Seeing violence unfold so quickly, Unrak grins a ferocious mask. He calls upon his innate magic, and there are suddenly ( ) four Unraks clumped together. He wades into the room, heedless of the daggers, and plants himself down, ready to fight.
Only then does he let the rage in.
Come on, you filthy witches!! COME ON!!!
Taranis turns back into a human, ready to fight their god with his. He gives a sharp whistle, telling Toth to stay put.
- Round the First
- Current HPs: 68/68
John hears the commotion and notes the Redleafean roar, then immediately pivots and drops into the blackness. He starts to draw back on his bowstring even as he falls, and hopes he is able to absorb the impact with the bottom with his knees...
He takes in the madness before him and quickly selects as his target the disgusting thing in the middle of the room. (Red?)
for damage
Augrym assesses that the pair by the door are human women. He hurries to disembowel them, dealing a crippling blow to the one on his right.
John leaps to battle, sending an arrow flying. The mangled crone in the center of the room deftly dodges the hasty shot.
MISS
MISS
While his brother regains his noble form, Unrak barrels into the room. So surprised by his audacity, neither of the two cultists at the door manage to nick him, nor even his images.
Round I
1. ???
2. Cultists (Green @ 26 dmg)
3. Augrym (72/86 hp), John, Unrak, Taranis (55/74 hp), Bytor
Bytor tries to recall knowledge about this ritual and the monstrous foe and quickly starts inspiring courage amongst his companions.
”Arise huntsmen and let us vanquish this evil at once!
Bytor recognizes a blood hag when he sees one.
The hag extends a bony finger at Augrym once again. Three ribbons of fire arc through the small room to lick the half-orc.
HIT
HIT
HIT
The pair at the door try to finish the job, but he easily parries their attacks.
MISS
MISS
Meanwhile, two more come screaming at four Unraks, faring no better.
The last two invoke fresh spells. Unrak feels his mind shaken like a rag doll , while a dagger of force tries unsuccessfully to stab him from behind.
MISS
Round II
1. Blood Hag
2. Cultists (Green @ 26 dmg)
3. Augrym (41/86 hp), John, Unrak (WILL, 3 images), Taranis (55/74 hp), Bytor
Round 2:
Bytor maintains his inspire courage casts cure moderate wounds on Taranis, and draws his own bow.
- Round the Second
- Current HPs: 68/68
- Inspired
John looses three arrows at the blood hag in hopes of bloodying her further.
RANGED FULL ATTACK
First Attack:
for damage.
Second Attack:
for damage.
Rapid Shot:
for damage.
Bytor reverts to healing as John sends in a volley. His third arrow nicks the crone.
Round II
1. Blood Hag (11 dmg)
2. Cultists (Green @ 26 dmg)
3. Augrym (41/86 hp), John, Unrak (WILL, 3 images), Taranis (71/74 hp), Bytor
"I AM AUGRYM!! CURRENT STAG LORD AND HONORARY REDLEAF! You will not defeat The Huntsmen!"
5ft step and 2 attacks on the one west of me.
Taranis draws his scimitar to harry the target between himself and Augrym.
Then, maintains his focus as he casts a spell without letting his guard down. A pillar of flame washes over the enemy!
POINT OF ORDER: OK, I'm sorry everyone, but at the table this is My Thing. Prayer affects ALL d20 rolls, AND damage rolls. So we're all -1 on hit, saves, skills, and damage. Net +1 hit & damage due to courage.
bloody hell.
26-50 Do nothing but babble incoherently
51-75 Deal 1d8 points of damage + Str modifier to self with item in hand
76-100 Attack nearest creature (for this purpose, a familiar counts as part of the subject's self)
Unrak shakes his head, and while he's able to stave off the foul magic for now, the spell DOES take hold. He recognizes the hag as the biggest threat, and he tries to hack through in order to get to her.
if this is enough to drop blue, Unrak's second action is to close with RED, avoiding the direct flank. If it is not, then this is on blue
If the 2nd strike drops blue, 5' step to red (diagonal against wall)
SUCCESS, FAIL, SUCCESS
Augrym changes things up and delivers a deep wound to a second cultist. Unrak keeps his faculties and cuts down his neighbor.
Taranis invokes holy fire to cleanse the three at the back. The hag herself seems largely unfazed, slightly singed only by the divine nature of its making, but the other two are badly hurt.
Revealing her true nature, the hag bursts into a creature of living flame, and hurtles towards Unrak. Her sheer heat licks at his skin as she methodically shreds his images.
HIT IMAGE
HIT IMAGE
HIT FINAL IMAGE
Meanwhile, the cultists hurry to deal with the Duke's vanguard.
HIT
HIT
MISS
HIT
Another approaches Unrak and reaches out to touch his cheek, and he immediately feels his muscles stiffen throughout his body.
HIT
The last sends an echo that washes out all sound near the doorway, cutting off Bytor's song rather abruptly.
Round III
1. Blood Hag (17 dmg)
2. Cultists (Green @ 26 dmg, Grey @ 25 dmg, Purple @ 26 dmg, Brown @ 13 dmg)
3. Augrym (41/86 hp), John, Unrak (WILL, 117/122 hp), Taranis (71/74 hp), Bytor
Taranis looks up at Toth and gives a quick trio of hand signals.
the druid then steps in to Aid Augrym:
The big cat squeezes in, not worrying about the opportunities that he's giving others to attack. He then bites at the closest foe attacking his "uncle"
for
- Round the Third
- Current HPs: 68/68
- Inspired
As silence rings in his ears, John relaxes his shoulders and focuses on his craft. More arrows silently launch in rapid succession at the flaming blood hag.
RANGED FULL ATTACK
First Attack:
for damage.
Second Attack:
for damage.
Rapid Shot:
for damage.
His recklessness costs him in burns, but he fights off the curse with his mental ferocity. Heedless of the flankers, Unrak concentrates solely on the fiery monster.
Two of John's arrows disappear into the burning form, though it is difficult to tell what became of them. Unrak thinks he hit something solid once, but not twice.
Toth tries to come at his master's call, but makes a mess of it, falling and flailing around in the small room after squeezing through the trap door. Taranis steps forward to lend Augrym a hand.
Round III
1. Blood Hag (77 dmg)
2. Cultists (Green @ 26 dmg, Grey @ 25 dmg, Purple @ 26 dmg, Brown @ 13 dmg)
3. Augrym (41/86 hp), John, Unrak (WILL, 117/122 hp), Taranis (71/74 hp), Bytor
Bytor uses the silence to focus his shots. He aims carefully with his bow and lets his arrows fly at the crone!
Bytor's arrows thud into the wall behind the burning hag.
Round III
1. Blood Hag (77 dmg)
2. Cultists (Green @ 26 dmg, Grey @ 25 dmg, Purple @ 26 dmg, Brown @ 13 dmg)
3. Augrym (41/86 hp), John, Unrak (WILL, 117/122 hp), Taranis (71/74 hp), Bytor
Augrym 5ft steps and is now flanking his opponent and trying to finish them off.
"Even if I fall this day due to my wounds, I will ensure YOU FALL FIRST!!"
Augrym cuts down his foe with a single furious strike.
An instant latter, a blood-curdling howl from the hag heralds a terrifying explosion of fire, as she sheds her flaming form in all directions.
FAIL
FAIL
FAIL
FAIL
The conflagration kills off all four remaining cultists and sets the room afire, leaving only the hag to be dealt with...
Round IV
1. Blood Hag (77 dmg)
2. Cultists
3. Augrym (REFLEX, 17/86 hp), John (REFLEX, 44/68 hp), Unrak (REFLEX, 93/122 hp), Taranis (REFLEX, 47/74 hp), Bytor (REFLEX, 51/75 hp)
Taranis feels the flames burn his beard. Stuck in the silence, and quickly losing the potency of Bytor's song, he rushes forth to his brother and swings with his mundane scimitar:
THREAT for
If confirmed:
Saving Throw! plus...
- Fortitude: +8
- Reflex: +9
- Will: +5
- Round the First
- Current HPs: 56/68
John deftly twists away from the majority of the firey blast, but heat and flame still blister his skin and the stench of burning hair is definitely in part his own.
His relentless arrows continue to swarm the blood hag. Regardless of the chaos, flame, and death... John retreats into himself and focuses on the tip of each and the target before him.
First Attack:
for damage.
Second Attack:
for damage.
Rapid Shot:
for damage.
The hag wholly ignores the Duke's thrust, but she cannot escape John's aim. She falls at last!
The room continues to burn, however...
Actions?
Augrym: TBD (Reflex)
Bytor: TBD (Reflex)
John: TBD
Taranis: TBD
Unrak: TBD (Reflex)
Unrak manages to cover his face with his forearms, sparing him some of the blast.
As John's last arrow destroys the hag, he maintains his rage. He stows his big sword, then runs to the hole, ready to boost up the rest of the group after they gather what they may.
. . ."Ouch!"
"Well done on taking that hag down, but let's not tarry about while this place burns!"
Unrak takes a quick look around the burning room--maybe there's some way to fight the fire, or maybe some clue or evidence of the cult for use in public optics...
Unrak gives the room a hurried glance. He sees nothing new: seven bodies in their shabbles and an altar of piled stone, topped with its glittering gem...
Still in his raging state, he rushes over to the altar, clearly planning ot take the gem.
Taranis rushes over with his brother and casts a communal Resist Fire on himself and his brother, "Let's go! Grab it and go!"
Bytor flees with the others getting out as quickly as possible before he hurts himself any more.
"Everyone get out!" He cries.
Bytor hurries back up the ladder as the brothers Redleaf linger...
John takes a few moments to rifle through the hag's possessions before running for the door.
John rummages through the torn clothing of a dead cultist and finds a paltry gold coins.
The Duke rips the gem free of the altar and shoves it in a pocket. The stones beneath it crumble, as if of their own lost will to stand.
The beams holding up the earthen room creak as the flames eat away at them...
John delays until the Duke and the Bear have passed him up the ladder. Meanwhile he continues looting.
Unrak hustles to the hole, stowing his sword en route. He stands at the bottom, ready to heave up the rest with his rage-improved strength
The Redleaf brothers get to the ladder, with Unrak shoving his brother up it. John stays behind to fish for loose change, finding gold coins on the next corpse.
The beams overhead are blackened and splintering. John's luck holds for the moment...
John runs for it!
And just in the nick of time! You each catch your breath outside; a shaking of the ground signals that the cellar has finally collapsed, smothering the flames in raw earth. A corner of the barn now sags noticeably, but overall the damage is light.
"Is everyone OK? I was able to get some coin from the bodies but not much else.
If asked John thinks we should tell everyone about the cult. And about how we deal with evil cults 'round these parts.
Hoping to avoid fear, The Duke opts for a middle-of-the-road approach. He issues a statement about how a crime against the citizenry was stopped through bravery, but doesn't say that it was an evil cult. Instead he emphasizes the effort leadership puts into protecting the citizens without disrupting their lives. If the general mood of the city is soured, he'll meet with Leadership to give some extra festivals in the coming month.
"I do not see how solving some of these problems and making the land safer would sour any of these folks. I think what we have done here was a good decision indeed!"
"I do not see how solving some of these problems and making the land safer would sour any of these folks. I think what we have done here was a good decision indeed!"
Unrak makes an impolite noise. It's not the saving that's the problem, friend. It's what we saved them FROM. If folks hear "There was an evil cult, but we stopped them!" their takeaway will be less "we stopped them!" and more "evil cult?!?!?! AAAAAHHHH!!!" So as much as I dislike it, Brother Mine is right, I think.
The middle approach meets with neither boon nor calamity. The rumors of a cult forming in town do not continue to gather strength, but nor are they immediately dispelled, instead being left to peter out over time.
The next morn brings [color=teal]16th Gozran[/color].