Auger sends one final blast at Hyena A, hoping to take it completely out of the fight. Py lands on top of the carriage and watches the other riders fall behind, becoming invisible again.
Auger
Action: Casts Eldritch Blast at Hyena A. Attack: 19 Damage: 15
(OOC: He wants to kill it so he can transfer his Hex later if needed. If this attack has disadvantage feel free to roll the 2nd die).
Round 5-9
Enemies out of reach for the moment Auger sags back into his seat and takes stock of how he feels. His confusing mist had limited affect against the hail of arrows but he chooses to maintain it in case he has to leave the carriage at all. Arrows still protrude from him and he attempts to attend to them despite his limited medical knowledge.
"If needed, I can release some stronger attacks on any who bunch up upon us. Varielky if you will choose to stick to one side then I might hurt them without catching you in the blast."
Py, stay safe and keep telling me what is coming. If you see another point of weakness in the canyon edge, point it out to me. Anything we can do to delay these Orcs will help us.
Py, still invisible flies to 30' up and ahead of the carriage, keeping an eye on the orcs progress, to the side and behind, if he can.
Your carriage rushes out of the canyon and emerges onto a wide, flat plain, covered with packed earth and sage brush. You can see the edge of the coastal hills peeking up miles to your right, as you are now on an eastward bearing. The creek has burrowed down below the level of the rising plain, and a mile to your right you can see its chasm begin to turn left. It will eventually cut you off, and there you will find the bridge you are hoping to reach before the orcs pursuing you can surround you. The bridge is not yet visible but Py has told you, lies beyond a coming rise.
The horses are lathered with perspiration, and you are grateful once again that it is the last week of winter, not summer time, for the wind blowing against your faces as you race across the steps is cool and invigorating.
As you crossed the creek some hundreds of yards back, the hyena-riders also crossed, to your right, coming down in a long line from the canyon edge as it tapered down to ground level. They have now fallen into a long, arcing line, mostly to your right, a few having headed you off on the left but unable to stop your advance. The Chief and his two Hands fall in directly behind you.
Amistan is using ranger magic to calm the lead horse and communicate with it, and it thunders on, leading the rest of the team with high spirits. Dry earth and pebbles are thrown up as the carriage passes, leaving a thin cloud of dust in your wake.
Ednyss’ protective spells encircle Varielky with divine light, while Granophyre’s golden sparrow perches on her shoulder. The shield maiden chooses what looks like a smooth section of earth to soften her fall, and leaps sideways off of the driver’s bucket as the mercurial bird grows its wings and flaps away, elongating her as she falls, and she enlarges to over 10 feet tall when she hits the ground -- harder than she had hoped (OOC: taking 5HP bludgeoning damage), rolls twice quickly, then using her shield for leverage, stops in a runner’s slide, then pushes up, throwing dirt and pebbles around her, and she springs onto her feet, sprinting to keep up with the carriage, her steps pounding the earth heavily.
Round 11 will begin with the carriage racing along flat ground, with two hyena riders on your left edging in on your flank behind you notching arrows in their short bows (e,f), and two more on the other side holding longswords as they chase down Varielky (g,h). The chief and his two Hands (C, h1, h2), expertly riding beasts even larger than the others, follow closely behind and seem intent on preventing your escape. The Chief yells something to the orcs near Varielky and they brandish their blades.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Py, fly back and help me see something.
As Py flies back closer to the carriage, Auger draws himself into the Sea of Stars and seeks out something he had done before, when fighting the Hollow Ones a few days back. How did he do that? He finds a small dark star and has to redirect a small amount of its energies like... so... but just for an instant or -- or be drawn in himself. That would be bad. Very bad.
Py?
If you release that just behind the close pair on this side, you might catch the leader with it as well. Careful, you are still weak.
With a fast prayer under his breath to Piya, more for luck than an expectation she is truly listening, Auger again creates a momentary zone of silence, transferring the air out among the orcs into the stars. The silence does not last as the surrounding air slams back into them, creating an enormous and thunderous noise.
Move: Pokes one arm and his head out the side window to sight the area behind the carriage. After casting his spell he returns to completely inside the carriage.
Action: Casts Shatter centered at E8. This should catch E, F, H1 and hopefully C as well as their Hyenas. All must make a DC14 CON saving throw in order to take half damage. Damage: 12
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Varielky lands as she does and the pain shows on her face for just a moment. She runs along with the carriage for a second or two, getting used to her huge body. So strange, so... big.
It is a battlefield, however. Varielky quickly comes to her senses and starts to slow fown, just a little, until she is in line with the two riders behind her. Then, she speeds up to match the carriage again. Glancing left and right, she quickly assesses the situation. Not very different, just need to attack. She raises her huge right-arm, and then slashes downwards with her enlarged sword. At the same time, to maintain balance after such a large movement, her left hand moves with great force and the shield she holds crushes onto the hyena and its rider, trying to knock them prone.
Move: F-12.
Action: Attack on b: 24 Damage: 16.
BA: Shield shove to knock g's hyena prone. Athletics: 22.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ednyss sends his spectral shield to bash the same rider that Varielky attacked and calls some divine flames to assist in immolating that one rider. He then shouts to the Orcs from the top of the carriage, "You are witnessing the might of our gods. Stand down or you will face our wrath."
Action: Cast Sacred Flame on B Make a DC 15 Dex Save; On a failure, take 3 Radiant Damage
Bonus Action: Move Spiritual Weapon to G12 and attack (Against B) Attack: 13 Damage: 13
Auger’s spell strikes Orc e, Orc f, Hand 1, the Chief and their hyenas. The Chief and Hyena e fail their saves and take 12HP damage. All others take 6HP. The shattering noise causes blood to start trickling out of Orc e’s ears. Its hyena stumbles but keeps its footing. The Chief seems unperturbed.
Edynss’ intimidating words seem to fill the nearby Orcs’ minds with questions, for just a moment, but the presence of their chief and the miracles they have witnessed from his Hands bolsters their resolve. The war cleric’s sacred flame, sunlight reflected from his holy shield, wisps across to Orc h, searing its soul for 5HP damage. The rider nudges his mount out of the path of the floating shield attack.
Varielky slows down enough to reach both Orcs behind her, slicing the seared Orc h into two pieces, the top one of which slides off and rolls, the bottom remains seated. The Hyena bites at Varielky, grasping at her arm, but Ednyss’ protection keeps it from drawing blood, and it slows and curves away out of the combat. Varielky’s shield bash against Hyena g (Save: 20) succeeds, and the creature falls prone and takes 7HP bludgeoning damage and slides to a stop. The rider remains mounted and keeps control, but they drop behind.
Benita takes a running leap onto the back of Hyena f (Acrobatics roll=22), grabs the orc’s shoulder to keep from falling off, runs him through with her scimitar (killing Orc e, whom Auger had already hurt), then (bonus action) leaps back onto the carriage. Almost missing the rear bucket, Wad reaches out and pulls her up, then she jumps back up top. Hyena e snaps at her as she leaps away, but it too misses and slows, curving away from the chase.
Tuff reaches far back and lobs his axe at long range at H1, but the Hand sees it coming, nudges the hyena out of the way, and the axe misses before whirling back to Tuff's hand.
Flint & Wad fire crossbows at the H1, but can’t draw a bead on him, and both bolts whizz past.
Granophyre’s golden sparrow flits straight up, then dives at H1, opens its tiny beak, and a brass-colored beam shoots out, slamming into the Hand’s shoulder and knocking it back in its saddle for 6HP.
Amistan’s eyes are focused inward, seeing through the eyes of the lead horse, his countenance calm and confident.
Orcs e, f, i, and k all move within range and fire short bows at Benita, but she sees the shots coming and drops flat. The missiles whiz over her, except for one, which strikes her for 7HP before she can find cover.
Orc l moves in and fires at Varielky, but the arrow deflects painlessly off of her enlarged armor.
Orc m fires at Ednyss, but the arrow is pulled to his shield and snaps on impact.
The Orc Chief utters a roaring war cry, which is electrifying in its effect on the orcs near him. Their eyes shine with ferocious fury. He then points his mount to Varielky, and engages her in combat. He holds a huge maul in his fist, which he raises up and slams against the shield maiden, hitting for 14HP damage.
Both Hands focus on Benita. “APPROACH!,” they both intone. Ednyss sees Benita’s eyes go blank for a moment, as her will totters on the brink, but she shakes her head, pony tail whipping in the wind, and sets her jaw, defeating the impulse.
Seeing no orcs fall from his attack, Auger thinks to change strategies. At these movement speeds a simple push can do a lot. Shuddering after hearing the Hands intone their command at Benita, Auger decides to sight on the one to his side of the carriage and attempt to blast him off his seat and into the dirt.
We're going for that Orcish caster. Help me with this. Py, flies right over the caster and buzzes at him from above. Drawing upon his energies Auger sends a twisting blast towards H1.
Py
Move: To D7, and directly above H1.
Action: Takes the Help maneuver on H1 to assist Auger's spell attack.
Auger
Move: Sticking his head and a hand out the window and then returning into the carriage after casting his spell.
Action: Casts Eldritch Blast targeting H1, attacking with Advantage due to Py's assistance. Attack: 19 Damage: 8
Repelling Blast: When you hit a creature with eldritch blast, you can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line.
Varielky grunts in pain. That weapon was stronger than expected. It wasn't of a kind she ever trained with. Much heavier than any she ever used, probably. On the other hand, it wouldn't be interesting if the Orc used a dagger. She smiles because, finally, a real opponent. Not animals, corpses or slithering snakes. Filled with determination, her now-deep-contralto voice speaks: "Your blows are strong, but my faith in the gods is stronger. Even in these strange circumstances, this duel is one I'm glad to have." Varielky then raises her sword and her hand leads it with great force. Obviously to all, trying to cut through both the Orc and his hyena with one powerful strike.
BA: Second Wind healing for 8. Action: Menacing Attack agaist the Cheif Orc: 17 Damage: 19. When you hit with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to add the total to the damage roll and the target must make a WIS saving throw (DC 13). On failure, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Action Surge: Flavoured as a cut-through, another attack, this time aginst the Chief's hyena. Attack: 10 Damage: 10.
Seeing Auger go for one of the spellcasters and Varielky engage the chief in a duel, Ednyss shifts his attention to the other caster. First sending his spectral shield in the direction of the Orc that fired at Varielky, Ednyss has the shield slam into the rider from the top. He then looks directly into the eyes of one of the casters and says, "Let's see how you like your own medicine! By the might of Takal Demesh," he imbues his next word with divine power as he says, "FALL."
Bonus Action: Move Spiritual Weapon to I13 and attack (Against Orc L) Attack: 12 Damage: 13
Move: None
Action: Cast Command on H2 H2 must make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw; On a failure, they must obey the command, "Fall" during their next turn
Auger then blasts Hand 1 for 8HP damage, and forces him back 10’. An expert rider on an experienced beast, the Hand remains in his saddle and the hyena is dragged back 10’ with him.
Edynss’s spiritual weapon moves to attack Orc l, buffeting it but doing no damage. His spell compels the Hand into action. However, since falling would cause it harm, it shakes off the effects and rides on, falling back 10’ as a result of its indecision.
Varielky’s attack hits the Chief for 19HP damage, drawing blood, and the Chief breaks into a sudden cold sweat, overwhelmed by Varielky’s ferocity. Her attack against the giant hyena misses.
Benita leaps onto hyena e, critting and killing its rider (who was hurt by Auger the prior round), then she barely makes it off the beast and back onto the carriage.
Tuff throws his hatchet at Orc j, striking it for 7HP damage, and the axe whirls back to Tuff’s hand.
Flint & Wad fire crossbow bolts at Orc i. Flint hits for 9HP damage.
Granophyre’s golden sparrow dives at H1 again, its brass-colored beam shoots out, slamming into the Hand’s shoulder and knocking it back in its saddle for another 4HP.
Amistan continues to merge with the horses.
The Orcs who heard their leader’s war cry attack with advantage, so hot does their blood boil.
Orc i fires his shortbow at Wad with advantage, hitting for 9HP. The sturdy dwarf growls in pain.
Orcs j and k fire at Amistan, and miss.
Orc l fires its bow at Varielky with advantage but can’t penetrate Ednyss’ defensive spell.
Orc m likewise shoots at Varielky but the arrow flies above her, missing.
Orc n times its shot with Orc o, and they fire simultaneously at Amistan. Ednyss’s reaction catches one arrow on his shield, but the other strikes the ranger in his chest for 9HP, breaking his bond with the lead horse. The carriage rocks on its springs for a moment as it careens across the prairie.
Orc p fires its bow at Ednyss but the arrow smashes against his shield and repels high and away.
The two Hands repeat their command to Benita. She suddenly falls out of her defensive crouch, turns to Hand 2, and prepares to leap to his hyena, which closes with the carriage to allow her to do so.
The Orc Chief attacks Varielky with disadvantage, moving no closer. His maul slams into the ground at her feet, dusty dirt flies away but both his attacks miss the shield maiden.
Right as the Orcs' chief's attacks hit the ground, Varielky raises her own sword up, slashing at the Orc again. As it is uncomfortable to attack the Orc from this side while trying to run forward, Varielky shifts to its other side, making a wide swing at the Orc which she notices is approaching the carriage. She doesn't notice Benita acting strangely though, as the woman was jumping from and to the carriage all this time anyway. Then, while turning herself to align with the direction of the carriage once again, she bashes down on the Orcs' Chief, trying to knock it down.
Reaction: Riposte Maneouvre against the Chief. Attack: 24 Damage: 19.
Move: To I-9. Action: Attack on H2: 25 Damage: 9. BA: Shield Shove to knock C prone. Athletics: 15.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Oblivious to the danger Benita is in Auger stays focused on his side of the carriage. Seeing the limited affect of his blast on the Hand, Auger turns his attention to the other riders and sees that one is drawing close to the lead horse! Sighting carefully he aims another twisting blast, aiming from the rear and hoping to send this rider off his Hyena and on to the ground.
Py, keep up with us!
Py
Move and Action: Dashes towards the carriage and up to 30'. This places him at I6, perhaps? If the movement during the chase allows him to move further forward he would prefer to end his turn at K6 or M6 if that is possible.
Auger
Move: Poking head and arm out of carriage to cast his spell and then back in again.
Action: Casts Eldritch Blast at Orc K, pushing him 10' on a hit. Attack: 15 Damage: 6
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ednyss hears the command of the Orc spellcaster to Benita and sees that one of them is drawing closer to the carriage. Pulling his hand towards himself, he draws his spectral shield closer to come and smash into the Orc that came closer. He then notices Benita preparing to jump down to the Orc and quickly rushes over along the top of the carriage attempting to grasp her wrist and prevent her from jumping to what would likely be her death. As he rushes to her, he calls out in futility, "Wait! No! You must resist!"
Bonus Action: Move Spiritual Weapon to J9 and attack (Against Orc H2) Attack: 21 Damage: 7
Auger’s magical blast strikes Orc k for 6HP, forcing him away, and although the orc remains in his saddle, his hyena, compensating, tumbles, and they are out of the CHASE.
Edynss’ radiant shield shifts to attack Hand 2, smiting him for 13HP. The dwarven cleric clambers over the luggage atop the carriage to Benita, and grabs her belt just as she leaps, barely restraining her.
Varielky’s riposte slices a bloody line down the orc Chief’s thigh for 19HP damage. The shield maiden maneuvers to I9 and strikes Hand 2 for 9HP damage. Her shield shove to the Chief Knocks him flat in his saddle, where he loses control for a moment, falling behind, but his hyena shifts to keep him from falling.
Benita attempts to break free of Ednyss grip, rolls 14 against Ednyss’ 14, succeeding. She leaps onto hyena 2 (26 acrobatics).
Tuff shouts, “BENITA!,” and throws his axe at Hand 2, but it rebounds off its armor before whirling back to the proud valet.
Flint & Wad drop their crossbows. Flint holds onto the rear edge of the passenger bucket, sliding in his heavy boots on the dusty ground below. Wad takes Flint’s other hand with his left, and, also sliding on the dusty ground, grabs for Benita with his right, and, her turn over, Benita allows him to grab her.
Granophyre sends a prayer to Takal Demesh for strength, and Benita, Flint and Wad feel a surge of divine energy. The golden sparrow once again emits a force blast, pummeling Hand 2.
Amistan crits his driving roll, and the horses keep their cool and their energy.
Orcs i and m fire at Flint trying to disrupt his hold on the carriage, but their shots miss by inches.
Orcs n fires at Amistan, but it’s now Tuff’s turn to deflect them with his shield.
Orcs j and p read the valet’s motions and loose an arrow under his defenses. One grazes Tuff for 6HP.
Orc o’s shot zips past as Tuff recoils from the damage, hitting Amistan for 8HP. He’s barely up.
Orc l fires at Varielky but misses.
The Orc Chief rises up in his saddle, double dashes forward, and smashes Varielky with his maul for 13HP damage.
Hand 1 throws a pair of daggers at Ednyss, which miss, but remains spinning in the air near him as the orcan priest utters a prayer to Ellosh, and the swirling blades take on a cool blue glow, spinning and attacking Ednyss, striking him for 11HP damage, as the Hand, on his hyena, falls back 60’ behind the carriage.
Hand 2 grapples Benita in place with a knife to her throat. The hyena turns and peels off from the group, but with a quick motion, Benita evades the Hand’s grasp and falls off of the hyena, dragged on the ground by Flint and Wad. Flint is losing his grip on the bucket and will fall away on his next turn. Benita takes 10HP bludgeoning, but is still held by Wad. Flint and Wad each take 4HP, Wad holding onto Benita and Flint, Flint holding fast to the carriage but yelling in pain at the effort.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Your friends in the back. This looks bad.Help them! Do whatever you can! Help them you say. They need strength and I have little, but I will do what I can.
Taking his attention away from his side of the carriage Auger looks to the other side and, seeing more Orcs approaching the horses, chooses to act on that side. Not seeing him, he calls to Amistan, "Keep the horses calm! 'Ware the noise!" Reeling at the effort to do so, Auger again reaches and reaches... and transports the air out among the orcs to the place between stars. The effect does not last and air rushes back into the zone, creating a thunderous clap.
A severe headache hits Auger, he knows he will not be able to do that again any time soon.
Py
Move: Avoiding the zone of the daggers, flies to N8 and lands on the rear bucket seat, next to or in the same square as Flint.
Action: Take the Help action. Using whatever he can find Py attempts to assist Flint in holding on to the carriage. Example things he might try: If there is a loose strap or rope to tie things in place he tries to bring it to Flint and perhaps to fly it around his hand (there should be enough movement left to do something like that). If he can do something to improve Flint's handhold on the bucket seat itself, even just supporting the hand with all 3 of his strength he will attempt to Help.
Auger
Move: To other side of carriage and pokes his head out the south side window.
Action: Casts shatter centered at R12, which should catch Orcs N, O & P and their Hyenas. All must make a CON 14 saving throw in order to take half damage. 16
Status: The headache is just color. Auger is out of Pact Magic spells slots.
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Varielky gasps as her consciousness almost leave her when the great hammer strikes her. She barely manages to hold on to it, though, and deflect the next attack with her shield. Quickly, she retaliates with her own attack, before the Chief has a chance to raise his weapon in a defensive posture. Now that Benita is dragged on the ground, Varielky obviously notices her, but she realises she can't really help her. The foe fighting her was formidable, and ignoring him would surely prove to be a mistake. She hopes the others will be able to save her. ["Sif, let us prove that you are stronger than your Jenghen counterpart. Lend me of your strength, guide my sword, and I will make them realise the mistake of challenging your might!"] Varielky thinks she was whispering in Dreyen, but in her larger form, with a stronger diaphragm, the words come out loud enough for others to hear, whether or not they understand the meaning of them. None the less, her faith with the goddess to which she prayed, Varielky's large hand swings her large sword towards her enemy - the Orcs' chief.
Round 13: Reaction: Riposte Maneouvre against the Chief. Attack: 10 Damage: 14.
Round 14: Bonus Action: Lay on Hands through the sword heals 5 HP. Action: Attack against the Chief: 10 Damage: 9.
Ednyss's vision almost fades for a second as one of the priests creates a divine weapon and attempts to use it to sever Ednyss's life. Holding on, even though his own pain is immense, Ednyss sees that Varielky is close to losing consciousness and sends instead of sending a small mote of healing from the shield, he draws upon his own divine connection to send a larger blast of healing energy. He then rushes over to where Flint is holding onto the carriage and grabs him by the shoulder attempting to pull him onto the carriage and bring Wad and Benita closer in the process. He shouts with pain and effort, but the words form a prayer as he yells out, "Let the strength of the god of war drive us onward and to success. There is no honor among them, but with the god of war on our side, we cannot lose. Takal Demesh! Guide our actions and let us see beyond their trickery and to the glory of victory." Whether he manages to pull Flint back onto the carriage, he glances over his shoulder at the spinning blue blades and takes a deep breath in as he prepares for the blades to come slamming into him again.
Bonus Action: Cast Healing Word on Varielky (Spell Slot - Level 2) Varielky heals for 8 HP
Move: To the edge of the carriage to pull Flint back in (If Needed)
Action: Improvise (Pull Flint into the Carriage) (Prayer to Takal Demesh is Ednyss expending his Inspiration Point for Advantage) Athletics: 24
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“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Py buzzes down to help Flint, grabbing the sturdy dwarf by the collar and flying with all its tiny strength to keep him from falling.
Auger shifts to the south side window, and his spell strikes Orcs n, o, p and their hyenas. Orc p is blown to pieces, which rain down on Orc m and l behind him. Hyena p takes full damage, loses its footing and tumbles out of range. The others are hurt but remain in the chase.
Edynss’s healing spell floods Varielky with the favor of Takal Demesh, then he hops down to the passenger bucket and reaches for Flint, (crit!) keeping him from slipping away and pulling him up, and then, Wad too.
Varielky’s riposte is of such gargantuan fury, so tremendous in skill, that the angels glance upon her, and radiant light seeps down, bathing the shield maiden in a blinding flash as her enormous red steel blade slices deeply into the Orc Chief, a blow which would decapitate any three of his company all at once, and blood splashes in a wide arc, leaving a long bleeding gash straight down his back. Seeing he is unable to defend himself, Varielky’s second blow chops around in a forceful backhand, lashing the creature’s back and sinking so deep it is stopped only by the warrior’s shoulder blade, which fractures under the impact. The Orc Chief howls in pain and flops back in his saddle, blood spraying, his eyes wild with fury, consciousness going and coming.
Benita pulls herself up over Wad and Flint to the carriage roof.
Tuff throws his axe at Orc n, and the whirling weapon strike’s the orc’s left arm, slicing it off and mortally wounding the rider for 7HP damage. Hyena n slows as the rider begins to droop off, fountaining blood and losing consciousness. The axe arcs back around to land in Tuff’s hand.
Flint and Wad, now safely back on the carriage, pick up crossbows again and fire, and Flint hits Hand 2 for 9HP.
Granophyre’s golden sparrow once again emits a force blast, shifting to the Chief, but the beam reflects off the leader’s helm. The old scholar readies a cantrip and when Orc m veers near, reaching out to grab Benita, Granophyre lobs a spool of copper thread at the orc, which whips around him, entangling his armor as the sage connects the wire to a small sparkling box on his belt. The spool electrifies, Granophyre tugs, and the Orc is lifted out of his saddle and thrown onto the ground, rolling and sliding to a painful stop. Hyena m, now riderless, leaps to bite Wad, but the dwarf somehow kicks the beast away and it slows and drops out of the chase.
Amistan crits his driving again, filling the horses with confidence, and they surge ahead.
Orcs i and j aim their short bows at Wad and fire, but the two arrows click off of the bucket’s curved surface, deflecting down into the ground.
Orcs l stows his bow and comes in close to grapple Benita, but she evades his reach.
Orcs n and o fire their bows at Amistan, one hitting for 7HP -- or would have, except that Tuff sees it coming and locks his shield into the bucket, deflecting the missile. The two hyenas attack horses 3 & 5, biting at their right front and rear thighs, leaving deep gashes, for 11HP and 10HP damage, respectively. The horses stagger on, with 2 and 3HP respectively, and the hyenas and riders fall behind, losing step with the attacks.
The Orc Chief utters a command and the Orcs continue the chase as he and the Hands pull back.
Granophyre releases his spell from Varielky, who, returning to her normal size, grabs onto the carriage, and lifts herself into the driver’s bucket again.
The horses’ hooves thunder and the carriage dashes forward headlong, pulling away from your pursuers, the closest now twenty seconds or more behind you, the Chief and Hands another 20 seconds behind them. A dozen orcs remain in hot pursuit, waiting for your horses’ wounds to take their toll. You crest a rise, and at the bottom of a long gentle slope, you now see a dark line across your path, and there it is: an 8 foot-wide bridge crossing over the creek chasm. The bridge is supported from below by a wooden arch, and 3’ tall hand rails run its length on both sides. Granophyre’s head sticks out of the carriage window, and he carefully times his spell, shooting his little dagger down onto the bridge’s midpoint just as you start to cross. Smoke streams up as acid begins to eat away at the keystone support. You make it to the other side, where the carriage rumbles to a halt. Trembling and in shock, Horses 3 and 5 fall on their knees, bleeding heavily from their hyena-inflicted wounds. Everyone steps off of the carriage and stands blocking the bridge.
“It may take a moment for my spell to make the bridge impassible,” yells Granophyre. “We’ll have to hold them here until then!” The golden sparrow lands upon Varielky once more and she elongates back to giant size (OOC: RP. In game mechanics the enlarge spell continued throughout.)
Through the hissing smoke, you see orcs slowly advancing upon you, testing the bridge, which holds their weight, and they begin to slowly cross.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(OOC: Landing a crit with a Riposte almost feels unfair tbh, especially with added dice. I love it.)
(When Varielky grabs onto the carriage.) Just before she pulls herself to the driver's bucket, Varielky shouts at the top of her lungs so that the Orcs can hear her, hopefully. "The gods have spoken! Though your prowess in battle is impressive, your cause is despicable! Stay away if your lives mean more to you than my body!"
Varielky steps above the others - even though their heads are nearly the height of her hip line now. "Move back, we don't want to be on the bridge when it falls. I'll hold them off. Also, I'll need the edge clear to jump back when it falls." She moves forward, her sword still in its scabbard, but her shield in her left hand is ready to block incoming attacks. "Back off!" She shouts at the Orcs. "Anyone who steps on this bridge will find themselves in the river's water. I beat your commander already, I'll beat anyone weaker than him too." This statement has a double meaning. First, those who think they're weaker might actually back off. Second, if they approach, that would be like saying 'I am stronger than my chief'. Varielky isn't sure how the band operates, but she imagined it was 'strongest rules'. If it causes internal fights between the Orcs, that's only better for her.
Seeing that Varielky is holding the Orcs off, for the most part, Ednyss rushes around the carriage to the horses that are bleeding and begins to attempt to heal one with his divine magic so that they can continue onwards as soon as the bridge is destroyed. He then turns back to Orcs and reaffirms Varielky's words with his own, "She has bested your chieftain. If any of you see it fit to walk to your deaths, then dare to approach." His voice becomes a menacing growl, "Else run."
Round 4
Auger sends one final blast at Hyena A, hoping to take it completely out of the fight. Py lands on top of the carriage and watches the other riders fall behind, becoming invisible again.
Auger
Action: Casts Eldritch Blast at Hyena A. Attack: 19 Damage: 15
(OOC: He wants to kill it so he can transfer his Hex later if needed. If this attack has disadvantage feel free to roll the 2nd die).
Round 5-9
Enemies out of reach for the moment Auger sags back into his seat and takes stock of how he feels. His confusing mist had limited affect against the hail of arrows but he chooses to maintain it in case he has to leave the carriage at all. Arrows still protrude from him and he attempts to attend to them despite his limited medical knowledge.
"If needed, I can release some stronger attacks on any who bunch up upon us. Varielky if you will choose to stick to one side then I might hurt them without catching you in the blast."
Py, stay safe and keep telling me what is coming. If you see another point of weakness in the canyon edge, point it out to me. Anything we can do to delay these Orcs will help us.
Py, still invisible flies to 30' up and ahead of the carriage, keeping an eye on the orcs progress, to the side and behind, if he can.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Round 10 Results
Your carriage rushes out of the canyon and emerges onto a wide, flat plain, covered with packed earth and sage brush. You can see the edge of the coastal hills peeking up miles to your right, as you are now on an eastward bearing. The creek has burrowed down below the level of the rising plain, and a mile to your right you can see its chasm begin to turn left. It will eventually cut you off, and there you will find the bridge you are hoping to reach before the orcs pursuing you can surround you. The bridge is not yet visible but Py has told you, lies beyond a coming rise.
The horses are lathered with perspiration, and you are grateful once again that it is the last week of winter, not summer time, for the wind blowing against your faces as you race across the steps is cool and invigorating.
As you crossed the creek some hundreds of yards back, the hyena-riders also crossed, to your right, coming down in a long line from the canyon edge as it tapered down to ground level. They have now fallen into a long, arcing line, mostly to your right, a few having headed you off on the left but unable to stop your advance. The Chief and his two Hands fall in directly behind you.
Amistan is using ranger magic to calm the lead horse and communicate with it, and it thunders on, leading the rest of the team with high spirits. Dry earth and pebbles are thrown up as the carriage passes, leaving a thin cloud of dust in your wake.
Ednyss’ protective spells encircle Varielky with divine light, while Granophyre’s golden sparrow perches on her shoulder. The shield maiden chooses what looks like a smooth section of earth to soften her fall, and leaps sideways off of the driver’s bucket as the mercurial bird grows its wings and flaps away, elongating her as she falls, and she enlarges to over 10 feet tall when she hits the ground -- harder than she had hoped (OOC: taking 5HP bludgeoning damage), rolls twice quickly, then using her shield for leverage, stops in a runner’s slide, then pushes up, throwing dirt and pebbles around her, and she springs onto her feet, sprinting to keep up with the carriage, her steps pounding the earth heavily.
Round 11 will begin with the carriage racing along flat ground, with two hyena riders on your left edging in on your flank behind you notching arrows in their short bows (e,f), and two more on the other side holding longswords as they chase down Varielky (g,h). The chief and his two Hands (C, h1, h2), expertly riding beasts even larger than the others, follow closely behind and seem intent on preventing your escape. The Chief yells something to the orcs near Varielky and they brandish their blades.
You are now situated like so.
Please post actions for Round 11 (Same initiative order as before: Auger/Py, Ednyss, Varielky, Benita, Tuff, Flint & Wad, Granophyre, Amistan, Orcs, Orc Bosses)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Py, fly back and help me see something.
As Py flies back closer to the carriage, Auger draws himself into the Sea of Stars and seeks out something he had done before, when fighting the Hollow Ones a few days back. How did he do that? He finds a small dark star and has to redirect a small amount of its energies like... so... but just for an instant or -- or be drawn in himself. That would be bad. Very bad.
Py?
If you release that just behind the close pair on this side, you might catch the leader with it as well. Careful, you are still weak.
With a fast prayer under his breath to Piya, more for luck than an expectation she is truly listening, Auger again creates a momentary zone of silence, transferring the air out among the orcs into the stars. The silence does not last as the surrounding air slams back into them, creating an enormous and thunderous noise.
Py
Status: Still invisible.
Move: Flies back to J7, staying 30' up.
Auger
Status: Mage Armor still active. His AC is 15.
Move: Pokes one arm and his head out the side window to sight the area behind the carriage. After casting his spell he returns to completely inside the carriage.
Action: Casts Shatter centered at E8. This should catch E, F, H1 and hopefully C as well as their Hyenas. All must make a DC14 CON saving throw in order to take half damage. Damage: 12
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Varielky lands as she does and the pain shows on her face for just a moment. She runs along with the carriage for a second or two, getting used to her huge body. So strange, so... big.
It is a battlefield, however. Varielky quickly comes to her senses and starts to slow fown, just a little, until she is in line with the two riders behind her. Then, she speeds up to match the carriage again. Glancing left and right, she quickly assesses the situation. Not very different, just need to attack. She raises her huge right-arm, and then slashes downwards with her enlarged sword. At the same time, to maintain balance after such a large movement, her left hand moves with great force and the shield she holds crushes onto the hyena and its rider, trying to knock them prone.
Varielky
Ednyss sends his spectral shield to bash the same rider that Varielky attacked and calls some divine flames to assist in immolating that one rider. He then shouts to the Orcs from the top of the carriage, "You are witnessing the might of our gods. Stand down or you will face our wrath."
Action: Cast Sacred Flame on B
Make a DC 15 Dex Save; On a failure, take 3 Radiant Damage
Bonus Action: Move Spiritual Weapon to G12 and attack
(Against B) Attack: 13 Damage: 13
Move: None
Free Action: Talking (Intimidation - 6 (if applicable)
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Round 11 Results
Py flies back to J7, 30' up.
Auger’s spell strikes Orc e, Orc f, Hand 1, the Chief and their hyenas. The Chief and Hyena e fail their saves and take 12HP damage. All others take 6HP. The shattering noise causes blood to start trickling out of Orc e’s ears. Its hyena stumbles but keeps its footing. The Chief seems unperturbed.
Edynss’ intimidating words seem to fill the nearby Orcs’ minds with questions, for just a moment, but the presence of their chief and the miracles they have witnessed from his Hands bolsters their resolve. The war cleric’s sacred flame, sunlight reflected from his holy shield, wisps across to Orc h, searing its soul for 5HP damage. The rider nudges his mount out of the path of the floating shield attack.
Varielky slows down enough to reach both Orcs behind her, slicing the seared Orc h into two pieces, the top one of which slides off and rolls, the bottom remains seated. The Hyena bites at Varielky, grasping at her arm, but Ednyss’ protection keeps it from drawing blood, and it slows and curves away out of the combat. Varielky’s shield bash against Hyena g (Save: 20) succeeds, and the creature falls prone and takes 7HP bludgeoning damage and slides to a stop. The rider remains mounted and keeps control, but they drop behind.
Benita takes a running leap onto the back of Hyena f (Acrobatics roll=22), grabs the orc’s shoulder to keep from falling off, runs him through with her scimitar (killing Orc e, whom Auger had already hurt), then (bonus action) leaps back onto the carriage. Almost missing the rear bucket, Wad reaches out and pulls her up, then she jumps back up top. Hyena e snaps at her as she leaps away, but it too misses and slows, curving away from the chase.
Tuff reaches far back and lobs his axe at long range at H1, but the Hand sees it coming, nudges the hyena out of the way, and the axe misses before whirling back to Tuff's hand.
Flint & Wad fire crossbows at the H1, but can’t draw a bead on him, and both bolts whizz past.
Granophyre’s golden sparrow flits straight up, then dives at H1, opens its tiny beak, and a brass-colored beam shoots out, slamming into the Hand’s shoulder and knocking it back in its saddle for 6HP.
Amistan’s eyes are focused inward, seeing through the eyes of the lead horse, his countenance calm and confident.
Orcs e, f, i, and k all move within range and fire short bows at Benita, but she sees the shots coming and drops flat. The missiles whiz over her, except for one, which strikes her for 7HP before she can find cover.
Orc l moves in and fires at Varielky, but the arrow deflects painlessly off of her enlarged armor.
Orc m fires at Ednyss, but the arrow is pulled to his shield and snaps on impact.
The Orc Chief utters a roaring war cry, which is electrifying in its effect on the orcs near him. Their eyes shine with ferocious fury. He then points his mount to Varielky, and engages her in combat. He holds a huge maul in his fist, which he raises up and slams against the shield maiden, hitting for 14HP damage.
Both Hands focus on Benita. “APPROACH!,” they both intone. Ednyss sees Benita’s eyes go blank for a moment, as her will totters on the brink, but she shakes her head, pony tail whipping in the wind, and sets her jaw, defeating the impulse.
You are now situated like so.
The CHASE continues. Please post actions for round 12.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Seeing no orcs fall from his attack, Auger thinks to change strategies. At these movement speeds a simple push can do a lot. Shuddering after hearing the Hands intone their command at Benita, Auger decides to sight on the one to his side of the carriage and attempt to blast him off his seat and into the dirt.
We're going for that Orcish caster. Help me with this. Py, flies right over the caster and buzzes at him from above. Drawing upon his energies Auger sends a twisting blast towards H1.
Py
Move: To D7, and directly above H1.
Action: Takes the Help maneuver on H1 to assist Auger's spell attack.
Auger
Move: Sticking his head and a hand out the window and then returning into the carriage after casting his spell.
Action: Casts Eldritch Blast targeting H1, attacking with Advantage due to Py's assistance. Attack: 19 Damage: 8
Repelling Blast: When you hit a creature with eldritch blast, you can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Varielky grunts in pain. That weapon was stronger than expected. It wasn't of a kind she ever trained with. Much heavier than any she ever used, probably. On the other hand, it wouldn't be interesting if the Orc used a dagger. She smiles because, finally, a real opponent. Not animals, corpses or slithering snakes. Filled with determination, her now-deep-contralto voice speaks: "Your blows are strong, but my faith in the gods is stronger. Even in these strange circumstances, this duel is one I'm glad to have." Varielky then raises her sword and her hand leads it with great force. Obviously to all, trying to cut through both the Orc and his hyena with one powerful strike.
Varielky
Seeing Auger go for one of the spellcasters and Varielky engage the chief in a duel, Ednyss shifts his attention to the other caster. First sending his spectral shield in the direction of the Orc that fired at Varielky, Ednyss has the shield slam into the rider from the top. He then looks directly into the eyes of one of the casters and says, "Let's see how you like your own medicine! By the might of Takal Demesh," he imbues his next word with divine power as he says, "FALL."
Bonus Action: Move Spiritual Weapon to I13 and attack
(Against Orc L) Attack: 12 Damage: 13
Move: None
Action: Cast Command on H2
H2 must make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw; On a failure, they must obey the command, "Fall" during their next turn
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Round 12 Results
Py moves above Hand 1 and buzzes in its face.
Auger then blasts Hand 1 for 8HP damage, and forces him back 10’. An expert rider on an experienced beast, the Hand remains in his saddle and the hyena is dragged back 10’ with him.
Edynss’s spiritual weapon moves to attack Orc l, buffeting it but doing no damage. His spell compels the Hand into action. However, since falling would cause it harm, it shakes off the effects and rides on, falling back 10’ as a result of its indecision.
Varielky’s attack hits the Chief for 19HP damage, drawing blood, and the Chief breaks into a sudden cold sweat, overwhelmed by Varielky’s ferocity. Her attack against the giant hyena misses.
Benita leaps onto hyena e, critting and killing its rider (who was hurt by Auger the prior round), then she barely makes it off the beast and back onto the carriage.
Tuff throws his hatchet at Orc j, striking it for 7HP damage, and the axe whirls back to Tuff’s hand.
Flint & Wad fire crossbow bolts at Orc i. Flint hits for 9HP damage.
Granophyre’s golden sparrow dives at H1 again, its brass-colored beam shoots out, slamming into the Hand’s shoulder and knocking it back in its saddle for another 4HP.
Amistan continues to merge with the horses.
The Orcs who heard their leader’s war cry attack with advantage, so hot does their blood boil.
Orc i fires his shortbow at Wad with advantage, hitting for 9HP. The sturdy dwarf growls in pain.
Orcs j and k fire at Amistan, and miss.
Orc l fires its bow at Varielky with advantage but can’t penetrate Ednyss’ defensive spell.
Orc m likewise shoots at Varielky but the arrow flies above her, missing.
Orc n times its shot with Orc o, and they fire simultaneously at Amistan. Ednyss’s reaction catches one arrow on his shield, but the other strikes the ranger in his chest for 9HP, breaking his bond with the lead horse. The carriage rocks on its springs for a moment as it careens across the prairie.
Orc p fires its bow at Ednyss but the arrow smashes against his shield and repels high and away.
The two Hands repeat their command to Benita. She suddenly falls out of her defensive crouch, turns to Hand 2, and prepares to leap to his hyena, which closes with the carriage to allow her to do so.
The Orc Chief attacks Varielky with disadvantage, moving no closer. His maul slams into the ground at her feet, dusty dirt flies away but both his attacks miss the shield maiden.
You are now situated like so.
Please post actions for Round 13.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Right as the Orcs' chief's attacks hit the ground, Varielky raises her own sword up, slashing at the Orc again. As it is uncomfortable to attack the Orc from this side while trying to run forward, Varielky shifts to its other side, making a wide swing at the Orc which she notices is approaching the carriage. She doesn't notice Benita acting strangely though, as the woman was jumping from and to the carriage all this time anyway.
Then, while turning herself to align with the direction of the carriage once again, she bashes down on the Orcs' Chief, trying to knock it down.
Varielky
Oblivious to the danger Benita is in Auger stays focused on his side of the carriage. Seeing the limited affect of his blast on the Hand, Auger turns his attention to the other riders and sees that one is drawing close to the lead horse! Sighting carefully he aims another twisting blast, aiming from the rear and hoping to send this rider off his Hyena and on to the ground.
Py, keep up with us!
Py
Move and Action: Dashes towards the carriage and up to 30'. This places him at I6, perhaps? If the movement during the chase allows him to move further forward he would prefer to end his turn at K6 or M6 if that is possible.
Auger
Move: Poking head and arm out of carriage to cast his spell and then back in again.
Action: Casts Eldritch Blast at Orc K, pushing him 10' on a hit. Attack: 15 Damage: 6
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Ednyss hears the command of the Orc spellcaster to Benita and sees that one of them is drawing closer to the carriage. Pulling his hand towards himself, he draws his spectral shield closer to come and smash into the Orc that came closer. He then notices Benita preparing to jump down to the Orc and quickly rushes over along the top of the carriage attempting to grasp her wrist and prevent her from jumping to what would likely be her death. As he rushes to her, he calls out in futility, "Wait! No! You must resist!"
Bonus Action: Move Spiritual Weapon to J9 and attack
(Against Orc H2) Attack: 21 Damage: 7
Move: To Benita
Free Action: Talking
Action: Grapple Benita (Athletics: 18)
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Round 13 Results
Py moves to K6
Auger’s magical blast strikes Orc k for 6HP, forcing him away, and although the orc remains in his saddle, his hyena, compensating, tumbles, and they are out of the CHASE.
Edynss’ radiant shield shifts to attack Hand 2, smiting him for 13HP. The dwarven cleric clambers over the luggage atop the carriage to Benita, and grabs her belt just as she leaps, barely restraining her.
Varielky’s riposte slices a bloody line down the orc Chief’s thigh for 19HP damage. The shield maiden maneuvers to I9 and strikes Hand 2 for 9HP damage. Her shield shove to the Chief Knocks him flat in his saddle, where he loses control for a moment, falling behind, but his hyena shifts to keep him from falling.
Benita attempts to break free of Ednyss grip, rolls 14 against Ednyss’ 14, succeeding. She leaps onto hyena 2 (26 acrobatics).
Tuff shouts, “BENITA!,” and throws his axe at Hand 2, but it rebounds off its armor before whirling back to the proud valet.
Flint & Wad drop their crossbows. Flint holds onto the rear edge of the passenger bucket, sliding in his heavy boots on the dusty ground below. Wad takes Flint’s other hand with his left, and, also sliding on the dusty ground, grabs for Benita with his right, and, her turn over, Benita allows him to grab her.
Granophyre sends a prayer to Takal Demesh for strength, and Benita, Flint and Wad feel a surge of divine energy. The golden sparrow once again emits a force blast, pummeling Hand 2.
Amistan crits his driving roll, and the horses keep their cool and their energy.
Orcs i and m fire at Flint trying to disrupt his hold on the carriage, but their shots miss by inches.
Orcs n fires at Amistan, but it’s now Tuff’s turn to deflect them with his shield.
Orcs j and p read the valet’s motions and loose an arrow under his defenses. One grazes Tuff for 6HP.
Orc o’s shot zips past as Tuff recoils from the damage, hitting Amistan for 8HP. He’s barely up.
Orc l fires at Varielky but misses.
The Orc Chief rises up in his saddle, double dashes forward, and smashes Varielky with his maul for 13HP damage.
Hand 1 throws a pair of daggers at Ednyss, which miss, but remains spinning in the air near him as the orcan priest utters a prayer to Ellosh, and the swirling blades take on a cool blue glow, spinning and attacking Ednyss, striking him for 11HP damage, as the Hand, on his hyena, falls back 60’ behind the carriage.
Hand 2 grapples Benita in place with a knife to her throat. The hyena turns and peels off from the group, but with a quick motion, Benita evades the Hand’s grasp and falls off of the hyena, dragged on the ground by Flint and Wad. Flint is losing his grip on the bucket and will fall away on his next turn. Benita takes 10HP bludgeoning, but is still held by Wad. Flint and Wad each take 4HP, Wad holding onto Benita and Flint, Flint holding fast to the carriage but yelling in pain at the effort.
You are now situated like so.
Please post actions for Round 14.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Your friends in the back. This looks bad. Help them! Do whatever you can! Help them you say. They need strength and I have little, but I will do what I can.
Py flies to Flint and looks for anything he can use to improve Flint's hold on the carriage.
Taking his attention away from his side of the carriage Auger looks to the other side and, seeing more Orcs approaching the horses, chooses to act on that side. Not seeing him, he calls to Amistan, "Keep the horses calm! 'Ware the noise!" Reeling at the effort to do so, Auger again reaches and reaches... and transports the air out among the orcs to the place between stars. The effect does not last and air rushes back into the zone, creating a thunderous clap.
A severe headache hits Auger, he knows he will not be able to do that again any time soon.
Py
Move: Avoiding the zone of the daggers, flies to N8 and lands on the rear bucket seat, next to or in the same square as Flint.
Action: Take the Help action. Using whatever he can find Py attempts to assist Flint in holding on to the carriage. Example things he might try: If there is a loose strap or rope to tie things in place he tries to bring it to Flint and perhaps to fly it around his hand (there should be enough movement left to do something like that). If he can do something to improve Flint's handhold on the bucket seat itself, even just supporting the hand with all 3 of his strength he will attempt to Help.
Auger
Move: To other side of carriage and pokes his head out the south side window.
Action: Casts shatter centered at R12, which should catch Orcs N, O & P and their Hyenas. All must make a CON 14 saving throw in order to take half damage. 16
Status: The headache is just color. Auger is out of Pact Magic spells slots.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Varielky gasps as her consciousness almost leave her when the great hammer strikes her. She barely manages to hold on to it, though, and deflect the next attack with her shield. Quickly, she retaliates with her own attack, before the Chief has a chance to raise his weapon in a defensive posture.
Now that Benita is dragged on the ground, Varielky obviously notices her, but she realises she can't really help her. The foe fighting her was formidable, and ignoring him would surely prove to be a mistake. She hopes the others will be able to save her. ["Sif, let us prove that you are stronger than your Jenghen counterpart. Lend me of your strength, guide my sword, and I will make them realise the mistake of challenging your might!"] Varielky thinks she was whispering in Dreyen, but in her larger form, with a stronger diaphragm, the words come out loud enough for others to hear, whether or not they understand the meaning of them. None the less, her faith with the goddess to which she prayed, Varielky's large hand swings her large sword towards her enemy - the Orcs' chief.
Varielky
Ednyss's vision almost fades for a second as one of the priests creates a divine weapon and attempts to use it to sever Ednyss's life. Holding on, even though his own pain is immense, Ednyss sees that Varielky is close to losing consciousness and sends instead of sending a small mote of healing from the shield, he draws upon his own divine connection to send a larger blast of healing energy. He then rushes over to where Flint is holding onto the carriage and grabs him by the shoulder attempting to pull him onto the carriage and bring Wad and Benita closer in the process. He shouts with pain and effort, but the words form a prayer as he yells out, "Let the strength of the god of war drive us onward and to success. There is no honor among them, but with the god of war on our side, we cannot lose. Takal Demesh! Guide our actions and let us see beyond their trickery and to the glory of victory." Whether he manages to pull Flint back onto the carriage, he glances over his shoulder at the spinning blue blades and takes a deep breath in as he prepares for the blades to come slamming into him again.
Bonus Action: Cast Healing Word on Varielky (Spell Slot - Level 2)
Varielky heals for 8 HP
Move: To the edge of the carriage to pull Flint back in (If Needed)
Action: Improvise (Pull Flint into the Carriage)
(Prayer to Takal Demesh is Ednyss expending his Inspiration Point for Advantage)
Athletics: 24
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”
Round 14 Results.
Py buzzes down to help Flint, grabbing the sturdy dwarf by the collar and flying with all its tiny strength to keep him from falling.
Auger shifts to the south side window, and his spell strikes Orcs n, o, p and their hyenas. Orc p is blown to pieces, which rain down on Orc m and l behind him. Hyena p takes full damage, loses its footing and tumbles out of range. The others are hurt but remain in the chase.
Edynss’s healing spell floods Varielky with the favor of Takal Demesh, then he hops down to the passenger bucket and reaches for Flint, (crit!) keeping him from slipping away and pulling him up, and then, Wad too.
Varielky’s riposte is of such gargantuan fury, so tremendous in skill, that the angels glance upon her, and radiant light seeps down, bathing the shield maiden in a blinding flash as her enormous red steel blade slices deeply into the Orc Chief, a blow which would decapitate any three of his company all at once, and blood splashes in a wide arc, leaving a long bleeding gash straight down his back. Seeing he is unable to defend himself, Varielky’s second blow chops around in a forceful backhand, lashing the creature’s back and sinking so deep it is stopped only by the warrior’s shoulder blade, which fractures under the impact. The Orc Chief howls in pain and flops back in his saddle, blood spraying, his eyes wild with fury, consciousness going and coming.
Benita pulls herself up over Wad and Flint to the carriage roof.
Tuff throws his axe at Orc n, and the whirling weapon strike’s the orc’s left arm, slicing it off and mortally wounding the rider for 7HP damage. Hyena n slows as the rider begins to droop off, fountaining blood and losing consciousness. The axe arcs back around to land in Tuff’s hand.
Flint and Wad, now safely back on the carriage, pick up crossbows again and fire, and Flint hits Hand 2 for 9HP.
Granophyre’s golden sparrow once again emits a force blast, shifting to the Chief, but the beam reflects off the leader’s helm. The old scholar readies a cantrip and when Orc m veers near, reaching out to grab Benita, Granophyre lobs a spool of copper thread at the orc, which whips around him, entangling his armor as the sage connects the wire to a small sparkling box on his belt. The spool electrifies, Granophyre tugs, and the Orc is lifted out of his saddle and thrown onto the ground, rolling and sliding to a painful stop. Hyena m, now riderless, leaps to bite Wad, but the dwarf somehow kicks the beast away and it slows and drops out of the chase.
Amistan crits his driving again, filling the horses with confidence, and they surge ahead.
Orcs i and j aim their short bows at Wad and fire, but the two arrows click off of the bucket’s curved surface, deflecting down into the ground.
Orcs l stows his bow and comes in close to grapple Benita, but she evades his reach.
Orcs n and o fire their bows at Amistan, one hitting for 7HP -- or would have, except that Tuff sees it coming and locks his shield into the bucket, deflecting the missile. The two hyenas attack horses 3 & 5, biting at their right front and rear thighs, leaving deep gashes, for 11HP and 10HP damage, respectively. The horses stagger on, with 2 and 3HP respectively, and the hyenas and riders fall behind, losing step with the attacks.
The Orc Chief utters a command and the Orcs continue the chase as he and the Hands pull back.
Granophyre releases his spell from Varielky, who, returning to her normal size, grabs onto the carriage, and lifts herself into the driver’s bucket again.
The horses’ hooves thunder and the carriage dashes forward headlong, pulling away from your pursuers, the closest now twenty seconds or more behind you, the Chief and Hands another 20 seconds behind them. A dozen orcs remain in hot pursuit, waiting for your horses’ wounds to take their toll. You crest a rise, and at the bottom of a long gentle slope, you now see a dark line across your path, and there it is: an 8 foot-wide bridge crossing over the creek chasm. The bridge is supported from below by a wooden arch, and 3’ tall hand rails run its length on both sides. Granophyre’s head sticks out of the carriage window, and he carefully times his spell, shooting his little dagger down onto the bridge’s midpoint just as you start to cross. Smoke streams up as acid begins to eat away at the keystone support. You make it to the other side, where the carriage rumbles to a halt. Trembling and in shock, Horses 3 and 5 fall on their knees, bleeding heavily from their hyena-inflicted wounds. Everyone steps off of the carriage and stands blocking the bridge.
“It may take a moment for my spell to make the bridge impassible,” yells Granophyre. “We’ll have to hold them here until then!” The golden sparrow lands upon Varielky once more and she elongates back to giant size (OOC: RP. In game mechanics the enlarge spell continued throughout.)
Through the hissing smoke, you see orcs slowly advancing upon you, testing the bridge, which holds their weight, and they begin to slowly cross.
You are now situated like so.
Please post actions for Round 15.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
(OOC: Landing a crit with a Riposte almost feels unfair tbh, especially with added dice. I love it.)
(When Varielky grabs onto the carriage.)
Just before she pulls herself to the driver's bucket, Varielky shouts at the top of her lungs so that the Orcs can hear her, hopefully. "The gods have spoken! Though your prowess in battle is impressive, your cause is despicable! Stay away if your lives mean more to you than my body!"
Varielky steps above the others - even though their heads are nearly the height of her hip line now. "Move back, we don't want to be on the bridge when it falls. I'll hold them off. Also, I'll need the edge clear to jump back when it falls." She moves forward, her sword still in its scabbard, but her shield in her left hand is ready to block incoming attacks. "Back off!" She shouts at the Orcs. "Anyone who steps on this bridge will find themselves in the river's water. I beat your commander already, I'll beat anyone weaker than him too." This statement has a double meaning. First, those who think they're weaker might actually back off. Second, if they approach, that would be like saying 'I am stronger than my chief'. Varielky isn't sure how the band operates, but she imagined it was 'strongest rules'. If it causes internal fights between the Orcs, that's only better for her.
Varielky
Seeing that Varielky is holding the Orcs off, for the most part, Ednyss rushes around the carriage to the horses that are bleeding and begins to attempt to heal one with his divine magic so that they can continue onwards as soon as the bridge is destroyed. He then turns back to Orcs and reaffirms Varielky's words with his own, "She has bested your chieftain. If any of you see it fit to walk to your deaths, then dare to approach." His voice becomes a menacing growl, "Else run."
Action: Help (Varielky with her Intimidation)
Move: Around the carriage
Bonus Action: Cast Healing Word on Horse 3 (From the Shield - Level 1)
Horse 3 heals for 8 HP
“The mark of a successful DM is when you have caused more player deaths with doors than dragons, demons, or devils.”