Rachus offers the lady a short wave of his hand and looks to see if Scritch needs help in some way. If Scritch is fine, he will then look to a place 10ft away and cups his hand thinking of an aroma remembered from this tavern he worked at. The area he is focusing in on smells of fish and meaty gravy.
Vakas, from the shadows you watch the scene unfold. The fleeing cat, the chasing dog, the old woman with her ladle and bad manners. Do you stay hidden or reveal yourself?
Thanadol at the mention of "destroying the evil" the old womans' eyebrows rise, however before can make a response she is enveloped in the muscled arms of Dealuri.
Dealuri you hug her tightly and she does not resist. Instead she returns the hug and rewards you with a motherly smile, "Well aren't you a delicious morsel." she comments as you draw away... and regarding her smell, unless your dear old aunt smelt of rotting flesh and old blood you may have spoken too soon. Regardless she seems to have enjoyed the hug and for the moment at least has forgotten her run away cat.
Rachus you peer after Skritch and cast out your cantrip, hoping to lure back the wayward animals.
Vakas stays hidden, and uses the opportunity to skulk his way into the house that she left while she is distracted with the newcomers. He stays in the dark and wonders to himself, "I wonder what she was stirring or serving with that ladle...." He steps inside to take a look.
Skritch you manage to get your noble steed under control as the cat darts under a nearby building. Turning Sunhill around you head back to the party and strangely the smell of fish and meaty gravy. Sunhill seems very eager to find the source of that smell.
Vakas you slip inside the building (The rest of the party may roll perception and will see you enter on a 15 or higher)
You are greeted by the stench of death; thick, cloying, inescapable. It clings to the back of your throat, and bile rises as your stomach clenches. The room is steeped in shadow, a darkness not of night but of something deeper, heavier. The hearth crackles with fire, yet it casts no light, no warmth. The flames dance soundlessly in the grate, but their glow is dead—no flicker, no shadow, no comfort. The cold is a living thing, pressing against your skin like the fingers of the grave.
Around you, the chamber sprawls in a chaotic clutter: dried herbs, crooked tools, bundles of bone and sinew. But your gaze is dragged to two horrors that refuse to be ignored. Upon the mantel above the hearth, three glass jars sit like sentinels. Inside them, severed heads bob in a viscous yellow fluid, their eyes closed, mouths slack, hair drifting like weeds in a still pond. They are not old. The flesh has not yet withered.
Then you see it—leaning against the rough edge of a worktable. A scarecrow, half-formed, stitched from sackcloth and straw. Its limbs sag like those of a drunkard, but the head... Gods, the head. Button mouth crudely sewn shut, yes, but the eyes—those are no buttons. Those are eyes. Human eyes. And they are open. Watching you. Waiting. They blink.
Vakas crouches, then sends a message urgently to Rachus, then Thanadol, then Skritch (he doesn’t think Dealuri can handle it) - “One of the scarecrows! In here! She makes them! Several human heads in bottles! Get away from her, she is a hag!” He then looks for two things… 1. A back door. Any other way out of here. 2. Is this a human dressed up in straw, being converted to one of the scarecrow things? Or just the eyes being used in the creation of the scarecrow?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Dealuri looks confused as she takes another wife of the woman. Then does a double take when her companions look alarmed after receiving the message from Vakas. She steps slightly away from the woman but remains in easy melee reach.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Vakas it is difficult to make out much detail in this gloom but at a glance you see only the front door and the window as possible exits (A decent perception roll may give you more). Studying the scarecrow it would appear that whole human head has been employed in its construction, the terrifying eyes peering through holes in the rough sack cloth.
Dealuri as you step away the strange womans smile falls away, "Now what is wrong sweetling?" she asks, looking from you to your wary companions.
Skritch you do indeed see Vakas head inside and upon hearing his message you release your spell. DEX:13
Thanadol you release your firebolt and hit the woman square in the chest leaving a smouldering black ring in her blouse which she proceeds to pat down to put out the flames.
The fairy fire flickers and dies as shadows seem to seep out of the woman and drink it in. "Clever little squirrel." she croons as dark magic begins to swirl around her rotund form. Within the house the scarecrow begins to scream!
Excellent he thinks Vakas can scout the interior as we keep this lady occupied. Then the message comes into his mind. He turns his head briefly away from the woman to hide his disgust. As Scritch jumps into action Rachus dismounts his pony and uses his mount as a form of cover. I am sorry dear pony as you are wonderful mount but should that dark magic come this way then you will be my bulwark. Again, I am sorry. If we live perhaps, I will name you. A momentary thought before taking out his flute readying for battle.
OOC: I wont be constantly updating the map or it will slow down the posting rate but I think it gives us a good feel for the terrain and how we are starting.
Rachus raises his blackwood flute to his lips and whispers to it in hushed tones and with some urgency as he fixes his gaze on the portly woman. A pinprick of light springs forth and in a blink launches forward a blazing needle of energy towards the enemy.
Vakas backs out of the small house, eyes wide, he turns toward the old “lady”, Hag, more like it, and pulls out his short sword in his right hand, his dagger in his left. He sneaks up behind her and plunges the short sword in, then, with his skill with the dagger, he makes an attack with it as part of his first attack with the Nick ability. This plunges deep within her. He pulls out the knife and sinks it in again, growling as he does so, eyes full of fury at the murder that he witnessed inside her hovel.
Movement : sneaks out of the house and flanks her from behind Dealuri.
Action : Short sword attack : 18 to hit, for 9 points of piercing damage. With the dagger in his off hand, he makes an attack as part of that action due to his Nick mastery, (Crit!) 26 to hit, for 10 points of piercing damage.
With his off hand, he attacks again with the Dagger : 19 to hit for 1 point of piercing damage.
The shrieking of the scarecrows and the attacks of her companions explain to Dealuri the dangerous situation she is in better than any words could do so. So after Thannandol cast his spell and while the thunder is still ringing in everyone's ears, she swings with her war pick at the hag (attack 20, damage 7, hag has Disadvantage on her next attack roll from SAP), yelling "How dare you remind me of my dear old aunt!"
OOC: Am on the road for the next few hours. Will put my turn in here, and, DM, please action as you see fit, depending on what happens before it...
Presuming Skritch has not been incapacitated by the Hellhag...
Skritch looks at the Hagwitch with one eye. Then with the other. Then back to the first eye, to make sure. Sure, she's taken a bit of a beating. At least, that's what she's thinking. He thinks. That's what he thinks she's thinking.
His face makes a little snarl, which, in Skritch's mind, looks particularly fierce... He lifts his club and bonus action Shillelaghs it. It glows, ever so slightly, a lovely, pulsing hazelnut colour.
He moves 10' to 15' to flankher (if that's a thing in your game). And he shows her what a beating actually looks like (hopefully...!), using Booming Blade to smack ferociously at her ankles. Or her head, if she's on the ground.
If flankingis a thing in this world Skritch rolls: Attack: 20 Damage: 11
If it's not, he rolls: Attack: 25 Damage: 19
Then, if the shewitch moves on her turn she'll, take a d8 of extra damage from the Booming Blade, which will be: 1)
Then Skritch scampers back 10 or 15' from her in a clever zig zag kind of a way (depending on how much of his 25' movement he still has left) and then faces her, at the ready.
Rachus you launch your mote of light at the old woman striking her on the shoulder. The radiant light causes her to flinch back and as it gathers around the wound emitting an eery glow. The woman screams with rage, trying and failing to swipe the light away with her shadow wreathed palms.
Thannadol (12 will miss) you launch your chromatic orb toward the woman as she tries to bat away the radiant light from her shoulder, but the shadows that snake around her coalesce into a wall of darkness preventing your attack from getting through. With a thunderous roar your spell dissipates against her defences.
Vakas (Fantastic) you sneak forward as the magical attacks of your companions slam into the woman. Weapons out you make your bloody attacks, each one drawing out congealed strings of blackened blood. Whisps of shadow stream from the gaping wounds you have left in her sagging flesh.
Dealuri your war pick smashes down into the heart of the radiant glow, which still emits from her shoulder. It severs the thumb from her right hand which was working to drive away the unwanted spell. Black ichor spurts from the wounded hand and shoulder spraying the front of your tunic as she screams in agony. For a moment you struggle to free your weapon where it has lodged itself in her clavicle.
The woman snarls and grasps your forearm Dealuri with her blood soaked hand. Make a wisdom saving throw DC 15 (With ADV from the bards song) or take 6 necrotic damage, on a save take half. Vakas, standing behind the woman you see those gaping wounds begin to knit together and close as her flesh begins to heal.
Skritch (11 will miss) you race in with your booming blade attack but again the woman's shadowed defences seem to gather and deflect you strike causing it to slam harmlessly into the air near her shins. Frustrated you make your retreat.
Dealuri make your save and then top of the round Rachus you are back up!
Rachus offers the lady a short wave of his hand and looks to see if Scritch needs help in some way. If Scritch is fine, he will then look to a place 10ft away and cups his hand thinking of an aroma remembered from this tavern he worked at. The area he is focusing in on smells of fish and meaty gravy.
He hopes it would entice the cat or the mastiff.
prestidigitation
Vakas, from the shadows you watch the scene unfold. The fleeing cat, the chasing dog, the old woman with her ladle and bad manners. Do you stay hidden or reveal yourself?
Thanadol at the mention of "destroying the evil" the old womans' eyebrows rise, however before can make a response she is enveloped in the muscled arms of Dealuri.
Dealuri you hug her tightly and she does not resist. Instead she returns the hug and rewards you with a motherly smile, "Well aren't you a delicious morsel." she comments as you draw away... and regarding her smell, unless your dear old aunt smelt of rotting flesh and old blood you may have spoken too soon. Regardless she seems to have enjoyed the hug and for the moment at least has forgotten her run away cat.
Rachus you peer after Skritch and cast out your cantrip, hoping to lure back the wayward animals.
DM - Warlock of Firetop Mountain
Skritch will stay in Sunhill's saddle (if he can) and try and bring him under control. Otherwise what use of a mount will he be?!
If he needs to, he will try and use Animal Friendship.
Then he'll get back to the group and this ominous old woman...
PS, here's another Animal Handling roll (if u need it): nat20 + 3 = 23 (see campaign log).
Vakas stays hidden, and uses the opportunity to skulk his way into the house that she left while she is distracted with the newcomers. He stays in the dark and wonders to himself, "I wonder what she was stirring or serving with that ladle...." He steps inside to take a look.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Skritch you manage to get your noble steed under control as the cat darts under a nearby building. Turning Sunhill around you head back to the party and strangely the smell of fish and meaty gravy. Sunhill seems very eager to find the source of that smell.
Vakas you slip inside the building (The rest of the party may roll perception and will see you enter on a 15 or higher)
You are greeted by the stench of death; thick, cloying, inescapable. It clings to the back of your throat, and bile rises as your stomach clenches. The room is steeped in shadow, a darkness not of night but of something deeper, heavier. The hearth crackles with fire, yet it casts no light, no warmth. The flames dance soundlessly in the grate, but their glow is dead—no flicker, no shadow, no comfort. The cold is a living thing, pressing against your skin like the fingers of the grave.
Around you, the chamber sprawls in a chaotic clutter: dried herbs, crooked tools, bundles of bone and sinew. But your gaze is dragged to two horrors that refuse to be ignored. Upon the mantel above the hearth, three glass jars sit like sentinels. Inside them, severed heads bob in a viscous yellow fluid, their eyes closed, mouths slack, hair drifting like weeds in a still pond. They are not old. The flesh has not yet withered.
Then you see it—leaning against the rough edge of a worktable. A scarecrow, half-formed, stitched from sackcloth and straw. Its limbs sag like those of a drunkard, but the head... Gods, the head. Button mouth crudely sewn shut, yes, but the eyes—those are no buttons. Those are eyes. Human eyes. And they are open. Watching you. Waiting. They blink.
DM - Warlock of Firetop Mountain
Vakas crouches, then sends a message urgently to Rachus, then Thanadol, then Skritch (he doesn’t think Dealuri can handle it) - “One of the scarecrows! In here! She makes them! Several human heads in bottles! Get away from her, she is a hag!” He then looks for two things… 1. A back door. Any other way out of here. 2. Is this a human dressed up in straw, being converted to one of the scarecrow things? Or just the eyes being used in the creation of the scarecrow?
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Dealuri looks confused as she takes another wife of the woman. Then does a double take when her companions look alarmed after receiving the message from Vakas. She steps slightly away from the woman but remains in easy melee reach.
If Skritch was back in time for the perception roll, it was 17 (if not, nvr mind).
Skritch hears the Message and Messages back, "Get on out here, we got some Hag to bag!"
Then he scream/squeals, "It’s nuttso time!" and casts Faerie Fire on the Hag.
(Dex13 save or no invisibility and we get adv to hit)
Vakas it is difficult to make out much detail in this gloom but at a glance you see only the front door and the window as possible exits (A decent perception roll may give you more). Studying the scarecrow it would appear that whole human head has been employed in its construction, the terrifying eyes peering through holes in the rough sack cloth.
Dealuri as you step away the strange womans smile falls away, "Now what is wrong sweetling?" she asks, looking from you to your wary companions.
Skritch you do indeed see Vakas head inside and upon hearing his message you release your spell. DEX:13
Thanadol you release your firebolt and hit the woman square in the chest leaving a smouldering black ring in her blouse which she proceeds to pat down to put out the flames.
The fairy fire flickers and dies as shadows seem to seep out of the woman and drink it in. "Clever little squirrel." she croons as dark magic begins to swirl around her rotund form. Within the house the scarecrow begins to scream!
Everyone roll initiative!
DM - Warlock of Firetop Mountain
Rachus Perception
22 in game log
Excellent he thinks Vakas can scout the interior as we keep this lady occupied. Then the message comes into his mind. He turns his head briefly away from the woman to hide his disgust. As Scritch jumps into action Rachus dismounts his pony and uses his mount as a form of cover. I am sorry dear pony as you are wonderful mount but should that dark magic come this way then you will be my bulwark. Again, I am sorry. If we live perhaps, I will name you. A momentary thought before taking out his flute readying for battle.
Initiative
17 in game log
Vakas eyes go wide as the scarecrow in the making starts to scream..
Initiative : 12
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
From game log, Initiative: 4
Skritch stands up in his saddle, and waits to see if the whole battle will be over by the time he gets his turn...
Initiative order:
OOC: I wont be constantly updating the map or it will slow down the posting rate but I think it gives us a good feel for the terrain and how we are starting.
Rachus you are up!
DM - Warlock of Firetop Mountain
Rachus raises his blackwood flute to his lips and whispers to it in hushed tones and with some urgency as he fixes his gaze on the portly woman. A pinprick of light springs forth and in a blink launches forward a blazing needle of energy towards the enemy.
starry wisp
21 to hit 5 radiant damage - rolled in game log
He then moves north towards the trees and gets behind one big enough to offer him cover.
End of Turn.
Vakas backs out of the small house, eyes wide, he turns toward the old “lady”, Hag, more like it, and pulls out his short sword in his right hand, his dagger in his left. He sneaks up behind her and plunges the short sword in, then, with his skill with the dagger, he makes an attack with it as part of his first attack with the Nick ability. This plunges deep within her. He pulls out the knife and sinks it in again, growling as he does so, eyes full of fury at the murder that he witnessed inside her hovel.
Movement : sneaks out of the house and flanks her from behind Dealuri.
Action : Short sword attack : 18 to hit, for 9 points of piercing damage. With the dagger in his off hand, he makes an attack as part of that action due to his Nick mastery, (Crit!) 26 to hit, for 10 points of piercing damage.
With his off hand, he attacks again with the Dagger : 19 to hit for 1 point of piercing damage.
Additional Sneak attack damage : 2
Total damage : 22 points
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Dealuri initiative 11
The shrieking of the scarecrows and the attacks of her companions explain to Dealuri the dangerous situation she is in better than any words could do so. So after Thannandol cast his spell and while the thunder is still ringing in everyone's ears, she swings with her war pick at the hag (attack 20, damage 7, hag has Disadvantage on her next attack roll from SAP), yelling "How dare you remind me of my dear old aunt!"
OOC: Am on the road for the next few hours. Will put my turn in here, and, DM, please action as you see fit, depending on what happens before it...
Presuming Skritch has not been incapacitated by the Hellhag...
Skritch looks at the Hagwitch with one eye. Then with the other. Then back to the first eye, to make sure. Sure, she's taken a bit of a beating. At least, that's what she's thinking. He thinks. That's what he thinks she's thinking.
His face makes a little snarl, which, in Skritch's mind, looks particularly fierce... He lifts his club and bonus action Shillelaghs it. It glows, ever so slightly, a lovely, pulsing hazelnut colour.
He moves 10' to 15' to flank her (if that's a thing in your game). And he shows her what a beating actually looks like (hopefully...!), using Booming Blade to smack ferociously at her ankles. Or her head, if she's on the ground.
If flanking is a thing in this world Skritch rolls: Attack: 20 Damage: 11
If it's not, he rolls: Attack: 25 Damage: 19
Then, if the shewitch moves on her turn she'll, take a d8 of extra damage from the Booming Blade, which will be: 1)
Then Skritch scampers back 10 or 15' from her in a clever zig zag kind of a way (depending on how much of his 25' movement he still has left) and then faces her, at the ready.
Rachus you launch your mote of light at the old woman striking her on the shoulder. The radiant light causes her to flinch back and as it gathers around the wound emitting an eery glow. The woman screams with rage, trying and failing to swipe the light away with her shadow wreathed palms.
Thannadol (12 will miss) you launch your chromatic orb toward the woman as she tries to bat away the radiant light from her shoulder, but the shadows that snake around her coalesce into a wall of darkness preventing your attack from getting through. With a thunderous roar your spell dissipates against her defences.
Vakas (Fantastic) you sneak forward as the magical attacks of your companions slam into the woman. Weapons out you make your bloody attacks, each one drawing out congealed strings of blackened blood. Whisps of shadow stream from the gaping wounds you have left in her sagging flesh.
Dealuri your war pick smashes down into the heart of the radiant glow, which still emits from her shoulder. It severs the thumb from her right hand which was working to drive away the unwanted spell. Black ichor spurts from the wounded hand and shoulder spraying the front of your tunic as she screams in agony. For a moment you struggle to free your weapon where it has lodged itself in her clavicle.
The woman snarls and grasps your forearm Dealuri with her blood soaked hand. Make a wisdom saving throw DC 15 (With ADV from the bards song) or take 6 necrotic damage, on a save take half. Vakas, standing behind the woman you see those gaping wounds begin to knit together and close as her flesh begins to heal.
Skritch (11 will miss) you race in with your booming blade attack but again the woman's shadowed defences seem to gather and deflect you strike causing it to slam harmlessly into the air near her shins. Frustrated you make your retreat.
Dealuri make your save and then top of the round Rachus you are back up!
DM - Warlock of Firetop Mountain
Skritch weaves, he ducks, he watches, he waits his turn...