Star Metal Marauders- Highway Harvest

Sparhawk tosses the net at vars, trying to throw it with one hand.  Attack 18

Sparhawk will put a drop of liquid on a rock, a leaf, a piece of wood to see what it does. 

If Vars is in the net, he does the same thing that I wrote in my last post. However, as he is holding the net up over his head, and Bjorn comes to take an arrow out of his quiver he tries to object but is to slow. 

Strength check: 13

If he gets it off, he wads it up and throws it to Sparhawk. If he doesn't get it off, he sits there fighting until he finally (begrudgingly) asks Sparhawk to get it off of him. 

Once that is over he turns to Bjorn and says, "I've got plenty of arrows for myself--twenty. If we can find some suitable hardwood, perhaps some wild rose, as well as some good fletching, it shouldn't be to much trouble to make some more." He crosses his arms, "For now, I will keep my arrows, since clearly your technique needs some work. ...where did you get that bow from anyway?" After a moment he sighs, "You know what, fine." He counts out four arrows, which makes five since Bjorn has one already, "You can have these." 

Quote from Damian_May >>

Frangipani saluted and moved up to walk at the front of the cart........she had intended to keep a look out but found a very interesting rock on the roadside and spent most of the next hour or so looking at it and spitting on it to make it shiny.

Perception: 18

 That rock you are spit shinning seems to be a small hunk of jade, worth approximately 25g in your estimation. About an hour and 1/2 of your journey on the road you catch a glimpse of a horse and rider slowly making their way in your direction. The rider seems well dressed and equipped with saddle bags, a bow and quiver attached to the saddle and a long sword at his hip. He doesn’t seem to be in much of a hurry. He is currently about 100’ ahead

If he can, Sparhawk will try to convince Frangipani to catch a few fish for breakfast or lunch. With one of the fish still alive, he will cut the fish very lightly, keeping it alive and administer a small amount of his unknown potion (healing?). He will also give the fish a few drops by mouth to see how it reacts.(Poison?) Investigation if needed: 12

He will continue to experiment while they travel on the road.

[Smart!]

When we notice this traveler, Bjorn's immediately brainstorming ways to scam him. He pitches a couple of ideas to Sorsha -- tell him Luskan has an extortionate horse-stabling rate, so he should leave it with us? Trade him Aegweth for his bow and arrows, then resummon Aegweth when he's long gone? Warn him about the tentacle monster, but with this handy charm that costs a mere 100gp you can be protected like we were?

Sparhawk hears Bjorns idea. "All interesting ideas, but perhaps just be friendly and honest." Sparhawk recommends.  Also, Sparhawk looks for any signs of ambush, finding it somewhat surprising that the man seems unconcerned as he approaches the party of 5. (Perception check)    22   Any trees or places where people could hide?

He keeps his sword sheathed, but makes sure his weapons/ javelins, and shield are available if needed.

Vars, like Bjorn, is also eyeing their fellow traveler. However, his thoughts are more on the line of: There are five of us and one of him...that's just too easy. They could just rough him up some and take his stuff. That horse looks like a sturdy animal, and that archery equipment would also be much appreciated. However, it does seem odd for this fellow to be traveling alone down this road. Either he is a little too confident in his ability to protect himself, or he's a fool...or both perhaps. 

Leaning over, he whispers to Bjorn, "Say, if we get those arrows from him we won't need to make any for a while. From the looks of him he's got some coin too..." 

"Bjorn, I got this."

Sparkawk looks for an ambush (Post 300 perception), but sensing both that this man seems strange but also that the party could make a careless mistake will wave at the man in greeting, and in a loud friendly voice will say, "Hail traveler and friend." He asks Sorsha to join him but the party to keep alert to an ambush.

(this could change if he sees others hidden/ trap/ ambush, got a good perception roll).

As Bjorn starts to pitch his ideas for a scam Sorsha quickly stops him. "Listen, you can replace me as captain if you want but I will not suggest we attack or try to scam random people on the road just because we can. There is nothing yet to suggest it would be particularly rewarding to attack or scam this man, but the risk is that he, or some friends of his will come after us. The reward for taking action against another traveller should be many hundred gold pieces at least for me to consider it worth the risk." She says for all in the crew to hear. "Children and amateaurs would attack a man just beacuse they can, I hope we are neither. We will decide on a plan before acting!" She finishes, then turning to face the man approching them on his cart, giving him a polite smile, but ready for any shenanigans on his part.

Perception to notice any threats:16 Insight to determine if the traveller has hostile intentions: 19

Bjorn frowns, apparently not having considered a risk-reward ratio very often in his life. "Don't you only have to deal with consequences if you screw up..?" But he drops drops the subject. "Think he can read goblin?"

Frangipani attempted to assist with procuring fish.

Survival: 6

While the others argued about the rider she decided to take things into her own hands and walked out onto the road and executed an elaborate faint, dropping to the ground  in the middle of the road with a dramatic sigh.

Performance: 22

As Frangipani takes takes things into her own hands right after Sorsha has said they should decide on a plan before acting she gives the woman an incredulous look. Seeing the hopelessness in trying to bring order to the crew she stands up from the cart, takes her backpack and starts to walk away towards Mirabar on her own.

Frangipani popped her head up as Sorsha moved off......she had a feeling she did something wrong but no one was giving her orders...she liked orders...things were much easier on a ship...

She bit her lip and shoved her hand in her pocket for her expensive rock then ran after Sorsha with it held out as a peace offering.

Sorsha turns and gives Frangipani a weak smile as she comes up to her. "That is sweet of you Frangipani. I am sorry but I cannot be a captain to a crew that acts before planning and doesn't share those plans with the other crewmembers." She says in a polite but firm tone. "You might do better without me but that would be my condition for staying on with the crew, in any capacity." She says, ready to continue to walk.

Frangipani cocked her head to the side and nodded, " That's what I want! Like when we're aboard ship.  You make the plan, you execute the plan.  You tell me what to do....sometimes I have to innovate...."

" If no one tells me what to do my brain just does whatever I was last thinking."

She flashed a sharky smile, " Awaiting Orders, Captain."

Sorsha responds with a weak smile. "You can safely assume in a case like this that I would prefer you to do nothing unless I ask you to. You should of course act on your own ideas Frangipani, we all should, but we should also share those ideas with the rest of the crew before executing them, if at all possible. I'm not at all sure what your plan was back there. I don't think any plan shared with the others that we decided upon involved trying to stop that man." Sorsha says, motioning over at the man on the cart. "I would ask you to try and control your impulses Frangipani, or you would need a new captain, your choice."

There is an attempt at a salute that likely does not at all resemble whichever original salute she is attempting to emulate.

She falls into place beside Sorsha with a nod.

"At ease sailor!" Sorsha says with a chuckle, then turning to look at the others to see how they are doing with the man and the cart, hoping they would stay put and simply catch up with her and Frangipani, but then again, the man might have other plans.

Eberk continues along the path, following Sorsha. “Agreed. We need to work as a team to survive. We could even be successful if we do.”