The Ice Witch Cometh: Reign of Winter

[Amazo]

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The sleepy village of Heldren has rarely seen so much excitement or concern. Hunters from the nearby Border Wood speak of unnaturally cold weather at the height of summer that descended on the forest just days ago. Heavy snow followed, and those who returned spoke of an uneasy presence in the woods, as well as new, dangerous predators. No one knows what this event means, but the town's soothsayer, Old Mother Theodora, claims dark times lie ahead.

As if in proof of that dire prophecy, a badly wounded mercenary arrived in town yesterday, claiming to be a bodyguard of Lady Argentea Malassene. He told the village council that the noblewoman's escort came under attack by bandits and strange, wintry creatures near the edge of the Border Wood. He alone escaped, and Lady Argentea was dragged away into the forest. Now the townsfolk cast fearful eyes toward the snowy forest, worried what else might emerge to threaten their peaceful village.

These are the events that crossed the surrounding regions to reach your ears. These are the events that to most are but simply a tragedy, an oddity to be avoided, or an occurrence beyond understanding or intervention. These are the events that in you spark something different: a need to serve a cause, a thirst for revenge, a chance to spread the truth, a chance to learn it. Though the specifics of what drives you straight for Heldren differ wildly, they are fundamentally the same. A call has been sent out for those striving for greatness, and you all have taken heed.

By your own means, you all make your way to Heldren and coincidentally arrive within a few hours of one another. The first of you to arrive garners a great deal of attention from the simple townsfolk. If they have ever seen an individual of your stripe, it was a long time ago. After the arrival of the second, eyebrows begin to quirk and whispers become a constant buzz around the village. By the third, the skepticism has left their countenances, and they welcome you earnestly. By the last, you are inundated with questions of your origins, your travels, your deeds, your intentions, your abilities.

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A woman with stern eyes and a warm smile breaks from the ring surrounding your group. She extends her hand to each of you in greeting. "Thank you for coming to Heldren in her time of need, heroes." She pauses to let her smile widen before continuing, "You've already done more than anything we could have hoped for so quickly." She nods her head to the largest building in the town's square. "Our wounded visitor is recuperating in our town hall. His wounds are rather severe, and we fear waking him now may jeopardize his recovery. I will hail you all when he awakens and is able to tell you his tale. In the meantime, please avail yourself to whatever we can offer you."

It is clear the woman is putting on some airs for your benefit, but her dress suggests at least some of her apparent sophistication is genuine. Either way, she has given you all leave to explore the town and acquaint yourselves with each other for some time. The woman herself turns to the town hall's entrance and unlocks the door with a key she produces from a pouch on her belt before entering and closing the door behind her.

[Desril]

Sera

Having been too busy trying to answer questions from the crowd to really pay attention to the woman who'd just shaken her hand, Sera found herself silently glad that the woman vanished so quickly that she hardly had time to worry about her issue. Instead, she swiftly turned to the others who'd shown up to look into the recent troubles just as she had. She'd never met a ratfolk or kobold before, and though she'd heard nothing but tales of how vile the latter was, It's not like he's going to cause trouble. He'd have to be a really stupid monster to walk into town alone and start a fight. Nah, he's probably friendly. Besides, that gun thing looks cool, I wonder if he'll let me play with it later? So with that line of reasoning, the suli decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that he had honorable intentions.

"Hello, everyone," she finally says with a little wave of her hand after the woman vanishes into the Town Hall. "Guess we're all here for the same thing, more or less, so we might as well work together, right? I'm Sera, nice to meet all of you." Offering her hand out to everyone in turn, she hesitates for a brief second on instinct when reaching toward the Mizoq and Guko, but shakes their hand with an honest smile nonetheless should they accept the gesture.

"I don't suppose any of you have any good ideas for what to do until the hurt guy," she motions toward the town hall, "wakes up? I figured I'd just talk to him to figure out where the bandits went and then go beat up whatever took the Lady, but if we're in this together, does anyone have a better idea?"

[Deathkeeper]

Guko

Guko was in a very good mood, though he knew that the people were probably just happy about the others showing up and were just humoring him. That's okay, he'll be happy they're putting that much effort in. He accepts the handshake, though he has to reach up a bit.
"Best bet would be to get a feel for the place a bit. Gotta know your base of operations." he says simply. And he thinks it's a good idea. If someone gets stabbed, it won't do to not know where the medic is.

[TheEmperor]

One of the adventurers that had come to Heldren in it's time of need, although not on purpose, was Kyras Vandire, who came seeking the White Witches of Irrisen, in search of knowledge about the beast that destroyed his father. He himself was a pragmatic fellow, and was also rather genre-savvy with his quest, knowingly avoiding the cliches from the books he'd read in his youth. It amused him that the very quest he'd embarked upon was overused, although this amusement did not override his inner grief.

Of course, he had taken a detour to Heldren originally since it seemed faster to reach Irrisen through it... He hadn't expected such a commotion when he'd reached, and although he'd caught up with the rest to figure out what the hell was happening, the townsfolk had been very quick to assume he'd come solely to help them.

He personally had not made his decision to assist the village until only a few hours ago, when he'd concluded that it was his duty to help them in their peril, considering that he did have the rest of his life left to reach Irissen.

He was also perfectly comfortable with interacting with the other adventurers, since a lifetime of military teachings had drilled it into his head how valuable allies and backup were. And who knew, since they were all adventurers, perhaps they could work together even after they had solved Heldren's problem? It had been an entire year since he'd interacted with anyone with more than a superficial level of friendliness, so he couldn't be blamed for wanting some kind of fellowship.

"Getting used to the town is certainly a wise idea. We might even discuss the possibilities that may be causing this... hellish condition. Planning our moves out, maybe make a few contingencies. The name's Kyras, by the way. Son of Macharius Vandire, may his soul rest in peace, the former Lord General of Andoran's northern border forces."

[Desril]

Sera

Not having a better idea, Sera simply nods her head at everyone's suggestion to get to know the town. I'll just have to hope they don't want to go talk to the mayor or something. If they do, I'll just let them do all the talking, that should be fine.

Turning to Kyras though, she looks at him with a slight, confused tilt of her head. "What do you mean 'find out what's causing it'? It's magic, isn't it does it really matter if it's some one chanting a spell or a cursed rock or whatever? Not that I mind though, I always liked the snow. Kinda sad that it's apparently only snowing in the forest, actually...The kidnapped noble's more important if you ask me."

Shaking her head and getting back on topic she addresses everyone again. "But if we're trying to get a feel for the town, I vote we head for the nearest tavern. Plenty of people to talk to there about this place, and it's a great way to kill time."

[Amazo]

At the mere mention of a tavern, several of the townspeople around you are quick to point you towards the Silver Stoat directly across the square from the town hall. The tavern's front is relatively unassuming when compared to the town hall's imposing two stories and clock tower, and you are assured by multiple people that it is as welcoming to travelers as the whole of Heldren has been to you all. A few folks actually mention forgetting to pay their tabs after being caught up in the excitement of adventurers arriving before scurrying off to face whatever disgruntled barkeep awaits them. This, in turn, sends a few other people who work at other businesses around town to return to their duties as well. Listening amongst the various parting sales pitches, you catch wind of a blacksmith, a temple of Erastil, a general store, an apothecary, and a carpenter.

[CockroachTeaParty]

One of the adventurers to arrive is a handsome young human man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a thick traveling cloak. His every step sounds the distinctive clink of armor beneath the outer layer of his clothing, all of which is a non-distinct brown color. Perhaps the only aspect about him that marks him for an adventuring sort is his focused, intense gaze, which implies a keen mind. He is broad-shouldered, and moves with purpose; one gets the sense he knows how to handle himself.

"You may call me Kaius," he says to the others. He makes no suggestions for a course of action, apparently content to follow the group. He surveys the village and its inhabitants intently, however. His face is expressionless: not dispassionate, but certainly alert.

[JBarca]

Mizgoq the Torch

The small ratfolk, up until the announcement by the welcoming woman, had seemed rather overwhelmed. He did his best to smile and shake hands, though his grin looked more like a manic snarl than anything resembling a visage of happiness. When given the chance he speaks to the (likely uninterested) townsfolk about the Flame. Apparently, fire should be worshiped, both for its destructive capabilities and its life-giving properties. He seems utterly devoted to this line of speaking, and only answers the incessant questions with brief phrases or head shakes.

When the suggestion is made to explore the town and introductions are being offered, the creature pulls himself up to his full height (less than four feet) and announces, "I am Mizgoq, Torch of the Ancient Flame. The old one looks to me to foster the spread of his Flame. I am come to end this evil cold and bring forth a new heat in the land!"

He shakes any hands proffered and nods at the others' introductions.

"Getting a... 'feel' for the town seems prudent. I will do so as well."

After all, if the townsfolk are aided by me, they will be more receptive to my message Nothing prepares something for a flame quite like a good heat-drying.

[Desril]

Sera

Curious about this 'Flame' that the little ratfolk was talking so much about, Sera made a note to ask him about it later, but there were more important things to do for now. Since no one had come forward with a better idea, she starts walking toward the tavern. "If any of you need me, I'll be in here. You can usually get to know a town pretty well from the drinks and drinkers. And it's been a few days since I've been to the Lucky Drunk's temple," she finishes with a grin.

Once indoors, should no one bar the way, the suli scans the interior, looking for both the bartender and anyone noteworthy or cute who might be worth talking to about the situation with the missing noblewoman.


Perception [roll0]

[Amazo]

One of the last people to leave the crowd around you is a man dressed in simple blue priest's robes. His face shows great age as does his trimmed snowy beard. He introduces himself as Natharen Safander, local cleric of Erastil, but assures any weary eyes that he is an able minister of all faiths. He particularly notes that he has never heard of the Flame as Mizgoq described it, wondering if it is some aspect of Sarenrae. With a chuckle, he adds, "Don't go telling the Sentinels or Zimar, but souls around here are just as open to her help as any others. If I am mistaken, I meant no offense, honorable Torch, and would be happy to erect a shrine within the temple for your worship." His voice is fatherly, befitting his age and complimentary to the stern motherly tone of Ionnia earlier. "Please do stop by our chapel. You'll know it by the stone walls. My wife so does love meeting interesting travellers such as yourselves." With a bow, he departs down the southern path of the village. Indeed, amidst the wooden frames of most of the buildings along that road, there is one stone edifice that must be the chapel he referred to.

Sera's eagerness to drink and mingle, now known to the rest of you to have some religious importance to her, does still seem like the best idea to pass the time you've heard. The tavern is small but still full of vibrant color and energy, from the striking tones of the gnome patrons' hair to the deep bellows of a dwarven song ringing from a corner. Even the trio of elves at the bar seem more lively than their usual refinement would allow. The bartender is holding a stick used to wipe froth from the top of a stein in one hand. As Sera spots her, she raps the stick across the waiting knuckles of a few of the men from outside before pointing an accusatory finger at them. The stern expression holds for only a moment before laughter erupts from her belly. She grabs one of the men's ears and plants a kiss on his balding forehead, then sending the lot on their way to rejoin their friends with a light swat against her victim's shoulder. Spotting the lot of you, she stoops below the bar to retrieve a round of fresh empty steins for each of you.

It's hard to tell who may be a local fixture, but picking purely on attractiveness there are certainly a few different people one might approach. One young human girl with a short pixie haircut seems to be surrounded at a table by young men fawning after her, and many of the men here have been made broad-shouldered and muscled from the laborious nature of their work. Saving that, the two dwarven fellows singing have their beards in fine braids ornamented with beads glinting with yellows and blues, surely attractive by their own standards, and the aforementioned trio of elves, two women and one man, are as delicate and elegant in their features as any you've seen before.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius bows deeply to Safander, the largest display of respect the man has shown to anyone since his arrival in town.
"I would have words with you, sir, if you would spare an audience. Later, perhaps."

Kaius follows the others to the tavern, taking in the scene impassively. Inwardly, he wondered if the apparent good spirits were genuine, or masking desperation.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras didn't say anything to the priest, although he did give his regards to him, out of sheer respect for the man and what he stood for, even if he wasn't particularly religious himself. THE ONLY GOD HE WORSHIPED WAS MOTHER LIBERTY!

But he agreed with the plan to go to the tavern, considering that the road had taken it's toll upon him, and apparently the rest of the adventurers as well, since they were altogether too happy to go to the tavern. But, as he entered the shrine, he found that the merriment that one usually found in a tavern was going up to rather high levels. Were they covering up their worries with ale? Likely so.

He approached the bartender, and asked "How much for your best ale, eh?"

[Amazo]

The woman squints intently at you, deepening the age lines already present on her face. "For all of you? I'll have to raise my prices. The first round will cost you a whole 0 gp. Keep insisting like you are and I may even have to throw in some stew to warm your bones from the road. Can't have the help getting frostbitten like that poor Ulfen fellow."

[Desril]

Sera

Hm, it might be fun to try and drink the dwarves under the table, and elves usually know a lot about things, but right now we need rumors, and the popular ones usually hear them all, so I think I'll start with her.

Nodding in silent agreement with her own plan, she smiles at the girl should she look over in order to better get her attention. However, not totally oblivious to the fact that the general attitude in the tavern seemed like it was forced, given the circumstances, Sera made up her mind to make it at least a little more real. When the barkeep offers free drinks to her and her new companions, she shakes her head. "Now that won't do, we're here to help but there's no reason to give us special treatment. Besides, everyone has been so nice," she says while raising her voice, loud enough to make sure she's heard but not so loud as to seem obnoxious about it, "I'll buy a drink for everyone here. The next round is on me."

Handing over however much it'll cost to buy the entire bar another round, Sera saunters over to the girl with the pixie-cut and smiles. "Hello, beautiful. Do you think you could spare me a little time?"


I've got 85gp, so I'm sure I can cover a round for all the present patrons. Just let me know how much it is. And if she tries not to charge, let me know what the price would've been and I'll leave it anyway.

Diplomacy check to make the tavern patrons like me [roll0]
Diplomacy check to make the girl in particular like me [roll1]

And I haven't actually asked anything yet, but Sera's going to be talking, drinking, making friends, and flirting until she either finds out something useful or the survivor wakes up, so I'll just roll this now...
Gather Information [roll2]

[Amazo]

The girl seems pitiably bored with the boys around her. Approached by a woman her attention is piqued. The young men around her are too busy nursing there fresh, free round to notice or care about the recipient of their collective interested so enraptured with another. "I certainly have a moment for a new hero in town like yourself. Don't tell me: you're here for a new comission from my father, but his current order list is full? I'm sure I could take on the task myself." She and her fawning fan club must not have been among those witnessing your arrival to not know your intentions.

[Desril]

Sera

Glad to have her attention, Sera decides to be forthcoming and honest. After all, she's just passing through and not expecting to have too much time for more...personal pursuits. Still, it can't hurt to try. She's cute, and she looks bored. "I'm afraid I don't know what your father does, I just saw a beautiful young woman and wanted to enjoy the pleasure of your company for a little bit. You look like you know all sorts of things about what happen around town, so I was hoping you could maybe help a new arrival get her bearings and figure out what's just rumor and what's actually interesting. Plus, I was thinking it'd be nice to get to know more about you, but I think it might be a little too crowded here for that," she says with a cheerful smile.


...phrasing. I meant that more along the lines of "so can you tell the fanboys to bugger off so we can talk in private" but even knowing what I was trying to say, I still think it reads as "so let's go back to your room." :smallsigh:

I really need to work on my actual conversational skills. Foot, meet mouth.

[Amazo]

"In that case..." She trails off before standing up slowly, careful to not let the wooden chair legs scrape against the planks of the floor. She leads Sera to a corner of the bar obscured by several coat and hat racks. There a relatively private table for one sits with the hung clothing even drowning out some of the ambient noise. "I'm afraid you can't know too much about me without knowing something about my father first. He's the best smith you'll find from Zimar to the capital. He ought to know: he's served Taldor everywhere in between. He's showing me everything he knows, so I know I'll be just as skilled soon enough." Sera has known enough younger folks growing up perturbed by the great lengths of their parents' shadow to know that the young woman before her is not one of them. This girl seems to look at merely as the one she is rapidly growing into.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras laughed, and continued the charade, just for the fun of it. The people seemed enjoyable, so he'd humor them. "Oh, thats terribly expensive! Are you sure you can't bring your prices down to a couple of gp more? We can't have you giving us free lunch for having done nothing! Nay, what I'd really like from you would be some help. Could you tell me what you think could possibly be the reason behind the snow, and the woman's disappearance? If they're not connected in your opinion, then could you explain your ideas separately?"

[Amazo]

She takes Sera's payment for the round, a whopping 2 gp for the entire bar to drink a pint, before fixing a quizzical look on Kyras. "I wouldn't have picked you for the bookish one of the bunch, laddo. Folks've been saying they see strange things coming from the woods these days: farmers' crops been stricken with frostbite after something bites into them, gods only know how. If whatever took a bite out of them, took one out of that Ulfen fellow, it would explain the sorry state he's in. I'd say they're plenty related, yeah, but I've got few real ideas of what might be doing it. Willowbark's supposed to be looking into it, though I don't know how much more she could tell you truthfully. She's the town's apothecary, just up the road from us. She's also the reason that man's keeping his nose, fingers, and toes, as far as I can tell." As her tone grows progressively more serious, Kyras can really see how this woman is very much the engine that keeps the relatively chipper mood of the bar churning smoothly. "Everyone's got ideas about what's causing the frost though. However, I'm the barkeep, my not sharing what others are doing or thinking is the only secrecy that really means anything in a small town. I am willing to say that they're more'n happy to help if ye just but ask 'em." The mirthful slur returns to her voice and the crowd seems to perk up again. She waves two fingers in the air as if conducting some grand orchestra and the singing dwarven fellas pick up their tempo to match her as she guffaws their antics.

[JBarca]

Mizgoq looks around at the apparent festivities for a few minutes, obviously confused.

Singing? Drinking? Laughter? The Cold is here, and they celebrate? They are beyond lost.

After a short time, though, his face lights up as he realizes the advantages of a happy populace, and he begins to attempt small talk with those around.

Walking up to the nearest table, he nods in greeting. "Hello, friends! I am Misgoq the Torch. This cold weather is awful, wouldn't you agree?"

Once again, the Ratfolk attempts a grin, and, once again, the grimace that results must have looked utterly horrifying to those around. With barely a heartbeat of pause, he continues
"Tell me, are you interested in warmth? Heat? Protection from these horrid winter conditions? Then look no farther! For I, the Torch of the Flame, am here to spread heat and fire, the likes of which you've never seen!"

Clearly, the speech was planned, though the small beings excitement is clear. He eagerly awaits the interest of the other patrons.

[Amazo]

Despite the carousing in the pub, MIzgoq can still notice the roaring hearth to his left upon entering. It seems that the spirits are meant to warm their hearts while the fire is to warm their skin. Still, to not have realized one's own inner flame is a pitiable state Mizgoq, so he approaches the closest table on the side of the bar with the fireplace, which is currently seating a halfling fellow and a half-elf.

As Mizgoq approaches, the halfling beams one of those welcoming smiles that his race is known for while the half-elf erects his posture to listen politely and attentively. Mizgoq still notices their rubbing their hands together for warmth. These two were likely a great choice to start with.

The half-elf is the first to respond, his voice clearly inherited from his elven forebears, "I should say so! One does not move near the famously blistering sun of Qadira to expect a constant snowstorm just a stone's throw away! In truth however, I cannot say I am familiar with the Flame or his Torches, as I am quite new to both Taldor and Heldren. Has he sent you on pilgrimage to stop these commotions?"

[Deathkeeper]

Guko walks in with the rest and sighs. Great. They went straight for the social carousing. He gladly takes the drink, though. Might as well get something out of this before he offends someone. Generally it takes anywhere from ten to twenty minutes before his scaly existence managed to piss someone off, but since they seem pretty friendly so far he'll swing his bets on half an hour.
Guko looks about the place in search of an empty table, selecting one, flicking his white tail, and sitting down, disassembling his gun to perform maintenance. Hrm. Maybe he should change his footwraps, too. They're pretty much soaked through with mud from the road and snow. Not his fault no cobbler has ever figured out how to make shoes for kobolds. He's quite happy with his feet, even if it means they get a bit cold in the winter.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras made a small laugh, as the woman said "bookish" to describe him. But as she went on about how the conditions had been so far, he began to frown. He also noticed how the mood of the bar was similar to her seriousness and tone of voice.

Frostbite? Certainly something was up, and wrong. It was similar to his father's body after it had been discovered, riddled with bite marks, blood, and most confusingly, frostbite conditions. Numeria was a desert, and it had been a hot summer day that time. Perhaps there was some connection? All the more reason he'd have to look into this.

"I wouldn't be too fast to use 'bookish' to describe me, but I like to know details about things I'm getting into. I'm not going to be backing out, but I'd want to know these things. Its quite confusing for me, but I'd wager this is magic. I'll have to talk to others, then. Thanks for your help, and for this ale." he said, as he lifted a mug, and took a sip out of it.

[Desril]

Sera

The suli lets out a low, impressed whistle in response to the smith girl's answer and continuing to flirt while looking for answers. "Your father sounds impressive, but you? Beautiful, confident, and knows what she wants? I can see why all the boys were all fawning over you." Her smile turning to a dejected frown for a brief moment before returning to its usual cheery state, "Now I wish I had more time to get to know all about you, but sadly, I shouldn't let what I want get in the way of why I'm here. I have to figure out why the nearby woods are frozen over, beat up whoever kidnapped the missing noblewoman, and make sure she gets home safely. As much as I'd love to hear more about you, I'm afraid I have to ask if you know anything about what's happening in the woods. Do you think you can help me out?"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius follows Kyras, standing off from the bar a bit, listening to the various conversations going on around him. The ratfolk's ramblings piqued his interest slightly, but there would be time to ask him questions later. Instead, he turned to the knowledabe bar matron and asked her softly,
"Is there a place in town we can acquire cold weather clothing?"

[Amazo]

"Trying to sweep my off my feet without even knowing my name, stranger? If you want your promise to hold any weight, introductions may be in order. My name is Xanthippe. As for your question, I'm afraid my work at the smithy keeps me pretty busy. The only thing I know firsthand is that the mercenary you all are waiting for's armor and clothing were relatively unharmed other than some normal scuffs from battle. Thing is, he's got frostbite everywhere. There's no reason for him to be in that bad a shape. Other than that, I've been hearing all kinds of tales from my would-be paramours. One of them says he's seen a giant white weasel attacking his grandfather's farm. I'm no expert on magical beasts, but that sounds like hogwash to me. Even so, the old man hired a local retired Sentinel to trap the beast for him to save Heldren's crops this year. Sounds like money poorly spent. He should've just paid my father to arm his grandson to protect the damn plants himself." If she is disappointed, she hides it well. She leans backwards against the table while she awaits Sera's response.

At the bar, the woman turns to Kaius with a start. His silence and Kyras' question distracted her from his presence entirely. "Why, yes, of course! You'll be wanting Viviall's store. Right outside the Stoat and hang a left. It's one of the only buildings facing the square besides us and the town hall. You can't miss it. I'm sure she'd be glad to get rid of some of those old suits. We haven't had need for them for several winters now, let alone summers."

[TheEmperor]

Kyras took another sip from the mug, and raised an eyebrow at Kaius. It occurred to him that they'd never have really prepared for this onslaught of snow, like him, because they hadn't been expecting it. The single reason behind his currently worn clothing's ownership was because he knew he'd be going into Irrisen.

It also occurred to him that perhaps he could find out more about the land, and the White Witches of Irissen, for future reference. "Could you tell me about Irissen? I was originally traveling there, and after we've solved this issue, I'll be heading there. Especially about the White Witches. I only know of it's name, it's weather, and the name of the White Witches, although I gather they're witches."

[Desril]

Sera

"Xanthippe? It's a nice name. I'm Sera, it's my pleasure to meet you," she says happily. "But what's so strange about him getting frostbite? His armor and injuries wouldn't have done much for keeping him warm. Wasn't he out in the cold more than long enough to risk it?"

On the topic of the weasel tale, Sera looks less skeptical of the story and more of the man in question. "Even if the weasel is as big as a house, it's still just a weasel. What sort of man can't fend off a weasel?" Shaking her head in disappointment, she grins up at Xanthippe, "If it does exist and I happen to come across it, I'll make sure it doesn't get the chance to cause any problems for you."

[Amazo]

"Irrisen? That's a ways up north to be asking about in Taldor. Give me a minute to wrack my brains." She puts her fingers to her temples and closes her eyes for a moment. She does seem to actually be concentrating as opposed to bluffing. She opens them a moment later with a look of elucidation on her face. "Aha! Yes! Baba Yaga's place! I'm certain that's the frozen land to the north, yes? She claimed that region for her daughters in a war that lasted just a few weeks, as I recall. They make sure everyone knows that a new queen is installed every century after Yaga picks her... That can't be happening soon, can it? I'm sure there's other misguided wizards or druids mucking about from Qadira than Irrisen trying something this bold so far from its borders..."

Kyras' question seems to have jogged a train of thought that had not occurred to the woman previously. Still, with no hard facts, her theory is merely conjecture.

[roll0]

Xanthippe shakes her head, "It's chilly around these parts, but the only real risk of frostbite is when you're in the Wood themselves or right near it. Besides, the man's an Ulfen from the Realm of the Linnorn Kings. He's stuffed every available inch of his boots with enough furs to scare off most bears." At Sera's farewell, she flutters her fingers in a dainty wave that does not suit her at all.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras articulated a small grunt of enlightenment, before he delved into what she had said, in an attempt to figure out what the situation could be, and the connections between his father's death. What had the old man even meant by "go look for your answer with the White Witches of Irrisen"?

"I don't know, so can you tell me who this Baba Yaga is?"

[Amazo]

A quizzical eyebrow accompanies her reply, "Do they not have that fairytale where you're from? I thought everyone heard that story growing up... Nay bother, Baba Yaga is the mother of witchcraft and all hags on Golarion, or so the story goes. She visits Golarion on a whim from somewhere distant, maybe another plane, who knows? The usual end to the story is that she kidnaps misbehaving children, but for the past long while, all she's done is appoint the new queen of Irrisen, one of her daughters, as I recall." The woman's mood has returned to a cheerful one as she gets to show off her knowledgeability and all the stories she's picked over her years.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras made another small laugh, and took a large gulp from the ale mug to finish off the last few mouthfuls of ale inside the mug, and then remarked "I'd wager we do have it in Andoran, but I suppose that's the drawback of having a single father and no mother-figure, isn't it? My father was more for historical battles, and his own exploits, than the usual stories that were told. I'd like another round please!"

[Amazo]

She smiles and nods along with Kyras' explanation of his family. She interjects, "You and Xanthippe both then. It might do her some good to see a well adjusted gentleman like yourself then. Or talk to her father about his rearing her. He's so busy with his work, he may appreciate the support of a fellow that understands his struggles." As Kyras continues, however, her face blanches at the mention of Andoran, "Uh, sir, I've a bit of a confession. The ale is brewed with a special kind of hops... Chelaxian hops... It's called Three Devil Ale, sir, I thought you might've understood the humor. Is... is that a problem?"

[TheEmperor]

Kyras made a small hand wave, conveying his comfort with the naming, and the humor. "The humor is not lost on me, and while I'm not fond of Cheliax, why should I criticize your brew, which is very good, or not even have it just because the hops came from there? I am entirely fine with that. By the way, who is this Xanthippe you speak of?" He turned his chair around to face the rest of the bar room, while still having his head turned and facing the woman.

He found the discussion enjoyable, at the least, and some what informing. It was good to know all these things, even if he didn't really know them. Knowledge, while he had no apt for learning it, had a power of it's own, and it's uses. Who knew when these things could come to use?

[Desril]

Sera

A bit sad that the conversation came to a close so quickly, Sera made up her mind just as she and Xanthippe got back into sight of the bar at large, and she taps the human girl on the shoulder, asking her to pause for a moment. "I just realized, I don't want to let our first meeting to end so boringly." Turning toward the barkeep, Sera yells out, "Another round for everyone, on me!" And, without pause so that everyone's attention is still on her and Xanthippe, the suli sweeps the smith into her arms, planting a kiss on her excitedly, letting it linger if she doesn't resist.

Smiling, "There, that's a much nicer end to our conversation, don't you think?"


And that's how you make a bar jealous :smallamused:

Cut short on IC posting time for a while, stuck with OOC only for a bit.

[Amazo]

Sera feels Xan's lips curl into a smile against hers, and she gives quick peck of her own in retort. She quickly walks to the counter to take Kyras' freshly filled mug before scurrying out the front door, leaving her flabbergasted suitors behind.

Picking her slack jaw up from the countertop, the barkeep answers, "That would be Xan right there. I'm glad you're so understanding about the ale." She stoops to retrieve another mug from an unseen shelf below the bar, "I don't quite know what drove the last Andoran gentlemen," the words drips with sarcasm, "to threaten me so harshly over it if it's not such a big deal then. Is there such a great variance in the patriotic fervor of your countrymen? I would have thought as the son of a general you would share that other man's sentiments." She leaves the bar to grab a fresh barrel of ale to serve the new round.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras raised an eyebrow, and thought about it. In his entire time spent in Andoran, everyone he'd talk to were always incredibly patriotic, but people who went crazy over things like that were almost entirely nonexistent...

"Every country has it's trash, and I hope they didn't make a bad impression. Andoran is quite civil, I'll assure you. Had I been there, I would have smacked him on the spot for defiling our country's image. We are patriotic, but not hate spouters."

He watched as the girl the woman had pointed out left the room, leaving a tavern full of gawking men, due to her earlier actions. "Well, she's pretty popular. Seems as though my newly found companion's stolen her, though."

[Amazo]

"She can break every heart in Heldren but mine and my husband's if she keeps the ale flowing as well as she is right now."

The noise of the tavern is drowned out by the sound of a large bell chiming from across the square. It chimes four times before staying silent. The patrons think nothing of it before returning to their conversations and freshly refreshed mugs of ale.

[Desril]

Sera

After finally releasing Xanthippe to go on her merry way, the suli gives her one final, flirtatious wink, and makes a mental note to be sure to come back to Heldren after this whole snow thing is deal with. Then, spotting him speaking to the barkeep, she makes her way to regroup with Kyras to see if he's learned anything and to fork over another two gold measures, the assumed cost of her little stunt.

Before she can do more than reach for her coin purse, however, the bells chime and she looks confused. "What was that about? Is it noon or something?"

[Amazo]

"Close. It's actually four in the afternoon, miss. It'll ring twice more before staying quite for the night until sunrise tomorrow. I suppose the bell's tolls were a bit hard to hear over that crowd you folks had gathered around yourself. I'm not surprised you couldn't hear it before," she says matter-of-factly.

[Deathkeeper]

Guko sighs at the miracle from the gods that allowed him to sit quietly to himself without visibly insulting anyone. Maybe he did silently, but they haven't reacted yet. Counting his blessings, he takes the bell as a sign of either the hailing they were promised or at the least that time has passed, and swiftly reassembles his musket from the parts on the table and hops down. He'll fix his wraps later.
Guko trots straight out of the tavern. His white scales are a bit noticeable, but he doesn't make a show of calling the others save for a small wave in their direction. He doesn't want to interrupt the conversations they're having. Wouldn't want to be rude.

[Desril]

Sera

'Hmm'ing to herself, Sera turns her attentions back to Kyras, "Well, think we should go check on the guy who witnessed the attack? If it's already 4, we should probably hurry unless we're planning on going in the dark or staying the night in town, not that I'd mind that, there's no time to linger around."


Onward to the town hall?

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius follows the group as they make to leave the tavern.
"Unless I misheard, I believe there is a missing noblewoman who might be still alive. We had best not tarry; her time left alive is likely finite."
His cloak snaps as he begins a brisk walk toward the town hall, and the frostbitten soldier that awaited them.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras nodded in response to Sera's question, and got up from his chair. He took a long swig from his mug, and set it down with a small thud, before he left five gold coins on the counter. He then walked out of the tavern, with a small "Thanks, and good bye!" to the barlady, as he followed Kaius out in to the open town. He made for the town hall, and beckoned for the rest to follow. Since it was already four, there was some likeliness of the mercenary having awakened.

[JBarca]

Mizgoq

Nodding happily, Mizgoq replies, "Why, yes! I have been sent here to spread the flame! I am here to provide heat and warmth, to grow life, to destroy the Cold. The Fires will spread, the old one will grow in power. I am his Torch, the bearer of his flame. I am here to ignite the people of the North!"

As he finishes, he mutters a quick arcane phrase as he rips a piece of fabric from his cloak. The end of the fabric catches fire in his hands.

"The flame is here."

He smiles before handing the strip of burning fabric to the Half-Elf. The Ratfolk, satisfied with his little performance, turns to walk away. As he does so, he notices the others heading for the exit and turns to join them.

Casting Spark

[Amazo]

The woman who informed you of the man's condition earlier is exiting the town hall opposite the square from you. She waves at you and continues walking towards you. Meeting half way, she greets you, "If none of the people around have told you, my name is Ionnia Teppin. You seem to have acquainted yourself rather intimately with the Silver Stoat already, but then I don't believe anyone in Heldren hasn't. I'm actually a member of Heldren's council of elders, but all that really means is that I was a little girl when Heldren was founded, so speak freely to us, please. I was just about to ask around for you. Our mercenary friend, Yuln, has awoken a short while ago. He's making quite the fuss about meeting with you actually. I hope you are as eager to begin your investigation as he is for you to. If you'll follow me, I'll bring you to him right now. Unless of course you have any questions for me now?" She seems to hinge on your response, more ready to lead you to this man than stand and be idle any longer.

[Desril]

Sera

Tensing up almost on reflex when the woman, Ionnia Teppin apparently, approaches her and the others, but breathes a sigh of relief when Ionnia explains just what position she has in the town. Oh Cayden be praised, I was getting nervous.

"I can't speak for everyone here, but I can't think of anything worth asking before talking to...Yuln, you said his name was? Really, I just need to know what happened and where though, so I probably won't be doing most of the asking," she says with a toothy grin.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius gives a respectful nod.
"I will save my questions for the mercenary, Elder Teppin. After you."
He motions for Teppin to lead the way.

[TheEmperor]

"Well, we'd better get in, and speak to him then. Heavens knows what went down in that forest, and how the woman is faring currently. Time may be of the essence." Kyras said, as he beckoned for the Elder to lead them to Yuln, and frowned as the implications began to appear to him.

[Deathkeeper]

Guko merely shakes his head. The others have said it better than he could, and has nothing to add. Let's see the bastard.

[Amazo]

"Very well then, if you would follow me please." Ionnia turns on her heels to lead you back into the town hall. Despite the relatively lopsided construction of the outside, the interior is quite an accomplishment of carpentry. Most of the prominent wooden struts are decorated with a very fine line of what seems to be real gold in very little waves. What little stone there is is heavily polished, and the exposed wood as been varnished heavily to maintain the air of minor nobility. It has an illuminating effect on the halls she leads you down, as the reflectiveness of the polished surfaces bounces the candle and torchlight much farther than it would already travel. After two hallways, she leads you up a flight of stairs, stopping you at the first door on your left upon reaching the landing. Inside, you can hear muttered curses in a foreign tongue interspersed with sneezing and coughing. "This is him," she says softly. With a flick of the wrist, she turns the polished brass knob of the door to let you all in before following herself.

http://brennor.dyndns.org/~eilandor/Pathfinder/Adventure_Path/Reign_of_Winter/Images/The_Snows_of_Summer/NPC/Yuln_Oerstag.jpg

The man before you is wrapped tightly in blankets and furs but despite that, you can see his left arm is set in a sling. His eyelids are still swollen from impact, and his nose seems black and almost gangrenous. Most of his exposed pale skin seems to be extensively bruised, yet there is still a fire to be seen in his eyes when he sees all of you, particularly when he sees Guko. "Och! You've brought me a marksman from Alkenstar no less! Quite the penny you must have offered, Ionnia!"

Addressing the rest of you, he adds, "And you lot seem like a fine sort as well. Certainly better equipped and poised than half the greenhorns in that damned caravan!" His voice is heavy with a northern accent of some kind matching his blonde hair and pale skin.

You are entitled to Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (geography) checks to discern Yuln's ethnicity if you are curious.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius steps forward, his soft voice straightforward, with just a hint of compassion.
"Your injuries are just as fierce as we had heard. We're here to help; please, tell us the full story, if you have the strength."


Taking 10 on either Knowledge nets an 11; Ulfen, I'm guessing.

Heal check to understand the nature of his wounds: [roll0]

[Amazo]

Kaius recognizes the blackened flesh immediately as frostbite. Having looked into the ailments briefly in preparation of the unnatural cold, this diagnosis is trivial. Without examining his arm more closely, it is difficult to tell if the arm is broken or if the shoulder has simply been wrenched. His head is bandaged, likely indicating a concussion. It is somewhat surprising that the frostbitten flesh is still attached. Usually something this advanced needs to be removed to avoid risking damage to the rest of the limb. His ancestry definitely predisposes him to act as if nothing's wrong, but he seems to be following doctor's orders and staying put in his bedding.

"Well then, where should I start? The beginning, I suppose..." His voice is a tad morose, as his honor has fled him in his failure.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras took a look around the room, just to make sure there wasn't anything about, especially the windows, but then concentrated his mind on the mercenary's speaking. "The beginning would certainly be the best place to start."

[Desril]

Sera

Not particularly concerned with the man's origins, the extent of his injuries, or how his tale began, Sera waits impatiently with her arms crossed in the back of the group. Did they really need to ask for the whole story? All we need was 'who' 'what' 'where' 'how many' and 'which way.' Oh well, guess I'll wait. Worst case, we're just stuck in town until morning, and I can think of a fun way to pass that time...

Letting her mind wander, a mischievous grin appears on her face and Sera pays little attention to the injured survivor, at least until he mentions something useful.

[Amazo]

Yuln takes a deep, shuddering breath despite the pain it evidently bring to him. "Aye, that it would be. It happened just four days ago by my count. The Lady Argentea was returning from an expedition from the south." He looks defensive for a moment, "I know, I know. Everyone was told she was heading to Zimar to meet her betrothed, but she had long since decided against her family's appointment of her spouse. She was actually en route to her lover's home... in Qadira. You can see why she brought a smaller, more trustworthy entoruage, then." He pauses to await the inevitable objections to his claim. When he hears none, he continues.

"Upon our return from Qadira, our path brought us to the north edge of the Border Wood, which we used to make our true destination harder to track. Rokhar's Raiders usually give us a wide berth with our Sentinel escort through them. We had to make do without them on the way back, since this cold had set in be the time of our return march. It was then we were... ambushed. We were caught unawares, assuming Rokhar and his wretches would clear out because of the cold. Alas, that proved our downfall..." He lets out a sigh at his admission of ineptitude.

"But the things that attacked us! They would've done any tribesman proud to have faced in battle and lived! And I slew one of the beasts! Still, it was in vain: they tore open the doors of her carriage and stole her off into the cold of the forest. She was not dressed for the weather, so if they did not provide something, she's already dead from her debt of cold. When my last shieldbrother lay dead, I fled as quickly as I could. It seemed like they didn't care about us at all. Lady Argentea was their only goal. The lives of a few whelps like us were of no consequence." He is on the verge of tears, the salty liquid stinging his wounds.

"I remember a giant. A white one. I've seen them in the north. Some of the Hallids tame them for servants, but this one was... unreal. With him, there was some blue woman. Not a scrap of cloth on her, but she was fine in that unearthly freeze. She thrived in it. I heard the giant call her a winter-touched... Gods, those tales are something I hadn't heard since I was a whee lad. They're supposed to be fey creatures that are sworn to the White Witches of Irrisen... Tainted by it, as if they had a block of ice in their hearts and icewine in their veins... That, I wish it weren't true. I wish it were just a fever dream as I ran and stumbled on broken legs back home, but I know what I saw and heard. And there it all is..."

[Desril]

Sera

Perking up when Yuln finally starts to describe the attacks, so a giant and a naked, blue-skinned woman who's even more tolerant of cold than I am...sounds fun.

"I believe you, you've got no reason to lie, and I'm sure you did all you could, given what happened, but did you see where they went after they took the Lady? I imagine it's pretty easy to keep eyes on a giant. I doubt there'd still be a trail at this point, especially if it's snowing in the woods, so we need a place to start looking."

[Amazo]

"All I can tell you about where they took her is back into the forest. Other than that, I can tell you the caravan was attacked straight south of the village about 6 miles. If we had clear skies, an archer on the wall, if we had them, would probably be able to see it straight from Heldren. Of course, since we're so small and the weather is running amok, we don't have that luxury."

Ionnia confirms some of what Yuln says, "Yes, he came hobbling straight up Heldren's southern crossroads."

[Desril]

Sera

Frowning in disappointment at the lack of anything more than a general direction, she tries a different question. "Well, what about the...what did you call them, Rokhar's Raiders? Do you know where they tend to gather? How many of them are there?"

[Amazo]

"They tend to move around the Wood, sticking close to the edge of it to attack the roads better. Wouldn't do them any good to stay in one place for too long with the Sentinels after them, but there's the thing. The Sentinels were part of the ambush that attacked us though they were not themselves anymore... Their corpses were shambling about, hungry for our death and flesh. They might have just been some poor other saps that got forced to serve the Raiders, but I doubt Rokhar could've gotten his hands on those uniforms any other way. Rokhar could never keep his crew together for long. Someone was always leaving or dying or getting arrested. I doubt he ever held more than fifteen strong, but who knows what other beasts he's got with him now." Yuln is eager to answer your questions. If he had the strength, you wouldn't doubt that he would come with you back to slay Rokhar personally.

[Deathkeeper]

Guko swells with some measure of pride at being singled out, which not even his dour nature can normally suppress. Though the sobering story does a good job of it. But still, why is no one asking the important questions?
"What exactly were the beasts that attacked you? Did they seem to have any supernatural abilities or protection, or were they simply too fierce for your greenhorns?" he asks.
After all, why is no one curious as to what they're fighting?

[TheEmperor]

Kyras frowned, since Yuln's story seemed riddled with a lack of information on certain things. But what worried him most was his description of some of the beasts that assailed them. The description seemed... vaguely similar to what the townsfolk back in Numeria had told him his father's killer looked like. And then the references to Irrisen... He needed to know more.

"Can you elaborate on the appearances of the beasts?"

[Amazo]

"I can only tell you what they looked like and what they did to us. I don't know enough about these mythical kinds of beasts to know exactly what kind they. That said, sharpshooter, the ice witch must have been a some small fey. The glee she took in the slaughter is only something born of them. If she is indeed winter-touched, then the stories of my kind say they are weak to cold iron and fire alike. They laugh at cold and normal steel. The giant's arms were thicker and longer than his legs with jagged, vicious fingernails, like he'd keened them just to rend my men apart. I nearly took his head clean off for it, but he kept coming after me like one of the corpses, like it didn't even inconvenience him. Aside from that, he looked like any other giant. He was huge and hideous to look upon."

He considers for a moment what else he can tell you of use, "The shambling dead I did not battle firsthand, but the local priest may know more of them than I. When they came to try and swarm me, their flesh was as pale as the fey's, but they faltered not despite it. In fact, the cold seemed to intensify with their presence, as if the heat of my friends' blood just fueled the storm raging overhead. They already seemed to have deep gouges riddling them too, but I couldn't tell you if those were from my comrades or when those scoundrels slew the Sentinel himself."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius ponders what the mercenary has told them so far, and does his best to gauge the man and his intentions.
"Can we think of anything else to ask? It seems the trail picks up at the location of the ambush."


Knowledge (religion) to guess at what undead might have attacked the caravan: [roll0]

Sense Motive on Yuln, gauging his honesty and anything else one might pick up: [roll1]

[Amazo]

Kaius knows nothing of cold-producing undead, but shambling corpses usually have some sort of weakness to weapons with a slashing edge. It seems bizarre that these zombies would seem unaffected by such wounds altogether. They may be beyond Kaius' ken. Aside from that, the man's disposition is that of a captain telling his subordinates what they need to know before a mission, only he seems to be forgetting that he won't be going on this mission to fill in the necessary details along the way. Still, there's an implicit openness and trust from the superior in that kind of relationship that Kaius detects here.

[JBarca]

At the mention of Undead, Misgoq snarls a bit.
"The Sparkless are about? I can see why the Flame has called me here. We should set off immediately. This plague must be stopped before it can spawn more abominations. This... Rokhar? Must be punished for his use of such vile creations. The Torch will not idly warm itself while the cold spreads to cover the land!"

[Amazo]

Mizgoq may experience even more disgust at the giant as well. He assumes the creature to be a troll moss. It must follow these wintry heralds not for its love of cold, but for its fear and loathing of fire. It as close to Sparkless as a breathing being may be! Even the undead seem tailored to violate the Torches principle. These frostfallen undead bear forth cold wherever they go. Their iced flesh burns to the touch and is almost skeletal in its hardness, giving it a similar weakness to fracturing. Try as he might to summon further reason to hate the rest of Rokhar's brigade of brigands, he can call to mind no other tales of their working in opposition to the Flame, being new to the region. Despite this, his resolution holds firm: there is more than enough to indict them.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius turns to his newly minted companions.
"Well, we should get moving before the trail gets any colder. I need to obtain some clothing more suitable for these abnormal temperatures; I suggest you all do the same. Perhaps a cold iron weapon would be a prudent purchase as well. We might risk waiting until morning; I'm not too enthused at the prospect of walking around in that cold forest at night, but if we do not wish to waste any more time, I am certainly amenable to leaving today, within the hour, say."
He turns to the injured Ulfen man, his face deadly serious.
"We shall discover the fate of your charge, sir. You have my word. May your recovery be swift."


I'm ready to get moving if everybody else is. Assuming standard market prices, I can subtract a bit of gold and grab some cold weather clothing, etc.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras took a nearby chair, and sat down if there was one, and said to the rest "You guys can move on and do what you wish to, but I'd like to stay and discuss with him a bit longer, if he'll allow it. We now know a bit about our destination and foe, but there are some more things I must ask him about." He made a small two fingered salute to the rest of them, and said the typically formal good bye of Andoran culture, "Attero Dominatus.", before turning to look at the man.

"Can you give me a good idea of the path you took, and where exactly they assailed you? I might have a plan to catch our foes off their guard..."

[Amazo]

At this point, Ionnia seems to have had an epiphany and scurries off out of the room. Yuln tries to describe the landscape in the meantime, "There is but one way out of Heldren to the south. About 6 miles south, there's a fork in the road. Heading east puts you on the road to Zimar. We took the fork heading southwest through the Wood on our way to Qadira. On our return, we were ambushed near that fork. Tch, if I had a map, I could just show you..." He seems frustrated at not being able to help more with just words.

Ionnia makes a hasty return to the room right then, holding a scroll of some kind in her hands. She walks briskly over to the nightstand by Yuln's bed and unfurls it, revealing a map of the area.

http://i.imgur.com/9DQ43uR.jpg The point marked A is what Yuln is describing.

"That's the way, Teppin!" He nearly tries to use his slinged arm to point to the fork he described but thinks better of it when the pain shoots through his shoulder. Ionnia takes a quil and ink out of the nightstand to indicate the point Yuln was talking about. You can see that a large portion of the map has been scrawled out. If one of you shoots a queriyng look her way, she explains that the blotted out area is what she has determined to be affected by the frost by Yuln and the other villagers' descriptions.

"I'm actually not sure what's left of what we knew was there. It might not be very useful to mislead you about what remains there," she adds.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras made a small 'hum' noise fro his throat, as he watched the lady show him the path on the map, and it was actually an incredibly useful thing to know. He tried to memorize the path, but his mind was not of the sort to do such a thing, so he gave up after a few tries.

He stopped looking at the map, and then turned his head side ways to look at the Elder, and asked "Would you be alright with me borrowing the map for the road? I suppose we'll need it to find our way through the forest, and move to the site of attack. I will be sure to return it when we come back."

[Desril]

Sera

Not hearing anything more that seemed like it might be useful out of her companions, at least to her, Sera finally speaks up again. "Well, we know where to start, so we should probably hurry and get to it. The cold doesn't bother me, but most of you look like you'd probably be icecicles if we had to camp in the snow and the longer we stand here talking the more likely that is. Since you said cold iron would be helpful, I'll stop by the cute smith's and see if there's anything I can use there, but after that, I'm going to go wait by the town gate for the rest of you."

Should no one stop her, she heads out to find the shop of Xanthippe's father and see about improvising a cold iron set of brass knuckles, Or maybe cold iron toed boots? Don't usually like shoes, but those could be fun.


Not trying to rush anything, just don't see any reason for Sera to stick around, in or out of character. Figure we can all just meet up again when we're ready to head out.

So, RP the shop interaction to kill time, or just deduct the gold?

[Amazo]

"A map like this is easily replaced," Ionnia retorts while rolling the map back up. She retrieves a watertight scrollcase from behind the headboard of Yuln's bed. Popping the lid off to slide the parchment in, she continues, "Men and women like Yuln and yourselves are not, so if it helps, please do take it." She snaps the cap back on to punctuate her sentiment before handing it to Kyras.

[JBarca]

Glancing at the map, Mizgoq raises an eyebrow.

"It appears we have our work cut out for us! The Cold is spreading and must be stopped!" He glances at the others as the leave, then snorts. "I have no need of cold gear... The Flame within me protects me from the Evil that is the Cold." He raises his chin as he speaks, obviously highly proud of this.

Mizgoq will hang with Kyras and listen to the man's responses to the questions posed, then join the rest of the party at the gate.

[Amazo]

After your preparations have been made, including impressing Xanthippe and Isker with the usefulness of Guko's smaller fingers in crafting the finer necessities of firearm use, your ragtag bunch assemble on the southern edge of the village. The sun hangs low in the sky, still maintaining its light even into the later hours of the day, as it should in the summer. Despite the unholy winter, Sarenrae's natural order would not be denied so easily in Heldren. The last chime of the town hall's bell tower marks the end of most of the villagers' work day, allowing them to see you off and wish you well. Some tell you stories of relatives tempted to easy money by Rokhar before meeting grisly ends, others of personal financial ruin due to the group, and some who simply want to see an innocent brought back safely. With the well-wishers addressed, the party sets out to the south. Assuming a normal time for a summer sunset, the group ought to reach the ambush site in three hours' time, just as the sun will finish setting.

Those of you that came to Heldren without suitable clothing for the cold immediately praise your decisions to prepare for it more adequately. For every half hour you travel, it feels as if you've traveled several increments of longitude towards whatever bitterly cold place is nearest. It is not long before the sight of your disappearing breathe is the easiest way to occupy your attention passing the time. After one final hillock, you are able to see Heldren a ways behind you, and the remains of the caravan just a short ways before you.

The splintered remains of at least four different carts and wagons lay between you and the fork on the map. These vehicles have been destroyed utterly as if burst by some great impact. Further along, you do see the mostly-intact bodies of two overturned carts laying on the crossroads. Two slain horses remain hitched to them. You expect a foul stench, but the snow on the ground and the carcasses has suppressed the process of decay considerably. The wagons' exteriors seem to have been picked clean, as the ugly grain of their wood is exposed. Such an ugly design would certainly not do for a noble of any stature.

[JBarca]

Mizgoq walks toward the wagons, a curious expression on his face. He begins poking around in the remnants of the wagons, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
"Two bodies of the beasts, but none from the men? I fear that the Sparkless are growing in number. We should burn this place. Let them know the Flame is coming. Let them fear it." He grins at his companions.

Perception check! [roll0]

[Amazo]

Amongst the wreckage appear to be the remains of a man frozen solid in ice, then dismembered. His remains are strewn about the perimeter of the massacre. His hands still clutch his sword, ready to defend the caravan. Also strewn about the site are several open crates of luggage. They seem to have contained various ornate gowns and dresses. It is hard to tell if they belong to Lady Argentea or whether the exposure to moisture has ruined them without closer inspection and some knowledge of local noble fashion.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras had gratefully taken the map from the lady, and then bid his goodbyes, once more asserting how much he felt time was of the essence. As soon as the rest were ready to leave, he'd donned the winter clothing he'd brought along, and set out with the adventurers.

What they came across, after what seemed like a very long time spent walking, was something that was quite the horrifying sight. But he endured at the sight, and immediately got down to business. He took a look around, and drew his sword, just in case. He wouldn't chance being caught off guard.

He looked around the site, and looked into the forests about. They were vulnerable, he already could see. If they were set upon from the ranged, there would not be a large amount of cover. Were they to be assaulted in melee, the less that melee loving fellows in the fellowship would not fare well. He frowned, and motioned to move further into the wreckage, but carefully. He said "What ever you do, do not touch anything. I fear that they may use terrible methods in the forms of traps and mines of Talmandor knows what kind"

[CockroachTeaParty]

There had been little deliberation; the group had simply decided to set off in the evening. As they marched south, Kaius looked wistfully to the setting sun.
Though your light be obscured, guide us, Dawnflower.
As the group reaches the scene of the attack, Kaius unslings his stout wooden shield from his back and secures it to his left arm. He then whispers a prayer under his breath and puts his right index finger to his temple, scanning for lingering magical auras.


Kaius will cast Detect Magic and do a thorough scan of the wreckage, bodies, etc. That sword you mentioned sounds like a good target as well.

[Desril]

Sera

Perfectly happy with the change in temperature, Sera doesn't look worrried at the sight of the overturned carts. Strolling through the scene without concern, glancing curiously at the opened clothing containers before whistling softly at the sight of the shattered soldier. "Guess this guy caught a break." Puns in terrible taste aside, she looks around for any hint of where to go next, glancing at the trees to see if maybe this so-called giant happened to topple any over when it made its exit while calling back to Mizgoq, "I'm all for burning the place, but let's make sure there's nothing useful here first. It's probably picked clean, but who knows, they might've missed something. No point in burning things we can take them for ourselves, yeah?"

"Anyone find anything useful?"


Survival [roll0]
Perception [roll1]

[Deathkeeper]

Guko squinted in distaste at the display. Most of these saps weren't much different from him. Only real things notable were the too-tiny noses and too-long legs, the fact that apparently they weren't as competent as he was, and most of all their current status: dead.
Guko keeps his gun at the ready, more than wary. He expects the whole thing to be a trap, even if it's probably too obvious for it actually to be a trap.
He lets the group examine the items, he's more worried about the surroundings. Vantage points, strange things about the bodies, and of course, signs of being watched. Or worse.
Survival: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[Amazo]

Kaius' visual sweep of the area does not turn up any auras of magic within range, save for the persistent magical nature of the snow of course. The longsword in particular, though visibly finely-made even underneath the transparently thin sheet of ice, seems no more magical than the splintered debris around him.

Sera meanwhile spots a break in the thick and surprisingly sudden barrier that the treeline forms near the road. The densely latticed branches crisscross all over to bar entry everywhere save for this round opening nearby. The ellipsoid shape is almost reminiscent of the mouth of a cave. Appropriate given the similar air of mystery and danger that accompany it. Though it is difficult to make out any tracks in the gently falling snow, the drift has been unable to hid a particular trail within the sheet already on the ground. There is a sharp decline of about a foot of snow leading between the treeline and the caravan, as if something had been dragged and raked all of the snow that was present at that time with it.

Guko focuses his attention on the whispering, gently whistling wind swirling around him. The sound of snow being packed underfoot would be a good indication of an ambush approaching or preparing to be sprung. This focus leaves him distracted from noticing too many more new things visually though it does turn up a sound certainly distinct from ambient noise: he hears soft labored moaning nearby. Examining his surroundings again, he quickly determines the pained voices to be coming from one of the two remaining carts, the tipped over one to be precise.

[CockroachTeaParty]

(Assuming Guko points out the noise)

Kaius gives Sera a long, cold stare following her irreverent comments. He ceases concentration on his spell, and seems about to say something, when the strange muffled noise is heard from the flipped-over wagon. Kaius reaches under his long coat and pulls free a scimitar, the light playing along its keen blade in the waning light.
"That could be a survivor, or a revenant. Be on your guard."

He circles around, cautiously, looking to see if there is a window, door, or some other portal that could be kicked open, in the hopes of revealing whatever is trapped within.


Should such a door present itself, Kaius is willing to kick it in with a Strength check: [roll0]

[Deathkeeper]

Guko did, indeed, do that.

The kobold frowns at the thing as the others go to check it out. He still doesn't trust anything here. Guko levels his gun at the carriage as the others investigate it. Should anything go popping out of it, he'll be ready for it.

[Desril]

Sera

Making her way over to Kaius and Guko when the two of them form up on one of the carts, Sera relays what she noticed. "I think we're in luck. There's still a trail in the snow, pretty big too, like something got dragged away from here. It might not last the whole way, but at least we've got a direction we can head in now."

When she finds out that there was a noise coming from the cart however, she smirks and moves to Kaius side as he looks for a way to open it up. "If you're having problems, let's just break it open. No point waiting around and letting you boys freeze your arses off trying to not break something that's already broken."

[JBarca]

Noticing the others heading toward something evidently important, Mizgoq follows, obviously curious.

He stays a bit away, but not too far away, since he does want to know what is happening.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras moved up to the side of one of the adventurers who was apparently attempting to break into the cart. Worriedly, he advanced to the side, his sword at the ready and his face showing some worry. He whispered "I don't recommend doing this, but if you have to, get ready for anything!"

He then positioned himself right next to the door, with his blade in such a position so as to swing right into the doorway if something bad came out.


I'd ready an action, but then I can see how it could be grounds for accusations of metagaming

[Amazo]

After a quick examination, Kaius determines that the carriage is actually meant to convert between an open top and closed top state with relative ease. The week wooden ribbing underneath the tightly stretched weather-proof tarp fastened to it seems ready to burst under its own pressure, let alone Kaius' blow.

As expected, the carriage's top flies apart as he shatters a pair of the central wooden ribs with a swift kick. The remaining wooden skeleton draws the tarp to either side of the carriage fully revealing its occupants: three men cloaked in blue tabbards with a red stripe diagonally coming down from their left shoulders. As they stand to their full height and outstretch their arms to you, the robin's egg blue of their skin and eerie inner white light in their eyes tell you something much more is amiss.

Their moans turn to hisses as their jaws start to flap wantonly, their grasping fingers hoping to bring the meal that will sate their painful hunger to them. Their legs struggle to shuffle them towards you to achieve this end despite the fierce gashes adorning nearly every available inch of dead flesh visible on them.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius takes a slash at one of the revenants, a brutal over-the-shoulder chop; there is no finesse behind it, only raw strength in an attempt to inflict as much mechanical damage as possible. And a savage blow it is indeed: cold steel cuts cold flesh to the bone as Kaius pulls his sword free.

After the slash, Kaius retreats back from the creatures a ways.
"Give them some distance! Let them waste time closing the gap!"


On his turn, Kaius will take a swing at the closest likely zombie-guy.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (slashing) [possibly 14!]

Confirmation roll: 14, +5 damage

He'll then take a 20 ft. move away from the enemies. Since he goes before any of them, they should be flat-footed and thus unable to take an AoO. If they are indeed zombies, they'll have to waste their one staggered action approaching us; I thus recommend any melee types going before the zombies to do the same.

[Desril]

Sera
HP 13
AC 15

Seeing the dead stagger up and toward her makes the suli shiver a little in disgust as she raises her hands to a defensive stance. Seeing Kaius' leading strike hitting with as much force as it did drives her to action however. Not wanting to be outdone, she steps closer, practically hopping to stay light on her feet, and jumps to get some more height on a rising kick aimed at the nearest reanimated corpse's head while careful to keep from crashing into the cart herself. Flashy and slow, but things like this aren't that quick. Might as well just look cool while fighting.


Unarmed Power Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1] (Bludgeoning)



Even without the relevant meta knowledge, Sera's not one to shy away from a fist fight for her own safety unless she knows she's outclassed, so she'll stay in melee range.

But as to your plan; It's true that zombies are staggered and only get one action, but it's also true that staggered creatures can still Charge, they're just limited to their speed rather than double it. 20ft won't get you to safety.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras was ready the second he caught sight of the first zombie, as he took a small step forward, and assumed a delicately posed stance with the greatsword raised above his head. He then swung down with a powerful swing, although it held no martial maneuver in it. It was simply brute force


Five foot step
Stance Scarlet Einhander +1d6 dam and +2 AC, meaning I do 3d6+7 damage, and have an AC of 17
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Amazo]

http://i.imgur.com/AzaPbfD.png

[JBarca]

"Sparkless!" Mizgoq snarls as he runs forward. As he come parallel to the foe, he shouts a string of Arcane syllables and move his hands in an intricate pattern, before pointing his palms at the zombies. A cone of fire erupts forth, catching the Undead and the cart behind them.

"Burn, abominations!"

Move "down" on the map 15 feet, cast Burning Hands so that Zombies 2 and 3 are hit, as well as the cart. My allies are safely out of the area.
Fire Damage: [roll0]
Reflex DC 16 for half.

[Amazo]

The blows from Kyras and Kaius work in tandem to make short work of their first foe. Kaius is the first to land his blow. The flesh radiates cold and his blade skitters against it as if strike stone before the force of the swing buries it deep into the shambler's shoulder. Not to be outdone, Kyras forgoes the defense of his shield in favor of a brutal finish. Targeting the thing's other shoulder, the two slashes meet in the middle before continuing a trail down the torso. The creature falls to pieces before you, looking more like a gem cleaved along a lattice by a jeweler on the inside than someone who once lived.

Sera throws her kick but is unprepared for the resilience of the corpse's flesh. Who ever heard of hard zombies? The metal of her boot thumps harmlessly off the undead's brow before a spike of pain shoots up her leg. The ambient cold seems to have intensified in her veins, gripping her heart and lungs.

Capitalizing on the distraction, Mizgoq lets loose the Flame's righteous fire on the abominations. Even dead, the beings shriek and shy away from the erupting flame.

Zombie 1 has been slain.

Sera suffers [roll0] cold damage.

Zombie 2 Reflex: [roll1]
Zombie 3 Reflex: [roll2]

[Amazo]

The zombie nearest the source of the blast manages to avoid some of the searing flame, leaving his partner to be caught unawares. Both of them seem to perspire profusely as a thin sheet of ice sloughs of their skin to the ground below like snow being pushed off a pitched rooftop. The luckier of the two creatures lets out a nearly breathless rattle before mimicking Kyras' motion with closed fists instead of a sword. The other zombie gurgles and sputters as if choking on something wet as it does the same to Kyras himself.

In her confidence, Sera missteps upon landing, allowing the blow to connect firmly with her. Though she only feels the cold instead of fearing it, the impact is still enough to have her see a few stars. Kyras fares better against his opponent's much slower and sloppier rendition of his own strike and avoids harm completely.


Zombie 2 attacks Kyras.
Attack: [roll0] vs. AC 16 (shield bonuses don't stack)
Critical Confirmation: [roll1] vs. AC 16
Damage: [roll2] bludgeoning and [roll3] cold damage
Critical Damage: [roll4] bludgeoning damage

Zombie 3 attacks Sera.
Attack: [roll5] vs. AC 15
Critical Confirmation: [roll6] vs. AC 15
Damage: [roll7] bludgeoning and [roll8] cold damage
Critical Damage: [roll9] bludgeoning damage

[Deathkeeper]

Guko sighs. He knew it. He'll have to keep an eye on that rat; he's clearly a bit more unhinged than he'd have hoped in a teammate. Still, he's clearly good at making things burn, and he'll take that. He'd better go and make himself useful. Guko aims down his sights and fires at the horrid things, his shiny new bullet glinting for a millisecond as it hurtles towards the zombie.


Guko aims a shot at Zombie 3.
[roll0] vs. Touch AC
[roll1]

[TheEmperor]

Kyras was deft enough to move, and was clearly able to fight back against these damn monsters, and abominations against mankind, although the fire su- did he seriously make a joke just then? Perhaps he wasn't as stoic as he believed.

He yelled "Come on, and let these creatures regain their lost sleep!"

His mind processed the movements of the zombie, and struck again, with as much force as he could, but in such a way so as to strike sideways, and slice through one of the monsters, and hit the other one as well.


Encouraging Roar +2 to attk and dam for one round to all allies within 30ft
[roll0]
[roll1]
Using Scything Strike, allows me to hit two adjacent foes with one hit. So I'm hitting both 2 and 3 here.
No Move action

[CockroachTeaParty]

Although his foe had fallen, the resistance its flesh showed to his blade was disconcerting. Kaius sheathed his scimitar, and readied his spiked morningstar in its place.


Move action to sheath the scimitar, another move action to draw the morningstar.

[Desril]

Sera
HP 5/13
AC 15

Reeling back in shock, both from the blow itself and from shock at the creatures being cold enough to chill her, the suli swears. "Callistria's cu*t! These things are freezing! Be careful!"

Her surprise doesn't last long, however, and she quickly turns it to anger. Another swift kick at the same zombie is followed by a short hop back.


Hope that made sense. Brain on standby.

Power Attack on same zombie [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

5ft step back

[JBarca]

Narrowing his eyes, Mizgoq focuses for a moment before shouting "Just burn!"

This time, the gout of flame is a deeper red and produces much more heat. As the flames wreathe around his foes, an excited gleam is clearly visible in Mizgoq's eyes.

Using my Potent Magic to increase Caster Level by 2. Casting Burning Hands again.
Fire Damage: [roll0] Ref DC 16 for Half, again.

[Amazo]

The undead are prepared for the blast this time, but not for the increased intensity of it. The scramble away as best they can, inadvertently sending one of them careening into Sera's forceful snap kick. The flame behind the zombie seems to thaw its neck to a brittle stalk no thicker than an icicle hanging from a rooftop. As her toe impacts the thing's jaw, the flesh cracks in a spiderweb pattern much more easily than the sword-bearers' attempts. Sera's attack severs the head cleanly, and the remaining body falls to the floor. She is prepared for the surge of cold this time, but it still hits her even so.

Kyras is unprepared for the fluidity of the creatures' movements. Despite seeing Kaius' difficulty in penetrating the first slain one's skin, his greatsword only manages to superficially scratch as the shamblers duck away from the flame. Only the walking corpse before him remains animated, however, and it takes the opportunity to to swipe at him with hatred in its pale blue glowing eyes. The struggle almost seems to dramatically favor the lone combatant facing you. As you look upon the remains of the man, his back is to a now-roaring blaze with a look of fierce determination to exact revenge etched into his frozen flesh.

Zombie 3 has been slain.

Sera suffers an additional [roll0] cold damage.

Zombie 2 attacks Kyras.
Attack: [roll1] vs AC 16
Critical Confirmation: [roll2] vs AC 16
Damage: [roll3] bludgeoning and [1d6] cold damage
Critical Damage: [roll4] bludgeoning damage

The cart is now the heart of a raging fire.

[Amazo]

Zombie 2 Reflex: [roll0]

[TheEmperor]

KYRAS
HP: 11/11
AC: 16

With a surge of swiftness and energy, he ducked under neath the attacks of the shambling monster with ease, and then swung upwards, putting the inertia he got while moving up to good use, attacking with force in an attempt to finish the creature off. It was only one more, and quite frankly, he felt that he was looking quite stylish, battling a monster backed by flames. All those plays were true!


To hit [roll0] Power attack 1
[roll1]

[Desril]

Sera
HP 5/13
AC 15

Grinning at the satisfying *snap* of the zombie's spine as its head sails away, Sera quickly glances around the battlefield and decides on a course of action as Kyras' blow goes wide.

Not fearing the flames of the cart, she gives the still-standing zombie a wide berth, moving around to stand on the corpse of the first fallen zombie and deliver a low, sweeping kick to the last one.


Moving around to stand on the body of zombie 1 and avoiding the AoO. Should get me flanking with Kyras. I might be within the fires of the cart, but...eh, fire resistance :smallamused:

Power Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[JBarca]

As the flames burn higher, Mizgoq becomes visibly excited and seems to forget the presence of the last zombie. He grins and shouts, "Burn, you monsters! Feel the wrath of the Torch! The Flame is here, and you will all burrrn!"

The little rat begins dancing about, hopping from one foot to the other as the fire grows bright. He laughs, softly at first, but building into an almost fevered cackle as he moves.

"Fire is here! Warmth is here! The Cold will flee or it will be destroyed! Ah haha!" This he shouts, as loudly as his little lungs can manage.

Full round action to, uh, do the above.
Little guy got a bit riled up.

[Deathkeeper]

"Will you shut up? This is a battle, not a festival!" shouts Guko angrily as he reloads his musket with another of his cold iron cartridges. What the bloody hell was the rat thinking? Clearly, nothing sensible.
Seeing his teammates fumble causes another snort of derision. Well, at least they were trying. He doubts he'll do that much better.
The cartridge properly rammed into place, Guko levels the musket and fires again.
Move Action Reload
Fire at last zombie: [roll0]
[roll1]

[Amazo]

The bullet pierces the corpse's frozen heart, sending cracks scattering through the rest of him. He falls to his knees before slumping over silently, moaning no more. Now the only sounds that remain are the ratfolk's feverish chanting and adulations to his deity and the intense crackling of the flame. The cart seems to have caught alight entirely rather quickly, but there is enough of it left that it would serve handily as a campfire or a signal to guide the party back to the road for quite some time.

[Desril]

Sera

Seeing the final zombie fall to the ground, Sera quickly makes her way out of the pile of corpses and away from the flaming cart, rubbing her shoulder where the zombie struck her and wincing. "That's going to bruise...bastards hurt a bit more than I was expecting." Looking at Kyras and Kaius, "I think I'll let you two go in first if we find any more walking corpses today. These things are a lot stronger than they look."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius approaches the blaze, the warmth welcome against the cold. He returns his morningstar to a loop on his belt, and places a hand on Sera's shoulder. Briefly, a white light shines from his hand, soothing some of the pain she feels.
"Well fought. It seems our path is clear before us. Kyras and I can take the vanguard. We should get moving soon."

Out of curiosity, Kaius tosses the frozen longsword near the flames, to see if the ice around it will melt and perhaps free the weapon.


Kaius will hit Sera with a Cure Light Wounds: [roll0] hp healed.

If it looks like the sword is melting reasonably quickly, maybe we can snag it. Also, he'll do a cursory search of the zombies to see if they have anything worthwhile on them.
Perception: [roll1]

[Amazo]

The flames rage for a bit around the fire, unfolding the patterns of magic hidden with the ice. In a moment, the ice melts normally and rapidly. It can't be more than a few minutes before the ice has been stripped entirely from the blade. Kaius' glance around in the meantime is somewhat disappointing. The corpses seemed to have been picked clean before being raised as abominations, and the same rapid melting that frees the sword seems to be happening for the entirety of their bodies too. A bit of a wistful gaze into the flames does detect glints of metal or some other shiny material reflecting from within the blaze, but retrieving the source or sources now would be perilous at best.

[Deathkeeper]

Guko angrily reloads his musket, which is probably a bit amusing. Given his weak frame is, him angrily shoving a bullet down with the musket's ramrod doesn't actually come with much force behind it.
"Well fought? We killed the bastards, sure, but this idiot couldn't go five seconds without cackling like an idiot!" he says, angrily pointing at the rat.
"How the hell am I supposed to willingly go after some psycho witch monster when I can't even tell if my team's going to stay focused enough to keep on the task of not getting killed?!" he demands loudly.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius looked upon Guko with a certain amount of pity.
"Look to your own defense, Guko, and trust that not all of your companions are as... enthusiastic. It would seem Mizgoq's fervor has rewarded him with a useful magical talent, and we are not in a position to turn such resources away."
Kaius picks up the now-free sword, examining the blade.
"This is fine steel. Worth taking, though I lack proper training with such a blade."

[Amazo]

The craftsmanship of the blade in Kaius' hand certainly holds up to his estimation of it. Being from Taldor, he recognizes the sword of a Taldoran military officer rather easily. The refinement of the steal is top notch, the balancing is unparalleled, and the intricacies notched into the pommel, quillions, and now scorched leather bindings around the hilt all point to the loving laborious creation of the blade. Clearly this is some smith's masterwork.

You have discovered a masterwork longsword.

[Desril]

Sera

Rolling her shoulder as the pain subsides, Sera quickly thanks Kaius for his timely healing and glances around what's left of the carts for anything that might be of value for a second before turning to Guko. "What's wrong with getting a little excited? Clearly he hates those things, and there's nothing wrong with getting worked up in a fight. It's not like he was pissing himself in a corner either, those flame bursts really helped."

[JBarca]

Mizgoq slowly calms down and lowers his voice, before ceasing his dance altogether. He can hardly tear his excited gaze from the inferno, though, even as he shoots an irritated look Guko's way.

"You're wrong, Kobold! Clearly the cold has blinded you. For what is victory but a festival? What is such a large fire if not a ceremony, a gift from the Flame itself? I can promise you won't regret having me participate in your squabbles; as the Torch, I do have power, as you've seen. Besides. Death is no real problem. IF we are to accomplish deeds, we shall prevail. If we are to die, then the Flame will take us and it will be done." He grins, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Besides, it seems passing strange that you do not also worship the old one. After all, does your weapon not rely entirely upon the proper application of a spark and a bit of luck regarding the strength of the blaze within it?"

The Ratfolk kneels down in front of the flame, clearly enjoying its presence.

"Inform me when we are leaving. I have business to attend to."

[Deathkeeper]

Guko looks flabbergasted.
"What do you mean, what's wrong with it? There's nothing wrong with it when you do that after you win! You don't stand there celebrating when the thing is still ten feet away trying to kill someone! That's how you wind up with a blade in your gut. Or someone else's which is just as bad."

[TheEmperor]

Kyras pulled his sword out of the ground, which had been lodged there after his tight miss with his last strike. He looked at Guko, and said "I can sympathize, but calm down a tad bit. As much as you'd be annoyed with him, he wasn't entirely useless. We lived, didn't we?"

He looked at Sera, raised an eyebrow, and said "Mostly, at least. I suppose I'll have to start standing in front, then."

He sheathed his sword, and knelt next to the remains of the abominations, sighing. They were once born of mothers, and not entirely unlike him.


Perception
[roll0]
Also, anyone else having an issue on mythweavers with the class skills checks? They're annoying the hell out of me by simply disappearing.

[CockroachTeaParty]

"We can discuss theology and battlefield etiquette on the march; there's a noble to save out there."
Kaius begins to march along the path through the woods, where their quarry hopefully passed.

[Amazo]

The glint that Kaius noticed in the flames inspires Kyras to further inspect the still standing, unburned carriage. Rifling around through it quickly, he is disappointed to find that even the seat cushions have been torn out of the thing. It seems stripped as bare as it could possibly be. A frustrated knuckle wraps against one of the seats as he pauses during his search. He is surprised to hear a hollow tone from bellow. With renewed vigor, he feels around the seat for something hidden and is rewarded with a latch to a secret compartment within the seat. Feeling around the other seat reveals a similar latch. Inside are what appear to be fine women's gowns, much more intricately stitched than the discarded sets you passed earlier. It seems likely given the carts' positions at the head or tail of the caravan indicate this is the carriage of the lady's handmaidens. Likely, this was their formal wear for when they were not dressed to travel into the Qadiran deserts.

[Desril]

Sera

Sera shrugs at Guko's complaint, "For all I know, he was chanting something to make a bigger explosion. Magic's weird. We're all alive and they aren't, so does it really matter now?"

Nodding in agreement with Kaius, she makes her way over to the trail she initially spotted in the snow before the fight broke out with the human.

[Amazo]

Looking at the opening in the treeline, the trail you spotted earlier does indeed continue between the withering trunks and frozen branches. As it enters the full expanse of the Border Wood, marked by a secondary treeline of thickening coverage, the trail passes through a small clearing before continuing uphill and out of sight. A large chest lies lopsided half-buried in the snow, apparently dropped or discarded by those who hastily passed this way.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius' brow furrows as the group comes across the discarded chest. His hand shines briefly with a faint light as he touches his breast. The magic is subtle, a minor blessing to enhance the senses.
"Do not touch anything. We check for clues, but be wary of tricks and traps."


Kaius uses Guidance and Illuminating Touch for a +2 on his Perception check as he examines the chest: [roll0]

[JBarca]

When Kaius stops, Mizgoq tilts his head questioningly, then shrugs before intoning a an arcane phrase and moving his hands about, seemingly at random, before placing two fingers underneath an eye. He stares at the chest for a few seconds, clearly concentrating.

Casting Detect Magic. Concentrating on the chest for at least a round (two more if anything is detected)
(If it matters) K:Arcana [roll0]

[Amazo]

Mizgoq's examination detects no magical auras within his vision, save of course for the active spell effects cast by Kaius.

[Desril]

Sera

Hearing that the chest at least isn't magical in anyway, she glances between it and the group.

"I say we open it. Either it's a bad trap or it's a lucky break. Either way, it can't be that dangerous, right?"

[Deathkeeper]

Guko nods and looks the thing over. "Let me just give it a once-over real quick." he says, examining the thing with his eyes that hopefully won't be distracted by snow and wind this time.
[roll0]

[Amazo]

The haphazard, lop-sided position of the chest in the snow does make it look as if this particular piece of treasure simply fell off of a sled or some other means of transporting the Raiders' plunder from the ambush. If the masterwork longsword, expensive clothes, and whatever remains in the burning cart are any indication, these bandits may be a fair bit more incompetent than you were first led to believe. Kaius' and Guko's investigation around the chest find nothing to indicate otherwise.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius frowns, and steps away from the chest.
"I don't see anything particularly suspect, but I still feel as if something is amiss. I'd suggest someone lighter on their feet attempt to open it, in case there are security measures of some kind in place."


If someone wants to try to open it, Kaius can give them Guidance for a +1 competence bonus on a single skill check or saving throw.

[Desril]

Sera

Tired of just standing around when as far as anyone can tell, the chest was just dropped and left behind on accident, Sera decides to just do the obvious and go to open it, but remains wary of any potential traps.


...Alright, what's the trap? Spiked log? Ambush? Net?

In any case, readied action to jump back away from it if a trap springs, and taking Kaius up on the Guidance for a +1 prior to going in.

[Amazo]

Sera's legs tense in preparation to spring from danger as she cautiously opens the chest while looking about. It seems Kaius' caution was well-warranted as opening the chest releases a tripwire from well beneath the freshly fallen snow. An instant later, a massive felled try whittled to a cruel, crude point swings from the huddled trees to the party's left. Sera is the only one caught in its path, but her legs carry her to safety with a mighty leap without thinking. The massive wooden spike crashes into the trees to the party's right sending splinters everywhere. The rough bark of the log seems to catch and keep the log twisted between a few different trees. It does not seem like it will spring back.

Sera's prepared action interrupts the trap's attack and moves her safely out of its path.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius offers a steadying hand to Sera after she dodges the trap. He glances at the contents of the chest briefly, before turning back toward the trail.
"Are you well, Sera? It's going to take more than that to slow us down."

[Amazo]

Naturally, the chest is empty. Even the bottom has been ripped out and replaced, presumably to check for false bottom compartments. A shame really, since the chest is actually of a rather appealing design and construction. It has the same gingerbread gold trim that seems to be popular in Heldren and local regional fashion.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras, in a startled fit, also stepped back a bit, despite having been safely situated away from the trap. He looked as Sera jumped back, and he approached her, saying "Close one... If we come across something similar, let's use a stick, and not out bodies, shall we? You're not in the best of shapes, you know!"

[Desril]

Sera

Annoyed but not surprised at the result, Sera frowns at the empty chest before nodding to Kyras. "You're probably right, but I was getting bored with everyone just poking around it. And we've got a hostage to rescue, we don't really have time to linger on what might or might not be a trap, yeah? Let's just keep going."

[TheEmperor]

Kyras nodded, and began to walk past the chest, although with a much more cautious movement pattern. He stopped, and then looked back, with realization on his face, to say "Nevermind, we'll stick a sword on the stick, hit the next thing we see. Much faster. Or we could ignore them. In anycase, moving on is probably for the best."

[Amazo]

You trudge onward further for about an hour, the cold now finally potent enough to begin taking a toll on some of you. There is significant evidence of this path being manmade, though whether by the Raiders for swifter movement throughout the Woods or the Sentinels for swifter patrols it is impossible to say. You notice that the snow becomes increasingly deep in this part of the forest, where a windswept gully carves a path through a tree-covered ridge. A soft cascade of snow falls from an overhead branch, hissing softy as it strikes the ground. Night falls firmly as you descend into the gully, the low light and increasing snow making the trail you're following almost impossible to see without help.

You're suffering from a -4 penalty to Perception and ranged attacks due to poor visibility from the falling snow. Additionally, every square is difficult terrain because of how high you have to bring your knees to kick forward for your next step (or how much you have to focus on forcing snow out of the way if you try to simply wade through it). I'm assuming someone lights a torch or a light spell since the night means you'd all be walking blind without it, but I'll need someone to perform that action IC. Additionally, you all have to make a DC 15 Fortitude check or suffer 1d6 point of nonlethal cold damage. Being resistant to cold does not prevent the save, but it does mitigate all but the worst damage roll on a failed save for Sera. For the rest of you, a cold weather outfit grants a +5 circumstance bonus to the save. Finally, you are all entitled to a reactive Perception check.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius had feared the setting sun in combination with the cold, but had decided to press on regardless. Now, he wondered whether waiting until the daylight would have been the better decision. Thankful for the warm clothes he purchased, he pulls the furred collar of his thick cloak closer around his neck and ducks his head against the wind. The burning in his thighs as he trudges through preposterously deep snow is a better sensation than the numbness threatening at his toes and fingers.

He keeps a light spell active on his shield, illuminating the way before him. The other hand he keeps tucked in his armpit, as he fights to keep his teeth from chattering.


Fortitude save: [roll0]
Perception check, with the -4 penalty included: [roll1]

[Deathkeeper]

Guko sighs. Stupid humans with their stupid long legs that don't have to worry about stupid chest-high snow. Of course he wouldn't ask to be carried, what kind of freeloader do you think he is? Grumble grumble, definitely not drowing in snow, grumble grumble...
Fort: [roll0]
damage (though I have resist cold 5 too) [roll1]
Perception: [roll2]

[JBarca]

Shuffling along in the belly-deep drifts, Mizgoq's teeth are perpetually clenched, though more from the effort than the cold. Walking behind the taller folk only helped so much.

Fort: [roll0]
Cold (If needed): [roll1]
Perception [roll2]

[Amazo]

Kaius' holy light flickers slightly as the chills cause his skin to numb and his joints to ache. His steps lose some of their finesse while his legs seem to lose some of their ability to displace the snow necessary for each step. He does not dare break his pace though. The same struggle befalls Kyras as well, though he seems far less weary from it than Kaius does.

[Desril]

Sera

Unable to prevent a cheery, childlike grin from spreading across her face as the snow started to fall, Sera started to walk even faster, feeling energized by the chill. It took her several minutes before she noticed that she was starting to pull away from the rest of the group and that Kaius, Kyras, and Guko were all shivering behind her. Pausing and looking back, she bites her lip pondering what to do. "Lady whatsherface might not have a lot of time, but she has been missing for a couple of days already, right? Won't do any good if you lot freeze to death before we find her. Do you want to set up camp here for the night?"

[Deathkeeper]

Guko is most certainly not shivering behind her. Mostly because he hasn't taken damage, but also because his player has no idea if reptiles even do that.

"Well, I for one am getting a bit tired of swimming here but hey, whatever makes you comfortable." grumbles the kobold.

[JBarca]

Mizgoq snorts. "Freeze to death? The Flame within sustains me. I can go as long as you."
Unfortunately, his brave sentiment is marred by the regular huffs and grunts he makes as he struggles to dig his way through feet of snow.

[TheEmperor]

Kyras continued to grumble in the most elaborate of ways, cursing at every few intervals as he waded his way through the high snows. When Sera suggested that they make camp, his mood immediately brightened, and he said "It would certainly be one hell of a boon. Going through this is absolutely nuts.", and then sneezed.

[Amazo]

Despite standing in an open gully devoid of any foliage, you can set yourselves a bit at ease seeing that the treelines on either side of the gully is a short huff up a somewhat steep slope. One of your torches will do well as a fire starter and wood drying heat source, but you still need to collect enough wood to last you the evening.

It's a DC 0 Climb check to get out of the gully to the trees, so don't worry about that. I will need a Survival check to collect enough tinder to cover your Fortitude-save-free rest.

[Deathkeeper]

Throughout a storm of grumbling, Guko will go off to gather firewood. It's a truly riveting exercise.
[roll0]

[Amazo]

Indeed, the kobold's misery seems a fairly powerful motivator in his scavenging. While the rest of the group barely starts to clear away enough snow to have a relatively dry space to start the fire, Guko returns with a pile of tinder nearly taller than himself from the waist up. A short while later and a campsite is cleared sufficiently enough. Now the only thing remaining for your rest to begin is sacrificing a torch for the fire to start and deciding on whether there should be a watch order.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius didn't realize just how bad the cold had affected him until they stopped to make camp. The pain went bone-deep, his muscles aching, his toes and fingers in dull agony. Through chattering teeth, he continues to put on a serious tone.
"I will take first watch. Three hour shifts should see us through the night."

We could have spent tonight in a warm bed back in town. I pray to the Dawnflower we aren't squandering what little ground we may have gained.

[Desril]

Sera

Shaking her head at Kaius, the suli rejects his offer for taking first watch. "No, go rest by the fire, warm up. This little chill just reminds me of home, it doesn't bother me a bit, I'll take the first two shifts, that should let all of you thaw out and still give me enough time to rest for tomorrow."

Moving to the gathered sticks, Sera helps arrange the campfire. "Speaking of fire, save your torches. I can't do this too often, but now's as good a time as any," she says as her arms, including her outstreched hands held against the tinder, burst into flame.


If we're waiting until light it'll probably be a long rest given that it's barely dark, so Sera taking 2 watches should still leave time to rest long enough, in theory.

Using her Elemental Assault (fire) ability to start the campfire and save on torches.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius observes as Sera lights the fire with some sort of magic. Her seeming indifference to the cold likewise intrigued him. His gaze is unblinking and direct, his face still an inscrutable mask.
"That is a generous offer, Sera. Forgive me for prying, but it becomes increasingly clear that you are not... purely human. You seem touched by some sort of power. We have a long night ahead of us, if you'd like to share. If not, I'll do my best to get comfortable and focus on recuperating."

[Desril]

Sera

Responding with a non-committal shrug, Sera looks up and answers plainly. "It's nothing special, really. I think one of my parents or grandparents or something must've been a...what was it, janni? Jann? Some type of genie anyway, I can never remember what they're properly called. They didn't bother to raise me anyway, so I didn't really care other than just wanting to know what I was, and even then, I didn't even know I wasn't just half-elven until about 8 years ago myself. I've had plenty of time to figure out what all I can do since then, but mostly it's just that trick and being able to stand in fire for a few minutes before passing out. Honestly, I like being able to do what I can, but I try to avoid doing it in crowded places." Sighing, she continues after a short, annoyed laugh. "You're not wrong about being 'touched by some sort of power' though, it just has nothing to do with my abilities...damn Witches..."

Not enjoying thinking back to that day, she tries changing the subject and decides to ask a question of her own, "What about you? That was healing magic you used earlier, right? I thought only priests or whatever could do that, and you don't look like any priest I've ever seen."

[JBarca]

When Sera displays her power of fire, Mizgoq smiles broadly. "Ah! I see the Flame has blessed you as well, friend! I welcome the knowledge and your companionship!"

As the others settle down, he does as well, though he listens intently to the discussions ongoing. He seems a bit disappointed by Sera's revelation of her ancestry, but shrugs it off after a moment or two. After all, the Flame could simply be manipulating bloodlines.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Sera's question immediately triggered Kaius' defensive instincts; the subject of his faith could get him killed in Taldor. While none of his companions seemed likely to care he was a Sarenite, he nonetheless chose his words carefully.

"There are many different sorts of people that can channel the power of the divine, not just 'priests.' I am an agent that works outside the traditional hierarchy of my church. Not every problem can be solved in a straight-forward manner; scenarios such as these fall to myself and those like me. As you might guess, the exact nature of my role in this capacity is a matter of some secrecy, one that I am reluctant to elaborate upon further."

He turns to Mizgoq.
"Now that we have a moment, I would like to learn more about this Flame of which you speak, Mizgoq, if you would like to share."

[TheEmperor]

Kyras sat by the fire, with his hands wrapped around his legs, attempting to shake off the cold that seemed to seep into his bones. The terrible effects of the dark and the cold combined were far too much for his body to continuously have taken, never mind his endurance. He tried to make some form of small talk, although the shivering hindered his speech, although only to a small amount.

"Actually, I'm pretty interested too in this 'Flame'." he said, sheerly for the sake of throwing himself into the conversation. Being left out was not something he enjoyed. The truth was that he was entirely irreligious, and the only god he gave respects to was Aroden, mainly because of his family ancestry, and nothing else.

[JBarca]

The Rat grins and beings speaking excitedly.

"What know you of the old gods? They're also known as the old powers, the aboriginals, and the primevals. They far predate the youngling upstarts that are worshiped these days. The were the original powers of this Plane. When the world began, they formed it. Breath-forming Wind, the dreaded Cold, raw Force, piercing Sound, and solid rock. But they each paled in comparison to the Flame. Heat. Fire. The life Spark. Warmth. Death. Balance. It was the center, the core. The epitome of what it meant to have power." Mizgoq's eyes are lit up at this point, and he seems very excited.

"And these powers created life, the Plane. They were primal, and they were present and attainable by all. But, alas, time went on and people forgot. Each of the powers was forgotten, slowly. The Flame was the last to go. This was eons ago, naturally. Its power still sustains us all, still creates us, and many still draw upon it without realizing its source." Here, Mizgoq reaches out and snaps, creating a small spark that lights the edge of a log on fire.

"Many can do this, but they attribute it to heritage or study. I know its true source. It is from the Flame." The Ratfolk pauses for a moment.

"The Flame represents everything. It is power, in its energy. It is life, with its spark. It is destruction, death, with its burning. It is hunger and thirst. It is sustenance. It holds back the Cold that destroys civilization, it allows for forging, for food, for life, for birth, for death, for hatred, for love. It is everything. I am honored to be its Torch, the brand that will spread this message and fight against the Chill that destroys this land."

Mizgoq stops, apparently done. He raises his chin a bit, obviously proud of his mission.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius listens intently; considering he had lived most of his life under the burden of religious persecution, he did not judge the ratfolk's beliefs. Rather, he gave them considerate thought.
"You have an interesting philosophy, Mizgoq. It reminds me of certain forms of animism common in the lands south of the Inner Sea. Could some of the older gods be incarnations of these forces? Take Gozreh of the wind and waters, or Sarenrae of the sun's light? Is there any overlap with the Green Faith of the druidic circles?"

[JBarca]

Mozgoq considers for a moment.

"When one worships one of these "gods," they are diluting the powers. The "goddess" of water is what individuals have brought about, or what has been taken as a title, as a means of focusing on a force without bearing witness to its full potential. It's as if, rather than listening to a charismatic demagogue in person, one chose to go to a speech by his apprentice's sniveling younger brother. One would miss out on the excitement, the purest truths. Now that the Flame is reawakened, there is no need for those others." He hesitates.

"The Druidic Circles? I must confess some unfamiliarity with their tenets. So far as I know, it is nature itself they worship? Which, I suppose, isn't far from the truth. It is a primal force, though a combination of several of the originals. All, in fact."

[Desril]

Sera

Having little interest in theology, Sera leaves the others to their discussion and finds a good spot to keep watch from.


She lacks both the intelligence and the interest to contribute to this particular discussion unless someone asks a question of her directly, so Sera is just going to duck out of the conversation for now.

Perception check for keeping watch [roll0]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius had not encountered many ratfolk in his travels; inwardly, he wondered how typical a specimen this Mizgoq truly was.
"I would not be so quick to dismiss the necessity of the gods. Does this Flame of yours have a conscience? The ability to tell right from wrong? A deity is more than the sum of its parts; it is beyond a mere concept or collection of domains. A deity can be a teacher, a guardian, an icon to emulate in action. Of course, some are little more than terrible monsters, and many are unfathomable to mere mortal minds, but their presence cannot be denied."

[TheEmperor]

As he decided that the discussion was beginning to heat up, he let go of his legs, and lay down in the snow, with both his hands kept below his head. He'd cleared out as much snow as he could have beneath him, so it didn't feel as cold as it could have been, but it was still bloody freezing.


Hurr durr Kyras is dumb

[Deathkeeper]

Guko couldn't care any less for the talk of the crazy rat's god. When his turn for watch comes up, he'll gladly take it and go back to sleep when it's all done.
Perception: [roll0]

[Amazo]

Kaius' and Mizgoq's theological discourse takes them a fair amount of time, straight through half of Sera's watch. Eventually though, they have to leave their discussion behind them to get the rest they had decided on earlier. The snowfall abates somewhat as quiet besets the party. The soft flurry plays with Sera's eyes in a not unpleasant way with nary a sound to draw her attention save for the crackling flames and the occasional bunch of snow falling to the ground from the leafy branches not capable of holding onto them.

After Sera's shift is Kyras', feeling better already. His half shift also goes by very quickly, leading back into Sera's second shift. However, this shift goes less than peacefully...

Halfway through Sera's second shift, an explosion of snow right in front of her blinds her and leaves her unprepared for the white dragon's head that lunges through it snapping at her.

Dragon attacks Sera.
Attack: [roll0]
Critical Confirmation: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Critical Damage: [roll3]
Grapple: [roll4]

[Desril]

Sera (Martial Flexibility; 10 rounds)
HP 4/13
AC 15
CMD 19vG

Suddenly finding herself face-to-face, or more accurately, shoulder-to-teeth with a miniature dragon, the suli cries out in pained alarm on instinct.

Realizing that if she doesn't do something immediately the dragon-thing will probably take her arm off, she silently curses herself for wasting her fiery power on the campfire while trying to turn the situation around. I can't beat it to death like this, but if I reverse its hold!

Not seeing another option, she does her best to pry the creature off of her, but rather than fling it away, she instead opts to simply try and pin it down, knowing that she can't beat it in a straight fight as injured as she is. "Someone HELP!"


Using Martial Flexibility to grab Improved Grapple for 1 minute.

Attempting to Reverse the Grapple so that Sera and not the dragon is the grappler [roll0]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Wrapped up in his thick sleeping blanket, Kaius is shocked awake by the sounds of danger. His muscles felt better, the cold finally thawed out of him. He was in poor condition to fight, however; he had removed his heavy scale armor before resting. Getting to his feet, he grabs his shield for a modicum of defense as he desperately tries to figure out what's going on.


Move action to stand from prone, and a move action to grab up my shield. Sleeping in anything heavier than light armor is bad news, so Kaius isn't wearing his scale mail; with the shield, his AC is only 13 for the moment.

[Deathkeeper]

There is a very load groan as Guko's eyes flip awake. Is the world punishing him for bad decisions? Now he can't even get sleep? Sheesh.
Good thing he sleeps next to his rifle. He barely even has to move to get his sights lined up at the monstrous thing and fire at it.
Guko takes the rifle sitting ready next to him as a move action, then fires from prone. +5 to attack, d10 damage. Roll for me, Amazo, Sera doesn't have time for the forum dice roller's hatred of my kobolds

[Amazo]

As the snow settles, the party gets its first good look at the creature ambushing it. Though its head is the spitting-image of much smaller white dragon, its body's resemblance seems to stop at the neck. Rather, its body seems to be all neck. The white serpentine form comes to a sharp point with only two viciously clawed hands breaking up the undulating, slithering form. It begins coiling against her to leverage her towards the snow, presumably after it has snuffed her out. Though Sera has managed to wrestle her neck free of the beast's still-gnashing jaws, it still manages to bring those arms and their cruel razors to bear against her in their entangled grappling.

Creature takes a full attack action against Sera.
Claw 1: [roll0]
Critical Confirmation: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Critical Damage: [roll3]

Claw 2: [roll4]
Critical Confirmation: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6]
Critical Damage: [roll7]

[TheEmperor]

Kyras was quickly awoken by the sound of Sera yelling, and a scuffle. And then a loud gunshot. Taking a quick purview of everything around him, it took him a few valuable seconds to get to his feet, and reacquire his sword. Quite frankly, he should have kept the sword right under himself, since they had to expect such an encounter in the dark.

With sword in hand, and his feet straight on the ground, he attempted to move closer to Sera and the... dragon... thing?



Double Move action!
Moving up to Sera, but staying five feet away.
Unless grabbing my sword from right next to me counts as an action?

[Desril]

Sera (Martial Flexibility; 9 rounds, Staggered)
HP 0/13
AC 15
CMD 19vG

Bleeding from a variety of deep gashes in her side and along her arm, Sera struggles to stay conscious. Not like this...I'm not dying like this, I WON'T!

Not willing to give up, she tries to take advantage of the beast's ferocity to get behind it and pin it down completely.


Well, all or nothing from me here. Rolling to Pin [roll0] Oi, Cayden Cailean, little help here for one of your worshippers? Sera will buy drinks for everyone in the next bar we come across if I make this check.

[JBarca]

Mizgoq
HP 9/9
AC 14

Rolling over when he hears the shout, the Ratfolk starts when he notices the beast attacking Sera. Trying to figure out what it is, he stands up and hurries over to stand next to Kaius, readying a spell.

Knowledge Arcana? [roll0]
Move to stand.
Move adjacent to Kaius (on the right side).

[CockroachTeaParty]

Sera was already down, the draconic creature's talons red with her blood. Keeping his shield between himself and the monster, Kaius was painfully aware how vulnerable he was. This would not stand; he called on the Dawnflower for her protection. Let her cast judgement down on this beast, and give her servant her protection.

Feeling slightly more confident for his goddess's blessing, Kaius moves up to Sera and lays a hand upon her, channeling what magic he can to close her wounds.


Swift action to CAST JUDGEMENT UPON MY FOE!

Starting with a protection judgement, for a +1 sacred bonus to AC; Kaius is rocking an AC of 14 now.

Then moving to Sera's side, staying out of the dragon-guy's melee reach.
Then casting Cure Light Wounds on Sera: [roll0] hp healed.

[Amazo]

Though not a creature related to the Flame, Mizgoq readily identifies the beast bearing down upon them as a tatzylwyrm. Much like his own people can draw a common ancestry with normal rodents, tatzylwyrms are related to true dragons. Despite this, they are little more than hyper-intelligent carnivorous reptiles, though this still grants their hunting a degree of cunning. Most tatzylwyrms are related to black dragons, however, as their breath constantly leaks a foul haze of acidic muck. This one seems to take after another kind of dragon, if the unnatural blue haze of its breath is any indication. In any case, these beasts often weaponize their breath to sap the strength from foes caught in their clutches. Finally, Mizgoq recalls that they are skilled climbers and intelligent enough to use this as a strategy.

Guko's bullet pierces one of the beast's claws, causing its writhing body to uncoil from Sera as it screeches in anger. Seeing their opening, Kaius and Sera spring into action. The holy man barrels forth to give aid to his wounded comrade, giving her the succor she needs to leverage the creature onto the ground. Its already unnerving predatory pupils dilate with panic at its predicament. Though a brave attempt to aid her fellows in felling the foul beast, Sera is now contending with the fury of a cornered cunning animal.

Tatzlwyrm attempts to escape.
Grapple: [roll0]http://i.imgur.com/jb8R2kD.png

[JBarca]

Mizgoq
HP 9/9
AC 14

This is assuming I can orient a cone such that it hits the creature and not Sera, if this is not the case, then the speech remains the same, but the action becomes:
"Dancing forward, Mizgow raises his hands, apparently about to shoot flames at his foe. He hesitates, though, as Sera's wrestling puts her directly in his path. He instead readies himself to blast, should an opportunity present itselfMove forward five feet, ready an action to use a Potent Magic Burning Hands if the creature is within range and I can hit it without risking allies. See below for crunch.
"Vile creature of the cold! You will burn!"

Dancing forward, the Rat thrusts his palms forward, release a blast of flame, engulfing the creature, laughing all the while.

Move forward five feet as a move action. Cast Burning Hands, with Potent Magic applied. DC 16 Reflex for Half of [roll0] Fire Damage.

[Deathkeeper]

Guko doesn't bother to chat, though he does loudly swear, "Pothoc!" as he shoves a cartridge into his musket.
Move action to reload a standard cartridge.
Standard action to fire again. +5 to hit, d10 damage as before.

[Desril]

Sera (Martial Flexibility; 8 rounds, Grappled)
HP 3/13
AC 15
CMD 19vG

Feeling the surge of energy from Kaius healing touch causes Sera's fading vision to clear up and allows her to focus more on the task at hand as she grunts out a "Thanks" and continues trying to restrain the Tatzlwyrm.


Rolling to Maintain the Pin [roll0]

[TheEmperor]

Kyras
HP:11/11
AC:14 (boosted to 16 as of now)

Kyras adopted another stance, which made up for the fact that he was essentially defenseless without a buckler on his hand. It was positioned well enough to give him additional force behind his attacks against the monster.

He moved right up to the two, taking care to aim right for the monster, and not his companion, and struck with as much force as he could put behind the attack, which was significant, despite his grogginess.


Swift action for SCARLET EINHANDER! stance, +1d6 DAM and +2 Shield AC.
Five foot step to the buggers, and ATTACK TIME!
[roll0] Counting the +2 to hit from grapple
[roll1]

[Amazo]

The tatzlwyrm shrieks in panic as the party bears down on it in full: Guko snipes off another finger while Kyras nearly manages the whole arm all while Sera continues to wrestle its vulnerable spots into position for more punishment. The beast's rage seems to turn more to inward fuming as the lot of you prepare to lay your final rain of blows, but its serpentine scales slick with snow finally manage to wrench free of Sera's iron grip entirely. It's head dives into the nearby bank of snow behind it, and it rapidly begins tunneling away from you. Within seconds, it is nearly impossible to tell where in the darkness the lizard lurks, whether still retreating or merely regrouping.

Reflex Save: [roll0]

Tatzlywyrm attempts to escape: [roll1]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius draws his scimitar as the Draconic creature withdraws into the snow. All he could do was wait... Although he knew, if the blessing of his judgement should fade, their foe had truly quit the field.


Fun fact about judgements: they last until the combat is over, so if Kaius can sense his AC bonus fade away or not, he'll know whether the enemy is truly gone or not.

[Amazo]

As the holy servant takes his battle stance, ready to stand stalwart even in his under-prepared state. As his eyes try to scan the edge of the darkness for signs of the creature, a warmth spreads in his chest that drowns out the intense freeze of the night. He felt wreathed in sunlight despite the reality around him. Kaius' tense muscles relax, knowing this is Sarenrae's small grace for him in exchange for his valor in battle. The creature apparently values its own life over a grudge against a group of far greater numbers. Evidently, the tatzlywyrm is quite distant from its true dragon relatives.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius lowers his weapons, and turns to face his companions.
"I believe our foe has quit the field. Are you still with us, Sera? I am sorry, but I can heal no more wounds until morning."

[Desril]

Sera

Clutching her wounded shoulder with her other hand, Sera stares off in the direction the wyrm escaped in as she nods her head at Kaius' question and shouts into the darkness after taking a breath, "COWARD!"

Barely standing, she plops down gracelessly into the snow next to her sleeping bag and looks up at the others, "...damn lizard...I wanted to eat it. Think one of you could take the rest of my watch...I...don't feel so good."

[TheEmperor]

Kyras cussed, and attempted to look into the darkness to find the creature, but it was obviously an adept at hiding. "Get your ass back here!" he yelled, with futile determination to hunt and exact vengeance upon the monster.

Once he became sure that the creature was pretty much beyond his ability to find, he turned around to look at Sera. He knelt next to her, and said "Get some damn sleep. I'll take watch for the rest of this night, and if someone's got that divine magic crap, here's one great opportunity to check if it works even now. Having a member of our fellowship waking up in the morning, and being tired because she got terrible sleep thanks to her wounds is inefficient."

He then grumpily moved away, and took a seat where he was sitting as watch earlier. He drove his sword into the pillowy and snowy ground, and attempted to clear out the space where he was sitting, to get some modicum of comfort.

[JBarca]

Mizgoq glares angrily after the creature, then stomps back to his bedroll.

"Cowards, the lot of them. Now warmth in their hearts, no ability to fight..." He continues grumbling for a few minutes as he settles down, then tries to get some sleep.

[Amazo]

The rest of the night is tense, particularly for Kyras, whose armor weighs down his breathe even further as it is belabored by the cold and his exhaustion. Even with the gentle hiss of the wind, the biting of the snow, and the occasional thump of snow against the ground, it is a struggle to remain conscious for those remaining hours, but the need for his party to be well rested above himself drives him through it all. Sunlight breaks over the canopy of the trees at long last when Kyras feels he can take no more. Its rays are far from enough warmth to give his bones the thorough heating-through they'll need when they return to Heldren, but it's enough for him to look forward to the day nonetheless.

Day has broken and the wyrm has dared not to return, nor has any other thing disturbed your rest.

[CockroachTeaParty]

As the sun rises, Kaius kneels to face it. For an entire hour, he silently prays. The night's trouble had take a toll on his concentration and capacity to channel Sarenrae's power; he could only siphon a fraction of the divine magic he could normally muster.

Seeing Sera still gravely injured, he decided to spend his allotment of magic then and there. He channels positive energy into the worst of her wounds.

"We should get moving. Can we pick up the trail?"

[Desril]

Sera

Having slept fitfully in spite of the blood loss from her wounds, Sera is a bit groggy and sore when she eventually awakens, just in time for Kaius to finish praying and patch up the worst of her wounds. Immediately feeling better, she smiles up at him, "Thanks. Sorry you had to waste all that magic on me though. I should've been paying more attention last night, the damn thing never should've gotten the drop on me."

Hopping to her feet, the suli swiftly sets about packing up her bedroll and looks about for the trail they'd followed this far.


Survival needed? [roll0]

[TheEmperor]

With a horrid expression on his face, Kyras turned around at the sound of his comrades waking up, and noted that they seemed well rested. He was content that they were, while he was most definitely not, but found it irritating that the effects of the lack of sleep was as bad as it was appearing to be. "Good, you folks are awake." he said, rubbing his eyes, and getting right up to his feet. He grabbed his weapon, and the rest of his pack, before moving along with Sera with a very grumpy attitude, and a bent back.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius finishes packing up his gear, and waves a dismissive hand at Sera.
"'Tis not a waste of magic, Sera. Healing is what it's there for, by the grace of my patron. And there is no shame in what transpired last night. A creature of that coloration blends in perfectly with the snow: a perfect predator in these woods. We're fortunate to have driven it off. This trip is definitely taking its toll on us, but we must persevere."

[JBarca]

Mizgoq awakens and immediately grabs a small book from his pack. He opens it and begins perusing a few pages at great length, before standing and stretching. He gathers his supplies and stands, waiting for the others.

[Deathkeeper]

Guko hates mornings. He's an unfortunately light sleeper, and never really feels all that great as he gets back. But he doesn't say much to everyone as he gets up beside a grumbled "g'morning."
The kobold quickly and expertly disassembles his gun, checking it for any damage before reassembling it.
"Anything I should know about?" he says simply.

[Amazo]

Resuming the trail from where you camped on it, the party has the same slow, agonizing progression through the freezing woods. Although conditions do not worsen outright, they are already poor enough to make you unsure how much of a blessing that really is. Knowing that a tatzlywyrm still prowls the territory, you all keep your eyes peeled for it or whatever other danger may await as best you can with the driving snow catching in your eyelashes and the divides of your scales. The next particularly noteworthy things you approach are rather worrisome indeed. All of a sudden the trees you are passing have been adorned with small, fleshy fetishes of some kind, each run through with dozens of pins sticking a small leather flap to them, and hung from the trees with fine string as if ornaments for a religious observance.

Feel free to throw whatever skill checks you feel are appropriate these things' way. I will say that a Knowledge (nature) check will tell you what the fetishes used to be though.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius was not sure what to make of the strange totems or fetishes. Clearly ill at ease, he readies his shield and draws his cold iron spear, suspecting fey influences afoot. His breath steams from underneath his thick scarf as he continues to push through the snow, alert for danger.


Knowledge (religion): [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[Amazo]

Kaius' religious expertise fails him utterly in identifying what the significance of these totems may be. His best educated guess would be that they are somehow connected to the voodoo practices of the Mwangi Expanse, as they bear some resemblance to the voodoo dolls said to permeate the region's witchcraft. However, his keen eyes glean much more detail and information. What appear to be pins pricked into the dolls are actually minuscule arrows, with their feathered hafts and arrowheads still intact even. The leather, in turn, seem to be the unfolded remains of the quivers that likely once holstered these arrows.

[JBarca]

Mizgoq eyes the totems with more than a little disdain. He tries to place them in his memory, though he is nearly certain they're "wrong," and so does not concern himself overmuch with their true meaning.

K:Religion [roll0]

[Amazo]

Mizgoq believes the totems to bear some resemblance to something in honor of Wrath, an aspect of Force. However, as rare as knowledge of the true old gods is, and given the incredibly small scale of the things, it seems rather unlikely for whatever is responsible for them to be so inclined to the truth as Mizgoq is.

[Desril]

Sera

Ignorant of any actual importance the fetishes have, and noticing that her more learned companions don't seem to be offering any suggestions, Sera asks in her rather direct fashion. "So...what's with the creepy tree dolls? Are we in some sort of 'sacred land' or something?"

[CockroachTeaParty]

Kaius seems at a loss.
"All I can tell is that these fetishes are not filled with needles, but with tiny arrows. Be wary of diminutive archers, apparently."

[JBarca]

"They're dedicated to a reflection of a shadow. It's meaningless. We can move on."

Mizgoq speaks with very obvious disdain, his long snout curled up in clear disgust.

[Deathkeeper]

"Oh, good. And here I was worrying that it was something that would have warranted burning the whole forest down." grumbles the kobold, glad that it didn't set the rat off.