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Victor Victor nods, turning the Abbot's words over in his mind. He wonders privately if the accidental damage he inflicted on the barrow is what incurred the dead king's ire. But surely that can't be it. He didn't even take anything...
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Aug 12, 2015 18:36
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 08:15 |
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Allie "Maybe? I think he bought the skeleton excuse...I mean they were rampaging after all. Have you seen Rolf? He still hasn't come back from the Barrow."
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Aug 12, 2015 20:16
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Hendrick "So let me get this straight." Hendrick counts off the events on his fingers. "Last time the tomb was disturbed, that old king came back from the dead and wasn't all too pleased." "Then Zabitha did...well, whatever she did and things went back to normal." "Now Victor stumbles into the barrow, and skeletons attack the village. The same barrow Rolf went out to investigate but hasn't returned from." He sighs and scratches his chin. "I don't want to pick a fight with angry ghosts any more than the rest of you do, but shouldn't we head over there and look for Rolf, at least?"
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Aug 12, 2015 20:37
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Jacoby, Zabitha doesn't seem all that concerned by your exasperation, simply going "Yes, yes, I'm very sorry, but it's time both you and the villagers realized that you're going to be their witch some day..." when her voice suddenly trails off into the wind. "Wait, this creepy guy: he didn't happen to have a green sash? Oh, bollocks. If he knows I'm gone there's no knowing what he might try to do. Listen very carefully: did he ask for some charms? And more importantly, you didn't give them to him, right?" "I don't have much time to explain, but those charms are bloody important. They are sympathetically connected to Osric. That man stole them from Osric's tomb many years ago and it took me ages to get them back, and I negotiated a deal with Osric so that I'd take them in for safe-keeping. They're your best bet against Osric due to their connection to him. Trouble is, by the sound of it, he's woken up from his sleep and first thing he's going to do is try to reclaim them." "This is my last go of this spell for the day, but Jacoby, you'd bloody better still have those charms. Now be a proper witch and sort it out!" That last sentence comes at a surprising force for a whisper being carried by the wind. The air is silent once again, the only sound you can hear being Brute's loud snoring. At that point you can hear the voices of your friends coming down the road. They seem to be in animated conversation about recent events and the fate of Rolf, who supposedly went into the Barrow on his own two nights ago. This is judging by Jerald's narration that he's going to go looking for Jacoby, I assume you're having this conversation while on the way to his place.
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Aug 13, 2015 19:11
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Jerald 8/12 As we crest the hill, I wave at Jacoby as he comes into view and I say, "Glad we found you out here. We've been talking, and we're pretty sure that something's happened with the barrows. Especially since Rolf hasn't come back from his trip there." I rub the back of my neck, trying to hide how worried I am about him. I say, "He's... I know he's a bit blustery, but he's a good guy. But he's bullheaded enough that he might have gotten himself into some real trouble."
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Aug 15, 2015 02:06
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[OOC]So, hey, it's pretty clear to me at this point that this game might be dead in the water at the moment. It's understandable, PbP is a format I'm not all that good with and also relies a lot on the GM being able to constantly prod the players for input, which I really don't have time for given that the semester has started and I'm pretty busy with work and real life stuff. The game is dragging out already and I really don't have all that much to post consistently in it on account of work and so on, so unless you think we should press on I'm willing to say we should probably call it quits now, no hard feelings.  What do you all think?[/OOC]
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Aug 18, 2015 16:39
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OOC I'm good either way. /OOC
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Aug 18, 2015 17:05
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OOC: I'd want to keep at it, but only if the rest of you think it's worth the effort.
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Aug 18, 2015 17:09
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I'd like to keep going, but if you're not feeling it as the GM I don't want to shackle you to this.
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Aug 18, 2015 17:21
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Evil Mastermind posted:I'd like to keep going, but if you're not feeling it as the GM I don't want to shackle you to this. same here
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Aug 18, 2015 17:37
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Evil Mastermind posted:I'd like to keep going, but if you're not feeling it as the GM I don't want to shackle you to this. Truth be told, I'd like to finish this up as well (I mean, we're so close to completing the scenario pack which I've prepped), but I also realize it's going to require a lot more of active prodding on my part. Majority of the fault for the game grinding to a halt lies with the fact that there's been a bit too much filler without anything really exciting happening, and that's 100% on me. Like, one of the easiest ways to kill the momentum of the game is to leave the game on a "Hey, you guys talk among yourselves and then tell me when you're willing to move on to the next scene," when I as a GM should probably be shouldering the most of the burden with regards to framing the scene and giving you something to do. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you all still want to finish this. That's really all I needed to hear. Don't worry, I don't feel shackled by the game, and given that most of you clearly want to push on I'm cool with that. When we last left our heroes they had just rendezvous'd at Jacoby's hut at Jerald's behest, only moments after Zabitha lost connection with Jacoby on their long-distance wind-spirit call. Hendrick, Allie and Jerald have all discussed going directly to the Barrow to look for Rolf, since he has yet to return from whatever he's been doing there. However, Zabitha just told Jacoby that the charms he buried in the woods many weeks ago might actually carry some significance to the now-risen King Osric! Basically, this is like one of those moments in Telltale's latest narrative games where you have to choose between two courses of actions: neither of them is the wrong course of action, but choosing to take a detour through the woods to look for the charms might have some consequences later on in the adventure! What do you do? Do you A) Head straight to the Barrow, hoping to find Rolf and what has happened to him. B) Stop in the woods to check out whether Jacoby's stash of charms and relics is still intact. I could see you guys choosing to split the party, with some going straight to the Barrow and others heading to check out Jacoby's stash first. It's definitely an option, although it's going to mess with timing somewhat and my first impulse would be to discourage it. However, should you choose this option, I'll rule that the people who went to check out Jacoby's stash will regroup at the Barrow at just the perfectly dramatically opportune time to witness something dramatic going on, so as to reunite the group as quickly as possible.
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Aug 18, 2015 18:22
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Allie "Jacoby, do you have any evil-things-that-might-eat-us protections?
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Aug 18, 2015 19:46
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Jerald 8/12 I frown, thinking over the options, but eventually decide on, "I think we need to go there straightaway. Rolf's been gone a while and he might be in trouble. If the king's mad, we can bring him the trinkets after we find Rolf."
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Aug 18, 2015 20:07
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Humbug Scoolbus posted:Allie Jacoby "Um...sort of? Zabitha hid some charms out in the woods. I was just talking to her (sort of) and she said they were important for dealing with Osric. Apparently that guy who came snooping around after she left stole them, and she got them back and had to hide them, and she made a deal with him...to...protect them..." Jacoby trails off as he realizes how the pieces might actually be fitting together. "Oh, drat."
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Aug 18, 2015 21:04
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Hendrick "Jacoby, where exactly did she hide them? Did she say?" Being a woodsman I should probably be able to determine how big of a detour it'll be to go find them
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Aug 18, 2015 21:13
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Jerald 8/12 "'Oh drat' what, Jacoby?"
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Aug 19, 2015 04:12
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Allie "Jacoby, what do you mean?"
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Aug 19, 2015 04:15
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Hendrick, based on what Jacoby told you, he didn't bury the charms too far in the woods, but they're in a completely opposite direction to the Barrows. The Barrow is about an hour's walk through the woods to the North, dropping by Jacoby's stash would add half an hour to that trip. So, at first everyone seemed to be headed straight to the Barrow but in light of new information from Jacoby people seem to be taking to the idea of securing the charms that Jacoby hid in the woods. Is everyone behind heading to the woods where Jacoby has hidden the charms, or are there still those who would wish to go straight to the Barrow?
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Aug 19, 2015 08:13
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Hendrick "I say we go find those charms before we head out to the Barrow. I've no idea if they'll be of any use, but better to have them and not need them than the other way around, right?"
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Aug 19, 2015 08:32
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Jacoby "Well, think about it...if Osric had some kind of deal to keep the things safe, and now he's attacking the village, something must have happened to the talismans! I think we better check them before we do anything else."
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Aug 19, 2015 14:31
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Jerald 8/12 The general consensus seems to be that we're going to look for the relics. I'm feel a little bad about leaving Rolf, but I'm not crazy enough to run off by myself. I sigh and say, "I guess if Rolf been there that long, another hour or so shouldn't hurt, right? Let's get moving."
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Aug 19, 2015 14:48
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It doesn't take you long to reach the place where Jacoby buried the talismans: a small glade a short walk south from his hut. However, as you approach the glade you realize that you're not the first one's here: as you get closer to the glade you can hear mumbled curses punctuated by the sounds of spades hitting the earth and soil being upturned. You're not close enough to hear what is being said, and subsequently you are far enough away from the glade as of yet that you have yet to be spotted. What do you do? If you all decide to sneak closer to get a listen, I'm going to use the "slowest and loudest" rule: the character with the lowest ability score (being Jerald) makes the roll, but those with the Stealth skill can help. I'm not sure if multiple instances of Helping should be able to stack, but since this is a group activity I'm going to rule in favor of it. So, getting a +2 from himself and Hendrick each and a +4 from Allie, Jerald will be rolling at an effective Dexterity of 17. This comes with the risk of blowing all of your cover in the unlikely event of him failing the roll. You can, of course, decide to just send a single person to scout ahead. However, this carries its own risks: should a lone person get caught (i.e. fail the Stealth test) they will be alone for an entire round before their friends can get in and help. e: Screwed that up: it's the character with the lowest relevant ability score, meaning Jerald, I had that wrong at first. Or, I mean, you could just forgo the sneaky business and just rush into the glade, announcing your arrival loudly. Ratpick fucked around with this message at 17:10 on Aug 19, 2015 |
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Aug 19, 2015 17:07
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Allie "You want me to look around ahead? It won't take but a few moments."
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Aug 20, 2015 03:18
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Humbug Scoolbus posted:Allie "I guess so. You're much better at sneaking than us. Just holler if you need help."
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Aug 20, 2015 04:02
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If everyone's okay with Allie going by herself, make a Stealth test, which you'll only fail on a 20!
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Aug 20, 2015 07:33
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Allie Sneaking forward: 1d20 19 OOC: I really really tried to fail this one!
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Aug 20, 2015 15:13
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Allie manages to sneak closer to the glade and can now see the people making the noise. Two heavy-set men with scarred faces and calloused hands wearing mismatched leather and cloth armor, are laboring under the heat of the sun, digging at the ground with picks and spades. They seem to have upturned a lot of soil around the glade: almost no grass remains on the ground as the men dig deeper and deeper into the soil. Watching over their work is a dapper gaunt man, older than any of you but not old by any means, wearing garish foreign finery, the most striking detail of which is a bright green sash. The men are in animated conversation, speaking your language but in strange accents: "'Ere, boss, we've been diggin' for hours, you sure this is the right place?" says one of the heavy set men, addressing the man with the green sash. "Shut up, Hans. I know this is the right place. This is where the boy-witch hid the charms I'm looking for." "You sure about that? I mean, you didn't see him bury them or nothin'?" "Shut up, Herman. No, I didn't see him bury them, but a local squirrel spirit assured me that this was where he saw that weird boy burying something into the ground." "Boss, what made you think listenin' to a squirrel spirit was a good idea? Ain't squirrels quite famous for their propensity for losin' stuff they bury in the ground themselfs? How you goin' to trust a creature like that what with rememberin' a place where another's buried stuff..." "SHUT UP, HANS! Keep digging! I know they're here! I'm so close to finally getting my hands on those trinkets, and with the old crone gone I can finally bind Osric to my will, as you know!" Yes, the baddies are obeying the laws of bad exposition by talking out loud about their plans, but it's a tradition, right? By the way, I just realized that this situation would've been better resolved as a Wis vs. Dex opposed roll, but since Allie rolled a 19 there's no way these guys can make a Wisdom check AND exceed Allie's roll of 19, so there's no point for me to roll anyway. Allie, what do you do?
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Aug 20, 2015 18:30
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Allie Quickly and quietly she makes her way back to the others and repeats what she heard, before adding, "Jacoby, can you talk to squirrels too?" Sneaking backward: 1d20 11
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Aug 20, 2015 19:23
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Jacoby He sighs. "I know I should have brought my bread knife. That's the same guy who came to the hut." Jacoby takes a deep breath. "I can try to cast a spell to see if there are any spirits here, but it could...er...just stand back a bit, okay? Not that anything could go wrong!" Awkward pause. Jacoby takes a deep breath, closes his eyes...opens his eyes... and opens his eyes again: 1d20=11; it works! I'm not stuck in another dimension or anything!
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Aug 20, 2015 19:36
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Jacoby, as you open your eyes you can see the world of spirits layered on top of the real world. The forest is absolutely teeming with spirits, most of them just very tiny wisps with very little animating force or intellect to them (although you could swear one of them went "Wheeeeee!" just as it whizzed past your ear). Up in the trees, a single squirrel spirit (appearing something like an ethereal squirrel that doesn't so much leap from tree to tree as bolt from tree to tree) seems to be inspecting the scene. It eventually notices that you're staring straight at it, and it seems to recognize you. How do you know this squirrel spirit? Since you are the local witch, I take it you're versed in all the woodland creatures? 
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Aug 20, 2015 20:00
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Ratpick posted:How do you know this squirrel spirit? quote:Since you are the local witch, I take it you're versed in all the woodland creatures? Jacoby One of the main things Zabitha taught Jacoby about animal spirits is that each one thinks it's the greatest spirit of all time, and if you don't feed their egos they won't help you. "Ah, great Ch'trl'rrtk; eyes of the forest, explorer of branches, great hoarder of nuts." Jacoby is trying to sound serious, but has turned so he doesn't have to look at everyone's expressions (and so they can't see his face turning beet red). "It is an honor to be in your presence once again. I wished to ask you about the men who are digging under the trees on the other side of the hill."
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Aug 20, 2015 20:29
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Jacoby has their back turned to the rest of the group, and from where you're standing he's speaking to something you can't see in the trees. Well, speaking in a manner. He's mostly just making weird squeaky voices. "Ah, hello young witch," Ch'trl'rrtk says, its tiny chest clearly swelling with pride as you address it. It'd probably be more impressive if its speech didn't sound like a high-pitched squeal. "Wait, which men? Oh, those men! Yes, funny thing. I was just about my business, hoarding chestnuts, trying to remember where I'd left my chestnuts, finding my chestnuts, digging a hole, looking for the chestnuts again, when this man in the green sash walks up to me. Gives me a real evil look and suddenly I find I can't move. Asks me about something or the other about where some boy witch had hid some charms, oh hey! That must've been you he was talking about! So I told him that I'd seen you around here somewhere, probably, digging a hole, and try as I might to resist, he's got me under some compulsion forcing me to reveal your stash," the spirit says, just about in a single breath. "I'm... I'm sorry. You know that as the hoarder of nuts things hidden in the forest are kind of my area of expertise, and I feel terrible about revealing your secret to him." The tiny squirrel spirit's sense of pride has clearly deflated, and it has an almost sad look in its tiny rodent eyes.
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Aug 20, 2015 20:47
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Jacoby "No-no-no! You're not to blame at all! Clearly he used underhanded means to deceive you. But don't worry, my friends and I will get them out of the-er, your woods." I hope, he adds to himself. Jacoby reaches into the pouches around his belt, and pulls out a largeish multifaceted glass bead; always something to keep on your person when you deal with animal spirits often. He places it in front of the spirit, and says, "A gift, in thanks for your help and wisdom."
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Aug 20, 2015 21:15
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Hendrick "This is it", Hendrick quietly murmurs to himself. "He's finally lost it."
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Aug 20, 2015 22:49
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Jacoby, the spirit thanks you by bowing its head down a bit and then proceeds to pick up the bead. Both the spirit and the bead disappear in a flash. As far as the rest of you are concerned, Jacoby chitters something into the air, kneels down and places... something on the ground. There's a sudden flash of light followed by what you swear is the chittering of dozens of squirrels in the air. However, as the chittering ends the silence is broken almost instantly by a shout from the other side of the hill: "Boss! I've hit something! I think I found it!"
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Aug 21, 2015 07:44
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Jerald 8/12 I whisper back, "...Well, it's not weirder than him jumping out a mirror yesterday, right? Let's just let him do his... witch thing. But maybe it'd be best to not make any sudden moves." In response to the yelling, I tighten my grip on my spear and say, "I think we're outta time! Let's go!"
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Aug 21, 2015 16:09
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Allie "That's so incredible Jacoby! Squirrel talking is a remarkably underrated skill." She turns at the loud voice drifting through the woods and at Jerald's ""I think we're outta time! Let's go!"...she nods and slips back through the brush to find a good ambush position. Getting her skulk on...: 1d20 12 OOC: 11 under DEX+Stealth
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Aug 21, 2015 18:19
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Alright, I'll preface this with a bit of explanation: the two big lugs have a Wisdom of 10, so even if they made the check they have no way of exceeding Allie's roll of 12 (that's how opposed checks work by the way: both roll a normal check, if both succeed the one who rolled the highest breaks the tie in their favor) so they're not going to hear anything. However, the guy in the Green Sash has a Wisdom of 14, so if he rolls a 13 or a 14 he will hear Allie. In the case of a tie... well, I don't know, I'll figure something out. Listenin': 1d20 7, and surprising absolutely no one, the bad guys don't hear a thing. Allie successfully slinks into ambush position, I take it Jerald is charging in? What do the rest of you do?
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Aug 21, 2015 19:04
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Jacoby Jacoby blinks as his senses return to the real world. "Huhwha?" He sees Jerald charging forward, and runs after him saying, "wait, hold on!"
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Aug 21, 2015 19:51
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 08:15 |
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Allie has successfully snuck into ambush position. From where you're hiding you can see the men crouching around one of the holes they've dug on the ground. Suddenly the man in the green sash stands up, holding some kind of charm in his hand, a bit too far for you to make out its shape. "Yes! We have found them! Now quickly, dig them up! With any luck we can get the binding ritual started this very day!" What do you do? Allie is in ambush, Jerald is at the very least grasping his spear and ready to go. If you decide to charge in it's combat time!
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Aug 22, 2015 10:54
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