"Continue preparing our egress," Asano says, turning to face the monastery. "We will hold the monastery's protectors at bay until we can take our leave." He raises his wands, tips aglow with sorcerous power.


OOC:
Ready action if the monks and Hellenrae approach us in hostility. Magic missile wand between the two monks, 3 missiles apiece.


10:21, Today: Secret Roll: Asano Breathkill rolled 9 using 3d4+3 with rolls of 3,2,1.  M2.
10:20, Today: Secret Roll: Asano Breathkill rolled 8 using 3d4+3 with rolls of 2,2,1.  M1.

Jak smiled as he recognized Sharpwind, and vice versa. "Ah, a friendly face! Hello friend!" He chuckled at the nuzzle, but then turned serious as things escalated once more. He saw Morg get attacked and he frowned in anger.

He quickly mounted up on Sharpwind, his mind on other things and his body taking over. He whispered to the majestic creature, thanking them for the ride. Then he called out in a loud voice, "Thanks for fannin' my friend with your wild swings! He's quite warm from killin' yer friends!"

OOC
Move: Mount up on Sharpwind.
Action: Cast Vicious Mockery on M2.

11:19, Today: Secret Roll: Jakrynn Redgate rolled 2 using 1d4 with rolls of 2.  Vicious Mockery on M2.

Hellenrae shoves the monks out of the way, then grabs the double doors. "Expect retaliation," she calls out, then slams the doors shut.

Huet breathes a sigh of relief, then looks balefully up at Jak astride Sharpwind. "We needest to depart swiftly, yet we are faced with the same quandry as before, methinks. There are not enough seats for all of us, and the safety harnesses shan't suffice for an eighth passenger." He turns to Tessa. "Mayhap you canst travel in the talon of one of the vultures? Ye be small enough, and Feathergale Tower is only a little over two hours away through the air."

---

Jak has obtained Inspiration for completing a secret mission! (obtain a flying mount) Though it seems likely Huet and Savra won't relinquish it easily...

Currently Jak, Morg, Zora, and Asano have Inspiration.

You're all now out of initiative - for the moment - and it's clear Huet and Savra want to leave quickly. It's also clear they mean to bring you back to Feathergale Spire.

If the group is amenable to that, that's what they'll do - any alternate desires though?

Round 1 Summary:

Sprite hangs out.

Tessa and Bubo ready attacks for when enemies come within range.

Monks
M1 advances towards Morg and attacks him twice with unarmed attacks - HIT once for 8 bludgeoning .
M2 advances towards Morg and attacks him twice with unarmed attacks - MISS.
M3 moves closer behind the other monks in the doorway.

Giant Vultures do nothing.

Bubo (owl) Helps Jak.

Jak casts Vicious Mockery at M2 - save FAILS. M2 takes 2 psychic.

Sharpwind (hippogriff) does nothing.

Mayon attacks M1 - MISS.

Hellenrae moves up behind the monks.

Morg disengages, then retreats. He uses Second Wind to regain 11 hp .

Feathergale Knights
Savra attacks M1 with Ray of Frost - HIT for 3 cold. M1 speed reduced by 10' until the start of Savra's next turn.
Huet attacks M1 with Ray of Frost - MISS.

Asano readies an action.

Zora moves up next to Morg and readies an action.

"That seems undignified for someone who came with you to help us," Zora replied, watching the doors close with some trepidation. In truth she would have rather finished this fight than leave the monks licking their wounds, but her friends were right. It wasn't time.

"If you can't take us all, properly on saddles, perhaps we should walk. It's not like we haven't done it before. We can meet you back at the Spire."

"Aye, I'd rather walk than fall off those beasties." Morg says.

"If any of you want to fly, and Thurl returns our possessions for Qarbo's head - please hold onto my shield until I get there."

"I think it best we return together," Asano begins, taking account of the mounts versus riders. He then turns to the two knights. "Provided the two of you can offer us assurances we will be greeted with graciousness in victory? There was something of an anxious air regarding our attendance to your tower."

Tessa considered the offer.  They may have already figured out her suspicions and she didn't feel like 'accidentally' being dropped from hundreds of feet up in the air.

"No, I can find my own way back."   

The others also voiced their choices.

"I won't be alone, so we should be able to get there."

Savra looks annoyed at Asano's question, and doesn't answer. She glances back at the closed doors of the monastery, clearly eager to leave this place. After exchanging a quiet word with Huet, he mounts one of the vultures and takes off, heading west.

"We'll walk then, for now, until Huet returns with another mount," Savra says curtly. She begins leading the remaining winged mounts out of the narrow defile.

---

Apparently the knights have a new plan - send Huet back for another mount, then fly you all to the Spire.

Anything you want to do before Huet returns, other than leave and start the way back to the Spire on foot? You think he should make it back to rendezvous with you in about 5 hours.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:52, Tue 01 May 2018.

Tessa keeps trudging along, running now and again to catch up with the longer legged friends every now and again.

Each time she put a foot in front of the other, she reminded herself that Feathergale was one step closer.

Zora walked beside the gnome woman, in good spirits despite their failure at the monastery. They were alive after all, and with some of those fights it was a close thing.

"Any news from the spire? We very nearly came to blows with the knights when we were last there."

A humid heat descends on the party as the time approaches midday.

The mounts dutifully walk along the path, though the way is slow going for the birds over the broken terrain. Savra takes to riding one of the vultures and occasionally leading the others short distances ahead of the group through the air, to maintain a normal walking pace.

As conversation continues, occasional low rumbles can be heard off to the north and to the west, each time in a different direction. A faint whiff of smoke carries on the warm breeze.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:34, Fri 04 May 2018.

"That can't be good," she muttered to herself mostly at the smell of smoke in the air. She wiped the sweat from her brow. "We should press on, but be ready for anything. Savra, can you see anything from the air?"

Jak thought about trying to fly with Huet but he didn't trust the Feathergale Knights and didn't want to leave his friends. Since they weren't going to be flying, he reluctantly dismounted from Sharpwind to walk. He patted the creature's neck, however, and whispered, "Don't you worry. You'll be flyin' again soon!"

He looked over at his allies. "Well. That could'a gone better, but could'a gone worse too. Definitely made an enemy!"

Tessa had heard Zora but had to consider her words carefully.  With the knights in close proximity, everything she said would be monitored... just as I've been monitored.

"As the knights have told me, there's always something to kill and always something which shows their prowess.  So while the news is frequent, it does start to become repetitive.  You know.  Its sort of like sitting down to a fresh meal each day, but theirs only one choice on the menu.  Steak gets old after a while."

Jakryn spoke and Tessa's face turned a pink close to that of her hair.  "I wish I could have been more help.  It seems like Bubo was more help than me.  Maybe I'll take lessons from him."

Morg turns his head to better listen to the rumbles, and says "Can we rest for a bit? Walking in this heat is tiring me out almost as much as fighting the minotaurs."

To Savra he says "If we do fly later, can we land at the entrance rather than at the top of the sacrificial tower?"

---

01:03, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 13 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 10.  Perception check to try to hear what the low rumbles are caused by.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:10, Fri 04 May 2018.

She considered Tessa's response carefully, while she scanned the horizon for information about the rumbling. She hoped Savra could see more from a height.

---

Suppose I should roll perception too.


21:20, Today: Secret Roll: Zora Jilkina rolled 22 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 17.  perception.

Tessa's gnomish blood felt the tremor even in the ground on which she walked.  She wasn't sure if others could feel it or not.  It was just part of who she was... is... whatever...  It was who she was going to be that mattered, not who she was.

She could feel it, but it didn't seem familiar.  It certainly wasn't the whirring of toys and gadgets.

---

Perception Check to learn about the rumbling.
(assuming I don't have advantage for the sound being familiar from my time at the Spire)
1:03, Today: Tessa Greenwater rolled 5 using 1d20 ((5)).
This message was last edited by the player at 15:05, Sat 05 May 2018.

Savra gives Morg a dirty look, then takes off and flies a bit higher than she had been, looking all around the surrounding hills. She points a finger at Zora, and the cleric hears Savra's voice in her mind. "It looks like a large tree is on fire ahead."

As the group pauses to listen for sounds of rumbling, the ground beneath their feet begins to shake. The tremor is strong enough to start small slides of pebbles from the nearby barren hillsides, and causes spindly shrubs and brush nearby to wave from side to side before it subsides.

A moment later, two horrible insect-like creatures as big as horses begin to burrow out of the ground, bursting from the earth. Sharpwind and the two giant vultures on the ground immediately spook and start pulling on the reins of those holding them, while Savra's mount gives a startled cry.

Savra sends a blast of frost at one of the creatures but keeps her distance in the air.

---

Everyone's up now! Let's try this encounter without a map, "theater of the mind" style. You can assume you're anywhere in relation to the creatures to start with.

You can optionally spend an action to do an animal handling check to calm one of the birds on the ground. If successful you can mount if you wish. Note mounted combat rules here.

Tessa definitely hasn't encountered this phenomenon or these creatures before.

Zora and Morg began to suspect the rumbling was from large burrowing creatures before they abruptly appeared.

When they appear, Morg, Jak, Asano, and Mayon immediately recognize them as Ankhegs, one of which they encountered fighting (and losing to) an ogre the day before yesterday near Feathergale Spire.

Round 1 Initiative Order:

Who	Init	Status
Jak	21	Inspiration
Asano	19	Inspiration
Morg	18	Inspiration
Bubo (owl)	16
Sharpwind (hippogriff)	16
Zora	16	Inspiration
Mayon	13
Tessa	9
Sprite	8
Savra (Feathergale Knight)	6
Ankhegs	5
Giant Vultures	3

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:18, Sat 05 May 2018.

Bubo the owl takes off from Tessa's shoulder and swoops in ahead of her, lending aid to her mistress' attack.

Tessa rushes forward, her blade spitting green flames as she releases the spell's energy.  At the last moment she slides across the ground, between the two, slashing at the insect on the left and ending her turn on the other side of them, so that they will have to turn and face her, exposing their backs to Tessa's allies.  The flames of her blade seem to stick to it and then as they consume the insect, they leap across to the other insect that is next to it.

---

Attack and Damage with Advanatage.
16:11, Today: Tessa Greenwater rolled 8,9 using d20+5,d8+3 ((3,6)).
16:14, Today: Tessa Greenwater rolled 21 using 1d20+5 ((16)).

9 damage to first insect, 2 damage to second insect.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:47, Sun 06 May 2018.

Morg looks at the vultures and considers taking to the air to stay out of reach of the acid spitters, but instead just takes out and throws a javelin at the Ankheg to his left.

---

Action: attack Ankheg1 with javelin1 - critical hit for 16 piercing damage.

Move: 25' away to be 55' from Ankhegs.

07:35, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 26 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 20.  Ankheg1 attacked with javelin1.
07:36, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 16 using 2d6+6 with rolls of 4,6.  Ankheg1's critical piercing damage from javelin1.

Uninterested in trying her hand at mounted combat, Zora pulled out the magical dagger and shield and waded into battle against the ankheg Morg had wounded, getting close enough to the beast to try to hit it.

---

Pretty sure I missed...

10:19, Today: Secret Roll: Zora Jilkina rolled 11 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 5.  attack ankheg 1 (the one Morg hit) with rezsur.

Asano lashes out at one of the ankhegs with a ray of frozen energy. The insect drops suddenly, and the blast goes wide.

---

10:01, Today: Secret Roll: Asano Breathkill rolled 6 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 1.  Ray of frost att.

---

Action: Ray of frost
Move Action:
Bonus Action:

---

HP: 6/18 AC 14
Buffs/Debuffs:
Conditions:
Spell Slots/Sorcery Point Remaining: 1st- 3/4  2nd- 0/2, 1/3

---

Jak felt the rumbling get closer and his brow furrowed. Strange. Then suddenly giant insect-like creatures burst from the ground and Sharpwind pulled at the reins in startlement (and maybe panic). Jak whispered soothing words, keeping a firm hand on the reins and patter her neck.

He then decided that not only did he not want to be eaten, but he didn't want Sharpwind to be eaten either. So he climbed up in to the saddle affixed to her and urged her upward. He leaned a bit in the saddle to angle her flight so as to be above and sort of behind the ankhegs. He thought about pulling out a dart to throw, but decided that he should instead stick with what he was semi-good at and that seemed to work a bit. He studied the creatures and got ready for a sharp retort.


Action: Calm Sharpwind.
Move: Mount Sharpwind.

Sharpwind Move: Take flight.

11:43, Today: Jakrynn Redgate rolled 20 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 16.  Animal Handling on Sharpwind.

The ankhegs scramble out of the ground, clicking their mandibles loudly. One lunges for Zora, who easily avoids its jaws. The other sprays a long stream of acid into the air at Savra. The knight screams as the greenish liquid coats her armor and drips onto her mount.

Banking around, Savra tries to get behind one of the ankhegs, but the beast turns too quickly. She ends up sending another blast of cold at it from above. The ball of frost impacts on the creatures back, leaving a residue of snow behind like the impact of a snowball.

The remaining giant vultures on the ground call out and wrench their reins from those holding them. They start to back away, walking quickly up the nearest hillside.

---

Everyone's up again! Currently Zora and Tessa are in melee with A1, Jak is airborne on Sharpwind, and everyone else is out of melee range.

Round 1 Summary:

Jak mounts Sharpwind and takes off - Sharpwind's init changes to Jak's.

Asano casts Ray of Frost at A1 - MISS.

Morg throws a javelin at A1 - CRIT for 16 piercing.

Bubo (owl) Helps Tessa.

Zora closes to melee and attacks A1 with Reszur - MISS.

Mayon hangs out.

Tessa attacks A1 with Green Flame Blade rapier - HIT for 9 piercing. A2 takes 2 fire.

Sprite hangs out.

Savra casts Ray of Frost at A1 - MISS.

Ankhegs
A1 bites Zora - MISS.
A2 acid sprays Savra - Savra FAILS save, Giant Vulture succeeds. Savra takes 8 acid, vulture takes 4.

Giant Vultures move away.

Round 2 Initiative Order:

Who	Init	Status
Jak & Sharpwind	21	Inspiration
Asano	19	Inspiration
Morg	18	Inspiration
Bubo (owl)	16
Zora	16	Inspiration
Mayon	13
Tessa	9
Sprite	8
Savra (Feathergale Knight)	6
Ankhegs	5	A1 slowed by 10' until SoSNT
Giant Vultures	3

This message was last edited by the GM at 00:37, Tue 08 May 2018.

Morg runs towards the insect trying to bite Zora, and launches another javelin at it.

---

Move: 25' to be 30' from Ankhegs.

Action: attack: A1 (or A2 if A1 is dead) with javelin2 - hits AC 16 for 11 piercing damage.

03:54, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 16 using 1d20+6 with rolls of 10.  A1 attacked with javelin2.
03:54, Today: Morg Danforge rolled 11 using 1d6+6 with rolls of 5.  A1's piercing damage from javelin2.