This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Seeing Sarumir has also caught up to Hosh preventing his escape Twinkleblossum will fly back to the group and once again alight on the ground near the bound dragonborn.
"If you haven't got anything then why say we can't have it with the same breath?" Twinkleblossum will begin looking for a pouch, rummaging around in his backpack, and searching his pockets trying to find whatever it is he's hiding.
Investigation: 9
"What is it, huh? Something you stole from some poor soul on the road?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
The lifeless body of Hosh is rug-burned down towards where the caravan is, the hybrid wolf-man bringing down his (well, shared) kill to the others. Mildred and Mudface share glances, but do not say anything. Especially not with the loaded crossbow that Sanimar is holding, which they catch sight of as soon as the dragonborn stirred.
The two standing bandits nod at Lara's understanding comments. Eren, who had been hiding through the battle, just shakes their head. "Sures!"
"Wow, you really thinks so? Thank you. We can't thank ye's enough, ain't that right?" Mildred kneels and places his forehead against Lara's hand in a bugbear show of gratitude. Mudface eyes widen, then he quickly does the same. "May the Sacred Flame bless you and your Hearth."He grunts and lifts up the dazed Sanna and wraps the other's arm around his shoulder. Mudface goes to try to do the same with the other arm, but Mildred shakes his head 'no' and just picks up the rest of Sanna's body in quite an easy heave.
Sarűmir makes his way down and drops the tiefling's leg out of his mouth, taking the time to interrogate Brodan who groans and bristles at the feel of the matted fur and warm dog breath against his bright blue scales. The brigand leader bares his own teeth and begins to puff his chest. His cheeks fill with air as he looks like a pufferfish and opens his mouth, but only a few sprinkles of flickering lightning comes out before he heaves and rasps and leans against the caravan side where you laid him. He closes his eyes and leans his head back with a sigh. When he opens them he sees Twinkleblossum standing there, feeling her going through his pockets. He just glares and says, "**** yous, mates. You ain'ts getting nothin'."
And he was right, there was completely nothing there.
Mildred coughs, making his way towards the caravan with Sanna in tow. "What he means is that he's gots an olds barn hideout up the road that he ain'ts wanna share with us. Nev'r leaves the spoils to us, this one. Ain'ts that right?"
"You don't know nothin's 'bout me!"
"Sure we do. I know you're an awful arse. The one that nearly killed me and me own brother! Bloody hell. I bets thats why ol' Jenny lefts ya. You don'ts care 'bout nobody but yourself." The bugbear bandit sneers, kicking dirt onto Brodan as he passes towards the caravan.
"You little---!" He doesn't even finish, he reaches forward with his mouth and goes to try to bite Mildred, who just lithely take a step back, and so the dragonborn falls and flops right on his side. The restraints around him make him squirm. He coughs and moans.
Mildred, who put the weakened Sanna in your cart, huffs.
Twinkleblossum will offer to the party, "Do you think we should check out what he has hidden in the barn? I can probably locate it easy enough from the air."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
At the notion of Brodan trying to breathe lightning at him, Sarűmir slaps him across the face with a furry paw and says, "Try that again and I'll rip your throat clean out." He then hauls himself off of the dragonborn, grabs him by his leg, then drags him over to the bandits' cart. Sarűmir pulls his head to the right, then quickly snaps it to the left in an attempt to toss Brodan into the cart.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hi there! My name's Elk. I'm NoiSilverheart's doppelgänger. I'm a demiromantic, socially awkward Okie who may or may not be a pyromaniac. *random confetti blast*
I'm a warlock of the ArchCrone, my patron is TheFriendlyArchfey. Was Nicknamed AchatesCervus8337 by VitusW. Given the titles "Swashbuckling Scorcher", "The Unpredictable Jedi", "Burning Fury of the Ancients", and "Combustion Knight" by DrummerBoyDragonSlayer.
After we get the horses switched out and the cart ready I'll return to the wagon to check on the others. It looks like we'll be visiting this barn you mentioned, is there anything we should know before hand? Mudface can you drive the cart and help us find our way? I assume it's close to your base camp, if so then you three can pick up your belongings for the trip.
When our captives let us know we are close to the old abandoned barn then Twinkleblossum will take wing and try to pinpoint it's location from above. She also keeps her eyes open for any trails that might be well worn leading to the barn.
Perception: 10
If/when she spots it she returns to alight near the lead of Eren's caravan and asks our captives/guides, "There aren't any traps are there? I can't spot tripwires or covered pits so easy from the air."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
On cue, Sarűmir snatched up Brodan and threw him into the cart. He lands with a large thud. By the way his head was leaning back, this guy was deader than dead. His body slumped in the back of his own cart. Mildred leans back against your caravan and just watches the sight. "Good riddance." He hops along in and sets up Sanna to be comfortable who just moans and lightly whispers to all of you and Eren, "Th-thank you."It is then that when he sits down for himself, Mildred realizes his own wounds and begins plucking out the thorns from his side. Eren comes to his side and starts plucking for him, to which they receive a small "huh?" from the bugbear bandit at the so self-assured hospitality.
"We'res a goin' to town if y'alls woulds like?"Eren suggests. The bugbear just nods, closing his eyes and clutching his side while leaning against the inside wall of the caravan. "We've always been wanderers."
When asked, Mudface looks apprehensive to drive the cart, seeing the body of his former leader just lying there, but then he nods politely. "Yes, of course." He approaches the two warhorses who seem to notice something's up and start kicking and sending dirt everywhere, and so he jumps back. Lara, recalling her knowledge of how to handle horses from her training back in the days with the knights, uses her soothing voice and reassurance. The horses tilt their head and then lean in sniff her hand. After what seems to be shared glares, the horses both rest their forehead against her palm.
After hooking up two warhorse to the front of Eren's caravan with the help of Lara, Mudface keeps the thug's draft horse with his cart. He also then loads Hosh's body to the cart, silently mourning him even though they were never really that close anyways. Then he covers the two with a sheet-blanket. He hasn't decided where to bury them but the side of the road ain't it.
"The farmhouse is up down the road that way." Mudface points up then towards a fork in the road a few miles east. Eren nods.
"Heave ho! Let's go!"Eren rhymes and then takes the reins. The horses, especially the front two, go up with a kick but then they start racing and you're on the road again...
After the first encounter...
+ 150 XP (100 for Brodan and two 50s for Hosh and Sanna (who technically did die))) ---> All points have been applied
You lot all head over to that direction of that barn. You arrive there later in the afternoon as a cool breeze settles. The road here is even bumpier than before. It seems more rocks than grass as everything on this way looks desolate. The caws of crows seem fitting especially without a scarecrow. All the fields here have been overtaken by dried scrubgrass. There's nary a soul in sight.
Twinkleblossum leads the way with her eyes peeled open for any dangers along the way. There isn't any except for a few aforementioned nagging crows who seem perplexed at the sight of fairy. Some come close in flight, but none make a move. There you then spot it. Amongst the dead trees and covered in dead ivy is a barn off the side the road in what appears to have once been a cornfield. It's a two-story wooden barn with multiple windows. Silently perched on the top of the roof, you make out a kobold bandit sitting there like a small gargoyle. There are two other kobolds sitting around at the back that the others in the caravan can't see.
You can catch some snipets of their conversation.
"When do yas thinks he's coming back? Hopes he's brought back somethings good this time."
"I don't know. I feel like something is wrong. I feel it. It's in the air."
"Scabs, you're always too skeptical. Boss will be backs soon. I promise."
"Quit your yapping!" Shouts the one perched on top."I'm trying to see." He settles down and takes his stony position once more, but doesn't notice the flying fairy up above.
Meanwhile in the caravan, Mildred shudders, "This is the place." He shakes his head at Twinkleblossum's question.
"There's none. Nor any traps or anything. The only thing's a couple of kobolds who practically worship the guy. Made himself a 'lil cult. Ever since he gave 'ems some hopes 'bouts a- an ancient dragon that's been buried under ol' Drakkenheim. Some rumor he's heard way back when. They've been following his every move. Always been sayin' he's a gonna need more gold and more stuff to awaken it, but really he's done out to pays back that blunder he rightfully owes to the big ol' Queen of Thieves herself."
Eren parks the caravan close to the barn, and so does Mudface, both close enough to walk to but far enough that those inside can't see. "Good luck on y'alls vengeance." They lean back on their drivers seat."I'lls be heres out back."
Sanimar steps down from the caravan and whispers, "If any want to sneak ahead then I'll wait as my armor gives me away pretty quickly" In the meantime she keeps guard over their new prisoners with her crossbow loaded and ready to go.
Whispering a plan, "I'm pretty good at sneaking, when I need to be. Some of us could try to plan a sneak ambush and get the drop on the kobolds. Right after we spring out trap we could signal those hanging back to charge up and join us."
Twinkleblossum will look around at her new companions, "So who's wants to try and surprise the kobolds and who wants to stay back with Sanimar as our reserve reinforcements?"
Stealth: 14
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
"I may be a wolf, but I am not one to slink around in the dark. Against my urges, I'll wait here while you find the kobolds." Sarűmir then sits down on his haunches and waits.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hi there! My name's Elk. I'm NoiSilverheart's doppelgänger. I'm a demiromantic, socially awkward Okie who may or may not be a pyromaniac. *random confetti blast*
I'm a warlock of the ArchCrone, my patron is TheFriendlyArchfey. Was Nicknamed AchatesCervus8337 by VitusW. Given the titles "Swashbuckling Scorcher", "The Unpredictable Jedi", "Burning Fury of the Ancients", and "Combustion Knight" by DrummerBoyDragonSlayer.
Twinkleblossum flies up on and ahead, intending to search the perimeters. Due to the pervading darkness from the being in the vicinity of the Drakkenheim and the fairy's zippy quickness, she goes unnoticed by the three kobolds guards waiting out back. Not even the one who deemed himself the perching lookout, he especially has no idea, deciding now's the time to lay on his back as he sunbathingly basks in the darkness of the dreary late afternoon.
The fairy ranger slips pasts the unknowing guards, hiding behind to the side of the decrepit barn and peeking in through one of the windows at the top. Without any lights, the inside of this second story loft is mostly dim. From what you can make is just contains mostly cobwebs... and wait, in the far off corner of the room is actually three wooden chests and next to them is a kobold inspecting them. She doesn't make any sounds or say anything, but just is sorting through them. Some flicks of shiny metal from slightly rusted weapons catches Twinkleblossum's eye.
Downstairs however is a different story. From even up in the rafters, the fairy could hear someone's raspy voice shouting.
"Sos this is where he spends all day? Hah! He is wasting his life away. If he could only see the Light of the Fire... "
Flying down to where this noise is coming from, Twinkleblossum goes to inspect from the ground level window. Luckily for her, again no one notices. From this angle she can see a tall brash blue dragonborn with the attire of a bandit captain sitting atop piles of hay- a pile of hay that looks very much positioned like where the kobolds might sleep from the amount of scatted rags and mismatched pillows.
"When is my son comings back anyways? I ams only asking for what I'ms owed." The dragonborn taps her claws against the wood of the pillar in front of her and begins scratching into the surface, and once her nail hits an apparently metallic spot it causes a sickening screech as she drags her nail through it.
The other kobolds, 3 of them in total, on the ground floor all cover their ears, but the women seems unbothered. "Sorry, m'am wes don'ts know."One winces and slowly opens one eye. "He saids he'ds be back before sundown." A chorus of "ahmm ahmms" and "of course. of courses" fill the room.
She snorts and looks at her claws. "Well I can wait all day if I have to." She pauses, mouth chock-full of sharpened teeth. "Have you sweeties heard of the teachings of Mother Mathias?"' Without even a peep from any of the kobolds, she begins on a tirade about the testaments of the falling of the meteors and the sanctity of the end of the world to come. Oh great, she is trying to convert them. She's one of those people.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Twinkleblossum will sneak up to short range and throw a dagger at one of the kobolds on the ground and then with their bonus action throw another dagger at the other one on the ground, both outside near the door.
Attack: 10 Damage: 6 piercing damage and the playful pixies follow the same path in their flight and strike for 2 piercing damage.
Attack: 11 Damage: 8 piercing damage.
"Now! Now! Strike at kobolds! Now!"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sarűmir's initiative: 10
Upon hearing Twinkleblossum's cry, Sarűmir leaps up and tuns into the barn. He lunges straight at the kobold on the right, swiping at it with his huge paws.
Hi there! My name's Elk. I'm NoiSilverheart's doppelgänger. I'm a demiromantic, socially awkward Okie who may or may not be a pyromaniac. *random confetti blast*
I'm a warlock of the ArchCrone, my patron is TheFriendlyArchfey. Was Nicknamed AchatesCervus8337 by VitusW. Given the titles "Swashbuckling Scorcher", "The Unpredictable Jedi", "Burning Fury of the Ancients", and "Combustion Knight" by DrummerBoyDragonSlayer.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sanimar Initiative 20
At hearing the call to arms she will move to the door without entering and firing her crossbow at the nearest kobold then move to the side of the door to use the wall as cover.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(ooc: apologies, in my excitement I forgot to roll initiative.)
Twinkleblossum's Initiative: 18
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
Twinkleblossum will sneak up to short range and throw a dagger at one of the kobolds on the ground and then with their bonus action throw another dagger at the other one on the ground, both outside near the door.
Attack: 11 Damage: 8 piercing damage and the playful pixies follow the same path in their flight and strike for 2 piercing damage.
Attack: 26 Damage: 7 piercing damage.
"Now! Now! Strike at kobolds! Now!"
(ooc: this was turn, I had just forgotten to roll initiative... it's 18... in case anyone was waiting on me?)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
The kobolds listen half-heartedly to the dragonborn women's attempts at converting them. One (K3) mindlessly picks up and puts down a chess piece. The other two (K1 and K2) grin and nod along with her as she goes off.
"...And I coulds get you to the sacrament for a small collections fee."
The one upstairs (K4) contentiously looks through old weapons, then at the sound of:
"Now! Now! Strike at kobolds! Now!"
The little kobold rushes to the top of the ladder to call out "What is happening here?!". The others downstairs have already perked up, clutching their weapons at their side. The bandit captain grins and sneers, lithely getting up from her pile of hay. "Well... it's about time."
Round 1 begins...
Initiative Order
(20) Sanimar (30/30 HP)
Move 15 ft to the door, swing open barn door
(Action) Attack @Kobold 1 with Crossbow 20 > AC 12 A Hit. ----> Kobold 1 takes 12 damage ----> Kobold 1 is now Dead
Move 15 ft down to wall for cover
(18) Twinkleblossum (28/28 HP)
(Action) Attack Kobold 7 with Dagger 11 < AC 12 A Miss. ----> Kobold 7 takes no damage
Move 5 ft
(Bonus Action) Attack Kobold 7 with Dagger again 26 > AC 12 A Hit! ------> Kobold 7 takes 7 damage ----> Kobold 7 now has (4/11 HP)
(17) Kobold 1 (11/11 HP) - No Action (Dead)
End of Round: Dead
(15) Kobold 2 (11/11 HP)
(Action) Attack @Lara with Crossbow 9 + 3 = 14 < AC 18 A Miss. -----> Lara takes no damage
Move 30 feet diagonally towards hay pile.
(13) Kobold 3 (11/11 HP)
Move 10 ft south, 15 ft east, 5 ft south, swing open barn door
(Action) Attack @Sarűmir with Crossbow (Advantage since ally is within 5 ft First roll: 13 + 3 = 16; Second Roll 6 + 3 = 9) 16 < AC 17 A Miss. ----> Sarűmir takes no damage
(12) Aster (15/15 HP)
Dodge; No Action
(12) Kobold 4 (11/11 HP) ----> on second floor 15 ft up
Move 15 ft to eastern window
(Action) Attack @Sarűmir with Crossbow (Advantage since ally is within 5 ft First roll: 9 + 3 = 12; Second Roll 11 + 3 = 14) 14 < AC 17 A Miss. ----> Sarűmir takes no damage
(10) Sarűmir (31/31 HP)
(Action) Attack @Kobold 7 with Predatory Strike 9 < AC 12 A Miss. ----> Kobold 7 takes no damage
End of Round: Hybrid Form 59:54 minutes left
End of Round: 21/31 HP
(9) Kobold 5 (11/11 HP) ---> Perched 30 ft on a roof (any ranged weapon can hit or if someone flies up. angles don't matter)
(Action) Attack @Sarűmir with Crossbow (Advantage since ally is within 5 ft First Roll: 18 + 3 = 21; Second Roll 10 + 3 = 13) 21 > AC 17 A Hit. ----> Sarűmir takes 5 damage ---> currently Sarűmir has (26/31 HP)
(7) Kobold 6 (11/11 HP)
(Action) Attack @Sarűmir with Crossbow (Advantage since ally is within 5 ft First Roll: 10 + 3 = 13; Second Roll 20 + 3 = 23) 23 > AC 17 A Hit. ----> Sarűmir takes 5 damage ----> currently Sarűmir has (21/31 HP)
(2) Lara (31/31 HP)
Move 15 ft south, move 15 ft east through barn doors
(Action) Attack @Dragonborn Captain with Spear 17 > AC 15 A Hit. -----> Dragonborn Captain takes 8 damage -----> Dragonborn Captain now has 57/65 HP
End of Round: 25/31 HP
(2) Dragonborn Captain (65/65 HP)
Multiattack. The captain makes three melee attacks: two with its scimitar and one with its dagger. Or the captain makes two ranged attacks with its daggers.
(Action) Attack @Lara with Dagger 1 + 5 = 6 < AC 18 A Miss. ----> Lara takes no damage
(Action) Attack @Lara with Scimitar 15 + 5 = 20 > AC 18 A Hit. ----> Lara takes 6 damage -----> Lara is currently at 25/31 HP
(Action) Attack @Lara with Scimitar 9 + 5 = 14 < AC 18 A Miss. ----> Lara takes no damage
End of Round: 57/65 HP
(1) Kobold 7 (11/11 HP)
(Action) Attack @Sarűmir with Crossbow (Advantage since ally is within 5 ft First Roll: 9 + 3 = 12; Second Roll 13 + 3 = 16) 16 < AC 17 A Miss. ----> Sarűmir takes no damage
End of Round: Currently has (4/11 HP)
Twinkleblossum had stepped out of her hiding place and called the alarm. Her allies come running to her side. Sanimar, Aster, and Lara take the western door. Twinkleblossum and Sarűmir take the eastern one.
Sanimar kicks open the barn door, letting in a breathe of fresh (or whatever you can call fresh by Drakkenheim standards) air. The kobolds inside jump at the chill. The skilled dwarf shoots an arrow at the first kobold she sees, striking it mercilessly into the chest before taking cover behind the outside wall. It hits him straight through his crude leather armor and seconds later a blood spot soaks through. His little hand goes to reach it but he stumbles and falls, knocking over his chair he once sat in.
"Pathetic."The dragonborn captain spits, nonchalantly sharpening her claws.
Back at the eastern side, after she announced her battle cry, Twinkleblossum gets ready for the kill. She emerges from her hiding spot and launches a dagger at the closest kobold. The pixies laugh and glitter around the weapon, making the glint of the blade ever sharper. Unfortunately, it strikes the side of the barn wall, nearly grazing Scab (Kobold 7). The dagger nestles into the wood before the playful pixies bring it back into your hand. 'Heave ho!' several tiny voices repeat as they lift up the weapon greatly 10x larger than themselves like a bunch of flying worker ants.
The kobolds aren't surprised as they had been actively looking for who had called them onto battle. Except for the one who was nearly stabbed is now cowering, wincing, and wringing their hands. "Oh dear. I knew I felt it." Out from the corner, they see a wolf-hybrid-man stalking them. One paw in front of the other. His haunches raised and his teeth bared out fully. On the other side, the kobolds are flanked by a glistening fairy with a very familiar dagger in her hand. The blade looks ever brighter under this dreary afternoon-evening. Scab gulps. The one perched cackles manically.
"Attack!" He yells.
"Attack!!!" They all screech in unison.
In no time, another dagger is thrown at them. And this time, it doesn't miss. Scab (K7) gets hit in the right shoulder. You could see more white in his eyes than pupil. His arm reaches for his shoulder.
Kobold 2 stares at the lifeless body of his brethren. He moves away from the door, hands unsteady. "Stop! Stay back! I'm warning you!"He shouts to the enemies outside the door. An arrow flies out from his own crossbow but misses. "Sorry." He whimpers, looking at the dragonborn captain. He continues walking backwards to get near her. She scoffs and shakes her head.
"Fine. Always gots to do everythin' myself!"She clicks her tongue and ruffles the scales on top of the head of the kobold beside her, who grimaces but doesn't say anything more.
The other kobold in the room (K3) glares and decides to take action onto herself. She gets up from the chess table and goes out, slamming the eastern barn doors out front. The three out there look surprise at the sudden arrival. Her mouth smirks at the sight of the wolf-man and she strikes out, shooting at the menacing creature with her crossbow. But it fails and sends a bolt to the side. She grimaces.
Watching the bravery of her companion, the kobold upstairs (K4) takes up her own crossbow and runs towards the window. She too attempts to strike Sarűmir. It misses. The arrow lands right into the dirt between the front of his paws.
Sarűmir then takes action. After the hail of missing arrows, he leaps up and towards the barn. He goes in to finish the job at Scab (K7). But it fails. His claws strike air and the kobold there jumps right in time. "Golly!"
The one of the roof retaliates in kind. With a smile, he raises up his crossbow and takes straight aim at the man right below. Flying past the fur and the fury, it strikes Sarűmir in the back by his spine. "Hows ya like that now?! Huh, buddy boy?!"
Scab (K7) chuckles a little bit at that. Scab readies his own shot at Sarűmir, but misses. "Oops."
Back at the barnyard...
Lara and the dragonborn captain have a little skirmish. The captain just sits there waiting. "Took ya long enough."Lara, who came in thinking she was facing another kobold does not hesitate to attack this one. She makes her move, stabbing the captain into the ribcage. Blood flows from the openings between her armor. The captain just rolls her neck. "Oh it's goin's to takes whole a lot more than thats to get under my scales."She yanks it out and hands it back to the paladin.
"So... tell me. What has my son gotten into again?" She cocks her head at Lara. Then swings at her with a dagger. With Lara's quick thinking and fast parry, it misses. The captain doesn't even frown. "What does he owes you all this time?"
'You lot with the Queen's Men, huh?" She shakes her head, "Should've figured. Tsk. Tsk."
With a flash of metal in her left hand, she goes in to lash at Lara with her scimitar. This time it strikes, getting through Lara's glistening armor and into the flesh of her left side.
"Sos where is he?" The captain continues, going in striking again with her scimitar, but missing. "What you do to him?"
Seeing Sarumir has also caught up to Hosh preventing his escape Twinkleblossum will fly back to the group and once again alight on the ground near the bound dragonborn.
"If you haven't got anything then why say we can't have it with the same breath?" Twinkleblossum will begin looking for a pouch, rummaging around in his backpack, and searching his pockets trying to find whatever it is he's hiding.
Investigation: 9
"What is it, huh? Something you stole from some poor soul on the road?"
The lifeless body of Hosh is rug-burned down towards where the caravan is, the hybrid wolf-man bringing down his (well, shared) kill to the others. Mildred and Mudface share glances, but do not say anything. Especially not with the loaded crossbow that Sanimar is holding, which they catch sight of as soon as the dragonborn stirred.
The two standing bandits nod at Lara's understanding comments. Eren, who had been hiding through the battle, just shakes their head. "Sures!"
"Wow, you really thinks so? Thank you. We can't thank ye's enough, ain't that right?" Mildred kneels and places his forehead against Lara's hand in a bugbear show of gratitude. Mudface eyes widen, then he quickly does the same. "May the Sacred Flame bless you and your Hearth." He grunts and lifts up the dazed Sanna and wraps the other's arm around his shoulder. Mudface goes to try to do the same with the other arm, but Mildred shakes his head 'no' and just picks up the rest of Sanna's body in quite an easy heave.
Sarűmir makes his way down and drops the tiefling's leg out of his mouth, taking the time to interrogate Brodan who groans and bristles at the feel of the matted fur and warm dog breath against his bright blue scales. The brigand leader bares his own teeth and begins to puff his chest. His cheeks fill with air as he looks like a pufferfish and opens his mouth, but only a few sprinkles of flickering lightning comes out before he heaves and rasps and leans against the caravan side where you laid him. He closes his eyes and leans his head back with a sigh. When he opens them he sees Twinkleblossum standing there, feeling her going through his pockets. He just glares and says, "**** yous, mates. You ain'ts getting nothin'."
And he was right, there was completely nothing there.
Mildred coughs, making his way towards the caravan with Sanna in tow. "What he means is that he's gots an olds barn hideout up the road that he ain'ts wanna share with us. Nev'r leaves the spoils to us, this one. Ain'ts that right?"
"You don't know nothin's 'bout me!"
"Sure we do. I know you're an awful arse. The one that nearly killed me and me own brother! Bloody hell. I bets thats why ol' Jenny lefts ya. You don'ts care 'bout nobody but yourself." The bugbear bandit sneers, kicking dirt onto Brodan as he passes towards the caravan.
"You little---!" He doesn't even finish, he reaches forward with his mouth and goes to try to bite Mildred, who just lithely take a step back, and so the dragonborn falls and flops right on his side. The restraints around him make him squirm. He coughs and moans.
Mildred, who put the weakened Sanna in your cart, huffs.
"Leave him. Better off with de worms."
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now; Twimee'zah Roleplay
Player: Night Ravens; Dragonlance; 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist; LARP in Sharn; Last Chapters
Twinkleblossum will offer to the party, "Do you think we should check out what he has hidden in the barn? I can probably locate it easy enough from the air."
At the notion of Brodan trying to breathe lightning at him, Sarűmir slaps him across the face with a furry paw and says, "Try that again and I'll rip your throat clean out." He then hauls himself off of the dragonborn, grabs him by his leg, then drags him over to the bandits' cart. Sarűmir pulls his head to the right, then quickly snaps it to the left in an attempt to toss Brodan into the cart.
Hi there! My name's Elk. I'm NoiSilverheart's doppelgänger. I'm a demiromantic, socially awkward Okie who may or may not be a pyromaniac. *random confetti blast*
I'm a warlock of the ArchCrone, my patron is TheFriendlyArchfey. Was Nicknamed AchatesCervus8337 by VitusW. Given the titles "Swashbuckling Scorcher", "The Unpredictable Jedi", "Burning Fury of the Ancients", and "Combustion Knight" by DrummerBoyDragonSlayer.
Extended sig
I'm for checking out the barn, we split anything we find? My share can go to the three we picked up.
After we get the horses switched out and the cart ready I'll return to the wagon to check on the others. It looks like we'll be visiting this barn you mentioned, is there anything we should know before hand? Mudface can you drive the cart and help us find our way? I assume it's close to your base camp, if so then you three can pick up your belongings for the trip.
When our captives let us know we are close to the old abandoned barn then Twinkleblossum will take wing and try to pinpoint it's location from above. She also keeps her eyes open for any trails that might be well worn leading to the barn.
Perception: 10
If/when she spots it she returns to alight near the lead of Eren's caravan and asks our captives/guides, "There aren't any traps are there? I can't spot tripwires or covered pits so easy from the air."
On cue, Sarűmir snatched up Brodan and threw him into the cart. He lands with a large thud. By the way his head was leaning back, this guy was deader than dead. His body slumped in the back of his own cart. Mildred leans back against your caravan and just watches the sight. "Good riddance." He hops along in and sets up Sanna to be comfortable who just moans and lightly whispers to all of you and Eren, "Th-thank you." It is then that when he sits down for himself, Mildred realizes his own wounds and begins plucking out the thorns from his side. Eren comes to his side and starts plucking for him, to which they receive a small "huh?" from the bugbear bandit at the so self-assured hospitality.
"We'res a goin' to town if y'alls woulds like?" Eren suggests. The bugbear just nods, closing his eyes and clutching his side while leaning against the inside wall of the caravan. "We've always been wanderers."
When asked, Mudface looks apprehensive to drive the cart, seeing the body of his former leader just lying there, but then he nods politely. "Yes, of course." He approaches the two warhorses who seem to notice something's up and start kicking and sending dirt everywhere, and so he jumps back. Lara, recalling her knowledge of how to handle horses from her training back in the days with the knights, uses her soothing voice and reassurance. The horses tilt their head and then lean in sniff her hand. After what seems to be shared glares, the horses both rest their forehead against her palm.
After hooking up two warhorse to the front of Eren's caravan with the help of Lara, Mudface keeps the thug's draft horse with his cart. He also then loads Hosh's body to the cart, silently mourning him even though they were never really that close anyways. Then he covers the two with a sheet-blanket. He hasn't decided where to bury them but the side of the road ain't it.
"The farmhouse is up down the road that way." Mudface points up then towards a fork in the road a few miles east. Eren nods.
"Heave ho! Let's go!" Eren rhymes and then takes the reins. The horses, especially the front two, go up with a kick but then they start racing and you're on the road again...
You lot all head over to that direction of that barn. You arrive there later in the afternoon as a cool breeze settles. The road here is even bumpier than before. It seems more rocks than grass as everything on this way looks desolate. The caws of crows seem fitting especially without a scarecrow. All the fields here have been overtaken by dried scrubgrass. There's nary a soul in sight.
Twinkleblossum leads the way with her eyes peeled open for any dangers along the way. There isn't any except for a few aforementioned nagging crows who seem perplexed at the sight of fairy. Some come close in flight, but none make a move. There you then spot it. Amongst the dead trees and covered in dead ivy is a barn off the side the road in what appears to have once been a cornfield. It's a two-story wooden barn with multiple windows. Silently perched on the top of the roof, you make out a kobold bandit sitting there like a small gargoyle. There are two other kobolds sitting around at the back that the others in the caravan can't see.
You can catch some snipets of their conversation.
"When do yas thinks he's coming back? Hopes he's brought back somethings good this time."
"I don't know. I feel like something is wrong. I feel it. It's in the air."
"Scabs, you're always too skeptical. Boss will be backs soon. I promise."
"Quit your yapping!" Shouts the one perched on top. "I'm trying to see." He settles down and takes his stony position once more, but doesn't notice the flying fairy up above.
Meanwhile in the caravan, Mildred shudders, "This is the place." He shakes his head at Twinkleblossum's question.
"There's none. Nor any traps or anything. The only thing's a couple of kobolds who practically worship the guy. Made himself a 'lil cult. Ever since he gave 'ems some hopes 'bouts a- an ancient dragon that's been buried under ol' Drakkenheim. Some rumor he's heard way back when. They've been following his every move. Always been sayin' he's a gonna need more gold and more stuff to awaken it, but really he's done out to pays back that blunder he rightfully owes to the big ol' Queen of Thieves herself."
Eren parks the caravan close to the barn, and so does Mudface, both close enough to walk to but far enough that those inside can't see. "Good luck on y'alls vengeance." They lean back on their drivers seat. "I'lls be heres out back."
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now; Twimee'zah Roleplay
Player: Night Ravens; Dragonlance; 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist; LARP in Sharn; Last Chapters
Sanimar steps down from the caravan and whispers, "If any want to sneak ahead then I'll wait as my armor gives me away pretty quickly" In the meantime she keeps guard over their new prisoners with her crossbow loaded and ready to go.
Whispering a plan, "I'm pretty good at sneaking, when I need to be. Some of us could try to plan a sneak ambush and get the drop on the kobolds. Right after we spring out trap we could signal those hanging back to charge up and join us."
Twinkleblossum will look around at her new companions, "So who's wants to try and surprise the kobolds and who wants to stay back with Sanimar as our reserve reinforcements?"
Stealth: 14
"I may be a wolf, but I am not one to slink around in the dark. Against my urges, I'll wait here while you find the kobolds." Sarűmir then sits down on his haunches and waits.
Hi there! My name's Elk. I'm NoiSilverheart's doppelgänger. I'm a demiromantic, socially awkward Okie who may or may not be a pyromaniac. *random confetti blast*
I'm a warlock of the ArchCrone, my patron is TheFriendlyArchfey. Was Nicknamed AchatesCervus8337 by VitusW. Given the titles "Swashbuckling Scorcher", "The Unpredictable Jedi", "Burning Fury of the Ancients", and "Combustion Knight" by DrummerBoyDragonSlayer.
Extended sig
At the Bandit's Hideout
Twinkleblossum flies up on and ahead, intending to search the perimeters. Due to the pervading darkness from the being in the vicinity of the Drakkenheim and the fairy's zippy quickness, she goes unnoticed by the three kobolds guards waiting out back. Not even the one who deemed himself the perching lookout, he especially has no idea, deciding now's the time to lay on his back as he sunbathingly basks in the darkness of the dreary late afternoon.
The fairy ranger slips pasts the unknowing guards, hiding behind to the side of the decrepit barn and peeking in through one of the windows at the top. Without any lights, the inside of this second story loft is mostly dim. From what you can make is just contains mostly cobwebs... and wait, in the far off corner of the room is actually three wooden chests and next to them is a kobold inspecting them. She doesn't make any sounds or say anything, but just is sorting through them. Some flicks of shiny metal from slightly rusted weapons catches Twinkleblossum's eye.
Downstairs however is a different story. From even up in the rafters, the fairy could hear someone's raspy voice shouting.
"Sos this is where he spends all day? Hah! He is wasting his life away. If he could only see the Light of the Fire... "
Flying down to where this noise is coming from, Twinkleblossum goes to inspect from the ground level window. Luckily for her, again no one notices. From this angle she can see a tall brash blue dragonborn with the attire of a bandit captain sitting atop piles of hay- a pile of hay that looks very much positioned like where the kobolds might sleep from the amount of scatted rags and mismatched pillows.
"When is my son comings back anyways? I ams only asking for what I'ms owed." The dragonborn taps her claws against the wood of the pillar in front of her and begins scratching into the surface, and once her nail hits an apparently metallic spot it causes a sickening screech as she drags her nail through it.
The other kobolds, 3 of them in total, on the ground floor all cover their ears, but the women seems unbothered. "Sorry, m'am wes don'ts know." One winces and slowly opens one eye. "He saids he'ds be back before sundown." A chorus of "ahmm ahmms" and "of course. of courses" fill the room.
She snorts and looks at her claws. "Well I can wait all day if I have to." She pauses, mouth chock-full of sharpened teeth. "Have you sweeties heard of the teachings of Mother Mathias?"' Without even a peep from any of the kobolds, she begins on a tirade about the testaments of the falling of the meteors and the sanctity of the end of the world to come. Oh great, she is trying to convert them. She's one of those people.
At The Side of the Road
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now; Twimee'zah Roleplay
Player: Night Ravens; Dragonlance; 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist; LARP in Sharn; Last Chapters
I too am not very sneaky, always preferred the straight sword swing approach...
Twinkleblossum will sneak up to short range and throw a dagger at one of the kobolds on the ground and then with their bonus action throw another dagger at the other one on the ground, both outside near the door.
Attack: 10 Damage: 6 piercing damage and the playful pixies follow the same path in their flight and strike for 2 piercing damage.
Attack: 11 Damage: 8 piercing damage.
"Now! Now! Strike at kobolds! Now!"
Sarűmir's initiative: 10
Upon hearing Twinkleblossum's cry, Sarűmir leaps up and tuns into the barn. He lunges straight at the kobold on the right, swiping at it with his huge paws.
Attack: Predatory Strike (STR)
To hit: 12
Damage: 7; slashing
Hi there! My name's Elk. I'm NoiSilverheart's doppelgänger. I'm a demiromantic, socially awkward Okie who may or may not be a pyromaniac. *random confetti blast*
I'm a warlock of the ArchCrone, my patron is TheFriendlyArchfey. Was Nicknamed AchatesCervus8337 by VitusW. Given the titles "Swashbuckling Scorcher", "The Unpredictable Jedi", "Burning Fury of the Ancients", and "Combustion Knight" by DrummerBoyDragonSlayer.
Extended sig
Initiative roll 1+1=2
Running with Sarumir to engage, I'm on the one on the left
attack 12+5=17 to hit
5+3=8 damage
Sanimar Initiative 20
At hearing the call to arms she will move to the door without entering and firing her crossbow at the nearest kobold then move to the side of the door to use the wall as cover.
Crossbow
Attack: 20 Damage: 12
End Turn.
(ooc: apologies, in my excitement I forgot to roll initiative.)
Twinkleblossum's Initiative: 18
(ooc: this was turn, I had just forgotten to roll initiative... it's 18... in case anyone was waiting on me?)
The kobolds listen half-heartedly to the dragonborn women's attempts at converting them. One (K3) mindlessly picks up and puts down a chess piece. The other two (K1 and K2) grin and nod along with her as she goes off.
"...And I coulds get you to the sacrament for a small collections fee."
The one upstairs (K4) contentiously looks through old weapons, then at the sound of:
"Now! Now! Strike at kobolds! Now!"
The little kobold rushes to the top of the ladder to call out "What is happening here?!". The others downstairs have already perked up, clutching their weapons at their side. The bandit captain grins and sneers, lithely getting up from her pile of hay. "Well... it's about time."
Round 1 begins...
Twinkleblossum had stepped out of her hiding place and called the alarm. Her allies come running to her side. Sanimar, Aster, and Lara take the western door. Twinkleblossum and Sarűmir take the eastern one.
Sanimar kicks open the barn door, letting in a breathe of fresh (or whatever you can call fresh by Drakkenheim standards) air. The kobolds inside jump at the chill. The skilled dwarf shoots an arrow at the first kobold she sees, striking it mercilessly into the chest before taking cover behind the outside wall. It hits him straight through his crude leather armor and seconds later a blood spot soaks through. His little hand goes to reach it but he stumbles and falls, knocking over his chair he once sat in.
"Pathetic." The dragonborn captain spits, nonchalantly sharpening her claws.
Back at the eastern side, after she announced her battle cry, Twinkleblossum gets ready for the kill. She emerges from her hiding spot and launches a dagger at the closest kobold. The pixies laugh and glitter around the weapon, making the glint of the blade ever sharper. Unfortunately, it strikes the side of the barn wall, nearly grazing Scab (Kobold 7). The dagger nestles into the wood before the playful pixies bring it back into your hand. 'Heave ho!' several tiny voices repeat as they lift up the weapon greatly 10x larger than themselves like a bunch of flying worker ants.
The kobolds aren't surprised as they had been actively looking for who had called them onto battle. Except for the one who was nearly stabbed is now cowering, wincing, and wringing their hands. "Oh dear. I knew I felt it." Out from the corner, they see a wolf-hybrid-man stalking them. One paw in front of the other. His haunches raised and his teeth bared out fully. On the other side, the kobolds are flanked by a glistening fairy with a very familiar dagger in her hand. The blade looks ever brighter under this dreary afternoon-evening. Scab gulps. The one perched cackles manically.
"Attack!" He yells.
"Attack!!!" They all screech in unison.
In no time, another dagger is thrown at them. And this time, it doesn't miss. Scab (K7) gets hit in the right shoulder. You could see more white in his eyes than pupil. His arm reaches for his shoulder.
Kobold 2 stares at the lifeless body of his brethren. He moves away from the door, hands unsteady. "Stop! Stay back! I'm warning you!" He shouts to the enemies outside the door. An arrow flies out from his own crossbow but misses. "Sorry." He whimpers, looking at the dragonborn captain. He continues walking backwards to get near her. She scoffs and shakes her head.
"Fine. Always gots to do everythin' myself!" She clicks her tongue and ruffles the scales on top of the head of the kobold beside her, who grimaces but doesn't say anything more.
The other kobold in the room (K3) glares and decides to take action onto herself. She gets up from the chess table and goes out, slamming the eastern barn doors out front. The three out there look surprise at the sudden arrival. Her mouth smirks at the sight of the wolf-man and she strikes out, shooting at the menacing creature with her crossbow. But it fails and sends a bolt to the side. She grimaces.
Watching the bravery of her companion, the kobold upstairs (K4) takes up her own crossbow and runs towards the window. She too attempts to strike Sarűmir. It misses. The arrow lands right into the dirt between the front of his paws.
Sarűmir then takes action. After the hail of missing arrows, he leaps up and towards the barn. He goes in to finish the job at Scab (K7). But it fails. His claws strike air and the kobold there jumps right in time. "Golly!"
The one of the roof retaliates in kind. With a smile, he raises up his crossbow and takes straight aim at the man right below. Flying past the fur and the fury, it strikes Sarűmir in the back by his spine. "Hows ya like that now?! Huh, buddy boy?!"
Scab (K7) chuckles a little bit at that. Scab readies his own shot at Sarűmir, but misses. "Oops."
Back at the barnyard...
Lara and the dragonborn captain have a little skirmish. The captain just sits there waiting. "Took ya long enough." Lara, who came in thinking she was facing another kobold does not hesitate to attack this one. She makes her move, stabbing the captain into the ribcage. Blood flows from the openings between her armor. The captain just rolls her neck. "Oh it's goin's to takes whole a lot more than thats to get under my scales." She yanks it out and hands it back to the paladin.
"So... tell me. What has my son gotten into again?" She cocks her head at Lara. Then swings at her with a dagger. With Lara's quick thinking and fast parry, it misses. The captain doesn't even frown. "What does he owes you all this time?"
'You lot with the Queen's Men, huh?" She shakes her head, "Should've figured. Tsk. Tsk."
With a flash of metal in her left hand, she goes in to lash at Lara with her scimitar. This time it strikes, getting through Lara's glistening armor and into the flesh of her left side.
"Sos where is he?" The captain continues, going in striking again with her scimitar, but missing. "What you do to him?"
Round 2 continues...
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now; Twimee'zah Roleplay
Player: Night Ravens; Dragonlance; 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist; LARP in Sharn; Last Chapters