Eldrin slips silently into the shadow of a jagged outcrop. The mouth of the cave looms thirty feet ahead, two ratfolk stand guard, one idly shifting from foot to foot, the other scanning the treeline with wary, black eyes.
He doesn’t reach for the potion. There's no need to vanish as hopefully no one has seen him in the first place.
Crouched low, Eldrin steadies his breath. When Meira joins him, he doesn’t speak. Just a slight nod, and then he begins.
With a fluid motion, he draws a narrow spiral in the air before him, two fingers dancing in silent symmetry. The pattern lingers faintly, a shimmer only he perceives, before vanishing.
Off to the cave mouth, sound takes shape.
Voices, orc voices. Coarse. Gravel-choked, the same dialect he'd heard back at the temple: guttural Common, laced with Orcish snarls.
He lets the first illusion play: the low murmur of a voice just beyond the treeline: “You smell that? Damp rat fur. They're close.”
Eldrin lets it hang a moment, then with a small flex of his hand, like plucking an invisible thread, he cuts it off.
He shifts slightly, adjusts the direction of his next casting, and runs a finger along the inside of his palm, tracing a sigil only he knows. Energy hums at his fingertips.
Again, the illusion weaves itself into the air.
Another voice, harsher, closer. “The rats are cornered. We hit them fast, split their tails from their skulls.”
He doesn’t wait long. With a snap of his fingers and a subtle twist of his wrist, the sound vanishes again.
A third time now, his hand carves through the air, then clenches as if grasping something unseen.
From a new angle, deeper in tone and thick with malice, comes the voice of another unseen hunter. “I want the big one. Save his bones for stew.”
Finally, with a quick swirl of his index finger, a sound further to the side now, boots moving on the ground as the unseen speakers begin shifting their position towards the mouth of the cave.
Eldrin’s fingers hover at the ready, the space around them already beginning to stir again. One more whisper. One more phantom. Enough to paint the dread of an unseen force encroaching fast.
Zephyros moves to the door that leads to the wererat den. He puts his ear up to the door and listens, hoping to hear whatever distraction Eldrin has planned. Or some way to know plan is being carried out. For the moment he just listens and waits and motions his compatriots to do the same.
[[OOC thankfully skill checks are not auto failures on natural one rolls lol thank goodness for Lyra's PWT!]]
You weave your magical arts and they take shape, or rather sound. A group of Orcs plotting to attack the ratfolk none to quietly. You see the ratfolk speak to eachother but can't hear their conversation. They both draw crossbows and take tentative aim to the outside. A third wererat comes into view before disappearing further inside the mine.
Zephyros,
You listen for what seems like an eternity. After the foray with the giant rats you were sure the wererats would be alerted, but it seems they are none the wiser as all is quiet. Until... you hear a panicked voice speaking in elevated tones. It's hard to make out the words being spoken, but you do hear, "...entrance... attack... Orcs..." You then hear hurried movement before the room again returns to silence.
Eldrin,
A moment later you see two wererats join the two guards making four total at the entrance. Each of them brandish a crossbow pointed out the entrance. Please provide a perception check.
[OOC:Grateful for the aforementioned, thanks Lyra…and grateful that Meria is there with me to potentially cover off my continued disaster that is my rolling…honestly yikes]
Wait…
Please, please tell me there are REAL Orcs there and I have completely missed them….!!
Meiratries to stay close, but out of sight as Eldrinworks his magic. She finds it both useful as well as a bit unnerving that someone could just generate sounds out of nothing! Most importantly, she keeps close watch, focused on having a way out for the both of them once the plan is executed.
While Zephyros halts to listen, Lyra lingers a moment longer with the desiccated miner. Poor soul, she thinks, may he find rest in a better place than this.
DM:
Can Lyra determine if this particular miner was murdered long before the wererats came here? 'Desiccated' sounds like 'this miner died many many months ago'. Was that before the wererats invaded the mine?
Also, could Lyra make a quick check to see if the miner has something on him that can help identify him? Maybe he has a letter, or a ring, or something that could potentially be returned to family/friends.
She will continue to move once Zephyros gives the order to do so.
As you inspect the corpse it immediately becomes apparent this human miner died from multiple stab wounds. However, he also has several puncture marks that could have been made by teeth. His clothes suggest the miner hasn't been dead more than a few days, but his body suggests much longer. Almost as if his fluids were pulled out of his body. Searching him does produce an enveloped letter with a name written on it, Mary Gilmore. It feels as if the envelope holds several coins inside.
After intently listening for a sign Eldrin has achieved his part in the plan, Zephyros finds satisfaction in what he perceives.
"Now!" The practiced veteran aggressively whispers.
Zephyros vigorously kicks the door down with almost rage.
Athletics: 15+6 (21)
With a great roar Zephyros curses the rats in dwarvish and challenges them, beckoning them to approach.
Staying where he is, the fearless warrior glares at each and every wererat and shouts, "Do not hide, do not flee. Raise your weapons if you dare, your force shall shatter against our armaments and our sword will be your last!"
Zephyros steps back 10 feet, hoping to draw the rats into the room.
Zephyros takes the ready action to strike with booming blade if any rats come within reach.
If the bear of a man is already within melee range of any foe, he will take the Magic action and cast booming blade.
If possible, Zephyros will prioritize striking their leader.
Combat begins, surprise round: You may post additional actions, if any, you would like to take while the wererats begin to gather their wits.
Lyra 23Lyra moves with the rest of the ground and reluctantly readies a divine attack if any of her allies are attacked first. (Let me know if you would like to change your action.)
Zephyros 15Zephyros kicks down the door and taunts the ratfolk into walking into a trap. The door explodes into the room with a loud crashing sound. As the dust settles, you can see three wererats staring at you with a look of shock on their faces. (Please give me an intimidation check)
Eldrin 14(You don't notice any REAL orcsor anything else that is there to be noticed.)
Meira 9
Gareth 6
Don-Jon 4 Don-Jon holds his action to attack the first ratfolk to walk through the door Zephyros just kicked down. Attacks 18, 17, 11; Damage 2, 1, 4.
Lyrais just about to turn and tell Zephyrosand Garethwhat she's gleaned from the dead miner when Zephyros suddenly calls to action.
She doesn't even have a full second to decide—just a quick breath, a scramble to grab the envelope stuffed with coins, and she shoves it into her backpack. The thought of finding whoever it was meant for flickers through her mind, but it's quickly buried under the urgency of the moment.
The halfling hurries after her companions, but same as before, she doesn't attack just yet, but prefers to respond to any attack directed to her friends, or herself.
But, this time, though, she decides to do a bit more. Just in case turns things too nasty. So she mutters a short prayer under her breath, raising her right toward the heavens—or where the heavens would be, if they weren't deep underground. And something answers her call.
A floating, spectral arm descends from above, shimmering in golden light. It looks like a woman's arm—slender, elegant, and unmistakably divine. A hand capable of kindness, of offering comfort... but also of delivering pain. It drifts down gently, casually high-fives Lyraon the way, and hovers next to ratfolk G, not doing anything. For now.
Lyra's Round 1: Bonus Action:Spiritual Weapon (the inital attack is lost, I know. But we are not really going for efficiency here...) Action: Since she cannot ready the attack of the Spiritual Weapon, Lyra readies a cantrip (Holy Word). To Hit: 24 / Damage: 5 Movement: Always behind Zephyros and Gareth, but close to them. More or less like they are now!
Lyra's Round 2: Can I complete this after the first round is resolved? I'm not sure yet.
Zephyros must hear some sort of signal because he bursts into action, kicking down the door and startling the ratfolk on the other side. Gareth raises his bow with a silvered arrow and releases it at the closest wererat. At this point, he is just hoping to put them down as quickly and humanely as possible.
Surprise Round
Action: Longbow Attack - 15 to hit, 5 piercing damage + 3 from Hunter's Mark
Your spiritual weapon coalesces beside you after your prayer for divine assistance.Yes, you can wait to decide what to do for round two.
However, since you rolled so high for initiative (sorry about that), your readied action will likely be wasted as we move past the surprise round which will be this evening.
Gareth,
You mark your target with your knowledge of the weave. Your silvered arrow sinks deep into the nearest wererat's shoulder. The shocked expression on his face turns pained as he recognizes his injury isn't healing as he rips the arrow from his hairy flesh.
Eldrin exhales slowly, the last of the fabricated voices fading into the wind like smoke. His hand lowers from its final, deliberate motion, and the silence that follows seems to press in more tightly than before, an expectant quiet, heavy with uncertainty. He remains crouched just behind the low ridge of stone overlooking the cave mouth, his eyes narrowing as he watches for any reaction. Stillness. Nothing certain.
After a long moment, he shifts slightly, just enough to glance sideways at Meira. His voice is low, dry, but laced with a rare honesty. “I don’t know if that helped… or made things worse.”
Then, without a word, he moves.
Eldrin approaches the cave mouth with renewed focus. He hugs the outer wall, slipping into the shadows just outside the entrance. A brief glance inside. His breath stills.
Four of them.
He extends one hand slowly. Fingers curl in an arcane pattern, precise and smooth. He doesn't speak, but his lips move with silent intention, tracing syllables that hang in the air. The strands of magic gather around his hand, fine threads of spider silk. With a final motion, he releases them, and the magic surges forward towards the four of them.
Movement: 20ft (or so) to cave entrance. Action: Cast Web (DC13 Dex Save) Reaction: Cast Silvery Barbs on one Ratfolk who passed save causing them to reroll. Advantage is passed to Meira for her turn
Meirahad been trying to keep out of sight but kept inching forward to try to gain a vantage point where she could see what was happening. She had not expected Eldrinto just march off towards the ratfolk! She moved immediately, staying back but finding a vantage point where she has line-of-sight to their enemies. If any are still not restrained, she would target that one. Otherwise, she aims for the nearest target. (Shortbow Attack: 9, Damage: 8 piercing; using silvered arrow)
She also hopes Eldrin'splan, whatever it is, works out.
(OOC - I'm thinking Meiramoves to the square just NW of where Eldrinhad been located on the map before he moved.)
Eldrin slips silently into the shadow of a jagged outcrop. The mouth of the cave looms thirty feet ahead, two ratfolk stand guard, one idly shifting from foot to foot, the other scanning the treeline with wary, black eyes.
He doesn’t reach for the potion. There's no need to vanish as hopefully no one has seen him in the first place.
Crouched low, Eldrin steadies his breath. When Meira joins him, he doesn’t speak. Just a slight nod, and then he begins.
With a fluid motion, he draws a narrow spiral in the air before him, two fingers dancing in silent symmetry. The pattern lingers faintly, a shimmer only he perceives, before vanishing.
Off to the cave mouth, sound takes shape.
Voices, orc voices. Coarse. Gravel-choked, the same dialect he'd heard back at the temple: guttural Common, laced with Orcish snarls.
He lets the first illusion play: the low murmur of a voice just beyond the treeline:
“You smell that? Damp rat fur. They're close.”
Eldrin lets it hang a moment, then with a small flex of his hand, like plucking an invisible thread, he cuts it off.
He shifts slightly, adjusts the direction of his next casting, and runs a finger along the inside of his palm, tracing a sigil only he knows. Energy hums at his fingertips.
Again, the illusion weaves itself into the air.
Another voice, harsher, closer.
“The rats are cornered. We hit them fast, split their tails from their skulls.”
He doesn’t wait long. With a snap of his fingers and a subtle twist of his wrist, the sound vanishes again.
A third time now, his hand carves through the air, then clenches as if grasping something unseen.
From a new angle, deeper in tone and thick with malice, comes the voice of another unseen hunter.
“I want the big one. Save his bones for stew.”
Finally, with a quick swirl of his index finger, a sound further to the side now, boots moving on the ground as the unseen speakers begin shifting their position towards the mouth of the cave.
Eldrin’s fingers hover at the ready, the space around them already beginning to stir again. One more whisper. One more phantom. Enough to paint the dread of an unseen force encroaching fast.
Eldrin,
Please give me a stealth check + 10.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Stealth check:[(1+4)+10]=14…
Zephyros moves to the door that leads to the wererat den. He puts his ear up to the door and listens, hoping to hear whatever distraction Eldrin has planned. Or some way to know plan is being carried out. For the moment he just listens and waits and motions his compatriots to do the same.
Eldrin,
[[OOC thankfully skill checks are not auto failures on natural one rolls lol thank goodness for Lyra's PWT!]]
You weave your magical arts and they take shape, or rather sound. A group of Orcs plotting to attack the ratfolk none to quietly. You see the ratfolk speak to eachother but can't hear their conversation. They both draw crossbows and take tentative aim to the outside. A third wererat comes into view before disappearing further inside the mine.
Zephyros,
You listen for what seems like an eternity. After the foray with the giant rats you were sure the wererats would be alerted, but it seems they are none the wiser as all is quiet. Until... you hear a panicked voice speaking in elevated tones. It's hard to make out the words being spoken, but you do hear, "...entrance... attack... Orcs..." You then hear hurried movement before the room again returns to silence.
Eldrin,
A moment later you see two wererats join the two guards making four total at the entrance. Each of them brandish a crossbow pointed out the entrance. Please provide a perception check.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Perception check: (2+3)=5
[OOC:Grateful for the aforementioned, thanks Lyra…and grateful that Meria is there with me to potentially cover off my continued disaster that is my rolling…honestly yikes]
Wait…
Please, please tell me there are REAL Orcs there and I have completely missed them….!!
Meira tries to stay close, but out of sight as Eldrin works his magic. She finds it both useful as well as a bit unnerving that someone could just generate sounds out of nothing! Most importantly, she keeps close watch, focused on having a way out for the both of them once the plan is executed.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
While Zephyros halts to listen, Lyra lingers a moment longer with the desiccated miner. Poor soul, she thinks, may he find rest in a better place than this.
DM:
Can Lyra determine if this particular miner was murdered long before the wererats came here? 'Desiccated' sounds like 'this miner died many many months ago'. Was that before the wererats invaded the mine?
Also, could Lyra make a quick check to see if the miner has something on him that can help identify him? Maybe he has a letter, or a ring, or something that could potentially be returned to family/friends.
She will continue to move once Zephyros gives the order to do so.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Lyra, please give me a medicine check.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Lyra's medicine check: 11
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Lyra,
As you inspect the corpse it immediately becomes apparent this human miner died from multiple stab wounds. However, he also has several puncture marks that could have been made by teeth. His clothes suggest the miner hasn't been dead more than a few days, but his body suggests much longer. Almost as if his fluids were pulled out of his body. Searching him does produce an enveloped letter with a name written on it, Mary Gilmore. It feels as if the envelope holds several coins inside.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
After intently listening for a sign Eldrin has achieved his part in the plan, Zephyros finds satisfaction in what he perceives.
"Now!" The practiced veteran aggressively whispers.
Zephyros vigorously kicks the door down with almost rage.
Athletics: 15+6 (21)
With a great roar Zephyros curses the rats in dwarvish and challenges them, beckoning them to approach.
Staying where he is, the fearless warrior glares at each and every wererat and shouts, "Do not hide, do not flee. Raise your weapons if you dare, your force shall shatter against our armaments and our sword will be your last!"
Zephyros steps back 10 feet, hoping to draw the rats into the room.
Zephyros takes the ready action to strike with booming blade if any rats come within reach.
If the bear of a man is already within melee range of any foe, he will take the Magic action and cast booming blade.
If possible, Zephyros will prioritize striking their leader.
Trident Attack/Booming Blade: 14
Damage: 8 piercing
2 thunder if target moves 5 feet or more
Combat begins, surprise round: You may post additional actions, if any, you would like to take while the wererats begin to gather their wits.
Lyra 23Lyra moves with the rest of the ground and reluctantly readies a divine attack if any of her allies are attacked first. (Let me know if you would like to change your action.)Zephyros 15Zephyros kicks down the door and taunts the ratfolk into walking into a trap. The door explodes into the room with a loud crashing sound. As the dust settles, you can see three wererats staring at you with a look of shock on their faces. (Please give me an intimidation check)Don-Jon 4Don-Jon holds his action to attack the first ratfolk to walk through the door Zephyros just kicked down. Attacks 18, 17, 11; Damage 2, 1, 4.Combat Continues, round two:
Updated Map:
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Intimidation: 11
Good to know. TY
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Lyra is just about to turn and tell Zephyros and Gareth what she's gleaned from the dead miner when Zephyros suddenly calls to action.
She doesn't even have a full second to decide—just a quick breath, a scramble to grab the envelope stuffed with coins, and she shoves it into her backpack. The thought of finding whoever it was meant for flickers through her mind, but it's quickly buried under the urgency of the moment.
The halfling hurries after her companions, but same as before, she doesn't attack just yet, but prefers to respond to any attack directed to her friends, or herself.
But, this time, though, she decides to do a bit more. Just in case turns things too nasty. So she mutters a short prayer under her breath, raising her right toward the heavens—or where the heavens would be, if they weren't deep underground. And something answers her call.
A floating, spectral arm descends from above, shimmering in golden light. It looks like a woman's arm—slender, elegant, and unmistakably divine. A hand capable of kindness, of offering comfort... but also of delivering pain. It drifts down gently, casually high-fives Lyra on the way, and hovers next to ratfolk G, not doing anything. For now.
Lyra's Round 1:
Bonus Action: Spiritual Weapon (the inital attack is lost, I know. But we are not really going for efficiency here...)
Action: Since she cannot ready the attack of the Spiritual Weapon, Lyra readies a cantrip (Holy Word). To Hit: 24 / Damage: 5
Movement: Always behind Zephyros and Gareth, but close to them. More or less like they are now!
Lyra's Round 2: Can I complete this after the first round is resolved? I'm not sure yet.
Special: Concentrating on Pass Without Trace.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Zephyros must hear some sort of signal because he bursts into action, kicking down the door and startling the ratfolk on the other side. Gareth raises his bow with a silvered arrow and releases it at the closest wererat. At this point, he is just hoping to put them down as quickly and humanely as possible.
Surprise Round
Action: Longbow Attack - 15 to hit, 5 piercing damage + 3 from Hunter's Mark
Bonus Action: Hunter's Mark
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Lyra,
Your spiritual weapon coalesces beside you after your prayer for divine assistance.Yes, you can wait to decide what to do for round two.
However, since you rolled so high for initiative (sorry about that), your readied action will likely be wasted as we move past the surprise round which will be this evening.
Gareth,
You mark your target with your knowledge of the weave. Your silvered arrow sinks deep into the nearest wererat's shoulder. The shocked expression on his face turns pained as he recognizes his injury isn't healing as he rips the arrow from his hairy flesh.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Eldrin exhales slowly, the last of the fabricated voices fading into the wind like smoke. His hand lowers from its final, deliberate motion, and the silence that follows seems to press in more tightly than before, an expectant quiet, heavy with uncertainty. He remains crouched just behind the low ridge of stone overlooking the cave mouth, his eyes narrowing as he watches for any reaction. Stillness. Nothing certain.
After a long moment, he shifts slightly, just enough to glance sideways at Meira. His voice is low, dry, but laced with a rare honesty.
“I don’t know if that helped… or made things worse.”
Then, without a word, he moves.
Eldrin approaches the cave mouth with renewed focus. He hugs the outer wall, slipping into the shadows just outside the entrance. A brief glance inside. His breath stills.
Four of them.
He extends one hand slowly. Fingers curl in an arcane pattern, precise and smooth. He doesn't speak, but his lips move with silent intention, tracing syllables that hang in the air. The strands of magic gather around his hand, fine threads of spider silk. With a final motion, he releases them, and the magic surges forward towards the four of them.
Movement: 20ft (or so) to cave entrance.
Action: Cast Web (DC13 Dex Save)
Reaction: Cast Silvery Barbs on one Ratfolk who passed save causing them to reroll. Advantage is passed to Meira for her turn
Meira had been trying to keep out of sight but kept inching forward to try to gain a vantage point where she could see what was happening. She had not expected Eldrin to just march off towards the ratfolk! She moved immediately, staying back but finding a vantage point where she has line-of-sight to their enemies. If any are still not restrained, she would target that one. Otherwise, she aims for the nearest target.
(Shortbow Attack: 9, Damage: 8 piercing; using silvered arrow)
She also hopes Eldrin's plan, whatever it is, works out.
(OOC - I'm thinking Meira moves to the square just NW of where Eldrin had been located on the map before he moved.)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer