Ardwynn looks at her companions, "Is it a magical chalice or shiny cheese for a trap we may or may not have triggered just now? How fast can we find out so we can get off this island before nightfall?"
Barn's jaw drops open as Reg's invisible friend retrieves the chalice and it is a good thing he no longer needs to hold Smiling Jack over the edge of the gallery as he might have dropped his friend onto the waterlogged and unsafe floor below in his amazement.
Despite his awe, he is ready to continue the pursuit of Clotha, after first perhaps searching the island to ensure that Ned is not hiding here. But... something about this whole situation nags at him. This seemed almost too easy. Barn doesn't trust that Thomas the Wayfarer might not have made it to the island first and done some sort of trick. Is this even the real chalice? The big man's brow furrows.
He reaches out with his sixth sense as he had a few times yesterday, trying to sense any... holiness... from the chalice as Elen had led them to believe.
Barn uses Divine Sense while staring slack-jawed at the chalice: (holy object-related parts bolded, though obviously the other parts apply too) The presence of strong evil registers on your senses like a noxious odor, and powerful good rings like heavenly music in your ears. As an action, you can open your awareness to detect such forces. Until the end of your next turn, you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type (celestial, fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you sense, but not its identity. Within the same radius, you also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the hallow spell.
Barn-
Barn stares at the chalice for some time........and understanding begins to come to him.....though he knows not where from....
The chalice is made of silver.......no.......it is plated with silver....the decorations on the silver plate seem to depict a modestly dressed woman at prayer with an inscription in what might be Bacchile that he thought might mention Saint Christina...but his other 'sight' saw deeper....beneath the silver was a beaten copper cup....much more simple in design and at its core was a fingerbone wrapped in long red hair.
He 'knew' that water placed within the chalice would become sacred overnight.....and that restless souls and restless corpses were unable to bear to approach it.....
He saw a brief vision of a red headed woman in a long white dress carrying a cauldron with a serpent draped about her shoulders....she raised her head to look at him and when their eyes met he stumbled back as if struck.....
The companions made their way swiftly back through the ruins toward the boat, nothing dogged their steps but they often felt eyes upon them though there was nothing to be seen, and began preparing it to depart, pulling it around the shore to the south side of the island......the sun had truly risen by now and was steadily marching towards mid-sky.
The companions got the boat underway and the still slightly dazed Barn began poling for the far shore...
There is a earthen landing stage on the far side of the river with drag marks showing where the boat has been pulled up before.
Beyond this is a clearing fringed by a dark ring of oak trees. As you disembark you hear a dreadful howling and then the crashing of undergrowth under the weight of many bodies. A split second later, a pack of wolves breaks cover and heads towards you, moving at breakneck speed.
Ardwynn, Caelan, Jack and Reg-
Almost immediately you spy that these are not the wolves you have observed before in the wilds.....their tongues and gums are too red, their eyes glow with a green light, their teeth and claws are long, too long, and jagged in a way that makes no sense for a natural creature.....their fur is dark and glossy and shimmers like oil on deep water......
Wolves would not approach, let alone attack such a large group of people....not outside of sickness or true desperation at mid-winter...this is...wrong....
Smiling Jack, Barn-
Wolves! Exactly as you pictured them in the tales told around the fire.....hungry, relentless hungers....red of maw with white flashing teeth and dark hooked claws....driven by a hunger for blood....
( Roll Initiative and if you beat a 12 you may act. The nearest Wolf is 30' away bursting thought the treeline, the furthest you can see is 50' away. )
Barn stares at the chalice for a long moment and his eyes begin to un-focus. At one point, the big man mumbles uncertainly, "Saint Christina...?"
Suddenly he flinches hard as if kicked in the head. "I d-don't know what it is, b-but it's not a f-fake. Has some lady's f-finger bone in a copper cup b-beneath all the silver. Turns water h-holy overnight, maybe? S-so that's good. Only... only, I don't think she... I d-don't think she likes me."
(Chalice added to Barn's inventory unless someone else would ask to keep it.)
(Across the river)
Barn's Initiative: 13
At the sight of the wolves, the big man hesitates for a split second, seeming reluctant to hurt what he thinks are simple forest beasts. But it is self-defense, and Barn's polearm training kicks in. The big man takes a few long strides forward before attacking twice with his reach weapon, then stepping back.
Movement: Barn advances 20' towards the nearest wolf (now 10' away), attacks with his halberd (10' reach), then steps back 5' to 15' away.
Action: Barn attacks the closest wolf (10' away) with the blade of his halberd: Halberd to hit: 9 Halberd damage: 12 (slashing)
Bonus Action: (Polearm Master bonus attack) Barn whips his weapon around to smash the closest wolf with the haft end of his halberd: Halberd haft (Polearm Master bonus attack) to hit: 19 Halberd haft (Polearm Master bonus attack) damage: 8 (bludgeoning)
Available Reaction: Barn makes a Polearm Master Attack of Opportunity if an enemy Enters his 10' reach, including the wolf he attacked if it steps forward at least 5' into his reach. Making rolls in advance IF such an AoO on entering range occurs: Halberd AoO (Polearm Master reaction) to hit: 15 Halberd AoO (Polearm Master reaction) damage: 14 (slashing - max)
Barn stares at the chalice for a long moment and his eyes begin to un-focus. At one point, the big man mumbles uncertainly, "Saint Christina...?"
Suddenly he flinches hard as if kicked in the head. "I d-don't know what it is, b-but it's not a f-fake. Has some lady's f-finger bone in a copper cup b-beneath all the silver. Turns water h-holy overnight, maybe? S-so that's good. Only... only, I don't think she... I d-don't think she likes me."
(Chalice added to Barn's inventory unless someone else would ask to keep it.)
Reg had examined the chalice when the wind walker brought it to him but apparently discerned nothing important about it. At the big man’s request for the item the trapper made a counter offer, “You can have the chalice for now, but I was interested in that scroll and gem you had obtained, the one from the leper. It goes with my research about the tower and its keeper. I’ll swap you for that.”
Initiative: 17
At the sight of the wolves, “Those aren’t a part of the natural world. Beware, their actions might be more unpredictable than expected.” Reg moves slightly and pulls another pinecone from a pouch and hurles it at a creature further back.
Movement: 10’ or so to the side for a clear line of sight to a wolf behind the first. Then back to be 30’ away from Barn/front line. Action: Cast Bonfire, Dex Save DC 12, 4 damage on fail. (Secondary effect is to create an obstacle; to either block other wolves from proceeding or cause them to use extra movement to get around.)
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Jack claps softly. That was different. Didn't expect the levitating cup trick!
He smiles and dusts off his hands.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Ardwynn looks at her companions, "Is it a magical chalice or shiny cheese for a trap we may or may not have triggered just now? How fast can we find out so we can get off this island before nightfall?"
Jack says, "I think we should leave right now. No sense sticking around."
He tries to drag the boat in vain.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Jack joins Jack to get the boat ready.
Barn-
Barn stares at the chalice for some time........and understanding begins to come to him.....though he knows not where from....
The chalice is made of silver.......no.......it is plated with silver....the decorations on the silver plate seem to depict a modestly dressed woman at prayer with an inscription in what might be Bacchile that he thought might mention Saint Christina...but his other 'sight' saw deeper....beneath the silver was a beaten copper cup....much more simple in design and at its core was a fingerbone wrapped in long red hair.
He 'knew' that water placed within the chalice would become sacred overnight.....and that restless souls and restless corpses were unable to bear to approach it.....
He saw a brief vision of a red headed woman in a long white dress carrying a cauldron with a serpent draped about her shoulders....she raised her head to look at him and when their eyes met he stumbled back as if struck.....
The companions made their way swiftly back through the ruins toward the boat, nothing dogged their steps but they often felt eyes upon them though there was nothing to be seen, and began preparing it to depart, pulling it around the shore to the south side of the island......the sun had truly risen by now and was steadily marching towards mid-sky.
The companions got the boat underway and the still slightly dazed Barn began poling for the far shore...
There is a earthen landing stage on the far side of the river with drag marks showing where the boat has been pulled up before.
Beyond this is a clearing fringed by a dark ring of oak trees. As you disembark you hear a dreadful howling and then the crashing of undergrowth under the weight of many bodies. A split second later, a pack of wolves breaks cover and heads towards you, moving at breakneck speed.
Ardwynn, Caelan, Jack and Reg-
Almost immediately you spy that these are not the wolves you have observed before in the wilds.....their tongues and gums are too red, their eyes glow with a green light, their teeth and claws are long, too long, and jagged in a way that makes no sense for a natural creature.....their fur is dark and glossy and shimmers like oil on deep water......
Wolves would not approach, let alone attack such a large group of people....not outside of sickness or true desperation at mid-winter...this is...wrong....
Smiling Jack, Barn-
Wolves! Exactly as you pictured them in the tales told around the fire.....hungry, relentless hungers....red of maw with white flashing teeth and dark hooked claws....driven by a hunger for blood....
( Roll Initiative and if you beat a 12 you may act. The nearest Wolf is 30' away bursting thought the treeline, the furthest you can see is 50' away. )
(At the Chapel)
Barn stares at the chalice for a long moment and his eyes begin to un-focus. At one point, the big man mumbles uncertainly, "Saint Christina...?"
Suddenly he flinches hard as if kicked in the head. "I d-don't know what it is, b-but it's not a f-fake. Has some lady's f-finger bone in a copper cup b-beneath all the silver. Turns water h-holy overnight, maybe? S-so that's good. Only... only, I don't think she... I d-don't think she likes me."
(Chalice added to Barn's inventory unless someone else would ask to keep it.)
(Across the river)
Barn's Initiative: 13
At the sight of the wolves, the big man hesitates for a split second, seeming reluctant to hurt what he thinks are simple forest beasts. But it is self-defense, and Barn's polearm training kicks in. The big man takes a few long strides forward before attacking twice with his reach weapon, then stepping back.
Movement: Barn advances 20' towards the nearest wolf (now 10' away), attacks with his halberd (10' reach), then steps back 5' to 15' away.
Action: Barn attacks the closest wolf (10' away) with the blade of his halberd:
Halberd to hit: 9
Halberd damage: 12 (slashing)
Bonus Action: (Polearm Master bonus attack) Barn whips his weapon around to smash the closest wolf with the haft end of his halberd:
Halberd haft (Polearm Master bonus attack) to hit: 19
Halberd haft (Polearm Master bonus attack) damage: 8 (bludgeoning)
Available Reaction: Barn makes a Polearm Master Attack of Opportunity if an enemy Enters his 10' reach, including the wolf he attacked if it steps forward at least 5' into his reach. Making rolls in advance IF such an AoO on entering range occurs:
Halberd AoO (Polearm Master reaction) to hit: 15
Halberd AoO (Polearm Master reaction) damage: 14 (slashing - max)
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Ardwynn: Initiative = 6 ** facepalm **
Jack Initiative 21
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
"Those do not look fluffy."
Jack closes to 20 feet of the same wolf Barn attacked. He pulls a dart and rubs it on his skin before flipping it at the wolf.
Attack: 9 Damage: 7 plus DC 12 CON save vs 2 poison damage.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Reg had examined the chalice when the wind walker brought it to him but apparently discerned nothing important about it. At the big man’s request for the item the trapper made a counter offer, “You can have the chalice for now, but I was interested in that scroll and gem you had obtained, the one from the leper. It goes with my research about the tower and its keeper. I’ll swap you for that.”
Initiative: 17
At the sight of the wolves, “Those aren’t a part of the natural world. Beware, their actions might be more unpredictable than expected.” Reg moves slightly and pulls another pinecone from a pouch and hurles it at a creature further back.
Movement: 10’ or so to the side for a clear line of sight to a wolf behind the first. Then back to be 30’ away from Barn/front line.
Action: Cast Bonfire, Dex Save DC 12, 4 damage on fail.
(Secondary effect is to create an obstacle; to either block other wolves from proceeding or cause them to use extra movement to get around.)