"Would you not wish to be remembered by your own name even after your death?"A bit strange to hear from Varielky, and yet she cannot fully process the idea. "We live, we fight, we die so that our names can be remembered even after our death. It is the greatest difference between renowned heroes, or even despicable villains, and those who live and die without impacting the world."
"I cannot tell you how to live your life, but I wish I'd be remembered by my name long after I'm gone, as I remember heroes who lived long, long ago. Even if I won't be able to correct others, I wish to be remembered as Varielky Halladottir, and not anyone else. Not even one whose deeds outshine mine." That is all Varielky has to say on the matter. Though, it is mostly a sentimental matter and not an answer to the riddle. "When it comes to solving the riddle, however... I don't know. I do not know that person's name, so I don't know what to call them. And it's possible she doesn't think the same as I."
Having said everything she wanted to, Varielky steps back, indicating one of the others should answer.
“Those are very good points”, Snow replies to Varielky. “In life you are worried about being remembered after you pass. But you are no longer in a position to correct someone once you are in the afterlife”.
He turns towards the Hag, “I do not think it matters what you call the dead human who was born in the Vale of Deshar, lived in the Underdark and died in the Fey Wild. You can call them anything you want, they still can’t answer”.
The hag adopts a philosophical attitude, drawling sweetly, a sound like a lamb being slowly strangled. “If that were the answer, were it not, then you wouldn’t have missed following the clue. I didn’t say there was no answer other than the single correct answer. Therefore, in case you had forgotten not to ask, let me tell you first what I haven’t wanted to avoid saying.
“NO!!!! GET THEM!!!!,” she suddenly screams.
Two of the trees on either side of your path, four in total, suddenly come alive, heaving their roots out of the ground, and close in, surrounding you and the hag. One of them raises an enormous limb and smashes it down on top of you. But just as suddenly, another tree bends over at the last instant, extending a heavy limb to block the blow.
“Wait a minute!,” it groans. “He said the right answer, he simply buried the lead.”
“Buried the… what??,” answers the blocked tree.
“He sort of said it in the middle of what he was saying.”
“That doesn’t count!”
“I think it does.”
“Me too,” comes another groaning voice from behind the moving trees, and it’s joined by a chorus of more voices. “I don’t think it’s clear,” and “Actually, he said it,” and “Wait, I didn’t get this one, what was the answer,” and “Shhhh!”
The first tree speaks up again. “He deserves a chance to clarify. Since he actually said the answer.” Groans of discontent. “And, if he doesn’t get it, then I admit I am wrong, and we will continue to smash them. Okay?”
Moody groans of discontent eventually settle into an agreeable sigh.
The hag’s features, if they were terrible before, now seem bulgy, like a volcano ready to erupt. Her eyes are like flaming coals hanging off of the front of her face.
“YOU HEARD THEM! CLARIFY!!!,” she shouts at you, her two teeth smoking from the heat of her ballooning fire eyes.
“What do you call a human born in the Vale of Deshar, who lives his life in the Underdark, then dies in the Fey Wild? LAST CHANCE!!"
"You call them a human born in the Vale of Deshar, who lives his life in the Underdark, then dies in the Fey Wild", Snow responds after a moment of thought trying to decipher what they meant by him having said the answer in the middle of what he was saying.
He keeps a very wary eye on the trees that were threatening them.
The hag cackles, then in dread seriousness hisses, “YOU CANNOT SIMPLY REPEAT THE QUESTION!!”
The trees have now planted themselves again and are indistinguishable from normal trees, until a groaning voice emanates from one of those near you. "Yeah. She is right. The first riddle was ‘Beggars possess it; emperors need it; if you eat it your end will come.’ You couldn’t have answered it ‘Something which beggars possess, emperors need and which will kill you if you eat it.’”
“It’s not in the spirit of riddles," groans a different voice.
“Riddle-answering,” the first one corrects.
“That’s what I meant.”
“NO!!!, No, no, NO, NO, NO!!!,” cackles the hag. “No…..you CAN’T. That is not an answer! TRY AGAIN!!!”
“It’s circular logic…” says the first voice after a moment. The hag, in silent fury, turns slowly to the tree which spoke out of turn, and it shivers slightly. She then turns back to you, baring her teeth once again. Both of them.
Her voice icy, eyes hooded, the hag replies. “Dead. Is the answer. Like you!! GET THEM, BOYS!!!”
The trees around you begin a game of whack-a-mole as the hag retreats. You are quickly surrounded by four awakened trees, each one filling a 15’ square. They form a 20’ square box around you. More of them pull up their roots in the shadows and move to protect the hag. They are too big to grapple, shove or knock prone.
Their reach is 10’. Each one smashes one of you with a huge tree limb. If you are hit, roll a STR save vs DC12 or be knocked prone.
Auger sees the massive blow coming and ducks it, but then in looking at the others to get a sense for positions of the attacking trees he misses the backswing from the same branch entirely and is knocked off his feet. The others hear Auger let out a great bit of air. "Oomph!"
Standing in place, Auger decides to stick with the others even those his impulse is to move. To begin with he relies on the Yemma's Diadem and from it he draws forth a bolt of light and uses it to attack the Tree who was attacking him. Then he draws greater energies from the Diadem and sends a large glowing ball into the same tree, hoping to overwhelm it.
Details
Strength saving throw: 10 -1 = 9. Auger falls to the ground
Move: Stands up. Moves if necessary to not have disadvantage on his Guiding Bolt attack. I think he can do so without creating an opportunity attack by staying within reach.
Bonus Action: Yemma's Guiding Bolt (rolling normally - but will add a second d20 in case disadvantage is ruled in play. 18 +10 = 28 for 3 points of radiant damage. (disadvantage d20 is a 9 so likely still a hit). Attacks against this Tree now have Advantage through the end of Auger's next turn.
Action: Expends 2 charges and activates Ball of Radiance, creating a single sphere in a square right next to the same Tree, which should activate it and cause it to burst. The Tree must make a DC15 DEX saving throw or take 22 radiant damage.
Ball of Radiance. You can expend 2 charges as an action to create one to four 3-foot-diameter spheres of radiant energy. The more spheres you create, the less powerful each sphere is individually.
Each sphere appears in an unoccupied space you can see within 120 feet of you. The spheres last as long as you concentrate (as if concentrating on a spell), up to 1 minute. Each sphere sheds dim light in a 30-foot radius.
As a bonus action, you can move each sphere up to 30 feet, but no farther than 120 feet away from you. When a creature other than you comes within 5 feet of a sphere, the sphere discharges radiant energy at that creature and disappears. That creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes radiant damage based on the number of spheres you created. (1 sphere = 4d12)
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
Varielky reacts in time, and while blocking the huge trees might be impossible, she uses her shield and strength to direct the blow slightly away from her, deflecting it to the ground. These massive things can most likely break a bone or a few with each hit, so the faster they're gone, the better it would be. Moreover, Varielky doesn't want to let the hag get away like that, but the trees are in the way.
"If you wanted us gone from here, you should have just told us where to go!" Varielky shouts, a little annoyed. She then changes her breathing rhythm, and shortly, she can feel her body ready for the extra effort. It might also help in temporarily ignoring the pain if she's crushed by one of those trees. She has no idea how effective a sword would be at cutting down a tree, but she had already lost all her axes. So Varielky unsheathes Dreygaard and runs to close the short distance between her and the tree scorched by Auger.
Varielky tries to cut down the tree, but as expected, fighting a tree was nothing like fighting a human, and Varielky wasn't accustomed to that. She slashes four times in rapid succession. The first two strikes are clean cuts, but the third hit the wood at a bad angle, and Varielky makes up for it with force and expertise by holding the blade firmly and forcing it to power through the tree's bark instead of deflecting away. Her last strike, however, is too weak, and the sword ends up stuck in the wood. Varielky is forced to let the blade go, and then resummons it, but that stops her attacks for a moment.
Bonus Action: Rage, round 1/10. Action: Attack against the same tree Auger attacked, and if it somehow dies before her last attack, Varielky will direct the rest of her attacks to the nearest tree. Attack #1: (6, 10 - advantage)+10=20. Damage: 2+11=13. Attack #2: 9+10=19. Damage: 6+11=17. Action Surge: Attack, following the same intentions as her previous action. Attack #3: 4+10. Expending a Superiority Die for Precision Attack manoeuvre which adds 7 to the attack for a total of 21. Damage: 1+11=12. Attack #4: 1! Miss.
Also, does the interaction between the hag and everyone suffice for Know Your Enemy? If so, Varielky would like to know if she's superior/equal/inferior to the hag in regard to their Constitution score and current hit points.
Kotashin shouts, “Wha wha wha whatcha DOIN??,” and draws its little sword. A large yellow gem inset at the base of the blade explodes with radiant brightness, and as a huge tree limb comes down directly over the elephant-person, the little blade comes up to parry. When the limb strikes the blade, a semi-sphere of impenetrable radiant light flashes outward. Katashin growls, unharmed.
Varielky’s Know Your Enemy feature comes into play. She now knows that the Hag has more hit points than she does, but her CON is the same as the shield maiden’s.
Your attacks have these results:
Auger’s magical strikes light up the first tree with radiant energy, bursting against it like fireworks. It shudders, limbs creaking and cracking with strain.
Varielky’s red-steel blade strikes the same tree and though it is not destroyed, it de-animates, moves out of your path, and plants itself in the soil, bending away from the shield maiden and becoming a normal tree. This opens a path to the Hag, but another tree moves out of the forest to block the way again.
Varielky’s remaining attacks will go against Tree #2, the one which attacked her. They both hit, doing 29 HP damage total.
Kotashin’s gurgly tenor yells, “Kotaaaaaaaaayyyyy-SHIN!!!!,” and with the final syllable, the fey creature leaps 5 feet straight up and strikes a tree limb passing over its head, doing 13HP damage with its brightly glowing blade. The blue elephant person makes a midair flip and figure eight slashes against another of the Tree’s rushing branches, but doesn’t connect, yet lands with excellent balance into a wide, steady stance.
"What a surprise!", Snow says as the Hag rejects his answer. As the trees uproot and move in for the attack, he ducks low, a branch swinging above his head and rustling his hair, but not connecting directly.
He sees the impact Auger takes and acknowledges the threat, running his bow across his violin and leaching some of the strength from the four trees around them.
"It is indeed a shame for you hag, you could have avoided this. At least you will now get to ask the name of the human born in the Vale of Deshar, who lived his life in the Underdark, then died in the Fey Wild. When you meet them, right Varielky?", he says, enthusing Varielky with bardic inspiration as he does so.
Movement: None Action: Cast Bane - 2nd level to get all 4 trees surrounding them, DC18 Cha Save or -1d4 to attacks and saving throws Bonus Action: Bardic inspiration on Varielky - 1d8
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The hag cackles from a safe distance. One of the trees, while trying to smash you, responds to Snow. “Now, don’t be cross. You almost got it.”
“I thought they had it,” says another, slicing its roots across the entire path and causing everyone to jump up over them. A third tree slams down a tremendous limb which sends pebbles and twigs flying upwards, “You really were close. But if it wasn’t difficult to ask her your questions, well, there’d be a queue extending halfway to the horizon.”
"Stay on your feet! We won't get anywhere if we try to chop the entire forest! We must push through, stay close!" Varielky calls to the others. Then, she hollers at the trees: "Then just think what happens when we do finally cut through you all. Nobody will be left to protect your lady, and then there truly will be a line going beyond the horizon! I'm sure that will be more bothersome than just us!" Well, everyone can say that, but if Auger spoke the truth and it were not a dream, they'd just rise from the dead even if defeated, and with no better options, come back better-informed... maybe with fire. Assuming... that they will rise again, in this strange place. Better not find out.
Meanwhile, Varielky keeps cutting through the trees, relieved to see that she can get them to back away, at least, with a few good strikes. Either they'll let them through, or she'll have to make her way through. Varielky hacks at the same tree she started slashing before her sword got stuck, and now, if it retreats and creates an opening, she'll try to move in and prevent any other tree from taking its place.
Rage: Round 2/10. BA: Rally manoeuvre, granting 3+3=6 temporary HP to Snow. Action: Attack. Focusing on the same tree as the last turn, but if it retreats, then the second attack will go to the tree next to it. Attack #1: 6+10=16. Damage: 5+11=16. Attack #2: 9+10=19. Damage: 4+11=15. Movement: If possible, to a space where a tree stood and no longer does.
Ducking under whirling branches, Auger takes note of Varielky's forward movement and tries to stay with her as best as he can. Seeing a new tree join the fray, he concentrates on attacking it, sending a flashing light from the Yemma's Diadem into it, before attacking it with a pair of his twisting blasts. Auger is unsure if he will be able to push this tree, but wonders if he can topple it as he picks a spot higher up on the trunk to target with his blasts.
Py, how many more of these walking trees can you see?
(OOC: I assume Py has been out and nearby throughout the walk in the Fey Wild, scouting and so on as usual. In my head it is 30' above where any tree can reach it.)
Details
Bonus Action: Yemma's Guiding Bolt, targeting #5. 9 +10=19 for 9 points of radiant damage. Attacks against #5 now have advantage through the end of Auger's next turn.
Action: Eldritch Blast with 10' of pushing on a hit, targeting #5.
Beam 1: Critical hit for 21 points of force damage (and I forgot to roll with advantage!)
Beam 2: 16 +10 = 26 for 12 more points of force damage.
Move: To keep up with Varielky
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
Snow misjudges the movement of the branch as he casts his magic and takes a hit to his back. He stumbles forwards but manages to maintain his feet. He also managed to keep his focus on the debilitating effect on the trees.
Hearing Varielky, he sets himself again, looks at the closest unharmed tree in their way and whistles a discordant tune that only it can hear.
He then reaches out with his mind and attempts to push another out the way and steps forward with the others.
Strength Save: 15 (Still standing) ConcentrationSave: 11+2=13 (DC 10 - Success) Concentration: Bane - Round 2/10 Action: Cast Dissonant Whispers on an unharmed tree, ideally between them and the Hag.DC 18 Wis save or take 12 psychic damage and use it's reaction to run away. On save 6 damage only Bonus Action: Telekinetic Shove on an unharmed tree, ideally between them and the Hag, DC16 Str save or moved 5ft out of their way. Movement: Follows the others filling any gaps the trees left.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Round 2 Results
‘I do not know, master. The darkness and tangled tree canopies make it impossible to tell. At least 6 trees are awakened!,’ sends Py in answer to Auger’s question.
One of the trees answers Varielky. “She has a point.”
“No she doesn’t,” comes another voice. “If one of us becomes dispirited, the Lady Demsha breathes life into another.”
“Oh. Yeah, I knew that.”
“Pfff! Do not forget: we are her protectors while she sleeps.”
As Varielky’s red-steel blade hums vividly, her first attack cleaves into and detaches a tree limb, and the trunk to which it is attached retreats, grows firm and motionless, the roots push into the earth, and it reverts to being a normal tree, opening a path toward the hag whose eyes burn in the distance. But as Varielky moves toward her, another tree pulls up its roots and moves to block the way.
The shield-maiden’s next attack, against the new arrival (#6), slices through thick branches which clatter to the ground, but the awakened tree is unrelenting in its assault.
Auger’s pushing attacks are helpless to move the enormous weight of the awakened trees (DM ruling). However, the guiding bolt and eldritch blast strike tree #5, which pulls back and de-animates, opening space for the warlock to move toward the hag, keeping pace with Varielky. However, yet another tree immediately shifts out of the woods to block Auger’s way. The warlock’s second blast hits it squarely, but though fragments of bark shrapnel explode away from the impact, its imposing form continues its assault.
Tree #3, which was attacking Snow, seems to vibrate painfully as a result of the bard’s discordant tune. It shifts out of the way, backing up 20’ to escape the effect. Snow can move forward shoulder to shoulder with the others without suffering an opportunity attack. The trees are to enormous for the bard's telekinesis to effect (DM ruling).
Kotashin continues defending itself against Tree #4, which, after receiving two flashing sword strikes from the creature’s bejeweled blade, pulls back, raises its limbs upwards and de-animates. But as soon as the little elephant person moves forward to join Auger, Varielky and Snow, another tree comes to life and attacks the self-proclaimed Knight-Defender.
Trees #6, #7, and #8 now attack Auger, Varielky and Kotashin.
Varielky: 25 to hit, 12 HP bludgeoning.
Auger: 22 to hit, 11 HP bludgeoning.
Tree #8, bringing down a huge limb on top of Kotashin, crits and literally buries the fey creature alive, smashing it into the peaty earth. But when the limb rises, the elephant-person’s gem-inlaid sword is revealed, raised in a parrying position, and the ground pushed away in a perfect sphere around the creature. Though blue perspiration trickles down between its big black eyes, it growls in its hamster-like way and pulls itself up to continue fighting.
The tree which fled from Snow shoves other trees aside, dashing, to catch up to the bard but can’t attack this round.
You can see the hag in the distance, slowly backing away. Behind her, the form of a small cabin, windows dark, smokeless chimney, begins to come into view as you advance step by step in her direction.
(OOC: Trees #1, 2, 4 & 5 have been defeated. Snow’s Bane remains active on #3 (only), the one which had to dash to catch up. Trees #3, 6, 7 & 8 still remain standing, each one having taken 12 to 15 HP damage from you except #8. They seem to de-animate after receiving 30HP damage.)
The surrounding trees press close but not too close and the angles are wrong for many of Auger's abilities. Too likely to hit his friends... and while these trees went down fairly quickly, their leader, the hag, might be something else entirely. Auger continues hording his bigger powers and allows the Diadem's bolt and more blasts to escape from his rod, hoping he was not making a mistake in waiting to use his stronger abilities.
Auger continues his assault on the trees which are attacking him and his friends. This time he splits his attacks in order to help Kotashin and Snow as much as himself. The tree that nearly felled Kotashin received the flash of light from the Yemma's bolt and begins glowing with its own radiant light. Then his blasts -- no longer twisting as they cannot push the over-sized trees -- his blasts are split between the tree that approaches Snow and the one that continues to strike at Auger.
Details
Bonus Action: Yemma's Guiding Bolt, targeting #8 (the one on Kotashin). 15 +10= 25 for 6 points of radiant damage. Attacks against #8 now have advantage through the end of Auger's next turn.
Beam 1: Targeting #3 (Snow's opponent) Critical hit for 16 points of force damage.
Beam 2: Targeting #7 (Auger's opponent, I think) 4 +10 = 14 for 13 points of force damage. (This tree should now have taken 25 hp total if I am targeting the right one)
This time, as Varielky deflects away the branch, she uses the oppurtunity to punish the reckless attack and chops it down.
"I see a cabin!" Varielky calls. "Keep on pushing, maybe if we can get there..." well, maybe nothing, but if the trees were truly endless, it's her best guess.
When the previous tree retreats, Varielky pushes to take its place. Before the next tree arrives, Varielky turns (if within reach) to attack the tree that nearly buried Kotashin. She has no idea what is Kotashin's limit, so she just calls to him: "If you feel like you're being overwhelmed, just focus on evading their large branches!"
Reaction: Riposte manoeuvre against #6 (I guess, whichever tree attacked her). Attack: 7+10=17. Damage: 2+11+5=18. Should be enough to defeat #6 with the attack from the previous round.
"This is truly not necessary. We mean Lady Demsha no harm, you do not need to protect her from us", Snow implores.
"Is Lady Demsha the sort who would wish violence to come to those who visit her with noble intentions? And how does knowing the answer to an arbitrary riddle mean we are more suitable to see her anyway?", he asks.
Persuasion: 8+8=16 Action: Dodge (Unless the persuasion was an action) Movement: Keeping up with the others Reaction:
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Round 3 Results
Auger’s guiding bolt and eldritch blasts all hit, damaging but not knocking out any of the three targeted trees.
Varielky’s strikes against #8 both hit due to Auger’s guiding light and inspired by Snow’s bardic inspiration, with the result that the tree stretches its limbs up and de-animates, allowing the shield-maiden to move ahead. But a new foe pulls its roots from the earth and with crashing steps blocks any further advance.
Snow speaks to the tree pursuing him, the last one affected by his Bane spell, and it answers him instead of striking. “That is not my choice to make, I am a humble pawn in the goddess’ loving hand. I don't even try to understand the intent of the goddess or her Angel. I'm just a tree.” Snow surmises that by ‘angel,’ the tree means the hag.
Kotashin’s gem-inlaid shortsword is a yellow-gleaming blur, striking forcefully and doing 31HP, de-animating Tree #9 and allowing you to move closer to the cabin. But just as you step forward a dozen paces, another tree now crashes through underbrush to block your way.
At this pace, you think it will take at least 2 more rounds to reach what you now notice is a small clearing around the cabin.
"Would you not wish to be remembered by your own name even after your death?" A bit strange to hear from Varielky, and yet she cannot fully process the idea. "We live, we fight, we die so that our names can be remembered even after our death. It is the greatest difference between renowned heroes, or even despicable villains, and those who live and die without impacting the world."
"I cannot tell you how to live your life, but I wish I'd be remembered by my name long after I'm gone, as I remember heroes who lived long, long ago. Even if I won't be able to correct others, I wish to be remembered as Varielky Halladottir, and not anyone else. Not even one whose deeds outshine mine." That is all Varielky has to say on the matter. Though, it is mostly a sentimental matter and not an answer to the riddle. "When it comes to solving the riddle, however... I don't know. I do not know that person's name, so I don't know what to call them. And it's possible she doesn't think the same as I."
Having said everything she wanted to, Varielky steps back, indicating one of the others should answer.
Varielky
“Those are very good points”, Snow replies to Varielky. “In life you are worried about being remembered after you pass. But you are no longer in a position to correct someone once you are in the afterlife”.
He turns towards the Hag, “I do not think it matters what you call the dead human who was born in the Vale of Deshar, lived in the Underdark and died in the Fey Wild. You can call them anything you want, they still can’t answer”.
The hag adopts a philosophical attitude, drawling sweetly, a sound like a lamb being slowly strangled. “If that were the answer, were it not, then you wouldn’t have missed following the clue. I didn’t say there was no answer other than the single correct answer. Therefore, in case you had forgotten not to ask, let me tell you first what I haven’t wanted to avoid saying.
“NO!!!! GET THEM!!!!,” she suddenly screams.
Two of the trees on either side of your path, four in total, suddenly come alive, heaving their roots out of the ground, and close in, surrounding you and the hag. One of them raises an enormous limb and smashes it down on top of you. But just as suddenly, another tree bends over at the last instant, extending a heavy limb to block the blow.
“Wait a minute!,” it groans. “He said the right answer, he simply buried the lead.”
“Buried the… what??,” answers the blocked tree.
“He sort of said it in the middle of what he was saying.”
“That doesn’t count!”
“I think it does.”
“Me too,” comes another groaning voice from behind the moving trees, and it’s joined by a chorus of more voices. “I don’t think it’s clear,” and “Actually, he said it,” and “Wait, I didn’t get this one, what was the answer,” and “Shhhh!”
The first tree speaks up again. “He deserves a chance to clarify. Since he actually said the answer.” Groans of discontent. “And, if he doesn’t get it, then I admit I am wrong, and we will continue to smash them. Okay?”
Moody groans of discontent eventually settle into an agreeable sigh.
The hag’s features, if they were terrible before, now seem bulgy, like a volcano ready to erupt. Her eyes are like flaming coals hanging off of the front of her face.
“YOU HEARD THEM! CLARIFY!!!,” she shouts at you, her two teeth smoking from the heat of her ballooning fire eyes.
“What do you call a human born in the Vale of Deshar, who lives his life in the Underdark, then dies in the Fey Wild? LAST CHANCE!!"
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"You call them a human born in the Vale of Deshar, who lives his life in the Underdark, then dies in the Fey Wild", Snow responds after a moment of thought trying to decipher what they meant by him having said the answer in the middle of what he was saying.
He keeps a very wary eye on the trees that were threatening them.
The hag cackles, then in dread seriousness hisses, “YOU CANNOT SIMPLY REPEAT THE QUESTION!!”
The trees have now planted themselves again and are indistinguishable from normal trees, until a groaning voice emanates from one of those near you. "Yeah. She is right. The first riddle was ‘Beggars possess it; emperors need it; if you eat it your end will come.’ You couldn’t have answered it ‘Something which beggars possess, emperors need and which will kill you if you eat it.’”
“It’s not in the spirit of riddles," groans a different voice.
“Riddle-answering,” the first one corrects.
“That’s what I meant.”
“NO!!!, No, no, NO, NO, NO!!!,” cackles the hag. “No…..you CAN’T. That is not an answer! TRY AGAIN!!!”
“It’s circular logic…” says the first voice after a moment. The hag, in silent fury, turns slowly to the tree which spoke out of turn, and it shivers slightly. She then turns back to you, baring her teeth once again. Both of them.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
“Call them whatever you like”, Snow says getting frustrated with this game of riddles.
Her voice icy, eyes hooded, the hag replies. “Dead. Is the answer. Like you!! GET THEM, BOYS!!!”
The trees around you begin a game of whack-a-mole as the hag retreats. You are quickly surrounded by four awakened trees, each one filling a 15’ square. They form a 20’ square box around you. More of them pull up their roots in the shadows and move to protect the hag. They are too big to grapple, shove or knock prone.
Their reach is 10’. Each one smashes one of you with a huge tree limb. If you are hit, roll a STR save vs DC12 or be knocked prone.
Snow: 7 to hit, 10 HP bludgeoning.
Varielky: 21 to hit, 11 HP bludgeoning.
Auger: 18 to hit, 8 HP bludgeoning.
Kotashin: 26 to hit, 12 HP bludgeoning.
Please post round 1 actions.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Auger sees the massive blow coming and ducks it, but then in looking at the others to get a sense for positions of the attacking trees he misses the backswing from the same branch entirely and is knocked off his feet. The others hear Auger let out a great bit of air. "Oomph!"
Standing in place, Auger decides to stick with the others even those his impulse is to move. To begin with he relies on the Yemma's Diadem and from it he draws forth a bolt of light and uses it to attack the Tree who was attacking him. Then he draws greater energies from the Diadem and sends a large glowing ball into the same tree, hoping to overwhelm it.
Details
Ball of Radiance. You can expend 2 charges as an action to create one to four 3-foot-diameter spheres of radiant energy. The more spheres you create, the less powerful each sphere is individually.
Each sphere appears in an unoccupied space you can see within 120 feet of you. The spheres last as long as you concentrate (as if concentrating on a spell), up to 1 minute. Each sphere sheds dim light in a 30-foot radius.
As a bonus action, you can move each sphere up to 30 feet, but no farther than 120 feet away from you. When a creature other than you comes within 5 feet of a sphere, the sphere discharges radiant energy at that creature and disappears. That creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes radiant damage based on the number of spheres you created. (1 sphere = 4d12)
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Varielky reacts in time, and while blocking the huge trees might be impossible, she uses her shield and strength to direct the blow slightly away from her, deflecting it to the ground. These massive things can most likely break a bone or a few with each hit, so the faster they're gone, the better it would be. Moreover, Varielky doesn't want to let the hag get away like that, but the trees are in the way.
"If you wanted us gone from here, you should have just told us where to go!" Varielky shouts, a little annoyed. She then changes her breathing rhythm, and shortly, she can feel her body ready for the extra effort. It might also help in temporarily ignoring the pain if she's crushed by one of those trees. She has no idea how effective a sword would be at cutting down a tree, but she had already lost all her axes. So Varielky unsheathes Dreygaard and runs to close the short distance between her and the tree scorched by Auger.
Varielky tries to cut down the tree, but as expected, fighting a tree was nothing like fighting a human, and Varielky wasn't accustomed to that. She slashes four times in rapid succession. The first two strikes are clean cuts, but the third hit the wood at a bad angle, and Varielky makes up for it with force and expertise by holding the blade firmly and forcing it to power through the tree's bark instead of deflecting away. Her last strike, however, is too weak, and the sword ends up stuck in the wood. Varielky is forced to let the blade go, and then resummons it, but that stops her attacks for a moment.
Bonus Action: Rage, round 1/10.
Action: Attack against the same tree Auger attacked, and if it somehow dies before her last attack, Varielky will direct the rest of her attacks to the nearest tree.
Attack #1: (6, 10 - advantage)+10=20. Damage: 2+11=13.
Attack #2: 9+10=19. Damage: 6+11=17.
Action Surge: Attack, following the same intentions as her previous action.
Attack #3: 4+10. Expending a Superiority Die for Precision Attack manoeuvre which adds 7 to the attack for a total of 21. Damage: 1+11=12.
Attack #4: 1! Miss.
Also, does the interaction between the hag and everyone suffice for Know Your Enemy? If so, Varielky would like to know if she's superior/equal/inferior to the hag in regard to their Constitution score and current hit points.
Varielky
Round 1 results (partial).
Kotashin shouts, “Wha wha wha whatcha DOIN??,” and draws its little sword. A large yellow gem inset at the base of the blade explodes with radiant brightness, and as a huge tree limb comes down directly over the elephant-person, the little blade comes up to parry. When the limb strikes the blade, a semi-sphere of impenetrable radiant light flashes outward. Katashin growls, unharmed.
Varielky’s Know Your Enemy feature comes into play. She now knows that the Hag has more hit points than she does, but her CON is the same as the shield maiden’s.
Your attacks have these results:
Auger’s magical strikes light up the first tree with radiant energy, bursting against it like fireworks. It shudders, limbs creaking and cracking with strain.
Varielky’s red-steel blade strikes the same tree and though it is not destroyed, it de-animates, moves out of your path, and plants itself in the soil, bending away from the shield maiden and becoming a normal tree. This opens a path to the Hag, but another tree moves out of the forest to block the way again.
Varielky’s remaining attacks will go against Tree #2, the one which attacked her. They both hit, doing 29 HP damage total.
Kotashin’s gurgly tenor yells, “Kotaaaaaaaaayyyyy-SHIN!!!!,” and with the final syllable, the fey creature leaps 5 feet straight up and strikes a tree limb passing over its head, doing 13HP damage with its brightly glowing blade. The blue elephant person makes a midair flip and figure eight slashes against another of the Tree’s rushing branches, but doesn’t connect, yet lands with excellent balance into a wide, steady stance.
(Holding for Snow’s Round 1 actions)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"What a surprise!", Snow says as the Hag rejects his answer. As the trees uproot and move in for the attack, he ducks low, a branch swinging above his head and rustling his hair, but not connecting directly.
He sees the impact Auger takes and acknowledges the threat, running his bow across his violin and leaching some of the strength from the four trees around them.
"It is indeed a shame for you hag, you could have avoided this. At least you will now get to ask the name of the human born in the Vale of Deshar, who lived his life in the Underdark, then died in the Fey Wild. When you meet them, right Varielky?", he says, enthusing Varielky with bardic inspiration as he does so.
Movement: None
Action: Cast Bane - 2nd level to get all 4 trees surrounding them, DC18 Cha Save or -1d4 to attacks and saving throws
Bonus Action: Bardic inspiration on Varielky - 1d8
The hag cackles from a safe distance. One of the trees, while trying to smash you, responds to Snow. “Now, don’t be cross. You almost got it.”
“I thought they had it,” says another, slicing its roots across the entire path and causing everyone to jump up over them. A third tree slams down a tremendous limb which sends pebbles and twigs flying upwards, “You really were close. But if it wasn’t difficult to ask her your questions, well, there’d be a queue extending halfway to the horizon.”
The trees now strike once again:
Snow: Tree #3: 6 to hit, 16 HP bludgeoning.
Varielky: Tree #2: 11 to hit, 12 HP bludgeoning.
Auger: Tree #5: 12 to hit, 11 HP bludgeoning.
Kotashin: Tree #4: 12 to hit, 12 HP bludgeoning.
Please post round 2 actions.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"Stay on your feet! We won't get anywhere if we try to chop the entire forest! We must push through, stay close!" Varielky calls to the others. Then, she hollers at the trees: "Then just think what happens when we do finally cut through you all. Nobody will be left to protect your lady, and then there truly will be a line going beyond the horizon! I'm sure that will be more bothersome than just us!" Well, everyone can say that, but if Auger spoke the truth and it were not a dream, they'd just rise from the dead even if defeated, and with no better options, come back better-informed... maybe with fire. Assuming... that they will rise again, in this strange place. Better not find out.
Meanwhile, Varielky keeps cutting through the trees, relieved to see that she can get them to back away, at least, with a few good strikes. Either they'll let them through, or she'll have to make her way through. Varielky hacks at the same tree she started slashing before her sword got stuck, and now, if it retreats and creates an opening, she'll try to move in and prevent any other tree from taking its place.
Rage: Round 2/10.
BA: Rally manoeuvre, granting 3+3=6 temporary HP to Snow.
Action: Attack. Focusing on the same tree as the last turn, but if it retreats, then the second attack will go to the tree next to it.
Attack #1: 6+10=16. Damage: 5+11=16.
Attack #2: 9+10=19. Damage: 4+11=15.
Movement: If possible, to a space where a tree stood and no longer does.
Varielky
Ducking under whirling branches, Auger takes note of Varielky's forward movement and tries to stay with her as best as he can. Seeing a new tree join the fray, he concentrates on attacking it, sending a flashing light from the Yemma's Diadem into it, before attacking it with a pair of his twisting blasts. Auger is unsure if he will be able to push this tree, but wonders if he can topple it as he picks a spot higher up on the trunk to target with his blasts.
Py, how many more of these walking trees can you see?
(OOC: I assume Py has been out and nearby throughout the walk in the Fey Wild, scouting and so on as usual. In my head it is 30' above where any tree can reach it.)
Details
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow misjudges the movement of the branch as he casts his magic and takes a hit to his back. He stumbles forwards but manages to maintain his feet. He also managed to keep his focus on the debilitating effect on the trees.
Hearing Varielky, he sets himself again, looks at the closest unharmed tree in their way and whistles a discordant tune that only it can hear.
He then reaches out with his mind and attempts to push another out the way and steps forward with the others.
Strength Save: 15 (Still standing)
Concentration Save: 11+2=13 (DC 10 - Success)
Concentration: Bane - Round 2/10
Action: Cast Dissonant Whispers on an unharmed tree, ideally between them and the Hag.DC 18 Wis save or take 12 psychic damage and use it's reaction to run away. On save 6 damage only
Bonus Action: Telekinetic Shove on an unharmed tree, ideally between them and the Hag, DC16 Str save or moved 5ft out of their way.
Movement: Follows the others filling any gaps the trees left.
Round 2 Results
‘I do not know, master. The darkness and tangled tree canopies make it impossible to tell. At least 6 trees are awakened!,’ sends Py in answer to Auger’s question.
One of the trees answers Varielky. “She has a point.”
“No she doesn’t,” comes another voice. “If one of us becomes dispirited, the Lady Demsha breathes life into another.”
“Oh. Yeah, I knew that.”
“Pfff! Do not forget: we are her protectors while she sleeps.”
As Varielky’s red-steel blade hums vividly, her first attack cleaves into and detaches a tree limb, and the trunk to which it is attached retreats, grows firm and motionless, the roots push into the earth, and it reverts to being a normal tree, opening a path toward the hag whose eyes burn in the distance. But as Varielky moves toward her, another tree pulls up its roots and moves to block the way.
The shield-maiden’s next attack, against the new arrival (#6), slices through thick branches which clatter to the ground, but the awakened tree is unrelenting in its assault.
Auger’s pushing attacks are helpless to move the enormous weight of the awakened trees (DM ruling). However, the guiding bolt and eldritch blast strike tree #5, which pulls back and de-animates, opening space for the warlock to move toward the hag, keeping pace with Varielky. However, yet another tree immediately shifts out of the woods to block Auger’s way. The warlock’s second blast hits it squarely, but though fragments of bark shrapnel explode away from the impact, its imposing form continues its assault.
Tree #3, which was attacking Snow, seems to vibrate painfully as a result of the bard’s discordant tune. It shifts out of the way, backing up 20’ to escape the effect. Snow can move forward shoulder to shoulder with the others without suffering an opportunity attack. The trees are to enormous for the bard's telekinesis to effect (DM ruling).
Kotashin continues defending itself against Tree #4, which, after receiving two flashing sword strikes from the creature’s bejeweled blade, pulls back, raises its limbs upwards and de-animates. But as soon as the little elephant person moves forward to join Auger, Varielky and Snow, another tree comes to life and attacks the self-proclaimed Knight-Defender.
Trees #6, #7, and #8 now attack Auger, Varielky and Kotashin.
Varielky: 25 to hit, 12 HP bludgeoning.
Auger: 22 to hit, 11 HP bludgeoning.
Tree #8, bringing down a huge limb on top of Kotashin, crits and literally buries the fey creature alive, smashing it into the peaty earth. But when the limb rises, the elephant-person’s gem-inlaid sword is revealed, raised in a parrying position, and the ground pushed away in a perfect sphere around the creature. Though blue perspiration trickles down between its big black eyes, it growls in its hamster-like way and pulls itself up to continue fighting.
The tree which fled from Snow shoves other trees aside, dashing, to catch up to the bard but can’t attack this round.
You can see the hag in the distance, slowly backing away. Behind her, the form of a small cabin, windows dark, smokeless chimney, begins to come into view as you advance step by step in her direction.
(OOC: Trees #1, 2, 4 & 5 have been defeated. Snow’s Bane remains active on #3 (only), the one which had to dash to catch up. Trees #3, 6, 7 & 8 still remain standing, each one having taken 12 to 15 HP damage from you except #8. They seem to de-animate after receiving 30HP damage.)
Please post for Round 3.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
The surrounding trees press close but not too close and the angles are wrong for many of Auger's abilities. Too likely to hit his friends... and while these trees went down fairly quickly, their leader, the hag, might be something else entirely. Auger continues hording his bigger powers and allows the Diadem's bolt and more blasts to escape from his rod, hoping he was not making a mistake in waiting to use his stronger abilities.
Auger continues his assault on the trees which are attacking him and his friends. This time he splits his attacks in order to help Kotashin and Snow as much as himself. The tree that nearly felled Kotashin received the flash of light from the Yemma's bolt and begins glowing with its own radiant light. Then his blasts -- no longer twisting as they cannot push the over-sized trees -- his blasts are split between the tree that approaches Snow and the one that continues to strike at Auger.
Details
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
This time, as Varielky deflects away the branch, she uses the oppurtunity to punish the reckless attack and chops it down.
"I see a cabin!" Varielky calls. "Keep on pushing, maybe if we can get there..." well, maybe nothing, but if the trees were truly endless, it's her best guess.
When the previous tree retreats, Varielky pushes to take its place. Before the next tree arrives, Varielky turns (if within reach) to attack the tree that nearly buried Kotashin. She has no idea what is Kotashin's limit, so she just calls to him: "If you feel like you're being overwhelmed, just focus on evading their large branches!"
Reaction: Riposte manoeuvre against #6 (I guess, whichever tree attacked her). Attack: 7+10=17. Damage: 2+11+5=18. Should be enough to defeat #6 with the attack from the previous round.
Movement: To take #6's place.
BA: Rally manoeuvre, granting Auger 3+3=6 temporary HP.
Action: Attack. Against #8 if within reach, otherwise against the new tree that will come once #6 is defeated.
Attack #1: (2, 19 - advantage if against #8)+10=12/29. Damage: 2+11=13.
Attack #2: 2+10=12, adding Snow's Bardic Inspiration (6) for a total of 18. Damage: 2+11=13.
(So many 2s!)
Varielky
"This is truly not necessary. We mean Lady Demsha no harm, you do not need to protect her from us", Snow implores.
"Is Lady Demsha the sort who would wish violence to come to those who visit her with noble intentions? And how does knowing the answer to an arbitrary riddle mean we are more suitable to see her anyway?", he asks.
Persuasion: 8+8=16
Action: Dodge (Unless the persuasion was an action)
Movement: Keeping up with the others
Reaction:
If someone hits him: Cutting Words: 6+2=8
“I see your bark is worse than your bite!”
Round 3 Results
Auger’s guiding bolt and eldritch blasts all hit, damaging but not knocking out any of the three targeted trees.
Varielky’s strikes against #8 both hit due to Auger’s guiding light and inspired by Snow’s bardic inspiration, with the result that the tree stretches its limbs up and de-animates, allowing the shield-maiden to move ahead. But a new foe pulls its roots from the earth and with crashing steps blocks any further advance.
Snow speaks to the tree pursuing him, the last one affected by his Bane spell, and it answers him instead of striking. “That is not my choice to make, I am a humble pawn in the goddess’ loving hand. I don't even try to understand the intent of the goddess or her Angel. I'm just a tree.” Snow surmises that by ‘angel,’ the tree means the hag.
Kotashin’s gem-inlaid shortsword is a yellow-gleaming blur, striking forcefully and doing 31HP, de-animating Tree #9 and allowing you to move closer to the cabin. But just as you step forward a dozen paces, another tree now crashes through underbrush to block your way.
At this pace, you think it will take at least 2 more rounds to reach what you now notice is a small clearing around the cabin.
The trees now attack:
Varielky: Tree #6: 11 to hit, 14 HP bludgeoning.
Auger: Tree #7: 15 to hit, 14 HP bludgeoning.
Kotashin: Tree #9: 23 to hit, 13 HP bludgeoning.
Please post for Round 4
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer