Tychris' Tomb of Annihilation IC

[Tychris1]

The Midst of Combat

Peeking over the side of the bar, Aazon spotted his prize, and made for it. Gracefully flipping over the side of the bar, he landed into a fluid roll, sprang off his hired goon, and whipped around the ensuing melee with blinding speed. Sliding into position, he flicked his head back to line up a shot, and unloaded a deadly accurate bolt. It whizzed through the air, piercing Srirak's scaly back, and toppling the heavy lizard priest. He scooped his gladius down to expertly retrieve the map, or atleast what should have be an expert manuever of swordsmanship, but instead only revealed a conniving illusion. Leveling his gladius at Aleandrae he growled.

"I'll gut you devil wench! Give me that map!"

Spoiler: Damage

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Srirak is critically struck by the crossbow bolt, taking 20 damage.

Lyndal Fireheart and Azaka Stormfang go next

[Tychris1]

More Violence!

"If you don't hand that map over right now I'm going to make this very uncomf-" Was all Aazon got before Lyndal Fireheart found her proper footing. Concentrating the burning arcana in her she let loose an explosion of flame, the faint echoes of a dragons roar amidst the crackling, and the smoke was pierced by a singular orb of fire streaking forward. It sideswiped Aazon's face, missing the bulk of his head, but brutally melting all of his facial features and revealing a wet skull underneath that rapidly fell over onto Bean's fake map.

The thugs paused briefly at the horrid sight, but were snapped back to reality by Azaka's feral warcry. The scarred woman rushed forward and dropped her longbow, brandishing a scimitar that sliced over the knee of the goliath brute.

"Aaaaaaay stop that!" He whined deeply as he shoved her back.

The smaller chultan ruffians rushed to aid their larger mates, though two of them looked foolish bumping into each other after a swift sidestep by Darion, and the third quickly abandoned his scavenged crossbow to tie up Lyndal in the encroaching melee. But not before letting loose another bolt in the opposite leg of the tiefling.

Spoiler: Damage!

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Aazon dies from Lyndal's Chromatic Orb for 15 fire damage!

A ruffian shoots Aleandrae for 5 piercing damage!

Everyone else, get!

[Jade_Tarem]

Everyone was screaming, people were dying, faces were melting, and the map was loose and rolling around on the floor! Plus, Srirak was down, and Secret definitely needed to fix that. Sprinting out from behind cover, Secret bounced right over the map and undid her cloak, letting it fall on top of it. She did not notice - did not even look back to see - that it was an illusion. While she was still fully dressed underneath, in her jungle trekking attire, her head was now bare, as were her arms from her shoulders down to mid forearm, where her gloves began. Even then, she yanked off the heavier winter hand coverings, appropriate to waterdeep, to expose thinner, fingerless ones that would allow for better breathing and grip.

The now obvious dark elf also began a spell as she moved, racing past Aleandrae. "(Celestial) {Take the spell, embrace the light...}" Light gathered in her hand and pulsed briefly from her violet eyes as she began to invoke the divine power of Lathander. Hooking a hard left north of the downed lizardman, she slid to a halt next to him. "{...praise the sun, and make this right!}" She slapped her hand down on his scaly shoulder and discharge of power forced life back into the bleeding Srirak.

Spoiler: OOC

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Cure Light Wounds: (1d8+2)[4]

[zabbarot]

Pain and relief washed over Srirak in turns. Somedays he felt too alive. He lashed out and snapped at the big man who struck him moments before. Adrenalin surged and he lashed out again this time with divine fury.

[TheDarkDM]

Siward

The granite blow across his face stilled Siward's laughter. Shaking his head to clear it, he roared a challenge against the goliath before him and sent his shield whistling towards the warrior's groin.

Spoiler: OOC

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Now Siward rages.

Shield Bash: (1d20+5)[18]

Shield Bash Advantage: (1d20+5)[17]

Sword Slash: (1d20+5)[18]

Sword Slash Advantage (?): (1d20+5)[14]

Damage: (1d8+5)[12]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Bean giggled as Aazon went for the illusory map, then squealed in horror as his face melted. But the hired goons still seemed intent on finishing the job, even with Aazon's death. She looked around the chaotic room, trying to figure out the best way to use her magic. Biting her lip, she threw out some sand, catching Lyndal in the radius of a magical sleep spell.
"Sorry!" she called out, hoping her ally would be spared.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Sleeping: (5d8)[21] hp worth of things.

[Tychris1]

The Midst of Combat

Falling backwards, the Goliath Brute yowled in pain as he narrowly dodged a bolt sent from Jack that went wide, and quickly refound his footing to bash past Siward's shields. Where before his mighty blow was like the axeman to the wood, these were a series of lighter testing taps, and were all but naught in the face of Siward's northward-borne rage. His compatriot, less inconvenienced then him, brought his blunt instrument squarely against Darion's thigh.

Spoiler: Damage!

Show

Jack shoots and misses.

Siward takes 2 and then 1 bludgeoning damage (adjusted already for resistance)

Darion takes 4 Bludgeoning damage

[Othniel]

Aleandrae

Dodging a bit closer to Bean, Aleandrae shot another arrow, this time at one of the big guys next to Darion. "Stab the big one!" she shouted, hoping that he would do just that.

Spoiler: OOC

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Move east 2 squares and shoot the dude to the east of Darion.
Attack: (1d20+4)[24]
Damage: (1d6+2)[5]

Inspiration die to Darion.

[Nefarion Xid]

The thief finally got a second knife out in the chaos and did as encouraged. He was an artist who only painted with one color mildly competent dude who stabbed another dude.

Spoiler: Stabba stab

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(1d20+6)[8]
(1d4+4)[7]

(1d20+6)[24] off hand
(1d4)[1]

(1d6)[2] Sneak attack. Apply me to the first hit.

If he drops the big thug with the first attack, he'll stab someone else with the other.

[PepperP.]

Lyndal

Seeing her friend out of immediate danger but feeling magically depleted, Lyndal backed away from the sleeping thug that had menaced her and let loose a caustic blast of acid at two of the goons that remained.

Spoiler: ooc

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Acid splash at the goons next to Darion and Srirak. (Save DC, 13 DEX)
Damage
(1d6)[6]

[Tychris1]

The Midst of Combat

Azaka continued to hack away at the goliath, his head sagging as he struggled to stand against the two pressing assailants, and she moved to nix any feasible chance of escape. Siward's bluster left him susceptible to a southern attack but the slight gash along his arm only seemed to add to the bloody intimidation.

Awakened by the violent castings of Lyndal's magic, the previously asleep Chultan man howled in pain as his skin sizzled, and he wildly flailed around with his scimitar slashing across Secret's stomach in a grand sweep. The larger brute maintained his composure but was fast eyeing the door.

Spoiler: Damage

Show

Siward takes 1 slashing damage (after reduction)

Secret takes 7 slashing damage.

[TheDarkDM]

Siward

Emboldened by his bloodrage and the success of Azaka, Siward continued to hack at the goliath. Spinning his blade in a distracting flurry, he thrust his shield into an uppercut along the steel rim before bringing the sword crashing down.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Shield Bash: (1d20+5)[6]

Shield Bash Advantage: (1d20+5)[18]

Attack: (1d20+5)[9]

Attack Advantage: (1d20+5)[6]

Damage: (1d8+5)[8]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Bean continued to watch in mixed fascination and horror as the fight continued. She gasped as Secret crumpled to the floor.
"Oh no! Secret! Leave her alone!"

She grabbed her crossbow, which she still kept loaded even after her incident at Gertrude's house. Tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth, she worked the crank and pointed it vaguely in the direction of the goon menacing the drow, trying to emulate Jack as best she could. Even as she pulled the trigger, the recoil gave her a shock, knocking her down on her bottom with an "Oh!" as the quarrel went hurtling across the room.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Bean will fire her crossbow at the injured goon next to Secret and Srirak.
Attack: (1d20+5)[7]
Damage: (1d8+3)[10]

[Tychris1]

The Midst of Combat

Jack still surfing aboard her rickety wooden table shot at the hulking brute just as Bean accidentally fired off, their two shots colliding and sending them flying off into their targets to deadly effect. Bean accidentally skewering the Chultan man's brain and Jack puncturing several intestines in the six and a half foot tall chultan thug. Seizing the man's seizures of pain as an opportunity Srirak lunged forward and further buried his curved blade in the mans guts. The chultan slab of meat and his goliath partner shared a glance before quickly shoving everyone around them out of the way and rushing towards the door.

[Nefarion Xid]

Darion stabbed the last man between him and Siward, then whirled around to release a flying dagger at the bigger thug who had backed off.

Spoiler

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(1d20+6)[17]
(1d4+4)[7]

(1d20+6)[11]
(1d4)[1]

(1d6)[4] sneak attack to first hit

Having dispatched the last man near him, Darion tore off after the fleeing Goliath. "Your boss got my own blood on my shirt. I'd like to discuss compensation for my laundry bill!"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Huge tears welling in her eyes, Bean rushed up to Secret, already shoving a menga leaf into her mouth. Quickly chewing it, she put her lips to Secret's mouth and fed her the resulting plant mush, revitalizing her with the strange... menga... juices contained within... ? (...?)

She then backed away in horror from the body of the man she had killed, clapping her hands around her mouth and shaking hysterically.

[Tychris1]

Kaya's House of Respite

As Lyndal cut off the fleeing Goliath his face of surprise was followed swiftly with a cut off shriek as fire engulfed his form. Azaka, incensed by what she was seeing, smeared the blood of her fallen Chultan kin on her face, and leapt out the door raking the massive man's spine free with her sickle blade. Standing outside in the downpouring rain, Darion and Azaka were swiftly washed of the blood of combat, and stood panting from the display.

"..... That one owed me money."

"We will reap our harvest yet."

Spoiler: Loot!

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1 Hand Crossbow
1 Shortsword
2 Clubs
6 Scimitars
6 Light Crossbows
80 Bolts!
8 Leather armor

90 GP in assorted gems and coins! (Mostly from Aazon)

[Jade_Tarem]

Secret woke up very confused. The last thing she remembered was blacking out when the agony from a mortal injury hit her. Now it was hot, she was in pain, there was blood everywhere, and a gnome was spitting weird juices into her mouth. Oh no, she thought, horrified. It's just like Dawnbringer Aria said! I went to Hell for being a drow. Oh Lathander, I'm so sorry that... wait...

It slowly dawned on her that, disgusting though the room had become, she was back in Chult. She wasn't dead! Wincing, she staggered to her feet. "O-okay, that escalated quickly." She shrugged to try to adjust her cloak... only to realize it was missing. It was missing! She'd dropped it in the fight to cover the map. Racing back over to it, she lifted it... only to see the map slide through it. Secret let out a mental sigh, before turning to face the room. "Alright, so, n-now you know. I can see myself out if this is going to be a problem..." She started edging toward the door.

[Nefarion Xid]

"I don't care about that. We've got bigger problems," Darion took a moment to think of another drow related pun, "... damn it, I had something for this. Look, I'm not up for stabbing my way through the entire hired army of whoever you girls pissed off, so we need to blow this place."

After retrieving his daggers and a few pockets of loot, he threw up his hood and exited out the back.

[Othniel]

Aleandrae

"Stay put, kid," Aleandrae barked at the Drow girl. "We need to drag those bodies in out of the street and get out of town as soon as possible. If word gets out that we killed a Merchant Prince's man, I imagine we'll all have prices on our heads. Besides, you're in no shape to go anywhere on your own." The bard patted her backpack (inside which was a case containing the real map). "I was afraid Jobal would send goons after this. Best if we disappear into the jungle. Hope everyone has what they need because we have zero minutes left for shopping!"

[PepperP.]

Lyndal

The spirits that were lifted by their victory were quickly dampened with Bean's tears. The half-elf moved to kneel besides the little woman and wrapped her arms around her, rocking her gently in comfort.

"It's going to be ok, little Bean. It was my first time, too." She continued to rock the gnome soothingly but her mind was distracted. It had been her first time to best an adversary, but she had not been filled with horror at taking a life, only joy that she and her companions had lived. She wondered if this was a moral failing. Secret's rise from death's door presented her another dilemma. The sight of her filled her with the vague dread of her childhood boogeyman, but yet the Drow had fought and fallen besides them.

"I don't see how we could send you away after all that." Her tone was sincere if not enthusiastic as she continued to hold Bean in her arms.

[Tychris1]

Kaya's House of Respite

Azaka began systematically going through the bodies alongside Darion, further maiming any recognizable features of Aazon in the process, and looked up curiously at the injured Drow girl's self doubts. She stood at full attention, dropping a charred corpse onto the ground to approach the divine sorceress, and looked down at her intently.

"In my line of work, I judge nothing by the surface. Nothing." She warmly gruffed

Returning to her duties, she glanced at Bean and Lyndal "Find your steel now, it will do you no good to falter in the jungle. It will bend you. Test you. Best not break."

[Jade_Tarem]

Secret would have been more enthralled by the acceptance - driven by necessity or not - but the circumstances ruined it. Still, she would take what she could get. Aleandrae had a point, though - she needed to recover more. Repeating her chant from before, she patched her own injury further, then set about gathering her equipment. The cloak she would wear only until they got out of town.

Spoiler: OOC

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CLW the second: (1d8+2)[4]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Bean sat there in silence, her eyes glazed over, as Lyndal rocked her in her arms. It was a surprisingly intimate gesture from the woman, but Azaka's words got through to her. She wiped off her eyes with the backs of her hands, and grabbed a few crossbow bolts to replace the ones she had lost.

"I'm okay... it was all so sudden! Oh, I hope that poor man rests in peace. Everyone that died here, really... truly. All of this for a map...

I'm ready to go. It seems our adventure has truly begun!"

As she pulled up her hood in preparation for the rain, the gnome looked at Secret, wide eyes full of wonder.
"Secret... you're so pretty!"

[TheDarkDM]

Siward

As the last enemy fell, the feral urgency in Siward's eyes faded. Confident that the rest of the party could care for the wounded with more skill than he possessed, he seized the shirt of one of their fallen foes and wiped his sword blade clean. He was moving slowly, as though burdened by a great weight, but he straightened at Aleandrae's concern.

"You should not concern yourself too much over retribution for the dead, Aleandrae. No doubt a price hangs over our heads already, as insurance should this ambush fail."

He moved his sword absentmindedly in a half circle around himself as he approached the corpse of Aazon.

"Had the lackey lived, we might have divined some leverage to turn against the Merchant Prince. Ah well. No use crying over it now. And regardless, an enemy felled is worthy of celebration."

Without warning, his sword whistled down to split Aazon's breastbone. Anchoring his sword in the wooden floorboards, Siward reached into the corpse's chest and ripped free the heart.

"To our first victory as a company!"

He bit into the heart, tearing free a chunk of still-warm muscle and releasing a shower of blood over his beard. He swallowed with a smile, before extending his arm out towards the rest of the party.

"Would anyone care to join me? Alas that I don't have time to find any spiders to sprinkle atop it, Secret. I'll keep a weather eye when we enter the jungle."

[Jade_Tarem]

There were so many firsts today! Secret simply stared at Bean for a good fifteen seconds before it occurred to her that she was supposed to say something. "Th...t...Thank you? Thank you!" The words sounded alien to her. She'd never gotten a compliment about her appearance before.

Then what Siward was saying registered, and she was too confused to be offended. On top of that, she wasn't sure that he was wrong about Drow culture, given that she barely knew anything about it herself. She did know that she didn't want to eat any spiders, though. "Oh! There's no need for that, Siward. Besides, I could never eat a spider. They're too cute!"

[PepperP.]

Lyndal

Lyndal gave Siward a wide-eyed blink from her position next to Bean on the floor.

"That's very kind of you to share, but I'm afraid I'm not hungry at the moment." She gave the towering barbarian a faint smile and turned to Aleandrae to give her friend her best wtf face. As her perspective shifted, she spied Srirak harvesting the flesh of yet another of the thugs and she got busy patting Bean on the back gently.

"That's it, good for you Little Bean." She spoke in encouraging tones even as the gnome's praise of Secret sank in. Her eyes went to the Drow once again, and though she still saw her visage as unsettling, it was no more so than Siward's presently as it was covered with the gore of a human heart, or Srirak's as he set to his own gory task.

"I can clean up the mess while others drag the... ah... bodies away."

[Othniel]

Aleandrae

The Bard was about to reply to Siward when the warrior cut into Aazon's chest. She blenched slightly at the butchery, but when he ripped out the heart and took a bite, that was the tipping point. Bile rose up within her stomach, and she turned to the side to vomit. When she was done, she wiped her mouth (and prestidigitated herself clean) and smiled weakly. "Ah, no. Thank you. I don't eat...that. Human. I don't eat human." She paused to force down another gag reflex. "Or gnome, drow, lizardfolk, or anything sapient! In the future, I would prefer it if you didn't do that in front of me again, or at least give me warning!" Aleandrae shuddered with revulsion as she turned back to the rest of the group. "Can we go now?"

[zabbarot]

As the battle ended Srirak dragged one of the bodies behind an overturned table and set to work refreshing his rations. He honestly expected to be asked to stop, but Siward surprised him by offering him a bite of the fallen leader's heart. There is great power in this. Also Srirak was not one to turn down a snack.

"You honor me Bloody Beard."

[Tychris1]

Kaya's House of Respite

Azaka nodded her head in approval as Siward offered out the heart, but wrinkled her nose slightly when offered to her in specific, and politely extended her palm against it "I appreciate the gesture but.... but no. Under different circumstances perhaps." Pulling her arrows out of the pincushioned man she examined the broken one briefly while Srirak asked her of the vision he had paid for.

".... Snakes? Vine city? No, it doesn't sound very familiar. But I do know someone, an acquaintance of mine, that would probably know more on the subject. Saja N'baza, a wise and powerful serpent sage who lives in the ruins of Orolunga. I would gladly lead you there."