Descent in the Age of Corona

After conferring with the DM, I'll be using Casta's inspiration: 18

Yokai's eldritch dagger of glowing white energies hurtles from the darkness to the north with lethal force, with the Fist of Bane saved from its deadly, hexed effects only by the amount of cover he possesses from the Warlock.  With the severity of his wounds, the heavily armored warrior remains utterly focused upon keeping his mace and shield between him and the multiple threats to the north, the looming draconic shadow of Belmort first among them.

From the larger sewer tunnel to the south, the sound of heavy metal impacting stone echoes up to the company, followed by the rasp and clang of running, armored footfalls, ending in thick splashes as they slow to a halt somewhere closer, yet still beyond sight...

OOC:  Thanks to Yokai and Casta for the joint PM dialog; most helpful, yet also tragic in matters of Inspiration.  Sorore has the initiative!

Sorore looks with sorrow between Murdoch and Feldinor, torn on her next actions.  She quickly decides, however, and summons the divine power of The Crying God to heal the latter.

Casts Healing Word with Life Domain on Feldinor:  7

Sorore also draws back her shortbow, and this time seeks the farthest Fist of Bane with her arrow.

22

OOC:  I think I hit, since he doesn't have a shield!

5

"Fimrold, please heal Murdoch, if you can!  I think we need Feldinor to fight and resist where he is!" 

OOC:  I hope that was a good move.  With Feldinor coming up sooner in initiative and his unique fighting position and the risk of him being taken, this seemed the better choice at the moment!  Not tied to my Dark Secret issues with Murdoch, I promise! :-)

3

Even as she restores Feldinor to consciousness, Sorore's arrow flies true and straight along the western wall of the sewer tunnel, piercing the Fist of Bane holding both longbow and mace in his lower left abdomen, plunging through weakened chainmail to jut from his pelvis.  The heavily armored warrior visibly staggers in his stance over the fallen Rogue, bellowing his pain through clenched teeth and cracking, half-frozen lips, but remains an enraged, brutal threat.

OOC:  Sorore, what a round of action - impactful in every respect, potentially turning the tide in what is becoming a desperate battle - absolutely worthy of Inspiration!  Initiative passes to Casta, followed immediately by Belmort!

Once Casta has finished her retreat, she begins to take stock of her new tactical situation.  She is uncomfortable retreating from the front line, but embattled Paladin's regularly rotate for the use of healing hands on an ally.  Helm's Holy Helmet, I'm dry.  She laments her situation, but Belmort steps up to fill the gap.  Good and noble soldier there.  Hope to work with him a long while, she  thinks to herself.   She smiles deeply with a grim satisfaction, even an unbecoming exaltation, as her assailant takes the full brunt of Belmort's frozen exhalation.  She feels a shock of vengeance meted out and recoils from shame at her own heart's betrayal.  However, she feels all the more confident when Feldinor dodges nimbly between jostling legs to take up a rear position, flanking the brute.  Then Murdoch sends a bolt true and clean into one of the forsaken Necromite priests.  Even while fleeing, they are paying a price.  We struggle, but we will overcome.  Liberation for the captured woman is nearly at hand. 

In the passing of but a moment, Feldinor is surprisingly crumpled by the archer and Murdoch is pulled into the abyss by inspired, furious revenge of the Dead Three.  Gods what a turn.  Healing spent... Two party members down... Feldinor ready to be kidnapped and sacrificed...  Rescue mission may become a pitched battle to just survive!  REDLOCKS MASSACRE .. .. .. HELM, PLEASE NOT AGAIN!! Self-doubt overcomes her.  Another failure in the making.  Cuspide Corona suffer a second slaughter?  Yokai retreats behind her deeper into darkness.  Is he fleeing?  Surely not, but maybe....  

Emissary of the broken god rises where her heart is failing.  With little more than a breath from Sorore, life returns to Feldinor.  Her bow, seemingly also guided, extracts a heavy price from the Fist who crushed Feldinor.  The cleric of Ilmater encourages the Paladin to take heart.  Pain is momentary.  Pain is a path to revelation.  Suffering to preserve life.  Mercy and Justice revealed in the stroke of a moment.  She has something to learn from many different gods.  Curse her weak heart.  Arise and show yourself.  Justice must be meted out.  Press on. 

Then she realizes the brilliance of Yokai's maneuver.  Yokai can see in the dark.  These humans cannot.  Amazing Option.  Exploit weakness in your foe.  Moreover, Feldinor would be wise to escape while conscious, though Tymora does not reward wisdom. 

Casta follows Yokai's lead and retreats north toward the cover of darkness.  Disconcerting that it's cloak can be for good as well as ill.  She changes to the underhand grip on her spear, settles it by her ear, then arcs back for a flat trajectory as hard as she can and lets loose a long cast, trying for a low arc.  "HELM SEND JUSTICE TO YOU"

----------------------------------- Mechanics -----------------------------

Move 20' north, expending 25' of movement.  Trying for darkness to mitigate disadvantage, but unable to make it that far.  Long range shot, throwing with disadvantage at the archer Fist. 

Attack: 13 Damage: 8

Interact action to draw a second spear from the back quiver. 

----------------

Note to self: Consider picking up a javlein or two.  Sometimes that 30' short range really does matter. 

Occ/ Since Casta’s turn will not have impact on my turn I am going to post for speed of play.

Belmort uses his warhammer to attack the frozen Fist of Bane fighter in front of him.

Attack: 10

Damage: 11

Neither Casta’s thrown spear nor Belmort’s crushing warhammer manage to strike either of the wounded yet brutally effective Fists of Bane, though either attack would surely have proven lethal should they have struck. 

Amidst the cacophony of clashing metal and stone, desperate voices and staggered footfalls, Feldinor returns to consciousness crumpled on the wet stones against the west wall of the sewer tunnel.

OOC:  Good Evening, Adventurers - such noble yet ill-fated attempts to seize victory from the enemy!  Agh, the dice themselves froze over it would seem...  Amidst much other unseen movement, Feldinor again has initiative!

Ah hah!  now I'm in great position to....where the hell did he get a mace..<thump>...Darkness consumes Feldinor and leaves him to his thoughts alone as his body slumps to the floor.  Nooooo!  not again.  Failure is not an option.  Tymora give me inspiration to complete the mission.

No sooner does Feldinor's body stop moving upon the ground, he begins to blink <healing word>.  Did I just hear someone call me RUNT?

He looks for his short sword which is inches from his hand...grasps the blade.  And defiantly stands before the archer Fist that blunted Feldinor's glorious charge. Feldinor accepts Tymora's inspiration to give him advantage against his foe before him.  And strikes.  "I am no Runt! I am ...a...Stout Halfling!" 

Attack: 19 Damage: 13

[ooc]Free interact with object to pick up short sword.  Half of move action to stand (as I read 5th edition there is not an opportunity attack for standing).  Uses inspiration granted by @GM to gain advantage against the archer (i.e. the one not in total defense).  Attack action to make an attack with advantage that gives me sneak dice!! [/ooc]

EDIT: [OOC]  Inspiration granted a critical hit!!!!  That is awesome![/ooc]  

19

His senses returned, unknown to the Fist of Bane, Feldinor grasps his blade and rises in a lethal blur of motion and defiance.  In an instant, the Rogue's short sword thrusts up under the armored warrior's outstretched left hand, still grasping his longbow, and plunges it cleanly into his left side through the seam in his chain mail, several inches above the arrow buried in his gut.  The Banite's clenched teeth open to spatter blood as his heaving breaths soak in a punctured lung, and he collapses in a great rasp of mail and metal to his right, dark convictions bearing him no more.

To the south, well-within the larger tunnel, the ragged form now curses in rising anger at the loss of both the Banite and the sacred sacrifice, and focuses his necrotic skeletal claw-magic upon Feldinor, even as the halfling looks up from his deadly strike...

17

[roll]1d20[/roll] 

8

OOC:  Don't know why the location d20 didn't work, trying it again here to avoid the warning banner:  19 

The spectral claw rakes across Feldinor's right arm and into his side, darkening the Rogue's studded leather and skin with smoking blackened slashes, and gravely wounding the Stout Halfling once more, sending him spiraling to the wet stones.

"Damn his flesh's weakness!   The cow is lost for now; fallback, take the runt, give him to the Nightblade!"  With those hoarse words, the Necromite himself steps back into the darkness beyond sight...

The wounded Fist of Bane, still staggering before Belmort's massive presence, finally breaks away in a desperate shout of his own defiance.  He throws his mace to the stones and roughly grasps the unconscious Feldinor by his armor as he disengages from the Dragonborn, backing into the larger sewer tunnel to the south, and beyond sight to the east...

OOC:  Good Evening, Adventurers!  Absolutely amazing, Feldinor!  Exceptionally well-done, and use of Inspiration to great advantage.  You did 11 points of damage, and that Fist had 10 remaining, so it was brilliantly spent.  Of course your deeds were particularly remarkable in the eyes of the enemy, as well...Such heights and depths within six seconds of living!

OOC:  Murdoch, please make your first Death Saving Throw, as your turn starts with 0 hit points.  Fimrold, you have the Initiative! 

[flashback scene given the outcome] Feldinor's blade found true!  he lets the brute slide off of his blade while maintaining its last position...elevated...horizontal...and points the blood dripping blade at the last visible necromite and mouths "you're next".  Ah crap, he's doing that magic thingy again...Feldinor frantically spins his head awaiting the unseen spectral hand he knows is coming...then <strike>...Feldinor lets out a long exhaust of air as darkness closes in on him again.  How is one supposed to fight something one cannot seeeeeeeeee.

Well Tymora, i did ask for inspiration and I thank you for the opportunity to avenge my foe.  sooooo since that worked so well the first time....can I have another?   ....<bump> ouch  <bump>  hey <bump> whoever the hell is doing things up there...stop it!  Feldinor seems to image himself at the bottom of a well of darkness; looking up at the light so far away; and then the well keeps bumping into him unnaturally. 

[ooc]Just wanted to add some flavor text given I feel like a flesh yo-yo at this point.  Oh and I like to roll dice so here--20 Perception to notice anything as I'm being dragged/bumped along the ground on my new journey. :) [/ooc] 

Murdoch bleeds in the dark 

Death Save 14

Fimrold utters a Healing Word towards Murdoch, restoring

5 hitpoints.

Fimrold agonizingly stares at the looming passageway where his unconscious comrade had been drug, knowing well that there are two Necromites hidden in the darkness and armored reinforcements nearby, possibly waiting in ambush. (Post #324) Thinking about his injured companions and low party resources including his own spent spell slots, Fimrold decides it would be unwise to chase into the unknown.

I can't just leave Feldinor but I won't be gettin' myself killed for nothin', even so I'm not ready to be the shortest member of the party!

Fimrold listens using the search action to see if he can confirm the presence, number, or location of adversaries in the next room and will call out the product of his perception. (If he hears nothing else he'll simply state his uncertainty.)

Perception: 18

OOC: A tough spot with tougher decisions, I want to save our halfling friend but must act in character and make wise decisions. I really worry about how far a disengage action plus a move action got the abductor, and another sea of enemies to wade through could prove lethal. Damn this tunnel and damn these blind corners!

14

Fimrold listens intently in the aftermath of the swift, violent exchange between the companions of A Cuspide Corona and the Cultists of the Dead Three.  From their heavy ragged breathing and movements in the damp, cavernous tunnel to the south, the dwarf discerns the presence of at least one armored enemy to both the east and west, with the labored sounds of at least one of the robed Necromites reinforcing the latter, all relatively close to the intersection.  His perception is also discerning enough to note that the source of the torchlight, formerly held aloft by one of the Myrkul cultists, would likely remain no further than 15 feet west of the tunnels' crossing...

OOC:  Good Evening, Adventurers, and apologies for the delayed response.  As a few of you are aware, it was deliberate in this instance while awaiting a PM exchange among players that could have materially impacted decisions.  With that confirmed as resolved, we press on.  While I did pause in this instance given the relative newness of the campaign, I would not normally do so unless a matter of the rules are at issue, and not a matter of character preference, especially when it comes to individual roleplaying that runs true to the nature/personality of the characters themselves, which I would instead actively encourage. 

OOC:  Rigor now has the initiative, in this circumstance of increasingly dire peril!

Rigor nods in thanks to Fimrold for his assessment of the enemy.  Considering the unfolding disaster, he rushes forward, ahead of both Fimrold and Belmort, and comes to a stop before the body of the fallen Fist.  Hoping that the cultist isn't dead yet, Rigor picks up the limp body and prepares to pull it back within the company’s ranks, holding it like a large shield for cover.

”We can learn much from this fallen cultist while he lives, and still more when he dies,” Rigor says in a loud voice, for all in the sewer tunnels to hear.

11

Long seconds pass while the unknowable transpires among the Cultists of the Dead Three, then the ragged voice of the torch-bearing Necromite echoes harshly from the cavernous southern tunnel.

"Dark Gods damn you all!" the cultist rages in a choked voice.  "Stay your hands!  The dying halfling for both Dark Believers; you need not die this day..."

The guttering source of the torchlight comes no closer, and for a first, no arcane necrotic claw reaches out from the gloom for A Cuspide Corona...for now...

OOC:  Good Evening, Adventurers!  Two consecutive unexpected moves among the company, the latter with the possibility to alter the calculus of this bloody conflict, and worthy of Inspiration!  This raises the possibilities of both hope and danger, as initiative passes to Yokai!

"Uneven! Two for two!" Yokai yells back.

He puts a hand on Casta's shoulder and says softly "...you must convince them".

/OOC Yokai is weaponless. His sword is above, and his party member has his backup weapon. He will have to rely on Eldritch blast and a crowbar for now.

/OOC Yokai will use the Help action. This should give Casta advantage on any persuasion rolls in an effort to retrieve both hostages.

Quote from SynAckuL >>

 

/OOC Yokai is weaponless. His sword is above, and his party member has his backup weapon. He will have to rely on Eldritch blast and a crowbar for now.

Remember there is a shiny short sword on the ground if you feel like your hands are lonely.  :)

/OOC You're going to need that when Casta waxes eloquent and secures your exchange.