Erik Soong's Call of the Netherdeep

"The greater good Morgan." Ylis smile sympathetically at her friend, "What I do now can help feed this city for a year. A YEAR Morgan."

"Why are we here? To save the world. No sense saving it if the people starve. Even Ayo would tell me to do this."

She presses her thumb and index finger together "This amount of time," then spreads her arms apart as far as they can go, "This amount of results."

As she walks away she says, "Living is for today, dying is for tomorrow. So stay alive today and I'll die with you tomorrow."

Morgan sighs.
"It's the dragon-and-the-egg dilemma all over again, isn't it? If demons don't kill everyone first, people will still need something to eat, I suppose."

He glances at the faces arround.
"And if they do... well, I hope there are some vegetarian demons around, or all this gardening is going to be a terrible waste."

He turns back to Foghome.
"Any chance we get to have that chat with you-know-who before we leave? Or is that part of this whole plant-growing process? Because I'm actually conf—"

Morgan stops mid-sentence. He has just noticed Jacaranda calmly heading toward Betrayers' Rise on her own. With a look of quiet surrender, he closes his mouth.

Quote from Wysperra >>

"The greater good Morgan." Ylis smile sympathetically at her friend, "What I do now can help feed this city for a year. A YEAR Morgan."

"Why are we here? To save the world. No sense saving it if the people starve. Even Ayo would tell me to do this."

She presses her thumb and index finger together "This amount of time," then spreads her arms apart as far as they can go, "This amount of results."

 

Frekor looks at Ylis showing that he doesn't like what she is staying. "I don't know Ayo that well, but I don't think she would let her friends go to the Betrayer's Rise with someone that is dangerus so that she could take 8 hours to help grow food that will help the town, knowing that she could do that after saving her friends." says before sighing. "But then again, you know her better than me... So you can stay helping Foghome, have the 'conversation' with his god and you tell us everything that we need to know when we come back" adds without being mean to Ylis.

DM: It seems that the decision is that Ylis will be staying at the temple for the next 8 hours to perform a ritual while the party heads to Betrayer's Rise. 

Foghome seems to appreciate Nivi's familiar conversation and seems disappointed when it fades. He then holds his hands out helplessly as Morgan begins his request, only to stop himself as he notices Randa setting off on her own. 

Presumably, the rest of the party says their goodbyes and chases after the determined Randa. 

It is a long walk, up a steady incline. After a while, even the fantastically in-shape heroes begin to feel their calves burning from the effort. The city itself is built into the base of a small mountain and Betrayer's Rise stands at its peak, wedged into the base of several taller, jagged peaks. 

Betrayer's Rise as seen from the gates to the city:

The smell of soot fills the party's nose; another round of warriors and citizens being loaded into the Crematorium. All but Frekor, a natural survivalist and outdoorsman, are beginning to perspire long before they reach the stairs to Betrayer's Rise. It is right when they are approaching the Crematorium that fresh ash begins to fall, coating them once again in the ashes of the fallen people of this pained city. The smell of the ash, much stronger now that it falls on you, creates a bitter taste in your mouth. Only Nivi and Frekor notice a cloaked figure just behind a building on the south side of the road: A drow both had seen for the first time only a few days ago now just after he murdered a man he was shaking down in an alley.

The drow shows a rather rude gesture to them both. A taunt. Nivi's training would send blaring red flags ringing out into her head about this time that this is a mere distraction when she notices a tiny ball rolling to a stop just in front of the party. It explodes into a bluish gas. Before the party is enveloped in the cloud, Frekor sees the Drow flash an infuriatingly smug grin at him. 

DM: Everyone roll a Constitution Saving Throw please, DC 15. 

NOTE: The party all gain +2 to their Saving Throws due to Sky's Aura.
(I assume everyone is within 10' of Sky.)

CON save: 21 (16+5)

Randa Con Save- DC 15- 16

Morgan: nat 1

Heroic inspiration: 19 (+ Sky's 2): 21

Nivi's CON Save:  13 + 2 from Sky's Aura of Protection = 15 (success, barely)

(Frekor's Con Save: 10, 5+3+2.  Heroic inspiration: 11, 6+3+2. Failure.)

Frekor is the only one affected by the bluish gas. Everything he sees is doubled, his senses begin to lie to him, and his balance is well off. Additionally, his mind begins to fog.

DM: Mechanically, Frekor has Disadvantage on all Attacks, Checks, and Saving Throws for the time being. 

The drow clasp agent, seeing that the gas ball failed to make enough people woozy, curses. He has several more balls remaining on his belt. He reaches out, pulling one off like a grape, then he twists a knob on the one in his hand. It vibrates and he registers shock on his face as it explodes in his hand. Using these items apparently carries some risk. Fortunately for him (and my narrative), he shakes off the effects and flees behind the building. 

Randa turns and fires a shaft which disappears in a flicker of light as it impacts the brickwork.

Her lip curls in annoyance as she puts a steadying hand on Frekors shoulder.

Sky shakes a fist at the retreating figure.

"Stay away from us and you won't see me angry!" he says.  "I don't like to get angry!

Nivi wants nothing more than to dash after their assailant, but she is wary of the obvious setup for a trap or ambush.

"Classic," she drawls with her Tal'Dorei lilt.  "Passing gas in public and bailing.  Least the stinky demon in the sewers stuck around for the aftermath."

Muttering a few words in Elvish and waggling her off hand, she summons her pale green protective Blade Ward.  Then takes a few steps, not directly into the alley into which the Clasp thug disappeared, but laterally along the main road to peek down it and other alleys.  She also turns in a slow 360, looking for signs of movement or eyes on the rooftops or windows, mentally calling for Shiv to do the same.

(Unfortunately, her owl familiar seems distracted up at the rooftop level, having beat a hasty retreat to avoid the effects of the gas bomb.)

Nivi's Perception:  15 (Passive:  19, 60' darkvision)
Shiv's Perception:  8 (Passive:  15, 120' darkvision)

Quote from Erik_Soong >>

Frekor is the only one affected by the bluish gas. Everything he sees is doubled, his senses begin to lie to him, and his balance is well off. Additionally, his mind begins to fog.

DM: Mechanically, Frekor has Disadvantage on all Attacks, Checks, and Saving Throws for the time being. 

Frekor, unable to react fast enough is enveloped by the gas. "What the fu-?!" manages to say before the bomb explode. he runs away from the smoke and starts coughing and after regaining his breath looks around, only to se twice as many people and things around him. "Wow... I'm not feeling good. That son of a ***** got me with that blue gas."

OOC: If there's enough time to react, Morgan would like to try to slow him down with Ray of Frost.

(Attack: 17 to hit. Damage: 15 cold.)

DM:

@Morgan: I would like to avoid forcing Initiative when the drow is already in flight because it will stop the scene, but I will say that you hit him.

@Nivi: The caution is wise, but also gives the drow murderer the chance to flee the scene. Neither she or Shiv catch any sight of the criminal. 

DM: Heroes DO things, so what are you guys doing? 

Not having the faintest clue who the guy is, Morgan reacts on pure instinct when the stranger hurls poison at them, firing a Ray of Frost in an attempt to slow him down.

But once the spell is cast, any thought of pursuit immediately vanishes.

The whole situation is screaming trap.

Morgan quickly ducks behind whatever cover he can find, eyes darting across rooftops, windows, alleyways, and shadows, expecting more attackers to reveal themselves at any moment. If he notices Frekor struggling or exposed, he grabs him by the arm and drags him into cover alongside him.

"Who the freaking **** was that guy?" he hisses.

His gaze keeps sweeping the surroundings, waiting for the second attack he is convinced is coming.