D&D 5E Witcher: Mother of Monsters

[Queenie]

Elora continued to concentrate on her spell, trying to keep her companions out of her mind while focusing on the three unique "voices" and their thoughts.


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[Aramalian]

GM: You located Kynee, who is located in the square immediately NW of the uppermost question mark.

Barakor growls low, and moves straight for the sound of Kynee the Cat.

(once he gets to the uppermost question mark, can he see her at all, since her square isn't fully fogged?)

 

[Quickleaf]

Drawing closer to Talashia, Elora’s senses cut through the supernatural mists, extending out to the sepulchre’s steps and the silhouetted statue at the center of the old standing stone circle. She can no longer sense the presence of the old witch or Kynee within 30 feet of herself; they must be withdrawing… or relying on other magics… or lying in ambush.

Careening through the mists, Barakor feels a strong sustained gust of wind from the south threatening to lift him off his feet. Intermittently, he gains fleeting glimpses of his surroundings as the clutching mists are repelled again and again by Talashia’s magic. From the corner of his eye, motion! The witcheress Kynee is cunning, readied rapier darting from the mists at the edge of the gust of wind, sliding in under Barakor’s guard and piercing into the chinks of his blackened chainmail (17 damage).

GM: Kynee, readied rapier attack vs. Barakor, Menacing Strike Attack vs. Barakor (AC 18, disadvantage): 2d20l1+8 20 Hits! Damage vs. Barakor Damage vs. Barakor (Menacing Strike): 2d8+5 17 piercing damage… and [MENTION=6672752]Aramalian[/MENTION] make a DC 13 Wisdom save or become frightened of Kynee. You can make attack against her with disadvantage (because of mists).

GM: As a reaction, anyone can attempt to do one of the following if you wish… Listen to pinpoint a creature in the mist that is making noise (e.g. a fellow PC, old witch, Kynee, troll/ogre, or maybe something else). Make a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check; however, failing by 5+ mislocates that creature in weird mists. Listen to make out what Kynee and the witch are whispering to one another. Make a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation or Perception) check; however, failing by 5+ means mists twist what you hear. Listen to make out what the mysterious voices coming from the menhirs (standing stones) are saying. Requires you know Elder Speech. Make a DC 13 Charisma save. Listen for general location of any other creatures in the mist besides Kynee, the old witch, the hooded ogre/troll, or fellow PCs.

GM: Monster Stats Kynee AC 15 HP 39 38 30 Old Witch ? Hooded Ogre/Troll ?

GM: Initiative Still on [MENTION=6672752]Aramalian[/MENTION]’s (Barakor’s) turn! ✓20 Lair Actions ✓Player Group #1 18 Talashia 17 Fergus 14 Tamaran ✓Enemies 14 Kynee 14 Old Witch 14 Hooded Ogre/Troll →Player Group #2 13 Elora (concentrating on detect thoughts) 10 Barakor

 

[Azurewraith]

Tamaran keeps heading to the last location his Wolf relayed to him, however the elf is distracted perhaps by the grief of losing his companion or maybe it is something else.

OOC: Using reaction to listen to the stones [roll0]

 

[Aramalian]

"Augh, witch!" Barakor snarls as the rapier digs into his flesh. "Was it you? Was it you who brought the Darkness on my people?" His voice trembles as he cannot help but remember the bloody slaughter and the madness that befell the dwarves of Mahakaim. He makes a half-hearted swing at her, but the winds and the fog and the fear make it a pointless attempt against the wily witcheress.

He takes a deep, trembling breath and roars, "I will find you, Cat, no matter how long it takes - no matter how far you run. I will find you!"

OOC: Wisdom Save: 1d20+3 9 Attacking Kynee: 2d20l1+7 8 Barakor Bloodbarrow: HP 22/39 2/3 Spells Remaining <FRIGHTENED of Kynee til the end of her next turn> Action: Attack Kynee (critical fail) Bonus Action: Cast Hunter's Mark on Kynee and Concentrating on that

 

[Quickleaf]

[video=youtube;UENb3lLSQho]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UENb3lLSQho[/video]

Whispers in the mist, raspy voices flitting through the air like foul feathered things. It is the Elder Speech. As Tamaran focuses on the voices, he can hear traces of old human men speaking three distinct phrases repeatedly, their voices emanating from the weathered menhirs (standing stones): Vestments torn yet hidden… Forgive the peasants… Bound in stone…

However, some ancient magic lies within the voices, seeping into Tamaran’s mind, filling him with an overriding thirst for vengeance. His brothers-in-robes were killed, the druids of Tagha Bough cut down before his eyes. The memory is not his own, and yet it is inescapable, as real as if it happened yesterday.

GM: So [MENTION=6798581]Azurewraith[/MENTION], you made a Perception check (10+5=15) for listening to the standing stones, when I'd asked for a Charisma save. I'll treat your result as 10+1=11, so a failed save. The reason for this approach: To anyone who knows Elder Speech (such as Tamaran) who makes the effort to listen, the voices are intelligible (essentially an auto-success on a trivially easy Perception check); often I will assume success on certain tasks where there's no dramatic impact to failure. In this case, the sounds coming from the standing stones is imbued with enchantment magic, hence the need for a Charisma save upon focusing on that sound. Tamaran has been charmed by the spirit of a dead Druid, which causes him to enter a Rage like a barbarian & gain a flaw… Gain advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. Deal +2 damage with melee weapon attacks using Strength. Gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Cannot cast or concentrate on spells. Gain the flaw: “I must avenge my fallen brothers - suffer not the witch or her minions to live!”

[SECTION]Hissing as she effortlessly sidesteps Barakor’s warhammer, the witcheress Kynee’s eyes flash yellow and black for a split second. She speaks in Dwarven, ”Your people are their own undoing, Barakor Bloodbarrow. What happens now far eclipses Mahakam. You can’t conceive of it.” Her voice seems to fade into the mists as Barakor’s warhammer collides with a fissure in one of the standing stones, wedging firmly in place.[/SECTION]

GM: It will take an action (or destroying the standing stone or some other creative move) to dislodge your warhammer [MENTION=6672752]Aramalian[/MENTION]. Result of crit fail.

Echoes in the mist are momentarily swallowed by a midday thundercloud booming in the distance, and then the whispers become magnified, whispers of murder and justice coming from every direction. Wisps of mist congregate around the menhirs closest to Barakor, coalescing into vague spectral humanoid shapes which are infused with fell light briefly emanating from the stone. Hateful eyes blazing like balefires beat down upon the dwarf as the two spectral creatures moan in outrage. To the northeast, Barakor can make out chanting in Elder Speech coming from the mists beyond Kynee.

Another spectral shape emerges from the menhir nearest to Talashia, revealing the visage of a woman with a twisted face and burning red eyes. Murder leaves her mouth without her lips moving. The whispering hateful voices come from everywhere in the mist, suggesting that there are far more of these entitites than you can see hidden in the mists…

GM: As a reaction, anyone can attempt to do one of the following if you wish… Attempt to recall something about the spectral creatures. This would be “monster lore” as I describe in the Witcher Setting 5e PDF…so you’d need to choose (a) player knowledge, (b) player + DM collaboration, or (c) monster lore points. Listen to pinpoint a creature in the mist that is making noise (e.g. a fellow PC, old witch, Kynee, troll/ogre, or maybe something else). Make a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check; however, failing by 5+ mislocates that creature in weird mists. Listen to make out what Kynee and the witch are whispering to one another. Make a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation or Perception) check; however, failing by 5+ means mists twist what you hear. Listen to make out what the mysterious voices coming from the menhirs (standing stones) are saying. Requires you know Elder Speech. Make a DC 13 Charisma save. Listen for general location of any other creatures in the mist besides Kynee, the old witch, the hooded ogre/troll, or fellow PCs.

GM: Monster Stats Kynee AC 15 HP 39 38 30 Old Witch ? Hooded Ogre/Troll ?

GM: Initiative back to you [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION] [MENTION=6798581]Azurewraith[/MENTION] ! ✓20 Lair Actions →Player Group #1 18 Talashia (concentrating on gust of wind) 17 Fergus 14 Tamaran Enemies 14 Kynee (used reaction) 14 Old Witch (concentrating on fog cloud) 14 Hooded Ogre/Troll 14 Shrouds Player Group #2 13 Elora (concentrating on detect thoughts) 10 Barakor (frightened of Kynee, concentrating on hunter’s mark)

 

[Azurewraith]

OOC: Sorry my bad, wasn't paying full attention there.

Tamaran sees something and hears something, no, he felt it like a memory but not his? The next thing he feels is blinding rage, not fully in control of his actions the elf charges into the mist.

OOC: ACTION: Dash. Pick a ransom direction for the raging elf to charge off in. Tamaran will ignore anything he doesn't perceive to be associated with the witch.

 

[Shayuri]

"If it's vengeance you crave," Talashia snarled at the spirit, "I suggest you help us against the hag. The death of Nan would be fine justice, yes?"

Then, just in case it wouldn't, she wove a spell with her right hand, even as she continued to direct the gale winds with her left. Mist and fog writhed around her, carved by eddies of breeze into startlingly realistic images. A cloud even moved over her, so that in that moment it was very hard to tell what was the cloud-clad Talashia, and what was the misty duplicate.

That same breeze sent her, ephemeral doubles and all, vaulting through the air to land some distance away on the other side of Elora. She moved her arm to keep the corridor of wind aimed at Barakor...the angle of it now making Elora and Fergus within the corridor of relative clarity that it created in the fog.

"Angry ghost on the left," Talashia let Elora know lightly. "Though if you can slow down Kynee that will be of great use. I'm going to have trouble using another spell of any power while I'm trying to keep this wind focused."

(casting Mirror Image, and as part of that action I fly over to Elora's other side and change the angle of the Gust to keep it on Barakor.)

 

[Aramalian]

Barakor, wrestling with his trapped Wulffleda, keeps his eyes and ears keenly fixed on tracking down the treacherous Cat.

OOC: Reaction to listen for Kynee - DC 13 WIS (Perception) w/Adv from Hunter's Mark: 2d20k1+1 19 SUCCESS​

 

[Quickleaf]

GM: So [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION] it's your turn! and then its the monsters after you. Because you're starting your turn within [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION]'s gust of wind, make a DC 13 Strength save or be pushed 15 feet away from her following the line.

As Tamaran launches himself headlong into the grasping pea-soup mists, he can hear the murderous hissing of awakened spirits behind him, to his side, and ahead of him. His reflexes keep him just out of the grasp of whatever spirits lurk in the mist, his shins clipping a small rock wall which he clears at the last moment. There is a spirit somewhere close to the elf, causing the hairs at the back of his neck to stand on end.

Tamaran random direction (1-2 N, 3-4 NW, 5-6 W): 1d6 1 North

Shroud opportunity attack vs. Tamaran (AC 15), disadvantage: 2d20l1+3 9 misses[/GM]

Talashia's magic has thoroughly repelled all mists within the line of her focus, giving her clear line of sight to Fenris, Barakor, and Kynee who no longer benefits from concealing herself in the mists...at least for now. However, the impenetrable mists continue to have a semi-solid almost molasses-like consistency outside of her gust of wind.