The Harbinger of Ferocity

The Topic of Dreams

Accounting for multiple instances of synchronicity stemming from dream imagery, thoughts and life, myself and the few others I often hold close proximity with in work or away are much more convinced there's something odd afoot. Extremely unlikely instances of highly specific phrases and numbers such as the "Gordian Knot", the number 440, among others - including Carl Jung himself - made for an interesting experience. I can only hope this holiday season as we disappear into more work for a few weeks shows even more result.

You know dreams begin to become much more uncanny when you have isolated reports giving the same things. Especially when these individuals are not in the core collective of understanding or discussion and by that I mean those outside my circle of company. The skeptics, knowing or unknowing, help qualify it significantly.

The Manacles of Destruction - Loosely Based Dungeons and Dragons 3.5

I imagine the replies are slow coming owing to the holidays, @ELGainsborough?

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Hekazu, unfortunate to hear. I hope you find yourself well here sooner than later.

𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕊𝔸𝔾𝔸 𝕆𝔽 𝕍𝕀ℕ𝔻𝔼ℝ𝕍𝔸𝕃𝕃

Pride, among many other things, had been buried long ago in her heart. So it came as no bite to her vigilant ears when she received the welcome she did between the muttering of the worried townsfolk, the advance of the guard, and now indifferent talks about her identity. If anything the truth that they did not immediately rouse to arms was progress enough; she was not lying about her lack of intent to stir trouble into the mix. She had real work to be done, the sort not solved for her old heart by inviting men's fears and paranoia.

"I am seeking a man among a group of men." Her voice both noble and beastly, an air of command to it, "One who I have business with, whether he knows of it or not."

She paused to judge their demeanor, carry on when she seemed satisfied that they were wary but not too much that inklings of distrust or even loathing could wholly take root. In the breath between, she looked over them and their steeds both, being cautious of the events unfolding before her eyes, as sightless as one of the two was.

"I have been told he is known as 'Sir Gormun', a captain of those that call themselves the 'Vigilants'." The exchange playing before her as she spoke suggested that at least for the moment she was safe enough to continue her reply.

"And from what my ears tell me, that man would be you."

Sakaala's hands remained idle out of conscious decision not to spur the onlookers to action. One, feigned in part as it was, the other set to act on the slightest of triggers. A fight was always a dangerous ordeal that could erupt from an encounter like this and she had seen her fair share of business turn sour.

"So when I say that I call myself Sakaala and my business is work, I believe you better than most understand what it is that I mean."

All of her hideous appearance paled to how eloquent she carried herself and the words she shared. Either she was among the most sophisticated of monsters in the land, one well read and studied, or she had lived among men for some time. Mercenaries specifically, for no woman of any stock would dare be so bold as to wear steel and dusk armor while speaking about "business" and "work" the way she did. It perhaps seemed almost surreal to onlookers, many of whom had not assumed such things existed, let alone could talk.

@Mag Lev

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Ryonara, that's the one I found in my search, so I am assuming that is what's being discussed. It's also extremely fortuitous that she has it. I had forgotten it even existed as a cantrip.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

The snide remark at the end was only for my amusement at how crazy of a request Escobert's making. Maybe it is just me, but I do not imagine any usual adventurer to be wandering around with a spell like that ready to go on moment's notice. I had to look up spells that repair things actually to see what our options even were.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Brannor gave no mind to the dwarf's concerns initially, content with finishing the securing of their captive with the old rope that was bound up between the man's limbs. He had heard what it was that was said, no doubt, but the notion baffled him. In the entirety of the fairly sizable keep, they had not one court mage or priest even now that could be busied with the repair of a door instead? What good were these enormous stone walls and iron doors then? It was one of many frustrations he held with mortal folk, those who had not spent their life outside the walls, the fences, the fields and mundanity; one of the reasons he left when he was young. It was frustrating enough at its core that it distracted him slightly from reducing the man's weakened breathing, his knee still resting firm upon the man's back.

In fact, the brutality of fighting they had sustained to get this far, a wound that would have regularly killed a man subjected upon him personally by a well placed arrow, and now this, the audacity to ask if they would waste precious magic on a door? It was an insult that began to stir embers in his mind. Enough of which made the powerfully built man grit his teeth and pull tighter the bonds as he tied them together. Undoubtedly the man's joints were not fond of this, for the resisted and surely were to be made painfully sore... and worse yet his situation.

"Find someone else." His response came, direct and vaguely snarled as he knelt aside and rolled the dragon's follower over, the man's chest rising with a stronger breath at last.

Rolls

Brannor rolled a 7 to aid in stabilizing the man, proving unsuccessful by being distracted and lost in thought. Turning in slight to aggression, he fails again on a 3. The third time is the charm at last as he makes a potentially successful effort to stabilize the captive with an 11.

With a long, drawn up breath that eased his body, careful to temper his righteous rage for those that truly deserved it, he looked down upon the bound man, then to the dwarf. It was slow, the entire set of motions he carried out, almost as if grasping for a way to word his thoughts that were not just lashings of anger. The hesitation had granted him enough time to look back to the captive and reflect sincerely that he did not want to repeat this again; the fight, the capture and the removal. Instead, the others would need meet a fate like the rest he had traded blows with on this night, as the only penalty for such unprovoked evil was a swift end.

"If they're fool enough to funnel themselves into this death trap, let them come." His words at last came, having calmed the savage wrath within and returning to more clarity in thought, "But I sincerely doubt any of us can perform 'Repair Door' magic."

@Hekazu@Ryonara@Phoenix@Lucius Cypher

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Perfect, @Hekazu, and so in turn @Ryonara, Parum has her delayed wish. I was trying to find a way to make good use of the inspiration die you had granted and given who it was who provided it, I figured this was a fair way to reflect that.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Hekazu, I think at this point the better question is, is if we are going this route, is he in fact dead by the time we get to him? That is more or less what is governing the entire effort.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Hekazu, based upon what you said, he was only knocked unconscious by the blow. If that is not accurate, I will just change my post.