Torros will try to talk them out of this situation.
To achieve this he creates a creative story:
“My gold doesn´t belong to me anymore! There was this beautiful faerie woman with the golden hair who wanted me to give her a kiss. Because I couldn’t do this (my heart belongs to another woman) I offered her all my gold. She agreed and after she took it we had a short discussion about actual tendencies in the jewel marked. I explained my secret plan to her how to become extremely rich and by the most beautiful golden comb for my love. Also I explained this beautiful faerie maiden that it would be no problem for me if she takes all my gold because I´m an excellent merchant and it would take me just a few days to re earn the amount I offered her. So we agreed that I don´t have to kiss her and instead of a kiss my gold should become her gold. After that deal she asked me to user her new gold to make her extremely rich, and then buy the most beautiful golden comb for her. I agreed to fulfill this task.
I expect to finish this quest within one year. And then I have to find something more beautiful as the golden comp as a present for my love.
I don’t own any Gold. But I can offer you to bring a marvelous feather from the famous Danish smore bird for your cap on my next visit. The only problem with this feathers is the price. As you may know they are extremely expensive. But I think I can organize one for you. This will cost you just three gold coin!. What do you say? Do we have a deal??” With a broad smile Torros offers his hand to seal this deal by a handshake. :mrgreen:
(OOC: What skill are you trying to use here? When you try to do something like this, it would be useful to me to know the stats you are attempting to use so I don't have to dig it up and make a guess.)
The creature looks a bit confused by your tale, but swings his club threateningly when you approach him, stopping you short. "Whaaat?" it says, "What are ye' gabbing about?"
"Don't believe him, brother," comes a growling voice to the left. There is a loud sniffing noise, "I can smell th' gold. It be in the horse pack, I tell ye'.
Another swing of the club in the air, close enough to your face that you can feel the air moving. "I tol' ye' already. Yer gold or yer life! Now fess up yer gold and ye can be on yer way."
Sorry, I was not sure about which ability would be applicable and assumed you will decide. Next time I will state which ability I try to use. For this one I thought guile, but was not too sure.
Torros will carefully move back: ”Ok! ok! You will get the gold” While he is walking over to the horse he checks how many creatures are around.
OCC: Did we hire someone to take care for the horse? No one of us has animal handling. So maybe we have someone for the Horse, or the horse is a cooperative one.
After counting the creatures and while digging out the gold he will thing about his change to impress them with a mighty torrent of water. Does his Premonition tell him something?
(OOC: I simply wasn't sure whether you were trying to achieve something specific with the story. Stating the intent of the action as OOC text can be quite useful to me. )
Only the fact that you heard the low growling voice allows you to spot another of the creatures hiding in the brush a few paces from the two pack mules that Hans was leading. (Your grog picked up the basics of Animal Handling from Anton the redcap as well as his time taking care of such animals since leaving Rorschach.)
Still, there were quite a few areas surrounding you where the undergorwth is moving. Nevertheless, you got no premonitions about any danger. Even now, you don't get the sense that you are actually in grave danger...
Because he doesn’t feel to be in danger, at least not too much danger, Torros decides not to give away his gold to easy.
Before he is starting to open the package on the Mule the tries to spot what is moving the bushes. Using his awareness he searches for creatures or maybe ropes that move the bush.
(OCC his awareness specialty is searching. Hopefully this applies.)
Hans and Franz will also look around to see who is trying to rob them.
Hans who is always quite direct (subtle -2) will set up his weapons. Preparing to throw his throwing axe, and then continue with axe and shield.
While Franz is not the bravest he simply starts to pray.
Torros tries to leave the bag with the gold in the package and grab just a hand full of peaces leaving the rest inside the package. Before he pulls out the few pieces of gold he managed to grab he wants to do something against the fact that one of the creatures can smell gold.
(OCC: To destroy an objects ability to affect smell is base 3. In case Torros wants to destroy the smell of the remaining gold he would need the target group. Correct?
Would it be possible to change the smell of the remaining gold without target group? In case the smell of the gold is one individual Torros could try to spontaneously cast a MuIm Spell changing the smell of the gold inside the package to the smell of leather. Does Torros think this is practicable?
His CT would be 9 without Aura and penalties for leaving the gold inside the package.)
(OOC: I've rolled Awareness for you already. The description I gave you is based on that roll.)
(OOC: Note that Torros is acting as if he is about to give the creature their gold, not fight, so it is probably hard for Hans to know that he should prepare to fight. He didn't have his weapon and shield in hand, as this is a cumbersome way to travel. HIs he preparing them now, which could easily be contrued as an agressive action by the creatures? Remember that he doesn't have Premonitions himself, so he doesn't get that sense that they may not be in danger.)
(OOC: Note also that they may actually be in danger, despite what Torros feels. Premonitions is based on a roll, and sometimes the roll is bad...)
(OOC: Ideally, he'd need to be able to cast the spell without gestures and voice, to prevent the creature(s) from noticing what he's doing, and that would give him a -15 penalty. Even soft voice and subtle gestures would give a -7 penalty. Considering his relatively low total in PeIm, he just mighe be able to pull it off on a lucky roll with Base 3, +1 Touch, +1 Diameter (at least), but at a minimum he'd loose one Fatigue level.)
Looking around, Franz turns a little pales as his gaze moves back and forth between the brown-capped fellow ahead of them to the rustling brush beside them. Strange creatures and movement in the brush was not something he was used to. He has no desire to see Torros lose his gold. But he also has no desire to be killed by very off highwaymen.
One Hand it would be wise to give the gold away. On the other Hand Torros doesn´t feel he is in danger. Maybe his feelings (premonitions) are wrong and he and his Fellows are actually in danger. Who knows?
Why do we only see one Creature? And the continuously moving bushes let Torros think the creature(s) are not that many as they pretend to be. Torros is not willing to give away a significant part of his wealth to one small grumpy creature and his moving bushes.
Well he could be wrong and this could be fatal.
We will know that very soon.
As Torros realizes that he would not be able to put a spell on his gold he changes his plan. He takes out a few paces of gold and showing them around by lifting his hand high above his head. Then he places the gold one pace in front of Hans on the ground.
“I´m Torros Ex Jerbiton If you want my gold come and get it!”
Then he whispers to Hans: “Lets´ try to take a hostage if they come to steal the gold”
"Ye hear him boys!" The smallish creature says loudly, before finishing with a yell, "HAVE AT THEM!" With that, projectiles begin to rain down on the small group from the bushes. Fist-sized objects, flying in lazy arcs towards Hans and Torros, numbering at least half a dozen.
(I need defense rolls for Torros and Hans. Each is targeted by three projectiles, but I only need a single defense roll per character. Note that Hans' shield is on his back, so it shouldn't count into his total.)
(After that has been resolved, you can make a Brawl roll against the creature before Torros. Hans will need a round before he can get there, provided he is not engaged by the creatures hiding in the bushes.)
Hans only gets hit by a single projectile and manages to dodge another. The aim of the third one is so bad that you hear a sound from the brush on the other side, "How! Hey, careful over there!"
Torros, meanwhile, is hit by all thre projectiles. One is a rock that hits him on the shoulder. It hurts, but doesn't hit hard enough to cause any lasting damage, just a bruise. The other two projectiles that hit Torros, as well as the one hitting Hans, bursts on impact. Splashing both men with... well, it certainly smells like fresh excrements...
The creature backpedals with an expression of panic as Torros charges him, reflexively swinging his large club as he does so. The club connects with a meaty sound with Torros' thigh, causing a severe bruise that makes Torros stumble. Still the young magus manages to get his hands on the creature for a moment, before it twists away.
)
Good Idea to keep things moving.