Silthras smiles at the request from Velyria, "Of course." He rummages in his pack and pulls out the cloak wrapped around the daggers that he found, and eventually reveals the book tucked safely at the bottom. "Here you are. Feel free to ask me if there's anything I can help with. I imagine I'll be on watch some time, and we don't want to leave until after sun-up."
(( Don't know if he can help; but if he can, he does ))
As he settles down, he examines the cloak and daggers more closely, and remembers to ask Velyria or Paten about them.
(( Investigation: 22, second roll if he gets any help: 4 ))
As the party begins to settle in for the night, so too do the townsfolk. Their conversations quiet to dull whispers amongst one another, and a warning call goes out that the lights will be extinguished soon.
Combined, Silthras and Velyra give the book another look over. Perhaps it was the pressure of being in a hostile area that held them back before. Because now, in the relative safety of the inn, the words of the text begin to make more sense. The book is large, and reading all of it would take quite a bit of time, but the general sense of what it's about is now clear. It is told from the perspective of one Maizen, with no surname.
The text is a biography of sorts about Aiken Flueri, someone who - despite being called Amah's Watcher- is described by the beginning account as no more than a simple farm boy. This immediately strikes you as odd. The Seven - or Watchers as they were sometimes called, were not supposed to be regular people. They were figured as divine beings, close to gods themselves sent by the pantheon to defend and guide Ravere. To Velyra, this would signal that their understanding of this world's past and the Seven was dead wrong.
It speaks of his village, Irilstadt, describing it as one of the smaller communities in the eastern region.
"We received the call, as countless others across the land no doubt have:
Wraiths have been spotted in South Astere An Unmade has awoken The Calamity comes once more Open the Halls of Imho Serin And prepare the Old Rites The era of Mortals shall not end
From the reaches of the Northern Expanse we have traveled, across the Dawnfells, through the Overgroves, and even braving the great Raqqa. We have come to the village of Irilstadt, a small, quaint farming establishment in the far east. A Calamity is upon us, we must prepare. The Third Watcher, Nerius, told us of his dream two fortnights ago. The boy Aiken is to be his successor, to receive his spark and grow into the Lady of Winter's next Watcher. I never imagined a Calamity would come in my lifetime. Nor can I imagine what Nerius or the other Watchers are feeling right now. The task ahead of them is momentous, and terrifying. We all know how it must end, and yet Nerius' cheerful demeanor has not faltered. One would never know that he is effectively a dead man walking..."
The text goes on to explain how the envoy met with the Aiken's family, and through weeks of trial managed to convince them of the boy's destiny. It describes a farewell party thrown by the people of Irilstadt. Of particular note to Maizen is how the boy reacts. Though he is the one leaving his life forever, doomed to eventually meet the same fate Nerius now faces, it is he who is comforting the villagers - not the other way around. This aspect of the boy's character appears to cement Maizen's opinion of him, that he is indeed the right choice.
It goes on to describe the groups journey back to a place called Verglas Keep, where presumably Aiken would begin his training...
There is much, much more to the book, but over ~30 minutes or so of reading, this is where you get to.
For Siltrhas part, he spends the remainder of his time awake tinkering with some of the things found in the mansion. Aside from the moon-touched sword, the other blades, although exceptionally made - do not seem to be anything more.
The cloak however, seems to be something special. It carries a metallic sheen, but seems just as light and flexible as any other cloak. With one of the daggers, he tests the strength of the material. Attempting to stab into the fabric, he finds that the blow is reflected, unable to gain purchase on the incredibly strong fibers of the cloak. In a moment of epiphany, he realizes he is holding a Cloak of Protection.
Just as someone begins to go around distinguishing the lights, a shrill, child's voice echoes from upstairs. "He's back! He's - oh my. He's back! HELP!"
Velyra takes a deep breath and lets it out in a long sigh as she closes the tome, trying to wrap her mind around what they just read. "I know this doesn't have anything to do with our current situation. But what we just found...This might be the greatest historical find in our history. I don't think anyone has ever recovered a full text like this."
"At some point I would like to get this back to the teams at the Astrium. And we definitely need to try and get some of those other cabinets open in the ruin."
Returning the book to Silthras, she'll make herself spare in a free space in the common area, entering a sort of meditative state as she considers the knowledge they just gained. As the cry from upstairs sounds throughout the inn she opens her eyes and bolts, armed with only her emblem baring shield. Bursting into the room with a radiant spell gathering in her hand, she quickly takes a look around to spot the trouble. "What's wrong!?"
The cry throws the inn into a state of alarm, half-asleep townsfolk look around wildly as Velyra, Kal, (and presumably others) go pounding up the stairs towards the source of the commotion. Throwing up the door to the room they gain entry to the barricaded inn to, they find Lyra(the young girl Usul first made contact when your party arrived at Feycrest) hanging halfway out the window. She turns around as you all burst in, a mixture of apprehension and excitement on her face. "Reiner is back! He made it!" As she makes this proclamation, a hand appears on the window sill, gripping the ledge.
A moment later, a young boy around 16 or 17 lifts himself up through the window, rolling over the edge and landing prone on the floor. He props himself up into a sitting position, leaning against the wall. His face is pale, and the right side is caked with dried blood. He looks worse for wear, but alive and stable. "I m-made it." He says with shaky breaths, attempting a weak smile.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(( Not sure if the cry went up before armour was removed or not, happy to adjust what's written below ))
Silthras briefly looks up as the two warriors begin to remove their armour, "Optimists" he says with a smile. He throws the cloak over his shoulders ((if it's identified yet)), and stands, offering to help will the harder-to-reach straps. It's his first good look at Kal's new armour, and he gives it a closer inspection as he works. When he is done he sees Velyria continuing to work on her own armour and offers to help, if needed. A few minutes later he returns to his studies. He is uncomfortable in his Breastplate, but more uncomfortable to be unprepared for battle in a walled-up inn filled with civilians and surrounded by hordes of undead.
As the others settle, he opts to stay up a while, keeping a watch, wary of a retaliation from the clawed ones -- or the creature from the mansion. It comes as no surpise -- more, a disappointment -- when the cry is heard upstairs, and he assumes the worst. He curses under his breath, "Just one damned night would have been nice". He gathers his things and quickly follows the others.
As they enter the room and see the bloodied youth, his heart skips a beat. "Don't go near it!" His eyes fix on the creature, and his hand begins to glow a sickly purple. "We only saw one living thing in town -- if living it was -- and it was able to wear the skin of others as a mask."
He takes a few paces back, "Kneel down on the ground, and put your hands behind your back! Now!" His normally friendly tone has been replaced by something commanding and laced with menace.
Intimidation: 10 ((second roll if anyone adds the threat: 8 ))
The boy does not react as Silthras enters the room, barking commands and channeling eldritch energy in his palm. His features fall flat, into a neutral demeanor as he sits there leaning against the wall. Lyra, though confused and scared, responds to the authority of the half-elf's voice and backs away, worming her way through the door into the hall where a small crowd has started to gather. "Let me through dam-, what's going on in here?" The councilman demands as he reaches the doorway, poking his head through to see into the room.
As he does, Kal triggers his Divine Sense. With his enhanced sight, he is able to see a sickly aura around the boy, oozing with necrotic energy. Whatever Reiner may have once been, the the thing in the room with you now is no human, but an undead. The thing wearing the boy's skin looks up at your group, and smiles.
Initiative SO - 18 Kal - 8 Silthras - 2 Usul - 19 Velyra - 17
Placement can be adjusted as you see fit before we start(since you literally all take a turn before the creature you're fighting does).
Order Kal Silthras Velyra Usul SO
The undead creature still holds the appearance of the boy, and there are several people in the hallway crowding around the area. Right now, the only other person who can see into the room besides you four is Paten.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Silthras utters a curse in guttural tones, directing his malice at the creature, before launching a bolt of arcane energy toward it. When he is done, he shouts to the villagers, "Get back!" and tries to move clear of the doorway and into the corridor to give Usul a clear shot with his fearsome weapon. I do not want to be paralyzed again!
Hex: Disadvantage on Dex checks. Attack: 10 Damage: 14 + 6 (second number is necrotic, lol, though not all undead are immune! This one probably is.)
Edit: Realized I rolled wrong dice for damage, rerolling as 1d6: 2 (for the necrotic)
Edit2: @DM if it's a miss let me know, and he might use his ability to add 2d4 to the attack roll
Edit 3 (if allowed):
Belatedly realizing that at least some of his companions are now without armor, Silthras replaces his wand, ready to draw his sword...
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Briefly, Kal glances behind him to the people gathered in the corridor. Cursing himself for removing his armor, he nonetheless draws his blade. A brand of ice forms on the boy's neck as he marks the undead creature, going over the table if needed to get to the other side(west) of it. Once in position he thrusts forward with his sword.
Attack: 25 Damage: 11 Smite if hit: 7 if crit +: 7
A smoky black shadow surrounds the boy's torso briefly before appearing to sink into his chest as Silthras' Hex takes effect. Moments later the bolt of energy strikes the creature in the face, blasting away half of it. You see a withered hand with long claws extend from the hole in the boy's face.
While Kal's own spell also takes hold of the creature, his strike against it misses as Reiner's body is moved in an unnatural, jerky way to dodge the attack.
A look of horror runs across her face as she realizes the fate that has befallen Reiner. She had been in this town long before the others, and many times the task of distracting the hordes had fallen to her and this boy. To see him desecrated in this fashion made her feel sick.
Recalling the creature's paralyzing effect, she utters a quick prayer to Sandail, blessing herself and her companions.
Usul was still rubbing his eyes as he walked up the stairs, having immediately fallen asleep against his warm pet. But as soon as he hears his friend barking orders he knows something must happen, and jumps to attention. Dashing up the stairs he looks through the door past his companions at the shape of a boy, clearly taken over by some fiend. Running through the door and seeing his group surrounding the beast, he jumps on the bed to get a better shot, and swinging his crossbow around, he pulls the strings back tightly as he's done more in the last day than in the last year, steadies his breath, and looses a bolt towards the creature.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Usul's bolt strikes the boy in the chest. His hand goes to pull it out, while slender fingers reach through the hole in his face, grab onto the sides and pull apart. The body is ripped in half, sending viscera through the air as the pale, slender figure rises to its full height in the room. Silently, its three eyeless sockets move across the party, before settling on the knight before it. It stabs at him with a bony talon that extends from its right forearm, following up with a slashed from its other clawed hand.
Claw Attack: 21 Damage: 6 Talon Attack: 17 Damage: 16
Unarmored as he is, Kal is much more agile without the bulk of plates slowing him down. He moves his body out of the way of the deadly talon, deflecting the proceeding claw with the flat of his blade.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Concern for his unarmored friends, and concern that the creature might once more escape, forces Silthras' hand. "Keep the door closed!" he says to the Paten, then draws his sword and runs toward the creature, trying, despite his slight frame, to shove it away from the window "We can't let it escape!"
Shove (Athletics): 0 (not his best ability)
(( The creature can resist using a plain Dex (disadvantage from hex) or Str check, or be pushed 5' away from Silthras. ie. South
Sadly, I believe that bless and radiance provide Silthras with no benefit for this check ))
Silthras smiles at the request from Velyria, "Of course." He rummages in his pack and pulls out the cloak wrapped around the daggers that he found, and eventually reveals the book tucked safely at the bottom. "Here you are. Feel free to ask me if there's anything I can help with. I imagine I'll be on watch some time, and we don't want to leave until after sun-up."
(( Don't know if he can help; but if he can, he does ))
As he settles down, he examines the cloak and daggers more closely, and remembers to ask Velyria or Paten about them.
(( Investigation: 22, second roll if he gets any help: 4 ))
Velyra Investigation
20
As the party begins to settle in for the night, so too do the townsfolk. Their conversations quiet to dull whispers amongst one another, and a warning call goes out that the lights will be extinguished soon.
Combined, Silthras and Velyra give the book another look over. Perhaps it was the pressure of being in a hostile area that held them back before. Because now, in the relative safety of the inn, the words of the text begin to make more sense. The book is large, and reading all of it would take quite a bit of time, but the general sense of what it's about is now clear. It is told from the perspective of one Maizen, with no surname.
The text is a biography of sorts about Aiken Flueri, someone who - despite being called Amah's Watcher- is described by the beginning account as no more than a simple farm boy. This immediately strikes you as odd. The Seven - or Watchers as they were sometimes called, were not supposed to be regular people. They were figured as divine beings, close to gods themselves sent by the pantheon to defend and guide Ravere. To Velyra, this would signal that their understanding of this world's past and the Seven was dead wrong.
It speaks of his village, Irilstadt, describing it as one of the smaller communities in the eastern region.
"We received the call, as countless others across the land no doubt have:
Wraiths have been spotted in South Astere
An Unmade has awoken
The Calamity comes once more
Open the Halls of Imho Serin
And prepare the Old Rites
The era of Mortals shall not end
From the reaches of the Northern Expanse we have traveled, across the Dawnfells, through the Overgroves, and even braving the great Raqqa. We have come to the village of Irilstadt, a small, quaint farming establishment in the far east. A Calamity is upon us, we must prepare. The Third Watcher, Nerius, told us of his dream two fortnights ago. The boy Aiken is to be his successor, to receive his spark and grow into the Lady of Winter's next Watcher. I never imagined a Calamity would come in my lifetime. Nor can I imagine what Nerius or the other Watchers are feeling right now. The task ahead of them is momentous, and terrifying. We all know how it must end, and yet Nerius' cheerful demeanor has not faltered. One would never know that he is effectively a dead man walking..."
The text goes on to explain how the envoy met with the Aiken's family, and through weeks of trial managed to convince them of the boy's destiny. It describes a farewell party thrown by the people of Irilstadt. Of particular note to Maizen is how the boy reacts. Though he is the one leaving his life forever, doomed to eventually meet the same fate Nerius now faces, it is he who is comforting the villagers - not the other way around. This aspect of the boy's character appears to cement Maizen's opinion of him, that he is indeed the right choice.
It goes on to describe the groups journey back to a place called Verglas Keep, where presumably Aiken would begin his training...
There is much, much more to the book, but over ~30 minutes or so of reading, this is where you get to.
For Siltrhas part, he spends the remainder of his time awake tinkering with some of the things found in the mansion. Aside from the moon-touched sword, the other blades, although exceptionally made - do not seem to be anything more.
The cloak however, seems to be something special. It carries a metallic sheen, but seems just as light and flexible as any other cloak. With one of the daggers, he tests the strength of the material. Attempting to stab into the fabric, he finds that the blow is reflected, unable to gain purchase on the incredibly strong fibers of the cloak. In a moment of epiphany, he realizes he is holding a Cloak of Protection.
Just as someone begins to go around distinguishing the lights, a shrill, child's voice echoes from upstairs. "He's back! He's - oh my. He's back! HELP!"
Velyra takes a deep breath and lets it out in a long sigh as she closes the tome, trying to wrap her mind around what they just read. "I know this doesn't have anything to do with our current situation. But what we just found...This might be the greatest historical find in our history. I don't think anyone has ever recovered a full text like this."
"At some point I would like to get this back to the teams at the Astrium. And we definitely need to try and get some of those other cabinets open in the ruin."
Returning the book to Silthras, she'll make herself spare in a free space in the common area, entering a sort of meditative state as she considers the knowledge they just gained. As the cry from upstairs sounds throughout the inn she opens her eyes and bolts, armed with only her emblem baring shield. Bursting into the room with a radiant spell gathering in her hand, she quickly takes a look around to spot the trouble. "What's wrong!?"
With the sudden disruption, Kal grabs his longsword and rushes after Velyra up the stairs.
The cry throws the inn into a state of alarm, half-asleep townsfolk look around wildly as Velyra, Kal, (and presumably others) go pounding up the stairs towards the source of the commotion. Throwing up the door to the room they gain entry to the barricaded inn to, they find Lyra(the young girl Usul first made contact when your party arrived at Feycrest) hanging halfway out the window. She turns around as you all burst in, a mixture of apprehension and excitement on her face. "Reiner is back! He made it!" As she makes this proclamation, a hand appears on the window sill, gripping the ledge.
A moment later, a young boy around 16 or 17 lifts himself up through the window, rolling over the edge and landing prone on the floor. He props himself up into a sitting position, leaning against the wall. His face is pale, and the right side is caked with dried blood. He looks worse for wear, but alive and stable. "I m-made it." He says with shaky breaths, attempting a weak smile.
(( Not sure if the cry went up before armour was removed or not, happy to adjust what's written below ))
Silthras briefly looks up as the two warriors begin to remove their armour, "Optimists" he says with a smile. He throws the cloak over his shoulders ((if it's identified yet)), and stands, offering to help will the harder-to-reach straps. It's his first good look at Kal's new armour, and he gives it a closer inspection as he works. When he is done he sees Velyria continuing to work on her own armour and offers to help, if needed. A few minutes later he returns to his studies. He is uncomfortable in his Breastplate, but more uncomfortable to be unprepared for battle in a walled-up inn filled with civilians and surrounded by hordes of undead.
As the others settle, he opts to stay up a while, keeping a watch, wary of a retaliation from the clawed ones -- or the creature from the mansion. It comes as no surpise -- more, a disappointment -- when the cry is heard upstairs, and he assumes the worst. He curses under his breath, "Just one damned night would have been nice". He gathers his things and quickly follows the others.
Investigation (Kal's armour -- style, age, features): 3
As they enter the room and see the bloodied youth, his heart skips a beat. "Don't go near it!" His eyes fix on the creature, and his hand begins to glow a sickly purple. "We only saw one living thing in town -- if living it was -- and it was able to wear the skin of others as a mask."
He takes a few paces back, "Kneel down on the ground, and put your hands behind your back! Now!" His normally friendly tone has been replaced by something commanding and laced with menace.
Intimidation: 10 ((second roll if anyone adds the threat: 8 ))
Kal's eyes widen as Silthras makes the connection, briefly flaring with a light blue gleam as he uses his Divine Sense. "Let's see what you are."
The boy does not react as Silthras enters the room, barking commands and channeling eldritch energy in his palm. His features fall flat, into a neutral demeanor as he sits there leaning against the wall. Lyra, though confused and scared, responds to the authority of the half-elf's voice and backs away, worming her way through the door into the hall where a small crowd has started to gather. "Let me through dam-, what's going on in here?" The councilman demands as he reaches the doorway, poking his head through to see into the room.
As he does, Kal triggers his Divine Sense. With his enhanced sight, he is able to see a sickly aura around the boy, oozing with necrotic energy. Whatever Reiner may have once been, the the thing in the room with you now is no human, but an undead. The thing wearing the boy's skin looks up at your group, and smiles.
Initiative
SO - 18
Kal - 8
Silthras - 2
Usul - 19
Velyra - 17
Placement can be adjusted as you see fit before we start(since you literally all take a turn before the creature you're fighting does).
Order
Kal
Silthras
Velyra
Usul
SO
The undead creature still holds the appearance of the boy, and there are several people in the hallway crowding around the area. Right now, the only other person who can see into the room besides you four is Paten.
Silthras utters a curse in guttural tones, directing his malice at the creature, before launching a bolt of arcane energy toward it. When he is done, he shouts to the villagers, "Get back!" and tries to move clear of the doorway and into the corridor to give Usul a clear shot with his fearsome weapon. I do not want to be paralyzed again!
Hex: Disadvantage on Dex checks.
Attack: 10 Damage: 14 + 6 (second number is necrotic, lol, though not all undead are immune! This one probably is.)
Edit: Realized I rolled wrong dice for damage, rerolling as 1d6: 2 (for the necrotic)
Edit2: @DM if it's a miss let me know, and he might use his ability to add 2d4 to the attack roll
Edit 3 (if allowed):
Belatedly realizing that at least some of his companions are now without armor, Silthras replaces his wand, ready to draw his sword...
Briefly, Kal glances behind him to the people gathered in the corridor. Cursing himself for removing his armor, he nonetheless draws his blade. A brand of ice forms on the boy's neck as he marks the undead creature, going over the table if needed to get to the other side(west) of it. Once in position he thrusts forward with his sword.
Attack: 25 Damage: 11
Smite if hit: 7
if crit +: 7
A smoky black shadow surrounds the boy's torso briefly before appearing to sink into his chest as Silthras' Hex takes effect. Moments later the bolt of energy strikes the creature in the face, blasting away half of it. You see a withered hand with long claws extend from the hole in the boy's face.
While Kal's own spell also takes hold of the creature, his strike against it misses as Reiner's body is moved in an unnatural, jerky way to dodge the attack.
A look of horror runs across her face as she realizes the fate that has befallen Reiner. She had been in this town long before the others, and many times the task of distracting the hordes had fallen to her and this boy. To see him desecrated in this fashion made her feel sick.
Recalling the creature's paralyzing effect, she utters a quick prayer to Sandail, blessing herself and her companions.
(d4 to attack rolls and saving throws!)
(( Oops...forgot the +2 bludgeon damage each round; so Silthras total damage is 12(force) + 5(necro) + 2(bludgeon) = 19.))(( Sorry, my mistake... Was late at night...))
Usul was still rubbing his eyes as he walked up the stairs, having immediately fallen asleep against his warm pet. But as soon as he hears his friend barking orders he knows something must happen, and jumps to attention. Dashing up the stairs he looks through the door past his companions at the shape of a boy, clearly taken over by some fiend. Running through the door and seeing his group surrounding the beast, he jumps on the bed to get a better shot, and swinging his crossbow around, he pulls the strings back tightly as he's done more in the last day than in the last year, steadies his breath, and looses a bolt towards the creature.
bonus action: steady aim
action: Attack: 19 Damage: 19... wow... 1.1.1...
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
Usul's bolt strikes the boy in the chest. His hand goes to pull it out, while slender fingers reach through the hole in his face, grab onto the sides and pull apart. The body is ripped in half, sending viscera through the air as the pale, slender figure rises to its full height in the room. Silently, its three eyeless sockets move across the party, before settling on the knight before it. It stabs at him with a bony talon that extends from its right forearm, following up with a slashed from its other clawed hand.
Claw Attack: 21 Damage: 6
Talon Attack: 17 Damage: 16
Unarmored as he is, Kal is much more agile without the bulk of plates slowing him down. He moves his body out of the way of the deadly talon, deflecting the proceeding claw with the flat of his blade.
Order
Kal
Silthras
Velyra
Usul
SO
Frustrated with the agile monstrosity, Kal switches to a new stance and swings the sword in an arc at the thing's torso.
Attack: 19 Damage: 7
Smite if hit: 12
if crit +: 6
edit:
Bless: 1 to attack roll
As the undead finally reveals its true form, Velyra looses a bolt of divine radiance from her hand towards it.
Attack: 26 Damage: 16
((next attack has advantage!))
Concern for his unarmored friends, and concern that the creature might once more escape, forces Silthras' hand. "Keep the door closed!" he says to the Paten, then draws his sword and runs toward the creature, trying, despite his slight frame, to shove it away from the window "We can't let it escape!"
Shove (Athletics): 0 (not his best ability)
(( The creature can resist using a plain Dex (disadvantage from hex) or Str check, or be pushed 5' away from Silthras. ie. South
Sadly, I believe that bless and radiance provide Silthras with no benefit for this check ))
(( So advantage still available for Usul ))