Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
, fail
, fail
Veratash, unwilling to kill the unarmed creature, tried to make it sleep. "It's over, sleep now"
Artur moved next to the Dolgaunt and put a beam of fire into it's head while the others dealt with the last remaining enemy.
The last of the enemies downed, Briar held on to her weapon, it was perhaps the only thing keeping her upright. Slowly, the armoured ridges on her skin flattened out, her legs and arms became less elongated, her body less angular, her jaws less... alien.
She crouched down then, placing one palm against the earth, closing her eyes and offering silent thanks for the srength she had needed to prevail. Finally she opened her eyes.
"That was well fought, without each and every one present here, all would have been lost."
Tharivol continued toward Briar with purpose slinging his longbow. He repeated a whispered elven command word at the last dolgrim that threatened the Gatekeeper. He triggered his collapsible shield to open, just in case.
"Briar" Artur called as he moved to the next downed body "What was that?"
His tone was conversational, but he wasn't looking up.
"Please stand still Brair, I will heal some of your wounds."
Nyd gestures with mathematical precision, and some of of Brair's wounds close.
[dice=Heal Warforged]1d8+4
OOC: It's just your casting ability modifier if you're casting the spell. So you 'repair damage' to 'living warforged' 1d8+4 and half that to 'living things'.
I'm going to recap, but will NOT advance the scene. I think some of you went back and edited your actions, which is fine, but lead to some confusion. At least I'm confused. :)
Questions?
Game on!
PS: anybody excited for the 5e Eberron book coming out on Tuesday?
I'll deal with this in a minute thought Artur as he pocketed the amulet, before standing and looking towards Briar. He was trying to smile, but there was genuine anger in his eyes as he intently stare, clearly waiting for an answer to his question.
Tharivol collapsed his magic shield and wanders around healing Artur and Veratash. "Nyd, save your healing magic for yourself."
"Well, that was invigorating. Anyone want to camp here for a long rest? Then, track that ugly thing back to his lab? Should be easy to track an army, right?"
As Nyd's healing took effect, Briar's attention returned and her thousand yard stare receded. She nodded her thanks to Nyd with the barest flicker of a smile, before turning to fix her unflinching gaze upon Artur.
"Your question is unclear. If you meant 'What was that?' in me changing form, I'm a shifter, a tribe you've likely never met before."
She gathered her poise and pushed herself back in to a crouch.
"If you mean 'What was that?' in those aberrations, I know not what their species or type was, only that they are symptoms of corruption that must be excised from the world."
She stood up, leaned a little on her weapon then flexed experimentally. She winced, snarled, then stamped her feet and held her glaive by her side, standing under her own power.
"If you meant 'What was that?' in my moving to fight them, if you aren't satisfied with my previous answer, I can't answer you beyond saying that it was the right thing to do, tactically as well as societally."
She blinked slowly, waiting on his response.
Veratash breathed deep as he relaxed and allowed his haziness get to him. As the others finalized the combat in their trained and succinct ways, Veratash needed longer. He wasn't a soldier nor a warrior in any way. Blood trickled from his nose and ear from the mental effort to gather his psychic abilities. Without the dragonshard he had on him, he wouldn't have been able to contribute as much to the fight, the effects would have been too unpredictable. He realized his hand was bleeding from holding it too tight.
His stupor lifted when Tharivol healed him. "Thank you", he managed to say. His words about backtracking the dolgrim made him look to the sky. He said "Sure, tracking is a good idea, but.... What about those three eyed birds over there? We might as well be horn blasting our arrival with them following us around. I mean me around."
Nyd raises a hand to Tharivol's suggestion. "I will always heal my allies if I am able. I am aware that your healing is more efficient, but there will be occasions were my placement will be more effective than yours, and I will expend my spells for healing in those circumstances."
Nyd pauses for a moment after the short speech. "I do agree with the second part of that statement. I would very much prefer a reinvigorating rest. I have expended almost all my resources."
Nodding to include the group as a whole, Nyd finishes with, "The enemy numbers were unexpectedly high. Hopefully this is the numerical majority, or an alternate means of engagement may be necessary."
OOC: Don't worry. I'm out of town and won't be home until Wednesday also. :(
No biggie; we'll incorporate changes slowly after everyone has had a chance to review.
Questions?
Game on!
When Briar says "Tactically" Artur mirthlessly laughs then says "You call leaving a fortified position to run into the middle of open ground and allowing yourself to be surrounded the 'tactically right thing to do'? You nearly got three of us killed because of your reckless actions, as we were forced to move out of our TACTICALLY ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION to try and help you. Are you insane, or do you just want to die that badly?"
Artur turned and walked back towards the circle without waiting for an answer to his question and wordlessly began dragging the "wall" of corpses out of the circle on the far side from the group.
Briar stared coldly after Artur
”I don’t know what it was like in more ‘civilized’ places, but where I grew up it’s considered rude to say something then just walk away”
She raised her voice slightly, not shouting, just enough to ensure it reached Artur.
”I don’t know how many fights you have experienced, nor sieges. You are entitled to your opinion of tactics, but so am I. We were trapped, limited supplies, no reinforcements coming, no surety the enemy had no reinforcements on the way. We had limited cover and limited ranged capability.”
She stared down at the wounds on her body, the fresh scars on her armour.
”It was a risk, but given the situation, even acknowledging how close to death I and others may have come, even after your opinion... I stand by my decision to sally forth”
She shrugs.
”If you wish to talk about rules of engagement for any future fights then we should do that, otherwise I will just act in the best interests of the group, and there will not always be time to discuss or declare at the time.”
Seeing the warriors harshly discuss tactics made Veratash uneasy. He wasn't sure if this was normal, but he was sure he didn't want to be in it. Given that he felt relatively safe by the circle, he decided it wasn't a bad time to discuss battle tactics.
Dragging the bodies out of the circle gave Artur time to think.
He would not, he decided, bother apologizing for what he said; she was flat wrong. The problem was, she didn't realize how wrong she was.
soon as we get some downtime, I'll show her exactly why it was a bad idea. Artur thought, and realized that he had calmed down enough to remember the last time he had nearly died...
..........................................................................
Ozone was thick in the air, as it usually was once multiple spellcasters started firing off magic as if their lives depended on it.
The mobile platform on which sat Artur and his assault squad moved much slower than he would have liked; most likely the joint on leg 4 was not flexing the way it should.
It was at this moment that the Karrnathi decided to attack; A hail of arrows from cover dropped one of the K'Neth, and in practiced retaliation the twins (that's just what everyone called them) returned fire with bolts of lightning that scorched the reinforced position. Screams reached Artur's ears moments after, indicating that the archers had suffered (and likely died, if he knew the twins).
Artur could see the objective ahead, and used his internal magic to direct the walker towards it; A hill, ringed with fortifications, that began to sprout fire and all manner of unpleasantness.
Spurts of fire sputtered against the walker's built-in shields, but still the occasional beam of energy would streak through.
Artur never did find the cause of what happened next; he felt more than saw the massive explosion, and his next memory was waking in a Brelish medical tent, a bandage over his left eye and arm missing, and chunks taken out of his torso as well.
He remembered the next few weeks clearly: designing the arm and cutting the gem that would replace his eye, then enchanting both to allow them to replace his missing body parts; then weeks of testing to make sure the magic held and was properly attuned to his aura. Finally, adjusting the color to more-or-less match his natural flesh.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artur finished his musings and realized he had been standing in the circle for several minutes without moving.
He shrugged, and then finished his work, clearing out the standing circle as a means of showing respect.
She waited a few moments for a response, but there was none.
There were many reasons why he might choose not to reply, but whatever it was didn't matter, the conversation was over. Never one to waste time or energy, Briar simply moved on to something else.
She nodded approvingly as the others cleared the circle of corpses, and joined in until the standing stones were free of the foul flesh and bone once more.
She bowed her head and spoke a silent prayer.
"Yes Zdravko, we should warn others about what has occurred. I will get word to the other Gatekeepers, who else were you thinking of?"
Veratash was still looking to the sky looking for the herons when the talk of warnings started to erupt.
"How do we warn anybody?", he asked.
Veratash was eager to get some sleep. Yet he said "I don't know anything about tracking, but wouldn't stop to rest make it harder to backtrack these small force?"
......Ozone was thick in the air...
OOC: thanks for these little flashbacks; they really do to the PC and the story.
I didn't know Artur has a magical arm; I thought it was just his eye. I had a PC in another game that had been a Karrnathi officer and had lost a hand that was replaced by a skeletal hand by the Karrnathi necromancers. Totally against RAW but who cares? Great story.
Game on!
OOC: sorry about that. No, the herons started dissipating as the dolgaunt and dolgrims were killed.
The black herons flew south to get reinforcements for the winter. :)
Questions?
Game on!
"At the very least we need to warn the town. The existence of a "Master" implies that there are at least some enemy left, and while it seems to be focused on us for now, we cannot guarantee that the focus will continue."
Nyd pauses and considers. Zdravko, Brair, do either of you have a local resource that could allow us to alert the town without our having to return there? As long as the enemy is focused on Veratash we should avoid venturing to areas that cannot defend themselves, lest this "Master" deploy a large force there."
"There is something to consider though. My magical resources are exhausted, and while I still have some combat ability without them, I believe most of us still have some form of injury. Do we wish to stay here, a location the enemy knows about but cannot enter, or do we seek out an area the enemy does not know and hope to avoid an encounter?"
OOC: we can add that to the PC retroactively. The artificial limb was always there but Artur didn't advertise it and it was not easy to spot. :)
Where are you reading preview info?
Game on!
OOC: thanks, very long thread and video so it will have to wait until later today. BTW, UPS already delivered my copy, which I won't get to see until tomorrow. :(
** spoiler omitted **
OOC: I've perused the thread a little bit and lots of complaints! :(
I'll have to use how it affects our PCs.
Game on!
Veratash makes note of the herons dismissal. "It seems we can breathe a little. Now I suggest we can go back to the inn and rest before following the tracks back to wherever these things came from. Well, that if the light rain doesn't make it harder to track afterwards."
"Nyd, can you identify if something has been enchanted today?" asks Artur as he pulls an amulet out of one of his pouches. "The Dolgaunt had this on him when I made sure he was dead. It's not often you see Eberron Dragonshards just lying about, and I know that they're often enchanted. I'd like to know what specifically we're dealing with."
Briar considers Nyd's question then responds
"There may be a friend in the area I can ask to send a message, but I myself have no such talents. Depending on how she feels about it, we could always ask Kela to go."
She ponders the area
"Here should be reasonably safe, certainly with our need to recuperate it is better than gambling on finding another defensible location. We will take turns on watch in case anything else appears."
She took a sip of water before replying to Zdravko
"I know more than most the potential horrors that may follow what we have just experienced."
Her thumb played with the tip of a finger.
"I have no doubt the Gatekeepers will react. For the five nations and anyone else though, the question will be one of generating action. With no immediate threat to mobilise against, it would take rhetoric I am not capable of to convince them I imagine."
@Nyd: the item emanates strong magic, conjuration and divination, but it's of a kind of magic you are not used to seeing.
knowledge arcana DC 15: this is an ancient Dhakaani device
If anyone can read ancient Dhakaani, the inscription reads, "There is no need to yell to be heard". The back of the device has mark that reads "Taruuzh".
I've sent Zdravko more info and she will post something about this device.
However, feel free to RP with the info above.
@Briar: I ended up sending everyone back to the tavern so I'll amend your post regarding staying in the Standing Stones.
Questions?
Game on!
Nyd puts his Wand of Detection away automatically as he regards the object. "It is enchanted; quite heavily so. It radiates conjuration and divination. Unfortunately, I do not know the nature of these enchantments themselves, though the design is reminiscent of an ancient Dhakanni, if I am correct at least."
"I believe we have some advantage here. The creatures believe that
Veratash has something that belongs to them, something they want very badly. The majority of the forces will be tracking us, so when we leave the area the majority will follow us."
Nyd pauses, "I feel that our," Nyd gestures to the party, "Best course of action is to be very obvious about leaving the area, and not engage in stealth until they begin pursuit. At that point we should hunt down the base of these creatures and eliminate them."
With a voice bordering on passion, Nyd continues. "These unnatural creatures offend me on a fundamental level. There elimination is good for all the Marshes; No, their elimination is good for all of Eberron itself."
Warforged Traits
Your warforged character has the following traits. A few of the traits give you a choice; consider how your choice reflects the purpose for which your character was built.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. A typical warforged is between two and thirty years old. The maximum warforged lifespan remains a mystery; so far, warforged have shown no signs of deterioration due to age. You are immune to magical aging effects.
Alignment. Most warforged take comfort in order and discipline, tending toward law and neutrality. But some have absorbed the morality, or lack thereof, of the beings with which they served.
Size. Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight randomly, start with rolling a size modifier:
Size modifier = 2d6
Height = 5 feet + 10 inches + your size modifier in inches
Weight in pounds = 270 + (4 × your size modifier)
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Constructed Resilience. You were created to have remarkable fortitude, represented by the following benefits:
You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
You are immune to disease.
You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Sentry’s Rest. When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.
Integrated Protection. Your body has built-in defensive layers, which can be enhanced with armor:
You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
You can don only armor with which you have proficiency. To don armor, you must incorporate it into your body over the course of 1 hour, during which you remain in contact with the armor. To doff armor, you must spend 1 hour removing it. You can rest while donning or doffing armor in this way.
While you live, your armor can’t be removed from your body against your will.
Specialized Design. You gain one skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of your choice.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
With a guilty look, Veratash removed the dragonshard from his pocket. "We went to the Shadow Marshes to study this, but I went for another reason. I have troubles concentrating on my psychic abilities and had heard these dragonshards could help me focus. It does, in fact. However, it is something I managed to snatch out of the lab they were keeping me in. I hope that's ok." Despite his burglary, Veratash believed that was not the reason he was being hunted.
Veratash replied to Nyd saying "I wanna help. After resting, I'll go with you to get rid of them. I'm sure I'm joining a quest I don't fully understand, but I'll catch up, I promise." His emerald green eyes were determined.
I'll take a look at the book tonight but I'd like to ask a favor...
Please update your PCs but let me know what has changed. That is, tell me what you lost, what you gained, what has changed, and how it affects other properties associated with the item. For example, if you lost 2 points in WIS then that affects your perception skill.
If you're not getting the book anytime soon then let us know and we could probably give you what is pertinent to your PC without infringing copyrights.
I'd like to have everything updated during the weekend if possible.
Questions?
Game on!
OOC: I won't be getting a book soon. This year's end has me very busy and I will be between jobs on new year's.