For the past several days you have been traveling a road that winds lazily across the rolling grasslands of the Greenfields. Sundown is approaching when you top a rise and see the town of Greenest just a few short miles away. But instead of the pleasant, welcoming town you expected, you see columns of black smoke rising from buildings, running figures that are little more than dots at this distance. and a dark, winged shape wheeling over the keep that rises above the center of the town. Greenest is being attacked by a dragon!
Evelynn had fallen to the back of the group as they approached that fateful rise, laughing and joking with her changeling companion, Nina. The silver-haired half-elf wore a short-hemmed blue dress with a pair of daggers on her hips and a clear crystal on a chain around her neck, and in her hand she held a clump of dirt from the side of the road. She and Nina had taken up a game of mimicry to pass the time. Most recently, she'd challenged the changeling with a dwarven woman, an orc, and some kind of bird-headed person, certain that the feathers and beak would prove a problem... and now she was looking for inspiration for her next piece of art.
"Let's see, let's see..." She muttered, looking around. Her eyes fell on the backs of the rest of their party, up ahead, and her face lit up with mischievous inspiration. "Aha! I've got one."
The half-elf closed her eyes for a moment, fixing the image of her target in her mind. She gestured towards the clump of dirt in her hand as she concentrated, and spoke a single Draconic word of command. "Change!"
At her demand, the dirt obediently reshaped itself into the likeness of a man. Long hair, pointed ears, an open vest revealing a muscular chest, an axe and a cutlass in hand - it was a crude likeness, Evelynn's control not being that fine, but it was unmistakably meant to be Zilear.
Evelynn opened her eyes, grinning cheekily, to see Nina's reaction (and whether she'd take up the challenge) - but a moment later, they crested the ridge of the rise. Dirt-Zilear fell from her hand, forgotten, as she caught sight of the chaos below.
"Merciful Selûne!" She cursed, eyes wide in shock. Was that a dragon overhead? What was it doing in the Greenfields?!
Her hand went to the crystal at her neck, and she spoke another word ("Protect!"), bringing up a shimmering energy shield around herself that faded from sight after a moment. Then she looked to the rest of the party. "We have to get down there and help!"
Evelynn is casting Mage Armour, bringing her AC up to 16 for 8 hours and leaving her with one good spell slot for the day.
Nina had, after Evelyn's last little challenge, returned to her default appearance. She stood at average height, perhaps a touch on the tall side, with short cut blonde hair. Her eyes were a bright green, and her frame was that of a lithe runner, full of lean muscle. She had paused for a moment-shocked at the sight of devastation ahead of them. But when Evelyn cast her spell and announced her desire to help, Nina shook her head to clear her thoughts.
"Yes," she said when at least slightly more composed. "Let's move!" She took point initially, rushing on ahead without taking the time to think if it was a good idea. Given the distance, though, she slowed long enough to talk to her companions. "Who can take a hit best?" Nina asked. "We need to be careful, and think things through." The idea that thinking things through might result in someone NOT helping Greenest did not even occur to Nina. "I'm tougher than I look, so I can go in first if we need me to."
AC 16 and 10 HP.
So I'm not SUPER fragile or anything, but I'm not exactly frontline perfection.
"You'll be staying behind me if you plan to keep your bawdy figure, lass." Zilear spoke with a stern glance over his muscular shoulder. His weapons were already out of their fastenings, having been pulled in roughly the same instant that Evelyn was casting her preparatory magics. In one hand, recently freed from the loose leather 'frog' holster which had kept it suspended from his waistband at a free dangle, was a cutlass. The blade was sharp and agile, yet it carried a slightly more pronounced curve than the typical sailor's weapon it most closely resembled. The blade had once belonged to an orcish member of the pirate crew who raised Zilear, and it carried its original owner's ancestral preference for a harsher curve to bladed weapons designed to accentuate the weight of a cut. Hanging open right beside the now empty holster was a simple leather strap, its inlayed clasp unfastened as it had relinquished the boarding axe which Zilear held in his left hand. His powerful fingers were wrapped squarely around the belly of the weapon, just below the bottom of the head, so that the axe blade itself was serving double-duty as both a weapon and a pommel guard protecting his hand.
"There's folk down there who need help this fucking second, not after we've had time to come up with a plan. If you don't know where in the fight you belong, than the front line isn't it. Stay behind, stay close, and let us who've tasted the blood of a pathetic, shriveling foe bear the incoming assault. But if you see a chance to do what you personally do best, make absolute certain you get it done, savvy?" With his final words, his expression softened slightly from stern and authoritative to cocksure and playful, even throwing in a wink to Nina over his shoulder before he returned his attention to the scene in front of him and broke into a run descending the hill directly towards the source of the nearest audible cries.
I've got AC and HP both at 14. Plus I take half damage from all the major sources of nonmagic damage while I'm raging. I think that makes me the best frontline tank in the party, though I can see an argument for Kenneth, who has the same HP, a higher AC, and can make the rest of us harder to hit by enemy attacks. Speaking of, were we using some kind of high power stat array? Kenneth's attributes are super high!
A city in flames and cries fills the air. The closest tent, which is open, is not aflame--yet--and inside is an elderly man with three small children. He is placing a blanket upon them, "Your parents will be back. Just stay here...safe..."
He grabs his bow and arrows and leaves the tent, ready to fight. The children stay under the blanket--which seem to make them disappear.
You do not need to roll for actions/investigation/initiative at this point.
Kenneth spent the entire journey talking up a storm. Making conversation with the other members of the caravan getting to know them. Or trying too, at least. He saw many times his eagerness wasn’t welcomed and forced himself silent. Only to start back up again. It’s a terrible habit of his.
The young man was too excited to see his hometown of Greenest, after so many years. His family moved to Baldur’s Gate for his father’s Paladin work. He followed in his footsteps as a humble guardsman. Completely dedicated to the safety of the lower city and it’s good people!
Through his father’s influence, he got the permission to investigate the cult activities said to be around here. What he thought could be a pleasant trip home turned horrific.
“Oh no!” He shouted before jumping from the carriage. Spear and shield out as he ran to town, so he can see what might be done to help.
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