[Just to be precise: " A shape lies sleeping here... one more guard, it looks like. They do not stir or notice her at the door, for now," means there is only one sleeping guard in the room, right? Meili has her mask on for Darkvision (60 ft)]
Meili took a steadying breath in the doorway, hoping the sound of dripping water would mask her faint movements. One more guard. One more complication.
Her eyes swept the room, checking if the guard was truly alone and searching for anything that could be used to lock or wedge the door shut. If the door opened outward and there wasn’t a sliding bar, perhaps something small - a loose piece of wood or even debris - might serve as a wedge. A single trapped guard was exactly what they came here for.
If she could secure the door and found nothing else of interest in the room, she would quietly block it. If there was nothing useful or feasible for locking it, she would carefully close the door and retreat.
Using the same method as before - hands stretched out to lightly brush the corridor walls - she made her way back to Mica.
“There’s another guard in there, sleeping,” she whispered, with words barely audible over the commotion. “We could hide in that room or maybe get out now. Something seems to going on."
[Clarification for Meili: Yes, just one sleeping guard.]
[Eryndor: Using his lute to make himself invisible for an hour, he ventures forth to scavenge the ruins for food or information. As yet another tropical storm pours down, he comes upon a small group of persons lurking near what he knows to be an occupied guardhouse. What what he can tell in the rain and the gloom, they appear to be: a human man in chainmail; an elf woman; and two more human men in robes. Both of the men's robes are torn, pierced, and caked with blood as though they have recently been in battle. They are looking toward the guardhouse as if considering making an approach.]
The storm's relentless rain hammers down, drenching the ancient ruins of Omu and muffling all but the loudest of sounds. Ran, Danica, Nalomanterys, and Eligosremain crouched a short distance away from the guardhouse, their eyes fixed on the two rooftop mercenaries, whose growing panic is evident. One of them leans forward, shouting into the storm, "Mykel! MYKEL!" he shouts in vain into the storm.
Ranasks Danicaabout proceeding toward the guardhouse. Before she can answer, Ran hears a voice - soft, melodic, seemingly coming from over his shoulder.
"Prithee, friends, linger not here. This place is ill-favored, and the shadows have ears. Mercenaries stalk yonder guardhouse, their tempers as sharp as their blades. Should you value your skins, withdraw with haste, lest peril find you unbidden."
Danica, Nalomanterys, and Eligosall turn at the sound as well. Nalomanterysbites down on his scarf to stifle a shout of surprise. There is no one there, it seems, yet clearly they all just heard a stranger's voice as if he was right beside them.
It is in this moment that the storm's fury seems to intensify, and unseen attackers strike. Thunder crashes like the roar of an angry god, and the rain lashes down in relentless sheets. From somewhere nearby, but slightly deeper in the ruins, an eerie chanting begins, low and guttural, resonating in a language that prickles the senses and gnaws at the edges of understanding. The cadence is unnatural, hypnotic, and menacing, carrying through the storm as though the wind itself bears the words.
Before anyone can react, two spheres of impenetrable blackness materialize above the guardhouse, swallowing the entire structure in a void deeper than the stormy night. The blackness oozes down the sides of the building like ink, rendering walls, roof, and doorways utterly invisible. Even the flickering light from the open doorway vanishes into the abyss.
The mercenaries’ voices on the roof turn frantic. "What in the Nine Hells—?!" shouts one from the roof, his voice cut off as the darkness overtakes him. The other can be heard cursing loudly, his words muffled and panicked within the void. Then - "Shite! Snakes! SNAKES!!"
As if on cue, four shadowy figures rise from their hiding places near where the fallen lantern had been set down. Silent in the storm, they sprint toward the guardhouse with inhuman speed, their movements swift and fluid. For an instant, a flash of lightning illuminates the scene, revealing glimmers of dark, shimmering scales and the gleam of curved blades in their hands. Their eyes, briefly visible, glow faintly with a predatory light before the darkness claims them again.
Eligo’sbreath catches as he sees the figures. “Yuan-ti,” he mutters under his breath, his voice barely audible over the storm.
Danica’s brows furrow. “This is bad,” she murmurs, her voice low and tense. "Mica and Meili are in there."
Inside, Micaand Meili, still invisible, hear the guards on the roof cry out.
[There is NO magical darkness inside the building. They can still see and would not know about the darkness outside.]
The guards inside continue to make noise inside the large room, and now Meilican hear sounds of stirring from the room at the back, where one had been sleeping.
[Not technically in initiative yet. And I'm still working on a map.]
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Ran stares at the emptiness where a moment ago he swore he heard someone. Then the chaos ensues.
"They might still be invisible, but they could get trapped," Ran says. He looks up at the rain and smiles for a moment at how loud it is. He looks at the others. "Any of you have any tricks for seeing in darkness like that?"
Before any of them can answer though, Ran is already on the move. He races as fast as he can towards the gatehouse, keeping an eye out for any other yuan-ti that might be lurking.
Mica whispers back to Meili, eyes still focused on the door to the guard room. “They called out something about a patrol returning, everyone is moving about. Might be a good time to get out of here before we get caught in between two groups of guards and our magic fades.”
The disembodied voice offers a word of encouragement: "We are none of us alone."Accompanying it, four notes of an inspiring arpeggio sing out from unseen strings.
(Ran,Danica, Nalomanterys, andEligoseach gain a Bardic Inspiration die (1d8). Once within the next hour, when they fail a D20 Test, they can roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to the total, potentially turning the failure into a success.)
Mica whispers back to Meili “Stay close and try to weave around the guards, we’ll head back and report to the others. Call out if you run into trouble.” Mica carefully moves back down the hallway to the main entrance, watching to avoid any guards moving in the building.
As Rancharges out from hiding toward the magically darkened guardhouse, he sees 4 Yuan-ti running toward the building, and another two lurking off to the northeast. There are also two large swarms of snakes within view.
Inside the guardhouse, the invisible Meili and Micamove quietly for the exterior door. As soon as they pull it open, however, a wave of blackness pours in from outside. It is intangible, but it fills the halls of the building with impenetrable darkness. They are both effectively blinded, just inside where they remember the door to be.
Initiative:
Yuan-ti Leaders 20
Ran20
Danica, Eligos, Nalomanterys 16
Yuan-ti Fighters and Snakes 8
Cormyr Mercenaries 8
Mica, Meili, Eryndor (all rolled 5)
Eryndor, Micaand Meiliare all invisible.
The Cormyr Company mercenaries on the map are where Micaand Meilithink they are inside the building. There should also be 2 more on the roof somewhere.
In addition to what he can see, Ranwould almost swear he can hear additional footfalls on the wet stone of the path, approaching him from the northeast...
Ranis up!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ran grimaces at the sight of the snakes.
"Snakes," Ran says. "Why'd it have to be snakes?"
While they might not be the most dangerous threat, the swarm of snakes by the magically blackened guardhouse are what's in the way of finding Mica and Meili, so Ran continues straight at them, his longswords in action as soon as he gets there.
Not worrying too much about any particular snake he slashes at the swarm as a whole, again and again, twice with Gambit and once with his other sword.
Ran'saggressive gamble pays off. He hacks and slashes at the mass of colorful, venomous snakes. By the time he is done, the last survivors of the swarm are scattering into the underbrush. [Swarm of Snakes is destroyed.]
Behind Ran, the rest of his team spring into action. Nalomanterysstands frozen for a heartbeat, gripping the edge of his blue scarf as though it might anchor him against the fear roiling in his chest. His eyes dart to the charging yuan-ti, dark shapes slithering through the rain-soaked gloom. With a shaking hand, he reaches into his pouch, fumbling for a moment before pulling out some small thing. Summoning his resolve, he hurls it toward the attackers with a word of power. The bead arcs through the rain before striking the ground at the feet of the yuan-ti. For a fraction of a second, nothing happens—then a massive explosion erupts, a sphere of roaring flame that lights up the ruins like sunrise. The heat is searing, and the fireball engulfs the attackers, sending waves of fire and light washing through the ruins.
18 Fire Damage; 9on successful DC 15 DEX save
Saves: 6, 13, 7, 18
The smell of charred vegetation and burning scales fills the air as Nalomanterys ducks back down behind the rocks, gasping for breath. He sends a look toward Eligos.
Danica, standing a short distance away, breathes deeply, her eyes fixed on the yuan-ti spellcasters hidden near the stone steps. With a whispered incantation, her body begins to transform. Her form becomes cloaked in a shifting, ethereal radiance, as though her skin and hair are made of the night sky itself. Stars glimmer and pulse across her form, and her eyes shine like twin constellations.
She raises her bow, now aglow with celestial energy, and draws an arrow of pure light. Releasing the string, the arrow streaks through the rain, a brilliant lance that pierces the gloom.
It strikes one of the yuan-ti spellcasters, the radiant impact sending ripples of light across the battlefield. The spellcaster lets out a guttural cry, clutching their chest as their concentration shatters. One of the spheres of darkness above the guardhouse flickers and vanishes, revealing the rooftop and one of the drenched, panicked mercenaries once more.
Eligos, calm and deliberate amidst the chaos, crouches low and raises his hands, his fingers weaving intricate patterns through the air. A shimmer of arcane energy swirls around him, and his crimson robes twist and writhe as if alive. The fabric darkens and thickens, morphing seamlessly into reinforced red leather armor, its surface glowing faintly with protective wards. The armor fits him perfectly, the runes and sigils etched across its surface flickering with magical potency.
The four Yuan-ti, briefly staggered by Nalomanterys' fireball, resume their charge. Two them continue toward the guardhouse, while two of them split off toward Eryndorand the others.
From somewhere inside the guardhouse, Micaand Meilican here the guards clambering around in the magical darkness. The curse and shout, and there is a clatter of chainmail as it sounds like one of them falls down. From the far side of the building, they hear a thud. "My door is stuck!"
Up on the roof, there is the sound of metal on stone as the guards fight with something. "Damn snakes!"
Mica, Meili, and Eryndor are all up.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The wave of darkness caught Meili off guard as they opened the door. Blind and disoriented, she froze for a heartbeat, but the sounds of chaos - cursing guards, clattering chainmail, and distant thuds - spurred her into action. Darkness or not, the way out was straight ahead.
"Straight forward," she whispered mostly to herself, moving quickly, trusting Mica to do the same. The distant shouts of "Damn snakes!" were clear enough. Yuan-ti were higher on her enemy list than mercenaries, and if they were here, the priority was clear: get out, find the snake, and strike it.
Meili ran forward, hoping to leave the darkness behind and find the enemy.
If Meili is able to run out of darkness and reach the closest snake - attack the closest snake (afaik, the first attack is with an advantage for invisibility):
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Seeing Ran rushing out toward the darkness, then seeing one of the orbs of darkness fail due to Danica's shot, Eryndor follows Ran, getting to within 120 feet of the remaining orb of blackness (if possible).
His invisibility drops as he begins to play his lute. Like a mythic rebel of music, all see him now, a striking and peculiar figure in the wilds of Chult. His long, chestnut-brown hair, damp from the jungle’s constant humidity, framed sharp features and vibrant green eyes that seemed to catch every flicker of movement. His pale skin, unusual in the sun-soaked land, carried freckles and faint marks of exposure but still retained an ethereal quality. His clothing, once elegant and richly adorned, was now frayed and patched with jungle-worn practicality—his tunic and cloak bore subtle traces of Fey-inspired embroidery, though mud and wear had dulled their beauty.
If within 120' a flurry of discordant minor chords on his lute, dispels the remaining orb of darkness.
Otherwise, he will hold his action, waiting until he can see an enemy is within 60 feet to hurl Vicious Mockery (11 psychic damage on failed CR 15 Wis save and have Disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.) at them: "By my troth, thou dost reek of cowardice and stale regret. Even the jungle beasts would flee thy company for fear of thy stench!"
Nalomanterys, Eligos and Danica catch him flash a smile at them and wink.
Mica hesitates, heart in his throat, as he reaches the outer door and is faced only with inky blackness. Meili’s voice, in an urgent whisper, pushes him forward, straight forward, he hears. Anywhere was better than here. “Back to the Cap'n”, he answers Meili, then he could try to make sense of the shouts and screams around him.
Hands out in front of him, he stumbles forward, back in the direction he knows they left the others, avoiding the sounds of battle the best he can and straining to see in the darkness.
Meili charges forth from the darkness, and sees the nearest batch of yuan-ti approaching from the south. Using her great speed, the closes the distance and pummels the closets target.
CON: 3
The yuan-ti is stunned, and after Meili's beating and Nalomanterys' fireball, this one looks nearly finished. Meili's attacks stagger it back 5' and then Meiliuses the last of her movement to retreat 5' closer to Ran.
A mysterious musical maestro materializes out of the mist, and with bit of flair and a jaunty bit of strumming, he dismisses the second shroud of darkness, revealing the entire guardhouse. Now, those below can just make out the two guards on the roof, who appear to be battling with constrictor snakes.
Mica, able to see again, steps outside and dashes back toward their softer allies. [It think that is what Mica was going for, right?]
The chanting further up the path changes tenor. One of the yuan-ti spellcasters steps closer, raising its voice again, and a new shroud of darkness appears, this time enveloping Danica, Nalomanterys, and Eligos. Eryndor is left just outside its perimeter.
The other spellcaster eyes Eryndor, who had the gall to dismiss his spell. He hisses disdainfully and emotes two crackling beams of force that lance out through the rain at the bard.
Eldritch Blast: 10
Eldritch Blast: 8
It may be the distance, or a bit of bardic luck, but both blasts pass harmlessly over his head.
On the stony path, Ran'ssharp ears catch something through the cacophony—a faint splash of footfalls in the puddles nearby, moving too deliberately to be a trick of the storm. He turns his head, scanning the darkness, but sees nothing.
Then, without warning, a mass of writhing snakes slams into him, their fangs punching through the links of his chainmail. A searing pain lances through his side as venom courses into his veins, a fiery burn that spreads rapidly. Ran'sbreath hitches as the shock of the attack takes hold.
As the creature’s spell of invisibility shatters, its horrific form materializes before him. This yuan-ti looms a full head taller than the others, its humanoid torso gleaming and slick, covered in blasphemous tattoos. Where arms should be, grotesque masses of serpents writhe and twist, their fanged heads snapping and dripping with venom. Its nearly human face is twisted in a cruel grin, forked tongue flicking as its slit-pupil eyes glint with malicious delight.
Bite: 11
The creature lunges again, the serpents coiling and striking as one. But Ran, still reeling from the first attack, is able to parry the snakesheads away before they can sink their fangs into him again.
Round 2:
Yuan-ti Leaders
Ran
Danica, Eligos, Nalomanterys
Yuan-ti Fighters and Snakes
Cormyr Mercenaries
Mica, Meili, Eryndor
Micais now the only one still invisible.
Ranis up!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Ran reals back at the sudden and savage appearance of this snake covered warrior. Another round of poison like that and Ran will be fertilizing the weeds.
"You're a nasty one, aren't you mate?" Ran says as he breathes heavily through the poison.
With all the chaos around him, Ran's one thought is that this guy can't kill him if he's dead first, and with that, he goes all in as quickly and savagely as possible.
Action - Gambit - Attack: 18 Damage: 10 plus Superiority Die w/ Trip Attack - STR Save DC 16 or Snakey is knocked prone and takes an additional 1 damage.
Extra Attack - Gambit - Attack: 16 Damage: 12 (if knocked prone in first attack, Ran has advantage - second attack roll in case - 25 )
Bonus Action - Long Sword - Attack: 26 Damage: 11 (again if knocked prone - advantage - second roll - 12 )
Extra Attack - Gambit - Attack: 18 Damage: 14 (advantage if prone - 16 )
(If first attack misses, or Snakey isn't succeeds on the save, Ran will try it again on the second attack to use Trip Attack - DC 16 or prone and 8 extra damage)
(And if not too late, Ran will react to the missed attack from the last round as well with Riposte - attack with Gambit - Attack: 27 Damage: 10 plus 6 extra damage from Riposte.)
The moment the yuan-ti's last attack is deflected, Ranseizes the opening. Drawing on sheer grit and battle-honed fury, his grip tightens on the hilts of his two longswords. Then he surges forward, driving into the yuan-ti with unrelenting force.
His first attack with Gambit arcs low, carving through scaled flesh and eliciting a sharp hiss of pain from the creature. Before it can recoil, his second sword follows, slashing across its chest in a brutal diagonal strike. The yuan-ti writhes, its serpentine limbs flailing, but Ran is relentless—he steps in, twisting, and drives another vicious cut into its side. Black blood splashes onto the rain-soaked ground.
The yuan-ti screeches, its forked tongue flicking wildly. But even as it staggers, its unnatural endurance keeps it upright. Snakes coil and lash out, trying to parry the blows without success. Ranbrings both blades down in a powerful, twin overhead strike, the sheer force carving deep wounds into the creature's body. The yuan-ti reels back, barely holding itself together, but its reptilian eyes burn with inhuman hatred and defiance.
Both warriors now bleeding heavily, their bodies battered from the savage exchange. [This yuan-ti is severely injured.]
From inside the sphere of darkness, Danica calls out to Selune with a spell, though the effects of it aren't apparent to anyone. Nalomanteryscan be heard cursing the darkness... and then Eligosemerges, bewildered, just south of Eryndor. He looks surprises, both at the unexpected presence of the strange bard, and at the charging pair of yuan-ti fighters just to the west. Without sparing Eryndor a further look, he draws a diamond from his pocket and casts a spell, sending a shimmering beam of colorful light at the nearest yuan-ti.
Spell Attack: 9
The shot goes high, disappearing into the jungle foliage behind the yuan-ti. He hisses in frustration, looks like he considers stepping back into the darkness, but then moves 10' south instead.
The two south-most yuan-ti continue to charge toward the sphere of darkness. One draw up alongside Eryndor, the other running to Eligos.
Back on the stony path, one of the other yuan-ti is still stunned by Meili, but the last steps around his kin and closes on the monk. It's scimitar, slick with rain and something darker and oilier, flashes twice towards her.
Inside and above the guardhouse, there is the sound of battle and of running boots. Finally, one of the Cormyr Company mercenaries bursts out of the front door, longsword in his hand... and stops so fast he almost slips in the mud as he sees Ranand the yuan-ti with snake arms locked in combat. "Who in the hells..." he starts to ask, then sees the yuan-ti priests in the distance and the rest of the fighters spread out on the road and in the surrounding jungle. He looks back over his shoulder. Then looks at Ran... then steps back inside the guardhouse, slamming the door shut with a crash.
[Eryndor, Micaand Meiliare all up. Post in first-come, first served order. Micais still invisible, for now.]
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
"Cowards!" Meili did not have time to finish the thought about the garrison now barricaded inside as another yuan-ti closed the distance, and the scimitar flashed toward her through the rain. She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the second slash, but the first cut deep across her side, sending a wave of burning pain through her. The poison surged into her blood, sharp and immediate, but she gritted her teeth and pressed forward.
Meili was lucky to stun the first snake in these conditions but she knew the stun would not last long... Yet the new snake might not allow her to reach the stunned opponent...
Mica tries to make sense of the swirl of battle breaking out all around them. He spies what can only be the spellcasters to his north, but they are too far away to reach. He turns toward Meili and Ran engaged in ferocious fighting on the trail, but then notices the two yuan-ti heading toward Eligos and another stranger stepping from the darkness near where he left the others.
Landing on a good target for his ire, Mica rushes toward the snakeman moving toward Eligos. His arrival was announced by a downward strike of his handaxe, aiming to split the yuan-ti’s shoulder, and he followed with a savage yell as he materialized out of thin air, swinging his handaxes in two additional slashes across the body. “What in the bloody hells happened out here?”he calls out to the wizard. “Where are the others?”
Attack (with advantage from invisibility): 22 Damage: 5
Attack: 26 Damage: 9
Bonus action Off hand Attack: 15 Damage: 5.
.
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[Just to be precise: " A shape lies sleeping here... one more guard, it looks like. They do not stir or notice her at the door, for now," means there is only one sleeping guard in the room, right? Meili has her mask on for Darkvision (60 ft)]
Meili took a steadying breath in the doorway, hoping the sound of dripping water would mask her faint movements. One more guard. One more complication.
Her eyes swept the room, checking if the guard was truly alone and searching for anything that could be used to lock or wedge the door shut. If the door opened outward and there wasn’t a sliding bar, perhaps something small - a loose piece of wood or even debris - might serve as a wedge. A single trapped guard was exactly what they came here for.
If she could secure the door and found nothing else of interest in the room, she would quietly block it. If there was nothing useful or feasible for locking it, she would carefully close the door and retreat.
Using the same method as before - hands stretched out to lightly brush the corridor walls - she made her way back to Mica.
“There’s another guard in there, sleeping,” she whispered, with words barely audible over the commotion. “We could hide in that room or maybe get out now. Something seems to going on."
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Ran stays still in the rain, making sure he knows where Danica and the wizards are. "Something ugly is out there in the dark. Keep focused."
Not having light to illuminate a target anymore, Ran puts his crossbow away and pulls out his two longswords.
"Mica and Meili may need help if this stirs the guard post up," Ran says.
He looks to the guard post, thinking that whatever made the guards disappear from the street is probably headed that way.
"What do you think cap?" Ran asks Danica. "I'm thinking we head that way."
[Clarification for Meili: Yes, just one sleeping guard.]
[Eryndor: Using his lute to make himself invisible for an hour, he ventures forth to scavenge the ruins for food or information. As yet another tropical storm pours down, he comes upon a small group of persons lurking near what he knows to be an occupied guardhouse. What what he can tell in the rain and the gloom, they appear to be: a human man in chainmail; an elf woman; and two more human men in robes. Both of the men's robes are torn, pierced, and caked with blood as though they have recently been in battle. They are looking toward the guardhouse as if considering making an approach.]
The storm's relentless rain hammers down, drenching the ancient ruins of Omu and muffling all but the loudest of sounds. Ran, Danica, Nalomanterys, and Eligos remain crouched a short distance away from the guardhouse, their eyes fixed on the two rooftop mercenaries, whose growing panic is evident. One of them leans forward, shouting into the storm, "Mykel! MYKEL!" he shouts in vain into the storm.
Ran asks Danica about proceeding toward the guardhouse. Before she can answer, Ran hears a voice - soft, melodic, seemingly coming from over his shoulder.
"Prithee, friends, linger not here. This place is ill-favored, and the shadows have ears. Mercenaries stalk yonder guardhouse, their tempers as sharp as their blades. Should you value your skins, withdraw with haste, lest peril find you unbidden."
Danica, Nalomanterys, and Eligos all turn at the sound as well. Nalomanterys bites down on his scarf to stifle a shout of surprise. There is no one there, it seems, yet clearly they all just heard a stranger's voice as if he was right beside them.
It is in this moment that the storm's fury seems to intensify, and unseen attackers strike. Thunder crashes like the roar of an angry god, and the rain lashes down in relentless sheets. From somewhere nearby, but slightly deeper in the ruins, an eerie chanting begins, low and guttural, resonating in a language that prickles the senses and gnaws at the edges of understanding. The cadence is unnatural, hypnotic, and menacing, carrying through the storm as though the wind itself bears the words.
Before anyone can react, two spheres of impenetrable blackness materialize above the guardhouse, swallowing the entire structure in a void deeper than the stormy night. The blackness oozes down the sides of the building like ink, rendering walls, roof, and doorways utterly invisible. Even the flickering light from the open doorway vanishes into the abyss.
The mercenaries’ voices on the roof turn frantic. "What in the Nine Hells—?!" shouts one from the roof, his voice cut off as the darkness overtakes him. The other can be heard cursing loudly, his words muffled and panicked within the void. Then - "Shite! Snakes! SNAKES!!"
As if on cue, four shadowy figures rise from their hiding places near where the fallen lantern had been set down. Silent in the storm, they sprint toward the guardhouse with inhuman speed, their movements swift and fluid. For an instant, a flash of lightning illuminates the scene, revealing glimmers of dark, shimmering scales and the gleam of curved blades in their hands. Their eyes, briefly visible, glow faintly with a predatory light before the darkness claims them again.
Eligo’s breath catches as he sees the figures. “Yuan-ti,” he mutters under his breath, his voice barely audible over the storm.
Danica’s brows furrow. “This is bad,” she murmurs, her voice low and tense. "Mica and Meili are in there."
Inside, Mica and Meili, still invisible, hear the guards on the roof cry out.
[There is NO magical darkness inside the building. They can still see and would not know about the darkness outside.]
The guards inside continue to make noise inside the large room, and now Meili can hear sounds of stirring from the room at the back, where one had been sleeping.
[Not technically in initiative yet. And I'm still working on a map.]
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Ran stares at the emptiness where a moment ago he swore he heard someone. Then the chaos ensues.
"They might still be invisible, but they could get trapped," Ran says. He looks up at the rain and smiles for a moment at how loud it is. He looks at the others. "Any of you have any tricks for seeing in darkness like that?"
Before any of them can answer though, Ran is already on the move. He races as fast as he can towards the gatehouse, keeping an eye out for any other yuan-ti that might be lurking.
Mica whispers back to Meili, eyes still focused on the door to the guard room. “They called out something about a patrol returning, everyone is moving about. Might be a good time to get out of here before we get caught in between two groups of guards and our magic fades.”
The disembodied voice offers a word of encouragement: "We are none of us alone." Accompanying it, four notes of an inspiring arpeggio sing out from unseen strings.
(Ran, Danica, Nalomanterys, and Eligos each gain a Bardic Inspiration die (1d8). Once within the next hour, when they fail a D20 Test, they can roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to the total, potentially turning the failure into a success.)
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
[Was Meili able to block the door with the sleeping guard? (Assuming nothing interesting was found in the room.)]
Mica could not see it, but Meili nodded to his words. "Let's go. I think we saw all we could in here anyway."
She followed Mica outside, watching for any returning or exiting guards to ensure she stayed out of their way.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Mica whispers back to Meili “Stay close and try to weave around the guards, we’ll head back and report to the others. Call out if you run into trouble.” Mica carefully moves back down the hallway to the main entrance, watching to avoid any guards moving in the building.
As Ran charges out from hiding toward the magically darkened guardhouse, he sees 4 Yuan-ti running toward the building, and another two lurking off to the northeast. There are also two large swarms of snakes within view.
Inside the guardhouse, the invisible Meili and Mica move quietly for the exterior door. As soon as they pull it open, however, a wave of blackness pours in from outside. It is intangible, but it fills the halls of the building with impenetrable darkness. They are both effectively blinded, just inside where they remember the door to be.
Initiative:
Yuan-ti Leaders 20Eryndor, Mica and Meili are all invisible.
The Cormyr Company mercenaries on the map are where Mica and Meili think they are inside the building. There should also be 2 more on the roof somewhere.
In addition to what he can see, Ran would almost swear he can hear additional footfalls on the wet stone of the path, approaching him from the northeast...
Ran is up!
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Ran grimaces at the sight of the snakes.
"Snakes," Ran says. "Why'd it have to be snakes?"
While they might not be the most dangerous threat, the swarm of snakes by the magically blackened guardhouse are what's in the way of finding Mica and Meili, so Ran continues straight at them, his longswords in action as soon as he gets there.
Not worrying too much about any particular snake he slashes at the swarm as a whole, again and again, twice with Gambit and once with his other sword.
Action - Gambit 1: Attack: 28 Damage: 13
Extra Attack - Gambit 2: Attack: 27 Damage: 14
Bonus Action - Longsword: Attack: 16 Damage: 11
Ran's aggressive gamble pays off. He hacks and slashes at the mass of colorful, venomous snakes. By the time he is done, the last survivors of the swarm are scattering into the underbrush. [Swarm of Snakes is destroyed.]
Behind Ran, the rest of his team spring into action. Nalomanterys stands frozen for a heartbeat, gripping the edge of his blue scarf as though it might anchor him against the fear roiling in his chest. His eyes dart to the charging yuan-ti, dark shapes slithering through the rain-soaked gloom. With a shaking hand, he reaches into his pouch, fumbling for a moment before pulling out some small thing. Summoning his resolve, he hurls it toward the attackers with a word of power. The bead arcs through the rain before striking the ground at the feet of the yuan-ti. For a fraction of a second, nothing happens—then a massive explosion erupts, a sphere of roaring flame that lights up the ruins like sunrise. The heat is searing, and the fireball engulfs the attackers, sending waves of fire and light washing through the ruins.
Saves: 6, 13, 7, 18
The smell of charred vegetation and burning scales fills the air as Nalomanterys ducks back down behind the rocks, gasping for breath. He sends a look toward Eligos.
Danica, standing a short distance away, breathes deeply, her eyes fixed on the yuan-ti spellcasters hidden near the stone steps. With a whispered incantation, her body begins to transform. Her form becomes cloaked in a shifting, ethereal radiance, as though her skin and hair are made of the night sky itself. Stars glimmer and pulse across her form, and her eyes shine like twin constellations.
She raises her bow, now aglow with celestial energy, and draws an arrow of pure light. Releasing the string, the arrow streaks through the rain, a brilliant lance that pierces the gloom.
It strikes one of the yuan-ti spellcasters, the radiant impact sending ripples of light across the battlefield. The spellcaster lets out a guttural cry, clutching their chest as their concentration shatters. One of the spheres of darkness above the guardhouse flickers and vanishes, revealing the rooftop and one of the drenched, panicked mercenaries once more.
Eligos, calm and deliberate amidst the chaos, crouches low and raises his hands, his fingers weaving intricate patterns through the air. A shimmer of arcane energy swirls around him, and his crimson robes twist and writhe as if alive. The fabric darkens and thickens, morphing seamlessly into reinforced red leather armor, its surface glowing faintly with protective wards. The armor fits him perfectly, the runes and sigils etched across its surface flickering with magical potency.
The four Yuan-ti, briefly staggered by Nalomanterys' fireball, resume their charge. Two them continue toward the guardhouse, while two of them split off toward Eryndor and the others.
They all dash forward.
From somewhere inside the guardhouse, Mica and Meili can here the guards clambering around in the magical darkness. The curse and shout, and there is a clatter of chainmail as it sounds like one of them falls down. From the far side of the building, they hear a thud. "My door is stuck!"
Up on the roof, there is the sound of metal on stone as the guards fight with something. "Damn snakes!"
Mica, Meili, and Eryndor are all up.
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
The wave of darkness caught Meili off guard as they opened the door. Blind and disoriented, she froze for a heartbeat, but the sounds of chaos - cursing guards, clattering chainmail, and distant thuds - spurred her into action. Darkness or not, the way out was straight ahead.
"Straight forward," she whispered mostly to herself, moving quickly, trusting Mica to do the same. The distant shouts of "Damn snakes!" were clear enough. Yuan-ti were higher on her enemy list than mercenaries, and if they were here, the priority was clear: get out, find the snake, and strike it.
Meili ran forward, hoping to leave the darkness behind and find the enemy.
If Meili is able to run out of darkness and reach the closest snake - attack the closest snake (afaik, the first attack is with an advantage for invisibility):
Unarmed Strike: Attack: 21 Damage: 4
Attack: 19 Damage: 8
Flurry of Blows (1ki): Attack: 12 Damage: 10
Attack: 8 Damage: 6
Hand of Harm (1ki): 7 of necrotic damage
Stunning Strike (1ki): CON saving throw (DC 14)
Crusher feat: if any attack hits - move the snake 5 feet, then return to the darkness to hide.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Seeing Ran rushing out toward the darkness, then seeing one of the orbs of darkness fail due to Danica's shot, Eryndor follows Ran, getting to within 120 feet of the remaining orb of blackness (if possible).
His invisibility drops as he begins to play his lute. Like a mythic rebel of music, all see him now, a striking and peculiar figure in the wilds of Chult. His long, chestnut-brown hair, damp from the jungle’s constant humidity, framed sharp features and vibrant green eyes that seemed to catch every flicker of movement. His pale skin, unusual in the sun-soaked land, carried freckles and faint marks of exposure but still retained an ethereal quality. His clothing, once elegant and richly adorned, was now frayed and patched with jungle-worn practicality—his tunic and cloak bore subtle traces of Fey-inspired embroidery, though mud and wear had dulled their beauty.
If within 120' a flurry of discordant minor chords on his lute, dispels the remaining orb of darkness.
Otherwise, he will hold his action, waiting until he can see an enemy is within 60 feet to hurl Vicious Mockery (11 psychic damage on failed CR 15 Wis save and have Disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.) at them: "By my troth, thou dost reek of cowardice and stale regret. Even the jungle beasts would flee thy company for fear of thy stench!"
Nalomanterys, Eligos and Danica catch him flash a smile at them and wink.
Eryndor - Red Dead Annihilation | GM - PF2e Adventures set in the Forgotten Realms
Mica hesitates, heart in his throat, as he reaches the outer door and is faced only with inky blackness. Meili’s voice, in an urgent whisper, pushes him forward, straight forward, he hears. Anywhere was better than here. “Back to the Cap'n”, he answers Meili, then he could try to make sense of the shouts and screams around him.
Hands out in front of him, he stumbles forward, back in the direction he knows they left the others, avoiding the sounds of battle the best he can and straining to see in the darkness.
Meili charges forth from the darkness, and sees the nearest batch of yuan-ti approaching from the south. Using her great speed, the closes the distance and pummels the closets target.
CON: 3
The yuan-ti is stunned, and after Meili's beating and Nalomanterys' fireball, this one looks nearly finished. Meili's attacks stagger it back 5' and then Meili uses the last of her movement to retreat 5' closer to Ran.
A mysterious musical maestro materializes out of the mist, and with bit of flair and a jaunty bit of strumming, he dismisses the second shroud of darkness, revealing the entire guardhouse. Now, those below can just make out the two guards on the roof, who appear to be battling with constrictor snakes.
Mica, able to see again, steps outside and dashes back toward their softer allies. [It think that is what Mica was going for, right?]
The chanting further up the path changes tenor. One of the yuan-ti spellcasters steps closer, raising its voice again, and a new shroud of darkness appears, this time enveloping Danica, Nalomanterys, and Eligos. Eryndor is left just outside its perimeter.
The other spellcaster eyes Eryndor, who had the gall to dismiss his spell. He hisses disdainfully and emotes two crackling beams of force that lance out through the rain at the bard.
It may be the distance, or a bit of bardic luck, but both blasts pass harmlessly over his head.
On the stony path, Ran's sharp ears catch something through the cacophony—a faint splash of footfalls in the puddles nearby, moving too deliberately to be a trick of the storm. He turns his head, scanning the darkness, but sees nothing.
Then, without warning, a mass of writhing snakes slams into him, their fangs punching through the links of his chainmail. A searing pain lances through his side as venom courses into his veins, a fiery burn that spreads rapidly. Ran's breath hitches as the shock of the attack takes hold.
As the creature’s spell of invisibility shatters, its horrific form materializes before him. This yuan-ti looms a full head taller than the others, its humanoid torso gleaming and slick, covered in blasphemous tattoos. Where arms should be, grotesque masses of serpents writhe and twist, their fanged heads snapping and dripping with venom. Its nearly human face is twisted in a cruel grin, forked tongue flicking as its slit-pupil eyes glint with malicious delight.
The creature lunges again, the serpents coiling and striking as one. But Ran, still reeling from the first attack, is able to parry the snakesheads away before they can sink their fangs into him again.
Round 2:
Yuan-ti LeadersMica is now the only one still invisible.
Ran is up!
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Ran reals back at the sudden and savage appearance of this snake covered warrior. Another round of poison like that and Ran will be fertilizing the weeds.
"You're a nasty one, aren't you mate?" Ran says as he breathes heavily through the poison.
With all the chaos around him, Ran's one thought is that this guy can't kill him if he's dead first, and with that, he goes all in as quickly and savagely as possible.
Action - Gambit - Attack: 18 Damage: 10 plus Superiority Die w/ Trip Attack - STR Save DC 16 or Snakey is knocked prone and takes an additional 1 damage.
Extra Attack - Gambit - Attack: 16 Damage: 12 (if knocked prone in first attack, Ran has advantage - second attack roll in case - 25 )
Bonus Action - Long Sword - Attack: 26 Damage: 11 (again if knocked prone - advantage - second roll - 12 )
Action Surge - Action - Gambit Attack: 28 Damage: 11 (advantage if prone - 10 )
Extra Attack - Gambit - Attack: 18 Damage: 14 (advantage if prone - 16 )
(If first attack misses, or Snakey isn't succeeds on the save, Ran will try it again on the second attack to use Trip Attack - DC 16 or prone and 8 extra damage)
(And if not too late, Ran will react to the missed attack from the last round as well with Riposte - attack with Gambit - Attack: 27 Damage: 10 plus 6 extra damage from Riposte.)
The moment the yuan-ti's last attack is deflected, Ran seizes the opening. Drawing on sheer grit and battle-honed fury, his grip tightens on the hilts of his two longswords. Then he surges forward, driving into the yuan-ti with unrelenting force.
His first attack with Gambit arcs low, carving through scaled flesh and eliciting a sharp hiss of pain from the creature. Before it can recoil, his second sword follows, slashing across its chest in a brutal diagonal strike. The yuan-ti writhes, its serpentine limbs flailing, but Ran is relentless—he steps in, twisting, and drives another vicious cut into its side. Black blood splashes onto the rain-soaked ground.
The yuan-ti screeches, its forked tongue flicking wildly. But even as it staggers, its unnatural endurance keeps it upright. Snakes coil and lash out, trying to parry the blows without success. Ran brings both blades down in a powerful, twin overhead strike, the sheer force carving deep wounds into the creature's body. The yuan-ti reels back, barely holding itself together, but its reptilian eyes burn with inhuman hatred and defiance.
Both warriors now bleeding heavily, their bodies battered from the savage exchange. [This yuan-ti is severely injured.]
From inside the sphere of darkness, Danica calls out to Selune with a spell, though the effects of it aren't apparent to anyone. Nalomanterys can be heard cursing the darkness... and then Eligos emerges, bewildered, just south of Eryndor. He looks surprises, both at the unexpected presence of the strange bard, and at the charging pair of yuan-ti fighters just to the west. Without sparing Eryndor a further look, he draws a diamond from his pocket and casts a spell, sending a shimmering beam of colorful light at the nearest yuan-ti.
The shot goes high, disappearing into the jungle foliage behind the yuan-ti. He hisses in frustration, looks like he considers stepping back into the darkness, but then moves 10' south instead.
The two south-most yuan-ti continue to charge toward the sphere of darkness. One draw up alongside Eryndor, the other running to Eligos.
Back on the stony path, one of the other yuan-ti is still stunned by Meili, but the last steps around his kin and closes on the monk. It's scimitar, slick with rain and something darker and oilier, flashes twice towards her.
She is able to avoid one of the attacks.
Inside and above the guardhouse, there is the sound of battle and of running boots. Finally, one of the Cormyr Company mercenaries bursts out of the front door, longsword in his hand... and stops so fast he almost slips in the mud as he sees Ran and the yuan-ti with snake arms locked in combat. "Who in the hells..." he starts to ask, then sees the yuan-ti priests in the distance and the rest of the fighters spread out on the road and in the surrounding jungle. He looks back over his shoulder. Then looks at Ran... then steps back inside the guardhouse, slamming the door shut with a crash.
[Eryndor, Mica and Meili are all up. Post in first-come, first served order. Mica is still invisible, for now.]
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
"Cowards!" Meili did not have time to finish the thought about the garrison now barricaded inside as another yuan-ti closed the distance, and the scimitar flashed toward her through the rain. She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the second slash, but the first cut deep across her side, sending a wave of burning pain through her. The poison surged into her blood, sharp and immediate, but she gritted her teeth and pressed forward.
Meili was lucky to stun the first snake in these conditions but she knew the stun would not last long... Yet the new snake might not allow her to reach the stunned opponent...
-----------------------------------------------------
"If - then" mod:
If Meili can reach the stunned snake without provoking AoO, she does it (with advantage, as everyone else now attacking that snake):
Unarmed Strike: Attack: 17 Damage: 9
Attack: 15 Damage: 11
Flurry of Blows (1ki): Attack: 15 Damage: 11
Attack: 20 Damage: 6
If she can only attack the new snake:
Unarmed Strike: Attack: 23 Damage: 6
Attack: 19 Damage: 4
Crasher: if hit the new snake - move it 5ft and step to the stunned one for the FoB above.
If did not hit the second snake with any attack - attempt to get with
Flurry of Blows (1ki): Attack: 11 Damage: 4
Attack: 22 Damage: 7
Stunning Strike (1ki): CON saving throw (DC 14)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Mica tries to make sense of the swirl of battle breaking out all around them. He spies what can only be the spellcasters to his north, but they are too far away to reach. He turns toward Meili and Ran engaged in ferocious fighting on the trail, but then notices the two yuan-ti heading toward Eligos and another stranger stepping from the darkness near where he left the others.
Landing on a good target for his ire, Mica rushes toward the snakeman moving toward Eligos. His arrival was announced by a downward strike of his handaxe, aiming to split the yuan-ti’s shoulder, and he followed with a savage yell as he materialized out of thin air, swinging his handaxes in two additional slashes across the body. “What in the bloody hells happened out here?” he calls out to the wizard. “Where are the others?”
Attack (with advantage from invisibility): 22 Damage: 5
Attack: 26 Damage: 9
Bonus action Off hand Attack: 15 Damage: 5.
.