((Jan's up first, followed by the Hargroves, then the rest of the party, then the soldiers and Ethel - with that in mind, does Jan still want to target Godrick? And, yes, the mounted horses are all about 50'-60' from the party members, with other soldiers, guards, and free roaming horses in between))
((Ah, I'd been thinking she was sniping at a distance... I'll have her take a different approach.))
Jan offers a mental apology to the beasts before clenching her ringed hand before extending her fingers and barking out a command, the staccato crack of her words echoed by the ringing pulse of magic that erupts from their midst.
((Casting to prioritize hitting all the Hargroves and their mounts, avoiding Ethel if possible. DC 15 Con or 12, half on save.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Jan, catching sight of the group of riders, decides to see how much chaos she can cause at once. But the presence of Ethel stymies her a little. In order to keep Ethel from feeling the effects of her spell, Jan has to drop her magic in such a way that Godrick and Korda are also spared any harm.
Just in front of the mounted soldiers and William and Gillian Hargrove, an ear splitting, head shattering noise roars out. Everyone reacts, but three of the soldiers and Gillian yell out in pain, and four of the horses rear up, blood pouring out of their ears.
But like the soldiers, these horses are also well trained and even though surprised and in pain, the riders don’t lose control of them.
After seeing the effects of her handiwork, Jan looks for somewhere to hide, but her options are limited. All she manages is stepping back into the melee heavy hallway, and getting partially behind Vonth; his massive size acting as a wall.
From the reaction of the other riders and horses, Godrick can be seen looking back towards the prison. He quickly raises a hand and flicks it towards the open doorway where he sees Marrin (looking like Jan) and the large goliath he saw inside the prison. In a blink, crackling eldritch energy zig zags across the gap between the groups. Just before it gets to the doorway, the beam of energy splits in two with one bolt slamming into Marrin (34 to hit for 14 force damage) and the other into Vonth (29 to hit for 7 force damage).
William and Gillian Hargrove shout something inaudible to those by the prison; the icy wind drowning out the sound. But as soon as they finish, Godrick clearly says something back, and with only a brief hesitation, the two older Hargroves kick their horses into a gallop and head off across the plain away from the prison.
As the older Hargroves flee, Avaria and Solomona hear heavy bootsteps tromp through the snow behind them. Hammerdasher, Ula and Geffroi almost make it to the corner of the prison. Hammerdasher doesn’t look happy, but then he rarely does.
The soldiers outside the stable entrance charge the guards defending the stables. Blows are exchanged, several on each side are hurt badly but the fighting continues.
((Riders are all now about 60’ away from those at the prison except for William and Gillian Hargrove who are now 120’ away. Five soldiers on horses are between the prison and Godrick, Korda and Ethel))
((Vonth didn't immediately spot any weapons or armor that was an improvement on what he already has))
Magic slams into Vonth again, searing and sharp. Pain blooms, bright and insistent. He staggers back a single step—no more. His shield stays up. Those behind him remain covered.
Strength is not in what one can lift. It is in what one refuses to let fall.
Through the chaos, Vonth reads the shape of the fight. The mounted figures are pulling away now, speed and distance on their side. Chasing them on foot would be nothing but pride and blood. If they are to be caught, it will only be with mounts of their own.
The stables come to mind.
He angles his body toward that route, ready to move the moment the decision is made—but he does not break formation. Not yet. He holds his ground, watching the others, waiting to see whether their intentions align with his own before committing to the run.
_____
in other words, Vonth backs the play of the rest of the group as best he can.
Despite the interest that these guards (or who he thought were guards) have in Korda, Solomona can tell that ship has sailed. Two competing factions, both after the same prisoner, but one is just more organised, better equipped, and has the advantage. But that's no all... something tells Sol that these two factions aren't the same, and this Godrick, or Hargroves, or whoever they are, aren't travelling by the same moral compass as these pretend guards. The contest for Korda might be lost, but the fight goes on, and Sol will do whatever he can to preserve life, especially for those who value it.
---------------------------
Solomona will move to defend those who are most wounded, taking the Dodge action only for now, trying to attract some of the soldier aggro away from the guards (and pretend guards).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Marrin, looking like Jan, staggers back at the impact and nearly falls.
"That son of a..."
She yells at Godrick,
"Is it because I have such an nice head of hair? Jealous much?"
Unsettling words: -1 on his next save
Marrin pulls out her flute and blows a soft tune while moving her finger in an odd pattern and casts a hypnotic pattern above as many soldiers and horses as she can while including Godrick, Ethel and Korda. ((30 ft cube))
Ethel. She can't let them take Ethel. She's ready to forget their whole mission thing with the mysterious box and Hammerdasher and his wishes if they can get Ethel back.
Before she even realizes she is running, she continues to dash towards her friend, ignoring the fight and as she reaches her horse she grabs onto the reins. "Ethel!" she exclaims, "Are you ok? Why are you heading out with them??"
((Sorry about the wait, weekends are hard. And yeah, I can't see her doing anything other than trying to get Ethel back - so her action is dash.))
((@Stark, depending on how Thor treats initiative now, there may be a pretty, pretty pattern above Ethel, Korda and Godrick. If there isn't, there might soon be!))
Marrin yells her taunt across the frozen space between the prison and the riders and believes she sees Godrick’s natural frown deepen slightly.
However, that taunt keeps Godrick’s attention on Marrin. And even as she finishes the note from her flute and just finishes moving her fingers, she sees Godrick react and wave his finger though the air in a horizontal sharp chop.
She knows she cast the spell, but something stopped it from crossing the distance to where the riders are.
Solomona moves from the corner of the prison to the melee at the stables. His heavy form moving gracefully across the frozen ground is almost as distracting to the soldiers as is his intentional attempts to get their attention. Two of the soldiers look ready to move against Solomona.
Avaria takes a wide route to get around the soldiers on horseback in order to get to Ethel. She’s able to get close enough to talk to her companion but doesn’t quite have the ability to make an attempt at grabbing the horse’s reins ((Used Dash to get there, and would need an action to grab the reins given the circumstances)).
Ethel smiles sadly at Avaria. “He’s promised he can help me bring them back. It’s all there, waiting.”
—-----------------------------------------
Vonth was watching to see what the rest of the group does before acting. They now have so he still has an action/movement if he wants to use them.
((As the main cast he is with are staying where they are, so would Vonth. Though if he sees Solomona engage with those outside the stables then the Goliath would sidle over that way, enough to close the distance and help the other prisoner if he ends up needing it.))
Korda, sitting on horseback, on the other side of Ethel and her horse from Avaria, looks at the shifter and smiles.
“Well, I gave your team a chance and you didn’t deliver. Good luck up here.”
Korda then urges her horse on and she rides off quickly after the senior Hargroves.
Ethel looks once more at Avaria and then she calls over to Godrick.
“Don’t harm them. You’ve gotten what you wanted and I’m coming willingly.” Ethel says.
Godrick nods his agreement. She then turns her horse and follows after Korda and the others.
The bald headed Hargrove looks over at the guards on horseback and indicates Avaria.
“If she takes one step this way or after the others, kill her and the rest of them.”
Without any of them leaving melee range with Avaria, the five mounted soldiers form a semicircle around Godrick, leaving him almost fully behind cover.
The guards and soldiers at the stable doorway continue to fight. Two of the prison guards fall from the continued attack.
Two soldiers warily face Solomona, but at this point, seeing that he’s not a prison guard and hasn’t attacked them, they don’t attack.
Hammerdasher, Ula and Geffroi finally round the corner of the prison.
“Bloody hells,” Hammedasher yells. “Is that Korda riding away?”
—---------------------------------------------
Jan’s up, and Vonth if he has a held action to use.
William and Gillian Hargrove are 120' away from everyone (60' from Avaria). Korda and Ethel are now 180' from everyone (120' from Avaria). Godrick and five mounted soldiers are 60' from those at the prison (Godrick about 10' from Avaria, but on the other side of the mounted soldiers).
There are two soldiers facing Solomona but not attacking, and another 4 are faced off against two prison guards at the stables.
Three horses outside the stables are wandering around aimlessly now.
From behind the group at the entrance way, there's a lot of fighting still going on inside the prison and a lot of smoke.
Vonth, looking like Vonth doing a really good imitation of Vonth pretending to be Vonth, watches everything develop and does nothing. For now he isn't sure where violence is best applied and that tends to be his course of action so he stands prepared but actionless.
"But they won't be the same... they won't be..."Avaria drops her hands as Ethel rides away, all the fight draining out of her as fast as her rage typically comes on. She ignores the other riders, just watches Ethel ride off into the distance, the bitter cold finding its way to her skin as she stands there, unable to move.
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((Jan's up first, followed by the Hargroves, then the rest of the party, then the soldiers and Ethel - with that in mind, does Jan still want to target Godrick? And, yes, the mounted horses are all about 50'-60' from the party members, with other soldiers, guards, and free roaming horses in between))
((Ah, I'd been thinking she was sniping at a distance... I'll have her take a different approach.))
Jan offers a mental apology to the beasts before clenching her ringed hand before extending her fingers and barking out a command, the staccato crack of her words echoed by the ringing pulse of magic that erupts from their midst.
((Casting to prioritize hitting all the Hargroves and their mounts, avoiding Ethel if possible. DC 15 Con or 12, half on save.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
If there is cover, she'll duck out of sight to the enemy.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Jan, catching sight of the group of riders, decides to see how much chaos she can cause at once. But the presence of Ethel stymies her a little. In order to keep Ethel from feeling the effects of her spell, Jan has to drop her magic in such a way that Godrick and Korda are also spared any harm.
Just in front of the mounted soldiers and William and Gillian Hargrove, an ear splitting, head shattering noise roars out. Everyone reacts, but three of the soldiers and Gillian yell out in pain, and four of the horses rear up, blood pouring out of their ears.
But like the soldiers, these horses are also well trained and even though surprised and in pain, the riders don’t lose control of them.
After seeing the effects of her handiwork, Jan looks for somewhere to hide, but her options are limited. All she manages is stepping back into the melee heavy hallway, and getting partially behind Vonth; his massive size acting as a wall.
From the reaction of the other riders and horses, Godrick can be seen looking back towards the prison. He quickly raises a hand and flicks it towards the open doorway where he sees Marrin (looking like Jan) and the large goliath he saw inside the prison. In a blink, crackling eldritch energy zig zags across the gap between the groups. Just before it gets to the doorway, the beam of energy splits in two with one bolt slamming into Marrin (34 to hit for 14 force damage) and the other into Vonth (29 to hit for 7 force damage).
William and Gillian Hargrove shout something inaudible to those by the prison; the icy wind drowning out the sound. But as soon as they finish, Godrick clearly says something back, and with only a brief hesitation, the two older Hargroves kick their horses into a gallop and head off across the plain away from the prison.
As the older Hargroves flee, Avaria and Solomona hear heavy bootsteps tromp through the snow behind them. Hammerdasher, Ula and Geffroi almost make it to the corner of the prison. Hammerdasher doesn’t look happy, but then he rarely does.
The soldiers outside the stable entrance charge the guards defending the stables. Blows are exchanged, several on each side are hurt badly but the fighting continues.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
((Riders are all now about 60’ away from those at the prison except for William and Gillian Hargrove who are now 120’ away. Five soldiers on horses are between the prison and Godrick, Korda and Ethel))
((Vonth didn't immediately spot any weapons or armor that was an improvement on what he already has))
Party is up.
Vonth...
Magic slams into Vonth again, searing and sharp. Pain blooms, bright and insistent. He staggers back a single step—no more. His shield stays up. Those behind him remain covered.
Strength is not in what one can lift.
It is in what one refuses to let fall.
Through the chaos, Vonth reads the shape of the fight. The mounted figures are pulling away now, speed and distance on their side. Chasing them on foot would be nothing but pride and blood. If they are to be caught, it will only be with mounts of their own.
The stables come to mind.
He angles his body toward that route, ready to move the moment the decision is made—but he does not break formation. Not yet. He holds his ground, watching the others, waiting to see whether their intentions align with his own before committing to the run.
_____
in other words, Vonth backs the play of the rest of the group as best he can.
Despite the interest that these guards (or who he thought were guards) have in Korda, Solomona can tell that ship has sailed. Two competing factions, both after the same prisoner, but one is just more organised, better equipped, and has the advantage. But that's no all... something tells Sol that these two factions aren't the same, and this Godrick, or Hargroves, or whoever they are, aren't travelling by the same moral compass as these pretend guards. The contest for Korda might be lost, but the fight goes on, and Sol will do whatever he can to preserve life, especially for those who value it.
---------------------------
Solomona will move to defend those who are most wounded, taking the Dodge action only for now, trying to attract some of the soldier aggro away from the guards (and pretend guards).
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Marrin, looking like Jan, staggers back at the impact and nearly falls.
"That son of a..."
She yells at Godrick,
"Is it because I have such an nice head of hair? Jealous much?"
Unsettling words: -1 on his next save
Marrin pulls out her flute and blows a soft tune while moving her finger in an odd pattern and casts a hypnotic pattern above as many soldiers and horses as she can while including Godrick, Ethel and Korda. ((30 ft cube))
DC 16 wisdom save.
Ethel. She can't let them take Ethel. She's ready to forget their whole mission thing with the mysterious box and Hammerdasher and his wishes if they can get Ethel back.
Before she even realizes she is running, she continues to dash towards her friend, ignoring the fight and as she reaches her horse she grabs onto the reins. "Ethel!" she exclaims, "Are you ok? Why are you heading out with them??"
((Sorry about the wait, weekends are hard. And yeah, I can't see her doing anything other than trying to get Ethel back - so her action is dash.))
((@Stark, depending on how Thor treats initiative now, there may be a pretty, pretty pattern above Ethel, Korda and Godrick. If there isn't, there might soon be!))
Marrin yells her taunt across the frozen space between the prison and the riders and believes she sees Godrick’s natural frown deepen slightly.
However, that taunt keeps Godrick’s attention on Marrin. And even as she finishes the note from her flute and just finishes moving her fingers, she sees Godrick react and wave his finger though the air in a horizontal sharp chop.
She knows she cast the spell, but something stopped it from crossing the distance to where the riders are.
Solomona moves from the corner of the prison to the melee at the stables. His heavy form moving gracefully across the frozen ground is almost as distracting to the soldiers as is his intentional attempts to get their attention. Two of the soldiers look ready to move against Solomona.
Avaria takes a wide route to get around the soldiers on horseback in order to get to Ethel. She’s able to get close enough to talk to her companion but doesn’t quite have the ability to make an attempt at grabbing the horse’s reins ((Used Dash to get there, and would need an action to grab the reins given the circumstances)).
Ethel smiles sadly at Avaria. “He’s promised he can help me bring them back. It’s all there, waiting.”
—-----------------------------------------
Vonth was watching to see what the rest of the group does before acting. They now have so he still has an action/movement if he wants to use them.
((As the main cast he is with are staying where they are, so would Vonth. Though if he sees Solomona engage with those outside the stables then the Goliath would sidle over that way, enough to close the distance and help the other prisoner if he ends up needing it.))
((Want to go with Vonth having a held action depending on what the soldiers do?))
((Sure? He can hold a long sword attack if any move into melee but he’s got nothing else available so *shrug*))
Korda, sitting on horseback, on the other side of Ethel and her horse from Avaria, looks at the shifter and smiles.
“Well, I gave your team a chance and you didn’t deliver. Good luck up here.”
Korda then urges her horse on and she rides off quickly after the senior Hargroves.
Ethel looks once more at Avaria and then she calls over to Godrick.
“Don’t harm them. You’ve gotten what you wanted and I’m coming willingly.” Ethel says.
Godrick nods his agreement. She then turns her horse and follows after Korda and the others.
The bald headed Hargrove looks over at the guards on horseback and indicates Avaria.
“If she takes one step this way or after the others, kill her and the rest of them.”
Without any of them leaving melee range with Avaria, the five mounted soldiers form a semicircle around Godrick, leaving him almost fully behind cover.
The guards and soldiers at the stable doorway continue to fight. Two of the prison guards fall from the continued attack.
Two soldiers warily face Solomona, but at this point, seeing that he’s not a prison guard and hasn’t attacked them, they don’t attack.
Hammerdasher, Ula and Geffroi finally round the corner of the prison.
“Bloody hells,” Hammedasher yells. “Is that Korda riding away?”
—---------------------------------------------
Jan’s up, and Vonth if he has a held action to use.
William and Gillian Hargrove are 120' away from everyone (60' from Avaria). Korda and Ethel are now 180' from everyone (120' from Avaria). Godrick and five mounted soldiers are 60' from those at the prison (Godrick about 10' from Avaria, but on the other side of the mounted soldiers).
There are two soldiers facing Solomona but not attacking, and another 4 are faced off against two prison guards at the stables.
Three horses outside the stables are wandering around aimlessly now.
From behind the group at the entrance way, there's a lot of fighting still going on inside the prison and a lot of smoke.
"AVA! Ethel!?", Jan calls out in worry and confusion as their companion rides off, seemingly of her own choice.
((Hold EB ready for the moment, if it looks tense vs Ava, she doesn't want an attack on Godrick or any of the 5 to see her friend get run through.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Solomona looks calmly at the two soldiers, with his hands up placatingly, and says:
“Aue, fullahs. Your family’s already on the move. You really want to bleed here in the cold, or you want to go with them while your legs still work?”
((Persuasion: 9))
He nods toward the loose horses nearby.
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Marrin, looking like Jan, mutters a long and colorful list of expletives.
"So much for non-violence."
She watches Ethel ride off next to Korda and the rest of the Hargroves and steps back to be next to Jan, looking like a disguised her.
"I don't..."
Vonth...
Vonth, looking like Vonth doing a really good imitation of Vonth pretending to be Vonth, watches everything develop and does nothing. For now he isn't sure where violence is best applied and that tends to be his course of action so he stands prepared but actionless.
Marrin, looking like Jan, takes a moment out of her indecision to admire Vonth's perfect imitation of Vonth.
"But they won't be the same... they won't be..." Avaria drops her hands as Ethel rides away, all the fight draining out of her as fast as her rage typically comes on. She ignores the other riders, just watches Ethel ride off into the distance, the bitter cold finding its way to her skin as she stands there, unable to move.