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• Arhian Vos – Human Monk
• Hartmut Helmsworth – Elf Monk
• Sindri Waggletop – (Forest) Gnome Wizard
• Rettniss Kulvith – Water Genasi Druid
• Avacyn “Jolyne” Uloth the Merciless – Half-Orc Paladin
• Twilight Skybane – Tiefling Bard

• Sindri rounds the left corner and gets to the stream, where he spots Arhian on the other side, moving the corpses, and shouts, “Arhian! How is everyone?”
• Arhian looks around, and everyone is cut and bleeding, and shrugs, “We’re fine,” and proceeds to begin moving the corpses of the orcs and gnolls, and suddenly looks up and says, “Oh, and don’t go in the water.”
• Sindri pulls his foot away as he was holding his robe and about to start crossing the stream, “Wait – pardon – what do you mean don’t go in the water?”
• Arhian calls back, “The water’s bad.”
• “Unless you’re Rettniss,” Twilight adds, coming to stand behind Arhian with Gem firmly seated on her shoulder.
• Sindri yells, “I can use a spell, I guess” and casts Ray of Frost on the stream.
  • DM Note – I had him roll a D20 to see if this plan would work, rolled a 19 so he crosses the stream!
• The spell freezes the stream just enough for his light body to quickly scamper across the crackling ice and he rejoins the party explaining that there were no sign of any orcs or gnolls coming
  • DM Note – Last session Sindri wasn’t able to stay for the whole session, so we had him stay at the cave entrance as a look out; so that his session he could easily catch up
• With Sindri with the party; the party talks about taking a rest to recover some health, and skills and abilities
• An alarm sounds – as the party realizes someone probably found the corpses at the first campfire that have been discovered; the long rest is cut into a short rest
• A patrol of six orcs comes down – sees their dead comrades at the cave entrance, then glances to the left and stare into the cave where they see their dead comrades around the campfire and spot the heroes

• Sindri casts Sleep and manages to put three of them to sleep
• One of the orcs throws a javelin (disadvantage due to distance but rolls a 20 and a 19 and maximum damage!) – however, as a reaction Sindri casts Shield which increases his Armor Class allowing the javelin to bounce off the invisible aurora surrounding Sindri
• Another orc throws a javelin (again, rolling a Natural 20 but due the Disadvantage it misses)
• Arhian steps back – and fires a longbow and hits one of the orcs
• Another orc throws a javelin at Sindri – and despite disadvantage and Mage Armor and Shield – the javelin hits Sindri for maximum damage
• Hartmut steps in front of Sindri, pulls the string taut on his longbow and fires at the same one Arhian did – and does maximum damage, killing the orc
• Avacyn moves up and tries to mimic the orcs and throws her javelin at the orc and manaes to hit, despite disadvantage, and for maximum damage (again, providing she can throw it against orcs, but not gnolls)
• The orc (who goes on the next turn) takes it out and throws it back at Avacyn, but misses
• Twilight runs up to get closer, loads her crossbow and trips and fires and hits Hartmut in front of her (Critical Fail)
• Sindri quaffs a healing potion (bonus action, see House Rules) and then casts Fire Bolt which however misses
• One of the Orcs throws a javelin and again, despite disadvantage manages to hit Hartmut for maximum damage
• Arhian focuses her shot and fires her longbow and kills one of the orcs
• Hartmut, after being hit, quaffs a potion to recover some health, then fires off his longbow, but fires wide

• Rettniss gets close enough to Thornwhip and manages to hit the orc and pulls it 10 feet into the stream – and the Quippers attack the orc! The river runs red with the orc’s blood
• Avacyn does Lay On Hands on herself to recover some health
• Twilight casts Bane on the Orc and it fails
• Sindri follows with a Fire Bolt and singes him for some minor damage
• The battle continues, and Rettiniss manages to Thornwhip another Orc into the stream, where the Quipper swarm on the orc, devouring his flesh within moments
• Rettniss manages to Thornwhip the sleeping Orcs into the stream where the Quippers devour the orcs before they ever wake up
• With all the orcs slain; Rettniss manages to drag all the remaining corpses they hadn’t gotten rid of into the stream, feeding the Quipper fish, while her companions throw the bodies of the dead orcs and gnolls around the tent into the stream as well (The Quipper fish are having the best night ever!)

• The party takes this time to go back up and take another rest after that fight; and feeling safer now that they’ve disposed of the bodies
• As the party gets back up and begins moving along the path up north, they discover a small nest of Pierces that get the drop on them (literally)

• Avacyn takes 1 point of damage; Hartmut takes 6; Arhian takes 2, Rettniss takes 4, Sindri takes 3, Twilight takes 2 as Piercers surprise the party
• The party manages to take care of the Piercers and Hartmut gestures for everyone to remain still – he tries to look among the ceiling to see if there’s more – but the Piercers are completely indistinguishable from stalactites.
• Rettniss uses Shape Water to cause the water to create a brief opening in the water to allow them to cross without dealing with the Quippers
• When Twilight crosses, she steps into a trap falling into a spiked pike for 3 damage, and she’s severely wounded between the Piercers and the pit

• Hartmut hands his rope to Avacyn and tells her to pull Twilight out of the pit, which she manages to do
• Rettniss uses Healing Word giving 6 health to everyone
• The party begins consuming potions – Twilight regains 5 health, Sindri gets 9 health, Rettniss gets 6 health, Hartmut gets 9 and Arhian gets 8
• As the party limps along, Twilight is able to see and hear a few things… she sees three orcs, one of them female, as well as a cave entrance, and the all too familiar large mushrooms that are undoubtedly Shriekers….

• Twilight points out the orcs to Avacyn
  • DM Note – I had Avacyn roll a Perception check to notice that the female is her sister…
• Avacyn peers around the corner and just sees three orcs (Critical Fail on Perception)
• From their position, Avacyn calls out in Orcish, “Hey! Are you related to me?”
• The female calls back, “Avacyn – it’s about time. It’s been so very long.” The female gestures for the other orcs to stay behind her. They have their weapons drawn but the female orc does not.
• Avacyn approaches her by herself and shakes her hand. Her sister says, “You shouldn’t have come. I know you’ve brought friends here and you’re going to stop mother from finishing her task for father.”
• Avacyn says in orc, “What is mother doing?”
• Her sister replies, “Mother is going to help father restore the honor of the Broken Hand and reform the great army we once were. We will command nations and make the Hobgoblins bow their knee to us and serve us.”
• Avacyn shakes her head, “This is too much. You know this.”
• Her sister growls, “It’s not too much. Our god deserved this land, stolen by the humans, dwarves, and especially the Elves. The elves must all suffer. We can enslave humans and dwarves, but all Elves must die.”
• Avacyn sighs, “I don’t want to fight you – but I can’t let you do this.”
• Meanwhile, Hartmut asks if anyone can hear or understand what’s being said; and no one else in the party can either hear or understand the exchange between sister siblings
• Avacyn sighs and tries to give a firm jerk of her hand to knock her sister down, but her sister plants her feet firmly as soon as she feels Avacyn’s grip tighten – and instead yanks Avacyn to the ground knocking her prone

• Initiative Begins!
• Arhian quickly moves up and takes a swing with her Quarterstaff, however missing, and does a bonus action unarmed strike, which also misses – with Avacyn’s sister putting her ax in the way – so she strikes the blunt side of the ax (Critical Fail) as she laughs at Arhian’s attempt to hit her
• Hartmut rushes up and draws his short sword, and she laughs at the size of the blade which makes Hartmut flustered and he misses (just flavoring a miss), who then does flurry of blows against Avacyn’s sister, and manages to hit, and he sneers in Common (not even sure if she understands Common), “Stop laughing!”
• She takes the hit and looks at Avacyn as she’s slowly getting up and says in Orc, “These are the ones you choose to be your allies? Your friends? You family? Pathetic and weak, like the rest of their kind. This is why we will win, Avacyn. This is why you chose poorly.”
• Rettniss tries to Thornwhip her and she backs away the whip with her ax, laughing and shaking her head
• Twilight plays a song – and casts Faerie Fire – which lands on the two orcs, but Avacyn’s sister is able to avoid it
• Sindri wiggles his fingers and casts Magic Missile which hits her for 6 damage
• Avacyn gets up and swings her longsword – but her sister blocks the attempt and laughs, and says in Orc, “You’ve grown weak just like your companions!”
• One of the Orcs charges next to Hartmut and swings his great ax and lands some massive damage
• Avacyn’s sister swings at Avacyn and hits with her ax, delivering some heavy damage
• The other Orc rushes towards Arhian and swings its ax, and barely misses her
• Arhian swings with her Quarterstaff and hits the Orc glowing in faerie fire, and follows with a flurry of blows that finishes that Orc off
• Hartmut quaffs a potion and gets maximum health back, and he swings his short sword against the other orc who has fairy fire on it and hits
• Rettniss casts Frostbite on Avacyn’s sister, but her sister roars as it hits, and shakes off the effect (Successful Savings Throw)
• Twilight sings a song about how great Avacyn was during their adventure into this cave, and grants Bardic Inspiration (+2 rolled) that Avacyn can now use how she sees fit, as Avacyn is surged with energy and inspiration
• Sindri casts Witchbolt and just as Hartmut raises his swordsword it’s like a lightning rod as Sindri’s lightning damage courses through Hartmut, dealing damage (Critical Fail – this was after using the special Nikalos Inspiration)
• Avacyn brights down her long sword and strikes her sister, finally landing a solid hit
• Arhian swings the Quarterstaff and misses – but, uses the Nikalos Inspiration and lands a hit instead and does two flurry of blows and one of them even lands a Natural 20 (but does minimal Critical Damage)
• Hartmut consumes another healing potion and follows up with a swing of the short sword against the last fairy fired Orc and lands a hit and does enough damage to put it to 0 hit points
• Rettniss launches another Frostbite again; but this time, Avacyn’s sister, Avalyn, fails to save against and takes some damage from the spell (which gives her disadvantage on her next attack)
• Twilight casts Bane but Avalyn is able to shake off the effects
• Sindri launches Fire Bolt – and it hits – and Avalyn officially becomes bloodied
• Avacyn shouts in Orc, “I see you’re wounded – surrender now – or else I am going to crush the throat of the orc next to me then you next.”
  • Avacyn rolls a high enough Intimidation (DC was set to 16!)
• Avacyn tries to explain there’s a better way than dominating the world
• Avalyn snarls in orc and says, “I choose violence.”
• Arhian hits Avalyn with her Quarterstaff, but misses with the unarmed strike
• Hartmut takes a swing at Avalyn, but misses (still shaken by her laughing at him earlier)
• Rettniss shakes her head and goes into melee using her Quarterstaff, but however misses
• Twilight moves into melee also and uses her rapier and manages to hit doing some good damage
• Sindri launches another Firebolt and does some nice damage
• Gem begins shouting (in what she thinks is Orcish) and giving Avacyn the help action; and lands a hit after snarling in Orc, “I gave you a chance – now I must send you to the afterlife.”
• Avalyn growls back in Orc, “First, I shall send you” which knocks Avacyn down, but she rises again, back up to 1 hit point due to his racial ability
• Arhian hits Avalyn but does minimal damage
• Harmut swings his sword, misses, but hits with an unarmed strike and buckles down to one knee, and looks at Avacyn, and says in Orc, “Grant me mercy.”
• Avacyn snarls back in Orc, “I gave you a chance.”
• Avalyn says, “I see you and your companions are strong.”
• Rettniss looks at Avacyn, who is still staggering to her feet, and Avacyn nods, and Rettniss says in Common, “You will never see your father’s plan see the light of day” – and hits, knocking her down to exactly 0 hit points, falling unconscious
• Twilight looks to Avacyn, “What do you want to do?”
• Sindri knows what’s coming next, and walks away
• Avacyn wipes the blood from her brow, and severs the normal orc’s head, and then Avacyn looks down at her unconscious sister in Orc, “Enjoy the afterlife,” and then crushes her head beneath her boot
• Avacyn pries the great ax from Avalyn’s hand (Grumthak’s Blessing)

TO BE CONTINUED!