(First off, It was Savra, not the cultist, that shouted at the invaders. She would not change shape until after finished distracting the invaders. As far as getting the family into the keep, Savra did all she could do along those lines. Her magical powers have been used too much already, and she has a long way to go before the night is over. She moves into her hide spot, changes into the cultist's form, and returns to the line blocking the keep. She would rush right through it, acting like just another invader trying to stop the family from reaching the keep.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(Sorry, I misread your post! In that case, Savra would not be chased by the kobolds, but the family is still being pursued by the cultists)
Savra transforms into the cultists' form just as the kobolds round the corner. Confused, they look at her for a moment before running off to find a half elf instead.
Linan and her family rush towards the keep with the invaders hot on their heels. Just before they pass through the gate, the raiders fire off a few arrows and stones to try to take them out.
Attack: 23 Damage: 3
Attack: 20 Damage: 6
Attack: 18 Damage: 5
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Linan is hit in the heel by an arrow as she passes through the open gate, and she trips and falls inside the keep. The keep guards begin firing back at the raiders in retaliation, forcing them to keep their distance.
Otherwise, Savra's distraction seems to have worked- the family has managed to enter unharmed. Now in the form of a cultist, how will she be entering the keep herself?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Savra was part of those chasing towards the keep. She has her cloak open for the cultists to see her, until she reaches their foremost ranks, those nearest the keep. Then, as she moves past the last she pulls the cloak in tight, covering her features from those to either side, and changes her shape again, this time into Savra once more. Striding onward she moves towards the keep. To those behind she should look like nothing but an over-eager cultist willing to spend their life for the chance of taking out the cult's enemies. To those aheads she would lift her head, revealing Savra to those inside the gate. She just hopes the keep guards don't kill her before she can get them to realize she is not with the forces outside of their position.
Savra approaches the gate, but when the order comes to fall back, she doesn’t. With her face revealed, Linan, who has fallen to the ground, stares in shock.
She yells, “Don’t shoot! She’s one of us!”
However, it’s too late as two arrows fly towards Savra.
sAttack: 22 Damage: 3
sAttack: 7 Damage: 5
Immediately as Savra passes the gate, the porticullus is shut and the keep is sealed. Guards immediately surround her with pointed spears. One of them, a dwarf, says, “You better start explaining quickly.”
(Dice rolls were messed up there, so not sure if those arrows hit...)
"I aided that family in getting inside." Savra says, tossing back the hood and shrugging off the bloody cloak. She pushes a hand through her auburn hair as she glances to the guards around her. "To give them the chance to reach the keep I distracted the invaders. When I saw they had made it inside, I used the cloak as a disguise to get through the invader's lines and then attempted to get inside myself." She shrugs. "What more do you want to know?" She asks the guards around her. "I've risked my life multiple times to get that family to the keep..."
Linan and her family yell out in support of Savra.
"She saved us all! Don't hurt her!"
Yet, many townspeople, who've lost their homes and loved ones to the raiders, are more hesitant. There are whispers of doubt, followed by accusations and calls to evict Savra from the keep. It's starting to get ugly before a firm voice speaks out above the crowd.
"Enough. This woman has done no wrong. Leave her be."
Descending from the battlements of the keep is an aged human man, dressed in blue noble robes over splint mail. The crowd goes quiet at his arrival and quickly disperses. The man approaches the dwarf commanding the guards.
He says, "Escobert, you serve your duty as master of the keep well. But I can assure you, this one is no threat. Tend to your men, for their services will be needed."
Escobert, a shield dwarf with knotted, tangled, bright red hair, bows before leading his troops away and leaving the human and Savra alone at the closed gate.
"Follow me," says the man, as he climbs up towards one of the keep towers.
"You may have heard of me. I am Tarbaw Nighthill, Governor of Greenest. You are not from around here. Yet, you saved our people. Who are you?"
"The people were only being careful." Savra says as she nods to the governor. "I too would have been concerned about a cloak-wearing individual rushing towards the gates." She would wave to the family she aided, then follow after him. "As for who I am?" She shrugs. "I am a traveling bard, who was with a merchant wagon that was coming this direction. The merchant, and their guards, turned back at the sight of the dragon and invaders. I had one guard aid me, a man named Anders, who helped get some of the villagers away to safety. When he took them I moved on and found the family facing several kobolds. I aided them, and have helped them move through the city and even distracted the invaders so they could reach the keep. Getting myself to the keep was a bit more difficult though." She glances to the man. "Can you tell me anything about the forces facing the town? I saw dragon cultists, kobolds, and even some drakes as we made our way through the town." Looking upwards she smiles grimly. "Not to mention a rather not-inconsequential dragon..."
Governor Nighthill painfully grimaces at the mention of the dragon. The right side of Nighthill's face and head is bandaged, his right arm hangs in a sling, and his light blue tunic is stained with his own blood.
"We don't know much, except that we received warning as the cultists were raiding other towns in the Green Fields. However, they appear as if they intend not to attack the keep, and only seem to be after loot. The ones here are mostly safe, but out there..."
He points out at the burning village, where's it clear that anyone stuck outside the keep is in great danger. Then he shakes his head.
"I would dispatch our forces to help rescue civilians, but that would be a death sentence for our soldiers. We are greatly outnumbered, and many of our people are teenagers; barely adults, inexperienced and afraid. However, I saw the maneuver you pulled entering the keep. From the blood on your rapier, you definitely know how to use it. So, I have something to ask of you. We need people to slip back into the town and help people who are cut off while harassing the raiders. Would you be willing to do this- for Greenest?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Savra looks out over the city for a long time. When she turns to the leader of this comunity she holds his eyes for a long moment before answering. as she is doing these things her mind is racing. There is little she can do inside this keep, to work against the cult, and none of her targets are within these walls. Getting out there is her best option, but she wouldn't mind getting something more out of this.
"I will do this thing." She says finally. "Can you spare anyone to aid me, or do you have an alternate way in and out of this place. I don't really like the idea of trying to get through those lines again if I can help it."
Governor Nighthill nods and calls out, "Escobert, may you come over here."
The red-haired shield dwarf returns, standing stalwartly as the governor speaks.
"Escobert here is in charge of the defense. He's the master of the keep, and he knows everything about the various nooks and crannies of this fortress. He'll be the one to talk to."
Escobert salutes and leads Savra away. Savra spots an enormous ring of iron and brass keys on his person.
He says, "I'm glad you've decided to help us. To answer your question, a narrow tunnel runs from the cellar beneath the keep to the bank of the stream. We can use that to sneak townsfolk inside the keep. I can provide you with two of my soldiers as aid, but they aren't exactly masters of stealth and you'll have a higher risk of being detected.
When you're ready, I can give you the keys and any support you need."
(Savra can take a short rest if she wants)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
"I'd prefer your men guard the tunnel." Savra says with a bit of consideration. "I plan on moving stealthily, so it would likely be more of a danger for me to have your men out there with me. If you can post them at the tunnel entrance, near the stream, then they can help me if I get into trouble getting back there." She would take a short rest, then be ready to move out.
Savra rests against the battlements as more and more fires light up in the town of Greenest. An atmosphere of anxiety is alight in the keep; the attitude is contagious.
Soon, two soldiers approach Savra. One is a tiefling woman wielding a crossbow, the other a human man wielding a spear and shield. Both appear to be young and nervous.
The tiefling pipes up, "We volunteered to follow you on a special mission. The news of what you've done has spread throughout the keep."
The man nods and chuckles. "Linan won't stop talking about you. You appear to have a few admirers around here."
Two keys are presented to Savra- one to open the cellar door to the tunnel, and one to open the exit grate.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
"Ok." Sabra says, accepting the keys. "You two will stay in this tunnel, once you show me where it is, and just help if I get into trouble as I return." She looks at them both. "Understood?" Once they respond she gives them a smile and a go-ahead gesture. "Show me the way to this tunnel then..."
Savra and the two soldiers enter a dusty cellar. The tiefling says, "the keep's never been besieged before, and so we've never used the tunnel."
Barrels and crates are piled on the cellar door leading to the tunnel. The lock is stiff, but with effort opens with the key. Savra sees a dark disused tunnel that's choked with webs. The tunnel is narrow, wide enough only to allow warriors to pass through single file.
Savra's ears are acute, and from the far end of the tunnel, she can hear a faint squeaking and scurrying of many tiny feet.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
"Doesn't sound like you have kept it cleaned out of pests either." Savra says with a wrinkling of her nose. "Give me a hand in clearing the way to the tunnel exit..." She steps forward, sending the man ahead of her as she takes the second posision, waving the woman to follow at her heals.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The man readies his spear and shield and leads the way into the tunnel, with the tiefling following behind
As they pass into the tunnel, the man curses. "I can't see!"
If Savra allows, he'll take off his shield and light a torch. If not, he'll be considered blind.
As the three approach the far end of the tunnel, the squeaking gets louder as Savra sees that a huge swarm of rats has nested among the webs. Disturbed by the peoples' presence, the wave of rats begin to swarm towards the group, biting with tiny sharp teeth.
Initiative
Human Guard: 19
Tiefling Guard: 7
Savra: 7
Rat Swarm 1: 15
Rat Swarm 2 : 14
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
(First off, It was Savra, not the cultist, that shouted at the invaders. She would not change shape until after finished distracting the invaders. As far as getting the family into the keep, Savra did all she could do along those lines. Her magical powers have been used too much already, and she has a long way to go before the night is over. She moves into her hide spot, changes into the cultist's form, and returns to the line blocking the keep. She would rush right through it, acting like just another invader trying to stop the family from reaching the keep.)
(Sorry, I misread your post! In that case, Savra would not be chased by the kobolds, but the family is still being pursued by the cultists)
Savra transforms into the cultists' form just as the kobolds round the corner. Confused, they look at her for a moment before running off to find a half elf instead.
Linan and her family rush towards the keep with the invaders hot on their heels. Just before they pass through the gate, the raiders fire off a few arrows and stones to try to take them out.
Attack: 23 Damage: 3
Attack: 20 Damage: 6
Attack: 18 Damage: 5
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Linan is hit in the heel by an arrow as she passes through the open gate, and she trips and falls inside the keep. The keep guards begin firing back at the raiders in retaliation, forcing them to keep their distance.
Otherwise, Savra's distraction seems to have worked- the family has managed to enter unharmed. Now in the form of a cultist, how will she be entering the keep herself?
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Savra was part of those chasing towards the keep. She has her cloak open for the cultists to see her, until she reaches their foremost ranks, those nearest the keep. Then, as she moves past the last she pulls the cloak in tight, covering her features from those to either side, and changes her shape again, this time into Savra once more. Striding onward she moves towards the keep. To those behind she should look like nothing but an over-eager cultist willing to spend their life for the chance of taking out the cult's enemies. To those aheads she would lift her head, revealing Savra to those inside the gate. She just hopes the keep guards don't kill her before she can get them to realize she is not with the forces outside of their position.
Savra approaches the gate, but when the order comes to fall back, she doesn’t. With her face revealed, Linan, who has fallen to the ground, stares in shock.
She yells, “Don’t shoot! She’s one of us!”
However, it’s too late as two arrows fly towards Savra.
sAttack: 22 Damage: 3
sAttack: 7 Damage: 5
Immediately as Savra passes the gate, the porticullus is shut and the keep is sealed. Guards immediately surround her with pointed spears. One of them, a dwarf, says, “You better start explaining quickly.”
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
(Dice rolls were messed up there, so not sure if those arrows hit...)
"I aided that family in getting inside." Savra says, tossing back the hood and shrugging off the bloody cloak. She pushes a hand through her auburn hair as she glances to the guards around her. "To give them the chance to reach the keep I distracted the invaders. When I saw they had made it inside, I used the cloak as a disguise to get through the invader's lines and then attempted to get inside myself." She shrugs. "What more do you want to know?" She asks the guards around her. "I've risked my life multiple times to get that family to the keep..."
Linan and her family yell out in support of Savra.
"She saved us all! Don't hurt her!"
Yet, many townspeople, who've lost their homes and loved ones to the raiders, are more hesitant. There are whispers of doubt, followed by accusations and calls to evict Savra from the keep. It's starting to get ugly before a firm voice speaks out above the crowd.
"Enough. This woman has done no wrong. Leave her be."
Descending from the battlements of the keep is an aged human man, dressed in blue noble robes over splint mail. The crowd goes quiet at his arrival and quickly disperses. The man approaches the dwarf commanding the guards.
He says, "Escobert, you serve your duty as master of the keep well. But I can assure you, this one is no threat. Tend to your men, for their services will be needed."
Escobert, a shield dwarf with knotted, tangled, bright red hair, bows before leading his troops away and leaving the human and Savra alone at the closed gate.
"Follow me," says the man, as he climbs up towards one of the keep towers.
"You may have heard of me. I am Tarbaw Nighthill, Governor of Greenest. You are not from around here. Yet, you saved our people. Who are you?"
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
"The people were only being careful." Savra says as she nods to the governor. "I too would have been concerned about a cloak-wearing individual rushing towards the gates." She would wave to the family she aided, then follow after him. "As for who I am?" She shrugs. "I am a traveling bard, who was with a merchant wagon that was coming this direction. The merchant, and their guards, turned back at the sight of the dragon and invaders. I had one guard aid me, a man named Anders, who helped get some of the villagers away to safety. When he took them I moved on and found the family facing several kobolds. I aided them, and have helped them move through the city and even distracted the invaders so they could reach the keep. Getting myself to the keep was a bit more difficult though." She glances to the man. "Can you tell me anything about the forces facing the town? I saw dragon cultists, kobolds, and even some drakes as we made our way through the town." Looking upwards she smiles grimly. "Not to mention a rather not-inconsequential dragon..."
Governor Nighthill painfully grimaces at the mention of the dragon. The right side of Nighthill's face and head is bandaged, his right arm hangs in a sling, and his light blue tunic is stained with his own blood.
"We don't know much, except that we received warning as the cultists were raiding other towns in the Green Fields. However, they appear as if they intend not to attack the keep, and only seem to be after loot. The ones here are mostly safe, but out there..."
He points out at the burning village, where's it clear that anyone stuck outside the keep is in great danger. Then he shakes his head.
"I would dispatch our forces to help rescue civilians, but that would be a death sentence for our soldiers. We are greatly outnumbered, and many of our people are teenagers; barely adults, inexperienced and afraid. However, I saw the maneuver you pulled entering the keep. From the blood on your rapier, you definitely know how to use it. So, I have something to ask of you. We need people to slip back into the town and help people who are cut off while harassing the raiders. Would you be willing to do this- for Greenest?"
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Savra looks out over the city for a long time. When she turns to the leader of this comunity she holds his eyes for a long moment before answering. as she is doing these things her mind is racing. There is little she can do inside this keep, to work against the cult, and none of her targets are within these walls. Getting out there is her best option, but she wouldn't mind getting something more out of this.
"I will do this thing." She says finally. "Can you spare anyone to aid me, or do you have an alternate way in and out of this place. I don't really like the idea of trying to get through those lines again if I can help it."
Governor Nighthill nods and calls out, "Escobert, may you come over here."
The red-haired shield dwarf returns, standing stalwartly as the governor speaks.
"Escobert here is in charge of the defense. He's the master of the keep, and he knows everything about the various nooks and crannies of this fortress. He'll be the one to talk to."
Escobert salutes and leads Savra away. Savra spots an enormous ring of iron and brass keys on his person.
He says, "I'm glad you've decided to help us. To answer your question, a narrow tunnel runs from the cellar beneath the keep to the bank of the stream. We can use that to sneak townsfolk inside the keep. I can provide you with two of my soldiers as aid, but they aren't exactly masters of stealth and you'll have a higher risk of being detected.
When you're ready, I can give you the keys and any support you need."
(Savra can take a short rest if she wants)
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
"I'd prefer your men guard the tunnel." Savra says with a bit of consideration. "I plan on moving stealthily, so it would likely be more of a danger for me to have your men out there with me. If you can post them at the tunnel entrance, near the stream, then they can help me if I get into trouble getting back there." She would take a short rest, then be ready to move out.
Savra rests against the battlements as more and more fires light up in the town of Greenest. An atmosphere of anxiety is alight in the keep; the attitude is contagious.
Soon, two soldiers approach Savra. One is a tiefling woman wielding a crossbow, the other a human man wielding a spear and shield. Both appear to be young and nervous.
The tiefling pipes up, "We volunteered to follow you on a special mission. The news of what you've done has spread throughout the keep."
The man nods and chuckles. "Linan won't stop talking about you. You appear to have a few admirers around here."
Two keys are presented to Savra- one to open the cellar door to the tunnel, and one to open the exit grate.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
"Ok." Sabra says, accepting the keys. "You two will stay in this tunnel, once you show me where it is, and just help if I get into trouble as I return." She looks at them both. "Understood?" Once they respond she gives them a smile and a go-ahead gesture. "Show me the way to this tunnel then..."
Savra and the two soldiers enter a dusty cellar. The tiefling says, "the keep's never been besieged before, and so we've never used the tunnel."
Barrels and crates are piled on the cellar door leading to the tunnel. The lock is stiff, but with effort opens with the key. Savra sees a dark disused tunnel that's choked with webs. The tunnel is narrow, wide enough only to allow warriors to pass through single file.
Savra's ears are acute, and from the far end of the tunnel, she can hear a faint squeaking and scurrying of many tiny feet.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
"Doesn't sound like you have kept it cleaned out of pests either." Savra says with a wrinkling of her nose. "Give me a hand in clearing the way to the tunnel exit..." She steps forward, sending the man ahead of her as she takes the second posision, waving the woman to follow at her heals.
The man readies his spear and shield and leads the way into the tunnel, with the tiefling following behind
As they pass into the tunnel, the man curses. "I can't see!"
If Savra allows, he'll take off his shield and light a torch. If not, he'll be considered blind.
As the three approach the far end of the tunnel, the squeaking gets louder as Savra sees that a huge swarm of rats has nested among the webs. Disturbed by the peoples' presence, the wave of rats begin to swarm towards the group, biting with tiny sharp teeth.
Initiative
Human Guard: 19
Tiefling Guard: 7
Savra: 7
Rat Swarm 1: 15
Rat Swarm 2 : 14
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
The Order: Rats 1/Savra/Rats 2/Human/Tiefling
The first swarm of rats swirl around the human's feet, crawling up his armor and biting him. They are occupying his space as they attack.
Attack: 10 Damage: 3
(If Guard has torch out, he has AC 14. Otherwise, the rats will have advantage against him: 10)
Meanwhile, the second swarm seems to be grouping up to attack Savra. She has a moment to act before they attack her.
Savra is up!
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Savra would have let him light his torch no problem. Stepping up next to him she stabs at several of the mice swarming over him...
To hit: 7 Damage: 4 and sneak damage of 6
Savra skewers several of the rats with a single strike, yet more continue to swarm over the human.
The second swarm moves past him to engulf Savra. Savra finds dozens of small furry bodies climbing up her legs and biting her.
Attack: 7 Damage: 5
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd