Lost Mines of Phandelver (5e eberron)

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http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/231227/ocean-landscapes-houses-fantasy-art-town-snowy-mountains-birds-fresh.jpg


In the city of Fairhaven, the capital of Aundair, a dwarf named Gundren Rockseeker asked you to bring a wagonload of provisions to the rough-tumble-settlement of Phandalin, three weeks travel to the northwest. Gundren was clearly excited and more then a little secretive about his reasons for the trip, saying only that he and his brothers had found "something big" and that he'd pay you twenty gold pieces each for escorting his supplies to Bartha's Provisions, a trading post in Phandalin. He then set out ahead of you on horse, along with a warrior escort named Sidar Hallwinter, claiming he needed to arrive early to "take care of business."

When you crossed the border into the Eldeen Reaches (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VfmF30EEFA) you left behind the great cities of the Five Nations and all the conveniences of Modern Artifice. You bear witness to scattered farming communities filled with hardy frontier folk, who set their schedule to the natural rise of the sun as opposed to Orbs of Daylight. Instead of the great temples devoted to the Sovereign Host and The Silver Flame, you see small, humble shrines dedicated to the spirits of nature.

You've left the relative safety of the House Orien trade road a few days ago, and you've spent a few days following a rugged coastal trail following the Wynarn River. Off in the distance, you can make out the distant sight of Fort Otharaunt, a great Aundarian fortress that watched over the mouth of the Wynarn River, protecting the interior of Aundair from the black-sailed ships of the Karnathi Navy and roving bands of Lhazaar pirates during the Last War. The sun is shining, the birds are signing, and the world seems to be optimistic, eager to move on and cast off the Shadows of the Last War.

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Everyone had been driven hard since the crack of dawn, Teras was determined to arrive at their destination within a couple of days. The group was quite small, only ten laborers responsible for three wagons filled with unmarked crates and the party members responsible for its protection. Everyone had been driven hard since the crack of dawn, Teras was determined to arrive at their destination within a couple of days. Around noon, the tired group of travelers arrived at the spring under the watchful eye of Teras Ragehorn. The spring overlooked a valley covered with dense foliage, older then the kingdom of Galifar itself. Off in the distance, past the valley, there is a stretch of land where the tree cover is a lot less dense, where it appears a great forest fire once swept through the region. One of the men catches sight of this and begins mutters Why are we stopping here? The curse... Teras shot him a nasty look. Quiet you. The visage marked a stark contrast from the coastal plains the caravan had been traveling on for the last week after it had left the Orien Trade Road.

Teras was quite stout despite his Shifter heritage. His unkempt hair guarded a leathery face. He hopped out of the lead wagon and addressed the group in a gruff, no-nonsense voice. You lot all get one hour to rest up, then we get back on the road. A group of men unhitched the horses and lead them to the springs, where they eagerly had their fill of the running water.

The party is left to their own devices, at least for the moment.

[Daphoa]

Excited at the chance to get up and do things, Aanna jumps off her seat and winks out the lights she was ideally spinning around her head.

"Well, I'm glad to finally stretch," she says with a grin. "How's everyone else doing?" she asks to no one in particular, letting the question linger.

[NightAngel16]

Falian steps down onto the worn ground and plants his greatsword into the dirt. "I could use a bit of a stretch, but I'm used to lengthy voyages. Granted, I am much more used to an expanse of blue, rather than what lies before us." Falian clasps Yi on the shoulder, "Come on Master Yi , I'm sure you could use some exercise too." (Falian knows Yi is far from being a "Master", but it's his own running joke)

[petagee]

Yi is startled from his meditation. He notices the caravan is halted and hops down eagerly and begins his stretching regiment. He remembers the teachings of Grand Master Purza: the Perfect Self is not obtained, but is refined and cultivated, so it may grow and blossom. He must keep his body limber and free from aches and strains from his inactivity if he is to one day obtain his Perfect Self. Purza stresses: "It is a perfect body that is the first step towards a Perfect Self".

Yi blushes and bows deeply to Falian at the mention of 'Master'. "My friend, you continue to mistake me for a much greater man, one that I strive to become. I am master of nothing yet, unlike you. You hold mastery of the sea, and her tides and currents, her ebb and flow, as you have told me in your many tales. I know little of such things, but I esteem your mastery. Perhaps one day I will be master as well."

Disciple Yi raises from his bow, and smiles at Falian. "Perhaps we should spar again. I was just reading a passage from Master Oru's "The Leaf in the Water". Oru says: 'The greatest warriors sharpen their skills through unceasing combat'." The party notices that Yi has not brought a single book, and has been meditating since they left that morning. "Staff or sword?"

[NightAngel16]

Falian grins, "I do so relish our sparring sessions, but how about we just keep it to whoever lands a hit first? I don't think Teras would appreciate it if the hired help incapacitates itself. I think staff would be the better option, better bruises than cuts."

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A rather chipper young man, perhaps just shy of his 18th birthday responds to Aanna Well I'm doing quite fine Miss, thank you. It's the first time I've ever left Fairhaven, It was quite lucky of me to get this job if I say so myself. I have a good feeling about this. I think everything is going to turn out alright He says cheerfully. oooh... do you think we are going to see a druid? I'd never seen a druid before!

The work grinds to a halt as most of the workers form a circle around the two warriors. Someone passes a large tent pole to Failen to use as a staff. Teras looks on with disapproval, but doesn't intervene. The rather bored workers begin to banter with each other as they await their entertainment. I'll bet two silver on the Elf. I'll take that bet, it looks like a stiff breeze could knock him over.

The sun shines down from the sky as Failan and Yi prepare to fight. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt9tEl6RMIs).


Initiative:

Yi: [roll0]
Failen: [roll1]

[petagee]

Yi grins, and pulls out his own quarter staff. He drops into a sturdy fighting stance, facing Falian in the middle of the circle of men. "Let us begin."

[NightAngel16]

Not giving Yi another moment of preparation, Falian charges forward and makes a solid forward thrust at the monk...

[roll0]

[Daphoa]

Smirking as her two companions determine how to occupy their break, she gives a quick reply to the overoptimistic young man. "Glad to you are having a good time," she says, not letting the smile drop from her face. "Perhaps we'll see a druid. They show up time to time. Though they always seemed odd to me..." she let her thoughts drift away as her gaze moves to the start of her companions' blows.

[Arkady]

Ozie has been silent thus far, only moving to refill his waterskin with the others. Now he watches the combat intently, giving a little fist pump when he sees a good hit.

[NightAngel16]

Yi tries to dodge to the side, but Falian spots an opening and takes the opportunity. "You may have learned the ways of a master Yi, but the sea was my teacher. In a single moment the very waves can appear to recede," he gives a twist to the staff, "and crash right down on you!" With that, Falian cracks the butt of the staff straight into Yi's ribs, knocking the wind out of the monk and sending him flying backwards.

Dmg: [roll0] non-lethal dmg

[Rofltrollcopter]

Teras overhears Aanna's conversation with the young man and growls at him. Godsdamned city kids, you keep those thoughts to yourselves. We don't want anything to do with the druids around here.

Yi tries to anticipate Failen's attack and dodges to the side. Unfortunately, that causes Failan's attack to land between his legs as well as collide agianst his ribs. A loud crack rises from the clearing and the crowd lets out a collective "oooh..." in sympathy. Yi hits the ground and doesn't get up again. The crowd is dead silent watching this scene, except for one guy who quips easiest two silver I've ever made!

Teras breaks into the circle and snaps at Failen. That's enough of that you ogre-brained rockmuncher!

He looks around at the crowd and gestures to Yi. Well? Someone get him back up.


Yi is at 0 hitpoints and is stable, but unconscious. He needs at least one hitpoint to regain consciousness

[NightAngel16]

Falian's eyes snap wide as he realizes what has happened. He rushes forward and with a surge of energy places his hand onto Yi's chest. "Rise up my friend, I'm pulling you out of the depths!"

Expelling all 5 pts of lay on hands healing to heal Yi.

[QuantumHax0r]

Seeker of Dust has been watching the sparring match, standing still in a small gap in the ring of spectating workers. Now, he steps forward to examine Yi, motioning Falian aside. Yi groans and opens his eyes, but does not immediately stir. Seeker then murmurs "Become Hale", waits for a moment, then roughly lifts the still dazed Yi to his feet, steadying him for a few seconds until he is able to stand up on his own. Turning to Teras, Seeker rumbles "Now he is up.". Seeker then turns to admonish Yi, "If this had been a real fight, you would not have survived. Your choice is to learn quickly, or to not learn at all."
Casts cure wounds. Yi should now be fully healed.

[petagee]

Yi takes Falian's hand, hesitant at first not to disturb his new wounds, but finds he has been healed. He takes firm hold of Falian's hand, and springs to his feet. "Your skills are superior this time friend. Your strike was strong and true. I am bested." Yi bows deeply, then rises. He bows to Seeker of Dust as well. "My Master Roki would have praised you highly for such a swift strike. I still have much to learn from you it seems. My body has been restored from our bout, thanks to you friends, but I must restore my spirit too, and meditate on our contest. Forgive my rashness Seeker of Dust. I still have much to learn." Yi bows again to Falian, Seeker of Dust, then to all the spectators encircling them. He walks peacefully towards the springs and sits next to the horses to meditate on his defeat.

[Daphoa]

Aanna grimaced when Yi was hit. The fight, if it could even be called such, had captured the attention of the entire crowd and she now saw everyone slowly break off into their own groups. Yi had clearly taken a beating and was suffering the consequences, thought given the healing he received, she suspected it was far more emotional than physical at this point.

Turning her attention away from Yi walking off, she began looking for Teras. After spotting the shifter, she walks over and attempts to join him in whatever he is doing.

[Rofltrollcopter]

Not so fast Teras scowls and blocks Yi from leaving. It looks like the two of you have some extra energy you need to get out of your system. Scout ahead on the road for the first couple of miles and report back. Make sure that there aren't any surprises. He looks at Seeker. Go with them 'Forged. Make sure they come back in one piece.

Teras glances at Aanna as she tries to get his attention, and completely misinterprets her intentions. Hm? You want to go with them city girl? It's nice to see the young people taking initiative for a change. He clasps her on the shoulder and walks away.

[petagee]

Yi bows to Terras in deference. "Of course sir." Yi dashes back to the cart to grab his weapons and his bag, then sets out to find any high ground to scout the road ahead, making sure he doesn't stray too far from the party, and on the lookout for any trouble.

[QuantumHax0r]

As the others head to scout the caravan route, Seeker briefly returns to the scene of the sparring match. There he picks up Falian's improvised tent pole staff, which had been left behind in the excitement. After briefly glaring in Falian's general direction, he places the staff on one of the caravan wagons. Seeker then marches off at a crisp, even pace off to join the rest of the scouting party.

While scouting, Seeker attempts to maintain a position where he can keep everyone in sight, particularly Yi.

[NightAngel16]

Falian shrugs, grabbing his great sword out of the ground from where he left it, and follows after Yi. "Ahhh I just mistimed my strike by a second. No harm in getting it out of our system every now and then."

[Daphoa]

Aanna scowls at Teras' back. She wasn't sure if he was deliberately being thick to get her out of the way or was just really that oblivious. She had half a mind to inform him exactly how much of a fool he was being, but she held her tongue. She had to pick her battles, and she could ask about the curse later. She doubted it was really more than local superstition, but she was still curious. Usually there was some truth hidden behind superstition, and she loved to dig it out.

She started out of her thoughts as she noticed the rest of the scouting party starting to head out. Giving Teras' back one last frown, she ran slightly to catch up to her companions. "Fool shifter..." she mutters just as she falls into line with her companions.

Items: Aanna left her full pack back with the caravan, but she has her belt with her spell component bag, flute and a dagger. The other daggers she has are hidden on her person (the party may knows this, but not exactly where, nor how many).
Position in Line: While walking, she'll align roughly with the group, though lags a few paces (1 square) behind.

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After about twenty minutes of travelling, the party spots a couple of dead horses sprawled about fifty feet ahead of you, blocking the path. Each has several black-feathered arrows sticking of it. The woods press close to the trail here, with a steep embankment and dense thickets on either side.

[Daphoa]

Freezing immediately at the unexpected sight Aanna's brain kicks into overdrive. What could've done this? A humanoid obviously, unless the wildlife up here is more advanced then I thought. Are they still here? Even as she looks around the landscape, Aanna whispers very quietly to her teamates, "Do you see anything?"

Perception check: [roll0]

[Rofltrollcopter]

Aanna manages to catch sight of four goblins waiting in ambush by the side of the road. They have not reacted to the party.

For Now.

[Daphoa]

Aanna whispers what she noticed to her companions and decides to give her slower members time to catch up mentally.

[NightAngel16]

Falian remarks, "I see two options here: slam into them like a typhoon on the eastern sea, take them out before they can react, or show a bit of restraint and report this back to Teras."

[Arkady]

--Meanwhile--

After such an exciting bout of combat, Ozie was feeling a bit twitchy. Seeing his fellow guards walking off into the distance, Ozie decided to put his newfound "sneaking" to the test. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Ozie begins following the group, keeping to whatever cover he can find.

OOC: Lets see how good Ozie actually is...
Stealth roll: [roll0]

[petagee]

Yi takes a moment to think on the lessons he has learned from the monastic books, then decides, "I think we should attack now while we hold the advantage. As Master Tnvi says: 'Never await victory. Seize it.' We should find a way to surround and surprise them. But first, we need to ensure they are not more numerous than we think. As Tnvi goes on to say, 'Victory can only be seized when you hold full understanding of your enemy.'" Yi looks to his companions to gauge their response.

[QuantumHax0r]

Seeker sizes up the situation. "We should deal with this situation now, while we hold the advantage of surprise, and in case there are any more of these bandits lurking around."

[petagee]

Yi nods. "Glad you agree. Perhaps Ozie can use his stealth to sneak around to ensure we do not ourselves become ambushed. We will remain at the ready, prepared to seize our victory!" Yi unsheathes his sword and looks around intently for any potential attackers unseen.

[Arkady]

Ozie was indeed trying to sneak around to the other side of the bandits. Spotting some thick brush, Ozie stealthily maneuvered through the thicket until he was on the opposite side of the bandits from the rest of the party.

OOC: lets be sneaky...
Stealth Roll: [roll0]

[Daphoa]

Aanna sighed. This few seconds of deliberation felt like days. "Well, attacking is probably not my first choice here, but if that's what the plan is, that's the plan. Let's go!" she says, spinning around yelling insults infused with arcane power at the nearest goblin while manoeuvring to hide behind Falian.

Huh, I hope it really is just these few goblins...

Vicious Mockery
WIS DC 13
Damage: [roll0]

[petagee]

Yi will sneak as close as he can to the party of goblins without being spotted, using his natural ability to remain hidden even in light natural cover (OOC: Wood elf trait). Once within range, he will move to the nearest goblin and strike with blade and fist, attacking the next should his first strike fell the first foe. "Blade and body."

OOC:
Regular attack with unarmed attack as bonus action.
Sneak [roll0]
Sword attack [roll1]
Sword Damage [roll2]
Unarmed Attack [roll3]
Unarmed Damage [roll4]

Rolls in OOC cuz apparently I suck at this...

[Rofltrollcopter]

The goblins let out a startled cry and prepare to attack.


Defilers!


Each of them draws their bow, two of them shoot at the charging elf monk, while the other two target the half-orc.

Attacks:

at Ozie:
attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]

attack: [roll2]
damage: [roll3]

at Yi:
attack: [roll4]
damage: [roll5]

attack: [roll6]
damage: [roll7]


OOC: can anyone speak goblin?

[petagee]

Yi dodges both arrows aimed at him, deftly weaving as he closes the distance. "This will be a harsh lesson."

OOC: Not me :P And this is using the dash action to get in range of the closest one.

[QuantumHax0r]

Seeker charges towards the group of goblins, with his shield extended in front of him in his left hand, other hand slowly bringing his warhammer around for a swing. Use dash to close the gap, no attack

[NightAngel16]

Falian shrugs and jovially follows after after Seeker while drawing his great sword. "I guess in the name of Vol! Or justice! Whatever inspires you more!"

Just dashing to cover the distance also. :P

[Arkady]

Spitting out a curse at being spotted, Ozie rolls to the side to dodge the incoming arrows. Drawing a shortsword and a dagger, he will sprint towards the group of goblins, aiming towards the ones distracted by the others of the scouting party.

OOC: Going to try for a flank, if possible. If not, aim for the closest target.

[Rofltrollcopter]

One of the goblins is staggered by Aanna's vicious insults, she is unable to comprehend the language but the tone used by her abuser translates universally.

All of the goblins stand their ground and draw crude looking flint blades. One of them cries out.

For homes and hearth, for Darguun!

They charge in to meet their aggressors in the midst of the thicket.




Wounded Goblin (3 damage, should have got disadvantage but it didn't end up mattering anyway)
@ Seeker

attack:[roll0]
damage: [roll1]

@ Failen

attack:[roll2]
damage: [roll3]

@ Yi

attack:[roll4]
damage: [roll5]

@ Ozie

attack:[roll6]
damage: [roll7]


OOC: as a point of note, flanking no longer exists in 5th ed. Neither does charging.

[petagee]

Yi smiles as his opponents rush into combat. Cowardice is not becoming for a warrior of any caliber or creed. "I will show you the path." Yi strikes with blade and body, felling his nearest foe, then moving to the next.

OOC: Rolls from last time, see OOC thread.

[NightAngel16]

Falian swings his great sword in a sweeping arc at the nearest goblin. "You're not getting all the fun master monk!"

Attack roll: [roll0]
Dmg roll: [roll1]

[Arkady]

Ozie's face begins to twist and contort into a very disturbing grin. A low cackle escapes his throat. He runs forward, feinting with a dagger before twisting in to stab with his shortsword.

OOC:
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Daphoa]

Not bothering to spend any of her limited resources, Aanna just moves slightly forward and shifts her target over to the goblin attacking Yi. She only half focuses on the attack, eyes wandering, vaguely paranoid of unnoticed attackers.

Another Vicious Mockery attacking Yi's goblin.
WIS DC 13
Damage: [roll0]
She moves within 40ft of the nearest goblin.
She is cautiously looking for more attackers. Here is a perception roll if she gets one: [roll1]

[QuantumHax0r]

Seeker reaches the goblins and attacks the nearest one with a sweep of his warhammer...

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

...and misses wildly, the momentum of his swing throwing him off balance momentarily.

[Rofltrollcopter]

Yi manages to outpace his companions in their heavy armor and deftly lands in their midst. He chooses the already wounded goblin as his target. His first strike goes wide, but while she is distracted keeping an eye on his sword he lands a sneaky left hook on her head. Yi feels the goblin's jaw give way as she collapses unconscious from the the pain.

Ozie soon lands behind Yi and dashes at another goblin. The momentum of his massive bulk carries his sword straight through the eye socket of his unfortunate target as Ozie forces his target to the ground.

The two remaining goblins move to stand back-to-back, crude scimitars brandished in front of them to fill any gaps in their position. They easily manage to avoid Failen and Seeker's attacks. They stand tall, grimly facing down their foes. No quarter will be given or taken.

Which is when one of them falls to the ground, tears streaming down his face as laughs in his shrill goblin voice. The other one stares at his companion with a horrified look, before he tries to break through the thicket and flee. The laughing goblin recovers, and attempts to strike at Yi.

OOC:

goblin attack on Yi (w Disadvantage):
[roll0]
[roll1]


everyone gets an Attack of Opportunity on the goblin!

The laughing goblin has taken 3 damage.

[NightAngel16]

Despite his earlier miss, Falian is unrelenting in his assault and takes another grand swipe at the closest goblin.

Attack roll: [roll0]
Dmg roll: [roll1]

[petagee]

Yi pulls out his quarter staff, flairing it, then strikes the laughing goblin. "We finish this now." Yi strikes with his staff and fist with the intention of incapacitating the goblin without killing.

staff [roll0]
fist [roll1]

staff dmg [roll2]
fist dmg [roll3]

[Rofltrollcopter]

Failen brings down his sword on the fleeing goblin, deftly cleaving the creature clean in two. Unfortunately, the bits of goblin still stuck to the sword ruin its balance, causing Failen to miss his follow up attack.

Yi strikes out in a whirlwind of blows, the goblin desperately manages to deflect each strike with the flat of the scimitar blade.

[Arkady]

Ozie looks up at the last goblin with a grin, and runs in swinging.

Attack with short sword: [roll0]
Damage if hit (includes 1d6 sneak attack): [roll1]

Attack with dagger (lose proficiency bonus to roll): [roll2]
Damage if hit: [roll3]

[Rofltrollcopter]

The last thing the goblin sees is Ozie's grinning visage as he slips off into Dolurrh. The party stands victorious, what happens next is up to them.

[NightAngel16]

"Well then, perhaps it's time we report our 'findings' to Teras," Falian states as he cleans the goblin guts off of his blade.

Btw it's Falian.... not Failen... gawd :P

[petagee]

"Very good Master Falian. With haste." Yi sheathes his weapons and readies to return to the caravan.

[QuantumHax0r]

Seeker takes a few moments to gather the corpses of the goblins and the dead horses into a neat pile by the side of the road. He finds one of the goblin arrows that missed the party and places it into his pack. Yes, let us return.

[Rofltrollcopter]

As Seeker takes the time to inspect the horses, he happens across a startling discovery. The horses happen to look very similar to the horses used by Gundren and Sidar. The caravan has encountered no other travellers since they left the Orien trade road, so the road is not traveled by many people. This points to a disturbing conclusion.

[Arkady]

Ozie will perform a cursory search of the bodies for any hidden valuables or other items of note.

OOC: Not sure if I need to roll search checks here or if passive perception applies or something...

[Daphoa]

Though she remained tense for a moment after the fight, Aanna eventually calmed down after no she saw no attackers moving in.

Well, I'm certainly glad there were no more ambushes here. she thinks to herself.

Timing seems odd though. Why here? They were certainly not expecting scouts. If we had come along with the full caravan, these goblins could've done significantly more damage before we were able to subdue them. It's quite convenient that we were encouraged to scout ahead... almost like Teras knew this was coming.

She shock her head. No, that's just your paranoia speaking. He was probably just being safe. Now. For the first time this trip. She was doing a poor job convincing herself.

I'll do some scouting now and try to weasel the truth out of him later. Gotta be smart about it though. The idiot doesn't even pick up on subtle signals. Maybe I need to be more overt.

Aanna begins looking around the ambush sight. She briefly considers helping Seeker move the blockade, then remembers she was very unlikely to be of any help there. The man could take care of himself, and with her limited strength, she had little to offer such a mundane task. Instead, she began helping Ozie look through the goblin remains for any notes, too focused to say much more than a greeting to her companion.

Here are some checks. Your choice if they matter or not.
Investigation: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[Rofltrollcopter]

Checking the site more thoroughly, it looks like the horses were slain a few days ago and the corpses were left to rot. It looks there was a sign of a struggle, and Aanna spots a broken arrowshaft by the side of the trail. This particular arrow shaft looks like it was mass produced by House Cannith, and is indistinguishable from the countless such weapons used throughout the Five Nations. Ozie finds [roll0] Gold Sovereigns scattered in a nearby bush. These particular coins are stamped with the visage of Queen Aurala ir'Wynarn of Aundair.

[Arkady]

Ozie pockets the coin. Looking around at the party, Ozie grunts and starts walking back toward the caravan.

[Rofltrollcopter]

The wounded and weary caravan guards escort Sildar and Gundren back to the caravan. They are right where the party had last seen them, still remaining vigilant around their makeshift barricades. Teras quickly walks up to the group, all pretense of discipline cast aside as he looks quite concerned. Dol Durn's Rusted Codpiece! What in Khyber happened? Sildar deposits Gundren ontop of the one of the wagons and stares at Teras grimly. Ashbound. The blood drains from Teras's face as he begins barking orders to get the caravan moving again.

[petagee]

Yi arrives at the caravan, helping the severely wounded Falian along and offering encouragement. He has had one hell of a day, glimpsing death Twice!!

Ashborn? Yi searches his mind to see if the name is familiar to him, but realizes there are more pressing matters to attend to.

Seeing the frantic preparations to leave, Yi helps Falian into one of the caravans so he can lie down. "Rest my friend. We have fought well this day. My master Roki would be proud. But in the words of the wise grand master Hiraku, 'Rest after a battle well fought is its sweetest reward.' Let us enjoy the reward we have earned today." Yi, taking his own advice, settles down near to Falian to watch over his friend while they both take time to recover.

[Rofltrollcopter]

OOC: I'm retconning the scene where Failan died. This is now the Canon version.

~~~~~~~

Falian stands alone, staring across a vast desiccated field filled with weapons impaled in the ground. The distant sounds of battle during the Last War echo around him. He knows this is his ultimate destination. Dolurrh, the Plane of the Dead. He had grown up surrounded by violence, and only briefly had he discovered a higher calling. What was the point of it all that he had strived for? Where had all of his struggles gotten him?

Oblivion.

::We were meant to be better then this::

A figure is standing beside Failan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6uzZMNXMEY). She is about a foot shorter then him. She is garbed in a white dress and her face is framed by a black veil. Her hair and exposed skin are far too bright for him to look at. Her eyes shine with benevolence and goodwill. Despite the harsh terrian around them, it is impossible for Failen to look upon her and not be at peace.

::You were not meant to suffer like this. Children should not die fighting in the wars of their Fathers. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of Hope, the death of Dreams. The Darkness of the Soul that has lost its way.

Life should led by another's happiness, not by another's misery. There should be no cause to hate and despise one another. In this world, there is room for everyone. There can be a way of life that is free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.::

She turns from the harsh landscape to gaze at Falian. ::You don't want to die, do you?:: Her voice is filled with sorrow and pity.

She takes ahold of Failan's right hand, and he feels it warm at her touch.

::Know this Falian Crowblade. You are Loved. Your life has a Purpose. You can be Better then you think you are.::

~~~~~~

Later at night, Failan checks his right hand. A symbol in the shape of a Golden Sunburst has appeared on his flesh.

[Daphoa]

Aanna walks back, lagging the group slightly. It wasn't the danger, she had her fair share, but seeing her allies on the brink of death was not something she was used to. Usually she travelled in group with all of them far more capable in combat than she. Somehow swindling them into guarding her while she travelled. This time, it seems that she had gotten herself in a group where this wasn't the case. They could die. They had two of their members in dire straights. She thought Fallian [B]had[B] died.

Perhaps she shouldn't be surprised. It's not like she was new to death. Suddenly she was there again, seeing his body lying-. No. That's not what she meant. She had defended herself against bandits and wild animals, even killed some. They didn't bother her. Much. They put their life on forfeit as soon as they decided to attack.

What she hadn't had much of was her guard being this close to death. But why was she so shaken - to the point of forgetting the more useful half of her magic? Other than the first scare with the blight, it's not like she was in danger. Hel, I'm getting attached. Not really what she was planning.

Seeing the camp approaching ahead of her, she decides to focus on the future. She put her morbid thoughts behind her.

Watching the exchange between Sildar and Teras, she pauses for a moment at the mention of Ashborn. Hmm... what was that... And on that note, what was the druid muttering on about? She would've like to talk to him longer, but despite herself, she knew he was too dangerous to keep alive, especially with her party so close to death already.

While puzzling it out in her mind, Aanna angles herself to be seated on the caravan near Silder, hoping to extract some information from him on the journey.

Knowledge Check on "Ashborn" [roll0] (+2 if Arcana)

[NightAngel16]

Falian takes another moment to ponder on the mysterious symbol on his hand, but before he can think any further, twangs of pain shoot through him. His body still remembering its brush with death. Memories of a barren wasteland, littered with the weapons from battles centuries past, a pale sun streaming through a canvass of grey....
https://p1.picsto.re/zjpO7.jpg

I didn't just merely skirt the clutches of death. My soul was already bound on a voyage to the next shore.... Who was she... And with that, the half-elf feels exhaustion take over and falls into a deep slumber.

[Rofltrollcopter]

The sense that I'm getting is that Aanna is the only person that wants to do anything in this scene. So I'm going to be running two scenes in parallel, one with the caravan right after the attack and one just as the party arrives in Phandalin.


Aanna has clue what an 'Ashborn' is, although she has heard the term 'Ashbound' before. Having spent most of her life living in Sharn, Aanna has had little contact with Druidic lore. However, she does know that they are a druidic sect which lives in the Eldeen Reaches.

Several of the works begin muttering to themselves as the weary and wounded group makes it way back to camp. Sildar pays them no heed, content to let Teras direct the organized chaos which makes up the caravan. After

He is a human male, about 40 years old by Aanna's reckoning, and attractive for his age. He is dressed in worn leather armor that his seen its fair share of combat. When the caravan begins to move again, he takes up a seat on of the wagons. He fishes out a small kit from his side, and begins tending to his wounds. He glimpses at Aanna, noticing her for the first time.

We had hoped to save some time Sildar chuckled. So much for that. He sighed. I'm just glad to be alive. He looks over at Aanna and seems much more upbeat. He pulls out a needle and thread and begins sewing up the gash with expert precision, not reacting at all to the pain. What can I do for you He pauses Miss... ?

~~~~~

After about three more days of travel, the caravan finally arrives at Phandalin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jU9EFTMhbY). The wilderness begins to change, revealing scattered homesteads and distant farmland. The rutted track emerges from a wooded hillside, and the party catches its first glimpse of Phandalin. The town consist of forty or fifty simple log buildings, some built on old fieldstone foundations. More old ruins - crumbling stone walls covered in ivy and briars - surround the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a much larger town in centuries past. Most of the newer buildings are set on the sides of the cart track, which widens into a muddy main street of sorts as it climbs toward a ruined manor house on a hillside just outside of the town.

As you approach, the party sees children playing on the town green and townsfolk tending to chores or running errands. Many people look up as you approach, some openly staring at Seeker's mechanical form. All of them return to their business as you go by.

Sildar seems to be at ease. My friends. Let us secure lodgings. The local Inn is very... Sildar pauses, carefully picking his next word. quaint.

[Daphoa]

Aanna put on her most genuine smile she had practiced. "Well, I'm just glad to see you alive." She almost looked towards Fallian and at the last moment remembered look at Gundren would evoke more sympathy from Sidar. She let her face grow grave - no need to fake this one. "Though it got close there for some of us."

She turns her head back towards him, face and voice contorted with concern. "I feel as though we are doing something far more risky than I'm used to and I don't know enough about what is going on. I would really like some information on some things." she says. "I don't like doing things blind"

"Oh!" she says as if she was just remembering, "and I think you still have my dagger" she says with a friendly grin.

We can roleplay the entire conversation, but if you want to skip over the back-and-forth questioning, here are the topics Aanna will inquire about:

The "curse" one of the soldiers mentioned (and any other superstitions)
The Ashborn
What he knew of the druid
Why the druid called us "defilers"

[petagee]

Some character development for my level up. Not super relevant but I had fun writing it. TLDR: No need to read.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yi finally settles his thoughts and enters into a meditative trance, as he was taught during his time at the monastery of the Broken Sword. But this time, his thoughts are not fixed on the teachings of the masters of old, taken from dusty tomes. Instead, Yi ponders his brush with death and how he almost lost his most dear friend... Really, his only friend. He wasn't strong enough to save him. He was as fast as any man he'd known, stronger too, and wise beyond his years. And yet, he had almost failed so profoundly. Instead of inward, Yi turned his thoughts to others and to the world he had only recently discovered. A world of terror and danger and wonder and power. He reached out with his mind... and something reached back. It was a feeling, a peace washing over him, but more profound. Like the world coming into focus, or a note tuned to perfect resonance in a chord. And then the feeling left him. Well, not quite left. He could feel something, just out of reach but... there. He reached out again and the same feeling came, but more focused. Startled, Yi rose from the floor and Dashed to the door of the cart at the speed of thought. He had never felt his body react so quickly. And then he realized the connection was no longer there, but just beyond his reach. Waiting. So Yi reached out again, and felt the same focus. And a name from his Master came to mind: Ki. The ancient magic of the Monastic Orders. Yi had dismissed it as legend, or myth. Or at least something more abstract, that had been exaggerated. But this was so Visceral, and Strong. He started the first Kata he learned, and before he could even visualize the first moves, he struck out with a half dozen blows. Afterwards, again the connection severed, but now he couldn't sense the Ki just outside his reach. It was fuzzy, distorted, just out of focus. This is going to take some practice I think. With renewed resolve, Yi settled back down to his thoughts, and soon the Ki was in focus again, waiting to be wielded and harnessed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yi spent the next few days playing with his newfound Ki. By the time the caravan reached Phandalin he had a few new moves he was itching to try out.

Phandalin turned out to be quite similar to the town just outside of the monastery Yi once lived in. There was something very soothing about that thought. Familiarity in a world still so foreign to him.

Accommodations are well enough, but I am eager to ensure the goods we have delivered find their place in town before we settle ourselves. As Uro, Master of the Blade once said, "A rest taken before a task completed will not replenish the warrior's spirit."

And where will the men stay? Can the inn accommodate such a large group?

[Arkady]

Ozie spends most of the rest of the trip with a faint grin on his face. While some of his fellow guards had nearly died in the process, the fight with the goblins and druid was the most fun he'd had in far too long. While Falian's charge nearly got everyone killed, Ozie liked the maneuver enough that he started to plan future fights based around it (with some minor improvements of course). When they finally reach the city Ozie waits for the others to settle the accommodation plans while keeping an eye on the locals, especially for anyone with criminal-esque look about them.

After a while, Ozie will go looking for Gundren. Grunting in his usual greeting, he will get straight to the point. "Job was to get the goods to Phandalin. Goods are in Phandalin, so job is finished. Agreed job would pay twenty gold, so would like to get payed now."

[Rofltrollcopter]

Ah, my apologies Sildar works a chunk of gravel out of the open wound, and after wiping the blade down he hands it back to Aanna.

Sildar frowns as he discusses the previous events. He points backwards at the rest stop used earlier in the day by the caravan. Did you see that burned out copse a few miles back? After the Reaches declared independence during the war, there was a lull. Aundair was able to sign a ceasefire with Karrnath after Kaius III became the new Karrnathi King. The pressure eased up on Aundair's eastern front, so Aundair sent a division of the Royal Army into the Reaches to reclaim their lost territory.

The Reachers used hit-and-run tactics, ambushing the Army's scouts and then fleeing into the wilderness. Lord ir'Zhaven The Commander of the Royal Army thought they were too cowardly to engage in a stand-up fight. So they split up into separate columns, thinking that they could encircle the Reachers and force them to engage in battle.

One of the columns had camped out at the ridge you saw. Then the Druids arrived. He spat out the word 'Druids' as if he was saying something vile. It wasn't a battle: it was a massacre. The Druids set the forest on fire, used their magic to intensify and guide the flames. The Campaign ended in a disaster, and it marked the end of Aundair's ambition of reclaiming the Reaches. They too used to fighting other Galifaran Nations, and they couldn't adapt to fighting animals.

As for why people say its cursed? Thousands of people died there. Burning alive is one of the most painful ways to go. Travelers have shared stories about strange things happening around there at night. So its not a stretch of the imagination for people to say its cursed.

The Ashbound are a druidic sect. That druid was one of there number. The goblins caught us by surprise and took us to their lair. I don't know why he bothered to keep us alive, Ashbound don't normally take prisoners. As for why they ambushed us, that part is easy. City Girl, I suspect that you don't have many dealings with Druids. They don't think like we do. They are the arch-enemy of Civilization. They didn't attack us because of anything that we had done to wrong them, they attacked us because of what we represent. In the eyes of a Druid, everything that disrupts the natural world is bad. Fur Trappers, Money, Language, Art, Math, Rationality...

They are more akin to the animals they idolize then you or I. They are beasts that need to be put down, and nothing more.


*****

The men, don't worry about them. They'll be camping with the wagons, I suspect. Most of them won't want to waste their coin on rooms, not when they've gotten acclimated to camping by the road. The nights are still warm enough for that.

He turns back to look at Ozie. Indeed, and Gundren will say to your pay once he has finished talking to the Tharashk representative. You are welcome to accompany him if you wish, but I suspect it will be very boring. Sildar clasps him on the shoulder. First Round's on me, what do you say?

Ozie hasn't noticed any criminal elements in the town. That being said, he has not been there for very long.

[NightAngel16]

Falian perks up at Slidar's offer, "By the light's grace, I could go for a mug or two! Might numb my soreness, and maybe Ozie here can make some new friends!" He clasps Ozie's other shoulder, with an un-gloved hand, briefly revealing the strange marking on it.

[petagee]

Yi briefly notices the strange marking on Falian's hand, but does not ask after it. Another time would be more appropriate...

"Be that as it may, I have a warrior's patience. And perhaps Gundren would appreciate the company." Yi smiles as genuinely as possible, but behind the smile Yi is suspicious. The circumstances surrounding this job have been unusual to say the least, and more than just a little concerning. "With your permission Sildar, I take your leave and will accompany Gundren. I eagerly await your company at the Inn once our duties have been finished." Yi bows to Sildar, and goes to look for Gundren.

[Arkady]

Ozie grumbles a bit, but follows Sildar to whatever tavern or bar he had in mind.

[QuantumHax0r]

Seeker didn't sleep that night after the battle of the cave. He never slept, of course, there was no purpose in doing so for a Warforged. But not sleeping the night after a battle was different somehow. He sat on watch, his eyes scanning out beyond the circle of fire for a sign of approach, his mind on battles from the past, comrades he had fought with before and moments of decision that had made the difference between life and death. His hands removed, caressed and manipulated objects he withdrew, one by one from his soldier's pack. An arrow fired by a goblin bow, a chain that had once bound a wolf, and a small jade statue were added to their number.

Seeker casts identify on the Jade Statue collected at the cave.

As Seeker enters into town he notices a small girl, playing intently with a small wooden wagon on the front steps of a shop. He pauses for a moment, eyes glowing brightly as he watches her. He then smoothly reaches into his pack, steps out in front of her and holds out a small grey stuffed rabbit. The girl looks up and gasps, and then a shy smile comes to her face as she reached up to touch the toy. As she takes it into her hands, a startled yell echoes from the shop, and a man rushes out of the shop to scoop her up and take her inside as Seeker turns away. Seeker walks on.


After listening to the conversation, Seeker responds: I will accompany Gundren and Yi, if they do not mind. I am curious to hear how the goods will be disposed..