Hoard of the Dragon Queen (With a Twist) IC

[PeacefulOak]

Trick stutters for a moment, half raising a hand to stop her... and lets it fall.

"Yes, I have changed my mind. That fort may be serious trouble, but it would be seriously much worse if the Cult of the Dragon were to find what legend says lies beneath it. That cannot be allowed to happen. By myself, I'm sure I can get through the camp, but into the fort could be a challenge. If there is another route, that may be the best option."

[Esprit15]

Trick stutters for a moment, half raising a hand to stop her... and lets it fall.

"Yes, I have changed my mind. That fort may be serious trouble, but it would be seriously much worse if the Cult of the Dragon were to find what legend says lies beneath it. That cannot be allowed to happen. By myself, I'm sure I can get through the camp, but into the fort could be a challenge. If there is another route, that may be the best option."

”What could be so important that this cult cannot be allowed to find it?”

[PeacefulOak]

"Legend speaks of an ancient tome of draconic lore, the property of a powerful gold dragon who was also a skilled sorcerer. The contents of such a tome, in the hands of the Cult...."

[Esprit15]

"Legend speaks of an ancient tome of draconic lore, the property of a powerful gold dragon who was also a skilled sorcerer. The contents of such a tome, in the hands of the Cult...."

Shizuka sighs. ”Great. And I suppose they thought that it would be best to leave this tome undefended as well, rather than simply destroy it...”

[therpg5e]

With Anna leaving, all of the villagers start to follow after her that are not being supported by he other heroes. Cuth stops for a moment, looking back to the keep. “On the south side of the keep, there is a sewage pipe. It leads to the lower portions of the keep, but it is under lock and key, and the earth has grown up around it. They may not have located it yet in this night time darkness. I hope I am not giving you ideas that leads to your deaths.” with that he continues to help his wife carry the half elf.

Spoiler: Anna

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Are you going to the caves or the mill?

[PeacefulOak]

Trick quickly realizes that the less mobile are being left behind. He grabs a few of the able-bodied stragglers, and urges them to help the less mobile to allow the heroes the room to choose their path, and to defend them if necessary.

"A sewer entrance! Perfect, that should be exactly what we need. Are we in agreement then?"

[Detective]

"A tome of draconic lore?" Sylaer responds to this new information, a look of worry on his face. "This... Can prove troublesome."

He looks up to the sky for a moment, trying to estimate how much time there is until night fall. After that, his eyes go back down towards the tiefling.

"As it is now, trying to take the tome during the chaos would put a mark on our heads- If they have any way to track where the tome is, or even figure out we are holding it, we'll be outnumbered." With that in mind, he begins making his way east towards the mill as well, signalling the tiefling and the rest to come as well.

"If you want to have a chance at pulling a "grab and run", your best bet is to wait until nightfall-Even with the dragon, the keep may still survive the night to make this a battle of attrition. Sneaking in and out while both sides are licking their wounds could work."

[therpg5e]

Sylaer assists Anna move off to the east with more of the injured.

(I need to know who is going where doing what to continue the story.)

[Esprit15]

Sylaer assists Anna move off to the east with more of the injured.

(I need to know who is going where doing what to continue the story.)

(Shizuka will be assisting Nerissa.)

[Vánagandr]

"It looks like you three can try and find and get into the sewer for now. I'll be back as soon as we get the villagers to the mill, no matter what."

Firquerail helps support one of the injured villagers and starts heading east after Anna.

[therpg5e]

Spoiler: Group Fort

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As the group that stayed about 150 feet away from the widest opening of the Fort watches on, they can see that the guards within the Fort seem to be figuring out how to stay alive... at least for the time being.

The Large Blue Dragon in the sky continues to fly overhead, but is no longer blasting the rest of the town around it. Instead, it seems to fly over the fort in big slow arcs. It is not blasting lightning every time it flies overhead. Once in a while it will, but you are guessing it is reserving and restoring its breath weapon in order to continue attacking the keep. Other then that lucky shot against the watchtower on the side of the building, the fort is now holding up a bit better.

The archers on the walls take cover and try to get away from the dragon on each swing, but otherwise the hail of arrows on the siege weapon ram below is fairly constant. After another few moments, you watch and see a sudden stream of black tar like liquid land on the Kobolds wooden planking to defend the Dragonborn below. You hear hissing, screams of pain, and steam rising from the black liquid. An archer from above fires an arrow that is flaming down on the wooden shelter the Kobolds are using, and it bursts into flames. The siege weapon ceases its ramming, as the Dragonborn and Kobolds run back to the edge of the green where the other Dragonborn are watching. You can see an uproar of yelling and hand waving between the Dragonborn that have been standing back, and the ones that were doing the attacking.

You can see a clear distinction between the large, bulky and muscular Dragonborn like the one you fought earlier, and the smaller framed Dragonborn in robes and fine clothes of silks and cottons.

You hear cheers come from the fort, before a yell comes out from the keep and they all scramble for cover as the Blud Dragon above lays down another stream of lightning breath. It does not swoop off this time however, but flaps its wings heavily before coming to a landing to the north of the talking party of Dragonborn. In its landing it crashes into a home, destroying it.

Its at that time that you start to feel the pressure of magical pressure start to build all around you. It is a new experience for many of you... but Nerissa knows this feeling. That strong magical pressure building...

See Spoiler "Magical Pressure"

(1d100)[23] I needed to see what the 1d100 rolled =) Sorry for the delay

Spoiler: Team Townsfolk

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As you lead the fledgling group of townsfolk down the street to the east, you have to stop at multiple intersections to stop and wait for a roaming party of Kobolds. The Dragonborn and Guard Drakes seem to be all focusing their attentions at the Keep now that the town has been so effectively sieged. You still see people running in the shadows. At one intersection about 200 feet to the north, you watch as a family gets run through by multiple Kobold, already dead before you can get to them. The group of 10 or so Kobold drag off the bodies to do who knows what with them. Another time, you watch as a loan Kobold chases down a child, before the little dwarf child manages to get behind its mother. The Kobold skull is nearly split in two by the mothers cleaver. Before the Kobold drops, you see 3 more children and the father, carrying a maul. They start to run off almost immediately for the Cliffside in the northeast.

It is a high pressure and intense walk as you help the injured to the Mill, nearly 1/2 of the town now in flames. It takes you another 10 minutes to clear the town proper and make it to the Mill without much of incident. In the background you can hear the on and off blasting of electrical energy from the dragons breath weapon.

As you get to the mill you can see that it is perhaps 4 stories tall with 5 large blades that rotate. It is at its base perhaps a 20 foot diameter, and seems to have multiple floors. You try to open the door, but it seems to be barricaded. Cuth and Linan bang on the door and yell up, and after a moment a head pops through one of the open stone windows. A small Halfling womans face covered in ash smiles down with relief, and she calls for the door to be opened. It takes another few moments before the sound of scraping and pulling goes on, before the heavy wood door is opened. Besides for the stacks of grains and the large 10 foot grinding wheel in the center, there are roughly 20 other people hiding in here, with more up the stairs.

Its at this point that you start to feel a strong, magical energy start to build from the ground and radiate around you. It is not like anything you have felt before, and the pressure thumps against your skin, growing stronger and stronger. People in the Mill start to scream from the pressure, and you quickly help the injured into the Mill.

See Magical Pressure spoiler

All of you watch as a crackling of magical energy, starts to swirl all around you, but not just you... The keep... the green, the buildings. You have heard of this before, but none of you have ever witnessed it first hand. It is dark this time... very dark. The crackling energy is black that makes the night sky seem like day. The only reason you can see it at all is the blood red color that surrounds the energy. You watch as the energy starts to swirl. About 50 feet behind you smaller moats of energy start to form. In front of you they start to form. This seems be unusually large even for what you have heard about in the stories...

Nerissa, you know what this is... The last time you saw your mentor, the same dark energy was forming around another small village. She charged off to save those she could.

Behind you, you watch as the moat form a being that is somewhat translucent, but made from this same energy. It has little bat like wings, horns, and a devil like tail. You recognize the rough shape of an Imp, but even with as dark as it is, the eyes seem mindless. It begins to roam down the street away from you and start to use its claws to tear at the side of a wooden structure, destroying without purpose.

You can hear the booming voice of the Dragon curse in Draconic. (Anyone that can understand Draconic hear "Now of all times! 179 days since the last event... and it comes now?")

In the middle of the Green, 3 forms start to form in the swirling vortex. They have the vague shape of a woman, but with a long tail, horns, and wings, each carries a longsword, a whip, and a bow. They crackle with energy, but seem to have the same mindless energy. As they seem to finish forming, the Blue dragon starts to take off into the sky with a curse, and as once, the 3 winged creatures unfurl their wings and take flight, chasing after the blue dragon.

The green erupts in chaos, as what seems like 50 odd other shapes of black energy in various shapes from hags to imps start attacking the Dragonborn, Drakes, Wyrmlings, and Kobolds. Not all of them attack the Dragonborn however. Some turn to start attacking the stonework of the keep, mindlessly attacking. You can hear shouts of surprise and yells of concern from inside the keep as well. It seems everyone is equally as plagued.

Spoiler: Magical Pressure: The Fort

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Behind you, from on the roof above the building that is not burning that you have been watching from, the crunching of Thatch can be heard directly above you. You turn around and look up to see a massive gargoyle like shape made of energy staring down at you and about to leap at you.

Spoiler: Magical Pressure: The Mill

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You turn to watch as from the swirling dust, a midnight black energy starts to swirl around the air. It starts to congeal, and some of the villages from within the Mill start to yell in panic. "Its the Dark Energies! They are converging! Get in or run!" The villagers exclaim.

You watch as the energy converges into the rough shape of Gargoyle like creature starts to form in front of you in the middle of the fenced in area surrounding the Mill.

As you look out around the rest of the town, similar swirling's of dark energy are forming.

Everyone can roll an Intelligence check, or History, Arcana, Religion or Nature Check to see what is going on. Only 1 roll per person. We are also going into combat, so I will roll initiative in the OOC.

[LazyFisherman]

Confused Anna stood at the door of the mill. She looked at Sylaer and Firquerail. She saw the creature forming, and heard the villagers shout their warnings.

Everything inside her wanted to run into the mill, find a dark corner and hide. Just close her eyes and forget everything that happened today.

She looked down at the snake dagger, now grown into a sword, and she hesitated.

She'd been hiding and running for all her life. First with her parents, and afterwards just because it was all she knew.

The weapon felt good. She'd used it today on a monster and she felt powerful. There had also been a voice inside of her urging her on.

She shouts of the villagers muted to the background and Anastasiya looked at Sylaer and Firquerail again. She gave them a headnod, indicating to them that she was closing the door. She gave them time to get into the mill if they wanted, but whether they took the chance or not, the door shut.

Anna was still outside. She'd made her choice. She had been telling enough fortunes to know she couldn't outrun destiny forever.

Her eyes were focussed on the Gargoyle. With calm intent she raised her sword, and walked towards the monster. Halfway, she broke into a run and just before reaching it she was screaming from the top of her lungs as she brought the blade down.

Spoiler: Actions and Rolls

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Move: Charge the Gargoyle
Bonus Action: Hex, disadvantage on Dex ability checks.
Action: Melee attack with longsword.

Attack: (d20+6)[8]
Damage: (d8+4)[9] and (d6)[2]

[therpg5e]

At the Mill

The green poisonous smoke rotates around the Gargoyle like creature (Point of order, it is not a gargoyle, just gargoyle like). Ana can see that this Hex seems different then the one she used earlier... less powerful and yet the same. The smoke suddenly slams into the creature, and she can tell that it has become less mobile then it once was. The blade in her hand flashes with that writhing green energy for just a moment before returning to silver colored once more. As if the blade is trying to do what it did before, but it does not have the power to do so.

That slight bit of distraction throws off her attack, and although it hits the dark energy like form of the creature, it was not forceful enough to pass through its armor/skin.

The creature, finishing its formation, lunges out mindlessly at Ana with a bite like attack, and a swipe of claws that form from the darkness.

Spoiler: Attack roll

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(1d20+4)[6] Bite
(1d20+4)[22] Claw
(1d6+2)[4] Bite
(1d6+2)[7] Claw

Ana manages to get her blade up between the dark energies mouth like attack, but takes a gash across her abdomen.

[Detective]

The dark energies that swirliling all around Greenest, he can see them shaping and taking forms up in the distance into fiend-like creatures... His instincts kicked in almost involuntary, opening his senses to get a better understanding of what they are dealing with.

In but a moment, an odor that is both foul and rotten registers through his nostrils, powerful enough that he can almost taste it, his stomach almost turns itself upside down.
A prickling sensation can be felt across his skin, as if a million sharp needles are piercing through his skin as the energies begin to cover the nearby vicinity, almost like a dark, ominous veil.

The hand, held closely to the handle is, for a moment, hesistant to draw the blade... The realization that this chaotic scenario has been caused by the war that happened over a hundred years ago, and this being the first time he has ever seen it... For a moment, he is frozen in place.

That moment, was enough time for Anna to go first, snapping him back to reality as this... Thing claws through her, an attack with which he should have been there to take.

His grip over the handle tightens once more as he draws his blade, mustering the strength to push on through as he rushes towards the gargoyle with his rapier aimed foward. He doesn't care where it will hit, so long as he'll garner the attention of that beast towards him as a way to repay Anna for jumping the into the fray before him.

As soon as he finishes his attempt at landing the attack, he'll turn back towards the mill and the villagers, hoping they'll still be able to hear him as he shouts at their direction.

"As soon as the dark energies pass, use this chance to escape through the caves while the invaders will be disorganized!"

Spoiler: Actions

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Movement: Rush towards the gargoyle-like creature.
Action: Attacking the creature, if it lands - Divine smite

Spoiler: Rolls

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(1d20+5)[21] Hit
(1d8+5)[12] Damage roll+dueling
(3d8)[7] Divine smite damage if lands.

If crit:
(1d8)[6] piercing damage
(3d8)[17] radiant damage

[therpg5e]

As Sylaer brings down his rapier and pierces the congealed dark energy, it does not scream out in pain as expected, but the damage is clearly done. With an explosion of light from inside the creature, its left arm is detonated and flung 20 feet in the air. Before it hits the ground, the arm is already dissolving and disapears into the ether.

Looking back at the creature, where the arm once was, is a jagged, bubbling cauldron of darkness. It looks like water bubbles rising to the surface of a ceddle over the fire. Dark steam rises from the wound. The creature, clearly wounded seems to pay no mind, as if it never had a left arm and continues to attack.

[Vánagandr]

Having finally delivered the villagers to the mill, Firquerail begins getting ready to run back to the town. As he starts to turn away though, he begins to feel the strange pressure gathering. He turns back to see the monstrous creature begin to form and then watches as it and his new allies engage in battle.

"There is no time for this now! Mairail!"

Firquerail uses a sudden burst of energy to move around to whichever side gives him the best aim at the "gargoyle" and then fires two arrows at the creature.

Spoiler: Actions this turn.

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Casting and concentrating on Hunter's Mark on the "gargoyle."
Moving around to the best spot to aim at the monster with Dread Ambusher's extra 10 feet of movement giving Firquerail 45 feet if he needs it.
2 Attacks from Dread Ambusher.

Spoiler: Attack Rolls.

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First attack to hit. (1d20+8)[20]
Second attack to hit. (1d20+8)[15]

1st attack damage if it hits. (1d8+4)[7] piercing and (1d6)[3] piercing.
If the first attack crits add this. (1d8)[2] piercing and (1d6)[1] piercing.

2nd attack damage if it hits. (2d8+4)[17] piercing from Dread Ambusher and (1d6)[2] piercing from Hunter's Mark.
If the second attack crits add this. (2d8)[12] piercing from Dread Ambusher and (1d6)[4] piercing from Hunter's Mark.

[therpg5e]

As Fir takes aim, the first shot takes the creature directly in the chest. The arrow rips through it and there is a small bubbling hole where the shaft went through.

Firs next shot seems to miss at first, but the creature shifts in a mindless attacking position to lunge for the Paladin that just blew off its arm when the arrow catches it in the throat. The additional Force damage that Fir embued into the shot detonates, blowing a massive hole in the creatures already weakened form. (15 JJJUUUUUSSSTTT Hits).

The Gargoyle like creature is looking really rough, and it is having a hard time keeping itself together.

(For the Mill turn, it is Ana's Turn.)
(For the Fort team, I am waiting on Shikuza still)

[LazyFisherman]

Anna grimaced in pain, but hacked again with her weapon.

Spoiler: action and rolls

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Move: None
Bonus Action: None
Action: Melee attack with longsword.

Attack: (d20+6)[8]
Damage: (d8+4)[8] and (d6)[2]

[Esprit15]

Shizuka holds her shield and rapier defensively, readying the blade to strike as soon as the creature moved toward the group.

Spoiler

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Ready action to use rapier as soon as gargoyle-like creature is within melee range.

[therpg5e]

AT THE MILL
Ana again tries to strike out at the creature, but the force behind her weapon is just not enough to damage the creature.

The mindless Gargoyle like creature lunges out at the largest person in front of it right claw and bite attack almost simultaneously.

Spoiler: Attack from Mill creature

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(1d20+4)[14] bite against Sylaer
(1d20+4)[7] claw against Sylaer
(1d6+2)[6] bite
(1d6+2)[4] claw

Sylaer, ready for the attacks is able to parry both attacks and push the creature away from laying into him.

IN THE TOWN

Shizuka prepares herself to attack the creature above her. It does not take long as the creature lunges off the roof, to land in the middle of the road behind the party, and closes the distance to attack them.

Spoiler: Creature attack at the Town/fort

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(1d20+4)[16] bite against Shizuka
(1d20+4)[19] claw against Nerissa
(1d6+2)[6] bite
(1d6+2)[3] claw

Nerissa feels the sharp claws of dark energy pierce into her shoulder as it rakes past her. Shizuka gets her shield up in time to block the creatures face from getting at her.

[Detective]

With swift footwork, he steps out of the way of the creature's claw, and barely manages to bob out of the way as it tried to reach out and bite him. "My turn..." Sylaer says in a low, almost hushed tone as a faint grin crosses his face, glad he was able to garner the creature's attention away from Anna.

Before the creature would have a chance to rebalance itself after its attacks, Sylaer looks him straight in his mindless eyes, and tries to take a stab right at them!

Spoiler: Actions and rolls

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Action: Attacking the creature with the rapier, not using my divine smite for it this time.
Movement: None.

(1d20+5)[21] Hit
(1d8+5)[6] Damage.

[Vánagandr]

"Disappear back to the darkness fiend."

Firquerail takes position to shoot the creature once more, in hopes of finishing it off this time. But as he does, Sylaer manages to end the beast. The wood elf holds on mentally to the mark he had placed on the now dead creature.

Spoiler: Actions this turn.

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Continuing to concentrate on Hunter's Mark.

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[therpg5e]

Without a sound, the creature explodes into tiny tendrils of dark energy as Sylaer pierces it once more with his Rapier. Looking around you do not see any other creatures directly around you, though through the town you do see imp looking creatures tearing at buildings mindlessly. Some are actually standing in fire, being burned "alive". One of them that is burning suddenly disperses, unable to seem to hold its form together under the fire damage it sustained. As you look to the Keep, you can see the dragon flying around in complicated circles, and swiping and biting at something, though you cannot tell what.

[Detective]

Sweat dripping downfrom his forehead, he sheaths his blade with a steady hand. He looks foward towards the keep, watching the imp-like beings attacking with no purpose, even more important - Something seems to be distracting the dragon during all the chaos.

"Now is our chance" Sylaer speaks, already beginning to take quick steps towards the keep. "I don't know how long this will last, but so long as those dark energies keep flowing, we can use it as distraction and rush towards the keep -If we are lucky, we can find the sewer entrance on time and assist in getting this tome away from this cult's hands"

Before he quickens his pace and turning his walk into a steady run, his eyes shift towards Anna. "I'm sorry that I didn't manage to draw the creature's attention sooner, but I can't risk exerting the last dropplets of power I have on healing with all that is going." Withat that, he turns back towards the road, willing to make a beeline to the keep if he'll have to.

[Vánagandr]

"I was already planning on heading back, with or without an opening. Made a promise to do such as soon as we got the villagers here proper."

Firquerail starts to head back to the village. He does his best to blend in with the night's shadows so as to avoid the sight of other creatures that may have spawned from the coalescing darkness.

Spoiler: Actions for Firquerail until this group can make it back to the village, due to different timings.

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Concentrating on Hunter's Mark.
Stealth check. (1d20+6)[11]

[PeacefulOak]

Trick dances a step away from the beast, trying to keep some of his sturdier new allies between himself and sharp claws. ((Only if it won't provoke a reaction))

As he moves, he yells at the creature. "You're nothing but smoke and shadows! You came from nothing, and you'll be returning to nothing, and all you'll ever achieve is NOTHING!"

Spoiler: OoC

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Vicious Mockery at the darkspawn (Wisdom, DC 13), and moving away if it's safe.

[therpg5e]

The creature recoils as it is slashed by Nerissa's readied attack, and feels though the creature takes no visible damage from Tricks words, there is a sluggishness that indicates it did have an impact on it.

(Waiting on Nerissa for the Fort team to reset combat)
(Waiting on Ana to ready movement back towards town or other action)

[LazyFisherman]

Anna reeled back as the creature was slain. She gathered her wits and grimaced at the wound that the gargoyle had clawed over her chest. She ran after Sylaer and Firquerail. She didn’t exactly know what all of this was about, but it sounded important. She was following her intuition tonight.

When Sylaer apologised she couldn’t hold in a snort. It was a reflex reaction and she just barely managed to stop herself from laughing, so she didn’t come across too rude (she hoped).

"I’m grateful you jumped in when you did." She said honestly. “But I definitely don’t expect a gentleman to save me every time I jump into a dangerous situation, I can look after myself.. usually.”

She smiled. “Besides, I’d run the world out of gentlemen in a week.”

[therpg5e]

Town team (I am going for JNA. It has been a long time so we can move the story forward)

Nerissa thrusts her Rapier at the creature, hoping to hit a vulnerable spot as she does so.

Spoiler: Attack

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(1d20+5)[25]
(1d8+3)[6]
(2d6)[5]

Nerissa thrusts her Rapier into the creature and twists the blade, sheering upward. The creatures left claw falls to the ground, dealing 19 points of damage (Nat 20!)

(Trick, then Shizuka are up next)

Mill team

As the group runs through the town back to the rest of the group, creatures start to appear in front of you, though not fully formed. As you slash out at them with your weapons, they seem to disperse into mist. It seems attacking them before fully formed stops the process, at least from what you can tell from what presents itself to you.

As you come to the first crossroads, you can see a group of Kobolds fighting desperately to keep a small swarm of imp like dark energy entities away from them. In the sky, you watch the dragon continue to swirl around in the air. It releases its lightning breath, and in an explosion of dark energy, one of the things it occupied with detonates in the air, but it continues to bite and claw at things to small to see from where you are.

(For the sake of brevity, you make it back to the rest of the team as they finish their fight with the Gargoyle, so as soon as they are done, you will reunite.)

[PeacefulOak]

Snarling with frustration, Trick flourishes his rapier and lunges, full extension, to impale the foul creature.

Spoiler: OoC

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(1d20+3)[16] to hit, for (1d8+1)[4] Damage