(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown

Grugga rounds the corner and looks at the huge vulture statue. "Gaudy..." he says, but he sounds impressed.

"What could these creatures be...?" he says in bewilderment. "Were those torches set to go off automatically, or is something there?"

He quickly checks to see if he can see a trigger for some sort of spell. Arcana: 16. Then he calls out into the chamber, "Hello? Talk with us."

Leelan goes to rejoin the others as Rohuzar beckons them. The huge mirror on the wall catches his attention, and he goes to investigate it, looking for anything that stands out from a regular mirror.

Investigate: 20

I need a WIS save from Leelan and then I can provide an update and a map.

(Uh oh…)

Wisdom save: 13

(If it’s magic, Gnome cunning applies, giving me adv.)

Wisdom save: 13

Grugga cannot see anything, like a glyph or a trap, leaving him with the impression something or someone else activates these torches.

Leelan takes a close look at the mirror.  It indeed seems to have some unnatural properties, for as he stares into it, the reflection slowly fades and he is shown a hellish landscape.  The souls of the lost wander her in torment and confusion.  Among the limitless hordes of dead, he sees a familiar figure... No!  He recognizes this for the illusion it is and turns away before he can be influenced by its dark magic.  [Leelan successfully avoids the frightened condition.]

Aubrey notes that the altar is still decorated as if ready for mass, with a large book of scripture and many unlit candles laid out.  There are also a stack of masks.  Some of the flat, faceless masks, others carved to look like vultures, wolves, or skulls.

When Aubrey sends Furvus into the ethereal, things start to happen.

Aubrey:

 A cruel and cackling voice booms out, first from all around you, then centering on a point back on the other side of the table, where a hideous old woman appears.  "You should have left when I gave you the chance.  Now, you have seen too much and you may never leave.  Soon, new blood will claim these halls, and I will guide them into the proper worship of my master, the Lord of Fear and Despair!  Once again, his hunger will be sated with the screams of the lost and forsaken!"

The night hag readies a spell, and another shape, hideous and malformed, appears nears the steps down into the cavern, blocking your retreat.

INITIATIVE

• Night Hag/Rutterkin  7
• Aubrey  5
• Guilim  7
• Grugga  10
• Leelan  7
• Rohuzar  6

Grugga curses in Dwarven and dives past the torches to take cover behind the dining room table. He grasps the handle of the cord that "starts" Zap and pulls, spinning a facsimile of life into the spinning-top robot. (action activate steel defender). He whistles and points to where the wall and the ceiling meets to the south of him - ordering Zip to fly over and start blasting the blue woman. (bonus action) (Zip can move 30 ft and his range is 30 ft, so if it's possible to move and be in range of the night hag, that's where it is)

Zip attack: Attack: 12 Damage: 5 force

He yells out: "Surrender! We've... we've got you surrounded!" He doesn't sound so certain of himself...

Still somewhat shaken by the sight shown by the mirror, Leelan shakes his head to regain his composure. Hearing their enemy come into the cavern and announcing itself, he springs into action and is going to move behind cover of the piece of furniture just south of him (2 hexes south).

Once he has a visual on the creature, he quickly rifles through his notes in order to see if can learn anything of this hag’s strengths and weaknesses. (Action to use Hunter’s sense)

 Once he has the knowledge he needs, he will focus all his attention on the hag. (Bonus action to put Slayer’s Prey on the hag)

Guilim will move ahead to charge the hag, stopping once he moves 25 feet closet toward the hag. Then he will pause and ready himself to defend against anything she may try to hit him with.

Guilim takes the the Dodge action.

The Rutterkin howls and jibbers, pacing back and forth near the stairs, but it does not advance.

The Night Hag extends a bony finger toward a point just inside the ring of candelabras and intones, "Zi qi xi xi jig."  The words have a hypnotic tone and you all feel your eyelids growing heavy, except for Guilim who is outside the reach of the spell.  29

 Her spell is enough to drag Leelan into the depths of Sleep.  Overcome, he settles down onto the floor, unconscious.

The Night Hag then retreats 15' back towards the stairs, laughing maniacally.

Zip's energy blast connects with the hag, ruining her good time and bringing her laughter to a snarling halt.

Rohuzar moves to Leeland and wakes him up.

"Something is off again. It's a trickster."

His hex still making the cackling hag a bit clumsier than normal in her movements (Hex, dex) Aubrey unleashes a beam of golden crackling eldritch force towards her.
Eldritch blast: 24 Force: 8  Necrotic: 3
He then moves northwest into full cover, Furvus following close.

Aubrey's blast catches the witch as she retreats further away.

Grugga extracts a small tin of crushed up purple crystal, which he dabs his finger in and draws two streaks of warpaint on his cheeks. The tiny flakes of crystal bury themselves into his skin, glowing slightly. (Cast heroism).

He moves 5 feet north ((or up on the map)) and as far west as he can ((assuming he can push past the chairs in those squares without a problem)). Zap follows on his heels.

While he's moving, he points to a new spot for Zip, directly south of the hag along the wall, and orders another blast.

Attack: 25 Damage: 4 force

"Give up, hag! We know your kind, and you're no match for us!" The magical warpaint seems to have shored up his resolve.

Leelan:  

As the hag casts her spell, Leelan begins feeling drowzy and then crumbles to the ground, asleep. But not for long, as their fearless leader, Rohuzar, shakes him awake. The gnome slowly rises from his slumber to his feet. He assesses the situation, before turning back to the orc. 

He chants a few arcane words before splashing the leader with powdered silver and iron. It forms a protective ward around Rohuzar. (Action: cast protection from evil and good) 

He then quickly blurts out:

"You’ll need magic to significantly hurt this creature. But try avoiding heat and cold, those will barely hurt it."

Guilim will move towards the hag but hold back, moving to ready his weapon and get into his stance. He will hold back and wait for either the hag or her creature to come closer to him.

Guilim holds his action until one of them gets close to be in bis attack range.

The Hag cackles again.  "You don't know my kind, child," she taunts Grugga.  "But perhaps I may be willing to teach you something...."

Her attention is then diverted to Leelan and Rohuzar.  "Hrk.  Tsk tsk.  Now that isn't fair.  But I can work around it.  There is always an angle, little ones.  And in my home, the angles are all acutely against you."  She then extends flares out her fingers and 3 motes of force fly out and chart a course directly for Rohuzar, dealing 2, 2 and 4 damage.

Then she continues to back up 20' closer to the chained doorway.

The other demon continues to wave its arms and make disgusting sounds near the exit stairs.

Rohuzar casts expeditious retreat to quicken his feet, and bring him to the hag, trying to keep her between him and the other beast, and swing at her with his silver sword

Attack: 16 Damage: 6 

Aubrey steps out from his cover and unleashes another beam of golden crackling eldritch force towards the cackling hag.
Eldritch blast: 18 Force: 7 Necrotic: 5