The Undying Dragons - Campaign Thread

Vonth...

     “Coward!" Vonth spits as Soren The Traitor vanishes rather than stand and face him.

     Anger surges hot and sudden. For a heartbeat he wants nothing more than to carve the air apart until steel finds flesh again, until the half-elf’s disappearance is answered in blood. But this is no moment to lose himself. Not with enemies all around.

     Control matters.

     Vonth’s eyes sweep the battlefield, sorting motion from threat, threat from opportunity. His focus settles quickly on the troll locked in combat with Solomona.

     Trust is a scarce thing now. One ally has turned and disappeared. Two more have also at least vanished. The lines are muddied, and Vonth cannot yet tell who stands with whom—or who will betray them next.

     But Solomona is clear.

     Whatever else this chaos has revealed, Solomona is exactly what he appears to be. That is more than can be said for anyone else here.

     Vonth turns toward the troll and moves to Solomona’s side, planting himself there without hesitation.

     For now, that is where he stands.

_____

Movement - Whatever it takes to move into melee with those attacking Solomona.  If it takes dashing so be it, ignore the rolls below.  But if he can get there with movement alone, he then attacks...
Action - Attack w/ Culver's Blade vs Troll (option 1) or drake (if troll unavailable) - 18 to hit for 12 slashing damage plus 4 radiant damage.
Bonus Action - War Priest - when you take attack action you can use a BA to make one weapon attack (1 or 2 per Long Rest) - Attack w/Culver's Longsword vs Troll or Drake - 15 to hit for 7 slashing damage plus 1 radiant damage...

(2 of 10 rounds of Divine Favor used - Concentration Spell.)

((Any chance Vonth might be familiar or know some lore about Trolls?  Though prolly don't matter, Vonth doesn't have so much as a torch or a way to light it...))

Marrin will keep moving, now trying get Trespin and the drakes clustered behind her rather than ahead of her, even if it means circling back a bit.

The drake seems to be overcome with joy. Now it was time to share the happiness with these ugly trolls. Solomona turns to the one attacking Avaria, and demonstrates one of his other joyful maneuvers: the Patu Miharo, or "Groin-Kick of Ultimate Ecstasy". 

Attack #1: 20 to hit, 7 magical bludgeoning damage, plus 1 uho point for Stunning Strike (DC 14 CON save, or stunned until the start of Sol's next turn).
     If the troll is stunned, then the rest of Sol's strikes (and Ava's) are made with advantage, hopefully saving Ava from using Reckless.
Attack #2: 15 to hit (or 21 with advantage), 6 magical bludgeoning damage.

BONUS ACTION:
If the troll IS NOT stunned:
     Sol performs the Siva Malu step, patiently and cheerfully Dodging in a defensive way (1 uho point)
If the troll IS stunned...
     Instead, Sol will perform his Fua'gi Ta again (1 uho point), to make two more happy-thumps (with advantage, hopefully):
     Attack #3: 20 to hit (9 with advantage), 5 magical bludgeoning
     Attack #4: 24 to hit (8 with advantage), 8 magical bludgeoning

Jan continues to climb up into the sky. She is still amongst the taller cedars but should be able to clear many of the pine with another 60’ of climbing in her next turn. She’ll get a decent look at the surroundings once she does.

Vonth, visibly angry at Soren choosing survival over valiant combat, turns towards the trolls engaged with Solomona and Avaria.

His charge to the center of the clearing and takes out his frustration on the troll who had attack Solomona. Two slashes of his sword carve deep wounds into the creature.

Marrin keeps on the move through the brush, looking to keep a step ahead of Trepsin and his ambush drakes (Stealth and Perception rolls from Marrin please).

Solomona, sensing Vonth’s presence beside him, turns his attention to the troll in front of Avaria, who up to this point had been uninjured. While Solomona connects twice with the troll, he feels how thick the leathery skin of the creature is and how difficult it is to stun. With that in mind, Solomona anticipates a counterstrike and bobs and weaves like a drunken seagull (21 Con Save - Not Stunned - Solomona Dodges).

The party sees no sign of Soren. Perhaps this was all he was paid to do, or perhaps he’s still nearby but well out of range of Vonth’s anger.

Hammerdasher, Ula and Geffroi move around the far side of the clearing, opposite from where Trespin and his ambush drakes are going into the woods after Marrin and Jan.

Ula, while on the run with the others, raises one hand and sights along it to Trepsin. A rippling wave of blue energy rolls along her arm before it leaps off and crashes across the clearing, slamming into the four-armed troll, injuring the beast, and lighting him up (Advantage on next attack against Trepsin).

Solomona’s eyes widen as he sees some of the damage he just caused to troll knit itself back together. The creature heals remarkably quickly.

Vonth witnesses the same, with the troll he injured partially healing.

Anyone looking Trepsin’s way sees all of the damage Ula caused disappear without a trace.

Trepsin whistles again and all of the ambush drakes slip into the woods. The six are soon gone from sight.

Trepsin himself pushes into the woods as well, showing himself to be remarkably adept at navigating through the trees.

The two trolls are left by themselves, squared off against Avaria, Solomona and Vonth.

Seeing Vonth as the more serious threat, the troll he attacked leaps forward ferociously. While it comes at Vonth with its sharp teeth and long talons, the troll is unable to connect with either its bite or first swing of its claws. The other hand though does find a way through Vonth’s defences (22 to hit for 9 piercing).

The other troll bites at Solomona but the unusual method of dodging causes it to bite nothing but air, then swings one taloned clawed hand at him, swishing well away from the rotund belly, before letting the other hand strike out at Avaria. But attacking two opponents at once is too much for the troll to manage and all three attacks miss.

—---------------------------------

With the other ambush drake joining with the others in the woods, the entire party is up.

Vonth...

     Vonth snaps his shield up just in time, ramming it between himself and the troll’s snapping jaws as it lunges to bite. Hot breath and rot wash over him. He shifts his weight and sidesteps as a clawed hand scythes toward his left flank, trying to reach around the shield.

     The blow misses.

     Vonth answers immediately, driving his sword forward in a hard, practiced thrust. 

     And then he sees it.

     Flesh knitting. Torn muscle crawling back together. Wounds sealing with sickening speed.

     The sight steals a heartbeat of his focus. Just one.

     It is enough.

     The troll slams into him again, claws tearing through guard and flesh alike. Pain flares bright and brutal, knocking the breath from his chest.

     Vonth grunts and digs in his heels, wounded but still standing, now fully aware of what he is truly fighting.

_____

Reaction = Riposte, when a creature misses with a melee attack you can spend a superiority die and make a counter attack on the creature. On a hit you add the superiority die to the damage.  Attack w/ Culver's Sword - 18 to hit for 7 slashing damage plus 4 radiant damage plus 8 from the Superiority Die...
Concentration Check = 27 - That should be enough to keep Divine Favor up and running...

(1 of a pool of 4 Superiority Die used...)

_____

     Fully engaged with the frozen troll, Vonth presses the attack. His sword arcs out once—steel flashing through cold air. He feels the creature’s unnatural resilience even as he strikes, the way its flesh refuses to stay broken.

     Vonth draws deeper, calling on the reserves Morc has granted him, and swings again without pause. If the thing healed quickly, then it would be answered with speed and force. He means to carve as much damage into it as he can before it has time to reclaim itself.

_____

Movement - None taken (unless somehow the troll falls and some is needed to move on to the next.)
Action - Attack with Culver's Longsword - 19 to hit for 7 slashing damage and 1 radiant...
Bonus Action - War Priest allows Attack w/ Culver's Sword - 14 to hit for 12 slashing damage and 3 radiant damage.

(2 of 10 rounds of Divine Favor used - Concentration Spell.)
(2 of 2 used of War Priest used.)

Jan continues climbing, taking the path of least resistance upwards, avoiding contacting branches that might give her away 

Stealth: 13

Perception: 12

((Where are the drakes/Trespin in relation to her now and how clumped are they?))

Solomona continues to pummel the troll into joyful submission, as well as dancing the Siva Malu to dodge the troll's own swings and bites.

Attack #1: 18 to hit, 7 magical bludgeoning
Attack #2: 19 to hit, 9 magical bludgeoning

Bonus Action: Dodge (1 uho point)

Avaria's rage takes over and it is probably a good thing or else she would be filled with worry as the creatures chase after Marrin and Jan in this unfamiliar land.  She continues to attack the trolls, hers first and if possible, Sols.

Attack 1: 22, Damage: 15 + 2
Attack 2: 25, Damage: 12 + 2

Vonth takes quick advantage of the troll’s off-balance clumsy missed attacks, and slashes a deep wound in the creature’s leg. He follows this up with a hammering blow to the shoulder, which causes the troll to stumble. But that stumble works in the troll’s favour as it stumbles out of the way of Vonth’s final blow. The troll doesn’t look great, not that it did to begin with.

Jan climbs higher and higher, dodging branches and pine cones as she goes. Sitting at closer to 150’ above the ground now, she has a good view of the clearing, the forest and the surrounding mountains.

The mountains form a circle around the valley the house sits in but there does look to be a pass to the north. As she looks to the north, and the back of the house, she sees what looks to be a narrow path leading across and down the valley. Multiple, faint trails of smoke rise up from behind the trees. Smoke from chimneys perhaps about a half day’s hike away.

Looking back down at the house, Jan sees an enormous nest on top of the roof, next to one chimney. It’s empty at the moment, but looks to be in good shape. It’s the largest nest Jan has ever seen. (Perception roll from Jan).

Back down on the ground, Marrin does her best to keep quiet as she moves through the woods. Unfortunately for her, the pack of ambush drakes are also doing their best to keep quiet as they hunt her and they’ve all disappeared into the brush and undergrowth of the forest. She can hear movement to the east and catches fleeting glimpses of Trepsin moving through the woods.

Solomona continues his happy, rolling dance of kicks and punches and lands two more blows on the troll in front of Avaria. It grunts from the blows but doesn’t seem too phased yet.

—---------------------------------------------

Avaria is still up. Jan needs a perception roll. And Marrin still has an action and movement.

((Cross post))

Sol and Avaria are both attacking the same troll. Vonth is hacking apart the other one.

Avaria's savage attacks cut the troll deeply across both arms, leaving more sickly green ichor dripping down on to the ground.

-----------------------------------------------------

Jan needs a perception roll. And Marrin still has an action and movement.

Marrin, figuring she is surrounded at this point looks to the nearest tree. She pulls out her one and only spider climb card and uses it, before running up that tree.

((Presuming that breaks her invisibility, she is again wearing Jan's face.

How far apart are these trees from one another? They are quite large, yes? She is looking to go from tree to tree via branches, squirrel style.))

Marrin (looking like Jan) scurries up the nearest cedar. The tree's branches do intertwine in several places and she should be able to make it across most intersections without too much difficulty as long as she doesn't move too quickly. Dashing makes the transitions more difficult and doesn't give her time to test the weight branches will take so would require an agility check.

((Will give Jan a little bit to make the perception check before rolling it for her later today))

Jan Perception: 19

 Jan's eyes dart around as she realizes she can see her arms in front of her again as well. She fears the worst for Marrin in the woods with the drakes...

As she notices her own arms come into sight, Jan spots two birds quickly approaching the area. But as she lets her eyes linger on the two shapes, she's not so sure about calling them birds. They're massive raptors of some sort, but the heads. There's something wrong about the heads. Horns? Elk horns? And too big to be a bird. The size of that nest on the roof is making some sense now.

Whatever the two creatures are, they're headed Jan's way. It's hard to guess their distance without much to use as a reference, but they're speed makes Jan think they're probably about 600' away.

Marrin, scampering across a thick branch from one tree to another as she continues her climb, here's a call from below.

"Not stay in tree forever," Trepsin calls up.

Marrin can see the large troll's head sticking out from behind a bush before it dips behind it again. She can catch glimpses of the ambush drakes as they try to keep pace with her.

Avari, Vonth, and Solomona hear someone shout in the woods, but can't quite make out what's said. A forever tree?

Like before, some of the wounds of both trolls close in seconds. 

One of their stomachs grumble with hunger.

Both decide a chance at a big meal is worth more than retreating, at least for now.

Vonth's troll snaps and slashes out at the Goliath again. Vonth's armour catches the trolls head as it tries to bite down on a shoulder, knocking out one tooth causing the troll to snarl and slide away. It swings both taloned claws, one swishing well wide, but the second making contact (25 to hit for 15 piercing).

The other troll divides its attention between Avaria and Solomona, having gotten equally tired of being kicked and punched and then slashed and stabbed. He bites at Solomona, but the rolling gait of the monk throws off its aim and it snaps empty air. Rather than try again on the bouncy monk, the troll slashes both claws at Avaria, catching her twice (25 to hit for 13 piercing and 26 to hit for 11 piercing).

Ula, Hammerdasher, and Geffroi, seeing that Avaria, Vonth and Solomona seem to be a match for the trolls, disappear into the woods in search of Marrin and Jan.

------------------------------------------

Party's up.

One badly damage troll stands in front of Vonth (reachable without moving for melee by Vonth and Solomona) and another injured, but not quite so badly, troll stands in front of Avaria (reachable without moving for melee by Avaria and Solomona).

Jan hovers in the air near the tree tops watching as two large birdlike deer fly quickly towards her.

Marrin manages to continue to climb and move from tree to tree while Trepsin and the ambush drakes try to keep an eye on her from the ground.

Jan goes invisible again, this time on her own, and moves 30' away, at an angle that takes her away from both the house and the incoming bird deer.

Avaria continues to hack away at her quarry, anger burning inside as she watches the gashes she creates knit themselves together! (Recklessly continued.  Thanks Sol for trying to relieve Ava of that, but with being shifted, it has no con - just adv for Ava)

Attack 1: 27, Damage: 11 + 2  

Attack 2: 27, Damage: 11 + 2

The trolls must be enjoying the tussle, or they wouldn't be hungry for more. Solomona obliges them.

Attack #1: 16 to hit, 7 magical bludgeoning
Attack #2: 27 (crit!) to hit, 10 magical bludgeoning (+1d6 for crit damage, if we are rolling for that: 5)

Bonus Action: Dodge (1 uho point)

Vonth...

     Vonth and the troll remain locked in their bloody dance, each probing for weakness, each refusing to yield. Vonth dodges when he can and brings his shield up when he cannot, giving ground only in inches. The troll presses hard, its size and strength telling.

     Even so, Vonth finds an opening and answers with a solid slash of his own, steel biting deep before the creature can recoil. It is not enough—but it is something.

_____

Reaction: Riposte - Attack w/ Culver's Longsword - 21 to hit for 10 slashing damage plus 4 radiant from Divine Favor
Con Save to maintain concentration - 14
(2nd or 4 Superiority Die used...)

_____

     Vonth grits his teeth and rallies, drawing on a second wind and stubborn will. Strength floods back into his limbs, hard-earned but fleeting. He steps in again, refusing to yield, and drives the attack forward—swinging his sword with grim determination as he presses the troll without pause.

_____

Bonus Action - Second Wind to regain 1d10+4 (14) HP
Action - Attack vs same Troll - 18 to hit for 10 slashing damage and 4 radiant
Movement - None, or move towards second troll if the one Vonth has been fighting somehow falls...
(3 of 10 rounds of Divine Favor used - Concentration Spell.)