D&D 5E The Rhyot Break - Chapter One: Endless White

Steve Gorak

Adventurer
Relieved that the plan seems to have worked, at least up to now, Gimlak turns the sled around, and jumps off. As he sees the Korrund, his blood boils with eagerness. He swiftly moves, maintaining a healthy distance from the six wolves pulling the Korrund-dog - gods willing, they will soon enough be eating Korrud flesh.

As he moves, he draws his sword, his focus completely undeterred. He moves closer, but does not swing his weapon. Instead, he jumps the dwarf, and attemps to grapple it!

OOC: Surprise round: move as described, item interaction draw sword, bonus action: Rage! (now gimlak has advantage to athletics checks - important for grapple)

Round 1: Grapple, athletics check 17, if successful (target must make acrobatics or athletics check), target is grappled (speed becoes 0 - so no untying of wolves ;-))

Note, I found this useful to better undertand grappeling in 5e
 

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daindarkspring

First Post
OOC: Not sure the initiative order, but Zemryn's 17 will probably be somewhere near the top. I'll post my attack now, as I'm not a very good weekend poster. Go ahead and write her around if you need to.

Zemryn launched herself at the Korrud with a vengeful cry, her twin shortswords poised like two fangs of a serpent.

She struck, but not with the strength she would have preferred. The Korrud's elevation in the sled saved him from worse harm.

<To hit: 20>
<Second weapon to hit (no bonus): 17>
<Damage 5 and 4>
 

McD

First Post
Seeing the Korrud move blindly into the trap was heartening for Rolin as was the fact that there appeared to be only one of them, perhaps they would get out of this intact after all. At the signal to attack Rolin raised the crossbow and taking aim he gently squeezed the trigger letting the bolt fly towards the Korrud scum.

Alas the bolt flew wide of the target impacting the snow nearby with a small white puff. He pushed his frustration aside for the moment and hurried to reload the bow ready for another shot.

 

Imladir

Villager
For a time, Faenala was at a loss at what she could do. It had been proved that she was in no shape to really fight, all her attacks having flown far and wide. In fact, she might even be more dangerous to the other escapees than the slaver. She squinted, looking at the speeding sled, wondering if she could maybe pull a strap somewhere to make it come apart, but she quickly gave that idea up.

On the other hand... There was another way she could do something quite efficient. With a vicious smile, she took a bit of fleece she had acquired a bit earlier, and with a few quick movements, cast an illusion. It wasn't much, it wasn't really complex. No, it was just a rock. It was however a rock in the path of the wolves. Far enough from them that they wouldn't just ram it...and harmlessly go through it, but close enough that they would have no other possibilities than scrambling away. Pulling a sled at that speed like they were, she hoped the result would be...messy.

 

97mg

Explorer
The site of the trap escalates into a blur of chaos as events unfold! Before the Korrud can piece together the plot that surrounds him, hell has already broken loose.

The sled he follows begins to turn, and a tall brutish looking human leaps off into the snow and begins to charge. A bolt zips past overhead, close enough to draw another expletive from the lured dwarf's lips.

And then, for reasons unknown to the Korrud, his wolves pull tight to the left. Very tight.

"Straighten up ya yelpin' sods!" He yells, but they do not listen. Something else seems to be redirecting them? Caught off guard, the rider topples off his sled and lands shoulder-first into the snow, managing to stand just as Gimlak and Zemryn arrive in melee. The steel slashes from the elven woman slice deeply into his side. Then the weight of a large man pushes him down, down into a cold layer of snow...

[sblock=Local Map]
Chaos.JPG
[/sblock]
[sblock=Notes]Roll (similar to saving throw) to determine effect of Fae's illusion. How bad is crash?: 1D20 = [4] = 4
Oppose Gimlak grapple check: 1D20+2 = [4]+2 = 6

Ok, Mr Koz has movement of 0 until spending a full round and trying to make a roll to break free. Attacks against him by Zem can be at advantage. Attacks from range weapons at disadvantage due to close-proximity combat in progress.[/sblock]
 
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daindarkspring

First Post
The fulfillment of countless number of desires, all of them violent and twisted, and all of them pointed at the Korrud slavers, unfolded as Zemryn's swords found their target. Atemi was a goddess of battle, not of slaughter, but Zemryn could feel that at this moment, she was lifting some of her more stringent rules of engagement.

Attacking a defenseless foe, for example. Gimlak had the bastard off balance, and there were priestesses of Atemi whom Zemryn had known as a child that would have waited until the fight was more fair. But those priestesses were few, and none of them had endured almost a decade of cruel enslavement.

Atemi...this foe deserves no honorable engagement. He is vile and worthy only of death!


A vision of her friend Alyne, her hand cut away from her arm, and then her body cut to pieces, flew through Zemryn's mind and made her eyes widen with fury. She attacked without mercy, driving the points of her shortswords into the Korrud.

<First attack w/ advantage: 15, damage 5>
<Second attack (no bonus) w/ advantage: 20, damage 8>
<Total damage: 13>
 


Imladir

Villager
Faenala was rather pleased by the consequences of her little illusion. In fact, she hadn't dared hope it would go that well. But now with the Korrud on the ground, and likely dead soon, she didn't have much to do. With so many wolves around, she thought it would be nice to befriend one of them, but that seemed really unlikely considering the situation. So instead, she just watches the fight unfold, ready to act if there was a need.
 

97mg

Explorer
Held and shoved, carved at by swords, the dwarf lies with blood leaching into the snow around him, deep red and pink hues trickling and merging with ice. He spits, and looks up to a tall human man and elven woman who will determine his fate. He does not beg or plead for forgiveness. You see pain in his eyes, but also a smirk upon the ugly little face.

"Do it. I die by sword. Your turn will be soon, regardless, haha."

He then breathes in deeply of the cold dark air, and once again spits a new patch of red upon the ground around him.

From the south, Bria walks sternly forwards towards the surrounded foe.

"Finish him quickly. We have not time for him to endure the pain he truly deserves. There may be more. We should go!"

The winds from the east have begun to gain strength, blowing thick clouds of spiraling white across the featureless lands around you. Bria wipes her face on a furred sleeve as the icy sting of a drop of virgin frozen rain lands upon her face.

"Friends, can you master these wolves? Rolin's be only strong enough for one of us. Same with the one to the north. This new pack however, might be right to pull two. Still though, one of us will have to walk..."
 

McD

First Post
Rolin stood back a little and waited for his other companions to finish the Korrud off, he knew better than to get in the way of warriors and their kill when they're still in the heat of the moment. Instead he turned and replied to Bria.

"I will walk, I have no ken with these beasts anyway plus I am fast and quiet, I can check the way ahead if you'd like."

He was disappointed he didn't get a chance to wound the damned Korrud but he supposed that at least it saved a bolt. Also Rolin was glad to offer to walk, he felt a bit uneasy with the wolves as it was and if he couldn't contribute in combat maybe he could as a scout for the group.
 

daindarkspring

First Post
Zemryn finished off the Korrud without hesitation or emotion. It disgusted her, how his life had ended.

She nodded at the thief, her eyes narrowing as the biting cold swirled around her. They were free of the Korrud for the moment, but they might be dead from the elements before long.

Nodding at the man who volunteered to walk, she found a place on a sled.
 

Steve Gorak

Adventurer
Gimlak, his heart still pounding, rejoiced in the death of the third Korrund. "We may yet have a chance to spill more Korrund blood" he says to the others, as he looks about the gear of the large dwarf. He also looks at the six wolf sled, to see if it was carrying anyting useful.

Once done, he proceeds to dismember the newly arrived corpse, and feeds the limbs to the six wolves. He then chops off all three heads of the dwarves, and places-them in a makeshift bag made of tarps or whatever he can find. "We don't know who we will meet. If they are Korrund, we will fight, and if they are not, we can show them this, so they know that we too hate the Korrund". Gimlak does not wait for approval or coments, and proceesd to push the six wolved sled back into a useful position. He nods at Rolin's offer to walk. "Let us know when you need to rest. " He laconically says, as he takes position to guide the vehicle.

OOC: I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a heavy weapon or a shield ;-)
 

Imladir

Villager
Faenala wasn't interested in anything the sled could carry anyway since it was unlikely to have any kind of clothes that would fit her, even remotely. And since she could use her prestidigitation spell to keep her clothes... her rags... dry and warm, mostly anyway, it didn't matter all that much. So while the others looked at what they could find in there, she approached the wolves.

She wasn't particularly confident of course. While she had never had a bad relationship with animals, she didn't really have an idea on how to get them to at least accept her. Not in many details anyway. She thought however that she had to try. Though maybe... They were wolves, and likely used to the cold conditions. But even them... maybe especially them would pay attention to some heat. And she had a way to produce that heat.

As soon as she thought about that, she put her idea in effect. It was pretty simple: use her Prestidigitation to increase the temperature of her clothes and approached the animals, hoping that sensing the heat they would allow her to get close...without chewing her.

 

97mg

Explorer
Bria looked to the ground and exhaled deeply as Gimlak went about his carving of dwarven flesh. It was ugly, horrible and confronting, but she did not speak a word against it. The invaders deserved it. Every cut, slice, and splatter of red against the snow.

With Bria and Rollin walking ahead, the group then headed off, leaving the gruesome scene's future in the hands of snow, wind and rain. Nature had a way of cleaning up man's messes, eventually.

A sled was shared between Gimlak and Faenala. The wolves clearly distrusted the elven woman... but as a passenger she at least was welcome. Thorin and Zemryn would share the other, doing their best to steer the lurching and unpredictable motions of four-legged, drooling-mouthed power.

Through blinding cold sheets of rain, whirling wisps of white, and spine-trembling gusts of tree-bending wind, the group pushed on. This was the wilds now...

Hours passed uncounted, out there in the darkness, every step the mark of a pathway to freedom. They were free of the Korrud, for now, but risk and danger was still very much lurking in their shadows.

Just before dawn, the storm passed, and slowly light began to form behind a grey layer of cloud above. The group watched as a wall of black loomed closer. Ahead, the flat expanse of snow-covered fields ends, replaced by dark rocks and scree poking out like a drunkard's rotting teeth.

"We are nearing the caves," Bria mentions to her raggard companions. "We need to clamber up a way and find some shelter. It will be good to rest a while before pushing on. The wolves now, are useless to us. Perhaps for them too, it is time to be free."

[sblock=Loot]Items on final Korrud:
1x pair boots
1x S sized leather armor
2x longsword
1x light crossbow
1x whip
10gp in pouch
1x silver ring with an amber stone set within[/sblock]

 
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Steve Gorak

Adventurer
Gimlak looks at the wolves, and then his companions. "It is too risky to leave a pack of wolves bred by the Korrund roaming behind us. The best case is that they return to the Korrund, and the worst, is that they harass and attack us for the remainder of our trek. Know that that what I do now, I do with no pleasure, but out of necessity." Gimlak proceeds to load the light crossbow, and shoots the wolves one by one.
 

daindarkspring

First Post
Zemryn had no liking for Gimlak's actions. Necessary or no, it made her wonder that even if they did somehow manage to gain lasting freedom, were they already so twisted by their experiences as to be unrecognizable to their former selves? It was self-evident, really, that they would never truly be free of the Korrud, even if they killed every last one of them.

"Necessity can be a convenient excuse for many things, Gimlak. I pray a similar demise for me shall not become necessary someday." Turning from the man and his grim task, she turned to scan the rocky terrain, eyes narrowed against the wind and snow.

Seeing Bria, she headed over to the woman. Showing her hands first, in a gesture of non-aggression, she then placed then gently on the back of the woman's neck. "Atemi has gifted me with the ability to bring relief to suffering. If I could do more, I would, as you have gifted me much beyond than what I now give to you in her name. Atemi Smiles on your Soul."

<Lay on Hands: Heal 5hp>
 

Imladir

Villager
Faenala was disappointed that she didn't manage to do anything with the wolves, but at least they didn't try to bite her. That was still something… While they travelled, she took cover as best she could to avoid the falling snow, casting at regular intervals a Prestidigitation to keep her rags as warm as possible. That, plus the exhaustion of the day made her quite sleepy, but she managed to stay awake, if for no other reason that she had to cast her spell regularly.

She disembarked like everyone else when they reached the end of the snow covered land, looking around for a moment. As soon as Gimlak started shooting the wolves though, she stood resolutely in front of him, the wolves behind her apparently unafraid of his crossbow. She didn't say a word, but she looked really angry.
 

Steve Gorak

Adventurer
Gimlak nods at Faenala. “I respect and understand your anger, now please move aside”.

Gimlak proceeds to shoot the wolves. If the woman doesn’t cooperate, he will move aside and shoot. If she persists, he will gently grapple her, and continue shooting. Since both hands are required to reload, he will release her between reloads, and proceed. It is obvious that he is absolutely avoiding harming her in the process.

OOC: I don’t want to create a player against player issue here, but Gimlak is tough as nails, and will do what is necessary to ensure the group’s safety
 

Imladir

Villager
Faenala refuses to give up. When Gimlak moves, she moves to, accompanying him to always be between him and his target. In fact, she casts Mage's Hand and uses that to mess with his aim. When he tries to grapple her however, she becomes really violent, enraged in fact, and does anything necessary to make it stop. But still, as soon as she can, she will stand in front of the wolves.
 

Steve Gorak

Adventurer
Grim, with respectful resolve, Gimlak says: “your heart will lead you to great things! Forgive me for what I must do”.
He presses on with the wolf extermination.

OOC: I am hoping other characters will see the necessity of Gimlak’s actions, and come in and help
 

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