"Nii nagu Mina seda nägin"

Oli keskpäev ja katusel töötava peremehe haamrilöögid kõlasid nagu sammud haual. Asjaolu, et me kõik olime saabunud enam-vähem ühel ajal (kuigi tagantjärele ei ütleks, et pool-haldjas päriselt ikka "kohal" oli), võis tähendada ainult üht: just selle amatööride pundiga pidingi ma tühermaadesse korda looma minema.

Neid oli kolm. Pool-ork nägi välja nagu oleks ta tulest ja veest ja siis natukesest lambiõlist  ja uuesti paarist tulest läbi käinud. Vähemalt tundus, et ta oskab relva õigetpidi käes hoida. Automaatselt tekkis võrdlus vana hundiga, kelle viimane soov on surra lahingus. Lootust oli.

Päkapikul oli habe ja amb. Midagi muud märkimisväärset tema puhul silma ei torganud. Teadsin, et oskusel tähelepanu vältida on meie ettevõtmises palju kasu ja olin meeldivalt üllatunud. Kuni tabasin ta silmis ja olemuses midagi, mis soovitas tungivalt tema poole mitte seljaga jääda. Pöörasin ettevaatlikult pilgu meie kolmandale kaaslasele.

Esimese asjana tõmbasin natuke sülge kurku ja kõhus hakkas imelikult keerama. Ma polnud veel kunagi kogenud sellist tunnet nagu mind sel hetkel valdas: totaalne äng ja lootusetus, sekka natuke kahetsust ja kaotusvalu. Minu ees seisis pool-haldjas, kes ilmselgelt polnud kunagi linnamüüride vahelt välja saanud; õlal nukker balalaika ja totralt optimistlik ilme ees. Lihast ja verest õnnetus. Astusin sammu tagasi talli suunas ja veel teisegi...

...kuni hooga avanes tareuks ja perenaine meid sööma kutsus ja enam vait ei jäänudki. Ta rääkis bandiitidest ja olukorrast ja oma mehest Olegist ja nende tulevikust ja sellest kui õnnelikud nad on, et meid appi saadeti. Ja ma nägin, kuidas tema entusiasm meid jälgides iga sõnaga ühe väiksemaks ja väiksemaks jäi, kuni lõpuks täiesti kadus ja asendus ohkamisega. Lalisedes midagi peatselt saabuvatest sõduritest, ronis ta oma mehe juurde. Mõne aja pärast oli lakast kuulda lakkamatut nuttu.

Aga mina oma otsuse teinud: bandiidid väärisid surma. Ainuüksi sellepärast, et nad olid bandiidid. Seepärast jätsin kamraadid majja pummeldama ja läksin meid ümbritseva kindlustise olukorda üle kaema. See oli loomulikult sitt, nagu kõik muu tol päeval (peale hautise, mis oli okei). Ülevaade olemas, tegin ma oma nahkadest ühte tervemasse vaatetorni aseme ja otsustasin välja puhata.

***

Tõustes oli tuju parem: õhus oli kättemaksu hõngu. Olukorraga ilmselt leppinud perenaine pakkus kosutavat söögipoolist ja mingi omamoodi lohutus oli vaadata ilmselges pohmakas pool-haldjat. Töötasime pool-orki ja päkapikuga välja varitsusplaani ning jäime ootele.

Meie sihtmärgid saabusid päises päevavalguses nagu peremehed. Kõik olid omal kohal: mina tallis, päkapikk kuuris, pool-ork värava taga kioskis ja pool-haldjas väravas bandiitidele lehvitamas... nägupihk.

Bandiitide liider tervitas meie diplomaati sõbraliku rusikalöögiga näkku ja lahing algas. Pool-ork kargas oma peidikust välja nagu iidne sõjajumal ja põhimõtteliselt sinna samasse kohe kukkus ka. Päkapiku ammunool sõi ennast kellegi reide ja minu oda langetas ühe hooletu jätise, kes mu peidikule liiga lähedale liikunud oli. Pool-haldjas rapsis oma sirbiga (sic!) ringi nagu Egiptuse armee puhkpilliorkestri dirigent.

Jõugu vuntsidega juht jõudis anda taganemissignaali, enne kui mu nool ta hobuselt paiskas. Jälitasin põgenejaid kuni lähima metsatukani, ent hirm oli andnud neile tiivad ja nii nad pakku pääsesidki. Kui ma tagasi Olegi poole jõudsin, olid raisakotkad lahinguväljalt juba üle käinud.

2-0, mõrtsukad. 2-0.

***

Järgmine päev tõi Olegile veelgi paremaid uudiseid: kohale jõudsid kauaoodatud soldatid Brevoyst. See tõik ei meeldinud miskipärast ei päkapikule, ei pool-haldjale. Kuna pool-ork vajas kosutust, otsustati võtta ette teekond läheduses elava posija juurde, kellel oli Olegi sõnul vahel tervendava mõjuga tinktuure pakkuda.

Posija oli kõike muud kui väärikas. Jõudes kiirelt järeldusele, et võlujoogid ajaksid meie eelarve pisut lõhki, suutsid pool-haldjas ja päkapikk sellegipoolest jälle topsi kukkuda. Tinutati terve öö läbi, hoolimata majakest ümbritsevatest ilmselgetest vihjetest, et bandiidid seda paika regulaarselt külastavad.

***

Pool-ork oli järgmiseks päevaks piisavalt kosunud, et saime viimaks võtta ette teekonna metsatukka, kuhu röövlinäod põgenenud olid. Paraku tulid kaasa ka teised kaks. Teekond sai olema pikk.

Viinahaisu aura oli üleval ka veel siis kui me lõpuks laagrisse heitsime. See hoidis meist eemal kõik metsaelanikud peale fee'de, kes arvasid on ilgelt vahva lülitiga mängida. Õnneks ei saanud pimedas ka balalaikat mängida.

***

Vahejuhtumisteta teekond jätkus ka järgmisel päeval kuni tee äärde unustatud vanker meie tähelepanu köitis. Ilmselgelt oli tegemist varitsusega, seepärast läks pool-haldjas kalkuleeritult sammul ja pistis käe vankrisse jäetud karulõksu. Kohe hakkasid lendama nooled.

Suundusime pool-orkiga võitlusse, ent vastaseid oli liiga palju ning nad tundsid oma metsa nagu oma ema ja õde. Kiirelt löödi meid uimaseks: kuulsin kukkudes veel vankri poolt tõusmas mängutoosi-helisid ja tundsin kirbet kahetsust, et pool-haldjas esimese asjana pead vankrisse ei pistnud.

Päkapiku ammukunst aga peletas vastased piisavalt eemale, et Näksu vilega kohale kutsuda. Vinnasin ennast hobusele ja aitasin enda selja taha ka pool-orki. Oli aeg lahkuda.

***

Järgmises osas: 

Kui pool-ork saab noole selga, kas kukume mõlemad? Kes aitab hobusele päkapiku? Kas pool-haldjas enne vägistatakse ja siis tapetakse, või vastupidi?

Barb the Half-Orc Fighter's Logs

Arrived at the Trading Post, at the Northern edge of the Stolen Lands. Nice place, worn down with time and disuse but it looks like the walls were still standing after all this time, and the new owners just cleaned the place up from there. Roofs are thatched, a couple buildings even have shingles.

I'm travelling with three companions; a sneaky Dwarf, a broad Human outlander, and an annoying Elf, a bard I believe. Confused why we need a musician with us.

Met the owners, a man and woman, humans. They didn't have much faith in us, and said as much. They seem to be here chasing their fortune, and the husband expressed frustration with the paperwork associated with living in Brevoy. Despite the dangers, this is where they want to be. Their bravery is commendable.

We were treated to a meal and clean beds. They even had meat, so clearly they're already doing well for themselves. Our Elven bard, I forget her name, got drunk as soon as we arrived and made a big show of playing her lute for everyone. I don't understand the elves' music. Real music has drums, and if it doesn't crash and rumble and shake the earth, it's not worth the effort.

We were warned that Bandits would be coming to extort the locals tomorrow. Apparently this has become a stable routine for them, and they don't expect resistance. We should have no problem if we ambush them. We already made some preparations, and observed the broken ballistae at each of the 4 narrow towers at the corners of the walls. Thinking long-term, it'd do us good to get those back into working order, starting with the South-looking ones. I know the value of working artillery.

---

The Elf gets on my nerves. She's loud and self-centered and oblivious. I struggle to figure out why she's with our party in the first place; shouldn't she be able to fend for herself atleast? At first I considered getting rid of her, but she has some charm that I can't quite place. I've never been able to tolerate people like that in the past, and yet. Hmm.

This morning we fought and narrowly routed some bandits from the Trading Post. I tried to plan an ambush, but that wretched Bard ruined it. I only got a few hits in before being struck down, myself. Damn these scars, they've made me weak... I don't know how exactly the battle went, but we felled two of the four attackers, including one I believe was an officer or in some similar position.

The Barbarian turned out to be an asset in the fight, and even tracked the bandits as they retreated. He doesn't talk much, doing a lot of the work on his own. I think he and I could get a lot done together, especially when it comes to scouting. We just need to find some common ground, establish teamwork. Atleast we won't go hungry, thanks to his skill in foraging.

Didn't see much from the Dwarf; he kind of kept evading my notice, and I often wasn't aware of where he was or what he was doing. I think that was deliberate. He's stealthy, which is surprising considering his broad Dwarven frame, and I have the feeling I can rely on his competence even if his loyalty isn't as clear.

I'm sleeping off my wounds tonight. Hopefully Oleg's trading post will be safe for a couple of days while we recover.

---

So Oleg and his wife told us about a "Deer Lord" commanding the local bandit group? It's a very odd image. Found a trinket in a deer's image on one of the bandits we slew, possibly a symbol of their leader. Perhaps they've been bewitched. Or maybe, the Deer Lord has won their loyalty through strength. Humans are not so different from Orcs in how they like to be led.

Brevoy guardsmen arrived yesterday, just two days after we did. To our knowledge they're now keeping watch at Oleg's Trading Post. We assume, since we left Oleg's early to scout the area moer broadly and only glimpsed them from afar. Hopefully their presence will keep the bandits away for a time, though we may have to return soon and prepare for a larger attack.

We met an old man living in a shack in the woods to the West, brewing spirits and some enchanted potions aswell. The steep price put us off buying any. It's weird that the bandits don't rob him like they did Oleg, he -looks- defenseless. Knowing that he's somehow protected nonetheless, it puts me off the idea of trying it for myself.

Near nightfall of the fourth day, we saw some Kobolds in the woods. They seemed organized, apparently hunters and foragers. If they could be persuaded to talk, we might make an ally in the area. Their local area knowledge would pay off.

"Moonroot" is a notable plant in this biome, very filling. Dwarf thinks we could probably make good money trading it in if we found some more. They were in a grove, dug up by the same old Kobolds; maybe that's our opening move, an offer to trade with them for the things?

A voice taunted us that very same night, extinguishing and relighting our fire as if by magic, echoing off the trees and putting all of us on edge. The Elf thinks it's a tree spirit. We stood guard and tried to speak to it, but didn't resolve anything. I can't shake the feeling we missed an important opportunity there.

I hate magical creatures, myself. They spook me. You know what muscle and steel can do to you, but magic is unpredictable. I hope the Bard keeps an eye on that side of things.

---

The fifth day, we found a dirt road and followed it. Traffic had clearly been steady, since the ground was nearly good enough to drive a wagon on. As we observed this, a wagon did indeed appear on the road, broken down in the middle of it with nobody in sight. Sensing danger, we approached carefully, but were ambushed in spite of our care. Another group of bandits, seemingly 4 but with reinforcements deeper in the woods, who we tried to engage but ended up retreating from as we realized we were outnumbered. We were just making the dash back to our two horses, hoping they could carry us away from danger...

[this part of the journal obviously can't exist yet because Barb -is still in that situation-, but you know, it's a summary of events. Tell me if I missed an important event or detail, and feel free to write another entry entirely, in character or otherwise, if you wanna talk about different stuff altogether]

Kingmaker S1E1: The Score

Esimene kokkupuude piirialade bandiitidega, Hirveisanda järgijatega:

Esimese episoodi lõppmäng:

Sissejuhatus

Käesolev on blogi Pathfinderi kampaaniale, mis põhineb Kingmaker Adventure Path'il.

Riisutud Riigid (Stolen Lands) on brevoylaste nimetus Brevoy ning Jõekuningriikide (River Kingdoms) piirialale. Brevoy Mõõgaisandad on andnud välja neli hartat antud piirkonna kaardistamiseks ning eeldatavasti tulevikus hõivamiseks.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Barb, naine, pool-ork, sõdalane
Muggs, mees, päkapikk, endine vang
Triste, naine, "haldjas", bard
?, inimene (kelliid), rajaleidja?