Your journey was uneventful, but the island now visible off the bow promises rare wonders. Seaweed shimmers in countless brilliant colors below you, and rays of sunlight defy the overcast sky to illuminate the lush grass and dark basalt rock of the island. Avoiding the rocks jutting up from the ocean, your ship makes its way toward a calm harbor on the island’s north side.
A large, open-air temple comes into view, perched on the edge of a cliff high above you. The ship drops anchor at the mouth of the harbor, and two sailors row you ashore. You have plenty of time to admire the towering statue at the center of the temple, depicting a wizened man surrounded by seven songbirds. A long path winds up the side of the cliff to the temple, dotted along the way with doorways cut into the rock.
The sailors set you ashore on a rickety dock, where a large rowboat is neatly tied. They point to the base of the path and wish you good luck before they row back to the ship. Your visit to Dragon’s Rest begins!
The slim elf woman (5’, 100 lbs)—she introduced herself simply as Keeliel—barely glances back at the ship. Her eyes, the color of molten gold, are already looking beyond the path to what waits ahead. Her skin is bronze, her hair like spun flax. She is beautiful, like the finest of beaten jewelry.
But she is cold like gold, too. She is a High Sun elf, and she embodies all the stereotypes you might have heard. Haughty. Humorless. Vain. On the trip she did all that was expected, took meals with the group, discussed reasons for coming, talked strategy, took shifts as the crew needed, was courteous (though not generous). But there is no heart of gold inside, waiting for someone to thaw the ice around it. She is, frankly, hard to like.
She begins walking, then turns around, walking backward. “What are you waiting for?” She turns again and strides off.
Keeliel is simply dressed, though her clothes are fine, rare. Her long hair is clasped with a brooch, keeping it out of her face. She carries a small pack, a large book—you know it is her spellbook—tied firmly at her waist. A short sword rides her other hip. You know she is here searching for information about another wizard, a friend, who died seeking something… something Keeliel now wants to find. The temple to Bahamut on Dragon’s Rest is the first step.
And apparently, given her lengthening stride, she is unwilling to wait any longer.
Second to clamber from the rowboat is a human man, fairly tall with neat military brown hair and light brown eyes. His chain mail armour is well maintained and of good quality, and the shield strapped to his back bears a symbol of Bahamut. He grins at the receding Keeliel: "You can allow perhaps ten seconds for us to disembark, can you not, Lady Keeliel? I would be willing to race to you to the top afterwards; my legs could do with the exercise after the sea voyage."
Tomas Caffaren carries himself with the confidence of one born to nobility, and his manner of speech suggest a degree of education. During the voyage he has been friendly, though he has spent more time chatting with the crew of the ship than the other passengers, and he has been open about the fact that he has come to Dragon's Rest seeking the guidance of the god he follows.
Tomas grins as the elf woman walks away, and turns to offer assistance to any of the other passengers, should they wish it.
A red-haired wood elf watches the shore approach between longing glances back at the ship. He watches Keeliel dart off, jumping eagerly onto the dock. He watches Tomas disembark. He almost doesn't take the proffered hand helping him off the rowboat, but eventually does, with a polite, but mumbled, "thanks."He adjusts his pack, quiver, and unstrung bow, ensuring it does not fall into the water. He looks around, taking in the view of the island, and peering up at the temple. "Wonder if that statue's Runara,"Pilo says. "Would be a thing to have a statue of yourself when you're still alive to see it. Maybe he's not full of it."
The slim elf then looks back down into the rowboat, rolls his eyes in frustration, and drops to his belly on the rickety dock. He reaches in and with a grunt, pulls out a large greatsword. Perhaps it was once a great weapon, but now the hilt and pommel manage to be both dusty and dirty, and you can see some of the gleaming blade through the holes in the scabbard. Once it's finally out of the boat, he drops the scabbard tip to the dock planks, leans the hilt against his shoulder, and secures his bow (a simple weapon, but immaculately maintained). "Well, might as well get this over with," he mutters to himself and begins to follow Keeliel up to the temple.
After the three have disembarked from the boat, a short and muscular, red-brown skinned halfling male with alert, light brown eyes, angled lips, a square jaw, and a big nose steps off. He has straight, orange hair and an orange scruff around his face. He's got quite the scowl on his face, hard to decipher if it's always there or just because of the trip he has just been on. He's adorned in all-black leather attire with a matching cloak. As he hops off of the boat, he quickly gives look around his surroundings
I guess this is the place, he says as he pats himself down making sure everything he's brought with him is on his person. If it's one thing that Merric Tealeaf isn't, is unprepared, Merric tells himself.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
Tomas, Pilo and Merrick as you’re about to leave the beach and start your climb, you hear a ruckus of splashing and a wet, gurgling moan behind you. Three figures are shambling up from the water’s edge, about thirty feet away. (Let’s say on your left as you’re facing the path that leads up to the cliff side.) They’re dressed as sailors, but their skin is gray and they look drowned. Sea water drools from their slack mouths as they lurch toward you.
(Based on Keeliel’s post, I’ll say she’s thirty feet from the rest of the group, 60 if she would have dashed.
If you all would like to engage in combat roll initiative.
If you are going to hurry up the cliff side path there’s no need to roll initiative.)
At the ruckus, Keeled stops and turns, ready to call somebody out, but sees the oceangoing zombies (or whatever they are), and starts hurrying back down the path to shore.
Initiative (rolling in the game log): 10
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Pilo, walking up the cliffside path still wrestling with the greatsword, somehow still reacts swiftly to the commotion.... by running the other way.
Sprinting, he drags the sword bouncing behind him 25 feet, and eventually drops it. He runs another 5 feet, and then stops.
Right by Keeliel, but he doesn't really seem to see her.
He visibly sighs, gruffly, and looks at the sky, perhaps swearing at himself. He closes his eyes, and then turns around, going for the sword again. He walks 5 feet back, and is about to pick it up, when he sees the full span of the chaos unfolding below. Those were monsters, like from a storybook. Or from his da's tales. What was going on? Well, they couldn't be too different from targets back home...
He grabs his bow, quickly strings it, draws an arrow, and sights the closest... thing. Zombie? There weren't really zombies! He takes in a breath, draws, holds his breath, and looses, straight at the noggin.
The statue is of Lord Bahamut, Tomas replies to Pilo. It is how he travels to world, concealing his true majesty in order to blend better with the common folk. It is a reminder to treat everyone, even the humblest of souls, with respect. You never know.He grins. I learned the birds' names once, but I don't think I can remember them. I expect they will know at the temple.
As they leave the beach, he notices the strange creatures approaching, and places a wary hand on his weapon...
Tomas approaches the nearest creature, his battle axe in his hand, though his shield remains strapped to his back. He walks cautiously, trying to put himself between the newcomers and the rest of the travellers behind him. He speaks:
Creature, have you a voice to speak? Why have you come here?
As he does so, he uses his action for Divine Sense: As an action, you can detect good and evil. Until the end of your next turn, you can sense anything affected by the hallow spell or know the location of any celestial, fiend, undead within 60 ft. that is not behind total cover.
Tomas approaches the creatures utilizing the divine connection that he has with Bahamut. The creatures before you are indeed undead. Further you don’t sense the presence of anything else that your divine sense would pick up.
All of the zombies turn their heads towards you and let out and unearthly moan. The zombie you are directly in front of raises its hand to its mouth at the word “speak” but the only thing that comes out of its mouth is more water.
It’s at this moment that an arrow pierces its hand to its chest.
The zombie that was pierced with an arrow slams you with its other hand managing to find a weak spot in your armor. The hit catches you off guard a bit. But luckily it prepares you for the attacks from the other two zombies which you nimbly dodge and duck out of the way for.
Merric has seen some craziness before and somehow these zombies, d really phase him. He quickly grabs a dagger from a double blade holster he's wearing and throws it at the closest zombie
Merric’s dagger flies into the shoulder of the zombie causing it to stumble and it’s attack against Tomas to go wide. It turns it’s slack jawed head towards the dagger and turns in that direction. Seemingly intent on moving toward the person that hurled it.
Keeliel takes a few steps back toward the beach, thinks better of it and backs up even further, then incants, points and lets a blast of freezing magic go at the zombies, missing badly.
Move: 15’ further away, for a total of 60’ away.
Action: cast Ray of Frost: rolled a critical miss, a 1.
Tomas manages not to scream, but can't hold back a loud grunt of pain as he feels something either break or dislocate from its proper place. He holds his battle axe up in defiance, manages to keep upright, and calls out to the others: I will hold as best I can. Can you bring them down?
He will take the dodge action, regretting that his shield is not strapped to his arm, but he stands and growls at the zombies, trying to keep their attention on his battered form.
Your journey was uneventful, but the island now visible off the bow promises rare wonders. Seaweed shimmers in countless brilliant colors below you, and rays of sunlight defy the overcast sky to illuminate the lush grass and dark basalt rock of the island. Avoiding the rocks jutting up from the ocean, your ship makes its way toward a calm harbor on the island’s north side.
A large, open-air temple comes into view, perched on the edge of a cliff high above you. The ship drops anchor at the mouth of the harbor, and two sailors row you ashore. You have plenty of time to admire the towering statue at the center of the temple, depicting a wizened man surrounded by seven songbirds. A long path winds up the side of the cliff to the temple, dotted along the way with doorways cut into the rock.
The sailors set you ashore on a rickety dock, where a large rowboat is neatly tied. They point to the base of the path and wish you good luck before they row back to the ship. Your visit to Dragon’s Rest begins!
The slim elf woman (5’, 100 lbs)—she introduced herself simply as Keeliel—barely glances back at the ship. Her eyes, the color of molten gold, are already looking beyond the path to what waits ahead. Her skin is bronze, her hair like spun flax. She is beautiful, like the finest of beaten jewelry.
But she is cold like gold, too. She is a High Sun elf, and she embodies all the stereotypes you might have heard. Haughty. Humorless. Vain. On the trip she did all that was expected, took meals with the group, discussed reasons for coming, talked strategy, took shifts as the crew needed, was courteous (though not generous). But there is no heart of gold inside, waiting for someone to thaw the ice around it. She is, frankly, hard to like.
She begins walking, then turns around, walking backward. “What are you waiting for?” She turns again and strides off.
Keeliel is simply dressed, though her clothes are fine, rare. Her long hair is clasped with a brooch, keeping it out of her face. She carries a small pack, a large book—you know it is her spellbook—tied firmly at her waist. A short sword rides her other hip. You know she is here searching for information about another wizard, a friend, who died seeking something… something Keeliel now wants to find. The temple to Bahamut on Dragon’s Rest is the first step.
And apparently, given her lengthening stride, she is unwilling to wait any longer.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Second to clamber from the rowboat is a human man, fairly tall with neat military brown hair and light brown eyes. His chain mail armour is well maintained and of good quality, and the shield strapped to his back bears a symbol of Bahamut. He grins at the receding Keeliel: "You can allow perhaps ten seconds for us to disembark, can you not, Lady Keeliel? I would be willing to race to you to the top afterwards; my legs could do with the exercise after the sea voyage."
Tomas Caffaren carries himself with the confidence of one born to nobility, and his manner of speech suggest a degree of education. During the voyage he has been friendly, though he has spent more time chatting with the crew of the ship than the other passengers, and he has been open about the fact that he has come to Dragon's Rest seeking the guidance of the god he follows.
Tomas grins as the elf woman walks away, and turns to offer assistance to any of the other passengers, should they wish it.
Keeliel makes a scoffing sound, but does not slow her stride.
(OOC She will stop and wait for the others once something interesting comes in sight. The temple, a person, something.)
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
A red-haired wood elf watches the shore approach between longing glances back at the ship. He watches Keeliel dart off, jumping eagerly onto the dock. He watches Tomas disembark. He almost doesn't take the proffered hand helping him off the rowboat, but eventually does, with a polite, but mumbled, "thanks." He adjusts his pack, quiver, and unstrung bow, ensuring it does not fall into the water. He looks around, taking in the view of the island, and peering up at the temple. "Wonder if that statue's Runara," Pilo says. "Would be a thing to have a statue of yourself when you're still alive to see it. Maybe he's not full of it."
The slim elf then looks back down into the rowboat, rolls his eyes in frustration, and drops to his belly on the rickety dock. He reaches in and with a grunt, pulls out a large greatsword. Perhaps it was once a great weapon, but now the hilt and pommel manage to be both dusty and dirty, and you can see some of the gleaming blade through the holes in the scabbard. Once it's finally out of the boat, he drops the scabbard tip to the dock planks, leans the hilt against his shoulder, and secures his bow (a simple weapon, but immaculately maintained). "Well, might as well get this over with," he mutters to himself and begins to follow Keeliel up to the temple.
After the three have disembarked from the boat, a short and muscular, red-brown skinned halfling male with alert, light brown eyes, angled lips, a square jaw, and a big nose steps off. He has straight, orange hair and an orange scruff around his face. He's got quite the scowl on his face, hard to decipher if it's always there or just because of the trip he has just been on. He's adorned in all-black leather attire with a matching cloak. As he hops off of the boat, he quickly gives look around his surroundings
I guess this is the place, he says as he pats himself down making sure everything he's brought with him is on his person. If it's one thing that Merric Tealeaf isn't, is unprepared, Merric tells himself.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Tomas, Pilo and Merrick as you’re about to leave the beach and start your climb, you hear a ruckus of splashing and a wet, gurgling moan behind you. Three figures are shambling up from the water’s edge, about thirty feet away. (Let’s say on your left as you’re facing the path that leads up to the cliff side.) They’re dressed as sailors, but their skin is gray and they look drowned. Sea water drools from their slack mouths as they lurch toward you.
(Based on Keeliel’s post, I’ll say she’s thirty feet from the rest of the group, 60 if she would have dashed.
If you all would like to engage in combat roll initiative.
If you are going to hurry up the cliff side path there’s no need to roll initiative.)
At the ruckus, Keeled stops and turns, ready to call somebody out, but sees the oceangoing zombies (or whatever they are), and starts hurrying back down the path to shore.
Initiative (rolling in the game log): 10
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Initiative: 11
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Pilo, walking up the cliffside path still wrestling with the greatsword, somehow still reacts swiftly to the commotion.... by running the other way.
Sprinting, he drags the sword bouncing behind him 25 feet, and eventually drops it. He runs another 5 feet, and then stops.
Right by Keeliel, but he doesn't really seem to see her.
He visibly sighs, gruffly, and looks at the sky, perhaps swearing at himself. He closes his eyes, and then turns around, going for the sword again. He walks 5 feet back, and is about to pick it up, when he sees the full span of the chaos unfolding below. Those were monsters, like from a storybook. Or from his da's tales. What was going on? Well, they couldn't be too different from targets back home...
He grabs his bow, quickly strings it, draws an arrow, and sights the closest... thing. Zombie? There weren't really zombies! He takes in a breath, draws, holds his breath, and looses, straight at the noggin.
Attack: 15 Damage: 10 piercing (rolled in log)
The statue is of Lord Bahamut, Tomas replies to Pilo. It is how he travels to world, concealing his true majesty in order to blend better with the common folk. It is a reminder to treat everyone, even the humblest of souls, with respect. You never know. He grins. I learned the birds' names once, but I don't think I can remember them. I expect they will know at the temple.
As they leave the beach, he notices the strange creatures approaching, and places a wary hand on his weapon...
Initiative 19 (in game log)
Tomas approaches the nearest creature, his battle axe in his hand, though his shield remains strapped to his back. He walks cautiously, trying to put himself between the newcomers and the rest of the travellers behind him. He speaks:
Creature, have you a voice to speak? Why have you come here?
As he does so, he uses his action for Divine Sense:
As an action, you can detect good and evil. Until the end of your next turn, you can sense anything affected by the hallow spell or know the location of any celestial, fiend, undead within 60 ft. that is not behind total cover.
Tomas approaches the creatures utilizing the divine connection that he has with Bahamut. The creatures before you are indeed undead. Further you don’t sense the presence of anything else that your divine sense would pick up.
All of the zombies turn their heads towards you and let out and unearthly moan. The zombie you are directly in front of raises its hand to its mouth at the word “speak” but the only thing that comes out of its mouth is more water.
It’s at this moment that an arrow pierces its hand to its chest.
The zombie that was pierced with an arrow slams you with its other hand managing to find a weak spot in your armor. The hit catches you off guard a bit. But luckily it prepares you for the attacks from the other two zombies which you nimbly dodge and duck out of the way for.
Merric has seen some craziness before and somehow these zombies, d really phase him. He quickly grabs a dagger from a double blade holster he's wearing and throws it at the closest zombie
8 to hit for 7 damage
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Merric’s dagger flies into the shoulder of the zombie causing it to stumble and it’s attack against Tomas to go wide. It turns it’s slack jawed head towards the dagger and turns in that direction. Seemingly intent on moving toward the person that hurled it.
Keeliel takes a few steps back toward the beach, thinks better of it and backs up even further, then incants, points and lets a blast of freezing magic go at the zombies, missing badly.
Move: 15’ further away, for a total of 60’ away.
Action: cast Ray of Frost: rolled a critical miss, a 1.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Keeliel’s ray of frost sails over the zombies shoulder. Just missing it, as it stumbles from impact of Merric’s dagger and turns to face him.
Tomas manages not to scream, but can't hold back a loud grunt of pain as he feels something either break or dislocate from its proper place. He holds his battle axe up in defiance, manages to keep upright, and calls out to the others: I will hold as best I can. Can you bring them down?
He will take the dodge action, regretting that his shield is not strapped to his arm, but he stands and growls at the zombies, trying to keep their attention on his battered form.
Steve please roll an intimidation check.