Dragon of Icespire Peak - Campaign 2

SPLAT!

And it’s outa there!

Initiative Over

KD glances quickly at the group to ensure no major or minor injuries and then continues looking around behind the bushes where the skeeters hid. Assuming nothing suspicious is found, she returns and hands Hal a handkerchief to clean off his hand. He hands it back without using it and wipes his hand in the grass after sniffing it. KD hands the handkerchief now to Nova, complimenting her for her hitting skills. 

If no one else has anything to add or say she will send Hal a tiny bit closer to the shrine to scope things out and then return. 

"Well that was gross.  Thanks for helping me back there.  I guess I froze up a bit."  Hamish watches anxiously as Hal scouts ahead.

Onu wipes his blade against the leaves of the bushes, looking down with disgust at the fell creatures.

KD would catch Nova reaching (unsuccessfully) with her tongue, trying to lick her forehead clean. She pauses and grins. Then with a quiet breath, Fae politely accepts the handkerchief offered to clean off Nova’s face. 

The old dirt trail stretches from the outskirts of Conyberry to the shrine, which everyone can first see from a distance. Hal scouts ahead. A ruin stands in the middle of a vast field north of the rocky foothills of the Sword Mountains. An old stone temple with a belfry jutting from its peaked roof is enclosed by stone walls, many sections of which have collapsed. The trail ends at a crumbling gatehouse, the doors to which were sundered long ago. Three of the four towers that once stood at the corners of the outer walls have collapsed. Only the northeast tower remains, and a guard stands atop it.

Onu points at the guard up in the tower and waves the rest of the party into and towards the shadows, ducking down himself.  

"Any ideas on getting past or taking care of that guard?'

Stealth 24

Perception check 5

Trying to see if Hammy can see who the guard is, how they are dressed, any insignia, anything.

(Apologies for the delay folks!)

Clear as day, Hammy can tell that the guard spotted atop the northeast tower is an orc. The wizard had divulged back at the mine that they were the ones who displaced the wererats.

Onu’s wave to the rest of the party is met with a wave from the guard. Then a shout. “AYE! We got a live one!” The guard then begins to bang his axe against the wall to sound the alarm, calling on his fellow guardsmen. He is met with battle cries in return as the group hears the gathering of weapons and the marching of orcs. 

The gatehouse is 20 feet high, and its outer doors have been smashed to flinders. A rusty iron portcullis blocks the exit, but is bypassed by a rubble-filled hole in the southwest corner of the gatehouse. This is where the first orc appears from. Then two… then three… A small army of at least 10, and more, begins to pour out, rushing the group.

Initiative!
(I’ll do this in waves.)
Wave 1: O1: 18 O2: 3 O3: 1 O4: 17 O5: 7 
Wave 2: O6: 17 O7: 17 O8: 5 O9: 5 O10: 16 
Wave 3: O11: 14 O12: 11 O13: 14 O14: 19 O15: 10 

F: 9 N: 20 

Roll Call: Everyone!

Hammy Initiative 6

"Here they come!"

Onu Initiative 4

'Oh dear...'

KD and Hal initiative: 9

(We didn't, erhm, level up from the skeeters, did we? Not that I'm worried or anything...)

(XP is applied when players rest. And I wouldn’t throw anything at yous to intentionally cut you down. It’s all as per suggested in the material. While some DMs may take joy in TPKs, I’d feel like a failure if I did that for the sake of it.)

Initiative - Wave 1
Fae | KD | O4 | Nova | O5 | O2 | Hammy | O1 | Onu

Roll Call: KD! 

Onu shakes his head for a moment, completely caught wrong-footed by being spotted by the guard.  

"Ah-ha, it's a fight they want so it's a fight they'll get!'

Initiative - Wave 1
Fae | KD | O4 | Nova | O5 | O2 | Hammy | O1 | Onu

Fae would pull up her hood. Taking a few tentative steps forward, she begins a soft chant in a harmonic tone and language.

Action: Readying to release an attack once KD does.

Roll Call: KD

"We are alive, and if you want to stay that way yourselves you will stop!" KD shouts at the incoming horde.

KD looks up at the wall, and her position relative to it. If it seems feasible and reasonable for her to encourage the party to get up on the wall rather than be overrun, she pulls off the ladder patch from her robe of useful items and after a 24 foot ladder springs into existence, she leans it up against the wall and climbs, looking to take cover and set up a crow's nest for herself and anyone else who wishes. 

If it does not seem feasible and reasonable, she will look around to find cover somewhere around her, or something more defensible than an open field. She sends a crossbow bolt at the closest orc running at them, assuming they do not desist.

Attack: 23 Damage: 10

Bonus action: Hal

The small metal monkeyman, in either case, tries to set up near Onu or whoever else chooses to stay and duke it out. He readies a force rend for whoever gets close, little hands waving in the air in an interpretation of Onu's normal ready stance.

Attack: 15 Damage: 6

Initiative - Wave 1
Fae | KD | O4 | Nova | O5 | O2 | Hammy | O1 | O3 | Onu | TG
(@RK I like your ingenuity and desire to use your unique item strategically, especially in desire to gain a high vantage point. And from a 'metagame' perspective, KD wouldn't make her shot anyways. By going forward with the ladder, and taking a bit of liberty if I may, I think her leading the group up the tower, taking out/distracting the guard in the tower (TG=Tower Guard), and funneling the baddies is to the groups advantage.)

KD looks up at the wall, and her position relative to it. With quick thinking, she pulls a specific patch from her robe of useful items and with a flick of it, a 24 foot ladder springs into existence. She leans it up against the tower wall and climbs without hesitation, looking to take cover and to set up a crow's nest for herself and others. Reaching the top, the artificer comes face to face with the orc guard who sounded the alarm.

In her peripherals, the wizard recognizes KD's efforts. Rolling her shoulders back and visibly inhaling a deep breath she prepares to unleash the magic from her nightmares. Fae's harmony begins to lower, her voice deepening, raspy in her throat as she continues her steps forward. The woman takes up position ahead of the rest of the group while the first wave of orcs close in on them. Her words become harsh, sharp and her chant builds with intensity as she raises her arms. From beneath her hood, she calculates their approach for maximum effect. Holding her scarred hands ahead of her with thumbs touching, fingers spread, Fae commands. A thin sheet of flames shoot forth from her outstretched fingers, blanketing the oncoming hoard in a 15ft cone of scalding fire.

VS O1, O2, O3, O4, O5
Action: Burning Hands (lvl1) Dex DC13 ST for half damage: 10

RP Fluff

O1 ST: 1 | O2 ST: 9 | O3 ST: 15 | O4 ST: 9 | O5 ST: 11 

"Nova." Fae calls out clearly, chest rising and falling from light exertion. "No holding back."

Nova's ears twitch hearing this. Her stance changes almost entirely. Mismatched eyes focus and narrow in as her stance adjusts entirely. The bubbly, fumbly young woman shifts. While still on her toes and light on her feet, she's moved from play to hunting prey threatening her pack. She nods. Nimble fingers wiggle in preparation for what remains after the flames.

Once the coast was clear of fire, the small metal monkey man lashes out to rend the first orc to break through the smoke to the group. Hal's razor sharp teeth just manage to pierce through raunchy hide armour to penetrate his foe.

[calculating]

Initiative - Wave 1
Fae | KD | O4 | Nova | O5 | O2 | Hammy | O1 | O3 | Onu | TG

Fae's firery onslaught practically leveled the first wave of orcs on the spot. The familiar scent of burnt flesh wafts over the area as the smoke comes to settle. Blistered and boiled, the warriors lumber forward with the intention of relentlessly pressing their attack, with the exception of one. He(O1) took the full brunt of the attack, setting him a blaze. He screams and wails, running off in agony, tripping and crashing into a pile of rubble, where he remains.

Hal's powerful jaws rend his 'brave' target's(O4) cooked flesh, tearing him down on the spot.

Initiative - Wave 1
Fae | KD | Nova | O5(s) | O2(c) | Hammy | O3(s) | Onu | TG

Bringing her fingers to her mouth, Nova lets go a sharp whistle. The tribal marking along her body glow as a waft of wind rushes through the group, swirling around and bursting into cascading shimmery magic. Roots at the base of the tower grow and twist into a totem, and as the magical glitter in the air settles, it takes form of a familiar unicorn, giving off a spiritual presence.

BA - Summon Spirit Totem: 

Pleased with herself, Nova bounces in excitement over her unicorn summon. This could never get old to her. However, she knew she had to focus. Without much further ado, the young woman then climbs the ladder conjured by KD and joins her at the top. Mismatched eyes blink at the guard in the tower. Once again she brings a finger to her mouth. Holding it up she shushes the orc with a visible frosty breath. "Shhh. You're making a scene jellybean!" The numbing frost begins to form on the orc, threatening to freeze his brain.

VS TG
Action: Frostbite Con DC13 ST or take 2 and disadvantage on the next weapon attack roll.

TG ST VS DC13: 6

Initiative - Wave 1
Fae | KD | Nova | O5(s) | O2(c) | Hammy | O3(s) | Onu | TG

Fired up, fried and fierce, two of the surviving front liners roar from the depths of their core, one more hoarse that the other. Training rage fueled eyes ahead, the most nimble of the orcs had it's sights set on the wizard who unleashed the flame. Licking his chapped lips, he kicks off. Rearing his greataxe with a battle cry, he brings his blade crashing down upon the clothwearer.

VS Fae
Attack: 16 Damage: 12

Barely able to function, the other orc simply allows for muscle memory to take over. He cries out along with his companion and lunges forth, slashing at the metal monkey 'feasting' on his brother in arms.

VS Hal
Attack: 9 Damage: 4

Initiative - Wave 1
Fae | KD | Nova | O5(s) | O2(c) | Hammy | O3(s) | Onu | TG

Roll Call: Hammy!

Hamish sees the onslaught coming and shouts a warning to his friends.  As a bonus action, Spiritual Weapon.  A hand holding a set of scales appears and begins swinging them like a double headed flail at the first Orc it can hit.  Attack: 6 Damage: 9

Initiative - Wave 1
Fae | KD | Nova | O5(s) | O2(c) | Hammy | O3(s) | Onu | TG

The spiritual scales swing with great accuracy, raining judgement down upon the singed orc. He gets smashed down, and doesn’t get back up again.

Initiative - Wave 1
Fae | KD | Nova | O5(s) | O2(c) | Hammy | Onu | TG
(Second wave comes in after TG)

Roll Call: Onu!

Onu follows the party to the base of the ladder, waving at Hammy to join him and urging the reluctant cleric to make his way up and onto the tower.

Swinging his gleaming blade, the monk moves forward to strike at the Orc attacking Fae

Attack: 11 Damage: 8
Bonus Flurry of Blows:
Unarmed Attack 1: 9 Damage: 5
Unarmed Attack 2: 12 Damage: 6
Move: Moves towards the ladder without giving any room of Opp Attacks