A Keg for Dragon [IC]

[ludomastro]

Alexander lets the dwarf deal with the injured while he makes sure the goblins are all either very dead or very securely tied up.  He waltzs along humming a wordless tune he heard from some children in the city.

Not a bad little dancing tune.  Now, I wonder, what lyrics would go with a lovely little diddy like that?

[Catodon]

Vandarzryx apporaches the spot he left the last goblin curled in fear.

[Antilles]

Vandarzryx walks out to the road, glad to have room enough to spread his wings, and finds himself close to the remaining goblin and Alexander, who has checked all the other goblins for signs of life and found none, and is currently deliberating what to do with the last one.

[ArawnNox]

Lauren tries to keep Thomas from straining himself. "Keep still ye fool human, ye'll only make it worse."

She gets up and moves to the pack Ssryn was kind enough to stealth over to her. She rummages in the pockets for the flask and hands it off to the merchant. "Jest enough to dull th' pain, now."

[Antilles]

Peddler Thomas gives Lauren a sly smile as he takes the flask with a slightly trembling hand. "This stuff's even better than dwarven whiskey when it comes to dulling the pain... although it doesn't taste nearly as good." He downs the flask's contents in one big gulp and takes a deep breath before uttering a long, content sigh. As he does, a remarkable change occurs in him. His color returns to normal, his breathing becomes less labored, and his trembles stop. Then, in one smooth, if a little stiff, move he stands up. He quickly checks underneath his bandage, and from the quick peek Lauren gets, the wound looks like it's a week old. He replaces the bandage, rubs the wound gently while talking half to himself, half to Lauren.
"Still stings a little, but at least I'm well enough to continue travelling. The potions were worth every silver I paid the alchemist down in... in..."
At this point he spots Vandarzryx just down the road, and stands rooted to the spot, staring slackjawed at him. "Is that... a drake? Huh, never seen one before... By the Gods, it's big!"
He seems completely entranced by the drake.

[Catodon]

Vandarzyrx “Alexander, best rope this bandit before he comes to is senses. He has questions to answer. I will know if there are more and where they lair” The drake then spys the newcomer on the road with the dwarf from the caravan. Vandarzryx turns and approaches. It could be a coincidence that when he turns his tail lashes around to break saplings at the road edge, likewise the way his head and chest plates are angled just so and the low sun blazes across his bronze scales like fire, and he often walks so upright and makes that low rumbling purr. Yeh right, put together it looks like he is trying too hard to impress.

“Greetings, it is well for you I happened along this road. What is your name?”

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Impress
His scales blazing in the low sun. (1d20+5=11)

[ludomastro]

Alexander wrinkles his nose as he ties up the limp goblin.  "You'd think nothing so small could smell so large."

As he completes the knot, Alexander runs his hand through his hair before rolling the goblin with his foot toward the rest of the group.

He is humming one of the tunes he has been working on as he slowly pushes the goblin.

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I presume that Alexander has rope.  If not, he'll ask to borrow some.

Athletics to rope use = 16

[Fiendbasher]

With the reappearance of Vandarzryx, Ssryn is sure she isn't the scariest thing around anymore; no need to stay quite so carefully out of sight. With the rest of the group occupied for the moment she finds the tallest tree she can near the road and begins to work her way up it. First leaning against it, pushing her upper body as high as she can and grabbing a branch, then pulling her lower body up and wrapping it tightly around the tree, she repeats this process until she's as high into the tree's crown as it can support her weight.

Once there, she uses the vantage point to gain a good look at the state of the road behind and ahead of the group, as well as trying to trace it as far as she can toward their destination.

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Climb check: 1d20+10=19 (believe climbing a tree would be a 10 DC)
Notice check: 1d20+5=25 (not sure if it's notice or search... it's also limited by what you think she could see up there, and you may do the rolls for her if you think it's more appropriate )

[Antilles]

Vandarzryx makes his way towards the peddler and the dwarf woman in a slow, measured pace, allowing the peddler to witness the majesty of drakes. It's been Vandarzryx's experience that it's often easier, and less messy, to deal with the smaller species if they're in awe rather than fear. It seems to have some effect on the peddler, but he's still wary of the drake, even though he tries to be as civil as possible towards the large approaching drake.
"I, ah, yes, it was very fortunate for me that that you all were here, sir drake. I'm Thomas, most people call me Peddler Thomas. I've just come from Northpoint, the nearest village, and was heading south for the winter."

Alexander securely ties the last goblin, noticing that he's completely unresponsive, almost like he's sleeping but awake at the same time. Getting anything out of him might take some time.

Ssryn makes her way up the tree and finds a decent vantage point. The road currently runs almost perfectly north-south, so looking in the four compass directions she sees: West is thick forest almost all the way to the horizon, with no sign of life. South is more forest and the road you've traveled on, with no sign of life and the last village to far away to see any signs of. To the east is more forest, though it stops suddenly at the foot of a large mountain range known as the Jagged Reaches, once the border of the northern dwarven empire. If the road is mostly due north-south the mountain range is northwest-southeast, with the road and the mountains coming ever closer. Not too far north and the road will hit the mountains, probably through a pass. To the north is more forest and the road, which does indeed go on for about a day's travel before hitting the mountains. The forest begins to thin rapidly as it approaches the mountains, and halfway to the mountains there are signs of civilization, large areas that have been cleared, chimneysmoke and such. The road as far as she can see seems clear, and the village doesn't seem to have been put to the torch, as far as Ssryn can see.

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Thomas resists Vandarzryx's Impress attempt and gets 1d20+2=5. Vandarzryx gets a +4 circumstance bonus for having saved his life, but suffers a -10 penalty due to disposition. They tie, but as Vandarzryx has the highest bonus he wins, and adjusts Thomas' disposition towards him by +1, to a total of -9. If you wish you can spend an action die to improve your roll.

I assume Alexander will purchase a rope, otherwise you'll have to find Ssryn and borrow hers, and she doesn't seem to be around just now...

Ssryn basically sees nothing out of the ordinary.

[Catodon]

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no AD on that. Vandarzryx can live with a 'Cold' merchant, actually the big drake is so poor at reading mammal folk he probably doesn't even notice. Also weren't we travelling with a caravan, perhaps we could borrow some rope?

Vandarzryx "fear not, I will find the lair of this small band of highway robbers and burn it to the ground. However, we should see you to the town first"

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In character Vandarzryx has not heard the news about these being forward scouts and is still focused on hunting down remaining prey and clearing the hazard to travellers.

[ArawnNox]

Lauren looks up to the big lizard, "Vandar, these weren't jest robbers. They're scouts fer an army. An army targetin' th' town to th' north."

She looks back to Thomas and asks, "Ye said ye were travellin' south? Yer comin' from where we're headed. What can ye tell us 'bout the town? Or why it'd be a target?"

The short woman has only his and the town's best interests at heart and is trying to get as much information as she can before rushing off to warn the town.

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With Skill modifiers only, Lauren's Impress Check is...
1d20+3=13
Hopefully, with a better disposition, she can get more info from the merchant.

[Antilles]

Peddler Thomas listens to Vandarzryx's suggestion, and shakes his head empathically while responding "Ah, no thanks sir drake, it's not necessary. I'm well enough to travel, and if there's trouble brewing in these parts I'd rather be well away." After Lauren informs the drake that an army is heading south, he apparently decides that time is of the essence, and begins gathering his scattered belongings and repack his merchant's pack. He answers Lauren's questions as he packs.

"Yeah, I usually make the journey every year or so. The village trade occasionally with the dwarves, so I can pick up some choice items there, enough to make the trip worth it. And it's probably a target because it's got no real defense, and for some reason hasn't been attacked in generations. I don't know exactly why, haven't asked about it, but a couple of years ago, when the Iron Legion was rampaging again I overheard a couple villagers discussing it, and one of them mentioned something about 'the compact' keeping things peaceful for them. Don't know much more about that, but then I never asked about it."

The peddler quickly finishes packing and securing his things, then stops for a moment and seems to be considering something. "I ought to give you something for saving my life. I haven't much coin, and I doubt my merchandise would be of any use to you. But I think this might be of some use..."
He rummages a bit more, and pulls out four flasks identical to the one he drank earlier, and hands them over to Lauren. "Here you go, I've a feeling you'll be needing it a bit more than I will. And if it will help ensure the village is still there when I come back next year... well, I've grown rather fond of the place and the people in it."

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Peddler Thomas resists Lauren's Impress, and gets 1d20+2=12. Lauren gets a +4 discretionary bonus for saving his life, so the total difference is 5. His disposition rises by 2, to +2.

The party gains 4 elixirs, namely distilled potions of healing.

[Fiendbasher]

Ssryn descends from the tree in the reverse manner from how she got up... she holds onto the branches, dangles her tail down and wraps it tightly around the trunk, then lowers her torso and repeats until she reaches the ground.

Seeing the group gathered round and the merchant preparing to depart, she addresses her allies, "Thhe road lookz clear and I can ssee ssignz ov the village, but iff there iz an army near it I cannot make out whhere the camp iz fffrom here."

Her tailtip flicked in irritation... she wasn't about to give up on the idea of easy food and a warm place to hole up for awhile, even under threat of an approaching army. On the way down she'd heard the last bit the merchant had said, and thought to question him about the Iron Legion, but opts to hold her tongue as she sees Alexander approaching him instead.

[ludomastro]

Alexder finishes pushing the goblin over to the group and nods to the merchant.  "Good day to you sir.  I too, would like to hear more of the Iron Legion."

He then strikes a pose meant to show him in a heroic light.

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Impress check = d20 + 7 = 23

Think Captain Morgan for the pose.  (With the goblin in place of the barrel.)

[Catodon]

Vandarzyx. Sits on his haunches like a great cat and looks down patiently on the discussion by his feet.