GM Cody Season of Ghosts

Game Master Codanous

↺ Retributive Strike - 3 resistance for Elizeth & Strike at Raven Swarm

Strike: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Piercing/Holy Dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

DC 20 Reflex Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 Wow, lucky!

Kwan narrowly avoids the pecks that aim for his eyes and yells out a warning to the others. "They go for your eyes. Fight at range!"

Kwan doesn't listen to his own advance though. He continues to slash at the swarm before raising his shield.

◆ Strike
◆ Strike
◆ Raise Shield

Strike: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Piercing/Holy Dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Strike: 1d20 + 7 - 5 ⇒ (19) + 7 - 5 = 21
Piercing/Holy Dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

"Nasty birds! with your nasty words!"

Her words inspire your group as she hurls another rock towards the swarm of birds attacks Elzbeth.

Attack: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 7 + 1 = 16
Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (5, 1) + 1 = 7

>Courageous anthem, yall get a +1 status bonus to attack and damage
>>Telekinetic Projectile

Yuranosuke and Kwan are able to slice into the Raven Swarm, doing damage, cutting out individual birds, as they do red mist starts to mix into the Bird-nado.

Xu Jiang, Shandari and Ayane all try with magic to aid but struggle to hit the ever moving incohesive mass of birds.

still it seems like only a third the birds remain, red mist taking much of the space.

The Raven Swarm continues to peck at Lady Elizeth and Kwan.

Swarming Beaks vs Kwan and Lady Elizeth: 1d8 ⇒ 7 oof
Lady Elizeth fort vs Blind DC 20: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
blind duration: 1d4 ⇒ 4

It rapidly shifts, swirling down on Xu Jiang as well.

Swarming Beaks vs Xu Jiang: 1d8 ⇒ 8
need a DC 20 fort save vs blind for 1d4 rounds on fail

"Too late too late too LATE—"
"A baby priest? A whelp? A worm?!"
"BURN HIM! BREAK HER! BLEED THEM B O T H!"

"XuXuxuxuxuXUJIANGJIANGJIANG—"
"He’s fresh! He’s soft! He doesn’t know the dark like we do!"

"CAWCAWCAWCAW—TAKE THEM! BREAK THEM! SWARM THEM! DROWN THEM IN BLACK AND RED!"

Encounter Map
Round 3 / 4 - Birds!
Shandari ☘️ -
Yuranosuke ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - 14 damage
Raven Swarm - 20 damage
Lady Elizeth - 13 damage, Blind 6 rounds
Xu Jiang ☘️ - 8 damage
Ayane ☘️ -

"I have a feeling these arent regualr birds! they know your names!

Hurry lets get them out of here!"

Again her words are a sing-song rhythm, boosting your morale. She hurls yet another rock towards the birds.

Attack: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 1 = 18
Damage: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 4) + 1 = 9

>Courageous anthem, dont forget your +1 to attack and damge!
>> telekinetic projectile

Kwan continues to fend off the swarm as it attacks Elizeth, trying to quickly swat away the birds as they peck at his eyes.

↺ Retributive Strike - 3 resistance for Elizeth & Strike at Raven Swarm

Strike: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Piercing/Holy Dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

DC 20 Reflex Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 Fort or Reflex both fail

Kwan blindly reaches his hands out to feel his way in retreat, hoping his shield offers some protection. "I can't see. Take it down."

◆ Stride
◆ Stride
◆ Raise Shield

sorry yeah it is a reflex save not a fort save against the blind

"Right!" Yuranosuke says as his shuan ji flies into the roiling mass of birds.

◆ Strike

Shuan Ji: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 7 + 1 = 171d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9

◆ Strike

Shuan Ji (Backswing): 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (13) + 7 + 1 - 5 = 161d6 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 1 + 2 = 12

◆ Strike

Shuan Ji: 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 10 ⇒ (16) + 7 + 1 - 10 = 141d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9

Ayane throws another rock at the swarm but she just barely misses, the rock passing through a mass of red mist rather than birds.

Phang struggles as the birds engulf him, pecking his eyes, causing blood to obscure his vision temporarily.

blind duration phang: 1d4 ⇒ 1 So just this round, next time you are up the blind will be worn off, unless you take damage and get reblinded :(

Yuranosuke struggles, swining his long Shuan ji around but can't find birds to slice as he waves his blade in the air above Phang.

don't forget y'all do have hero points, represented by those clover leaf's in initiative

Encounter Map
Round 3 / 4 - Birds!
Shandari ☘️ -
Yuranosuke ☘️ -
Kwan ☘️ - 14 damage
Raven Swarm - 20 damage
Lady Elizeth - 13 damage, Blind 6 rounds
Xu Jiang ☘️ - 8 damage
Ayane ☘️ -

Reflex save (DC 20): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16 Xu Jiang is blinded.

"Ahhh! My eyes!" shouts Xu Jiang. "I can't see!"

The young priest hesitates (today is his first day, after all) between healing himself with one of his few remaining spells and hitting out at the swarm around him. He decides on the hitting.

Divine lance: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Miss chance (blinded) DC 10): 1d20 ⇒ 19
Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4 spirit damage

Spend Hero Point on the Miss Chance: 1d20 ⇒ 5 Blam!

"To the Seat of Judgment with you!" he cries, hoping that sounds appropriately Pharasmin with the Lady Elizeth standing right there.

@Xu Jiang: Safe to assume that the hero point roll was just added in case either roll failed? Looks like you didn't need the reroll.

Shandari takes another bolt of electricity to the mass of birds, this time frying one really well

Zap!: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 7 + 1 = 22
Bzzzt: 1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9

I wasn't sure if maybe they were doing >10 is a fail, ≤10 is a success? Otherwise I'd traditionally view the 19 as a success and the 5 a failure lol

Between Xu Jiang's divine magic igniting the swarm and Shandari's lightning arcing through the birds, it is enough to overcome the malevolent energy holding them together. The remaining discordant bird voices howl with a voice of pure spite and anger.

"LIGHT! LIGHT! IT BURNS! IT HATES US!"
"But he dreams still... beneath the rot..."
"Kuuu... gaaaa... p... tee..."

"You will remember what they tried to forget..."
"He remembers you now..."
"He remembers all of you..."

Then silence—just a few burnt feathers drifting through the mist, and the smell of rot where there should be none.

Lady Elizeth, holding her hands to her bleeding eyes, "Are they gone? The ravens are they finally gone?"

Damage round up

Kwan - 14 damage
Lady Elizeth - 13 damage, Blind 6 rounds
Xu Jiang 8 damage

"Angry birds have flown the coop, you are safe" she gently places her hand on the wounded lady

@Xu Jiang: Safe to assume that the hero point roll was just added in case either roll failed? Looks like you didn't need the reroll.

I had just woken up from a nap. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

What do we think, folks? If we take 30 minutes, I can Treat Wounds on all the injured. I'm running low on Heal spells.

Definitely in favor of taking time now to heal up. Kwan can help the process with Lay on Hands.

As his sight returns, Kwan reassures Elizeth. "You are safe now. The ravens are gone. It's me, Kwan. Xu, Shandari, Yuranosuke, and Ayane. We just got back into town after the last night's festival."

Once Elizeth has calmed down a bit and trusts them, Kwan starts to help Xu with tending to wounds, saying a prayer of thanks to Shizuru first.

Refocus first. Then Lay On Hands/Refocus loops where needed.

"Tell us what happened, if you are able, Lady Elizeth," says Jiang.

Treat Wounds (DC 15) on Phang Kwan: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 Critical Success.
Treat Wounds (DC 15) on Elizeth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 Failure.
Treat Wounds (DC 15) on Xu Jiang: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 Failure.

Healing to Phang Kwan: 4d8 ⇒ (3, 1, 3, 5) = 12 I've been robbed! Stupid dice!

Talking aloud to herself or to anyone who will listen, Ayane makes he way down to Lady Elizeth.those birds...they almost sounded like they were trying to say a name, and who is He? nuh uhh I dont like not one bit! nope! nope nope! something is very wrong. Lady Elizeth are you okay?"

Can i do a knowledge Lore or Society or Willoshire check to see if i can tell who or what the birds were talking about?

Yes you can try a knowledge check on the name Kugaptee, its a DC 28 Religion, Society or DC 26 Willowshore Lore check

Between Xu Jiang's healing and Lay on hands doing 6 hp every 10 minutes, you guys are able to get fully healed

Lady Elizeth, grateful for the healing, wipes the drying blood from her hands onto her robes, "This will be a nightmare to get out. I appreciate your timely aid, those birds and other creatures harassed the Temple all night long, I was never able to get the time to meditate. I thought Maybe I could handle them myself with just my Cantrips but they overwhelmed me," Looking at your group, "Seems you've all run into trouble as well, how fairs the town? These Ravens, possessed as they were, were hellbent on preventing me from leaving the Temple,"

Yuranosuke relaxes as the battle ends and Kwan and Jiang tend to everyone's wounds.

"At least a few monsters have run wild in the streets. Jinkins and some one-eyed man-eater, a buso Kwan called it, cavorting on the Lantern's bridge. That's part of why we're here. The Lantern has gone out, and the coins within it need the blessings of the gods to renew its protection. Jiang figured you'd be able to help us secure the Mother of Souls' blessing first."

Kwan adds to Yuranosuke's answer. "They arrived back in town a couple of hours ago. I was woke up near the guard tower with a nasty bump on my head. Jinkin must have surprised me." Before continuing, Kwan breathes deeply and tries to hold back his emotions. "We haven't seen many townspeople yet, Hai-er Ha is at the eastern guard post. You are the only other person we've seen - alive."

During the group's recovery time, Kwan ponders the final words of the raven swarm. He repeats back what he heard the raven say, to burn it into his memory. "'He dreams beneath the rot. Ku - ga - p - te. We will remember. And he remembers us.'"

Religion check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

After coming up with no real connections, he asks if Xu or Elizeth know something. "As priests of Pharasma, do either of you have a clue what those words meant?"

Separately, Kwan also examines his shield and notices a couple of gouges that should be repaired. Despite his time helping in the smithy, Kwan doesn't have any skill in repairs. He asks the group for help. "Do any of you have anything that could fill in these gouges in my shield?"

Kugapte. Nice ring to it. Rhythm. Maybe that's why the angry birds said it." she muses out loud

Lady Elizeth holds her head, thinking, "The name doesn't ring a bell. I'm just too tired, I can barely think straight, maybe if I can get some sleep, but if the town is bad as you say, I'm not sure I'll be sleeping much," She groans then steps off toward the chapel

"Come inside the chapel where its safest, Lady Pharasma still protects her sanctums against the undead, and her alter is there, we can see if she'll bless one of your coins,"

She leads you to the alter inside, Xu Jiang places one of the coins atop it and begins fervent prayers to the Lady of Graves.

I need a religion check DC 15 from Xu Jiang, though theoretically anyone can make this religion check, there are hint hint nudge nudges for people who worship the deity in question they are invoking to make the check

Religion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 A wink's as good as a nod to a blind bat.

Lol yes, I do mean though there are benefits to not just making the Cleric handle all bits of religion, there are benefits for players who venerate or worship to ask their deity for aid rather than having the cleric make the plea with different deities. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this correctly though. Like for example, Phang Kwan could be the one to request aid from Shizuru at her alter to bless a coin and could use an alternate skill when making that request rather than just a religion check.

Xi Jiang spends 10 minutes in fervent prayer to Pharasma, the Lady of Graves as he does you all feel the Chapel grow cold, the smell of dirt pervades the air, and pale blue light shines through the Cathedrals windows as the simple copper coin is light by a softly glowing blue-ish white heatless fire.

Lady Elizeth sighs wearily, "Small step in a larger path, we need to get those other two coins blessed, if only Pharasma could bless all three but that is not how the magic of the Eternal Lantern works. Let me see what I can offer you in aid for rescuing me, then if you don't mind, I'll accompany you, if you can get me to Old Matsuki's, see if the old codger is mounting any sort of resistance, I'm sure he'll need Pharasma's wisdom,"

She digs around in the chapels supplies and finds an extra healer's kit, 2 potions of lesser healing and a scroll of Heal.

Yuranosuke watches Jiang pray and bows his head somberly.

"That's on the way to the one of the Silvermist Lodges," when Elizeth mentions Old Matsuki's estate. "There's a shrine to Ketephys there where we could seek the hunter god's blessing."

Kwan quietly observes the proceedings while Xu prays to Pharasma for her blessing. When the cold sets in, he pulls the neck of his undergarment up to provide a bit more warmth. When it's evident that Pharasma's favor was gained, Kwan smiles and claps Xu on the back "Well done."

When Elizeth suggests heading to Old Matsuki's and Yuranosuke suggests one of the lodges, Kwan nods in agreement. "There is strength in numbers. Yes, we should stick together, at least for now. Matsuki's residence is large enough to hold many people. The Southbank residents might have fled there for safety. Let's head to Matsuki's quickly, but safely."

After the party divides up the supplies from Elizeth and everyone indicates they are ready, Kwan leads the group out of the Pharasman chapel and heads north toward the main road in Southbank.