The safety boats come back with an exhausted red-fur-covered goblin, who pants and gags. "He got himself a belly full of river/sea water. Probably is okay but would be good to get him a bit of drinking water, just to be sure." One of the safety staff says as they help him to the docks. He looks up at Ylis with an apologetic expression. "I lost your friend's sticker."
As the genasi swims out and to the right of Joy, a striped reef shark comes at Joy from the left. Joy is unaware, but as the shark moves in, the human woman bellows a warning. "Hey! Watch out!" She then looks around warily and sees the shark coming for her. She readies herself for the shark looking for an easy meal.
"Huh?" The human's warning manages to grab Joy's attention and she quickly looks around, giving a cry of surprise when she spots the shark coming her way. Suddenly feeling even more motivated, she swims hard to the south, hurriedly saying a prayer of protection. With the shield in place she feels a bit less panicked and readies herself to grab the shark or the genasi, whichever comes in range first.
Vazo'yn watches intently from the shoreline, clearly worried for Joy and the other contestants, but keenly aware of the rules and not wanting to interfere unnecessarily. He will be ready to help should anyone call for aid or if the situation gets particularly dire. His watchful gaze follows Joy, while glancing to the others occasionally.
DM: Without a swim speed, Joy can only move 15ft in water, as the cost of movement is doubled in water. You can use a Dash Action, but I imagine you would rather keep your actions as listed so I will move it along as written.
IC: The genasi sees Joy move to position to try to take the spear and she grins with anticipation. She demonstrates her agility in the water, easily arcing and curving in the water to show that she could outmaneuver and outrace Joy if she ever wanted to. If this were a simple race alone, Joy would stand no chance at all and that much is clear. This competition is not just about racing alone and Joy could potentially benefit from the genasi's understanding and excitement of this fact. She swims right for Joy, intending to swim past her, intending to slip right through her range. "Let's see what you got!"
DM: The genasi has triggered your readied action. She is using her Action to Dodge however, so you will roll your Grapple Action with Disadvantage. Alternatively, because you were not aware of this option, I will allow you to go for the spear itself, which mechanically speaking, does not enjoy the benefits of the Dodge Action; the specific rules in this contest state that taking the spear from any contestant is a simple Strength Check, DC 12, even if someone wants to take it from you. I will let you choose which option you will take here.
Omo watches from an elevated perch that puts him at about eye level with most of the bystanders. He glances at the Fellowship before turning his gaze back to the competition. "You know, that girl out there, the genasi? I have seen her here every year for this competition for... the last 10 years or so. I don't run it every year but I always work it. She never competed before, just sat on the docks and watched. I just figured she was afraid of the water, you know? Looking at her now, it seems silly that I thought that. It's kind of funny how things in the world so often turn out to be different in truth than what we initially think of them, isn't it?" He glances back at the Fellowship to see if they were listening at all.
Joy blinks in surprise at the genasi’s gleeful taunt, momentarily thrown by how much fun the woman seems to be having in the middle of such a grueling challenge. Her laugh bubbles up almost unbidden—she can afford to be carefree, Joy thinks, watching the way the genasi glides through the churning water like it’s second nature. But then her expression hardens with quiet resolve; the rules said nothing about how fast. Just who ends up with the spear.
As the genasi tries to dart past, Joy’s tired muscles respond on instinct. With a grin of her own, she twists with surprising agility for someone in chainmail, her shoulder dipping just enough to pivot her body into the woman’s path. One arm snakes out—not to strike, but to grab at the weapon.
The genasi's momentum carries her past Joy, but Joy's hold on the spear is firm and she wrenches it from the hands of the genasi. As she sails past Joy, she is turned by Joy's pull and looks back to meet her eyes. Shock and disbelief apparent across her face. She grins at Joy and lowers her head as she prepares to take the spear back.
Meanwhile, the reef shark that had initially been probing around Joy turns toward the human woman who is facing down one of the sharks already. Both take probing bites at her. The one she is facing swims in and nips at her, but the human woman pushes the shark away. This leaves her back to the other shark however, which bites at her shoulder (7 points of piercing damage). She cries out at the bite. "AHH! It bit me! That... that hurts!"
Her shoulder can be seen bleeding noticeably in the water. The human uses her borrowed sword and slashes at one of the sharks, cutting it lengthwise halfway down the body (8 points of slashing damage). It wiggles hard to put distance between them but circles back around.
DM: Joy, it is your turn again. You do not have the speed to make it to the nearest shark in melee, as it is 30ft from you.
Joy’s breath catches as she hears the human woman cry out in pain, her voice sharp and real amid the rush of blood and water. The contest, the grin of the genasi, the spear in her hands—everything else falls away in that moment. Instinct kicks in. With barely a word, she invokes the spell under her breath.
Water surges past her as she kicks hard, chainmail dragging but her divine speed propelling her faster than should be possible. “Hold on!” she calls, the spear clutched tightly in both hands. She closes the distance and drives the spear forward, aiming for the nearest shark with all the force she can muster, but her exhaustion makes it difficult to land a hit.
DM: We can't hide Verbal Components without a Feature or some other ability that can mask it per the rules of Casting Verbal Components. Expeditious Retreat was heard if your intention was to mask it.
Joy swims away in a burst of speed that leaves the genasi's mouth agape. She blinks hard, stupefied by the sudden magical performance. She quickly regains her composure though and grits her teeth. She plows through the water with a speed to match Joy's. It almost seems like the genasi will try to take the spear back from Joy, but she swims past her and punches the reef shark hard in the nose (her second crit so far! This girl is fire!). The already injured shark is knocked aside by the force and when it regains its senses, immediately flees. "They hate that." She barks at Joy.
DM: I am assuming you will allow it to flee, but happy to edit if you want to take your Opportunity Attack.
The other shark swims around and attempts to nip at the genasi. She manages to get her arm up in time and it snaps her forearm clumsily (6 piercing damage) before swimming back and around. The genasi grunts against the pain but takes the Opportunity to punch at the shark while it bites down on her arm. However, the shark releases her and her punch pummels uselessly against the thick hide of the reef shark. The shark circles around to inspect Joy threateningly. While this happens, the woman slashes against it with her sword. The blade isn't quite as effective on this attack, as the blow was mostly made in desperation (3 slashing damage).
Randa keeps her aim on the shark.......but no one has asked for assistance yet.......she holds letting the latent magics inherent in the old bow infuse her and the shaft....
Held Action- Attack shark but only if someone explicitly asks for help- Attack: 18 Damage: 7
Banishing Arrow- A creature hit by your arrow must also succeed on a CHA saving throw (DC 9) or be banished. While banished, the target’s speed is 0, and it is incapacitated. At the end of its next turn, the target reappears in the space it vacated or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.
((No problem, Joy wasn't thinking about hiding it.))
Joy doesn't hesitate. With a sharp breath and a flicker of gratitude toward the genasi, she shifts her grip on the spear and drives her fist forward, but it's another frustrating miss. She immediately turns her attention to the bleeding human instead, reaching out with her free hand and placing it gently on the woman’s wounded shoulder. Divine warmth floods through her palm as she channels Lay on Hands, knitting flesh and numbing pain.
Action: Unarmed Strike to hit 9
Bonus Action: Lay on Hands on human for +8 hp
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep| Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep| Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia| Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA| Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren| Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron| Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault| Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor | Cassian - Human Guardian Paladin - Dragonlance |
The woman's shoulder stops bleeding and the wounds close, not so much as even leaving a scar. The genasi sees the healing and nods. She performs a short series of gestures and arcane utterances and casts Animal Friendship. The shark dips under the water and can be seen zipping away.
DM: Combat ended.
The genasi treads water and laughs. The human woman looks confused for a moment, but then also begins laughing.
Joy lets out a deep sigh of relief as the last shark darts away, tension draining from her shoulders. The sound of laughter ripples through the water around her, and after a beat, she joins in—bubbling up from her chest into a bright, surprised laugh. “This race is completely irresponsible,” she says between chuckles, “but…I’ll admit, it’s pretty fun.”She grins at the others, then turns toward the dock, lifting the spear slightly. “I may be slow, but I’m not giving this up easily.”With that, she drops her concentration on Expeditious Retreat and begins swimming steadily back.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep| Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep| Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia| Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA| Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren| Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron| Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault| Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor | Cassian - Human Guardian Paladin - Dragonlance |
The genasi and human woman share a knowing look and then rush after Joy. The human woman is closest and makes to grab at the spear. To her credit, she manages to get her mighty hands on the spear (Strength Check 9), but Joy is able to wrestle it from her grip and keep going. The genasi woman tries a different approach. She disappears under the water from behind, then surfaces up from underneath Joy, where she uses the leverage of her superhuman momentum to help her pull it free from Joy's hands (Strength Check 14).
The speed at which she leaves the water allows her to soar through the air like a dolphin, and she twists around to look behind her with a smug smile and wave of her free hand before dipping back into the water in another reentry without a splash. She tears through the rushing water at twice the speed Joy is able to travel under her own power.
DM: Because the current is now with you, you are traveling at great speed back toward the docks. You have time only for the option to use your Bonus Action to cast Expeditious Retreat to give you one last try to take the spear back with your Action. Or some other single-round solution. Otherwise, the gap will be too great and the genasi will win.
Joy lets out a breathy laugh, watching the genasi arc through the air like some kind of gleeful sea spirit, the spear now in her grasp. “Show-off…” she mutters with a fond pout, brushing wet hair back from her face. For a moment, she’s tempted—so tempted—to call on her magic again, to rocket forward and steal the prize back. But no. That would cheapen it. She smiles, shaking her head as she continues swimming at her steady pace. If it’s to protect someone, I won’t hesitate. But for a game? Let her have it. She only hopes Ylis and the others won’t be too disappointed she didn’t fight to the bitter end. As she strokes through the water, her eyes stay on the genasi ahead—grinning despite herself.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep| Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep| Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia| Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA| Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren| Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron| Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault| Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor | Cassian - Human Guardian Paladin - Dragonlance |
Riven stands near the edge of the pier, the wind tugging gently at the edges of his cloak. His eyes track the genasi as she bursts from the water with the spear in hand, victorious. His expression doesn’t sour, if anything, it softens.
He looks down at the water where Joy still swims, determined and steady, and then out toward the genasi with her prize. A small, tired smile pulls at the edge of his mouth.
“She earned it,” he says simply.
Then, with a glance toward the others, his voice drops to just above a whisper. “And Joy didn’t lose. Not the way that counts.”
Indeed. The genasi does one final plunge underwater, then comes up out of the water with such force, it carries her over the algae-covered wooden ladder and onto the pier itself. She lands on bent knees to absorb her momentum, does a single hop, then turns to see how far the others are behind her. Then she walks victoriously toward Omo, holding the spear up like a trophy. Before she can get there, however, the lanky orc who had seemingly disappeared has taken issue with being so easily forgotten. He leaps from the crowd to take the spear, for as the rules state, once they are official contestants, they need only give the spear to Omo.
As he leaps forward, the genasi dodges out of the way with practiced litheness, then pushes the lanky orc off the pier into the water next to Joy, who by this time is just reaching the ladder. A twice-defeated cry escapes his lips as he falls to the water below, landing with a giant splash next to Joy as she begins to hoist herself up. She manages to see the genasi exchange the spear for a piece of frosted sea glass in the shape of a conch shell, which dangles from a leather string. The genasi holds it up for everyone, who begins cheering.
Joy, the powerful woman, and the lanky orc stand on the pier dripping, each finding their way to their respective groups.
DM: Fellowship, how do you congratulate Joy for her own kind of victory?
The safety boats come back with an exhausted red-fur-covered goblin, who pants and gags. "He got himself a belly full of river/sea water. Probably is okay but would be good to get him a bit of drinking water, just to be sure." One of the safety staff says as they help him to the docks. He looks up at Ylis with an apologetic expression. "I lost your friend's sticker."
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Ylis pats the goblin on the shoulder and says, "That's ok, you gave it a good effort!"
"Go get some rest buddy, I'll tell Joy you lost the poker, she'll probably be ok with it."
OOC: Ylis will inform Joy about the loss. Just in case the player forgets to mention it later.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
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"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
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As the genasi swims out and to the right of Joy, a striped reef shark comes at Joy from the left. Joy is unaware, but as the shark moves in, the human woman bellows a warning. "Hey! Watch out!" She then looks around warily and sees the shark coming for her. She readies herself for the shark looking for an easy meal.
Initiative order:
Genasi
Sharks
Human woman
Joy
DM: Joy, it is your turn.
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"Huh?" The human's warning manages to grab Joy's attention and she quickly looks around, giving a cry of surprise when she spots the shark coming her way. Suddenly feeling even more motivated, she swims hard to the south, hurriedly saying a prayer of protection. With the shield in place she feels a bit less panicked and readies herself to grab the shark or the genasi, whichever comes in range first.
Movement: 20 ft south
Bonus action: shield of faith, bringing AC to 18
Ready action: grapple genasi or shark if one gets close enough. Strength or dex DC 14.
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor | Cassian - Human Guardian Paladin - Dragonlance |
Vazo'yn watches intently from the shoreline, clearly worried for Joy and the other contestants, but keenly aware of the rules and not wanting to interfere unnecessarily. He will be ready to help should anyone call for aid or if the situation gets particularly dire. His watchful gaze follows Joy, while glancing to the others occasionally.
DM: Without a swim speed, Joy can only move 15ft in water, as the cost of movement is doubled in water. You can use a Dash Action, but I imagine you would rather keep your actions as listed so I will move it along as written.
IC: The genasi sees Joy move to position to try to take the spear and she grins with anticipation. She demonstrates her agility in the water, easily arcing and curving in the water to show that she could outmaneuver and outrace Joy if she ever wanted to. If this were a simple race alone, Joy would stand no chance at all and that much is clear. This competition is not just about racing alone and Joy could potentially benefit from the genasi's understanding and excitement of this fact. She swims right for Joy, intending to swim past her, intending to slip right through her range. "Let's see what you got!"
DM: The genasi has triggered your readied action. She is using her Action to Dodge however, so you will roll your Grapple Action with Disadvantage. Alternatively, because you were not aware of this option, I will allow you to go for the spear itself, which mechanically speaking, does not enjoy the benefits of the Dodge Action; the specific rules in this contest state that taking the spear from any contestant is a simple Strength Check, DC 12, even if someone wants to take it from you. I will let you choose which option you will take here.
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Omo watches from an elevated perch that puts him at about eye level with most of the bystanders. He glances at the Fellowship before turning his gaze back to the competition. "You know, that girl out there, the genasi? I have seen her here every year for this competition for... the last 10 years or so. I don't run it every year but I always work it. She never competed before, just sat on the docks and watched. I just figured she was afraid of the water, you know? Looking at her now, it seems silly that I thought that. It's kind of funny how things in the world so often turn out to be different in truth than what we initially think of them, isn't it?" He glances back at the Fellowship to see if they were listening at all.
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Joy blinks in surprise at the genasi’s gleeful taunt, momentarily thrown by how much fun the woman seems to be having in the middle of such a grueling challenge. Her laugh bubbles up almost unbidden—she can afford to be carefree, Joy thinks, watching the way the genasi glides through the churning water like it’s second nature. But then her expression hardens with quiet resolve; the rules said nothing about how fast. Just who ends up with the spear.
As the genasi tries to dart past, Joy’s tired muscles respond on instinct. With a grin of her own, she twists with surprising agility for someone in chainmail, her shoulder dipping just enough to pivot her body into the woman’s path. One arm snakes out—not to strike, but to grab at the weapon.
Strength check: 15-2 exhaustion= 13
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor | Cassian - Human Guardian Paladin - Dragonlance |
The genasi's momentum carries her past Joy, but Joy's hold on the spear is firm and she wrenches it from the hands of the genasi. As she sails past Joy, she is turned by Joy's pull and looks back to meet her eyes. Shock and disbelief apparent across her face. She grins at Joy and lowers her head as she prepares to take the spear back.
Meanwhile, the reef shark that had initially been probing around Joy turns toward the human woman who is facing down one of the sharks already. Both take probing bites at her. The one she is facing swims in and nips at her, but the human woman pushes the shark away. This leaves her back to the other shark however, which bites at her shoulder (7 points of piercing damage). She cries out at the bite. "AHH! It bit me! That... that hurts!"
Her shoulder can be seen bleeding noticeably in the water. The human uses her borrowed sword and slashes at one of the sharks, cutting it lengthwise halfway down the body (8 points of slashing damage). It wiggles hard to put distance between them but circles back around.
DM: Joy, it is your turn again. You do not have the speed to make it to the nearest shark in melee, as it is 30ft from you.
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Joy’s breath catches as she hears the human woman cry out in pain, her voice sharp and real amid the rush of blood and water. The contest, the grin of the genasi, the spear in her hands—everything else falls away in that moment. Instinct kicks in. With barely a word, she invokes the spell under her breath.
Water surges past her as she kicks hard, chainmail dragging but her divine speed propelling her faster than should be possible. “Hold on!” she calls, the spear clutched tightly in both hands. She closes the distance and drives the spear forward, aiming for the nearest shark with all the force she can muster, but her exhaustion makes it difficult to land a hit.
Bonus Action: expeditious retreat
Action: Spear to hit 6
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor | Cassian - Human Guardian Paladin - Dragonlance |
DM: We can't hide Verbal Components without a Feature or some other ability that can mask it per the rules of Casting Verbal Components. Expeditious Retreat was heard if your intention was to mask it.
Joy swims away in a burst of speed that leaves the genasi's mouth agape. She blinks hard, stupefied by the sudden magical performance. She quickly regains her composure though and grits her teeth. She plows through the water with a speed to match Joy's. It almost seems like the genasi will try to take the spear back from Joy, but she swims past her and punches the reef shark hard in the nose (her second crit so far! This girl is fire!). The already injured shark is knocked aside by the force and when it regains its senses, immediately flees. "They hate that." She barks at Joy.
DM: I am assuming you will allow it to flee, but happy to edit if you want to take your Opportunity Attack.
The other shark swims around and attempts to nip at the genasi. She manages to get her arm up in time and it snaps her forearm clumsily (6 piercing damage) before swimming back and around. The genasi grunts against the pain but takes the Opportunity to punch at the shark while it bites down on her arm. However, the shark releases her and her punch pummels uselessly against the thick hide of the reef shark. The shark circles around to inspect Joy threateningly. While this happens, the woman slashes against it with her sword. The blade isn't quite as effective on this attack, as the blow was mostly made in desperation (3 slashing damage).
DM: Joy, it is your turn again!
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Randa keeps her aim on the shark.......but no one has asked for assistance yet.......she holds letting the latent magics inherent in the old bow infuse her and the shaft....
Held Action- Attack shark but only if someone explicitly asks for help- Attack: 18 Damage: 7
((No problem, Joy wasn't thinking about hiding it.))
Joy doesn't hesitate. With a sharp breath and a flicker of gratitude toward the genasi, she shifts her grip on the spear and drives her fist forward, but it's another frustrating miss. She immediately turns her attention to the bleeding human instead, reaching out with her free hand and placing it gently on the woman’s wounded shoulder. Divine warmth floods through her palm as she channels Lay on Hands, knitting flesh and numbing pain.
Action: Unarmed Strike to hit 9
Bonus Action: Lay on Hands on human for +8 hp
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor | Cassian - Human Guardian Paladin - Dragonlance |
The woman's shoulder stops bleeding and the wounds close, not so much as even leaving a scar. The genasi sees the healing and nods. She performs a short series of gestures and arcane utterances and casts Animal Friendship. The shark dips under the water and can be seen zipping away.
DM: Combat ended.
The genasi treads water and laughs. The human woman looks confused for a moment, but then also begins laughing.
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Omo squints his eyes at the sight and shrugs his shoulders. "Strangest race I ever saw."
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Joy lets out a deep sigh of relief as the last shark darts away, tension draining from her shoulders. The sound of laughter ripples through the water around her, and after a beat, she joins in—bubbling up from her chest into a bright, surprised laugh. “This race is completely irresponsible,” she says between chuckles, “but…I’ll admit, it’s pretty fun.” She grins at the others, then turns toward the dock, lifting the spear slightly. “I may be slow, but I’m not giving this up easily.” With that, she drops her concentration on Expeditious Retreat and begins swimming steadily back.
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor | Cassian - Human Guardian Paladin - Dragonlance |
The genasi and human woman share a knowing look and then rush after Joy. The human woman is closest and makes to grab at the spear. To her credit, she manages to get her mighty hands on the spear (Strength Check 9), but Joy is able to wrestle it from her grip and keep going. The genasi woman tries a different approach. She disappears under the water from behind, then surfaces up from underneath Joy, where she uses the leverage of her superhuman momentum to help her pull it free from Joy's hands (Strength Check 14).
The speed at which she leaves the water allows her to soar through the air like a dolphin, and she twists around to look behind her with a smug smile and wave of her free hand before dipping back into the water in another reentry without a splash. She tears through the rushing water at twice the speed Joy is able to travel under her own power.
DM: Because the current is now with you, you are traveling at great speed back toward the docks. You have time only for the option to use your Bonus Action to cast Expeditious Retreat to give you one last try to take the spear back with your Action. Or some other single-round solution. Otherwise, the gap will be too great and the genasi will win.
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Joy lets out a breathy laugh, watching the genasi arc through the air like some kind of gleeful sea spirit, the spear now in her grasp. “Show-off…” she mutters with a fond pout, brushing wet hair back from her face. For a moment, she’s tempted—so tempted—to call on her magic again, to rocket forward and steal the prize back. But no. That would cheapen it. She smiles, shaking her head as she continues swimming at her steady pace. If it’s to protect someone, I won’t hesitate. But for a game? Let her have it. She only hopes Ylis and the others won’t be too disappointed she didn’t fight to the bitter end. As she strokes through the water, her eyes stay on the genasi ahead—grinning despite herself.
| Joy - Hexblood Open Sea Paladin - Netherdeep | Kaelen - Shadar-kai Gloom Stalker Ranger - Old Keep | Lira - Half-elf Thief Rogue/Druid - Allansia | Arkon - Goliath Champion Fighter - Hardcore DiA | Teryn - High Elf Archfey Warlock - Runewarren | Zoveldra - Kalashtar Open Hand Monk - Eberron | Mavilius - Tiefling Eloquence Bard - Golden Vault | Vannithos - Shadar-kai Astral Self Monk - Von Nichts Manor | Cassian - Human Guardian Paladin - Dragonlance |
Riven stands near the edge of the pier, the wind tugging gently at the edges of his cloak. His eyes track the genasi as she bursts from the water with the spear in hand, victorious. His expression doesn’t sour, if anything, it softens.
He looks down at the water where Joy still swims, determined and steady, and then out toward the genasi with her prize. A small, tired smile pulls at the edge of his mouth.
“She earned it,” he says simply.
Then, with a glance toward the others, his voice drops to just above a whisper. “And Joy didn’t lose. Not the way that counts.”
Indeed. The genasi does one final plunge underwater, then comes up out of the water with such force, it carries her over the algae-covered wooden ladder and onto the pier itself. She lands on bent knees to absorb her momentum, does a single hop, then turns to see how far the others are behind her. Then she walks victoriously toward Omo, holding the spear up like a trophy. Before she can get there, however, the lanky orc who had seemingly disappeared has taken issue with being so easily forgotten. He leaps from the crowd to take the spear, for as the rules state, once they are official contestants, they need only give the spear to Omo.
As he leaps forward, the genasi dodges out of the way with practiced litheness, then pushes the lanky orc off the pier into the water next to Joy, who by this time is just reaching the ladder. A twice-defeated cry escapes his lips as he falls to the water below, landing with a giant splash next to Joy as she begins to hoist herself up. She manages to see the genasi exchange the spear for a piece of frosted sea glass in the shape of a conch shell, which dangles from a leather string. The genasi holds it up for everyone, who begins cheering.
Joy, the powerful woman, and the lanky orc stand on the pier dripping, each finding their way to their respective groups.
DM: Fellowship, how do you congratulate Joy for her own kind of victory?
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
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Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
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