As Vilus continues running, his eyes burn with energy, he looks back to the worm, a mass of writhing teeth and tentacles. suddenly the sound of a gonging echoes through the tunnel as Vilus casts Toll the Dead on the creature, he then continues the 30ft he can muster right now.
Samir continues to hustle down the hallway, hearing the horrid squelching of the worm behind the group. He turns quickly and launches another bolt, praying that he can find flesh with this one, before turning back and continuing to move forward.
Light Crossbow 13 to hit, 5 plus 1 damage. Move 30 feet.
Joren is lifted off the ground and pulled toward the jagged funnel of twisting teeth by one of the tentacles. Fire and a bolt whistle past him, but both just seem to glance off of the crawlers thick outer skin. Joren can see a few cuts, and a decent burn wound as he gets closer and closer to the teeth, but the creature does not seem to have lost much of its will to fight.
Then the sound of a bell fills the air, and it seems to wince, slowing slightly. Next come the whispers. With this, the creature stops entirely. It thrashes its free tentacles defensively and squirms on the spot, but seems unable to turn around or move backward. Dust and flakes of stone rain down from the ceiling of the cave around Joren, dislodged by the creature's movements.
This gives everyone a chance to put more distance between themselves and the cave crawler behind them. As they run, Marion turns to Samir. "Relax. Breathe. On your next shot, don't bother trying to aim outside its mouth. Aim right for the center." Though she tries to keep a calm demeanor, it is clear to most that the sheen of sweat on her brow is not just from the exertion of running.
(Marion gives Samir the help action for his next attack. Also, thanks to dissonant whispers, the cave crawler will not be advancing at all on its next turn. Joren has not yet been eaten, but it looks like it will happen on the next turn. The end is now 60 feet away, and the group is 60 feet ahead of the crawler. I believe it's just Joren left for this round)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Joren is completely taken aback at how prolific the Crawler's attacks and movement are. Three attacks before his echo is destroyed, yet the Crawler surges forward and makes two more attacks, finally grappling Joren with the fifth overall lash of its tentacles.
Gasping, grunting, knowing that he doesn't have time to both summon his echo and switch places with it, Joren takes at least the first step, using his bonus action to summon his echo 15' behind him and moves it 15' further so it is 30' behind. Perhaps he can switch places with it from inside the Crawler's belly if he survives. He just hopes the creature is indeed slowed by Malachi's spell so the echo also remains intact.
With his action, Joren slashes at the tentacle holding him with his greatsword, attempting to sever it in an effort to free himself.
Attack: 14 Damage: 6
As Joren is drawn into the creature's mouth, he shouts at the half-elven sorcerer (or to any of his companions): "Again, if you could with the dissonant magic. Anything that is slowing it down."
As the group looks back, they see Joren swing at the tentacle holding him, but his blade bounces off due to the bad angle. Even as he grows smaller in the distance, they see him enter the maw, and begin to hear the grinding of teeth on metal.
Metal crunches and twists as Joren gets pulled in up to his hips. Then his waist. He starts to go limp from the pain and the bloodloss. Soon, all that is visible is his head and one arm, dangling. The creature does not start moving forward yet, still cowed by the magic whispers and trying to finish off its unexpectedly tough meal, but it looks like it will not be still for long.
As everyone watches Joren disappear, inch by inch behind the rows of teeth, his echo begins to dissolve into mist. At this point, only his arm is sticking out.
Then, a finger twitches. The hand spasms and clenches, and the misty form of Joren's echo suddenly draws back together in sharp focus. His other hand reaches out beside the first, and he pushes on the walls of the crawlers gullet, between rows of teeth, until his head is just barely visible within the depths of the creature's throat.
"JOREN! Don't you dare!" Vilus screams out as he sees the Echo flicker, Vilus runs back reaching the echo and then reaches out his mind toward the beast, establishing a telepathic link with the thing, Vilus channels the Watcher and attempts to fill the beast's mind with the ramblings of a thousand observant thoughts, he casts Dissonant Whispers
Wis DC 13 or 15 psychic damage, Vilus will attempt to /help/ Joren once he swaps with his echo, by essentially getting in between Joren and the worm, but that won't be applicable until next turn.
The cave crawler shudders as Vilus reaches out with his power. The whispers in the creature's head from Malachi weave in and out with voices from beyond the edge of this reality. The crawler's thrashing intensifies. Cracks appear overhead, and a chunk of stone falls from the ceiling, narrowly missing Vilus. The ground quakes below everyone's feet.
Joren's fading vision is not of the horrific toothy maw into which he is being drawn inexorably, but of Bernard Kryn. Trueborn Khirian son, teaching the half-breed a lesson. Cut after well-placed cut by Bernard's echo, toying with his opponent. Smiling knowingly, fully aware he could kill Joren, the half-dwarf bastard, with no repercussions. Not for Bernard anyway, even though the duel is intended as non-lethal. Joren had been able to land but a single blow with the flat of his greatsword, from his own position, not his echo's. How the half-drunk crowd of mostly trueborn Khirian echo knights had jeered at that one. So crude, that. To be attacking from your own position like a common infantryman.
Blood and sweat pour from Joren's face and body as he grunts and growls in failing, doomed determination. Pivoting low to recklessly aim a blow at an odd angle just as Bernard's echo catches him square and cuts Joren clean to the ribcage. It is death. Death if Bernard has his way with him as he is doing now, and likely death later by execution if Joren somehow kills the princeling. At the last minute, with instantaneous, yet immense reluctance, Joren twists his blade sideways to make his own attack non-lethal again. Flat of the greatsword against Bernard Kryn's head. Just as with Jon Shep in the basement of Opportunity's Knock so much later and farther to the west. Both men crumple to the dusty ground of the Dalmodh plains, Bernard with a shocked expression on his face and eyes rolling back in his head, and Joren in fetal position, bleeding his life away.
Though he hadn't died, had he? Then or now. The half-dwarf who lived.Joren Kryn opens his eyes.
He feels massive gashes from the creature's teeth, and the burn of acid from the Crawler's gullet. By instinct only, he manages to keep his echo from fading. He hears his name shouted in the distance. Was that Ashley? Or... Silas??
Not yet. He reaches for the song of the mountains that his unknown father had sung. A hymn of unyielding rock and stone. Not done yet.
Something seems to be forcing the Crawler to pause. Malachi's dissonant spell? Somehow this effect feels similar, but different too. Calling on his final reserve of energy, he sends his echo 30' further back away so it is 60' from the Crawler and switches places with it. He then dashes, having used 15' of his movement and his bonus action to switch places, 45' further, putting him 105' away from the crawler, stumbling. Legs, gut, chest, shoulders, mouth, eyes, all bleeding like a thing out of nightmare.
He has only a moment to notice that the goliath he knows as Silas stands where his echo had been, now 75' away closer to the Crawler than Joren.
What? No! Too injured to speak, Joren feels only shame that his own underestimation of the Crawler's deadliness may have put his companions in danger for trying to save him. Dishonor as Marion might feel. were she to actually act dishonorably. He looks for Ashley. For Samir and the paladin of the blue lady as well, but his eyes are closing. Leaving, we must be, he wants to plead but he can't croak it out through the blood.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Joren!" Samir finds himself darting to the warior's side without thought, one hand reaching out, runes already blazing to life along his palm. Energy courses across the symbols and arcs to the man's injured flesh as the gap closes. It surges, pouring into Joren like a wave of warmth as Samir makes contact. His previous plan to keep shooting at the monster forgotten, he empties the last dregs of his greater will into healing the injuries inflicted by the worm. Samir's fingers grip onto Joren's arm, urging him backwards away from the threat, even as he tries to level his bolt thrower single-handedly at the monster as they retreat.
Spending my last spell slot for Cure Wounds on Joren for 6 points of healing.
The opening at the end of the tunnel looms large ahead of Joren and Samir. There seems to be some glow from beyond. At the rear, Vilus stands with arms outstretched, holding the massive beast at bay with his strange powers, using all his might to give everyone a little more time to run. The tunnel continues to rumble, and more chunks of wall and ceiling collapse around him.
(Everyone within 30 ft of the tunnel's end can make a perception check. This includes if your character gets within thirty feet during this turn.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
“Joren, no!” Malachi calls out in horror as the creature grabs Joren and pulls him into its toothy maw. Then, just as quick, Joren is up and running ahead of him toward the opening. Malachi redoubles his efforts to slow the crawler, adding additional [spell}Dissonant Whispers;whispers[/spell] to the magic Vilus uses, trying to slow the creature and give his companions additional time to flee. Malachi then turns and moves down the tunnel as fast as he can, moving 30’ closer to the entrance and attempting to see what lies in the opening ahead of them.
Perception: 13.
(Casting as 2d level spell, DC 14 Wis Save or 10 psychic damage and must use its reaction to move away. Half damage and no movement on a save.)
The cave crawler, still thrashing, slams its tentacles into the walls of the tunnel, worming them into the newly forming cracks as though trying to find purchase to push itself back.
Satisfied that his spell was effective, Malachi turns to follow Joren as he races by. But the tendrils in his brain give a warning.
Through the gloom, Malachi realizes that just past the opening, their path ends. They are running toward a large chasm!
But wait… it’s hard to tell but there might be a ledge to the side, following the wall of the cavern up ahead.
(I’ll post a map later for visual reference, but basically it doesn’t look like the end of the tunnel is a total dead end to Malachi)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ashley watches in stunned horror as her friend Joren gets taken into the giant tremor like worm. The man who got a chuckle out of her wanting to try goats milk, the man who helped her back at the town they met. How was this happening??
She stands there like a stone not knowing what to do as Vilus runs at the beast to try and help him. That knocks her into action and just as she is about to join him, Joren is behind her, bloodied and beaten, but running!! She could cheer for joy! But not now.
She turns back at the beast, anger seething through her and she tells Vilus to Get the Hell back and out of my way!! Then she sends her Scorcher towards the center of his mouth, right where Joren was moments before.
DEX save 12 or 16 fire damage, half if saved
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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As Vilus continues running, his eyes burn with energy, he looks back to the worm, a mass of writhing teeth and tentacles. suddenly the sound of a gonging echoes through the tunnel as Vilus casts Toll the Dead on the creature, he then continues the 30ft he can muster right now.
Wisdom save DC 13
or 4 necrotic damage.
Samir continues to hustle down the hallway, hearing the horrid squelching of the worm behind the group. He turns quickly and launches another bolt, praying that he can find flesh with this one, before turning back and continuing to move forward.
Light Crossbow 13 to hit, 5 plus 1 damage. Move 30 feet.
1
Joren is lifted off the ground and pulled toward the jagged funnel of twisting teeth by one of the tentacles. Fire and a bolt whistle past him, but both just seem to glance off of the crawlers thick outer skin. Joren can see a few cuts, and a decent burn wound as he gets closer and closer to the teeth, but the creature does not seem to have lost much of its will to fight.
Then the sound of a bell fills the air, and it seems to wince, slowing slightly. Next come the whispers. With this, the creature stops entirely. It thrashes its free tentacles defensively and squirms on the spot, but seems unable to turn around or move backward. Dust and flakes of stone rain down from the ceiling of the cave around Joren, dislodged by the creature's movements.
This gives everyone a chance to put more distance between themselves and the cave crawler behind them. As they run, Marion turns to Samir. "Relax. Breathe. On your next shot, don't bother trying to aim outside its mouth. Aim right for the center." Though she tries to keep a calm demeanor, it is clear to most that the sheen of sweat on her brow is not just from the exertion of running.
(Marion gives Samir the help action for his next attack. Also, thanks to dissonant whispers, the cave crawler will not be advancing at all on its next turn. Joren has not yet been eaten, but it looks like it will happen on the next turn. The end is now 60 feet away, and the group is 60 feet ahead of the crawler. I believe it's just Joren left for this round)
Joren is completely taken aback at how prolific the Crawler's attacks and movement are. Three attacks before his echo is destroyed, yet the Crawler surges forward and makes two more attacks, finally grappling Joren with the fifth overall lash of its tentacles.
Gasping, grunting, knowing that he doesn't have time to both summon his echo and switch places with it, Joren takes at least the first step, using his bonus action to summon his echo 15' behind him and moves it 15' further so it is 30' behind. Perhaps he can switch places with it from inside the Crawler's belly if he survives. He just hopes the creature is indeed slowed by Malachi's spell so the echo also remains intact.
With his action, Joren slashes at the tentacle holding him with his greatsword, attempting to sever it in an effort to free himself.
Attack: 14 Damage: 6
As Joren is drawn into the creature's mouth, he shouts at the half-elven sorcerer (or to any of his companions):
"Again, if you could with the dissonant magic. Anything that is slowing it down."
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
As the group looks back, they see Joren swing at the tentacle holding him, but his blade bounces off due to the bad angle. Even as he grows smaller in the distance, they see him enter the maw, and begin to hear the grinding of teeth on metal.
Attack: 26 Damage: 19
Metal crunches and twists as Joren gets pulled in up to his hips. Then his waist. He starts to go limp from the pain and the bloodloss. Soon, all that is visible is his head and one arm, dangling. The creature does not start moving forward yet, still cowed by the magic whispers and trying to finish off its unexpectedly tough meal, but it looks like it will not be still for long.
(Party is up)
Joren death saving throw ((rolled on DDB character sheet, visible in campaign)): 20 (natural).
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
As everyone watches Joren disappear, inch by inch behind the rows of teeth, his echo begins to dissolve into mist. At this point, only his arm is sticking out.
Then, a finger twitches. The hand spasms and clenches, and the misty form of Joren's echo suddenly draws back together in sharp focus. His other hand reaches out beside the first, and he pushes on the walls of the crawlers gullet, between rows of teeth, until his head is just barely visible within the depths of the creature's throat.
"JOREN! Don't you dare!" Vilus screams out as he sees the Echo flicker, Vilus runs back reaching the echo and then reaches out his mind toward the beast, establishing a telepathic link with the thing, Vilus channels the Watcher and attempts to fill the beast's mind with the ramblings of a thousand observant thoughts, he casts Dissonant Whispers
Wis DC 13 or 15 psychic damage,
Vilus will attempt to /help/ Joren once he swaps with his echo, by essentially getting in between Joren and the worm, but that won't be applicable until next turn.
Wis Save: -3
(Critical Failure)
The cave crawler shudders as Vilus reaches out with his power. The whispers in the creature's head from Malachi weave in and out with voices from beyond the edge of this reality. The crawler's thrashing intensifies. Cracks appear overhead, and a chunk of stone falls from the ceiling, narrowly missing Vilus. The ground quakes below everyone's feet.
Bleeding easily, mongrels are.
Joren's fading vision is not of the horrific toothy maw into which he is being drawn inexorably, but of Bernard Kryn. Trueborn Khirian son, teaching the half-breed a lesson. Cut after well-placed cut by Bernard's echo, toying with his opponent. Smiling knowingly, fully aware he could kill Joren, the half-dwarf bastard, with no repercussions. Not for Bernard anyway, even though the duel is intended as non-lethal. Joren had been able to land but a single blow with the flat of his greatsword, from his own position, not his echo's. How the half-drunk crowd of mostly trueborn Khirian echo knights had jeered at that one. So crude, that. To be attacking from your own position like a common infantryman.
Blood and sweat pour from Joren's face and body as he grunts and growls in failing, doomed determination. Pivoting low to recklessly aim a blow at an odd angle just as Bernard's echo catches him square and cuts Joren clean to the ribcage. It is death. Death if Bernard has his way with him as he is doing now, and likely death later by execution if Joren somehow kills the princeling. At the last minute, with instantaneous, yet immense reluctance, Joren twists his blade sideways to make his own attack non-lethal again. Flat of the greatsword against Bernard Kryn's head. Just as with Jon Shep in the basement of Opportunity's Knock so much later and farther to the west. Both men crumple to the dusty ground of the Dalmodh plains, Bernard with a shocked expression on his face and eyes rolling back in his head, and Joren in fetal position, bleeding his life away.
Though he hadn't died, had he? Then or now. The half-dwarf who lived. Joren Kryn opens his eyes.
He feels massive gashes from the creature's teeth, and the burn of acid from the Crawler's gullet. By instinct only, he manages to keep his echo from fading. He hears his name shouted in the distance. Was that Ashley? Or... Silas??
Not yet. He reaches for the song of the mountains that his unknown father had sung. A hymn of unyielding rock and stone. Not done yet.
Something seems to be forcing the Crawler to pause. Malachi's dissonant spell? Somehow this effect feels similar, but different too. Calling on his final reserve of energy, he sends his echo 30' further back away so it is 60' from the Crawler and switches places with it. He then dashes, having used 15' of his movement and his bonus action to switch places, 45' further, putting him 105' away from the crawler, stumbling. Legs, gut, chest, shoulders, mouth, eyes, all bleeding like a thing out of nightmare.
He has only a moment to notice that the goliath he knows as Silas stands where his echo had been, now 75' away closer to the Crawler than Joren.
What? No! Too injured to speak, Joren feels only shame that his own underestimation of the Crawler's deadliness may have put his companions in danger for trying to save him. Dishonor as Marion might feel. were she to actually act dishonorably. He looks for Ashley. For Samir and the paladin of the blue lady as well, but his eyes are closing. Leaving, we must be, he wants to plead but he can't croak it out through the blood.
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
"Joren!" Samir finds himself darting to the warior's side without thought, one hand reaching out, runes already blazing to life along his palm. Energy courses across the symbols and arcs to the man's injured flesh as the gap closes. It surges, pouring into Joren like a wave of warmth as Samir makes contact. His previous plan to keep shooting at the monster forgotten, he empties the last dregs of his greater will into healing the injuries inflicted by the worm. Samir's fingers grip onto Joren's arm, urging him backwards away from the threat, even as he tries to level his bolt thrower single-handedly at the monster as they retreat.
Spending my last spell slot for Cure Wounds on Joren for 6 points of healing.
The opening at the end of the tunnel looms large ahead of Joren and Samir. There seems to be some glow from beyond. At the rear, Vilus stands with arms outstretched, holding the massive beast at bay with his strange powers, using all his might to give everyone a little more time to run. The tunnel continues to rumble, and more chunks of wall and ceiling collapse around him.
(Everyone within 30 ft of the tunnel's end can make a perception check. This includes if your character gets within thirty feet during this turn.)
“Joren, no!” Malachi calls out in horror as the creature grabs Joren and pulls him into its toothy maw. Then, just as quick, Joren is up and running ahead of him toward the opening. Malachi redoubles his efforts to slow the crawler, adding additional [spell}Dissonant Whispers;whispers[/spell] to the magic Vilus uses, trying to slow the creature and give his companions additional time to flee. Malachi then turns and moves down the tunnel as fast as he can, moving 30’ closer to the entrance and attempting to see what lies in the opening ahead of them.
Perception: 13.
(Casting as 2d level spell, DC 14 Wis Save or 10 psychic damage and must use its reaction to move away. Half damage and no movement on a save.)
Samir Perception 14
Joren Perception at disadvantage due to his recent near-death and his face being covered in blood, even after Samir's very kind healing: 6
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Wis save: 0
The cave crawler, still thrashing, slams its tentacles into the walls of the tunnel, worming them into the newly forming cracks as though trying to find purchase to push itself back.
Satisfied that his spell was effective, Malachi turns to follow Joren as he races by. But the tendrils in his brain give a warning.
Through the gloom, Malachi realizes that just past the opening, their path ends. They are running toward a large chasm!
But wait… it’s hard to tell but there might be a ledge to the side, following the wall of the cavern up ahead.
(I’ll post a map later for visual reference, but basically it doesn’t look like the end of the tunnel is a total dead end to Malachi)
Ashley watches in stunned horror as her friend Joren gets taken into the giant tremor like worm. The man who got a chuckle out of her wanting to try goats milk, the man who helped her back at the town they met. How was this happening??
She stands there like a stone not knowing what to do as Vilus runs at the beast to try and help him. That knocks her into action and just as she is about to join him, Joren is behind her, bloodied and beaten, but running!! She could cheer for joy! But not now.
She turns back at the beast, anger seething through her and she tells Vilus to Get the Hell back and out of my way!! Then she sends her Scorcher towards the center of his mouth, right where Joren was moments before.
DEX save 12 or 16 fire damage, half if saved