In the Wake of War - Game Thread

Jasper manages to come to a halt, but Miesha can only see his shadow in the light from her shield as she falls into the pit. It only goes down about twenty feet before she impacts rock. It seems that whatever dug these tunnels stopped when it couldn't continue that pathway, and simply left it open.

Miesha falling damage - 9

The roots and rocks on the side of the pit make it easy enough to climb out, and the pit can be navigated around with some well placed jumping. All of your party makes it to the other side of the pit.

Crannoc and Maggwyn - You hear a faint cackle from the tunnel beyond and as Miesha comes out of the pit with her shield, the light reflects off of something shiny. You see two paths to either side now, and don't know where the shiny object went.

Crannoc whispers to Miesha:  "Are you able to sense which direction the fiend or undead is lurking, bronze warrior?"

He sends a Message to Jasper:  "Whichever way we choose, if you take the lead, Temuth guide your steps."

(Casting Guidance on the cat-man for an extra 1d4 on next ability check.)

     Upon crawling out of the hole, and at Crannoc’s bidding, Miesha will once again use her Divine Sense…

Miesha - You sense a fiend down the path to your left, then the sense disappears. The space emanates faintly with the same energy. There is also a source of fiendish energy that is on the ground a ways to your right.

     Miesha quietly relays this to the others...  "So, fiendish energy or fiend itself?" she asks, nodding head to the right and then the left to illustrate the choice.  She'll then start heading left trying to chase down the fiend.

As Miesha asks and not waits for the answer to chase the fiend, Maggwyn nods and chases after her, holding her glaive in her hands.

Crannoc pads along just behind, feeling sick to his stomach.

Unsure if Jasper is going to use or has used his Guidance, he casts it on himself once more, reaching out to Temuth in this forsaken place.

He peers into the gloom, looking, listening (and smelling) for any threat or hazard.  Perception plus Guidance:  26 + 3 = 29

Crannoc - You peer in the direction that Miesha starts running to, and see a shape moving in the distance.

Stealth Check - 8

Crannoc - You lose track of the shape momentarily. Then, moments before the rest of the party, you see a shape emerge from the ceiling above Miesha.

Jasper, Maggwyn, and Miesha - You charge forward, but lose track of the creature. You have hardly any warning as a creature lashes out at Miesha from above.

Initiative:

- Crannoc: 12

- Miesha (surprised): 18

- Maggwyn (surprised): 11

-Jasper (surprised): 8

- Enemy: 15

Initiative Order: Miesha, Enemy, Crannoc, Maggwyn, Jasper

Because of surprise the enemy acts first, then Crannoc, and then the normal initiative order starts.

The creature, made of shadow, emerges from the ceiling to attack Miesha.

Claws Attack - Attack: 16 Damage: 21

The shadow then delves into the floor, out of view.

Damage from occupying the same space as the earth - 2

     Surprised or not, having bronze armor for skin is always a benefit and the claws scrape harmlessly over her...

Crannoc senses the strange shape coming but before he can say or do anything, it has attacked Miesha and sunk into the floor of the cave.

Instinctively, he thinks to telekinetically shove the enemy towards himself, bringing it partially back out of the earth.  But to do so, he would have to see the target and he cannot.  Instead, he reaches out to Temuth's grace in this forsaken place, casting Bless (at second level, so it covers all four, Crannoc, Miesha, Jasper and Maggwyn - add a 1d4 on all attacks and saving throws).

He points down.  "Beware.  This abomination is in the earth below Miesha's feet, sickening Temuth's creations with its very presence."

Edited to add:  as a bonus action, Crannoc reaches out to Temuth to grant him further divine magic in this time of need to combat this foul foe (Harness Divine Power / Channel Divinity to regain a 2nd level spell slot).

     Miesha grunts in surprise more than pain from the attack.  Falling hurt more.  She’s ready for it now, but there is nothing to attack.  
     “Right!” Miesha says in reply to Crannoc with a bit of a nod to acknowledge their warning.  She instinctively takes a step back and to the side, leveling her shield for protection and aiming her spear at where she had been standing.

     Still, nothing to attack unless she stabs the earth… instead she readies a command for it, ready to demand it halt once it frees itself from the earth… (DC 15 Wis save)

The shadow emerges behind Maggwyn this time, and strikes.

Claws against Maggwyn - Attack: 25 Damage: 32

The Miesha commands it to halt. Wis Save - 12

Which is successfully resists as it slinks back into the floor, though this time Maggwyn is no longer Surprised, and may take an attack of opportunity.

Crannoc - You notice the shadow trying to move around the light from Miesha's shield.

Crannoc wishes that he could evoke more than one Light at a time such as the one on Miesha's shield without it snuffing out the first one.

"The fiend, if this is the one which Miesha sensed earlier, appears to circle and slide around light sources.  More torches?"

Which his free action, Crannoc lights a torch and uses his Mage Hand to set it down on the cave floor, a bit away from Miesha so more area is illuminated.

(Action is for Mage Hand, which then persists for another minute).

He wants to keep his ability to react to an attack with a sorcerous Shield ready, so he uses his bonus action to cast Spiritual Weapon (at 2nd level).within 5 feet of where the fiend sank into the earth most recently.  The spectral pine needle moves through the earth to stab at the unseen enemy.

Spiritual Weapon plus Bless to hit:  15 + 2 = 17
Damage on a hit:  6 (min) force damage.

Maggwyn uses her reaction to attack the shadow as it retreats back underground

Attack: 27 Damage: 15

She then readies her attack to hit the creature as soon as it appears

Attack: 9 Damage: 12

Bless for first attack: 2

Bless for 2nd attack: 3

Crannoc strikes the shadow with a spiritual weapon, immediately after Maggwyn slashes across it with her glaive.

Jasper thinks for a second and heads for the center of the largest unlit space, away from Miesha. He readies a Booming Blade attack in hopes of punishing the creature for its movement.

The shadow emerges from the wall to the side and is immediately attacked twice.

Damage from occupying the same space as the earth - 5

Maggwyn’s readied strike wounds it, it’s form losing what little substance it had. Jasper strikes it as well.