Xanathar Enforcers:
CHES 27th (The Claw of Sunsets – 1492 DR)
23:50 pm
Little did Alley and Zarek know that in the next few minutes they would be assailed by not only Oli ‘The Actor’ and Lucas ‘The Roach’, but also Xanathar Enforcers and one or more members of Bregan D’Aerthe.
The smell of Chimera is clearly present and emanates from the Thief and Brawler peeking out from the alleyway Infront of the Rogue and Bard.
Zarek did not wait for Oli ‘The Actor’ or Lucas ‘The Roach’ to explain their ambush as he knew that he and Alley had destroyed their fine lives that they were enjoying in the Filed Ward and even stole from them, something that Oil was particularly angered by. The Rogue is first to react and the Bard is caught on the hop and is last to react.
The Rogue cast his ‘Thaumaturgy’ Spell and his voice booms up to three times as loud as normal as he attempts to intimidate the Drug addled Thief into a truce.
Zarek: “Come Oli, this there no way we can discuss this without violence? Stop before you are truly hurt.”
The Rogue then remembers that not only does the drug Chimera addle the minds of those that partake of it, but there are side effects that enhance the taker in different ways. It is clear that Oli ‘The Actor’ is Angry, whist Lucas ‘The Roach’ is swollen and veins can be clearly seen on his arms, torso and brow.
Oli ‘The Actor’ li is clearly not in the mood to parlay with the Rogue and is intent on murder this night. Oli ‘The Actor’ draws his Shortbow and wait for his opportunity. Lucas ‘The Roach’ in turn produces a Javelin and draws back his arm.
The Rogues first instinct is to run away from the tow Filed Ward Villains and avoid all possibility of a fight. Zarek looks about and attempts to plane his escape, until he hears his own voice saying:
Zarek: “Running away again and leaving Alley to deal with the two scallywags, I don’t think that we should run away, don’t you?”
The Rogue then knows that he has to engage and aid Alley as she was about to be targeted if he was to run.
Zarek: “But maybe I can use that to our advantage and split the assailants.”
The Rogue then shocks Oli ‘The Actor’, Lucas ‘The Roach’ and even Alley, as he dashes directly for Oli, Shortbow in hand, and just about makes it to the corner of the building, opersite to the corner used by Oli ‘The Actor’ and Lucas ‘The Roach’.
Oli ‘The Actor’ moves to fire his Shortbow at Zarek and that leaves Lucas to hurl his Javelin at Alley, who was unclear as to what was happening.
Oli ‘The Actor’ aim was true and he struck the Rogue in the chest, plum. Well nearly plum as he was able to employ his new Roguish move and roll back from the strike which lessened the damage of the arrow.
Oli ‘The Actor’: “Got ya, and there’s a lot more where that came from Devil child.”
The Chimera addict them dashed towards the Rogue in close quarters, drawing a rusted Longsword and grinding his teeth as he approached.
Oli ‘The Actor’: “I want my ring back and I’m going to take your life away, BOY.”
Lucas ‘The Roach’ meanwhile, was a lot more controlled, aimed his Javelin at the Bard and Let loose. The Brawler’s aim was also true and the weapon stuck Alley, drawing blood and making her rather upset. Lucas having slightly more intelligence than Oli ‘The Actor’ chose to retreat behind the building to cover his actions and plan his next move.
Alley’s turn next and she moves to see what Lucas ‘The Roach’ was up to and seeing that he was preparing to draw another Javelin, she chose to aid Zarek and be within range for the Rogues special attack.
Alley: “He will get there; he just needs to engage his muscle memory. I am sure he wasn’t thinking of running away again, especially knowing that we work as a team, a very good team if I may say so.”
The Rogue moves towards Oli ‘The Actor’ and Zarek and once the Chimera Addict, Oli ‘The Actor’, is within sight, the Bard unleashes a Magical ‘Fire Bolt’.
Alley: “Well done Zarek you split the tow of them up and we can concentrate on Oli for now. It would also be a good idea to keep them alive for interrogation, from the mouths of babes.”
The Bard’s ‘Fire Bolt’ hits Oli ‘The Actor’ and his clothing is scorched and his flesh burnt. However, he is intent on killing Zarek and the Chimera is dulling his cognitive reasoning.
Alley stands her ground having a clear sight of both Oli ‘The Actor’ and the alleyway where Lucas ‘The Roach’ is hidden.
The Bards intension are to subdue Oli ‘The Actor’ and he uses the pommel of his Rapier to smash down on the Thief’s head and then do the same with his Dagger but this was not enough.
Zarek; “I used all my strength and Oli ‘The Actor’ still stands, he must be on horse tranquilisers or something. Best move away around the building.”
A pair of carts trundle into the Market Square driven by two hooded drivers.
The Rogue moves to the back of the building and can now see that Lucas ‘The Roach’ was looking in his direction and an attack would come soon from him.
Inevitably, Oli ‘The Actor’ catches up with the Rogue and attacks with his Longsword, holding it with both hands and so increasing the amount of force and damage caused.
Another outstanding strike form the Chimera addict. Was it the drug that allowed him to strike so cleanly or was Tymora punishing the Rogue for not praying. Once more the Rogue needed to use all of his physical abilities to lessen the blow of the strike, yet blood was drawn again and Zarek debated if he should use a ’Potion of Healing’ or not, combat is a state of seconds and give you little time to think.
Zarek decides to continue soldiering on for now and attacks Oli ‘The Actor’ doing more damage but not knocking him out as he intended to do. The Rogue stands his ground and is in-between both Oli ‘The Actor’ and Lucas ‘The Roach’.
The two Chimera Addicts both go next yet what does occur is not what the Rogue expected.
Oli ‘The Actor’, barely able to lift his rusted Longsword, forgoes taking one of the ‘Potion of Healing’ that they had stolen epically for this ambush, and dashes towards the Rogue hoping to finish this fight quickly.
Oli ‘The Actor’, barely alive, beings to swing but never follows through as the Rogue hears the familiar crack sound of the Lantanese Pistol used by the Bregan D’Aerthe Drow Gunslingers. Oli is struck in the eye and blood begins to seep out, then instantly turning into a bilious green bubbling froth.
Zarek: “Poison from the projectile must be reacting with the Chimera in his blood. Poor sole I never wanted him dead.”
The Rogue feels vulnerable as his back was turned from the origin of the shot and expects the second projectile to hit him. Nothing does.
Lucas throws his Javelin at Alley, hits the Bard and then he is heard rushing back over to where Oli ‘The Actor’ lays dead. Lucas ‘The Roach’ fails to revive his friend and cries out.
Lucas ‘The Roach’: “What have you done; you’ve killed my friend. I will revenge him and this Potion will help.”
Alley and Zarek then turn to see that there were two carts, pulled up on the opersite side of the Market Square. From the start Zarek’s sixth sense was scream out danger, little knowing that they were in fact Xanathar Enforcers.
The Rogue still mindful of the Bregan D’Aerthe Drow Gunslinger/s, decided once more that discretion was the better part of valour and that he needed to find a way out.
The Bard thought it an opportunity to capture the Bregan D’Aerthe Drow Gunslinger and use them for information or as a bargaining chip.
Alley: “We still have to remember that Estran Icehorn is a prisoner on the Eyecatcher.”
The Rogue dashes past the carts and reaches the second cart, but then decides to investigate them further and not continue onwards past the second cart that was blocking the road. The Rogue spots, without any drought, that the driver was a short humanoid and spots the pale complexion of their skin.
Zarek: “I knew it, Duergar Xanathar Enforcers, it’s a trap and not by just them alone, there is also the Bregan D’Aerthe Drow Gunslinger/s. So, who followed whom?”
All Hells breaks loose including Avernus, Dis, Minauros, Phlegethos, Stygia, Malbolge, Maladomini, Cania and Nessus.
Suddenly, there it is again, both of the Duergar stand up with Javelin’s drawn and pull back the canvas covers on the wagons. Out of the front wagon, a huge humanoid female creature stands up, roars and proceeds to jump out of the wagon, another of the Xanathar Enforcers.
The Rogue can make out a female creature, with short black hair, black eyes. And a scared face. Very muscular, thick, protruding lower jaws, accented with great tusks and Her complexions is a pale yellow and her skin is notably thick and leathery, granting natural armour. Dressed in drab clothing, a leather waistcoat and carrying a large battle axe and carrying 4 javelins in a long quiver on her back.
Unfortunately for Olga, she caught her boot on the side of the wagon, tripped and landed prone on the cobbles of the Market Square. The two Duergar in the Wagons then attacked, each throwing their Javelins, the first at the Bard, which hit her and the second Duergar was about to do the same but a Dwarven accented voice, speaking in Undercommon, barked out orders and he aimed for the Rogue.
The Second Duergar also hit its target and once more the Rogue twisted with the impact, therefore lessening the harm of the Javelin.
Zarek then dashes over to the prone creature, which on a closer looked, which the Rogue knew to be the Unholy child of a Human and Ogre.
Zarek: “What abomination is this? What foul monster are these Xanathar Enforcers?” The Rogue reflected.
The Rogue has no hesitation, and having called Matthew, his Raven Familiar, from its extra dimensional plane where it had be left alone, wields his Rapier and Magical Dagger and dashes towards the fallen, prone Half-Ogre and one of the Xanathar Enforcers set to retrieve the Stone of Golorr.
The Rogue expertly plunges his Rapier into the back of the Half-Ogres neck and practically kills her out right. The Bard has to help and they finish her off as Alley cast her Spell ‘Fire Bolt’. One less of the Xanathar Enforcers.
The Rogue then climbs onto the Wagon which has the first of the Xanathar Enforcers, a Duergar Driver of the first cart, hoping for some form of cover. However, the Duergar aims another Javelin at him and at the same time a third, Enlarged Duergar, appears in the second Wagon, Javelin leaving his hand as he became visible.
Zarek: “Curse their Enlargement and Invisibility abilities.”
The Enlarged Duergar’s Javelin hit the Rogue and does enough damages for him to consider quaffing his ‘Potion of Healing’, but he holds off once more. The Frist Duergar also throws his Javelin and misses. That’s it for Xanathar Enforcers, or is it?
Lucas ‘The Roach’ rushes over towards the Rogue and that is the point that Zarek also spots the Gazer flying by the edge of a nearby roof and heading towards the Wagons.
Alley: “Not more Xanathar Enforcers, let hope Zarek also spots it.” Alley ponders and hopes.
Zarek then turns his attention to the first Duergar Driver and dispatches him with his Rapier, Dagger and the aid of Matthew who distracts the Duergar Driver as the Rogue attacks.
Zarek: “No all I need to do is jump on the seat of the Wagon, sit on the Wagon seat, unhitch the break and then urge the horses into making a tight turn and exit via the road which they rode down from.”
This is when Lucas ‘The Roach’ rushes over towards the Rogue, who was on the Wagon, and called out to him before he unleashed his attack.
Lucas ‘The Roach’: “Now you will feel the pain of loss when I take your life away Thief.”
Zarek: “What can you do to me Chimera addict?”
Lucas ‘The Roach’: “Zarek the Thief, now you will burn like the Devil that you were spawned from and I hope it hurts.”
A pity that Lucas ‘The Roach’ had not paid more attention at school or used the Ring of Puzzler’s Wit as he would have known that Zarek’s particular kind had resistance to Fire.
Lucas ‘The Roach’ then opens his mouth and an eruption of flames burst forth from the Brawlers throat. The Rogue is nimble enough, this time, to avoid the flames by ducking behind the side of the Wagon, plus his natural resistance to fire did the rest. Matthew, the Magical ‘Familiar’ in the form of a Raven, was by the Rogues side and attempted to fly off but the intense flames were too much and he disappeared.
Alley: “I need to do something as things are getting complicated, who knows how many Invisible Duergar’s there are I need to get a closer look and chose the correct Spell. I have it lets slow this dance down shall we.”
The Bard, now standing by the rear Wagon, elects to cast her new Spell ‘Slow’ and catches all of the Xanathar Enforcers and even Lucas ‘The Roach’ too, perfect.
Everyone, visible, fell under the effects of the Spell giving the Heroes of the Field Ward advantage, no matter how fleeting.
The Rogue then jumps onto the Wagons seat, grabs the reins and goes to take off the break when another shot from a Lantanese Pistol, used by the Bregan D’Aerthe Drow Gunslingers, and Zarek winces and then realises that the shot had missed him or in fact was aimed at the Horse all along.
Zarek: “The blasted Bregan D’Aerthe Drow Gunslinger does not want me dead, or is he preventing me from loosing the Stone of Golorr to another faction? Tymora and the Drow only knows.”
The Rogues options are limited, with only one skittish horse and the other lying dead, and so he decides to dash back along the cart in order to escape the Market Square over the second Wagon and it is at that point that he also realises that it was blocking the way. His escaping using the front Wagon was countered by the position of the first Wagon. The Xanathar Enforcers were intent on taking the Stone of Golorr from him at all costs.
Tymora, and Alley’s Spell, protested the hasty Rogue as he ran past the Enlarged Duergar, the second Duergar driver and Lucas ‘The Roach’. Both Duergar missed, with the Duergar drive hitting the back of the Wagon. However, Lucas ‘The Roach’ managed to expel more flames but they also missed our Hero.
Unexpectedly, another of Xanathar Enforcers then appeared on the back of the second Wagon. He was another Duergar but obviously the leader of these Xanathar Enforcers and he was casting a Spell in the direction of Alley.
Behind and above the Bard, a floating, spectral force that resembling a glowing Magical weapon appears in the air. As the Battle Axe finally forms, it swings down at Alley and strikes her drawing blood as it hits her collar bone and a fait crack can be heard by all.
The Duergar leader of these Xanathar Enforcers then backs out more orders to the Duergar and Gazer, which immediately flies over towards the Rogue and attacks using its Eye Storks to fire out Magical Rays.
The Rogue is hit by the first Ray and is instantly affected by it and finds that it sees the Gazer and a friend and ally, meaning that Zarek was not inclined to attack the creature. It uses a second Eye Storks to fire out another Magical Ray but the Rogue was able to resist its effects as he feels like an attempt was made to lift him off the Wagon.
Due to the intense action, Tymora also clouded the judgement of the DM and he failed to read the following:
“While the target is charmed in this way, its speed is halved, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls.”
The skirmish continues as the Bard rushes over to the second Wagon and climbs up onto the back of it so she can confront the Duergar Priest or Spellcaster.
This leader of the Xanathar Enforcers shares the same physical traits as standard Gray Dwarves, but dresses in the drab, stony attire of a Monk. They are stout and strong, but have pale gray skin, lifeless flaming orange eyes, and a bald head.
Alley attacks and successfully strikes the Duergar Priest. The Duergar of the second Wagon jumps down from the Wagons seat and then Enlarges as he draws forth his, now massive, Dwarven War Pick.
The Rogue once again, dash off, jumps to the ground and back up onto the seat of the second Wagon. Once there he realises that there is not room to fight by Alle’s side as she is taking up all the room whist wielding both her Rapiers.
The initial Enlarged Duergar and the Gazer then case after the Rogue and they appear to be targeting him rather than the Bard, Interesting.
The Rogue, then caught like a rat in a trap, strikes out and kills the initial Enlarged Duergar and the second is killed by Alley.
Once more the Gazer uses its Rays to attack the Rogue. The first has no effect as Zarek fells his skin grow cold but nothing more. However, the second Ray is effective and he suddenly feel an intense, irrational fear of the Gazer, cannot willingly move closer to the source of its fear and reduces his confidence to do anything constructive.
Now Alley can turn her attention towards the Duergar Priest, while Zarek has to battle the Gazer and Lucas ‘The Roach’ too. The Bard is able to hit the Duergar Priest, drawing blood but she is not able to break his concentration.
The Duergar Priest calls forth his ‘Spiritual Weapon’, in the form of a Dwarven Battle Axe, and strikes out at the Bard.
Alley loses her concentration, even though her new War Caster skill allows a greater control of Spells, and is unable to maintain the effects of her ‘Slow’ Spell.
Zarek: “Perfect, how is it that the Brawler is still here, I need to subdue him and question him later. I somehow feel sorry for the poor addict and now he has also lost his friend.”
Zarek is confronted by Lucas ‘The Roach’ as he climbs up onto the front of the Wagon with the explicit intension of spitting out his last ‘Fire Breath’ at the Rogue, frustrated that he had missed twice prior. The Chimera filled, rage Dwarf opens his mouth but fails to emit any fire at the Rogue as he is hit squarely in the side of head by yet another projectile from a Lantanese Pistol by the Bregan D’Aerthe Drow Gunslinger, or someone else maybe, after all he himself had 3 Lantanese Pistols, 12 Leather Packets of Smokepowder and 3 Leather Pouches containing Twenty projectiles, what’s to say someone else is employing them, didn’t even Grind Garloth have several single-shot pistols in her workshop?
Lucas ‘The Roach’ fall from the Wagon in a heap.
The Rogue take a quick look and can only tell that the projectile came from the same area as the others. The type of Poison would reveal if it was in fact a member of the 3 Bregan D’Aerthe, of if it was in fact a Drow Gunslinger.
Zarek the concentrates on helping Alley, and in turn want to dispatch of the Gazer whom the Rogue insists on avoiding and not attacking. He casts his Spell, ‘Magic Missiles’, at the Duergar Priest and it curses his in return.
Zarek: “Sorry, cannot understand a word you’re saying my friend.”
Alley then unleashes a fury of cuts and thrusts at the Duergar Priest and he is finally sent to his ancestors resting halls.
The Gazer then sweeps in and attempts to subdue the Bard as the Rogue does not only consider the monster to be a friend, but he is also scared to death of it. A very odd situation indeed.
The Bard successfully blasts out at the Gazer, using her ‘Fire Bolt’ Spell as it is flying, causing two of its Eye Stalks to fall limp as green blood falls and burnt flesh is smelt. It flies off, up and above the rooftops and disappears into the night. Another of the Xanathar Enforcers gone.
Alley then uses her ‘Earing of Message’ to tell the Rogue what they should do next.
Alley: “Turn Invisible Zarek, search the bodies and remember the Drow Gunslingers. We need information remember.”
Zarek: “Of course, but what is it that we are looking for?”
The question is left unanswered for now as Alley looks off into the darkness as if she has spotted something new.
The Rogue had already used his last ‘Scroll of Invisibility’, and so he has to use his newly acquired ability, Shadow-Touched, to become ‘Invisible’. The Bard needs to use one of her Spells leaving her with only Two 1st level Spells, One 2nd level Spell and One 3rd level Spell.
The Rogue and Bard have delt with and Lucas ‘The Roach’ all of the Xanathar Enforcers, apart from the Gazer, and there is a Bregan D’Aerthe, or other enforcers from Jarlaxle Baenre, still out there.
CHES 28th (The Claw of Sunsets – 1492 DR)
00:01 am