Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

Meili gasped in horror and shame. She put her life above the life of another, healing herself when another being was gravely injured and yet could still be saved. It was an unforgivable misdeed she would have to deal with. Not now, though. Dominick died as he lived - protecting others, now that "other" was her and she intended to live if only honour his sacrifice and carry forward her mission.

Meili heard Mica's call and continuation of the battle for canoes.

BA: Disengage for 1 ki point

Action: attack the small dinosaur on the left (positioning herself between Ran and the dinosaur): Attack: 18 Damage: 8

((Thanks for the bot! ))

If things were less dire, Danica might have laughed at Hew's curse but she was too busy tensely glancing between the selfish dwarf that had tried to steal their only getaway and the creatures they were trying to get away from. Her fist was held aloft, ready to strike out with a Thorn Whip if she saw Throndell go for the canoes again. Once she saw him begin to swim away, the elf tried to take stock of her crew and the situation in general as she moved from the pier onto the closest canoe, "Up ya get Hew." Offering the man a hand up while trying to counterbalance so they wouldn't capsize. Inete and the injured soldier were safe, Velan wasn't in the canoe just yet but standing right next to it at least.

Ran was next closest but one of the little dinosaurs wasn't too far from him. "Get in Ran!" Before holding out a palm in the direction of the smaller one chasing after him and aiming a Guiding Bolt at it. 

Attack: 8  Damage: 18

"Meili! Mica! Dominick! Time to shove off!" Danica shouted to get their asses moving, unable to properly see them due to the tent blocking her view of them and the other dinosaurs. 

Mica gives an involuntary shudder as the two dinosaurs lunge in and make short work of Dominick.  Still, others could be saved.  He fires another arrow at the dinosaur directly in front of Meili, hoping to discourage it from following her as she makes a move toward the boats. 

Attack: 15 Damage: 8

Plus extra 3 damage on a hit due to Colossus Slayer

He doesn’t stick around after the shot, moving back himself, using is full movement on the near side of the tents to end up next to Velan in response to Danica's shout. "This is all of us, Cap'n. Dominick didn't make it. At least one of the big ones still has some fight left in it."

He could not help but to feel sorry watching the fate Dominick ultimately found. Not that Velan knew the man, but the wizard could tell he had the chance to leave the wounded behind. Of course, braving the jungle alone was little short of suicide and this fact may have played a big part on the warrior’s decision, but when asking for boats the deserter thought of his wounded – warriors that a cynic man would see as little more than a burden. His died asking for forgiviness, not cursing his fate. He was better than that.

“My most honest apologies to those of you who were companions of Dominick, but leaving his body alone, but if we simply leave his body alone he will either keep the dinosaurs there for longer or become a undead so…” He raised his right hand, crystal on the palm, and focused his mind on condensing the energy of the Weave to the point where it would burst into flames. “Ignis!”

Velan chanted with his eyes glowing teal, trying to hit the mote of flames on the corpse laying on the ground. May we end this curse so you may find rest. That is the most I can wish for you. He climbed on the closest boat, checking only if his attempt to light the body had worked.

Notes: Velan tries to set Dominick's dead body on fire with Fire Bolt. Should I roll an attack and/or damage?

 Meili advances on the juvenile Ceratosaur menacing Ran.  It fails to notice her approach and she delivers a sharp kick to its side.  Mica's arrow and Danica's bolt both sail high and wide, but the sudden assault has left the creature startled.

Velan has to move north of the tent to get line of sight on Dominick's corpse.  His fire bolt strikes true, blackening the corpse and driving the two adult Ceratosaurs off of it.  He has enough movement left to return to his original position.

Hew climbs up onto the dock and stands watch, making sure Thondell continues to flee.

[Ran is up.]

Ran looks at the juvenile Ceratosaur and sees that it looks a bit less aggressive than it did a moment ago.

"No more fight in you, little fella?" Ran asks.

Ran turns to the canoes to follow Danica's orders.

"Aye aye, Captain," Ran calls as he heads to the canoes. He grabs a set of oars and gets ready to push off as soon as he's got a full crew. 

Thondell reaches one of the crude goblin canoes and pushes it into the water, hopping inside.  "I hope death comes ripping for the whole stinking lot of you!" he shouts as he starts to paddle north with his hands.

The little Ceratosaur squeals in pain from Meili's kick.  Both nearby adults look up at the sound and abandon the smoldering corpse of Dominick.  The more severely wounded adult pushes between Meili and the juvenile.  Both creatures disengage and the adult guides the little one further away to the north.  The remaining adult charges Meili and tries to knock her away with its horns. 

Attack: 24 Damage: 5 + 4

Piercing charge. If the Ceretosaurus moves at least 30 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a Head Swipe attack on the same turn dealing an additional 1d6 piercing damage, that target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked back 10 ft and knocked prone.

[Looks like the attack hits.  If Meili fails the save, she is located 10' closer to the beach and prone.]

Str save: 9

For a creature this size, the attack was incredibly swift. Meili could not do anything to prevent it and was sent flying toward the river landing so hard, that she thought herself dead for a moment. She was not, though, the dead can not feel so much pain. But she felt it would take some effort to simply stand up now.

Mica runs his fingers through the fletching of his arrows, briefly considering an attack on the dinosaur that charged Meili.  He decides against spending the arrow and instead climbs into the canoes with Inete.  He grabs a paddle and gets ready to push away from shore as soon as Meili is in the boat.  “Meili, get up and get over here!  Into the boat, hurry!”

[By the wonders of Magic, posts 908-911 don't happen as previously indicated.]

Velan sees the large dinosaur charging Meili and utilizes the spell silvery barbs as a reaction.  The Ceratosaur misses with its horn swipe, dealing no damage.  Meili is not forced to make a STR save and holds her ground.  She remains where she appears on the map in post 909.

Meili was sure it was her last fight - the attacking dinosaur was huge as a house, and a very fast house too. But then with a sudden silvery flash, the picture of her thrown across the beach was replaced by another one where she was still standing on her spot, while the huge dinosour darted past her, missing by the hair.

Meili was not going to tempt fate any more than necessary and ran to the canoe the moment she was able to. (Disengage when necessary)

(No real change from original post 911)

Mica runs his fingers through the fletching of his arrows, briefly considering an attack on the dinosaur that charged Meili.  He decides against spending the arrow and instead climbs into one of the canoes.  He grabs a paddle and gets ready to push away from shore as soon as Meili is in the boat.  “Meili, get over here!  Into the boat, hurry!”

Hew stands on the end of the dock, cursing Thondell as he flees.  "Run, coward!  Leave your people to die!  This jungle knows what fear is!  After it grinds you into meat, may your spirit linger here for a thousand lifetimes!  May you never forget how you ran!  Never forget!"  He reaches down into the much and picks up a heavy rock and hurls it with all his strength.  It falls short of Thondell, and hits the water with a great splash.  In the deepening gloom, Thondell's only reply is a rude hand gesture.  Huffing and looking around, Hew sees that most of you are back in the canoes.  He takes a quick headcount and then suggests he and Danica join the others and get away from shore.

In essence chronurgy consists of utilizing the Weave to bend time and space, pulling or pushing actuality and potentiality, what was and what could be. To do so one needed to first and foremost be able to perceive time on all of its aspects. As Meili was about to be hit, Velan did just that. With the eye of his mind, he could see the monk being bitten and thrown around and before it could happened. On the instant before his vision became reality he raised his right hand. His arcane focus and his eyes flashed teal as he uttered a single word.

“No.” He said imagining thorns of silver light sprouting from the ground and wrapping around the reptile’s body. Binding, stopping it for but a moment. Enough for Meili to avoid its jaws. Finally the godsdamned spell made direct impact, difference. Velan was ecstatic with the fact and channeled the residual energy of Silvery Barbs into his monk companion.

“I recommend the people on the boats to start rowing.” He said starting to so himself. Clean waters still? He asked Ninlil telepathically. At this point the wizard was fully confident the owl would have alerted about any danger even if he didn’t ask for, but he preferred to ask anyway. After all, her answer not only would correct his assumptions, but assure that she was still safe.

Notes: Velan uses his action to row/start rowing. This way he hopefully makes it easier for the boat he is in to move away from the shore.

When he's got a full canoe, Ran starts rowing as well, out into the river. He watches the ceratosaurs to see if they're showing any interest in coming out into the water after them.

"Hope water doesn't mix well with these land beasties," Ran says.

He eyes the statute, pedestal and tunnel entrance from the water.

"Would still like a peek at what's hidden in there," Ran adds.

Athletics to keep the boat steady in the water, not drifting down stream, or paddling up, while the dinos make up their minds and the group figures out what they're next move will be.: 13  

With everyone back inside the canoes, you pull back what feels like a safe distance from shore.  A fine layer of steamy mist hangs over the water, but above it the night sky is clear and the stars and moon are visible.  After only a few minutes, there is a loud, gurgling sucking sound from downstream and you hear a voice very much like Thondell's cry out.  Hew stares coldly in the direction of the sound.

The Ceratosaurs are no longer visible in the darkness but you can sometimes here them moving about and feeding on the corpses in the camp.  The communicate with one another with short squeals and pig-like grunts.  At times it sounds like they are fighting over scraps.

Before an hour passes, their noises begin to fade as the creatures depart the camp and move deeper into the jungles.

Ninlil continues to keep watch, and doesn't alert Velan to any more approaching dangers.

Finally, Hew speaks up.  "Well."  As if that says it all.  "We can try to make camp here and post watch in case the beasts return." 

“That sounds about right to me” Mica glances around the growing darkness, paying special attention to where they heard Thondell’s last shout “I don’t much like the idea of paddling around in the dark and at least there is some shelter here.” 

 Mica pulls his boat back toward shore, preparing to beach the canoe, all the while keeping a watch on the camp for any danger.

Meili shuddered at the thought of returning to the mass grave that the camp was turned into. Yet, the group had no choice on the matter - Thondell's death (she was sure he died) was proof of close danger on the river. She stepped on the beach full of doubts and caution but was ready to do her part in transporting canoes and any goods the group deemed worthy of taking to the "shelter". (In this parts the word truly sounded like a bitter joke).

Perception: 18