Charlie grabs the contents from the sack and backs away. "A..a..anyway to get around that mold or burn it?" He looks around to the group.
Identifying with Den.
Haldan spends about ten minutes checking the bag out. He concludes that it's a Back of Holding I. Before he can get to the second item, most of the party catches a half-dozen pairs of dark red eyes staring from deeper in the cavern. Behind them another set of the same wine-dark color, but on a creature the size of a horse.
Wolves approach.
The hair stands on the back of everyone's necks as a rough voice calls out from the darkness, "I know why you've come. Kalkek won't go back!"
With preternatural speed a bestial figure bursts forth from the darkness. It's a snarling, canine beast padding forward on all fours, its slender front limbs looking more like hands than a wolf’s paws. The wolves immediately charge to attack!
Round 1:
Tiny: Go
Chark: Go
Dendillion: Go
Wolves: TBD
Dire Wolf: TBD
Haldan: TBD
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Charlie is Scouting
(Scout)
(Search)
(Detect Magic)
(Seek, Keen Eyes)
(Search)
------------
Action 1: Recall Knowledge
Action 2-3: Charm
"If violence is your answer, then clearly you do not know anything about why we've come," Dendillion says, his tone one of admonishment as he studies the creature. "But if living up to a bestial stereotype is your plan, then you've nailed it admirably."
"But, of course, we could be friends," Dendillion adds, his words becoming like honey to Kalkek. The creature cannot help but see the hazy, dream-like visage of the great bard as a pleasant one. "So please, prove society wrong and lets take a moment to talk."
A barghest! Fiendish, ravenous gluttons of life who feed and grow on the fat of mortals, their bodies changing in ways none can predict as they use the flesh and blood of their victims to achieve grisly transformations into greater barghests. Barghests often make use of their shapechanging abilities to rule tribes of goblinoids or to discreetly hunt in rural areas in the guise of unnaturally intelligent wolves.
"NO MORE LIES!"
"NO MORE LIES! NOT GOING BACK!"
Dendillion tries to avoid violence, but clearly, this thing thinks it has a particular grudge against you...
Þóðᛞrekkr charges forward on his own, nipping at the heals of the front creature.
Perhaps quite foolishly Tiny slips between the enemies before lowering into his cat stance and clawing at that very monster.
Þóðᛞrekkr advances into his kin as Tiny slips in. The dwarf gets a lucky hit in, though the wound seems to be minimal. He also notices that there is a brand on the creature's arm: CM. It howls in rage at the affront!
Round 1:
Tiny: Hit
Chark: Go
Dendillion: Go
Wolves: TBD
Dire Wolf: TBD
Haldan: TBD
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
We have no quarrel with you, Chark says, but must react accordingly to your quarrel with us.
Careful not to get in the way of Goliath, Chark conjures up a shimmering scimitar bathed in flame, which appears behind the lead beast.
She then conjures up a disc of force for protection.
Chark's sentiment is too nuanced for the beast to get. The spell, however, is quite clear as it wounds the beast.
Round 1:
Tiny: Hit
Chark: Hit
Dendillion: Go
Wolves: TBD
Dire Wolf: TBD
Haldan: TBD
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Kelket: 17
The wolves all converge in a pack, savagely attacking the front line! The sounds of gnashing teeth and snarling wolf echo through the tight chamber:
MISS
MISS
MISS
MISS
for
It then knocks the good wolf down!
MISS
for and knockdown
MISS
MISS
MISS
for
for . It then thrashes Tiny back and forth, to and fro:
Round 1:
Tiny: Hit
Chark: Hit
Dendillion: Charm
Wolves: ATK
Dire Wolf: ATK
Haldan: Go
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Kelket: 17
Haldan sends an Intimidating Glare at the Barghest. Eyes crackling with electrical energy, he continues the stare as he casts a Sudden Bolt.
Haldan's death paint and glare comes unexpectedly, and the barghest winces. When the jolt comes he's not ready.
At the first opportunity, he flees! Bowling right past Herman
Round 1:
Tiny: Hit
Chark: Hit
Dendillion: Charm
Wolves: ATK
Dire Wolf: ATK
Haldan: Zip
Creature: Flee
Charlie: Go
Kelket: 41
"Uff" grunts Tiny as his butt hits the ground.
Round 1:
Tiny: Hit
Chark: Hit
Dendillion: Charm
Wolves: ATK
Dire Wolf: ATK
Haldan: Zip
Creature: Flee
Charlie: Go
Kelket: 41
Charlie backs away as he quickly finds himself surrounded by wolves. He points to the wolf nearest Goliath. "Start there b..big guy."
HP 52/52
AC 21 (23 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield 12/12; [AC Bonus +2: [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Snarecraft Snares Used: Biting Snare x3
Focus 1/1
Hero Points 1/3
Goliath
HP 40/40
AC 18
Goliath immediately sets upon the wolf, and with equal alacrity gains the upper hand. The wolf is severely wounded, but not down. It's yet to be seen if its morale breaks.
Round 2:
Tiny: Go
Chark: Go
Dendillion: Go
Wolves: TBD
Dire Wolf: TBD
Haldan: TBD
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Kelket: 41
Black: 18
Chark sustains her spell, directing it against the oversized foe...
...then sends a bit of healing Tiny's way. Get out of there, Tiny, before they overwhelm you!
Chark's spell hits the dire wolf, causing a light wound. Her other spell gives Tiny back a fair amount of vigor.
Round 2:
Tiny: Go
Chark: Weal and Woe
Dendillion: Go
Wolves: TBD
Dire Wolf: TBD
Haldan: TBD
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Kelket: 41
Black: 18
Feeling the ealing magic Tiny scoots back along the wall before clawing at orange.
Rather than grumbling about his bad Luck Tiny commands his cute little puppy to join the assault as well.
Tiny's first attack hits only fur, but the second connects solidly. Þóðᛞrekkr has more luck, dealing a second blow then a killing blow!
Round 2:
Tiny: Hit
Chark: Weal and Woe
Dendillion: Go
Wolves: TBD
Dire Wolf: TBD
Haldan: TBD
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Kelket: 41
Black: 18
Action 1-2: Illusory Creature
Action 3: Sustain a Spell (Strike x2)
"I'm going to try something."
Dendillion strums his lute, letting the magic of the music flow through him. The sound is new, different, and feels... tricky.
Moments later, the barghest reappears! This time, it's behind the other wolves. It snarls, then lashes out at the two wolves nearby.
Dendillion's illusion immediately sows confusion. The barghast for some reason bites down on the throat of one of it's own!
The dire wolf immediataly attacks the illusion:
and it vanishes from existance! The wolf is confused for a second, but it then turns on the melee, boxed in at the moment.
Black snaps at Dendillion, it's wounds sending nearly into a frenzy
for
It then knocks him down!
Two close in on Þóðᛞrekkr
MISS
MISS
for
It then knocks him down!
The two remaining hustle out towards Charlie:
for
for
Round 2:
Tiny: Hit
Chark: Weal and Woe
Dendillion: Crit!
Wolves: ATK
Dire Wolf: ATK
Haldan: Go
Creature: Go
Charlie: Go
Blue: 16
Kelket: 41
Black: 18
Charlie backs well out of the way of the wolves that seem to hound him. Goliath keeps on the wounded wolf as Charlie snipes at it from close range.
HP 42/52
AC 21 (23 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield 12/12; [AC Bonus +2: [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Snarecraft Snares Used: Biting Snare x3
Focus 1/1
Hero Points 1/3
Goliath
HP 40/40
AC 18
Charlie's arrow makes quick work of the wolf! Goliath then steps a bit and bites the throat of another!
Round 2:
Tiny: Hit
Chark: Weal and Woe
Dendillion: Crit!
Wolves: ATK
Dire Wolf: ATK
Haldan: Go
Creature: Flee
Charlie: 2 Kills
Kelket: 41
Haldan strides into position and begins the dark speech. His eyes turn black and darkness shoots out of his outstretched hands, consuming the wolves to his southwest.
The tendrils, coming from the newly grease-painted halfling, are a macabre sight to behold.
for
Unaffected
The closer wolf is simply not ready for the spell, but still manages to get somewhat out of the way. The second wolf is too quick.
Round 3:
Tiny: Go
Chark: Go
Dendillion: Go
Wolves: TBD
Dire Wolf: TBD
Haldan: TBD
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Green: 8
Kelket: 41
Tiny looks to Þóðᛞrekkr and encourages the puppy to get up and attack!
Tiny then goes after green.
Tiny darts deep into the room.
Þóðᛞrekkr tears the throat out of one wolf, and a moment later, Tiny does the same! He wastes no time and gets into position.
Round 3:
Tiny: Double Crit kill!
Chark: Go
Dendillion: Go
Wolves: TBD
Dire Wolf: TBD
Haldan: TBD
Creature: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Action 1: Stand
Action 2: Inspire Courage
Action 3: Stride
Dendillion gets back to his feet, somewhat embarrassed at having been tripped. He strums his lute, letting the familiar inspirational tune echo out in this space. He smiles, enjoying the cave's acoustics.
He then moves to harry the big wolf, hoping to add distraction to the melee that helps Tiny.
Chark keeps the pressure on Big Bad Wolf with her spell...
...then sends a jolt of fire-red electricity at Little Blue and Little Red!
Dendillion stands up, breaking into a song that lingers in the mind. Meanwhile, Chark strikes with inspiration. Her spell slashes the dire wolf's flank. Her other spell:
only slightly singes the wolf pair.
Not aware enough to target the one who hurt them, they both close on Goliath:
for ... and then trips the big bear!
for
MISS
The dire wolf turns on Tiny:
for . It leaves its powerful jaws clamped, and shakes Tiny back and forth. [dice=Additionald10+2[/dice]
Round 3:
Tiny: Double Crit kill!
Dendillion: Bard
Chark: Magic
Wolves: ATK
Dire Wolf: ATK
Haldan: Go
Creature: Go
Charlie: Go
Kelket: 41
Dire: 14
Red: 7
Blue: 7
|
Goliath roars as the bear gets taken down to the ground by the wolves. He stuggles back to his feet as Charlie focuses fire on Goliath's target.
HP 42/52
AC 21 (23 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield 12/12; [AC Bonus +2: [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Snarecraft Snares Used: Biting Snare x3
Focus 1/1
Hero Points 1/3
Goliath
HP 18/40
AC 18
Haldan looks to the wolf next to him with a grim smile. He mutters a few words and extends a smoking hand towards it, leaving a burning handprint where he touched. Then, while this sinks in, he summons an anvil made of elemental matter above the same wolf's head.
Haldan's rather awful magic hits the wolf hard. It wretches and wobbles! It's torment is short lived though as the elemental toss kills it!
Charlie and Goliath quickly adjust, combining to nearly take down the remaining normal wolf!
Round 4:
Tiny: Go
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Wolves: TBD
Dire Wolf: TBD
Haldan: TBD
Charlie: TBD
Kelket: 41
Dire: 14
Red: 17
"Mine is an evil laugh..."
Tiny claws.
Tiny calls Þóðᛞrekkr forward as well to bite.
Tiny then raises his shield.
Tiny's rapid flurry of claws give the wolf some of its own medicine. The blood begins to flow freely from the first strike, but it matters not, for the second strike kills the great dire wolf!
Þóðᛞrekkr diverts to the final of its cousins. A single bite is all it takes!
After a minute or so, everyone's heart rates return to normal, though there is no sign of the creature which fled.
If there is time, Haldan will refocus.
Charlie will see to tending to Goliath's wounds as the wolves tore quite a bit of flesh from his side.
"Did we j..just find a wolf den?" He asks looking around.
HP 42/52
AC 21 (23 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield 12/12; [AC Bonus +2: [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Snarecraft Snares Used: Biting Snare x3
Focus 1/1
Hero Points 1/3
Goliath
HP 40/40
AC 18
I don't truly know, Chark says, but whatever ran away was no normal wolf.
Chark sets about treating wounds.
The party takes a bit of time to catch their breath and heal.
The inner part of this cave smells strongly of canine. Fragments of bone glint among blood‑soaked scraps of fabric, tufts of fur, and unidentifiable fleshy masses that once belonged to living things. Jagged claw marks gouge the cave’s granite walls, and a fetid odor hangs heavy in the humid air.
It seems to be empty now. The branded monster has definitely fled...
"Someone was foolish enough to force a barghest into servitude," Dendillion marvels, strumming his lute as he lets the moment inspire him artistically. A few chords ring out in the cave before he adds, "I would really love to find out who that might have been."
"Tiny, I think we're done with the cave. But we have more to do to make sure that there's no extra danger. When everyone is ready, would you be so kind as to lead the way out?" Dendillion puts on a metaphorical ringleader's hat. "And Charlie, I think we might want to try tracking the creature."
Tiny nods and puts away the crossbow, and travels with the cook's shield out for now.
"Have we searched the cave to ensure all stones are turned? I'm asking because maybe the barghest was put here for a reason. A reason he quickly lost interest in when he felt my might." A smirk turns into a giggle, and then a laugh.
"We want to ch..ch..chase a Barghest?" Charlie stammers willing to look for tracks but not looking forward to chasing after such a dangerous beast.
"I think 'want' is a strong word. We need to. The alternative is leaving a barghest roaming about near our site for the show. And I do not want to put the others in danger."
Charlie's heart may not be into it. He loses the trail pretty quickly. To make matters worse, it had turned into the wilderness. So you may yet find it....
Haldan is pretty certain the cave is cleared.