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Author Topic: The Thistle in the Thorn  (Read 686 times)

mixafix

The Thistle in the Thorn
« on: February 22, 2015, 11:40:08 am »
Another day at the office. Things had gone wrong, someone had messed up, someone had in fact betrayed them. The back up plan needed a little work Thorn thought. He had escaped a raid on the headquarters of Doc Sage's guild of thieves. That was a grand title for five thieves and a bunch of hangers on who were supposed to prevent surprises like todays little raid. Thorn found himself alone in the sewers under Hempstead. He was not too anxious to find the others yet. He was not certain how they had been undone. Was there a rat in their group? and talking of rats there was penty down here in the sewers. Finishing school had started already. He worked his sling feverishly over the pack of rats trying to keep a distance. He barely made it out of the sewers only to meet someone who wanted to pay him to go back down.He shrugged looking at his small collection of trues. Maybe she had a point all she wanted him to do was kill someone down in the sewers. It would take him too long to rejoin the survivors of todays little raid, and anyway who would he trust. No this one was a solo fight. Just another day at the office.
 

mixafix

Halflings were not famous for
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2015, 09:12:58 am »

Halflings were not famous for rushing. Halflings were not famous for fighting. Halflings generally were not famous at all. The thing was Thorn wanted it all and that needed some true and then some. So the thing in the sewer was history, but lets not rush thought Thorn. Sage had developed his journey in the worship of Branderback sufficiently for Thorn to take up prayers and spelling himself. Therefore returning to sage to reinvent their previous arrangement would only hold him back. No Thorn wanted it all and he was going to go out and take it! So first a little practise a little prayer. He would stand up tall for a halfling, strike out on his own, maybe return to Sage when he was a little taller, on a more even basis. Him in charge even, why not. First the rats, lots of little sewer infected rats he practised on from a safe distance. Finally he found the target and distracted away the guards. No doubt Martha had hoped he would kill all them too for free, but not this halfling. He struck the leader a nice blow with slingshot, which dazed it. He followed it up and the creature was down. He rushed forward quiet as rat food and snatched proof of the deed and was gone before the others noticed. Halflings were not famous for rushing.

 

mixafix

Why should you take the blame
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2015, 11:51:58 am »

Why should you take the blame for something that was mean't to happen. Now that was what Thorn was thinking as he crossed the square near the east gate at Hempstead. He had a thousand ready answers to the question but one of the Guard Captains was still walking purposefully towards him. Did he know him? had he been identified with Sage and the rest of the gang? He eyes the escape routes he had pre prepared warily. He opted to hold his nerve. "Hey you there, a word !" Captain Trent demanded. Well the long and short was he thought Thorn could do with a few true for bringing a Kobold raider to heel. Well his money was as good as anyone else's and it would do no harm to be known around town as someone who was prepared to help. No doubt Old Trenty there expected Thorn to round up a large gang and go out and do battle...and say why had he thought he looked as if he needed some true! Thorn considered. 

Maybe not such a bad idea after all Why should you take the blame for something that was mean't to happen.

 

mixafix

Greed and self preservation
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2015, 08:23:40 am »

Greed and self preservation required a fine balance. Thorn had decided in this case that greed was more imprtant. he had elected not to take an army with him to kill the Kobold. Two reasons, Trues and kudos. Trues were better in his pocket than shared among adventurers. When he thought it through and he had been in no rush there was a gain in establishing credibility in Hempstead where previously he had known fear and distrust. So he had once again waited until the bulk of the guards were distracted and went after the leader making sure his attention too was directed elsewhere before pouncing. Only carefully placed slingshots fired after some sneaking into position did proper damage. Something learned.  Job done he told the Captain what  a great battle had occurred. Greed and self preservation required a fine balance.

 

mixafix

Willing and able to take
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2015, 04:33:30 pm »

Willing and able to take advantage of the safety of the city Thorn considered it important to stay close to Trent and his tasks. Even when another opportunity presented itself in the form of one angry Charlie pushing his weight about at the same time offering freely cash for a little information. Short term alliances were good of course but if you were aiming to take the whole cart why tie yourself to one of the wheels by setting boundaries, accepting unnecessary hierarchy. Charlie hinted heavily to some risky past but Thorn thought it was better to remain aloof, reaffirm his trust in the passing Guard Captain than risk subserviance to another. He gave the information he wanted and got paid sure enough. His companion Kat was more interesting a cleric of Deliar, she had a few tips about trading which was Thorn's way into acceptability - willing and able to take advantage of the safety of the city!

 

mixafix

"Strike while the iron is
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2015, 07:41:31 am »

"Strike while the iron is hot!" The blacksmith shouted as Thorn walked by towards the campfire at Center. Good advice thought Thorn as he met up with two loud mouthed adventurers. One was called Magnum or something and he had a gang of one and they intended to go take on the entire population of Ogres and Orcs that plagued the roads to the north. They promised they could raise a fortune by cutting them down and looting their treasure. Dubious Thorn went along anyway. Well to be fair they were pretty good at destroying everyone that got in the way. But the iron was not so hot and the blade a little blunt. Without focus they soon diverted to put to rest some undead Krandor way. Well that went well - for the necromancers. Magnum Painfully Incapacitated was laid low, the gang of one opted to leg it and Thorn was left the sole heroic figure to beat a dignified retreat. I mean it was random slaying. Surely it was better to secure the best payment for the most precise slaying work and then ...strike while the iron is hot!

 

mixafix

I want it all, and I want it
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2015, 05:24:53 am »

I want it all, and I want it now! Thats the Branderback way. So how to go about it successfully thats the thing. Take the would be assassin Garnet. No doubt he was good at what he did. He killed freely but perhaps pointlessly. He was a legend and created fear. He was surely a doomed legend. But he did in his demise teach lessons. Here's my thinking. Avoid attention. Develop discipline. Always aloof. Strike silently. Lay off legends. Evolve emotions so as not to be drawn into poor business decisions and risks. One thing he did have going for him was people were uncertain about whether he was a Gnome or a Halfling for sure, and I could use that, Gnomes, Goblins, Ogres might be out of course but there was scope, I needed to develop disguises and establish credibility as a trader, yeah, I want it all, and I want it now! Thats the Branderback way.

 

mixafix

To strike like a cobra
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2015, 07:30:42 am »

To strike like a cobra leaving only a cold corpse behind. Now theres the challenge, the right skills, the right equipment for sure, The fallen Angel had been banging on about making sure he had enough stuff to adventure safely. Well point taken as far as it goes. But loading up with the whole kitchen bucket just in case wasn't very inspiring. Another way of looking at this was striking where and when for maximum effect - who wants to go trashing through caves killing everything that moves, well apart from crazy firey Magnum of course but he's an exception, and boy what an exception, no what works is  a more subtle strike at the head which might achieve more. So specialist tools traps and weapons is the way to go and for that I need to get to work. Making the right tools for the job. To strike like a cobra leaving only a cold corpse behind. 

 

mixafix

Don't give a giant leech an
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2015, 11:32:58 am »

Don't give a giant leech an even break! Sound advice that Sage had once offered in one of his sermons on the Branderback way. So here Thorn had half a box short of stirge feathers for Kurn the killer of cyclopean proportions. There had to be some constraints to such thinking. In this case Kurn himself was the constraint and he was clearly unstable enough to end Thorn right there and then. But the issue was bigger, regardless of Kurn's ability and demenour, it  was value. What business value was Kurn; how much was it worth to stay on side. Kurn got a free box and Thorn hoped he had the bigger prize for his grand plans, cheap at a box of feathers. Don't give a giant leech an even break!  

 

mixafix

A master of dealing
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2015, 10:03:56 am »

A master of dealing quick,lethal blows is a fine ambition Thorn thought in camp at Center between jobs. His path so far was on course. His skill in making things was becoming a craft. Things that would help bring all his skills to a fine and defined point. A very sharp point he hoped. A giant shadow loomed over him, he looked up. Another oversized bully by the name of Spikey a hulk of an Orc or mainly Orc, Thorn was not going to argue the difference. However he was prepared to dilute his open and dominating aggression to bring him on side to further both their ambition. It should be said Spikey's ambition was mainly to beat down on everyone and kill things. Which on this occassion was useful as Thorn had money due whenever he could manage to return the odd creature head to various traders.  They set off to pursue one such creature, some watery cave creature by Center. After some misadventure at the mercy of wild charging. They got to the money and Thorn picked out his target and ensured he went down hard. Spikey of course chose to clear the whole cave in the process but thats his problem. He could be useful, he had lofty ambition but he was not of the Branderback way.  Still he was the point of Thorn's gathering resources. He might yet be a master of dealing quick, lethal blows.