Jenviel Tsumara

Jenviel will command the kids to take shelter inside the smaller building as soon as possible. Meanwhile, she will pick up one of the two grappling hooks and attach it to the one side of her hempen rope. When she's satisfied with the durability of the knot, she will swing the hook-and-rope and throw it towards the top of the smaller building. If the hook is secured to the edge of the roof, she will attempt to climb and place herself on the top of the building. If she has the capacity to jump from one roof to another she will try to do it.

Acrobatics 20

Round 1: Action [[Tooltip Not Found]]

     “I brought some guests!” Finn calls out as approaching the group.

     Finn runs full out towards the others, aiming to pull up and turn around once she has Jirel  and Jararaka between her and the oncoming hoard.  “Oh!” She declares, as she nears them.  “The face!  Just a trick, it’ll fade soon…” she had forgotten all about putting on a new face until she saw the confused look of the others.

     “For now, let’s fight!” She calls out as she spins on a heel and draws her weapons, rapier in one hand, dagger drawn and thrown with the other, aimed for the nearest cultist.

Thrown Dagger Attack: 20 Damage: 6

(if it takes too much movement to get past J&J and turn around to still have action left then ignore the dagger throw…)

Tylaerys quickly motions for Periwinkle and Grouse to take cover inside the small round cottage next to them, then turning to  face their attackers. She breaks out in a warm smile of relief as she realizes it is not only Finn's clothes, but Finn herself that approches them first. Tylaerys then swiftly reloads her crossbow, takes a quick aim at the closest man attacking them that is already wounded by Cheddar's fiery magic, then firing her crossbow.

Light crossbow: 7 Piercing: 8

"Fall back Jararaka, form a defensive line with Jirel!" She calls out to the lizardfolk, then stepping in between the two closest bulding for cover.

"What the-?!" Jararaka's spines stand up as two wagons race down the road and a hoard of cultists come into view. "You don't need to tell me...!" She takes a few steps back to stand side-by-side with Jirel and uses the hilt of her scimitar to knock on her shield. She points her blade at the quadruped lizard and an eerie ringing sounds.

Jararaka casts toll the dead, assuming it's injured, it needs to succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom save or take 6 necrotic damage.

Cheddar bounds across the road and takes cover against the side of a porch on the south side of the street.  He summons a magical mote of flame which lances out to impact the chest of the first cultist.  "Argh," he calls out as his chest burns.  "More ahead!  Let's brain 'em!!"

It is then that Jirel strides forward, javelin in hand, and sends it flying with a flick of her mighty arm.  It lands squarely in the shoulder of the lizard creature, impacting with a "thwang-ng-ng-ng-ng-ng-ng".

The children look for somewhere to hide at Jenviel's urgent command.  Jenvial, make an acrobatics or athletics check [your choice] DC 10.  On a success, Jenviel is able to reach the peak of either the small house on the upper left or the larger house on the upper middle.  [Not enough time to climb and jump, but enough time to walk to the house you want to be on and then climb.]  On a failure, Jenviel the hook-and-rope fails to find purchase and Jenviel is left on the ground.  [Upon consideration, I did not specify whether the grappling hooks you found were already tied to the ropes or not.  If not, it would take a full action to tie and secure a grappling hook.  However, I think it is reasonable to think the kobold's already had their hooks and ropes tied and ready before you waylaid them.  So, the turn is grab rope - walk to house you want - climb up/fail to climb up.]

Finn reassures everyone that she is in fact Finn.  She continues to run until she is just behind Jararaka and Jirel and then spins, drawing rapier with one hand and flinging a dagger at the cultists with the other.  It probably looked really cool when she imagined it in her mind, but in reality, it proves much harder to pull off.  The dagger catches in its sheath and slips from her fingers.  It spins in the air like a top before clattering harmlessly to the cobblestones in front of her.

The same cultist who called out a warning is cut down, as Tylaerys' bolt catches him just under the collarbone.  He drops to the road in a heap.  Tylaerys then ducks down between the houses for cover.

As Jararaka rings out blows upon her shield, the lizard beast shakes its head furiously from side to side, in obvious distress.  The lizardess stands shoulder to shoulder with Jirel as the enemy advances.

The four surviving cultists dash forward to close the distance with Jirel and Jararaka and try to surround them.  The lizard creatures pauses for a moment, turning its head awkwardly until it is able to grasp Jirel's javelin, which it breaks off from its shoulder with a loud 'crunch.'  It then follows the cultists, ending up just behind them and looking for a path through to bite somebody.

ROUND TWO!

Cheddar launches another Fire Bolt

Hit: 16

Damage if hits: 10

Hearing the clatter of a weapon behind her, honey eyes glance over her shoulder with a popped brow. “Now don’t be carelessly pokin’ me in the back with that, Finn.” Jirel quips.

The small smirk tugging at the goliath’s lips grow into a widening smile as the cultists rush forward to meet them. Now that the children were safe inside, Jirel would shift into a more offensive stance. Having the strength of Jararaka next to her gave her that much more confidence. Jirel unlatches her pair of handaxes from her hips, rolls them over the back of her hands and into her palms to grip. She grins, signature canines peeking from her lips. “Let’s play.”

A low instinctive grumble emits from the goliath and muscles flex as she motions to meet the cultist with a pair of swings. Jirel dips, coming wide from the side to slash at the legs with her first axe before meeting to come up through the centre with the other.

Attack: 24 Damage: 9 
BA: 21 Damage: 4 

Jenviel Tsumara

Jenviel will leap forward and hurl her full weight at one of the cultists, she will make sure that she lands on her feet (Does fall damage apply here?). If she's prone after committing the reckless act, she will stand up and strike the nearest cultist with her quarterstaff that will be followed by a kick in the lower abdomen.

Acrobatics 10

Round 2: Action [Attack]

Attack [Quarterstaff] x Cultist: Attack: 6 Damage: 4

Bonus Action

Unarmed Strike x Cultist: Attack: 23 Damage: 4

     "The careful poking'll have to wait til later," Finn responds reflexively to Jirel while drawing another dagger.  Finn then steps up into combat to help with the swell of cultists looking to overwhelm them.  With rapier and dagger Finn attempts to demonstrate her poking skills, prioritizing wounded cultists and then whoever is closest...

Rapier Attack: 17 Damage: 9

Bonus Action off hand dagger Attack: 16 Damage: 2

     "So... This is fun!"

A smile tugs at Tylaerys' red lips, hearing the banter of JIrel and Finn. "Well, let's hope you find this sufficiently entertaining then Finn, we wouldn't want you to get bored to death." The half-elf chimes in with a smile as she steps out from cover before swiftly reloading her crossbow, taking a quick aim at the closest wounded cultist, then firing her crossbow again.

Light crossbow: 18 Piercing: 8

She then stays outside the door of the cottage Periwinkle and Grouse went into.

Jararaka laughs as the cultists get roughed up, "this is what it's about!" And she aims a swipe at the closest standing enemy.

Scimitar Attack: 15 Damage: 4

The cultists still have looks of rapturous anger on their faces even as they are cut down.  The battle climaxes in a flurry of blows as the four cultists run into a sawmill of blades wielded by Jirel, Jararaka and Finn.  Jenviel lands acrobatically in their midst, finishing off one with her staff and a well-placed kick, and Tylaerys' bolt sails wide of a dying cultist, only to land in the neck of the lizard, dropping it.  Only Cheddar's fire bolt fails to find a target, instead sailing off into the night sky like a flare signaling your victory. The children don't even have a chance to properly take cover before you have won the day.

You have a moment to catch your breath, count everyone's fingers and toes, and catch an update from Finn on goings on further up the road at the town square.  That respite is short lived, before you are made witness to a spectacle.

The sound of clashing blades and screams is still audible from the town square.  It sounds as though the remaining wagons there are still fighting the good fight.  Just then, the clouds part, and a shadow plummets like a dark blue comet out of the sky.  The dragon plunges straight down toward the square until you lose sight of it over the nearby rooftops.  There is an incredible crash, and a rush of air passes, filled with the scent of ozone.  You can taste copper on your tongues, and any fabric in your clothes clings to itself with a static charge.  For a moment, the sounds of battle cease... and then a great cry of many voices rises up from the square.

"Lennithon! ...  Lennithon! ...  Lennithon!" the cultists shout as one.  As if in response, the dragon reappears in the sky, now holding a broken wagon in its forelimbs, rising slowly on great blue leathery wings.  A single guard hangs on for dear life to the wagon as they reach greater and greater heights.  This is the closest you have been to the huge monster, and for the first time, you notice there is a figure riding on its back, wearing blue robes and holding on with what looks like an electrified chain.  The dragon turns its head toward the rider and rumbles out the following in draconic, its voice carrying on the charged wind:

 The blue dragon is interrupted as a ballista bolt fired from the keep sails just past its face.  In its surprise it releases the wagon, which falls back to earth with a sickening crunch along with its ill-fated guard.  The dragon screeches in wrath or shock, and beats its powerful wings, racing straight up to disappear back into the clouds.  

For now, there are no more sounds of combat from the square.

Tylaerys stares wide-eyed at the electrical show in the sky, taking in the rumbling words in draconic uttered by the one they call Lennithon, then letting out a helpless whimper as the wagon and the guard falls down and crashes to the ground with a sickening crunch, quickly moving to block the children from witnessing the cruel death. For a brief moment the half-elf glares defiantly up into the sky after the dragon and it's rider, silently vowing to face them both one day.

"The dragon, it mentioned only being a performer in a traveling show. We can hope it will lose patience and leave eventually." Tylaerys turns and says to the others. "I think the only place we and the villagers could be safe from the dragon and this army is in the keep on the hill to the southeast, but perhaps we should hurry to the temple and try to escort those who sought shelter there back to the keep first?" She suggests, ready to move on to the temple, making sure Periwinkle and Grouse stays close to her at all times.

Perception to notice new threats: 11

Tylaerys stares wide-eyed at the electrical show in the sky, taking in the rumbling words in draconic uttered by the one they call Lennithon, then letting out a helpless whimper as the wagon and the guard falls down and crashes to the ground with a sickening crunch, quickly moving to block the children from witnessing the cruel death. For a brief moment the half-elf glares defiantly up into the sky after the dragon and it's rider, silently vowing to face them both one day.

"The dragon, it mentioned only being a performer in a traveling show. We can hope it will lose patience and leave eventually." Tylaerys turns and says to the others. "I think the only place we and the villagers could be safe from the dragon and this army is in the keep on the hill to the southeast, but perhaps we should hurry to the temple and try to escort those who sought shelter there back to the keep first?" She suggests, ready to move on to the temple, making sure Periwinkle and Grouse stays close to her at all times.

Perception to notice new threats: 8  

The smell of ozone and the loud crash drags Jararaka out of where she was laughing about how the cultists were foolish to think they'd have a chance of even wounding any of them. Her blood almost feels like it stops flowing for a moment, even for cold-blooded folk like her, as she witnesses it. The dragon. Her jaws snap shut and her tail swishes uneasily. With a growl in her voice, "it's treating this like a game..." She winces when the wagon drops, only the gods know what befell that guard.

Tylaerys' voice calls her back to the present and she nods, "better move quickly too, can't imagine it's too happy to be the target of that shot."

She will once again take point and now move towards where the temple may be.

Perception as well: 6

Stunned by the scene that plays out before him, Cheddar can only watch. He comes back to his senses when the Dragon is drawn away.

Cheddar helps usher the children along. "Hurry little ones." he tells them in a low voice. 
He travels in relative silence as he thinks about all that has transpired, trying to fit the pieces together in his mind.

     Once the immediate threat in the streets is past Finn takes a moment to drop the face she had adopted to try to fool the cultists with, if it had come to that.  No need to confuse those she was here with more than needed, and thrown together made up faces never felt comfortable anyway...  As the dragon once more appears in the sky Finn throws herself flat against the wall of the nearest building, loudly whispering "Hide!" to everyone as she did.  What they were doing was crazy enough, they did NOT want to draw the dragon's attention!

     And what were they doing?  This was supposed to be about grabbing survivors and fleeing.  Instead they're all acting like some kind of heroes here to save the day.  That kind of nonsense was likely to get them killed!

     As Tylaerys mentions the temple, Finn comes back to her senses again.  She takes a moment to *poof* Binkles out of existence, assuming the cultists didn't catch her, and then *poof* her back into existence here with her... ((If Binkles got killed trying to lead cultists away, so be it... No time to resummon now.  But if not, handy to have her back...))

     "We should stick to the sides of buildings and shadows where we can.  No need to make ourselves targets," Finn suggests.

The static brought Jirel's hair on end while the thunderous voice rumbled down through her core. Although she was paused in her tracks, the goliath planted her feet and instinctively held her ground. She'd grumble along as the scene unfolded, ending with a huff. In due time...

Jirel would nod, sweeping ahead to cover and sweep the way while Cheddar escorted the littles ones. She believed Grouse should be most comfortable and calm with tabaxi while they moved along. With both axes still in hand, she'd keep her head on a swivel and take the lead.