[DnD5E-IC]Adventures in the Borderlands, Chapter 0

[truemane]

THE INTERLOPERS
Heart's steps are the breath of the shadow of the rumour of an invisible bat fluttering across the empty skies at midnight and within moments she had passed into the hallway.

Arabella.... well... we all really like Arabella. But a ninja she is not. Still, even with all the clanking and jankling and jingling and at least one stage-whispered curse, the sleeping Kobold just shifts in his sleep, mutters "All chicken mine" in perfectly understandable Southron, and turns over and resumes snoring.

They pass through an arch into the keep. They stand at one end of a wide hallway. At the far end, right by several doors, squat two dire rats. They are lying down, seemingly unconcerned. But their eyes glitter in the dim interior torchlight. They are certainly awake. One of them raises its head and sniffs the air.

To their left is an open door and another hallway leading to where the rat-keeper said Olvirk's throne room could be found. Harsh words drift to them from the rooms beyond. Most of the yelling is in a language neither Heart nor Arabella understand. But there are some words in Sviligot (the military language) peppered throughout. One of them is prisoners, one of them is rescue and one of them is an odd word that means something like 'archer or maybe wizard who stays out of range and snipes your soldiers and causes way more casualties than you'd think.' But in Sviligot, that word was usually shortened to Elf.

There were Elves being kept prisoner in here somewhere.

THE INCARCERATED
The two Elves chatter away happily about lineage and clan and customs and proper name pronunciation. In other words, very typical Elven topics when one is locked in a cage out in the wilderness and facing almost certain death.

After enduring a few paragraphs, one of the guards turns and strikes the side of the cage with its spear, really hard.

"Elfs. Stop. Talking," it growls, surprisingly, in heavily accented Elven, "No. Elfs. Talk."

BATTLE FOR THE KEEP

[Silent_p]

Beyond a moment or two meriting a wince as her armour rattles, Arabella is satisfied that they've remained undetected. Now at a standstill, she can hear voices and, catching the handful of words she's able to make out, Arabella frowns. A complication we did not need... She glances at Heart, wondering if the other woman heard and understood the same, then looks around as if she would be suddenly able to see these prisoners. Quickly realising the futility of that, she stops and scowls.

Looking a little put out, she turns slightly to Heart. "Did you catch that?" she asks as quietly as possible. "Elvish prisoners." She half glances back in the direction of the throne room with a grimace. "We should free them first, lest their lives be used as leverage against us during the fight."

[Xihirli]

With talking disallowed, Skía sighed and sat down. She tried to look a lot like someone not dangerous enough to execute.

[JNAProductions]

"Get Olvirik first-cut the head and the body will wither," Heart replies, her voice barely audible. "We can't barter from a position of weakness."

[Silent_p]

Arabella considers Heart’s reply for a moment, looking briefly uncertain. Are we definitely on the same page? She wonders, opening her mouth to clarify then closing before saying anything. There’s neither the time nor the place to discuss this.

She nods more decisively and, rising slightly, holds three fingers upright toward Heart, then lowers them in turn. Once the countdown is complete, she charges forward into Olvirk’s chamber.

[oaken]

Vincent smiles at the guard who warned him and Skía shushing them.

He then says in Elven: "oh! I didn't expect you to speak Elven! This is but a nice surprise! I am fascinated by languages and all that surrounds the topic. Isn't it magical that two individuals who initially can't communicate suddenly are able to, after learning just a few words? Well.. although communicating effectively is no easy task even when both parties are fluent in the same idiom!" Vincent chuckles and continues: "but look at that, just mere seconds ago I thought communication between us would be naught impossible, and now... there's a world of possibilities! So tell me, guard, where did you learn Elven? Did you spend much time around Elves? I would love to hear your impressions about my people."

He then looks at Skía, completely ignoring the fact that he had just asked a few questions to the kobold, and giving the guard no time to respond: "You see, my friend Skía, the leader of our unforunate expedition to the fort was a dragonborn who spoke, as you would expect, draconic, so there was little opportunity for me to participate in the talking. Most of my communication was done with my spells, but as you can expect the guards here were not too keen of them, which led me here. Don't you think it's time we take this opportunity and restart the communication with our captors now that we know we can speak the same language?"

[Xihirli]

Skía knew exactly what Lossëhelleth meant. "Oh, yes!" she said in Elvish. "Just the other day, I was–" She vanished, reappearing next to their gear. She made a grab for her shortbow and quiver.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Would that be initiative?

[truemane]

BATTLE FOR THE KEEP, ROUND 1!

Spoiler: OOC

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For the new players, we do group initiative here. But if the players win, I try to give anyone who beat the bad guys' roll some kind of benefit. In this case, the bad guys rolled a high of 17, so no one does.

JNAProductions, I rolled an 8 for you for initiative. Just in case it comes up.

Initiative Order:
-Good guys (in any order)
-Bad guys

THE INTERLOPERS
Choosing the direct and perilous path, Heart and Arabella rush forward toward the throne room of the Great and Dreaded Olvirk.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I moved you two forward 30 feet to sort of simulate your headlong rush. You can have your normal actions now.

You two can have a surprise round.

THE PRISONERS
Skia's sudden vanishing and reappearance are so completely unexpected that the two kobolds are struck momentarily agog.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

You can both go ahead and take a surprise round.

UPDATED MAP

[JNAProductions]

Heart rushes into the room, silent and deadly, striking at the cruel master before he has a chance to respond.

Her first strike is launched just a moment too early, and slices into the air in front of him, but the second lands cleanly.

Spoiler: Attacks

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Two Attacks with TWF. Dagger time!

(1d20+5)[6]
(1d20+5)[9] Advantage
(1d4+3)[4] Piercing Damage

(1d20+5)[23]
(1d20+5)[17] Advantage
(1d4)[3] Piercing Damage

(1d6)[4] Sneak Attack Damage

[Silent_p]

Following the much more graceful Heart, Arabella storms into Olvirk's chamber. Still retaining some element of surprise, she stops between the tyrant's guard and uses the length of her glaive to strike at Olvirk himself.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Attack vs Olvirk: (1d20+6)[16]
Damage if hit: (1d10+4)[7]

[oaken]

Vincent blinks once without much surprise when Skía vanishes right before his eyes. At the same moment, he places one hand on the wall he was sitting against, and the other hand on the floor next to his knee, and pushes himself up. He then looks down to his right hand, and a flicker of a flame appears out of nowhere, floating above his palm. "This is how we used to keep ourselves warm back in the day..." he mutters to no one in particular.

The elf looks deep into the eyes of the guard closest to him and throws the flame at them with an agility that no one would expect from an old man like him.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Attack vs guard: (1d20+6)[24]
Damage if hit: (1d8)[8] fire damage
Extra damage if crit: (1d8)[8]

[Xihirli]

Skía lifted her shortbow and aimed it at that same guard (or a different one, if he was incapacitated). "There are two elves left here," she said in Common, and fired.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Attack! (1d20+7)[22]
Damage! (1d6+5)[11] + another (1d6)[5] if Lossëhelleth is within 5 feet of the target from Sneak Attack.

[truemane]

THE PRISONERS
Almost simultaneously, Vincent hurls a ball of fire at one guard while Skia elegantly skewers the other. One shrieks in burning pain and falls over, dead. The other grunts once, holds its stomach and also falls over dead.

Just outside the door can be heard the chuffing, snarling sounds of the massive rodents these creatures keep as pets and guards. And the sounds of swiftly moving feet.

One of them makes its way into the room and lunges at poor Skia, but she manages to evade. There is a second right behind....

THE INTERLOPERS
Rushing headlong, Arabella and Heart hurl themselves into the throne room of the Great Olvirk. Once they enter, they see two kobolds, taller than the rest, and larger, clad in quite nice armour and armed with very well-made spears.

And behind them is a giant Gnoll, a great hyena-headed biped clad in plate and armed with a huge maul.

Aimed directly at Olvirk, the two sweep past the guards. Both of them take the opportunity to swipe at the interlopers with their spears, but both miss.

Heart swipes twice, and strikes true once. Arabella swings and buries her sword in the creature's side. He is hurt. Quite badly.

Startled, he bends his great maw and tries to bite her face. But instead he gets a mouthful of pauldron.

Meanwhile, the two guards both attack Heart with their spears. One misses, but the other hits.

The sounds of yelling and running can be heard elsewhere in the keep...

UPDATED MAP

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Heart takes 7 Piercing damage

I would like to share with you my unmodified attack rolls this round:
Rat-3
Guard #1 AoO - 4
Guard #2 AoO - 5
Guard #1 (w/Advantage) - 5, 7
Guard #1 (w/Advantage) - 15, 17

[JNAProductions]

"You'd best run, little man-your tyranny is over!" Heart crows, doing her best to ignore the injury as she lashes out again at the gnoll.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Attacks:

(1d20+5)[19]
(1d4+3)[4]

(1d20+5)[21]
(1d4)[2]

(1d6)[3] Sneak Attack

And an intimidate, for fun:

(1d20+6)[25]

[Silent_p]

Arabella remains focused as the kobolds regroup slightly, weaving away from a spear thrust. Catching Olvirk's bite on her shoulder, she twists and, her glaive gripped tightly with both hands, slices at the gnoll once more.

Spoiler: OOC

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Attack Olvirk once again:
Attack: (1d20+6)[16]
Damage: [roll]1d10+4[/roll]

(Great Weapon fighting reroll, if necessary: (1d10+4)[5])

[Xihirli]

Skía jumped back, too close to do much with her bow. But she didn't want to give too much ground... Lossëhelleth, can you scorch this one as well?" She asked, holding up her bow between her and the thing's teeth.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Skía will dodge.

[oaken]

Vincent's eyes widen when he sees the rodent attacking Skía. "Be careful, my friend!" He says with a soft yet alarming voice, and then quickly hurls a small ball of fire at Skía's toothy assailant.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Produce Flame attack vs rodent: (1d20+6)[15]
Damage if hit: (1d8)[4] fire damage
Extra damage if crit: (1d8)[4]

[truemane]

THE INTERLOPERS
Heart strikes at the giant biped in front of her, and strikes true both times, cutting deeply into his leg and side. She calls for his surrender, and indeed for the briefest of moments his eyes fill with terror and he seems about to drop his weapon... when Arabella severs his head from his body in one mighty stroke.

Olvirk's body falls to the ground. There is a moment of silence.

And the two kobold guards drop to their knees, their spears clattering to the ground. They put their heads to the stone and start prattering rapidly in Draconic.

Two more koblds, from elsewhere in the keep appear suddenly in both doors to the throne room. They, too, stop dead and frozen, their eyes full of surprise and fear.

"Olvirk! Dead!" One of them cries out.

The sounds of feet in retreat can be heard in the hallway outside.

And then the two can hear sounds of struggle, and the squeal of a rat in pain, down a hall nearby.

THE PRISONERS
The massive rat tries to bite at Skia, and it almost catches her right in the throat, but she deflty moves away. And then it squeals in pain as Vincent hits it with a burst of fire.

Without a trainer nearby to control them, they are frightened by the fire and flee down the hallway and away, leaving the two prisoners alone.

Spoiler: OOC

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I assume you want to kill Olvirk, Arabella. If you'd rather incapacitate him, let me know and I'll retcon.

Skia: your Dodge stopped a critical hit. Nice work there.

We are now out of combat.

[Xihirli]

After a few moments of waiting for the creature to come back, Skía searches her belongings for her lockpicks. She jumped over to the locked cell she and Lossëhelleth had shared until recently, and with a few satisfying clicks the door swung open.

Spoiler

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Rolled 25 OOC. I assume that’s enough.

[Silent_p]

As she severs Olvirk's head from his shoulders, Arabella is already turning toward the remaining kobolds. Her glaive still at the ready, she watches as they flee before glancing down at the slain gnoll then looking at Heart. "Cut off the head..." she observes soberly, as she brings her weapon to rest. "Are you badly injured?"

[JNAProductions]

"Could be better. A lot better," Heart replies.

Spoiler: OOC

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3/10 HP left.

She looks to the groveling kobolds. "If you don't attack us, we won't attack you. We have been sent by the duke of this land-but we will work with her to ensure you're treated fairly. We don't wish to hurt you-work with us, and your lives will be much better."

[truemane]

THE PRISONERS
The cage door pops open and Vincent steps out, unharmed.

The two former prisoners are then able to make their way toward the throne room, where they had heard the sounds of fighting. The scene that meets them is a strange and grizzly one: the Gnoll who had ordered them caged is dead, decapitated, in fact, and his guards are now kowtowing to the knight and catfolk who did it.

EVERYONE
The guards look at each other and mutter amongst themselves in Draconic. They stand up and drop their weapons.

"Kobolds run? You let kobolds run away? Gone-gone forever?"

[Xihirli]

Skía cleared her throat. "Um, hello? Did you kill that guy?"

[Silent_p]

As Heart explains the situation to the remaining kobolds, Arabella watches the new arrivals enter the room. She tenses slightly, looking them over. "We slew the tyrant, yes," she replies. "As my companion says, we are here to bring this keep and the lands around back under the rightful jurisdiction of the duke." She pauses. "Do you mean to oppose that goal?"

[Xihirli]

"Oh," Skía sulked for a second. "I was kinda hoping to make this place a refuge for elves from my homeland, actually. If that's okay? I'm Skía Thÿella, by the way."

[JNAProductions]

"Kobolds run? You let kobolds run away? Gone-gone forever?"

Heart turns to face them, kneeling down a bit to not be towering over the small folk. "If they want to stay gone, they can be gone. But, with the grace of the duke and our help, they can come back. They can live here in peace."

"Oh," Skía sulked for a second. "I was kinda hoping to make this place a refuge for elves from my homeland, actually. If that's okay? I'm Skía Thÿella, by the way."

"Heart Cliff, nice to meet you," she says as she turns and stands to face the formerly imprisoned. "And, same as with the kobolds here, I'll do my damnedest to make sure the duke accepts anyone here."

[truemane]

The kobold eyes Heart nervously. Looks down. Looks at his companion. They pass a quick, terse exchange. He looks back at the catfolks.

"No peace for kobolds. No dukes. No... grace." It stumbles over the unfamiliar word. "Kobolds no trust dukes. But you say okay go," He looks around at all the gathered companions, "And we go. And we not forget."

He draws himself up to his full height and with as much dignity as he can manage, he says, "Sharpscale Tribe not forget."

He looks to his companion, and they rush off. You can hear some voices from the halls as they grab the few others still left. And then there's a blissful silence.

The Keep is yours.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

And we're done! I'm not Old School enough to make you play through searching every room for stray coppers. Wrap up your 'You all meet in the Throne Room of a recently murdered Gnoll tyrant" convo and give me a basic idea of what you do before heading back to civilization.

I'm not sure if we lost Vincent or he's just AFK for a bit, so assume he's on his own, looking for any hints about the location of the adventuring party he came into the wilds with some time ago.

[oaken]

Vincent nods and smiles warmly at Skía when she lets him out of the cage.
He slowly collects his belongings and joins the rest of the group in the main throne room.

Walking up to behind his new friend, he listens to the ongoing conversation. "Most interesting..." he mumbles.

"So you were also sent by Duke Joranna? I was part of another expedition sent by her, but unfortunately, it would seem all my companions were not as lucky as I was to survive the endeavor..." He addresses the combatants that have slaughtered the tyrant.

He looks around the area for a bit, waddling in circles, leaning against his staff, while he mumbles to Skía:
"Ohhh, my friend, I am sure that the Duke would have no reasons to object that. Back when I was but a child, this area bustled with people of different origins and races. The fort was just the center of a vivid settlement, back then, ... a child ... one day ... most kind..." he continues mumbling inaudible words, as if telling himself a story he hasn't heard in a long time.

Finally, he stops and looks at the others again: "did you also find Olvirk's second in command? A most powerful kobold, if what my passed companions said is to be true."

[Silent_p]

Arabella frowns slightly as Heart continues to reassure all present that the duke should be very welcoming to them. "Arabellaphon De Lancet," she says, bowing her head slightly in greeting as her face retains some uncertainty.

She watches the kobolds leave, gaze lingering a moment after they're out of sight. Sharpscale Tribe, she thinks, making a mental note.

Turning back to the others, she listens as Vincent speaks - though giving Heart a sidelong glance as he starts rambling a little. She is about to interrupt when he asks about Olvirk's lieutenant. "I do not believe we encountered them," she replies slowly. Hefting her glaive, she looks around the group. "It would be prudent to search the rest of the keep, perhaps locate this kobold or ensure we are somewhat safe, at any rate."

That said, she leaves the throne room and commences a room by room search, chiefly looking for any remaining enemies.

[Xihirli]

"I can help you search!" Skía said with a smile. "I am happy to spend time doing good work in good company like your own!"