The Free City of Greyhawk
The Processional, just on the Old City side of The Black Gate
Freeday, Readying 14th, 591 CY
6:30 PM, cold rain*
Ashe spins about and dives beneath the wagon as hard, wet cobblestones scrape the palms of her hands. Then, trying to see where her companions have gone, she begins to rotate about on her hands & knees. However, before she can come fully around, she feels someone grasp her ankle. In horror, she can she the street thug with the knife lurch towards her in the half-darkness, his face badly scarred from the horseman's sword.
Both of his cheeks have been slit open, but he babbles with blood dribbling out of his mouth, "where are you going, sweetling?" He tries to drive the point of his blade into Ashe's thigh. She wriggles free, and the weapon slashes open the fabric of her breeches, but doesn't meet flesh. The metal point rings off the stone ground.
OOC: Ashellis is picking up just where she left off in "Slime Pits." She is at 7/12 hit points (she took a solid blow to her leg just above the left knee from a footpad's club earlier), but her opponent is clearly wounded pretty badly, too.
Both of you are prone, which normally affords a -4 penalty to attack rolls and AC, but since you're both in the same boat, the penalties cancel each other out. When crawling, you may move 5 feet as a move action. Standing up is also a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity (but you cannot stand up while under the wagon).
*Rain: Visibility range cut in half. Perception and ranged attacks at -4.
Initiatives:
Ashellis = 19
Street Thug = 14
Seeing the knife flash towards my captured leg, I flip my body around onto my side and draw my leg toward my chest. This breaks the thug's grasp and causes him to just barely miss his mark. I feel the rain soak into the seat of my breeches as I lie gasping for breath under the wagon, realizing how narrowly I avoided being hamstrung.
ReplyDeleteI want nothing more than to get away from the grotesque figure of the thug, yet he has me pinned under the wagon. I realize that I must try to lash back if I ever want the opportunity to escape. I gather my strength, tensing the muscles of the leg currently coiled up to my chest, and let out a yell as I kick straight out at the part of the thug nearest to me - his head.
17 AC against his AoO (since no need to factor the -4)
Unarmed attack roll: 12....crap
Your foot glances off the side of his head, and he rolls with the kick. He grins a ghoulish, bloody grin and chuckles, "heh-heh... so that the way you want to play it, eh? Come'ere then, luv... give us a kiss!" With his free hand, the thug tries to grab your belt and drag you towards him. His leering face leans closer to you...
ReplyDeleteOOC: He misses the attack of opportunity, but a 12 misses him (as you've already guessed). He then tries to close for a grapple. Give me an attack of opportunity attempt against him before I resolve the grapple (if you hit, that would affect the modifier to my roll).
Second unarmed attack roll = 17
ReplyDeleteOOC: Nice roll. That attack of opportunity will hit, so go ahead and give me damage (1d3+3 non-lethal). The result will be a negative modifier on his grapple check (which in Pathfinder is his CMB or Combat Maneuver Bonus). His roll needs to equal or beat your CMD (Combat Maneuver Defense, or 10 + base attack + Str + Dex = 17).
ReplyDeleteDamage = 4
ReplyDeleteThe man tries to yank Ashe closer with one hand, but he gets a well-placed heel across the bridge of the nose for his trouble. He is knocked loose, and he growls menacingly as he attmepts to crawl forward acrss the cobble stones with his dagger poised to attack.
ReplyDeleteOOC: His penalty for using one hand combined with the penalty from the damage you caused made his roll of 10 far from what he needed. You're up!
Now that the thug is thoroughly under the wagon, I feel that the time has come to turn the tables and get out of this mess. Quick as lightning, I snatch my axe from my belt and slash out viciously at the advancing figure.
ReplyDeleteThe quickdraw feat allows me to draw my axe as a free action.
Attack roll +5 = 8 ...bloody hell...
Irrelevant damage roll = 4
I couldn't find the info in the rules, but I'm guessing taking my move action will provoke an attack of opportunity? If so, then I'm not moving. If not, then I'd like to move my 5 ft towards the edge of the wagon that faces the Black Gate.
Ashe loosens the axe handle from her belt as smooth as silk. The dwarven weapon is expertly balanced and perfectly weighted. However, its shortish grip may be more designed for throwing -- the blade whistles by just short of its mark.
ReplyDeleteHer bloodied opponent seem undetered, so she quickly skitters her way hands-and-knees across the cobblestones and out from underneath the wagon. The frigid rain once again patters upon her. The yawning opening of The Black Gate looms just ahead, but the thug relentlessly crawls after her. He lunges forward with his dagger, but the weapon strikes nothing but stone. With an ugly ring, the tip breaks off and he momentarily loses his grip.
OOC: Anyone may take a 5-foot step or use the withdraw action to move without provoking attacks of opportunity. In this case, it was a 5-foot crawl.
I rolled a 1 on my attack, so it's your turn again. It takes a move action to stand up from being prone.
You are now on the other side of the wagon barricade. The battle between the thieves and the mercenaries rages on the opposite side. Beyond the gate, the Processional continues northward. To the west is the Foreign Quarter, to the east is Clerkberg -- the academic district. Your flat, in the River Quarter, is to the northwest. Straight ahead, you'll eventually reach the Low Market, where the vendors will be packing up their tents & booths for the night right about now.
I scramble to my feet, clenching my teeth as my left thigh protests painfully. My adversary is fumbling under the wagon for his broken blade. My anger flairs - I am cold, wet, and fresh out of mercy for the evening. This cat-and-mouse game needs to end now, before I trail a bunch of goons home with me. Holding the axe in my left hand, I take out my longsword and swing for the finishing blow.
ReplyDeleteAttack roll +5 = 19
Damage = 4
Ashe lowers the blade upon her pursuer as he scrambles out from under the wagon. His face falls flat against the rain-soaked street. Swirls of blood mix with rainwater within the creases between the paving stones. The man lies perfectly still.
ReplyDeleteOOC: Give yourself 100 xp, Shawna. Well fought. The Black Gate appears wide open and clear for the moment. What do you wish to do?
Woo!
ReplyDeleteDouble move action to get inside the black gate. I want to head as quickly as possible up the Processional into the hubbub of the closing Low Market and check my surroundings before heading home to provision myself.
Ashellis turns and races up the Processional, sword in one hand and chinking sack in the other. Not a very subtle look, she realizes, but getting as far from the bloodbath at the gate is her first priority. About halfway to the widened plaza that makes the Low Market, she steals a glance behind her for pursuit without breaking stride.
ReplyDeleteShe sees lights up in the gateway towers, and shapes moving atop their crenallated crowns. She hears shouts & the ring of steel still coming from beyond the huge opening... she has probably been spotted, but nobody follows.
Spinning back around to focus on what's in front of her, she sees two men in black leather armor positioned at the mouths of alleys just before the street opens into the market area. One of them is trimming his fingernails with a dagger, while the other has one hand around the handle of his sword. The latter peers around the corner of a building to look into the city square up ahead.
It is still very busy at the Low Market. Tents are being rolled up, carts & wagons loaded, people make last-minute deals in sometimes very heated discussions. All the activity is beginning to disperse, but it is still quite chaotic.
OOC: Ashe -- you may try to get cover quickly if you wish. It won't be easy under the circumstances, but attempt a Stealth roll if that's what you want to do. The men are roughly 25-ft. away, the entrance to the market just 30-ft. There's side streets & alleys to either side of you (Foreign Quarter to your left, Clerkburg to your right). You're in the middle of a well-lit street, however. The Guild didn't extinguish any lamps on this side of the gate.
Or you can make a break for it. They don't seem particularly alert. Make a Perception check in any case.
One minor correction - I have my longsword in one hand, but the other is holding my axe - I dropped the carried bag of cash in front of Devon before the fighting broke out. I do still have some cash in my money pouch at my waist and Axel is holding a bag for me as well.
ReplyDeletePerception +2 = 8
I'm anticipating a knife in my back at any moment as I race up the road towards the Market. Seeing the two skulkers up ahead, my heart leaps into my throat. What to do?
I have to make a split second decision, and I'm too frazzled to attempt any stealth at the moment. I should have been more careful as I made my escape, but alas, there is nothing left to do but blast past the duo and try to get lost in the crowd ahead. I slow my pace to what I hope is a sauntering walk and sling my longsword up to rest on my right shoulder, left hand still gripping my new throwing axe.
I collect myself and stride forward. When the men finally turn and notice me, I gaze at them coolly and remark, "At ease, boys. You don't mess with me tonight, and I won't mess with you."
I continue to stroll by them, not breaking my pace or poise. I'm hoping that my bloodied and battle-fresh appearance can confuse or stall them just long enough for me to get lost in the evening market crowd.
Intimidate check +4 = 21
OOC: Great call on the bag. Sorry about that. I believe the map is also tucked into your boot, correct? Excellent use of Intimidate, by the way.
ReplyDeleteBIC: Ashe is forced to make a quick decision. She immediately halts her run, and tries to look as non-chalant as possible. The two thieves glance up at her just as she adjusts her gait. Ashe is sure that it looks far from natural, but she realizes what has gotten her this far as a woman in a very male, very violent world... a cool head.
Much to her surprise, the men do not make a move towards her. They make no attempt to impede her in any way. She strolls right past them and into the Low Market. She thinks she hears one of them chuckle a bit, but the other makes some comment that she can't quite make out, but that's it. Half of her still expects a knife in the back, but she manages to reach mid-way through the huge plaza without any repercussions. I guess in this city, folk get used to seeing just about anything.
Ashe is suddenly in the midst of the market getting closed up after another day. With the weather the way it is, perhaps things are getting wrapped up early. Men are rolling up canvases that she must hop over, animals drawing wagons must be avoided, groups of arguing tradesmen need to be pushed through, young pick-pockets auditioning for The Guild must be dodged. Amidst it all, Ashe catches sight of a robed figure moving swiftly through the dispersing crowd.
It is a female, Ashe can tell. The voluminous folds of fabric do not disguise the grace with which the figure moves. She weaves through the people with the ease of an adder through grass. She is moving from the east to the west, towards the Foreign Quarter. Every inch of her is covered except for a narrow slit through which glittering, dark eyes peer.
Suddenly, the two men that Ashe has passed by appear on either side of her. Her immediate reaction is that this is an ambush, but then she notices that the two thieves are not paying any attention to her -- their eyes are following the robed figure. Two more men dressed in dark leathers are coming up from the east, their eyes also trained on the strange woman. They wouldn't try anything here in the public market, not even The Guild is that bold. But something is going on...
Not sure if you need an action from me at the moment, but here you go...
ReplyDeleteAlso: yes - the map is tucked into the lining of my boot.
I sheathe my two weapons and study the four darkly clad men as they advance through the crowds. For the first time tonight, the Guild activity seems to have nothing to do with me. But the ordeal thus far has my nerves humming like a bowstring, so I'm unwilling to believe that I'm in the clear just like that.
I wind my way through the crowd, keeping the four men ahead of me in my sights, waiting to see what unfolds.
Perception check +2 = 11
Ashe tries to ease out of her battle-ready state, but remains vigilant. She attempts to keep an eye on the four thieves, but only manages to maintain visual contact with the two who had been on either side of her. The others have disappeared into the crowd (which is what they're good at), and she cannot seem to find the woman, either. At first, she thinks she may have located her, but it turns out to be a Baklunni trademan who tries to sell Ashe a handful of pickled cactus apples stuffed with exotic-smelling spices.
ReplyDelete"Come! You buy! Is very, very, very, very-very good!"
In any case, the woman (and presumably, her pursuers) had a last known trajectory of heading west through the market and into the Foreign Quarter, south of Burrow Heights. It's a good place to go to lose people, but you risk getting lost yourself.
OOC: Sometimes I don't always make it clear what your options might be, but this is a chaotic situation and your choices could very well seem vague. What you're doing is great.
I sidestep the trademan and try to re-acquire visual on the thieves, but it's no use - they're lost in the crowd.
ReplyDeleteTired, I turn towards home, heading north towards the Processional. My thoughts drift to my warm apartment and inviting bed. All I want to do right now is get home and put this craziness behind me. I know that's wishful thinking, but at least I want a good night's sleep, some bandages and ointment for my wounds, and a fresh morning's energy to do what needs to be done with my new cash.
I trudge up the Processional with a group of shoppers and merchants also heading home.
This next part assumes I make it up the Processional unmolested, otherwise ignore it.
When I reach Horseshoe Road, I loiter near the Mercenaries Guildhall and check my surroundings. Having been unmolested up to this point, I expect the two alleys between me and my house to be packed with thieves waiting to rip me to shreds.
Another try for Perception...12
Ashe, a figure in a cloak of black-and-gray tribal swirls sidles up next to you, almost touching you. She has the masculine gait of someone with a purpose, and speaks to you in a voice full of business and panic, her eyes never leaving the path ahead.
ReplyDelete"They're watching us. Just keep walking as if everything is normal."
A few steps pass in silence, both of you enjoying the lack of expected ambushes from shaded alleys.
"I'm sorry to involve you in this but I have no choice. I'm an agent with the Ikelan government and I have imformation vital to them regarding an attack by the Crimson Brotherhood. Unfortunately my entourage has been killed and their Guild allies are searching for me now. If you can help me get out of the city my government can see you richly rewarded. Will you help me?"
I take a few more steps in silence, trying to puzzle out this new turn of events.
ReplyDeleteOOC: What, if anything, do I know about the Ikelan government or Crimson Brotherhood? I don't have Knlg:Local, so I'll just make an Int roll = 10
This woman has me completely puzzled. Her cloak and gait make me think she's the pursued woman in the marketplace - but if that's the case, she sure is a slippery one! Last I had seen, she was heading in the opposite direction with the Guild right on her tail but now she walks calmly beside me... Is she just another Guild member trying a different tactic to get at me?
Yet, the barely suppressed panic I hear in her voice suggests that she may truly be in the trouble she has spoken of. Add to that the fact that my winnings tonight are hardly something the Guild would throw all its weight behind, and I'm inclined to think this woman might genuinely be asking for my help. Which only brings up another question...
"I am sympathetic to your plight, but do not understand why you are requesting my help. Out of a city filled with watchmen, mercenaries, and battle-trained men, why choose me out of the crowd?"
A ghost of a smile flickers past the woman's face, like frost before a blast furnace.
ReplyDelete"My companions were well-leavened with brutish hulks in testosterone-gilded plate, but they all fell to pits and tricks so bold that I would have seen them 3 leagues away...could I be in all places at once. I need someone who will think for a hairs-breadth before charging the tiger. That you wear a shirt of chain means you're more likely to depend on tactics or a good position than to stand still and trust a metal sheet to keep you from harm. The longsword on your side is well-used, but the grip is smoother by the pommel than the guard, which means you won't use it until the last possible moment. And the old handax means you're not only prepared, but prefer the versatility of an ax to the greater power but lack of options that come with a crossbow.
"Also," says the woman, the edge of her lips turned up slightly in the mirth that only irony can bring, "if I wasn't on your side right now, I might not have made it out of the market."
The unspoken tension in your gait forces from her words to put proof to further motivations. "You needn't worry that I mean you harm. If I were in league with the Guild rather than running from them, I would've stabbed you by the cactus-fruit vendor while your attention was still on my pursuers." Her eyes lose focus, and she mumbles something you don't know if you're meant to hear.
"Oftentimes the first word is the last."
I raise my eyebrow, impressed at the cloaked woman's analysis of my person. Close enough to show she's perceptive, but not so spot-on that I feel like I'd been stalked.
ReplyDeleteShe has another good point: two together makes for better odds, and I like the way she moves without a trace and sees what's there to be seen. I would not mind having her on my side if we are to escape the city safely.
I chance a glance towards my new partner, giving her a small wry smile. "We seem to have both lost our companions to the Guild - and as it happens, I find myself in need of a trip elsewhere in a hurry. I am not provisioned for an excursion, however, and would like to take a brief detour to get myself patched up." I nudge aside my lonsword's sheath to give her a better view of my torn leg.
"I live not too far from here on Horseshoe Road just across from the Mercenaries Guildhouse. If we could stop by there quickly and prepare ourselves for departure, then I believe our mission would benefit. How great is your need for an immediate escape?"
The woman gives a brief nod in approval to your decision to render assistance.
ReplyDelete"Indeed, it is toward supplies that my attention now drifts. Let us by all means see to your abode first where you may provision and we may make plans. As bad luck would have it, I too needs must snatch some supplies. As good luck would have it I also reside on the Horseshoe, next to the Red Serpent Restaurant, although there is a good chance they may have agents there. Once we are again inside walls I'll outline my plan to get there unnoticed--my need for escape is not so great as to invite carelessness over haste."
She gazes at your blood-dappled leg and frowns, briefly. "As to your hurt, I admit I have no cure for that. But let us see to our packs first, and perhaps options will reveal themselves to us."