[sblock=OOC]So with everyone where they are and the enemy in the state it's in, this fight is for all intents and purposes over. For that reason, as well as to avoid having to figure out what to do with Martelai and Bell both in C10, I wave my DM stick and...[/sblock]
[sblock=Veruzak]No magical items on the archers, but you feel the slight pull of a possible one in the square below. Also, there's a ladder on the back side of the building you're on, if you want to take an easier way back down...[/sblock]
[sblock=Atlas]Inspiring word doesn't work on him because he's missing a healing surge, but I let it give you a +1 bonus on a heal check.
Heal +1 for villager. (1d20+5+1=23). Oh yeah, he's going to make it. He'll be unconscious for awhile, but your skills get him past the worst of it.[/sblock]
The onslaught continues, with the party marching relentlessly against the attackers. When Lt. Rayn falls limp in Catein's chains, the two archers begin shouting in obvious pain. Their weapons clatter to the ground as their hands raise to their heads. First one and then the other falls to the ground, convulsing. Almost in unison, blood floods from their eyes and nose and their screams cease. Bits of gray matter float in the blood now pooling around their heads.
Atlas finds the man gravely wounded, but through quick actions stops the flow of blood and gives the man a chance to heal. He'll make it.
***
Annie cracked the door open as the sound outside stopped. Miss Yurian was busy wrapping up Jeri's arms and missed the seven-year-old girl moving to the door. As the young girl pushes the door open, Miss Yurian screams for her to stop, but the door's already swinging, swinging...
The first thing Annie sees is the sun; it shines brightly in the east and illuminates a picture she never could have imagined. Naineil and Big Hob are tied up on the ground with large chains, their eyes closed and a bit of blood dribbling from their nose. A moving mountain bends over someone to the north, his hands healing the man's wounds. A man of chains holds Lt. Rayn's limp body, while nearby a man with two swords stands tall, the late morning light playing along the blades making it look like he held fire in his hands. A slight, almost elf-looking woman is on the far side of the square, along with a handsome man. On the rooftop of the stable, a man clothed in darkness seems crouched like a gargoyle, his hard eyes scanning the field of battle.
"Is it over?" She looks at the party for a moment. A smile slowly spreads on her face. "I know you; you're heroes. I read stories 'bout you and your friends." And with the gleeful innocence only a child can muster, she rushes into the light to give her saviors a hug, one at a time. First up is the man with the swords...
***
Elsewhere on the Isle, something shrieked in frustration in the dark. It had been blocked in its purposes and now had new enemies to contend with. No matter, they too would fall. The ground around it heaved as something under it moved...
[sblock=Fight Aftermath]First, this fight counts as your second success; this is a step in the right direction for discovering what is going on. Second, the exploding brain actually does matter more than just as a DM trick to end the combat.
Lootwise, you can search the bodies and prisoners if you want and probably get away with pocketing what you find. I'll let you decide what you're doing there before detailing what's available.
From here, you've got a list of possible actions you can take, detailed below. If you choose the investigate bodies route, I'll detail the rules for those check because it's a bit more than just running the checks.
You can choose to take a bonus to a check on a body, but that bonus indicates a deeper probing of the body and makes subsequent checks on that body much harder. The bonus can be +1 or +2, but carry penalties of -3 and -5 to future checks. The penalties are cumulative. So let's say Veruzak checks an archer with Arcane and takes a +2 bonus. If Atlas then uses Heal to check, he has a -5 penalty thanks to Veruzak's tampering. He can take a bonus himself of +2, but then if Kendrick wants to use Nature he's starting with a -10 modifier. And so on.
In addition, miss a check on a body and you can't use that body any more. It's been spoiled. If no successes are achieved on any bodies, that's a failure and will have consequences. You can get up to five successes from the bodies, with the DCs getting harder as you uncover more. Does that make sense to everyone? I know it's not normal, but I like playing with the norm...[/sblock]
[sblock=The Investigation]
2 SUCCESSES
Clues/Facts:
- Three months ago, animals start acting up. It starts in forest, spreads to farms and village.
- Three weeks ago, a farmhand named Rand entered the Sea Foam Tavern and started attacking people. Was killed by a blow to the head.
- A week ago, Krill Kol enters the villages screaming about sparks and strange people before passing out. Has no memory of event on awakening.
- Six days ago, two people killed by an eight year old boy named Mart. Boy subsequently killed by Lt. Rayn.
- Patrols sent out to investigate. Eighteen men disappeared and one was found killed, apparently by a member of the guard. Lt. Rayn was one of the men who disappeared.
- Veruzak may have found something...
- Whatever is going on caused two men's brains to explode.
Possible Actions:
- Talk with Krill Koll about his episode.
- Talk with the witness that are still around of the events.
- Investigate the bodies of Rand, Mart, and the archers. Arcana, Nature, Heal, or give me a good reason for something else. Different skills may reveal different things.
- Talk with Rayn and the scouts once they have regained consciousness.[/sblock]
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