There was a cool Color Pie article earlier this month, which I'm trying to use more for my character.
From Green: "Each individual is born with all the potential they need. The secret to a happy life is to recognize the role you were born into and then embrace it. Do what you were destined to do. The world is this elaborate system, and each one of us gets to play a part. And it's not something we have to guess about; it's imprinted on us; it's in our genes. Just look within."
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Whisper to Tes:
"Good choice. We were born without venom, and will find our victories without it." Kala hides some, but not all, of her disgust at the drug. As a budding herbalist herself, she prefers the art turned to poultices.
KTKD:
A lack of guild affiliation does not mean a lack of designs...but he is our best lead. "It sounds like you do know of our friend, Dawncaller. Or do you prefer another name? Well, knowing what guild has our friend would be a big help." Kala takes Tes's arm and follows along after the goliath.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
KTKD:
I assume the 19 Insight I rolled on the merchant gave me a bad vibe that matches up with Dawncaller's accusations
"We've not come here for the market. We're looking for someone." Kala shifts to stand back to back with Tes, so they can keep an eye on both the large stranger and the merchant. She nudges Tes so they turn and she can come face to face with the goliath herself. Her eyes pass over his body, noting the veritable armory he keeps, but looking specifically for guild signets, Rakdos or otherwise.
"Why were you following us?" Kala locks her eyes to his, trying to read his intentions. True altruism is rare anywhere, and here in the Rakdos section of the city? What is he after?
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
KTK:
Did we have any luck gathering spell components on our way through the city?
Kala briefly considers donning a totem armor to both disguise herself and intimidate any thugs that might be sizing them up as prey. Kick-Lick obtains the disguises so quickly, that she holds off on any transformation.
When the filthy stranger beckons and Kick-Lick approaches, Kala tries to size up the man. The slaver they met didn't look like much either, but he was a powerful foe...and one that escaped. Could it be the same person?
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 Insight:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19 With Perception I'm checking if it's the same person as before, and whether he has any visible weapons/casting implements. With Insight, I'm trying to gauge if it's a trap.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Hey all, sorry I haven't been posting much lately.
There's some very stressful stuff happening in my life right now, that I'm sure in the big scheme of things isn't a big deal, but my current perspective makes it look huge.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
KTK:
Kala En also rejects the experiment, standing well clear of the wires. She dons the new clothing once Kick-Lick returns, and tries to get a sense of what the current plan.
"Kick-Lick, you and Zapley found us. Do you also know where the demon took the vampires, or do you have a good way of finding out?"
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
KTK:
Kala stops picking at her back, eyes closed and silent for a moment after returning to her senses. It has been a difficult day for her, but more so for others.
"May his spirit find its way home, to where it belongs. We will need to hurry, for Vitrius."
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
NVC:
Wolf-Kala gently sets Zapley down, then squirms into a pile of oily rags and comes out as a merfolk, draped in them.
"What did they do to us..." She reaches one hand absentmindedly behind to her lower back, feeling around for something under the cloth.
"Tes, do you feel alright? What are we going to do now? Much of my magic needs a focus for the mana, though I suppose there are the old ways...it would still take some time to gather the ingredients. I don't like the idea of wandering the streets that vulnerable, trying to find the rest of our allies when I can hardly summon any defenses."
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
NVC:
Kala tries to put Zapley down gently, but isn't ready to relinquish wolf-form. She shakes her head a "no" to Tes, then looks her up and down to take stock of what she's missing, and thus what Kala herself is missing.
Do we have any of our stuff? Weapons, casting components, clothes? I think we were naked in the testing vats, and don't recall if we got to grab our stuff at any point. Big demon snatch them up? How long ago was that? How long were we in the vats? She thinks her questions but is unable to voice them. In this land she might pass for a Selesnyan watchwolf in this form, while a naked merfolk might be thrown into an Azorius jail for public indecency.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
No Vampires Club:
Excited and heartened to see Kick-Lick, Wolf-Kala darts in pick up Zapley by the back of her shirt, oversized teeth barely missing goblinflesh while he sets his trap. She looks to Kick-Lick, hoping he knows the way out.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Kala and Tes:
Wolf-Kala's snout twitches, hoping to catch a whiff of fresh air for guidance.
Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 Perception Adv. for Keen Smell:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
If she can't sense anything, she bounds towards the upstairs area rather than the offices.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Tes and Kala:
I'm not sure I fully understand the Spell Scion ability, here's how I think it works:
Spell Scions cannot attack or be attacked.
The standard action to create one also casts a spell to place into the scion.
Spell Scions are created in a square adjacent to Kala, but both can be moved as a bonus action (with speed equal to Kala's).
They last until a long rest is taken (spells refresh), or until commanded to release the spell they contain (which is a free action).
Kala sputters as she spits up the last of the tank's goo. Her eyes quickly pass from the bound scientists to Tes. If she were thinking clearly, she'd be tempted to try Emeria-Creed guile like she did against the Selesnyans. But after waking from her vision only to find it become a reality, her breaths are short and panicked.
"Let's...let's go." She calls numbly to Tes, then focuses her will to slip into another body, one that isn't home to tiny Eldrazi. Thinking of a time when everything was alright, she recalls the woodland companion of her Joraga tutor, and takes the form of a Dire Wolf.
Kala barely holds back the urge to rush off on her own, waiting for Tes.
Key characteristics of a Dire Wolf for this scenario: Large, speed 50ft, +4 Stealth, Keen Hearing/Smell = Advantage on Wis (Perception) checks which rely on hearing or smell.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Kala:
Pain. As Kala absorbs the mana of the earth, she shudders with revulsion. It is natural to feed, but this is annihilation. As pain fills her, Kala desperately tries to cast off the crumbling earth. The waves or the sky, surely anything is better than this. Somewhere she won't hurt, or be hurt. She pushes away.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Tes and Kala:
I don't really have any great ideas for our situation, do you Tes? If nothing happens, I'll try to Wildshape and get out, though it seems like the glass is pretty tough, so I've been waiting and hoping for something brighter.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Spoiler:
Do we have any of our stuff? I'm assuming we don't.
Kala is confused and startled by the sudden change of scenery. She feels a sudden urge to get this mysterious slime off her, to put on a powerful totem armor and crash through the glass, since none of these people seem interested in getting them out. Don't they see that we need help? Why are they taking notes instead...surely this is the enemy.
She tries to calm down, unsure if Tes is still out of it. She would need to carry Tes if so, and search the other vats for her other allies. It would be best to wait until night, but there's no way to tell what hour it is. She tries to get a count of her foes, and waits, hoping to see the number reduce as time passes.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
"Any thief that thinks there's money to be found in this dump is welcome to take what he wants, if he treads lightly enough to not wake me." Kala settles into her bedroll.
Kala isn't up for spending half the night on alert.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
"Definitely expected better, Tes. If I weren't so tired, I'd have haggled on the price, but I slipped up today." The merfolk yawns.
"Tomorrow we need to make friends or get jobs. Maybe join a guild? They might cover our living expenses at the least. Not much space in the city for roughing it, or I'd be glad to set up camp somewhere."
Kala rolls out her sleeping bag to have half of the mattress, so at least she can rest her head on something soft.
"For getting home, I was hoping you or Vitrius would find something in those books. For now, all we can do is put our wills to trying to figure out the magic that brought us here, and using it again."
Kala lumbers over in bear form, snuffling around. She takes a little time to make sure no other sudden attacks occur. The bear rears up onto its hind legs, then suddenly Kala is back in her blue skin.
"You have no idea how foul this part of the city smells." She wrinkles her nose. "We should've just taken an inn near the library."
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Is Phaerlin using the Trusty Machete or does Vitrius have it? If ever there was a time...
As more vines lash around Kala's new form, she does her best to hang on to the ground. Meanwhile her mind is racing for a solution.
What if I took a smaller form? Could I slip between the vines to freedom?
Is that a good idea?:1d20 ⇒ 4 (If Int check, -1, if Wis check +3)
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Hm, I'd considered my above Perception check as counting for the vines, since Kala dialed back her aggression to look around. I should've made a post specifying that though.
My understanding is that I can still Wildshape, it doesn't seem to require any somatic/verbal or such.
"Wha-" As Kala is dragged off by the vines, there's a flash of green mana and suddenly a large brown furred paw smashes into the ground, clawing against the pull. "-RAUGH"
Some might recognize this as the Totem Armor magic of Zendikar, and Kala has called upon one of the biggest creatures she's seen in Murasa: The Brown Bear (quintupling her weight from 120lb to 600lb).
Statistics:
AC 11, HP 34/34
Speed: 40ft, 30ft Climb
Str: 19, Dex: 10, Con: 16
Multi-Attack: Bite (+5, 1d8+4 piercing), Claws (+5, 2d6+4)
Adv. on Perception checks which rely on smell.
Her new form's muscles tense against the vines, seeking to burst them, or at least hold fast.
Athletics:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
A bonus action to Wildshape, standard action for an Athletics (or Strength save, the bonus is the same either way).
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Kala is thrown off balance by how calm both Tes and the stranger are.
How can he be so confident when he is outnumbered like this? Are his own allies nearby?
Insight:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22Is he masking fear, or does he really think he's in control? Why? Perception:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16 Kala glances down the alleys and up at the rooftops.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Kala snarls when her packmate is grabbed. She lowers her center of gravity in preparation to pounce, but waits for Tes to indicate if this should go to violence or not.
"This is not the bargain we've made." She hisses at the disgusting man. "Go find your contacts elsewhere."
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Kala En yawns.
"I feel like we've been in the library for hours, we should find somewhere to stay. It looks like there's no end to this city, every bit of land is owned by one person or another, so we'll have to find an inn rather than set up camp." She tries to gaze over the stacks Tes has barricaded herself within, but fails.
"I don't think these finless merfolk would be keen on us staying the night here."
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Kala En just skims through the introductory book she was handed, learning the guild names and their basic premises. She did not like school in Zendikar, but at least as a merfolk she was spared the drudgery of books.
"The Izzet might blow us up. I'm not ready to accept those odds..."
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
"That's a good idea Phaerlin. It's a big city, I'm sure someone will be willing to help us out."
Kala En marvels at the buildings that are built taller than some trees. Surely such feats of architecture would not be possible with the roil, unless a group of powerful mages worked to quell it. Is that what might be happening here? As she muses, she's looking up rather than ahead, and bumps into someone.
"Oof!"
She helps them pick up whatever they were carrying, shares a bawdy joke, and confesses to being new in town.
"Sorry to keep troubling you, but could you help us find our way to a library?"
Hoping that the Rustic Hospitality from my background will help Kala make this connection with the common folk. Persuasion roll in case that would be necessary. Persuasion:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Kala En contemplates pushing even harder into her nature spell, but has to duck aside rather than butt horns again. A battle of wills against the collected will of so many...A waste of time. For now.
Instead, she slows her pace while her allies look for outs, and turns to face the horde, projecting a confidence she did not expect to feel. Maybe Phaerlin had the right idea. I may be otherworldly to these humans.
Her light blue skin saturates, turning more and more blue. Suddenly, the grass surrounding 20ft of her becomes blue as well, as if part of the ocean floor, and waves as if swept by an unseen current.
Faerie Fire
She looks at them, not with anger, but with the understanding of an older being. Bemusement fades from her face (a nervous smile at the trick she's about to try). If it does not stop them all, perhaps it will break the magic on some of them, humbling their will.
"Enough!" Her voice booms at first, to capture their attention. Then more softly.
"Enough. I am a spirit visiting from another sacred grove, the Spirit of the Cerulean Beast! And as you well know, spilling blood here is unforgivable!"
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
As Kala follows her allies towards the exit, she finds herself vexed by cultists. Who are these people to claim the land is theirs? Land is free, and I shape it!. A pulse of green mana extends from her towards some of their flankers, vines rising from the grass to grasp at them.
Entangle
The merfolk tries to place it just right to throw off the hivemind coordination their pursuers are exhibiting.
Insight to pick a spot:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Tes, Enhance Ability is a Concentration spell which gives the target advantage on the ability checks of an ability of your choice. The physical abilities also offer minor other bonuses: Temp HP for Con, Double Carry Cap for Str, no damage for falling 20ft or less for Dex.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
DM wrote:
...Use of spells and other class abilities do not use up uses in actual combat or later in the day (other than skill rerolls if that's a thing)...
This seems really powerful (free spells) so I want to confirm that's what you intended. If I cast a spell, is it basically meant as flavoring for a skill check, or does it take the place of one?
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
"It's a resilient land." Kala En muses, bending forward to sweep the area in front of her with magic. Druidcraft to make nearby flowers blossom, though she expects that everything that can bloom here is already at it.
The high-pitched scream cuts through the air.
"Oh no, there's a girl in trouble!"
Turning around to find Kick-Lick sitting just beyond the restrained and terrified youth, she pauses at the awkwardness of the situation. She tries to put on a calming smile, and slowly walks over to join the goblin and the human.
"We're not here to eat you. Look, we have plenty of our own food." Kala again clasps her hands together, and after a faint green glow, opens her palms to reveal ten plump Goodberries.
"But I would like to meet your mom. Can you take us to her?"
She eats a berry to sate the hunger planeswalking woke in her, and offers one to the young man.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Kala opens herself to the mana around them as she stands, becomes dizzied and falls over again. She begins laughing.
"Oh, this is not Zendikar! The mana is not as wild, but just as free. This must be a sacred grove." She stands again, and surveys her surroundings for signs of other life.
Survival for Tracks:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
As she looks around, she considers her dream. Is this world the presence I felt?
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Glanced at your profile Tes, and saw CLW x2.
In 5e, spells aren't prepped quite like in 3.x/PF. You choose Cleric level + Wis bonus spells to have ready for the day, then you use your slots to cast them spontaneously.
You don't have to determine what spell each slot holds in advance. It's considerably more flexible.
New abilities: Combat Wild Shape (bonus action to Wildshape, bonus action to spend a spell slot to heal 1d8/slot while in wild shape), Circle Forms (Beasts of up to CR 1).
Also more spell slots and lvl 2 spell access.
Hey Tes, will you be prepping Detect Magic? I don't want to step on the Knowledge Cleric's toes in that regard.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
Dream:
Kala En dreams, and sees her destiny. It is not an uncommon subject for her dreams after a triumph, and she is flush with her success against the Eldrazi. But this dream takes her much deeper, a glimpse of power beyond her previous dreams. Then it all slips away.
Kala En's first instinct is to retreat into herself, to dive back into the water and never return. She dips below the surface. But no.
I left the ocean to become something greater. If I come back now, I will never grow. I just need to reach the air and finally feel myself grow.
She resurfaces, and reaches out to the colossal presence she felt. It is also alone, but it need not be so. Kala En resolves to make it the first, a stepping stone to the encompassing all-ness she felt in the beginning.
F Green Merfolk Moon Druid HP 21/21, AC 15, Init +2, Perc +5
"Let's rest then." Kala En is unsure how to set up on the stairs, and hopes the Kor guides the party in this. She takes some time (A short rest: the first hour) digging through her herbalism kit to make a poultice for her wound, wrapping it.
Hit Dice for Healing:1d8 ⇒ 7
"So, what do you lot think is at the bottom of these stairs?"
If something happens before a short rest is completed, I will revert to 5/9 hp.
