Session 5 epilogue

After easily clearing the remainder of the goblins from Cragmaw Castle (at one point using a banquet table as a decapitation weapon), our erstwhile heroes must have figured things were not challenging enough. A series of truly unfortunate rolls left the entire party in very dire straits as they fought the orcs of Wyvern Tor and their ogre friend, Gog. At long last, the orcs were defeated, Gog was driven over a cliff and into an underground river by Naeris' cutting words, and the party retreated to their nearby campsite to rest and replenish... Brughor’s band plundered several homesteads farther north on their way to Wyvern Tor. An unlocked treasure chest in the cave holds 750 cp, 180 sp, 62 ep, 30 gp, and three vials of perfume (10 gp each).

As the group settles down to rest, Naeris speaks up. "You know, back in Cragmaw Castle, my patron made me an offer I couldn't refuse: So much more power; the favor of an ancient being more powerful than you can imagine. I refused. So instead, I got this useless black eye. And the annoyance and sheer indignity it has caused," she glares briefly at Zaradur before continuing. "But today, I was genuinely pleased with my decision. Had I chosen differently then, I am quite certain, we would not all be sitting here now, for you would have all paid the price for it." "This black eye is not a disease or a curse. I chose this for myself and as far as I'm concerned, we're all alive because of it. Now you just make sure you all stay that way and I'll have no more reason to regret or resent it. And we'll not speak of this again."

Also, the drama for that session was entirely dice-created, but I felt pressured for  you guys as the orcs lined up and pushed you against that back wall of the cavern. How did y'all feel about that encounter? Did it feel kinda cheap? Just eyeballing it, mathematically, I thought it would be kind of a pushover for you guys, but it turned real bad real fast. I'm glad y'all turned it around. Also, the rest of the session? It was hilarious that Zaradur carried Naeris to the priestess of Tymora, but I was worried about whether or not I should have let it happen. I'm a little nervous about players imposing their will on each others' characters -- but it turned out fine, and frankly, if Naeris had really wanted to be put down, she probably could have liquified Zaradur's brain and made it run out his nose. Anything else that stood out for you guys?

Shavix said: As the group settles down to rest, Naeris speaks up. "You know, back in Cragmaw Castle, my patron made me an offer I couldn't refuse: So much more power; the favor of an ancient being more powerful than you can imagine. I refused. So instead, I got this useless black eye. And the annoyance and sheer indignity it has caused," she glares briefly at Zaradur before continuing. "But today, I was genuinely pleased with my decision. Had I chosen differently then, I am quite certain, we would not all be sitting here now, for you would have all paid the price for it." "This black eye is not a disease or a curse. I chose this for myself and as far as I'm concerned, we're all alive because of it. Now you just make sure you all stay that way and I'll have no more reason to regret or resent it. And we'll not speak of this again." Wow, I think the near-death experience affected Naeris. :)  Frankly, Aviana, I never expected you to tell them about it...or at least not for quite a long time. :)

Fuzzus said: Wow, I think the near-death experience affected Naeris. :)  Frankly, Aviana, I never expected you to tell them about it...or at least not for quite a long time. :) It did. Well in truth I think it was a bit of a combination of the near death experience and Zaradur's incredibly exaggerated reaction to her eye. She wouldn't want a repeat of that any time soon. Although I'm sure she was also very touched by the townsfolk coming to her rescue the way they did. That's also something she really doesn't know how to even begin to handle. I did want to share at least some of the story behind the eye with the others just because I thought it was so friggin' awesome. I just wasn't sure how to go about it since Naeris isn't normally the most forthcoming person ever. So in that sense, I actually thought the way things went at that last fight was a god-send. As for the whole Zaradur imposing his will on Naeris the way he did, it was in all honestly a little annoying. But it made such a funny scene and was so very like Zaradur I didn't really mind. It just made the whole thing feel that much more real 'cause I was about as annoyed and exhasperated as Naeris. And yes, if Naeris truly had detested being carried off like that, Zaradur would have been all kinds og dead ;P

Shavix said: Fuzzus said: Wow, I think the near-death experience affected Naeris. :)  Frankly, Aviana, I never expected you to tell them about it...or at least not for quite a long time. :) It did. Well in truth I think it was a bit of a combination of the near death experience and Zaradur's incredibly exaggerated reaction to her eye. She wouldn't want a repeat of that any time soon. Although I'm sure she was also very touched by the townsfolk coming to her rescue the way they did. That's also something she really doesn't know how to even begin to handle. I did want to share at least some of the story behind the eye with the others just because I thought it was so friggin' awesome. I just wasn't sure how to go about it since Naeris isn't normally the most forthcoming person ever. So in that sense, I actually thought the way things went at that last fight was a god-send. As for the whole Zaradur imposing his will on Naeris the way he did, it was in all honestly a little annoying. But it made such a funny scene and was so very like Zaradur I didn't really mind. It just made the whole thing feel that much more real 'cause I was about as annoyed and exhasperated as Naeris. And yes, if Naeris truly had detested being carried off like that, Zaradur would have been all kinds og dead ;P Feel free to tell them -- players or characters! -- as much or as little as you'd like. :)

I guess it's not that uncommon to have a black eye since the priestess reacted so calmly. If Zaradur ever tries to impose his will on to other then just hit him hard enough on the head so he will stop and listen(send a whisper on roll20) Fuzzus said: Also, the drama for that session was entirely dice-created, but I felt pressured for  you guys as the orcs lined up and pushed you against that back wall of the cavern. How did y'all feel about that encounter? Did it feel kinda cheap? Just eyeballing it, mathematically, I thought it would be kind of a pushover for you guys, but it turned real bad real fast. I'm glad y'all turned it around. My adrenaline was pumping when Sigrun went unconscious since I didn't know if I should take out the threat or make her drink another potion, but I went all out and finished them! I like encounters that make us think twice before every action that might lead to death.

Mystery box said: I guess it's not that uncommon to have black eyes since the priestess reacted so calm. If Zaradur ever tries to impose his will on to other then just hit him hard enough on the head so he will  Fuzzus said: Also, the drama for that session was entirely dice-created, but I felt pressured for  you guys as the orcs lined up and pushed you against that back wall of the cavern. How did y'all feel about that encounter? Did it feel kinda cheap? Just eyeballing it, mathematically, I thought it would be kind of a pushover for you guys, but it turned real bad real fast. I'm glad y'all turned it around. My adrenaline was pumping when Sigrun went unconscious since I didn't know if I should take out the threat or make her drink another potion, but I went all out and finished them! I like encounters that make us think twice before every action that might lead to death. The priestess was probably more concerned by the sight of a big, half-orc brute manhandling a frail, little woman so obviously against her will, so I doubt she looked all that closely at Naeris' eyes ;P For me, I loved the heck out of that encounter. It really forced us to think more about each action and think more tactically and reminded us our characters really aren't immortal. But I especially enjoyed the way Naeris handled the situation. She just kept focus on neutralizing the biggest threat and trusted her comrades to handle the orcs, even when things started to get really hairy and Elvalur collapsed right next to her, which would have been really upsetting if it weren't for his awesome comeback shortly after. It wasn't until the very end when the ogre got really close to actually killing Zaradur she lost her cool :) Also, besides the drama of the last encounter and Zaradur and Naeris' antics, I just have to say I really loved how Sigrun tried to share the wonder of her shrine to Sune with the rest and she was so happy and excited and none of the others shared any of her excitement at all and I felt so sorry for her! xD The guys were all like: "I don't get it" and Naeris was just like: "I don't care" and they all just completely deflated poor Sigrun.

Naeris kicking the ogre ass, Zaradur holding the front line alone, Sigrun trying to manage a way to not let anyone down and Raynor and Elvalur trying to kill anything that gets close. It was really awesome, and intense. Still nervous about those orcs. Glad we turned things around, got really afraid after the first knock down. I think everyone was deeply affected after this fight in some way. Looking forward to see how things go next session. In game, I think, after Naeris' speech, Elvalur would say "Sorry for getting knocked down, twice this time. Will try to not make this a habit." and them would go for the first watch.

I didn't find the encounter cheap at all. It was intense. Everything that could've gone wrong went wrong. People were dropping like flies and Sigrun couldn't keep up with getting people back on their feet. I was sure I was going to have to re-roll a new character, honestly, since she was down with a failed save and Orcs all around.  If she hadn't taken that double attack of opportunity, she probably would've been okay, but then Zaradur would've gone down so staying put wasn't an option; she will almost always put others before herself. It was chaos all around, and I was worried we'd have a total party wipe by the end. Absolutely stressful, but oh so good.  It's definitely going to affect her deeply in our next session. 

Naeris definitely saved all of our asses, if it weren't for her unrelenting attacks it would have been a complete wipe of our party.  Raynor would give an honorable nod and thank Naeris after her story, not just for making that choice in regards to her eye, but also in being the unrelenting force in that encounter. When the very first thing that happened to Raynor in the encounter was to be impaled with a spear for 25hp (I think that's how much it was), it definitely shook him up a bit, but not nearly as much as seeing Sigrun and Zaradur going down on the front lines, so Raynor speaks up and says "When we get back to town, I will purchase a shield, and any time we need help on the front line, you'll see me fighting along side you" punching Zaradur in the arm.

MatB said: Naeris kicking the ogre ass, Zaradur holding the front line alone, Sigrun trying to manage a way to not let anyone down and Raynor and Elvalur trying to kill anything that gets close. It was really awesome, and intense. Still nervous about those orcs. Glad we turned things around, got really afraid after the first knock down. I think everyone was deeply affected after this fight in some way. Looking forward to see how things go next session. In game, I think, after Naeris' speech, Elvalur would say "Sorry for getting knocked down, twice this time. Will try to not make this a habit." and them would go for the first watch. And Naeris would reply: "You damn well better not! You're not Zaradur. You have a brain. Make sure you use it." To Raynor's talk about buying a shield, she'd just shake her head and say: "You don't need a shield, Raynor. You just need to use your swords better." (Incidentally RJ, if you haven't already, you could consider checking out the feat Dual Wielder in the PHB for Raynor.)

Shavix said: To Raynor's talk about buying a shield, she'd just shake her head and say: "You don't need a shield, Raynor. You just need to use your swords better." (Incidentally RJ, if you haven't already, you could consider checking out the feat Dual Wielder in the PHB for Raynor.) I checked into it before, but if Raynor uses this 4th level to put 2 points into DEX, he gets +1 AC but the added bonus of +1 to anything else that would require my dex modifier.  And in order to take the Feat: Dual Wielder I would need to give up that extra dex (unless feats work differently than I thought), and I don't plan on giving up my two swords and my bow, it would just be nice to keep that handy, just in case we get in the same situation we did this past session, and the extra +2 AC could really be a life saver if we get in that situation again, but I still would plan to stand far back from Zaradur's wild swinging and improvised weapons, plus I just love using a bow :)

RJ M. said: Shavix said: To Raynor's talk about buying a shield, she'd just shake her head and say: "You don't need a shield, Raynor. You just need to use your swords better." (Incidentally RJ, if you haven't already, you could consider checking out the feat Dual Wielder in the PHB for Raynor.) I checked into it before, but if Raynor uses this 4th level to put 2 points into DEX, he gets +1 AC but the added bonus of +1 to anything else that would require my dex modifier.  And in order to take the Feat: Dual Wielder I would need to give up that extra dex (unless feats work differently than I thought), and I don't plan on giving up my two swords and my bow, it would just be nice to keep that handy, just in case we get in the same situation we did this past session, and the extra +2 AC could really be a life saver if we get in that situation again, but I still would plan to stand far back from Zaradur's wild swinging and improvised weapons, plus I just love using a bow :) I might recommend getting a shield and asling Naeris nicely if you can use her magical sword. Are rangers proficient with shields? I feel bad for you guys because I love to play full-tank characters -- fighters, paladins, or monks with nigh-untouchable AC. I just wanna jump in with a PC of my own and save you!  Speaking of saving you, I desperately wanted to intervene with some DM fiat when it looked the most grim. But I remembered what I've said multiple times about death being a real possibility. Just so you guys know, no punches were pulled and no die rolls fudged. Y'all pulled out of that nosedive all on your own.

Shavix said: (Incidentally RJ, if you haven't already, you could consider checking out the feat Dual Wielder in the PHB for Raynor.) Actually now that you had me looking at it, I happened to see Defensive Duelist right before it, and I might consider eyeing that for my next opportunity, but will look into it more.  

Fuzzus said: I might recommend getting a shield and asling Naeris nicely if you can use her magical sword. Are rangers proficient with shields? I feel bad for you guys because I love to play full-tank characters -- fighters, paladins, or monks with nigh-untouchable AC. I just wanna jump in with a PC of my own and save you!  Speaking of saving you, I desperately wanted to intervene with some DM fiat when it looked the most grim. But I remembered what I've said multiple times about death being a real possibility. Just so you guys know, no punches were pulled and no die rolls fudged. Y'all pulled out of that nosedive all on your own. Yup Rangers are proficient with Shields, and I haven't even thought about the magical sword... but I'm not sure how great I would be with it, since I'm assuming it would require me to use strength(+1) for it, instead of dex(+4)? I didn't check on that though. But I am excited with how my AC is shaping up at my current level :)

RJ M. said: Shavix said: To Raynor's talk about buying a shield, she'd just shake her head and say: "You don't need a shield, Raynor. You just need to use your swords better." (Incidentally RJ, if you haven't already, you could consider checking out the feat Dual Wielder in the PHB for Raynor.) I checked into it before, but if Raynor uses this 4th level to put 2 points into DEX, he gets +1 AC but the added bonus of +1 to anything else that would require my dex modifier.  And in order to take the Feat: Dual Wielder I would need to give up that extra dex (unless feats work differently than I thought), and I don't plan on giving up my two swords and my bow, it would just be nice to keep that handy, just in case we get in the same situation we did this past session, and the extra +2 AC could really be a life saver if we get in that situation again, but I still would plan to stand far back from Zaradur's wild swinging and improvised weapons, plus I just love using a bow :) Ah, true :)

When Raynor punches Zaradur's arm he will punch him back and say "I will love to see that my friend!" then he will smile and say "will you be able to handle it"? When Zaradur goes to relieve Elvalur from his watch, he will sit/stand next to him looking up at the sky and say "You did good today, never apologize for giving it your all especially when you get knocked down and still get up" then he turns to stare at Elvalur "without your help we might not of been standing here today, I'm happy to have you as a friend......hmph, you should go get some rest now."

Oh my god. Inter-session RP?  *eyes tear up* I'm so, so HAPPY! :D

Say, anyone know what happened with Elias last saturday?

I actually messaged him to check and make sure he was ok, haven't heard back yet though. 

Soo ummm, saturday i kinda just went so sleep at 6pm and completely forgot about DnD. I am pritty embarrassed and a bit angry at my self.  Also, REALLY sorry...

elias n. said: Soo ummm, saturday i kinda just went so sleep at 6pm and completely forgot about DnD. I am pritty embarrassed and a bit angry at my self.  Also, REALLY sorry... No worries, Elias -- it happens to the best of us. :) You were really missed this session, though. There was very nearly a death or two, and it came startlingly close to a TPK!

elias n. said: Soo ummm, saturday i kinda just went so sleep at 6pm and completely forgot about DnD. I am pritty embarrassed and a bit angry at my self.  Also, REALLY sorry... You must have been really tired! :O I'm just glad it wasn't something seriously bad :)

Glad you're ok, and with the glorious return of Helm, Raynor will attempt to learn from Helm, watch any technique, study his movements, and learn everything he can from him when it comes to his skill with a shield.  Who better to learn from than a shield wielding Dwarf Champion Fighter.  Raynor just wants to be able to help defend if the need ever arises, and he worries that one day, maybe the front line fighters will be occupied, and an attack will come from behind, and he wants to be able to protect his party in any way he can.

RJ M. said: Glad you're ok, and with the glorious return of Helm, Raynor will attempt to learn from Helm, watch any technique, study his movements, and learn everything he can from him when it comes to his skill with a shield.  Who better to learn from than a shield wielding Dwarf Champion Fighter.  Raynor just wants to be able to help defend if the need ever arises, and he worries that one day, maybe the front line fighters will be occupied, and an attack will come from behind, and he wants to be able to protect his party in any way he can. Ummmm...Helm wields a two-handed axe. He's pretty damn good with it, but you might want to look elsewhere for your shield training. ;)

I guess Helm needs to find him self a shield then :P

I always see that picture with the shield on his back, and just always thought to myself he had one for some reason. Damn... lol

Still I'm sure a Dwarf Champion Fighter would know a thing or two about fighting with a shield, so I will still go to him, in case he can teach me any techniques.  But even if he can't, I can hopefully train with him once I get my shield, to get more practice going up against a fighter while baring a shield, since Raynor may be proficient with a shield, but has always focused so much more on his bow first and dual wielding swords second, so he would make sure he knows how to handle it well.

Also Elias in case you're wondering how things went on Saturday in summary... We tried to stealth, woke up an entire cave of angry Orcs and an Ogre, and proceeded to be a hair away from a complete Team Party Kill but managed to pull it off courtesy of Naeris being a bad ass.  Oh and Sigrun got excited about some tree sap, but the rest of us didn't care/didn't get what the big deal was, until it turned out the tree sap saved our lives...

elias n. said: Soo ummm, saturday i kinda just went so sleep at 6pm and completely forgot about DnD. I am pritty embarrassed and a bit angry at my self.  Also, REALLY sorry... I missed my front line buddy, couldn't get hyped up without you! Haha

RJ M. said: I always see that picture with the shield on his back, and just always thought to myself he had one for some reason. Damn... lol Yeah, that was the one thing wrong with the picture, but other than that the picture fitt perfectly so I went with it. Helm is a fighter tho, so he is proficient with a shield.(I have also thought about taking up shield/1hand weapon for that high AC. but then how would i deal stupid amounts of damage??). Helm would offcouse love to teach you about shield&nbsp;techniques in exchange for a little fighting practice. Mystery box said: elias n. said: Soo ummm, saturday i kinda just went so sleep at 6pm and completely forgot about DnD. I am pritty embarrassed and a bit angry at my self.&nbsp; Also, REALLY sorry... I missed my front line buddy, couldn't get hyped up without you! Haha minor GoT series spoilers;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psS2IMFkxKo" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psS2IMFkxKo</a>

Side note, when Raynor takes his turn at watch, he will also take out his woodcarving tools, to see if he can make any improvements to it, while keeping himself occupied during his watch.