[4E] A City Alone IC I

[Nightgaun7]

Spoiler

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Green Hag is slid to Q19

Hags are by no means weak, despite their appearance - a fact driven home as the elderly, shriveled hag you first saw skips through the area of Draj's spell and past DEN and Sven while humming a lilting off-key melody. A touch of her staff compels Sathris to attack Kriv; struggle as he might, the kenku can't prevent his limbs from dancing to the hag's tune.

Sven struggles to balance at the edge of the pit. Were it not for the vines twining round his legs, the clumsy former comrade would probably have toppled in already. He manages to avoid falling, but is still in a precarious position.

Spoiler

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Sven stands from prone.
Sven saves from Daze
Sven fails to save from Restrained

Wizened Hag moves from C19 to I16
Wizened Hag charges to O16
Wizened Hag attacks Sathris; take 10 damage and make a melee basic as a free action against Kriv. I'll let you roll for it.

Turn 3, Sathris and DEN.

[Gavran]

Sathris

Moving under the hag's compulsion, Sathris lashes out at his captain, catching him off guard and scoring a small cut. When her control fades, he spins to face her, a cold look in his eyes. "That is enough from you, witch!" He twists free of the entangling vines and launches a furious assault at the twisted creature, forgoing grace and subtlety in an attempt to incapacitate her.

Spoiler: OOC

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MBA on Kriv:
Attack: (1d20+15)[26]
Damage: (1d4+7)[8]

Standard:
Knockout Wizened Hag:
Attack: (1d20+15)[31]
Damage: (2d4+10)[2][1](13)

Weakened ends
Save against Restrained (1d20)[15]

[Laserlight]

DEN hesitates, uncertain how Sven's condition changes his mission objective.
"Commander, Should We Destroy Unit Sven Query".

Spoiler

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Delay initiative until I get an answer to that.

[Meltheim]

Kriv

Kriv shouts to DEN over the cacophony of battle, "Knock him out if you can, kill him if you have to! Draj might be able to help him in some way when this is all over!"

[Laserlight]

DEN

Kriv
"Knock him out if you can, kill him if you have to!"

Analysis: Force preservation now takes priority over objective "rescue Unit Sven". Lethal force: Authorized.

Spoiler: OOC

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MOVE: none
ATTACK: Sven with Weapon Master Strike, +15 vs AC + 2 for his "grants CA" +1 Warforged Tactics (1d20+18)[4](22); target is Marked
Damage: 2d6+12 (2d6+12)[4][1](17)
Extra dice for Brutal, if required: (3d6)[1][1][1](3)
MINOR: none
SAVE vs Restrained: (1d20)[9](9)

The war machine doesn't bother moving; he merely jams his blade into the monster's thigh to make sure he keeps its attention on him, and away from the rest of the Stormcrows.

[Nightgaun7]

The green hag retreats just out of arms reach, then quickly weaves a spell. As she finishes, the vines trying to grab hold of anything in their reach suddenly get a lot more active. Sven is tangled enough that they bother him little, and Grigor just manages to avoid their renewed assault, but the rest are not so lucky, and a startled gasp is heard from the pit. The vines even strike the wizened hag slumped next to Sathris, a hard blow painful enough to revive her.

The naked hag finally overcomes Draj's spell and moves towards him with hate in her eyes. The sailor near Draj inches forward, reluctant to fight such a creature but clearly determined enough to help him.

Spoiler

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Green Hag shifts to R20

Green Hag makes a burst 2 attack centered on O16, vs all creatures in burst.
Misses Sven (by a whisker)
Hits Wizened Hag
Hits DEN
Hits Sathris
Hits Kriv
Misses Grigor

If hit, take 20 damage.

It also creates a zone that lasts EoE. The zone is difficult terrain unless you have forest walk, and you take 5 damage for each square of movement in the zone.

Beautiful Hag moves to H15
Saves from Mirage Arcana finally

Sailor 1 moves to H13

Turn 3, Hakka Draj and Kriv

[Rakaydos]

Throwing another spell toward the melee, Draj turned toward the naked hag, twirling his staff as he passed the sailor and stepped up to his challanger. Runed Leather armor creaking as the caster held the edge of the delusion, which even now would distract the hag, leaving her open.

The spell erupted into a pillar of light, blinding Sven and the Wizened hag.

Spoiler

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Radient Pillar at N16- Zone burst 1 UEoNT, creatures are blinded while within zone. Creatures affected are Sven and WH
Move to G14
Contingency: If hit, Staff of Defence for +5 to defenses

[Wdwune]

Hakka

One bolt is fired from the smoke damaging the Beautiful Hag on one leg, difficulting both his concentration and movement due to the pain.

Immediately after, another one is headed towards Sven.

Spoiler: What Hakka did

Show

Even if Hakka couldn't see well behind the smoke screen, he judged the silhouettes and somehow realized the naked female humanoid was no longer under Draj's control. She's dangerous, and the thri-kreen needs to stop her, or keep her at bay while the rest of the teammates worry about Sven.

He fired a bolt aimed at the leg of the beautiful hag, then reloads and fires a second bolt towards Sven aimed at a vital point. It was a difficult thing to do, but the effort is worth trying.

He moves away from his current position and hides next to the rock wall, staying completely still.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Standard: Disruptive Shot vs Beautiful Hag (1/3 uses remaining)
· (1d20+17)[31] vs AC (15 base, +2 CA)
· Hit: (1d8+10)[11] dmg (8 base, +2 stance) and target is dazed (save ends)
· Miss: Half dmg and target is slowed until the end of my next turn.

Free: Reload crossbow

Minor: Swiftshot Crossbow item power, make a RBA vs Sven
· (1d20+17)[33] vs AC (15 base, +2 CA)
· Hit: (1d8+12)[14] dmg (10 base, +2 stance) and I use Sneak of Shadows feat to add (2d6)[6] extra damage

Free: Reload crossbow

Move: Sneak swiftly from N4 to G6 and hide.
· Stealth: (1d20+14)[29] (16 base, +2 stance, +1 gear, -5 movement)

[Meltheim]

Kriv

Kriv sees Sven wobbling on his feet, and bashes the abomination with the flat of his blade, knocking him unconscious

"Sathris, pull it together!" he shouts to his ally, hoping to rally the Kenku.

Spoiler

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Standard: Intuitive Strike vs Sven

Attack: (1d20+15)[14](29) vs Will
Hit: (1d8+4)[2](6) damage. Until SoNT-Kr4, the next ally who attacks the target and has combat advantage against it gains a +2 power bonus to the attack roll.

Note: I want to knock him out, not kill him.

Minor: Inspiring Word on Sathris

Sathris gets to spend a Healing Surge and gets the following benefits:

1. Healing Surge Value (15) + 2d6 + 7 hit points = (2d6+22)[29]
2. Roll a Saving Throw
3. +1 bonus to attack with ranged/area OR +1 bonus to defend against ranged/area until end of my next turn.
4. Shift 1 OR gain +2 bonus to AC & Reflex until the start of their next turn

[Nightgaun7]

The old crone, having been rudely awakened, leaps to her feet in an impressive display of dexterity for such a decrepit-looking creature. Nearly tripping over Sven lying next to her, she screeches, "Get up, lazy bones!" and whacks him on the shoulder with her knobby staff. The brute moans and stirs, but for now does little beyond shake and shudder.

With a sigh of disgust, she once more begins weaving a spell, her magic apparently unhindered by the pulsing glow of Draj's spell. Kriv feels a burning pain in his leg and a coldness in his arm - places the hag has been injured.

Spoiler

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Wizened Hag gets up from prone
Wizened Hag attacks Kriv and hits; until the end of the encounter, as long as Kriv is within 10 of the hag, he takes 10 psychic damage whenever the hag takes any damage.

Turn 4, Sathris and DEN

[Gavran]

Sathris

Spoiler: OOC - Inspiring Word

Show

Heal 29
+1 to defense against ranged/area

As the decrepit creature rises to her feet, Sathris recognizes that his opportunity to go for the killing blow has slipped away. As the vines begin trashing about, Sathris turns to face the younger hag who seems to be controlling them. Though the lashing vines manage to strike him, he escapes their reach and circles around her, hoping to catch her off balance with a quick slash of his blade, but she manages to evade the strike.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move: Walk to S18, taking 5 damage
Standard: Deft Strike
- move to R21, provoking at R19 and R20, yadda yadda +8 ac +4 nads
- Attack: (1d20+17)[19] Add +3 with CA
- Damage: (1d4+10)[11] Add +1 and (2d8+4)[2][5](11) with CA

[Laserlight]

DEN easily tears free of the roots and moves to protect the team's caster from the hag, his metal soles ringing on the stone. He catches the hag from behind and lands a heavy blow.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

MOVE: M18 to I16
ATTACK: Weapon Master Strike on BH
15 vs AC +2 (CA) +1 (Warforged Tactics) (1d20+18)[10](28)
Damage: (2d6+12)[1][5](18)
Extra Brutal dice (4d6)[2][3][3][6](14)
Target is marked, target provokes OAs when it shifts.

Open File Battle Cries
RandomSelect

"Hakkaa Paalle."

[Nightgaun7]

The nude woman gasps for air, winded and bleeding from the warforged warrior's surprise attack, lets loose a furious, mind-piercing scream that DEN away with a wave of mystic force. Draj barely manages to repel the blast with a burst from his staff. As DEN tumbles backwards, the hag claws at Draj, determined to take down the one responsible for the mental assault she suffered earlier.

On the other side of the pit, Grigor presses the attack to aid Sathris. Landing a sword-stroke, he cries, "She's weak, take her down!"

The hag retreats, trying to dodge more blows, and conjures up yet another peril. Some of the vines still questing for something to grab a hold of suddenly extend themselves towards Grigor and unleash a torrent of spores that swiftly cover everything around the unfortunate half-elf. He succumbs to the spores, choking and clawing at his throat. Sathris and Kriv weather the haze of spores somewhat better, but it stills makes their eyes water and throats tighten.

The sailor next to Draj manages to land a glancing blow on the hag attacking Draj with his boarding pike.

Spoiler

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Beautiful Hag makes a close burst 5 vs Will (fear, psychic)
Hits DEN, 17 damage, pushed to N21 and immobilized, save ends. Make a save to avoid falling into the pit. (move yourself back to the edge of the pit if you make it)
Hits Draj, Staff of Defense triggers, attack misses.
Misses Sailor 1

Beautiful Hag uses an Action Point to attack Draj.
Hits, 21 damage, Hag shifts to J17

Beautiful Hag fails to save against Daze.

Green Hag moves from R20 to U18, provoking OAs from Grigor and Sathris. Grigor hits for 14, Gavran you can roll for Sathris and apply damage since I don't think you have anything that will stop her moving.

Green Hag makes a burst 2 attack centered on R19
Hits Sathris, 22 poison damage (i know you have something that might mitigate this)
Crits Grigor, 31 poison damage
Hits Kriv, 22 poison damage.
(I kid you not, I rolled 22 all three times before remembering you rolled each attack separately and damage once)
Effect: The burst creates a zone of lightly obscured squares that lasts until the end of the hag’s next turn. Any creature that ends its turn in the zone takes 10 poison damage. Zone is indicated by squares with a purple outline.

Sailor 1 shifts to H14 and attacks Beautiful Hag, hits for 12 damage.

Turn 4, Kriv Draj and Hakka to go.

[Gavran]

Sathris

As the hag turns to fall back from Grigor's and his combined attacks, Sathris lunges forward to capitalize on her distraction. At his best against a careless foe, he succeeds in wounding the creature, and sets himself up to take advantage of her injury later.

Spoiler: OA

Show

Attack: (1d20+21)[29]
Damage: (1d4+8)[12]
Sneak Attack: (2d8+4)[1][6](11)
Opportunity Knocks: target grants CA to me ueont if hit.

[Wdwune]

Hakka

Hakka quickly stashes the crossbow and draws one of his bows. Having now the beautiful hag in sight, he fires an arrow towards her, aiming at her knee to make her lose balance and fall to the ground, but unfortunately the hag dodges the projectile.

Then Hakka moves next to the pile of gear and hides there as he looks for his next target.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Minor: Swiftshot Crossbow item power, make a RBA vs Wizened Hag
· (1d20+17)[32] vs AC (15 base, +2 CA)
· Hit: (1d8+12)[16] dmg (10 base, +2 stance)

Free: Multiple Arms, change weapon to Duelist's Longbow

Standard: Clever Shot vs Beautiful Hag
· (1d20+17)[19] vs AC (15 base, +2 CA)
· Hit: (1d10+14)[18] dmg (11 base, +2 stance, +1 bow specialist), target is prone, and gets a -2 penalty to ranged and area attacks until the end of my next turn.

Move: Walk from G6 to C12 and hide next to the gear pile.
· Stealth (1d20+14)[32] (16 base, +1 item, +2 stance, -5 movement)

[Rakaydos]

Draj moved between the rolling cloud and the nethermantic delusion, eyes on both nearby hags. Calling up another spell, this time an acidic cloud rolled over both hags, burning at their skin.

Move to I14
Corrosive Mist (Aburst2 K17, +2 squares (Architech staff) N16/O16
Vs B.Hag: (d20+13)[28] vs Fort,
Vs W.Hag: (d20+11)[18] vs Fort,
(2d8+4)[11] damage, creatures that start in the zone or move into the zone take 4 damage

[Meltheim]

Kriv

Reeling from the pair of attacks, Kriv trudges forward, his eyes fixed on the Green Hag. He makes a heavy, awkward slash at the creature, hoping his bravado can be her downfall.

Spoiler

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Move: Walk to T17 (take 5 damage from vines)

Standard: Provoke Overextension vs Green Hag

Attack: (1d20+15)[15](30) vs AC
Hit: (2d8+9)[16] damage, and the target must make a basic attack against you as a free action. If the basic attack misses, an ally of yours can make a basic attack against the target as a free action.

Bravura Presence: You gain a bonus to your AC against the target's basic attack equal to your Charisma modifier (5) and your ally gains the same bonus to his or her basic attack's damage roll. (5)

Note: For the purposes of GH's MBA, my AC is 30. If she misses the attack, I'd like Hakka to shoot at her (RBA) and add +5 to his damage roll.

Contingency: If GH attacks and hits me on her turn, I will trigger Vengeance Is Mine and use my Helm of Heroes to let Sathris use a Standard action and get a +2 to damage.

Vengeance is Mine: You make a basic attack against the triggering enemy, and one ally (Sathris) within 5 squares of you can move his or her speed and make a melee basic attack against the triggering enemy as a free action.

Helm of Heroes: Use this power when you grant an ally a basic attack. That ally can take a standard action instead. The ally gains a +2 power bonus to any damage rolls made during that standard action.

[Nightgaun7]

Kriv trades blows with the hag and manages to lure her forwards enough for Hakka to take a shot past the pile of foodstuffs.

Spoiler

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Take your shot, Wdwune

The white-haired crone suffers from Draj's acid spell, and Kriv feels his flesh sizzle without a drop of acid touching him. She moves closer to her sister and waves and chants. DEN's components grind slightly as he inches back towards the hag he attacked earlier.

Grigor hauls himself to his feet and stumbles towards Kriv, intent on aiding his beleaguered ally.

Spoiler

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Wizened Hag moves from O16 to L16
Wizened Hag attacks DEN and hits; until the end of the encounter or a hag or hag ally hits you, take 10 psychic damage the first time you hit a creature during each of your turns.

Grigor uses his second wind and moves to T18

Turn 5, DEN and Sathris are up

[Wdwune]

Hakka (Taking the shot Kriv granted him)

Hakka's antennae can sense the movements of the dragonborn captain. Seeing an opportunity, he quickly changes his weapon to a crossbow, loads it, aims, and fires a bolt to the green hag who's at long range.

Unfortunately, at that distance the precision is limited.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Free: Multiple Arms, switch to Swiftshot Crossbow

Free: Load crossbow.

Free: RBA vs Green Hag
· (1d20+15)[24] vs AC (15 base, +2 CA (Hidden Sniper), -2 long range)
· Hit: (1d8+12)[13] dmg (10 base, +2 stance)

[Gavran]

Sathris

Moving clear out of the noxious gas, Sathris sends a blade spinning past Grigor and it buries itself solidly into the hag's flesh. Once out of the haze he takes a moment to refocus and catch his breath, glaring in his enemy's direction.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Standard: Sly Flourish @ Green Hag
Attack: (1d20+17)[29]
Damage: (1d4+11)[15]
Sneak Attack: (2d8+4)[2][1](3)
(CA is from the OA I hit her with earlier.)

Action Point: Second Wind
Gain 15 HP, +2 to defenses until SoNT

[Laserlight]

DEN rolls to his feet, trudges towards the hags, and raises his hand. A burst of light flies towards them, as DEN says "HAG-DOUKEN". One hag shakes off the effect; the other unwillingly stumbles towards the combat machine. He swipes at her and hits, but his backhand slash misses.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

MOVE: Stand
STANDARD: move from M21 to K19
Action Point: Come and Get It (close burst 3, pulls targets up to 2 spaces, they end adjacent)
vs Beautiful: (1d20+14)[4](4) vs Will damage (2d6)[2][2](4)
vs Wizened: (1d20+14)[13](13) vs Will damage (2d6)[4][4](8)
Extra dice for Brutal (4d6)[5][1][6][5](17)

Extra MBA for using an AP with a Bravura warlord around
vs Wizened: (1d20+15)[7](7) vs AC, damage (2d6+9)[6][1](7)
Extra dice for Brutal (4d6)[1][6][1][4](12)

DEN takes ten psychic

[Nightgaun7]

"Go away, you horrible little people!" the green hag screeches. She whacks Kriv with her staff, like a grandmother rapping the knuckles of a naughty child, except that Kriv is sucked through the earth once more and spat back out a few yards away. That's all the space the hag needs to make a run for it. "Leave these little beasties here, sisters, the tide will get them soon enough!"

Heeding these words, the nude hag dashes towards Draj and claws at him one more time, then begins moving towards the tunnel the Stormcrows entered the cave by.

Spoiler

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Green Hag attacks Kriv and crits; 21 damage and Kriv is teleported to Q20
Green Hag moves from U18 to S10

Grigor gets an OA, misses.

Beautiful Hag takes 4 damage for starting in Corrosive Mist.
Beautiful Hag charges from J17 to H15
Beautiful Hag attacks Draj and misses (barely, thanks to DEN's mark canceling the charge bonus)
Beautiful Hag takes a free action to shift to J13
Beautiful Hag saves vs Daze

Sailor 1 attacks Beautiful Hag and hits for 9 damage

Turn 5, Kriv Hakka and Draj are go

[Rakaydos]

As the hags morale turned, Draj smiled. Gathering the threads of nethermancy, he wove a powerful spell, a nightmare that would follow the frightened hags for hours. Carefully picking out the auras of the targets, he carefully bound the spell to their essences, the let the spell loose.

Of course, it might help if he had more practice with it...

Spoiler: combat

Show

Standard action: Spook. Combat intimidate check to force hags from battle using Arcana.
Vs Beautiful hag: (d20+20)[35]-10 (hostile) vs Will
Vs Old hag: (d20+20)[23]-10 (hostile) vs Will
Vs Green hag: (d20+20)[33]-10 (hostile) vs Will

[Wdwune]

Hakka

Protect the clutch and clutchmates, for the clutch must endure.

The thri-kreen hunter sensed a disturbance in the captain's emotions, so he acts immediately, running south, jumping the pit, and applying first aid to the fallen captain, making him regain consciousness.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Minor: Change stance to Aspect of the Pouncing Lynx (+5 AC vs OA, +4 init, +2 first attack)

Move: Run from C12 to I20

Standard to Move: Mantis Jump to jump from I20 to P21

Action Point: First Aid to grant Second Wind to Kriv
· Heal (DC 10): (1d20+9)[27]

[Nightgaun7]

Kriv, despite the wounds he's suffered, manages to roll onto his side and then, with a hand from Hakka gets back on his feet. His breath labored, he croaks out, "Bring her down, Hakka."

Spoiler

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Kriv uses a move action to stand from prone
Kriv uses Direct the Strike on Hakka; make a basic attack as a free action.

[Wdwune]

Hakka

The thri-kreen hunter quickly turns his sight to the green hag as he puts his crosswbow away and draws one of his bows. In response to the captain's command, he instinctively fires an arrow to the hag.

Unfortunately, Hakka was not focused enough to perform such a hasty move.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Free: Multiple Arms, switch to Duelist's Longbow

Free: RBA vs Green Hag
· (1d20+15)[21] vs AC
· Hit: (1d10+12)[13] dmg (11 base, +1 bow expertise bonus), and target gets -2 on area and ranged attacks until the end of my next turn.

[Nightgaun7]

The crone next to DEN tries to back away, but the warforged warrior chops at her leg as she moves. Falling to the ground with a pained cry, she shoots a venomous look at him. "You may bring me down, but your leader will fall with me!" Her eyes glow and she brings her staff down in the direction of Sathris with a hasty incantation.

Spoiler

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WH moves from L18 to Q13, provokes an OA from DEN which hits for 16 damage, WH is stopped and knocked prone (remains in L18)
DEN takes 10 damage from Choked Aggression
Kriv takes 10 damage from Shared Agony [I asked him if he wanted to take it; blame him!]

WH attacks Sathris and hits misses due to Second Wind bonus.
I believe the hag does not provoke a second OA here for using a ranged attack while adjacent, or to put it another way, she does but DEN can't take it.

Grigor does something (which will be to heal Kriv) but I have to look at his sheet when I get home to check how much

Turn 6, DEN and Sathris are up.

[Laserlight]

The crone next to DEN shoots a venomous look at him. "You may bring me down, but your leader will fall with me!"

Unit DEN
"Fall Query."

He steps around and swings at the fallen hag; his blade catches on the stone floor as he seeks to shove her into the pit.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Minor: trigger Unstoppable Advance
Movement: shift from K17 to K18
Standard: attack WH with Weapon Master Strike: (1d20+17)[1](1) including 2 for Prone
Damage (2d6+12)[3][5](8) Brutal dice if needed (4d6)[1][1][1][2](5)

"You Did Not Fall Yet."

[Gavran]

Sathris

Knowing there was little he could do to aid his commander's health, Sathris takes off after the hagmother, hoping that giving chase would keep them running rather than finishing Kriv off. He sends another knife spinning in her direction as a sharp reminder of what's left here for them.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move: Walk from R21 -> S15
Standard: Sly Flourish @GH
Attack: (1d20+17)[32]
Damage: (1d4+14)[15]

[Nightgaun7]

The green hag limps towards the passage to the sea as quickly as she can, blood dripping onto the floor as she goes. As she reaches the mouth of it, she turns for a moment and scatters a handful of little puffballs behind her, which release another cloud of spores.

The naked hag, though clearly inclined to flee, hesitates as she sees her sister at DEN's feet and screams "Leave her alone or I'll rip you apart!"

Spoiler

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GH moves to S2
GH uses a burst 2 centered on R5; the burst creates a zone of lightly obscured squares that lasts until the end of the hag’s next turn. Any creature that ends its turn in the zone takes 10 poison damage.

BH moves to N10
BH uses Total Defense

Turn 6, Kriv Hakka and Draj are go