Its the End of the World (as we know it)

And so it begins. 

Will be running concurrent initiative again, unless there are any objections.

Will start things off with a surprise round where everyone in the party gets to act. The cultists seem very engaged in what they are doing, you all have the element of surprise. Lem kicks things off with some sleep.

Yokini hugs the wall heading to M12 from whence she shall shoot a glowing arrow at one of the cultists still standing after the sleep gas does its thing.

Infused crossbow attack: 22; damage: 9 magical piercing damage

Thistle will draw and loose fluidly from her hidden spot, aiming for the leader, then she will duck back behind the column for cover (as she’s not hidden anymore).

Action: attack from surprise at the leader with shortbow for advantage and sneak attack: 19 to hit, for 16 piercing damage 

Raddunth rages as a bonus action ("those foul priests will regret imprisoning those gnomes") and marches to E9. He was about to whoop out his battle cry, but then decides to let sleeping dragons rest as long as they can.

If E2 is still awake, gets a whack of non-lethal hand axe. (If E2 is asleep and E3 awake, then E3 gets it.) Since this is a surprise round... Reckless!

• Attack: 22 Damage: 13   (1d6+5 is slashing, 1d6+1 is Divine Fury radiant)

(If both E2 and E3 are asleep... No raging or attacking this round. He would double move to D3 as his action.)

OOC > A silent, raging Raddunth, tiptoeing through comatose cultists, is a sight to behold...

Zashier gives Onzeepzeg one final, trusting nod, and then hustles his way after the others. He knew himself to be the least quietest of the others, let alone the most nimble. So, he hardly slowed in his race forward, into the relative open, positioning himself roughly to be closest to the dragon in theory initially to intercept it. Some strange, ponderous tone language spill from his lips as he reached into a pocket, pulling forth what can only be described as a small orb of condensed sunshine.

And with a simple flick of the wrist, its sent spiraling at the head hocho... if the weren't unconcious by then.

Bonus Action: Channel Divinity - Legendary Strike.

Movement: To 9-i.

Action(if Head Honcho isn't down): Casts Pocket Full of Sunshine - Attack: 24 Damage: 28 of radiant, and next attack on Honcho has advantage.
(if Adv. for any reason: 14)

Action(if Head Honco /is/ down): Rush to 6-E.

Future Reaction: Using Protection Fighting Style to cause disadvantage on anyone striking a nearby ally (or unconscious gnome, as the case may be).

The dim cavern flickers with light from the candles around the wall. The chanting seems to get louder and more excited.

In the shadows, the party moves forward.

Thistle waits behind a column, drawing her bow…

Yokini hugs the wall, moving forward, and readies a glowing arrow…

Zashier gives a trusting nod towards Onzeepzeg…

Raddunth gets angry, and is waiting for the perfect moment to charge…

Lem raises his arm, and a light mist escapes it and drifts through the air towards the cultists…

As the mist drifts through the air, Onzeepzeg whispers to Zashier. “Your kindness is appreciated, and I promise, I will think on your words” and, as if on cue, Thistle fires an arrow and all hell breaks loose. Yokini fires her arrow, Raddunth charges in, with Zashier on his heels. As everyone scatters, and focuses on the cultists, Onzeepzeg runs straight for the white dragon. When he gets next to the dragon, anyone that glances over sees his lips moving, but you can’t hear him. He is whispering to the dragon. The dragon's eyes flutter open, but it doesn’t move. It obviously recognizes the kobold.

In a flurry of action, Yokini’s magical arrow hits one of the cultists (number 3) for 9 damage, Thistle’s arrow hits the cult leader for 16 damage. As those arrows are in the air, Raddunth and Zashier also charge in, a perfect blend of range and melee, a superb surprise attack on the cultists. As they are charging, the mist seems to thicken and then dissipate, and 3 of the cultists wobble and fall over (Cultists who are asleep: 1, 4, and 5). Yokini's arrow flies right in front of Raddunth as he is charging, but he trusts his friends and continues moving. He strikes one of the cultists (number 2) for 13 damage. Zashier charges into the center of the room, pulling literal sunshine from his pocket and sending it through air where it does 14 damage to the leader, shaking him from his reverie, and already looking bloody.

The trance is broken, the ceremony is over. 3 of the cultists fall to the ground (sleeping for 10 rounds unless disturbed) and the others realize they are not alone. 

The leader bellows out, echoing into the room "Who dares disturb me!" and he picks up a mace from the ground, behind the table where a gnome lies unconscious.

Round 2 starts now. Great surprise round!

(OOC: I think I mentioned that Raddunth tends to say the obvious out loud and answer rhetorical questions.)

"Raddunth dares! Until all good folk are free from the bondage of evil doers such as you, you will continue to be disturbed."

(With 2 and 3 still up, he will strike at 3 first with his off-hand axe, then at 2 with his dominant hand weapon. Non-lethal, to join their slumbering brethren, and Reckless for the advantage. Whoever gets hit first takes the radiant damage from Divine Fury.)

• Bonus action vs. 3 Attack: 23 Damage: 2
• Action vs. 2 Attack: 15 Damage: 9
• Divine Fury damage: 3
• I forgot to include advantage on the attack vs. 2, so here is the replacement to-hit roll: 14  (ha!)

"You kidnapped my best friend's mom and sister, you shithead! Surrender or this will end badly for you!!" Lem blurts out, maybe a bit too fast to really be intimidating or understood. He points his good arm and fires off three darts, all at the leader (magic missile) for 8 force damage). 

(He moves up to J8 to get a clean shot.)

Thistle skirts the room along the south wall, nocking another arrow, and letting it go at the leader before taking cover behind the southern piece of furniture.

Move: to 12B to shoot, then move to 11A.

Action: shoot shortbow at the leader with Insightful Fighting. 15 to hit, for 7 piercing damage.

Thistle’s initiative if needed: 8
A second attack roll in case of Advantage: 11

"Uh, Y-yea! That's right, you very, very bad man!" Zashier declared as he ran over to the leader's side, drawing Zoken's Sin along the way. As he neared the man in charge, Moon's timely distraction.... is just what he needs as he brings the flat of the axe around to slam into man's arm.

Within in a moment, an inner light zips down from Zashier's weapon arm into the axe head, and almost seem to soundless explode against the leader, violently purging the negative energy within him.

Movement: To 4-E.

Action: Axe of Justice!.
[Non-Lethal,One-Handed, 1st Level Smite] Battle Axe - Attack: 16 Damage: 9 of slashing and radiant damage at leader.
(Adv. Roll: 19)
(And that was a crit thanks to Legendary Strike! So add 14 of damage for a total.... 31 points of damage)

Staying behind her pillar and peeking out to fire (like she did in the last battle, but staying on her feet this time), Yokini fires another glowing arrow at any cultist she can see still standing.

Infused crossbow attack: 7; damage: 10 magical piercing damage

With concurrent initiative, and things happening simultaneously, I had to adjust some of your movements a bit. Let me know if you disagree with anything on the map.

The voice of the masked leader echos in the room as he bellows “Who dares disturb me?!”

And immediately Raddunth responds, stating the obvious “Raddunth dares. Until all good folk are free from the bondage of evil doers such as you, you will continue to be disturbed.”

The two awake cultists move to wake their friends. After number 3 turns to slap number 4 and wake him, he draws his scimitar and moves back to face Raddunth, who slashes him with a hand axe for 12 damage, and number 3 falls to the ground, unconscious and bleeding…. Number 2 turns away to wake number 1 and narrowly misses getting slashed by Raddunth’s other axe, and number 4 (after standing) turns to wake number 5.

The sleeping cultists wake and stand, shaking their heads a bit, not sure why they were on the ground…but seeing the threat before them and their friend laying on the ground bleeding, they all draw their scimitars.

4 cultists are on their feet, and one lies unconscious on the ground in a bloody heap. Alive, but barely.

Following Raddunth’s shout, Lem shouts out "You kidnapped my best friend's mom and sister, you shithead! Surrender or this will end badly for you!!" And he raises his arm and 3 magical darts race towards the cult leader, who attempts to duck, but takes 8 damage.

The leader seeing his cultists fall, and then wake back up, but not seeing his attackers well, moves to hide behind the closest column. As he runs, Thistle moves and fires an arrow at him, but it hits the column and breaks as the leader hides (he now has cover).

Following Thistle’s lead, Yokini fires an arrow at one of the cultists, but is emotionally shaken at seeing her family laid out on these tables. Afraid she might hit her mother, she pulls the crossbow at the last moment and her shot goes wide.

1, 4, & 5 after standing immediately charge Raddunth, with 1 and 5 slashing at him with their scimitars (the others used their actions to wake each other), screaming in draconic (23. 15. ) (Lem understands draconic, and its some sort of insult morphed into a battle cry)

Raddunth attempts to block the swing of number 1, but opens himself up to number 5, who strikes a critical blow. He slashes with his scimitar at Raddunth's side for  10 damage.

Number 2 however steps back. He is bleeding quite a bit, but with his remaining energy he raises his scimitar above the gnome in the center of the cultists. (He has no action to use this round, but it is obvious what he intends to do.)

Zashier, not to be left out, also shouts out "Uh, Y-yea! That's right, you very, very bad man!" And he takes off running after the leader, meeting him at the column. As the masked leader gets into hiding Moon swoops in and flaps her feathers in his face and it is just the distraction that Zashier needs…it buys him a few more seconds to get to the column. Moon moves out of the way as Zashier’s towering body comes around the side of the column, axe drawn to the side like a baseball bat. He swings a mighty swing (and maybe even lets out a little trumpeting) as the axe connects with the leader in such a powerful way it literally blasts him back into the ground (31 damage.)

As he flies through the air, his mask falls off, and Zashier you see on the ground before you an unconscious, bloody Armos Kamroth, your landlord who you have been paying rent to for quite some time now, who has belittled you, and taken advantage of you. He lies a few feet away from you now in a heap on the ground.

While all of this is going on, no one is paying much attention to Onzeepzeg. He was whispering in the dragons ear, then moved to his leg where the dragon was chained up. He is able to get the chain off the dragons leg, and the white dragon stands up and stretches, then allows Onzeepzeg to climb up onto its back. As it moves by, forward it lifts off into the air, its shadow playing tricks in the candlelight. The dragon swoops  toward the stairs, making an escape with Onzeepzeg. With one last look back over its shoulder at his small horde of treasure, Onzeepzeg whispers in its ear again, and it flys off up the stairs.

Thistle steps out of cover, drawing an arrow back and letting loose at the cultist about to harm the unconscious gnome. 

Move: just to 12B to get a clear shot at cultist #2.

Bonus Action: Insightful Fighting on cultist #2 for 16, vs his Deception(Cha)

Action: shoot cultist #2 with an arrow. 8 to hit, for 9 piercing damage, and if IF hits, another 8 damage.

"NO!" Yokini shouts, running at the cultist (she can get to H11). She drops her crossbow, completely throwing caution to the wind. Raising her gadget glove, she makes a funny formation of fingers, and a small mote of light is projected at the cultist threatening her mother. The mote bursts into flame on whatever it hits.

Fire bolt attack: 18; damage: 5 fire damage

Lem raises a silent finger in powerless protest at the dragon's escape, hoping that Zashier's lesson stays with the peculiar kobold. Whirling back around, he sees the cultist threatening the unconscious gnome and he growls, darting forward and raising his good hand up, firing off three darts at the threatening cultist if they're still standing, and if not, arcing them to cultist 1. Here's the three magic missile dart damage rolls in case they get broken up due to fallen cultist. 2 5 4

Using his Reaction from the previous round, Raddunth takes an Attack of Opportunity on cultist #2, who turned his back (and moved more than 5' away) to get to the helpless gnome.

• Attack: 12 Damage: 6

He did not like the 5 points (rage resistance) he took from #5, so that cultist gets both hand-axe attacks. (Not reckless.)

• Normal Attack: 6 Damage: 10
• Bonus action Attack: 18 Damage: 6
• On the first hit, Divine Fury 7 radiant damage

Even after all the man has done, once there's recognition, Zashier winces and almost drops the axe on the spot in thinking, 'Ooooh, Sis is gonna kill me!'. Fortunately, he had not the time to think on Armos further prior to the dancing candlelight and woosh of wind drawing his gaze elsewhere. "... Good luck, Onz." Zashier found himself whispering in lieu of all the other chaotic things. Which is likely why that by the time he properly takes in the hostage situation, it is either over or too late.

Regardless of which, he shuffles over Amros to half guard his prone form from any bold ones to think to come. And while he could've mirrored the scimitar wielding man's actions, he instead put the axe away... and crossed his arms. "Now I think this should go without saying, but I will say it all the same, as I am one to do so. The rest of you better drop those weapons, or you'll be losing more than you can possibly afford at this here juncture." He demands of any still conscious following a raucous trumpet to get everyone's attention.

Intimidation: 8.

The dragon is escaping (with Onzeepzeg), the cult leader is on the floor bleeding, and Raddunth is getting triple teamed. What is the other cultist doing?

He is standing above Yokini’s mother, scimitar poised to drop….

Yokini shouts “NOOooooo” and takes off running, dropping her crossbow as she runs, sticks out her hand a shoots a blast of flame at the cultist while simultaneously Thistle steps out of cover and fires an arrow at the him. The arrow strikes true just as the fireball explodes the cultist into flame. He drops his scimitar, screaming at the top of his lungs, clawing at the flames and falls over, onto the table, which also catches on fire….with Yokini’s mother chained to the center of it, unconscious.

1, 4, and 5, are triple teaming Raddunth, all swinging with their scimitars (with advantage because Raddunth’s last attack was reckless  22  22. 23) with the grace of a cat, Raddunth dodges every single blade that is swung in his direction!!!

(Raddunth your swing at number 2 who moved away was a miss). Raddunth uses the momentum of his body dancing around to avoid getting hit to swing at number 5, then powers back the other direction with his offhand, catching the cultist with both hand axes, and he falls to the ground, dead as a doornail.

Lem wants to help out, but sees the cultist fall, and sees Raddunth getting attacked, and sends 3 missiles at number 1 for 11 total damage.

Zashier, after wishing Onzeepzeg a final adieu, walks over to Armos’ body, drops his axe, and attempts to negotiate. But with the exploding cultist, and Yokini’s mom now on a table that has caught fire, and the cultists attention being on Raddunth at this moment, his speech falls on deaf ears, and his trumpeting…well, it leaves a bit to be desired...

Raddunth is now being double teamed, number 5 and 2 are dead, number 3 and Armos are unconscious.

The dragon and Onzeepzeg have left the building.

Yokini's sister is still unconscious on the far table, and Yokini's mom is on a table that has now caught fire.