Out Of The Abyss (#16 PbP)

Svana was stricken with terror.

"Oh ****, oh ****, oh ****!" she said, pushing Huey towards the exit of the village. "Svana! Amara!" she yelled.

As Demogorgon began smashing the village and devouring the koa-toa, Jezzika's heart pounded in her chest.

LEAVE THEM. GO.

No!!

YOU ARE TAKING A GREAT RISK.

I'm NOT leaving them!

YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT DESTINY. YOU ARE THE HERALD OF THIS PLANETS DOOM.

What?! Umbra? Umbra!!

"****!" she said, running towards Svana. "Come on! We're getting OUT of here! Come on!" Rapidly ushering Svana out.

Ash moves to help Jezz and notices Amara also screaming. "Ah jesus. You got him for a second?" She moves to grab Amara, forcing her to her feet and to wrap herself around Ash piggy back style before Ash rushes back over to help Jezz lead Huey. "Alright... We gotta move... And fast. " She'll help Jezz with making Huey move while keeping a firm grip to Amara to make sure she doesn't slide off of her shoulders. They move as quickly as possible towards the rest of the group. 

They're cowards. Leave them.

**** off... Now's not the time for your shit

(Duke is carrying Svana and I got Amara.)

Seeing some of the group begin to fall a part. Ronnal will chant a prayer gripping his amulet and casting Protection from Evil and Good on Svana. 

"Deep Duerra I ask you, please grant your clarity to these people. I ask that you protect thier minds and thier sanity from this demon." 

FOOLISH CHILD. THE DEMON IS NOTHING.

Oh, really! It's destroying the whole village and eating everyone!

INCONSEQUENTIAL. IT IS A GRAIN OF SAND ON THE OCEAN OF THE COSMOS.

Now's not the time to preach! We're out of here. What do you mean herald!?

YOU WILL BE THE CRUSHING WAVE AS IF A SEA FROM THE STARS.

What does that mean!? Umbra? Umb-****!!

Ree'lyn | Drow | Warlock | Level 2 | AC 15 | HP 14/14 | Temporary HP 8/8 | Cantrips Known 2 | Spells Known 3 | Spell Slots 2/2 | Slot Level 1 | Innate spells 1| Eldritch Invocations 2

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Ree'lyn did not even register the goo, spores and entrails over him while his senses focused on the single most hateful and disgusting thing that troubles him. His surprise became despair, his despair gathered with anger, his anger made him want to survive. 

He saw as Phineas affliction was far beyond the little gnome could bear. Agile as his instincts allowed him to be, the drow took the gnome in his arms, and Stool had his place on top of his backpack.

"We are going to make it through this." - his voice was not reassuring.

The tears that flowed down her flushed cheeks felt endless, stricken with such fear to a point where she almost felt her throat give out for how much she screamed after her eyes met the creature. She didn’t move a muscle when Duke had picked her up, just shrill and sob until she felt a power over come her. For a moment, she forgot where she was. She stared at her once shaking hands in confusion, wondering why Duke was carrying her, why they were running... Then her memory came back to her. Despite the madness having sunk in, she wasn’t scared anymore. Her tears dried and her screaming fell silent.

Sweet clarity.

((I’m not sure if everyone had rolled yet but if someone fails and gets ****ed, Svana will hop off Duke and help whoever needs it))

Glabbagool shrieks telepathically from within his jar. 

Wis save: 6

Cray cray: 32

Screaming incomprehensibly, Glabbagool tries his best to push his jar faster away from Demogorgon.

Duke calmed down just the slightest bit when Svana stopped screaming. Just enough to put what he was experiencing into words. "Dec...Declaration: I do not know what I am experiencing. My processors are firing at a rapid rate, my ocular and auditory sensors are not functioning properly,I fled the scene at an accelerated rate, abandoning the rest of our party. Secondary Declaration: I do not know the cause of this, outside of the appearance of the entity. Inquisition: What am I experiencing? Tertiary Declaration: I do not like this experience. I require assistance. Please help me."Duke still doesn't emote when he speaks, but his accelerated rate of speaking and repeated requests for help are enough to indicate to Svana that he's experiencing fear for the first time.  

Ree'lyn | Drow | Warlock | Level 2 | AC 15 | HP 14/14 | Temporary HP 8/8 | Cantrips Known 2 | Spells Known 3 | Spell Slots 2/2 | Slot Level 1 | Innate spells 1| Eldritch Invocations 2

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Strapped up on top of Ree'lyn's backpack, Stool had full view of the astonishingly gruesome view of Demogorgon before Ree'lyn took off and grabbed Phineas on the way.

Wisdom saving throw: Stool  9

Quinn nearly shits himself,

18

Then grants as many bardic inspirations as he can(4)

Svana had taken a moment to recover from what happened when Duke started speaking, her eyes focusing on her hands, eyebrows furrowing. “Fear.” She answers breathlessly, she moves her head to stare at him now. “You’re experiencing fear, Duke! I wish you had experienced another emotion other than that one, but it can’t be helped. Let the fear keep you running!”

She pushes herself off of him, not wanting for him to fret about her well being anymore, and began to run along between him and Jezzika. The wizard reaches out to grab both of their hands with her own, giving them both confident squeezes that they were all going to make it out.

“We can do this everyone! Keep moving!”

"Hey Glabbagool" - Stool speaks telepathically to the gelatinous cube. - "I am here for you. We are going to be ok, because we are with friends that care for us. Be strong for them. I will be stronger too."

Amara manages to stop screaming after a couple minutes and manages to get out in a rough voice. "Sorry, Ash." She helps soothe anyone still panicking or otherwise suffering.

Spurred on by Svana's words and his own fear, Duke keeps running, refusing to die now that he's experienced things like friendship, emotion, and sentience.

(Posting now because I have work later)

When he gets to safe place, Duke seeks out Amara. "Declaration: I promised that when you needed my assistance, I would be there to provide it. But when the entity attacked your mind, I was not there to assist you, as I had fled in fear. Secondary Declaration: I apologize."

Ash offers Amara a slight weak smile as she runs, still having her piggy back on her shoulder. "It's fine. Keep running. I've been around louder... Try sleeping next to elephants." If Amara wants off of her shoulders, she will let her drop down before they continue running with the others. 

DAY NINE
ENCOUNTERS: 17, 5, 8, Unable to parse dice roll.
PACE: FAST

After escaping the koa-toa village and licking our mental wounds for a while, we pressed on. Later on in the day as we followed the edge of the Darklake, we came across a massive waterfall. We had to cross the lake, swimming, to avoid the waterfall.

CHALLENGE: A successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check is necessary to swim away from the falls as you swim, as the current is pulling you towards the falls. Otherwise, you go over, falling 5 × 10 feet into the bottom of the falls. Anyone swept over the falls must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or take 6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet fallen. A successful save indicates that the creature avoids a hard landing in the water below.

“Duke I’m not very strong in my top half. Care to assist me in this swim?”

Athletics with help from DUK3: Unable to parse dice roll.

Earlier: Amara gives Duke a reassuring smile. "It's perfectly all right, dear. That creature affected us all very harshly, you were hardly the only one. That's part of being in a team, we all help one another. You saved Svana, and Ash got me."

Now:

Athletics so help me please dicebot I'm begging you: 13

The help of the Svana: 17

FINE YOU STUPID DICEBOT Acrobatics: 8

Amara takes a tumble down the falls because the dicebot is ******* everyone over today.

Weaklings unite!

Ash looks to the water and frowns. "Fast water. Here Jezz. Let's cross it together." She takes Jezz's hand as they move to carefully head across the flowing water. 

Atheletics: 11

Help from Jezz: 10

DeX save: 5

Ash, moving to walk with Jezz, gets distracted by her good looks and trips on a rock, sending her flailing down towards the edge of the fall. She does however correct herself and dives into the water below, preventing any damage the sharp rocks at the bottom could have caused. 

"Ah! ****! I'm okay!" She pushes her wet hair back again to its slicked back state and drags herself to the edge of the water, trying to find the path back up. 

With the help of Amara: 6

”Blast!”

Dex: 14