Dragon's Egg - Act III

[Legendary Sidekick]

((@Severin, Nissa already has a lit torch, so Bressel doesn't need to wait for the explosion.))

I light Bressel's torch.

"I'll take care of the climbers as soon as one enters. Run ahead. One got past Alin. If it takes a hostage, Heartseeker can save the hostage. I can bandage the wounded if need be. Best if your axe prevents the need for that. I don't want my Sisters to guide more children of the north. Run."

 

[SeverinR]

Bressel
"I'll tell Aliron. Hopefully we won't need it for the Gnolls."
((Neither Aliron nor Brussel know that the gnolls could enter to save the town. Both were to far from Ankari to hear))
His torch blazing he charges into the cave after Aliron.

 

[Steerpike]

Standing atop the cliffs, Mauve pours water along the fish demon knife and lets it drip into the sea, below. For the moment, there is no reaction as the water from the blade mixes with the crashing sea below. The fish demons in the water remain intent on clambering up the cliffs toward the tunnel. Whether an awareness of the knife will reach them, or others of their kind, remains to be seen.

Ankari blows the horn, producing a strong note that cuts through the cold air and seems to pierce the early light of pre-dawn.

Gisla leaps across the gap between the stairs and the top of the cliff, coming to a halt near Baldhart. People are speaking to her at once, Cadell telling of his own talks with the gnolls, Ankari asking her to warn the militiamen, and Baldhart pointing out fish demons have already made it into the cave. With her jaw set, Gisla barks out commands of her own.

"I'll warn who I can of the gnolls, militia or otherwise. If someone who hasn't been warned sees them, of course they're going to attack. This could turn into a nightmare." She shakes her head. "I can't worry about that now. The creatures are already in the tunnel. They could reach the villagers any moment. I've got to get in there!"

Sword grasped firmly in her good hand, Gisla sprints off into the village, in roughly the direction of the temple of Tyr.

Below, Aliron fights with the rearmost of the fish demons inside the cave. The first fish demon has not stopped to aid its comrade, but has instead disappeared into the darkness ahead.

Aliron's blade cuts deep into the fish demon, which releases a fetid, hissing outgassing of breath in response. The creature is not down, however, and it lashes out with its claw, attacking and attempting to draw Aliron into the vicious bite that follows:

Claw Attack [1d20+2] = 16+2 = 18

Bite Attack [1d20+2] = 9+2 = 11

The claw attack bites through Aliron's armor and into flesh, but the elf is too quick for the fish demon to follow up with its powerful jaws, and Aliron breaks free before the teeth can close on him.

Claw Damage [1d4+2] = 3+2 = 5

((5 HP damage to Aliron)).

Though its attack was successful, the fish demon is bleeding profusely, its black blood making the floor of the tunnel slippery.

Bressel reaches Aliron just as the fish demon completes its attack. The light of his torch illuminates a wounded elf, and a more gravely wounded fish demon. The creature has set itself squarely in the corridor, as if to say any who wish to continue will have to go through it. It hisses angrily at the light of Bressel's torch.

Outside, fish demons from the water have found purchase on the cliffside rocks, the first group of four now only feet from entering the tunnel. As they near the tunnel entrance, they raise their arms and turn their heads slightly, eyes adjusting to the light of Nissa's torch. If the appearance of the small valkyrie baffles them in any way is unclear. Her appearance does not slow their movement toward the cave.

On the cliffs above, two militiamen with crossbows move to the edge of the cliffs, peering down over the edge and trying to get a clear shot at one of the climbing fish demons.

Ankari has a shot, but the arrow misses, bouncing off the hard rock and splintering into the sea.

A third militia man rushes off in search of others, calling out that creatures from the woods are coming to Arendal. "Don't fight 'em! On yer lives, don't fight 'em" he calls, disappearing into the village.

Batos is buffeted by the crashing waves below, the water pushing him up near the surface, then dragging him under as it receded from the cliffside, only to push him up again as the next set of waves move in. The wolf cannot have long.

 

[Ireth]

Liadan

"Lower me down to Batos!" I cry to Baldhart. "Quickly!"

I hand off my bow and quiver to Cadell, and then the dwarven flail. I can't fight and heal at the same time, and the weapons would only be a hindrance. Taking a breath, I look into my lover's eyes. We both know what may happen while I am down there.

Cadell

Liadan meets my gaze as she hands me her weapons, and I see the fear as well as resignation in her eyes. I don't know what I would do if the worst happened, but I can't bring myself to hold her back. All I can say is, "Oercus be with you."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

I lower fasten the rope around Liadan and help her down, but…

((Successful, I guess.))

…I'm afraid the grip is just enough to support her.

To Cadell, I say, "Be the anchor. I can keep her from dropping into the sea, but I may need to readjust my grip to pull her and Batos back up. Brace yourself against a solid rock when I do, so if I slip, no one pays the ultimate price for my moment of weakness."



Nissa

As soon as I see them, I light the rag and let the bottle drop. Based on the size of the last explosion, I target the spot where the flames will cover the entrance. What happens to the demons, I do not know.

 

[Nihal]

The clear note makes my teeth sink in the cork. I look at the ranger in disbelief. How can he always pick the worst time to do something, is that some sort of talent?

I can see the others safe on land—the most of them. The demons at the sea don't seem bothered by the knife at all and I'm not sure if it's unfortunate or not. They're determined to reach a certain point of the cliff. A cave. Makes sense.

Turning on my heels I run towards the town, sheathing the knife. As the buildings grow bigger I try to locate one tall enough to provide a good view of the town and its surroundings, trusting on my slippers to climb it without trouble before the place swarms with frantic villagers, fish demons, gnolls and who knows what else. I spit the stopper on my hand, close the bottle and watch, waiting for the right opportunity from my vantage point.

 

[senseiseth]

Hall

The battle at the fjord is growing in intensity. And between Bressel and Alrion running off and Liadan being lowered to rescue Batos, the confusion is beginning to become a greater risk than the enemy coming. I curse to myself as I try to direct the militia men in the attack. Of course, staying their ground is a big help, and if they're running throughout the village, this can be a bit of a problem.

I run to Gisla, "The creatures seem to be trying to reach a spot in those caverns, I'm going to help out Alrion and Bressel, can you can the others hold here?"

I watch Liadan being lowered to the ocean below, I silently pray to the gods for her safety.

 

[Keitsumah]

I rush to Bakldart and Cadell's side, giving the elf a nod of thanks before taking up the rope alongside them. If Baldart somehow loses her grip I cannot do nothing. If worst comes to worst, it will be down to me and Cadell to pull them up.

I just hope the dock holds long enough...

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron
Aliron tries to ignore the pain and continues the fight:
: to hit Calexa's magic Scimitar[1d20+3] = 7+3 = 10 ;damage[1d6] = 6
The blow glances off the skin of the demon, without looking to cause any damage.

Bressel
Charging from behind Bressel drops the torch and swings his axe to strike the demon: (not sure if he can do a full swing or if it would be a modified attack depending on the space in the cave)
great axe to hit [1d20+3] = 1+3 = 4 ;damage: [1d12+3] = 11+3 = 14 (str)
Bressel stumbles as he swings a complete miss with the mighty swing, had it hit, it probably could have cleaved the demon in too.
(Bressel is not swinging too well yet. first swing jitters?)
Forgot he hit something on the stairs, just a bad roll.


The Unseen Servant

 

[Steerpike]

Secured to the rope, Liadan takes a quick trip down the side of the cliff, forced to use her feet to push off of the rocks in places where they jut out further than others. The salt spray is cold as she nears the bottom, and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks is loud in her ears. Luckily, there is no sign of fish demons in the immediate area. The rope positions her above Batos' unconscious form, but the wolf is partially submerged and being carried toward the cliffs, and then back, by the action of the waves. She will have to grab him when he passes underneath.

Up top, Baldhart holds the rope steady at just the right length to give Liadan a shot, and Keitsumah adds her strength to the effort.

Hall tries to organize the militia men, who are training their crossbows on the water below. Unfortunately, the rocky cliffs prevent them from getting a clear shot at the fish demons. Hall calls out to Gisla to hold atop the cliff, but the woman is already disappearing around the corner of one of the buildings and into Arendal.

Mauve sheathes her knife and runs toward town, assuming her experiment with the knife failed. As she runs, the hair on her arms and the back of her neck suddenly stands on end...

Nissa drops her fiery bomb at the cave entrance, flitting back out of range of the blast. The oil lights with a whoosh, flames engulfing the entrance. The two foremost fish demons dive backward, tumbling finned-foot over scaled head, back into the waters below. Both of them trail flame and smoke from a good half of their bodies.

Some of the other surging fish demons pull up short of the tunnel entrance, raising up on their legs and covering their faces with slimy arms. This gives the two militia men up top the opening they need, and they fire:

[1d20+1] = 19+1 = 20

[1d20+1] = 14+1 = 15

Both bolts strike their respective targets:

Damage [1d8] = 6

Damage [1d8] = 6

Two more fish demons tumble back into the water, bolts protruding from them.

The cliff side and water beneath the tunnel is still crawling with fish demons. Three of them having seen the flaming entrance to the cave, continue climbing toward the top of the cliffs. Two others stop just below the tunnel entrance, calling commands to some of their comrades below.

Inside the tunnel, both Aliron and Bressel go after the wounded fish demon, but despite their best efforts the creature seems to have summoned strength from its own will to live, and it turns away their attacks. Again the creature lashes out at Aliron:

Claw Attack [1d20+2] = 12+2 = 14

Bite Attack [1d20+2] = 4+2 = 6

((I think both of those miss Aliron - I can't find his armor class. Was he ever shared with me on Google Drive? If the claw hits, that's 6 HP to Aliron)).

Nissa zips through the tunnel, catching up to Aliron, Bressel, and the fish demon seconds after setting off her bomb at the entrance to the cave.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I stand in position as Baldhart bade me, gripping the rope and bracing myself against a large rock. Between the three of us, Baldhart, Keit and I should be able to keep Liadan from falling, and hopefully haul her and Batos up to safety.

Líadan

The waves below me push Batos in and out of my arms' reach. As he comes near again, I reach for him, praying to Oercus to help me succeed.

I bite back a cry of dismay as the water snatches him away again. Taking a deep breath, I watch and hold still, awaiting my next chance.

((Dunno if that's a success or not... I'm hoping it is!))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

That'll cover the entrance… for now. As for this trouble-maker,

"HYAA!"

Baldhart

I watch Liadan and wait. I say to Keit, "Batos sacrificed himself to take out the caster. I didn't intend to leave him for dead. I pray I'm not too late."

And I do. And while I'm praying to Brynhild I add,

I know I've erred in judgment. I befriended an evil wizard. I trusted those around me to know who the enemy is. I failed to kill that enemy, and now they supposedly come as 'friends.'
​

Damn dogs. I'd sooner make another futile attempt to regain Mauve's friendship than even grace those baby-killers with the pretense of respect.

You sent Nissa to me, and there is no greater blessing. I hope I'm worth it. Meeting Gisla was a great wake up call. I'll watch and learn from this elder. Perhaps it's best to assume the gnolls are sincere.

They still deserve death. I will not forget that.
​

Even if…

 

[Nihal]

I turn again, uttering the most creative expletives. They not only don't help but make it harder to catch my breath. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Why Ankari had to blow that stupid horn?

There must be a way out of this mess, an effective solution to this puzzle. My feet take me back to the cliff, painfully slow at first. I come to a half stop, half crash on the first tree along the way and throw my backpack and spear behind it. I run again. It's insane, it's absolutely insane and I don't even care. Masama said the Sahuagin are dangerous, and so what? Amn't I a teeerrible, treacherous witch? I'm going fast now, I'm almost there. If I had mastered my emotions and didn't throw tantrums like a stupid child I wouldn't need to rely on desperate measures. I—

"Eeek!" I'm falling already.

I hug my legs, pulling the knees to the chin. I've jumped, I've jumped! The wind hisses on my ears and throws hair in my eyes. How can one not notice she's jumping from a goddamned cliff? The water is getting closer. I laugh, terrified. I had yet to decide if I would really jump or take the time to climb my way down.

I remember to close my eyes on the last second.


((If she still has time this turn she'll swim towards the cliff and out of sight of people looking directly down. If there are rocks on this part of the sea she'll climb one and wait.))

 

[Ankari]

I draw another arrow, nock it, and inhale. The rough salt gathers against my throat, leaving the taste of the sea. Earth. Salt. Air. Arrow.

I aim, exhale, and release

1D20+4 => [ 20 ] +4 = 24 ((I sent Steer a screenshot of the roll))

These demons do not know. In their multitude, they forget the fear of the unknown, of the random form of death and its timing. I will remind them.

1D8+4 => [ 6 ] +4 = 10 ((Damage))

The arrow sings a song of conflict in the sharp voice appreciated by the savages who begot the need of such things. Of all the things to pass down from the forefathers of our ancestors, war has endured the changing of tongue.

I grab the horn again and set my lips against the polished remains of a wild beast. The deep note shakes the salt in the air as it chases the arrow. Another conflict meant for the fat philosophers, both gnoll and human, to question generations from now.

Come, Ghendra. Let us write the legends for the youth of tomorrow, both gnoll and human. Maybe an elf or two.

 

[Steerpike]

Cadell continues the brace the rope, he, Baldhart, and Keitsumah doing their best to steady it and keep Liadan perched above the cold waves.

Liadan watches as the waves bring Batos' body closer. She grabs at the animal, but the force of the water drags Batos under and out of her reach. When the waves move back out, Liadan grabs again and this time clutches a tangle of fur. It takes as much strength as she can muster from her precarious position on the rope to pull the animal's head free of the water. Batos' blood spreads out from the numerous cut across his flank. At first, the wolf looks dead, but Liadan detects the faintest stirrings of life. It is clear that the animal has mere seconds to live.

From atop the cliffs, Ankari looses an arrow at one of the climbing fish demons. The arrow pierces the creature clean through the chest, and it tumbles back into the water with a dying hiss.

In the tunnels, Nissa joins Aliron and Bressel, striking out at the wounded fish demon with a flying kick. The kick connects, and though the blow is not terribly strong, Nissa's foot catches the fish demon sideways across the head, and the creature stiffens, then slumps unconscious to the floor.

From some distant point up ahead in the tunnels, people start to scream.

The two militia men with crossbows on the cliffs also take aim at fish demons:

[1d20+1] = 4+1 = 5

[1d20+1] = 9+1 = 10

Both men miss, and with curses they begin reloading their weapons. The two remaining climbing fish demons reach the top of the cliffs and start to pull themselves to their feet, casting hateful glare at the party members with their bulbous eyes. The militia men start to fumble the reloading of their weapons, their fear palpable with the fish demons this close.

Near the tunnel entrance, two fish demons appear to be waiting out the flames around the tunnel entrance. Fish demons in the water attempt to splash sea water up to the burning tunnel entrance, but they cannot splash high enough so they climb from the water and hunker down, shielded by rocks, waiting for the flames to burn out.

Gisla is well out of sight. Thus far, the gnolls have not appeared, though this is unsurprising even given the short distance between themselves and Arendal.

 

[senseiseth]

Hall

I call out to the men, "Hold your ground! We'll slay these buggers before they can **** in fear!" I make a run for the first creature and prepare my blade for the attack. Hopefully these fiends will be dead before too long.

 

[Ireth]

Liadan

As soon as I have Batos' head clear of the water, I muster my energy to cast a healing spell. I haven't a second to waste.

The spell is strong. Batos is partially healed and stable, but still unconscious. No doubt there is water in his lungs too -- can I do anything about that? I hope he doesn't drown before I can get him to safety.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa
"Forward!" I cry out to Alin and Bressel. I rush in, hoping I won't attack alone. Hoping Bressel and Alin will hit their target…

((Before I roll, what does Nissa see? Can she reach the enemy with Bressel and Alin? Any hostages?))


Baldhart
I should to Liadan, "Grab on tight! I'll pull when you tell me to."

((Readied action: Baldy will pull when Liadan says to.))

 

[senseiseth]

Hall

"Keep those creatures off the rescuers!" As I swing to a fish demon.



Oh bloody hell.

 

[Steerpike]

((The creature has a few rounds head start; Nissa and the others will get there by the end of the turn, so I'll describe what they see. For now, they're just running through narrow corridors that are sloping upward. They won't be able to attack this round)).