Chapter 2A - A Jaunt Into The Country

[Chris1234]

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Massively effective spell casting.
The shaman will drop.
Val can choose a new target for his hard-hitting critical.

[Chris1234]

Round 7

Vic stands. “Foul Creatures!" He wipes a small trickle of blood from his lips and hurls a scintillating energy bolt at the Shaman. Whatever the orc was saying is lost as the bolt transmogrifies into kinetic energy and hits him in the mouth. There’s brief pause as the shaman looks alarmed. Val notices a tiny rainbow appear above Vic’s shoulders. A transparent unicorn jumps through the rainbow. Both disappear as the orc’s head explodes into tiny pieces. [#N, 36 force] The transparent spear evaporates. Vic, ever the drama queen, gains eight inches in height, shouts, "FEEL THE WRATH OF THE WEAVE!" and lobs a packet of fiery energy at the burly orc leader. [#G, 9 fire] Small flames wash across the orc’s bald head leaving a network of tiny blisters.

With Vic no longer under threat the goliath moves back towards the stable and delivers a hefty polearm blow to the orc leader whose legs nearly buckle. [#G, AC25, crit! 23 slash] Val moves directly behind the healthy orc [#17] to give Unbar advantage on his own attack.

Isaril takes a hurried shot at the orc leader. The arrow ‘twangs’ in the stable door. With a gesture the druid summons a spring breeze that refreshes Unbar. [Balm of the Summer Court, +6HP, +1 Temporary HP] The elf, pulls out his blade and advances to stand adjacent to the orc leader. The badger scurries after him.

The burly orc leader swings his greataxe at Unbar, neck muscles bulging with the effort. [#G, AC13, AC13] Blood leaks through its chainmail and sizzles as the armour continues to glow hot. There’s an unpleasant scorched smell.

Unbar glares at the large Orc. [#G] He concentrates on heating the chainmail to an unbearable temperature. [#G, 14 fire] The orc chars and drops, deader thean the ground he hits. Already swinging his warhammer, the dwarf extends the arc to smash into the reaming orc's side. [#17, 9 crush] He shouts, "Tusked nightmares!" The sole remaining invader [#17] makes a break for it but is swiftly cut down.

Blackstone 2.png (168.05 KiB) Viewed 5067 times

Key: 10' squares. A=Val, I= Isaril, U=Unbar, V=Vic; X=Xolkin; G=Orc Leader, N=one-eyed ring mail orc, #17=orc, b=badger

End of Combat

What next?

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Each PC gains +650xp

Initiatives:
Vic 17 [ bloodied]
Val 15 [wounded]
Isaril 12
Orc leader 7 [dead]
Unbar 5 [bloodied]
Badger 3
One eyed orc 2 [dead]
Orc #17 [bloodied]

Isaril LB [1d20+6] = 3+6 = 9, [1d8+4] = 2+4 = 6
Orc Leader disadv [1d20+6] = 7+6 = 13, [1d20+6] = 13+6 = 19, [1d20+6] = 7+6 = 13, [1d20+6] = 20+6 = 26
orc #17 greataxe [1d20+5] = 18+5 = 23, [1d12+3] = 10+3 = 13 miss, miss

[Squirrellord]

Unbar glares at the large Orc. He concentrates on heating the chainmail to an unbearable temperature.(Bonus)
Heat Metal: [2d8] = 14

He then swipes his warhammer at the same target.
Warhammer To Hit(5): [1d20+5] = 10+5 = 15 , Damage(3): [1d8+3] = 6+3 = 9

Hoping that is enough Unbar sighs and mumbles "Tusked nightmares."

[Chris1234]

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Previous post updated with Unbar's actions (& turn completed). End of Combat

What next?

[Squirrellord]

Unbar visibly slumps and takes a moment to concentrate on merely breathing as he rests his chin on his Warhammer while planting it's head firmly on the ground.
He sighs and lets out a low "Ouch. That hurt a bit."

[Chris1234]

"My resources are exhausted," comments Isaril in elven. "Perhaps we may take a short rest?"

***
A short while later the red haired girl appears with two of the people that arrived with Xolkin. The latter pair are both damaged; the red head is not. "Thank Mask it's over," one of them mutters. They do a circuit of the village looking for other survivors. There are none.

[Nocturno]

"Is anyone well enough to watch at the gate while resting?"

Vic looks everyone over, and his own wounds.

"I would like to take advantage of the Inn, and we could have a decent lunch while tending the wounds."

[Chris1234]

When Vic translates, Isaril volunteers to watch the approach from one of the drawbridge watchtowers.

[counterkid]

"Yes, a short rest would be good at this point.

[Chris1234]

Isaril recovers some arrows from the vanquished are then moves over to take up residence in the drawbridge's northern watchtower.

Meanwhile Unbar, Vic and Val gather themselves up and head towards the inn's kitchen door. Around the corner walks red haired Kella clutching a paleful of carrots. "What? All the killing makes ya hungry! Just like them fellas." She looks up. A pair of vultures circle high above the village.

***
When inside the kitchen Kella says to he other par, "Oi! You two, Candy, Freddy, you want feeding? Well get the stiffs outf here. Then get the floor mopped. Properly." Candy looks to be in her early 30s, has shoulder length blonde hair, and seems friendly with Kella. Like they have something shared or some sort of understanding. Freddy's probably in his mid-twenties, has protruding ears and whiffs of cheap alcohol. His eyes linger on Kella's form before she catches his eyes. The red head gives them both a look and they start to comply. Kella takes a stool and sits outside peeling carrots ready to make some soup.

The next hour is relatively peaceful although more birds gather, vultures circling overhead and crows hopping along the tops of the palisade and roofs.

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Spend hit dice that you wish and recover any "Short Rest" abilities.

[counterkid]

Val will gain 8 + 3 = 11 HPs. He is now at max.

[Nocturno]

Vic will use hit dice to recover HP.

He will help organize and prepare lunch, then sit with a heavy sigh, and enjoy the food, as it erases some of the hurt.

Hit Die [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3
Hit Die [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3
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Third, no 4th!! 1 in a row. Both heals for Tristens game, now two 1s here. WTF USS.

[Chris1234]

The badger settles itself in next to the ladder beneath Isaril.
It looks like a rather big discarded ball of fluff.

[Squirrellord]

Unbar will eat in grave silence.

He will use hit dice to regain hitpoints.
hit die(3): [1d8+3] = 5+3 = 8
hit die(3): [1d8+3] = 7+3 = 10

After the meal he approaches Xolkin's party members. Xolkin died and saved my life in so doing. If none of you object I would like to send him off with a proper burial. If none object, he nods curtly and leaves to give the late warrior a proper farewell.

[Chris1234]

With the deceased removed from the inn and the floors adequately mopped, Kella, Candy and Freddy disappear outside while the stew simmers. "Keep an eye on that, please. Add more water if it starts to look dry." After about half an hour the redhead reappears to taste the stew and add some flour. She thanks Vic for his help. "Won't be long now. Maybe lay the table?" she suggests before she heads off to wash.

She reappears looking a little tidier. After testing the stew again she adds some sort of dried herbs, nods and says, "That's good. Give the boys a shout, please." The 'boys', Candy and Freddy, appear some minutes after being summoned for the second time. Seeing food's about to be served Candy ducks out and Freddy heads towards the readied table. "Hands!" says Kella, causing Freddy to roll his eyes and head off in Candy's direction.

Vic sits down with a heavy sigh and the meal is consumed in stony silence, just the occasional spoon scraping on earthenware bowl and Freddy's heavy. Kella doesn't look up from her stew and occasionaly dabs her eyes. At one point Freddy notices this and opens his mouth to speak but Candy kicks him hard in the shin and makes a cutting motion across her neck. Freddy closes his mouth and just rubs his shin before concentrating on the stew.

***
At Unbar's offer to bury Xolkin, Kella looks at him and nods, "Thank you. He wanted cremation. Horrified at the prospect of someone right evil making him undead." Her eyes look red. They fill with water again and she leaves the room. Candy mouths, "They had a thing. You know." She adds, "Here, you might want to take this to the quiet one." She mimes pointed ears and a longbow whilst holding a bowlful of stew.

***
Emerging from the inn it becomes apparent that 'the quiet one', Isaril, hasn't been idle. Several birds, vultures and an improbably large crow, lie forever still around the village square, their meals cut short by well placed arrows. No other carrion birds try to dine in the village, instead eating their fill from the orckin killed on the approach to the village.

Freddy, Candy and Kella have already gathered up their fallen, Xolkin, Bandy, Eddy, Dandy and Andy, and laid them out in the temple. Freddy rasps, "The boys'd like being burned up wiv the boss." He grunts as Candy elbows his ribs, "That's burnt, dumbass! Anyway, it's called 'cremated'. Yes, Andy'd like to be cremated with her brothers. Not real brothers, but still, nearest to family."

There's enough dressed lumber, easily discovered, a short distance into the forest to cremate all of the dead, including the orckin. Gathering up enough wood and building a proper pyre for Xolkin and his fallen takes a few hours, but there are no interruptions from wildlife. Meanwhile, just off the road to the south of the keep Isaril sets the badger to digging a depression and then something of a pit into which the score or so of orckin can be deposited. With less care and reverance, use of a horse-drawn cart and a barrel of oil, the green-skinned predators can also be put to the flame by nightfall. Grimlin limps out to help unload the cart and almost gleefully hurl orcs into the newly made resting place. Turns out he'd used a long lodder to slowly crawl across the break in the keep's bridge.

The three, Kella, Candy and Freddy, don't spare any sentimentality in separating the deceased from anything vaguely valuable before placing the bodies in their last resting places. Unless anyone objects, Kella takes Xolkin's weaponry and pockets any coinage or meager valuables from the fallen, with the offer, "Dosh. Portable. I'll take that and you take a horse each. And tack. And do what you want with that." She gestures to a pile of ownerless weaponry. After a pause she spits on her hand and offers it to seal the deal.

There's a pile of many greataxes, ugly yet serviceable, short bows and daggers and a single necklace:

Holy symbol.png (17.78 KiB) Viewed 4549 times

Another pile contains four javelins and many arrows; all usable. A third pile comprises shortbows, shortswords and daggers; four of each. These are more acceptable to the eye and are predominantly stamped or branded with an angular symbol. (Grimlin recognises this as the mark of Zhentil Keep.)

***
Standing near the pyre for Xolkin and his fallen gang Kella Solemnly lights a torch and offers it to Unbar. "Will you do the honours, please." She looks at the dwarf and her eyes water up and she adds, "..and say some words. Maybe.." Her voice breaks "..someone up there listens.." Grimlin says, "Never fear, lass, Clangeddin Silverbeard and Gorm Gulthyn'll be a-hearin', fer sure!"


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Things [1d12] = 6