Despite the serious situation, Florr giggles. "Take the skates, Nikolai," she says. "I guess you never know!"
"Well we can all communicate as long as Grit is holding his bow. Let's get close. Nikolai can scope out the situation on the iceberg. I can spy from above. We need to stop the fire."
She turns to Grit. "What did you say about Jorlitharr?"
He unzips the two outer pockets of his backpack and turns it over. A plethora of gems ranging in all colors begin to fall out and continue to do so for some time as he shakes it like he's salting the floor.
"That should cover most of it at least"
Yarral nods in approval. "Yar, thanks me hearty! Take everything you need Fer this!"
You have gained much favor with this sea dwarf.
"What do you mean, you hear Jorlitharr?" Florr asks Grit.
Turning to the others, she says, "I think Grit is right. I think someone or something is trying to free the tablet from the ice with the fire. We need to stop the fire. I say we take a boat and quietly get as close to the shore as we can. I can fly up and throw water from above."
She turns to Nikolai. "Do you think you could get close and scope out the situation quietly?"
She turns to Sihtric. "We need as much information about what's going on. Did you figure out what that whining is? Do we need to distract the people chanting?" She pauses. "I'd rather not hurt them. We saw before that the villagers in the cave could be saved. My guess is that these people don't know what they are doing."
"We need to move quietly and quickly. Yarral, get us as close as we can without being spotted."
Grit whispers without moving his lips in an exasperated tone in your minds. "I can hear him. Here! It sounds like he's talking to Oleksandr"
He stands on the edge of the boat. In your minds: "What are we waiting for exactly?"
"He's talking to Olek? Ugggh, I can't think about this right now, we gotta get onto that ice floe!"
Nikolai shoves one bundle of rope into his pack and gulps down the invisibility potion.
"Let's GO!"
He jumps for the ice floe.
You all hear "Marthammor, guide my boots true."
Grit jogs backwards, sprints to the bow, squats deeply and leaps into the air.
Sailing through the fridgid air Grit nocks an arrow and lands atop a mound of hard packed snow.
"That ain't human."
The first arrow connects through the spine of the creature. The other strikes right next to the first splintering the first.
The shrieks loudly, throwing it's head back as tentacles fly from the hood in pain.
Yarral moves deftly around the deck, telling his crew to slow down and weigh anchor at a distance from the floe. He snuffs out the major lights on the ship and prepares to drop the anchor and quietly as possible.
He signals to a crew member. "Raskar, come with me below deck. We got the 'Pirate Slayer' to bring up to the deck..." He snickers and rubs his hands together, and opens a sliding door in the deck floor and heads down the stairs with Raskar behind him.
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Sihtric moves to the prow of the ship, squinting at the innocent townsperson Grit just viciously assaulted. He stretches out his hand and 3 glowing darts streak across the water and strike the figure in the chest.
Sihtric moves to the prow of the ship, squinting at the innocent townsperson Grit just viciously assaulted. He stretches out his hand and 3 glowing darts streak across the water and strike the figure in the chest.
[dice=Magic Missile]3d4+3
The force of your blasts tear the tattered robes revealing the creature beneath. It's bloodied with a bio-luminescent cerulean blood that flickers in the waning daylight. You recognize if from the one Nikolai chased from the temple in Haven's Cross that left behind the staff and tome.
It glowers towards Gritnarr. "Itzz tOo lAte!" an alien voice booms in your heads. "MoRk'kaaaThuul aWakEnsss."
It extends it's wickedly long fingers before curling them towards Gritnarr.
Is dashes away keeping the townsfolk between you and it. The townsfolk stand in awe and confusion.
Gritnarr howls in pain. He's imagining shadowy and beastial elves subduing him in a hail of wicked arrows. "we'll eat those tasty legs all over again you stunty!"
He bleeds a black fluid from his eyes and ears.
"I recognize that creature! Nik and I saw one in the temple!" Florr shouts. "We must subdue it! Focus your fire there on that creature!"
She grasps her amulet and says a quick word, and flies 20 feet up in the air. She swings herself into the crow's nest and pulls out an arrow from her quiver that has a small black bag tied to the arrowhead. She aims at the recently de-hooded creature (#3) and lets the arrow fly.
Peppercloud: Target must make DC13 Con save or be blinded 1 for 1 round
Several sea dwarves drag a heavy ballista to the edge of the ship. One secures it to the rails with thick rope, and the other two load it up with a mean-looking arrow that looks more like a spear. "Get this thing a-loaded!" Yarral yells to his crew members. "Quick quick ye scally wags!"
He grabs the ballista and positions it to fire at the be-tentacled creature that Florr yelled about. "By Valkur's Hand, that creature seems like an abomination of land and sea," he mutters to himself.
He shoots the ballista at the creature.
piercing
Ballista stats
Florr's Runic Necklace jumps from her neck, floating before her, tethered to it's mithril links. Everyone hears the boom of a proud man's voice declares "Bravery in the face of impossible odds! Florr you've always made me proud."
A storm supernaturally forms over the scene. Thunder booms and rain pours as winds begin to buffet everyone. It's hard to hear each other. Grit in his state is unresponsive and has dropped his runic bow, his mental communication ability is no longer active.
You've temporarily have unlocked the "complex properties" of the Rune of Storms.
Howling Brand (Complex Property). Over the course of a short rest, you inscribe this rune in the air above one ranged weapon. The weapon gains a ghostly blue aura and has its normal and maximum range doubled. The weapon’s attacks do not suffer disadvantage due to range. In addition, you can expend a spell slot while using this property to grant the weapon a bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls equal to the spell slot’s level divided by three. These effects last for 24 hours or until you use this property again.
Shrieking Bolt (Complex Property). As an action, you scribe this rune in the air between you and a creature you can see while you expend a spell slot. The creature must make a Strength saving throw (DC 12 + the spell slot’s level). On a failure, it takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage plus 1d8 bludgeoning damage per level of the expended spell slot, and is pushed in a straight line directly away from you for 10 feet per level of the expended spell slot. On a successful saving throw, the creature takes half as much damage and is not pushed away from you.
Wind Walker (Complex Property). While you are attuned to this rune, you can cast levitate as a bonus action. You regain this ability after a short or long rest.
Storm Caller (Complex Property). While you are attuned to this rune, you can cast "Call Lightning" as a bonus action once. This ability can only be regained after leaving the rune outside in a storm.
Nikolai takes aim at the squiddy looking on and lets an arrow fly.
His attack ends the potion's effects.
He scampers behind one of the fishermen and attempts to blend in, his glamoured armor blending in with their clothes.
The abberation screeches and looks to it's ribs, the halflings arrow burried deep. It holds it's side in futility.
Gritanarr falls to his haunches, rolling off the mount of wet snow and ice to cower behind it.
"It's not real. They're not here. Get it together Deepflagon. You're ok" he holds his head and rocks back and forth.
He screams and falls to the ground. Still.
"You can hide behind the villagersss, but you will ssstill burn!"
Streaks of fire lance from Sihtric's fingertips towards the abberation
Empowered Scorching Ray- 3rd level spell slot
The Creature is badly hurt by Sihtric's rays. They blow holes clear through the other side of it's body. The rain comes down hard but it's not enough to wash away the pool of blood forming at it's feet.
The badly hurt flayer is hunched over in pain, it starts to mumble magical words but stutters.
He falls to his knees.
"It's too late. Mor'kathuul has returned. The tablet will soon be free of it's...prison...the flood will never stop."
Suddenly a wicked, barbed and inky black stingray springs from the water and lands upon the mortally wounded flayer, consuming it.
It's coal like orange eye blazing dark and stormy night.
It's eye stare deeply at Florr.
"YoUr fa'TH'er is dEad." echos through Florr's head.
"He stO'od..iN t'hE way.
SU'bmit. AcCE'pt my sE'a"
You place a magical command on a creature that you can see within range, forcing it to carry out some service or refrain from some action or course of activity as you decide. If the creature can understand you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you for the duration. While the creature is charmed by you, it takes 5d10 psychic damage each time it acts in a manner directly counter to your instructions, but no more than once each day. A creature that can't understand you is unaffected by the spell.
You can issue any command you choose, short of an activity that would result in certain death. Should you issue a suicidal command, the spell ends. You can end the spell early by using an action to dismiss it. A remove curse, greater restoration, or wish spell also ends it.
Florr grits her teeth. "If you speak the truth, then he died a noble death!" she growls.
"No matter what you say, I will refuse."
Florr stifles a cry as it feels like a thousand sharp spikes plunge into her head.
She grabs her amulet in her left hand. It feels ice cold. The wind whips around her as she raises her right hand.
"The flood WILL stop! You have hurt enough people. Time to rest!"
She points two fingers at the inky stingray with the flaming eye and utters a word.
Dex DC16 save for half damage
She raises both of her arms and floats into the air. Seemingly unaffecting by the buffeting wind and pummeling rain, she floats onto the ice. She lands gently and fixes her eyes on the stingray.
"You are not welcome here!"
Her amulet glows deep blue and she traces several lines in the air.
She casts Shrieking Bolt (Complex Property) and expends a 3rd level spell slot. As an action, you scribe this rune in the air between you and a creature you can see while you expend a spell slot. The creature must make a Strength saving throw (DC 12 + the spell slot’s level). On a failure, it takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage plus 1d8 bludgeoning damage per level of the expended spell slot, and is pushed in a straight line directly away from you for 10 feet per level of the expended spell slot. On a successful saving throw, the creature takes half as much damage and is not pushed away from you.
Str save DC15 for half and not pushed
“Get this Pirate Slayer loaded! We gotta fire on tha’ abomination!” Yarral yells, tying up one last knot to secure the ballista to the rails. One seadwarf cranks the heavy lever, pulling the giant crossbow string back, and one seadwarf places a nasty-looking bolt with black feathers in the slot. At the same time, Yarral carefully spins a wooden wheel on the ballista, aiming the bolt at the stingray. A seadwarf stands at his side. “I got the vial, Captain, Sir,” the seadwarf says, grasping a glass vial with dark blue liquid splashing inside.
As he continues to aim and deftly adjust the ballista, Yarral grunts, “Take the scissors an’ get to tha’ dwarven archer! Quick as yer can, Bolgar!”
Bolgar reaches into Yarral’s leather pouch worn on his belt loops. He gets a pair of shining silver scissors, and snips the air in front of him. A crackling white line as tall as Bolgar sizzles in front of him, and Bolgar steps through. He completely disappears as if the scissors opened a door in front of him.
A similar crackling white line bursts into existence behind Grit. Bolgar steps out of the line, and holds out the vial. “Drink this!” he yells urgently.
Back on the ship, Yarral clicks the ballista into place. “Got yer in me sights, yer horrid creature! FIRE!” He fires the ballista.
The bonfire slowly fades in the downpour and wind gusts scatter the debris across the ice flow. It's hard to tell but you're not sure the tablet has been exposed.
Florr's lighting crackles and courses through the creatures body causing massive damage, covering the creature in scorch marks and sizzling flesh. It smells terrible, though the intense smell of ozone quickly conceals the stench.
It endures the buffeting hailstorm well but is clearly hurt.
The abyssal outsider is then impaled by the massive ballista bolt the size of a broomstick. It's pinned to the ice and it spurts sticky ichorous blood.
As he continues to aim and deftly adjust the ballista, Yarral grunts, “Take the scissors an’ get to tha’ dwarven archer! Quick as yer can, Bolgar!”Bolgar reaches into Yarral’s leather pouch worn on his belt loops. He gets a pair of shining silver scissors, and snips the air in front of him. A crackling white line as tall as Bolgar sizzles in front of him, and Bolgar steps through. He completely disappears as if the scissors opened a door in front of him.
A similar crackling white line bursts into existence behind Grit. Bolgar steps out of the line, and holds out the vial. “Drink this!” he yells urgently.
Grit is currently face down bleeding from his eyes, nose and mouth. He's unable to drink a potion but Bolgar can pour it in his mouth.
Nikolai fires another arrow at the creature and makes another advance while still trying to blend in with the fishermen.