Sleeping Giants Game 16

Intro

A Hands-On Approach

We see a large, dimly lit study with a single door that serves as the exit. Seated at a large desk is a human man, his dirty white robes spilling over the chair on which he sits. He wears well-fitted black leather gloves, and is currently scribbling something on a sheet of parchment. The desk at which he sits is no ordinary desk, however. A strange metal contraption sits atop it, comprised of miniature claws, knives, grabbers, and rods that end in quills. There are over a dozen moving parts involved, though they are all motionless at the moment. Each piece is connected to its own pedal underneath the desk, and some of the parts have multiple connections.

Suddenly, a small dial, similar to a handheld compass, that sits atop the desk erupts in a burst of energy. It becomes engulfed in blackness, and the energy spreads to cover half of the desk. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the darkness retracts back into the dial. The man picks it up and looks down at it, using the quill in his hand to jot down a number: Two-hundred and eighty. Perplexed, he pushes away from the desk and stands, immediately making his way to the closed door.

Back at the desk, we can see what he was writing. It is a note, addressed to someone named “Sara”. It is a few short paragraphs long, with the final paragraph reading as follows:

“33 degrees from the main route. The ring entrance is marked by the skull of a minotaur, about 20 feet up the wall. I would like to see the acolytes attempt to remove it this time.”

Recap

.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~ SKYHAMMER ~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

• JORDAN GIVES SPEECH
• Also Jordan briefly describes the biome of Skyhammer and the general ins and outs of being around and getting into the city - caravans traveling main roads carrying goods into and out of the city. We're currently walking through a cave to get into Skyhammer.
• Fork in Road - members from Skyhammer know to go left but a human woman runs from the path to the right pleading for "help!"
  • The woman says she's coming from a research site deeper in the cave - something went wrong - "there's a lot of _undead_ coming this way!"
• skeletons! (9)
• a general on a skeleton-war-horse
• the largest skeleton (of a Minotaur) blood dropping from its horns!
• Initiative order: Elliot, Ana, Stratton, Jordan, Lyla, Ford, Nil
• Elliot takes the dodge action. (Nil: "Elliot, be careful!")
  • horseman and horse immediately engage with Elliot
  • Elliot successfully blocks the horses' hooves!
• Jordan crits - nat 20! - no damage!
• Ana - sword burst! - injures 2!
• Minotaur rambles up!
• Stratton uses Dissonant Whispers - 9 damage to the Skeleton Rider - "You call that a bone? I see one more impressive every morning when I wake up!" - It works! Skeleton Rider jumps off the horse and is forced to run back down the hallway!
• Jordan! - making the Minotaur run away (he's frightened) - helped by Lyla w/ inspiration
• Lyla - casts Shatter! - 3 fail (14 damage, DIES!), 4 others take 1/2 damage (7 each) and the General dies as he's running away!
• As some of Jordan's blood hits the ground, the scent results in 3 large carrion crawlers (10x10!) crawl into the cave! enmass the group!
  • Attacks Ford w/ tentacle, but misses!
  • Attacks Erki - she becomes paralyzed
  • Attacks Lyla - takes 4 poison damage and is also paralyzed
• Ford: disengages and avoids an attack from the carrion.
  • He magic missiles the 3 damaged skeletons.
• Nil attacks a carrion crawler for 7 cold damage!
• Erki - no longer paralyzed!
• Elliot - attacks the horse - does some damage and then vice versa - horse misses
• Skeletons:
  • Attack Ford (1) hits for 6pts of damage
  • Attack Ana (3) 11 pts damage total
  • Attack Jordan (2) one hits for 8 pts damage
• The woman who came for help disengages and moves to the back
• Ana - fury of blows! explodes one skeleton!
• Minotaur - still stick in fright!
• Stratton - farts - for sleep spell - 22 HP of sleep
  • sadly - this affects just the two boop-a-groots - both fall asleep
  • as way of apology, Stratton gives Ana bardic inspiration!
• Jordan heals Lyla by smushing his hand into her face to stop her paralyzed form!
• Lyla, now unparalyzed, failed whatever she tried to do... (was getting cookies)
• Ford... becomes paralyzed!
• Nil! - tries chromatic orb! - on the carrion crawlers and hexes them - does damage - but they're still up!
• Erki - tries to turn undead - everything but the Minotaur - 4 of them (horse included) start to run away!
  • Ana punches one of these and it explodes!
• Elliot chops the head off of the horse!
• One skeleton hits Ana for 6 pts of damage
• Ana - kills off one more
• The wizard lady casts a spell - then she turns and starts running away
  • Nil and Lyla attempt to identify it - Lyla succeeds
  • Lyla says she's retreating quickly with magic!
  • She is 120 ft away before we can stop her
• Stratton tries striking one with a dagger - but misses :(
• Jordan tries to use dodge action to confront the carrion crawler who attacked and paralyzed Ford. Gets 2 attacks of opportunity on him - both miss! :) Jordan stops here.
• Lyla hexes the carrion crawler before her and tries to use poison spray - hexes constitution - he succeeds :( - Lyla runs.
• Carrion crawler attacks Stratton - hits (20) - takes 5 pts damage and is poisoned - _paralyzed_ :(
• Carrion crawler hits Nil - 8pts piercing damage
• Nil hits the carrion crawler for 18 damage - it's still up!!!, but is bloodied.
• ERKI says prayer to Thalos and heals Ford's poison - no longer paralyzed!
• Elliot swipes head clean off of remaining skeleton.
• The remaining 2 skeletons continue to run away
• Ana range attacks one of the carrion crawlers - 7 pts damage with a short bow - nearly dead.
  • She walks closer for melee - stabs/punches for 5 damage - stabs in eyeball and kills it!
• Stratton fails save roll - stays paralyzed.
• Lyla Eldritch Blasts carrion crawler - but misses :(
  • Uses Ana's inspiration but crit rolls a ! FAILS AGAIN!
• Tentacle attack on Jordan - hits for 4 pts poison damage - and becomes paralyzed
• Other carrion misses attacking Stratton!
• Ford attacks carrion crawler - crit roll 20!
  • 9 damage and pushes it 5 cubes away
• Nil moves her hex (dexterity) to the carrion crawler that attacked Stratton - Chromatic Orb! - but misses :(
• Erki cures Jordan of paralysis!
• Elliot attacks crawler, but misses.
• Skeletons still running away.
• Ana shoots with her short bow and uses Bardic Inspiration to do 6 damage on double hexed carrion.
  • moves closer for unarmed attack but misses
• Stratton succeeds on saving roll, on longer paralyzed!
• Jordan attacks carrion crawler for 10 pts damage!
• Lyla Eldritch Blasts, but fails, misses
• Carrion Crawler attacks Stratton again, but misses.
• The other crawler crawls back up the wall - misses attack on Elliot.
• Ford misses
• Nil uses Chromatic Orb Thunder - 23 to hit!!!
  • does 17 pts damage total - 16 thunder 1 necrotic
• Erki casts Bless on Jordan, Ford, and Ana - d4 can be added to attack rolls or saving throws
• Elliot attacks, misses
• Ana stabs at double hexed carrion - 5 damage, then punches it for 6 damage
• Stratton uses Dissonant Whispers again for 15 pts damage and he runs away when able!
  • "I've coughed up scarier loogeys in the shower in the morning *spits at it*!"
• Jordan walks up to the Minotaur skeleton after finishing off the carrion crawler that poisoned him and Stratton
• Lyla hexes remaining carrion crawler - the one Stratton insulted - "Spell Sniper" - 16 pts damage!
• Carrion hits Elliot for damage
• Ford misses again...
• Nil hits Firebolt at remaining carrion! - 4 fire, 4 necrotic damage
• Erki walks over to Jordan and the Minotaur...
• Elliot finishes the carrion crawler!
• Minotaur is stunned for 2 more rounds and the only remaining foe
  • Can only attack within its melee range
• We all get around him and ready our attacks
• Ana: misses 1st one, attacks 2nd, but gets in melee range - does 5 damage
  • Minotaur no longer frightened!
• Ford: CRIT ROLL 20!!! - does 2x damage + bleed?
  • Does 16 damage and a continuous 1 damage each round for bleeding
• Nil: hits for 11 damage
• Stratton shoots shortbow for 6 damage
• Lyla - hex moves and Eldritch Blasts for CRIT HIT! Double damage! Does 10 damage!
• Jordan moves in for Divine Smite!
  • Does 14 damage! 10 radiant, 4 bludgeoning
  • KILLS HIM! He explodes onto Ana who takes his skull to carry around.

.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

• Nil and Jordan argue over sealing the tunnel from where the skeletons came from.
• Seems that we agree not to close it off.
• Nil etches a skull and cross bones into the wall to warn people from going down this and etches a sign "<- SKYHAMMER"
• Party takes into account who is injured and bloodied
• Nil looks down the right fork - doesn't see much.
• Nil wants to keep etching signs - Jordan's against it and visibly annoyed - so is Nil. Nil wants to try to mark the paths secretly as they go. According to Jordan - this isn't abnormal - Skyhammer doesn't actually control this area.
• Jordan heals everyone for 1 HP to stop bleeding and attracting more carrion crawlers (doesn't heal temp hit points)
• It's decided that they'll keep going down the left path
• We enter Skyhammer! Light comes through a single opening over the crater - gleaming white, gold and silver, 4-steepled, largest church you've ever seen with a LARGE HAMMER.
• Jordan says something about Thalos and the golden cathedral - "Mind your manners and follow my lead."