Twentieth Session

Session picks up with the battle of the camp still underway, and Round Four about to begin!

ROUND FOUR

Sol - still low on health, casts Magic Missile at third level against Grapple Lady for 14 damage

Fishboy - Stabs Grapple Lady in the neck. Twice. 25 damage. Grapple Lady is badly injured.

Celia - Drags Talith's body closer to a tree, hopefully not to eat it.

Markoris - Makes a bow attack on the fleeing wizard, 10 damage. Dashes 70 feet closer to her

Ishaq - Casts another Suggestion on the half-orc monk (Uthra), and he suggests that she tell him if Freya is sending reinforcements after the party. The spell succeeds again: Uthra informs him that she isn't aware of any additional bounty hunters coming, because that wasn't included in their orders.

Other Attackers: Grapple Lady casts a verbal spell on Max, Commanding him to protect her. She also casts Mass Healing Word on her party as a bonus action, granting an extra 8 HP to herself and her allies. The Mage teleports again, and Markoris doesn't spot where she went. Uthra is now free to move again, but she drops Ishaq and raises hands to surrender, and also heals herself a bit.

Alice - Dashes 60 feet after Markoris, perception check to see if she can spot the mage, sees nothing.

Alana - Casts Charm Person on Uthra to be on the safe side, but the spell fails.

Max - Unable to break free of the Command spell, Max gets up and tries to Grapple Fin. This fails due to how oily Fin is, but Max successfully shoves him Prone with his Shield Master feat.

Raul - drags Ishaq away from Uthra, interposes himself between them.

ROUND FIVE

Sol - another Magic Missile (3rd level) against Grapple Lady, causing 15 damage, she is now very badly hurt. Due to failing to Max takes 27 psychic damage)

Fishboy - rolls Intelligence to puzzle out these shenanigans, deduces that Max is Charmed, gets back to his feet and attacks Grapple Lady, killing her. Max briefly freaks out at her demise before the spell lifts from his mind.

Celia - casts Revivify on Talith, using up her diamond. Talith returns to life with 1 HP. Celia then runs 30 ft. over to Max.

Markoris - rolls perception, still looking for hostile spellcaster. He spots her, closes the distance, and attacks with his bow for 8 damage.

Ishaq - yet another Suggestion on Uthra, but his spell fails. He instead asks Raul to keep an eye on her, negotiating with Uthra for her compliance.

Other Attackers: Uthra says 'kill me if you want, but it won't be necessary.' Mage teleports again, Markoris and Alice roll perception but can't spot her.

Alice - catches up to Markoris again, casts Speak with Animals on herself but can't find any animals to ask for help with hunting the mage.

Alana - Misty Steps to Sol, casts 3rd-level Cure Wounds on him, 6 HP.

Max - Yells for people to regroup, can't see most of the party, holds an attack just in case, Second Wind heals 16 HP.

Raul - Stays where he is, gets rope out to bind Uthra. The fight is now effectively over, with three attackers dead, one surrendered, and one fled, and all party members still alive (or once again, in Talith's case).

END OF INITIATIVE

VICTORY = PARTY REACHES LEVEL 7

Ishaq rejoins the group. Max apologizes to Fin, who heals him for 5 HP using Lay on Hands. Markoris and Alice continue hunting for the enemy wizard. Markoris spots the wizard 120 feet away, but she's hauling ass fast. He accepts that she's gotten away.

Alana uses her last spell slot to heal Talith for 9 HP. Max apologizes to Ishaq for not defending him. Alice also heals Talith for 10 HP.

Looting and investigating bodies begins - Ishaq finds a journal on Grapple Lady's body, written in Celestial. Last entry 'should be able to hit them tonight.' And a prayer to the Empress (maybe?) She appears to have been a Cleric.

Grapple Lady: Max finds adventurer gear and religious items, 15 gold, scale armour, mace (magic)

Sword Lady: 200 gold, unknown potion, glowing armour and rapier, ring. Celia cuts off one of her fingers. BTW Celia has been wearing a wood elf's ear around her neck since the last visit to the Keep.

Talithcide: Leather armour, dagger, short sword, dagger, ring,

Uthra: quarterstaff, ring, dart, clothing, 15 gold

Party starts planning to get the heck off this hill. Talith passes out, still woozy post-death. Alice volunteers her shield to help carry Talith. Fin and Alice carry the makeshift stretcher.

Ishaq talks to Raul and Uthra (now tied up), accompanied by Max. Uthra confirms that Freya hired them, that they have worked for her before and that Ceres (the escaped wizard) has the slip which had the details of this job. The cleric's journal reads: 'new job, high bounty - kidnap and get out.' The drop point for Ishaq was to be a tavern in Thracien called 'Wild Goose & Crow.' The assassins were under the impression that our party are all traitors and that this is a legal job, and Uthra was surprised to find out Talith was killed- the plan was to just grab Ishaq and Raul.

Uthra appears to care for her party, of which Ceres is now the only survivor. She says she will comply with our party as long as Ceres survives. It's speculated that Ceres, who is supposed to be highly intelligent, is too smart to return to Ayleen and face likely execution for her failure.

Finally, Uthra has definitely not heard of the Host Radiant.

A possible plan is proposed by Ishaq: deceive Ayleen by having Uthra deliver a supposedly captive Ishaq to the tavern, accompanied by disguised party members. Talith, still weak from her ordeal, will likely have to be returned tot he Keep for healing.

The group gets moving to find a new, less cursed campsite. This takes a few hours. Everyone starts identifying and attuning to their new magic items, and the session ends.