Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

"The storms? They last several hours...and then the light wind and rains after can last several more hours. You'll see them coming...but have perhaps 30 minutes before you'll find yourself in their midsts. Unless of course you have a storm teller, they can usually predict them up to a day in advance. They occur as infrequently as once a month, but sometimes can happen twice in a week." 

The group face an Ulthan that defies all reason and who suggests they go to the city. He also said one of his longest sentences ever, and used the world "peril".  He was probably swapped out while you were in the tent.

Meepo is torn. Going to the mountains is likely their best route still, but he is very curious about this land and its people. He remains quiet, waiting for Mordekai to speak his feelings on it before he says anything. (We don't have to wait for Mordekai, as I am not sure when they will be online. Meepo will follow Lionel's lead here in place of Mordekai, so the mountains would be his suggestion, unless Mordekai does get online and says differently.)

     “Sounds like we can survive the storms so long as Meepo always keeps that spell available…” Ketch says.  “As such, I’d say mountains first just in case those yahoo’s from Sigil build up their courage and come visit…”

Mordekai is torn by the prospect of a whole new society to get to know, a whole new persona to present, the limitless possibilities for adventure. But perhaps that was the old Mordekai, before attachments and loyalties and... purpose. The prospect is still enticing, but they do now have a purpose, and the promise of a place to make their own. With his rational head on, the unknown should wait in place behind the known. If Meepo's spells can keep them sheltered from the storm, then the mountains should be the first aim. 

Trusting in Meepo's magic, the group declines the offer to the city and departs, leaving the knight in strange armor and his warriors behind. The military group is still cleaning up when the group resumes their march down the road. The light wind and sunny weather seems less pleasant as you continue to walk, and you all continually glance about at the sky, knowing that this lands weather holds an ominous potential. 

A couple of hours pass before you come across a wagon trail that juts straight east towards the towering mountains in the distance. Their white peaks stretch up high past the rolling hills that form the ground between them and here.  The rest of the day passes uneventfully as you move through open grasslands that slowly grow more and more hilly as you approach the base of the mountains. Soon you find yourself hiking up and down through rocky terrain. The strange motes continue to flit through the air around you, sometimes blue, sometimes brown or yellow. Some hover close to large rocks, while other flit high through the air. As night falls you find yourselves high up in the hills with a beautiful view of the land between here and the sea. The ocean is a distant sparkling reflection of the setting sun as the light slowly fades away into darkness.  Meepo erects his magical dome and you all move within, a last feel of the cold gentle wind before stepping within.  The night passes uneventfully. You do notice creatures about during the night, though none bother you.  You note strange little hard shelled creatures, somewhat like oversized beetles that scrabble about on the ground. You also note a few larger ones...these with six limbs, hard spikey shells, about the size of a dog.  They have wicked looking claws and pinchers and move about with startling agility. 

When the sun rises the area is clear and you continue pressing forth along the trail that begins in earnest to push up the mountains. You lose site of the land behind you as mountains begin to block your views, as you cut through mountain passes following a tumbling river.  Soon though, you're pressing further up the mountain. The air turns cold and you begin to see dirty patches of ice on the ground.  You begin pulling on extra layers as you press further up into the mountains.  It's late in the day, the sky is still light but the sun is blocked by a mountain and you're moving in the shadows. There are no trees here, the ground is thick with bush, grass, and rocks. You glance up and see what appears to be some sort of flying creatures. As they get closer, you see they're a bit like flying beetles, though as large as a dog.  There seems to be nearly two dozen of them spread out and flying together....though they seem to have spotted you and being swooping in your direction.  

They are quite spread out. You figure a fireball could probably catch at most 6 at once.  There are 22 of them. 

Roll initiative!

Flying Beetle things : 13

Mordekai initiative: 15

Ketch Initiative: 10

((We did have long rest in the hut, yes?))

    "Greetings bug beasts!" Ketch calls out with a happy wave, just before taking up his axe.  "Any chance you are here to talk and guide us?"

Lionel Initiative: 3

"Beetle problem... They were not joking." He turned his stead toward the enemy.

Ulthan sighs and does his best to make note of environment and what's happening so that when storm does start he'll think on what happened hours prior that could show some kind of sign since he assumes it's more complicated than well some clouds moved overhead then there was a storm. We had no way of knowing....

At 20 Ulthan pulls out his bow and readies his arrows then starts pulling on to the bow with all his might as he starts shooting arrows into the beetle storm. Ones headed straight for him are the first to be targeted.
Arrow 1 25 Damage: 23
Arrow 2 20 Damage: 18

Meepo initiative is 5 (rolled in game log.)

Ulthan looses two arrows.....skewering two of the beetles that plummet from the sky and slam into the earth with an explosion of black ichor and bits of chitin shell. 

Mordekai is up.

Ulthan | Morekai | Beetles | Ketch | Lionel | Meepo

Mordekai will break away slightly from the group, moving maybe 20ft to the right, and cast Darkness on himself. 

A bubble of darkness with Mordekai at its center appears next to the group. 

As the beetles approach, they fly over the group and you see they're clutching rocks in their grasps!  The creatures drop a plethora of rocks that come smashing down all around the group! 

Rocks smash all about: 

Mordekai ROCKS! falling into darkness! : 

Attack: 7 Damage: 7

Attack: 17 Damage: 8

Attack: 15 Damage: 5

Attack: 13 Damage: 8

Ulthan, ROCKS falling!! : 

Attack: 18 Damage: 9

Attack: 7 Damage: 8

Attack: 9 Damage: 8

Attack: 6 Damage: 6

Meepo, ROCKS FALLING!! : 

Attack: 21 Damage: 9

Attack: 15 Damage: 7

Attack: 21 Damage: 9

Attack: 12 Damage: 5

Ketch!! Rock falling!!: 

Attack: 12 Damage: 4

Attack: 21 Damage: 8

Attack: 9 Damage: 7

Attack: 12 Damage: 7

Lionel, ROOOCKS!!! : 

Attack: 25 Damage: 15

Attack: 15 Damage: 9

Attack: 21 Damage: 4

Attack: 20 Damage: 9

Ketch, Lionel, Meepo, your first actions!

Then Ulthan, Mordekai you can take your 2nd actions!

Ulthan | Morekai | Beetles | Ketch | Lionel | Meepo

     Ketch lifts his shield up high and stands beneath it as it were an umbrella.  Or like it was a shield since umbrellas perhaps have not yet been invented.  But alas, now we know where the idea spawned from!

     Finding this rock barrage annoying, Ketch still isn’t sure it’s an attack.  He mostly thinks bugs are bugs and these are just bigger than he’s used to, not that they’re a coordinated attack.  As such, Ketch merely uses Thaumaturgy  to make some thunder and flashes of light in the sky, expecting that to be enough to chase the bugs off…

As a reaction, Mordekai will point up at the first beetle that dropped a rock at him, and cast Hellish Rebuke - DC18 DEX Save, or take 20 fire damage (half on a successful save).

Meepo is hit by one falling rock. He narrows his eyes and responds by sending a mote of flame shooting up at the largest group of the things that he can see...

fireball

DC 16 Dex save for half, or take 20 fire.

That were some bugs! Should Lionel observe them from a distance he would be curious whether they are acting on their own or sent by someone. But a sudden rock-hail did not encourage insect-watching. The paladin squinted at the biggest (or longest) swarm and sent his Lightning spear, targeting the farthest beetle:

Javelin of Lightning 14 for each creature in the line excluding the target ( DC 13 Dexterity saving throw for half)

Targeted beetle: Attack: 14 Damage: 6 + 19 

Mordekai then curses his choice of spells and lack of area effects, before his eyes narrow at the other beetles that targeted him and reverting to his old faithful Eldritch Blast. 

Attack: 17 Damage: 9

Attack: 25 Damage: 9

One of the beetles that dropped a rock on Mordekai explodes suddenly, bug bits raining from above.  Then a fireball erupts, and four more are instantly incinerated.  Then a blast of lightning rips up into the sky, tearing through three of them, sending more bug bits into the air.  Then two more blasts from the darkness strike out and two more bugs are destroyed.

Sensing their enemies are far more dangerous than they'd expected, the remaining creatures "bug out"....and begin flying away, scattering to the wind.

(out of combat).

"Meepo think those strange bugs." Meepo says with a frown at the dispersing bugs. "Why bugs carry rocks?" he rubs the place where the stone slammed his shoulder, wincing a bit at the pain of the hit.