This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Tarja moves over to be next to Elra. After getting a brief glimpse of the creatures and hearing Arvel's warning (since Arvel does go beforeher), she casts Flaming Sphere near the middle of the chamber, briefly illuminating the cave so others have an easier time locating them. She then directs the sphere to roll down, over the barrel, and into the Nothic to the south (N2). (9 fire damage, DC15 Dex save for half).
Look for the eyes! These things don't seem too friendly!
Ethan moves south to stand beside one of the rock formations, pressing his thumb to one of the cut stone on his gauntlet, the disc of his Eldritch Canon pops out of its slot.
Tossing the disc to the ground in front of him, the Eldritch Canon magically coalesces, ready for action.
Taking aim through his view finder, Ethan directs the Canon to fire at the Nothic to the west, and with a whomp, a vortex of force energy shoots off into the darkness.
Move: South and then South-East to stand beside the rock pillar
Action: Create Eldritch Cannon: placing it in the square directly west of Ethan
Bonus Action: Activate Eldritch Cannon: Targeting N1 with attack
Eldritch Cannon Attack: Attack: 13 - Damage: 7 force damage
Zeke advances towards the bridge at Arvel's cue and catches a glimpse of a large shining eye looking back at him. Striking out with his modified blade he carves a deep gash in the aberration's shoulder. A loud shriek fills the cavern followed by some harsh sounding, garbled words that only Tarja understands, "no, intruder here to hurt us!" A second later a blast from Ethan's cannon strikes the edge of the bridge nearby, sending shards of wood flying from one of the large wooden beams. The nothic recoils and, clinging to ropes on the underside of the bridge, moves away from Zeke to underneath the far side of the bridge.
Arvel proceeds to curse and then blast the other nothic in view, sending two bolts to strike the creature atop the stack of crates. The bolts are followed by the appearance of a large, floating ball of flame that adds an orange glow to much of the cavern and immediately slams into the nothic. With another scream and a gravelly cry in undercommon of "no, no!" the nothic nimbly leaps off of the crates and disappears around the corner deeper into the cave.
Elra would you like to get an action in for round 1? Although I narrated nothics running away, you can of course target them before they could have moved on their turn.
(pause in round 1)
Fae you can think about or post your action, or hold off until we resolve Elra and any remaining bad guys...
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Elra stays where she is, a little startled by the eyes. She lifts her hand to the back of her neck and guides healing energy there to try and restore it.
Elra heals her neck as, although not mortally wounded, the feeling of flesh rotting and falling away from her neck seems like plenty of motivation for the spell.
Meanwhile Zeke feels a tingle in the back of his mind and then a strange sensation like something trying to worm its way inside, looking for something. He instinctively resists the feeling and then it is gone, no harm seemingly having been done.
As the nothics flee from the groups attacks Fae looks up at the large redbrand, who seems to not be very eager to deal with these creepy beings but also hasn't done anything to betray the group thus far. Fae's action
Fae’s eyes would follow the flurry of actions rolling out before her, analyzing her options. She felt uncomfortable losing sight of Zeke chasing after these foes. There was concern that they could be baiting and luring them towards something worse. As always, she was calculating and weighing the risks of her ultimate decision.
The wizard’s purple hues would search the Redbrand’s gaze. “What is your name?” She’d ask simply. It’s an effort to treat him as an equal instead of as a captive. “[Name], are you willing to swallow your fear and fight alongside us?” She knew he was without his prized axe, but Fae had a pair of blades she was considering on lending him should she believe in his resolve to assist and not turn against them. Fae would rather work with the man than force him against his will. Should she feel confident to proceed forward with the Redbrand as an ally, Fae would gesture forward, “Shall we?”
I imagine Fae to ‘hold her action’ (if this is the right thing to do in this situation) for after the Redbrand’s. Basically, she intends to shadow him/keep him ahead of her still, as Zeke had instructed her. With the others hugging the wall where Zeke went, she would look to lead him out and around the pillars. She’d gently keep a hand on his back to follow/lead him. Yes he’d essentially be cover for her, but she intends to still use cover when possible to keep him/make him feel safe. Essentially she’s trying to balance him having some freedom/safety without completely losing control if he decides to betray. She has no reason to believe he’s going to betray them up to this point, so she’s leaning towards more of a careful demeanour than a threatening one.
As for her actual actions, it’s a bit situational depending on what the Redbrand does/wants to do and what we can see.
Movement first: As far as we can into the area safely for best view of the area.
Action Considerations: Free action: Dropping daggers for Redbrand to pick up if he’s able/willing to use them against their foes ASAP (and not on her to run away. This is why she wants to move in further first ie. close with Ethan and if she’s able to cut off a fleeing option) Ready action: Magic Missiles (If there’s a betrayal for whatever reason > Nothik)
Seeing the western Nothic retreat under the bridge, Zeke moves to put himself between both threats and the bulk of the party. As he does, he shifts the haft of his polearm into his left hand and deftly draws and quickly throws two small axes with his right hand at the other One-eyed creature - bellowing a challenge as he does.
Move: two blocks south and one block South-East. That should allow me to cover anything coming off the bridge and the threat to the south. Action 1: Attack: 16 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll. Action 2: Attack: 19 Damage: 8 Bonus: None
The redbrand replies to Fae "now you ask, huh?" "Name's Harick." To the question of fighting he reluctantly replies "fine, where's my axe, and what exactly am I fighting?" "I don't see a thing." He waits expectantly until Fae offers up the daggers. With a big of a sarcastic laugh at the tiny weapons, he reluctantly picks them up and moves out around the pillar as she suggests, his eyes scanning out into the darkness.
(Fae are you also targetting the nothic under the bridge with MM?)
Feel free to post actions for round 2 as Zeke just did...
Fae wanted to roll her eyes at the gruff attitude of the man, but instead kept an unwavering stare. Considering this was the only verbal interaction he's had with her, she felt as though she gave plenty more courtesy than he deserved. Instead, she'd pop a brow when he'd demand his axe and question the target. "Zeke has your axe. Prove your resolve to fight with my blades, and he may gift you your axe." The wizard would gesture with her chin towards the eyes. "You're fighting the eyes you were cowering over, and any new threats that may be lurking." She'd then cut off his sarcastic laugh, "They're all I need to cut throat." With those words she hold firm on the daggers before releasing them to him.
(If Fae can't see N2, she'd go for the one (N1?) under the bridge with MM.)
Catching a tiny glimpse of the nothic moving under the bridge is all Fae needs for her brand of magic. Three arcane darks come streaking right past Zeke and impressively curve under the bridge to strike the nothic dead on. It shrieks in pain at the unavoidable attack.
Harick just chuckles a bit at the much smaller wizard's threats, but seems to be following her lead despite the less than ideal attitude.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ethan directs his Eldritch Canon to climb into his shoulder, before moving south a ways, trying to get a clear view of the Nothic hanging from the bridge.
Once he sees the Nothic he directs the Eldritch Canon to fire, as he draws out his programmable caster and does likewise.
The familiar sounds of the Canon and the Caster are heard again, a whine and a whomp followed by crackle of fire, as the two magics streak off in the direction of the Nothic.
Hearing the creatures' language, Tarja moves around the glyph that Ethan pointed out, heading towards the middle of the room, and calls out in the same language -
We shall harm you no further if you let us pass! We're heading west and meant you no harm until you attacked us!
To her companions, she calls
Be wary! They can speak, so they're smart. But perhaps they can be persuaded to leave us alone.
(Bonus action: move the flaming sphere one square down and two to the right, partially blocking off the passageway north for N2. Ready action: If they continue fighting us on their turn, wildshape into a black bear.)
Moving past Elra and carefully around the glyph, Arveladvances south hoping to catch a glimpse of the southern Nothic. He fires off another pair of Eldritch Blasts if he gets the chance.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Round 2
Zeke leads the charge forward and skillfully launches two axes at the nothic hiding under the bridge. The first glances off the edge of the wooden bridge with a thud, just barely missing the nothic, but the next strikes home in the aberration's shoulder. The creature shrieks and Zeke can see the arm left hanging, green blood rapidly filling the area where the axe severed several tendons. The first axe clatters off the sides of the chasm, echoing as it falls into the deep. Zeke thinks he hears a faint, low growl of sorts from the chasm below.
The nothic stairs back at Zeke in anger while hanging from the bottom of the bridge with one clawed and spiked arm and the tiefling feels the skin on his chest start to crawl just a bit. Just then the feeling ceases as two blasts from Ethan and his cannon silence the nothic and send its lifeless body into the dark chasm. This time Zeke is sure that he heard a low grumble echo back up at him.
Meanwhile Arvel moves up and readies his blasts of arcane energy. At first he has no target, but a few seconds later he sees the glint of a large eye ahead and unleashes his bolts, one striking home with another nothic shriek. Elra blesses Zeke, Tarja and Ethan to give them a divine boost for the fight that is surely left to come while Tarja moves her sphere forward. As Tarja speaks she hears one nothic call back "shinies? magic shinies?"(will leave it up to you Tarja on whether or not the events of this round have triggered your bear transformation)
Unfortunately Tarja's potential communication with the nothics is interrupted by a flury of action and potential confusion within just a few seconds of the nothic response. Everyone suddenly sees two very brief flashes of images in their mind. The first is from the perspective of a baby, evident by its own tiny human hands within its own vision, swaddled beneath a human woman's purple cloak. She is a young, pretty woman with brown hair and is accompanied by a man who fits much the same description. Both wear purple robes. The man looks down at the baby and smiles briefly, although they otherwise both look concerned and appear to be hurrying somewhere. Through dark, torch lit halls they move quickly and quietly, past several hanging tapestries of dragons, red, green and black. This only lasts a second or two and is then gone, allowing everyone to focus on their current situation in the cave, but then a similarly brief image appears. The same two figures are seen from a similar perspective as they place the baby down in an urban setting, only faint lamplight revealing their change of attire to more common, modest clothes and traveling cloaks. They stand, look at the baby for a second, hesitate with sorrow in their eyes, but then disappear into the night. Soon everyone's minds are clear again but instead the cave itself echoes with cries of "SECRETS...SEEECRETSSS!!!"from multiple nothics.
Amidst the sudden eruption of chaos Elra and Fae, along with any nearby still such as Arvel, hear snarling from behind and glance back just in time to see a pair of bugbears charging from where the group had come. One is quickly rushing Fae from behind with no weapon drawn, looking as if it is about to try to grab her. Elra has the same experience on the other side of the glyph. Zeke sees a similar large form emerge from the shadows on the opposite side of the chasm, another bugbear, and fire a large crossbow at him from the other side of the makeshift wooden barrier at the far side of the bridge. The bolt strikes Zeke in the arm for 4 damage.
Zeke also sees yet another nothic eagerly approach from the shadows and dip down into the chasm, hanging from the opposite edge (N3). It too says something loudly and excitedly, but only Tarja knows it to be part of the "SECRETS!"chant filling the room. It stares at Zeke, making his skin crawl. (DC12 CON save for Zeke vs 9 necrotic damage as Zeke's skin potentially rapidly begins to rot).
Arvel watches as the nothic he just blasted retreats around the corner once again and does not seem to do anything hostile. Just then a voice echoes through the cavern from across the chasm and a humanoid form in robes appears in the shadows behind the bugbear now guarding the bridge with his crossbow. A glint of light can be seen twinkle off the top of his shiny staff. "Well, well, I'd imagine you lot have plenty of secrets for my nothics to feast on. Who is the poor child, abandoned, I wonder? No matter. You just had to come disrupt things in Phandalin, and you just had to come here to our home. I might be willing to forgive and let you leave, never to return, but he would never stand for it."
Fae is up, and under siege from a bugbear looking to grapple.
**Krikket, get those sleep arrows ready and try to take down that caster. I'm going to see if I can put the whammy on these bugbears. If these eyeballs want secrets, they're going to have to tear them out of my cold, dead mind.**
Fae thought she had every angle, every possibility covered. She believed she could predict enough in the moment, that she allowed herself to feel confident. She had the impression she had control. But the divination wizard was soon reminded that she had not, and cannot know all. For in a blink of an eye, chaos can ensue. She blinked. And it did.
This invasion of mind and memory... When the vision hit, it hit Fae hard and with panic. It was not her divine magic projecting the vision in her mind. It was the Nothic's. And she had no time to focus and analyze who it could belonged too. Secrets.... Secrets! The mental torment continued almost relentlessly. Her heart pounded and she could feel cold sweats threaten to break through. She could feel the strings being pulled, and she could unravel.
Snarling. All her senses were now firing on all cylinders. Goosebumps ran in waves down her spine, peppering her skin as they spread through to her limbs. Fae would hesitate to look over her shoulder. But when she did, her violet eyes would fall over the bugbear closing in for a bear hug. Instinctively she would take a step back to get away. A gasp would escape her lips and her eyes grow wide in fear. There was no where to go. She was literally cornered with her back against the wall. Fae was faced with a looming bugbear before her, and a freshly armed wildcard to her left, Herick.
Well, well... She couldn't see him with her back pressed against the wall. But she could hear him. Glasstaff. The wizard's breathing picked up in her turmoil. Her gaze would break from the approaching threat in hopes to get a glimpse of at least one of her friends.They're okay right?
Fae would close her eyes and place her hand over her crystal. She'd swallow to calm her nerves. Then, she'd snap her fingers. The wizard would glitch.
Arvel steps into the room next to Elra.
"Mind the glyph darling."
Pointing his new cane at the nothic to the south he crooks his fingers at it.
**Olet kirottu!**
**Kei-häs!**
The charlatan's curse lands on the nothic, sapping its common sense. This is quickly followed by two bolts of pure force.
Move: Next to Elra.
Bonus Action: Hex on N2, targeting WIS.
Action: Eldritch Blast, both on N2.
Attack 1: 18 Damage: 6
Attack 2: 27 Damage: 12
DCI: 3319125026
Tarja moves over to be next to Elra. After getting a brief glimpse of the creatures and hearing Arvel's warning (since Arvel does go beforeher), she casts Flaming Sphere near the middle of the chamber, briefly illuminating the cave so others have an easier time locating them. She then directs the sphere to roll down, over the barrel, and into the Nothic to the south (N2). (9 fire damage, DC15 Dex save for half).
Look for the eyes! These things don't seem too friendly!
Ethan moves south to stand beside one of the rock formations, pressing his thumb to one of the cut stone on his gauntlet, the disc of his Eldritch Canon pops out of its slot.
Tossing the disc to the ground in front of him, the Eldritch Canon magically coalesces, ready for action.
Taking aim through his view finder, Ethan directs the Canon to fire at the Nothic to the west, and with a whomp, a vortex of force energy shoots off into the darkness.
Move: South and then South-East to stand beside the rock pillar
Action: Create Eldritch Cannon: placing it in the square directly west of Ethan
Bonus Action: Activate Eldritch Cannon: Targeting N1 with attack
Eldritch Cannon Attack: Attack: 13 - Damage: 7 force damage
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
Zeke advances towards the bridge at Arvel's cue and catches a glimpse of a large shining eye looking back at him. Striking out with his modified blade he carves a deep gash in the aberration's shoulder. A loud shriek fills the cavern followed by some harsh sounding, garbled words that only Tarja understands, "no, intruder here to hurt us!" A second later a blast from Ethan's cannon strikes the edge of the bridge nearby, sending shards of wood flying from one of the large wooden beams. The nothic recoils and, clinging to ropes on the underside of the bridge, moves away from Zeke to underneath the far side of the bridge.
Arvel proceeds to curse and then blast the other nothic in view, sending two bolts to strike the creature atop the stack of crates. The bolts are followed by the appearance of a large, floating ball of flame that adds an orange glow to much of the cavern and immediately slams into the nothic. With another scream and a gravelly cry in undercommon of "no, no!" the nothic nimbly leaps off of the crates and disappears around the corner deeper into the cave.
Elra would you like to get an action in for round 1? Although I narrated nothics running away, you can of course target them before they could have moved on their turn.
(pause in round 1)
Fae you can think about or post your action, or hold off until we resolve Elra and any remaining bad guys...
Initiative
Elra stays where she is, a little startled by the eyes. She lifts her hand to the back of her neck and guides healing energy there to try and restore it.
Casting Cure Wounds at 1st level: 5
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Elra heals her neck as, although not mortally wounded, the feeling of flesh rotting and falling away from her neck seems like plenty of motivation for the spell.
Meanwhile Zeke feels a tingle in the back of his mind and then a strange sensation like something trying to worm its way inside, looking for something. He instinctively resists the feeling and then it is gone, no harm seemingly having been done.
As the nothics flee from the groups attacks Fae looks up at the large redbrand, who seems to not be very eager to deal with these creepy beings but also hasn't done anything to betray the group thus far. Fae's action
Fae’s eyes would follow the flurry of actions rolling out before her, analyzing her options. She felt uncomfortable losing sight of Zeke chasing after these foes. There was concern that they could be baiting and luring them towards something worse. As always, she was calculating and weighing the risks of her ultimate decision.
The wizard’s purple hues would search the Redbrand’s gaze. “What is your name?” She’d ask simply. It’s an effort to treat him as an equal instead of as a captive. “[Name], are you willing to swallow your fear and fight alongside us?” She knew he was without his prized axe, but Fae had a pair of blades she was considering on lending him should she believe in his resolve to assist and not turn against them. Fae would rather work with the man than force him against his will. Should she feel confident to proceed forward with the Redbrand as an ally, Fae would gesture forward, “Shall we?”
I imagine Fae to ‘hold her action’ (if this is the right thing to do in this situation) for after the Redbrand’s. Basically, she intends to shadow him/keep him ahead of her still, as Zeke had instructed her. With the others hugging the wall where Zeke went, she would look to lead him out and around the pillars. She’d gently keep a hand on his back to follow/lead him. Yes he’d essentially be cover for her, but she intends to still use cover when possible to keep him/make him feel safe. Essentially she’s trying to balance him having some freedom/safety without completely losing control if he decides to betray. She has no reason to believe he’s going to betray them up to this point, so she’s leaning towards more of a careful demeanour than a threatening one.
As for her actual actions, it’s a bit situational depending on what the Redbrand does/wants to do and what we can see.
Movement first: As far as we can into the area safely for best view of the area.
Action Considerations:
Free action: Dropping daggers for Redbrand to pick up if he’s able/willing to use them against their foes ASAP (and not on her to run away. This is why she wants to move in further first ie. close with Ethan and if she’s able to cut off a fleeing option)
Ready action: Magic Missiles (If there’s a betrayal for whatever reason > Nothik)
just an unstable unicorn.
Seeing the western Nothic retreat under the bridge, Zeke moves to put himself between both threats and the bulk of the party. As he does, he shifts the haft of his polearm into his left hand and deftly draws and quickly throws two small axes with his right hand at the other One-eyed creature - bellowing a challenge as he does.
Move: two blocks south and one block South-East. That should allow me to cover anything coming off the bridge and the threat to the south.
Action 1: Attack: 16 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.
Action 2: Attack: 19 Damage: 8
Bonus: None
(closing out round 1...)
The redbrand replies to Fae "now you ask, huh?" "Name's Harick." To the question of fighting he reluctantly replies "fine, where's my axe, and what exactly am I fighting?" "I don't see a thing." He waits expectantly until Fae offers up the daggers. With a big of a sarcastic laugh at the tiny weapons, he reluctantly picks them up and moves out around the pillar as she suggests, his eyes scanning out into the darkness.
(Fae are you also targetting the nothic under the bridge with MM?)
Feel free to post actions for round 2 as Zeke just did...
Initiative
Fae wanted to roll her eyes at the gruff attitude of the man, but instead kept an unwavering stare. Considering this was the only verbal interaction he's had with her, she felt as though she gave plenty more courtesy than he deserved. Instead, she'd pop a brow when he'd demand his axe and question the target. "Zeke has your axe. Prove your resolve to fight with my blades, and he may gift you your axe." The wizard would gesture with her chin towards the eyes. "You're fighting the eyes you were cowering over, and any new threats that may be lurking." She'd then cut off his sarcastic laugh, "They're all I need to cut throat." With those words she hold firm on the daggers before releasing them to him.
(If Fae can't see N2, she'd go for the one (N1?) under the bridge with MM.)
Edit: Guess you need my MM damage rolls!
MM: 4 | 5 | 2
just an unstable unicorn.
(Map and tiny update to round 1...)
Catching a tiny glimpse of the nothic moving under the bridge is all Fae needs for her brand of magic. Three arcane darks come streaking right past Zeke and impressively curve under the bridge to strike the nothic dead on. It shrieks in pain at the unavoidable attack.
Harick just chuckles a bit at the much smaller wizard's threats, but seems to be following her lead despite the less than ideal attitude.
Ethan directs his Eldritch Canon to climb into his shoulder, before moving south a ways, trying to get a clear view of the Nothic hanging from the bridge.
Once he sees the Nothic he directs the Eldritch Canon to fire, as he draws out his programmable caster and does likewise.
The familiar sounds of the Canon and the Caster are heard again, a whine and a whomp followed by crackle of fire, as the two magics streak off in the direction of the Nothic.
Bonus Action: Activate Eldritch Canon
Eldritch Canon Move: Climb onto Ethan's shoulder
Move: South 3 and South-West 1
Eldritch Canon Attack: Targeting N1: Attack: 27 - Damage: 20 force damage.
Action: Cast Fire Bolt at N1: Attack: 28 (Ignores half cover from Wand +1) - Damage: 21 + 5 (Arcane Firearm) fire damage
David Gearlock | Human | Artificer | Revenge Heist
Knox | Warforged | Cleric | Shadowthorn's Out of the Abyss
Elra moves so that she can see her friends, praying for Oghma to once again bless them.
Action: Cast Bless on Zeke, Tarja, and Ethan
Bonus Action: N/A
Movement: to a space where i'm within 30 feet of Zeke, Tarja, and Ethan
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Hearing the creatures' language, Tarja moves around the glyph that Ethan pointed out, heading towards the middle of the room, and calls out in the same language -
We shall harm you no further if you let us pass! We're heading west and meant you no harm until you attacked us!
To her companions, she calls
Be wary! They can speak, so they're smart. But perhaps they can be persuaded to leave us alone.
(Bonus action: move the flaming sphere one square down and two to the right, partially blocking off the passageway north for N2. Ready action: If they continue fighting us on their turn, wildshape into a black bear.)
((Who are we waiting on?))
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Moving past Elra and carefully around the glyph, Arvel advances south hoping to catch a glimpse of the southern Nothic. He fires off another pair of Eldritch Blasts if he gets the chance.
Attack rolls just in case:
Attack 1: 25 Damage: 14
Attack 2: 16 Damage: 6
DCI: 3319125026
Round 2
Zeke leads the charge forward and skillfully launches two axes at the nothic hiding under the bridge. The first glances off the edge of the wooden bridge with a thud, just barely missing the nothic, but the next strikes home in the aberration's shoulder. The creature shrieks and Zeke can see the arm left hanging, green blood rapidly filling the area where the axe severed several tendons. The first axe clatters off the sides of the chasm, echoing as it falls into the deep. Zeke thinks he hears a faint, low growl of sorts from the chasm below.
The nothic stairs back at Zeke in anger while hanging from the bottom of the bridge with one clawed and spiked arm and the tiefling feels the skin on his chest start to crawl just a bit. Just then the feeling ceases as two blasts from Ethan and his cannon silence the nothic and send its lifeless body into the dark chasm. This time Zeke is sure that he heard a low grumble echo back up at him.
Meanwhile Arvel moves up and readies his blasts of arcane energy. At first he has no target, but a few seconds later he sees the glint of a large eye ahead and unleashes his bolts, one striking home with another nothic shriek. Elra blesses Zeke, Tarja and Ethan to give them a divine boost for the fight that is surely left to come while Tarja moves her sphere forward. As Tarja speaks she hears one nothic call back "shinies? magic shinies?" (will leave it up to you Tarja on whether or not the events of this round have triggered your bear transformation)
Unfortunately Tarja's potential communication with the nothics is interrupted by a flury of action and potential confusion within just a few seconds of the nothic response. Everyone suddenly sees two very brief flashes of images in their mind. The first is from the perspective of a baby, evident by its own tiny human hands within its own vision, swaddled beneath a human woman's purple cloak. She is a young, pretty woman with brown hair and is accompanied by a man who fits much the same description. Both wear purple robes. The man looks down at the baby and smiles briefly, although they otherwise both look concerned and appear to be hurrying somewhere. Through dark, torch lit halls they move quickly and quietly, past several hanging tapestries of dragons, red, green and black. This only lasts a second or two and is then gone, allowing everyone to focus on their current situation in the cave, but then a similarly brief image appears. The same two figures are seen from a similar perspective as they place the baby down in an urban setting, only faint lamplight revealing their change of attire to more common, modest clothes and traveling cloaks. They stand, look at the baby for a second, hesitate with sorrow in their eyes, but then disappear into the night. Soon everyone's minds are clear again but instead the cave itself echoes with cries of "SECRETS...SEEECRETSSS!!!" from multiple nothics.
Amidst the sudden eruption of chaos Elra and Fae, along with any nearby still such as Arvel, hear snarling from behind and glance back just in time to see a pair of bugbears charging from where the group had come. One is quickly rushing Fae from behind with no weapon drawn, looking as if it is about to try to grab her. Elra has the same experience on the other side of the glyph. Zeke sees a similar large form emerge from the shadows on the opposite side of the chasm, another bugbear, and fire a large crossbow at him from the other side of the makeshift wooden barrier at the far side of the bridge. The bolt strikes Zeke in the arm for 4 damage.
Zeke also sees yet another nothic eagerly approach from the shadows and dip down into the chasm, hanging from the opposite edge (N3). It too says something loudly and excitedly, but only Tarja knows it to be part of the "SECRETS!" chant filling the room. It stares at Zeke, making his skin crawl. (DC12 CON save for Zeke vs 9 necrotic damage as Zeke's skin potentially rapidly begins to rot).
Arvel watches as the nothic he just blasted retreats around the corner once again and does not seem to do anything hostile. Just then a voice echoes through the cavern from across the chasm and a humanoid form in robes appears in the shadows behind the bugbear now guarding the bridge with his crossbow. A glint of light can be seen twinkle off the top of his shiny staff. "Well, well, I'd imagine you lot have plenty of secrets for my nothics to feast on. Who is the poor child, abandoned, I wonder? No matter. You just had to come disrupt things in Phandalin, and you just had to come here to our home. I might be willing to forgive and let you leave, never to return, but he would never stand for it."
Fae is up, and under siege from a bugbear looking to grapple.
Initiative
**Krikket, get those sleep arrows ready and try to take down that caster. I'm going to see if I can put the whammy on these bugbears. If these eyeballs want secrets, they're going to have to tear them out of my cold, dead mind.**
DCI: 3319125026
Fae thought she had every angle, every possibility covered. She believed she could predict enough in the moment, that she allowed herself to feel confident. She had the impression she had control. But the divination wizard was soon reminded that she had not, and cannot know all. For in a blink of an eye, chaos can ensue. She blinked. And it did.
This invasion of mind and memory... When the vision hit, it hit Fae hard and with panic. It was not her divine magic projecting the vision in her mind. It was the Nothic's. And she had no time to focus and analyze who it could belonged too. Secrets.... Secrets! The mental torment continued almost relentlessly. Her heart pounded and she could feel cold sweats threaten to break through. She could feel the strings being pulled, and she could unravel.
Snarling. All her senses were now firing on all cylinders. Goosebumps ran in waves down her spine, peppering her skin as they spread through to her limbs. Fae would hesitate to look over her shoulder. But when she did, her violet eyes would fall over the bugbear closing in for a bear hug. Instinctively she would take a step back to get away. A gasp would escape her lips and her eyes grow wide in fear. There was no where to go. She was literally cornered with her back against the wall. Fae was faced with a looming bugbear before her, and a freshly armed wildcard to her left, Herick.
Well, well... She couldn't see him with her back pressed against the wall. But she could hear him. Glasstaff. The wizard's breathing picked up in her turmoil. Her gaze would break from the approaching threat in hopes to get a glimpse of at least one of her friends.They're okay right?
Fae would close her eyes and place her hand over her crystal. She'd swallow to calm her nerves. Then, she'd snap her fingers. The wizard would glitch.
Casting: Mirror Image
just an unstable unicorn.