"Vexras, what are you doing? This woman is our friend. She hasn't done anything wrong. She just wants us to enjoy a fine meal."
Brostic does his best to be diplomatic in getting his friends to stop fighting.
He realizes that negotiations were never his strong suit.
Arryn tries to clear his head of the confusing thoughts by smacking himself, forgetting the tankard he had floated over to himself was still in his hand.
Dorrin pulls the trigger before reloading and firing again at the evil fey creature.
"Wait. I'm confused."
Mott: I'll need to know who's the nearest creature so I can attack them.
Dorrin: 22
Brostic: 21
Vexras: 13
Arryn: 10
Violet: 7
Antagonist: 27
Dorrin reacts quickly to the changing situation, firing a couple of bolts toward the woman, though she barely dodges both of them. She's not as lucky with Vexras, who rushes close and slashes her. The blow splits her flesh, but she still just giggles at the spilled blood.
Arryn slams the tankard into his head as Brostic tries to reason with everyone, but Violet is a woman of action, and reaches for Dorrin after his attack.
The other dwarves look on in horror as violence breaks out, blinking furiously as if trying to make sense of what they're seeing. "Please," one of them calls out, "leave the lass alone!"
She claws and bites at Vexras, before dancing back a few steps. He's largely able to defend himself, but one set of fingernails rakes across his face
M: 13
As the fey woman’s nails are about to breach his defenses, Vexras calls up a sliver of arcane power in the nick of time, deflecting her strike.
He tuts playfully, ”Ho ho, you nearly caught me there. Let’s see if I can catch you again, hmm?”
The tiefling strides smoothly up to the bloody-mouthed fey woman once more and weaves a spell around his silvery blade at the same time. He strikes twice, in two rapid slashes.
HP: 51/51
AC: 24 (18 T / 16 FF)
Resist 5: cold, electricity, fire
CMD: 20
F/R/W: +8/+7/+7
Arcane Pool used: 2/7
Extend charges used: 1/3
PoP used: 0/2
|Prepared Spells|
Cantrips (4): acid splash, detect magic, mage hand, read magic
Lvl 1 (4): mage armor [X], magic missile [ ], shocking grasp [X] [ ]
Lvl 2 (4): mirror image [ ] [ ], scorching ray [ ]
Lvl 3 (2): haste [ ] [ ]
Ongoing Effects
mage armor, extended (12 hours): +4 AC
arcane pool: +1 keen (2/10)
piranha strike: -2/+4
Spell combat: -2 to hit
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Arryn points at Vexras and shouts out, ”Bleeding! Wolves bleed in green meadows! Green is pretty! Why don’t trees ever grow down? Stupid trees!”
(resolution of previous turn)
Dorrin's crossbow spooks Violet..."Wait! You're ruining the picnic"
She begins pelting him with punches.
Eesh...
Eesh...
"Or am I ruining the picnic? Wait, who started the fight? Or who's ending it? Maybe...we're like the ants, and the picnic is, like, the world, and our fighting is, like, fighting, you know?"
Hmm..I didn't see the double post on the confusion roll. I guess I'll stick with the 50 since that's the first one I saw.
Brostic watches in horror as Violet pummels Dorrin.
"Stop! Stop! Violet what are you doing?"
Brostic will step over to Dorrin and cast his most powerful healing spell.
Shocked at being nearly pummeled to death, "What in the blazes is wrong with ya, lass?!?! Attack THAT one!!!" he instructs, motioning to the fey creature. He then steps away from her and fires again at the insane fey enemy.
He then gives a nod at Brostic. "Thanks, lad. Watch out for the lass... something's wrong with her."
Dorrin: 22
Brostic: 21
Vexras: 13
Arryn: 10
Violet: 7
Antagonist: 27
Dorrin keeps his focus on the dancing woman, another bolt slamming into her, even as he concentrates his defense on Violet . A moment later, Vexras steps up and slices her head off.
The four dwarves seem to sag from where they were about to get up and charge into the fray, as if they were puppets with their strings suddenly cut.
"By Dranngvit, thank you!" one gasps out. "That ... witch ... was going to be the end of us!"
Violet's face turns bright red and she finds herself unable to make eye contact with Dorrin.
"Umm...I'm really sorry. I thought that...well, I don't know what I thought, really. But...sorry."
"He's still bruised up some, but I can take care of that. He's a tough one, but I'm really glad Vexras was able to stop her evil magic in time."
Brostic will cast some additional divine magic to fully recover Dorrin from Violet's beating.
"There you go Dorrin, you should be back to normal now."
Violet's face turns bright red and she finds herself unable to make eye contact with Dorrin.
"Umm...I'm really sorry. I thought that...well, I don't know what I thought, really. But...sorry."
Giving the warrior a calm look, "Don'tcha be for worryin' about it, lass. That's an order. When we face one like that one, ya never know what's gonna happen. I'll just be sure I'm a bit further away from ya next time. And for the record... ya got a nasty left there, lass," he tells her, rubbing his jaw as he shoots her a wink.
"He's still bruised up some, but I can take care of that. He's a tough one, but I'm really glad Vexras was able to stop her evil magic in time."
Brostic will cast some additional divine magic to fully recover Dorrin from Violet's beating.
[dice=Cure Serious Wounds]3d8+8
[dice=Cure Serious Wounds]3d8+8"There you go Dorrin, you should be back to normal now."
Nodding, "Thanks, lad. That definitely gets the kinks out." He spins his arms to loosen his shoulders and pops his neck before looking to the four dwarves. "Okay you lot, what happened here? How did ya manage ta run into this fey creature? Simply by chance or did she find you?"
Arryn slumps against a tree, holding his head in his hands and scrubbing his hair. Finding a bleeding cut there, he lays a hand on it and soothes the injury away, channeling the burn into his personal force field.
”That was a mighty blow, Vexras. Well done indeed.”
Once they’ve answered Dorrin’s question, he’ll ask them if they’ve seen any hobgoblins or other groups of mostly humans in these parts.
Vexras nods at Arryn's compliment, offering a slight grin and half bow as he spreads his hands out to either side. "Only because she had you spouting some ridiculous poetry, my friend. You'd have taken her out first if you'd had the chance, I am quite sure."
Arryn shakes his head. "This is why we work as a team."
"Ah, good to see other dwarves," one says, still shaking his head, as if to clear it. "We have you to thank for saving us, I assume? That fey witch. At first it seemed she was going to be our friend, but then ... well, I hardly remember the last few days. As for hobgoblins, we fled when they attack Radya's Hollow. Unfortunately, none of us are all that familiar with the forest, and we quickly became lost in the woods."
As you ask further questions, they warn you that the Ironfang Legion now controls all lands south of the Marideth River and have begun seizing towns in the Hollow Hills, north of the river. Radya’s Hollow had already absorbed dozens of survivors of previous Ironfang attacks when the Legion
fell upon them.
One of the foursome turns to you with tears in her eyes.
"But, please, if you can handle that fey witch, surely you can handle some hobgoblins? My brother, Voldan, stayed. We'd buried our family savings before the hobgoblins showed up and he couldn't bear to just leave everything. If you could find him, get him out safely, I'm sure he'd show you where that treasure was buried. You could take it as a reward," she says.
"Ah, good to see other dwarves," one says, still shaking his head, as if to clear it. "We have you to thank for saving us, I assume? That fey witch. At first it seemed she was going to be our friend, but then ... well, I hardly remember the last few days. As for hobgoblins, we fled when they attack Radya's Hollow. Unfortunately, none of us are all that familiar with the forest, and we quickly became lost in the woods."
As you ask further questions, they warn you that the Ironfang Legion now controls all lands south of the Marideth River and have begun seizing towns in the Hollow Hills, north of the river. Radya’s Hollow had already absorbed dozens of survivors of previous Ironfang attacks when the Legion
fell upon them.One of the foursome turns to you with tears in her eyes.
"But, please, if you can handle that fey witch, surely you can handle some hobgoblins? My brother, Voldan, stayed. We'd buried our family savings before the hobgoblins showed up and he couldn't bear to just leave everything. If you could find him, get him out safely, I'm sure he'd show you where that treasure was buried. You could take it as a reward," she says.
Turning his attention to the female dwarf, "We'll find yer brother, lass, I promise ya that. One way or another we're goin' ta find 'im. And every single gobbo that gets in our way will pay for what they've done."
He then turns to the other dwarves, "So they control all the lands south of the Marideth and are pretty much taking over everythin' in the Hollow Hills, huh?" he asks rhetorically, looking off into the distance. "Not for long. Not if I have anythin' ta say about it." After a moment he turns back to his fellow dwarves, "I don't suppose you lot would have some extra bolts on ya, would ya? And only if you can spare 'im. I'm not about ta take what you be needin'."
Violet's face unscrunches at Dorrin's kind words, only to go back into full scrunch as she absorbs the gravity of the dwarves' news.
"This is weird, right? That they seem to have suddenly become so organized and powerful? I just wonder...what's gotten into them, you know? Like, maybe they've got their own forest lunchlady witch pulling their strings, too?"
Stroking his beard in thought, "It really doesn't make a lot of sense at all, lass. I just don't get it. While they may be a bit more powerful than goblins, they really aren't that much smarter. Somebody has got ta most definitely be pullin' their strings. It's just a matter of figurin' out who, or what, that is. Until then though, we kill every gobbo that crosses our path. Plain and simple."
”The survivors from Phaendar have reported at storied length that the hobgoblins have a black stone tower which appeared outside the town seemingly overnight. One would presume the hobgoblins emerged from the blighted thing, but who knows if the one in Phaendar is the only one?”
"Longshadow's about 20 miles northeast of Longshadow. That's not far at all!" she says.
"Longshadow's about 20 miles northeast of Longshadow. That's not far at all!" she says.
Dorrin raises an eyebrow as he looks to the others questioningly. Looking back to the speaker, "Ya just said: 'Longshadow's about twenty miles northeast of Longshadow'. I'm fairly certain ya just misspoke, right?"
"Whoops! It must be some lingering confusion from that horribly fey witch!" she says, shaking her head to try to clear it. "I meant Radya’s Hollow is 20 miles northeast! I don't know how I could have forgotten my hometown's name there!"
Violet consults with the rest of the group.
"So where to first? Radya's Hollow? Longshadow? I guess if we're looking for survivors it has to be Radya's Hollow first, right?"
”I think just the opposite, Violet. It sounds like Longshadow is on our way to Rayda’s Hollow, doesn’t it? Or perhaps our confused dwarven friend here has now confused me as well. I have travelled a fair bit in my years, but geography was never a strong suit.”
Violet shakes her head. "It's probably me that's still confused. She really got me mixed up there. So... Longshadow first?"
”Lets try to come up along the eastern edge of Longshadow. If there’s a significant hobgoblin presence there, we can swing north and use Rayda’s Hollow as a base.”
"Sounds like a plan. We'll head toward Longshadow and then make our way toward Rayda's Hollow if necessary like Arryn just mentioned. Odds are though we'll be investigating both places; because it's possible they both could be overrun by the vermin."
It takes a few days -- Dorrin moves slowly on foot thanks to his shorter legs -- but you eventually make your way to Longshadow. A sturdy brick wall surrounds most of the town, leaving only the dockside district exposed -- but it looks like it's in poor repair, with several areas looking like they've crumbled. If the Ironfang is coming here, as you fear -- and fortunately it doesn't appear they've arrived yet from what you can see -- the wall won't stop them for long.
”You know, I would almost have rather seen hobgoblins all over this place. If they’ve taken Rayda’s Hollow to the northeast, that means they purposely moved around this ripe target to take that smaller one. It means they’re isolating Longshadow from Tamran and our forces, which means they’re planning to make this a new foothold. They’re preparing to defend it before they even take it. And they’re marching on Tamran, too? I hope to the gods this means they’re starting to stretch themselves too thin.”
”Shall we go in? Whatever the hobgoblins intend to do here, the five of us won’t be tipping any scales, I’m afraid. Dragons in towers are one thing, a whole army is quite another. Come, let us see what welcome awaits beyond the walls, yes?”
Looking upon the walls of Longshadow which are in disrepair, "Yep, let's see what we got." The dwarf makes sure his crossbow is loaded and he leads the way inside.
”If nothing else, these people need to be warned what’s about to descend on them.”
"Lead the way Vexras."
Arryn goes invisible, just in case more is going on than it appears.
As you enter the town -- Vexras drawing some stares -- Arryn realizes his concerns are completely unfounded ... and that things are perhaps even worse than they appear. Not only is there no apparent danger in the town, but there's no apparent concern or awareness of the danger lurking at any moment from the Ironfang Invasion. Shops are open, people are smiling as they run their chores. It's the perfect idyllic scene, and Arryn is all too forcefully reminded of Phaendar's celebration of the Market Festival and the festive night at the Taproot Inn that was interrupted suddenly when a ballista bolt slammed into Aubrin the Green's chest, nearly killing her. So much death has followed, but stepping into Longshadow is like stepping back into a peaceful time, a time when people were alive, and happy, and blissfully unaware of what was to come.
Arryn materializes and approaches the nearest citizen. ”Good day. Could you please direct us to your mayor or town council or whomever is in authority here?”
Dorrin takes in the scene slightly taken aback by how 'normal' it is, yet, he doesn't show it. "Well I guess I can put this away," he comments, placing his crossbow back up.
As Arryn questions the first citizen he sees, Dorrin throws in his own request. "Also, do you lot have a shop that sells ammunition for bows/crossbows/whatever else?"
Violet is very suddenly aware of how long it has been since she bathed. She self-consciously runs her hand through hair, trying to straighten it up. Several twigs fall out.
She nods when Dorrin speaks. "We should all stock up while we're here."
Vexras leans in near to Violet and offers softly, ”Ah, do not be concerned, good lady. It seems as though these folks are much more focused on what’s in my hair rather than yours.” He points to his horns, then shoots her a playful wink.
As Arryn hones in on an appropriate authority figure with whom to speak, Vexras wonders aloud, ”I do hope they’ll listen to us and take our testimony seriously. It would be a nice change of pace to help save a town and help keep it intact instead of reclaiming ruins.”
”Showing them the stolen battle maps will helpfully convince them of needs be,” Arryn mutters, but he shares Vexras’ concern.
The man scratches his head.
"Not sure. If the mayor's not at the town hall, he's probably having a few drinks down at the Sudsy Hole," he says. If you ask, he directs you to the local pub.
A little more asking from Arryn lets you learn the mayor, Thom Crawbert, is a gregarious man and is always eager for a distraction from the drudgery of his normal mayoral duties.
At the inn, you find the man who meets the mayor's description -- plus he's wearing a badge of office -- having a few drinks with what you assume are several villagers. He's also joined by a couple of human men, including a middle-aged cleric of Abadar, judging by his robes, and a half-elven woman, who all have mostly full mugs that they're slowly sipping from.
Knowing this matter will require a social finesse he doesn’t possess, Arryn waits for the others to speak, whispering, ”Best not to engage them too loudly. Don’t want to start a panic,” to Vexras.