OOC: Pretty sure I am not ending close enough to hit anything with melee, so if he takes one or two hits in the meantime, so be it. Thurgar is quite distracted by Jim, and senses something odd about him, so I imagine he'd seem more concerned with that, this being a mock battle. The HA really did make that first round fly!
Also just realized I posted out of turn. Sorry, I saw an Umbra post and my brain just clicked this morning.
(OOC: Oh no, it's fine. You posted EXACTLY in initiative order. In fact, everyone did. AGAIN! I'll just move to round 3 and have Merrok do something)
Merrok's jaw drops as Belview's spell gets all 3 guards behind the cart at once. "W-wha?" he spouts, confused. He then turns to Belview with a look of disappointment forming on his face and glumly (but sincerely) says, "Good job..." It seems like he was looking forward to another bracing hand to hand fight, and is a little bit saddened that he won't get one this time.
As he begins trudging back towards the "wagon circle" he nods to Belview in acknowledgement, and reaches out to try and give the Gnome a respectful pat on the shoulder.
Rising up, Jim charges forwards, shield in hand and staff in the other he makes his way around the cover towards the bowman. Then as he stands in front of him he raises his staff and pauses for a second, as if held by some magical force, only to then bring it down, but at a rather slow speed that makes the attack incredibly easy to dodge. As Jim mutters to himself: "You upset my programming. You made this happen. I-I just... I didn't want him to get h-hurt. You are a fool. The pain would be temporary and minimal. A small price to pay to succeed in this battle.B-But it's j-just a... um... skirmish."
Move: Move around the cover to get into melee with the guard
(OOC: The Guard is restrained, so you can attack with advantage if you want. If you want to keep that 1 and not change your writing though, that's okay too.)
(OOC: The Guard is restrained, so you can attack with advantage if you want. If you want to keep that 1 and not change your writing though, that's okay too.)
(OOC: No, sorry. Still need a 14 at least. At least you don't have to change your roleplay.)
Initiative 19 - Jim
The lone remaining Gnome guard thrashes around wildly trying to escape the vines surrounding him, and between the violent and rapid motions and the deliberate slowness of Jim's staff strike, the Gnome is just barely able to move to one side and let the staff swing by without hitting him.
(OOC: Wasn't sure how the heroic action was supposed to be applied to that spell at first, but after reading the description, I figured that the first attack roll was supposed to be skipped with an intentional miss to make the aoe bypass saving throws. Due to balance issues, I may have to put limitations on heroic actions with AOE spells (particularly higher level ones) in the future, but for now, I think there's no issue with this usage given that it's only a level 1 spell in a training scenario)
(OOC: Yea I wasn't sure how that was supposed to work, but I thought, What the heck let's see what the DM says lol)
Belview Copperfoot- HP 3/3 | AC 15 | PP 11 | SP 25
"Wow, I didn't think that would actually work."Belview mutter to himself. He glances back towards the remaining guards. He runs back to the central wagon. His fingers trace a pattern in the air, "In altum somnum." Belview looks at the guard in the distance hoping to him collapse onto the ground
As the sleep spell hits the gnomish guard struggling in Aldarin's vines, he almost instantly slumps, and is only kept (mostly) upright by the vines holding him. At this development, the white-haired elven man who's apparently the head judge makes a "T" with his hands and then slashes them out to his sides. "Enough, ENOUGH!" he yells. "This fight is obviously over. Caravan defense wins, 'Goblins' lose." he states, dropping his head and clutching it loosely with one hand as he shakes it exasperatedly. Sighing, he approaches the party as in the background, other guards and bystanders shake the entangled gnome guard awake and help remove him from the vines (if Aldarin doesn't simply undo them himself).
Cheers and applause erupt from the small crowd above in the trees, and in the larger one below on the ground. Even for this time of night, quite a few people seem to have come out of their homes and shops to see what was going on.
"I must say, while this was an embarrassment to our peacekeeping force, it taught us several important lessons, and for that much at least, we are grateful." the robed man continues, stiffly bending himself into a formal bow. (Those in the party who were in or know about the guard would recognize him as one "Kimmarel Fairquill", Guard-Lieutenant in charge of training, and also the owner of a small bookstore)
"That said, I must advise you that real life is not like training, and that things may not turn out quite as smoothly in an actual battle. If things go poorly, using magic such as entangling vines and sleep spells (the way you just have) and using those as cover to run rather than fight might be the better decision in some cases. In my years of patrolling, I have seen groups with numbers such as yours set upon by even as much as 20Goblins at once, when they want to make absolutely sure they can take down 10 or 11 people." Kimmarel takes a few moments to explain. He then pauses for a moment too look down and hold his head for a moment then folds his arms and looks to the party again. "Not to say that I don't think you can't handle yourselves. Kaylessa told me that this group (aside from herself and Merrok) have never fought together even once in their lives... and yet." the man stops and begins to gesture at various groups of recovering guardsmen all around the clearing, many of which are nursing small bruises, drying out boots and clothes, sitting or lying down trying to regain their bearings and such.
"The results speak for themselves. Had I not seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. If any of you would like a place in the Elventree Guard after this assignment, or sometime in the future, I would be more than happy to accommodate you, and with a possible bonus and fast-track for promotion." Kimmarel concludes, before turning to walk up to Thurgar. "Especially you, Mr. Bakebean. I must admit, that I believe I may have underestimated you when you previously served. If you decide to sign up again, I can easily convince the higher-ups to give you a bonus, and most likely put you on the fast-track to become a Corporal like Kaylessa."
(OOC: I'll leave this for a bit, in case people want to respond, and then move things along by sometime tomorrow at the latest)
Aldarin places his shield back on his back, and returns to the caravan. He had admittedly gone pretty strong against the "goblins" for their mock battle, but he was attempting to make a good impression. He smiles with a sense of accomplishment, then stands ready for the direction the caravan leaders.
After the mock battle, things begin to wind down in and around the clearing, but not quite right away. Guards and civilians alike come up to congratulate the party as well as the guards who participated, and several of the mock "goblins" come up to try and shake the hands of the caravan team and chat in a show of camaraderie and good sportsmanship. In the background, it seems that several of the people who saw the mock combat want to get in on the action themselves, and have put on spare padded and leather armor and taken hold of practice weapons. As they get involved in impromptu fencing matches and spontaneous archery and throwing contests against each other, the "judges" who still haven't left keep watch to make sure no one hurts anyone, and Kimmarel Fairquill goes around watching and talking to everyone "practicing" and seems to be keeping an eye out for new potential recruits.
Back at the "wagon circle" now that the combat practice is done, all of caravaneers move into action, re-hitching the animals to their vehicles and moving all of the wagons and carts into a "straight line" formation that's ready to move out. During that hustle and bustle, each of the traders in turn take a moment or two to thank the party and pay them some compliments.
"Well done all around, lads and lass. I was a wee bit concerned about the safety of my dear Oria on this journey, but it seems that any concerns of mine were unfounded." Durgan says appreciatively, slapping his hand on the shoulder of his daughter beside him for emphasis. "Aye, it were quite a soorprise t'me that these new ones are able t'keep up with broother an' th' daft archer." Oria adds in her slightly reedy, musical tones, flashing everyone a friendly grin.
Halethar and his wife come up a bit later when they have a spare moment and congratulate the team as well. Elessa smiles brightly and her eyes glisten as she clasps her hands together in delight. "Incredible! In all me months of watchin' the guards trainin' an' sparrin' an' such, I never seen 'em drubbed so hard! Not even when th' Eilistraee Drow came out of Little Underdark for that bit of joint trainin'."she practically gushes. Halether's face is mostly impassive, but his expression is softer than usual, he has his arms folded and is looking to the side as his wife speaks, but after she finishes, he lifts his head up and looks to the party and quietly adds, "...yes, that was good. You did well." without much emphasis. As they walk away, Elessa can be heard chiding him. "Come now, dearest, is that any way ta encourage someone? Yer just as bad with 'em as ye were with our son. No wonder he never had any confidence growin' up..."
Lastly, Merrok and Kaylessa approach, having retrieved their real equipment after stowing away the training gear. Merrok seems to have a new-looking light bruise on his forehead, and is clutching one of Kaylessa's dwarven-looking shortswords tightly between both hands, and Kaylessa holds the other one tightly between hers, and has reddened splotches (which look like dwarf-sized finger marks) on the skin of her forearms. Both seem to be more scuffed up and disheveled now than they ever were during the training exercise, and while they are technically standing together, both of them are looking away in opposite directions instead of at each other. "Er, *ahem*." Merrok coughs into his hands, bringing both of them (and the sword) to his mouth to cover it, apparently refusing to let go, even to cough.
After a few awkward moments of silence, Kaylessa breaks the ice by speaking. "Ya did good. Merrok I've actually seen splittin' goblin skulls an' killin' ridin' wolves... even wrestlin' down an' beatin' an Orc or two... but I couldn't have expected that all a' ya would seem ta fight as well as him an' me, an' that workin' with ya all would feel so smooth." she finally says, looking mostly at the party, but glancing at Merrok in askance for a moment when she speaks about him. "I have no doubts about yer ability ta protect this team." Kaylessa concludes, giving the party an acknowledging nod. Sensing that it's his turn to speak Merrok adjusts the sheathed sword in his grip (which has the dwarven runes for "M.S." engraved on the pommel) and addresses everyone. "Well... uh... I was quite impressed. Th' blows were all quite accurate, an' th' magic was very impressive. Even th' young string-bean seems t'be able to put out in a fight." Merrok says, inclining his head towards Jim while simultaneously moving his hands and body slowly away from Kaylessa.
When the party's done speaking to them, the two begin marching back towards the vehicles (although a bit further apart than usual for people supposedly walking "together") and Kaylessa can be heard browbeating Merrok. "Come off it man! Y'know I'm too used ta these swords by now ta change. Asides, I can't just get new ones at th' Gold Cave, it's late an' it's closed. I told ya that I'll pay fer them..."
(OOC: Trying out Blue Text for NPC Dialogue, as black bold seemed too strong and not colorful enough.)
(OOC: Feel free to roleplay responses to anyone or anything that happened prior to this, and let me know if I'm moving too fast now.)
After everything is checked and ready, and everyone is prepared, the small convoy begins moving on. In the time it takes for everything to get set up again, there's just barely enough time to get some rest for those who are tired from the mock-fight and need it.
(OOC: Everyone can take a Short Rest if they want. As a general note, after most combats, there will usually be an opportunity for a short rest like this. In this particular case, the short rest is mostly for Belview to use Arcane Recovery to get back a spell slot)
The unpaved path out of Elventree is not broad, but just wide enough to accommodate the three vehicles in the train and the people escorting it. In the front, Durgan and his two-mule cart lead the way, and behind him is his daughter driving the second mule-cart. Behind them, Elessa and Halether both sit at the front of the horse-drawn wagon, taking turns with the reigns as the journey goes on. Despite his heavy armor and shield, Merrok leads the way at the fore, keeping a sharp eye and ear out for any signs of danger, while Kaylessa holds the rear with her bow drawn, doing the same. Kaylessa appears to have gotten her other sword back, as both of them are now strapped to her belt again.
(Now is a good time to decide where your character will be in the procession. Front, sides, rear? Where they are and why will not only affect roleplay, but positioning in combat coming up as well.)
In order to keep the way in and out of Elventree concealed, the caravan makes its way slowly out of the village, taking gentle, but frequent twists and turns that almost seem random at times. Durgan and all the other drivers behind him don't seem fazed however. They had mentioned that they've been doing this for months, and based on the confidence that everyone moves every animal and vehicle with, it certainly seems that way. "We'll make our way out 'a the woods near by Elua's Lighthouse to the north. In a little while, you'll be able to see th' fire from it a wee bit. Until then, keep your voices soft, and your lights low." Durgan says quietly, as everyone continues on.
After the battle, Jim seems to recover himself as the strange glow from his equipment fades he grows quite scared and places himself into the back of one of the wagons. He simply waits there, fearful that it happened once again.
OOC: I guess I'll kinda be in the middle since he's in the wagon procession itself.
After the battle, Jim seems to recover himself as the strange glow from his equipment fades he grows quite scared and places himself into the back of one of the wagons. He simply waits there, fearful that it happened once again.
OOC: I guess I'll kinda be in the middle since he's in the wagon procession itself.
(OOC: Okay, I guess I'll stick you on the back of Oria's 2-wheeled mule cart if you don't mind, as she's exactly in the middle. If Jim needs more room, there's the Half-Elf trade wagon, but it's at the back. If you stay with Oria, you'll find out that she's a little chatty.)
Umbra walks up to Merrok. "I hope this isn't pouring salt in a wound, but what's up with those swords your girlfriend, erm, borrowed?"
Merrok's face brightens as he sees someone else come up to the front of the formation, assuming that Umbra's there to help him keep an eye out. At the mention of Kaylessa and the swords however, his expression sours somewhat, although not completely. He takes in a deep breath as he walks, and lets out a sigh almost as large, before finally turning to Umbra and speaking. "Aye... well, th' woman's not my 'girlfriend' so t'say, but I can tell ya that we were on more friendly terms before her fingers started gettin' so sticky with my property." he begins, taking a moment to glance back toward the back of the caravan where Kaylessa is, but not long enough for his gaze to linger.
"Sure it wasn't so bad in th' beginnin'. Elventree's a small, friendly town. Usually safe, so y'can leave yer things out an' expect them to stay where ya leave 'em, so that's what I'd do with my forgin's. I did start leavin' a few castoffs from my practicin' fer anyone to take, mostly arrows an' daggers an such... but I dinnae expect her to go in the house an' take whatever she pleased just 'cause it were nae locked up."thedwarf continues, before pausing to sweet the road and the woods briefly, for any new signs of danger.
"Long story short, th' girl started takin' more an' more valuable things, an' the worst of it were th' swords. If y'get a chance t'get yer hands on 'em, y'can see why fer yerself. Finest weapons I ever forged. S'made of a special alloy few outside my family know how t'smelt, an' it ain't easy t'quench except in waters from th' sunless lakes in th' underdark. They're so light in th' hand... it's almost like they know where ya want 'em t'go before y'move 'em! Add t'that, th' natural resistance to rust, heat an' cold and y'have sturdy weapons that practically don't need maintenance! Perfect for a lazy wench like her, who hates havin' t'wax or oil her blades an' such." Merrokconcludes, finishing with a shake of his head and yet another sigh.
"Those blades were quality. Fit to be enchanted! I cannae see how she could ever raise th' funds t'pay their worth, not t'mention th' fact that they weren't hers t'begin with!" Merrok fumes, stewing a bit, but not to any point where he seems like he'll fully lose his calm. "An' well, that's th' story, since y'wanted t'hear it. But enough o' this drivel out o' me, why don't ya tell me a bit about yerself, Umbra? I dinnae think that I've heard much about you."
EDIT: (OOC: So is Umbra going to generally stay in the front of the formation with Merrok, or somewhere else in the caravan?)
"If you haven't heard much of me, it means I did my job well." Umbra laughs. "But seriously. I'm, or was, an information broker." She rubs ehr neck. "A... disagreement with the authorities in Hillsfar, meant I had to take a leave."
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(Round 3) Turn Order
Merrok (20) - Hits 3/3, AC 18, PP 13, Spd 25, HA --
Jim Dirk (19) - Hits 2/3, AC 18, PP 13, Spd 30, HA 0
Belview (17) - Hits 3/3, AC 15, PP 11, Spd 25, HA 0 (AC is 15 with Mage Armor, 12 without)
Aldarin (12) - Hits 3/3, AC 15, PP 15, Spd 30, HA 0
Kaylessa (09) - Hits 3/3, AC 15, PP 14, Spd 35, HA --
Umbra (06) - Hits 2/3, AC 15, PP 09, Spd 30, HA 0
Thurgar (04) - Hits 3/3, AC 14, PP 11, Spd 25, HA 0
1 BGuard (02) - Hits 1/1, AC 16, PP 12, Spd 0, (Use Shortbows, AC 14 w/out cover, restrained)
Battle View:
K
<C> M V <W> TJ <C>B
Merrok - HP: 3/3 | AC: 18 | PP: 13 | SP: 25 | HA: n/a
Initiative 20 - Merrok
Merrok's jaw drops as Belview's spell gets all 3 guards behind the cart at once. "W-wha?" he spouts, confused. He then turns to Belview with a look of disappointment forming on his face and glumly (but sincerely) says, "Good job..." It seems like he was looking forward to another bracing hand to hand fight, and is a little bit saddened that he won't get one this time.
As he begins trudging back towards the "wagon circle" he nods to Belview in acknowledgement, and reaches out to try and give the Gnome a respectful pat on the shoulder.
Update:
K
<C> VM <W> TJ <C>B
Merrok moves back towards the "camp".
Rising up, Jim charges forwards, shield in hand and staff in the other he makes his way around the cover towards the bowman. Then as he stands in front of him he raises his staff and pauses for a second, as if held by some magical force, only to then bring it down, but at a rather slow speed that makes the attack incredibly easy to dodge. As Jim mutters to himself: "You upset my programming. You made this happen. I-I just... I didn't want him to get h-hurt. You are a fool. The pain would be temporary and minimal. A small price to pay to succeed in this battle. B-But it's j-just a... um... skirmish."
DM of Tomb of Annihilation (and more) Group 2 and Group 3
(OOC: The Guard is restrained, so you can attack with advantage if you want. If you want to keep that 1 and not change your writing though, that's okay too.)
DM of Tomb of Annihilation (and more) Group 2 and Group 3
(OOC: No, sorry. Still need a 14 at least. At least you don't have to change your roleplay.)
Initiative 19 - Jim
The lone remaining Gnome guard thrashes around wildly trying to escape the vines surrounding him, and between the violent and rapid motions and the deliberate slowness of Jim's staff strike, the Gnome is just barely able to move to one side and let the staff swing by without hitting him.
Move: 25 feet back to wagon
Action: Cast Sleep 18
Initiative 17 - Belview
As the sleep spell hits the gnomish guard struggling in Aldarin's vines, he almost instantly slumps, and is only kept (mostly) upright by the vines holding him. At this development, the white-haired elven man who's apparently the head judge makes a "T" with his hands and then slashes them out to his sides. "Enough, ENOUGH!" he yells. "This fight is obviously over. Caravan defense wins, 'Goblins' lose." he states, dropping his head and clutching it loosely with one hand as he shakes it exasperatedly. Sighing, he approaches the party as in the background, other guards and bystanders shake the entangled gnome guard awake and help remove him from the vines (if Aldarin doesn't simply undo them himself).
Cheers and applause erupt from the small crowd above in the trees, and in the larger one below on the ground. Even for this time of night, quite a few people seem to have come out of their homes and shops to see what was going on.
"I must say, while this was an embarrassment to our peacekeeping force, it taught us several important lessons, and for that much at least, we are grateful." the robed man continues, stiffly bending himself into a formal bow. (Those in the party who were in or know about the guard would recognize him as one "Kimmarel Fairquill", Guard-Lieutenant in charge of training, and also the owner of a small bookstore)
"That said, I must advise you that real life is not like training, and that things may not turn out quite as smoothly in an actual battle. If things go poorly, using magic such as entangling vines and sleep spells (the way you just have) and using those as cover to run rather than fight might be the better decision in some cases. In my years of patrolling, I have seen groups with numbers such as yours set upon by even as much as 20 Goblins at once, when they want to make absolutely sure they can take down 10 or 11 people." Kimmarel takes a few moments to explain. He then pauses for a moment too look down and hold his head for a moment then folds his arms and looks to the party again. "Not to say that I don't think you can't handle yourselves. Kaylessa told me that this group (aside from herself and Merrok) have never fought together even once in their lives... and yet." the man stops and begins to gesture at various groups of recovering guardsmen all around the clearing, many of which are nursing small bruises, drying out boots and clothes, sitting or lying down trying to regain their bearings and such.
"The results speak for themselves. Had I not seen it, I wouldn't have believed it. If any of you would like a place in the Elventree Guard after this assignment, or sometime in the future, I would be more than happy to accommodate you, and with a possible bonus and fast-track for promotion." Kimmarel concludes, before turning to walk up to Thurgar. "Especially you, Mr. Bakebean. I must admit, that I believe I may have underestimated you when you previously served. If you decide to sign up again, I can easily convince the higher-ups to give you a bonus, and most likely put you on the fast-track to become a Corporal like Kaylessa."
(OOC: I'll leave this for a bit, in case people want to respond, and then move things along by sometime tomorrow at the latest)
Aldarin places his shield back on his back, and returns to the caravan. He had admittedly gone pretty strong against the "goblins" for their mock battle, but he was attempting to make a good impression. He smiles with a sense of accomplishment, then stands ready for the direction the caravan leaders.
After the mock battle, things begin to wind down in and around the clearing, but not quite right away. Guards and civilians alike come up to congratulate the party as well as the guards who participated, and several of the mock "goblins" come up to try and shake the hands of the caravan team and chat in a show of camaraderie and good sportsmanship. In the background, it seems that several of the people who saw the mock combat want to get in on the action themselves, and have put on spare padded and leather armor and taken hold of practice weapons. As they get involved in impromptu fencing matches and spontaneous archery and throwing contests against each other, the "judges" who still haven't left keep watch to make sure no one hurts anyone, and Kimmarel Fairquill goes around watching and talking to everyone "practicing" and seems to be keeping an eye out for new potential recruits.
Back at the "wagon circle" now that the combat practice is done, all of caravaneers move into action, re-hitching the animals to their vehicles and moving all of the wagons and carts into a "straight line" formation that's ready to move out. During that hustle and bustle, each of the traders in turn take a moment or two to thank the party and pay them some compliments.
"Well done all around, lads and lass. I was a wee bit concerned about the safety of my dear Oria on this journey, but it seems that any concerns of mine were unfounded." Durgan says appreciatively, slapping his hand on the shoulder of his daughter beside him for emphasis. "Aye, it were quite a soorprise t'me that these new ones are able t'keep up with broother an' th' daft archer." Oria adds in her slightly reedy, musical tones, flashing everyone a friendly grin.
Halethar and his wife come up a bit later when they have a spare moment and congratulate the team as well. Elessa smiles brightly and her eyes glisten as she clasps her hands together in delight. "Incredible! In all me months of watchin' the guards trainin' an' sparrin' an' such, I never seen 'em drubbed so hard! Not even when th' Eilistraee Drow came out of Little Underdark for that bit of joint trainin'." she practically gushes. Halether's face is mostly impassive, but his expression is softer than usual, he has his arms folded and is looking to the side as his wife speaks, but after she finishes, he lifts his head up and looks to the party and quietly adds, "...yes, that was good. You did well." without much emphasis. As they walk away, Elessa can be heard chiding him. "Come now, dearest, is that any way ta encourage someone? Yer just as bad with 'em as ye were with our son. No wonder he never had any confidence growin' up..."
Lastly, Merrok and Kaylessa approach, having retrieved their real equipment after stowing away the training gear. Merrok seems to have a new-looking light bruise on his forehead, and is clutching one of Kaylessa's dwarven-looking shortswords tightly between both hands, and Kaylessa holds the other one tightly between hers, and has reddened splotches (which look like dwarf-sized finger marks) on the skin of her forearms. Both seem to be more scuffed up and disheveled now than they ever were during the training exercise, and while they are technically standing together, both of them are looking away in opposite directions instead of at each other. "Er, *ahem*." Merrok coughs into his hands, bringing both of them (and the sword) to his mouth to cover it, apparently refusing to let go, even to cough.
After a few awkward moments of silence, Kaylessa breaks the ice by speaking. "Ya did good. Merrok I've actually seen splittin' goblin skulls an' killin' ridin' wolves... even wrestlin' down an' beatin' an Orc or two... but I couldn't have expected that all a' ya would seem ta fight as well as him an' me, an' that workin' with ya all would feel so smooth." she finally says, looking mostly at the party, but glancing at Merrok in askance for a moment when she speaks about him. "I have no doubts about yer ability ta protect this team." Kaylessa concludes, giving the party an acknowledging nod. Sensing that it's his turn to speak Merrok adjusts the sheathed sword in his grip (which has the dwarven runes for "M.S." engraved on the pommel) and addresses everyone. "Well... uh... I was quite impressed. Th' blows were all quite accurate, an' th' magic was very impressive. Even th' young string-bean seems t'be able to put out in a fight." Merrok says, inclining his head towards Jim while simultaneously moving his hands and body slowly away from Kaylessa.
When the party's done speaking to them, the two begin marching back towards the vehicles (although a bit further apart than usual for people supposedly walking "together") and Kaylessa can be heard browbeating Merrok. "Come off it man! Y'know I'm too used ta these swords by now ta change. Asides, I can't just get new ones at th' Gold Cave, it's late an' it's closed. I told ya that I'll pay fer them..."
(OOC: Trying out Blue Text for NPC Dialogue, as black bold seemed too strong and not colorful enough.)
Moving Ahead
(OOC: Feel free to roleplay responses to anyone or anything that happened prior to this, and let me know if I'm moving too fast now.)
After everything is checked and ready, and everyone is prepared, the small convoy begins moving on. In the time it takes for everything to get set up again, there's just barely enough time to get some rest for those who are tired from the mock-fight and need it.
(OOC: Everyone can take a Short Rest if they want. As a general note, after most combats, there will usually be an opportunity for a short rest like this. In this particular case, the short rest is mostly for Belview to use Arcane Recovery to get back a spell slot)
The unpaved path out of Elventree is not broad, but just wide enough to accommodate the three vehicles in the train and the people escorting it. In the front, Durgan and his two-mule cart lead the way, and behind him is his daughter driving the second mule-cart. Behind them, Elessa and Halether both sit at the front of the horse-drawn wagon, taking turns with the reigns as the journey goes on. Despite his heavy armor and shield, Merrok leads the way at the fore, keeping a sharp eye and ear out for any signs of danger, while Kaylessa holds the rear with her bow drawn, doing the same. Kaylessa appears to have gotten her other sword back, as both of them are now strapped to her belt again.
(Now is a good time to decide where your character will be in the procession. Front, sides, rear? Where they are and why will not only affect roleplay, but positioning in combat coming up as well.)
In order to keep the way in and out of Elventree concealed, the caravan makes its way slowly out of the village, taking gentle, but frequent twists and turns that almost seem random at times. Durgan and all the other drivers behind him don't seem fazed however. They had mentioned that they've been doing this for months, and based on the confidence that everyone moves every animal and vehicle with, it certainly seems that way. "We'll make our way out 'a the woods near by Elua's Lighthouse to the north. In a little while, you'll be able to see th' fire from it a wee bit. Until then, keep your voices soft, and your lights low." Durgan says quietly, as everyone continues on.
After the battle, Jim seems to recover himself as the strange glow from his equipment fades he grows quite scared and places himself into the back of one of the wagons. He simply waits there, fearful that it happened once again.
OOC: I guess I'll kinda be in the middle since he's in the wagon procession itself.
DM of Tomb of Annihilation (and more) Group 2 and Group 3
(OOC: Okay, I guess I'll stick you on the back of Oria's 2-wheeled mule cart if you don't mind, as she's exactly in the middle. If Jim needs more room, there's the Half-Elf trade wagon, but it's at the back. If you stay with Oria, you'll find out that she's a little chatty.)
Umbra walks up to Merrok. "I hope this isn't pouring salt in a wound, but what's up with those swords your girlfriend, erm, borrowed?"
Jim is fine with that. He wouldn't really engage her in conversation other than simple yes' or no's whenever she asks him a question.
DM of Tomb of Annihilation (and more) Group 2 and Group 3
(OOC: Umbra stays in the front with Merrok, yes.)
"If you haven't heard much of me, it means I did my job well." Umbra laughs. "But seriously. I'm, or was, an information broker." She rubs ehr neck. "A... disagreement with the authorities in Hillsfar, meant I had to take a leave."