Ancient xcom solo 5e

[Smilex]

Cross' attack misses wide. The fire is making Cross a bit wary and the seadogs area flying too fast.

They also dodge the sacred flame.

One of the smaller flaming skulls attaches itself to Cross's forearm, biting him for 1 piercing damage. The flames cause 4 fire damage more.
The two other skulls luckily miss completely, but they're all circling Cross.

Spoiler: Initiative queue

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7 Kula
6 Pike
New round!
19 Cross
15 Angus
14 Flaming sharks!

[DonchasWatrfals]

Kula slashes at one of the smaller heads with a handaxe, then at the other with an offhanded hand axe.
Pike casts frostbite at the largest of the heads.

Spoiler: Roll'em

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Kula 1: (1d20+1)[5]
Damage: (1d6-1)[3] slashing
Kula 2: (1d20+1)[10]
Damage: (1d6-1)[5] slashing
Pike frostbite: (1d20+5)[25]
Frostbite damage: (1d6)[5] cold damage and has disadvantage on the next weapon attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

[DonchasWatrfals]

Spoiler: Roll'em

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For the additional crit damage
(1d6)[3]

[Smilex]

The small flaming head is too fast for Kula's axes.

Pike's cold attack instead severely damages the largest shark. It's fire almost burns out, but for now it's still active.

[DonchasWatrfals]

Cross attacks one of the smaller heads with his mace while it momentarily is distracted by Kula's attempted strikes.
Angus calls down another sacred flame, this time onto the largest shark head.

Spoiler: Roll'em

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Cross attack: (1d20+1)[14]
Mace Damage: (1d6-1)[0] bludgeoning
Sneak attack: (1d6)[6] bludgeoning
Sacred Flame: DC13 Dex save
Damage: (1d8)[1] radiant

[Smilex]

Spoiler: OOC

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sneak attack is only finesse and ranged weapons. Let's say that Cross changed to using a dagger? Furthermore, I'm assuming he cuts down the skull that's attached into his arm.

Cross just manages to hit one of the smaller shark heads and cuts it down.

The larger head dodges the sacred flame. They keep being quite slippery.

The smaller shark misses Cross.

The larger shark rams Angus, doing 4 bludgeoning and 5 fire damage.

[DonchasWatrfals]

Kula transfers his Hunter's Mark to the smaller shark head and then strikes at it with his handaxe.
Pike casts another Frostbite at the larger head.

Spoiler: Roll'em

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Kula to hit: (1d20+1)[10]
Kula Axe Damage: (1d6-1)[4] slashing
Kula Hunter's Mark Damage: (1d6)[5] slashing
Pike Frostbite: DC 13 CON Save
Pike Damage: (1d6)[1] cold damage and disadvantage on the next weapon attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

[Smilex]

Kula misses his strike.

Pike's frostbite is just enough to make the flames on the larger shark head die down. The head drops down and makes a splash in the water.

Now there's only one of the smaller heads threatening the crew.

[DonchasWatrfals]

Cross attempts to smash the final remaining head with the mace in his hand.

Spoiler: Roll'em

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To hit:(1d20+1)[14]
Damage: (1d6-1)[4] bludgeoning

[Smilex]

The last flaming head falls down crushed. When it hits the water, it sizzles for a while before the flames are extinguished.

Looking through the contents of the pit you find not just the dark light monolith but a glowing rose that seems to survive underwater.

Spoiler: OOC

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You later find out from Shiver that if you pluck out the flower and throw the stem to the ground, it will spread to cover an area of 10'x10' in a spiky growth.

You still haven't found Rygyn, the person you came here looking for but you suspect you've already seen the source of the creatures on the island.

[DonchasWatrfals]

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm assuming we're in the NW corner now?

Angus takes a knee and prays quietly to himself. He then looks around at the group.

How is everyone feeling?

Cross walks over and holds up Angus's mace to him.

Not great to tell you the truth, here I think this is yours.

Angus says another prayer and lays his hand on Cross's shoulder as he accepts the mace. Cross instantly looks better.

Alright everyone, I think we should keep moving unless anyone has a reason to stay put in this swamp. Let's get gloves on and get this monolith back to the boat.

Kula and Angus both don their gloves and remove the monolith from it's resting place. They begin carrying it back towards the boat.

Spoiler: Roll'em

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Angus Cure Wounds: (1d8+3)[8]
Cross Cure Wounds: (1d8+3)[7]

[Smilex]

You start moving from the northwest corner of the island towards the southeast.

You hardly walk three minutes before you stumble on a small clearing where there's a tent.

Rygyn, your tribesmate comes out of the tent.
He's a tired-looking man in his thirties. He seems strong, in a sinewy kind of way.
Angus, Pike, nice to see you. ...Kula, Cross... He nods.
What are you carrying there? It looks like nothing I've ever seen.

[DonchasWatrfals]

Cross steps forward

Well Rygyn to tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sure either. All I know is Shiver is looking for them. We're on orders to bring any back if we see them. Real reason we're here though is you. I know you're aware of the weird stuff that's been happening and we believe it may have something to with these stones, and what's happened with your wife and daughter. Or rather, what hasn't happened. You know what you've failed to do Rygyn, and now it's time to do it.

[Smilex]

It's my wife and son that are dead.
Rygyn cries out and jumps up and down.
My wife was not Silvanshee, she was a member of the Nocorners band. They respect the birds and want to return to the bird spirits after death. That's why I put her and the son into a tree.

He seems frustrated and angry. You wonder what kind of attention his yelling will yet rouse.

[DonchasWatrfals]

Cross slowly walks forward with his hands extended, palms facing Rygyn.

Please lower your voice Rygyn, I understand that are not Silvanshee, and you have given them to the birds already, now what might be the harm in laying them to rest by our customs? Surely you cannot be comfortable with your son spending eternity in that tree.

[Smilex]

Rygyn calms down a little bit but he's still insistent.
They are not in the tree for eternity. The birds take them to the skies. There they fly all over the skies and visit me in the form of gulls for the rest of my life. My son needs to be with his mother. I could not bury my son and leave him alone.

Spoiler: OOC

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We need persuasion, deception or intimidation.

[DonchasWatrfals]

Spoiler: OOC

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Based on Silvanshee custom, does Rygyn need to build the cairn or if the party does it will it suffice?

[Smilex]

Spoiler: OOC

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Based on silvanshee custom he should deal with it as he is responsible and it's his shame if he neglects it. To the dead it shouldn't matter.

[DonchasWatrfals]

Spoiler: OOC

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Sorry for the delay! It's been a hectic weekend.

Rygyn, if you don't do it. I am going to. You will bring shame onto yourself and the memory of your family. This is my last offer for you to fix what you've done. I understand why you have done it, but you cannot overlook everything that has been going on. I believe because you have not followed our proper customs that these undead have started rising. Your wife and son need to be buried and have a cairn built. You have already given them their custom, there is no harm in giving them ours as well. Their souls will be with the birds, but their bodies will be at rest and protected.

[Smilex]

Moved by your speech Rygyn sadly says
Let's go take her down.
And the he starts crying. He bawls all the way as you go to the Hanging tree. There you can see two corpses tied from their waist around the tree. Birds have indeed had time to start snacking on them but there's a long way for them to go.

Rygyn starts climbing the tree. It's slow going. He can hardly see what he's doing with his eyelids swollen and eyes full of tears. Eventually he's high enough that he can cut the ropes that hold his family up. He tries to lower them gracefully, but he doesn't succeed. His grip loosens and the body of his son falls down.

Rygyn's wife's body is also about to topple down but he doesn't let go. It looks like he'll fall with the corpse... but he manages to tie his legs around the branch his sitting on, so he just turns upside down, while still holding his wife's body. The weight turns out to be too much for Rygyn and his wife also drops down, though it's a much shorter fall, almost kind in comparison.
Help!
Rygyn yells while hanging upside down.

At the same time there's a bubbling at the nearby beach. About 40' from you two heads rise from the sea. One belongs to an orca - the rotten head, all covered by seaweed. The other is an almos skeletal head of a dolphin.

Spoiler: Initiative queue

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17 Cross
12 Kula
10 Dolphin
9 Pike
9 Angus
8 Dolphin

[DonchasWatrfals]

Cross, torn between the new threat and the hanging man locks eyes with Angus.

Help Rygyn, everyone else, you know what to do.

Cross charges 20' forward, grabbing a stone from the ground in route and slinging it at the head of the orca.

Kula casts hunter's mark on the orca then follows Cross's lead and does the same.

Spoiler: Roll'em

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Cross attack: (1d20+5)[7]
Cross damage: (1d4+3)[5]
Kula attack: (1d20+5)[13]
Kula sling damage: (1d4+3)[5]
Kula HM damge: (1d6)[4]

[Smilex]

Cross shoots a stone that hits a nearby tree.
Kula's stone strikes the orca head square between the eyes. It looks to be a nice hit but the thing is not yet collapsin.

The dolphin head floats to a distance of 10' from Cross and spits a clump of poisonous slime on him.

Spoiler: OOC

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5 poison damage

[DonchasWatrfals]

Angus rushes to Rygyn and attempts to help him out of the tree without the man falling and breaking his neck. While running over Angus noticed Cross get struck and shouts a quick prayer for his health.

Spoiler: OOC

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Do you need any kind of check for him to help Rygyn down?
Also, bonus action healing word on Cross: (1d4+3)[6]

[Smilex]

Rygyn, with Pike's help, gets a better grip on the trunk of the tree and is able to lower his legs on a branch further down. He manages to upright himself at the same time.

Spoiler: OOC

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Angus can use the help action to help Rygyn's athletics roll so no roll of his own needed.

I think it's Pike's turn?

[DonchasWatrfals]

Spoiler: OOC

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Yup! Just wanted to see if Pike would've needed to help to get Rygyn down. Also, I think the heads are now 10' apart? If not, whatever, whichever is closer will just make the save.

Pike runs forward 25' and casts burning hands, attempting to encompass both heads before retreating back to behind Cross and Kula.

Spoiler: Roll'em

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DC 13 DEX save
(3d6)[13] fire damage and half on a succesful save

[Smilex]

Pike's flames envelop both undead creatures. Both heads burn and collapse to the ground!

Rygyn shakes in fear and slowly comes down.
You're right. The spirits aren't smiling to us. I'll build them the cairns in the proper way.

He brings out a small clay jar he's had in a leather pouch.
Please, take this. May it help you against angry spirits.

Spoiler: OOC

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It contains a lotion, which can be used to spread on a person's body in 10 minutes. The effect of the lotion will make it impossible to decrease the max hit points or stats of the person for a day. It will also stop a person from becoming exhausted.

By the end of the fight you notice also that the healing word did not exhaust a spell slot as you had the dark monolith with you. THe monolith fuelled the spell and shrunk.

You scour the area for safety's sake but it seems you've managed to purify Grave point!

The team heads home, victorious.

...

Once the team has briefed Chief Hawthorne and his retinue Muchwant says to Hawthorne
Our tribe is under heavy weight. We will all do our best to help you in the coming fight.

Shiver continues
The heavens suggest, it is our destiny to face hardship. We must all endeavour to work together so that we can defeat the evil spirits. I will try to finally perfect my mother's craft of potions. Others will all try their best as well...

Spoiler: OOC

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Her potioncraft will allow each character to choose for every mission a potion that has the effects of a cantrip
1)Spare the dying or
2) Guidance or
3) Resistance or
4) Light (used as a grenade or poured on target to light up)

She talks further
I've also managed to study the dark monoliths further. The amazing material has great versatility. In early testing I was able to find ways to manipulate the monoliths to spur dead tissue back to working condition. While a fully dead creature is going to be full of evil spirits if it comes back, I believe this could be a way to restore a lost limb to a warrior. I worry though. With such power, our enemies might have surprising capabilities. I will need a lot of resources though, if we are to use the monoliths to help our tribe.