The White Queen: Reign of Winter

[Amazo]

http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/240291/Heldren_vue.jpg
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 your people, a chance to settle a grudge, a thirst for revenge, a chance to make a name and a living. 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.

http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/226973/Teppen.001.jpg
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.

[omnitricks]

Toothless came into the village under his winter gear hiding most of his goblin features and himself from the cold weather. The little goblin though was ignorant of the events which happened recently. Arriving only because of the information he has obtained about a possible witch. Witches were good. They made Toothless feel good when people start praising him for killing them and they made Toothless tummy feel good after eating them. They became a sort of delicacy to him.

"Me Toothless. Great Witch Hunter" he announced when he was asked thinking that the townfolk was already waiting for him to get to work. To kill another witch. What a wonder ceremony it was and Toothless had no problems in answering the questions he was bombarded with one after another except the one about his race. Toothless avoided any confirmation with that question because even as a celebrated witch hunter he has had experiences of people treating goblins more like common pests which need to be exterminated.

[Amazo]

Toothless' stoic introduction is punctuated by the ring of people around the recent arrivals opening once more. It seems the people of Heldren have faith in one of their own. A young frail man is encouraged to approach by the crowd, looking for all the world a street urchin despite the trappings of an adventurer either he or the town has draped him in. His face is long and devoid of much color though from what it is impossible to say for sure.

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus had been one of the earliest arrivals in Heldren. He'd come in as he usually did on his travels, as the guard of a wandering merchant caravan. The money was pretty good, the work was usually easy, and he'd managed to snag a bonus since he'd discovered that one of the other guards was planning on selling the caravan out to bandits. The double share had brought his funds up well over a hundred gold, which was as good as it usually got for him.

The weather in Heldren was quickly turning away from Cyrus's liking, but his contract wasn't up yet, so he was stuck here for at least the day. Since that was the case, shopping was probably called for. Cyrus headed to the market area to find some supplies and hopefully get ready for the next stage of his plan.

[Nightraiderx]

Allin looked down at the small goblin, "oh hello there small creature my name would be Allin", he knelt next to him
and whispered in his ear. "you may not want to make 'witch hunter' your main thing here since the village 'witch' is held to very high esteem." he pats the little guy on the shoulder before standing up. "and hello to the rest of you as well!" Allin gave a large smile and a respectful bow.

[HopeHubris]

That... was not a pleasant journey, I should have tried to get the merchant to throw in a horse, or at least a pony, I spent enough
Ilmaren thinks, shrugging off his heavy cloak, revealing the veils underneath, a golden waistband and robe, the eldritch energy making up each glimmering like thousands of gems
A goblin witch hunter, how quaint, though I hardly see how that could manage to slay a witch, at least none I have met



Veils:
Vestments of the Maharajah (2 Essence) +6 Diplomacy and Intimidate
Waistband of the Wealthy (1 Essence) +4 Appraise and Bluff
Abilities:
Path of the Seer (0 Essence) (Still haven't chosen the Teamwork Feat for this yet, suggestions welcome, I'm not likely to be the one in melee making use of them :smalltongue:)
Eldritch Insight (0 Essence)
(Total: 3/3)

[IZ42]

Among the last to arrive, Artair walks into the town square, either unknowing or uncaring of the strange looks his almost barbaric countenance was getting him.

[[Posting from phone so they'll be probably shorter posts]]

[IZ42]

As he pauses in the square to look over the future team mates of his he turns to Ilmaren and says "Ye look like ye're from the north, may Ah ask yer name?"

(You can detect a faint but sure highlands accent in Artair's voice)

[HopeHubris]

"It is polite to provide your own name before asking for another's, but nonetheless, I am Ilmaren, and whether I am from the north really depends on where you consider south"

[IZ42]

"Tha name is Artair Winterblade, of Tha Realm of tha Mammoth Lords." Turning to the other two, he asks "An' do I ask yer names, or is that impolite?"

[Amazo]

At the mention of trade by Cyrus, several of the villagers immediately break rank to go tend their abandoned businesses. These departures set in motion a steady stream of other villagers returning home or to their daily tasks. Clearly adventurers such as yourselves are not likely to need the help of such simple folk, or so they seem to presume. Before the crowd dissipates entirely, a few citizens do inform Cyrus of the location of the general store right there in the square across from the town hall, the apothecary across from the general store, the blacksmith right next to the general store, the carpenter down the southern path out of the village, and the temple of Erastil located adjacent to it. Some particularly well-informed youngsters show off to there peers by braving to speak directly to Cyrus, telling him that the general store and temple of "tons" of magic stuff and that the captain of the army in Zimar would be proud to have a set of armor made by the local smith's daughter before scampering off at the beckon of their parents. You can see them chastising the kids as they depart.

Overhearing this information and standing at the crossroads at the town's center, all of you have a pretty good notion of where a good number of things are in town.


http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/227108/heldren.001.jpg

You are all standing in 9. You all know that 4 is the town hall, 3 is the general store, 2 is the blacksmith, 5 is the apothercary, 11 is the temple of Erastil, and 12 is the carpenter.

[IZ42]

Seeing as the oddly pale looking human and the goblin (Goblins, he thought, Ah can respect them, tha tough buggers, but sometimes they weird me out a wee bit tae much) had no answer to his question forthcoming, he muttered to himself in Hallit "Ah suppose Ah'll find tha tavern, thars bound tae be more information thar."



(EDIT: Said blacksmith, meant tavern :/)

[Nightraiderx]

"ah my bad, let me show you were it is. My name is Allin. I'll help with the tavern since I've kind of gotten a name for myself in this town." Allin scratched his head and follows Artair to the tavern.

Hey Iz42 dark purple was my color why you change from blue to purple all the sudden?

[IZ42]

"ah my bad, let me show you were it is. My name is Allin. I'll help with the tavern since I've kind of gotten a name for myself in this town." Allin scratched his head and follows Artair to the tavern.

Hey Iz42 dark purple was my color why you change from blue to purple all the sudden?


I mentioned that I'll be using a slightly different color for different languages :/. I'll switch it to green from now on. Sorry bout that. I'll just say I said that in common, not Hallit.

[IZ42]

(Anyways, back to IC)

As they enter the tavern Artair turns around and says, "Thar is somethin' different about ye, lad. What be it?" Turning to the bartender he calls, "An Ale for me an' one for tha lad, iff'n he drinks."

[Amazo]

Those of you that enter the bar are greeted to sounds and smells that your time on the road have left you without for too long: hearty laughter, good drinks, and well-made food. The bartender, a middle-aged human woman, raps an open palm against the knuckles of a patron. He looks at her sheepishly as she scolds him, "And that'll show you to walk out without paying your bill! I don't care who's coming into to town: if you want to keep drinkin' this town, you'd best not be crossing us!" With a showy gesture, "And that goes double for you louts as well!"

Despite her harsh words, her cheerful voice and expression betray the jest in her tirade. The charade is held together just long enough by the rest of the bar to seem serious before erupting into laughter again with fresh orders shouted from all sides. Upon spotting you entering and hearing your requests, she indicates a table close to the bar. Hoping you'd follow her act, she points an accusatory finger before continuing, "You lot! For distrubin' the peace, I'll have to give you... your drinks on the house for tonight only! Maybe force you to listen this old crone talk instead of Old Soothsayer, eh?"

She disappears into a room behind the bar briefly before returning with enough full steins to make any mortal man buckle, but she distributes the orders with haste and efficiency. Finally, she hands you your drinks. She leans across the bar propping her head up with an arm. "So, really, how can we help?" She's still cheery, but the question is asked sincerely.

[IZ42]

"Well, ye charmin' lady, Ah was wond'rin iffn ye could give us more info on tha incident with the wounded man before we go tae meet him aerselves" Artair says as he takes a large drink from the ale set in front of him.

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus entered the general store, leaving his pack mule hitched outside. He began looking for cold weather gear similar to what he'd seen one of the other "adventurers" wearing. In a way, Cyrus despised the moniker, it implied a sense of whimsy and a carefree attitude that simply didn't jive with a profession known for suicidally charging into the depths of monstrous territory, and all too often the depths of monsters themselves. Still, he was a professional so he didn't let his distaste for the term show.

"Excuse me," Cyrus said. "I'm looking for some cold weather gear. It seems the weather's likely to take a turn for the worst, and I'd rather not be caught unprepared. Do you have any for sale?"

[Amazo]

The woman introduces herself as Kale Garimos. She leans back to sit on a stool hidden from view behind the bar before she tells you a tale about the local Lady Argentea Malassne sending word in advance of her caravan announcing her sudden return home from Zimar further north into Taldor. Her family is being rather tight-lipped about why this decision was made so hastily as Lady Malassne was set to meet her newly betrothed in Zimar. Nevertheless, whatever odd creatures the locals have been spotting and gibbering about must have attacked them in force because no one has seen hide nor hair of the Lady nor her entourage since, except the brutalized man that staggered half dead, half frozen into town just recently. He was in such rough shape that he only just earlier today was moved to the town hall away from direct access to the apothecary medicinal herbs and poultices. She suggests asking some of the patrons around the bar to hear their versions of the stories going around town regarding the creatures because she "can't spin the yarn half as thick as some of these folks can".

For those following her advice, Diplomacy checks used to gather information or a straight up Knowledge (local) check would be appropriate to learn more about what she is referring to.

Meanwhile, in the general store, Cyrus is greeted by a human woman about his age. Her hair is strikingly blonde, relatively uncommon for the people he's seen in town so far. She drums her fingers against her wooden counter top once before bounding to a shelf off to her right. She quickly grabs a few different sets of heavy garb and lays each one out across the counter, five in all. The outfits feature different methods of insulation such as intricately quilted padding or simply being heavily laden with furs, reflecting likely regions of origin. Whoever owned these pieces last likely came from far afield to trade in Heldren. Catching that suspicion, she pipes up with, "Normally we get caravans coming through. With Qadira below, Taldor above, and Absalom west, there's plenty of call for small trading towns like Heldren along the way. For instance," she points out a red and blue quilted outfit, "I have no idea what urged that Rahadoumi man to bring such a heavy uniform this far south, but he was happy to be rid of it once we spun him something new to match his peers and the weather." Broaching the topic of business, she offers to sell you any of the outfits at the normal cost of a cold weather outfit.

[IZ42]

Artair wanders over to a table of patrons with ale and hand and says "So, Ah hear ye can spin a good tale, can ye. How bout ye tell me about tha' man?"

[roll0]

[Amazo]

You approach one of the only dwarves you have seen in the town. If your travels from your homeland have told you anything about dwarves, its that they are always willing to share a story when there's a drink in their hand. This particular fellow has chestnut hair puled tightly into a ponytail. His beard shows a similar lack of styling, just a great bushy brown mess. He seems friendly enough as you sit down and ask you question though. His arm immediately moves to hook around your shoulders and keep you with him as he drawls out, "Ah, so Kale tol' ye 'bou' the weasel, eh? Not eh one of the fahrmehrs 'round 'ere believe it, 'cept Ol' Man Dansby. They be gettin' inna his crops! And they 'ave this icy stank they leave behin'! Fingers and toes as fros'bittin' as his? Musta been tha' stank getting under 'is skin!" The man's drawling slurs with speech. He seems to be forgetting to breathe in his excitement to tell someone else about the giant weasels. As he continues to describe the creature to you, it dawns that he may actually be describing some other kind of beast, though it's hard to be sure. Nevertheless, the man's firm grip keeps you prisoner for some time as he tells you his theories about the local goings on.

The man's stories spark some disagreement from the table adjacent yours, specifically that the creature was a giant ferret and not a weasel. Everyone's conversations seem to tune into this new discourse. An elf thinks that since the old crone Yaga is staged to return this year, maybe she's decided that Irrisen needs to expend its horizons. A gnomes with a shock of electric blue hair reasons that whatever ancient curse keeps Alkenstar arid and scorching must make somewhere else cold and wet, explaining why the Border Wood may be experiencing that now. With tales of great mages so prevalent, most of these conjectures seem feasible to the patrons in their current states.

Gathering information takes at least an hour, so Artair is stuck here for a while while the others do things. Feel to keep roleplaying though.

[omnitricks]

Not make witch hunter his main thing? Nonsense. witches are bad. Maybe not worse than goblins but just as bad so other people would make those that hunt them a hero. Even if their hero was a goblin. Toothless was not going to trust Allin. For all the goblin knew, he was a witch. Hmm.

And then Toothless overheard some kids talking about magic stuff in the temple. Every goblin knew that magic stuff makes the booms.

"Me go temple!" he declared before rushing off on his own.

[HopeHubris]

Well, I'm currently out of money, so I suppose I should try to find information, at least
Ilmaren thinks, not entirely sure what to do while he waits for the guard to wake up
Someone really needs to invent some sort of healing veil, it would be most useful

With no money, and nothing better to do, he asks around, about the man and what he said before falling into unconsciousness


Diplo check for gather info?
[roll0]

[Nightraiderx]

Allin gave a sigh of relief when the bar tender distracted Artair, he was not ready to reveal too much to these newcomers. After waiting for Artair to saunter over to the other dwarf he kept himself within ear shot of both of them. "so what's the hold up..." Nocturne hissed quietly from Allin's shadow. "you know we can't be too hasty on this, so what I'm overhearing is some kind of frost ferret/weasel, does it sound like anything you've heard of before, Nocture? Allin whispers back to Nocturne.

Know(Planes) check from Nocturne:
[roll0]

IZ42 I find that using language spoilers for when you are speaking a different language and label them the language you are using so that other people who share it can open it while it lets other's know that they don't know what you are saying.

[IZ42]

As soon as the words Yaga and Irrisen left the Elf's mouth, Artair's expression visibly darkens. He turns to Allin and curtly says "We will find the others and inform them of this. " and leaves the tavern.

[Amazo]

The temple of Erastil is simple but stands out from Heldren's meager cityscape. Other than a building with crude crenelations on the outskirt of town, this building seems to be the only one with stone walls. Inside, the Toothless may be surprised to find no seating. Instead, the center of the small chapel holds a large red square of plush carpet. All along the perimeter he recognizes small altars as bearing a wide variety of holy symbols, not simply that of Erastil. Toothless recalls a confusion that nearly cost him his hard-earned title: evidently clerics are distinct from witches despite both getting their magic from foreign, unearthly powers and shouldn't be eaten. Opposite the entrance, there is a small step indicating the primary altar of the temple. A stately chest painted black and trimmed with gold in a style reminiscent of gingerbread frosting stands at the altar's center, likely acting as the cleric's pulpit and reliquary. Beyond it, Toothless can spot a human man and woman discussing something out of earshot, though their easy-going faces indicate that it is likely of no great important. Upon hearing the door close behind him, the pair bid Toothless welcome to the temple. The man immediately asks if he was seeking a blessing, but the woman interrupts him to inform him of Toothless' status. The man apologizes, bows, and gives a gesture of welcome common from Erastil's faithful before saying, "Then I bid you welcome to our humble chapel. I am Natharen Safander. You seem to have already met my wife, Zaarida. What can these servants of the gods aid you with today?" The man's voice is fatherly and welcoming, a compliment to the stern but kind voice of Ionnia earlier and to his own graying, trimmed beard.

Meanwhile in the tavern, Nocturne's voice is surly with indignation. "I take offense that you assume a being of shadow has any great knowledge of the denizens of the cold. Even so, I know other wolves when I hear one. They're all talking about a winter wolf, most likely, though I'd sooner starve to death than give up meat like what they're describing." A snarl, "The beings of winter should have no dominion here. As you are well aware, only shadow may cross into your world here." Your discourse has to end abruptly to keep Artair unaware of it in his motor-driven stride out of the bar. The man seems to feel obligation very strongly if he's so dedicated to every course of action...

Outside, Ilmaren strikes up conversation with people around the square about the wounded man as they go about their day. He is able to glean that the man is an Ulfen mercenary far from his homeland of the Realm of the Linnorn Kings. More than a few villagers mention seeing his face about town for years, however, as he is a common fixture in both Lady Argentea's and other local nobles' protection entourages. One of the assistants from the general store jokes that he calls the store his trophy room, as some of the items for sale there are equipment he had brought there from his travels. For the conversations that go long enough to ask specifically about what he saw, the common answers seem to be a nude blue woman, a huge man covered in white, and a detachment of Rokhar's Raiders. Any questions about the Raiders almost immediately devolve into complaining about the local Ranger Sentinels not doing enough to keep the gang from harassing travelers. Ilmaren finishes up a conversation with a pair of halfling twins carrying some lumber before Artair barrels towards him.

[IZ42]

That accursed Ice Witch Queen is behind this, Ilmaren. Yaga Baba has daminion over tha cold, and tha creatures that attack'd were creatures of frost. This outbreak must be stopped NAE

Edit: Accent was forgotten, doing that now.

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus paid for the animal fur cold weather outfit. He offered up a couple extra gold and inquired about the injured man in the temple.

[omnitricks]

Entering the temple Toothless took the time to indulge himself in a momentary distraction and felt at the plush red carpeting as he looked at the various interesting holy symbols. He salivated when he saw the gingerbread cube but snapped out of it when the humans started talking to him.

The goblin looked at the woman and being unable to recollect her from all the similar looking humans he admitted "no see wife before" before waving in greeting to both of them. From his experience humans love to be acknowledged more than even goblins.

Then he explained what he came for. "Toothless hear magic stuff in temple. Magic stuff make big boom yes?"

[Amazo]

The two continue to smile politely as they try to communicate as best they can despite the language barrier. 'A boom, eh? Of a sort, I suppose. We have a wand that enhances your weapon for a moment and a scroll capable of giving you a blessing of fervor in battle." He adds with a chuckle, "The booms would depend on what weapons you carry!" Producing a key to the chest, he opens it before retrieving the two items from within: a wand of magic weapon and a scroll of aid. The scroll seems pristine, but the runes glowing faintly on the wand seem to have had some of their numbers extinguished, just under half from a glance.

The woman meekly accepts two extra gold pieces from Cyrus, 10 altogether. "Might as well make it an even platinum..." She clearly considers herself no charity case, but money is money. "Truthfully, I'm a bit glad you picked that one. I thought I was going to have to tear that one apart next. We've run short on clean linens to dress his wounds and his limbs need all the warmth they can get. The city council is paying my expenses, but... they are rather nice furs to be used for an ailing man's toes." Answering Cyrus' question directly, she says, "He was talking about a white-blue giant and some sort of woman with him. He had a special word for the color, I'm not quite sure how it went. Apparently the ice from his home gets so cold it turns from white to blue! That's the way he described the giant. He says the woman's breathe could form ice in his veins. With how frostbitten he was despite being fully clothed, I'm willing to believe him. Even for his entire cadre of seasoned warriors, I guess those two were enough to tip the scale for Rokhar's Raiders... They're another group from around here, by the way. Usually the just keep to the Border Wood and lift a few items off of merchants in shakedowns. The local Sentinels keep them confined to the Wood usually, but..." she pauses again, "If those two creatures are still around and working for them, they may get braver in their banditry." Her eyes seem to focus on something distant as she tells you this, but when she feels she's given you all the details she can, she brings them back to you.

[HopeHubris]

"Why would Baba Yaga, or her elected Queen want to kill some mercenaries and capture a noblewoman? It doesn't really seem their style, and while, yes, frost magics are definitely within their domain, you may have noticed that the entire country is freezing, plenty of creatures and people here have power over the cold"

[omnitricks]

The goblin looked on excitedly for the big boom while holding out his shortbow as he did because the priest hinted the boom would depend on the weapon he carried. It wasn't the booms the goblin was expecting though as his race were more familiar and infamous with fire, some magic and even the rare alchemist which could really bring out the boom.

But Toothless did recognize the items brought out. The goblin was going to be a famed witch hunter and be able to live contented with the freedom to do whatever he wanted to which meant he needed every advantage he could get against those wretched magic using witches. Scrolls and wands were some of them and the goblin tried his best to not show his disappointment that they weren't the booms he wanted.

"Toothless know how use magic stuff but what magic stuff do?" the goblin asked enthusiastically while waving his bow again.

Although at a glance Toothless could tell there was more bang for buck if he took the wand instead of the scroll. Unless the scroll was going to provide him with one very big boom.

[IZ42]

"We shaeld at least find out what tha others think and investigate tha area in which that noblewoman got captured

[HopeHubris]

"Oh, yes, investigation would definitely help, but jumping to conclusions about the culprit doesn't"

[Nightraiderx]

"but that doesn't wholly line up with the attacks on the farmers wouldn't it? We could do a stake out and see if we can catch one of the creatures."

[IZ42]

"Then let's find tha goblin an' tha mercenary and meet wi' tha lady we met and explain yer plan."

[Amazo]

The priest tells Toothless a short story of a friendship with a powerful cleric of Nethys who had gifted him these items. The more experienced cleric explained how all knowledge is worthy of pursuit. In honor of his friend, the priest opened all of the additional shrines you see before you today. A glance back at Toothless' shortbow breaks him from his nostalgia with a laugh from his wife. She explains that any arrows fired from his bow or any blows from any weapon enchanted by the wand or scroll will land more easily and more decisively for one minute after use (+1 to attack and damage rolls). The scroll will also protect its recipient from the uncertainties that often enter the mind during battle (+1 to saves vs. fear effects).

[Elricaltovilla]

"It sounds like there's a lot of trouble brewing. Thank you for the outfit. I think I should go find the other... professionals I'm supposed to work with." Cyrus bowed very slightly to the shopkeep and made his exit, sincerely hoping his fellows were indeed professionals.

[IZ42]

Artair turns to Ilmaren and Allin"Iffn ye would wait here, Ah gonna go down tae tha Temple. Ah heard somethin about magic items, an' also suspect that tha goblin'll thar tae."

[HopeHubris]

"Ahh, I remember when I had gold, to spend frivolously, which is probably why I no longer have gold, now that I think about it, but you must admit, this outfit does look magnificent"
Ilmaren sighs, looking into the distance before speaking again
"But anyway, magic items would be useful, I'm quite capable with a wand if anyone is willing to purchase one for me, it would greatly expand my options in combat, especially when I'm using veils like these"
He says, brandishing his hands at his glowing vestments and belt

[IZ42]

Artair wanders up to the temple and steps inside thinking (That Ilmaren, he weirds me out. Thar is definit'ly maer ta him than meets tha eye.)

[Nightraiderx]

"heh at least you had gold, for me it was always a struggle to find food, scavenge here and there, I'm quite sick of it, the only reason the townsfolk are acting friendly now is that the old woman told them that I had to ability to save them..." Allin shrugs, "I don't mind waiting but don't be too long, otherwise we may miss our chance to do this tonight."

[omnitricks]

Protection? Goblin's don't believe in protection. Offence was the best defense especially if no one could spot you while you were doing it. That was the goblin way. Given the choice Toothless's choice was easy.

He pointed to the wand. "This one. This one. Toothless wants this one."

[Amazo]

Producing his keyring again, Natharen retrieves a small ornate box from within the pulpit chest. Judging from the slot on the lid, this is likely a box for tithes and donations. "I'm afraid we cannot simply give you the wand as we have made use of it to aid our militia in defending Heldren. If whatever lurks in the Wood approaches the town proper, we may have need of it still. However, I am certainly willing to sell it to you for its fair price. A number of merchants have appraised the wand for us at being worth 360 gold pieces. I understand this may be beyond your means presently. I would still be happy to lend you the wand for payment from your band later. The gods will watch over you to ensure your safe return, I hope." Evidently, the man is no fool when it comes to expensive equipment, but he is still more obliging than almost anyone Toothless has ever tried bargaining with.

Outside where the group has met in the town square, the town hall's clock tower chimes thrice. As soon as the bell stops ringing, an incredible sneeze sounds from somewhere inside the building. A loud string of expletives follows, another sneeze, and then a hacking cough. Unless someone else is sick in the town hall, your guest may have just been awoken by the turn of the hour.

[IZ42]

After confirming that Toothless was in the temple, Artair wandered back down just in time to hear the coughing fit. He then says"Wael that sounded painful. Ya think tha man has woken?"

[omnitricks]

"Yes yes yes. Ok. Toothless do." the goblin said. Boom is boom and he wanted it. Whether he came back after killing a witch or not and whether he paid or not was of no consequence to him only that he had the means to do the things he was expected to as a goblin.

[Nightraiderx]

"seems someone's having a bad day, want to find out who that was Ilarmen?" Allin stretches looking over. "at least we still have some daylight time to check that out and then go the the stables to talk to the ranch owners."

[Amazo]

"Very well, as you seem to be no servant of the Lucky Drunk, my covenant with you shall be fittingly binding." He passes the wand to Toothless with a bit of a bow, presenting the wand's grip easily within his hands' reach. Quite a stretch for him really, since has to do it over the pulpit.

As Toothless grabs for it, he hears the bell tolling from the town hall. Somewhat comical, since such bells are usually reserved for churches.

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus heard the sound of sneezes and curses and decided to follow it, banking on the idea that the injured man who was their main source of information was awake. He knew it was always better to get the information from the horse's mouth, so to speak, and that was what he intended to do.

[HopeHubris]

"I have nought else to do, so why not"
Ilmaren replies, goes looking for sneezing person

[Amazo]

The two of you walk towards the entrance of the town hall. Just as one of you is about to rap your knuckles against the door, Ionnia unlocks the door from within. She's looking back into the building, shouting while starting to walk out the door, "Yes, yes! Always so dramatic! I'm going for them right now!" Her momentum almost carries her directly into the two of you, but she jumps back in surprise before she does. "Oh. Well, it seems you've saved me the need. Our witness, Yuln, is awake and raring to tell the Lady's rescuers whatever he can to help." Looking over the two of you, Ionnia sees Artair and Allin standing farther away and Toothless nowhere to be found. In light of this, she adds, "Should I wait for the rest of you to arrive back here? I can show you two to him and find the rest of your party to lead back."

[IZ42]

Artair walks up behind Ilmaren and Allin and asks "So has tha man awoken? "

[Amazo]

She turns slightly to better address the three of you, "Yes, he has, and he's already fussed more just now than he has the entire rest of his stay. It seems your arrival has put some spirit back into him. I was just asking your companions whether I ought to wait for the five of you to come at once or if I should go and find your witch hunting friend." At this point, she waves trying to get Allin's attention over the broad frames of the men in front of her, trying to save herself from having to find two missing adventurers instead of one.

[IZ42]

"Tha goblin should be here soon. He was borrowin' some sorta wand fraem tha priest"

[omnitricks]

The thought of going around the pulpit never crossed the goblin's mind as it tried to stretch itself without falling until it had the wand in both hands. Before Toothless got round to actually testing it out he heard the ringing of the bells. Bells to him normally meant the arrival of something bad to a village like raiding bands of goblins he was part of.

"What that sound? More boom?" he asked before getting ready his wand and weapons.

[Amazo]

The man straightens and then stretches his back. At Toothless' preparing for action, he gestures for him to calm down. "It is but the passing of the hour, friend. If it had been a call for the militia, the rings would have been more frequent and urgent. I do apologize for monopolizing so much of your time. No doubt the rest of your cadre awaits your return and your additional munitions, yes?" He begins to walk around the pulpit, intending to walk with Toothless to the door if he is correct in his assumptions. The priest's wife simply watches from the altar, still beaming.

[omnitricks]

"Cadre. Munitions. Big words" the goblin said before being taken to the door and finally saying "Bye bye" and heading out. With the bell being explained as nothing of importance and no other ideas in his head Toothless just started wandering around until he reached the town hall himself.

[Elricaltovilla]

"I think the goblin will be fine while we interview your patient. It might even be better for him, most people don't take kindly to goblins sniffing around/" Cyrus said. "In any case, I'd like to get as much information as possible before we head off to investigate, so if we could talk to your patient now, that would be ideal."

[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. All the while Toothless trails just far enough behind to see each turn they make while slowly gaining on them. When Ionnia finally stops to let the group into the room, the goblin has arrived with his new booms still clutched tightly.

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 Artair. "Och! You've led one of those Hallids straight to my bed, have you, traitor?" His eyes are fierce in addressing Ionnia, "Not satisfied with this not being my death bed?"

Artair instantly recognizes this man as being of Ulfen descent from the Realm of the Linnorn Kings adjacent to his own adopted homeland. While you tribe generally lived peaceably with the Ulfen, stories of conflict between the two groups elsewhere was certainly common enough to his ears.

[IZ42]

"Aye, Ah am a Hallit, however Ah have nae ever had conflict with ye or yer brethren. Ah am simply here to avenge mahself upon tha Ice Witches and perhaps stop them fraem destroyin' tha world."

[Elricaltovilla]

"My name is Cyrus Farzin, friend. I understand that you were attacked by a white witch and her companion, is that correct? We have been hired to deal with the situation with Irresen and hopefully bring things to a more permanent conclusion. Any information you could offer would be of great help." Cyrus smiled at the injured soldier as he tried to calm him down and press for more information, he was eager to finish the job and get on his way.


Rolling Diplomacy to improve the guy's attitude and ply him for some info.

Diplomacy: [roll0] (I don't get my Int bonus to Diplomacy because I'm not trying to convince him something is true, meh)

[Amazo]

The man is no stranger to alliances forged from battle. You can be sure of this in his knowing, affirmative nod. "I s'ppose as long as yer companions there point ye in th' righ' direction, 's jes' as well then. Very well then. Shall I tell you mah storeh? Or do you have questions fer me of yer own?"

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus nodded in response. "Tell us your story, friend. If we have questions I'm sure we can hold them until the end."

[Amazo]

Yuln takes a deep, shuddering breath despite the pain it evidently bring to him. "Aye, I s'ppose I will then. It happ'n'd just four days ago by my count. The Lady Argentea was returning from 'n expedition from the south." He looks defensive for a moment, "I know, I know. E'ry'ne was told she was goin' tah Zimar tah meet 'er betrothed, but she 'ad long since decided 'gainst 'er family's appoin'ment of her spouse. She was actually en goin' to 'er lover's home... in Qadira. You can see why she brought a smaller, more trustworthy entourage, 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 'ad to make do withou' 'em on the way back, since this cold had set in by the time of our return march. It was then we were... ambushed. We were caught unawares, 'ssuming 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 th' doors of her carriage and stole 'er off into the cold of the forest. She was not dressed for the weather, so if they did not give 'er something, she's already dead from 'er 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 jus' a fever dream as I ran and stumbled on broken legs back home, but I know wha' I saw and heard. And there it all is..."

[omnitricks]

Toothless listened to the recollection of the events with a lot of attention but even so he finally asked the only question which mattered to him.

"Giant is witch?"

[Nightraiderx]

"Toothless, I'm thinking the blue woman that was called winter-touched is your witch there, but I guess bonus points if the giant is too huh?" he patted toothless on the head jokingly. would the creatures that attacked you, would they by any chance have looked like winter wolves?"

[Amazo]

Yuln bellows angrily, "A witch! A demon, a devil, a fiend in a woman's soft skin! I don't care what she was! She lay waste to us all with a few flicks of her hands and a fell chill in her breath!" He takes a moment to breathe laboriously to calm himself down. The wheezing breathes and grimace on his face show the pain it brings him.

He turns to address Allin with a softer, delicate tone he has come to expect as the village orphan, "As fer yer question, Allin, I dinnae believe I saw any wolves with 'em. But I did see why the Sentinels weren' helping Heldren. They've murdered 'em. Some shamblin' corpses were with 'em wearing the Sentinels' garb."

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus listened closely to every word the wounded man spoke. "Thank you very much. That gives us a good idea of what we're dealing with here. Now can you tell us where this happened?"

[Amazo]

"Aye, that I can! Ionnia, ye've still got the map I marked for 'em, yes?" He motions to the elder with his unslung arm, and she produces the folded piece of parchment from a pouch on her dress.

"It's right here, Yuln. I can show it to them. Don't hassle yourself further." She unfolds the paper, pinning it to her chest with her chin so she can hold it open with one hand and point with the other. She indicates Heldren on the map for you to get your bearings, "We're here. There are roads leading out of the four cardinal directions out of Heldren, but this attack happened to the south." Her finger traces that path down to a fork, which is circled in black ink. "This fork leads south-southeast to Qadira through the Border Wood, the path Yuln took back from Qadira, and east-northeast to Zimar, where they said they were heading. You can see how they could have used Zimar as their cover then. In any case, the caravan was attacked at this fork." Her finger then traces around a large area painted blue in the center of the forest. "These are the boundaries of where the villagers and Yuln have seen the cold creeping. We never did have much knowledge of any natural or mortal-made trails within the forest: the Sentinels were in charge of keeping those documented to stop the Raiders. Likewise, the Sentinels kept their headquarters relatively secret within the Wood to deter any traitors from betraying the organization, so contacting them to find out their fate has also not been an option for us. There may be some useful supplies for you there if the Raiders or fey haven't taken them first." After her explanation, Ionnia continues to hold it open to field any more questions that she can, but she offers to let you have it when you are ready to set out.

http://i.imgur.com/9DQ43uR.jpg The point marked A is the fork Ionnia and Yuln described.

[Nightraiderx]

"I see it seems unrelated, but could you mark out on the map where the ranchers have been having difficulty with beasts attacking their livestock? I would like to see if there are any connections between the two." Allin interjected, pointing nearby where the ranchers were.

[IZ42]

"Aye, tha' might be nice tae know. Caeld ye give us a rough est'mate of tha foe's numbers as well, iffn ye were able tae get a good look at em'."

[Amazo]

"We were not attacked by anymore'n 10 o' th' Raiders 'emselves. Ol' Rokhar 'as always 'ad trouble keepin' his boys away from the law, or dead, or desertin' or what have ye, so I wouldnae be surprised if 'e 'ad less tha' 20 of 'em in all. What really turned the battle for 'em were the zombies and th' fey. I dinnae see more'n 6 o' th' former nor 2 o' th' latter. Och, have ye been talkin' to tha' fool, Darnsbeh again Allin? I've tol' ye' 'e's touched in the head. Has been ever since Qadira, lad. Ne'ertheless, 'is farm is wedged innatween Sedgewood and tha' Border Wood proper. I..." he pauses, eyes bulging in shock as the implications of what he'd been asked set in. "If thar beas's are goin' tha' far afiel' to get a bite o' some crops, I cannae fathom how soon they'll be upon Heldren. Or from there Zimar, Qadira, even Oppara. All of Taldor's interior may be compromised if thar spreadin' tha' fast! How're they spawnin' so fas'? Where did they come from? Is thar some kin' of magic to make 'em grow big so quick?" He shakes his heads to clear his own questions before returning his gaze to you. "Truthfully, lads, I'm scared even surrounded by all these people 'ere. If yer as formidable as ye seem, you've go' ta stop this right quick."

[Elricaltovilla]

"You think no more than ten, but possibly as many as twenty. Worry not, friend. We are more than capable of handling these bandits. You and yours shall be avenged." Cyrus said. "I think we have all the information we'll need. Unless anyone else has something they want to ask, I believe we should move out."

[IZ42]

"Aye, there'll be more souls at death's gate bah tonight, Ah can guarantee ye tha', Yuln. An' Toothless, let's go catch ye a witch."

[HopeHubris]

"I believe we have enough information to track these things, and potentially even put them down, though I know little of the others' capabilities, and would need a night's rest to be at my best"

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus nodded in agreement with Ilmaren. "I agree that we are ready to proceed, though I would prefer to start sooner rather than later. How pressing is it that you get your rest? I have worked with wizards before and I understand it can be difficult to prepare spells without proper rest."

Cyrus began to walk towards the exit and motioned for the others to follow. He hoped to have a brief discussion at the in about his partners' abilities and preferences, then head out into the wilds as soon as possible to find their target.

[Nightraiderx]

"not really a problem for me, I can go anytime! Not like darkness is much of a bother for me."
Allin looked at the others, "judging by the group, seems that we may be suited for night travel."

[HopeHubris]

"I am no wizard, but I am only able to prepare two of my bindings, and currently I am only boosting my oratory abilities, and apart from attempting to hit things with this staff, the only aid I could provide would be tactical in nature. With enough time to prepare I could do far more in combat, like breathing fire, or causing the earth around my enemies to erupt, or any number of things"



Still taking suggestions on the teamwork feats he can give to you melee people

[omnitricks]

"Yes! Yes! Witch!" Toothless said excitedly before grabbing his weapons.

[Amazo]

While discussing your plans for your investigation, the group starts making their way back to the town square to either stop by the Silver Stoat for the night or to set out immediately. One topic that likely arises during your deliberations is how long getting to the site of the ambush would take. One might expect Toothless' smaller stature to force the group to a slower pace, but he has no problem keeping up with the rest of the party's longer strides. With Yuln's information, you know that the site is 6 miles away. At a normal walking pace, it is within an easy walking distance of two hours. If the party hustles en route to their destination, they could easily cut that time in half to a single hour.

[IZ42]

"Ah think we should hustle over thar, an' sleep when we can, so we dinnae spend maer time than we need tae ta stop tha witch an' her cronies. Would tha' be acc'ptable tae everyone?"

[Elricaltovilla]

"There are advantages and disadvantages to taking a rest before we embark. I think the group could benefit from a clear definition and understanding of the roles each of us brings to the table, and obviously some of us require rest to be at our most potent if expecting combat. But I worry that we will lose too much time if we aren't diligent in our search. We have information on the enemy's location now, but they could easily move before we depart in the morning... it is a conundrum."

[Nightraiderx]

"I go with the plan 'move now, discuss on the way' then we can also set up an ambush if we get there before them."

[IZ42]

"Ilmaren, Toothless, what da ye think we should dae? Ye mentioned, Ilmaren, tha' ye were unprepared tae do combat, do ye think ye could prepare at tha' ambush site? "

[HopeHubris]

"That depends, would we have eight hours at the ambush site? It is unlikely, but hey, who needs to breathe fire and incinerate their enemies? Morale support is more than enough, especially if we come across any witches, I suppose"

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus listened and nodded at the suggestions. "If we were to hurry, we could get there with time to spare, the rest of us could investigate and scout while you take the time to prepare for combat. I think though, that with our skills we should be able to handle any combat fairly well. Morale support is always appreciated.

Since there is a good chance we will all be working together for some time, I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Cyrus Farzin. I am originally of Qadira."

[omnitricks]

Toothless didn't want to hustle because unlike his goblin brethren, he wasn't the quickest mover which only made taking his time more appealing. Hearing the discussion the goblin put a finger to the lip and said,

"Shhhhh. Witch have ears. Hear everything. Hear everywhere" before looking around for anything unnatural.

Then he pointed forward before holding his bow at ready.

Perception for fun: [roll0]
By the way, I do not have the goblin fast movement. Traded it for the climbing racial trait.

[Amazo]

Toothless notices a passerby sneering at Cyrus after he mentions his Qadiran heritage. He seems ready to comment on the revelation when Toothless unslings his bow in the man's direction. He thinks better of his course of action before scurrying away without a word.

Truthfully, I had forgotten that. Sorry!

[Elricaltovilla]

While Toothless watched the townsfolk, Cyrus kept an eye on the sky. Maybe the little goblin was on to something, the witches could easily be watching them. Cyrus suspected, however, that if they were going to make a move it would include bad weather. He took it as a matter of course that Winter Witches wouldn't want to go anywhere without the benefits of their snowy domain, although he really only had stereotypes to go on. In either case, bad weather was going to be a problem, so any forewarning would be useful.


Survival check to forecast the weather: [roll0]

[IZ42]

Voicing aloud Cyrus' thoughts, Artair says "Och, tha bugger could be right, Ah suppose. Servants o' tha occult like witches can have eyes an' ears e'rywhere" He stares around while he says this (not nervously or covertly, just glancing around for suspicious things)

[roll0]

[Amazo]

There is certainly an unease draped over the villagers as they mill about to and fro. The actions they take to warm themselves as they go about their business become much more apparent: hands shoved down trousers even as their shoulders shiver, breathing into balled hands before furiously rubbing them together, hugging one's arms tightly while walking between destinations. These Taldorans are not used to this weather at all and their faces reveal the tales are putting them on edge. Being eyed suspiciously by an idle group of adventurers is doing their nerves no favors, but they try to politely avoid any accusatory looks. The few sidelong glances that are spared your way all have the same pleading look to them: "Why haven't you left yet? Why aren't you helping? Why aren't you doing anything? ...can you help?" Looks of quiet desperation, silent prayers for aid, implorations, petitions, requests, any form of asking that might help protect their simple lives from whatever lies beyond the now too-close borders of town.

[IZ42]

"That more we dally, tha more these people suffer. We cannae let them fall tae tha witches, an' we should stop this plague as saen as possible, d'ye ken?"






FYI, the phrase "do you ken" means do you understand, and is a primarily Scottish phrase. D'ye ken?

[HopeHubris]

"I suppose we should leave now then, I can always hope we have enough time at the ambush site to prepare new veils"

[Elricaltovilla]

"Time is of the essence I suppose. We can always discuss stratagems in more detail while we travel. I should be ready to leave shortly, I only need to grab my pack mule." Cyrus nodded to the others and left to get his mule from where he had tied it up by the general store. He returned swiftly with the animal in tow.

[Amazo]

The nearby livery attendant, a young dwarven lad, watches Cyrus with keen interest. "Need any help, ser? Wouldnae want yer mule slippin' on the slopes 'cause of bad straps." He is trying to be friendly despite visibly being a bit awestruck either by Cyrus himself or the most likely reason behind him retrieving his companion. He does not seem to mind any response Cyrus gives him and returns to his work a bit more cheerful than before.

On the edge of town, you depart, likely letting Toothless ride the mule if you can convince him to step near something so closely related to a horse, to pick up your pace. After a few rolling slopes out of town, you can no longer see the earnest, simple people you have left behind and promised to help. No doubt they eagerly await any good news you can bring back to them, but if Yuln's description is anything to go on, good news may be scarce in these woods.

[IZ42]

Artair falls back a bit, studying the band of people like him. [Tha' Ka- Qua- Cow- (Qadiran, referring to Cyrus)howe'er tha frack ye say it seems trustworthy, an' a good man in a fight. Tha youth, Allin seems gen'rally fine, though Ah would like ta know more about him, there's som'thin thar beyond mah ken. Ilmaren seems tae curt an' cold, Ah hope he can be trusted. Now tha' goblin is gonna need an eye kept on 'im, howe'er anti-witch 'e may be.]

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus waited until the group was far enough away from the village before he spoke again. "We need to discuss our various skills and settle on tactical roles. Any confusion or ambiguity in the future could easily lead to loss of life. I for one am specially trained in my tribe's martial style. You will not find a man more skilled with a dagger than I anywhere north of the Qadiran border. My family has prepared me with the best education and training they could. For the time being I will consider it my duty to protect your lives with my blades and my wits. You will find both are equally sharp. Tell me, what sort of training do each of you have?"

Cyrus listened carefully to any responses he got, committing each of his allies' skills to memory and began planning different tactical scenarios in which he could put their skills to use.

[IZ42]

"Ah was a hunter an' warrior o' mah clan before Ah went a rovin'. Ah can also track well, iffn it's needed. Dinnae count on me for magic, or knowledge, beyond that o' the beasts"

[HopeHubris]

"I can bind and control the akashic veils, though until tomorrow, that's limited to talking well. You may have noticed that you feel slightly lighter, as long as you are near me, you should be able to move faster, and I can grant two of you some resistance to mind-affecting magics, useful if we face witches"


+5 foot move speed to any ally within 60 feet of me, + I can give that Tribal thing to 2 others

[Amazo]

Give me a Knowledge check, your choice if you can justify it, to see what you know about akashic magic.

[Nightraiderx]

Allin stared at the snow. "To be honest... I really don't have any combat experience at all. Heh..." he rubbed the back of his head slightly
embarrassed. "well I don't but I'm sure my partner has plenty... I learned a bit of healing magic from him." Allin stopped for a moment, closing his eyes as light and darkness poured from his body, falling to all fours as his shadow took over his body, shaping in the form of a dark shadowy creature shaped like a wolf. Dark energy swirled around the wolf, making him appear hazy and blurred. "And I, would be nocturne. I am a denizen of the shadow plane. While meek and poor Allin was struggling in the abyss, I offered a hand and in exchange for my help, freedom from the shadow realm. A good reason not to show the villagers since they would be anxious to attack me for my... regal and powerful stature." Nocturne and Allin began to walk again, being able to move at a faster pace.

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus's hands immediately dropped to his weapons when the shadowy hound appeared, ready to draw them the instant it attacked. When the beast spoke and explained itself though, he slowly removed his hands from the hilts although he decided to keep a very close eye on Allin from now on. After all, it was only a matter of time before the weak will of the host was subsumed by the stronger possessing entity.

[omnitricks]

Toothless saw the mule, yelped and immediately scrambled up the tree as far as he could. These humans and other races were bad. They just brought out the hated enemy of goblinkind that would kill him.

"No! No horse! Horse serve witches. Horse bad! Kill many goblins!" he yelled from the top holding out his bow. "I can kill bad horse for you if you think it want hurt you."

He would come down, eventually and make sure the horse was as far away from him as possible while he traveled with the group.

Got a climb of +11 so I think I can take 10 with accelerated climbing and still make it up.

[HopeHubris]

"Trust a goblin to fear a mule more than a shadow beast"
Ilmaren laughs


What does he know about the shadow?
Knowledge
Arcane [roll0]
Planes [roll1]

[IZ42]

"Hmph. Ah knew thar were som'thin diff'rent 'bout ye, lad. An' yes Ilmaren, goblins can be odd, aye"

[Amazo]

Ilmaren's expertise is sadly somewhat lacking in regards to the Plane of Shadow: being a student of magic in Irrisen lent itself much more to the studies of the Planes of Air, Water, and Ice. He does, however, recognize the magical intonations and gestures of a summoner. Generally, such mages form a mutual pact with their outsider allies. The apparent use of coercion on the eidolon's part here is particularly peculiar though the beast does seem to rely on Allin's shadow to be able to exist.

[Amazo]

Though the goblin has not come out and stated his skills for you all, he has certainly done a fair bit to demonstrate them to you already. He moves with swift precision and stealth, he can go places others simply cannot, and his quickness with his weapons earlier showed a guile in his steady aim. You even notice he now has a wand he did not previously possess. If his renown as a witch hunter is well-earned, these implicit qualities should not be taken lightly.

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus chuckled a little at the goblin's reaction to his donkey. He briefly toyed with the idea of convincing the little witch hunter that the donkey was actually a demon disguised as a horse (which, considering the beast's personality, wasn't too far from the truth), but decided that he didn't want to deal with the consequences of that nonsense. Cyrus took the leads of his pack animal and made sure to keep it well away from Toothless for now.

[Nightraiderx]

"seems you have competition being the most feared being in this group Nocturne!"
Allin laughed a bit while Nocturne growled and dissmissed with a hmph. "either way, we should be getting close now no?"

[Amazo]

Allin's words prove to be eerily accurate as the group ascend the next small hill in the road and see what remains of the caravan before them. Looking behind you, you can barely make out Heldren's meager skyline out over the previous hillocks and from the trees that now dot both sides of the road. The damage seems to grow less severe the further along the caravan train you look. The leading vehicle seems to have been completely smashed to splinters: you cannot even tell if it was originally a cart, wagon, stagecoach, or some other kind of overland vehicle from looking at what little remains. Each vehicle in succession leaves a bit more of wooden skeleton for inspection until the ambush site ends with two overturned carts.

The corpses of the horses and oxen drawing the vehicles lie dead in the snow, remarkably preserved even days later presumably by the unnatural chill of the falling snow around them, but you see no signs of any of the many people that must have made up the noblewoman's entourage and escort. The vehicles with enough on them to seem salvagaable have clearly been picked clean by Rokhar's Raiders. Every bit of heraldry, iconography, tapestry, luxury, and even upholstery that usually marks a caravan as being of nobility instead of mercantile have all been stripped, leaving the vehicles truly wooden skeletons of their former selves. All told, there seem to be the remains of seven vehicles present, give or take one or two due to the fractured nature of the first two in the line.

[IZ42]

Artair gazes over the wreckage, finding it eerily similar to the ruins of his home he left behind. "Tha' poor bastards. Ah cannae imagine wha' they were thinkin' when this happen'd tae them."




[roll0]

[Elricaltovilla]

"This definitely appears to be the work of bandits. We need to go over this place with a fine toothed comb. The more we know, the better prepared we'll be. Toothless, Ilmaren look for signs of magic and witchcraft. I'll begin looking for tracks. If anyone finds anything, let the rest of us know." Cyrus immediately began scanning the area to look for tracks, all the while keeping an eye on the sky for sudden changes in weather.


Survival to Predict Weather- [roll0]
Survival to Find/Follow Tracks- [roll1]

[HopeHubris]

"Oh, are our leader now? And I feel I must again state that I am not a wizard, I can not detect residual magic energies"
Ilmaren says, sighing as he attempts to find any evidence of witchcraft, despite a lack of any real means of doing so


Knowledge Arcana check to see if anything looks to be a result of magic
[roll0]

[Elricaltovilla]

"I meant no offense, Ilmaren. Please accept my apologies." Cyrus's voice was flat as he replied, as if he didn't really care one way or the other. "I must have misinterpreted your capabilities. Perhaps you can assist the witch hunter or the summoner in their endeavors then?"

[omnitricks]

Toothless of course had no way of knowing if a person is a witch as much as they can cast a spell unless someone pointed it out to him or they did it in his face but he wasn't going to admit that. Nodding and lying "Toothless know what to do!" he immediately scrambled up the tallest tree close to him the same way he did when the horse got close to him. A high enough point should provide him a nice place to look out for any witches to kill.

Perception: [roll0]

[Amazo]

Artair begins looking for anything suspicious remaining amid the destruction while Cyrus combs the perimeter for tracks to inform their next move. The hardened ranger spends only a few moments brushing aside large, gnarled splinters of carriages before deciding there is not much information his simple observation would glean from examining such thorough obliteration. Turning his attention to the mostly intact and upturned vehicles, he methodically roots around the interior of each for the secret compartments his previous caravanning work taught him would likely hold secret valuables, manifests, legal documents, and other such important items. He is disappointed by his search of the first three vehicles, though he does not a peculiarity strewn about the snow-covered ground around the vehicles. He first finds a hand frozen in a block of ice, then a thigh broken off just under the knee. With some help from Cyrus, the two are able to piece together what appears to be the remains of a particularly unfortunate guard. His face seems to be permanently trapped in a transitional state from a courageous war cry to one to abject terror. His right arm bares this estimation through as it still firmly grasps what appears to be a longsword. Curiously, this seems to be the only weapon left at the scene as far as anyone has found so far. Leaving the man to rest undisturbed for the moment, the two searching men resume their tasks.

Artair continues to rifle for any hidden tricks set by the Raiders or useful clues left by the victims. He succeeds in tearing open a secret compartment underneath the seats of one of the two remaining intact carriages. Inside, he finds a manifest detailing the names of all of members of the noblewoman's entourage and any belongings they had stored in one of the vehicles. Most of these items are mundane and not particularly noteworthy, a family weapon, extra clothing, a few books, but a separate manifest lists the owners and descriptions of any precious items stowed in the jewelry box Artair also finds under the seat. Inside the box, the wild man finds a signet ring, a locket bearing the crest of Taldor with the small portrait of a scruffy but pleasant-looking man, a pair of silver earrings, a set of pearl-inlaid bracelets, an assortment of gold and silver necklaces of similar styles, and a silver pendant set with sapphire. Turning to the final carriage, Artair immediately notices a broom wedged into the two sets of door handles, preventing someone from leaving. Soft moans of anguish emanate from within, though they do not seem to take notice as the party moves about.

Meanwhile, Cyrus takes the suspicious absence of blood as a sign that the snowdrift around them must have been quite severe to cover it all up, and that is likely won't be abating if the source is magical as the suspicion currently goes. His search for tracks is much more successful than Artair's fruitless beginning right off the bat. All along the sides of the road hidden just behind the tree cover are deep indentations of snow indicating something that was laying there for a lengthy period of time before moving. Even despite the snow falling in the interim, Cyrus suspects the beginning of the ambush may be lying right before his eyes. As he continues scanning the perimeter, actual tracks begin to appear. They all seem to meet up on the southwest edge of the massacre site before trailing off into the woods beyond the trail. Curiously, the meeting of the tracks leads to one solid track of equal indentation that almost seems to mark a lane of passage away from the site.

Ilmaren follows Artair's lead in looking for evidence of witchcraft. He draws two conclusions based on the findings brought forth by the ranger. The first two carts seem to have been utterly blown a part by a high level casting of the warp wood spell. For the carnage of the carriages to be so complete, he suspects multiple castings of this high caster level applied to each of the lead vehicles to stop the progress of the rest of the caravan from fleeing the attack. The blue ice encasing the frozen guard is also definitely magical by Ilmaren's estimation, though what spell or beast could form ice so cold that it remains blue despite prolonged exposure to the relatively warmer snow around he is unsure.

Even Toothless' attempts turn up something useful to share, though it is not what Cyrus initially tasked him with. He sees the telltale signs of a chimney's smoke stack rising above the treeline with what must be an active fire creating the smoke trail above it. Though visibility is obscured by fierce winds and snow flurries, Toothless estimates that it can't be more than a few miles away. The thick treeline and treacherous footing from here on makes the journey seem like it will definitely take extra time to traverse, however.

Anyone who observes the longsword in the frozen man's severed arm is entitled to a Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (nobility) check.

[HopeHubris]

"Well, this is all very bad news, I can't detect the magics themselves, but the effects would seem to imply that they were quite powerful, especially in comparison to our little group, apart from our illustrious witch-slayer of course. Even worse, that blade"
He says, trying (but not very hard) to pull it free
"Is the blade of a Taldan officer, that doesn't necessarily mean this man was one, but if he was it bodes ill for us, an officer sent on a mission like this is unlikely to be one that obtained the rank as a formality, and yet he was still struck down"

[IZ42]

"Ah can only hope he took down some of his enemies befaer 'e fell if only tae lessen tha numb'r we have ta chop through." Artair remarks as he stands up from storing the items he found in the carriage in his back pack. He thinks [Ah should take these to Ionnia to see wha' she knows about them, an' then maybe sell them iffn Ah can keep 'em.]. As he turns around to address the party he points out the broom across the door of the last carriage and the moaning from within. "Ah'm thinkin' someone or ev'n somethin' is trapped in thar. Iffn anyone is willin' tae come wi't me, Ah'm gonna see why they're moanin'." He moves towards the last carriage and prepares to break the broom holding the handles together.

[HopeHubris]

Ilmaren attunes himself to Artair, in case whatever is in there is unfriendly and has mind altering abilities (however unlikely that might be).


Veils:
Vestments of the Maharajah (1 Essence) +6 Diplomacy and Intimidate
Waistband of the Wealthy (0 Essence) +4 Appraise and Bluff
Abilities:
Path of the Seer (2 Essence) (Tribal Mentality feat, People attuned: Artair)
Eldritch Insight (0 Essence)
(Total: 3/3)

[IZ42]

Artair swings his claymore at the broom holding the doors, aiming to break the broom in twain.




[roll0]
Tribe mentality is the using either saving throw for compulsion or emotion effects correct?

[Amazo]

The gentle whining of agony coming from within the carriage is apparently indicative of an existential sort of misery rather than physical pain as the undead that stumble forward are surely incapable of the latter. These shambling corpses seem to have undergone a similar process to the shattered man the group found earlier. Their skin is the same icy blue. Their eyes have melted away with the magic that reanimated them. Instead, fierce yellow lights burn in the sockets, yet their faces still manage to show rage towards the living before them. They mercifully seem to be unarmed, though tales of unnatural undead strength are common enough for you to consider that blessing meager at best.

http://i.imgur.com/1OfszaW.jpg
Ilmaren moves first. Let's say that Toothless was only 20 ft. up the tree when combat started.

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus charges into the fray as soon as he sees the zombies. He draws his daggers as he rushes in and relies on his training to lend strength to his strikes.


Cyrus charges at zombie 1. If zombie 1 is dead, he charges zombie 2.

HP: 15, AC: 16 (20 base, -2 stance, -2 charge)

Attack: [roll0] +1 base, +3 Dex, +2 charge
Damage: [roll1] + [roll2]

[HopeHubris]

"Well, here goes nothing I suppose, never been one for hacking away"
Ilmaren says, swishing the still cold sword around in front of him as he walks around to flank one of the zombies.
He then attempts a slash, which fails rather terrifically
"Did I forget to mention that I usually stick to magic? Because there is a very good reason for it"



Oh man, if I had my Gorget and Circlet on, I could hit all three for 3d6+4 fire damage, that would have been lovely :smalltongue:

But, anyways... Move action to the square left of Zombie 1 (That flanks, right)
Standard action: [roll0]
If it hits (it probably won't) [roll1] (normal longsword,

[IZ42]

Artair brings his greatsword over his head a swings it down at the undead abomination he's standing in front of.




HP: 13 AC: 15
Damage: [roll0]
Attack: [roll1]
Attacking Zombie 2

[omnitricks]

Toothless sees the zombies and just started shooting since they aren't a part of the group hes with anyway.

Damn not within 30 feet so no SA damage.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Since neither zombies nor Artair have acted yet I assume I'm technically not shooting into melee yet unless you want to add in the penalty to the value above

And just because I still have a move action and am in leafy trees
Sniping: [roll2]

[Nightraiderx]

Nocturne ran along to zombie 3, biting it with his fangs.

[roll0]

bite damage (1/2 damage against corporeal ghost touch weapons)
[roll1]

ac 14 miss chance 50%

[Amazo]

While Ilmaren's swing is less than effective, his comrades make up for it in spades. Even at his distance, Toothless is able to his his mark and firmly lodge an arrow into the thing on the left's shoulder. Though the icy skin stains with thick, congealed blood from underneath, the atrocity pays it no heed while pressing its attack. Similarly. Artair's cruel overhead chop strikes true into the things skull, but between the iced over skin and what remains of the man's skull, the blow only cuts so deep instead of rending the head in two. Regardless, the dark magic animating the corpse urges it onward in its hunger. In fact, it is the first of the undead to retaliate, attempting to slam Artair so hard its own torso might be dislodged from the force.

At this, Cyrus makes his move. He charges their foes suddenly and slashes viciously. Though his quick redirecting of his blades seems wasted on the relatively sluggish corpse, it nonetheless allows him to wedge his daggers into a seem of the ice to slash at the viscera beneath.Unlike Toothless's blow, the zombie does seem to react to this assault, though the third corpse manages a response before it does. The last corpse, untargeted by the group's volley so far, instead attempts to strike the vizier it spied shuffling cautiously behind it. Allin sprints at the opening with a courage you would not expect from one of such humble origins. In a single bound, his shadow overtakes his form once more. When he reaches the distracted zombie, his new form and ally try to tear into the flesh as one but are unprepared for just how slippery the icy carapace is.

Finally, Cyrus' chosen foe reacts to his aggressions with his own vicious clubbing.
Zombie 2 attacks Artair.
Attack: [roll0]
Critical Confirmation: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] plus [roll3] cold damage
Critical Damage:[roll4]

Zombie 3 attacks Ilmaren.
Attack: [roll5]
Critical Confirmation: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7] plus [roll8] cold damage
Critical Damage:[roll9]

Zombie 1 attacks Cyrus.
Attack: [roll10]
Critical Confirmation: [roll11]
Damage: [roll12] plus [roll13] cold damage
Critical Damage:[roll14]
http://i.imgur.com/Dy8hLQ5.jpg

[HopeHubris]

"Let's try that again, shall we? I really should have prepared some combat veils, but I didn't expect to have to fight so soon after arriving in town"
Ilmaren says, deflecting the zombies clumsy attack with his quarterstaff, still held loosely in his off-hand


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus grunts as he lashes out with both of his punching daggers in a double fisted strike, aiming to overpower the zombie in a single powerful attack.


Cyrus is initiating Swift Claws and targeting Zombie 1 again.
If zombie 1 is dead, he targets Zombie 2.
If Zombie 1 and 2 are dead, he 5 ft steps to where Zombie 2 is currently and attacks Zombie 3.

Swift Claws allows him to attack with 2 weapons using only 1 attack roll for both hits.

Attack: [roll0]
Crit Confirm: [roll1]
Damage1: [roll2] + [roll3]
Damage2: [roll4] + [roll5]
Crit Damage1: [roll6] + [roll7]
Crit Damage2: [roll8] + [roll9]

[IZ42]

With a maneuver surprisingly deft for one wielding a greatsword, Artair knocks away the zombie's attack, and swings at its side in a brutal slash.

AC: 15 HP: 13
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Crit Confirm: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]
Attacking Zombie 2 Again

[omnitricks]

"You big 'uns get out of the way!" yelled the goblin as he tried to look for an angle to get a shot with everyone crowding around the targets.

Same thing again.
Attack (shooting into melee included): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Nightraiderx]

Allin and Nocturne try to regain their balance and attack again, this time Nocturne swipes with two claws before going in with a bite on the same zombie.

claw 1:
[roll0]
[roll1]

claw 2:
[roll2]
[roll3]

bite attack:
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Amazo]

Ilmaren consoles himself as he once again ineffectively tries to make use of his new sword, but he can take solace that his holding of the corpse's attention allows Allin's wild and bestial blows to make their mark. The wolf-man swats down with both heavy claws before trying to tear the neck just as a real animal would. The heavy impacts of the powerful limbs sends criss-crossing cracks all along the undead carapace. The same spiderweb pattern emanates from wear Allin's bite grasps its neck, infinitely more complex as the cracks from each prominent tooth crosses the pattern produced by the next tooth. Yet for all this fury, Allin's shadowy form cushions some of the force allowing the zombie to hold its ground long enough to strike back at Ilmaren once more.

Meanwhile, Cyrus' maneuver aims to hammer home the weakness he had found earlier. Bringing his two weapons into the shambler once again, he pries them apart within it to do the maximum amount of carnage possible and is surprised when the action instead splits the creature's torso entirely. It falls to the ground heavily without any sort of cry, the yellow fire leaving its eye. Its body and viscera impact the ground as if rock-solid objects instead of flesh. Toothless' arrow manages to catch the batter remains as they fall. Trying to aim around Cyrus proved difficult, so his shot went a bit wide. Fortunately, the target presented itself in that wide position to be hit nonetheless.

Bolstered by his allies' successes, Artair funnels the surge of confidence into his horizontal slash. Though the blade lands, it once more has incredible difficulty rending through ice and the corpse's hip bone. Nevertheless, he does leave a wound deep enough to shame those superficial, ineffectual gashes that Yuln and his men were able to leave. The corpse is deaf to the world but for the man standing before it in challenge. It answers this self-imposed duel with another anger-driven strike. This proves to be the first blow the corpses have managed this entire melee, and what a grievous one it is. The hands fall heavily on Artair's shoulder, the rough ice scraping as it heaves back to slowly try again. He can tell his shoulder will swell from the impact at least before being surprised by the unnatural chill that lingers. It spreads through his veins before seizing at his heart itself. Then in an instant, the warmth of his lifeblood prevails, and the chill is vanquished.

Zombie 3 attacks Ilmaren.
Attack: [roll0]
Critical Confirmation: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] plus [roll3] cold.
Critical Damage: [roll]1d6+2

Zombie 2 attacks Artair.
Attack: [roll4]
Critical Confirmation: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6] plus [roll7] cold.
Critical Damage: [roll]1d6+2

[IZ42]

Thoroughly angered now Artair lets loose an almost beastial roar and once again swings his sword with all his might at the zombie. He is enraged, but no so much to stay inside the reach of the zombie.

AC: 15 HP: 9
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Crit Confirm: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]
5' Step back after hitting Zombie 2

[HopeHubris]

"Well, mister zombie thing, I suppose I shall have to be glad that you are just as ineffective as I"
Ilmaren says, evading the second blow with even more ease than the first
"It would seem that even though I myself am unable to harm you, your attention is rather focused on me, and I suppose I should try to keep it that way"
Another slash, as ineffective as all his prior



Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Elricaltovilla]

Bolstered by the destruction of the zombie, Cyrus moves to where its now motionless corpse lay and made two quick strikes at the remaining zombie.

"We've got them now! Let's finish this!" he shouted to his allies.


HP: 15 AC: 18

Cyrus 5 ft. steps into Zombie 1's square. If Zombie 2 is also dead he instead 5 ft. steps into its square. Cyrus then makes a full attack (twfing) against Zombie 2 if its still alive, or Zombie 3 if it is the only zombie left.

Attack 1: [roll0]
Crit Confirm 1: [roll1]
Damage 1: [roll2] + [1d6]
Crit Damage 1: [roll3] + [1d6]

Attack 2: [roll4]
Crit Confirm 2: [roll5]
Damage 2: [roll6] + [1d6]
Crit Damage 2: [roll7] + [1d6]

[Nightraiderx]

Allin and Nocturne continue focusing on the third zombie, as Nocturne's thrill of the hunt consumes him and keeps attacking.


Claw attack 1:
[roll0]
[roll1]

Claw attack 2:
[roll2]
[roll3]

Bite:
[roll4]
[roll5]

[omnitricks]

Toothless not too happy about missing his shot immediately jumped down from the tree he was on planning to immediately after landing make his next shot thinking that being shorter than the blockages to his target would probably make it successful. Unfortunately he slipped and fell face first on the ground immediately becoming unconscious from the fall.

Acrobatics to against a DC 15 to reduce fall damage and not get lethal damage for prone: [roll0]
Damage from fall: [roll1]

Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Amazo]

In their flurry of offense, the group fails to see the little goblin throw himself down from his perch on the tree limb, focusing on the remaining battle at hand. Artair's fury renders his swing inaccurate though, if the indentation on the ground below is any indication, no less mighty. The undead manages one final strike of its own before Cyrus curtails its dark existence. Cyrus' first blade fails to find an opening to pierce through the thick ice, but his second manages to work through the corpses ears. Its head thoroughly ruined from the two men's efforts, it cannot keep standing as the light fades from its eyes too.

Ilmaren's taunting has no noticeable effect on the mindless thing he is engaged with, but its continued attempts to kill him are a success nonetheless. Sadly only one of Allin's paws manages to land with enough force to fracture more of the creature. It still seems to be enough when combined with his whirlwind of blows from earlier though. The thing's neck and shoulders crumble apart under Nocturne's might.

With that, the battle has been won for now...

Zombie 2 attacks Artair.
Attack: [roll0]
Critical Confirmation: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] plus [roll3] cold
Critical Damage: [roll4]

Zombie 3 attacks Ilmaren.
Attack: [roll5]
Critical Confirmation: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7] plus [roll8] cold
Critical Damage: [roll9]

[Elricaltovilla]

Whatever emotion or intensity that filled Cyrus during the combat faded immediately once the last zombie was destroyed. Cyrus sheathed his daggers and bent down to inspect the bodies for any noticeable markings.


Perception to find identifying markings: [roll0]
Knowledge (Martial) to identify markings, cuz its the only one I got: [roll1]

[IZ42]

Breathing heavily as the blood lust falls from his eyes, Artair walks back over to the zombies to help Cyrus inspect them. As he does this, he sheaths the claymore over his shoulder, seemingly not noticing his wound.


[roll0]

[Amazo]

Your fingers scrabble at the slick ice to try to peer at what's beneath. Between that and trying to angle the bodies such that the light catches it enough to see, but not so much that the glare obscures it entirely, Cyrus has no luck seeing anything beneath. It takes Artair's keen eyes and accent-confounded descriptions for Cyrus to make any sense of who these men were. The three do seem to be wearing identical clasps for what tatters remain of their cloaks and capes, but the insignia on it is not related to any discipline or army that Cyrus is aware of.

[Elricaltovilla]

"I don't recognize these symbols at all. I think we will need to be more active if we hope to find whoever was responsible for this. I came across some tracks leading away from here. They would most likely be our best bet. Are we ready to move out?" Cyrus asked.

[IZ42]

"Iffn we c'n find tha goblin, we should be good ta go." Artair looks around for the Rogue.


[roll0]

[Nightraiderx]

"If anyone is a bit injured, I do have some limited healing"

Allin transformed back into his normal self looking around at everyone.

[Amazo]

Talking about Toothless within earshot doesn't turn up any responses from the energetic goblin, which proves curious. Anyone who investigates quickly discovers that he seems to have been knocked out during the combat somehow. Was there another enemy skulking about? Mercifully, they left him alive and face up in the snow, or he may have drowned.

[HopeHubris]

"Clumsy beast appears to have missed me, much as I missed it, so I am unharmed."

Ilmaren says, brushing himself off

Do we actually have any further clues? Or shall we just look for anyone with the ability to create ice and undead abominations, because this is Taldor, such things are not exactly common around here? I'd like to know something before we blindly follow tracks that may very well lead us to what, or who, ever did this, and judging by the damage, they will probably put up more of a fight than those three"

[Elricaltovilla]

"Clumsy beast appears to have missed me, much as I missed it, so I am unharmed."

Ilmaren says, brushing himself off

Do we actually have any further clues? Or shall we just look for anyone with the ability to create ice and undead abominations, because this is Irrisen, and that describes about half of the magical population? I'd like to know something before we blindly follow tracks that may very well lead us to what, or who, ever did this, and judging by the damage, they will probably put up more of a fight than those three"

"Staying here won't help us to discover any new information. Our search was very thorough and the only enemies we encountered were mindless undead. There is nothing else here to seek, so we should follow the only clue we have and seek out more information." Cyrus replied.

[HopeHubris]

"Staying here won't help us to discover any new information. Our search was very thorough and the only enemies we encountered were mindless undead. There is nothing else here to seek, so we should follow the only clue we have and seek out more information." Cyrus replied.

"And walking in, unaware of the full extent of the danger, could very well get us all killed, especially since I am next to useless for today, as you may have noticed. But sure, if you feel that rushing ahead blindly is the best course of action, by all means, let us proceed "

[Elricaltovilla]

"Your combat ability has proven to be generally unnecessary. We have four highly capable combatants in our party, at least two of which are good at tracking, and a master of stealth and expert witch hunter. I'm not proposing we go running forward screaming at the top of our lungs like a bunch of barbarians from the River Kingdoms. Our approach should be smart, careful and tactical." Cyrus countered. "But we are already playing catch up with those we hunt. Every minute we spend here is another minute they get further away from us, and another layer of snow that makes them harder to track. We need to keep moving or we might as well give up. We need to scout ahead and find the people who did this or we will fail our mission before it even begins."

[HopeHubris]

"Unnecessary against a few mindless zombies, the men guarding the caravan could have dealt with those, it's what killed them that I am worried about. As unlikely as it may seem given my current performance, I am actually quite capable when prepared, and if we are to fight creatures of ice, my fire breath may just come in handy. I fully understand that losing time will make things more difficult, but I would hazard to guess that losing our lives would make it more so."

[IZ42]

"Och, laddies, would ye quit yer bick'rin, an' come look at this carriage nae."

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus was willing to acknowledge the possible usefulness of the ability to breath fire, but not enough to let go of the time sensitivity of their mission. "As it stands, we both agree that we have no idea what it was that was responsible for this attack. If we do as you suggest, we leave without that knowledge, give our targets ample time to get beyond our ability to follow them and we end up with nothing to show for it. If we push forward we can still catch the unknown parties we are searching for, assess their abilities and determine if it is prudent for us to engage them right away or retreat and rearm ourselves for a more vicious combat. With your plan we lose nearly all the information we've gained, for a potential increase in power we may not even get the chance to use, while if we follow my plan we can gain new information and insight and decide if it is worth it to engage our enemies or not."

[HopeHubris]

"Didn't you search the carriages before hacking the zombies free? I suppose not... Well then, Cyrus, if we find nothing in this last carriage, then I suppose we will have to do things your way, as reckless as it may be, since the villagers appeared to know naught, and I have no contacts in the area to shed further light on the matter."

[Nightraiderx]

Allin ignores the bickering and walks over to the poor Toothless. He chants as a dark energy envelops around his hand and places it on the goblin. The dark energy lashes out and covers Toothless's body, slowly regenerating him.

casting Infernal Healing once on Toothless, regenerating 6 health over a minute.

[omnitricks]

When Toothless comes to the first thing he'd yell is "bad juju!" because there was no way with his climbing skills he would have slipped and fell on his own. Therefore there was no reason to tell the rest of the party it happened.

The next thing he'd yell is "I know where witch is!" before pointing to the direction he saw the smoke coming from earlier.

[Amazo]

Artair's thorough search of the carriage turns up two things amidst all of his knocking against various surfaces to detect compartments beneath, patting, poking, prodding, and ripping out of unnecessary components impeding his search. He finds a secret trunk beneath both sets of seats opposite the carriage containing no less than four finely-made ensembles for noble women. He also find a letterbox attached to the outside of the carriage with the following letter inside:

To whom it may concern,
I'd had enough of that weasel terrorizing my farm. With as many crops as it'd ruined, I already knew that I was ruined come harvest time, so I spent every last copper I had clearing out Vivialla's and Willobark's stores of alchemist's fire. Turns out to be coin better spent than those taxes I pay every year to the Sentinels who should put a stop to goings on like these for me. The beasties I managed to corral in this wagon, as well as the wicked winter-touched sprites that have harried my every step since, seem to hate the stuff. I never thought I'd see this manner of strange beasts myself. My forefathers may have fought Irrisen, but they moved to Taldor so I'd never have to. Rokhar may be the least of my troubles here, but I'll be dead in my boots before the white witches can claim they've made cowards out of the Dansby men! However, if I should fall... to whoever finds this notice and my others... and proof of my passing and proof of the passing of the mephit responsible for my passing... I should like to grant you possession of my personal effects and homestead. That fool boy of mine would never use it better than a fighting man like yourself.

Signed sincerely and in right mind,
Lieutenant Cornelius Dansby, 16th Legion of Taldor's Pride

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus read the letter carefully when he got the chance. He was quiet while he absorbed the information. Then he spoke.

"So a mephit did this? Anyone care to enlighten us on how?" The phrasing may have come off as condescending and standoffish, but Cyrus was sincerely asking. He only knew vague stories of the things and how they were somehow tied to the elements. "We have some information at least on what we're up against."

When Toothless popped up and shouted about knowing where the witch is, Cyrus turned to him. "Where? How far?" He demanded to know.

[HopeHubris]

"Ice Mephits are irritating little things, I'd hate to fight them anywhere cold, they tend to be able to use the cold to heal themselves, as well as using it as a weapon. They are also more than a match for any of us individually, even more unfortunately, they are prone to calling for aid from their allies. Weak to fire though, if fully equipped for battle, it is entirely possible I could slay a group of them with a single breath. I'm slightly more afraid of the mention of winter-touched, because while they aren't in and of themselves as threatening as a pack of mephits, they do seem to confirm the presence of a somewhat powerful Winter Witch"

Ilmaren says, taking the letter after Cyrus finishes reading it, more convinced now that they should wait until he can prepare, he'd hate to fight an ice mephit without any fire.

"Though, it would seem that slaying the mephit would grant us a house, how lovely." he says, droll, before turning to the goblin "And are you sure you know where the witch is? How can you tell?"

[Nightraiderx]

"a house would be nice..." Allin starts daydreaming about owning something more than
his tabbard clothes and food.

[Elricaltovilla]

"Considering what we've learned from this letter, the addition of fire to our weapon's stores would be greatly appreciated. I'd still hope to know where the witch is located, but it would most likely be prudent to withdraw and ready ourselves for combat." Regenerating enemies were bad, and though the letter mentioned alchemist's fire, they hadn't found any, which meant that they were sorely in need of elemental effects.

[omnitricks]

"There! There! There!" the goblin said as he pointed to the direction of the house, obviously a little bit annoyed Cyrus didn't get it the first time round.

Even more so when Ilmaren doubted him. After all, "Toothless famous witchhunter. Toothless knows" the goblin said before standing up with his weapon. Ready to trek through the snow to kill it.

[Elricaltovilla]

"So do we follow the Witch Hunter's advice, or do we return to town?" Cyrus addressed the group.

[IZ42]

Ah'm thinkin' tha' we should follow tha' wee witch hunter an' invest'gate tha' smoke over yonder."

[Nightraiderx]

"I'd rather not return to the town, you saw how they were looking at us before." Allin grimaces. "going back empty handed is a bad idea with these people."

[HopeHubris]

"We could rest in one of the carriages?"
Ilmaren offers, then sighs
"But you're probably right, we should go to the goblin's 'witch'"
It is quite clear by the way he says it that Ilmaren does not believe Toothless' claim that he had found one

[Elricaltovilla]

"Very well then. Toothless, lead us to your witch." Cyrus says to the goblin.

[Amazo]

Interestingly, as the little hunter takes the lead of the party, he leads them down the same opening in the trees that Cyrus' examinations of tracks had found earlier. Toothless makes no note of the fact, apparently meaning the party has confirmed their course through two independent means. With the mystery of Toothless' sighting explained, the party likely falls in around him to assume their more normal marching order. The trees seem to envelope you quickly as you walk along the path. Their intertwining limbs along with the more persistent snowfall here makes seeing the road behind you impossible in short order.

A short ways later, as it enters the full expanse of the Border Wood, the trail passes through a small clearing among the taller trees before continuing uphill and out of sight. This does not particularly cause any alarm as the party has passed over a few rolling foothills just to get to the ambush site already. What does concern them is the large chest lying half-buried in the snow, apparently dropped or discarded by those who hastily passed this way.

[Elricaltovilla]

"Another chest. And this one appears to have been dropped in a hurry." Cyrus walked up to the chest and investigated it to determine if it was locked or not.


Not really rolling, but taking 10 on perception to investigate if the chest is locked. Total= 11

[Amazo]

Cyrus' examinations find that the mysterious chest is in fact unlocked but are unable to pick up much more of use to determine the wisest course of action.

[HopeHubris]

"Well, I suppose you should open it then"
Ilmaren says dismissively

[Nightraiderx]

let me see if there's any magic registering on it. Allin walks over casting detect magic on it and waiting a bit to get a clearer picutre.

[Amazo]

Alan doesn't detect any magical auras around or within the chest, but he does notice something else worth mentioning. The entire forest is aglow with a faint aura of magic which seems to grow infinitesmally more intense the deeper into the woods he peers.

[Elricaltovilla]

Worried that the group might lose too much time investigating the chest, Cyrus runs up an gives it a swift kick.


Attack (unarmed strike): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] + [roll2]

Cyrus does not have Improved Unarmed Strike, so if this is a mimic, he's dead. He'd be dead if it was a mimic even if he did have IUS, most likely.

[HopeHubris]

"Things may be different in Qadira, but here in Taldor, we rarely assault furniture."
Ilmaren says with a mocking tone, as he continues to let other people open the chest

[Nightraiderx]

"Well there doesn't seem to be any magic on the chest.... but the forest is another issue, it's lighting up everywhere." Allin looked nervous and astonished at the same time. It was the first time of him attempting to use spells since he made the pack with nocturne. "what do you think it is nocturne?"

Spellcraft check
[roll0]

Knowledge Arcane
[roll1]

Knowledge Planes
[roll2]

[omnitricks]

"No magic?" Toothless asked before looking around the chest for traps. If there are none he will open it but if there are any he would disarm the traps first.

Perception: [roll0]
Disable Device: [roll1]
I have no thieves tools so I will be taking the -2 penalty for improvised tools if there are any traps. If there are any magical traps I guess my check is +1

Two crits of the opposite spectrum whut?

[Amazo]

Cyrus' percussive test rattles the wood and metal of the chest, and he can breathe more easily when the thing does not immediately try to eat him in retaliation. Toothless takes this as his cue to attempt an investigation of his own. His search actually discovers a tripwire set to go off when the chest is opened, newly revealed from the vibrations caused by Cyrus' kick. Following the wire, he finds it connected to a sharpened log hidden within the treeline adjacent to the path.

Overconfident at his easy discovery, Toothless tries to set about disabling the trap to plunder whatever the chest contains that's worth protecting this way. Unfortunately, his eagerness proves to be his downfall, along with his lack of proper tools. His knobby fingers accidentally pluck the string during his work, giving it enough force to send the spiked log swinging at him and anyone nearby to observe his work.

Attack: [roll0]
Critical Confirmation: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Critical Damage: [roll3]

Anyone also standing nearby gets targeted and attacked as well.

[Elricaltovilla]

Cyrus was knocked off his feet by the log trap, but managed to roll with the blow and come up essentially unharmed.

"Well that was fun." he said in his usual deadpan. "Is anyone harmed? If not, let's see what the chest contains."

Cyrus walks back over to the chest and peers inside.


Missed me by 1 :smalltongue:

perception check to see what's in the chest, possibly look for more traps: [roll0]

[Nightraiderx]

Allin not paying attention to the box was hit directly in the back. "waaah oof!"
Allin fell flat on his face in the snow, spitting it out as he got up. "heh idiot keep an eye around on your surroundings!" Nocturne snarled at Allin within the shadows. "hey! I was trying to find out why the forest was lighting up, and you still haven't answered my questions about it!" Allin snapped back dusting the snow off of himself.

[Amazo]

The beast within Allin scoffs with scorn for the magic his granted powers have revealed to the boy. With a sneer the young man can hear, Nocturne explains, "It's the stench of Irrisen. The stench of pure Cold, Allin. If you value your world very much, you would do well to stop it. It won't survive if this keeps spreading. My world would have been a much better option for yours to fuse with, I'd say."

Toothless' stature and preternatural reflexes leave him unharmed for the trap clearly meant for someone a bit taller. Noting everyone's pristine conditions, Cyrus opens the chest after noting no further traps attached to it. His blood boils for a moment when he sees the bottom of the wooden receptacle immediately, but something waving in the bitter cold wind catches his attention.

Wedged into the exposed grain on the lid of the chest's wood is another note. This one simply reads:
Underneath.
- D

The hasty scrawling of the writing indicates the note was likely left in a hurry.

[IZ42]

Artair, now visibly hurting from the wound, although still refusing to admit it, reaches the others just in time to see the goblin fly out in front of him, then stand up, perfectly fine. He immediately spots the chest with the rest of the members in various states of pain around it.

"Och, laddies, is a wee chest beatin' ye up? Ah would nae have expect'd tha."

[Elricaltovilla]

"It was trapped. Ultimately I think we were lucky though. The real issue is that we went through all that for nothing. It's empty." Cyrus was in a sour mood, he'd tried to be cautious and had failed. It wouldn't do for things to keep going so poorly.

[IZ42]

Artair peers into the chest for a moment and then says.

"It's nae empty, it jus' does nae hav' what'd ye expect in a chest like thissun.

[omnitricks]

Toothless didn't even notice the trap which went over his head and thinking he successfully disarmed the trap the goblin was prepared to get to his prize. However that honor was denied to him when Cyrus opened the chest first.

Well if the longshanks wanted to take the risks he can take it. All goblins know that words steal from the mind and he wasn't going to read the note. "What note say?" he asked before looking around the chest for hidden goodies.

Perception: [roll0]

[Elricaltovilla]

"The note just says 'Underneath, -D.' Do you think it could mean underneath the chest?" Cyrus replied to the goblin.

[Amazo]

As the question leaves Cyrus' lips, Toothless' rummaging around the chest turns up an unusual sound. Moving the chest around produces an unusual scraping sound, like wood scraping against metal, in addition to the sloshing of the packed down snow.

[Elricaltovilla]

"Let's try and move this chest out of the way. I think I heard something underneath it." Cyrus said. He pushes the chest aside, revealing whatever lies beneath.


I don't know if this calls for a strength check, but I'll give it a shot. Hopefully if I screw up somebody will come to aid me :smalltongue:
Strength check: [roll0]

Also, my push/drag is supposedly 650 lbs. according to mythweavers.

[Amazo]

The chest gives way to Cyrus' attempts to muscle it away from its resting spot rather easily. Underneath, he finds some of the evidence sorely lacking from the ambush site. The chest was resting atop a stash of equipment, likely looted from the bodies of the caravan guards. A plethora of armors, weapons, and other standard equipment for mercenaries are stashed under the snow. The packed in snow gives in to reveal the stash goes down quite deep and wide around the chest.

I'm AFB presently. I'll give an update to this post or a new one with some of the actual equipment you've found.