The Madness of Men in a World of Monsters (D&D 5e IC)

[Awful]

Selissa's second arrow was entirely unnecessary, as the werewolf was utterly destroyed by the barrage of attacks that ended its life.
She stalked forward and dragged the were's corpse out of sight of the cave entrance into the undergrowth, retrieving her arrow as she did so. There was nothing she could do about the blood splattered on the grass, but at least a casual glance out the cave might cause curiousity at the absence of the sentry rather than out-and-out alarm before she returned to the others.

"Would there be enough smoke to cause trails? Would see any other entrances if so."

[purepolarpanzer]

In the Depths of the Hartswood

Milo joins Selissa in pulling as many of his bolts from the corpse as he can. Silver isn't cheap. That done, he looks at the cave entrance, a craggy hole around nine feet tall and eleven feet wide. "Weres come smart and dumb, but no were is dumb enough to put themselves in a hole with only one exit. Not sure where it is, but if we could cover that too we might be able to flush them. It's a dangerous tactic, though. All of them will come out of one exit, and we'd have to cover both, dividing our strength. Weres generally sleep till sunset, and that's coming any time now, so if we want to catch them with their pants down we have to move quick. Doubtful that the smoke will weaken them much. They'll smell it too quick for it to poison them much." He raises a hand and leans towards the mouth of the cave, listening with complete focus. "No sounds yet. We have time, but not much."

[Ramsus]

Birel Amastacia High Elf Wizard AC: 13/16 HP: 20/20 PP: 13 PIv: 13 PIs: 11 Conditions: Mage Armor Concentration: -- "Perhaps we'd be better off sneaking in and trying to at least kill another one in their sleep?" Birel suggests.

[Amnestic]

It had been a long shot. Disappointing but not surprising. He'd still get to set something on fire tonight, he'd make sure of that "We could certainly try another sneak attack, but if they can smell smoke we'd have to forgo torches, which would make it..." Vargath eyes the humans of the group, "difficult for some." He tried to say it without it sounding judgemental. "I don't see a group sneak attack working, so three approaches I can think of. Or, two really, but one with a slight adjustment. One is that we stay up here in the light, make some noise, get their attention and bait them to us where we can fight them on our terms up here, with a possible addendum is Selissa sneaks down - alone - to see what she can do, maybe injure one before dashing back to us. Second is that we all go down as a group and hope they're not all together at the same time in the dark." He'd prefer to fight in the light of course. Even if he could see in the dark, there was so much that could go wrong. A torch goes out, a missed step near some watersource, a full on cave-in. Even if they didn't get all of them topside, they could always cave-dive afterwards to mop up the rest.

[Awful]

Selissa nodded thoughtfully.
"Could do. Go in, hurt them, lure them out. Faster than you. Enough can do it, probably."

[Riggdgames]

Set Al-Sayyid Changeling Fighter/Hexblade AC: 17 HP: 27/27 PP: 11 PIv: 12 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- If the Mighty wished to fight in the light of day, Set couldn't blame him. Going down into the depths of the cave meant going where the wolves' were strong and where we would only be weaker. Still. They'd just had proof of how powerful surprising them could be. And if any of the Three went down there, could Set stand by and wait up here? Subconsciously Set's fingers dip into his pouch and grasp the coin for reassurance as he tries to think through their options. If Sirus were here, surely he'd go charging down there and skewer one Were after another without a second thought, wouldn't he? Or would he wait here and prepare to ambush them? Pulling out the coin, Set isn't fully aware of just how badly he wants the choice taken away from him. To have Sirus here once more to take all the responsibility on his head. But Sirus wasn't here. Set flips the coin into the air and then stares down at it in silence for a few moments before looking back up at the others. "If anyone goes down into that hole," Set says, glancing at Evergreen, "I will follow with torch and spear. Far enough back," he clarified, "so that none may smell smoke or catch sight of flame, but close enough to aid in whatever follows after those first moments." Looking between the Three, Set explains, "I have fought with torch and spear before. It is not too great a burden for me."

[Awful]

For a long moment, Selissa stared into the mouth of cave, motionless and silent. Slowly, she reached her flesh hand over and wrapped it around the forearm of her wooden limb, and briefly squeezed it, feeling the roughness of the bark under her palm. Her green eyes shut, and languidly opened, but there was a new sharpness to them when they did.

"Fine. Quick and quiet," Selissa said shortly, and without further words, disappeared into the cave, flitting between shadows and arrow nocked ready to draw.

Perhaps this was foolishness, but she trusted her speed and stealth to see her through. The wolves didn't know they were coming. The unaware prey was always the first to feel the sting of the arrow.

Hopefully, once she had been swallowed by the cave, she was still the predator.

[purepolarpanzer]

In the Depths of the Hartswood

"Stay more than thirty feet away. As long as the breeze is against your face and not your back that should keep them unaware of you." Milo claps Set on the back as Selissa and the changeling enter the cave with plenty of space between them.

The cave entrance is surprisingly long, consisting of a twenty foot tunnel that hitches back on itself before opening up to a larger chamber. Selissa spots her prey readily- a man and a woman, lying naked and intertwined some twenty feet from the tunnel, laying on a bed of animal skins. Her eyes are also sharp enough to note two more beds situated in a rough circle about ten feet away from the sleeping pair, but no one rests upon these skins. As Selissa draws close the man gives a small whimper, face curling into a snarl, but he settles down after a few seconds. The woman, athletic and built like a brick outhouse, sniffs the air and slowly begins to sit up, yawning and looking to the left and right as she rubs at her eyes. "Who's there? Arvad, did you kill some prey while you were supposed to be on watch?" She begins to turn towards the mouth of the cave, but Selissa's reaction speed is enough that she has a few precious seconds to act before she is discovered.

Spoiler: OOC

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One were wolf smelled Selissa, but rolled lower in initiative than our favorite elven rogue. The turn order goes Selissa, then Set, then the werewolf who is awake, then the werewolf who is asleep. We'll roll the others in when the battle goes outside. Murder time, Awful.

[Awful]

Without hesitation, Selissa brought up her bow, and a silver-tipped arrow thrummed out to strike the female werewolf in the chest as she sat up.
"Come die, wolves," Selissa snapped. Her tone wasn't loud, but the icy determination of the hunter to strike down their prey. To the keen senses of the werewolves, it should be enough for a challenge. With a wound like that their blood must be up; they would persue her headlong, eager to rend this interloper with claws and fang and give no mind to strategy.

Or so she hoped.

Swiftly she turned and began to run back down the cave to where she came and her companions waited even as a howl of pain echoed out behind her as the burning silver did its work. Her long legs swifly carried her back down the tunnel and she skidded round the corner to see the cursed human - Set - with his spear.

"Get ready," she said as she passed, not even breathing hard. "Hurt one. Good shot. Now they come."

Spoiler: OOC

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Nat 20 leading to 21 damage on the female werewolf, then heading her full move speed back towards where they came from and bonus cunning action to dash, ending past Set.

[Riggdgames]

Set Al-Sayyid Changeling Fighter/Hexblade AC: 17 HP: 27/27 PP: 11 PIv: 12 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Set's torch burns brightly next to him, but the shadows crawl outward in every direction. Still he waits, silent as a crypt while Evergreen lines up a shot just at the edge of his vision. The howl that follows tells him all he needs to know. As she turns around to bolt back up the cave towards him, Set reaches out to the cave wall beside him, dragging the shadows up to his outstretched fingers. "<Rumble.>" He can feel the shadows concentrating into the barest fraction of a point at his fingertip before they seem to disappear altogether, a low noise replacing them, but slowly getting louder. "Right behind you," he breathes to Evergreen, collecting himself and darting after her. Spoiler: OOC Show Set casts Minor Illusion with his action and uses his move to run after Selissa. Minor Illusion: attempting to make a sound like someone tunneling from behind the rock face that's slowly increasing in volume over the next 18 seconds. At the end of that time, it should sound like a partial tunnel collapse, then I'm trying to channel Set's memory of Vargath's warcry to have that sound echo up and down the cave. It should start really loud, and then get even louder over the next 12 seconds. And then cap all that off with the sound of a werewolf dying horribly for the next 6 seconds. Just a really loud howl of pain and werewolf death. I think that's it

[purepolarpanzer]

In the Depths of the Hartswood

Selissa's arrow strike true, piercing through the chest of the female werewolf and lodging itself in her body. The woman looks at the arrow dumbfounded for a split second before unleashing a scream that shakes the cave, sending a stream of bats after Selissa and Set as the werewolves begin to stand up. The two of them make it out of the cave just as the scream metamorphizes into a wolf's howl. Another howl goes up to meet the first, and from inside the cave the entire party can hear sounds that make their flesh crawl- bones snapping and shifting, skin ripping, and muscle spontaneously rippling. The werewolves do not immediately exit the cave, but it is apparent that they mean to very soon, perhaps caught up in the remains of their human forms as they leave their home.

Spoiler: OOC

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Selissa and Set successfully exit the cave. There werewolves do not, as shifting costs an action and they used half their movement to stand up. Next up it's Vargath, Milo, and Birel, followed by Selissa and Set, and then the wolves will show up to play if you don't rush in to do combat with them in your turns.

[Amnestic]

Vargath let Set and Selissa pass him by, then moves to stand at the mouth of the cave entrance, right in the centre, where they can see him, then a few steps inside. He clutches his axe and shield in hand, preparing himself as best he can for the oncoming enemies - mentally and physically. His eyes have little trouble in the gloom, he's more than capable of seeing what's coming. Let them come to him, let them break themselves upon his body as so many had before, while the rest of the group peppered the beasts with ranged strikes.

Spoiler: Actions

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Move: To centre of cave entrance, moving maybe 10 feet inside, such that he's clearly the primary target.
Action: Dodge
Pre-emptive Reaction: If friendlies are hit (excluding Vargath - by choice rather than by mechanics) by an attack and there are (at least) two enemies within 30' of him, he'll invoke the Skye Rune, letting him redirect the damage from the friendly to the second enemy.

Spoiler: Skye Rune

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Skye (Cloud Rune). This rune’s magic emulates the deceptiveness of a cloud giant. While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, you have advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks and Charisma (Deception) checks.

In addition, when you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to invoke the rune and cause that attack to target a different creature within 30 feet of you (other than the attacker), using the same roll. This magic can transfer the attack regardless of the attack’s range. Once you invoke the rune, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

[Ramsus]

Birel Amastacia High Elf Wizard AC: 13/16 HP: 20/20 PP: 13 PIv: 13 PIs: 11 Conditions: Mage Armor Concentration: Dragon's Breath on Set (0/10) Birel moves with the others, trying to stay furthest back from the lycanthropes. As she does so she bops Set on the back behind the lungs with her wand and a swirl of flame-like magic enters him, warming him from the inside. "Now don't stand back here with me, go give those beasts a mouthful!" she commands sardonically. Spoiler Show Moving to the back as far as she can. Casting Dragon's Breath on Set.

[purepolarpanzer]

In the Depths of the Hartswood

Milo lets his bolt thrower fall from his hands, resting around his stomach on it's sling, drawing a ten foot boar spear from over his back and moving up beside Vargath to block the mouth of the tunnel. "Let them come. Get ready to taste silver, you filthy animals!"

Spoiler: OOC

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If Set wishes to move up in front of Milo there is still room at the front line. He can fight at reach over the two of you. Selissa and Set's set up round, then the pack shows up.

[Riggdgames]

Set Al-Sayyid Changeling Fighter/Hexblade AC: 17 HP: 32/27 PP: 11 PIv: 12 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Set drops his torch on the cave ground before running past the Mighty, blowing out a heavy sigh of relief as he catches his breath out in the open. The half-orc warrior steps up into the void, planting himself firmly between the wolves and everyone else. Set's North Star finds a place next to him to whisper an arcane secret before guiding him back to the front line with a tap on his back. Warmth and a surge of power fills him as it feels like she planted a star in his chest. He looks back to speak, but he burps a gout of flame before he can get a word out. Eyes widening, he simply nods and starts to move up next to Milo. Before all the shadows can flee from the flames, Set drags his own up until it coils around his armor. "<Rime.>" The chill of darkness wrapped around him seems far away compared to the heat burning within. Spoiler: OOC Show Action: Cast Armor of Agathys Move: Next to Milo, 5 ft behind Vargath to start. Hoping he takes the brunt of the first assault and I can slide up next to him on my next turn to cosplay a dragon.

[Awful]

Selissa came to a halt a short distance behind her companions. Pressing herself against the wall of the cave, she blended in with the shadows and gloom with the uncanny ability of her wood elf blood. Swiftly, silently, she drew another silver arrow from her quiver. Her green eyes were narrowed despite the gloom; shadows did not obscure elven vision as they did man's.

She did not flinch at the sounds of flesh tearing, of beasts shedding the skins of men, instead, she merely focused on where they would come from. Inside her head, she visualised it even as delciate motions of her hand weighted the arrow. It would fly like so, and it would strike like so.

It would strike well.

Spoiler: OOC

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Crit for another 27 damage
So she's gonna lurk and shoot the injured wolf again, or another wolf if the shewere manages to spot her

[purepolarpanzer]

In the Depths of the Hartswood

The werewolves round the corner as one, slavering and roaring in the rage of the hunt. They are draped in the tattered remains of their own skin, slathered in fresh blood, and horrifying to behold. Almost immediately Selissa's bowshot hits the wounded wolf, who gives a howl of pain as another arrow strikes true, deep in her chest. She falters in her advance, blood spraying from the wound, and begins to turn back into the cave. The male werewolf gives a growl in her direction but leaps forward to engage in melee. Moving past the heavily armored Vargath, it advances on Set with murder in it's eyes. Leaning in, it attempts to bite the warlock on the shoulder, but the icy armor Set has summoned holds fast. Then it swings it's claw in an uppercutting motion, meaning to disembowel Set in one stroke. Vargath's rune glitters into existence above Set's head momentarily, and the force of the strike is absorbed. Behind the male werewolf the female gives a high yip of pain just as she was rounding the corner into the cave, falling to the ground and transforming back into a human, blood pooling underneath her in a steady flow. The male looks back at this, then turns back to the group with his rage increased tenfold.

Spoiler: OOC

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Vargath's rune sends the claw attack back at the other werewolf, scoring a kill. New round in initiative, so everyone gets a turn. Rip and tear, people. Rip and tear.

[Amnestic]

He was a little disappointed the beast had gone for Set too - but he couldn't exactly blame them for their choice of target, what with the sneak attack and all. With the female down, only the male remained. "Your mate was it?" Vargath jeers, trying to grab the beast's attention back to him. "How did it feel as I made you strike her down? Mad?" He lunges at the beast's back, aiming for a deep spine cut, before sliding around the animal to give Set room to blast. "Don't worry, dog, you'll see her again soon."

Spoiler: Actions

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Move: To make sure Set's got room to breathe.
Action: Attack: (1d20+5)[13] Damage: 8 (via discord)

[Ramsus]

Birel Amastacia High Elf Wizard AC: 13/16 HP: 20/20 PP: 13 PIv: 13 PIs: 11 Conditions: Mage Armor Concentration: Dragon's Breath on Set (1/10) Behind, Birel bestows a blast of black ice upon the bemoaning beast. Spoiler Show Ray of Frost: (1d20+5)[24] damage: (1d8)[2] and movement reduced 10 feet if crit: (1d8)[1]

[Awful]

Selissa's mouth quirked in a grim smile as one of the wolves died. One down; but there were more than these two.

She drew back her bowstring and fired.

Spoiler

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13 to hide, 22 to hit
11 dam if stealth fail, 19 if success

[Riggdgames]

Set Al-Sayyid Changeling Fighter/Hexblade AC: 17 HP: 32/27 PP: 11 PIv: 12 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Set's armor turns aside the first bite with a metallic shriek as the werewolf launches himself at the Shadowkeeper's wayward warlock. Too distracted to fend off the creature's claw, Set braces himself for a blow that never lands even as the female werewolf yelps in pain from somewhere in the distance. With a wolf in his face, Set has no time to stop and think about what saved him or how. There is only the creature in front of him and the new power within. A power that doesn't belong. A power gifted to him to guide his way through this fight, but far brighter and warmer than even a North Star. The sun itself smoldered in Set's lungs, seeking an escape. Set takes a deep breath, pushing the wolf back with his spear just before he exhales. Warmth and light engulf everything in front of Set's face as the shadows flee. Spoiler: OOC Show I would like to use my action to roast a wolf please. How does everyone like theirs cooked? 13 fire damage (discord, messed up roll) in 15 foot cone Dex save 13 (Birel's) for half damage

[purepolarpanzer]

In the Depths of the Hartswood

Vargath's axe strikes solidly into the wolf's back. Selissa's arrow flys true, but the wolf turns his shoulder into the shot and reduces it's lethality. Then the wolf is grazed by Birel's ray, and it manages to avoid the worst of Set's flaming breath. When Set's head goes down to breathe flames, Milo stretches upwards and jabs with his spear twice, both shots piercing into the beast's stomach with hissing, smoking wounds. The beast howls in pain and turns to Vargath, clearly understanding his taunting words. He throws a right at the runeknight, which deflects off his shield, but then the monster turns his head and brings teeth to bare, sinking them into Vargath's arm at a weak point in his armor, drawing blood from the half-orc. The werewolf realizes too late that Vargath's shiny armor is silvered, and it fails to retreat it's mouth fast enough to avoid the consequences. The beast's teeth break and blood begins to flow from it's mouth. The hissing smoke from silver exposure fills the air and the creature reels backward, falling on it's back and seizing. After a few moments it shifts back to a human, it's face and mouth covered in horrid burns. It takes a long, shuddering breath, coughs blood over the stone, and dies.

From the woods comes a louder, deeper howl. Bursting from the undergrowth between the three front liners and Selissa, with Birel nearby, comes another werewolf. This one is larger than the others, wearing ill fitting studded leathers and bearing a shield nearly as large as Birel that looks to be made from a single sheet of broken, flat black stone. Surveying the scene, his eyes fall directly on Selissa, then Birel, then over at the melee. He unleashes another howl and slams a fist against his shield. He pauses, however, when the shield resonates with a strange, light absorbing energy that seems to darken the forest around you. Squigling lines of language appear on the shield that remind Birel of the obelisk that she studied for so many years, and a pulse of psychic energy pulses out, causing pain to all who it reaches. No one seems more pained than the werewolf alpha, however.

In a surprising act of evolution, this half-man half-wolf transforms yet again, with bone spikes bursting through his skin. Ridges of bone erupt from his back, and he swells in size to nearly twice Vargath's height. His armor is torn to ribbons, but the protruding bone plates and spikes seem much more formidable than simple leathers. The most horrifying aspect, however, is his face- where the other werewolves seemed to have aspects of both creatures, this one is an unnatural abomination. His teeth grow so large so fast that they split up through his own mouth, leaving his face a dripping red ruin. Three more eyes bulge into existence- two above one eye and a third in the center of his head. The fur along it's throat grows thin, and several human mouths swell into being there, all babbling incoherent nonsense. The werewolf alpha shrieks in agony, falling to his knees as his legs seems to melt and merge into a gelatinous sludge, and more mouths bubble up from the liquid flesh mess that was it's lower body, all babbling, gnashing, and moaning in seeming ecstasy. While the top half of the creature has grown more muscular, more animalistic, and more vicious, it's lower half has been transformed into an aberrant mass of wet flesh and human mouths. It tears the shield from it's arm and throws it to the ground as all it's mouths begin to scream in unison.

Spoiler: OOC

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Regular werewolf dead. Vargath takes 7 damage and must roll a Constitution saving throw to avoid going teen wolf on us. Everyone (including your enemies) takes 3 psychic damage from the shield's resonance. Anyone who wants to can roll a knowledge arcana check. Everyone needs to roll a DC 10 Madness save with the mental stat of your choice. Everyone has a high enough passive perception that they know something of atleast humanoid size is running away from the fight, deeper into the woods.

Spoiler: Arcana DC 10

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What in the name of the gods is that abomination!??!

Spoiler: Arcana DC 15

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The lower half of this creature seems to have transformed into a gibbering mouther. These aberrant scions of madness are sometimes the result of otherworldly energies interacting negatively with humanoid flesh. In this case, it seems the shield released a mutating energy that turned this monster into something even worse. You are allowed to read this

Spoiler: Arcana DC 20

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The biology of any shapeshifting creature is already in a state of constant flux, and the energy of the shield seems to have destabilized the werewolf's natural shapeshifting abilities to the point of no return. There would be no risk of this happening to anyone whose body makeup was more stable.

[Ramsus]

Birel Amastacia High Elf Wizard AC: 13/16 HP: 17/20 PP: 13 PIv: 13 PIs: 11 Conditions: Mage Armor Concentration: Dragon's Breath on Set (2/10) Birel turns about to face the alpha, gives him this disdainful "Why did you do that to yourself? How did you think that would help?" look and calmly retreats while throwing another frosty ray at him while she ponders where the other werewolves are or if this was it. As she gets closer to Vargath she says to him, "We're going to want to monitor your condition since you went and let them bite you. That's how lycanthropy spreads you know." Spoiler Show Ray of Frost: (1d20+5)[22] damage: (1d8)[1] and movement reduced 10 feet if crit: (1d8)[6] Then moving away 30 feet.

[Amnestic]

He felt the bite, but the pain was different from what he expected. He'd gotten his share of cuts, bruises and bumps growing up - a fair few of which were animal bites - but this one didn't feel like those had. There was pain for sure, the piercing splinter of hurt that speared up to his brain, but it was dulled almost, quiet. Cold. He didn't know what it meant, but it would have to wait. The main target had arrived, and Vargath intended to do what he could, pain or no. He hears Birel's advice, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. "Kill first, cure second!"

He sprints past the rest of the group, making sure to stomp on the fallen beasts's head as he goes for good measure. Mild concern over his injury was dwarfed by the need to make sure he did his job for the group - putting himself between the alpha and the rest of them. For the second time today runes stream across Vargath's body. Unlike the haphazard transformation of his opponent, Vargath's growth was magical, and his equipment grew with him. He would not be left defenseless. As he reaches his full size - equal to or greater than the alpha, to meet it man-to-beast, he pulls his arm back and launches his axe in a direct throw, aiming to embed it in the hideous creature's chest. Even as the axe flies, he's already tugging the silvered warhammer he claimed as a backup weapon. He would not be left empty handed. Hammers weren't his preference, but the satisfying crunch of weight on skull did make them a tempting option at times.

Spoiler: Actions

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Move: Towards the alpha, as close as possible.
Bonus Action: Activate Giant's Might (last use)
Action: Throw my silvered battleaxe as an improvised weapon. Attack:(1d20+3)[12] Damage:(1d4+5)[8]+(1d6)[2]
Object Interaction: Draw silvered Warhammer

Spoiler: Giant's Might

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You can imbue yourself with the might of giants.As a bonus action, you magically gain the following benefits, which last for 1 minute:
•If you are smaller than Large, you become Large,along with anything you are wearing. If you lack the room to become Large, your size doesn’t change.
•You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
•Your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d6 damage.
You can use this feature twice, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

[Riggdgames]

Set Al-Sayyid Changeling Fighter/Hexblade AC: 17 HP: 29/27 PP: 11 PIv: 12 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Active Effects: Minor Illusion (Horn) and Hexblade's Curse (0/10) Set watches in horror as the singed and shattered werewolf bites the Mighty with the last vestiges of its strength, crumpling to the ground as Vargath's blood spills free. The Mighty doesn't hesitate, shaking off the wound and sprinting for the alpha as he grows to meet the new threat. Though Set had never spent much time in study, the Great Library in Abydos might've saved his life in that moment. Rather than dwell on the horror of the alpha or it's grotesque transformation, the appearance of the gibbering mouths locked Set into a memory. He'd read about a creature like this before, or at least about something similar. This beast was different in some respects, but row upon row of slavering, screaming mouths could not be a coincidence. "Mighty!" Set shouts without thinking. "Wait!" The mouths. The endless gibbering and the projectile spit. Set darts directly after the Mighty at first before breaking off, moving towards the aplha's flank and barely closing within 30 feet. Trying to focus as he runs, Set reaches for the shadow at the alpha's feet once he's close enough, splitting it in two and molding it into something new. "<Rumble and Ruin, fail me not.>" Part of it reaches up to cling to the alpha while the other half-shadow shrinks into nothingness just as a warhorn blows loud and clear, echoing through the forest. Spoiler: OOC Show Move action to the side, separating from Vargath while still closing to within 30 feet of the Alpha. Action: Minor Illusion the sound of a warhorn blowing really loud right next to the Alpha...trying to make sure Vargath can't hear the gibbering mouths. Might as well skip that other illusion since I don't think that would have been as effective, assuming this is effective at all. Bonus Action: Hexblade's Curse the Alpha.

[Awful]

Selissa gritted her teeth as the wave of psychic energy washed out, like a thousand ice needles thrusting into her brain - the mutated monster opened mouths and screamed, and every instinct in her did the same to get away from the beastly abomination.

Her steps carried her backwards, further into the cave and over the steaming corpses of the fallen werewolves. Without thought, she retrieved an arrow, drew it back and fired - and froze as-

-as-

-as it sailed past the swollen flesh of the beast and disappeared into the woods beyond.

"<I... missed...?>" She managed, the elvish words dripping out her mouth as she took another step back.

She cast a wide-eyed gaze down to her wooden arm. She didn't miss. When she fired arrows she always hit her target. When she began to reach for another arrow, all of a sudden those birch fingers felt clumsy and slow again. Just like they had been at the start.

Spoiler: OOC

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awful rolls on discord ;_;

Movement-wise, she moves 35ft into the cave

[purepolarpanzer]

In the Depths of the Hartswood

Vargath's axe impacts the abomination, but deflects off of it's bony plates. Birel's blue ray grazes the monster in the shoulder, but it's biting chill does slow the creature's movements as it sloughs forward. It is due to this slowing magic that the aberrant shapeshifter, already slowed by it's transformation, fails to reach anyone with time to attack. It manages to make it to Vargath, looming over him, before the mouths all over it's body begin to murmur madly. Set's illusionary warhorn blocks the mind altering effect of their words for now, but the one word does carry over the din. The blasphemous beast sniffs the air, then looks down at Vargath with a malicious grin on it's primary mouth. "KIN! WE ARE KIN!" It bellows over the sound of the horn.

That is when Milo rushes forward, spear extended, and attempts to bury it in the monster's heat. Like Vargath's axe, however, it deflects off the mutated rib cage of the creature. He yanks the spear back and tries again, but to the same effect. The old man unleashes a snarl of frustration and a "GODS DAMN YE!"

[Amnestic]

Vargath spits. "Your kin are dead, and I won't be joining them today." A braggart boast. They had dealt with the beasts quickly enough but the bite gnawed at his arm still. Not the time to focus on it though. They needed to finish this quickly, and so Vargath pushed to do so. The rune on his armour blazed to life as he silently called it to awaken. Streams of runic lettering burst forth from his breastplate. They circle his warhammer, wrapping tightly around his gauntlet to guide his hand in striking at the monster. He swings, hard and wide across himself from left to right and then forces his body to keep moving, stepping forward and pulling all his weight into a second strike aiming to collapse the beast's mutated chin from below.

Spoiler: Actions

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Bonus Action: Invoke Uvar.
Reaction: Grant myself advantage on my attack.
Attack: (1d20+5)[6](1d20+5)[15] Damage: (1d8+5)[11] + Giant's Might (1d6)[1]
Action Surge Action Attack: (1d20+5)[20] Damage: (1d8+5)[7] + Giant's Might (1d6)[5]

Spoiler: Uvar

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Uvar (Storm Rune). Using this rune, you can glimpse the future like a storm giant. While wearing or carrying an object inscribed with this rune, you have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks, and you can’t be surprised as long as you are not incapacitated. In addition, you can invoke the rune as a bonus action to enter a prophetic state for 1 minute or until you’re incapacitated. Until the state ends, when you or another creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, a saving throw, or an ability check, you can use your reaction to cause the roll to have advantage or disadvantage.Once you invoke the rune, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

[Ramsus]

Birel Amastacia High Elf Wizard AC: 13/16 HP: 17/20 PP: 13 PIv: 13 PIs: 11 Conditions: Mage Armor Concentration: Dragon's Breath on Set (3/10) Birel, not having anything more to say in the midst of this combat, fires another ray of frost at the alpha-thingy and backs away further. Spoiler Show Ray of Frost: (1d20+5)[23] damage: (1d8)[3] and movement reduced 10 feet if crit: (1d8)[2] Then moving away 30 feet.

[Riggdgames]

Set Al-Sayyid Changeling Fighter/Hexblade AC: 17 HP: 29/27 PP: 11 PIv: 12 PIs: 9 Conditions: -- Concentration: -- Active Effects: Minor Illusion (Horn) and Hexblade's Curse (0/10) Set hesitates for a moment as the beast's shouts rise over the din, but as the Mighty's hammer slams into the alpha, Set's spirits lift along with his need to help the half-orc, full-giant. He rushes forward without a word, finding a spot where he can deliver his North Star's sun without burning the Mighty. "We are no kin of yours," Set says, much too quietly to be heard over the warhorn and the crash of battle. He grits his teeth as the fire bubbles up from within before he finally shouts at the alpha, hoping the crash of flame on flesh would be heard loud and clear. Spoiler: OOC Show I would like to use my action to roast the alpha please. Move action into a spot where the 15 foot cone hits just the alpha. (3d6)[16] fire damage in 15 foot cone Dex save 13 (Birel's) for half damage