D&D 5E The Kalarian Precipice - Chapter Three

[daindarkspring]

Dain - The Lair

As the great demon mound fell to pieces, Dain took a step backwards, both in alarm and in disgust. Within him, he felt the passing of whatever mystical guidance had been upon him. He praised his luck that he could not see the thing in its entirety in broad daylight. It would no doubt prove to be something he would never be able to forget.

Spinning around, he saw Annit consider firing after the final creature as it scurried, partially frost-bitten, away from them.

"I doubt the thing has family...but it may have allies that are as grim in visage as it is! I will purse it! See to her!"

Is it wise to run down this thing in the darkness of that passageway? Essithea...are you watching?! Do you see me?!

Taking off at a *dash*, his torch crackling above him and his sword at the ready, Dain set himself to stalking the lone surviving creature. He needed to move quick, before it vanished again!

<Perception roll=8/Passive Perception=15, Init=16, 24 to strike if applicable, 6 damage if applicable>

 

[Otiroth]

Otiroth: The Lair

As the creature begins its dash down the tunnel, Otiroth would cast one more firebolt after it- perhaps a bit high, as Dain jumped out to pursue it. Still, the strike would at least not hit his friend, even if it perhaps would not hit the creature at the same time.

<Firebolt: 20 to hit, 7 damage>

"They didn't teleport once they were in here- was that the mound? Or the light?" Otiroth turned towards Carthum, and then towards the cavern around them.

Dain, at least, had a torch!

Otiroth could start up some small fires, if he could scatter burnable kindling about... but the air might not be too fresh if he did that!

 

[Jeovanna]

Jeovanna: The Lair

"Dain!" Jeovanna shouted after him. The man was crazed when it came to leaping in front of danger. "We should not become separated!"

He was off, though, and Jeovanna hesitated to chase after him and leave the others unguarded.

 

[Metea]

Metea: The Lair

The young tiefling scrambled to get over to the relative safety of the others as the last demon fled. She did contemplate blasting it, but unlike Otiroth's firebolt, her eldritch blast moved in quite a straight line, and would have nowhere to go but into Dain's back.

"Maybe they know how many demons there are down here," Metea suggested. She'd nudge one of the pallid creatures with her tail.

 

[Carthum One-Tusk]

Carthum One-Tusk: The Lair

"Metea," Carthum scolded. "And you- are you in need of healing?" He offered Annit.

The priest went to one knee by the two dwarves- to see how they fared. Not good, he imagined...

But Dain seemed to have a higher power of his own watching out for him!

 

[97mg]

Hunting and Gathering

The Hunt Round 1
Critter 17 (-10hp)
Dain 16 (-8hp)

Miraculously, Otiroth’s final gift to the critter makes impact. All Dain need do is follow the smell of burning flesh!

Ahead, left, right, left again, it doesn’t take the long-legged ranger much time to track the little beast through the winding crevice, as he speeds around several sharp corners and almost bumps into it! This time the enemy is prepared. It moves to ambush with a pincer’s strike, which slashes very nastily across Dain’s knees. Easy to kill when the safety of numbers is on your side… maybe one on one is a different fate…

The kind of fate that Metea’s tail is investigating. The dwarf’s body is still and limp, in fact both are. Less surprising is that both have eyes wide open, fixed somewhere in the distance. One looks to be dead. The other draws a shallow breath from time to time, his little chest barely moving in the process.

Looking to the priest, Annit does her best to smile, which isn’t a great effort given the circumstances. “How often can you perform such miracles? I might be ok… lets rest first opportunity we get. Dain… I hope he is alright. Your healing might be in high demand.”

She glances to Metea and the dwarf, turning then to face the crack her colleague has rushed down.

<Creature initiative = 17. Attack Dain at disadvantage = 14 Hit! Damage = 8hp. Dain needs to make a DC 11 Constitution Save or suffer paralysis. Dain can re-attempt the save at the end of each of his turns, should he fail the first. He is however welcome to scream at this point as a free-action if he’d like to alert any friends.

Metea or any others may use investigation either on the dwarf or mound debris, should you wish.

Mudmap is mainly for Dain. Assuming everyone else is loitering in the lair for now.>

 

[Metea]

Metea: Hunting and Gathering

Metea's tail lashed in frustration, and not a bit of worry. While she would take a cursory survey of their surroundings, the fact that they were unlikely to get any information from the dwarf meant they were just wasting their time. There was still another demon out there!

She'd slink over by the tunnel, peering around the edge. The tunnel turned, but she could still see light...

<Investigation: dwarf edition- 9>

 

[Jeovanna]

Jeovanna: Hunting and Gathering

Jeovanna shifted uncomfortably- she did not like to stand idle while others faced danger. Nor did she like the claustrophic tunnels- their last battle on the steps had left her more than a bit adverse to such situations. She could not necessarily even properly swing her sword- but she could sheathe that, and retrieve her bow.

"Keep alert," she'd instruct Metea, and start down the tunnel after the demon and Dain.

This tunnel was a bit wider than the one they'd arrived through... but still, it felt as if it were closing in on all sides! She'd keep an arrow to her bow...



<Jeovanna is preparing a bow attack for when the creature comes in range- following the tunnel, which seems one-way, for now. Initiative 19 if needed>

 

[daindarkspring]

Dain - The Hunt

Dain's heart was racing as he wove through the tunnel after the creature. The hunt was on! Let it run, let it flee before his blade like a leaf blown by a storm!

These tunnels are not the winding tracks of the forest and the hill, but I will tread them without fear regardless! If I can fall into her...if she would accept me once more...grant me some memory, some dim recollection...

The creature caught him quite by surprise, his mind having wandered as it were. He felt pain rip through his leg, and he staggered, nearly falling. "Gyyahhh! Demonspawn, I will sl...." The eyes of the beast met his, and bile rose in his throat.

A creeping paralysis seemed to grip him from within. His teeth clenched hard, biting down on the side of his tongue so hard that blood flowed into his mouth.

Do not leave me yet, Essithea! Do not turn your gaze from me yet! Did I not BLEED FOR YOU?!

With a grunt of anger, he spat blood from his mouth forwards toward the creature. Some of it hit his blade, flecks of red spraying the edge. The paralysis left him at the same time, as he tore his eyes away from the creature and readied his sword.

The strange sensation of power flowing through him followed, and the tip of his sword seemed to flicker as his blood that was there began to coalesce into the shape of twisting vines.

<Initial save vs paralysis=4 FAIL>
<End of turn save vs paralysis=23 SUCCESS>
<Prepping 'Ensnaring Strike' spell>

 

[Carthum One-Tusk]

Carthum One-Tusk: Hunting and Gathering

"I can do it once more, unless Suru grants me more mana after prayer," Carthum replied to Annit. He saw no reason to obfuscate matters, especially now that there were no demons in their immediate surroundings.

Jeovanna had trailed after Dain; that was good. Very good!

The priest did not exactly have a keen eye for magic or minerals; the remains of the mound scattered around them could just as easily be more filth, or glimmering gemstones simply covered in filth. That was not his concern at the moment. He would lay two fingers on the brow of the living dwarf. He had to admit, the poor thing's blank stare was... heart-rending, terrifying in a way that went far beyond simply mortal terror.

He'd search his memory for knowledge of the gods of the hill people; there must be some prayer, some succor, that their gods bestowed, some prayer that would perhaps reach the dwarf even as it suffered.

Suru's light ever gleamed, but he was not the hillpeople's god. Pity, perhaps, was not a dwarven god trait, but this dwarf needed it today regardless.

<Cantrip: guidance, add 1d4 to the dwarf's next act or save. Carthum is searching his memory for what he knows of other races' gods- religion check 17, if that helps!>