Erik charges at the ghoul now clawing at Achren, swinging his greatsword wildly but cleaving only air.
Bleyz attacks the ghoul that attacked Achren, hopefully moving into flank with Erik if possible
Indeed my bad....ghoul 4 was indeed killed.
However don't you have ac 15?
Attack Bite ghoul 3: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Attack Claw ghoul 3: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Attack Claw ghoul 3: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
All 3 attacks hit. Dealing 14. Roll 2 more saves vs paralyze unless your ac is higher.
Bleyz can flank. Dealing another 5 to ghoul 3.
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Indeed my bad....ghoul 4 was indeed killed.
However don't you have ac 15?
Attack Bite ghoul 3: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Attack Claw ghoul 3: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Attack Claw ghoul 3: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5All 3 attacks hit. Dealing 14. Roll 2 more saves vs paralyze unless your ac is higher.
As the ghoul continues its attack, its claws rake Achrens flesh. He slumps to the floor, unconscious, his construct form dissipating to reveal a gaunt skeletal humanoid.
Ok so status update.
Only ghoul 3 is left and he is at 9/14 hp.
Achren is down at -2.
Erik has gone so were on too round 3 actions.
Go ahead.
If I counted right everyone has posted 2 actions so far. So you can all post a round 3 action.
Bleyz again attacks ghoul3 from flank, taking a flurry of blows against the critter.
Bleyz takes down the final ghoul and devyhn heals Achren bringing him to 1hp.
Battle over.
Erik pauses, breathing heavily after the fight.
"Stay on your guard, there may yet be more of them."
Erik seems gruffer than normal and avoids eye contact with Achren.
I should have been quicker. I should have seen the ghoul's trap.
Erik turns to the rest of the party.
"I've little skill as a healer. I have a potion if anyone needs it, but otherwise I will check that the cabin is clear of these foul creatures."
Bleyz watches the healing going on... and then follows Erik to the cabin to assist.
"If the cabin is clear, we can spend the night there, rest up..."
"Erastril guide and protect us, that was unexpected," Ausk says as he starts trying to find his two arrows to see if they're reusable, "The question is though, do we stay here for the humans sake?"
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Devyhn gently lowers the lumber jack onto one of the low bunks.
"He is still unconscious, but his soul is no longer fleeing his body. Another use of the wand may be enough to rouse him. We could also wait until the morning when the other woodcutters return. They will be able to send for a local healer."
The cabin is clear of threats thought signs of struggle are seen such as bloodstains and knocked over furniture.
Erik lights a fire to keep the wounded lumberjack warm and sets about preparing a meal. He says little to the rest of the party.
The supplies left by the workers are somewhat plain but should be enough to recover some of the energy lost in the fight.
The lumberjack seems like he will recover. Both his legs were broken when the tower fell on top of him but apart from that his injuries are mostly healed.
"Morning would be a long time to wait to get healed. Maybe we should try working our way back to the town tonight? Imagine if it was one of us, I know I'd want to hurry the pain going away." Ausk offers.
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"I understand, but some of our party cannot see well in the dark and without my Eidolon I am severely weakened. It is too risky, especially as we know there are both ghouls and thesse Ta...Tals...Tassel worms...or whatever about. He will live, which is the main concern. I suggest we hole up until morning and then head back, at least to the first lumber camp where we can hand off this fellow. Remember, we have a mission of our own and a young girl that has been abducted, we need to follow their trail before it gets too cold."
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"Does anyone have any skill at crafting? We must make some kind of stretcher with which to carry this fellow as his legs are clearly broken,"
Achren pauses for a moment in thought,
"I should be able to drag him behind me once I have my Eidolon back. If necessary I have a spell on a scroll which wil increase my carrying capacity for a couple of hours."
"I understand your concerns Ausk, but I don't think it's safe to travel tonight."
"We should check the stables at first light. I doubt those creatures left any horses alive, but we might find a cart or trailer to help us get this man the help he needs."
"That makes good sense, Erik. Thankyou."
"Tatzlywyrms," Lysander offers to Achren as the tiefling stumbles over the pronunciation of the draconian threats. "And while my eyes are keener in low light than those of humans, my drow heritage did not gift me with vision in the dark. I suggest camping here, as the trek back to town would most likely be arduous, and in any case would be time-consuming. Hopefully loggers will return here tomorrow and we can leave our wounded man with them as we continue to search for the girl. The undead, we've already found, at least in part." He grimaces and nocks another arrow to his bow.
"I can see fine in the dark... any watch is fine with me. We can hand off the wounded man to his fellow lumberjacks tomorrow."
You rest for the night that turns out to be uneventful and heal a bit from your wounds (everyone heals 1 if they aren't full). Early in the morning the Lumberjack regains consciousness.
"...Arghh.....I'm....Alive?" He says voice rasp "Ah..Water please..."
"Like a tree fell on me...and my insides are on fire. Still I'm alive and that's more than I expected. you have my thanks strangers. Names Thelgrin and if you ever need anything I'm your man." he says after drinking eagerly.
"Bunch of em walking corpses attacked led by some kind of undead knight. First it was walking corpses then them ghouls. Strange part was that very few of us were killed I think. The undead seemed to want us alive...Everyone was dragged into the forest kicking screaming or paralyzed. As for why them ghouls tied me to the tower I can't say but I gathered that they weren't following their orders...Yeah one of them mentioned something about orders and a prince." he replies.
"Do what you want, but I have given my word that I'd help the girl." Ausk simply states, "Hopefully there'll be time to rescue both groups, or perhaps they've been brought to the same place, but I've already committed myself."
"We don't even know if the masked men took the girl or if she is still alive. All we know is that she disappeared when they came through the village."
"But we *do* know that these men were taken for a reason and that they may yet be alive."
"I know you gave your word Ausk, but these men need our help. Added to which this undead knight might be able to tell us what these masked men are looking for."
"Seemed like a knight was wearing some kind of armor that didn't look familiar to me and he was smart and giving orders." replies the lumberjack.
You hear noise coming from outside seems a group of men from the village have arrived.
Remember it's 1d10+1/caster level (max +5) so 1d10+1 right now not 1d10+5.
You rolled 8 so it comes to the same but for future reference remember that.
Outside five armed men have come to the camp. They appear to be part of the militia. Around here that means they are hired mercenaries working for the lumber consortium.
Lysander grimaces at the talk of undead knights and the discussion over who to save. He murmurs aloud in Elven, though it seems he's mostly talking to himself.
"Certainly, saving a girl is important, as children are life and life is the Green. Yet the living dead are abominations against the Green, they are a blight upon the natural order and must be destroyed... Saving the many may be greater than saving the one, yet is a child of more worth than men who have already seen their share of winters...?"
At the sound of approaching men, Lysander frowns. "Perhaps it is best for you to make peace with the villagers, or whoever is out there; generally, reactions to my appearance are less than welcoming." He gives a small, dry grin toward Achren. "Though your own is hardly better than mine."
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"I will speak with them. The will likely find me the least intimidating," Devyhn says, rising from his seat on the wounded man's bed.
He moves to the cabin door, pauses to take a breath, then opens it. He walks out, hands empty and in plain sight.
"Well met, gentlemen. This camp was raided by ghouls, yesterday. They either killed or kidnapped those who were working here. We killed four that had laid an ambush. We managed to save one man, though he is badly injured. He is inside, if you wish to question him."
"Ghouls? The guards I put here should have been able to handle a pack of ghouls...Who are you then? Them strangers I heard about no doubt...What are you lot up too up here?" says the lead man a fat sweaty man who carries no weapons other than a sap and a whip. The four men behind him tough look like they can fight, they wear chainmail, carry crossbows and have swords on their belts.
"Boss Payden, Overseer for the lumber consortium. So you've come to purge the undead then? I gotta say that would be welcome, but I don't envy anyone going into that forest. Alright well make sure they area is safe and well take our man back to the village." says the fat man.
He motions for his men to get to work and two of them head out to check out the surrounding area while the other two move to enter the cabin.
They question the lumberjack about what happened and he repeats his story to them. They nod and get to work making a stretcher for him.
Bleyz shrugs as he watches the lumbermen work... looks to the others in his own party. "Well, what now? Seems we have a choice to make. To be honest, I think we should continue to pursue our primary goal. It may be that the secondary mystery of the undead may yet cross our paths again, but I don't think we should chase after them. We have an obligation not to abandon our original quest, such as it is. That's my take on it, anyway."
Whilst the men from the village are busy Erik quietly discretely with the rest of the party.
"I don't like the idea of leaving those men to the ghouls, but it has been some time and hope is slim. It is most important that we stick together. These woods will be dangerous and we may need our full number to survive."
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"Agreed. Whatever we decide to do, we must do together."
Devyhn looks around at the others.
"These are the paths before us. We have accepted a contract to find the artifact for our sage friend. It is important to note that he has paid each of us an advance on his promised price, and he has warned us that there is another group trying to reach the artifact before us."
"Secondly, we have an innocent child who was taken by persons unknown for unknown, though mostly likely nefarious purposes. If we delay in her rescue, we will most likely never find her, or find only her corpse."
"Finally, we have raiding bands of zombies and ghouls, who we now know are under the command of a powerful and intelligent undead knight. We also know from the survivor's account that it ordered the capture of the rest of the work crew, rather than simply killing them. This indicates that it has a plan, one that may have dire consequences if it is not foiled in its beginning."
"So which do we choose, friends? Which matter is the most urgent?"
He pauses a moment, the shrugs.
"Of course, this debate may, in the end, be moot. It is possible that all of these things are connected. In all cases, we must press on."