coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 8, 2021 16:17:25 GMT
The paladin’s brow furrowed as the assistant talked to him. Bandits, only a week away from Triboar? They must have grown courageous indeed to even consider being spotted by a town so heavily fortified. Simeon nodded slowly, his mind considering the possibilities. They had a journey to make, but was it right of him to abandon people like this in their time of need? It took him less than a second to decide, and he nodded towards the assistant. ”Of course, we would be glad to help you. Where is the rider? Perhaps we can speak to him,” he said, rubbing his hand along his chin. He turned to Dayne, motioning towards the offered wares. ”It’s time you got yourself some real protection, and a good blade to match. See to it that he has everything he needs,” he said to Dayne, his last comment going to the assistant who nodded quickly and rushed over to a nearby rack of pre-made equipment. Simeon raised a hand, extending a slender finger to point at a metal shield hanging just above the rack. ”Have that added for me as well - we might need the extra protection. I need to speak to the stablemaster.”Simeon left a moment later, confident that his partner would receive all of the help he needed. The journey to the stable was a short one, and he immediately saw the owner standing out front. ”Sir, there’s been a change of plans. I brought my cart and mule in last night, but we have need to extend our stay - the forgemaster needs help, and myself and my partner have volunteered to track down his lost shipment.”The man nodded. ”Helping out old Ghelryn Foehammer, eh? The old forgemaster’s a friend, so if you’re helping him out then don’t worry about a fee. The cart will be safe here, have no fear - I wish you luck in your quest, adventurer.”With that completed, he turned back and headed to the forge. This could prove dangerous, and he only hoped that he wasn’t throwing Dayne in to the deep end too early.
Rolls: Persuasion (pls let my cart stay in the stable for free): jHTpymIQ1d20+5
1d20+5
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 8, 2021 16:47:18 GMT
Dayne gave a nod, his eyes then quickly turning to the dangling wares before him. The forge was stacked with weapons, armor, and other small miscellaneous items. The assistant, still unnamed at this point, rushed over to the hangers and began to pull whatever he thought would fit Dayne from the hooks. Leather armor plummeted to the ground with a heavy thud that shook the other gear upon the hooks. The man was clearly in a rush and clearly worried about whatever attack had happened. Dayne was silent, moving his armors and waist for the measurements as needed before pointing out something he saw glisten in the over casted sun. A blade, curved slightly and a bit shorter than the standard long sword. "Ah, the scimitar, a unique blade ineed!" The assistant said before dropping all the armor in his hands and heading over to the equipment. "Now this seems like a good fit for someone your size. Lightweight, perfect height, looks like it was made just for you." He gave with a laugh before turning the hilt to Dayne and handing it over. Moments passed and the boy was finally properly outfitted, studded leather armor and a sword that he could final call his own. It wasn't the best of gear and he was sure to eventually grow out of it, but it was the first step as a real adventurer. As he finished strapping on the last bracer Simeon approached. "Everything is all set, please hurry!" The man said and bowed gratefully. Dayne gave a wild grin, his excitement lacking the true danger that was before them. Rolls Roll here
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 8, 2021 17:09:17 GMT
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 8, 2021 18:45:10 GMT
His eyes scanned, eager to finally clash steel with steel for the first time. To his own surprise, Dayne was able to spot the slightest glimmer in the thick emerald leaves to the west. Simeon had tunneled his vision on the desperate cart, but the boy could sense something was wrong. An abrupt pull ended Simeon's advance and Dayne revealed the enemies position. Silently they began to traverse the land, their bodies weaving in and out of the thick brush and fallen trees. Dayne allowed his feet to find purchase on solid ground, using thick branches that could hold his weight to dampen his steps. One of the few skills he had managed to achieve since he left his home, a light foot, and luckily it was what caused him to hide in Simeon's cart without being detected. The paladin on the other hand was anything but silent, a heavy foot crushing a branch with an impossibly loud snap. Dayne's eyes went wide and he turned his attention quickly toward the direction that he had seen the glisten of steel previously. An arrow zipped by his face, narrowly missing it's mark before piecing the thick bark of an oak behind him. His heart was gripped with fear and he found himself sprinting forward without second thought. His back slammed into a trunk of a tree not to far from him, but enough to cover his position. Heavy breathes escaped his chest as he heard the rustling of leaves and snaps of branches. How many were there? Rolls None.
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 8, 2021 18:48:43 GMT
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 9, 2021 17:06:27 GMT
Simeon made his way to the cart, but the feel of Dayne’s hand on his arm caused him to stop. Evidently the boy had seen something, and Simeon followed his eyes to spot the three enemies around them. Nodding, and silently cursing himself for not even being aware of his surroundings, he fell into step behind the boy. The crack of a branch beneath Simeon’s foot caused him to stop, eyes closed in anger with himself. Less than a second later a pair of arrows headed their way, narrowly missing and instead crashing into the trees around them. Dayne fell in behind a tree, his eyes darting left and right as he tried to get a view of where the enemies were coming from. But hiding wasn’t Simeon’s style. His sword was in his hand in a heartbeat, and his other hand gripped his shield tightly as he bounded forwards, sun glinting off of his armour as he approached the closest of the bandits. His eyes caught sight of where the third was, and he positioned himself so as to create some cover between the pair - it wouldn’t do for him to get stuck with an arrow mid-combat. He gritted his teeth as he brought the blade in a wide arc towards the first enemy. It cut through his torso before he could even raise his own weapon to defend himself, spurting blood outwards and onto the ground below. The bandit stumbled backwards, his face beginning to drain of the colour that it held as Simeon shifted slightly, preparing to strike a final blow against the man.
Rolls:
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 9, 2021 18:39:31 GMT
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 9, 2021 18:47:47 GMT
Dayne sat there with his back to the tree, hearing the group begin to rush toward Simeon with no knowledge of Dayne's existence. It was the perfect time to strike, just as he had been taught! 'Be patient, wait for or create an opening, and then strike." The rules were pretty straight forward and open to creative freedom, but that was all he knew for the time. The small hands gripped themselves against the leather wrapped hilt tightly as he began to breathe out slowly. " Come on, you got this." He whispered to himself. Two rapid exhales left his lips as he stood from his position and sprinted forward. The blade was much lighter than the longsword he had used before, but still heavier than the wooden one. The point of the sword began to lower as he ran forward, his arms struggling to keep it lifted for a solid swing. As Dayne approached the enemy from the rear he could see Simeon finishing his swing and an arrow piercing his armor. True fear washed over him as he tried to rear into a halt, but his body seemed to continue forward from the momentum and weight of the blade. Soft flesh peeled to the slide with little resistance as the sword plunged itself through the spine of the bandit. A silent scream released from the man as he looked back to see the child and then down to see the blade. Coughing blood flew from his mouth splattering over the face of the young warrior and obscuring his vision with a hue of crimson. " Oh god," Dayne muttered, his hands shaking and his voice trembling. He only wanted to help Simeon. He only wanted to protect his friend. " What have I done?" He muttered once more, his body naturally backing up, but unable to release the hilt of his sword. The blade left the body with a slickening slurp, enough to cause Dayne to gag as he took two more steps back from the lifeless body. Rolls None.
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 9, 2021 18:52:09 GMT
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 9, 2021 21:05:35 GMT
The arrow pierced Simeon’s shoulder before he could finish his foe, sending him stumbling backwards with a yell of pain. The shield held in his grasp dropped to the ground with a muffled thud, but his opponent couldn’t take advantage of the stumblind paladin - Dayne had stepped forwards, delivering a deadly blow to the man and sending him crumpling to the ground. The boy’s pale, terrified face told Simeon exactly what was going through his mind - but he didn’t have a chance to console his young ward now. With a grunt he forced himself forwards, pushing past Dayne to meet the oncoming enemy head on. He gripped the sword with both hands and brought it down in a heavy overhand swing, slicing deep into the man’s shoulder before he yanked the blade back. His eyes darted to the woods for a moment before he slipped into a defensive stance - the archer was still in there, but he needed to protect the boy before he could deal with them. ”Get behind a tree,” he said to the still terrified Dayne, his eyes remaining trained upon the warrior whose blood dripped from his blade.
Rolls:
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 10, 2021 12:41:30 GMT
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 10, 2021 12:47:45 GMT
The truth of reality finally settled in, the linger scent of death hitting his nose like a brick. Dayne's heart was the only thing he could feel, the only thing he could hear, and the only thing he could focus on. A muffle voice called out to him and he stared blankly in the direction of the familiar voice, but didn't actually hear the words. His head hung to the left a bit and his jaw was slack, shock had the child in its hand. Dayne looked down at the shield below him, it was Simeon's, dropped for some reason. All instincts screamed from deep within to grab the shield and lift it. Every fiber of his being begging for him to protect himself or run. Still he couldn't move his feet. His hands struggled to latch onto the edge of the shield and brace it against his shoulder, rolling it against the ground until he was able to hide behind it completely. Bringing in his legs until he could hug his knees the child sunk deeper into despair. A hollow thud followed by a harsh thwap on his head caused his vision to blur, tears began to stream down his face. Not because of the pain.... " What did I do?" He muttered in a soft and broken voice. Rolls Wisdom: 8 [Frightened!]
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 10, 2021 13:57:41 GMT
The second man fell, but there was no time for Simeon to check on the boy. Another arrow whipped from the brush, crashing into the shield that Dayne had quickly grabbed. He was huddled behind it now, contorting his body to make it as small as possible - the boy was evidently in a state of shock, but Simeon couldn’t see to him just yet. His eyes instead traced back the path of the arrow, catching sight of a third bandit just through the woods. Without roar or shout he moved forwards, his blade dripping with the life blood of his opponent. He reached the bowman before he could move away, and could only lift his wooden weapon to defend against the swing of Simeon’s sword. The strong steel cut through the wood with ease, passing through as if it were merely paper, and cutting deep into the man’s exposed wrist. He fell backwards, his eyes lit with fear. But unlike Dayne, his fear elicited a different reaction - run. The bandit forced himself shakily to his feet and turned to run away, but stopped. The shining tip of a blade poked slowly through his chest, blood and gore dripping from the cold steel. Simeon pulled the blade out, and the body dropped limply to the ground. He grimaced down for one second before moving back to his young partner, dropping his sword to the floor as he crouched in front of the boy. Delicate hands pulled the shield aside and he laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. ”Dayne, it’s okay now - they’re all dead.”
Rolls:
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 10, 2021 16:42:06 GMT
A gentle hand placed upon his shoulder snapped Dayne into reality. " Ahhh!" The scream that was coming from the depths of his diaphragm was loud enough to hurt his own ears. Tears streamed down his face and his entire body began to shake violently. He shuffled away, his little scoots against the sticks and leaves created scrapes only his hands and back. He rolled onto his hands and knees, crawling like an infant as he frantically looked for the hilt of his blade. Took but a second, but he managed to find it and twirl toward Simeon, his mind hazed over by the free. Shaking he pointed the crimson soaked blade toward his mentor, the top of the sword unable to keep still. The blood slowly began to seep down the length of the blade until it eventually rolled over the hilt to his palms. The blood made his grip slippery and the fear only added to the lack of dexterity. The sword crashed into the ground with a metallic cling. As it did he looked slowly down at his hands, crimson soaking his palms as a figurative and literal statement. Blood was forever on his hands. Crumbling to his knees he let out a sorrow filled weep, his shoulders bouncing as his shuttered breathes escaped his lungs. Whining like a new born his heart felt cries filled the forest. The child was changed forever, his innocent striped from him by his own hands. Never again would Dayne forget the face of the first man he killed. You will be of some use to me yet... Said the silent voice into the child's ear. Rolls None
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 10, 2021 16:47:08 GMT
The scream etched itself onto Simeon’s soul. The boy, who Simeon now realised must be considered a man, lifted his sword tentatively as Simeon drew close. He held it without conviction, tears welling in his eyes as blood ran the length of the fresh blade. The paladin raised his hands, showing Dayne his empty palms - and, a few seconds later, the boy’s blade dropped to the floor with a dull thud. He started to cry, and Simeon reached out a hand to touch his shoulder - but he stopped at the last second. Consoling him here would do no good. What could he say to assuage the feelings that gripped the boy? Simeon too had been in the grip of such terror when he had taken his first life, and kind words had not helped him then. The paladin stood slowly, his own head bowed in sadness as he approached each corpse one-by-one. They still had a mission to do, and perhaps if he kept his hands busy then he wouldn’t be consumed with the guilt of what he had done to the poor boy who had thought to travel with him. He searched each corpse carefully, but there was nothing out of the ordinary on their person. With a grimace, he turned to the upturned cart instead, hoping to find something there. From what he could tell all of the forgemaster’s items were in there, but the cart was in a far from usable condition. One of the wheels was broken, leaving Simeon with little choice but to repair it. He shook his head slowly - this wasn’t what he had expected, and was definitely outside of his comfort zone. He came back over to Dayne, crouching down and placing a hand on his shoulder. ”We can’t stay here - we need to get the cart back to town. Do you know how to mend the wheel?”
Rolls:
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