Rise of The Runelords 1 - Burnt Offerings

Jack starts walking slowly to the only path they have left, trying to be sure to see enemies before they seem him.

"Don't get all touchy, I did leave you some." Shathys says with a grin, following Jack with a renewed vigor.

Spoiler:

The floor and walls of this musty-smelling chamber are covered with matted, wiry fur. Peering carefully around the corner, Jack can see well-gnawed bones scattered about the floor, and a dozen wooden stakes that have been driven into the ground near the far walls. Five goblin dogs are leashed to the stakes. They gnaw on bones, growl and snap at each other, but they haven't seen you yet. There's an exit on your right.

You can try to sneak past the dogs, or you can engage them in combat.

Spoiler:

"What if we throw a goblin corpse at them? They'll be too busy getting at the meat to notice us."

"Oi! Doggies!", Morbus shouts. "Come here and taste my blade! - Or rather, taste Jack and die at the same time!" As Morbus shouts his eyes glow in a creepy dark blood-like colour while he raises his sword above his head in an attempt to intimidate the dogs as much as possible in hope of getting some kind of advantage in the (presumably) forthcoming combat.

Spoiler:

Jack facepalms.

The dogs' heads whip around to face you. Spotting an intruder, they hurl themselves against their straining leashes, baring their teeth with furious snarls.

Roll for initiative!

Spoiler:

"I'm surrounded by fools!" Jack exclaims as he readies for combat.

"That was pretty foolish." Shara sighs and readies herself for combat.

Spoiler:

Shathys:

Spoiler:

You are faced with five furious goblin dogs, and it's only a matter of moments before they pull themselves free from their leashes. Two of them look even more feral than the others.

Map:

Spoiler:

Shara 29/29HP - AC 16, F 14, R 16, W 19
Reta 32/32HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Shathys 29/33HP - AC 18, F 18, R 16, W 13
Goblin Dog 1 (G1) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 2 (G2) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 3 (G3) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Morbus 28/39HP - AC 16, F 18, R 13, W 13
Ravenous Goblin Dog 1 (R1) 25/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Ravenous Goblin Dog 2 (R2) 25/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Jack 37/37HP - AC 22, F 16, R 15, W 17

First up: Shara

With a quick command in draconic, Shara tells Osmus to get a little closer to the dogs.

Spoiler:

Shara lifts her staff and an almost invisible wave of energy shoots from Osmus' little body. It hits two of the dogs and they do not seem to enjoy it.

Reta raises her staff above her head and as it begins to glow and smoke, the air suddenly holds the sharp tang of ozone. A bright bolt of lightning leaps from the tip of the staff, striking one of the goblin dogs and blasting away a chunk of its flank. Bright bone shows through scorched fur and ruined, bleeding flesh.

Spoiler:

Shara 29/29HP - AC 16, F 14, R 16, W 19
Reta 32/32HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Shathys 29/33HP - AC 18, F 18, R 16, W 13
Goblin Dog 1 (G1) 17/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 2 (G2) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 3 (G3) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Morbus 28/39HP - AC 16, F 18, R 13, W 13
Ravenous Goblin Dog 1 (R1) 25/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Ravenous Goblin Dog 2 (R2) 7/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - Bloodied
Jack 37/37HP - AC 22, F 16, R 15, W 17

Next up: Shathys

Shathys advances, striking the weakened goblin dog with a vicious overhand strike that severs its head from its body. Dark energy flows from his weapon to form a thin, shadowy shield around him.

Spoiler:

Shara 29/29HP - AC 16, F 14, R 16, W 19
Reta 32/32HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Shathys 29/33HP (6THP) - AC 18, F 18, R 16, W 13
Goblin Dog 1 (G1) 17/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 2 (G2) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 3 (G3) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Morbus 28/39HP - AC 16, F 18, R 13, W 13
Ravenous Goblin Dog 1 (R1) 25/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Ravenous Goblin Dog 2 (R2) DEAD
Jack 37/37HP - AC 22, F 16, R 15, W 17

Three of the goblin dogs tear themselves free of their leashes and barrel into Shathys with bared fangs, biting, snapping, ripping, tearing. He falls to the ground, covered in blood, as the hounds try to rip out his throat.

Spoiler:

Map:

Spoiler:

Shara 29/29HP - AC 16, F 14, R 16, W 19
Reta 32/32HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Shathys 6/33HP - AC 18, F 18, R 16, W 13 - Bloodied, Prone
Goblin Dog 1 (G1) 17/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 2 (G2) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 3 (G3) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Morbus 28/39HP - AC 16, F 18, R 13, W 13
Ravenous Goblin Dog 1 (R1) 25/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Ravenous Goblin Dog 2 (R2) DEAD
Jack 37/37HP - AC 22, F 16, R 15, W 17

Next up: Morbus

Sprinting heroicly into combat, Morbus attacks the last ravenous goblin dog. As he attacks it he screams in anger, which doesn't seem to affect it that much. He succeds, however, in pushing another goblin dog away from combat.

Spoiler:

The ravenous goblin dog runs out of the brambles and charges Morbus. It latches onto his leg with its powerful jaws and tries to rip it out of its socket.

Spoiler:

Shara 29/29HP - AC 16, F 14, R 16, W 19
Reta 32/32HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Shathys 6/33HP - AC 18, F 18, R 16, W 13 - Bloodied, Prone
Goblin Dog 1 (G1) 17/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 2 (G2) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Goblin Dog 3 (G3) 5/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - Bloodied
Morbus 22/39HP - AC 16, F 18, R 13, W 13 - Grabbed by R1
Ravenous Goblin Dog 1 (R1) 25/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - -2 to attack rolls until the end of Morbus' next turn, Grabbing Morbus
Ravenous Goblin Dog 2 (R2) DEAD
Jack 37/37HP - AC 22, F 16, R 15, W 17

Next up: Jack

Jack continues grumbling while he charges into combat, delivering a heavy blow to the left dog almost felling it. His eyes, even the glass eye, turns completely white and his left hand yanks backwards as if holding multiple chains. Tiny blue threads appear all over the dogs.

Spoiler:

Map:

Spoiler:

Shara 29/29HP - AC 16, F 14, R 16, W 19
Reta 32/32HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Shathys 6/33HP - AC 18, F 18, R 16, W 13 - Bloodied, Prone
Goblin Dog 1 (G1) 4/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - Bloodied, Marked
Goblin Dog 2 (G2) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - Marked
Goblin Dog 3 (G3) 5/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - Bloodied, Marked
Morbus 22/39HP - AC 16, F 18, R 13, W 13 - Grabbed by R1
Ravenous Goblin Dog 1 (R1) 25/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - -2 to attack rolls until the end of Morbus' next turn, Grabbing Morbus, Marked
Ravenous Goblin Dog 2 (R2) DEAD
Jack 37/37HP (13THP) - AC 22, F 16, R 15, W 17

Shara turns towards one of the worse looking dogs.

Spoiler:

She fires a bolt of purple fire at it, the bolt dissolves just before hitting the dog. Shara screams in frustration.

Reta sends another bolt of lightning into the snarling hound bodies. It strikes one of them with enough force to practically rip it in half, spraying the ground with blood and gore.

Spoiler:

Shara 29/29HP - AC 16, F 14, R 16, W 19
Reta 32/32HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Shathys 6/33HP - AC 18, F 18, R 16, W 13 - Bloodied, Prone
Goblin Dog 1 (G1) DEAD
Goblin Dog 2 (G2) 30/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - Marked
Goblin Dog 3 (G3) 5/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - Bloodied, Marked
Morbus 22/39HP - AC 16, F 18, R 13, W 13 - Grabbed by R1
Ravenous Goblin Dog 1 (R1) 25/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - -2 to attack rolls until the end of Morbus' next turn, Grabbing Morbus, Marked
Ravenous Goblin Dog 2 (R2) DEAD
Jack 37/37HP (13THP) - AC 22, F 16, R 15, W 17

Next up: Shathys

Shathys shoves a goblin dog off him, staggering to his feet, desperately reaching for a health potion and downing the entire contents of the vial.

Shathys then flicks his chain, wrapping it around the dog that jumped on him, pulling it closer as he shoves his fist down it's gaping maw, ignoring the teeth scraping past his gauntlets, Shathys growls and pulls a fist, grabbing and pulling the creatures tongue and jaw off with jerking motions and sickening crunches as he pulls this way and that, taking great pleasure in the creatures cries of pain.

"You owe me a mug of ale, Morbus, a big one at that. Huge, in fact." Shathys growls as he throws the goblins jaw at the remaining dog.

Spoiler:

A goblin dog tries to bite a distracted Morbus, but the glowing chains around its neck tighten, burning through its thick hide.

Spoiler:

Shara 29/29HP - AC 16, F 14, R 16, W 19
Reta 32/32HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16
Shathys 16/33HP (6THP) - AC 18, F 18, R 16, W 13 - Bloodied, Prone
Goblin Dog 1 (G1) DEAD
Goblin Dog 2 (G2) 23/30HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - Marked
Goblin Dog 3 (G3) DEAD
Morbus 22/39HP - AC 16, F 18, R 13, W 13 - Grabbed by R1
Ravenous Goblin Dog 1 (R1) 25/25HP - AC 15, F 13, R 14, W 16 - -2 to attack rolls until the end of Morbus' next turn, Grabbing Morbus, Marked
Ravenous Goblin Dog 2 (R2) DEAD
Jack 37/37HP (13THP) - AC 22, F 16, R 15, W 17

Next up: Morbus