Xari breathes a sigh of relief as Farra's arrow slays the cultist he had wounded. One who was carrying the child-sized bundle. He tries to get his bearings.
"N-nice shot! Y-you and Kellan with your darkvision might be able to keep picking them off better than I can without Hadrian's light..."
The big man considers stopping to allow the three others to continue the chase while he recovers what he hopes are the children that the cultists are carrying. But his anger at these bullies kidnapping kids and civilians gets the better of him.
Drawing another javelin from the brace at his back, Xari forces himself to breathe steadily and trots eastward into the tree-line, angling slightly south. Readying an attack and hoping to nail another cultist once they become visible within range of Hadrian'storch.
Movement: E-->E-->E-->E-->SE-->SE (through the gaps between the trees, to the edge of what is currently the edge of the dim light from Hadian'storch.
Free Action: Xari pulls a javelin from the brace at his back while he holds his greatsword in his off hand.
Action and subsequent Reaction: Xarireadies to throw his javelin at a cultist who becomes visible should Hadrian move with his torch. Preference for Cultist A or E since he thinks he remembers them carrying bodies while G was not. But in the figurative and literal fog of war, really any visible cultist.
Xari'sJavelinreadied attack to hit Cultist A, E or G once visible: 16 Xari'sJavelin damage: 10 (piercing) JavelinWeapon Mastery (Slow): If you hit a creature with a javelin and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
Hadrian takes note of how many javelins Xarian has left before dashing forward, intending to act as a beacon for the man as he hurls the deadly projectiles into the treeline. "I'll stay on them as best I can!" He calls out.
A radiant flame manifests above one of the cultists (H), crashing upon them and singeing their shoulder. As Hadrian moves forward, illuminating the the remaining cultists, another javelin streaks between the trees, finding their mark on cultist (A). It strikes them in their back, causing them to first stumble, then fall.
The others continue to [action]dash[action] through the trees, trying to escape.
The arrow takes the cultist in the lower leg, but they don't fall quite yet. One of the others (E) runs out of Hadrian's torchlight, vanishing into the dark (to him and Xarian). Rox sprints forward himself, panting as he catches up to the young nobleman.
Fleeing cultists auto-fail their stealth checks due to being in vision.
Xari is just about reaching the end of his abilities, blundering through the trees in the dark, following Hadrian. He is briefly surprised to see Rox scooting along next to the nobleman. He wonders if the goblin is trying to escape... but then why would he be running along with us and not away?
Pushing his way fifteen feet through the trees, the big man once again draws another javelin from his brace and, despite not judging the odds to be particularly good on the long range throw, launches it at the first cultist (Cultist E?) who comes into sight within Hadrian's torchlight.
Movement: Xari moves 15 feet southeast into the foliage (using entire regular movement through difficult terrain).
Action and Reaction: Xari readies thrown javelin attack at disadvantage (long range) on first cultist (preference for E) he sees in Hadrian's torchlight.
Javelin to hit Cultist (E?) at disadvantage due to long range (50' > 30', but < max of 120'): 16 Javelin damage: 7 piercing JavelinWeapon Mastery (Slow): If you hit a creature with a javelin and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
(3 javelins used, 3 remaining out of 6 to start with).
Your party continues to pursue the fleeing cultists into the woods, launching projectiles and spells at them. A javelin catches one(E) in the leg, slowing them as they try to make their escape. As a radiant flame crashes down on top of them they just hobble out of the way.
Cultist D: CON SAVE - 17 Cultist H: CON SAVE - 10
The cultists grit against their exhaustion and dash further into the trees.
As an arrow thuds into a tree next to Farra's quarry, the cultist still illuminated by Hadrian's torchlight dashes away, leaving the torchlight and Kellan's darkvision.
Cultist E: CON SAVE - 6 (1 point of exhaustion)
Rox seems to give up for now refusing to risk exhausting himself. He sticks next to Kellan as he leans over, putting his hands on his knees.
Xari lumbers along dutifully. Having lost sight of his quarry, he moves towards where he hears noises of pursuit to the northeast, readying another javelin.
Movement: Xari trots 15' northeast, full regular movement through difficult terrain.
Action and Reaction: Xari readies thrown javelin attack on next visible Cultist (hopefully G) if and when they become visible within Hadrian's torchlight.
Javelin throw (disadvantage due to long range) to hit: 14 Javelin damage: 7 (piercing) JavelinWeapon Mastery (Slow): If you hit a creature with a javelin and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
Kellan sighs as the cultists disappear into the darkness. At least it sounded like they got the two who were carrying children and then some. He moves to check on the small form laying nearby, drawing his dagger to cut any restraints.
A final javelin flies between the trees, catching the remaining cultist in your sight in the back. The area falls silent once more as you all slow down...All in all, you managed to save three people - two of them children - from being kidnapped by the cultists.
(Out of initiative)
Kellan: You finda young girl, perhaps only a few years older than Andy. She isn't tied up, but she's still unconscious, and bleeding from a nasty concussive wound on her head. You aren't sure of her name, but you'd easily recognize her parents when you see them.
Kellan stows his dagger. It isn't Andy, but he feels no disappointment. His hands glow with faint radiant energy as he reaches forward to lightly touch the girl's shoulder, channeling his divine connection to heal her as much as he can.
Slowing, then standing still for a moment amidst the forest, breathing hard, the big man feels a moment of sadness for the captives they had not saved.
What could these intruders have wanted? We slew half of them and nearly more. Would any ransom have been worth that risk for a common bandit?
Rousing from his troubled thoughts, Xari peers into the foliage around him. "G-good thinking with, ah.. with the torch, Hadrian."
He nods at Farra and Kellan as well, on the verge of helping the latter before considering that his own hulking figure is probably not be the best thing for a child to first see when awakening from unconsciousness. Instead he busies himself with other tasks, wondering if Andy is among those saved.
Pulling his own torch from his pack and igniting it, Xari sets about retrieving first his thrown javelins, then the bodies of all of the fallen attackers, both those around the merchant wagons and those they had chased into the trees, laying them in a pile near the rear end of the caravan so that none of the children (or adults for that matter) would have to see them. He begins to search their corpses for any clues as to their identities, allegiance or motivation.
The young girl's head wound closes up as the radiant energy flows from Kellan, and she slowly begins to blink her eyes open. "H-huh?" She sits up, still only half-conscious it would seem as she doesn't even seem to notice the paladin hovering over her.
As Xariansets about moving the bodies of these cultists, he finds Andy further up north, similar to the state of the girl he appears unconscious, with a large bruise around one of his eyes.
Xari: Frustratingly,these cultists don't appear to carry anything like a religious symbol that might readily identify them. A bit like Rox however, there's something odd about their clothing. It's entirely mismatched for the environment. Their robes are thick, and fur lined on the inside, and beneath them they have on even more layers. Their boots are likewise more suited for cold weather, much further up north. But outside of their weapons, they don't seem to be carrying anything. You're about to give up the search entirely when you notice something else. One of the corpses' mouth hangs open, letting you see the symbol tattooed on their tongue: an eight-pointed starburst.
"Was about all I could do anyway." Hadrian replies, still holding the torch in his hand as he wanders back to where the others got dropped. He throws the young boy Andy over his shoulder, walking over to the other unconscious form that was dropped by cultists. "Can someone help over here?"He calls out, for someone to either take the boy from him or pick this other person up so they can take them back to the caravan.
He was itching to go after the cultists...It'd be hard to follow their tracks in the darkness and fog, but he wasn't willing to give up on those they'd fail to save just yet.
Kellan exhales as the girl’s wound closes, relief tempered by urgency. He softens his expression, keeping his voice calm and steady as he kneels beside her. “Easy now, you’re safe,” he murmurs, gently placing a hand on her shoulder to keep her from trying to stand too quickly. “We’re taking you back to your family.” He carefully lifts her into his arms, mindful of any lingering injuries, and begins carrying her toward the caravan. His eyes flick toward the dim lanterns ahead, scanning for her parents among the gathered travelers.
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Xari breathes a sigh of relief as Farra's arrow slays the cultist he had wounded. One who was carrying the child-sized bundle. He tries to get his bearings.
"N-nice shot! Y-you and Kellan with your darkvision might be able to keep picking them off better than I can without Hadrian's light..."
The big man considers stopping to allow the three others to continue the chase while he recovers what he hopes are the children that the cultists are carrying. But his anger at these bullies kidnapping kids and civilians gets the better of him.
Drawing another javelin from the brace at his back, Xari forces himself to breathe steadily and trots eastward into the tree-line, angling slightly south. Readying an attack and hoping to nail another cultist once they become visible within range of Hadrian's torch.
Movement: E-->E-->E-->E-->SE-->SE (through the gaps between the trees, to the edge of what is currently the edge of the dim light from Hadian's torch.
Free Action: Xari pulls a javelin from the brace at his back while he holds his greatsword in his off hand.
Action and subsequent Reaction: Xari readies to throw his javelin at a cultist who becomes visible should Hadrian move with his torch. Preference for Cultist A or E since he thinks he remembers them carrying bodies while G was not. But in the figurative and literal fog of war, really any visible cultist.
Xari's Javelin readied attack to hit Cultist A, E or G once visible: 16
Xari's Javelin damage: 10 (piercing)
Javelin Weapon Mastery (Slow): If you hit a creature with a javelin and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
Bonus Action: None
Inge(Barbarian2):Krayveneer's After the Fall| Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles| Xarian(Fighter1):NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4):Vos' Beyond the Veil| Soren(Druid5):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft| Nivi(Rogue4):Raiketsu's CoS| Ophelia(Sorcerer3):Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6):NotDrizzt's Simple Request| Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4):MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return| Sabetha(Monk3):Bedlymn's Murder Court
Hadrian takes note of how many javelins Xarian has left before dashing forward, intending to act as a beacon for the man as he hurls the deadly projectiles into the treeline. "I'll stay on them as best I can!" He calls out.
Movement: Full movement SE.
A radiant flame manifests above one of the cultists (H), crashing upon them and singeing their shoulder. As Hadrian moves forward, illuminating the the remaining cultists, another javelin streaks between the trees, finding their mark on cultist (A). It strikes them in their back, causing them to first stumble, then fall.
The others continue to [action]dash[action] through the trees, trying to escape.
Farra, you're up!
Farra fires off another arrow east as she moves into the tree-line.
Action: Shortbow attack - 23 to hit, 7 damage against (G)
Movement: Full movement east
The arrow takes the cultist in the lower leg, but they don't fall quite yet. One of the others (E) runs out of Hadrian's torchlight, vanishing into the dark (to him and Xarian). Rox sprints forward himself, panting as he catches up to the young nobleman.
Fleeing cultists auto-fail their stealth checks due to being in vision.
Kellan, Xari, Hadrian!
Xari is just about reaching the end of his abilities, blundering through the trees in the dark, following Hadrian. He is briefly surprised to see Rox scooting along next to the nobleman. He wonders if the goblin is trying to escape... but then why would he be running along with us and not away?
Pushing his way fifteen feet through the trees, the big man once again draws another javelin from his brace and, despite not judging the odds to be particularly good on the long range throw, launches it at the first cultist (Cultist E?) who comes into sight within Hadrian's torchlight.
Movement: Xari moves 15 feet southeast into the foliage (using entire regular movement through difficult terrain).
Action and Reaction: Xari readies thrown javelin attack at disadvantage (long range) on first cultist (preference for E) he sees in Hadrian's torchlight.
Javelin to hit Cultist (E?) at disadvantage due to long range (50' > 30', but < max of 120'): 16
Javelin damage: 7 piercing
Javelin Weapon Mastery (Slow): If you hit a creature with a javelin and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
(3 javelins used, 3 remaining out of 6 to start with).
Bonus Action: None
Inge(Barbarian2):Krayveneer's After the Fall| Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles| Xarian(Fighter1):NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4):Vos' Beyond the Veil| Soren(Druid5):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft| Nivi(Rogue4):Raiketsu's CoS| Ophelia(Sorcerer3):Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6):NotDrizzt's Simple Request| Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4):MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return| Sabetha(Monk3):Bedlymn's Murder Court
Seeing Hadrian, Xari, and oddly Rox, in sight now, Kellan moves forward 15 ft and casts another spell at the fleeing cultists.
Action: sacred flame on cultist E (H if E died from Xari's javelin). Dex DC 15 or 3 radiant damage.
Hadrian speeds after the cultists (as best as he can), tearing through the thick brush with torch in hand.
Action: Dash
Movement: Full movement east
Cultist E: DEX SAVE - 17
Your party continues to pursue the fleeing cultists into the woods, launching projectiles and spells at them. A javelin catches one(E) in the leg, slowing them as they try to make their escape. As a radiant flame crashes down on top of them they just hobble out of the way.
Cultist D: CON SAVE - 17
Cultist H: CON SAVE - 10
The cultists grit against their exhaustion and dash further into the trees.
Farra time!
"Infernal bushes!" Farra grumbles as she stomps through the brush, drawing back on her bowstring once more to loose another arrow at the cultists.
Movement: Full east
Attack w/Shortbow: 12 to hit, 10 piercing.
As an arrow thuds into a tree next to Farra's quarry, the cultist still illuminated by Hadrian's torchlight dashes away, leaving the torchlight and Kellan's darkvision.
Cultist E: CON SAVE - 6 (1 point of exhaustion)
Rox seems to give up for now refusing to risk exhausting himself. He sticks next to Kellan as he leans over, putting his hands on his knees.
Cultist E: Stealth Check - 14
Cultist H: Stealth Check - 13
Two more cultists (E,H) disappear into the darkness and trees as you lose track of them, leaving only the one left in Farra's sight.
Kellan, Hadrian, and Xari are up again.
Xari lumbers along dutifully. Having lost sight of his quarry, he moves towards where he hears noises of pursuit to the northeast, readying another javelin.
Movement: Xari trots 15' northeast, full regular movement through difficult terrain.
Action and Reaction: Xari readies thrown javelin attack on next visible Cultist (hopefully G) if and when they become visible within Hadrian's torchlight.
Javelin throw (disadvantage due to long range) to hit: 14
Javelin damage: 7 (piercing)
Javelin Weapon Mastery (Slow): If you hit a creature with a javelin and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
Bonus Action: None
(4 of 6 javelins thrown).
Inge(Barbarian2):Krayveneer's After the Fall| Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles| Xarian(Fighter1):NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4):Vos' Beyond the Veil| Soren(Druid5):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft| Nivi(Rogue4):Raiketsu's CoS| Ophelia(Sorcerer3):Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6):NotDrizzt's Simple Request| Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4):MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return| Sabetha(Monk3):Bedlymn's Murder Court
Kellan sighs as the cultists disappear into the darkness. At least it sounded like they got the two who were carrying children and then some. He moves to check on the small form laying nearby, drawing his dagger to cut any restraints.
Hadrian follows Xari's lead, running past the goliath-man with his torch to light the way.
Action: Dash
Move: 30ft NE (difficult terrain)
A final javelin flies between the trees, catching the remaining cultist in your sight in the back. The area falls silent once more as you all slow down...All in all, you managed to save three people - two of them children - from being kidnapped by the cultists.
(Out of initiative)
Kellan: You find a young girl, perhaps only a few years older than Andy. She isn't tied up, but she's still unconscious, and bleeding from a nasty concussive wound on her head. You aren't sure of her name, but you'd easily recognize her parents when you see them.
Kellan stows his dagger. It isn't Andy, but he feels no disappointment. His hands glow with faint radiant energy as he reaches forward to lightly touch the girl's shoulder, channeling his divine connection to heal her as much as he can.
Action: Healing Hands on girl for +3 hp
Slowing, then standing still for a moment amidst the forest, breathing hard, the big man feels a moment of sadness for the captives they had not saved.
What could these intruders have wanted? We slew half of them and nearly more. Would any ransom have been worth that risk for a common bandit?
Rousing from his troubled thoughts, Xari peers into the foliage around him. "G-good thinking with, ah.. with the torch, Hadrian."
He nods at Farra and Kellan as well, on the verge of helping the latter before considering that his own hulking figure is probably not be the best thing for a child to first see when awakening from unconsciousness. Instead he busies himself with other tasks, wondering if Andy is among those saved.
Pulling his own torch from his pack and igniting it, Xari sets about retrieving first his thrown javelins, then the bodies of all of the fallen attackers, both those around the merchant wagons and those they had chased into the trees, laying them in a pile near the rear end of the caravan so that none of the children (or adults for that matter) would have to see them. He begins to search their corpses for any clues as to their identities, allegiance or motivation.
Xari's Investigation: 22
Inge(Barbarian2):Krayveneer's After the Fall| Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles| Xarian(Fighter1):NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4):Vos' Beyond the Veil| Soren(Druid5):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft| Nivi(Rogue4):Raiketsu's CoS| Ophelia(Sorcerer3):Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6):NotDrizzt's Simple Request| Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4):MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return| Sabetha(Monk3):Bedlymn's Murder Court
The young girl's head wound closes up as the radiant energy flows from Kellan, and she slowly begins to blink her eyes open. "H-huh?" She sits up, still only half-conscious it would seem as she doesn't even seem to notice the paladin hovering over her.
As Xarian sets about moving the bodies of these cultists, he finds Andy further up north, similar to the state of the girl he appears unconscious, with a large bruise around one of his eyes.
Xari: Frustratingly, these cultists don't appear to carry anything like a religious symbol that might readily identify them. A bit like Rox however, there's something odd about their clothing. It's entirely mismatched for the environment. Their robes are thick, and fur lined on the inside, and beneath them they have on even more layers. Their boots are likewise more suited for cold weather, much further up north. But outside of their weapons, they don't seem to be carrying anything. You're about to give up the search entirely when you notice something else. One of the corpses' mouth hangs open, letting you see the symbol tattooed on their tongue: an eight-pointed starburst.
"Was about all I could do anyway." Hadrian replies, still holding the torch in his hand as he wanders back to where the others got dropped. He throws the young boy Andy over his shoulder, walking over to the other unconscious form that was dropped by cultists. "Can someone help over here?" He calls out, for someone to either take the boy from him or pick this other person up so they can take them back to the caravan.
He was itching to go after the cultists...It'd be hard to follow their tracks in the darkness and fog, but he wasn't willing to give up on those they'd fail to save just yet.
Kellan exhales as the girl’s wound closes, relief tempered by urgency. He softens his expression, keeping his voice calm and steady as he kneels beside her. “Easy now, you’re safe,” he murmurs, gently placing a hand on her shoulder to keep her from trying to stand too quickly. “We’re taking you back to your family.” He carefully lifts her into his arms, mindful of any lingering injuries, and begins carrying her toward the caravan. His eyes flick toward the dim lanterns ahead, scanning for her parents among the gathered travelers.