B‘Reh staggers when a wave of heat hits her (failed save), these critters appear to be boiling from their insides! B‘Reh considers if it would be smart to bring distance between her and the fiery bats but decides against it. It would be hard to coordinate a retreat now and the bastards might even be faster then them, rendering the exercise futile. No, she must stay put and face them. With determination she grabs her spear and wonders how she could fight the little critters with that but there didn’t seem to be an efficient way. Finally, she grabs her amulet again and calls down divine punishment on the swarm next to her casting Toll the Dead.
Vira strikes out with her spear, but the swarm is just too disorienting as it swirls around her, and the hit doesn't connect. Aric has slightly more luck, evading the worst of the heat and retaliating with two quick strikes, which both knock a few bats out of the air but don't seem to do as much damage as they would against a more solid opponent. B'Reh's divine magic once again seems to have no effect on the swarm as they manage to tough out the necrotic onslaught.
Curled tightly as the bats swarm over her, unable to reach her, Brynlee toughs out the waves of heat from their tiny bodies, so far unbothered by it. Holding her crystal tightly, she utters a quiet plea the the Great Rhythm itself for protection. A wave of radiant energy flares out from her, killing many of the creatures as they continue trying to find gaps in the quills.
Eliza, seeming unbothered by the intense heat of the bats at her distance, nocks an arrow and fires at the swarm above Vira, knocking a couple more of them out of the air, though the swarm still seems quite substantial.
Combat Round 2
The bats around Brynlee are once again unable to find anywhere to bite at her curled form (9 to hit), and several more catch on the quills, significantly thinning the cloud around the young Tender. The swarm above Vira seems unsure whether to focus on her or on Aric as their numbers begin to slowly dwindle (nat 1 to hit), but the waves of heat from so many tiny bodies maintain their intensity.
[[ At the beginning of the players' turn, everyone make a DC 10 CON saving throw. On a failure, you take 2 points of fire damage. ]]
Vira's rage seems to increase in intensity, beating back the heat of the remaining bats around her. With a screech, she switches from her spear to greataxe and hits the swarm with a devastating blow.
The blow from the axe connects, thinning the swarm above Vira to a similar intensity as the one above Brynlee. The axe doesn't seem as effective as Brynlee's burst of magic, having a similar problem to Arik's strikes and Eliza's arrow, but the hit is devastating nonetheless.
Brynlee feels comfort and an ease from the heat of the Emberbats curled up in her protective form. She reaches out for a second burst of magical energy to be rid of the few bats remaining.
[[She casts a second Word of Radiance Damage: 4 radiant on a failed CON 13 Save. ]]
[[Not sure if I have to rerolled for quill damage or if that maintains as long as I'm curled? If reroll - 6 piercing]]
Despite the searing heat from the emberbats surrounding them, b'Reh gritted her teeth, the intense wave of fire causing her to stagger for a moment (failed save). Her frustration mounted as her divine magic had failed to connect twice before, but she would not be deterred. Grasping her amulet tightly, she fixed her gaze on the swarm around Vira. 'Third time’s the charm', she told herself, channeling her divine energy with renewed determination. She lifted her amulet high, muttering the sacred words once more, and called down Toll the Dead upon the bats, hoping this time her magic would break through.
Action: Toll the Dead DC 13 Wis save or 4 necrotic damage
The swarm around Brynlee is prepared for the radiant burst this time, and briefly pulls upward to avoid the damage. B'Reh's necrotic burst finally connects with the remaining bats around Vira, and their high-pitched shrieks are suddenly cut short as they fall to the ground, dead. The heat around Vira, B'Reh, and Arik quickly dissipates, leaving just the swarm around Brynlee to be dealt with.
[[ Arik no longer needs to make the CON save on his turn. ]]
Vira, with a fierce roar, stows her greataxe and draws her two handaxes. "Get away from her!"she shouts, her voice booming as her rage takes hold. In one swift motion, she leaps high into the air, her powerful wings spreading as she glides down toward the swarm around Brynlee.
Athletics to jump: 24
With deadly precision, she strikes at the individual emberbats, swinging her handaxes through the air as she descends. Each blow is fueled by her fury, aimed to scatter the fiery creatures before they can do more harm.
Handaxe main: to hit 11, damage 7. Handaxe off-hand: to hit 10, damage 2
Aric quickly stows his quarterstaff, draws his crossbow, and takes aim at the bats swirling above Brynlee. He fires a bolt, but in trying to avoid hitting Brynlee, aims just a bit too high (10 to hit).
Eliza nocks another arrow and fires it into the cloud, taking out a single bat that falls to the ground behind the hedge.
Combat Round 3
A smarter creature might switch targets, but these are just simple emberbats. With Brynlee staying tightly curled, they continue to die in their attempts to bite at her (7 to hit, and they take the 6 piercing damage that you rolled on your turn). There are noticeably fewer bats trying to sink their teeth into the young Tender, but the frenzied heat remains.
[[ Brynlee: DC 10 CON save at the start of your turn or take 3 fire damage. ]]
Vira, with a fierce roar, stows her greataxe and draws her two handaxes. "Get away from her!" she shouts, her voice booming as her rage takes hold. In one swift motion, she leaps high into the air, her powerful wings spreading as she glides down toward the swarm around Brynlee.
Athletics to jump: 24
She strikes at the individual emberbats, swinging her handaxes through the air as she descends.
Handaxe main: to hit 11, damage 7. Handaxe off-hand: to hit 10, damage 2
“No!” Cries b’Reh as Vira jumps at the bats. “They are too hot!” She considers a moment to follow Vira but that would not help anyone, so she stays put and calls down another wave of divine punishment on the bats with Toll the Dead.
Vira leaps towards the swarm, but her swings both pass harmlessly through the (now much larger) gaps between individual bats. B'Reh once again launches a necrotic attack, which the bats are unable to avoid. Aric reaches Brynlees curled up form to find the heat dissipating and all the remaining bats dead around the hedge.
[[ End of combat. ]]
Eliza makes her way back towards the path. "Is that the last of them? Are you all okay?"
Vira lands heavily, her breath ragged as her rage slowly dissipates. She glances down at her handaxes, frustration clear on her face. "I... may need more of that poultice," she mutters, trying to maintain a sense of professionalism despite the obvious embarrassment of her last swings missing the mark.
Her gaze shifts briefly to Arik, admiring his precision and speed during the fight. "Guess I need to work on being more precise... like you, Arik," she admits with a faint smile, though the disappointment in herself lingers. "What about everyone else? Everyone okay?"
B'Reh wiped the sweat from her brow, feeling the lingering sting from the intense heat of the emberbats. Her breathing was still a bit laboured after taking the brunt of their fiery assault. "I'm alright," she said, though her tone was tense (She's at 3/9 HP). "But that heat... it took a toll." She glanced at the fallen emberbats and then back to the path ahead. "We should hurry. The sooner we reach the next town, the better." She winced slightly, the effects of the heat still evident. "Let's not wait for more of them to find us."
Con Save: 5 (so Brynlee will take the damage from the heat)
Feeling the heat of the remaining bats dissipate, Brynlee uncurls from her rolled state and looks back at the rest of the group.
"I'm okay, save a few singed quills." Brynlee says. "I have some healing abilities, if anyone needs any before we reach the town. We should leave soon though. With Emberbats this close, there could be more."
"I'm afraid the poultice I used after the bandit attack was the last of my supply, but it's not too much further to town." Eliza gives Vira a quick smile of thanks for once again taking the cart, and you all set off once more for Winnowing Reach as the sun sinks lower in the sky.
You walk for another couple of hours, the gray ashen landscape to your left eventually fading back into green, though much closer to the edge of the Wood than you would've expected. It's not long after this terrain change that the village comes into view. Winnowing Reach is a similar size to Meadowfen, but somewhat surprisingly lacks many of the amenities that you would typically find in a settlement of its size. Many of the small houses you pass appear to have some sort of scientific facilities added, whether visible through windows or located just outside the home.
Besides houses, you pass a large storage building that emits a swampy stench, and has several birdfolk entering and exiting, even at this hour in the evening. You see a small apothecary that appears to be closed, but has a simple sign written in humblescratch stating that they will reopen in the morning. Vira and B'Reh would recognize the town gaol (jail), which is a bit smaller than the one in Meadowfen, and is guarded by a single birdfolk. A tree near the center of town holds a stately home with a winding staircase build up the side, blocked by two more birdfolk guards.
Finally, just past a small building with a sign advertising it as the bookbindery, Eliza stops in front of a small empty lot. "Well, this is where I'll be setting up shop for the next couple of days. Thank you again for the kindness you've shown me, it sure was a stroke of luck meeting you on the road! Just a little ways down the road you should find the Wrangler's Rest, where you can get food and a room for the night."She holds out four gold acorns (gp), and says, "I insist you let me pay for your meals and lodging. It's the least I can do after your help today. Feel free to stop by here in the morning if you're in need of any gear or supplies!"
Aric
CON Save 18
He strikes out with his Quarterstaff at the swarm next to him (Attack: 18 Damage: 4)
He then delivers a kick to the swarm (Attack: 17 Damage: 4)
D&D since 1984
B‘Reh staggers when a wave of heat hits her (failed save), these critters appear to be boiling from their insides! B‘Reh considers if it would be smart to bring distance between her and the fiery bats but decides against it. It would be hard to coordinate a retreat now and the bastards might even be faster then them, rendering the exercise futile. No, she must stay put and face them. With determination she grabs her spear and wonders how she could fight the little critters with that but there didn’t seem to be an efficient way. Finally, she grabs her amulet again and calls down divine punishment on the swarm next to her casting Toll the Dead.
Action: Wis DC 13 or 5 (1d12) necrotic damage.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Trystane - Trollblood Lycanthrope - Vecna || Valerian - Pallid Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Cy Naïlo - Wood Elf Crossbowman - ChatGPT || b'Reh - Stig Order Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant Path Barbarian - Runewarren || Reyhana - Elf Champion Dervish - Seventh Sojourn ||
Vira strikes out with her spear, but the swarm is just too disorienting as it swirls around her, and the hit doesn't connect. Aric has slightly more luck, evading the worst of the heat and retaliating with two quick strikes, which both knock a few bats out of the air but don't seem to do as much damage as they would against a more solid opponent. B'Reh's divine magic once again seems to have no effect on the swarm as they manage to tough out the necrotic onslaught.
DM - A Humblewood Adventure | Holm Erebos - Dread Tyrant
Curled tightly as the bats swarm over her, unable to reach her, Brynlee toughs out the waves of heat from their tiny bodies, so far unbothered by it. Holding her crystal tightly, she utters a quiet plea the the Great Rhythm itself for protection. A wave of radiant energy flares out from her, killing many of the creatures as they continue trying to find gaps in the quills.
Eliza, seeming unbothered by the intense heat of the bats at her distance, nocks an arrow and fires at the swarm above Vira, knocking a couple more of them out of the air, though the swarm still seems quite substantial.
Combat Round 2
The bats around Brynlee are once again unable to find anywhere to bite at her curled form (9 to hit), and several more catch on the quills, significantly thinning the cloud around the young Tender. The swarm above Vira seems unsure whether to focus on her or on Aric as their numbers begin to slowly dwindle (nat 1 to hit), but the waves of heat from so many tiny bodies maintain their intensity.
[[ At the beginning of the players' turn, everyone make a DC 10 CON saving throw. On a failure, you take 2 points of fire damage. ]]
DM - A Humblewood Adventure | Holm Erebos - Dread Tyrant
Vira's rage seems to increase in intensity, beating back the heat of the remaining bats around her. With a screech, she switches from her spear to greataxe and hits the swarm with a devastating blow.
Con save: 21, Greataxe to hit: 17, damage: 17
The blow from the axe connects, thinning the swarm above Vira to a similar intensity as the one above Brynlee. The axe doesn't seem as effective as Brynlee's burst of magic, having a similar problem to Arik's strikes and Eliza's arrow, but the hit is devastating nonetheless.
DM - A Humblewood Adventure | Holm Erebos - Dread Tyrant
Con Save (Round 1): 22
Con Save (Round 2): 22
Brynlee feels comfort and an ease from the heat of the Emberbats curled up in her protective form. She reaches out for a second burst of magical energy to be rid of the few bats remaining.
[[She casts a second Word of Radiance Damage: 4 radiant on a failed CON 13 Save. ]]
[[Not sure if I have to rerolled for quill damage or if that maintains as long as I'm curled? If reroll - 6 piercing]]
Despite the searing heat from the emberbats surrounding them, b'Reh gritted her teeth, the intense wave of fire causing her to stagger for a moment (failed save). Her frustration mounted as her divine magic had failed to connect twice before, but she would not be deterred. Grasping her amulet tightly, she fixed her gaze on the swarm around Vira. 'Third time’s the charm', she told herself, channeling her divine energy with renewed determination. She lifted her amulet high, muttering the sacred words once more, and called down Toll the Dead upon the bats, hoping this time her magic would break through.
Action: Toll the Dead DC 13 Wis save or 4 necrotic damage
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Trystane - Trollblood Lycanthrope - Vecna || Valerian - Pallid Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Cy Naïlo - Wood Elf Crossbowman - ChatGPT || b'Reh - Stig Order Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant Path Barbarian - Runewarren || Reyhana - Elf Champion Dervish - Seventh Sojourn ||
The swarm around Brynlee is prepared for the radiant burst this time, and briefly pulls upward to avoid the damage. B'Reh's necrotic burst finally connects with the remaining bats around Vira, and their high-pitched shrieks are suddenly cut short as they fall to the ground, dead. The heat around Vira, B'Reh, and Arik quickly dissipates, leaving just the swarm around Brynlee to be dealt with.
[[ Arik no longer needs to make the CON save on his turn. ]]
DM - A Humblewood Adventure | Holm Erebos - Dread Tyrant
Vira, with a fierce roar, stows her greataxe and draws her two handaxes. "Get away from her!" she shouts, her voice booming as her rage takes hold. In one swift motion, she leaps high into the air, her powerful wings spreading as she glides down toward the swarm around Brynlee.Athletics to jump: 24With deadly precision, she strikes at the individual emberbats, swinging her handaxes through the air as she descends. Each blow is fueled by her fury, aimed to scatter the fiery creatures before they can do more harm.Handaxe main: to hit 11, damage 7. Handaxe off-hand: to hit 10, damage 2Aric quickly stows his quarterstaff, draws his crossbow, and takes aim at the bats swirling above Brynlee. He fires a bolt, but in trying to avoid hitting Brynlee, aims just a bit too high (10 to hit).
Eliza nocks another arrow and fires it into the cloud, taking out a single bat that falls to the ground behind the hedge.
Combat Round 3
A smarter creature might switch targets, but these are just simple emberbats. With Brynlee staying tightly curled, they continue to die in their attempts to bite at her (7 to hit, and they take the 6 piercing damage that you rolled on your turn). There are noticeably fewer bats trying to sink their teeth into the young Tender, but the frenzied heat remains.
[[ Brynlee: DC 10 CON save at the start of your turn or take 3 fire damage. ]]
DM - A Humblewood Adventure | Holm Erebos - Dread Tyrant
Vira, with a fierce roar, stows her greataxe and draws her two handaxes. "Get away from her!" she shouts, her voice booming as her rage takes hold. In one swift motion, she leaps high into the air, her powerful wings spreading as she glides down toward the swarm around Brynlee.
Athletics to jump: 24
She strikes at the individual emberbats, swinging her handaxes through the air as she descends.
Handaxe main: to hit 11, damage 7. Handaxe off-hand: to hit 10, damage 2
Con save: 12
“No!” Cries b’Reh as Vira jumps at the bats. “They are too hot!” She considers a moment to follow Vira but that would not help anyone, so she stays put and calls down another wave of divine punishment on the bats with Toll the Dead.
Action: Wis save DC 13 or 12 necrotic damage
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Trystane - Trollblood Lycanthrope - Vecna || Valerian - Pallid Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Cy Naïlo - Wood Elf Crossbowman - ChatGPT || b'Reh - Stig Order Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant Path Barbarian - Runewarren || Reyhana - Elf Champion Dervish - Seventh Sojourn ||
Aric strike at the bats (23 to hit with 11 damage) He circles back with a roundhouse kick (24 to hit with 8 damage)
D&D since 1984
Vira leaps towards the swarm, but her swings both pass harmlessly through the (now much larger) gaps between individual bats. B'Reh once again launches a necrotic attack, which the bats are unable to avoid. Aric reaches Brynlees curled up form to find the heat dissipating and all the remaining bats dead around the hedge.
[[ End of combat. ]]
Eliza makes her way back towards the path. "Is that the last of them? Are you all okay?"
DM - A Humblewood Adventure | Holm Erebos - Dread Tyrant
Vira lands heavily, her breath ragged as her rage slowly dissipates. She glances down at her handaxes, frustration clear on her face. "I... may need more of that poultice," she mutters, trying to maintain a sense of professionalism despite the obvious embarrassment of her last swings missing the mark.
Her gaze shifts briefly to Arik, admiring his precision and speed during the fight. "Guess I need to work on being more precise... like you, Arik," she admits with a faint smile, though the disappointment in herself lingers. "What about everyone else? Everyone okay?"
B'Reh wiped the sweat from her brow, feeling the lingering sting from the intense heat of the emberbats. Her breathing was still a bit laboured after taking the brunt of their fiery assault. "I'm alright," she said, though her tone was tense (She's at 3/9 HP). "But that heat... it took a toll." She glanced at the fallen emberbats and then back to the path ahead. "We should hurry. The sooner we reach the next town, the better." She winced slightly, the effects of the heat still evident. "Let's not wait for more of them to find us."
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Trystane - Trollblood Lycanthrope - Vecna || Valerian - Pallid Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Cy Naïlo - Wood Elf Crossbowman - ChatGPT || b'Reh - Stig Order Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant Path Barbarian - Runewarren || Reyhana - Elf Champion Dervish - Seventh Sojourn ||
Con Save: 5 (so Brynlee will take the damage from the heat)
Feeling the heat of the remaining bats dissipate, Brynlee uncurls from her rolled state and looks back at the rest of the group.
"I'm okay, save a few singed quills." Brynlee says. "I have some healing abilities, if anyone needs any before we reach the town. We should leave soon though. With Emberbats this close, there could be more."
"B'reh needs some healing. I can wait." Vira steeled herself, returning to the cart handles to get it moving again. "Alright, let's do this."
Athletics: 19
"I'm afraid the poultice I used after the bandit attack was the last of my supply, but it's not too much further to town." Eliza gives Vira a quick smile of thanks for once again taking the cart, and you all set off once more for Winnowing Reach as the sun sinks lower in the sky.
You walk for another couple of hours, the gray ashen landscape to your left eventually fading back into green, though much closer to the edge of the Wood than you would've expected. It's not long after this terrain change that the village comes into view. Winnowing Reach is a similar size to Meadowfen, but somewhat surprisingly lacks many of the amenities that you would typically find in a settlement of its size. Many of the small houses you pass appear to have some sort of scientific facilities added, whether visible through windows or located just outside the home.
Besides houses, you pass a large storage building that emits a swampy stench, and has several birdfolk entering and exiting, even at this hour in the evening. You see a small apothecary that appears to be closed, but has a simple sign written in humblescratch stating that they will reopen in the morning. Vira and B'Reh would recognize the town gaol (jail), which is a bit smaller than the one in Meadowfen, and is guarded by a single birdfolk. A tree near the center of town holds a stately home with a winding staircase build up the side, blocked by two more birdfolk guards.
Finally, just past a small building with a sign advertising it as the bookbindery, Eliza stops in front of a small empty lot. "Well, this is where I'll be setting up shop for the next couple of days. Thank you again for the kindness you've shown me, it sure was a stroke of luck meeting you on the road! Just a little ways down the road you should find the Wrangler's Rest, where you can get food and a room for the night." She holds out four gold acorns (gp), and says, "I insist you let me pay for your meals and lodging. It's the least I can do after your help today. Feel free to stop by here in the morning if you're in need of any gear or supplies!"
DM - A Humblewood Adventure | Holm Erebos - Dread Tyrant