Hekazu

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Norschtalen
I'm sorry to be intruding with your writing, but I would like to add a few corrections to the current state of Greenest: Yes, buildings have burned down. However, apart from the northwestern part this seems to be more of an exception than a rule. The mill also remains standing, for whatever reason. Well, I know why and the fact that it still stands might hint why to you as well, but I cannot just blurt it out loud you know?

I will be tossing in a DM post tomorrow now that we have most of our players back, as I am personally currently occupied with other matters.

Duke Virne

Duke Virne

Name: Rexes Virne
Title: (Former) Duke of Calphad
Height: 267cm
Weight: 1168kg
Age: 651 (Much like lobsters, Lardanerus do not really age past a certain point. He is an adult.)
Race/Species: Lardanerus

The Lardanerus are an extremely slowly growing and reproducing race of humanoids composed almost entirely of a difficult to completely identify metal alloy. It seems their diets affect the structure of them, but attempts to extract the very base of this combination has not proven successful yet. Progress is being made, which in turn has allowed for greater exoframe development within the Fleet, but let's not get to that here.

Their existence is practically limited to those who still exist within Ragnarov Fleet thanks to their slow growth and few ever leaving the group since having chosen it as their future over their old king... who was eventually wiped out with their supporters for trying to fight the inevitable.

Tier/Influence: 3 (regional); A body of metal may grant one quite the endurance, but other than that Duke Virne is nothing too special. He has not shown any aptitude for magic as things are, but technology tends to be easy for him to understand.

Group(s): Ragnarov Fleet

Appearance: Dark, tall, and made of metal.

Hey, I have a picture for once!

Personality: Duke Virne loves jokes and taking risks, an odd feature for one of his trade, but he might be one of the most tight lipped people you meet, rarely talking about himself. As long as the discussion steers clear of anything personal though, his booming laughter and entertaining stories can be heard all the way across the room.

Abilities, Talents, Traits, Powers:

• ^{( 3 )} Metal Body -- While "Break yourselves upon my body!" might be a common quip from Virne, it holds a grain of truth to itself: His person is much harder to beat down without weaponry that has above average armour penetration capability. In addition to being protective, it also graces the man with sheer mass, making facing him in close combat a foolish endeavour. However, his movement when it comes to speed, flexibility or reach is not much above an average human (if stretched to his size), so most of the threat indeed comes from the mass and hardness alone.
• ^{( 3 )} Racing (driving, more specifically) -- Duke Virne is well known within the Fleet for winning their biannual racing competition with his car Armour for a decade in a row. It is not just the vehicle that makes this possible: The Duke himself has honed his skills as much as at all possible over the years. He has people to impress and fun to have. So why not combine the two?
• ^{( 2 )} Hand-to-hand combat -- One would not want to end up in a fistfight with someone like Duke Virne, nor would one be delighted to find themselves wrestling with one. Which is exactly why the Duke has trained a bit in these arts: Just to make himself a bit more intimidating and knowledgeable.

Items:

• ^{( 4 )} "Armour" (Vehicle) -- The Duke's pride and joy, a racing vehicle built with the chief medic for him and him alone. The chief managed to utilise her ability for vehicular linking to a third party interface, although that only worked thanks to Virne being of metal himself. While the vehicle is bulky as well, it has shown to be capable of remarkable speed with it's engine set-up and capability of burning through multiple gold and platinum grade Fleet nitroes without suffering component damage.
• ^{( 1 )} "Get down!" (A projectile weapon) -- For personal protection past his bodyguard squad and his sheer bulk alone, the Duke carries around an old troop classic, one instance of the handgun type nicknamed "Get down", the name earned for those being the words usually spoken when it is drawn. Slow to fire and a bit too heavy for its own good, it still sports a commendable level of armour penetration.

History: The story of the (back then) Duke of Calphad is not that different from many of those who now find themselves in the ranks of the Ragnarov Fleet. The planet of these metal people was unsurprisingly rich in desirable minerals just as well, which served to summon in the Fleet. A choice was offered as was customary: "Surrender your planet and join, or perish. We do not particularly care which." The Lardanerus were comparatively primitive folk back then, yet their king chose to fight. Their pride would end up being their downfall, which Virne predicted and gathered those loyal to him... and defected.

It was not much later when word of the fall of the former kingdom reached his ears and he knew he had made the survivor's decision. Yet guilt of having left his king behind never quite left the man. Nowadays, while not as prominent, it surfaces as the Lardanerus being fiercely loyal to the Fleet: If he abandoned his king to join this side, he would stay on this side. Eventually this quality (and the fact he had spent over two hundred years on deck by that point) led to him becoming the chief of internal security over in the Fleet council where he later got to know a certain Akæn, with whom he felt he shared a connection. After all, living metal was an inherent part of them both, even if they were of different kinds.

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

Cesar's sudden agreement with him surprised Theodore, but the bard's laughter and further arguments towards not keeping them further hinted that the original suggestion might have, at least partially, been made in jest just as well. While some of the party still seemed to be considering doing something with these gems, Katia solved the dilemma by giving in to the sensible suggestions of throwing them away. She did express her disdain regarding said move, but at least she had done so.

"You say that we are not in a hurry, but that is a notion I have to disagree with Katia", Theodore voiced his opinion. "As far as I know, the world that was ours is no more. It has fallen to darkness, and that happened when the shadows were little. Here, they seem much more powerful and only time will tell how powerful they will become. In my honest opinion, we are still at great risk and should not delay. We are the champions of light from our realm and if we could not save it... we can only hope we can help another." Granted, the message was grim, but the zealot could not set aside his conviction.

But in the end, resting sounded perfectly reasonable right about now. There was no way of knowing what was out there in the dark and if Birbin who had more experience in this realm than the group combined (and quite possibly multiplied by two) was to be trusted going out there would be a bad idea nonetheless. While the world could always use some more heroes, the heroes could not go on forever. "But about resting, I concur", he added, to make sure his earlier statement could not be misinterpreted as an idea to head outside immediately.

It pained him slightly to see Thea giving much more attention to the tabaxi monk than him, but there was certain reason in that too... Katia had been denied her fun, so the free spirited monk might have needed some consolation. Not that it helped his feeling any. Birbin also bringing the healing potions to her further drove forward Kat being the centre of attention. Wanting a piece of the spotlight, Theodore raised his hand and opened his mouth, but reversed that action once he realised he didn't really know what to say. He crossed his arms, choosing to wait and see where this would go.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

Theodore couldn't help but notice everyone in the room seemed to have a different idea when it came to dealing with these stones, other than him and Birbin seemingly being fine with just tossing them outside and letting them sort themselves out. Wick wanted to bury them in a bottle for some reason, whereas Katia went for the less obvious approach and pondered on the possibility of tossing them into a cask. The Monster Slayer briefly regretted giving away the stone he had had to this wildly unpredictable girl, but what was done was done.

Birbin's reaction was something he had expected, the gnome getting flustered and encouraging the stones to be just tossed away already. Theodore nodded almost invisibly at the suggestion, but since he had given them off his hands he didn't believe there to be much for him to make decisions on. That was, until Cesar inquired on his expertise regarding handling animals, perhaps even training these birds. He entertained the thought for a while, that was for sure. It would be amazing to fly among the clouds, to strike at the enemy from the sky with his weapon, to deliver swift justice from places others could not reach... but the grim reality was, it'd take considerable effort to get there. Effort they could not spare right now.

"That is an interesting idea, Cesar. However, you are trusting on me being able to tame a completely wild giant of a bird. Birds are quite free spirited creatures, I don't know if taming them is possible in the first place... And while I could think about that some more still, you do realise that it would take a long time to try and see. We are not able to spare that time, we have the kingdom of Darkness to vanquish. And the kingdom of Light to save", he responded, the answer ending in a sad note. He truly hoped they would have the time, but right now it didn't look like it at all. "Besides, where would we keep them anyhow?" he added, this question being quite genuine. They couldn't just drag around a wild bird that could easily lift them off the ground.

@Cu Chulainn - Theodore has provided his answer
@The Harbinger of Ferocity

The escape from Wolfwing's lair

I finally reached a conclusion, and... well, so did our story. I hope you enjoyed the little escape game I had created, but it was the most fitting time to end it. Or so I think at the very least. Now, if you have feedback for me, I would love to receive it. Negative, positive, whatever! I RP both to enjoy myself and to learn to be better writer. Learning good GMing tricks on the road isn't bad either :)

The escape from Wolfwing's lair

Mistletoe's choice of waiting may have well been what doomed her. The cold around her intensified by the second and by the time the Jailor had closed in for her tactic to spring off, she found her limbs much too heavy to deliver nearly as many strikes as she would have wanted. And even those that she could do, she found ghastly hands grabbing her, slowing down the strikes further. Realising the futility of the attempted she went right on into step two of her plan, diving for her body down on the ground. In even that endeavour, the hands tried to stop her, but for now they were too weak. She punched her hands back into where they belonged, as well as kicked her feet into place. The familiar feeling of a beating heart and a rising chest returned to her as the basic bodily functions resumed in her consciousness.

She jumped to her feet, only to catch a projectile that snapped on impact to the back of her head and sent her back to the ground. Of course, that had been from the gargoyles behind her. They had finally joined back in. But on the other hand, they were not the only ones that joined the combat. From the door, a creature had skulked to the battlefield without anyone's notice. It's jet black fur waved in the gentle breeze coming from the outside as it raised and lowered its claws, sending a booming roar forth from its maw. Wolfwing was back.

The Jailor's reaction was immediate, the blue flames of its body flashed brightly before vanishing as it curled back into the statue it had been when first encountered. The Gargoyles followed suit, curling up and falling to the ground. Unfortunately, the flame that had represented Derrick's soul was gone just as well, the male hunter joining the magical being in this so called 'Narrow Maze' it called it's home. But the vanishing of an adversary hardly was the salvation Mistletoe had been seeking, the creature she had originally set out to hunt descending upon her, crashing their clawed hand around her neck.

There was little doubt about it: The creature would not be too likely to repeat the earlier show of 'mercy' by imprisoning her. Their claws sunk into her flesh, choking the hunter. Their might was overpowering, their threatening growl serving even further to drive her despair home. If the last situation had been difficult to get out of, now... now she could see none. This was the end. What had roused the beast from its slumber, she couldn't be sure of. Had it been an unfortunate coincidence, or mayhaps actions she herself had done? But in the end, how would this death differ from what the other hunter had faced? That Mistletoe would never know.

And thus ends the tale of the adventure of the three hunters. One of them chose survival over solidarity, the remaining two perished together, at least only a few metres apart if nothing else. The mysteries behind the beast, the deity the Jailor seemed to serve or the house might never come to daylight... but on the other hand, would trying to figure them out have been worth the risk?

@Dusksong@Lord of Evil

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

When Orchid came asking questions the youngest of the guard medics opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by the halfling answering the question for them. He closed his mouth and continued helping in moving the unconscious man back to the safety of the keep infirmary. He was not in any real danger any longer, but it never hurt to have people who had been hurt so bad they couldn't stand on their own back where someone could keep an eye on them. When the Longwater family was finally reunited, they tossed a quick question to the eldest child, regarding whether he'd want to be checked. He refused the offer so the medics kept going, disregarding whether the rest of the heroes would follow.

Meanwhile, the guard sergeant met his family in a surprising silence. The man and wife threw their arms around each other, locked in an embrace, joined by the children joining in, forming a one big hug pile. "Thank gods you all are fine... thank gods..."" the sergeant whispered barely audibly. Only now could be seen just how much the man had been hiding inside as he had been going around figuring out the death toll while his family was still out there and he could only hope that by the end of the night they would not have ended up on that list. "They didn't... harm you in any way, did they?"" the husband asked, looking wary at the potential answer. The woman's answer was silent, but by the reaction of the sergeant it hadn't been anything he had been afraid of as he returned to the hug, his face now calmer.

All the while this reunion was taking place, the people of the infirmary got to see the champion being brought back in, not that all of them were even aware of the fight that had transpired out there. The sight of a half-tiger being brought in shocked many, but most of them were quick to dismiss this as a fever dream, while the rest could dismiss the sight as 'somebody else's problem', given that there was a group of three medics dragging it about. Well, with the exception of a single soul who screamed for a minute straight and then fell unconscious out of sheer fear, but taking into account how many were housed within these walls that was a rather good ratio.

But they weren't the only one to react differently to the most. A monk with a large bandage on their foot and a cane to help them walk moved closer. The medics tried to keep them away at first, but after exchanging a few words they could trust the man would not be in the way, nor of harm to the patient and let him be. The monk, known as Nesim Waladra stayed around, waiting for the weretiger to wake.

And after two hours, his patience was rewarded. At this point he had received a chair and was sat on the side of the bed, leaning against their staff. As Brannor opened his eyes, he met them with his. "You are an unusual sort, aren't you? I am rather sure a fellow brother mentioned someone like you working with them earlier... Ah, but where are my manners? I am brother Waladra. Pardon me for intruding by your bedside so."

@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Norschtalen@Gordian Nought@Ryonara@Lucius Cypher

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

Nobody responded to Theodore's call. To be fair, the gnome had made it sound like that wouldn't happen since he and the Green Man were the only ones here, but the latter might have answered. No such luck this time. His fingers continued their small dance on top of his sheathed blade, but the absence of an answer also led him to finally relax. No threats to be sighted. He brought his fingers to his mask, but slowly lowered them without grabbing said accessory as he stopped to listen to Birbin for a moment longer.

The Green Man suddenly sounded less like a Paladin to Theodore. Not that many familiar symbols, Light not being the definitive element in their decoration. A druidic fellow in metal armour? It sounded outlandish to him. Two rooms were available, one of them with Birbin. Technically also a third, but it belonged to the innkeep who may or may not be lurking in the shadows since the money box gets emptied and rooms taken care of.

And then it got to the subject of the gems. Theodore was surprised to hear that these birds would rise back to life come morning, but having already seen them concentrate into these gems, it didn't sound impossible. Thea had proposed the idea of these gems holding some means of resurrection and this would confirm said thought. "So they do house their essence, their souls..." he muttered and took off his mask, snapping it on top of his bolt case and digging his pocketed gem out. "Katia, if you are going to dispose of these, would you be so kind as to toss this one too?" With that, he walked up to her and placed the gem in her fur covered hand, alongside the other. Souls demanded a certain level of respect, so while he trusted she would be able to catch it just fine, this was better.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity - Theodore has removed the (soul) gem from his bolt case
@JBRam2002 - Said gem is your trouble now

The escape from Wolfwing's lair

I am in a difficult spot with what should happen next. I may need some more time to think about it, @Dusksong and @Lord of Evil.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Would Danger Sense proc for something like a breath attack? I'm pretty sure that's dex based, though the text only specifics effects I can see and uses Traps and Spells as an example.

@Lucius Cypher

This is direct quote I happened by when checking the actual wording quick on the interwebs.

"I would rule that as long as you aren't blind, deaf, or incapacitated, you have advantage on dexterity saving throws related to avoiding danger.

I am a merciful god."

And that would be my ruling just as well. So it includes breath weapons.