The Undying Dragons - Campaign Thread

Sol takes note of where the magic beam originated from, but the spellcaster isn't the priority right now. Looking down at the battle below, Sol directs his attention to the target in the centre. Talis. With his best effort, and with the perpetual smile still on his face, he launches himself out of the tree and into the middle of the fray...

Move: Attempting to jump on top of Talis. Death from above. Sol's long jump without a run-up is only 5'. If that's not enough, then he will spend 1 uho point for Step of the Wind to double that to 10'. If that's still not enough, then he'll just jump 5' and push his way in. 

Action: Attack
Unarmed Strike #1: 17 (I think that's a miss)
Unarmed Strike #2: 23. Damage: 9 magical bludgeoning.

Assuming #2 is a hit, Sol will use Stunning Strike (1 uho point). Talis has to pass DC 14 CON save or be stunned until the end of Sol's next turn.

Bonus Action: I'll wait to see what happens, depending on whether Step of the Wind is active, or if Talis is stunned.

Quote from ZorgAlmighty >>

Action: Attack
Unarmed Strike #1: 17 (I think that's a miss)

 ((Yeah, looking like 18 is the AC as Avaria missed with a 17 but Vonth his with an 18...  We need to roll better!!)

Maffroi just stops walking and looks at Hammerdasher with exasperation. 

"Ithleviur, do you think this was my plan? I dealt with the troll, I wasn't expecting the lizards. Hells, I wasn't even expecting the troll!"

He gestures demonstratively around.

"My plan was to get back to the lodge and save you all and, at very least, badly hurt Soren. I have no idea where everyone is Ithleviur, or what is going on. I was out in the woods making friends with harpies!"

He then gestures at his companions,

"I was very surprised to find YOU three in the company of the troll, but I'm a trusting fool and don't think you're also some sort of cultists."

He pauses and winces, 

"No offense Ula. Bad cultists."

Then back to Hammerdasher, 

"If you can get us to Ava and...whatever those other two were called, lead on Ithleviur! Either way, I'm done being herded by cultists and lizards."

Jan matches color and texture such as she can with the tree, alternating between perceiving through K and keeping tabs on her own surroundings.

Stealth: 31

IN THE WOODS WITH LIZARDS:

Hammerdasher grunts and frowns a little then shrugs, going through a gambit of emotions and decisions before he turns around and starts back towards the lodge.

"I think Soren's just hired help," Hammerdasher says. "He's not giving off the same fanatic vibe the rest of them here are."

Geffroi keeps looking to the woods every time there's a rustle in the branches or undergrowth.

"These dragon-cultists know about Godrick bloody Hargrove and they know about the Djed in our stolen treasure," Hammerdasher says. He stops for a moment when the movement in the woods seems to be coming closer. "Their leader here, Talis, says she'll help us get ahead of Godrick if we help find you and Jan. She knows about the chest we found on the undead ship and really wants what's inside."

The group continues along the path towards the lodge, but after a minute or two they find their way forward blocked by three ambush drakes. They don't attack or look more hostile than usual, but they're not moving out of the path either.

AT ONE WITH THE TREE:

Jan is pretty confident even a squirrel running through the branches won't notice she's there. 

Is she sending K anywhere specific?

DRAGON CULT - UNDEAD RUMBLE:

Solomona does not use Step of the Wind. He'd likely need a solid 15' standing long jump to make it. Also, Talis is not stunned by the Stunning Strike. Solomona can still use a bonus action.

Talis does suffer some damage from Vonth and Solomona and while clearly injured, she's not about to drop dead either.

Avaria is still up.

In that case, Sol will just use the bonus action to make a single unarmed strike against Talis, and then stay where he is.

Unarmed Strike: 26 to hit, 8 magical bludgeoning damage

Maffroi grumbles about Soren as they walk,

"Even more reason to beat some repentance into him."

As Hammerdasher explains, broadly, what has been going on,

"I would guess that Soren filled them in on the Hargroves, the Djed and the chest. Either way Jan is probably a hundred miles away making sure they don't get the chest."

As the drakes line up in front of them, Maffroi says to them with loudly enough for all of them to hear,

"Go catch up with your master, pretty sure he found whatever it is you're after. He'll probably be mad if you're not with him."

Persuasion: 21

((Using universal speech on all five of the drakes so they understand what he's saying.))

THE BIG FIGHT

Talis winces at Solomona's second blow.

((Avaria's up))

NESTLED IN A TREE

Is there anything Jan is getting K to do. He's done a cursory look at the village.

AMBUSH DRAKES

After Marrin finishes talking, there's a pause as the ambush drakes stare at her for a long moment. Then, in the bushes, Marrin sees movement that looks to be heading in the direction of Trepsin and the village (two bits of movement). Then two of the drakes in front of the group also head off in that same direction. One just stares at Marrin. 

And there may still be one more in the bushes near the group.

Hammerdasher moves to push past the drake "They're not strong on their own. There's a reason they're called ambush drakes."

The lone drake on the path ahead does actually step to the side as Hammerdasher, then Ula, and Gefrroi pass by. Marrin finds it watches her closely as she moves to keep up with Geffroi. Then the ambush drake falls into line and follows along behind Marrin. From the sounds of it, the one other drake still around is keeping pace in the underbrush.

Unless Marrin wants to do anything else on the trip, the group finds themselves back at the clearing around the hunting lodge. Staying to the trees and shadows for now, Marrin can see a number of kobolds going about their jobs of maintaining the property. Some are chopping wood, others are washing windows. Shouting in the bark-like version of draconic the kobolds use comes from inside the lodge - not that of fear or conflict but more that of someone in a management position yelling at underlings. 

Avaria looks bad, but she barely notices it as the rage continues to course through her and the frustration of her misses makes her almost unaware of the attacks that get through her defenses.

She continues to have eyes just for Talis and attacks recklessly again.

Her first attack missing again, but the second hits (attack: 27) with 8 + 2 damage.

THE BIG FIGHT - UPDATED:

With Avaria’s last blow, Talis is looking rough.

Realizing that the party is willing to kill her rather than deal with the threat that lurks in the woods, Talis changes tactics. She holds her spear in front of her, but instead of striking out with it, she lets a ripple of energy run along its surface. When the energy gets to the tip, a swarm of biting locusts erupt up and outwards completely encircling Vonth, Solomona, Avaria and the two soldiers (Maelgot and Sorvic).

The insects quickly cover any and all exposed skin and cracks in armor and proceed to try and bite as much and as often as they can.

(DC 14 CON Save - 12 piercing on a failed save, 6 piercing on a success)

Kusphia, her fanatical follower, grabs hold of Talis and pulls her away from her trio of attackers, pushing her back out of melee range (Talis does not move on her own so no AoO on her, but Kusphia is fair game). 

Maelgot curses loudly at the biting insects and disengages from the area and sprints around the cloud and puts himself between Talis and her attackers.

Sorvic, who doesn’t appear to be bitten quite so much, does the same.

The two zombies go down under the cloud of biting locusts, but both stand back up. One takes a wild swing at Avaria (and misses completely), and the other swings at Solomona (21 to hit for 3 bludgeoning).

Another sickly green blast of energy comes out of the woods, racing towards Vonth. But his waving away of insects and keeping tabs on where his opponents are going cause the blast to miss.

((Party is back up - AoO on Kushphia is possible, and then Talis is behind Maelgot and Sorvic now - the cloud of locusts counts as difficult terrain, so someone could run wide to get around Maelgot and Sorvic but wouldn’t be able to get into position to melee attack Talis in this round - Maelgot and Sorvic didn't have as far to go just to get between the party and Talis - they're about 10' away and outside of the insect cloud - can get to them for melee easily)).

Solomona's exposed skin itches from the insect bites. He is feeling slightly less happy than normal. With only two zombies left, it looks like the odds are now pretty even between Talis's group and the unseen attacker's horde... perhaps it's time to let them whittle each other down a bit, rather than being the brunt of both.

Time for a breather, I reckon. Let's go!

Giving a tug on Avaria's arm, and calling out to Vonth, Solomona retreats about 20' down the pathway (back the way they came) and then off the path and into the cover of the trees, on the opposite side of the path to the invisible magician.

((Actual Move and Action will depend on who is coming. If he's alone, he will go further and use Hand of Healing on himself. If Avaria is there, he will heal her instead. Vonth looks like he can take a hit and still be up...)) 

((Keeping in theme with the terrible rolls this combat: Hand of Healing: 4 hp))

((Are the handful of guards guarding something in particular, or just stationed and observing, or on patrols? If there are any conversations going on, she'll have K eavesdrop, priority being guard convos.))

Vonth…

Con Save: 25

     As the swarm of bugs and insects floods the battlefield and their foes begin to pull away, Vonth lashes out at anything within reach. He does not choose targets - any foe would do. He strikes to wound — quick and dirty — hoping to carve damage into them before they can slip free.

Attack of Opportunity vs Kusphia - Nat 20 for 27 to hit and damage rolls of 1 and 1 plus 4 for 6 total damage.  (Seriously?  Nat 20 and then two 1s for damage?  Why are these fools running from us?)

     With the enemy fleeing one way and Solomona another, Vonth freezes, caught for a single moment between choices.

     It passes and instinct takes over.

     He reaches toward Avaria, seeing the toll the fight has taken on her, and mutters a quick, rough prayer to Morc. Not elegant. Not long. But enough. He asks for strength to be returned to the warrior at his side.

Action - Cast Cure Wounds on Avaria for 7 hp of healing…

     There is only so much he can give. Vonth is not whole himself. But in that brief, suspended moment — between pursuit and retreat, between choice and consequence — he draws inward. Finds stillness. Finds breath.

     Stone does not rush.

     From that stillness, he gathers what remains and claims it. A second wind.

     Strength returns in a measured surge, enough to steady his stance, enough to keep him in the fight a little longer.

Bonus Action - Second Wind to regain 9 HP himself

     But the moment passes. The calm fades. The biting swarm remains. And the choice still stands before him.

     Vonth curses softly and bows his head once — acceptance, not defeat. Then he moves. He turns and follows after Solomona.

     There has been enough abandoning in this company already. He will not add to it.

Movement: Follow Solomona’s lead… As much as his 30' of movement allows anyway.