It was the largest army of Guardians ever gathered in one place, more than the Battle of Ashen Lake, and even more than the legendary Six Fronts. The Consensus had spared nothing for this operation, it was a full-scale assault. Tens of thousands of the Last City's warriors upon thousands of ships sailed across the open void between Tero and its Moon. While most of the Vanguard would march as one to assault the entrenched Hive position in heart of the Ocean of Storms, there were smaller teams tasked with more complex missions.
The six of you are such a team. You were given the task of capturing - not killing - one of the Hive's wizards for interrogations. Some of the early scouting parties had found temples scattered across the rim of the Ocean of Storms, temples where one such wizard might be found.
You landed on the dusty gray surface, accompanied by a familiar of the Traveler: a Ghost by the name of Fotia. This floating construct is only a little bit bigger than a closed fist, consisting of a spherical core with a single glowing blue eye, surrounded by a shell of several pyramidal pieces that occasionally detach and rotate around the inner core. They were released en masse after Tero's goddess sacrificed herself to push out the darkness invading the system. They're made of her light, and some say embody her will. For thousands of years they've been faithful companions to those gifted by the Traveler. They can effortlessly communicate with one another across vast distances, and store every piece of information they come across.
The Traveler had begun to turn Tero's Moon into a livable world before the Collapse. She'd already given it an atmosphere, which lets you walk across its surface without the need of an Air Bubble spell. But beyond that, the satellite is as lifeless as it was before - save for the Hive.
You're close to the temple when you first run into them. A swarm of their thralls come rushing out of the ravine ahead of you. Embedded in their ranks are two Hive knights: they tower above the thrall, greater than 8 feet tall. Their bodies are heavily armored with a chitinous exoskeleton, resembling a twisted fusion of bone and metal. They carry the same cleaver-like greatswords you might have seen the Ashen Lake if you were there for it.. At the rear of this small Hive party are a pair of acolytes, and two more on each side of the ravine. Their hands glow with an orange radiance, ready to rain fire down upon you from above.
MAP: Feel free to adjust starting position as you please as I don't know your preferred marching order, I just threw the tokens on there.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Jasper's been antsy ever since returning to the moon, constantly keeping a vigilant eye out for the Hive. When they made themselves known, he'd be ready. He tugged on the string of his radiant bow, an arrow of light manifesting at his fingertips, ready to sear the first monster he saw with the Light of the Traveler. Jasper's eyes then turn to his Fireteam, a collection of friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike. A sense of responsibility hangs heavy in his chest. This time, no one gets left behind... And no Hive will be left standing.
(I'd like to have used my Vigilant Blessing to give myself advantage on my initiative roll - if that can't be done, just go ahead and base my initiative off the first roll.)
In contrast to the journey over, Delphine had been quiet the moment the team stepped foot onto the moon's surface. Preparations had been made, her own a minor spell gifted from the Traveler Herself. With its casting the friendly, cavalier attitude had subdued to something more focused, alert to what dangers they were sure to find. The hunter stayed close as they moved further into the terrain and towards their intended target, unwilling to leave the safety of numbers- nor leave her less armored allies vulnerable.
And good thing, too. The platoon of Hive thralls was revealed as the narrow corridor opened up, bolstered by both Acolytes and Knights. "I don't imagine one of those would suffice?"She asked, eyes ticking up to the spellcasters upon the ridge. Shield drawn, her sword stayed in its sheath, leaving curled, clawed fingers free.
If it's alright, she would've casted Gift of Alacrity (from Feytouched) on herself as part of her morning prep. If so, her Initiative would be 15 + 8 + 4 = 27.
Juniper Summers in Drakkenheim - Mind and Matter Delphine Bennett in TheDark Below Ilmrae Zolier in Dragon Heist - One Hell of a Summer Loralai Darkleaf in The Storm King's Thunder Eris Tourmaline in An Adventure in the Mountains Circe Somerset in Candlekeep Mysteries
Silver, pristine boots crunch upon the barren lunar surface, sending small gravel skittering away with each step. The boots reinforced with mithral plates rise to just below the knee, and the elven warrior stands tall and graceful in his ornate mithral armor, intricately engraved with elegant elven motifs and adorned with symbols of the Traveler, alongside the proud Erynduil family crest. His hair flows down to his shoulders like a cascade of liquid silver, a silken waterfall, each strand catching the faint lunar light. The pale blonde locks, nearly white in hue, move gently with each step he takes, framing his finely chiseled features with a soft luminescence. The crystal longsword at his side gleams with an inner light, and his shield is worn on his arm, embellished with the Traveler’s symbol overlaying his family’s coat of arms.
As Aerion Erynduil’s icy blue eyes catch sight of the swarm of Hive thralls emerging from the temple, the longsword slides effortlessly from its sheath with a smooth, almost musical sound. A rare gift of grace and power, the ethereal glow of the blade pulses in time with his steady breaths. The weight of his oath and the legacy of his family bear down on his shoulders, and the scent of the moon’s dry, metallic dust mingles with the faint tang of ozone from the Hive’s dark magic. He exchanges a quick glance with the rest of his team. “They’re coming.” He says, though he doesn’t need to, “Stay close and watch each other’s backs. Fotia, relay our position to the Vanguard. We may need reinforcements - in case this gets worse.”
Initiative: 11 + 4 from Gift of Alacrity assuming he’d had time to cast it before the fight
Qirynna clearly was far less armored than most of her companions. As her feet softly propelled her across the barren landscape of the Moon, she was keenly aware of this. For a moment her glance moved to Aerion, glad for his familiar presence here. Jasper too. But quickly she refocused herself, staying alert to the situation. On the ship she had remained rather quiet, keeping her thoughts to herself. Before they had arrived, she had removed the thin golden circlet that usually adorned her head, tucking it away into one of the recesses of the long black coat she wore. All she wore beneath was a high-necked, sleeveless top and pants made from fine cloth. And her necklace with jade gemstone that she never took off. Aside from a heavy pack, a glassy staff was all the equipment she seemed to carry.
The appearance of the Hive forces immediately got her attention. She had noted the direction of Delphine's gaze, giving her head an imperceptible shake. "No. Those are not our target."
(Qirynna Initiative: 2)
(OOC - If it is alright, as they landed, Qirynna would have cast Mage Armor using a charge from her staff. Also, if it's possible, may she already have cast Find Familiar before leaving for the battle. She would have an owl familiar that is dismissed currently.)
Gael's eyes narrow as he takes in the Hive force, already feeling the weight of their oppressive presence. The dust of Tero's Moon swirls around his feet, mingling with the static charge that always seems to surround him. Next to the nobles in the team he looked like a homeless vagrant. His attire was made mostly of form fitting dark leather armor, reinforced with pieces of splint. The armor was dented, scratched, and worn all over. A testament to how much time he spent outside of the City's protective walls. He'd only just come back in time to join the Vanguard at Ashen Lake, where he'd faced down this macabre foe for the first time.
His grip tightens around his staff, crackling with barely contained electrical energy. The storm within him roars, ready to be unleashed upon the Hive.
Rega's violet hair frames her face in soft waves. Her dusky blue skin bears patterns of light that shift as a marker of her heritage, and her golden eyes glow with an inner light.
"At least they were nice enough to meet us with a welcoming party."She mutters sarcastically, drawing her unkindled sword. Naturally her gaze goes upwards, to the Acolytes gathering on the cliffs above them. "I'll start with the Acolytes on the left, we don't want to deal with them raining fire down on us the whole time."
"Thought as much, but it never hurts to be sure," Delphine replied, speech growing thick as she began to shift. Coarse grey and black fur spread like wildfire across skin as fingernails lengthened into sharp, curving claws. The lithe form elongated further, hunched in anticipation for the hunt about to begin. The irony of her situation hadn't escaped her, and the newly formed snout stretched into a snarling smile at the idea, revealing wickedly sharp fangs. A wolf on the moon.
To Rega's assertion, she nodded assent, "Much appreciated, that. We'll keep the ones below busy," then closed distance to the nearest Hive Thrall in a whirl of fur and armor. She lashed out her free hand to dig a bloody furrow into her mark, followed by a snap of jaws on the thrall's arm.
Bonus Action: Hybrid Transformation Movement: Moving up to the upper leftmost thrall on ground level Main Action: Two Predatory Strikes (Dex), 22 and 24 to hit, for 7 and 8 slashing damage respectively
Juniper Summers in Drakkenheim - Mind and Matter Delphine Bennett in TheDark Below Ilmrae Zolier in Dragon Heist - One Hell of a Summer Loralai Darkleaf in The Storm King's Thunder Eris Tourmaline in An Adventure in the Mountains Circe Somerset in Candlekeep Mysteries
With Delphine charging the frontline, Jasper falls in with Rega. “If you’re going left, I’ll get the ones on the right. Bring some Light to this desolate place, wake ‘em up, knock ‘em out,” He mutters, pushing forward toward the right side Acolytes. As he slides through the crumbly moon rocks, he lets loose a volley of one, two, and three arrows at the gathered Acolytes, the Light at their arrowheads speeding towards them, ready to sear any Hive that stands in their way.
(One attack, plus my Gloomstalker extra attack for the first turn in combat. First hit I make, I’ll mark the enemy as my Favored Foe [maybe Jasper’s exotic is Foetracer? ;)] and keep hitting them till they’re down. If one goes down from my attacks, I’ll switch any remaining attacks to the other one. Finally, I’ll be rolling all these in game log since I’m on mobile at work.)
- 1st attack: 19 to hit, 12 piercing and 6 radiant, that’s with favored foe damage
- 2nd attack: 23 to hit, 12 piercing and 5 radiant
Aerion raises his crystal sword, the blade beginning to glow with an ethereal light that illuminates the surrounding lunar landscape with a soft, radiant glow. “May the Traveler’s light guide our blades and shield us from darkness.” He whispers in Elvish, the light glinting in his icy blue eyes, echoing in the stillness before the storm.
Then, with a burst of speed and resolve, he charges forward alongside Delphine. His movements fluid and precise, a dance of death as he meets the onrushing Hive Thrall. The radiant blade cleaves through the dark creatures, each strike guided by the Traveler’s light.
Gael dashes after Aerion, flicking his thumb across a spike embedded on the grip of his staff. Lightning sparks from the wound to the metal of the staff, unleashing a maelstrom of lightning along its length. He twirls the staff above his head, bringing it to bear upon the nearest thrall still standing after the high-born elf's attack.
The first wave of thrall are cut and torn to pieces by your fireteam's opening attack. A limb goes flying as Delphine rips off a chitinous arm with her jaws, light flares in the eyes of the enemy as Aerions radiant blade tears through them, and sparks from Gael's staff arc through the now bludgeoned corpse. Off to the side, a pair of glowing arrows rips through an acolyte before it has a chance to rain fire upon you.
Looming over Gael as the thrall falls at his feet, the knight steps forward and lifts its massive sword and brings it down upon him twice.
Melee Attack -> Gael: 23 to hit, 13 slashing. Melee Attack -> Gael: 18 to hit, 8 slashing.
A thrall darts through the fighting slashing Aerion with its claws - but the elf deftly avoids the attacks. An acolyte at the back shoots two sets of fanned flames out at Delphine, but they barely even singe her fur.
From the right cliff, the remaining acolyte shoots out twin streaks of fire at Jasper.
Rega nods briefly to Jasper before moving away from him, towards the northeast to engage the high-ground acolytes. She reaches into the void and flings her hand, sending an orb of twisting dark energy at the closest one. With her other hand she slings two beamsof concussive radiance, eyes flaring gold.
Movement: 30ft northeast. Bonus Action:Hex (STR Checks) on the southernmost Acolyte on the left cliff. Action:Eldritch Blast on the same target. Attack:27, Damage: 6 Force + 6 Necrotic Attack: 23,Damage: 15 Force + 5 Necrotic
With the sharp cracks, the acolyte on the cliff falls to the ground with fire still gathering in its clawed hand.
The other Hive Knight lifts its sword and swings in a wide arc, missing Aerion entirely at first. Next it arcs the blade upward next and then brings it down with surprising speed.
Melee Attack -> Aerion: 25 to hit, 14 slashing.
A thrall sprints forward, fruitlessly slashing its claws at Gael. The strider is too nimble for the creature, dodging the blows or bashing them away with his staff.
On the left cliff, the Acolyte returns fire at Rega. Its first shot goes wide, but the second fan of flames is dead on target.
Qirynna watched the action, moving to follow after Rega as the group moved to attack the Hive. She casts Fire Bolt, with a wave of her hand directing the fire at the Acolyte remaining high up on the left. (Spell Attack: 12, Damage: 9 fire)
"You alright Rega?" she calls out when she sees the enemy's flame attack strike her.
Delphine snarled down at the fallen thrall and dropped the torn limb. A claw pricked her thumb, the copper tang of blood swiftly burned away in the crackle of sparks that danced up from the wound. Eyes set to the next closest, she leapt over the quickly growing pile of corpses and continued her assault.
Bonus Action: Crimson Rite on her Unarmed Attacks, taking 3 necrotic damage.
Main Action: 2 Attacks in the next closest Thrall, though if it would go down with the first, the 2nd would target the closest knight.
Juniper Summers in Drakkenheim - Mind and Matter Delphine Bennett in TheDark Below Ilmrae Zolier in Dragon Heist - One Hell of a Summer Loralai Darkleaf in The Storm King's Thunder Eris Tourmaline in An Adventure in the Mountains Circe Somerset in Candlekeep Mysteries
Jasper grunts in pain as he's hit, but he's taken worse. As he nocks his bow, something in his heart swells, the thought of the imminent destruction at the tips of his fingers pleasing some dark part of him. But then he sees Rega and some of the others get hit hard. In an instant, he lowers his bow and bolts toward the fray until he's just ten feet below Rega's position. He tumbles like an acrobat once he arrives, emitting a field of dim Void Light that envelopes him and his comrades. "Don't falter now, let's show these monsters what the guardians of Tero are made of!" Jasper calls as he surrounds himself once more in a flurry of Light that will enhance his next strike and quicken his movements.
Movement: Get to two spaces below Rega's current position. Bonus Action: Cast zephyr strike on himself. Jasper is now Concentrating. Action: Use Channel Divinity - Twilight Sanctuary. Details below. Basically, at the end of their turns, each allied creature can gain 1d6+2 Temp Hp or end a frighten or charm effect they are currently under.
You can use your Channel Divinity to refresh your allies with soothing twilight.
As an action, you present your holy symbol, and a sphere of twilight emanates from you. The sphere is centered on you, has a 30-foot radius, and is filled with dim light. The sphere moves with you, and it lasts for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or die. Whenever a creature (including you) ends its turn in the sphere, you can grant that creature one of these benefits:
You grant it temporary hit points equal to 1d6 plus your cleric level.
You end one effect on it causing it to be charmed or frightened.
Aerion his teeth as the Hive knight’s sword crashes against his mithral armor, the force of the blow sending a shockwave through his body. Pain lances through his side, but he ignores that. With a swift gesture, a shimmering barrier of light envelops him, comforting as Jasper’s aura of twilight. Gauntleted hand tightening around the hilt, he swings his crystal sword, the blade glowing brilliantly as it arcs through the air, cutting through the darkness with bright radiance.
It was the largest army of Guardians ever gathered in one place, more than the Battle of Ashen Lake, and even more than the legendary Six Fronts. The Consensus had spared nothing for this operation, it was a full-scale assault. Tens of thousands of the Last City's warriors upon thousands of ships sailed across the open void between Tero and its Moon. While most of the Vanguard would march as one to assault the entrenched Hive position in heart of the Ocean of Storms, there were smaller teams tasked with more complex missions.
The six of you are such a team. You were given the task of capturing - not killing - one of the Hive's wizards for interrogations. Some of the early scouting parties had found temples scattered across the rim of the Ocean of Storms, temples where one such wizard might be found.
You landed on the dusty gray surface, accompanied by a familiar of the Traveler: a Ghost by the name of Fotia. This floating construct is only a little bit bigger than a closed fist, consisting of a spherical core with a single glowing blue eye, surrounded by a shell of several pyramidal pieces that occasionally detach and rotate around the inner core. They were released en masse after Tero's goddess sacrificed herself to push out the darkness invading the system. They're made of her light, and some say embody her will. For thousands of years they've been faithful companions to those gifted by the Traveler. They can effortlessly communicate with one another across vast distances, and store every piece of information they come across.
The Traveler had begun to turn Tero's Moon into a livable world before the Collapse. She'd already given it an atmosphere, which lets you walk across its surface without the need of an Air Bubble spell. But beyond that, the satellite is as lifeless as it was before - save for the Hive.
You're close to the temple when you first run into them. A swarm of their thralls come rushing out of the ravine ahead of you. Embedded in their ranks are two Hive knights: they tower above the thrall, greater than 8 feet tall. Their bodies are heavily armored with a chitinous exoskeleton, resembling a twisted fusion of bone and metal. They carry the same cleaver-like greatswords you might have seen the Ashen Lake if you were there for it.. At the rear of this small Hive party are a pair of acolytes, and two more on each side of the ravine. Their hands glow with an orange radiance, ready to rain fire down upon you from above.
MAP: Feel free to adjust starting position as you please as I don't know your preferred marching order, I just threw the tokens on there.
INITIATIVE. Roll it with your first post!
Jasper's been antsy ever since returning to the moon, constantly keeping a vigilant eye out for the Hive. When they made themselves known, he'd be ready. He tugged on the string of his radiant bow, an arrow of light manifesting at his fingertips, ready to sear the first monster he saw with the Light of the Traveler. Jasper's eyes then turn to his Fireteam, a collection of friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike. A sense of responsibility hangs heavy in his chest. This time, no one gets left behind... And no Hive will be left standing.
(I'd like to have used my Vigilant Blessing to give myself advantage on my initiative roll - if that can't be done, just go ahead and base my initiative off the first roll.)
Initiative: 14
In contrast to the journey over, Delphine had been quiet the moment the team stepped foot onto the moon's surface. Preparations had been made, her own a minor spell gifted from the Traveler Herself. With its casting the friendly, cavalier attitude had subdued to something more focused, alert to what dangers they were sure to find. The hunter stayed close as they moved further into the terrain and towards their intended target, unwilling to leave the safety of numbers- nor leave her less armored allies vulnerable.
And good thing, too. The platoon of Hive thralls was revealed as the narrow corridor opened up, bolstered by both Acolytes and Knights. "I don't imagine one of those would suffice?" She asked, eyes ticking up to the spellcasters upon the ridge. Shield drawn, her sword stayed in its sheath, leaving curled, clawed fingers free.
If it's alright, she would've casted Gift of Alacrity (from Feytouched) on herself as part of her morning prep. If so, her Initiative would be 15 + 8 + 4 = 27.
If not, 15 + 4 = 21
Juniper Summers in Drakkenheim - Mind and Matter
Delphine Bennett in The Dark Below
Ilmrae Zolier in Dragon Heist - One Hell of a Summer
Loralai Darkleaf in The Storm King's Thunder
Eris Tourmaline in An Adventure in the Mountains
Circe Somerset in Candlekeep Mysteries
Silver, pristine boots crunch upon the barren lunar surface, sending small gravel skittering away with each step. The boots reinforced with mithral plates rise to just below the knee, and the elven warrior stands tall and graceful in his ornate mithral armor, intricately engraved with elegant elven motifs and adorned with symbols of the Traveler, alongside the proud Erynduil family crest. His hair flows down to his shoulders like a cascade of liquid silver, a silken waterfall, each strand catching the faint lunar light. The pale blonde locks, nearly white in hue, move gently with each step he takes, framing his finely chiseled features with a soft luminescence. The crystal longsword at his side gleams with an inner light, and his shield is worn on his arm, embellished with the Traveler’s symbol overlaying his family’s coat of arms.
As Aerion Erynduil’s icy blue eyes catch sight of the swarm of Hive thralls emerging from the temple, the longsword slides effortlessly from its sheath with a smooth, almost musical sound. A rare gift of grace and power, the ethereal glow of the blade pulses in time with his steady breaths. The weight of his oath and the legacy of his family bear down on his shoulders, and the scent of the moon’s dry, metallic dust mingles with the faint tang of ozone from the Hive’s dark magic. He exchanges a quick glance with the rest of his team. “They’re coming.” He says, though he doesn’t need to, “Stay close and watch each other’s backs. Fotia, relay our position to the Vanguard. We may need reinforcements - in case this gets worse.”
Initiative: 11 + 4 from Gift of Alacrity assuming he’d had time to cast it before the fight
Qirynna clearly was far less armored than most of her companions. As her feet softly propelled her across the barren landscape of the Moon, she was keenly aware of this. For a moment her glance moved to Aerion, glad for his familiar presence here. Jasper too. But quickly she refocused herself, staying alert to the situation. On the ship she had remained rather quiet, keeping her thoughts to herself. Before they had arrived, she had removed the thin golden circlet that usually adorned her head, tucking it away into one of the recesses of the long black coat she wore. All she wore beneath was a high-necked, sleeveless top and pants made from fine cloth. And her necklace with jade gemstone that she never took off. Aside from a heavy pack, a glassy staff was all the equipment she seemed to carry.
The appearance of the Hive forces immediately got her attention. She had noted the direction of Delphine's gaze, giving her head an imperceptible shake. "No. Those are not our target."
(Qirynna Initiative: 2)
(OOC - If it is alright, as they landed, Qirynna would have cast Mage Armor using a charge from her staff. Also, if it's possible, may she already have cast Find Familiar before leaving for the battle. She would have an owl familiar that is dismissed currently.)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Gael's eyes narrow as he takes in the Hive force, already feeling the weight of their oppressive presence. The dust of Tero's Moon swirls around his feet, mingling with the static charge that always seems to surround him. Next to the nobles in the team he looked like a homeless vagrant. His attire was made mostly of form fitting dark leather armor, reinforced with pieces of splint. The armor was dented, scratched, and worn all over. A testament to how much time he spent outside of the City's protective walls. He'd only just come back in time to join the Vanguard at Ashen Lake, where he'd faced down this macabre foe for the first time.
His grip tightens around his staff, crackling with barely contained electrical energy. The storm within him roars, ready to be unleashed upon the Hive.
Initiative: 14 + 1(Gift of Alacrity) = 15
Rega's violet hair frames her face in soft waves. Her dusky blue skin bears patterns of light that shift as a marker of her heritage, and her golden eyes glow with an inner light.
"At least they were nice enough to meet us with a welcoming party." She mutters sarcastically, drawing her unkindled sword. Naturally her gaze goes upwards, to the Acolytes gathering on the cliffs above them. "I'll start with the Acolytes on the left, we don't want to deal with them raining fire down on us the whole time."
Initiative: 8
OoC: Yeah, things your character would have done before I dropped you straight into combat are fine.
Initiative: Delphine -> Jasper -> Aerion -> Gael -> 1st Enemy Block -> Rega -> 2nd Enemy Block -> Qirynna
"Thought as much, but it never hurts to be sure," Delphine replied, speech growing thick as she began to shift. Coarse grey and black fur spread like wildfire across skin as fingernails lengthened into sharp, curving claws. The lithe form elongated further, hunched in anticipation for the hunt about to begin. The irony of her situation hadn't escaped her, and the newly formed snout stretched into a snarling smile at the idea, revealing wickedly sharp fangs. A wolf on the moon.
To Rega's assertion, she nodded assent, "Much appreciated, that. We'll keep the ones below busy," then closed distance to the nearest Hive Thrall in a whirl of fur and armor. She lashed out her free hand to dig a bloody furrow into her mark, followed by a snap of jaws on the thrall's arm.
Bonus Action: Hybrid Transformation
Movement: Moving up to the upper leftmost thrall on ground level
Main Action: Two Predatory Strikes (Dex), 22 and 24 to hit, for 7 and 8 slashing damage respectively
Juniper Summers in Drakkenheim - Mind and Matter
Delphine Bennett in The Dark Below
Ilmrae Zolier in Dragon Heist - One Hell of a Summer
Loralai Darkleaf in The Storm King's Thunder
Eris Tourmaline in An Adventure in the Mountains
Circe Somerset in Candlekeep Mysteries
With Delphine charging the frontline, Jasper falls in with Rega. “If you’re going left, I’ll get the ones on the right. Bring some Light to this desolate place, wake ‘em up, knock ‘em out,” He mutters, pushing forward toward the right side Acolytes. As he slides through the crumbly moon rocks, he lets loose a volley of one, two, and three arrows at the gathered Acolytes, the Light at their arrowheads speeding towards them, ready to sear any Hive that stands in their way.
(One attack, plus my Gloomstalker extra attack for the first turn in combat. First hit I make, I’ll mark the enemy as my Favored Foe [maybe Jasper’s exotic is Foetracer? ;)] and keep hitting them till they’re down. If one goes down from my attacks, I’ll switch any remaining attacks to the other one. Finally, I’ll be rolling all these in game log since I’m on mobile at work.)
- 1st attack: 19 to hit, 12 piercing and 6 radiant, that’s with favored foe damage
- 2nd attack: 23 to hit, 12 piercing and 5 radiant
Aerion raises his crystal sword, the blade beginning to glow with an ethereal light that illuminates the surrounding lunar landscape with a soft, radiant glow. “May the Traveler’s light guide our blades and shield us from darkness.” He whispers in Elvish, the light glinting in his icy blue eyes, echoing in the stillness before the storm.
Then, with a burst of speed and resolve, he charges forward alongside Delphine. His movements fluid and precise, a dance of death as he meets the onrushing Hive Thrall. The radiant blade cleaves through the dark creatures, each strike guided by the Traveler’s light.
Attack: 21 Damage: 6 slashing + 6 radiant
Attack: 14 Damage: 11 slashing + 1 radiant
Bonus Action to make the Crystal Longsword glow bright light.
Gael dashes after Aerion, flicking his thumb across a spike embedded on the grip of his staff. Lightning sparks from the wound to the metal of the staff, unleashing a maelstrom of lightning along its length. He twirls the staff above his head, bringing it to bear upon the nearest thrall still standing after the high-born elf's attack.
Attack: 21, Damage: 8 Bludgeoning + 3 Lightning
Bonus Action: Crimson Rite
The first wave of thrall are cut and torn to pieces by your fireteam's opening attack. A limb goes flying as Delphine rips off a chitinous arm with her jaws, light flares in the eyes of the enemy as Aerions radiant blade tears through them, and sparks from Gael's staff arc through the now bludgeoned corpse. Off to the side, a pair of glowing arrows rips through an acolyte before it has a chance to rain fire upon you.
Looming over Gael as the thrall falls at his feet, the knight steps forward and lifts its massive sword and brings it down upon him twice.
Melee Attack -> Gael: 23 to hit, 13 slashing.
Melee Attack -> Gael: 18 to hit, 8 slashing.
A thrall darts through the fighting slashing Aerion with its claws - but the elf deftly avoids the attacks. An acolyte at the back shoots two sets of fanned flames out at Delphine, but they barely even singe her fur.
From the right cliff, the remaining acolyte shoots out twin streaks of fire at Jasper.
Ranged Attack -> Jasper: 21 to hit, 6 fire.
Initiative: Delphine -> Jasper -> Aerion -> Gael -> 1st Enemy Block -> Rega -> 2nd Enemy Block -> Qirynna
Rega nods briefly to Jasper before moving away from him, towards the northeast to engage the high-ground acolytes. She reaches into the void and flings her hand, sending an orb of twisting dark energy at the closest one. With her other hand she slings two beamsof concussive radiance, eyes flaring gold.
Movement: 30ft northeast.
Bonus Action: Hex (STR Checks) on the southernmost Acolyte on the left cliff.
Action: Eldritch Blast on the same target.
Attack: 27, Damage: 6 Force + 6 Necrotic
Attack: 23, Damage: 15 Force + 5 Necrotic
With the sharp cracks, the acolyte on the cliff falls to the ground with fire still gathering in its clawed hand.
The other Hive Knight lifts its sword and swings in a wide arc, missing Aerion entirely at first. Next it arcs the blade upward next and then brings it down with surprising speed.
Melee Attack -> Aerion: 25 to hit, 14 slashing.
A thrall sprints forward, fruitlessly slashing its claws at Gael. The strider is too nimble for the creature, dodging the blows or bashing them away with his staff.
On the left cliff, the Acolyte returns fire at Rega. Its first shot goes wide, but the second fan of flames is dead on target.
Ranged Attack -> Rega: 17 to hit, 12 fire.
Initiative: Delphine -> Jasper -> Aerion -> Gael -> 1st Enemy Block -> Rega -> 2nd Enemy Block -> Qirynna
Qirynna watched the action, moving to follow after Rega as the group moved to attack the Hive. She casts Fire Bolt, with a wave of her hand directing the fire at the Acolyte remaining high up on the left.
(Spell Attack: 12, Damage: 9 fire)
"You alright Rega?" she calls out when she sees the enemy's flame attack strike her.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
The Acolyte just barely rolls out of the way of the magical fire being returned its direction.
Initiative: Delphine -> Jasper -> Aerion -> Gael -> 1st Enemy Block -> Rega -> 2nd Enemy Block -> Qirynna
Delphine snarled down at the fallen thrall and dropped the torn limb. A claw pricked her thumb, the copper tang of blood swiftly burned away in the crackle of sparks that danced up from the wound. Eyes set to the next closest, she leapt over the quickly growing pile of corpses and continued her assault.
Bonus Action: Crimson Rite on her Unarmed Attacks, taking 3 necrotic damage.
Main Action: 2 Attacks in the next closest Thrall, though if it would go down with the first, the 2nd would target the closest knight.
24 to hit, for 10 Slashing Damage and 1 Lightning
23 to Hit, 9 Slashing and 4 Lightning
Juniper Summers in Drakkenheim - Mind and Matter
Delphine Bennett in The Dark Below
Ilmrae Zolier in Dragon Heist - One Hell of a Summer
Loralai Darkleaf in The Storm King's Thunder
Eris Tourmaline in An Adventure in the Mountains
Circe Somerset in Candlekeep Mysteries
Jasper grunts in pain as he's hit, but he's taken worse. As he nocks his bow, something in his heart swells, the thought of the imminent destruction at the tips of his fingers pleasing some dark part of him. But then he sees Rega and some of the others get hit hard. In an instant, he lowers his bow and bolts toward the fray until he's just ten feet below Rega's position. He tumbles like an acrobat once he arrives, emitting a field of dim Void Light that envelopes him and his comrades. "Don't falter now, let's show these monsters what the guardians of Tero are made of!" Jasper calls as he surrounds himself once more in a flurry of Light that will enhance his next strike and quicken his movements.
Movement: Get to two spaces below Rega's current position.
Bonus Action: Cast zephyr strike on himself. Jasper is now Concentrating.
Action: Use Channel Divinity - Twilight Sanctuary. Details below. Basically, at the end of their turns, each allied creature can gain 1d6+2 Temp Hp or end a frighten or charm effect they are currently under.
You can use your Channel Divinity to refresh your allies with soothing twilight.
As an action, you present your holy symbol, and a sphere of twilight emanates from you. The sphere is centered on you, has a 30-foot radius, and is filled with dim light. The sphere moves with you, and it lasts for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or die. Whenever a creature (including you) ends its turn in the sphere, you can grant that creature one of these benefits:
Aerion his teeth as the Hive knight’s sword crashes against his mithral armor, the force of the blow sending a shockwave through his body. Pain lances through his side, but he ignores that. With a swift gesture, a shimmering barrier of light envelops him, comforting as Jasper’s aura of twilight. Gauntleted hand tightening around the hilt, he swings his crystal sword, the blade glowing brilliantly as it arcs through the air, cutting through the darkness with bright radiance.
Attack: 9 Damage: 7 slashing + 8 radiant
Attack: 18 Damage: 7 slashing + 6 radiant
Bonus Action: Shield of Faith on self