Rollohi-ep02-script

 2.1 Lowball

Ingle part-confirms his first impressions with an 09 on WIS and Umbert part-confirms his with a 12 on INT. The staff or hoteliers seem to be a female couple, then there are three sturdy outside workers, and guests.

[erda - the masculine; oshii - the feminine (agatha christie type couple)]

Quite a number of men drifting about in the background, watching the party arrive, loitering about generally. One man dressed as a trader with a minimum amount of merchant guild color looks pleased to see newcomers. 

Inside the rock-cut parts of the fortalice, there's one big feasting hall that has been upgraded to serve guests, and small side-chambers that are for hire as guestrooms. 

Although they can't see this, it's fairly evident that there must be a good-size storeroom and perhaps an ice-room, to keep spoilable goods fresh. It looks as though basic supplies are to be had here for purchase. If gear or transport need fixing, repairs can also be negotiated.

The party can purchase a hot meal and some extra fare for their packs, if they have spare coin. 

A 1 means they have absolutely nothing to spare, a 2 means just enough for a scant meal, 3 means this will clean them out. 

 

5, no great problem. Between them, based on having spent 7/8 their "start gold" on gear and transport, they have just over 100gold. The meals and rations won't change this. 

 

Their ease of payment advances them +1 against host attitude on 2d6 or moves any CHA check down by 1. 

 

The merchant approaches them respectfully once they are more at ease, and decides to begin speaking with the end of the bench that seats Ingle. Next to the cleric sits Jack, while Cied is on the other side. 

Reminder, merchant name Ajiwe. He is remarkably young, which explains his risk-taking. 

Will Ajiwe speak in front of company yes but keeps his voice pitched low. 

 

Quest: does Ajiwe have a very specific end point yes but not a good map. 

Is it a day away no. Size a cave or remote site. Is it a cave yes but a fortalice like this one. Is there a trail no and only a verbal series of landmarks. Is time very pressing yes but open to some negotiation. 

Ajiwe is not full of charm. He lacks experience in schmooze. 

 

Does the offer seem handsome no. 

Ingle has the best wis of the party so it's fair to allow him a chance to look beneath the surface. Add 1 owing to Ajiwe's lowball and add 1 owing to an imperfect pitch. 12+2 is 14, exactly on Ingle's WIS score. Roll under means it fails but I will bear the near success in mind. 

However, the two sitting right beside him also heard the pitch and may draw their own conclusions.

Jack: a 10. Jack's WIS score is a 10. The +2 penalty means he makes no move to change Ingle's attitude nor raise it with the others.

Cied: a nat1! She picks up on the merchant's real concern. 

Naturally the first person she turns to is her partner, Pod. There's a certain amount of auto-success between them socially, but I make a CHA check for her anyway, and get a 6, good success. Pod and Cied will both raise the mission with the others once they are away from the bench.

 

The going rate for specialists like adventurers is very high. Only these level 1s, with no track record, could be offered rates similar to men at arms. But this party plans to garnish valuable monster trophies. 

 

Accordingly when Xantu asks what the man wanted, Ingle just shrugs and says, "a puny offer of road wages" 

But Cied, with an encouraging nod from Pod, raises her hand:

"He's feered o summat. Oi dursn't leave him lonely in th wilds"

 

Xantu's character: 2d8 on block/pull. He is superstitious and bloodthirsty. Wow, that's 3 superstitious characters!  He turns to Umbert and grunts: no I guess we're not hirelings, but I hope we're not crossing the God of merchants! 

Umbert, we recall, has an heroic bent. 

"I'll speak to the man. He may be in real need" he elects. 

Accordingly, later that night, Umbert and Ingle sit down with Ajiwe. 

"I don't think the knight is what he seems to be. I'm sorry i can't tell you more of what I'm headed for. But I really need protection in the wilds."

"How would this arrangement be? We'll use your mules to carry our gear and any monster trophies, and you allow us time to hunt as we go."

"Uh does that mean you'll travel for free?" (CHA 05 Ajiwe v CHA 02 Ingle)

"Haha no. It means we accept your original lowball offer."

And with that, they shake hands, Ajiwe reveals a little about where he wishes to travel, and the two parties arrange their bedding near each other.

Stepout

It's time to see the rate that Ajiwe has hired the party at, which is based on their combat equipment.   

Eryn: Polearm, sword, handaxe, dagger, chainmail, shield; a shortbow is rolled up in her bedroll. Wage 3/mth. 

Ingle: light club, sling, lholy symbol, holy water, eather armor. Wage 2/mth 

Jack: shortbow, shortsword, dagger, silver dagger, leather armor, wolfbane. Wage 2/mth 

Umbert: staff, dagger, sling. Wage 2/mth 

Pod and Cied: shortbow, leather armor, handaxe, dagger, garlic. Wage 2/mth x 2 

Kylie: Longbow, sword, chainmail, dagger. Wage 10/mth 

Xantu: Warhammer, shield, reinforced mail armor, handaxe, dagger. Wage 5/mth 

That comes to 28 gold coin per month. 

 

Xantu's armor, AC 4, sits between chain and plate. In the variant combat I'm running here armor ranges from AC3 for plate to AC7 for leather, but it represents layers.  

Shields have a different function and don't simply move AC down a point. 

2.2 Trackless Wilds

With Ajiwe taking the role of Navigator, and his two hires dedicated to driving his five mules, the eight adventurers need to take stock and adjust their party order.  

Pod and Cied feel that in deep forest their stealthy scouting won't work at the front. They would like to shadow the party out on a flank.  

That leaves Xantu needing a scout ahead of him. He's comfortable anchoring the Navigator. Jack steps up and takes on the role of Scout. He's extremely average at this, but he is dressed for it. 

Eryn looks over the squishy middle with Ajiwe Ygyourn, Affanwe, Ingle and Umbert all very easy prey. She offers to walk among them so as best to react to trouble. 

Kylie decides to sweep the rear.  

Party order: Jack, Xantu, five mules with Ajiwe Ygyourn, Affanwe, Ingle and Umbert, Eryn among them depending on the ground cover, then Kylie. The halflings out on a flank. 

Wherever possible packs and spare weapons are lashed onto the mules. The mules may be able to cover 12 miles/day. 

 

Wilderness watch 1 

Weather: heavy rain, wind fairly slow. Moon is waxing gibbous, two days away from full. 

Do they get lost (3 in 6) No, and... Ajiwe finds the first landmark. This gives him a bonus for the next check. 

Encounter check (3 in 6) No and... the party keeps to a brisk pace. 

 

Wilderness watch 2 

Weather: Storm. Travel distance halves, flash floods become a hazard. Fatigue of 1hp. 

Do they get lost (2 in 6 but adjusted back to 3 in 6 owing to the terrible weather) No and... Ajiwe finds the second landmark. This gives him a bonus for the next check. 

Encounter check (3 in 6 including hazards) Yes. Is it a natural hazard? Yes. 1 is swamp, 2-3 flood, 4-5 deadfall, 6 lightning. A 5, Deadfall. A tree falls onto the party order. It falls from the rear forwards and everyone except the halflings is a target.  

The first casualty

As this is an area attack, by something that can flatten anything human, it's SV vs Death. Kylie (nat1) yes, Eryn yes, Mules 1-5 yes, Umbert yes, Affanwe no, Umbert yes, Ygyourn yes, Xantu (nat1) yes Ajiwe yes, and finally Jack yes. 

Affanwe is caught by a massive limb, his spine snaps. As the others push beneath the limbs and leaves they find him gasping his last. 

Shall we carry him with us? 6, "Yes, there's a chance that we can find a good burial or cairn site before night." 

As parts of the mules' loads is rebalanced and the corpse strapped to one, the halflings and elves have time to scout around the area.

WIS check for Halflings and Elf. The halflings notice that some of the roots were axed.  This deadfall was not entirely a result of the storm. But there's no ambush.

"Shall we say summat?" Pod asks. Cied raises her eyebrows but offers no comment. Kylie looks as though she doesn't care one way or another.