(OOC: Dolkum’s Insight roll tells him that Benita seems not just quiet, but depressed. As an acolyte of the God of Stories, he has had opportunity to hear and observe the mood of many a worshipper. He doesn’t know Benita well, but he feels a little alarm pinging on her behalf. If he knew her parents he’d be speaking with them to ask them to peek in on her and try to get her to talk. His perception roll entering the tavern tells him that it is safe, but there are lots of different people here, including some young locals who he immediately thinks he should keep his eyes on.)
(OOC: Ednyss’ place of gambling critical roll has this effect: Not only does he know that the tavern you are about to enter allows gambling, but he’s been there before and knows the owner. In fact, last time he was here, he made a killing playing Slaughterhouse, and the memory of it will give him such confidence that he’ll get +1 on his first roll should he find himself in a game.)
POST #4 The Seaside Tavern in Asilah
The Seaside Tavern is a sprawling affair which looks like a foot having grown too big, too fast, resulting in one toe poking a hole through its stocking, although historically its growth was the opposite, having started with the toe. To tell the tale means looking back almost 200 years, when the Bakkali family built their first home on this spot on the High Road overlooking the gulf. The man of the house was a gifted chef, and eventually gave up being a fisherman to open a small tavern in the bottom floor of their home.
The food was good, the location superb -- the perfect distance from Ishi Ammah -- and the tavern was a success from day one. So many locals flocked to the Bakkali’s, in addition to travelers, that the owner started setting tables outdoors on the lawn. Eventually it wasn’t worth it to do anything but leave more and more tables out, day after day, for they were always filled. One season, Bakkali paved over the lawn with cobblestones to keep it from getting soft and muddy with the winter rains. A couple of seasons later, he dug down, set up posts, and built a roof over the lawn, and hung a freshly painted sign over the door announcing the Seaside Tavern. His son added a new hearth in the newly enclosed dining room. Eventually, the granddaughter added a stage. The old house remains as the kitchen and workrooms, and the tavern continues to thrive to this day. The Bakkalis -- six generations on -- now live in and run the Inn next door as well as the tavern.
You see a pair of old weathered tables outside the tavern doors, facing the sea cliffs, before entering the Seaside Tavern through double doors which swing inward on springed hinges, with another set of heavy outer doors chained open. Immediately to your right is a large hearth, and the instant you walk in, with a moist breeze following you, you feel much warmer, and the nearest people, sitting at tables and enjoying their meal, stare at you and ask you to “close the darned door!,” even though it springs slowly back into place on its own.
You are greeted by a stocky, balding Orracan man with a moustache and fast eyes, whom Edynss knows as Raffik Bakkali, the current patriarch of the family and owner of the tavern. You’re asked to wait at the long bar as he prepares a table. The room is rather full, and there are perhaps 60 or 70 others there, eating, playing cards, drinking. You are soon led across the room, past the bar, beyond the stage, to a pair of empty tables at the far wall. As you all sit, a pair of men in imperial uniform enter, look around. Their eyes fasten on the Core of Amethyst livery you are wearing. Tuff follows them with his eyes and comments quietly to Strewn. “Like Elven arrowsap, they stick, hard and fast. The Jenghens are marking your movements, Master.”
“We knew they would.” “Yes we did.” They exchange a tired glance with Flint and Wad, and leave the tavern, retiring to their suite in the inn. Flint and Wad order for the four of them, and take their food, when it comes, to the inn, and remain there on guard. Benita and Adelfi likewise eat something quickly, and then retreat to the inn, and to who knows where, perhaps the stables, respectively. The Imperials — garrison cavalry by the looks of them, from Ishi Ammah — find a table and seem to ignore you.
The tavern patrons range from friends celebrating a birthday to young people arm wrestling, Shians playing cards (OOC: Ednyss notes), travelers seemingly of all races: dwarves, cats and chimps — either headed south from Indallia or north from Ishi Ammah — a family of Khazarans, the father glaring at his insolent young son, the Imperial cavalry men, some acolytes from the convent, a big family gathering with two babies in arms, and many more.
Ednyss greets Raffik with a smile and a wink as they enter the tavern and order their food. While everyone else is eating their food quickly or taking it to the inn, Ednyss excuses himself from the others and says, "I'm going to try my hand with those cards." He gestures to the Shians that are playing and rubs his hands together excitedly, "Come get me if something happens, but otherwise I will see you later this evening!" With that, he takes his food over to the table and introduces himself to the other players. "Hello! My name is Ednyss. Do you think you could deal me in for the next game?" If they allow him, he will take a seat at the table and start eating his food while he tries to figure out the game that they are playing. As soon as the game is over and the next one is being dealt, he lets his hand glow gently as he draws upon some divine guidance.
(OOC: Would these be the same dice rolls as Slaughterhouse in Ishi Ammah? Or are they playing a different game?)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
(OOC: Would these be the same dice rolls as Slaughterhouse in Ishi Ammah? Or are they playing a different game?)
(OOC: A variant of the same game. You've played it before with Shians in the provincial brigade, so, after watching a game, you can play on an equal footing with the others. I want to know what Mittens & Dolkum are doing before you go ahead and roll to play though.)
Seeing that everyone seems to have figured out what they were doing, Mittens says to no one in particular, "I'm going to secure our perimeter." With that, he pushes open the door and makes his way outside. He didn't mention it earlier, but would be lying if he said he also didn't want go sight-seeing a bit. He does as he says and checks out the area around the inn for anything suspicious.
Perception (advantage with Pooky's help): 20
After giving the inn a good once-over, Mittens begins looking around at the sights that the town offered. He doesn't go too far from the inn, but he walks with a slight skip in his step as he does. Going to new places and meeting new people was fun, no matter how terrible the place and people might be. New sights were new experiences that he learned from.
After seeing what the town had to offer, Mittens ends up at an outcropping overlooking the sea. As he gazes over the sparkling waters reflecting the setting sun, he sighs as memories come to him. Ever since he saw the workers in chains on the road, he couldn't stop thinking of his time with the Employer a few short years ago. He says to Pooky, who is currently lounging on his shoulder, "She's still back there, ya know? Trapped in that awful place..." His voice fades as nostalgia washes over him. He solemnly watches the water for a few minutes, contemplating how he could go back and rescue Nona from her captivity. He then heads back to the inn and looks around for Ednyss. When he sees him, he goes over and watches the gambling with detached interest.
O good, they've gone. More food for me! Nom Nom! Ah! That was scrumptious!
Dolkum eats his fill, and then tucks some more into his hollow legs. He leaves 5 gp with Rafikk, and sets off with a bowl of stew to find Benita, thinking there was something more going on with her than being a taciturn dwarf. He starts with the carriage and stables, and then moves to their rooms in the inn.
Dolkum: The fish stew and dark ale are very good. You’ve come here before with your parents while accompanying them on their travels. Before you get up to go to the inn and check on Benita, something happens in the tavern.
Mittens: The town’s roads wind up and around after passing through the main street which takes less than 15 minutes. Before you know it, you’re turned around and lost. But again, before you know it, you’ve found your way again--it’s easy with the hill on one side and the sea cliffs on the other, and the town is not enormous. The highest overlook is very close to the Tavern, and you sit there with Pookie for a few minutes lost in your own thoughts before returning to the tavern. As you enter, a brawl is beginning (below).
Ednyss: The folks playing cards eye each other casually, before welcoming Ednyss to play with them. Ednyss go ahead and make your first and second playing rolls. You’re interrupted before the third. As a reminder, the rules of the game:
Card game Slaughterhouse (based on the Orcan game "Slaughter," but now with animal pictures of 6 possible suits, as opposed to human stick figures and only one suit in the original). Up to 6 players play at once, a full table is called a troop.
There are 6 suits, called Legends: Temple, Palace, Dungeon, Ship, Farm, Mountain.
Each suit has 10 cards, called Faces: Flea, Rat, Cow, Wolf, Bear, Lion, Stallion, Hawk, Iguana, Fish.
To play, pay a given amount into the ante, usually 1GP in city games. Roll one each: Insight, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Deception, Perception. Then roll once again for the skill from this list with your highest bonus, and apply any inspiration to that roll. Add the rolls together. Players compare the sums. If playing vs NPCs, beat the number 72, and you win the ante. If you lose, then you lose your ante+1d6GP (i.e., 2 to 7GP). If you win, you can play a second hour. If you win again, you “beat the Troop” and take home the table’s ante x1d6GP (i.e., for 6 players, 6 to 36GP). If you lose the 2nd game, you lose your ante+1d6GP (i.e., 2 to 7GP). Each roll represents one hour of play, two 72+ combined rolls in a row are needed to beat the Troop.
Two men sit on the stage, one playing a lute-like instrument, the other, a doumbek drum. They start with a slow song or two, then move on to some fast ones like this to which some of the patrons get up and dance, others shouting encouragement:
Meanwhile the card game continues, folks are just sitting, eating and drinking, here for the evening. Some get up and go, making room for new arrivals.
What happens starts at table 5, where two married couples, farmers, have met to settle a dispute. Neither pair is happy about how things are proceeding. One of the men is mildly insulted, stands up. The woman across the table follows suit, glaring. Then, someone at table 4 pushes back her chair, accidentally shoving the farmer who first stood up, who trips across his table, arms flying, and striking the other farmer. That farmer didn’t see the chair at table 4 shove into the other guy’s back, and thinks the man is shoving her, not simply falling on her. Her wife has a strong protective streak, picks up the falling man and punches him, sending him flying onto table 4. Someone across table 4 from that is surprised, and springs backwards out of the way, just as a pair of inn workers at table 10 have gotten up and are passing between table 4 and 3 to get to the dancing area. The traveler shooting out of their seat bumps roughly into one of the two, who is shoved toward table 3, seems to trip, and splashes a drink over a Shian woman at table 3. She smacks him, and he rebounds into the mean-tempered father at table 11 who shoves the inn worker back toward table 3, where someone then shoves the inn worker back toward table 4. A good samaritan at table 4 protests on behalf of the inn worker, and is then punched by the chimp woman at table 3 who has walked over to smack him.
At this point, everyone at tables 3, 4, 5, and 9 is on their feet, as a shouting match erupts between table 3 and 9 -- they seem to have decided to be rivals -- and that’s when a chair is hurled at table 3, missing and hitting someone at the bar, and the six people there turn around looking angry. Chaos pretty much ensues from that point, as you see two people from table 3 stand up and get knocked into the family gathering at table 2, where one of the women falls back onto the floor in her chair, her arms flailing, and her baby is now flying through the air toward the table where Dolkum and Varielky are sitting!
At the card table, Ednyss notices (I rolled for him) that one of the Shians has just surreptitiously pulled a card out of their sleeve, taking advantage of the ruckus to cheat.
Mittens has just entered through the southeast door when things start getting crazy. I’ve placed him near the bar in the list below. Ednyss is at Table 12. Varielky & Dolkum are at Table 2.
Here is who is in the tavern when the brawl starts:
Table
People
Description
1
2
Dolkum & Varielky
2
7
Family gathering of Orracan locals:
2-1 Orracan man 50s
2-2 Orracan man 50s (uncle)
2-3 Orracan women (wife)
2-4 Orracan grandfather
2-5 Orracan teen boy
2-6 Orracan grandmother
2-7 Orracan young girl
2 a,b Orracan babies
3
5
Rowdies
3-1 Orracan male
3-2 Orracan male
3-3 Shian male
3-4 Shian woman
3-5 Chimp woman
4
6
All sharing transport down the coast to Ishi Ammah. All speak Indallian but don’t seem to know each other, and are a bit annoyed with each other.
Mittens pushes open the door to the inn, and the scene of chaos unfolds before him. His shoulders sag a bit, and he lets out a sigh. He thinks for a moment as he begins to craft an illusion. He performs a complex gesture and utters a few word as his magic takes hold of the light in the room. A golden mist rises into the air, swirling upwards as it does. As suddenly as it appeared it vanishes, and in its place, the Queen resides. Resting upon a golden throne embedded with dazzling display of gems and precious metals, she looks sternly over the raging crowd, her glare cold enough to quell armies. Her regal form is enlarged to be nearly fifteen feet tall, a goddess amongst mortal rabble.
((OOC: Not sure what kind of check you would want to get everyone to stop))
((OOC: Hmm, that's the weirdest thing. Half of my OOC message above is cut off, but when I go to edit it, all of my message is there. I don't know if everyone else can read it, but I'm trying to say I don't know what I should roll to calm the crowd.))
(OOC: The combat is going to take me a second to process and I am going to be pretty busy tonight so I'll just drop these rolls in there and try and update with Ednyss combat actions in the morning tomorrow.)
Ednyss sits down and starts playing his hand for the first round:
Total: 91 (Success) 3 other players (Winnings: 4 x 3 = 12 GP)
Beating the troop on the second round, Ednyss sits back and grins as he cracks his knuckles. This place was really lucky for him. Not one to bow out just when his luck is getting good, Ednyss nods and gets ready to play a third hand when all hell breaks loose.
(OOC: Again, I will update tomorrow morning with Ednyss actions in combat...)
Idiwalla! I beseech you munificent one to aid our cousin in peace Mittens Toodaloo in bringing calmness and good felllowship to this troubled tavern...
Dolkum catches the babe, and takes a quick look, making certain the child is safe. He hands the child to Varielky, saying to her - Stay close. Let us stop this nonsense now before it gets out of hand, and return the child to her parents, yes?
Ednyss 13 - Has just dealt the next hand of Slaughterhouse and notes that one of the players is cheating.
Mittens 6 - Casts his Silent image in the middle of the dance floor.
Dolkum 6 - Catches the baby by its swaddling before it hits the ground, then hands the child to Varielky.
Varielky 5 - Sits in place, defending the baby.
One of the players at the table with Ednyss puts his hand on Ednyss’ shoulder, and says, “We’ll just take this,” while the other one scoops up all the gold on the table, including Ednyss’.
The crowd, bearing sudden witness to the supernatural visitation of an ancient golden queen (Mittens' illusion), halts in its tracks, and is suddenly jarred to near-silence. All save for one. W2, a friendly waiter, was returning to the bar with 6 empty mugs in his hands, calling a spirited “you’re welcome, birthday girl!” over his shoulder to the young woman at Table 13, which rings out after everyone else has been stunned into silence. Oblivious, he’s still looking at her face as she and her friends register astonishment, but the waiter keeps walking, straight through the illusion, not even realizing it is there. A moment later he comes out the other side, waving the empty mugs to fend off the golden queen’s robes as he passes through them, plainly confused, but not deterred. He whistles a happy tune and continues to the bar. He is followed immediately by the 2 musicians, who take advantage of the pause to quickly escape with their instruments held high, tip-toeing directly through the queen and making a bee-line for the exit.
Everyone in the room sees through it now, and the brawl picks up exactly where it left off seconds before, as the ruffians jeer and start coming at each other through Mitten’s image, laughing.
One of the drunk Imperial expatriates (14-1) has gotten up and shouting, "Flocking Imperial scum, GET OUT!" and punches the garrison cavalryman (15-2), who fell over the chair next to Dolkum and is now between him and the baby’s mother, who is still in her chair, on her back on the floor (2-7).
Two of the shifty-looking men at the bar (B5, B6) noticed that Mittens cast that spell, and have moved to him, Successfully grappling Mittens.
Two of the other men have hopped onto the bar. The rowdy youngsters at tables 3 and 9 are having at it, throwing mugs and slugging each other on the dance floor.
Mittens is hopeful for a moment, but all hope he had evaporated when the server walks through the illusion. He puts his hands on his hips and taps his foot for a moment, pondering what to do next to her everyone to calm down when he is suddenly accosted by the two men. He cries out in surprise and struggles futily against their grip. Calming himself, he performs a quick gesture and mutters something. A crown of twisted darkness burning with a malevolent power forms in the air above the accoster who seems beefier. Fragments of unnerving whispers fill the air.
As this happens, Pooky arches his back for a moment before leaping into the other man's face. Silently, he swarms over his face, poking eyes and such.
Action: cast crown of madness. DC 14 wisdom saving throw or be charmed. If he fails, he will start to beat the crap out of his buddy.
Varielky was eating silently when hell broke loose. Her mind, still busy with something else, took some time to process what's happening until a baby was shoved onto her while her hand instinctively reached for her shield, placing it in front of the baby, protecting it.
She has a moment to shake her head and grasp what's happening when the illusion appears and breaks, just to realise she can't use her sword when holding a baby. She disliked hand-to-hand combat like this. It was always messy and gruesome. Besides, she really couldn't fight while holding a baby and letting go of it - allowing someone to stomp it by mistake - did not seem like a great idea. Varielky stands up, still holding the shield in front of the baby. She inhales air into her lungs, then roars it out shouting to everybody and nobody at the same time: "By Takal Demesh's might, if you don't want to end this evening with a broken face, YOU WILL CALM DOWN!" That's as far as she'll go to stop this. Beyond this point, it's their problem for disturbing her meal and endangering this baby. Besides, even if she doesn't like fighting this way, one can be measured in tavern brawls, although it isn't a very accurate estimation. If the others won't stop, she's very likely to join the fun.
Ednyss pauses for a second in his deal having just placed his ante for the third round of Slaughterhouse on the table when the fighting was breaking out. As the fighting starts happening and he notices the cheater pulling a card out of his sleeve. Ednyss sighs, cheaters do not deserve to win, but seeing a baby fly through the air and get caught by Varielky is enough to remind him that there are more important things at the moment. Just as he is about to climb on his chair to bolster Varielky's shout, a pair of hooligans come over and just sweep up all of the gold on the table. Cheaters were bad, but thievery was not something that could be ignored. The low growl that escapes Ednyss' throat is the sound of someone who is very close to snapping, and as the hooligans take the gold, Ednyss says, "No, you will not." His eyes flashing for a second with a divine spark, the man who swept up the gold feels his muscles attempting to seize. Ednyss steps up to the hopefully paralyzed figure and takes the bag of gold that the man stole from his hands and place it in his pack. Finally, Ednyss turns back to Varielky and Dolkum scanning the room for Mittens and saying, "We should probably stick together. We fight better as a unit than separately."
Action: Cast Hold Person (Against the Shian that is scooping up the gold) DC 15 Wisdom Save - On a failure, target is paralyzed
Bonus Action: None
Move: Towards the Shian with the gold
Free Object Interaction: Take the bag from the paralyzed man and placing it in a separate area in his pack to redistribute after the brawl (None if Hold Person failed)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Ednyss 13 - Casts Hold person on the Shian at the card table who attempted to scoop up all the gold, but the man crits his saving throw. Apparently, he was expecting that kind of attack from a cleric-looking guy like you, and he was ready.
Mittens 6 - Casts his Crown of Madness on B6 (the Shian human [the “beefier one”]), who fails his save and, like a puppet on a string, smashes a fist atop the head of his dwarven friend (B5) for 3HP damage, and fails to throw off the charm at the end of his turn. Pookie attacks the Dwarf (B5) too, but misses. The Dwarf (B5) -- grappler of Mittens -- rolls a 1 to tighten his grip and, when he’s pounded by his friend, slips in a puddle of beer and face plants on the floor, with the result that Mittens is no longer grappled. But, that’s when the boy at table 4 (4-3) sees Pookie and says “I WANT him, Daddy!!” and walks shyly over to Mittens just as two large men fall on top of his dad as he tries to grab the boy’s hand, and a mug from table 5 sails over the boys’ head and crashes into the bar. Fearless and focused, with a really cute smile, the Khazaran boy gets close to Mittens, jumps onto the butt of B5, the Dwarf Who Slipped, and grabs Pookie by one leg. Pookie is now grappled by the little Khazaran boy. “HI. My name is Andriy! What’s yours?” he pipes, as another chair topples right next to him, the inn worker still seated upon it crying out and flailing his arms uselessly as he falls.
Dolkum 6 - Dashes towards mittens, and doesn’t notice when one of the young ruffians at table three extends his foot. Dolkum trips, throws out his arms, and takes 2HP damage smashing into the cobblestones and is prone at [M11].
Varielky 5 - Protecting the baby behind her shield, Varielky roars at the tavern to calm down. The entire family seated at the next table (table 2, diligent citizens who were in fact already behaving), in a flash, sit right down in their chairs as one, folding their hands in front of them, eyes staring straight obediently at Varielky, except for the mother, who is now on her knees, facing Varielky across the table, looking everywhere for her infant which seems to have disappeared. She looks terrified and on the verge of freaking out. No one else seems to have heard Varielky amid the tumult.
The Shian hooligan holding Ednyss’ shoulder doesn’t take kindly to the spell, and neither does the woman who scooped up the gold. She finishes doing that, and they both punch Ednyss but both miss (Ednyss can RP this if he wants). The third is not engaged. She grabs the bag of gold from the first and runs for the exit and makes it as far as [S11], ducking and weaving to avoid random thrown objects.
The men standing on the bar jump off of it, and have grabbed the two waiters behind the bar and it looks to Mittens like they’re planning to steal the till. The jumpers seem to be motioning to ‘show them the money.’ Two more men jump atop the bar.
The imperial cavalryman on the floor next to Varielky gets up and punches the expatriate who punched him. They exchange blows. The other cavalryman moved up to help the first, but the other two expatriates got up to help their buddy and are grappling that guy (15-1)
The brawl continues on the dance floor, and a teenager jumps onto table 3, howling with glee.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Panting slightly from the struggle, Mittens escapes from the man's grasp. He stumbles back a few steps looking frazzled with his clothing all rumpled. He shouts to the father of Andriy, "I got him!" He flashes him a thumbs up to get his point across.
Pooky struggles for a moment in the kid's grasp, but he gives up and hangs limply from in the kid's hand. Mittens quickly gets down to eye level with Andriy and explains to him in the tone reserved for children, "I'm Mittens, and you're holding Pooky. Let's go over here so we're out of the way! Then, you can play with him all you want." Straightening up, he slashes his hand through the air towards one of the men offering a waitress. A spectral pair of predatory jaws made of crystalline ice form in the air and clamp down upon the man with frozen teeth. Mittens then grabs Andriy by the wrist and begins leading him towards the doors of the inn. Once he gets there, he puts himself protectivly between Andriy and the chaos before him.
Maintain concentration on crown of madness. The charmed fellow will continue hearing up his buddy.
Action: cast frostbite on B3. DC 14 constitution saving throw or take 6 cold damage and have disadvantage on their next attack.
Varielky sighs as she begins to approach the woman in the near table. She's moving carefully and slowly to avoid getting tripped. Once she gets to the woman, she reveals the baby from under the shield and hands him over. "Excuse me, I believe this one is yours? It might get messy in here, even more than it is already. Maybe you should all move out of here for now, or at least take my table - it's slightly more protected, being near the wall." After that, Varielky cracks the joints of her fingers. "I tried to warn them. Time for actions."
Disengage/dodge to move carefully, whichever is more relevant for the situation.
Dolkum Walks into the tavern, and looks around, making certain the tavern is safe.
Perception 20
Service for 8 of us, landlord, please, and a pitcher of dark ale if you have...
(OOC: Dolkum’s Insight roll tells him that Benita seems not just quiet, but depressed. As an acolyte of the God of Stories, he has had opportunity to hear and observe the mood of many a worshipper. He doesn’t know Benita well, but he feels a little alarm pinging on her behalf. If he knew her parents he’d be speaking with them to ask them to peek in on her and try to get her to talk. His perception roll entering the tavern tells him that it is safe, but there are lots of different people here, including some young locals who he immediately thinks he should keep his eyes on.)
(OOC: Ednyss’ place of gambling critical roll has this effect: Not only does he know that the tavern you are about to enter allows gambling, but he’s been there before and knows the owner. In fact, last time he was here, he made a killing playing Slaughterhouse, and the memory of it will give him such confidence that he’ll get +1 on his first roll should he find himself in a game.)
POST #4 The Seaside Tavern in Asilah
The Seaside Tavern is a sprawling affair which looks like a foot having grown too big, too fast, resulting in one toe poking a hole through its stocking, although historically its growth was the opposite, having started with the toe. To tell the tale means looking back almost 200 years, when the Bakkali family built their first home on this spot on the High Road overlooking the gulf. The man of the house was a gifted chef, and eventually gave up being a fisherman to open a small tavern in the bottom floor of their home.
The food was good, the location superb -- the perfect distance from Ishi Ammah -- and the tavern was a success from day one. So many locals flocked to the Bakkali’s, in addition to travelers, that the owner started setting tables outdoors on the lawn. Eventually it wasn’t worth it to do anything but leave more and more tables out, day after day, for they were always filled. One season, Bakkali paved over the lawn with cobblestones to keep it from getting soft and muddy with the winter rains. A couple of seasons later, he dug down, set up posts, and built a roof over the lawn, and hung a freshly painted sign over the door announcing the Seaside Tavern. His son added a new hearth in the newly enclosed dining room. Eventually, the granddaughter added a stage. The old house remains as the kitchen and workrooms, and the tavern continues to thrive to this day. The Bakkalis -- six generations on -- now live in and run the Inn next door as well as the tavern.
You see a pair of old weathered tables outside the tavern doors, facing the sea cliffs, before entering the Seaside Tavern through double doors which swing inward on springed hinges, with another set of heavy outer doors chained open. Immediately to your right is a large hearth, and the instant you walk in, with a moist breeze following you, you feel much warmer, and the nearest people, sitting at tables and enjoying their meal, stare at you and ask you to “close the darned door!,” even though it springs slowly back into place on its own.
You are greeted by a stocky, balding Orracan man with a moustache and fast eyes, whom Edynss knows as Raffik Bakkali, the current patriarch of the family and owner of the tavern. You’re asked to wait at the long bar as he prepares a table. The room is rather full, and there are perhaps 60 or 70 others there, eating, playing cards, drinking. You are soon led across the room, past the bar, beyond the stage, to a pair of empty tables at the far wall. As you all sit, a pair of men in imperial uniform enter, look around. Their eyes fasten on the Core of Amethyst livery you are wearing. Tuff follows them with his eyes and comments quietly to Strewn. “Like Elven arrowsap, they stick, hard and fast. The Jenghens are marking your movements, Master.”
“We knew they would.”
“Yes we did.” They exchange a tired glance with Flint and Wad, and leave the tavern, retiring to their suite in the inn. Flint and Wad order for the four of them, and take their food, when it comes, to the inn, and remain there on guard. Benita and Adelfi likewise eat something quickly, and then retreat to the inn, and to who knows where, perhaps the stables, respectively. The Imperials — garrison cavalry by the looks of them, from Ishi Ammah — find a table and seem to ignore you.
The tavern patrons range from friends celebrating a birthday to young people arm wrestling, Shians playing cards (OOC: Ednyss notes), travelers seemingly of all races: dwarves, cats and chimps — either headed south from Indallia or north from Ishi Ammah — a family of Khazarans, the father glaring at his insolent young son, the Imperial cavalry men, some acolytes from the convent, a big family gathering with two babies in arms, and many more.
What do you do?
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Ednyss greets Raffik with a smile and a wink as they enter the tavern and order their food. While everyone else is eating their food quickly or taking it to the inn, Ednyss excuses himself from the others and says, "I'm going to try my hand with those cards." He gestures to the Shians that are playing and rubs his hands together excitedly, "Come get me if something happens, but otherwise I will see you later this evening!" With that, he takes his food over to the table and introduces himself to the other players. "Hello! My name is Ednyss. Do you think you could deal me in for the next game?" If they allow him, he will take a seat at the table and start eating his food while he tries to figure out the game that they are playing. As soon as the game is over and the next one is being dealt, he lets his hand glow gently as he draws upon some divine guidance.
(OOC: Would these be the same dice rolls as Slaughterhouse in Ishi Ammah? Or are they playing a different game?)
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
(OOC: A variant of the same game. You've played it before with Shians in the provincial brigade, so, after watching a game, you can play on an equal footing with the others. I want to know what Mittens & Dolkum are doing before you go ahead and roll to play though.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Seeing that everyone seems to have figured out what they were doing, Mittens says to no one in particular, "I'm going to secure our perimeter." With that, he pushes open the door and makes his way outside. He didn't mention it earlier, but would be lying if he said he also didn't want go sight-seeing a bit. He does as he says and checks out the area around the inn for anything suspicious.
Perception (advantage with Pooky's help): 20
After giving the inn a good once-over, Mittens begins looking around at the sights that the town offered. He doesn't go too far from the inn, but he walks with a slight skip in his step as he does. Going to new places and meeting new people was fun, no matter how terrible the place and people might be. New sights were new experiences that he learned from.
After seeing what the town had to offer, Mittens ends up at an outcropping overlooking the sea. As he gazes over the sparkling waters reflecting the setting sun, he sighs as memories come to him. Ever since he saw the workers in chains on the road, he couldn't stop thinking of his time with the Employer a few short years ago. He says to Pooky, who is currently lounging on his shoulder, "She's still back there, ya know? Trapped in that awful place..." His voice fades as nostalgia washes over him. He solemnly watches the water for a few minutes, contemplating how he could go back and rescue Nona from her captivity. He then heads back to the inn and looks around for Ednyss. When he sees him, he goes over and watches the gambling with detached interest.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
O good, they've gone. More food for me! Nom Nom! Ah! That was scrumptious!
Dolkum eats his fill, and then tucks some more into his hollow legs. He leaves 5 gp with Rafikk, and sets off with a bowl of stew to find Benita, thinking there was something more going on with her than being a taciturn dwarf. He starts with the carriage and stables, and then moves to their rooms in the inn.
POST #5
Dolkum: The fish stew and dark ale are very good. You’ve come here before with your parents while accompanying them on their travels. Before you get up to go to the inn and check on Benita, something happens in the tavern.
Mittens: The town’s roads wind up and around after passing through the main street which takes less than 15 minutes. Before you know it, you’re turned around and lost. But again, before you know it, you’ve found your way again--it’s easy with the hill on one side and the sea cliffs on the other, and the town is not enormous. The highest overlook is very close to the Tavern, and you sit there with Pookie for a few minutes lost in your own thoughts before returning to the tavern. As you enter, a brawl is beginning (below).
Ednyss: The folks playing cards eye each other casually, before welcoming Ednyss to play with them. Ednyss go ahead and make your first and second playing rolls. You’re interrupted before the third. As a reminder, the rules of the game:
Two men sit on the stage, one playing a lute-like instrument, the other, a doumbek drum. They start with a slow song or two, then move on to some fast ones like this to which some of the patrons get up and dance, others shouting encouragement:
Meanwhile the card game continues, folks are just sitting, eating and drinking, here for the evening. Some get up and go, making room for new arrivals.
Here is a map of the tavern and its surrounding area.
What happens starts at table 5, where two married couples, farmers, have met to settle a dispute. Neither pair is happy about how things are proceeding. One of the men is mildly insulted, stands up. The woman across the table follows suit, glaring. Then, someone at table 4 pushes back her chair, accidentally shoving the farmer who first stood up, who trips across his table, arms flying, and striking the other farmer. That farmer didn’t see the chair at table 4 shove into the other guy’s back, and thinks the man is shoving her, not simply falling on her. Her wife has a strong protective streak, picks up the falling man and punches him, sending him flying onto table 4. Someone across table 4 from that is surprised, and springs backwards out of the way, just as a pair of inn workers at table 10 have gotten up and are passing between table 4 and 3 to get to the dancing area. The traveler shooting out of their seat bumps roughly into one of the two, who is shoved toward table 3, seems to trip, and splashes a drink over a Shian woman at table 3. She smacks him, and he rebounds into the mean-tempered father at table 11 who shoves the inn worker back toward table 3, where someone then shoves the inn worker back toward table 4. A good samaritan at table 4 protests on behalf of the inn worker, and is then punched by the chimp woman at table 3 who has walked over to smack him.
At this point, everyone at tables 3, 4, 5, and 9 is on their feet, as a shouting match erupts between table 3 and 9 -- they seem to have decided to be rivals -- and that’s when a chair is hurled at table 3, missing and hitting someone at the bar, and the six people there turn around looking angry. Chaos pretty much ensues from that point, as you see two people from table 3 stand up and get knocked into the family gathering at table 2, where one of the women falls back onto the floor in her chair, her arms flailing, and her baby is now flying through the air toward the table where Dolkum and Varielky are sitting!
At the card table, Ednyss notices (I rolled for him) that one of the Shians has just surreptitiously pulled a card out of their sleeve, taking advantage of the ruckus to cheat.
Mittens has just entered through the southeast door when things start getting crazy. I’ve placed him near the bar in the list below. Ednyss is at Table 12. Varielky & Dolkum are at Table 2.
Here is who is in the tavern when the brawl starts:
Table
People
Description
1
2
Dolkum & Varielky
2
7
Family gathering of Orracan locals:
2-1 Orracan man 50s
2-2 Orracan man 50s (uncle)
2-3 Orracan women (wife)
2-4 Orracan grandfather
2-5 Orracan teen boy
2-6 Orracan grandmother
2-7 Orracan young girl
2 a,b Orracan babies
3
5
Rowdies
3-1 Orracan male
3-2 Orracan male
3-3 Shian male
3-4 Shian woman
3-5 Chimp woman
4
6
All sharing transport down the coast to Ishi Ammah. All speak Indallian but don’t seem to know each other, and are a bit annoyed with each other.
4-1 Dwarf female very old:
4-2 Khazaran (from Khazara) man, very old.
4-3 Khazaran (from Khazara) their son
4-4 23 y.o. Orracan (the Good samaritan)
4-5 18 y.o. Khazaran
4-6 Orracan 16 y.o.
5
4
Farmers meeting to settle a dispute -
5-1 Orracan farmer husband (was punched onto table 4)
5-2 Orracan farmer wife
5-3 Shian farmer wife
5-4 Shian farmer wife
6
5
Travelers heading up the coast
6-1 male dwarf
6-2 male dwarf
6-3 1 female dwarf
6-4 1 female dwarf
6-5 1 female chimp
7
2
Romantic date
7-1 Orracan, male
7-2 Orracan, male
8
4
Builders celebrating finishing a new home.
8-1 male chimp (age 32)
8-2 male elf (age 49)
8-3 female Orracan (age 36)
8-4 female Jenghen (age 47)
9
6
Orracan kids, rowdy
9-1 Orracan rough teen boy
9-2 Orracan rough teen boy
9-3 Orracan rough teen boy
9-4 Orracan rough teen girl
9-5 Orracan rough teen girl
9-6 Orracan rough teen girl
10
8
Cleaning staff, etc. from the Inn
10-1 Shian man (Inn worker)(was pushed around on the way to the dance floor)
10-2 Shian man (Inn worker)
10-3 Shian man (Inn worker)
10-4 Shian man (Inn worker)
10-5 Shian woman (Inn worker)(was on the way to the dance floor)
10-6 Shian woman (Inn worker)
10-7 Shian woman (Inn worker)
10-8 Shian woman (Inn worker)
11
4
Family of four
11-1 Khazaran Dad (ill-tempered)
11-2 Khazaran Mom
11-3 Khazaran Son (teenager)
11-4 Khazaran Daughter (tween)
12
3
Game of Cards
Cousins heading to Ishi Ammah.
12-1 Shian man (Ednyss caught them cheating!)
12-2 Shian man
12-3 Shian female
Ednyss
13
3
3 young friends celebrating a birthday. They’re artists who do the nice tile work in town.
13-1 1 Orracan Woman
13-2 1 Chimp woman
13-3 1 Jenghen from the Basin. It’s her birthday
14
3
Imperial expatriates from Jen Ghessa who have fled the city and the Empire getting slowly drunk.
15-1 Male Cat
15-2 Male Basin
15-3 Male Khazaran
15
2
Imperial garrison cavalrymen.
14-1
14-2
16
1
(outside) -
16-1 Orracan widower
17
3
(outside)
Clerics from the convent
17-1 Orracan man
17-2 Shian woman
17-3 Chimp woman
Stage
1
Father and son musicians, Orracan, singing Orracan songs. The son plays baglama (long-neck lute) while the father plays dumbek.
Bar
6
Rowdies
Bar1 - Orracan man
Bar2 - Orracan woman
Bar3 - Chimp man
Bar4 - Cat woman
Bar5 - Dwarf man
Bar6 - Shian man
Mittens
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
(OOC: This is a tavern brawl. No weapons [at least, yet]. You can use improvised weapons, or just RP unarmed combat
Here is a battle map
Initiative Order is:
Ednyss 13
Dolkum 6
Mittens 6
Varielky 5
--Everyone else--
)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Mittens pushes open the door to the inn, and the scene of chaos unfolds before him. His shoulders sag a bit, and he lets out a sigh. He thinks for a moment as he begins to craft an illusion. He performs a complex gesture and utters a few word as his magic takes hold of the light in the room. A golden mist rises into the air, swirling upwards as it does. As suddenly as it appeared it vanishes, and in its place, the Queen resides. Resting upon a golden throne embedded with dazzling display of gems and precious metals, she looks sternly over the raging crowd, her glare cold enough to quell armies. Her regal form is enlarged to be nearly fifteen feet tall, a goddess amongst mortal rabble.
Action: cast silent image.
((OOC: Not sure what kind of check you would want to get everyone to stop))
((OOC: Hmm, that's the weirdest thing. Half of my OOC message above is cut off, but when I go to edit it, all of my message is there. I don't know if everyone else can read it, but I'm trying to say I don't know what I should roll to calm the crowd.))
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
(OOC: The combat is going to take me a second to process and I am going to be pretty busy tonight so I'll just drop these rolls in there and try and update with Ednyss combat actions in the morning tomorrow.)
Ednyss sits down and starts playing his hand for the first round:
Rolls:
Insight: 19
Investigation: 0
Sleight of Hand: 20
Deception: 4
Perception: 17
Insight (Repeat): 14
Inspiration: 6
Guidance: 4
Total: 84+1 = 85 (Success)
Ednyss wins the first hand easily and gives a sly smile to the others at the table as he prepares for the second round.
Rolls:
Insight: 23
Investigation: 7
Sleight of Hand: 16
Deception: 8
Perception: 8
Insight (Repeat): 21
Inspiration: 4
Guidance: 4
Total: 91 (Success)
3 other players (Winnings: 4 x 3 = 12 GP)
Beating the troop on the second round, Ednyss sits back and grins as he cracks his knuckles. This place was really lucky for him. Not one to bow out just when his luck is getting good, Ednyss nods and gets ready to play a third hand when all hell breaks loose.
(OOC: Again, I will update tomorrow morning with Ednyss actions in combat...)
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Idiwalla! I beseech you munificent one to aid our cousin in peace Mittens Toodaloo in bringing calmness and good felllowship to this troubled tavern...
Dolkum catches the babe, and takes a quick look, making certain the child is safe. He hands the child to Varielky, saying to her - Stay close. Let us stop this nonsense now before it gets out of hand, and return the child to her parents, yes?
Round 1 Results
Ednyss 13 - Has just dealt the next hand of Slaughterhouse and notes that one of the players is cheating.
Mittens 6 - Casts his Silent image in the middle of the dance floor.
Dolkum 6 - Catches the baby by its swaddling before it hits the ground, then hands the child to Varielky.
Varielky 5 - Sits in place, defending the baby.
One of the players at the table with Ednyss puts his hand on Ednyss’ shoulder, and says, “We’ll just take this,” while the other one scoops up all the gold on the table, including Ednyss’.
The crowd, bearing sudden witness to the supernatural visitation of an ancient golden queen (Mittens' illusion), halts in its tracks, and is suddenly jarred to near-silence. All save for one. W2, a friendly waiter, was returning to the bar with 6 empty mugs in his hands, calling a spirited “you’re welcome, birthday girl!” over his shoulder to the young woman at Table 13, which rings out after everyone else has been stunned into silence. Oblivious, he’s still looking at her face as she and her friends register astonishment, but the waiter keeps walking, straight through the illusion, not even realizing it is there. A moment later he comes out the other side, waving the empty mugs to fend off the golden queen’s robes as he passes through them, plainly confused, but not deterred. He whistles a happy tune and continues to the bar. He is followed immediately by the 2 musicians, who take advantage of the pause to quickly escape with their instruments held high, tip-toeing directly through the queen and making a bee-line for the exit.
Everyone in the room sees through it now, and the brawl picks up exactly where it left off seconds before, as the ruffians jeer and start coming at each other through Mitten’s image, laughing.
One of the drunk Imperial expatriates (14-1) has gotten up and shouting, "Flocking Imperial scum, GET OUT!" and punches the garrison cavalryman (15-2), who fell over the chair next to Dolkum and is now between him and the baby’s mother, who is still in her chair, on her back on the floor (2-7).
Two of the shifty-looking men at the bar (B5, B6) noticed that Mittens cast that spell, and have moved to him, Successfully grappling Mittens.
Two of the other men have hopped onto the bar. The rowdy youngsters at tables 3 and 9 are having at it, throwing mugs and slugging each other on the dance floor.
Here is how things are oriented at the start of Round 2.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Mittens is hopeful for a moment, but all hope he had evaporated when the server walks through the illusion. He puts his hands on his hips and taps his foot for a moment, pondering what to do next to her everyone to calm down when he is suddenly accosted by the two men. He cries out in surprise and struggles futily against their grip. Calming himself, he performs a quick gesture and mutters something. A crown of twisted darkness burning with a malevolent power forms in the air above the accoster who seems beefier. Fragments of unnerving whispers fill the air.
As this happens, Pooky arches his back for a moment before leaping into the other man's face. Silently, he swarms over his face, poking eyes and such.
Action: cast crown of madness. DC 14 wisdom saving throw or be charmed. If he fails, he will start to beat the crap out of his buddy.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Varielky was eating silently when hell broke loose. Her mind, still busy with something else, took some time to process what's happening until a baby was shoved onto her while her hand instinctively reached for her shield, placing it in front of the baby, protecting it.
She has a moment to shake her head and grasp what's happening when the illusion appears and breaks, just to realise she can't use her sword when holding a baby. She disliked hand-to-hand combat like this. It was always messy and gruesome. Besides, she really couldn't fight while holding a baby and letting go of it - allowing someone to stomp it by mistake - did not seem like a great idea.
Varielky stands up, still holding the shield in front of the baby. She inhales air into her lungs, then roars it out shouting to everybody and nobody at the same time: "By Takal Demesh's might, if you don't want to end this evening with a broken face, YOU WILL CALM DOWN!" That's as far as she'll go to stop this. Beyond this point, it's their problem for disturbing her meal and endangering this baby. Besides, even if she doesn't like fighting this way, one can be measured in tavern brawls, although it isn't a very accurate estimation. If the others won't stop, she's very likely to join the fun.
Intimidation: 11
Varielky
a tavern brawl? Idiwala! This must be part of the plan! Very well...
Dolkum tucks in by getting low and charging the knees of the ruffian being accosted by Pookie, looking to knock the fellow flat. Athletics 16
Ednyss pauses for a second in his deal having just placed his ante for the third round of Slaughterhouse on the table when the fighting was breaking out. As the fighting starts happening and he notices the cheater pulling a card out of his sleeve. Ednyss sighs, cheaters do not deserve to win, but seeing a baby fly through the air and get caught by Varielky is enough to remind him that there are more important things at the moment. Just as he is about to climb on his chair to bolster Varielky's shout, a pair of hooligans come over and just sweep up all of the gold on the table. Cheaters were bad, but thievery was not something that could be ignored. The low growl that escapes Ednyss' throat is the sound of someone who is very close to snapping, and as the hooligans take the gold, Ednyss says, "No, you will not." His eyes flashing for a second with a divine spark, the man who swept up the gold feels his muscles attempting to seize. Ednyss steps up to the hopefully paralyzed figure and takes the bag of gold that the man stole from his hands and place it in his pack. Finally, Ednyss turns back to Varielky and Dolkum scanning the room for Mittens and saying, "We should probably stick together. We fight better as a unit than separately."
Action: Cast Hold Person (Against the Shian that is scooping up the gold)
DC 15 Wisdom Save - On a failure, target is paralyzed
Bonus Action: None
Move: Towards the Shian with the gold
Free Object Interaction: Take the bag from the paralyzed man and placing it in a separate area in his pack to redistribute after the brawl (None if Hold Person failed)
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Round 2 Results
Ednyss 13 - Casts Hold person on the Shian at the card table who attempted to scoop up all the gold, but the man crits his saving throw. Apparently, he was expecting that kind of attack from a cleric-looking guy like you, and he was ready.
Mittens 6 - Casts his Crown of Madness on B6 (the Shian human [the “beefier one”]), who fails his save and, like a puppet on a string, smashes a fist atop the head of his dwarven friend (B5) for 3HP damage, and fails to throw off the charm at the end of his turn. Pookie attacks the Dwarf (B5) too, but misses. The Dwarf (B5) -- grappler of Mittens -- rolls a 1 to tighten his grip and, when he’s pounded by his friend, slips in a puddle of beer and face plants on the floor, with the result that Mittens is no longer grappled. But, that’s when the boy at table 4 (4-3) sees Pookie and says “I WANT him, Daddy!!” and walks shyly over to Mittens just as two large men fall on top of his dad as he tries to grab the boy’s hand, and a mug from table 5 sails over the boys’ head and crashes into the bar. Fearless and focused, with a really cute smile, the Khazaran boy gets close to Mittens, jumps onto the butt of B5, the Dwarf Who Slipped, and grabs Pookie by one leg. Pookie is now grappled by the little Khazaran boy. “HI. My name is Andriy! What’s yours?” he pipes, as another chair topples right next to him, the inn worker still seated upon it crying out and flailing his arms uselessly as he falls.
Dolkum 6 - Dashes towards mittens, and doesn’t notice when one of the young ruffians at table three extends his foot. Dolkum trips, throws out his arms, and takes 2HP damage smashing into the cobblestones and is prone at [M11].
Varielky 5 - Protecting the baby behind her shield, Varielky roars at the tavern to calm down. The entire family seated at the next table (table 2, diligent citizens who were in fact already behaving), in a flash, sit right down in their chairs as one, folding their hands in front of them, eyes staring straight obediently at Varielky, except for the mother, who is now on her knees, facing Varielky across the table, looking everywhere for her infant which seems to have disappeared. She looks terrified and on the verge of freaking out. No one else seems to have heard Varielky amid the tumult.
The Shian hooligan holding Ednyss’ shoulder doesn’t take kindly to the spell, and neither does the woman who scooped up the gold. She finishes doing that, and they both punch Ednyss but both miss (Ednyss can RP this if he wants). The third is not engaged. She grabs the bag of gold from the first and runs for the exit and makes it as far as [S11], ducking and weaving to avoid random thrown objects.
The men standing on the bar jump off of it, and have grabbed the two waiters behind the bar and it looks to Mittens like they’re planning to steal the till. The jumpers seem to be motioning to ‘show them the money.’ Two more men jump atop the bar.
The imperial cavalryman on the floor next to Varielky gets up and punches the expatriate who punched him. They exchange blows. The other cavalryman moved up to help the first, but the other two expatriates got up to help their buddy and are grappling that guy (15-1)
The brawl continues on the dance floor, and a teenager jumps onto table 3, howling with glee.
Here’s where things stand now.
Please post Round 3 actions.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Not again :( Dolkum gets up, scoops a stein off the bar at M12, moves to N13, and throws the mug at the bad guy 5 bothering Mittens
Attack with beer stein Attack: 11 Damage: 2
Panting slightly from the struggle, Mittens escapes from the man's grasp. He stumbles back a few steps looking frazzled with his clothing all rumpled. He shouts to the father of Andriy, "I got him!" He flashes him a thumbs up to get his point across.
Pooky struggles for a moment in the kid's grasp, but he gives up and hangs limply from in the kid's hand. Mittens quickly gets down to eye level with Andriy and explains to him in the tone reserved for children, "I'm Mittens, and you're holding Pooky. Let's go over here so we're out of the way! Then, you can play with him all you want." Straightening up, he slashes his hand through the air towards one of the men offering a waitress. A spectral pair of predatory jaws made of crystalline ice form in the air and clamp down upon the man with frozen teeth. Mittens then grabs Andriy by the wrist and begins leading him towards the doors of the inn. Once he gets there, he puts himself protectivly between Andriy and the chaos before him.
Maintain concentration on crown of madness. The charmed fellow will continue hearing up his buddy.
Action: cast frostbite on B3. DC 14 constitution saving throw or take 6 cold damage and have disadvantage on their next attack.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Varielky sighs as she begins to approach the woman in the near table. She's moving carefully and slowly to avoid getting tripped. Once she gets to the woman, she reveals the baby from under the shield and hands him over. "Excuse me, I believe this one is yours? It might get messy in here, even more than it is already. Maybe you should all move out of here for now, or at least take my table - it's slightly more protected, being near the wall." After that, Varielky cracks the joints of her fingers. "I tried to warn them. Time for actions."
Disengage/dodge to move carefully, whichever is more relevant for the situation.
Varielky