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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7116379" data-attributes="member: 143"><p><a href="https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Death%20Dog" target="_blank">https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Death Dog</a> (wait until after today's update if you don't want spoilers)</p><p></p><p>It's one of the creatures in the appendix of the 5e monster manual.</p><p></p><p>An alternative version of this scene: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SwYWFRa6oU" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SwYWFRa6oU</a></p><p></p><p>* * * </p><p></p><p>Chapter 35</p><p></p><p>The death dog continued its measured approach, apparently unconcerned with any reactions from its prey.</p><p></p><p>“My lyre has a spell that can charm animals,” Glori said, reaching for her instrument.</p><p></p><p>“This is no normal beast,” Quellan said. He unslung his shield and grasped his mace. Bredan had started to reach for his bow, but the creature was already too close. He finally shrugged off his pack and unfastened his baldric to swing his sword around into his grasp.</p><p></p><p>The death dog kept slowly padding closer. They could hear a low rumbling issuing from its twin throats, a grim and menacing sound that was somehow worse than a howl or something else more aggressive.</p><p></p><p>“Maybe I can scare it off with an illusion,” Glori said. But she’d barely touched the strings of her instrument, issuing a few fragmentary notes, when the unnatural hound launched itself forward at them.</p><p></p><p>The monster moved with surprising speed, closing the remaining gap to them with just a few bounds. Its focus seemed to be on Glori, but Bredan and Quellan quickly moved to block it. But the dog just charged right into them, the sheer mass of it knocking both men back several steps. Bredan stumbled and dropped to one knee, while Quellan kept his footing but had to abandon his attack.</p><p></p><p>Kosk darted in and struck it on one of its necks with his staff. The head of the weapon impacted with a loud crack, but it clearly didn’t do much in the way of real harm to the creature. It spun and lunged at him. The dwarf started to dive to the side but the jaws of its right head snapped on his robe. The fabric tore as it jerked back, but held together enough to bounce Kosk around roughly as the hound shook its head back and forth violently. Its other head tried to seize the dwarf as he flopped around, but he was just able to contort out from the path of those deadly teeth.</p><p></p><p>Glori ran at the hound and stabbed it in the flank with her dagger. The hound whirled on her. Kosk’s robe finally ripped under the abuse and the dwarf was flung into the rocks. Glori tried to retreat, but the hound lunged forward and seized hold of her left shoulder with one set of jaws. She screamed as its teeth bit through her cloak and the protective leather vest underneath it, tearing the skin underneath.</p><p></p><p>“Glori!” Bredan cried. He ran forward but was met by the monster’s other head, which snapped at him. He responded with an angry snarl of his own and thrust his sword into that gaping maw. The sharp steel ripped into the top of its jaw, carving open a broad bloody gash. The dog drew back in reflexive pain, releasing its grip on Glori. But its retreat lasted only long enough for both heads to focus on the adversary that had stung it so.</p><p></p><p>The hound leapt forward again, but this time the companions were ready for the speed of its attack. Bredan sidestepped, avoiding the hound’s rush and forcing it to twist its body around to face him. It had no difficulty following, but before it could bring its deadly jaws to play again it ran into both Quellan and Kosk. The dwarf came in low, striking it solidly in one foreleg with his staff. This time the crack of impact was accompanied by the solid sound of a bone snapping. The monster flinched, but could not react before Quellan stepped up and drove his mace down solidly into its spine, right where it split into its two necks. The force of the impact drove the creature to the ground. For a moment it looked like it would somehow overcome all the damage that had been done to it, but after a moment trying to get back to its feet it slumped to the ground. Even then its jaws continued to snap feebly at them, until Bredan stepped around its heads and drove the full length of his sword into its body.</p><p></p><p>“Ow,” Glori said, clutching her injured arm.</p><p></p><p>“Quellan,” Bredan said, but the cleric was already coming around the other side of the dying creature to her aid. “Just a moment,” Quellan said. He touched his holy symbol and sent the healing power of a <em>cure wounds</em> spell into her. The spell took effect quickly, but the cleric’s expression remained troubled.</p><p></p><p>“What’s wrong?” Bredan asked. “Did that monster do something to her?”</p><p></p><p>“All I know about death dogs comes from books,” the cleric admitted. “Petellian’s <em>Bestiary of the Realms</em> has the most complete account.”</p><p></p><p>“I don’t need a bloody lesson, just tell me what’s wrong!” Bredan said.</p><p></p><p>“Bredan, just let him finish,” Glori said. She put a hand on her friend’s arm.</p><p></p><p>Quellan nodded. “All sources agree that the creatures’ bites can inflict a nasty disease that causes the flesh of the victim to rot away.”</p><p></p><p>Bredan paled. “Can you treat it?”</p><p></p><p>Quellan started to shake his head, but Glori looked strangely pleased. “I think I’m okay,” she said.</p><p></p><p>“But if you get sick…” Bredan began.</p><p></p><p>“No, look,” Glori said. She tugged her cloak around and showed them the silver brooch they’d found in the Dry Hills. “I’ve been studying this, and I think it protects against sickness and poison.”</p><p></p><p>Bredan looked at it dubiously, but Quellan said, “I think you may be right. That would fit with the serpent motif. Look, one of the gem-eyes has turned dark.”</p><p></p><p>“We can still go back to Northpine,” Bredan said.</p><p></p><p>“There’s no need,” Glori said. “I’m fine.”</p><p></p><p>Bredan reluctantly went to collect his gear. Quellan went to check on Kosk, who was examining the dead creature. His robe had taken most of the damage from the hound’s jaws, but he had some cuts that he insisted were fine. At the cleric’s warning about the sickness Kosk merely said, “I’m a dwarf,” but he didn’t object to Quellan cleaning out the wounds and bandaging them.</p><p></p><p>Glori came over just as the cleric was finishing. “I suppose you’ll have something to say about rushing into a fight,” she said to Kosk.</p><p></p><p>But the monk just nodded toward her dagger. “Next time go for the big blood vessel on the inside curve of the leg,” he said.</p><p></p><p>Bredan came over to them with his usual burdens back in place. “Thus far we’ve found some mercenaries, a half-rat, half-human crazy man, and a two-headed monster,” he said. “But no bandits, and no missing boy. Based on our experience, I doubt the kid would have survived ten minutes if he’d been dumb enough to come into these hills. Should we go back now?”</p><p></p><p>“We haven’t finished checking all the places on the sheriff’s map yet,” Glori said. “And what about those tracks you found?”</p><p></p><p>“Those could have been anything,” Bredan said. “And do you really think the kid made it this far out?”</p><p></p><p>Kosk had unrolled the map, and Quellan bent to look over his shoulder. “We’ve still got a lot of day left, and there’s another possible location not far from here marked on the map. We’ll go that way, see if we find any more tracks or other signs of who visited this place and left blood behind. If we don’t find anything we can still cut back to the road before nightfall.”</p><p></p><p>In the end it didn’t take them very long at all to find their foe.</p><p></p><p>The only tracks they found leaving the trapper’s camp were some marks that headed north. They rocky landscape soon gave way to a wooded valley. The trees grew more closely together there than they had encountered previously, but that actually helped them maintain a quick pace as the dense undergrowth that had forced previous detours was largely absent. At first Bredan spent a lot of time looking for tracks, but then Glori pointed out that there was only one likely way that a traveler coming this way could have gone; the sides of the valley were steep and nearly vertical in places, promising a difficult climb up to the level of the surrounding hills.</p><p></p><p>They passed another two streams before the ground began to slowly rise again. They filled their water bottles again but then pressed on, intent on finishing their sweep before the day ended and forced them to spend another day in the hills. Bredan guessed that less than an hour had passed since their fight with the death dog before the trees thinned out and the valley walls drew back to reveal another broad open space ahead.</p><p></p><p>The sun had broken through the clouds while they had been in the forest, and the sudden brightness blinded them for a moment until their eyes adjusted. To the west and east two rows of lightly wooded hills marched forward like sentries, while directly ahead of them the ground rose in a gentler slope to a low hilltop a few hundred yards away. The hillside was covered with rocks that had choked off all growth but the usual weeds and the occasional enterprising bush that had found enough soil to take root.</p><p></p><p>“Great, more climbing,” Bredan groused.</p><p></p><p>“Let’s see what we can see from up there,” Quellan said. “We must be close to the site that Laddrick indicated.”</p><p></p><p>“Seems like if I was looking for a place to build a camp I would have chosen the valley,” Bredan said. “It had shade, water, shelter…”</p><p></p><p>“Exactly,” Kosk said. “So if there’s danger here we’re not seeing it. So keep an eye out.”</p><p></p><p>They started up the rise. Even with the lack of growth and the relatively easy slope the uneven scatter of rocks made the climb slower and more difficult than it otherwise would have been.</p><p></p><p>They were about halfway to the top when Bredan paused to shift his mail coif and wipe his brow. Now that they were in direct sunlight he was starting to sweat profusely under his armor. Glori paused and looked back at him. “You okay?”</p><p></p><p>“I’m starting to feel like I’m back in the forge,” he said. “Look, do you really think we’re going to find…”</p><p></p><p>He didn’t get a chance to finish, as he was interrupted by an arrow that thudded into his shoulder. For a moment he just stared down at it, the feathered end of the shaft quivering for a moment before he felt the burning pain spread out from the point of impact. He sucked in a breath to call out a warning, but this time Glori beat him to it.</p><p></p><p>“Ambush!” she warned.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7116379, member: 143"] [url]https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Death%20Dog[/url] (wait until after today's update if you don't want spoilers) It's one of the creatures in the appendix of the 5e monster manual. An alternative version of this scene: [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SwYWFRa6oU[/url] * * * Chapter 35 The death dog continued its measured approach, apparently unconcerned with any reactions from its prey. “My lyre has a spell that can charm animals,” Glori said, reaching for her instrument. “This is no normal beast,” Quellan said. He unslung his shield and grasped his mace. Bredan had started to reach for his bow, but the creature was already too close. He finally shrugged off his pack and unfastened his baldric to swing his sword around into his grasp. The death dog kept slowly padding closer. They could hear a low rumbling issuing from its twin throats, a grim and menacing sound that was somehow worse than a howl or something else more aggressive. “Maybe I can scare it off with an illusion,” Glori said. But she’d barely touched the strings of her instrument, issuing a few fragmentary notes, when the unnatural hound launched itself forward at them. The monster moved with surprising speed, closing the remaining gap to them with just a few bounds. Its focus seemed to be on Glori, but Bredan and Quellan quickly moved to block it. But the dog just charged right into them, the sheer mass of it knocking both men back several steps. Bredan stumbled and dropped to one knee, while Quellan kept his footing but had to abandon his attack. Kosk darted in and struck it on one of its necks with his staff. The head of the weapon impacted with a loud crack, but it clearly didn’t do much in the way of real harm to the creature. It spun and lunged at him. The dwarf started to dive to the side but the jaws of its right head snapped on his robe. The fabric tore as it jerked back, but held together enough to bounce Kosk around roughly as the hound shook its head back and forth violently. Its other head tried to seize the dwarf as he flopped around, but he was just able to contort out from the path of those deadly teeth. Glori ran at the hound and stabbed it in the flank with her dagger. The hound whirled on her. Kosk’s robe finally ripped under the abuse and the dwarf was flung into the rocks. Glori tried to retreat, but the hound lunged forward and seized hold of her left shoulder with one set of jaws. She screamed as its teeth bit through her cloak and the protective leather vest underneath it, tearing the skin underneath. “Glori!” Bredan cried. He ran forward but was met by the monster’s other head, which snapped at him. He responded with an angry snarl of his own and thrust his sword into that gaping maw. The sharp steel ripped into the top of its jaw, carving open a broad bloody gash. The dog drew back in reflexive pain, releasing its grip on Glori. But its retreat lasted only long enough for both heads to focus on the adversary that had stung it so. The hound leapt forward again, but this time the companions were ready for the speed of its attack. Bredan sidestepped, avoiding the hound’s rush and forcing it to twist its body around to face him. It had no difficulty following, but before it could bring its deadly jaws to play again it ran into both Quellan and Kosk. The dwarf came in low, striking it solidly in one foreleg with his staff. This time the crack of impact was accompanied by the solid sound of a bone snapping. The monster flinched, but could not react before Quellan stepped up and drove his mace down solidly into its spine, right where it split into its two necks. The force of the impact drove the creature to the ground. For a moment it looked like it would somehow overcome all the damage that had been done to it, but after a moment trying to get back to its feet it slumped to the ground. Even then its jaws continued to snap feebly at them, until Bredan stepped around its heads and drove the full length of his sword into its body. “Ow,” Glori said, clutching her injured arm. “Quellan,” Bredan said, but the cleric was already coming around the other side of the dying creature to her aid. “Just a moment,” Quellan said. He touched his holy symbol and sent the healing power of a [i]cure wounds[/i] spell into her. The spell took effect quickly, but the cleric’s expression remained troubled. “What’s wrong?” Bredan asked. “Did that monster do something to her?” “All I know about death dogs comes from books,” the cleric admitted. “Petellian’s [i]Bestiary of the Realms[/i] has the most complete account.” “I don’t need a bloody lesson, just tell me what’s wrong!” Bredan said. “Bredan, just let him finish,” Glori said. She put a hand on her friend’s arm. Quellan nodded. “All sources agree that the creatures’ bites can inflict a nasty disease that causes the flesh of the victim to rot away.” Bredan paled. “Can you treat it?” Quellan started to shake his head, but Glori looked strangely pleased. “I think I’m okay,” she said. “But if you get sick…” Bredan began. “No, look,” Glori said. She tugged her cloak around and showed them the silver brooch they’d found in the Dry Hills. “I’ve been studying this, and I think it protects against sickness and poison.” Bredan looked at it dubiously, but Quellan said, “I think you may be right. That would fit with the serpent motif. Look, one of the gem-eyes has turned dark.” “We can still go back to Northpine,” Bredan said. “There’s no need,” Glori said. “I’m fine.” Bredan reluctantly went to collect his gear. Quellan went to check on Kosk, who was examining the dead creature. His robe had taken most of the damage from the hound’s jaws, but he had some cuts that he insisted were fine. At the cleric’s warning about the sickness Kosk merely said, “I’m a dwarf,” but he didn’t object to Quellan cleaning out the wounds and bandaging them. Glori came over just as the cleric was finishing. “I suppose you’ll have something to say about rushing into a fight,” she said to Kosk. But the monk just nodded toward her dagger. “Next time go for the big blood vessel on the inside curve of the leg,” he said. Bredan came over to them with his usual burdens back in place. “Thus far we’ve found some mercenaries, a half-rat, half-human crazy man, and a two-headed monster,” he said. “But no bandits, and no missing boy. Based on our experience, I doubt the kid would have survived ten minutes if he’d been dumb enough to come into these hills. Should we go back now?” “We haven’t finished checking all the places on the sheriff’s map yet,” Glori said. “And what about those tracks you found?” “Those could have been anything,” Bredan said. “And do you really think the kid made it this far out?” Kosk had unrolled the map, and Quellan bent to look over his shoulder. “We’ve still got a lot of day left, and there’s another possible location not far from here marked on the map. We’ll go that way, see if we find any more tracks or other signs of who visited this place and left blood behind. If we don’t find anything we can still cut back to the road before nightfall.” In the end it didn’t take them very long at all to find their foe. The only tracks they found leaving the trapper’s camp were some marks that headed north. They rocky landscape soon gave way to a wooded valley. The trees grew more closely together there than they had encountered previously, but that actually helped them maintain a quick pace as the dense undergrowth that had forced previous detours was largely absent. At first Bredan spent a lot of time looking for tracks, but then Glori pointed out that there was only one likely way that a traveler coming this way could have gone; the sides of the valley were steep and nearly vertical in places, promising a difficult climb up to the level of the surrounding hills. They passed another two streams before the ground began to slowly rise again. They filled their water bottles again but then pressed on, intent on finishing their sweep before the day ended and forced them to spend another day in the hills. Bredan guessed that less than an hour had passed since their fight with the death dog before the trees thinned out and the valley walls drew back to reveal another broad open space ahead. The sun had broken through the clouds while they had been in the forest, and the sudden brightness blinded them for a moment until their eyes adjusted. To the west and east two rows of lightly wooded hills marched forward like sentries, while directly ahead of them the ground rose in a gentler slope to a low hilltop a few hundred yards away. The hillside was covered with rocks that had choked off all growth but the usual weeds and the occasional enterprising bush that had found enough soil to take root. “Great, more climbing,” Bredan groused. “Let’s see what we can see from up there,” Quellan said. “We must be close to the site that Laddrick indicated.” “Seems like if I was looking for a place to build a camp I would have chosen the valley,” Bredan said. “It had shade, water, shelter…” “Exactly,” Kosk said. “So if there’s danger here we’re not seeing it. So keep an eye out.” They started up the rise. Even with the lack of growth and the relatively easy slope the uneven scatter of rocks made the climb slower and more difficult than it otherwise would have been. They were about halfway to the top when Bredan paused to shift his mail coif and wipe his brow. Now that they were in direct sunlight he was starting to sweat profusely under his armor. Glori paused and looked back at him. “You okay?” “I’m starting to feel like I’m back in the forge,” he said. “Look, do you really think we’re going to find…” He didn’t get a chance to finish, as he was interrupted by an arrow that thudded into his shoulder. For a moment he just stared down at it, the feathered end of the shaft quivering for a moment before he felt the burning pain spread out from the point of impact. He sucked in a breath to call out a warning, but this time Glori beat him to it. “Ambush!” she warned. [/QUOTE]
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