Olan finds Nodjeim sitting in the last cart, whittling away, ignoring whatever Ursi is spouting.
"Hi, I was wondering if I may ask a favour. It occurs to me that it may be a while until I can find a fletcher, so I was wondering if you could show me the best way to work wood, as you seem to have the skill of it. I dare say that I'll need to find what wood works best for arrows too."
"Also, and I'm sure this has occurred to you before but, is the woodworking something from your previous experience?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cunning Green-moss - Tiefling Barbarian Haj i Rae - Human Gloom Stalker Olan Fargrove - Elf Swashbuckler
Qal Joharge - Human Monk Nyli Bemblade - Gnome Thief
Nodjeim considers the request before responding. "Of course I will share what I know. Arrows, is it? Large part will be finding the right pieces of wood but the shaping always matters as well. Yes, we should be able to do this. It will be a bit more difficult without the proper tools. I believe Dondeir may have a proper set of tools but we could make do with just daggers..."
He considers longer upon his whittling before responding. "Most of me is from the before. I have only been awake a short time and have not learned much new. Could the skill be a clue? I do hope so. I whittle and try to let my quiet mind discover the shape in the hopes it will reveal something I once knew before..."
"But tell me, Olan," Nodjeim counters. "Is it just arrows you wish to learn to shape, or the art of the wood itself? As I said, for arrows we could make do with what I have. If you seek true skills then I am afraid you should go to Dondeir. For the tools or the lessons, as you wish and as he would allow..."
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We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
It was only when Dondeir spoke that Veldruk noticed that he never cooked with dried shrimp. Truth be told the first time he ate the crustacean was after his arrival in the City of Saffron. The way there had been a miserable trek marked by his first experiences under the sun, paranoia and meager rations that ended days before he found the settlement. Good meals were the first luxuries he sought after finding employment, extra coin earned him some recipes, but none using dried seafood.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He wasn’t. Sure thing, the dark elf was no strange to loss and knew how hard it was to start again but Dondeir was still rich and that was far from a hard life. “If makes any difference I’m quite confident you will find prosperity in New Shaarmid. It takes strength to cut losses and move, sense to know where to start again and you can keep this caravan together. It talks about resilience and the skill to administrate a crew. Add experience and it’s hard to see you failing. Add time and I hope you’ll hire me again.”
Veldruk tried to smile as convincing as he could. Experience had taught him that respectable clients were captivated by realistic praise mixed with honest self-interest.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Evelyn is somewhat taken aback by Veldruk's answer. She supposed she should have expected it though. So the stereotypes and rumors of the underground race were mostly true. It was enough to send a shiver down her spine. "I will keep that in mind," she says now to Veldruk. "Thank you."
Evelyn continues to spend most of her downtime exploring the Shaar wilderness surrounding their camps. Sometimes she is accompanied by Nodjeim, which she appreciates. Sometimes even Chakka tags along. Investigation - 11
As Threlan spends more time with Chakka, he/she encounters Evelyn more often as well. "If you want to practice your stories, I wouldn't mind hearing them," she offers.
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Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 3 Halfling Rogue (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Evelyn Drake - Lvl. 3 Human Wizard (Rule of Change) ♦ Aranea Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Human Warlock (Where the Cold Winds Blow) ♦ Elsenia Vesper - Lvl. 2 Shadar-kai Druid (Strixhaven)
Dondeir smiles back, genuinely. It is unclear if he can tell how genuine Veldruk's own smile is, but it doesn't seem to matter much to the man if he can tell.
(I think Chakka tagging along is a great idea, and I'm gonna give you advantage for that via the help action! Rolling again to save time: 23)
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
After a while, through the encouragment of Olan, Chakka, and Evelyn, Threlan begins telling stories to them. She/he spends many days atop Chakka's wagon, writing pages upon pages of tales and words. Finally, one night, she sits Olan, Chakka, and Evelyn down, and begins telling them a story around a fire.
"Far to the north, where the cold winds blow, there sits 10 small villages, seated upon a frozen tundra. snow, can you imagine, blanketed the ground and most everything else. one day, a portly dwarf approached a tall, cloaked figure. this figure was a traveler. And this, is the tale Lyn StormSverd..." Threlan begins the first chapter of the story, telling about how Lyn and his snow leopard, as well as their druid friend, saved a town from a talking lake-monster.
Performance (I swear, I hope I don't get a nat 1. Humbug, my training gives me advantage on story-telling checks, correct?) 22
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master,The Rocket Raccoon/Trashcan Tactician (as appointed by Drummer). Pronouns They/Them/Theirs.
My Characters: Brorminthe Crusher; Discoverythe Keeper; Theathe Scoundrel; Jorvirthe Weaver; Threlan,the Speaker; Zolyathe Inspired; Penley the Devourer;
(Not advantage, just a second roll since you're focusing on it.)
At first hesitant, the group eventually gives Threlan a second chance. They are well rewarded for it. As his/her confidence grows, the stories grow more and more detailed, more grand and breathtaking, and rather than filling the travelers with disgust, it fills them with excitement and inspiration.
Everyone gains 2 temporary hit points until the end of your next combat encounter!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Evelyn and Chakka are out one night, the Thri-Kreen using their darkvision to guide the archaeologist and the archaeologist using her expertise to interpret the signs she is led to. Most nights are fruitless. The remnants of civilization they see are many, but they are often no more than a solitary, ruined pillar, or a few chunks of hewn stone. There is nothing of note within. Until there is. It is only a corner of a rock, seemingly nothing... until Evelyn steps over it. The ground there is solid. Despite seeming like soft sand above, it is hard. There is something beneath here. She sweeps away the sand, and reveals even more. Fragments of a ruined structure. Remnants of desiccated fungi crawl along it, preserved under the sand. As she uncovers more, she is sure of it: these are Underdark ruins. To be brought so high... either it's a fallen earthmote, or more excitingly, a genuine ruin from the ruined cities left after the Underchasm collapsed. If the latter is true, that implies even more ruins shunted up from below the earth, and more to explore. Though, also, it does mean more creatures of the Underdark potentially brought to the surface.
Her exploration of the area is tragically brief. There are further chambers, she is sure, but they have collapsed and flooded with sand. She manages to lower herself into one claustrophobic, tiny chamber, and she feels the fragility of the place almost instantly. She quickly combs the area, looking for anything of note she can find before Chakka pulls her up. She almost comes up empty-handed, until an lump she mistook for a piece of rubble reveals itself to be a skull. The ruins looked drow to her, and the body only confirms this, due to the slender, elven form of its bones. It has been here much longer than the time since the Second Sundering, to the point where its flesh has fully rotted away, and its clothes have rotted into nothing.
Searching the corpse, Evelyn finds that not everything it possesses has rotted away into nothing. Held in one hand is a small rounded pouch made of some rubbery, black substance. It certainly shows some amount of degradation, but not so much that the liquid within, which Evelyn can feel sloshing about, has escaped or dried up. Additionally, around one of its wrists is a rusted device with some scraps of what looks to be a decayed leather strap. It is clearly useless in its current state, but there is a chance it could be repaired. Finally, there are the remnants of what was once an ordinary pouch near the skeleton's midriff, and scattered around there are half a dozen untarnished golden coins with spiders stamped onto them, as well as two round, polished stones which glow with an extremely faint light. Finally, there is a single cut, round, red gem.
As day is quickly approaching and she is unsure of the continued stability of this platform, Evelyn must leave the ruins behind and return to the caravan, though she does mark the approximate spot of the ruins on her map.
Olan approaches Dondier and asks if he has a set of woodworking tools for sale explaining his plan to learn woodcraft and provide fresh arrows. Alternatively if he has none for sale, then maybe to be borrowed for a suitable fee.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cunning Green-moss - Tiefling Barbarian Haj i Rae - Human Gloom Stalker Olan Fargrove - Elf Swashbuckler
Qal Joharge - Human Monk Nyli Bemblade - Gnome Thief
Practically two months on the dot pass. Everyone performs their various activities, cooking, whittling, telling stories, exploring. At first, only Threlan tells tales, but the others join in. You learn that Fay is originally from Mulhorand, raised to join the strict and dour priesthood, but he left that life behind for the open road and wild plains of Dambrath. Fefir tells of his travels on the road from Durpar, and the time he wrestled a bear to a standstill, a tale spoken in his unique, flowing way, his words melting into one another in such a way as to make what is already a great feat into something rivaling the exploits of the gods. Even Chakka speaks a little of life on the scarred plains before the Second Sundering, though they insist that these are not stories, merely factual reports of their life delivered in exchange for your own.
Telvoril joins Nodjeim and Olan in their woodcarving exploits, and fashions himself a crude staff. After a few tries and some refinements, he draws a magical rune in the air with it, and his body is coated in shimmering blue plates. He beams proudly, having created his very own arcane focus, and walks the rest of the journey ensconced in this abjurant magic, at least for the first eight hours of each day. Thomir joins in briefly as well, but seems to have no talent for the more detail-oriented things, though he does volunteer his axe for cutting up the old, dried tree trunks or twiggy bushes you find by the side of the road.
Ursi even joins in, assisting Veldruk from time to time in the preparation of food, quiet as they added their skill to his. They seem to know their way around cooking supplies, though if asked about it they just mutter "I know how to take care of myself."
At last, you all arrive at the first great geographical barrier on your journey: The Landrise. A great sheer cliff splitting the Shaar in two, it was lost to the darkness when the Underchasm opened, but the return of the land also returned the cliff. Luckily, it also returned some of the modifications made to it by the people of the past, who carved a steep path down the side. With the restoration of the Great Trade Road, one of the first acts of those brave souls who paved the way was to restore the path to its former state. Here lie miles of long, treacherous switchbacks, inching your wagons down the cliffside, bit by bit. There is ample space between the your wagons and the cliffside, but the sheer height of the cliff and the knowledge that once you fall, you might simply tumble all the way to the bottom, certainly adds to the terror. Despite this, Dondeir urges the wagons on, dismissing concerns and insisting that the sooner you're out of the switchbacks, the sooner you don't have to deal with them anymore.
It's still somewhat early in the day as you travel down, and the cliff casts a great shadow over you all. At first you need torches in the stark shadow, but as the sun climbs in the sky, their need fades. Still, the cliff's shadow hangs over you all, a relief for the drow in the party. (This place is in dim light.)
Things are fine for a while. Then, the DM rolls dice.
You're walking down the trail, keeping to the side of the cliff where the path slopes sharply, so as to avoid the edge. Then, you all notice something... off.
Hands, clinging to the side of the cliff. Clawed, furry hands. Snuffling and growls. Another pair of hands, but not covered in fur. Skeletal. Stripped of flesh. Then, just as you realize what is happening, the arrows begin to fly. Luckily, most of your company, with the exception of Fay and Fefir, seem to have noticed the threat as well.
Initiative! I won't make the mistake of editing the post this time!
Evelyn: 16 Olan: 9 Nodjeim: 11 Threlan: 11 (also, we're in real time now, so feel free to roll for current gender if you like) Veldruk: 20
Important notes: These cliffs are 60 feet tall. The gnolls on the very edge on the west are climbing over, whereas those on the east have poked out from above. Since they have not fully clambered over, they are still climbing, and any effect that reduces their movement to zero (such as grappling) or reduces their available movement types (such as being knocked prone) will cause them to fall.
Initiative:
Group 1: Kirna, Veldruk, Evelyn, Thakka
Group 2: Enemy groups 2 and 4, Ursi, Enemy Groups 1 and 3.
Group 3: Nodjeim, Threlan, Fay, Dondeir, Telvoril
Group 4: Big ****-Off Scary Guy
Group 5: Olan, Thun, Thomir, Fefir (then loop around to group 1)
Fierce, hyena-headed creatures start clambering their way up the side of the cliff, while others poke out from above. Those of you native to the region would instantly recognize them. Gnolls. They plague the Shaar, and have for untold centuries. To run into them at some point during this journey is not entirely unexpected. What is unexpected, however, is this pincer attack, coming in from above and below. Gnolls are brutish, plains-dwelling raiders, strategy is not exactly their strong suit, though ambushes are not unheard of. Unusual or not, it is happening. And it's happening quick.
Kirna is first to act, drawing a crossbow from her belt. She pulls a case of bolts out of the cart and shoves one into the mechanism, yanking it into place as she ducks behind the cart. She disappears for a moment (hide action, 5), then a bolt shoots out from beneath the cart, the canny merchant having ducked below to get a better angle. She returns to standing next to her stunned husband, and shouts at him to "Get down and get ready! Archers above!"
Attack: 16 Damage: 7 Advantage roll if hidden: 5 Sneak attack if hidden: 6
Chakka lets out a shrill chirring sound, which reverberates in the minds of those around them. The air around their Gythka, a double-ended, crescent-bladed polearm, begins to ripple as they move in on one of the skeletal gnolls, slicing away.
Attack: 18 Damage: 5 Attack: 12 Damage: 10
Veldruk and Evelyn, you're up! Hit 'em hard and hit 'em fast, because almost the whole enemy force is up next!
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Unfortunately, the gnolls catch on to Kirna's little trick, but her bolt still sinks into one's flesh, and it cackles in pain. Meanwhile, Chakka's Gythka parts bone like air, the psionic ripples seemingly aiding the weapon in cleaving the skeletal gnoll's skull in twain and sending it sailing to the earth below, where it shatters into hundreds of pieces.
Veldruk and Evelyn's go.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
The tranquility on the road suddenly made sense when they reached the cliffs. They made for the perfect location for an ambush and no half-decent raider would ever leave them for anywhere else in the desert. Dondeir was right in his hurry, though Veldruk would have preferred to have the area scouted. Almost everyone noticed the first signs of enemies and that made the drow somewhat relieved.
As battle broke he started considering his options. If they got under the carts they would have cover from both sides but if the enemies had magic that strategy would backfire. The archers took position far enough from one another that Darkness wouldn’t be able to affect more than one of them. Threlan, Evelyn and Thun were best positioned to help Fey and Kirna while Ursi and Nodjem likely wouldn’t need any help. With Chakka, he decided drawing his sword and rushing in the direction of the larger gnoll.
“Not worth it.”He said to the living gnoll with disdain in his voice, turning his face towards the skeleton. Hopefully that would provoke the creature to focus on him rather than climbing. It took a moment longer to turn his blade towards the enemy, a moment that made his strike easy to read. Still he tried to attack the animated pile of bones.
Notes: Veldruk tries to provoke the living gnoll besides the last skeleton standing and rolls a 2 makes an attack against said skeleton. With a 10 to hit damage wasn't even rolled. Depending on how many attacks target him, Veldruk may use his reaction to cast Shield. Roll made on the campaign log.
Evelyn is surprised by the sudden ambush, but she recovers herself quickly. Her heart is beating fast. This is the first time she's ever engaged in combat like this. But she is among many capable friends, and she knows that together they can prevail. Quelling her fear, she retrieves a chip of mica from her component pouch and focuses her arcane energies into a sphere centered on the enemies that Chakka has engaged. She sculpts the spell so that Chakka will not be caught in its blast and then unleashes the energy in a deafening boom of noise.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 3 Halfling Rogue (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Evelyn Drake - Lvl. 3 Human Wizard (Rule of Change) ♦ Aranea Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Human Warlock (Where the Cold Winds Blow) ♦ Elsenia Vesper - Lvl. 2 Shadar-kai Druid (Strixhaven)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Veldruk strikes down at the bony creature as it climbs, but the blade slips between its radius and ulna, and as Veldruk pulls the sword back the bones part to let it pass without damaging them. This setback is short-lived, however, as a blast of noise echoes from the air behind these two gnolls, rattling bone and flesh alike.
1619
(I may start actually just doing these rolls myself so I don't have to worry about dndbeyond's stupid post editing rules.)
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
I'm actually gonna rule that the skeleton has disadvantage, since... I mean, the guy's a skeleton. This spell is made to blow up brittle things. And I'm gonna roll this myself cause I'm lazy and don't wanna clug the post. He got a nat 20.
Damage: 8
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
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(Sure, I'll give you one more roll if you practice your storytelling.)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Olan finds Nodjeim sitting in the last cart, whittling away, ignoring whatever Ursi is spouting.
"Hi, I was wondering if I may ask a favour. It occurs to me that it may be a while until I can find a fletcher, so I was wondering if you could show me the best way to work wood, as you seem to have the skill of it. I dare say that I'll need to find what wood works best for arrows too."
"Also, and I'm sure this has occurred to you before but, is the woodworking something from your previous experience?"
Cunning Green-moss - Tiefling Barbarian Haj i Rae - Human Gloom Stalker Olan Fargrove - Elf Swashbuckler
Qal Joharge - Human Monk Nyli Bemblade - Gnome Thief
Nodjeim considers the request before responding. "Of course I will share what I know. Arrows, is it? Large part will be finding the right pieces of wood but the shaping always matters as well. Yes, we should be able to do this. It will be a bit more difficult without the proper tools. I believe Dondeir may have a proper set of tools but we could make do with just daggers..."
He considers longer upon his whittling before responding. "Most of me is from the before. I have only been awake a short time and have not learned much new. Could the skill be a clue? I do hope so. I whittle and try to let my quiet mind discover the shape in the hopes it will reveal something I once knew before..."
"But tell me, Olan," Nodjeim counters. "Is it just arrows you wish to learn to shape, or the art of the wood itself? As I said, for arrows we could make do with what I have. If you seek true skills then I am afraid you should go to Dondeir. For the tools or the lessons, as you wish and as he would allow..."
We're doing one small murder-y thing for a bigger, better reason. The ends justify the means.
-- Eleanor Shellstrop
It was only when Dondeir spoke that Veldruk noticed that he never cooked with dried shrimp. Truth be told the first time he ate the crustacean was after his arrival in the City of Saffron. The way there had been a miserable trek marked by his first experiences under the sun, paranoia and meager rations that ended days before he found the settlement. Good meals were the first luxuries he sought after finding employment, extra coin earned him some recipes, but none using dried seafood.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He wasn’t. Sure thing, the dark elf was no strange to loss and knew how hard it was to start again but Dondeir was still rich and that was far from a hard life. “If makes any difference I’m quite confident you will find prosperity in New Shaarmid. It takes strength to cut losses and move, sense to know where to start again and you can keep this caravan together. It talks about resilience and the skill to administrate a crew. Add experience and it’s hard to see you failing. Add time and I hope you’ll hire me again.”
Veldruk tried to smile as convincing as he could. Experience had taught him that respectable clients were captivated by realistic praise mixed with honest self-interest.
Evelyn is somewhat taken aback by Veldruk's answer. She supposed she should have expected it though. So the stereotypes and rumors of the underground race were mostly true. It was enough to send a shiver down her spine. "I will keep that in mind," she says now to Veldruk. "Thank you."
Evelyn continues to spend most of her downtime exploring the Shaar wilderness surrounding their camps. Sometimes she is accompanied by Nodjeim, which she appreciates. Sometimes even Chakka tags along. Investigation - 11
As Threlan spends more time with Chakka, he/she encounters Evelyn more often as well. "If you want to practice your stories, I wouldn't mind hearing them," she offers.
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 3 Halfling Rogue (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Evelyn Drake - Lvl. 3 Human Wizard (Rule of Change) ♦ Aranea Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Human Warlock (Where the Cold Winds Blow) ♦ Elsenia Vesper - Lvl. 2 Shadar-kai Druid (Strixhaven)
DMing: Curse of Strahd
Dondeir smiles back, genuinely. It is unclear if he can tell how genuine Veldruk's own smile is, but it doesn't seem to matter much to the man if he can tell.
(I think Chakka tagging along is a great idea, and I'm gonna give you advantage for that via the help action! Rolling again to save time: 23)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
After a while, through the encouragment of Olan, Chakka, and Evelyn, Threlan begins telling stories to them. She/he spends many days atop Chakka's wagon, writing pages upon pages of tales and words. Finally, one night, she sits Olan, Chakka, and Evelyn down, and begins telling them a story around a fire.
"Far to the north, where the cold winds blow, there sits 10 small villages, seated upon a frozen tundra. snow, can you imagine, blanketed the ground and most everything else. one day, a portly dwarf approached a tall, cloaked figure. this figure was a traveler. And this, is the tale Lyn StormSverd..." Threlan begins the first chapter of the story, telling about how Lyn and his snow leopard, as well as their druid friend, saved a town from a talking lake-monster.
Performance (I swear, I hope I don't get a nat 1. Humbug, my training gives me advantage on story-telling checks, correct?) 22
Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, The Rocket Raccoon/Trashcan Tactician (as appointed by Drummer). Pronouns They/Them/Theirs.
My Characters: Brormin the Crusher; Discovery the Keeper; Thea the Scoundrel; Jorvir the Weaver; Threlan, the Speaker; Zolya the Inspired; Penley the Devourer;
DMing: Dark God's Dread; Raccoon's Strixhaven, Dungeon of The Dead Mage
Join the Anything but the OGL 2.0 Thread!
EXTENDED SIGNATUR
(Not advantage, just a second roll since you're focusing on it.)
At first hesitant, the group eventually gives Threlan a second chance. They are well rewarded for it. As his/her confidence grows, the stories grow more and more detailed, more grand and breathtaking, and rather than filling the travelers with disgust, it fills them with excitement and inspiration.
Everyone gains 2 temporary hit points until the end of your next combat encounter!
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
(Well... that's an improvement)
Evelyn and Chakka are out one night, the Thri-Kreen using their darkvision to guide the archaeologist and the archaeologist using her expertise to interpret the signs she is led to. Most nights are fruitless. The remnants of civilization they see are many, but they are often no more than a solitary, ruined pillar, or a few chunks of hewn stone. There is nothing of note within. Until there is. It is only a corner of a rock, seemingly nothing... until Evelyn steps over it. The ground there is solid. Despite seeming like soft sand above, it is hard. There is something beneath here. She sweeps away the sand, and reveals even more. Fragments of a ruined structure. Remnants of desiccated fungi crawl along it, preserved under the sand. As she uncovers more, she is sure of it: these are Underdark ruins. To be brought so high... either it's a fallen earthmote, or more excitingly, a genuine ruin from the ruined cities left after the Underchasm collapsed. If the latter is true, that implies even more ruins shunted up from below the earth, and more to explore. Though, also, it does mean more creatures of the Underdark potentially brought to the surface.
Her exploration of the area is tragically brief. There are further chambers, she is sure, but they have collapsed and flooded with sand. She manages to lower herself into one claustrophobic, tiny chamber, and she feels the fragility of the place almost instantly. She quickly combs the area, looking for anything of note she can find before Chakka pulls her up. She almost comes up empty-handed, until an lump she mistook for a piece of rubble reveals itself to be a skull. The ruins looked drow to her, and the body only confirms this, due to the slender, elven form of its bones. It has been here much longer than the time since the Second Sundering, to the point where its flesh has fully rotted away, and its clothes have rotted into nothing.
Searching the corpse, Evelyn finds that not everything it possesses has rotted away into nothing. Held in one hand is a small rounded pouch made of some rubbery, black substance. It certainly shows some amount of degradation, but not so much that the liquid within, which Evelyn can feel sloshing about, has escaped or dried up. Additionally, around one of its wrists is a rusted device with some scraps of what looks to be a decayed leather strap. It is clearly useless in its current state, but there is a chance it could be repaired. Finally, there are the remnants of what was once an ordinary pouch near the skeleton's midriff, and scattered around there are half a dozen untarnished golden coins with spiders stamped onto them, as well as two round, polished stones which glow with an extremely faint light. Finally, there is a single cut, round, red gem.
[Loot get! 6 golden drow coins, 1 unidentified red gem, 2 unidentified glowing stones, 1 unidentified device, 1 unidentified liquid pouch!]
As day is quickly approaching and she is unsure of the continued stability of this platform, Evelyn must leave the ruins behind and return to the caravan, though she does mark the approximate spot of the ruins on her map.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Olan approaches Dondier and asks if he has a set of woodworking tools for sale explaining his plan to learn woodcraft and provide fresh arrows. Alternatively if he has none for sale, then maybe to be borrowed for a suitable fee.
Cunning Green-moss - Tiefling Barbarian Haj i Rae - Human Gloom Stalker Olan Fargrove - Elf Swashbuckler
Qal Joharge - Human Monk Nyli Bemblade - Gnome Thief
Dondeir is willing to lend Olan a set of woodcarver's tools, so long as he returns them while the caravan is moving.
(You can complete your training during this time and gain proficiency with woodcarver's tools)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Eleint 22, 1489 DR
Practically two months on the dot pass. Everyone performs their various activities, cooking, whittling, telling stories, exploring. At first, only Threlan tells tales, but the others join in. You learn that Fay is originally from Mulhorand, raised to join the strict and dour priesthood, but he left that life behind for the open road and wild plains of Dambrath. Fefir tells of his travels on the road from Durpar, and the time he wrestled a bear to a standstill, a tale spoken in his unique, flowing way, his words melting into one another in such a way as to make what is already a great feat into something rivaling the exploits of the gods. Even Chakka speaks a little of life on the scarred plains before the Second Sundering, though they insist that these are not stories, merely factual reports of their life delivered in exchange for your own.
Telvoril joins Nodjeim and Olan in their woodcarving exploits, and fashions himself a crude staff. After a few tries and some refinements, he draws a magical rune in the air with it, and his body is coated in shimmering blue plates. He beams proudly, having created his very own arcane focus, and walks the rest of the journey ensconced in this abjurant magic, at least for the first eight hours of each day. Thomir joins in briefly as well, but seems to have no talent for the more detail-oriented things, though he does volunteer his axe for cutting up the old, dried tree trunks or twiggy bushes you find by the side of the road.
Ursi even joins in, assisting Veldruk from time to time in the preparation of food, quiet as they added their skill to his. They seem to know their way around cooking supplies, though if asked about it they just mutter "I know how to take care of myself."
At last, you all arrive at the first great geographical barrier on your journey: The Landrise. A great sheer cliff splitting the Shaar in two, it was lost to the darkness when the Underchasm opened, but the return of the land also returned the cliff. Luckily, it also returned some of the modifications made to it by the people of the past, who carved a steep path down the side. With the restoration of the Great Trade Road, one of the first acts of those brave souls who paved the way was to restore the path to its former state. Here lie miles of long, treacherous switchbacks, inching your wagons down the cliffside, bit by bit. There is ample space between the your wagons and the cliffside, but the sheer height of the cliff and the knowledge that once you fall, you might simply tumble all the way to the bottom, certainly adds to the terror. Despite this, Dondeir urges the wagons on, dismissing concerns and insisting that the sooner you're out of the switchbacks, the sooner you don't have to deal with them anymore.
It's still somewhat early in the day as you travel down, and the cliff casts a great shadow over you all. At first you need torches in the stark shadow, but as the sun climbs in the sky, their need fades. Still, the cliff's shadow hangs over you all, a relief for the drow in the party. (This place is in dim light.)
Things are fine for a while. Then, the DM rolls dice.
(2 18 14) (4 15) (17 21 14) (18 3) (21)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
You're walking down the trail, keeping to the side of the cliff where the path slopes sharply, so as to avoid the edge. Then, you all notice something... off.
Hands, clinging to the side of the cliff. Clawed, furry hands. Snuffling and growls. Another pair of hands, but not covered in fur. Skeletal. Stripped of flesh. Then, just as you realize what is happening, the arrows begin to fly. Luckily, most of your company, with the exception of Fay and Fefir, seem to have noticed the threat as well.
Initiative! I won't make the mistake of editing the post this time!
Evelyn: 16
Olan: 9
Nodjeim: 11
Threlan: 11 (also, we're in real time now, so feel free to roll for current gender if you like)
Veldruk: 20
Thun: 8
Fay: 10
Dondeir: 10
Ursi: 14
Kirna: 21
Fefir: 4
Thomir: 7
Chakka: 19
Telvoril: 9
Enemy Group 1: 12
Enemy Group 2: 15
Enemy Group 3: 12
Enemy Group 4: 16
Big ****-Off Scary Guy: 9
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Map:
Important notes: These cliffs are 60 feet tall. The gnolls on the very edge on the west are climbing over, whereas those on the east have poked out from above. Since they have not fully clambered over, they are still climbing, and any effect that reduces their movement to zero (such as grappling) or reduces their available movement types (such as being knocked prone) will cause them to fall.
Initiative:
Group 1: Kirna, Veldruk, Evelyn, Thakka
Group 2: Enemy groups 2 and 4, Ursi, Enemy Groups 1 and 3.
Group 3: Nodjeim, Threlan, Fay, Dondeir, Telvoril
Group 4: Big ****-Off Scary Guy
Group 5: Olan, Thun, Thomir, Fefir (then loop around to group 1)
Fierce, hyena-headed creatures start clambering their way up the side of the cliff, while others poke out from above. Those of you native to the region would instantly recognize them. Gnolls. They plague the Shaar, and have for untold centuries. To run into them at some point during this journey is not entirely unexpected. What is unexpected, however, is this pincer attack, coming in from above and below. Gnolls are brutish, plains-dwelling raiders, strategy is not exactly their strong suit, though ambushes are not unheard of. Unusual or not, it is happening. And it's happening quick.
Kirna is first to act, drawing a crossbow from her belt. She pulls a case of bolts out of the cart and shoves one into the mechanism, yanking it into place as she ducks behind the cart. She disappears for a moment (hide action, 5), then a bolt shoots out from beneath the cart, the canny merchant having ducked below to get a better angle. She returns to standing next to her stunned husband, and shouts at him to "Get down and get ready! Archers above!"
Attack: 16 Damage: 7 Advantage roll if hidden: 5 Sneak attack if hidden: 6
Chakka lets out a shrill chirring sound, which reverberates in the minds of those around them. The air around their Gythka, a double-ended, crescent-bladed polearm, begins to ripple as they move in on one of the skeletal gnolls, slicing away.
Attack: 18 Damage: 5
Attack: 12 Damage: 10
Veldruk and Evelyn, you're up! Hit 'em hard and hit 'em fast, because almost the whole enemy force is up next!
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
New Map:
Unfortunately, the gnolls catch on to Kirna's little trick, but her bolt still sinks into one's flesh, and it cackles in pain. Meanwhile, Chakka's Gythka parts bone like air, the psionic ripples seemingly aiding the weapon in cleaving the skeletal gnoll's skull in twain and sending it sailing to the earth below, where it shatters into hundreds of pieces.
Veldruk and Evelyn's go.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Imma just throw in a gender roll real quick (odd is female, even is male): 5
Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, The Rocket Raccoon/Trashcan Tactician (as appointed by Drummer). Pronouns They/Them/Theirs.
My Characters: Brormin the Crusher; Discovery the Keeper; Thea the Scoundrel; Jorvir the Weaver; Threlan, the Speaker; Zolya the Inspired; Penley the Devourer;
DMing: Dark God's Dread; Raccoon's Strixhaven, Dungeon of The Dead Mage
Join the Anything but the OGL 2.0 Thread!
EXTENDED SIGNATUR
The tranquility on the road suddenly made sense when they reached the cliffs. They made for the perfect location for an ambush and no half-decent raider would ever leave them for anywhere else in the desert. Dondeir was right in his hurry, though Veldruk would have preferred to have the area scouted. Almost everyone noticed the first signs of enemies and that made the drow somewhat relieved.
As battle broke he started considering his options. If they got under the carts they would have cover from both sides but if the enemies had magic that strategy would backfire. The archers took position far enough from one another that Darkness wouldn’t be able to affect more than one of them. Threlan, Evelyn and Thun were best positioned to help Fey and Kirna while Ursi and Nodjem likely wouldn’t need any help. With Chakka, he decided drawing his sword and rushing in the direction of the larger gnoll.
“Not worth it.” He said to the living gnoll with disdain in his voice, turning his face towards the skeleton. Hopefully that would provoke the creature to focus on him rather than climbing. It took a moment longer to turn his blade towards the enemy, a moment that made his strike easy to read. Still he tried to attack the animated pile of bones.
Notes: Veldruk tries to provoke the living gnoll besides the last skeleton standing and
rolls a 2makes an attack against said skeleton. With a 10 to hit damage wasn't even rolled. Depending on how many attacks target him, Veldruk may use his reaction to cast Shield. Roll made on the campaign log.Evelyn is surprised by the sudden ambush, but she recovers herself quickly. Her heart is beating fast. This is the first time she's ever engaged in combat like this. But she is among many capable friends, and she knows that together they can prevail. Quelling her fear, she retrieves a chip of mica from her component pouch and focuses her arcane energies into a sphere centered on the enemies that Chakka has engaged. She sculpts the spell so that Chakka will not be caught in its blast and then unleashes the energy in a deafening boom of noise.
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf - Lvl. 3 Halfling Rogue (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk) ♦ Evelyn Drake - Lvl. 3 Human Wizard (Rule of Change) ♦ Aranea Kendrick - Lvl. 4 Human Warlock (Where the Cold Winds Blow) ♦ Elsenia Vesper - Lvl. 2 Shadar-kai Druid (Strixhaven)
DMing: Curse of Strahd
Veldruk strikes down at the bony creature as it climbs, but the blade slips between its radius and ulna, and as Veldruk pulls the sword back the bones part to let it pass without damaging them. This setback is short-lived, however, as a blast of noise echoes from the air behind these two gnolls, rattling bone and flesh alike.
16 19
(I may start actually just doing these rolls myself so I don't have to worry about dndbeyond's stupid post editing rules.)
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
I'm actually gonna rule that the skeleton has disadvantage, since... I mean, the guy's a skeleton. This spell is made to blow up brittle things. And I'm gonna roll this myself cause I'm lazy and don't wanna clug the post. He got a nat 20.
Damage: 8
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."