Vengence of the Red Falcon - Jevox Lain

[Mathias]

Description:
You are a new recruit of the Bluecloaks Adventurer's and Mercenary's guild. The retired Bluecloak general Yuleso Harlowman, now magistrate of Kalorane, was performing a simple diplomatic mission when his caravan was pinned down by brigands. Unfortunately, the brigands are being led by Red Falcon, Yuleso's old nemesis. Their last hope is that Thirston will be able to find help before it's too late. There's only one way to find out. Roleplay!

Roles:
This story will be written by Mathias the Dungeon Master (DM) and Wolflord the Player Character (PC).

Roles - DM:
The DM will create the majority of the Non-Player Characters (NPCs) which includes monsters, allies, and everything in-between. The DM will control the personalities and actions of the NPCs. The DM will keep the PC's personality and actions closely tied to the PC's posts to date.

The NPCs will not be killed or harmed in any manor not approved by the DM. The DM will not kill the PC without approval of the PC.

The DM will create the setting. The DM will describe the action and give a general idea what is happening at the moment and in the storyline. The DM will end his post open for continuation by the PC. Instructions, or suggestions may be given to help move the story along in a fun and engaging manor, though the story will remain flexible at all times.

Roles - PC:
The PC will create the main character of the story and control his personality and most of his actions. The PC will provide a vivid description of the PC and slowly develop the character's personality, physical attributes, and further details as the story progresses.

The PC will be given plenty of opportunities to write the character's interactions in the world, and with NPCs. The PC will use his best judgment on how NPCs should be portrayed and show each proper respect, down to the lowly commoner. The PC should feel free to use any NPCs available in his post. The PC should not kill or harm any NPCs unless the DMs post suggests the option.

[Mathias]

"Steward. Bring me some water." The elderly man's voice struck upon Thirston's already frayed nerves. He was a fresh recruit to the Bluecloaks and was on his first mission and it hadn't been anything that he had imagined. He was saddle sore from the march over the countryside and ached all over. Though their destination was only a day and a half away at a leisurely ride, Thirston now feared that his first mission might be his last.

Misfortune befell them late that night, and now Thirston only wanted to arrive home at Kalorane in one piece. The entourage no sooner setup camp when they were harassed by a small group of bandits, consisting of a few goblins and at least one human. The skirmishers were quickly chased off by a couple of mounted outriders with very few injuries. Over the course of the evening they became weary after suffering through several more encounters.

"Here ya go." Thirston pulled aside the carriage's red velvet drapes and handed the pitcher of water to the regal man who called for him earlier. He didn't even acknowledge the young warrior's presence except for a harrumph.

"Where is my steward?" The well-dressed man spoke out indignantly. "I am only to be served by my steward."

"Sorry sir, he was killed in the last attack. Arten is sayin' his final rights." Thirston didn't appreciate the tone of the high and mighty Yuleso Harlowman, but he knew the magistrate's type. They weren't in a different class than him, they were like an entirely different breed.

"Oh." Yuleso blinked several times before clearing his throat. He took the pitcher and poured some in his goblet. "In any case, they do still teach manners in the Bluecloak's training facility?” The question was asked rhetorically, if not sarcastically. “They did when I first joined nonetheless."

"Yes sir. Sorry sir. Is that all sir?" Thirston brought himself to attention. Yuleso was right of course. The Kaloranian Bluecloaks prized themselves on their skills in battle and chivalry, almost as much as the Kaloranian army they regularly work alongside. Thirston's training was being tested to the fullest this night.

The magistrate sighed softly. "One more thing...what's your name son?"

"Thirston Portsmith, sir." He saluted with a flourish.

"Ah yes, Lieutenant Dever's told me about you." He twisted the tip of his elongated white mustache while considering a hard decision.

"She did...sir?" Thirston beamed with pride.

"Are you as fine a rider as she says?"

"I've been riding horses since I was young across this very countryside..." Yuleso waved him off.

"But are you good,” Yuleso leaned in close, “and I mean real good, because your life and ours may very well depend on it." The serious tone in his voice snapped Thirston's attention away from his ego.

"Yes sir." Thirston answered gravely.

The magistrate stoically sat straight again before sipping from his glass. "These hit and run tactics are well executed and can't be the mere work of bandits. Though their skills are lacking, they are being directed by a great leader."

"Who could it be?" Thirston wondered aloud, though he wasn't expecting an answer, especially not the one he was given.

"Red Falcon."

Thirston blinked away the shock. "But he's just an old wives's tale to scare little children."

"Oh, he's real. I fought him once, toe to toe. He gave me this scar for my efforts." Yuleso rolled his head to the side to reveal a jagged scar down his neck. "I sent that hobgoblin over a cliff for that, and thought he died in the fall. Until now. In the last attack, I heard his demented chuckle. I've never forgotten it." The retired Bluecloak visibly shivered at the thought.

Thirston blanched in horror. Red Falcon, the slayer of Hethbourne, the assasin of Breethna, and countless more. Bile rose in his throat. This can't be real.

"Pay attention boy. I don't want you to passing out on me now. I don't want you take him on. Quite the contrary, I want you to fly from here with all due speed. I need you to get help.

"Ride through the Fayah pass, straight on to the small town of Ethcalm. Call forth the Kaloranian garrison and any available Bluecloaks in the air.” Yuleso took off the golden medallion, chained around his neck. “Present to them my seal. The Kaloranian's will come, because it is their duty. The Bluecloaks will come out of loyalty for former members.


“Lead them to Mirtha Heights, just beyond the ridge.” Thirston knew the area Yuleso mentioned fairly well. “I'll have Arten meet you there with further instructions upon your return. You said you know these parts boy, right."

Thirston could only nod in acknowledgment. So much was counting on him.

"Why me, sir?"

"Your expendable." Not quite the answer Thirston was expecting, and it was quite a blow to his ego. "I'll be blunt with you private. You're not as experienced as the others and we're barely holding our own as it is. If I send even one of them, our position will be weakened.” Thirston could not deny that his inexperience to date made him feel quite useless here. “You know the lay of the land which will give you a fighting chance over some of the others."

"What about Fayah pass. Every attempt through it has been met with strong rebuke. How will I cross it?" Thirston wasn't looking for excuses to back out. Though the magistrate may think he was expendable, he did not.

"Don't worry about that. When the time comes, assistance will be provided. You'll leave at dawn when the sun is in the eyes of their archers."

See the following post for what I need from you next.

[Mathias]

Okay Wolflord, this is where you come in. If you like the story so far and would like to continue writing it with me, then I need you to answer a few questions. If not, post a message under the Bluecloak's Role Call thread to see if anyone else is interested.

Assuming you're interested, I'd like you to start with a simple introduction that answers the following questions. Try to work the answers into your storyline post, but if it doesn't fit, or you don't know yet, then don't force it. Ask questions, or put notes outside of the quotes.

Who is your character?
a. Name (pick a first and last name)
b. Gender (choose one: male or female)
c. Race (choose one: dwarf, elf, half-elf, halfling, human, or gnome)
d. Class, level 1 (choose one: Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, Wizard, or ask me for more options)
e. Physical description (simple equipment, armor, weapons, visible stuff, not every item)

Character Background
At this point your character is still fairly new to the Bluecloak's guild. Your character has been with the Bluecloaks for a few years, but you haven't seen any action. You may have pissed someone off to have been positioned at the small town of Ethcalm, or you could have grown up from the region perhaps even knowing or having befriended Thirston Portsmith in the past.

Don't give out your entire background, personality, character, and whatnot in one post. We'll develop the characters and the story over many posts.

Story continuation
I would suggest that you write a small introduction between your character and Thirston Portsmith sometime after the events above. You can leave it after that introduction, or carry it on further.

You'll pick up the story from Thirston reaching the town of Ethcalm. He has been severely injured and is dying. His wounds are caused from two arrows in the left arm, one pinning the arm to the chest, another in the left leg, and finally a shuriken to left of his stomach. The shuriken has cut through deep and is by far the worse of his injuries.

Thirston's horse has been shot twice in the left rump and once in the front left thigh. Thirsten may die and the horse may have to be put down unless your character can find healing for both.

The feather's on the arrows are dirty white except for one of the three sets that is painted red. Thirston is too injured to even speak about Yuleso's plight. You are charged the following tasks.

1. Discover Thirston collapsing at the town gates in mid-afternoon.
2. Take him to the local healer (you can make up this NPC if you want).
3. The local healer will stop him from dying, but it won't be until mid-morning the next day before he wakes up.
4. During the night, an assasin (Halfling Rogue level 1) will sneak into Thirston's room and attempt to kill him. Your character should stop it, but the room she get wrecked and you should be injured.

Thirston will wake from conciousness at the very end of your post. I will tell Thirston's run through the gauntlet as a flashback at that point.

The above are suggestions. You can fudge around the details and carry the story another way. Please take my suggestions under advisement and try to follow the INTENT of what I'm suggesting, not necessarily taking it as the LETTER of the law.

[Wolflord]

Jevox sighed and leaned back in his chair, bored. Ethcalm was a miserable hellhole, he thought for the umpteenth time. There's nothing interesting happening here, unless you're a farmer. At least it made his work easy. This was his second mug of ale, and it was only mid-afternoon, at the latest.

Lost in his thoughts, Jevox jumped in his chair and grabbed for his knife as the blood-curdling scream rent through the air. Being caught off-guard like that would earn him a beating in any real town, but in Ethcalm all he had to do was look pretty. He sprinted outside the tavern to see what was happening.

Swiftly, Jevox ran to the gates to investigate the source of the screams. It was a woman pointing off into the distance at a lone rider, his horse galloping down the road, a trail of blood following him from the woods. Jevox easily spotted the blue of his cloak, which marked him as a Bluecloak. Ah, but these capes were a damned inconvenience, he thought.

"Please fetch a stable boy to care for this man's horse, then return to your home please ma'am." Jevox said calmly. Without anything else to do, the maid nodded her head and went off in search of the stable master.

As the rider neared, Jevox realized that the man was unconscious. He looked like any other person in the village of Ethcalm, but that was to be expected if he was from these parts. All the people in this area looked much the same making it hard for Jevox, with his blue eyes and short black hair, to fit in.

The horse, noticing the familiar blue cloak and the stables nearby, slowed and came to a halt in front of the inn. The rider unceremoniously toppled off the horse. It was only then that Jevox realized that his chances for survival were slim. He had several arrows in his body, including his legs and arms. Those were all flesh wounds however, the major wound was caused by a small piece of metal lodged in his stomach. From his weapon studies, Jevox recognized it as a shuriken. It was a throwing weapon favored by assassins, and much shunned by others for it required great training. The horse also sported several arrows sticking out, but with the proper care it would heal up in days.

The stable master came outside with the woman in tow, and said "My, what have we here? The horse I can take care of, but you'd best be fetching the Wise Woman to deal with the man. That's beyond my control." With that, the man took hold of the horse's reins and led it into the warmth of the stables.

Jevox sprinted for the Wise Woman's house midway through town beside the bakery. He burst in without knocking, scaring the life out of the Wise Woman's apprentice. She curtly informed him that her mistress was birthing a baby, and would not be back until Sundown. With a curse that made her wince, Jevox left in search of the Wise Woman. I'll save this man if I have to drag her all the way there, Jevox thought.

After a quick interrogation of a couple of townsfolk, he arrived at the house and entered, once again without knocking. Luckily for him, the woman had already finished giving birth and was now being instructed in proper ways to care for a child. Jevox hated to interrupt, but he had no choice. "Excuse me miss, this will have to wait." He said, putting all the authority into his voice that came with the blue cape. "There's a man on the edge of town dying, and he desperately needs your help ma'am." He said, this time to the Wise Woman.

They left the house and slowly walked to the gates. Jevox spent more than a few minutes trying to convince her to run, but she stopped him by saying, "We'll get there when we get there, if he's supposed to live then he will. If not, then running won't matter."

When they arrived back where Jevox left the man, he saw that things weren't looking good. He laid there gasping for breath in a pool of his own blood. Each breath came with a rasping cough. The Wise Woman worked quickly, drawing out the arrows and stitching the wounds closed all the while chanting a soft prayer.

The shuriken represented a larger problem, for it seemed to have gotten stuck inside his stomach. She borrowed Jevox's knife to cut the skin off to get the shuriken out. After several agonizing minutes of sewing shut the stomach, she was finished. She said a soft prayer with her hands over his belly. It was then that he noticed a soft blue glow around her hands. "I've managed to keep him alive, although he'll be a long time in recovering. Did you manage to get his name or anything before he passed out?" She asked.

"No ma'am." He replied. "He was unconscious when he rode in here. The first thing I did was come to you. Thank you." She acknowledged his thanks with a small nod and said, "Get him a room in the inn, if anything changes come get me." and with that, she departed.

Jevox carried the man inside the inn and upstairs to a room on the second floor. Afterwards, he went downstairs and started to write his report. It was late evening before it was done and Jevox was just thinking longing thoughts of his bed back at the Guildhouse, when he decided that he should check in on the injured man. He walked upstairs and entered the man's room. Everything was fine and the man slept soundly on the bed. Just as Jevox was about to turn around and leave, he heard a small creaking of the boards outside.

He listened again for several seconds but heard nothing. He dismissed it as a cat or just his imagination playing tricks after a long day. He prepared to leave, but before he could the door knob started to turn. Pulling his warhammer from its sheath behind his back, Jevox gripped it with both hands, ready to face the intruder. The man who entered gaped in surprise, but recovered quickly. He lunged at Jevox, a dagger flashing into his left hand.

The man was small, extremely small. It took Jevox a moment to realize that the almost child-sized person he thought was a man was actually a gnome. The gnome was about half his size, swathed head to toe in a black cloak.

These thoughts registered quickly and Jevox dismissed them, as he stepped to the side and swung his warhammer, hoping to crush the gnome's skull. The assassin ducked and rolled underneath the warhammer, bringing his blade up to slash at Jevox's thigh. Only his training and quick reflexes allowed him to twist out of the way.

However, he hadn't noticed the other knife appear in the gnome's right hand, which plunged deep into his left calf. Jevox gasped audibly at the pain. He swung the butt of his warhammer down onto the gnome's face. He heard the satisfying sound of bone breaking. Jevox brought his elbow around, slamming it into his enemy's temple. With a sickening thud, the gnome fell to the floor.

The sound of the gnome hitting the floor seemed to awaken the man on the bed, for he looked up and gave a startled shout of surprise.
^_^; Sorry if it's too long, kinda got carried away haha

[Mathias]

The mountainside hissed with another volley of arrows. Thirston Portsmith cringed in anticipation as the tiny flecks angled down towards the road. He wore no armor to help increase his speed. His dark blue cloak flapped in the wind. Though normally the cloak would make him stand out along the dirt road of Fayah pass, the sun had not yet risen, so he blended into the shadows just before dawn.

The horse whinnied in pain, the fletchings of an arrow still vibrating in his flank. He skipped a step, and stumbled close to the cliff's edge. Under Thirston's guidance, the horse regained his balance and angled them back to the road.

"Hang in there Shepard. You're doing great." Thirston whispered into the horse's ear. He neighed sharply in retort. The horse knew just as well as he did that they were in dire straights.

Damn their luck! The sun was supposed to have risen over the mountain by now according to the prediction of Arten Brightholme of the Holy Light church of Kalorane. It's been at least ten minutes into the ride since the sun rose upon their camp farther down the hill. The sun hadn't yet peeked over the tall cliffs of mount Fayah and the Silver Sea beyond to the east. He nearly rode off the cliff several times, but his expert horsemanship and knowledge of the road saved him.

The darkvision possessed by the few goblins amongst the bandits had made him an easy target for their arrows. After several volleys directed by the goblins, they had finally gauged the distance properly. Shepard and he were wounded by several arrows now, the strength ebbing away to fatigue.

Fayah's pass was a dead man's zone, from the easy perch of an outpost some hundred feet above and fifty back up the hill. The pass followed around the hill along the cliff counter-clockwise with mount Fayah to the east and a small inlet between. It then circled clockwise around the inlet almost like a cursive 'U' until it turned around the corner. With mount Fayah on the west and the Silver Sea on the east, it would be a smooth ride for a few miles before reaching the small town of Ethcalm.

This was it for them. Another volley like that and they wouldn't make it to the end of the gauntlet. He spurred Shepard on, his only hope was to out pace the next shot, because they were just nearing the halfway point where he could reach some cover from a thin tree line. As they neared the bottom of the 'U' in the northwestern part of the pass, he heard the hiss of arrows once again. With a loud thunk, the arrows embedded themselves into the trees. Finally, a break in the storm.

"We've done it boy! We're through the worst of it, I'm sure." Thirston spoke reassuringly into the horse's ears. "You've done me proud."

Thirston's smile dropped from his face as they rounded the inlet. Though he had placed another fifty feet between them and the enemy archers, their entire right flank was now exposed with no cover of any kind to protect him for the last stretch. He could also see that their entire camp had been aroused, and more archers were joining their ranks.

Not a very religious man, Thirston nonetheless said a quick prayer. "Um, whichever god or gods maybe listening." He looked back to the line of archers briefly and flinched, squeezing the horse's flanks to spur him faster. The twang of arrows filled the air.

"How about Arten's god? Arten seems like a nice fellow after all. If I shouldn't make it through this, and I'm sure if you're looking down upon me now, you know all to well why I'm prayin', please make sure good ol' Shepard here makes it out to somewhere nice.

"I suppose as well, if you could help out Yuleso and the others, that would nice too. And you know what? I should be dead now, I'm not complainin' thank you very much, but what gives?"

In the distance Thirston heard a war cry. "For Kalorane!" The archers were no longer targeting him, but instead at a line of skirmishers that breeched their ranks. Several archers fell under the fury of the Kaloranian horsemen. The archers fell back, allowing the few spearmen guards at the outpost to ready against the charge. An overzealous horseman embedded his horse upon one of the spears. As the horse fell, the rider was pulled off the saddle and was set upon.

Another rider swung back from the retreat, swinging his sword to ward off the bandits surrounding his friend. The fallen rider quickly mounted behind the savior and held on tight for the saddles were not accommodating for two. They rode passed several swordsmen before escaping to the open road.

With the skirmishers in full retreat the enemy archers took aim upon Thirston and the retreating horsemen. Their shots were folly as the blinding sun finally rose above mount Fayah. Thirston heard a roar rise up from the skirmishers as they reached the cover of the forest. "For Kalorane!"

Thirston started to raise his left arm in cheer, before he realized that his left arm was pinned to his chest by an arrow. Instead he raised his right hand and cheered. "For Kalorane! For the Bluecloaks!" Thirston rounded mount Fayah, free of the gauntlet at last. Smoke from the chimney's of Ethcalm were already distinctly seen in the distance. He was going to make it. He was going to be a hero. He was going to die.

Thirston slowed his horse down to a trot, standing in the straps not only to stretch, but to make the ride easier on him. He had ridden the horse hard and both of them needed a break. A few more minutes at that pace, and Shepard would have died from exhaustion.

A nearby tree creaked as it strained under some thing's weight. Thirston looked in the direction of the noise, but didn't catch sight of what caused it. A moment later, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach, doubling him over. He desperately wrapped his right hand around the horse's mane. He urged the horse to move faster once again. Only a mile away from Ethcalm he had to risk the ride, or die here in the saddle.

Thirston's face whitened as he lifted himself up enough to see the wound. The pain intensified as he coughed up blood. What was that, shrapnel? He blanched at the large amount of blood pouring down his sides. So close, he had almost made it. "Don't forget me now gods. You helped me at the pass, and now I need you just this one last time." Thirston looked ahead, but only saw trees dancing back and forth across the road as his vision blurred to black. "Damn it."Wolflord, please highlight the following bullet points in your next post.

1. The gnome does not have any shurikens.
2. The gnome has one item of interest, a tattoo on his bicep of a Bluecloak with a Red Falcon on it.
3. In your research into the guild's local records, you discover that the gnome was the ex-Bluecloak you replaced at this post, and was believed dead. Imagine his shock at seeing his skilled replacement Jevox when first entering the room in the inn.
4. While performing your research, the healer performs some last minute checkups and healing (0-level orison cure minor wounds of one hit point if you want). Thirston has to sleep for the rest of the day after his speech.
5. After performing your research, you prepare the evidence and research for Commander James Poleman of the Kaloranian garrison at Ethcalm, when you discover the gnomes body and evidence is gone.
6. The soldier guarding the shed/room/stable stall of the now missing body says he knows nothing of it. While you bend over to look at the dried blood and any possible tracks he/she attacks. He/she surrenders after being severely wounded.
7. End the post before meeting James Poleman.

Have fun with the conspiracy. Lay on the dislike of the Kaloranian garrison to you and the Bluecloaks in general. While the Kaloranian army normally works well with the Bluecloaks, this bunch does not. And remember, these are guidelines only, and you are only recommended to follow the INTENT of them.

[Wolflord]

Jevox listened to the Bluecloak's story as he wrapped his wounds and searched over the gnome. Thirston, as he introduced himself, had no clue why anyone would want him dead enough to send an assassin, as his only memorable deed was coming here to warn about the attack. Jevox's search of the gnome revealed some interesting things. First off, he didn't have any shurikens, so there was at least one more assassin out there. What's more, he has a Bluecloak tatoo, one that every member gets when they are fully joined in the ranks, but with a red falcon tatood in the middle of it. It's a marking that Jevox had never seen before.

Using pieces of the gnome's cloak, Jevox bound the gnome's hands and feet, he then carried the body and handed it over to the Kaloranian army barracks, before grabbing the Wise Woman and taking her back in to look at Thirston once more. She stitched up Jevox's wound, all the while muttering a small prayer, and changed Thirston's bandages, still muttering the same prayer. “Sleep now, I'll be back to check on you this evening.” The Wise Woman said to Thirston, and dragged Jevox out of the room with her. His leg felt great, there was no pain and the limp was very minor.

He sat back down with a sign and started adding the recent attack into his report. A nagging suspicion started to form in the back of his mind. If the gnome was a Bluecloak, he thought, then maybe there will be information on him in the local records? Jevox got up and crossed the street to the Town Hall. He went into the Records Room, and quickly found the lists of all the new Bluecloaks in the area over the past 5 years. The list included home towns, species, ages, birth dates, and their current location and status.

Curiously enough, only one gnome had joined in the past 5 years, and he was missing, presumed dead. Jevox was also surprised to find out that the person who replaced the gnome's post was himself. He went back to the Inn and added all this into his report. He decided that this was more of a military matter, and so he went to see the Captain James Poleman, but to stop and question the gnome first.

Upon arriving at the Barracks, he's challenged by two Kaloranian soldiers. Normally the Blue Cloaks and the military get on well, but in this area of the world their relationship is tense and formal, at best. The Army in these parts is scarcely needed, and don't look kindly on Bluecloaks taking their work and “making a nuisance of themselves.” After a short arguement with them about his business, Jevox was admitted. “Glad to see you boys are doing a bang up job on security, and keeping intruders out.” he said by way of a parting shot on the way out. The curses that came back as a reply made Jevox sigh.

He proceeded to the prison room where the gnome was being held. The Barracks here was pretty small, with only a small ground-floor room with no windows to serve as the prison. The guard outside said that nobody or nothing had come this way since the prisoner was admitted, and opened the door for Jevox. It took Jevox a moment to realize that the gnome was missing from the room. He suspected foul play, and immediately began to inspect the room for signs of entry or a struggle.

He was examining the floor looking for blood stains or footprints when he heard the sound of a sword exiting its sheath. He stood up and spun around to see the guard stood there, his sword blade pointing out towards Jevox, and said “You're interfering with our plans here, and so you must die.” Jevox pulled out his warhammer and stepped forward. The guardsman lunged forward. It was a clumsy lunge, and Jevox sidestepped it and kicked out the man's legs, sending him sprawling. As the man started to regain his feet, Jevox rushed in and swung his warhammer past the sword's guard, slamming into the man's right wrist. The man dropped his sword with a startled yell as the bones in his wrist shattered, and shouted “Okay! Okay! I give up, I surrender! I'll talk, please don't kill me!”

Jevox bound the man's hands behind his back, ignoring his whimpering and groaning, and led him out of the cell. He had the man in front of him, directing him to Captain Poleman's office.
More story-time!

[Mathias]

“Captain, you may want to come out here.” The guardsman spoke calmly with a hint of urgency. He turned his head slightly towards the door of the captain’s chambers, keeping an eye and his halberd trained on the cause of his concern. “This Bluecloak’s gone crazy, sir.”

Jevox sighed in exasperation. He didn’t want to waste his time with a subordinate, so he went straight to the captain of the Kalorane garrison. Of course, he was met with resistance as he prodded Benedict Reid, the guardsman that tried to kill him a few minutes earlier, through the barracks.

“Jevox,” Lieutenant Jonathon Spiers pleaded with calm authority. His hands were outstretched and open, symbolizing his peaceful intentions. “There is no need for further violence. Lower your weapon and release Benedict. I promise, no harm will come to you.” Though, he believed Jon was speaking truthfully, the dozen soldiers behind him with their hands on the pommels of their swords told another story.

Jonathon stood straight at five feet ten inches with practiced perfection. He was well built with muscles honed from hours of intense exercise. The unrestricted determination of the soldier's will was deep set in his lustrous blue eyes. His shoulder length brown hair, mustache, and beard were neatly trimmed. His standard issued uniform was impeccable with stained black accessories and leather armor set against forest green cloth. The green prowling panther emblem was artistically painted over the heart on the worn leather armor. The barracks of Ethcalm were not well supplied, being a small outpost in a relatively safe region. Even so, Jonathon took pride in himself and his equipment and it showed with well-oiled armor, boots, and gloves.

Jevox spat blood discreetly onto the back of his prisoner, trying to avoid being rude while the one ally he may have was speaking. While suffering no injuries during the fight with Benedict, the guardsman had clipped him across the side of the face in a last ditch escape effort, as Jevox attempted to put him in a pair manacles. His vision was slightly blurred from the whole ordeal. “Look Lieutenant.” Benedict shifted his stance, prompting a slight nudge to his back from Jevox’s warhammer. “I mean no disrespect, but I’m not doing anything until I see the captain.”

Jonathon held his stance. He feared any rash action might set his men upon the mercenary in a moments notice. Though Jevox was an outsider and far from being a friend, he was a respected member of the community. He held his stance and kept his men in line while they waited for Captain James Poleman to make his appearance.

After five minutes of waiting, they were graced by the presence of the captain. His slouched back and sour demeanor was in strict contrast to his lieutenant. “What the hell is going on out here? I’m not to be disturbed while I’m eating.” He wiped a brown sauce from his lips onto his food stained sleeves. It was apparent that his uniform had fought off more food than brigands of late.

The captain shoved the tail of his shirt tightly into his pants, emphasizing his rotund belly. It was obvious that he had shunned his dutiful exercise routines in favor of his corpulent lifestyle. The richly furnished chambers Jevox spied through the open door bespoke of wealth uncommon for a captain, let alone from this small farm community. “What are you doing Bluecloak? Let my man go now!” His voice screeched, sounding more like a naive child demanding a toy back after his parents took it from him. Benedict smiled.

Jevox closed his eyes for just a moment to stop the world from spinning. “No, sir. Your guardsman just tried to kill me.”

“Well, he must have had a good reason? What did you do?” The captain insinuated Jevox’s guilt in an attempt to coax a confession of his wrongful deeds. Jevox decided to give him exactly what he wanted.

“I had just discovered that he’s a traitor working for the Red Falcon.” The warriors of the barracks started to unsheathe their weapons, visibly upset with mere mention of treason within their own ranks. Jonathon raised his closed right hand. They stopped in mid-stride, respectful of their commander.

The captain blathered incoherently in retort to Jevox’s accusations. Finally, the captain gathered his wits and his tongue. “That can’t be! My troops are loyal to me and me alone.”

“Don’t you mean Kalorane?” The Bluecloak corrected him.

The captain’s burst of outrage had tugged the tail of his shirt out again. He calmed himself, realizing that he had misspoken. It wasn’t the first time, his lieutenant noted. “Yes, of course.” The captain corrected himself as he tucked his shirt back in. “Nonetheless, this man can’t be traitor, I trained him myself.”

That explains why I’m still alive, Jevox noted. The captain had grown slack in his duties from what he had gathered from his rumor mill. “I entrusted the Kaloranian army with guarding an assassin. When I returned, the gnome was gone and Benedict here tried to kill me.”

Lieutenant Spiers pointed at private Baker, pointed two fingers to his eyes, and then pointed to the hall leading to the cells. He used military hand signals to have Lillian Baker check out the story, so the Bluecloak could get his side out without interruption. Something wasn’t adding up here and he had an invested interest in knowing the truth.

Captain James Poleman stared at Jevox, confused for a moment as he silently mouthed the name Benedict. Recognition set in. “Is this true soldier? Did you let the assassin go?” He demanded of Jevox's prisoner.

Jevox felt nauseous again, releasing his grip just slightly, but it was enough. “No sir, it was the Bluecloak. He let him go.” Benedict said with pure hatred. He twisted his arm and pulled away from Jevox. He stared straight into the eyes of Jevox, desperation creeping over him. “The Bluecloak knocked me down and let him go. I tried to stop him, but it was too late. The gnome had already escaped.” He smiled gravely. “You have to trust me, I'm Kaloranian soldier.”

Private Lillian Baker appeared then and nodded to her commander. Jonathon spoke up. “I’ve been guarding the door since Jevox arrived. There is no way he could have left through the front doors.”

“Or he could have gone through the side door to the alley.” The wounded mercenary, Thirston Portsmith stood at the door, holding his stomach in pain. “I saw that man escorting the gnome down the alley.” He pointed at Benedict.

Benedict blanched as he took a step back, starting to look very nervous. The captain defended him, albeit more out of hatred for the mercenaries. “You’re just another Bluecloak, you’d defend each other no matter what. I would never...”

“Then would you believe me?” The wise woman, Mirrian Clovers, stepped past Thirston. “Now get back in bed young man. You’ve done your duty enough for today.” Thirston gave a slight nod to his counterpart Jevox. As Thirston left with a knowing smile she continued. “I was tending to the young man in his room when we both saw it. You should be ashamed child, you have dishonored the Kaloranian army with your actions.”

Mirrian was like a grandmother to all of them, having raised a couple of them from birth. None of them could deny her words. With a mere motion from Lieutenant Spiers, his warriors grabbed the traitor.

The soldiers pulled Benedict Reid kicking and screaming to the cells in the back. Just before he was out of sight, he laid down a curse upon them. “You won't get away with this Bluecloak. None of you! You'll rue the day you got in the way of the Red Falcon.”


Wolflord to do list:
1. Captain James Poleman finally agrees to listen to Jevox and Thirston's story. Jevox doesn't mention the fact that the gnome was formerly a Bluecloak in fear of a prejudice reaction to his request for aid.

2. The captain agrees to send a small strike force on horseback to aid Yuleso. He is too self-centered to leave him or the town, so he says, defenseless. The rest stay in the garrison, with runners sent to the port city of Undertow for reinforcements.

3. The strike force consists of Lieutenant Jonathon Spiers (Male, human, Fighter 1), Lillian Baker (Female, human, Warrior 1) a supporter of Jon's, Trent Hallows (Male, human, Warrior 1) a supporter of James, Jevox ??? (Male, ???, ??? 1), and Thirston Portsmith (Male, human, Warrior 1).

4. As they leave town to the northwest to go around the mountain along safer passage mountain to come up on the raiders from behind, the party is ambushed by some human and goblin brigands.

5. The battle starts with a single shuriken lodging in a tree next to Thirston. The attacker is quickly lost as the traitorous former Bluecloak gnome and brigands attack. The gnome attempts to harry them with a couple arrows before mounting a pony and escaping. He leaves the brigands behind without a care. Feel free to name the gnome.

6. The shuriken assailant is no where to be seen. At least a few of the strike force should be wounded, but not seriously.

You don't have to tell every single detail of the accompanying NPCs. Highlight Jevox, Thirston, and Jonathon. Post or PM any questions you may have.

[Wolflord]

Captain James Poleman gave a grunting sigh and said “Very well then Bluecloak, come into my apartments, and tell me what's going on.” He turned around and waddled back into the door he came from. Jevox breathed a quick sigh of relief, and followed Lieutenant Jon Spiers after the Captain. Jevox approved of Spiers, and thought that if anyone should command the garrison, it was him. He walked into the room, and was let out a sharp intake of breath.


The room was extravegant beyond any reason. All the chairs were covered in satin, worked with gold. It seemed everywhere Jevox looked, gold glittered back at him. A Captain's salary alone wouldn't pay for all this. A half finished lamb shank sat on the desk where the Captain sat, already picking up his knife and fork, engrossed in his meal.


Spiers and Jevox sat quietly for a few minutes, allowing the Captain to finish his meal. It became apparent however, as the time passed that the Captain had forgotten about them. Jon Spiers let out a small cough, and said “Don't you think that we should hear what Jevox has to say, and decide what to do about it?” the Captain looked up, surprised. “Oh, yes. Well, go on then, I'm a busy man. I don't have all day. Out with it man!” Jevox surpressed a snort of contempt, and launched into his story, starting with finding Thirston, and finally ending up at the Kalornian Garrison. He included Thirston's story as well, along with his plea for aid.


“I believe that we should send men into the woods to aid Magistrate Yuleso. The Bluecloaks are very short staffed, as our monthly report indicates, but I think that this falls under the Kalornian military.” he said, after his finishing his story. The Captain had siezed eating his meal, right about the time Red Falcon was mentioned. “So what you're telling me.” he said, sweat beading on his forehead, “is that Red Falcon is real, and he's near Ethcalm?” Jevox nodded, and he could visibly see the fear start to overwhelm Captain Poleman “Well, precautions must be taken. Double the guard on the walls, nobody comes in or out!” Jevox jumped up, starting to protest loudly, but was cut off when Lieutenant Spiers laid a hand on his arm. “With all due respect sir, I believe we should do what Jevox is requesting, and send some men out to protect the Magistrate.”


Captain Poleman thought about it for just a moment. While he saw the Magistrate as out of his area, his desire to go into politics in Kalorane would not be helped if the Magistrate went unaided and died in his area. After much grumbling, he finally said “Very well, naturally I can't spare too many men, it would leave the town open to bandit attacks. Spiers, you go with that woman that's always gallavanting about. Obviously the two Bluecloaks have to go. Oh, and take Hallows with you.” The faint smile that had been playing around Lieutenant Spiers' mouth faded almost instantly. Apparently this Hallows fellow was not a pleasant man. “Thank you sir, we won't let you down. We'll get mounts from the stables and we'll be on our way in an hour or two. I also plan to send a messenger to Undertow, and request mroe men.” Spiers said, and with that he turned his back and walked away.


The Captain sat there for a moment, lost in thought. He looked up, and upon seeing Jevox still there he barks “Well man! Don't you have somewhere to be? Get on with it!”

Jevox Lain (Male, Human, Fighter 1)
This was kind of a long one, so I'm gonna update the rest in a bit. Halfway done :D

[Wolflord]

Jevox burst through the Captain's door and down the hallway. He sped on out of the Kalorne barracks, and across the street to the Bluecloak's chapterhouse. Collecting a change of clothes, a rucksack, and some coins from his room, he left again and proceeded back outside towards the barracks. There he met up with Lieutenant Speirs, Thirston, a hard, no-nonsense looking woman who introduced herself as Lillian Baker, and another man in Kalornian Military garb, who said his name was Trent Hallows. They were all wearing breastplates and had saddlebags on the ground before them, and Lillian Baker carried a small bow made of yew.


In moments horses were led out for them, the soldiers who brought them snapping crisp salutes to Spiers before marching inside the gate again. “Alright, so we all know our way around this area, correct?” Said Spiers, “Even so, we're going to let Thirston take the lead, for he knows where Yuleso is. I'm going to be beside him, with Trent and Jevox behind us. Lillian will guard our rear.” with the marching order set, the party mounted up and rode out of the city. Far in the distance, Jevox could make out a Kalornian messenger heading for Undertow.


The first 2 hours of the journey were uneventful. Jevox even found himself enjoying the time, for Trent Hallows was great company, a sly and witty man who saw what others would normally miss. His biggest fault that Jevox could see, was an unwavering loyalty to Captain Poleman. The group came upon a fork in the road, and while Jevox was laughing at a joke, told to him by Hallows, he saw Thirston whisper to Lieutenant Spiers, who made a motion to quiet down and said “Alright everyone, the path to the right is the direction of the mountains, while the left will take us around, which is safer and will allow us to ambush them from behind.” The rest of the forest seemed to go silent as Spiers' words were spoken. “Once in these woods there may be dangers, so everyone should keep their eyes out.” Jevox eased his warhammer in its sheath, and looked over to see Hallows attaching his shield and pulling out a wicked looking mace.


An hour after the fork, the group stopped to rest and get a drink at a stream running through the forest. As everyone else is getting a drink, Thirston is reaching into his saddle bags to find a potion given to him by the Wise Woman. It is because of this that the shuriken whistles over his head, sticking in a tree on the other side of the stream. As everyone in the party looks up, a group of armed humans and goblins burst from the trees, led by the gnome assassin. They are wielding a variety of weapons, and are wearing leather armor with the identical tabard as the gnome's tatoo. With a curse Jevox draws his warhammer, and leaps into the fray. The shouts and clashes of steel on steel spook the party's horses, and Thirston who is still mounted is thrown into the stream when his horse rears. Jevox quickly sidestepped a swordthrust, and slammed his warhammer into the man's face. At that moment, one of the Goblin's crashes into him, an arrow from Lillian punching a hole in his throat. Jevox is borne to the ground and his warhammer is lost in the chaos. Grabbing the goblin's sword, he leaps up and parries a blade from another of the Goblin assailants, and stabs his sword into its chest.

Jevox looked away from the dying Goblin to see Hallows block one of the gnome's arrows with his shield, and slam his mace into a man's stomach. Lillian steps past him, her bow forgotten and her sword out, forcing two of the goblin's back, with blood streaming from a cut on her face. He looks over at the gnome to see him riding swiftly away on his pony. When he looked back, he saw the battle was over, and all the brigands lay dead. Spiers limped over to Jevox, with an arrow sticking out of his leg and said to him “Damn, they must have been forewarned of our coming.” He sits down and begins to draw the arrow out of his leg, with Lillian coming over to stitch it for him. Hallows wanders over to the man that Jevox killed, and shouted “Wow, so you killed someone with that big carpentry tool of yours huh??” He then moved about the clearing, trying to calm down the horses.


Jevox laughed and whispered to Spiers “Hey I thought by your grimace this guy was gonna be unpleasant.” Spiers gave Hallows a quick glance, before whispering back in a low voice “No, he's good company. Just one of Captain Poleman's biggest toadies and an unbearable bootlicker. Good man to have in a fight though.” Just then, Thirston emerged soaking wet from the stream, coughing up water. Jevox walked over to him and gave him a huge slap on the back and said, in a carrying voice “Thirston, nice to see you enjoyed your swim while the rest of us fought for our lives!” Thirston looked mortified and immediately started to bristle at the comment. “Calm down Thirston, it was merely a joke!” admonished Lillian, who was now having her cut sewn up by Spiers “Any one of us could have been in your position had we lacked the foresight to get off our mounts.”


The group decided to call it a night, for it was late and they wouldn't make much progress. After setting a watch rotation, the group settled down to sleep, with Hallows taking the first watch.


Lol, took me long enough eh?

[Mathias]

“Darnold,” the sniffling goblin called out the hoary leader of the human brigands known as Tuurzun's Ruffians, “The thrice-damned gnome has returned.” The scrawny goblin spat in disgust. Though the brigands had lost countless encounters with the mercenary guild in the mountains just a few months prior, this former Bluecloak worked for them now, but it came at a price that only the Red Falcon knew. Ot'Kar Zitk sniffed the air, there was a sweet smell of jasmine on the breeze. The foul odor burned his sinuses, causing him to sneeze once more. “Damn allergies.” He muttered as he drained his nose on the sleeve of his jade tunic.

Darnold Weaverson nodded his acknowledgment. He watched as the revolting goblin, who appeared, if it's even possible, more sickly green than his brethren, sprint to his master like the lap dog that he was. Darnold led his hodgepodge of commanders to the Red Falcon's tent. He wasn't surprised that G'ir Yakin and the lieutenants of his Jade Drakes were already there. Ot'Kar obviously kept his old loyalties after the Red Falcon promoted the shaman as his aid.

Tuurzun's Ruffians paced about the campgrounds impatiently waiting outside the Red Falcon's tent. His sun-tanned ruffians wore the varied equipment and outfits that they had scrounged off their past victims. Their belongings as well as themselves were ill-kept, because they saw no need in wasting their efforts when they'd probably replace them within a couple of months. Darnold, of course, wore the best scale mail armor with a masterwork battle-axe on his back. Though he bore them in pride, he too shared in the company's mandate.

The Jade Drakes, on the other hand, sharpened their weapons with whetstones and oiled their armors. They were fairly uniform in their grungy attire of forest green tunics, leather trousers and armor. The command staff wore their colors in jade and bore aged, almost vertical scars across their studded leather armor. Though normally G'ir and his lieutenants never removed their armor in public, Darnold caught a glimpse of G'ir's bare chest once and was surprised that he bore the scars bodily as well. When confronted, G'ir smiled with a grimace and whispered, “Reborn from the maw of a dragon, I was.” Further questioning ended in aggression.

Half an hour later, the flap of the tent was pulled aside and held open by Ot'Kar. The sniveling gnome assassin, Rillian Rootmire, stepped out and to the other side. “Stand back now, your lord Red Falcon comes.” The tall, burnt orange hobgoblin flowed out from under the tent with an unmeasured grace. He stood as tall and straight as an average man, but he had the presence of a giant. The goblins cowered in fear, while the men knelt in deferential respect.

“Huzzah,” the brigands all responded in turn to the Red Falcon's cheer, “we shall strike down upon the Kaloranian encampment this night.” There were grunts of approval, their patience had waned during the week long siege. They had whittled the Kaloranions down to a mere two squads of ten infantry, one squad of ten horseback skirmishers, Magistrate Yuleso, and a few stragglers.

“Foot skirmishers, draw out their riders to the west as we have done for the past few nights. Shelter in the fox holes until they pass. Human infantry split into two squads, wedge the encampment from the west as the skirmishers retreat, splitting the camp into thirds. They have set a carriage between two large rocks to inhibit an assault on the northern-western side. Squad of goblin archers cover them from the northern hilltop as they breech the barricade.

“Horseback skirmishers, one squad each flank north and south of the encampment to the cliff's edge. G'ir joins me in the goblin infantry squad as the tactical reserve. We cut down those foolish enough to follow the foot skirmishers retreat, join up with that squad, close the pincer, and tear through the core.” The commanders nodded in agreement.

“Darnold, I charge you to join four of your best men as the rear guard. A mixed unit of two Bluecloaks and three Kaloranians will reach us shortly from the northern pass. You are all that stands between them and the archers. I can't afford their interference in this last assault.” The Red Falcon surveyed his commanders for questions. There were none. They had all been trained in these tactics, and though the grunts executed them poorly, they were effective enough for this expected route. “You have my orders, Huzzah.”

“We follow and obey, Huzzah!” The brigand's reply carried on the wind under the menacing cackle of the Red Falcon. The hobgoblin turned to enter the tent once more when a strong hand gripped his shoulder. The Jade Drakes unsheathed their swords as one, reviled by the impetuousness of someone touching their master. The man realized his mistake immediately and backed away, but his anger and frustration could not be sated by common sense.

“After all I've done, why am I denied the pleasure of leading my men on the final raid to babysit the northern pass? I have put way too much...” Darnold's slavering rant was cut off unexpectedly when the Red Falcon's heavy gauntlet swiftly slammed into Darnold's jaw with a meaty smack. Two teeth flew out in a spray of blood as the human stumbled back a few steps. In the blink of an eye the hobgoblin swept the feet from under the portly brigand. The thief fell like a dead tree and turned his face skyward with about as much effect. The Red Falcon's knee crushed against the man's neck, slamming his cheek back to the rocky dirt. Through the corner of his eye, he could see the disparaging site of his lord and master's disapproving gaze. Darnold's restricted windpipe allowed him only enough breath to respond as he had been trained countless times since he was first recruited by the hobgoblin. “Death is preferable to your wrath. I remember my place now, my lord.”

The Red Falcon nodded his approval and released the man from his pin. Darnold had grown boisterous lately and it was time to put him back in his place. He didn't fear retribution for he had beaten the will out of the men a long time ago. Though the leader of Tuurzun's Ruffians had been disgraced, he would still hold enough respect from his men to fulfill the mission before them. The gray-beard gathered his strength a minute later. He swatted away the hands of his second as he tried to help him up. The men stormed after their leader who now sported a swollen lip and a deep purple bruise that ran down the side of his neck.

“Why did you not kill him, my lord?” Ot'Kar asked shortly after the Jade Drakes stealthily left to ready their squads.

“I need him a little longer. What happens to him after this battle does not matter. The usefulness of these humans are coming to an end.” The Red Falcon sneered in disgust.

“What about the thrice-damned gnome?” The goblin squinted his eye in anticipation of a rebuke. His divinations so far could not fathom the fate the gnome had in store for them, but he had to find out even knowing the cost.

The backhand of the Red Falcon stopped short, cutting a razor thin scratch across his cheek. “That is not of your concern, curd. I forgive you this once, and only once. Do not ask again.”

“My deepest apologies, my lord.” He kissed the rings smelted over the fingers of the heavy gauntlet several times. “And your plans, my lord, for the goblins?” The shaman rubbed his staff gently.

“Will join Motapha in his holy quest, after they have fulfilled their part of the bargain.” The hobgoblin flexed his finely-tuned muscles as if daring the gods to try and stop him now. “I will have my revenge upon Yuleso and take back what is rightfully mine.”

“Yes, my lord. Motapha will be pleased.” The shaman bowed as he backed away to perform his sacrifices to Orpheaus, his most-feared draconic god.

An hour later, Rillian Rootmire darted behind a large oak tree a mile from the brigand camp. He scrutinized the forest around him to ensure that he wasn't followed. He shuffled through his pack until he found a simple metal cylinder with leaves engraved around it. As the gnome rubbed the length of the rod with his thumb the leaves appeared to flow around like they were carried by a gust of wind. He spoke the command words, “Knowledge shared.”

He spoke into the magical device with trepidation. “White king, red knight takes black bishop. Black rook to country farm. Blue pawn takes gray pawn. Green pawn to open sea. White bishop out.”


Wolflord's guidelines for the next post.

1. Add more character development.
2. Darnold starts a landslide that nearly drives the adventurer's over a cliff.
3. They race under the landslide before it picks up too much speed to avoid being pinned. Lillian Baker and her horse disappear over the ledge.
3. Just as Thirston readies his horse to bolt, a shuriken slices his shoulder, pinning him to a tree stunning him for a moment. This saves him from a large boulder that would have killed him. He tears his cloak off the blood stained shuriken and makes his run. The shuriken stays embedded in the tree!
4. Everyone except Lillian should come through fine with cuts and bruises only. I will develop the story about the shuriken in the next post. After that, you'll get your mid-boss fight. And if you survive, :), we'll finish your first adventure in the following posts.