ANY 4e Campaign IC

[sandmote]

Aahz doesn't make out anything notable between the tall grasses, including any trampled paths leading to the tower, at least from this side of the hill. This itself implies the tower isn't being used by any humanoids, including the bandits.

There don't appear to be any lights visible away from the tower, so they're likely tied to something happening either inside the tower or around its base.

Spoiler: OOC

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Assuming the darker green is difficult terrain?

Yes, sorry for not noting this immediately.

[Hawk7915]

"Hrm. Well gang looks like no bandits - trails pretty cold. But maybe some loot in that there tower? Just gotta get a bit closer and see if talented Dwilla or the kid can suss out if those lights are magic and or dangerous eh? Why don't we creep up left here to take a peek. Me an' Striker will lead."

[JNAProductions]

Nodding, Dwilla heads to follow the group.

[onlie2005]

Maria follows along but stays alert, moving as slowly as possible but staying with the group. She tries to discern anything from the lights and if they seem magical or not as they approach.

Perception Check: (1d20+1)[4]
Arcana Check: (1d20+10)[20]

[Hawk7915]

Aahz, barely paying attention to whether his team is still with him at the thought of a place to rest after a long march and a chance to dig for buried loot, keeps creeping forward, trying to still have a bit of foliage cover in case the blinking lights are threatening.

OOC: Moved up to 11-004.

[sandmote]

As the rest of the party moves up with Aahz with the sun behind them, the lights around the tower become more frantic. Dwilla is able to tell by the pattern that the lights seem be avoiding the strongest rays of the sun, and are likely weak to radiance. As the party takes a look around make sense of this, the lights blink out for a second.

After a pause that is about 1 second but feels much longer, the lights burst back on around the tower. They are joined by two figures between the party and the tower. Both are ghostly figures wreathed in ghostly light. One appears as a figure in heavy armor wielding a sword. The other appears as a woman with flowing white hair which appears to be whipped by some unseen wind. She unleashes an inhuman wail, which seems to bounce off the surrounding hills and surround you from all directions.

Aahz, Highstriker, and Maria are able to recover from the ghost's appearance before they do anything.

Spoiler: Initiative

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Aahz, Highstriker, and Maria are in the first initiative block. All Enemies ended up in the second initiative block. After them, all PCs (including Dwilla) will be able to go.

I also missed JNA'a Arcana roll on the rolling thread until now; the information about radiance is also relevant to the two spirits with a corporeal form.

[onlie2005]

"Nine hells for the gods sake shut up!", Maria yells at the ghost and instinctively while covering one of her ears points her wand at the offending creature and unleashes a silvery bolt of energy at it.

OOC: Cast Magic Missile at the Shrieking Soul for 7 damage.

[FieryHilary]

Highstiker runs forward to get in melee range.
Standard Action: Grasping Wind targeting Striking Soul. (1d20+8)[10]

[FieryHilary]

Free action: mark all adjacent enemies (Light 6 and Striking Soul).

Spoiler: if a marked enemy attacks anyone other than Highstriker

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Warden's Fury: (1d20+8)[11] vs Fortitude
Hits for (1d10+4)[7] slashing damage

[Hawk7915]

Aahz will run up alongside Highstriker. "Didn' I say to go left? Eh, no matter. Stay safe back there kid! And Highstriker, yeah, thinking we needja to strike a bit lower now..."

Move: to 15-06
Standard Action: Commander's Strike to have Highstriker swing at Blinking Light #6, (1d20+8)[15] for (1d10+7)[8] damage
Minor/Frees: None for now

Prep:

Spoiler: If the Shrieking or Striking Spirit takes a swing at Aahz during their own turn

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I'll use Vengeance is Mine to take a free shot back, calling Highstriker to help if she's in range to do so:
Aahz: (1d20+6)[25] for (1d8+3)[8] damage.
Highstriker: (1d20+8)[23] for (1d10+4)[14] damage

[sandmote]

As Aahz strikes the floating light, it bursts harmlessly into particles. For the moment between the light breaking up and vanishing completely, Aahz and Highstriker can see the phantom outline of a human with a slash across his chest, mouth open in a scream no one can hear.

The Shrieking Soul responds to Maria's complaints by unleashing an even stronger scream, shaking Aahz and Highstriker's ears. The attack doesn't really hurt, but the ringing in their ears makes it difficult to walk.

The Striking soul lashes out with its blade at Highstriker, and she finds herself struggling to track where the other monsters are during his onslaught.

The blinking lights begin blinking again. Three reappear: one near Maria, one near Aahz, and one near Highstriker. They reach out toward their chosen target, and each feels the world turn cold, as if not worth living for the moment the lights are draining them.

Spoiler: OOC

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Aahz and Highstriker are slowed until the end of their next turns. Highstriker is marked by the striking soul until the end of her next turn.

Highstriker takes 3 necrotic damage
Aahz takes 4 necrotic damage
Maria takes 5 necrotic damage

Start of the PC's turn. All PC's can go, as there's no NPCs going between Dwilla's imitative and the rest of the party.

Edit: the shrieking soul missed Aahz. That high AC is really slowing you down, huh.

[JNAProductions]

Casting her powers out as she moves slightly, Dwilla showers the two main spirits in radiance. One of them, the bladed one, dodges the starfall, but the other shrieking one takes the full force.

Spoiler: OOC

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9 damage on the Shrieking, reducing it to 20.

Also shifted one square upwards.

[onlie2005]

Maria lashes out with her wand at the blinking light in front of her, a whip crack of sonic power enveloping the blinking light and utterly destroying it.(see game dice roll thread)

OOC: Cast Thunderwave in front of Maria close blast 3.

[Hawk7915]

Aahz will panic at seeing the blinking light hit Maria, despairing as his legs turn to lead from the spirits around him. But he's emboldened when she blows it back to the nether realm. "Yeah kid, yer alright! Ya gotta be alright!". He turns his attention to the ghoulish figure menacing Highstriker. "Alright, ugly - let's get serious". . Aahz unleashes a devastating strike that leaves it reeling, before commanding Highstriker to pile on.

Minor Action: Healing word to restore Surge +3 to Maria (see roll thread)
Move: Shift 1
Standard: Lead the Attack on STriking Spirit for 14 damage (see roll thread)
Free: Action point for another standard - Commander's Strike on Highstriker with a new +4 bonus. (1d20+12)[15] for (1d10+4)[13] damage.

[FieryHilary]

”Highstriker… Lowstriker… maybe I will earn the title of ALLSTRIKER!” she says with notes of both joy and menace as she turns to make her next attack.

Move: Shift to 017-008

Standard Action: Weight of the Earth against Striking Soul
(1d20+12)[32] for (1d10+4)[10] damage. (Slowed until my next turn if it hits.)

Minor Action: Stone’s Endurance (I gain +5 resist all until the end of my next turn)

Free Action: Mark all adjacent enemies.

Spoiler: Marked Enemy attacks anyone other than Highstriker

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Warden’s Fury
(1d20+8)[23] (+4 more if it’s the Striking Spirit) vs. Fortitude for (1d10+4)[5]
If I hit, all my allies get Advantage for 1 turn

[Hawk7915]

Forgot to prepare an action and I am now flanked so hope springs eternal...

Spoiler: if the Striking or Shrieking Spirit hit Aahz before his next turn

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I will invoke Vengeance is Mine to take a free swing, and call Highstriker to assist.

Aahz: (1d20+6)[23] for (1d8+3)[8] damage. That's +4 versus the Striking Spirit and +1 more versus a bloodied target (currently also the Striking Spirit).
Highstriker: (1d20+8)[23] for (1d10+4)[6] damage. +4 versus Striking Spirit[/roll]

And as a reminder - you do get +3 to damage rolls when you blow an Action Point and 3 Temporary Hitpoints if you miss all targets. And the +4 bonus against the Striking Spirit only applies if you are within 5 squares of me when you attack.

[sandmote]

As Dwilla rains starlight on the spirits, the Spirit she hits seems more in pain than she expected from how hard the attack hit, apparently vulnerable to the attack's radiance. As the spirit is wracked by the light a chilling pain travels up Dwilla's back, and she finds it difficult to see around her.

Aahz feels a shooting pain up his own back as the Shrieking spirit floats a few feet away from him, and he finds it difficult to see himself.

Additionally, the two spirits appear different to Dwilla and Aahz while in their mental haze. The Striking one appears as a handsome man in shimmering armor, laughing as he fights. The Shreiking Spirit's hair is bright red and she appears wrapped in bright blue cloth, a stark contrast to the white hair and waving strips she appeared with before her attack on each of you.

One light reemerges next to Dwilla and another next to Highstriker, as the two that remained visible continue trying to sap the energy from Aahz and Highstriker. Highstriker manages to avoid the one she could already see, but the others successfully manage to drain a bit of life.

Spoiler: OOC

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effects by PC:
Dwilla takes 9 psychic and 3 necrotic damage. she has -2 to hit until the end of her next turn.
Aahz takes 7 psychic and 3 necrotic. He has -2 to hit until the end of his next turn, and is marked by the striking spirit.
Highstriker takes 6 necrotic damage before factoring in Stone's Endurance.

[Hawk7915]

Aahz grunts in pain. He swings wildly to hit air. "Uuuhhh...Highstriker? Help?"

OOC: I am going to invoke Vengeance is Mine even though I don't get an attack and have Highstriker move up to the shrieker and take her shot. I think I moved it all but tough on mobile. If she provokes she's confirmed she's okay with that. That should pave up some attack lines for Dwilla and Maria.

[onlie2005]

Seeing her friends in trouble Maria decides to act. Changing her position she moves to a more direct line of sight to the Shrieking Soul and unleashes her patented lightning onto the creature.

OOC: Move NW 2 squares and N 2 squares. Cast Empowering Lightning on Shrieking Soul. See Dice Roller thread.

[sandmote]

The blinking lights attempt to drain Highstriker as she moves to Aid Aahz, but the endurance of the Goliath is high enough for her to simply shrug them off.

The Shrieking Soul Unleashes another desperate wail.

Spoiler: If a PC marked by the Striking Soul attacks a different NPC

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The Striking Soul has a special action it can make against creatures Marked by him. If such a PC attacks a creature other than him, check the following attack:

(1d20+5)[11] vs AC. On a Hit it deals (1d4+5)[9] necrotic damage and the triggering PC has -2 to attack the target until the start of the Striking Soul's turn (including on the triggering attack). This resolves before the triggering attack.

This also triggers an AoO from adjacent PCs with a reaction; reactions cannot be taken on your own turn.

[JNAProductions]

Dwilla forces her way through the visions, and annihilates two of the blinking lights.

[FieryHilary]

Highstriker swings at the Striking Soul and deals a hefty blow, but not enough to kill it (see roll thread).

Free action: Mark all adjacent enemies.

Spoiler: If a marked enemy attacks someone other than Highstriker

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(1d20+8)[28] vs Fortitude for [roll]1d10+4] damage on a hit

[Hawk7915]

Aahz wipes a bit of blood from his nose. "Heh, yeah, this ain't...huh...ain't nothin..." he says more to himself than anyone else.

"Alright Highstriker, will you shut that redhead up?". Aahz points at the shrieking specter, but Highstriker isn't able to follow-through after her blow to the other spirit.

OOC: Roll thread is max roll to heal myself with Inspiring Word and a nat 1 for the Commander's Strike

[onlie2005]

Maria is upset with herself as she missed her attack. She could have finished the Wailing Soul off herself in one shot! Still she is undaunted and unleashes another one of her patented silver energy missiles to hit the howling nuisance.

OOC: Cast Magic Missile on Shrieking Soul for 7 damage.

[sandmote]

As Dwilla's fire bursts two of the blinking lights, the party can see the outlines of humanoids--a bald dwarf and a child covered in blood--appear as blue outlines for the split second before the light's go out completely.

The Shriking Soul shifts back from Highstriker, but fails to land a strike against her psyche.

The striking soul and the lights fare better in their last desperate attempts to drive you off. The Striking Spirit hits Highstriker for [roll]1d6+4/roll] 10, one light hits Dwilla for (1d4+2)[6] and the other hits Aahz for (1d4+4)[5]

[JNAProductions]

Attempting to get the spirit hounding her off her back, Dwilla scoots over a bit and sends a shower of stars to eliminate it.

[onlie2005]

Growing more and more weary and annoyed at all the wailing, Maria finishes off the Shrieking Soul with her patented Magic Missile.

OOC: Cast Magic Missile on Shrieking Soul for 7 damage.

[Hawk7915]

Aahz will slide down and take a desperate swing at the creature that has marked him, even battered and distracted.

Move: Shift 1 down
Action: Intuitive Strike (1d20+5)[13] vs Will; for (1d8)[2] damage. (attack bonus factoring in -2 penalty from Shrieker, +1 bonus from Bloodhunt)

[FieryHilary]

Move: Shift to 18-05

Standard: (1d20+8)[25] vs AC of shrieking soul
(1d10+4)[13] damage on a hit

Free: Mark all adjacent enemies

[sandmote]

As Highstriker's blow finishes off the Shrieking spirit, her form turns into a blue outline like those left behind by the blinking lights. This one however lasts longer, appearing to crumple to the ground. The spirit's outline looks up at Highstriker, releasing one final wail, distant and quiet, before fading away.

The Striking Soul's mouth opens in an unheard scream, and it shifts to get revenge against Highstriker and marking her. He hits for (1d8+4)[8]. His movement is more erratic than it was before, as if he's lost focus.

The blinking light takes advantage of the Striking Soul's positioning to leech out (1d2+2)[3] of Aahz's life force.

Spoiler: OOC

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All PCs are up again, although since Aahz was first in the initiative at the start of combat I'm going to ask he wait for the rest of the party before taking another action.