Thursday 12 July 1280, Afternoon (The Red Serpent)

Varros tells the party to beware and maintain their distance, fearing that the snake is venomous.

Oloc rushes to retrieve his daggers. "Giant snake! Why did it have to be a giant snake?"

Gaven yells, "By the Light, what a fiend! Let loose your arrows to quickly fell the beast, so we can catch the villains."

The cleric crouches in a defensive position with spear and shield in front of him, staying out of range of the snake, but in front of the archers.

Duran, Varros and the hirelings take positions slightly behind Gaven, intending to unleash arrows at the beast while trying to maintain a distance out of its strike range. Oloc quickly shifts to get a clear line of sight, ready to toss his daggers.

Swede, having already shot his crossbow, positions himself beside Gaven, sword drawn.

The snake slithers forward swiftly, however, striking at Swede. The bounty hunter attempts to ward off the attack with the unloaded crossbow in his left hand, but the snake is quicker. Its jaws sink so deeply into the hobgoblin's throat that his head is nearly severed from his shoulders. Swede is dead before he hits the floor.

The snake's attack on Swede, however, leaves time for the rest of you to step back far enough to shoot and throw unhindered.

Several arrows and one of Oloc's daggers bite into the snakes scaly flesh, and soon the beast, too, is lying on the floor, its blood mingling with that of its hobgoblin victim.

The cavern is suddenly still and silent. No noise at all can be detected from down the dark south tunnel where Mackey and his remaining bodyguard disappeared.

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OOC: Actions?

You can expect the reinforcements sent by Alanna to arrive in about 20-30 minutes (if they arrive exactly in the time frame indicated in Alanna's message).

Combat Detail

Round 1:

Initiative: Snake 4 – Party 1

Snake attacks Swede (random selection, weighted slightly toward Gaven and Swede in front)

d20 = 14 + 2 (normal to hit bonus for its HD) = 16 (hit); d6 = 6 (Swede killed – he was very low in hp following Oloc's earlier magic missile)

Duran

Shot 1: d20 = 9 + 2 (short range) = 11 (miss)

Shot 2: d20 = 13 + 2 (short range) = 15 (hit); d6 = 4

Varros

Shot 1: d20 = 18 + 2 (short range) = 20 (hit); d6 = 4

Shot 2: d20 = 8 + 2 (short range) = 10 (miss)

Gweneth

Shot 1: d20 = 20 + 2 (short range) = 22 (hit); d6 = 6

Shot 2: d20 = 2 + 2 (short range) = 4 (miss)

Jack

Shot 1: d20 = 20 + 2 (short range) = 22 (hit); d6 = 6

Shot 2: d20 = 13 + 2 (short range) = 15 (hit); d6 = 1

Stan

Shot 1: d20 = 1 + 2 (short range) = 3 (miss)

Shot 2: d20 = 1 + 2 (short range) = 3 (miss)

Oloc

Shot 1: d20 = 16 + 1 (med. range) = 17 (hit); d6 = 3

Shot 2: d20 =  2 + 1 (med. range) = 3 (miss)

Total Damage to Snake from all Hits = 24 (killed)