Chapter 5 > Neverwinter...In Search Of...

[Jack]

As Uilon comes running out of the grove, he sees the party, Theryis, and some of her half-elves, and shouts "Ruuuun! Avoid its mouth!". Spotting the hobgoblins he changes his direction to try and avoid their projectiles.

Turning as he runs, he casts a blue ray from a sprig of mistletoe in his hand, and then turns into a brown bear.

Movement: tries to run so as to get some hobgoblins and the wood monster (but no friendlies) within a 20 foot cube (range 60 feet), but if that's not possible he'll cast his spell just at the wood monster.

Action: cast Faerie Fire, all affected must make a Dexterity saving throw against his spell save DC of 13 or be outlined in blue light and any attacks against them for the next minute have advantage.

Bonus action: combat wild shape into a brown bear.

[coil23]

Aslaan

Aslaan looks around frantically for any good cover and a possible route away from the fray (and one that does not involve going back into the grove). When the shuddering ground begins his eyes widen- that is a big fucking dryad! He fires again at the nearest hobgoblin or the one that seems the nearest threat to their group as he considers escape options.

To hit: [1d20+8] = 12+8 = 20, damage with longbow [1d8+3] = 3+3 = 6

[hedgeknight]

Did getting shot negate Keltons actions?

D'OH!!

Will edit my post in just a few...

Edit: Post fixed > actions please for Kelton and two rounds worth for Ioriston.

[OGRE MAGE]

Kelton swallows hard and gives the others a here goes nothing look as he jumps straight up off the ground and begins to fly. Not really sure what to expect, he finds that controlling his movements is much easier than he would have thought.

He gets high enough to be out of the reach of whatever is coming through the trees, hoping to continue dodging the hobgoblins projectiles. He shouts at the stupid monsters as he waits to see what they have infuriated now.

"Whatever is coming out of the woods isn't going to just kill us you know! We will need to fight together if any of us are going to survive! Train your arrows on the forest beast lest we all perish in this fight."

Anyone who isn't currently flying, anyway.

[wordoftheoracle]

Ioriston focuses on the hobgoblin horde:

First action:

Ioriston fans out his hands to light as many hobgoblins on fire as he can.

Burning Hands: [3d6] = 10 points of fire damage!

Second Action:

Ioriston hurls a magic missle at the closest hobgoblin.

Magic Missile: 1st Missile Damage: [1d4+1] = 2+1 = 3; Second Missile Damage: [1d4+1] = 1+1 = 2; Third Missile Damage: [1d4+1] = 4+1 = 5

[hedgeknight]

As Uilon bursts from the grove, Ioriston fans his fingers and sends a sheet of flames upon the hobgoblin archers, leaving four of them writhing on the ground, and three others badly burned. He doesn't even flinch when the ground begins to shake with the footsteps of whatever monstrosity is chasing the druid. He is too intent on his next spell...

Battle at the Gate, Rd. 2
Initiative Order (after Ioriston's action): Gerland (20), Uilon (12), Aslaan (11), Hobgoblins (9), Ioriston & Kelton (6), Theryis & Friends (3)

"Ruuuun! Avoid its mouth!" Uilon shouts as he runs toward his companions, while trying to stay out of the hobgoblin archers' line of sight. But he doesn't have to worry...because the hobgoblins' attention is directed elsewhere...as a huge behemoth bursts into view!

the lone wolf.jpg (131.32 KiB) Viewed 835 times

Gasps and cries of alarm follow the gigantic creature's entrance, not only from the hobgoblins, but from Theryis and her Harper companions as well.
"Lathander save us!" Gerland says prayerfully, backing away slowly and then faster...and then finally turning and running as fast as he can for the gate!

Uilon is running too, but as he runs he casts a blue ray from a sprig of mistletoe in his hand...outlining the creature in a bluish faerie fire. And the druid continues to run even as his form changes into that of a great brown bear!

Looking around frantically for cover, Aslaan turns to see the creature and his eyes widen with shock and fear. That's a big fucking dryad! he thinks to himself, quickly turning back around and quickly dropping one of the badly burned hobgoblins with a well-placed arrow to the throat, as if hoping the big fucking dryad won't notice him.

The hobgoblins stop firing at the half-elves and the companions, and turn their fire to the gigantic target bearing down on them. Several strike the creature but none of the shafts do any real damage. The beast roars in defiance and rips a full-grown oak out of the ground and hurls it end over end to smash into the hobgoblin ranks, crushing several of them to pulp!

Dirt and debris raining down upon his head, Kelton gulps down a potion and hopes for the best...as he leaps into the air and flies! Soaring as high as he can, hoping to get out of reach the hobgoblins' arrows and the behemoth, should it throw something at him!
Ioriston unleashes a volley of magical missiles upon the hobgoblins who are now trying to flee. He puts down one and wounds another, perhaps not realizing he is standing in the direct path of the oncoming, very angry, otherworldly creature!

"Run! We will cover you!" Theryis shouts, firing her own volley of magical missiles into the giant walking tree thingy...which has little to no effect except for singeing a few bits of bark hide. Her archers fire and fire again, but their arrows are ineffective.

The creature stomps its foot and those standing nearby stumble and try to remain on their feet. Where its foot stomps into the ground, vines spring forth and rapidly wrap around the Hobgoblins, Harpers, Theryis, Ioriston, and Aslaan, holding them fast. The vines wrap around their legs, chest, and arms...and lift them off the ground!
The vines and bushes around the beast begin to move and lurch forward, the vines even reaching out for those fleeing. Will they get away? Is there no escape?

High in the air, Kelton looks down on the chaos far below. His heart is pounding, having narrowly escaped the destruction. From his vantage point, he can see that the grove is actually expanding. It has already reached the edge of the Black Lake to the northwest, and has begun to extend to the south, threatening to engulf many of the ruined neighborhoods nearby.
His city, Neverwinter, battered and burned, will never be the same.
And just as he begins to work on a plan to do a something about it, something catches his eye. Not something on the ground below, but rather something in the sky.
The sun is all but gone, filling the western sky with an reddish glow around the ever-present clouds...and those dying rays of the sun illuminate the clouds, revealing a very large object flying toward him.
A very large green object.
Venomfang is coming for her egg.

ACTIONS!!!!

Stats:
Aslaan -
Gerland -
Ioriston -
Kelton - down 10 hp
Uilon/Bear -
Theryis - down 5 hp
Half-elves - two dead
Hob Leader - dead

[wordoftheoracle]

Ioriston is quite irritated at being lifted up. While being held, he attempts to light this beast on fire!

Burning Hands: [3d6] = 13 points of fire damage!

If he gets free, he will stand his ground and wait for Venomfang's interference.

[Jack]

Uilon turns around when he sees the vines, and tries to run to the ones wrapping around and lifting Aslaan, to bite thru them.

He then tries to run behind the wood monster and tear at it with his claws.

If the 40' movement isn't enough to also get behind the wood monster, Uilon will instead try to get to Ioriston if he's still wrapped up, or Theryis, and slash with his claws at his or her vines.

[Jack]

Brown bear bite attack with advantage: [2d20k1+5] = 19+5 = 24, piercing damage: [1d8+4] = 8+4 = 12.

Brown bear claws attack with advantage: [2d20k1+5] = 17+5 = 22, slashing damage: [2d6+4] = 5+4 = 9.

[coil23]

Aslaan

Since Aslaan's legs and arms are ensnared by the vines he only has his mouth left as a weapon. He yells toward the flying green object. Venomfang, this monstrous thing is trying to destroy your egg! Kill it!

[OGRE MAGE]

Kelton doesn't remember exactly where he acquired the potion from, but he sure is glad that he did.

Not trusting either of these adversaries, the flying fighter knows that he must act quickly if he expects any of his friends to survive this ordeal. He tries to estimate just how long it will take for the dragon to arrive. If he can still spot the egg from this distance, and has the time, he will attempt to get to it before the dragon arrives.

Not willing to touch the ground, he flies straight down until he gets to the ground level. He then levels off and tries to scoop up the egg as he flies by it.

Dexterity Check (9) [1d20-1] = 1-1 = 0

If he doesn't think that he can get to the egg before the dragon arrives, he keeps a safe distance away from the tree monster and awaits the dragons arrival, dying to see what transpires next.

[hedgeknight]

Battle at the Gate, Rd 3
Initiative Order: Gerland (20), Uilon (12), Aslaan (11), Hobgoblins (9), Ioriston & Kelton (6), Theryis & Friends (3)

Hearing the cries of his companions, Gerland stops running and turns to see the wooden monstrosity...and his friends entangled by its power. He quickly summons a spell to mind...and a spectral mace appears at the shoulder of the creature. The spectral mace hovers a moment and then strikes the creature, but doesn't have any effect.

Uilon likewise stops running and wheeling around, he attacks the vines holding Aslaan. Biting and clawing at the vines, the great bear is able to free the young warrior! The great bear then rushes toward the huge beast and rips chunks out of its legs with his claws.

Aslaan hits the ground none too gently, but not hard enough to do any real damage, and immediately begins untangling himself from the vines. As he does, he yells to approaching dragon, Venomfang, this monstrous thing is trying to destroy your egg! Kill it!
Aslaan:

I need an action from Aslaan, which will occur before the arrival of Venomfang. Will he run for cover or stay and fight?

As the remaining hobgoblins continue to send arrow after arrow at the creature, Ioriston attempts to cast a spell and perhaps burn his way free. But his arms are wrapped up and he cannot complete the somatic gestures needed for the spell.
Burning Hands requires not only verbal but somatic movements, and as I stated in the last group post, the vines have wrapped you up all the way to your arms.

Kelton, however, devises a very rash plan of action. Dropping into a dive, he flies back down toward the ground and the melee. He levels off just above the ground and heads for the egg, seemingly forgotten in all the chaos. Just as he grabs the egg and is about to make his getaway, the creature roars and swats Kelton as he flies past!
Creature claws: [1d20+7] = 8+7 = 15, [2d8+4] = 8+4 = 12

Knocked out of control, Kelton flips end over end and lands in an abrasive slide on the opposite side of the road (1 dmg). By the grace of the gods, he manages to hold onto and protect the dragon egg.

The creature roars again and then, as those on the ground watch in horror, it drops two of the tangled hobgoblins and one of the tangled Harpers into its great maw!

Another roar, sounding more like a scream, pierces the air as the green dragon Venomfang arrives on the scene! She comes in almost at a dive like Kelton except she has maneuvered to drop above and behind the huge monstrosity. She levels off about 30 feet above the ground...and spews a noxious gas from her mouth, engulfing the creature and those still tangled in its vines, including those on the ground closest to the creature.
The trapped hobgoblins and Harpers die almost instantly as their lungs melt from the power of the dragon's breath. The vines holding them wither and die as well, dropping Theryis and Ioriston to the ground near Aslaan and Uilon. Theryis tries to scream, but only manages to gag, attempting to crawl out of the poisonous fumes. She makes it to the edge of the road before collapsing.

The huge creature roars in agony as part of its body shrivels and dies, turning black. But it does not fall and its gaze turns to Venomfang as she soars over the gate and turns midair for another run!

I need a CON save for Ioriston, Uilon, and Aslaan @ DC14. Failure to save = 42 pts of damage; save = 21 pts of damage. Good luck!

Stats:
Aslaan - ??
Gerland -
Ioriston - ??
Kelton - down 23 hp
Uilon/Bear - ??
Theryis - down 26 hp; dying
Half-elves - all dead
Hob Leader and most of the hobgoblins - dead

[wordoftheoracle]

Constitution Save: [1d20+1] = 3+1 = 4

42 damage bring me to -20 hp.

Looks like Ioriston just bought his ticket.

[coil23]

Con save (DC 14) = [1d20+2] = 4+2 = 6
hit points = -16.....gone as he was running to help Kelton back up

[Jack]

Brown bear CON saving throw: [1d20+3] = 16+3 = 19.
HP: 34-21=13.

[Jack]

Just remembered that I'm concentrating on Faerie Fire, so when taking damage I have to make a CON save to maintain it (DC 10 or half of damage taken whichever is higher).

Brown bear CON saving throw to maintain concentration: [1d20+3] = 14+3 = 17.

Faerie Fire maintained.

[OGRE MAGE]

Knowing full well that this beast could simply level the entire city in mere days if it desired, Kelton takes the only logical action in his mind.

He starts by brushing the dirt and gravel off of his filthy shirt as he absolutely despises getting dirty. He keeps one eye on the dragon as she turns around and the other on the tree monster, secretly wishing that they would simply eliminate each other in this fight.

He tries to use the possible last few moments of his life as wisely as possible.
Second Wind [1d10] = 6

Knowing that his nearly dead group will be no match for a powerful dragon, he resolves to present Venomfang with the egg in hopes that she spares them and the city. He gets himself out of the way of the return attack if he can. Dusting off the egg so it looks more presentable, he awaits the return of the great wyrm and anticipates much more pain for the deadly tree monster.

Once the dragon proves victorious, he will hold the egg up over his head to present it to her.

[hedgeknight]

Battle at the Gate, Rd. 4

The screams of the dying fill the greenish, noxious air that now has withered every bit of green foliage in the immediate area. Through the haze, Kelton sees the great bear standing alone; none of his other companions seem to have survived.
And then Gerland is suddenly running toward him! "Get off yer ass and run!" shouts the Lathanderian priest. "You too, bear!"

Instead, Kelton catches his breath (second wind) and concocts a plan, should the dragon be victorious over the deadly tree monster.

Uilon:

What are your actions? You have a full round before the dragon returns.

The dragon roars another challenge and dives at the woody monstrosity. As she closes, she belches another cloud of chlorine gas on the beast (and anyone around it's feet). But, this time thick vines shoot out of the beast, wrapping around Venomfang's legs and one of her wings! She screams as the beast is lifted off the ground...and the two behemoths plunge into the woods in a tangle of limbs and greenery.

Gerland looks at Kelton and then to where the beasts are thrashing and roaring, screaming and tearing at each other.

ACTIONS!

Stats:
Aslaan - merely dead
Gerland -
Ioriston - mostly dead
Kelton - down 17 hp
Uilon/Bear - down 21 hp
Theryis - down 26 hp; dying
Half-elves - all dead
Hob Leader and most of the hobgoblins - dead

[Jack]

Uilon runs to the nearest of his two fallen companions, lifts him up in his mouth like a cub, and runs away from the fray. He then places his companion on the ground and turns back into human form.

Movement: run to Aslaan or Ioriston, whoever's closest.
Action: pick them up.
Movement: run away from the wood monster and Venomfang.
Bonus action: revert to human form.

[OGRE MAGE]

Kelton uses the magic of his potion to fly up into the air again, this time with the egg.

He attempts to determine how far away the fight is from their current position and if his friends below are still in immediate danger.

He also tries to determine which monstrosity is actually winning the battle.