“All right-i-o, ladies,” the rat-man’s voice comes from just past the horses, “Let’s everyone calm down. No need for anyone to get hurt, eh? I’ll be taking my leave on this lovely palfrey ‘ere, and my lads’ll keep an eye on yiz, just to make sure nothing’ goes awry. Sound like a plan?” Erudisia’s horse is now nickering. The rat-man is untying its lead.
The giant rats advance slowly, in a line, threatening with held attacks anyone who makes a quick motion. The rats are now engaged, 1 each, with Erudisia, Meredith, and Bell.
(OOC PCs may now take turns in any order, then Little One will go last. You can roll Nature DC12 to read up on special abilities of Giant Rats)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters
Meredith looked concerned at Little One, and then at the large rodent before her, " Your not so bad are you? Why has this nasty person got you fetching and carrying for him?"
She began to hum softly, slowly spreading her hands in a gesture of friendship with a morsel of pocket bread in her palm.....and something else.....
Nature-10
Sleight of Hand ( to disguise spellcasting)-15
Action- Animal Friendship
Attack/Save: WIS 13
Target a Beast that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Charmed condition for the duration.( 24 hrs) If you or one of your allies deals damage to the target, the spells ends.
The center giant rat in front of Meredith (WIS save: 7) suddenly stops its back-and-forth threatening of the bard. Its whiskers twitch as it sniffs with curiosity at the bread morsel. Its beady eyes soften toward Meredith, and it stands on its hind legs, begging.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters
If anyone was paying attention at Bell instead of the giant rats and the darkly seen 'master', they might have caught Bell apparently touching and fidgeting with a leather 'friendship' bracelet she wears on her wrist. Turning slightly to look back at the awakened Little One, she will speak a word and stroke the bracelet in an odd pattern.
Being the nature of a specific abjuration spell condition, a barely noticeable shimmer slides across her body as she turns back to look at the creature before her.
Arcane Ward
...when you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, you can create a magical ward on yourself that lasts until you finish a long rest. The ward has 7 max HP, and takes damage instead of you until it reaches 0 HP. Whenever you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, the ward regains HP equal to twice the level of the spell.
Erudisia’s horse is now nickering. The rat-man is untying its lead.
Taking a moment longer to understand what is occurring than the others, Erudisia blinks against the bright light and the sleep that lingers. It is all too clear, all too quickly, that what stands before her is no simple nightmare.
In her travelling night clothes, her mage armor absent, a giant rat pressing her back towards the overhang’s wall, and her palfrey in danger of a fate worse than death, Erudisia’s first concern is not for herself. Instead, her attention falls squarely on the headband that Little One has had stolen from him. Though she has not pried, if her assumptions are correct then in a very real sense for him to be without it is for Little One to die.
Erudisia’s knot is one learned from her sister Exploratia for horses with a meaner temperament than her riding horse today, and it is not easily undone, a reef complicated by a figure of four above and beneath it. As the rat man begins to struggle with the clever binding, she speaks, only one eye on the rat before her. For him to undo it he must surely use two hands, and as he removes his hand from the headband she sees her opportunity.
“You wretched, wretched man! That is my horse and you know not whom you rob! We are on a mission to save the lives of many from a scourge of dark magic! You will regret this if you succeed I warn you.
”For all your days, as a plague of aberration spills forth from Baldur’s Gate, rushing over you and all your nearest, and the flood of great evil washes you away: know you were the bandit in the wrong place at the wrong time, to prevent its eradication and we the Unseen Servants of Candlekeep, your most unfortunate and unworthy victims!”
She expects such a blackguard to be unmoved, not seeking by her action to truly persuade or intimidate him.
Instead, even as it seems she speaks true, she hides the incantation for her spell beneath her words, and feels the stirring of the wind around her and through her dragon chess amulet.
The gesticulations of her speech move from earnest to those that a coarse tradesman might use to describe to friends the qualities of a fair maiden with ample attractions for marriage, despite low birth, and on Erudisia’s completing the outlining of a silhouette — unheard, unregarded — a spell comes to bloom behind the rat man, who now does not hold Little One’s headband.
‘Take the headband and place it on Little One’s head. Quick as you can.’ She silently commands her invisible creation.
Action: Erudisia casts Unseen Servant behind the rat man.
Bonus Action: She commands the Unseen Servant to bring the headband back to Little One (I don’t know if things are invisible when held by it but I assume not)
She doesn’t move as she can’t disengage from the Giant Rat’s held attack, and she hasn’t got her mage armor cast yet as she would normally on waking.
Meredith and Erudisia feel the hairs on their arms rise as Bell marshals arcane energies to defend herself.
Erudisia calls a stealthy breath of warm air which forms under the hanging branches of an old elm at the edge of the little clover-covered clearing, just past the horses, just beyond the rat-headed man as he fumbles with the palfrey’s lead. “What th’ flockin’’ kinda knot’s this ‘ere?,” Erudisia’s Unseen Servant hears him mumble. The airy spirit shrugs its shoulders and makes a face as it bends, looking for a golden headband. But it’s not on the ground. It scratches its head, or rather, sticks its airy finger inside its own head to twirl there for a moment in thought, peering around it. Aha! It does spot something golden and circular. It’s just that it’s not on the ground under the horses' hooves. The rat-man is holding it with an elbow pressed against his side. The Unseen Servant tries to tug it, but it won't budge. Erudisia hears its voice, like a winter trickle of wind through a cracked window. “It’s stuck…”
“Oy! Hissto!,” the rat-man shouts without rancor at the begging rat, “Watcha’ doin ya grub?-- HEY!,” he shouts suddenly, spinning at the Unseen Servant’s pull, but seeing nothing. “Oy… musta been me imagination…,” the rat-man trails off. He continues fumbling with the lead rope.
Little One swats in Bell’s general direction. "TURN OFF LIGHT!" His huge arm attempts to shove her and her spell book directly away, meaning, directly at the rats. (Bell, roll Athletics or Acrobatics DC 11 to avoid his powerful but blind shove.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters
Bell sees Little One flailing an arm in her direction and nimbley steps aside; putting her beside Eurdisia. Reaching out as if steadying herself, Bell speaks a word and flails at the air with her leather braceleted wrist -- granting Eurdisia mage armor protection.
Erudisia startles at the voice that comes to her from her servant, even as Bell’s magic armours her. She makes a sign of thanks in the Moonshae way, without thinking, though it perhaps means nothing to the wizard.
Small effects that she can conjure spin through her mind and are rejected. Arguments occur to her and are dismissed. She tries to imagine some clever solution to neatly tie up the problem of the rats, the thieving rat-man, and Little One’s befuddlement. If she were her sister she would find her way through this trial. If she were her father, she would find it no trial at all.
Nothing occurs to her. No way without pain. The only choice is which hurt.
Erudisia rushes forward. One palm pushes against the snout of the snarling rat before her, but she has no time to be nimble and avoid its reach if it takes the opportunity to bite at her.
She heads towards the rat-man. She only has two words for him Eldritch Blast!
(If the Rat-man drops the crown she commands the servant to collect it. If not, she commands it to rescure the lead rope knots, if at all possible and there is reach then to try and knot it around the legs of the rat-man).
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Meredith fed the giant rat a few more bits of bread and a fairly dried up old apple, then cocked her head to the side and whispered something out into the air as her hands danced the food into the rats mouth.
Then she launched into a series of high pitched whistles and chirps....
"Well, aren't you a very handsome individual? Do you think perhaps you could ask your two colony mates to stop menacing my colony mates? I am happy to provide scritches and food and possibly grooming in exchange. The false-rat is just an interloper anyway....he is not truly one of you, just a bully."
Persuasion ( Rat #1 is charmed but just in case)- 20)
Action- Speak With Animals- For the duration, you can comprehend and verbally communicate with Beasts, and you can use any of the Influence action’s skill options with them.
Bell’s marshalling of arcane power continues and she and Erudisia are now both wrapped in protective force.
Erudisia leaps out of the enclosure to get a better shot at the rat-man. The giant rat facing her tracks her and will attack on its turn, however, the Moonshae lady remains within five feet of the beast and avoids an Attack of Opportunity. Her Eldritch Blast crashes into the tree limb behind the horses, sending new branches and green leaves exploding away. The horses whinny and blow in fear, but they are well-used to the unpredictable forces that their riders unleash near them: dwarven hammers, humans squeezed together in cities. Though they complain loudly, they maintain their composure otherwise.
Meredith makes nice with the center rat, and it responds in its way, screeching and clucking and spitting. Friendly as can be, though its personality is rather reserved for a rat. “Oh, erm handsome. No, definitely not. Stop menacing my colony mates? Certainly not. Why would I ever do that? Oh, fine. I roll my eyes, but fine. Harumph. Bill. Gil. The big vomit-body here asks if you would lay off. Yes. She says the normal-head vomit-body is a bully. I don’t know what that means, and I will box yer ears if you don’t do what I tell you. Oh, you’ll box my ears? Why I’d like to see that, Gil. What? Yes my mother was a rat-headed vermin. All of ours were!” They all laugh and take a great interest in the proffered goodies in Meredith’s hands, only slightly nipping her fingers as they fight over them in their good-natured, ferocious way.
The rat-man’s dextrous fingers manage, at last to untie the knot holding the lead of Erudisia’s palfrey. Exultant, he pulls the headband of intellect from under his arm, looks both ways for where to stow it, and decides to place it on his head at a rakish angle. He swings himself into the saddle. He is now visible to all, though he immediately ducks low to avoid making a target of himself.
Erudisia’s Unseen Servant has been awaiting a chance to nab the headband, and the moment rat-man grabs the saddle horn and steps up into the stirrup is the moment it has been waiting for. (Erudisia: please roll sleight of hand for the Unseen Servant to grab the headband (+0). 10 or higher success!: the rat-man feels it. 12 or higher: the rat-man can roll perception to notice it. 15 or higher, rat-man has no idea it was taken, for the moment.)
Little One swats at Bell once again, this time with more force. Zap! Bell’s Mage Armor deflects his hand. “OW!,” he shouts, and now he stands up, looming over Bell and Meredith -- the bard's back turned -- and the rats. “I ASK NICE. NOW NOT NICE NO MORE!”
“Time for a quick exit!,” the rat-man shouts, eyes bugging out in fear of the ogre.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters
Meredith focused down and kept facing away from Little One despite the fear that she would be flattened any moment.....she kept chirruping away, slipping a couple of days worth of dried jerky to each of the rats...
" Looks like your pet is running away, you might want to do the same the ogre behind me is very strong. I suggest having a talk to your upright friend about who should get what share of future bounties......because you three are the ones putting yourself in danger for him you should get more."
Bell is trying to split attention between the giant rats, Meredith, Erudisia, and Little One. At the moment, Little One seemed the greater danger... and it all had to do with the 'light' in her hands. ( She had cast Light on her spellbook! ) Looking about, Bell reaches down and grabs a rock and casts Light on the rock.
She takes several steps toward the outside darkness and tosses the rock as far as she can... hopefully toward the horses, the rat man and Erudisia.
"Maybe this will redirect Little One..." she thinks and hopes.
Erudisia’s Unseen Servant succeeds in pulling the headband off the rat-man’s head in the split second before the brigand springs up into the saddle. Erudisia sees the airy form do a little happy dance, the headband bobbing up and down.
But at the same moment, the brigand’s hand comes up to touch his head. He felt the headband fall off – or so he thought – and as soon as he has a free hand after landing himself in the saddle, investigates. Gone!
“Wha!,” he shouts, first looking down on the ground where it would have fallen, but from the corner of his eye, he sees it glinting in mid-air. His eyes whip to the spell-casters, and he forms a theory as to who is controlling it. His prior expression of triumph vanishes, replaced by a grim frown. “Why ye’ no-good sorcerlers!”
(The Unseen Servant roll was to resolve a held action from the prior round. Erudisia can still post her complete actions for this round.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries //Dev Horndin Curious Critters
'To Little One, wind spirit. You are the essence of quick wit and quick action, as well as decadance and exultation. Hustle!'
Even as she commands the servant, she speaks aloud, "Hai! Run, 'airy contemplations, Run like the wind!" Though she has known the palfrey only a scant few days, she has a light step and hopefully the command to run will take the Rat-man away. In her heart of hearts she hopes that is enough, but she holds the amulet of her Patron close, ready to act if the horse does not gallop away.
[Erudisiauses the Ready action to cast and hold her Eldritch Blast, aiming at her poor, undeserving palfrey. If her shout and all the commotion of Little One's standing is not enough to get her galloping away before the Rat-man can act. If the horse doesn't run, or the Rat-man tries to dismount, she shoots the horse with her spell. (How much health does a horse have? Enough is my hope, and a low damage roll, I hope that too}]
The Giant Rats, following Meredith’s gesturing, look up from the snacks that had demanded their complete attention, and now shrink in fear under the towering ogreic form.
“Ridiculous idea!,” the first rat says, but squeaks to the other two, and the trio waste no time fleeing into the threes. “I’ll be back for the scratches,” the first one says to Meredith, over his shoulder.
Bell’s light spell transfers from her book to a rock, and she throws the rock, which lands on the ground near rat-man as he perches on Erudisia’s palfrey. The headband of intellect now shines, reflecting the light, as it bobs in the air directly over this light.
The Unseen Servant follows Erudisia’s command and the headband, in its invisible grasp, now — visible to all — bobs 15’ away from the rat-man, directly toward Little One, stopping just in front of Meredith and Bell.
Eridisia, please roll Animal Handling, DC17, to cause your palfrey to follow your command-at-a-distance in the midst of this confusion. If you fail, roll to hit with your Eldritch Blast. AC10, 2d10+2 HP has a horse.
Erudisia tenses, a deep well of shame and guilt rising up from her back to her scalp at what she must do, as her sweet horse whinnies and nickers and prances in one spot at the Rat-man’s loose grip of the rains, in all the confusion and chaos.
Arms clenched, I’m sorry, she thinks. And she closes her eyes and turns her head slightly as she releases her spell in a flash of wind, and thunder and force. She misses. Her heart rises as her stomach sinks.
Bell moves up beside Erudisia; seeing the rat man attempting to ride away. Squinting in the light from the stone, she is further dazed by the release of a blast of energy from her companion. She gasps as the blast nearly engulfs the horse the rat man was stealing.
"He's not gone yet,Erudisia." With a motion of her hands and a clear word of arcane flavor, Bell sends three darts of energy speeding toward the rat man.
All three darts of energy slamming into the rat man's body -- 3 / 4 / 4 (total damage = 11 pts force)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
“All right-i-o, ladies,” the rat-man’s voice comes from just past the horses, “Let’s everyone calm down. No need for anyone to get hurt, eh? I’ll be taking my leave on this lovely palfrey ‘ere, and my lads’ll keep an eye on yiz, just to make sure nothing’ goes awry. Sound like a plan?” Erudisia’s horse is now nickering. The rat-man is untying its lead.
The giant rats advance slowly, in a line, threatening with held attacks anyone who makes a quick motion. The rats are now engaged, 1 each, with Erudisia, Meredith, and Bell.
(OOC PCs may now take turns in any order, then Little One will go last. You can roll Nature DC12 to read up on special abilities of Giant Rats)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
Meredith looked concerned at Little One, and then at the large rodent before her, " Your not so bad are you? Why has this nasty person got you fetching and carrying for him?"
She began to hum softly, slowly spreading her hands in a gesture of friendship with a morsel of pocket bread in her palm.....and something else.....
Nature-10
Sleight of Hand ( to disguise spellcasting)-15
Attack/Save: WIS 13
Target a Beast that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Charmed condition for the duration.( 24 hrs) If you or one of your allies deals damage to the target, the spells ends.
The center giant rat in front of Meredith (WIS save: 7) suddenly stops its back-and-forth threatening of the bard. Its whiskers twitch as it sniffs with curiosity at the bread morsel. Its beady eyes soften toward Meredith, and it stands on its hind legs, begging.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
If anyone was paying attention at Bell instead of the giant rats and the darkly seen 'master', they might have caught Bell apparently touching and fidgeting with a leather 'friendship' bracelet she wears on her wrist. Turning slightly to look back at the awakened Little One, she will speak a word and stroke the bracelet in an odd pattern.
Mage Armor
Being the nature of a specific abjuration spell condition, a barely noticeable shimmer slides across her body as she turns back to look at the creature before her.
Arcane Ward
...when you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, you can create a magical ward on yourself that lasts until you finish a long rest. The ward has 7 max HP, and takes damage instead of you until it reaches 0 HP. Whenever you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, the ward regains HP equal to twice the level of the spell.
Taking a moment longer to understand what is occurring than the others, Erudisia blinks against the bright light and the sleep that lingers. It is all too clear, all too quickly, that what stands before her is no simple nightmare.
In her travelling night clothes, her mage armor absent, a giant rat pressing her back towards the overhang’s wall, and her palfrey in danger of a fate worse than death, Erudisia’s first concern is not for herself. Instead, her attention falls squarely on the headband that Little One has had stolen from him. Though she has not pried, if her assumptions are correct then in a very real sense for him to be without it is for Little One to die.
Erudisia’s knot is one learned from her sister Exploratia for horses with a meaner temperament than her riding horse today, and it is not easily undone, a reef complicated by a figure of four above and beneath it. As the rat man begins to struggle with the clever binding, she speaks, only one eye on the rat before her. For him to undo it he must surely use two hands, and as he removes his hand from the headband she sees her opportunity.
“You wretched, wretched man! That is my horse and you know not whom you rob! We are on a mission to save the lives of many from a scourge of dark magic! You will regret this if you succeed I warn you.
”For all your days, as a plague of aberration spills forth from Baldur’s Gate, rushing over you and all your nearest, and the flood of great evil washes you away: know you were the bandit in the wrong place at the wrong time, to prevent its eradication and we the Unseen Servants of Candlekeep, your most unfortunate and unworthy victims!”
She expects such a blackguard to be unmoved, not seeking by her action to truly persuade or intimidate him.
Instead, even as it seems she speaks true, she hides the incantation for her spell beneath her words, and feels the stirring of the wind around her and through her dragon chess amulet.
The gesticulations of her speech move from earnest to those that a coarse tradesman might use to describe to friends the qualities of a fair maiden with ample attractions for marriage, despite low birth, and on Erudisia’s completing the outlining of a silhouette — unheard, unregarded — a spell comes to bloom behind the rat man, who now does not hold Little One’s headband.
‘Take the headband and place it on Little One’s head. Quick as you can.’ She silently commands her invisible creation.
Meredith and Erudisia feel the hairs on their arms rise as Bell marshals arcane energies to defend herself.
Erudisia calls a stealthy breath of warm air which forms under the hanging branches of an old elm at the edge of the little clover-covered clearing, just past the horses, just beyond the rat-headed man as he fumbles with the palfrey’s lead. “What th’ flockin’’ kinda knot’s this ‘ere?,” Erudisia’s Unseen Servant hears him mumble. The airy spirit shrugs its shoulders and makes a face as it bends, looking for a golden headband. But it’s not on the ground. It scratches its head, or rather, sticks its airy finger inside its own head to twirl there for a moment in thought, peering around it. Aha! It does spot something golden and circular. It’s just that it’s not on the ground under the horses' hooves. The rat-man is holding it with an elbow pressed against his side. The Unseen Servant tries to tug it, but it won't budge. Erudisia hears its voice, like a winter trickle of wind through a cracked window. “It’s stuck…”
“Oy! Hissto!,” the rat-man shouts without rancor at the begging rat, “Watcha’ doin ya grub?-- HEY!,” he shouts suddenly, spinning at the Unseen Servant’s pull, but seeing nothing. “Oy… musta been me imagination…,” the rat-man trails off. He continues fumbling with the lead rope.
Little One swats in Bell’s general direction. "TURN OFF LIGHT!" His huge arm attempts to shove her and her spell book directly away, meaning, directly at the rats. (Bell, roll Athletics or Acrobatics DC 11 to avoid his powerful but blind shove.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
{game log} Acrobatics: 21
Bell sees Little One flailing an arm in her direction and nimbley steps aside; putting her beside Eurdisia. Reaching out as if steadying herself, Bell speaks a word and flails at the air with her leather braceleted wrist -- granting Eurdisia mage armor protection.
Mage Armor
Erudisia startles at the voice that comes to her from her servant, even as Bell’s magic armours her. She makes a sign of thanks in the Moonshae way, without thinking, though it perhaps means nothing to the wizard.
Small effects that she can conjure spin through her mind and are rejected. Arguments occur to her and are dismissed. She tries to imagine some clever solution to neatly tie up the problem of the rats, the thieving rat-man, and Little One’s befuddlement. If she were her sister she would find her way through this trial. If she were her father, she would find it no trial at all.
Nothing occurs to her. No way without pain. The only choice is which hurt.
Erudisia rushes forward. One palm pushes against the snout of the snarling rat before her, but she has no time to be nimble and avoid its reach if it takes the opportunity to bite at her.
She heads towards the rat-man. She only has two words for him Eldritch Blast!
(If the Rat-man drops the crown she commands the servant to collect it. If not, she commands it to rescure the lead rope knots, if at all possible and there is reach then to try and knot it around the legs of the rat-man).
Blast AR: 9
Blast DR: 11
(I’ve just realised, has only Little One gone and not the bandits? Sorry! Just thought we were at the top of the round.)
(OOC: I needed to see if Bell was shoved into the rats. She wasn’t. So you’re good! PCs can all take turns now.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
Meredith fed the giant rat a few more bits of bread and a fairly dried up old apple, then cocked her head to the side and whispered something out into the air as her hands danced the food into the rats mouth.
Then she launched into a series of high pitched whistles and chirps....
"Well, aren't you a very handsome individual? Do you think perhaps you could ask your two colony mates to stop menacing my colony mates? I am happy to provide scritches and food and possibly grooming in exchange. The false-rat is just an interloper anyway....he is not truly one of you, just a bully."
Persuasion ( Rat #1 is charmed but just in case)- 20)
Action- Speak With Animals- For the duration, you can comprehend and verbally communicate with Beasts, and you can use any of the Influence action’s skill options with them.
Bell’s marshalling of arcane power continues and she and Erudisia are now both wrapped in protective force.
Erudisia leaps out of the enclosure to get a better shot at the rat-man. The giant rat facing her tracks her and will attack on its turn, however, the Moonshae lady remains within five feet of the beast and avoids an Attack of Opportunity. Her Eldritch Blast crashes into the tree limb behind the horses, sending new branches and green leaves exploding away. The horses whinny and blow in fear, but they are well-used to the unpredictable forces that their riders unleash near them: dwarven hammers, humans squeezed together in cities. Though they complain loudly, they maintain their composure otherwise.
Meredith makes nice with the center rat, and it responds in its way, screeching and clucking and spitting. Friendly as can be, though its personality is rather reserved for a rat. “Oh, erm handsome. No, definitely not. Stop menacing my colony mates? Certainly not. Why would I ever do that? Oh, fine. I roll my eyes, but fine. Harumph. Bill. Gil. The big vomit-body here asks if you would lay off. Yes. She says the normal-head vomit-body is a bully. I don’t know what that means, and I will box yer ears if you don’t do what I tell you. Oh, you’ll box my ears? Why I’d like to see that, Gil. What? Yes my mother was a rat-headed vermin. All of ours were!” They all laugh and take a great interest in the proffered goodies in Meredith’s hands, only slightly nipping her fingers as they fight over them in their good-natured, ferocious way.
The rat-man’s dextrous fingers manage, at last to untie the knot holding the lead of Erudisia’s palfrey. Exultant, he pulls the headband of intellect from under his arm, looks both ways for where to stow it, and decides to place it on his head at a rakish angle. He swings himself into the saddle. He is now visible to all, though he immediately ducks low to avoid making a target of himself.
Erudisia’s Unseen Servant has been awaiting a chance to nab the headband, and the moment rat-man grabs the saddle horn and steps up into the stirrup is the moment it has been waiting for. (Erudisia: please roll sleight of hand for the Unseen Servant to grab the headband (+0). 10 or higher success!: the rat-man feels it. 12 or higher: the rat-man can roll perception to notice it. 15 or higher, rat-man has no idea it was taken, for the moment.)
Little One swats at Bell once again, this time with more force. Zap! Bell’s Mage Armor deflects his hand. “OW!,” he shouts, and now he stands up, looming over Bell and Meredith -- the bard's back turned -- and the rats. “I ASK NICE. NOW NOT NICE NO MORE!”
“Time for a quick exit!,” the rat-man shouts, eyes bugging out in fear of the ogre.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
US roll: 14!
(Just hold on a little longer Little One!)
Meredith focused down and kept facing away from Little One despite the fear that she would be flattened any moment.....she kept chirruping away, slipping a couple of days worth of dried jerky to each of the rats...
" Looks like your pet is running away, you might want to do the same the ogre behind me is very strong. I suggest having a talk to your upright friend about who should get what share of future bounties......because you three are the ones putting yourself in danger for him you should get more."
Bell is trying to split attention between the giant rats, Meredith, Erudisia, and Little One. At the moment, Little One seemed the greater danger... and it all had to do with the 'light' in her hands. ( She had cast Light on her spellbook! ) Looking about, Bell reaches down and grabs a rock and casts Light on the rock.
She takes several steps toward the outside darkness and tosses the rock as far as she can... hopefully toward the horses, the rat man and Erudisia.
"Maybe this will redirect Little One..." she thinks and hopes.
Erudisia’s Unseen Servant succeeds in pulling the headband off the rat-man’s head in the split second before the brigand springs up into the saddle. Erudisia sees the airy form do a little happy dance, the headband bobbing up and down.
But at the same moment, the brigand’s hand comes up to touch his head. He felt the headband fall off – or so he thought – and as soon as he has a free hand after landing himself in the saddle, investigates. Gone!
“Wha!,” he shouts, first looking down on the ground where it would have fallen, but from the corner of his eye, he sees it glinting in mid-air. His eyes whip to the spell-casters, and he forms a theory as to who is controlling it. His prior expression of triumph vanishes, replaced by a grim frown. “Why ye’ no-good sorcerlers!”
(The Unseen Servant roll was to resolve a held action from the prior round. Erudisia can still post her complete actions for this round.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
'To Little One, wind spirit. You are the essence of quick wit and quick action, as well as decadance and exultation. Hustle!'
Even as she commands the servant, she speaks aloud, "Hai! Run, 'airy contemplations, Run like the wind!" Though she has known the palfrey only a scant few days, she has a light step and hopefully the command to run will take the Rat-man away. In her heart of hearts she hopes that is enough, but she holds the amulet of her Patron close, ready to act if the horse does not gallop away.
[Erudisia uses the Ready action to cast and hold her Eldritch Blast, aiming at her poor, undeserving palfrey. If her shout and all the commotion of Little One's standing is not enough to get her galloping away before the Rat-man can act. If the horse doesn't run, or the Rat-man tries to dismount, she shoots the horse with her spell. (How much health does a horse have? Enough is my hope, and a low damage roll, I hope that too}]
The Giant Rats, following Meredith’s gesturing, look up from the snacks that had demanded their complete attention, and now shrink in fear under the towering ogreic form.
“Ridiculous idea!,” the first rat says, but squeaks to the other two, and the trio waste no time fleeing into the threes. “I’ll be back for the scratches,” the first one says to Meredith, over his shoulder.
Bell’s light spell transfers from her book to a rock, and she throws the rock, which lands on the ground near rat-man as he perches on Erudisia’s palfrey. The headband of intellect now shines, reflecting the light, as it bobs in the air directly over this light.
The Unseen Servant follows Erudisia’s command and the headband, in its invisible grasp, now — visible to all — bobs 15’ away from the rat-man, directly toward Little One, stopping just in front of Meredith and Bell.
Eridisia, please roll Animal Handling, DC17, to cause your palfrey to follow your command-at-a-distance in the midst of this confusion. If you fail, roll to hit with your Eldritch Blast. AC10, 2d10+2 HP has a horse.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters
Erudisia tenses, a deep well of shame and guilt rising up from her back to her scalp at what she must do, as her sweet horse whinnies and nickers and prances in one spot at the Rat-man’s loose grip of the rains, in all the confusion and chaos.
Arms clenched, I’m sorry, she thinks. And she closes her eyes and turns her head slightly as she releases her spell in a flash of wind, and thunder and force. She misses. Her heart rises as her stomach sinks.
(Animal Handling: 10. Attack roll: 8 )
Bell moves up beside Erudisia; seeing the rat man attempting to ride away. Squinting in the light from the stone, she is further dazed by the release of a blast of energy from her companion. She gasps as the blast nearly engulfs the horse the rat man was stealing.
"He's not gone yet, Erudisia." With a motion of her hands and a clear word of arcane flavor, Bell sends three darts of energy speeding toward the rat man.
All three darts of energy slamming into the rat man's body -- 3 / 4 / 4 (total damage = 11 pts force)