Eldritch blast - beetle 1 (1d20+3=18)
Damage (1d10+1d6+3=14)
Arianwyn jogs around to get to the combat against the zombie and on the way casually chucks more eldritch fire at the beetle.
Eldritch fire briefly outlines the first beetle before it is incinerated. Arianwyn pops out of sight only to reappear much nearer the oncoming zombie.
A hideous stench is coming from one of the barrows.
Vel, maintaining her position, throws her illusion once more, hoping that the mindless living beetle is as vulnerable to it as the mindless dead had been.
Vel's diversionary tactics have clearly damaged the second beetle.
"Oh! another one eh? well on with ya then, let's have it!"
Gobi takes a couple swipes at the new beetle
OA (1d20 4=19)
Damage roll for OA (1d10 2=9)
Rev DM
Gobi's axe thumps satisfyingly into the second beetle's shell. He glares at the insect, defying it to try moving without him hitting it again.
Gobi
Anarak should actually be just after Whiteclaw in the initiative order due to his Ready Action in Round 1.
If Whiteclaw does not kill the Zombie, Anarak will shift to achieve a flanking position (if necessary), then strike at the stupid creature with full force.
Reaping Strike with flanking: 1d20+9 = 25. Damage: 1d12+4 = 11 (Miss = 4 damage).
If the Zombie is still moving, consider him a marked ex-man.
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If Whiteclaw kills the zombie before my turn, Anarak will focus on the smelly barrow, and ready an action to charge anything that emerges and appears hostile (most things appear hostile to a Dragonborn with a bloodied axe in hand).
Charge Rolls:
Vel's diversionary tactics have clearly damaged the second beetle.
Whiteclaw snarls at the dead thing and swings her flail at it.
Whiteclaw shifts, swings her flail, grins at Anarak and hits solidly. Anarak's blow follows almost immediately and between their practiced attacks the zombie collapses back as death claims it once more.
"Gobi, you seem to be able to cope with these beetles. Get rid of it if you can! I don't like the smell that is coming from that mound."
Getting Gobi to bash the beetle again. (1d20 7=14, 1d10 2=11)
Kia is staying where she is. She sticks her sunstick into the ground which will give off enough light to light the whole clearing from there and reloads her crossbow ready for the smelly thing.
Gobi "Beetlebane" Thovir squelches another hapless insect beneath his warhammer. Fragments of chitin fly everywhere.
Seemingly learning nothing from the doom of its fellows, a third beetle emerges from the small mound.
The smell you all noticed becomes stronger and the stones sealing the upper right barrow move aside to reveal a creature from nightmare. What was once a living being has been transformed by darkest magic into a creature of pure necrotic evil. The smell alone is enough to warn you that this is not going to be an easy target. Gobs of hideous black matter ooze from its skin and it turns purposefully towards Anarak and Whiteclaw flicking its claw like nails as it comes.
Gobi looks at his warhammer, covered in odd juices from the couple beetles he had fought just before he crashes it back down on the newly emerging beetle.
OA (1d20 4=9) OA Damage (1d10 2=5)
Gobi's face grows more serious as he looks down at the beetle, missed by his warhammer as he calls upon this new bug in a divine challenge. He throws his hammer down once more trying to summon the power of avandra to shield his allies.
Shielding Smite, Cha vs. AC (1d20 5=8)
Vel concentrates a moment and then her allies feel a wave of inspiration washing over them, then advances toward the new threat.
Rev:
Witchfire vs Ref against the corpse being (1d20+3=8) Eldritch blast vs Ref (corpse thing) (1d20+3=9)
"By the clicking of its thumbs, something wicked this way comes," Arianwyn mutters as he rushes to join the dragonborn and the gnoll. He unleashes gouts of white fire, but the shadowy beast evades them all.
Vel concentrates a moment and then her allies feel a wave of inspiration washing over them, then advances toward the new threat.
Rev:** spoiler omitted **
Vel
EDITED TO ADD CORPSE'S ACTIONS
The corpse turns sightless eyes on Whiteclaw and flicks its nails at her. Like the zombies, it is eerily silent. Gobs of vile matter spatter the gnoll, causing her to shrink back involuntarily. The fingers continue to flick as dark matter rolls out of the seeping wounds of its torso and it moves towards her. This close, the stench is nearly unbearable. The thing reeks of long death.
Kia looks at the corpse and at the beetle and realises that she will not be of much use against the corpse since she can only help with melee attacks. Screwing up her courage, she goes up to the beetle and takes a hack at it with her sword.
When she opens her eyes again, she realises that she has hit the horrid thing and feels much better. And Gobi gets a +4 power bonus to his attacks against the beetle until the end of Kia's next turn (Warlord's Favour).
Whiteclaw cringes as the vile black gunk washes over her. "Why are we here again?" she asks, even as she dances to one side, her shield lashing out as she moves. It's clear she's not thrilled to me fighting such an un-natural enemy, but she doesn't hesitiate to attack.
Seeing the corpse pre-occupied with Whiteclaw, Nicolai positions himself for a devastating charge. Looking at the map, this should be possible whether or not Whiteclaw's Tide of Iron succeeded.
If it did, Anarak ends up at L13 (stepping back and then charging).
If not, he ends up at N15 (moving first to N17 via K14-K15-L16-M17-N17)
Charge: 1d20+11 = 31 (Natural 20!) vs AC. Crit Damage = 1d12+16 = 25 (high crit).
Anarak's axe steams into the torso of the vile creature, spraying gore in every direction. Focusing all his efforts into landing one spectacular blow (and knowing about Whiteclaw's blood bonuses), he does not bother to supercede the gnoll's mark.
Gagging at the sight and smell of the horror, Whiteclaw's usually sure aim is badly deflected. Anarak however holds his nerve and successfully flanks the undead, unleashing a devastating blow.
Confused and angry, the fire beetle sprays gouts of fire at Gobi and Kia, setting the ground around them aflame and injuring the paladin. It scuttles away from the burrow, towards the Corpse.
Fire spray against Gobi and Kia (v Ref): (1d20 2=19, 1d20 2=13). Hits Gobi, misses Kia. Fire damage from spray: (3d6=9).
Whiteclaw should be at N13. Anarak should be at N15.
Whiteclaw should be at N13. Anarak should be at N15.
"Hey! Don't run away you horrid thing! Just as I managed to pluck up the courage to get near you!"
Kia swings mightily, something singing blissfully inside her (could it be the Rune stones influence?
Basic whack the fleeing beetle. (Includes Vel's and Kia's bonuses) (1d20 7=26, 1d8 5=11)
Enraged by pain, Gobi's warhammer flattens the last insect in one easy swipe.
Gobi's OA on beetle 3: (1d20 4=24, 1d10 2=12)
"Cease thy undulations, un-natural one!"
Vel slowly advances on the undead, pointing at it and muttering an imprecation. The sickly green ray shoots forth at the creature.
Ray of Enfeeblement vs Fort (1d20 5=16, 1d10 4=6)
The corpse's head turns to follow Arianwyn as the eladrin moves and its body slams into Whiteclaw. The gnoll ducks just in time to avoid the impact. As you watch, the grievous wounds inflicted by Anarak start to close up as the undead stands, unable to choose between foes.
Vel's blast hits it squarely in the chest, opening up fresh wounds and weakening the creature once more.
Hopefully, the corpse is too pre-occupied to defend himself. He'll take some damage regardless.
Reaping Strike: 1d20+10 = 13 vs AC. Damage: 1d12+4 = 11 (Miss: 4 damage).
Whiteclaw agressively attacks the corpse, doing her best to keep it's attention on her.
Gagging from the stench, Anarak's blow lacks its usual precision, but his attack opens the door for Whiteclaw. With a stroke of unrivalled strength and bringing all the power of the gnolls to bear, she whips her flail around, bring it up and across the corpse's body.
There is a moment of complete stillness in the clearing and the corpse explodes. Necrotic matter flies upwards and outwards, but neither warrior flinches.
Ignoring the smell, Vel cautiously probes at the remains of the last creature, trying to recall her studies on the undead.
Anarak grins at Whiteclaw and says, simply, "Nice shot."
He wipes the grime and bits of flesh off his scales and walks back to the others.
"So, have we finished avenging your spirit? Maybe we should resume our actual quest and find the rest of those stones."
Arianwyn holds up a hand at the dragonborn's hastiness, "Hold, Sir Drake. We must retrieve the bones of the accursed shade from the grove and return them to their rightful place. His request is intrinsically linked to the matter in which you are currently engaged."
There are four barrows in the clearing. On closer inspection, you see that the one with the beetle mound along side it has suffered a recent collapse. It looks very much as if someone tried to break in and failed or broke in and caused the collapse as they left.
The barrow recently exited by the corpse can be entered fairly easily, one person at a time. The two remaining barrows are sealed, but you could break in easily enough. Going from the bottom left clockwise, they are A, B, C and D. There is nothing to indicate who they once belonged to on the outside.
Vel is sure the thing you have just defeated was a corruption corpse. This type of undead horror is notorious for its appalling smell, charming habit of throwing bits of itself at enemies and exploding on death.
"Right, which barrow do we think it is? Vel? Arianwyn? do you have any ideas? You were the ones who talked most to that shade. I'm guessing that these are the barrows of the people mentioned on the stones - if that's any use."
"Verily, Milady Kia, it seems that we should perhaps investigate the barrow from whence the corpse hailed. Mayhap there will be some clue there."
"Verily, Milady Kia, it seems that we should perhaps investigate the barrow from whence the corpse hailed. Mayhap there will be some clue there."
"Agreed."
"That one it is then. Has everybody rested enough? Does everyone feel ready for what we may find in there? I'm not expecting it to be uninhabited for some reason."
"First, let me inspect the corpse and gather my wits."
All the corpses are in teeny tiny bits. Zombies and corruption corpse exploded and the beetles have been malleted into oblivion by Kia and Gobi.
"We should be at our best when we enter. Let us take a few minutes."