Merkas ducks under Sera’s legs to get a cleaner sight on the Firenewt, not wanting to move to far from the injured strider as wounded animals will lash out at things unexpectedly he uses his small stature to move nimbly between those of larger size.
(Halfling Nimbleness to move through the spaces of the strider and Sera, staying within 5ft of the strider. Stopping in the square directly below Sera on the map) Getting into the open as Hastos axe slams into the enemy, the kender yells insults at the Firenewt. “Hey, you ever heard of breathmints? The smell of ya makes me want to spit!” As Merkas spits towards the flaming lizard a spout of sickly yellow-green fires forth, enveloping the firenewt whole, at least from a he kenders viewpoint. (Poison spray cantrip, 9 to hit, 10 damage)
Merkas stands there mouth open, eyes wide, and for once not saying much.
The Firenewt Warrior catches the warning from Merkas's movements on time. With lightning quick reflexes, they curl into a tight ball behind their shield as the spitball splatters onto their charred shield, which hisses angrily, leaving polished streaks where the acid clears off the thick layer of carbon built up on it. The Firenewt Warrior looks at Merkas with wide eyes, surprised by the unusual attack, and rubs their shield on the sand to scrape the rest of the acid off. They say something back in Ignan, that almost sounds like praise.
Seeing their mount in such pain, the Firenewt reconsiders the value of continuing the battle, and steps back slowly, speaking in the hissing tones of Draconic again. They sheathe their sword, but hold their shield out in front of them as they side-step towards their mount.
Firenewt Warrior uses Disengage Action to retreat towards their mount, moving 25' to the right.
If Kasi heard and understood the words the Firenewt Warrior was saying, she either didn't care, or didn't believe them. With pure malice in her eyes, she turns her bow, and looses one at the Giant Strider, ending its suffering. The Giant Strider lets out a rasping, bloody cough as an arrow tears into its throat. It thrashes feebly, then collapses to the ground.
Kasi Attacks with Bow (24) and deals (7) damage. Giant Strider is dead.
The Firenewt Warrior screams with bloody rage, and their flesh seems to boil as they draw their sword again!
cheapjoke123 Sharn is up. Due to the size of the Giant Strider, the black box represents difficult terrain and Half Cover.
Sharn dropped to the floor, stopping himself from being prone with a pushup motion, the gouts of flame licking his back, but not enough to cause any real damage. From there, the felling of the strider came in a flash. It's corpse, however, gave him convenient cover. He was in the right position to break into a run, hands on the floor, heel up with the second leg pressing the ground beneath him.
Sharn bolted at the Firenewt, turning around the body of the strider. Once again, his quarterstaff turned to be worthless. Even with the added momentum of his dash, his staff clanged and bounced against the newt's shield. (2+4 for a 6 to hit). Sharn had expected that, and turned on his heel to deliver a kick on the side of the creature. His legs were short, like all of dwarvenkind, but his momentum and mass were more than enough to produce an impact to the newt's side. ( 11+4 for a 15 to hit and 5 points of damage)
Sharn became stern, eyes locked on the newt. "I wonder what happened to fill your heart with such darkness, creature of fire."
Sharn's boot smashes into the same mark where the axe cut the Firenewt's ribs, and they let out a pained "HUwah" as air explodes from their lungs. But the Firenewt is no stranger to battle. The Firenewt adjusts their stance, skipping back a step.
Knuckleface and Rocky have lost their minds since catching on fire, and begin darting off towards the dark where jackals and wolves hide, leaving the battlefield behind!
The cart and tethers are damaged, but not beyond repair. Kasi, though she is a fletcher by trade, knows enough about woodworking to help with repairs, so long as the party can find wood. Leather from the jackal hide can be cut to make straps to make new tethers, and more animals can be hunted to reinforce weak points in the cart. Knuckleface and Rocky will leave the Battle Map at the end of the next round unless stopped by a Handle Animal check.
Knuckleface and Rocky, their coats singed and their eyes wild with panic, bolted into the desert, their frantic hooves kicking up clouds of dust. The scent of burnt flesh clung to them, a beacon for every predator lurking in the night.
Sera’s heart clenched. Without the horses, their mission might fail. Worse yet, the poor creatures would be easy prey for the jackals and wolves prowling the dunes.
She saw her companions tightening their circle around the furious Firenewt, the air tense with the threat of another fight. Everyone was burned, battered—but still standing. They could handle it without her.
Making a split-second decision, Sera dropped her shield and sword, spinning on her heel and sprinting after the terrified animals.
The moment she reached them, she lunged, fingers closing around their harnesses just as they jerked away. The force nearly wrenched her off her feet, her boots dragging through the sand as she strained every muscle to keep hold.
"Prrooo... so, so, sweethearts... It’s okay... easy now," she murmured, her voice soft yet firm, coaxing through the fear. The horses thrashed, their flanks heaving, but she dug in, using every ounce of her strength to steady them before she found herself dragged on a reckless ride into the wilderness.
Sera's quick reflexes save the horses, but at a cost. She skids and bounces along the sand for several feet, tearing her breeches and breaking a link in her chainmail shirt. Hands raw from pulling on the reigns and a mouthful of sand for her efforts, the horses eventually slow to a halt, calmed by her words and brought in check by the leering eyes of hungry predators in the dark.
Sera's skin is raw and bruised from bouncing along the sand, but she's otherwise fine.
Sera takes 1 HP of Damage from opposed Athletics vs STR check. (I took some liberties with movement during opposed checks for dramatic effect. But I can retcon that if you disapprove.) Sera's armor will continue to protect her, but it could use some minor repair. Sera's clothing is torn and dusty, but wearable and will require mending to fully protect from inclement weather.
The horses blow and snort as the skip around Sera. They're following orders, but they are clearly nervous and in pain. With the sword dropped, the light dims drastically, and the darkness of the night floods the combat area. Starlight provides a dim view of the area.
The Firenewt sucks in their belly shaping their body into a C just enough to evade a fatal blow, but the axe still cuts deep. A thick goo oozes from the deep gash in their midsection and the wound looks debilitating.
The powerful horses dragged Sera through the rough desert terrain, her boots barely slowing the momentum as she struggled to hold on. Sand and loose rocks scraped against her, adding fresh bruises and scratches to the burns already stinging her skin.
Her chainmail held, but her pants weren’t so lucky. The frantic ride tore them at the seams, leaving them shredded around her thighs and fluttering in tatters around her ankles. In the middle of the chaos, an absurd thought crossed her mind—would Hastos like the look?
Then again, she was burned, bruised, bloodied, dusty, and drenched in sweat. A real vision of beauty.
She nearly laughed at herself but had no breath to spare. Gritting her teeth, she refocused, using every ounce of her strength to rein the terrified horses in before they could drag her clear into the moonlit dunes.
Merkas, looks back and forth between the horses, and the newt really quickly but in the dim light and hearing Sera slow the horses he turns and runs best he can to the fight with the intruder. Scooping up the Striders reigns as he runs by, Merkas swings them in an arc to entangle the sword arm of the newt in an attempt to pull its scimitar free.
Sleight of hand roll: 15
Use an equipment item as a bonus attack to disarm, distract, trip, bind, etc. Equipment items can deal damage as an Improvised Weapon this way if a crit is rolled.
Stationing up directly opposite Sharn he goes after the feet of the Newt, looking to take away it's footing and give his more able companions a better chance to stop this planar interloper.
Called Attacks on his lower legs, looking to severely damage the calves and tendons behind the knees. Disadvantage for the dim light (No dark vision) but Advantage for being opposite Sharn (Directly below the newt)
Dirty 20 first Dagger attack with Splinter - 5 slashing damage
Bonus Action: Two weapon fighting: Dirty 20 with Shard - 2 Damage
(Accidentally rolled advantage before remembering the dim light but the first roll in the dice tracker was a 15 for both so I used that as the roll determiner. If needed will roll again)
Speaking in a staccato rhythm with the slashes as the two daggers flash in what moonlight there is"I...am sorry...for your...chicken...but the horses...and my friends...are not...for sale...!!!" The sounds of rapidly moving blades through flesh are heard in the gap between the words. The kender proving that his small stature does not mean he's a small threat.
Merkas's makeshift whip wraps around the Firenewt's sword, yanking it free from their hand, and causing them to stumble forward right in place to receive two nasty cuts to their tendons in the back of their leg. Crying out a croaking/shrieking sound, the Firenewt falls to the ground. The blade strikes a major artery and the Firenewt begins bleeding out. It's voice thick with pain and rage, they spew Ignan curses at you as life fades from their eyes.
You are now out of Initiative. You each receive 300 XP. If you end up getting enough XP to level up more than once before a long rest, you may fully level up after you finish your long rest. In the the Giant Strider's saddlebags, you find a container shaped like a waterskin, but its heavy any made of similar metal to the Firenewt Warrior's shield. It's very hot to the touch and can't be held long without protective gloves. Inside, you find a small amount of lava (1 charge) that the Firenewt probably considers to be a beverage. The Firenewt's shield is badly charred, except where the acid has cleared some of it away, but seems to be in good shape. It's about the same weight as a normal shield, but feels especially durable. The Firenewt's sword seems to be made of extraordinary quality, and the blackened char on it has done nothing to dull its edge.
Kasi walks over to the Firenewt warrior and kicks them in the head once for good measure, spitting what sounds like insults on the body in Yipyak. She looks over to the group, visibly sagging and looking very tired now that the adrenaline of battle is leaving her body. "Firenewt guts make good heat for forge. NO EAT," as if that was an option on the table. She waves a gnarled hand over her mouth, "Bad burn."
In the dark, under the twinkling sky, most of the predators just outside your field of vision seem content to remain distant after seeing your formidable combat skills. Many move on to seek out easier prey, and you see their silhouettes vanish into the desert wilderness.
Looking over the Strider Merkas cocks his head to the side as he has a thought. “Light!” He says as he waves Splinter through the air and the dancing lights return. “Oh it did work, thanks Yvana!”
His shoulders slump as he see the damage to the carts in the light of the orbs, glancing at Kasi as she mentions a forge “You think we can use the newt to fix the cart? Maybe after everyone finishes sleep tonight? I can help you set up if you want?” Moving over to inspect the wounds on the strider he says to the group. “Did anyone else notice it got better when it spit the fire out? I wonder if we used that hot liquid on it we could heal it and gain another mount? Thoughts?”
Kasi considers the idea of tearing the firenewt apart to make a forge from its bones with a little too much relish and nods happily. "Kasi get Kasi tools." With that, she headed towards her pack using a deliberate pace. She stops only momentarily at the mention of healing the Giant Strider and grumbles to herself. "Tie Giant Strider down. Bind beak. Much danger."
Merkas glances over at the sword and shield, not really paying any attention to them (Arcana 4), before collecting the reigns of the strider to use as binds for the creature. “Sera I think it’s best you keep the horses over there we’re going to need to fix up the cart and harnesses”
Working in the assumption that the striders harness would be more resistant to heat than his rope is he uses the straps to tie the beak shut and the hind legs together. Waiting for his companions to speak up before attempting to heal it, Merkas heads over to assist Kasi with the dressing of the newt. Investigating the corpse as he asks “So Kasi, what we want to keep? The he skull is a trophy I am sure”
Sera exhaled deeply, running a soot-streaked hand through her singed hair. The battle was over, but the aftermath still needed tending. As Merkas, ever the fearless—or reckless—kender, attempted to bind the Strider, she shook her head with an amused sigh.
"Only a kender… Merkas, it’s either going to eat you, incinerate you, or chase after the wrong horse to eat. But… go ahead." She gave him a skeptical glance but let him try, keeping a wary eye on the creature as she focused on the horses.
She led Knuckleface and Rocky to a safe spot, murmuring soothing words as she assessed their burns. The poor beasts trembled from pain and panic, their injuries more than just superficial. With a quiet prayer, she invoked her magic, filling a barrel with fresh, clear water. Wet cloths followed, carefully pressed against scorched skin to ease their suffering.
( cast create water using her last spell)
Taking the time to tend to her companions and herself, she finally allowed a moment of rest. Her fingers traced over the battered shield of the Firenewt, its metal strange and almost familiar. Hadn't Gero once spoken of a rare alloy like this during their studies?
( Arcana 17)
That could wait. For now, she would take what little rest she could before her watch, though she had every intention of studying the shield further once the camp had settled and it became her watch.
Merkas glances over at the sword and shield, not really paying any attention to them (Arcana 4), before collecting the reigns of the strider to use as binds for the creature. “Sera I think it’s best you keep the horses over there we’re going to need to fix up the cart and harnesses”
Working in the assumption that the striders harness would be more resistant to heat than his rope is he uses the straps to tie the beak shut and the hind legs together. Waiting for his companions to speak up before attempting to heal it, Merkas heads over to assist Kasi with the dressing of the newt. Investigating the corpse as he asks “So Kasi, what we want to keep? The he skull is a trophy I am sure”
(10 investigation on the newt corpse)
Kasi considers the question for several moments, as if she's never really thought of keeping the skull of a firenewt as a trophy. But she likes the idea. "Skull make good helmet, yes? Bones small, but strong. No touch with hands until cool. Firenewt burn everything."
To make her point, she slips on some thick leather gloves and pulls out her skinning knife. At first, the blade does fine, but as it keeps cutting, the edge starts to glow red. Eventually she pulls the knife out, showing the blade, which is as hot as a branding iron. Carefully, she buries the knife point in the sand, which hisses on its way in. "Watch." She instructs. More of the thick ooze you saw from the battle comes leaking out of the body and sluices onto the sand, which scorches it until it's red hot. She holds out an arm in front of you and scooches you back as more of the blood seeps out. "Mix with oil and fire, make glass." Kasi says with a wink.
She instructs Merkas in the safest way possible to skin and clean a firenewt and the work takes several hours, because you have to take frequent breaks to let the knives cool. But eventually, you've carefully harvested the bones around the glowing ichor and organs and created a kind of firepit out of them, which glows angrily. The skull is still way too hot to handle, but Kasi admires her prize happily. Such a decoration could offer considerable protection against fire attacks and strike fear into enemies.
Sera does well with the horses. Even though they're fussy with the treatment, and kick a little when you touch the tender burns, they seem to be trusting you and not intentionally trying to hurt you. While their blisters will take time to heal (and slow their pace) and the singed fur will take time to regrow, they will be ready to pull the cart by morning.
Hastos leans over Kasi as she field dresses the fire newt. Just enough to se what the inside look like out of curiousity. Clearly, Merkas and Kasi have some work ahead of them.
As he realizes Merkas want to make the strider his mount, Hastos looks skeptical of the proposition, but seeing the genuine enthusiasm in his face, he tells him. “If you can pull it off, that would be very impressive! And I have to admit you’re the toughest Kinder I’ve ever come across! You sure can hold your own in a fight!” Hastos pats Merkas on the should
A quick scan of the troupe showed that no one seemed to be hurt. That is until his gaze fell on Sera. “Of all the Gods! Are you alright?” While there were only red blemishes where wounds used to be, the damage to her clothes showed that she had been injured a lot more than she currently seemed. She looked exhausted.
“If it weren’t for you, we’d have to carry those crates home on our backs!” Hastos said gratefully. “Thank you. That was some heroic shit!”
Kasi considers the question for several moments, as if she's never really thought of keeping the skull of a firenewt as a trophy. But she likes the idea. "Skull make good helmet, yes? Bones small, but strong. No touch with hands until cool. Firenewt burn everything."
To make her point, she slips on some thick leather gloves and pulls out her skinning knife. At first, the blade does fine, but as it keeps cutting, the edge starts to glow red. Eventually she pulls the knife out, showing the blade, which is as hot as a branding iron. Carefully, she buries the knife point in the sand, which hisses on its way in. "Watch." She instructs. More of the thick ooze you saw from the battle comes leaking out of the body and sluices onto the sand, which scorches it until it's red hot. She holds out an arm in front of you and scooches you back as more of the blood seeps out. "Mix with oil and fire, make glass." Kasi says with a wink.
She instructs Merkas in the safest way possible to skin and clean a firenewt and the work takes several hours, because you have to take frequent breaks to let the knives cool. But eventually, you've carefully harvested the bones around the glowing ichor and organs and created a kind of firepit out of them, which glows angrily. The skull is still way too hot to handle, but Kasi admires her prize happily. Such a decoration could offer considerable protection against fire attacks and strike fear into enemies.
"Yeah I think that would make a real good helmet and you could be called "Kasi, Newt Slayer", and gain a bunch of peoples respect and stuff. For now we can put it in the sand, that way it won't burn anything, and if we need to we can do the same on the cart if it's still to hot in the morning" Watching and following along with what Kasi is doing, Merkas gets more and more excited as he learns new things."Wow glass, is Bucky right about glass being really special, or is it just a normal thing?"
The Kobold and Kender start working on repairing what they can for the cart, as the time moves on Merkas forgets about sleep until Sharn mentions he's going back for rest,"Ah, that reminds me, can we also make something for Sharn? I will help as long as we need to work, I can sleep in the cart on the trip tomorrow" Merkas pulls out the four Jackal teeth he had been cleaning and preparing to be used in a custom knuckle buster for the dwarf and whispers "Shh, Don't talk to loud, but I wanna surprise Sharn with this."
Hastos’ concern and praise made Sera more flustered than the fire-spewing Strider had. She shifted on her feet, suddenly wishing for another battle instead of this attention.
“Ehm… well, I wished it had turned out more peaceful,” she mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck. “But you were impressive yourself.” She glanced up at him, trying to shift the focus away from her. “We did kick ass, though. I believe any other would-be raiders will think twice now.” She smirked, then glanced toward Merkas and his latest reckless endeavor. “Now we just have to keep Merkas from being eaten by his new steed.”
Hastos chuckled, but Sera barely heard it over the pounding of her heart. She licked her lips, pulse racing as she took a hesitant step closer. Was she overstepping? Would he pull away? She would die if he pulled away.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned up and pressed a soft, clumsy kiss to his lips, barely letting it linger before pulling back. “We better try to rest some…” she muttered quickly, retreating before she could make more of a fool of herself.
Behind them, Merkas and Kasi were enthusiastically dissecting the Firenewt’s remains, their weapons glowing with the residual heat of its molten body. Even from a distance, the warmth radiated toward her. Sera sighed, shaking her head. Is there anything the kender won’t do that isn’t dangerous?
Grabbing the shield and the oddly strong alloy sword, she made a decision. Sharn could have the blade—he hit absolutely nothing with his quarterstaff. Maybe an unbreakable sword would serve him better.
Still, despite her efforts to focus, she found herself stealing glances back at Hastos, searching his face for a reaction. Did he like it? Was he grimacing? She scorned herself inwardly. Stop acting like a damn fool, Sera.
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Merkas ducks under Sera’s legs to get a cleaner sight on the Firenewt, not wanting to move to far from the injured strider as wounded animals will lash out at things unexpectedly he uses his small stature to move nimbly between those of larger size.
(Halfling Nimbleness to move through the spaces of the strider and Sera, staying within 5ft of the strider. Stopping in the square directly below Sera on the map)
Getting into the open as Hastos axe slams into the enemy, the kender yells insults at the Firenewt. “Hey, you ever heard of breathmints? The smell of ya makes me want to spit!” As Merkas spits towards the flaming lizard a spout of sickly yellow-green fires forth, enveloping the firenewt whole, at least from a he kenders viewpoint.
(Poison spray cantrip, 9 to hit, 10 damage)
Merkas stands there mouth open, eyes wide, and for once not saying much.
Loyalty Begets Honour
The Firenewt Warrior catches the warning from Merkas's movements on time. With lightning quick reflexes, they curl into a tight ball behind their shield as the spitball splatters onto their charred shield, which hisses angrily, leaving polished streaks where the acid clears off the thick layer of carbon built up on it. The Firenewt Warrior looks at Merkas with wide eyes, surprised by the unusual attack, and rubs their shield on the sand to scrape the rest of the acid off. They say something back in Ignan, that almost sounds like praise.
Seeing their mount in such pain, the Firenewt reconsiders the value of continuing the battle, and steps back slowly, speaking in the hissing tones of Draconic again. They sheathe their sword, but hold their shield out in front of them as they side-step towards their mount.
Firenewt Warrior uses Disengage Action to retreat towards their mount, moving 25' to the right.
If Kasi heard and understood the words the Firenewt Warrior was saying, she either didn't care, or didn't believe them. With pure malice in her eyes, she turns her bow, and looses one at the Giant Strider, ending its suffering. The Giant Strider lets out a rasping, bloody cough as an arrow tears into its throat. It thrashes feebly, then collapses to the ground.
Kasi Attacks with Bow (24) and deals (7) damage.
Giant Strider is dead.
The Firenewt Warrior screams with bloody rage, and their flesh seems to boil as they draw their sword again!
cheapjoke123 Sharn is up.
Due to the size of the Giant Strider, the black box represents difficult terrain and Half Cover.
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Sharn dropped to the floor, stopping himself from being prone with a pushup motion, the gouts of flame licking his back, but not enough to cause any real damage. From there, the felling of the strider came in a flash. It's corpse, however, gave him convenient cover. He was in the right position to break into a run, hands on the floor, heel up with the second leg pressing the ground beneath him.
Sharn bolted at the Firenewt, turning around the body of the strider. Once again, his quarterstaff turned to be worthless. Even with the added momentum of his dash, his staff clanged and bounced against the newt's shield. (2+4 for a 6 to hit). Sharn had expected that, and turned on his heel to deliver a kick on the side of the creature. His legs were short, like all of dwarvenkind, but his momentum and mass were more than enough to produce an impact to the newt's side. ( 11+4 for a 15 to hit and 5 points of damage)
Sharn became stern, eyes locked on the newt. "I wonder what happened to fill your heart with such darkness, creature of fire."
Sharn's boot smashes into the same mark where the axe cut the Firenewt's ribs, and they let out a pained "HUwah" as air explodes from their lungs. But the Firenewt is no stranger to battle. The Firenewt adjusts their stance, skipping back a step.
Knuckleface and Rocky have lost their minds since catching on fire, and begin darting off towards the dark where jackals and wolves hide, leaving the battlefield behind!
The cart and tethers are damaged, but not beyond repair. Kasi, though she is a fletcher by trade, knows enough about woodworking to help with repairs, so long as the party can find wood. Leather from the jackal hide can be cut to make straps to make new tethers, and more animals can be hunted to reinforce weak points in the cart. Knuckleface and Rocky will leave the Battle Map at the end of the next round unless stopped by a Handle Animal check.
Larskolstad Sera is up.
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Sera's quick reflexes save the horses, but at a cost. She skids and bounces along the sand for several feet, tearing her breeches and breaking a link in her chainmail shirt. Hands raw from pulling on the reigns and a mouthful of sand for her efforts, the horses eventually slow to a halt, calmed by her words and brought in check by the leering eyes of hungry predators in the dark.
Sera's skin is raw and bruised from bouncing along the sand, but she's otherwise fine.
Sera takes 1 HP of Damage from opposed Athletics vs STR check. (I took some liberties with movement during opposed checks for dramatic effect. But I can retcon that if you disapprove.)
Sera's armor will continue to protect her, but it could use some minor repair.
Sera's clothing is torn and dusty, but wearable and will require mending to fully protect from inclement weather.
The horses blow and snort as the skip around Sera. They're following orders, but they are clearly nervous and in pain. With the sword dropped, the light dims drastically, and the darkness of the night floods the combat area. Starlight provides a dim view of the area.
MrUncleTio Hastos is up.
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Hastos charges over to the Newt, leaving a slight trail of smoke behind him. “I’m not done with you yet.” He growls.
As he reaches the Newt, he brings his axe around at its midriff.
To hit: 16, Damage: 13
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
The Firenewt sucks in their belly shaping their body into a C just enough to evade a fatal blow, but the axe still cuts deep. A thick goo oozes from the deep gash in their midsection and the wound looks debilitating.
Firenewt Warrior is Bloodied.
Hrothbert_Neruca Merkas is up!
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The powerful horses dragged Sera through the rough desert terrain, her boots barely slowing the momentum as she struggled to hold on. Sand and loose rocks scraped against her, adding fresh bruises and scratches to the burns already stinging her skin.
Her chainmail held, but her pants weren’t so lucky. The frantic ride tore them at the seams, leaving them shredded around her thighs and fluttering in tatters around her ankles. In the middle of the chaos, an absurd thought crossed her mind—would Hastos like the look?
Then again, she was burned, bruised, bloodied, dusty, and drenched in sweat. A real vision of beauty.
She nearly laughed at herself but had no breath to spare. Gritting her teeth, she refocused, using every ounce of her strength to rein the terrified horses in before they could drag her clear into the moonlit dunes.
( strenght+athletic 20)
Merkas, looks back and forth between the horses, and the newt really quickly but in the dim light and hearing Sera slow the horses he turns and runs best he can to the fight with the intruder. Scooping up the Striders reigns as he runs by, Merkas swings them in an arc to entangle the sword arm of the newt in an attempt to pull its scimitar free.
Sleight of hand roll: 15
Stationing up directly opposite Sharn he goes after the feet of the Newt, looking to take away it's footing and give his more able companions a better chance to stop this planar interloper.
Called Attacks on his lower legs, looking to severely damage the calves and tendons behind the knees. Disadvantage for the dim light (No dark vision) but Advantage for being opposite Sharn (Directly below the newt)
Dirty 20 first Dagger attack with Splinter - 5 slashing damage
Bonus Action: Two weapon fighting: Dirty 20 with Shard - 2 Damage
(Accidentally rolled advantage before remembering the dim light but the first roll in the dice tracker was a 15 for both so I used that as the roll determiner. If needed will roll again)
Speaking in a staccato rhythm with the slashes as the two daggers flash in what moonlight there is "I...am sorry...for your...chicken...but the horses...and my friends...are not...for sale...!!!" The sounds of rapidly moving blades through flesh are heard in the gap between the words. The kender proving that his small stature does not mean he's a small threat.
Loyalty Begets Honour
Merkas's makeshift whip wraps around the Firenewt's sword, yanking it free from their hand, and causing them to stumble forward right in place to receive two nasty cuts to their tendons in the back of their leg. Crying out a croaking/shrieking sound, the Firenewt falls to the ground. The blade strikes a major artery and the Firenewt begins bleeding out. It's voice thick with pain and rage, they spew Ignan curses at you as life fades from their eyes.
You are now out of Initiative.
You each receive 300 XP. If you end up getting enough XP to level up more than once before a long rest, you may fully level up after you finish your long rest.
In the the Giant Strider's saddlebags, you find a container shaped like a waterskin, but its heavy any made of similar metal to the Firenewt Warrior's shield. It's very hot to the touch and can't be held long without protective gloves. Inside, you find a small amount of lava (1 charge) that the Firenewt probably considers to be a beverage.
The Firenewt's shield is badly charred, except where the acid has cleared some of it away, but seems to be in good shape. It's about the same weight as a normal shield, but feels especially durable. The Firenewt's sword seems to be made of extraordinary quality, and the blackened char on it has done nothing to dull its edge.
Kasi walks over to the Firenewt warrior and kicks them in the head once for good measure, spitting what sounds like insults on the body in Yipyak. She looks over to the group, visibly sagging and looking very tired now that the adrenaline of battle is leaving her body. "Firenewt guts make good heat for forge. NO EAT," as if that was an option on the table. She waves a gnarled hand over her mouth, "Bad burn."
In the dark, under the twinkling sky, most of the predators just outside your field of vision seem content to remain distant after seeing your formidable combat skills. Many move on to seek out easier prey, and you see their silhouettes vanish into the desert wilderness.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Looking over the Strider Merkas cocks his head to the side as he has a thought. “Light!” He says as he waves Splinter through the air and the dancing lights return. “Oh it did work, thanks Yvana!”
His shoulders slump as he see the damage to the carts in the light of the orbs, glancing at Kasi as she mentions a forge “You think we can use the newt to fix the cart? Maybe after everyone finishes sleep tonight? I can help you set up if you want?”
Moving over to inspect the wounds on the strider he says to the group. “Did anyone else notice it got better when it spit the fire out? I wonder if we used that hot liquid on it we could heal it and gain another mount? Thoughts?”
Loyalty Begets Honour
Kasi considers the idea of tearing the firenewt apart to make a forge from its bones with a little too much relish and nods happily. "Kasi get Kasi tools." With that, she headed towards her pack using a deliberate pace. She stops only momentarily at the mention of healing the Giant Strider and grumbles to herself. "Tie Giant Strider down. Bind beak. Much danger."
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Sharn sagged much like Kasi, propping himself on his walking stick. Which was recently demoted from being a quarterstaff.
"My thoughts, my good fellows, are that I'm tired."
He shuffled back to his bedroll, obviously weary after the shock of adrenaline wore off. "Good night everyone."
He plopped himself on the bedroll with a satisfying thud, and quickly let sleep take him away.
Merkas glances over at the sword and shield, not really paying any attention to them (Arcana 4), before collecting the reigns of the strider to use as binds for the creature. “Sera I think it’s best you keep the horses over there we’re going to need to fix up the cart and harnesses”
Working in the assumption that the striders harness would be more resistant to heat than his rope is he uses the straps to tie the beak shut and the hind legs together. Waiting for his companions to speak up before attempting to heal it, Merkas heads over to assist Kasi with the dressing of the newt. Investigating the corpse as he asks “So Kasi, what we want to keep? The he skull is a trophy I am sure”
(10 investigation on the newt corpse)
Loyalty Begets Honour
Kasi considers the question for several moments, as if she's never really thought of keeping the skull of a firenewt as a trophy. But she likes the idea. "Skull make good helmet, yes? Bones small, but strong. No touch with hands until cool. Firenewt burn everything."
To make her point, she slips on some thick leather gloves and pulls out her skinning knife. At first, the blade does fine, but as it keeps cutting, the edge starts to glow red. Eventually she pulls the knife out, showing the blade, which is as hot as a branding iron. Carefully, she buries the knife point in the sand, which hisses on its way in. "Watch." She instructs. More of the thick ooze you saw from the battle comes leaking out of the body and sluices onto the sand, which scorches it until it's red hot. She holds out an arm in front of you and scooches you back as more of the blood seeps out. "Mix with oil and fire, make glass." Kasi says with a wink.
She instructs Merkas in the safest way possible to skin and clean a firenewt and the work takes several hours, because you have to take frequent breaks to let the knives cool. But eventually, you've carefully harvested the bones around the glowing ichor and organs and created a kind of firepit out of them, which glows angrily. The skull is still way too hot to handle, but Kasi admires her prize happily. Such a decoration could offer considerable protection against fire attacks and strike fear into enemies.
Sera does well with the horses. Even though they're fussy with the treatment, and kick a little when you touch the tender burns, they seem to be trusting you and not intentionally trying to hurt you. While their blisters will take time to heal (and slow their pace) and the singed fur will take time to regrow, they will be ready to pull the cart by morning.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Hastos leans over Kasi as she field dresses the fire newt. Just enough to se what the inside look like out of curiousity. Clearly, Merkas and Kasi have some work ahead of them.
As he realizes Merkas want to make the strider his mount, Hastos looks skeptical of the proposition, but seeing the genuine enthusiasm in his face, he tells him. “If you can pull it off, that would be very impressive! And I have to admit you’re the toughest Kinder I’ve ever come across! You sure can hold your own in a fight!” Hastos pats Merkas on the should
A quick scan of the troupe showed that no one seemed to be hurt. That is until his gaze fell on Sera. “Of all the Gods! Are you alright?” While there were only red blemishes where wounds used to be, the damage to her clothes showed that she had been injured a lot more than she currently seemed. She looked exhausted.
“If it weren’t for you, we’d have to carry those crates home on our backs!” Hastos said gratefully. “Thank you. That was some heroic shit!”
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
"Yeah I think that would make a real good helmet and you could be called "Kasi, Newt Slayer", and gain a bunch of peoples respect and stuff. For now we can put it in the sand, that way it won't burn anything, and if we need to we can do the same on the cart if it's still to hot in the morning" Watching and following along with what Kasi is doing, Merkas gets more and more excited as he learns new things. "Wow glass, is Bucky right about glass being really special, or is it just a normal thing?"
The Kobold and Kender start working on repairing what they can for the cart, as the time moves on Merkas forgets about sleep until Sharn mentions he's going back for rest, "Ah, that reminds me, can we also make something for Sharn? I will help as long as we need to work, I can sleep in the cart on the trip tomorrow" Merkas pulls out the four Jackal teeth he had been cleaning and preparing to be used in a custom knuckle buster for the dwarf and whispers "Shh, Don't talk to loud, but I wanna surprise Sharn with this."
Loyalty Begets Honour
Hastos’ concern and praise made Sera more flustered than the fire-spewing Strider had. She shifted on her feet, suddenly wishing for another battle instead of this attention.
“Ehm… well, I wished it had turned out more peaceful,” she mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck. “But you were impressive yourself.” She glanced up at him, trying to shift the focus away from her. “We did kick ass, though. I believe any other would-be raiders will think twice now.” She smirked, then glanced toward Merkas and his latest reckless endeavor. “Now we just have to keep Merkas from being eaten by his new steed.”
Hastos chuckled, but Sera barely heard it over the pounding of her heart. She licked her lips, pulse racing as she took a hesitant step closer. Was she overstepping? Would he pull away? She would die if he pulled away.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned up and pressed a soft, clumsy kiss to his lips, barely letting it linger before pulling back. “We better try to rest some…” she muttered quickly, retreating before she could make more of a fool of herself.
Behind them, Merkas and Kasi were enthusiastically dissecting the Firenewt’s remains, their weapons glowing with the residual heat of its molten body. Even from a distance, the warmth radiated toward her. Sera sighed, shaking her head. Is there anything the kender won’t do that isn’t dangerous?
Grabbing the shield and the oddly strong alloy sword, she made a decision. Sharn could have the blade—he hit absolutely nothing with his quarterstaff. Maybe an unbreakable sword would serve him better.
Still, despite her efforts to focus, she found herself stealing glances back at Hastos, searching his face for a reaction. Did he like it? Was he grimacing? She scorned herself inwardly. Stop acting like a damn fool, Sera.