This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(This is going to suck if it is lower than their check. The post isn’t even edited, and yet somehow the banner of death appears. I’ve about had it with DDB in this regard.)
Tangle, again. Stealth while moving: 18
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ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
We'll go with the 28. Tangle backs out, and finds a spot by the northern wall of the cavern to wait.
The elf returns to the group and mutters something that Tangle can't quite hear. They give up their search, and resume standing around idly keeping watch.
Tangle sends back to Jalt, four guard the entry eighty feet in, I am behind them, they have reserves behind me, I’ll draw their attention in five, you attack then
She will carefully unlimber her shortbow and draw an arrow, nocking it—taking all five minutes to do so quietly—as she counts off in her head.
Bazavur stands near Jalt and Soar, wringing his hands on his axe. Impatiently waiting to hear back from Tangle. He doesn’t like her being out ahead on her own. Regardless of how generally good she is at being unnoticed by others.
Soar, dripping from the waterfall bath, waits to hear from Tangle. She hands a potion of healing to Jalt and Bazavur (believe we did this in the chat but doing it for real now) and offers to give Jalt the greater or superior if he wants it.
She puts on cultist robes/uniform, and offers one from the bag of holding to Bazavur and Jalt, if they want one. She knows it's not a foolproof plan, but it's worked before, and it does not cost her much to put them on. If it buys them a second hesitation it'd be worth it. She pauses, sticks a finger in the air, and puts her hand in the bag of holding, whispering something that sounds like "cultist banner" and pulling out a large banner, multicolored, folded up, from the bag. She looks at the boys and shrugs, and offers the banner to either of them to hang from a pole or weapon or pack to help with the confusion, explaining quietly to Bazavur that it had gotten them inside another cultist base, along with the passphrase "Tiamat, our mother and strength." She then uses her mask of many faces invocation to disguise self as a wet and bedraggled Talis, that cultist they'd let escape way back when, and who'd given them the passphrase and banner at the lodge.
She starts to get antsy.
Once she hears Jalt's report from Tangle, she casts protection from poison on herself and Jalt (and Bazavur if he wants it). She channels divinity twice to regain her spell slots back.
She's still antsy. She's got a backup plan. Her general plan is to proceed forward with purpose and surliness as Talis, gesturing to the banner and offering the passphrase. She'd only do this if it seemed like the three of them couldn't remain there without being discovered, if the elves came forward to scout while they were waiting the five minutes for Tangle, or if something forced their hand, like hearing them start to discover Tangle. She doesn't want to change the plan up on Tangle, but she thought perhaps she could have a back-up plan.
And part of her wants to save Tangle from being stuck where she is and having to start fighting so alone and exposed. Yes, maybe she could help! Helping is her favorite thing. And she's got this gift from some powerful being to be able to look like anyone. Maybe she's supposed to use it! Save Tangle the trouble of starting the fight on her lonesome. Maybe she'd even learn something from whoever's running this place before they have to start fighting. Maybe the back-up plan should have been the plan after all. She whispers, "why don't I just go see if I can find out something while Tangle's still hidden?"to the boys.
If they don't object (too strenuously) she'd plan to walk forward normally, not making foot sounds thanks to her boots, and call out the passphrase in a surly voice, below the level of a shout. She'd wait to make noise until she was out of view of the dragonborn. She'd brandish the banner, slung over her shoulder, and cast haughty eyes at the elves. Then say, "well, what are you waiting for? I haven't got all day."
Tangle gets to, like, two minutes in her head when she hears Soar in the passageway. Her face betrays no emotion, but she does close her eyes for just a moment. Then she quietly puts a little tension on her bowstring, arrow at the ready, and waits to see what Soar is up to. She do nothing unless an elf comes toward her, or all four elves move up the passageway out of sight, or, you know, Soar starts killing things.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Soar, you enter the large cavern that previously only Tangle has seen, I think. You see the elves standing guard, and the pool of water with the island in the middle, and you hear the sound of running water clearly.
So, Soar is wearing cultist clothes and disguised to look like Talis (a cultist they encountered during Hoard of the Dragon Queen).
For Bazavur and Jalt, are you with Soar? Are you wearing cultist robes? Are either of you carrying the banner?
Bazavur follows Jalts lead regarding putting on the disguises and following Soar. He has more experience in that regard. Though, personally, he would rather fight his way in gradually than fight everyone trying to get out.
Jalt would not go along with the disguises as him wearing the Black Mask would really kill that idea. He would follow Soar close enough to see her but to not let others see him.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
Jalt attempts to follow, keeping his distance but keeping Soar in view. Bazavur follows along. Bazavur and Jalt, please both make Stealth checks to remain unnoticed; you can make them with advantage as you're staying pretty far back, but if you have heavy armour or other reason for normally having disadvantage, then make a straight roll.
Bazavur and Jalt keep to the shadows, unseen and unheard, for the moment.
Soar, the elves grab their weapons, uncertain as you approach. When they notice what you are wearing, they seem even more afraid, and stand to attention before bowing and then standing to attention once again. "My... my lady," one says, "How may we serve?" Another interjects, almost babbling from apparent nervousness. "We should alert your comrades, my lady. Please, excuse me," and he makes a move to head off to the north-east. The others remain at attention, clearly very afraid.
Soar as Talis gives a “whatever” sort of look one would give to an underling, nodding arrogantly at the one who offered to get her comrades, and then making some ineffectual motions of trying to dry her illusory clothes. She looks around the cavern and walks forward a bit more.
Tangle backs out and moves to the east, into the corner, turning to face the rest of the cavern, and she waits quietly.
Stealth: 28
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
21
(This is going to suck if it is lower than their check. The post isn’t even edited, and yet somehow the banner of death appears. I’ve about had it with DDB in this regard.)
Tangle, again. Stealth while moving: 18
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
We'll go with the 28. Tangle backs out, and finds a spot by the northern wall of the cavern to wait.
The elf returns to the group and mutters something that Tangle can't quite hear. They give up their search, and resume standing around idly keeping watch.

Tangle will wait quietly, just observing and composing her message, until Jalt checks in.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
After having waited the agreed upon time, Jalt casts Sending
"Are you safe? What have you found? Are we safe to follow and meet up? Should we prepare anything?
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Tangle sends back to Jalt, four guard the entry eighty feet in, I am behind them, they have reserves behind me, I’ll draw their attention in five, you attack then
She will carefully unlimber her shortbow and draw an arrow, nocking it—taking all five minutes to do so quietly—as she counts off in her head.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Bazavur stands near Jalt and Soar, wringing his hands on his axe. Impatiently waiting to hear back from Tangle. He doesn’t like her being out ahead on her own. Regardless of how generally good she is at being unnoticed by others.
Jalt relays the message to Soar and Bazavur and readies himself to enter and follow Tangle's directions for the "assault"
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Soar, dripping from the waterfall bath, waits to hear from Tangle. She hands a potion of healing to Jalt and Bazavur (believe we did this in the chat but doing it for real now) and offers to give Jalt the greater or superior if he wants it.
She puts on cultist robes/uniform, and offers one from the bag of holding to Bazavur and Jalt, if they want one. She knows it's not a foolproof plan, but it's worked before, and it does not cost her much to put them on. If it buys them a second hesitation it'd be worth it. She pauses, sticks a finger in the air, and puts her hand in the bag of holding, whispering something that sounds like "cultist banner" and pulling out a large banner, multicolored, folded up, from the bag. She looks at the boys and shrugs, and offers the banner to either of them to hang from a pole or weapon or pack to help with the confusion, explaining quietly to Bazavur that it had gotten them inside another cultist base, along with the passphrase "Tiamat, our mother and strength." She then uses her mask of many faces invocation to disguise self as a wet and bedraggled Talis, that cultist they'd let escape way back when, and who'd given them the passphrase and banner at the lodge.
She starts to get antsy.
Once she hears Jalt's report from Tangle, she casts protection from poison on herself and Jalt (and Bazavur if he wants it). She channels divinity twice to regain her spell slots back.
She's still antsy. She's got a backup plan. Her general plan is to proceed forward with purpose and surliness as Talis, gesturing to the banner and offering the passphrase. She'd only do this if it seemed like the three of them couldn't remain there without being discovered, if the elves came forward to scout while they were waiting the five minutes for Tangle, or if something forced their hand, like hearing them start to discover Tangle. She doesn't want to change the plan up on Tangle, but she thought perhaps she could have a back-up plan.
And part of her wants to save Tangle from being stuck where she is and having to start fighting so alone and exposed. Yes, maybe she could help! Helping is her favorite thing. And she's got this gift from some powerful being to be able to look like anyone. Maybe she's supposed to use it! Save Tangle the trouble of starting the fight on her lonesome. Maybe she'd even learn something from whoever's running this place before they have to start fighting. Maybe the back-up plan should have been the plan after all. She whispers, "why don't I just go see if I can find out something while Tangle's still hidden?" to the boys.
If they don't object (too strenuously) she'd plan to walk forward normally, not making foot sounds thanks to her boots, and call out the passphrase in a surly voice, below the level of a shout. She'd wait to make noise until she was out of view of the dragonborn. She'd brandish the banner, slung over her shoulder, and cast haughty eyes at the elves. Then say, "well, what are you waiting for? I haven't got all day."
Tangle gets to, like, two minutes in her head when she hears Soar in the passageway. Her face betrays no emotion, but she does close her eyes for just a moment. Then she quietly puts a little tension on her bowstring, arrow at the ready, and waits to see what Soar is up to. She do nothing unless an elf comes toward her, or all four elves move up the passageway out of sight, or, you know, Soar starts killing things.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Soar, you enter the large cavern that previously only Tangle has seen, I think. You see the elves standing guard, and the pool of water with the island in the middle, and you hear the sound of running water clearly.
So, Soar is wearing cultist clothes and disguised to look like Talis (a cultist they encountered during Hoard of the Dragon Queen).
For Bazavur and Jalt, are you with Soar? Are you wearing cultist robes? Are either of you carrying the banner?
Bazavur follows Jalts lead regarding putting on the disguises and following Soar. He has more experience in that regard. Though, personally, he would rather fight his way in gradually than fight everyone trying to get out.
(Sorry for the delay)
Jalt would not go along with the disguises as him wearing the Black Mask would really kill that idea. He would follow Soar close enough to see her but to not let others see him.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Jalt attempts to follow, keeping his distance but keeping Soar in view. Bazavur follows along. Bazavur and Jalt, please both make Stealth checks to remain unnoticed; you can make them with advantage as you're staying pretty far back, but if you have heavy armour or other reason for normally having disadvantage, then make a straight roll.
stealth 19
stealth: 15
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Bazavur and Jalt keep to the shadows, unseen and unheard, for the moment.
Soar, the elves grab their weapons, uncertain as you approach. When they notice what you are wearing, they seem even more afraid, and stand to attention before bowing and then standing to attention once again. "My... my lady," one says, "How may we serve?" Another interjects, almost babbling from apparent nervousness. "We should alert your comrades, my lady. Please, excuse me," and he makes a move to head off to the north-east. The others remain at attention, clearly very afraid.
Soar as Talis gives a “whatever” sort of look one would give to an underling, nodding arrogantly at the one who offered to get her comrades, and then making some ineffectual motions of trying to dry her illusory clothes. She looks around the cavern and walks forward a bit more.
Tangle swears lightly in her head as one of the elves moves toward her, but she keeps silent and still.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.