"Okay?"Varielky is willing to trust Snow, but she's confused that he asks her first. What can he be thinking of, she couldn't imagine. Or maybe he was trying to be considerate for some reason? "Do what you deem right. On Auger's mark?"
Varielky isn't sure what Snow wants to do, so for now, she prepares to draw her sword and act normally. She'll have to adapt to whatever happens, but what is a warrior who can't adapt to the dynamics of a battlefield?
At Snow's nod, Auger grimly nods back and enters the Sea of Stars, and through the Sea back into the Yemma's Diadem. Here he finds the burning powers of unfettered light seething and sparking and seeking release. Within the veil of Snow's covering magic, the diadem begins emitting light. Auger steps out from the protection of the cover and towards the set of imperials nearby. Then as quickly as he can, Auger draws forth a pair of molten lights from the Diadem, which briefly cause both ends of his rod to shine light and send fizzing sparkles in all direction. Then grasping it in the middle, he raises the short rod above his head and the two lights, trailing sparks, travel forward into and amongst the men and their siege engines, where, no longer contained by Auger or the Diadem, they release their burning energies into the people and objects that surround them.
Details:
Move: To V25
Action: Expend two charges from the Yemma's Diadem. Each is a 3x3 square cube, one centered at S22 and the other centered at O22. Roll is for 10 points of fire damage for any who fail their save.
Shooting Stars. You can expend 1 to 3 charges as an action. For every charge you expend, you launch a glowing mote of light from the diadem at a point you can see within 60 feet of you. Each creature within a 15-foot cube originating from that point is showered in sparks and must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5d4 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Bonus Action: Intention is to also fire a Guiding Bolt from the Diadem, but not sure if Shooting Stars counts as a levelled spell or not so this potentially cannot happen (and hence does not appear in the RP above). Rolls are presented in case I am wrong, target would be the closest guard still standing, likely 34.
Guiding Bolt. To hit = 22. Damage = 5 radiant.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Seeing Auger's fireworks display is the cue Snow was waiting for and he draws his bow across the strings of his violin, once again playing the instrument freely. He draws all his magical potential into the void within the violin, coalescing it there, building it's potential.
He then points the bow at Varielky and the magical energy surges into her, the power taking hold of her as he releases the transformative energies.
As he does so, the music inspires her as he watches the results of his handy work.
Bonus Action: Bardic Inspiration for Varielky (1d8) Action: Casts Polymorph on Varielky turning her into a Giant Ape Movement: Makes sure he is in lots of cover Reaction:
If anyone attacks him - “Let's not be enemies, enjoy the music, relax and have a little fun”
Cutting Words: 8+2=10
(OOC: I have left it for Varielky to describe her transformation. Giant Apes are fairly intelligent and have all the opposable thumbs and things to potentially allow Varielky to use her abilities, which I guess the DM may need to make a judgement on. Hope she has fun with it however it works :-) )
Over the last few months, Varielky has been the target of various spells that affected her body. Some made her stronger, some simply enlarged her. While she may never truly get used to such unnatural changes, she was able to adapt to them quickly every time and was no longer surprised by them, mostly. Never would she imagine herself turning into an animal, despite having seen Snow's magic turn a powerful enemy into a tortoise in the past.
Varielky's body rapidly grows in size, swallowing her armour, clothes, weapons and all other gear. It is far from a simple scale-up of Varielky, though. Dark hairs grow all over the new body, forming soft fur that covers her entire body, except the face, palms and feet. At this size, the fur might appear relatively short, but each hair is not much shorter than Varielky's normal hairs, which are longer than most women's. Her physique changes as well. Relatively to the rest of her body, her arms are longer now, her whole body wider and her back slightly arched. Her face changed as well, no longer resembling Varielky's at all. Her jaw - and mouth as a result - now stick forward, making the face no longer flat as a Human's. Her ears grow larger than in proportion to the rest of the head. The only part that still resembles Varielky is her eyes, light blue but now much larger, as proportionally fitting for the rest of the new body. The animal now standing where Varielky just did, or perhaps Varielky in a new form, resembles the Chimps that might walk these streets during the day, but more primitive, and of course, enormous.
(OOC: While we might imagine Kong or a Gorilla (I mean, Kong is imagined after gorillas), gorillas are actually very shy creatures, and we don't need Varielky to be that. Also, chimps are just closer to Humans, assuming evolution is the same in fantasy worlds. So... imagine a 15' tall chimpanzee.)
Chimparielky the giant ape leaps forward, and yells. A loud, higher-pitched-than-expected battle cry. She grabs onto the trunk of the nearby tree, the poor thing bearing the immense weight and allows Varielky to swing from it and launch herself farther to land next to the scorched guards nearby. She slams her hands down at the nearest two guards as she lands. Even though Varielky was never a tree-tall chimp before, everything feels completely natural, as if she was never anything else before. The knowledge that she is actually Varielky, a Human and not a giant ape is there but also feels clouded. Still, as natural as the movements may be, it's still so fundamentally different from anything Varielky ever experienced that she ends up slamming the ground right next to one guard, just barely missing it. He may have even felt the hairs brushing against him. The other guard, on the other hand, was not as lucky. Its bones are crushed, and a flattened body now lies beneath the giant chimpanzee.
Movement: To 24-R (as a Huge creature Varielky should fill 3x3 on the map now, so I'll just refer to the centre of that square). Action: Multiattack. Attack #1 against #51: 4+9=13. Attack #2 against #35: 11+9=20, 16+6=22 damage.
Auger’s shooting stars and Guiding Bolt all hit their targets, and two siege engines are singed and blackened by starfire. One of the garrison guards (#33) had already been injured and succumbs to the flames. Three more and one of their sergeants (#51) all take full damage and scream in agony, whirling about to confront the source of this tremendous magical assault (31, 32, 34, 51). The guiding bolt follows, finishing off #34 who is outlined in bright light before he is transformed into ash.
#35 Is the only one who jumps away from the flames, taking no damage. Sneering at Auger, he is the first to be smashed flat in one blow by Varielky in giant chimp form. The veteran (#51) keeps his head and steps back just enough to avoid her other huge fist.
He, the veteran, orders the injured to run for help, and they flee, dodging, around the corner, shouting in alarm. The veteran falls back across the courtyard. Up the alley toward the temple steps, Varielky sees another veteran rush toward her to see what is happening. She then stop in his tracks, and disappear from view again back down the alley, shouting commands to the archers under her command.
Meanwhile, #52, another veteran, witnessing the fiery assault and the giant chimpanzee, orders the garrison men nearby to form a line and ready attacks with long curved swords and shields against any who enter melee range.
His eyes fully on the imperials to ensure they are burning as intended, Auger finds he is disappointed to see several of them falling back. The ones in the distance, predictably were forming up and coming forward. He thinks to possibly draw more power from the Diadem, when the --- the chimp? The enormous over-sized chimp appears and joins the fight, ending one of the imperials with little effort. Where did that come from? Looking back, and seeing Snow playing and intently watching the chimp, Auger cannot help but smile. Yes, the Captain had proven himself a worthy companion again and again, but where did Varielky go...? Could she be...? Is that?
Auger shakes his head and decides to move to clear his view, and to give... the Chimp the room it needs to attack. Auger steps towards and then around one of the burning siege engines and again draws forth energies from the Diadem, releasing a bolt of energy towards the sergeant who appears to be leading them, hitting him and causing him to glow with a burning light. Then he sends his twisting blasts into the pair closest to him, hitting each of them and sending them tumbling backwards and into the building or into the other siege engine. Yes, that engine would also need to burn.
Py, keep me aware of what is coming around that corner ahead of us.
Details
Py: In the setup conversation I had Py placed at N19 a few floors up. Py is attached to a wall or perhaps on a window sill, invisibly watching and relaying whether the imperials are noticing anything (presumably they are). Or perhaps it flies up and that way now.
Move (Auger): To S21
Bonus Action: Diadem's Guiding Bolt, targeting 51. 23 for 9 points of radiant damage. Assuming that hit, 51 now glows and presents advantage to attackers until the end of Auger's next turn.
Snow watches Varielky transform and let's out a little whoop of joy as she immediately flings herself into the fray without missing a beat. Now that things were happening, he decides to take a more cautious approach. He stops playing and steps forward under the branches of the tree, so as to be hidden from view by those on the rooftops above by the branches and from those on the ground by the trunk.
His violin still in hand, he channels energy through it and whistles a haunting melody that only the veteran that just appeared can hear.
Concentration: Polymorph Movement: Moves to V23 Action: Dissonant Whispers on #52, DC18 Wis save or take 10 damage and use it’s reaction to run it’s full speed away. On a save it takes 5 damage. Reaction:
Chimparielky would normally chase after the fleeing foes, but now that they're forming a defensive line with their sharp metallic sticks, it seems dangerous to get close. So instead, she picks up the remains of the smashed guard, then crumples the armour and what's inside into a dense mass, as easily as one might crumple paper into a ball.
This ball Chimparielky lobs at the line of tiny men, and it crashes against one of them, then crushing him into the wall nearby.
Action: Rock, against #38. Attack: 9+9=18. Damage: 21+6=27.
From the south-facing wall a few stories up at N19, Py sees nothing Auger can’t already see. The fey alyasub swivels to the corner of the building where it can peer up the alley to the Temple Steps. ‘They’re changing positions, master.’
Auger’s Guiding Bolt crackles over the courtyard floor to strike the garrison sergeant full on. The Khazaran imperial raises his shield to deflect the bolt, but it’s too powerful, splaying over the shield’s surface before regathering and crackling up his arm, shoulder and chest. He grunts in pain. Unable to dodge the warlock's twisting blasts, guards 37 and 39 are blown off their feet into the wall behind them, crashing and falling to the ground like rag dolls, before rolling back to their unsteady feet.
Snow’s Haunting Melody pierces the other sergeant’s mind like hot pouring lava. He grinds his teeth in pain, and his tongue too, and, blood dripping from mouth and ears, screams and scrabbles away across the sandy cobblestones leaving the fighters under his command wide-eyed and fearful.
(OOC: Snow: The trees marked on the map are palm trees and offer very little cover except to missile attacks from directly above.)
Chimparielky’s human missile crashes into fighter 38 with unexpected ferocity, breaking his neck in an instant and sending him careening against the courtyard’s south wall.
Sergeant 52 regains his composure and shouts a retreat while picking up a spear, which he throws at Chimparielky (OOC: I think AC12 makes the most sense), hitting for 6HP damage.
36 disobeys the command to retreat after seeing his friends mowed down, and goes berserk, leaping at the giant chimp, hitting with his long curved blade for 9HP damage.
51 likewise picks up a spear and throws it at the giant primate, hitting for 7HP, then he retreats up the alley shouting at 36 to retreat.
Py sends a warning to Auger. ‘Master, I see archers on the rooftops over the alley!’
Listening to Py, Auger says to the others, "Watch for the archers up on the roofs."
Reaching into the Sea of Stars Auger creates a strange alyasub, dripping with purple energies, which he sends inexorably into the still glowing sergeant across the way. As the energies touch him, the soldier finds his strength is being sapped. Then Auger steps forward taking advantage of his glowing form and targets him with a pair of twisting blasts.
Bonus Action: Cast Hex, targeting 52. 52 now has disadvantage on strength-based ability checks and takes an additional 1d6 necrotic when Auger hits him with an attack.
Move: To P21
Action: Casts Eldritch Blast, targeting 52 with both beams and pushing 10' on a hit. Rolling with advantage due to Guiding Bolt hit in previous round.
Beam 1: 29 for 7 force damage and 2 necrotic damage
Beam 2: 29 for 8 force damage and 5 necrotic damage
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Chimparielky screams in pain. Those big sticks may not kill her anytime soon, but they hurt. She needs to get somewhere where the pointed sticks cannot hurt her. Most of the tiny men ran away anyway, so she needn't worry about the companions behind her. One was pushed away far enough, she guesses. The other, right near her... Chimparielky grabs the pest in her big palm and hurls it away. A horrible sound fills the area when the man hits the ground, where his body will remain motionless.
Meanwhile, Chimparielky runs to the nearest cliff. The trees here were too small, almost like bushes. The next best high ground is on top of those big square houses, which the Chimp recognises as houses, though it doesn't think of them as such. She climbs on those stone walls with ease, pulling herself up onto the roof, where she finds more tiny armed men.
Action: Fist against 36. Attack: 13+9=22. Damage: 20+6=26. I believe that's enough to kill it. Movement: Towards the near house, then up the wall. With 40' movement and climbing speed, I believe she can get to the top at around R-19? If she has movement left, she'd get as close to the guards on the roof there as she can.
Snow watches Chimparielky climb the wall and sees Auger sending his twisting blasts, deciding the best thing for him to do at this moment is to hang back and not risk getting hurt and loses his concentration.
He readies himself to throw a verbal assault at anyone who looks to target him.
Movement: none Action: ReadyVicious Mockery - 2 psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Round 3 Results
The Khazaran veteran witnesses Auger’s magical hex fly into him and feels the vitality seeping from him before he is blasted twice in succession by the warlock’s twisting beams. He is thrown back against the wall, then scraped against it like a beetle pushed down a path by a child with a stick.
Garrison fighter 36 raises his shield as Chimparielky raises a fist to hammer him, but his strength is nothing compared to the immense primate. When the black-haired fist comes down, it snaps his back and legs and caves in his ribcage, darkening the sandy cobblestones with blood spraying like chunks of a smashed melon, and sending his soul to Ellosh in an instant.
The building is six stories (70’) tall. Chimparielky makes it part way up the wall (20’), punching in windows to gain hand- and footholds as she goes, with screeches of terror coming from Kalahati-ur hiding in their homes within the building.
Seeing his men moving safely out of harm’s way, the Khazaran imperial sergeant (#52) breaks into a run and disappears from view to the west down a curving alley.
Archers appear on the rooftops, taking careful shots with long bows then pulling back out of sight.
#16 & #20 target Auger. #16 rolls 17 for 6HP damage. #20 rolls a 1, slips on a roof tile, his aim is thrown for off, and the arrow plunks into the back of his fallen friend #33, who had been playing dead with 1HP and now expires for good.
Six archers 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19 target Chimparielky shouting to each other, “It’s got a hard head! Aim for the chest! Get it’s arms so it falls!”
#13: 7 to hit for 6 HP
#14: 9 to hit for 9 HP
#15: 13 to hit for 6 HP
#17: 6 to hit for 5 HP
#18: 10 to hit for 5 HP
#19: 10 to hit for 9 HP
E The arrow from #13 is a crit and does double damage.
Across the alley and further north toward the temple courtyard, more archers on rooftops do the same thing, firing at the giant chimp.
#13: 8 to hit for 7 HP
#14: 6 to hit for 7 HP
#15: 18 to hit for 2 HP
Lol - I pasted incorrectly. Ignore the second rolls for #13-#15 directly above. And it was #14, not #13 which critted.
At the end of the alley, archers and sorcerers have moved to the opposite site of overturned carts, taking cover behind them. These archers fire at Chimparielky as well.
#3: 9 to hit for 6 HP
#4: 9 to hit for 3 HP
Pale green beams, sheathed in a putrid gaseous effervescence, extend from the open mouths of the two sorcerers, #21 & #22, directly toward Chimparielky.
#21: 17 to hit for 8 HP poison damage.*
#22: 7 to hit for 6 HP poison damage.*
*If either of these hit, make a CON 13 save or suffer the poisoned condition until the end of the sorcerers’ next turn.
(OOC: Auger maintains his concentration on Hex which continues to affect the running 52.)
That one is seeking reinforcements - chase him, see if you can put him to sleep!
Auger lets out a gasp of pain as the arrow hits him and meanwhile he watches the Giant Chimp makes its way up the side of the building towards the archers who had targeted him. Seeing the number of arrows being fired at her, Auger realizes that giant or not, she still needs some support. He moves forward to the corner, peeks around it and sees a number of forces arrayed there and thinks again of the Yemma's Diadem. First he draws forth another bolt of light and sends it into the one in the middle of the street. Then he again releases a pair of burning motes. Finally he steps back and maintains a position directly beneath ... Chimparielky?
Py: Using Py's attack ability would take up Auger's action so treat the command as RP, Auger is using his actions in this round at least. Dashing, Py should be at about A25.
Move: to N20 to peek around corner or M20 if that is required for the following actions. Intent is to get some cover from possible arrow fire while he takes his actions
Bonus Action: Casts the Yemma's Guiding Bolt, targeting 51. Roll is 18 for 5 points of radiant damage, and he glows (advantage on attacks against until end of Auger's next turn).
Action: Expends two more charges and releases two more burning motes. Each creates a 3x3 square of fire. One is centered at M12 and the other at K12. 52 and 31 should both be burned twice. The motes will do 13 points of fire damage.
Shooting Stars. You can expend 1 to 3 charges as an action. For every charge you expend, you launch a glowing mote of light from the diadem at a point you can see within 60 feet of you. Each creature within a 15-foot cube originating from that point is showered in sparks and must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5d4 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Move: To O20, under Chimparielky and tight to the building for cover.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
A deafening cry fills the street in response to this barrage of arrows and spells. Chimparielky climbs up the building in a rush to get to the top as quickly as possible. When she reaches the top, she pulls herself up and with great force, into the air, just to land behind all those archers. Although definitely intimidating, the Chimp isn't unharmed. Many arrows now line its chest, and other wounds from spears and curved swords show in a few places. Moreover, its face looks a bit pale, and despite how easy it was for it to climb, it is breathing heavily. Varielky has always been easily affected by poisons - as repeated experiences taught her - and it seems the Chimp form was no different.
Constitution saves: 6 and 8. Not that two failures make a difference, but still. Action: Dash. Move: With 80' movement and climbing speed, should get to around P-18?
Snow watches Chimparielky reach the top of the building from the safety of his position under the palm tree, most of his view obstructed by the large leaves. She was now out of range of anything he can do to help her, with the exception of ensuring he does not lose his focus on the transformation.
"Varielky seems to be having fun. What is the situation around the corner?", he whispers to Auger.
Py dashes away. If Auger wishes for it to pursue the fleeing veteran, the fey alyasub will move out of telepathic range next turn and will engage in a separate “chase” scene and no longer be involved in this combat.
Auger shifts under the giant chimp and is pelted with broken glass and chipped rock, plaster, and wood shards, the detritus resulting from the huge creature’s punching-in of windows and scrabbling up the wall to scale the six-story residential building. Auger takes 1HP bludgeoning damage from heavy falling chunks. The warlock’s Guiding Bolt strikes its mark. Starfire from the Yemma’s diadem flashes, consuming fighters 3, 4, 31, 32 and 39, who scream in pain and terror and are silenced forever, only smoking bones remaining to slump to the sandy pavement like marionettes whose master has cut the strings holding them erect. The sergeant (#51) falls to his knees, groaning in agony.
Flames dance over the two sorcerers, who throw up their cloaks in front of their faces and manage to avoid the attack’s worst effects.
Chimparielky flips up over the building’s facade to land behind the archers. The roof is stable, but not used to a ton of muscled primate crashing onto it. (OOC: I rolled for Chimparielky’s vault “attack” on the roof: natural 20, lol!). The roof caves in under the weight of the chimp. Plaster dust and sand explodes outwards and the archers must turn away to protect their eyes. Chimparielky finds herself completely filling a large bedroom, and half of a bed, on which a young pair of lovers are holding each other and screaming, one putting themselves between the chimp and the other.
The crashing roof falls out from under #18, who loses her footing and falls, screaming, off the top of the building to crash onto the pavement far below, her skull exploding within her helm on impact.
Archers 16, 17, and 19 fire into the swirling dust and the darkness into which the giant chimp has fallen, at disadvantage due to the obstructions. Two hit nevertheless, at point blank range, for 18HP damage total.
Archers 13, 14, 15 and 20 take turns peeking over the edge of the building, firing at Auger, then retreating to safety on the rooftop. Auger gets +2AC for cover. 15 rolls a 23 for 3HP, and 20 rolls a 19 for 9HP. The other shots deflect off of the building’s edge.
Now, one of the huge lizards, feet slapping as it runs carrying three garrison fighters with lances, charges down the alley and rounds the corner, apparently directed by sergeant #51 who yet lives. Two of the riders attack Auger with lances, the first one missing, the second rolling 19 for 8HP damage. A rope-like tongue lashes out of the 4-foot long sharp-toothed maw of the lizard, slapping the air in front of Auger.
Thinking himself safe under Chimparielky, Auger is not fully aware of the chips of stone and glass that fall upon him and so in that moment his connection to the Sea of Stars is disrupted and the fleeing sergeant regains his strength.
In response to Snow, Auger begins a reply, "Several at the far mouth of the alley, I have burned them and--!"
Auger stops replying as arrows and then attackers fall upon him. Accessing his own powers Auger manages to redirect all the arrows and to hold himself unharmed from the attacks of the lizard and the lancers. But still, he was no warrior and yet he was set upon by numerous foes at close range. In the past he would moveshort distances and attempt to outrun foes, but a recent thought had occurred to him, involving a combination of a pair of abilities. Reaching into the Sea of Stars, Auger empowers himself, but not as a charmer, instead as an immense source of terror and despair. Auger then reaches into the minds of those nearby and as he has before, but this time en masse, he shows them the entirety of the universe, their minor role within it, while he, Auger personifies it all and judges them meaningless and wanting. Each of them, the riders, the lizard, any others nearby (and perhaps even around corners) experience it all in their own way. But they all face a soul-shattering fear and must contend with it. Or run.
Finally, Auger sights an archer on the roof and sends one of the Yemma's Guiding Bolts in his direction, before repositioning again to obtain cover, if he can.
Py should continue its chase. Auger is too busy to give a new command.
Concentration roll: 9 - no more Hex.
Reaction: Casts Shield. AC becomes 24 to arrow-fire (yay cover!) and 22 to melee attackers.
Move: Repositions as needed to ensure the lizard and all riders experience the full effect of...
Action: Casts Fear, intending to catch 12, 11, 10 and the lizard in the 30' cone. WIS 18 Saving throw or they must drop things and run away per spell description. They cannot save again until Auger is out of their sight.
Bonus Action: Yemma's Guiding Bolt, targeting 13 on the roof, a 13 for 9 points of radiant damage if that happens to hit.
Move: If able to without causing opportunity attacks, Auger resumes a position where he has some cover, against the building.
Seeing the giant lizard bringing guards around the corner and attacking Auger, Snow channels his magic through his violin once again and whistles the familiar haunting melody. Well, familiar to those he targets, which in this case is the giant lizard.
He remains in place under the palm tree, keeping a close eye and ear on the situation around them.
Concentration: Polymorph Movement: None Action: Cast Dissonant Whispers on giant lizard, DC18 Wis save or take 9 damage and use it’s reaction to run it’s full speed away. On a save it takes 4 damage. Reaction:
If anyone attacks him - “Watch out, the giant Chimp is behind you!”
Cutting Words: 3+2=5
(OOC: Dissonant Whispers and Fear should stack, so on two fails the lizard uses it's reaction to Dash away immediately, and then on it's turn it's movement to run away and it's action Dash to run as well, only making a second Fear save at the end of it's next turn)
"Okay?" Varielky is willing to trust Snow, but she's confused that he asks her first. What can he be thinking of, she couldn't imagine. Or maybe he was trying to be considerate for some reason? "Do what you deem right. On Auger's mark?"
Varielky isn't sure what Snow wants to do, so for now, she prepares to draw her sword and act normally. She'll have to adapt to whatever happens, but what is a warrior who can't adapt to the dynamics of a battlefield?
Varielky
Snow nods and looks to Auger to kick things off...
At Snow's nod, Auger grimly nods back and enters the Sea of Stars, and through the Sea back into the Yemma's Diadem. Here he finds the burning powers of unfettered light seething and sparking and seeking release. Within the veil of Snow's covering magic, the diadem begins emitting light. Auger steps out from the protection of the cover and towards the set of imperials nearby. Then as quickly as he can, Auger draws forth a pair of molten lights from the Diadem, which briefly cause both ends of his rod to shine light and send fizzing sparkles in all direction. Then grasping it in the middle, he raises the short rod above his head and the two lights, trailing sparks, travel forward into and amongst the men and their siege engines, where, no longer contained by Auger or the Diadem, they release their burning energies into the people and objects that surround them.
Details:
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Seeing Auger's fireworks display is the cue Snow was waiting for and he draws his bow across the strings of his violin, once again playing the instrument freely. He draws all his magical potential into the void within the violin, coalescing it there, building it's potential.
He then points the bow at Varielky and the magical energy surges into her, the power taking hold of her as he releases the transformative energies.
As he does so, the music inspires her as he watches the results of his handy work.
Bonus Action: Bardic Inspiration for Varielky (1d8)
Action: Casts Polymorph on Varielky turning her into a Giant Ape
Movement: Makes sure he is in lots of cover
Reaction:
If anyone attacks him - “Let's not be enemies, enjoy the music, relax and have a little fun”
Cutting Words: 8+2=10
(OOC: I have left it for Varielky to describe her transformation. Giant Apes are fairly intelligent and have all the opposable thumbs and things to potentially allow Varielky to use her abilities, which I guess the DM may need to make a judgement on. Hope she has fun with it however it works :-) )
Over the last few months, Varielky has been the target of various spells that affected her body. Some made her stronger, some simply enlarged her. While she may never truly get used to such unnatural changes, she was able to adapt to them quickly every time and was no longer surprised by them, mostly. Never would she imagine herself turning into an animal, despite having seen Snow's magic turn a powerful enemy into a tortoise in the past.
Varielky's body rapidly grows in size, swallowing her armour, clothes, weapons and all other gear. It is far from a simple scale-up of Varielky, though. Dark hairs grow all over the new body, forming soft fur that covers her entire body, except the face, palms and feet. At this size, the fur might appear relatively short, but each hair is not much shorter than Varielky's normal hairs, which are longer than most women's. Her physique changes as well. Relatively to the rest of her body, her arms are longer now, her whole body wider and her back slightly arched. Her face changed as well, no longer resembling Varielky's at all. Her jaw - and mouth as a result - now stick forward, making the face no longer flat as a Human's. Her ears grow larger than in proportion to the rest of the head. The only part that still resembles Varielky is her eyes, light blue but now much larger, as proportionally fitting for the rest of the new body. The animal now standing where Varielky just did, or perhaps Varielky in a new form, resembles the Chimps that might walk these streets during the day, but more primitive, and of course, enormous.
(OOC: While we might imagine Kong or a Gorilla (I mean, Kong is imagined after gorillas), gorillas are actually very shy creatures, and we don't need Varielky to be that. Also, chimps are just closer to Humans, assuming evolution is the same in fantasy worlds. So... imagine a 15' tall chimpanzee.)
Chimparielky the giant ape leaps forward, and yells. A loud, higher-pitched-than-expected battle cry. She grabs onto the trunk of the nearby tree, the poor thing bearing the immense weight and allows Varielky to swing from it and launch herself farther to land next to the scorched guards nearby. She slams her hands down at the nearest two guards as she lands. Even though Varielky was never a tree-tall chimp before, everything feels completely natural, as if she was never anything else before. The knowledge that she is actually Varielky, a Human and not a giant ape is there but also feels clouded. Still, as natural as the movements may be, it's still so fundamentally different from anything Varielky ever experienced that she ends up slamming the ground right next to one guard, just barely missing it. He may have even felt the hairs brushing against him. The other guard, on the other hand, was not as lucky. Its bones are crushed, and a flattened body now lies beneath the giant chimpanzee.
Movement: To 24-R (as a Huge creature Varielky should fill 3x3 on the map now, so I'll just refer to the centre of that square).
Action: Multiattack.
Attack #1 against #51: 4+9=13.
Attack #2 against #35: 11+9=20, 16+6=22 damage.
Varielky
Round 1 Results
Auger’s shooting stars and Guiding Bolt all hit their targets, and two siege engines are singed and blackened by starfire. One of the garrison guards (#33) had already been injured and succumbs to the flames. Three more and one of their sergeants (#51) all take full damage and scream in agony, whirling about to confront the source of this tremendous magical assault (31, 32, 34, 51). The guiding bolt follows, finishing off #34 who is outlined in bright light before he is transformed into ash.
#35 Is the only one who jumps away from the flames, taking no damage. Sneering at Auger, he is the first to be smashed flat in one blow by Varielky in giant chimp form. The veteran (#51) keeps his head and steps back just enough to avoid her other huge fist.
He, the veteran, orders the injured to run for help, and they flee, dodging, around the corner, shouting in alarm. The veteran falls back across the courtyard. Up the alley toward the temple steps, Varielky sees another veteran rush toward her to see what is happening. She then stop in his tracks, and disappear from view again back down the alley, shouting commands to the archers under her command.
Meanwhile, #52, another veteran, witnessing the fiery assault and the giant chimpanzee, orders the garrison men nearby to form a line and ready attacks with long curved swords and shields against any who enter melee range.
You are now situated like so. Please post for Round 2 in any order.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
His eyes fully on the imperials to ensure they are burning as intended, Auger finds he is disappointed to see several of them falling back. The ones in the distance, predictably were forming up and coming forward. He thinks to possibly draw more power from the Diadem, when the --- the chimp? The enormous over-sized chimp appears and joins the fight, ending one of the imperials with little effort. Where did that come from? Looking back, and seeing Snow playing and intently watching the chimp, Auger cannot help but smile. Yes, the Captain had proven himself a worthy companion again and again, but where did Varielky go...? Could she be...? Is that?
Auger shakes his head and decides to move to clear his view, and to give... the Chimp the room it needs to attack. Auger steps towards and then around one of the burning siege engines and again draws forth energies from the Diadem, releasing a bolt of energy towards the sergeant who appears to be leading them, hitting him and causing him to glow with a burning light. Then he sends his twisting blasts into the pair closest to him, hitting each of them and sending them tumbling backwards and into the building or into the other siege engine. Yes, that engine would also need to burn.
Py, keep me aware of what is coming around that corner ahead of us.
Details
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow watches Varielky transform and let's out a little whoop of joy as she immediately flings herself into the fray without missing a beat. Now that things were happening, he decides to take a more cautious approach. He stops playing and steps forward under the branches of the tree, so as to be hidden from view by those on the rooftops above by the branches and from those on the ground by the trunk.
His violin still in hand, he channels energy through it and whistles a haunting melody that only the veteran that just appeared can hear.
Concentration: Polymorph
Movement: Moves to V23
Action: Dissonant Whispers on #52, DC18 Wis save or take 10 damage and use it’s reaction to run it’s full speed away. On a save it takes 5 damage.
Reaction:
If anyone attacks him - “Be careful, strike me and my large friend over there is going to flatten you like your friend!”
Cutting Words: 8+2=10
Chimparielky would normally chase after the fleeing foes, but now that they're forming a defensive line with their sharp metallic sticks, it seems dangerous to get close. So instead, she picks up the remains of the smashed guard, then crumples the armour and what's inside into a dense mass, as easily as one might crumple paper into a ball.
This ball Chimparielky lobs at the line of tiny men, and it crashes against one of them, then crushing him into the wall nearby.
Action: Rock, against #38. Attack: 9+9=18. Damage: 21+6=27.
Varielky
Round 2 Results
From the south-facing wall a few stories up at N19, Py sees nothing Auger can’t already see. The fey alyasub swivels to the corner of the building where it can peer up the alley to the Temple Steps. ‘They’re changing positions, master.’
Auger’s Guiding Bolt crackles over the courtyard floor to strike the garrison sergeant full on. The Khazaran imperial raises his shield to deflect the bolt, but it’s too powerful, splaying over the shield’s surface before regathering and crackling up his arm, shoulder and chest. He grunts in pain. Unable to dodge the warlock's twisting blasts, guards 37 and 39 are blown off their feet into the wall behind them, crashing and falling to the ground like rag dolls, before rolling back to their unsteady feet.
Snow’s Haunting Melody pierces the other sergeant’s mind like hot pouring lava. He grinds his teeth in pain, and his tongue too, and, blood dripping from mouth and ears, screams and scrabbles away across the sandy cobblestones leaving the fighters under his command wide-eyed and fearful.
(OOC: Snow: The trees marked on the map are palm trees and offer very little cover except to missile attacks from directly above.)
Chimparielky’s human missile crashes into fighter 38 with unexpected ferocity, breaking his neck in an instant and sending him careening against the courtyard’s south wall.
Sergeant 52 regains his composure and shouts a retreat while picking up a spear, which he throws at Chimparielky (OOC: I think AC12 makes the most sense), hitting for 6HP damage.
36 disobeys the command to retreat after seeing his friends mowed down, and goes berserk, leaping at the giant chimp, hitting with his long curved blade for 9HP damage.
51 likewise picks up a spear and throws it at the giant primate, hitting for 7HP, then he retreats up the alley shouting at 36 to retreat.
Py sends a warning to Auger. ‘Master, I see archers on the rooftops over the alley!’
Updated battlemap is here. Please post for Round 3.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Listening to Py, Auger says to the others, "Watch for the archers up on the roofs."
Reaching into the Sea of Stars Auger creates a strange alyasub, dripping with purple energies, which he sends inexorably into the still glowing sergeant across the way. As the energies touch him, the soldier finds his strength is being sapped. Then Auger steps forward taking advantage of his glowing form and targets him with a pair of twisting blasts.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Chimparielky screams in pain. Those big sticks may not kill her anytime soon, but they hurt. She needs to get somewhere where the pointed sticks cannot hurt her. Most of the tiny men ran away anyway, so she needn't worry about the companions behind her. One was pushed away far enough, she guesses. The other, right near her... Chimparielky grabs the pest in her big palm and hurls it away. A horrible sound fills the area when the man hits the ground, where his body will remain motionless.
Meanwhile, Chimparielky runs to the nearest cliff. The trees here were too small, almost like bushes. The next best high ground is on top of those big square houses, which the Chimp recognises as houses, though it doesn't think of them as such. She climbs on those stone walls with ease, pulling herself up onto the roof, where she finds more tiny armed men.
Action: Fist against 36. Attack: 13+9=22. Damage: 20+6=26. I believe that's enough to kill it.
Movement: Towards the near house, then up the wall. With 40' movement and climbing speed, I believe she can get to the top at around R-19? If she has movement left, she'd get as close to the guards on the roof there as she can.
Varielky
Snow watches Chimparielky climb the wall and sees Auger sending his twisting blasts, deciding the best thing for him to do at this moment is to hang back and not risk getting hurt and loses his concentration.
He readies himself to throw a verbal assault at anyone who looks to target him.
Movement: none
Action: Ready Vicious Mockery - 2 psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
Round 3 Results
The Khazaran veteran witnesses Auger’s magical hex fly into him and feels the vitality seeping from him before he is blasted twice in succession by the warlock’s twisting beams. He is thrown back against the wall, then scraped against it like a beetle pushed down a path by a child with a stick.
Garrison fighter 36 raises his shield as Chimparielky raises a fist to hammer him, but his strength is nothing compared to the immense primate. When the black-haired fist comes down, it snaps his back and legs and caves in his ribcage, darkening the sandy cobblestones with blood spraying like chunks of a smashed melon, and sending his soul to Ellosh in an instant.
The building is six stories (70’) tall. Chimparielky makes it part way up the wall (20’), punching in windows to gain hand- and footholds as she goes, with screeches of terror coming from Kalahati-ur hiding in their homes within the building.
Seeing his men moving safely out of harm’s way, the Khazaran imperial sergeant (#52) breaks into a run and disappears from view to the west down a curving alley.
Archers appear on the rooftops, taking careful shots with long bows then pulling back out of sight.
#16 & #20 target Auger. #16 rolls 17 for 6HP damage. #20 rolls a 1, slips on a roof tile, his aim is thrown for off, and the arrow plunks into the back of his fallen friend #33, who had been playing dead with 1HP and now expires for good.
Six archers 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19 target Chimparielky shouting to each other, “It’s got a hard head! Aim for the chest! Get it’s arms so it falls!”
#13: 7 to hit for 6 HP
#14: 9 to hit for 9 HP
#15: 13 to hit for 6 HP
#17: 6 to hit for 5 HP
#18: 10 to hit for 5 HP
#19: 10 to hit for 9 HP
E The arrow from #13 is a crit and does double damage.
Across the alley and further north toward the temple courtyard, more archers on rooftops do the same thing, firing at the giant chimp.
#13: 8 to hit for 7 HP
#14: 6 to hit for 7 HP
#15: 18 to hit for 2 HP
Lol - I pasted incorrectly. Ignore the second rolls for #13-#15 directly above. And it was #14, not #13 which critted.
At the end of the alley, archers and sorcerers have moved to the opposite site of overturned carts, taking cover behind them. These archers fire at Chimparielky as well.
#3: 9 to hit for 6 HP
#4: 9 to hit for 3 HP
Pale green beams, sheathed in a putrid gaseous effervescence, extend from the open mouths of the two sorcerers, #21 & #22, directly toward Chimparielky.
#21: 17 to hit for 8 HP poison damage.*
#22: 7 to hit for 6 HP poison damage.*
*If either of these hit, make a CON 13 save or suffer the poisoned condition until the end of the sorcerers’ next turn.
Here is an updated battle map. Please post for round 4.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
(OOC: Auger maintains his concentration on Hex which continues to affect the running 52.)
That one is seeking reinforcements - chase him, see if you can put him to sleep!
Auger lets out a gasp of pain as the arrow hits him and meanwhile he watches the Giant Chimp makes its way up the side of the building towards the archers who had targeted him. Seeing the number of arrows being fired at her, Auger realizes that giant or not, she still needs some support. He moves forward to the corner, peeks around it and sees a number of forces arrayed there and thinks again of the Yemma's Diadem. First he draws forth another bolt of light and sends it into the one in the middle of the street. Then he again releases a pair of burning motes. Finally he steps back and maintains a position directly beneath ... Chimparielky?
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
A deafening cry fills the street in response to this barrage of arrows and spells. Chimparielky climbs up the building in a rush to get to the top as quickly as possible. When she reaches the top, she pulls herself up and with great force, into the air, just to land behind all those archers. Although definitely intimidating, the Chimp isn't unharmed. Many arrows now line its chest, and other wounds from spears and curved swords show in a few places. Moreover, its face looks a bit pale, and despite how easy it was for it to climb, it is breathing heavily. Varielky has always been easily affected by poisons - as repeated experiences taught her - and it seems the Chimp form was no different.
Constitution saves: 6 and 8. Not that two failures make a difference, but still.
Action: Dash.
Move: With 80' movement and climbing speed, should get to around P-18?
Varielky
Snow watches Chimparielky reach the top of the building from the safety of his position under the palm tree, most of his view obstructed by the large leaves. She was now out of range of anything he can do to help her, with the exception of ensuring he does not lose his focus on the transformation.
"Varielky seems to be having fun. What is the situation around the corner?", he whispers to Auger.
Concentration: Polymorph
Movement: None
Action: Cast Message
Reaction:
If anyone attacks him - “Watch out, the giant Chimp is behind!”
Cutting Words: 5+2=7
Round 4 results
Py dashes away. If Auger wishes for it to pursue the fleeing veteran, the fey alyasub will move out of telepathic range next turn and will engage in a separate “chase” scene and no longer be involved in this combat.
Auger shifts under the giant chimp and is pelted with broken glass and chipped rock, plaster, and wood shards, the detritus resulting from the huge creature’s punching-in of windows and scrabbling up the wall to scale the six-story residential building. Auger takes 1HP bludgeoning damage from heavy falling chunks. The warlock’s Guiding Bolt strikes its mark. Starfire from the Yemma’s diadem flashes, consuming fighters 3, 4, 31, 32 and 39, who scream in pain and terror and are silenced forever, only smoking bones remaining to slump to the sandy pavement like marionettes whose master has cut the strings holding them erect. The sergeant (#51) falls to his knees, groaning in agony.
Flames dance over the two sorcerers, who throw up their cloaks in front of their faces and manage to avoid the attack’s worst effects.
Chimparielky flips up over the building’s facade to land behind the archers. The roof is stable, but not used to a ton of muscled primate crashing onto it. (OOC: I rolled for Chimparielky’s vault “attack” on the roof: natural 20, lol!). The roof caves in under the weight of the chimp. Plaster dust and sand explodes outwards and the archers must turn away to protect their eyes. Chimparielky finds herself completely filling a large bedroom, and half of a bed, on which a young pair of lovers are holding each other and screaming, one putting themselves between the chimp and the other.
The crashing roof falls out from under #18, who loses her footing and falls, screaming, off the top of the building to crash onto the pavement far below, her skull exploding within her helm on impact.
Archers 16, 17, and 19 fire into the swirling dust and the darkness into which the giant chimp has fallen, at disadvantage due to the obstructions. Two hit nevertheless, at point blank range, for 18HP damage total.
Archers 13, 14, 15 and 20 take turns peeking over the edge of the building, firing at Auger, then retreating to safety on the rooftop. Auger gets +2AC for cover. 15 rolls a 23 for 3HP, and 20 rolls a 19 for 9HP. The other shots deflect off of the building’s edge.
Now, one of the huge lizards, feet slapping as it runs carrying three garrison fighters with lances, charges down the alley and rounds the corner, apparently directed by sergeant #51 who yet lives. Two of the riders attack Auger with lances, the first one missing, the second rolling 19 for 8HP damage. A rope-like tongue lashes out of the 4-foot long sharp-toothed maw of the lizard, slapping the air in front of Auger.
You are now situated like so. Please post for round 5.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Thinking himself safe under Chimparielky, Auger is not fully aware of the chips of stone and glass that fall upon him and so in that moment his connection to the Sea of Stars is disrupted and the fleeing sergeant regains his strength.
In response to Snow, Auger begins a reply, "Several at the far mouth of the alley, I have burned them and--!"
Auger stops replying as arrows and then attackers fall upon him. Accessing his own powers Auger manages to redirect all the arrows and to hold himself unharmed from the attacks of the lizard and the lancers. But still, he was no warrior and yet he was set upon by numerous foes at close range. In the past he would move short distances and attempt to outrun foes, but a recent thought had occurred to him, involving a combination of a pair of abilities. Reaching into the Sea of Stars, Auger empowers himself, but not as a charmer, instead as an immense source of terror and despair. Auger then reaches into the minds of those nearby and as he has before, but this time en masse, he shows them the entirety of the universe, their minor role within it, while he, Auger personifies it all and judges them meaningless and wanting. Each of them, the riders, the lizard, any others nearby (and perhaps even around corners) experience it all in their own way. But they all face a soul-shattering fear and must contend with it. Or run.
Finally, Auger sights an archer on the roof and sends one of the Yemma's Guiding Bolts in his direction, before repositioning again to obtain cover, if he can.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Seeing the giant lizard bringing guards around the corner and attacking Auger, Snow channels his magic through his violin once again and whistles the familiar haunting melody. Well, familiar to those he targets, which in this case is the giant lizard.
He remains in place under the palm tree, keeping a close eye and ear on the situation around them.
Concentration: Polymorph
Movement: None
Action: Cast Dissonant Whispers on giant lizard, DC18 Wis save or take 9 damage and use it’s reaction to run it’s full speed away. On a save it takes 4 damage.
Reaction:
If anyone attacks him - “Watch out, the giant Chimp is behind you!”
Cutting Words: 3+2=5
(OOC: Dissonant Whispers and Fear should stack, so on two fails the lizard uses it's reaction to Dash away immediately, and then on it's turn it's movement to run away and it's action Dash to run as well, only making a second Fear save at the end of it's next turn)