Aldarion's expression is rather grim. He thought it best to return to camp, but seeing that Cinder, Jax, and a few other ex-bandits were taken prisoner, realizes that plan would have not worked out well either.
Aldarion wonders about Bessy's fate. Perhaps she escaped...
He nods to Connor as he mutters his now familiar ancient prayer... and the trees and shrubs by the shaman and the nooses begin to sway and grope at the agents' enemies.
"I guess that's his answer." He mutters to his nearby friends.
Aldarion's head then tilts as he realizes, "Where's Veronia?" His gaze aims downwards, and he decides to see what's going on downstairs.
Al probably hears the conversation and activity downstairs: Perception:10 + 12 = 22
I actually mentioned in my last post that Al will cast entangle on a dense area of enemies. Seeing Cinder, Jax and other prisoners now, and the ropes for hanging them... perhaps that's a good place to include in the area. Delay the hangings at least, while entangling that shaman and nearby enemies, making the shaman make concentration checks at least. Assuming the shaman is close enough, Al will (more or less) center the entanglement on him, trying to get a good number of enemies too.
Connor will shout loudly, letting his voice carry, hoping to stay Larisa's hand just a moment before she lets fly "Who are you, Jare, but a twice-turned traitor? You defected to us to save yourself when we offered to spare you, and then betrayed defenseless an innkeeper once the men you couldn't fight had left. You are a coward and an inviolate leader. The Stag Lord has fled his keep and left his bow with us. His lieutenants are either dead or have pledged their loyalty to us."
To accentuate his point, he brings up Auchs and Akiros and then chucks the body of the third man, Davos? over the side.
He continues, "I give the same offer to all you bandits. You can live free with us by simply renouncing banditry or you can die like this one. Except you Jare, you, I offer 100 gold pieces to the first man or hobgoblin that brings me your head. WE also have the Stag Lord's treasure, and with that, we can offer your mercenaries three times what Jare is paying you ... wait, he isn't paying you, is he? Fear not, although the law is on our side, nature is on our side and even the fae fight for us, we will honor a bargain."
Diplomacy:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Connor will let that sit for a moment and see what happens, should anyone move toward the entangling prisoners, he will shout, "Cinder, to me!"
In dungeon, Jhod appears visibly shaken by Veronica's words - his eyes begin to tear up and its obvious that he is struggling to retain his composure. "Erastil speaks through the church, and the church cast me into the wilderness! I will not serve a god whom supports a corrupt church. I will not worship a god whom punishes his faithful servant for protecting his community. The church must answer for what they have done to me! To be betrayed after twenty-two years of servitude is unconscionable. I warn you, if you dare to bring their influence into the Greenbelt, you will share in their retribution!" He is startled to his feet when Veronica fires on the stone idol and knocks off one of the gaping maws. "Fool girl, you will learn to respect that which you do not understand. My queen will come unto this land during the alignment of Liavara, Bretheda and Aucturn. She will purge this land of the unfaithful. Prepare yourself - the end times draw near!"
With that he steps into the stone wall and disappears from sight.
Religion, DC 20:
You know that the stone idol is the elder god Shub-Niggurath, the Black God of the Woods.
Female Skinwalker (witchwolf) Cleric of Erastil 5 | 38/38 HP | AC 20 T 12 FF 18 | Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7 | Init +2 | Perception +6, Sense Motive +7; low-light vision | Channel Energy 5/5 | Speak with Animals 6/6 rounds | Touch of Good 6/6
Knowledge (religion):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
I knew what it was on sight, hence why I referenced the Black Goat in the prior post, but Veronica clearly does not. :)
Veronica lets out a heavy sigh, then sprints to grab her durable arrow and rejoin the group for the coming battle.
M Half Elf Unchained Rogue 8 (Scout& Knifemaster), Brawler (snakebite) 1| HP67/67 | AC 24|, T 17, FF 17 | CMB +8 CMD 25 | F +6 R +14 W +3 (4 vs enchants) Immune to sleep| Init +8| Perc +19/23 vs conversation or things hidden
Up on the walls of the keep Ezekail adds his voice to Connor's, hoping to appeal to these men. He speaks true. I was once a simple bandit but I have joined this cause. Look how I am rewarded. He holds up the fancy rapier recently gained. I work, but I grow wealthy and keep my share.
Jare sneers when he sees Connor. "I do what I must to survive. If you're smart, you'll do the same. Surrender now and I'll offer you the same terms that you once offered me - your life in exchange for renouncement of your lawful ways and a lifetime of indentured servitude!"
He then looks darkly at Akiros. "Or you can die along with the jackals who failed their brothers."
When the body of Dovan goes over the wall, several of the bandits look around uneasily. In response, Jare draws his weapon and motions threateningly at them. "Forward boys or face the worgs. All the Stag Lord's gold is waiting for you on the other side of those walls."
Suddenly vines and roots begin wrapping around Jare, the shaman and the horses. Mercifully, the mounted prisoners are spared from death for the moment.
Jare looks up with surprise and fury at the sudden turn of events. He points his sword up at the keep. "Kill them all!"
With a thunderous battle cry the massed bandits and hobgoblins charge the walls from every direction.
Initiatives and first round actions please. You may adjust your position on the Roll20 map. Note that I've added the maps to both the first and second level. Feel free to re-position the NPCs.
Female Skinwalker (witchwolf) Cleric of Erastil 5 | 38/38 HP | AC 20 T 12 FF 18 | Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7 | Init +2 | Perception +6, Sense Motive +7; low-light vision | Channel Energy 5/5 | Speak with Animals 6/6 rounds | Touch of Good 6/6
You can rejoin now. Assume you have enough time to cast any prepatory spells and then tactically position yourself prior to round 1. You will have one round to fire on the masses before they are shadowed by the wall.
Female Skinwalker (witchwolf) Cleric of Erastil 5 | 38/38 HP | AC 20 T 12 FF 18 | Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7 | Init +2 | Perception +6, Sense Motive +7; low-light vision | Channel Energy 5/5 | Speak with Animals 6/6 rounds | Touch of Good 6/6
Veronica rushes back to rejoin the fray. Seeing the grim situation, she pauses for a moment to ask for Erastil's aid, then takes to the walls with her new allies to stem the tide.
Larisa fires and cuts down Jare with a well placed bolt. The bandit leader collapses into a bed of vines and branches that quickly bind around him.
Seres begins casting a spell.
Ezekial holds his fire until the bandits come within range.
Six squads consisting of over a dozen bandits and hobgoblins charge to the walls. The worgs split into two groups and gather at the front and back gate. The hobgoblin shaman moves out of the entanglement area and casts a spell.
Seeing Jare down, Veronica moves to the next target in Connor's priority list and fires on the shaman. Her shot defects off the hobgoblin's armor.
Akiros and Auchs, not possessing any missile weapons, move to block the two stair wells leading up to the towers.
Connor fires at the shaman and lands a solid hit on the hobgoblin. Connor sees that Cinder is entangled with vines - she has the hooded Jax on top of her. Cinder patiently watches you from the distance and waits for her master's command. Connor also notes that the bandit horse still survives and waits in the courtyard below.
Round 2
Seres's sleep spell targets the center of one of the squads rushing from the north and is able to effect 7 bandits and 2 hobgoblins. All but one of the hobgoblins collapse into a magical slumber before they reach the wall.
Larisa, Seres, Aldarion and Ezekial may take their second round actions.
Relieved to see Veronica come back up, Aldarion takes up position once more from above. His expression remains grim at the sight of so many. But he remains steadfast.
Placing his hand over a few pebbles from the ground, a green effervescence imbues the rocks. They faintly glow for a moment.
Aldarion then loads his sling with one of the pebbles, takes aim, and fires at the hobgoblin shaman that escaped his entangling vines.
Cast magic stone on sling and load it on round 1, attack on round 2: Magic Sling Attack:1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 3 + 1 = 17 Magic Sling Damage:1d6 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 - 1 = 3
Larisa fires on the hobgoblin shaman but finds him difficult to hit at this range.
Seres fires on and hits one of the bandits moving to the wall - badly injuring the man.
Aldarion fires at the shaman and manages to hit him with a sling stone.
Ezekial throws a dagger at an approaching bandit and lodges the blade in the man's shoulder.
The bandits and hobgoblins begin climbing the walks. You see that nails and wooden spikes in the walls are badly wounding many of the climbers. Most fall back to the ground, but several bandits and hobgoblins from each squad make it to the top of the palisade. One bandit and a hobgoblin from the northeastern squad climb to within melee range of Connor, Seres and Larisa. The hobgoblin shaman runs up to join the worgs at the front gates.
Veronica and Connor may take their second round action. Everyone else may take their third round action.
Female Skinwalker (witchwolf) Cleric of Erastil 5 | 38/38 HP | AC 20 T 12 FF 18 | Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7 | Init +2 | Perception +6, Sense Motive +7; low-light vision | Channel Energy 5/5 | Speak with Animals 6/6 rounds | Touch of Good 6/6
Veronica purses her lips grimly at the sight of the impending horde, and pulls back her bow once more to fight.
If I can get an angle on the shaman, he's priority. Otherwise, one of the bandits on the left.
If the Shaman was 200ft out and has a move speed of thirty ft how did he reach the gates in one round?
Seeing the swarm of bandits Larisa curses again,We're going to be overrun at this rate, we need to break their moral. The shaman needs to die, now. She thinks sliding 5ft in front of Connor, loading another bolt into her weapon. With a cool head she fires on the shaman by the gates, leaving herself exposed to the bandit.
Attack:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28 Damage:1d10 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 Confirm:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19 Damage:1d10 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Veronica fires on the shaman but is unable to hit him.
Connor also fires at the shaman and lands a solid hit.
Round 3
Larisa fires again on the hobgoblin shaman and this time hits him hard enough with a bolt to knock him back several steps, but he remains standing.
Seres fires on the shaman but the shot is deflected by the hobgoblin's armor.
Ezekial throws a dagger at one of the bandits on the palisade and kills the man.
At the north tower, one bandit climber reaches over the tower wall and stabs at Larisa, but she easily dodges him. The hobgoblin attempts to jump the wall but slips and plummets back down to the ground where he lands with a thud. A third bandit manages to jump the tower wall and lands next to Seres.
The bandits and hobgoblins on top of the palisades now try to scale back to the ground - many slip and fall hard to the courtyard. Several more bandits manage to climb to the top of the palisades. The hobgoblin shaman continues to run toward the wall.
Veronica and Connor may take their third round action. Everyone else may take their fourth round action.
Connor takes a step back to the northeast drawing his masterwork handaxe and clanging it against his shield, "Come cowards, let's see if you've got more bite than your whimpering Stag Lord or the woman that used to own this."
He will fight defensively, starting with the bandit attacking Larisa, "Get away from her, mongrel!"
Female Skinwalker (witchwolf) Cleric of Erastil 5 | 38/38 HP | AC 20 T 12 FF 18 | Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7 | Init +2 | Perception +6, Sense Motive +7; low-light vision | Channel Energy 5/5 | Speak with Animals 6/6 rounds | Touch of Good 6/6
Veronica takes another shot at the shaman as best she can.
M Half Elf Unchained Rogue 8 (Scout& Knifemaster), Brawler (snakebite) 1| HP67/67 | AC 24|, T 17, FF 17 | CMB +8 CMD 25 | F +6 R +14 W +3 (4 vs enchants) Immune to sleep| Init +8| Perc +19/23 vs conversation or things hidden
Ezekiel, with 4 throwing daggers remaining to him, targets those brigands climbing to catch them flat footed.
Veronica fires on the shaman but her shot is once again wide.
Connor cuts down the bandit on the platform. Cinder is holding up Jax, whom is strung to the tree with a noose.
Round 4
Larisa fires on the running hobgoblin shaman and nails a head shot. The hobgoblin leader falls to the ground - screaming in agony as he clutches the bloody bolt protruding from his eye socket. You note that many of the northern bandits, worgs and hobgoblins whom see the shaman fall become shaken when their leader dies.
The bandit climber near to Larisa lashes at her as she fires, but is unable to penetrate her armor.
Seres takes a defensive stance.
Ezekial throws another dagger at one of the bandits on the palisade and scores another kill.
Hobgoblins and bandits continue to scale the walls - many fall, but some make it over. Groups of bandits begin marshaling around the barricades in front of the rear and front gates.
A group of bandits, led by a large hobgoblin, charge up the stairs to engage Akiros, whom dodges the first sword thrust. Akiros rages and begins a furious counter attack against the lead hobgoblin.
Auchs looks around uneasily as he sees bandits running through the courtyard his way.
Bandit climbers attack both Larisa and Seres - one manages to slip his short sword through Larisa's armor (3 points damage).
Veronica and Connor may take their fourth round action. Everyone else may take their fifth round action.
Female Skinwalker (witchwolf) Cleric of Erastil 5 | 38/38 HP | AC 20 T 12 FF 18 | Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7 | Init +2 | Perception +6, Sense Motive +7; low-light vision | Channel Energy 5/5 | Speak with Animals 6/6 rounds | Touch of Good 6/6
With the shaman down, Veronica pivots to fire on one of the bandits swarming toward Akiros, in an attempt to give the warrior some cover.
Longbow attack:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16 (if all of them are in melee with him, -4 to this b/c no Precise Shot)
Longbow damage:1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Larisa 5ft's back, drawing a bead on the bandit who hit her. "Shaman's talking with the spirits in person." She says to Connor as she loads her weapon and fires.
Attack:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 Damage:1d10 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
M Half Elf Unchained Rogue 8 (Scout& Knifemaster), Brawler (snakebite) 1| HP67/67 | AC 24|, T 17, FF 17 | CMB +8 CMD 25 | F +6 R +14 W +3 (4 vs enchants) Immune to sleep| Init +8| Perc +19/23 vs conversation or things hidden
Wondering how to break the resolve of this army Exekial saves his remaining throwing daggers and double moves to support Akiros drawing both curved blades as he moves. I am with you. he tells Akiros.
Aldarion nods at Larisa's words from across the fort. Seeing no easy way to get over to Connor's group, he says to nearby Veronica, "Perhaps we should be nearer to Zeke and Akiros, and protect Svetlana, in case they need healing." He moves down the rampart towards Svetlana, and fires another sling stone. This time, he aims at one of the bandits beside the hobgoblin leader assaulting Zeke and Akiros.
After doing so, he spots the confused Auchs and yells to him, "Auchs! Help your friend Akiros, attack these bad men who are attacking him and us!" He points at the bandits below the big man, in case he fails to understand who he should be attacking.
Move then sling attack one of the bandits mentioned (1/3 magic stones left now). Sling Attack:1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 1 = 12 Sling Damage:1d6 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 - 1 = 6
Not sure if I need to (or can) do a diplomacy check this round to get Auchs going, but here goes... apply towards my next round (or maybe previous round that I missed lol) if not this round: Diplomacy:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
@wehrpig - Is Svetlana doing anything? Maybe we should have armed her with a ranged weapon...
Using a battlefield command voice, Connor shouts from the edge of the tower after he cuts down the bandit, "All you mercenaries, I'll offer 10 gold each for fighting for us with a 10 gold bonus for each Stag Lord follower you down! You've lost otherwise, there will be no one else to pay you!"
To accentuate the point, he slashes viciously down at the nearest bandit as he steps in to engage
Veronica fires on and kills one of the bandits near Akiros.
Connor's challenge causes the bandits in the courtyard to back away from the gate and look up. "Ten gold pieces, eh? Let's see some of that gold then, law giver!" Their eyes grow wide when Connor hacks off the head of one of the bandit climbers and the lifeless body crashes to the ground.
Round 5
Larisa backs up and fires on the climber near Seres, but the shot is deflected by the rail.
Seres also backs up and fires on the climber but also misses.
Aldarion fires on and kills one of the bandits near Akiros. When he calls to Auch's the man shrugs and scratches his head. "I don't know elf - those be Auch's friends. You mean the red goblins?"
Ezekial moves to Akiros's flank. A tearful and terrified Svetlana follows closely behind Ezekial and continues to panic.
The bandits at the rear gate find that they lack the tools to open the nailed gate door - they move out of sight into the interior of the keep. The bandits in the front courtyard stop and look at each other with uncertainty and await Connor's response. The hobgoblins in the courtyard move to the front gate and begin clearing the rocks. The bandit climber on the north tower hops the rail and lands next to Seres and Larisa (you may each take an AoO). The shaken bandits, hobgoblins and worgs outside of the keep begin turning around and backing away from the fight.
Akiros and the hobgoblin trade blows but neither are able to hit the other. The bandits behind the hobgoblin scatter for cover.
Hobgoblins and bandits continue to climb the palisades.
Veronica and Connor may take their fifth round action. Everyone else may take their sixth round action.
M Half Elf Unchained Rogue 8 (Scout& Knifemaster), Brawler (snakebite) 1| HP67/67 | AC 24|, T 17, FF 17 | CMB +8 CMD 25 | F +6 R +14 W +3 (4 vs enchants) Immune to sleep| Init +8| Perc +19/23 vs conversation or things hidden
My turn. Ezekiel says as his blades begin to slash at the hobgoblin fighting Akiros.
M Half Elf Unchained Rogue 8 (Scout& Knifemaster), Brawler (snakebite) 1| HP67/67 | AC 24|, T 17, FF 17 | CMB +8 CMD 25 | F +6 R +14 W +3 (4 vs enchants) Immune to sleep| Init +8| Perc +19/23 vs conversation or things hidden
Ezekail, who has already killed a few bandits, adds his voice to the groups. Or line up here on the stairs and face my flashing blades.
Female Skinwalker (witchwolf) Cleric of Erastil 5 | 38/38 HP | AC 20 T 12 FF 18 | Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7 | Init +2 | Perception +6, Sense Motive +7; low-light vision | Channel Energy 5/5 | Speak with Animals 6/6 rounds | Touch of Good 6/6
Veronica nods to Aldarion and moves to follow him, firing at another bandit near Svetlana and Akiros.
Aldarion continues to move in, taking another shot at another bandit.
As the big man confusingly wonders about what to do, Aldarion continues to try and persuade him... with words as small as possible.
"I'm sorry Auchs, but the men are trying to hurt Akiros, and the men are the really bad ones. They only pretended to like you because you are strong. But Akiros is the one who wanted me to save your life before. You are alive because he is your true friend."
Shoot and move again. One of the bandits near Zeke and Akiros (I don't want that -4 for firing in melee): Sling Attack:1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 3 + 1 = 18 Sling Damage:1d6 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 - 1 = 3
@Veronica - I took the liberty of moving you 30 ft. on Roll20.
Female Skinwalker (witchwolf) Cleric of Erastil 5 | 38/38 HP | AC 20 T 12 FF 18 | Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +7 | Init +2 | Perception +6, Sense Motive +7; low-light vision | Channel Energy 5/5 | Speak with Animals 6/6 rounds | Touch of Good 6/6
Thanks, I was on iPad until this evening so I couldn't access Roll20!
