Ereworn Under The Shadow

Reg hurries Clotha to the well, before she goes out the door she takes a final confused glance at the horror that was Ned before allowing herself to be hurried along.

Smiling Jack lies bleeding heavily on the floor and moving fitfully....

Barn slashes and bashes at Ned drawing encouraging looks from the bleeding Fay.....Barn is certain a human opponent should have dropped by now but Ned still stands...

Ardwynn sends a scintillating dark green blast of power into Ned who turns to her and grins, " Well done, Sister."

The shadows in the chamber lengthen and grow clutching at the companions with the icy chill of despair....

( DC 10 Wisdom Save or 1 Psychic Damage. Clotha and Reg are out of range.)

Ned meets Barns eyes, " Nobility lies in the heart not the blood. Do your duty...."

A ball of green fire begins to blossom in his hand, but he seems to catch himself, " No.....I think not.".......the ball of fire winks out of existence and he slashes at Barn with his claws.

Vs Barn Attack: 19 Damage: 5

Vs Barn Attack: 22 Damage: 5

( Everyone may Act....or make a Death Saving throw or two.)

( Clotha is able to secure herself to the rope and Caelan can be seen above ready to haul away.)

"Caelan is top side, he'll keep you safe, until..." the elder man's words to Clotha trail off as he finishes the knot, "we will tend to the rest, after we are done here."

"Haul her up Caelan! Quick as you can."

Heroes, villains, tales, maidens.  The man cussed under his breath.  He'd lived long enough to know there were no 'happy endings'.  But he failed to convince Ned Hob of it all.  Reason served him well, but Goodfellow Ned needed passion.  It was a trait the trapper lacked; conviction yes, but not passion.

He stayed at the bottom of the well just long enough to see Clotha start to rise, then turned and hurried back down the short hall to the room.  Horror at the sight, S. Jack on the ground...and it looked like Barn was falling as well.  He didn't want to play the role of a hero, not like this.  He preferred the quieter life of the village, even as an outsider within the community.  But he had fewer choices now.

Reg moved as far as he (has left) could to whoever was closer between S. Jack and Barn in that order.  He kneels down and applies First Aid as his action to try and stabilize them.  

Medicine Check:  19  "Hold on there, you aren't going anywhere yet."  (OOC:  It may not bring them back, but it stops the Death Saving throws.  Need @Damian to rule who Reg can reach given the Theater of the Mind.)

( We'll see what Jacks Death Saves look like to see who Reg prioritises.....if he's lucky he might be back up.)

Ardwynn - Wisdom Save:  12

Ardwynn grumbles about her 'fae given powers' as she slips a hand into her pouch; invoking Magic Stone on the rocks she uses with her sling.  With a fluid motion born of endless practice, she pulls the sling from her belt and places a stone into the leather pouch, darkened with oil.  The stone is tucked into the center, the leather cinching around it like a protective husk, ensuring a smooth, aerodynamic release.

The rough, braided cords are gripped — one loop securely fixed around the middle finger, the other held firmly between the thumb and index finger.  Ardwynn moves instinctively, turning sideways to Ned, and begins a low, rhythmic sway. The sling rotates, first in a slow, hypnotic circle, then faster, building a humming resonance that turns the rock into a blur of speed.  As the stone orbits, it becomes a weapon of sheer force, capable of shattering armor.

She feels the pull of the weight, loading their body with potential energy — a, tight coil of tension from hip to shoulder.   With a sharp snap of the wrist, the loose cord is freed. The stone leaves the cradle, transforming stored tension into a sudden burst of momentum that cuts through the wind with a low, whistling hum.

To Hit:  17        Dmg:  8 pts bludgeoning 

Ardwynn lets loose with a wild whoop as the slingstone soundly thumps into Ned the Hob.

First death throw 19 in game log

Barn's DC10 WIS Save against psychic icy despairing chill:  23 (Nat. 20) - success.  (Barn remains at 1/13hp instead of dropping unconscious!)

By this point, Barn looks barely human.  A little like Ned, actually.  Down on a knee, his torso and legs are a red ruin, ravaged by Ned's claws despite his armor.  He might as well have been wearing rags instead of the chain mail for all the good it did.  Blood pours from the big man's mouth as he opens it.

"I... I think you m-missed a spot, Ned.  Th-there's a little patch of me r-right here that isn't all torn up... you g-gonna finish the j-job or what?"

Yet his gallows humor turns to actual excitement and he fights off the aura of despair as he notices his friend's attack land.  "Great shot, Wynn!"

Staggering from one knee up back up to his feet like a battered prizefighter answering the bell for the final round, Barn attacks almost by reflex, first the blade, then the haft of his halberd swinging in tight arcs within Ned's cavern for perhaps the last time, one way or another.

Movement:  None (for flavor, standing back up from one knee).

Action:
Halberd main attack to hit Ned:  26 (Nat. 20)
Halberd main attack damage:  18 (slashing)

Bonus Action:
Halberd Polearm Master bonus attack with haft, to hit Ned:  20 (dirty)
Halberd Polearm Master bonus attack with haft damage:  7 (bludgeoning)

Reg runs in ducking under the clash of blade and claws and begins tending to Smiling Jack, binding his wounds.

Barn launches up from his half collapsed position, his blade cutting diagonally through Neds ribcage and up and through his clavicle, a fountain of crimson explodes into the air transforming into hundreds of scarlet moths as Neds body falls dissolving into dry leaves as it does so.

His voice hangs on the air for a moment after, " From such deeds are Legends built...."

The air seems strangely still as Reg continues working, but even now he can see the colour coming back to Smiling Jacks cheeks.....

( Combat has ended.)

Jack WIS save Dice rolls not yet available for this section.

Jack WIS save! 6

Barn lacks the strength to continue standing, and the follow-through from his final, desperate attack sends him tumbling through the dry leaves that rustle where Ned once stood.  As the big man falls to the cavern floor in a splash of blood, the hob's final words echo in his ears.

Not that he understands them.  Not really.  Barn's voice comes as a rasping croak, slow and ragged.

"D-did we... did we all do it?  Is Clotha s-safe?"  He reaches out weakly with one arm to touch the comatose form of Smiling Jack gently on his shoulder.

Lay on Hands, healing Smiling Jack 1 hp.

"I... I think I'm just g-going to, ah... rest my eyes for a m-minute."