Arcana Royale- KB's topic.

[[sage]]

Name:Tharis Letral
Age: 38
Sex: Male

Stats
HP:200
MP:120
AP:200

Skills
------
Axes- 6
Melee Combat: 5
Aggressive Stance: 4
Ready Stance: 2
Allies: 5
Leadership: 3
Better Equipment: 3
Intelligence: -2
Arcane Focus (Weapon): 5
Arcane Focus (Arms): 5

Action Keys
-----------
Control: 5

Target Keys
-----------
Earth: 5

Equipment
---------
Battle Axe (Arcane Focus)
-Base Damage: 150
-Conserves 10% mana.
-Doubles the effects of Earth magic cast by its wielder
-Raises the strength of control and destroy keys by 50%.

Throwing Axe
-Base Damage: 80
-Dimensional Sheath: Can be dismissed or summoned at will.
-Returns to dimensional sheath after being thrown.
-Throw Range: 10yards.

Chain Shirt
-Reduces damage by 60.
-Protects Torso, stomach, arms, and Waist.
-Does not Protect legs, hands, feet, head or neck.
-Damage to the armor repairs itself over time.

Ring of Sending
-Allows you to communicate telepathically with someone wearing a ring of the same type.

Albert Sinch- Healer
Age: 32
------------
HP: 100
MP: 250
AP: 150

Skills
------
Archery: 5
Dodge: 5
First Aid: 5
Knowledge (Medicine): 5
Knowledge (poisons): 5
Arcane Focus (Voice): 5
Medicinal potions/salves: 5
Cooking: 5

Action Keys
----
Heal: 5

Target Keys
-----------
Person: 5

Equipment
----------
Short Bow
-Quiver: 30 Arrows
-Base Damage: 90
-Range: 20/60/120

Healer's Kit
-300HP worth of healing herbs/salves

Davos Thurgood, Tracker/Ranger
--------------
HP: 200
AP: 300

Skills
-Archery: 10
-Blades: 5
-Parry: 5
-Dodge: 5
-Stealth: 5
-Tracking: 5
-Hunting: 5
-Traps/Ambushes: 5
-Perception: 5
-Rapid Shooting: 5
-Aim: 5

Equipment
Longbow
-Quiver: 30 arrows
-Base Damage: 120
-Range: 30/90/150

Short sword
-Base Damage: 60

Dagger
-Base Damage: 30
-Throw: 5/10/X

Alan Grahm- Warrior
Age: 36
----------
HP: 200
AP: 200

Skills
-Sword: 10
-Parry: 10
-Shield: 5
-Dodge: 5
-Ready Stance: 5
-Spears: 5
-Perception: 5
-First Aid: 5
-Athletics: 5
-Riding: 5
-Weaponsmith: 5
-Armorsmith: 5

Equipment
Long Sword
-Base Damage: 75
-Parry +2

Spear
-Base Damage: 70
-Reach +2

Iron Round Shield
Parry: +4
HP/Hardness: 120/30

Zelos Marshall- Mage
Age: 24
-------------
HP: 50
MP: 300
AP: 100

Skills
-Arcane Focus (none): 5
-Strength: -3
-Endurance: -3
-Athletics: -3
-Reputation: -3
-Sickly: -3
-Diplomacy: -3
-Dodge: -2

Action Keys
-----------
Control: 2
Create: 2
Destroy: 2
Detect: 2
Enhance: 2
Fly: 5
Teleport: 5

Target Keys
----------
Illusion: 3
Fire: 3
Air: 3
Creature: 3
Self: 3
Barrier: 5

Equipment
----------
Ring of Sending-Allows you to communicate telepathically with someone wearing a ring of the same type.

Rusty- Thief, scout, spy
Age: 17
-----
HP: 120
AP: 230

Skills
------
Short Blades: 5
Dodge: 10
Defensive Stance: 5
Stealth: 5
Sneak Attack: 5
Sleight of Hand: 5
Security (lockpicking/traps): 5
Bluff: 5
Underground Contacts: 5
Favors: 5
Perception: 5
Agility: 5
Acrobatics: 5
Better Equipment: 5
Athletics: 3
Endurance: 3
Wanted: -3
Enemies: -3
Strength: -1
Compulsive liar: -3
Kleptomaniac: -3
70gp

Equipment
----------
It's a secret.

------------------------
You and Alan grew up together and decided to form the group together. He's your second in command and most trusted among your three allies. Albert joined you after healing your wounds and saving your life when you two were nearly killed from a mission. Davos and Rusty were recruited while looking for stealth and tracking specialties. Davos is quiet and withdrawn but has proven reliable and trustworthy. Rusty is extraordinarily skilled but only responds when it profits him and you're not sure how much you should trust him.

------------------------
The six of you are camped out on the side of the road. The only work you've been able to find lately is caravan work, with a trade caravan headed up to the Port city Crossroads. The pay is a lousy 5 silver pieces per person per day since the merchant hired nearly fifty guards for some odd reason. Rumor among the mercenaries is that his cargo is supposed to be extremely valuable (no one is allowed to go near it except the merchant's own personal body guards. Rusty reported that some of the other mercenary bands are whispering about making off with the cargo instead of sticking around for this crappy pay.

Rusty says to you (out of earshot of the others)

"I got an offer from the guy who came up with the idea. He's offering to split the profits made from the cargo after they hijack it from the merchant with each mercenary band who decides to help steal it. He'll also pay to shut up anyone who decides not to help. He mentioned 5 gold per person. This guy's an idiot, there's way too many people here to keep it a secret, even for 5 gold. We could help out but I'm not sure how many of these guys here will join the thieves and who will join the merchant.? I say we take his quiet money and stay out of it."

(Room & board plus food costs around 5gp for a week in a large city, so 5 silver pieces per day isn't even enough to afford food, room and board in some places. In other words, the guy is gipping you all badly. You only took it because there were litterally no other jobs available)

[KirbyBoy2000]

So, whats the story with Zelos then? Is he even with us or did you just forget when writing it?
- - - - -

"Yeah, lets just take the money and see what happens then. Not worth sticking out our necks on something if we're not even sure we'll have people watching our backs."

I'll go check up some of the others then.

[[sage]]

Zelos is your most recent addition to the party. He's only been on two missions with you, so you aren't too familiar with him yet. He's a competent mage, but seems a little bit cowardly.

By the way, if you hadn't looked over the magical items I gave you, you and he have matching Rings of Sending, which allow you to communicate telepathically. If you had magical telepathy through your own power the ring acts as a focus for it.

-------------------
Rusty slinks off somewhere after you finish talking. The rest of your party is sitting by the campfire, roasting a couple of rabbits Davos shot. Albert is rotating the rabbits on a spit, paying close attention to how the rabbits are coming out. Alan and Davos are chatting quietly, Zelos looks up at you and nods.

Alan looks over at you and asks "So what was Rusty's news?"

[KirbyBoy2000]

"Rusty got word of a plan to rob the caravan, probably a lot of money there. Rusty ain't up to it though, and if he's not up for getting a lot of money then its probably not worth trying for it. He said the guy with the plan is giving 5 gold to anyone to keep it a secret though and that we should take him up on that offer. I agree with him, not worth getting caught up in a fight, much less a losing fight."

Tharis walked over and sat down by the rest of his group. "What do you guys think?"

[[sage]]

Alan laughs. "Even though this merchant is underpaying us, I don't think stealing his cargo while we're his employees is good for future business. I'd side with the merchant if I knew who was going to side with the thieves and who was going to side with the merchant, but I'd rather not end up fighting 40 people becase I decided to stick up for this guy. Also, I think some of these people are the kind who will kill each other so they don't have to split the profits with as many people. I doubt any of them are trustworthy."

Davos nods in agreement with Alan. "If the odds were clear, I would side with the merchant as well. Much better for business in the long run than betraying and stealing from your employer. Since the pay is so bad and the odds aren't clear, I'll take the quiet money the thieves are offering. But I would also be on guard, since we don't know if they actually intend to stick with their word. Actually, I'd also be ready to leave at a moment's notice."

Albert "I don't like this at all. If we're going to leave, we should find a way to warn the merchant of the attack. I'd really like to do something to stop the robbery from occuring."

Zelos sits thoughtfully, listening to the words of the others. "So, where is Rusty now?"

[KirbyBoy2000]

"Rusty went off and-"

"Actually, I'm not too sure really. Too bad, he might have been able to go around and see how many people are actually siding with the thieves. I say we just keep out of this. Things will be bad for the merchant, but unless we could tell him without anybody noticing we'd just be bringing trouble onto ourselves. I don't want a bunch of thieves after us for upsetting their plans."

[[sage]]

They all nod in agreement. Albert announces that the rabbits are done. He carves the rabbits up, and serves each of you a plate.

A few minutes later Rusty appears. He picks up a plate and starts talking in between bites.

"This merchant picked some bad people to guard his cargo. Counting us, there are eight mercenary bands. So far it seems like four of them have decided to rob the cargo. Two of the bands have decided to take the money to shut up. The other group is undecided.

Their plans aren't definite, but talk is that they'll attack tommorow night. If we don't get word back to the ring-leader tonight, they'll assume we've sided against them. They'll send someone to us when we stop for the night.

So what's your decision boss?"

-------------
Currently its about two hours before sunset. The caravan stopped to fix the wheel and axle of one of the wagons.

[KirbyBoy2000]

"So its four, possibly five against the merchant. Even if the last group helps the merchant and with his own bodyguards they'll be outnumbered. I'm thinking we just take the money and stay out of this. I'll feel kind of bad for the merchant, but no use going up against that many guys, especially when theres not much in return for the risk. Any complaints or are you guys okay with that?"

[[sage]]

The others nod.

Rusty grins. "Well, let's not be too hasty. The cargo could still be highly valuable. Now that we know more than half the mercenaries are going to attack, maybe we want our cut of the profit of the cargo."

Davos, Albert and Alan shoot him a nasty look.

Rusty just shrugs. "Ah fine, I was kidding anyway. I agree, let's take the money the robbers are offering."

He continues eating without saying another word.

The wheel has been fixed, and the caravan begins to move again. It continues for another three hours before stopping to camp for the night. Each mercenary band is in charge of having two men on watch over a section of the caravan. You can split shifts however you want.

You and one other member of your group are on watch when the messenger from the thieves comes to hear your decision, who do you want it to be?

[KirbyBoy2000]

I guess I'll bring along Alan.

[[sage]]

Not much happens during your watch. One of the men from another mercenary band walks over to you and says in a low tone.

"You heard the word from your man, right? Boss wants to know what your decision is."

[KirbyBoy2000]

"Yeah, we heard. We'll just take the money and stay out of this whole thing."

[[sage]]

He nods. "Here's thirty gold for the six of you." He hands you a small pouch and walks off.

Alan "We should keep on guard and get ready to bail. Things could get real ugly and these guys could decide they want their money back."

[KirbyBoy2000]

"Right."

I guess I'll just wait around for a while until something happens.

[[sage]]

Your shift ends. Davos and Albert take over for the second shift. About two hours later, after you've fallen asleep, Albert wakes you up.

He whispers "There are about fifteen of the mercenaries talking and pointing at us. Davos thinks they plan on attacking, he's sneaking over to listen to their conversation. He says we should wake the others and get ready for a possible fight."

[KirbyBoy2000]

I'll head over to the rest of the group. I'll use the Ring of Sending to send the message to Zelos. Hopefully he'll tell the others and they'll be ready or at the least he will be.

[[sage]]

Zelos responds sleepily after you bug him for about a minute. "Ok, Ok, I'll wake them."

Do you mean you're heading over to your allies, or you're heading over to the other mercenaries?

[KirbyBoy2000]

I was going to go wake my group in case Zelos didn't respond; but since he's on it I'll stay with Davos and Albert in case the other Mercenaries decide to attack us and wait for the others to show up.

[[sage]]

You join Albert after getting your weapons and equipment ready.

He tells you "Davos is still sneaking around."

A few minutes later, Zelos and Alan appear, armed and ready.

Zelos says "Rusty says he'll be ready in a few minutes, but he's going to do some reconnaisance.

After another few minutes, Davos comes running.

"We need to get out of here now. The undecided group is going to work with the thieves. They're going to attack now, and they definitely aren't planning on waiting till tommorow night. They're also not planning on letting us or the groups who took their money go. You guys should get out of here, I'll warn the other bands and than catch up."

He looks around. "I'll keep an eye out for Rusty. Boss, if I were you, I'd head the same route the caravan is going, but head west to Crossroads instead of taking the northern split off to Cair Valdune and the Royal Palace.

[KirbyBoy2000]

"Lets get going before this place turns into a warzone. We're heading out to Crossroads like Davos said."

And then get walking as far away from the place as we can.