Chapter 02c-2: Shadow of War (Mery & Kalasääski)

Kamishiro_Rin · January 18

Date

On This Misham, the 25th Day of Brookgreen,
in the 351st Year After the Cataclysm
(Thursday, March 25, 351 AC)

★The 5th Day of the Campaign - About 7:30ish★

Walking away from Tatina Rookledust

(Mery & Kalasääski)

IC

The sun’s beginning to set, and Krynn’s three moons are starting to become visible—well, two of them are: the blood red moon and the white, but Nuitari isn’t!

Mery chats with Birb.

OOC

The map of the Kalaman region in Maps & Game Information illustrates this area.

Please move to this thread. I’m sorry, I still haven’t decided on what I want to do with this, but I’ve got a combat to run and the discussion was making it hard to piece together what the players were doing in the combat.

tbgg · January 19

Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon

Level 4 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard

“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions

Mery gives the osprey a small smile. Kai had said the bird was intelligent. Did that extend to communication? If Kalasääski was going to be an ally, that was the first need, although she'd also need to make sure the creature's talons weren't irritating Handsome's head. The horse didn't seem too bothered by the presence of an avian on his head, so she was inclined to leave things be for the time being. She tells the osprey, "I think we need to figure out how to communicate with each other." She then thinks for a minute. "I think a good start would be signals for 'yes', 'no', 'danger', 'follow', and 'stop'. 'Yes' and 'no' should be the easiest. So, one scree for 'yes' and two for 'no', both at ordinary volume? Then...how about three short screes for danger, a loud SCREE for 'follow', and a scree with a volume increase in the middle for 'stop,' like this: screEEee. Can you do that, Kalasääski? There are some dangerous sorts on these roads, and I need to get myself calmed down, so getting away from the road seems like the best way to find a spot that's going to be safe enough for a time. And I think I'm also going to need to get off of Handsome to settle myself." She thinks again, trying to recall things she's read about the natural world or has otherwise learned about surviving.

'Drats. I remember absolutely nothing.'

But that doesn't mean she's daunted. Looking at the bird, she asks them, "Kalasääski, can you lead me to a safe place?"

OOC

Action:

Bonus Action:

Reaction:

Movement:

Object Interaction:

Mount Action:

Mount Movement:

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shortbow (simple, ranged, ammunition, two-handed). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Dagger (light, ranged or melee). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 20/80 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Bardic Inspiration (4 per long rest, for 1d6)

As a bonus action, a creature (other than yourself) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

Cutting Words (requires use of bardic inspiration)

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Heat Metal

Until the spell ends (up to 1 minute), you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage (1d8 fire damage for each level the spell is cast at, minimum 2nd level) again.

Ammunition:

14 arrows in quiver, 0 arrow bundles in backpack.

Spellcasting:

Mery is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bard spells available for spontaneous casting:

Cantrips (3/3 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery, message
1st level (4/4 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds, unseen servant
2nd (3/3 slots): invisibility, heat metal, enhance ability

Class Features:

3/3 Bardic Inspiration, recovered after a long rest
Song of Rest (Use on any short rest - anyone who hears her performance and chooses to regain a hit die gains an extra 1d6 of HP.)
Jack of All Trades (add 1/2 proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.)
Bardic College = College of Lore. Gain expertise in 2 skills you already have proficiency in, and proficiency in 3 new skills. (Choosing Persuasion and Deception for Expertise, adding Nature, Stealth, and Religion for Proficiency.)

OOC

Since the Nature and Survival rolls from the original post can't be copied, I'll simply reference them here. I rolled a 5 for Nature and 6 for Survival.

Kamishiro_Rin · January 19

Date

On This Misham, the 25th Day of Brookgreen,
in the 351st Year After the Cataclysm
(Thursday, March 25, 351 AC)

★The 5th Day of the Campaign - About 8:30ish★

Walking away from Tatina Rookledust

(Mery & Kalasääski)

IC

In answer to your question, Kalasääski screes once and alights from your horse and flies into the twilit sky. As your eye follows his ascent he briefly disappears against the deepening purples and blues before he circles back and begins leading you in the darkness.

After a half-an-hour or so, along the winding path, you spot a campfire in the distance. Making your way there, you find a camp.

An old kender woman is sitting on a log. She’s warming her back with a campfire she’s built between her log and the vardo—what we, in the real world, would call a stereotypical Romani (Gypsy) wagon. It’s door is open and you can see various colorful ingredients in glass containers and an alchemy kit.

Somewhat separated from her wagon is another tent with a cooking fire. A couple other such tents are set up.

“Welcome,” she greets you with smile. “Have a seat by the fire!” She pats the place next to her. “Nightlund gets so cold and balmy at night. I’m glad that rain let up, earlier.”

Her eyes travel over Handsome and Kalasääski. “My, what a magnificent steed you ride,” she appraises. “And your bird—you must be a huntress of some calibre! Oh, but your clothes are damp and you must be so chilly. Come, join me by the fire. I was just about to put on a pot for some herbal tea. Won’t you keep an old woman company for a while whilst you dry off? Tell me, huntress, may I have your name? These nights get so boring and seem to drag on forever without good company.” She looks over her shoulder at the other tents in the rather spaced encampment. “We’ve long since stopped spending much time together—We can only hear how Marguerite’s cousin took that tumble in the brambles with Abigaëlle’s niece so many times, and how Chloé’s grandson fought off that Istaran bear—what a load of codswallop if you ask me! Oh, but tell me about yourself! From whence do you hail, my dear? Your fine clothes tell me you must come from a grand city of at least a swollen hundred or three! I can only imagine!”

The old woman seems to speak a mile a minute, just like a kender would, and you remember from your readings in the Grand Library, that the kender word for “thousand” is “swollen hundred”—well, it had been, perhaps when this old woman had been a wee lass. Kender, these days, are perfectly capable of saying “thousand” like the rest of the people! Maybe they held on to traditions in Goodlund? Well, at the very least, you could inform her, if you were so inclined, that the population of Palanthas numbers at least thirty-two “swollen hundreds”—though you suspect she might not believe you if she thinks that a few thousand is a “grand city”.

As she meets your eyes, though, her happy demeanor droops. “Oh, dearie, I can see it right in your eyes! Something terrible must have happened. Come, join me by the fire, warm yourself up, and tell old this old Granny, Mélanie Cochonjarret, all about it! Ooh, I’ve just finished making dinner, dearie! Won’t you join me? I always make too much and end up having to take it to the others—it gives me an excuse to chat! You don’t mind if I help myself, now, do you? I’ll scoop you out some, too!”

OOC

The map of the Kalaman region in Maps & Game Information illustrates this area.

And just in case anyone was wondering, our English word, “thousand” literally comes from Proto-Indo-European *tuh₂sont-, likely from *tuh₂sḱmto-, compounded from a prefix *tuh₂s- (“swollen”, from *tewh₂- “to swell”) and *ḱm̥tóm (“hundred”).

Edited January 19 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

tbgg · January 19

Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon

Level 4 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard

“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions

Mery is at first a little overwhelmed by the torrent of words flowing out of the old granny's mouth, but the recognition that she is a kender and the friendly tone make it clear that there is no immediate threat, although Mery does do her best to gauge whether there might be more going on than met the eye. And she does have to admit, she herself has often needed to spill out a torrent of words. There were situations where it was simply unavoidable. She decides to take the flood of words as a commonality between them.

With a friendly smile of her own, Mery says, "Greetings, Granny Mèlanie, it is quite a relief to find a safe place. My name is Mery Keryndon and I am a bard of Palanthas, not a huntress." She dismounts from Handsome and sets about finding something to tie the horse's reins to. "My horse is called Handsome and the bird here, Kalasääski, belongs to a traveling companion. I left the group I was traveling with under upsetting circumstances, and I think they were worried about me being on my own. They might have been right to be; the fact is, Kalasääski led me here." She looks at the osprey and points to the top of the old kender's wagon. "Go perch up there so we don't irritate Handsome's head unnecessarily with your talons, and thank you."

Accepting a serving of the delicious-smelling stew, Mery takes a seat and then says, "I most gratefully accept your hospitality and certainly won't deny you any portion of something you yourself have fixed, but before I get into why I was wandering around, I want to make sure you and your companions are aware of the lizard-like humanoids that have been roaming the lands of late and the threat they pose. Tell me, has your, umm, caravan(?) had any encounters with them?"

OOC

Action:

Bonus Action:

Reaction:

Movement:

Object Interaction:

Mount Action:

Mount Movement:

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shortbow (simple, ranged, ammunition, two-handed). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Dagger (light, ranged or melee). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 20/80 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Bardic Inspiration (4 per long rest, for 1d6)

As a bonus action, a creature (other than yourself) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

Cutting Words (requires use of bardic inspiration)

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Heat Metal

Until the spell ends (up to 1 minute), you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage (1d8 fire damage for each level the spell is cast at, minimum 2nd level) again.

Ammunition:

14 arrows in quiver, 0 arrow bundles in backpack.

Spellcasting:

Mery is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bard spells available for spontaneous casting:

Cantrips (3/3 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery, message
1st level (4/4 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds, unseen servant
2nd (3/3 slots): invisibility, heat metal, enhance ability

Class Features:

3/3 Bardic Inspiration, recovered after a long rest
Song of Rest (Use on any short rest - anyone who hears her performance and chooses to regain a hit die gains an extra 1d6 of HP.)
Jack of All Trades (add 1/2 proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.)
Bardic College = College of Lore. Gain expertise in 2 skills you already have proficiency in, and proficiency in 3 new skills. (Choosing Persuasion and Deception for Expertise, adding Nature, Stealth, and Religion for Proficiency.)

OOC

OOC comments, if I have them, go here.

Edited January 29 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

PhoenixSlayer · January 20

Kalasääski
Level 4 Beast of the Sky

AC: 15 (Natural Armor) | HP: 20/20 (4d6+4) | Speed: 10 ft., fly 60 ft.
Senses: passive Perception 14 (Darkvision 60 ft.)
Str:Save: +0
Athletics: +0 6 (-2) | Dex: 16 (+3) | Con:Save: +3 13 (+1) | Int: 8 (-1) | Wis: 14 (+2) | Cha: 11 (+0)
Languages: understands the languages Merituuli speaks

Earlier...

Kalasääski listens to Mery rather intently as she lays out a method of communication, their sharp yellow eyes clearly betraying an intelligence beyond that of a normal bird of prey. They work through each presented word one-by-one, expertly screeing as appropriate. When Mery asks to be led to a safe place, they answer with a call at normal volume, then one louder - "Yes, follow!" - before taking flight and leading Mery through the darkness.

At the Camp...

As Mery dismounts from Handsome, Kalasääski once more makes a perch for themselves atop the horse's head. They take Mery's cue to study the talkative kender elder, watching for any potential tells of ill intent.

When Mery mentions that they had led her here, Kalasääski puffs out their chest proudly, basking in the praise for a moment. Her request that they perch atop the wagon to not bother Handsome's head is met differently, however. The osprey opens their mouth in surprise, as if making a mock gasp, seemingly saying, "How could you even insinuate as such?" before somewhat begrudgingly hopping off from Handsome and perching atop the wagon, choosing a spot that allows a full view of the proceedings.

OOC

Action: —

Bonus Action: —

Movement: —

Reaction: —

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shred. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d4+5 slashing damage.

Other:

Flyby. The beast doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.

Primal Bond. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the beast makes.

Edited January 20 by PhoenixSlayer (see edit history)

Kamishiro_Rin · January 22

Date

On This Misham, the 25th Day of Brookgreen,
in the 351st Year After the Cataclysm
(Thursday, March 25, 351 AC)

★The 5th Day of the Campaign - About 8:30ish★

Walking away from Tatina Rookledust

(Mery & Kalasääski)

IC

Mery’s impressions of her are that of an old kender woman who is lonely and very happy to have a new face to talk to. Kalasaaski gets the same impression.

“Well, Dearie,” the old kender woman says, “I don’t know how /safe/ this camp is—it’s not exactly fortified, and I didn’t even see you coming until your horse seemed to appear from nowhere out of the darkness!”

“Handsome, you say, dearie?” she says when you identify your horse. “My, what a fitting name for such a handsome horse!” She scooches over to make room as you sit. “I’m so sorry you parted ways with your companions. They must have been dreadful to you dear.”

“Lizard-like humanoids? You mean like the lizardmen that inhabit the myriad swamps here in Knightlund? A few years ago, we had some run-ins with them . . . the others and I, we just decided it was easier to pack out tents and vardoes and find a new area. Pesky buggers.”

She pauses, takes a few bites, savors the flavor, and continues. “But let me tell you. I put the right fear of the gods into them! See, they have no morals—pure instinct: hunger, lust, sleep. They’re intelligent . . . somewhat . . . but they don’t really have any sense of morality. But fear. Fear they understand. One such persistent lizard bugger and his raiding party—I had it up to hear with them attacking our camp.”

“Tell me, dearie,” she asks you suddenly, “Have you ever heard of the stone of the untreated? It takes a blood sacrifice and the right ritual, so my sisters had to keep it and its war-band occupied while I performed the ritual.”

In front of you, she is now suddenly holding a relatively large beautifully cut ruby. Marring its top are scratched an arcane sigil.

“This is the stone’s sister,” she explains. “I performed the ritual and placed the curse.” She holds up her scarred wrists to show how she provided the blood to fuel the sacrifice. “Its sister is another diamond worth 1,000 gold pieces at least! With the last word of the incantation spoken, it embedded itself into his forehead—a sign for all to see. No healer can tend his or his warriors’ wounds. No physician can treat their their ailments. No apothecary can provide them potions, balms, salves, ointments, or pills. They are the untreated, and shall remain that way. As each of them dies, a little of their untreated blood finds its way into this diamond, here.” She drops the precious stone—a diamond, not a ruby as it had appeared—into a glass container you didn’t know she pulled it from. “When the last of them dies, it will melt into one of the rarest and strongest potions ingredient you could ever hope to obtain. Looks like it might be nearly done . . .”

“I bet it seems cruel,” she says, “but their raiding wouldn’t stop, so we stopped them. And we told them how they could earn forgiveness, but their pride wouldn’t let them. Alas, it was a simple bargain: earn our forgiveness, and we’ll destroy the stone, freeing you from the curse. Heh heh heh . . . no a single one has come back—well, at least the raiding stopped.”

“So,” she said suddenly, changing tack, “Tell me about these dastards that would drive you away, dearie. If you’d like I could teach you how to do the ritual for the stone.”

OOC

The map of the Kalaman region in Maps & Game Information illustrates this area.

Idea for the curse taken from “Basilisk-born” by Ebenbild.

Edited January 22 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

tbgg · January 22

Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon

Level 4 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard

“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions

Mery chuckles at Kalasääski's antics. She tells the osprey, "I feel grateful that we have your talons when you swoop down from the sky and do one of those raking attacks. That shows that you are tough and not to be taken lightly. Poor Handsome's head is just flesh and blood. If we stay together for any length of time, I'm wondering if it would be possible to get a stick of the right diameter to make a comfortable perch for you and use a leather strap to lash it to the pommel of my saddle. It might need a brace or two to be sure the stick can hold your weight, too. But we can cross that bridge later on if we need to."

After Granny Mélanie's story about lizard people from the swamps, Mery replies, "Oh no, the lizard-like humanoids I speak of are not swamp-dwellers. They are called draconians. We just found out that they are corrupted good dragons. The thing is, Granny Mélanie, the old gods are returning to Krynn, and Takhisis is responsible for corrupting these good dragons—one of the draconians just told us so. She has raised them up to be part of her armies. My traveling companions and I believe Takhisis wants to take over all of Ansalon if not our entire world, and she has an army full of these draconians in Solamnia right now that is trying to take over this country. Like your swamp-dwelling lizardmen, they try to take whatever they want whether it's rightfully theirs or not. And when you kill these draconians, they always do something potentially deadly, like release gas that momentarily petrifies you or explode and send bone shrapnel all over the place."

She pauses for a few moments, taking a bite of her stew. "In cities, Takhisis' armies—the Red Dragon Army in the case of the one invading Solamnia—will round up those who can fight and force them to serve the army. They also seek people whose loyalty they can buy with money. I can see your stone being quite useful in a fight against the forces of Takhisis."

She then gives a troubled sigh. "The situation with my traveling companions was more akin to an ordinary argument where there were mistakes on both sides but no real malice. They also bumbled into something that's extra painful for me, but again, I believe it to have been done without malice. I just got emotionally overloaded and need to calm down, and I'm a lone woman traveling with four men and a female Gully Dwarf who thinks much more like a man than a woman. It's less that I think they're dastardly and more that they aren't the best at dealing with someone who's upset. I also have a troubled past. I'm on a journey in my life to heal from the harm that was done to me, and I've made some progress, but without a feminine woman around who I can lean on when I'm upset, it's...kind of challenging."

She then gnaws on her lower lip, thinking about the old granny's offer. "If I agreed to let you teach me your ritual, what would you require as payment? Is there something I can do that you might want in trade?"

OOC

Action:

Bonus Action:

Reaction:

Movement:

Object Interaction:

Mount Action:

Mount Movement:

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shortbow (simple, ranged, ammunition, two-handed). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Dagger (light, ranged or melee). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 20/80 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Bardic Inspiration (4 per long rest, for 1d6)

As a bonus action, a creature (other than yourself) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

Cutting Words (requires use of bardic inspiration)

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Heat Metal

Until the spell ends (up to 1 minute), you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage (1d8 fire damage for each level the spell is cast at, minimum 2nd level) again.

Ammunition:

14 arrows in quiver, 0 arrow bundles in backpack.

Spellcasting:

Mery is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bard spells available for spontaneous casting:

Cantrips (3/3 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery, message
1st level (4/4 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds, unseen servant
2nd (3/3 slots): invisibility, heat metal, enhance ability

Class Features:

3/3 Bardic Inspiration, recovered after a long rest
Song of Rest (Use on any short rest - anyone who hears her performance and chooses to regain a hit die gains an extra 1d6 of HP.)
Jack of All Trades (add 1/2 proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.)
Bardic College = College of Lore. Gain expertise in 2 skills you already have proficiency in, and proficiency in 3 new skills. (Choosing Persuasion and Deception for Expertise, adding Nature, Stealth, and Religion for Proficiency.)

OOC

OOC comments, if I have them, go here.

Edited January 29 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

PhoenixSlayer · January 23

Kalasääski
Level 4 Beast of the Sky

AC: 15 (Natural Armor) | HP: 20/20 (4d6+4) | Speed: 10 ft., fly 60 ft.
Senses: passive Perception 14 (Darkvision 60 ft.)
Str:Save: +0
Athletics: +0 6 (-2) | Dex: 16 (+3) | Con:Save: +3 13 (+1) | Int: 8 (-1) | Wis: 14 (+2) | Cha: 11 (+0)
Languages: understands the languages Merituuli speaks

Mery's offer of a makeshift perch seemingly excites Kalasääski, who answers with a flick of his tail feathers and a single scree - "Yes!"

However, as Granny Mélanie shares her experiences with the lizardmen of the area, and speaks at length about the ritual she had carried out, Kalasääski's body language becomes more and more concerned, shrinking down a bit on their perch. Their eyes dart between the blood-stained diamond, to Mélanie, to Mery, back and forth at worrying speed. As Mery offers payment for learning the ritual, Kalasääski gives out a soft, rather unsure series of three short screes - "Danger?"

OOC

Action: —

Bonus Action: —

Movement: —

Reaction: —

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shred. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d4+5 slashing damage.

Other:

Flyby. The beast doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.

Primal Bond. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the beast makes.

tbgg · January 23

Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon

Level 4 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard

“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions

Mery glances up at Kalasääski's scree. "I don't know," she tells the osprey. "That's what I'm trying to find out. I've got one or two more questions, too, before I agree to anything. I just need to start with the cost. If it's more than I can afford or feel up to tackling, then my other questions won't be necessary."

OOC

Action:

Bonus Action:

Reaction:

Movement:

Object Interaction:

Mount Action:

Mount Movement:

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shortbow (simple, ranged, ammunition, two-handed). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Dagger (light, ranged or melee). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 20/80 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Bardic Inspiration (4 per long rest, for 1d6)

As a bonus action, a creature (other than yourself) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

Cutting Words (requires use of bardic inspiration)

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Heat Metal

Until the spell ends (up to 1 minute), you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage (1d8 fire damage for each level the spell is cast at, minimum 2nd level) again.

Ammunition:

14 arrows in quiver, 0 arrow bundles in backpack.

Spellcasting:

Mery is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bard spells available for spontaneous casting:

Cantrips (3/3 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery, message
1st level (4/4 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds, unseen servant
2nd (3/3 slots): invisibility, heat metal, enhance ability

Class Features:

3/3 Bardic Inspiration, recovered after a long rest
Song of Rest (Use on any short rest - anyone who hears her performance and chooses to regain a hit die gains an extra 1d6 of HP.)
Jack of All Trades (add 1/2 proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.)
Bardic College = College of Lore. Gain expertise in 2 skills you already have proficiency in, and proficiency in 3 new skills. (Choosing Persuasion and Deception for Expertise, adding Nature, Stealth, and Religion for Proficiency.)

OOC

OOC comments, if I have them, go here.

Edited January 29 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

Kamishiro_Rin · January 29

Date

On This Misham, the 25th Day of Brookgreen,
in the 351st Year After the Cataclysm
(Thursday, March 25, 351 AC)

★The 5th Day of the Campaign - About 8:30ish★

Walking away from Tatina Rookledust

(Mery & Kalasääski)

IC

Whatever the old woman’s reply was going to be was interrupted as two more women appeared. “Granny Mélanie?” the younger one says, “I thought I spotted a guest! And she’s ridden in on such a mighty steed!”

The older of the women has an osprey, just like Kalasääski perched on her shoulder. In her gravelly voice, she seems to grunt out, “And a lovely familiar, just like Balbuzard, here.”

Both of them have large, beak-like noses, beady eyes, and somewhat dis-proportioned limbs. They are, at least, human—you can guess.

The osprey alights from her shoulder and perches near to Kalasääski. It’s head and neck feathers puff up as it bows its head, inviting Merituuli’s familiar to preen it—with the promise of a favor returned, of course.

“Mélanie, were you offering to teach the young maiden how to perform the curse of the untreated?” the elder woman asks Granny Mélanie. “I hope you showed her your wrists—those scars don’t go away, you know . . .”

“She’s interested,” Granny Mélanie countered, “So who am I to dissuade her? At this point, we’re negotiating price.”

The elder woman rolls her eyes and turns to you, “May I have your name, maiden?”

“The name she gave was Keryndon,” Granny Mélanie, supplied.

The elder woman clucked her tongue at Granny Mélanie and turned back to Mery, “May I have your first name, then, Ms. Keryndon? Oh my, but you’re filthy from all that riding, let me get that for you. Péh₂wr̥h₂éǵeti,” she incanted, waving her fingers in a sweeping motion, as if it were a broom, brushing away dust.

Suddenly, Mery is engulfed in ethereal flames, yet feels no pain, not even a tingle as all the mud and dirt from the road caked on her seems to flash away in the flames, along with the sweat and oils of not having bathed in quite a while. A DC 11 Arcana check will reveal that . . .. . . she cast prestidigitation on you . . . but you’ve never seen it seemingly ‘up-cast’ like that! Mery’s literally never been cleaner in her life.

“There, that probably feels much nicer! Now, about the curse of the untreated . . .” she continues. “The true cruelty of it is that any who comply with even the simplest of orders from the cursed one are then counted amongst the cursed—it spreads, worming its way through the population until they’re all dead. You don’t think that the one she cursed is still walking around, to this day, do you?”

“She hasn’t even heard my price, yet, Auntie Dentdever!!” Granny Mélanie complains.

“Ugh! Fine!” the elderly woman, Auntie Dentdever cackles. “Go on, then!”

“Now, as for the price, you simply need to let Auntie Dentdever leave the camp, and you can have her vardo—I bet she’ll even let you have her little golem, there, to take care of your every need! Don’t worry, another will join us and I’ll leave, and another and another, and eventually, you’ll be the senior most girlie here and you’ll be able to leave, too!”

“Just be sure to give me your name,” Aunti Dentdever added, a little eagerly. “After all, I’m going to need it when I leave. I’ll take good care of—what did you name him? Handsome? Yes. I’ll take very good care of Handsome!”

OOC

The map of the Kalaman region in Maps & Game Information illustrates this area.

Edited January 29 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

tbgg · January 29

Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon

Level 4 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard

“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions

Mery quickly casts her Invisibility spell and stands up, setting her bowl of stew where she was sitting. She moves ten feet away from the women but stays within speaking range, the back of her mind pondering the spell that was used to clean her up. With each sentence she speaks, she moves again but remains where she can keep conversing with them. For now.

"Scars do not bother me because I already bear scars." She then adds softly, "They are just the sort you cannot see with the eye."

She then begins speaking in her most persuasive manner. "I cannot afford to stay here until it is my turn to leave, but I am not unsympathetic to your plight. If you have been stuck here for many years, I don't think I can even imagine how eager you must be to leave. Accordingly, I'd like to make a counterproposal: You tell me everything you know about the curse or whatever it is that forces you to stay here until someone is willing to trade with you and I will do my best to end it. If I succeed and you all prove able to leave, only then do you teach me your ritual. What say you to that?" For good measure, she moves again.

She then speaks to Kalasääski in Elvish, hoping that because Kai knows Elvish, so will his osprey.

Mery's Elvish to Kalasääski

"For this next question I'm going to ask, please check Granny Mélanie for signs of lying, for I need to know if she answers truly. I'll try as well, but I suspect you're more likely to pick up on that."

"Granny Mélanie, I do have a question for you. When you said earlier that you told the swamp-dwelling lizardmen that you could end the curse of the untreated if they earned your forgiveness, do you truly have the ability to do that?"

OOC

Action:

Bonus Action:

Reaction:

Movement:

Object Interaction:

Mount Action:

Mount Movement:

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shortbow (simple, ranged, ammunition, two-handed). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Dagger (light, ranged or melee). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 20/80 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Bardic Inspiration (4 per long rest, for 1d6)

As a bonus action, a creature (other than yourself) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

Cutting Words (requires use of bardic inspiration)

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Heat Metal

Until the spell ends (up to 1 minute), you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage (1d8 fire damage for each level the spell is cast at, minimum 2nd level) again.

Ammunition:

14 arrows in quiver, 0 arrow bundles in backpack.

Spellcasting:

Mery is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bard spells available for spontaneous casting:

Cantrips (3/3 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery, message
1st level (4/4 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds, unseen servant
2nd (3/3 slots): invisibility, heat metal, enhance ability

Class Features:

3/3 Bardic Inspiration, recovered after a long rest
Song of Rest (Use on any short rest - anyone who hears her performance and chooses to regain a hit die gains an extra 1d6 of HP.)
Jack of All Trades (add 1/2 proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.)
Bardic College = College of Lore. Gain expertise in 2 skills you already have proficiency in, and proficiency in 3 new skills. (Choosing Persuasion and Deception for Expertise, adding Nature, Stealth, and Religion for Proficiency.)

OOC

OOC comments, if I have them, go here.

Edited January 29 by tbgg (see edit history)

Kamishiro_Rin · January 30

Date

On This Misham, the 25th Day of Brookgreen,
in the 351st Year After the Cataclysm
(Thursday, March 25, 351 AC)

★The 5th Day of the Campaign - About 8:30ish★

Walking away from Tatina Rookledust

(Mery & Kalasääski)

IC

When Mery turns invisible and jumps away, the old ladies hiss. When she looks up to speak to Kalasääski, what she finds instead is Bulbazard holding a half-eaten dead bird in its sharp talons, pecking away at its bloody flesh.

“She’s not accepting the deal!” ‘Auntie Dentdever’ screeches angrily.

When she looks back at what were the old ladies, she instead sees three horrific monstrous hags. The youngest of them takes out a staff with a human eyeball mounted atop it. The eye swivels around until it locks onto Mery. “Ah! There you are, girl!” the youngest of the three hags says, grinning.

‘Granny Mélanie’ pinches some talc and powdered silver from a spell component pouch, spreads it around her hand and holds it up to her eye, like a scope. She shouts, “H₁énweyddʰliem sékʷeh₂!” and turns to look right at Mery.

“H₃migʰstos stóbʰos,” ‘Auntie Dentdever’ says, disappearing, and appearing right behind you. She places withered, bony hand on your shoulder, in a mocking gesture of comfort. “Don’t you want to give me your name? Won’t you let me go free? I’ve been here so long . . . so . . . very . . . long!”

“Yes!” ‘Granny Mélanie’ punctuates Dentdever’s plea. “Besides, what do you care if it can be forgiven or not? Does it even matter? Just give Aunti Dentdever your name, and stay in the coven with us! We can teach you all manner of magics those insolent, new-fangled upstarts over in Istar want to try to found—the Robes of the Moon, or some-such silliness! We could teach you true magic! Just. Give. Us. Your. Name. And. Stay! Don’t be an ungrateful brat and deny poor Auntie Dentdever’s chance at freedom!”

Handsome is snorting and stomping restlessly.

OOC

The map of the Kalaman region in Maps & Game Information illustrates this area.

Mélanie: French form of Melanie. From . . . the Latin name Melania, derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning “black, dark”.

“Cochonjarret”—Lit. “Pig knuckle” in French.

“Dentdever”—Lit. “Worm tooth” in French.

I got the idea for this particular “price” from a Japanese “Twilight Zone”-like T.V. show I once saw—and cannot find now! ARGH!—wherein a delivery man rides his bike along a road and spots a barber shop, he decides to go in for a shave and a haircut. When he finishes, all the barbers congratulate their senior-most member on his retirement and say goodbye to him. The barber hangs up his apron and leaves. The customer comments on how young the man looks, and wonders just why he’s retiring!

When the customer tries to leave, he discovers that there’s nothing outside; there’s no place for him to leave /to/.

The other barbers explain that he’s now trapped and must become a barber. Of course he’s always rebellious and trying to leave or not do work, but eventually they get to training him—sweeping the floors, then cleaning, then teaching him to cut hair, etc. Each time a new customer comes in, the senior-most member gets to ‘retire’.

Eventually, after becoming the senior-most (there are several dozen men there!), it’s finally his turn. They congratulate him on his retirement, much to the confusion of a very bewildered customer, wondering why a man so young-looking is retiring, and he leaves. There, at the end of the walk, is his bicycle, which he’d seemingly left there, no more than 20 minutes ago. At the end of the show, he rides away, but after only a moment, he rides, desperate to get back into the barbershop again, as he’s unable to give up his routine, now. The mysterious barbershop is not there, only a hedgerow.

The verbal components for their spells are in Proto-Indo-European, the 5,000–7,000-year-old great-great-great-grandmother of English, as well as two-thirds of the languages spoken on the planet, today. I use it—as well as mention the ‘new-fangled upstarts’, ‘the moon robes’—to illustrate that they predate the founding of the Mages of High Sorcery, and even Istar, itself.

Note: They are not attacking, so there’s no initiative order, right now, nor strict adherance to action economy at the moment—which applies to Mery, too: i.e., she can do multiple things, unless she does attack, in which case, roll initiative.

Note 2: Kalasääski has not actually been there with you for quite some time. They replaced him in the first real post I made in this thread, specifically, in the line: “As your eye follows his ascent he briefly disappears against the deepening purples and blues before he circles back and begins leading you in the darkness.”

Note 3: And yes, your insight tells you that they’re lying. No, it can’t be ‘forgiven’, nor retracted. In fact, without rolling, I’ll throw in a freebie for you. Mery suddenly recalls in her historical readings, a very strange tale of no less than five lizard-folk tribes—cumulatively consisting of tens of thousands of members—that claimed they couldn’t be healed by even the gods, and all went extinct, when the very last of them died before it could move into another tribe and infect them with its ‘curse’. The tale was considered a nonsense bedtime story meant to scare children into behaving—or something of the like—passed down from time immemorial, whose source is completely forgotten.

Edited January 30 by Kamishiro_Rin (see edit history)

tbgg · January 30

Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon

Level 4 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard

“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions

When the old women reveal their true nature, Mery neither hesitates nor replies, although her heart pounds loudly in her chest. 'Hah! I've lived with evil. I didn't survive that without learning a few things. Like some battles aren't worth fighting.' She runs to Handsome, unties him, then quickly mounts him and urges him into a gallop. Handsome, for his part, seems to recognize Mery's voice and weight even if he can't see her and is eager to get away from the gypsy wagons.

"I just want a safe place for the two of us for a little bit so I can think. Is that really too much to ask?" she mutters after a gallop of a few minutes, holding a hand up and noting that despite being invisible, she can feel that it's still trembling. 'Well, there's no point in trying to find the others until the shaking is nearly gone.'

Piecing together bits and pieces from what she's read, Mery finally decides that what she needs is a spot that is far enough away from the road that her voice won't carry and out of sight of the road, but still somewhat close to it. She finds the road again, then works her way away from that, finally stopping at a spot in a ravine below a rocky outcropping. As she dismounts, she tells Handsome, "I suppose we could be cornered here, but at least nothing can sneak up behind us."

She then wraps her arms around the horse's neck and stands there for a good three minutes, unable to stop shaking and breathing deeply. "Thanks, Handsome. You have no idea how much it helps to have an ally who won't judge me for where I am right now. It's normal for me under circumstances like this, but I don't think I could explain it to another person even if my life depended on it." She yawns, suddenly aware of feeling exhausted, and stops concentrating on her Invisibility spell. I have some things to figure out for moving forward, but I think I need a short nap first." She takes a hobble out of her saddlebag and puts it on Handsome so he can't wander off, then pulls out her bedroll and blanket from her backpack and settles down for a brief rest.

OOC

Action:

Bonus Action:

Reaction:

Movement:

Object Interaction:

Mount Action:

Mount Movement:

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shortbow (simple, ranged, ammunition, two-handed). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Dagger (light, ranged or melee). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 20/80 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Bardic Inspiration (4 per long rest, for 1d6)

As a bonus action, a creature (other than yourself) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

Cutting Words (requires use of bardic inspiration)

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Heat Metal

Until the spell ends (up to 1 minute), you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage (1d8 fire damage for each level the spell is cast at, minimum 2nd level) again.

Ammunition:

14 arrows in quiver, 0 arrow bundles in backpack.

Spellcasting:

Mery is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bard spells available for spontaneous casting:

Cantrips (3/3 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery, message
1st level (4/4 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds, unseen servant
2nd (3/3 slots): invisibility, heat metal, enhance ability

Class Features:

3/3 Bardic Inspiration, recovered after a long rest
Song of Rest (Use on any short rest - anyone who hears her performance and chooses to regain a hit die gains an extra 1d6 of HP.)
Jack of All Trades (add 1/2 proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.)
Bardic College = College of Lore. Gain expertise in 2 skills you already have proficiency in, and proficiency in 3 new skills. (Choosing Persuasion and Deception for Expertise, adding Nature, Stealth, and Religion for Proficiency.)

OOC

OOC comments, if I have them, go here.

Edited February 1 by tbgg (see edit history)

tbgg · February 1

Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon

Level 4 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard

“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions

Perhaps half an hour later, a nicker from Handsome awakens Mery and she sits up feeling at least somewhat refreshed and returns her bedroll to her backpack, then sits back down on her blanket. She tells her horse, "I've got things a part of me wants to tell them about what I've been through—there's this one story that does a pretty good job of summing my past up. And Janala said that the way to heal from past hurt is not to hide it, that every time we tell our story, a little part of our wound knits back together. She also said it takes courage to heal. And I do want to heal. But I'm equally just so scared..." She shivers. "I think it's fair to say that this is the scariest thing I've ever considered doing. I don't even know if they would recognize any kind of courage except the kind you bring to a battlefield. And even if they did, would they respond to me? I suppose I can understand that people worry about saying the wrong thing, and certainly part of doing the right thing is avoiding the wrong thing. But there are times when just avoiding the wrong thing isn't enough to make anything better. Avoiding the wrong thing never helps to build a bond between people."

Upon finding a twig in her hair, she quickly removes it, then takes her hair out of its bun, spends a few minutes finger-combing it into a semblance of order, and then recreates the bun. Without the aid of a mirror, however, Mery is pretty sure this is probably one of the messiest buns she's ever made.

"I could just give them some guidelines on how I want to be treated and to let them know one big thing isn't okay and explain a few things about Mery's upside-down wonky world. I suppose I'll need to do that anyway. But the story makes the whole thing so much easier to understand."

She then walks over and pets her horse for a few minutes. "So what do you think, big guy? Should I risk it?"

As if understanding the question, Handsome shows his teeth and shakes his head in a big horsey nod.

OOC

Action:

Bonus Action:

Reaction:

Movement:

Object Interaction:

Mount Action:

Mount Movement:

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shortbow (simple, ranged, ammunition, two-handed). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Dagger (light, ranged or melee). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 20/80 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Bardic Inspiration (4 per long rest, for 1d6)

As a bonus action, a creature (other than yourself) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

Cutting Words (requires use of bardic inspiration)

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Heat Metal

Until the spell ends (up to 1 minute), you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage (1d8 fire damage for each level the spell is cast at, minimum 2nd level) again.

Ammunition:

14 arrows in quiver, 0 arrow bundles in backpack.

Spellcasting:

Mery is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bard spells available for spontaneous casting:

Cantrips (3/3 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery, message
1st level (4/4 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds, unseen servant
2nd (3/3 slots): invisibility, heat metal, enhance ability

Class Features:

3/3 Bardic Inspiration, recovered after a long rest
Song of Rest (Use on any short rest - anyone who hears her performance and chooses to regain a hit die gains an extra 1d6 of HP.)
Jack of All Trades (add 1/2 proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.)
Bardic College = College of Lore. Gain expertise in 2 skills you already have proficiency in, and proficiency in 3 new skills. (Choosing Persuasion and Deception for Expertise, adding Nature, Stealth, and Religion for Proficiency.)

OOC

OOC comments, if I have them, go here.

Edited February 3 by tbgg (see edit history)

tbgg · February 12

Meryelle "Mery" Keryndon

Level 4 Half-Elf Sage College of Lore Bard

“My words,” | ‘My thoughts,’ | My actions

Mery chuckles at her horse. "Easy for you to say, hayburner. You're not the one facing the consequences if this doesn't go well!" Still, she kisses him on the nose, then proceeds to remove his saddle and saddle pad and give him a good grooming, putting the pad and saddle back on when she finishes and grunting with effort to tighten the cinch strap. She's thankful for the wear marks in the leather that show her where the cinch has been previously tightened to.

"Do you know what I haven't done? We've been so busy running around and doing stuff that I haven't written anything in my journal. I think this business with the Red Dragon Army has the potential for a book told from the first-person point-of-view, and I haven't made any notes at all. And I want to make some sketches, too, especially of those Draconians." 'But the sketches will have to wait until I can get some artist's tools, which means probably back in Kalaman. Hopefully I'll have enough money now, and hopefully the merchant will let me swap out the paints that normally come in those kits for an equivalent coinage value of charcoal.'

Returning to her blanket, she unpacks her backpack enough to get her chest out, then removes her ink and journal and begins to write, using the chest as a writing surface. Her ink pen makes a skritch-skritch-skritching sound as she starts writing about the summons to Ispin's funeral and their first encounter with the draconians and the three dead Knights of Solamnia.

OOC

Action:

Bonus Action:

Reaction:

Movement:

Object Interaction:

Mount Action:

Mount Movement:

Actions & Resources

Actions:

Shortbow (simple, ranged, ammunition, two-handed). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 80/320 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Dagger (light, ranged or melee). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, ranged 20/80 ft., one target.
Hit: (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Bonus Actions:

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Bardic Inspiration (4 per long rest, for 1d6)

As a bonus action, a creature (other than yourself) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll, but before knowing the outcome.

Cutting Words (requires use of bardic inspiration)

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s immune to being charmed.

Heat Metal

Until the spell ends (up to 1 minute), you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage (1d8 fire damage for each level the spell is cast at, minimum 2nd level) again.

Ammunition:

14 arrows in quiver, 0 arrow bundles in backpack.

Spellcasting:

Mery is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following bard spells available for spontaneous casting:

Cantrips (3/3 slots): prestidigitation, vicious mockery, message
1st level (4/4 slots): healing word, hideous laughter, cure wounds, unseen servant
2nd (3/3 slots): invisibility, heat metal, enhance ability

Class Features:

3/3 Bardic Inspiration, recovered after a long rest
Song of Rest (Use on any short rest - anyone who hears her performance and chooses to regain a hit die gains an extra 1d6 of HP.)
Jack of All Trades (add 1/2 proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn't already include your proficiency bonus.)
Bardic College = College of Lore. Gain expertise in 2 skills you already have proficiency in, and proficiency in 3 new skills. (Choosing Persuasion and Deception for Expertise, adding Nature, Stealth, and Religion for Proficiency.)

OOC

OOC comments, if I have them, go here.

Edited February 13 by tbgg (see edit history)

Text_1	Text_2	Text_3	Bold_1	Accent_1	Mood_1
Warm_1	Warm_2	Warm_3	Bold_2	Accent_2	Mood_2
Cool_1	Cool_2	Cool_3	Bold_3	Accent_3	Mood_3
Bright_1	Bright_2	Bright_3	Bold_4	Accent_4	Mood_4

Chapter 02c-2: Shadow of War (Mery & Kalasääski)

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