Of Chewing Bitter Roots - FR (IC)

Introduction

“The fiercest anger of all, the most incurable,
Is that which rages in the place of dearest love.”
― Euripides

There are many adventurer groups in the realms. By convenience, by ambition or by chance, people is drawn together to labor in one of the most dangerous and most rewarding professions in all of Faerûn. One such group is yours. Through low and high you have stuck together for some time now and have managed to survive in this high stakes lifestyle.

Devis is your fighter and tracker. He is an elf of expert marksmanship and incredible sharp-eyed focus. He was slow to warm up to the rest of you, but he has since been a reliable ally. Athelras is the ranger. A wood elf who wields uncommon, dark abilities to bring down his opponents. He is crude, rude and gloomy, but he has proven himself time and again to you as a very capable individual. Faith is the party moral counterweight. Her holy powers ground you and lift you equally. More than once an encounter that should have ended with needles bloodshed had been solved by either her golden heart or her pacifying magics. Dio and Eliza, the bard twins, wield magical songs to both bamboozle your opponents and help you along your hardships. They are the grease that keeps you running smooth.


You all have managed to carve a living in this world, despite all the travails that have assailed you, but together you managed to thrive. You gathered respect from your peers through your hardships, you managed to grow strong and skilled in your crafts and gathered great power in magic and martial arts.

There is only one thing that have eluded your pursuit. Yes, that one thing that all adventurers desire above all else. The thing they kill and die for; riches unimaginable. While many stories have adventurers become stinking rich from robbing a dragon’s lair or struck against a rich evil tyrant, reality is much more boresome. You spent months hunting down roving bands of monsters before you realized the time spent hunting them barely covers the cost of doing so. Then you got harder, more dangerous jobs. You vanquished and conquered a tribe of underground dwelling troglodytes, you defeated a tribe of marauding orcs and destroyed a blight infestation near a small coal-maker village. But none of it has delivered in meaningful physical wealth. Until now.

~~ 0 ~~

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Tonight you are travelling to Baldur’s Gate. You five have bought passage with the caravan Marshall Leonel. He is a human of sandy blond hair and tanned complexion. A cleric you have known for a while now who doesn’t make a big fuss of your eccentric ethnicity. All he asks is that you pay the dues and keep your peace.

But the day grows old vermilion and you stop to make camp before long.

There are five carts in total. Two of them are from the priesthood of Lathander, virile god of sunrises and healing. The other three are from the merchant Beredan, who you signed with for this mission. You are to accompany his goods to Baldur’s Gate until a time he can finally meet with you at place and time of his choosing and further explain your partnership. But for tonight you rest and gather your wits.

Athelras finished scraping a clearing and gathering stones for the fire as was his usual task. Striking it true as was also his usual task he watched the flames consume the wood and gradually die down into a nice bed of coals. These he scraped to one side leaving a few and renewing the blaze on the other for light and comfort. He sat quietly and watched the others.

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Devis Duskrun Level 5 Sharpshooter | HP: 30/30 | AC: 16 | PP: 16 Devis nodded to his brother Athelras who began to work on getting a fire started. He scanned his surroundings and decided to do a walk around of the area, maintaining a level of stealth while doing so. He decided to make sure to note viable vantage points he could use as well as all weak points in his defenses. He is nothing if not thorough. The years of stalking and killing his prey taught him a lot of lessons on preparedness and if there is one thing he has learned it's that you can never be too prepared. Spoiler: OOC Rolling Show Not sure what kind of roll you want for what I described above soooo I'll give my mod options below. Stealth check: [roll0] Perception/Survival (Not sure which is needed but same mod): [roll1]

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Faith Level 5 Paladin | AC:19 | LOH Pool: 25/25 | HP: 30/30 The group went about doing their normal tasks setting up for camp. When the found a location, Faith flew up into the sky, surveying the land around them and making sure that she couldn't see any dangers that might be coming around to them. Having wings helped the group have a slight advantage over raiders and ones that followed the caravan. Satisfied that no dragons or large demons were following them, Faith swooped back down to the encampment. She walked around and gathered some firewood so they would have plenty for the night. When she had gotten enough, she came back to camp and sat down with Athleras. Over their time together, Faith had gotten to know this odd band of adventurers. Looking back she had started out so naive, not wanting to ever kill another living soul as long as she lived. And she still has yet to do so, but their views on the world and on killing (not all of them good) had opened her eyes a little more to the world. She still never killed unless absolutely necessary, but she at least had started to begin to understand the necessity of it sometimes. She absentmindedly started to draw some sketches in the dirt with her quarterstaff. She did this whenever she was deep in thought, whisked away to parts of her mind that she often liked to visit in downtimes.

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Eliza Amakiir Level 5 Glamour Bard | Bardic Inspiration: 4/4 | HP: 40/40 | AC: 14 Eliza does as she usually does in these sorts of scenarios, sitting near the fire, humming a slight tune whilst bowing gently at her violin. She makes no effort to collect food, nor start the fire, as she lacks the skills to do so. The last time she tried to help collect food a few weeks back, she ended up covered in bleeding cuts and scratches after falling into a blackberry bramble, and her already dark skin was stained purple for days. No, she was better off here, sitting quietly and playing.

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The group is joined by Leonel as soon as they settle. The blond cleric is tall and rough looking, but has kind blue eyes that contrast with his visage. Right now they are more stern looking then normal. "Faith" his tone is reprimanding. "I already told you before not to fly over the camp. We travel through shrub-lands and hard forests. It is easier to spot a flying target than it is to see a rabid band of orcs from above the canopies."

He sighs and deflates onto a stumpy looking root that protrudes out by the side of your campfire. "It is been a long while since we crossed roads, friends. How has the adventuring life been treating you? I heard a group scattered the Stone Fang orcs to the north, was that you? Or where you behind the liberation of Oakhurst from the plant-like blight monsters?"

Leonel seems very talkative tonight, but his men walk around with the usual discipline of setting up watches and building fire pits.

[What did your party accomplish? Did you vanquish the orcs, or dealt with the blight infestation?]

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Faith Level 5 Paladin | AC:19 | LOH Pool: 25/25 | HP: 30/30 Faith's face gets a little flush, which is a little harder to see on her as her face is already a bit flush anyway. "Apologies, Leonel. I sometimes forget, and seeing the world above the trees is nice sometimes. I will try and remember for the future." Faith still had a lot to learn about this outside world, even for as long as she's been in it, and still made some rash or naive decisions from time to time. She took her lumps with grace, as she always did. Each lump was something to learn from. "I do seem to remember some orcs," she began, pondering to herself,"but those may have been down south. Wait....which way is north?" She looks around in all directions and finally finding the setting sun. They have grown used to Faith needing to take a moment for memories to come back to her. "No wait, they were in the north. Yes, that was us...... they were quite nasty, mean things." Then her gaze tuns quizzical, "Oakhurst? I don't think we've been there."

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Dio Amakiir Level 5 Satire Bard | 26/26 HP | |Bardic Inspiration 5/5 Sitting near his sister, cleaning the mask he tends to wear to cover his face, he was humming alongside her. These moments, when they could just rest, always filled him with calm. Knowledge that his sister was there, safe. At Leonel's question and Faith's answer, he raised his head. "Really? You don't recall these twig monsters that dried to suck on our blood? I'd say these should have left a particular mark, if not memory wise then perhaps body-wise. Can recall having to help you up." he said, with a grin. A jab at her, but they were used to those. Just an attempt at humor.

A simple nod to Leonel was all the recognition Athelras gave the cleric. As he conversed with teh group and quiet snort or grunt were about the only noises he would make. Following the conversation without appearing to. The other were more than used to this by now as Athelras rarely opinionated too much regarding the groups past. It was just his nature.

He caught Faith's eye right after her scolding, closing his eyes briefly and shaking his head no ever so slightly, indicating he thought she'd done nothing wrong.

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The priest smirks and rubs his temple. "Of course, of course." His eyes go from Devis to Faith and to the bard twins. "I would like to thank you again for helping our caravan. It is hard to come across capable hands in this day and age, what with Sothillisian war down south of Amn and the attacks on Luskan and Waterdeep to the north."

"Which reminds me to ask, where are you going after Baldur's Gate, if I may ask? There is plenty of adventure to be had in these parts anyway."

The five of you can clearly hear the neighing of the horses as they are tied down and the sound of dry earth being crunched under combat boots. The priesthoods are famous for being paramilitary, in a sense. [Roll Knowledge Religion, if you want]


[The party has a contact in Baldur's Gate, but where do you plan on going after? To the north and its sightings of demons in the cold forests, or to the south and its increasingly dangerous monstrous wars?]

~~0~~

The camp is set around your group. There are a number of tents surrounding the five carts loaded with all sorts of valuable goods and about a dozen armed mercenaries and Lathanderites guarding their own business. Everyone is somber, but amiable, and they go around dividing up rations. You have your pick of pickled herring or boiled potatoes with rabbit stew, accompanied with acre spiced wine in leather odres.

"We're 'bout there 'ready, no harm done in some drinkin', right?" One of the half-elf mercenary offers Eliza the odre he took a deep swig from. He seems friendly. The Lathanderites are not so quick to drink, but they also partake in spiced cooking. The mercenaries are a mixed bunch; half-elves from Tethyr, men and women in equal parts, and they push more for their indulgences, including smoking and drinking. The Lathanderites are all men of the priestly faith, so they remain more guarded, although openly amiable.

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Faith Level 5 Paladin | AC:19 | LOH Pool: 25/25 | HP: 30/30 Faith gave a half smile to Athelras, appreciating his gesture. He was a hard egg to crack as he didn't really speak up or get too much into his past, but he could be very nice, in his own way, when he wanted to be. Faith appreciated that about him, and she'd get to that inner core of story one day. When the other drow twin spoke up, Faith's mind races around trying to find this memory she....or was it the he......had apparently buried in her head. Then she remembered the pain....the limbs sticking into her belly and sucking out her life's blood. Faith puts a hand to her belly and winces, "Oh....right. I remember them now. They were also horrible." Faith didn't really know where they would be heading next, all she could do was give a resigned shrug. This group was the ever changing compass....never knowing where you'd end up.

Speaking up for the first time in a while Athelras says "North, most likely. Demons." He hangs a pot over the fire, setting some water to boil and then makes tea for the few in the group that liked it. A small splash of honey in Faith's as he hands it to her. He smiles back at her.

He gets up and makes his way to the merc's fire, dishing himself up a bowl of rabbit stew and makes his way back to his own fire. He nods cordially but avoids any conversations the merc's try to engage him in. It has earned him a reputation as rude and crude, typical elf was what they muttered when they thought he was out of hearing range. Well for a human anyway.

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Dio Amakiir Level 5 Satire Bard | 26/26 HP | |Bardic Inspiration 5/5 "If I were to choose, I'd say South, far more interesting and unknown, for what it is the monsters war for and why?" he said, putting away his mask. Demons... creatures that are universally evil. Those that aren't are usually half demons, such as Faith. If you deal with them, you only end with pain and misfortune or pain later. But as for other monsters? They could be understood and negotiated... Choosing a bowl of rabbit stew for himself and his sister, he sat back at the fire and passed the bowl to her, beginning to eat his own.

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Faith Level 5 Paladin | AC:19 | LOH Pool: 25/25 | HP: 30/30 Faith smiles and takes her tea. She sips on it, grabbing some of the pickled herring and munching on it while contemplating north or south. She finally seems to be done thinking, "Warring tribes seems complicated, demons are simpler. They don't need to be spreading destruction, as they always do. They should be dispensed with swiftly." There is a slight fire in her eyes when talking about the demons, but it is gone in a flash. She finishes her herring and washes it down with only a small mount of the spiced wine. She then quickly returns to her tea, warming her fingers on the mug. Spoiler: OOC Show Religion Check [roll0]

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Eliza Amakiir Level 5 Glamour Bard | Bardic Inspiration: 4/4 | HP: 40/40 | AC: 14 Eliza sets her Viol down and accepts the odor of wine. She pulls it to her lips and turns her head back, but takes little more than a sip, stopping the rest with her tongue. It's a trick she'd picked up after years of performing at any tavern that'd let her inside. It's nice to keep up appearances, but clouded judgement, slurred speech, and the loss of fine motor skills don't exactly make for a good performance. She hands the odor back to the mercenary, just as her brother returns with a bowl of potato and rabbit stew. "Thank you brother. I like this much better than the alternative." She says with a shudder. After having a spoonful of stew, she joins the conversation of her fellow party members. "I say south, my brother's right. Devil's can be reasoned with, but Demons are simply out for blood and nothing more, it's impossible to get into their heads and understand how they think, which makes it impossible to plan for anything they do. Orcs, at least, have some level of strategy, and we can plan around that. Besides, if we kill them, they stay dead instead of coming back from the Abyss, ten times angrier at us."

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Devis Duskrun Level 5 Sharpshooter | HP: 30/30 | AC: 16 | PP: 16 Devis had been mostly quiet since getting back to the fire after making sure the perimeter was safe. He kept a close eye and watched the religious fools and mercenary guards go about their business. Devis grew up an outsider with just him and his brother to care for each other. Because of this, he was more likely to people watch than to partake. Maybe that's why he has preferred the longbow, getting a kill from afar and out of sight rather than up close. He just likes to get the job done and do what is needed. He accepts a mug of tea from his brother and thanks him, "Diola lle." In between sips of tea and bits of potatoes and soup, he listens to the conversations regarding what lies ahead. These talks of what the future holds always bore him a bit. Devis wasn't one to plan so far ahead. Usually when on a job he focused on that with little regard for much else. He addressed the group with his thoughts on the matter, "We have a job to do, where we go from there isn't really my concern at the moment." He pauses for a moment, putting a finger to his lips in thought, "Still, if I had to choose I would say north. Demons are simpler. You have prey and can hunt them down and eliminate them. A war is messy and I honestly have no inclination to be part of one in any way, shape, or form." Devis sets the dishes down, giving thanks for the meal and rises. He walks over to Athelras and bends down close to his ear to whisper something to him in elven before glancing back to the group, "You'll have to excuse me, I am not feeling too great tonight and am going to find a quiet spot. Thanks again for the company tonight Leonel and the generosity of the others." With a slight nod at the priest, he walks off. Spoiler: Devis whispering to Athelras in elven Show "I've got a weird feeling about the lot with us on this caravan. Not sure why, maybe I'm just uneasy. Keep your eyes peeled. I'm going to get out of sight and keep watch." Spoiler: OOC Show Devis is going to find a quiet spot in the trees where he can watch the group but mainly the mercenaries and others he does not know. Not sure what rolls I need to make but here is a stealth check at least: [roll0] Let me know if I need anything else.

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Spoiler: Knowledge Religion DC 12

Show

It is a common knowledge that the priesthoods tend to arm themselves independently of mercenary handywork or coin, or patronage. One of the most fearsome orders is that of the Lathanderite Clerics of the Light. They march bravely into battle against undead, fiend and monster without a shred of fear or doubt, their bright powers scorching those of a wicked heart.

Leonel takes a hard look at Faith, then he turns to listen to the Twins, and finally gives attention to Devis and Athelras. He chews on his words as he is laboriously ruminating the pickled herring. At last he makes a sour face and spits a clean fishbone. "The bard is right." He says. "The herring is..." he gives an illustrative shudder, imitating Eliza.

To the mirth of the entire camp you hear the cook shout indignant inflections from somewhere out of sight. Everyone is a critic, apparently. As the laughter subsides, Devis and Athelras are already well into their guard routine, hidden in the treeline. Leonel sighs audibly.

"It is good that you are concerned with those troublesome rumors, although your group seems fairly divided. As someone who's faced his fare share of adventure I would like to dispel the notion that demons are 'easy' to deal with. But I believe your hearts are in the right place." These last words are punctured with a long glance at Faith in particular.

"Still. I wished your group had more faith in the Lightbringer. This is His endeavor as much as mine, you know. We have an entire hand of Lathenderites. And the Tethyrian mercenaries to back us up." He is demure and earnest in his plea, but candid enough that it feels like mere friendly ribbing. "As per our past agreements you have free range of decision, being famous adventurers and all. Saviors and Orc-Slayers. I won't get in your way..." With these last words he gives his last farewells for the night and retires himself to his group.

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Marshall Leonel Manemore of the Order of the Light

[Is there anything your group wishes to do? Either work on a personal project - like training in a feat, or spell, or furthering a craft - or retire for an early night of slepp?]

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Devis Duskrun Level 5 Sharpshooter | HP: 30/30 | AC: 16 | PP: 16 If there is anything Devis has learned over the years it is that stealth is his greatest ally. It's something he has generally worked towards getting better at but just being able to hide isn't enough. No, he needs to be able to hide as quickly as possible. Devis thinks back to the many negative encounters he had been in where if only he could have been quicker to hide and dash in and out of action...what a difference it would have made. And so tonight he spends the time doing that. Trying to find a hiding spot within seconds and move to that position, all the while keeping his bow trained and ready to fire. Hour after hour he hones this skill until he needs to finally rest and meditate. Spoiler: OOC Show Devis will spend the time training towards a Cunning Action Feat - (Dash and Hide)

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Dio Amakiir Level 5 Satire Bard | 26/26 HP |Bardic Inspiration 5/5 Turning towards Eliza, he spoke. "Go to sleep, sister, we'll have a long day ahead of us." and yet he knew she could be stubborn, as he himself was. But nothing kept him from trying. Even now, his eyes tried to pinpoint his hidden companion, doing his best to find him, then paying attention to smallest details. One has to be observant to be able to know how to act, react, plan accordingly. Even if one's mood can't be read well, they usually might have a small physical manifestation, such as tightening of lips, clenching of Fist, and so on... Spoiler: OOC Show Training for Observant

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Faith Level 5 Paladin | AC:19 | LOH Pool: 25/25 | HP: 30/30 Faith notices the hard stares and long looks her way from the cleric. She has grown used to these since she's been in the world of people. Her fiendish heritage gets her many looks from people, not usually good. She is thankful that, even with their violent flaws, the elves she travels with now don't judge her for what she is. She finishes her tea, and listens to the cleric's explanation (again) of his god. Faith had never known a deity, her Oath and principles had been bestowed upon her by her mentor. This "Lightbringer" intrigued her, but she felt like he didn't look too kindly on those with infernal blood. She gave a smile and nod to the cleric as he went to bed, and then sat her cup down. She stood up and stretched, her wings unfurling and stretching along with her arms. "Sleep will find me soon, but before then...." Faith's steps aside and her wings take her up into a taller tree. She lands on a branch and there is the perfect hole to see the night sky and the stars. She uses his time to focus on her powers, diving into herself and concentrating on the divine powers that are within her. She moves through them, searching within them for something new. Something that she can craft to help her in her life's work. Spoiler: OOC Show Faith will be training to create a spell

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Night falls like a heavy linen blanket. Tonight there is no sight of Selûne's light and you are all left to huddle around the campfire and lanterns of the caravan. The next hours are filled with everyone's own personal projects.

Devis has spent his night honing his already impressive elven senses. He managed to catch sight and follow, by ear and eye, a small dragonfly across the dark canopy. There is still a lot to hone, but the basics have been mastered.
[1/5 long rests for Alert feat]. Dio didn't follow Elisa to their sleeping spot, remaining behind to 'mingle'. As the party grew he managed to catch many social inflections that would otherwise be hidden to untrained eyes. The fallout of a romantic joust between two mercenaries, the painful memories of a Lathanderite surfacing as he talked about his youth. But there is still more training ahead. [1/5 long rests for Observant feat].

Faith instead took her time to pray and meditate. Away from the bright campfire it is easier to calm oneself and find that center where her powers dwell. She is bathed by that bright, warm feeling as the night grows old. Faith could learn to access this place and perhaps even channel it for her cause, with a bit more time and dedication. [1/5 long rests for creative breakthrough].

As for Athelras and Eliza, they spent what time they wanted for themselves and went to bed for an early night. Athelras managed to follow some tracks outside of camp when he was doing guard, but the sound of drinking and the smell of fat burning in the fire pits told him a story of drunk pissers stumbling into the woods for relief. In Eliza's case it wasn't really hard to slip away. The half-elven mercenaries didn't want to push for her company and the Lathanderites were a reserved and somber sort.

No one spent time enjoying themselves with the mercenaries, and the priests of Lathander were left to themselves all night.

And so the blanketing somnolence enveloped you all, even the most laborious of you five eventually found the price of resting outweighing the benefits of staying up...

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~~1~~

The day starts not with a calm sunrise, but with a literal bang. You five were either asleep soundly under the carts, in the case of Eliza and Dio, meditating in your own spots in the case of the elven hunters, or sleeping in the tree tops like a wild bat in the case of Faith. But you all woke up together the moment one of the carts blew up in flames!

The light and the heat were enough to kick you into combat mode, helped along by the Marshall’s shouting voice. You are under attack! Someone inside the woods wielding powerful magics is flinging flame and fire at the caravan. To top it off you all can hear guttural battle cries, a sound you are all too familiar with; Goblins.

[Everyone is awake. Elisa and Dio are together, Devis and Athelras are by themselves inside the camp, and Faith is alone in the treeline. Since your rest was stopped short by the assault some of you will have a level of fatigue. Dio and Faith spent most of their night training, so they didn't rest properly. Devis did too, but being an elf allows him to meditate for only a few hours instead of sleeping. Roll initiative. Dio and Faith with disadvantage.]

Athelras initiative from Discord `d20+5` = (17)+5 = 22

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Devis Duskrun Level 5 Sharpshooter | HP: 30/30 | AC: 16 | PP: 16 The heat of the flames breaks Devis out of his meditative trance. He quickly rises to his feet, bow in hand and peers into the tree line looking for enemies. Spoiler: OOC Round 1 Show Free Action: Perception check to spot enemies - [roll0] (free action only this time due to DM ruling) If enemies are spotted Devis will move/stealth to a spot within Longbow Range (150 ft) of any enemy. If no enemy is spotted Devis will still move and stealth to a hidden location where he can shoot from. Action Stealth Check to hide: [roll1]

Athelras is startled out of his meditation by the blast. He rolls to his feet and quickly looks for a threat. Seeing his brother take up a firing position as the familiar sounds of goblins register to him he reaches inward, gathering dark energies, his hands glowing with unholy fire, awaiting a goblin to make itself shown and be ripped apart by the blast.

Spoiler: Actions

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Readying an action to fire eldritch blast at the first goblin to show its ugly head.

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The elves are the fastest to respond and stand to attention. Devis quickly finds a hidden spot inside the naked top of a toppled tree. He is the first to make sight of the enemy. A group of seven goblins appear from the treelines on this side of the camp and break past the line of mercenaries and Lathanderites. They charge into the carts with crude clubs and strange, reflective shields. There is still no sight of whoever was casting fireballs on the caravan.

The first one to see them is Devis, but Altheras strikes first.

[Athelras has 2 attack actions because he readied his attack last turn. Devis is hidden and has a vantage point (advantage on attacks and has full cover until revealed)]

Seeing the goblins break through the trees Athelras lets loose the dark energies he's been holding back

Spoiler: Actions

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Targeting a goblin each.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]

[roll4]
[roll5]

[roll6]
[roll7]