Kennen continues to run full speed straight ahead despite the wall that is rapidly approaching him. Just before he impacts, he leans back and uses his forward momentum to run up the wall far further than is he had jump.
Jumping the palisade: Yep, its cool alright! As noted in the heo points section in the campaign tab we are using a flat +5 bonus instead of the +4/+8 suggested in the original rules. In this case that does not affect the total height jumped. Annoyingly, the adventure does not list the height of the palisade, but a quick wiki search reveals that historically they were rarely taller than 10'. Given that the goblins here have to contend with giants and the like, lets err on the side of tall and assign it a height of 1d4+5 ft. If Kennen equals or exceeds the height with his jump, then you sail clear over it. Less means a Ref DC20 save is in order to catch the wall.
In the yard Hrungir rouses himself from his misery and throws himself ineffectually against the gate of the pen.
Inside the tower, Kee-rik hops forward and shreds the goblin tangled in his net. Raidh edges down the stairs behind him, ready to defend him with her spear while Rodolpho moves to the top of the stairs to secure a fall back position.
Morgtii takes aim at the yapping goblin dog...
;
...the mangy beast yelps in pain and lims around the yard looking for something to take its frustrations out on.
D'Son and Wood look at each other in surprise as Kennen vaults into the air and over the eight foot high palisade in a single bound! Kennen lands on the other side of the wall right beside a very startled goblin. The goblin back pedals franticall and fires off a wild bow shot...
The hobgoblin snarls, pulls forth his axe and advances threateningly upon Kennen...
The goblin dog hears the commotion at the gate and charges over, eager to rend Kennen limb from limb...
... but the doughty little warrior dances away from all his attackers.
Inside the tower, The hobgoblin and one of his minions take time to barricade the tower door, while the other two goblins rush into the stairwell, the first taking a quick shot with his bow at kee-rik over his companion's head....
Said goblin steps over his fallen comrade and slashes at Kee-rik with a crude short sword...
... But Kee-rik manages to step aside at the last moment.
Fianally, the only goblin left manning the palisade takes a bow shot at D'Son...
;
..pricking the dim-witted half orc's tough hide.
Initiative Order, Status, and Effects:
Morgtii (17/20HP)
Kee-Rik (17/17HP)
Dolph (16/16HP)
Raidh (19/19hp)
Kennen (22/(25)22HP)
The Warden (25/(25)31 HP) -20' from palisade
Hrungir (??/??HP) - fatigued, nauseated
The mercs - Wood and D'Son ( 17/20 HP) at palisade; Harrol and Dee 100' and in cover
The goblin horde (6 goblins, 2 hobgoblins, 1 goblin dog-badly wounded)
D'Son and Wood start throwing their shoulders against the palisade gate...
...but the gate doesn't budge
Harrol and Dee break from cover at the base of the hill and start racing forward. (now 40' from palisade after a double move.
Raidh stabs at the goblin fighting Kee-Rik...
... but misses
The warden charges from the 20 foot distance towards the gate. As he moves, he calls to D'Son and Wood.
The gargoyle's deep voice bellows, timing his charge to coincide with their checks.
Kee-rik will continue to take down any goblins he can reach.
If Dolph sees a goblin or hobgoblin break through Keerik's line, he uses a destructive blast at it.
RTA
Damage
In the tower, Kee-rik claws at the goblin closest to him, wounding his enemy. The goblin takes another swing at him them edges away, making room for one of the goblins behind him to rush in while one at the back keep lobbing bow shots randomly into the chaotic melee...
;
... through it all Kee-rik takes only a slight slash to his leg.
On the main floor, the hobgoblin and goblin there finish barricading the door and take up positions at the arrow slits.
Three on one? Those were good enough odds. And he might be able to make them better if he took out the biggest threat, which in this case was also the biggest target. Kennen roars out like a lion as he charges the bugbear.
Kennen's main damage came from striking sensitive parts of his opponents body. His first strike was to the solar plexus but the bugbear was fatter than he thought and all he hit was flab. The second he aimed for a guaranteed soft spot. A high kick to the jaw.
Kennen delivers a high flying, tooth rattling kick to the axe-wielding hobgoblin. The brute shakes his head then redoubles his efforts to eviscerate the halfling...
;
... and with the help of the distracting yapping of the goblin dog nipping at his heels, finally lands a blow.
The last goblin on the palisade takes another shot at D'son...
;
... striking him again.
But not enough to deter him, Wood and the Warden from mightily crashing headlong into the gate and bursting it wide open.
Initiative Order, Status, and Effects:
Morgtii (17/20HP)
Kee-Rik (15/17HP)
Dolph (16/16HP)
Raidh (19/19hp)
Kennen (17/(25)22HP)
The Warden (25/(25)31 HP) -20' from palisade
Hrungir (??/??HP) - fatigued, nauseated
The mercs - D'Son ( 15/20 HP)
The goblin horde (6 goblins - 1 wounded, 2 hobgoblins - 1 wounded, 1 goblin dog-badly wounded)
Inside the tower Raidh stabs over Kee-rik's shoulder at the newest goblin attacker...
... But accomplishes little more than to look menacing
On the roof Morgti lines up the last goblin archer...
;
... and his well placed arrows claim another victim
At the gate Wood and D'Son push forward and join the fray...
;
...While Wood fails to hit the goblin dog, D'Son cuts down the hobgoblin facing Kennen with a single mighty blow.
Harrol and Dee defer their turns, waiting for a gap to open up that they can move into.
The Warden skids on the ground, stepping around the goblin dog and swinging his greatsword.
Emboldened by the appearance of his allies and their thunderous entrance, Kennen dives and rolls out from between the enemies to circle behind the goblin. Once behind his foe, he waits a moment for it to turn toward him, "Oi. Ugly," then delivers a palm strike to its ugly face.
Once again, if Dolph sees a goblin or hobgoblin break through Keerik's line, he uses a destructive blast at it.
RTA
Damage
The Warden pushes his way depper into the yard, deflecting a sword thrust from a goblin as he goes, and silences the growling goblin dog with a single chop of his greatsword.
Kennen expertly rolls past the lone goblin at the gate but the wily creature avoids his counter punch.
The fight on the stairwell stalls as Kee-rik badly wounds the goblin in front of him. {ooc](Yes you do get a +1 for elevation - have been adding it in up until now.)[/ooc]
Outnumbered and alone but with nowhere to run the last goblin at the gate fights on desperately, trying to edge away from the attackers while slashing at the Kennen...
Inside the tower, some of the goblinoids lay down fire from the arrow slits...
;
...and while the hobgoblin cannot draw a bead on Kenne through the fighting, an arrow ricochets hard of the Warden's breastplate, leaving him with a nasty bruise.
The goblin facing Kee-rik slashes at him again...
...to no effect as the stairwell struggle grinds on.
Initiative Order, Status, and Effects:
Morgtii (17/20HP)
Kee-Rik (15/17HP)
Dolph (16/16HP)
Raidh (19/19hp)
Kennen (17/(22)25 HP)
The Warden (23/(25)31 HP)
Hrungir (??/??HP)
The mercs - D'Son ( 15/20 HP)
The goblin horde (5 goblins - 1 wounded, 1 badly wounded; 1 hobgoblin
Wood and D'son rush into the yard...
;
;
...and make short work of the last goblin there.
Morgtii runs over the to stairs with Rodolpho
Raidh stabs out at a goblin...
... and stabs it dead, opening a space up in front of Kee-rik.
Now that Kennen and the Warden are inside the yard and have a moment to look around, they see a rickety kennel that seems barely strong enough to hold a child, let alone the three large dogs that are trapped within. Gnarled and twisted branches, no more than an inch in diameter, have been pounded into the ground in a rough circle. Two makeshift gates, one facing the tower and the other away, allow entry. Just outside the kennel, four tall stakes have been driven into the ground. rope connects the tips of these stakes, which cross to form an X about 10 feet above the kennel. Where the ropes cross, a bloody heart has been suspended from a small string. This still-beating heart pumps rhythmically, blood spurting out in small gouts every second or so. The blood almost immediately degrades into a fine mist which settles down upon the inhabitants of the kennel. Three canine creatures lie in misery on the wet floor of this kennel, an almost-human awareness visible in their eyes. The beasts are clearly beaten down, and each is covered in numerous cuts, bruises, and other wounds. Every few seconds, as the bloody mist settles upon their coats, a purplish energy erupts, rapidly encircling their tawny coat, and then vanishes, leaving no sign of its presence.
He's never seen such magic before, but the cage seems easily broken. He moves over to the gates and raises his sword.
"Aw." Kennen was a little disappointed in the end there. He made such a good showing getting over the wall and then the others come in and steal the glory. But there isn't time to think about that. There was dog...things to save. What in the world where they and, "What the hell is that?" he asks, pointing at the heart. It looked like it was harming them. Kennen looks around and spies the bow the now dead goblin had dropped. Hmm.
Dolph was tired of firing ruckus of combat, so he delayed, only firing if one of the goblins broke through the line.
Hrungir sniffs the air. Anxious to be free.
Kennen reasons that a disembodied heart beating on its own and spraying blood mist everywhere cannot be a good thing, so he snatches up a short bow from the fallen goblin, lines up the ghastly thing and fires. His aim is true, his arrow piercing the heart. It gives one more tortured beat, then there is a flash of sickly purple light and it rapidly shrivels.
A moment later the Warden reaches the pen and brings the south gate of the pen and the entire string apparatus crashing down. The dogs inside are free!
Kee-rik steps over the goblin that Raidh killed and savages the next one standing between him and the bottom of the stairs...
;
;
...killing his already wounded opponent
The last goblin on the stair, undeterred, pushes forward...
...but cannot gain an advantage over the spry gripli
More arrows are fired from the main floor on the invaders...
;
...Wood grunts in pain as he takes an arrow in the thigh
Initiative Order, Status, and Effects:
Morgtii (17/20HP)
Kee-Rik (15/17HP)
Dolph (16/16HP)
Raidh (19/19hp)
Kennen (17/(22)25 HP)
The Warden (23/(25)31 HP)
Hrungir (17/34HP); fatigued
The mercs - D'Son (15/20 HP); Wood (9/15 HP)
The goblin horde (2 goblins ; 1 hobgoblin)
Raidh stabs over Kee-rik's shoulder at the last goblin assaulting the stairs...
;
...killing it cleanly, leaving the path clear for Kee-rik and the others.
The mercs charge the gate of the tower. Dee takes cover in the crates by the palisade and tries to put a bow shot through one of the arrow slits...
At last! Hrungir growls to his brothers in the pen and they *BLINK* into freedom.
Hrungir teleports next to the closest Goblinoid he can see and savagely bites at its flank
Hrungir begins blinking in and out of the ethereal plane.
Kee-rik will hop off the stairs onto boxes, then off the boxes onto the floor, then move towards the hobgoblin boxed in by the dogs.
Dolph double moves down to the surface, wanting to help clean up the rest of the goblinoids in the courtyard.
Well, it seems the creatures in the pin were on their side now. That was good. And they could teleport. Oh boy. Really good they were on their side. Kennen drops the bow and makes for the keep behind the mercenaries.
No sooner has the animated heart beat its last than the three dogs inside rise, snarling. They turn towards the towr and disappear in the blink of an eye.
Inside the tower Kee-rik dispatch the last of the goblins assaulting the stair and rush down to the main floor only to be greeted by the sight of three large dogs savaging the last two goblinoids. In moments it is over and Crowflight tower stands empty of its former inhabitants. Dolph and Morgtii come down from the roof and greet the freed blink dogs, who are initially guarded but grateful once their Elder's Thoa's name is mentioned.
The doors to the tower are thrown open and the members of the first expedition to recover the Book of Terniel meet the members of the second expedition....
A gargoyle wearing a golden breastplate spattered with blood and carrying a blood-coated golden bladed greatsword stalks towards the group. The warden will give his weapon a fierce swing, slinging the blood off the blade at the bodies near his feet. It sees the members he was ordered to save and nods its head.
Putting the sword away, he turns to Wood and crouches, doing what he can to help with his injuries.
Kennen hops up on something tall to get a better look at the other people here. "Hey, so, is there a Dolpho here?"
"I'm Rudolpho, but call me Dolph. What great timing to encounter you lot? We would have never gotten through this without you! Whoever sent you was really clever. Nice to meet you all."
Hrungir pads over toward the newcomers, humans, and sniffs them
Greetings Humans. I am Hrungir. This is Loal and Toma. They are all that is left of the Seven Sisters pack. Unless, did you say Thoa?
--Dolph--
"I am sure your master Silion would appreciate that. He has sent a second group to help the first. He also asked me to give you this," Kennen says, revealing an amulet. He looks around the tower and back at the group coming from the top. "How exactly did you get in here? Pretty solid defenses out front." As if he hadn't just negated those defenses with a single bound.
--Hrungir--
"No I said Dolpho. That guy," he says, pointing at Rodolpho. "Also I am not human." He gestures to the humans height as if that should be obvious. "Also also, greetings Hrungir. I am Kennen. Do I sniff too or shake a paw or what?" How did one greet an obviously intelligent animal?
Apologies. I did not mean offense. Your smells are similar.
at the mention of sniffing Hrungir chuckles, which sounds like coughing coming deep within his broad chest You may take in my scent if you wish Kennen.
Having done what he could for Wood, The Warden strides towards the group and comes to a stop right next to them, looking over the survivors and the blink dog with stoic curiosity.
Kennen is about to lean in when he remembers something. "I would but I'd rather not think about what that thing was spraying on you. What did it do?"
Dolph takes the amulet.
"We came in through the back. Pretty easy except for all the gators, I suppose. It they didn't bother us too bad. How was Silion? That's why we are here, to find that book the cult stole from him."
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The amulet is a polished disc of veiny quartz set within a frame of knotted silver wire and suspended from a braided leather cord. Dolph remembers the amulet from his days apprenticing under Sillion. It is called the Headmaster's Gaze. Sillion used it to teach the basics of divination magic to his students; and to keep tabs on them.
That abomination was what remained of my Alpha. Thoa's mate. Tell me, does the Elder live still? The foul machinations of Satrise and Mukar have taken much from me.
Rodolpho
"Sillion's fine. It was you guys he was worried about. We're here to help," he says indicating himself, Warden and the mercenaries.
Hrungir
Kennen looks at Hrungir and then to Dolph, his eyes obviously asking if he knew what the blink dog was talking about.
Kee-rik is there, although hard to notice. He's not adding anything to the conversation.
"Apologies, Hrungnir. I don't know of any of the others of your kind. Keerik and I have not encounter any of them. We have been here to search for Silion's book that the evil demon cult took from him. Did he have any new information, Kennan?"
Kee-rik pipes up. "Thoa led crocodiles away from back door for us. Probably safe."
The warden will crouch down and tilt his head. There was more to his orders, of course, but the major objective had been completed. He will decide to climb the tower up to the ballista and take a look out over the area. It had been centuries since he was last awake, so he wanted to reacquaint himself with the landscape.
Hrungir growls My teeth hunger for the throats of those that murdered the Alpha. I will join you and do vengeance.
Hrungir walks over to where the other Blink Dogs stand warily nearby, he speaks with them for a moment and then returns
Loal and Toma will find Thoa. I will stay with you humans if you will have me.
After the three groups meet each other and determine that they have common ground and goals, they set about securing the tower.
The goblinoid occupiers of the tower had amassed enough supplies for several months stay, and a goodly arsenal of mundane weaponry but little in the way of valuables. You group fins half a dozen bars of silver ( 20 gp each), three well carved wooden and clay statues ( a ravel an owl and a hawk, 10gp each), 5 tarnished silver rings ( 25 gp each), and 60gp of assorted coins.
In Mukar's chamber, Kee-rik finds a sturdy lock box hidden in a recess in the wall. Someone would have to reach an arm in to remove the box, but there is a cleverly disguised trap within set to trigger when the box is moved. (Disable DC 25)
Returning to the basement, Dolph and Kee-rik make a grisly discovery. Apparently leaving a mortally wounded companion alone and unconscious in a room full of crocodiles, is not a strategy that works in the interests of the long term health of said companion - all that remains of Aedron is a large res stain on the underground beach. The crocodiles on the other hand, are well fed and lethargic, troubling no one.
The group removes the crazy old man Thalim from the basement, and investigates the submerged chain they found there. It comes as a reat surprise to all when they winch up a cage from the depths, and inside the cage is none other than their old nemesis, Varamar the necromancer. The vain and arrogant wizard is looking quite the worse for wear, though perhaps not so much as one would think after being submerged in bog water for days. His once fine purple and black robes are now a sodden grey mess. He is very much dead judging from the grey green pallor of his skin and bloated extremities, yet that does not stop him from cursing at you loudly once he recognizes his saviors. Ugh! Its you lot! How are you not all dead yet? Get me out of this cage you festering imbeciles!
"Did he have any new information, Kennan?"
"Uh." Caught off guard, Kennen wracks his brain trying to remember what Sillion said. "I don't know what you guys know but he told me the story." Kennen tells Dolpho what he remembers of the conversation. Dolpho can decide if there is anything new in that. Kennen helps secure the fort but upon hearing of a necromancer in the basement he has to go see. He reals back from the talking corpse they fish out of the water. "Whoa. I thought undead were mindless."
Hrungir growls at the undead wizard and the ridge of hair on the back of his neck stands It smells of evil... he says.
The Warden watches the dead man speak, and slowly reaches for his greatsword.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"How did you get in this situation? Last we saw you, you were still alive. Did someone do this to you?"