>>35631947
>action?

Another few shots to keep their heads down and let McCain move, then hope McCain returns the favor so we can get to a different position ourselves.

Not letting them get a bead on us is key.

Rolled 18, 12, 13 = 43 (3d20)

>>35632039
Going to need a d20 roll for both the firing and repositioning.

1d20+4 for the firing, 1d20+2 for moving

Rolled 2, 5 = 7 (2d20)

>>35632099
I can't actually do individual modifiers, so simply have two and apply 4 to one and 2 to the other.

>>35632180
welp, I'm not doing so hot.

Rolled 12, 12 = 24 (2d20)

>>35632099
Rolling in that order

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Rolled 8, 11, 8 = 27 (3d20)

>12 and 12

You let off several shots from your new position, making the four dive for cover and respond in kind. You manage to get back behind the main trunk in time, but in doing so, feel a sharp pain in your side. Fearing the worst, you reach down and extract untangle the offending article, a piece of bark, torn off the tree in your haste to avoid the return fire. Rising higher into a crook of the tree you survey the area once more. McCain has finally arrived at the rear of the altercation, and while you can't make it out clearly in the darkness, something sharp and nasty has hit the assailants and he turns the assailants into a trio.

What he fails to do however, is mask the cry that the man made. The bandits then disengage to the right, deeper into the swamp.

Then when the first arc of lightning hits the base of your willow.

>Action?

>>35633006
>action
Try to focus fire at the guy slinging lightning. That's a bigger threat than the guns, I think.

If the bandits keep disengaging and get out of range, meet up with your mccain and see about tracking those bandits before they get back to their friends. If they do get back to their friends, our only choice is to get on out of here.

>>35633006
Crouch as low as a lamia can and approach on the men, trying to stay concealed in cover. If they lose track of us we can get a good shot at the mage.

>>35633173
>>35633109
cover'n'fire. The only plan in a firefight other than move and fire.

Rolled 6, 4, 12 = 22 (3d20)

>Almost 100% positive I deleted the 'when' in that last sentence.
Same deal as before, if you want covering fire and moving its two rolls, if just covering it is one.

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>35633286
gotcha.
I think we're staying still this time.

Rolled 1, 5 = 6 (2d20)

>>35633286
I don't want to sit still when they out'gun' us like they do, that sounds like suicide.

It's night, the foliage is dense (I think), and we can move freely thanks to our snakebutt. That's my reasoning at least.

Rolled 5, 15 = 20 (2d20)

>>35633386
well, moving helps too.

Rolled 16, 11 = 27 (2d20)

>>35633286
>>35633386
sounds like a good idea

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Rolled 18, 3, 1 = 22 (3d20)

>1, 15+2

Tracing the lightning arc origins you fire the rest of your rounds at the caster, only to watch as the lightning arc out, sparking in time, and you see no effect on the caster. Your utter disbelief at the ineffectiveness of the attack saves you as you see the lightning begin to arc towards you. Scampering away down the tree, you reload, pointedly ignoring the smoke and the crackle of the arcs as they cascade off the tree, and then go silent.

You poke your head out as the men finish dumping fire on your last position and focus on something else. You get a glimpse of McCain recovering from a bodily tackle and grappling with the caster, who has produced a rune emblazoned sword, of which you can see the glow and arcs of electricity from here. McCain keeps on the attack, ducking a weaving through the other elf's swings and keeping himself between the man and the two others that are trying to flank him.

You also note that this tree is rapidly catching fire, the flame having fully engulfed the base of the trunk. You're rapidly running out of foliage.

>Action?

>>35633808
Reload while running at them, they seem too distracted with McCain to stop us. At shorter range and no intervening cover we can pop off some rounds and get 'em.

Worst case scenario we get caught up in the melee and can try out our spines and venom.

>>35633884
3d20 then for a reload/shoot/move action.

Rolled 5, 6, 4 = 15 (3d20)

>>35633955
Let's see.

Rolled 15, 7, 1 = 23 (3d20)

>>35633955
dice!

Rolled 12, 18, 16 = 46 (3d20)

>>35633955
We've been rolling awful! Here I am to save the day.

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>15+4, 18+4, 1

You begin feeding bullets into your rifle as you slide down the trunk, ignoring the fire as you touch down, singed and but moving as you close the distance to help McCain with the 3v1 fight. You must have been making one hell of a noise, because as you enter the arena of flattened reeds from the brawl McCain has been inflicting on his imposter, the two others turn to look at you. You raise your rifle, placing three shots into the first man and moving on to the second before the first answering shot is fired.

Its the after second round you place into him before you realize you've been hit.

Before everything goes dark, the last thing you see is a vicious blow from McCain as the pretender collapses, his arm bent the wrong way, before your foreman sprints towards you.
Pain and darkness seem to be the most pervasive. But at least your alive. You think.

>Action?

>>35634579
>Action?
Try to do something about that wound.
It's important to compress it, or bandage it, or tournequette it, or whatever is applicable and we are capable of doing before passing out.

>>35634579
Um, check if there's an exit wound and try not to pass out? Whatever happens now, our priority should be getting back to town as soon as we can.

>>35634676
yep. Retreating is becoming a better and better option.

This is a problem. With their little squad dead, it's only a matter of time before the whole camp knows they've been found and moves on before the Nitor arrives.

We can either scrap the idea and find another way to get money, deal with not being able to afford everything we want right now, or rush back to Nitor and leave McCain to snatch the diamonds on his own while we rest.

Any thoughts?

>>35634790
I don't want to send McCain off on his own, we already have one wounded this time around.

We should probably accept we can't get anything right now. If we're lucky and can get to the nitor in time, they COULD capture all the smugglers and close the case.

I believe if the case is closed, we get the diamonds they have already confiscated. Because we found 'em.

>>35634871
I guess just going home to lick our wounds would be best. Being short some cash and losing out on profits is better then risking losing McCain.

>>35635080
Pretty much.
Might send the nitor after them either way, though.

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Your first action is to reach for the pain, taking your hand over your head you are puzzled b the bandages. You open your eyes, wincing at the daylight. Its noon. You immediately try and take stock of your surrounds. "Easy there Miss." You hear your foreman say, as you feel him put a bracing hand on your shoulder, easing you back down. "Took one hell of a nasty lump to the head there."

"Lump?" you say, closing your eyes as the light makes your vision swim and you bury your face in the... sand? He hands something to you. Its a pistol, you open your eyes and wince again as the sunlight glints off the steel. "Idiot dropped the thing in the swamp. Half the damn powder was wet. You got bloody well lucky. One heck of a goose egg though."

"How long as I out?" You half groan.

"Better part of the day."

"And our friends?"

"4 dead, you got 3, and some good news."

He gestures over toward the stand of trees near your campsite, you see someone tied to the tree."

"Who's that?"

"The notorious outlaw and partisan Matthew McCain." He says, and you can feel the amusement in his voice. "By the way, you are a bitch and a half to drag out of that swamp."

>Action?

>>35634579
>Action?
Retreat, get medical aid, send Nitor.

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Christ I am minor typo city today.

>>35635215
>action?
Let's bring that prisoner back to the nitor, then. Might get some bounty out of this?

Also, let's see if he realized who we are as we're heading home.

>>35635215
Oh ya, he has a substantial bounty on him, right? I forgot about that.

Let's figure out how to haul him out of the swamp with us and get going. Maybe grab a discarded rifle too assuming we can find one that's in decent shape for Tai. If I remember, he only has a cattleman's pistol.

Oh, and does Two-Hands get to legally keep his sword? I wonder how much it would sell for.

>>35635215
>Action?
Let's get back to town with our prisoner and make plans with the Nitor for the rest of the smugglers.

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"There's a bounty on 'his' head right?" You ask, finally pulling yourself up out of the warm sand.

"More than a little bit at last reckoning."

"Might be worth just hauling him in and letting the Nitor handle the rest."

This prompts no small amount of muffled cursing from the captive.

"His blade looks like it'd sell for a pretty penny."

You see McCain, grimace a bit at that turning away and lowering his voice, "No doubt, but there's just one problem."

"And that is?"

"That is my old one." He says, still looking away.

"What."

"Looks like the partisans made me their idol after all. Idiots the lot of them."

"Has he figure that out yet?" You ask, dropping your voice and turning back to the prisoner as well.

"Doubt it, since I'm cursed and all that business. Look nothing like what I should."

"Well, we could take him back to the nitor."

"Up to you miss, but if they've made him a Robin Goodfellow type idol, expect treachery at every turn."


>Going to pause here because I'm flagging hard and its starting to effect my writing. If the threads alive tomorrow I'll continue, if not, no biggie. Also expect the next thread the 23rd, as that's the 1 year anniversary of this mess. Thanks again for reading, as always.

>>35636229
See you next time, thanks for running!
And of course I expect treachery.

>>35636229
Thanks a lot for running Chemlab, I always have fun in your threads.

Bump

I sure wish i saw this thread when it starts more often