For Queen And Country!

For Everyone who didn't score in the negative numbers: The guard is Armoured in scale with a cheap "pot helm" on his head and an empty short sword scabbard hangs at his right hip.
Additionally for those of you who scored a 5 or above: The guard is limping, badly, and leads with his right leg.
Additionally for those of you who scored a 10 or above: Everywhere the man has stepped with his left foot he's left a tiny spot of blood.
Additionally for those of you who scored a 15 or above: there's a number of fresh looking dents and scratches on the guard's scale armor...
Additionally for those of you who scored a 20 or above: a rough Iron caltrop is tucked into the top of the Guard's belt pouch, and there's blood on one tip...

Alternatively for the one unfortunate soul who DID score in the negative numbers: The guard is clearly a hobgoblin in disguise!
 
Well, that's a mark in the favor of the "Raped by Orcs" idea, Sslvark thought. The guardsman had obviously been injured via ambush, one involving the use of caltrops to slow him down and break up any group he was with, and one which had cost him his sword.

"He was ambushed, by something. The ambush probably started when he and anyone with him walked into a patch of caltrops. He'll probably need medical attention fairly soon. Mind telling us what it was that attacked you?"

Though something niggled at the back of the lizard's mind. Why had he brought along the caltrop? Why couldn't he have simply said that he had stepped on one?
 
Keria jumped to her feet quickly as well, grabbing any tablecloths or wash rags she could on her way to he man before trying to bind any of the worst looking wounds and staunch the bleeding. She paid extra attention to the bad wound in his foot from the caltrop, eyeing the offending thing in his belt but making to move to touch it. She smiled comfortingly up at the man as her new lizardman and wild-man 'friends' questioned him.

(Heal check? Roll 12 + 3 mod = 15)
 
Syleen kept silently watching Keira and Nalana. Observing those two might be quite... entertaining, at least for a short while-

Her thoughts were interrupted by the main doors opening suddenly and a guard limping inside. She examined him quickly and noticed the fresh-looking dents and scratches on his scale armor. She also noticed the spots of blood his left foot had left on the floor and the lack of a sword despite the empty sword scabbard hanging at his right hip.

The elf was about to ask the guard what had happened when Damar beat her to it, followed right away by the lizardman's words and question. And then Keira went and tried to bandage the guard. Healing was not something she could help with, and other people were already doing the questioning, so she decided to leave things to them for now and just observe.
 
The guard let himself be ministered to and answered as best he could.

"Your Sleath friend has the right of it, in so far as it goes. We were inbound for this guild hall 12 days out of Kaster-Van-Gromark this morning near the middle of the Brairthorn Scrub when the lead horses went down with caltrops in thier feet. Seconds later there were goblins and hobgoblins everywhere. I stepped on this caltrop trying to get into the fight. Most of the other Guards died in the ambush, I was only left because they wanted someone to take the message to the guild hall that they were holding Dame Naevys Mirara for ransom. They want 5000 Sovereigns for her and the other captives safe return..."
 
Following the guard's explanation there was a brief moment of silence and Syleen used the chance to move closer to the man and to ask him a few questions. "Tell us more about the attackers. Approximately how many goblins and hobgoblins were there? How were they dressed and armed? Did they have any obvious leaders? Any spellcasters among them? Did they actually mention the name 'Dame Naevys Mirara', or did they refer to the lady without using her name?" She paused briefly. "And while you're at it, please tell us more about this Dame Naevys Mirara and the other hostages..."
 
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Upon hearing the guard's reply, Damar immediately goes over to his equipment and begins putting on his armor. He picks up the rest of his gear and starts for the door, with a shout of: "come my new friends! We have goblins to kill!"
He is most of the way across the room before he stops, spinning on his heel and returning.
"Um... Which way are they from here?"
 
Keira's Amber eyes blazed indignantly at the mention of 'captives' and immediately she was up on her feet, collecting her backpack and going to stand beside Damar. Her fists were clenched tightly and her jaw set in an uncharacteristic grimace, the human's entire body trembling in barely contained rage.

"I agree with Damar, aside from the killing anyway. Please just give us a direction and I will teach all of them a lesson! Captives means they won't kill them right away, not that they won't do horrible things to them the longer we wait to react..." The monk said firmly, unconsciously tracing one of the scars on the back of her neck
 
Nalana narrows her eyes at the hobgoblin, preparing for inevitable conflict.

"You are wounded? What happened?"

Wait... what? That idiot barbarian!

"He was ambushed, by something. The ambush probably started when he and anyone with him walked into a patch of caltrops. He'll probably need medical attention fairly soon. Mind telling us what it was that attacked you?"

...that Lizardfolk has surprisingly sophisticated speech... if only he wasn't so foolish! Even Keira wouldn't be that stupid to heal a Hobgoblin!
Nalana almost fell forward as her support disappeared.
Keira?
Nelana turned her head – SHE'S ALREADY TREATING IT!

"Your Sleath friend has the right of it, in so far as it goes. We were inbound for this guild hall 12 days out of Kaster-Van-Gromark this morning near the middle of the Brairthorn Scrub when the lead horses went down with caltrops in thier feet. Seconds later there were goblins and hobgoblins everywhere. I stepped on this caltrop trying to get into the fight. Most of the other Guards died in the ambush, I was only left because they wanted someone to take the message to the guild hall that they were holding Dame Naevys Mirara for ransom. They want 5000 Sovereigns for her and the other captives safe return..."

Goblins attacking hobgoblins, eh? How human... or how elf, heh.

"Tell us more about the attackers. Approximately how many goblins and hobgoblins were there? How were they dressed and armed? Did they have any obvious leaders? Any spellcasters among them? Did they actually mention the name 'Dame Naevys Mirara', or did they refer to the lady without using her name?"

This elf is definitely strange. Being civil to half-blood was suspicious but being civil with hobgoblin is beyond strange. And she asks question after a question without taking a time to breath... definitely a bookworm... that would actually explain why she's strange.

"come my new friends! We have goblins to kill!"

Wait, What!? No! Let's pay the ransom! Or wait for the guild to send someone new – I'm not doing freebies!

"Um... Which way are they from here?"

Idiots! I'm working with idiots and we are all going to die!

"I agree with Damar, aside from the killing anyway. Please just give us a direction and I will teach all of them a lesson! Captives means they won't kill them right away, not that they won't do horrible things to them the longer we wait to react..."

Wow, definitely a hero type... on the other hand, I think about myself as a villain. The hobgoblin through... maybe it's some custom. Each country has it's own ways, after all...
 
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Syleen rolled her eyes at Damar and Keira's antics. “Slow down, you two! Before doing anything we need proper preparation. And the first part of any preparation should be to get as much information as possible. If you act without thinking you might end up rushing right into another goblin ambush.” The elf looked at the white-haired human. “Though I'm sure the goblins would be quite happy to add Keira to the list of their captives...” She then turned her gaze to Damar. “...I doubt they would have any use for a Barbarian, though...” She left them to think about it and turned her gaze back to the wounded guard, waiting for his answer to her questions.
 
Keira looked for a second as though she might just ignore the Elf's words and follow the guards blood trail back to where the ambush happened, but after a quiet second she nodded silently, and paced back to sit with Nalana again.

"You are right... But I will go soon, information or not." She said quietly, as she passed Syleen.

Her entire body shook from her self-restraint, and her muscles flexed uncomfortably but with a pained smile she looked again towards the guard. Soon she was again sitting in her meditative stance, calm returning quickly to her pained expression, and her entire body relaxing once again.

"I won't let there be any more of me..." Keira whispered to herself, too quietly for anyone aside from maybe her half-elven friend to hear.
 
Nalana, hearing Keira's word hugged her again. She didn't know what Keira meant by 'like me' but she could guess what she was referring to... A victim.

“Foolish little girl.” She whispered. “There will always be victims in this world – for the world is a cruel place. The only way to change it is to choke it and force it to change. To crush without mercy and reform it, to your liking... but only gods could do that... but they won't... because they don't care... or they like it the way that the things are.” She started caressing her fellow's back. “Now hush. Rest. Soon we will travel and I will need you, at your best, to act as my shield and sword... can you do that for me? ”
 
For a moment Damar's eyes flash dangerously, and a very low, almost inaudible, distinctly inhuman growl rumbles up from his chest. He forces himself to calm down with visible effort, and, looking to Syleen, he says, his voice less idiotic than usual: "Sorry. Self-control is not easy for me, especially when I can smell blood. I will wait."
He crosses his arms and turns away from the wounded man and the party.
 
Hearing Keira's words Syleen gave the human a curious look. What's with her? Maybe something happened to her in the past? Perhaps I'll ask her about it... later. For now it's not my problem, so I'll leave her in the half-elf's care. She then turned her attention to the barbarian after hearing his comment. Self-control issues? I hope this won't get us in unnecessary trouble... but under the right circumstances it might be of help, I suppose. With no further distractions the elf turned her gaze back to the wounded man.
 
Keria jumped lightly at the close contact, and smiled again unconciously. She listened intently to Nalana's whispers, shivering a bit from the cold tone and the light caresses. She was conflicted, it sounded like the half-elf was speaking from experience, and at the same time she sounded a bit like her old slave masters. She contemplated quietly for a moment, and then turned slightly to give a big warm smile to the witch.

"I can be your shield, but I can't be a sword. Swords are tools to hurt people, and I wont do that unless I really have to... But I'll protect my friends as long as I still breathe." She whispered back, throwing her arms around Nalana in a strong hug, and lifting her slightly into the air. "Even if you do call me names~," Keira added with a dopey wink.
 
Nalana grunted as the woman hugged her and rose her. While the feeling of her breast was nice, the difference in their strength was what she didn't like. No that was not it. She valued power above everything else and being showed her own weakness was... disconcerting. But... she smiled. She got her shield.

“That's okay - I will just continue to look for my swords. As for the names-” she rose her eyebrow “ – don't I call you, what you are? Would you like me to lie to you instead?”
 
Keira just grinned, and setting the woman back down, threw an arm round her shoulders and squeezed it. "You could always call me by my name," she replied happily, "Or maybe a nickname? Anything really that isn't kind of um... insulting. I won't force you though if you cant help it!" The monk clearly wasn't upset at Nalana, rather she was just trying to answer the question honestly, smiling all the while.
 
Nalana winced as her new overenthusiastic meat-shield squeezed her arm. She really hoped to live long enough to teach the girl the meaning of moderation – or she might end up squeezed to death by her own protector... or maybe she will have her squeeze the pure-blood. That might be fun to watch.

Trying to smile and at the same time trying to loosen the grip on her shoulder

“Maybe... in future... we... will see. But for now, no – I think I will try to get more creative in this department!” She smirked.
 
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