Tests and Trials Game Thread

Ealu whinnies in fright as she is snagged and begins ascending.

Kroshav hears in his mind inside the cave,

<KROSHAV! SOMETHING GRABBED ME! OW OW OW!>

A few more shrieking cries echo down the mountain and Cladmir and Ernos both turn to spot a trio of other bird lions, or as Cladmir recognizes from his studies 'yon gryffon'. They were noted as living much further to the west, but a thousand years or so seems to have expanded their territory. He also remembers that 'gryffons seek most of beasts ineth herds and flocks and have a mighty hungering foreth horses'. They are noted as being dangerous to people if they are very hungry or if their nests are in danger, otherwise they largely avoid bipeds. 

((Roll initiative! Too bad Khond isn't here.))

Kroshav Init: 13
Ealu Init: 21

Init:  18

Cladmir tries to recall any specific thing about weakness that could be use.  If anything useful comes to mind he would shout it out.

Intelligence: 20

Cladmir focuses in on that they probably are mostly focused on Ealu, running inside should be enough of a deterrent to keep them from coming in after them. Oh, and his poorly arranged door and sharpened sticks might help too.

Initiative: 18

Gryffons: 13

Cladmir is outside and most ready to respond, dropping a half sharpened stick.

Initiative:

Cladmir
Gryffons
Kroshav
Erson
(Jaq ???)

Cladmir recalls that horses are the gryffons most likely target and that if he stays aways they will like ignore him.  But he also knows that Kroshav cannot afford to lose Ealu right now.

"They are going for the horses!"  

While Cladmir won't have his weapons on him, he would have them placed within arm's reach.  Knowing that he cannot let the Ealu be carried away he would do the following based on how things are going (and what the rule permits him to do).

• Grab bow and an arrow real quick , they should leaned on something nearby.
  • If Ealu is not far off the ground -> Shoot at the gryffon, rolling with disadvantage because does not want to hit Ealu: 
  • If Ealu is far off the ground -> shoot the arrow over the gryffon hoping to slow it down or make it get lower to the ground, also rolling with disadvantage for the same reason
  •  Attack: 21 Damage: 11

((Just for clarity, Ealu is the only one of the horses with us, Charlie is keeping Joe company.))

(( Well in that case Cladmir won't bother yell that out then.  Instead he will basically go something like "HEY" to hopefully distract the gryffon as he shoots it. ))

Initiative:  25

((How polite of Jaq to put himself where the DM had him in the initiative.))

Quote from Rodgeir >>

Erson

 Ernos, not Erson. :p

Jaq starts awake from his staring out into the middle distance at Cladmir's shout but the arrow goes wide and the gryffon carrying Ealu doesn't even appear to notice as it pumps its wings hard and back up the side of the mountain. It is nearly 100ft up at this point and is passed by its fellows who are diving down with claws extended (40ft up).

Kroshav finds himself inside the cavern (maybe 20ft in or so?), mind filled with Ealu 's shouts of,

 And Sword's surprised and excited but completely oblivious to the other voice in Kroshav's head's,

And on top of that Mikram is asking,

"What is that fool yelling about? What is going out there Kroshav?"

 Initiative:

Cladmir <-----
Gryffons
Kroshav <-----
Erson  Ernos <-----
Jaq <-----
Ealu <-----

Kroshav screams both mentally and verbally to all three of them, <BLOODY GRYFFONS AREN'T GONNA TAKE YOU! I'LL BRING YOU BACK, SORRY!>

This is least useful for Mik as Kroshav can't be bothered to translate into Dwarven. 

He and Sword head for the entrance, as high above, Ealu vanishes in a puff of sparkles.

((Action to dismiss his steed.))

((Do the gloves require an action or anything to remove? I know he can use them as a weapon, but he's got Sword for that.))

(Before it gets to Jaq's turn.  Is there anything at all nearby to try to be stealthy behind or is it just open snow field?)

((@Spider, I would say an action to remove the gloves, mostly because taking a glove off with long claws using another glove with long claws seems tricky.

@Jaq, you are up on the side of a mountain a bit and there are some small shrubs but most everything is just icy rock with snow in crevasses and filling the low points. Could potentially jump into a snow drift? Or duck into the cave. If you'd like the drift option, roll me a d100 luck check. Anything about a 60 means there is big enough drift within 30ft that could hide Jaq (and then give me the stealth roll to see how well you actually hide!))

Mikram starts at getting yelled at but doesn't have a chance to look more than confused as Kroshav rushes out. Sword says with confusion turning to excitement,

Outside Kroshav hears a squawk that can only be described as confused.

Everyone else sees Ealu disappear and the gryffon suddenly shoot upwards and veer towards the side of the mountain at the sudden weight shift.

(Flying dex check: 19)

 Initiative:

Cladmir <-----
Gryffons
Kroshav
Erson  Ernos <-----
Jaq <-----
Ealu <Poof!>

The now horseless gryffon looks like it out of control and, if it doesn't manage something soon, is going to have an abrupt impact with the mountain.

Turning his attention skyward, Ernos places his hand over his ring, muttering a few words, then runs his hands down the front of his cloak, its usual heat-shimmer becoming denser as he does.  With that done, he makes several gestures, and utterances, locking his eyes on the gryphon crashing toward the mountain.

Mage Armor (Via Armor of Shadows invocation)
Hex on crashing gryphon (Apply disadvantage to dexterity checks)

((Pretty sure I can do both of these?  Action, Bonus Action, and the invocation means Mage Armor doesn't use a spell slot, so I'm only using one spell slot even though officially MA is a first-level spell?  If I'm mistaken, though, just the Mage Armor.))