As the wyrmpriest looks on he is horrified to see that his companions are not faring too well, his fear is only amplified by the strike at his back from a very ferocious looking snow tiger.
Karn tries to slip along the trees to get a sneak attack on a nearby kobold, he manages to get in close enough to flank the enemy but is unable to cut the lizard when he gets his stab at it so to speak.
From down the road, the lizard in red robes is clearly growing frustrated. He begins chanting something that seems to give the other kobolds hope as they spring back into action from their downtrodden state. Moments after an energy orb is launched at Dran but misses him slightly.
Dran grips his sword tightly as he shifts to the NW and again calling on the power of his sword as he brings the weapon down upon his foe with yet another sure strike
Kobold Skirmisher:
The Skirmisher who has hoped away from the earth spikes with his life only hardly intact manages to jab his spear into Dran with a desperate fierceness before quickly skittering back and away.
Dragonshield 1:
The Dragonshield who is still stuck in the protruding ground seems to be pouring blood at this point and is hardly left alive, he moves away from the spikes and towards the wyrmpriest and a secure treeline.
Dragonshield 2:
On the other side of the battle a rather pale skinned kobold is fighting for his life in between two fierce looking beings. He tries to stab the Tiefling but is unable to do so.
After this he shifts back and tries to get away as quickly as possible, hopping over the charred body of his long-time friend.
Marcus eyes the scene calmly as the kobolds begin to retreat from the group. With a satisfied look, he takes a few steps forward, brandishing the flame-etched staff in front of him as he sends forth a torrent of debilitating shards at the wyrmpriest and his minions.
The shields tear into the Dragonshield and the Skirmisher but miss the wyrmpriest. Instantly the tattered looking Dragonshield falls to his death.
Aglaeca moves up and pursuing the fleeing Dragonshield @ M11, lets loose a bolt of Eldritch Energy. The Wispy shimmer of infernal energy roiling off of Aglaeca, giving him concealment.,
move to K11, Curse, Eldritch Blast
Pleading for a soothing spirit to calm Aglaeca's injuries, Chorro sends Snow once more into the fray.
The cat crouches low, tail a-twitch, then gleefully bounds to the backside of the robe-clad kobold, claws shredding the creature's knob-spined back.
Having already tossed one knife, Karn decides to play it safe and simply advances on the remaining monsters while taping into his inner reserves to relieve some of his pain.
While Sturdy is unable to make contact with the wyrmpriest, he makes his presence known. Immediately after the priest cries out in pain as snow digs into his back.
Wyrmpriest's Turn:
The kobold looks very frightened, he shifts backwards rapidly and unleashes a wave of acid from his mouth. Seemingly, he no longer cares for the safety of his companions.
Vs Fort. Sturdy, K, Snow (1d20+6=24, 1d20+6=8, 1d20+6=11)
Dran moves to engage the wrympriest and attacks with a shield bash that feels like a tide of iron Tide of Iron (1d20+8=11)
Damage (1d10+5=11)
The attack from Dran misses the wyrmpriest and he begins to look less terrified and more angered at the attempts on his life.
Meanwhile the Skirmisher who is nearby attempts to spear the goliath but misses before shifting out of the way.
K Vs Sturdy AC (16) (1d20+6=11)
Marcus strolls up the road just enough to keep his quarry in sight as he unleashes more divine power on the creatures. "This battle is nearly at an end."
The divine bolt from Marcus cuts through the kobold with an intense light and once it fades the only thing left is a dead, battered kobold.
Aglaeca curses the beast and then hurls another bolt of Infernal Energy at the lone combatant left
20+ 4 (+1 if bloodied ) = 24 (hey gm I got another natural 20 , hope that isn't a problem) for 10+4+4+2 Damage and +1 to Ac until the end of my next turn.
Sturdy circles in front of the spell casting Kobold trying to prevent his escape.
Being pummeled left and right the wyrmpriest is unable to deflect either of the attacks and drops dead from the onslaught that he just suffered.
Sturdy leans against a tree, taking a brief rest, "I told you kobolds were nothing to worry about."
Aglaeca looks at the large man for a moment while his blood runs down into the cold ground, sizzling for a moment before going silent.
"I somehow doubt that these are all of them, The little rodents are worst than well rodents for when it comes to the having of spawn and the outnumbering 9 to 1."
character sheet updated, 8/9 surges left, 3 damage remaining
Marcus traces the flame embroidered staff with his thumb as he surveys the carnage, a pleased look painted plainly on his face. "No, they weren't much trouble at all," he replied to no one in particular. "But there were so few of them... it must have been a scouting party or something. I'm sure more will await us when we arrive in their lair."
Dran sheathes his blade and begins to search the bodies looking for any clues as to where the rest of the kobolds are located as well as grabbing any valuables and throwing them into a pile to be sorted out
The items that you all have gathered off the bodies are:
5gp
23sp
1 Spear
1 Light Shield
2 Heavy Shields
1 Bone Mask (Shaped like a dragon skull)
1 Short Sword
1 Necklace with a dragon figurine.
As Dran inspects the loot picked up he looks at one of the heavy shields and back to his own light one and decides to discard his old shield to pick up the newer and more armored one
Karn, with renewed energy, helps to sort through the treasure taken from the kobolds. Noticing the short sword, he picks it and it's sheath from the pile of loot and straps it around his slim waist, happy to have something besides his daggers in case he has to get in close to the action.
Aglaeca sneers a bit at the kobold gear before remounting and waiting for everyone else to do the same, before continuing towards the kobold lair.
Dran will also take the gold and silver as well as the necklace and place it into a seprate pouch to be divided up to the group at a later time. He then hopes on his mount and takes point
After riding for some time towards your destination you come across a nice change in scenery as you begin to hear the crashing of falling water. Small glades of trees lead up to a cliffside waterfall, where a stream tumbles from the top of a rocky overhang. The water descends the side of the hill and flows away to the southwest. The closer you get, the more the smell of freshwater is overwhelmed by a rotten, rotten smell. As you approach the kobold lair you catch sight of a camp, in this camp is a small patrol of soldiers who are warming their hands on a campfire made of kobold bodies
is that humans or kobolds arround the campfire made of kobolds?
humans
Sturdy quietly recounts a story of how he's gotten the jump on unsuspecting combatants in the past to the group.
"That may work if we were all huge fightan men, but it seems a little silly to me to put our magic users equidistant to the enemy as our mea... er ah line of defence."
"If the spell slingers can be on the edge of our range, which is undoubtedly impressive and misunderstood to those of you who have no knowledge of our massive arcane ... and divine I guess maybe might, we can send forward only a few men. This has the advantage of both, being just as effective, and seeing what these men would do if they weren't surrounded by menacing masters of the arcane."
"And if things go belly up, well the people upfront merely have to calmly withdraw towards us, while we pelt them with the virtues of destruction and ruin. Its something like flying a kite, the bai... brave team-mates draw them forward while the winds of arcane magic lift them off the ground."
Aglaeca, turns with a roguish smile, asking "Unless tempus has a problem with doing the tactically sound, I never really bothered with these gods, so please enlighten us, Friend."
"Huh? OK, Aglaeca just tell me when to charge."
Marcus studies the men carefully as he listens to the others confer on a strategy. When the conversation grows quiet, he turns to see Aglaeca looking back at him with his infernal grin. Suddenly, the words of their conversation becomes clear.
"Tempus bothers with our kind even less," the invoker replies quietly. "He favors neither brilliant strategist, nor compulsive bravado, nor valiant leader. He prefers not the large and fearsome weapon, nor the sly and silent blade, nor the destructive arcane flame, nor the divine and righteous power of retribution. In fact, Tempus only cares that someone will act soon and that the battle will be joined."
Marcus pauses for a moment before Aglaeca decides on a response, and then adds "Assuming these men are our enemies, of course. We seem to have a common thread," Marcus explains as he points to the burning kobold bodies.
Dran glares at Aglaeca, the drow appearently not liked being refered to as bait and says " Watch your tongue tiefling. I have slit the throats of many a creature for lesser insults. I do however like the idea of the two groups. Most men do not trust the likes of my kin, therefore another so gifted with words should be up in front" With obvious sarcasm Dran grins at Aglaeca. The grin appears almost evil as his dark eyes remain like slits. He then loosens the hilt to his sword and takes a tight grip on his shield and continues " dont worry I will watch your back."
"So it looks like its up to you Marcus unless someone else wants to volunteer, the rest of us are horribly deformed and vile creatures from the dark depths of the earth who ought to be extinguished so that tiny children can sleep better at night."
No one can quite figure if he is talking about tieflings or drow.
(ooc question is being a tiefling as big a deal as they make it out in the phb in FRs? Do i scare children with my infernal background? I hope so. )
"Aglaeca, if you ask the soldiers what are their intentions, I promise you they won't lay a hand on you."
IF everyone seems to think the tiefling should go and talk, then the tiefling will go and talk, once the party is in place.
The Tiefling walks out into the open , and clearing his voice loudly he says " Greetings Friends, My name is Habber, Habber Dashery. I am a merchant guard. May I ask what you are all doing here."
Bluff Check if needed 29
Stealth Check if needed 9
Marcus gently rests a hand on the dark elf's shoulder and leads him away around to the west side of the camp. "Do not let his words bother you, warrior," the invoker offers. "His infernal sort are bred only to sow the seeds of discontent and chaos with whomever would be willing to listen. Observe now as he continues the unpredictably predictable manner in which he succumbs to his own undeniable nature, and ready yourself."
The bearded man takes a step back positioning Dran between him and the group of men while the tiefling begins his address. A moment after the warlock's words begin to take a life of their own, Marcus quietly makes a remark that only himself and Dran could hear. "Tempus favors warriors above all else, friend. Remember that."