(IC) We be Jammin' (5e PBP)

[Lidgar]

Seeing the overwhelming situation, Gunthar turned his attention to helping folks get to the docks and safety. He saw Selma, the net-mender standing still and looking wide-eyed, and gently guided her towards the barricade that others were gathered at.

Turning the corner, he heard a cry. To his horror, he saw his assistant, Tanner, trapped under a pile of rubble with just his head and one outstretched arm visible. Releasing Selma to the flow of the crowd, Gunthar rushed forward, and quickly examined the pile of rubble, desperate to find a way to release him.

OOC: Investigation check to find a way to release him? Strength check?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: Investigation check to find a way to release him? Strength check? Sure. You pick between dc13 INT Investigation (to find an easier way for him to get out than shifting the larger rocks) or a dc14 STR athletics to just get with digging. You will eventually get him out either way, but you will be exhausted (1) if you fail, and he will be slowed and at 1 HP.

 

[Lidgar]

After glancing over the pile of rubble, Gunthar shrugged and decided he'd approach this the same way as landing a flounder - brute strength was needed here. Bracing himself, he found a suitable grip on the rubble pinning Tanner while whispering to him "Hang on there laddie, this won't take a moment..." With a grunt, he then heaved with all his strength.

OOC: Strength (Athletics) check: 1D20+6 = [17]+6 = 23

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Gunthar heaved the rock off of Tanner, and he found that the youth, while bruised and limping, had not been seriously maimed by the weight of the stone.

By the time they reached the crowd gathered by the guard's check-point, the barricade had been moved aside and the group were working their way down the road toward the dock.

OOC: Nice job!

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Though the three of them did not know each other, Phlox, Nicodemus, and Captain Sartell had found themselves together and had lost the others when a wave of crystal blight-creatures had rushed out of a side-street and forced the crowd to split in two. The captain had boosted the gnome over a wall, and then she and Phlox had climbed over themselves. They were, for a moment, trapped in a small yard. They could not go back the way they came with the blights there which left them three exits: One was a short door into the building to the north (not the direction they wanted to go); two was a gate made of iron bars that led to a secluded (and for the moment, unoccupied) lane, but was locked with a chain and padlock; three was a grated drainpipe, stuck in the dirt but large enough, and ought to lead toward the sea.

"What now, do you think? asked the Captain, not knowing the area at all.

OOC: @Snarf Zagyg & @Steve Gorak ; 1) dc12 STR to force the door to the building, failure will make a lot of noise & waste time; 2) dc14 DEX (thieves tools) for the gate's padlock, or dc12 STR athletics to climb over, but the gate has iron spikes at the top, so failure will result in 4 piercing damage. (Failure on the lock has no consequences but wastes time). 3) dc13 STR to dig out the grate. Failure will result in 1 level of exhaustion & time wasted. Overall, you're relatively safe, but can potentially be left quite far behind the others.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Phlox examines the situation - his acrobatic prowess should allow him to easily vault over the gate and the spikes. Behind his implacable mask, he responds to the Captain in his controlled monotone.

I shall go over.

Phlox paced a short distance back, and then with a burst of speed and using his quarterstaff in the manner taught to him at the Lazzaretto vaulted up the wall and tumbled over, gracefully missing the spikes in a graceful blur and landing in the other side into the secluded alley.

OOC: Acrobatics over gate: 1D20+7 = [18]+7 = 25 (Using Acrobatics, but would succeed on athletics at +4 as well)

 

[Steve Gorak]

“Just in case, I’ll open the lock, I don’t like locked gates, especially under these circumstances.” Nic says in his typical monotone stream of consciousness. He mumbles somewhat and approaches the lock and grabs his thieves tools and gets to work.

OOC: sorry, I neglected this thread. I’m back on top so shouldn’t delay anymore Nic casts guidance and the. Tries to open the lock Roll: 12 (should have been +4 and not +1)

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The lock was old, rusted, and one tumbler was giving Nic a hard time. Captain Sartell produced a crowbar from somewhere on her person and said, "Let's give this a try."

She jammed it into the padlock, and with a swift twisting motion, the lock popped free. By then, Phlox, who had landed safely on the other side, saw that the lane led between several buildings, down a steep incline, and opened onto a street to the south, where several civilians were running past.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

A large group of civilians mixed with a few guards was moving down the Main, heading toward the docks. Sweet William rode amidst the crowd, warning the guards as a crystal blight would occasionally burst forth from a side-street. The mass huddled around the elk for protection, and the guards would send quarrels from crossbows or thrust a pike to keep the crystal creatures at bay.

Delphine had left that group behind her, though Charlie was among them. Suddenly and violently, the cobbled street burst up, collapsing the wall of a nearby building. Yellowish vine burst forth, nearly ten-feet thick. Like some sort of extended root of the now absolutely massive vine that twisted and writhed in the sky above the city. The root's movement slowed (though its circumference continued to expand) as it rooted itself into the earth.

With a collapsed building on one side, a barely-able to stand building on the other, and a growing crowd of crystal blights behind them, there was no easy way around the thing. Unfortunately, the first civilian that attempted to climb it fell twisting and changing, until she became a blight herself and was put down by a panicked guard and his pike.

OOC: @gnarlygninja William & @VLAD the Destroyer Charlie; How do you want to try to get yourself (and/or the crowd) around or over it? Delphine is already past. @jmucchiello you could reluctantly turn to help, or just carry on and I'll have you run into Phlox, Nic, and Cpt. Sartell.

 

[Steve Gorak]

The lock was old, rusted, and one tumbler was giving Nic a hard time. Captain Sartell produced a crowbar from somewhere on her person and said, "Let's give this a try."

She jammed it into the padlock, and with a swift twisting motion, the lock popped free. By then, Phlox, who had landed safely on the other side, saw that the lane led between several buildings, down a steep incline, and opened onto a street to the south, where several civilians were running past.

Nic turned red from the fact he wasn't able to open the lock himself. He was hoping no one would remember because this is one of the ways he made his livelihood in the town. Come to think of it, it may not matter anymore, as the town likely wouldn't exist for much longer.

Nic taps on his shoulder to awaken Steve, and whispers towards it. Steve buzzes up and does a 360 about 15 ft above and
comes back on Nic's shoulder pointing in a direction. As Steve does this, Nic mumbles a bit, and arcane symbols briefly appear on his hands.

OOC: Cast guidance and Nic will do an investigation check to survey the area. Assuming advantage because of Steve's help Investigation: 17 Note: wow, crappy rolls ;-)

 

[gnarlygninja]

"We need to keep people from touching that vine." William looped some rope and tried to lasso down a piece of roof. He braced himself and pulled as the elk backed up, but its hooves were more used to open forest than broken road, and it found its footing unsteady. William kept up a steady stream of cussing under his breath hoping it would help.

OOC: athletics: 1D20+7 = [3]+7 = 10

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Sanderson was nearly at the docks, floating along down a creek with several civilians in tow, when a large chunk of stone (that could only have come from one of the castle's towers) came crashing down. It broke apart, blocked the flow of the water, and knocked many of his 'passengers' loose. One was screaming, thrashing, her arm broken by the weight of the stone. She grabbed a youth in a panic and pushed him down. Sanderson knew that both would drown if he did nothing, but he still had others to hold onto.

Glau had watched the tower-stone as it hurled through the air. He had only to cross the creek and he would be not far from the pier, where his ship was moored. When it landed, he was somewhat surprised to hear the screaming that came from over the bricked-up banks. There were people down there!

OOC: @Kobold Stew & @Leatherhead, feel free to volunteer an approach and an ability/skill check for whatever you'd like to do. I'll be back for a round two for the rest of you, and then we'll just move on. This is harder to do in PBP than I expected!

 

[Kobold Stew]

Sanderson sees the woman go under. She's human, which gives her about 30 seconds, he figures, a minute tops. That gives him thirty seconds too.

He isn't distracted by the one -- saving the most is his aim, and he knows he won't get all. Not every hatchling in a brood survives. So his first impulse is to save the raft of townspeople still with him. Is there a bank at the side? A shallow where they could get out here? If he can do that quickly, he will, casting Guidance on someone who looks like they will be able to hold onto the wall or whatever best. "You've got thisss," he hisses, and then (turn 4? 5?) he dives back looking for the two drowning figures.

Sanderson doesn't need to worry about being pulled under, but he will want to get them to the surface quickly, probably before separating them. If he can't carry them both on his hip as he swims to the surface, he can use his tail to drive a wedge between them, but that will cost precious seconds he doesn't have. Down, grab, up, divide. Once the humans (were they human?) are breathing again, he hopes the youth will be able to be calmed, possibly with another casting of guidance.

OOC: Here are three die rolls: Survival: 1d20+7=26 Survival: 1d20+7=11 Perception (for spotting them underwater? other dangers?): 1d20+7=20 Guidance gives +1d4 on the next skill check.

 

[Leatherhead]

Glau runs over to the creek, intending to use the recently fallen tower rubble as an impromptu bridge. The ship, and the safety it provided was almost within reach, but the screams of the people are impossible to drown out. The Plasmoid braces themselves and extend a staff into the drink, so the waterlogged can be pulled ashore. It's the safest play to save them: if worse comes to worse, the staff can be dropped.

"Here! Grab hold!"

OOC: Athletics check to pull people up: 1D20+7 = [10]+7 = 17

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Charlie curses as the building collapses and the vine grows up blocking the street and their path to the harbor. He looks to the collapsed rubble on one side and the unstable shell on the other he hesitates for a second. Charlie opens his eldritch site and looked at the vine to see if it gave off any magical aura. Once he determined it's aura if any he clambered up onto the rubble to look for a safe path through to the other side.

OOC: I will use my eldritch site invocation to cast Detect Magic. Do the vines glow at all? Acrobatics: 1d20+5 18 to get up the rubble of the collapsed house. If the vines glow I will try to figure out a path through the rubble that avoids any vines. Not sure if it would be perception or investigation to find a path. Here is the roll Looking for a safe path: 1d20 5 that would be +1 for investigation or -1 for perception. That is a max of 6 so I see nothing.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Delphine had left the others behind at the barricade, but she ran into some familiar faces coming out of a secluded lane. There was the sailing captain that had offered her boat, and the gnome and masked monk that she had seen fighting blights near the north market arch. Some sort of clockwork creature buzzed overhead, likely built by the gnome.

"My ship is not far from here," announced the Captain with obvious relief, before something seemed to dawn on her. "Blast. Much of the crew is on shore-leave. Do you think that you could rouse them from that tavern, while I make her ready to leave?"

She pointed down the block, past a crowd of panicked civilians, where a tavern bearing the sign of The Drunken Seagull still had loud music and louder voices, oblivious to the chaos outside.

OOC: Approach is up to you, but I'd like two appropriate checks from @Snarf Zagyg Phlox & @jmucchiello Delphine, & one from @Steve Gorak Nic (who already gave me two; ultimately looking for three from everyone). Refusing and doing something else is fine, of course. (This is taking a bit too long, IMO, but I hope it's got the imagery of the situation down at least).

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Sanderson swam about in the creek rescuing drowning townsfolk once more. He surfaced, and found Glau pulling folk out and stretching his arms out long to allow them to grab his staff, and deposit them safely on the proper side. They worked together, and soon had the townsfolk out. It was only to go around a nearby building, and they would be within sight of the docks.

* * *

Charlie decided to check the enormous vine with his eldritch sight, and the powerful glow of transmutation magic nearly overwhelmed him. He staggered from the brightness and found it difficult to see clearly after that. Fortunately for him, he was able to follow William, the rabbit-knight, who had pulled a piece of wall down using the weight of his elk. This gave just enough protection from the vine that people were able to climb past it, over the broken wall, to a clear bit of road on the other side, where they set out running for the dock.

Gunther was there as well, and he helped Tanner out of the rubble and over the wall. As he climbed over himself, he saw a panicked man shoulder past Selma the net-mender, and the woman fell to the ground. The next man tripped over her, and both went down. They were likely to be trampled by the next group of folks, or struck by the vine which was still twitching, rolling, and growing shoots.

OOC: Maybe one more roll from @Leatherhead Glau (to help people out, leap across, or look out for trouble) & one from @gnarlygninja William (a CHA (persuasion), perhaps, for leadership?); & Two from @Lidgar Gunthar, (something to rescue Selma?) and that should get us finished.

 

[jmucchiello]

Delphne Brookesbed
AC 16; HP 38/38; HD 5d8; PP/I 13/15 DV 60'; SSdc 13 Slots 2/3

"My ship is not far from here," announced the Captain with obvious relief, before something seemed to dawn on her. "Blast. Much of the crew is on shore-leave. Do you think that you could rouse them from that tavern, while I make her ready to leave?"

"I have an idea," Delphnee says to the Captain rushes to the door of the tavern. She casts Unseen Servant. She commands the Servant to knock over every glass, mug, table it can as fast as it can and then she enters. As the commotion begins she shouts, "The city is being invaded. Flee, flee to the harbor, their ghosts are already here."

OOC: Well, not a great roll. Maybe the spell gives me advantage??? Deception, -3 if it HAS to be Persuasion or Intimidation.: 1D20+4 = [7]+4 = 11

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Well, not a great roll. Maybe the spell gives me advantage???
Deception, -3 if it HAS to be Persuasion or Intimidation.: 1D20+4 = [7]+4 = 11

OOC: Sure. The spell can give you advantage. Go ahead and reroll (and that is DEFINITELY deception!)

 

[Kobold Stew]

"You have my thanksss," hisses Sanderson to the stranger pulling folk out (Glau). A fire has begun, and he feels the heat on his scales. Strangely, he finds it comforting, thoguh he hears screams in the distance. "Thissss way," he indicates to those he has rescued. Before proceeding, he ensures that the drowning villagers are breathing and conscious. "You mussst keep moving."