Chapter 11 - Back to No-Go (Knob Forest)

[enn.in.me]

"Tempus, I hear that too. I believe with adequate prayer I can speak with the recently dead, but these poor souls here are beyond my reach."
Dandelion your screaming was great--perhaps we could work out some harmonies for if it happens again." Yenny smiles. "But undead creatures have strange powers over our minds, filled as they are with so much necromantic energy. They are not meant to exist and if you see them you must keep that thought forward--these are things that must be destroyed. They are are clashing plaids, enough to make anybody turn around in terror, but we must find the inner strength to separate them. Separate head from body, them from this world."

[onlyme]

"
Dandelion ...--these are things that must be destroyed. They are are clashing plaids, enough to make anybody turn around in terror, but we must find the inner strength to separate them. Separate head from body, them from this world."

Dandelion nods in complete understanding.
Oh, thank you for for putting it so clearly. I understand how dangerous they can be, now.

[Storm11]

The halfling nods at Yenny's words.

"If we are going to be here for a while it might be wise to take some time and lay some traps down, ones that if we get overwhelmed we could fall back on and draw the enemy into them. Snares, Glyphs of Warding, fire traps etc for example. There isn't a rush to anything is there?" Tempus looks to the others without much hope

[Marullus]

Hellebore considers the other druid's words. "I'll prepare to lay some traps with elemental fire as well; we might have occasion, as there is less we can do indoors than in the wilderness." She glances around at the others, then finishes, "Keeping our friends from running blindly through entrapped doorways is often an issue, though. We don't, as a rule, all follow directions well. We'll need to do this carefully." She smiles.

"Other than that, I'll focus mainly on offering what healing and relief I can and on revealing magical areas within the manse, not knowing what we'll face. I do hope to not remain here THAT long..." she shudders. "Perhaps we can pass by the Tower on our way back out of here, and I can get my rope back for magical snares. A shame we protected a place we didn't return to."

Hellebore's spells. Any suggestions?

Level 1
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Entangle
Entangle
Speak with Animals
Speak with Animals

Level 2
Cure Light Wounds (1d8)
Cure Light Wounds (1d8)
Fire Trap
Fire Trap

Level 3
Cure Disease
Neutralize Poison

[Zorroroaster]

"Okay, hands up those of you who want to go invisible. One at a time, no pushing, no butting in line. Actually it's literally one at a time. As in, I can only do one. At this time."

[CAI4]

Chet raises his hand. "What's being invisible like, I wonder?"

He walks over to Hyde and whispers something.

[AleBelly]

At the mention of trapping doors, the party takes stock of their surroundings. There are no real doors to speak of in the peasant houses. They have warped, fallen, and decayed. But the party would recall that there seemed to be some serviceable doors in the manse.

[Zhym]

"Ain't the worst place I've slept," says Angus with a shrug. He lays out his bedroll and settles in. He's snoring within five minutes.

[tkrexx]

Ain't the worst place I slept in, neitha, no, Hyde agrees as he stokes his fire. Anyone... Anything comes thru here be seeing this blaze inside, tho. Ain't like we being sneaky. He keeps his torches handy in case something comes in the night.

[AleBelly]

The ranger, accustomed to sleeping under rough circumstances, finds a place near the fire and falls asleep quickly. Hyde reminds the others that they are exposed. Indeed, the crumbling peasant huts offer only marginal cover, and our adventurers will likely sleep lightly.

Arnulf, perhaps milking the moment, has yet to decide who will receive his gift of invisibility. Chet volunteers. He and Hyde have a brief private conversation.

The meagre warmth provided by the sun has long since evaporated into the night sky. The fire is a welcome companion.

Date: 4 Culling, Year 42
Time: 18:10
Conditions: 33F, clear, 11 mph wind from north, 2 inches of ice-crusted snow on ground
Known Spells in Effect: None
Light bearers: Campfire
Intended Direction of Travel:
Injury Status: None

[Marullus]

Hellebore and Redfang curl up in a ball of indistinguishable fur, the druidess fast asleep to recover herself before last-watch. She requests the Eagle to watch in the night, sitting on the rafters above amidst the ambient warmth.

[Zorroroaster]

Arnulf turns to Chet and prepares to invisibilate him.

"This will feel...a little...weird."

After rendering Chet invisible, Arnulf lays out his bedroll and gets busy sleeping.

[Storm11]

Tempus doesn't mind taking first watch.

[onlyme]

Tempus doesn't mind taking first watch.

I think it was to be Chet, Yenny and Dandelion...

[Storm11]

The male druid will curl up and settle in then, his scimitar beside him tucked under his arm

[Zhym]

Angus snoozes until someone wakes him for his watch shift.

[AleBelly]

Hellebore and Redfang curl up in a ball of indistinguishable fur, the druidess fast asleep to recover herself before last-watch. She requests the Eagle to watch in the night, sitting on the rafters above amidst the ambient warmth.

Animals need to sleep too, so I have them on watch with Hellebore. Let me know if the eagle will take another shift.

And a reminder that the sleep shifts are posted in the relevant thread. I only do this as a convenience to avoid spending a week of RL time deciding these mundane things that are accomplished in a couple of minutes at a table. Please do modify marching order, sleep shifts as you wish. I do not want to dictate that to you. Thanks.

[AleBelly]

DM rolls dice

The group settles in. Yenny and Dandelion remain alert. Presumably Chet does too, but aside from a faint humming there's no sign of his presence.

The rest snore, huddled next to the fire to ward off the cold breeze coming in from the north. The moon moves slowly but steadily through the night sky.

After an hour or so of peace, the trio on watch are startled by a eeping, clacking noise. At first, Dandelion and Yenny mistake it for Chet's giggling, then realize it is moving quickly towards them. But too late, they see a trio of greyish human figures rush towards them at the edge of the campfire light. Their eyes are soulless, though somehow full of hatred. Their clothes are in tatters. Fingernails long and pointed. One clearly bears the sash of the Sambord tribe. Their mouths move in concert with the gibbering. One is missing an arm, but all have chunks of grey flesh torn from their bodies. All are missing the flesh around their wrists, revealing bone and sinew. These details sink in slowly, as if in a dream. Then, the undead are upon them.

Surprise? party 1-2 [1d6] = 2 Others 0 [1d6] = 4

They do not see Chet, and instead fall upon Yenny and Dandelion. The gnomish cleric recognizes them as undead creatures.

Target Chet 1 Yenny 2 Dandelion 3 [1d3] = 3 [1d3] = 3 [1d3] = 2



The one-armed ghoul lashes at Dandelion before she can react.

One-armed attack on Dandelion [1d20] = 14, crit [1d100] = 82, [1d20] = 8, crit [1d100] = 32

It grazes her with fingernails, but the half-orc princess dodges a bite with its yellow, rotting teeth.

Another draws the half-orc's arm up with its jagged claw and bites into it fiercely. The sturdy dancer cries out as a white-hot pain wells up in her wounds.

Undead attack on Dandelion [1d20] = 16, [1d20] = 7, [1d20] = 14
Crits [1d100] = 18, [1d100] = 31, [1d100] = 10

The third lunges at Yenny. Its claws miss, swinging above her head. She knocks away a bite with her shield.

Undead attack on Yenny [1d20] = 9, [1d20] = 7, [1d20] = 13
Crits [1d100] = 11, [1d100] = 61, [1d100] = 57

Surprise over.

onlyme, please provide two saving throws for Dandelion, one for each ghoul attack. If she passes both, she can't be paralyzed by either of those ghouls for the rest of the battle. Even if she fails those throws, please provide an action. If she beats the initiative next round, she can act before seizing up.

As for the others, they will have been sleeping lightly, uneasy at their surroundings. They will wake during the coming round and act in the next.

I need actions from Yenny, Chet and Dandelion for this first round.

Date: 4 Culling, Year 42
Time: 19:05
Conditions: 33F, clear, 11 mph wind from north, 2 inches of ice-crusted snow on ground
Known Spells in Effect: Chet is invisible
Light bearers: Campfire, 81% gibbous moon
Intended Direction of Travel:
Injury Status: Dandelion lightly wounded

Edited for clairity.

[Zhym]

As for the others, they will have been sleeping lightly, uneasy at their surroundings. They will wake the following round and can act afterwards.

Does that mean the sleepers get to act in Round 2 or Round 3?

[AleBelly]

Wow, was that unclear! They can act in round 2.