[Game Thread] Interlude 6: The Fall of Pashin

[Elanir]

The Persecution Begins Klaudia Lorn Two knocks. Then one. Then three in short succession. Then one again, followed by silence. The half-ogre woman raised her head and exhaled in relief. She had been expecting her fellow agent, but she hadn’t known when exactly he would appear, which meant that she had stayed awake the whole night. To be honest, even if she hadn’t waited for the man, she wouldn’t have been able to sleep anyway, not after the recent events at the town’s main square. She just hoped that the brave young woman and her companion had safely escaped and were as far away from the Dark Knights as possible. Covering with a colorful tablecloth the powders, potions and alchemical ingredients strewn on her working bench, she rushed to the door and after retrieving a large key from one of several pockets sewn to her apron, she hastily unlocked it. A man stood before her, though it was hard to make out his features, for he was shrouded in deep shadow. The sky was still black, she noticed, both moons hidden behind dark clouds, though the man didn’t seem to be bothered by the lack of illumination. "Come inside, quickly!", the proprietress of Omar’s Oddities urged the strange man and after making sure that there was no one else in the dark alley, she shut the door and locked it behind her. "Are you Cross?" Picking up an oil lamp from a nearby shelf, she raised it high so that its light fell on the stranger’s face. The man was still young, probably in his early thirties, she saw, and his skin was far too fair for him to be a local, though the Khurish sun had seen to it that the man’s usual paleness had been replaced with a moderate tan. A native of Solamnia, the half-ogre assumed, or perhaps one of Lemish, Estwilde or Abanasinia. The man was taller than most people the half-ogre knew, though not as tall as she was, thanks to her father’s ogre blood, and had shoulder-length chestnut hair and striking green eyes that looked at her with undisguised caution. "I am Klaudia", the woman said, not offering her hand for him to shake and instead sketching something quickly on a small piece of paper. After a few moments, she presented the piece of paper to the stranger, gave him a few seconds to study it and then placed it over the small flame of the oil lamp. She made certain that nothing remained of her drawing before she proceeded to clean her hands from the soot and charcoal dust with a rag she carried stuffed inside her belt. Klaudia’s sketch "Jacob warned me that you would come. We have been ordered to leave Pashin and travel to Ak-Khurman to report and receive new instructions. I am to remain behind until all our people have fled the city." Seeing the man’s dark look, Klaudia sighed with exasperation. "Look, I like this just as much as you do. Fleeing before the Dark Knights and leaving the city and its populace at their mercy is the last thing I want to do. But Kenat Three-Lives knows what he’s doing. The Nerakese are searching for us like men and women possessed, just like they did with the elves, and no matter how careful we are, they are sure to locate us sooner or later. I hear that they are led by a powerful Skull Knight and Adjudicator of the Code. Dame Romira - cursed be her name! - is said to be able to discover a person’s deepest secrets, peeling off their memories layer by layer until nothing remains of that person." The half-ogre shuddered visibly and Rhylancer too had the impression that the temperature inside the room had suddenly dropped. "You serve neither the Legion nor the people of Pashin, if you are driven mad or publicly executed, Cross. On the contrary, you put all of us in danger." Giving him an encouraging smile, she placed her meaty, though surprisingly dexterous hand, on his shoulder. "Mark my words. We will return and drive the Knights of Neraka out of Khur. But for the time being, we need allies, people who care for the citizens of Pashin and are willing to fight on their behalf. If you do meet any such groups on your way to Ak-Khurman, be sure to recruit them to the Legion or at least secure their support. We will need all the help we can get to defeat the Dark Knights and you will need all the help I can give you to escape this city." Removing her hand from Rhylancer’s shoulder, Klaudia moved behind the counter of the shop. After rummaging a bit, she presented her fellow Legionnaire with a dagger and a small pouch. "You are going to like what I have in store for you", she said and winked, the grimace making her appear even uglier than she already was. Plain face, reddish-brown mud-like hair and greenish skin with several large moles, Klaudia’s blood was obviously more ogre than human. And yet, she was Kenat Three-Lives’ most capable and experienced agent in Pashin, perhaps because no proud Knight of Neraka would have ever entertained the thought that such an ugly, almost bestial woman could ever have the courage and intellect to challenge the Dark Knights’ supremacy over the city. Unsheathing the dagger, which appeared especially small in the half-ogre’s large hand, Klaudia gave it to Rhylancer. It was much the same as every other dagger Rhylancer had seen in Khur, plain, slightly curved, serviceable. Only by taking a closer look, did he realize that a sun with an open eye was engraved upon its blade. He looked at Klaudia questioningly. She smiled. A strange dagger "It’s a…" A loud banging at the door rudely interrupted her. Klaudia’s eyes grew wide with alarm and she placed a finger before her lips, signaling Rhylancer to remain quiet. "Open the door in the name of the Knights of Neraka!" With a speed that no one would have expected from a woman of her size, the half-ogre grabbed Rhylancer by the shoulders and pushed him towards a small room behind the counter that was separated from the main room by a curtain. There was a bed inside, which appeared to be too small for the large woman, and little else. "Whatever happens, you stay here and make absolutely no sound", she whispered, her breath warm tickling Rhylancer’s ear. "As soon as the knights leave, get out of the shop and find a way to escape Pashin. All gates are closed and watched by Thorn Knights, while Skull Knights patrol the streets. Trust no one, for the Nerakese have spies everywhere. And under no circumstances are you to come after me!" She looked at him in a way that made absolutely clear that she was serious about it. "Give me your word!", she insisted. The banging resumed, even louder this time, making many of the bottles and phials resting on the shelves shake. "OPEN UP OR I’LL BLAST THE DAMNED DOOR OPEN!", another voice said, higher in pitch, but even more full of anger and hatred. Klaudia gave Rhylancer another look. Don’t intervene! Hastily, she uncovered the bed and crumpled the sheet to give the impression that she had been sleeping and hung her apron over a chair behind the counter. Finally, she grabbed the small pouch she had intended for Rhylancer, quickly opened it and emptied its contents over the man’s head. The dust seemed to stick to his hair, his skin, his clothes and no matter what he did, it wouldn’t come off. Suddenly, it started sparkling and Rhylancer suddenly disappeared from sight. The half-ogre placed her finger in front of her lips a final time and rushed to unlock the door. Hearing the chanting of arcane words behind the wood, she made even greater haste, opening it just before the gray robe had the chance to use his magic to shatter it. "Forgive me, Lord", she said and bowed before the Knight of the Thorn who was accompanied by six Knights of the Lily, all of them holding their unsheathed swords in their hands. "I have been soundly asleep and that bad leg of mine doesn’t allow me to move as quickly as I used to." A young Knight of the Thorn The gray robe, a young man of under twenty years of age, with a sparse stubble, light green eyes and a large, fresh, bloody wound on the right side of his face, pointed at the half-ogre and screamed his order. "Arrest her! Arrest her immediately!" Two of the Knights of the Lily eagerly complied, tying the woman’s hands behind her back, though they glanced at the sorcerer in a way that didn’t imply much respect for the gray robe. The half-ogre protested. "My Lord, this must be a misunderstanding. My name is Klaudia Lorn and I am an apothecary. I have always been…" A punch in her stomach made her groan and stop speaking. The Knight of the Thorn would have gladly punched her in the face, but she was much too tall for that. "Shut up, rebel!" His face was livid, his lips trembling. "We know who you are. Dame Romira knows exactly what you are. And soon she will know everything else you know too." Giving her a hateful look, he signaled his men to take her away. "Get her back to the Enclave. The Adjudicator is waiting to interrogate her." The Lily Knights saluted and turned around, ready to carry out the orders of the gray robe. "Wait!", the young man screamed and the Dark Knights immediately halted. "You will stay with me, Dame Joralyn", he said, pointing at one of the Knights of the Lily, a young, rather pretty woman with braided red hair, pale skin and fiery eyes. "We have to search the place for anything that might give us information about the Legion’s plans." The woman looked at him with barely disguised contempt and suspicion, but in the end she nodded her agreement. "As you command, Sir Tresin." The gray robe smiled and signaled the rest of the talon away. Keeping the door open, he politely beckoned the female Lily Knight to enter. "Please, after you, Joralyn." The moment the dark warrior entered the shop, the dagger in Rhylancer’s hand started vibrating. "She claims to be an apothecary and indeed this part of her story appears to be truthful", Sir Tresin said, looking around at the vast collection of jars and bowls, bottles and phials, boxes and baskets, all of them neatly labeled and stacked in rows on shelves that covered the walls of the small shop from top to bottom. His companion remained silent. "Have a look at the counter", he continued, "try to see whether she keeps any incriminating letters or missives from the Legion’s headquarters in Ak-Khurman. I’ll have a look at the knick-knacks she was trading in. They are probably as valuable as the contents of a kender’s pouch, but…" But, if there was something of value, the Thorn Knight would locate it - and keep it for himself. Dame Romira didn’t need to know everything. Besides, she didn’t care about trinkets and would certainly not mind if Sir Tresin rewarded himself with one or two after a job well done, especially after having sent him to the city square to be slashed to death by Pashin’s wretches. Thankfully, the gray robe was a man of many talents and would not go down that easily. As for the injury he had suffered, he was certain that it would turn into a very manly scar. The ladies appreciated brave men who had been wounded in battle. He looked at the Lily Knight meticulously searching the counter. Yes, even female Knights of Neraka were sure to be impressed by his bravery - and his magic. With a lewd smile on his face, the gray robe started making strange gestures and chanting. Rhylancer held his breath. What was he to do?

Calendar Aelmont (Winter) 422 AC / 38 SC, Predawn Old Omar’s Oddities, Pashin, Khur

 

Notes
Aaand welcome to the game, Drifter One! Please forgive the (very) long introduction, but some of these characters are known to the other players and one or two of them might be especially interested in seeing what happens to Klaudia Lorn and Sir Tresin.

Poor Rhylancer’s story starts in a very bad place - which isn’t all that unusual in this game. Klaudia has just used a dust of disappearance on him, which renders him invisible for 2d4 minutes (please roll!). He also received a dagger of warning. Though it usually requires attunement, Rhylancer can use it right now, if he wants. The problem is that Sir Tresin is a sorcerer and he might be able to detect both the invisible Legionnaire and his magical dagger. Complicating matters, he is escorted by a warrior, a Knight of the Lily.

So, what does Rhylancer do?

Necessary Actions:
Roll for the duration of the invisibility (see above).

Optional Actions:
None.

[Drifter One]

Rhylancer & Klaudia Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia Rhylancer hated it here. He had been pounded by the sun and sand for weeks now, the dust getting in areas it had no place in being. It was hot and he was sweaty, causing the sand to stick to his skin and clothes more stubbornly; he had not been comfortable for some time. Yet, he had grown accustomed and attuned to the conditions, just as he always had. He was adaptable. The coolness of the winter evening made it more bearable, but the dawn would be breaking soon and he knew the temperature would rise incredibly quickly. He had kept himself hidden amongst the tatty rooftops of Pashin, a terrain relatively easy to navigate with many flat rooves and platforms, until he had settled across the alley from the location that had been revealed to him. The intricate, hidden markings; only noticeable if you knew what you were looking for, confirmed the safe house. Rhylancer had checked the coast was clear at least a dozen times, but the darkness was now beginning to show a hint of blue as the sun began to rise. He diligently and silently hopped down from his perch and landed opposite the target. One more quick check. Relieved there was still no activity apart from the odd dog barking or idle chat from those on duty around the city, the ranger approached the door, raising his hand and clenching his fis t. Before he pounded the door, he paused and took a final deep breath as he composed himself. Rap, rap…rap…rap, rap, rap…rap! He waited for what felt like an eternity before he heard the scraping sound of an iron key being inserted into a heavy lock. The rattle and click followed by a soothing creak as the door swung open. There, taking up the doorway, a large woman stood. Rhylancer probably would have winced at the sight of the ugly woman in his younger days, but he had seen and been through too much to care about how somebody looked, despite her muddy red hair or the blemishes over her green tinged face. Ogre blood, he noted. "Come inside, quickly!" She rasped, ushering him in. With a deft step, he silently slid into the shop through the half open door and the woman hastily closed and locked the it behind him. Rhylancer gave the place a quick appraisal. "Are you Cross?" She asked in a gravelly voice. Rhylancer didn’t answer, just nodded his affirmation. "I am Klaudia." she said with a sigh of relief. "Mmm-hmm." Rhylancer responded, his eyes still darting around the place, noting the ingredients and apparatus piled on a table. Klaudia began to frantically squiggle on a piece of paper. Rhylancers’ keen eyes followed her strokes and he knew the symbol before she had completed it. When Klaudias eyes met his, he nodded again and she smiled before quickly holding it over a lamp, allowing the fire to consume the image. "Jacob warned me that you would come. We have been ordered to leave Pashin and travel to Ak-Khurman to report and receive new instructions. I am to remain behind until all our people have fled the city. "She said. Rhylancer shot her a look, this wasn’t the plan. This was not what he had prepared for, his eyebrow arching in a quizzical manner, asking the unspoken question. "Look, I like this just as much as you do. Fleeing before the Dark Knights and leaving the city and its populace at their mercy is the last thing I want to do. But Kenat Three-Lives knows what he’s doing. The Nerakese are searching for us like men and women possessed, just like they did with the elves, and no matter how careful we are, they are sure to locate us sooner or later. I hear that they are led by a powerful Skull Knight and Adjudicator of the Code. Dame Romira - cursed be her name! - is said to be able to discover a person’s deepest secrets, peeling off their memories layer by layer until nothing remains of that person" The gloom-Stalker had now wandered over to the table and was holding a vial of some concoction, turning it gently in his gloved hands, the low light reflecting off of his green eyes. "So we are compromised?" He finally said, his voice low and hoarse. The Half-Ogre didn’t answer his question, but went on nonetheless. "You serve neither the Legion nor the people of Pashin, if you are driven mad or publicly executed, Cross. On the contrary, you put all of us in danger." There was a long period of silence, Rhylancers’ gaze fixed upon the vial in his hands, yet his eyes were not focussed upon it, but rather seeing through it. He suddenly thought back to why he was here in the first place, and he would never fulfil his mission, his real task, if the Nerakese caught him or learned of his nature. Sera would never forgive him. He would never forgive himself. He gently replaced the vial upon the table. "Then we shouldn’t be here."he felt he should have been diverted some place else. Klaudia nodded. "Mark my words. We will return and drive the Knights of Neraka out of Khur. But for the time being, we need allies, people who care for the citizens of Pashin and are willing to fight on their behalf. If you do meet any such groups on your way to Ak-Khurman, be sure to recruit them to the Legion or at least secure their support. We will need all the help we can get to defeat the Dark Knights and you will need all the help I can give you to escape this city." Rhylancer clenched his teeth, for the thought of what Klaudia was suggesting stung him from within. "I work best alone." He muttered. "I do not make friends…easily." He knew Klaudia was right, and this whole situation wasn’t just about him, there were many, many innocent lives at risk, and those damned Knights of Solamnia seemed to be failing at every turn. The look Klaudia gave him did not require any words. He waved his hand nonchalantly. "Very well." He said. Klaudia felt the man physically stiffen when she placed a soft hand on his shoulder and she patted him gently in a vain effort to reassure him. She then smiled a toothy grin as she removed her hand. "You are going to like what I have in store for you" Klaudia winked, retrieving what looked like a letter opener in her mighty paw, when, in fact, it was a dagger, akin to any other dagger in Khur; that distinct curved blade. Yet, upon closer inspection an intricate carving could be seen. Rhylancer looked at Klaudia who happily began to explain. A loud drumming on the door interrupted their exchange, a wide eyed look of surprise on the half-Ogres face. Rhylancer froze, not daring to move. "Open the door in the name of the Knights of Neraka!" Within the shadows of his hood, Rhylancer mouthed a silent curse, his eyes darting around the Apothecary. Before he knew it, Klaudia had gripped him hard by the shoulders and forcefully shoved him into a cubby-hole behind a curtain, his calves banging on the edge of a small bed. She leaned in close and whispered softly, more softly than Rhylancer ever imagined could come from the lips of an ogre-blood. "Whatever happens, you stay here and make absolutely no sound. As soon as the knights leave, get out of the shop and find a way to escape Pashin. All gates are closed and watched by Thorn Knights, while Skull Knights patrol the streets. Trust no one, for the Nerakese have spies everywhere. And under no circumstances are you to come after me!" Rhylancer didn’t respond, for it did not require one; it was not a request. The voices from beyond the door came again, threatening to blast down the door. Klaudia quickly retrieved a pouch and sprinkled some powdery substance over the ranger, causing him to tingle all over. She drew the curtain and retreated back into the room. Rhylancer found a slight crack between the curtain and the wall to witness the scene unfold before him. A grey robed man entered the Apothecary flanked by six knights, their armour embossed with an insignia that cause Rhylancers heart to sink. Knights of the Lily and the robed man, of the Thorn! Rhylancer looked on in wonderment, for the Knight of the Thorn appeared but a boy, yet had command of his knights. He had immediately called for the arrest of Klaudia, whose protests were met with a fist to the abdomen. Rhylancer winced and had to summon all of his willpower not to intervene, just as Klaudia had ordered. "Shut up, rebel! He bellowed, We know who you are. Dame Romira knows exactly what you are. And soon she will know everything else you know tooGet her back to the Enclave. The Adjudicator is waiting to interrogate her" Rhylancer bowed his head as he contemplated her fate, what would become of her? He was relieved though that the Thorn Knight had ordered the others to take Klaudia away, for he could ready his escape. A moment of opportunity faded almost as immediately as it had appeared, for the Thorn Knight had ordered a female to stay behind. "As you command, Sir Tresin" she responded, the name piercing Rhylancers skull. He bit his lip hard, it was that bastard from the Town Square massacre! He shuddered at the thought, licking away the metallic taste of blood from his mouth. Why the female only? Rhylancer had thought to himself. He knew he did not have long before the powders effects would wear off, but he was intrigued to see where this would lead. That maniac had no moral compass and he did not feel he could leave the woman alone with Sir Tresin, even if she was of the Order of the Lily. Rhylancer peered from his hiding place, silently drawing his bow in case things went terribly wrong...

 

Actions & Notes Action: Rhylancer has 3 minutes of invisibility - he will wait a little bit to see what happens between the knight and Tresin Reaction: Bonus: Move: Effects: Notes etc: Spells Prepared: Disguise self | Entangle | Goodberry | Snare

Statblock Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia | Human (Variant) | Gloom Stalker Armor Class: 15 | Hit Points: 37/37 | Speed: 30 ft Melee Attack: +6 / 1D6+4 (Shortsword) or 1d4+4 (Dagger of Warning) Ranged Attack: +8 / 1D8+4 (Longbow) Str 8 (-1) | Dex 18 (+4) | Con 13 (+1) | Int 10 (+0) | Wis 16 (+3) | Cha 10 (+0) Saving throws: Str +1 | Dex +6 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Insight +5 | Investigation +2 | Perception +5 | Sleight of Hand +6 | Stealth +8 | Survival +5 Passive Perception: 15 Initiative: +7 | Hit Dice: 4/4d10 | Inspiration: 0 Abilities: When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can call on your mystical bond with nature to mark the target as your favored enemy for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The first time on each of your turns that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you can increase that damage by 1d4. You can use this feature to mark a favored enemy a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long restFavoured Foe Canny (2 extra languages, Double proficiency bonus (Stealth)Deft Explorer +2 to ranged attackFighting Style - Archery At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier. At the start of your first turn of each combat, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon's damage typeDread Ambusher Darkvision 60ft, Invisible to DarkvisionUmbral Sight Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or numberPrimeval Awareness FEATS You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits: - Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls. - Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover. - Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If that attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.Sharpshooter You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits: - You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding. - When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position. - Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.Skulker

[Elanir]

Thorn Knight Magic Sir Tresin, Knight of the Thorn The gray robe’s hands started moving, resembling five-legged spiders weaving a complicated web, while the arcane words the Thorn Knight’s spoke mercilessly assaulted Rhylancer’s ears, making his skin crawl. The Legionnaire Scout was no stranger to the magic of the Age of Mortals, having been taught a few magical tricks by his late wife, who had been much more adept in primal sorcery and mysticism than he was. When Seraphina used to perform her magic, Rhylancer had always watched with amazement, often clapping excitedly like a child before taking his wife in his arms and allowing his lips to properly pay homage to her superiority in spellcasting. Her powers had always felt wondrous and thrilling, not overbearing and unclean like those of the gray robe. Perhaps, it is the man himself, Rhylancer reasoned, not the magic. The Knight of the Lily seemed to share his thoughts, for she took a few steps back, seeking shelter in the tiny sleeping room where Rhylancer was hiding, in case something went wrong with the spell. The Legionnaire held his breath, expecting her to bump into him by accident and then immediately turn around, sword in her hand and murder in her eyes. But she didn’t, her concentration remaining focused on the gray robe, channeling the magic of the world around him. She clearly distrusted him and would have been much happier on the way to the Dark Knights’ Enclave, along with the rest of the talon, than here, in Klaudia’s shop. But she had no choice. A knight followed orders and it appeared that Sir Tresin was in charge of this mission. Perhaps, his superiors trusted in the man’s ability to see this task fulfilled - or, more likely, in his greed to uncover anything of value the Legion of Steel might be hiding in Pashin. The sorcerer’s chanting eventually ceased and Sir Tresin’s eyes started glowing with a ghostly green light. The gray robe kept his right arm outstretched, two fingers pointing forward like a hay fork. The Thorn Knight approached the shelves, closely examining a few of the potions and powders and placing some of them inside one of his many pockets. He didn’t seem particularly pleased until he spotted a box of brass, dull and unadorned. Opening it, he gave out a cry of excitement, closed it quickly and carefully put it inside the small satchel he carried. Turning to Dame Joralyn, he gave her a smile that was supposed to be charming. The Knight of the Lily grimaced. "Do you like tattoos, Joralyn? A lily, perhaps, at the base of your neck? Or at some… other place, hidden from curious eyes? Something… personal? Intimate?" The woman shook her head and firmly kept her sword between her and the gray robe. Dame Joralyn, Knight of the Lily "No, Sir Tresin, I do not like tattoos." The words were spoken with enough vehemence to wipe the grin off the man’s face. The gray robe shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, though his pursed lips and the lines around his eyes betrayed his anger. "Your loss. The tattoo would have been magical, enhancing your power. Perhaps another will be more willing to improve herself… and advance in the ranks." Dismissing her with a gesture of his left hand, the Thorn Knight continued searching the apothecary’s shop. "This can’t be all the magic the ogre-blood possessed", he muttered, his outstretched fingers prodding the air, as if forcing it to reveal its secrets. "There must be more…" The fingers moved in wide circles, scanning the room, until they pointed at the counter and the room where Dame Joralyn was standing. The Thorn Knight’s eyes grew narrower and he took a step forward. "Spectramancy…", he said, and the grin returned to his lips. "The ogre-blood has hidden something here. Something important, no doubt. Find it!" The Knight of the Lily looked at the sorcerer dubiously. "How, Sir?", she asked, her words dripping like acid. "How am I to follow your orders if I don’t know what I am looking for and if my eyes are unable to detect it?" She obviously wanted to say more, but was able to control herself. She might not have liked the man, but he was still the leader of this mission. The gray robe muttered something to himself that sounded suspiciously like “imbecile” and shook his head in disgust. "Must I do everything myself? Stand aside!" Dame Joralyn promptly obeyed, placing herself right next to the wall at the foot of the bed. She was so close to Rhylancer that he could easily see the trembling of the gloved hand that held the sword. Had she been less disciplined, he mused, she might have run the dark sorcerer through with that blade. The Thorn Knight opened two small pouches that were hanging from his belt and retrieved a small quantity of powder, one as white as chalk, the other silvery. After mixing them together in his cupped palm while chanting, he started inscribing small glyphs around his eyes. The moment each arcane glyph was finished, it started glowing faintly, giving the gray robe’s face a sickly metallic hue. What kind of spell was the gray robe casting this time?

Calendar Aelmont (Winter) 422 AC / 38 SC, Predawn Old Omar’s Oddities, Pashin, Khur

 

Notes
Sir Tresin has already claimed three different potions and two powders, along with a brass box. All the above items appear to be magical. Furthermore, the gray robe has detected the aura of illusion surrounding Rhylancer, though the spell is too imprecise to reveal his exact location. Still, he seems to have a way to deal with the illusion, not to mention that the powder’s effect is about to wear off.

What does Rhylancer do?

Necessary Actions:
A Stealth check DC 10 (with Advantage) is needed for Rhylancer to keep himself hidden from Dame Joralyn.

Optional Actions:
A successful Arcana check DC 17 can identify the spell the gray robe is casting.

[Drifter One]

Old 'Oddities Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia Rhylancer winced as knight slowly paced towards his hiding spot, holding his breath and daring not to breathe. She stopped, just before the curtain, Sir Tresin muttering words of arcane nature, yet, despite the teachings and showings from his late wife, he just could not fathom what the spell was. It did sound familiar though. His eyes narrowed in hatred of the man, who mercilessly killed and maimed so many at what would now be known as “Red Square” from all the blood spilt. Slowly and deliberately, Rhylancer slid his bow from his shoulder and nocked an arrow, as silently as a leaf floating n a breeze. As Joralyn stepped further towards where Rhylancer was cooped, he grit his teeth. How am I going to get out of this? He thought to himself. He needed to get out of Pashin, just as Klaudia had ordered. A dead agent was a useless agent. Whatever happens, you stay here and make absolutely no sound she had said, her words ringing through his mind, but that was proving to be more difficult than first imagined in the current situation. He knew, despite all his skill at remaining unseen when he did not want to be seen, it would be nigh on impossible with both Tresin and Joralyn. Yet, observing the two intruders, he noticed a subtle difference in each of their mannerisms. Tresin wanted to dominate, yet Joralyn wanted quite the opposite. It presented an opportunity, but the ranger would have to a hell of a lot of trust into a Knight of the Lily of all things, and the outcome would be far from guaranteed. If he had the freedom of being alone, he would have sighed. Or cursed. Likely both. As he contemplated what to do, with time at a premium, Sir Tresins next words essentially sealed his fate. "Do you like tattoos, Joralyn? A lily, perhaps, at the base of your neck? Or at some… other place, hidden from curious eyes? Something… personal? Intimate?" He had said with a leering expression. Rhylancer had seen that sort of suggestive nature before, aimed towards his own wife; and he had never forgiven the perpetrator, nor would he, even in death. Yet, here he was, almost reliving that past through somebody else, although the woman in this scenario seemed to be more…resilient. Still, it mattered not, for the feeling to end this immoral, murderous individual began to overwhelm Rhylancer, to the point his body began to shake. Maybe, if he could make Joralyns life easier, she might, just might return the favour. Afterall, if his plan went wrong, he did not fancy his chances of getting away unscathed from a toe-to-toe with a Knight of the Lily. But he didn’t have the luxury of options. Rhyancer took a deep breath and aimed his arrow through a slit in the curtain. His invisibility would soon wear off, so he would immediately make his way to the door, the contingency to his hopeful idea. With his abnormal skill of being silent, with the added effects of being invisible, he slowly moved out from the curtain, avoiding Joralyn, all the while keeping his weapon trained on Sir Tresin, at this point sensing something was “out of the ordinary”. As he neared the doorway, Rhylancer let loose, the arrow flying true and piercing the target. Immediately he loaded another arrow and released, but Sir Tresin had recoiled from the first impact, and the second arrow thudded into the table. "Sh*t!" Rhylancer cursed, his hand instinctively reaching for the door handle. His form began to twinkle back into existence as the invisibility dust began to lose its affect. The Gloom Stalkers eyes rested upon the shocked gaze of Joralyn, before he turned to look at Sir Tresin. He had missed his mark and he knew repercussions would be dire. Glancing back at Joralyn, he mouthed silently. I’m sorry…

 

Actions & Notes Action: Ambushing Sir Tresin - assuming 1st attack hits, otherwise I will edit post. Reaction: Bonus: 2nd Attack (Dread Ambusher) Move: Effects: Notes etc: Spells Prepared: Disguise self | Entangle | Goodberry | Snare

Statblock Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia | Human (Variant) | Gloom Stalker Armor Class: 15 | Hit Points: 37/37 | Speed: 30 ft Melee Attack: +6 / 1D6+4 (Shortsword) or 1d4+4 (Dagger of Warning) Ranged Attack: +8 / 1D8+4 (Longbow) Str 8 (-1) | Dex 18 (+4) | Con 13 (+1) | Int 10 (+0) | Wis 16 (+3) | Cha 10 (+0) Saving throws: Str +1 | Dex +6 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Insight +5 | Investigation +2 | Perception +5 | Sleight of Hand +6 | Stealth +8 | Survival +5 Passive Perception: 15 Initiative: +7 | Hit Dice: 4/4d10 | Inspiration: 0 Abilities: When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can call on your mystical bond with nature to mark the target as your favored enemy for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The first time on each of your turns that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you can increase that damage by 1d4. You can use this feature to mark a favored enemy a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long restFavoured Foe Canny (2 extra languages, Double proficiency bonus (Stealth)Deft Explorer +2 to ranged attackFighting Style - Archery At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier. At the start of your first turn of each combat, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon's damage typeDread Ambusher Darkvision 60ft, Invisible to DarkvisionUmbral Sight Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or numberPrimeval Awareness FEATS You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits: - Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls. - Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover. - Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If that attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.Sharpshooter You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits: - You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding. - When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position. - Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.Skulker

[Elanir]

Spell, Sword and Arrow The sorcerer’s chant was suddenly interrupted by the singing of Rhylancer’s bow, its voice clear, loud and deadly. Out of thin air, twin arrows materialized, flying straight towards the Thorn Knight, who could do little but stare at them in shock. Dame Joralyn tried to shout something, probably a warning, but she was too late. Sir Tresin’s thin, youthful body bent forward like a sapling in a storm as the first missile embedded itself in his belly, its tip cleanly penetrating the leather armor he wore beneath his gray robes. It was what saved his life, for the second arrow’s target had been the sorcerer’s throat, which suddenly no longer was where Rhylancer had assumed it to be. Dame Joralyn, Knight of the Lily The Thorn Knight squealed in pain and tried to maintain his balance, but he stumbled and fell as he hastily moved backwards as far away as possible from Rhylancer. The man had suddenly appeared inside the room, his attack breaking the powder’s magical effect. "Stand your ground!", the Knight of the Lily cried out, knowing that moving away from an archer only made his opponent’s job easier, but her tactical advice fell on deaf ears. Sir Tresin wasn’t thinking like a knight at the moment, as he should have been. He was thinking like an animal. Fight or flee!, all his instincts screamed at him and he had never been one to choose to fight when he knew that his opponent could fight back. With a grimace of frustration and disapproval, Dame Joralyn placed herself between her injured companion and the assassin, knowing perfectly well that her body would not be enough to effectively shield the gray robe from their enemy should he choose to loosen another arrow at him. Glancing around her, she looked for anything large that could have been used as a shield, but failed to locate something appropriate. Tightening the grip of both hands around the hilt of her sword, she lowered its tip, ready to use it to skewer the enemy who was only a few feet away from her. Their eyes met. The Lily Knight was surprised to see regret in the man’s eyes, not hatred. He was speaking silent words. I am sorry, he seemed to say. He was sorry? About what? Having to kill her? She would certainly not be sorry about plunging her sword into his chest and seeing the light slowly fade from his eyes. On the contrary, she would relish it. Most people thought that it was the Knights of Solamnia who were the archenemies of her Order, but they were wrong. It was the Legion of Steel that was the real thorn in the side of the Knights of Neraka, not the Solamnics with their honor and their traditions and their antiquated dreams of chivalry. It was the Legion of Steel that had the strongest presence in Khur and its spies, the ones who infiltrated every town, village and hamlet the Dark Knights took control over. They were like cockroaches - each time the Nerakese crushed one beneath their heel they could be certain that many more were prowling around in the filth, hiding like cowards. "Surrender now and I may allow you to keep one hand!", the female knight barked, hoping to draw the Legionnaire’s ire upon herself. Sir Tresin had the courage of a gully dwarf and the tactical capability of a goblin, but his magic was strong. It was deadly. She had witnessed its effect during the insurrection at Pashin’s main square. She had seen him unleash fire, lightning and ice and cast spells even more sinister than those. All she had to do was buy him enough time to overcome his shock and remember that he was a dark sorcerer. And she had to keep him alive. This was the most important thing of all. If she succeeded, she might be the one in charge of the talon the next time that a spy of the Legion of Steel needed to be arrested. By Takhisis’ memory, this was a prospect she found very pleasing indeed.

Calendar Aelmont (Winter) 422 AC / 38 SC, Predawn Old Omar’s Oddities, Pashin, Khur

 

Notes
The surprise round is over and since Rhylancer’s initiative is much higher than that of both Dark Knights, he gets to act again. Picture Sir Tresin to be about 20 feet away from Rhylancer and 15 feet from Dame Joralyn. No one has cover and both of them can be target with the bow normally.

Necessary Actions:
None.

Optional Actions:
None.

Battle - Round 2
Rhylancer: 37/37 HP, AC 15

Vs

Sir Tresin: 8/22, AC 13

Dame Joralyn: 26/26 HP, AC 15

[Drifter One]

Old 'Oddities Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia The first arrow thudded into its intended mark, the second draw was just that little bit too slow and allowed Sir Tresin to double over, the would-be killing shot whistling past his head and piercing the wall beyond. The Knight of the Thorn struggled to react, whether due to the pain or the sheer surprise, Rhylancer could not be sure. His eyes darted between Sir Tresin and Dame Joralyn several times, yet the anguish and determination behind the woman’s own gaze told Rhylancer all he needed to know. She would be after his blood. He had, of course, instinctively nocked another arrow, ready to finish off the evil Tresin, yet something stopped him from immediately loosing his next shaft. He was within striking range of Joralyn, and he certainly did not want to get in any kind of toe-to-toe, especially with a Knight of the Lily, yet, there, merely twenty paces away, was a huddled Sir Tresin, clutching the wooden shaft embedded into his belly, the red goose feathers rising and falling with each shallow breath. One more could finish him. Rhylancer thought. The victims of Red Square would be avenged. "Surrender now and I may allow you to keep one hand!" Surrender? It was a rhetorical question of course, for surrender would likely be the end of Rhylancer and Sir Tresin would no doubt recover; the order had access to some very skilled healers. No. Surrender would not be an option, and the Ranger arced his eyebrow at Dame Joralyn as if to question her seriousness. Instead, as quick as a flash, he drew his bowstring and raised the weapon towards Sir Tresin and released. This time, the To hit: 28 (Critical)Legion of Steel agent made sure, the arrow 16 damagepiercing Sir Tresins skull. He braced himself for a flurry of swings from the Lily Knight as he despatched with Sir Tresin, for he would not have time to stow his bow and draw his swords, so he would have to do his best to evade the expected onslaught. Perhaps, after seeing the demise of the evil bastard now lying in a pool of blood, she would think twice about a blind assault. Rhylancer held out his free hand defensively as he stepped back towards the exit. "My Lady, I have no quarrel with you. Pashin is yours, the Legion have already evacuated this place. I was the last, tasked to ensure all others had vacated." He said, his voice muffled behind the deep red silk scarf which covered his nose and mouth. "You no longer have numerical advantage and I have no reason to harm you. Yet, if you strike me, I will see to it that you suffer the same fate as your “friend” here. Or, you can let me go and you can return to your order with the news that you drove the Steel Legion from Pashin." He paused with a sigh, glancing to the corpse of Sir Tresin," and I have also freed you of this bastards lecherous grasp. Maybe we can meet again on the battlefield, under more honourable circumstances?" His hand drifted to clutch the iron ring on the door handle, hoping that Joralyn would see sense and agree to let him go.

 

Actions & Notes Action: Standard attack Reaction: Bonus: Move: Effects: Arrows: 17/20 Notes etc: Spells Prepared: Disguise self | Entangle | Goodberry | Snare

Statblock Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia | Human (Variant) | Gloom Stalker Armor Class: 15 | Hit Points: 37/37 | Speed: 30 ft Melee Attack: +6 / 1D6+4 (Shortsword) or 1d4+4 (Dagger of Warning) Ranged Attack: +8 / 1D8+4 (Longbow) Str 8 (-1) | Dex 18 (+4) | Con 13 (+1) | Int 10 (+0) | Wis 16 (+3) | Cha 10 (+0) Saving throws: Str +1 | Dex +6 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Insight +5 | Investigation +2 | Perception +5 | Sleight of Hand +6 | Stealth +8 | Survival +5 Passive Perception: 15 Initiative: +7 | Hit Dice: 4/4d10 | Inspiration: 0 Abilities: When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can call on your mystical bond with nature to mark the target as your favored enemy for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The first time on each of your turns that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you can increase that damage by 1d4. You can use this feature to mark a favored enemy a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long restFavoured Foe Canny (2 extra languages, Double proficiency bonus (Stealth)Deft Explorer +2 to ranged attackFighting Style - Archery At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier. At the start of your first turn of each combat, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon's damage typeDread Ambusher Darkvision 60ft, Invisible to DarkvisionUmbral Sight Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or numberPrimeval Awareness FEATS You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits: - Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls. - Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover. - Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If that attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.Sharpshooter You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits: - You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding. - When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position. - Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.Skulker SPELLS You make yourself, including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person, look different until the spell ends or until you use your action to dismiss it. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller and can appear thin, fat, or in between. You can't change your body type, so you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you. The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this spell to add a hat to your outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing or would feel your head and hair. If you use this spell to appear thinner than you are, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch you would bump into you while it was seemingly still in midair. To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.Disguise Self (Free spell) Grasping weeds and vines sprout from the ground in a 20-foot square starting from a point within range. For the duration, these plants turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain. A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. When the spell ends, the conjured plants wilt away.Entangle Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration. A creature can use its action to eat one berry. Eating a berry restores 1 hit point, and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell.Goodberry Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (30 feet of cord or rope, which is consumed by the spell) Duration: Until dispelled or triggered While you cast this spell, you use the cord or rope to create a circle with a 5-foot radius on a flat surface within your reach. When you finish casting, the cord or rope disappears to become a magical trap. The trap is nearly invisible and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found. The trap triggers when a Small creature or larger moves into the area protected by the spell. The triggering creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone and be hoisted into the air until it hangs upside down 3 feet above the protected surface, where it is restrained. The restrained creature can make a Dexterity saving throw with disadvantage at the end of each of its turns and ends the restrained effect on a success. Alternatively, another creature that can reach the restrained creature can use an action to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against your spell save DC. On a success, the restrained effect also ends.Snare

[Elanir]

An Eye for an Eye Rhylancer drew the bowstring, raised his weapon towards Sir Tresin and released. All within the blink of an eye, almost effortlessly and without hesitation. The Thorn Knight’s eyes grew wild, desperate. He raised his right hand and started chanting words of magic. The air shimmered before him, hardening rapidly. The arrow flew straight, whistling, its steel tip parting the air. A soft, sickly noise was heard. Sir Tresin’s hand fell, his words abruptly ceased. The arrow’s shaft had disappeared. All that could be seen was the scarlet fletching protruding from the Thorn Knight’s eye socket, still slightly vibrating. Red in red. Dame Joralyn, Knight of the Lily Dame Joralyn turned as pale as the face of the single moon, but to her credit, she didn’t gasp in shock or cry out in fear. Instead, her grip tightened around the hilt of her sword, black steel decorated with death lilies, one hand supporting the other. One hand keeping the other from shaking. She listened to the Legionnaire’s words in silence. It wasn’t a bad trade. His life in exchange for her not having to suffer the gray robe’s advances ever again and the possibility of meeting her enemy on the field of battle. Honorably, with fellow knights at her side. Her eyes remained hard, her youthful face stern. Her lips parted only to speak the obvious. "If you won’t submit, you will die." Her legs moved with a speed that defied the heavy armor she was wearing, closing the distance between the two, man and woman, within a single moment. She grunted as she brought the heavy sword forward, towards Rhylancer’s midsection. The Legionnaire raised the bow he was holding, blocking the attack, wishing he had had the time to draw a sword. Steel bit into wood, knocking the bow aside. Boiled leather parted before the sharp metallic edge and Rhylancer felt an acute pain. He pushed the Knight of Lily with a strength born of desperation and the woman had to take a step backwards or lose her balance. A moan escaped his lips. His shirt had already been soaked in blood. The injury wasn’t deep, the armor having absorbed most of the force of the attack, but it was badly bleeding. The female knight didn’t attack again, waiting for an opening. She was determined to bring her opponent to his knees, make him beg. Then, she would take his hands, first one and then the other. But not his life. No, Rhylancer’s life belonged to Dame Joralyn’s superiors. They wouldn’t allow the Legionnaire to die like that, not before he was completely empty of secrets and screams and hopes. The two opponents sized each other up. The impasse wouldn’t last for long. He needed to escape, she needed to stop him from doing so. The croaking of a rooster was heard from somewhere far away. Dawn was coming.

Calendar Aelmont (Winter) 422 AC / 38 SC, Predawn Old Omar’s Oddities, Pashin, Khur

 

Notes
Congratulations! Rhylancer killed Sir Tresin before the gray robe had a chance to utilize his magic. Unfortunately, Dame Joralyn has retaliated, dealing 12 points of slashing damage to Rhylancer. The two are now in melee combat. Rhylancer is close to the shop’s door and could attempt to escape and disappear in the darkness (Stealth check), though the Knight of the Lily would get an attack opportunity and is sure to pursue him. Or he can try to best her.

Good luck!

Necessary Actions:
None.

Optional Actions:
None.

Battle - Round 3
Rhylancer: 25/37 HP, AC 15

Vs

Sir Tresin: 0/22, AC 13, killed

Dame Joralyn: 26/26 HP, AC 15

[Drifter One]

Old 'Oddities Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia Vengeance. Vengeance was a feeling that gripped Rhylancers’ very soul. It was his purpose for existing. His reason why he was with the Steel Legion. His motivation to disrupt those that he deemed hellbent on bringing darkness to his already dimmed world. Yet, although he had dispensed vengeance for all those that perished at the red Square massacre, he felt nothing. Emptiness. Loneliness. Time had seemed to pause, Dame Joralyn was towering before him, her vicious blade coming at him, her knuckles white as snow as she gripped the hilt with such furious force. Sir Desarin, his head reeling backwards with the read feathered shaft protruding from his eye. It seemed like Rhylancer was caught in a time slip, but reality was playing out quite differently. The sudden burning in his belly reminded him of that. "Arrrgghhhh!" He exclaimed, his hand instinctively clutching at the wound Joralyn had delivered. His thoughts were suddenly washed away with the flow of claret escaping from the tear in his leathers. "You damned fool!" He hissed, his eyes narrowing as his gaze locked onto the fury that poured from the knights’ own eyes. Rhylancer knew that he had to escape; it would be folly to stand and fight the Knight of the Lily at such close quarters in a confined space such as this shop. No, he should be fleet of foot and live to fulfil his true purpose, he knew that Dame Joralyn would not be able to keep up with him in her armour. It would be like a donkey chasing a cat. Alas, opening the door posed a fresh problem, for her blade bit hard, and another strike from that vicious edge could slow him down considerably, and he much preferred when advantages were in his favour. He grit his teeth and took a deep breath as he began to conjure the mysticism his wife had taught him, the little tricks that had aided him so many times before. He suddenly threw his free hand out towards Dame Joralyn. "IMPEDIO!" He spat, the air around the pair suddenly filling with static energy. Erupting from the ground, plant-like tendrils reached out and wrapped around Joralyns’ arms and legs, shackling her to where she stood. "I gave you an option. You should have taken it!" Rhylancer hissed at Joralyn. STR save vs DC13Hoping the tentacles would hold, Rhylancer turned and unlatched the door, swinging it wide open. He clenched his teeth, expecting to feel the full force of the Knights wrath strike him in the back as he darted from the door and attempted to Stealth result: 20disappear into the shadows…

 

Actions & Notes Action: Standard attack Reaction: Bonus: Move: Effects: Arrows: 17/20 Notes etc: Spells Prepared: Disguise self | Entangle | Goodberry | Snare

Statblock Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia | Human (Variant) | Gloom Stalker Armor Class: 15 | Hit Points: 25/37 | Speed: 30 ft Melee Attack: +6 / 1D6+4 (Shortsword) or 1d4+4 (Dagger of Warning) Ranged Attack: +8 / 1D8+4 (Longbow) Str 8 (-1) | Dex 18 (+4) | Con 13 (+1) | Int 10 (+0) | Wis 16 (+3) | Cha 10 (+0) Saving throws: Str +1 | Dex +6 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Insight +5 | Investigation +2 | Perception +5 | Sleight of Hand +6 | Stealth +8 | Survival +5 Passive Perception: 15 Initiative: +7 | Hit Dice: 4/4d10 | Inspiration: 0 Abilities: When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can call on your mystical bond with nature to mark the target as your favored enemy for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The first time on each of your turns that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you can increase that damage by 1d4. You can use this feature to mark a favored enemy a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long restFavoured Foe Canny (2 extra languages, Double proficiency bonus (Stealth)Deft Explorer +2 to ranged attackFighting Style - Archery At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier. At the start of your first turn of each combat, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon's damage typeDread Ambusher Darkvision 60ft, Invisible to DarkvisionUmbral Sight Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or numberPrimeval Awareness FEATS You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits: - Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls. - Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover. - Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If that attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.Sharpshooter You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits: - You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding. - When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position. - Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.Skulker SPELLS You make yourself, including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person, look different until the spell ends or until you use your action to dismiss it. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller and can appear thin, fat, or in between. You can't change your body type, so you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you. The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this spell to add a hat to your outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing or would feel your head and hair. If you use this spell to appear thinner than you are, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch you would bump into you while it was seemingly still in midair. To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.Disguise Self (Free spell) Grasping weeds and vines sprout from the ground in a 20-foot square starting from a point within range. For the duration, these plants turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain. A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. When the spell ends, the conjured plants wilt away.Entangle Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration. A creature can use its action to eat one berry. Eating a berry restores 1 hit point, and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell.Goodberry Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (30 feet of cord or rope, which is consumed by the spell) Duration: Until dispelled or triggered While you cast this spell, you use the cord or rope to create a circle with a 5-foot radius on a flat surface within your reach. When you finish casting, the cord or rope disappears to become a magical trap. The trap is nearly invisible and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found. The trap triggers when a Small creature or larger moves into the area protected by the spell. The triggering creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone and be hoisted into the air until it hangs upside down 3 feet above the protected surface, where it is restrained. The restrained creature can make a Dexterity saving throw with disadvantage at the end of each of its turns and ends the restrained effect on a success. Alternatively, another creature that can reach the restrained creature can use an action to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against your spell save DC. On a success, the restrained effect also ends.Snare

[Elanir]

The Lesson The forest in winter "Don’t grunt, Lance. It doesn’t help. And open your eyes." Rhylancer did as told and her face suddenly took up the entire field of his vision. Despite his frustration, he smiled. Seraphina shook her head but could never resist her man’s smile. She smiled back. "You are trying too hard", she chided him gently. "And what is worse is that you are doing so with your head. It’s called the power of the heart for a reason, Lance!" Rhylancer’s smile faltered and then faded away. His eyebrows came together in annoyance. "Perhaps, I simply lack the talent, Sera. Why don’t we give it a rest?" "Nonsense", she said, the ease by which she dismissed his concerns both reassuring and infuriating. She could be like that, Rhylancer mused. It was what he loved about her. "You have the spark in you, my love, I can feel it. And your connection to the natural world is strong, stronger than any other Legionnaire I have ever trained. You are just going about this the wrong way." Rhylancer tried to protest, but Seraphina never gave him a chance. She took his hand in her own and gently pressed it against the ground. "Feel the earth, Lance. It is hard and cold, but not devoid of life. It sleeps inside it. Do you feel the seeds, tiny motes of light in a sea of darkness?" Rhylancer frowned. He could feel something, but it was too distant, too abstract to control. He looked at her helplessly. "Don’t try to force them out of hiding like a Skull Knight would. Coax them out of their slumber, promise them light, wind, air and rain. Show them the world as your eyes see it, as your heart knows it. The seeds will respond." Rhylancer nodded and did as Seraphina bade him to. He tried to recall his family’s hunting lodge close to Elmwood, the days and nights he spent in the forest, wandering, exploring, admiring the beauty of the world around him. It was a world of honest simplicity without the concerns of humans and dwarves, steel coins and luxurious fabrics. It was a world he knew well and loved. Something stirred inside the earth and startled Rhylancer, who instinctively tried to pull away. But Seraphina didn’t let him, keeping his hand pressed against the earth. He looked at her and she nodded her encouragement, her approval, her love. Reassured, the young man focused on his memories - the sunlight streaming through the gaps in the canopy, the smell of wet earth, the sound of crunching leaves beneath his boots, the revitalizing taste of fresh rainwater on his tongue, the softness of moss as he touched it with his fingertips. Tiny blades of grass emerged from beneath his palm, tickling him, tender and green, full of promise and life. Reluctantly at first, then with more confidence, the grass grew and curled around his hand, gently taking hold of it like a newborn grasping its father’s finger. Rhylancer gasped in excitement and turned to look at Seraphina. He saw his joy reflected in her eyes. "Now guide it, love. Gently. It is still very young and knows nothing of the world. You have to be its teacher." He nodded and followed her instructions. The grass responded and sprouted out of the earth all around him, bringing color and life in the heart of winter. Rhylancer realized that it was the power inside him that had made this possible. He felt tired and depleted but in a good way, as if he had just come home after a long journey and was settling down in front of the fireplace, a bowl of hot, aromatic stew on the table beside him. "Well done", Seraphina whispered in his ear and he trembled all over. "Now, how to reward my favorite student?" She pushed him against the newly sprouted grass and he eagerly complied, not once thinking to resist. Placing herself on top of him, she got so close that he could see the tiny spots in her irises. They reminded him of the stars. He tried to say something witty, but she was quicker, sealing his mouth with her lips. And then he lost himself in the sweetness of her kiss… ********* A riot of vines burst through the small gaps between the wooden boards of the floor and wrapped themselves around Dame Joralyn’s ankles, her legs, her wrists. The Knight of the Lily cried out in surprise and tried to hack at them with her sword, but they took hold of the steel blade, nearly wresting it out of her hand. She grunted in frustration and fought against the plants, but to no avail. She felt like a fish trapped in a net, suffocating and unable to escape. Rhylancer calling forth vines The Legionnaire was looking at her grimly, she saw. She expected him to raise his bow and plant an arrow in her skull like he had done to the Thorn Knight, but the attack never came. Instead, the man turned his back to her and attempted to leave the shop. Panic seized her. He would escape! And she would have to report her failure to her commanding officer. She had no doubt that Dame Romira would not be sympathetic. It was common knowledge that the Adjudicator of the Code did not accept failure. Joralyn knew that she would be punished. Harshly. With strength born of desperation, the female knight freed her sword and thrust it at the archer, but he was already out of her reach. Their eyes met a final time and then darkness consumed him. "Coward, you will never get out of the city alive!", she cried after him, still struggling to free herself from the vines. "All of Pashin’s gates are watched and the streets regularly patrolled. This city belongs to us now and no matter where you go or hide, we will find you. I will find you and then no magic will be able to save you!" Her voice echoed in the alley in front of the apothecary’s shop that appeared to be deserted. Rhylancer was nowhere to be seen. And yet, the Knight of the Lily was right. Pashin had fallen in all but name and the Dark Knights’ control over it was absolute. The Legionnaire would have to find a way to escape this death trap and travel to Ak-Khurman to report Klaudia’s capture. It seemed impossible, especially without the half-ogre’s powder of invisibility, but Rhylancer had to try, anyway. He could not give up. Not while Seraphina’s death remained unavenged. Not while innocents still suffered and died at the hands of Dragon Overlords, Dark Knights and deceitful barons. We would find a way. No matter what.

Calendar Aelmont (Winter) 422 AC / 38 SC, Predawn Old Omar’s Oddities, Pashin, Khur

 

Notes
Good job! Rhylancer manages to escape and hide in the darkness. Dawn is fast approaching, however, and he will have to find a way to leave the city undetected soon. Be sure to improvise and surprise me!

You can find the map of Pashin beneath the Spoilerbutton. Don’t hesitate to ask, if you have any questions.

Good luck!

Necessary Actions:
None.

Optional Actions:
None.

Conditions
Rhylancer: 25/37 HP, AC 15

 

[Drifter One]

Escaping Pashin Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia The tendrils from the earth spirits did hold. Rhylancer afforded himself a deep sigh of relief before he turned the iron ring upon the latch, hearing the mechanism release he felt that fate was smiling upon him this day. Without even a sideways glance, the door opened just a crack, and Rhylancer slipped through and was gone. The Gloom Stalker was at one with the darkness, a shadowy figure that thrived under the unlit skies. Even the glow of the moon seemed to accentuate his ability to hide, rather than reveal his position. Thankfully, although dawn was near, it had not yet broken but he knew he had little time to make his escape. Still, he took a moment, first to witness the wound Joralyn had inflicted on him, it was deep and painful but offered no threat to life. It would leave a nasty scar, no doubt. His hand then moved from inspecting the gash to cover his heart and he closed his eyes for a moment, regulating his breathing. His thoughts then drifted to the memories of his wife, teaching him the ways of the earth, and how nature truly was the greatest force in the world. So pure. So impartial. He smiled to himself as he remembered Seraphina’s beautiful, bold eyes and her soft, delectable voice. Thank you, my love. For all you have shown me. Even in your passing, you protect me. Watch over me. Teach me. I will meet you again some day, Sera, but not until justice has been served and your name revered across the land. His smile faded to a dark grimace. Vengeance is coming! A cockerel crowed in the distance and Rhylancer knew he must now make his escape. He found some old scaffolding which was helping to prop up a terribly built and crumbling old building, and nimbly darted to the rooftops where he could survey the streets below. Many guards. He thought to himself. And some farmers. Must be preparing for market. It was still dark, the deep blue of the early morning sky was beginning to give way to the brightness of the sun peeking over the distant hills on the horizon. Rhylancer knew the Knights had set up camp to the south of the town, so he would head west into the bazaar and towards the river, maybe he could go over the wall rather than through the gate. That was risky though, for the walls were high with little foot and hand holds. If he fell, his advantage would be handed to the enemy. No, whilst my good friend the Dark is still here, I will utilise his gift. Rhylancer began his escape to the West gate, scooting back down to ground level and in and out of alleyways like a stray cat. Regardless of who was walking past, he would press himself up against shadowy nooks, or behind boxes and barrels of junk. He wanted as few eyes on him as possible. At one point, he considered entering the town sewers, but the dirty water and conditions would most likely cause an infection of his wound, leading to more unnecessary complications. No. He would stick to the surface. It took a fair while to navigate the small and cramped streets of Pashin, staying out of sight as patrols moved from here and there. The sun had fully revealed itself in the distance now and the gloom had faded, so now Rhylancer needed a different approach. "Absconde me ab omnibus oculis" he muttered in a quiet whisper, his form suddenly changing. He became taller, more muscular, and his leathers had taken on an appearance of a Knight of the Skull, he knew he could now walk among the streets, just so long as nobody made contact with him. Over and over his plan was reviewed and assessed in his mind, he would walk to the gate, explain the murder of Sir Tresin and once out of the town, he would skulk through the bazaar and continue west towards the river. Once there he could follow the body of water north until he could divert North East to Ak-Khurman. He prayed to Sera’s soul that this would work, for he needed to report on the capture of Klaudia and hope to all the planes of existence she was still alive. As Rhylancer finally approached the gate, he could see four of the Knights guarding the structure. Two on the inside, and two outside. No, wait, there is another! A fifth was walking and conversing between the two before disappearing into the gatehouse. Who was this? A supervisor of some sort? The rumble and scraping of the huge wooden gates opening disrupted Rhylancers thoughts, it was now or never, but he had to look convincing. Sprinting towards the guards inside the gate, Rhylancer bent over, hands on knees when he reached them, feigning breathlessness. "Sir Tresin! Tresin has been murdered! The culprit is said to be hiding amongst the farmers by the River. I am to head there now, flush him out and extract the truth from him, or any of those harboring the criminal! Close the gates! No one is to enter or leave, lest they feel my wrath!" Rhylancer hoped that the known powers that a Knight of the Skull had, the ability to read thoughts, would be a convincing lie, and a guard seeing him in the garb of a Skull Knight, would obey his orders. Once again, Rhylancers fate laid elsewhere...

 

Actions & Notes Action: Cast Disguise Self (Knight of the Skull) Reaction: Bonus: Move: Effects: Arrows: 17/20 Notes etc: Spells Prepared: Disguise self | Entangle | Goodberry | Snare

Statblock Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia | Human (Variant) | Gloom Stalker Armor Class: 15 | Hit Points: 25/37 | Speed: 30 ft Melee Attack: +6 / 1D6+4 (Shortsword) or 1d4+4 (Dagger of Warning) Ranged Attack: +8 / 1D8+4 (Longbow) Str 8 (-1) | Dex 18 (+4) | Con 13 (+1) | Int 10 (+0) | Wis 16 (+3) | Cha 10 (+0) Saving throws: Str +1 | Dex +6 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Insight +5 | Investigation +2 | Perception +5 | Sleight of Hand +6 | Stealth +8 | Survival +5 Passive Perception: 15 Initiative: +7 | Hit Dice: 4/4d10 | Inspiration: 0 Abilities: When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can call on your mystical bond with nature to mark the target as your favored enemy for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The first time on each of your turns that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you can increase that damage by 1d4. You can use this feature to mark a favored enemy a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long restFavoured Foe Canny (2 extra languages, Double proficiency bonus (Stealth)Deft Explorer +2 to ranged attackFighting Style - Archery At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier. At the start of your first turn of each combat, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon's damage typeDread Ambusher Darkvision 60ft, Invisible to DarkvisionUmbral Sight Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or numberPrimeval Awareness FEATS You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits: - Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls. - Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover. - Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If that attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.Sharpshooter You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits: - You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding. - When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position. - Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.Skulker SPELLS You make yourself, including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person, look different until the spell ends or until you use your action to dismiss it. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller and can appear thin, fat, or in between. You can't change your body type, so you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you. The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this spell to add a hat to your outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing or would feel your head and hair. If you use this spell to appear thinner than you are, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch you would bump into you while it was seemingly still in midair. To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.Disguise Self (Free spell) Grasping weeds and vines sprout from the ground in a 20-foot square starting from a point within range. For the duration, these plants turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain. A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. When the spell ends, the conjured plants wilt away.Entangle Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration. A creature can use its action to eat one berry. Eating a berry restores 1 hit point, and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell.Goodberry Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (30 feet of cord or rope, which is consumed by the spell) Duration: Until dispelled or triggered While you cast this spell, you use the cord or rope to create a circle with a 5-foot radius on a flat surface within your reach. When you finish casting, the cord or rope disappears to become a magical trap. The trap is nearly invisible and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found. The trap triggers when a Small creature or larger moves into the area protected by the spell. The triggering creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone and be hoisted into the air until it hangs upside down 3 feet above the protected surface, where it is restrained. The restrained creature can make a Dexterity saving throw with disadvantage at the end of each of its turns and ends the restrained effect on a success. Alternatively, another creature that can reach the restrained creature can use an action to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against your spell save DC. On a success, the restrained effect also ends.Snare

[Elanir]

The Ruse A lone horn blared in the darkness, its cry urgent, frantically calling for attention. It was answered by other horns and the harsh sound of military boots treading the cobblestones of Pashin’s narrow streets with determination. Dark Knight patrols were fast approaching, summoned by Dame Joralyn’s call. The death of a Knight of Neraka could not go unpunished. The Legion’s assassin had no chance of escaping his rightful punishment. The city was firmly in the Order’s grip. He would hang - but first, the Adjudicator of the Code would have her way with him. When she was over, he would be glad to be taken to the gallows. Death would seem like the only way to finally make the pain stop. A Dark Knight’s horn The people of Pashin heard the horns too. They exchanged glances, but didn’t speak. No words were necessary for them to make sure that the door was barred and all light extinguished. They huddled together in silence, anxiously looking at the door, expecting heavy gauntlets to knock at it at any moment. The younger children started whimpering, while the older ones tried to calm them down with words of hope and comfort whispered in their ears, words that they didn’t believe in themselves. This was the true power of the Knights of Neraka. Fear cut deeper than the sharpest steel and the scars it left behind never healed. This wasn’t the first time that the Dark Knights were after the spies and assassins of the Legion of Steel. They knew perfectly well what they had to do to catch the scoundrel who had murdered Sir Tresin in retaliation for the arrest of Klaudia Lorne. All the streets around Old Omar’s Oddities were quickly blocked off, both the major road that ran from north to south, passing through the central square and dissecting the city in two, and all the smaller streets and narrow alleys that had been formed organically between the humble houses that replaced the evenly spaced Istarian buildings after the Cataclysm. Reinforcements arrived quickly from the Dark Knights’ Enclave and while groups of Nerakans looked for the criminal, others questioned the locals for any suspicious sightings. Those who looked suspicious or refused to cooperate were harshly escorted to the knights’ headquarters to be interrogated by dark mystics. Few of them would return to their homes before sunset. Most would spend their next days in the stockade. Some would disappear without trace and without explanation. Despite their speed and efficiency, the Knights of Neraka proved unable to apprehend Rhylancer. The Legionnaire took advantage of the still prevailing darkness of predawn to bypass with ease the groups of knights with burning torches in their hands, terrorizing the populace and searching the blind alleys, crooked streets and dark corners of the city. It was as if he had become one with the deep shadows, losing himself in them only to reappear later some distance away. This was an ability he had always possessed, though it had only been after Seraphina’s death that he had fully opened himself to the darkness. Some called it a talent, others some strange kind of magic. In truth, Rhylancer had merely sought to hide from the world. In this, however, his skills failed him, for the world always found him, he had come to realize, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it. By the time he emerged from the sealed off part of the city, the morning light had managed to penetrate most of Pashin’s neighborhoods, dispelling the night’s illusion of a well-off, orderly city, by revealing the dusty streets, cracked walls and ramshackle buildings that were in desperate need of repair. Life had been hard for the locals under Malystryx’s rule and though the people of Pashin had always found a way to survive even in the harshest conditions, few had been able to really thrive. The Legion had known this and had done its best to support those in need, but these days had passed. Rhylancer was the organization’s last free operative in Pashin and he would soon have to prove his ingenuity, if he didn’t want this to change. The city’s southern gate rose at the end of the main road, impressing everyone looking at it with its size and fortifications, especially now that it wasn’t guarded by a pair of bored Khurish soldiers, but a full talon of Knights of Neraka. Despite the early hour, two groups of people had formed next to it, one inside Pashin, the other outside, seeking to pass through it to go to their businesses. The knights carefully examined each and every individual, asking to see the written permit bearing a knight officer’s seal and directing those who didn’t possess it to the Knights’ Enclave. Those who protested or proved impatient were escorted to the Knight of the Thorn watching the crowd with contempt, who summoned fire, cold or lightning to suitably cower the men and women of Khur into submission. After a few such shows of force, spirits calmed down considerably and the people realized that antagonizing the Dark Knights instead of patiently waiting for their turn was only going to get them arrested or worse. As a Knight of the Skull resolutely walked towards the gate, the crowd hastily parted to allow him passage. Most people had heard stories about the powers of the dark mystics and they had no desire to find out whether these stories were true or not. "Sir Tresin! Tresin has been murdered!", the man barked and the few bystanders that recognized the name of the sorcerer who had burned those fighting for the liberation of their city at the main square mere days ago, lowered their heads to hide their macabre grins. In contrast, the Knights of the Lily guarding the gate reflexively put their hands on the hilt of their swords, seemingly alarmed by the news. Sir Tresin didn’t have many friends in the Order, but he was still a Knight of Neraka. If the people of Pashin had it in them to murder one of their own, the Order would have to further tighten its grip on the city until the populace started suffocating. "The culprit is said to be hiding amongst the farmers by the River", he continued grimly. "I am to head there now, flush him out and extract the truth from him, or any of those harboring the criminal! Close the gates! No one is to enter or leave, lest they feel my wrath!" Panic spread among the assembled locals like wildfire, as everyone started speaking at the same time, imploring the Knight of the Skull to allow them to go to their business and then seal the gate. Some raised their voices to be heard over the commotion, while one or two also raised their fists, shaking them in anger. An elderly woman, carrying two baskets full of eggs, fell to her knees in front of the newcomer, begging him to allow her to visit the bazaar which was located just outside the city walls. All she had were those eggs, she explained. If she didn’t sell them, she would grow hungry. Three Knights of the Lily tried to restore order by ordering the people back and then shoving them when their words weren’t heeded, but their attempts were in vain. Even the Knight of the Thorn conjuring flames out of his open palms fared little better. And then, suddenly, the talking and the yelling, the pleas and the threats ceased and everyone froze. Even the knights stood at attention, perfectly still. The Guardian of the Skull "Silence! Silence, I say!" A middle-aged man emerged from the nearby gatehouse, one hand on the hilt of the mace hanging from his belt, the other holding his helmet which had been fashioned like a grinning skull. The man was stern and obviously unhappy with what was transpiring in front of his gate, his piercing blue eyes looking around at the people who had been shouting moments ago. No one dared to meet his gaze, no one but the Skull Knight who had given the order to seal the gate behind him. "What’s this about closing the gate, Sir…?" The officer paused shortly, expecting the newcomer to provide his name and rank. When he didn’t respond, the officer continued. "I am in charge here and if you are carrying written orders from the General or the Adjudicator of the Code, they are to be presented to me and me alone." The Guardian of the Skull looked at the lone Skull Knight inquisitively, the lines of his frown deepening. "We belong to the same Order, but I do not recognize your face, Sir." Taking a few steps towards him, he suddenly stopped. His eyes narrowed. "So, Sir Tresin has been killed. Is this the work of rebels, of those who die with the words desert wind“Harr omel” in their mouth? If so, you will soon find yourself outnumbered, Sir. I cannot fathom why you would go after a murderer without at least a full talon to escort you, without a horse and attempting to exit Pashin through the busy southern gate and not that of the Enclave…" The officer raised an eyebrow and his gaze turned as icy as the wind blowing over the Icewall Glacier. He didn’t say it openly, but it was clear that he didn’t trust his fellow Knight of the Skull. Was this an attempt to make him look bad? Was someone in the Order trying to sabotage his career? With a subtle move, he placed the tips of his index and middle fingers on his temple and started chanting words only he understood. Rhylancer, still maintaining the aura of Spectramancy that allowed him to appear like a Skull Knight, felt the dark mystic’s attempt to penetrate his mental defenses and lay bare his deepest secrets. He gritted his teeth, trying to resist, but the Guardian of the Skull intensified his attack, the string of words he chanted now passing through his lips faster and louder. Beads of cold sweat started forming on the forehead of both men and soon afterwards they started flowing down their face. No one gave way. No one dared. But this strange draw couldn’t last for much longer. Sooner or later, one of them would break. Sooner or later, one of them would be either proven to be an imposter or a weakling. And then blood would flow. Again.

Calendar Aelmont (Winter) 422 AC / 38 SC, Dawn Southern Gate, Pashin, Khur

 

Notes
Sorry for the delay, Drifter One. Rhylancer has managed to reach the southern gate undetected, but the Skull Knight officer there obviously hasn’t bought his story and is trying to use his dark mysticism to read his mind and reveal his true identity.

If Rhylancer succeeds at resisting the Guardian of the Skull (see below), he will have to find a way to turn the situation around. He can once more try a social skill check (Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion) or do something more innovative and unexpected - fully up to you!

Necessary Actions:
Wisdom saving throw DC 13 to resist the Skull Knight’s mental probing.

Optional Actions:
None.

Conditions
Rhylancer: 25/37 HP, AC 15

 

[Drifter One]

Escaping Pashin Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia "Dammit, Sera! It’s not bloody working!" Rhylancer cursed, his browed beading with sweat and furrowed with effort, yet he just could not focus intently enough. "Darling, you’re trying too hard." Seraphina chortled, her delightful smile always tempering the fire that erupted inside Rhylancer. "You cannot force nature, Lance, you must feel it. Like…an emotion!" "Bah, I can’t do it!" He exclaimed with an exasperated hand gesture as he slumped onto his rump, leaning against a tree, quite exhausted. Sera crouched down next to him and brushed aside the sweaty strands of hair which impaired his face. "You can do it, as you have proven many times, my love. You are impatient. Your motivation and eagerness is dismissed all too easily, yet you readily accept defeat. Defeat is the easy option. The easy option is never the best option." She leaned in close and kissed him on the forehead. "You are like an petulant child!" Rhylancer could not help but laugh as he gazed deep into her green eyes, her magic pools of wisdom which he could quite happily sink into for days on end. Her gaze was enchanting, just like her personality. "Petulant, huh?" He said with a laugh and suddenly moved to grab Seraphina, tickling her in her ribs until she laughed so hard that tears formed in the corner of her eyes. I’ll give you petulant! He bellowed, mirroring her squeals of delight. They came together, rolling and tumbling in the autumn leaves which littered the grove, twigs and foliage sticking to their hair as they pursued their game. Eventually they came to a stop, rolling over onto their backs and looking gleefully at the clear sky, their chests heaving up and down as they breathed. "I love you." She whispered. Rhylancer smiled to himself. Defeat is the easy option! Her words echoed through his mind as he felt the probing thoughts of the Skull Knight trying to break into his mind. Defeat is not an option! Rhylancer took a deep breath, remembering Seraphina’s wise words from the grove that day. He had learned to harness the power, more so since she had gone, for it was more of a necessity than a parlour trick. He had managed to reflexively put up barriers to his mind, essential whilst in the employ of The Steel Legion, as the current dilemma was currently proving. The agent did not even flinch, instead he took a step towards the Skull Knight and stared deep into his evil eyes, resisting the mental siege. "You try your tricks on one more powerful than yourself, knight!" Rhylancer hissed. "Perhaps, in the light of current events, rather than question those trying to apprehend a murderer, one should be more focussed on sealing the gate as ordered. Unless, of course, you are part of the escape plan and allowed the perpetrator through?" He said, his eyebrow arching quizzically. "You didn’t allow anyone through, did you?" He asked, jabbing his gloved finger towards the Skull Knight. "Because, if you did, that would be treasonous to the order, and you know how we deal with traitors! Now," he continued through gritted teeth, "you can either continue questioning me, Sir Arganon; Skull Knight of the Order of Neraka and thus aiding the escape of a criminal, or," his voice raising to almost a shout, "allow me to continue in my pursuit of the accused! You can hear my Talon following me if you bothered to open you ears. Now step aside!" Rhylancer bit his tongue, hoping the Skull Knight would buy his story, if not, he had a back up plan. Well, two actually, but plan C should be avoided if possible…

 

Actions & Notes Action: Persuasion roll 16 - https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...59#post9941559Talking my way out of it Reaction: Bonus: Move: Effects: Arrows: 17/20 Notes etc: Spells Prepared: Disguise self | Entangle | Goodberry | Snare

Statblock Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia | Human (Variant) | Gloom Stalker Armor Class: 15 | Hit Points: 25/37 | Speed: 30 ft Melee Attack: +6 / 1D6+4 (Shortsword) or 1d4+4 (Dagger of Warning) Ranged Attack: +8 / 1D8+4 (Longbow) Str 8 (-1) | Dex 18 (+4) | Con 13 (+1) | Int 10 (+0) | Wis 16 (+3) | Cha 10 (+0) Saving throws: Str +1 | Dex +6 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Insight +5 | Investigation +2 | Perception +5 | Sleight of Hand +6 | Stealth +8 | Survival +5 Passive Perception: 15 Initiative: +7 | Hit Dice: 4/4d10 | Inspiration: 0 Abilities: When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can call on your mystical bond with nature to mark the target as your favored enemy for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The first time on each of your turns that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you can increase that damage by 1d4. You can use this feature to mark a favored enemy a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long restFavoured Foe Canny (2 extra languages, Double proficiency bonus (Stealth)Deft Explorer +2 to ranged attackFighting Style - Archery At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier. At the start of your first turn of each combat, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon's damage typeDread Ambusher Darkvision 60ft, Invisible to DarkvisionUmbral Sight Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or numberPrimeval Awareness FEATS You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits: - Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls. - Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover. - Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If that attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.Sharpshooter You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits: - You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding. - When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position. - Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.Skulker SPELLS You make yourself, including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person, look different until the spell ends or until you use your action to dismiss it. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller and can appear thin, fat, or in between. You can't change your body type, so you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you. The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this spell to add a hat to your outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing or would feel your head and hair. If you use this spell to appear thinner than you are, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch you would bump into you while it was seemingly still in midair. To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.Disguise Self (Free spell) Grasping weeds and vines sprout from the ground in a 20-foot square starting from a point within range. For the duration, these plants turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain. A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. When the spell ends, the conjured plants wilt away.Entangle Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration. A creature can use its action to eat one berry. Eating a berry restores 1 hit point, and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell.Goodberry Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (30 feet of cord or rope, which is consumed by the spell) Duration: Until dispelled or triggered While you cast this spell, you use the cord or rope to create a circle with a 5-foot radius on a flat surface within your reach. When you finish casting, the cord or rope disappears to become a magical trap. The trap is nearly invisible and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found. The trap triggers when a Small creature or larger moves into the area protected by the spell. The triggering creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone and be hoisted into the air until it hangs upside down 3 feet above the protected surface, where it is restrained. The restrained creature can make a Dexterity saving throw with disadvantage at the end of each of its turns and ends the restrained effect on a success. Alternatively, another creature that can reach the restrained creature can use an action to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against your spell save DC. On a success, the restrained effect also ends.Snare

[Elanir]

Hunters and Hunted Of the three Orders of the Knights of Neraka, the Order of the Skull was the most feared, both by the enemies of the Dark Knighthood and its members. Where the Knights of the Lily were trained in physical combat and battle tactics and the Knights of the Thorn channeled the primal sorcery of Krynn in order to overcome their opponents, the Knights of the Skull learned to incapacitate the body, manipulate the mind and corrupt the soul. They controlled the once divinely sent Vision and their very best served as Adjudicators of the Code, shaping the Knighthood both visibly and, most importantly, behind the scenes. Sir Josson, Guardian of the Skull Sir Josson, Guardian of the Skull, was one of the most accomplished members of the Order. A capable officer who had served the Dark Knighthood with distinction for many years, he had been personally selected by Dame Romira to take charge of Pashin’s southern gate, the one leading to the bazaar, and make sure that no enemy of the knights either entered or left the city. Ever conscious of his duty, Sir Josson took this task seriously, preferring to err on the side of caution rather than allow a Legion of Steel assassin, Solamnic spy or Khurish freedom fighter to sneak in or out of the city recently claimed by his Order. Thankfully, Sir Josson seemed to have a sixth sense that allowed him to detect schemers, traitors and imposters. It was this sixth sense of his that told him that Sir Arganon, if that was indeed the knight’s name, was suspect. Sir Josson had never heard of the man before, but that in itself was not strange. General Dogah had been gathering knights and soldiers from every corner of Ansalon, not merely regrouping the forces that had been driven out of Silvanesti by the minotaurs, though it was them that formed the core of his army. It was an army that appeared far too large to merely take a minor city like Pashin. The Guardian of the Skull found it very likely that the general’s ambitions didn’t stop at taking control of this insignificant corner of Khur. Perhaps, he meant to challenge the Great Khan for control of the whole country, seeking to add it to the Order’s traditional base of power in Neraka or, more likely, to restore and claim the office of Governor-General Mirielle Abrena, a woman that he was known to admire even after her death. General Dogah, of course, wasn’t the only one with plans and ambitions. Every Dark Knight sought to advance him- or herself in some way, taking advantage of the chaos that ensued after the demise of the Lord of the Night Morham Targonne and Mina’s disappearance in order to undermine their rivals inside the Order. It was obvious to Sir Josson that Sir Arganon served such an agenda and he feared that his intended target might be him, a decorated officer of the Order of the Skull. His lips tightened and his light blue eyes burned with cold fury. By the memory of the Dark Queen, he would not allow this man or anyone else to endanger all he had accomplished over the years! The guardian’s mental assault was relentless and he attacked Sir Arganon’s defenses with the determination of a battering ram, trying to bring down the invisible walls that kept the mysterious knight’s secrets hidden. Still, he might as well have been trying to force open the great stone gates of the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin by striking at them with his bare fists, for all that he accomplished. Each time their minds and wills collided, Sir Josson was left badly shaken, while his opponent didn’t seem to be affected at all. Not accepting his defeat, the guardian redoubled his efforts, taking hold of the feeling of outrage that burned inside him and wielding it against Sir Arganon like a weapon. He expected the man to crumble before this onslaught. He expected him to… Sir Josson tasted blood inside his mouth and the world started spinning around him, the faces of his fellow knights guarding the gate and the whispers of the crowd as the people watched the mental duel between the two Knights of the Skull, turning into a blur of color and noise. He had to close his eyes and get hold of the stone wall to keep himself from losing consciousness. He felt the blessed assurance of immovable stone against his hand and waited for the vertigo to pass, though each moment felt as long as a year. When he managed to open his eyes again, he realized that he was on his knees. Sir Arganon was standing right in front of him, looking at him accusingly. He spoke of treason and Sir Josson felt the cold hand of fear squeeze his heart until he could barely breathe. No one had ever resisted his dark mysticism in such a way. The only one who might have been able to do so would be a member of the Cabal of the True Heart, the Skull Knights who served as Adjudicators of the Code. One of Dame Romira’s own… All color left Sir Josson’s face and when he tried to rise to his feet, he swayed dangerously. A Knight of the Lily tried to steady him, but he angrily waved him away. Wrapping around himself the remnants of his dignity like a cloak, he saluted Sir Arganon, admitting his defeat and the other man’s greater authority. "Everything will be done as you order, Sir. The gate will be sealed as soon as you are through. No one but the members of our Order will either enter or leave until I hear from you again." Beckoning the knights under his command to immediately grant Sir Arganon passage, the Guardian of the Skull stood aside, remaining perfectly still and pointedly ignoring the looks of pity and concern that were directed at him. He had been humiliated in front of his talon and the people of Pashin and he would have loved to take revenge, but he was astute enough to know that he was lucky to have survived an encounter with an Adjudicator of the Code. The accusation of treason still hovered over his head and weighed so heavily he felt it might crush him. No one dared protest after the way that Sir Josson had been publicly chastised, and the people who had been begging Sir Arganon to let them pass scrambled out of his way as quickly as possible, fearing what he might do if he grew angry at them. The elderly woman carrying the baskets stumbled and fell in her haste, accompanied by the sound of breaking eggshells. Tears came to her eyes and she started sobbing. She seemed to have been telling the truth about growing hungry if she wasn’t permitted to sell these eggs and now she had not only nowhere to do so, but also nothing to sell. No one rushed to her aid. No one offered her words of comfort. Her neighbors and friends simply stared at their feet, fearing for their own lives and waiting for the hateful Skull Knight to finally go through the gate and leave them in peace now that the way was open. They would not be visiting the bazaar, working in the fields or fishing in the river, they knew. Not this day and quite likely not the day after either. They had to come to terms with the fact that their lives were no longer their own. That was the true power of the Dark Knights - tyranny and fear. Rhylancer passed through the gate, feeling all eyes on him. The fear and the hatred was almost palpable and he almost choked on the feeling. He had joined the Legion of Steel to defend the people and ensure their freedom, but now he was feared more than any Knight of Neraka in the city. He had managed to punish the one responsible for killing so many people during the “Harr Omel” insurrection and escape Pashin mostly unharmed, but at what cost? Dame Joralyn, Knight of the Lily "Sir Arganon! Please wait a moment, Sir!" A voice called out to him, a familiar voice, and Rhylancer froze. He slowly turned around, expecting the worst. The young female knight that had been with Sir Tresin, the one he had escaped from by binding her with vines, was running towards him, sweat glistening on her forehead. The woman stopped a few feet away from him and saluted respectfully. "My name is Joralyn, Sir, and I have been faithfully serving the Order as a Knight of the Lily for the past two years. I was at the gate and overheard the nature of your mission. I respectfully ask for permission to join you in your search, Sir. I do not doubt your abilities, Sir Arganon, but I can be of help to you. I was with Sir Tresin when the assassin from the Legion of Steel slew him and would have arrested him, had he not used his evil magic against me. I have wounded him, however, and taken a good look at his face. I am confident that I can recognize him anywhere. If you claim that he has already left Pashin, I believe you, Sir. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than aiding you in finding the scoundrel and bringing him back in chains." Dame Joralyn saw the Skull Knight’s mien darken, but she didn’t lose hope. She was still inexperienced, she knew, and the fact that Sir Arganon’s talon didn’t accompany him was proof that the man liked to work alone, but, as she had said, she could help him. More importantly, he could help her. Now that the assassin had managed to leave the city, proving more resourceful than the Dark Knights who had been after him, she doubted that she would be able to track him down on her own. But with the help of this powerful Skull Knight who could use his mysticism to crush the will of his opponents, nothing seemed impossible. "It is a matter of honor, Sir", she persisted, her eyes shining brightly. "It is my duty to arrest this man so that he can be properly interrogated and punished for slaying one of our own. Please, Sir, give me this chance and you won’t regret it. I swear it on my honor!" The female knight’s words were proud and passionate - and loud enough to have been overheard by the locals who were still standing in front of the southern gate. One in particular seemed to be especially interested in them. A tall woman, whose hair was as dark as her eyes that were blazing with determination, and whose skin had been touched by the sun of Khur and the wind of the desert, shifted slightly to better hear the conversation between the two Dark Knights. She had intended to enter the city, as she had done the previous day, but now she found herself intrigued by this Knight of the Skull who was looking for the Legionnaire who had apparently murdered Sir Tresin. She was aware of the dark sorcerer’s reputation and the role he had played in quelling the “Harr Omel” insurrection. In fact, she had been planning to assassinate him herself. Now that the Legion of Steel had beaten her to it, she no longer had to enter the city. Zahria pondered her next move. She didn’t care for the Legion of Steel, another foreign organization that believed to know better what the people of Khur wanted than they did themselves, but she had to admit that its members cared for and supported her brothers and sisters in need. In any case, the Knights of Neraka were the greater threat at this moment and she couldn’t let the chance to kill a high ranking dark mystic go to waste. The desert sand would soon drink his blood and cover his body, erasing all traces of his filthy existence. Bassir and his black riders were nearby and she could have easily had Hurriya deliver them a message, so that they would ambush the Skull Knight, but that would rob her of her chance to distinguish herself in the eyes of the Prophet. She was his Left Hand and was eager to prove that she could strike down his enemies just as she could help those who kept his words in their hearts. She was confident that she could best this Dark Knight, even if accompanied by the young woman who seemed so eager to join him. Zahria was an accomplished warrior and the Prophet’s fire burned inside her, granting her powers most black flames could only dream of. She would prevail, just as she had done in the past time and again. And the Dark Knights would rue the day they had set foot in the sacred land of Khur.

Calendar Aelmont (Winter) 422 AC / 38 SC, Dawn Southern Gate, Pashin, Khur

 

Notes
Rhylancer manages to cow Sir Josson into allowing him to pass, but now all eyes are on him, which makes it difficult to just blend in with the crowd. What makes matters worse is the fact that Dame Joralyn, eager to make up for her failure, seeks to join the man she is actually hunting down!

Zahria has her own plans. She sees a hateful tyrant in Sir Arganon and is eager to strike him down, not knowing his true identity. I will allow a certain amount of PvP before the misunderstanding is cleared up, though I don’t want to see a PC dying or suffering permanent harm at the hands of another PC. This is my prerogative alone!

I am very eager to see how you’ll proceed!

Necessary Actions:
None.

Optional Actions:
None.

Conditions
Rhylancer: 25/37 HP, AC 15
Zahria: 35/35, AC 13

 

[Drifter One]

Escaping Pashin Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia The turmoil inside Rhylancer was real; it pained him so much to see the poor people of Pashin, starving and poor, entirely oppressed by the vile Knights of Neraka. The Steel Legion were supposed to aid in the liberation of such a place, yet, instead, they found themselves fleeing the town. The only knowledge that lessened the blow to the agent was that he was the last to go. He good do nothing more here. Not alone, anyhow. His gaze fell upon the poor woman who had dropped to her knees, sobbing that her only source of income had shattered and now lay broken and spread across the dust. Rhylancers’ heart sank, and wished the Gods would help those in need, but those divine powers abandoned them long ago. Hope and belief in the heavens were long gone. Rhylancer turned his attention back to Sir Josson, only moments ago, proud and resolute, but now reduced to a pale, husk of the man, weakened and humbled. Silently, Rhylancer thanked Seraphina, although he knew she could not hear him. "Sir Josson. If you ever stop me again, or try and chastise me, I shall have you flogged and left to rot above the gates of Pashin for all to see. The Knights of Neraka do not tolerate insolence! Are we clear!?" Rhylancer turned on his heel and strode out of the gate. "You have your Orders!" He bellowed over his shoulder. As he walked under the archway, he felt a suddenly weight lift from his shoulders as he could taste the freedom from the Knights oppressive occupation. He afforded himself a slight smile as he made his way to the bazaar, where he could make his true escape. He was looking forward to getting to safety where he could relax a little and enjoy a bowl of warm stew and a hunk of farmhouse bread. He hadn’t eater for over a day now, and the hunger pangs were getting worse. Just as his thoughts had turned to a hearty meal, a voice calling after him made his blood go cold. "Sir Arganon! Please wait a moment, Sir!" Damn the determination of that woman! Dame Joralyn had followed Rhylancer and now posed a difficult dilemma. He could order her to remain in the town, of course, but then that would immediately raise suspicions, and why would a senior officer reject the aid of a witness to a murder? It just wouldn’t make any sense. And then, if he agreed for her to accompany him, what then? He could not keep his disguise forever and she would discover his identity sooner or later. Rhylancers mind began to race, although his head hurt and he was emotionally exhausted from the mental onslaught from Sir Josson. "So be it." He said with a wave of his hand. It was a problem that would have to wait for now; he could deal with it later, he hoped. "Your resolute sense of honour is…commendable." Rhylancer muttered. "Walk with me." He said, maintaining his direct and deliberate persona. "Tell me, Joralyn. Tell me of what you know of this assassin. Tell me what you witnessed." He asked Dame Joralyn in order to keep her distracted with recalling and re-telling events from the shop as he tried to hatch a plan as they walked down to the bazaar. Once there, he could either “off” her, or send her on a wild goose chase whilst he made his escape. Yes. That would be the right thing to do. As they continued to walk down towards the bazarre, just before they would lose themselves in the shabby structures and grubby tents flapping in the dusty wind, Rhlancer halted. Joralyn. He began. Our perpetrator could be hiding anywhere in there. We will need to do a full sweep. You start from the south and I from the North. We shall meet in the middle. Understood? Rhylancer hope beyond all hope that he could be rid of this dame and lose her in the bazaar, freeing him to make his way north to Ak-Khurman.

 

Actions & Notes Action: Heading to the bazaar Reaction: Bonus: Move: Effects: Arrows: 17/20 Notes etc: Spells Prepared: Disguise self | Entangle | Goodberry | Snare

Statblock Rhylancer DuCroix of Solamnia | Human (Variant) | Gloom Stalker Armor Class: 15 | Hit Points: 25/37 | Speed: 30 ft Melee Attack: +6 / 1D6+4 (Shortsword) or 1d4+4 (Dagger of Warning) Ranged Attack: +8 / 1D8+4 (Longbow) Str 8 (-1) | Dex 18 (+4) | Con 13 (+1) | Int 10 (+0) | Wis 16 (+3) | Cha 10 (+0) Saving throws: Str +1 | Dex +6 | Con +1 | Int +0 | Wis +3 | Cha +0 Skills: Insight +5 | Investigation +2 | Perception +5 | Sleight of Hand +6 | Stealth +8 | Survival +5 Passive Perception: 15 Initiative: +7 | Hit Dice: 4/4d10 | Inspiration: 0 Abilities: When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can call on your mystical bond with nature to mark the target as your favored enemy for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The first time on each of your turns that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you can increase that damage by 1d4. You can use this feature to mark a favored enemy a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long restFavoured Foe Canny (2 extra languages, Double proficiency bonus (Stealth)Deft Explorer +2 to ranged attackFighting Style - Archery At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier. At the start of your first turn of each combat, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon's damage typeDread Ambusher Darkvision 60ft, Invisible to DarkvisionUmbral Sight Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or numberPrimeval Awareness FEATS You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits: - Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls. - Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover. - Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If that attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.Sharpshooter You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits: - You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding. - When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position. - Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.Skulker SPELLS You make yourself, including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person, look different until the spell ends or until you use your action to dismiss it. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller and can appear thin, fat, or in between. You can't change your body type, so you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you. The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this spell to add a hat to your outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing or would feel your head and hair. If you use this spell to appear thinner than you are, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch you would bump into you while it was seemingly still in midair. To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.Disguise Self (Free spell) Grasping weeds and vines sprout from the ground in a 20-foot square starting from a point within range. For the duration, these plants turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain. A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. When the spell ends, the conjured plants wilt away.Entangle Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration. A creature can use its action to eat one berry. Eating a berry restores 1 hit point, and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day. The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell.Goodberry Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (30 feet of cord or rope, which is consumed by the spell) Duration: Until dispelled or triggered While you cast this spell, you use the cord or rope to create a circle with a 5-foot radius on a flat surface within your reach. When you finish casting, the cord or rope disappears to become a magical trap. The trap is nearly invisible and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found. The trap triggers when a Small creature or larger moves into the area protected by the spell. The triggering creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone and be hoisted into the air until it hangs upside down 3 feet above the protected surface, where it is restrained. The restrained creature can make a Dexterity saving throw with disadvantage at the end of each of its turns and ends the restrained effect on a success. Alternatively, another creature that can reach the restrained creature can use an action to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against your spell save DC. On a success, the restrained effect also ends.Snare

[Mindsiege]

Zahria These were astounding news, warranting an immediate change of plans. The name that the Skull Knight barked over the noise surrounding the southern gate was nothing Zahria had expected to hear in this place. Sir Tresin? After the last few days of simmering anger, it was as if all the fantasies of leaving the Butcher of the Red Square in a heap of smoldering ashes went up in a plume of smoke. But of course, it did nothing for Zahria to let go of the violent emotions that had now lost their immediate target. Someone got to him first? By the Gods, I pray that his death wasn't an easy one... Hiding within the crowd at the gate, Zahria kept her rapt attention on the exchange between the two accursed skull knights, full of bluster as they were. The Dark Knights rarely allowed themselves public displays of infighting, and as an ardent fighter for the freedom of Khur, Zahria would pose as the eyes and will of the Prophet and make sure to act on any opportunity to capitalize on their discord. Spying on the tyrants from within the crowd gave Zahria something to focus on, when otherwise she might have had to meditate on the Prophet's teachings to temper the flood of her wrath. Apparently Sir Tresin's assassin had already made their escape from the city, and in spite of the gate leader's warning, the Skull Knight Sir Arganon was going to take up the chase all by himself. A mortal folly, if Zahria would have anything to say about it. The undisguised murder blazing in her eyes might be satisfied yet. For the sake of infiltrating Pashin, Zahria had been allowed to deviate from the black dress code that the Prophet's disciples typically adhered to. Right now she was posing as a mere caravan guard, an identity that allowed her to keep her weapons on her person when the guise of an old woman was just as likely to be turned away at the gate by the rigid knights. In either case, compared to the other commoners Zahria stood out a little more than she might have liked to, but Sir Arganon seemed convinced that the assassin he sought was not among them, and he passed through the gate without suspecting his mortal enemy that was now on his tail. But Zahria wasn't the only woman about to follow the skull knight to the end of his fate. A red-haired Knight of the Lily caught up with Sir Arganon before Zahria had much chance to overtake him and set up an ambush point along the road. The temptation to drop her composure and demonstrate to her intimidated brothers and sisters that the spark of rebellion was not yet lost was great, but Zahria knew that they were still too close to the gate. While the might bestowed to her by the Prophet was considerable, certainly enough to end the dark mystic in front of her, endangering the civilians where they would stand between Zahria and the knight's reinforcements was not acceptable for the good of all. So gritting her teeth and mentally ordering Hurriya to scout the road ahead, Zahria held back and listened from a safe distance as the Lily Knight made her case. The assassin was from the Legion of Steel? Even though it left a bitter aftertaste, Zahria had to commend their agent for completing the job that she had intended to carry out herself. Cleaning up after the legionnaire by killing Sir Arganon and his Lily Knight companion seemed mighty generous to Zahria, but of course there was no question left that she would do it. If she had wanted to, Zahria could have easily sent Hurriya to Bassir and the other black flames and gotten them to share in putting the Skull Knight to justice. It might have been the prudent thing to do. But Zahria had no more stomach for prudence right then. The blaze of her heart was burning so fiercely that it seemed to hurt, and with the power and trust of the Prophet vested in her, Zahria would make Him proud with a report that she had struck down his foes all on her own. She and Hurriya would be enough. The cry of the desert for more dark knight blood would be sated soon. Very soon.

 

Zahria's actions Movement: - Action: - Bonus Action: - Reaction: - Misc: Active Mage Armor Rolls: -

Hurriya's actions Movement: - Action: - Bonus Action: - Reaction: - Notes: -

Stat Block Zahria | Warlock (Celestial) | Level 4 | Inspiration [ ] HP: 35/35| HD: 4/4d8 | AC: 16/13 | Prof Bonus: +2 | PP: 9 | INI: +3 | Speed: 30 ft. Attributes & Saves: Str 10 (+0), Dex 16 (+3), Con 14 (+2), Int 10 (+0), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 16 (+3) Skill proficiencies: Athletics (+2), Intimidation (+5), Investigation (+2), Sleight of Hand (+5), Stealth (+5) Other proficiencies: Common, KhurishLanguages | Light armorArmor Proficiencies | Simple weapons, scimitar, shortsword, longbow, netWeapon Proficiencies | Thieves' Tools, Disguise KitTool Proficiencies Class abilities: At 1st level, you gain the ability to channel celestial energy to heal wounds. You have a pool of d6s that you spend to fuel this healing. The number of dice in the pool equals 1 + your warlock level. As a bonus action, you can heal one creature you can see within 60 feet of you, spending dice from the pool. The maximum number of dice you can spend at once equals your Charisma modifier (minimum of one die). Roll the dice you spend, add them together, and restore a number of hit points equal to the total. Your pool regains all expended dice when you finish a long rest.Healing Light (5/5) | You learn the find familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual. The spell doesn't count against your number of spells known. When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite. Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack with its reaction.Pact of the Chain | You can communicate telepathically with your familiar and perceive through your familiar's senses as long as you are on the same plane of existence. Additionally, while perceiving through your familiar's senses, you can also speak through your familiar in your own voice, even if your familiar is normally incapable of speech.Voice of the Chain Master | Whenever you regain hit points while your familiar is within 100 feet of you, treat any dice rolled to determine the hit points you regain as having rolled their maximum value for you.Gift of the Ever-Living Ones Feats & Background: As a black flame, you have access to a secret network of supporters and operatives who can provide assistance on your adventures. You know a set of secret signs and passwords you can use to identify such operatives, who can provide you with access to a hidden safe house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true identities.Safe Haven | You gain proficiency with four weapons of your choice. Each one must be a simple or a martial weapon [Scimitar, Shortsword, Longbow, Net].Weapon Master | Once per turn, when you hit a target with a melee weapon attack or a ranged weapon attack using a thrown weapon, you can imbue the attack with an additional effect depending on the benefit you chose: Fire Strike. The target takes an extra 1d10 fire damage.Strike of the Giants | You can cast Mage Armor on yourself without expending a spell slot.Eldritch Adept: Armor of Shadows Equipment: This piece of coal generates a gentle aura of heat, keeping all creatures within 15 feet of it basked in warmth as if they were warming themselves by a hearth.Remnant of Fire | Falconry glove (arcane focus) | Attack bonus (+5), slashing damage (1d6+3), Finesse, lightSabre | Attack bonus (+5), piercing damage (1d8+3), Ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, two-handedComposite bow | Attack bonus (+5), Special, thrown (range 5/15)Net | Attack bonus (+5), piercing damage (1d4+3), Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)Curved dagger | Attack bonus (+5), piercing damage (1d4+3), Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)3x Khanjar Spellcasting: Pact Magic Level 2 (2/2) | Spell DC (13) | Spell Attackbonus (+5) Cantrips: Create Bonfire, Friends, Green-Flame Blade, Light, Sacred Flame Armor of Shadows: Mage Armor Level 1 Spells: Cure Wounds, Find Familiar Level 2 Spells: Flaming Sphere, Invisibility, Misty Step, Suggestion

Familiar Stat Block Hurriya | Tiny Celestial | Lawful Neutral HP: 7/7| HD: 2/2d4 | AC: 13 | Prof Bonus: +2 | PP: 14 | INI: +3 | Speed: 10 ft., fly 60 ft. Attributes: Str 6 (-2), Dex 16 (+3), Con 13 (+1), Int 10 (+0), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 10 (+0) Skills: Perception (+4) Languages: Understands Common and Khurish but can't speak them Racial abilities: Blindsight 10 ft., Darkvision 60 ft.Senses | Hurriya has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.Keen Sight | Hurriya has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.Magic Resistance | Hurriya can magically communicate simple ideas, emotions, and images telepathically with any creature within 100 feet of it that can understand a language.Limited Telepathy Actions: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) slashing damage.Talons