The ratatosk’s whiskers twitch as he studies Ludwig’s wavering talons. With deliberate calm he prises a whet-stone from his belt, draws one claw across it—shhhck—then lets the stone vanish again. His thoughts ripple outward, precise and toneless: “Marquis von Graff.” A faint inclination of the head acknowledges the title, though the crossbow remains half-raised. “Not long ago, a band of black-feathered cut-purses fell upon us outside the road. Was that you?”
He lets the implication hang before continuing.“We patched the ‘random ass deer-thing’, as you style him. He answers to Starry in this shape, and he is calm in our company. Your approach drove him into the dark; your friend should note that.”
Syed’s tail coils tighter round the stock, but the muzzle dips a finger-width lower—an overture of truce rather than threat. “State your intent, Marquis. If you plan chains or vivisection, we part ways now. If you seek a cure—or simply a safe escort—speak it plainly. We will not hunt your brother’s kin for you, yet neither will we hinder a just retrieval… provided your knives stay sheathed and your flock leaves travelers unmolested.”
To his party he adds, softer, “Hold perimeter. He quavers, but cornered birds peck sharply and viciously.”
Mellow shifts, planting himself squarely beside Ludwig’s dropped dagger; one heavy paw settles on the hilt with a quiet clink. Syed’s black eyes never leave the wereraven’s.
“Choose, Marquis. Parley and partnership—or vanish into the treeline and pray Endra still trusts the shape that frightened him.”
The silence that follows is razor-keen, waiting for the bird-man’s next move.
Sorry, I'm on vacation and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
The ratatosk’s whiskers twitch as he studies Ludwig’s wavering talons. With deliberate calm he prises a whet-stone from his belt, draws one claw across it—shhhck—then lets the stone vanish again. His thoughts ripple outward, precise and toneless: “Marquis von Graff.” A faint inclination of the head acknowledges the title, though the crossbow remains half-raised.
Then it tightens again once the whet-stone is brandished. Before even the claw is driven across, Ludwig winces in anticipation, which only worsens when Syed actually does it. The wereraven looks up once he hears his name, eyes searching the room seemingly still unused to the telepathic voice.
He lets the implication hang before continuing.“We patched the ‘random ass deer-thing’, as you style him. He answers to Starry in this shape, and he is calm in our company. Your approach drove him into the dark; your friend should note that.”
Syed’s tail coils tighter round the stock, but the muzzle dips a finger-width lower—an overture of truce rather than threat. “State your intent, Marquis. If you plan chains or vivisection, we part ways now. If you seek a cure—or simply a safe escort—speak it plainly. We will not hunt your brother’s kin for you, yet neither will we hinder a just retrieval… provided your knives stay sheathed and your flock leaves travelers unmolested.”
He stops himself from talking when it becomes apparent that ratatosk was continuing and instead swallows. "I didn't mean to..."he whispers this solemnly to himself, glancing over at the door. Within a sudden move, he then looks up with eyes sharp and with disgust. His mouth hangs open at 'vivisection.'
"No! Of course not!"he waves his taloned-hands in the air. The wereraven looks contemplatively at 'cure' and 'escort' before continuing. "They are NOT my kin or my floCK-"His voice ends in a near squawk as he gets riled up, feathers sticking up out of his head. He grunts and puts his hand up to his mouth, shifting slight to cover the entrance with his wings. "They did this to us. They cursed me. Cursed him! Their damned spellcaster. That's all those mages ever do. Those blasted Edicts! I would have ripped them to shreds-!" He huffs, his own talons piercing at his palms. "I have no intention of ever speaking or ever being near them again. I wouldn't even know where they are. Those bandits stole my life! I-I- I can't go to my family looking like this!"
"Let alone- look at him! He's just an animal now!"He shouts, pointing over to where the elk had ran. His conviction seems to waver at the end when he notices you already know that. Ludwig's wings start to fall down. It seems to sink in now that the very elk in question who had run away from him has been silent for over a few minutes now. Slowly, he points his daggers down. "Would- would you really? If you find a cure... Could you really do that?" There's a hint of snark at the end, though overall it seems generally hopefully. He even seems to catch himself, looking a bit sheepishly down at his mistake. With an exhale, he looks at your mix-matched group with wide eyes. "I would help you find them. Hunt those bastards down."
“Choose, Marquis. Parley and partnership—or vanish into the treeline and pray Endra still trusts the shape that frightened him.”
The silence that follows is razor-keen, waiting for the bird-man’s next move.
At this he extends a hesitant taloned hand for a shake before it is interrupted by an animal cry and the sound of shattering glass.
Molded wood and glass bits stain the floor of the cabin as a writhing tentacle smacks against the sides of the former boarded up window, its color like flesh as it scrapes against the sharp edges of the broken glass without abandon.
"VOS!" Ludwig shouts and ducks under the scattering of glass, some lodge in between his wings as he yelps and pulls them back, only blocking the sudden burst now with his hands.
With one hand on the floor, he is back on his feet and jumps up to go check on the source of the scattering. A wave of water hits him from behind, knocking him off his feet. Suddenly a shout comes from the back of the room. "You brought the plague into my house?!" bellows Haley.
A sudden wall of water surrounds her and only her. Eren steps away from the water circle that enveloped the saytr woman, holding their crossbow and looking caught in shock between the wall of water and the amassing tentacle, which has grown to stretch further into the house now and nearly flips over a small candle in the doorway. Ludwig scrambles away from it, trying hard to get back onto his feet.
Then he bolts it out the door.
((sorry this took forever. I think I'll be able to start a more balanced schedule soon, so maybe 2-3 times a week updates. Sorry I know I've been posting slow, so thank you for bearing with me))
((Y'all are not in initiative yet but will soon be! probably after the next post but yeah oh no tentacle))
((if anyone wants to know what it looks like it's based on the dog thing from The Thing (1982) which a gif will be located in the spoiler))
((If you want to know the Stat Block of the tentacle creature you can either roll an INT Arcana, WIS Insight, or WIS Perception check!))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Sparkles gives a slightly stressed grunt. A lot has happened incredibly quickly, but at least now she can put her focus towards something that comes naturally: fighting. She raises her fists into a defensive stance, ready to beat away this foul beast.
"We haven't even made it to Drakkenheim yet... I cannot wait to see what monstrosities attack us every 5 minutes once we get there.." The agitated undertaker grumbles as he pulls out his wand and prepares to cast a spell on the approaching tenticle
"That's a gibbering mouther!" Exclaimed William before the undertaker scrambled backwards away from the creature. while moving away he fired a blast of cold black smoke from his wand towards the monster
Kolette looks on and flicks her wrist as if ringing a bell. There is an ominous gong. Hopefully causing injury to the creature, she casts [Toll the Dead[
DC 15 WIS save vs 6 Necrotic damage.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
The tentacle bursts through the room, side-sweeping across the makeshift kitchen table. Cutlery flies everywhere, causing Eren to duck. A knife lodges in between the raging water face to face to Haley's blank expression before promptly being flung into floorboards below. It juts out like a stick in the mud.
A yelp is heard from outside. "Stop! Stop!"you hear the familiar voice of the wereraven shout. "Please! Endra-" It is cut off by a strangled cry. The elk brays loudly before the sound of wood breaking and metal clattering. You could only imagine what's going on out there. On the inside, the tentacle seizes, its writhing fleshy mass thumps against the floor and dirt. The planks underneath give way with a creak, splintering wood shard stick to the sides of it.
SURPRISE ROUND!
((i'll give you two the surprise round since William figured out what the creature was))
William (20/20 HP)
(Action) Cast Chill Touch @Gibbering Mouther for 9 > Mouther AC -> Gibbering Mouther takes 2 Necrotic Damage -> Mouther is at a Total Damage of 2
Kolette (11/11 HP)
(Action) Cast Toll the Dead @Gibbering Mouther (DC WIS Save of 15 or take 6 Necrotic Damage)
Gibbering Mouther's WIS Save = 3 -> A Failure -> Gibbering Mouther takes 6 Necrotic Damage -> Gibbering Mouther is at a Total Damage of 8
William, adept in the arcane magic, identifies the creature on sight. "Don't let it touch you!" Eren shouts, catching their hat from falling as they scramble backwards from the creature. "Dear Flame- They've got mouths everywhere!"
The cold black smoke smacks the tentacle to the side. Now you can see it. Six maws of jagged teeth open and close, seeking to latch onto flesh as the smoke tempts it. Done with the teasing, the mouth snap to seize the smoke only to find their mouths grasping at nothing but air. Four cry out in pain once the smoke's cold sinks under their skin. The immediate skin area around its mouths grow black as if decayed. "Ayyip ayiipp!!!"It cries out. It sounds like the mix of a bird's call and sand falling. There is a throaty undertone despite the visible lack of anything but teeth.
Its cries grow louder as the sound of a gong enrages the beast further. Kolette's simple flick of the wrist has the tentacle smacking against the ground. "Ayy eap yip!" The clamor of shrill noises of the tentacle is followed by a deep guttural growl from the outside. "VOS, LET ME GO!"
Light flashes from the outside, seeping in through the cracks of the damaged window.
Gasps from the outside. A squelching of flesh and crunching of bone. A gurgle.
The gong finishes reverberating, and the tentacle on the floor writhes, blackening at the tip when another follows. This time the tentacle comes with what looks to be eyes. Yellowed slits search the room as the new tentacle drags itself from side to side, moving like the flow of a wave until it hovers over the original fallen tentacle like a storm cloud. Its eyes dilate at the sight of the crowd.
ROUND 1 -> Monster goes first then Party in any order. It goes by chunks or blocks (Monster then Party then Monster then Party)
Gibbering Mouther
(Action) Attack with Bite @ William for 6 < 12 AC -> A Failure -> William takes no damage
(Multiattack) Blinding Spittle (outside) -> No players are affected
End of Round HP: Total Damage 8
((The Gibbering trait won't start yet until next round (Round 2) since it's partially obscured by the door and the rest of the building))
The new arm reaches out for the first enemy. It hurt it, so it must pay. The mouths are hungry. And hungry, so they must feed. The toothy maws snare on nothing but wood as the bandaged figure retreats out of reach. That's okay. There are many. More chances. The mouths drool as it awaits its prey. It whispers its desires through its many voices. This will be fun.
Syed jerks a step back as the fleshy arm punches through the window, stock shouldered in the same motion. The crossbow sights track the writhing mouths; his thoughts cut clean across the chaos: “A gibbering… what?”
William’s answer snaps into place; Syed’s tone turns brisk. “Mouther. Don’t cluster. Watch for blinding spit—keep shields high and eyes slitted.”
To Mellow, a firm pulse: “Heel. Guard me—hold this line. If it closes, break the grab, not the teeth.”The mastiff plants by his knee.
He slides two paces back, breath held to steady the shot—twang. The bolt hisses past the questing eyes and vanishes into splintered board. (Attack: hand crossbow — roll 8, miss.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sorry, I'm on vacation and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
Sparkles isn’t particularly keen to sink her fists into the fleshy mass of the mouther, so strikes across the centre of its form with her quarterstaff, held in both hands, before pivoting into a spinning kick across where she previously struck to dash the ooze with her talons.
Action: Quarterstaff: 6 + 5 + 3 (from bless) = 14 to hit, 7 bludgeoning damage on a hit. Bonus Action: Unarmed Strike: 11 + 5 = 16 to hit, 5 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
((Oh I forgot Bless, with bless Syed does actually hit the mouther because he was just one short for hitting AC 9. The cross bolt damage is 9 piercing.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sorry, I'm on vacation and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
((Oh I forgot Bless, with bless Syed does actually hit the mouther because he was just one short for hitting AC 9. The cross bolt damage is 9 piercing.))
((Ohhh nice!!! thank you for clarifying!!! yesss get 'em))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
(Action) Cast Bless on Syed, Sparkles, and William
Syed (12/15 HP)
(Action) Attack @Gibbering Mouther with Crossbow for 8 + 2 (from Bless) = 10 > Mouther's AC -> A Hit -> Gibbering Mouther takes 6 + 3 = 9 Piercing Damage -> Gibbering Mouther now has a Total Damage of 17
Mellow (5/5 HP)
(Action) Stays (woof woof!)
Sparkles (17/17 HP)
(Action) Attack @Gibbering Mouther with Quarterstaff for 6 + 5 + 3 (from Bless) = 14 > Mouther's AC -> A Hit -> Gibbering Mouther takes 7 Bludgeoning Damage -> Gibbering Mouther now has a Total Damage of 24
(Bonus Action) Attack @Gibbering Mouther with Unarmed Strike for 11 + 5 = 16 > Mouther's AC -> A Hit -> Gibbering Mouther takes 5 Bludgeoning Damage -> Gibbering Mouther now has a Total Damage of 29
William (20/20 HP)
(Action) Casts Chill Touch @Gibbering Mouther for 21 (not crit) + 3 (from Bless = 24 > Mouther's AC -> A Hit -> Gibbering Mouther takes 4 Necrotic Damage -> Gibbering Mouther has a Total Damage of 33
NPCS in Round 1
Eren Marlow ((Full HP))
(Action) Attack @Gibbering Mouther with Light Crossbow for 4 < Mouther's AC -> A Miss. -> Gibbering Mouther takes no damage
(Movement) Move diagonally 5ft behind fireplace to gain half cover for +2 AC
Movement triggers an Attack of Opportunity (AOO) from Gibbering Mouther -> Gibbering Mouther attacks with Bite for 6 < Eren's AC -> Eren takes no damage (luckily!)
((In the Map technically Mellow and Syed share a square-> the one Syed's in))
Waving her hand at her companions, Kolette blesses the team. Haley gasps at the mention of Hestia. She looks over to you with her mouth agape and a tinkle in her eye. Her goat ear twitches at the recognition, the kinship between followers of the Old Faith.
Yet this bond doesn't mean she'll break down her water wall for you. Holding her forearm up to stabilize it, it shields her as stays locked in her own little corner.
The blessing sprinkles down upon you like a warm spring-shower. Whether it be from the Flame itself or from Hestia, is wholly up to you, but you feel the magic of that warmth. Once it touches you, you feel its warmth surge within your veins (for some of you, if you still had any). You feel stronger, sharper, lighter, like fire itself.
Eren too has the same reaction as Syed, looking at William with a mix of unease and anticipation. "A what now?"Their eyes widen at Syed's confirmation of the answer. "Oh no..."they sigh dramatically, then under their breathe, "Not these things."
Mellow plants by the ratatosk's knee. His big droopy face drips drool on the floor. Syed plans his shot. With a twang, the bolt whizzes past the glowering tentacle's eye. It would've splintered the wooden wall if it wasn't for a sudden appearance of another tentacle slithering in to accompany the second. Arrow meets flesh with a resounding squelch.
The creature careens on impact, smacking itself on the side as the most recent tentacle reels back. "Criiyee yip yipe!" The tentacles break away from each other with a noticeable squish and dripping of goo.
Sparkles makes note of the writhing mass of flesh. She is sure to strike it her quarterstaff. It near slips out of her grasp but the warmth from the blessing fastens her grip on the stick and she whacks the gibbering mouther at the base of its monstrous tentacle. It smells a lot like raw seafood when you get so close to it. She twists back, using the raw momentum to pivot to send a flying kick to the side of its searching eyeball, knocking it loose from its socket. The yellowed eye rolls under the side of an overturned bookshelf. Upon inspection it looked almost human other than for the yellowing of the cornea.
Eren takes that moment to jump back, letting loose one crossbolt that goes nowhere but straight past the creature's wandering arm and into the frame of the closed door. For their impotence, the monster reels its arm back, laying it down heavy into the floorboards where Eren once stood. Gaping maws search for shreds of evidence of what was once there, crying out pained yelps at their long-gone prey.
Instead, Eren crouches down behind the make-shift fireplace, breathing shakily as Haley casts a glance towards them with blatant disrespect.
Pointing his wand at the creature, William send a blast of black and smoke towards its fleshy mass. It strikes the monster hard enough to make it slam against the wall, throwing shards of glass and wood everywhere. It spills some beans into the fire when the wooden shrapnel slams into the pot's side.
The monster's arm trashes against the sides of the wall, now no longer from just momentum but out of sheer anger. It roars and hollers before it descends into a chorus of chattering mouths with nothing to feed. The scrape against their own teeth, biting at each other with no real plan.
Until it happens.
A sudden glob of green spittle smacks into the side of the building. It melts through what little is left of the wooden foundation. It burns with a smell like acid. But the worst of it comes from the spray, which showers down upon you like angry bees stinging at you with little regard of their own lives. It comes in hot successions, sting after sting after sting.
It doesn't feel like it would ever stop.
Round 2 begins!
Gibbering Mouther ((Total Damage Taken: 33 HP))
(Recharge) Blinding Spittle (5-6)
(Action 1) Attack with Blinding Spittle within a radius of 5 ft -> Syed, Sparkles, and Mellow
Syed's DEX SAVE: 16 + 3 = 19 > DC 13 -> A Success. -> Syed is NOT blinded
Sparkles's DEX SAVE: 14 + 5 = 19 > DC 13 -> A Succes. -> Sparkles is NOTblinded
Mellow's DEX SAVE: 7 + 2 = 9 < DC 13 -> A Failure -> Mellow is blindeduntil the end of the Gibbering Mouther's next turn
(Movement) Move 5 ft into cabin
(Action 2) Attack @Sparkles with Bite for 22 (CRITICAL HIT) > Sparkle's 15 AC -> A Hit. -> Sparkles takes 16 ((rolled 5 d6s for damage)) x 2 = 32 Piercing Damage -> Sparkles falls unconscious ((This is a pretty big death blow!! idk if you wanted but for narrative flavor if you wanted to add some sort of injury or scar from this
Gibbering Effects
The mouther babbles incoherently while it can see any creature and isn't incapacitated. Each creature that starts its turn within 20 feet of the mouther and can hear the gibbering must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature can't take reactions until the start of its next turn and rolls a d8 to determine what it does during its turn. On a 1 to 4, the creature does nothing. On a 5 or 6, the creature takes no action or bonus action and uses all its movement to move in a randomly determined direction. On a 7 or 8, the creature makes a melee attack against a randomly determined creature within its reach or does nothing if it can't make such an attack.
Syed's WIS SAVE: ...2 -> A Failure -> Rolled a d8 to get 7
Syed MUST RANDOMLY ATTACK A CREATURE -> Check Map for Numbers to Roll
Mellow's WIS SAVE: ... 6 + 1 = 7 -> A Failure -> Rolled a d8 to get a 4
Mellow does Nothing
Eren's WIS SAVE: ... 1 -> A Failure -> Rolled a d8 to get 5
Eren takes no Action or Bonus Action
The mouther slides through past the mess it created, its hulking body having no trouble pushing past. At once, it seems to melt along with its acid. When it slides in, slug-like, it suddenly flattens only for pieces of it to rise up again, tiny mouths biting along the floor at such a thinness it doesn't seem possible. It's as if slime came to life but with a vengeance with a penchant for flesh. It fills the whole nine yards of the cabin's foyer, even spilling over an overturned table.
It searches for something. Pain throbs in its side. Gashing claw marks spill unrepentant goo from one of its arms. It needs to feed. It need to pay. It needs to... become one.
The tentacle rises up, seizing upon something warm and scaly. Strange. What a feeling. It stops for a second to let its teeth sink in. It feels familiar. Perhaps in a past life? Regardless, the monster continues its hunt for its meal. It squeezes, it crushes, until it hears its ribs break. Limp in its grasp, the prey seems to have stopped resisting. Fascinating. Not unlike the other one in its grip across the other side of this wooden barrier. It too drags its teeth against that prey's feathery flesh but struggles to pierce through its leathery-ness. No matter. It dribbles some more acid on the prey. It will digest. Whether on the outside or in.
For now though, it focuses its attention on this one. Slowly, it drags the stubborn scaly prey into its awaiting maw...
Explanation of Map
Black and Yellow Area around the Gibbering Mouther is Difficult Terrain
Purple Area around the Gibbering Mouther is where Gibbering is happening
Summary of Round
Sparkles took 32 Piercing Damage from Bite -> Sparkles is unconscious -> If Sparkles dies then the Gibbering Mouther will absorb her....
Mellow is blindeduntil the end of the Gibbering Mouther's turn AND cannot do anything do to Gibbering
Syed MUST melee attack a creature within reach or do nothing if cannot -> Roll a d8 for which creature
Check the Map for Numbers for Creatures to attack (If you roll and hit yourself, then you do nothing)
Sparkles can barely let out a cry of fear before the Gibbering Mouther has surrounded her like a wave, and bitten her all over with its multitude of teeth. By the time its reddish flesh has recoiled from around her body, she’s unconscious on the floor, covered in blood and deep bite marks.
"Finally... our group is already quite... Diverse... What's one more member of our crew..." William replies before adjusting his pack.
The ratatosk’s whiskers twitch as he studies Ludwig’s wavering talons. With deliberate calm he prises a whet-stone from his belt, draws one claw across it—shhhck—then lets the stone vanish again. His thoughts ripple outward, precise and toneless: “Marquis von Graff.” A faint inclination of the head acknowledges the title, though the crossbow remains half-raised.
“Not long ago, a band of black-feathered cut-purses fell upon us outside the road. Was that you?”
He lets the implication hang before continuing.“We patched the ‘random ass deer-thing’, as you style him. He answers to Starry in this shape, and he is calm in our company. Your approach drove him into the dark; your friend should note that.”
Syed’s tail coils tighter round the stock, but the muzzle dips a finger-width lower—an overture of truce rather than threat. “State your intent, Marquis. If you plan chains or vivisection, we part ways now. If you seek a cure—or simply a safe escort—speak it plainly. We will not hunt your brother’s kin for you, yet neither will we hinder a just retrieval… provided your knives stay sheathed and your flock leaves travelers unmolested.”
To his party he adds, softer, “Hold perimeter. He quavers, but cornered birds peck sharply and viciously.”
Mellow shifts, planting himself squarely beside Ludwig’s dropped dagger; one heavy paw settles on the hilt with a quiet clink. Syed’s black eyes never leave the wereraven’s.
“Choose, Marquis. Parley and partnership—or vanish into the treeline and pray Endra still trusts the shape that frightened him.”
The silence that follows is razor-keen, waiting for the bird-man’s next move.
Sorry, I'm on vacation and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
Ludwig near chuckles at that. It honestly catches him off guard and his stance loosens.
Then it tightens again once the whet-stone is brandished. Before even the claw is driven across, Ludwig winces in anticipation, which only worsens when Syed actually does it. The wereraven looks up once he hears his name, eyes searching the room seemingly still unused to the telepathic voice.
He shakes his head wildly. "No. No. No. That wasn't me. That was-"
He stops himself from talking when it becomes apparent that ratatosk was continuing and instead swallows. "I didn't mean to..." he whispers this solemnly to himself, glancing over at the door. Within a sudden move, he then looks up with eyes sharp and with disgust. His mouth hangs open at 'vivisection.'
"No! Of course not!" he waves his taloned-hands in the air. The wereraven looks contemplatively at 'cure' and 'escort' before continuing. "They are NOT my kin or my floCK-" His voice ends in a near squawk as he gets riled up, feathers sticking up out of his head. He grunts and puts his hand up to his mouth, shifting slight to cover the entrance with his wings. "They did this to us. They cursed me. Cursed him! Their damned spellcaster. That's all those mages ever do. Those blasted Edicts! I would have ripped them to shreds-!" He huffs, his own talons piercing at his palms. "I have no intention of ever speaking or ever being near them again. I wouldn't even know where they are. Those bandits stole my life! I-I- I can't go to my family looking like this!"
"Let alone- look at him! He's just an animal now!" He shouts, pointing over to where the elk had ran. His conviction seems to waver at the end when he notices you already know that. Ludwig's wings start to fall down. It seems to sink in now that the very elk in question who had run away from him has been silent for over a few minutes now. Slowly, he points his daggers down. "Would- would you really? If you find a cure... Could you really do that?" There's a hint of snark at the end, though overall it seems generally hopefully. He even seems to catch himself, looking a bit sheepishly down at his mistake. With an exhale, he looks at your mix-matched group with wide eyes. "I would help you find them. Hunt those bastards down."
At this he extends a hesitant taloned hand for a shake before it is interrupted by an animal cry and the sound of shattering glass.
Molded wood and glass bits stain the floor of the cabin as a writhing tentacle smacks against the sides of the former boarded up window, its color like flesh as it scrapes against the sharp edges of the broken glass without abandon.
"VOS!" Ludwig shouts and ducks under the scattering of glass, some lodge in between his wings as he yelps and pulls them back, only blocking the sudden burst now with his hands.
With one hand on the floor, he is back on his feet and jumps up to go check on the source of the scattering. A wave of water hits him from behind, knocking him off his feet. Suddenly a shout comes from the back of the room. "You brought the plague into my house?!" bellows Haley.
A sudden wall of water surrounds her and only her. Eren steps away from the water circle that enveloped the saytr woman, holding their crossbow and looking caught in shock between the wall of water and the amassing tentacle, which has grown to stretch further into the house now and nearly flips over a small candle in the doorway. Ludwig scrambles away from it, trying hard to get back onto his feet.
Then he bolts it out the door.
((sorry this took forever. I think I'll be able to start a more balanced schedule soon, so maybe 2-3 times a week updates. Sorry I know I've been posting slow, so thank you for bearing with me))
((Y'all are not in initiative yet but will soon be! probably after the next post but yeah oh no tentacle))
((if anyone wants to know what it looks like it's based on the dog thing from The Thing (1982) which a gif will be located in the spoiler))
((If you want to know the Stat Block of the tentacle creature you can either roll an INT Arcana, WIS Insight, or WIS Perception check!))
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Ibahalii Vriwhulth
Kolette is taken aback by the appearance of tentacles,. She readies her mace and settles her shield.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Sparkles gives a slightly stressed grunt. A lot has happened incredibly quickly, but at least now she can put her focus towards something that comes naturally: fighting. She raises her fists into a defensive stance, ready to beat away this foul beast.
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
Callow Sunken-Eyes: Goliath Arctic Druid: We Are Modron
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist , The Hunt for the Balowang and Surviving Tempest City!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
William arcana 15
"We haven't even made it to Drakkenheim yet... I cannot wait to see what monstrosities attack us every 5 minutes once we get there.." The agitated undertaker grumbles as he pulls out his wand and prepares to cast a spell on the approaching tenticle
"That's a gibbering mouther!" Exclaimed William before the undertaker scrambled backwards away from the creature. while moving away he fired a blast of cold black smoke from his wand towards the monster
chill touch attack 9 Damage 2
Kolette looks on and flicks her wrist as if ringing a bell. There is an ominous gong. Hopefully causing injury to the creature, she casts [Toll the Dead[
DC 15 WIS save vs 6 Necrotic damage.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
The tentacle bursts through the room, side-sweeping across the makeshift kitchen table. Cutlery flies everywhere, causing Eren to duck. A knife lodges in between the raging water face to face to Haley's blank expression before promptly being flung into floorboards below. It juts out like a stick in the mud.
A yelp is heard from outside. "Stop! Stop!" you hear the familiar voice of the wereraven shout. "Please! Endra-" It is cut off by a strangled cry. The elk brays loudly before the sound of wood breaking and metal clattering. You could only imagine what's going on out there. On the inside, the tentacle seizes, its writhing fleshy mass thumps against the floor and dirt. The planks underneath give way with a creak, splintering wood shard stick to the sides of it.
William, adept in the arcane magic, identifies the creature on sight. "Don't let it touch you!" Eren shouts, catching their hat from falling as they scramble backwards from the creature. "Dear Flame- They've got mouths everywhere!"
The cold black smoke smacks the tentacle to the side. Now you can see it. Six maws of jagged teeth open and close, seeking to latch onto flesh as the smoke tempts it. Done with the teasing, the mouth snap to seize the smoke only to find their mouths grasping at nothing but air. Four cry out in pain once the smoke's cold sinks under their skin. The immediate skin area around its mouths grow black as if decayed. "Ayyip ayiipp!!!" It cries out. It sounds like the mix of a bird's call and sand falling. There is a throaty undertone despite the visible lack of anything but teeth.
Its cries grow louder as the sound of a gong enrages the beast further. Kolette's simple flick of the wrist has the tentacle smacking against the ground. "Ayy eap yip!" The clamor of shrill noises of the tentacle is followed by a deep guttural growl from the outside. "VOS, LET ME GO!"
Light flashes from the outside, seeping in through the cracks of the damaged window.
Gasps from the outside. A squelching of flesh and crunching of bone. A gurgle.
The gong finishes reverberating, and the tentacle on the floor writhes, blackening at the tip when another follows. This time the tentacle comes with what looks to be eyes. Yellowed slits search the room as the new tentacle drags itself from side to side, moving like the flow of a wave until it hovers over the original fallen tentacle like a storm cloud. Its eyes dilate at the sight of the crowd.
The new arm reaches out for the first enemy. It hurt it, so it must pay. The mouths are hungry. And hungry, so they must feed. The toothy maws snare on nothing but wood as the bandaged figure retreats out of reach. That's okay. There are many. More chances. The mouths drool as it awaits its prey. It whispers its desires through its many voices. This will be fun.
ROUND 1 BEGINS!
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Ibahalii Vriwhulth
Kolette waves her hand at her companions and says, "Hestia, grant us strength against this foe!"
She casts Bless on Syed, Sparkles, and William
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Syed jerks a step back as the fleshy arm punches through the window, stock shouldered in the same motion. The crossbow sights track the writhing mouths; his thoughts cut clean across the chaos: “A gibbering… what?”
William’s answer snaps into place; Syed’s tone turns brisk. “Mouther. Don’t cluster. Watch for blinding spit—keep shields high and eyes slitted.”
To Mellow, a firm pulse: “Heel. Guard me—hold this line. If it closes, break the grab, not the teeth.” The mastiff plants by his knee.
He slides two paces back, breath held to steady the shot—twang. The bolt hisses past the questing eyes and vanishes into splintered board. (Attack: hand crossbow — roll 8, miss.)
Sorry, I'm on vacation and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
Sparkles isn’t particularly keen to sink her fists into the fleshy mass of the mouther, so strikes across the centre of its form with her quarterstaff, held in both hands, before pivoting into a spinning kick across where she previously struck to dash the ooze with her talons.
Action: Quarterstaff: 6 + 5 + 3 (from bless) = 14 to hit, 7 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
Bonus Action: Unarmed Strike: 11 + 5 = 16 to hit, 5 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
Callow Sunken-Eyes: Goliath Arctic Druid: We Are Modron
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist , The Hunt for the Balowang and Surviving Tempest City!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
((Oh I forgot Bless, with bless Syed does actually hit the mouther because he was just one short for hitting AC 9. The cross bolt damage is 9 piercing.))
Sorry, I'm on vacation and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
((Ohhh nice!!! thank you for clarifying!!! yesss get 'em))
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Ibahalii Vriwhulth
William points his wand at the slithering beast and releases another blast of sickening smoke from tip of his arcane weapon.
Chill touch again! Attack: 21 Damage: 4
(plus 3 to the attack roll due to bless)
((In the Map technically Mellow and Syed share a square-> the one Syed's in))
Waving her hand at her companions, Kolette blesses the team. Haley gasps at the mention of Hestia. She looks over to you with her mouth agape and a tinkle in her eye. Her goat ear twitches at the recognition, the kinship between followers of the Old Faith.
Yet this bond doesn't mean she'll break down her water wall for you. Holding her forearm up to stabilize it, it shields her as stays locked in her own little corner.
The blessing sprinkles down upon you like a warm spring-shower. Whether it be from the Flame itself or from Hestia, is wholly up to you, but you feel the magic of that warmth. Once it touches you, you feel its warmth surge within your veins (for some of you, if you still had any). You feel stronger, sharper, lighter, like fire itself.
Eren too has the same reaction as Syed, looking at William with a mix of unease and anticipation. "A what now?" Their eyes widen at Syed's confirmation of the answer. "Oh no..." they sigh dramatically, then under their breathe, "Not these things."
Mellow plants by the ratatosk's knee. His big droopy face drips drool on the floor. Syed plans his shot. With a twang, the bolt whizzes past the glowering tentacle's eye. It would've splintered the wooden wall if it wasn't for a sudden appearance of another tentacle slithering in to accompany the second. Arrow meets flesh with a resounding squelch.
The creature careens on impact, smacking itself on the side as the most recent tentacle reels back. "Criiyee yip yipe!" The tentacles break away from each other with a noticeable squish and dripping of goo.
Sparkles makes note of the writhing mass of flesh. She is sure to strike it her quarterstaff. It near slips out of her grasp but the warmth from the blessing fastens her grip on the stick and she whacks the gibbering mouther at the base of its monstrous tentacle. It smells a lot like raw seafood when you get so close to it. She twists back, using the raw momentum to pivot to send a flying kick to the side of its searching eyeball, knocking it loose from its socket. The yellowed eye rolls under the side of an overturned bookshelf. Upon inspection it looked almost human other than for the yellowing of the cornea.
Eren takes that moment to jump back, letting loose one crossbolt that goes nowhere but straight past the creature's wandering arm and into the frame of the closed door. For their impotence, the monster reels its arm back, laying it down heavy into the floorboards where Eren once stood. Gaping maws search for shreds of evidence of what was once there, crying out pained yelps at their long-gone prey.
Instead, Eren crouches down behind the make-shift fireplace, breathing shakily as Haley casts a glance towards them with blatant disrespect.
Pointing his wand at the creature, William send a blast of black and smoke towards its fleshy mass. It strikes the monster hard enough to make it slam against the wall, throwing shards of glass and wood everywhere. It spills some beans into the fire when the wooden shrapnel slams into the pot's side.
The monster's arm trashes against the sides of the wall, now no longer from just momentum but out of sheer anger. It roars and hollers before it descends into a chorus of chattering mouths with nothing to feed. The scrape against their own teeth, biting at each other with no real plan.
Until it happens.
A sudden glob of green spittle smacks into the side of the building. It melts through what little is left of the wooden foundation. It burns with a smell like acid. But the worst of it comes from the spray, which showers down upon you like angry bees stinging at you with little regard of their own lives. It comes in hot successions, sting after sting after sting.
It doesn't feel like it would ever stop.
The mouther slides through past the mess it created, its hulking body having no trouble pushing past. At once, it seems to melt along with its acid. When it slides in, slug-like, it suddenly flattens only for pieces of it to rise up again, tiny mouths biting along the floor at such a thinness it doesn't seem possible. It's as if slime came to life but with a vengeance with a penchant for flesh. It fills the whole nine yards of the cabin's foyer, even spilling over an overturned table.
It searches for something. Pain throbs in its side. Gashing claw marks spill unrepentant goo from one of its arms. It needs to feed. It need to pay. It needs to... become one.
The tentacle rises up, seizing upon something warm and scaly. Strange. What a feeling. It stops for a second to let its teeth sink in. It feels familiar. Perhaps in a past life? Regardless, the monster continues its hunt for its meal. It squeezes, it crushes, until it hears its ribs break. Limp in its grasp, the prey seems to have stopped resisting. Fascinating. Not unlike the other one in its grip across the other side of this wooden barrier. It too drags its teeth against that prey's feathery flesh but struggles to pierce through its leathery-ness. No matter. It dribbles some more acid on the prey. It will digest. Whether on the outside or in.
For now though, it focuses its attention on this one. Slowly, it drags the stubborn scaly prey into its awaiting maw...
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Ibahalii Vriwhulth
Sparkles can barely let out a cry of fear before the Gibbering Mouther has surrounded her like a wave, and bitten her all over with its multitude of teeth. By the time its reddish flesh has recoiled from around her body, she’s unconscious on the floor, covered in blood and deep bite marks.
[First Death Save: 14 (Success!)]
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
Callow Sunken-Eyes: Goliath Arctic Druid: We Are Modron
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist , The Hunt for the Balowang and Surviving Tempest City!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!