Tales From the Yawning Portal

[Auranghzeb]

Graz wasn't interested in the business of buying and selling trinkets and carts, Instead he waited outside catching the sunrays in his furry skin and checking his rapier for sharpness and stability.

He didn't mind the cart, but he was also a springy walker with solid boots. So, as long as he was unburdened, he was ready to go soon.

[Siryuu]

OOC: Maybe we could move to the quest, Grazz contributed with 15gp, since we already bought most of what we need, we could use these 15gp for:

2gp. Shovel.
2gp. Sledgehammer.
2gp. Miner's Pick.
2gp, Crowbar.
6gp, Tent x3.
1gp, Whetstones and soap.

[Siryuu]

It is a days journey to the citadel, and you set out prepared, a map in hand, a cart to bring your supplies along, and a good attitude. However, as the day goes on and progress is slow, eventually the sun sets and you are faced with a choice, keep going or camp in the mysterious territory you find yourself in?

Well, look at the time! Said Brandewijn as she slowed down the wagon. She looked at Oshana, and gestured for a break. Then added: I suggest we set camp, we don’t know much about this land. But we can deploy ourselves at a vantage point and prepare to face danger accordingly. What do you say?

[Kerilstrasz]

Lady Val'Aestra, who was walking beside the leading mule along the way,
mostly to watch out for the adventurous snake or pot hole that might threaten
the mules' advance, pats the nearest mule on the neck...
"The fellows here need the rest." She says as she turn around to face Brandewijn & the rest.
"Setting camp by the road might invite the attention of bandits in the area, but unless we
go without a campfire, same is true for a field spot; plus we'll have to be extra careful for
sneaky wildlife." Keristrell suggest, assuming wildlife would avoid a road by instinct.
"I'll get first watch." She adds, while she looks towards those amongst them with obvious elvish heritage.

[Siryuu]

Brandewijn agreed with Keristrell, fine, I’ll stay up with you. I want to stretch a bit, you know, dance in the moonlit woods if needed be. She was talking about the savage beauty of combat.

She carefully parked the wagon with Oshana, and silently prayed (guidance) to seek (PER) an advantaged site to camp and make watch. She hopped off the wagon and checked the area.

Some of you might do better than the rest at setting up camps. So I’m ready to assist you my friends. I can’t wait to sit with you around the fire, and listen to Graz’ hat story.

---

PER [roll]1d20+4[/roll] + Guidance [roll]1d4[/roll]

[Siryuu]

PER (1d20+4)[8] + Guidance (1d4)[4]

[Psyche]

As you sit around the fire, listening to stories, you are surprised by six twig blights!
Each one is 3 feet away from the respective person, and it attacks each of you with surprise.
It hits each of you except Satz, Keri, and Oshana, dealing 3 damage to each one hit, and 6 to maria, with a critical hit(Maria is able to take 1 action before falling unconcious).
Thier initiative is 18 and yours is
Arulia: 9
Satz: 13
Keri: 10
Oshana: 16
Maria: 11
Brand: 16
(OOC: Four things, first, does anyone here know a battle map system that could be viewed by all of us and is free?
Second, if you take more than 24-48 hours responding, your turn will be skipped,
Third, I just realized that since I won't be allowed to do electronics on weekdays, I can't DM on weekdays during the school year
and finally, I am going on vacation through july 5th, so I will be gone during that time, srry!)

[Kerilstrasz]

Third, I just realized that since I won't be allowed to do electronics on weekdays, I can't DM on weekdays during the school year

Is that set in stone?
Cause if that is true, I'm sorry but i'll bow out.
It has nothing to do with your age or anything of that sort.
pbp is already a slow way of playing dnd, but this is expected and i welcome pbp even with this knowledge.
But having the world update once a week would halt the game down to a slugpace.
I'm sorry mate; see if you can change this, or tell us now, so we can focus our energy somewhere else.

EDIT: I'm sorry i posted in IC thread.
That was by mistake.

[herastor]

Spoiler: The extra stuff

Show

20 gp for the difference between a cart and wagon
8 gp for an extra mule
10 gp for a saddle
5 sp for 10 days of feed.

Oshana nodded her affirmation as Brandewijin looked her way. She'd wisely decided to join her in the cart and was the one to take the reigns every time the other woman needed a break. One thing about using a tent to make a covered wagon, there wasn't much to the task of setting up a tent. Really, it was looking like it'd be a decent night. Then the blights were upon them.

Oshana raised her staff to the sky and shouted in nameless words. Light descended on her. As the phosphorescence faded, she backed up to the closest companion near her.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Oshana casts mage armor with her action and moves next to a nearby companion.

[onlie2005]

Maria politely declines buying the crossbow and bolts stating that she might come back at a later time. On the jouney to the dungeon she stays in the middle of party taking the fourth position from the front and making sure that her front and back were covered. She did not offer to help Oshana, believing that the woman did not want it and would rather be independent. It was not that she stopped caring or being concerned, simply respecting and honoring the woman as a person and not intentionally making her feel and look weak and helpless.

It is clear that Maria is not used to travel herself but if anything puts a brave face. She soldiers on despite aching feet and constant tiredness. If anything she is very eager and willing to do whatever it takes. She makes small talk with the others if they are willing but is very closemouthed about her past. She does not argue when they decide to make camp.

"I should take first watch because I need the uninterrupted sleep in the morning to prepare my spells for the day."

Perception Skill Check: (1d20+5)[7]

[onlie2005]

Maria is surprised by the twig blights and very weakly manages to point her finger and fire a magical bolt of fire upon the nearest blight.

Fire Bolt Spell Attack: (1d20+5)[10]
Damage if Hit: (1d10)[4]

[Psyche]

Is that set in stone?
Cause if that is true, I'm sorry but i'll bow out.
It has nothing to do with your age or anything of that sort.
pbp is already a slow way of playing dnd, but this is expected and i welcome pbp even with this knowledge.
But having the world update once a week would halt the game down to a slugpace.
I'm sorry mate; see if you can change this, or tell us now, so we can focus our energy somewhere else.

EDIT: I'm sorry i posted in IC thread.
That was by mistake.

Not set in stone, but likely, at least finish out the summer though plz, and I will see what I can do

[SCARY WIZARD]

Arulia pitched in five gold pieces of her own, or in some cases equivalencies to gold pieces... to the party's fund. She agreed, as well, to take the last watch when it came time to arrange for those things -- better to see the Sunlight, and make her prayers to Amaunator for the day.

But fate... and flora... had other plans in store for the adventurers! Twig blights! Pfaugh!

"Hrast!" Arulia curses and interposes herself between Maria and the little abominations, and begins to cast a spell to equal the mage's. A thin fan of flames shoots out from her outstretched hands... Once her display is finished, she reassures Maria thus: "I will keep you safe, child."


Out of Character - Actions
Casting burning hands at as many of the twig blights as possible, but without injuring any of the rest of the group!

Burning Hands: (3d6)[14]
Dexterity Saving Throw required; half damage on successful Saving Throw, full damage on a failed one.

[Siryuu]

Brandewijn unsheathed her rapier and moved toward Maria. She jumped delivering an attack with her rapier, (as long as it avoids attacks of opportunity) to defend her ally. Let us break them!

---

Rapier (1d20+5)[12]
Potential Injury (1d8+3)[7]

[Kerilstrasz]

At first sight of the blight attacking, Keristrell's training kicked in.
A fluent motion to dodge while drawing arms, the blights claws going wide.
Aiming for a quick kill, Keristrell advances with a well weighted thrust towards
the blight's center of mass.

Rapier - (1d20+6)[18]
Piercing - (1d8+4)[10]

[Psyche]

Just checking, map layout is Herastor, arulia, and maria vs three twig blights (two of whom have died, one is left alive and is about to take its turn) with 2 others alive fighting Keri, Brand, and Grazz
Current intiative order:
Brand & Oshana (Oshana moved, brand missed the blight)
Blights (Knocked out onlie, did 3 damage to brand and aurulia, who have 10 and six HP respectively)
Satz (Turn skipped, IC was telling story and got so wrapped up that he didn't realize about the attack)
Maria( Knocked unconcious, now rolling death saves secretly)
Keri(Killed Blight with rapier)
Aurulia(Cast burning hands, killing two twig blights and hitting maria in the crossfire)
Okay, turns will go in this order as for the remainder of the encounter

[Kerilstrasz]

Keristrell, dispatching the blight that attacked her, takes a look around her and assesses the situation.

IF she can reach her fallen companion in time ((single move action without provoking AoO)),
she approaches and touches her body, offering a few words of worship to Kelemvor.
((OOC: 1Hp from Lay on Hands, enough to get her up on her feet))

IF she can't reach her, she'll just move to the closest blight on her way to Maria and attack it.

Spoiler: Attack Rolls

Show

Rapier - (1d20+6)[22]
Piercing - (1d88+4)[87]

EDIT:
rerolling in ooc thread for botched roll

[Auranghzeb]

Graz is slow to react due to his mind wandering off.


But as soon as he is able, he draws his rapier and lunges towards the twight blight

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Attack
(1d20+6)[18]
damage
(1d6+4)[7]

Spoiler: NOTE OoC

Show

Please, don't post OoC stuff here, it really takes out the immersion

[Siryuu]

Brandewijn takes a deep breath and delivers another strike! You call that an attack? Eat this!
Rapier (1d20+5)[8] Potential injury (1d4+3)[5]

Just checking, map layout is Herastor, arulia, and maria vs three twig blights (two of whom have died, one is left alive and is about to take its turn) with 2 others alive fighting Keri, Brand, and Graz (...)

Alright, let's go!

[SCARY WIZARD]

Arulia gasps as Maria hits the ground. This was very bad... But, she had the tools to make it better. For now, she would work on quickly dispatching the blights. Then, she would work on bringing the child back to health.

With her spear in one hand and glory in her other, the priestess hurls the latter at the weakest-looking of the blights in an attempt to finish them off. "Lawless wretch!"


Out of Character

Spoiler: Out of Character

Show

Sacred flame on the weakest-looking twig blight.
Sacred Flame (Attack - Twig Blight): (1d20+6)[7]
Sacred Flame (Damage Twig Blight): (1d8)[5]
Creature failing Dexterity Saving Throw takes damage.

[herastor]

With some distance, Oshana produced an ember from her palm. As her chant finished, she tossed the budding ball of fire at one of the twig blights.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Casting fire bolt with a standard action.

(1d20+5)[23]
(1d10)[5]

[Psyche]

All but one blight is dead, and it stands there among it's fallen allies.
It reminds you of someone casting a spell.
Maria, the hand motions remind you of that of a summon beast spell.

[Siryuu]

Brandewijn glances at her comrade, and seeing Maria is being assisted, she goes after the last blight and attacks:
Rapier (1d20+5)[25], potential injury (1d4+3)[7]

[Siryuu]

OOC: Natural 20!

[Psyche]

The thing speaks in a male human voice while it looks down at its wound
"Death throws, doesn't it" It then explodes into a burst of necrotic energy. Make a DC 13 constitution save, if you fail you fall unconcious for 1 hour and are poisoned for 24 hours afterward.
OOC: Do you like the pun? Throes, Throws? It was bad, wasn't it.

[herastor]

Oshana didn't expect the burst of necrotic energy from the dying twig blight. To be fair, she didn't expect the twig blights in the first place. As the energy washed over her, she felt sickened, like something was trying to force her eyes shut. She steadied herself with her staff and pushed past the feeling, but only barely.

"Is everyone alright? Just what was that?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

DC 13 CON Save (1d20+5)[15]

[Siryuu]

The thing speaks in a male human voice while it looks down at its wound
"Death throws, doesn't it" It then explodes into a burst of necrotic energy. Make a DC 13 constitution save, if you fail you fall unconcious for 1 hour and are poisoned for 24 hours afterward.
OOC: Do you like the pun? Throes, Throws? It was bad, wasn't it.

CON (1d20+3)[12]

OOC: At least we got Lay on Hands.

[Kerilstrasz]

Con Save vs Dc13
(1d20+2)[19]

[Kerilstrasz]

Keristrell flinches as the Shockwave pushes her backwards, but she manages to keep her balance.
With about half her team down, she goes from one to the next, looking for life threatening injuries.
Her first stop is Maria, on which she bestows the blessing of Kelemvor.

((ooc: 1 HP from Lay on Hands to anyone that is on death saving throws))

[Psyche]

The Old Road passes to the east of a narrow ravine. At the road's closest approach to the cleft, several broken pillars jut from the earth where the ravine widens. Two of the pillars stand straight, but most lean atop sloped earth. Others are broken, and several have apparently fallen into the dark depths. A few similar pillars are visible on the opposite side of the ravine.
A sturdy, knotted rope is tied to one of the leaning pillars on this side of the ravine.
How do you approach?