Sigil

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Battle Map

And onward to Round 3. Let's see what we're working with:

X1 is dead. The last thing that went through its mind, prior to expiration, was Kathryn's hammer.

X2 is also dead. Victoria wracked up enough psychic damage to override its vitality with the world's worst headache.

X3 has been hurt and is still suffering from the Frightened condition.

As we do not have any changes in the map aside from locations and no additional issues have been raised, I'm skipping an OOC post. Up next is @Arty Fox, as Baronfjørd gets to open up:

Round 3

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Ankheg (X3)

Location: M12

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The Ankheg's want for fresh meat had taken a backseat to a firm and far reaching desire to not have an angry Tiefling on its back, nor a really, really big woman continue to assault it with a block of enchanted metal on a stick. Even more than this, however, was the intense gnawing fear which gripped its guts with icy claws and threatened to yank them out at any given moment. This was not a tenable situation by any means, and it had to escape. The deeply rooted instinct to flee had taken over, and it wasn't going to get very far above ground. Below the surface there was greater protection. In the dark, it could still navigate. And it could scrape off its unwanted rider. It might have simply rolled over to crush the young woman mounting it, and indeed would have were it just the two of them. But the Ankheg instinctively knew that it may open itself to further attack from the other enemies around it. This was for the best.

It first lashed out at Kathryn, hoping to injure the new threat to its safety. Between the effects of its frightened condition and the woman on its back who made the free movement of all of its limbs somewhat more difficult, this was not an easy task to perform. The impact of mandible and claw upon armor was significant, just not enough to cause any pressing damage to Kathryn. So it proceeded to do what it did best: DIG.

Its other appendages began moving earth away from itself; still with profound difficulty as its main dirt-movers were occupied with other things, but if it could hang tough for a little bit longer, it could regain the upper hand in this fight and get a much more advantageous position. Or just escape. Either way, in one short moment the Ankheg managed to burrow backwards enough so that only two thirds of its abdomen remained above ground. It was raised in a defensive posture, with fresh ichor glistening about its mouthparts as if readying one last gambit for success.

NOTE: Creature is Frightened.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Victoria Belmont Half-Elf, Bard, Level 5 HP: 30 / 33 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Laurent Farmland, J8 Action: Casting Dissonant Whispers at X2 Bonus Action: Morty Reaction: N/A

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The burn was unpleasant, but nothing like what Kathryn must have been going through. Armor or not, she took that acid point blank and Victoria's growing irritation at the more minor injury upon her person wasn't comparable. Still, she would have to get her clothing repaired - again - and she really liked this jacket. A magic-tinged syllable or two from her would be enough to soothe her acid-damaged flesh, and if she was lucky it wouldn't even leave a scar. Well, it was coin toss, possibly. Acid and fire didn't always leave without a trace, in Victoria's experience. Maybe it was because she wasn't exactly a dedicated healer. Her nature was, with a few notable exceptions, to dabble. And with their present situation being in the middle of a battle against really big bugs, she needed to utilize one those notable exceptions.

The Ankheg nearest Kosara was curiously in a state of dysfunction, and curiouser still had the pale Tiefling astride it. Not quite as curious was were the actions of Kathryn, who just got finished battering one of the Ankhegs to death and moved on Kosara's impromptu mount. Also, she was still frigging huge. The situation looked fairly well handled; or at least enough that Victoria felt comfortable ignoring (what she really hoped was) a suggestion from Baronfjord to give Kosara assistance. On the other hand, the Monk was within mandible distance of his own chitinous foe and it was still sluggish from her earlier psychic and necrotic assaults, not to mention the very expert holes left in the front of its carapace by Baronfjord's shortsword. It looked like all it needed was one more solid push before it tumbled off the precipice of mortality, and that was a service that Victoria was pleased to provide.

Victoria interposed this recent incarnation of Morty between herself and the fight going on between Kat, Kosara, and the Ankheg to the south of her. Then bright, crystal blue eyes shot back at the Ankheg she had damaged just a moment before. Shadow painted her face as she gathered music within her thoughts and willed it to manifest, the blackness surrounding her eyes and spilling downward like an expression of necrotic grief. It made the contrast of her eyes seem even brighter, perhaps a bit colder, as she began to whisper. Echoes of voices which were not hers joined, but quietly. So quietly as to make one believe they were imagining it, mishearing, experiencing something caught in the wind.

But the Ankheg heard them. It heard everything. It couldn't not hear them, even if it lacked the capacity to understand. Words, whispers, verbal jabs persisted for what seemed like longer than the small moment it was afflicted by the cacophony of voices crawling around the inside of its psyche, invading its mind, stressing it from within until thought, even primitive insect survival thought brought it agony. The Ankheg took two faltering steps backwards before albuminous blood leaked from behind its eyes and it collapsed upon the soft earth. It shuddered sickeningly and breathed its last.

Victoria's mouth curved upward on one side, the start to a satisfied smile which she held back from fully forming. She didn't get the kill shot very often and she had plans for the carcass. As many of them as possible, point of fact.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Battle Map

So let's recap.

X1 isn't in the best of shape, presently damaged and Restrained by Kathryn "I'm not really a Giant" Pyke, rather ironically using Rune Knight abilities. So there's that.

X2 is likewise not in the best of shape, thanks to a little stabbity-stab action from Baronfjord combined with some psychic and necrotic assistance from Victoria. The beast seems rather dejected about the whole thing.

X3 is physically undamaged, but is presently suffering from the Frightened condition, rather unexpectedly.

Anyway, best of luck. It's time for...

Round 2

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@rivaan@Shoe Thief@Sigil@Arty Fox

Initiative:

Baronfjørd (23)
Kathryn (19)
Kosara (17)
X1 (16)
Victoria (13)
X2 (8)
X3 (1)

Congratulations for surviving the rigors of one entire round of fighting (alleged) Ankhegs! Huzzah! It's just so gosh darn exciting I could soil by finest of manly undergarb! But let's look forward, shall we? There's a Round Two to suffer through, and not all of the tricks have been pulled yet, by either side I'd wager.

SO! A couple of things - I have altered the map juuust a hair to account for the large size of the Ankhegs and the new, large size of Kathryn. For a reliable accounting in the headers, I am labeling their location as the upper-left square that they occupy. If this sounds a little weird, just compare what I'm listing to their place on the battlemap and it should be apparent. To wit, when Kathryn's header calls for a location, please use the above format for as long as she's Large.

Remember to put your rolls in the open in our Discord OOC Lounge, and tag the next person in line at the end of your IC post. Then your 48 hour timer begins. So once again, Baronfjørd - you're up. Go be a hitter.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Ankheg (X2)

Location: F10

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The fate of this creature, now stabbed a couple of times and psychically assaulted, not to mention its well-being chipped away by spreading necrosis from an unknown (to it) source, it not an extraordinarily pleasant one. Not quite at the level of mortal desperation as its companion, which was presently held down by fire chains, it nonetheless wished to press the issue for meat. The Ankheg didn't remember eating a bipedal reptile before, and this new potential source of meat intrigued its insect-brain. Be it at disadvantage, it attempted to latch onto the Dragonborn Monk and draw it closer to its corrosive mandibles.

Unfortunately, everything had taken a toll on the creature. Neither decent slash nor passable grapple was to be had, and it was left with no alternatives but to move away, or press the fight. It was still hungry.

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Ankheg (X3)

Location: M14 -> M10 -> M12

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This Ankheg sensed much of what was going on around it, be it not due to sharp eyesight as much as a sense of reading vibrations from the ground around it. Even if it wasn't as effective as its antennae, it could stil tell that there were things, larger and slower things which might not fight back quite as hard - just outside of the loose soil of the field. If it were able to catch a clear look, it would have known that it was targeting one of the three wagons present; specifically one which held two female humans that was trying to maneuver for an escape.

Unfortunately, there was a bit of disorganization between the L'Rose and Mosswater's wagons, denying either wagon a speedy withdrawal.

Kosara, in full blown RAGE, was between the beast and its intended target. Well, it didn't mind an a little something light to start its meal off. The fully instinctual thought process had this beast rushing to intercept the L'Roses' wagon, not even slowing to snatch up the raging Tiefling and deliver a vicious snap of its mandibles to her torso, digging in with its chitinous appendages and oozing acidic ichor onto the wounded area. The ride didn't stop there.

The creature took scampering but determined steps toward its intended victims, dragging the wounded Warlock along. It brought her just about back to where she started her charge before inexplicably halting. The horse-sized insect began to shiver wildly and dart its head around, as if to look for someplace to run. It is usually a very difficult thing to tell if a giant bug is afraid of something, but this one was showing all of the signs.

Kosara slipped from the Ankheg's grasp as it trembled, every one of its eyes now focused on the L'Rose wagon. It took a couple of shaky steps backward, now pawing at the earth with its back legs. It was trying to dig back into the ground, but made painfully little headway with an escape burrow as its senses were focused on the wagon in horror.

Kosara has taken 13 points of Slashing damage.
Kosara has taken 2 points of Acid damage.
Kosara has been moved to M10 on the battlemap.
NOTE: Creature is Frightened.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Victoria Belmont Half-Elf, Bard, Level 5 HP: 30 / 33 Armor Class: 15 Conditions: N/A Location: Laurent Farmland, J8 Action: Casting Vicious Mockery Bonus Action: Harming Beat Reaction: N/A

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The facepalm that Victoria would give herself after the adrenaline of the moment wore off would be epic. She honestly thought that there had to be a better way to flush out and/or avoid a possible ambush from underground than to cause a localized earthquake. On the other hand, it might have been confusing enough to make them show themselves, rather than start things off with a surprise attack. All the same, it didn't matter now. This grand ball had started and she suddenly felt like dancing. There was a moment of distraction when she witnessed the previously mundane (but notably powerful) Kathryn grow to a size proportional to their new adversaries and swaddle the one in front of her with burning chains. "That's what those runes meant..." she mused to herself, before refocusing on the fight. In truth, Victoria was a little jealous there wasn't a bardic equivalent to the new magic. It was visually impressive.

But back to Victoria's love of dance. It proved to be invaluable in that moment as an unforeseen jet of giant insect ichor streaked out from Kathryn's position; an attack from which the tall Knight likely caught the lion's share. The agile Bard dipped low and spun away like a transitional step in a lively folk dance, the briefest smile crossing her face. The expression was sort lived, however, as a feather-light arc of acid made contact, searing her leathers and opening a streak across her coat, dissolving down to burn the flesh beneath. Victoria cried out in surprise and pain - even in distress she was absolutely mellifluous of voice - but counted herself lucky it was only that minor.

The bitter sting of acid clarified her intent. She reached into her repertoire of spells she might cast. Shatter was still her most directly destructive area spell, but a thought came to mind that stayed the investment of her voice and talent in this way. It would cause widespread damage to its body and that was not her angle. Dissonant Whispers was another option, and more reliable of damage against a single target. But that bit of sorcery might make it flee, and she wanted them to stick around. Another option came to mind; one mastered only recently. It would harm in a way that did not physically damage and distract or befuddle the already dull creature to make it easier for the front-liners to finish the job with less fuss. "After all," she mused internally, "my role in a battle is to support."

She took in a deep breath and began to speak rhythmically, almost a chant, in proper and well enunciated Elvish. Even to those who did not speak the language whatsoever, there was a hard and wiry edge to it that left the shadow of a hurt more emotional or mental in nature. Like an echo of empathy for someone verbally cut to their core, or the second-hand embarrassment one may feel for a person humiliated in a room full of their peers. But the thing which was the obvious target, the Ankheg squaring off with Baronfjord, suddenly cringed as the psychic assault slammed into it. Its vigorous attack stance dropped into something sloppy and its clacking mandibles grew despondent, slowing their movements. Thin lines of dark fluid oozed from behind its compound eyes.

The flow of Elvish was cut short by an abrupt change in Victoria's speech. Harsh, not quite whispery, and deepening of tone as another voice layered atop hers, no less harmonious but potentially very unnerving. This short burst of dark speech resulted in previous wounds flaring with black, bubbling fluid, and localized veins of darkness spreading across the shell of the great beast, pulsating as they grew. The Ankheg wobbled as it took this renewed attack poorly, unable to even detect where the source of the pain originated.

Victoria held her position. So long as nothing got too close, she was in a good spot to contribute to this fray in a manner with which she was highly proficient. Morty finally complied with the task set to it and took its place by its master's side, awaiting further command.

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Ankheg (X1)

Location: G14

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Note: Creature is Restrained.

The great, chitinous monstrosity thrashed and bucked against the burning, confining links which sprung from the earth around it with deadly purpose, but seemed to only get itself further entangled. Previous hunger, and indeed the desire to sate that emptiness how it may, was supplanted heartily with more immediate survival. It could not snap a forelimb at the meat in front of it, nor could it advance so much as a single jerky step. It could not even make a decent attempt to burrow back into the ground and escape the pummeling damage of that unexpected concussive slam which assailed its ability to maintain consciousness and/or structural integrity. The chains which prevented this seared its exoskeleton to blackness in the places it clasped the tightest, which was keenly felt. All in all, this Ankheg was driven to an act of desperation, generally reserved for emergencies. Its internal scream to survive made the call.

It was still able to focus one set of its eyes upon its former prey-turned-attacker, and drew from within itself the corrosive ichor usually utilized to break down earth and bone. It gave what movement it could with its mouthparts to aim, and with a particularly inhuman series of clicking sounds, spewed the caustic juice directly at Kathryn. The gruesomeness of it connected, but such was the force of the projection that in continued in a narrow spray for a remarkable distance beyond, making partial connection with Victoria, several feet away.

Kathryn has taken 10 points of Acid damage (failed save)
Victoria has taken 3 points of Acid damage (passed save)

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

@rivaan@Shoe Thief@Sigil@Arty Fox

Initiative:

Baronfjørd (23)
Kathryn (19)
Kosara (17)
X1 (16)
Victoria (13)
X2 (8)
X3 (1)

^{(The following is a copy/paste from the Boss Fight from Act One. As it fits exactly, I'm not changing a thing.)}
And this means that we have officially moved into initiative order! Yay! This also means that Baronfjørd is up first, so... Your move. The post can be as elaborate as you need or as simple as a decent paragraph. Remember to put your rolls in the open in our Discord OOC Lounge, and also please remember to tag the next person in line. You have 48 hours from this post to finish up. Aaaaand GO!

Avonshire - D&D Based Adventure

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Battle Map

Weather: The dim shy and cold winds remain, occasional and gusty, be they an afterthought to the horrors of the next few minutes.

Time: Afternoon. And if I might add, it is a nice day for fishin', ain't it?

Ambience: The road, the hill, the field, and the fence around it; all of these charming countryside features have one thing in common aside from their proximity. This solitary uniting factor is that, were they to achieve sapience and life experience enough to understand the concept of violence, they would understand what is to transpire before them.

*****

The attempts at negotiation with the hypothetically present unnamed underground bad guys did not show any outward appearances at bearing fruit, so far as the tall and imposing warrior in vintage mail armor or anyone observing the scene could surmise. Then again, this was secondary to the shaking sensation which covered a remarkable amount of ground underneath and around the party. This shaking, though harmless in and of itself, was exactly as harmless as a dinner bell ringing a half hour late.

At first, there was nothing. Just the glances of the group at one another and wide-eyed anticipation from the others at the wagons. Then the most curious movement of one of the mounds - specifically the one nearest to Kathryn - as the ripped and shorn half-carcass of what used to be one of the fatter sheep pushed upward, exposing more of itself through the dirt as it rose. The space of this seemed to take slow, ponderous moments, but in reality was less than a second. It made the explosive rush of motion which followed even more startling.

The thing of shredded meat, bone, and blood flung into the air as if propelled by an inexpert trebuchet, leaving a trail of intestinal gore behind it in a ballistic arc. Simultaneously, three creatures sprung from the loose, soft earth of the field; one from underneath the mound in front of Kathryn and the other two farther out toward the road in crude flanking positions.

These creatures resembled a monstrous pairing of a centipede and a mantis, as big as a horse and significantly longer. Thick green and brown mottled chitin covered their seemingly unwieldly but still quite agile forms, and sharp mandibles clacked in a manner that seemed rhythmic. The screams of Cecily and Lizbeth _{(and Tarace)} cut through the field and appeared to draw the notice of the giant insects if not their full attention, prompting dense fluid to secrete from their mouthparts in anticipation of a further meal.

Roll for Initiative.