Alaric decided to focus on Zepharion, casting hex on him before swinging his longsword with two hands. Being so close to Gooterat and Shinrei he is more hesitant though, and is close to missing (Nat 1) until a strike of heroic inspiration hits (using it to roll again) and he aims true (20 to hit). The hit is not that powerful though (4 slashing and 1 necrotic)
Gooterat slaps wildly at the silver bugs as they begin to crawl over him. His eyes are wide as he fights the rising panic. Zepharombie was damaged, but he knew it would only take one good hit to lay him low. Getting out of harms way was his first order of business. Having more fear than shame, the little Gnome ripped his robes off, hoping to get rid of the bugs and then squeezed his wiry form through the doorway.
***OoC: if disrobing is a free action he disengages and moves north, out of the room and away from the painting. If disrobing is an action he will risk it and still try to get out of melee, using reaction shield if the zombie hits him with an opportunity attack***
"Irksome. This is irksome. Shinrei they are cooking hands...Shinrei?"
No wait...they are screaming!....We are screaming?
Rats will subdue his curiosity when noticing he is now alone and hearing the scuffle. Quickly moving to the hall way and seeing the battle, Rats will dash as an action and use Halfling Nimbleness to move through the melee and get directly behind what is left of Zepharion. Ready with his shortsword.
Rats darted in behind the opponents, low and quick, weaving between boots and legs until he emerged behind the foes. His short sword gleamed at the ready.
Gooterat scrambled clear of the swarm, twisting and dodging as silver mandibles snapped just behind him. The insects hissed in frustration!
Alaric stepped forward. He uttered a dark invocation, placing a hex upon Zepharion's shambling form. With a shout, he brought his longsword down in a sweeping arc, the blade biting deep into undead flesh and spraying foul ichor across the floorboards.
Zepharion lashed out. A solid strike crashed into Alaric’s midsection, forcing the warlock back with a grunt of pain.
The swarm surged again, this time enveloping Rats. Silver bodies spilled up his legs, over his back, biting and stinging exposed flesh.
Init - Character [HP]; Conditions & Effects; Actions 05 — Rats [06/12hp]; Bloodied; Move + Dash --round 1 ends, round 2 begins-- 21 - Alaric [03/12hp]; Bloodied, Concentrating [Hex]; BA: Hex vs Zeph, Longsword vs Zeph (w/ Heroic Insp.), a hit! (4hp slashing + 1hp necrotic) --> Zepharion is now bloodied 20 - Gooterat [7/7hp]; Disengage + Move 13 - Shinrei [11/11hp]; No action* 12 - Bugs [0 hp inflicted]; AC11; Move + Bites attack vs Rats, a hit! (6hp poison) --> This movement triggers Opportunity Attacks from both Alaric and Shinrei --> Rats is now bloodied 09 - Zepharion [11 hp inflicted]; AC8; Bloodied; Slam attack vs Alaric, a hit! (9hp bludgeoning) --> Alaric is now bloodied --> A Con save is required to maintain concentration.
*Shinrei did not take an action this round and may take two actions next round.
Gooterat growls in frustration, his companions are holding the door, but he can't see to help. He dashes through the door, and loops around to reenter the painting room through the other door.
***dash action to get back in the painting room to help Rats next round. ***
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
Shinrei's gnarled, black staff clatters to the floor as he hands deftly move to produce another weapon. In his hands is a compact hand crossbow crafted of darkwood lacquered to a near-black sheen. Its frame is inlaid with thin silver filigree, forming broken runes. The bolt glows ever so faintly with a pale blue light.
Speaking a word of power, Shrinei aims and looses the bolt at the insect swarm before him.
Alaric drove his longsword deep into Zepharion’s chest, twisting the blade as the corrupted tiefling crumpled with a thud. The corpse sagged to the floor, motionless at last.
But the fight wasn’t over.
The silver swarm still writhed, and now it had completely engulfed Rats. The halfling thrashed and shouted, his short sword flashing wildly as he tried to fend them off. The ranger found that the blade passed through the mass with little effect. The insects were too small, too quick, crawling beneath his armor and nipping at every patch of exposed skin.
Then, from the folds of his clothing, a small shape emerged. Dark brown, glossy ... and very determined. A cockroach, no larger than a coin, scuttled down the halfling's sleeve and launched itself into the fray. With surprising precision, it reared up and delivered a sharp, back-legged kick to one of the silver insects on Rats' sleeve! The silver bug, only one of the hundreds that currently crawled over the ranger was sent flying across the hallway, and bounced off the wall with the tiniest of thumps.
The cockroach stood atop Rat's shoulder, antennae twitching, victorious!
Nearby, Shinrei raised his crossbow, the edge of a spell glowing briefly at his fingertips. He loosed a bolt, guided by True Strike, but the projectile sailed wide as the swarm scattered and shifted, ever moving.
Elsewhere, Gooterat moved quickly through the dining room, retracing a path that brought him around behind the battle. In the dining room, a long table loomed beside him, draped in dust-covered lace, and the broken chairs, draped in sheets to guard against the dust of centuries stood like silent witnesses. As the sorcerer passed through, a chill crept along the back of his neck.
The sense of being watched was sudden, absolute, and clinging. He could not shake the feeling that something unseen followed his steps.
He pushed those thoughts aside and pushed forward into the hallway, rejoining the fight just as the silver swarm surged again.
Init - Character [HP]; Conditions & Effects; Actions 05 — Rats [12/12hp]; Bloodied; BA: Healing Word on self* (+6hp), Short Sword vs Bugs, a hit! (6hp piercing, reduced to 3hp due to damage resistance: piercing) -->Rats is no longer bloodied. --round 2 ends, round 3 begins-- 21 - Alaric [03/12hp]; Bloodied, Reaction:Opportunity attack vs bugs, a miss!, Longsword vs Zepharion, a hit! (8hp radiant damage) -->Concentration on Hex failed -->This attack drops Zepharion to 0hp remaining. 20 - Gooterat [7/7hp]; Move + Dash 13 - Shinrei [11/11hp]; True Strike vs Bugs, a miss 12 - Bugs [3 hp inflicted]; AC11, Damage Resistance: Bludgeoning,Piercing,Slashing; Bite attack vs Rats, a miss! 09 - Zepharion [15 hp inflicted, 0hp remaining]; DEAD (again)
*I assume that Rats intended to heal himself when he cast Healing Word. Moving forward, please specify targets of spells.
Despite being highly injured, Alaric modes up to assists Rats, the adrenaline of having removed one threat encouraging him to stay in the midst of the action. In order to avoid hitting Rats, he turns his sword slightly incorpearal, instead targeting the bugs psyche instead. 19 to hit for 8 psychic damage.
Gooterat felt a hot rage build in his body. The swarm of silver insects crawled all over Rats, threatening his exposed skin with sharp mandibles. In a moment of clarity he recalled that the insects in the gutters were more active in the heat of summer, but all but gone in the cold days of winter. Shaping the energy, fueled by anger, the gnome conjures a swirling ball of snow and ice. With a growl he heaves the ball at the insects. His focus is complete, spurred on by his simmering innate power he drills the swarming insects. The ice ball shatters on impact, blasting the bugs with snow and ice.
As the enemies fall, the adrenaline leaves and Alaric suddenly feels woozy from bloodloss. His longsword suddenly morphs into a quaterstaff (for thematic reasons only. He will be turning it back into a longsword so not changing the sheet) which he uses as a walking stick. "I don't feel too good, I took a nasty hit. I could definitely do with either a quick rest or some healing if anyone has anything available."
Gooterat shook his head softly, a look of concern on his face. "My magics are not the healing kind," he says to Alaric. "Let's get back to the sisters and paladin, they need to know about this mess and how the picture got Zepharion. We can take a breather and sort out our next move."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
Alaric stepped in with grim focus, his pact blade humming with psychic energy. He brought the longsword down in a sweeping arc, carving through the writhing mass of silver insects, severing dozens of them in a single stroke. The swarm hissed in agony but held.
On the other side, Gooterat gathered another sorcerous bolt at his fingertips before lancing outward in a crackling bolt of ice. The spell struck the heart of the swarm, and in an instant, the glittering insects froze, cracked, and shattered. What remained of the swarm scattered across the floor, twitched, then lay still.
Silence returned to the hallway, broken only by the ragged breaths of the heroes.
Rats, still panting, glanced toward the painting, his attention caught by something glinting along the edge of the canvas. The wizard was nowhere to be seen, but now, a real object protruded from the painted water and —impossibly— into the room. It was the hilt of a silver dagger.
With hesitant fingers, Rats reached forward and pulled it free. The blade was perfectly balanced, its surface etched with unfamiliar symbols.
Whatever it was ... it had cost Zepharion his life.
After hesitantly pulling the blade free and examining it, Rats begins to grow frustrated. His world is solid. Pragmatic. Not one where paintings produce daggers.
"I am most vexed! Daggers do not come from paintings!"
Looking down at Zepharion, "Why would you die for this?...Am I now to follow?....Must be that we all are...."
"At any rate, I am glad you are safe my friend." And he gently pats his cockroach, passing a small bit of food from his rations, feeling a small bit of relief.
Rats turns to his companions, "You all are more spooky than I...examine this blade if you are bold...or I will plunge it into that damned oven hand and discover its secrets then."
"Be careful with that thing!" Gooterat says with fear in his voice. "It could be cursed from the dark magic of this place. Let's take it out of here and intersect it somewhere else, far away from that creepy painting."
The skittish gnome reaches for the dagger, but way too far away to actually touch it. He utters a few arcane words and his spectral hand shimmers into being, open to accept the blade should Rats chose to relinquish it.
Blade or no, Gooterat moves forward to grab his cloak. He inspects it with a critical eye, shakes it a few times, and then drapes it back over his shoulders as he begins to head back to the statue room. He glances back over his shoulder every few steps to make sure he isn't alone. "Come on Shinrei, I'll give you a hand checking it out. We need to rest a bit and regroup anyhow."
***OoC: recast mage hand***
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
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Alaric decided to focus on Zepharion, casting hex on him before swinging his longsword with two hands. Being so close to Gooterat and Shinrei he is more hesitant though, and is close to missing (Nat 1) until a strike of heroic inspiration hits (using it to roll again) and he aims true (20 to hit). The hit is not that powerful though (4 slashing and 1 necrotic)
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)
Gooterat
Gooterat slaps wildly at the silver bugs as they begin to crawl over him. His eyes are wide as he fights the rising panic. Zepharombie was damaged, but he knew it would only take one good hit to lay him low. Getting out of harms way was his first order of business. Having more fear than shame, the little Gnome ripped his robes off, hoping to get rid of the bugs and then squeezed his wiry form through the doorway.
***OoC: if disrobing is a free action he disengages and moves north, out of the room and away from the painting. If disrobing is an action he will risk it and still try to get out of melee, using reaction shield if the zombie hits him with an opportunity attack***
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
"Irksome. This is irksome. Shinrei they are cooking hands...Shinrei?"
No wait...they are screaming!....We are screaming?
Rats will subdue his curiosity when noticing he is now alone and hearing the scuffle. Quickly moving to the hall way and seeing the battle, Rats will dash as an action and use Halfling Nimbleness to move through the melee and get directly behind what is left of Zepharion. Ready with his shortsword.
The hallway erupted into chaos.
Rats darted in behind the opponents, low and quick, weaving between boots and legs until he emerged behind the foes. His short sword gleamed at the ready.
Gooterat scrambled clear of the swarm, twisting and dodging as silver mandibles snapped just behind him. The insects hissed in frustration!
Alaric stepped forward. He uttered a dark invocation, placing a hex upon Zepharion's shambling form. With a shout, he brought his longsword down in a sweeping arc, the blade biting deep into undead flesh and spraying foul ichor across the floorboards.
Zepharion lashed out. A solid strike crashed into Alaric’s midsection, forcing the warlock back with a grunt of pain.
The swarm surged again, this time enveloping Rats. Silver bodies spilled up his legs, over his back, biting and stinging exposed flesh.
The silver bugs and Rats are occupying the same square.
Light sources — Rats (torch), Shinrei (Light)
(detect magic has gone and hex started. But has also gone)
The hit from Zepharion is so strong that Alaric fails to maintn concentration on his hex.
He takes his opportunity attack swing on the bugs, barely missing, before swinging at Zepharion once again. 19 to hit for 8 radiant damage
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)
^^ Alaric's attack is enough to drop Zepharion.
Rats is no novice when it comes to insect swarms. But this time, some panic sets in as he is carrying precious cargo. His cockroach.
Rats will begin to swing, stomp, and swipe away at the insect swarm. Carefully ensuring not to attack his own companion.
[Action:
shortsword attack
Hit: 13
Dmg: 6 piercing]
[Bonus Action:
Healing Word
Heal: 6hp]
Gooterat
Gooterat growls in frustration, his companions are holding the door, but he can't see to help. He dashes through the door, and loops around to reenter the painting room through the other door.
***dash action to get back in the painting room to help Rats next round. ***
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
Shinrei's gnarled, black staff clatters to the floor as he hands deftly move to produce another weapon. In his hands is a compact hand crossbow crafted of darkwood lacquered to a near-black sheen. Its frame is inlaid with thin silver filigree, forming broken runes. The bolt glows ever so faintly with a pale blue light.
Speaking a word of power, Shrinei aims and looses the bolt at the insect swarm before him.
(casting True Strike)
Attack: 7 Damage: 12 (Radiant damage).
Alaric drove his longsword deep into Zepharion’s chest, twisting the blade as the corrupted tiefling crumpled with a thud. The corpse sagged to the floor, motionless at last.
But the fight wasn’t over.
The silver swarm still writhed, and now it had completely engulfed Rats. The halfling thrashed and shouted, his short sword flashing wildly as he tried to fend them off. The ranger found that the blade passed through the mass with little effect. The insects were too small, too quick, crawling beneath his armor and nipping at every patch of exposed skin.
Then, from the folds of his clothing, a small shape emerged. Dark brown, glossy ... and very determined. A cockroach, no larger than a coin, scuttled down the halfling's sleeve and launched itself into the fray. With surprising precision, it reared up and delivered a sharp, back-legged kick to one of the silver insects on Rats' sleeve! The silver bug, only one of the hundreds that currently crawled over the ranger was sent flying across the hallway, and bounced off the wall with the tiniest of thumps.
The cockroach stood atop Rat's shoulder, antennae twitching, victorious!
Nearby, Shinrei raised his crossbow, the edge of a spell glowing briefly at his fingertips. He loosed a bolt, guided by True Strike, but the projectile sailed wide as the swarm scattered and shifted, ever moving.
Elsewhere, Gooterat moved quickly through the dining room, retracing a path that brought him around behind the battle. In the dining room, a long table loomed beside him, draped in dust-covered lace, and the broken chairs, draped in sheets to guard against the dust of centuries stood like silent witnesses. As the sorcerer passed through, a chill crept along the back of his neck.
The sense of being watched was sudden, absolute, and clinging. He could not shake the feeling that something unseen followed his steps.
He pushed those thoughts aside and pushed forward into the hallway, rejoining the fight just as the silver swarm surged again.
The silver bugs and Rats are occupying the same square.
Light sources — Rats (torch), Shinrei (Light)
Despite being highly injured, Alaric modes up to assists Rats, the adrenaline of having removed one threat encouraging him to stay in the midst of the action. In order to avoid hitting Rats, he turns his sword slightly incorpearal, instead targeting the bugs psyche instead. 19 to hit for 8 psychic damage.
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)
Gooterat
Gooterat felt a hot rage build in his body. The swarm of silver insects crawled all over Rats, threatening his exposed skin with sharp mandibles. In a moment of clarity he recalled that the insects in the gutters were more active in the heat of summer, but all but gone in the cold days of winter. Shaping the energy, fueled by anger, the gnome conjures a swirling ball of snow and ice. With a growl he heaves the ball at the insects. His focus is complete, spurred on by his simmering innate power he drills the swarming insects. The ice ball shatters on impact, blasting the bugs with snow and ice.
***OoC: sorcerous burst cold damage - attack 25 (natty 20) cold damage: 8***
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
^^ Alaric's and Gooterat's attacks combined are enough to bring the insect swarm to 0hp remaining.
As the enemies fall, the adrenaline leaves and Alaric suddenly feels woozy from bloodloss. His longsword suddenly morphs into a quaterstaff (for thematic reasons only. He will be turning it back into a longsword so not changing the sheet) which he uses as a walking stick. "I don't feel too good, I took a nasty hit. I could definitely do with either a quick rest or some healing if anyone has anything available."
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)
Gooterat
Gooterat shook his head softly, a look of concern on his face. "My magics are not the healing kind," he says to Alaric. "Let's get back to the sisters and paladin, they need to know about this mess and how the picture got Zepharion. We can take a breather and sort out our next move."
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond
Alaric stepped in with grim focus, his pact blade humming with psychic energy. He brought the longsword down in a sweeping arc, carving through the writhing mass of silver insects, severing dozens of them in a single stroke. The swarm hissed in agony but held.
On the other side, Gooterat gathered another sorcerous bolt at his fingertips before lancing outward in a crackling bolt of ice. The spell struck the heart of the swarm, and in an instant, the glittering insects froze, cracked, and shattered. What remained of the swarm scattered across the floor, twitched, then lay still.
Silence returned to the hallway, broken only by the ragged breaths of the heroes.
Rats, still panting, glanced toward the painting, his attention caught by something glinting along the edge of the canvas. The wizard was nowhere to be seen, but now, a real object protruded from the painted water and —impossibly— into the room. It was the hilt of a silver dagger.
With hesitant fingers, Rats reached forward and pulled it free. The blade was perfectly balanced, its surface etched with unfamiliar symbols.
Whatever it was ... it had cost Zepharion his life.
After hesitantly pulling the blade free and examining it, Rats begins to grow frustrated. His world is solid. Pragmatic. Not one where paintings produce daggers.
"I am most vexed! Daggers do not come from paintings!"
Looking down at Zepharion, "Why would you die for this?...Am I now to follow?....Must be that we all are...."
"At any rate, I am glad you are safe my friend."
And he gently pats his cockroach, passing a small bit of food from his rations, feeling a small bit of relief.
Rats turns to his companions, "You all are more spooky than I...examine this blade if you are bold...or I will plunge it into that damned oven hand and discover its secrets then."
Gooterat
"Be careful with that thing!" Gooterat says with fear in his voice. "It could be cursed from the dark magic of this place. Let's take it out of here and intersect it somewhere else, far away from that creepy painting."
The skittish gnome reaches for the dagger, but way too far away to actually touch it. He utters a few arcane words and his spectral hand shimmers into being, open to accept the blade should Rats chose to relinquish it.
Blade or no, Gooterat moves forward to grab his cloak. He inspects it with a critical eye, shakes it a few times, and then drapes it back over his shoulders as he begins to head back to the statue room. He glances back over his shoulder every few steps to make sure he isn't alone. "Come on Shinrei, I'll give you a hand checking it out. We need to rest a bit and regroup anyhow."
***OoC: recast mage hand***
“Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.” — Elrond