Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

From under the net, Dwal fumbles for his holy symbol. Then a burning radiance erupts, enveloping the four nearby kuo-toa:
DC13 CON Saves (L-to-R): 5, 10, 16, 10

 Two are wounded; the slowed one nearest to Dwal perishes in the divine radiance.

√ Gerrard: 25
Old Woman: 22
Boko: 21
Rue: 20
Kei: 17
√ Peri: 15
√ Dwal: 15 (restrained under a net)
Kuo-Toa: 15
Rat-headed baddies: 9

Boko and Kei may act next.
Kei may also get an opportunity attack against either fleeing ratoid.
Boko is no longer grappled and is free to act.
The building continues to sway uncertainly and make deep unsettling noises and bangs; dust and debris filter down from above.

Kei 

Holding just his shield and unarmed, Kei lets the rat escape his reach. With the rodents out of the way for now he focuses on the Kua-Toa once more. 

He points at the brutish one on the left. "Do you hear it fish face? The bell rings for you." He swings his hand back and forth as if ringing a bell. The motion sends an ghostly pain through the brute.

Necrotic damage 9 (Wis 13 save)

"Boko, the one in front is yours. May the spirits protect you!" Kei's words envelope Boko in a shimmering shield.

The big fish-faced creature grimaces as Kei's deadly bell rings. DC13 WIS Save: 8

 It grunts in pain as the arcane ringing wreaks havoc within it for a moment; but still, it stands.

Boko, surrounded by Kei's shimmering, protective, magical aura, is up next!

Boko shakes her head and braces herself as she is grappled, choked, and then freed thanks to Gerrard. She gives him a quick nod of thanks, and then another at Kei as the protective magic washes over her, and then turns back to the fanatical kuo toa.

Concentration check for the flaming sphere: 12

She narrows her eyes at the building threatening to shift or collapse, and decides against another thunderwave. 

Her staff spins in a blur as does an elbow and a foot. She first strikes out at the roughed-up one directly in front of her, and if it falls, she turns her burst of kaleidoscopic, kinetic punishment on the brute to the left. A strike with the staff aimed right at a head, then a sudden shift with an elbow planted right in what passes for a solar plexus, and then a jump spinning hook kick to a fish jaw.

Main Attack: 18 Damage: 6
BA Flurry of Blows (1 Ki point)
Unarmed Attack: 22 Damage: 5
Unarmed Attack: 17 Damage: 6

(She's holding onto a wildshape for when things get very dicey, not that they aren't now.)

Boko's staff smashes the kuo-toa in front of her to the stone floor. It is down. Turning to the brute to the left, she lands a pair of powerful blows with her elbow and foot, nearly taking it down as well. It is barely hanging on, but it nonetheless returns with a savage bite and another snap of the pincer staff.

Bite Attack vs Boko: 16 Hit: 6 piercing damage.
Pincer Staff vs. Boko: 9 Hit: 3 piercing damage and Boko is grappled.

The other pincer-bearer focuses on the netted Dwal:
Bite Attack vs Dwal: 24 Hit: 5 piercing damage.
Pincer Staff vs. Dwal: 22 Hit: 6 piercing damage and Dwal is grappled.

The two others begin to drag Dwal away (to the northeast, around the pool.)

And that's when the building comes down. With a deafening roar and a series of powerful bangs, a massive avalanche of ancient, heavy, black masonry comes down hard upon everyone, together with splintered timbers and heavy beams and plaster and debris and cookware and falling occupants and broken furniture and several stories of odds and ends, together with plumes of black dust. The noise is ear-splitting.

If you have a reaction or bonus action that might be helpful, you may quickly try to employ it. (No actions.)
Also: tell me in which direction you (intend) to initially escape.
And make sure your character sheets are updated (regarding hp).

Everyone make a DEX saving throw. Dwal at disadvantage (for being restrained. Curiously, Boko being grappled doesn't affect her Dex save.)  Kei has advantage (for being in the hallway.)

Dwal cast Shield as a reaction. 

Dex save: 10

Kei 

"You've done it again man. You've literally brought the house down!" Kei congratulates himself sarcastically as the building crumbles around him.

Dex save 13 

Reroll 6

Gerrard:

Reacting by instinct, Gerrard tries to deflect incoming barrage with his blades as he tries to dodge away from the worst of the falling masonry.  If he has to choose a direction, he dodges deeper into the room towards the dwarf being hauled away for unknown purposes.

Parry: 7

Dexterity Save:  14

Peri:

Peri realizes he's grinning foolishly at Boko as she transforms into a whirlwind of hurt on the kuo-toa. "New girl can fight!" he laughs. But his optimism is cut short by the sudden collapse of -- well, it seems like the entire world is crashing through the ceiling! He ducks and covers as best he can, trying to shelter beneath the kuo-toa Boko just kicked.

((No Ki, so he's as helpless as anyone else. Just hoping the taller creature takes the brunt of the falling debris. DEX Save: 17))

Boko looks up at the falling debris and shouts out: "This will be weird!" and immediately shifts into a giant octopus, tentacles flying about to intercept and pivot falling stone and timber away from her companions, or trying to grab anyone friendly and vulnerable she can to pull them out into the hallway. Her mantle balloons up to a height that tries to create a small safe place as a passageway out to the hall. Her movement, as she's doing this, is out into the hall.

Dex save: 13 (octopus modifier -- Boko's is two higher if she's making it as herself.

The world collapses into cacophonic, chaotic blackness, full of choking dust and cries of pain. It is not brief, either – with peals of thunderous noise, more and more debris, timbers, and masonry rain down to entomb those below.

Check your PMs.

(After a lengthy, intersecting web of PMs, our group story resumes here...)

Gerrard and Boko stand at the rear of a squad of city guards, who are busy interrogating Peri, the spokesman of this odd group outside the guard station.

"...I came back through a minute ago and found the guards all dead; figured we should tell someone so the blame doesn't get pinned on me -- not like I'd be able to kill a buncha armed guards from behind bars, but when weird things happen people are willin' to believe whatever's easiest," Peri concludes. Dwal is visible a few steps back, accompanying a terrified old man holding a spear.

Gerrard steps forward, adding his own tale. In a firm voice, he announces, “Indeed, a building has collapsed and people are trapped inside. I was on the way to the guard station to ask for help! Come, I will show you the way!”

The guards acknowledge Gerrard with alarm. They seem completely confused.

The guard captain, a wiry middle-aged human woman, demands of Peri, "Where are these 'sparks' now?" She gestures to two of her compatriots to examine the entry to the guard station. She turns to Gerrard. "Master Feldren. Did they attack a building as well? Where?"

Kei, meanwhile, continues to help excavate and search the ruins, failing to reach Dwal nor Peri with his arcane whispers.

"Well at least they didn't get crushed by tha rubble." Dwal tells Peri.

With that Dwal follows along but says nothing. 

Gerrard:

”I know nothing of what has happened to any guards—you say some have been slain?  That’s terrible!”  responds Gerrard with genuine concern, asking “Do we have any idea who is responsible for such an atrocity?”

”For my part, I was far too close to a building when it collapsed, making a huge mess!  I have no idea if it is connected to the deaths of the guards, but I saw creatures who looked like humanoid rats leaving the area shortly before the building crashed down.  My companion and I were able to rescue a halfling woman from the rubble, but the task is too great for few hands, so I of course thought of Seaton’s finest guardsmen when it comes to saving lives.  I can show you the collapsed building, it is just a few blocks this way!” offers Gerrard, pointing back the way he came.

The captain nods, wincing a little at Gerrard, looking a bit torn. After a brief moment of indecision, she nods and says, "Take Pockets, here. He'll be at your service." She gestures to a thin, wiry man of about fifty. "We have a dangerous situation here," she continues. "Y' might want to, uh, protect your friend and keep clear until the danger has passed, Master Feldren."

"Show me where this building is, sir," mumbles Pockets to Gerrard, eyeing Boko with nervousness.

"You three!" shouts the captain sharply at Peri, Dwal, and Alfred. "Don't even think of moving from that spot," she commands, pointing at their feet. She nods to another guard, and four of them carefully enter the station building. One burly guard remains outside with the suspicious trio. "You heard her. Where these sparks at now?"  he demands of Peri.

Doolb remains absent, together with the guard tasked with tracking him through the snow.

It remains dark and cold in this empty, snowy lane.

Peri shrugs. "Dunno. All I know is they aren't out here, so that's why we came out. Figure if they show up again we have better odds of runnin' out here than bein' bottled up inside. I whacked one a coupla times but it didn't seem to bother it much. You know much about that Hong? We can't figure him out."

Gerrard:

Wincing a bit, Gerrard speaks earnestly to the guard leader, “I suppose that is fair, what you have come to expect from us…But I will not slink off to hide by a warm fire when innocent citizens are buried under rubble or these ‘Sparks’ run free after murdering your guards.  It is time a Feldren stepped in and put himself in a bit of danger for the people of Seaton.”

Having spoken more passionately as he waxed eloquent, the injured and weary noble makes it plain he will aid the people of Seaton, no matter the personal danger or discomfort.

Gerrard motions towards Peri and Dwal, adding, “I will, of course, not interfere with your investigation, but I can tell you that Master Fenwader and Brother Fiercehammer are trustworthy companions of mine, and if they say these Sparks are responsible, I believe them.”

”Come, Pockets, I will show you the destruction that you might mobilize those guards as can be spared to help save some lives tonight,” says Gerrard, adding to the leader, “I will return shortly, Captain, and help as I may..”

Gerrard turns to leave with the guard unless someone wishes to engage him further in conversation.  As he moves along with Pockets, he asks, “Who or what are these Sparks I hear mentioned?”