This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Letting her temporary badger buddy determine it's own path, Elandra works to help the group take out the closest mound, hoping that they can finish off the beast quickly before any more wounds are suffered and friends felled.
Action: Vicious Mockery - DC15 WIS @ Mound 1, save negates 5 psychic damage & disadvantage on next attack. Bonus: Healing Word +5 to Jade (if the last flurry of hits downed her) Movement: 20ft north. Reaction: Cutting words - if mound 1 looks likely to hit an ally (die roll of 16-21) Reduce attack roll by 2
Lux will move over to the Dire wolf. Say "Everyone cover your eyes". Holding up his Staff and Channel Divinity: Radiance of the Dawn
Each hostile creature (that doesn't have total cover) within 30 ft. must make a CON saving throw (DC 16) or take 2d10 +5 radiant damage (half damage on success). This should catch both monsters in the 30ft.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
@Lux
Each of the two monstrosities is instantly surrounded in the light of your god, the pure radiance of it blinding them Hulk 1: 15 Hulk 2: 23
When the light subsides, both hulks are completely gone, having been disintegrated by the light of Lathander. Elandra, your turn is then no longer necessary, but we can keep the healing words on Jade if you want to. With the hulks defeated, Norbus collapses to the ground, his rage having ended, barely having survived the battle. Dazlyn rushes over to his companion but doesn't have much he can do to heal him up. The first tent is in absolute ruins, but the rest of the camp looks mostly unharmed
Dazlyn then turns to the group and says "Thanks for your help. Without yer aid, I'm sure we'd be long dead by now. Them massive flesh buggers." He then turns to his companion and says "Should have known better than to brave these hills alone, shouldn't we have Norbus?". He turns back to you and asks "What brings you along these parts? Don't know of many people having crossed her since this whole stormy mayhem started."
Koric sags to his knees for a moment, trying to control his rapid breathing. Eventually he rises, looking around the camp.
He has never seen such creatures before and his curiosity draws him over to each of the bodies to investigate. A spectral hand appears in the air and starts to move the body parts around, looking to see if it was anything more than some dreadful assemblage of dead bodies.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(Yes, keep the healing word on Jade so that she is conscious)
Seeing the two monstrosities dissapear in the light, Elandra quips to Lux "Didn't wanna lead with that huh?" She winks as she walks past towards Koric, placing a supportive hand over his shoulder, "Not bad for an old timer!" She continues over to Norbus and Dazlyn. "It is fortuitous indeed, lady luck has a habit of putting things in the right place at the right time though, and for some more than others." Staring around the ruined camp site, Elandra picks a piece of ground and sits cross legged, saving the dwarves rom looking upwards.
"We were recruited to investigate the Mere. Some strange magic emanating from the area apparently. I think we've worked out that the Mere of Dead Men is gradually becoming the mere of not-so-dead men at this point. Though we are still no clearer as to the source of these disturbances. What about you two? As you say, travelling as a pair in these parts seems risky at best. Where did you come from, and what drove you down this path?"
Elandra has no reason to mistrust the dwarves but considering their low numbers, will try to get a read on whether the dwarves respond telling us the whole truth, or if they are being at all coy. insight: 24.
(( prior to his investigations, after Elandra's words ))
Koric looks up at Elandra, a weak and forced smile on his face. With a shake of his head he stands, "No, but I will learn," he says. He looks around to make sure that everyone survived before proceeding with his investigations.
You use your spectral hand to try and sift through what is left of the monstrous hulks, but it’s most dust after the light of Lathander disintegrated then. Still, from what you can tell, there doesn’t seem to be anything super special about them other than their abnormally large size for a necromantic entity. Whatever magic animated those two must have been quite powerful
@All
Dazyln responds to Elantra, exclaiming “Dark magic, eh? Seems that’s all these parts have going for them nowadays”. He then lets out a bellowing laugh, and Norbus chuckles as much as he can in his injured state. He then continues, saying “Norbus and I ran a mine together up in the mountains, and we hunkered down there for a while after all flooding and storms. We left though because of what’s over there”. With that, he points to the path, leading off along the ridge to the right. “This trail leads to the old fortress of Axeholm. Our ancestors lives there, but the place’s been haunted for centuries now. First it was just a banshee, but once Myrkul’s death priests got in there, that curse was unbreakable. Same cultists that once lured travelers into the Mere actually. We’re going to reclaim it. If we can clear that place out, we’d finally have a safe home for ourselves and many of the other dwarves that used to live in this area”
Norbus then chimes in weakly “Some other dwarven settlements from the Kryptgarden area were meant to send us some reinforcements. We’ve been here for 3 days and there’s no sight of them. We’ve been fighting off undead the whole time, but whatever those things were were much much more powerful than anything we’ve seen in this area before
Also, this will count as a short rest. Please roll any hit die you want to spend or other short rest actions with your future posts, and I’ll roll for Norbus and Dazlyn later. In addition, Lux, is there anything specific thing you’d like to do to try and heal Norbus?
@Elandra
You don’t get the sense these two are lying to you or concealing any information, although there’s certainly far more you could learn from them with the right questions
Jade looks appreciatingly at Lux for healing some of her wounds. Listening to the dwarves story, "We must help them. They need a safe home, everyone deserves that. Honestly, I feel this is in part along with our mission in general."
Liri releases her wild shape, transforming back from the huge wolf into a half elf again. She twists her face up in disgust, spits out a small piece of rotten flesh, and snatches up her water flask. She rinses her mouth out with the water, spits again, and then drinks deeply.
"Urgh.. disgusting. I hope we don't come across any more of those things again."
Koric nods to Soloth's question,. He turns to the swarves. "We found a camp of perhaps ((number)) dwarves a ways back, on top of a crag. They had been slain by undead."
He waits a moment, then adds, "We are here to investigate the Mere...perhaps we can do what they could not, and we should work together?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Norbus Short Rest Roll: 20. Dazlyn doesn't use any hit die
Koric, as you mention this, both Norbus and Dazlyn look at you with somber eyes. They don't look surprised, having feared the worst for those sent to join them and your statements only having confirmed the likely truth. Without saying a word, they look at each other and Norbus pulls a small patch off of his belt with some sort of insignia you can't quite make out on it. He passes it to Dazlyn, who lays it on the ground and flicks a bit of fire at it. As it burns, they both bow their heads and whisper a small prayer to Moradin for the fallen dwarves. After a bit of silence, Norbus stands up shakily and says to all of you:
"Not much use in us staying put now then. No good wasting their deaths and yer help just waiting out here to get ambushed again. Come and journy with us if you'd like. We could certainly use the help clearing the place out, and if you are going to investigate the Mere, I'm sure that blasted death cult that took over Axholm could have something to do with it. If whatever business you have in those haunted waters in urgent, it should be about a day's travel that way" As he finishes up, he points in the direction the trail has been headed so far during your journey
Jade turns to her companions, "I vote we travel with them and help them. We are heros are we not? That is what we are set out to do, so lets help those on our journey. The Mere can wait a day or two while we clear out their place." She waits for others to voice their opinion, as all should have a say on where they travel.
Koric nods, "I doubt that the gods would have caused our paths to cross were that not the intent."
He turns back to the dwarves, rubs his hand on his threadbare robe, and holds it out, "Koric Blaine...of Candlekeep. We would welcome any knowledge you might have of this place."
Elandra lets the moments pass in silence as the dwarves commemorate heir fallen brethren, "How far is the entrance to Axeholm, well, the side entrance to be more specific? I presume that the two of you were not planning to storm the fortress by brute force at this stage. I am in agreement with my companions, the mere and this fortress stand as much chance of being entwined as not, and know ing that there is a place of sanctuary nearby when we investigate the mere seems a sensible precaution at this point."She breaks for a moment, thinking about her next questions and the prospective assault, or hopefully infiltration. "You mentioned a banshee, do you know anything more about the cultists? Are they just humans or are they a mix of many? You must have some idea on numbers for those re-inforcements to have been a suitable size?"
Norbus turns to Elandra and answers "Axeholm should be about a day's travel on the path, maybe a bit more. With what we can cover before nightfall tonight, we should arrive tomorrow evening. And yes, we aren't planning to go charging in the front gates, if we could even manage to get through all the fortifications". He then motions to his pack, where he's carrying climbing gear, including at least 200 feet of rope and many pitons, alongside other climbing gear. He then says "There's no side entrance, but we should be able to climp up the side of the mountain using my gear and drop down some of the chimneys"
Upon mention of banshee, Dazlyn looks at you all and you can see the disgust in his eyes "Ay, we know who she was. That banshee is the spirit of Vyldara, an elven ambassador who had lived with the people of Axeholm for decades. One day she just went crazy and tried to start a rebellion, killing countless citizens in the process. Killed even more when her dammed sprit refused to rest. No one's really sure what drove her to madness, but that was the beginning of the ruin of the city "
Norbus then chimes in "Myrkul's cultists? We don't know much of 'em, other than that they are a mix of undead and the living. Don't think much of the cult survived Talos's wrath, so we figured we'd be able to fight what was left of them off without much trouble. With what happened here though... I'm more worried about more undead than I am about any cult"
I'll leave a bit of time in case anyone has any additional things to do before you get going or if anyone has any objections to joining the dwarves on their quest, and then we will get going!
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@DM - Can I apply the cutting words to the first roll against Soloth from Mound 2? 4 deducted from the total to hit.
Also, re-posting the map on this page for ease:
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
Letting her temporary badger buddy determine it's own path, Elandra works to help the group take out the closest mound, hoping that they can finish off the beast quickly before any more wounds are suffered and friends felled.
Action: Vicious Mockery - DC15 WIS @ Mound 1, save negates 5 psychic damage & disadvantage on next attack.
Bonus: Healing Word +5 to Jade (if the last flurry of hits downed her)
Movement: 20ft north.
Reaction: Cutting words - if mound 1 looks likely to hit an ally (die roll of 16-21) Reduce attack roll by 2
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
You absolutely can! That first hit now most certainly misses Soloth. I’ll resolve the rest of your turn once I have Lux’s moves
(Sorry, missed that it was my turn)
Lux will move over to the Dire wolf. Say "Everyone cover your eyes". Holding up his Staff and Channel Divinity: Radiance of the Dawn
Each hostile creature (that doesn't have total cover) within 30 ft. must make a CON saving throw (DC 16) or take 2d10 +5 radiant damage (half damage on success). This should catch both monsters in the 30ft.
Damage 14
D&D since 1984
@Lux
Each of the two monstrosities is instantly surrounded in the light of your god, the pure radiance of it blinding them
Hulk 1: 15
Hulk 2: 23
When the light subsides, both hulks are completely gone, having been disintegrated by the light of Lathander. Elandra, your turn is then no longer necessary, but we can keep the healing words on Jade if you want to. With the hulks defeated, Norbus collapses to the ground, his rage having ended, barely having survived the battle. Dazlyn rushes over to his companion but doesn't have much he can do to heal him up. The first tent is in absolute ruins, but the rest of the camp looks mostly unharmed
Dazlyn then turns to the group and says "Thanks for your help. Without yer aid, I'm sure we'd be long dead by now. Them massive flesh buggers." He then turns to his companion and says "Should have known better than to brave these hills alone, shouldn't we have Norbus?". He turns back to you and asks "What brings you along these parts? Don't know of many people having crossed her since this whole stormy mayhem started."
We are out of initiative. What do you all do?
Lux offers healing
D&D since 1984
Koric sags to his knees for a moment, trying to control his rapid breathing. Eventually he rises, looking around the camp.
He has never seen such creatures before and his curiosity draws him over to each of the bodies to investigate. A spectral hand appears in the air and starts to move the body parts around, looking to see if it was anything more than some dreadful assemblage of dead bodies.
Investigation: 20
(Yes, keep the healing word on Jade so that she is conscious)
Seeing the two monstrosities dissapear in the light, Elandra quips to Lux "Didn't wanna lead with that huh?" She winks as she walks past towards Koric, placing a supportive hand over his shoulder, "Not bad for an old timer!" She continues over to Norbus and Dazlyn. "It is fortuitous indeed, lady luck has a habit of putting things in the right place at the right time though, and for some more than others." Staring around the ruined camp site, Elandra picks a piece of ground and sits cross legged, saving the dwarves rom looking upwards.
"We were recruited to investigate the Mere. Some strange magic emanating from the area apparently. I think we've worked out that the Mere of Dead Men is gradually becoming the mere of not-so-dead men at this point. Though we are still no clearer as to the source of these disturbances. What about you two? As you say, travelling as a pair in these parts seems risky at best. Where did you come from, and what drove you down this path?"
Elandra has no reason to mistrust the dwarves but considering their low numbers, will try to get a read on whether the dwarves respond telling us the whole truth, or if they are being at all coy. insight: 24.
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
(( prior to his investigations, after Elandra's words ))
Koric looks up at Elandra, a weak and forced smile on his face. With a shake of his head he stands, "No, but I will learn," he says. He looks around to make sure that everyone survived before proceeding with his investigations.
@Koric
You use your spectral hand to try and sift through what is left of the monstrous hulks, but it’s most dust after the light of Lathander disintegrated then. Still, from what you can tell, there doesn’t seem to be anything super special about them other than their abnormally large size for a necromantic entity. Whatever magic animated those two must have been quite powerful
@All
Dazyln responds to Elantra, exclaiming “Dark magic, eh? Seems that’s all these parts have going for them nowadays”. He then lets out a bellowing laugh, and Norbus chuckles as much as he can in his injured state. He then continues, saying “Norbus and I ran a mine together up in the mountains, and we hunkered down there for a while after all flooding and storms. We left though because of what’s over there”. With that, he points to the path, leading off along the ridge to the right. “This trail leads to the old fortress of Axeholm. Our ancestors lives there, but the place’s been haunted for centuries now. First it was just a banshee, but once Myrkul’s death priests got in there, that curse was unbreakable. Same cultists that once lured travelers into the Mere actually. We’re going to reclaim it. If we can clear that place out, we’d finally have a safe home for ourselves and many of the other dwarves that used to live in this area”
Norbus then chimes in weakly “Some other dwarven settlements from the Kryptgarden area were meant to send us some reinforcements. We’ve been here for 3 days and there’s no sight of them. We’ve been fighting off undead the whole time, but whatever those things were were much much more powerful than anything we’ve seen in this area before
Also, this will count as a short rest. Please roll any hit die you want to spend or other short rest actions with your future posts, and I’ll roll for Norbus and Dazlyn later. In addition, Lux, is there anything specific thing you’d like to do to try and heal Norbus?
@Elandra
You don’t get the sense these two are lying to you or concealing any information, although there’s certainly far more you could learn from them with the right questions
Jade looks appreciatingly at Lux for healing some of her wounds. Listening to the dwarves story, "We must help them. They need a safe home, everyone deserves that. Honestly, I feel this is in part along with our mission in general."
Short Rest Rolls:
12
Liri releases her wild shape, transforming back from the huge wolf into a half elf again. She twists her face up in disgust, spits out a small piece of rotten flesh, and snatches up her water flask. She rinses her mouth out with the water, spits again, and then drinks deeply.
"Urgh.. disgusting. I hope we don't come across any more of those things again."
Koric nods to Soloth's question,. He turns to the swarves. "We found a camp of perhaps ((number)) dwarves a ways back, on top of a crag. They had been slain by undead."
He waits a moment, then adds, "We are here to investigate the Mere...perhaps we can do what they could not, and we should work together?"
Norbus Short Rest Roll: 20. Dazlyn doesn't use any hit die
Koric, as you mention this, both Norbus and Dazlyn look at you with somber eyes. They don't look surprised, having feared the worst for those sent to join them and your statements only having confirmed the likely truth. Without saying a word, they look at each other and Norbus pulls a small patch off of his belt with some sort of insignia you can't quite make out on it. He passes it to Dazlyn, who lays it on the ground and flicks a bit of fire at it. As it burns, they both bow their heads and whisper a small prayer to Moradin for the fallen dwarves. After a bit of silence, Norbus stands up shakily and says to all of you:
"Not much use in us staying put now then. No good wasting their deaths and yer help just waiting out here to get ambushed again. Come and journy with us if you'd like. We could certainly use the help clearing the place out, and if you are going to investigate the Mere, I'm sure that blasted death cult that took over Axholm could have something to do with it. If whatever business you have in those haunted waters in urgent, it should be about a day's travel that way" As he finishes up, he points in the direction the trail has been headed so far during your journey
Jade turns to her companions, "I vote we travel with them and help them. We are heros are we not? That is what we are set out to do, so lets help those on our journey. The Mere can wait a day or two while we clear out their place." She waits for others to voice their opinion, as all should have a say on where they travel.
Koric nods, "I doubt that the gods would have caused our paths to cross were that not the intent."
He turns back to the dwarves, rubs his hand on his threadbare robe, and holds it out, "Koric Blaine...of Candlekeep. We would welcome any knowledge you might have of this place."
Elandra lets the moments pass in silence as the dwarves commemorate heir fallen brethren, "How far is the entrance to Axeholm, well, the side entrance to be more specific? I presume that the two of you were not planning to storm the fortress by brute force at this stage. I am in agreement with my companions, the mere and this fortress stand as much chance of being entwined as not, and know ing that there is a place of sanctuary nearby when we investigate the mere seems a sensible precaution at this point." She breaks for a moment, thinking about her next questions and the prospective assault, or hopefully infiltration. "You mentioned a banshee, do you know anything more about the cultists? Are they just humans or are they a mix of many? You must have some idea on numbers for those re-inforcements to have been a suitable size?"
Bring out your inner chatacter class...
@All
Norbus turns to Elandra and answers "Axeholm should be about a day's travel on the path, maybe a bit more. With what we can cover before nightfall tonight, we should arrive tomorrow evening. And yes, we aren't planning to go charging in the front gates, if we could even manage to get through all the fortifications". He then motions to his pack, where he's carrying climbing gear, including at least 200 feet of rope and many pitons, alongside other climbing gear. He then says "There's no side entrance, but we should be able to climp up the side of the mountain using my gear and drop down some of the chimneys"
Upon mention of banshee, Dazlyn looks at you all and you can see the disgust in his eyes "Ay, we know who she was. That banshee is the spirit of Vyldara, an elven ambassador who had lived with the people of Axeholm for decades. One day she just went crazy and tried to start a rebellion, killing countless citizens in the process. Killed even more when her dammed sprit refused to rest. No one's really sure what drove her to madness, but that was the beginning of the ruin of the city "
Norbus then chimes in "Myrkul's cultists? We don't know much of 'em, other than that they are a mix of undead and the living. Don't think much of the cult survived Talos's wrath, so we figured we'd be able to fight what was left of them off without much trouble. With what happened here though... I'm more worried about more undead than I am about any cult"
I'll leave a bit of time in case anyone has any additional things to do before you get going or if anyone has any objections to joining the dwarves on their quest, and then we will get going!