Keep on the Shadowfell IC

[TurboGhast]

(The gnome's reaction to gain invisibility occurred in response to the damage, not the hit, so he still took the damage from Regan's attack.)

The halfling turns to his employer and says, "Sorry, Agrid, but it looks like I've got a better offer. I never really felt confi-"

The noisy, bloody impact of a crossbow bolt cuts him off. Agrid fades back into view and begins speaking. "You're gonna the first to die, traitor! And when I kill you all, the hoard's going to be completely mine!"

"As I was saying, I never really felt confident you weren't planning to do this!" The heavy hit doesn't seem to slow down the halfling much, as he fires another wave of sling bullets just as quickly as before. Only one strikes true, though.

Spoiler: Game Actions

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G / Agrid's Turn
Standard: Fires a crossbow bolt at the halfling.

Attack Roll: (1d20+9)[22] (+7 base, +2 CA via invisibility) vs AC.
The halfling uses a reaction to force a reroll, but the result is still a hit.
Damage: (1d8+3)[10] + (1d6)[3] damage.

Invisibility wears off.

H's turn:
Recharge roll can be found on the rolls thread.
Standard: Rapidly launch sling bullets at Agrid.

First Attack Roll: (1d20+4)[15] (+6 base, -2 special attack penalty) vs AC. Miss.
Damage: (1d6+4)[5] damage.
Second Attack Roll: (1d20+4)[17] (+6 base, -2 special attack penalty) vs AC. Hit.
Damage: (1d6+4)[6] damage.
Third Attack Roll: (1d20+4)[7] (+6 base, -2 special attack penalty) vs AC. Miss.
Damage: (1d6+4)[9] damage.

The fire continues to spread, leaving ash in its wake.

The player characters will take a turn, then Agrid will take a turn, and the halfling after that. Both of them are out of reactions.

[Rakaydos]

As the gnome dropped from invisibility, Sarathi was ready.

Combat challange: melee basicattack,(d20+6)[13] vs ac, (d8+7)[8] damage [temps, blood]

Standard: BrashStrike(d20+8)[11] vsAC, (d8+10)[11] damage [temps, blood, brash] and sarathi grants CA to the gnome. sustain mark.

[Phantom Genius]

Regan:
Move
Clever Shot, gnome is slowed if she hits.
(1d20+8)[19]
(1d10+4)[11]

Drang:
Minor: surge for Sarathi+3 (10 total)
Move
Throw handaxe
(1d20+4)[7]
(1d6+4)[10]

Free: "Don't worry, lad. We won't let him kill you. He has but a few seconds remaining."

[WaffleLord]

Melhved Brombriar

The goliath jumps across and scrambles up the side to position herself well. Giving a "stay put" look to the halfling as she passes, she throws a wave of Mother's power at the gnome. Tendrils of vine wrap around the gnome and draws him forward, squeezing as they pull, sandwiching him between the towering warriors.

Spoiler

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Move action: Jump and move:
goliath racial trait, roll twice for athletic (missed that last time)
roll 1 - (1d20+10)[14]
roll 2 - [roll]1d20+10]/roll] I also rolled a 19 in the dice forum for a backup jump or climb

standard action: Thorn Strike
At-Will Primal, Weapon
Standard Action Melee 2
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you pull the target 1 square.
Attack - [roll]1d20+8]/roll] 16 from dice roll forum
Damage - (1d8+4)[10] and pull gnome between Sarathi and Mel

[TurboGhast]

Agrid begins loading his crossbow with his eyes locked on the halfling, despite how much this leaves him open to attack from the people flanking him.

Spoiler: Game Actions

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Agrid starts his turn by attempting to shoot the halfling with his crossbow.

Because it's likely that the opportunity attacks Sarathi and Melhved get as a result will be lethal, I want to resolve them before continuing with the turn.

[Rakaydos]

Opportunity attack: MBA at +1 (d20+9)[12] (D7+4)[10]Axpertise damage

Combat Challange attack: MBA (d20+8)[22] (D7+4)[9]Axpertise damage

[TurboGhast]

Before Agrid can finish, Sarathi cuts into his arm, leaving a bloody gash in the process. The pain overwhelms him, and he crumples to the ground.

Spoiler: OOC

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The last enemy has been defeated, so combat has concluded. You each get 149 experience points (599 split evenly between between four characters, rounded down). The attack was assumed to be nonlethal because Sarathi didn't specify it was lethal, and you might want to interrogate him or something.

The fire Drang lit continues to burn over the roots and nothing more. Because your fight concluded fairly quickly, the sun still hangs high in the sky.

Through pained breaths, the halfling says "I'd like to take what would have been my final payment from him and give you all everything else here, then drift on to find work with a more secular bent. Any objections?"

[Phantom Genius]

Through pained breaths, the halfling says "I'd like to take what would have been my final payment from him and give you all everything else here, then drift on to find work with a more secular bent. Any objections?"

"I would say you earned it. I am fine having you leave, but please tell us what went on here before we arrived."

Drang looks at the blanket.

[Rakaydos]

Meanwhile Sarathi went to the blanket, to release her old mentor.

[TurboGhast]

"I would say you earned it. I am fine having you leave, but please tell us what went on here before we arrived."

Drang looks at the blanket.

"Agrid and his team of aggressive excavators were sent here to retrieve this," He pulls an ancient looking mirror out of the smallest supply crate and holds it in the air, then continues "a mirror of ritual significance which used to belong to a Nerathan wizard. Not magic in of itself, but the history behind it made it useful for whatever they were doing. They were clearly more in the loop on their employer's plans than I was, since they kept praising Kalarel's piety without ever telling me what god he worshipped.

They justified tying up the guy under the blanket by saying they had cleared the operation with the town's lord first, and he was the one intruding in someone else's workspace, but now I'm not so sure."

He puts the mirror down, leaving it visible to you, and begins treating the wound left by the crossbow shot. Once bandaged up, he grabs a bag full of money out of a crate, takes his share, and gives it to you. Inside that bag, you find 65 gp and 13 sp (16 gp and 3 sp per person, remainder of 1 gp and 1 sp).

Meanwhile Sarathi went to the blanket, to release her old mentor.

As expected, you find Douven Staul under the blanket. After being released from the ropes tying him up, he says "You're a sight for sore eyes. While I was preparing the site for excavation, Agrid jumped me and kept me prisoner to keep his plans away from the public eye. He also fragrantly stole my amulet of health." He walks over to his former captor, takes the amulet around Agrid's neck off, and pops it open to look at the portrait of Mrs. Staul inside. "She probably misses me, huh." Douven takes the picture out the amulet, then continues, "I'm probably going to take a break from treasure hunting for a while, so the amulet will be more useful in your hands than mine. Take it."

Spoiler: OOC

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Each member of the party earns 312 experience points for solving Douven's disappearance (1250 divided evenly, rounded down. This is in addition to experience gained for winning the last combat encounter).

An amulet of health provides +1 bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses, as well as Resist poison 5.

Since new players are waiting to join, I'm going to play scenes between now and your return to Winterhaven faster than I normally would.

[Rakaydos]

I wouldnt mind taking the extra defenses item, especially with a significant damage boost requiring me to not be hit.

[Phantom Genius]

I wouldnt mind taking the extra defenses item, especially with a significant damage boost requiring me to not be hit.

"That makes sense, as you are often in front. Please leave it with us if you ever go off on your own. Should we gather up anything else we can sell and put out any lingering fires?"

"Douven, do you want to accompany us back to town?"

[WaffleLord]

Melhved Brombriar

Keeping an eye on her party's well being, the goliath cleans her blade and lumbers over to the burning plants. "Nature's cleanser is oft unrespected," she thinks as she kicks dirt onto the flames and embers. Quenching the last with a few drops from her waterskin, she listens to the small one's story about trinkets and magic until one key word makes her locks stand on end. Rushing to the halfling, she towers over him, "What about Kalarel?! Say that again! What do you know about him?!" She bristles with anticipation, nearly electric in her excitement.

[TurboGhast]

"That makes sense, as you are often in front. Please leave it with us if you ever go off on your own. Should we gather up anything else we can sell and put out any lingering fires?"

"Douven, do you want to accompany us back to town?"

"Gladly. It's been too long since I've slept on a bed."

Melhved Brombriar

Keeping an eye on her party's well being, the goliath cleans her blade and lumbers over to the burning plants. "Nature's cleanser is oft unrespected," she thinks as she kicks dirt onto the flames and embers. Quenching the last with a few drops from her waterskin, she listens to the small one's story about trinkets and magic until one key word makes her locks stand on end. Rushing to the halfling, she towers over him, "What about Kalarel?! Say that again! What do you know about him?!" She bristles with anticipation, nearly electric in her excitement.

"Kalarel's the person Agrid works for. Unfortunately, I haven't seen him in person. What I overheard from the others taking about him tells me that he leads some sort of religious organization, and has divine power to match. He sent them to get the mirror to make a ritual he wanted to perform easier to complete. How secretive that entire operation was gives me a bad feeling about Kalarel, and whoever he worships."

Catching wind of Drang's conversation, he asks "Can I come with you, too? Recent circumstances make me want safety in numbers, and I should probably make sure the crossbow shot fully healed before drifting somewhere new."

[Phantom Genius]

Catching wind of Drang's conversation, he asks "Can I come with you, too? Recent circumstances make me want safety in numbers, and I should probably make sure the crossbow shot fully healed before drifting somewhere new."

Hmmm...

Spoiler: Insight. Is he planning to murder us in our sleep?

Show

(1d20+8)[18]

"It's fine with me. Sarathi and Melhved?"

[WaffleLord]

Melhved Brombriar

"Yes, yes," she says distractedly to the cleric. She lifts the mirror, glancing at her reflection only briefly. "If this is what Kalarel wants, he'll need to come and get it. Better still, if that lump of a gnome was going to give it to him, perhaps I can join them and meet him for myself."

"Him, too," she grunts, putting the mirror under one arm and moving over to the moaning gnome.

Spoiler: Actions

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She would like to transport the mirror and the gnome with them, but I am uncertain of the size of the mirror(hand, vanity, full length). She would like to put the mirror and the gnome in a small crate and carry that, or mirror in her backpack/tied gnome in her arms. She will use whatever is around, manageable, and be ready to go when you are.

[Rakaydos]

"Well, I'm looking for work now, but a tavern is as good a place to look as any."

[TurboGhast]

Hmmm...

Spoiler: Insight. Is he planning to murder us in our sleep?

Show

[roll0]

"It's fine with me. Sarathi and Melhved?"

He's being truthful about his plans for the future.

Melhved Brombriar

"Yes, yes," she says distractedly to the cleric. She lifts the mirror, glancing at her reflection only briefly. "If this is what Kalarel wants, he'll need to come and get it. Better still, if that lump of a gnome was going to give it to him, perhaps I can join them and meet him for myself."

"Him, too," she grunts, putting the mirror under one arm and moving over to the moaning gnome.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

She would like to transport the mirror and the gnome with them, but I am uncertain of the size of the mirror(hand, vanity, full length). She would like to put the mirror and the gnome in a small crate and carry that, or mirror in her backpack/tied gnome in her arms. She will use whatever is around, manageable, and be ready to go when you are.

Melhved manages to fit both the handmirror and Agrid into a single crate. He remains unconscious for the entire trip back to Winterhaven, making the trip easier.

You arrive about an hour from sundown, as expected. The noise coming from the tavern shows how much livelier it is well before you enter. Most of the tables have been pushed together to make one large enough to handling the game the villagers are playing. All but one of the tables not being used for their game are empty, including the one Ninaran was at during your last visit.

When Salvana notices you enter, she says "Welcome back!". While indicating the smaller in-use table, she continues, "These three were looking for the same sort of stuff as you, so I told them to wait for you. Good thing, too, since your trip seems to have gone quite well."

Spoiler: OOC

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New players, this is your cue.

[Ridai]

Brina is battling with a bowl of stew, infused with an additional bunch of herbs and spices that should not normally be in that stew, for which Brina earned herself a fair share of judging looks and dispensed an equal share of apologies for what she is forced to do to the stew. It really does not help that she can taste the stew as it normally should be every now and then, only to have her sense of taste hit right in the palette with the next spoonful, the elf's body crunching to the side, face scrunched into a grimace, and one eye pressed shut involuntarily. Somehow, this is still better than retaliatory stomach cramps of her belly spirits. Words are heard, and she is getting the distinct feeling that attention is directed her way, causing Brina, still with spoon in mouth, look left, right, then at the collection of adventurers, a moment of realization making her perk up. She starts waving, the other hand removing the spoon after a failed mumble.

"Hullooo," the round-faced elf greets, plenty of color on her cheeks, and specks of stew on her mouth framed by well-defined dimples. "I'm Brina and I want to come with, if you don't mind!" Better get straight to the point instead of agonizingly trying and failing to find a more graceful way of getting to said point.

The group sees a tan elf with a scraggy mane of moss-green hair (same shade as her eyes, really) loosely held back with a few strips of leather, the young woman herself dressed in a somewhat drab raincloak that has seen plenty of outdoors time, her boots positively and permanently stained and encrusted with traces of travels. A staff is leaning next to her at the table, looking more like a big and robust tree branch.

[Phantom Genius]

"Pleasure to meet you, Brina. I am sure we can use your help. Should we talk planning now and leave in the morning?"

Drang does not order the stew, based on Brina's facial expressions.

[Ridai]

"I'm good whenever really. You should try the stew, it's pretty great, I just made it horrible because the spirits in my belly have distressing taste." And right on cue for her poor choice of words, Brina's face scrunches up hard again, the elf curling forward and planting one hand on the table edge to not just go into her stew face first. "They also don't like being criticized," she manages to press out while she is doing her best to recover again between deep breaths.

[Phantom Genius]

"I'm good whenever really. You should try the stew, it's pretty great, I just made it horrible because the spirits in my belly have distressing taste." And right on cue for her poor choice of words, Brina's face scrunches up hard again, the elf curling forward and planting one hand on the table edge to not just go into her stew face first. "They also don't like being criticized," she manages to press out while she is doing her best to recover again between deep breaths.

"Spirits? In your belly? Fascinating. I would love to learn more about them. Perhaps the parts that don't criticize, but I am a healer if you need."

Drang has that wide-eyed fascination going. He's never met an elf like this before.

[Dimers]

"Thanks, Salvana," says a tall, trim dragonborn in a bass voice. His scales and skin are eye-catching gold and golden-brown colors where they're visible, and he wears a neat military scout's outfit and cloak. Pointing at the three in turn, he says, "You'd be Sarathi ... Melhved, and Drang. There's no mixing you folk up! My name is Gagan. Marla sent me -- all three of us -- to address the same problem you're already pursuing, Melhved."

[Rakaydos]

Sarathi glances back at Melhved. "Does this have something to do with that Kalarel fellow who's name got you so worked up?"

[Ridai]

"Spirits? In your belly? Fascinating. I would love to learn more about them. Perhaps the parts that don't criticize, but I am a healer if you need."

Drang has that wide-eyed fascination going. He's never met an elf like this before.

"Oh, that tale's a weird-" Brina stops mid-sentence as Gagan's deep, deep voice rumbles through it, and really, it may be for the better, as introductions are still ongoing. "We'll get back to that a little later," she quietly adds, motioning with her spoon to underline her words in a fashion (what fashion that may be is most likely a mystery to her as well), before the utensil delivers more tainted stew. Watery eye-twitching and pushing breath through clenched teeth and pursed lips follow.

[Phantom Genius]

"Thanks, Salvana," says a tall, trim dragonborn in a bass voice. His scales and skin are eye-catching gold and golden-brown colors where they're visible, and he wears a neat military scout's outfit and cloak. Pointing at the three in turn, he says, "You'd be Sarathi ... Melhved, and Drang. There's no mixing you folk up! My name is Gagan. Marla sent me -- all three of us -- to address the same problem you're already pursuing, Melhved."

"Good! Do you have any more information? We plan to rest here and leave in the morning, I believe."

Spoiler: Insight - Were they actually sent by Irontooth or Kalarel to kill us?

Show

(1d20+8)[17]

[WaffleLord]

Melhved Brombriar

Nodding to the gnoll but watching the newcomers carefully, "Indeed. Kalarel is the one Marla sent me for." She sizes up the dragonborn and elf. While the elf's reaction to mere food is a tad off-putting, she has the earthy smell of one who lives deep in Mother's heart. The stunning dragonborn's breadth of knowledge borders on suspicious. He knows their names. He speaks of Marla and of her mission. The second elf seems to be bidding his time. Caution is never out of place, she decides. Truth is proven by deeds, she thinks, looking to the gnoll and dwarf with assurance.

"We have leads. I have a gnome in a box. He knows things. I will ask him for more." She lifts the crate and moves to take it to her room to question the gnome.

[TurboGhast]

"Good! Do you have any more information? We plan to rest here and leave in the morning, I believe."

Spoiler: Insight - Were they actually sent by Irontooth or Kalarel to kill us?

Show

[roll0]

Gagan's telling the truth about the reason they arrived at Winterhaven. The three people at that table were sent by a known ally, not a known enemy.

[Buufreak]

Johuan takes the introduction as his cue. "Hello! I've come for the cults! Or rather, it better to say deal with the cults. I'm sorry, words are eluding me at the moment. I'm here to do The Queen's work!"

[Ridai]

Brina side-eyes as a spoon is halfway lifted (it's the last spoon, too!). "Gagan, do gnomes normally come in boxes in the Vale?" And immediately as she whispers this to the dragonborn, the realization about how silly that notion is dawns, but he mouth just continues, and her fey experiences are not helping in either way. Deciding downing the last spoonful is ample admonishment for her tomfoolery, she does so post-haste, and even manages a rather stoic face while doing so. The mug of water is immediately grabbed and emptied by half.

"I could help with the gnome! Well, uh, not directly, people don't listen to me a lot, but I've been the joke of plenty fairy games and I think I am getting better at catching shenanigans," Brina offers to Melhved, wiping any specks of defiled stew from her mouth and trying to wash any remains away on the inside.