Chapter 17: Deep Reflections

[Elvis]

Here we go.

Thul speaks the arcane words in old Karrnathi. His hand, palm open, snaps out towards the bluefrog.

BOOM!

The close space of the cave amplifies the sound. Thul winces in pain, as his ears begin to ring almost immediately. Spider webs craze the ice surfaces and debris rains down from the ceiling. 

----

Initiative d20+1=15

Thunderwave. Save DC 14. Thunder damage: 11

[Jeff]

Just to be clear, Thul is trying to actually include the slaad in his 15-cube, trying to hurt it? Like this? Always help to specify where a spell is being dropped.

Attachments:

[Elvis]

Yes, correct. Plan A is to push him back with the spell.

[Jeff]

Round 1
19 - red slaad
15 - Thul
11 - Leezer (blue slaad)

The red slaad is still licking the icy floor when Thul casts his spell. The sound is jarring indeed, louder than he expected, and echoing repeatedly throughout the chamber. Rock dust does drift down, but for the most part the cave seems just fine. He can't tell if any of the mirror faces are affected.

The blue hulking toad-monster that had declared himself Leezer is immediately forced back amid the sound, and though he does not lose his feet his bulk butts up against the red slaad, whose ice-licking is interrupted. The red one utters an irritated sound at this. 

Leezer snorts angrily than hop-walks back violently toward Thul! The ice slows his pace as its taloned tones scrape and slide. His dark shape looms over Thul and his bone-blade-armed hands rise up for the kill.

→ Blue slaad's advantaged Con saving throw vs. Thul's spell: 7, 10 (failure) / 11 thunder damage and the blue slaad is 15 feet (adding 5 feet due to ice).
• Blue slaad moves and Dashes in order to get through the difficult terrain, ending his move adjacent to Thul (precisely where he placed his Thunderwave effect).

Round 2 begins.

19 - red slaad
15 - Thul
11 - Leezer (blue slaad)

The red slaad resumes licking the ice, but now pivots its body so that it's watching Thul and the blue one more intently. 

• Red slaad licks.

Thul's up again.

[Elvis]

Thul drops his axe on the ground next to him. "Let's see what you got."

He brings his fists up so the bluefrog sees Thul's intention to fight him unarmed.

Thul casts blade ward then snaps out a front kick center mass. Thul grunts as pain shots through his knee. It was like stomping a wall.

In that moment before the bluefrog brings the pain, Thul grins. "C'mon, you pussy."

---

Blade ward. Resistance to S/P/B

front kick (unarmed strike) d20+3 = 13

Damage : d4+3 = 7 MAXIMO DAMAGE!! 

HAHAHAHA!

Ah shit.

[Jeff]

Indeed, Thul's boot just rebounds off the monster's knobby knee.

In turn, Leezer lunges down with an open mouth. The Karrn's floating defensive glyph, which hovers in the air around him, keeps the massive mouth from simply closing around his shoulders, and only one errant tooth swipes his neckline. Both clawed hands come up, and Thul dodges one while the other tests his stormcoat. Yet he can feel the jab is rather strong.

• Blue slaad's bite attack vs. Thul: 20 (hit) / 9 piercing damage (halved to 4) to Thul
• Blue slaad's claw attacks vs. Thul: 12 (miss) / 16 (hit) / 13 slashing damage (halved to 6) to Thul
→ Thul's Constitution saving throw: 20 (success) 

Round 3 begins

19 - red slaad 
15 - Thul 11 - Leezer (blue slaad)

With the towering monster in his face now, Thul loses track of the red slaad's floor-based interactions, but he's pretty sure it's not joining in yet. Also: he's pretty sure his saw his first spell scour away at the creature's skin...but it seems well healed now. Damned thing has troll-like generation, he's certain.

Thul's up again.

[Elvis]

Thul ducks under the tree-limb arm, stepping in well inside it's guard, but fully withing reach of the bluefrog's mouth.

He casts blade ward again and torques his body into a short right hook to the floating ribs. This time Thul feels he caught the monster off guard. Something shifted inside the bluefrogs body, but the hit sent a jarring shudder through Thul's arm. 

Might as well be punching a tree.

"You're weak, bluefrog. You should rest for a minute."

---

Blade ward.

Plus

Hook punch (unarmed strike) d20+3 = 19: Damage d4+3 = 7 MAXIMO DAMAGE!!

Thul will spend his shield spells as needed to fend off the claw strikes if needed.

**also stormcoat is back on the ship

[Jeff]

It hurts Thul's hand and arm, but the slaad's amble belly convulses at the hit. He knows it'll do no lasting harm—not if he's healing rapidly—but at least it knows it hurts the slaad a little. The monster lunges with an open mouth again, but Thul rolls aside and the teeth snap loudly in open air. Both continue to move and swing, and one of the slaad's long claws jabs him in the side, puncturing his armor shallowly. The Karrn avoids the next. 

Yet he is not liking the weird numbness even a minor clip from those claws is imbuing in his flesh. He suspects a real solid cut is going to be trouble indeed.

• Blue slaad's bite attack vs. Thul: 12 (miss) /
• Blue slaad's claw attacks vs. Thul: 22 (hit) / 11 (miss) / 8 slashing damage (halved to 4) to Thul
→ Thul's Constitution saving throw: 24 (success)

That's the last of the temp hit points provided by Melethos. Thul is going to take real damage from here on out.

Round 4 begins

19 - red slaad
15 - Thul
11 - Leezer (blue slaad)

In his periphery, Thul is aware that the red slaad has become distracted by something. It stops licking the ice.

[Elvis]

This can only end one way. Thul never had a doubt. He is completely outmatched by these chaosfrogs.


The thing about Thul is he is aggravatingly hard to kill. He always has been. The bluefrog will take his head eventually, but he is going to have to work for it.


Thul draws his warknife and evokes darkness magic upon the blade. The cave disappears in utter blackness.


From memory, he moves cautiously east staying low to avoid the bluefrog’s flailing arms. His outstretched hand searches for the stone pillar, and when he finds it, he steps towards, using it for extra balance on the ice.



---

Thul cast darkness on the warknife he is now holding.


Thul moves 2 squares east. 1 square southeast.


Thul is hoping that there is a lingering effect of the thunderwave boom to help confuse his movements

[Jeff]

Solid blackness radiates from Thul's warknife then, and he hears an angry grunt from the slaad in response. He knows it can see well in the dark—and can probably hear and smell quite well—but not this kind of dark. Even if it can track sound, it can't get eyes on his every movement.

He hears it shift its feet as he in turn moves...and he also feels his boots moving onto the slickness of the ice and he soon feels the cold stone of the column, allowing him to guess his position. Could be that the column even affords him some cover...

"HOOOMAN!!" Leezer angrily croaks, and Thul can hear it grunt as it starts to flail its claws in his direction—it's definitely tracking his sound. He is not stealthy.

The slaad's huge (and now scarily unseen) claws swipe the air repeatedly—and Thul hears the screech of its bony blade against the stone just above his head. It's followed him and it's right next to him but he can't see it, and it can't see him.

---

Thul's on difficult terrain, but so is the slaad. Both are slowed by neither are going far.

I won't even bother with the map while Thul is blinded by the Darkness. Depending on where the slaad is standing when it attacks, the column also provides Thul with +2 AC for cover. 

• Blue slaad's disadvantaged claw attacks vs. Thul: 19, 14 (miss due to cover) / 19, 10 (miss)
• It does not try to bite what it cannot see, lest it bite stone.

Round 5 begins

19 - red slaad
15 - Thul
11 - Leezer (blue slaad)

No discernible action from the red. Thul's up.

[Elvis]

Thul scrambles in the dark, brushing his hand along the cave wall to the south. Debris skitters onto the ice.


Fek. Thul silently curses the noise.


He moves by touch alone until he finds the next pillar of rock and slips back between it and the cave wall. He moves as quick as possible now that it cant see him.


Hopefully something resembling a plan will present itself soon.


--


Thul dashes.


Thul moves 1 square east. 1 square northeast. 1 square east. 1 square north east


This should tuck him into that space between the pillar and the wall.

[Jeff]

Thul can hear the slaad's breathing, and can almost visualize it tracking his own sounds as he moves across the slick ice as carefully as possible. He reaches the place he intended to, but not without swinging his arms around a lot and trying to align reality with his memory. He feels his fingers touch the mirrored face of a column, and then the wall behind it.

The blue slaad's foot claws scrabble, and he hears it moving very close to him. Then it takes a single swing, which he doesn't hear coming but the screech of its bony blades across the face of the column. Again, the cave has provided him just enough cover to avoid a hit. 

---

• Blue slaad's disadvantaged claw attacks vs. Thul: 14, 17 (miss due to cover)

Round 6 begins

19 - red slaad
15 - Thul
11 - Leezer (blue slaad)

---

Thul hears some kind of noise outside the cave, and though he can't see it he hears that other slaad, the red one, ambling back out of the cave. The blue is still right next to him, with only part of the column between them, breathing madly.

[Elvis]

The damned thing is relentless. 

Thul can't count on his luck lasting much longer.

Enough skulking.

"Bluefrog." Thul calls out. "You failed again."

Thul moves towards the entrance following the wall for as far as he can. He keeps pressed as close to the wall as possible, expecting to bump into the redfrog at any moment.

---

Thul takes the dash action.

[Jeff]

Thul continues taunting and moving, this time trying to work his way towards the entrance of the cave. With only the wall to guide him.

He hears the slaad on his tail, tracking his every bootstep. It seems to calm its own breathing, but he can hear its claws on the ice, too, and—

Then a sudden burst of agony as one of those mighty blade-razors rips into his shoulder. There is a grunt of satisfaction from the slaad and its breath rolls down on him, too.

---

• Blue slaad's disadvantaged claw attacks vs. Thul: 23, 27 (hit) / 16 slashing damage to Thul and he must make another Constitution saving throw!

I'm headed out for the day, but I like to let you guys roll your own saves when there's time. There's time.

---

From the warming of the air, Thul sense he's near the edge of the cave but in his globe of Darkness there's no knowing when he'll step out onto the slick and slanted ice-bridge and plummet to the water far below. He knows there's no good handholds over here, especially when you can't see.

He has no idea where the red slaad is, but....he can hear the weird exclamations from that xorn coming from somewhere nearby. Nearby and above?

Refresh the map, which at the moment is just guesswork on Thul's part on where he is. He knows the blue slaad is adjacent to him, behind him, wherever he's at by the wall.

Thul still has over 9 minutes of duration for the Darkness spell.

[Elvis]

Thul buckles under the impact, if not for the wall he would be sprawled out on the ice. Thul roars his anger at the pain, reigning in the shock of it.

Thul remains obstinate. His rage keeps him focused on his task. The pain scours his mind of everything but the objective.


He reaches into his rucksack and retrieves the immovable rod. He continues forward, following the curve of the wall. He keeps his rod-hand on the wall. Breaking from his long tradition of being a bull-in-crystal-shop, Thul attempts to move as quietly as possible.


As he clears the mouth of the cave into the larger cavern, he activates the rod. As the rod stops abruptly, he uses it to pivot himself around the rod. He senses the drop-off behind him. As he uses the rod as a handhold, his bootheels hang over the precipice.


At the very least, the rod is now between him and the bluefrog.


Thul pushes himself just a bit further now. He is at the end of his gambit. He waits until the bluefrog steps out after him. When he senses it’s looming mass, he will unleash a spell.


__


Constitution save vs. claw d20+7=17


Concentration for darkness spell: d20+7=17


Stealth: d20+1=21 NATURAL 20! (HAHAHA)


Thul moves out of the cave and activates his immovable rod, swinging around it so that he is one square south, he back is dangling into the void.


Action Surge: Ready Action when the blue slaad is directly north of Thul, he will cast Thunderwave.


CON save vs DC 14: Thunder Damage 2d8=15


Fek.

[Jeff]

This post only accounts for one round of time, since moving is just a move and a Stealth check is an action (retrieving the rod is a free action). Activating the rod is an action unto itself, so I'll resolve that following round later.

Thul feels the warming air on his face and guesses he's on the threshhold of the exit. If the red slaad were there, he figures he'd have collided with it, but he hasn't yet.

He hears the xorn's yammering voice somewhere nearby, and possibly somewhere above the mouth of the cave—and given its volume it sounds like it's trying to be a distraction—and wonders if the slaadi can understand its language. Beneath that and the breathing and snarling of the pursuing blue slaad, he actually think he's managed to move quietly himself. But now he's out of room to move, lest he plummet to the water below...

He pulls out the rod even as he hears the blue slaad's clawed feet scraping the ice drawing close....

[Elvis]

In that case... Thul will use the action surge to activate the rod and not worry about the ready action.

[Jeff]

The rod locks into place, and Thul is able to move his body around it yet hold onto it. His is confident that he is now positioned the very edge of the ice-bridge. But he can take no more steps without letting go or de-activating the rod.

"Hooooooooommmman!" the slaad croaks, and then he hears the scrape of its claws on the ice softer now. Softer....

Thul should roll a Perception check.

[Elvis]

Despite his bravado, Thul's heart is hammering.

He slows his breathing and listens, trying to imagine the bluefrog's movements by sound.

---

Perception: d20+4= 20

[Jeff]

Thul remembers that the entrance to the cave was rather narrow. A creature with the slaad's girth would have to squeeze...

And that's precisely the sound he thinks he's hearing now. The slap and drag of the monster's feet on the ice, and a deep intake of breath as the strange smell of it washes over him. He cannot see it, but it's right next to him, due north of his position, and hasn't homed in on him yet.

"Hoooooman?"

Thul still hears the xorn yammering on nearby somewhere.

Map shows where Thul guesses he and the slaad are by sound and feel.

[Elvis]

Thul switches his grip on the immovable rod. Hooking it with his elbow and freeing up a hand for casting.


His voice resonate with fury, he sends the Thunderwave spell in the direction he thinks the bluefrog is standing.


--


Thunderwave: CON Save vs. DC14: Thunder damage: 2d8=15


This is it... *eyes closed

[Jeff]

Another thunderous BOOM resounds, and Thul can hear the monster grunt in dismay, but he can also hear the sound of at least one claw slapping against the wall and keeping it from blasting away from him.

The near-deafening sound rings in Thul's ears, and he braces for the incoming claws....

Then he hears a voice trying to shout through the echoes:

"All right, who is that?! Kal??" It sounds like Sem's small voice calling from across the gap on the keep side.

SLASH! comes the expected claws—the slaad has pinpointed him again, but the bone-blades hit the wall. Then a fire of pain rips into one leg as the monster's other hand's claw does catches him....

---

→ Blue slaad's advantaged Constitution saving throw vs. Thul's spell: 24, 7 (success, half damage taken)
• Blue slaad's disadvantaged claw attack vs. Thul: 13, 25 (miss) 
• Blue slaad's second disadvantaged claw attack vs. Thul: 20, 25 (hit) / 10 slashing damage to Thul
Thul must make a Constitution saving throw vs that claw and another (easier) roll to maintain his Darkness spell

[Elvis]

The blow nearly knocks his leg out from under him. If it wasn’t for the rod, he would have plunged off the ice.


The gash on his leg burns like someone poured molten lead on it. He manages to retain his focus and the darkness still lingers.



--


Constitution save vs Claw: D20+7=14


In case this is a fail, Thul will use his Indomitable ability… D20+7=8


Concentration check for darkness spell: D20+7=10

[Jeff]

Belarin, Kal, Melethos, Shorak, Streko only

Kal, Belarin, and Streko see Melethos in a defensive combat position. On the ground in front of him is the body of a dark elf—clad not as one of the Sulatar but something more akin to a Khorviarian elf. He lies in a pool of blood, and lies still.

Shorak is here as well, a short distance away, boomerang in one hand, his everburning torch in the other, yet he stands somewhat hunched over. He doesn't look very well, paler of hue than his normal halfdrow gray. He appears to have a wound under one arm, from the way he holds himself, and he is practically panting.

There is a sense of movement in front of both tiefling and halfdrow, a sort of trick of the light like you'd see at the edge of your peripheral vision. Streko suspects Shorak is afflicted with some contagion or poison.

Melethos and Shorak, meanwhile, suddenly find that Belarin, Kal, and Streko are here—standing calmly upon the dais as if they'd been there the whole time, simply watching you. They don't so much as spot their allies as much as just notice that they're already there.

Across from them, standing near the center of the room, is a stranger. An aged human with long hair and a beard, blue and grey robes, and a tall but mostly unremarkable staff. He, too, looks as though he's just been there and you didn't notice him yet.

In a far-off echo, as if in some adjacent cave system, you all hear the sound of a Thunderwave spell again.

---

Round 5  

20 - Belarin
16 - ?
11 - mage
10 - Shorak
8 - Kal & Streko
3 - Melethos

Battle is afoot, although that isn't necessarily apparent to Belarin, Kal, and Streko yet.

Elvis: Thul sees none of this. I brought everyone (minus Adamant) back to the main thread to make things easier but you're still in two different "places." I'll post separately for Thul later.

[Ken]

Belarin grabs his pact dagger moves quickly over to Melethos and the fallen dark elf. "Are you all right? What happened?" He then looks over to Shorak, sees his condition, and says, "Good Streko, you have a patient!"

Turning back to the tiefling, he says, "It's ... us. Really. And we found the, um, Petitioner." He indicates the new arrival.

_______________

Belarin moves toward Melethos and readies an action to attack any threat that pops up.

[Jeff]

Belarin, Kal, Melethos, Shorak, Streko only

Before Belarin goes more than ten feet, something strikes him—unseen and hard, drumming into him like an invisible barrage of magic missiles, hard and focused but not quite sharp. Each blow is undoubtedly leaving some ugly bruises.

He retaliates on instinct, swiping his pact blade out toward the offending creature. He hears only a rush of air as he strikes nothing, but he knows it's solid somehow. 

In that same moment, Shorak is struck repeatedly by an unseen attack of his own. He, too, feels like it's a rain of small hammers against his body. The world is starting to spin...

---

• Unseen entity's first advantaged attack vs. Belarin: 22, 20 (hit) / 9 bludgeoning damage to Belarin
• Unseen entity's second advantaged attack vs. Belarin: 22, 13 (hit) / 9 bludgeoning damage to Belarin
→ Belarin's dagger attack vs. the unseen entity: 11, 24 (miss) 
• Unseen entity's first advantaged attack vs. Shorak: 24, 19 (hit) / 9 bludgeoning damage to Shorak
• Unseen entity's second advantaged attack vs. Shorak: 16, 12 (hit) / 6 bludgeoning damage to Shorak
Shorak cannot use Uncanny Dodge against an attacker he cannot see.

---

The bearded mage frowns as both Belarin and Shorak cry out from the shock of their attacks. He points one hand toward Shorak and speaks an arcane phrase. Motes of light spray from his fingertips and converge in a patch of shadow in front of the halfdrow. They strike something, and you all hear a sound like the release of air from a pressurized machine.

---

• Mage's spell deals 18 force damage to the unseen entity attacking Shorak. 

10 - Shorak
8 - Kal & Streko (any order)
3 - Melethos

Belarin has moved 1 square S and 1 square SE (before being attacked and attacking in response). Map'll be updated after others move.

[Jeff]

Thul

Thul doesn't feel right inside. The sting of that bone-blade feels like it's extending into his own bones, into his marrow. If he can survive this assault, he'd sure like to take a look at the wound itself.

---

Thul is afflicted by something, but there's no obvious mechanical effect yet.

He still maintains concentration on his Darkness spell. What will he do on his next turn?

[Elvis]

Fek. Some sort of affliction most likely.

A worry for later.

But right now...

Thul sends another curse-ladden thunderwave at the blue frog.

If this doesn't work, he won't live long enough to worry about later.

--

Thunderwave

I'm not at my pc. Damage is irrelevant anyway.

😁

[Joe]

Oct 22, 2019 17:09:28 GMT -4 Jeff said:

The bearded mage frowns as both Belarin and Shorak cry out from the shock of their attacks. He points one hand toward Shorak and speaks an arcane phrase. Motes of light spray from his fingertips and converge in a patch of shadow in front of the halfdrow. They strike something, and you all hear a sound like the release of air from a pressurized machine.

Streko calls out to Olladra and creates a rain of fire at the location the mage's spell impacted and the sound of pressurized air came from.
__________________________________________________

Streko casts Sacred Flame at the location of the noise and impact of the wizard' spell.

Sacred Flame Radiant Damage → 15(8 +7)

[Dave B.]

Shorak grunts in pain. He cannot take much more punishment and is glad to see his friends. He doesn't stop to wonder where Adamant and Thul are. Hopefully, they wlll return soon. He drops his everburning torch and carefullly moves to the east, putting the column of stalagmite/stalagtite between himself and whatever that shadowy thing is. Reaching into the folds of his cloak, he pulls out the potion he pulled off the dead drow wizard, quickly draining the vial.

Shorak uses Cunning Action to disengage and moves 5 squares east and 1 square north.

Shorak uses the greater healing potion: 4d4+4=16.