Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

Newtomanterys approaches the rockfall trap.  The tunnel here is 10' wide x 10' high.  The rockfall trap appears to have been a natural cave-in that was repurposed into a trap. A stone slab on a hinge is held in place by metal wires attached to pulleys.  Above the slabs, hundreds of pounds of broken rock wait to fall.  The wire is strung at ankle height above the floor of the tunnel.  Sithi wasn't wrong - once you know to look for it, the trap is impossible to miss and the wire is easy to avoid.  

The disguised mage clears his newt throat.  He begins speaking loudly, in a tongue that sounds like a roaring bonfire.  When he is done he pauses... and there is no response.  He waits... peers into the darkness... looks back to where you are hiding... and then shrugs, advancing a little deeper into the forge.

He comes to a set of minecart tracks.  The tracks continue until they reach a vast, open magma chamber.  The heat coming off is intense, as though standing inside a kiln.  The air shimmers and shines, the heat creating mirror images and mirages in the open space.  The glowing liquid stone below fills the entire cavern with dim light.

Just before the magma chamber, a pair of passages split off in either direction.  One, to the right, is filled with choking black smoke.  The other, to the left, has more cart tracks and splits into a network of small, interconnected passageways.  

Newtomanterys steps to the edge of the magma pit and raises his voice again.  Again, there is no immediate response, but then he sees a handful of firenewts emerge from a passage on the other side of the pit.  They converse amongst themselves quieter than Newtomanterys can here... but then six firenewt warriors begin heading in his direction.  They follow the minecart tracks over the magma, hopping lightly from tie to tie.  It looks borderline suicidal to Newtomanterys, but the firenewts proceed casually, as one would if they were practiced at this, and had no fear of the superheated rock below.

[Where is everyone else hiding?]

Ran would be just around the corner to the west - where there look to be abandoned tools, or loose rail ties - assuming that if Nalo is successful, he'll lead the newts back this way and he can attack from behind from this spot.

These extra nukes and crannies (not to mention minecart tracks) were not indicated on the dwarves' scheme. Hopefully, it meant they were insignificant strategy-wise. Meili followed Nalomanterys for as long as it felt safe, eventually settling in the entrance into the smoke-filled tunnel (if it was possible to reach that far before the wizard's second call). She hoped to be able to keep an eye on Nalomanterys under the triple cover of the smoke, Mica's spell and her cloak. (Stealth: 18+10)

Mica hides behind a rock cropping further back in the main tunnel, staying within 30 feet of Ran and Meili to allow them to benefit from his spell.  He readies his longbow and watches Nalomanterys to see how well his disguise works.  Mica hopes even if he is spotted, it will draw the other newts down the tunnel and by Ran and Meili.

Stealth: 23.

.

The party takes up positions along either side of the main corridor.

Meili:

 The 6 firenewts complete their journey across the narrow bridge tressel and hop into the cavern.  They besiege Newtomanterys with a barage of hisses and crackling words.

Newtomanterys:

 Once they are across, Newtomanterys doesn't delay, heading back down the tunnel, urging them to follow.

The party, hidden by shadows and Mica's ranger magic, is obscured from their notice until it is too late.  Just before the firenewts would have walked headlong into Mica, the ambush is sprung.

Round One!

Everyone is up!  The Firenewts are [Tooltip Not Found]!

Hew takes advantage of the firenewts shock and surprise, dashing around and past them, skidding to a stop at the edge of the magma chamber behind them, cutting off any retreat.

As soon as the group of firenewts starts to pass and are getting to Mica, Ran draws both his longswords and moves quickly forward to engage the closest creature. 

He slashes with his first sword then seeks to hammer the attack home with a blow from his second longsword.

Longsword 1 Attack: 10 Damage: 6  

Longsword 2 Attack: 14 Damage: 5  

Meili froze in place. Not from the shock (though it was unexpected) but in the hope whoever was down there would lose her or disregard her presence. She lost momentum, though, and Hew darted at the space she meant for herself. It was good, though, now the newts could be attacked from all four sides. She readied her sword and attacked:

At the green newt: Shortsword Attack: 8 Damage: 9
At the blue newt: Flurry of Blows Attack: 18 Damage: 6
                                                          Attack: 25 Damage: 9

If anyone speaks primordial, they can hear Newtomanterys answering the newts in their own tongue:

As the trap springs, Newtomanterys yells out in common, "Do not let them flee down these tunnels, or we shall never find them!"

And speaking of things growing on necks, Newtomanterys cracks a chili pepper from his component pouch in half and slathers the juice on his neck, chanting "Glacies Draconis". The newt in the blue robe quickly reverts to his usual human form, just as a frosty blue pouch grows on the side of his neck where the pepper was slathered. dragon's breath ice.

Nalomanterys shouts "Do not shoot me!" at Mica and then moves to the square just south of the dark red or brown newt. He inhales and then exhales deeply, releasing a stream of icy mist. I believe a 15 ft cone is usually a T shape, and so it should hit dark red, pink, orange, and blue. DC 14 dex saves, and 10 frost damage - half on a successful save.

Saves:

• Firenewt:  14
• Firenewt:  18
• Firenewt:  18
• Firenewt:  2

Most of the firenewts are able to get their shields up to deflect the worst of Newtomanterys' frost breath - the betrayal! - but the blue dot newt, distracted by Meili's furious attacks, doesn't see the frost coming.  Hoarfrost spreads across its slimy flesh and it turns from a bright orange/red to a sickly grey color, freezing in place.

[Danica and Mica are still up... and then Meili and Danica can both take their Round Two turns as they are both up before the firenewts get to act.]

Mica has a look of confusion mixed with disgust across his face as he overhears Nalomanterys talk about a boil on someone’s neck. He quickly regains his focus as Nalomanterys changes back to his normal form and races by him. “Stay behind me” he calls before grabbing his handaxes and rushing forward to close with the newts.  He swings both axes against the first creature he encounters, slashing across its chest.

Attack against red newt: 8 Damage: 9 

Attack against red newt: 19 Damage: 4

plus 5 colossus slayer damage.

[Botting Danica for the moment...]

Mica's axes flash, but the mesh of metal armor covering the Red Firenewt deflects the blows.

Danica lashes out with a cantrip, and a thorn whip ensnares the Grey Firenewt, dealing 1 damage and pulling it 10' closer to her.  

ROUND TWO

Danica then draws her scimitar and strikes out at the fiery warrior.

Scimitar Attack: 20 Damage: 6

[Meili is up, then the Firenewts, then everyone else...]

1. Danica
2. Meili
3. Firenewts
4. Mica
5. Ran
6. Hew 
7. Nalomanterys

[Firenewt with the X is dead and the ones with red dots on the bottom of the token have been wounded.]

With one enemy down, Meili concentrated her attacks on the second one, that she missed before.

At the green newt: Shortsword    Attack: 6 Damage: 9
                              Flurry of Blows Attack: 10 Damage: 4
                                                          Attack: 7 Damage: 7

If somehow the green one is dead, the remaining attacks are on the orange one.

Meili is able to land one good, solid strike again Green Firenewt, but not enough to stop it.

The Firenewt Warriors, overcoming their surprise, spring into action.  They draw their scimitars but do not attack with them... instead, they open wide their amphibian mouths and disgorge balls of fire!

Grey Firenewt attacking Danica:  DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 12 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Pink Firenewt attacking Mica:  DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Dark Red Firenewt attacking Newtomanterys:  DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Orange Firenewt attacking Meili:  DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

All but one, that is.  One of the Firenewts instead turns and charges Hew, attempting to shove him out of the way and clear a path back to the magma.  Green Firenewt shove 15 vs Hew 23.

Hew stands his ground against the shove.

1. Danica
2. Meili
3. Firenewts
4. Mica
5. Ran
6. Hew 
7. Nalomanterys