Reign Of Winter Unchained IC

[Ediwir]

http://www.previewsworld.com/catalogimages/STK_IMAGES/STK620001-640000/STK634144.jpg
>OOC thread< (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?463813-Reign-Of-Winter-Unchained-OOC&p=20118251#post20118251)

Beginnings are always hard.
That was what Miral's teacher told him, the day he legt the academy with his ring in hand, off to collect the knowledge and experience that would have made him a proper wizard.
Boy, he was wrong. Beginnings are boring.
Before long, Miral was stuck into a town with no wide libraries, no great secrets, and whose greatest magical features were into his awfully cold weather. True, it was uncommon for the year, and maybe there was some magic behind it, but not only it was unconfirmed, it was also uncomfortable and in an unsafe territory, where Miral was stuck without funds.
What a crappy beginning, he thought walking trough the wind headed for the tavern.
At least the wine is good.


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_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._THAT DAY-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-.

Out of money doesn't mean out of resources, Geffin thought.
It was pretty simple to find a job in town, after all, and he'd started to like it, too. Sure, he had to place a few stools behind the counter, but being a barman wasn't so bad. The innkeeper was a bit of a delusion - the old adventurer's common knowledge said he'd had to know everyone, but all he cared for really was the beer and wine merchants. Instead, he found himself in a better situation to know the stories and problems of town, with drunks and farmers stopping by to rant, like old man Dansby and his missing crops (although everyone else says they just got ruined by the sudden cold and Dansby is trying to get free provisions), or to share stories of talking deers and giant weasels. One of the hunters, a tall blonde fellow named Dryde , even took it as far as taking a bet to catch that giant weasel, he'd been off since morning.
But the most concerning stories are the ones who are not told, and a wise eye catches them quickly. One customer, a young elf maiden, was sitting at a table, alone. She arrived days ago with another elf, some would have said her lover, but Geffin would've called him a close friend, maybe a relative. He hadn't been at the inn for two days, and she was growing increasingly nervous, yet silent about it. Perhaps, thought the halfling, he should've said something...


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those are the crops, m'lady.
The old lady was standing, wrapped in her furs and silks, right next to a tall vine, completely encrusted in thin ice crystal, irreparably damaged. More vines have followed the same destiny, but about half of them have missing grapes, ripped off from the stalks abruptly.
my husband found something, earlier, he said he'd catch the thief. I haven't seen him since dawn, and it's too cold outside...
Ingrid was listening carefully, her wolf circling the crops and sniffing the cold air.
Unnatural winter, frozen crops, mysterious thieves, and now a missing person. The day was growing worse and worse...


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_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._THAT DAY-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-.


On stage.
At the back of the tavern, on a small stool, Leyli was in her element. Talking and singing, narrating and most of all, studying her audience. She knew almost none of them, not by name, despite being in town for three days now and almost running out of songs. "No one should ask you for the name of the one who tells the story" went the saying, but it worked both ways. Bards do not get too attached. And yet she knew their stories, their hearts, and their interests. Hunters were attracted by fighting, and the wolves story was the best for them. The waitress loved to hear about romance and impossible love, and the moody fella that came trough from time to time only ever bothered listening when she was speaking about ancient secrets and mysteries.
Yet, there was something about the town that kept her there, that air of unusual cold and oddity that made her think there was a story to be told, just waiting around the corner...

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_.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._THAT DAY-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-.

...and that is all, m'lord.
The wide-chested man finished with a cough, spitting more blood from his cracked lips, and for a moment Casimir thought his nose would drop, so swollen and blue it was. The man was covered in patches of blue, frozen tissue, and had been sick since he got there, but survived thanks to the work of the healers. Unfortunately, they could only do so much.
Now the hard part of his job was due.

[Lappy9001]

Humming along to himself with the song of that delightful half-orc bard, Geffin wiped the largest section of the bar counter he could manage with a damp rag. The halfling sighed to himself looking at the vast expanse of unwiped bar that still awaited him. Why do big folk have to make things so...big? Hopping down, Geffin clambered up the next closest barstool and took a moment to survey the tavern common room.

Perception: [roll0]

[Estralita]

"Well, that's about all she wrote, folks! Thank you everybody, you've been a wonderful audience!" Leyli finished her set with a smile, and a bow, before heading to the bar for a drink. She loved performing and telling stories, but it did make you thirsty.

[Lappy9001]

Geffin's ears perk up as he looks to the bard approaching the counter. He puts away the rag and addresses her with a smile, "Wonderful performance, as always. What can I get'cha?"

[Estralita]

Leyli chuckled. "Ale or water. Whatever you can get quickly. After that set, I'm bone dry."

[Lappy9001]

The halfling reaches under the bar, pulling out a bottle of ale and mug on the counter and begins pouring. Orlam might not have appreciated Geffin pre-placing some of the more commonly ordered items so they would always be within reach, but it sure helps move things along during the busier nights.

Finishing pouring the ale, Geffin pushes the mug over to the bard. "If I may ask, what's kept you in town for so long? Most bards I've met don't stay in one place very long."

Before the bard can respond, Geffin gives a friendly win, "Oh, and don't worry about paying for that one. I'll have Old Orlam take it off my pay; I haven't gotten the chance to toss you some coin for your performances." He pauses and extends out his hand, leaning over the counter to get into the bard's reach, "I'm Geffin, by the way."

[Sileniy]

Miral, only slightly less foreign than a Planetouched, enters the tavern wondering if it's still too early for a drink. The first thing he sees is one being poured, which is good enough for him. He pulls up a seat by the halfling and half-orc and says "And another for me, please."

[Estralita]

"And you can call me Leyli," she said with a wink. She took the drink and took a large gulp. Once she had somewhat slaked her thirst, she considered the question. I guess I like towns. A chance to connect with the people you perform for. Good for the soul, I think."

[Lappy9001]

"I'd agree with that, although at the moment, I would rather be on the road."

Geffin transfers his gaze over to the outlandishly-dressed man and gets him a drink as well, "Absolutely sir. And here I was thinking it would be a slow morning!"

The halfling tries to hide his excitement at seeing this obviously well-traveled man, "And uh, if it might ask, what brings you to town? Will you be staying long? I was just meeting our resident bard." Geffin nods towards Leyli, "I'm Geffin, Geffin Warwyck."

[Sileniy]

"Miral Ameln, from Nex. I was planning on passing through with a group," he says with a hint of bitterness, "but it looks like the group has passed without me. A wizard feels very vulnerable travelling alone, so it looks like I'll be staying put until someone leaves for the coast." He takes a sip of his drink and briefly drums his fingers on the mug.

[Phasm]

those are the crops, m'lady.
The old lady was standing, wrapped in her furs and silks, right next to a tall vine, completely encrusted in thin ice crystal, irreparably damaged. More vines have followed the same destiny, but about half of them have missing grapes, ripped off from the stalks abruptly.
my husband found something, earlier, he said he'd catch the thief. I haven't seen him since dawn, and it's too cold outside...
Ingrid was listening carefully, her wolf circling the crops and sniffing the cold air.
Unnatural winter, frozen crops, mysterious thieves, and now a missing person. The day was growing worse and worse...

"You need not call me lady, grandmother." Ingrid frowns as she examines a frozen vine, then bends over to look for footprints. "We'll look for your husband. What's his name?" She's bundled up in a fur-lined cloak over her hide armor, not because the cold bothers her- celestial resistance is a lovely thing- but because it bothers other people to see her running around in summer-weight clothes when there's snow on the ground. Ranulf is eye-catching enough with his silver fur and golden claws.

"Find anything over there, boy?" The druid carefully sidesteps another frozen grapevine and ruffles the celestial wolf's ears. She looks back up at the old woman. "Have you anything with his scent on it for Ranulf here to track? A dirty piece of clothing, a tool he often used?"


Survival checks to follow tracks!

Ingrid: [roll0]

Ranulf: [roll1] Womp womp, animal companions don't have Survival as a class skill in Unchained. :smallfrown:

[Estralita]

Leyli continued to gulp her drink. "And that's another reason to stay put. Traveling alone isn't much fun." she said with a wistful smile.

[Ediwir]

Both Ingrid and the wolf notice strange prints in the ground, somewhat large and uneven, like the boots that made them were twice as big as a normal human's and made of woven material rather than smooth leather.

Dansby, t's his name. He left in a hurry, took nothing but his bow. He'll freeze if he's not back soon, i fear.

She then nods to the wolf. Aye, m'lady. This is his. Will you bring him back? The woods are dangerous alone... she adds, lifting a white and red scarf that she was cluthincg in her hands, waiting however with some uncertainty before letting go.

[Lappy9001]

"Well, Miral, if you're unable to find a bodyguard befoe you leave, I might be able to fit the bill. I'm eager to get going but I'm not a fan of traveling solo. Besides, I can't do much help for anyone in town aside from serving drinks," Geffin ends with a small sigh.

[Phasm]

Ingrid hesitates for a moment, thinking. On the one hand, 'dangerous' to your average townsperson isn't necessarily so for Ingrid and Ranulf. On the other hand, those are most definitely not human footprints. She's not really sure what they might be, and that is not a good thing. "Come to think of it... I seem to recall a wizard in the tavern the other night, complaining that his group left without him. Might be handy to have some backup, I don't like the look of those tracks." The druid lets out a sharp whistle and Ranulf comes running from where he was sniffing another footprint. "Think I'll go see if I can rustle up some help. We'll be back soon, you go inside to warm up and I'll come knocking when I need that scarf." With a friendly nod, Ingrid sets out for the tavern with her wolf at her side.

[Ediwir]

The old lady nods with a heavy sigh, the scarf still in her hands.
Of course, m'lady. I'll be here. Praying.
And with that, she retires in her small house, leaving you on your own to find other companions.


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A tired figure walks into the inn, a middle-aged woman with blonde hair and small traces of washed off blood stains on her sleeve. Whoever has been in trouble recently recognizes her quickly as Ionnia Teppen, a member of the city council and also skilled healer. She heads for the bar, sitting beside Leyli but facing the halfling.
I've had hard days before, but... Today i'm gonna need some liquor. Geffin, right?

[Estralita]

Leyli raised her eyebrows slightly at Geffin's remark. She hadn't thought much about the bartender's personal life, or what other skills he might have. Leyli felt a bit guilt about that. Bards needed to be able to listen as well as talk. "So what kind of things might you be interested in doing?"

But before Leyli heard any answer, Ionnia came in, sounding troubled.. "Oh, what's wrong?"

[Lappy9001]

"Of course, ma'am," Geffin gives Leyli a conciliatory smiles and quickly readies a new glass. He hopped off his standing chair, knowing he would have to move to another stool to grab a bottle of the hard stuff.

[Ediwir]

The councilwoman sighs, resting her elbows on the counter before answering Leyli.
A wounded man walked into town this morning. I've been tending to him since... He's badly frostbitten, and wounded heavily too. No idea how he walked this far. Apparently he forest had even more snow than the area around here... Seems like he was escorting a noblewoman, and got ambushed by bandits.
She shakes her head a couple times, then turns with an odd look on her face,
Bandits... And winter spirits. Here, in Taldor. It's crazy...

[Estralita]

Leyli frowned, suddenly more serious. "Do you need any help? I'm not anywhere near the healer you are, but if you need a second pair of hands or a rest, I could try."

[Phasm]

The door to the inn swings open, admitting a cold gust of wind and a tall, broad-shouldered woman wrapped in a deep green cloak and bearing a large, wickedly sharp scythe. She hastily shuts the door and pushes her hood back, revealing an attractive, slightly tanned face with sparkling blue eyes the color of a clear summer sky. A knitted green cap covers her hair. As she lets the cloak open, dark brown hide armor becomes visible. "A good crowd tonight, I see!" Ingrid raises her voice slightly. "Anyone feel up for a spot of search and rescue that might have a fight involved? Old man Dansby's gone missing, and there are tracks near where his wife last saw him that are far too big to be human. Not a bear or any sort of beast I've ever seen."

[Sileniy]

After the new woman had made her request, Miral gestures to the seat next to him.

"And here you were thinking this would be a slow morning." He says to Geffin. "Did you say there wasn't much to do, or not much you could do?"

[Lappy9001]

Geffin winks at Meral, "Not much I could do...unless swinging a big sword around counts, which for today, it looks like it does." He hops off his stool, moving to his room while taking off his apron, "If you'll hold on just a minute I'll fetch my armor and blade."

[Ediwir]

Ionnia observes the newcomer, tired but attentive.
If the old men's gone missing... Yes, someone should try to rescue him. I'll make sure we are ready to help if anyone of you finds him frostbitten... or worse.
She sighs, knowing it won't be long till she has to interrupt her rest.
If you notice any tracks belonging to those bandits, or spirits, who kidnapped Lady Argentea... The seneschal will appreciate for sure.

Not many others from the crowd seem to volunteer. A couple, however, offer to lend a hand in other ways, with blankets, firewood, and one even offers a hot flask, solid copper covered in skin and wool, "to get him some hot tea".

[Phasm]

"Lady Argentea?" Ingrid frowns. "Can you give me a description... I forgot to ask your name. I'm Ingrid Arceliadottir, druid of Cernunnos. Oh- there's a wolf with silver fur sitting outside, that's my companion Ranulf. He won't hurt anyone unless they hurt him first." She nods politely and turns to accept the flask of tea. "Ah, thank you. I'll keep it as warm as I can, hot drinks are excellent for warming a person up. Good thinking." Wrapping it in one of the offered blankets, she just manages to fit it in her pack.

[Estralita]

Leyli waited for an answer, but it was clear that her problems wouldn't be solved with an inexperienced assistant. Better to help in a way she knew she could. "People missing? Mysterious tracks? Sounds like an epic fight might be brewing. And an epic story, Mind if a storyteller lent her voice and rapier to your quest?"

[Sileniy]

Miral had already let slip that he was a wizard, and others had already thrown their support behind the excursion. He therefore felt some weight of expectation. Add in the two-fold desire to get away from the reading he had been doing and see whether Geffin would make a decent bodyguard and the course was obvious. "I will accompany the three of you." he says.

[Lappy9001]

Geffin marches back into the room fully equipped and looks up at the others, "Thankee for waiting, ready to go now."

[Phasm]

"A proper hunting party! This is better than I hoped for!" Ingrid smiles broadly, surveying the motley crew. A halfling with a broadsword, a half-orc singer with a rapier (dare she hope that the woman knows any Ulfen skald songs?), a wizard from the far southern lands, and of course herself, the aasimar druid masquerading as just another human, really. "Once we know what kind of lady we're to keep an eye out for, we can all introduce ourselves on the way to the old man's farm. I'll show you the tracks, Ranulf can get a sniff of the old man's scent, and hopefully we'll get him back alive."

[Ediwir]

By the time Geffin comes back, a couple of the woodcutters came back with a couple backpacks, each filled with enough firewood to make a good warm camp, hot tea, and some pelts and blankets.

Lady Argentea? She's a Taldean noblewoman, about this tall, chestnut hair... Bit of a sharp tongue. But don't tell her.
Ionnia scoffs, grabbing a piece of parchment from her bag.
This is her sigil... She should have a ring with it. Her caravan was attacked just thirty minutes North-West from here, next to the wood borders. You mig be able to find a trail... Apparently it's snowing prett heavily there.

The parchment is simply a letter in which the noblewoman announces her arrival and requests some medicaments she had in her previous visits, herbs that helped her sleep, signed with her seal in wax.

[Sileniy]

Miral takes the parchment from Ionnia and says "One fur between three of us - it looks like we'll have to do some shopping. Would we be able to speak with the wounded man before we leave as well?"

[Estralita]

"If we do not have enough, then I will go without. The winter snow is nothing to constitution of a Half Orc!" Leyli drained her mug and slammed it on the bar (being careful not to break it) "I am ready, in any case," she said with a grin.

[Phasm]

"I come from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, this is nothing compared to a winter's day back home! And as you can see, I brought my warm clothes." Indeed, Ingrid's fur-lined cloak and gloves look very warm. She's obviously well-equipped to deal with cold weather. "Be quick about your shopping; Cernunnos only knows how long the old man and the lady have been out there."

[Sileniy]

"Geffin, what about you?" Miral asks. "I was just going to see if I could get something for the cold. The herbs would be tactful too. But if we don't need more than this, we can skip it."

[Lappy9001]

"Cold's never been much of a bother to me," Geffin replies, then adds with a wink, "Not like I have much coin to my name anyway. Come on everyone, let's go save some lives!"

[Ediwir]

Once readied and somewhat organized, the five leave the tavern and discuss the first move.
For those who want to gather provisions, the local shops have little to offer, but some woodcutters could be convinced to sell some of their properties for a good cause.
For those who want to know more about the assault, the wounded man lies in the healer's house, a small building a couple minutes west of the tavern.
And of course, there's the matter of the scarf and the trail.

(if you intend to split i'll follow you individually like in the prologue)

[Phasm]

"Then let us go! Good wizard, you may wear my cloak and gloves if you wish. It is important that a spellcaster keep his hands warm! I am much more accustomed to the cold than one hailing from Garund must be." If he accepts, she helps him put them on. The cloak smells of damp wolf and pine sap, with an oddly incongruous hint of incense. The gloves are obviously well-worn, but supple and warm enough for ease in spellcasting.

As much as Ingrid wants to go track down the old man, the wounded man might have some insight as to what matter of beast or being might be lurking in these woods. So after she introduces Ranulf to Geffin, Leyli and Miral, the druid heads for the house where he's being cared for at a fast clip. Hopefully this won't take long.

[Lappy9001]

Geffin, concerned for the man's life, follows Ingrid on her way to see the injured fellow.

[Ediwir]

You head to the healer's house, a small wooden construction where Ionnia works and lives, and an assistant receives you at the door. After a brief explanation on what you're here for, he lets you in, with the raccomandation of not stressing the man too much and avoid upsetting him.
You walk into the room and find a warm fireplace going, not far from the bed where the big northern man rests, his hands and feet wrapped in bandagess, as well as half his face. Trough thr bandages you can see traces of blood stains, and his skin is pale where it's not blue.

Who... Who are you? You do not look like soldiers...

[Lappy9001]

Geffin's expression grows sad upon viewing the man in such pain. Despite his faith, the halfling paladin has never been able to heal the wounds of others, something he desperately wishes he could do right now. Not able to get any words out, Geffin silently hopes that his newfound druid ally can help the man.

[Estralita]

Leyli approached the man's bedside. "Greetings. My name's Leyli. What's yours?"

[Phasm]

"No, we are not soldiers, though we hope to track down the ones who did this to you." Ingrid brushes the snow off her shoulders and steps inside, approaching the man's bed. "I am Ingrid Arceliadottir, a druid of Cernunnos. May I examine your injuries?"


If he allows her, Ingrid will take 10 on a Heal check or take 20 if possible to determine how badly off he is.

[Ediwir]

Yuln...
He talks slowly, his lips are blue and cracked. To examine his wounds Ingrid has to remove part of the bandages, which sometimes draw a painful grunt from the man - nothing serious, but she stops before causing too much pain. All in all, the healer seems to have done a good job, but the man needs time and rest to recover fully. That, and a warm broth every once and again.

You are going to fight the winter spirits? To find Lady Argentea?

[Estralita]

Leyli nodded enthusiastically. "I am sorry you cannot participate. It is going to be a brilliant story!"

[Sileniy]

In the tavern, Miral accepts the gloves. "The furs are enough for the moment, but those gloves do look very warm..."


In the healer's house he introduces himself after the wounded man. "Miral Ameln. We intend to head into the forest soon and want to know what we are getting into before we leave. What happened out there, and what did this to you?"

[Lappy9001]

Geffin listens intently to the man's response.

[Phasm]

"The healer who tended you did a fine job, Yuln. What you need now is rest, time, and warmth." Ingrid efficiently rewraps his bandages as she speaks. "What manner of 'winter spirit' did you encounter?"

[Ediwir]

He draws a short breath, turning his head to rest on the pillow again, talking in whispers while facing the ceiling.
The blue feys of the north... Spirits of winter, slaves to the witches, with ice in their hearts. My grandmother used to sing songs about them... She was born in Irrisen, y'know. They see them all the time there. I met a few myself, but never this far south...
He pauses, coughing a few times before calming down again.
They do their bidding, commanded or not. If they took Lady Argentea, then the witches aren't far... And that can't be a good thing, for sure.

[Phasm]

A low growl emerges from Ingrid's throat. "Irrisen..." She clenches a callused fist, so tightly it hurts. The witches are the ancient enemy of her people, and especially of the druids who taught her. To see them spreading their poison so far south is an ill omen indeed. "This is worse than I thought. I will not see the witches treat this land as they did Irrisen, not while I draw breath. Rest assured, if I can slay these ice fey and their foul mistresses, I will gladly water the fields with their blood!"

[Ediwir]

He shakes his head.
You'd need to burn their flesh for that... Fire keeps them at bay, but Irrisen says... Nothing burns like the cold...
He pointswith one of his bandage-wrapped hands to a sword laying at the feet of the bed.
I offered it to the seneschal... He said he'd come with soldiers... Still out there. You take it. Kill the bastards...

Those of you with Spellcraft, Religion, Nature or Martial Weapon training recognize it as a Cold Iron Longsword. For the others it's a particularly blue-hued metal sword, bit chilly at the touch.

[Lappy9001]

Geffin's eyes open wide in awe, "A cold iron longsword...this is quite the gift Master Yuln. Thank you."

[Ediwir]

No gift. I'm just lending you my sword... With or without my arm behind it.
A short, faint laugh is quickly interrupted by a cough. When he calms down, he's a lot quieter.
You should hurry. With the Lady missing, the spirits running free, and the forest full of snows, the witches might be really here. And if they are...
He turns his face, and for a moment you see him deeply troubled,
...then Winter is coming.

[Phasm]

Ingrid nods firmly. "A fine blade. We will return it to you, hopefully with the blood of ice fey!" She pauses. "Precisely where were you when you were attacked? Can you describe the area, or perhaps draw a map?"

[Ediwir]

About half an hour walk north, on the road beside the forest. Although the snow makes it slower, and it looked like it was getting worse.

[Estralita]

Leyli nodded, listening intently. "Then we must depart quickly." she replied, before turning to the others, waiting to see if they have any last questions.

[Phasm]

"Aye, that we must. Although I would rather search for the old man first, as I know precisely where to find those tracks. Cernunnos willing, we may find him and the lady in the same place." And Ingrid feels that he's more likely to still be alive. There's always the chance that he simply got lost and is freezing somewhere. When young (or even not-so-young) ladies are kidnapped... it rarely ends well.

[Sileniy]

Miral is well-travelled and has hunted things down in the past, but those were more... academic than this. He defers the those present who are obviously more well-versed than he in this matter.

[Ediwir]

Knowing that time is of the essence, you leave the house and get on the road.
Where to, is still to be determined.

[Phasm]

Provided there are no objections, Ingrid and Ranulf lead the motley crew back to Old Man Dansby's house. After all, they know they have a solid lead there.

[Estralita]

"Then let us be off!" Leyli said upon the group's departure. She followed behind the others, excited to see what they will find next.

[Ediwir]

You head to the old man's house, and after a brief chat with the wife you reach the farm borders with the scarf in your end.
The big round prints are still barely visible in the low snow, oddly irregular in the middle.

[Estralita]

Leyli smiled. "Well, that was simple. We better get moving before the tracks disappear."
With that said, Leyli moved to follow them.

[Phasm]

Ingrid nods and holds the scarf out to her silver-furred wolf with a command in the Ulfen tongue. "Ranulf, track!" He obediently takes a sniff and starts sniffing along the ground in search of a scent trail. While he does that, Ingrid examines the strange tracks...


Ingrid makes a Survival check: [roll0]

Ranulf makes his own Survival check: [roll1] Plus anything he might get for having the Scent ability.

Both of them have darkvision, if the sun is going down (can't quite remember), because aasimar and celestial wolf.

[Ediwir]

You quickly pick up he trail and move swiftly towards the forest. Sometimes you wander a little off road, sometimes you move back to it, but generally you're relatively close to it.
Once you get near the forest, the temperature grows noticeably colder. The road ahead is littered with debris and the corpses ofslain humans and horses. A carriage stands in the roadway further away, its team of horses missing or cut free, while another overturned carriage lies sprawled and broken next to the tree line.
The snow is light, but the strange prints are still visible, and head straight into the forest, while the overturned carriage lies about 30 meters ahead on the road.

[Estralita]

Leyli, who had been fairly cheerful during the tracking, grew silent as she saw the horrific scene. the she rushed over to the overturned carriage, looking to see if anyone was inside it. "Is anyone here still living?" she called as she ran.

[Sileniy]

"Unlikely." Miral thinks as he approaches the caravan. Leyli is inspecting the overturned carriage, so he takes the further one.

[Phasm]

Ingrid and Ranulf split off with Miral, as wizards are often particularly vulnerable to ambushes. "Well, this answers the question as to whether the two disappearances are connected. But why?"


Perception checks!

Ingrid: [roll0]

Ranulf: [roll1]

[Ediwir]

Moving closer to the carriage, you realize several bodies are laying down in bloody snow around what seems to be an ice statue. Two carriages are damaged and pierced in several points, by what seem to be tiny arrows and patches of ice mainly.
Muffled sounds and a loud thump come from the third carriage, whih is locked with a wood plank trough the handles.

[Phasm]

Ingrid hurries toward the third carriage with Ranulf close at her heels. She barks out a quick command in Ulfen. "Ranulf, stay. Defend." The silver-furred wolf obediently sits down, surveying the area with fierce golden eyes. Satisfied, Ingrid begins working the plank loose to free whoever's inside.

[Sileniy]

Miral follows Ingrid and signals to Leyli to come too, as one person (not just a wizard) will often be vulnerable to an ambush. "Not so fast Ingrid, we don't know who's inside!"
Standing a bit behind the druid, crossbow ready and loaded, he starts runs through a decision tree in his mind for when the door opens.

[Estralita]

Leyli followed and aided Ingrid without hesitation. "I doubt anyone in this condition is going to be able to hurt us." she snapped slightly at Miral.

[Ediwir]

While Miral and Ranulf stay behind, you two quickly manage to get rid of the plank that blocked the door, slidig it aside and moving the doors open. From the inside, two pair of burning eyes set on you, Taldan symbols visible on their clothes, a chewed rag between their teeth, and meat frosted around the edge of what are clearly deadly wounds. They raise their hands against you, finger ails consumed from scratching, and stumble forward.

initiative!
Party initiative [roll0]
Differently-living guards initiative [roll1]

[Estralita]

Leyli jumped back in surprise. "I stand corrected," she quipped. Leyli scrabbled for her blade and lashed out. "No matter! Let's start our new story!"

Move action drawing First in the Frey
Swift Action using Arcane Strike
And Attack!
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Sileniy]

Ugh. With Leyli and Ingrid in melee with the zombies it's too hard to get a good shot off with the crossbow, so he grudgingly conjures a slick puddle under these undead peons.

Grease into the carriage. Reflex DC 15 or fall prone.

[Phasm]

Swearing colorfully in Skald, Ingrid raises her scythe and whistles shrilly. Ranulf bounds forward in response, pearly white fangs bared. "CERNUNNOS!" The druid slashes at the nearest enemy, while her companion lunges beneath the swing.


Attack!

Ingrid:
Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

Ranulf:
Attack [roll2]
Damage [roll3]

[Ediwir]

The slashes of the two adventurers rip the first zombie to pieces, while the second one falls with a thud on the wooden floor of the carriage, barely registering the wolf biting his foot. He groans a muffles half-word and slowly drags himself back to his feet, eyes locked on the Aasimar.

[Phasm]

Ranulf snarls and leaps back into the fray as Ingrid yanks her scythe out of the first zombie's twice-dead body. Letting out a ululating Ulfen war cry, she swings at the fallen enemy!


This is an AoO, right? Since he's standing up from prone?

Ingrid
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Ranulf
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Ediwir]

(yes, for you and Leyli only. Nick can go on with his actual round, and you two can decide wether you want to double post or play twice in one. Zombies can't do two things at once :P)

[Ediwir]

(The bite does not confirm critical - the zombie is deeply wounded and loses an arm to the bite,but still stands, growling. Leily has an opportunity attack)

[Estralita]

Leyli didn't hesitate, she moved to sink Frey into the thing's arm immediately.

Opportunity Attack is a go!
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Ediwir]

With his arm stabbed and nailed to the carriage wall, the wounded and ruined creature drags forward trying to free itself, but ends up ripping out its own arm, leaking blood and ichor on the snowy ground before collapsing and crumbling down to dust, leaving just a pile of dirty clothes and few remains.

The carriage contains a couple of couches and a few ruined pieces of furniture, clearly a transport for a wealthy individual before the two zombies started ruining everything in their search for an escape. Now, most of it is worthless.

[Phasm]

"Haha! A fine hit, Leyli!" Ingrid grins as she wipes the blade of her scythe off on a torn piece of what might have been a curtain. Ranulf shakes his head like a wet dog, huffs, and goes outside to eat some snow. "Poor Ranulf, though, he hates the taste of undead. Let us see what we can see here." She has to bend nearly double to get into the ruined carriage without risking dislodging her hat, but the Ulfen druid has been traveling in southern lands for some time now. Having to duck too-low ceilings is depressingly common in these parts.


Perception check!

Ingrid: [roll0]

[Sileniy]

Miral, seething at the appearance of the undead abominations, takes great pleasure in the sight of their destruction, even if they were completely insignificant. "Yes, yes, nicely done. Both you and Ranulf." he says in agreement to the half-orc and the wolf with its mouth in the snow. Dismissing the magical grease coating the inside of the carriage as Ingrid enters it, he lends another pair of eyes, as one person could easily miss some small item in the mess.

Aid another on the perception: [roll0]

[Ediwir]

As Miral lifts a thin strand of cloth covered in ichor and comes to the conclusion that nothing of value is in the carriage anymore, Ingrid lifts a small wooden box, hidden underneath one of the couches. Inside it there is a pair of golden earrings, a set of pearl-inlaid bracelets, several gold and silver necklaces and a large sapphire pendant, plus a signet ring that shows what clearly is a Taldean nobleman's symbol.

[Phasm]

"Oho!" Ingrid lifts the box for all to see, then brings it outside to examine the contents in the light. "Women's jewelry. This most likely belonged to the Lady Argentea. Do either of you know the crest on the signet ring?" She passes the ring to Leyli first; she's a bard, she's more likely to know the local heraldry than a wizard from Nex. "Yuln said that the attackers were ice fey... so why are there zombies here? I like this less the more we learn."

[Estralita]

Leyli frowned as she tried to examine the ring. She told stories, particularly stories of her home. Recognizing crests didn't generally come into it. "And they were in the carriage too? Think it was some sort of trap?"
Leyli unfortunately, isn't that kind of bard. No ranks in Society ( which is the check I'm guessing that I should make. Probably gonna change that next level

[roll0]

[Ediwir]

It is likely Lady Argentea's, but you can't be sure of that.
Coming back to the open you take another look around. Small holes in the carriage look like a barrage of tiny arrows, but none are stuck in the wood. Large footsteps reveal the presence of many humans, moving wide steps and signs of combat. Several bodies are scattered around, but not as many as the footprints hint. A large chunk of ice, partially hidden behind the other carriage, encases a noble warrior in a Taldean-marked breastplate, still clutching his ruby-decorated sword.
The other carriages are empty and broken.

[Phasm]

Ingrid approaches the ice-encased warrior, followed by Ranulf. She walks slowly, examining any tracks she encounters, then stops once she's next to the frozen warrior. "Hmm. A bad business, especially in these parts. Yuln was not exaggerating." This man could be a valuable witness, if he's still alive in there. "Miral, you are our expert on magic. What manner of spell or creature could have done that?" She gestures toward the man-sicle. At the same time, she racks her brain for any lore of fey creatures that might be able to freeze someone, or that match the tracks and other evidence.


Survival: [roll0]

Nature: [roll1]

[WindStruck]

As the would-be rescuers examine the body beside the carriage, a teensy little figure faintly glowing pale blue alights on top of the carriage. He speaks with a voice quite small and distinctly high-pitched.

"Seems to be the work of the Cold Fey. But who knows why? I don't even think they should be here."

He blinks a few times and adds, "Come to think of it, I guess I shouldn't be here either. Luckily I've found you folks!"

Looking up, why, there is none other but.. a sprite! Or a pixie? Some kind of fey creature, that's for sure. The fairy couldn't be more than seven inches tall. His wings are silvery, diaphanous, and shaped like a dragonfly's. Overall, he's rather cute (or beautiful, even?) and a savage little thing, as he doesn't seem to be wearing much even in this godforsaken chilly environment. Certainly he has some affinity to the cold but... seems friendly?

[Estralita]

Leyli looked over the ring, then shook her head sadly. "Nobility is not one of my fortes, unfotunately. I can only guess that this is the lady's." She handed it back to Ingrid.

Hearing the voice, Leyli looked around wildly for where it came from. It took her several seconds to see him. When she finally found him, her eyes lit up. "Amazing! Who are you?"

[WindStruck]

"Why the name is Pip! Pip Pellucid!" The sprite says, smiling and bouncing up and down on his toes.

"What might you travelers be doing here? I noticed you are investigating the area and you dispatched those zombies with ease. But you don't look like guards." He seems quite perplexed.

"Are you busy?" he asks.

[Phasm]

A sprite? Ingrid's policy is to step lightly when dealing with the fey. Some of them are friendly toward humans, stout allies in the fight against despoilers of the wild. And some of them... are not. The druid nods respectfully to Pip. "Guards? No, we simply happened to be in town and offered our assistance to the locals. I am Ingrid Arceliadottir, druid of Cernunnos, and this is my companion Ranulf." She lays a hand on Ranulf's silver-furred head. "You are correct, the ice fey should not be this far south. What brings you here?"

[WindStruck]

Pip smiles. "Ah! Well met, Ingrid Arslad.. um.. my, that's a long name..." He chuckles with a slight blush. "Why don't I just call you Ingrid for now?" He looks at the wolf. Oh dear, what was her name again? Randolf? No, that's not a female name.. is it?

"Um, anyway. Why I'm here..." he begins portentously.

"Well, I guess I'm not really sure where 'here' is. But you see, there definitely seems to be a problem where I'm from, back home. Every hundred years, Baba Yaga is supposed to arrive with a new daughter and make her the new queen. But this time... her riders even announced her coming, but she's nowhere to be found!" The sprite waves his arms dramatically.

"No one knew what to do... So... I decided I would try and find help. Someone has to know what's going on.. right? I thought maybe I could find some heroes or a great sage to solve this mystery... but it's been months, and I'm afraid the only hope of finding her is you..."

His cheery disposition had slowly been draining away as he told his story. Seems he is quite disappointed in having to settle for you lot to ease his woes. That is, if you're even willing to help.

[Sileniy]

Miral replies to Ingrid, "I'll need more to go on than 'can freeze something'; the list is as long as my arm." He doesn't manage to finish the sentence before the fey makes his entrance though.

It sounds cold, but there's already a missing woman to deal with, and issues with a Queen sounds well above their pay grade. But, the other two can break that news to him, if they desire. Right now, he has a spell that is probably going to be his most effective tool against undead. Not quite ignoring Pip, just letting Leyli and Ingrid deal with him, he says to the others, "There are probably more zombies out there with the cold fey. If you could give me a few minutes, I'll prepare a spell for dealing with them."


Preparing disrupt undead, takes 15 minutes.

[WindStruck]

Pip looked at Miral a bit disheartened. It didn't seem like the wizard was even addressing him, and it did indeed seem like they were busy with something. Then again, he hadn't received a 'no' either...

He looks at the other two expectantly, a glimmer of hope left in his eyes.

[Estralita]

Leyli didn't know where to begin. It was all so interesting! But important things still needed to be done. Leyli mved to keep watch as Miral cast her spell. Once in position, Leyli turned to Pip. "And my name is Leyli Songspinner. My goal is to collect stories of wonder and courage from all over the world. What sort of stories do you have to share?"

[WindStruck]

Momentarily distracted, Pip says, "Oh, I know lots of stories! The Icicle that Grew, The Blizzard of Seven Score Days, The Special Snowflake, the Witches of Westlake Fens, The, um... that one where there's a wolf and he eats a little girl and her grandmother..."

Utterly stumped he crosses his legs and hunches over into a thinking pose. "Hmm, what was that one called..."

[Phasm]

Waiting even a few minutes could be fatal for Old Man Danby, but not having Miral's spell could also be fatal. Ingrid nods to the foreign wizard. "Sounds like a good idea. We'll be prepared to move as soon as you're ready."

With that she turns back to Pip. "Rose-Red and the Wolf? Aye, we tell that one in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings as well. I always liked the part where Rose-Red trains to be a shieldmaiden, comes back to her childhood home and slays the wolf that ate her sister and grandmother. Father would get up and swing the fireplace poker like a sword when he told that story." Ingrid smiles nostalgically. "I don't think we can help you with Baba Yaga, Pip. That one comes and goes as she pleases, and no mortal can know where or when." Not to mention that the less one sees of Baba Yaga, the better. But that would hardly be a smart thing to say to a mysterious fey.

[WindStruck]

At the mention of Rose-Red, Pip jumps up. "Yeah! That's the one! ..I think? I don't know if she became a shieldmaiden though..." Maybe the little sprite doesn't have that great of a memory, or maybe they just tell that story slightly differently from place to place. He nods excitedly to hear Ingrid's experience regardless.

But then... "No, no, no! Weren't you listening at all?!" He points a tiny finger at the center of Ingrid's face. "Every hundred years! On the nose! Not a minute sooner, and not a minute later! But.. but this time..." He just shakes his head.

[Phasm]

"And what would the likes of us do about something that Baba Yaga might have had trouble with? She's a legend for a reason, Pip!" Ingrid shakes her head. "Let her daughters deal with it. We've trouble enough right here." Plus, you know, she really doesn't want to find Baba Yaga. Finding Baba Yaga tends to be fatal, at least going by the tales. Or worse than fatal, the crone has a real flair for cruel and unusual punishment.

[WindStruck]

Pip points assertively again at Ingrid and opens his mouth to say, "I -" But his voice falls short, managing only silence or some half-syllables at best. He pulls the hand back instead, very perturbed and grabbing an ear and a handful of his hair. Finally he manages to speak again.

"I don't know..."

He looks at the other three and plops backward on the carriage into the thin layer of snow, curling up in a little ball. Thinking about it now, it seemed so true. What could these big and clumsy mortal oafs do? Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe this whole thing was a foolish mistake.

[Sileniy]

If nobody has asked by the time Miral has finished preparing his spell he asks Pip, "I happen to be on my way to Irrisen, so I read about the basics at least. Enough to know that it is not close, not by any definition of 'close'. In all the countries between here and there, you didn't find anybody who would help?"

[WindStruck]

Pip looks up at Miral. "Hmm..? I'm not sure... It doesn't seem like I've traveled that far. And besides, most times I was just traveling through forests and such and hadn't met a soul..."

"So just how far are we from Irrisen?"

[Sileniy]

Miral's jaw drops slightly at the notion that it "doesn't seem that far" - he's as far from home as Pip is! Closing his spellbook gently to underscore the point, he replies, "This is the south of Taldor, on the other side of Avistan. It is..." and, looking up for a moment while performing some rough mental calculations, "approximately two thousand miles from Irrisen."

[Phasm]

Ingrid looks up from examining a footprint. "You did not know? Aye, you've come far, far south from Irrisen. This time of year, it should be warm to downright hot in this part of the world." She kicks a lump of snow, scowling. "Someone's been tampering with the natural order of things, and I want to know who!"

But that's a matter to discuss and debate after they've found Danby and Lady Argentea. "Miral, have you finished your spell then?"

[WindStruck]

Pip exclaims, "Taldor?? What the heck is that?! You silly man! There's no way I could be two thousand miles from Irrisen! I haven't even been flying in a straight line!"

"Unless..." He raises a hand to his little face, thinking about something.

[Sileniy]

Miral nods to Ingrid and replies "I am." Then, he turns to Pip and gives marching orders. "We are tracking some missing persons. Walk with us while you explain that ominous 'unless', and we present you with several convincing proofs that you are in Taldor."

[WindStruck]

"Well..." Pip begins, "I was traveling along, looking for heroes, like I said. And I'm pretty sure I was still in Irrisen. But then I came across this thing..."

He follows the others, floating on his wings. "It was... big and pretty and I think it was magical. Well, I don't know how to explain it! It was like looking through a window to somewhere else! And I flew up to it, and then I was there! Wherever it was, it wasn't Irrisen!"

He looks at Miral. "Well, by 'there' I guess I mean 'here' now... somewhere in this region? I'm not quite sure which way it is. Oh, I know! Maybe those Cold Fey are going to it!"

[Ediwir]

You start headig to the forest, following the large trail left by the bandits, footsteps mixed to horse prints and traces of some heavy ojects being dragged along.
The temperature drops noticeably inside the forest's borders, and the snow is almost 20 cm high beside the tracks, almost forcig you to follow the path to not slow down. After a brief walk, you notice what seems to be a small fork in the tracks and an old chest half-butied in the snow not too far from it. Apparently someone left it there and then rejoined the group.

[WindStruck]

Pip flies closer to the chest and examines it.

perception: [roll0]

It's the only skill he's good at. :smalltongue:

Also, you said a fork, so which way do the tracks take?

edit: derp. I guess the footprints go BOTH ways, right?

[Sileniy]

Meanwhile, Miral turns to the treeline, scanning for anything that might be moving. To the others he says, "Toss a coin. Heads it's a trap, tails it's an ambush."

Perception: [roll0]

[Phasm]

Ingrid and Ranulf approach along with their allies, one warily scanning the trees and one sniffing along the ground. Neither of them appear to be affected by the cold, even though Ingrid gave her gloves to Miral earlier. The druid flashes a tight grin at Miral. "Ha! Hopefully not, but you're right, this smells a little too convenient."


Perception checks before either Ingrid or Ranulf approach the chest.

Ingrid: [roll0]

Ranulf: [roll1]

[Estralita]

"So, what exactly do you mean by Cold Fey?"

[Ediwir]

From what you can understand, there is no trace of ambushes or traps of any kind.
Pip also notices that the snow seems to have been dug more deeply and then packed around the chest, possibly hiding something either under or around it. But of course, opening or moving it is impossible to him.

[WindStruck]

"Oh a chest! I wonder why anyone put this here! I wonder what's in it!" Pip says.

Noticing that the snow was also manipulated around the chest too, he lands on the right side of the chest, but is engulfed in the snow. Oh, right. He squirms out, making a mess, and notices Leyli asking about cold fey.

"Are you asking me?"

[Estralita]

Leyli moved over the chest, and took over pulling it. "Yes, you said something about the Cold Fey doing something?You think they could have done this?

[roll0]

[WindStruck]

Pip shakes the snow off him before it completely melts. "Well, yeah... the markings all over the wagon look a lot like what happens when people make them angry. Well, that, and the guy frozen solid..."

"Cold Fey are.. well, they are a lot more powerful and one with Winter. But they are also bound to the witches and must serve them. I wonder if that means some of the witches in Irrisen wanted to attack your.. um.. who are you looking for?"

[Phasm]

"Two people. One is an old man who got lost, according to his wife. The other is a noblewoman who was traveling through. That was most likely her caravan back there." Ingrid attempts to aid Leyli by using her scythe as a lever.


Taking 10 on a Strength check to aid her. If that doesn't work, take 20.

[Ediwir]

As they discuss around the chest, pulling and pushing to free it from the snow, a snap and a fast movement comes from under the packed snow, and you all have only a moment to realize what's happening before a large, spiked log comes swooping down towards you, a rudimentary but effective trap left by whoever set that chest there.
While Pip, Ingrid and Leyli have just an instant to try and dodge the dangerous log, Miral finds himself pushed to the side, face down into the snow, with a small, heavy, shrieking creature on top of him as the log swoops just slightly above them, missing them completely, before swinging back loosely, coming to a halt after a couple slow swings.

trap attacks Ingrid: [roll0] for [roll1] damage
trap attacks Pip: [roll2] for [roll3] damage
trap attacks Leyli: [roll4] for [roll5] damage

[WindStruck]

If anyone had the privilege of watching that scene from a safe distance, they might have been inspired to think of a brilliant idea for a new sport, in which a giant takes hold of a log and tries to hit tiny fairies as far as they can. Perhaps if they were more 'humane' they'd substitute a rock or something.

Pip, however, had the misfortune of being that projectile, and literally became a 'fly ball'. Amid the thuds of hitting people and things, there was also a tiny squeak as he was sent off soaring. He bumped into another tree not too far off, and and fell into the snow.

Now the only sign of his presence might have been that pale blue glow that still normally surrounds his body... though it was somewhat hidden in the snow.

So I am assuming that trap hit Pip for 6 damage, since either way it's some kind of physical damage and made of wood, not cold iron. But Pip's max HP is 5, so he is at -1 HP. Owie.

I think maybe his high perception skill might not be too useful (or read, too OP/imbalanced) if he doesn't actually know what to look for...

[Phasm]

Fortunately for Ingrid, she sees the log just in time to dodge. "Miral!" Had the situation not been potentially deadly, the way Pip went flying would have been pretty hilarious. The druid levels her scythe at the intruder currently lying on top of Miral. "You, stranger! Get off the wizard. Slowly. And keep your hands where I can see them!" She glances at Leyli. "Leyli, would you go check on Pip? I think Ranulf and I can handle things here."

[Estralita]

Leyli got to her feet, and spat out a mouthful of snow. She was half-annoyed, and half amused at the situation, before she realized that one of their party might find the situation more dangerous. "Pip! Are you okay!?" She called, looking around wildly.

Perception:
[roll0]

[omnitricks]

Toothless wasn't paying too much attention on who exactly had the shinies and decided to try picking them from the only person who seemed normal among the group. That was when the log completely swooshed over his head.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!?" he said trying his best to keep his head down so the log wouldn't get it during its second return, or third, or fourth... If he had only been a little more patient he could have just gotten the loot off the body.

And not have a scythe at his face. Slowly stepping back with his hands up to put the wizard in between himself and the scythe, the goblin's eyes darted around to look for a viable escape route.

[Ediwir]

With the log coming to a slow halt in the middle of the clearing, the chest is now free to access - but other things catch the group's attention now.
As for Pip, he's been flung down into the snow, and the quick search by Leyli is of no help. ingrid however noticed the small darting fogure, and could point him out (or help him) before he bleeds out.

[Pip: stabilization check (1d20+Cos bonus, DC 11)]

[Phasm]

A goblin! Ingrid narrows her eyes, and Ranulf lets out a low growl complete with bared fangs. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't lop your head off right now for attacking us, goblin."

[omnitricks]

Toothless' eyes stopped at a pretty sturdy tree near him and while trying to figure out how long exactly it would take him to get up it considered a reason which goes beyond "because...because..."

"...Because Toothless just save you friend's life?" after noticing the tree was connected to the log trap.

[Phasm]

Ingrid hesitates briefly, then scowls. "You weren't the one who set the trap? And Miral, are you alive down there?" Why would a goblin risk itself for the sake of a human? And what is this one doing on its own? Normally where you see one goblin, there are more of the filthy little buggers ready to stab you or throw firebombs at you.

[Estralita]

Leyli looked up from her searching to see the new arrival. She frowned at Ingrid's assumption, before smiling at him. "Nice to meet you. Is Toothless your name? Mine is Leyli."

[omnitricks]

"No...?" Toothless said in reply to him setting the trap before a "yes? You not heard of Toothless before?"

[Sileniy]

Miral, having put some distance between himself and the goblin, gives it an uncharacteristically long time to explain itself, rather than try to blast the goblin with arcane power or mundane weaponry. Must be because of the knock to the head he just took. Or maybe not, because he replies more characteristically, "The average goblin is a little, pyromaniacal sack of evil. So what brings you to this neck of the woods?"

[WindStruck]

Meanwhile, the poor little sprite everyone sprung a trap on and clubbed with a giant log doesn't seem as talkative as normal.

[roll0]

[Ediwir]

The little sprite is glowing faintly of pale blue, the snow around him oddly coloured, but he seems to be forgotten by the adventurers he just met. Luckily enough, however, he seems to be a relatively resilient member of his species, or maybe he's just well-preserved in the snow at the moment, and doesn't seem to be in terribly dire peril anymore.
...If he doesn't freeze in the snow.

Meanwhile, the adventurers notice that a cold wind is starting to blow from the middle of the woods, bringing with it thicker and thinner snow and making their breath condense in front of them. Ingrid can easily tell that spending too much time in this weather could be a serious danger, especially for an old man.

[Estralita]

Leyli frowned. "I don't think so, but I'm always ready to learn new stories." Out of the corner of her eye, Leyli saw the telltale blue glow. "There you are!" Leyli turned and gently lifted Pip out of the snow. "Need any help?"

[WindStruck]

Pip is unconscious and limply hangs from Leyli's hands. Probably needs help! Or assuming he didn't need or want help, he couldn't say regardless.

[Estralita]

"Don't worry, Pip! I got you."Leyli hummed to herself as she accessed her own hidden magic.

Casting Cure Light Wounds:

[roll0]

[WindStruck]

Pip squeaks a little (it's actually a cough) and twitches a bit before waking and sitting up in Leyli's hands. He looks around and up at her bleary-eyed. "Eh? Wha- what happened? It feels like an ice giant just smashed me into the ground with a club!"

He flies up out of her hands. "Wait, nevermind. False alarm! Who is this guy?" The little sprite circles around the goblin, not very trusting of of him as the evil within the creature set off his sixth senses.

[omnitricks]

"Toothless famous witch hunter" the goblin said being the only explanation which mattered.

[WindStruck]

society: [roll0]
religion: [roll1]

"Toothless? Toothless?! I never heard of you!" Pip peers at the goblin's face closely. "Why are you called that? You don't have teeth..?"

Now that he thought about it, he wasn't really paying attention. Didn't this toothless goblin actually have teeth??

[Phasm]

"You are, are you?" Ingrid huffs, frowning at the dense plume her breath makes. It's getting chilly even for an aasimar, which means that it's really cold for a human. Especially an old, ill-equipped one. "We don't have time to linger here. Our thanks for getting Miral out of that trap, but if this rescue mission is going to find a live person rather than a frozen corpse, we need to get going."

[Sileniy]

Oh, a witch hunter is he? Well, Miral is under no delusions as to how pyromaniacal goblins can be, so that may as well be channelled towards the things they're pursuing. Which, by a happy coincidence, hate fire. Miral is brief, pointing and almost mimicking Toothless' speech, but with an irritated tone. "Witches that way. Hunt." Then, to Ingrid and Leyli, "Now, is that chest empty?"

[WindStruck]

As the cold was rolling in, Pip was only just starting to get more comfortable. "Oh, that's right! I forgot you were looking for someone! ...what's the hurry?"

But before that question even gets answered, Pip darts near Miral. "Wait, you saw witches?! Where?! And why isn't that chest opened yet? I thought you guys were opening it!"

Come to think of it, where did that big log come from? Of course Pip noticed it almost immediately after regaining consciousness. It only dawned on him now that he didn't think it was there before...

I'm wondering, should I tone this down a little? While it's true that my goal for the character is a small annoying creature like Navi, and I am trying to emulate high charisma but low int, I don't want to get too annoying for you guys.

Hm. Well, I suppose a distinction should be drawn between entertaining players but annoying their characters...

[omnitricks]

Not one to be easily offended, only when there was loot around to distract him that is, Toothless mimicked the human's last word "chest?" with a wide smile on his face before heading over to check it out.

Perception for traps: [roll0]
Disable Device: [roll1]

[Ediwir]

It seems like the only device was the rope laid under the fresh snow, which shows clear signs of having been moved, especially now that the rope has been pulled back by the mechanism. As for the chest itself, it seems to not have any sort of needle, mechanism or rope. Even the lock is barely closed, and opens immediately at the goblin's fingers, revealing...

...an empty chest.

[Estralita]

Leyli snorted. "Should have realized it was too obvious to be real."

[WindStruck]

"Aww..." Pip says in disappointment. "Hey, um.. was this log here before??"

[Phasm]

Ingrid lets out a long sigh of disgust. "Figures. All right, onward we go!" If the goblin wants to tag along, she'll let him do so for now. Shooing him away would take more valuable time.


Do I need to roll Survival again to pick up the track?

[Ediwir]

[no Survival necessary, the tracks are deep and very visible in the snow. also sorry i took a while, busy few days]

With the discussion still ongoing you head on, walking slowly trough the deep snow towards the middle of the forest. White-covered trees and sometimes small, half-frozen ponds litter the area, while several flowers lay withered and frozen as the sudden winter hit them.
After a few minutes, you come to a bend in the path with an odd marking: the trees, all around you, are decorated with strange feathery bundles, leather bags covered in black plumage and held together with white shiny pins that hang from the trees, in quite a high number. Probably around 30 or 50, that you can see at least.
Also, a malevolent feeling starts showing itself in the back of Pip's mind...

[Perception check please.]

You perceive some evil in the area but you cannot tell yet how strong or how many sources are there.
Furthermore, you identify the bundles as frozen crows, pinned by icy arrows that still did not melt (and are unlikely to melt in the current temperature).

[Phasm]

Druid and wolf walk down the path side by side, Ingrid's scythe held at the ready. She's devoutly grateful for her celestial blood; the humans must be freezing by now. Odd, feathery black blobs catch her eye and she frowns. "Now what might those be?"


Perception checks!

Ingrid: [roll0]

Ranulf: [roll1]

[WindStruck]

"They're crows..." Pip says.

"It looks like Cold Fey killed them. I can still even see their arrows! I don't know why... but I have a bad feeling about this place..."

[Estralita]

Leyli gripped her rapier, and slipped on her shield, while scanning the area. "Looks like we're on the right track. You think this happened recently?"

Perception:
[roll0]

[WindStruck]

"Umm.. I dont know? The arrows haven't melted, but I think it's too warm for them to melt."

[Ediwir]

After Pip mentions it, you focus more and start to distinguish the wings and claws - yes, crows have been killed and hanged on trees for some reason.
After a couple of seconds, slowly, you also start to notice some faint lights around, pale and blue, coming from between the tree branches. Probably fifteen-twenty in total, although it's hard to see as most of them move around.
"Who are you?" Asks a faint, little voice, which could sound cute if not for the sheer coldness in it.
"And... Who are the Tall Ones?"
The words are spoken in Silvan, but with a thick, decisive northern accent, and seem to come from the right of the path.

Pip can distinguish three separate sources for his odd feeling.

[WindStruck]

<Sylvan> "I'm Pip Pellucid! And these are.. um.."

The sprite turns to the others, pointing to each one. <Sylvan> "Leyla, and Toothless the witch hunter that says he's famous but I never heard of him, and Inga the druid, and, um... that fellow," he says pointing to Miral, <Sylvan> "I don't know. Did he even say his name?"

Pip turns back to the voices. <Sylvan> "Hey! Are you from Irrisen?"

[Phasm]

Looks like they've found the cold fey. Ingrid starts counting lights, and a sinking feeling grows in her stomach. Yes, they're small, but that means they're hard to hit. And of course they had to speak in what's probably Sylvan, not Skald. Telmanira was right, I should have taken the time to learn the fey tongue...

At least they have one sort-of ally who knows the language. "Pip, would you ask them why they're here, and if they've seen an old man or a noblewoman?"

[omnitricks]

Sorry, had exams and had to travel back home for a bit that this dropped off for a while. Going to do one last bit of goblin crazy.

The goblin looks disappointed for a while as he found that his acquisitions amounted to nothing but then something ran through his head and...clicked. A crime of nature to be sure but he declared Toothless have idea!" and started dragging the chest along with him despite anything his temporary posse may say.

Now...is the chest big enough to provide cover if the goblin hides behind it or becomes a mobile turret if he hides inside it? XD Benefits of being a small race.

Catching his breath Toothless rested on his chest pointing out "Birds. Nice to eat when burned. With fire!" Just like everything else for the little pyromaniacs of Golarion. And then he saw the lights, "ooooooooooo" and then the voices "eep!"

Disgusting witchcraft. That was what it was, Toothless concluded before putting the chest between himself and the voices.

Hiding behind chest: [roll0]
Perception to listen for/pinpoint the leader I guess?: [roll1]

[Ediwir]

Toothless follows slowly dragging the chest. Underneath it, however, he notices a hole filled with daggers, swords and light armors.
(Whops. Let's try and keep only toothless in this part of action, or it'll get pretty messy. Still, whatever he does slows him down enough that it takes him a while to reach you and the feys)

The voices seem to argue among themselves for a few moments, unsure.
"You are not Icebound?"
The fey ask, in a matter-of-fact tone, "and yet you sound Irriseni."
Slowly the presences become more clear, as just three simple sources of evil are pinpointed by Pip's magical senses, two to his right, one in front.
"We are Icebound to Queen Elvanna, and respond to her orders only."
Pip can recognize in the last sentences a ritual formula most plder feys used when asked about their motives. Usually, that was enough explanation for his elders, but now...

[WindStruck]

Pip sighs and says, <Sylvan> "I thought I was going to be when I came of age a few months ago, but a new queen never came..."

There was a nagging feeling that maybe he shouldn't be trusting these fey. But they were from his home! <Sylvan> "Well anyway, I had a crazy idea. Maybe Baba Yaga just forgot to come or is busy and needs help with something. So I thought maybe I could find some great heros or a wise sage to help. But.. well.. I haven't had much luck, and these tall folk are the best I could find."

<Sylvan> "The trouble is, they are just really busy with something else right now. The druid lady would like to ask you something. Have you seen an old man? Or a noble woman somewhere around here? I think they are trying to find those people first."

[Ediwir]

The sprites whisper among themselves, their voices eerie in the background as Ingrid walks down the path. Again, the only lights that appear to be talking are on the right, and one in front near a bunch of dead crows. The only words she can make out are "jadwiga" (a Skald word for the witch nobility of Irrisen) and "Elvanna", a frequent one. Pip manages to make out a few more, like "orders", "prisoner" and "Fawfein".
After a few seconds, they quiet down, and the same eerie, crystalline voice speaks again.
"We cannot Bind you here, but you can come with us. Baba Yaga will come when her time comes, and it's not up to us to change it. Until then, Queen Elvanna rules the North. As for the Tall Ones... They look for things that are hidden. Tell them to leave, or fight them off with us."

After that, they stay silent, a dark sense of calm and silence in the air, as the snow falls on your shoulders and the dozen or so lights seem to quietly stand still, watching closely on you now.

[WindStruck]

Fight them off? Oh boy, this seemed like things were going to get nasty. Pip turns to the others nervously.

"Uh... so they say that you seek that which is hidden. And you should leave. Or.. or you will have trouble." Pip's face pales.

What was he going to do?! Was it right to just side with Queen Elvanna and forget Baba Yaga? And what about his new friends? Well, maybe at this point 'friend' wasn't quite the right word.

[Estralita]

Leyli frowned. "Well, yes we are seeking things hidden. That is the point of looking for someone. And I'm not giving up now." She though for a second, then turned to the others. "I don;t speak for us all, though. What do you think we should do?"

[Phasm]

Ingrid narrows her eyes at the ice fey, shifting her scythe to a fighting grip. Beside her, Ranulf lets out a low growl. "I'm not leaving until I know what happened to old man Dansby and Lady Argentea. I serve Cernunnos and the true cycle of the seasons. Not the stagnant, frozen hell that passes for nature in Irrisen!" She turns her head and spits on the ground. "You dance on strings of magic for the winter witches. You pervert the forces of nature that gave birth to your kind before Baba Yaga even thought of coming to Golarion! You disgust me, ice fey."

[Ediwir]

The silence stretches for a few more seconds as Ingrid catches her breath after her challenge. Then, three simple words, uttered from a point above her in the trees, this time in Common.
"So be it."


The Knights of Summer: [roll0]
The Feys of Winter: [roll1]


OFF note: for all those who have a low posting frequency, i will post an action every 2 days maximum. All missing character will skip their action.

[WindStruck]

Pip gasped. Even he could tell this wasn't going to end well.

He flew behind a tree and took cover to watch what unfolded. He didn't really know who to side with and quite frankly, he also didn't want to get attacked by either.

[omnitricks]

We'll just assume Toothless stuffed everything in the chest then and allocate it later on, if ever :P

When the half orc looked around, Toothless behind his chest of loot just put a finger to his mouth hoping he would still be able to maintain his hiding spot. He didn't like the hostile acts and tone of the people he grouped himself with. A goblin witch hunter doesn't get far getting into every other fight and a witch hunter does not a goblin become when there isn't an audience around.

And he doubted other adventurers would actually be capable of helping him improve on his rep.

But then again these were the servants of a witch soooo...

Woosh! Toothless sent an arrow flying at one of the targets before running into the trees just like the sprite did.

Imma post first because I have a 20+ hour flight ahead of me. Assume Toothless attacks after someone else figures out a target for focus fire.

If the target is within 30 ft, add +1 to each roll because I have point blank shot (I have not added yet)
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage (Nonlethal): [roll1]

Unfortunately no sneak attack because there is no such thing as non lethal arrows. Sling master race!, but I'm not a halfling...

And then Toothless moves to the trees, stealth as part of the move action because he'll end up hiding behind one.
Stealth: [roll2]

[Estralita]

To tell the truth, Leyli hadn't been expecting anything else. "As you wish! One group succeeds and the other yields! And we have the home turf!" Leyli kept Frey held high, ready to strike at the first movement on the part of the fey.

As you wanted, Inspiring Courage. :smallwink:

[Sileniy]

The precise positions of the wintry fey are unknown to Miral, which renders his crossbow and most of his magic ineffective for the moment. The magic that does not require him to target an enemy either can't reach them, or takes too long to cast. Therefore, a variation on Toothless' plan was the most tactically sound option.

Move: to the treeline (unarmoured wizard wants some cover).
Standard: ready action, ranged attack against the first winter fey to appear.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Also, I remembered just after I posted that I didn't include the +1 IC in those rolls.

[Phasm]

Much as Ingrid would love to charge in with scythe and wolf, there remains the minor issue that she can hardly see the tiny fey. Fortunately, a druid usually has other options available to her. She shifts her weapon into one hand and starts chanting in the ancient Druidic language, gesturing toward the fey lights with her free hand.

Wild, thick tendrils of grass erupt from the snow, writhing like demented snakes as they try to ensnare anything within their grasp!


I wanted to start hacking and slashing, but figured it would be a good idea to try and keep such tiny enemies still for that. :smallwink: Casting entangle so as to catch as many fey as possible. I figure that frozen vegetation still counts for the spell's requirements.

[Ediwir]

As Ingrid stops her prayer, the snow starts falling off the branches, and the crows shake vigorously as the branches themselves turn to entangle the feys. Only three of them seem visible, their light dimmed to the point of nothingness and their skin a pale, sickly blue, with white veins like crystals of ice. Two of them are trapped by the branches, and struggle visibly against them - it is against those two that Toothless and Miral shoot, only one of their arrows finding a mark in the leg of the closest fey. Pip will probably decide not to translate the cry that follows.
The feys quickly wiggle their way out of the enchanted trees and quickly fly around, evading the enchanted area. The third one flies high, and you see him just beyond the trees, focusing his attention on Miral and his poor attempt at hiding, pulling the string of his bow, shooting towards him.

Around you, with the branches free of snow, you see multiple blue lights, but no feys to cast them.


Sprite3 bow attack: [roll0] for [roll1] damage.
the feys are about 30ft away from you. Please include DCs when casting spells.

[omnitricks]

Hiding at his spot Toothless considered his options. It would be so easy to just kill one of the feys now but then, the goblin knew one does not simply become a successful witch hunter without intel, or a whole lot of luck and Toothless was quite sure he used up the latter already during his earlier adventures.

Continuing with his plan of action in taking at least one of the feys alive for "questioning" Toothless made another shot, this time at the only sprite with a arrow sticking from his leg.

Before immediately changing his hiding spot again by scrambling up the tree he was hiding behind.

Edit: Forgot to make it more clear but the attack is against the already damaged feyperson.

ATTACK!: [roll0] Also because I am stealthed I assume said enemy is flatfooted against me.
Damage (non lethal): [roll1] (I really need to invest in a sling or two now with softstones just to non lethal sneak attack.
Taking 10 to climb so its an 18 against the trees 15 right? If there are any things which would make it harder than normal tell me so I can roll instead. I move up 10 feet.
Stealth since climbing is a move action: [roll2]

Edit: In case anyone is wondering why I can take 10 with climb, Toothless has a climb speed of 10.

[WindStruck]

Pip says, "Please! Nobody kill anyone!" and he flies a bit further away from the battle, trying to stay away from the wild, entangling trees.

[Phasm]

Curse it! Evidently the entangle spell was meant for larger, slower enemies. Ingrid barks a command in Skald and points at the wounded fey. Ranulf snarls and charges forward, jaws snapping at the fey's leg. Ingrid is hot on his heels, scythe in a two-handed grip. "CERNUNNOS!" She swings at the same enemy, blade flashing over Ranulf's head.


Yay! Fight time! Ranulf attacks before Ingrid, just in case his trip attack succeeds.

Ranulf attack: [roll0]

Ranulf damage: [roll1] If the attack hits, he can attempt a trip as a free action without provoking an AoO.

Ranulf combat maneuver: [roll2]

Ingrid attack: [roll3]

Ingrid damage: [roll4]

[Ediwir]

While Toothless reaches a safe spot on he trees, Ranulf and Ingrid charge forward against the fey.
The arrow catches him in the wing, piercing straight trough and leaving a hole in it, making him curse in Silvan and flutter awkwardly as he tries to keep his flight - but just then, Ranulf jumps at him and drags him down with his jaw, where he finally gets hit by Ingrid's scythe, and, wounded at the chest, whimpers for a moment and faints.
Miral, in the meantime, is caught by an unnatural cold, his limbs numbed and stiff, and decides to stay hidden.
The other two feys look at each other and, after an instant, fly away, darting trough the trees and abandoning the battle.

[Phasm]

"That's right! Fly, you cowards!" Ingrid shakes a fist at the fleeing fey, but pursuing them would be foolish at this point. She turns to check on her comrades and frowns. Miral looks like he's freezing, which is worrying given the condition of the ravens and the guardsman back at the caravan. She jogs over to where the wizard attempted to hide. "Let me take a look at the wound, Miral." Curiously enough, her bare hands are only cool on the wizard's skin, despite the fact that he's wearing her gloves. One would expect them to be freezing in this weather.


Survival check: [roll0]

[omnitricks]

Toothless seeing that the battle has ended and the everyone is not paying attention to the fey left behind immediately sprang down to the ground and headed to his prize. He wasn't entirely sure but feeling some breath when he pushed his hand in front of his nose he grinned and immediately started tying it up.

"Anyone make insect wakey wakey?" he asked hoping someone could get it out of its nap faster because if no one actually bothered to try, the goblin would just dump the tiny fey into the chest until the yelling and screaming from within will alert the witch hunter of his potential fun times.

[WindStruck]

Pip flies forward to the others, and he says, "Insect?! What do you intend to do?" He looks at the goblin suspiciously.

[Ediwir]

The sprites and their lights are far away, and disappear quickly in the thick forest. As for Miral, the supernatural cold quickly passes, but the natural one is definitely biting at him, like at most others.
As for the fallen fey, he is definitely not dead, but shows no signs of regaining his senses anytime soon.

[WindStruck]

Pip landed near the other fey and examined its wounds. It looked terrible. Imagine a huge scythe like that hitting him! Looking around, the others now towered above him menacingly. This is why flying is nice.

"Y-you're not going to kill him, are you?" he asks.

[Sileniy]

Miral is walking back to the unconscious fey when Ingrid tries to give him a once-over. "I'm fine," he replies, "I can feel the warmth coming back already. Or what passes for warmth, at least." And speaking of warmth, were Ingrid's hands warm, or just warm compared to the fey's icy cold?

Whether Ingrid insists on examining it more closely or not, he makes a (probably poor) attempt at assuaging Pip's concerns. "I won't be trying to kill it, at least. Setting aside that they probably know something about Dansby and Argentea for the moment, I'm interested to know how they got here. Based on your story it is obviously a teleportation effect, and they are not easy to make."

[WindStruck]

Pip begins flying up again so as to not be easily stomped on. At the mention of Dansby and Argentea, he asks, "Who?"

[Sileniy]

"The people we're looking for! I'm sure someone mentioned it."





At least, he thinks he's sure someone mentioned it.

[omnitricks]

"Question. Answers" the goblin answered while reconsidering if goblins really were the stupider race of Golarion. No other reason to waste the time to get a captive otherwise.

He stopped shy of shutting the lid on his captive, "Anyone going to wake he or what?" when it seemed like someone else got the idea before a look of confusion dawned on his face when he tried to confirm "I thought we looking for witch?"

[Phasm]

Ingrid gives Miral a skeptical look, but steps aside. "All right, but tell me if the wound worsens. The magic of the fey can be insidious." If he doesn't want to be treated, she's not going to waste time arguing. She walks over to where Toothless is holding the unconscious fey and peers down at the tiny creature. "I don't feel like wasting healing magic on an enemy, and somehow I doubt that a cold shock would work. Bring it with us, we can question it when it wakes up."

With that, the druid and her wolf set about trying to find the trail again.

[Estralita]

Leyli nods and walks over to Toothless. "May I take him? When he wake up, we're going to want to question him straightaway, and I have a certain way with words, being a bard..."

[Ediwir]

While the fey shows no signs of waking up, and the track is still fresh ahead, the long time in the open is starting to show its signs. The biting cold is reaching into the clothes, and some of you already start feeling vaguely numbed...

everybody roll a Fortitude save against cold weather, DC15. If you have resistances or modifiers in regards to it, apply them

[Phasm]

It's getting positively chilly even by Ingrid's standards. She's starting to regret giving Miral her gloves. The druid shifts her scythe into one hand, putting the free hand inside her jerkin, then repeats the cycle with her other hand. Ranulf, padding along beside her, isn't looking too happy either. He stops to shake the frost off his fur more and more often.


OK, Fortitude saves.

Ingrid: [roll0] (Cold resistance 5, cold weather gear gives +5 on Fort saves vs. cold weather)

Ranulf: [roll1] (Cold resistance 5)

[omnitricks]

The goblin looked at the bard, distrusting of the longshanks and was going to scrutinize it but it was a real quick work because he was satisfied when he realized the bard was also a half orc. "Sure Sharpteeth, remember to give Toothless back when you done but you not want put bug in chest? Easier to carry and scarier when he wake up in weapons, hehehe..." the goblin said while chortling maniacally.

Fortitude: [roll0]

Sorry had exams so was a bit busy as well.

[WindStruck]

"That sounds really scary! And you can barely even fit in the box! Why would you want to do that to him?" Pip asks.

"How do you know he will even wake up? That wound looks really nasty."

[Ediwir]

While the discussion proceeds, Miral seems to be vaguely uneasy. Having lived in far warmer climates for his whole life, it should be no surprise.
All of you can see small puffs of condensation coming from your breath, but it's only Miral who starts chattering his teeth.

Miral receives [roll0] nonlethal col damage

[Sileniy]

The cold is getting to him. Eventually, and for no apparent reason, he presses his ring against his arm. A brief shimmer, obviously magical, appears over his body, and then he gives an explanation to anybody who is wondering what happened. "I can use this ring to cast spells; that one protected against temperature extremes. I was trying to keep my options open, so I was planning on using it when we made camp, but this cold is biting. At least I don't need your gloves any more."


Cast Endure Elements via arcane bond.

[Phasm]

Ingrid accepts her gloves and quickly puts them back on. "A useful spell to have. I will try to track our quarry faster! At least the snow holds prints." She looks over at the goblin and sprite. "Don't put it in with the weapons, goblin, we want to at least try and get some information out of it! And we don't know whether he will wake up, Pip, but we don't have time to try and figure out how to correctly put tiny bandages on an enemy. Were it not for his magic, Miral would be freezing, which means that Old Man Dansby and Lady Argentea probably are freezing."

With that the druid and her silver wolf return to their task.

[WindStruck]

"Oh, I can do that too!" Pip says, twirling a bit midair, also seeming to protect himself with an abjuration. "It was starting to get a little chilly anyway..." Noticing the tiny sprite in his nearly naked state, one might be surprised how he found the current weather only 'a little chilly'.

Then he asks,"Wait, you were already looking for someone. Now you're looking for these people, too!? I thought you didn't have any time, and now it turns out you're looking for five people!"

[Ediwir]

Ingrid and Ranulf keep following the trail, and soon after the rest follow. The path continues trough the trees, clear and simple, with only a few curves around thicker parts of the forest, until the group reaches an opening next to a shallow, but wide, sheet of ice, one that's probably supposed to be a river in this part of the year, about 20 feet wide. The abnormal weather experienced in town is nothing against the extreme winter you're seeing around here. Still, you notice that the trail continues on the other side.
In the middle of the trail, just before the river, you see a snowman with a crude wooden sign saying "TRESPASSERS TURN BACK". Someone stole his carrot nose.

[WindStruck]

"Oh look! Someone made a snowman just to greet us! This must be a good sign!" Pip says, flying around the snowman and oblivious to the writing.

[Phasm]

Ingrid just gives the fey a long look, then shakes her head and keeps tromping through the snow. "The sign says no trespassing, Pip, but at this point I don't care. I'm not about to turn back when there are lives at stake." She stops at the edge of the ice and holds up a hand. "Let me check to see if the ice is sound."


Survival check to see if the ice is safe: [roll0]

[Estralita]

Leyli snorted seeing the snowman warning sign. "Someone has an odd sense of humor."

[WindStruck]

"Oh..." Pip says, not quite as happy as before. "I wonder who lives around here that we'd be trespassing on."

The sprite looks around a bit to no avail.

[omnitricks]

"Yes, yes questions But we no cage so chest will do no?" the goblin suggested but nevertheless let the rest of the group take control of their captive. Toothless wasn't too particular as long as the sprite made its way back to him once everyone else was done.

But he was still not giving up his chest.

And as he did it finally found its way along with the party until they stopped in front of the snowman. Toothless took the chance to rest and commented "words bad. Steal from brain. Bad sign." Despite no longer subscribing to goblin superstition Toothless was a little amused at the sign appearing out of nowhere and decided to take a quick glance around the area in case he was able to spy the person who made it.

Perception: [roll0]

[Ediwir]

Ingrid walks closer, noticing that the river seems frozen solid, probably enough to walk safely trough - even tho some precautions might still be a good idea, as ice can be tricky. In any case, it'll be at least slippery.
Thick rocks covered by snow are arranged probably by hand to limit the river, and no particular detail is visible on it. A thin layer of snow covers the ice, making it hard to see trough.
This, however, is only a moment's notice for Ingrid, as merely seconds after she starts examining the river, Pip flies next to the snowman, who shouts with great energy in a booming voice "CAN'T YOU READ? THE SIGN SAYS TURN BACK! NOW GET LOST!", so loud in fact that both the sprite and the druid feel their ears ringing and bleeding. For the others, it's merely a very, very loud and inexpected shout.

Fortitude save for Ingrid and Pyp to negate being stunned for 1 round.
Furthermore,
Ingrid takes [roll0] sonic damage
Pyp takes [roll1] sonic damage

[Phasm]

Ingrid cries out in pain, clapping her hands to her bleeding ears. Ranulf lets out a high-pitched yelp and cowers behind her legs. She's not entirely sure what that booming voice is trying to say. Her ears are ringing far too much for that.

[Sileniy]

"Ah, animated terrain features. Feels like home..." Miral thinks as he examines the guard from what he assumes is a safe distance.

Spellcraft to ID the snowman (if it is spellcraft): [roll0]

[Ediwir]

(Right, i forgot Ranulf, so sorry. [roll0] sonic damage for him too)
Also Miral isn't actually sure what the exact spell involved is, but it does not seem too powerful, and it seemed to only trigger when Pip ran close to it.

[omnitricks]

Toothless dives behind his chest, trying to his from the snowman and fires off a shot at this new noisy enemy yelling at him.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Wadafak, animated snowmen now?

[Sileniy]

Noting the snowman's reaction to Toothless' arrow, Miral finishes his thought aloud and with a little disappointment. "Or maybe it's just a snowman trapped with a short-range sonic spell. Pip? Can you still hear me?"

[Estralita]

Leyli nods, even as she gathered her rapier and shield into position. "Maybe we should try going around first?

[Phasm]

Ingrid's ears are still ringing, but she can hear her comrades now. Wiping streaks of blood away from her ears, the druid nods to Leyli. "That sounds like a good idea. We can cross the river at a different point, then swing around on the opposite side to pick the tracks up again." Her voice is considerably louder than usual.

[WindStruck]

The shockwaves, blow Pip back a bit, and he tumbles into the snow. With his ears and head ringing, he finally snaps out of his daze, though he feels absolutely awful and dizzy.

"S-sorry Mr. Snowman. No, I can't read..."

He scrunches his eyes at the others, though can't really understand what they're saying.

[Sileniy]

Since Pip doesn't want to come to them, Miral will bring him to them. Miral casts one of his utility spells and hesitantly stands near the snowman, explaining, "One thing I noticed about this is that it was only activated when Pip flew close to it. It looks like it was a trap to blanket the area indiscriminately when someone gets too close to it - luckily spells that do that are normally short-ranged, so we may not have to cross very far away."

Cast Prestidigitation and stand 10 feet away from Pip. If he weighs less than 1 pound it will pick him up and drop him near us.

[WindStruck]

"What are you guys saying? Why are you talking so softly all of a sudden?" Pip complains. The sprite is easily picked up and moved closer to you all.

[Ediwir]

Toothless's arrow buries itself in the snowman's missing nose, piercing the back of the head by a few inches. No movement comes from the smiling, innocent snowman, and no further sound except the faint flowing of the river waters.

[Estralita]

"Yeah, I doubt fighting is the answer here. Now, which way?"

[Phasm]

"I don't think it makes a difference." Ingrid is still talking a little louder than usual, but seems to be following the conversation all right. "How about around the back of the snowman, just in case the eyes can see?" She suits actions to words, circling at least forty feet around its back before approaching the frozen river again.

[WindStruck]

Pip struggles to fly straight and keep up with Ingrid. "D-do I look ok to you?" Pip asks. "It feels like my head is being crushed, and I think my arms are where my legs were." He looks down to his right and brings his left hand up for examination instead.

[Ediwir]

The flow of the waters gets stronger and a bit louder, and it starts to feel a little odd, as the river is frozen over and should not be making that much noise. As you turn your attention to it, one figure emerges from it, quickly followed by another: two shimmering, icy creatures with a pointy head and limbs of frozen ice, their legs seemingly part of the river ice itself, barely taller than Toothless.
"Meddlers," says one. "Cannot pass," says the other.

[WindStruck]

"Oh no. Please, no more of this!" Pip cries, flying up into the tree branches. He was starting to suspect these ice creatures didn't like the tall folks for some reason. And, he was probably going to be in trouble when he got home. How long had he even been gone now?

[Sileniy]

Miral kneels down and looks at them for a couple of seconds as he collects his thoughts. Hopefully a logical argument will be able to them across with no bloodshed. Trying to mirror their short sentences, he replies, "Some sort of teleportation effect brought the northern fey here, correct? I don't know anything beyond that, but whatever it is you would agree that it would be heavily guarded, no? Therefore if someone from the north is here they are meant to be here. And now, we have a fey from the north with us. To get home he needs to pass, and to protect him in the dangerous lands we need to pass too. So, would you two elementals please stand aside?"

Bluff to let us through: [roll0]

[Phasm]

Diplomacy? It's worth a try. Ingrid's head still feels like a dwarf is using it as an anvil. She stands aside to let Miral try his luck, but keeps her scythe at the ready.

[Estralita]

More Elementals! How interesting. Leyli wanted to ask all about them, and what they were doing here, but she knew when was the time to ask questions and when wasn't. Instead she said. "I assure you, we mean no harm. We are simply looking for a friend." Friend was stretching it of course, but this was also not a time for full honesty.

One Aid Another Influence check coming up!
[roll0]

[omnitricks]

Ice creatures? That wasn't natural. It probably signs of witchcraft! Unlike his foolish fleshy companions Toothless wasn't about to try and appeal to them to let them pass and expecting an inevitable fight he decided to use the groups attempt as a distraction as he slinks off behind his chest and readies his bow.

Stealth: [roll0]

[Ediwir]

As Toothless hides so completely that nobody even remembers to check for him, the two elementals look at each other for a moment, their eyes cold and frozen, speaking with what seem to be clinking, dry sounds that sometimes feel even a little disturbing, like ice being crushed or bitten. Finally, they turn back to the newcomers.
"Unbound Fey, can pass." Says the first.
"Meddlers, cannot pass." Says the second.

[WindStruck]

"H-hey, I have an idea!" Pip says. "Why don't I go and look for those people you were trying to find, and then when I find them and bring them back, you can help me find Baba Yaga?"

Of course, what those other cold fey said still resonated in his mind. For some reason they didn't seem to care at all and continued to obey the old queen. But... why?

[omnitricks]

Meddlers? Toothless was no meddler. Toothless was a famous folk hero as far as he was concerned and he needed to maintain his claim to fame and if these things were going to get in his way...

"We be witch hunting! Die witch servants, dieeeeee!" he yelled letting loose his arrow from his hiding spot.

In the interest of getting things moving I will initiate combat. If you guys don't like it really you only have yourselves to blame for not doing anything despite making it look like you want to talk past them :P

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Sneak attack!: [roll2]
And I guess initiative: [roll3] (forgot we were doing party initiative)