A magic barrier flashed around Key as the ghouls attempted to strike at her, but she laughed, letting out a bellowing roar that sent the undead beasts flying from her, their bodies broken and shattered by the force of her spell.
"Come, face the thunder and the fire! You foul creatures are as nothing to me!"
Sorry, this shouldn't have taken so long. I was super sick yesterday and forgot about this.
Reaction for Shield, Action to Thunderwave the 3 Ghouls attacking me.
Geth, roll 2d8 for Thunder wave damage
The bloody wounds torn across his body only serve to fuel the black rage that blots out the edges of Homil's vision. The elf plunges into the midst of the ghouls, hacking at them with great swipes of his longsword.
Total of three attacks against R4, R5, and R10. I'm tempted to use Reckless Attacka again, but I think I'll hold off.
Now seeing the scales of team balance tipping into Bry's favor and out of Lady Key's, Trebor moves back into the forest as quickly as he might in order to keep her from being overwhelmed, despite the potency of her thunderous denials. With four wide sweeps he attempts to broaden Key's breathing room, sundering the two ghouls he does fully connect with.
Let's see how stealing Mongrel Idiot's format works out!
Edit: Well, it's the thought that counts.
Geth, roll 2#1d20+7 for Attack C1, C2
Geth, roll 2#1d10+4 for Damage C1, C2
Geth, roll 2#1d20+7 for Action Surge Attack C5, C6
Geth, roll 2#1d10+4 for Action Surge Damage C5, C6
Just as the road is cleared of ghouls, the rest of the group rushes in to surround Homil, Karnak, and Slane. A few stragglers stay behind to harass Key and Trebor.
C5 and C7 miss Homil with their attacks.
C8 hits Karnak with Claws for 7 damage. Karnak must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution save or be paralyzed for 1 minute.
C9 and C10 hit Slane with Claws for 15 damage. Slane must succeed on two DC 10 Constitution saves or be paralyzed for 1 minute.
C2 misses Trebor with its attack.
C4 hits Key with Claws for 8 damage. Since Key is an elf she doesn't need to make any saves. I don't know why either but it's in the book.
Round 3
Key – HP 30/38 | AC 17 | Status: Normal. Homil – HP 30/59 | AC 14 | Inspiration | Status: Haste. Raging. Trebor – HP 50/50 | AC 18 | Status: Normal. Karnak – HP 45/52 | AC 17 | Inspiration | Status: Normal. Slane – HP 18/33 | AC 14 | Inspiration | Status: Normal. Ghouls – HP 5/5 | AC 12 | Status: Normal.
I'm fine, just a scratch! Elves don't get paralyzed because of blatant favoritism! Just waiting for @jdarksun because if he's paralyzed I'm going to have to save the guys over at the road, otherwise I'll just toast this ghoul here and now.
Karnak snarled as the creature raked at him with its claws. The attack struck, and the half-orc briefly went still. A glow began beneath Karnak's green skin, a slight radiance against the darkness, and the paladin continued to fight on.
Key clenched her fist, flames erupting around it as she struck the ghoul square in its skull, leaving nothing but a guttering flame flickering where the neck of the beast once was.
Walking over the bodies of the undead she had torn to pieces, she moved to join the others on the road.
Geth, roll 1d20+6 for Firebolt
Geth, roll 2d10+3 for damage
Woo! There goes C4.
Believe it's my turn now. Ignore me if that's wrong.
Somewhere, in a place far away from the road and the ghouls, Homil pondered the road that had led him there--the roaring and raging, the brawls and violence, the wake of battles and blood that stretched behind him all the way to a fight by a firepit over who go to sit on the best log. So many people hurt, so many enemies cut down, and all of it to paper over the deep and abiding and never-ending fear that he, Homil Niallo, would never be accepted or wanted or truly a part of any community. In that far-away place, the realization brought him some measure of peace: after all, to know oneself was to have the opportunity to improve oneself.
In the here and now, however, as blood oozed from his wounds and the air filled with the stink of dead ghouls, the elf roared out a battlecry and plunged into the fray again, the red mist gathering at the edges of his vision.
Three swings of the longsword against the three nearest ghouls!
It's just me and the boys right now so I'm not going to write a short story but I will move this along! I'll make sure one of these sticks. Edit: Well I'm glad my first attack was good to go!
Geth, roll 2#1d20+7 Glaive Attack vs C2
Geth, roll 2#1d10+4 Glaive Damage vs C2
Trebor rears back and swipes twice at the nearest ghoul after Key acquits herself finely. After downing this ragged specter he heads back toward the road to see what other efforts need to be made.
@jdarksun would you care to wrap things up? You know what, don't bother rolling. Just narrate how you kill them. I don't feel like updating the map and everything for two ghouls that are probably going to miss anyway.
@PACherrn Slane is paralyzed for 1 minute but you get to make another saving throw at the end of each of your turns. Since this encounter is pretty much done we'll just say you wake up at the end.
The ghouls' assault had slackened as the party slew them where they stood; only two yet remained, and they hesitated as their numbers thinned. Karnak strode forward, and smashed the skull of the first; the second turned to flee, but the paladin caught it, a low swing taking it out at the knees. The creature scrambled away, desperate, but Karnak gave no quarter. The hammer came down twice more, and no enemies remained in motion on the field. "The Judge of the Damned has measured and found you wanting. May your souls be released, and your flesh misused no longer."
Key exhaled slowly, smoke trickling from her nostrils and between her lips as she released the magic burning within her. She fought back the desire to roar in triumph as she looked at the broken bodies of the ghouls scattered across the road, and instead approached Brylana, still cowering at the edge of the road.
"I told you we would protect you, but I apologize that the danger came so close. A plague of ghouls this large was certainly not what we expected to face. Are you all right?"
The younger elf nodded in response, still too shaken by the close encounter to speak, but it was enough for Key. She rose, and returned to the group.
"This... horde, this swarm of undead, this is not natural. Some dark purpose has overtaken what I can only assume is the people of Anbury. I suggest we look over the remains by the stream and then set camp for the night, tomorrow we can approach the town under cover of daylight."
Slane eased himself out of the wagon. The paralyzing bite of a ghoul was not a surprise to him, heck it wasn't even the first time he had suffered such a thing. What truly unnerved him though, was the fact that one was awake throughout it all, after the bite had taken effect, leaving one aware of what the ghouls might be doing afterwards. Thankfully this time, as well as some of the other times he had endured this, his companions had been there to win the day. Still, it stung his pride that he had allowed the foul creatures to get close enough to do him any harm.
"Ah, Brylana, you are okay, yes?" He adjusted his monocle before inspecting the bite on his sleeveless arm, prodding it tentatively with his gloved fingers. "It would seem that I would still need further instruction in the finer arts of swordplay." He mused, addressing Trebor, Karnak and Homil.
Trebor nodded toward Slane's comments, "Yes, swordplay is a skill that will serve you a lifetime...if you don't have other options. Your gifts lay elsewhere, hopefully in the future we won't be spread as thin." With that, he began his investigation of the scene, searching for clues on the ghouls themselves such as former identities or items as well as for anything in the roadway that could lead them to any useful findings.
Homil stood above the dead ghouls, his grip still tight on the sword, his breathing heavy as the rage seeped out of him. There was always a moment or two after a good fight where the urge to press on--to fight until there was nothing left to fight--hung in the balance with the sweet, syrupy tiredness that came from wielding axe and sword, and, of course, from the long, raking cuts the ghouls' claws had left across his arms and torso.
Slane's question brought him back to the present; he shivered, stirred, and wiped the gore from his blade on a dead ghoul. "When your magic fails, three feet of steel and a strong arm are all we have," he said to Slane. "But I'm glad to have the magic at hand. Well fought." He looked out into the trees, seeking any sign of more ghouls closing in. "Foul things; there is no joy in crushing such. When we make camp, I shall speak to beast and bird, and find out what this land knows."
Rolling Perception for now, to keep an eye on the treeline. Once we camp, I'd like to try out the Totem Warrior's ability to cast speak with animals as a ritual to see if, like, a squirrel or an owl can tell us something about where the ghouls came from. I'm not sure what rolls I'd need to make for that, though.
"There is always joy in purging the land of evil, Homil. Making the land a safer place is what we do." Karnak waited for the others to conclude their investigations before he gathered together the corpses, did what he could to provide them final rites, and burned the remains.
Trebor, with so many ... specimens, it's easy to find some basic information. These were townspeople, no doubt from Anbury. What did you find that led you to that conclusion?
Homil, Trebor's tendency to think out loud gives you pause. Anbury is not a small town, so there's a good chance these are not the only undead you'll see tonight. It's not safe to stay here, considering how the noise and fire attracted the last pack of ghouls. Your keen elven eyes see something to the south that urges you in that direction. What did you spot?
Karnak, for some reason Brylana insists on helping with the rites. It's distracting and makes it take too long, since you have to correct her mistakes. But it gets done.
"True, Karnak, but it feels... unsatisfying to crush a foe already defeated, or worse, the body of some townsfolk who never could have stood up to me in life," said Homil. He paused , looking through the trees and thinking of the ghouls and how swiftly they had descended on the party, like a pack of mountain wolves on a goat. "They'll be back, and in numbers, I think," he said after a moment, peering through the trees, his eagle-sight picking out the slightest details to be glimpsed in the gaps. "The land rises south of here, and the trees thin out; I think we could command a good view from there, and see any more ghoul-packs before they reach us. Too, the top is rocky, and I think I see wisps of smoke and a few old embers." He narrowed his eyes. "At least one still glowing, and maybe more. Somebody has been up there not long ago. We might find a clue about these creatures."
Quickly, the elf gathered up his scattered weapons and bound up his wounds as best he could. He'd want something done about them before facing another pack of ghouls, though he'd never tell the others that.
"Better a hill than another moldering cave, Homil. I had to burn the dress I wore on our last expedition." Key paused, casually conjuring up a vision of the dress in the smoke and flames from the burning corpses. It had been a lovely piece until the dirt, filthy water, and falling rocks had gotten to it.
She dismissed the image with a wry glance, before turning her attention to the dark woods once again. "We still need to find what we can from those bloody bags by the stream. Would any of you care to accompany me? Travelling alone feels foolish, after an assault of that magnitude."
Trebor nods to himself as he thinks about the rags and belongings he sifted through before they were all burned in the fiery rites. Though dirty and torn, those rags absolutely gave their origin away. Small webbing and sparse clothing were the hallmark of traditional fishermen in that region, whereas a few of the ghouls still had trinkets in their pockets crafted in the style of the Port of Kings. The information was enough to reason that Anbury was their source, but between the wounds suffered from the party's battle and previously it was impossible to identify individuals or more specific caste as easily.
"I concur, Homil. The hilltop would provide significant advantages to us, but I suggest we not trek further than the higher two-thirds of the slope. In the past, lazy scouts have sent themselves to the grave by reconnoitering from the highest points instead of the smartest."
Trebor isn't the wisest in the outdoors, but there's nothing like a few years in a militia to teach you about silhouetting yourself against the sky!
Before Homil ran off, Karnak grabbed his arm. "Wait." The paladin removed the bandages from Homil's wounds, praying quietly. "God of Guardians, this man was wounded in battle. His works are in service to The Vigilant. Hear my prayer, oh Watcher, and lend us your aid." The tears in the berserker's flesh flickered with a soft radiance as they knit themselves back together. Karnak frowned. "Good enough for now, brother. Let me see to the others."
With a similar prayer on his lips, Karnak looked over Key and Slane. "Hale enough," he grunted to Key. "Tis little more than a scratch." Slane's wounds received a similar lambent glow, with similar results. The paladin nodded, content.
"Sorry for the interruption, brother. Off you go."
I'll heal Homil for 20 and Slane for 10 with Lay On Hands (all 30hp used).
Key, looks like you're on your own. For obvious reasons, Brylana chooses to stay with the group. Fortunately the forest remains quiet for now, and the only ghouls in the clearing are the ones you killed. The pile of stuff is still resting near the stream. Are you going to look through the stuff on the spot, or take it with you? Either way, give me an Investigation check.
Everyone else, who's going with Homil to the hill? Or is he scouting ahead and reporting back? Or are you all just waiting for Key to come back with the stuff?
"Thank you, Karnak." Slane offered a smile at the Half-orc. Despite the immediate healing, the area where the wound had been was still somewhat tender. "Let us see if we can make sense of all this, shall we?" He pushed himself to his feet, and made to follow Key. The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place, and he had begun wearing the worst. What if the entire town had somehow been turned? "We'd best be very quiet about everything from now on." He mused as he pulled his gloves on tighter, and set off towards the stream.
Rolling perception to stay alert, and I can offer a hopefully decent investigation roll on top! I shall leave it up to Key if we will bring the things with us, or look at them there
Geth, roll 2#1d20+3 for perception
Geth, roll 2#1d20+6 for investigation
I suppose I was unclear on our options. So there are foothills that give a great vantage point of the city and there were burning embers up there. If nobody had been there it might be alright to send Homil alone because he's faster but I wouldn't want to risk sending anyone alone against a potential threat. What is down here in the road/trees for us other than the wagon?
So right now you guys are on the main road between Atex and Anbury. The portion of the road you're on goes through a small forest. South of that forest you have farmlands, then south of that (on the coast) you have Anbury itself.
Here in the forest there's nothing but a funeral pyre full of dead ghouls, a pile of clues by the stream, and the threat of more ghouls should you stay by the fire.
Homil's spidey-sense started tingling, indicating that it would be a good idea to leave the forest very quickly. His eagle-eyes spotted signs of a camp or something similar on a hilltop south of the forest. Based on common knowledge of the geography here, that hilltop probably overlooks some farms. You might even be able to see Anbury from there on a clear day.
My understanding is that at the moment, you were just waiting for Karnak to finish the funeral rites and for Key (and whoever goes with her) to finish investigating. It sounded like Homil was possibly going to scout ahead to the location on the hilltop, but I wasn't sure if that was the case, or if anyone was going to go with him, or if you were just going to wait and all go together.
Other than investigating, there's not really any reason to stay here in the forest.
Posts
"Come, face the thunder and the fire! You foul creatures are as nothing to me!"
Sorry, this shouldn't have taken so long. I was super sick yesterday and forgot about this.
Reaction for Shield, Action to Thunderwave the 3 Ghouls attacking me.
Geth, roll 2d8 for Thunder wave damage
Geth, roll 1d8
that'll be 12 damage total, even with save for half they dead.
@Mongrel Idiot is up.
Total of three attacks against R4, R5, and R10. I'm tempted to use Reckless Attacka again, but I think I'll hold off.
Geth, roll 3#1d20+5 for Attack R4, R5, R10.
Geth, roll 3#1d10+4 for Damage R4, R5, R10
Geth, roll 1d10 for R5 Crit Damage
Let's see how stealing Mongrel Idiot's format works out!
Edit: Well, it's the thought that counts.
Geth, roll 2#1d10+4 for Damage C1, C2
Geth, roll 2#1d20+7 for Action Surge Attack C5, C6
Geth, roll 2#1d10+4 for Action Surge Damage C5, C6
Key – HP 38/38 | AC 17 | Status: Normal.
Homil – HP 30/59 | AC 14 | Inspiration | Status: Haste. Raging.
Trebor – HP 50/50 | AC 18 | Status: Normal.
Karnak – HP 52/52 | AC 17 | Inspiration | Status: Normal.
Slane – HP 33/33 | AC 14 | Inspiration | Status: Normal.
Ghouls – HP 5/5 | AC 12 | Status: Normal.
@jdarksun is up next.
Minion, roll 2#2d6+7 for the two attacks' damages
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Geth, roll 2#1d20+7
Geth, roll 2#1d10+4
C5 and C7 miss Homil with their attacks.
C8 hits Karnak with Claws for 7 damage. Karnak must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution save or be paralyzed for 1 minute.
C9 and C10 hit Slane with Claws for 15 damage. Slane must succeed on two DC 10 Constitution saves or be paralyzed for 1 minute.
C2 misses Trebor with its attack.
C4 hits Key with Claws for 8 damage. Since Key is an elf she doesn't need to make any saves. I don't know why either but it's in the book.
Round 3
Key – HP 30/38 | AC 17 | Status: Normal.
Homil – HP 30/59 | AC 14 | Inspiration | Status: Haste. Raging.
Trebor – HP 50/50 | AC 18 | Status: Normal.
Karnak – HP 45/52 | AC 17 | Inspiration | Status: Normal.
Slane – HP 18/33 | AC 14 | Inspiration | Status: Normal.
Ghouls – HP 5/5 | AC 12 | Status: Normal.
@jdarksun and @PACherrn for saving throws, and @Rainfall for Key's turn.
If so...
Geth, roll 2d8 for Chill Touch Damage vs C4
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Walking over the bodies of the undead she had torn to pieces, she moved to join the others on the road.
Geth, roll 1d20+6 for Firebolt
Geth, roll 2d10+3 for damage
Woo! There goes C4.
Somewhere, in a place far away from the road and the ghouls, Homil pondered the road that had led him there--the roaring and raging, the brawls and violence, the wake of battles and blood that stretched behind him all the way to a fight by a firepit over who go to sit on the best log. So many people hurt, so many enemies cut down, and all of it to paper over the deep and abiding and never-ending fear that he, Homil Niallo, would never be accepted or wanted or truly a part of any community. In that far-away place, the realization brought him some measure of peace: after all, to know oneself was to have the opportunity to improve oneself.
In the here and now, however, as blood oozed from his wounds and the air filled with the stink of dead ghouls, the elf roared out a battlecry and plunged into the fray again, the red mist gathering at the edges of his vision.
Three swings of the longsword against the three nearest ghouls!
Geth, roll 3#1d20+5 for Attack C5, C7, C8
Geth, roll 3#1d10+4 for Damage C5, C7, C8.
Geth, roll 2#1d20+7 Glaive Attack vs C2
Geth, roll 2#1d10+4 Glaive Damage vs C2
Trebor rears back and swipes twice at the nearest ghoul after Key acquits herself finely. After downing this ragged specter he heads back toward the road to see what other efforts need to be made.
@jdarksun would you care to wrap things up? You know what, don't bother rolling. Just narrate how you kill them. I don't feel like updating the map and everything for two ghouls that are probably going to miss anyway.
@PACherrn Slane is paralyzed for 1 minute but you get to make another saving throw at the end of each of your turns. Since this encounter is pretty much done we'll just say you wake up at the end.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
"I told you we would protect you, but I apologize that the danger came so close. A plague of ghouls this large was certainly not what we expected to face. Are you all right?"
The younger elf nodded in response, still too shaken by the close encounter to speak, but it was enough for Key. She rose, and returned to the group.
"This... horde, this swarm of undead, this is not natural. Some dark purpose has overtaken what I can only assume is the people of Anbury. I suggest we look over the remains by the stream and then set camp for the night, tomorrow we can approach the town under cover of daylight."
"Ah, Brylana, you are okay, yes?" He adjusted his monocle before inspecting the bite on his sleeveless arm, prodding it tentatively with his gloved fingers. "It would seem that I would still need further instruction in the finer arts of swordplay." He mused, addressing Trebor, Karnak and Homil.
Geth, roll 1d20+5 for Investigation
Slane's question brought him back to the present; he shivered, stirred, and wiped the gore from his blade on a dead ghoul. "When your magic fails, three feet of steel and a strong arm are all we have," he said to Slane. "But I'm glad to have the magic at hand. Well fought." He looked out into the trees, seeking any sign of more ghouls closing in. "Foul things; there is no joy in crushing such. When we make camp, I shall speak to beast and bird, and find out what this land knows."
Rolling Perception for now, to keep an eye on the treeline. Once we camp, I'd like to try out the Totem Warrior's ability to cast speak with animals as a ritual to see if, like, a squirrel or an owl can tell us something about where the ghouls came from. I'm not sure what rolls I'd need to make for that, though.
Geth, roll 1d20+5 for Perception
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Homil, Trebor's tendency to think out loud gives you pause. Anbury is not a small town, so there's a good chance these are not the only undead you'll see tonight. It's not safe to stay here, considering how the noise and fire attracted the last pack of ghouls. Your keen elven eyes see something to the south that urges you in that direction. What did you spot?
Karnak, for some reason Brylana insists on helping with the rites. It's distracting and makes it take too long, since you have to correct her mistakes. But it gets done.
Quickly, the elf gathered up his scattered weapons and bound up his wounds as best he could. He'd want something done about them before facing another pack of ghouls, though he'd never tell the others that.
She dismissed the image with a wry glance, before turning her attention to the dark woods once again. "We still need to find what we can from those bloody bags by the stream. Would any of you care to accompany me? Travelling alone feels foolish, after an assault of that magnitude."
"I concur, Homil. The hilltop would provide significant advantages to us, but I suggest we not trek further than the higher two-thirds of the slope. In the past, lazy scouts have sent themselves to the grave by reconnoitering from the highest points instead of the smartest."
Trebor isn't the wisest in the outdoors, but there's nothing like a few years in a militia to teach you about silhouetting yourself against the sky!
With a similar prayer on his lips, Karnak looked over Key and Slane. "Hale enough," he grunted to Key. "Tis little more than a scratch." Slane's wounds received a similar lambent glow, with similar results. The paladin nodded, content.
"Sorry for the interruption, brother. Off you go."
I'll heal Homil for 20 and Slane for 10 with Lay On Hands (all 30hp used).
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Everyone else, who's going with Homil to the hill? Or is he scouting ahead and reporting back? Or are you all just waiting for Key to come back with the stuff?
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
Rolling perception to stay alert, and I can offer a hopefully decent investigation roll on top! I shall leave it up to Key if we will bring the things with us, or look at them there
Geth, roll 2#1d20+3 for perception
Geth, roll 2#1d20+6 for investigation
Here in the forest there's nothing but a funeral pyre full of dead ghouls, a pile of clues by the stream, and the threat of more ghouls should you stay by the fire.
Homil's spidey-sense started tingling, indicating that it would be a good idea to leave the forest very quickly. His eagle-eyes spotted signs of a camp or something similar on a hilltop south of the forest. Based on common knowledge of the geography here, that hilltop probably overlooks some farms. You might even be able to see Anbury from there on a clear day.
My understanding is that at the moment, you were just waiting for Karnak to finish the funeral rites and for Key (and whoever goes with her) to finish investigating. It sounded like Homil was possibly going to scout ahead to the location on the hilltop, but I wasn't sure if that was the case, or if anyone was going to go with him, or if you were just going to wait and all go together.
Other than investigating, there's not really any reason to stay here in the forest.