emotionaut

HP: 30/30 AC: 14 Init: +3 PP: 13 Speed: 30 Ammo: 6/6 Action Surge: 1/1 Second Wind: 1/1 Fighting Spirit: 3/3 Condition: Normal Features Class Features: Action SurgeStarting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn., Second WindYou have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again., Fighting Style - ArcheryYou gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons., Fighting SpiritStarting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on all weapon attack rolls until the end of the current turn. When you do so, you also gain 5 temporary hit points. The number of hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 at 10th level and 15 at 15th level. You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. Tools: Thieves' Tools, Playing Cards Languages: Common, Paridon Creole Weapons & Armors: All Weapons, All Armors, Shields Feats: GunnerYou have a quick hand and keen eye when employing firearms, granting you the following benefits: Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. You gain proficiency with firearms (see “Firearms” in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). You ignore the loading property of firearms. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. Racial & Background: Ear to the GroundYou are in frequent contact with people in the segment of society that your chosen quarries move through. These people might be associated with the criminal underworld, the rough-and-tumble folk of the streets, or members of high society. This connection comes in the form of a contact in any city you visit, a person who provides information about the people and places of the local area. IC As the group makes its way back to the church, Joliet falls into step beside Bram. Keeping her voice low, so as not to upset Father Donavich, she asks, "If Doru is one of these things, what might we expect? Most monsters back in Paridon are the human sort, though we did have stories of skinchangers. Some said a blade of silver would do them in. So if the boy is more a monster than a man now, might there be somethin' akin we might leverage to turn things to our favor?" After her talk with Bram, Joliet shifts over to walk beside Dynaheir. Keeping her voice low, she says, "You ready to make a mess of things? Best get it done quick, yeah?" OOC Move: n/a Action: n/a AoO: n/a Action Surge: n/a Bonus Action: n/a Reaction: n/a

*** Location: Rookledust's Workshop Day: 5 Time: 3:06 P.M. Jaqi stomps after the fleeing goblin and clamps a gauntlet down on its shoulder. It tries to squirm free, but there is no escaping the iron grip of the oversized squire. She drags him backward, getting her other hand around his waist and hoisting him clear off the ground. Then, with the ease of a mother swaddling a child, she trusses the goblin up tightly. Throwing the goblin over one shoulder, Jaqi turns and marches back toward the others. As she walks, her size returns to normal, though the goblin still has no hope of escaping her, as her normal is still larger than most. Bastion and Heather emerge from the underbrush, Kora rounds the corner of the workshop, and the group reconvenes on the steps leading up to the front entrance of the workshop. The clockwork chaos abruptly ends, and the hatch above the main door of the workshop pops open. A small gnomish woman pokes her head out and calls down, "Figure you for friends. But if you prove otherwise, all this can be turned back on in a flash, you hear? "So if you're not Dragon Army, who sent ya?" OOC You guys can decide IC or in Discord how you want to handle the captive.

HP: 41/41 AC: 16 Init: +3 PP: 15 Speed: 45 Ki: 4/4 Condition: Normal Features Class Features: Unarmored DefenseBeginning at 1st Level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a Shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier., Martial ArtsAt 1st Level, your practice of Martial Arts gives you mastery of Combat styles that use Unarmed strikes and monk Weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee Weapons that don't have the Two-Handed or heavy property. You gain the following benefits while you are Unarmed or wielding only monk Weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a Shield. • You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the Attack and Damage Rolls of your Unarmed strikes and monk Weapons. • You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your Unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table. • When you use the Attack Action with an Unarmed strike or a monk weapon on Your Turn, you can make one Unarmed strike as a bonus Action. For example, if you take the Attack Action and Attack with a Quarterstaff, you can also make an Unarmed strike as a bonus Action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus Action this turn., KiStarting at 2nd Level, your Training allows you to harness The Mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table. You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or Long Rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points. Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's Effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Ki save DC = 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier., Unarmored MovementStarting at 2nd Level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a Shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table. At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on Your Turn without Falling during the move., Touch of DeathStarting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your study of death allows you to extract vitality from another creature as it nears its demise. When you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your monk level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point)., Slow FallBeginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. Tools: Alchemist's Supplies Languages: Common, Sign Language, Alzhedo, Chultan Weapons & Armors: Simple Weapons, Shortswords Feats: none Racial & Background: Deathless NatureYou don't need to breathe., Spider ClimbYou have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, at 3rd level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free., Vampiric BiteYour fanged bite is a natural weapon, which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with this bite. It deals 1d4 piercing damage on a hit. While you are missing half or more of your hit points, you have advantage on attack rolls you make with this bite. When you attack with this bite and hit a creature that isn't a Construct or an Undead, you can empower yourself in one of the following ways of your choice: You regain hit points equal to the piercing damage dealt by the bite. You gain a bonus to the next ability check or attack roll you make; the bonus equals the piercing damage dealt by the bite You can empower yourself with this bite a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest., Shelter of the FaithfulAs an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle. You might also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a residence there. This could be the temple where you used to serve, if you remain on good terms with it, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple. IC Najya follows the others into the hut and lurks by the entrance in customary fashion. She listens to Cyrienne make their introductions, while watching the old woman for indications that she be friend or foe. When Cyrienne looks back her way, Najya signs bluntly: If the others deem the old woman safe, Najya could excuse herself to look for their errant guide. So she adds: OOC I'll also roll Insight on the old lady's body language.

Sophie ●○ the Monstrous ○● StatsCharm -2, Cool +2, Sharp 0, Tough 0, Weird +3 Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○ Unstable: ○ Luck: ○○○○○○○ Exp: ●●○○○ Moves Unnatural AppealRoll +Weird instead of +Charm when you manipulate someone. Dark NegotiatorYou can use the manipulate someone move on monsters as well as people, if they can reason and talk. ImmortalYou do not age or sicken, and whenever you suffer harm you suffer 1-harm less. Unquenchable VitalityWhen you have taken harm, you can heal yourself. Roll with Cool. On a 10+, heal 2-harm and stabilize your injuries. On a 7-9, heal 1-harm and stabilize your injuries. On a miss, your injuries worsen. IC Sophie marches around to Merton's main entrance and finds the porter at the front desk. Though Alice may be her senior, Sophie is very much her elder in all the ways that count, so she channels that into her concerned inquiry. "Here, could I have a word, sir? I'm lookin' after a student, by the name of Alice Simmons. We have some worries for her well-being, so. Could you direct us to her room, now? Much obliged, sir." OOC Let's try to Manipulate Someone.

*** Location: Rookledust's Workshop Day: 5 Time: 3:05 P.M. Jonas and Kora once again prove the power of the Mages of High Sorcery, as each fells a goblin with a simple muttering of words and waving of their hands. Kora's opponent seizes up from the sudden chill of her spell, his heart stopping. The goblin falls back, stiff and quiet dead. Jonas again perforates the goblins below him on the hill with another volley of arcane darts, killing one and severely injuring another. Bastion and Jaqi do their best to make a good showing for the Knights of Solamnia, but it is actually would-be knight Heather who shows them how it's done. Her expertly aimed arrow somehow weaves its way through the underbrush and finds its mark. The goblin tumbles out of its hiding place with the fletching still quivering, but the goblin itself otherwise does not move. This leaves only one, and the call goes out to take it alive. Whether the goblin hears and understands this or not is unclear, but it makes to flee regardless. Scrambling from the bushes, it dashes off toward the south, away from the workshop and all the surrounding carnage. There are only moments to stop him... OOC You all can try to stop him, but Jaqi is the only one close enough to get in melee/grappling range before he gets away. Since ranged attacks can't be nonlethal, I'm not sure if Heather or Bastion have any good options here. Also not sure if Jonas or Kora have any spells that can help. So this may all come down to Jaqi...

HP: 30/30 AC: 14 Init: +3 PP: 13 Speed: 30 Ammo: 6/6 Action Surge: 1/1 Second Wind: 1/1 Fighting Spirit: 3/3 Condition: Normal Features Class Features: Action SurgeStarting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn., Second WindYou have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again., Fighting Style - ArcheryYou gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons., Fighting SpiritStarting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on all weapon attack rolls until the end of the current turn. When you do so, you also gain 5 temporary hit points. The number of hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 at 10th level and 15 at 15th level. You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. Tools: Thieves' Tools, Playing Cards Languages: Common, Paridon Creole Weapons & Armors: All Weapons, All Armors, Shields Feats: GunnerYou have a quick hand and keen eye when employing firearms, granting you the following benefits: Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. You gain proficiency with firearms (see “Firearms” in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). You ignore the loading property of firearms. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. Racial & Background: Ear to the GroundYou are in frequent contact with people in the segment of society that your chosen quarries move through. These people might be associated with the criminal underworld, the rough-and-tumble folk of the streets, or members of high society. This connection comes in the form of a contact in any city you visit, a person who provides information about the people and places of the local area. IC Joliet returns the horseman's wave and then continues to study the pair as they take their leave. Only after they've been gone and out of sight for a good while does she turn back to the proceedings behind her. If she's been at all rattled by the experience, she doesn't let it show. Wearing her usual cocksure smirk, she says, "Well, now, that was interestin'. Got half a mind to trail after them, but I figure that'd be ill-advised. Plus we still got our boy Doru to sort, yeah? "And on that note, we lookin' to do that sortin' now?" OOC Move: n/a Action: n/a AoO: n/a Action Surge: n/a Bonus Action: n/a Reaction: n/a

HP: 41/41 AC: 16 Init: +3 PP: 15 Speed: 45 Ki: 4/4 Condition: Normal Features Class Features: Unarmored DefenseBeginning at 1st Level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a Shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier., Martial ArtsAt 1st Level, your practice of Martial Arts gives you mastery of Combat styles that use Unarmed strikes and monk Weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee Weapons that don't have the Two-Handed or heavy property. You gain the following benefits while you are Unarmed or wielding only monk Weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a Shield. • You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the Attack and Damage Rolls of your Unarmed strikes and monk Weapons. • You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your Unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table. • When you use the Attack Action with an Unarmed strike or a monk weapon on Your Turn, you can make one Unarmed strike as a bonus Action. For example, if you take the Attack Action and Attack with a Quarterstaff, you can also make an Unarmed strike as a bonus Action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus Action this turn., KiStarting at 2nd Level, your Training allows you to harness The Mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table. You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or Long Rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points. Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's Effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Ki save DC = 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier., Unarmored MovementStarting at 2nd Level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a Shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table. At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on Your Turn without Falling during the move., Touch of DeathStarting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your study of death allows you to extract vitality from another creature as it nears its demise. When you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your monk level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point)., Slow FallBeginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. Tools: Alchemist's Supplies Languages: Common, Sign Language, Alzhedo, Chultan Weapons & Armors: Simple Weapons, Shortswords Feats: none Racial & Background: Deathless NatureYou don't need to breathe., Spider ClimbYou have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, at 3rd level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free., Vampiric BiteYour fanged bite is a natural weapon, which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with this bite. It deals 1d4 piercing damage on a hit. While you are missing half or more of your hit points, you have advantage on attack rolls you make with this bite. When you attack with this bite and hit a creature that isn't a Construct or an Undead, you can empower yourself in one of the following ways of your choice: You regain hit points equal to the piercing damage dealt by the bite. You gain a bonus to the next ability check or attack roll you make; the bonus equals the piercing damage dealt by the bite You can empower yourself with this bite a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest., Shelter of the FaithfulAs an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle. You might also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a residence there. This could be the temple where you used to serve, if you remain on good terms with it, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple. IC Seeing Mariposa about to scout alone does not sit well with Najya. Even as a tiny spider, there are dangers. A bird, perhaps. Or any number of the thunder lizards they have encountered on their journey thus far. Quite frankly, Najya is still learning of the multitudes of dangers in the wider world, and until she knows them all, she must assume there are dangers still lurking. And so she vows to accompany the druid, though doing so stealthily proves difficult given the open fields around Mbala. While a spider can crawl between stalks without stirring so much as a single frond, a full-grown woman does not fare nearly as well. Perhaps she is having an off day, or perhaps she is intentionally making a target of herself, to better aid Mariposa in being unnoticed. After all, should an attack occur, she would want herself to be the target. OOC Just some flavor for her 10 Stealth roll in the discord thread.

*** Location: Rookledust's Workshop Day: 5 Round: 3 Jonas may not know the intricacies of battlefield tactics like the squires among their number, but he knows magic. And more specifically, he knows a spell that never fails to find the mark. To a magic missile, the goblins can run but they cannot hide. He sends one magical dart to finish off the goblin barely staying on its feet, and he sends two others down into the bushes below. He hears a satisfying yelp as the missiles hit home, though their target still stirs. On the other side of the workshop, Kora engages with the one goblin assaulting that side of the structure. Her chosen spell is a fine choice for the normally weak-minded goblins. Unfortunately, the noise and general chaos of the clockwork contraptions running amok around them seem to distract her target from her fel whispers just enough to spare him the worst of it. The goblin still grips his head in pain, but it's not enough to put him down for the count. What's worse, his eyes shift about in search of his assailant, and he spots Kora at the corner of the building. The goblin brandishes its scimitar and charges at Kora with a manic war cry. She's confident her arcane armor will protect her, but it proves inadequate to fully deflect the blow. She feels the dark metal cut through shield, fabric, and flesh, and then a stream of blood begins to run down her side. By the front door, a gigantic Jaqi strides forward and obliterates another hale and hearty goblin with a single swing. She might as well be swatting flies. The blood splatters the front doors of the workshop as Jaqi shakes the goblin's body from her blade and sends it tumbling into the brush. Down below, Heather and Bastion release another pair of arrows in flight toward the remaining goblins. Heather's once again finds its mark and drops her target in a single go. Bastion's errant arrow sails harmlessly through the trees, however. Perhaps the would-be kender knight has a thing or two she can teach him, if they live long enough. But they are not the only archers in this engagement. The three goblins in hiding all pop from the bushes and take aim at the three figures perched on the bluff above them. Not only are they the easiest targets, in the open as they are, but two of them have also revealed themselves to be mages. And even a goblin knows to drop the mages first. All three goblins fire, and all three hit their targets, with Jonas, Andir, and Eirik all being skewered by black arrows fletched with red feathers. After the goblins fire, they cackle gleefully before diving back into the cover of the underbrush. Two disappear almost completely, but the third gets his bowstring caught on a branch and struggles to free it, causing his hiding place to rustle. Meanwhile, Rookledust's clockwork machines continue to bounce, spin, pop, and gurgle. One such device rolls forward to Jonas's feet, whirls about, but then simply emits a small shower of sparks and a tendril of smoke. Whatever it was meant to do, it seems to have malfunctioned. OOC Kills for Jonas, Jaqi, and Heather. Goblin 8 made his save on Dissonant Whispers and took half damage. Goblin 6 got hit by magic missiles and is looking rough, for the split second you all saw him. Goblins 9 and 10 still at full health. Kora takes 5 damage. Jonas takes 3. Eirik took 8. And Andir took 7. Goblins 6, 9, and 10 again use bonus actions to hide. Attacks against them have disadvantage unless your Perception roll beats 21, 20, or 13 (for goblins 6, 9, and 10 respectively). You guys are all up in any order. Map updated:

Sophie ●○ the Monstrous ○● StatsCharm -2, Cool +2, Sharp 0, Tough 0, Weird +3 Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○ Unstable: ○ Luck: ○○○○○○○ Exp: ●●○○○ Moves Unnatural AppealRoll +Weird instead of +Charm when you manipulate someone. Dark NegotiatorYou can use the manipulate someone move on monsters as well as people, if they can reason and talk. ImmortalYou do not age or sicken, and whenever you suffer harm you suffer 1-harm less. Unquenchable VitalityWhen you have taken harm, you can heal yourself. Roll with Cool. On a 10+, heal 2-harm and stabilize your injuries. On a 7-9, heal 1-harm and stabilize your injuries. On a miss, your injuries worsen. IC Sophie reads the message on her phone and furrows her brow. She doesn't leave it to chance. Standing and moving away from the table a bit, she says, "I'm calling her." And then she proceeds to do so. OOC It's the most logical thing to do.

HP: 41/41 AC: 16 Init: +3 PP: 15 Speed: 45 Ki: 4/4 Condition: Normal Features Class Features: Unarmored DefenseBeginning at 1st Level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a Shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier., Martial ArtsAt 1st Level, your practice of Martial Arts gives you mastery of Combat styles that use Unarmed strikes and monk Weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee Weapons that don't have the Two-Handed or heavy property. You gain the following benefits while you are Unarmed or wielding only monk Weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a Shield. • You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the Attack and Damage Rolls of your Unarmed strikes and monk Weapons. • You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your Unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table. • When you use the Attack Action with an Unarmed strike or a monk weapon on Your Turn, you can make one Unarmed strike as a bonus Action. For example, if you take the Attack Action and Attack with a Quarterstaff, you can also make an Unarmed strike as a bonus Action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus Action this turn., KiStarting at 2nd Level, your Training allows you to harness The Mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table. You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or Long Rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points. Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's Effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Ki save DC = 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier., Unarmored MovementStarting at 2nd Level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a Shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table. At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on Your Turn without Falling during the move., Touch of DeathStarting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your study of death allows you to extract vitality from another creature as it nears its demise. When you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your monk level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point)., Slow FallBeginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. Tools: Alchemist's Supplies Languages: Common, Sign Language, Alzhedo, Chultan Weapons & Armors: Simple Weapons, Shortswords Feats: none Racial & Background: Deathless NatureYou don't need to breathe., Spider ClimbYou have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, at 3rd level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free., Vampiric BiteYour fanged bite is a natural weapon, which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with this bite. It deals 1d4 piercing damage on a hit. While you are missing half or more of your hit points, you have advantage on attack rolls you make with this bite. When you attack with this bite and hit a creature that isn't a Construct or an Undead, you can empower yourself in one of the following ways of your choice: You regain hit points equal to the piercing damage dealt by the bite. You gain a bonus to the next ability check or attack roll you make; the bonus equals the piercing damage dealt by the bite You can empower yourself with this bite a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest., Shelter of the FaithfulAs an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle. You might also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a residence there. This could be the temple where you used to serve, if you remain on good terms with it, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple. IC Najya does not like the idea of the group losing another member, even for a moment. But Eku insists on scouting ahead, and the others are too weary from the climb to immediately follow. Najya does not object to Eku moving ahead, but she does her best to keep the guide and the others in sight for as long as possible. This means following Eku up the path a ways and getting a glimpse of the settlement on the horizon. She also witnesses Eku disappear into the cover of the treeline, forcing the monk's hand. She can either continue to follow, but leave the others behind, or she can head back. The math is simple. Her mandate is to protect the group, and when the group splinters, she must protect the largest portion that remains. She watches for Eku a few moments more before then turning back to report to the others. As she retraces her steps, she looks back at the settlement once more, in hopes of noticing any additional details worthy of note. Back with Mariposa, Cyrienne, Story, Brigg, and Brox, she signs: She is quick to add:

Sophie ●○ the Monstrous ○● StatsCharm -2, Cool +2, Sharp 0, Tough 0, Weird +3 Harm: ○○○ / ○○○○ Unstable: ○ Luck: ○○○○○○○ Exp: ●●○○○ Moves Unnatural AppealRoll +Weird instead of +Charm when you manipulate someone. Dark NegotiatorYou can use the manipulate someone move on monsters as well as people, if they can reason and talk. ImmortalYou do not age or sicken, and whenever you suffer harm you suffer 1-harm less. Unquenchable VitalityWhen you have taken harm, you can heal yourself. Roll with Cool. On a 10+, heal 2-harm and stabilize your injuries. On a 7-9, heal 1-harm and stabilize your injuries. On a miss, your injuries worsen. IC Sophie was the first to arrive for the meeting, but she has remained unusually quiet except for polite greetings and terse responses to small talk. She has a faraway look, as if her thoughts are on other matters. In truth, her mind is very much on the group and its wellbeing. As each member enters, she opens herself to their emotions, probing to better understand how they are faring following the break. Annika feels the most closed off to her. She expects that it's her own fault. Ever since her mild deception was revealed, the relationship between them has been strained. The conflict with the draugr provided a temporary distraction from their issues. Sophie had hoped to mend things between them during the break, but with Annika being the only one to (grudgingly) accept her offer of a road trip to Stratford Upon Avon, things were just more awkward. Even their visit to the witchcraft museum went awry, with both of them sensing a dark presence there and prompting them to leave early. Ekram and Hal are both easier to read, but both are dealing with issues of their own and Sophie is not sure how to best help them. She's also fairly certain it's not her place to meddle, even though she senses their need for healing. Ekram's burns may only be surface deep, but Sophie can feel the emotional scars running deeper, along with a longing for a connection. Hal is a more curious case. He shows no outward signs of injury or distress, and internally he is surprisingly muted. Sophie suspects it's a kind of repression. The mind partitioning certain thoughts and feelings to the subconscious so as to allow normal function in the everyday. She's not sure if it's the result of training or just the brain's natural response to trauma. Either way, she has concerns for him as well, should that mental wall ever come down. And then there's David. She knows his mind best of all, but she senses something new. It's difficult to parse, feeling like a combination of weariness and vigor at the same time. Is he invigorated by the new blood around him, but physically tired? Or is he world weary, but pushing through to keep them all safe? She's not sure, but she's worried for him either way. Now where the hell is Alice? OOC Rolling Empathy just for funsies.

HP: 30/30 AC: 14 Init: +3 PP: 13 Speed: 30 Ammo: 6/6 Action Surge: 1/1 Second Wind: 1/1 Fighting Spirit: 3/3 Condition: Normal Features Class Features: Action SurgeStarting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn., Second WindYou have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again., Fighting Style - ArcheryYou gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons., Fighting SpiritStarting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on all weapon attack rolls until the end of the current turn. When you do so, you also gain 5 temporary hit points. The number of hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 at 10th level and 15 at 15th level. You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. Tools: Thieves' Tools, Playing Cards Languages: Common, Paridon Creole Weapons & Armors: All Weapons, All Armors, Shields Feats: GunnerYou have a quick hand and keen eye when employing firearms, granting you the following benefits: Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. You gain proficiency with firearms (see “Firearms” in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). You ignore the loading property of firearms. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. Racial & Background: Ear to the GroundYou are in frequent contact with people in the segment of society that your chosen quarries move through. These people might be associated with the criminal underworld, the rough-and-tumble folk of the streets, or members of high society. This connection comes in the form of a contact in any city you visit, a person who provides information about the people and places of the local area. IC "Doru, we'll be just a tick, yeah?" Joliet calls back over her shoulder to the panicking hellspawn. She's accepted that they don't have the time to spare on experimentation. It's a shame to put the boy down when there's still more to be learned about their eventual quarry. But time is always the greatest enemy of all, or so her pop would say. As the procession forms, Joliet offers to serve as a pallbearer along with Bram and Dynaheir. It's evident from the first few steps that the Rashemi woman is taking the lion's share of the load, with the rest of them mostly helping to maintain the balance. If not for the awkward size, Dyna likely could have handled it all on her lonesome. During the walk, Joliet counts the wolves surrounding them and makes mental calculations as to how many shots she might get off before the pack reached them. Not enough. Not nearly enough. After being unburdened of the casket, Joliet rolls her shoulders and shakes out her arms. She mutters some curses under her breath until she remembers the solemn nature of this ceremony. She clears her throat, as if the curses were just coughs, and then quiets. She keeps her head bowed and doesn't speak again until priest, son, and daughter have all shed their words. Looking up, she then notices the figures atop the hill. More sights foreign to her. She wonders at the horse with the flaming mane. Nudging Bram with her elbow, she asks, "That sort of thing common?" Then, displaying the kind of bravado reserved for idiot teenagers who've never known real pain or suffering, Joliet strides forward a few paces and calls out to the figures. "I say, fine mornin' for a funeral! Appreciate you comin' out! "And I like yer horse!" She tips her hat. OOC Move: n/a Action: n/a AoO: n/a Action Surge: n/a Bonus Action: n/a Reaction: n/a

*** Location: Rookledust's Workshop Day: 5 Round: 2 Jonas moves into the fray and unleashes a devastating gout of flames against the three goblins surrounding Jaqi. The blast expertly cleaves through the group without singing the overlarge elven woman. Unfortunately, the care taken to keep her unharmed by the spell gives the goblins the opening to duck away from the worst of the spell's effects. Nevertheless, they all look badly burned. Jaqi takes advantage of their momentary loss of focus and brings her greatsword down on one of the three. The massive blade crumples the still-smoldering goblin into a warm wet lump at her feet. Of the two who remain, one seems to go into a frenzy brought on by being so near to death. He rightly sees the threat of Jonas and attempts to end the young wizard with his scimitar, but both Eirik and Andir are upon him before he gets the chance. Eirik swings at the goblin with his sword, but the goblin is remarkably quick for being on death's door, or perhaps Eirik is still suffering some lingering handicap from his own injuries back at the High Clerist's Tower. Thankfully, Andir is there to back him up. Holding up an arcane crystal, he delivers a concentrated beam of frost at the goblin. The conjured ray freezes the creature solid in its tracks before it can threaten Jonas. It falls to the ground quite dead, with bits of itself shattering as its body hits the hard ground. Andir's eyes widen at the effect, having never used it against a living being before. He looks over at Jonas and simply mutters, "Oh my..." During this moment of shock, a dart fires from one of Rookledust's contraptions and hits Andir perfectly in the neck. His eyes grow even larger in surprise, and he reaches up to pull the dart out, but not before it hisses and injects a glowing green fluid. Plucking the dart free, he stares dumbfounded at it and feels at his neck where the instrument struck. But he is only further confused as there do not (yet) appear to be any other ill effects. The third member of the goblin trio by Jaqi thinks better of direct engagement. Nimbly squirming out of her reach, he retreats to the front of Rookledust's workshop to join the other goblins there. He abandons his sword in favor of a shortbow and attempts to fire back at Jaqi as he backpedals. But his fingers are shaking too badly and the arrow literally falls from his bowstring to land at his own feet. Meanwhile, Kora skirts around the back of the building completely unseen by all. When she reaches the other back corner, she spies a goblin wrestling with one of Rookeldust's bizarre contraptions. In the chaos, this one does not yet appear aware that the Heroes of Vogler have arrived on the scene. And finally, from their spots in the underbrush, Heather and Bastion continue to pepper the goblins with arrows. Heather marks a new target and skewers him in one shot. The goblin falls backward, the arrow lodged solidly in its chest, having pierced its heart. Bastion does not fare as well, his own arrow just missing as the goblins scramble in the aftermath of their leader's demise. Having just now recovered their wits, the hobgoblin's entourage turns their own bows in the direction of Bastion and Heather. One fires at Bastion, nicking him in the shoulder, despite the squire's attempts to conceal himself in the undergrowth. The others take the easier target of Heather, though only one manages to find the mark. After taking their shots, all three goblins then imitate Bastion and dive into the bushes themselves. OOC Heather kills another goblin. Jonas, Jaqi, and Andir jointly kill 2 more. Goblin 1 has 1 HP. Andir takes 1 damage from Rookledust's defenses. Bastion takes 3 damage and Heather takes 4 from goblin arrows. Goblin 1 disengages from Jaqi with a bonus action. Goblins 2, 3, and 8 are still engaged with the workshop defenses. Goblins 6, 9, and 10 use bonus actions to hide. Attacks against them have disadvantage unless your Perception roll beats 14 (or 22 for one of them). You guys are all up in any order. Map updated:

HP: 30/30 AC: 14 Init: +3 PP: 13 Speed: 30 Ammo: 6/6 Action Surge: 1/1 Second Wind: 1/1 Fighting Spirit: 3/3 Condition: Normal Features Class Features: Action SurgeStarting at 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond your normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take one additional action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn., Second WindYou have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again., Fighting Style - ArcheryYou gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons., Fighting SpiritStarting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on all weapon attack rolls until the end of the current turn. When you do so, you also gain 5 temporary hit points. The number of hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 at 10th level and 15 at 15th level. You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. Tools: Thieves' Tools, Playing Cards Languages: Common, Paridon Creole Weapons & Armors: All Weapons, All Armors, Shields Feats: GunnerYou have a quick hand and keen eye when employing firearms, granting you the following benefits: Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. You gain proficiency with firearms (see “Firearms” in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). You ignore the loading property of firearms. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls. Racial & Background: Ear to the GroundYou are in frequent contact with people in the segment of society that your chosen quarries move through. These people might be associated with the criminal underworld, the rough-and-tumble folk of the streets, or members of high society. This connection comes in the form of a contact in any city you visit, a person who provides information about the people and places of the local area. IC "Sit tight, Doru," Joliet says as she climbs to her feet. "Need to confer with some folks." She then cocks her head back towards the others, inviting Tamu to step away from the captive and out of earshot with her. She listens to the discussion going on between Ismark and Ireena, but her furrowed brow betrays her lack of understanding. Politics, whether small town or big city, are beyond her ken and frankly beyond her desire to know. As far as she's concerned, the problem is simple. There's a monster here, and it needs dealing with. "Right, I'll leave the administratin' of this here burg to the lot of you. But as for Doru, we need to decide if there's opportunity to be had, yeah? If he and this Strahd are similar beasties, do we test this one to learn what makes the other tick? Are there stories of weaknesses or other failings we might confirm on the pup, to make our huntin' of the big dog all the easier? Or do we just put this dog down before it can bite anyone in our absence? Happy to do the doin' if nobody else has a taste for it," she offers, with a spin of her strange weapon's cylinder for effect. OOC Move: n/a Action: n/a AoO: n/a Action Surge: n/a Bonus Action: n/a Reaction: n/a

HP: 41/41 AC: 16 Init: +3 PP: 15 Speed: 45 Ki: 4/4 Condition: Normal Features Class Features: Unarmored DefenseBeginning at 1st Level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a Shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier., Martial ArtsAt 1st Level, your practice of Martial Arts gives you mastery of Combat styles that use Unarmed strikes and monk Weapons, which are shortswords and any simple melee Weapons that don't have the Two-Handed or heavy property. You gain the following benefits while you are Unarmed or wielding only monk Weapons and you aren't wearing armor or wielding a Shield. • You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the Attack and Damage Rolls of your Unarmed strikes and monk Weapons. • You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your Unarmed strike or monk weapon. This die changes as you gain monk levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Monk table. • When you use the Attack Action with an Unarmed strike or a monk weapon on Your Turn, you can make one Unarmed strike as a bonus Action. For example, if you take the Attack Action and Attack with a Quarterstaff, you can also make an Unarmed strike as a bonus Action, assuming you haven't already taken a bonus Action this turn., KiStarting at 2nd Level, your Training allows you to harness The Mystic energy of ki. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of ki points. Your monk level determines the number of points you have, as shown in the Ki Points column of the Monk table. You can spend these points to fuel various ki features. You start knowing three such features: Flurry of Blows, Patient Defense, and Step of the Wind. You learn more ki features as you gain levels in this class. When you spend a ki point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or Long Rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended ki back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your ki points. Some of your ki features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's Effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Ki save DC = 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier., Unarmored MovementStarting at 2nd Level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a Shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table. At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on Your Turn without Falling during the move., Touch of DeathStarting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your study of death allows you to extract vitality from another creature as it nears its demise. When you reduce a creature within 5 feet of you to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier + your monk level (minimum of 1 temporary hit point)., Slow FallBeginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level. Tools: Alchemist's Supplies Languages: Common, Sign Language, Alzhedo, Chultan Weapons & Armors: Simple Weapons, Shortswords Feats: none Racial & Background: Deathless NatureYou don't need to breathe., Spider ClimbYou have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, at 3rd level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free., Vampiric BiteYour fanged bite is a natural weapon, which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient. You add your Constitution modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with this bite. It deals 1d4 piercing damage on a hit. While you are missing half or more of your hit points, you have advantage on attack rolls you make with this bite. When you attack with this bite and hit a creature that isn't a Construct or an Undead, you can empower yourself in one of the following ways of your choice: You regain hit points equal to the piercing damage dealt by the bite. You gain a bonus to the next ability check or attack roll you make; the bonus equals the piercing damage dealt by the bite You can empower yourself with this bite a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest., Shelter of the FaithfulAs an acolyte, you command the respect of those who share your faith, and you can perform the religious ceremonies of your deity. You and your adventuring companions can expect to receive free healing and care at a temple, shrine, or other established presence of your faith, though you must provide any material components needed for spells. Those who share your religion will support you (but only you) at a modest lifestyle. You might also have ties to a specific temple dedicated to your chosen deity or pantheon, and you have a residence there. This could be the temple where you used to serve, if you remain on good terms with it, or a temple where you have found a new home. While near your temple, you can call upon the priests for assistance, provided the assistance you ask for is not hazardous and you remain in good standing with your temple. IC Day 21 When it comes time for Cora and Beacon to depart, Najya does not make an emotional goodbye, but she is feeling something. Since the start of this journey, these two were under her protection. But now she must leave them to their fates in order to continue safeguarding Mariposa, Story, Cyrienne, and Eku. She can't help but feel a failing in herself, that she is not somehow able to split herself in two and protect both groups. Instead, Najya settles for inspecting their canoes for obvious defects and securing the cargo, living and unliving alike. She sees them off with a simple sign: As soon as they are gone, Najya puts them out of her mind by necessity. Her responsibility is now the others. And so she devotes her full vigilance to this reformed group, along with its three new members. When it comes time to make camp, she assists in her customary fashion and does what she can to help gather provisions from the bounty of the jungle. Despite not being as seasoned a hunter as some of the others, her natural stealth allows her to sneak up on a wild boar and subdue it before it even knows what's hit it. Day 23 The previous day passed without concern. Najya had little interest in the mystery of the diggers. The causes of death was all that mattered to her, and that much was obvious. She knew what to be on watch for, but thankfully this foe did not make itself known to them. The next day, however, forces them to again contend with Najya's nemesis. Rain. Najya sheds her robes after they become completely waterlogged, though she keeps her hood and cowl to intercept heavy drops from falling directly on her head. She is no less miserable. It is not until the pterafolk attack that she finds welcome distraction from the dampness. She propels herself effortlessly up the nearest tree and leaps out into open air to strike at one of the descending creatures. They become a tangle in midair, as first she strikes with her staff and lodges it between the thing's beating wings. As they plummet together, Najya knees it twice in rapid succession, before them twisting about to place the creature between herself and the ground. With one final strike of her staff, she thrusts it toward a bone-crunching demise against the hard ground, while she herself seems to almost float to a far softer landing on hands and one knee. After the others have been dispatched or run off, the monk regards the two strangers who brought the pterafolk down upon them. She is particularly curious about the scaled one, who, like her, does not seem capable of speech. She observes them both, in her silence, studying their body language as others study their words. But the human betrays nothing to her, and the saurian is far too alien to read. Day 24 But the one called Dragonbait seems equally curious about Najya and her language without words. It takes the intervention of Artus to make her understand, but once Najya realizes the saurian wishes to learn, she is an eager teacher. If not for Nadeem risking everything to share the hand signs of the Most Solemn Order of the Silent Shroud, she would still be cut off from the rest of the world. These connections she's made with the others would have never been possible. And so she wishes to pay that kindness forward, in hopes Dragonbait will find the same sorts of connections possible. She walks with the saurian whenever she is not needed to scout ahead or from above. They begin simply, but the beginning is the hardest part, and they both struggle. She remembers being in Dragonbait's place and feeling the same frustrations. She hopes they will have more time to get past these initial obstacles. Of course, when the undead appear, she casts aside all thoughts of teaching and readies herself for battle. Her grip tightens on her staff and she prepares to launch herself out of the tree at her sworn enemies and their red-robed handlers. But an arresting hand on her shoulder from Story keeps her in check. She knows not why they would shy away from battle with this group, but she trusts the wisdom of the small furry one. Day 25 The next day, Najya continues her tutelage of Dragonbait as they make their way to the cliffs. But it goes no better. Dragonbait even seems to have forgotten some of what she thought he had committed to memory. They both feel the frustration, and Najya wonders if the saurian would rather quit. But she is committed to helping, if he still wants to learn. At the cliffs, Najya is able to find easy success. Climbing the sheer rock faces comes easily to her, and she does not quite understand why the others struggle. Still, she does what she can to assist them, carrying the rope ahead and securing it as best she can with hammer and spikes. Her first attempt is inadequate, and Eku pays a small price for it. As the line flies free, the woman tumbles back down and nearly lands on her head. After scrambling back down the cliff face to check on her, Najya signs an apology. She vows to be more diligent going forward, and for the remainder of the ascent she finds the most ancient cracks in the rock for securing her spikes and the rings through which the rope is strung. True to her vow, the ropes hold fast, and Najya is able to focus on assisting the others who need the lines to climb. OOC I lost some of the end of my post, but I'm too tired to rewrite it. What's left is good enough.