While Merric hangs back with Jamna and Carlon, the others set out from the northern gate of Waterdeep, moving quickly to keep pace ahead of the convoy departing the following morning. The High Road is well guarded and hardened near the city, and the trio of Akira, Karib and Rogram are able to start at a brisk pace; even the weather cooperates, with the setting sun beckoning forth a chill wind that cools the sweat of the humid day.
In the city itself, Ardred Briferhew informs Merric that the convoy will be departing first thing in the morning, giving the elf the location to meet with the rest of the wagons. The location is familiar, matching the district where the cultist wagons are currently gathered. As they walk back in that direction, Jamna grumbles. "I've got a bad feeling about this. There's a saying where I'm from - be larger than your enemy can bite. We gave up our numbers. If they get wise to us now, we just made it easier for them to bury us," she says. Carlon grimaces visibly. "That hits a little close to home," he says, drawing a curious gaze from Jamna.
The others find a suitable location to camp along the side of the road when night fully sets in. It isn't long before the brush at the edge of the clearing is disturbed, and three massive lizards push into the open, half surrounding Akira, Karib and Rogram in a semicircle. Each of the beasts is nearly ten feet long and at least as tall as an adult human, and each bears a rider, walking reptilian humanoids wielding a plethora of primitive weaponry - clubs, javelins, and shields made of shells and ringed with spikes.
The lizardfolk bear wicked grins, and before a word can be spoken, their lizard mounts have charged.
Initiative: Akira, Karib and Rogram <===== Lizardfolk
Placement: All combatants are within movement range.
Having brought his sword back out of "retirement" now that he no longer needs to hide his identity, Rogram stands and grins at the appearance of the invaders. "Prepare to feel the bite of my blade," he says, moving to intercept the nearest lizardfolk. Ignoring the giant lizard and hoping it doesn't bite, he swings his sword at its rider.
Defensive flourish (if the attack hits): You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and deal extra damage equal to the number you roll on the die. You also add the number to your AC until the start of your next turn: 1
After swinging, Rogram brings his sword forward in a defensive gesture.
Karib sighs. He had hoped for the promised clear roads and a quick journey, but life rarely delivered what he hoped for.
He focuses his mind, calling upon Gond for aid. As he does so, ghostly forms of sprites and centaurs coalesce around him, whirling in a frenzy. His friends seem unaffected by these spirits, but as he approaches the lizard folk these benign spirits seem to become more menacing.
Movement: Karib moves to try to place all enemies somewhere within 15' of him, and if there is cover to prevent himself being surrounded he uses it.
Merric wishes the others well and make Karib promise to check in daily, if they don’t hear from Merric they will know something is wrong with the caravan. If Merric doesn’t hear from them, he will try to break away from the wagons and move ahead to find them.
Walking back to the quarter where they left the cultist’s wagons, Merric shares Jamna’s concerns. “Yeah, splitting up isn’t ideal, but I don’t plan to be buried quite yet, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well. Look on the bright side, without the others, they may just think we are guards. I just hope they are getting along okay on the road ahead of us."
OOC: Botting Akira for this round with a dodge action.
Rogram takes a risk, trusting himself to dodge the lizardfolk's javelin as its lizard mount brings it into range. His timing correct, he rushes inside the javelin's range, bringing him close enough to tear his blade past the lizardfolk's shield and into its hide. Hissing and clutching the wound, the lizardfolk rounds its mount and prepares for another charge.
As Akira leaps and rolls past another lizardfolk's jabbing spear and snapping jaws, Karib positions himself between it and the remaining rider, allowing his radiant spirits to batter his opponents, maintaining concentration as a spiked shield slams into his armor, jolting him but not piercing through.
Round 2 Order: Akira, Karib and Rogram <===== Lizardfolk
Placement: Akira, Karib and Rogram are each engaged in melee combat with a mounted lizardfolk. All combatants are within movement range of one another.
Health: The lizardfolk fighting Rogram is badly wounded. The lizardfolk fighting Karib and its mount are lightly wounded. The giant lizard being ridden by the lizardfolk fighting Akira is lightly wounded.
Karib is lightly wounded. Rogram is lightly wounded.
Jamna's brow raises as Merric mentions having tricks up his sleeve, but she says nothing further. Carlon chuckles. "So Karib brought me somewhat up to speed...I get why some of the others have a grudge against the Cult, but not you. You just doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" he asks.
Rogram bares his teeth in a half grimace/half smile as the creature sneaks a blow in past his defenses. Tit for tat, he thinks. He lunges with his sword again, attempting to take down the giant lizard's rider.
Attack: nat20 for a total of 26; damage: 10 — defensive flourish again: 2
"Ha ha!" he cheers as he admires his own aim. Finishing with a defensive posture again, the half-dwarf prepares for his next attack.
Karib's features relax a little as he tries to suppress the rage that usually drives him through a fight. Now is not the time for mayhem.
Looking around, he positions himself carefully so that his newfound protectors can do their work, while he attempts to avoid any of the enemies that strike him. A faint smile appears on his face as his staff once again takes on a more lethal appearance, ready for the possibility that his concentration is broken.
Movement: Keep three enemies in area. Action: Dodge Bonus Action: Shillelagh Note: *if* he is hit he will use Silvery Barbs
Rogram jolts to the side of the rider's incoming spear, kicking off of the giant lizard it rides to thrust his sword through the heart of the rider, who slumps to the side, falling off of its mount as Rogram lands safely back on the ground. Karib's spirits pummel the rider of the giant lizard nearest him, knocking it off of its mount to land dead in the grass as the lizard goes into a frenzy, biting and gnashing fruitlessly at the spirits while Karib maintains a safe distance. The spirits also clobber the giant lizard near Akira; its rider leaps off of the lizard and stabs its javelin through the dragonborn's stomach, quickly realizing as her mirror image is dispersed that the weapon did not tear through solid flesh. Its jaws snap at another image of Akira, which is also dispelled as the real wizard behind the spell remains safe.
Round 3 Order: Akira, Karib and Rogram <===== Lizardfolk
Placement: Akira is engaged in melee combat with the remaining lizardfolk. Karib and Rogram are each engaged in melee combat with a giant lizard. All combatants are within movement range of one another.
Health: The giant lizard fighting Karib is wounded.
Karib is lightly wounded. Rogram is lightly wounded.
Karib stands his ground, moving only to achieve a better position relative to the remaining enemies -- especially the riders. While he marvels at the blessings of Gond, he is saddened by the death of the mounts. The creatures are the victims of their riders but they blood is on his hands. As he continues to dodge and weave, he shouts at the lizard mount hoping to scare it away now that it's rider is no more. For the riders he has no thoughts of mercy.
Movement: Karib moves to try to place all enemies - especially the riders - somewhere within 15' of him, and if there is cover to prevent himself being surrounded he uses it. Action: Dodge
Rogram moves to help Akira, thankful the wizard had used magic to protect herself. He thrusts out his sword at the lizard, hoping for another stab through the heart.
So focused on stabbing the correct image of Akira, the lizardfolk looks down in shock at Rogram's blade thrust through its chest from behind, before slumping lifelessly off of it. Near Karib, the giant lizard falls to the searing energy of the cleric's spirits, while its lone remaining companion is badly beaten by them. Hissing and flailing hopelessly at the divine spirits, the creature turns tail and runs back over the outcropping it came from, fleeing from the victorious companions.
OOC: Akira, Karib, and Rogram have gained 100 XP for defeating the lizardfolk ambush.
Rogram breathes out a noisy, satisfied sigh. Turning his sword this way and that, and admiring the slick blood coating the blade, he says, "I've missed you, too."
He looks around at his companions. "Everyone OK?"
The half-dwarf sets to cleaning his blade, joy radiating off of him.
Karib nods, "Aye lad. We both took a dents it seems, but nothing a bit of rest wont fix."
The guardians settle down but remain as he walks over to the corpses, wondering if the fact they were lizards was a coincidence or something more sinister. He tries to recall the attack on Greenest, pondering any similarities as be rummages through their equipment.
Not a good start to the journey. He wonders at Jamna's words of warning, but resolves to stay the course at least for the time being.
When he is finished with the corpses he tries to move them out of the camp area, or at least a little downwind, but the sheer size of the lizards likely makes the task futile so he instead casts about for a better...and perhaps more definsible place to camp.
Plan: Short Rest to recover, then night's rest. In the morning swap in Sending.
Merric purses his lips and looks at Carlon “Wouldn’t the world be a better place if more people did things out of the goodness of their hearts? But no, we have heard of the Cult of the Dragon even in the depths of the forest and my King has sent me to learn more about the cult and the dangers they bring before it ends up on our doorstep.” He looks curiously at the others “And you two? What brought you on the trail of the cult?”
Examining the bodies and the surrounding area, Akira does not see any indication that these lizardfolk were part of a larger group. Neither do any more lizardfolk make an appearance throughout the night, and the trio awakens refreshed and ready to continue the journey the following morning. The road is still intact throughout the next day, with no sign of travelers or potential enemies throughout the morning, afternoon, and evening, providing plenty of opportunity for pondering and communication.
OOC: Akira, Karib and Rogram have each gained the benefits of a long rest. Feel free to prepare new spells as desired.
“Wouldn’t the world be a better place if more people did things out of the goodness of their hearts? But no, we have heard of the Cult of the Dragon even in the depths of the forest and my King has sent me to learn more about the cult and the dangers they bring before it ends up on our doorstep.” He looks curiously at the others “And you two? What brought you on the trail of the cult?”
"Your King? As in King Melandrach?" Jamna asks. She whistles at the scale of the mission, adding, "This is definitely big if even the elves of the High Forest are concerned."
Jamna adds nothing more, but Carlon answers, "I was tracking a shipment of stolen loot north, just like Karib and Rogram were, except I didn't know any more detail than that until the smugglers got suspicious. You saw the end result - certainly not my finest moment as a spy. It wasn't until you all dug me out that I'd confirmed it was the Cult of the Dragon we were after. Now it's just personal." he fiddles with the hilt of his sword as he talks, staring off into the distance at some unpleasant memory. Shaking himself out of it, he adds, "From what I hear, it's a good thing that you and Akira joined in for that caravan. If it were just the two of them I can't imagine they'd have gotten this far."
It's not difficult to find some comfortable lodging in the northern district of Waterdeep. In the early morning hours the following day, you see that the convoy is practically ready to depart when you arrive. Six supply wagons in all, Ardred Briferhew has them and the other nine guards in a shape closer to a military escort than a merchant caravan. "Perfect, the rearguard is here," Briferhew bellows when Merric arrives with his companions. "The three of you will stay behind the rear wagon with me, just close enough to keep it in your vision at all times. If something approaches from the rear, we'll be alerting the others as soon as possible. They'll do the same for us at the front and sides," he says.
"So much for keeping a low profile," Jamna mutters, nodding toward several familiar faces in formation as escorts. The cultists offer dirty looks in your direction, clearly displeased at your arrival. "Let's just hope Ardred keeps them in line," Carlon adds. The man Jamna had flagged as a Red Wizard of Thay is also present, still wearing his out-of-season fur cap, though not looking nearly as upset as the others.
The wagons roll out of Waterdeep's north gate shortly after, and rumble along the road well into the evening, stopping only twice for a brisk rest period. Briferhew is in a fine mood throughout the day, humming and whistling during any lulls in conversation. It isn't until the late evening that the convoy attracts trouble.
Just as Briferhew calls for the wagons to halt for the night, a series of yells prelude a flurry of clicks as crossbow bolts fly through the air. Surrounding the wagons on all sides, men and women, largly human, in dirty leather armor and ragged outfits, tear into the open from the surrounding trees with swords raised high. "Bandits!" come the cries from guards and Briferhew alike, and the air rings with the sound of metal sliding on metal as swords and spears are drawn.
Placement: Bandits are surrounding the convoy on all sides. Twelve in total are near Merric, Briferhew, Carlon & Jamna, between 30 and 50 feet away.
OOC: Battles involving the convoy will be treated similarly to those on the caravan from Baldur's Gate to Waterdeep. There are additional enemies being fought by other guards on the convoy, and for the purposes of keeping things less complicated, Merric only needs to consider the twelve bandits considered to be in initiative order with him and the NPCs.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Merric looks over at Jamna “Interested may be a better word that involved. I am my King’s eyes and ears, I am here to find out information to see how much, if any, of a threat this cult poses.” He spends most of the morning in the rear guard in silence, watching the other guards and the forest along the trail.
He springs into action and the shouts of the other guards and the sound of steel clashing. He pulls a handful of sharp thorns from his pouch and tosses them to the ground, whispering in elvish. With a wave of his hand, thorns and brambles erupt from the earth around the largest group of the bandits. “That should slow them down a bit.” he shouts as he readies his bow.
(spike growth creates a 20 foot radius area of difficult terrain. It causes 5 damage for every 5 feet of movement for any creature entering or moving into the area. He places the spell to catch as many of the 12 bandits in or behind the area as he can.)
The next day, Rogram is in high spirits. To pass the time, he asks Karib and Akira a plethora of questions.
"Where did you two grow up? Until last month, I had never left Greenest. I suppose it will always be home."
"Are your parents still alive? My mother died about 30 years ago. She was kind of like a wizard," he says, looking at Akira. "She taught me about magic."
"Akira, did you go to wizard school?"
"Karib, how is it that you can send my pa a message? Can you do it at any time? Can I send him a message? Can you teach me the spell?"
Karib wakes early the next morning and goes through his rituals as usual, petitioning Gond for his gifts, but this time with a sense of foreboding. What if there is no response from Rogram's father? Would it mean he was dead? Or just behind some magical barrier? What should he say to Rogram?
A longer watch and worrying about what do say to the smith combined for a fitful sleep.
When he is don he settles down in front of the fire, picturing the older dwarf in his mind. So like Rogram yet so unalike as well. Finally, he [Tooltip Not Found] hsi message: "Karib from Greenest here, 25 words to reply. Rogram and others are coming. Where in the North are you? Any insights or advice welcome."
He waits for a reply.
Later:
He smiles at Rograms barrage of questions. "Most of my life was in Baldur's Gate. My parents both wizards." His smile turns into a slight frown, "I was a great disappointment to them."
"But...they were a disappointment to me, in many ways, so that seems fair. It wasn't until I was arrested by the temple guards that I found my true calling."
He draws a deep breath looking south, "They are both still alive and ... I think... both reconciled to my choices." He shrugs, then focuses back on Rogram. "As to the the 'spell'' as you call it .... it is a gift from Gond. If you care to devote your life to his service them I dare say that one day you may also be able to do such things."
Glancing over at Akira he quickly adds, "...and as my parents would tell you there are few things a priest can do that a wizard can not do. That is probably among them."
"Humility, and the granting of life-sustaining powers were of course not among thepowers that they referred to."
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While Merric hangs back with Jamna and Carlon, the others set out from the northern gate of Waterdeep, moving quickly to keep pace ahead of the convoy departing the following morning. The High Road is well guarded and hardened near the city, and the trio of Akira, Karib and Rogram are able to start at a brisk pace; even the weather cooperates, with the setting sun beckoning forth a chill wind that cools the sweat of the humid day.
In the city itself, Ardred Briferhew informs Merric that the convoy will be departing first thing in the morning, giving the elf the location to meet with the rest of the wagons. The location is familiar, matching the district where the cultist wagons are currently gathered. As they walk back in that direction, Jamna grumbles. "I've got a bad feeling about this. There's a saying where I'm from - be larger than your enemy can bite. We gave up our numbers. If they get wise to us now, we just made it easier for them to bury us," she says. Carlon grimaces visibly. "That hits a little close to home," he says, drawing a curious gaze from Jamna.
The others find a suitable location to camp along the side of the road when night fully sets in. It isn't long before the brush at the edge of the clearing is disturbed, and three massive lizards push into the open, half surrounding Akira, Karib and Rogram in a semicircle. Each of the beasts is nearly ten feet long and at least as tall as an adult human, and each bears a rider, walking reptilian humanoids wielding a plethora of primitive weaponry - clubs, javelins, and shields made of shells and ringed with spikes.
The lizardfolk bear wicked grins, and before a word can be spoken, their lizard mounts have charged.
Initiative:
Akira, Karib and Rogram <=====
Lizardfolk
Placement:
All combatants are within movement range.
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Having brought his sword back out of "retirement" now that he no longer needs to hide his identity, Rogram stands and grins at the appearance of the invaders. "Prepare to feel the bite of my blade," he says, moving to intercept the nearest lizardfolk. Ignoring the giant lizard and hoping it doesn't bite, he swings his sword at its rider.
One-handed longsword attack: 18; damage: 11 slashing damage
Defensive flourish (if the attack hits): You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and deal extra damage equal to the number you roll on the die. You also add the number to your AC until the start of your next turn: 1
After swinging, Rogram brings his sword forward in a defensive gesture.
Karib sighs. He had hoped for the promised clear roads and a quick journey, but life rarely delivered what he hoped for.
He focuses his mind, calling upon Gond for aid. As he does so, ghostly forms of sprites and centaurs coalesce around him, whirling in a frenzy. His friends seem unaffected by these spirits, but as he approaches the lizard folk these benign spirits seem to become more menacing.
Movement: Karib moves to try to place all enemies somewhere within 15' of him, and if there is cover to prevent himself being surrounded he uses it.
Merric wishes the others well and make Karib promise to check in daily, if they don’t hear from Merric they will know something is wrong with the caravan. If Merric doesn’t hear from them, he will try to break away from the wagons and move ahead to find them.
Walking back to the quarter where they left the cultist’s wagons, Merric shares Jamna’s concerns. “Yeah, splitting up isn’t ideal, but I don’t plan to be buried quite yet, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well. Look on the bright side, without the others, they may just think we are guards. I just hope they are getting along okay on the road ahead of us."
OOC: Botting Akira for this round with a dodge action.
Rogram takes a risk, trusting himself to dodge the lizardfolk's javelin as its lizard mount brings it into range. His timing correct, he rushes inside the javelin's range, bringing him close enough to tear his blade past the lizardfolk's shield and into its hide. Hissing and clutching the wound, the lizardfolk rounds its mount and prepares for another charge.
As Akira leaps and rolls past another lizardfolk's jabbing spear and snapping jaws, Karib positions himself between it and the remaining rider, allowing his radiant spirits to batter his opponents, maintaining concentration as a spiked shield slams into his armor, jolting him but not piercing through.
Round 2 Order:
Akira, Karib and Rogram <=====
Lizardfolk
Placement:
Akira, Karib and Rogram are each engaged in melee combat with a mounted lizardfolk.
All combatants are within movement range of one another.
Health:
The lizardfolk fighting Rogram is badly wounded.
The lizardfolk fighting Karib and its mount are lightly wounded.
The giant lizard being ridden by the lizardfolk fighting Akira is lightly wounded.
Karib is lightly wounded.
Rogram is lightly wounded.
Jamna's brow raises as Merric mentions having tricks up his sleeve, but she says nothing further. Carlon chuckles. "So Karib brought me somewhat up to speed...I get why some of the others have a grudge against the Cult, but not you. You just doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" he asks.
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Akira casts Mirror Image on herself and prepares.
Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A)
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5)
Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)
Rogram bares his teeth in a half grimace/half smile as the creature sneaks a blow in past his defenses. Tit for tat, he thinks. He lunges with his sword again, attempting to take down the giant lizard's rider.
Attack: nat20 for a total of 26; damage: 10 — defensive flourish again: 2
"Ha ha!" he cheers as he admires his own aim. Finishing with a defensive posture again, the half-dwarf prepares for his next attack.
Karib's features relax a little as he tries to suppress the rage that usually drives him through a fight. Now is not the time for mayhem.
Looking around, he positions himself carefully so that his newfound protectors can do their work, while he attempts to avoid any of the enemies that strike him. A faint smile appears on his face as his staff once again takes on a more lethal appearance, ready for the possibility that his concentration is broken.
Movement: Keep three enemies in area.
Action: Dodge
Bonus Action: Shillelagh
Note: *if* he is hit he will use Silvery Barbs
Rogram jolts to the side of the rider's incoming spear, kicking off of the giant lizard it rides to thrust his sword through the heart of the rider, who slumps to the side, falling off of its mount as Rogram lands safely back on the ground. Karib's spirits pummel the rider of the giant lizard nearest him, knocking it off of its mount to land dead in the grass as the lizard goes into a frenzy, biting and gnashing fruitlessly at the spirits while Karib maintains a safe distance. The spirits also clobber the giant lizard near Akira; its rider leaps off of the lizard and stabs its javelin through the dragonborn's stomach, quickly realizing as her mirror image is dispersed that the weapon did not tear through solid flesh. Its jaws snap at another image of Akira, which is also dispelled as the real wizard behind the spell remains safe.
Round 3 Order:
Akira, Karib and Rogram <=====
Lizardfolk
Placement:
Akira is engaged in melee combat with the remaining lizardfolk.
Karib and Rogram are each engaged in melee combat with a giant lizard.
All combatants are within movement range of one another.
Health:
The giant lizard fighting Karib is wounded.
Karib is lightly wounded.
Rogram is lightly wounded.
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Karib stands his ground, moving only to achieve a better position relative to the remaining enemies -- especially the riders. While he marvels at the blessings of Gond, he is saddened by the death of the mounts. The creatures are the victims of their riders but they blood is on his hands. As he continues to dodge and weave, he shouts at the lizard mount hoping to scare it away now that it's rider is no more. For the riders he has no thoughts of mercy.
Movement: Karib moves to try to place all enemies - especially the riders - somewhere within 15' of him, and if there is cover to prevent himself being surrounded he uses it.
Action: Dodge
Rogram moves to help Akira, thankful the wizard had used magic to protect herself. He thrusts out his sword at the lizard, hoping for another stab through the heart.
Attack: dirty 20; damage: 13; defensive flourish: 5
OOC: Botting Akira with another dodge.
So focused on stabbing the correct image of Akira, the lizardfolk looks down in shock at Rogram's blade thrust through its chest from behind, before slumping lifelessly off of it. Near Karib, the giant lizard falls to the searing energy of the cleric's spirits, while its lone remaining companion is badly beaten by them. Hissing and flailing hopelessly at the divine spirits, the creature turns tail and runs back over the outcropping it came from, fleeing from the victorious companions.
OOC: Akira, Karib, and Rogram have gained 100 XP for defeating the lizardfolk ambush.
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Rogram breathes out a noisy, satisfied sigh. Turning his sword this way and that, and admiring the slick blood coating the blade, he says, "I've missed you, too."
He looks around at his companions. "Everyone OK?"
The half-dwarf sets to cleaning his blade, joy radiating off of him.
Karib nods, "Aye lad. We both took a dents it seems, but nothing a bit of rest wont fix."
The guardians settle down but remain as he walks over to the corpses, wondering if the fact they were lizards was a coincidence or something more sinister. He tries to recall the attack on Greenest, pondering any similarities as be rummages through their equipment.
Not a good start to the journey. He wonders at Jamna's words of warning, but resolves to stay the course at least for the time being.
When he is finished with the corpses he tries to move them out of the camp area, or at least a little downwind, but the sheer size of the lizards likely makes the task futile so he instead casts about for a better...and perhaps more definsible place to camp.
Plan: Short Rest to recover, then night's rest. In the morning swap in Sending.
Akira exhales deeply, “Thank you Rogram.”
She looks over the ground and the bodies to try to determine if these lizard folk seemed to be an isolated band or part of a larger contingent.
Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A)
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5)
Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
Merric purses his lips and looks at Carlon “Wouldn’t the world be a better place if more people did things out of the goodness of their hearts? But no, we have heard of the Cult of the Dragon even in the depths of the forest and my King has sent me to learn more about the cult and the dangers they bring before it ends up on our doorstep.” He looks curiously at the others “And you two? What brought you on the trail of the cult?”
Examining the bodies and the surrounding area, Akira does not see any indication that these lizardfolk were part of a larger group. Neither do any more lizardfolk make an appearance throughout the night, and the trio awakens refreshed and ready to continue the journey the following morning. The road is still intact throughout the next day, with no sign of travelers or potential enemies throughout the morning, afternoon, and evening, providing plenty of opportunity for pondering and communication.
OOC: Akira, Karib and Rogram have each gained the benefits of a long rest. Feel free to prepare new spells as desired.
"Your King? As in King Melandrach?" Jamna asks. She whistles at the scale of the mission, adding, "This is definitely big if even the elves of the High Forest are concerned."
Jamna adds nothing more, but Carlon answers, "I was tracking a shipment of stolen loot north, just like Karib and Rogram were, except I didn't know any more detail than that until the smugglers got suspicious. You saw the end result - certainly not my finest moment as a spy. It wasn't until you all dug me out that I'd confirmed it was the Cult of the Dragon we were after. Now it's just personal." he fiddles with the hilt of his sword as he talks, staring off into the distance at some unpleasant memory. Shaking himself out of it, he adds, "From what I hear, it's a good thing that you and Akira joined in for that caravan. If it were just the two of them I can't imagine they'd have gotten this far."
It's not difficult to find some comfortable lodging in the northern district of Waterdeep. In the early morning hours the following day, you see that the convoy is practically ready to depart when you arrive. Six supply wagons in all, Ardred Briferhew has them and the other nine guards in a shape closer to a military escort than a merchant caravan. "Perfect, the rearguard is here," Briferhew bellows when Merric arrives with his companions. "The three of you will stay behind the rear wagon with me, just close enough to keep it in your vision at all times. If something approaches from the rear, we'll be alerting the others as soon as possible. They'll do the same for us at the front and sides," he says.
"So much for keeping a low profile," Jamna mutters, nodding toward several familiar faces in formation as escorts. The cultists offer dirty looks in your direction, clearly displeased at your arrival. "Let's just hope Ardred keeps them in line," Carlon adds. The man Jamna had flagged as a Red Wizard of Thay is also present, still wearing his out-of-season fur cap, though not looking nearly as upset as the others.
The wagons roll out of Waterdeep's north gate shortly after, and rumble along the road well into the evening, stopping only twice for a brisk rest period. Briferhew is in a fine mood throughout the day, humming and whistling during any lulls in conversation. It isn't until the late evening that the convoy attracts trouble.
Just as Briferhew calls for the wagons to halt for the night, a series of yells prelude a flurry of clicks as crossbow bolts fly through the air. Surrounding the wagons on all sides, men and women, largly human, in dirty leather armor and ragged outfits, tear into the open from the surrounding trees with swords raised high. "Bandits!" come the cries from guards and Briferhew alike, and the air rings with the sound of metal sliding on metal as swords and spears are drawn.
Round 1 Order:
Merric, Briferhew, Carlon & Jamna <=====
Bandits
Placement:
Bandits are surrounding the convoy on all sides.
Twelve in total are near Merric, Briferhew, Carlon & Jamna, between 30 and 50 feet away.
OOC: Battles involving the convoy will be treated similarly to those on the caravan from Baldur's Gate to Waterdeep. There are additional enemies being fought by other guards on the convoy, and for the purposes of keeping things less complicated, Merric only needs to consider the twelve bandits considered to be in initiative order with him and the NPCs.
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Merric looks over at Jamna “Interested may be a better word that involved. I am my King’s eyes and ears, I am here to find out information to see how much, if any, of a threat this cult poses.” He spends most of the morning in the rear guard in silence, watching the other guards and the forest along the trail.
He springs into action and the shouts of the other guards and the sound of steel clashing. He pulls a handful of sharp thorns from his pouch and tosses them to the ground, whispering in elvish. With a wave of his hand, thorns and brambles erupt from the earth around the largest group of the bandits. “That should slow them down a bit.” he shouts as he readies his bow.
(spike growth creates a 20 foot radius area of difficult terrain. It causes 5 damage for every 5 feet of movement for any creature entering or moving into the area. He places the spell to catch as many of the 12 bandits in or behind the area as he can.)
The next day, Rogram is in high spirits. To pass the time, he asks Karib and Akira a plethora of questions.
"Where did you two grow up? Until last month, I had never left Greenest. I suppose it will always be home."
"Are your parents still alive? My mother died about 30 years ago. She was kind of like a wizard," he says, looking at Akira. "She taught me about magic."
"Akira, did you go to wizard school?"
"Karib, how is it that you can send my pa a message? Can you do it at any time? Can I send him a message? Can you teach me the spell?"
Karib wakes early the next morning and goes through his rituals as usual, petitioning Gond for his gifts, but this time with a sense of foreboding. What if there is no response from Rogram's father? Would it mean he was dead? Or just behind some magical barrier? What should he say to Rogram?
A longer watch and worrying about what do say to the smith combined for a fitful sleep.
When he is don he settles down in front of the fire, picturing the older dwarf in his mind. So like Rogram yet so unalike as well. Finally, he [Tooltip Not Found] hsi message: "Karib from Greenest here, 25 words to reply. Rogram and others are coming. Where in the North are you? Any insights or advice welcome."
He waits for a reply.
Later:
He smiles at Rograms barrage of questions. "Most of my life was in Baldur's Gate. My parents both wizards." His smile turns into a slight frown, "I was a great disappointment to them."
"But...they were a disappointment to me, in many ways, so that seems fair. It wasn't until I was arrested by the temple guards that I found my true calling."
He draws a deep breath looking south, "They are both still alive and ... I think... both reconciled to my choices." He shrugs, then focuses back on Rogram. "As to the the 'spell'' as you call it .... it is a gift from Gond. If you care to devote your life to his service them I dare say that one day you may also be able to do such things."
Glancing over at Akira he quickly adds, "...and as my parents would tell you there are few things a priest can do that a wizard can not do. That is probably among them."
"Humility, and the granting of life-sustaining powers were of course not among the powers that they referred to."