Storm Lord's Wrath - RP Thread

(Have a quick moment to catchup..)

Rawlings catches Tor’s question and gives a slight smile at the head motion and points towards the water, “Down by the fishery, hurry, I hope we’re not too late to stop them!”

As you enter the town, you can see the progress on the town’s rebuilding has been slow. The holes for a palisade have been dug, but only a few logs are in place. At the center of the ruins, a tall tower, mostly collapsed, rests atop a bluff. The only intact stone building sits at the bottom of the bluff, its white façade bearing the mark of Lathander.

There is an intact wooden building closer to the water marsh at the southwest side of town, smoke rising from two chimneys. This is the Fishery.

As you get closer (around 500 feet away), you can see that in front of this building stands a tiefling dressed in blue robes. She raises her hands to the sky, and dark clouds appear in response. Before the tiefling, at the end of the swampy water, stand a small number of humans, greataxes raised in the air, who chant in response to her.

By now, has Brother Siegfried seen enough to make an educated guess as to what god/deity/demigod/demon these folk are worshipping?  He will use guidance 2 and make a Religion check, if allowed...: 7

For Brother Siegfried

Vandeyr looks to Tor.

"Guard captain? I'm sorry, I don't know your role exactly, but this seems like your show. If you call the shots, we'll make them. If I might suggest: I have my Weave Ripper here to unleash some Hell on those axemen." 

He holds up his rod as he mentions weave ripper

"Talassans... as petty and violent as their Lord.  I fear there will be no reasoning with them with their tempers high in ritualized destruction.  We should move quickly and without hesitation, lest they complete whatever madness they have begun."  Despite his words, Brother Siegfriend looks to Tor to give the command to move out.

"Damn," Tor spits. "I was hoping you were making it up," he directs towards Rawlings. 

"Let's nip this in the bud. Siegfried and Rawlings, on the priest, stop this ritual. Vandeyr, with me on the axe men, get between them and the priest. Let's go."

Sword in hand he begins to run towards the axe men (using a Dash pre-combat to get in range, if necessary).

Assuming you're not attempting to approach stealthily, they'll see you when you're about 50 or so feet away, and we'll roll initiative there.

The cultists are dressed in hide armor, seemingly made from fish scales. All wield a greataxe made from the same seagreen steel, engraved with a simple design of three lightning bolts. There's two half-elf men, a human male, and a human woman.

The Tiefling priestess has seaweed green skin, and is dressed in sea-stained blue robes with gold jewelry. Her eyes are pitch black and instead of hair, a nest of tentacles falls down the back of her head, twitching and slithering in the air.

Initiative for Cultists: 13
Initiative for Priestess: 14

Siegfried Initiative:  2

Tor initiative: 11

In front of the Fishery, there's a ramp that leads into the water. At its deepest point, the water here is no more than 10 feet deep, but mostly it's around 5-6 feet deep, until you get out beyond the three small islands, including Idol Island, which are around 60 feet further out from the end of the wharf, the sun is almost down, leaving the sun in your eyes (in the picture below, "south" is to the right, "west" is directly down, "north" is to the left, and you're standing at the "east").

Before battle is joined, Brother Siegfried calls Tor, Vandeyr and Rawlings around him. He places a hand on his holy amulet and holds the other at his side.  "Friends," he says looking to Vandeyr and Rawlings, "we have only just met, yet I can see by your deeds you are righteous folk.  You have put yourself at risk, without reward, to protect the people of this settlement.  As the Earthmother teaches us, 'Blessed are they who toil and bleed for their community; by their sweat and sacrifice, my people grow strong.'"  He casts a baleful eye toward the cultists.  "She also teaches us, 'Woe to those who spread chaos and strife; they shall reap the bitter'st of harvests.'  It falls on our shoulders, this day, to put a stop to whatever madness they seek to plant, before it takes to seed.  Know, that as we wade into battle, my Lady Chauntea shall bless each one of us with her divine light.  She believes in you, as do I.  Now let us make an end for these hooligans!"  He draws and raises his sickle high, for dramatic effect.  His amulet glows with an earthy tone and the three of you receive the benefits of a motivational speech.

Rawlings smirks at Tor and utters a non-committal sound as he states he wishes she was joking.
 When Brother Siegfried calls then friends, she raises her eyebrows, she hasn’t been called a friend to anyone in a very long time.  But there wasn’t time to ponder that.  She nods at Tors suggestion on attack and when the speech was done, she readies herself for battle.

Initiative 8

Vandeyr draws his rapier and nods to the others. "Best of luck. We'll all need it."

initiative 20 

The axe-wielding cultists see the party as they approach, looking up with a manic gleam in their eyes, appearing even more mad than the fanatics you fought off outside the town.

The water where they stand is around waist deep, but they seem to flow through it without difficulty (i.e., for you the water is "difficult terrain," but not for them).

While no one is surprised, Rawlings, Vandeyr, and Brother Siegfried seem to be quicker on the take, and may act first, then the enemies, then Tor.

Rawlings walks to the edge of the water without entering it and looks directly at the priestess.  She raises her palms towards her and in a very strong and firm voice, "You shall no longer perform this ritual.  I banish you." Casting banishment, the priestess needs a CHA save of 15.

Priestess' CHA saving throw: 9

There is a snap and pop, like the sound of thunder in reverse, as she disappears from this plane of existence, and the water rushes into where she had been standing.

Vandeyr and Tor can go.

Vandeyr raises the rod in his hand which begins to have runes glow with burning light and a bit of smoke appears. He draws a line in the air, and it appears a rip in the fabric of reality is made for a moment over the cultists. A burst of fire appears, engulfing the area in an instant. 

4th level fireball 

DC 15 dex save for half of 24 fire damage

Dex saves:

Cultist 1: 14

Cultist 2: 16

Cultist 3: 10

Cultist 4: 4