"I can cast Sleep," offers Vane. "It might do the trick."

"I can disguise myself, but I don't speak Orcish."

He considered the ramifications of what he could do, realizing he'd have to step out into the open to see them as he cast the spell. That'd make him vulnerable to any range attacks they might have.

The good thing was that he didn't think any of them had bows, but they probably did have javelins.

Victor whispers, "I could try sleep, myself. I'm a harder target for those that remain standing. I'll probably only get one of them, but the rest shouldn't hurt me too bad before their numbers are reduced further. Good?" He looks to the others for confirmation.

Kessife went ahead and cast Invisible on herself. Then when the others were ready, she stepped over to the other side of the mouth of the cave and cast Thaumaturgy to cause minor tremors in the ground.

She hoped it would cause the Orcs to hesitate long enough for the others to cast their spells.

As soon as he felt the ground tremors, Vane stepped out and cast Sleep as a 2nd level spell at the back of the cave.

The advantage of the spell was that it wasn't blocked by cover or concealment.

18:22, Today: Vane Talstepp rolled 36 using 7d8 ((7,8,3,6,2,2,8)).

Whether it was one spell or the other, or perhaps a combination of them, or maybe just Vane's spell directed at the back of the cave, the back wall suddenly glowed with arcane light from some mystic symbol. A moment later, two figures seemed to fall out of the symbol amid a wave of rolling thunder and blue-and-purple lightning.

The thunderwave smashed into the Orcs that were there behind the stone columns, shattered the two central columns, and sent the two figures flying forward.

Although you couldn't tell what one was, the second one was clad in blood-red armor.

The one in red armor staggered to his feet.

"Curse you, Nemeia! What have you done?" he nearly shouted at the other figure. He still seemed a bit dazed as he clearly glanced around to reorient himself, to see where he was and what was going on.

Nemeia's head hurt and the ringing in her ears was constant but thanks to her training, she was able to keep a hold on her sword and shield. Her Darkvision adjusted quickly as she noticed the signs of being in a cave and the smell of dust, mold, bat droppings and orc assaulted her nose. The muffled shout of the cult leader helped her focus. There was a job to do. Nemeia turned towards Sly, who was a few feet from her, and pointed her sword at him.

"By the Knightly Order of Taelther and the Oath of Vengeance I took, you are found guilty for your crimes against humanity and the evil your cult spread across the world."

08:09, Today: Nemeia Sorrow rolled 10 using 1d20 with rolls of 10.  Initiative.
Bonus Action: Cast Hunters Mark
08:14, Today: Nemeia Sorrow rolled 9 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 5.  Attack roll.
If having advantage:
08:22, Today: Nemeia Sorrow rolled 24 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 20.  Advantage dice roll attack.
08:25, Today: Nemeia Sorrow rolled 4 using 2d8+2 with rolls of 1,1.  Critical damage Longsword.
08:26, Today: Nemeia Sorrow rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  Hunters mark Damage.
(Dice roller hates me. I blame it on character still recovering from trip.)
This message was last edited by the player at 13:38, Tue 19 Oct 2021.

Victor stepped between the growing crowd and cast Ray of Frost on the nearest standing Orc. "Think maybe the orcs will wait 'til you two strangers are done with your fight?" He shouted, trying to draw the attention of the orcs to himself.


08:47, Today: Victor Harkness rolled 13,11 using 1d20+4,2d8 with rolls of 9,8,3.

He didn't see any Orcs getting up from his Thunderwave spell, but if they did, he was prepared to cast Vicious Mockery at one of them.

Then again, maybe he should be targeting one of these newcomers that had fallen out of the wall. He tried to recall what the glowing symbol had looked like and if he recognized it.

Vane's Thunderwave spell had eliminated all four Orcs that were waiting here, mostly because the cave was a bit narrow for the spell. It also hit the back wall and rebounded a bit. It was certainly powerful enough to kill the Orcs.


Thus, Victor has no living Orcs to caste Ray of Frost at.


Having recovered a few seconds before his archenemy, Nemeia attacked to invoke his sworn vengeance upon the evil he knew as Sly.

In spite of scoring a critical hit (and doing 24 points of damage ((OOC: House Rule: natural 20 does maximum damage)) ), it's not enough to kill Sly.

Although not recovering as fast as Nemeia, Sly took a moment to assess his surroundings. Since the others clearly weren't anyone he knew, they must be Memeia's allies. He chose to cast a spell that dealt damage in an area and could kill several people at once.

He unleashes an Ice Storm towards the other end of the cave. Rather than coming down from above, which would have been impossible in the relatively low ceiling of the cave, it seems to emanate from his hands.

8:01, Today: StarMaster rolled 14,11 using 2d8,4d6 ((7,7,3,3,2,3)).

The ice storm will do 14 points of bludgeoning damage from the hail and 11 points of damage from the cold! A Dexterity save reduces both damages by half.

"Big mistake. Now we know whose side to take." Victor said as he slashed from the left then the right with his Defender.

Attacking Sly twice with Defender, hitting AC 23 for 16 damage, then AC 14 for 11 damage.

19:36, Today: Victor Harkness rolled 20 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 19.  Dex save.

19:38, Today: Victor Harkness rolled 23,16 using 1d20+9,1d8+8 with rolls of 14,8.  Defender attack, damage (+0 bonus set to AC).

19:38, Today: Victor Harkness rolled 14,11 using 1d20+9,1d8+8 with rolls of 5,3.  Defender attack, damage (+0 bonus set to AC).

Nemeia almost dropped the sword from the sudden cold storm that pelted her body. But she clamped her sharp teeth together to ty to make them stop chattering. The target was in front of her and she could not let this evil get away.

"I vow to end your evil ways on this world and send you back to the depths of the hells!"

The paladin raised her sword to attack the enemy once again.

Bonus Action: Vow of Enmity
11:05, Today: Nemeia Sorrow rolled 22 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 18.  Advantage dice attack roll #2.

11:05, Today: Nemeia Sorrow rolled 15 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 11.  Advantage attack roll.
11:07, Today: Nemeia Sorrow rolled 9 using 1d8+2 with rolls of 7.  Longsword Damage Roll.
11:09, Today: Nemeia Sorrow rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Hunter'sMark damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:10, Fri 29 Oct 2021.

It wasn't that she'd been waiting for it, but it was part of her being. As a reaction to taking damage from the ice storm, Kessife cast Hellish Rebuke.

22:32, Today: Kessife rolled 20 using 2d10 ((10,10)).

Wow! Max damage! The person who'd cast the ice storm takes 20 points of damage from the flames that envelope him, Dex save for half.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 04:32, Fri 05 Nov 2021.

Surprised at this strange occurrence, Vane was torn between wanting to study that strange symbol and attacking back at the one who'd attacked him.

Common sense overrode his curiosity, though, and he cast Witch Bolt at this new enemy.

00:40, Today: Vane Talstepp rolled 15,6 using 1d20+7,1d12 ((8,6)).

Might have hit since the flames from Kessife's Hellish Rebuke that surround the target grant a +2 bonus to hit. Damage could have been better, but as long as he maintains concentration, the blue lightning continues to dance around the target and shock him every round.

Victor's first attack didn't hit, but his second one did.

Nemeia's attack hit, but it clearly wasn't enough to kill him.

It hadn't been obvious that the attacker in the crimson armor had been wearing a black cloak as well... not until Kessife's spell hit him, he staggered back for a moment as he cast a glance backward, and then made a leap for the glowing magic circle still glowing on the wall.

In an instant, he was gone... presumably back from whence he'd come. As soon as he vanished from sight, the magic circle stopped glowing.

Nemeia simply couldn't react fast enough to follow before the glow disappeared.

The Paladin gritted her sharp teeth together and let out a harsh grunt in frustration. The enemy had escaped to continue his evil and it was all her fault. Many more will now die now and the blood of the innocents will be on her hands. The task of hunting him down again will have to start from scratch.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Nemeia slowly sheathed her sword. She was now surrounded by strangers and had no idea where the dammed portal took her. She was still shaking from the cold and needed healing but now was not the time. With the shield still being held in her left hand, Nemeia held he right arm slightly away from her body, palm up. The Paladin turned her red eyes on the strangers.

The first one looked human and screamed career soldier and a good one. She did not recognize the markings on his surcoat. He would be the front line fighter of the group. He was also the one that blocked her at the start of the combat. It was not his fault really because he did not have all the information.

Then there was the ashen tiefling with white-blond hair. Nemeia noticed a shield on her back and her movements spoke of some training. She was somewhat relieved that the group did not hate tieflings on sight.

There was another but he was staying out view for now. A cautious one. (no description)

It was time to figure out a few things.

"My name is Nemeia and I am a Paladin of the Knights of Taelther. I have no feud with you. I just need to know where I am."

Victor raises a gauntlet to his chest in a warrior's salute. He says, "Well met, Nemieia. I'm Captain Victor Harkness, Neverwinter Infantry 42nd Division, retired. You're in the middle of an Orc war camp in Wyvern Tor. We discovered these orcs were amassing to attack nearby towns and are here to stop them. If my compatriots don't mind, you're welcome to join us."

OOC: I think that's the gist of it. If my recollection is off, Victor would likely have still given the correct information, as his own knowledge of the area is much better (and his knowledge of our mission is more recent.

Vane now took the opportunity to step forward and examine the remnants of the magic circle that had appeared.

"I believe this is a magic teleport circle... well, no, not teleport, since it provided a physical portal," Vane commented more or less to himself... thinking out loud.

"We could try to cast a spell at it again to see if it opens. However, there may have been some sort of link established between here and the other side. Nemeia, do you happen to know if there was some sort of magic going on at the other location?"

"I only caught a glimpse of it, but you are correct, Vane--it is a magic circle that creates a portal," Kessife agrees. "It is my understanding from those who were in the mine that there was some sort of magic energy storage going on there... something to do with magic that was flung about when the mine fell and continued to linger there as if waiting for something to release it. Someone tried teleporting adventurers into the mine, and that seems to have triggered the release."

"After that, people were getting randomly teleported in and out of the mine. I suppose this could have been a portal to the mine, and the spell cast here created a surge."

"I take it, Nemeia, that you weren't just in the Lost Mine of Phandelver?"

Nemeia's eyes widened in shock.

"I had tracked Sly to a cabin that was hidden in the forest at the base of the Giantspire Mountains. He was standing in a pentagram drawn in blood when he threw a bottle at my feet. When the bottle broke, I was consumed in an odd color lightning."

She was on the other side of the continent. Even if the paladin left now, it would take months to get back but by that time he would be long gone and the trail would be cold. Is this what Sly ment when he said Gurin had plans for her? Nemeia did not like the implications of that at all. Then another thought struck her.

"At the start of the fight, he was as confused as I was."

"Yes, he did seem perplexed, as if what he'd done should have produced a different result," Kessife agreed.

"I would guess that whatever he was attempting to do--obviously magical, he accidentally tapped into this portal here... probably by way of the magic from the mine."

"While you can look at it as if he escaped you, you could also say that you escaped him, even if you didn't want to. You have to track him down again, but, in doing so, you will no doubt get better and be more prepared for him next time."

"You are welcome to join us on our Orc hunt."

Nemeia nodded her head in agreement. She would just have to start the hunt again when able. As of now, she was in a strange new land with new people willing to let her join them. There was also the fact that she did not have much money or supplies for the long journey back. Also, was this work of one of the gods, for her to be at here at this point of time?

The paladin held her right hand over her chest as Nemeia closed her eyes. A soft glow emanated from her hand. The bruises on her body lessened and a warmth chased away the cold from the spell earlier. With a soft sigh, she slowly opened her red eyes.

"I will take you up on your kind offer and thank you. I also know some orcish. If we can capture a leader alive, then I can do some interrogation." She said with a sly smile.



Lay on hands: 15 points

"That's good. I'm notoriously bad at interrogation, myself. Lucky a lot of orc [Language unknown: ameoerveroutrea] are happy to brag about their plans of uniting the [Language unknown: encwhiing] and crushing the [Language unknown: aiicwi]," said Victor.

"There's no way of knowing how many Orcs were in here," Vane offers. "As near as we could tell, none of these Orcs ran into our ambush, but those dozen bedrolls along the walls means there had been a number of them in here."

"They may have left these four Orcs to slow us down while they went deeper into the caves. I see only one passage out of here. It looks like the tunnel slopes downward."

"These Orcs were just a delaying force," Kessife said. "I'm sure they didn't consider themselves as such... probably thought they could take care of us by themselves. Not so sure they weren't right... without the strange but timely appearance of Nemeia."

"There's still the tunnel back here that slopes downward. I expect the rest of the Orcs may have retreated that way. I'm not getting the impression that they were all that familiar with this cave system, so maybe they hoped there was a back way out."

"I don't relish chasing them if there is."

Heading down the tunnel takes you into the darkness as the light from the front cave doesn't penetrate more than 30 feet.

After about 60 feet, the tunnel takes a dogleg to the left and within 20 feet ends at a room. It looks to be about 50 feet left to right and 30 feet across. The opening is in the center of the wall. There's a second opening directly across from the one you're in.

Although they are trying to hide, they aren't doing it very well, and you can spot 2 Orcs in the other doorway... 5 feet or so in and laying on the floor, apparently keeping watch.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:05, Sun 02 Jan 2022.