Main RP: Evenkeel

[Kowsauni]

As they entered the ramshackle shack Cymbre took note of of the tiefling. Well hello there. Someone else with horns. That's a nice change of pace. If they trust a tiefling perhaps I won't have it here as rough as I thought.

Being the shortest in stature, Cymbre would work her way up to the front of the group as Rustbeard sat at his desk, however he wings did take up a bit of room. Taking a deep breath to try and hide her irritation at his earlier response, Cymbre would speak. "Mr. Rustbeard. All the information we received on what is going on was in that letter I presented you. As you can see it is not a lot. Do you know of any reason why the Sapphire Stand was requested to come to Evenkeel. If you look closly at the ltter you can see a name was cross out at the end were yours was written. Do you know who that person is? And perhaps they would know of the situation?"  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

"False alarm everyone, please go about your business!" Rhaun would call out to the frightened public before shaking his head at Bahl and following the others to Orv's office.

Cymbre already covered most of his thoughts, so the human stood behind her and nodded silently.  

[PupSage]

Guards nearly answered the question himself, but held back. How would Rustbeard answer this question? That could answer a lot of about his character.  

[AlphabetFish]

Justiciar Orv Rustbeard

Rustbeard would blink several times at Cymbre's questions. In his cramped office, seated behind a desk that was too tall for him, he looks out of place indeed. "Look," he says, "I just found out you were coming this morning from the secretary, Henderson. I don't know all this about the name on your letter and all. But I know it was the mayor what put in the request for you." He would hold up one finger, then open a drawer behind his desk. "Hold on, I have a thing here..."

He would pull out a wrinkled piece of paper and say, "Swiped this from the mayor's desk just this morning, haven't really read it through yet, but it's got your company's seal on it. Mayor's been sick two weeks already, or he would have met you himself, I bet. Ah, here it is--" He would clear his throat and read aloud from the paper.

"'Your request for aid from the Sapphire Stand has been approved. The Stand will be sending you a team of operatives--' blah blah blah, buncha stuff, okay, here we go-- 'for aid with farming, land clearing, and pest control.'"

He would look back up at the group, a bit incredulously. "Well, if that's the work you're hired for, we've got plenty of it."

A knock at his door would make Rustbeard look up. The half-elf man who'd been guarding him earlier is standing there, and he opens the door to peek in. "Um, sir," he would say, "Sorry to bother, but Farmer Stewart really can't budge that tree stump... and Maya already broke one shovel..."

Rustbeard would look at the party with a sudden look of glee on his face. "Hey, what'd I tell you?" he says, "Here's your first job now!"  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

"Oye," Rhaun would resist the urge to facepalm with his metal glove and instead let out a sigh. "Before, we leave. Do you have a place we can set our unneeded equipment? And do we report back here or will one of your people come and find us after the task is completed?"  

[Kowsauni]

Cymbre stood there for a moment, flabbergasted, but then she remembered her mentor and why she was there. She would quickly regain her composure and continue. "Alright, if that is what the Sapphire Stand is needed for then so be it. I'll be the best damn tree stump remover you have ever seen! Just point me in the right direction."  

[AlphabetFish]

Justiciar Orv Rustbeard

Rustbeard would laugh at Rhaun and Cymbre's reactions. "Not what you expected to hear, huh? But that's a good way to look at it, Cymbre! I mean the pay's the same no matter what, right? So you may as well make the best of it!"

To Rhaun, he would say, "I'm sure we could find a shed with a lock around here somewhere, if you wanna just leave what you have with me. I'll put Deo on it. Or you could set yourselves up at the Noble Wing. That's the only inn in the village, and lucky we are to have it, too. Up to you.

"And you can come back here, or even just send word with one of my guards--that's Olin there in the doorway, and Maya's up at the farm still--or even with one of Farmer Stewart's kids. I know he's got a couple.

"Once the farmers and ranchers hear we've got hired help, I expect you'll find yourselves with lots and lots to do. So once that stump's out I expect to hear from you!" He would laugh again.

In the doorway, Olin would say, "I'll lead you all there once you're ready. It's not far, but you know... nothing in the village is."  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

The human would exit the office and remove his armor and pack. Only claiming a few things to hold on to.

He could only prepare for what he could foresee, and the planned tasks would make his armor a hindrance instead of an aid(His shield would also be, but that he can just drop easily).

After a fair moment, Rhaun would return setting his pack and armor on the ground by the Justiciar's desk. "I am trusting you, sir" And with that he was ready.

(Leaving Scale armor, modifying Rhaun's AC to 18.
Otherwise keeping; rope, Waterskin, Shield, and weapons.

Thankful 4e rules leave him with clothing.)  

[PupSage]

Guards follows the group out, not leaving anything with Rustbeard. "Remove stump, command received." He would make way to the stump.  

[AlphabetFish]

Justiciar Orv Rustbeard

Rustbeard would nod at Rhaun and say, "We'll take care of it all, don't worry." As the party files out, following the guard Olin to the farm, they would hear Rustbeard would yell out "DEO!! STASH THIS SOMEWHERE! SOMEWHERE SAFE!" and a grumbling male voice, supposedly Deo, acquiescing. Anyone who looked through the windows into the front room as they left would see the tiefling man had been the one who'd spoken. He is searching his desk quite roughly. Meanwhile the human man is still writing, apparently absorbed.

Guard Olin Emsworth

"Okay, so, it's just up this hill over here." Olin is a slight, stooping half-elf man who looks barely awake enough to be out of bed. "The farmer grows Winter's Wheat, you know, and it likes to be high up. Something about soil, I don't know."

Stewart Farm

He would lead the party up a meandering path that takes a sharp turn out of the village, and ends in a broad field that has been partially tilled. In the middle of the field, the party can see a few people struggling with a massive tree stump. The female guard you saw before is there, and she is joined by a man and woman dressed in very plain clothes. They have with them a sturdy horse tied to a cart containing several shovels, picks and other implements. When she sees Olin and the party arrive, the female guard waves at them.

"There's Maya and the farmers," Olin would say. "It doesn't look like they've made any more headway." He would look the party over for a moment, then say, "Well, go on. Get over there." He makes no further moves towards the stump, and looks back down the path in the direction of the village, almost longingly.  

[Alzzak]

With a cracking of his knuckles and neck, Bahl-gro proceeded to give a hard slap to Olin's back. "Come on elf man. Your mate is watching. She will give you a better reason to be tired if you impress." The goblin would state referring of course to the female guard.

Walking up to the stump in question, "Dwarf man Rustbeard sent us to help." he spoke as he grabbed a spare pick an went to work to dig out the tree.

Athletics 29  

[AlphabetFish]

Guard Olin Emsworth

Olin is sent reeling by the slap, but more so by what Bahl has said. "What? My what??" He would turn bright red, too flustered to say any more. He doesn't follow Bahl.

Farmer Errol Stewart

As Bahl approaches the group clustered around the stump, he would be greeted by the farmer, a tall, serious looking man. "Good of the Justiciar to send us some help. I'm Errol Stewart," he would say, and he stands back as Bahl attacks the stump. The female farmer behind him would whisper, wide-eyed, "Isn't that a... a gob--" but Stewart would shush her without turning around.

A loud crack! rings out as the bugbear shatters one of the deepset roots with his pick. Farmer Stewart and the female guard would push the stump back and forth, trying to dislodge it. "It's still stuck fast," Stewart says, "but it's definitely weakening!"

((Skill Challenge: Remove the stump! You need 3 successes before 2 failures. Each party member must make one check before I'll allow anyone to roll a second check. Athletics can be used again.

Bahl has given the party one success. You just need 2 more.))  

[PupSage]

[Nature 14]

In an effort to work smarter and not harder, Guards tries to identify the tree species, along with how deeply it roots and how hard its wood is.  

[AlphabetFish]

PupSage

[Nature 14]

In an effort to work smarter and not harder, Guards tries to identify the tree species, along with how deeply it roots and how hard its wood is.

Guards recognizes this tree as a Winebark tree, known for its impressive size and the dark red stain its bark produces. The main roots tend to branch off in a 5-pointed star pattern. Based on the three root spikes Guards can see, he can predict where the other two will be.

((Based on your roll (5) and your bonus from your character sheet (10), your actual result is 15. Unless I'm missing some penalty you have, I'm counting it as 15, which means it's a success.))

((The party now has two successes. One more is needed.))  

[Kowsauni]

((I'm assuming Guards communicates the information he learned to the rest of party.))

Cymbre would help dig out the last remaining two roots before cracking her knuckles and declaring. "Alright, now its my turn."

Cymbre would dig her clawed feet into the ground then sink her clawed hands and wings into the bark of the stump. Straining with all her might Cymbre would then begin to pull on the stump, hoping that the roots had been choped and dug out enough for her to dislodge it from the ground

(16 athletics check to remove the stump)