Embedded Files
The perimeter of the ruins of Iolas, exterior, night..
The perimeter of the ruins of Iolas, exterior, night..
A ruined windmill, badly rusted and with gaping holes, barely stands above a village in shambles. Amid the mud and rubble stands an eroded stone statue of a humanoid, draped in colorful scraps of cloth. The mists of Eberron waft over all.
Kyleth of the Tourquoise Spear observes the scene while standing erect behind a distant battlement; Presto and her two halfling companions crouch, barely visible behind the knoll, instead.
KYLETH
KYLETH
I can make out 4, maybe 5, of the machines in the area. We made good time, indeed, to catch them as such, unaware and ill-equipped.
GM says:
GM says:
Presto, make a SPOT HIDDEN roll to concur with Kyleth's assessment.
Presto's SPOT HIDDEN (14), rolls a ⬙ (4) = Success!
PRESTO
(squiting)
PRESTO
(squiting)
Yeah. Five, definitely. Two look like they're stationed outside the entrance of the mill. There's another that comes in and out, and one more that keeps patrolling in a wide circle. But see there? There's another one that's stationed just inside that low building *next* to the windmill. It must be something important.
KALYTH
KALYTH
Ah. Indeed. So perhaps the materials they've stripped and stolen from us are in that room, or in the mill propoer.
DORTLE-LYNN
DORTLE-LYNN
Fifty-fity odds, surely?
GREZAN
GREZAN
So which one do we pick?
DORTLE-LYNN
(giddily)
DORTLE-LYNN
(giddily)
Or do we storm 'em both!
KALYTH
KALYTH
Let's play smart. We could catch the patrol on the far edge of the perimeter. But what of the others?
(turning to Presto for confirmaion)
PRESTO
PRESTO
Uh, a distraction, maybe? Force them away then slip inside?
KALYTH
(nodding)
KALYTH
(nodding)
Risky, but barring a frontal assault, it may be the best option. Be on point, ready to take advantage. Dortle-lynn, with me. Grezan and the wizard, stand by for infiltration.
DORTLE-LYNN
DORTLE-LYNN
(giggles)
GREZAN
GREZAN
Ready, Captain!
Presto gazes at the Warforged in the distance. He face is pained. He does not join the excited chatter.
Wipe transition...
Wipe transition...
The other side of the perimeter of the ruins of Iolas, exterior, night..
The other side of the perimeter of the ruins of Iolas, exterior, night..
On the edge of the ruined village, a patrolling Warforged trudges to the edge of his vantage point. It pauses, taking in the view of the horizon.
GM says:
GM says:
The Warforged Warrior makes an AWARENESS roll, with a bane as the Torquoise Spear make sure to prepare themselves for the ambush.
Warforged Warrior's AWARENESS (12), rolls a ⬙ (2, 1) = That's about as success as you can get versus an ambush!
The patrolling Warrior's head swivels, then stops. Softly whirring, its head slowly pushes outward-- it's gaze calibrates-- even through the perptual mists, it locks onto Dortle-lynn, laying in wait with bow drawn taut, and Kayleth, poised in a ready position among the shadow of the pieces of a crumbling wall.
DORTLE-LYNN
DORTLE-LYNN
Damn those mechanical eyes!
GM says:
GM says:
ROUND ONE, draw for Initiative.
PRESTO
PRESTO
🎴(8)
KAYLETH
KAYLETH
🎴(5)
DORTLE-LYNN
DORTLE-LYNN
🎴(4)
GREZAN
GREZAN
🎴(1)
WARFORGED WARRIORS
WARFORGED WARRIORS
🎴(6)
KALYTH
KALYTH
Quick! Let loose!
Dortle-Lynn's WEAPON SKILL (12), with a bane to FIND A WEAK SPOT rolls a ⬙(10, 18) = Fail!
Dortle-lynn pauses for just a breath to try to pinpoint a breach, but the moment is gone. In a rush, the arrow pings harmlessly off the Warforge's metal form.
KALYTH
KALYTH
Damn it all! Well, here's the distraction they wanted!
(rushing forth, she breaks her stance to strike with power)
Kalyth's WEAPON SKILL (16), with a bane to FIND A WEAK SPOT rolls a ⬙(20, 16) = a demon result!
Kalyth's power and momentum pushes her weapon deep into the Warforged warrior, yet there is no discernable effect. Rather, Kalyth pulls back on the longsword, only to find it stuck fast in the mechanical man.
PATROLLING WARFORGED
(pausing a beat to realize its predicament, it begins yelling)
PATROLLING WARFORGED
(pausing a beat to realize its predicament, it begins yelling)
"ALARM!" "ALARM!"
(twin armblades extend from its forearms, with SNIKT! SNIKT! sounds)
Warforged's WEAPON SKILL (16), rolls a ⬙(7) = Hit!
Kalyth's DEFENSEIVE = -3 Willpower Points
Kalyth's PARRY (16), rolls a ⬙(17) = Fails! (makes sense, the stuck sword threw off her game)
Damage 2D8 (1,7) + Damage Bonus D6 (2) = 10 - Chainmal (4) = 6
Elsewhere, closer to the mill...
Elsewhere, closer to the mill...
GREZAN
GREZAN
Did you hear that! Something's wrong.
Sure enough, with "ALARM!" echoing in the distance, the warforged guards in front of the mill become alert. Another quickly emerges from the mill's entrance. This one and one of the guards dash off in the direction of the sound. One now remains at the mill entrance.
PRESTO
PRESTO
If that was meant to draw them all out, it's not working.
Presto notes the guard at the small adjunct house looks to the direction, but remains vigilant.
GREZAN
GREZAN
Ain't ya supposed to have a bag of tricks or something?
PRESTO
PRESTO
Well, it's a hat. If I can make it work, get ready to go running. I need to get closer. Let me see...
I think I can make out some pockets of deep shadow in the middle of all this mist. Wait here.
Presto's ADAPTIVE = -3 WP
Using Presto's SPOT HIDDEN (14) instead of Sneaking, rolls a ⬙ (8) = Success!
GM says:
GM says:
ROUND TWO, draw for Initiative.
PRESTO
PRESTO
🎴(6)->4->5
KAYLETH
KAYLETH
🎴(8)
DORTLE-LYNN
DORTLE-LYNN
🎴(9)
GREZAN
GREZAN
🎴(4)->6
WARFORGED WARRIORS
WARFORGED WARRIORS
🎴(5) ->4
GREZAN
(now by himself)
GREZAN
(now by himself)
OK... I'm waiting for it. Wait. I wonder what "it" is?
The Storehouse Guard, still on alert, scans the mist of the immediate area. It doesn't see Presto peek from a dilapidated pillar and duck back again.
Presto, hat in hand, holds it open, and closes his eyes.
Warforged Warrior's AWARENESS (12), rolls a ⬙ (14) = Fails.
PRESTO
PRESTO
"Hocus..."
(spinning from cover, holding the hat with outstretched arms)
"COLD-US!"
FROST (at Power Level 1) = 2 Willpower Points
ELEMENTALISM (14), rolls a ⬙(18) = Fails!
Presto stands there as a few snowflakes puff out of the hat, drifting like styrofoam.
The Storehouse Guard looks at Presto, enigmatic and silent.
PRESTO
PRESTO
Oh, come on.
(shakes the hat to "reset" it)
I said, "HOCUS COLD-US!"
GLASSES OF COMPETANCE = -3WP for reroll
ELEMENTALISM (14), rolls a ⬙(2) = Success!
Damage D6 HP = 4, and D6 WP = 5, and Frozen
FWOOOM!!! A blizzard erupts from the hat, spewing over the entire area and cascading against the Warforged guard. In seconds, the icy blast wanes, and the guard as well as the grounds around it are covered in frosty ice that appear in jagged wind-swept spikes.
PRESTO
PRESTO
Yes!
(then)
OK, Grezan! Go! Go!
GREZAN
GREZAN
Ah! Wait for that! Indeed!
The halfling soldier runs quickly through the ruins and past the frozen guard, bursting through the door of the storehouse. The lights that shine in his eye sockets track Grezan as he enters.
Inside the storehouse...
Inside the storehouse...
Grezan stops abruptly once inside. Even in the dimly lit interior, he sees an impressive amount of gadgets, parts, trinkets, and art objects stacked on shelves up and down throughout the storage.
GREZAN
GREZAN
Whoa...
(wasting no time, he brings forth a giant sack and starts scooping random items into it)
Back on the far side of the perimeter...
Back on the far side of the perimeter...
PATROLLING WARFORGED
(continuing its alert)
PATROLLING WARFORGED
(continuing its alert)
"ALARM!" "ALARM!"
(to Kayleth and Dortle-Lynn)
Begone, theives! You shall not scavenge upon us this day!
Warforged's WEAPON SKILL (16), rolls a ⬙(13) = Hit!
Kalyth's DEFENSEIVE = -3 Willpower Points
Kalyth's PARRY (16), rolls a ⬙(10) = Success!
Damage 2D8 (2,1) = 3, ignored by her shield
The two mill guardians round the ridge, following their compatriot's cries.
WARFORGED WARRIORS
WARFORGED WARRIORS
"ALARM!" "ALARM!"
to be continued 6.10 Ruins of Iolas, Part II . . .
GM FOOTNOTES:
Have Ambushes in D&D games ever worked? Are we just too conditioned by cinematic tropes that we expect to see them in our games all the time? In the movies, Kayleth's ambush would have worked. But games are not movies.
Strange that the Warforged don't lock any of their doors.
"Wait... what?" I *think* I did the waiting rules OK. Basically, Grezan was first, but traded with Presto, who then didn't want the guard to go inbetween so he then traded with the guard. So technically the guard went first (an Awareness roll) then Presto's frost spell, then Grezan could move + pick up items. The rules don't say that you can't multi-trade, and it makes narrative sense, anyway. Not sure how I would rule this at an actual table. I wonder if it's meant to go that way.
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