((I took the first 71 healing and am almost full, not sure how the rest is being distributed))
As his wounds magically heal on him, Tyekanik, now normal size, hefting his giant axe on his shoulder, says, “Thank you friend. Healing magics will always amaze me.” Then listening about the castle says, “I can scale the walls to let everyone in if needed.”
'Healing magic...' Khessa smiles, thinking of her husband Jasper, whom she has seen do it so many times. 'It's a relief to finally have someone with us who can provide it'.
"Way to go, Tyekanik!" the blonde arcane warrior approves. "If the duke is so rude as to slam the door in our faces, we'll be able to handle it... Considering you can climb, Clarac can fly, I could maybe breach or teleport in... I don't think they'll be able to keep us out for long".
"But above all," the tall adventuress sighs "I think the forces of the Nefarious Duo will be no less arrogant than those we've already encountered - they'll think they can beat us easily, so they'll come out of the castle and attack us. Soon, the idea of a foothold will prove to be nothing more than yet another wishful thinking for that pair of degenerate gods".
"Straight on then?", Vrox asks. He looks from Sir Sparhawk to Tyk, Clarac, and Robert, "Or do you need to rest or heal first? It's hard to tell how much of that blood is yours vs. the enemy's."
Since Prince Makova seemed to be the leader among these men, Vrox searches his body and gear. If there's time, he would also check the black knight and the high elves. He's not interested in using any fiendish paraphernalia, but even the most vile of enemies may carry a healing potion or scroll of some sort. And, if they're lucky, perhaps they'll find a key or badge or something that will help them in the castle.
You find only unique items to the race: Elves have elegant weapons and armor but nothing distinct as potions or scrolls. You do find a unique symbol or rune on their armor. They had some coin pouches, and personal items.
The black knight had a hastily painted star of chaos on his armor, but no distinct badge.
You find only unique items to the race: Elves have elegant weapons and armor but nothing distinct as potions or scrolls. You do find a unique symbol or rune on their armor. They had some coin pouches, and personal items.
The black knight had a hastily painted star of chaos on his armor, but no distinct badge.
That was the symbol on the elves' armor? Does Vrox recognize it? If not, he asks Akkron and Sir Sparhawk about it.
History or Religion4 If the symbol is related to Fiends or Fey, he has advantage on INT checks, so it would be Unable to parse dice roll.. If it should have been an Arcana check, then it would be 6.
Vrox gathers up any personal treasures he finds so that the group can put that in one of our bags to divide later.
If they have time before heading to the castle, maybe one of the other spellcasters could do a ritual casting of detect magic to see whether there are any magical items among their gear. Vrox has a Moon-Touched Rapier, but he wouldn't mind changing that for a magical rapier of elven make. (He refuses to use any fiendish equipment.) He's also always on the look-out for magical arrows to add to his quiver.
(OOC: Vrox is mostly focused on ranged, and his attunement slots are full. But if he finds a magical finesse weapon, like a rapier, that not require attunement, he may want to use that instead.)
That was the symbol on the elves' armor? Does Vrox recognize it? If not, he asks Akkron and Sir Sparhawk about it.
History or Religion4 If the symbol is related to Fiends or Fey, he has advantage on INT checks, so it would be Unable to parse dice roll.. If it should have been an Arcana check, then it would be 6.
Oops. Messed up the second d20 in case he has advantage. I'll just roll again here:
Aya (The Saintess) will also be examining the symbol. She will also share with her party the voice she heard in opposition to her activity to dismiss them.
'I could maybe breach or teleport in... I don't think they'll be able to keep us out for long".
Vrox says, "Distances and journeys in the Feywild sometimes work differently than they do here. I've learned some of the tricksy paths of the fey, and that magic still works in this realm. I could step through a portcullis or onto the battlements if I can see the destination nearby, and I can even navigate the twisting ways to a location at the range of my longbow. In either case, I can bring one of you with me...well, maybe not Tyk or the pegasus."
(With the Misty Wanderer feature, Vrox can bring one other person along when he casts misty step, and he can cast it for free 5 times per day.)
You find only unique items to the race: Elves have elegant weapons and armor but nothing distinct as potions or scrolls. You do find a unique symbol or rune on their armor. They had some coin pouches, and personal items.
The black knight had a hastily painted star of chaos on his armor, but no distinct badge.
That was the symbol on the elves' armor? Does Vrox recognize it? If not, he asks Akkron and Sir Sparhawk about it.
History or Religion4 If the symbol is related to Fiends or Fey, he has advantage on INT checks, so it would be Unable to parse dice roll.. If it should have been an Arcana check, then it would be 6.
Vrox gathers up any personal treasures he finds so that the group can put that in one of our bags to divide later.
If they have time before heading to the castle, maybe one of the other spellcasters could do a ritual casting of detect magic to see whether there are any magical items among their gear. Vrox has a Moon-Touched Rapier, but he wouldn't mind changing that for a magical rapier of elven make. (He refuses to use any fiendish equipment.) He's also always on the look-out for magical arrows to add to his quiver.
(OOC: Vrox is mostly focused on ranged, and his attunement slots are full. But if he finds a magical finesse weapon, like a rapier, that not require attunement, he may want to use that instead.)
They recognize it as a High Elvan rune, Brother Maynard believes it means "Ranger or Scout." When you pick up the elvan sword, it is light as a rapier, strong and extremely sharp. It would be considered a finesse +3 vorpal blade
"Even if the enemy were to leave the castle, I would rather not meet a significantly larger force than the one we just faced in an open field of battle," says Clarac. "These were, it appears, the remnants of a larger force, and there could be many more defending the castle. We lack the numbers to meet any sizeable force equally. Indeed, we must put ourselves in the most favorable position possible to counteract that disadvantage. We must seize the initiative. For that reason, I believe that we should storm the castle." She dives into a long speech about castles.
"There are many castles in my homeland, many of which have never fallen, but that does not mean they cannot. Indeed, with the right tools and careful planning, any castle can be taken—the question is how. A castle's main purpose is to protect a lord—here, the duke—from attack by his enemies. Against what enemies a castle is designed to protect matters greatly. We are not an army; we lack siege weapons. Oh, I wish Sir Bevier were here. Nonetheless, though we are few in number, each of us is worth ten or more demons, I say, and we do indeed have powerful tools at our disposal. We would be best suited, in my opinion, to swoop in, capture the keep, and then use its defenses against the remaining enemies. They could not help but attack us then, and we would be the ones behind walls. To gain entry would not be difficult for us. If they lack ballistae, we can fly over the walls; alternatively, we can sneak in, either magically or otherwise. Gosh, if we chopped down a tree and made a battering ram, I bet Tyekanik could bring down the front gate himself. Or he could climb the walls, as he suggested, if they are not well-manned. My first point is, once we know more about this castle, its defenses and defenders, and its weaknesses, we can find the key to entry. For my second point, let me start by telling you about this lovely motte-and-bailey castle I once visited outside Larium . . ."
Clarac continues speaking for several minutes about her favorite and least favorite castles, occasionally tying in her overarching theme that taking offensive action is not only possible but likely to succeed. She believes teleporting into the keep using whatever spells are available, ignoring altogether any outer walls, would be best, but will ultimately go with whatever the group's consensus is on how to proceed. She can cast Misty Step and Dimension Door herself.
OOC: She uses Inspiring Leader to grant 26 temporary HP to each PC. If a PC doesn't want it, she'll instead give it to Sparhawk, Robert, Maynard, and Wetherbee, in that order.
Lord Akkron concurs with Clarac's sentiments regarding tactics. It would depend on how the castle was built to determine the best way to assault it. Still, he did have one idea in mind that should be effective in almost any situation, as long as the defenders were at least somewhat grouped up.
"I think now would be the ideal time to start off by conjuring a draconic spirit of the Shadowfell to bombard them while the rest of us deal with any stragglers... after what we have seen, it seems extremely unlikely that they have prisoners."
He sighed... the absolute devotion that they demonstrated to their mad god was almost admirable, in a way, but it always hurt to watch people foolishly throw their lives away... it reminded him too much of how he gave up his own mortal life in exchange for greater power and that miniscule chance of one day besting Lolth.
(OOC: Vrox is mostly focused on ranged, and his attunement slots are full. But if he finds a magical finesse weapon, like a rapier, that not require attunement, he may want to use that instead.)
They recognize it as a High Elvan rune, Brother Maynard believes it means "Ranger or Scout." When you pick up the elvan sword, it is light as a rapier, strong and extremely sharp. It would be considered a finesse +3 vorpal blade
Vrox's eyes shine with delight at this masterpiece of Elven craftsmanship. When he hears of its magical properties, he says, "Truly, a magnificent weapon! If nothing else, I am happy to deprive these demonic armies of such a weapon!"
Vrox will take the weapon if no one else claims it. He'll have to juggle attunement slots to use the sword, but if we're expecting more close range combat, it may be worth swapping his ring or his magic tattoo to attune to the sword. Against powerful opponents, the vorpal property could help him end fights faster than wearing down opponents from afar with his bow.
Gosh, if we chopped down a tree and made a battering ram, I bet Tyekanik could bring down the front gate himself . . ."
Vrox offers, "If we want to damage a fortification without exposing ourselves, I have an gem that I can use to summon an earth elemental. I've been saving it for a special occasion. Perhaps this is it?" He shrugs happily. "Of course, even an Elemental is not as powerful as Tyk, but what is?! Other than maybe one of the elder giants?"
Vrox laughs, "Ha! I speak of elementals and giants, and the wizard brings a dragon! I should know better than to offer my little tricks with a arch mage and a high priestess about! It's like playing a game of cards, and you have all of the trump cards." He bows in acknowledgement of Lord Akkron's expertise and power in high magics, giving the beholder-kin a significant glance.
OOC: She uses Inspiring Leader to grant 26 temporary HP to each PC. If a PC doesn't want it, she'll instead give it to Sparhawk, Robert, Maynard, and Wetherbee, in that order.
"If we are expecting this to be an epic battle,"Tyekanik says, seeing the others prepare their items, he reaches towards the horn on his hip. Holding the horn up he says, "A band of warriors will come to aid us, though it can be used only once a week. They must rest and drink after a fight of course."
Khessa follows with attention and interest the military and magical strategies that her companions propose and feels galvanized by Clarac's words (and presence). [[ OOC: Taking the temporary HP, thank you! They can always come in handy! How long do they last? ]]
"Very well!" the blonde arcane warrior comments "I sent Anator ahead, to see the Castle from above(*)... I'm sure he'll be back soon and will be able to tell us at least approximately what fortifications, defenses and armies there are. At that point, we'll figure out how to strike. Master Akkron's dragon should be excellent to do short work of any massed forces. And our mobility (and offensive power) should certainly allow us to get to take defensible positions of the fortress and use them to our advantage".
Anator flies down the pass and comes upon the outer bridge towers. Before the tower facing down the road are two large Bloodletter demons, and 8 man-at-arms. On top of each tower is one man-at-arms with a bow in his hand. behind the tower is a stone bridge that leads to the front entrance of the castle
As Anator flies over the main castle, he sees a wall surrounding the castle, but no guards posted to it. Below in the courtyard before the main entrance is a group of large red demons stalking around, swishing their black swords back and forth. Around the castle is a mist, a combination of smoke, with a red and purple haze mixed with it. Anator can smell blood in the smoke.
As soon as Anator returns, Khessa compliments him, affectionately strokes his fur, then returns him to the safety of his pocket dimension. She then shares the information her brother has brought back with the party.
"Since the entrances aren't closed," the blonde arcane warrior considers "perhaps we should take care of the outer bridge towers first - just not to leave forces at our back. If Clarac, who can fly, can take care of the man-at-arms with a bow that are one on each of the two towers, we should wipe out the rest in record time".
"The duke probably won't even have time to send reinforcements," the tall adventuress considers. "But if he did, the bridge would make a great bottleneck to keep them all at bay. In fact, the forces on the bridge would probably be ready to face mass-destruction by Master Akkron's dragon, then".
"That is a good plan," replies Clarac. "I will do my part; I have been granted a small amount of magical power that would serve this mission well, and, if need be, Wetherbee will drop me off on one of the towers."
She will stay with the rest of the group until they get within 300 ft. of the bridge towers, at which point she and Wetherbee will wait for the right moment to begin to take off.
If Clarac, who can fly, can take care of the man-at-arms with a bow that are one on each of the two towers, we should wipe out the rest in record time".
"As an archer," Vrox says, "I can say that it's difficult to aim if there's someone fighting you at close range. If I could get within 90 ft of the top of the tower with a clear view to it, I could summon a fey spirit to harry the archer on one tower while Clarac attacks the other. That should make him less dangerous, at least at first."
"The duke probably won't even have time to send reinforcements," the tall adventuress considers. "But if he did, the bridge would make a great bottleneck to keep them all at bay. In fact, the forces on the bridge would probably be ready to face mass-destruction by Master Akkron's dragon, then".
Vrox is confused by Khessa's hope to use the bottleneck of the bridge. He says, "Do the armies of this kingdom often leave their castles to meet their opponents on the bridge? In the Feywild, at least, the great powers hide themselves away in their castles and wait for the besieging army to try to attack. Why make a sortie to fight on a narrow bridge? No, no. Much better to lock the gate and wait for your opponent to approach the outer wall where you can hurl rocks and fire and spells on their heads! I mean, one we attack the guard houses, they would be wise to raise bridge and to keep it up until we're gone. If they are confident in their defenses, they will force us to come to them and try to make us pay for every inch. The only way around that is through magic and trickery. Illusions or enchantments that trick them into coming out or letting us in. Or, like Lord Akkron said, summon something that can bypass the wall and attack then inside the curtain wall right away."
((I took the first 71 healing and am almost full, not sure how the rest is being distributed))
As his wounds magically heal on him, Tyekanik, now normal size, hefting his giant axe on his shoulder, says, “Thank you friend. Healing magics will always amaze me.” Then listening about the castle says, “I can scale the walls to let everyone in if needed.”
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
'Healing magic...' Khessa smiles, thinking of her husband Jasper, whom she has seen do it so many times. 'It's a relief to finally have someone with us who can provide it'.
"Way to go, Tyekanik!" the blonde arcane warrior approves. "If the duke is so rude as to slam the door in our faces, we'll be able to handle it... Considering you can climb, Clarac can fly, I could maybe breach or teleport in... I don't think they'll be able to keep us out for long".
"But above all," the tall adventuress sighs "I think the forces of the Nefarious Duo will be no less arrogant than those we've already encountered - they'll think they can beat us easily, so they'll come out of the castle and attack us. Soon, the idea of a foothold will prove to be nothing more than yet another wishful thinking for that pair of degenerate gods".
You find only unique items to the race: Elves have elegant weapons and armor but nothing distinct as potions or scrolls. You do find a unique symbol or rune on their armor. They had some coin pouches, and personal items.
The black knight had a hastily painted star of chaos on his armor, but no distinct badge.
That was the symbol on the elves' armor? Does Vrox recognize it? If not, he asks Akkron and Sir Sparhawk about it.
History or Religion 4
If the symbol is related to Fiends or Fey, he has advantage on INT checks, so it would be Unable to parse dice roll..
If it should have been an Arcana check, then it would be 6.
Vrox gathers up any personal treasures he finds so that the group can put that in one of our bags to divide later.
If they have time before heading to the castle, maybe one of the other spellcasters could do a ritual casting of detect magic to see whether there are any magical items among their gear. Vrox has a Moon-Touched Rapier, but he wouldn't mind changing that for a magical rapier of elven make. (He refuses to use any fiendish equipment.) He's also always on the look-out for magical arrows to add to his quiver.
(OOC: Vrox is mostly focused on ranged, and his attunement slots are full. But if he finds a magical finesse weapon, like a rapier, that not require attunement, he may want to use that instead.)
Oops. Messed up the second d20 in case he has advantage. I'll just roll again here:
History or Religion: 9 or Arcana 15
Aya (The Saintess) will also be examining the symbol. She will also share with her party the voice she heard in opposition to her activity to dismiss them.
D&D since 1984
Khessa gladly ritual-casts Detect Magic to determine if any of the item Vrox gathered are magical.
If yes, the blonde arcane warrior also identifies them.
Vrox says, "Distances and journeys in the Feywild sometimes work differently than they do here. I've learned some of the tricksy paths of the fey, and that magic still works in this realm. I could step through a portcullis or onto the battlements if I can see the destination nearby, and I can even navigate the twisting ways to a location at the range of my longbow. In either case, I can bring one of you with me...well, maybe not Tyk or the pegasus."
(With the Misty Wanderer feature, Vrox can bring one other person along when he casts misty step, and he can cast it for free 5 times per day.)
They recognize it as a High Elvan rune, Brother Maynard believes it means "Ranger or Scout." When you pick up the elvan sword, it is light as a rapier, strong and extremely sharp. It would be considered a finesse +3 vorpal blade
"Even if the enemy were to leave the castle, I would rather not meet a significantly larger force than the one we just faced in an open field of battle," says Clarac. "These were, it appears, the remnants of a larger force, and there could be many more defending the castle. We lack the numbers to meet any sizeable force equally. Indeed, we must put ourselves in the most favorable position possible to counteract that disadvantage. We must seize the initiative. For that reason, I believe that we should storm the castle." She dives into a long speech about castles.
"There are many castles in my homeland, many of which have never fallen, but that does not mean they cannot. Indeed, with the right tools and careful planning, any castle can be taken—the question is how. A castle's main purpose is to protect a lord—here, the duke—from attack by his enemies. Against what enemies a castle is designed to protect matters greatly. We are not an army; we lack siege weapons. Oh, I wish Sir Bevier were here. Nonetheless, though we are few in number, each of us is worth ten or more demons, I say, and we do indeed have powerful tools at our disposal. We would be best suited, in my opinion, to swoop in, capture the keep, and then use its defenses against the remaining enemies. They could not help but attack us then, and we would be the ones behind walls. To gain entry would not be difficult for us. If they lack ballistae, we can fly over the walls; alternatively, we can sneak in, either magically or otherwise. Gosh, if we chopped down a tree and made a battering ram, I bet Tyekanik could bring down the front gate himself. Or he could climb the walls, as he suggested, if they are not well-manned. My first point is, once we know more about this castle, its defenses and defenders, and its weaknesses, we can find the key to entry. For my second point, let me start by telling you about this lovely motte-and-bailey castle I once visited outside Larium . . ."
Clarac continues speaking for several minutes about her favorite and least favorite castles, occasionally tying in her overarching theme that taking offensive action is not only possible but likely to succeed. She believes teleporting into the keep using whatever spells are available, ignoring altogether any outer walls, would be best, but will ultimately go with whatever the group's consensus is on how to proceed. She can cast Misty Step and Dimension Door herself.
OOC: She uses Inspiring Leader to grant 26 temporary HP to each PC. If a PC doesn't want it, she'll instead give it to Sparhawk, Robert, Maynard, and Wetherbee, in that order.
Lord Akkron concurs with Clarac's sentiments regarding tactics. It would depend on how the castle was built to determine the best way to assault it. Still, he did have one idea in mind that should be effective in almost any situation, as long as the defenders were at least somewhat grouped up.
"I think now would be the ideal time to start off by conjuring a draconic spirit of the Shadowfell to bombard them while the rest of us deal with any stragglers... after what we have seen, it seems extremely unlikely that they have prisoners."
He sighed... the absolute devotion that they demonstrated to their mad god was almost admirable, in a way, but it always hurt to watch people foolishly throw their lives away... it reminded him too much of how he gave up his own mortal life in exchange for greater power and that miniscule chance of one day besting Lolth.
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Vrox's eyes shine with delight at this masterpiece of Elven craftsmanship. When he hears of its magical properties, he says, "Truly, a magnificent weapon! If nothing else, I am happy to deprive these demonic armies of such a weapon!"
Vrox will take the weapon if no one else claims it. He'll have to juggle attunement slots to use the sword, but if we're expecting more close range combat, it may be worth swapping his ring or his magic tattoo to attune to the sword. Against powerful opponents, the vorpal property could help him end fights faster than wearing down opponents from afar with his bow.
Vrox offers, "If we want to damage a fortification without exposing ourselves, I have an gem that I can use to summon an earth elemental. I've been saving it for a special occasion. Perhaps this is it?" He shrugs happily. "Of course, even an Elemental is not as powerful as Tyk, but what is?! Other than maybe one of the elder giants?"
Vrox laughs, "Ha! I speak of elementals and giants, and the wizard brings a dragon! I should know better than to offer my little tricks with a arch mage and a high priestess about! It's like playing a game of cards, and you have all of the trump cards." He bows in acknowledgement of Lord Akkron's expertise and power in high magics, giving the beholder-kin a significant glance.
Thanks! Happily accepted.
"If we are expecting this to be an epic battle," Tyekanik says, seeing the others prepare their items, he reaches towards the horn on his hip. Holding the horn up he says, "A band of warriors will come to aid us, though it can be used only once a week. They must rest and drink after a fight of course."
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Khessa follows with attention and interest the military and magical strategies that her companions propose and feels galvanized by Clarac's words (and presence). [[ OOC: Taking the temporary HP, thank you! They can always come in handy! How long do they last? ]]
"Very well!" the blonde arcane warrior comments "I sent Anator ahead, to see the Castle from above(*)... I'm sure he'll be back soon and will be able to tell us at least approximately what fortifications, defenses and armies there are. At that point, we'll figure out how to strike. Master Akkron's dragon should be excellent to do short work of any massed forces. And our mobility (and offensive power) should certainly allow us to get to take defensible positions of the fortress and use them to our advantage".
(*) See post 1748
Anator flies down the pass and comes upon the outer bridge towers. Before the tower facing down the road are two large Bloodletter demons, and 8 man-at-arms. On top of each tower is one man-at-arms with a bow in his hand. behind the tower is a stone bridge that leads to the front entrance of the castle
As Anator flies over the main castle, he sees a wall surrounding the castle, but no guards posted to it. Below in the courtyard before the main entrance is a group of large red demons stalking around, swishing their black swords back and forth. Around the castle is a mist, a combination of smoke, with a red and purple haze mixed with it. Anator can smell blood in the smoke.
[[Lord Akkron is also happy to take the temp HP]]
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
As soon as Anator returns, Khessa compliments him, affectionately strokes his fur, then returns him to the safety of his pocket dimension. She then shares the information her brother has brought back with the party.
"Since the entrances aren't closed," the blonde arcane warrior considers "perhaps we should take care of the outer bridge towers first - just not to leave forces at our back. If Clarac, who can fly, can take care of the man-at-arms with a bow that are one on each of the two towers, we should wipe out the rest in record time".
"The duke probably won't even have time to send reinforcements," the tall adventuress considers. "But if he did, the bridge would make a great bottleneck to keep them all at bay. In fact, the forces on the bridge would probably be ready to face mass-destruction by Master Akkron's dragon, then".
"That is a good plan," replies Clarac. "I will do my part; I have been granted a small amount of magical power that would serve this mission well, and, if need be, Wetherbee will drop me off on one of the towers."
She will stay with the rest of the group until they get within 300 ft. of the bridge towers, at which point she and Wetherbee will wait for the right moment to begin to take off.
"As an archer," Vrox says, "I can say that it's difficult to aim if there's someone fighting you at close range. If I could get within 90 ft of the top of the tower with a clear view to it, I could summon a fey spirit to harry the archer on one tower while Clarac attacks the other. That should make him less dangerous, at least at first."
Vrox is confused by Khessa's hope to use the bottleneck of the bridge. He says, "Do the armies of this kingdom often leave their castles to meet their opponents on the bridge? In the Feywild, at least, the great powers hide themselves away in their castles and wait for the besieging army to try to attack. Why make a sortie to fight on a narrow bridge? No, no. Much better to lock the gate and wait for your opponent to approach the outer wall where you can hurl rocks and fire and spells on their heads! I mean, one we attack the guard houses, they would be wise to raise bridge and to keep it up until we're gone. If they are confident in their defenses, they will force us to come to them and try to make us pay for every inch. The only way around that is through magic and trickery. Illusions or enchantments that trick them into coming out or letting us in. Or, like Lord Akkron said, summon something that can bypass the wall and attack then inside the curtain wall right away."