Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

Lulu allows her concern to show in a world-weary sigh not unlike Traydark's. As the single dedicated healer for their small army, the worry she'll be unable to heal or save them all remains forever coiled in her mind like a viper in the grass.

"I will stay back as well. Within range of healing, of course. But before ye go, please take my Blessing." Khessa, Horkas, and Katryl all notice verdant vines snaking around their wrists and fingers--the arcane nature of it something... Wild rather than divine. The vines sink into their skin, settling into the flesh like a tattoo, albeit temporary. It feels as though the vines help them grip their weapons tighter, and may very well help them against any magic they need saving from. (Lulu will use her Fey-Touched feat to cast Bless, instead of expending a spell slot!)

The cleric then keeps a close eye on the proceedings, but especially so on the tunnel towards the other prisoners and any troglodytes who may head that way. She wishes very much she had prepared her ability to calm emotions that morning.

"Yes, we will stay here and try to clear the troglodytes around the prisoner," Katryl replies to Khessa.  As the woman begin some sort of arcane ritual and minutes pass by, she sharply asks, "Why do you delay? Shouldn't we commence the attack? How long are you going to stand here?" 

Khessa obviously cannot answer... or she would have to start the ritual all over again - while she thinks it might be useful to invest a few minutes to gain the advantage of being able to understand eventual battle orders shouted by the troglodytes in their language.

The blonde arcane warrior, however, politely asks her sentient weapon: 'Dawn, my friend, can you explain to Katryl and the others what I'm doing and that I'll finish in a few minutes, pretty please?'

Once the ritual is completed, the tall adventuress is ready to start!

Dawn dutifully recounts the desire to cast the ritual spell to Katryl.

When they are ready, you call for the assault to begin...working your way down the rocky, slippery slope from where you entered, keeping your footing well and gaining a few steps before the troglodytes notice your arrival! Unfortunately, it appears that the presence of an invading force was not on their agenda, and the entire swarm begins to descend in your direction, as shouts go out throughout the cavern, drawing them from ever corner...

(Entering combat)

Since this will be a larger scale combat, we will go with more general rounds. You may describe your intended actions, rolls as needed, then the enemy forces will go, but we won't keep a strict initiative order. All of the troglodytes are coming your way, some sooner than others.

Party up first!

Katryl sighs as she hears the account from Dawn. She waits the remainder of the ten minutes for Khessa to be done, doing her part to try to keep the rest of the group from making too much noise that they're discovered. And watching the troglodytes, hoping that they continue to squabble all that time.  Fortunately, it seems that they do. 

Unfortunately, it seems their invading force almost instantly re-unites them.  

(Seems like the map link is broken now. I'll go on assuming we're ok on range.) 

Katryl keeps back near the top of the slope, holding her position. (Steady Aim) She targets one of the troglodytes near the female troglodyte prisoner. 
(Attack: 23, Damage: 8 + 19 sneak attack) 

She has the other scouts fire on the troglodytes there as well.

The noble drow groans as he watches the stinking trogs quickly unite against them and he hopes the human would abandon the pointless plan of saving the trog now.
He then callously points his black rod at the rabble of trogs below, unleashing a ball of demonic green fire that engulfs and incinerates them.

Cast Fireball 30 Dex save 16 for half, could potentially affect 52 trogs I think but he aims for as many as possible.

The earth elemental servant stands impressively at the top of the slope, ready to strike down any trogs that reaches it.

(Readied attacks)
Slam: 26 Bludgeoning: 9
Slam: 21 Bludgeoning: 15

Behind it the zhents fire their crossbows on the closest trogs.
Crossbow: 12 Piercing: 1
Crossbow: 21 Piercing: 8
Crossbow: 14 Piercing: 1

Khessa leads the infantry to free the troglodyte prisoner as per plan; both because she still hopes the prisoner can explain the chief they came to help him, and because, failing that, the position still looks like the most defendable hey have nearby.

Once she reaches the prisoner, she has Dawn explain her the situation and frees her, so that she can turn the chief against the rebel.

The infantry takes position, ready to repel eventual attacks. Khessa takes place in the middle of their line, casting Blur if she has the time.

Lulu closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, upset at this unnecessary diversion which will now only end in injury and death. She pulls her longsword from its scabbard and takes a defensive stance alongside the earth elemental, bouncing lightly on her toes and preparing to meet whichever of the troglodytes might reach them up the slope (would this require climbing speed or be considered difficult terrain for them to get up btw?). 


((Round 1
Action: Readies Word of Radiance if/when any trogs get within melee range. 
Bonus Action: Casts Spiritual Weapon at the bottom of the slope.
Also, don't forget @Painted, @Rhanloi, @Culuril: you've got a +d4 to all attack rolls and saving throws!))

Horkas and the constructs move quickly with Khessa to free the prisoner, but the range is too far to get there in a single round (based on the map and what I think are 10' squares...). Once they've gotten a little closer (30'), the artificer will send a bolt of fluorescent gel at the group of troglodytes near the 'queen' (Casting faerie fire at the group of 5 trogs just north of the prisoner on the hill - DC15 Dex save or be coated), causing everything in the 20x20 foot area to glow a bright purple!

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

Khessa leads the infantry to free the troglodyte prisoner as per plan; both because she still hopes the prisoner can explain the chief they came to help him, and because, failing that, the position still looks like the most defendable hey have nearby.

Once she reaches the prisoner, she has Dawn explain her the situation and frees her, so that she can turn the chief against the rebel.

The infantry takes position, ready to repel eventual attacks. Khessa takes place in the middle of their line, casting Blur if she has the time.

 

Since it's not entirely clear to me how we want to handle this battle:

If you need rolls from Khessa & Infantry, here they are (else ignore them):

If it comes to melee:

Khessa attacks with Dawn (using Anator to distract the enemy she is attacking): Attack: 24 Damage: 7 (radiant)

The Infantry attacks with Longsword/Shortsword:

Hora Nabal:
Longsword 1st Attack: 20 Damage: 8 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 10 Damage: 10 (slashing)
Shortsword Attack: 23 Damage: 4 (piercing)

Sylrien Havennor:
Longsword 1st Attack: 24 Damage: 11 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 11 Damage: 6 (slashing)
+1 Dagger Attack: 8 Damage: 8 (piercing)

Olaf Renghyi:
Longsword 1st Attack: 6 Damage: 6 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 25 Damage: 14 (slashing)
Shortsword Attack: 17 Damage: 5 (piercing)

Elias Drako:
Longsword 1st Attack: 10 Damage: 11 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 24 Damage: 4 (slashing)
Shortsword Attack: 11 Damage: 7 (piercing)

Tamryn Tharke:
Longsword 1st Attack: 7 Damage: 10 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 15 Damage: 7 (slashing)
Shortsword Attack: 17 Damage: 7 (piercing)

If you are still from range:

Khessa attacks casting Fire Bolt: Attack: 25 Damage: 10 (fire)

The Infantry attacks with Heavy Crossbow:

Hora Nabal:
Attack: 14 Damage: 7 (piercing)

Sylrien Havennor:
Attack: 15 Damage: 10 (piercing)

Olaf Renghyi:
Attack: 19 Damage: 2 (piercing)

Elias Drako:
Attack: 19 Damage: 6 (piercing)

Tamryn Tharke:
Attack: 21 Damage: 2 (piercing)

Katryl easily hits her mark making it rage fiercely! (Does she automatically get sneak attack? Because there aren't any allies in range yet and she wasn't hidden nor were they surprised)

The Scouts follow Katryl's lead and fire crossbows at the same trog, eventually managing to down the one guarding the prisoner at least! (2 hit, 2 missed, 12 damage total)

Traydark's fireball catches several trogs as they begin rushing toward the party, leaving a pile of smoldering bodies in their wake!

The Zhent's pick away at another trog but only leaves them bloodied! (2 of 3 hit for 11 damage total) The elemental holds the line at the top of the slope!

Khessa and the infantry begin heading toward the prisoner, getting pelted by javelins from the trogs near the prisoner! (One veteran takes 18 piercing damage from the attacks)

Launching a bolt of fire, Khessa returns the favor and burns down one trog, while the veterans pierce down one and injure a second trog! (Sylrien misses)

Lulu prepares for the assault standing at the top of the slope alongside the elemental! (the slope is difficult terrain)

Horkas holds onto a jet of fairie fire and gets a few trogs as soon as he gets closer, making them light up in the dark cave!

The trogs, now angry as they rush toward you all still, swinging greatclubs ready to bash heads!

Anyone within melee of the trogs now will need to make a DC 12 Con save or be poisoned. This lasts for 1 round, but anytime they're in melee of the trog they need to make the save.

Current positioning as the trogs come for you. The group from across the river is going around the other side of the rise where the prisoner is, and there are more trogs coming from the back left of the cave on mounts.

(The "queen" captive btw, isn't interested in listening to what you have to say.)

The noble drow again points his black rod at the approaching rabble of trogs below, unleashing a ball of demonic green fire that engulfs and incinerates them.

Cast Fireball 24 Dex save 16 for half, should be able to take out all 9 trogs to the northeast

The massive earth elemental servant keeps standing impressively at the top of the slope, ready to strike down any trogs that reaches it.

(Readied attacks)
Slam: 11 Bludgeoning: 16
Slam: 9 Bludgeoning: 11

The zhent mercenaries fire their crosbows again at the closest still standing trogs.
Crossbow: 4 Piercing: 9
Crossbow: 5 Piercing: 3
Crossbow: 22 Piercing: 7

"Thora!" Khessa exclaims, seeing the blonde woman with braids wince from a javelin wound that she must have found a gap in her armor.

However, the infantrywoman personally extracts the weapon, probably not deeply penetrated, and drops it to the ground with disdain.

'Great! Good girl...' the blonde arcane warrior thinks 'She's still perfectly capable of fighting. Dawn, have you notified the prisoner that we want to release her? That we want to help S'slaar?'

'Um...' Dawn's telepathic voice sounds a little embarrassed 'Actually, yes, Khessa... But she replied "I don't give a sh1t! I prefer to remain a prisoner of H'slaat (and maybe even die at his hands), rather than let you free me! You bast4rds will all die for daring to try to help me"...'

The tall adventuress shakes her head, giving up on understanding 'It must be the Demon Lord's madness... so much for the kindness recommended by the flumphs'

Khessa, however, knows one thing: whether or not there is a logic regardless of the hostage's incomprehensible behavior (incomprehensible for her, at least), a merciless struggle for life and death is now underway. And this factor takes precedence. She sends Elias and Tamryn to keep the group of three troglodytes busy. She herself, along with Sylrien, Olaf and Thora, tries to take down H'hoort. If H'hoort falls prematurely, the remaining attacks are directed at the group of three to be finished off.

DC 12 Con saves vs troglodyte's stench:

Khessa: 11
Hora Nabal: 19
Sylrien Havennor: 20
Olaf Renghyi: 20
Elias Drako: 12
Tamryn Tharke: 13

Tamryn Tharke is the closest to the group of three enemies and as usual she is ready to obey: she first attacks the already wounded enemy; if at some point she kills him she takes her place to hinder the mobility of the two surviving troglodytes and continues her attacks on the next.

Longsword 1st Attack: 10 Damage: 8 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 9 Damage: 9 (slashing)
Shortsword Attack: 25 Damage: 12 (piercing)

(Add a +d4 to your CON save, Kheessaaaa! You're B-L-E-S-S-E-D, girl! Shake off that stench!)

Tamryn should have killed the wounded and taken it's place, then wounded the next

Elias quickly tries to finish off Tamryn's wounded troglodyte. If in the course of his attacks he kills him, he maneuvers to attack the other. He always tries to attack from the side opposed to Tamryn's [[ OOC: to get Advantage ]]

Longsword 1st Attack: 24 Damage: 9 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 24 Damage: 11 (slashing)
Shortsword Attack: 20 Damage: 4 (piercing)

If the other troglodyte had 13 HP as well, it should be dead also - and Tamryn and Elias should have ended up flanking the last survivor of the three.

Attacks against H'hoort (if at a certain point we kill H'hoort, with the remaining attacks we try to finish off the last surviving troglodyte among those we have in melee range).

Sylrien Havennor:
Longsword 1st Attack: 20 Damage: 7 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 21 Damage: 11 (slashing)
+1 Dagger Attack: 20 Damage: 7 (piercing)

Olaf Renghyi:
Longsword 1st Attack: 24 Damage: 8 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 17 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll. (slashing)
Shortsword Attack: 21 Damage: 8 (piercing)

Khessa with Dawn: Attack: 27 Damage: 11 (radiant)

Hora Nabal:
Longsword 1st Attack: 25 Damage: 7 (slashing)
Longsword 2nd Attack: 8 Damage: 11 (slashing)
Shortsword Attack: 16 Damage: 8 (piercing)

If H'hoort is alive, he should be surrounded by the four who just attacked him, like this (manouvering to keep Khessa and Olaf in the position most exposed to enemy, for now)

[[ OOC: End of Khessa & Infantry turns ]]