Ghostfoot's Red Hand of Doom - Shaaran Onslaught (IC)

[Ghostfoot]

WHO CAN STAND AGAINST
THE SON OF THE DRAGON?

http://i.imgur.com/RLS6rjR.png

The dry hilltops danced with fire.

Throughout the heart of the wild mountains the humans called the Wyrmbones, great bonfires had had been kindled atop the ridges overlooking Channath Vale. There thousands of warriors had gathered -- hobgoblins in armor dyed scarlet, thick-thewed bugbear berserkers, goblin worg riders and skirmishers and archers, and the scaled ones as well, who often towered over the rest. For so long they had fought each other, tribe against tribe, race against race, engaged in the endless test of battle, feud, and betrayal. But tonight . . . tonight they stood together, hated enemies shoulder-to-shoulder, shouting together as brothers. And they saw that they were strong, and together they danced and sang and shook their blades at the smoke-hidden stars overhead.

"We are the Kulkor Zhul!" they shouted, and the hills shook with the thunder of their voices. "We are the People of the Dragon! Uighulth na Hargai! None can stand before us!"

One by one the tribes fell silent. Armor creaked as thousands turned to look up to the Place of Speaking. There, a single champion emerged from the assemblage and slowly climbed the ancient stone stair cut into the side of the hill. A hundred bright yellow banners stood beneath him like a phalanx of spears, each marked with a great red hand. The warpriests holding the banners chanted battle-prayers in low voices as the champion ascended.

On the hundredth step he stopped and turned to face the waiting warriors. He was tall and strong, one of the hobgoblin chieftains, but dull blue scales gleamed along his shoulders, and jutting horns swept back from his head. "I am Azarr Kul, Son of the Dragon!" he cried. "Hear me, warriors of the Kulkor Zhul! Tomorrow we march to war!"

The warriors roared their approval, stamping their feet and clashing spear to shield. Azarr Kul waited, holding his hands aloft until they quieted again. "The warpriests of the Doom Hand have shown us the way! They have taught us honor, discipline, obedience -- and strength! No more will we waste our blood fighting each other. We will take the lands of the elf, the dwarf, and the human, and make them ours! Under the banner of the Red Hand of Doom we march to victory and conquest! Remember that you stood here this night, warriors of Kulkor Zhul! For a hundred generations your sons and your sons' sons will sing of the blood spilled by your swords and the glory you win in the nights to come! Now, my brothers -- to WAR!"

The burning hills were too small to hold the shout the Kulkor Zhul gave in answer to their warlord's call.

………………

Not far away, a small group winds its way along an old road, the spring sun beating down and the air hot and still. The sparsely settled grasslands of Channath Vale seem to roll on forever, the only respite the odd copse of gnarled trees or flyspeck of a town.

To the west lie the barrens of the Bandit Wastes, and beyond them the duelling, honour-bound city-states of Lapaliiya. North is the great wide expanse of The Shaar, and to the east the dwarven realm of The Great Rift. South east is the strange drow land of Dambrath while to the southwest behind the impassable mountains of the North Wall are the reclusive wizards of Halruaa.

Occasionally a small held of Shaaran zebras or flock of large wild ostriches can be spotted grazing. The town of Drellin’s Ferry lies a few miles ahead. It’s a settlement hard on the edge of the Shaareach Forest, and the best place from which to begin exploring the nearby lands….

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q710/Ghostfoot/cannath-vale-players-c5ltw_zpspmnclw3p.jpg

Here's the opening scene...please introduce your character when you're ready. I reckon we can handle a couple of posts or so of banter each before we start things in earnest. Plenty of time to get into real detail as we go along so feel free to be pretty superficial for now if you prefer.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

So much life, Dacre marveled. Vaasa was always more a place where people died.

Out of habit, he pulled his wide-brimmed hat low over his face. His new companions were used to his appearance by now, but he did not like unsettling strangers they might meet.

Tall and gaunt (though cadaverous was also a description he might draw), red eyes and chalk-white skin, Dacre wore the mark of the Fugue Plains.

[BelGareth]

Bard sniffed the air, he had been here before, his parents had taken him here a handful of times, the wildlife was familiar to him, and the wile hair hanging from his belt for dinner was a sheer sign of that.

He looked back and sighed, he'd need to get back to the group.

Emerging back onto the path through a thicket, he almost waited to surprise Dacre, but thought better of it, the man was uncomfortable at best, he smirked at the man as he came out upon the group letting him be.

"Erdulk, I have dinner, a good hair, should make a good soup." he says casually to the only gnoll in the party, raising the tail end of the hair attached to his belt.

He looked to the others smiling at Dacre's discomfort. "Do not worry Dacre, the town is a few miles down still, I have not been there in a while, but it is a nice little spot. Even you'll like it, eh?"

[DontEvenAsk]

Edrulk bares her teeth and tastes the air, then barks a stuttering, eerie laugh. "Ondo harrapatu. Agian zopa prestatu beharko dut. Gehiago gaixoaren naiz." Her voice is tinged with good humor.

To Dacre she adds, more solemnly but still with a shade of amusement in her tone, "Eán sas enochleí, nomízo óti oi perissóteroi chorikoí pou synantáme tha fovoúntai perissótero apó ména apó esás."

"Well caught. Maybe I'll have to prepare the soup. I'm more patient, after all.""If it bothers you, I think most of the villagers we meet will be more afraid of me than of you."I saw people do this once in a forum game I read. I won't expect y'all to do this if you don't want to, but I think it's super neat, so I'm goin' for it. Source is double-checked Google Translate (I ran the results it gave me back through and refined them until they came out meaning what I wanted them to, heh.) For the curious, the Gnoll is Basque and the Infernal is Greek. Basque was the language that most resembled the handful of Gnoll words I've seen in published materials, and as to Infernal... I dunno, I've just always sort of pictured Infernal as Greek and Celestial as Hebrew. No concrete answer as to why. No commentary is intended on the people who speak these languages; I'm basing it pretty much entirely on how they sound.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"I suppose so," Dacre says to Bard. "I shall try not to draw bad will towards you."

"Ypothéto óti eínai i partída mou se aftí ti zoí, he says to Edrulk, lifting his back again. "As doúme tis práxeis mas gia ton alithinó eaftó mas."

"I guess it is my lot in this life. Let our actions speak of our true selves."

I may stop doing this abruptly. My knobby fingers are not cut out for copy-pasting in a six inch screen.

[DontEvenAsk]

"Eíste anisychoún ótan sas koitázoun oi ánthropoi me fóvo. Skéftika óti o laós sas skéftike óti ítan mia kalí práxi." Edrulk shrugs. "Den katalavaíno giatí to skéftontai, allá aftó écho akoúsei."

"You're concerned when people look at you with fear. I thought your people thought that a good act. I don't understand why they think that, but that's what I've heard."

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"Écho dei to apotélesma tis fovías, teliká eínai koílo."

Dacre struggles as he tries to explain. The language of the Baatzu had limitations.

"I glóssa tou Tartaréa den échei ti sostí léxi ... na latrévei chorís fóvo í syrroí? Aftó eínai kalýtero.

"Wise Edrulk is counsels me to not be despairing of my not-pretty appearance," he tells the others in halting Camp Talk, his thick Vaasan accent bludgeoning each word.

"I have seen the reward of being feared. It is hollow. The language of Hell does not have the right word... to be not feared or hated but still to have loyalty? That is better."

I am calling Russian as the Vaasa tongue.

I would be happy to just have a nice cup of tea. All anyone ever serves is wine, or ale, or mead.


Yд byl by rad prosto vypiб chashechku khoroshego. Vse, kto kogda-libo sluzhit, eto vino, ili eч, i medovukha.

He remembered snatches of his First Life, notably the thrill of others' terror when he did the Lich King's will. With some hindsight and a dip in the River Styx, he saw it for the selfish mockery of true pleasure that it was.

The first time he helped a man repair a cart wheel, his aiding a lost child find her mother, giving his last coin to a would-be thief so she could feed her mother the exhilarating rush of altruism, no material wealth or base urge satiated could ever compare.

He smiled, standind up straighter. Let them fear his appearance. It was part of his penance. But let them too see his actions show his true appearance.

[DontEvenAsk]

"Den eímai vévaios óti katalavaíno," Edrulk says, shaking her head, "allá katalavaíno aftó: tha protimoúsa na káno káti giatí to epilégo, óchi epeidí fovámai ti tha symveí an den to káno. Eínai aftó pou ennoeís?"

"I'm still not sure I understand, but I understand this: I would rather do something because I choose to, not because I fear what will happen if I don't. Is that what you mean?"
Loyalty is taken for granted among gnolls - at its root, eventually, is fear, but Edrulk quickly learned as a cub that most forget that fear is even there. She remembers the first time she questioned an order she was given. She also remembers the first time she was beaten so badly she couldn't see. The two are closely related.

Helping each other is also taken for granted - the gnoll pack must work in unison, or it won't work at all. Edrulk has no concept of the joy of altruism, but a world where people are more often on the receiving end of it than not... that doesn't sound so bad.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"Naí. Naí. Katalavaínete kalýtera apó ó, ti apeikonízo," Dacre says, pleased that he's is making some sense.

"Yes. Yes. You understand better than I illustrate."

Dacre turns to the rest of his companions, aware a secluded conversation might be construed as rude.

"Please to give pardon. I mean to not exclude. We are just discussing how it is good to not fear."

I think. I hope.

[DontEvenAsk]

Edrulk nods. "Dacre says well," she tells the rest of the group. "We do not mean to be..." she says a few less-than-savory words in Gnoll, cursing her lack of vocabulary - this one's down to personal failings rather than the language itself. "Rude." She says the word like it's very foreign to her - because it is. She's still new to this 'tact towards your equals and peers' thing - gnoll equals can be as callous as they like to each other as long as nobody in charge gets offended.

So she'll just think of them as in charge. But... a nice in charge? Like Dacre says. Sure gonna take some getting used to, though.

"Chaíromai pou katalavaínoume o énas ton állon," she adds to Dacre, with genuine warmth. "Tha íthela énan kósmo ópou polloí ánthropoi skéftontan san esás."

"I'm pleased that we understand each other. I'd like a world where more people thought like you."

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela began to laugh at the Gnoll's politeness, "Haha, They have you so well behaved. Tonight's the night we get her to wear a bow!"

Probably the response you expected from Gadreela. She hasn't said much that wasn't some form of bravado based insult, usually telling tales of "that time she..." Most involving her combat prowess and combat abilities. Often exaggerating fights between the clans, or making up stories of warming up for a real fight by warring with Gnolls and Dwarves. You haven't seen her fight so you aren't quiet sure why she'd be so arrogant (on the same token based on her size, it's hard to take her seriously). The armor she wears is typical of spellcasters, yet she claims to be a crusader of Tempus - sent out on visions of war coming to the Vale (and obviously he would send his best, she had said slamming her fist on her chest).

[DontEvenAsk]

Edrulk repeats her high-pitched laugh, this time a bit harsher but no less in good humor. "Ez dakizu zergatik," she warns Gadreela, mock stern. "Badakizu guztientzat, izan zitekeen ez dudalako nahi zure lantza ene atzeko in. Eta nahi izanez arku bat janztea me bada, zure indarra frogatzeko behar duzu. Nire plan ez da bat aukeratzeko."

"You don't know why I do it. For all you know, it could just be because I don't want your pigsticker in my back. And if you want me to wear a bow, you'll have to prove your strength. I don't plan on wearing one by choice."

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Dacre smiles at the gnolls comment and even chuckles a bit. In their brief time together, she has not ceased to amaze him with her insights.

[roll0]
Or was it [roll1] I always forget whether Effective Binder Level (5) or Actual Binder Level (3).

Well, I'll go with the lower one.

Out of habit, he tosses Gadreela a platinum piece.

[Goby]

Kiligal

Not able to follow much of the conversation amongst Dacre and Edrulk, he instead is observing their actions, unsure yet about these new traveling companions.

He has also journeyed down this road many times before, and is watchful for other traffic, looking for any information from a passing caravan about the road ahead.

We should reach town soon, perhaps there will find news of monsters in the mountains

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

With no difficulty she snatches the platinum coin out of the air, "I'd only hit your back if I took that hairy ass for your face." She took a second to bite the platinum before declaring, "Drinks on me tonight! Ya'll allright. When we started traveling together I thought I'd have to leave at least ona ya tied up by your feet for the crows. Can't wait for a tankard of ale and some eggs and boar."

She smiled at the thought for a second before adding, "And a new horse. Haven't walked this long since... 'never. Damn devil snakes."



Let's just say that unless indicated otherwise, speech is in common.

[Ghostfoot]

The road crests a small rise and descends into a dusty grove in a large, shallow dell. In the distance, several miles away, you make out the faint rooftops and the hearthfires of Drellin's Ferry smouldering gently in the warm spring air. An abandoned farmhouse, partially visible through the mossy trees, stands on one side of the road. You've passed a dozen spots like this one already today, but this one feels wrong. Suddenly you glimpse the glint of mail through the leaves at the side of the road. Fierce warriors - tall, hairy goblinoids - are lying in wait!

Even as you reach for your weapons there is a shout from one of the hobgoblins as they raise their bows ready to unleash a hail of arrows from the foliage on each side of the path.

Hobgoblins
Hide (1d20-4)[6]

Spot
Edrulk (1d20+4)[8]
Bard (1d20+9)[22]
Gadreela (1d20-1)[15]
Kiligal (1d20)[10]
Dacre (1d20+1)[15]

Initiative
Bad guys (1d20+1)[10]
Edrulk (1d20+2)[16]
Bard (1d20+5)[7]
Gadreela (1d20+2)[5]
Kiligal (1d20)[4]
Dacre (1d20+1)[6]

So the party is not surprised and Edrulk wins initiative (then hobgoblins, followed by the party as a whole). Everyone other than Edrulk is flat-footed.
http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q710/Ghostfoot/The%20Shaar%20-%20Marauder%20Attack%201_zpslh5nks3m.png

Hobgoblins have 20% concealment due to light undergrowth. Some also have cover +4 AC from treetrunks.

Light undergrowth costs 2 squares of movement to enter.

=> Edrulk

[DontEvenAsk]

Edrulk snarls. "Kostatzeko! Zha!" she roars, and clenches her fists. They ripple as if with heat before shards of mystic power flicker into being just above her knuckles, tinting the air faintly blue. The air buzzes with her high-pitched laugh once again, but this time it's no true laughter - this is a warning. She approaches the nearest hobgoblin, eyes narrowed with hatred, and slashes at it, teeth bared in barely restrained rage.

"Bleed! Yah!"Manifests claws of the beast for 3 power points, moves to R9, and attacks the hobgoblin at S8.Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Ghostfoot]

Edrulk bounds forward toward the nearest hobgoblin as it tries to raise its bow. Too slow, it barely parries the gnoll's mystical attack before throwing the useless bow to one side. Shield still slung on it's back the hobgoblin draws forth its sword and steps into a fighting stance. A couple of testing blows easily batted aside are all it can manage as it settles back, eyes glinting, trying to keep the gnoll at bay.

Meanwhile a hail of arrows flies from the remaining marauders lurking in the foliage on each side of the path, one catching Gadreela for 5 damage.


hobgoblins vs Bard
longbow (1d20+3)[7] damage (1d8+1)[6]
longbow (1d20+3)[6] damage (1d8+1)[5]
longbow (1d20+3)[14] damage (1d8+1)[2]

hobgoblins vs Gadreela
longbow (1d20+3)[12] damage (1d8+1)[5]

hobgoblins vs Kiligal
longbow (1d20+3)[14] damage (1d8+1)[2]

hobgoblins vs Edrulk
longsword (1d20+4)[5] damage (1d8+1)[4]
http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q710/Ghostfoot/The%20Shaar%20-%20Marauder%20Attack%202_zpsietbo9jk.png

Hobgoblins have 20% concealment due to light undergrowth. Some also have cover +4 AC from treetrunks.

Light undergrowth costs 2 squares of movement to enter.


=> Party
Post in any order and I'll resolve in order of posting, unless you indicate otherwise.

[BelGareth]

Bard was enjoying the camaraderie, and was on the verge of commenting to himself that he should pay more attention to the flanks, lest they be ambushed. But was cut off by none other but an ambush.

Growling, he spotted them in the bushes, but wasn't fast enough, Edrulk leaped into action, besting his human reflexes, but he nipped at her heals, licking up dirt as he bounded over the muddy bank and drew his sword, there were archers everywhere and they were hidden, now would not be the time for a shoot out, even if he ached for one.

As he got closer, he snarled "Hobgoblins!" he said, spitting in disgust as he lunged towards the archer, he was hoping they were like gnolls, and trying to adapt his techniques for fighting them. As he moved closer, his sword sang with the hum of battle, which unleashed into a deafening blast as he struck at the hobgoblin.


Uncanny dodge, so no flat footed. (not that it mattered)

He moves to M13 and attacks (triggering skirmish)

[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 21
HP's: 32/32

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

"أبناء العاهرات!" She shouted in Shaaran as she took her hand off her glaive to protect her face. The arrow caught her in the forearm and with the head passed through the other side she dropped her glaive and quickly ripped it out.

"لا يعرف الخوف! الموت والشرف!" She shouted a war cry as she followed after Edrulk's assault her movements a blur across the battlefield. Mid-swing her battleaxe appeared to leap to her hands.


Son of Whores.

Fearless! Death and Honor! - Standard Tempus War Cry

Free Action: drop a platinum coin I was holding.
Free Action: Drop my Guisarme
Free Action: Pull out battleaxe
Swift Action: Activate Chronocharm of the Horizon Walker to move to P6
Move: Move to T7 (assuming the Hobgoblin in P5 doesn't threat any squares)
Standard: Stone Bones [roll0]+2 Flanking, +2 Strength, +1 Furious Counterstrike, +3 BAB, -3 Stone Power, +1 masterwork for [roll1] + 1 for furious counterstrike points of damage.

At the end of her turn she takes 5 points of damage, she has 1 temporary hit point remaining and 32/32 hit points. She has damage reduction 5/adamantine.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

His Devil-enhanced vision alerted him, but not in time to warn the others.

Dacre turns to the right to attack a hobgoblin in the brush.

"Taste Hell, beastman."

ranged touch [roll0]
damage [roll1]
% for cover [roll2]= 20 or higher (I think?)

The shot went wild, bringing a curse from Dacre. Vaasa was even better than Infernal for swearing.

[Goby]

Kiligal

Not expecting trouble so close to a town, Kiligal is the last to react when he sees the hated goblinoids in the brush off the road.
As the party scatters to engage, he considers the limited tactical options available and moves off the road to strike, his warpike coming into his hands and threatening doom to any archer within reach.


Swift: Assume punishing stance
Move: 20ft to Q7
Standard: steel wind strike at hobgoblins S8 and P5

Rolls
S8
Attack:
[roll0]
Damage:
[roll1]
Miss chance:
[roll2]

P5
Attack:
[roll3]
Damage:
[roll4]
Miss chance:
[roll5]

[Ghostfoot]

Bard moves to engage, leaping into the foliage on the opposite side to Edrulk. His blade sings and crashes as he spars with the archer, the hobgoblin soldier tossing his bow aside and grabbing at a sheathed sword to defend himself. Gadreela, injured but unfazed, whirls in a blur of motion surging past one ambusher to surprise Edrulk's foe from the flank. Despite it's obvious combat training it can't turn to the new threat quickly enough and Gadreela's axe blade cuts deep into its shoulder for 12 damage leaving it injured but still alive and fighting.

Dacre turns to the nearest foe, an eldritch blast going wide and blasting a hapless sapling nearby. Kiligal stomps forward. Warpike raised the stout dwarf moves between two of the hobgoblins, stabbing at both, one only saved from certain death as an errant branch fouls the strike inches from its face.

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q710/Ghostfoot/The%20Shaar%20-%20Marauder%20Attack%203_zpsmi4nyprs.png

Hobgoblins have 20% concealment due to light undergrowth. Some also have cover +4 AC from treetrunks.

Light undergrowth costs 2 squares of movement to enter.

=> Edrulk

[Ghostfoot]

A brutal swipe from Edrulk for 16 damage leaves her opponent feebly writhing on the ground clutching at its torn throat. Arrows continue to fly from the remaining archers, peppering the ground about Dacre.

Kiligal's opponent draws a sword, stepping in among the dry brambles to slash expertly at the dwarf. He parries well but a backswing catches him a minor cut for 2 damage, the soldier clearly well-trained.

Against Bard the hobgoblin steps back and pulls a shield up with his spare hand, the symbol of a a bloody red hand painted on it. Better armoured now it steps forward again to fight, a flurry of quick strikes leaving Bard injured for 8 damage. Among the trees to the south shadows move...

From the direction of the ruined farmhouse two hobgoblins stride boldly into view. One wears a tabard again bearing the emblem of a bloody red hand or claw, a symbol you now notice also painted on the shields and armour of the other ambushing archers. He holds a smoldering flame-kissed shortsword in each hand and confidently smirks as the melee unfolds before him.

The other clanks along next to him in heavy banded mail armour, an ornate evil-looking warpick resting over one shoulder and shield on the other arm. A grotesque horned dragon-helm is pushed back on his head as he surveys the scene. Padding behind them are four strange wolf-like beasts. The size of large wolves with bristling red-black fur, patches of scales and small ridges and horns it is clear that these are no ordinary animals that pace back and forth in the dust, smoke puffing in small bursts from their muzzles as they hunger for sentient prey.

"Chuunsh Zarr, ar an khruun ghaagaan dhagaar or ghaagac daan magaan kolaal akhuuc maagaan." says the bladebearer to his armoured companion.

"Ecn Uth-Lar A rhaal'degaan o agaan shuugaan. Den dech rhaan a daal'duulkaan shakaan. Daan rhaal lhon kelaan daan dhagaar duuc, taan. A dec dar daan dech taal dhuur ghaagec tuuc okuuc." responds helmet-head, gesturing to each of you as he talks.

"Cuunr dar ar dech druun daal akec huul." finishes the swordsman, clashing his blades together and sending a small cloud of sparking embers drifting in the still air.


Swordsman: "Look Zarr, it is no mere farmers or merchants we have lucked upon here."

Armoured one: "Yes Uth-Lar I believe you are correct. This will be a welcome change. They bleed just like the farmers though, see. I think that they will scream for mercy soon enough."

Swordsman: "Not that it will do them any good."Edrulk vs hobgoblin
claw (1d20+7)[27] Damage (1d6+4)[9]
crit? (1d20+7)[26] Damage (1d6+4)[7]

hobgoblins vs Edrulk
longbow (1d20+3)[14] damage (1d8+1)[8]

hobgoblins vs Dacre
longbow (1d20+3)[9] damage (1d8+1)[3]
longbow (1d20+3)[9] damage (1d8+1)[6]

hobgoblins vs Kiligal
longsword (1d20+4)[22] damage (1d8+1)[2]

hobgoblins vs Bard
longsword (1d20+4)[22] damage (1d8+1)[8]

knowledge arcana
Gadreela (1d20+8)[28]
dacre (1d20+1)[11]

These are clearly magical beasts (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#magicalBeastType) of a sort.

These are half-dragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/halfDragon.htm) worgs (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/worg.htm), somewhat intelligent evil wolf-like creatures often found in the company of goblins,
in this case bearing strong traits of dragon blood in their ancestry. Beware their breath weapons!

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q710/Ghostfoot/The%20Shaar%20-%20Marauder%20Attack%204_zpszxk1v1ub.png

Hobgoblin archers have 20% concealment due to light undergrowth. Some also have cover +4 AC from treetrunks.

Light undergrowth costs 2 squares of movement to enter.

Hobgoblin bladebearer is marked with a red dot for ease of ID.


=> Party

[BelGareth]

Bard growls as the hobgoblin manage to get an attack in, he steps back nimbly, drops his and pulls his trusty crossbow, bounding over the roads muddy berm, which he had came over a few seconds before, to launch a few bolts with blurred hands a the newcomers, for they were not in cover behind the trees!


Move: tumble at half speed (25ft), to avoid aoo 1d2-+14 DC 15, move to N11.
Free: drop sword
Free: draw weapon on the move

Attack T17 (flamesword guy)
[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 21
HP's: 26/32

[BelGareth]

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Goby]

Kiligal

Concerned about the new threat, he must first deal with the warrior in front of him. Stepping back out of the trees, he looks for an opening and brings his warpike sweeping across, hoping to remove this hobgoblin from the battle.


HP: 58/60
AC: 14

Move: 5 ft step to Q8 ( or P8 if Q8 is difficult)

Attack warpike:
[roll0]

Damage (punishing stance & favored enemy):
[roll1]

Miss chance
[roll2]

[Jopustopin]

"For Tempus! For Glory!" Gadreela yelled as the hobgoblin fell before her. Her attention moved to the group approaching and she gave a look at the group that looked like a combination of disgust and annoyance.

"Well if ya'll gonna just bunch up for me..." she whispered to herself as she deftly grabbed something from a pouch on her side. While the goblins chattered away like women she began uttering the words of a spell and with an arcane flourish she covered the group with glittering gold.


Swift Action: Enter Bolstering Voice Stance
Standard Action: Cast Glitterdust. DC 15 Will Saving Throw. Grid Intersection U16/V17 (Affects everyone in the cluster except Half-Dragon Worg at T18)

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Robed in the fires of Aym, Dacre strides purposefully forward to face the new threats.

Not breaking stride, he fires another eldritch blast at the concealed archers.

Move to P12
Fire at O16
[roll0]
[roll1]

He readies his spear to face his enemies.

[Ghostfoot]

Bard leaps to one side, drawing his crossbow to take aim at the over-confident new arrivals. <Thunk!> a bolt slams into the swordsman for 8 damage eliciting a grunt of pain and wiping the smug smile off his face.

Locked in combat Kiligal takes the measure of his foe, stepping back and crunch his warpike smashing into the hobgoblin soldier for 17 damage a fatal blow killing it instantly.

Gadreela speaks the words of her spell. Gesturing through the bushes there is a sudden poof as glittering motes of dust billow about the newcomers creating a somewhat farcical scene. Most manage to ward their eyes but two of the strange scaled wolf-like creatures are left pawing at their eyes, blinded.

Dacre strides forward, energy blasting out at one of the archers for 7 damage leaving it reeling but still standing. Leaping and bounding the gnoll yip-yips away from her fallen foe to the next, claws slashing out for 14 damage tearing the throat of the hapless archer.

Angered at the crossbow quarrel protruding with a trickle of blood from its pauldron the twin sword-wielding hobgoblin Uth-lar shouts a war cry and launches himself across the battlefield at Bard. Swords trailing embers Bard is too good for the attacker, able just barely to duck to one side avoiding the killing blows.

Two of the dragon/ worg hybrids, the two who were not blinded, leap after their master. Bounding across the battlefield draconic tongues lolling they barrel into Dacre fearsome jaws snapping and one of them biting at him for 18 damage.

The blinded dragon/ worgs paw at their eyes. Unable to see one of them inches slowly forward, sniffing at the air. The other also sniffs at the air and from the sudden change in body stance evidently smells something - something that smells like gnoll! The dragon-helmed hobgoblin next to it pats it on the head and speaks a single harsh word "Dhegaan!". There is a sharp intake of breath and then the acrid smell of sulphur as searing flames burst from the creatures maw, washing over the forest scorching all the trees and catching Edrulk for 39 fire damage. She slumps to the ground, overcome by the intense flames.

The three remaining hobgoblin troopers size up their foes. One moves in after Bard, flanking him but still unable to land a strike as Bard expertly dodges and parries. The other two take aim across the melee at Kiligal but their hampered shots going harmlessly wide into the trees.

The heavily armoured, dragon helmed hobgoblin reveals itself to be a cleric or priest of sorts. Holding high a holy symbol it begins the gestures and words of divine spellcasting, pointing to Gadreela lurking in the smoldering trees...

saves vs glitterdust DC15
swordsman (1d20+3)[21]
dragon helm (1d20+5)[25]
dragon worg (1d20+3)[11]
dragon worg (1d20+3)[23]
dragon worg (1d20+3)[21]

Edrulk vs hobgoblin
claw (1d20+7)[27] Damage (1d6+4)[5]
crit? (1d20+7)[20] Damage (1d6+4)[9]

bladebearer vs Bard
battle leaders charge! shortsword (1d20+15)[19] damage (1d6+15)[16] +1 fire
no AoO

dragon worgs vs Dacre
bite (1d20+11)[14] damage (1d8+10)[18]
Charge! bite (1d20+13)[28] damage (1d8+13)[19] less DR

breath weapon vs Edrulk
(6d8)[39] fire
Edrulk Ref save vs DC15
(1d20+2)[4]
Ouch. Was that fair? The dice roller + 3 weeks absence says it was...

hobgoblin vs Bard
longsword (1d20+6)[8] damage (1d8+1)[2]

hobgoblins vs Kiligal
longbow (1d20+3)[12] damage (1d8+1)[8]
longbow (1d20+3)[11] damage (1d8+1)[2]

Gadreela - Will save vs DC14 please, or held (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holdPerson.htm) for 'a few' rounds
http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q710/Ghostfoot/The%20Shaar%20-%20Marauder%20Attack%205_zpsjdf1yvjz.png

Hobgoblin archers have 20% concealment due to light undergrowth. Some also have cover +4 AC from treetrunks.

Light undergrowth costs 2 squares of movement to enter.

Hobgoblin bladebearer is marked with a red dot for ease of ID.

Blinded dragon worgs are marked with a grey cross

=> Party

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

As she feels the paralysis start to take hold of her, a sudden burst of adrenaline courses through her and she shouts through it something in Shaaran and shakes it off. With a quick glance across the battlefield she points at Kiligal and utters a quick arcane phrase. Kiligal finds himself and all his gear doubling in size.


Standard Action: Cast enlarge person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/enlargePerson.htm) on Kiligal
(A typical Large character wielding a reach weapon of the appropriate size can attack a creature 15 or 20 feet away, but not adjacent creatures or creatures up to 10 feet away.)

Dwarven Warpike +9 for 3d6+6 plus punishing stance
AC 14

[redzimmer]

Dacre

The attacking warg tears into Dacre, and he is suddenly sorrounded by dragon dogs and hobgoblins.

Tactically withdrawing, Dacre moves within stabbing distance of the dual-wielding hobbo.


I presume the wargs are half-red, so Aym is not particularly useful...
5 ft step to P11, stab at Red Dot

[roll0]
[roll1] +1 electric
Heal 1 hp if successful hit

Dacre (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1195640)
Male NG Hellbred (Spirit) Reborn Vaasan Human Warlock/Binder, Level 3/3, Init 1, HP 6/24, DR 1/cold iron, Speed 30
AC 15, Touch 11, Flat-footed 14, Fort 4, Ref 2, Will 5, Base Attack Bonus 3
Eldritch Blast 4 (2d6, x2)
+1 electric damage; Crystal of life drinking, least Masterwork Blue Dragonfang Spear +5 (1d8+1, x3)
Crystal of adaptation, least Mithral Chain Shirt (+4 Armor, +1 Dex)
Abilities Str 12, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 18
Condition Spiderwalk
See the Unseen
Can Bind Vestiges as a Level 5 Binder

[BelGareth]

Bard is surprised by the sudden onset of these damnable foes, they were in his face faster than he could blink, seeing some of his companions in trouble, he rolled out of the way, touching his amulet with one hand as he did so, calling forth the giant wasp that resided deep within its amber vault.


Move: tumble at half speed (25ft), move to O10 -> O9 -> O8.
To avoid aoo [roll0] DC 15 vs O12
To avoid aoo [roll1] DC 16 vs M10
Swift: activate Travel devotion
Standard: activate amber amulet, summoning Giant wasp in squares O/P, 13/14

Wasp attacks O12
[roll2]
[roll3] & [roll4] Dex damage vs DC 14 Fort

Giant Wasp (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/giantWasp.htm)
AC: 14
HP's: 32
Rounds: 1/10

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 21
HP's: 26/32
Travel devotion: 1/10

[Goby]

Kiligal
Having dispatched one archer, he turns to see his teammates surrounded on the road, and moves forward to assist, seeking to threaten as many foes as possible.

Suddenly he grows to large size, and finds himself able to attack most of the hobgoblins from his current location.

The swordsman being the biggest threat, he is the next target, as Kiligal seeks to eliminate the flanking for the enemy forces.


HP: 58/60
AC: 14 (-1 size & -1 dex)

Enlarge from P8 to O9

Swift: end punishing stance

Standard: emerald razor strike, melee as a touch attack
Attack warpike:
[roll0]

Damage (large & favored enemy):
[roll1]


I'm on vacation with limited net access, posts will be slow until 7/4

[Ghostfoot]

Shrugging off the hobgoblin priest's spell Gadreela utters the words of her own spell. Nearby the dwarven warrior Kiligal starts to rapidly grow until the magically enhanced dwarf is ogre-sized!

Stepping back from the slavering fire-worgs Dacre parries and spins his mystical spear around slashing at the hobgoblin for 4 damage, dark energy flashing along the shaft sucking life force from the swordsman even as electricity jolts the foe.

With Dacre providing an opportunity Bard leaps away from the attacking hobgoblin, rolling back across the path. Activating his amulet there is a pulse of divine energy following by a loud rhythmic buzzing sound as a massive angry wasp appear in the middle of the fray. Looming behind the hobgoblin its wicked stinger stabs out, punching through his armour for 7 damage poison spraying and spurting through the wound!

Flexing his massive tree-trunk biceps Kiligal eyes up the attacking hobgoblin swordsman. As the giant wasp attacks him from one angle the dwarf lashes out with his immense warpike. The goblinoid sees the strike at the last minute. The blow is too mighty to parry so he tries to duck, but the lethal weapon catches the hapless warrior flinging his body across the battlefield in a spray of blood for 24 damage. The priest shouts out to his companion "Zarr o dhuuch, dar or dhuur daan - ot. O kaalaan ghuuguuc!" "Zarr you fool, watch out for the - oh. You reckless moron!"

As the party sends their foes martial leader spinning away slain in an arc of blood the dragon-worgs growl fiercely. With sharp intakes of breath the two closest monsters send gouts of flame searing all about them, torching everything nearby. Dacre is burnt for 6 fire damage, Bard for 8 and Kiligal for 16 fire damage. The conjured wasp is caught in the inferno, flames licking about it for 24 fire damage, as is a hapless hobgoblin trooper who shrieks horribly as he is quickly consumed by the blaze. The two blinded firewargs sit at the feet of the priest, sniffing at the air, seeking unusual smells among the blood and ash of the battle. One scents the arrival of the magical wasp, and as the sleek massive insect darts to avoid one blast of fire it is caught in another for 29 fire damage, its wings quickly shriveling as it succumbs and then disappears with a soft <pop>.

The remaining archers cheer as the summoned insect is defeated. They let loose again with their arrows, Dacre dodging but one striking Kiligal a glancing blow for 4 damage. The hobgoblin priest stands smugly, and over the din of battle you hear the sound of many boots thumping in the dust. Behind him, long the path march another group of hobgoblin soldiers hustling in formation. They take up position behind the priest, swords and bows at the ready awaiting his orders.

Again the priest casts a spell, gesturing all about to his surrounding forces. They clash their weapons in unison, ready to fight as the priest yells to them "Dhuur daan huugec or daan Drarluuc Voc! Agaar, dhegaan! Duukhaar, akhan!""For the glory of the Dragon Queen! Reserve squad, attack!"
Technically enlarge person comes into effect next round given it's got a casting time of 1 round. Easily overlooked and I'll let it slide this time, 'cos it would be too boring not to.


I presume the wargs are half-red, so Aym is not particularly useful...Yep, that's correct. Good as a resist though :smallsmile:.

bladebearer Fort save vs DC14 (1d20+7)[10] Fail

breath weapon (fire damage) (6d8)[16]
Dacre save vs fire breath weapon Ref DC 15 (1d20+2)[5]
Bard save vs fire breath weapon Ref DC 15 (1d20+9)[23]
Kiligal save vs fire breath weapon Ref DC 15 (1d20+4)[6]

breath weapon (fire damage (6d8)[24]
Wasp save vs fire breath weapon Ref DC 15 (1d20+2)[9]
Hobgoblin troopers save vs fire breath weapon Ref DC 15 (1d20+1)[3]

breath weapon (fire damage (6d8)[29]
Wasp save vs fire breath weapon Ref DC 15 (1d20+2)[4]

hobgoblins vs Kiligal
longbow (1d20+3)[21] damage (1d8+1)[4]

hobgoblins vs Dacre
longbow (1d20+3)[9] damage (1d8+1)[7]


http://i.imgur.com/PGfWJa1.png

=> Party

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"There is a wand in my bracer," Dacre says in the common tongue.

"I will appreciate it if you can revive me if I fall."

Taking a step back from the warg-ons, he activates his healing belt and brace for the onslaught.

Move 5 ft to P10
[roll0] healed. Aym protect me!

Dacre (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1195640)
Male NG Hellbred (Spirit) Reborn Vaasan Human Warlock/Binder, Level 3/3, Init 1, HP 18/24, DR 1/cold iron, Speed 30
AC 15, Touch 11, Flat-footed 14, Fort 4, Ref 2, Will 5, Base Attack Bonus 3
Eldritch Blast 4 (2d6, x2)
+1 electric damage; Crystal of life drinking, least Masterwork Blue Dragonfang Spear +5 (1d8+1, x3)
Crystal of adaptation, least Mithral Chain Shirt (+4 Armor, +1 Dex)
Abilities Str 12, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 18
Condition Spiderwalk
See the Unseen
Can Bind Vestiges as a Level 5 Binder

[Goby]

Kiligal
"Stupid dogs, that burns! I'll get you next.", he yells in dwarven.

Softer in common, to Bard and Dacre, he says "Take cover in the trees, we can't fight that many archers in the open. I'll handle the mutts, get that blasted cleric before he summons a whole army."

He swings a mighty strike at the closest worg, then moves toward the trees, still within reach to strike either of them if they move.


HP: 39/60
DR: 1/b or s
AC: 14 (-1 size & -1 dex)

Swift: recover expended maneuvers

Standard: power attack -2, worg @Q12
Attack warpike:
[roll0]

Damage (large):
[roll1]

Move: 20 ft difficult to R/S 8/9

[BelGareth]

Bard groans as his wasp is dealt with in short order, he had hoped it would last longer, but it had served its purpose, he sped forth, moving with the speed of a preternatural predator, aiming his crossbow as he went, letting 2 bolts loose in quick succession.


swift: move to q8, triggering skirmish

Rapid fire at Flame-worgs @ Q12 & 13 (concentrating on one then the other)

[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4] & [roll5]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 21
HP's: 18/32
Travel devotion: 2/10

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

She watched as the approaching group hustled up the road and with most of her body hidden from them behind the tree she pulled out a bit of fleece and quietly said the arcane words. Then with an intense focus she began concentrating on the spell.

From the outside it looked like a wall of stone formed out of thin air to encase the group of hobgoblins. At the base of the wall is a small archway, just large enough for a medium sized creature to crawl under. The Archways appear every five feet so that the feet of all the hobgoblins are still visible. The wall is ten feet high and has a ceiling. A large sign hangs on the wall outside of P and Q11 written in common: "This is an illusion - Gadreela"

On the inside of the stone wall, each five foot x five foot x ten foot space has it's own wall with the small archway at the bottom for them to crawl out under (they'd have to get prone and then crawl). The ceiling is lined with spikes and it has a very small amount of room on all four sides - it appears to be designed to allow the ceiling to crush into the floor. For the moment, the ceiling does not move.


Standard Action: Cast Silent Image DC 14

Black lines indicate walls. Each stone wall has an archway to crawl under from.

http://i.imgur.com/hbTK02o.png

[Ghostfoot]

Dacre steps back from the slavering worg, a word of magic causing his magical belt to send healing energies through his body. Nearby Kiligal towers over the melee. His warpike sweeps across the path catching the closest hound a mighty blow for 23 damage even as screaming bolts from Bard slam into it for 9 damage.

Gadreela's cunning wall of stone figment encases the ambushing forces with and eddy of magical motes. There are shouts of alarm and confusion from within as the organised forces fall into disarray and chaos. Most of the worgs within snarl and circle tightly, confused by the sorcery. A bolder one pushes at the illusion, stumbling through into the open. As Kiligal's warpike slams into the ground next to it the beast closes on the huge dwarf. Hobgoblin soldiers spill from the false structure, some crawling out on hands and knees, others pushing through surprised and calling to their companions. In the chaos a lone archer lets off a wild shot that goes well over Dacre's head. The hobgoblin priest glowers angrily at Gadreela and pulls a scroll from his belt.

save vs silent image DC14
worg (1d20+3)[14] Save
worg (1d20+3)[11] Fail
worg (1d20+3)[7] Fail
worg (1d20+3)[4] Fail
soldier (1d20-1)[5] Fail
soldier (1d20-1)[2] Fail
soldier (1d20-1)[11] Fail
soldier (1d20-1)[5] Fail
soldier (1d20-1)[12] Fail
soldier (1d20-1)[5] Fail
soldier (1d20-1)[17] Save
soldier (1d20+3)[19] Save
soldier (1d20+3)[10] Fail
soldier (1d20+3)[19] Save
priest (1d20+9)[17] Save

Kiligal AoO vs worg - warpike: (1d20+7)[12] Damage (large): (3d6+10)[21]

hobgoblin vs Dacre
longbow (1d20+3)[6] damage (1d8+1)[4]
http://i.imgur.com/vu7gam8.png

=> Party

[redzimmer]

Dacre

With the draining crystal and healing belt, Dacre feels the touch of Death loosen briefly.

So bolstered, he fires eldritch energies at the dragon-dog in front of him.

[roll0] to hit Q12 warg.

https://i.giphy.com/media/lGClylJINhkc0/giphy.mp4

[roll1] damage

[BelGareth]

Bard barks at Kiligal to back up, he needed a direct shot to hit the damnable dogs as he bounded and leaped further down the road.

"Back up you towering oaf, give me a shot!"


swift: move to O9, triggering skirmish

Rapid fire Flame-worg @ R10, moving fire to V14 if 1st target dies

-4 to hit if targets are in melee
[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4] & [roll5]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 21
HP's: 18/32
Travel devotion: 3/10

[Jopustopin]

Gadrella

The stone wall turned into rose petals that fluttered away in the wind. Meeting the cleric's eye she strode forward while casting a quick spell. She raised up her battle axe and gave a war cry as if challenging someone to attack her.


Stop concentrating on Silent Image
Standard: Cast Shield
Move: T11

[Goby]

Kiligal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1207663)
"Fine, I'll move, and leave it to me to get the blasted cleric", he mutters in dwarven.


He blinks and reappears a few feet away, then crashes through the trees towards the enemy leader.
With a mighty swing, the warpike blasts through the brush to smash both a worg and the cleric.


HP: 39/60
DR: 1/b or s
AC: 14 (-1 size & -1 dex)

Swift: use anklet to teleport to T/U 9&10

Move: 30 ft difficult to U/V 12&13

Standard: Steel wind strike with power attack -1, worg @Q12 and cleric @U16
Attack warpike (worg):
[roll0]
Damage (large & PA):
[roll1]

Attack warpike (cleric):
[roll2]
Damage (large, PA, & FE):
[roll3]

Note: Mageslayer means that he is aware that he can't cast defensively in my threatened space.

[Ghostfoot]

Dacre blasts at one of the nearby hounds but misses. A bolt from Bard catches another, slamming into it for 12 damage it yelps in pain.

Gadreela advances on the massed hobgoblin troops, joined shortly by Kiligal as she casts a spell and a shimmering field of force flickers at the edge of vision. Kiligal lashes out with his warpike sweeping all around and narrowly missing a snapping dragon hound.

Snarling in anger the beasts advance, one clawing and lunging at Gadreela snapping about the smoldering saplings and catching her for 14 damage knocking her down. Another bears down on Dacre inflicting 10 & 9 damage sending him sprawling. Scenting the approach of Kiligal the two blinded dragon worgs move warily forward hackles raised, snuffling and hunched as they try to pinpoint the huge dwarf.

Arrows sail across the battlefield, a hail of criss-crossing shafts but all falling harmlessly into the bushes around Kiligal or easily evaded by Bard. A few hobgoblins close with Kiligal one landing a lucky sword blow for 6 damage.

With the warpike whistling over its head the armoured priest steps forward closer to avoid Kiligal's threatening reach. With scroll in hand he intones a magical prayer and as the parchment crumbles to dust a fearsome spiritual warpick whirls into being above the dwarf. It spins about striking at him hitting a glancing blow for 1 damage.

dragon worg vs Gadreela
bite (1d20+12)[27] damage (1d8+10)[14] miss 1-20 (1d100)[88] HIt
opposed trip check: worg (1d20+7)[21] Gadreela (1d20+2)[13]
claw (1d20+7)[18] damage (1d4+7)[9] Miss
claw (1d20+7)[9] damage (1d4+7)[11] Miss

dragon worg vs Dacre
bite (1d20+12)[17] damage (1d8+10)[11] HIt -1 DR
opposed trip check: worg (1d20+7)[11] Dacre (1d20+1)[7]
claw (1d20+7)[9] damage (1d4+7)[10] Miss
claw (1d20+7)[20] damage (1d4+7)[10] HIt -1 DR unconscious?

2 blinded dragon worgs
Move action to scent location
Move to adjacent

hobgoblins vs Bard
longbow (1d20+4)[5] damage (1d8+1)[2]
longbow (1d20+4)[6] damage (1d8+1)[7]
longbow (1d20+4)[12] damage (1d8+1)[5]
longbow (1d20)[3] (incl cover) damage (1d8+1)[7]

hobgoblins vs Kiligal
longbow (1d20-4)[11] damage (1d8+1)[3] miss 1-20 (1d100)[92]
longbow (1d20-4)[-2] damage (1d8+1)[6] miss 1-20 (1d100)[52]
longbow (1d20-4)[10] damage (1d8+1)[2] miss 1-20 (1d100)[66]
longbow (1d20-4)[-3] damage (1d8+1)[8] miss 1-20 (1d100)[1]
incl cover & firing into melee penalties

longsword (1d20+5)[6] damage (1d8+1)[2] miss 1-20 (1d100)[96]
longsword (1d20+5)[8] damage (1d8+1)[8] miss 1-20 (1d100)[40]
longsword (1d20+5)[23] damage (1d8+1)[6] miss 1-20 (1d100)[43] Hit

priest vs Kiligal
spiritual weapon (1d20+5)[20] damage (1d8+1)[2] Hit -1 DR
http://i.imgur.com/e7ZRlOg.png

Gadreela prone
Dacre unconscious (?)
Forest squares are x2 movement and 20% concealment

=> Party
go go go!

[BelGareth]

Bard is horrified as Dacre goes down before him, and even worse, he can't help him for the moment! He whispers to him "I'll help you out as soon as I can", know, that if he healed him, the damn dog would just kill the man. He then bounded 10 ft away, goading the thing, and sending two more shafts at it.

"Come get you stupid mutt!"


swift: move to O11, triggering skirmish

Rapid fire Flame-worg @ Q11, moving fire to S11 if 1st target dies

-4 to hit if targets are in melee, +1 from Haste
[roll0] [Total to-hit 28]
[roll1] & [roll2]

[roll3] [Total to-hit 22]
[roll4] & [roll5]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 22 (24 vs ranged[forgot this!])
HP's: 18/32
Travel devotion: 4/10

[BelGareth]

Using the rollv functionality (above, not below), just so you are aware
[roll0]
[roll1]

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Dacre falls again to the warg's assault. In the hollow of his soul, he sees the fires of Phlegethos beckoning him back. A chorus of erinyes mocking him...


Fallen One
Fallen One
You will not atone

Fallen One
Fallen One
Come back to your home...

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela


Maneuver for Round 6: [roll0]
Crusader's Strike - Granted
Douse the Flames
Leading the Attack
Stone Bones - Granted
Vanguard Strike - Granted


Move Action: Stand up from prone (this provokes an attack of opportunity)

I'm going to wait and see if he takes his attack of opportunity or not before continuing.

My AC for the attack of opportunity is 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Armor, +4 shield, -4 prone) with concealment.

23/32 hit points. 5 points of damage in my delayed damage pool.

[Jopustopin]

There is a moment of savagery that occurs as the Worg's teeth clamped firmly on her leg and it roughly slams the tiny waif to the ground. With no hesitation it then bites viciously into her neck. She struggles a moment then her free hand feinted a swing with her axe and the Worg briefly let go. That was all the time that she needed, leaping to her feet, drenched in blood, wings sprouted out of her back in a blink of an eye and she floated through the foliage away from the Worg. Through a gurgle of blood she pronounced the words correctly before settling in a small tree. Suddenly it's like the life goes out of her, blood can be seen flowing freely down the branches.


Move Action: Stand up from Prone
Immediate Action: Sudden Shift - Wings
Not-an-Action: Five foot step to U11 +5 feet
Standard Action: Cast Haste - Targeting all four of us.
End my turn taking 5 points of damage form my delayed damage pool. I'm clinging to the tree five feet off the ground - limp like I'm no longer much of a threat. Because I'm not.

Hit Points: 0/32
Armor Class: 19 (Cover?)

[Goby]

Kiligal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1207663)

Before being surrounded, he takes a swing at one of the hobgoblins as it moves into the trees.


Hobgoblin that moved from either W or X 16 to W13 has to provoke
power attack -1
Attack warpike:
[roll0]
Damage (large, PA, & FE):
[roll1]
not sure if concealment applies when i'm in the trees and they aren't?
[roll2]


"Too many of them, I need some room to swing", he mutters in dwarven.


He blinks again and reappears a few feet away, then takes two big swings at the cleric.


HP: 32/60
DR: 1/b or s
AC: 15 (-1 size & -1 dex & +1 Haste)

Swift: 2nd use of anklet to teleport to V/W 10&11

Move: none

Full Attack: Power attack -2, haste +1, on priest @ V15
Attack1 warpike:
[roll3]
Damage (large, PA, & FE):
[roll4]
concealment
[roll5]

Attack2 warpike:
[roll6]
Damage (large, PA, & FE):
[roll7]
concealment
[roll8]

Note: Mageslayer means that he is aware that he can't cast defensively in my threatened space.

[Ghostfoot]

Bard bounds away, and at his insult the worg hybrid looks up at him, jaws slavering as it pauses atop the fallen Dacre. <Splack!> A crossbow bolt catches it square in the eye bursting out the back of its skull for 10 damage and the beast falls, lifeless.

Bleeding profusely Gadreela manages a burst of arcane energy, her magic lifting her aloft into the barren branches of the tree above her. Struggling to speak another word of magic suddenly the remaining companions are enhanced with unnatural quickness.

As the hobgoblins close Kiligal swings his warpike cleaving through several saplings and a hobgoblin for 23 damage sending all falling apart in pieces. Blinking a few feet away he catches them offguard the massive weapon sweeping down crunching into the priest for 22 damage as it tries feebly to block with its shield.

The still-blinded worgs advance on Kiligal, scaly hide turning his blow as he swings at them but even though they lunge they're still unable to work out precisely where he is. Nearby the worg below Gadreela is driven out of its mind as the tasty morsel is suddenly whisked upward. It lunges and snaps at her, briefly snagging a boot but unable to get at its next meal.

Two of the footsoldiers close in on Kiligal as the priest shouts urging them onward. One becomes fouled in the scrappy underbrush but the other manages a skillful blow for 7 damage. A hail of arrows descends on Bard as the archers mark him as a clear target. He ducks and dives somehow managing to avoid all but a glancing blow for 3 damage.

Reeling from the recent battering the priest steps back out of range of the dwarf and quickly casts a spell, the worst of his wounds closing over. The spinning spiritual warpick continues to pivot and strike at Kiligal, this time landing a serious blow for 7 damage.

dragon worg vs Gadreela
bite (1d20+11)[20] damage (1d8+10)[14] miss 1-20 (1d100)[6]
claw (1d20+6)[22] damage (1d4+7)[11] miss 1-20 (1d100)[16]
claw (1d20+6)[18] damage (1d4+7)[8] miss 1-20 (1d100)[61]

Kiligal AoO vs blind worg: warpike (1d20+8)[10] Damage (large, PA, & FE) (3d6+10)[25]

dragon worgs vs Kiligal
bite (1d20+11)[21] damage (1d8+10)[11] miss 1-50 (1d100)[40]
bite (1d20+11)[23] damage (1d8+10)[18] miss 1-50 (1d100)[31]

hobgoblins vs Kiligal
longsword (1d20+4)[22] damage (1d8+1)[6] miss 1-20 (1d100)[11]
longsword (1d20+4)[20] damage (1d8+1)[7] miss 1-20 (1d100)[94]

hobgoblins vs Bard
longbow (1d20+3)[14] damage (1d8+1)[3]
longbow (1d20+3)[23] damage (1d8+1)[3]
crit? (1d20+3)[13] damage (1d8+1)[5](1d8+1)[7]
longbow (1d20+3)[20] damage (1d8+1)[3]
longbow (1d20+3)[20] damage (1d8+1)[7]
longbow (1d20+3)[21] damage (1d8+1)[3]
longbow (1d20+3)[7] damage (1d8+1)[6]
longbow (1d20+3)[15] damage (1d8+1)[5]
longbow (1d20+3)[19] damage (1d8+1)[2]

spiritual weapon vs Kiligal
(1d20+5)[17] damage (1d8+1)[8] -1DR
http://i.imgur.com/NEnad0P.png

=> Party

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

The Worg continues lunging at her up the tree, despite her injuries her determination to stay alive kicks in. With the beast clamping into her shoe she narrowly avoids being pulled out, instead losing a shoe to the half-dragon Worg.

"Strength" She said quietly to herself through the pain and blood, activating her healing belt. With her strength renewed she suddenly regrows a pair of quickly flapping wings and moves even higher up the tree and away from the blood thirsty worg.


Standard: Activate Healing Belt [roll0]
Swift: Immediate Magic granting flying speed
Not-an-action: Five foot step to U11 + 10

[Goby]

Kiligal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1207663)
Surrounded by foes, and taking too many hits, he grits his teeth against the pain and focuses on removing another hobgoblin, trying to clear the way to go after the cleric.



HP: 18/60
DR: 1/b or s
AC: 14 (-1 size & -1 dex & +1 Haste & -1 shield)

swift: recover expended manuevers

Move: none

Full Attack: haste +1, on hobgoblin @ W12
Attack1 buckler axe:
[roll0]
conceal 20%
[roll1]
Damage (large & off hand & FE):
[roll2]

Attack2 buckler axe:
[roll3]
conceal 20%
[roll4]
Damage (large & off hand & FE):
[roll5]

AoO target will be worg @ S11 if it moves, the warpike is still in one hand.

[BelGareth]

Bard
Meeting the hail of arrows head on, and being winged only on his left side, he grinned a feral grin, quickly scanning the battlefield, and saw the leader and focused his intent upon him, he would fall, if he could do anything this day, he would kill that damned hobgoblin.


swift: move to P13, triggering skirmish

Rapid fire Cleric @ V16, moving fire to hobgoblins down the road not in cover if he falls.

[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4] & [roll5]

[roll6]
[roll7] & [roll8]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 22 (24 vs ranged)
HP's: 15/32
Travel devotion: 5/10

[Ghostfoot]

Gadreela moves further up the tree, branches cracking as she clambers along smaller limbs with the furious worg snapping and buffeting below.

With worg and hobgoblins confronting him Kiligal focuses his attacks and lashes out swiflty with his buckler axe. The surprise move catches a trooper for 11 damage and as he stumbles another blow for 8 damage puts him down for good.

Two quarrels fly in quick succession from the crossbow clenched in Bard's hands. They slam into the armoured cleric for 10 and 9 damage one catching the evil hobgoblin in the throat in a gurgling spray of blood sending him slumping to the ground in a spreading pool of blood. A third quarrel hits a trooper in the side for 11 damage leaving him reeling.

As the two worgs closing on Kiligal shake off their magical blindness they pause growling softly with a wicked glint of bloodlust in their eyes now that they can focus on their prey. The other, frustrated at Gadreela clutching the tree above turns and spies the crossbowman firing off his lethal volley at the cleric. With a snarl it turns and bounds at him crashing into him jaws snapping for 11 damage as it tries to end his threat!

Arrows fly across the battlefield, several of the archers targeting Gadreela as she perches above. The injured archer abandons his unit and takes off down the road, clutching at the bolt protruding from his side. The trooper facing Kiligal gets in a lucky strike, his sword hitting for 8 damage.

I realised that the worg shouldn't have got an attack against Kiligal last round. They were blind so needed a move to sense location with scent and then another to actually move. So I'll just re-use their dud rolls from last round.
dragon worgs vs Kiligal
bite (1d20+11)[21] damage (1d8+10)[11] miss 1-50 (1d100)[40]
bite (1d20+11)[23] damage (1d8+10)[18] miss 1-50 (1d100)[31]
blindness ends

dragon worg vs Bard - charge!
bite (1d20+13)[24] damage (1d8+10)[11]
Kiligal AoO warpike vs charging worg (1d20+10)[14]? damage (3d6+6)[19]?

hobgoblin vs Kiligal
longsword (1d20+5)[17] damage (1d8+1)[8] miss 1-20 (1d100)[91]

hobgoblins vs Bard
longbow (1d20)[19] damage (1d8+1)[4]
longbow (1d20)[3] damage (1d8+1)[9]
longbow (1d20)[13] damage (1d8+1)[6]
longbow (1d20)[15] damage (1d8+1)[2]

hobgoblins vs Gadreela
longbow (1d20+4)[12] damage (1d8+1)[9] miss 1-20 (1d100)[20]
longbow (1d20+4)[18] damage (1d8+1)[5] miss 1-20 (1d100)[83]
longbow (1d20+4)[18] damage (1d8+1)[3] miss 1-20 (1d100)[85]
https://i.imgur.com/eFRrlHL.png

=> Party

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

Clinging to the tree momentarily safe she barely notices two solid shots deflected away by her shield spell at the last second.

As the position on the battlefields start to look poor for you she shouts a quick arcane word and suddenly you find yourself in a better one. Then she burst out of the canopy flying across the battlefield before landing where she dropped her glaive.


Standard: Cast Benign Transposition targeting Bard and Kiligal.
Bard appears in W10. Kiligal appears in O12/P13.
Swift: Immediate Magic
Move: M8

AC: 21 from expeditious dodge

Reminder: haste grants a bonus 30ft land speed.

[Goby]

Kiligal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1207663)

"What, how did I get here? Where'd the trees go? Blasted casters!" He grunts to himself in dwarven.

He looks around, reorienting himself on the battlefield. Finally not surrounded, he takes a step back to recover from some of the cuts before facing off against a worg.



HP: 10/60
DR: 1/b or s
AC: 15 (-1 size & -1 dex & +1 Haste)


5 foot step: N/O 12&13

Standard: activate healing belt, 2 charges
[roll0]


AoO target will be HG @ O16 if it fires



[BelGareth]

Bard grunts in pain as he receives the bite, tearing his flesh and making him bleed. He snarled at the thing as it dematerialized in front of his eyes, and another set of the damned things appeared in its place!

"DAMNIT Gadreela, you let me know if you're going to do that!" he yelled, as he bounded away, shooting as he went at the damned beast that bit him.


Gonna gamble with it, gotta use the Haste while i got it.
swift: move to Q8, triggering skirmish

Rapid fire DragonWorg @ Q12, moving fire to others (U12, V12) if it falls.

[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4] & [roll5]

[roll6]
[roll7] & [roll8]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 22 (24 vs ranged)
HP's: 4/32
Travel devotion: 6/10
Haste: 3 rounds? (2 left i think?)

[Ghostfoot]

In a flash the battlefield is changed, Kiligal triggering healing magic as Gadreela dashes for her glaive. Bard follows after, crossbow bolts flying as he covers his run. Shots slam into the nearby worg for 5 & 12 damage. It whimpers in pain, puffs of flame issuing from its maw as it futilely bites at the quarrels lodged in its side. Preoccupied, it retreats back away from the hulking form of Kiligal seeking escape. A few of the hobgoblins also break and run, faltering at the assault being dished back to them. The remaining two worgs snarl and come crashing out of the dry undergrowth, one closing in on Bard the other on Kiligal. A hail of arrows accompanies them but all are easily avoided.


Kiligal gets an AoO on the fleeing worg as well as the two worgs that approach and one of the nearby hobgoblins (depending on how many AoO's he has).

hobgoblins vs Gadreela
longbow (1d20+4)[20] damage (1d8+1)[9]
longbow (1d20+4)[11] damage (1d8+1)[4]
longbow (1d20+4)[11] damage (1d8+1)[9]

hobgoblins vs Kiligal (includes -4 for shooting into melee)
longbow (1d20)[3] damage (1d8+1)[8]
longbow (1d20)[4] damage (1d8+1)[5]
https://i.imgur.com/xpZ3iei.png

=> Party

[Jopustopin]

Gadrella

She looks like she's about to answer Bard, then hesitates briefly before uttering another arcane phrase. Her form changes to that of a troglodyte wearing all of Gadreela's gear. She quickly grabs her glaive and drops her battle axe.


Standard: Cast Alter Self
Move: Pick up glaive (Now she has reach)

Hit Points: 14/32
Armor Class: 25

Maneuver Granted End of Round 9:
[roll0]

1. Crusader's Strike
2. Leading the Attack
3. Vanguard Strike

[BelGareth]

Gnashing his teeth at the amount of effort going into this, he steps away from the demon dog, and then bounds across the road to Kiligal's side, letting loose some more bolts, he saw Dacre lying on the floor, he seemed table for the moment, but he yearned to revive the man.


free: 5ft step to P7
swift: move to N11, triggering skirmish

Rapid fire DragonWorg @ Q9, moving fire to others (P13) if it falls.

[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4] & [roll5]

[roll6]
[roll7] & [roll8]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 22 (24 vs ranged)
HP's: 4/32
Travel devotion: 7/10
Haste: 4/5 rounds (I was right, I counted)

[Jopustopin]

Kiligal


Swift: enter punishing stance
Not-an-action: Five foot step to M11/N12
Full Attack: Dwarven Warpike vs Worg in Q9

Dwarven Warpike [roll0] for [roll1] and
Dwarven Warpike [roll2] for [roll3]

[Ghostfoot]

Magic forces affect Gadreela and she transforms into a grotesque armed reptilian creature - a troglodyte - before your eyes. Bard dashes across the track to Kiligal, firing as he does. One of the bolts strikes the worg for 11 damage eliciting a howl of fury. Even as it turns to give chase Kiligal's warpike arcs across smashing into the beast for 21 damage.

The howl turns to a whimper and the worg skulks away its companion hot on its heels as they try to duck Kiligal's parting swipe. Several more of the hobgoblins depart in a rush chasing the worgs leaving only two pair of archers still sending arrows toward you. They draw their bows back and let fly a volley to cover their compatriots retreat, two arrows catching Kiligal for 6 & 3 damage.

Kiligal gets an AoO on one/ both worgs as they flee.

hobgoblins vs Kiligal
longbow (1d20+4)[14] damage (1d8+1)[2]
longbow (1d20+4)[5] damage (1d8+1)[5]
longbow (1d20+4)[21] damage (1d8+1)[6]
longbow (1d20+4)[22] damage (1d8+1)[3]
https://i.imgur.com/WqpOlOT.png

=> Party

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

With their foes beginning to flee, the reptilian creature holds up her battle axe and shouts, "For Tempus!!" as she rushes, quickly, the two remaining archers who must realize how much faster their hasted foes are than they are.


Move Action: Move to P17
Standard: Initiate Stone Bones, Battle Axe [roll0] for [roll1]

HP: 14/32
AC: 29+2 armor, +4 Shield, +2 Dex, +1 Haste, +2 Dodge, +8 Natural

[redzimmer]

Dacre

The Hellbred lays still, shallow breaths barely audible.

[Goby]

Kiligal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1207663)
Seeing the devil dogs retreat, he takes one last swing at the wounded one, hoping for a kill.


HP: 22/60
DR: 1/b or s
AC: 13 (-1 size & -1 dex & +1 Haste & -2 stance)


AoO: haste +1, on worg we hit (leaving Q9?)
warpike:
[roll0]

Damage (large & stance):
[roll1]

[Goby]

Kiligal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1207663)
With no immediate threats, he considers running after Gadrella, but then looks back to the fallen warlock nearby, and reaches out to assist him.

"You shoot the archers, I'll help him.", he says to Bard in common.


HP: 22/60
DR: 1/b or s
AC: 15 (-1 size & -1 dex & +1 Haste)

swift: end punishing stance

move: reach out to Dacre and retrieve the wand he mentioned.

standard: activate the wand for 1 charge of healing.

[roll0]

[BelGareth]

Bard nods as he keeps his fast moving feet doing what they do best, while his hands continue to flurry bolt after bolt, he could feel the magic fading, and he wanted to use all of it that he could.

He looked over his companions entering melee range with the others and decided to send the message home to the ones fleeing.


swift: move to Q10, triggering skirmish

Rapid fire @ V19, moving fire to others (W18) if it falls.

[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4] & [roll5] (MISS)

[roll6]
[roll7] & [roll8]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 22 (24 vs ranged)
HP's: 4/32
Travel devotion: 8/10
Haste: 5/5 rounds

[redzimmer]

Dacre

The coldness subsides and Dacre's eyes open

Touching the last glowing gen in his belt, his wounds knit closed.

[roll0]

[Ghostfoot]

Gadreela rushes forward, quickly closing the gap with the pair of archers. Before it can draw it's sword she hacks down one of them for 7 damage ending the hapless hobgoblin even as its partner pulls a blade and engages

As the draconic worgs lope away Kiligal bends down and checks on Dacre, healing magic washing over the fallen hellbred as he stirs.

Bard lets fly at another archer, bolts slamming into the hobgoblin's chest for 11 & 11 damage sending it sprawling, dead. The other shoots back missing Bard by a mere fraction

Hobgoblin vs Gadreela
longsword (1d20+5)[7] damage (1d8+1)[5]

Hobgoblin vs Bard
longbow (1d20+4)[23] damage (1d8+1)[3]
https://i.imgur.com/LM0dSPs.png

Only two to go - time to end it!!

=> Party

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Dacre draws his summoning wand, bringing forth a celestial fire beetle. At his command, the holy bug scuttles behind the hobgoblin nearer Gadreela and tries to nip its leg.

Charge from Summon Monster I wand to bring a celestial giant fire beetle forth at Q14.

It moves to R18 and attempts to attack, flank and smite.
[roll0] to whit
[roll1] Damage plus smite

[Goby]

Kiligal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1207663)

Seeing the battlefield open around him, he looks down the road and focuses on the lone hobgoblin archer, seeing a clear path between him and his hated foe.

“Surprise, ya goblin scum! Should have left when you had the chance.”, he snarls in dwarven as he lumbers along the road.


HP: 22/60
DR: 1/b or s
AC: 12 (-1 size & -1 dex & -2 charge)

Full round = Charge!
Move: 35 feet to S/T 14/15
Attack: power attack -1, hobgoblin @ W18

Attack warpike (+2 charge -1 power):
[roll0]
Damage (large & power & FE):
[roll1]

[BelGareth]

Bard, feeling the magic slow his body down, looks over to Dacre, and nods. He had intended to go revive him, but magic, hobgoblins and arrows had gotten in the way, such was life it would seem.

He bounded down the road, and aimed at the remaining hobgoblin he could see, as Killigal ran toward it like the mad dwarf of yore.

Both shots went wide. Perhaps he was tired from the combat?


swift: move to R13, triggering skirmish

Rapid fire @ W18


[roll1] & roll=Sonic]2d6


[roll3] & roll=Sonic]2d6
*not going to fix this, as both failed.

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 21 (23 vs ranged)
HP's: 4/32
Travel devotion: 9/10

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

A lizard like grin appears on her face as she dances in the foliage with her opponent. She lives for this. Feinting an opening she makes her attack.


Standard: Initiate Leading the Attack, Battle Axe [roll0] vs Hobgoblin for [roll1] points of damage.

HP: 14/32
AC: 26+2 armor, +4 Shield, +2 Dex, +8 Natural
Granted Crusader's Strike at the end of Round 11.

[Ghostfoot]

Dacre draws a wand and begins intoning the words of activation. Kiligal lumbers forward, warpike whistling back and forth as he swings at an archer even as Bard's bolts buzz past all around him. Gadreela hacks and chops at the hobgoblin in front of her but it parries the heavy blows on its shield.

Glancing about and seeing itself abandoned Gadreela's opponent loses heart. with shield held high it cowers behind, uttering in it's heavily accented Common tongue "I yield! Spare me."

The other is more reckless, stepping inside the warpike's killing arc to loose another arrow at Kiligal, sadly for it missing the dwarf by a wide margin.

hobgoblin vs Kiligal
5ft step out of threatened area, then longbow (1d20+4)[8] damage (1d8+1)[8]

beetle appears and can act this round.
https://i.imgur.com/vNdPuyA.png

=> Party

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela starts to swing and then, when the hobgoblin surrenders, she wears her emotions visibly: she's pissed. Then she scans the field for other opponents to fight. Eyeing one she simply mutters, "Coward", under her breath and takes off for the last opponent.


Gadreela moves 40 feet to W18. If it looks like Kiligal will take a step back she'll wait for the flanking bonus.
Standard: Crusader's Strike [roll0] vs hobgoblin for [roll1] points of damage.

If she hits, heals herself for [roll2] of damage.

HP: 14/32
AC: 26+2 armor, +4 Shield, +2 Dex, +8 Natural, +2 Dodge

[Goby]

Kiligal (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1207663)

Surprised that he missed on the charge, and even more so that the hobgoblin was foolish enough to step closer and shoot at him, he takes a quick step back and lines up a swing, aiming straight for the body of his opponent.

“That was bold. Too bad you missed. I don't miss twice!”, he says in dwarven as the warpike crashes towards the archer.


HP: 22/60
DR: 1/b or s
AC: 14 (-1 size & -1 dex)

5 ft step: R/S 14/15

Standard: Emerald Razor strike, melee as touch attack
power attack -3, vs. hobgoblin @ V17

Attack (touch) warpike (-3 power):
[roll0]
Damage (large & power & FE):
[roll1]

[BelGareth]

Seeing the last one still defiant, he repeats his actions, hoping that a bolt will end this cursed madness of an ambush.


swift: move to Q15, triggering skirmish

Rapid fire @ W18

[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2]

[roll3]
[roll4] & [roll5]

Bard (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1204261)
AC: 21 (23 vs ranged)
HP's: 4/32
Travel devotion: 10/10

[redzimmer]

Dacre

With the summoned beetle thus engaged, Dacre lets eldritch energies dance on his fingertips.

Moving toward the crossbow wielder, he looses a blast of his hellish power.

Move to Q16
Eldritch Blast to V17
[roll0] ranged touch
[roll1]

[Ghostfoot]

The last defiant hobgoblin trooper is finally overcome, surrounded by Kiligal and Gadreela a crossbow bolt takes it in the calf followed shortly after by a blast of eldritch energy from Dacre sending it flying back into the dust.

The sole remaining (surrendered) hobgoblin looks like he's about to make ready to run but a second look at Bard and Dacre's ranged handiwork sees it wisely reassess. The defeated soldier simply stands, chin high, ready to accept it's fate.

It barks out in halting Common tongue "You may have won today, stupid humans," ignoring that only two of you are actually human "but our day is coming! The Red Hand will destroy you all!"

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"You speak such bold words, soldier. Pray who is - what is - this Red Hand? Perhaps we might join the cause. Your friends' corpses shall serve as credential."


[roll0] bluff
[roll1] diplomacy

Try and wheedle info from this here fellow.

Ah to hell with it.


Dacre shrugs, not really expecting a response.

"We should get this one to a garrison or local lord. If the goblins are mobilized, they will want to question him."

[Jopustopin]

Gadreella

The still transformed troglodyte ignores the hobgoblin. Instead proceeding to Edrulk's body to see if perhaps her heart still beats. She cast prestidigitation and forms a small pink bow tie adorned to her fur. The troglodyte's face forms a smile of sorts at the gnoll she barely knew.

"Men Fall, but Tempus rides on." She says in prayer while saluting.

She proceeds to each fallen foe, kneels over their body and checks for signs of life. If dead, she simply says, "Holy Ending." If they are still alive, she will deliver a coup de grâce to them while saying the full prayer to them, "A battle-death is a holy ending."

When the last foe had been checked she spit on the ground and cursed at the coward hobgoblin, "Cowards death for you. Hope the rest of your kin doesn't surrender or run at the first sign of death. Tempus didn't send me to fight the Red Hand of surrendering cowards."

[Goby]

Kiligal

Moving initially towards Edrulk, he sees Gadreella get there first and stops, turning back towards the surrendered hobgoblin.

"You will tell us more of this Red Hand, but that can wait for now. Surrender your weapons, and we'll see what becomes of you once we reach town.", he says in common.

He looks around at the party, and settles on Bard. "Can you bind him?"

To the group, he proposes the following actions: "We should retreat off the road to heal and regroup, and make sure there's no more stinking goblins before heading to town. I've still got some arrows to remove, and Dacre doesn't look much stronger. Does anyone have any healing magic?
Let's gather their weapons, and see if that farmhouse over there is safe."

As he speaks, he touches his belt again.

last charge for today
[roll0]

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"I shall be fine. Give me a moment."

Drawing a wand from his bracer, he uses his fiendish mien to fool the item into working.

DC succeeds, if I get a 1 (6), all the rest below it are negated.
[roll0] if successful [roll1]
FAIL [roll2] if successful [roll3]
[roll4] if successful [roll5]
FAIL [roll6] if successful [roll7]
FAIL [roll8] if successful [roll9]
FAIL [roll10] if successful [roll11]
FAIL [roll12] if successful [roll13]
[roll14] if successful [roll15]
FAIL [roll16] if successful [roll17]

Fully recovered, he returns the wands to their place.

[BelGareth]

As they interrogate the captured hobgoblin, Bard busies himself with searching through all the fallen enemies and their gear, dead checking them with a solid flick to the eyeball, if any moan, he will slice their throat, they had little healing, and he was in no mood to waist it on bandits. The law was clear, banditry was to be paid in death.

As he did, he also tried to recover as many bolts as possible, it was a long ambush, and he had used many of his own store.


Can't recall how many i used, but I'll go back through posts and roll for broken bolts.

[Ghostfoot]

The hobgoblin tosses his weapons to the ground and Bard binds him securely. "Ha, you think you can resist? Already our warbands are reaving the lands about the river-town. Wyrmlord Koth was wise to expect such pitiful opposition. The day of ruin will come!"

After a pause to tend your wounds and brief nod to your fallen companion you search the bodies, making sure that all are indeed dead. The weapons are all well crafted and identical, the hobgoblin soldiers clearly the recipients of good outfitting and wearing identical tabards bearing the bloody red hand symbol.


on each of the 12 hobgoblin soldiers:

chainmail
heavy steel shield
MW longsword
comp longbow (+1 str) + arrows
potion "for healing wounds, stupid"


on the priest:

MW heavy pick
MW banded mail w ornate dragon helm
light steel shield
healing potion x2
scroll
a strange unfamiliar* holy symbol shaped like intertwined dragons (*Gadreela: know religion (1d20+1)[7])


on the bladewielder:

MW shortswords x2, each with a flickering red, fiery crystal in the pommel (evidently least energy assault crystals)
MW studded leather
a circular disc-shaped talisman; half red, half blue
potion "that's a stronger one, for the boss"


Moving over to the ruined farmhouse it appears little more than a set of crumbling walls around a dusty central area. The hobgoblin warband must have used it as their rest spot as there are several menial items and rubbish scattered about. Sadly it seems that you were not the first to have been set upon by them today. Heaped against one wall are several fresh human corpses - a farmer/ labourer, three armed caravan guards and a merchant by the looks of her attire. It doesn't look as if they have been too long dead. You push the bound hobgoblin to the ground and keep him under guard as the rest of you investigate.


satchel of 355gp on the merchant
studded leather, light crossbows, longswords on the three guards
nothing of note on the farmer



The hobgoblin smirks as you check over the victims and speaks crudely "See. So easy. So much fun to be had since Karkilan sent us out to lay waste. Better than in that castle."

[redzimmer]

Dacre

The boasts of the goblin begin to grate on Dacre, but he resists the urge to give him a lingering hug from Aym. Instead, he begins gathering and itemizing the gear dropped.

"This equipment will be better served by whomever faces this horde. And we should bury the dead before they attract ghouls or worse."

Expelling the vestige of Aym, Dacre gathers the goblin and merchant gear.

[BelGareth]

Bard nods. "Aye, probably true. Though some of this equipment" he pokes the flaring crystals "could be used by us, and well, we killed 'em." he shrugs and squats down to pry them off the swords. "But this other stuff, looks like they ambushed a trader, we should give donate this to the village, speaking off, we should get their quickly, who knows what else is lurking in this here woods."


He'll take the crystals, not for him, but for the party.

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

She casts detect magic on all the gear to start determining what is, and what is not magical. She'll make a spellcraft check on each one to determine what school of magic it is.

In response to Dacre, Gadreela immediately volunteers, "I will face the horde, I'd join the horde too if their army weren't littered with cowards who are more likely to run than stand and die for their cause. I know my people, gods honest men and woman who learn to honor and worship Tempus before they learn to walk. Tempus frowns on your actions, goblin. If you were wise, you'd honor the god of war and lord of battles both with words and actions before entering into his bailiwick. Fool."

With that she smiles, an exuberant smile. She's clearly excited and can't contain it - despite being in the form of a troglodyte her facial expressions are clearly human.


I may not have identified their holy symbol, but have I heard of their cult?

Have I heard of this cult? Knowledge (Religion): (1d20+7)[20]

[Goby]

Kiligal
HP: 32/60

The bravado of the captured goblin is getting on his nerves, you can see him resisting the urge to smack the prisoner. Instead, he focuses on the tasks at hand.

Turning to Gadreela as she inspects the gear, he says: "Can you verify those potions? While I'm sure those soldiers are dumb enough to need instructions, I also don't trust em. If they are what they say, though, I could really use one of them. Too many hits from the blasted archers."

Looking at Bard, he inquires about the crystals. ""I could use one of those, since you seem to prefer the bow?"

He then takes the pick from the priest, and looks for a suitable spot to dig a grave for the farmhouse occupants.


Question, what time of day is it, and how far do we suppose we are from getting into town?

[Ghostfoot]

Gadreela examines the gear more thoroughly, focusing on some of the items that bear magical auras. As she does, her mind drifts to the bloody Red Hand emblem that adorns the fallen hobgoblins gear.

Aside from the weapon crystals, scroll and the potions there is the following:


banded mail (on the cleric) - faint abjuration
tabard (on the bladebearer) - moderate abjuration
the talisman (on the bladebearer) - faint abjuration



I may not have identified their holy symbol, but have I heard of their cult?

You recall that the Red Hand of Doom emblem was used by certain ancient cults of Tiamat, the Dragon Queen, in ages gone by.


Kiligal gets to work on a proper burial for the ambushed travelers, the heavy pick a useful tool on the dry, baked dirt. The afternoon sun beats down on him as he digs.

It's mid-afternoon and Drellin's Ferry is about 5 miles away. You'll get there well before nightfall, all going to plan.

Busy as you are, you suddenly notice a human female figure standing some distance away, a large feline at her side. After watching your efforts with the scene for a few moments the pair approach...

Enter RCgothic/ Alison & Tigga. You can either be strangers just met and also headed toward Drellin's Ferry or you could choose to already be acquainted with the group, perhaps planning to meet them here after some other mission you were on. Either way, here you are :smallsmile:.

[RCgothic]

Alison Dashwood

The red-headed young woman jogs over to the group, a large leopard keeping easy pace beside her. She slows to a walk as the scene of battle surrounds her, clearly amazed by the scale of the carnage.

"I heard sounds of fighting! But it looks like you guys already took care of it. Guess these guys bit off more than they could handle, huh?"

Tigga sniffs at one of the hobgoblin corpses derisively, then slinks up to the hole Kiligal is digging in order to peer down into it curiously.

[BelGareth]

Bard nods to Kiligal about the crystal, they could go on any weapon as far as he recalled, and having both of them use them would help.

He turned to the new comers with a look of concern and furrowed brow.

"yep, though to be honest, it was a hard fight, they had the numbers and devilspawn on their side." He dropped his head, looking to the side, "and we had our own losses, perhaps if you had arrived sooner..."


sorry, on phone

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Keeping a firm (and distracting while he prepares an eldritch blast) grip on his spear, Dacre eyes the woman a giant cat.

"Er... hello," he says in thick, Vaasan-accented Trade Common. "I do not remember our introduction."

[RCgothic]

Bard nods to Kiligal about the crystal, they could go on any weapon as far as he recalled, and having both of them use them would help.

He turned to the new comers with a look of concern and furrowed brow.

"yep, though to be honest, it was a hard fight, they had the numbers and devilspawn on their side." He dropped his head, looking to the side, "and we had our own losses, perhaps if you had arrived sooner..."


The red-headed woman has the humility to look abashed. In fact now she's close up it's apparent she's still breathing quite heavily; she's clearly run a long way.

"Sorry. I could have, but I'd have been trading my ability to fight and these hobos are vicious! I've tangled with a few of them these past few weeks. I suppose this time I made the wrong call."

The leopard, curiosity apparently satisfied with regards to the hole in the ground, strolls casually across to the remaining hobgoblin and stares at him unblinkingly. The cat doesn't seem to have made the slightest exertion.


Dacre

Keeping a firm (and distracting while he prepares an eldritch blast) grip on his spear, Dacre eyes the woman a giant cat.

"Er... hello," he says in thick, Vaasan-accented Trade Common. "I do not remember our introduction."

"Oh! Hi!" the woman says sweeping her long hair out of her slightly sticky face, clearly more comfortable with potential conflict than awkward apologies! She's switched from Sharaan into unaccented Common without missing a beat.

"I'm Alison Dashwood. And this here's Tigga!"

The leopard rolls her eyes at her name in a disconcertingly intelligent way, losing interest in the goblin and strolling back to stand behind her mistress.

"Are you going to stop holding your spear, or are you going to show a girl a good time?" Alison's delivery is flirtacious and she hasn't drawn a weapon, but there's something about her posture that's tensed up.

[BelGareth]

"Dacre, let her be" Bard admonishes "She's obviously no Hobgoblin...or Gnoll..." his eyes flicker for a moment "She sounds honest to me, and knows Vaasan, these vermin don't even know enough to learn it, marks her high up on my list. Come on, lets get to town, and we can figure it out there"

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"No," he says bluntly to the woman. Though he does shoulder his spear.

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

"I have the pearls, I'll have to cast identify tomorrow on the gear." she says before noticing the new comer.

After finishing her inspection the troglodyte stands up brushing her hands on her pants and approaches the new comer. The troglodyte is wearing thistledown padded armor and is adorned with a guisarme and a battle axe. Proudly hanging from her neck is a holy symbol of Tempus.

"This is war. Kiligal we will not have time to bury all the bodies in a war, nor should we. Of all the times not to have a horse..., we must make haste to alert the area."

She gives the druid a long look, then speaking in Shaaran, "How have you come by a celestial creature on this plane?" Her mannerisms are totally human and her inquiry bore more curiosity than anything else.

[BelGareth]

Being ignored, Bard waves his hand dismissively, taking the gem, and then moving off to recon the area ahead, placing it on his crossbow as he does so. If they wouldn't answer him, he wouldn't stand around idly either.

[RCgothic]

"Dacre, let her be" Bard admonishes "She's obviously no Hobgoblin...or Gnoll..." his eyes flicker for a moment "She sounds honest to me, and knows Vaasan, these vermin don't even know enough to learn it, marks her high up on my list. Come on, lets get to town, and we can figure it out there"


Dacre

"No," he says bluntly to the woman. Though he does shoulder his spear.

Alison inclines her head in appreciation and then smirks briefly at Dacre's mathematician's answer.


Gadreela



After finishing her inspection the troglodyte stands up brushing her hands on her pants and approaches the new comer. The troglodyte is wearing thistledown padded armor and is adorned with a guisarme and a battle axe. Proudly hanging from her neck is a holy symbol of Tempus.

[COLOR="#800080"]"This is war. Kiligal we will not have time to bury all the bodies in a war, nor should we. Of all the times not to have a horse..., we must make haste to alert the area."

She gives the druid a long look, then speaking in Shaaran, "How have you come by a celestial creature on this plane?" Her mannerisms are totally human and her inquiry bore more curiosity than anything else.

"If you leave the bodies as an offering to nature, nature will be grateful!" Alison advises. "The meat on this many hobgoblins will last several weeks. Hi, I'm Alison! This is Tigga. Ah, you noticed!" she says, looking between the remarkably human troglodyte and her feline companion. "Well it's been a few years since I've ever really been settled anywhere, and after Holly died it turned out I'm not really suited to being on my own. I prayed to Helm to send me a companion and a couple of days later I came across the tracks of this young cub! Isn't that right!" She ruffles Tigga's ears and the leopard inclines her head against Alison's side. "That was perhaps three winters ago? Amazing how time travels fast."

She holds out a hand. "Nice to meet you all, anyway. So the grumpy one's Dacre... I'm afraid I didn't catch any other names. Do you mind if I come with? If the hobgoblins are even attacking groups your size now then it's probably best to travel in numbers."

[BelGareth]

"Met well Alison," he replies in the traditional Vaasan greeting, "I am Bard" Looking back from where he was.

[Jopustopin]

Gadrela

She looks oddly at bard's dismissive hand wave as if trying to figure out what he's trying to signal with it.

Then she also does a hand wave and dismisses the alter self spell revealing her true form, a woman, clearly of Shaar origin. Her body is still bloodied from the fight, with rips and tares in her padded armor from where she was bitten from the half-dragon worg. She doesn't even wince from her wounds, the stoic nature of her people concealing the pain.

"Helm? You may want to get the Tears of Helm ready, war is coming to the vale. If you're one of his clerics you're invited to accompany us to warn the tribes and cities of what is coming. Surely protection is in order for many people who will need it during war. My name is Gadreela Moraw Tarak, crusader of Tempus, daughter of Rawtok Moraw Tarak a high priest of Tempus. He has received visions that war is coming, the likes of which the vale has never seen. Our foes, we just discovered are goblin worshipers of some ancient dragon cult; Pretty sure it's Tiamet if I recall my history classes correctly." With her hand held out so the leopard can smell her she moves slowly making sure it's okay and then gives the great cat some good ol' fashioned ear and neck scratches.

"That's amazing. I've heard that with celestials, even their animals are smart enough to understand one language. Did you teach her a language or was she sent understanding celestial?"

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"Well if we are to leave them to rot, I hope to be on our way. Not to put it too bluntly, but they smell bad enough when they're alive."

He takes a moment to offer a heartfelt prayer over his sadly-brief companion Edrulk.

O One Who Endures, please find this noble warrior as he wander the Fugue Plain. he is NOT without faith, he only had not yet found You.

He knew how fastidious Jergal and Kelemvor could be. But the gnoll was truly a good person.

[Ghostfoot]

Once ready you set off again along the dusty trail. The captured hobgoblin is bound securely and you make sure that you have him adequately covered at all times. Your prisoner keeps quiet, doing only the minimum that you demand of him and offering no help at all.

After five miles or so the road descends into a small town built mostly on the near side of a broad, sluggish river. Six old stone piers jut from the water, marking the spot where a bridge once stood, but the span itself is long gone. Instead a couple of long thick ropes cross the river, each secured to a flat-bottomed ferryboat. Brown fields and green orchards surround the town. This must be Drellin's Ferry.

Ahead a group of armed human townsfolk - three in leather, one in mail - stands guard at the outskirts, watching you warily. They clutch their spears, attention focused on the strange-looking hellbred Dacre and the captured hobgoblin.
"Halt and state your business, strangers" the leader calls out in the local Shaaran tongue, repeating in trade Common for any who cannot comprehend. His hand rests on horn hanging around his neck and he looks ready for action.

[BelGareth]

Bard had seen them a ways off, keeping to the undergrowth, he slipped out of the shadows and nodded to them. "Met well, I am Bard, we encountered some Hobgoblins a few miles out, we dispatched them, but lost one of our own, how fairs the town? Such a large raiding party so close can only mean fell news I fear."

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Dacre motions toward the hobgoblin prisoner.

"This one is all that was left. They seem better equipped and organized than your average goblins."

Between his already fiendish mien couple with the sign of Aym, Dacre knows he's likely to rouse fear.

"I... come in peace. Ahem."

[roll0]

[Ghostfoot]

"Indeed! Where? Bands of those murderous savages have been skulking near the town for days now. You're lucky that any of you got through at all! I'm glad you did. Not sure why you bothered to keep one alive though."

The guard pinches his brow as he tries to think. "The Captain will want to see you, and your captive. Captain Faqem Cor Marak. You'll find her at the Old Toll House, just past the Old Bridge Inn. Cohis will show you the way."

One of the young Shaaran guards, Cohis, steps forward. Spear held awkwardly in his ill-fitting leathers he motions the party onward toward the centre of the town.

https://i.imgur.com/L3yaMBF.jpg

You are at the watchpost marked #1 in the center bottom of the map.

Other relevant nearby numbered locations are:
#1 Watchposts
#2 The Green
#4 The Green Apple - taphouse & inn
#8 Old Toll House - town hall, courtroom, jail, barracks
#9 Armoury
#10 The Old Bridge Inn
#11 Lenet's Sundries - general store
#12 Sihvet's Livery Stable
#13 Hapaw's Warehouse
#14 The Ferry - barge operated by ropes & draft horses
#15 The Dwarfbridge - the ruins of an ancient dwarven bridge

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

In Shaaran she speaks, "Luck had nothing to do with it. Tempus sent us to intercept these cowards who would kill noncombatants. We kept him alive because he will be good morale for our people. He will boast for all to hear, and with it the promise of an honorable battle; one that if my father's visions are true, will be enough to unite all the clans in the vale. Ready your people. Tempus calls once more, and only the deserving warriors shall prevail."

Unless someone changes course, Gadreela will lead them to the old toll house.

[BelGareth]

Bard smiles knowingly as Gadreela 'corrects' the guard. As he followed, tallying a little behind on purpose, he leaned into the guard "She's like that with everyone, worry not, we appreciate your advice." he says, genuinely smiling, nods, then heads off, following their intrepid leader to the Captain Faqem Cor Marak.

[RCgothic]

Alison tilts her head at the guard and follows Cohis, Tigga slinking along at her heels.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

With a thought, Dacre dismisses the vestige of Aym, and the symbol branded on his forehead disappears.

Immediately he regrets giving the dwarf a coin.

[Ghostfoot]

The youth Cohis (for he can hardly be called a guard) leads you along the main street to the central dusty village 'green'. Villagers hustle about their business but you sense an air of tension in the air with many fearful glances and muffled cries of alarm at your hobgoblin captive. To one side is erected a large stone building, obviously older and sturdier than most in the town. A few ill-equipped militia mill about, none looking any more capable than your guide. A duo rush over and manhandle your captive roughly inside as Cohis leads you in. The building obviously serves as an administrative centre as well as barracks as a mixture of youthful militia and elderly clerks interact.

He knocks on a door and opens in, revealing a tidy and spacious office. Two Shaaran humans who have been speaking to each other intently turn to regard you. One is a tall, strong-boned, capable-looking armoured swordswoman. The other a similarly tall balding man of about fifty with a salt-and-pepper beard and wearing fine clothes. Cohis excitedly explains your recent exploits "These newcomers have routed a hobgoblin ambush! And captured one alive! Ah, I mean excuse me Speaker, Captain I didn't mean to intrude but..."

The demeanor of the two in the room warms at the news and they share a quick glance as they wave away the youth. The elder bearded man speaks "Please come in. I am Speaker Laskaw Laumee Harr, leader of the town council. This is Captain Faqem Cor Marak, chief constable and captain of the militia. You are?"

"You are clearly men and women of unusual skill. I'll get right to the point: We're in a lot of trouble and I hope I can persuade you to help us out. Our town is under attack. Hobgoblin raiders have been harrying our lands for several days now. They've attacked and killed people in the outlying homesteads, and as you've seen they've been waylaying travelers along the roads." As he talks he offers around glasses and a pitcher of water.

Captain Faqem, having run her eyes over each of you appraisingly, steps in, "We've had some trouble with them before - a quick raid on homesteads on the west side of the river, usually not that bad - but this is different. It looks like a large, aggressive tribe has moved down out of the Wyrmbones. Frankly, I fear they might be numerous enough to sack the town."

"Beyond the immediate threat to our homes, the road is our lifeblood," the Speaker continues. "If the hobgoblins make the roads impassable, trade won't come this way, and we'll be ruined. Not only do we need to repel the raiders from our town, but we've got to keep that road open. Can you help us do it? We have one man here who has offered to help"

A well-built black-haired Shaaran warrior steps forward to join to conversation...

Temur-dai (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1414491)

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

She smiles at the captain, and quietly says thanks when receiving water. She winces slightly from a wound she took in battle while reaching for the glass before saying in common, "These ain't raiders; they are an army. And yes, they are planning on sacking this city and every other city in the Vale. The whole vale. Just ask one of their blind archers we captured. Nice shooting by the way, she says turning to the goblin, "Hope your grunt humpin' brothers fight more and surrender less than you, chicken hearted piece of horse ****."

She clears her throat, and starts speaking in Shaaran, "We're not the types to be picking off scouts and brigands when they already have a fort nearby. The goblin we capture was complaining about being in a castle. Probably where they are holed up. I say we round up forty or sixty of your warriors and sack it right now. Burn their little hut to the ground. For Tempus. For Glory. Let's end the war before it begins."

She grins at the captured hobgoblin somewhat cruelly as she says the last part despite him probably not understanding what she said.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Dacre sighed inward at the Tempusite's bravado. Prior to his Rebirth, he knew the hollow glories of war. In the end, only carrion birds and jackals won.

"They may already be on the march. A precision strike against their leadership might break this unnatural alliance."

He vaguely remembered what this was called. Sueliman's gambit or suchlike.

[BelGareth]

Bard listens intently to the Captain, and the Town speaker. He'd never heard of a Town speaker before, strange name for a position of power.

On his way in, he had counted the men. Doing some mental math, and guessing at the amount of ways into town, he frowned when Gadreela suggested sacking the keep.

"I'm not sure we can do that Gad." he said in sharaan, using her nickname he had just made up, hoping to deflect her wrath. "This town is barely holding up with the guards and levies in place, I'm doubting they have enough to even send on a patrol out?" he says, ending with the question to the Captain, he was not intending an insult, merely stating facts as he saw them "I would suggest we go ourselves, a keep being stockpiled is a good outpost for the enemy, one we should make sure they do not keep, from there, we can reassess the situation, we need more captives" he looks to the captured hobgoblin, "Hopefully of higher rank than this one."

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai listened as the others spoke, letting them report their findings and respond first. He grinned at the woman's response, nodding in appreciation for her fervor. After a lull in the conversation, he stepped forward. "Greetings, warriors, but if I may? My name is Temur-dai, and I give you greetings from a fellow warrior. I like your aggression and agree - the raiding parties are but symptoms and we must cure the disease. Perhaps by taking out this new tribe we can end at least one major threat, and keep the townsfolk safer?"

Temur-dai was well-built, with his hair and features marking him clearly as a Shaaran. However, he stood much taller than most of his kin, with lighter skin marking him as a bit of a half-breed. His black hair was pulled back and braided around his temples, leaving his bright and shining green eyes peering at the assembled heroes. He wore a shiny true-silver shirt under furs, with a large axe and sharp scimitar on either hip. He stood with the wide gait of someone used to life in the saddle.
Hola - sorry for the late start, but life got cra-cra.
StatusAC 16 (FF 14, Touch 12) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +6 W +4 / Initiative +2 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; protection from evil, shield of faith, enlarge person
Effects: none

[RCgothic]

"Greetings!" Alison replies with a smile, not bothering to disguise herself casting an approving eye over the handsome newcomer.

"I'm Alison, and this is Tigga." The leopard rolls its eyes.

"Bard, Dacre, Gadreela, Killigal," she finishes the introductions, tucking some red hair behind her ear.

"I guess we're going to be thinning out some goblins together then. The lands around here are crawlling with them so we'd better get started!"

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

She seems confused when Bard tells her of the towns lack of warriors and wisely keeps her mouth shut and looks at the faces of those in the room for the first time. After the introductions she looks at the town speaker and says dumbly, "No warriors? I'd heard the more civilized Shaarans had lost their way a little bit... but... you would give us one person in the whole town to fight a war that threatens us all? I'll be blunt with you speaker. We will scout this keep, wherever it is, and if able to we will kill as many as we can, but if my father's visions are correct you don't have much time to start preparing your town for war. You better get a sword and shield in every able bodies hands, and crossbows in the rest."

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai bowed his head to Alison and smiled widely at her companion. To the other woman who spoke, he raised a hand. "Pardon, sister, but this is not my town. I am a tribesman, like yourself. But I will stand with you, and as we earn victory after victory, the others will flock to our banner. Success breeds support, you will see."

As he spoke, Temur-dai gestured widely, his shirt opening slightly to reveal a carved symbol of a flaming sword hanging from a thick cord around his neck.
StatusAC 16 (FF 14, Touch 12) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +6 W +4 / Initiative +2 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; protection from evil, shield of faith, enlarge person
Effects: none

[Ghostfoot]

Speaker Laumee Harr raises his hands in appeasement "Peace, peace", looking sadly at Gadreela he speaks further "We tried that. It wasn't enough"

Captain Faqem cuts in "We sent a dozen of our best men west along the road to find out where the hobgoblins were lairing, but they got cut to pieces a few miles inside the forest. We're not sure how many warriors they have. A hundred maybe? There have been at least three different warbands around our lands at the same time, each about fifteen to twenty strong, so fifty at the minimum. You say they're at Vraath Keep? That's an old ruined castle about 15 miles inside the Shaareach Forest...it's certainly possible that they've seized it for their stronghold."

She looks over at Speaker Laumee Harr for his guidance "Look, it's not going to be easy. We don't really know what we're up against. A precision strike might just do it".

A thought seems to occur to Captain Faqem "If you're going to be wandering around inside the Shaareach, I'd advise you to seek out Haseid. You can't find someone who knows the woods better. His cabin is a little out of the way but it could be worth the walk."

[RCgothic]

"That sounds like a good idea," says Alison. "I'm as up for a fight as the next girl, but we're not going to win a frontal assault. Going to have to be clever about it. Maybe Hassid knows some tricks."

[BelGareth]

Bard nods, "agreed, let's go seek out this Haseid"

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai nodded as well. "If you will have me, I’ll add my blades to yours. We may find information to aid our fight. As my father would say, crush the serpent’s skull beneath your heel, and it’s body will soon die.

Unless it’s a hydra of course!" He smiled widely at his joke, ready to journey forth with his new companions.
I don’t have Local but perhaps History will do? [roll0] for info on Hasied
StatusAC 16 (FF 14, Touch 12) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +6 W +4 / Initiative +2 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; protection from evil, shield of faith, enlarge person
Effects: none

[BelGareth]

Bard moves out, heading to the nearby store to stock up on crossbow bolts, and meets everyone on the edge of town by the ferry, waiting to cross with the group.

Once everyone is ready, he moves out, taking point, moving in the direction indicated to find this Haseid.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Ghostfoot]

The shadows growing long in the afternoon you take your leave and spend some time preparing yourself for the adventure on the morrow.

Rising early the next day you set out, instructions of how to find Haseid fresh in your mind. As you leave the town and cross the fields the lush, stifling trees of the Shaareach are visible ahead. You know that two ways present themselves as fair routes forward. Either you follow the Dawn Way, the well-maintained trade road cutting through the forest, which will offer easy travel but require a looping back to Haseid; or you can follow the Witch Trail, an old and minor trail cut years ago and used by trappers and hunters that offers a more direct route...

https://i.imgur.com/e9CUeRy.jpg


Thick red line is the Dawn Way, the major road.
Dotted line is the less well-maintained Witch Trail, minor trails which criss-cross the forest



Haseid's hut is at "X"

=> Party

[BelGareth]

Without even thinking about it, Bard moves them to the right, going up the witch trail, staying low, and keeping to shadows.


Feel free to argue with him, but he's on point, so i figure he would choose

EDIT:
rolls are above
Hide - (1d20+12)[15]
Move silently - (1d20+12)[23]

[redzimmer]

Dacre

With a shrug, Dacre sets off after Bard.

“If the goblins are on the march, there’s no guarantee the main road will be any safer.”

[RCgothic]

Alison and Tigga

Alison and Tigga follow along behind bard without thinking twice. What's a little wilderness to a druid and a leopard?

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai followed his companions. He watched the woods for signs of movement and looked for newer tracks, but otherwise seemed fine with the choice. "So ... how long have you heroes been a band?"
Um, here's some checks [roll0], [roll1], [roll2]
Status
AC 16 (FF 14, Touch 12) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +6 W +4 / Initiative +2 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; protection from evil, shield of faith, enlarge person
Effects: none

[Ghostfoot]

You cross the fields north of Drellin's Ferry and enter the Shaareach Forest, the vegetation quickly becoming thickly overgrown and the atmosphere oppressively humid. Nevertheless the Witch Trail is at least passably maintained and you make good time.

After 7 miles or so, mid-morning, the woods open up and the trail leads past a small cabin in a deep glade. A ramshackle front porch is littered with fishing baskets and skinning frames. The cabin overlooks a dark bayou or lake, with old grey trees draped in moss rising out of the water. An old skiff is tied up on the shore nearby, and a little smoke curls from the fieldstone chimney.

Spot DC11
Dacre (1d20+1)[3]
Bard (1d20+9)[15]
Gadreela (1d20)[4]
Alison (1d20-1)[14]
Tigga (1d20+3)[21]
Temur-dai (1d20+5)[16]

Under the porch 60ft away you spy three large hunting dogs languishing in the shade...You are at "X" on the map, where you expect to find Haseid.

[BelGareth]

Bard makes good way, and is pleased with the days events, which is to say, uneventful.

He stops short suddenly, seeing the 3 hounds, he was sure they would smell them soon, and start the baying, at least, thats what they would do if they were his. he raised his left hand in a fist, raising 3 fingers, and then pointed to the dogs, indicating 3 potential quarries.

[RCgothic]

Alison smiles as she sees the dogs, crouching down and extending a hand as an offer of petting.

Tigga rolls her eyes as she sits by her mistress, regarding the dogs with a cautious reserve.

[Ghostfoot]

As the hounds spot Alison, Tigga and the rest of the group they leap to their feet and come hurtling toward you, baying loudly. Snapping and growling they thankfully draw to a halt about ten feet away, growling still but slowly hackles lowering. A loud whistle comes from the cabin and the obedient dogs turn and scamper back to he porch.

The door opens and a lean Calish-ite woodsman of indeterminate age steps onto the porch, patting the dogs. He has a seamed leathery look to his face and arms, and a big curved knife sits in a sheath strapped to one thigh. "Don't get many visitors out here" he rasps in Common trade tongue, "Who're you, and what d'ya want with me?"

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai has stood quietly as the dogs approached, one hand on the hilt of his weapon. However, when the woodsman appeared and called them off, he grinned. "I’m Temur-dai, newly joined with these fine companions. And if you are Hasied, we are looking for you. Destiny is calling upon you to aid our battle against evil, and you are the best woodsman around. Will you answer the call?
He can be enthusiastic :smallsmile:
Status
AC 16 (FF 14, Touch 12) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +6 W +4 / Initiative +2 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; protection from evil, shield of faith, enlarge person
Effects: none

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Feeling the influence of Focolar, Dacre falls into sullen silence.

Some part of him is aware that he’s simply echoing the vestige’s feelings, but this doesn’t improve his mood.

So much pain and despair... why do I bother trying?

Regardless, his dark gifts hungrily sought secrets and lies, uncaring of his mood.

Looking about absently for anything invisible.

[RCgothic]

"Don't get many visitors out here" he rasps in Common trade tongue, "Who're you, and what d'ya want with me?"

"Hobgoblins have seized Vraath Keep," Alison explains. "You can't have missed their raiding parties hearabouts. We were going to do some investigating. Heard you knew this forest best. Want to come with?"

[Ghostfoot]

At the mention of hobgoblins Haseid's surly demeanor changes and he suddenly becomes very focused and quiet, "Goblins! I just can't stand them!" he spits, "The woods rotten them them right now. All right, I'm your man.

They live up in the Wyrmbones, but seems like we got a big war party in the forest. Maybe they came down the Old Forest Road, or might be they came by the Skull Gorge. My money's on the Skull Gorge. I seen worg riders and troublemakers all over, especially along the Dawn Way.

Vraath Keep's about 8 miles north on the Dawn Way. We could make it by nightfall. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the goblins have holed up there. That's just the sort of thing damn goblins would do."

With fists clenched and white knuckles he's clearly a man with some unresolved anger management issues...

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai nodded to Alison with a smile, then looked back to Haseid. "Excellent. Do you need need any help gathering gear or supplies? Also, you seem to have some history with these beasts - perhaps you can share your knowledge with us!”
Road trip! :smallbiggrin:
Status
AC 16 (FF 14, Touch 12) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +6 W +4 / Initiative +2 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; <s>indentify</s>, <s>identify</s>, enlarge person
Effects: none

[RCgothic]

Alison

Alison grins at Hasied's reaction. "That's the spirit! A man after my own heart! I do enjoy a good scrap, and goblins are good for that. Nobody ever complains at you for beating on goblins. Shall we get going?"

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Dacre relaxes after his scan shows nothing.

While aware his funk of depression is merely Focolar’s echo, the despair still feels real.

“So many would see good, honest people toil under their yoke. It is my sacred duty to purge the evil from this land.”

...He tells no on in particular.

[Ghostfoot]

"Alright. Let's be off then. No sense wasting any more time." He wanders back to the porch and a sharp whistle sees the hounds scamper to follow at his heels. Pausing only to pick up a readied pack and a longbow he gestures onward and proceeds to lead the way along the western path. "Yeah, they come down to the woods from time-to-time, try to use it as a route to get closer to the caravans and such. Normally smaller warbands though. Outcasts or exiles from the hill tribes. Seems like there's a whole lot more of them this time though, and they're acting with purpose. organised. These ain't outcasts, they're part of something bigger I tell you."

As you move along the trail Haseid continues to talk intermittently about his goblin hunting stories, of which there are many. The hermit clearly harbours a deep hatred of the evil goblinoids invading 'his' woods.

"Hold up, what's that?"

The trail has met the Dawn Way, the larger road, and you're now making good but cautious progress north through the forest towards Vraath Keep. A wide expanse of water floods the woodland in this low valley. Trees still protrude from the calm, dark waters here and there but many large reaches seem to be little more than open pools of algae-choked water. The trill of frogs and the whine of insects fills the air. The forest road leads right down to the edge of the flooded area, up to a rickety-looking causeway made of thick planks of wood lashed together with mossy rope. The wooden causeway runs for several hundred feet through the bog, a foot or so above the water.

Up ahead you can see the wreckage of a wagon, lying on it's side and half sunk in the flooded bog, about 30ft from the causeway.

[RCgothic]

Alison

"Is the path usually this flooded?" Alison asks, examining the causeway and possible routes to the wagon. Tigga dips a paw in the waters and then shakes it off disgustedly. Normally she's not averse to water, but these waters are a bit on the scummy side for her.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Drawing his spear, Dacre trods cautiously up to the broken wagon.

"No way to know what might lurk in the swamp. We should stay on guard."

[roll0] Cue Dacre turning his back to face the party and being swallowed by a Tarrasque, Deep Blue Sea-style...

[BelGareth]

Bard looks to Dacre with a raised eyebrow "Get back Dacre, we don't you falling down again." he says, as he purveys the scene


[roll0]
[roll1]

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"The Fugue gets me when the Fugue gets me," Dacre says with a fatalistic shrug.

But he does stand back as Bard searches about.

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai led his horse through the woods, refusing to ride if the others did not have mounts. He walked with a rolling gate of a rider, but smiled the entire way, humming as they went. Upon seeing the wagon, he stopped and looked from the causeway to the wagon. Drawing his axe, he remarked to no one in particular, "Have none of you heard the tale of the troll and the bridge? This looks like an excellent place to ambush unsuspecting travelers...”
Draw weapon and look for sneakers!
Status
AC 16 (FF 14, Touch 12) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +6 W +4 / Initiative +2 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; identify, identify, enlarge person
Effects: none

[Jopustopin]

Gadrella

The normally boisterous girl has been somewhat quiet and by the way she keeps massaging her temples, you guess she's nursing a hangover. Gods know what she did last night but whatever it was she looks pretty worse for it. She had struggled to get on her horse and fell asleep soon afterwards as the horse just naturally followed Temur-dai's.

She has been sleeping on her house, barely paying attention to her surroundings when Temur-dai mentioned an ambush. She kind of woke up at this point and squinted around a little bit before drinking from her waterskin as she watched Dacre jog over towards the wagon before being called back by Bard.

When she doesn't see anything interesting happen, she sort of makes an attempt at staying awake saying, "Wake me up if there is going to be a fight."

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai smiled back at his fellow follower of the Lord of Battles. "Will do, Little Sister.””
Just RP
Status
AC 16 (FF 14, Touch 12) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +6 W +4 / Initiative +2 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; identify, identify, enlarge person
Effects: none

[Ghostfoot]

"Ae, it's always flooded round here. Every couple of years they send a work party out to fix up the causeways. A neverending task between the swamp and all the digesters round here but the merchants pay good coin to keep the road open." says Haseid. He whistles to call his dogs back as everyone pauses.

Dacre makes his way gingerly across to the broken wagon, the swamp sucking at his boots. Getting closer it is evident it has been smashed and tossed about by some large force. The shallow boggy water hides much but a scattering of bones, a few dismembered limbs and half an armoured torso become apparent indicating that several hobgoblins must have met their end here.

Even as Dacre turns shrugging and Bard and Temur-Dai glance about a large snake-like reptilian head rises from the swamp close by. Dripping with muck above Dacre the thing hisses in anger (hunger?) as more predatory reptile-heads rise from where they slumbered about the remains of their last meal, the huge body of the hydra slowly turning and emerging from the shallows where it had lain....ROAR!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8avqtCnDoSQ/UiwRaZKgF4I/AAAAAAAAPcA/C6JxUTPL748/s1600/img-sm_vastwood_hydra.jpg

Hydra surprise round action - stand from prone.

Initiative
Hydra (1d20+1)[10]
Dacre (1d20+1)[17]
Bard (1d20+5)[17]
Gadreela (1d20+2)[7]
Alison (1d20+7)[27]
Tigga (1d20+5)[25]
Temur-Dai (1d20+2)[14]
Haseid (1d20+7)[26]

KNowledge check DC15
Temur-Dai (1d20+5)[18]
Dacre (1d20+1)[18]
Gadreela (1d20+8)[14]
-> it's a 7-headed hydra (surprise!). It regenerates (fast healing). You can attack it's body as normal or try to sever a specific head with a sunder (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#sunder) attempt (slashing weapon required). Severed heads regrow...!

https://i.imgur.com/jSpapI3.png

Shallow bog (most squares) - x2 movement cost & +2 tumble DC
Deep bog (bordering water) - x4 movement cost, no tumbling
Water - requires swimming
Slick causeway - DC10 Balance to run or charge on it


=> Party (excl. Gadreela)

[redzimmer]

Dacre

“I... we are not alone,” Dacre says.

He brings a stroke of lightning down onto the hydra, backing away quickly.

[roll0] lightning
Five-foot step back

[RCgothic]

Alison

"Woah! I've never heard of anything like that before! It's not natural, right?" Alison begins casting a summoning spell. Meanwhile Tigga grimaces resignedly before stepping into the bog and climbing onto the remains of the wagon.


Alison
Stone shape ->SNA3 completes next round.

Tigga
Wx7 (65ft)
Climb onto wagon in U6.

[BelGareth]

Bard curses again, looking to Dacre, and then back to the beast that was emerging from the swamp that he found himself in. He found himself cursing the woodsman that they had tasked to tracking for them, fat lot of use that was!

He bounded over the swampy terrain, getting near Dacre, "Get back you fool!" he hissed, as he sent a bolt after the beast.


Uncanny dodge, so no flat footed.

He tumbles (auto suceeding) to U9 and attacks (triggering skirmish)

[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2] & 1 fire damage

Bard
AC: 21, 23 vs ranged
HP's: 32/32

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai whistled at the huge beast that rose from the water. Smiling widely, he glanced at the others. "Looks like the Lord of Battles has seen we were bored - time to thank him for this challenge!” The Shaaran began to hum low, words dripping with power as he twirled his axe back and forth. As he spoke, the magic began to change him, his muscles bulging even more as he seemed to grow in place ...
5' step forward, casting enlarge person on himself.
Status
AC 16 (FF 14, Touch 12) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +6 W +4 / Initiative +2 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; identify, identify, enlarge person
Effects: none

[Ghostfoot]

The hydra rears up its many heads unfurling and roaring menacingly as Dacre calls down bolts of lightning from above, blasting it slightly for 2 damage. Alison starts casting as Tigga pads forward through the bog. Bard fires blindly as he leaps out of the way meanwhile Temur-Dai grins as he paces forward magically growing to the size of an ogre as he swings his axe in readiness.

Haseid hawks and spits, knocking an arrow and letting fly two shafts in quick succession, one striking home for 6 damage. His dogs growl and pace, waiting for his command.

Even as blood seeps from the minor wounds inflicted on the hydra its scaly hide regenerates before your eyes, its strange biology healing the wounds as if they never happened! With prey in abundance its heads each lash out, striking at the nearest target, Tigga. The great cat dodges several strikes but fang-filled maws gash its hide for 8, 2, 6 & 9 damage.

Hydra save vs Dacre lightning DC15 (1d20+6)[21]

Haseid rapid shot
longbow (1d20+6)[17] damage (1d8+1)[6]
longbow (1d20+6)[13] damage (1d8+1)[9]

Hydra vs Tigga (all less DR)
bite (1d20+10)[24] damage (1d10+4)[13]
bite (1d20+10)[13] damage (1d10+4)[8]
bite (1d20+10)[13] damage (1d10+4)[14]
bite (1d20+10)[14] damage (1d10+4)[7]
bite (1d20+10)[20] damage (1d10+4)[7]
bite (1d20+10)[23] damage (1d10+4)[11]
bite (1d20+10)[19] damage (1d10+4)[14]
https://image.ibb.co/dejkRd/Causeway_1.png
thanks J

Shallow bog (most squares) - x2 movement cost & +2 tumble DC
Deep bog (bordering water) - x4 movement cost, no tumbling
Water - requires swimming
Slick causeway - DC10 Balance to run or charge on it


=> Party

[Jopustopin]

https://image.ibb.co/dejkRd/Causeway_1.png

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

The sound of the hydra's attacks woke her up and for a brief moment she looked around for someone who wasn't there. Finally after watching the hydra tear into her celestial ally she dismounts from her horse and reaches into her spell components pouch for something. With an arcane shout she flings it at the hydra and while nothing seemed to fly through the air, an explosion of gold glitter clouds the air around the hydra's wildly swinging heads covering them with gold, glittering flakes.

"We need fire for this guy, right?" Gadreela shouts as she tries to think through her hangover as to what the creature was capable of.


Delay until top of round 2. You know for convience.
Move: Dismount from horse
Standard: Cast Glitterdust DC 15 will save. Blinded creatures can't take AoO so it might help the cat escape.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Surprised more to not be dead than by the hydra itself, Dacre backs up slowly, using the boon of Focalor to walk on the surface of the marsh.

As he moves, he fires an eldritch blast at the creature.

[roll0] ranged touch
[roll1]

[BelGareth]

Bard was sure they were out of their league, such an awesome monster was too powerful for them, surely?

But then one of his new companions gestured, and a cloud of glittering gold cascaded around the monsters many heads, blinding the thing, perhaps they could deal with it yet?

He bounded across the swampy water, letting loose some more shots.



Swift: Activates Travel devotion (moves to R9)
Full Attack: Rapid Shot

[roll0]
[roll1] & [roll2] & 1 fire damage

[roll3]
[roll4] & [roll5] & 1 fire damage

Bard
AC: 21, 23 vs ranged
HP's: 32/32

[RCgothic]

Alison

"Tigga!" Allison cries, seeing her friend get mauled. She finishes summoning crocodiles and begins another summoning spell.

Tigga yowls plaintifly after being savaged from the hydra, and withdraws from the cart into the swamp.


[roll0] crocodiles placed to flank.

Crocodile attacks delete as necessary
Bite [roll1][roll2] +2 if she gets more than 1 to flank.
Bite [roll3][roll4] +2 if she gets more than 1 to flank.
Bite [roll5][roll6] +2 of she gets more than 1 to flank.

Snake's Swiftness -> SNA2

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai swung his giant axe and grinned. "Nothing left but to get started!” The plainsman charges the giant beast, hoping to avoid strikes and save the cat from death.
advance to attack, and hope it’s blind. KS devotion in effect
[roll0], [roll1]
Status
AC 14 (19 vs AOO; 15 vs all else) (FF 12, Touch 10) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +5 W +4 / Initiative +1 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; identify, identify, enlarge person
Effects: enlarged (+2 str, reach, -2 Dex, -1 Att/ac)

[Ghostfoot]

A roiling cloud of shimmering gold bursts into being about the heads of the hydra <poof>. The great creature roars thunderously and shakes it's many heads about, flailing wildly as the magical dust blinds it.

Backing up through the bog Dacre blasts at the massive beast, his eldritch energy slamming into it for 7 damage. Bard fires, his shots thunking harmlessly off the hydra's tough hide.

Alison draws on the magic of nature, fearsome crocodiles responding to her summons. The river predators swarm about the hydra snapping and tearing at it for 14 & 9 damage. Temur-Dai sloshes forward to join the melee, as the hydra thrashing amid the crocodiles he swings his axe solidly striking for 13 damage.

Haseid whistles a short command to his dogs, but the animals are in no mood to engage such a fearsome beast. They growl and bark, remaining near him. Cursing he raises his bow and fires again, arrows flying true for 9 & 8 damage.

Bleeding and blind the hydra's instincts tell it that this is not the easy prey it was used to. Even as it's wounds start to heal over it retreats, sliding back down into the deeper part of the river away from the stinging attacks.

Haseid rapid shot
longbow (1d20+6)[22] damage (1d8+1)[9]
longbow (1d20+6)[22] damage (1d8+1)[8]

Handle animal DC25 (1d20+5)[10] fail

Hydra - full-round withdraw from combat
Crocodiles get Attack of Opportunity each
After the AoO's are resolved the hydra will be fully submerged.

=> Party

[redzimmer]

Dacre

Marking the last point he saw it on the surface, Dacre calls the lightning of Focalor down into the water.

[roll0] ref half DC 15

[RCgothic]

Tigga slinks back to Alison the moment she's clear of the hydra, mewling from her injuries. Alison drops another crocodile into the water, which tears into the retreating hydra.


Crocodile AoOs (all flanking)
Bite [roll0][roll1]
Bite [roll2][roll3]

Crocodile attacks:
Bite [roll4][roll5]
Bite [roll6][roll7]
Bite [roll8][roll9]

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai chuckled as the beast moved backwards. "Don leave now, Beast ... we have more axes to bury.” He tried to pursue without hitting the deeper water.
Advance and attack, unless it would go into deep water
[roll0], [roll1]
Status
AC 14 (19 vs AOO; 15 vs all else) (FF 12, Touch 10) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +5 W +4 / Initiative +1 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; identify, identify, enlarge person
Effects: enlarged (+2 str, reach, -2 Dex, -1 Att/ac)

[Jopustopin]

Gadella

The wizard groans when she see's the beast flee and starts cursing in Shaaran. But she sways a little bit and leans against her horse before taking a drink from her waterskin.

"Don't waste your time, let's get out of here before it can see again" she shouts.

[BelGareth]

Nodding and hearing his companions words, Bard bounds, skips and jumps out of the marsh and back to the causeway.

"Well that was a lively distraction, I'm wellglad to be traveling with everyone here" he says earnestly, "Shall we move on?"

As he passes Dacre, he slaps him on the back "You stayed up for that one, you're getting better!" with a grin as he turns to lead the group across the rest of the way.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

A wry smile (or the best approximation his Hellish mien allows) is Dacre’s only reply. He had so often been near death in his “second life” that he thought the Styx ferryman owed him a discount.

[Ghostfoot]

Lightning bolts blast down as Temur-Dai leaps forward to swing his axe at the retreating beast. With harrying attacks driving it onward the hydra collapses back into the deeper water of the bog, the occasional ripple or surge showing where the summoned crocodiles continue to harass it below the surface.

After a few moments there is no further sign of disturbance the creature evidently retreated into a dark mud lair or settled on the bottom a corpse to feed the lucky eels and fishes.

"That one was a beauty! It's been some time since I've seen a specimen of that size. Looks like it made a meal of those stinkin' hobos." Haseid says as he moves among the wreckage of the caravan kicking over an occasional half-eaten hobgoblin corpse, his dogs snuffling about in the muck sniffing at the bodies.

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

The shaaran wizard notices the caravan for what seems like the first time and makes a curious face and reconsiders getting on her horse. She approaches the caravan herself and begins searching it for any coin or valuables.

[Ghostfoot]

Searching carefully through the wreckage of the caravan Gadreela observes it appears to have been carrying supplies - foodstuffs and weaponry. The food is all spoiled with swampwater but some of the armour & weapons strewn about may be salvageable.


heavy steel shields
arrows
MW breastplate x3
MW banded mail x1
MW longsword x3

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

"Hey Dacre, anything magical here?" Gadreela asks with disinterest.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

With his hellish senses, Dacre sweeps over the hobgoblin equipment for the telltale spark of the arcane.

Search [roll0]

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai almost pouted as the hydra fled before the group. However, he knew better than to continue the chase - drowning was not very heroic. Returning to the others, he added in the search for the duration of his spell, using his size and strength to pull the wagon free if necessary. Once they were done, Tenur-dai nodded at the assembled weapons and armor . "This may serve the fight ahead. We should let others know about it. ”
Are we letting cantrips and orisons be limitless like Pathfinder?
Status
AC 14 (19 vs AOO; 15 vs all else) (FF 12, Touch 10) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +5 W +4 / Initiative +1 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; identify, identify, enlarge person
Effects: enlarged (+2 str, reach, -2 Dex, -1 Att/ac)

[Ghostfoot]

The fine suits of hobgoblin armour all radiate faint magic to Dacre's senses, but with only a quick inspection he's unable to determine the nature of the magic.

spellcraft DC?
MW breastplate (1d20+1)[10]
MW breastplate (1d20+1)[13]
MW breastplate (1d20+1)[10]
MW banded mail (1d20+1)[6]

[Ghostfoot]

Dacre

“Magic, yes. The armour radiates something. I cannot guess it’s nature however,” says Dacre.

“These goblins are definitely a step up from the usual Iron Era savages.”

[RCgothic]

Alison

With everyone else focussed on the cart, Alison tends to Tigga's wounds with a couple of castings of Lesser Vigor from her wand. Tigga mopes, unhappy to have been the victim of the hydra unsupported.

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

Gadreela picks up the armor and ties them to her horse, along with her backpack.

"Alright, let's continue. Gadreela says with a little more alertness to her voice than earlier.

[BelGareth]

Bard looks back and nods at Temur-dai's suggestion, "Indeed, these will help the local militia greatly, if these goblinoids dare to raid further towards the village, it would be a great boon for them."

[Ghostfoot]

"Aye, anything to give those softies in village a fighting chance. A sword's a might different to a plough though" says Haseid skeptically as you set off once more, the recovered armaments carefully stowed.

Traversing the remainder of the causeway you continue into the humid, dark forest dogs padding quietly about the horses and walkers. After a couple more hours travel the sun is starting to sink low to the horizon. "There, that's it, Vraath Keep. A cursed place if ever there was." Looming out of the shadowy woods ahead is a haunting sight - a ruined keep. The old castle sits on a small rocky hillock, and you can catch glances of a broken tower amid the trees. A moss covered stone at the side of the road you're on marks a path that looks like it leads up to the keep about half a mile away.

https://images2.imgbox.com/3b/e9/fgSq8B18_o.jpg

VK = Vraath Keep
X = Haseid Basha's home
Knowledge (local/ history) DC 10
Gadreela (1d20+4)[23]
Temur-Dai (1d20+2)[6]

Gadreela vaguely recalls stories of long long ago (~200 years) and how the inhabitants of Vraath Keep were slain and eaten to a man by Twistusk giants after an initially successful, although ultimately short-lived, attempt to drive the giants and other evils from the Shaareach Forest.

[RCgothic]

Alison

"How do you guys want to play this?" Alison asks as Tigga crouches in the undergrowth, surveying the keep with a swishing tail.

[BelGareth]

Bard eyes the castle, "That'd be a good spot to hold up if I were going to raid the surrounding area, if so, probably a fair amount in there. I'd say best course of action is to scout it out, see the numbers, patrols and who and what is in there. Then, we can ambush any patrols, hit and run, and reduce their numbers, no sense in storming a place like that, not knowing whats in there."

[Jopustopin]

Gadrella

"Or..." Gadrella says boisterously, and clearly without much of that sense Bard was talking about, "I can cast haste now, and we can start kicking down doors and slaughtering them before they can put their pants on."

[BelGareth]

Bard looks at her, mouth open, "did you hear a word I said?"

[Jopustopin]

Gadrella

"You want to wait around for one of us to die of old age before doing anything." Gadreela says, "Goblin's sleep during the day. That's why they see so well at night. Let's just rush em'. I'm hoping they have something to drink in there, some hair of the dog for this hangover."

She looks at Bard for a second before adding, "Alright, alright. Scout. I'll take a nap for an hour or so."

[redzimmer]

Dacre

“A reconnoiter before charging in madly would be best. However, I am... not stealthy,” Dacre said, a bit of hinted chagrin in his tone.

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai laughed at Gadreela’s comments. "I love your enthusiasm, Sister, but I think we have a better chance at total victory with some recon. Makes the slaughter more certain. And you may get lucky and we could get caught!

Which is a possibility with me helping!”
Let’s do this!
Status
AC 14 (19 vs AOO; 15 vs all else) (FF 12, Touch 10) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +5 W +4 / Initiative +1 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; identify, identify, enlarge person
Effects: none

[Ghostfoot]

Bard moves forward stealthily, creeping alongside the path. It's a 5-minute hike up towards the ruined keep, but it takes him more like 15 minutes due to his care. On the way he takes the opportunity to check for signs of passing. Numerous humanoid boot prints are visible in the dirt path along with prints from several large clawed wolf-like beasts, surely more of the patrols encountered previously.

Scouting closer he observes the keep itself. The old structure is in very poor repair. The gatehouse is partially collapsed, as is a section of wall to the south. A small wooden shack sits next to the remains of a long-abandoned weed-choked garden in front of the keep. The walls surrounding the keep are about fifteen feet high, with a two-storey tower looming in the southwest corner of the courtyard within. Large boulders lie strewn amid the ruins of the gatehouse towers, and a giant-sized humanoid skeleton slumps amid the ruins of the northern one. The rotted remains of two sets of large wooden gates lie in a heap on the ground in the entranceway.

A thin plume of smoke rises from within the ground floor of the keep, near the base of the southwest tower.

https://images2.imgbox.com/2c/17/NLKAVHiz_o.png
Spot DC10
Bard (1d20+9)[26]

Survival DC10
Bard (1d20+8)[27]

[redzimmer]

Dacre

With a flick of the wrist, Dacre readies his summon monster I wand for a quick distraction - if needed.

[BelGareth]

Bard settles in, after seeing the tracks, and with Gadreela napping, he's hoping to catch some movement of the castle, he had some information, but not a whole lot, that hut looked interesting, but he knew patience was a virtue.


Stay put and observe for about an hour

[Ghostfoot]

Bard settles in to observe. As dusk falls and darkness settles over the surrounding forest you wait and watch. Occasional muffled shouting and barking is faintly heard from deep within the fort but nothing he can clearly make out, and there are no signs of sentries or patrols.

With the darkness deepening an eerie flickering greenish-yellow light is visible through the windows and shattered walls of the ruined second storey tower in the southwest corner.

Bard (1d20+9)[14]

[BelGareth]

Seeing the strange light, and no forthcoming patrols, he sighs, it was what it was. The barking sounds didn't bode well however.

He moved as silently as he could back to the group, coo-cooing like a night-owl when he though he was close as they discussed before he left.

Once back, he explains what he saw, including the eery light, and the sounds.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[RCgothic]

Alison

"So what do we reckon? Straight in?" Alison asks the group.

[BelGareth]

"I don't like the sound of those dogs....or wolves, or whatever they were...Maybe we draw them out, use the forest to our advantage?"

[Jopustopin]

Gadreela

Snoring quietly the young wizard continues her (very long at this point) nap.

[RCgothic]

"I don't like the sound of those dogs....or wolves, or whatever they were...Maybe we draw them out, use the forest to our advantage?"

"That's a good plan. I think we'd be good at that," Alison comments after sharing a momentary glance with Tigga.

[BelGareth]

Bard nods, smiling, "Ok, we'll pick out a spot to ambush them, away from the fort, and then I'll draw them out and run like hell, once they're in the kill zone, you guys hit em with all you got. A good spell that entangles might do great, we move behind them and the fort, we pick off who we can, then retreat?" he starts making a crude map of the area, and with Haseid's help, chooses a good spot for an ambush.

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"I can summon small creatures to aid the charade. Where would you like them?"

Dacre points to his summoning wand in case his Vaasan accent made him indecipherable.

[BelGareth]

Thinking for a moment "Maybe they would be a better distraction? Can any of them fly? I'm not sure how much faster I am than a pack of dogs, if at all."

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"I could conjure up some heavenly owls or hell crows, whatever your philosophy prefers."

[BelGareth]

Bard thinks, owls weren't terribly known to be 'annoying creatures' or 'dangerous foes' that the goblinoids would follow if seen.

"Those a good, but anything that the goblins will follow? Maybe a stag or something? They might be hungry." he shrugs his shoulders, "Else, I guess I'll yell at them, and run like the wind, if we pick a good path before hand, I should be able to run full out."

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"Hmmm... well I could make a dog-sized rat, or a beetle about the size of a horse?"

[BelGareth]

"That's good, do we have anything to get their attention to it? Maybe a horn, or a spell?"

[Starbin]

Temur-dai

Temur-dai nodded at the ambush idea. "Agreed that we draw them out. Hopefully whatever animal you summon will attract the dogs. Unfortunately Inhave no horn. But I’ll be ready to smash our foes!

When do you want to wake up our dear Sister?”
TD is ready to wreck some hobs!
Status
AC 14 (19 vs AOO; 15 vs all else) (FF 12, Touch 10) / HPs: 38
F +5 R +5 W +4 / Initiative +1 / Move 30'
Whirling Frenzy 1/1; Str Domain 1/1; Turn undead 4/4
Spot/Listen/Search +5; KS A/P/R +5 (H/D +3); Ride +12
Spells (3 / 2+1) detect magic, create water, mending; identify, identify, enlarge person
Effects: none

[redzimmer]

Dacre

"I can bring for a giant beetle from the Seven Heavens. When you are ready..."

Dacre readies the wand to summon a celestial giant fire beetle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/celestialCreature.htm).

[BelGareth]

"OK then, let's get into our places, and we'll see if we can get their attention."