In the Wake of War - Game Thread

     Hearing Crannoc name her pack leader Miesha first looks a bit skeptical but then shrugs and nods.  She then looks quickly to Osboran and warns “Deliberately lead us astray and I’ll kill you first, and painfully so.  Do your best to guide us and I’ll be sure that is appreciated later…”

     Miesha then joins Maggwyn at the trapdoor and smiles.  “This’ll be fun…” she half whispers, eager to be back into the thick of things.  “We ready?”

     Assuming Maggwyn is indeed ready, the door gets thrown open and Miesha is ready to rush in, taking the lead to try to shield the others…

Crannoc follows as well, not noticing Miesha's look, but his jaws aching a bit from talking too much.  He shakes his head to clear it as the sycamore seedling circles him once.

As the bronze woman and the tiefling enter the trapdoor, Crannoc reaches out to Temuth casts Bless once more on himself and those two.

(Casting Bless at 1st level, Crannoc, Miesha and Maggwyn have +1d4 on attack rolls and saving throws while Crannoc maintains concentration on it).

He follows them and makes sure the rest of the party, as well as Osoboran and the other cultist, are coming.

(Since he expects gnolls, cultists and maybe a demon, and not undead... as a bonus action, he uses his Channel Divinity to Harness Divine Power and regain a 1st level spell slot.)

As Miesha finally joins Maggwyn, she gives her a smile as she was more than ready.  But when the woman throws open the door and rushes in, she rolls her eyes (yes that was for you Crannoc) thinking she would have rather used stealth on this since they had the upper hand.  Too late now.  She follows in, though begrudgingly.

Kass is thrown off by this sudden reversal. Osboran helping the Lonsvells? She felt there was more here than the cultist was letting on, but she bit her tongue and steeled her determination. Pounding her crackling fist against her hand, she follows her compatriots down below. "Time to... how do you say it... beat first and ask questions later!"

As your party charges down into the basement, you see a dimly lit chamber that is slightly more than forty feet on a side. It is filled with a labyrinth of crates, some opened and some not. In the center of the room you can see a horrible ritual circle has been carved into the ground and filled with all manner of odd items. In the ten foot wide circle is a massive gnoll. More furious and gruesome looking than the others you have seen. It has paints and bloods staining its fur and holds in its hands a three-headed flail. Immediately outside the circle is antoher intricately robed individual. Surrounding the circle, looking on in reverence are four more cultists and gnolls. Beside some of the gnolls there are hyenas. Four of normal size and two that appear significantly larger than one would expect.

As you enter, the gnoll in the middle growls something to those around it. The lead cultist starts speaking, though this time it is in a ritualistic rhythm. All other creatures that are not the two involved in the ritual turn to face you, forming a defensive line.

Initiative: 

Aalsan - 12

Kass - 16

Crannoc - 12

Maggwyn - 7

Jasper - 16

Miesha - 15

Osboran - 20

Lesser Cultist (Osboran’s Ally) - 9

Leader Gnoll - 2

Lead Cultist - 3

Lesser Gnolls (x4) - 7

Lesser Cultists (x4) - 15

Hyenas (x4) - 21

Giant Hyenas (x2) - 16

Order: Osboran, Lesser Gnolls, Lesser Cultist (Osboran’s Ally), Kass, Miesha, Giant Hyenas, Aalsan, Lesser Cultists, Jasper, Maggwyn/Crannoc, Gnoll Leader, Lead Cultist, Hyenas

Osboran shouts to the two larger hyenas in a language similar to the one spoken before, but slightly different. You've heard various gnolls speak in this language here, and it seems to be their native tongue. The two larger hyenas seem to have enough understanding and intelligence to here and understand his command.

Giant Hyena A Wis save - 12

Giant Hyena B Wis save - 17

One of the two Giant Hyenas moves to lay down (on its turn).

The four lesser gnolls charge forward attacking Miesha and Maggwyn.

Gnoll A against Miesha - Attack: 14 Damage: 3

Gnoll B against Miesha - Attack: 22 Damage: 7

Gnoll C against Maggwyn - Attack: 7 Damage: 3

Gnoll D against Maggwyn - Attack: 9 Damage: 6

The cultist with Osboran slashes her blade at a gnoll (Gnoll A).

Cultist against Gnoll A - Attack: 14 Damage: 6

She misses the gnoll completely and retreats ever so slightly away from the now more angered gnoll.

(Next up: Kass)

As a reaction to Gnoll A entering her melee range, Miesha takes an Opportunity Attack as provided by Polearm Master feat…

Opportunity Attack: 13 Damage: 11
     Miesha momentarily rues not trying a stealthier advance but surely they had already heard the ruckus?  Besides, she was a soldier bold, slinking around didn’t come naturally…

(Thanks for the reminder!)

As Gnoll D enters Maggwyn's melee range, she also takes an opportunity attack as her reaction...

Attack: 8 Damage: 15

Quote from Kaemgen >>

As a reaction to Gnoll A entering her melee range, Miesha takes an Opportunity Attack as provided by Polearm Master feat…

Opportunity Attack: 13 Damage: 11
     Miesha momentarily rues not trying a stealthier advance but surely they had already heard the ruckus?  Besides, she was a soldier bold, slinking around didn’t come naturally…

 Plus 1 from the Bless I forgot :D

Miesha and Maggwyn - Both of you attempt to retaliate against these gnolls, but their ramshackle armor deflects your attacks. When Maggwyn was hit by the gnoll, her blood fell onto the floor and began inching towards the ritual circle. 

(Next up: Kass)

Kass once again positions herself in the most optimal position to catch as many foes as possible with one of her thunderwaves. As soon as she is in position, she roars as she pounds her fists into the ground, producing a concussive shockwave that rushes toward the gnolls and hyenas.

(Casting thunderwave, DC 14 or take 9 thunder damage and be knocked back 15 feet. Success takes half and is not moved.)

Kass - Your concussive blast reaches two hyenas and all four lesser gnolls, but also hits Miesha who lead into the room. Miesha please make that Constitution saving throw as well.

Gnoll A - 8

Gnoll B - 8

Gnoll C - 11

Gnoll D - 1

Hyena A - 16

Hyena B - 17

One of the hyenas goes flying, striking into a pile of crates and remaining there . Two gnolls similarly are thrown back, but they stand up and snarl towards Kass.

(Next up: Miesha)

As Maggwyn curses her miss, she is startled to watch as her blood starts creeping towards the ritual circle, "What in the hells is going on here?!"

18 Con save for Miesha…

(posting to see if moved or not before her turn…)

     Miesha takes a step back, and some minor damage, but otherwise holds her ground.  If there is an opening to move to the female robed person who seems to be running the ritual, Miesha will take the opportunity attacks yo do so and then attack her…  If not, then She continues battling the Gnolls which confronted her, attacking the most wounded…  if they fall them she will attack the remaining one upon her.

Spear Attack: 19 Damage: 12 plus 4 to hit from Bless

 Bonus Action Attack: 25 Damage: 10 also plus 1 to hit via Bless…

     If she was swinging at the Gnolls but felled one and now has a path, she will now move to the female…

Miesha - After the two gnolls that had attacked you were thrown aside by Kass's Thunderwave, you see and seize an opportunity to charge past them and to the leading cultist. Your slash strikes her, but your second attack can't get around quickly enough to hit her.

Everyone - You all see that with each attack, first the one against Maggwyn, now the one against the lead cultist, the blood that is spilled is drawn towards the ritual circle. Those caught in the Thunderwave would have sustained heavy bruising, but instead the blood is pulled from your flesh and begins to creep to the center of the room. The circle begins to glow as the ichor reaches it.

One Giant Hyena lays itself on the ground, as commanded by Osboran. The other lunges at Miesha, biting once, then doing so again as it seems egged on by some raging aura around the lead gnoll.

Giant Hyena B against Miesha - Attack: 21 Damage: 9

Giant Hyena B against Miesha - Attack: 19 Damage: 5

(Next up: Aalsan.)

When in doubt, hit it harder.. Aalsan heard Kass' echo in his mind, it being one of the many pieces of universal advice she had taught her elven shava. With another flicker of his fingers and wrists combined with the same alien incantation, he directed another blast towards the Giant Hyena (B) attacking Miesha.  

Casting eldritch blast again. Attack: 7 Force damage if hit: 4

Aalsan - The hyena dogdes out of the way of your eldritch blast, snarling and focusing on you.

The four cultists rush forward, three of them attacking Osboran and one attacking Maggwyn.

Cultist A against Osboran - Attack: 23 Damage: 10

Cultist B against Osboran - Attack: 14 Damage: 3

Cultist C against Osboran - Attack: 4 Damage: 6

Cultist D against Maggwyn - Attack: 19 Damage: 7

One attack slashes Osboran, but he dodges the other two.

 Jasper assumes a fighting stance, entering his Bladesong and being circled by three illusory copies of himself. (Kalix I marked those off on your character sheet)

(Next up: Crannoc and Maggwyn, in either order.)

Crannoc's full attention and disgust is drawn to the horrific, unnatural ceremony being conducted by the lead cultist.  THIS MUST STOP.

Maintaining concentration on Bless, he attempts to forcibly remove the chanting lead cultist from the ritual circle.  Crannoc's right hand transmutes into the now-familiar thorny vine and he whips it at Osboran's apparent sister, pulling her back 10' towards him on a hit.

Action:  Thorn Whip on lead cultist - Attack: 24 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll. and add 2 to attack roll from Bless. 

Crannoc then expends the last of the more powerful divine magic available to him, calling forth his now-familiar spectral pine needle of force once more to stab at the lead cultist.

Bonus Action:  Spiritual Weapon on lead cultist - Attack: 13 Damage: 12 and add 2 to attack roll from Bless. 

Crannoc - You yank the lead cultist from her spot at the ritual circle and impale her with a pine needle. She stops her chanting and the glow of the ritual circle lessens, but her blood trails towards the circle, which is very nearly full. Any onlookers that can cast spells may make an Arcana check.

(Next up: Maggwyn)