Keranos wrinkles his nose, confused by the prospect of initiating an attack before their adversaries are even aware that there's supposed to be a distraction, but as the saying goes, you can't unring a bell.
He wastes no time in calling down a massive thunderbolt, large enough to arc between all four would-be victims of Thosar's web attack.
((Cast Shatter to hit all four creatures in the Web. DC 13 Constitution save to take half damage.
((It's okay; Fhiess is carrying the letter we'll send to express our deepest condolences. Besides, everyone knows only royalty can afford to purchase cars these days. The tax on those things is too high.
((It's okay; Fhiess is carrying the letter we'll send to express our deepest condolences. Besides, everyone knows only royalty can afford to purchase cars these days. The tax on those things is too high.
Bite vs. Ludwig: 1d20 + 4 = 12
Damage: 2d4 + 2 = 7
DC 11 STR check to not be knocked prone if that hits
((Dire Wolf C circles around Ludwig and attacks))
Code:
Bite vs. Ludwig: 1d20 + 5 = 18
Damage: 2d6 + 3 = 8
DC 13 STR check to not be knocked prone if that hits
EDIT: Mysterious forces ensure that you can't possibly fail that check!
((Dire Wolf A moves 50ft toward the group in the south.))
((Hobgoblin Devastator casts Ice Storm centered on Nyx and Ludwig, making it difficult terrain until the end of his next turn))
Code:
Bludgeoning damage: 2d8 = 12
Cold damage: 4d6 = 16
Arcane Advantage: 2d6 = 8
Total: 36, reflex save DC 13 for half damage
By the time the hobgoblins decide that Peaseblossom’s payload of Sagishi’s firecrackers poses no further danger to them, they are already under attack as the Endowed launch a pincer attack to come at the compound from both the north and south.
Thosar makes the first move, ducking beneath Ludwig’s elevated torso to cast a spell that lays down a mass of webs as thick as a snowdrift centered on the quartet of goblins and hobgoblins to the east of the tower. One of the goblins nimbly escapes being snared, but still struggles to pick his way out of the sticky mess before retreating a few strides to the north. One of the hobgoblins bursts free in a feat of strength and stumbles beyond the perimeter. The remaining goblin isn’t even visible anymore, lost under foot upon foot of adhesive spider silk. Galen attempts to target the hapless creature with an arrow, but it sticks harmlessly in the webbing. The second hobgoblin scarcely has a moment to register surprise at finding himself so hopelessly restrained before Galen’s second arrow goes straight through its eye with enough force to protrude out the back of his head.
Keranos steps forward and calls down thunder and lightning from the sky, slaying the goblin who was fortunate enough to escape Thosar’s web trap and leaving the remaining two combatants on death’s doorstep.
Keranos:
The moment you invoke your command of storms and thunder and feel the divine energy flow through your body, you are possessed of an all-consuming vision. There is a hooded figure standing with its back to you at the center of an amphitheatre of rotted masonry and crumbling statuary. The fabric of its cloak whips about in the wind of the cyclonic storm clouds circling slowly in the sky directly above the figure. There is a crack of thunder as it turns its head to glance over its shoulder at you, and you are left with the indelible impression that something immensely powerful has noticed you.
The vision abruptly clears and leaves you exactly where you last knew yourself. Though you experienced it for only a fraction of a moment yourself, it seems to have taken literally no time at all in the waking world.
Inspired by Fheiss’s words, Ludwig charges forward with his outsized sword drawn, the perfect weapon for taking on an outsized wolf. He underestimates the giant wolf’s dextrous build, though, as the dire wolf twists aside and turns what would have otherwise been a killing blow into only a flesh wound. Before it even has time to recover, Nyx--having taken on the form of a dire wolf herself--sinks her sizable teeth into the beast’s flank.
The brewing battle providing even more distraction than a handful of fireworks could ever hope for, Sagishi dashes into position and assumes a human shape once more, ready to spring the next of the beasts from its confinement. The owlbear’s claws scrape against the iron bars of the cage as it paws at the cage, its avian gaze fixed firmly on the battle between the wolves, Ludwig, and Nyx. The eagle’s agitation grows even greater, trying its best to recoil from the conflict occurring practically right before it while the ape pounds its chest and howls in a threat display.
Despite the fact that nearly a quarter of their number have been dealt a crushing blow in the opening salvo of their opponents, the goblinoid forces and their mounts waste no time mourning their losses. The dire wolf nearest Keranos moves in on the alleged godling, attempting to sink its canines into the flesh of his forearm, but is thwarted by heavy plate armor. The dire wolf is followed by one of its smaller kin and the two bugbears, but they are not closing the gap nearly so quickly.
Looking over and past the hackles of the dire wolf before him, Keranos can see the air fill with a luminous dust. The smaller wolf and one of the bugbears fall unconscious where they stand. The second bugbear staggers and yawns, but remains standing.
From somewhere near Keranos’s shoulder, he hears the tinkling laughter of the invisible Peaseblossom. “
I’m helping!
” she giggles.
((Bugbear B and Wolf B are unconscious))
The dire wolf engaged with Nyx and Ludwig dances around the J’raffa and attempts to take a bite out of the paladin’s spotted haunches while one of its lesser cousins attempts to latch onto Ludwig’s ankle and worry it like a worn bone. The final remaining dire wolf closes the distance from the compound’s eastern gate, its jaws slavering with gelatinous drool.
The wiry-looking hobgoblin who had previously been stationed on the lookout platform unslings the quarterstaff from his back and waves it in the direction of the southern gate, his movements precise and his lips uttering arcane invocations. The sky opens up above Ludwig and Nyx, dropping hailstones the size of gourds as though they were hurled by hurricane force winds, pounding the ground around them and churning it into ice-filled craters.
Meanwhile, the boar seems to decide better of getting involved with the raging fight of wolves, J’raffa, and ice storms, and instead winds his way north through the cages, stopping just past the still-caged scorpion and snake. He turns heel and faces the tower at the center, grunting and pawing the earth as he lowers his massive, warted head.
Fhiess, from where he kneels, casts another spell to help his friends in his immediate vicinity. He projects thoughts into the mind of the smaller wolf near Ludwig, bestowing the idea of a large shadow looming over the battlefield as a giant eagle swoops down to grasp it and puncture its claws into it before carrying it off to be fed upon.
<Casting Phantasmal Force on Wolf A, spell save DC 13 vs. Int
Possible psychic damage this turn: 1D6 => (2) = 2
No movement, at least not yet anyway>
<To the party members:
Let's capture the Dire Wolf on the right side of the map
((I think the dire wolf's movement gives Nyx an opportunity attack. If she kills it during the movement, I think that may prevent its attack on ludwig. Also, that caster needs a good killing, our ranged guys seem more suited to that particular operation.))
Noting the hobgoblin in the center of the camp using strong magic, Thosar tries to direct fire at him. "That one using magic is dangerous! Try to hit him while he's casting Galen!"
((Hmm, guess I'll go for the ape since it seems as if the eagle might just fly away in fright. Hopefully Galen is ready to command it so that it does not mistake our druid for one if the enemies. ))
Sagishi finally produces his lock picking tools and gets to work on the lock hushing gently to the captured animal inside.
He barely has to do more than push a random tool inside the simple mechanism before it clambers to the floor. "Too easy..." he mumbles in disappointment.
He then makes his way to the cage with the ape, casting a sad glance at the miserable eagle. "Sorry buddy, I promise you only have to wait a little bit longer."
He stands before the cage with the large primate, more than a little intimidated, but gathers his courage to look the creature in the eyes, holding up his tools. "You better remember that I helped you, my friend."
The lock is just as simple as the others have been but on top of it, it is so old that it appears to be shut close by a thick layer of rust that proves to be a bigger problem than the actual mechanism.
((I still think a 10 might suffice if not I'll use the Bardic Inspiration to get to a 12.))
When the door finally opens, Sagishi quickly steps back to get at least some distance between him and the animal.
((Sagishi moves to 29 O can't update the map from mobile. One question regarding bonus actions and actions, again. I guess the first lock is my actual action and the second my bonus action from the critical? Or could they both be counted as bonus actions because Fast Hands, you know? Because in this case Sagishi could still loose a bolt on the hobgoblin magician.))
((You only get one bonus action per turn. In this case, you would use your bonus ation for the first lock, move to the next, then use your standard action on it. Then use the rest of your move as written.
((Yeah, looks like Fast Hands only adds Sleight of Hand, disarming raps, opening locks, or Use an Object to the list of available actions under Cunning Action.
So essentially you already have the ability to pick a lock as a bonus action. Son of a...))
((Yeah, looks like Fast Hands only adds Sleight of Hand, disarming raps, opening locks, or Use an Object to the list of available actions under Cunning Action.
So essentially you already have the ability to pick a lock as a bonus action. Son of a...))
((Mother fucker, he's just down outright, 36 is an insane amount of damage. Plus the bite is 44, and I only had 43 HP with the buff ))
Ludwig completely halts the smaller wolf's attack and shrugs off the dire wolf's assault easily enough, preparing to strike it down with a brutal counter. Before he gets the chance, however, Ludwig gets slammed by a huge number of hailstones. The magically enhanced barrage is slightly more than he can weather after the dire wolf bite, taking the J'raffa to the ground.
((Edit: forgot about Nyx's AoO, I should probably wait and see how that resolves before assuming Ludwig's dying again.))
((I dip my toe in the workforce for all of a week and all of the sudden I forget how to D&D))
((Actually, you didn't go down. You should roll for concentration and whatever attacks you plan on making. Don't forget to add bless to your con save. You may still need to make the roll for the strength saving throw vs dire wolf.))
MikeM:
I was trying to give him the portent for the ice storm. I didn't notice the dire wolf saving throw. :s
Okay, Nyx needs to make an AoO attack to see if that takes out the dire wolf, but Ludwig makes the ice storm save at the expense of automatically making the dire wolf save (should it survive).
Okay, Nyx needs to make an AoO attack to see if that takes out the dire wolf, but Ludwig makes the ice storm save at the expense of automatically making the dire wolf save (should it survive).
((Huh, well then. See above about me missing half of what's going on these days . Not sure what hit and what didn't if he's still up, so I'll roll for the dire wolf and ice storm. Nyx's attack kind of determines what Ludwig will do, so I'll write up two things based on whether she killed it. Party;
That still leaves that dire wolf to the north to be caught!
))
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=145694]Constitution Save Dire Wolf Bite: 1D20 + 2 = [19]+2 = 21
[/url]((Forgot bless, but oh well, passed anyway. No need for second advantage roll here.))
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=145698]Constitution Save Ice Storm: 1D20 + 1D4 + 2 = [13]+[3]+2 = 18
[/url] ((No need for the advantage roll on this one either))
Option 1- If dire wolf is still alive post Nyx AoO]:
The dire wolf's attack proves relatively ineffective against the massive quadrupedal paladin, only leaving a minor wound and utterly failing to bring him to the ground. The ice is considerably more damaging, but Ludwig miraculously manages to dodge the worst of it, allowing him to bring the Invisible Hand against the injured dire wolf once more. He withholds using more magic to smite again, saving his energies for the less injured opponents
((Forgot my great weapon reroll, but it wound up making no difference anyway. For option 2 where the AoO killed the dire wolf, I need to know if Ludwig's quadroped trait that lets him bypass difficult terrain on grass or bare earth would apply with the ice storm area. That'll determine whether he rushes the tower or stays put and heals himself. No change to the map for now.))
Keranos barely registers the sizable dire wolf standing in his face. Rather than acknowledge it, he throws his hands up and looks straight up into the sky. Thunder bellows nearby.
"PRETENDER!" he screams. "IMPOSTOR! FALSE IDOL!"
((If you'll permit some cinematic indulgence...))
The sky grows dark as clouds conjure overhead, seemingly from nowhere. The air chills and wind whips loose clothing to and fro.
"TALOS! IF YOU THINK I'LL BE COWED BY YOUR MYSTERIOUS VISIONS, YOU'VE SORELY UNDERESTIMATED ME! SHOW YOURSELF, SO THAT WE CAN SETTLE THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL AND DETERMINE THE ONE TRUE GOD OF STORMS!"
A flurry of purple lightning bolts strike all over the encampment. One of them happens to strike the watchtower.
((Move out of range of the Dire Wolf and cast Eldrich Blast on the goblin-mage on the tower.
[15] + 5 = 20
Damage: [3] + 3 = 6.
I will also push the goblin off of the tower with Repellent Blast))
((Sweet, plan is just about a go then. One last thing I almost forgot. I think you said the tower was about 30 feet high. With Ludwig's height and his large sword, would he be able to get a swing on the goblin if he's one square away, or would it still be out of reach?
((Ah, right. Well, assuming the hobgoblin got pushed 10 feet away from Keranos, that just puts him closer to Ludwig. He could cover the distance regardless, so it's all good.)) [Option 2: Nyx's AoO kills the Dire Wolf]
With the dire wolf disposed of, Ludwig turns his gaze toward the hobgoblin responsible for the damaging ice storm. He breaks into a charge, his hooves undeterred by the icy ground. As Ludwig draws near the spellcaster, his eyes take on a red glow. Heaving the Invisible Hand into the air and filling it with smiting magic, He brings it down upon the hobgoblin, aiming to make that ice storm the last spell it ever casts.
((Using vow of emnity as a bonus action to get advantage on attacks against the casting hobgoblin.
((27 damage total. Updated map assuming the hobgoblin got knocked back 10 feet, otherwise it's still at Q17 and Ludwig would be right below it there.))
((Ice storm happened after the wolf moved. The wolf survived the AoO, so his attack against Ludwig stands. Ludwig's scenario where he attacks it finishes it off.))
Thosar senses a momentary lapse in the central hobgoblin's mental fortitude and takes advantage. "THROW!" He shouts at the caster, before taking a better position away from the freed animals.
((Casting command on the hobgoblin devastator to have him throw his quarterstaff, that should end his turn when he does that. Will dc 12
MikeM:
Nyx casts moonbeam on top of the devastator.
DC 13 con saving throw for half damage(im assuming he is not a shapeshifter so that stuff probably wont apply) Nyxbeam: 2D10 = [5, 1] = 6
((So, about Galen's next action, his current objective is the death of the watchgoblin, but Nezumi also released the ape, which might require direction to not murder Nyx, though, if it has been watching this ordeal, should have seen which side she is on; Galen could impale the watchgoblin with small sticks or discuss matters with the ape. Should the watchgoblin fall, should Galen continue his path through the camp, or spend an action on the ape? Or, if it does not, ape or watchgoblin?
Galen also wants to try something on those bugbears...
As a fun note, Galen's been wanting a quarterstaff...
To the party:
The real reason to cage the dire wolves is to not have to deal with them, but that one seems quite well taken care of. If we want to pursue the course of capturing one, we at least have a couple more.
((Watchgoblin is way more dangerous and we know he's gonna try to kill us. Since nyx is no longer a wolf, the Ape is less likely to want to throttle her and could try going after goblins and dire wolves.))
((I'd also vote for shooting the mage now that the direwolf confusion is resolved. If he can pull of another spell things might start to look grim really fast or does him loosing his staff mean he can't use magic anymore?))
((I'd also vote for shooting the mage now that the direwolf confusion is resolved. If he can pull of another spell things might start to look grim really fast or does him loosing his staff mean he can't use magic anymore?))
((That's what I'm hoping. If nothing else, it keeps him from doing anything for a round. Either way, it'd be best if he got dealt with in a quick manner.))
((Thanks for pointing out the loss of wildshape; I had barely been able to keep up with everyone's actions and skipped over that for later reading as simply related to attacks of opportunity. That does simplify things.))
Galen stops within the general area of the cages as the combat rages around him, reaching for another arrow. Already the party has taken down a few of the enemy, having caught them unaware. As much momentum as his group has, however, Galen cannot help but feel concern as a barrage of ice falls upon his allies. He casts his gaze upon the hobgoblin with the staff and swiftly navigates around the eagle's cage, pulling out the arrow and drawing back his bowstring.
With focus, he brings his aim upon the enemy, releasing the projectile with a shout: "Eyes on me!"
#blessed 9/10
Pre-post edit: You know, I can't help but hope that attack roll makes it. If it falls short, you all can give Galen your greatest complaints.))
#blessed 9/10
Pre-post edit: You know, I can't help but hope that attack roll makes it. If it falls short, you all can give Galen your greatest complaints.))
((And that's why you can give him your greatest of complaints; he could easily have it for sure. The problem is that, from what I know, I can't see a 15 not hitting, but there is still room for me to not know some very important things.
Which is why I have thought of this: since I can easily ask what a hobgoblin that Galen can see is wearing, my use of Bardic Inspiration can be based on that information, right? So if the watchgoblin is wearing, say, leather or robes and has no shield, Galen will hold on to Fhiess gift of inspiration.
Therefore, provided it appears the watchgoblin is wearing metal armor, or if it is carrying a shield, I will apply Inspired Inspiration to Galen's attack role. Anything less than that, and I am fairly certain a 15 should hit, and am willing to take that risk.
I think it sounds good, but am open to appending it.))
((Hobgoblin Devastator rolls a 1 on his saving throw vs. Nyxs original casting of Moonbeam, and is subject to additional damage for starting his turn within its radius))
((Wolf A is going to try to move to Y20, prompting an AoO from Ludwig that will probably kill him.))
((Dire Wolf B attacks Keranos))
Code:
Bite attack vs. Keranos: 1d20 + 5 = 10
Damage: 2d6 + 3 = 6
DC 13 STR check to remain standing if hit
((Bugbear A moves up and also attacks Keranos. If the wolf had been patient enough to let Bugbear A get there first, he would have had advantage due to Pack Tactics, but wolves are dumb!))
((Goblins B and C and Hobgoblin B move closer to the Hobgoblin Devastator with their bows and hold their action))
((Hobgoblin Devastator throws his quarterstaff, which busts open the lock on the scorpions cage. He then burns a bonus action to disengage from Ludwig and moves to climb onto Dire Wolf A. Dire Wolf A moves toward the eastern gate to the compound))
((Giant Scorpion moves forward to attack Galen))
Code:
Claw attack 1 vs. Galen: 1d20 + 4 = 8
Damage: 1d8 + 2 = 6
Grappled if hit with a DC 12 STR check to escape
Claw attack 2 vs. Galen: 1d20 + 4 = 7
Damage: 1d8 + 2 = 3
Grappled if hit with a DC 12 STR check to escape
Sting attack vs. Galen: 1d20 + 4 = 9
Damage: 1d10 + 2 = 7
DC 12 CON save if hit, 9 points poison damage on a fail, 4 on success
((Owlbear and Giant Ape move their maximum distance. Owlbear takes no further action while Ape throws a rock at Dire Wolf A/Hobgoblin Devastator at disadvantage))
Code:
Rock attack vs. Dire Wolf A: 1d20 + 9 = 29 (Critical!)
Disadvantage attack: 1d20 + 9 = 10 (Automatic miss!)
((Um that was interesting.))
((Goblin B fires a poison-tipped arrow at the Owlbear))
Code:
Shortbow attack vs. Owlbear: 1d20 +4 = 18
Damage: 1d6 + 2 = 8
Owlbear CON DC 13 save: 1d20 + 3 = 4
((Owlbear is now hostile. The karmic balance for all your critical rolls is being restored, apparently))
((Goblin C fires a poison-tipped arrow at the Giant Ape))
Code:
Shortbow attack vs. Giant Ape: 1d20 + 5 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 2 = 4
Giant Ape CON DC 13 save: 1d20 + 4 = 11
((Giant Ape is now hostile. Oh man.))
((Hobgoblin B fires a poison-tipped arrow at Ludwig))
Code:
Longbow attack vs. Ludwig: 1d20 + 3 = 9
Damage: 1d8 + 1 = 6
DC 13 CON save to not lose control of character if hit
((Giant Boar charges the tower, knocking it down.))
((Goblin B is dead, Hobgoblin B tackles Goblin C to safety and both are prone. The wreckage of the tower gives them cover from the south while theyre prone and makes the area difficult terrain))
###
Whatever process the hobgoblins engage in to train their wolf mounts, it seems to be enormously effective as the dire wolfs ferocity is unaffected by the serious wounds it has already sustained. It seems intent to fight to the death, which is a fate that Ludwig immediately grants with a decisive blow from his greatsword.
Sagishi works quickly, electing to free the animals he deems might be best suited to aid them. The owlbear has sharp talons and a hooked beak, and is clearly spoiling for a fight if his body language is any indication, so that is the first one freed. Sagishi then moves on to the giant ape. This close, he notices that the ape has abnormally large eyes and is free of any signs of scars or old injuries, indicating that this might be a juvenile version of an even larger creature ((Because I goofed and made a large sized giant ape when theyre Huge creatures)). There is an almost humanoid intellect behind those eyes, meaning that of all the animals, this may be the one most likely to grasp the situation and lend their aid.
With a solid smack against the locking mechanism, the door comes undone. Its becoming apparent that the ease at which these locks open might be part of some intentional design; seemingly any sufficient shock is enough to spring the catch.
Meanwhile Fhiess sees the wolf that is harassing Ludwig his ankles as the giant Jraffa engages with the ferocious dire wolf, and seizes the opportunity to target it with a spell that might drive it away. He successfully implants an illusion of an enormous predatory bird that seems so real to the wolf that it yelps in pain as imagined talons rake along its side. It turns tail to flee, giving Ludwig a chance to strike a second blow and perhaps eliminate another of their foes.
Seemingly unprompted, Keranos explodes in rage, hurling invectives at the name of his supposed nemesis, Talos, the god of storms in the current prevailing Oneiroi pantheon. He also hurls a bolt of lightning over the back of the dire wolf before him and hits the quarterstaff-wielding hobgoblin, sending him staggering a few paces forward. With no control over his momentum, he trips into a column of pale light summoned by Nyx and is engulfed in ghostly blue flames that do not consume him, but obviously cause him tremendous pain. His scream reaches an even higher pitch as Galen places a barbed arrow in his flesh right where his shoulder and arm meet. Ludwig comes forward in an attempt to box the the caster in.
As Thosar maneuvers into position, the spiderwebs evaporate like fog in the light of the noonday sun, freeing the badly wounded hobgoblin and goblin. The elven scholar pays this no mind, however, having correctly judged the lanky hobgoblin the more deadly threat than some battered and burnt lackeys. He issues a magical command, and cannot repress a smirk as the hobgoblin fixes his baleful gaze upon him, helpless to refuse the command.
Heedless of the futility of his attacks so far, the dire wolf before Keranos again tries to sink its jaws into the lads soft throat, and is again thwarted by the steel that stands in his way. With a roar, the burly bugbear comes at him, swinging a morning star that appears to be a human skull studded with spikes at the end of a sturdy piece of wood. But though he was not dropped by Peaseblossoms magically induced sleep, his movements are languid and his attack easily avoided.
((Speaking goblin))
Wretched
reh vaq 'ej! the wounded magic user spits ((Goblin for
oppressor
)), stumbling from the radius of the pillar of burning, silver light and struggling to control his own limbs as he is compelled to act on Thosars directive. As though struck by inspiration, the hobgoblin wears a smirk himself and reverses his grip on his quarterstaff. Lifting it above his head, he heaves it like a javelin with a practiced motion. It arcs gracefully through the air before impacting the locking mechanism of the cage containing the giant scorpion with a resounding clang. The hinges creak as the gate swings ajar.
Disarmed in this fashion, he runs eastward, he expertly bobs and weaves to slip by Ludwig while clutching at his wounded arm where the shaft of Galens arrow protrudes.
Take positions!
he shouts to the remaining goblins and hobgoblins.
The fools are releasing the animals! Give them the Glurg, and they will do our work for us!
Despite their injuries, the troops dutifully nock arrows fletched with green feathers and ready themselves to fire, though they do not appear to have targets yet. Their commander grabs onto the hackles of the nearby dire wolf and mounts the beast, and at his urging the tremendous wolf takes off at a run toward the eastern gate to the compound. Like Thosars magical spiderwebs, the hobgoblins spell-summoned hailstones likewise dissolve away into nothing, as though they were never there.
With a chitinous scuttling noise, the giant scorpion takes advantage of its newfound freedom and presses its clawed, flattened form out of its cage and makes a beeline toward Galen, its tail held aloft and its claws waving in the air in threat. The creature does not seem to have been well cared for, however, as the human ranger rather effortlessly avoids the arachnids feeble attempts to seize him in its claws and skewer him with its venomous barb.
Making a cry that sounds somewhere halfway between a hoot and a roar, the owlbear charges out of its cage and pauses to view the escaping dire wolf with its rider. It lets out a call that is equal parts rage and sorrow as its prey seeks.
The giant ape is more proactive, loping forward on its arms and legs as it scans the ground. With a satisfied grunt, he wraps his muscled digits around a stone protruding from the earth and pulls free a rock far more sizable than one might have expected and hoists it above his head. With a feral cry, he heaves it over his head with both hands, lobbing the deadly projectile through the air, only to have it impact ineffectively with the dirt where the dire wolf had been only a fraction of a second earlier. He stands on his hind legs and beats his chest in fury.
There is the twang of a bowstring releasing, and suddenly a green-fletched arrow is sticking out of the apes flank. There is another twang, and an identical arrow appears in the owlbears foreleg. A third twang is followed by yet another arrow glancing harmlessly off of Ludwigs armor to land at his hooves. Both of the animals start convulsing on the ground as spittle forms from their mouth.
The air fills with the sound of a stampede as the boar charges the tower with its head lowered. Built to hold the weight of a hobgoblin or a bugbear, the structure is no match for the hurtling porcine mass. It topples over on top of the trio of archers with their poisoned arrows. The hobgoblin is fleet footed enough--even with his injuries--to hurl himself at one of the goblins and carry both of them clear of the falling platform. The third is not so fortunate, and his still, broken limbs can be seen jutting out from the wreckage. The boar gives a satisfied grunt and turns to kick soil upon his handiwork with his hind hooves.
The owlbear and ape draw everyones attention from the boars assault as they rise from the ground, their motions jerky and their eyes wild. The earth splits open as thick tendrils of plant matter erupt from the ground and wrap themselves around both berserk creatures to hold them in place.
Peaseblossom appears out of nowhere next to Nyxs head.
<I knew the giant scorpion would try to kill us all!>
Anxiety and uncertainly begins to overwhelm the artist once chaos floods the arena. Fhiess starts to yell loudly with a trembling voice, "What do we do!? What do we do!? I can't heal Ludwig! What did they do to the animals!?"
))