[IC] AtS's Sunless Citadel - D&D 5e

[Hemnon]

Camilla

Camilla did an exasperated motion with her whole body. "Look, all I am asking is that, IF we approach THEIR living space, that we at least try talking first. I'd rather we have to defend ourselves rather than be the aggressor. This is not the civilized life in a city. this is where Nature is the king. If you two cannot accept this from me, a Druid, then let us go on for an hour or two more or camp at the edge of the road." She said and was clearly putting her foot down on the issue, now.

[WhismurWanders]

The dwarf responds with a question, "So, when we say that you're free to try talking to them, but that we'll have our weapons ready to defend ourselves, that's not what you wanted?"

[Hemnon]

Camilla

"Walking in with weapons draw is a clear showing of violent intent. I honestly would prefer a non-hostile start. Yes if they begin getting violent or show hostile intent, feel free to draw weapons, shoot fireballs and defend yourself, mister dwarf. But diplomacy should ALWAYS be the first try when dealing with a being or beings, that are able to rationalize and got a sentience like any other self-aware being. You must agree with me that following a protocol and not just go haphazardly into a fight is the smarter thing to do." Camilla replied to Rurik.

[WhismurWanders]

"That don't sound very smart to me. You plan on walking up to things which are known to lash out at people, and attempt to talk to them. We'd offer to have our weapons out, so that if they attack you, we can be ready. Instead, you suggest that we put our weapons away, and waste time having to draw them again." He shrugs as he puts his javelin away and takes a few paces back, retracting his offer to accompany her to the blights. "Sounds like you're puttin' a lot of faith in a bunch of twigs animated by evil magics."

[Mr. E]

"Well," Sarin says, driving down a faint surge of irritation about the entire state of affairs, "it's not really our problem is it, Rurik? They can only sense us if we come so close, so if Camilla wants to try and negotiate with them, she can, and we'll stay back with our weapons, like sensible people."

"Just don't," the tiefling says in the direction of the half-elf, "expect us to be all that enthusiastic about saving you, if they decide to try and murder you like they usually do..."

[Hemnon]

Camilla

Camilla sighed and rubbed her face a little bit. "It's not like I'm asking you all to walk up to them, naked with your hands tied behind your backs. Just have weapons sheathed and bows un-arrowed. Walking up to any being with weapons draw and ready for attack is... well it's very much a sign of hostility. By all means, draw your weapons if you feel threatened with hostility. They are small Awakened plants and they tends to sense beings near them at a further distance than they can reach in one go. So if they charge us, you can still draw weapons and defend yourselves. All I am asking is for a chance to do this peacefully. I am not dumb, I know those Twig Blights are normally violent and highly protective of their areas." She said with a more and more crestfallen expression.

[MCerberus]

Carimina

Circles. People arguing past each other. Carmina called it, well maybe just in her head. She sighs as the argument continues before speaking up.

"She's right in that if we ignore each other's specialties we're going to be up a creek once we get closer to the goblin hole." She motions Adamas over.

"So here's what I'm thinking. You bring over the people who don't have nasty bleeding wounds that love to reopen. I can pick these off from back here, and Adamas can slice through them if they get hostile and gets to be right. Otherwise, you're nice and safe and it doesn't look like we're trying to swarm them. Everyone's where they should be regardless of how well it goes. Everyone's happy."

[Hemnon]

Camilla

Camilla turned her gaze at Carmina as she voiced out her idea.
"Totally fine with me. All that I ask, is a chance. As soon as we are around 30 feet away, they'll most likely notice us right away, but they cannot close in on us fast enough in case they turn hostile." She said with a nod in Carmina's direction as a thank you.

[Mr. E]

"Sure, why not," Sarin says, shrugging. "Far be it from me to stand in the way of other people talking to the evil shrubs..."

Moving away slightly, Sarin pushes her hands into her pocket with a 'I'll be in the back' expression writ large all over her face.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Just to be clear, while Sarin wants nothing to do with this, she will bail Camilla out if things go wrong. Maybe not happily, but she's not a complete s**t.

[WhismurWanders]

Rurik hangs back by Sarin, not particularly eager to approach the blights.

[Hemnon]

Camilla

With her allies, more or less, in support of her idea of giving diplomacy a chance, Camilla calmly strode towards the Blights, making sure to keep her eyes and ears sharp and attentive in case she walked into range of any hidden Blights that wasn't spotted moving around like the other grouping had.
Upon reaching the 30ft range, she took a single step more forward to cross into their blindsight range and stopped there, keeping herself as calm as she could. She raised a single had in a peaceful gesture, knowing the Blights would more or less be able to see the motion and sense the intent.

Like that, she stood there with her allies behind her (or maybe one or two of them at her side?). awaiting a response from the evil-touched Blights. All she was waiting for was a response that wasn't directly hostile before she'd say anything. Thus, if they attacked, so be it, she had given peace a chance to happen.

[AtS]

The Twig Blights turn as Camilla enters their perception, and two hiss out of surprise while another immediately buries itself in foliage. However, they don’t approach, and the remaining creatures turn their heads sideways inquisitively.

[ProudGrognard]

Adamas

In response to the druidess' comment, Adamas just nods.

"An evil Goliath who has lost a fight will of course be killed. If he starts fights and then someone ambushes him, he will be killed. What else? Losers do not survive."

But he walks with the druidess, his weapons in the ready. If anything gows wrong, he will be there to help her.

[Hemnon]

Camilla

Camilla spoke her best and did what she could to remain calm and clear in her speech.
"Awakened Ones, please, hear my words. We wish you no harm. Attack us not, all we wish to do is spend the night here, safely and peacefully. We promise to leave your home as it was before coming. All I ask is that you leave us be while we are here."

[AtS]

Despite Camilla’s best efforts to keep the Blights calm, they sense her fear and unease. As she speaks, their branches and leaves begin to rustle more and more restlessly, until three hiss loudly, interrupting the last words from the Druid. Growling and screeching, they clearly are about to attack.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Camilla angers them with her attempt at diplomacy. Let’s roll initiative!

Twig Blights: (1d20+1)[3]

Positions:

Twig Blights are all clustered in a 20 ft. area 30 ft. away from Camilla, at the edge of the forest.

Three of them are directly within 30ft. while the other three are further back. The one that hid in foliage is the farthest away, the full 50 ft. and has half cover from the bush it crouches in.

[AtS]

Adamas

Seeing the druid's attempts to placate the Twig Blights only agitate them further, Adamas rushes to Camilla's defense, drawing his warhammers and swinging with crushing force at the creatures.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move forward to engage the three Blights within 30 ft.

Attack one: (1d20+6)[9]
Damage: (1d8+4)[7]
Potential Crit Damage: (1d8)[6]

Attack two: (1d20+6)[18]
Damage: (1d8+4)[9]
Potential Crit Damage: (1d8)[7]

[WhismurWanders]

"That went even quicker than I thought," Rurik grumbles. He runs up to Camilla and draws a javelin from his pack, hurling it at one of the blights close to Adamas.

Spoiler

Show

Moving forward 30 ft. throwing 1 Javelin at Blight 2

Attack; (1d20+5)[7] for (1d6+3)[9]

[MCerberus]

Carmina

See, it isn't actually that bad. This way, it's the other guys getting twigged at. Hope they remember what she said about the eyes.

Outside of "angry attacking" range these twigs don't seem to give much notice. It's a bit of a reach, but Carmina sends a shot flying into the least injured blight and is reminded by the semi-joke that she must have an elven grandparent.

Spoiler

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My chosen nullifies disadvantage for long-range shots and half cover if the one blight is still cowering
Attack - (1d20+5)[17]
Advantage - (1d20+5)[14]
Damage - (1d6+3)[5]
Sneak Attack - (1d6+3)[6]
that's a three, i copy-pasted and forgot to remove the dex, so 8 total

[Mr. E]

Sarin swears violently as Camilla's plan ends with, to her mind at least, predictable catastrophe. Summoning her magic, she sprints forward, coming up slightly behind Adamas. With one hand raised, the tiefling exudes another cloud of acidic gas, which leaps forward to wrap around the third of the goliath's assailants.

"Next time," Sarin shouts as she passes Camilla, "for the love of Helm, let us just kill them..."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Alright, starting the combat with another poison spray, directed at the Twig Blight which is currently unharmed.

DC 13 CON save or (1d12)[8] poison damage.

[AtS]

Some of the Blights are surprisingly agile and manage to dodge some of the party's attacks. Rurik's javelin sails overhead as his target ducks just in time. Adamas manages to smash one Blight with his warhammer, and it collapses to the ground as the hammer breaks its branches with a loud CRACK. His other attack misses the mark, however.

Sarin's Poison Spray engulfs a Blight in a cloud of noxious smog, but the creature shrugs off the attack.

Carmina's aim is true, and her arrow sails past the commotion to strike the Twig Blight at the rear. She takes advantage of the creature's lack of awareness to line up the perfect shot, and her arrow sinks into the creature's chest with a satisfying THUNK. It tumbles over into the underbrush and stops moving.

The Blights turn their fury toward the only target within reach: Adamas. The goliath finds himself surrounded by the wooden creatures as the remaining four Blights enter melee combat with him, lashing and striking out with their branch-like claws.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

TB2 Attack: (1d20+3)[7]
TB2 Damage: (1d4+1)[3]
TB2 Possible Crit Damage: (1d4)[1]

TB3 Attack: (1d20+3)[20]
TB3 Damage: (1d4+1)[5]
TB3 Possible Crit Damage: (1d4)[1]

TB4 Attack: (1d20+3)[4]
TB4 Damage: (1d4+1)[5]
TB4 Possible Crit Damage: (1d4)[2]

TB5 Attack: (1d20+3)[12]
TB5 Damage: (1d4+1)[4]
TB5 Possible Crit Damage: (1d4)[2]

---

[TB 6 (Dead)]
- 20 ft. -

[TB 5] [TB 4] [TB 3] [TB 2] [TB 1 (Dead)]
[Adamas]

- 30 ft. -

[Camilla] [Sarin] [Rurik]

- 30 ft. (outside Blindsense radius) -

[Carmina]

[Hemnon]

Camilla

Camilla cursed to the gods of Nature and the seasons. With Sarin voicing out her own displeasure as well, Camilla couldn't resist tossing back a sneer. "Oh stuff it! I tried Diplomacy first and had we attacked first we'd still be in this situation!" Her voice rang clear and was followed up by bit of magic, another Thorn Whip to be specific, centered upon the 2nd Twig Blight, intent on pulling is away from Adamas.

Spoiler: Rolls'n'Stuff

Show

Move Action: None, is within 30ft of the 2nd Twig Blight.
Attack Action: Thorn Whip Spell on 2nd Twig Blight. If successfull, it deals 1d6 damage and pulls the target 10 ft. towards Camilla.

Attack Roll: (1d20+5)[6]
Damage Roll: (1d6)[3]


---------------------

HP: 10/10
AC: 11

[Mr. E]

"Yeah, and they wouldn't be expecting us..."

Turning her mind away from arguing with Camilla, Sarin turns back to the twig blights and directs another blast of poison at the closest of their foes. She doubts that poison will be very effective against awakened shrubbery, but with a lack of options she continues anyway.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Second verse, same as the first:

DC 13 CON save or (1d12)[1] poison damage.

Looks like she might have been on to something, y'know.

[WhismurWanders]

Frustrated that his throw hadn't connected, Rurik reaches for his warhammer instead. Clutching the long haft in both hands, he rushes up to Adamas, attempting to give the blights another target so that Adamas wouldn't be overwhelmed. He swings his hammer at a nearby blight, the air whooshing as the hammer's head moves through the air.

Spoiler

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Move 30 ft forward, Attack Blight 2.
(1d20+5)[20] for (1d10+3)[11]

[MCerberus]

Carmina

So that's three for three. The group would be in trouble of Carmina's ego getting away from her if only she weren't worried bragging would draw attention. She knocks another arrow and lets it fly at the twigling on the flank.

Spoiler

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Attack TB5
Attack - (1d20+5)[24]
Advantage - (1d20+5)[22]
Damage - (1d6+3)[4]
Sneak Attack - (1d6)[5]

[AtS]

Adamas

As two more Twig Blights drop around him from Carmina and Rurik's skillful attacks, Adamas lets loose a bellowing war cry and swings his warhammers toward the two remaining Blights.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Attack 1: (1d20+6)[12]
Crit Confirm 1: (1d20+6)[19]
Damage 1: (1d8+4)[5]
Crit Damage 1: (1d8+4)[9]

Attack 2: (1d20+6)[26]
Crit Confirm 2: (1d20+6)[16]
Damage 2: (1d8+4)[8]
Crit Damage 2: (1d8+4)[10]

[AtS]

Adamas swings twice at a Twig Blight, once with each of his hammers. His first attack whiffs, as the Blight drops low under the blow. However, this sets up perfectly for his second overhand swing to land with crushing force, directly on the creatures head, burying it in the dirt. It doesn't move.

There's only one Blight remaining, but it doesn't back down. Dodging and weaving while waiting for an opening, it focuses solely on Rurik. With a screech, it attempts to slash the Dwarf with its tree-branch claws.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Action: Attack Rurik

Attack: (1d20+3)[6]
Crit Confirm: (1d20+3)[9]
Damage: (1d4+1)[4]
Crit Damage: (1d4)[3]

---

[TB 6 (Dead)]
- 20 ft. -

[TB 5 (Dead)] [TB 4 (Dead)] [TB 3 (Damaged)] [TB 2 (Dead)] [TB 1 (Dead)]
[Adamas] [Rurik]

- 10 ft. -

[Sarin]

- 20 ft. -

[Camilla]

- 30 ft. (outside Blindsense radius) -

[Carmina]

[Hemnon]

Camilla

Camilla was by now feeling as if cursed with how unlucky she's been with her attacks, not even being anywhere near with an actual hit. But that did not deter her, and she called forth her Thorn Whip once more, intent on striking the last, surviving Twig Blight.

Spoiler: Rollz and Stuff

Show

Move Action: None, is within range of Twig Blight 3
Attack Action: Thorn Whip spell on Twig Blight 3. if it hits, twig blight 3 is pulled 10 ft towards camilla.

Attack Roll: (1d20+5)[23]
Damage Roll: (1d6)[6]

-------------

HP: 10/10
AC: 11

[AtS]

Camilla manages to finally break her string of bad luck, as her thorn whip wraps around the final Twig Blight, crushing it into a small pile of kindling. It lets out a final squawk before it stops moving. The remains of the Twig Blights are motionless aside from a rare twitch or two. A few scarce leaves flutter in the light breeze.

The immediate threat vanquished, the party takes a moment to survey the area. They're close to the edge of the grove, with a few lone smaller trees provide some shade and cover overhead. Farther back, behind the grove, the edge of Neverwinter Forest looms, perhaps a quarter-mile away now. Running all the way out from the edge of Neverwinter Forest, a small stream trickles into to a tiny pond surrounded in rocks and reeds, before continuing into the grove.

Nearby, the grass is shorter and in a couple of places the earth is completely bare, the soft dirt exposed to the sunlight and air. Strewn across the ground are several large stones, as well as various bits of wood, bark, and branches. Slowly, the sound of crickets chirping, birds singing and frogs croaking fills the air, the creatures returning to the area after the commotion has ended. Camping here for the night should be easy and safe, provided no more Blights wander nearby. The sun has just started to dip below the horizon in the distance, so there's a little over an hour left before night falls.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

It's safe to camp here for the night. Feel free to set up camp and make Survival checks to see what kind of supplies you can scrounge up from the nearby environment. Let me know if/when each character will take watch, and we can roleplay a long rest.

Rolls to see if anything happens during the night.

Watch 1: (1d100)[4]
Watch 2: (1d100)[77]

(All clear, the night will end without any disturbance)

Additionally, everyone gains 30 XP for the Twig Blight encounter.

[WhismurWanders]

Rurik exhales, glad the fight was over and not nearly as punishing as the previous encounter with the goblins. He walks away for a moment to retrieve his javelin. "Well, that's over with. Looks like we've ... uh ... got a bunch of kindling for the night." Almost as the sentence escapes his lips, he wonders if it was bad form to say it. Did twig blights burn? Was it offensive to burn corpses? He adds somewhat awkwardly, "If that's allowed."

[Hemnon]

Camilla

Camilla gave Rurik a thumbs up at the question. "No troubles there. What animated and awakened them is gone, so what is left is regular branches and twigs. Just... don't go cutting down fresh, living trees or break off their branches for your firewood. There's often no need."