Seldom Spring

Anafrey would have continued trying to get a safe path carved out for the others. As she noticed her companions make their way up the rope she had left behind, she would have begun climbing the second half of the cliff face. After finding what she thought was a study foot hold, she would take a swig from her flask. Gritting her teeth she would push her way up towards the top.

Athletics rolls! 8 11 11 12 10 6 18

(OOC: I didn't RP Anafrey helping because I had planned for her to continue up towards the top right away so the whole team wouldn't get stuck gathered on the small landing..)

Jambiya watches as more of the party disappears up the rope. She smiles nervously at Maldorn, then takes a deep breath. She closes her eyes and holds her hands palm down facing the ground. The plants near her begin to bend towards her just a little, small tendrils and roots poking up from the ground, as if some force pointed them towards her. She breathes deeply, then opens her eyes.

"Okay, I feel a little better. Maldorn, how far do you think those birds are? The top looks to be about a hundred feet, but hey seem a lot higher than that."

She has cast False Life to gain 6 temporary hit points for the next hour.

(OOC Jambiya did you get your extra d6 from the song of rest Erric played while we had our short rest on the boat?)

OOC > Nope, I forgot that. Here it is: 4

Better, thank you. She is at 10 of 16, plus temp so 16 of 13 atm. I have to remember that she can cast False Life on herself any time she wants, for no spell slots and no components. It would have kept her out of some predicaments.

Maldorn responds: "Somewhere between 100 and 130 feet up high, I reckon."

Maldorn places one of the cleaned bright red feathers behind Jambiya's ear. "Worry not, little one. They'll be fine and we can both hit things from down here."

Anafrey would grunt and curse as she continues to try to scale the rock wall.

Jambiya shades her eyes and watches her friends (and employer) climb the crag.

OOC: OK, so Anafrey wasn't at the top to lift Erric by the scruff of his neck. (All rolls noted.)

As soon as you see Erric and Ebokk begin to climb, Anafrey, you walk over to the second incline and prepare to climb. You start slowly, having a hard to time find the first good footholds, but then you get going, making good time. You get about half way up the second incline when you realize the circling birds have begun to make a lot of noise. You look up to see 5 of them flying at you.

Anafrey initiative: 20

Birds' initiative: 5

OOC2: Since Anafrey chose to climb as soon as Erric and Ebokk begin climbing, they are not yet to the plateau when this happens. So, we'll pause on the investigation. Also, Maldorn and Jambiya, it's doubtful you'd see. Take a look at this diagram. Maldorn, you're the black rectangle. Anafrey is halfway up the second incline. Erric is about 3/4 up the first incline. Ebokk is behind him.

DM rollz: 2 4 6

Anafrey's eyes go wide as she sees five of the birds coming at her all at once!

(bite attack: 20, damage: 3 piercing damage)

(bite attack: 9, damage: 3 piercing damage)

(bite attack: 12, damage: 4 piercing damage)

(bite attack: 12, damage: 6 piercing damage)

(bite attack: 12, damage: 6 piercing damage)

Forgot to roll those at advantage ...

14

22

24

11

11

Anafrey finds herself under a barrage of pecks. Four of the five creatures land their attacks. Just as soon as they leave her, another comes!

(bite attack: 20, damage: 4 piercing damage)

She succumbs under the fifth attack, releases her grip, and tumbles 20 feet to the bottom of the incline.

Perception: 8 Nope!

As soon as Erric reaches the top of the plateau, he sees Anafrey finishing her unconscious tumble.

"Jambiya," the ranger changes tone: "The birds... I can't see them anymore. They were flying high above a moment ago and suddenly begun swooping down. I don't think that this is a good sign, whatever it is they are doing. Do you think we should go up this rope? It is secured with pitons, so it should make things a bit easier and safer. What do you say?"

Erric sees Anafrey fall, and turns back down to Maldorn and Jambiya to yell, "Anafrey just fell from the next climb, and she's not moving! Come quick! Maldorn what are birds afraid of most??!"

He'll listen to Maldorn's reply as he quickly helps Ebokk finish his climb. "Don't know why my friends have started acting foolish around animals, ocean depths, and cliffs, but here we are. Let's go help her." (If this would take more than ten extra seconds, he doesn't stay to help -- he'd just dash off toward Anafrey.

As soon as he's within range, he'd prepare to cast healing word. If Maldorn tells him what such birds are most afraid of, he'd cast silent image before he got within 60 feet for healing word, placing  the image of the scary thing about 100 feet from the birds, trying to scare them off Anafrey. He is going to wonder to himself when he will be able to keep more spells in his head, because he runs out so quickly, and his friends keep needing to be pulled from fatal situations.

"You go first, Maldorn," Jambiya says. "I'll just slow you down."

OOC > With my -1 Athletics...

(OOC: Who could have forseen this turn of events! Also if I fell down the mountain would the fall damage have counted as taking damage after being unconcious and therefor risk putting me permanantly dead or double failed death saves? I mean if the healing word hits the extra failed death saves probably don't matter but anafrey only has 22 hp and AC of 14, so I counted 23 damage before any possible fall damage. So depending on how much I would have taken from fall damage I could be dead before anyone would have been able to cast healing work. Not sure what the DM is going to rule on that. )

"Blood hoawks are quite pesky!" Maldorn answers. "Try the biggest bird you can think of, little bard."

Maldorn begins his unavoidably ill-fated climb (also with his -1 athletics modifier.): 19, 19, 15, 8, 18

OOC: Not bad!

OOC: The incline is such that Anafrey rolled down and didn't take more damage/failed death saves. I don't want this to be easy, but if I can keep you all alive, I'm going to do it!

Rushing over to his friend, Erric speaks words of healing laced with magic. (Somebody roll.) Looking up, he can see the birds have resumed their lazy circles around the top of the peak, though he's pretty sure there are more of them now. And they're louder.

Ebokk hurries over as well, murmuring nervously in Dwarvish.

Maldorn begins climbing. Jambiya watches the old man climb like an expert. He makes it up in half the time it took Ebokk. (He gets to the top when Erric and Ebokk are about 2/3 of the way to Anafrey and Erric is starting his healing words spell.)

Maldorn's first priority upon reaching the top and after realizing that Erric is about to heal Anafrey is to turn around and extend a hand to Jambiya: "Coming up?"

(OOC: Please count this as a help action).

5 healing to Anafrey!

Jambiya looks up the rope, looks around at the incredibly dangerous island on which she now finds herself alone, and starts to climb.

Ten Athletics rolls in a row, in case she does the two steps forward, one step back thing, or if DDP rules Maldorn can help from way up there, and he needs paired rolls:
6 17 9 17 1 13 11 6 0 3

Edit: Shoulda put commas in, sorry, nervous about editing lest I summon the angry red banner of dice manipulation.

Anafrey comes to consciousness as Erric and Ebokk are stomping up excitedly.

Jambiya, with Maldorn's help, makes good progress and then seems to stall for a few seconds, but then finds her footing again and makes it the rest of the way smoothly.

(Can Erric do anything now? Are we in combat?)