Shadow flits down the stairwell, while everyone else darts for cover.

It is only moments before Shadow darts back into the room followed by two men dressed in black robes with armor underneath; one of the men swiping at the bat as he comes into the room.

"Damn bat, shoo..." He says before noticing the large pool of blood at the base of the stairs to his right, with yet still, more weeping down. "By Tiamat, what in the nine hells happened here?"

O.O.C. Go ahead and give me an initiative roll along with your actions, the group has successfuly hidden themselves and thus will have supprise on their new foes.

Hearing that Shadow is being harassed, or worse, Korym steps forward, "Radius Gelu," he intones, sending a bolt of icy blue cold at the leading figure, before stepping back.

---

Korym Nightstar rolled 8 for Initiative.
Move to L5
Cast Ray of Frost at Cultist 1.
Korym Nightstar rolled 16, for 2 cold damage; -10 to speed.
Move to K3.

Seeing the cultists pass beside her, she waited a moment for them to get distracted by her companions and struck, her rapier attack missing the mark

---

Today: Oraphina Weatherbee rolled 10,4 using 1d20+4,1d8+2 with rolls of 6,2.  rapier attack+damage.

22:23, Today: Oraphina Weatherbee rolled 8 using 1d20+2.  init. –

Seeing the men come out, and Oraphina on her own, the rogue sprang into action, moving up as swift as a shadow, her twin daggers leading the way with two visions slashes.

---

<OOC: Movement - to M11

Action - attack C1 with dagger

'Hope' rolled 18 using 1d20+5.  Attack - dagger.

'Hope' rolled 5 using 1d4+3.  Damage - dagger.
‘Hope' rolled 7 using 2d6.  Sneak attack.

Bonus action - Attack C1 with dagger (off hand)

'Hope' rolled 22 using 1d20+5.  Attack - dagger.

'Hope' rolled 7 using 1d4+3.  Damage - dagger.

Total damage - 19>

Einar steps at as well with his rapier going for the throat of one of the cultist a perfectly aimed strike as he readies his shield for any counter attacks that might follow.

13:52, Today: Einar rolled 11 using 2d8+3.  CRIT BITCH!

13:50, Today: Einar rolled 25 using 1d20+5.  attack.

13:50, Today: Einar rolled 9 using 1d20+3.  Initive.

The party descends upon the cultists with brutal efficiency, a burst of energy, slices, and stabs; neither saw anything coming, caught completely off-guard, the two cultists drop prone to the floor, their blood mingling with the carnage already there.

And as quickly as it had started it was over.

O.O.C. Well that was quick.

Oraphina sheathed her sword and looked at the cultists effects to see if something would be useful for the group.

what race were the cultists? What was their light source if they didn't have darkvision?

O.O.C. They were human, and the inside of the cave is dimly lit with torches, I guess everyone forgot when I mentioned that way back at the entrance of the cave (considering how long this dungeon has taken though it isn't surprising).

Or more likely I think people were using it as a RP thing in game for their misses, and it just kind of stuck. But mechanically there is no issue with vision if you can see in dim torch light.

Could also be people got confused because I did mention the drop off into the area with the enclosed stairs and iron gate where the drakes were was pitch black.

Or some people just have a worse time seeing in the dark than others, like Einar lol.

As for belongings, they wear stylized leather armor that consists of long black tunics with flared shoulders, and each had a scimitar that they never got to draw.

 

Hope sniffs as she looks at the humans, she smiled and began removing the armor. “Help me…the armor is a sign of their station in the cult.Their not newbies or mercenaries - their members. If we can disguise as them, we may be able to fool them before they attack.”

She pointed at the styles armor. “Their rank - dragon claw’s is a basic grunt. They have a few of them and then we can blend in a bit.”

The halfling looked dubious when her friend started to strip the armor off the cultist. "It might work for a big folk like you, honey, but I doubt they would be fooled by me. And don't you dare suggest that I could pass as a human child, I am a grown woman!"

"You can wear this armour, Hope and perhaps Einar could, but he eschews armour. But if even only you wear it, it may allow us to surprise the cultists."


Korym adds, "We need to get out of sight, if we are to get a rest." He will move to the bottom of the stairs, and peer around while Shadow flies in the farthest corners.

---

Korym Nightstar rolled 14 using 1d20+2 for DEX(Stealth).

No armour for wizards if they want to cast spells!
This message was last edited by the player at 01:15, Mon 18 July 2022.

Hope sniffed and put the armor in. She was obviously not happy wearing it, but knew this would cause some advantage. She strapped it in, placing her own dark armor into her pack. “If I scout ahead and they see me, I can speak so you hear me….and when that happens, stop”

"Sounds like a good plan, I'm gonna stand back and wait." Einar Kinda stays a bit back waiting on Hope to get done changing as he'd rather not wear any of the armor himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:05, Mon 18 July 2022.

Hope descends the stairs into the newest room of this nightmare filled cave.

Before the half-elven rogue the chamber has been enlarged and reshaped from its original form. The floor and three of the walls are smooth, and stalactites and stalagmites have been polished into gleaming columns. Every surface in this room glistens with moisture, and the air is warm and humid. The flat walls of the chamber are decorated with shallow abstract carvings of dragons. Dragons' tails coil into intricate patterns and knots that flow across the walls. The creature portrayed in the north west corner stands out: a five-headed dragon, rising from an erupting volcano. Other dragons, which seem dwarfed by the five-headed monstrosity, flock to its side. A small, wooden chest with silver and mother-of pearl inlays sits on the floor in the corner, in front of the monstrous dragon carving.

And standing in the middle of the room stands the half-dragon Langdedrosa Cyanwrath who not long ago almost killed Einar in Greenest; flanked on either side by men who look rather out of place among the types that have thus far been encountered, looking more like Northmen from the Moonshae Isles than the common mercenaries or cultists encountered thus far, each wielding a massive greataxe upon their backs.

"The shipments our King has promised will arrive in a tenday." A burly man with long braided blond hair says to Cyanwarth. "In the meantime we were promised your hospitality; I see no women in here..." He says stopping as Hope enters the room. "Ah well now we're getting somewhere." He says a lecherous grin crossing his lips.

Langdedrosa cocks his head looking upon Hope. "Announce yourself! Where are Gavik and Lapen?"

-------------------
O.O.C. Battlemat updated.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:54, Fri 22 July 2022.

Hope took vantage of the room in an instant and swore internally. She hadn't expected the half dragon to be here, let alone with company. Thinking on the spot, she raised her arm, outstretched with hand wide, as was their salute. She lowered her head slightly and spoke softly and clearly. "Forgive me Dragonsoul....There has been an incursion from the surface. It's believed the mercenaries from the surface betrayed us and vie for power and gold. Gavik and Lapen go to check on this and bid me tell you - i would not have disturbed you otherwise"

[Assuming that Korym can see the room's occupants from where he is standing.]
Korym's eyes virtually bug out at the sight of the half-dragon from the Greenest siege. Hearing Hope's lie, the elf gestures frantically with his hand for Oraphina to head back up the stairs. His other hand reaches into his pouch and grabs a bag of ball bearings.

Langdedrosa stares at Hope for a brief moment as if pondering something before speaking. "What mercenaries, the men in the canyon? There are only four of them!" He growls. "Between you, Gavik, Lapen, some kobolds and our guards at the front entrance, you're telling me you can't handle four men? Leave now and don't return here without their heads... or I will make you my newest plaything, do you understand?"

Hope swallowed, and nodded her head. "Yes dragonsoul."  She backed away a few steps then turned and left the room, seeing the others, she shook her head and pointed back a way.

Once out of earshot, she sighed, the tension draining from her body. "Bloody lucky i wore this armor now." she whispered. She looked at the others.
"Three men, barbarians from the look. And the bloody half dragon. We go in there, we go hard and fast. Korym, you need to make sure the dragon doesn't cast magic....Einar and Oraphina - we need to thin the humans.....death, spells, i don't care."

Korym waits until the group is in the cave near the caged drakes before speaking.

"We are in no condition to attack the half-dragon and his friends. I have no spells left to cast and Einar is in need of healing.

We need to leave, rest up, and perhaps try again.

Or we should head to Elturel and meet up with Leosin or his friend Ontharr Frume at the Pair of Black Antlers inn and tell him with what we have seen.

Recall, he was expecting the cultists to remain here, and they have not. It will be important for him to know sooner than later that they have moved on. We came to gather information, not to fight the cultists.

And yet, we have reduced Cyanwrath's entourage tonight; I believe this battle is over but the larger war is still to be fought."

---

Korym is down to cantrips only; and his only offensive cantrip is Ray of Frost.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:02, Sat 30 July 2022.

"I think we will be fine if I get some healing we should be fine. You did take care of like Nintey percent of the rest of this place I think we can handle just a shitty half dragon that can only win a fight against someone that is already half dead."

Einar shifts his shoulders and gets ready for combat clearly ready for a fight after some healing.

Hope looked at the human. "Most of his magic is gone, our healing is low and as i recall, one of these dragon-blood already kicked your ass pretty badly." She looked at him. "I have no magic myself - i use a blade and while that has advantages of not tiring someone mentally, magic can turn the tide."

She looked at Korym, nodding at his concern, but looked at Oraphina and Grune waiting their opinions.

My divine given powers are mostly used up too, but if there's a fight coming, I can still use this baby pretty well. I can heal a little, but I'd be better with a rest. I think it might be a hard fight and without magic support, could be suicidal. I do not intend to rejoin with the Mother quite now.

Hope nodded and looked at them. “It’s decided…..we fall back, rest and then push on. The decision is if we go back to town and tell them they’ve gone, or hide somewhere and then try again when we regain strength.”

"Fine but this may be the last chance we had to catch him after all once they figure out we've been here they will leave and do their best to clean up any traces." Einar puts away his sword and shrugs getting ready to head back out with the rest of the group now that the decision had been made.

The halfling smiled grimly when she heard Einar argument then shook her head. "Maybe, but if we are alive, we can track him again and stop the evil. We can't do so if we all die when we are not prepared for him. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of he first time you faced him?