the south.

[/OOC: Almaric is uninjured. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Landing Area

After emptying the water out his equipment, Almaric heads off south, following the path until he gets to the fork Seb told him about. After a brief pause, he decides to continue south - all the while listening for the sounds of voices or movement.


The smell of charred wood and fire drifts up the path. Just ahead of him, Almaric can see a very old stone tower. It is scorched in many places and smoke rises from its centre. Several corpses lie about the tower and all but one appear to be kobolds. The larger corpse is that of a man dressed in leather armour. A short sword lies near his outstretched arm and an arrow is embedded in his chest. Just to the south of the tower, within fifty yards, is a strange sight. A large hundred-feet wide circular area is inset with stones forming a platform that is no more than six inches above the forest floor. A twenty-feet wide road stretches away eastward from the platform. The road is cobbled with stone and is also set about six inches higher than the ground. No trees overhang the platform, but the road is covered by the long branches of nearby trees. The road follows the contour of the hilly ground and Almaric can only see about 100 yards beyond the platform.

[/OOC: Almaric is uninjured. He still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Burned Tower

Moving into the site of the devastation, Almaric checks each of the bodies to make sure they are all dead. Glancing around the tower, he can see more signs of battle. Blood and broken arrows litter the area. There are a total of eight dead kobolds around the tower. Each kobold has a short sword and short bow. None have any arrows on their person.

Having left the armoured man until last, Almaric searches the body to see if he had anything useful on him.

[/OOC He doesn’t!]

Apart from his punctured armour and nearby short sword, the corpse has no possessions at all. When finished, Almaric moves over to the tower to see if there is anyone hurt within it.

A brief search reveals that if there had been anything of interest within the tower, it has since been incinerated. The remains of a staircase leads up to the burnt-out roof. The roof itself must have collapsed and burned where it lay. Here and there Almaric can see shards of glass. Someone may have used oil flasks to burn the tower. The embers and ash at his feet are still very hot and smoke drifts up the tower like a chimney. Other than what he has noted, there is nothing of interest in the tower. As Almaric exits, he is confronted by several kobolds that look extremely angry.

[/OOC Reaction roll from Kobolds. Rolled (4)+Kobold Reaction mod.(-2)+Almaric’s CHA mod.(0)=2. Hostile, attacks.]

With a screech, the kobolds leap to attack Almaric, they must blame him for all the carnage.

[/OOC Initiatives for Round 1: Almaric (14+1)=15, Kobold #1 (14), Kobold #2(4) and Kobold #3(14)]

Finding himself suddenly under attack from three diminutive, angry creatures, Almaric opts to attack first and sort things out later if he can. Bringing his shield up to a guard position, he slashes his longsword at one of the Kobolds, just as two of them close in on him.

[/OOC Almaric attacks Kobold #1 with his longsword. He needs a 7+ and rolls (3)-**(Kobold AC)=MISS]

Almaric is dismayed to see his flashing blade fail to connect with any part of the creature, especially when two of them make coordinated attacks back - their small short swords jabbing viciously at him…

[/OOC Kobold #1 and Kobold #3 attack simultaneously. Kobold #1 rolls, (9)-Almaric’s AC(7)=2. MISS
Kobold #3 rolls, (14)-Almaric’s AC(7)=7. MISS]

Luckily for Almaric their sword skill is as high as they are and he easily avoids their clumsy attacks. However, the remaining Kobold uses the distraction to jump in and try and hamstring the young warrior…

[/OOC Kobold #2 attacks Almaric, rolls (7)-Almaric’s AC(7)=0. MISS]

…but fails to connect as Almaric jumps over the slashing sword.

The three Kobolds slowly circle Almaric, all the while making yipping, whining noises.

[/OOC: Almaric is engaged in combat with 3 Kobolds. Everyone is uninjured. Almaric still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - Fighting the Kobolds

[/OOC Initiatives for Round 2: Almaric rolls (3+1)=4, Kobold #1 (1), Kobold #2 (19) and Kobold #3(13)]

This time it is the hamstring-attempting Kobold who attacks first…

[/OOC Kobold #2 attacks Almaric, rolls (19)-Almaric’s AC(7)=12. HIT
Damage from short sword, (1)]

It makes a weak strike at Almaric’s flank and chops into his side. A very minor wound but still first blood to the Kobolds. This inspires another of the little fiends to lunge in and attempt to stab the human.

[/OOC Kobold #3 attacks Almaric, rolls (1)-Almaric’s AC(7)=-6. WILD MISS!]

The creature finds only empty space as Almaric moves to one side in an easy dodge and launches his own attack at the Kobold yet to menace him this round.

[/OOC Almaric attacks Kobold #1. He needs a 7+ and rolls, (18)-**(Kobold AC)=HIT
Damage from longsword, (4)+Sword mod.(1)+STR mod.(2)+Fighter mod.(1)=8. KILLSHOT!]

Taking the small dog-man by surprise, Almaric’s longsword lashes out and neatly removes its sword-arm along with a hunk of shoulder. The creature dies with a high-pitched yelp. Almaric continues the momentum of his attack around and directs it at the Kobold who attacked him first this round…

[/OOC Almaric attempts a CLEAVE attack on Kobold #2. He needs a 7+ and rolls, (10)-**(Kobold AC)=HIT
Damage from longsword, (4)+Sword mod.(1)+STR mod.(2)+Fighter mod.(1)=8. DOUBLE-KILLSHOT!]

The sharp blade ends its journey in the side of the Kobold, almost cutting it in half. It too expires with a pained yelp.

[/OOC The remaining Kobold must make a morale check after seeing it’s companions die and being the only one left. It rolls (10)+Kobold Morale mod.(-2)=8. Fight On.]

The remaining Kobold growls at Almaric, clearly not inclined to back down.

[/OOC Initiatives for Round 3: Almaric rolls (12+1)=13, Kobold #3 (3)]

Sensing that his foe is unlikely to give up the fight, Almaric feints to one side as he lunges forward with his sword…

[/OOC Almaric attacks with his longsword. He needs a 7+ and rolls, (14)-**(Kobold AC)=HIT
Damage from longsword, (4)+Sword mod.(1)+STR mod.(2)+Fighter mod.(1)=8. KILLSHOT!]

…which completely fools his opponent who is left wide open to the attack. The sword tip lances into the Kobold’s chest and punches out of it’s back. Dropping it’s sword, the dying creature scrabbles feebly at the protruding blade, whimpering, before falling backwards, sliding off the sword and lying dead against the edge of the stone platform. The subdued sounds of the area return after the frantic noise of combat ends.

[/OOC: Almaric is lightly injured, having taken 1 HP of damage. Almaric still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - Fighting the Kobolds (aftermath)

Almaric retreats back in to the tower and waits, keeping watch for more Kobolds. After a few minutes of nothing untoward happening, he exits the tower and searches the bodies of the freshly-killed kobolds. His search nets him three sets of child-sized leather armour and three similarly sized short swords - none of which look worthy of keeping nor of being usable by him.

When finished, Almaric moves over to the raised circle of stones but is careful to avoid stepping on to it and looks along the road heading east. Even from the edge of the road all that can really be seen is that the road follows the contours of the hilly ground and due to its elevated climb to the next bump, Almaric can only see about a hundred yards beyond the platform, although it would appear that the road travels straight for some considerable distance beyond that.

[/OOC: Almaric is lightly injured. He is on 8 of 9 Hit Points. Almaric still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - Looking for the Base Camp

Stepping away from the stones, Almaric returns back along the path north until he gets to the junction just south of where he came ashore. Heading east, towards what Seb had told him was the Mage’s camp area, Almaric tries to keep to the treeline as much as possible, ready to move off the path into concealment as soon as he spots any approaching enemies.


The path, only a hundred or so yards from the split, is now barely visible. The only reason Almaric can even follow it, is that the ancient trees to either side give him nowhere else to go. It is a struggle to move forward, but he is quickly adapting to travel in the forest. With a start Almaric hears voices from ahead of him. Cautiously moving forward, he steps off the trail and moves among some trees until he finds the source of the sounds.

An encampment of three tents surrounds a small fire pit. Two of the tents can sleep at least six men and the third tent while larger, looks to be reserved for a singular person of importance. One six-man tent is to the north of the large tent, the other to the south. Three men sit by the fire talking. Each holds a large mug. Almaric can hear one of them clearly.

“Where are those idiots? All they had to do was get some wine from that tavern and get back here. That was days ago. I’m willing to bet they had their fill at the tavern, living it up while we sweated it out here. I’m telling you, they’ve spent all the coin and are now too scared to come back. The master will surely take it up with them… or more likely, take it out on us!” The other two men nod and grunt in agreement.

[/OOC: Almaric is lightly injured. He is on 8 of 9 Hit Points. Almaric still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - The Base Camp

Without knowing if there is anyone in the tents, Almaric settles down into the undergrowth to keep watch and assess the camp.

Having studied the guards for a few minutes from his hiding place, Almaric determines that they have just recently finished a meal and are currently resting at ease. He thinks that he could attempt to sneak around the camp’s perimeter and possibly get closer to the three tents but it will by no means be an easy task given that stealth is not his strong suit.

[/GM Note: Yes there is a way Almaric could get up to any of the tents but it will require a set of opposed rolls for the guard’s Hear Noise vs. his Move Silently roll.]

Almaric waits a short while but sees no indication that any of the men are sleepy - since it is late morning the chances are they are just lounging around off-duty. If they were going to sleep they would most likely retire to a tent out of the sun. Deciding that it’s now or never, he inches out of cover and begins to sneak around to the larger tent, bow at the ready in case he needs to fight, whilst trying to keep as much cover between himself and the guards.

[/OOC Almaric’s Move Silently Roll is (18), each guard will need to make a successful Hear Noise roll of 18+ to detect him. **Hidden rolls by the GM]

Managing to make it to the grand tent without any sounds of alarm being raised, Almaric offers up a silent prayer to Viltae, God of the Hunt for aiding his step. However, just as Almaric parts the flaps of the tent, he hears a small commotion from where the guards were. Cursing the fickleness of fate, he makes a snap decision and pushes through the material in the hopes that the tent is unoccupied and that he can remain undetected.

The tent is decorated like something out of a sultan’s palace. Tapestries hang in front of all the outer walls and plush rugs cover the floor. A pile of pillows and blankets form a bed of sorts in the centre of the room. Two small tables are pushed together to form a larger platform. There are two chairs at the table and a massive map is unrolled on the tabletop. A pair of small footlockers rest near the back of the tent. Almaric takes it all in but that is not the focus of his attention. A scantily clad woman, with a bandaged arm and numerous bruises, cowers behind the make-shift bed. She is tethered to the tent’s central pole by a thin chain. She is clearly watching him and waiting for his reaction. The tapestries and tent walls seem to be masking most sound from outside as Almaric has not heard anything else since the initial sounds from the guards. He is unsure as to what is happening outside.

[/OOC: Almaric is lightly injured. He is on 8 of 9 Hit Points. Almaric still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]

Almaric’s Tale - Inside the Large Tent

Holding up his hand towards the woman, Almaric whispers, “I’m not here to hurt you, I’m not one of them. Please don’t give me away and I’ll take you away from here as soon as I can.”

Her eyes are asking for help. Beyond the tangled hair and battered body, it is clear the woman is indeed beautiful. She notes Almaric’s hesitation and she attempts to straighten herself. She tells him that she is a slave to an evil wizard and that he has beaten her badly. The wizard and most of the men have left to steal treasure from a nearby dragon’s horde and they may be back at any time. The key to her tether is in one of the footlockers. She begins to sob and begs for his help.

“My name is Almaric m’lady, what is your name?” he asks in a hushed tone. She says she is called Tar-Gallin.

All the time he has been in the tent, Almaric has been listening for approaching voices and looking for a spot to hide behind a tapestry or some such cover if needed. Neither have presented themselves as of yet.

[/OOC Since the key to the chain is apparently in one of the footlockers, it makes sense to use that rather than risk a lot of noise trying to hack through the metal with ‘Goblin Cleaver’.]

“Give me a short while and I’ll see about freeing you from that chain”, he says before moving through the tent to examine the map on the table and the footlockers. As he passes the woman, she says that the key is in the one to the right. She warns that the footlocker on the left is trapped.

Moving to the tables and the map, Almaric can see that the thing is very old. It does not look like parchment, but some sort of animal skin. The writing is not like any he has seen before. Before Almaric has time to review it in detail, a shadow crosses his back.

In a flash Almaric sees the woman is untethered and holding a dagger. She calls him a fool and attacks…

[/OOC Not quite surprised, Almaric rolls for initiative, but with a -2 penalty: Almaric (14+1-2)=13, Tar-Gallin (20)]

She stabs at her startled, would-be rescuer…

[/OCC Almaric is currently holding his bow, not his shield. Tar-Gallin stabs at Almaric, she rolls (16)-Almaric’s AC without shield(5)=11. HIT
Damage from dagger, (2)… luckily Almaric caught wind of the attack just in time and so she is unable to backstab him. She is however, using a poisoned blade, so Almaric must save vs.Poison. He needs a 14+ and rolls (14)+CON mod.(1)=15. SUCCESS]

The blade pierces Almaric’s skin and even as the tip comes free of the wound, he is aware of a slight burning sensation that warns him of the presence of poison on the weapon!

Realising that this woman is obviously not who or what she at first appeared to be, Almaric has no choice but to fight for his life and to do so as quickly and quietly as he can lest he should attract the attention of the guards outside. He drops his bow and grabs up his sword and shield. He launches a swift slash towards her unarmoured midriff…

[/OOC Almaric attacks Tar-Gallin. He needs a 7+ and rolls (17)-**(Tar-Gallin’s AC)=HIT.
Damage from sword, (5)+STR mod.(2)+Fighter mod.(1)+sword mod.(1)=9 HP]

A large gash opens up across her smooth stomach and she gasps in pain and clutches at the wound. “Enough!”, she says, “I yield!” She takes a step backwards. “In exchange for my freedom, I will tell all that I know. I swear I will be of no further trouble.” She is having a hard time standing upright, the wound to her abdomen clearly bleeding through her blood-stained fingers.

[/OOC: Although technically still in combat, Almaric is classed as un-engaged since Tar-Gallin has ceased to attack any more. Almaric is injured. He is on 6 of 9 Hit Points. Tar-Gallin looks badly injured. Almaric still has MIGHT, LUCK, FINESSE and AUTOMATIC SUCCESS bonuses available for use at any time.]