PrP: Up in Smoke
Participants: Aenyn, Jessa, Jinks, Sharna, Sonja PrP Runner: Brolin Encounters: Grotelax - CR 8 (Wyvern Draconic Sorcerer 5)
Answering a rather formal looking notice in the Guild of Explorer's Hall has placed you in this rough looking mining boomtown by the name of Waycreek. The handbill posted on order of the county magistrate of a rather lucrative mining and timber rich territory in the pennisula of the High Kingdom asks for experienced troubleshooters looking to investigate and stop a series of attacks on both river and road caravans carrying payroll and gold mined from the nearby mountains. The trip was simple enough, an airship ride to the delta of the Mountshadow river, then a steamtug ride up said river with a fresh batch of goblin miners and assorted loggers.
Once you reach Waycreek, you find a boomtown nestled in the outer banks of a crystal clear lake in shade of Kragoth's Peak, a long dormant volcanic mountain named after a long dead great red wyrm slain by heroes centuries ago. Magistrate Clandon is almost painful in his cliche of a well fed bureacrat, a bulbous human with a frog-like neck and greying brown hair in clothes that mark him exceptionally out of place in this town of grubby miners and loggers. After some negotiation on the exact figures, you sign the contract to investigate the attacks for one hundred crowns in advance, plus a percentage of recovered funds, and the implicit understanding that you may keep any found wealth not claimed by either the timber consortium or the mining interest.
The information the Magistrate provides to get you started isn't comprehensive, but runs as follows:
There have been 3 major attacks in the last 2 months.
The first raid was on a caravan bringing in mules and fresh supplies last month.
The second attack was early this month on the Mountshadow River. A boat carrying mined gold was found run aground, smashed and burned.
The last attack was on a coach carrying payroll silver for the loggers two weeks ago.
In each attack, there have been no survivors. Each attack had missing bodies and those that were left were savagely mutilated and/or burned beyond recognition, as were the boats/wagons/coach. However, the valueables were found missing.
The camp is abuzz with rumors that Kragoth still lives or her eggs finally hatched to bring forth a new reign of terror, causing some desertion amongst workers.
In any case, you find yourselves in the common room of the Ogre's Fill, a recently built inn to lodge the camp's workers and give them a place to lose their wages to drink, whoring, and games of chance. Over watered down ale, mealy bread, and the thick smell of unwashed laborers and tobacco smoke, you sit to discuss your plan of attack...
<OOC> Sharna says, "Is it safe to assume we've obtained at least a crude map of the general area?"
Glad she brought her own mead, Sonja looks at her flask and puts it back on her hip. "I think I'll wait until the job's done." She says quietly as she sits down in a creaky (for her) chair. "I wonder who this Kragoth is though." She says leaning her Earthbreaker against the table.
"Not even an umbrella can fix this," Jessa says with a sour expression. She's perched on the edge of a chair, glaring at her mug. It has a little umbrella. But. It still tastes bad.
<OOC> Brolin says, "The mountain is the big landmark, of course. It's not particularly big, but it is rich with coal and ore, surrounded by dense forest, at least what hasn't already been clear cut at the areas closest to the lake. It's only 30 miles away from the Inmost Sea, so the weather is relatively warm for the winter, so the lake hasn't frozen over. Not much of an actual town, just a livery, a trading post, and a few taverns and inns to keep the workers housed and fleeced by drink/gambling/whoring, plus a handful of huts and shacks of private operators. There is a logging road that runs east/west and the river runs north/south. Those are the only two ways in and out that isn't running through dense forest."
"The simplest approach would be to hire a handful of goblin workers for a payment-on-delivery job, start a rumor of moving wealth, and then strike at the bandits after we confirm the methodology is the same. This camp certainly has no shortage of unwashed greenskins." Jinks' fingers roll, twisting a gem-set coin of distant Xian mint over and under his nimble digits with practiced ease. With his ornate crown of silver and fine longcoat he's just as out-of-place in this tavern as anyone else. He was fine on the airship ride but his disposition has soured the further they've moved from civilization and the higher the population saturation of gobbers. "For all its worth, I've ten gold saying it's filthy, brutish-minded kobold raids. The bandy-legged lesser dragonkin are likely gawping at their wealth and gorging on the ransacked meats, so pleased with how clever they think they are."
Aenyn takes a sip from his mug and frowns at it, swirling the liquid around a bit, "I normally don't take ale in my water..." He shrugs and takes another drink. He looks over at Sonja, "I heard some folk muttering about a dragon. Maybe that's Kragoth."
"Dragons are very hard to kill," Jessa points out, sounding very slightly concerned. Very slightly. "Though it would be a nice challenge. But Jinks has a point."
"You know, when I heard we're heading to the Kingdoms, this isn't exactly what I imagined." Sharna mutters. She's neglected to pull down her mask - not to seek any sort of anonymity, but simply because of the myriad of nigh overwhelming unpleasant aromas in the inn's commons. Her own ale and food - if they can be graced with such names - are left untouched, used as paperweights as she traces looks over the little 'x' symbols marking the attack sites on the map spread upon the crudely-carved table. "Not a bad notion." she asides to Jinks, leaning back in her chair. "We should check if anything's actually made it past whatever's preying on the caravans, and how big the deliveries that got hit were. It should give us a better idea of the sort of target we'd like to present."
Aenyn nods in agreement with Jessa, "They can be. Especially without a giant turtle." He sometimes forgets that not everyone will get vague references to his personal experiences. Or just doesn't care.
"Splendid." Jinks says, palming the coin and then drumming the same, now-empty fingers on the table top. "Fact-finding, then recruitment. Once our gobber-decoys are charred, twisted corpses we move in, eliminate the scourge, and collect our reward. If Coyote smiles on us we'll be back in civilization in a day or two." He sits back in his chair and smooths at his goatee, "What do we think the chances are that spore and trace might remain at the previous sites?" He solicits those more... outdoorswardly inclined.
Sonja stares at Jinks. "Jinks......Even Goblins deserve to live out their own short lives. I don't like deceiving them, but if they volunteer for it to assist us in stopping these massacres, then I have no objections."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Alright, Brosif Islam; the group is going to do a quick check to see what the current traffic level is like and if there are current shipments or caravans expected."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Afterwards, the group will split; Aenyn and Sharna will be going outside of the camp to check on the last site and see if any clues remain."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Meanwhile, Jinks, Sonja, and Jessa will be working within the town. First; trying to see if there was any common thread (beyond the obvious 'stuff to steal') between the three targets. Then either (a) attaching themselves to an existing caravan or (b) working to create their own."
<OOC> Brolin says, "At first check with the magistrate, he knows of no major shipments going in or out. However, sensing the mood of the camp, there are some that are preparing to leave, mostly indepedent stream panners and claim owners. It could be possible they are putting together a caravan for safety in numbers, that would need further investigation."
GAME: Aenyn rolls perception: (14)+12: 26 GAME: Sharna rolls Perception: (15)+18: 33 GAME: Sonja rolls Diplomacy: (5)+11: 16 GAME: Jessa rolls diplomacy: (7)+10: 17 GAME: Jinks rolls Diplomacy+1: (10)+11+1: 22
The party split to pursue multiple avenues of investigation, illumination is revealed subsequently.
For Aeynyn and Sharna, an investigation of the attack sight might have revealed nothing to the untrained or journeyman eye, but there are signs of attack, beyond even the charred remains of a broken wagon. Aenyn, perhaps more likely to look above than Sharna, notices that branches of the canopy above the attack are damaged. Warped if not outright broken. Whatever that did this is likely large enough to reach the canopy or has the capacity for winged flight. Or both. As for the dark elf, Sharna finds a bent brass coin lodged into the bed of the wagon, where it looks a strongbox was torn free of it's moorings. It has a strange sigil on it, with a denomination of 10 on it.
Meanwhile, back at camp, Jessa, Sonja, and Jinks ply the residents for information and canvass for clues. None of the attacks seem to have any obvious relation beyond the wanton destruction and mutilation and theft of valueables. But asking to a caravan and joining it, a band of independent claim holding goblins have sold their stake and are packing up to head home this very night and would welcome any additional guard.
New information gathered, you return to your table to a better dinner of venison stew to discuss what comes next...
"Whatever it was," Aenyn begins once everyone is settled at the table, "it was big. Or it could fly. Maybe both. Hard to say. The branches over the site of the attack were all bent or broken." He shakes his head and jabs his spoon into his stew, "I don't really care for what that suggests."
Sonja says, "Me neither, Aenyn. There is a caravan leaving tonight though. After we finish dinner, we should meet with them to assist them away from here, then investigate." She says softly, munching at her stew."
"There wasn't much to see there beyond what we were told. Wagon's completely broken and charred. I found this lodged in the floor of it. Looked like there might've been a strongbox there, but it's gone now." Sharna adds her own information, withdrawing the strange sigil-bearing coin and pushing it to the middle of the table for the ones that remained back in town to see. Her gaze lifts, looking at the assembled faces for any signs of recognition.
Jessa glances at the others then sighs faintly, shaking her head. "Well. We are stuck waiting to see if they take the bait? I wish we had good booze."
"Creatures fleeing whatever passes for life out here," Jinks agrees with Sonja, adding addendum. "Most should shadow the convoy out of sight; an overwelming show of force might deter the attackers." He holds a hipflask in hand, drumming his other fingers atop the table. "And we can enhance the draw with a bit of flash to add to the rough-and-tumble lot rolling back to warmer beds."
"And... this is the worst part of the plan," Jinks laments, reaching into his pouches and pockets hiddeon on the inside of his fancy coat to retrieve the rings he'd stowed (to avoid theft by greasy, slack-jawed, opiate-addicted goblins) and place them on his fingers one after the other, a hoop through the nose, a paired set with dangling chains from his earlobe. "On the off-chance word is leaking from within the camp itself... I will mingle with the unwashed masses and employ no small amount of conspicuous consumption to whet the appetites of whatever dastardly ne'er-do-wells."
Black-on-black eyes twinkle a moment as he considers Sharna's coin.
<OOC> Jinks says, "I'll just blow my Loremaster for the day and take 20." <OOC> Jinks says, "32"
<OOC> Brolin says, "The coin is a mining scrip for 10 silver pieces from a defunct mining company that was ran by a rather bastardly nobleman from Charn, the son of one of the adventurers that killed Kragoth. He used his influence and his father's name to buy out the mining rights to the mountain and then started a company town that was just a step above slave labor that ran until just about 100 years ago, until a workers revolt ended up with most said noble family dead and the town burned to the ground. From already asking around prior about the area, you know that the mining operations were further up the mountain from the present camp, along a winding pass that curls around the mountain."
"We don't have a lot of choice." Sharna says in reply to Jessa's comment, though without directing the words at the pint-sized priestess (but never to her face). She leans back in her creaky chair. "If we're facing something with wings, it'll be hell to track even with a skilled tracker leading the way. We should make the best of what we have and see if it comes say hello."
Jinks relays the info after considering the coin, speaking with an oddly-detached affect as he draws on blood memory of his talent and tradition. A little sigh and he pinches his nose, "Shite-blasted Charnese cun-" and so on and so forth. He really is not a fan of the Stygian Empire or their penchant for necrotech and devil-worship. "Coyote laughs," he finally sighs, shaking his head. "There's little reason to adjust our approach-- even with this insight; I'll flash coin and sing to the high heavens and seven hells that I'm leaving town with the caravan tonight. We'll see what comes out to meet us. If that falls flat we know where to look next."
Sonja says, "yeah. Good idea. If we draw them out, we make them pay for killing the other convoys.""
Aenyn nods in agreement as he eats his stew. "Better that it attacks the caravan while we're there than while we're up the mountain at the old camp."
Jessa just puts her tiny feet up on the table as she leans back and shrugs. "What will happen will happen. We'll wait to be inspired."
Your meal finished and your course charted, you rally with the band of gobbers that have decided to take the money and run. Their mule train loaded with supplies, personal belongings, and (presumably) gold, you set forth, ready for attack at any moment. The pace is hurried at first, a hustle to get beyond the borders of the prior attacks on the road and perhaps hopefully out of the influence. The overcast night offers no moonlight to guide your path, not that the gobbers need it. Those of you without darkvision are forced to rely on your own lights, but the march continues on into the cold night, a bit of light snow frosting the ground in patches where the earth hasn't taken the flakes for their own. Another hour passes, at a slower pace, then two, and three. Stopping for a break for the horses and for the gobs to have a bit of liquor and the mules a bit of water, that's when it starts.
A thick mist begins to swirl around you, growing until it overtakes the whole camped train. Cries of alarm from the goblins and panicked neighs of the mules ring out into the night, drowning out the source of the spell, if a spell is what it is...What do you do!?
"A spell, clearly." Jinks offers- clarifying if there was any question at all. He blinks as the fog itself grows thick and makes it even more difficult to see in the dark of night. "Call out should you locate the source of the spell... or our attackers," he plucks a wax-paper wrapped bit of acacia sap and an eyelash. The component poofts away to nothing as he mutters something in Gnomish, his form blowing away to transparency-- and then nothingness-- to leave him entirely invisible.
Jessa just stays where she is in the middle of things. "I'll just stick close to you guys and heal you as things happen," she says in a low voice.
GAME: Aenyn rolls perception-4: (5)+12+-4: 13 GAME: Aenyn rolls stealth+3: (17)+23+3: 43 GAME: Sharna rolls Perception-4: (12)+18+-4: 26
You paged Sharna with 'You can definitely hear some wing flapping directly above where you were. But out of sight of your low light.'
The expectation of fire by Sharna was not unfounded, but not quite at the intensity expected. The shadow elf blooded rogue, free of the mist can see a flash of fire that outlines a distinctly draconic form. But the gout flames spewed from its mouth only reach a few yards before stopping. That apparently is still enough to bath the barrel that has "DANGER! EXPLOSIVES!" stenciled on it in flames as it is dropped by the creature and it hurtles down into mist, exploding just before it reaches the ground, consuming those still in the mists in a massive fireball.
Despite the ringing in your ears and the possible burns sustained, a booming inhuman voice from the darkness calls out, "HEROES, LEAVE. PRESS FURTHER AND THE TOWN BURNS." And then nothing more, but the dying screams of the mules and the crackle of burning cargo...
GAME: Brolin rolls 10d6: (38): 38
GAME: Jessa rolls ref: (19)+5: 24 GAME: Sonja rolls reflex: (19)+5: 24 GAME: Aenyn rolls reflex: (18)+10: 28
<OOC> Jinks says, "I want to use my Knowledge/Geography to try an identify the speaker's accent/ethnicity!"
<OOC> Brolin says, "Make a knowledge/arcana"
GAME: Jinks rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (15)+12: 27
<OOC> Brolin says, "Sounded draconic, but somewhat animalistic. Like it's voice wasn't entirely suited to speaking common."
"Oh shite," Aenyn mutters as he sees the fog near the caravan suddenly light up a particularly bad shade of orange. He instinctively dives behind a particularly large tree just in time for the blast wave of the explosion to go flying through where he had been standing. The tree takes the brunt of the damage and shields him from harm. After everything quiets down, he pokes his head around the tree and calls out to the others, "Anyone else make it out?"
Peering upwards, Sharna has to shield her eyes from the sudden flash of the blaze - and is subsequently thrown on her hind (though left unseared) by the force of the explosion. She spends a few moments there, dazed, everything sounding muted and distant as her ears struggle to recover from the boom.
"Shit." is the first, so very eloquent word out of her mouth. She stands, wiping at her eyes roughly in feeble attempt to clear the spots, and surveying the destruction wrought.
"Sound off if you can!" she calls into the wreckage. First things first. She can relay what she saw when it's certain none who can still be saved lie dying in the inferno.
The gnome just quirks an invisible eyebrow up at the shouting creature at the notion of 'heroes' or his having any sentimental attachment to the filthy boil of a camp they've just left behind. All that need remain is one living, bloated, self-important tallman to pay his reward at the end of the job and all will be well. "So... if any question comes to light I'd appreciate you all considering that while I suggested we sacrifice gobbers as bait... I was not actually behind the specifics of the encounter that resulted in their grizzly deaths." Jinks, then, appears to be alright. "Best that we salvage any surviving valuables so as to make sure their sacrifice is not in vain. I can begin the task while any so inclined offer prayers to wish them well on their way to the Gray Lady."
"GET BACK HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Sonja bellows out after the explosions kill all of the goblins near her, as well as the mules and the cargo. She exhales again, and grits her teeth. She knows she can't just explode like a barbarian, but she was certainly upset, mostly for the goblins.
"Look. Inspiration isn't always positive." Then the halfling touches Jink's arm gently. "But you didn't control or know what was involved. So. You know."
Sharna waits a moment for any of the goblins to call out, give a sign - but as moments pass in silence save the voices of her companions, it becomes unlikely any has survived the conflagration.
"It was some dragonlike... thing." she relays as she approaches the party, peering about the grisly scene as if hoping to find any of the goblins have lived. "I'm not sure. Drake, maybe - sure looked like the thing I fought back in the Redridge once, and they called that a drake."
The mulblood rubs her face, stepping around what may have once been a living animal and now barely even resembles it. "It dropped a barrel and ignited it. Looked like mining equipment. Big old danger sign."
<OOC> Brolin says, "And, assuming Sharna tells the others what she saw of the 'dragon' from the blast of fire it let off, they can make a Knowledge/Arcana at a -5 to identify the critter."
GAME: Jessa rolls knowledge/arcana - 5: (18)+2+- 5: 20 GAME: Jinks rolls Knowledge/Arcana -5: (4)+12+-5: 11
"Likely living off the myth of the old dragon," Jinks comments from... somewhere, likely looking back over his shoulder near to where the shattered remains of some packed goods fell. "Smart enough to exploit the legend and whatever's left of the Charnese supplies."
"It uses booby traps and it's dark as sin tonight," Jinks adds with a kick to smoldering wagon spokes. "Do whatever you need to here and then we'll either make camp or head back into... 'town.' Or, rather, I will, you're all welcome to charge on ahead without me."
"I think waiting til morning is an inspired thought," Jessa declares before going to perform some last rites.
"That's where I'd put my bet money." Sharna replies to Jinks' comment on the creature using the local legends to its advantage. "Whatever it is, though, it knows we're here - and I think we'd be at a distinct disadvantage trying to climb up to the mining site in this darkness." she agrees further. "Let's save what can be saved, mend wounds and wait for the sun to rise."
Aenyn keeps his eyes on the sky, even as he speaks, "That thing can probably see in the dark a lot better than we can. We disadvantaged enough in that it knows the area better than we do. We should level the field as much as we can and go hunting it during the day." He has yet to put his bow away and has an arrow nocked and ready to draw.
Sonja says, "We can wait. Light will not save it from the pain it has brought here." She says before performing a few rites of her own for the goblins....."
The grisly business of burying the dead (and prying open that half melted strongbox just to find a half-charred bank note for the sale of the claim) completed, you return to nurse your wounds and ready yourself for the combat ahead. Finding the pass to the old Charnese camp is easy enough, pointed out be a few locals. The trail winds around the mountain, but is luckily leveled and smoothed by the hundreds of workers feet marching to hard work for faux wages a century ago. It is noon before you are halfway up the mountain, and find what appears to be the biggest candidate for this creatures lair. A few scattered bones lay out, half shattered and gnawed in front of what appears to be a large natural cavern that has been worked and buttressed at a later interval. The gaping maw beckons further, though just down the path perhaps 100 feet further is a smaller tunnel.
What do you do?
<OOC> Brolin says, "Granted, you can't really see inside just yet, but it's no big mystery to reveal. Gonna use this for the combat grid - http://imgur.com/spV2uqC"
"... I still can't imagine how it is they called that a bed," Jinks complains on the way up the path, a hand to his neck. He has the familiar kit for climbing strapped about his person should the need arise-- and his bow strapped into its webbing against his back. His coat, somehow, seems to avoid most of the dust and grime and his gnome-sized cloak shelters him from the worst of the cold winds.
Grumbling, Sonja sighs as she looks into the cave. "Hey Jinks.....can you put a light on my Earthbreaker? I can light our way through."
GAME: Aenyn rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (16)+6: 22
Once the bulk of the climb is over and the bone-littered mouth of what may or may not be the creature's den comes into view, Sharna's bow finds way into one hand and the quiver of arrows is opened to allow her to draw them freely. A hand is quietly pointed at the smaller, more distant opening, with a questioning, brow-arched glance at the party.
GAME: Jinks rolls Knowledge/Dungeoneering: (11)+12: 23
<OOC> Brolin says, "As you get near the mouth of the larger cave, Aenyn (And anybody that subsequently makes said check), you feel a breeze across your shoulders. There is a draft blowing into the cave. Jinks, owing to what you know about dragons and draconic creatures, they have a great sense of smell."
"We're not liable to surprise it, anyhow." Jinks says with a shrug, singing a few simple notes before tapping Sonja's hammer. "It's quite liable to smell us coming." He smooths down at his goatee and adjusts the rings on his fingers. "Careful now; traps. Pitfalls." He turns and looks at Sharna, loosing his bow and taking the weapon in hand, "Which... sounds like your game.
Aenyn has his bow in hand as well, arrow nocked and ready to draw at a moment's notice. He looks between the large and small tunnels then gestures to the smaller one, "Might as well try that one. It likely won't be able to fit in there itself. With the way the wind's blowing, though, we've lost the element of surprise, so we should hurry."
Sonja says, "Not surprising. Let's find this thing and either get an explination as to why it simply slaughtered those goblins, or kill it. I hope it has a good explination." She growls."
"You just want me to be the first one to walk in there, you little bastard." Sharna tells Jinks, though the words do not carry much malice and there's the distinct quirk at the corner of her lips indicating she's likely holding back some expression of mirth or other. Still, stepping lightly, she makes way for the smaller of the two tunnels, eyes and ears peeled for danger.
As the party readies themselves for imminent combat, Sharna creeps forward at the edge of the light, eyes cautious for traps and pits in this draconic lair. The faint smell of rotting flesh,mouldering bone, and whatever sort of musk a dragon might exude is heavy in the air. Just as the mulbooded spotter rounds the corner of the smaller tunnel, she sees the enemy. In the far corner, a dark purple armless draconic creature is perched, eyes staring hatred, ready to pounce as it's wings are propped on the ground ready to launch itself. Whatever words it is capable of are now gone, as it is looks upon you with an animalistic fury...
GAME: Sonja rolls initiative: Roll: 11 + Bonus: 1 = Total: 12 GAME: You roll initiative for Grotelax: Roll: 13 + Bonus: +6 = Total: 19 GAME: Jessa rolls initiative: Roll: 7 + Bonus: 3 = Total: 10 GAME: Aenyn rolls initiative: Roll: 16 + Bonus: 4 = Total: 20 GAME: Jinks rolls initiative: Roll: 20 + Bonus: 4 = Total: 24 GAME: Sharna rolls initiative: Roll: 3 + Bonus: 6 = Total: 9
Current Initiative Order ====
24 Jinks
20 Aenyn
19 Grotelax
12 Sonja
10 Jessa
9 Sharna
==================
"It's not even a proper dragon," Jinks says with a scoff. He begins to sing, weaving the verbal components of a spell as counter melody to his bardsong. The words are gnomish and crystal clear, bolstering allies and filling the cave from wall-to-wall-- skilled enough to sound like two in harmony.
Grotelax, the now named draconic creature begins to weave a spell from the shadows, wings twitching and flexing as the gutteral voice booms the words. A familiar mist begins to form at Sharna's feet, but not before she can see the lumbering creature lurches forward to a low glide just a few yards short of the archer before dropping back to the ground with a reverberating thump.
GAME: Aenyn rolls weapon2+2: (15)+8+2: 25 GAME: Aenyn rolls 1d6+4: (1)+4: 5
Aenyn follows along through the smaller tunnel, bow in hand and ready to go. He pauses with the others as they spot the dragon-thingy lurking in the cave ahead. He holds his shot, though, not quite wanting to attract its attention to him. Though, when he sees the mist begin to form, he takes the shot anyway and manages to cut a hole in the thing's wing membrane.
"YOU'RE NOT COVERING UP YOUR CRIMES TODAY, MONSTER!" Sonja yells as she puts her Earthbreaker in her left hand, and tugs a feather token from her hair. She then smiles, and waves the token in front of her.....causing a gust of wind to push the fog away from them. However, she's also staring intently at the Drake and growls. "There will be no reasoning with this monster...."
GAME: Sonja used a Feather Token (Fan).
Raising her hands up, Jessa calls out, "Ceinara, I ask that you look upon our group and give us luck and guidance and inspiration to take out this horrible thing with the fire and the teeth."
GAME: Sharna rolls Acrobatics+2: (4)+18+2: 24
GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+13: (8)+13: 21
As the magical winds clear away the fog and the elfkin finds the dragon-thing uncomfortably close, the girl abandons her ranged weapon in favor of her trusty blades. Leaping forward, she tries to surprise the creature with a quick, darting move - and fails. Reacting fast herself, she ducks the wild lash of its enormous stinger, remaining unscathed - for now.
GAME: Jinks casts Good Hope. GAME: Jinks casts Haste.
Jinks glances left and right, smirking a bit as the wyvern postures at the invaders. He continues to sing, shaping the words with he melody as his beringed fingers describe an arcane sigil in the air-- plucking at motes of mana until they make the shape desires and pulse to life. The world slows down for the mercenary agents engaging the tusked monstrosity.
GAME: Aenyn rolls weapon7+5: (4)+8+5: 17
Battle has been joined. Aenyn drops his bow and rushes in, trying to position himself to better work with Sharna once she gets into position on the other side of the creature. He stabs the beast with his short sword, the blade sinking into the scales, but not quite far enough to do anything other than mar the pretty scales.
GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+12: (20)+12: 32 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+12: (7)+12: 19 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20-1: (20)+-1: 19 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+12: (14)+12: 26 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+10: (4)+10: 14 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+10: (9)+10: 19 GAME: Brolin rolls 2d6+4: (6)+4: 10 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d6+4: (5)+4: 9 GAME: Aenyn rolls fortitude+3: (7)+5+3: 15 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d4: (2): 2 GAME: Brolin damaged Sharna for 10 points. 75 remaining. GAME: Brolin damaged Aenyn for 9 points. 31 remaining. GAME: Brolin damaged Aenyn's Constitution for 2 points. 2 total damage.
Grotelax, joined in battle on two different fronts, wastes no time in rending with fang, wing, and claw. The mulbooded half-elf has her shoulder bit and lifted out of the air like a ragdoll, the wyvern's jaws clamping down, while it's stinger digs into Aenyn's thigh, pumping deadly venom into his blood stream. Its wings lash out wildly at it's foes, but find no purchase.
Knowing she can't join the battle fast enough to help out, Sonja trundles her way forward mumbling a quick prayer, and her weapon suddenly glows a brighter light than the light that was set on it before. She then glares at the drake and growls....another few seconds and the monster will pay....
GAME: Jessa rolls 3d6: (15): 15
GAME: Brolin damaged Sharna for -15 points. 85 remaining.
GAME: Brolin damaged Aenyn for -15 points. 34 remaining.
A flash of golden light launches out from the little halfling as she raises her hands up, calling out to her goddess in this moment of definite need.
GAME: Sharna rolls Escape Artist-2+3: (5)+18+-2+3: 24
"Whoah!" Sharna is... quite literally lifted off the ground by the beast, stuck in its maw. The teeth seem to have snagged quite nastily in her armor, because in spite of the bite wound closing, her awkward aerial thrashing does precious little to dislodge her. She smacks it in the muzzle out of sheer frustration (and maybe panic) with the pommel of one of her swords, but there's little force behind the blow, and Grotelax likely hardly even feels it through the scales.
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+19-2-2: (19)+19+-2+-2: 34 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+19-2-2: (7)+19+-2+-2: 22 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+19-2-2-5: (4)+19+-2+-2+-5: 14 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+19-2-2: (20)+19+-2+-2: 35 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+19-2-2: (7)+19+-2+-2: 22
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d4+11: (3)+11: 14 GAME: Jinks rolls 1d4+11: (3)+11: 14
Jinks is thinking 'quick, strike now, while its mouth is busy!' as Sharna occupies the wyvern's fanged maw, singing his song and glancing around the melee with a calm that stems from a lack of sexy gnomish ladies in the cave. The small quiver strapped to his thigh is open and rattles as he moves, stepping out from a cleaner shot on the beast as he sends a volley of needle-like arrows whistling through the air. Flashes of opaque energy snap several of the missiles but two manage to pierce the magical defenses and draw blood.
GAME: Aenyn rolls 1d6+3+5: (4)+3+5: 12
GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+12: (11)+12: 23 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+10: (13)+10: 23 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+10: (4)+10: 14 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+12: (19)+12: 31 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+12: (18)+12: 30 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d20+12: (12)+12: 24
GAME: Brolin rolls 2d6+4: (8)+4: 12 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d6+3: (6)+3: 9 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d6+3: (6)+3: 9 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d6+4: (5)+4: 9 GAME: Brolin rolls 1d6+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Aenyn rolls fortitude+3: (1)+4+3: 8
GAME: Brolin rolls 1d4: (1): 1
GAME: Brolin damaged Sharna for 30 points. 55 remaining. GAME: Brolin damaged Aenyn for 12 points. 22 remaining. GAME: Brolin damaged Aenyn's Constitution for 1 points. 3 total damage.
Grotelax, struck with arrows and sword alike, thrashes furiously. Sharna is whipped back and forth and raked with his back legs before being thrown aside, while Aenyn suffers another sting and a slap of a massive wing.
GAME: Sonja rolls weapon1+6+3-2: (9)+11+6+3+-2: 27 GAME: Sonja rolls 2d6+12+2d6+3+5: (4)+12+(8)+3+10: 37
Wincing as Aenyn gets mauled by it, Sonja finally gets within melee range and the combined spells and her celestial weapon hammer the drake hard. She did say he would pay....
GAME: Jessa rolls 3d6: (13): 13 GAME: Brolin damaged Sharna for -13 points. 68 remaining. GAME: Brolin damaged Aenyn for -13 points. 34 remaining.
Jessa continues to channel the healing energy of her goddess, watching her companions carefully as she does.
GAME: Sharna rolls 1d20+13+2-2+2+6: (18)+13+2+-2+2+6: 39 GAME: Sharna rolls 1d20+13+2-2+2+6: (15)+13+2+-2+2+6: 36 GAME: Sharna rolls 1d20+13+2-2+2+6-5: (19)+13+2+-2+2+6+-5: 35 GAME: Sharna rolls 1d20+13+1-2+2+6: (14)+13+1+-2+2+6: 34 GAME: Sharna rolls 1d20+13+1-2+2+6-5: (13)+13+1+-2+2+6+-5: 28 GAME: Sharna rolls 1d20+13+2-2+2+6-5: (5)+13+2+-2+2+6+-5: 21 GAME: Sharna rolls 5d6+13+25d6+25: (25)+13+(79)+25: 142 (LOL)
Dropped by the wyvern, bleeding from entirely too many gashes left by its assault, as the ghost-flames of Ceinara's healing spiral away from her form, Sharna sidesteps to pinch the creature between herself and the other half-elf - and then leaps forth with one hell of a cry. The bardic magics and holy blessings upon her make her movement a blur and her strikes surgically precise - all that can be seen is the flash of blades, again and again.
And then it stops, abruptly, and a bloodsoaked Sharna stands huffing next to a wyvern - or what was a wyvern a moment ago - that now has more holes in it than a wheel of Gustavian cheese.
Aenyn's mouth actually drops open as Sharna shreds the wyvern before his very eyes. Recovering his wits, he clears his throat and sheaths his sword. He staggers for a moment and puts a hand to his head, "I don't feel so good. Damn thing poisoned me, I think..."
Jinks stops his singing as beast collapses with a wet wheeze and a meaty flop, lowering his bow slowly to have a look around. No wyvernspawn or angered mate incoming-- at least, not one he can hear. "Not even a proper dragon. Some bastard cousin not even worth a song-- not that the ladies won't swoon at a Telling." He wrinkles his nose, tilting his head to one side at Aenyn. "You look fit to fall out the back of Thul's ass, tallman. Best have a sit while we see our way through the treasure."
Jessa's healing Sharna first because she's bleeding heavily. But then she's right there beside Aenyn and while she can't actually remove the poison TODAY (until she prays in the morning), she's good at the more mundane side of healing as well.
With the dragon, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, slain by arrow, hammer, and blade, you look to your surroundings, and unsurprisingly, find the payroll chest along with several other strong boxes, and loose coin piled into one corner. When all is accounted for by the end of it all, there seems to be a substantial amount missing, almost 20% of what was stolen, not counting whatever Jinks pockets while nobody is looking. With conspirators unnamed, it's likely the rest will go unfound, but you have avenged the goblins, slain an evil predatory wyvern, and returned the riches to their rightful place. Or at least more rightful than this blood-soaked lair. Not a bad few days' work.