Game strategy

To answer Elden's question of anyone being hurt: Seneia is at 17/21. Slightly singed, but nothing serious.

For the record, as DM I appreciate your synopsis. The point I'm trying to get across is the perspective of those you attacked. They were just passing through when, wham, full on attack. It's common in D&D, but interesting to explore in these slower paced online games.

I agree! We've all gotten so used to just attacking stuff. Granted, some PC's are intended to behave this way, but I'm talking about us as players. So yes, it's a very interesting perspective to explore and certainly a story twist I for one appreciate. Kudos! :-)

Well, Elden saw Feylinde attack and followed her lead. He just assumed that she saw some sort of reason to attack and trusted her. If he finds out she attacked with no real provocation he is gonna be livid!

Well, after what the orphans just went through with the guards and then the rogue (and being teenagers) I wouldn't blame anyone for jumping the gun. It was a mistake, sure, but a mistake anyone would have made.

If Elden gets mad are we going to see some more face slapping? :-D

Probably not slapping, but a very angry cleric indeed! I definitely think it was in character for Feylinde to jump the gun on it, but will that really matter to Elden? Only one way to find out!

The way I've been playing it, Weylan is see-sawing between horror at his own capacity for murder (and a desire to do better) and an indifference to violence (that arises from the self-loathing of "I can't do better than that. I'm no better than an animal, deserving of being slapped and worse"). So his reactions have been different.

Alanya only uses violence when she's pissed or someone is in real danger of getting killed. Otherwise, she'd really prefer not to...

Feylinde is not a cold killer, but murder is not so shocking when you deal almost on a daily basis with a Great Old One Entity...there are so many worse thing not even imaginable out there ...

The character started the attack on the last NPC party just because was what made the most sense in her mind. The orphans were lead into the sewers in seach of a friend, they know she'd be taken down there. They met very unfriendly "guards" ... suddenly how many chance are there that someone totally randomly would go down in the sewers of a town ... in the same section where the PCs have had a fight ... and through the same door they just passed few minutes ago? ...come on! random people? They must be linked in some way to the enemies we're after!

That's the reasoning behind the attack ^_^

I totally agree with the way you played it. The question is whether gentle Elden will see it that way?

Oh man, there's no way that this elf will not end up getting killed or escaping to become a recurring villain...

...Okay, actually I guess I see a third (albeit unlikely) option: the game turns into a courtroom drama. But other than that, this elf is gonna get it. I totally love this conflict between the PCs' self-doubt that what they did was just ("are they bad guys? Or just other people in the wrong place, like us?") and the hatred of the elf ("You just killed my friends; I don't care what you say, there's no way I'm going to help you!"). Both sides make sense, but put together I don't see a happy ending. It's really got me wondering what will happen next, and gives some great role-playing opportunities.

Lol. Well, if it's any consolation, I can see the future to some degree. But your decisions and die rolls may change the outcome.

For clarity, and to avoid too much doubt, I am assuming you searched the bodies and the survivors thoroughly. You didn't find a key on them. But one of you have a key...

But it is odd the elf and his group don't have a key...

Hmmmm....

Yeah, there's probably some other way of getting through, but the elf is being unresponsive. Maybe the key that Weylan gave Seneia will do the trick.

I initially left my Initiative post blank because I wanted Rufio to grab the elf and hold him, but wasn't sure if I can make a grapple check before initiative kicks in. If it's possible then I'll add a roll if not, let's just make that more of a narrative arm grab and not an actual grapple.

No, elf will be rolling initiative too, and you definitively don't have surprise.

Makes sense. :-)

Well it looks like the elf gets to act first. I don't recall setting a marching order this time around but I do think the elf is out front. Surely somebody gets OA on him if he bolts? At the very least Rufio is right next to him, having grabbed his arm.

See my post. The exact order is difficult because you can't all be next to him, so I am taking the posts in order. Although Rufio may have wanted to grab his arm he was actually near the back. You are welcome to read posts and let me know if you disagree.

No disagreement here. :-)

What do we see ahead in the corridor? Is there anything catching our attention? Light sources, something else within the range of Seneia's dark vision?