Chapter 17: Deep Reflections

[Elvis]

Thul starts his slow doggy paddle to the boat.

[Joe]

Streko feels the stinging sand-like mixture try to burn its way into his lungs, but the last thing out of his mouth was Olladra's name. He takes it as an omen that he can even breathe, considering what his friends appear to be going through.
__________________________________________________________

Constitution Saving Throw: 1D20 → 20(20)

[Ken]

Belarin's Constitution save: 1d20(11)+1=12.

[Darren]

Constitution save = 16

[Jeff]

Belarin, Kal, Melethos, Shorak, Streko only

Your foes seem to bear no sympathy for your plight. The one that selected Belarin is relentless, hammering him again and again. The other is suddenly upon Melethos, striking him from behind (north), but though he cannot effectively dodge it, his armor and shield take the worst of it.

The so-called petitioner staggers and hunches over, fighting off the unexpected cloud of suffocating dust—but he quickly recovers and throws a withering glare toward Melethos.

Dave: Sure. I didn't choose the route you did (I assumed he'd go around the column the other way), but he's where he wanted to be now. It would save us both time if you specify the route when you post movement actions.

At the start of Belarin's next turn, he will drop to 0 hit points and begin dying. (But not until then.)

• Air stalker's first advantaged attack vs. Belarin: 24, 23 (hit) / 8 bludgeoning damage to Belarin
• Air stalker's second advantaged attack vs. Belarin: 18, 21 (hit) / 10 bludgeoning damage to Belarin
• Air stalker's first advantaged attack vs. Melethos: 15, 20 (miss)
• Air stalker's second advantaged attack vs. Melethos: 10, 17 (miss)
→ Mage's Constitution saving throw with advantage: 17, 18 (success) / no longer incapacitated or suffocating

Round 7 continues

10 - Shorak
8 - Kal & Streko
3 - Melethos

[Jeff]

It's slow going for Thul. He's tired, but his body still feels magically ridid—he knows he can shake it off, if he just keeps swimming.

The blue slaad surfaces only slightly, sticking its head up and snorting wetly. Then it takes a deep breath and goes under again on its own, and soon it's moving beneath Thul. He realized it's hoving somewhere just in front of him now, between himself and the Sulatar boat.

"Stop fooling around, Captain!" Sem calls out from high above. "Look, I'm going to get Starg! Maybe he can figure out...." His voice trails off.

The blue slaad may have taken the Ready action.

[Brian]

Melethos stares aghast when his friends collapse in a heap of coughing and sneezing. Even the petitioner is effected.

That damn efretti.

When Belarin grunts in front of him, reeling for more blows, he springs into action. The air stalker attacking Belarin is the biggest threat now. He lifts his sword, his anger driving him forward, and brings the blade down on the air stalker. He shift to another attack, this one low and driven upward. If he could castrate an invisible air creature, this would be the one.

_______________________________________________

Movement Action: None

Standard Action: Melethos attacks (with disadvantage) the air stalker in front of him.

Melethos: repeat 2D20+9 → 17; 29(8 + 9);(20 + 9)#first attack
Melethos:1D8+5 → 10(5 + 5)#damage from first attack

Melethos: repeat 2D20+9 → 20; 28(11 + 9);(19 + 9)#second attack
Melethos:1D8+5 → 13(8 + 5)#damage from second attack

[Dave B.]

Shorak, already in rough shape coughs and sputters finally spitting out what feels like grit and sand, but finally being able to draw a breath. "I feel awful," Shorak rasps.

Constitution save: 1d20+2=18.

[Elvis]

Thul's head is still his own. But he won't wager on for how much longer...

He wants it. He's going to have to work for it.

Thul draws his warknife and the world goes black once more.

The weight of his axe is dragging at him,and he discards it, letting it sink away into the water as he paddles his way blinding for the canoe.

[Joe]

Oct 27, 2019 19:07:41 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

Shorak, already in rough shape coughs and sputters finally spitting out what feels like grit and sand, but finally being able to draw a breath. "I feel awful," Shorak rasps.

Constitution save: 1d20+2=18.

"Now is not your time, my brother. We still need you, and will continue to need you for some time." He places one of his hands on Shorak's shoulders and an orange glow suffuses into him, making the half-drow/shifter appear slightly purple, like a bruise. Streko says nothing, but with his other hand, removes two potions from his haversack, holding them by the necks of their decanters.

"Take one of these, Shorak. The other is for Melethos, if you can get it to him."
_____________________________________________________________

Streko casts Lesser Restoration on Shorak and hands him the two healing potions he obtained from the Sulatar.

[Jeff]

Belarin, Kal, Melethos, Shorak, Streko only

As Shorak, Kal, and Streko recover with much noise and discomfort.

Melethos's attacks are persistent and savage, and his instinctively feels his foe weaken, though he still cannot see it.

Shorak, Kal, and Streko are no longer incapacitated or suffocating, and in the next round will be able to act normally again (Joe, your stated actions, including speaking, have to wait until then).

Melethos's attacks deal full damage.

Round 8

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

---

Wheezing ineffectually, Belarin's panic can find no voice, no breath. He keels over, blue-faced.

Yet it may have saved him further injury from his attacker. The air stalker turns its hammering blows against Kal, who at least has breath enough to grunt with each blow.

Gasping but breathing again, the bearded mage points a single finger at the invisible creature attacking Melethos, the one less harmed. He speaks words of magic that both Streko and Histra have spoken in your presence....and then all assault from that stalker ceases.

"There is just the one now," the mage says, pointing with his staff at the space south of Melethos.

---

• Belarin falls unconscious and begins dying (death saving throws will start next round).
• Air stalker's first advantaged attack vs. Kal: 25, 17 (hit) / 9 bludgeoning damage to Kal
• Air stalker's second advantaged attack vs. Kal: 14, 21 (hit) / 7 bludgeoning damage to Kal
• Air stalker's first advantaged attack vs. Melethos: 14, 19 (miss)
• Air stalker's second advantaged attack vs. Melethos: 23, 16 (hit) / 5 bludgeoning damage to Melethos
• Mage casts Banishment
→ Air stalker's (the northmost one) Charisma saving throw vs. spell: 12 (failure) / air stalker is banished!

Ken: Keep an eye on your private forum later.

10 - Shorak
8 - Kal & Streko
3 - Melethos

[Darren]

With the choking dust now out of his lungs, Kal scowls at the bottle Melethos has dropped. If Alaq lives...I will kill him the next time I see him. Seeing Belarin drop, Kal calls out to Streko. "Save him," then focuses his own energy through the wand in his hand, releasing a ball of electricity at his tormentor.

_________________
Kal will use Lightning Orb again. Damage is 6 (or 3 on a save).

[Jeff]

Thul

Down the axe goes, carried by the heavy weight of its head. Blind by design, Thul swims on with lead limbs, waiting for the churning water to indicate an attack. But not attack comes, not yet. He thuds his head against the wooden hull of the large drow canoe—though he cannot see it. At least he made it this far. 

Thul has no idea where the slaad is now, but he is not attacked.

[Elvis]

Thul works his way around the boat, feeling fir the rocky shore he spotted earlier. Once he is on solid ground he fetches his axe, then sheathes the war knife.

[Joe]

Streko will attend to Shorak first, then Melethos, then Belarin, as issues permit.

[Dave B.]

Seeing Belarin drop, Shorak does not hesitate. Pulling out a small vial, he kneels down and pours the contents into Belarin's mouth, making sure the healing liquid goes down his throat.

Shorak pulls out a healing potion and administers it to Belarin. 2d4+2=7. 7 hit points restored to Belarin.

Joe, I believe Shorak had the 2 Sulatar healing potions and he's already used them both.

[Joe]

Oh...they are still listed in my backpack. Sorry. Still, I removed the poison or whatever...so say thank you!!

[Dave B.]

When Streko sends the healing magic coursing through him, Shorak sighs in relief. "Thank you, good Streko. Much better."

[Brian]

Melethos hears the petitioner say one of the air stalkers is gone. Grateful to the man for the reprieve, and happy to see his friends slowly recovering from the efretti's treachery, he focuses his attack on the remaining stalker, hoping to rid themselves of it. His first swing veers off target as a globe of lightening suddenly appears behind the air stalker, taking him by surprise, but his second blow finds it mark.

_________________________________________

Movement Action: None

Standard Action: Melethos attacks the air stalker with two melee attacks

Melethos: repeat 2D20+9 → 10; 11(1 + 9);(2 + 9)#first attack with disadvantage hahahahha

Melethos: repeat 2D20+9 → 20; 27(11 + 9);(18 + 9)#second attack much better
Melethos:1D8+5 → 8(3 + 5)#damage from second attack

[Jeff]

Belarin, Kal, Melethos, Shorak, Streko only


Shorak has to work extra hard to get the fluid down Belarin's throat—it's chalky with that infernal dust. But Belarin does begin to stir. Streko's spell, meanwhile, purges Shorak of any lingering toxins. His conjured spiritual sickle hovers in the air, undirected, attacking nothing.

Melethos focus his attention fully on the stalker; he hits as often as he missed, judging from the impact and the hissing of air. But it's not defeated yet.

---

• Belarin regains 7 hit points and is conscious again, no longer incapacitated or suffocating. He is prone.
• Shorak is no longer poisoned.

Round 9 begins

20 - ?
20 - Belarin
16 - invisible entities
15 - Adamant
11 - mage
10 - Shorak
8 - Kal & Streko
3 - Melethos

Adamant and someone else have appeared and can act on their turns. None of you even notice them until Adamant's turn comes up. The newcomer takes the Ready action silently.

Belarin's up first.

[Jeff]

Thul

Dripping, Thul climbs up painfully upon the jagged rocks of the little island's shoreline. The column of rock is narrower than the keep it supports, and when Thul sheathes his knife and can see again, he finds that it's quite porous. Every hollow or whole larger than himself is filled with ice, and it makes him shiver to be so close to it all. There is even a wide enough hole that he suspects is an enter-able cave that perhaps leads up somewhere up into the keep itself—but it, too, is solidly frozen over. 

He suspects the elemental cold that created the ice-bridge has also supplied this ice.

Thul sees no immediate sign of the slaadi. Any of them.

But now he can see inside the Sulatar canoe. There is a body there, wrapped up in cloth; possibly dead. There are some bundles of supplies around it, too. Some oars. No weapons. 

Out of turn-based mode for now.

[Darren]

Jeff, did you add in the damage from Kal's spell? I didn't see it in the list.

[Jeff]

I did now! Stalker takes 6 lightning damage. Thanks.

[Elvis]

Thul scans the surface of the water, looking for any sign of the bluefrog.

Then he will scout the area, looking for a place to climb back up into the keep.

If there is no access upwards, Thul will take the canoe to the steps of the keep. 

[Ken]

Belarin draws in a huge breath! He coughs a few times, spitting out a few drops of the healing liquid, and curls his body defensively. "Where's the tree? Where--"

Awareness returns. "What's going on? Are they still here?" he calls out. Without waiting for an answer, he clutches his pact dagger and mutters a few syllables. Crystals of ice suddenly appear on his clothing and flesh. He stands up.

_________

Belarin casts Soulsorrow's armor and stands up.

[Jeff]

Belarin, Kal, Melethos, Shorak, Streko only

• Belarin gains 25 temporary hit points (good choice)

When Belarin rises unsteadily to his feet, feeling every bruise scream at him, a spectral frost manifests around his body.

Immediately, the air stalker returns its attacks against him. He feels the first barrage, but in the same moment portions of his conjured armor explode in a spray of white—his spell's counter-defense.

The air creature suddenly ceases all attack, and a cold air washes over all of you. Its body has dissipated.

And all is still.

Just then, you all see Adamant is here near the center of the room! He stands there with the backpack slung over one shoulder. Just behind him, you see a slender girl, a dark elf. Your first assumption is that she is Sulatar, but she is dressed nothing like them. She wears a shirt of light chainmail and a cloak that could belong to any Khorvairian elf's. Her hair is long and white, and he rface bears no tattoos or ritual scars. Yet she is very young, an adolescent of her people—though still probably far older than any of you, except perhaps Thul.

She holds an elvish-looking longsword in hand, blade held up defensively. She looks coiled and tense, ready to defend herself.

She points her sword at the other fallen dark elf, who lies in a pool of blood beneath the glowing sickle of Streko's conjuring. "Move aside," she demans in Common, though her drow accent is sharp.

• Air stalker's first advantaged attack vs. Belarin: 21, 13 (hit) / 8 bludgeoning damage to Belarin
→ Air stalker takes 25 cold damage.
• Air stalker is destroyed.

We're out of turn-based mode.

[Ken]

"Well, that turned out well," says Belarin, rubbing his bruised ribs and looking down at the outline of frost on the ground. "It's dead," he says to his companions. "I think we're---"

And then he notices Adamant and the drow girl. His relief at seeing his warforged friend is tempered by the drow's obvious wariness. "Good Streko," he says without turning, "please dissipate your weapon."

[Brian]

Melethos turns to face the newcomers. His eyes take in Adamant, holding the warforged's gaze for a beat, before shiftsing to the girl. "We're Adamant's friends. You won't need your blade." He gestures to the fallen dark elf. "This one attacked us, and we defended ourselves. If you had an issue with him, it's now over. If he was an ally..." He shrugs. "You won't prevail against all of us." His next words are addressed to Kal and the others. "The dark elf said he'd already killed one of us. Has anyone seen Captain Thul?"

[Jeff]

Oct 30, 2019 9:35:28 GMT -4 Brian said:

"This one attacked us, and we defended ourselves.

"Familiar justification," the girls says. "It was not the Sulatar who invited you into the keep so that we could be slain. You led with the sword, forcing your way in, and we defended ourselves when you did not turn away. You could have left us alone. The Sulatar would not have pursued you; our business was our own." Anger drips from her words.

[Jeff]

Thul

Thul tries to move around the base of the island to look for other possibilities, but the rocks are treacherous and slick and he cannot even navigate a half circle. It becomes too slippery and too sheer. The only ways "in" are blocked by ice. So he moves to the canoe. There are oars that he can man, but the boat is large; it is clearly meant to be rowed by a few at once—this is a boat sized for a warband. Still, he thinks he can get it drifting at least....

The water laps gently at the rocky shore, but there is no clear sign of the blue slaad.

Thul pushes at the boat, using all his weight to get it off the edge of the shore, then climbs in. He's still dripping, but isn't as cold as he might have been if not for the nearby fire-stream—which continues to flow in through the keep above. 

Just as Thul takes up the first oar, he sees one one of smoke mephits drops from above and alights at the bow of the canoe. Thirty feet from him, the smoky imp looks rather smug when it looks at him. It mutters something in its language.

I know these bird's-eye-view maps can make the third dimension tricky (hence all my labels about how high above the water level certain things are), but if it helps here's a super rough three-dimensional sketch I made. I wanted to make sure you understood that the stairs on the "porch" of the keep don't lead to the water. It, too, is 50 feet above the water line. The whole keep looks like it was built somewhere else and just sort of dropped here by the Elemental Chaos.