Chapter 21: The Razor's Edge

[Joe]

Streko moves quietly and purposefully behind Adamant and attempts to hide behind his larger friend. Streko will also ask Olladra to guide his larger friend in some small, meaningful way.
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Streko will use his nimbleness to slide behind Tangat and pass in front of Belarin, before finding himself behind Adamant. He basically moves to Tangat's other side. He will also attempt to naturally hide behind the Warforged. Finally he casts Guidance on Adamant, allowing him to roll a d4 and add the number rolled as a bonus to one ability check of his choice. He may choose to roll the die before or after rolling the ability check.

Stealth Check → 12

[Darren]

(Kal will continue with the actions stated in my previous post.)

[Jeff]

Tangat follows Kal, but moves past him, further into the shade of the stairs.

Everyone has lost sight of Belarin completely.

Another curious trilling sound is heard from high overhead—it sounds like the imitation of a bird's call, but not made by a bird. Then more colorful little shapes appear on the high wall, one at a time and some simultaneously. Strange, rounded heads of bright green, yellow, and red. They cannot be as tall as a human, if they could be seen completely. What is evident, though, is that they are armed with weapons that look reed-like, or like recorders. But no, they're blowguns! And some have small bows!

A hail of darts and small arrows come whistling down upon those of you most visible and centered: Melethos, Thul, and Kal. They seem unaware of Belarin and Shorak, and are at least ignoring or can't target those behind. It's hard to tell one from another, though you're vaguely aware that there are different colors among them. (On the map, the arrows indicate which ones are attacking whom—but that's just to give you, as players, an idea of what's going on; your characters can't pinpoint which attacks are coming from where just yet.)

The distance is considerable and their aim isn't perfect, and your armor, protects most of you. Melethos braces and holds his shield up; missiles chink and rattle and snap against both shield and armor. But one small arrow penetrates his defenses and stings like an oversized bee might. Kal, too, catches one small arrow in his arm, and it burns throughout his arm within seconds. Poison.

From somewhere among the small foes above you hear a chirping sound, but there are syllables therein. Words of magic. A spell is cast! Then, suddenly, brown and green vines erupt from the weedy pavement at your feet, becoming thick and tangled and rife with sharp thorns! The tangled area fills the space between Melethos's, Thul's, Shorak's, and Kal's feet and stops just at Adamant's feet! If he moves forward, though, he knows it's going to hurt.

• Green attack vs. Thul (w/ disadvantage): 10, 22 (miss)
• Green attack vs. Thul (w/ disadvantage): 13, 23 (miss)
• Red attack vs. Thul (w/disadvantage): 23; 10 (miss)
• Red attack vs. Melethos (w/disadvantage): 24; 11 (miss)
• Red attack vs. Melethos (w/disadvantage): 24; 11 (miss)
• Red attack vs. Melethos (w/disadvantage): 11; 21 (miss)
• Red attack vs. Kal (w/disadvantage): 8; 11 (miss)
• Yellow attack vs. Thul (w/disadvantage): 6; 7 (miss)
• Yellow attack vs. Melethos (w/disadvantage): 25; 22 (hit) / 7 piercing damage to Melethos
→ Melethos's Con saving throw: 17 (success, no poison damage)
• Yellow attack vs. Melethos (w/disadvantage): 6; 10 (miss)
• Yellow attack vs. Kal (w/disadvantage): 19; 17 (hit) / 4 piercing damage to Kal
→ Kal's Con saving throw: 9 (failure) / 5 poison damage to Kal
• Spike Growth is cast: a 20-foot radius becomes difficult terrain; when a creature moves into or within the area, it takes 2d4 piercing damage for every 5 feet it travels.

Note: if you're in the Spike Growth area already and you don't move from your spot, you take no damage. It's only moving through it that causes damage. Shorak is currently standing in it but if he moves anywhere east or south he won't incur damage and will be clear of it. Likewise, if Kal moves west or north, he too would be clear.

You can now spot most of the little creatures peeking over the top of the wall, but at present they all effectively have three-quarters cover (+5 AC) due to the wall and plant cover.

22 - Shorak / Streko
21 - Belarin
17 - Kal & Tangat
9 - little colorful foes
8 - Adamant
6 - Histra, Sem, Starg, Thul
6 - ?
5 - Melethos

[Dave W.]

"Thul, come with me." Adamant moves into the thorns and invokes the dimension door from the glaive to take him and the captain to the top of the wall.

---

sorry I'm so late with this

Bonus Action: Glaive goes to Force damage
Move Action: 1SE, taking damage
Standard Action: Dimension Door. Thul and Adamant go up to the top of the area. On the Eastern rim where the tag "125ft" is it looks like there's two squares open. Though really anywhere on top of the rim would be good.

---

Constant Effects (provided Adamant is conscious):

• Aura of Devotion: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be charmed.
• Aura of Protection: Adamant and allies within 10' gain +3 on saves.
• Aura of Courage: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be frightened.
• Sentinel: Adjacent creatures provoke opportunity attacks even if they use Disengage.
• Sentinel: If an adjacent enemy makes an attack against a target other than Adamant, he can use his reaction to make a melee attack against that enemy.

Possible Reactions:

• Fighting Style Protection: An attack against an adjacent ally suffers disadvantage when Addy has his shield up. Adamant doesn't have the shield now.
• Sentinel: If Addy hits with an opportunity attack, the target's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.

[Jeff]

Dave, going southeast means you're making this a Ready action for when Thul moves adjacent to that same square (and he will have to take damage to get there). Or if you go 1 square southwest then you'd already adjacent to Thul and this can happen now, on Adamant's turn, as long as Thul consents.

[Dave W.]

yep, I may have typed SE but I meant SW... Adamant moves next to THul not away... User-brain damage...

[Jeff]

Thul looks down at the maze of vines and thorns. "Fek."

But then Adamant strides right into it, even as the thorns bite and gnaw at him, scratching against the composite plating of his legs and scraping the woody parts. His glaive slices open a rift in the very air, and Thul's expression brightens somewhat. "Good." Both human and warforged are folded into the astral door, and in less than a second, re-emerge elsewhere. It takes them a couple seconds to reorient themselves to their new location . . .

They're standing just behind a low wall (less than three feet high off their new ground) overlooking the chamber below where their allies are. And now, standing/crouched around Adamant and Thul, wide-eyed (and some wide-mouthed) are squat froggish-looking creatures, none larger than Streko. In other circumstances, Adamant might find them pleasant to look upon (humans might call them "cute") but they also appear to be quite hostile, wielding blowguns, bows, small blades, and bone staves! Their brightly-colored skin reminds him of the jungle frogs he's heard about but never really seen up close. Shades of green seems to be the most common, but there are reds, yellows, and even a goldish hue among them. He thinks he remembers hearing that jungle frogs are poisonous to the touch, but has no idea if that would affect a living construct like him.

BUT, more alarming: there is a blue slaad here! The ogre-sized monster is only thirty feet away from Adamant. Its broad face opens in a big grin when it sees them, too, revealing its innumerable sharp teeth. It holds a crystalline object like the one Melethos caught in one hand, and a very large rock in the other.

Adamant can't take the whole scene in just yet—he has opponents around him!—but he can see he's standing in a jungle-enveloped portion of some old ruins, and when he looks east (where the sky is darker) he sees the open sky again, making him realize that the cliff's edge is also very close. A hundred feet away, maybe.

Thul seems content to have something to fight, though, and the slaad isn't close enough. He immediately swings Syndra, whose head blazes with flame, and brains the closest green-hued frogman. It goes down in a thud and a tumble, gore spilling to the weedy stones. The captain spins with the momentum and tries to take out another one beside him, but the red creature jumps away and the hammer strikes the wall with a spray of sparks. "Fek."

Down below, Sem leans out of the stairwell and utters words of magic. Instantly, the circle of thorny vines melts away, dispelled! "Go get them, Melethos!" he shouts merrily, then ducks back into the relative safety of the stairwell. Histra lingers there, knowing her magic cannot reach any foe yet. Starg, however, emerges fully. He looks up warily but moves to stand behind Melethos. "Do you desire flight, Melethos?" He holds a hand out to touch the tiefling's shoulder.

At this point, Adamant sees the slaad—who stands behind nearly a dozen of the little frogmen, well beyond Adamant's reach—amble purposefully over to the wall, looks down, and heaves the big rock over toward his friends!

The rapidly falling rock doesn't go unnoticed. Those below look up just in time to see the peril, but the peril is Starg's alone: he tries to move, but the rock clips him on the shoulder, shearing away fur and skin and dropping him to his knees in agony. But he is alive. He looks up at Melethos, pain on his face. "Take it, if you will!" he says, not retracting his offer to Melethos. But it's clear Starg needs to get to safety soon; he cannot survive another hit like that, or too much of anything.

The blue slaad lets out a croaking guffaw. The upper half of the monster is now visible to Melethos, Kal, Belarin, and Shorak, though it is high overhead.

• Adamant takes 5 points of piercing damage.
• Thul's hammer attack vs. green frogman: 12 (hit) / 8 bludgeoning damage and 3 fire damage
• Green frogman slain
• Thul's hammer attack vs. red frogman: 10 (miss)
• Sem casts Dispel Magic: the Spike Growth is gone!
• Histra takes Dodge.
• Starg Readies a Fly spell
• Blue slaad moves and throws a rock with disadvantage at Starg: 16, 25 (hit) / Starg takes 28 bludgeoning damage

I'm experimenting with a new "death" (skull & cross-bones) symbol on the map, since I don't like enemy bodies to just vanish like in a video game, but making them merely "fade" out gets complicated, too. Note the dead green creature next to Thul.

Round 1:

22 - Shorak / Streko
21 - Belarin
17 - Kal & Tangat
9 - little colorful foes
8 - Adamant
6 - Histra, Sem, Starg, Thul
6 - blue slaad
5 - Melethos

[Brian]

Melethos starts to accept Starg's spell when a huge rock slams into the minotaur. His friend goes down, blood spurting from his shoulder. But Starg remains diligent, and the tiefling accepts his touch.

"Go," he says, "Protect yourself."

When he feels the magic surge through his veins, his eyes lock on the blue slaad and he launches into the air. He flies staight up, placing himself as level with the blue slaad as he can. He hefts his javelin, takes aim at the slaad, whispers strvulk, then lets the weapon fly!

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Movement Action: Melethos moves and Dashes 120 feet directly upward.

Melethos uses his fighter skill for Action Surge.

Melethos throws his javelin of lightning at the slaad.

Attack roll on the slaad.

Melethos: repeat 2D20 + 9 #attack roll on slaad with disadvantage → 28; 21(19 + 9);(12 + 9) If Mel is less than 30' from the slaad, just use the first roll.

Melethos: D6 + 5 #damage from javelin → 9(4 + 5)

Melethos: 4D6 #lightning damage to the slaad→ 21(5 +5 +6 +5)

[Jeff]

Melethos would have to stow the crystalline object he's holding to draw out the javelin. I'll hand-wave it this time, since Mel is using an Action Surge as well, so I'll roll it in with that. But normally that wouldn't work.

Melethos rises quickly through the air, feeling the ground drop away from him. He tucks the crystal shard he's holding and draws from his back the magical javelin. When he reaches as far as he can go, he throws the javeling—which in a flash transforms into a bolt of lightning and then back into an energy-charged spear. It sticks into the blue slaad's chest, looking smaller now in such a beefy creature's body, but the lightning scours its skin. It winces and grunts, snapping its eyes on Melethos and losing the glee in its small eyes. Still it holds its own crystal object.

Melethos is now to see the froggy heads of some of these other creatures and a general sense of the landscape, but he hasn't cleared the wall just yet to see more. He just make out another rise of stairs to the east, and see two yellow- or golden-hued frogman standing on them, decked out in strange bone attire.

This means the crystal is now tucked in his belt loosely (and would be very easy to drop or shatter there).

• Slaad takes half damage from the lightning (10 only) but full damage from piercing.

Round 2:

22 - Shorak / Streko
21 - Belarin
17 - Kal & Tangat
9 - little colorful foes
8 - Adamant
6 - Histra, Sem, Starg, Thul
6 - blue slaad
5 - Melethos

[Darren]

"Let Thul, Adamant, and Melethos deal with the slaad. We focus on crowd control," Kal yells to his friends.

__________
Hopefully a quick out of turn instruction is acceptable.

[Jeff]

No problem. Please just be mindful of what your characters see/know so far.

[Dave B.]

Shorak can't help unless he gets closer and in a better position. His only choice is to go up. Hoping that the pit trap is only one, Shorak moves around it and starts working his way up the stairs. He would let everyone know what he is doing, but doesn't want to give the foes any idea of what he is doing or where he is.

Shorak moves and dashes and dashes again using Cunning Action.

Movement: 3 squares south, 1 square southwest, 9 squares west. (Taking into account the difficult terrain of going up the stairs. The 5 squares that include the stairs equaling 50 feet of the 90 feet of movement.)

[Joe]

Streko curses. "I've got no target within range of any of my spells! Therefore..."

He helps Starg back into the shadows, then reaches into his haversack and hands the Minotaur three enchanted starfruit. "Eat this, give one to Sem and hold the other in case Tangat comes to his senses and returns to this side or someone else comes out of cover. They will protect you from poison for a while, at least until we get out of this mess. Your protection is key now! If you can do anything to cover the line of enemies across from us, perhaps I can get up those stairs without being hit. Or, if either of you have a fly or invisible spell, that would be a great deal more helpful. I just need to get closer to our attackers or I'll be of little use to anyone except as target practice."
_________________________________________________________

Streko gives Starg three of the enchanted starfruit to hand out and joins him in the shadows against the wall leading back down.

[Jeff]

Shorak springs no new traps as he hurries around the pit and up the stairs. The walls around him are so filled with vines he can barely see the blocks of stone. He can't help but wonder if they conceal any doors or other openings, but it would take time to look through.

Starg grasps the outthrust fruit from Streko, but shakes his head. "I do not think there is time," he says, as Streko moves into the safety beyond the archway next to Sem and Histra.

Note it takes 3 rounds to consume 1 fruit.

Round 2:

22 - Shorak / Streko
21 - Belarin
17 - Kal & Tangat
9 - little colorful foes
8 - Adamant
6 - Histra, Sem, Starg, Thul
6 - blue slaad
5 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Darren]

Kal sees his friends moving into cover and thinks it would be wise for him to do the same. He moves towards the protection of the eastern wall, focusing his ire on the little creatures opposite him. He slashes his staff across his body in an arc, three rays of fire spreading out in its wake.

_______________
Kal will move 30' directly east. That should put him right under the slaad, but hopefully out of sight of all the things on the eastern side of the wall.
Kal will cast Scorching Ray on the red, green, and yellow little dudes on the west side opposite him. Cover does not apply because of Kal's Spell Sniper feat.

Attack vs. red = 23
Attack vs. yellow = 10
Attack vs. green = 19

Damage rolls are 4, 9, and 7. (I rolled three times on the very off chance that that 10 was a hit. You can either use the first two rolls or the first and third, however you feel appropriate.)

Tangat should go ahead and Dash over into the area where Sem is so he can avoid getting hit. There's not much he can do from where he is.

[Ken]

Belarin suddenly reappears from the shadows as the warlock races toward the stairs - not the start of the stairs by the pit, but the middle section. When he gets past Tangat, he again disappears in shadow - only this time reappearing instantly on that middle section of stairs.

_______________________________

OK, Jeff, I'll need a ruling on where Belarin ends up after this. As his move, he heads diagonally southwest toward the western side of the courtyard, and I think he'll need to use the Dash action to hug the wall and move along it enough to get to the point where he can use a Bonus action to cast misty step and teleport 30 feet up and over to a spot on the stairs above. He knows he'll be exposed this round, but it's the only way he can get close enough to attack.

Also, if he is hit by one of the attackers on their turn (almost a given considering their number), he'll use his reaction to misty escape and teleport another SIXTY feet farther up the stairs and turn invisible!

[Jeff]

I think I must not have "refilled" Belarin's warlock spell slots from that last short rest (which he needs to cast Misty Step, since his wizard spell slots are only for 1st), but I've done so now, and then deducted one slot for Misty Step.

---

Belarin reaches the wall and runs along it, his body becoming visible as he moves again. A foul and rather bestial odor fills the air when he runs along the vine-filled wall; he's not sure what he's smelling, but it doesn't stop or hinder him. With a word of magic, he teleports thirty feet up, standing upon the stairs, and then hurries into another patch of shade cast by the wall, up against it. Feeling exposed regardless.

Kal, still a blurry shape, moves to the opposite wall and sprays fire in three rays into the air. Two rays strike their targets, burning them but slaying neither outright. The green ones falls back with a shriek, the most wounded. Feeling Kal's desire, Tangat sprints across the courtyard and dives between Sem's and Histra's feet.

One of the colorful frogmen emits a kind of chirp, and all of them along the west and south walls load their arrows and darts into their weapons, take aim, and release again, coming closer to the edge of the drop to better see their targets! Most favor Belarin and Melethos, who've risen somewhat closer, and only one takes a shot at Kal. Those on the east side, who have Adamant and Thul in their midst, shift tactics. Some close in with melee weapons while others move to a more advantageous angle and loose their missiles!

The whine and click and puff of the frogmen's weapons announce another volley of missiles this way and that.

Melethos hears the tinking of numerous tiny darts against his armor and shield. Only one finds its mark, embedding itself into the back of one hand. It hurts, but it's not even going to slow him down. An arrow also sinks partially through his armor near his knee, another sting. Kal easily dodges the missile that comes his way. Belarin is beset by quite a few, and arrow from almost directly above hits him in the shoulder. But in the pain, he vanishes with a cloud of mist and reappears considerably further up the stairs! Invisible, he has a better vantage point above and below, though he cannot actually see over the high walls just yet.

Another spellcaster among them summons another sudden outgrowth of briar-vines, this time placing it upon a section of stairs to ensnare Belarin . . . but he's gone! Nevertheless, the growth remains a new barrier, and it seems to mesh easily with the already extent vines that cover these ancient walls.

Adamant and Thul contend with a crowd of the colorful foes; several close in and jab at them with blades, while others amble and hop (they jump so easily in quick little arcs) and loose projectiles at them from the ground and the air! Both Last War veterans parry these attacks, turning and ducking as they can, accepting some minor hits. Thul takes more of it, being softer and apparently more prone than Adamant to the poison these little creatures apparently have slicked their weapons with. The Karrn accepts it stoically. Both warriors are aware that more of the things are gathering and moving about on the north end of the area. They are numerous, but they at least appear finite.

Below, Belarin also sees a few new ones coming into view near the top of the stairs.

Finally, one of the yellow-colored frogmen on the east edge of the wall lifts a bonelike instrument to its mouth and blows on it, its throat puffing up big and then releasing the full blast. The sound that comes out of the horn isn't terribly loud, but it's sharp: a piercing trill that seems to travel everywhere, reverberating off the walls of the courtyard below a strangely long time, echoing back and forth. There may be magic in it. Through his empathic link with Tangat, Kal can feel that the dog is greatly irritated by the sound.

With numerous foes, I'm going to indicate hit point damage dealt on the map itself, to give you an idea.

• Tangat moves and Dashes
• Red frogman's arrow attack vs. Belarin (w/ disadvantage): 10, 18 (miss)
• Green frogman's dart attack vs. Melethos: 24 (crit hit) / 1 piercing damage to Melethos
→ Melethos's Constitution saving throw: 9 (failure) / 5 poison (reduced to 3 due to antivenom*)
• Yellow frogman casts Spike Growth
• Green frogman's dart attack vs. Melethos: 17 (miss)
• Red frogman's arrow attack vs. Kal (w/ disadvantage): 16, 10 (miss)
• Green frogman's dart attack vs. Belarin (w/ disadvantage): 13, 13 (miss)
• Yellow frogman's arrow attack vs. Belarin (w/ disadvantage): 16, 16 (hit) / 9 piercing damage to Belarin
→ Belarin's Constitution saving throw: 12 (success, no poison damage)
→ Belarin uses Misty Escape to teleport 60 ft.
• Green frogman's dart attack vs. Melethos: 11 (miss)
• Green frogman's dart attack vs. Melethos: 19 (miss)
• Green frogman's dart attack vs. Melethos: 10 (miss)
• Red frogman's arrow attack vs. Melethos: 22 (hit) / 4 piercing damage to Melethos
→ Melethos's Constitution saving throw: 12 (success, no poison damage)
• Yellow frogman's arrow attack vs. Melethos: 15 (miss)
• Green frogman's dagger attack vs. Adamant: 11 (miss)
• Green frogman's dagger attack vs. Adamant: 19 (hit) / 6 piercing damage to Adamant
• Green frogman's dagger attack vs. Adamant: 7 (miss)
• Green frogman's dart attack vs. Adamant: 9 (miss)
• Green frogman's dart attack vs. Adamant: 6 (miss)
• Green frogman's dart attack vs. Adamant: 13 (miss)
• Red frogman's dagger attack vs. Thul: 12 (miss)
• Red frogman's arrow attack vs. Thul: 22 (hit) / 7 piercing damage to Thul
→ Thul's Constitution saving throw (w/ aura): 11 (failure) / 5 poison damage to Thul
• Red frogman's arrow attack vs. Thul: 15 (hit) / 4 piercing damage to Thul
→ Thul's Constitution saving throw (w/ aura): 30 (success, no poison damage)

*The antivenom Mel drank is specific to drow sleep venom, but it's imparting a bit of resistance to this, too.

Round 2:

22 - Shorak / Streko
21 - Belarin
17 - Kal & Tangat
9 - little colorful foes
8 - Adamant
6 - Histra, Sem, Starg, Thul
6 - blue slaad
5 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Dave W.]

"Okay, we will need to get to the slaad. Move up as we clear the little ones."

Adamant starts a rhythm of attacks against the small frog creatures. "Flee creatures! We have no need to slay you all! Leave us be and do not hinder our moving through here!" Adamant calls out as he sends the blood of one of the creatures splashing off his pole-blade.

---

sorry I'm so late with this

Bonus Action: Glaive goes to Force damage
Standard Action: Two attacks. He's going to start due east and work counter-clockwise. I'm not going to use my last divine smite until we get to the slaad.

First Attack: 28 CRIT
35 (24 force, 11 radiant)

Second Attack: 12 not as good
Just in case: 16 (13 force, 3 radiant)

Move Action: If possible, he'll move 1NE

---

Constant Effects (provided Adamant is conscious):

• Aura of Devotion: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be charmed.
• Aura of Protection: Adamant and allies within 10' gain +3 on saves.
• Aura of Courage: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be frightened.
• Sentinel: Adjacent creatures provoke opportunity attacks even if they use Disengage.
• Sentinel: If an adjacent enemy makes an attack against a target other than Adamant, he can use his reaction to make a melee attack against that enemy.

Possible Reactions:

• Fighting Style Protection: An attack against an adjacent ally suffers disadvantage when Addy has his shield up. Adamant doesn't have the shield now.
• Sentinel: If Addy hits with an opportunity attack, the target's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.

[Jeff]

The axe-head of the Astral Glaive cuts through the first creature easily, severing it in two and splashing gore around it. A chorus of dismayed, yet angry, croaks resound. Adamant pushes on and cuts the next one down as well, advancing several steps towards the blue slaad, who watches him quite calmly.

Starg moves back into the stairwell. Histra and Sem watch and wait from the shelter.

Thul hammers one of the red ones down, smashing it utterly and burning the remains. He then trails Adamant, swinging out and missing another foe.

Seeing them get closer, the blue slaad then walks backwards. An intentional luring? Adamant wonders. It doesn't look afraid, but it's not attacking yet. It throws another look back toward the floating Melethos.

Your world is fun, Adamant and Melethos (and Thul?) hear a telepathic voice in their head from the Kythri creature. Neutral, calm, lacking much personality. Would you like alliance? We can kill little frogs together, and make bargains, as we did with the fog-men. As if showing proof, the slaad waves the crystalline object in its huge hand.

• Green frogman slain.
• Green frogman slain.
• Starg moves and Dodges.
• Sem Readies an action.
• Histra Readies an action.
• Thul's first hammer attack vs. red frogman: 17 (hit) / 12 bludgeoning damage and 7 fire damage
• Red frogman is slain
• Thul's second hammer attack vs. red frogman: 11 (miss)
• Blue slaad moves.

Round 2:

22 - Shorak / Streko
21 - Belarin
17 - Kal & Tangat
9 - little colorful foes
8 - Adamant
6 - Histra, Sem, Starg, Thul
6 - blue slaad
5 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Brian]

Nov 4, 2021 18:25:42 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Seeing them get closer, the blue slaad then walks backwards. An intentional luring? Adamant wonders. It doesn't look afraid, but it's not attacking yet. It throws another look back toward the floating Melethos.

Your world is fun, Adamant and Melethos (and Thul?) hear a telepathic voice in their head from the Kythri creature. Neutral, calm, lacking much personality. Would you like alliance? We can kill little frogs together, and make bargains, as we did with the fog-men. As if showing proof, the slaad waves the crystalline object in its huge hand.

Melethos shakes his head at the slaad's offer. He had no liking for a oath-breaker.

With a thought, he drifts closer to the slaad. When he is within fifteen feet, he speaks words of magic, then thrusts out a hand, his fingers closing into a fist. Lightning shoots out and wraps around the slaad!

_____________________________________

Movement Action: Melethos flies within fifteen feet of the slaad. On the map, he should end up on the square just northwest of the blurred Kal.

Standard Action: Melethos casts Lightning Lure on the slaad. He must make a Strength Saving Throw vs DC 15 or be pulled up to ten feet in a straight line toward Melethos. If he fails his save, he also takes 3d8 lightning damage if he ends up within five feet of Big Red. I'm hoping if he doesn't save, he'll end up falling over the wall edge and go boom down below.

Melethos: 3D8 #damage from lightning lure → 15(5 +4 +6)

[Jeff]

Melethos's lash of lightning winds around the slaad only for a moment, but the brute shakes free of it within two seconds. Its body seems to spasm; some kind of laughter.

Then, in the courtyard below, a sound of rustling, scrambling, and scraping can be heard—Kal, Streko, and those in the tunnel hear it first. It's muffled at first then becomes loud so that no one can miss it. Then the wall opposite them (on the west side) explodes open! It's not stonework that crumbles, though, but a framework of wood—a opening that was concealed by the very entwined vines that hang and creep along the walls throughout the courtyard.

They can barely glimpse the opening itself, for something enormous surges out from it! A monster you've never seen the likes of before but recognize immediately. Its fame precedes it by its very shape and its name, even the heraldry of House Phiarlan.

A hydra. An actual hydra.

It's hard to tell precisely what each serpentine head looks like—whether it's draconic or merely some reptilian snake-head—because it won't stay still. The monster's five necks and heads are writhing constantly, ravenously. It roars and snaps and hisses—a killing machine. The heads begin to slow down as they turn and pinpoint potential meals: Kal is still blurry, but he is quite visible and is sure to smell tasty, along with those other people in the tunnel behind him. Three heads seem fixed in their direction, while one swivels around in Shorak's direction; another looks up toward Belarin, sniffing. They are invisible, but the hydra is at least aware of them. Fortunately, Belarin is up rather high. The body is huge, and its head can easily snake fifteen feet away from its body, and reach forty feet high or more.

It seems clear to both invisible men that the hydra knows there is food to be found in the direction of Kal, Histra, Sem, Starg, and Tangat.

A croaking sort of cheer goes up from the frogmen above who are looking down.

---

→ Blue slaad's Strength saving throw (with advantage): 15, 15 (success, not lured or damaged)
• A hydra emerges!

Round 3:

22 - Shorak / Streko
21 - Belarin
17 - Kal & Tangat
9 - little colorful foes
8 - Adamant
6 - Histra, Sem, Starg, Thul
6 - blue slaad
5 - Melethos
4 - hydra

I've made the icons of the folks in the stair-tunnel faded so they don't obstruct the top view but you can still see where they are.

The green square beneath the hydra shows the spaces it actually occupies; the heads can stretch beyond that but they aren't "present" outside the square when anyone is attacking it. As of this round, the hydra has only moved into position; part of its body is still in the tunnel it's emerging from.

Attachments:

[Darren]

"You have got to be kidding me," Kal mutters as the hydra explodes through the wall. "Melethos! We're going to need a little help down here..." Kal flings his hands up in front of him, as if warding off a blow from the creature. His body sharpens into focus as the dragonmark burns bright blue on his forearm and flames lick along his exposed skin, crawling outwards and snaking across the ground until they coalesce into a wall of fire that obscures all but the hydra's head.

______________
Gonna post out of turn because I don't think it will matter.

Kal will move one square south (he's a target for the hydra no matter what, might as well not clump up with the other squishy folks).

He will cast Wall of Fire (which means dropping concentration on Blur). He's out of 4th level slots, so he'll use a 5th level slot for it. It will extend from the bottom step across the courtyard, which should go right through the one head of the hydra (i.e. five squares west of where Kal is standing and just past the spike pit). If I'm misunderstanding how that would work, the wall will instead go 3 squares west of that position, which should be right through its body. In either case, the hot side is facing towards Kal. That means the hydra will either have to move back behind it (where it can't see us), stand inside of it (where it will keep taking damage), or advance out of it and probably still be within 10' of it, so it will continue taking damage.

Because Kal is using a 5th level slot the hydra must succeed on a Dex saving throw or take 6d8 damage (half on a success). Kal will also use 3 Sorcery points to Empower the spell, giving the hydra disadvantage on that save.

[Dave B.]

Shorak mutters a curse when the new crop of thorns and growth sprout up from the stairs leading up and then his mouth drops open when the hydra bursts forth. He turns toward the west wall and reaches up for the vines and starts climbing up and sideways up them, attempting to move past the growth and still not have to deal with them. He considered just climbing straight up, but didn't think being alone with, who knows how many of those froglike creatures, would be good for his health.

Shorak attempts to bypass the spike growth by climbing up the vines and wall, following the path of the stairs, but staying above the spike growth. He will move as far as he can by dashing twice, using Cunning Action. His Second Story Work allows him to move at normal speed when climbing, so that should get him 5 or 10 feet short of the northwest corner of the next landing, depending on whether or not he has to move 5 feet first to climb. This includes the initial 10 foot climb up.

I expect both an athletics and acrobatics roll are called for here: Athletics check: 1d20+2=20. Acrobatics check: 1d20+12=17. Changed to a 22 due to Shorak's Reliable Talent Ability.

[Joe]

"Gods above and below...we are in no shape to handle this and the creatures surrounding us. We need assistance. More importantly, we need time. Histra, Starg, Sem, prepare to retreat down the stairs if this thing decides to come at us. I am going to make an attempt to banish it. Even if I am successful, it only gives us a minute to find a way out of here, which means making a run for it...and I'm not sure all of us will be able to do so. Or we wait for the Tieflings to come to our aid and allow our friends to fight the Slaad and the frogs. Unfortunately, my magic is almost exhausted and is limited by distance. This will be my last powerful spell until we get a chance to rest. If we get a chance to rest. If this does work, we must all make a run for it! Head for the stairs and climb to the best of your ability. Stay behind me and I will remove the thorns once we get closer. I hope that damn Hydra isn't an illusion. That would upset me in ways I can't even begin to describe out loud."

Streko stares at the hydra, points at it, and says..."BEGONE!"
_______________________________________________________

Streko casts Banishment on the Hydra, using his final 5th level spot for the 4th level spell. Sadly, no other creatures are within range. Also, this might affect Kal's choice if it works. The only other

[Jeff]

Streko only gets a few words out of his mouth (amended above) before he's nearly out of time to cast his spell.

But when he does, the hydra seems to just melt away as though it were a bad dream evaporating upon waking. For a few seconds, its roaring and thrashing echoes around the chamber, lingering evidence.

It's clear that Histra, at any rate, has no intention of retreating. "Well done," she says to Streko, "Now keep it away."

Shorak, meanwhile, hurries to the wall and climbs up into the vines and creepers there; they're strong, and but for these he doesn't think there'd have been enough handholds to get across. But he does, working his way above the spell-briars and following the path of the stairs. The leaves and vines creak and rustle, making plenty of noise—which is mostly drowned by the sound of the raging hydra.

Until the hydra is simply gone. He drops down near the wall on the upper landing.

---

→ Hydra's Charisma saving throw vs. Banishment: 10 (failure) / It is banished for 1 minute (on his turn on round 13), only while Streko maintains concentration.

I checked with Darren: he'll be repeating his previous turn's actions now that the hydra isn't there. In any case, Belarin is next.

Round 3:

22 - Shorak / Streko
21 - Belarin
17 - Kal & Tangat
9 - little colorful foes
8 - Adamant
6 - Histra, Sem, Starg, Thul
6 - blue slaad
5 - Melethos
4 - hydra

Attachments:

[Ken]

Belarin's eyes widen at the sight of the hydra -- and then he exhales when it abruptly vanishes! Bless you, Streko.

He spins around to face the multiple colored attackers on the western edge above. "Green or red, you'll soon be dead!" The warlock turns visible and fires blasts of eldritch energy, then he moves into the shadows of the northern edge.

______________________________

Belarin turns visible and attacks Foe "-4" on the west side with eldritch blast. The first attack is at advantage.
Attack 1, advantaged: Belarin: repeat2 D20 + 8#eldritchblast1,advantage → 12; 12(4 + 8);(4 + 8).
Attack 2: Belarin: D20 + 8#eldritchblast2 → 11(3 + 8)
Well, probably only the first one hits, but I'll roll damage for both, just in case.
Damage 1: 9 points force.
Damage 2: 5 points force.
Move: Belarin moves north to the wall.

[Jeff]

Resolving everything so far. But I'm going to pause here, because the next part of the round takes some time to work out, and I don't want to bother if we're done with DE now. I feel very neutral about it now.

• Belarin's eldritch blast attacks miss. (The red and yellow frogmen have AC 13. The green have AC 12.)

• Kal's Scorching Ray attack (first ray) vs red frogman: 25 (hit) / 8 fire damage
• Kal's Scorching Ray attack (second ray) vs green frogman: 16 (hit) / 7 fire damage
• Kal's Scorching Ray attack (third ray) vs yellow frogman: 10 (miss)

Round 3:

22 - Shorak / Streko
21 - Belarin
17 - Kal & Tangat
9 - little colorful foes
8 - Adamant
6 - Histra, Sem, Starg, Thul
6 - blue slaad
5 - Melethos
4 - hydra

[Darren]

Replacing my post from above.

"You've got to be kidding me...." Kal's body tenses, ready to deal with the threat of the hydra that has appeared before them, but just as his hands begin to move into the intricate arcane patterns that are burned into his brain, the creature disappears. Kal glances over his shoulder and see Streko, his attention fixated on the same spot that Kal's eyes just left, his hands up having just finished the spell of banishment. He grins, but then frowns.

"There's not much time before it comes back," he shouts. "We must clear the field and make ready."

________________
Kal will move three squares south and use Scorching Ray again on three of the little dudes opposite him. He'll attack the damaged ones first (assuming Belarin hasn't killed the one).

Attack rolls are 14, 10, and 19. Rolling damage for the first and last attacks.

Damage rolls are 8 and 9.

EDIT: Simul-posted with Jeff, but the results are nearly identical, so whichever rolls you want to keep are fine with me.