Ixsas is impressed when Thrax walks directly into the Krackle's bonfire, wraps his huge, red arms around the gargoyle, and drags it back into the flames. He gasps, "He's a firewalker!" Ixsas takes that as a sign that Kossuth sent Thrax here to help them, but the dragonborn seems to be sustained by his fury and the fire. Otherwise, Ixsas isn't sure how he's still standing with the amount of damage he has taken. Ixsas decides to focus on killing the gargoyle before he worries about Zeds. If the gargoyle falls to his spells, Ixsas will move over to Zeds.
Bonus Action: Ixsas moves the Radiant Spear to the square next to the bonfire and the gargoyle and then strikes at the creature with it. Attack: 13, Damage: 10 (Force) Action: Cast spell Crackling of the Final Flames on the gargoyle WIS 15 save or it takes damage: 6 (Necrotic) Free Action: Talking
Concentration: None. (Zeds clearly no longer needs Guidance.) Spiritual Weapon: Round 3 of 10 (no concentration required)
Reaction: The first time it looks like the gargoyle is going to hit Ixsas, he'll use Warding Flare to impose disadvantage on the attack.
Attack: 13, Damage: 10 (Force) Action: Cast spell Crackling of the Final Flames on the gargoyle WIS 15 save or it takes damage: 6 (Necrotic)
((OOC: Oof! The low rolls are back! I guess he got too excited about seeing Thrax casually walking through the bonfire unharmed...))
Assuming that the Gargoyle is still alive and struggling against Thrax after Seraphina's attacks, Ixsas shouts, in a mixture of frustration and excitement, "Finish it off, Krackle! May the Light guide your hand!" He hopes that the little kobold can kill the creature before it gets a chance to twist around and bite Thrax again.
"Seriously?" Zeds asks, his voice harsh and groggy as he once more starts to crawl himself back to his feet after having faceplanted on the floor. "Can we just decide if I am going to live or die? This up and down is getting tiresome..." He grabs up his swords as he says this and smacks the grapple, dead gargoyle a couple of times for good measure...
"Did we win?" he asks a moment later as things actually seem calm for a moment. "Did I save us?"
"Can we just decide if I am going to live or die? This up and down is getting tiresome..."
Under his headscarf, Ixsas scowls at Zeds's flippant way of talking about the gods' gift of healing. As he approaches Dralmorrer, Ixsas says dryly, "The Firelord and Moonmaiden have decided to keep you alive, Zeds,...for now."
"Did we win?" he asks a moment later as things actually seem calm for a moment. "Did I save us?"
Ixsas unwinds his headscarf so that he can catch his breath and hopefully get a sip of water. His full face is now visible.* "But we must figure out what to do next, and quickly, or that might not last long." Ixsas says a quick prayer to Kossuth and searches Dralmorrer's pouches, pockets, and around his neck. He's hoping to find a key that they could use to lock the door down on the first floor of the tower. Investigation: 17+1 (Guidance) = 18
* = While the backs of Ixsas's hands and wrists are a coppery brown, the skin around his eyes is a dark, dusky black. He has no facial hair, and his face looks oddly mottled from a distance. Up close, the skin on his face (and head) looks flakey or scaly, like he has some affliction of the skin. The scaly flakes are a deep, dark black. In between the scales, the color fades to a lighter gray and then to the same the coppery-red color of his hands. The "scales" are not unlike Thrax's or Krackle's scales, only less regular and hard. When he removes his helmet later, you'll see that the scales are darker and more regular on his otherwise bald head. The irises of Ixsas eyes are a bright green, which makes a startling contrast with the dark skin of his face.
Ixsas says a quick prayer to Kossuth and searches Dralmorrer's pouches, pockets, and around his neck. He's hoping to find a key that they could use to lock the door down on the first floor of the tower. Investigation: 17+1 (Guidance) = 18.
((OOC: Of course, Ixsas will let the group know if he finds any other items of interest on Dralmorrer: treasure, potions, scrolls, etc.))
((OOC: @Weathervision - Questions about the Scale Mail Amror
Would it fit Thrax in case he wants to bump up to 16 AC? If not, I assume that Ixsas or Zeds could wear it.
Is there anything special or distinctive about Dralmorrer's armor?
Does the scale mail look like regular "leather covered with overlapping pieces of metal"? Or do the scales not feel like metal, possibly fashioned from dragon scales themselves? That would be a nice boost to Ixsas's durability if our DM continues the recent streak of above average attack rolls!
Assuming that Dralmorrer is a high-ranking member of the Dragon Cult (since he seems to be responsible for this castle outpost), is his armor or shield styled or colored in a distinctive way to indicate his affiliation or rank? (I'm thinking of Takhisis's followers in the War of the Lance, where IIRC even the mundane armor of officers was colored to match the chromatic dragon color affiliated with their division of the army.) If we need to sow confusion or continue to bluff that we're dragon cult members, an officer's gear might help with that ruse.
Ixsas leaves Dralmorrer's weapons and armor for now, though he moves the sword away from the unconscious man (elf? half-elf?). He takes the coin pouch for the party inventory. Then, holding up the key, he says, "Seraphina, do you want to come with me to see whether this key locks the tower door downstairs? Krackle, we may also need your fire if any guards are trying to get into -- or have already made it into -- the tower."
Ixsas suggests that Zeds and Thrax figure out a way to tie up Dralmorrer, "And gag him to make absolutely sure that he cannot cast any spells. We'll hopefully be right back, but we'll call for help if we run into trouble downstairs."
I will say the armor does not seem like the typical metal armor. There are no designs that indicate rank. It would not fit Thrax. It would fit someone thinner.
While seeming a bit reluctant to leave Thrax and Zeds, the blonde girl nods and follows Ixsas to hopefully lock up the tower. She was certainly not tactical minded and depended much on her mistress for guidance, but she sees no problem with following her kossuthan ally for now. Going downstairs she is quite wary and ready to retreat upwards at first sign of trouble.
Ixsas just thought that he, Seraphina, and Krackle had the best chance to fight off cultists together if there were more of them in the building. Assuming that there are no other threats on the 3rd floor, Zeds and Thrax should be safe there for a moment. Once they reach the 2nd floor, Ixsas asks Krackle whether he wants to go first down to the 1st floor, saying, "Maybe you could get a peek at the entrance chamber on the ground floor without being seen? Check whether any more cultists have gotten into the tower." (Krackle has the best AC with Shield, and he has reasonably good Stealth.)
Ixsas will cast Guidance on himself and wait for Krackle to give them the "all clear." If Krackle did not see any new guards inside the tower, Ixsas will head downstairs after Krackle. Knowing how dangerous their situation is, his senses strain to see or hear any sign of the cultists either inside the tower or headed toward the tower. Assuming that there's no one on the ground floor blocking his way, Ixsas moves directly to the door to the Inner Ward and tries to lock it with Dralmorrer's key (if it fits the lock).
Round 20: Ixsas
Ixsas is impressed when Thrax walks directly into the Krackle's bonfire, wraps his huge, red arms around the gargoyle, and drags it back into the flames. He gasps, "He's a firewalker!" Ixsas takes that as a sign that Kossuth sent Thrax here to help them, but the dragonborn seems to be sustained by his fury and the fire. Otherwise, Ixsas isn't sure how he's still standing with the amount of damage he has taken. Ixsas decides to focus on killing the gargoyle before he worries about Zeds. If the gargoyle falls to his spells, Ixsas will move over to Zeds.
Bonus Action: Ixsas moves the Radiant Spear to the square next to the bonfire and the gargoyle and then strikes at the creature with it.
Attack: 13, Damage: 10 (Force)
Action: Cast spell Crackling of the Final Flames on the gargoyle
WIS 15 save or it takes damage: 6 (Necrotic)
Free Action: Talking
Concentration: None. (Zeds clearly no longer needs Guidance.)
Spiritual Weapon: Round 3 of 10 (no concentration required)
Reaction: The first time it looks like the gargoyle is going to hit Ixsas, he'll use Warding Flare to impose disadvantage on the attack.
The blonde girl again summons the rejuvenating moonlight of her mistress, this time to revive the fallen rogue.
.
Healing light on Zeds: 5
She then continues to rain moonfire upon the remaining statue.
Moonfire: 21 Force: 9
Moonfire: 14 Force: 11
((OOC: Oof! The low rolls are back! I guess he got too excited about seeing Thrax casually walking through the bonfire unharmed...))
Assuming that the Gargoyle is still alive and struggling against Thrax after Seraphina's attacks, Ixsas shouts, in a mixture of frustration and excitement, "Finish it off, Krackle! May the Light guide your hand!" He hopes that the little kobold can kill the creature before it gets a chance to twist around and bite Thrax again.
Gargoyle Blue Wis Save
1
Krackle
fire bolt
22 to hit 11 fire damage
Gargoyle Blue perishes.
End of Combat.
"Seriously?" Zeds asks, his voice harsh and groggy as he once more starts to crawl himself back to his feet after having faceplanted on the floor. "Can we just decide if I am going to live or die? This up and down is getting tiresome..." He grabs up his swords as he says this and smacks the grapple, dead gargoyle a couple of times for good measure...
"Did we win?" he asks a moment later as things actually seem calm for a moment. "Did I save us?"
Under his headscarf, Ixsas scowls at Zeds's flippant way of talking about the gods' gift of healing. As he approaches Dralmorrer, Ixsas says dryly, "The Firelord and Moonmaiden have decided to keep you alive, Zeds,...for now."
Ixsas unwinds his headscarf so that he can catch his breath and hopefully get a sip of water. His full face is now visible.* "But we must figure out what to do next, and quickly, or that might not last long." Ixsas says a quick prayer to Kossuth and searches Dralmorrer's pouches, pockets, and around his neck. He's hoping to find a key that they could use to lock the door down on the first floor of the tower.
Investigation: 17 + 1 (Guidance) = 18
* = While the backs of Ixsas's hands and wrists are a coppery brown, the skin around his eyes is a dark, dusky black. He has no facial hair, and his face looks oddly mottled from a distance. Up close, the skin on his face (and head) looks flakey or scaly, like he has some affliction of the skin. The scaly flakes are a deep, dark black. In between the scales, the color fades to a lighter gray and then to the same the coppery-red color of his hands. The "scales" are not unlike Thrax's or Krackle's scales, only less regular and hard. When he removes his helmet later, you'll see that the scales are darker and more regular on his otherwise bald head. The irises of Ixsas eyes are a bright green, which makes a startling contrast with the dark skin of his face.
((OOC: Of course, Ixsas will let the group know if he finds any other items of interest on Dralmorrer: treasure, potions, scrolls, etc.))
Ixsas finds
((OOC: @Weathervision - Questions about the Scale Mail Amror
That would be a nice boost to Ixsas's durability if our DM continues the recent streak of above average attack rolls!
If we need to sow confusion or continue to bluff that we're dragon cult members, an officer's gear might help with that ruse.
))
Ixsas leaves Dralmorrer's weapons and armor for now, though he moves the sword away from the unconscious man (elf? half-elf?). He takes the coin pouch for the party inventory. Then, holding up the key, he says, "Seraphina, do you want to come with me to see whether this key locks the tower door downstairs? Krackle, we may also need your fire if any guards are trying to get into -- or have already made it into -- the tower."
Ixsas suggests that Zeds and Thrax figure out a way to tie up Dralmorrer, "And gag him to make absolutely sure that he cannot cast any spells. We'll hopefully be right back, but we'll call for help if we run into trouble downstairs."
I will say the armor does not seem like the typical metal armor. There are no designs that indicate rank. It would not fit Thrax. It would fit someone thinner.
It is made of metal though not the typical steel.
While seeming a bit reluctant to leave Thrax and Zeds, the blonde girl nods and follows Ixsas to hopefully lock up the tower. She was certainly not tactical minded and depended much on her mistress for guidance, but she sees no problem with following her kossuthan ally for now. Going downstairs she is quite wary and ready to retreat upwards at first sign of trouble.
Perception: 7 + Guidance: 2
Ixsas just thought that he, Seraphina, and Krackle had the best chance to fight off cultists together if there were more of them in the building. Assuming that there are no other threats on the 3rd floor, Zeds and Thrax should be safe there for a moment. Once they reach the 2nd floor, Ixsas asks Krackle whether he wants to go first down to the 1st floor, saying, "Maybe you could get a peek at the entrance chamber on the ground floor without being seen? Check whether any more cultists have gotten into the tower." (Krackle has the best AC with Shield, and he has reasonably good Stealth.)
Ixsas will cast Guidance on himself and wait for Krackle to give them the "all clear." If Krackle did not see any new guards inside the tower, Ixsas will head downstairs after Krackle. Knowing how dangerous their situation is, his senses strain to see or hear any sign of the cultists either inside the tower or headed toward the tower. Assuming that there's no one on the ground floor blocking his way, Ixsas moves directly to the door to the Inner Ward and tries to lock it with Dralmorrer's key (if it fits the lock).
Perception: 25 + 4 (Guidance) = 29