Hekazu

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

The droning call of the drakes on the bottom of the pit would not cease on the merit of the attack on them stopping alone. There would only be momentary silence as they noted someone fiddling with the door and gathered close, some throwing themselves against the iron to see if they couldn't make it to the target of their ire. They couldn't. Metal was stronger than their bodies, at least for the time being. Yet it meant that the commotion in the room was to shift to a lesser level. The few clangs were most certainly less ear rending as the ongoing call had been. But the other effects of the change were harder to foretell.

The adventurers had been ready for opposition to rush at them. Yet all they would see was a single kobold's head poking out from the dark to see what was going on. The priestess didn't hesitate, and let an arrow fly at the diminutive target, the strike missing not being all that unlikely. But she took the risk and beat the odds, the arrow piercing cleanly through the jaw of the small monster, sending those that had been behind it scuttling back through the way they came, out of view but not out of earshot. The sounds of a dragged body joined them. They didn't seem all that eager to come in now. The adventurers had the room all to themselves. As long as they were willing to disregard the draconic creatures housed in the pit.

Mechanics&Rolls

A group of kobolds carefully investigates the commotion. Their preparation proves inadequate as Kyra manages to land her prepared attack into the dark of the next tunnel with a roll of 17 and downs the target of her shot with the damage of 9.

@Zverda@Ryonara@Lucius Cypher@Norschtalen@The Harbinger of Ferocity

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Aye, that would be me. I have a slot free in my schedule tomorrow, and I hope I can use it for this to not keep you hanging any longer.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

I recently got some rather bad news in my life, and that's weighing me down. I may be once again slow to respond, and will likely need to take a bit of time to sort some things out. DMing, as much as this is a module, is taking a toll greater than your usual RP does. So if I'm not responding as quickly as you may have come to expect, or pass the time limitations that we have all agreed upon on, I can only ask you to forgive the transgression.

Anyhow, now that I am here, I'll point out that the cage door does indeed have a keyhole @Ryonara. It's one of those old fashioned heavy open from both ends types, and rather large at that. Stuffing it may not be impossible, but it'll take a bit of time and opening it again takes more force and less fine manipulation as you might desire. If you commit to the task, you will get it mostly done by the time the next event takes place. This acceptable?

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

All right then, we shall consider ending the initiative order here and now. How do you prepare for your next move everyone? It may affect what is going to come to pass next.

@Zverda@Ryonara@Lucius Cypher@Norschtalen@The Harbinger of Ferocity

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

So you would be looking to leave the initiative order behind yourselves, is that it? If so, I'm going to also need the opinion of the barbarian whose rage it might concern the most, that being Orchid @Lucius Cypher. No new enemies have arrived to the scene yet.

The Darkness Encroaches

The front carriage had calmed down enough for Paula to hear her own thoughts, which was certainly something considering the amount of racket that had filled the air for the last few minutes. Some listened to her words and sat down. Others followed the peer pressure from there, especially when their wives or husbands implored them to. A few more rowdy examples had declared her advice to be no good and vacated the carriage, but you couldn't save everyone. That much Paula had learnt a long while back. Don't try to help those that don't let themselves be helped. "I'm not saying you cannot go", she had pointed out to them, "but I am implying that you lot have a better chance at making it if you just stay put." One had reconsidered. Others had called him a wuss and made off to the shrouding darkness of the wood, looking for who knows what. A piercing note of a whistle cut through the air, but on a quick look Paula couldn't pinpoint its source. What she did note was a small entourage of people approaching from towards the back.

Outside didn't look right still, so she had to be watchful for some trickery that could be afoot. "You", she pointed to a sufficiently bulky looking passenger. "Come hold this door for me. I see people coming from the back, and I like to think they are indeed people, but we better be on our guard", she gave the man an order. He refused, rather promptly too, telling her that he would not be taking orders from a nobody, much less a midget. He was… well, whatever the name and title had been Paula had already dismissed and left the too good for common good individual babbling about his own importance and tried looking for someone else who would take the task for themselves. And of all the options, she would eventually get the help from… She couldn't help but sigh. It was three literal children, helping the scary woman because mommy told them to. This would end well. In not a single sense of the word.

The door to the carriage opened and the beaked mask pressed outside. She hung on to the frame of the door with one hand ready to push her back in at any moment and the children at the ready to push the door closed. So far so good, nothing had lashed out at them yet. So it wasn't a shroud over the windows of their carriage, if such a thing was even plausible. You never knew with the dark side was the lesson she had learnt better than any other. Feel free to assume, but do not think yourself absolutely correct. "Hey!" she called out towards the recently halted procession of mostly church people, hoping they would hear her over the music. Of all things, music! Had people no tact or tactical sense for that matter whatsoever?

"Engine is gone. Train isn't moving from this point, not if we remember to pull the emergency brake. Anything shareworthy from back there?" the shouting continued, though other than the volume her voice was rather level. Keen eyes observed what was to come from behind the lenses of the beaked mask, her other hand fondling a glass bottle under her coat. If this was some trick, she would only have to toss it out there and have the door shut. What she couldn't afford was to let anyone close to the door until she could be sure. And at times like this, certainty was not an available commodity. One had to make concessions.

@Lady Selune@Ashgan@Eisenhorn

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

If he can get his attack before his next turn begins, he’ll still get to maintain his rage, since holding an action means my turn hasn’t quiet yet ended.

@Lucius Cypher

That is not how it works. Once you end your turn, your turn ends. Readying an action is not exempt from this basic function of initiative. You specifically ready yourself to act outside of your turn by using your reaction.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Lucius Cypher - Yes. Torus is currently at the bottom of the stairs that lead down to the lower level. The door at the bottom built of iron bars is currently locked. You may follow through with your current plan if you so desire, but be advised getting any results that way would have minimal chances.

Or wait, do you mean into this room? Don't confuse the bottom area as another room in case you do, it's still this one. As for any other ways in than the one you came through, yes, there is one other path about ten feet wide along the Western wall. Readying an action there is entirely possible, but still means your rage will end since you made no attack and have not been hit.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

The poor kobold tried its best to ignore the shouting that was coming from up and above. But when finally magically empowered words came to it, its attempts to ignore them led to lack of attempt in resisting. The insult took root, and the already weakened body of the kobold could not take the wracking pain of a future as feed to these creatures. They had eaten bigger. They would eat it too. Desperation turned to dread, and dread shifted away into nothingness. The trembling creature fell down on the cavern floor, ceasing its movement.

What didn't cease movement were the three other inhabitants. It all began from the one that had been shot. It shot a glare towards the offender, and seemed to determine a leap to those heights was out of the picture. The beast instead reared its head, and after a lower rumble coming from its throat it shot the neck straight, head swaying from one side to another as a prolonged, wailing cry was shot out to the air at a volume noticeably greater than anything they had heard to this point. And with it having started, the other two followed suit, the sound intensifying as it bounced from the walls of the cavern. Bad news.

Mechanics&Rolls

The kobold fails its saving throw with a roll of 2 and is thus incapacitated by the power of the Bard.

The drakes at the bottom of the pit find themselves unable to reach any hostile they can see, so they spend their actions starting a horribly loud wail. It is not as all encompassing as the bats were so you are not deafened, but it is reasonable to assume someone else might hear it just as well.

Next up, Orchid @Lucius Cypher!

Bonita has arrived!

Welcome to the forum side. I've seen you already making friends on the Discord, so it's looking like you'll fit right on in!