Is'Merith - Campaign Thread

[SBLOCK=OOC]Macv12, feel free to dialogue me in if you like. I'm going to be travelling today so I won't be able to post for a bit.[/SBLOCK]
 

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[sblock=OOC]Yes, agreed MacV, the roleplay is excellent. I don't think an "Order" matters too much when you're bouncing dialog between each other. It's great! In fact, I've been meaning to give everyone inspiration for top quality role-play, so, there you go, everyone gets a point. Isaac, just so you know, here is the definition of inspiration as it is a 5e only feature [sblock=Inspiration]Inspiration is a point a DM can award his players for good role-play. You can spend it at any time to get advantage on a role. You can only accumulate one point of inspiration at any one time [/sblock]

Furthermore, The reason I've added stuff for Pathfinder is they're on a short holiday until sometime Saturday, so i'll fill in for them as best I can.[/sblock]

Mina tried her best to focus on what Shen had to say, but again, she was in distant thought. It wasn't that her stories weren't interesting! Far from it! In fact, Shen was probably the most unusual and interesting elven woman Mina had met thus far. She had a gruffness and a simplicity about her way of thinking and her use of language that was hardly elven at all, yet she still moved with a certain... Grace about her and yet, well... Mina couldn't quite put a finger on it. Even if she had a "rough and tumble" personality, she had a funny way of painting a beautiful picture in her stories with the simplest of words. Maybe being able to recognise and vocalise beauty was the elven side of Shen coming out?....

With a smile and a sincere laugh, Mina responded at the end of Shen's story "Perhaps we could convince those of the noble courts to settle their disputes that way, rather than, with...." She paused and drifted off, thinking of the assassination of her family. Mina had let her guard down, which was against her training to do so. With a smile, she spoke again, "Never mind, we should probably get moving now? I'm ready when you are Shenemnenmone."
 
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With a nod, the party gathered together and left through the gate, the muttering, jittering half-elf following, the original half-elf bidding everyone farewell. "Take care my friends, see you in 12 years time. I can never thank you enough!" He nodded at the party and watched as them leave, the half-orc nodding to everyone as they leave.

As prepared as they could be, the party gathered together to head back, they heard nothing of the barks that had resounded nearby before. The party moved swiftly through the mines, exiting at the original entry they had used initially! They had made it out! Everything was well! The desert sand beneath everybody's feat and the starlight above them were reassuring in a lot of ways.

The cave entrance was positioned in front of one the gaping open mines over 100ft wide and at least 50 ft down. However, all the way down in the centre at the bottom of this pit, was a single sand goblin, standing, looking up at the party. Its glowing eyes lighting up the night sky.

Any feelings of reassurance were twisted now, by a feeling that something was wrong. The desert breeze was still and everything was deathly silent...

What do you all do?
 

[sblock=Oh :):):):)] This feels like it's going to go full-on Tremors on us.
I'd like to make a check to see if Alejandro can identify a sand goblin bark from the many they've heard that felt like "it's cool"? As he'd like to try a Minor Illusion to recreate it.
_: 1D20 = [7] = 7
Oh. Maybe not, then.

How far away are we from where we need to get to? Where/what exactly is that, by the way?

Al tries to slink. Stealth roll = _: 1D20+1+2 = [12]+1+2 = 15

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The desert night air is a step up from the underground, by far. The sand shifting under Shen's feat feels soft and inviting, compared to the hard ground.

As the group passes a large pit, Shen's eyes are instantly caught by a pair of piercing green glows from below. It's impossible to mistake them. For a moment, all she hears is the blood rushing in her own ears; it was as if the desert itself was holding its breath along with her, frozen with anticipation.

She becomes intensely aware of the glow of the makeshift torch their new partner is carrying. Just like the little noises that signaled the onslaught inside the caves, the torch felt like a beacon that could guide ships at sea. There was no way that damn thing hadn't noticed.

Shen's eyes are darting. It can't be alone, after all. She lowers herself slowly, inching out of sight. After all, there's still a chance the creature doesn't know how many of them there are. What's more, everything's still quiet...painfully so. Meaning it hasn't signaled the others. She draws her bow, as quickly but smoothly as she can, to avoid startling the creature. "Aim for the throat?" she whispers to her companions as she draws back an arrow. It's, what, 80 feet away? Not a great range for hitting something the size of a fist, but any chance was better than none.

[sblock="OOC"]First, checking for any other entrances/exits goblins might come from. Hopefully that's obvious, so next I want to try to spot anything that might be a goblin hiding under the sand. Then, avoid notice.

Perception: 1D20+4 = [15]+4 = 19
Might be pushing it since I don't have any special familiarity with the gobs, but if Natural Terrain applies due to this being a Wisdom check to spot something in my favored terrain, I won't complain about an extra +2 for double proficiency.

Once everyone's had a chance to announce actions, I'll probably take that shot, assuming no complications/objections.[/sblock]
 

Isaac, upon seeing Shen draw her bow and whisper something, draws his weapons and takes a defensive posture, looking around to see where his enemies may come from.
 

Unsettled at the sight of the leering goblin in the distance, Daedarai notches his bow and looks for any cover to hide behind. With a whisper as he moves, he signals to the others, "Take the shot when you have it, Shen. Tro'leera, stay with me and keep alert."

[SBLOCK=OOC]Family holiday visit means a short post from me. Sorry, but want to make sure the action can keep moving. Daedarai is looking to hide and stash Tro'leera with him.[/SBLOCK]
 


With a whistle, Shen's arrow flies through the air, trailing almost in slow motion as the rest of the party holds their breath... As the arrow flies on, the goblin stands still, unmoving, unflinching. Suddenly, everything speeds up and the arrow strikes the goblin, but as soon as it hits, the creature topples... Not as you've seen them fall before, but almost as if it were an object, the limbs stiff, the arrow finds the neck and as the creature falls the party hears a series of rattles, like bits of glass and metal clambering together. Rigor mortis had set in! It was already dead!

With a crash and a clatter, the corpse falls down in the sand; then for a moment, the silence goes on, until one bark, two, three, five, then a dozen barks suddenly emerge from all the tunnels below. Several pairs of eyes emerge from the tunnels below, the sand goblins taking cover behind rocks and piles of sand. Apparently aware of the parties ranged capabilities, they move gradually from one full piece of cover to another. At the current rate they're travelling, they probably won't be in melee combat with the party for about a minute! But surely the party could simply run away at this point! it doesn't make sense...

Shen licks her lips, looking around either for the part of the puzzle she appears to be missing. Suddenly, she notices the sand below her feet shifting, moving! "It's a TRAP"! She yells, leaping out of the way as the first lot of claws reach up from the sand to drag her down (Ambuscade). As she leaps up, she gracefully lets loose another arrow right as the centre of the sinking sand. With a screech part-muffled by the sand, the arms stop moving as the rest of the sand around the whole party appears to come to life!

[sblock=Initiative] So, because Shen declared the desire to look everywhere including the sand, also rolling VERY well for perception in her favoured terrain, she is not surprised, but everyone else still is.... HOWEVER, I believe that the fact that she successfully has spotted the problem and has the extra turn BEFORE everything else can act, yelling out alerting people, I will allow perception roles for everyone. Anyone who passes is NOT surprised... Further, Shen I gave your shot against the already dead goblin to you without needing your role. You took your time lining up a shot to hit a still target, so used your first role for your ACTUAL use of Ambuscade and will use your second in the first round of initiative.

Perception rolls (See Coyote code):
1st, Alejandro
2nd, Daedarai
3rd, Mina
4th, Isaac

_:
1D20+0 = [8]+0 = 8
1D20+1 = [15]+1 = 16
1D20+6 = [6]+6 = 12
1D20-1 = [5]-1 = 4


Also: Tro'leera _: 1D20+2 = [13]+2 = 15


However, Alejandro may be lucky as he tried to hide before.... Opposed perception by a sand goblin:

_: 1D20+2 = [14]+2 = 16


Well, I tried...

Now, initiative:

Al, Shen, Daed, Mina, Isaac:
_:
1D20+2 = [3]+2 = 5
1D20+2 = [6]+2 = 8
1D20+3 = [18]+3 = 21
1D20+3 = [20]+3 = 23
1D20+2 = [15]+2 = 17


Sand Goblins:

_: 1D20+2 = [1]+2 = 3


Tro'leera:

_: 1D20+4 = [2]+4 = 6


Hmm, ok, it's not all bad:

Mina: 23
Daedarai: 21
Isaac: 17
Shen: 8
Tro'leera: 6
Al: 5
Sand Goblins: 3

So in this surprise round, which is round 1:

1st- Mina: Surprised - Can not act
2nd - Daedarai: Not surprised - Can act
3rd - Isaac: Surprised - Can not act
4th - Shen: Not surprised - Can act
5th - Tro'Leera: Not Surprised - Can act
Al: Surprised - Can not act
Sand Goblins: Surprise round

For those who CAN act, please detail what you want to do. I believe it COULD have an impact on the outcome of the fight.
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[SBLOCK=Rolls]Trying to put something up before a road trip back home. I'll attack a goblin with my shortbow and move to safer ground if possible. If I can't move without provoking attacks of opportunity, I would use cunning action to disengage and then move. If I can move without provoking, then I would use cunning action to hide if possible.
Attack Roll, round one: 1D20+5 = [2]+5 = 7 That's not good. I won't even bother with damage for that.
Stealth roll (if possible): 1D20+7 = [6]+7 = 13 That might be enough, but disengage has priority if needed.[/SBLOCK]

The sand seems to spring to life around that party. Daedarai lets loose an arrow at one of the sinking funnels of sand only to watch it sink below harmlessly as a sand goblin's wide grin comes above ground. A momentary glimpse shows far more disturbed sand than the elf can quickly count. They could be surrounded. Trying to move quickly before they are fully out of the ground, he shouts to the half-elf, "Tro'leera, follow me and get to safer ground!"
 

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