Heavy is the Head - Campaign thread

Saoirse's initiative: 9

Lam’s initiative: 20

Hemlock Initiative: 6+2=8

Hemlock's body begins to glow with light from the archer constellation, and a glowing arrow streaks across from his hand to the creature trapped by the vines.

He then reaches out again, and this time a ball of radiance follows after the arrow.

He then moves closer to Frederico trying to cover the boy.

Bonus Action: Wild Shape into Starry Form (Archer) - Luminous Arrow attack (with Advantage due to restrained): To Hit: (4,2)+6=10, Damage 7+4=11 [radiant]
Action: Use Star Map to cast Guiding Bolt - (with Advantage due to restrained): To Hit: (9,10)+6=16, Damage 5+4+1+1=11 [radiant] - on hit, next attack has advantage
Movement: Closer to wagon
Special: Concentration: Entangle - 2/10

Sha’s initiative 16

Sha-gravis calls down the moon Constitution DC 14 save for half 14 radiant.

(I went ahead and rolled for Saffron.)

The Nothic that had tried to communicate dodges Hemlock's luminous arrow, but the guiding bolt and beam of moonlight both seem to strike it at the same moment, and it howls in pain as parts of its horns shrivel, and its giant eye squints in the radiance. It is also still constrained.

Its companions make themselves clear, and the crawling sensation from their gaze passes over each of you as they survey the battlefield.

Owlbear Rodeo

Turn order: Lam; Eliza; Sha-Gravis; Nothic 1; Saoirse; Hemlock; Saffron; Nothic2; Nothic 3

Lam takes off running down the path, hunching his shoulders around the cradled Frederico as he runs.

"Oh gods.... This is what he'll make of me if he gets his hands on me again. This is what he does with mages who betray him." Eliza turns to Nothic 2 as her spellbook flies open. She screams the same magic words that had knocked Ignacio out of the fight you had with Vince and his goons yesterday, and a wave of psychic energy flies out towards the aberration. Its eye shifts, and focuses on something just in front of it, which none of you can see. It looks scared.

Owlbear Rodeo

Turn order: Lam; Eliza; Sha-Gravis; Nothic 1; Saoirse; Hemlock; Saffron; Nothic2; Nothic 3

Sha glides the moonbeam over nothic 2.

DC 14 Con save for half 14 damage.

Then moves 30’ towards Lam.

Nothic 2 grunts in pain from the light, but its focus stays on the phantasmal force assailing it, and it only takes half damage from the moonbeam.

Nothic1 struggles vainly against the roots binding it, and fixes its gaze ok Hemlock. He mus make a DC12 Con save or take 15 damage.

Owlbear Rodeo

Turn order: Lam; Eliza; Sha-Gravis; Nothic 1; Saoirse; Hemlock; Saffron; Nothic2; Nothic 3

Hemlock feels the gaze of the creature but shrugs off any harmful intent.

Con Save: 10+2=12

With Lam and Federico away from the fight for the moment, Saoirse focuses in fighting the nothics along with the rest of her friends. She is to far away from them, so she's going to approach one before she can do any actual damage to them.

As she heads towards Nothic 2 she tries to draw her rapier and dagger at the same time. It's a move she tried hundreds of times back at the Order, but never really managed to achieve. And perhaps it is because she's not that focused on the technique itself but on the aberration in front of her, that in this precise time she finds that both weapons are successfully unseathed as if she had been doing it all her life.

After this, she does a slight cut on the palm of her eight hand with the rapier, and it begins to glow with radiance. Then says to the Nothics:

- You can give our regards back to Vince once we send him to the same hell you'll all be going shortly.

 Free action: draw both weapons.

Movement+Dash to reach Nothic 2.

Bonus action: Crimson Rite (Rite of the Dawn) on the rapier. Saoirse takes 4 damage to activate it. And she'll be resistant to necrotic damage while it is active.

Hemlock sees Lam rush off with Frederico cradled in his arms, but maintains his focus on the creature trapped by his twisting vines. He once again sends the glowing arrow streaking towards it, followed by the ball of radiant energy, taking advantage of it being trapped by his vines.

He is oddly agitated as he pushes on with the assault, unrelenting in his efforts to destroy the creature.

"Keep your foul gaze off me, and stay out of my head!", he ends up shouting at the creature as he backs away towards Lam and Sha Gravis.

Bonus Action: Luminous Arrow attack on Nothic 1 (with Advantage due to restrained): To Hit: (17,18)+6=24, Damage 4+4=8 [radiant]
Action: Use Star Map to cast Guiding Bolt at Nothic 1- (with Advantage due to restrained): To Hit: (9,13)+6=19, Damage 2+2+2+4=10 [radiant] - on hit, next attack has advantage
Movement: 15ft away from Nothic 1, towards the North where Lam and Sha Gravis went
Special: Concentration: Entangle - 3/10

Nothic 1's eye looks like it is drying out and shriveling in the brilliant light, and a smell like burning rubber is coming off of its peeling skin. It is a horrible thing to see. Its voice appears again in Hemlock's mind, but there are no cocksure threats, only desparation and pain:

 Saffron sees that Hemlock seems to have Nothic1 well under control, and moves closer to the druid while lining up a shot on the Nothic distracted by Saoirse and Eliza's psychic force. She whips a psychic dagger at the creature, which flies just inches from Saoirse's shoulder towards the beast's flesh. (23 to hit, 5 damage + 10 sneak attack)

Nothic 2 recoils in pain from the blade, and then squints and shrieks as the moonbeam's radiance continues to burn it. In that moment, however there is some flash of recognition or understanding, and Eliza cries out as she feels the creature free itself of her illusion. It slashes at Saoirse with its both of its clawed arms, and while the rapier leaps up to block one of the gnarled hands, the other is too fast for the dagger to block it, and it cuts her for 6 slashing damage.

Nothic 3 darts in towards the wagon, and its gaze is focused on Eliza. You can see her face go pale and her knees tremble as the necrotic energy saps her strength. She whimpers as well, as the Nothic whispers something horrible in her mind. It turns south, and you can see that its intent is to run away.

The creatures seem to show no interest in following Lam or Frederico, not that they wouldn't kill the child if it seemed easy or like a good way to distract you all.

Owlbear Rodeo

Turn order: Lam; Eliza; Sha-Gravis; Nothic 1; Saoirse; Hemlock; Saffron; Nothic2; Nothic 3

Lam stops and turns his head for a fraction of a second to try to get a sense of the battle. His friends are all fighting these things. He is surprised to hear Hemlock shout in a way he’s never heard him shout before. He gets the impression that there has to be more to these creatures’ attacks than just their claws. He hears them attacking Saoirse, and he desperately wants to turn back and fight them. But none of them are going after him or Frederico. He has to trust his friends and focus on the boy. He continues to head away from the fight, more slowly and deliberately listening to everything around him.

Eliza faces across the wagon at the nothic, and whispers magic words tinted with contempt. A streak of psychic energy flows from her lips to Nothis 3's eye, and the creature winces in discomfort, looking slightly confused for a moment. Then she ducks down, hoping to use the wagon to shield herself from it.

Owlbear Rodeo

Turn order: Lam; Eliza; Sha-Gravis; Nothic 1; Saoirse; Hemlock; Saffron; Nothic2; Nothic 3

Sha continues to shine 3/10 the moonbeam on nothic 2 14 radiant damage Con SV 14 for half.

He will charge Nothic 3 (action dash, bonus action attack 15 if it hits 12 damage.)

Nothic 2 screams in pain again, squinting in the moonlight.

Nothic 3 turns just in time to see the hammer Aluptram swinging at its eye, but is not quite fast enough to dodge. The hammer lands in a shoulder that makes a soft wet sound, not at all the sound ir looks like it should have made. Still, it's a good hit and a painful one. A voice appears in Sha's mind:

Nothic 1 struggles and fails to free itself from the vines. It reaches out to Hemlock again in desperation:

Owlbear Rodeo

Turn order: Lam; Eliza; Sha-Gravis; Nothic 1; Saoirse; Hemlock; Saffron; Nothic2; Nothic 3

Saoirse keeps focusing her attacks on Nothic 2, though she gets a little distracted hearing Hemlock scream. He's never sound this angry before. What has upset so much the always calmed druid? This moment of distraction is perhaps what makes the rapier miss its target. Swordbreaker, though, finds purchase in the Nothic's foul body.

Rapier attack: 11.

Dagger attack: 19. Damage: 7.

Hemlock winces as the foul creature once again intrudes on his mind, but this time he does not shout at it, rather he pushes with all his will trying to force the creatures thoughts back to their own mind.

The result is a message directly into the mind of the creature itself.

With that, another radiant arrow flies, following by another ball of radiant energy.

Bonus Action: Luminous Arrow attack on Nothic 1 (with Advantage due to restrained): To Hit: (6,2)+6=12
Action: Use Star Map to cast Guiding Bolt level 2at Nothic 1- (with Advantage due to restrained): To Hit: (10,9)+6=16, Damage 1+1+1+1+5=9 [radiant] - on hit, next attack has advantage
Special: Concentration: Entangle - 4/10

(OOC: What terrible rolling!)

The black liquid oozing out of Nothic2 must be blood, though its acrid smell and slow thickness is not like blood at all. The creature is terribly wounded, from light and psychic dagger and swordbreaker, but it is still a threat.

Nothic 1, on the other hand, takes the guiding bolt directly in its eye, and its whole body is briefly engulfed in radiance before it melts, dissolving into a pile of black tar and claws. No bones, strangely. The smell is horrible, but it will fade in time.

Saffron whirls on the Nothic who attacked Eliza, and approaches just enough to whip another two psychic daggers - this time just over Sha's shoulders. The first flies wide, but the second meets flesh, sliding i to the creature far enough that it is not clear when it disappears. (6 damage + 6 sneak attack). "I won't let you hurt her!"

Nothic 2 burns again, though it has averted its eye, from the deadly moonlight. It is on the verge of death. It claws wildly at Saoirse, (18 and 8 to hit, 4 and 7) slashing damage, then turns and tries to run awayto the southeast. (Saoirse can use the parring dagger on one claw attack, or an AoO, but you've only got the one reaction.) It also sends a message into her mind:

 Nothic 3 recoils, and disengages from Sha-Gravis, turning to simply run from the violence, back along the path.

Lam hears nothing at first, because he was listening for an attack, but after a second or two he hears another creak from ahead of him. It looks like a withered root, but a little more focus lets Lam recognize her for what she is: the dryad Esmerelda, who met you on your approach to Village tree the very first time, now shriveled by necrotic energy and slashed by wicked claws. She is not moving.

Owlbear Rodeo

Turn order: Lam; Eliza; Sha-Gravis; Nothic 1; Saoirse; Hemlock; Saffron; Nothic2; Nothic 3