Against the Cult: The Next Day (1.2)

Round One, continued

As the enormous monster comes hurtling from the trees, Sara lets fly a shaft that disappears into its mat of shaggy fur at its hip. It lands, killing the mules, and then its head looks up in apparent confusion. This was not the monster it expected to fight; it came apart too easily. Ogbar, Klak, Sara, Xana, and Thacogygax are all struck by the size of this monster; it is fully as large as the busker's wagon, and its head swivels around in swift jerks, its large round eyes searching for the dragon. Jonbon, struggling to his feet after being struck by a flying wheel, and the second arrow that Sara fires draw its attention back to the prey.

Jonbon (1), Durren (2), Ogbar (3), Klak (4), Sara (5), Xana (6), and Thacogygax (7) are all within range of its leap. The owlbear leaps over the barbarian and crushes the paladin into the ground.

Klak is at 0 HP and must start rolling death saves this round.

The owlbear lets out a deafening shriek, trying to draw the dragon out of hiding.

At the Farm

Everyone hears the splintering crash, filtered through the trees, and a screeching shriek of challenge.

Abel replies to Aanbo's suggestion: "Magnificent Masters, far be it from this one to contradict you, but that is an owlbear. Everyone must stay inside until we're sure that it's gone. This one usually doesn't bother with our sheep, being too small and all, but it might take a liking to your friend outside. Valiant warrior though I'm sure he is, you might consider calling him in."

Morgran considers the sleeping Devek. "Yes, Diana could probably help this child. But it might help her to know the source of the affliction."

Quest, standing vigil outside, notes that all the sheep run toward the barns in bleating terror.

The oxen, still in the traces of your wagon just within the treeline, go berserk, bellowing in terror.

Thacogygax adjust his aim for the leaping monster and reaches out with his mind, grabbing hold of a small cask of lamp oil, which flings up high in the sky and arcs down with crushing force. The missile slams down on the owl's head.Ogbar froths at the mouth and hacks down at the beast with his axe, carving deep into its shoulder. But he steps in to the line of sight that Xana has, and her shot goes wide as she twitches to avoid her companion. Durren shoves Jonbon into the trees, shouting: "Fly! Fly, man!" and he runs to join Ogbar. "We must all fly - it wants the dragon, not us!" But he can't leave a friend behind, and doesn't heed his own advice, attacking instead. While the blade scythes down onto the monster's flank, it seems to have no effect.

Aside from Klak's death save, that ends round one.

Sara assesses that, between the cask to the head, and Oxbar's hack, it is fairly winded and slowing down. Assuming that you can each attack effectively, it's likely that it will kill only once or twice more before you bring down the beast. So far, it hasn't paid much attention to the party, as it still seems to be searching for the dragon it heard; jumping on Klak was just instinctive pouncing at motion. It's not hungry, or it would have eaten one of the mules, so it's looking for a fight and attacked Jonbon's wagon because it was the biggest thing in the road.

Klak needs to roll a death save for round 1.

Round two

Here's what I have so far for round two:

* Sara (17) - ?
* Owlbear (16) - looking for dragon, may attack one of the two guys engaged in melee with it (Ogbar and Durren)
* Thacogygax (14) - casting Frostbite on owlbear
* Klak (8) - another death save
* Ogbar (4) - still attacking
* Xana (4) - Xana is trying to lure the monster away with enticing illusory dragon challenge sounds
* Durren (3) - is trying to help Ogbar, which means he will probably attack again if the barbarian continues fighting. if it wasn't standing over Klak, the fighter would drag him to cover (?) under the trees

So I'm looking for the rest of Sara's turn (does she want to defer?), then I'll determine the Owlbear's action and determine results of the rest of the party's actions.

(edit to add Ogbar's declared action)

At the Jarl Farm

Elista breaks away from Abel's embrace to grab Aanbo by the arm in entreaty: "Someone, do something! It's gonna kill him! First Devek, now...!" She tears away to look out the window fearfully. Seeing Quest standing there, she screams at him: "COME INSIDE! STONE WALLS ARE THE ONLY SAFETY!"

Round two

Sara assesses that the monster is looking to fight the dragon and tells the group this, fading back into the foliage to the north of Cecily's Road.

The owlbear turns and swats at the annoying barbarian and snips its beak at the fighter before returning its attention to the search for a worthy foe. Ogbar sidesteps the blow, but the beak is so fast it catches Durren in the shoulder, slicing through armor, bone and flesh alike.

Jonbon, hearing the man scream, stops and looks back from the treeline in horror, brushing the heel of his hand to his forehead as if trying to wipe the sight from his mind.

Thacogygax searches the skies for the dragon, and calls upon the magical energies within to freeze the owlbear. But the owlbear is also looking to the skies, and does not notice his attack.

Klak has one success and one failure for death saves: his life still hangs by a thread, beneath the shaggy fur of the owlbear, lying in the dust of the road.

Ogbar heaves his axe around and down, but the owlbear pays him no mind. Then it leaps away from Klak's body, knocking both Durren and Ogbar away as it leaps after the scream of the "fleeing" dragon (attacks of opportunity from the barbarian and fighter are possible here).

Durren slashes (attack of opportunity) at the owlbear, but again the weapon bounces off of the muscular flank. He then staggers over to Klak and tries to drag the dwarf into the trees, not particularly successfully. "Help me while its distracted!" he calls, perhaps to Jonbon, but the minstrel is faint from the sight of the fighter's blood and he does not move.

Ogbar's axe slices at the monster's flank and it gives another shriek of rage and bounds back into the forest to the south of the road.

end of round two

Perhaps as much as a minute has passed since the first cries and Quest's running out of the farm house to investigate, and less than half that since the monster appeared. Durren swoons and staggers, unable to drag Klak any further. The owlbear can be heard crashing through the trees, heading straight south.