Forgotten Realms Red Hand of Doom

[Karsh]

Elsir Vale. A comparatively unremarkable stretch of Faërun, all things considered. For now.

It is midsummer; the stifling heat and humidity of the vale make even the simplest of tasks uncomfortable at best, and unbearable at worst. The afternoon sun beats down upon six adventurers, brought together by chance and traveling with one another for convenience to Dennovar, the closest thing to a capitol of the Elsir Vale region.

The sparsely settled lands of Elsir Vale are starting to grow monotonous. The safest and most direct route into the vale from the west was along an old trail that ran right alongside the Elsir River. It was convenient, if boring. The Wyrmsmoke Mountains looming in the north have finally given way to forest, while the south remains nothing more than nearly featureless grasslands.

Judging from the map one of the adventurers Boz carried, the small town of Drellin's Ferry was not more than a mile or two to the north -- the long journey to civilization was nearing an end.

((Feel free to talk with one another IC for a few posts before I progress further.))

[Syka]

Sihaya

Both Sihaya and her companion, Mur, walk with their mouths open to help facilitate their bodies cooling down. One unfortunate side effect of her fur was that she remained quite warm and without the same sweat glands to regulate temperture as her human friends had. Other than the open mouth, Sihaya does not show any other signs of weariness or fatigue from the weather.

Periodically, she takes sips from her waterskin and offers the same to Mur, who accepts eagerly. Unlike normal, Sihaya is not talking much unless spoken to, probably to keep her mouth from becoming drier. And as for her position in the group, she tries to stay toward the front* of the group, keeping distance between herself and the goblin that is traveling with them. It was against her better judgment to travel with such a one as him, but safety was in numbers- even if Sihaya didn't fully trust all of the number.


((*Or behind. It depends on where you want Zhimnick to be. :) ))

[Morty]

Zhimnick is marching in the middle of the group, where it's safest. He's in a foul mood, since despite being used to travelling, the heat gets to him. And the treatment he gets from at least some members of the team doesn't help a bit. Damn this human-fox thing. And damn those savage idiots who give goblins a bad name and make his work harder. Well, he's going to show them all, unless they slit his throat first.

[Annalia]

Munnon

Walking beside Sihaya, Munnon remained silent and focused on bearing the heat. She wore her heavy armour proudly, even though it made the day that much harder to deal with. To Munnon, however, a good protection was sacred and heat was not important enough for her to warrant even removing the helm.

And so, taking one proud step after another, Munnon endured the heat and walked on. She would deserve a good beer this night.

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*looks around* I claim Brown as speech colour! It would feel too weird otherwise.

[Kantolin]

Peldan Boz

"How'd that one go... 'No one can better bask in summer's balm than those who have endured winter's bite.' But with this heat, maybe an extention's needed... ah, something like, 'And those who witness the elegance of snow can best withstand the heat of the day', hah."

The tall half-orc was in a relatively pleasant mood - he usually was. He was muscular, skin the light green color of grass. His deep blue vest was left open due to the heat, and he somewhat regretted wearing his similarly colored trousers and not something more akin to shorts, but hey - he didn't let it bother him.

He hadn't in awhile, so he checked his map, stating his finds aloud. "Hey, should be an hour tops to Drogen's Ferry - er, Drellin's Ferry, Drellin. 'least, depending on how accurate this map is, heh. Seems to have served us well thus far though, eh? I know I could use a change of scenery."

His oversized, batlike ears shifted towards sounds as he took a gulp from his waterskin. It then occured to him - he figured that the others had dealt with it, given they were still traveling next to a river, but he'd learned to at least glance to ensure nobody was thirsty, but too eagerly walking to stop, especially while he had his waterskin out.

[Bandededed]

Tyr was enjoying himself, despite the heat; it wasn't every day that he ended up in a group that was more pleasant than not. The half-orc next to him, Peldan Boz, was quite the traveling companion, talkative and chummy, and Tyr quite liked to listen.

When Boz took a moment to drink from his skin, Tyr slipped into the conversation. "Isn't part of traveling seeing the scenery? If it changed too often, we wouldn't appreciate it so when it did,"

He smiled then, and added with a chuckle, "Of course, were it to change unexpectedly and often, then we'd be in Limbo, and we'd have better things to worry about, I would think,"

[Syka]

Sihaya

The fox-woman's ears swivel at the new conversation. She widens her mouth in a grin, "Well, as it's a ferry, as long as we keep to the river we should find it no problem, eh?"

In a quieter voice, Sihaya looks to Munnon, "How are you hanging in there, friend? Need a drink or a breather from that stifling metal cage you call armor?" The teasing in her voice is affectionate from the days they spent on the road before finding the others, and the concern real for the androgynous woman she's come to call her friend, a title not easily gained from an Anuchu, despite Sihaya's friendliness in general.

Cheers~

[Kantolin]

Peldan Boz

Boz laughed, his jovial voice ringing clearly over the stream. He ran one hand across his sweating forehead as he responded, "Haha, true, very true, Tyr. Gotta remember that one... simple, but gets the point across, y'know?"

He pondered for a fraction of a moment at the word 'Limbo' - he'd heard of it before in various stories, but not really much more. His mind, however, shifted towards the fox-woman's response, which caused him to chuckle once more. "Ha, I hope so. Could be something like, 'this is where a man named Drellin stopped to transport people to safety', or something amusing like that. I've given up pretending I understand human names - not that others are any more clear. Sure hope they have some good drink, though." He added, the last being almost an afterthought.

He glanced around as Sihaya turned to the quiet Boz-assumed-was-a-man. He couldn't read the goblin's mood very well - he seemed somewhat angry, but it was hard to tell at who - uncomfortable heat didn't exactly make most people pleasant.

And the dwarf - dwarves and elves had the distinctive feature of tending to not like orcs. Boz hadn't really met a dwarf until his travels had begun, but he'd learned to keep an ear out when one's around.

Not to mention the man - was it Mhenmon? Something like that - he'd have to ask later, cement it into his head. Either way, he also remained silent - but he seemed to know Sihaya, thus Boz assumed if he was irritated, he at least had someone to fall back on.

But first things first. He held his waterskin vaguely towards Tyr. "Hey, you thirsty?"

[Morty]

Bleh. I couldn't care less for the scenery, I just wish the sun weren't blazing so much. And I hope this ferry is still there when we get to the river. Zhimnick isn't drinking, he's saving the water for when he really needs it.

[Annalia]

Munnon

"I am well, Sihaya." Munnon answered in a deep voice. "The armour is heavy, true, but it does offer shades. That is more than you can say about your fur."

Although it couldn't be seen, Sihaya was used enough to Munnon to hear the smile at her words.

[Bandededed]

With his hand halfway into his backback when Boz offers, Tyr smiles and shakes his head at him as he drags his own water skin out. "Thanks though," he says as he takes a swallow from his.

Then he makes a face. "Bleagh. Warm. Figures," He sighs as he puts it away.

Tyr looks at Zhimnick when he complains. "Well, if you don't enjoy the scenery or the heat, travel would just be miserable," Try says, smiling again. "There just isn't much else that happens on the road," he adds with a shrug

[Karsh]

The road you are traveling on crests a small rise and descends into a dusty grove in a large, shallow dell. An abandoned farmhouse, partially visible through the trees, stands on one side of the road. You've passed a dozen spots much like this one already today, but this one feels... wrong.

Then Ulfinn, Sihaya, and Munnon notice the glint of mail through the brush by the side of the road. Fierce warriors--hobgoblins--spring up as if in reply to Tyr's statement and nock arrows in their bows, loosing them at the party!

((Initiative and actions, please. There will be a surprise round in which Ulfinn, Sihaya, Munnon, and the Hobgoblins will act before the normal round begins. Please indicate the coordinates of the square that you're moving to if you do. See the map below. Lower case m is Sihaya's animal companion, uppercase M is Munnon.

The slopes of the trail are steep inclines overgrown with brush; it costs 4 squares of movement to move 1 square up them because it is so difficult.))

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[Morty]

Zhimnick is surprised by the attack, so he doesn't respond immediately.
Intitative for when the surprise round ends: (1d20+3)[18]

[Annalia]

Munnon

"Enemies. Be careful." Munnon stated as she caught the glimpse her steel, her voice taking an urgent tone. The hobgoblins had bows, so she would have to take the fight to them. Slowly, Munnon began climbing the slopes.

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Darn that terrain. Munnon will take her entire move action to draw the ranseur out and move to F12.
Initiative - (1d20+1)[5]
Should any hobs, for a reason or another, provoke an Attack of Opportunity, Munnon will take it.
AoOifany - (1d20+10)[22], Damage - (2d4+6)[10]

[Bandededed]

Tyr starts and curses at Munnon's warning, but the hobgoblins act before he has the chance to draw or loose.

Figures, he thinks

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"Initiative" - (1d20+7)[9]
I think the forum roller hates me

[Syka]

Sihaya

Sihaya and Mur both stop where they are, both sets of ears pricked forward. At the glint of metal and the sound of nocking bows, Sihaya prepares her own long bow. As Munnon takes off to the bugbears, Sihaya lets fly her arrow at the closest target to give her friend cover.

Mur slinks to the side of the path for cover, waiting for a command from Sihaya or for a bugbear to come closer.

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Mur in in H12 now, I think.


Sihaya's Rolls (woo, a dice roller likes me)
Init: (1d20+4)[23]
Attack: (1d20+8)[23]
Damage: (1d8+3)[10]

[Kantolin]

Peldan Boz

The half-orc jerked up, his ears alerting him to the hobgoblins, albeit too late to respond immediately. His hand shifted to the scimitar at his side as his eyes caught up to what his ears had told him.

"Ey, whazzis? If yer looking for an easy mark, you've picked the wrong wanderers, y'know."

An eye strayed to the goblin amongst their ranks. After all, unlike orcs, humans frequently hesitated before fighting their kin - so why not goblins?

But honestly, he had trouble keeping the excitement out of his voice from his remark. His adrenaline was beginning to rush, blood beginning to rush beneath his skin. A fight!

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Initiative: (1d20+2)[8]

[Waspinator]

Ulflinn, who has not been very talkative due to not wanting to reveal his past to strangers, spots the ambushers relatively early. He mutters to himself and, with a few quick hand movements, uses Entropic Warding.

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Initiative: (1d20+2)[10]

[Karsh]

Surprise Round

Sihaya looses an arrow into the forest to the northwest and is rewarded for her efforts by a yell of pain. The hobgoblins were just as predictable as their smaller, green kin, and she found that the knowledge she had developed in fighting the goblins would be of great use in this fight as well.

In response, five of the hobgoblins along the road loose their arrows at the party, peppering them with yellow-fletched arrows with wicked heads. An arrow slams into Sihaya's left shoulder, piercing the skin and tearing muscle, but the wound is not deep. A second arrow glances off of Munnon's full plate, unable to pierce the magically hardened steel nor find a chink in the armor to strike.

Even as Boz shouts at the hobgoblins, he is forced to duck as an arrow streaks over his head and embeds itself in the escarpment to his south. Tyr is caught completely unawares, and a lucky shot from one of the remaining hobgoblins catches him hard in the chest. He couldn't be sure, but judging from the light-headedness and pain in his chest, as well as the difficulty breathing, the arrow may have pierced a lung.

A final arrow strikes Ulflinn's shoulder dealing superficial damage.

The sixth hobgoblin pulls a potion from his belt and shouts to Zhimnick in goblin, "Oy, you there! Goblin! Help us out against these softskins!"

Ulflinn casts his ward too late for the spell to protect him this time, but he would now have a better chance against further attacks.

Munnon scrambles up the escarpment with little additional difficulty.

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Sihaya hits and deals 12 damage to the hobgoblin in K8 -- Hobgoblins are goblinoids, so her favored enemy bonus applies on damage. Sihaya is hit by an arrow and takes 4 damage.

Tyr takes a critical hit for 21 damage, but there's no other mechanical difficulty for having a pierced lung. Who knows why?

Ulflinn takes 3 damage.

Also, just for reference, the forest provides concealment and has a decent amount of undergrowth, so forested squares are difficult terrain requiring 2 squares to move through.

Round 1 Map

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[Syka]

Sihaya

Sihaya grunts as her shoulder is impacted by the arrow but shakes the pain off for now. She focuses her ears in the direction of the hobgoblin she had hit previously, and looses another arrow in it's direction. Once the arrow is let to it's flight, she nocks another arrow and lets it fly as well (either to the same hobgoblin if she didn't hear any encouraging death-sounds or to another if she does).

Mur, meanwhile, climbs the embankment after Munnon to go after the closest hobgoblin. She recognized the scent and knows that smell means Enemy.

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Attack 1: (1d20+6)[7]
Damage 1: (1d8+5)[12]
Attack 2: (1d20+5)[24]
Damage 2: (1d8+5)[11]

Both attack rolls are -2 using Rapid Shot, so I used +6 for the first and +5 for the second. The second I think was using the straight up ranged BAB, not the TAB. If it should use the TAB, add an additional point.

Sihaya is down to 26 HP.

ETA: Ouch, crit fail on the first attack. >< Watch her shoot her foot or something...Ugh.

[Morty]

I'd rather stay on the winning team shovelhead, shouts Zhimnick and casts a spell to put two of the hobgoblins to sleep.
Cast Sleep on O12.

[Annalia]

Munnon

As the first flight of arrow lands through the party, Munnon presses on into the forest. She would not let this hobgoblin scum get another full volley at her companions and, should they try, they would taste her guisarme.

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Munnon will step to E13. If I count that right, she could reach both hobgoblins from there, and thus would take any AoO given from either moving or attempting to shoot.

Meanwhile, I'll also attack the one in C12, with Power Attack -2/+4.
AttackRoll - (1d20+8)[21], Damage - (2d4+10)[16]
AoOifAny - (1d20+8)[12], Damage - (2d4+10)[15]

HP: 61/61, AC 20

[Kantolin]

Peldan Boz

The half-orc laughed - not quite the jovial apathy of a moment before, but still full of energy. "Well then! It'd be rude to dissapoint, eh?"

He stepped forward. "If they thought they could win in a straight fight, they wouldn't be keeping to the road, huh? Haha, this won't take long."

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With Perform(oratory), using inspirational boost, and then inspire courage, granting everyone a +2 to hit and damage.

Figuring Munnon is heading down, Boz will head for E-11

Edit: I see I took too long on the 'posting message' screen, heh. Still, same move works out.

[Bandededed]

Tyr is forced backwards a step, and takes a fraction of a second trying to determine what hit him. Then he notices the arrow sticking out of his chest; the pain follows.

Is that an arrow in my chest? It hurts... It hurts! Get it out get it out getitoutgetitoutgetit -

He pulls out the arrow. Ow...

He gets angry then. It's been a while since he's been randomly ambushed on the road, and even longer since someone had shot him in the chest

As his vision clears and his breath comes just a bit easier, he spies the nearest Hobgoblin. "You orange sonofa...," he begins as he darts up the hill, but before he can get two steps the hobgoblin is slain.

Rather than pull up short, Tyr continues running for the cover of the trees, and whips out his bow. Let's see how they like my arrows he thinks with a fierce grin.

[Waspinator]

While he was not badly hurt, the injury of Ulflinn's current travelling companion makes him realize that these enemies really do mean to do their worst. With a grimace crossing his face due to not liking to use his magic in front of others, he unleashes a blast of magical energy at the nearest hobgoblin.

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Touch Attack roll: (1d20+5)[17]
Damage: (3d6)[16]

[Karsh]

Sihaya nocks another arrow into her bow, but when she goes to draw it back, a stabbing pain in her shoulder from the arrow causes her arm to spasm and she drops the arrow. The hobgoblin in the forest begins to laugh as she quickly retrieves a second arrow, and its laughter is almost instantly transformed into a gurgling sound as its throat is transfixed by the second arrow. The potion drops from the hobgoblin's hand and he slumps to the ground, blood gushing from his throat wound.

Zhimnick begins casting his spell.

The hobgoblin in J17 shouts, "KULKOR ZHUL! Uth-lar ertala sig-h!." He is answered by a shout coming from the farmhouse: "Kulkor Zhul!"

The remaining 5 hobgoblins nock arrows and loose them once more. Two at Sihaya, one at Zhimnick, one at Tyr, and one at Munnon. One arrow shot at Sihaya flies wide, while the second nearly strikes before the barrier provided by her bracers flashes and deflects the arrowhead at the last instant. The hobgoblin nearest Zhimnick shouts in goblin "Traitor!" before firing an arrow that grazes his face, leaving a long gash along one cheek. The hobgoblin in N11, who was responsible for shooting Tyr in the chest, nocks another arrow and fires, but Tyr easily deflects this arrow. As Munnon trudges up the escarpment, the hobgoblin nearest her fires an arrow straight into her side, the arrowhead lodging itself in her ribs.

You hear an infernal roar from down the road, and two fell Hell Hounds bound into view, flames licking about their mouths. One charges down the road right up to Sihaya, growling menacingly at her, while the other charges down the path to the farmhouse, also dashing headlong towards the party.

Another hobgoblin wearing light armor and wielding two shortswords comes charging down the farmhouse path, as well.

Ulflinn hurls a bolt of eldritch energy at the nearest hobgoblin, and with a flash of purple-green light, the hobgoblin slumps to the ground, its face blackened and scorched by the blast.

Tyr scrambles up the escarpment on the north edge of the trail, taking cover among the trees to gain a better vantage point for the rest of the fight.

Boz bolsters the party's morale with his tough talk and, seeing that the hobgoblin he was moving to engage is now dying, he instead heads down the road to engage the other, new enemies.

Munnon climbs the rest of the escarpment and, with a mighty swing of her guisarme, opens a huge gash in the chest of the remaining hobgoblin. He looks at her with a pained expression before dropping to the ground, dying.

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Sihaya manages to kill the hobgoblin in K8.

Zhimnick takes 2 damage and needs to make a concentration check of DC 12 to avoid losing his spell. Munnon takes 8.

The hobgoblin in C12 is dying from Ulflinn's attack.

The hobgoblin in F15 is dying from Munnon's attack.

Don't forget to include the +2 to attacks and damage from Boz's Inspire Courage effect from now on.

Round 2 Map

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[Morty]

I always forget that Sleep takes one round to cast.
Concentration check: (1d20+7)[16]
Zhimnick grits his teeth as the arrow hits him, but it doesn't interrupt his spellcasting.

[Kantolin]

Peldan Boz

Boz had to remind himself to activate his badge. It was useful to do so, he'd been taught to do so, but it was very easy to forget completely about it in the heat of battle.

Still, he smiled as the fierce guisarme did his job for him. Impressive style, too - these people were, indeed, very skilled. "Haha, nice! So, then..."

He moved south, scimitar at the ready.

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Activating badge of valor. Inspire courage is now at +3 (which is where it caps out for me).

I'd like to get to I-16, but I think I'm confused about the amount of movement it requires. I believe the route is H14 -> H15 -> I16, which I believe is two squares of movement each step. If this is true, I'll swing then. If H15 takes four squares of movement, then I'll stop just out of his reach (And thus not swing). Sorry - I'm a little unfamiliar with difficult terrain, but it does make things notably more interesting.

In case I am capable of attacking:
Attack: (1d20+11)[13]
Damage: (1d20+7)[9]
Edit: (Whoops, rolled the wrong damage number. Fixed in next post)

Edit2: Instead of going to I-16, doublemoving to K-16 instead, thus disregard the above attack.

[Kantolin]

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Whoops... scimitars do not do 1d20 damage. My mistake.

Damage: (1d6+7)[8]

[Annalia]

Munnon

Munnon glanced down at the arrow in her ribs. It wasn't a tiny stick of wood that would stop her - especially when so many enemies came running. She needed to return to the road quickly and she knew how she would.

She closed her eyes for a split second and reached to the undying ancestral essence that inhabited her. She knew earth; stone and mud and sand were all a part of her. The time had come to let its power flow.

Smiling under her helm, Munnon ran towards the road. Ground seemed to lift under each of her steps, pushing aside underbrush to let her pass. The steep slope temporarily smoothened under her feet as she strode down it and headed for the center of the road - where she promptly swung full-strength at a hound.

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I suddenly find my low init very disappointing. I know things will have moved around before I get there. Still, in 'case' they don't...

Munnon will use Earth Devotion as an immediate action, allowing her to ignore difficult terrain. She then charges to L16 and strikes the hound on N17. She'll take any AoO too.

Attacks at PA -5/+10, with Bardic Music +3
AttackRoll - (1d20+10)[17], Damage - (2d4+19)[22]
AoOifAny - (1d20+10)[22], Damage - (2d4+19)[23]

Now, as things are likely to move around, here's the second direction: I'll still use Earth Devotion but instead go to I16 and attack the last archer on this side. As this isn't a charge, the attack rolls above will be two lower.