Reign of Winter: The Snows of Summer [PF Gestalt, IC]

[lostsole31]

"Unearthly cold and unholy power ... Karran-Kural ... the Demonskar ... Cauldron ..."

These are just some of the thoughts going through the warrior's mind as his mind swims, brutishly attempting to force its way to consciousness. It is too much at first, and he falls back into sleep. There, in his dreaming, he faces off against a great horror intent on vengeance. His mind desperately searches and succeeds in finding the identity of this spectre: Nabthatoron, Lord of the Demonskar, a glabrezu demon in charge of the demons in that accursed area of a blasted, barren land otherwise in the middle of a jungle many miles to the west of Cauldron.
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Nabthatoron_zpswkrs7dl7.png
That terror shocks him out of sleep, but into his feverish semi-conscious, too weak to find his way to wakefulness, and yet in an area of the mind that gives him what he needs to know. After an incredible battle, the Shattered Swords under Sarge's leadership managed to destroy the dracolich guarding the Soul Pillars of the ancient spell-weaver complex of Karran-Kural. The spirit of an ancient oracle that foretold the caging of the world to Carcerian forces gave insight on how to return to possibly beat the Cagewrights, a cabal of spellcasters that hoped to conduct some ritual - using something called soulcages - to somehow bring forth eternal damnation to Cauldron and the lands around it, and perhaps all of Oerth itself, to satisfy their demodand patrons.

This news was of greatest import, and the telepathic bond the Striders of Fharlanghn (Fario Ellegoth, Fellian Shard, and Shensen Tesseril) shared with their dwarven contact Tyro Amberhelm was instantly acted upon. As SSMC began their trek away from the Demonskar, Tyro Amberhelm teleported to the party with The Captain in tow. The group was attacked by a flight of vrocks, and unlike before one got away. Knowing they had to leave the Demonskar as quickly as possible despite needing rest, SSMC made a forced march to cover as much ground as they could. It was not enough. Nabthatoron was waiting for them, ambushing them with two vrocks and a nalfeshnee. The heroes were mighty indeed, but mighty Grok - the rhek crusader/monk - was killed despite a great wound against the Lord of the Demonskar. Nabthatoron, with as much hatred as he could muster, targeted one of the two members who most likely could not resist a powerful dying curse. Fario Ellegoth already lay unconscious and dying, being tended to as best as possible by his best friend Fellian Shard. But Nabthatoron's hatred rested upon the simple soul - the Cuthbertine warrior that caused so much anguish for him before, Sergeant Achilles "Devil-Bane" MacAvemeth. Aaroniel, the Empyreal Mendicant slew the great glabrezu with a mighty spear thrust to the chest. The Lord of the Demonskar was no more.

The demonic necromancy affecting Achilles was vastly powerful, indeed. He lay there, slowly wasting away. Normally, this group without a powerful cleric would have teleported (with Amberhelm's help) to Cauldron to the temple of Wee Jas. But after putting the corrupt Jasidian priests to the sword previously, no one they knew could help, and this spirit wasting was far beyond even the dread witch Endora's help. It could not simply be dispelled.

So, a fateful decision was made ... return to Karran-Kural and see if somehow Endora could use the Soul Pillars to commune with the spirits there for an answer. If they should fail, not only would the sergeant lose his life, but his soul would be transported to the Abyss for all eternity. But Endora, forceful of will yet only somewhat smarter than average despite her great learning, already suffered at the Soul Pillars. So, The Captain one of the most brilliant among them (arguably with Tyro Amberhelm and Aaroniel), volunteered. Possessing the raw intellect, insight, and pure force of personality necessary, the air elemental savant easily forced some of the more powerful spirits to render unto him an answer. It would not be easy, and would require great sacrifice.

A surprise even to his agents, Tyro was more than just a well-rounded wizard of impressive power, but had a hidden talent for conjurations and often trafficked with strange creatures from beyond the pale for information and bartered services. A ritual was conducted with himself, Endora, Shensen, Aaroniel, and The Captain as the active as the participants. A powerful planar binding was cast and they brought forth a noble genie. The genie, Tyro, and The Captain spoke in an unknown language. First, Tyro's form changed to that of a half-elf. The genie had demanded he showed his true form and gave his actual name: Meerthan Eliothlorn, an extremely senior member of the Striders of Fharlanghn. Next, a terminal blood sacrifice had to be made. However desperately it pained her, Shensen knew that Achilles' life was more precious than her blessed tiger, Nes'gilianen. Aaroniel tried to stop her, but she would not hear of it; Endora performed the sacrifice, and Nes' was strangely calm through this as Shensen prayed over her friend. The spirit of the tiger, the genie noble said, would be the animating force that would fight off the spiritual infection. But then was a price for the genie noble itself for its service. The genie noble, in Common, said quite simply: "She harbors evil thoughts, and should be unrealized; the prince is not a prince of men, and must realize his heritage."

Such a strange "price" but in seconds it seems the answer gave way. Endora had hidden much of her power from the group, feigning a much greater weakness than she really had. It was her intention to take Karran-Kural for her own, and she was only a hair's breadth from completing her ritual to becoming a lich. The genie smiled just as battle was beginning underway, and as a parting action, blew a bluish-mist over The Captain, who in turn fell. The genie disappeared back to his home - the Plane of Air - as one of the great mortal powers that had sought to channel the essence of that plane through his war magics lay slumped across Achilles' still-stricken form. He could only helplessly watch the battle rage around him as she used fell magics to gate in dead creatures. At some unknown interval, The Captain woke just enough to hold his ring straight up in the air. A great burst of elemental wind, electricity, and cold burst forth and the ceiling came tumbling down, sending Achilles himself tumbling into a world of darkness.


A cool, moist rag was placed over Achilles' forehead, and he could hear a familiar woman's voice humming over him. He was coming to, his eyes opening ...

[srgonzo]

Captain... Captain, did we win? Captain?


Achilles attempts to get up and look at his surroundings.

[lostsole31]

"No, no, no," says the woman's voice, easily halting the powerful man's attempted ascent with her hand on his head with the rag. "Easy now, Achilles, and welcome back to the land of the living."

Your eyes open, and it is Shensen.
http://www.freewebs.com/shackledcity1/shensen.jpg

[srgonzo]

"What happened? Where am I? Why aren't I dead? Why won't you let me get up? Where's the Captain?"

[lostsole31]

"What happened? Where am I? Why aren't I dead? Why won't you let me get up? Where's the Captain?"
"Well, let's see," she thinks, brushing back her long, straight, silver hair. "First, you are still recovering. How to begin ...

"The Captain blasted a hole in the roof that made everything come tumbling down on top of this. It seems that finally killed Endora, avenging our fallen: Fario Ellegoth and the leaders of the Striders of Fharlanghn, Meerthan Eliothlorn. I threw myself atop both you and The Captain to do .... something. Fortunately or unfortunately, when the ceiling came down two powerful magical forces competed. The first is that the damage Grot had done previously at the base of the Soul Pillar destabilized it so when the roof support went, the hole thing toppled and blew; at the same time, something was already happening with the Captain and powerful magical energies blasted forth and displaced us. When I say displaced us, I don't mean teleported us across Karran-Kural ... the Demonskar ... the jungle ... the continent ... even the world. No, it seems we were sent from our world of Oerth to a different world called Golarion. It isn't dissimilar from our own, at least where we were - more temperate and less hot, in fact. Single moon, much as we have a single moon back home. Of course, the stars are vastly different. Aaroniel and Fellian never made it; I fear they are lost.

"You're not dead because the genie's magic already was underway. You're not dead because your will to live is incredible. You're not dead because Aaroniel's description of you being 'long-shadowed' help stave off the evil that was gnawing at you when it was. But mostly, you're not dead because my dear tiger's spirit Nes'gilianen imbued your body with her own, and I think that she lives on with you ... so honor her strength and bravery.

"The magical eruption occurred just before I would have been crushed by rock. As it is, I was barely harmed though was unconscious. We drifted in a strange world at first where up and down had no meaning. When I came to, a tall, ebon-skinned man - unabashedly naked except for a belt with a pouch and his baldric, sword, and bow - appeared to us. It seems that The Captain was in reality Prince Theron Grinish, Heir to the Duchy of Falsridge, which was part of a distant country called the Archclericy of Veluna. He was Captain Theron of the 1st Warmage Artillery Support Division in the Velunan Army, but served his time and left the military to have more autonomy as a mercenary leader ... your Shattered Swords Mercenary Company."
Achilles knew this.
"This creature identified himself as Arquestan, a member of an ancient race known as the vaati - or Wind Dukes. He also went on to say that Theron was indeed a duke ... a wind duke. Theron thought he pursued a magical path to become more related to an air elemental through his learning. What was actually happening is that he unlocked his own heritage. He didn't go into specifics, but supposedly he was destined to undergo his apotheosis into a wind duke on his 40th year, but only if he was a true proponent of Law, for the ancient vaati were one of the earliest creatures of Law that once held worlds at their command before a great war against Chaos eons ago. Well, it just so happens that Theron turned 40 .. the very day the calamity occurred to us.

"Unfortunately, his heritage manifested itself at the same time as the terrible energies of the Soul Pillar were let loose, which in turn was at the same time as he released his magic spectacularly. So, Theron is a Wind Duke ... but he is a reverse copy of the black-skinned members of his race. Take a look ..."

Her eyes guide you to a bed that separates yours by a nightstand. You do actually vaguely recognize The Captain's basic features, but he is much changed. He was an impressively built physical specimen, even as a middle-aged man (STR 14, CON 15), but this is obviously no longer the case. He was only 5'10" before, but now his feet extend off the end of the bed and the form you see and that is hidden under covers his quite thin. His skin is not pure obsidian like that of other vaati from Shensen's description, but pure white like a cloud during summer's day.

But you can only guess at the pure white 'base coat,' because his body is limned by a glow - no brighter than a candle, but still there. The glow is a mixture of violet and blue. A round later the light shifts to all violet ... then yellow ... then red ... then violet again ... blue ... stays blue ... red ... stays red ... blue ... indigo ... orange ... red ... red and blue ... blue ... orange ... indigo ... blue ... blue ... orange ... violet ... green ...

You realize you have become almost lost in the shifting of the glow about him as it expresses itself through the entirety of the color spectrum. The next thing you realize is that there really isn't much of this white 'base coat' as you might thing. His entire body (that you see ... head, neck, what passes for shoulders, arms, hands) is covered in some type of tattoo or tracery of a dull, silvery-gray. They are runes and sigils and various geometric patterns not unlike a maze in many ways. His shoulders are extremely under-pronounced, and no doubt his days of wearing a chain shirt - or any other armor - are over unless sized specificially for him. From his outline under the covers, he must be around 6'8", but no more than 170 lbs. His torso is overlong, and despite this his legs are slightly stunted - still longer than your own - but still not quite the right proportion. His cranium is overlarge ... not ridiculously so, but definitely moreso than normal.

The Captain is stirring at just this time as well, and weakly turns his head towards you and opens his eyes ... not counting the shifting glow, his eyes are pure white and featureless.

The Captain has become an abomination.

[srgonzo]

"What is he? He looks like The Captain, but what did this to him? What is Golarion? I know there are other worlds besides Oerth, but we've been thrown to one? How? Isn't that supposed to take higher magics? How do we get home? Can we get home? Can we fix him? Is he a different race? Should I kill him so whatever he's become doesn't taint his soul? How long do I have to stay in this bed? Can I have something to eat?"

The WYSIWYG dialog box isn't showing up on my browser, neither are the buttons which allow me to format text. Also, I forgot how to do the HTML code for dice rolls.

[lostsole31]

"Really?" she says bemusedly, and then looking at The Captain. "I barely notice any similarities except maybe the proportion of jawline and cheekbone, the brow, and the set of the eyes. It seems that it was the combination of so many factors working on him that warped would have been - according to Arquestan - a simple change. The soul energies of Karran-Kural ... the multi-layered magics calling on all sub-disciplines that Theron commanded for one great burst ... maybe even something to do with Endora's death at that moment as well.

"Prophecy is a funny thing. It turns out that our great mission was never our great mission ... it was Aaroniel's, which is why he passed the Test of the Smoking Eye. But there are other heroes and Arquestan even mentioned who they might be. Your rivals, the Stormblades of Cauldron. From the loss of the Shattered Swords will be a power vacuum that they will have to step up to fill. They were adventuring and learning things about the Cagewrights as well, and only Fate kept the investigations apart.

"I know that there is a core essence to The Captain that is actually human, rather than pure vaati ... that was straight from the whistling Wind Duke's mouth. Their procreation is so small, and an attempt was made to invest essence into certain so-called worthies in hopes that the infusion of fresh blood and, since the subjects were mainly human, the adaptable spirit could help buoy a race that once was numerous and ruled world upon world, and now barely has a hold on their own place on the Elemental Plane of Air that Arquestan called Aaqa. But the actuality is that Theron still changed into something more than man, more than humanoid, and his essence was remade into as much a living personification of a denizen of the Plane of Air and a creature of pure Law: a vaati.

"I think the cascading energies of light - harmless to the touch, not even casting warmth, by the way - may just be something I heard about long ago. There is a valley in the shadow of a mountain in the deepest jungle where the rainbow serpents live. Like couatl - one of which I understand your group freed and befriended while in Carceri for the Smoking Eye Test - the rainbow serpent is a repository of wisdom, harmony, but also of magics of the rainbow with which they can confound and attack their enemies. Supposedly, they are colored in changing lights that reflect all the colors of the spectrum. But, that is just a story. So, the problem isn't what he was, what he was supposed to become, or even necessarily what these colors are. No, the wuzzle is what is he now? So to answer your first question? I honestly don't know. Even a genius immortal couldn't answer that one."

As she has been explaining this facet, she has been on her feet and talking to you as she sizzles up eggs and some type of other breakfast meat. You also smell coffee brewing.

"Golarion is the name of the world upon which we have been sent, much like the name of our homeworld is Oerth. It is here, supposedly, that we are to find your dual-destinies ... you and Theron. And dual it is, not singular. Even if you are apart by hundreds of miles, I think your fate together is sealed. You see, despite the Greyhawk calendar we use, there is an ancient calendar that far predates that simple one of man, like a clock of the universe of some type, Arquestan implied. At the moment of transposition to the Ethereal Plane, it was the 22nd day of that month ... the 2nd hour in the afternoon, i.e., 2 and 2 again ... 22 minutes after the hour. On this world, the date is currently Erastus the 22nd, the year of Absalom Reckoning 4713. Erastus is the second month of the second season (mid-summer), and today the 22nd happens to be the 2nd day of the week. It has been 22 days since we arrived. Just for good measure, the Universe saw fit to make this a full moon ... and within two minutes of each other, you and Theron have come fully to consciousness. Many times the two of you stirred, and usually within two days of each other, and usually within two hours of that time of day, though the actual time between semi-conscious periods varied.

"Though, it seems in Theron's case, 'consciousness' is a loose term. He is awake, looking at us right now, but it is more as an animal sensing a stimulus than a thinking creature. Arquestan said he hoped that given time, an amount of essence Theron likewise sacrificed for your life, put him in this state.

"Higher magics ... hmmmm," she thinks as she puts the eggs and some type of meat on a plate on a tray along with an already peeled orange. She pours the hot coffee into a clay mug. "I think we can throw out the whole who-is-powerful-enough-to-cast-what. This was higher magic ... but also everything colliding at once was also wild magic ... a cruel cosmic joke on the whole Heroes of Law thing. But definitely 'higher' magic.

"The question is no longer about can we get home? Should we get home?" she says as she puts the tray on your lap after propping up your pillows. "There is prophecy, a cosmic will of fate definitely at play, and all of these numerological significances."

"This brings forth another matter ... oh, eat that slowly. That's the first solid food you've had in nearly a month. ... A subject that is nearer and dearer to my heart, at least for where I get my spiritual strength, and something you should understand. As a Strider of Fharlanghn, the god of roads, travel, and exploration, my nature powers were guided by him and through my ordinary acts of reverence in helping fellow travelers. It was a shock I had to adjust to when my prayers were no longer answered. Rather, I've found that my patron here is Desna ... the Goddess of travelers, dreams, stars, and luck. She is much more about freedom and exploration than even the God of Roads, is worshipped by many elves, and her focus on th sanctity of life that Fharlanghn didn't necessarily share actually sits better with me. We were an instant fit. I mean, I'm not a cleric ... not even a true druid or ranger, but a hunter ... yet there is a connection here that I never even felt back home. She is also ..... a Goddess of Fate. Not Prophecies, mind you, that is the province of the Guardian of the Dead known as Pharasma. But all this about Fate is important ... and the value of life.

"There was too much sacrifice on too many parts, and too many good people died to destroy a nascent lich to protect your life force from being ripped to eternal torment to the Abyss." Here her voice is getting to be a bit more emphatic and pointed. "The very inkling that you should destroy a man who was your inspiration and gave so much of himself and is forever altered to what end ... especially with all of this hanging over our head? No ... Achilles. Even if you were jesting about killing him, it's not remotely funny. Fario ... Grot ... ... Fellian ... Nes'gilianen ... they all died fighting Endora while trying to save you. Only, and it's because I infer this from Arquestan, Aaroniel survived. As you lay cursed and dying, The Captain threw himself upon you to do what little his body could do to shield you from the falling rock. If things did not transpire the freakish way they did, he was basically giving his life even though yours might have been forfeit. If there is a taint on his soul, then our duty is to help him, not kill him and shrug our shoulders because it's easier."

[srgonzo]

“It could be because The Captain and I have worked together for so long. I know it’s him.” Achilles ponders the larger metaphysical issues while chewing slowly on the “bacon.” The salt makes his mouth a little raw, so he sips some coffee. “A vaati is a being of pure Law? Not Good, not Evil, but just Law? That’s something of a relief. When I saw him, I thought he’d become some kind of abomination. So, all those magical energies changed the human in him into this.” As Shen explains the new calendar and the dual-destinies between Achilles and The Captain, it makes sense to him. “The Captain gave me purpose. Sure, most people think of mercenaries as just sell-swords available to the highest bidder, but we didn’t just take jobs that would pay. We took jobs that were right. At least we tried to. Sometimes that gets a little foggy, but even when we were just two, he was The Captain, making the strategic decisions, keeping to himself, and thinking about the bigger picture. Sometimes I’d think that if it wasn’t for me, he’d think himself into starvation. If it wasn’t for him, I’d be working a forge in Cauldron, probably. He showed me a bigger world. One where I could make a small difference.”
During the discussion of gods and their provinces, Achilles tucks into the eggs, which are simply but pleasantly seasoned. Rather than satisfying his hunger, the breakfast seems to awaken a nearly ravenous state. He barely notices how fast he’s eating until Shensen says something.
When she starts to lecture him, Achilles’ face darkens. He sets down his dish and utensils.
“Shen, I’m grateful to you for your help. You’ve been a real friend, and I have to admit that I expected to die when we took on Nabthatowhatsit. However, if you hadn’t explained what The Captain had become, I’d have no way of knowing, right? We’ve been doing this for a while, Shen, and he and I both know that there are things worse than death. When I’m talking about killing him to prevent the horror of what he could become, it’s not a joke. Could you imagine what kind of havoc he could wreak as a vampire? If Nabby the Knob’s curse worked all the way, do you think my death would have been the end of it, or would I have been warped into something else? Yeah, The Captain saved me, and it’s one more bond that ties us together, but I was talking about a final mercy, not murdering him just because he’s different. I’m not as smart as you or The Captain, but you explained, I trust you, and now we just have to get him up, conscious, talking and moving.”
Achilles reaches for his plate, only to see there’s no food left on the plate.
“That’s just a sad sight. An empty plate. Shen, what do we have in the way of supplies? The Captain and I are both going to need a lot of food to heal up, and breakfast was great, by the way, but you were right about not eating too fast *urp*. We need bones, lots of bones, from whatever kind of livestock is around these parts. We also need carrots, onions and celery, about two or three pounds of each. Some parsley would be nice, and something spicy, just a little, to get The Captain jump started. See if you can find some stimulating herbs to make a tea. We’re going to roast the bones and roots first, then—is that a cauldron over there? We’ll have to use that and fill it with water, get a good broth going. I’ll want to get some honey into that tea. Turnips would be a good idea too, and right now I need to get out of this bed because I have to give this…breakfast…back…”
Achilles looks like he’s about to vomit, lunges out of the bed, bounds to the nearest door or window and heaves up his breakfast into a bush. He goes back inside, gets some water, fishes around his pack for some salt, sprinkles it into the water and rinses his mouth out.
“Now I think it’s time for me to get back into bed. Hopefully, we’ve got some time to rest up.”

[lostsole31]

The questions would be answered generally, not in any one large burst of speech or at any specific time, but she gets around to them.

““A vaati is a being of pure Law? Not Good, not Evil, but just Law? That’s something of a relief. When I saw him, I thought he’d become some kind of abomination. So, all those magical energies changed the human in him into this.”
"Mind you, Arquestan - just like any race of any type - might easily be using the legends of his people to trump up the importance of the same. We all do that. But his story was fascinating, and one of the reasons I am a wanderer is that I do so love learning about different people, their legends and stories, and how those things create a social consciousness that identifies them.
"The vaati, according to legend, are a race of Law that predates the inevitables, demons, and who knows what other primordial creatures. They ruled benevolently, even seeing nature as an ordered harmony of the universe, and that rule spanned many, many worlds. But then, supposedly some type of perversion happened, which they termed Chaos, led by the enigmatic Queen of Chaos. While we are talking about the ethical oppositions here, and one can turn this into a question of tyranny vs. freedom, it does seem that the vaati kept a balance for the greater good, whereas the Queen of Chaos led her forces to more than just anarchy, but fell actions as well. Even her home was in the Abyss. Her beginnings are unknown, but her greatest champion - Miska, the Wolf-Spider - was a product of that place most foul.

"It has always been easier to destroy than create, and the forces of Chaos overwhelmed the vaati at nearly every turn. Then seven vaati, referred to as the 'Wandering Dukes,' came forward in Arquestan's stories as sort of hero-kings. With their brilliance, tactics, inspiration, and personal power they managed to find ways to rout superior numbers. But still Chaos was a nearly unstoppable force. The Wandering Dukes together created a powerful weapon called the Rod of Law, and at a great showdown called The Battle of Pesh, one of their number used this magical rod to stab deep into the heart of Miska the Wolf-Spider and slay him. This action sundered the rod and created a great explosion, but the Queen of Chaos withdrew and her forces were finally beaten. There's this whole other story about how the Rod of Law became the Rod of Seven Parts, but that's a story for later ...

"The war over, it was time to rebuild, but the vaati's numbers were decimated. They no longer had rule over any world. They withdrew to the Elemental Plane of Air - the very plane that spawned them - and on a great, floating island of earth they created a magical paradise called the Vale of Aaqa. The number of vaati born each century is so low, that many of Aaqa's great edifices stand empty as their numbers are depleted."

“Shen, what do we have in the way of supplies?”
"Please forgive me, but I took the liberty of looking through your magical backpack to answer that very question for myself a few weeks ago." She tells you what you have, as it is written on your sheet, including arms and armor. "I also have everything I had."

She purses her lips to the side, "The energies that tore through Theron destroyed most of what he had with him. Only his signet ring survived. You know, the one that gave him extra air powers? Even Theron's collection of magical wands is gone. Arquestan - remember this is some sort of prophecy or destiny - was ready to receive us. There he had three items waiting: a robe, a staff, and a pouch. He bade me to respect Theron's privacy ... that the pouch was only for him to open and used. Of course, he never said I couldn't attempt to identify these things."

She goes over to a table on the opposite side of the room, showing the named items as she holds them up. The first thing she does is unfold and hold up a simple blue robe. It is not a common academic's robe, made of nice material as you can tell when she brings it over. Still, it is something you might find on a court wizard without the wizard necessarily bearing any rank of nobility himself. This is a major step-down from the jacket-and-breech, high-quality military uniforms The Captain had worn before. While the Captain was no courtier, his bearing and clothing left no doubt that he was of a high social station. This looked more like a wizard's of the upper to middle-class, and with no adornments. She carefully, almost reverently, folds the robe back up and takes it over and sets it on the far table.

She then takes a staff that was in the corner next to the table and brings it over for you to look at. The elaborate swirls and delicate flecks of shining metal adorning the head of this pale wooden shaft make it seem almost as much as a long mace as a staff. Now this makes up for the simplicity of the robe, and definitely seems impressive; yet, you never knew the Captain to carry a staff. He always felt that for standard arcanists it was fine, but smaller and more controllable weapons were more useful to a warmage and a soldier who couldn't be bothered to carry a staff around in his hands all day long. (That, and he felt that a simple mace was just as strong a weapon, was more focused in concussion with a flanged metal head, was just as heavy, but could be worn. Of course, he didn't care for heavy weapons like that.) This staff seems as much a symbol of power and authority as a powerful wizard's staff might, than an actual weapon. Sure, in handling the staff it's not too ungainly and could be used as any other quarterstaff .... but it isn't particularly balanced well as you might think, and is not a masterwork weapon (and as such would carry no enchantments for use as a humble weapon itself, regardless of what other magic the staff may hold).

She then returns that to the corner, and comes back with a leather pouch ... one decorated beautifully with patterned stitchings, embossings, and engravings. It is replete with all manner of natural motifs. She then returns that back to the table and on her way back she shrugs and holds out her hands. "They have varying strengths in their auras, but I haven't been able to make heads or tails out of what any of them actually are. Despite my nature and bardic spells, my study of magical items and spells is more haphazard than trained. I did get the strong aura of conjuration - that means matter creation magics - from his signet ring. Which I did not remove. He used an incredibly powerful spell from his ring before - chain lightning - so I always thought it was a ring dealing with evocation magics, er, battle magics that seems to create energy effects, much like the majority of Theron's spells."

[lostsole31]

23 Erastus 4713 AR

Shensen seems to go out on various errands, but you are weak enough you are content to sleep. She does manage to get ahold of some tubers, hardy vegetables, and ham hock. The meat is sheared away for a separate meal, but she spends the day making a base slowly in the cauldron of whomever's cottage you happen to be in. She is the physican for the two of you. Though her training is a hair less than yours (a lifetime patching battlefield wounds when there was no cleric present), her insight and compassion probably make her better overall. You will learn what she has learned: The Captain's mind and body can be helped along with rest, perhaps, but it is resistant to lesser restoration. Interestingly, while healing battlefield damage is extremely difficult for you since your strange heritage limits it, spells that ease your system or restores your mind is unaffected. Your Long-Shadowed trait only effects hit point healing, not any other type of recovery or healing magic or effects. So the spell lesser restoration is unaffected.
Now that you have come out of whatever supernatural coma you were in, this spell has great effect ... and Shensen's insight and power are impressive. She first focuses entirely on your actual system and processes, totally uncaring of your actual strength or mobility. It takes her four spells, but she finally gets you so that you have the health of a guy who can take a few hits more than average before being knocked out. She then heals a little bit of your strength so that under duress perhaps you could push your own weight (with extreme effort). She then does quite a good job at giving you back some flexibility so you won't stumble over yourself so that now you are only somewhat slow. Six spells ... six. Impressive. And you still have a ways to go though her skill as a healer, which if you keep doctor's orders of complete rest, might be just as effective.

She has information to impart concerning where you are. Honestly, knowing the name of the world is of little use to a career soldier who is far more pragmatic and interested in useful, localized information. First, when you appeared the three of you did so at the northeastern edge of a forest called the Border Wood. There was a 20-foot diameter circle of strange markings she didn't recognize as far as type or language source, but they do seem to be of a similar type as adorns the captain's body (though none of the markings were really the same, it was more stylistically similar). It was a stormy day, but there was a strange thunderstorm with an incredibly long, loud, visible bolt of lightning from the sky that was seen for several seconds. It guided several foresters to the clearing where the three of you were found.

Seeing two men near-death, fell magics, and a half-elf with skin only a few shades lighter than pure black, they at first thought Shensen was some manner of tiefling. They brought her in front of a middle-aged woman that seemed to be the local leader of what is otherwise a small village.

"The first really big hurdle, and this is going to be a proble where you're concerned, I think," Shensen says warily, "is that we aren't home. Our language is not their language. In fact, nobody speaks anything remotely resembling Oeridian Common. And of course, they thought I was some sort of debased elf, tiefling, or evil fey from something they call the 'Unseelie Court,' so I wasn't even allowed (or able, since they took my foreign holy symbol) to cast a spell to ease communications. The only reason we were able to communicate right off the mark is because the local religious leader - Elder Natharen Safander - is a fellow half-elf. Interestingly, the human tongue is different, but other than dialectal differences Elven is pretty much the same as our own world."

Shensen will go on to say that Elder Safander and the wise woman in town - Soothsayer Old Mother Theodoa - sensed that ill things were in the wind. She was nervous at first that a group of villagers would put the three of you to the sword, but for provincial farmers and lumberers they are a surprisingly broad-minded lot: open, friendly, and tolerant. Once both spellcasters looked into to divine the fate of the three of you; they were convinced that if nothing else your intentions and hearts did not hide evil. No one had ever heard of a drow or dark elf, and Shensen's coloring was chalked as far less strange and supernatural a phenomenon as Theron's own bizarre physique.

The soothsayer's son, when he grew up, moved to the nation's capital to pursue trade and a better wife than he felt he could find here given that he was a smart young man. So, she gave the trio (you) the use of the cottage. Shensen goes into the village each day to help with various things and the people are rather generous - not in coin, but in providing food, meager clothing, and even firewood for the stove. (It's actually a balmy summer, but cooked food and boiled water is still healthier.)

The name of the village is Heldren, and it abuts the Border Wood. Well to the northwest is the nation's capital of Oppara. You are in the country of Taldor, and the language is Taldane. At one time, Taldor was a vast Empire stretching across a large part of this continent called Avistan, on the north edge of the Inner Sea. So widespread and powerful was this empire at one time, that Taldane is actually the lingua franca in this part of the world. Shensen's first great task, after helping you two, was working day and evening with the half-elven priest in learning this language. Shensen is now - in so short a time - vaguely passable. She can make herself understood in most circumstances as long as she steers away from any actual conversation beyond the necessary. Otherwise, she uses Elven with the priest.

Heldren is a place which actually is extremely lax on laws, yet corruption and crime really aren't a problem. The citizens get along for the most part, helping each other when needed since the economy can be a little rough sometimes. Still, they are a good and quite supportive people. The leader of Heldren's village council, Ionnia Teppen, lives in a simple two-story house just off of the town square. Ionnia's family has had a place in Heldren's politics for generations, and her membership on the town council was all but assured. She is by far the most influential member of the council, and most villagers consider her the de facto mayor of Heldren.

The soup will be finished by late evening, and this time Shensen will feed you like a babe, making sure everything is mashed and tenderized into small chunks as much as possible. There is very little seasoning (actually, the eggs yesterday weren't seasoned at all, though she managed to make them fluffy with a big of cream) - that is expensive and she hasn't had time prepare herbs. She's no gourmet, anyway, though she is still quite a bit better than yourself. (Woman's touch, maybe?) When she feeds the Captain, for he can eat now, it is only broth. He appears to have no logic or reason, and with a whole lot of help on Shensen's part feeding him, only has the most basic instinct. He still rarely notices any stimulus, even major things, but is infinitesmally more alert than yesterday.

[srgonzo]

“So there’s a village near here,” Achilles replies. “That’s good. Since you’re a traveler by nature, I’m sure you’ll get a good lay of the land around here. We can talk about the higher order things when The Captain is up and about, but until then, I’m going to try to focus on practical matters like getting healthy. Your spells are working marvelously, by the way, thank you.” Achilles savors his broth for a while, thinking about the information he’s gotten from Shensen.
“Really, this isn’t terribly different than going to a new land. It will take me a long time to learn the local language, and since these are villagers, they probably speak something that’s more my speed than The Captain, who tends toward more cultured speech and accent. We’ll have to figure out money as well. Since the coinage we had where we’re from is no good as a minted coin, it’s only good for the weight of the metal, but that can be worked out fairly easily, even if we have to go to a moneychanger. Along with that, we’re going to have to learn the language. Me, I’m not great with languages, so unless we’ve got enough gold by weight to buy something that uses magic to make sure I can speak and understand the local language, I’ll either need you to teach me, or we can get one of the local clerics to help with that. It would help to learn how to read and write as well.”
“Bottom line, we need to learn. Once I’m back to full strength, I’ll have to work on knocking the rust off my skills, if not my sword. Hopefully, The Captain’s wits will be restored soon. In the meantime, is there anything I can do to help you? I’m not used to being thoroughly useless.”

After Shensen leaves the cottage, Achilles uses the privacy to commune with his god-concept.

"St. Cuthbert, I'm pretty sure you can't hear me from here, but maybe you have a kindred spirit among the gods of this world. A god who values strength when it's used to protect the weak, defend the righteous and fights evil and persecution. If there is such a god here in this world, I hope that god or goddess will appreciate that while discipline and freedom are both good things, they're balanced with each other, not when there's too much of one or the other. I know plenty of soldiers get by without offering too much to the gods, but whether it's my god looking out for me or it's my faith that gets me through, I credit a good amount of my success to my relationship with my god. I'm a stranger here. I don't know the language. I don't know the lands, and I don't know the customs. Even my Captain looks strange to me, but I know it's still him. Please help Shensen fix him. Please help me use my sword and bow in the cause of the righteous. Thank you for listening.

[lostsole31]

Concerning the "lay of the land" and your gratitude for her healing, she replies, "Way ahead of you, and thank you."

Coinage ... "Yeah, I already dealt with that. Expect a roughly 10% loss, which is actually better than I had anticipated."

Language ... "As a wanderer and an animal speaker, I have learned a few magical ways to help speak with real languages. It is among my most powerful bardic spells, but I have a spell I can cast upon someone. For two hours, that person can speak and converse with any intelligent creature - any number of creatures, any number of languages. Otherwise, I will be your translator."

Helping her ... "The best thing you can do in lending me assistance is not to lend any at all. You can get your 'full strength' back in time, but right now you need complete bedrest. That's not being useless. Being useless is slowing your healing by tasking yourself more than I - as your de facto physician - allow you."

After she is gone you make your prayer, such as it is. You are not hit by any strange insight or bolt of wisdom, but you put that out there.24 Erastus 4713 AR

Again this morning, Shensen will put forth as much as she can into you. Despite what she mentioned yesterday about your overall health, she focuses solely on giving you some of your strength back and control over that strength. You are now a little weaker than a normal man, and you are about average as far as the tottering about you do for a little bit of modesty in filling up "the bucket" and manipulating your tablewear. The rest itself overnight was what helped you put some real color in your cheeks. For breakfast, Shensen was able to feed The Captain, though this time instead of force-feeding him he was fed more like a baby ... but a baby with little to no control over his chewing and still needs a liquid diet (and help).

When she is not out on errands or puttering about doing chores around the cottage, she will speak to you the world beyond and some of the things she's learned, but she doesn't push hard on that. Any chance your mind has of wanting to sleep to heal, the better. She of course plays her lute and hums. One side of her that you never really had seen before because it would have seemed so out of place on the trail, but now is much appreciated given a need for long-term healing and diversion, and that is actually a gifted clown and comic. Telling jokes and anecdotes, physical comedy, juggling, limericks and baud ... surprisingly, she is just as good at this as she is at playing her lute.

"You are as strong and healthy as a normal man, for the most part," she says, "but you still have a ways to go to be Achilles. Tomorrow, we will not tax you too greatly, but I want you moving around. Tonight, sleep. Tomorrow, Elder Nathander will call upon you."

As she has throughout the day, she will play the part of the physician for both of you to help your body heal.

25 Erastus 4713 AR

It really is incredible. You know how weak you were. Just three days ago you awoke from a nearly month-long torpor to have your entire body atrophied in some way. Many men who have been brought so low have died, or have spent weeks in recovery. So it really is a testament to her skill - unless you take her for granted - that Shensen has been doing so well with you. For yet a third morning she pours everything she has into you. Your actual health is at peak, and your strength and agility are both phenomenal ... just behind peak efficiency. You feel ready to wrestle the ears off a gundark, whatever the hell that means. Sure enough, she couldn't keep you down if she tried as you are full of energy.

As promised, in the afternoon you are visited by an upper-middle-aged half-elf who introduces himself as Elder Natharen Safander, the local religious leader and priest of Erastil. Shensen will put the spell on you that allows you to understand him perfectly. He sits by your bed as a kindly, older cleric might be wont to do, asking you more general questions about what your home was like, how you're feeling now, things like that. Do you have any questions in particular for him?

[srgonzo]

“Shensen has been a gift from the gods, but while she’s able to make me stronger with her skills as a healer, The Captain isn’t getting any better. Do you know of anything we might be able to do to help him recover his wits?”
“Can you tell me about the gods of this realm?”
“Are there any threats to the community?”
“Is there anything I can do to help the community?”

[lostsole31]

“Shensen has been a gift from the gods, but while she’s able to make me stronger with her skills as a healer, The Captain isn’t getting any better. Do you know of anything we might be able to do to help him recover his wits?”
“Can you tell me about the gods of this realm?”
“Are there any threats to the community?”
“Is there anything I can do to help the community?”
"I don't know why your friend is the way he is," says the cleric. "Ms. Tesseril tells me that by the faintest degrees he now has the vaguest awareness, which is much more than before.

"Let us pause on discussing the gods for the other two questions. Every so often there is the occasional trouble from one of the three woods, but we are actually well protected. Not this town itself, but to the west - a few miles inside the Border Wood - we have the Lodge of the High Sentinels. Part mercenary, part Taldan-sponsored, they do a good job of keeping watch.

"Of course we'd be happy with any help you have to offer. Do you have any skills other than Ms. Tesseril's mention of your skill as a warrior?"

"'Gods of this realm' ... well, I am a cleric of Erastil," the man in the simple tunic says. He wears a very humble robe, and the symbol of a bow and crossbow are burned into a wide leather pouch stitched to this robe. Hanging from his chest as well...https://s.yimg.com/fz/api/res/1.2/htiQEFpmYUmqhxcHS3UVKQ--/YXBwaWQ9c3JjaGRkO2g9ODk0O3E9OTU7dz04OTQ-/http://th04.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/262/b/0/pathfinder__erastil_symbol_by_beastysakura-d7zrg75.jpg
"Erastil (pronounced eh-RAS-til) is one of the oldest human gods still worshiped in the Inner Sea Region. Our religion dates back to before the Age of Darkness, when small farming communities and hunter-gatherers prayed to him for bountiful harvests and successful hunts. Erastil leads us by example and good deeds rather than flowery rhetoric. He is sometimes called Old Deadeye ... the Stag God ... Estig the Hunter. Ours is a god of the people, one of farming, hunting, trade, family, the protection and right running of a home. This is what we Erastilians hold dear.

"During the Age of Creation, Erastil was among the original gods who battled the Rough Beast who sought to destroy Golarion, and were eventually able to contain him in the Dead Vault. His worship hearkens back to the time when mankind first set about harnessing the wilderness and mastering nature. Legends claim that it was Old Deadeye himself who crafted the first bow and gifted it to humans to overcome the challenges of the world. Even as the accomplishments of civilization mount, Erastil continues to embrace and represent the simpler pleasures life has to offer.

"Erastil teaches us to embrace the traditional and simpler ways of life, free of the constraints of modern civilization, a trait that often has us butting heads with more so-called progressive deities such as Abadar; of course, this difference of opinion has been leading to increasing conflict between our priesthoods. Because of our similar faiths, we Erastilians have common ground with members of the Green Faith. They tend to be more wild, and there are those of the Green Faith that take a darker path, but many are those that respect the land, the animals on it, and those who know how to work with both with respect.

"When you first came to us, I and the soothsayer looked into Fate's view of you, and saw that your heart was perfectly in line with a modern Erastilian, actually. Your aura is incredibly strong, both as a man who believes in the sanctity of life but also of that of community and honor. A man of the people who supports the greater good.

"Would you hear more?"

[srgonzo]

I'd be delighted to learn more about Erastil. Being a soldier, I spend a good amount of time living out in the wild, more than I actually do in battle. I think it's time I should start becoming more familiar with the ways of living with nature, and it's my good fortune you're here to tell me about Old Deadeye.

While The Captain and I have been in combat quite a bit, and I'd be happy to help defend the village if needed, I am a fairly skilled weaponsmith. Here is my sword, Captain's Justice. I made it myself.


Achilles retrieves his sword and displays it for the priest.


I don't know what we'll do after The Captain wakes, but I could help the village militia make this place a little more defensible. However, I really would like to learn about this land. It feels comfortable in a way home never did.

[lostsole31]

Fireday, 26 Erastus - Oathday, 1 Arodus 4713

By the next day, with good healing (mundane & magical) from Shensen, you are fully fit. You are escorted around Heldren and introduced, and then Iskur's Smithy is last and with your sword as your "portfolio" he and his daughter can use the help. He tries to work out as much as he can before Shensen's tongues spells ends.

Two days afterwards is Sunday, a day of rest and religious observance. You are brought to the service at the Temple of Erastil this last Sunday named for the same god, and formally introduced to the community at large. While of course it is an Erastilian service, yet Shensen interprets for you that it is pantheistic in being inclusive (where appropriate to do so) to Abadar, Sarenrae, Pharasma, and Gozreh as well. With a humbler and more populist god (populist, not popular), you do sense a connection there.

>>>> After the service, Elder Safander would ask if you would like to be baptized in the town creek come Oathday and pledge your soul to Erastil. Though Sunday is the day of religion, Oathday is the day for baptisms, weddings, and any other that requires a sacrament or oath (thus, the name ... basically, our Thursday).

Regardless, he would still come during the days to Isker's Smithy and Shensen would cast the spell. Isker is honored to have you working and listening to the teachings from the Parables of Erastil. As long as work continues (even if it is slowed), bringing the priest here and being the place that gives to this teaching (especially if Achilles actually wishes to undergo baptism) is quite the honor.

Anyway, by Sunday night the Captain has made recovery in leaps and bounds ... which isn't saying much. His mind is improved ... his awareness is still sucky as he looks all about with a lolling head, often looking right past you or Shensen or the spoon of food. Yet, there is an animal intelligence at least that notes food. He is still extremely frail and can only move with aid.
By the morning of Wealday (3rd day of the weak), The Captain is like a child. He seems to understand Shensen's speech, though more like a babe senses intent in a mother's voice. He makes vagues gestures but he has no skill in his mentally deficient state to really make himself known. He makes inarticulate sounds like a person who has brain damage or was born mind-poor.

Does Achilles go through a baptism ritual?

[srgonzo]

"I think I will, Elder Safander," says Achilles. "As fun as 'Smash Evil' is to have as a core belief, I think it stopped being enough a while ago. Sure, I'm living proof that an overwhelming offense is better than most defenses, but there's something more than that, right? There's friends and family, enjoying the good times and enduring the bad, and being a part of everything around you. Soldiering sometimes separates a body from that last part, and we start looking at everything in terms of soldiering. There's more to life, even if I keep soldiering.

[lostsole31]

The final lessons are given throughout the week.

The next mid-day, many of the villagers and worshippers of Erastil gather downstream from the miller's to witness Achilles joining the ranks of those that worship Erastil. It was already previously discussed, and might be disappointing, but The Captain cannot be there - not even littered. The religious leaders in town might not have sensed evil, but a mutant, mutli-colored glowing thing will not sit well with the populace. A private baptism is out of the question because an adult conversion is a celebration. Shensen wishes you well but will stay home to tend to the Captain. Speaking of which, he has started saying really simple words sprinkled into his babble.

There is a small celebration at the Town Hall as Achilles is welcomed, but it has to be quick since Shensen's spell only lasts two hours. After her spell ends and you are still there, you feel that sense of isolation. However, before the spell goes away, in addition to the understandable general talk about the strange weather, you do hear two bits of gossip that are definitely strange. First, Old Man Dansby claims that someone keeps stealing from his fields. His farm lies closest to the Border Wood, where half his crops have died from an icy frost and the rest have been carried off. Second, a farmer’s son took ill a few days ago after falling through the ice over Wishbone Creek. The boy said he spotted a white stag in the forest—and heard it talking—then tried to follow it.

Discussing this with Shensen when you get back to the cottage, she nods. There is more gossip she has heard. Locals say a hunter named Dryden Kepp claimed he saw a giant weasel on the High Ridge in the forest. No one believed him so he went back up to trap it and prove folks wrong.

She also heard about Lady Argentea's abduction. Two weeks ago, Lady Argentea Malassene traveled past Heldren on her way from Oppara to Zimar to meet her betrothed. Rumor has it the two didn’t get along and Lady Argentea caused a scandal by calling off the engagement and returning home. She never made it home and was supposedly abducted by bandits in the woods, right under the noses of the High Sentinels. Upon hearing this Shensen had offered her help, but because she was dealing with two comatose patients she couldn't really do anything. Mysteriously, Old Mother Theodora had received a vision about all three of you and that you would have some part to play in helping with all this, but it was imperative you did not try to meet destiny yet ... not yet. For this reason, Shensen held off telling you until now, to respect the matters of the leaders here.

Elder Safander will come to meet you in the evening as well (Oathday, same day of your baptism and that you learn of all this). He apologizes, but he introduces you to Old Mother Theodora (who was out and you didn't get a chance to actually meet). She has consulted the stars, and some of the stars she sought were not where they should be, or were missing, or were different.

"This man ... here," she croaks, patting the arm of the Captain - who has been making loud, semi-verbal noises at odd times. (Think of an adult with severe retardation. They will often make loud noises and have no sense of what is around them.)

"This man," she continues in her odd cadence with various emphases, "is not a man. He is vatti? Maybe. But he is war-ped by magic. He is ... prismatic creature. He is mutant, just like those who are bay-thed in strange waters of al'chemists or those who suffer the strange energies of far-off Numeria. But I look at his fate. Despite chaos-warp, he is stong aura of Law. Very strong.

"His .... skin," and here her wrinkly hand pinches his arm and The Captain doesn't make any signs of pain but tries to pull his arm away (and is too weak). "You come here and your friend, she no have skills for this; for you. The town barber is dwarf, likes leeching, he is called. He can do nothing. Leeches do nothing. Not because leeching not work. No. Leeches can-not leech. They can-not break skin. He can no bleed for health. But his aura very strong. Strong of living. So his soul, I think, need to grow into the body, for this new body. New mind, even if same person, and that mind is part of body must grow and heal as well."

She nods to Shensen and the Elder before continuing to you again, "They know this. I tell Heldren Council this."

She looks to Elder Safander - his glance is woeful, though hers is inscrutable. "Council believe that maybe strange weather caused by you appearing from elsewhere. Natharen here convinced them otherwise, but weather happened shortly after you first come. He and I say ... 'No, is not them, else winter be centered on us.' ... Council accept this but *shrugs* suspicious anyhow."

She sighs. "But things change now. I read new stars. You must go into the Border Wood to discover why winter is upon us, and you find about your own destiny. The Council say all three of you must go.

Flabbergasted, Shensen says, "The three of us?! Theron is recovering in great leaps, more than would be thought possible, but he needs to stay here. And I need to stay here with him. He isn't fit for travel."

She shakes her head. "He is not fit for here. You share this destiny, and all three of you must do this. Nobody else will look after him, nobody else can look after him."

The Elder jumps in, "I'm sorry, but their word is final. I was able to get them to allow you to stay for three more days ... Oathday. That way we may bless your quest in the Temple. Honestly, though, it's that your friend may have the chance to heal what little more he may."

"I offer donkey that your man may ride, tended by Shensen," says the crone. "It is summer, but I suggest you see what you find at general store for cold weather for all of you. I am sorry, you can refuse this, but all three of you must leave together. If you come back with word that exonerate you, good."

Achilles, anything before they leave?

[srgonzo]

"Elder, you and your village have been kind, and it's not easy for a village to take so much strangeness all at once without thinking there is a connection. Shensen, while you're buying the cold weather gear, could you pick up some blacksmith puzzles or something that can occupy his mind and hands? Mother Theodora, you said you read the stars, and all three of us must go three days hence. Did you read anything else in the stars which might aid us in solving this problem?"

[lostsole31]

"All I know," she warbles, "is your stars have changed to be here, and they will change again. How? Why? Don't know.

"Oh," she smiles, her eyes partly in the present and partly in a distant reverie, "I did so love the blacksmith puzzles as a little girl."

She has to explain to a confused cleric what those are. He smiles and nods, "My hands were always better with things that grew ... gardening, husbandry, congregations."

Her soft cackle is more like a dry wheeze. "Husbandry, eh? Of course, as husband something grows under your wife's hands, yes? Hee-hee-hee."

The Elder tries is equal parts mollified and embarrassed and mutters, "I-I am sure I don't know what you mean."

"Well," she says a little more loudly and in a tavern way, "you have no babies, maybe your wife doesn't know what you mean, either! Get her to her baking!"

Shensen just can't. She loses it. She tries to lose it respectfully, but that only makes it worse. Achilles does as ... you dictate he does. Finally, the Elder breaks down and laughs in good fun with a "you got me" vibe. With the final bites of the mince pie Old Mother Theodora brought with her, and the last drainings of coffee, it is time for them to leave for the night.

Once they are gone, Shensen will let you know that having a simple horse with tack to help transport Theron will be expensive enough as it is. You haven't needed money, and while you have over 600 gold coins it is all in unknown currency. "I have only 39 gold coins of the realm. You pay for a simple, sturdy horse and gear with winter blanket for the captain, and my magic will keep us safe from the elements. Deal? We'll move better without heavy suits, anyway."

[srgonzo]

Achilles holds his sides, he's laughing so hard. As his chuckles subside, he wipes a tear from his eye and says "That will be fine, Shen. By the way, how are you set for daggers?"

[lostsole31]

Fireday, 2 Arodus 4713

Shensen will borrow 100 of your Caulron gold and purchase a riding horse, riding kit (bit & bridle, saddle, saddlebags, and 6 days of feed), and a puzzle box and a small bag of blacksmith puzzles. That evening The Captain is given the puzzles and it seems that he is dull-witted and lacking common sense, but is far more aware than before. He no longer makes random noises, but doesn't really vocalize. Even being mentally deficient and quite clumsy, he seems to enjoy fumbling with the little puzzles (but doesn't clean up after himself). Shensen has been getting him on his feet and walking him around though he gets winded easily.

Starday, 3 Arodus 4713

The Captain has been getting stronger and healthier. He walks around with the staff (at Shensen's prodding). It's Achilles' last day at the smithy.

Sunday, 4 Arodus 4713

Morning services and it is time to move out. Anything final?

[srgonzo]

Per the RP thread, I was going to make Shensen a nice dagger, though I was actually thinking kukri, if I have enough time.

[lostsole31]

Because you are such an exceptional craftsman, what would normally take a weaponsmith 4 days to make only takes you two. You have made a kukri for Shensen. I'll leave that for you to do in Interactive.
Morning services, there is no tongues spell "wasted" on you by Shensen, but the idea is that he's called the town to prayer that the "visitors" perhaps look into the missing Lady Argentea Mallassene since no word has come back yet from the Sentinels.

Since you are larger and taller (and Shensen has better senses and is a better scout and tracker), you will walk beside and guide The Captain on his horse. Though a little unsteady, the Captain manages to handle his horse with a bare modicum of skill, as if a clumsy person is trained and is average as a result. He started out quite clumsy, but by the time you get to the forest's edge he is at this level of skill, almost as if intuitively remembering the mechanics of riding.

The attack on Lady Argentea's caravan took place approximately 6 miles south of Heldren. Retracing the trail of the reports of a lone survivor from the attack (Yuln Oersted, who had already left Heldren before you gained consciousness), intel given to the Elder, you seek to find the attack site and gain clues. Near the forest, the temperature grows noticeably colder. The road ahead is littered with debris and the corpses of slain humans and horses. A carriage stands in the roadway, its team of horses missing or cut free, while another overturned carriage lies sprawled and broken next to the tree line. To the south, more bodies have fallen around what appears to be a statue of ice. A snowy trail leads deeper into the forest.

Both of you don't even have to say it regarding the weather - definitely witchcraft. The temperature is hovering just above freezing. The horse is fine for now with gear and saddle blanket, but Shensen casts endure elements (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/endure-elements) on the three of you. With you guarding the captain Shensen will scout ahead, taking out her bow.

She first goes over to the wrecked carriage. Two dead handmaidens lie inside. There are broken chests and boxes strewn across the ground that contain the handmaidens' spare clothing, including three female courtier's dresses. Neither of you know what they're worth, but definitely worth something and obviously overlooked by bandits. Shensen will put them in the saddlebags.

Bringing you (and cap-and-horse) over closer she pulls out the bodies of the handmaidens. They have suffered some decomposition, but not as much as you would think for the time that has passed. That can be attributable to it possibly having been colder here before, freezing the bodies, and only now with it above freezing here is decomp progressing. (You provided that nugget of unsatisfying news.) Unfortunately, enough has occurred that cause of death is not easy to determine - they both seemed to have several small wounds but neither of you can figure the puzzle out together.

Then, its over to the carriage that seems to be relatively fine. The decorative chasings on this expensive carriage bear the marks of what Shensen recgonizes as Taldan heraldry, as well as damage from the many arrows fired in the battle that took place here. A spear has been wedged between the handles of the carriage doors to hold them closed. Muffled sounds of movement emanate from inside the carriage.

Shensen doesn't like this. It seems wrong. It was barred from the outside, but everyone was killed. Supposedly from this Yuln fellow, he was the only survivor. If it was barred from inside, the bandits would've managed to overturn and/or break their way into the fine carriage. They didn't it looks like a "candied apple." (A term Shen sometimes uses to denote an attractive, desirable, or otherwise benign object that is actually dangerous. She had a candied apple as a child but it had a worm in it when she bit in, and she got sick. To this day, she cuts and peels her fruit carefully.)

The simplest possibility is this is a form of starving punishment (assuming the carriage doesn't get found), yet that does seem unlikely. To be cautious, she has a standoff distance of 40'. She'll call forth an earth elemental and have it remove the spear and open the door. Meanwhile, you and she have bows drawn and ready to shoot at anything dangerous. If nothing happens, she'll have you swap out for your sword and she'll cover with her bow while you investigate.

She casts her spell and bursting forth from the ground - and yet without breaking it - is a creature made of rock that is only 3' tall that appears next to the carriage. She orders it to pull the spear, and it does. She then orders it to open the door while you and she ready shots in case anything obviously dangerous pops out (that caveat is important in case things are okay). Sure enough, her keen insight serves you both well ...

Two guards burst forth from the carriage. At first it seems like they might have been trapped in there for spite after all, but then you notice that their skin is pale and blackish-bluish in some spots, moving jerkily, and have all the classic signs of the walking dead. Shensen shoots and the shot couldn't be more perfect as it goes right through the center of its head and out the other side, destroying the thing instantly. You shoot and hit the other in the upper left arm. The unnatural toughness of its hide resists some of the arrow but yours is powerful and still does 6 mod + 3 fire.

Round One ...

R1T21: Shensen shoots the "survivor" in the stomach for 10 mod, and another shot to its head finishes it off.

Combat Ends ...

Just to be sure, she has the little earth elemental punch both in the head a few times before it disappears.
Sorry, man, it just wasn't worth pbp-turnaround time to have you shoot a zombie.
The Captain doesn't do anything in particular, but stares blankly at the dead guards. The guards have much more to tell in death than did the handmaidens. Because they didn't decompose at all, though bore the signs of death, it seems they weren't killed by any large weapons. Rather, their bodies were riddled with tiny puncture wounds. Around each small puncture wound is obvious signs of frostbite and cold necrosis. Whatever tiny things hit these men, it also did significant damage from cold, and it was cold that killed the men ... the needles were too small and too few to have done that. Neither of you can make sense of that other than two basic possibilities:
1) A spell unknown to either of you.
2) Small or Tiny creatures with cold-powers.

She checks out the carriage. It appears the bandits must have missed a small jewelry box under the seat. There is a signet ring still inside, and Shensen - having been shown what to look for - recognizes it as a Mallassene family signet ring. There is also a pair of earrings, a set of pearl-inlaid bracelets, assorted gold and silver necklaces, and a sapphire pendant. The box and its contents are put into the saddlebags.

You then go to the south to the bodies and the statue of ice, only to find out it is much more gruesome than that. The remains of the Taldan captain tasked with escorting Lady Argentea from Zimar back to Oppara stand here as a gruesome statue, his slain body mostly encased in ice. Unfortunately, the captain’s body is no longer intact, as the something carved away pieces of him that now lie in blocks of slowly melting ice at his feet. The frozen captain still wears his breastplate, emblazoned with Taldan heraldry, and one of the chunks of ice contains the captain’s arm, still grasping his masterwork longsword. All told, there is the slain guard captain, two guards that were zombified, and another seven dead guards here (all except the captain were stripped of armor and weapons). Except for the extraordinary ice encasing of the captain, all of the men died from either arrows or from tiny punctures + extreme cold.

Expensive armor and weapon. The weapon is easy to grab, but if you want his armor for resale another time, you would have to thaw him out.

This is a good RP-insertion point. What do you recommend as far as the armor? Anything else? There is a trail to the south.

[srgonzo]

"There's no point in taking the armor, nice as it is," says Achilles. "Even the weapon might be an heirloom." Achilles looks for some sort of identifying crest or coat of arms. "I'd be willing to hold onto his sword to return it to his family, but if we're tracking someone to rescue a hostage, I don't know that we really have the time to thaw this guy out to salvage his armor. If we're dealing with really tiny creatures who use magic, I'm guessing some sort of fairy, and the stories I was told as a kid said disrespecting them is a quick way to a bad end. Sweets and spirits are usually a good way to demonstrate respect, if I remember right."

[lostsole31]

Shensen nods. The sword is likewise collected and placed in the saddlebag.

At the edge of the massacre site, an obvious trail leads between a copse of trees and over a snowy plain toward the Border Wood. Tracks of men and horses are found in what becomes heavy snow. The tracks are so obvious and blatant they can be followed without any trouble or any loss of speed. Coming into the forest proper, in fact, the snow is 6" deep (difficult terrain and halves overland travel). The temperature has dropped below freezing, but with Shensen's spell you have a sense of this but aren't actually suffering an ill effect. Shensen takes point again, but this time has out her bow.

As it enters the full expanse of the Border Wood, the trail passes through a small clearing among the taller trees before continuing uphill and out of sight. A large chest lies half-buried in the snow, apparently dropped or discarded by those who hastily passed this way. Shensen doesn't trust it and keeps the two of you back while she checks it out. It is an easy thing for her to tell it is trapped. The packed rope hides a rope that the bandits must have strung through the undergrowth to a spiked log suspended high in the trees. She makes sure that you (pl.) are well out of the path. She could leave it alone, but she doesn't. Pure spite doesn't make sense. There's another factor here that doesn't make sense so she still wants to mess with it. She is successful at defeating the spiked log trap.

The half-buried chest is empty, and she digs up the rest of the chest. There is loot there that is plainly visible. The cache contains the majority of the weapons and armor stripped from Lady Argentea’s guards, including five sets of leather armor, three sets of studded leather armor, a masterwork chain shirt, two light wooden shields, seven longswords, two spears, a masterwork dagger, and three light crossbows with a total of 25 bolts. None of it is magical. Into the saddlebags it all goes ...

A little while later, the snow becomes increasingly deep in this part of the forest, where a windswept gully carves a path through a tree-covered ridge. A soft cascade of snow falls from an overhead branch, hissing softly as it strikes the ground.

Shensen whips her head as she sees something but is not quick enough to react. Something white bursts down from the tree, bringing snow with it, and lands on the other side of the horse, biting the Captain on the foot, with the slightest (unexpected) resistance and doing 7 mod, dropped unconscious, and knocked off his horse and in something's mouth. Shensen gets into her favored archery stance and fires an arrow into the monster for 14.

End Surprise Round, Begin Round One ...

R1T23: Achilles, you were surprised but your recovery from this shock is inspired. The horse is in the way, and around the other side was something white and long ... and the fallen captain. Though a forest where distances might be muted, because of the heavy snow my assumption is that you have bow in hand. You can't charge the thing if you do take out your sword (and drop your bow) because the horse is in the way. What do you do?

Unknown monster on deck, Shensen in the hole ...

[srgonzo]

I step around the horse to find out what I'm looking at, draw my sword on the move, and move in for an attack. ATK DAM

[srgonzo]

That is, if I can remember the formula correctly!

ATK roll=1d20+22
DAM roll=2d8+15

Apparently, I can't. Dave's not that smart.

[lostsole31]

R1T23: Achilles steps around the horse while drawing his sword to see what he's looking at, but doesn't hesitate to attack when he sees his fallen Captain and he hacks down for 21, causing a great splash of red blood on its white, scaled serpentine body (and on the Captain as well).

R1T14: With the bloody captain in its jaws, it tries to zoom away up the tree. It gets onto the tree just fine since it was focused on getting safe, but it just can't keep up the defensive movement and Achilles cuts across to cut it in half and its front and back halves - and the Captain - spill to the ground.

Combat Ends ...

Achilles had only barely managed to have enough energy on moving just a short distance to get to the captain, for the snow is quite thick here. Shensen was 10' ahead and she trudges over herself, having only just enough steam to cast CLW on the Captain for 7 PE (positive energy). This is enough to bring him to consciousness and fully heal his wounds. It is a sobering thought to realize how feeble he is - to be taken so quickly and yet to be healed so easily. She checks him anyway, just in case, which includes casting a spell to see if he is poisoned. She helps him onto his feet. He is still too weak to walk really well at all, and he is all but helpless in these drifts, anyway. She helps him onto his horse.

You both study the creature. It is a snake-like creature in that it is six-feet-long and sinuous, but has a type of draconic head (or other special reptile), and shows a mouth full of sharp teeth. Its dead eyes are a pale blue. Its scales and white frills of fur were white. It has no legs, but does have two forelegs with deadly, grasping claws. You are both flummoxed. Neither of you have ever seen a creature like this before ... animal? dragon? magical beast? Unknown.

What does stick out is that this creature's scales and coat are such that it is developed perfectly for wintry environments. If it were a "blender" (like a chameleon), Shensen reasons, it would return to neutral, natural colors upon death. The white of snow is its natural color and it proved its ability to get the jump on the two (three) of you with its stealth.

"Elsewhere magic," comes a slow, ponderous, and yet light-quality "voice" into your head. From Shensen's own shocked look, likely mirroring your own, you can safely amend that to the voice in your heads. "Cold magic brought here. Cold magic not made here. Snake come from elsewhere by magic."

[srgonzo]

"Who's talking inside my head?" asks Achilles. "Cold magic from elsewhere? Where elsewhere? Another world? Another country? Is that you, Captain?"


Achilles takes a look at the bifurcated serpent, then considers the time.


"Shensen," he says, "you know more about surviving in the wilderness than I do. Should we be looking to camp here, and if so, should we be cooking this snow snake to augment our food reserves?"

[lostsole31]

No answer is forthcoming to Achilles.

"The day is young," says Shensen. "We need to cover as much ground as possible. We don't know the quality of the meat. Leave it."

(I'll update more, though you can RP, but rehearsal begins again post-lunch ...)

[lostsole31]

Taking what can only be seen from the lighter swath of trees as a "trail," your little party trudges onwards.

After a half-mile or so, you get to a point where feathered bundles and strange fetishes hang from the lowest branches of the trees in this part of the forest, swaying and shifting in the wind. All are stuck through with small pins holding pieces of leather bound around them. Shensen has you hold off and points to you to have your bow ready, vice sword. Carefully, probing the snow with her bow, she moves closer to this grisly sight to discover what she can.

You notice three extremely low sources of luminosity ... in front of and to each side of the party. These three little sources of light are in the trees. Shensen seems to notice them as well. All of a sudden, all three sections are suddenly lit in a bright series of tiny floating lights, as if there is some type of faerie army.

R1T14: A creature, no bigger than Achilles forearm shoots a teeny-tiny bow at the incredibly tall man sitting in the saddle of a horse. The Captain gets hit right in the chest by the tiny needle-like arrow, but it hit the frail man in such a way as to have him slump over and fall out of the saddle and into the snow. In this case, he actually falls right by Achilles.

R1T12: The little one to the left shoots at Shensen but misses.

R1T11: While the accuracy was incredible to hit The Captain right in the heart, the tiniest bit of damage heals and his eyes open (to show the equally void expression they provide). He appears disabled (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions#TOC-Disabled), though.

R1T10: Shensen gets into her trademark archery stance and fires at the one that fired at her and blasts it out of the tree into a ruined clump some distance past.

R1T5: The one to the right shoots at you and the needle shatters on your armor.

R1T4: Achilles, what do you do?

[srgonzo]

"Shensen, stop!" Achilles makes no move to draw a weapon, but instead throws his hands wide. "Fae folk, we mean no offense! We are new to this land and did not know where to provide an offering to demonstrate our good will. We would gladly share our wine and food with you."

[lostsole31]

R1T4: "Shensen, stop!" Achilles makes no move to draw a weapon, but instead throws his hands wide. "Fae folk, we mean no offense! We are new to this land and did not know where to provide an offering to demonstrate our good will. We would gladly share our wine and food with you."

"Those are some kind of sprite," shouts Shensen, "but deadly attack first as not even part of a prank shows their hearts to be as cold as this possible home environ! Use Aushanna!"

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T14: The one towards the front takes a defensive shot at Shensen. It is a terrible shot and it looks like the little creature hurt its back.

R2T11: The Captain's wounds continue to knit, a tiny bit faster than before (FH2). [FH = "Fast Healing." 2 is the level of fast heal.] With his staff still lying in the snow, the Captain helps himself up using the horse's tack and saddle and stirrups. And then, there is a bright blue flash, a loud report, and the thick smell of ozone as lightning jolts forth from his ring to hit the one that hit him (the same one that just fired), practically disintegrating it as it falls in a tiny, charred mass to the bottom of the tree it was in.

R2T10: Shensen is shocked (pun intended) but quickly recovers. She turns to the last and shoots at it and the arrow practically takes its little arm off and it drops its bow to the ground. The little blue fey is disarmed and disabled.

R2T5: All of these tiny lights - each equal to the luminosity of a torch - appear and move out from it and dance around and then zoom out in all directions before winking out. Achilles has lost track of the last fey.

Achilles, on your turn you will be unable to note a target.

Combat Ends ...

Shensen will note that the sprite flew off as quickly as it could, and you (collectively) have no chance of chasing it down in this snow.

The Captain's wounds nearly fully knit (FH3). He shakily (and with Achilles' help) reaches down and takes the staff as if in the grip of an old man, but as painful as it may be to watch it shows greater strength, agility, and awareness than he had before. You help him into his saddle, and once there you realize he is no longer wounded. Shensen reaches up and looks and except for the blood on his blue robe, it looks as if he had never been hurt.

A declarative "Huh" is all that Shensen can muster in the face of this, and she looks at you.

"Well, let's look at what hit us."

The two of you look at the one the Captain took out. It is a shriveled, charred mass, and you will learn little from it. There are remains of what was once a bow and a quiver of tiny arrows, as well as slagged gold in a pouch and a slagged tiny weapon in a charred scabbard that looks like it might have had a suitably sized dagger or short sword.Slagged, in parlance here, means destroyed. "Destroyed" ... if not out-and-out disintegrated, means unusable, and providing now benefit for reconstruction, resale, or currency. When ammunition hits a target and it is "destroyed?" You get nothing from it ... not even the ability to melt down the arrowhead to defray material costs. As such, "slagged gold" is denoted to show that it had gold. Regardless of real-world chemistry, Pathfinder-world physics/chemistry means you get no ability to benefit or profit from the remains, other than the clue that was its existence. I just want to cut any arguments off at the pass, since the scavenger-vs.-"destroyed" bit comes up in games every so often.
The one that Shensen killed shows a lot more.https://s.yimg.com/fz/api/res/1.2/4vg5aZH63XsjyWw8NMfjoA--/YXBwaWQ9c3JjaGRkO2g9MjcwO3E9OTU7dz0xODc-/https://db4sgowjqfwig.cloudfront.net/assets/279725/sprite.png?1388805842Shensen nods at looking at the 9"-tall fey. "There are stories of fey - some other creatures as well, but mainly fey - who make contracts with dark powers. They allow a needle of ice to be pushed into their heart so they can gain cold powers - immune to cold, but able to transmit a numbing cold through its weapons. The balance is that they become evil. Take a look at the ravens ... sprite arrows. Pure malice and sadism in a way you just won't see even in more cruel pranks of some sprites. Since they have given themselves over to the powers of cold, that means they are probably vulnerable to fire ... like the arrows fired from your bow Aushanna.

"Come to think of it," she says, obviously having just drawn some internal conclusion. "Some of the bodies at the massacre site had evidence of a lot of tiny puncture wounds ... just like these sprite arrows. I wouldn't be surprised if these sprites - or others like them - were involved. That strange telepathic voice, we never figured it out, mentioned 'elsewhere magic.' I assume this means that the cold was somehow brought in from somewhere else like a gate or something, rather than just spontaneously generated through magic. That strange, white snake-dragon ... these winter-touched fey ... these are creatures that seem like they would otherwise be born and bred and thrive in colder environs."

A check of the fey's possession reveals its tiny bow, a tiny quiver with 19 arrows, and a tiny short sword. In addition, it had a leaf pouch with a whopping 18 gold coins, which is nearly 6 ounces of gold. Not enough to slow it down, but still a sizeable amount of coin. The 18 gold will be kept on hand, but Shensen does recommend leaving the fey weapons ... you can't really resell them for other than curios, and any better-hearted fey that see these items won't understand.

Going over to the last spot there is the spattered remains of a left arm from the elbow down to the hand, and a fey bow. There is also some spattering of blood. Possibly a trail to follow, though from the speed of the creature its only a little blood every once in a while. You travel onwards ...

"Oh," says Shensen. "It's a safe bet that fey don't understand this Oeridian Common we speak. Just a guess."

A narrow game trail winds its way through the trees and undergrowth here. Hoofprints mark the underlying snow, leading in both directions.

A majestic white stag, standing fully the height of a man at its shoulders, steps out upon the trail, and a voice is heard from it.

Shensen translates, "It calls itself the White Stag, and asks why we have come to the forest. We seem ... interesting to it, and it wants to know more about us."

[srgonzo]

"Ok, I thought I would try something a little different, since I was told stories about how big people tended to stomp through the forest and unintentionally disturb the fae folk. You're supposed to be able to appease them with some pretty simple things, but I really think they just appreciate the consideration more than anything else."

Achilles takes a look at the stag, trying really hard not to think of things like venison roasts or a white buckskin coat.

"Ok, Shen. You know me and the Captain pretty well. Why don't you talk to the stag, does he have a name, by the way, and if there's something he asks and you need me to answer, I'll fill in what I can."

[lostsole31]

Prior ...

"No, Achilles, you are right," Shensen admits. "Most make no nevermind when it comes to the fair folk of any lands they are in, especially forests. There are countless little appeasements for every type of fey and I surely don't know them all. But what we witnessed was entirely out of character unless they are related to the Unseelie Court - a dark mirror to the goodly Seelie Court."

Shensen steps forth and begins to converse back and forth with the stag. The stag does not come closer, stays some distance off, but the voice you hear - though something of a light shout - is not threatening. She seems to be introducing herself, you, and noting the Captain on the horse. They talk for a few rounds before a telepathic voice, like before, is heard in Achilles' mind. "Stag not talk. Other talk."

Shensen immediately stops speaking, and it is obvious that she must have heard the voice as well. Shensen only pauses a second though, looking at Achilles, and then turns back to talk with the "stag." Something in her demeanor has changed, but she doesn't seem to have any verbal challenge. Perhaps she is using some type of stratagem to take control of the situation?

Two rounds later ... a coruscating ray shoots forth from the Captain's staff to strike the white stag, draining it of 7 STR! The stag rears up on its hind legs, letting out an awful yell ... that sounds nothing like its voice ... when it was speaking ... with its mouth shut (distance helped to shelter that fact).

Well, that escalated quickly.

Achilles, what do you do?

[srgonzo]

Achilles draws his bow and fires off an arrow at the stag.

ATK


DAM
[roll]1d8+6+1d6

[srgonzo]

Damage should be: [roll0]

Fire damage should be: [roll1]

*EDIT: Ok, rolling two dice in the same formula doesn't work, and since I rolled again right afterward, it deleted my dice rolls. It should be 1d8+6 and 1d6.

[lostsole31]

R1T22: Achilles draws his bow and fires off a shot at the stag, hitting it for 14 + 4 fire, and the thing is barely standing now.

R1T12: Shensen shoots it and drops it.

R1T9: There's a bloodcurdling, non-stag scream (and it sounds like from something small). Achilles feels a little funny at first, as if his body is trying to cave in on itself, but he shrugs off whatever was happening. Appearing 20' off the ground, 30' from him (15' from Shensen) is a creature roughly a foot tall, humanoid, flying. The creature starts shouting in a foreign language, definitely one that is different from the language that was being spoken before.

R1T7: A different beam - black-ish gray - shoots from the Captain's staff but misses it by a mile.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22: Achilles, what do you do?

Shensen on deck, little fey on deck ...

[srgonzo]

"Is this another Unseelie?"

Achilles draws and fires

ATK 1

[roll0]

DAM

[roll1]+FIRE [roll2]

[lostsole31]

R2T22: "Is this another Unseelie?" Achilles draws and fires, hitting the thing for 7 + 1 fire.

R2T12: "Seems that way!" calls Shensen. She shoots and hits it behind the ear with a crit for 16 + 1 INT + 1 bleed. It falls and takes 5 from the plummet, landing in a heap in the snow with its little legs sticking out.

Combat Ends ...

She goes over, likely with you following, and moves the snow away from a little creature that has an arrow sticking into its ear from one side and out the other side from th middle of the side of the head. It is a miniscule creature with blue-green skin and it had dropped a needle-thin rapier.

"It's an atomie," she informs you. "They're trouble-makers and blow-hards, and they can freely talk with animals. The bluish cast of its green skin is unnatural. Theron attacked the stag, knowing that something was amiss, but the shouts of the atomie were in Sylvan, and it cursed us for killing its pet. It shouted, 'Winter is coming, and it will take you all.'"

The atomie had nothing else on it.

[srgonzo]

I wonder if its name is Ned. Seriously, though, there seems to be quite a bit of fairie activity in these woods.

[lostsole31]

She nods, and the thing's rapier goes into the saddlebags. Meanwhile, she doesn't waste time. She immediately sets about rendering the stag, and with your help it will only take a few hours. "Don't look a gift stag in the mouth."

She does hearken back to the comment Achilles made regarding fairie spirits. "Evil fey, at that. I've made a discovery. I wasn't sure at first, but now I know it. My bow seems to have greater power in it than I had realized. I shoot more accurately and with far greater power against the fey; it wasn't so with the stag. It's as if some part of my spirit sensed these travails and imparted itself into my weapon. Come. Let us take half the meat and spare the rest for scavengers. This sudden weather will be poorly borne by native fauna suddenly beset by the cold."

The three+horse of you are on your way again. In about a half-mile, a human-sized snowman stands in the middle of the trail before a frozen stream. A crude wooden sign leans against it and bears the words crudely drawn in soot: "Trespassers Turn Back."

Shensen carefully stalks towards the snowman. Once she gets within 15', the snowman seemingly stirs to life and shouts something in the lingua fraca. Shensen translates, "Can't you read? The sign says turn back! Now get lost!"

[srgonzo]

"We are looking for someone," Achilles says. "She is a young lady who is missed very much by her family. We would be grateful for any help you could provide."

Achilles nocks an arrow, and he's ready to draw and fire if anyone or anything attacks.

[lostsole31]

The snowman says nothing, and nothing happens ...

[lostsole31]

The head moves and jiggles just a little and then rolls off of the snowman - despite looking as though it was obviously well settled - and drops to the ground with a wumpf-BOOM!!

The "whumpf" was the snowman's separated pate plopping on the snow. The "BOOM!!" was a loud, thunderous sound that blew up everything within a 5'-radius of where the snowman once stood. It is now a crater of snow and dirt.

[srgonzo]

Great. Now we have to pick our way through a minefield. Nothing is ever easy. So, bride of mine, do you have any ideas?

Sorry, my senior chief is the bane of my existence, and I go to bed a little earlier every night. I'm practically scrambling for my life at work. I filed for divorce, and my wife is ignoring it. I have practically no time at work to post, and posting at home would be more possible if I could actually stay awake.

[lostsole31]

"Not a minefield," she says, shaking her head. "A trap. Some type of sonic-based, magic trap that was placed on the snowman. Some type of spell - likely programmed - that put a specific message on the snowman. Disturbing the snowman or its vicinity set off the trap. We should still be careful, and I'll check here and there. But, we are in a little bit of a hurry so I can't search every bit of trail."

She does a careful search of where the snowman was and its now splintered sign, and finds nothing.

[srgonzo]

So let's keep going. But we'll have to be careful. Wow, that was really obvious.

Achilles moves forward, bow drawn and arrow nocked, looking for the next threat.

[lostsole31]

With the ice-covered river immediately ahead and this trap, it definitely calls for at least some superb caution. Shensen recommends you aid the Captain on foot. She'll lead the horse in front carefully while testing the ice as she goes. Does this plan seem sound? Helping the Captain, one hand is with him ... meaning you can't have an arrow knocked and drawn.

[lostsole31]

Scene safety first, the plan seeming sound, Achilles stows bow and arrow and tends to the Captain. Shensen begins to lead the horse across the iced over river. Shensen appears to note a weak spot in the ice only 10' out and starts guiding the horse around it. Suddenly, coming right from the ice - but without actually breaking the ice (poor conversationalists?) - appear two creatures. From the waist up, these creatures of ice appear to be humanoid, but below its body is a snake-like, slithering tail. They are flanking the surprised half-drow. One grabs at her, and the other catches on and tries to slide her in an arc but she shrugs him off.

Begin Round One ...

R1T17: While he is still clumsy, the Captain is the first to act. On some instinctive level he must understand the danger. He points the staff forward at the melee on the ice and grunts with extreme concentration but nothing happens.

R1T14: Shensen already seemed to recognize that the ice must be weak in some places. Achilles, what do you do?

[lostsole31]

Even though this is a solo game, I am going to co-opt your turn like I would in a normal, multi-player game. This is the very first of the adventures in this adventure path, and advancing the story is more important right now than the specifics of one turn of battle.
R1T14: Without even thinking, Achilles' training sees ice and instantly thinks fire. He draws his bow and fires at one of the strange creatures, hitting it in the left upper arm for 10 + 3 mod fire. Though not a ton of damage, it does seem that the flaming arrow did a faint bit more than expected.

R1T11: "Ice elementals!" calls Shensen. "They have a nasty cold strike." With that, she punches the wounded one in the abdomen for 4, and a chop to the lower left arm for 3.

R1T5-0: The same one tries to grab onto her and she reacts with a counter but ends up cutting herself along the inside of her left forearm for 1 CON. Though it lets go of her, Achilles sees that they aren't trying to grab and hold onto her so much as they are trying to grab her to reposition her on the ice. The other one tries to do the same thing, but Shensen knees it on the lower tail-abdomen for 6, interrupting its attempt at the same.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T17: This time, The Captain is successful and two bolts of fire shoot out from the staff. The first hits the wounded one and blasts it into ice chunks. The second nails the ice creature hard and it goes down (but is whole and not in pieces).

R2T14: Achilles, what do you do?

[srgonzo]

Achilles fires a full round's worth of arrows into the elemental engaged with Shensen
ATK
roll=1d20+16

DAM
roll=1d8+6

FIRE
roll=1d6

ATK2
roll=1d20+11

DAM
roll=1d8+6

FIRE
roll=1d6

ATK3
roll=1d20+6

DAM
roll=1d8+6

FIRE
roll=1d6

[srgonzo]

It's official. I really suck at HTML codes.

ATK 1


DAM


FIRE


ATK 2


DAM


FIRE


ATK 3


DAM


FIRE

[lostsole31]

... hits the wounded one and blasts it into ice chunks. The second nails the ice creature hard and it goes down (but is whole and not in pieces).
There were only two. Save your arrows.
"It's as if all of the fell things of winter were dislodged from northern lands and came here just to plague us."

Shensen slides the body of the one that wasn't blasted into chunks in the direction of where it tried to swing her. Since it is no longer a conscious, capable ice elemental but rather a ice-humanoid with the weight of ice that large, the ice cracks and breaks and it falls in the hole created, to live or die as its anatomy allows. With the greatest care, Shensen is able to guide the horse, you, and The Captain across safely (despite a few close calls).

On the other (western) side of the creek the legs and feet of a frozen corpse jut from a pile of snow next to the trees here. She carefully excavates him, worried that a true sadist might trap the body. The body is that of an old human, though it seems that before he died he was in relatively good health for a man well past his middle years. He carries with him weapons in good repair: a composite longbow (+1 STR) with 12 arrows; a dagger; a masterwork handaxe. He also had a pouch containing 14 gold, 25 silver, and 18 copper. Based on his description, health despite his age, and the weapons, Shensen deduces that there was a farmer who went missing by the name of Old Man Dansby. This must be he. She takes the equipment and into the saddlebags they go except for the arrows. Her bow, it seems, creates its own ammunition (a surprise to her since coming to this world). She gives you the 12 arrows for Aushanna. Time to travel again, and she leaves the body as is.

In a little while, the trail begins to climb a ridgeline to the south beneath snow-laden trees. The prints of boots and horses mar the freshly fallen snow on the trail.

Shensen looks to you, "I am willing to scout ahead. Do you want to leave the Captain here and scout with me? or, do you want to stay with him? How quiet do you think you are in your mithral armor?"

[lostsole31]

She looks at you doubtfully and says, "You know what? Never mind. Better to keep company with the Captain and the horse."

Shensen has her bow in hand and carefully goes to scout ahead. She returns a couple minutes later.

"Bandits. Three. Arguing about who gets the loot from Lady Argentea's treasure. They don't look like much, so I think they're just arrow fodder for a larger force. But we don't want them getting back to their main camp to warn the real force and leader. Leave the Captain with the horse so we can maintain stealth. Start with a bow."

She guides you back along her way. You aren't that quiet, let's face it, but they are making such a ruckus amongst themselves you don't need to be. Shet gets you within 30' of them. Sure enough, there are three human men in cheap, padded armor and with only simple bucklers to defend them better than that. For weapons, they seem to have short sword and shortbow. Like Shensen said, they don't look like much at all.

She draws a bead on one of them, and signals you to hit a different target. She fires. The arrow hits a man in the chest he goes down instantly. She shoots at another but misses wildly.

Achilles, there are two men standing who have not yet perceived they are under attack. What do you do?

[srgonzo]

Full attack on the two non-reacting guys.

Two shots to the one on the left, one to the one on the right.

ATK1
[roll0]

DAM1
[roll1]

FIRE DAM
[roll2]

ATK2
[roll3]

DAM2
[roll4]

FIRE DAM
[roll5]

ATK3
[roll6]

DAM1
[roll7]

FIRE DAM
[roll8]

[lostsole31]

Achilles shoots two arrows into the head and groin of one of the men and he goes down. He then makes a head shot to the other one and he goes down as well.

Begin Round One ...

R1T11: Achilles, the Stone-Cold Headshot Sniper-Assassin, all three were dropped before they knew what hit them. What do you do now?

[lostsole31]

"I'll check the bodies," says Shensen. "Bring The Captain and horse up. Keep it quiet. This was obviously an advance sentry post for bandits, but that doesn't mean the main group is too far away."

Achilles brings the Captain back up.

In the meantime, it turns out that the bandits each had:
Padded armor, not worth recovery, especially with damage and blood.
Bucklers. Takes up too much space for too little gain.
Short Swords
Shortbows w/ 20 arrows
8 gp, 5 sp (each)She stripped this main stuff off of them already.

"These two are dead. That one there," she points to one as she then begins loading everything but the armor and bucklers, "is stable, but comatose. He may yet die. These men boasted about their sin of attacking travelers for gain and we've seen their handiwork. The law of tooth and claw says he should die. My compassion says that I should leave him here to recover or die as his will to live, the elements, and external forces may desire. If he still survives, it is up to him to better himself. I will provide no healing magic to one who attacked travelers; that is as much an affront to Desna's power as it was to Fharlanghn's. I will not bind his wounds; he must earn the right to survive on his own, and healing him means we saved his life and are therefore responsible for it. What do you say?"

[srgonzo]

Shen, I don't like the idea of leaving him alive to recover. We either interrogate him or we put him down.

[lostsole31]

You know her mind, so it's up to you to finish him off. That's a mercy she will not provide, and without knowing if anyone survived from the raid you've no time for this guy to heal naturally. She will not expend healing magic.

You finish him off?

[srgonzo]

Achilles pulls his dagger and opens the wounded man's throat.

"At least he'll be providing sustenance to the plants and animals around here.

[lostsole31]

She nods, but she is not so heartless that she doesn't say a prayer that Desna speed his soul to his proper afterlife. Of course, considering that he is not likely to have a happy eternity, perhaps it is not so merciful a request after all. The Captain looks on, both confused and dispassionately, his mind obviously trying to make sense of the aftermath. Shensen gives The Captain a very brief concept of what happens when souls die, and about her own goddess. Though Desna's dogma doesn't admit to actually overseeing any part of the journey after death (well, supposedly), as the goddess of roads it makes sense she might play a hand. Shensen then gives you a primer that the Goddess of Death, the Guardian of the dead, as well as the goddess of midwives and prophecy, is Pharasma. She is like Wee Jas in many ways (from your home world) in that she is the guardian of those who have died. She is simply dispassionate and does not seem to show any leanings towards any moral or ethical platitudes (whereas Wee Jas' view is nearly draconian and unbending). They do differ in that while Wee Jas only allows channeling of negative energy despite not being a "technically evil" deity, Pharasma allows her worshippers to utilize the animating or decaying energies of the universe as befits their internal compass. Also, being the guardian of the dead, she is probably far more against the animating of undead than many good gods (despite being true neutral). Resurrections are one thing, and entail a considerable cost or sacrifice, but undeath is cheating the universe of its natural order by removing an entity - or, in the case of mindless undead - at least a sliver of its soul, from the realm of the living, able to inflict its will without a sense of mortal dread.

While fascinating, it is time to move on. A little more travel as the trail now tightens on an eastern trailhead. After climbing at least a hundred feet into the hills, the snowy trail finally levels off. In a clearing among the trees, a large wooden lodge overlooks a ravine spanned by a long rope bridge. Smoke rises from the lodge’s two snow-covered chimneys, and large woodpile is stacked against the outer wall. A small outbuilding stands east of the lodge, and a stone well nearly blanketed by snow is barely recognizable to the north. Several tracks lead southwest toward a detached stable.

"That's the High Sentinel Lodge," says Shensen. "I heard the bandits discuss it. I know from town it used to be a place for veteran rangers to act as wardens of the wood while looking for possible probing incursions from Taldor's ancient enemy, the Qadirans. If the bandits are there, I fear for the fate of the sentinels. We move carefully. Bow out, stand back 30' with the captain while I search for traps. They've already proven they like them, and the exploding, talking snowman is proof that whether fey or learned human, we are dealing with those who know magic as well."

Sure enough, Shensen easily finds a crossbow trap right where the trailhead ends at the treeline before opening up towards the lodge. She expertly dismantles the tripwire and crossbow. She has you hold position. She points to what is obviously a long back porch with double doors and windows. "I am going to check the outhouse to make sure we are not surprised by a lone person, but I want to move stealthily because of the windows. Wait here."

She creeps over to the outhouse. Her body language obviously shows that the reek must be overwhelming. Even with her darker clothing, the only reason you see her is because you've kept a close eye on her this entire time. She gets very low and from an off angle approaches the back porch. As she begins to amble up on all fours like a hunting cat, the double doors and some of the windows suddely open.

Surprise Round ...

S-T12: An arrow flies out at her, but Shensen's awareness wins out and she dodges.

S-T9: Still not her fastest reflexes, but these guys aren't great warriors. Shensen gets into her signature archery stance and shoots into the building twice. "Move in!" she calls out before backing 5' down the wide deck stairs.

S-T8.5-1.5: Several arrows are loosed from inside, and she actually grazed along the chest for 2.

Begin Round One ...

R1T22: Achilles, you would have to move 20' in the snow (MA because of your speed) to be face forward with a shot into the building (or other tactic. Another 5' up the staircase (using your second move action) could bring you inside, but you have your bow out. What do you do?

[srgonzo]

Achilles hands his bow to the Captain. "Take care of this, sir, until I come back," he says. "Make sure you protect yourself, Shen and the bow. I'm going to go say hello." Then he draws his greatsword while bounding up the stairs to get himself into the building.

[lostsole31]

R1T22: Achilles hands his bow to the Captain. "Take care of this, sir, until I come back," he says. "Make sure you protect yourself, Shen and the bow. I'm going to go say hello."

R1T12: A sharp cry of pain is heard from the building.

R1T11: The Captain takes the bow. Achilles, in turn takes out his greatsword while bounding across the snow to get to the bottom of the porch stairs next to Shensen. He sees two men shooting from the doorway and one at each window. All are using cover (window casement or doorway). Meanwhile, The Captain puts Aushanna in the saddlebags.

R1T9: Shensen hits one of the two men in the doorway with a shot to his head for 10 but he stays on his feet. Instead of following up, She targets one of the men at the window. She hits him in the left shoulder and he falls down. You can't see him, but it looks like it must have gone partway through his body and out the other side, so he probably is actually down.

R1T8.5-1.5: The wounded man in the doorway shoots Shensen in the upper chest for 5. The other two shoot at her and miss.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R1T11.1: Achilles, what do you do? It is 5' movement (not 5' free move) to get to the doorway.

[srgonzo]

Achilles closes with the man in the door. "You will die for scratching my wife," he says.

In a very rare display of unbridled aggression, Achilles uses a full power attack to intimidate his opponents.

ATK

[roll0]

DAM
[roll1]

[srgonzo]

Of course I roll a natural '1.'

[lostsole31]

R2T11.1: Achilles closes with the man in the door. "You will die for scratching my wife," he says.

In a very rare display of unbridled aggression, Achilles uses a full power attack to intimidate his opponents. He almost cut into his femoral artery, but luckily his armor stopped his blade.

R2T11: The Captain rides the horse right up to where Achilles had been standing. He gathers some of the changing light from his body and throws it forth. The man right in front of Achilles has a colorful burst of light pop right in front of his eyes. RIGHT in front of his eyes (and Achilles is fine). Though the man can still see, it is apparent from his tearing up that he is probably dazzled right now. The Captain smiles a stupid smile.

R2T9: Shensen takes advantage of that man's distraction and shoots and hits him in the chest for 9. She then concentrates briefly and the two men in the doorway scream and fall, and the man who dropped himself from his bad shooting starts to twitching; all appear OOC. That happens for a few seconds and they then stop twitching.

R2T1.5: One shooting from the window looks at her in fear and shoots and misses.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T18: A new archer comes to the opposite window. He doesn't seem to be wearing any armor, and he seems to be ill. Not too sick to shoot, though, and the Captain gets hit in the lower belly. Oddly, there is the slightest bit of resistance and the arrow only does 4 mod. It is still nearly enough to unseat the vaati.

R3T11.1: Achilles, both of the men in the doorway had dropped, and now there is an archer shooting from a window to each side of the double doors, and you see other men inside with bows making their way towards you (or your general direction). What do you do?

The Captain on deck, Shensen in the hole ...

[srgonzo]

Achilles moves to close the distance with the archers coming to meet him and attacks (not power attack, just a regular attack) the one on the left.

ATK
[roll0]

DAM
[roll1]

I'm under the impression that my move means I can't use a full attack, but given the amount of damage I deal in one swing, I'm not thinking this is going to be a problem.

[lostsole31]

R3T11.1: Achilles moves to close the distance between himself and the archers coming to meet him and attacks the one on the left, bifurcating his head and the man drops.

R3T11: The Captain's wound begins to knit, and this time more than you had seen before (FH4). Unfortunately, while he seems to have an unconscious sense of riding, he is very clumsy and can't control the horse. He gets thrown, and the horse runs away back the way you came. The Captain takes 3 mod as he is slammed to the ground. He stands up, and looks relatively bewildered, and his glow-color is now red.

R3T9: Shensen doesn't focus on the loss of the horse, being more happy that The Captain didn't break his neck in the fall. She shoots the man in the window in front of her. The arrow hits his shoulder and he drops. She then targets the man in the other window and hits him in the left forearm for 10.

R3T3: One of the men fighting Achilles is another one that looks sick, weak, and without armor. He drops his bow, takes out his short sword and makes a poor attempt at an attack - more warding than effectively aggressive.

R3T1.5: One of the men at the window drops his bow, draws his short sword on the move and comes up behind Achilles (who is now flanked), but not a chance.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T18: The wounded sick man in the window shoots at the Captain and misses. He is still clumsy, and yet to Achilles mid-battle analysis The Captain is more agile now on the ground than he was on the horse a minute ago.

R4T11.1: Achilles, you are flanked by a sick man in front of you and a well man in armor behind you. What do you do?

The Captain on deck, Shensen in the hole ...

[srgonzo]

Achilles attacks the sick man, then turns his attention to the armored man (if it takes a full attack to end the sick guy).

ATK1

[roll0]

DAM1

[roll1]

ATK2

[roll2]

DAM2

[roll3]

ATK3

[roll4]

DAM3

[roll5]

[lostsole31]

R4T11.1: Achilles kills the sick man then turns his attention to the other, bringing his sword straight down. But in turning so severely Achilles finds that mithral armor has no special resistance against the cold and that there is some icing up that slows his swing as it slams down into the lodge floor. Achilles recovers quickly, though, yanking his sword out and then killing his opponent.

R4T11: The remainder of the Captain's wounds close. He just stands there, looking at the battle, his bell likely having been rung after falling off the horse.

R4T9: Shensen shoots the last man - the sick man that was firing on the Captain - and with an arrow through the eye and out the back of the head, he is dead.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T20: Someone casting a spell is heard, and a man suddenly appears over one of the fallen men. The man he seems to have been casting over doesn't look like he was healed anything though, so you're not sure what's going on.

R5T13: A skeleton comes into the room. This one looks different than the countless skeletons you have encountered before and as it closes to you your breath comes out in a mist as you realize that you have suddenly been plunged into an even colder cold than before. With a powerful claw it rakes you across the arm with a crit for 12 + 4 cold.

R5T11.1: Achilles, the first damage you've taken today. You are facing a skeleton with a cold aura as you take another 4 cold. A man is 10' away ... over by the window, kneeling over one of the fallen. Another one of this chilly skeletons is across this long room and will get to you in just a few seconds. What do you do?
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a7/e9/e9/a7e9e9b5c9ce458f1e8facb519c018f2.jpg

[srgonzo]

A man must die.

Achilles closes with the man.

"Pharasma wouldn't take kindly to your machinations. Perhaps you can talk it over with her," Achilles says.

ATK

[roll0]

DAM

[roll1]

[srgonzo]

It would seem as though Pharasma appreciated Achilles's comment.

Rolling to confirm crit.

[roll0]

Crit Damage

[roll1]

[lostsole31]

R5T11.1: A man must die. Achilles closes with the man as the skeleton that was with him misses on its AOO, even as Achilles takes 4 cold from its icy aura.. "Pharasma wouldn't take kindly to your machinations. Perhaps you can talk it over with her," Achilles says.

With that, Achilles lays on a parrying strike that crits the man deep in his left shoulder for 39, dropping him. [EDIT: Another 9 points to include holy damage vs. an evil opponent.]

R5T11: The Captain's glow is a mixed red-violet. With great effort he travels all of 5 feet in the snow. And then again for another 5' so that now he is at the top of the porch.

R5T10: The second freezing skeleton closes on Achilles with a charge but only scratches at his armor.

R5T9: "Logical variation on a burning skeleton," Shensen mutters. She then speaks up. "This may hurt a bit, but you can take it..."

She shoots at the skeleton on Achilles. Even Achilles knows that skeletons are resistant to piercing and slashing weapons, but he also recognizes that with their cold aura it is a safer bet to deal with that for Shensen than have her deal with the cold aura were she to attack it unarmed. Her arrow hits for 8 mod, but the second arrow is a miss. "Well," she says disappointedly, "that didn't work as well as I had hoped. Be ready for a burst of cold when you finish them."

End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T13: The first skeleton now closes and is side-by-side with its fellow. It is a ferocious claw on a charge, but misses.

R6T11.1: Achilles, the area of cold with both of them is now intense and you take 4 cold between the two of them. You are facing two freezing skeletons that had just charged. What do you do?

[srgonzo]

Full attack on the two skeletons. Left first.

ATK1

[roll0]

DAM1

[roll1]

ATK2

[roll2]

DAM2

[roll3]

ATK3

[roll4]

DAM3

[roll5]

[lostsole31]

R6T11.1: With what is practically a single stroke Achilles blasts both skeletons with his blade and quickly turns with his cloaked-and-armored back to them so the bone-numbing chill, while he still feels it, doesn't actually do any damage as they "erupt" when they die. Shensen likewise dodges behind the doorway outside. If any of the fallen men were alive, they aren't now ... their bodies are partially frozen.

Combat Ends ...

You take stock of where you are even as Shensen says, "Rescue mission. Loot later. With an alarm raised, we are fighting the clock to save Lady Argentea."

You are in the great central room of the High Lodge. A large table and two benches run the length of this hall, and a twenty-foot-high vaulted ceiling rises into the rafters overhead. To the west, a roaring fireplace provides a welcome heat and light while to the south, a flight of stairs ascends to a wooden balcony overlooking the room. A set of double doors stands in the wall to the east. There are multiple internal doors.

"Door-by-door, then," says Shensen, "starting with the first on the north closest to our right. Captain, you stay right there." (You are on the east, or "rear" of the building.) The Captain seems to comply even as he uses his staff to curiously poke at the fallen men.

A bed and chest sit across from one another in this small room. Another door serves as an exit, and a window looks out on the north side of the lodge. She goes in and calls clear. and goes to that internal door (facing west, the way you will be progressing).

Three doors open into this room - this one (east), a western one, and the southern which goes to the Great Room. A sturdy bed heaped with blankets sits near the only window, and a large maple chest occupies the southwest corner. She calls clear and you'll be progressing again via interior to the west.

A single, rumpled bed occupies this room. You have to exit to the Great Room to the single door to the south.

You are now towards the far western side of the Great Room, and it is practically its own section - effectively a Trophy Room. A bearskin rug dominates the floor of this trophy room, and the heads of several deer have been mounted on the walls. Doors lead north (in addition to your door, slightly west) and south, while the hallway returns to the east whence you came. Time to kick in that northern door.

This must be the kitchen. A large fireplace takes up most of the north wall of this room, its radiant heat providing palpable relief from the cold weather outside. Cabinets and shelves line the remaining wall space, and four windows look out on the wintry landscape surrounding the lodge. In this room appears a glum half-orc female woman simmering a pot of soup. She sees the two of you and shouts something, but you don't know what.

R1T24: Shensen quickly one-hands her bow to her side and casts a spell on herself. She then says something to the half-orc. As Shensen speaks, she puts the hand she used for the spell and puts it slightly out and back as if to have you hold off.

Possible Combat Suspended ...

[lostsole31]

No respondents to the half-orc woman's shouts. The girls talk for a few minutes. Finally, Shensen reports. "Her name is Ten-Penny Tacey. She says she met with some bad fortune in a town and had to leave because of the criminal element. The man we killed was one Rohkar Cindren, and these bandits are his gang, called Rohkar's Raiders. Rohkar invited her to stay here with the strange cold when he found her, and she's been cooking for them. Right now she is making a deer stew primarily for the ill men - they have the chillbane shakes since no one is used to this weather. She only limits herself to the Grand Hall and Trophy Room, the kitchen, the bedrooms we've already seen on the north side of the lodge, and sometimes the back porch. She knows the men killed the majority of a caravan and kidnapped Lady Argentea ... the men brag about it and how their (now deceased) boss was in league with frightening creatures that helped them pull it off. She's seen strange races confer with Rohkar, and that was it. She's only been biding her time until this strange weather blows over before she was going to escape. With us here, to prove she's no 'murderin' lout,' she's willing to see if the Lady is in any other rooms in the Lodge.

"I believe her. In fact, though I am quite sure my charm spell worked, I think it strengthened her resolve rather than coerced her to do what she might not otherwise do. She does want to make sure she gets the rest of her belongings from the chest in her room before leaving the Lodge, but that doesn't have to be this minute.

"Your call, Achilles, but she seems like her welfare is tied to being able to leave this place safely, quitting these men. Even with them, she was trying to heal them with cooking."
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/118/c/7/Sexy_Orc_by_morganagod.jpg

[srgonzo]

"Ms. Tacey, I appreciate your help. We're no murdering louts either, despite the recent violence. If you help us, I will do everything I can to make sure you can leave here safely. Is there anything we can do to help speed up the process?"

[lostsole31]

Ms. Tacey struggles with Achilles' thick accent but then nods her head once she finally parses out what you said. She shrugs, "I've been to all the places you've been. After that, it's all new territory for me since I wasn't allowed to go there."

The next, facing SW, are the double-doors leading outside to the porch. A wooden roof extends over this wide porch. Two small glass windows are set in the walls to either side of the doors. 25' further along a very wide trail heading southwest, a bridge made of rope and wooden planks spans a narrow ravine. It’s already covered in ice and snow, and it sways alarmingly in the icy winds blowing through the gorge. The turbulent waters of a fast-moving creek surge through a couple of waterfalls far below. The bridge looks to span about 30'. "We can check that after we're done in here," says Shensen.

Heading back in, the first door to the south coming from the double doors there is a corner bedroom. A single rumpled bed occupies this room.

Next, you have stairs heading up, but you saw another door in the main Great Hall that is under the balcony just east of the stairs, so that's checked before going upstairs. "I can tell you that this is where the four sick men with the chillbane shakes were quarantined."

Inside, four beds, two large chests, and a single table with four chairs occupy this room. Three windows look out to the east, west, and south, providing a grand view of the snowy gorge outside the lodge. Ten-Penny won't go in there because she's worried about getting sick. She's done with being around the sick. Still, you and Shensen (with the Captain next to Ten-Penny out in the Grand Hall) go in to rummage. Nothing of value is in here.

Upstairs you go ... the upstairs hallway is only 10' long, with a little bit past that but an angled wall. Before the angled wall to the east there is a single door to the south. An L-shaped table with many chairs takes up most of the floor space in this loft. A second smaller table sits near the entrance, and several windows look over the snowy grounds of the lodge. In the southwest corner, a large map hangs on the wall, opposite another door in the northeast wall. The Sentinels probably planned their patrols in this room, marking the best routes on the map of the High Ridge hanging on the southwest wall. Rohkar obviously used the room for much the same purpose, and the map now depicts possible ambush sites and points of interest. The location of a "winter portal" is also marked on the map, though there is no description of it. The map is too big too carry around (especially now that the horse ran off), but there is enough paper materials and the like for Shensen to make a portable copy of the map. The Captain doesn't say anything but he is fascinated by the colorful map.

The door is checked on the northeastern wall, and opened ... Dozens of small boxes, bottles, and papers fill this musty storeroom. A small iron cage sits on the top shelf, emanating a flickering light like that of a candle. Inside, there is a despondent, obviously wounded fey ... much like the one you fought that was riding the stag. While not overly excited - seeming to be full of melancholy - he begs for release.

What do you do?

[srgonzo]

Achilles opens the cage and tells the fae:

"Be free, fellow traveler."

[lostsole31]

The cage is locked, but Shensen did find a key on Rohkar Cindren and she unlocks the cage. Out of desperation to be done and quit this place it speeds out past you and is gone.

You search this place. The Sentinels used this small room for record-keeping and writing missives for their commanders in a place called "Oppara." Shensen informs you that is the capital of the country you are in - the Empire of Taldor. It is standard while you (and now Ten-Penny) move things that Shensen be using detect magic. She finally detects something hidden in the storeroom, and with its recency of placement (and the fact that the leader of the bandits had no real apparent treasure in his room, this must be where Rohkar hid his ill-gotten gains from his men.

Shensen pulls that stuff out, and tries to teach The Captain what these things are by describing what she's doing and various clues and indicators.
* Three scrolls of lesser animate dead. She knows little about the spell, but to her the name says it all and she destroys the scrolls.
* 2 really tiny vials of liquid (same liquid in each). Non-magical. Unknown.
* A small lockbox with another of Rohkar's keys that contains 25 pp, 150 gp, 180 sp, and a blue quartz gem that Shensen values at about 100 gp (often called an "ice diamond").

Another section of the storeroom has the following:
* 3 flasks of oil that Shensen identifies as oil of magic weapon. Pointless for you considering all of your items are magical (won't stack with your existing magic). Ten-Penny Tacey asks for them since there are strange creatures about and she's worried that if push came to shove her mundane short sword and hand crossbow (though the latter is masterwork) won't cut it.
* A whopping 10 vials of alchemist's fire! From both of these items, Ten-Penny figures that Rohkar was playing the "friends close, enemies closer." All of these strange winter creatures about ... magic and fire seems like something he was stockpiling if things turned sour. She knows that the oil of magic weapon is mighty expensive (to her), so she asks for only 2 vials of alchemist's fire, the 3 oils, and then she will survive without any money for now. Shensen is amenable to that. That leaves 3 vials of alchemist's fire apiece for you and Shensen, and The Captain holding the other 2. This is something he can do as weak as he is, and in this way he can contribute.

The Captain still seems less-than standard intelligent and a bit distractable, and yet there is something that shows he seems to already have a little more awareness than when when you first got to the Lodge.

By moving several barrels and the like, you uncover a trap door. Ten-Penny carefully checks it and you open it as Shensen covers it with her bow. It is a long ladder down, going farther down than just the first floor. This must be a semi-secret way to get down to a cellar space of some kind. So he doesn't kill himself trying to climb all that way and with his staff, Ten-Penny agrees to stay up here and keep The Captain safe.

Because there was no way to be stealthy with the trap door and the like, you'll take point this time. Your armor can help if something launches at you. She'll cover what very little can with her bow from above until you call it clear, then she'll come down. You get down with no incident.

A half-dozen boxes and barrels take up the majority of this underground cellar. A rough blanket lies spread on the floor in the southeast corner next to a bowl of half-eaten food. There is a woman down here with significant wounds. She is very dirty, though you can tell that her tattered clothing are noble clothes. Despite her wounds, when she sees you she stands.

"You are no bandit," she says matter-of-factly. "I am the Lady Argentea Malassene. Shall I assume you are here to rescue me, or are you merely a more powerful sellsword come to ask for ransom? If so, you are no mere sellsword with your mithral armor."
http://images.rapgenius.com/8e398e0f67a015032b1fa44da6976ef4.618x850x1.jpg

[srgonzo]

"Pleased to meet you, milady. We're here to rescue you, but first, I think my wife will want to heal you, so we can get out of here quickly," says Achilles. "Ten Penny, I don't suppose you spied any kind of armor for Lady Malassene? Leather would do. I'll be her shield, but I'm not sure I can snatch arrows out of the air.

[lostsole31]

The first part you say now, and she asks you her name. The second part isn't until after Shensen makes it down to lay some healing on Lady Argentea. Shensen casts CMW on her for 13. She is only past half at that point and Shensen has trouble hiding her surprise. Another 13 with another CMW. It isn't until a CLW that Lady Argentea is fully healed. A more powerful life force is harder to heal sometimes, and it seems the Lady is tougher than she might at first seem, though she is very dirty and clothes are in tatters. She is saddened that none of her entourage made it alive, but it is as she figured ... only she could have drawn a ransom.

You all go back up to the storage room where Ten-Penny is with The Captain and say what you do to her. The Captain has been randomly going over the notes the Sentinels. If asked about them, Lady Argentea will say that she thinks she overheard the bandits mention killing off the last of the "old buzzards that kept watch here," but Rohkar definitely lost several men in taking the Lodge. The High Sentinels that were in the area are dead or scattered.

"Yeah," says the half-orc, "except for the sick ones, all the dead guys got armor. But for the sake of the lady's protection, her station, and perhaps some poetic .... whatever you call it when things are ironic ... I say she should have Rohkar's armor. If the lady will have it, of course."

"Poetic irony, Ms. Tacey," she says. "Though I did not fell the enemy, I shall wear it with pride until such time as we return to town. Just to be safe, I would like to have some weapons as well. Just for the return trip, then I will hand them back to you so you may sell them for proper spoils while I get better of my own. I am a proper Taldan noble and I require a proper Taldan sword."

Shensen will give the Lady a rundown of what has occurred up until now, including the map with the mysterious "winter portal" mentioned.

"It makes sense. This winter is not natural, and it is probably what generates this weather. It must be very powerful. 'Portal" implies door, which means that it is either an entry just for cold energy, or more likely it is a place of extreme cold that is bleeding through. Either way, Abadar has seen my path come to this lawlessness as victim. I intend to pursue it further to become victor.

"Achilles MacAvemeth..." for by now Shensen at least would have given her your name, "... I charge you to return me safely to town with your companions. It is my intention to resupply with cold weather gear and a horse and to take a party to help me investigate. In the Keeper's name I shall see this discord in my land healed. I will have need of a good sword, a healer, and one of finesse, if you would dare a road of danger and accompany me further. My only question is ...

"... what in Asmodeus' Tea Parlor is that ... thing?" And at this last she points to the towering, gaunt, white-eyed, bald, white-skin-with-strange-runic-markings humanoid who has a body that has been coruscating in various colors this whole time.

To everyone's surprise a voice is heard in your heads, "I am Theron. I am vaati, a wind duke. Not myself. Weak and fuzzy-headed. and recovering."

[srgonzo]

"Milady, I believe that will answer your question. Once we've brought you back to a place you can resupply, I'm willing to accompany you to sort this out, provided my wife is in agreement. However, I can't rightly speak for Ten Penny," Achilles says. "While I haven't thought much about reforming our old mercenary company, what with the Captain's...changes, I just met Ten Penny today. I promised her I would do everything I could to get her out of here safely, and I mean to do that. I'm sure Shensen has enough learning to translate our contract into the local language, but joining the company is Ten Penny's decision. As for a Taldan sword, I'm not rightly sure what you're referencing, but I'm a pretty good weaponsmith (shows her Captain's Justice). Here's an example of my work. I dare say if you tell me what you're looking for, I can make it, given time and supplies. And a forge, of course.

[lostsole31]

Well into the night, and only with Shensen casting spells to keep you all moving and warm, you finally make it into Helden and the watch is called. Many, many hours earlier, there seemed to be evidence that the worst had happend to the three of you that set out from Heldren, for the horse managed to find its way back (which includes all of the treasure you had stored up to that point). Understand that the majority of treasure (excepting easy-carry magics and the map) you earned after the horse ran away was left at the Lodge. Getting weighed down in the snow while helping a partially crippled man is just not an option.

You get your cottage back, courtesy of the Soothsayer Old Mother Theodora, though Lady Argentea is invited to stay at Counselor Ionnia Teppen's house. The group sleeps in and a messenger invites the group to the Counselor Teppen's house. Old Mother Theodora and Elder Safander are there, as well as Isker Saphram. A breakfast+debrief occurs, with Counselor Teppen more interested in any danger to Heldren whilst Elder Safander asked more questions about overall changes, effects, and things which a man familiar with the woods and farms might know. Old Mother Theodora asks few questions, but mainly listens. None of them have any clue what a winter portal might mean.

Profuse in her thanks, Lady Argentea draws up a noble's banking note for the sum of 500 gp which in turn is notarized by the Erastilian elder. This is some type of finance you understand - via use of Lady Argentea's signet ring and the like - that is effectively larger currencies on paper which are then returned to proper banks and in time filters back to the noble house of Malassene (Argentea's house) to be paid back to the official that allowed the currency exchange. Basically, a long process of writing a check, or at least a proper requisitioning of supplies with a mechanic for remuneration.

Ten-Penny (and Lady Argentea) obviously won't get any of what was earned as loot and stored on the horse. Ten-Penny already was satisfied with what she received for what little she did. Here is some executive decisions to be made by you; Shensen might have the Charisma, but you have the practical experience and are the de facto leader.

Does Ten-Penny get any fraction of the 500 gp reward?
Do you want to set aside a "company share" in addition to individual shares, both from what the three core of your earned and the 500 gp reward (see below)?

The Shattered Swords Mercenary Company (when it was extant) would allot a "ghost share" for any received funds. This was an extra share which fed a company treasury. That way, there were funds on hand for expensive material components that a caster needed for spells which would support the group, funds for mundane equipment, and various sundries. That, and many times the group's members would pitch in an amount (often an equal amount from each member) just to feed the kitty. E.g., if a four-person party earns 100 gp, then there would be five shares; therefore, each individual would get 20 gp (four shares) and another 20 gp would be put into a company treasury (the fifth share).

I'll figure out the basics of what you earned total from your "adventuring." Lady Argentea will use separate requisition funds from her family to pay for a potential extended stay in winter conditions, including supplies, cold weather gear, and more horses.

[srgonzo]

Ten gets the standard non-member's share, which will be increased on the next job if she chooses to join the company. All members receive a share commensurate with their position in the company, including funds for building a new company house and the ghost fund for incidentals.

[lostsole31]

One thing I did forget was that Lady Argentea looks in on Yuln Oerstag, the only one to survive the attack. He is too shaken from what he faced to be willing to accompany her again, and in truth his frostbite and injuries will take a little more time to heal anyway. Lady Argentea will write a letter for compensation for his bravery, but it will be up to him to find a job again (it won't be with you).

Horses won't be an issue. Sophia Imarras' stable has plenty (and a single pony) for hire or sale, as well as stabling and grooming. Royal courtiers on their way to or from Demgazi or Zimar often change horses here. None of them are combat trained, though. Just as well. It's not about battlefield combat but swifter movement through the snow. A horse is procured for all. It should be noted that the Captain no longer seems to be clumsy, though no better than an average farmer right now; that said, there is still some awkwardness because his body is so incredibly weak (STR 4, CON 8). As we've seen, he just can't take a hit; sure, he has some sort of regenerative factor, but that only gets him on his feet again and doesn't stop him from going down. Still, he does have an intuitive clue about riding a horse; it's Ten-Penny that has only the vaguest notion. Between his relative clumsiness and minor horsemanship, and her agility but equine-ignorance, they are about equal in the saddle. All horses will not be high-speed coursers but solid work types that have been trained to take riders; with not knowledge of how long you might be gone, they need to have the strength to carry extra feed, heavy riders, tack and harness, and winter blankets for themselves.

Cold weather outfits are procured for all: wool coat, linen shirt, wool cap, heavy cloak, thick pants (skirt for Lady Argentea), and boots. A tenday of provisions are likewise brought (and tend days feed for horses).
EDIT ...

So, here is what there is, and the small lockbox (and both of Rohkar's keys - for this lockbox and the one back at the Lodge) is kept because it's useful ...

25 pp, 249 gp, 200 sp; blue quartz gem; the two tiny vials of unknown, non-magical fluid.

Shensen recommends for "hard start" to the treasury the gem itself goes there even before divvying shares.

She likes the idea of giving Ten-Penny a half-share (you didn't define how much of less than she should get), because it gives a down-on-her luck arcanist a chance to outfit herself a little. Instead of doing "crazy math," the other half of Ten-Penny's share will simply go into the treasury. That means five flat shares ... 1 each for you, Shensen, and the Captain, 1.5 for the treasury, and .5 for Ten-Penny.

Final tally (per share) = 5 pp, 49 gp, 40 sp. Fractions from any coin-divvy go to the treasury.

Considering that Ten-Penny got 2 pp, 24 gp, and 20 gp from spoils she didn't earn, she's grateful for the help before an unknown expedition that might take days or more.

Currency in the treasury (not counting ice diamond): 8 pp, 78 gp, 60 sp.

[lostsole31]

This entire day is/was devoted to all of these selling of loot, purchasing provisions, and a little bit of rest. The Captain spent the day meditating.

The next day, the group rides out. To your surprise, the attractive Lady Argentea seems as if she were outfitted for war, though not heavy armor: masterwork falcata, strongly-strung masterwork composite longbow and max. capacity of arrows, masterwork chain shirt, and masterwork light steel shield with masterwork boss (embossed, as it were, with the Taldan seal - there was no time for her family's coat-of-arms). Even with her light armor, she doesn't just look attractive, but positively respendent. You will also note that she is a skilled rider.

The Captain rode in somewhat of a trance, mindlessly fumbling with the blacksmith's puzzle you gave him. He's not very good at them.

It doesn't take much to see that wintry conditions already have begun to spread a little. You ride for a few hours and get to the High Lodge. Sure enough, the fire in the great hall and the rooms that have fireplaces have gone out, and the men's bodies have begun to freeze. This seems to be a good staging area, so Lady Argentea says that despite not being a full day of riding it's good to catch your rest while also tending to what treasure is to be had. This is NOT the time, she stresses, to weigh horses down with general armor and weapons for resale. Just what looks valuable. Luckily, there was horse feed at the stables here. The horses will get the fresh feed you brought with you while the stuff brought in from the stables will be warmed while Shensen starts a fire.

The chest from Rohkar's room is retrieved and with the second of his three keys it opens. (One key can be discarded since it was for the cage that house the captive, wounded fey upstairs). It's a maple chest with a sturdy lock, and it is a good storage item to take with. It has the following ...* Gold ingot engraved with the Taldan royal seal (50 gp value).
* Spyglass. They normally cost as much as 1,000 gp, but they are incredibly useful.
* Silver lady's ring (25 gp).
* Three shards of a tiger's eye gemstone. Lady Argentea recognizes the faceting style as that of Taldor's ancient enemy, Qadira. (10 gp each)
* Fine pair of elven riding boots. Value unknown, but they're not magical.
* Silver dagger with a hidden compartment in the hilt containing a small amount of fluid that Shensen IDs as a single dose of giant centipede poison.
* Leather portfolio containing several pieces of parchment. They are determined to be magical, and Shensen casts a spell (and the Captain takes great note of her doing so) to determine what they are: scroll of endure elements, two scrolls of magic weapon, and a scroll of unseen servant.

The people who claim to be the best at figuring values are Shensen and Lady Malassene, and they were the ones to figure the above.

The spyglass would be best employed by Shensen. Ten-Penny is interested in the silver dagger (and, of course, the poison); Lady Argentea disapproves of this, but figures (openly and arrogantly) that someone Ms. Tacey's disadvantaged condition needs what help she can get. In case Shensen is taken out of action for some reason, Achilles gets the scroll of endure elements. Not having any magical weapons, Lady Argentea and Ten-Penny each get a scroll of magic weapon, and just because he is curious and wants to study it, Theron gets the scroll of unseen servant. Lady Argentea likes the stylish Manolo Blahnik riding boots. The leather portfolio and other items (sans boots) get put into treasury.
Ten-Penny retrieves her personal chest from her room. It's a small chest, and she doesn't open it up.

From the fallen raiders, only taking their coins: 72 gp, 45 sp.

Rohkar's personal gear that he was carrying is next, but I have to head out ...

[srgonzo]

I have no argument, milady. If we find the common items on the way back, they would be good for the town guard or militia, but the Shattered Swords are fairly well-equipped, and either Shensen or I will speak up, if there is a particular item of interest. However, we're not here to collect loot. Ten, you've got midwatch. Shensen, I'll take third watch. I'm sure Lady Argentea will want to make sure we've got people tending fires in the hearths and minding our mounts.

Don't forget to warm up your feet before you get into our sleeping roll, ok?

[lostsole31]

"What the heck is a midwatch?" asks Ten-Penny. "Must be a foreign word, and you do have that thick accent. I actually have a room here ... I am going to set a fire in it and use it."

Lady Argentea looks at Achilles confused. "Achilles, you're right ... please assist your wife in setting up a fire in the great hall. Ten-Penny, you are responsible for a fire in your own room if you aren't sleeping with the rest of us. But first, Achilles ... you said something was broken?"

[srgonzo]

(Spelled phonetically for comedic effect)

De Shettered Swordz Mehrsenahry Kompaniye iz nehm of mehrsenahry grrrroop, yez? Meedhwhatch iz time of whatchink ohvehr grrroop to mehk shoorrr dere iz nao ehnehmeece trrryink to keel oos.

[lostsole31]

"Great," eyerolls Lady Argentea. "And here I thought you were a little more clever than the average hit-it-with-a-metal-stick man. This is not a mercenary company. You are, effectually if not on paper, a duly defined extension of my entourage. You and Shensen and Theron might be a mercenary company together ... but Ten-Penny stated herself to me, as did you with no other stipulation than share of treasure."

[lostsole31]

Whether he agrees or holds his tongue, Achilles lets it go.

The next morning it is time to head out. First, the stables that are on the grounds just to the south are checked. There are no horses here, but the riding tack on the eastern wall includes enough gear to equip two horses with a bit and bridle, riding saddle, and saddle bags. Space being an issue, they are left there.

Then it is time to look to the west. A bridge made of rope and wooden planks spans a narrow ravine. It’s already covered in ice and snow, and it sways alarmingly in the icy winds blowing through the gorge. The turbulent waters of a fast-moving creek surge through a couple of waterfalls far below. This 30-foot-long rope bridge spans Timber Creek, which runs through the Red Run Gorge 50 feet below. The bridge leads to the High Ridge, a stony backbone of forested cliffs overlooking the entire forest, and provides the swiftest means of reaching the rest of the Border Wood. Rohkar’s Raiders, like the Sentinels before them, no doubt used the small game trails on either side of the ridge to monitor those passing through the woods and guard the approach to the Somir Valley.

Shensen checks the bridge and is able to tell what danger is there and how to avert it. Because the wind is whipping through the ravine and the ice makes things unsteady, one has to move no faster than 5'/round or risk upsetting the bridge and sliding on the frozen planks and going into the water. Shensen goes across and then back to make sure there aren't hidden dangers or snipers or traps on the other side, and then horse by horse she brings them across before mixing it up with bringing Ten-Penny and Lady Argentea and Theron, and then you are the last to come across since you were holding as rear guard.

You have now traveled into the highlands of the Border Wood and head west in the forest, Shensen taking constant note of position related to the intelligence map to the portal. The temperature gets even colder. Shensen, as the pathwarden upon whose expertise you rely, does not have the group going slower to take advantage of her survival skills in aiding against the cold. Her reasoning is that the cold weather gear (and extra horse blankets) do that better than she could, and trying to go half-speed in snows that already force half-speed to begin with would be diminishing returns. She put endure elements on Theron, Ten-Penny, and Lady Argentea, but doesn't want to use all of her lower-power hunter spells.

Even with all of these precautions, you take some frostbite and show some hypothermia just within the first hour, and in three hours, so do your horse and Theron's horse. You and your horse each took 3 NL, but you are now showing signs of frostbite. You are fatigued. This means you also suffer a -2 penalty to STR & DEX scores.
After ~6 miles, the forest stands deathly quiet here. Even the wind has grown still as snow softly falls through the stark branches overhead. Tracks, human in size but oddly misshapen, mar an otherwise unblemished trail through the trees.

Three skeletons of ancient dead warriors in foreign garb burst through the snow and stand in front of Shensen.

Begin Round One ...

R1T22: Achilles, you can tell from the bluish-white pinpoints of their eyes that these must be more of that frost-type of skeleton you fought before. You are assumed to be the rear horse to protect against rear threats. The nearest skeleton is 20' away. With the thick snow you would have to ride up on horseback if you want to attack a skeleton in the first round. Otherwise, dismount and move up. Neither your nor your horse can commit to a charge action since you are both cold-fatigued. Remember that when these things go there is a burst of cold that can harm other things adjacent to them. What do you do?

[srgonzo]

FARGING FARG!!! I WILL FONG YOU!!! PAIN! LOADS OF PAIN!!! This rant was brought to you by GitP didn't load my reply fast enough on the government computer I use, and I got logged out before it came through. Also, Achilles would have asked Shensen to cast endure elements on him, using the scroll he has in his pack.

"Use fire and holy power from a distance, they explode when they die!" bellows Achilles from horseback while drawing Aushanna. He nocks his bow and fires a full volley of arrows at the three undead creatures nearest the party.

ATK1
[roll0]

DAM1
[roll1]

FIRE DAM1
[roll2]

ATK2
[roll3]

DAM2
[roll4]

FIRE DAM2
[roll5]

ATK3
[roll6]

DAM3
[roll7]

FIRE DAM3
[roll8]

[lostsole31]

I am not usually into the OS-retcon, but I'll give it to you. She used the scroll at the outset, you don't suffer from any manner of fatigue or frostbite, and your scores (and figured characteristics) are back to normal.
R1T22: "Use fire and holy power from a distance, they explode when they die!" bellows Achilles from horseback while drawing Aushanna. He nocks his bow and fires an arrow at the undead creature furthest from the party. Since he hit one that was back enough, it's death-burst of cold doesn't hurt Shensen or her horse as it is destroyed.Note the correction I gave there as far as target. Otherwise, you only give time for ones that weren't next to a friendly to move forward. Also, drawing Aushanna was a MA, and shooting an arrow is a SA. It takes a FAA/FRA to fire a full volley, but you didn't have the bow out. And, no, it actually is wiser to NOT have it out ... better long-term control with your mount, and you don't have to drop your bow if you come against a melee-only threat.
R1T21: A skeleton attacks Shensen with two claw rakes (missing).

R1T15: Theron observes the cold nature of the skeletons ...

R1T14: Ten-Penny drops off the side of her horse and darts into the shrubs while getting out her hand crossbow.

R1T13: Shensen takes a total 7 cold from the aura of the two skeletons. She punches one for 8, but takes 4 cold for her trouble. Her second attack misses.

R1T11: The other skeletons attacks and misses Shensen.

R1T7: Lady Argentea spurs the draft horse forward, drawing her falcata, and chopping down as she passes. She finishes off the wounded skeleton. It explodes, and Shensen turns a little (1 cold), as does Lady Argentea and her mount (2 cold each).

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22: Achilles continues to shoot. Two arrows end the final skeleton, but also do 1 cold to Shensen and Argentea and 3 cold to Argentea's horse. Even for being a draft-horse and having exploding, freezing skeletons and taking pain, Lady Argentea quite expertly controls and calms her mount.

Combat Ends ...

Though a little bit of cold damage around, it's nothing that Shensen uses any healing for at this time. Theron takes a minute or two searching the tattered clothing and bone bits of the destroyed skeletons. Ten-Penny comes out from her hiding spot.

[lostsole31]

The skeletons are a mystery as to "why" especially since clues indicate they died long ago. The clothes were Qadiran (ancient enemy of Taldor). The idea is posited that perhaps - since you are on a trail known to Rohkar's men - that like the skeletons guarding him these were ancient dead that were found, and then animated in this unique style.

You travel the better part of an hour, continuing west along the High Ridge. Ten-Penny's horse suffers 6 NL cold, fatigue, and frostbite. The rocks and snow along this part of the ridge are stained a reddish-brown, and many tracks, both animal and human, cross the area. Sure enough, the party finds a man's mutilated corpse that now lies half-buried in the snow here. You and Shensen both identify the animal tracks as those of a giant weasel, but it has been some time.

Recently, one of Heldren's more esteemed hunters, a man named Dryden Krepp, returned from a hunting foray in the Border Wood with a story about a giant white weasel roaming the forest. The townsfolk of Heldren scoffed at the tale (Dryden was known to nip from his hip flask on a regular basis), which only spurred Dryden to hunt down the beast so he could make a trophy of it and prove everyone wrong. This man fits Dryden's description, and he carries a half-full hip flask of what smells like strong applejack. Aside from his bloody and ripped (but still usable) cold-weather outfit, he also wears a pair of homemade snowshoes, and though his shortbow is snapped in half, two magical arrows remain in his quiver. Nearby is a bloodstained pack lying half-covered by a fresh dusting of snow. It holds 3 days' worth of trail rations and a journal.

Here seems like a good place to take a break to warm up, and Shensen is always interested in looking at fellow hunters' notes. It takes a little bit of work but wood is collected and a fire made. Shensen's expertise keeps herself and the horses from suffering any more cold. It is about noon.

Dryden's journal mentions the bear traps he set at the head of Somir Valley, as well as his discovery of a strange hut nearby (the traps, not this location) and an even stranger doll inside it. Theron's horse fully recovers from its bit of frostbite and fatigue. Dryden's strange shoes are kept, as are his cold weather clothing (Shensen cast mending on it), and they are put in treasury. Ten-Penny will be happy to honor Dryden's love of hip-flasks and apple-jack. :smallbiggrin: Ten-Penny IDs the two magical arrows as +1 animal-bane arrows. Theron then, for his own practice, takes most of camp time to try the same (but can't figure it out). Lady Argentea will get the two arrows since she is an archer, but doesn't have super-shooting skills like Shensen or the bow from a vanquished devil.

The fire is good for three more hours to keep the horses at peak shape. Shensen will cover Dryden's body with snow and branches and say a few words to Desna for the man.

Achilles, do you want to do anything while on this mid-day of rest, or ready to move out?

[srgonzo]

During the rest period, Achilles talks to Shensen, making sure to use the local language, as challenging as it is.


"Shensen," he says, "I've noticed that this winter chill is colder than normal. Is there any way we can protect ourselves and each other a little better, as things get even colder, the closer we get to the source?"

Aside from that, Achilles tries to keep warm, checks his sword for frost to make sure it doesn't stick on the draw, checks on The Captain, and rubs down his horse, if he has time for the last.

[lostsole31]

Shensen mentions that it's a tough thing among three major choices when in the elements:
1) Trying to make best speed, or
2) Compromising speed for various tactics (she'll discuss below), or
3) Fortifying position and creating an insulated and heated camp (i.e., the stationary approach).

Right now the general concept is that the party is on the way to something that was marked on a map as a "Winter Portal" ... ominous as that is, but vaguely informative at least. It implies that this unseasonable weather may have a terrestrial source (even if it is in turn drawing on extra-terrestrial cold). Because the winter borders seems to be expanding and getting colder overall, long-term stationary is not an option since the whole purpose of this is to stop the cold weather intrusion at the source.

With a weaker party that has a weaker focus, perhaps the idea of going half-speed makes sense. Unfortunately, it is only a stall tactic and no matter the partial protection a creature will continue to feel the effects greater over time.

This means that it is better to be as outfitted as possible (cold weather gear) and with what spells can be spared (endure elements) and cover as much ground as possible, then take a break, rest a little, and head out again. This is a slower form of what the wolf does when it "lopes" ... high speed, then low-or-no-speed rest, then high speed again. If Shensen's magic were less, than she would take the half-speed approach rather than this one.

After this particular, she will go into full-blown training for cold-weather survival. (And, yes, she will be surprisingly candid about dealing with hypothermia situations and body-to-body heat, it that is where you were going.) It might be hard for you to get a read on Ten-Penny and Lady Argentea, but both are extremely engaged in this. Either it is because Shensen is a terrific teacher - she has a great comic touch that enlivens the natural classroom - but it seems important to them as well. Lady Argentea is more interested in how best to "tough it out" and Ten-Penny follows, but Ten-Penny is actually not clueless on general survival. Theron seems to listen half-heartedly as he messes with the blacksmith's puzzle.

It's a good way to pass these few hours, and then it's time to strike the fire and head out again. About an hour more of travel, and a cold wind blows through the forest atop a tall ridge. Heavy snow burdens the boughs of the evergreen trees, but someone has apparently cleared the snow from a large patch of ground to dig in the pine-needle-carpeted soil.

As the group takes a careful look around, Achilles sees something that is hard to suss out at first. Two smaller trees, no more than 7' tall or so, seem to have split-trunks, and two really long major branches that go to the ground, not unlike arms. As he tries to figure it out, he looks at the upper part of the trunk after the split "joins" into a central trunk. Shensen must be seeing the same thing because her vision is locked right where yorus is ... and that is when you think you barely make out the crudest ... mouth? ... on the two trees.

[lostsole31]

"Frost firs!" Shensen shouts to the group. "Evil conifers of the north. Use fire, hacking weapons, and beware their sticky sap!"

Surprise Round ...

T15: Achilles, what do you do?
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Frost%20Fir_zpsse6jryhf.png
Also, just for your benefit, you are currently in a favored terrain. Don't adjust anything on your rolls or on your sheet, I just want you to know that here in the ridge you feel a little more comfortable than you were before (mountains/ hills).

[srgonzo]

Listening to his wife, as always, Achilles draws Aushanna and fires.

ATK
[roll0]

DAM
[roll1]

FIRE DAM
[roll2]

[lostsole31]

ST15: Listening to his wife, as always, Achilles draws Aushanna and fires, hitting one of the frost firs as it lets out a bizarre-sounding shriek. The arrow hits solidly, but the bark resists it a little so it only does 10 mod, but the fire definitely burns more than normal for 3 fire.

ST13: Shensen adopts her special stance and then takes a single shot. Her arrow hits with the force of a powerful storm for 27 mod, there is a loud cracking sound of wood, and the thing, barely together at the point where it was struck, goes flying back, cracking against a stout, actual tree, and breaking itself in two.

ST12: The badly wounded one comes out of the forest, screeching and anguished, closing fully on Shensen.

Begin Round One ...

R1T19: Ten-Penny does a sideways throw of a dagger she draws, which misses.

R1T16: Lady Argentea closes with her riding horse, but then has trouble controlling it once she gets right up to the plant.

R1T15: Achilles, what do you do?

[lostsole31]

R1T15: Achilles as bad a shot as he can give without possibly damaging his bow, and the arrow still hits the frost fir easily enough for 7 mod, 4 fire, and that is all it seems to need to drop it. Ten-Penny and Lady Argentea make short work finishing the things off to be sure.

Combat Ends ...

Unlike other things you've faced, Theron seems to take no care of examining the destroyed frost firs. A careful check of the area reveals nothing else of interest here.

The party recovers itself and continues. After a very short while it is apparent that Theron's horse has gotten a little bit of frostbite (6 NL, fatigued). Only a short bit after that, bloody animal tracks mark the snow where the trail descends from the ridge above. You, Shensen, and even Ten-Penny and Theron recognize that these are tracks of a giant weasel, courtesy of Dryden Krepp's journal. As this is the area noted in his journal, great care is made to find his bear traps. Shensen wants to make sure they are disarmed so as not to cause unnecessary harm to wildlife. She finds both traps easily enough, and both are deliberately sprung using thick, heavy logs. Once they've snapped shut, they are easily portable and now the group has two bear traps for sale or use.

A little while later, Achilles' horse now has some frostbite (4 NL, fatigued).

Shortly thereafter, more than a dozen boulder-sized chunks of ice litter the clearing ahead where a strange hut sits perched on tree trunks atop a raised mound of snow-covered earth. As the group enters the clearing, you suddenly see a shivering young girl amid the ice bounders. She is in dress foreign to this otherwise foreign place.

Achilles, what do you do?

[srgonzo]

Crap. I lost the website to which my character sheet is located when we changed computer networks on the ship.

"Does anyone have a spare cloak or coat?" Achilles asks. He then approaches the girl with the garment, walking slowly toward her. He speaks as softly and clearly as he can, trying to look as non-threatening as a large and strong man who is bristling with weapons can look.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he says. "I'm going to give you this cloak and try to help you get warm. Do you understand me? My comrades and I can provide you with some warmth and food."

[lostsole31]

Here is Achilles' sheet... (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=735639)
Nobody has a "spare" one, however Theron takes off his. Though he is the most frail member of the party, he tepes "I no longer feel discomfort from the cold."

The little girl looks terrified, and in a strange dialect of this world's Common (called "Taldane") she pleads, "I'm sorry! Don't hurt me! I never meant to call you names!"

She darts away further into the field of boulders, clearly distraught and afraid.

What do you do?

[srgonzo]

"Shensen, a little help please?" Achilles asks as he takes off after the girl. "We don't want to hurt you, young lady, we want to help you!" he calls out after her.

[lostsole31]

Shensen nods and dismounts. She asks Ten-Penny to watch over the others there and Shensen comes up to a few feet from Achilles before she stops, looking at the ground. She takes out her bow carefully and looks around, stopping you from continuing as she still looks over the ground.

You look at the ground and see nothing but the pristine, untouched snow. Snow ... untouched by tracks other than your own.

"I doubt the little girl is a druid or ranger that is skilled in leaving no sign of her passage, but we should follow carefully. This may be a trap."

She takes the lead this time. (Do you draw a weapon?)

You move past some ice boulders and you see her again. This time, she seems less frantic, "Please don't keep me here. It's so cold. I miss my mother."

"What's your name?" asks Shensen.

The girl looks confused at Shensen. "Thora Petska! Thora Petska! You know this!" She then bolts again past some more ice boulders.

Shensen gives you a look. "I don't think we are speaking to the living." She lets that linger there, and she continues onwards.

As you travel about the ice boulders you find her again and the girl is angry. "I don't want your stupid doll! I want to go home! Take me back!"

"Who has you, Thora? Where are you?" calls Shensen.

"This is the Pale Tower, Nazhena," she says with confusion and then darts away again out of sight.

A little further and you see Thora again in a small clearing seemingly in the center if a maze of ice boulders. This time she looks at you much differently than before, and without any recognition. She looks right at you rather than the strange past-you look of before, and then she looks around in terror before looking back. "I have to get away! And you should, too, before they see both of you. Run!" She then gives out a terrified scream before discorporating.

You and Shensen feel a chill wind stirring and a flicker of movement in the blocks of ice and both of you can't help but look at the ice. Sorrowful images from what might be Thora's childhood and the faces of the frozen dead manifest inside the ice blocks. It is a scary sight, but nothing you and Shensen can't handle as the images then drift out of view.

You realize you are at more the edge of this bunch of ice boulders and to the west you see a small hut that stands on four legs, each one with a single tree trunk whose gnarled roots resemble the toes of a giant chicken. The hut is constructed of heavy logs with a patchwork roof of shaved bark shingles. Inside the hut’s open doorway, a small figure sits on a carved wooden chair, staring across the clearing at the trail on the other side, a trail that heads further away to the west.

[lostsole31]

Shensen heads out the long way around to the south and east around the edge of the ice boulder field to get the rest of the group. She tells them what was seen and heard, and she figures the creepy faces was a type of place-based undead energy known as a haunt. The horses are to be led around so as not to have them face the possible creepy bit at the center of the clearing and they get spooked and go running off.

The group makes it to the front of the shack to look at the creepy doll sitting on a chair in the doorway of this small hut on stilts made to look like chicken legs.

The doll's face is that of an old crone, though it retains the flaxen hair of the apparition, and it still bears a strong resemblence to the girl's countenance from when she was still alive - enough that you and Shensen can recognize the similarities between the doll and the phantom girl. Far more unnerving, however, are the doll's mismatched eyes - one a blue gemstone, the other a small round mirror the size of a coin, reflecting the world around her.

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.Mde8e689a702d133b602f6adba8e48f74o0&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300
With a little discussion, Shensen, Ten-Penny, and Lady Argentea all agree that this must be a soulbound guardian, a type of guardian doll. Guardian dolls are constructs created by witches to serve as spies and sentries at places that require ever-vigilant wardens. The decision is made to destroy the thing. If it is just a doll, then no harm. If Thora's soul is strapped and it is a guardian doll, then destroying it should release her spirit.

Achilles, does destroying the doll sound right to you?

[srgonzo]

Achilles draws Captain's Justice, rests the point of his blade against the gem and crushes it.

Coup de Grace
[roll0]

DAM
[roll1]

[lostsole31]

As Achilles draws Captain's Justice, the doll suddenly animates and jumps to its little feet on the chair.

Begin Round One ...

R1T23.5: Ten-Penny draws her hand crossbow, infuses it with some magic and shoots at the doll, hitting it for 3.

R1T23: Thora (if we'll call her that) hops off the chair between a rather surprised Achilles' feet, and then levitates upwards. The doll is now 20' above the ground.

R1T18: Achilles, you have Captain's Justice in hand. Thora is 20' above you (just behind you laterally). What do you do?

[srgonzo]

Achilles takes a chance at leaping and striking the doll.

Acrobatics (Jump)
[roll0]

ATK
[roll1]

DAM
[roll2]

[lostsole31]

R1T18: Achilles tries to leap up to swipe at the floating doll, but without a running start he only clears three feet off the snowy ground.

R1T17: Theron glows orange and from his hand bursts forth at the doll a multitude of colors in a cone that washes over "her" but it doesn't seem to do anything.

R1T13: Lady Argentea wielding her sword and shield, is ill-equipped for this. She goes over to Shensen and sings a series of a capella notes and touches Shensen for 7 healing.

R1T12: Shensen casts a spell and the magic that was holding the doll aloft fails and it plummets to the ground in the snow right next to Achilles for 3 mod.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T23.5: Ten-Penny moves up to the thing, flanking with Achilles, casts a spell - her hand crackling with electricity - and she makes a perfect shot onto the construct for a whopping 23 electricity. The doll has char marks and cracks on its surface.

R2T23: The area around the doll, including where Achilles and Ten-Penny happen to be, becomes supernaturally cold. Achilles takes 5 cold and Ten-Penny takes 11 cold. Ten-Penny wails from the cold it seems to be affecting her something awful. The doll goes to stand, and Achilles easily destroys the ever-living heck out of it.

Shensen tells everyone to back out.

Achilles counts on her judgment and he does so, but Theron just walks right in to hover over her, and doesn't seem to be affected by the cold. "Frost fall," he tepes to the group. "Hers isn't strong enough to harm me. It will end in a few seconds."

Sure enough, after only two full rounds the effect dissipates.

Combat Ends ...

Shensen asks Ten-Penny with prying the gem out of the doll, and then asks you to help her search the hut for anything. Theron will help Ten-Penny, and then will study the remains of the doll.

The hut is pretty featureless beyond its bizarre construction. For whatever reason, young Thora Petska was killed and her soul put inside the doll and set to watch the approach from the northeast via the ice boulder fields. Since the hut itself radiates no magic, has nothing inside of it, and has no other known value, it is figured that somehow the hut itself tied into the ritual or the aspect of damning Thora to this spot, and possibly the dead faces that appeared in the ice. To this end, a bonfire will be made of the hut. Some tinder and kindling will have to be managed, but with Ten-Penny casting spark the hut will go up soon enough. Good thing to warm yourself to in the meanwhile. At some point during the blaze as the hut really begins to crack and burn, there is a spooky sound from the ice field, but when you go to investigate nothing ... not even any spooky faces in the ice. Seems like Shensen's idea was good enough to put Thora's spirit and the haunt to rest. Theron warms himself by the fire.

Shensen looks the blue sapphire over that acted as the focus-eye for the doll, and values it at about 600 gp.

An hour is spent. It is enough for folks to get warm and reset, especially the horses. Not enough to get rid of any extant fatigue/frostbite, but it helps. It's strange. It's already a little past six in the evening, and on any normal winter day it might be dark by now were it not for the fact that the weather has changed, but not the time of year or available sunlight. Shensen gives Ten-Penny 9 healing with a bardic CLW.

"We have to camp," says Shensen. "Thora acted like Achilles and I were her tormentor, so I am guessing Nazhena - at a place called the Pale Tower - is responsible for at least Thora, it not the hut as well. Nazhena might even be responsible for the whole thing. I would like to keep going, but it is getting late and we might as well use this fine fire."

The party sets up camp. Because some type of mental-spiritual magic was used to bottle a little girl's soul into a doll, Shensen will take time to go through various mental resistance techniques with everyone. Everyone beds down shortly thereafter except for the watches. Ten-Penny, it seems, is a type of arcane spellcaster that requires solid sleep so she has the first watch. After that, it can be a mixed schedule. Everyone will be healed fully before sleeping.

[srgonzo]

"I wonder if it's bigger on the inside," says Achilles. "Seriously, who puts a hut on chicken legs? It can't be a very stable ride."

[lostsole31]

"Wha'dya mean, 'ride'?" asks Ten-Penny. "Regardless, it's a burning hulk now that'll keep us warm for the night."

The night goes by uneventfully, though Achilles is relieved by Theron. As Achilles goes asleep, he sees Theron off to the side conjuring various colored lights and making them move around. Nothing more special than that, but still showing him do something with lights with more finesse than before. The Captain only does this twice for a minute each before sarge falls asleep.

The morning comes. More water melted/ warmed for potable water. Breakfast. Morning routines - meditations, prayers, studies, weapon forms. The party finally strikes camp ~ 0900. The horses, as with everyone, are refreshed. Since it seems that over the course of the day yesterday Theron discovered he is not bothered by the extreme cold weather, and since Achilles' protection was only for the day, Shensen casts endure elements on herself, Achilles, Ten-Penny, and Lady Argentea. It is a major casting of her lower-level huntress spells, but just seeing how the tiniest faltering to the cold can affect folks and horses significantly it is worth it.

For not quite an hour you travel, spiraling now from heading west to now heading more south. The trail continues through a narrow pass, descending south and east into an icy valley. An unusual pattern of lines is scratched into the fresh snow covering the trail at the edge of the clearing.

Shensen approaches, and Ten-Penny wants to come with while the rest are signaled to hold position. Shensen calls back that there is writing in the snow, a warning in Taldane that reveals: "Turn back before the winter devours you."

The girls try to see if they can get a clue as to who or what might have written it. The writing appears in the snow, but there are no tracks leading to or from. Of course, you and Shensen and The Captain have already dealt with flying opponents. Nothing is noted and it's time to move on.

As soon as Shensen's horse (the lead) gets to the part of the trail no long surrounded by clearing but by more trees, there is an eruption of some sort - cold, chill, snow - and it gets she and her horse as well as Ten-Penny and hers. It seems the writing itself burst forth in a hoary fury. Shensen manages to use her horse to keep her totally from harm, who in turn manages to buck out of the way a little to take 6 cold. Ten-Penny is utterly surprised, though, taking 14 cold; her horse only takes 6 cold. Shensen controls her mount, but it still rears and whinnies a few times. To make matters worse for the half-orc, though, Ten-Penny's horse throws her (1 from the fall).

Ten-Penny is back on her feet nearly as quickly and fast mounts her horse and runs 40' back up trail before she controls it. Pretty darn good for a kitchen wench who doesn't look like she has any real training beyond raw agility and nerve. Shensen casts CMW on Ten-Penny for 12. The horses don't get any love right now.

The area is checked out and nothing else. Shensen and Ten-Penny both feel sheepish that they didn't notice the magical trap. Group continues ...

[lostsole31]

A little while later ... a cold wind blows through the valley, bringing a spray of sleet and broken ice. The sky ahead roils with thick, gray clouds and the sun is only a dim glow somewhere in the mist. Bursting forth from a bank of snow some 40' away is a long, slender mammal the size of a bear - all white, except for the tip of its tail which is black. It is a weasel, but an incredibly large one and obviously with most of its winter coat. The normal members of the weasel family (weasels, stoats, minks, ermines, etc.) are ferocious for their size and latch on and drain the blood of their prey. If that's true of this larger one, that makes it a very dangerous foe, indeed!

S24: Achilles, what do you do? It is charging from the right flank, heading in a straight line for Ten-Penny or Lady Argentea. They are 15' in front of you.

[srgonzo]

Achilles unslings Aushanna, nocks an arrow, draws and fires.

ATK


DAM
[roll]1d8+6+[roll1](FIRE)

[srgonzo]

Dave, attempting to not have to type as many lines of code, failed miserably at inserting 1d6 of fire damage into his 1d8+6 roll. The object lesson here is that clunky and right is better than streamlined and wrong.

DAM
[roll0]

Fire DAM
[roll1]

[lostsole31]

S24: Achilles unslings Aushanna, nocks an arrow and fires. Though he hits, he rushed the shot without aiming better and only does 9 + 1 fire.

S22: With paw pads designed to zoom over the surface of the snow, the dire weasel charges Ten-Penny, but she ducks just in time.

S7: Shensen had also seen the dire weasel, but wasn't as fast. She fast dismounts and casts a spell and the dire weasel is suddenly held fast.

End Surprise Round, Begin Round One ...

R1T24: Achilles, what do you do? The weasel is 20' from you in the thick snow (and cold, driving wind, which does affect ranged combat, btw).

Dire weasel on deck (but currently held) ...

[srgonzo]

Achilles fires three arrows into the dire weasel, which is 20' away from him, meaning the distance between himself, Sergeant Achilles McAvameth and the dire weasel.

ATK 1

[roll0]

DAM 1

[roll1]

FIRE DAM 1

[roll2]

ATK 2

[roll3]

DAM 2

[roll4]

FIRE DAM 2

[roll5]

ATK 3

[roll6]

DAM 3

[roll7]

FIRE DAM 3

[roll8]

[lostsole31]

R1T24: Achilles fires three arrows into the dire weasel for a total 34 + 3 fire, dropping it.
Okay, all of this extra text is unnecessary and distracting. It took me a second to parse out the right numbers. Don't worry about writing out every little thing like that, please. Try to keep each attack on a single line.

E.g., Attack 1 xxx, damage xxx + xxx fire damage.

Also, I know it's a solo game, but try to put crunch into spoilers. If you're working on a phone, don't stress about it, it's just that it's easier to read .... and a post about shooting three arrows doesn't take a half-page.
Ten-Penny gets off her horse, takes out her short sword, and stabs the thing in the throat for good measure.

Combat Ends ...

Shensen doesn't want to spend the time rendering the meat of the weasel (which she says isn't that great to begin with if it's anything like it's smaller Mustelidae kin), and she doesn't want to bag a big bloody corpse to take with. The threat of the man-killing dire weasel is done. The Captain does take a minute or two to study it's teeth, and then he he's fine to continue.

[lostsole31]

It's slow going. Though descending into a valley, the trees, rocks, irregular ground, cold, snow, and driving wind are a problem.

By noon, Lady Argentea's horse has a little frostbite (3 NL, fatigued). 1300, Ten-Penny's horse, already wounded, now has frostbite and hypothermia, however slight (1 NL, fatigued). 1400, Theron's horse (3 NL, fatigued). 1500, a little more to Lady Argentea's horse (4 NL). 1600, both Ten-Penny's (6) and Captain's horses (3). By the time you stop travel ~1700, your horse has finally felt the affect (6 NL, fatigued), as well as more on Lady Argentea's (1 NL) and Ten-Penny's yet again (6 NL). Ten-Penny's horse is in a bad way and needs help. Instead of the blacksmith's puzzle, Theron has been fiddling with his magical pouch, trying to get it to work (unsuccessfully).

Shensen orders camp made and she'll corrale the horses and everyone together while you, Ten-Penny, and Theron go search for firewood and get to building a fire. With frozen wood, it's going to be a chore but you'll still manage to get it done in an hour. Even doing the absolute best she can do, more frostbite to your horse (5), Shensen's horse (5 NL, fatigued), and Ten-Penny's (2 NL).

[lostsole31]

With the camp set up and food being cooked and water ice and snow being melted and warmed, Lady Argentea will approach Achilles. She understands that you were referred to in military rank as a sergeant in this mercenary company you had, and that the "creature" was actually your Captain. She confides that while she has had some basic military leadership training, most of her training in leadership and dealing with others comes from court; in particular she refers to herself as a "court bard." She knows how to negotiate and cajole, but she is interested in learning some of the more bellow-and-bark style of leadership should that fail her, and if you could give her pointers. Interestingly enough, the Captain quits fumbling with his pouch and comes over ... not to teach (he is far from there, but at least seems to be average or just better than mentally) ... but to learn.She's looking to brush up her Intimidate, whereas The Captain is simply fascinated by it all. She is actually pretty good (+8), whereas the Captain is going on raw Charisma (and he used to be as good as you on that front, or vice-versa, depending how you look at it). By the time you are done with whatever instruction, The Captain has gained full baseline knowledge and is now at +6! He still seems to be only average intellect and insight, but he is remembering more and more, like when he stunned Shensen by remembering an obscure spell like frost fall.In the meantime, Shensen works on stealth training with Ten-Penny. Ten-Penny is a city girl whose knowledge of survival is haphazard. Shensen goes over an understanding of many of the more stealthy animals, what they have in common, and how Ten-Penny can actually use that inspiration for her own infiltration.

The Captain will have first watch. He is no longer a drooling idiot, but he's still nothing special so Shensen (not saying this out loud) wants The Captain on watch while most people are still awake to minimize any problems. Shensen casts 2 CLW - one on her own horse, one on Ten-Penny's, which fully heals both of all injuries and frostbite. In the same vein, Lady Argentea fully heals Ten-Penny with the same.

You only had a vague nap before The Captain wakes you, and he seems excited. He concentrates, and he lifts himself a few inches off the ground before he "loses steam" and lands. When he got off the ground, he didn't do so stably like a levitate, but teetered all about. Still, he managed to just get himself airborne with practically no speed (and no skill WHATSOEVER in handling, like, a huge overall negative modifier on his Fly check). He is exhausted and falls asleep almost instantly on getting to his bedroll.

You take the midwatch and it goes by uneventfully before it is time to waken Shensen, and then you go to sleep ...

[lostsole31]

Achilles awakens to shards of cold, piercing icicles shattering into him (2 cold, sickened), as well as the shouts and cries of the rest of the camp. As you open your eyes, you real the glow of the campfire you thought you saw disappears in a maelstrom of swirling snow. You are now effectively in the dark.

Then, the bright glow of a sunrod in Shensen's hand that she grips tightly, you're still bleary and trying to get details, though.

Begin Round One ...

R1T21: Lady Argentea stumbles to her feet and she shouts over a windy noise, "Pathwarden! What is happening?! ... What the heck is that?!?"

She reaches down and grabs her falcata.

R1T19: Ten-Penny grabs something from her bag and then stands, likewise a little wobbly.

R1T18: Theron stands and takes a vial from his belt.

R1T12: It seems like this spinning white blur kicking up snow and the like where the fire was suddenly disappears leaves some distance away.

R1T11: Not only are you still groggy from the sudden cold, but now your entire suit of mithral plate becomes uncomfortably cold (no damage). You notice not but 10' away a small creature of ice looking at you intently.

R1T10: Achilles, what do you do? The only weapons you can actually be "wearing" are light weapons when you sleep are light weapons (i.e., kukri). Otherwise, you have to reach next to you to pick up whatever you need.

[srgonzo]

Achilles reaches for his bow and arrows, gets his weapon ready and prepares to fire a volley at the ice creature (I figured getting up and readying the bow were two ME actions.).

[lostsole31]

R1T10: Achilles grabs Aushanna and his quiver.

R1T7: Shensen drops the sunrod, and as she does so she brings out an arrow and shoots at the small-sized ice humanoid female while getting in her special stance. It nails the thing for a whopping 25 and the thing is pushed back 10' against a tree and falls prone. "It's an ice mephit that hit us with her ice breath; use fire. Get ready, there's a small air elemental that was a whirlwind that took out our fire."

One thing to note, the sunrod's light is still there, but only lights 10' around it fully, with 10' of dim light past that. It's partially obscured by the snow.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T21: Argentea moves over to Shensen and picks up the sunrod, bringing the area back to full light.

R2T20: A creature crawl-climbs headfirst down a tree a few feet from the fallen ice mephit and then stands (25' away). It's large and lanky, covered in moss and foliage, and has a toothy snout. Achilles, you recognize that it is some type of troll (or at least seems to be). It's about 9' tall, but significantly less muscularly developed than a normal troll, and you've definitely never seen a troll climb like that before.

R2T19: Ten-Penny sees this new player but remains focused on the mephit. She moves forward and throws what you notice is a tanglefoot bag that bursts all over the mephit and glues it to the tree.

R2T18: The Captain moves forward as well, next to Ten-Penny, and lobs a vial. It is only because the mephit is prone and glued to the tree that the vial just barely hits her directly, and it was a flask of alchemist's fire that burns her for a terrible 7 fire as she screams. Only lying in snow with it fast melting and flowing on her keeps her from catching fire.

R2T12: Some thing fast kicks up a trail of snow as it closes in at Lady Argentea and slams her with a critical strike to her right foot for 11. The thing tries to continue past as Lady Argentea gives a clumsy swing at it and Shensen connects with a snap kick for 6. The thing speeds on past out of sight, though.

R2T11: The mephit seems to be focusing on something as she struggles in the goo but nothing happens.

R2T10: Achilles, you still feel a little sickened from the cold (changes are on your sheet). More than that, though, your armor is now freezing and you take 3 cold.

You need to spend a move action to put your quiver on - allowing you to draw arrows and have two hands. This means you only have one standard action, so only a single shot. What do you do?

Shensen on deck, Lady Argentea in the hole ...

[srgonzo]

Achilles hoists the quiver, draws an arrow and fires at the troll.

ATK
[roll0]

DAM
[roll1]

FIRE DAM
[roll2]

[lostsole31]

R2T10: Achilles buckles on his quiver, draws an arrow, and fires at the troll, hitting it in the gut for 8 + 7 fire and it screams in pain as the fire burns hotter on it than expected.

R2T7: Shensen fires at the hapless mephit for 10 and it stops moving, then shoots and hits the troll for 11 in its left lower leg.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T21: Lady Argentea stands as if readied for something, and she no longer seems woozy.

R3T20: The troll clambers back up the tree and out of sight, the sounds of other trees moving as well.

R3T19: "Looks like that giant left, it's still using trees to get away," calls Ten-Penny, looking up and seemingly tracking a visual path. She closes to Lady Argentea, on the other side of Shensen, but with a 5' gap and having taken out her shortsword and some arcane energy courses along it. She also seems to have gotten over that initial cold weariness.

R3T18: The Captain gets close to Achilles and his muscles are tensed. "Moss troll," Achilles hears in his mind (though he later learns it was in everyone's). "Alone, and afraid of the fire. We're too strong for it."

R3T12: Sure enough, bursting from a direction and zooming in from a ways is a line of disrupted snow bearing down on Ten-Penny. As soon as it gets to her Ten-Penny was readied and no longer debilitated and stabs it for 6, halting it just long enough for you to see something vaguely the size of a halfling and made of buffeting snow and twigs and pine needles in a roughly humanoid outline. The Captain siphons off the mix of colors on him at this moment, coalesces it into a brightly glowing hand, and he releases the energy in a beam of light that just misses the strange thing. It throws out a fist/ tendril/ whatever at Ten-Penny that she easily dodges, and then it tries to tear away - never having gotten close to the other two girls. She again tries to get it with her sword but it dodges.Achilles actually recognizes this as a searing light, but cast as a spell-like ability, not an actual spell, and likely related - as evidenced from the description - to his innate light powers.
R3T10: The mephit might have been dropped, but her whammy is still on Achilles' armor as it is truly freezing, doing 7 cold to Achilles. On the other hand, Achilles no longer feels the ill feeling he had (likely from whatever that initial cold attack was) and recovers from being sickened.

Achilles, what do you do? Shensen on deck, Lady Argentea in the hole ...

[srgonzo]

Since the mephit hasn't poofed back to whatever plane or demi-plane it came from, Achilles fires three more rounds into the body.

ATK
1 [roll0]
2 [roll1]
3 [roll2]

DAM
1 [roll]1d8+6+[roll3]
2 [roll]1d8+6+[roll4]
3 [roll]1d8+6+[roll5]

[srgonzo]

Crap. I didn't get the actual damage rolls right.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

[lostsole31]

R3T10: Since the mephit hasn't poofed back to whatever plane or demi-plane it came from, Achilles fires three more rounds into the body. All shots hit for 33 + 14 fire, devastating the body which is now fully on fire. And it is still there ... a burning, arrow-savaged ... corpse?

R3T7: "Nice shooting, Sarge, but we could really use you against the air elemental," chides Shensen. "That mephit is done and you're wasting ammo."

This time, she closes in right next to Lady Argentea and Ten-Penny. "Close ranks, Ten-Penny," and she readies her bow.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T21-12.5: Lady Argentea readies her sword again and likewise closes, and the three woman are in a tight packet. You and the Captain are your own duo, and the Captain seems like he is readying as well.

R4T12: Zooming on on Theron now - on the other side of Achilles so he might not get to react but not in reach of the girls - comes the streak. Shensen in the first to respond and a single arrow goes through it and the winds give a terrifying howl and the thing discorporates ... the needles and snow and other detritus it was blowing around fall. The small air elemental has been killed.

R4T10: Achilles suffers another 5 cold from his super-frozen armor.

Assuming you let folks know what's happening, Shensen will drop a resist energy spell on your so you can brave the rest of the dead mephit's automatic spell - chill metal - without any more harm. Shensen describes to you the chill metal (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/chill-metal) effect.

Combat Ends ...

Shensen heals you and Lady Argentea with a single CMW each. Lady Argentea tops off Ten-Penny with a CLW. The work is made to get a fire going again, the sunrod dying out a half-hour after the fire is in full swing warming the camp again. The horses weren't affected by the mephit's breath, Shensen would explain, because of the limited cone and it felt it needed to get the intelligent enemies. Shensen is a little worried about a mephit and an air elemental working together like that. It's not an impossible concept, but it shows perhaps a little more organization than random cold-climate monsters. She's puzzled by the troll, and something about its actions suggest to her that it might have been an opportunistic team-up rather than an actual trio.

Back to bed.

EDIT: One thing you have noticed. Every time The Captain does something "new" - of all the sigils and runes and markings on his skin that are just dull black, something fills in with light blue tracery. It does this, and stays. One he used searing light (despite the miss), this was the first time that it really came to your attention, even though the amount of space on his body that adjusted is small. He still only shows a small amount of the silvery-blue tracery compared to the massive black network of markings on his albino-white skin.

[srgonzo]

Achilles asks Shensen.

"I know it seems strange that I'd put extra arrows into that mephit, but don't extraplanar creatures normally wink out of existence when you 'kill' them?"

Achilles does an inventory of arrows and checks to see if he might be able to scavenge some more.

[lostsole31]

Shensen shakes her head. "Usually that's when they're summoned. I am guessing that they weren't summoned, but actually came through a gate or portal or some higher-level conjuration magic. I'll be honest. Not my strong suit."

"A body is left behind," comes The Captain's telepathy. "How else could magic people get strange ingredients for their magic requiring angels and demons and elementals and the like? But they can't be summoned; that's a weak and temporary body-thing."

Ten-Penny looks worried, "I don't know about these extra-worldly magics, but doesn't that imply that they came through a portal?"

I don't think Sarge missed once this combat, but the downside to using Aushanna is that the fire destroys the arrow whether it hits or misses. He tries to look for arrowroot to scavenge arrows, but arrowroot is a tropical plant and he is luckless. Achilles currently has 38 arrows remaining.

The group, after a fire is re-lit, goes back to bed, and the rest of the night goes by uneventfully.

[srgonzo]

Somewhere in the ethereal mists of the dreamscape, Achilles feels the Source, casting about in an alternate dimension of this world, attempting to create a new incarnation. One incredibly different from himself!

[lostsole31]

Neytiri, Initiate of the Ninth Circle and Summoner of the 2nd Order, had originally come up from a cabal of aspirants based in an underground hermitage a mere fifty miles from Sothis. A great disturbance had been felt to the northern continent of Avistan in a place called the River Kingdoms as an ancient evil was awoken in that forest. She took the journey across the Inner Sea, away from her beloved continent of Garund and the caressing warmth of the sun, only to find that this beast Treerazer had been vanquished. She kept making plans to return, but as the naga aspirant protect the natural world at large rather than in as territorial a manner as many human druids, she had allowed the pull of need to guide her rather than her own sense of desire for home.

After many lesser adventures she finally made her way south out of Taldor, just across the border into Qadira. She was on her way to the capital city Katheer when she spent the evening with the hospitality of merchants who had made their way faster south. It seems that just across the border in the Empire of Taldor (from whence she had only just come), some miles outside of Zimar, there is a place called the Border Wood. Within this Border Wood an unnatural cold - as of a deeper winter than ever Taldor can remember - had issued forth from its center. A nearby town called Heldren was just beginning to feel its effects. As it is only late summer, and - if it is too be believed - the snows are thick in the wood as of deepest winter - Neytiri sought a nearby pool from which she could scry, for to simply follow this report blindly would be foolish as bored farmers and hunters constantly make all sorts of preposterous claims. With a difficult look at this Border Wood, Neytiri did see that the place was indeed covered in ice and snow and oft-driving wind. And so, she decided that Katheer and a ship home to Osirion would have to wait, for the level of magic that could create such conditions would have to be powerful, indeed.

She had to fight off several fey that were "winter-touched" ... creatures who have accepted a sliver of ice into their hearts to give them cruel power over, and resistance to, deepest cold. Last night, she was initially charmed and nearly killed by a striking, blue-eyed man with luminous skin and an ethereal harp that had sprung from an icy river. She managed to break the enchantment and fight off this very powerful fey - called a fossegrim - but he escaped. Neytiri had to use a large part of her remaining magic to heal herself and Taruk. She kept her eidolon in reserve and brought it forth to protect she and her quetzlcoatlus while they slept - a warm fire to act more as a function of security. There was no doubt this fossegrim was not native to so south a climate, and these winter-fey brought her to the conclusion that there must be an actual gate or portal bringing the winter, rather than an individual force or agency that simply had cold-generating powers.

[srgonzo]

"Sure, elven trail rations are great, but dwarven rations are, I don't know, heartier. More hearty?"

[lostsole31]

Ten-Penny, an actual cook, would respond, "And zesty, too!"

[lostsole31]

Neytiri, you tend to get up and moving earlier since you are by yourself. As you travel towards the source of the unseasonable winter, you see a set of tents that are currently in the middle of being struck, a campfire, an odd assortment of figures, and several horses. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Curious about this group of strangers, Neytiri gathers her inner magical energies and casts a spell before disappearing from view. Moving silently and leaving no tracks in the snow, she stalks close enough to observe (50ft+/-) from concealment before her spell fades.


Casts greater invisibility (summoner duration 11 rounds), trackless step, skill checks for move silently and then hide. Eidolon is not summoned currently. Endure elements is cast. Toruk is in figurine form in belt pouch.
.

[srgonzo]

Provided he's not aware of the stealthy observer, Achilles continues about his routine, prepping for camp, exercising to keep warm, helping others, having friendly conversations, eating, and/or standing watch.

[lostsole31]

Neytiri, how close to the camp will you get to observe? It is assumed your endure elements came from the, druid side, cast first thing this morning following prayers.

[lostsole31]

Neytiri - just settling at about 50' from the camp - is just counting moving, humanoid bodies when one of them whirls around and with astonishing speed fires an arrow that slams with tremendous force into a tree 10' from Neytiri.

The woman has half-elven features, but has the dark gray skin of black sand - something you've never seen before. She sniffs the air and calls out at moderate volume. "We have a visitor. I heard the unmistakable sound of southern silks rubbing against itself."

She looks out towards Neytiri (though not necessarily at her), and moving forward slowly with her bow held tightly but to the side. "Show yourself and state your business, or know that you cannot outwit my ears or nose."

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri slowly stands from her place of concealment and walks carefully forward, a sheepish smiles plays across her lips.
"Peace. I mean you no harm...unless you have brought this unnatural winter to this place. The natural order must be restored."
She raises her hands indicating her peaceful intentions , although a dull gray scimitar hangs from a strap at her hip. Her low cut green gown is a dark shade of sage green, complimenting the pale green of her throats and décolletage. Her bare feet seem to float across the new snowfall as walks forward. A hood partially obscures her features.


Bluff check on Neytiri's attempt to appear friendly or non threatening. She has not let down her guard.
[roll0]
she watches the face of the archer carefully as she moves forward, attempting to decern her intent.
i don't remember her dialogue color, but if this orange is not claimed, I will use that.

[srgonzo]

"I can assure you that neither my wife nor I are responsible for this...cold," Achilles says. "I'm also pretty sure about the rest of the group. Perhaps Lady Argentea will welcome you on her expedition.

With that, Achilles tells Ten-Penny (or anyone else who's around for that matter) to inform the Lady there is a visitor to the camp.

[lostsole31]

Lady Argentea, already armored for the day and including her morning workout, comes forward. "I am the Lady Argentea Malassene. Show your face, traveler, and give your name."

The woman addressing Neytiri is 5'7" and slender (114 lbs.). She wears a masterwork chain shirt, carries a masterwork light steel shield with a light steel boss, and wields a masterwork falcata. At her back is a thickly strung bow and a very full loadout of arrows.
http://images.rapgenius.com/8e398e0f67a015032b1fa44da6976ef4.618x850x1.jpg
http://www.toledosword.com/im/Falcata_Sword.jpg

[Blackhawk101]

Curvaceous and muscular; Neytiri moves with innate sensuality and confidence. At home in nature, she wears a revealing low cut Sage green dress slit high to the hip on each side. She pulls back her hood revealing her reptilian features. Her forked tongue flicks out testing the air frequently and her golden eyes with vertical irises miss little. Her smooth scaled skin is light green with patches of mottled tan that is pulled taught over her rippling muscles. There is some sort of raised scar tissue in the shape vaguely similar to an inverted Omega on her forehead.
"Greetings. I am Neytiri, priestess of Nalinivati. What is the purpose of your "expedition"?
She addresses Argentea directly but does give Achilles a small smile and a lingering glance before turning her attention back to the obvious leaders.

[srgonzo]

Achilles tilts his head to the left, trying to remember if he's ever seen a reptilian or ophidian humanoid like this before.

"Shen, I don't think this woman really means any harm, even if I've never heard of Nalinivati. Do you know anything about a god or goddess with that name?

[lostsole31]

http://pre14.deviantart.net/4e71/th/pre/f/2016/092/a/9/a98803162dc1c936dda64e93b1fbbf7a-d8ds7cp.png
The half-elf with the strangely dark skin angles off 15' from the others, and has her bow - a very nice composite longbow at that, trained on Neytiri. This woman is a hair or more under 5' tall, but might weigh just as much as the human woman with sturdy features (even for a half-elf). Her eyes are amber, and her hair is long, straight, and silver. She doesn't wear any apparent armor, and something about her says she is built for the world outside of stone and mortar. She wears a holy symbol of Desna, one of the leading goddesses among the elves and popular among humans as well. Desna is the goddess of travel, freedom, stars, and dreams.

This woman answers the man, "I have never heard of Nalinivati, but I have heard of the yuan-ti ... deceptive, secretive snakefolk that take people for slaves and are pretty much as treacherous as they come. Their ability with psionics, mind power, and enchantment is legendary on our world, Achilles. That reputation makes things more difficult, since she could have magics to warp our minds or to give her great glibness of speech."
http://www.freewebs.com/shackledcity1/shensen.jpg
Lady Argentea looks to the newcomer. "Neytiri, Priestess of Nalinivati, by the authority invested in me by the Empire of Taldor, I command that you relinquish your weapons, seek to cast no magic, and submit yourself to our custody until we can sort this out."

[Blackhawk101]

"calm yourselves. I am no Yuan-ti (whatever that is) but I hail from a race of people's called Nagaji from a land far from here. I offer you no violence even after you fired near me, nor will I unless you intend me harm. I do not recognize your authority to imprison me, but I will remain here or depart if that is your wish...Is this how you treat strangers you meet?"

She gives them all a small unconcerned smile.

[srgonzo]

"Miss, we're not exactly in friendly territory. You might understand that we might be a little...cautious, right? My wife's intent is keeping us safe, and the Lady has a similar ambition. Also, you might agree that a person walking by herself in the middle of an unnatural winter isn't what a reasonable person would consider ordinary."

https://67.media.tumblr.com/3e160e78d6bf6eaf4f4b57da7f85f2f9/tumblr_oahcy0MIt11s7x60do1_540.jpg

[Blackhawk101]

"I have encountered some very odd beings in this area of unnatural winter, perhaps we can share information if you are not interested in working together? I give you my word that my intentions are to restore the natural balance to this place, nothing more.
She gives her best innocent smile.


diplomacy check?

[srgonzo]

"We seem to have similar goals, but I'm sure you can see that I'm not exactly versed in magic. You can be quiet, which is a plus, and you wouldn't have gotten this far if you didn't have a fair amount of skill. Ma'am, if you have no objections, I recommend having her join the group."

[lostsole31]

Lady Argentea nods and looks back to Neytiri and calls, "You hear that, Ten-Penny? She lives."

Right behind Neytiri ... right behind Neytiri ... she hears a voice call back (which is basically shouting in Neytiri's ear), "Got it!"

The shortsword that was poised right at the base of the skull where it meets the spine presses only enough so that Neytiri realizes that she was actually in peril.

A half-orc woman, surprisingly attractive for her race walks past Neytiri without even looking back to check for a freak-out reaction.
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/118/c/7/Sexy_Orc_by_morganagod.jpg

[Blackhawk101]

A bit startled but trying to not let it show, Neytiri puts on a brave face.
"Who are you people...?" she drawls with a weak smile.
She turns to address the young noblewoman. "I have encountered some winter touched Fey and other creatures not native to this land. It is obvious that some powerful magics are at work here. What have you learned?
She will relay the few details of her encounters so far.
"I can perform arial reconnaissance and use my magic to learn the lay of the land. By the way, do not become alarmed as I am summoning my companion Naja Haje."
The raised symbol on Neytiri's forehead glows as she mumbles under her breath and sways through a series of dance like forms for a minute or so.

summon Eidolon. I assume that the Naja's toughness (cold resistance 10) is sufficient for the current weather conditions without help from Neytiri. After introduction, Neytiri will cast "lay of the land" 2nd lvl Druid spell.

When Naja arrives, Neytiri will greet her friend with a big hug.
"Welcome back, my friend. It seems that we have some more work to do to restore Nature to her natural order. Naja, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Naja Haje, my friend and stalwart defender."

[Blackhawk101]

http://media5.picsearch.com/is?b8okxpF6G9poCPMpSknObaBhepMmVQG-zRI6LZDsIB0&height=287
Naja Haje

[Blackhawk101]

http://media5.picsearch.com/is?b8okxpF6G9poCPMpSknObaBhepMmVQG-zRI6LZDsIB0&height=287
Naja Haje
The summoned creature resembles a velociraptor ( a medium sized creature) with some notable exceptions. There is an inverted Omega symbol also glowing on its forehead identical to the one on Neytiri. The creatures claws and teeth are some kind of glowing clear crystal substance. There is obvious intelligence in its reptilian eyes as it surveys its surroundings.
*Say hello the lovelies, Naja. They are a bit jumpy, but perhaps they have cause. The human female is the leader. Play nice.*

Asterix dialogue is telepathic communication between Naja and Neytiri. If you want it located in the Spoiler, let me know. You are going to run Naja, correct? Naja can speak all the same languages as Neytiri.

[Blackhawk101]

The reptilian creature bobs lightly on its toes as its bright eyes scan the group. It slides forward and performs a graceful bow to Lady Argentea.
"Greetingss Misstress. I Naja Haje. How we help thee?" It says in a low, sibilant hiss. The words are in accented but understandable Taldane. The rictus of a smile, baring her maw of sharp crystalline teeth is a bit disturbing to witness, however.

[lostsole31]

Walking at a slower pace than a normal man (though about the same as a small creature or a heavily-armored man) is a towering humanoid figure. "Oh, and this would be our .... recovering warmage, Theron," says Lady Argentea.

Theron is a misshapen, crippled, albino humanoid. Theron's base skin is pure white (before prismatic) with bald head and all-white eyes, and a frame not-quite right for armor and stunted legs (despite his incredible height at 6'8", he is quite spindly). Covering the majority of his body are sigils, signs, tattoos, and markings that are primarily black, though there are several that are of an incredibly detailed, light blue tracery as well. You don't even have a glimmer of a clue what manner of creature he is, and you have no skill in understanding sigils of these varying types. Though you can't say why, something about some of the black tracery makes you think of nature or weather, but not in any format you understand.His walking stick is a pale wooden shaft that has elaborate swirls and delicate flecks of metal adorning its head. The head almost makes it look like a long mace more than a staff if it were used as a weapon, but in truth it looks like if this guy tried to two-hand swing it like that he would fall over.

What is truly peculiar, is that he is glowing faintly (in the light of early sun and the glare of the snow). Later, you will note it is the illumination of a candle, but in the day it is barely noticeable but for the strange colors. I say colors, because his color is constantly shifting among the colors of the spectrum; sometimes, there is a coruscating mix of two colors playing across him briefly, though the majority of the time it is simply an impossibly random shuffle of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. His body fully is that color (or rarely, two colors), but it blends into a new color every few seconds ... or rarely, stays that color a few second longer. It's almost hypnotic ... and distracting.

He seems to study Naja-Haje, then Neytiri. In your heads (everyone) is heard, "Summoner with agathion eidolon. Can't be evil. Welcome."

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri puts on a pretty, pouty smile.
"My, aren't you the strange one. And all this fuss over little old me."

[lostsole31]

As the camp and fire are struck, Shensen Tesseril casts what Neytiri recognizes as endure elements on herself, Achilles, Ten-Penny Tacey (the half-orc) and Lady Argentea. Though she uses a holy symbol of Desna (goddess of stars, fortune, dreamers, travel; very common among elves) to channel these prayers, there is something about her style of magic that made Neytiri only barely recognize the spell. That is all the magic she casts, meaning the tall, branded/tattooed (you can't tell which) spellcaster is left to fend for himself, as are the heavy horses (of which there are five).
You would have to use your entire complement of 1st-level druid spells - prepared AND cast for the same spell - to be able to do the same thing, so she is probably at her limit.
This new roster heads out, and the snow ends up getting to be quite deep ... just under 2' of snow on average and costing 2 squares of movement, reducing overland movement by 75%. You are doing a spiral-in because of the shape of the valley and are now heading northeast, right into blowing snow that conceals much of your vision and you have only the trail to guide you, though Neytiri seems to possess a druid's typical preternatural knowledge to make sure the party doesn't go off-track. The snow gets even heavier ... 3' of snow crusted over with frozen sleet. Heavy ice burdens the trees to either side, bowing their branches until many touch the ground, becoming one with the wintry landscape.

Neytiri (or anyone), do you (or can you) do anything to minize this or just take it? Neytiri, note that you are on foot, causing folks to go at a crawl. If you tried to get on a horse with anyone else - even with the thin man - it would slow the horse down to move just the same speed as you are slowing the party to anyhow.

[Blackhawk101]

"I am going to change into another form to increase my speed. Do not become alarmed...at least try" grins Neytiri to the group. She stands away from the horses and changes into her wild Naga shape.


this will bring Neytiri's land speed to 40. I couldn't get the image to post, so I sent it to Lostsole31.

"Naja, please follow as you can. If you fall behind , I will summon you to me if I have need"

[lostsole31]

Welp ... this happens ...

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Neytiri%20Naga%20Form_zps1yisip14.png

[srgonzo]

Achilles arches an eyebrow and says: "Fascinating."

[Blackhawk101]

"Shall we proceed then?" Naga Neytiri asks sweetly.

[srgonzo]

"Let's be off," Achilles replies.

[lostsole31]

The trail leads into a clearing that is buried under 3' of crusted over with frozen sleet. Heavy ice burdens the trees to either side, bowing their branches until they become one with the wintry landscape. Four igloos stand in the clearing in the snow. A well-packed trail of large footprints passes between them, heading both north and west.

[srgonzo]

Achilles keeps an eye out on the terrain, conscious of Shensen, in case she provides some signal for action.

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri will summon Naja Haje to her side with a flourishing tail flip and the pair will check for tracks or other signs of what creature(s) may be inhabiting this clearing using their knowledge of nature and survival skills.

[lostsole31]

One of the sets of prints is particularly large. You determine that it belongs not only to a moss troll, but from its barefoot padding on the snow and comfortable gait it would seem that through some manner of magic this moss troll is fine in this weather. Trolls are incredible climbers and agile, but a little weaker physically (on average) than your garden-variety troll.

[Blackhawk101]

"Trolls. Why did it have to be trolls...? " Neytiri sighs. She and Naja Haje will follow the troll tracks, keeping their senses alert for ambushes from the ground, and the trees.

[lostsole31]

There is the sound of something clanging against Achilles armor followed immediately by a tremendous report.

Roll a Fort save vs. a DC of 15 or be deafened!

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri writhes her coils in pain at the sudden blast so close to them. Naja hisses in pain.

Neytiri fort save [roll0]
Naja Haje [roll1]

[lostsole31]

R1T27: Ten-Penny takes out a potion, drinks it, and disappears from view.

R1T24: Lady Argentea gathers her wits, but delays ...

R1T20: Unlike most warriors of Neytiri's past association, Achilles usually does not start with a weapon in hand. He seems to have a preference for putting a weapon in hand that suits the situation at hand. He takes out his powerful bow and casts a spell, calling on Erastil to make him truly deadly with Old Deadeye's weapon (aspect of the falcon (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/aspect-of-the-falcon)).

R1T18: Neytiri, what do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri speaks a brief incantation, a shudder and with a touch of her tail to Naja Haje both disappear from view.
"Hold Naja until we can act together "


casting greater invisibility with natural spell and improved shared spell with Naja. The duration is split between them for five rounds. She will give up her movement and stay where she is. For the shared spell to work the two must be within five feet of each other.

[lostsole31]

R1T18: Neytiri speaks a brief incantation, a shudder and with a touch of her tail to Naja Haje both disappear from view. Though there is an indentation in the snow from Naja, yet oddly not from the large snake-creature that Neytiri turned into. Still, the snow falls on them and semi-outlines them. Thought they may not be truly "invisible," yet they would still be difficult to target."Hold, Naja, until we can act together."
R1T9: Naja-Haje delays ...

R1T8: Shensen takes out a wand and uses it on herself.

R1T7: Theron's telepathy is heard in all minds, "I am deaf." Other than looking around cautiously, he doesn't do anything.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T27: Ten-Penny's deep-snow tracks head out of the trail and then behind Neytiri with the back to the trees, and snow faintly sometimes outlines here like it does Neytiri and Naja.

R2T24: With everything she can muster in the deep snow, Lady Argentea goes to the NE igloo and steps inside. "Clear!" she calls out in a firm voice to be heard over the silencing effect of the snow.

R2T20: Much faster than the lady, Achilles fights through the slogging effect of the snow while drawing his bow to get to the NW igloo. He looks in and then shouts. "Clear!"

R2T18: Neytiri, what do you do? What do you command of Naja?
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Winter%20Portal%20Map_zpsbyvdpszy.png

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri casts a spell, sharing its affects with Naja Haje. Her lilting voice is heard from her previous position.

"Let's clear the igloos on the left, dear. Tale the lead. Let me know if you scent anything."



Neytiri casts expeditious retreat on herself and Naja. They will move at Naja's snow affected speed = 1/2 of 60 ft = 30 ft.
Duration is 5 minutes each.
This is round two for greater invisibility.
Neytiri will keep adjacent to Naja to maintain the shared spells and to take advantage of the protection she provides (+2 ac and saves).

The pair will check the first igloo on the left first and shout clear if it is and the move onto the furthest left igloo.

[lostsole31]

R2T18-17.9: Neytiri casts a spell, sharing its affects with Naja Haje, Neytiri's lilting voice heard from her previous position. (TP as above.) She goes to check the first igloo right by her, with Naja adjacent to her, practically central in position to the clearing between the igloos. Because of Neytiri's size, she would have to squeeze to get through the opening. and right there at the opening are two sprites, one behind the other.

R2T16: The lead sprite throws forth its hand and Neytiri gets color sprayed, but the sprites don't know with whom they be messin' as Neytiri handily saves against the effect (even with a low roll). That sprite that ducks to the side and is not seen.

R2T15: The other sprite shoots its tiny widdle bow and actually hits Neytiri for 1. This time, however, it is the sprite that surprises Neytiri as the extreme cold numbs Neytiri so that she is now staggered (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions#TOC-Staggered). This sprite likewise ducks out of view.

R2T10.1: Neytiri sees an eagle with unnatural touches suddenly materialize behind Theron and attack him, slashing his shoulder with a talon yet doing no damage.

R2T10: A creature flies over but still well in the air, barely visible in the snow - it is an atomie, a type of sprite that usually tries to take on tougher opponents than it should. It uses a sling on Theron, hitting the vaati in the left shin for 8 mod - a damn powerful blow for a sling even in the arms of a human-sized warrior. Since the obviously conjured eagle went immediately before the atomie, it stands to reason the atomie is a caster. If so, very likely his sling stones have magic stone cast on them to really pack a punch. Theron appears to be disabled.

R2T8: Shensen adopts an interesting type of footwork and stance as she brings her bow to aim up at the atomie. Her first arrow hits the little bastard for 19 mod! Her second arrow misses.

R2T7: Theron's bloodied shin heals more than half even as Neytiri sees it happen (FH5), and he is no longer disabled. Theron points his staff at the atomie and a green ray shoots out of it, but he does so too quickly after so great a wound and ends up missing badly and getting a sprain for 3 DEX damage!!!

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T30: With extraordinary and surprising speed a moss troll of unusual muscularity (TK) bursts forth from behind a tree. He brandishes his Large-sized boar-hunting spear and gives a low, throaty chuckle as he stares at Achilles ... enough that Achilles seems to doubt his resolve (shaken).

R3T27: Ten-Penny moves well within the moss troll's range but the invisibility makes her past his ability to make an attack of opportunity. Still, she had to use everything she had just to get into position.

R3T24: Lady Argentea, using the cover of her position, calls out and while mocks the troll and his allies - not crassly but classily with excellent use of satire.

R3T20: Achilles crunches forward in the snow. The moss troll roars, full of primal fury and attacks with the spear, which glances off of Achilles armor. Achilles then attempts a vital strike against the troll and succeeds for a devastating 35.

R3T18-17.9: Neytiri, what do you do? What do you command of Naja? Note that your actions are limited because of the numbing cold you suffered from the sprite's arrow (staggered).

[Blackhawk101]

"Get them, my Dear!. Stay in the doorway."


Naja Haje will bare her crystalline fangs and flex her razor sharp claws as she leaps into the igloo after her prey, moving just inside the doorway. Neytiri follows to move behind her. Naja will attempt to bite a sprite.

power attack magic bite
[roll0]
[roll1]
round 3 of greater invisibility, round 2 of exped. Retreat. (For my benefit)

[lostsole31]

R3T18-17.9: (Tepe as above.) Naja Haje will bare her crystalline fangs and flex her razor sharp claws as she leaps into the igloo after her prey, moving just inside the doorway. Neytiri follows to move behind her, but gets stuck in the doorway! Meanwhile, Naja is looking around for a sprite to bite and steps through snow-covered thatching to fall into a pit ... instantly losing the effects of the shared spells. Because of a lot of snow fell into the bottom, Naja only takes 3 from the fall.

R3T16-15: Neytiri takes 2 total from 2 tiny arrows shot into her back as she is stuck in the doorway. The numbing cold follows with each shot, but Neytiri is able to resist it and even recovers from being staggered. Neytiri realizes that she will only get through the doorway with extraordinary effort or changing shape back to normal.

R3T10.1: The eagle continues to attack Theron. It seems as if it hit with all three attacks, and yet only one talon really was effective at slashing at Theron's head (1 mod). The eagle then disappears.

R3T10: The atomie turns invisible. Its height and size keep it from being pinpointed in the falling snow.

R3T8: Shensen figures stealthy enemies will hit Theron regardless, so she goes for making him more durable rather than harder to hit and casts bear's endurance on him.

R3T7: Theron fully heals from his wounds! He holds his position where he is, looking at the areas where the eagle had hit him, but didn't harm him.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T30: The moss troll steps back to the north five feet. He steps along the snow with a fantastically light step and seems totally unhindered by it, so that even in this terrain his five-foot movement is free. Though obviously in a rage (and Lady Argentea's satire isn't helping that), he doesn't put as much power as perhaps he could in striking at Achilles and his spear is deflected as a result. His bites are likewise ineffective. However, his wounds start to knit (5).

R4T27: Ten-Penny appears, electricity arcing all along the length of her shortsword, but she had missed her target. The moss troll's instincts saved it from her surprise attack.

R4T24: Lady Argentea casts a spell on herself. This time, as she uses her satire, her voice is booming and echoes through the value - aided by magic for a truly stentorian voice.

R4T20: Achilles holds his position and goes for yet another vital strike, but this one utilizing every ounce of power available to him, cutting deep into the moss troll's brow with a crit for 45! The sword goes deep through its skull and brain, not quite coming out the other side when Achilles withdraws his weapon ... and the monster falls back in the snow.

R4T18: Neytiri, what do you do? You have only to back out to not be stuck in the doorway, but you won't be able to go in easily in current form. Naja is stuck down a pit that was hidden in the false igloo. You are no longer staggered.

[Blackhawk101]

"Come out Winter's children. It's time for Summer to return" Neytiri drawls in a sweet voice.
Neytiri will attempt to widen the opening to the igloo by forcing her way inside. If successful, she will attempt a sprite bite. Naja Haje will try to climb out of the pit.

she is a snake after all. Yes large but long,not tall.
to hit
to damage [1d6+6 =8
if a full attack is allowed
to hit
to damage [1d6+6= 11
Round 4 of greater invisibility, round three of expeditious retreat for Neytiri only. Naja Haje fast healing 1

[lostsole31]

R4T18: "Come out, Winter's children. It's time for Summer to return" Neytiri drawls in a sweet voice. Neytiri attempts to widen the opening to the igloo by forcing her way inside, but the ice is at once slippery and textured - not allowing her to "slip" through but finding difficulty getting full purchase to squeeze through. She finally coils her muscles and forces herself through at great speed ... but not enough to stop her from going too fast and falling into the pit herself. She takes 8 from the fall, and Naja is unable to get out of the way of her bulk as she slams down on her from a 20' fall, doing 7 to Naja. Neytiri is now in a 20' tall pit looking up at an igloo roof that has a hole in it and she didn't see any sprites on her snowy slide into the pit.

R4T17.9: Naja Haje forces its way out from under her mistress, and is now on her feet in the corner as both reptile creatures are now squeezing in the pit. FH1.
R4T16-15: Sp1 shoots Theron, doing no damage but staggering him. Sp2 casts color spray at Shensen and Theron, but it is resisted.

R4T10: The atomie throws a sling bullet so wildly that he sprains his elbow in the process.

R4T8: Shensen casts a spell on herself. The snow no longer seems to bother her and she steps as lightly as ever.

R4T7: Theron gets under one of the flying sprites and sends forth a color spray of his own at both. Because of the way he is standing, not enough energy hits the one right above him, or at least it is a lesser amount and the sprite resists it. Sprite #1, however, takes it in the face and falls to the heavy snow, cushioned by its own light weight and the snow for 4 NL.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T30: Despite the powerful blow that should've killed the moss troll outright, the great gash at its head is starting to heal rapidly (5) but it is still seemingly dead.

R5T27: Ten-Penny stabs the prone form of the moss troll deep into the femoral artery and the shocking grasp spell is released, doing a total of 35 + 2 arcane + 25 electricity ... surely the moss troll is dead now.

R5T24: Lady Argentea still uses her satire to affect the opponents she hears out there and moves out into the open snow towards the sprite battle. She must have dropped her sword in the igloo because she comes out with her bow. She shoots Sp2, disabling it for 6.

R5T20: Achilles is a pragmatist who has been in a hundred campaigns and knows that as fantastic and deadly a blow as Ten-Penny landed, it might not be enough. He drops his sword, walks up towards the head while drawing his bow, and shoots the troll in the head for 9 + 2 fire. It's the final tiny bit of fire that counts. Achilles grunts with a tiny nod of indignation, then looks to the battle.
R5T18: Neytiri, you are in a pit that is 20' deep. What do you do? Naja-Haje's command?

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri will cast communal spider climb on herself and Naja Haje. She will return to her normal shape now and climb out of the pit on her next action. Naja Haje will climb to the edge of the pit and attack a sprite if one is around, hissing in anger. If not, she will climb out.


Round 5 of greater invisibility and last On Neytiri. Expeditious retreat is active on Neytiri. Spider climb active on both and is not a shared spell-duration 50 min on Naja Haje and 60 min on Neytiri.Fast healing1 for Naja.
[roll0] powerful PA bite
[roll1] damage magical

[lostsole31]

R5T18: Neytiri casts communal spider climb on herself and Naja-Haje. Neytiri then returns to her normal shape.

R5T17.9: Naja-Haje will easily climb up out of the pit despite the icy walls (and becomes visible), hissing angrily once she is at the top and steps forward onto the horizontal, seeing no spritely enemies.R5T15: Despite its wounds, and its heart full of empty cold and hate, the disabled sprite shoots directly down at Theron and hitting him for no damage, but continuing to overwhelm him with numbing cold. Overcome by its wounds, the sprite falls to the ground for 6 NL in the snow.

R5T10: The atomie heads towards the NW at ful speed.
R5T8: Shensen rushes into the false igloo and seeing the pit goes over to its edge and calls down - gingerly passing the unnatural reptile, Naja-Haje. Neytiri sees Shensen's head look down. "Neytiri, are you alright?"
R5T7: Theron, staggered, weakly smacks the sprite at his feet for 1.

End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T27: Ten-Penny shouts out, "That other one is getting away." Meanwhile, she trudges through the snow to the SE.

R6T24: Lady Argentea quits spouting satire. Instead, she looks to the fleeing atomie to the west and mouths a wide, silent scream, but the tough atomie only suffers 1 sonic.

R6T20: Aided by his ranger magic, Achilles first shot does 12 mod, spinning the flying atomie around and causing to flat-footed midair. Strangely, the winter fey is unaffected by the fire of the arrows. Achilles second shot does 7 mod. Achilles' third shot is a mess, though, as he is all thumbs.
R6T18: Neytiri, what do you do?Climbing up the icy sides of the pit is not an automatic, but the bonus from the spell helps. Accelerated or standard climbing? Do you wish to Take 10 or roll to try to get out of the pit?

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri will take ten to climb out.
"I am unhurt. Thank you for your concern." Neytiri says icily as she adjusts her dress and brushes off snow. Naja Haje makes a snorting chuckle. "oh do shut up!"

[lostsole31]

R6T18: Neytiri has spent her life dealing with simple walls, always rough and moderately easy to get over (except for city walls, which are difficult on any day). Here, however, she faces not earthen walls, but rather ice that was formed magically somehow over the four walls of this pit. Mind you, they aren't perfectly smooth, flat surfaces ... possessing a level of roughened hoarfrost over them that enabled Naja to escape, and is comparable to a natural rock wall or a brick wall, but the ice is still damn slippery. As Neytiri puts her full confidence in her ability to ascend such a wall with the aid of magic, she is woefully reminded that not every animal in the animal kingdom that can climb vertical surfaces can climb any vertical surface, and many natural climbers are better than others. She is able to assess that trying to Take 10 she would just end up getting hurt - surely slipping off the wall and falling to the bottom before she can cover even what her spell allows as a relatively short trip. No, she has to endeavor at it, but sure enough ... even then she ends up falling 10' to the bottom for 1 damage - more pride than pain. Luckily - visible now - Shensen didn't see her failed attempt, but Neytiri does wink into view as being prone.

"Achilles has the last fey on the run," calls down Shensen, "the moss troll is dead, and the two sprites are out of commission as well. Just a minute and I'll throw some rope down."

"I am unhurt. Thank you for your concern." Neytiri says icily as she adjusts her dress and brushes off snow while prone at the bottom of the pit. Naja Haje makes a snorting chuckle. "oh do shut up!"

Naja will not leave her mistress behind unless directed, so she delays (though she has been healing during this time) ...

R6T10: Lady Argentea's fantastically loud voice can be easily heard, even at the bottom of the pit. "The atomie disappeared into the source of blowing snow!"

R6T8: Shensen pauses, and then simply nods her head at something in her head. "Achilles! We need rope in here. Neytiri fell down a 20'-deep pit.

"Neytiri, if you have any rope, throw up the bitter end, and have your lizard..." (there is a hiss of indignation from above) "...stand by so I can tie a rope around it to provide an anchor."

R6T7: Theron takes careful aim, and with his staff he crushes the skull of the sprite at his feet.

Drop out of combat ...

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri switches places with her Eidolon and strolls out of the igloo. "come along Naja. Don't dawdle ".

[lostsole31]

Tacey will have killed the other sprite. As Theron had teped, he is deaf. So, it seems, is Ten-Penny Tacey. Theron's telepathy saves the day, though, as communication doesn't have to fight so much against the noise of the weather - the noise serves as noise distraction, but not noise-based sound obstacle.

There is something going on to the NW where the atomie fled, but Lady Argentea wants this camp secured first. "That thing goes far faster and easier in the snow than ourselves. Let the coward run." Of course, she says this sotto voce so as not to be too loud, but just in case she does not dismiss her spell.

The bodies of the sprite reveal nothing salvageable but their tiny bows and quivers. Though a curio, perhaps, it is considered a waste of carry-space to worry about it so they are left.

The moss troll had good stuff on him, though. He has a pouch with 48 gp, a key, a small mirror, and his Large-sized masterwork boar spear. The boar spear has a faint aura of enchantment magic on it. These things are set aside for now.

The three igloos that were not the false igloo with the pit trip look the same ... A winter blanket, a pile of furs, and a small wooden chest take up most of the floor space in this cramped igloo. A small hole has been cut into the low ceiling to allow smoke to escape, but no fire has been lit. Nothing of worth enough to weigh down horses.
*** Neytiri, let me know if you want any of this, but without a horse keeping a chest is entirely impractical.

The group easily follows the dead troll's tracks back to a natural cave. Two bearskin rugs cover most of the damp floor in this cave, surrounded by crates, barrels, and other supplies. The ceiling rises fifteen feet overhead, where icicles of frozen condensation hang from sharp stalactites. Altogether, this cave holds 34 days' worth of common meals, preserved here by the cold. Note that this is a common meal ... NOT trail rations, meaning that a days' worth of food weighs 2 pounds, not just 1 pound.

There is also a lockbox here, and sure enough the key that was on the moss troll opens the lock (not trapped). The chest holds four potion vials in an iron coffer, four blue quartz stones of some sort, a silver diadem, a tiny, near flawless diamond, a jeweled necklace, a painting of a snowy city with odd architecture (minarets and onion-bulb-shaped-topped towers and the like), three sapphire rings, a decorative filigree longsword scabbard, and a small scrimshaw sculpture of dancing sprites surrounding a piping satyr. There is easily hundreds - possibly thousands - of gold coins; even more silver, and only slightly less copper coins than gold. This is a rich, rich fortune indeed! That said, no effort is made to go crazy appraising or anything right now. The potions all seem to be similar, carrying a faint aura of transmutation.

Finally, the group heads to the clearing to the northwest. A bank of quill-like icicles spear outward in a ring, seemingly grown from a heavy sheet of ice covering the ground. A second ring of giant icicle-shaped monoliths stands inside the outer ring, surrounding a swirling cylindrical vortex easily ten feet in diameter. Icy winds and driving snow blast from the vortex, creating the wintry weather in the clearing. The swirling vortex hurls the falling snow out of the ring of icicles to pile elsewhere throughout the camp. As a result, the terrain within the ring of icicles—though sprinkled with a dusting of snow—imposes no movement penalties like the deeper drifts in the rest of the clearing.

It seems that this is where the moss troll had spent some of his time - in the form of a tree, with Neytiri figuring that he must have been the actual guardian of this spot. The party doesn't have time to contemplate much more than this, however, for a creature appears through the winter portal as if having come from someplace else, arriving in the clearing.

[lostsole31]

A surge of wind suddenly blasts from the swirling vortex in the ring of icicles, gusting outward in a stinging spray of snow and ice. Suddenly, a gaunt horseman with curling ram’s horns and wearing coal-black armor lurches through the portal astride a black warhorse, surrounded by tendrils of cold, dark mist. The rider slumps in the saddle, a shard of blue ice jutting from his back. As rider and mount come to a halt in the snow, the horse suddenly dissipates into black smoke, and the horseman falls to the ground with a groan.

The intimidating facade is dismissed, and you see the rider in black armor in his true form, that of an old, human man, exahusted, pale from blood loss, and close to death. He looks around weakly at the heroes, and what he can see faintly of the moss troll's corpse in the background. He smiles weakly. "I have knowledge of great import to share with you. No magic you possess can stay the death that finds me, for the blue ice in my heart has done its work and I shall will myself to death before being turned into an agent of evil. But you must be quick with what questions you have, for I will have to do end myself soon enow."

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rycVHQ64k94/UYPguHG-nOI/AAAAAAAABkY/-5n1lY0LwQI/s1600/Black+Rider+final.jpg

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri will move to support the old man. "Lets get him inside and get a fire going.

[lostsole31]

He shakes his head vigorously, coughing. "I have a spear of winter ice through my heart. There is no warming or healing me but to avail me of corruption, and I have lived too long in the World of Men."

When the old man says the mysterious phrase "World of Men," Lady Argentea is confused. "Who ... are you?"

"Once, I was called Illarion Matveius. Now I am known as Black Midnight. I am Baba Yaga's Black Rider, harbinger of the Witch Queen's return."

[lostsole31]

Seeing the shard of ice in his back through his heart - something that would've killed even Achilles - our doughty, mithral-clad monster asks the pragmatic question. "Who did this to you?"

"The servants of Queen Ilvanna, ruler of Irrisen and betrayer of her own mother."

Neytiri, these names don't mean anything to you.

[Blackhawk101]

"Who is responsible for this un-natural wintery portal and how do we close it? Neytiri asks. If this stranger refuses her aid, she is nothing if not practical .

[lostsole31]

"Something has happened to Baba Yaga. Every hundred years, she returns to Irrisen to place a new daughter on the throne. But Queen Elvanna has other plans, it seems. Baba Yaga has not appeared as planned, and Elvanna intends to slay everyone loyal to her mother. She hunted down those of us who would herald Baba Yaga’s return and slew my associates. I am the last of the Three Riders and a threat to Elvanna’s plans ...to take Baba Yaga’s place, and claim all of Golarion as her personal kingdom. Irrisen is a land of endless winter, created by Baba Yaga’s magic. Elvanna seeks to cover the entire world in ice and snow, using portals like this one.

“As far as this portal, you can find its source in the Pale Tower, on the other side, but this portal is but one of many. Through them, Elvanna will spread a new ice age across your world, consuming it for all eternity. Closing this portal might save your kingdom, but Golarion would still be doomed.”

"Out of the ice bucket and into the deep freezer," Shensen says to Achilles and Theron with a wan smile. She looks back to the Black Rider, already on her knees with his head on her lap so that he may have some succor before his passing. "What can we do to stop this from happening?"

“You must find Baba Yaga. Only Baba Yaga can defeat Elvanna. Only the Queen of Witches can undo what her daughter has done.”

"If Baba Yaga has not 'appeared as planned,' how do we find her?" asks Shensen.

“You must use her Dancing Hut to follow her. The hut is a powerful artifact that can cross great distances, even travel between worlds. If you can control the hut, it can take you to Baba Yaga.”

During these few back and forths, Achilles seems to have been pre-occupied in thought. "My people - the place where I'm from - have ancient stories about Baba Yaga and her fabulous Dancing Hut. Alright, so to use the Dancing Hut, we need the Dancing Hut. Where is it?"

“Elvanna stole the hut and put it on display in Irrisen’s capital, Whitethrone, as a symbol of her power. You must go through the portal to Irrisen and find the Dancing Hut.”

[Blackhawk101]

."We must prevent this disaster from occurring! We're going to need to find someone who is familiar with Irrisen to help guide us. Do know of anyone who we can trust to aid us against the queen?" she asks the old man.

[lostsole31]

The old man's eyes are turning a limpid blue - slowly, but noticeable now - where once they were so dark a brown as to be black. "Nobody but you ..." he mumbles, weakly, "enemies unknown and all around ... all is lost. Be discrete and prudent."

Lady Argentea presses, standing over the man, imperiously. "Your service to Baba Yaga is not over, as I am a Lady of the Empire of Taldor!" her voice - still under the effect of mighty magics, resounds through the clearing. "I charge you, Rider Matveius, Herald of Baba Yaga, to stay for this question, lest we fail ... and your quest in turn. If we get to the Dancing Hut in Irrisen's capital of Whitethrone, how may we turn this powerful magic to our cause?"

That did it, that snapped the man back into a little more lucidity!

“The hut... has many keys—objects attuned to the hut—that can take it almost anywhere. ... I managed to ...secure two of these keys...but Elvanna stole their power to prevent anyone from using the ... hut to find her mother. ... Once they....are reactivated, placing the keys in...the hut’s cauldron will retrace Baba Yaga’s path.”

He forces himself through sheer will to gather his focus, though it is obvious that he is fighting off something far worse than physical pain and impending mortality. "I am Midnight, and the stars dim," he says on this morning of gray, snowing clouds. "I can no longer finish my mission - finding and rescuing Baba Yaga - so I pass this mission onto you should you take it."

He produces some objects from within his cloak. "This is a lock of hair from a frost giant's beard. This is a plague doctor's mask. These two items appear perfectly normal and mundane in every way, but they are the literal keys to take the Dancing Hut to a new destination in search of Baba Yaga. Elvanna has drained the keys of their power, but I have the power to reactivate them, if you will accept the mantle. Will you perform this sacred duty?"

"It shall be done, as I am the Lady Argentea of Malassene."

"Well, it's good for a mercenary company to have a goal, I guess," says Achilles. "Let us see this justice done."

"I'll be honest, I'm a little skeptical, but my bloodline magus powers seem to be grounded in the power of cold. Sounds like fate to me. Why not? Sure," says Ten-Penny Tacey.

Telepathically through people's heads - and likely the Rider's no doubt, "I am order, and one seeks to upturn all orders in a naked grab for power. We were sent here by my kin, so this must be the sacred task he hinted at. I shall do this."

Shensen says, "By Desna's stars, we shall see those stars again on a proper summer night! I shall give my life to this quest, for destiny has already brought us this way."

Neytiri?

[Blackhawk101]

"Nature's balance will be restored! This crime will not go unpunished. Rest easy guardian knowing that we will take up your duty and restore order to both worlds!"

[lostsole31]

Though Neytiri doesn't actually say she is given to this quest, yet whatever strange agency watches over her and these proceedings weigh her words the same. For unbeknownst to the group, it is but an illusion of choice.

Having said his piece, the Black Rider slits his own throat, bathing the two keys in his life’s blood. This ostensibly empowers the keys, but kills the Rider, and there is no way to save him through normal means. As he expires, his magic robes melt away like ice in a fire, leaving behind the body of an old man dressed in a simple black tunic.

[lostsole31]

Well, what does the party do/ suggest now?

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri will prepare a ceremony to honor this fallen guardian, unless there are any objections. She will prepare the body, speak a prayer to the Goddess asking her to guide his soul to his next incarnation. When the ceremony is complete, she will summon a column of fire to dispose of the body.
"let us get some rest and prepare for our journey into the portal ."

Neytiri will cast a spell to create a spider silk tent for her use in a packed area of snow. She will heal herself and any wounded party members and then retire.

She casts flame strike and web shelter.

[lostsole31]

The above will happen (cool). She is the only wounded person ... this Theron, it seems, despite being incredibly frail is able to automatically heal (fast healing). He did suffer some type of sprain wherein he has a debility (clumsier), but that is something Neytiri hasn't prepared for and Shensen can handle. Neytiri goes inside her silk igloo to sleep, Naja-haje joining her to guard her.

There will be a lot of activity outside all-in-all, though. First, fire is set to the troll's body to act as an immediate bonfire with which to warm the horses while making more capable shelter. Than, a series of tiny fires will be set in the various igloos, as well as a large fire at the entrance to the cave, to act as various shelters for the others and for the horses. Horses are unpacked, and other such maintenance actions are made. The smell from the burning troll is awful, but Neytiri rests as she will, which will include much time for contemplation and prayer with Nalinavati given her recent experience and with what must happen.

Neytiri, of course, will have to eat, but that food will come from the fresh provisions from the bandits. Ten-Penny Tacey does the cooking.

Neytiri is not woken during any point of the night for watch, and she wakes up in the morning. She will have to pray for her spells as usual, being sure to hit herself with endure elements as soon as she is done.You are traveling through a portal to a land of eternal winter. Shensen has plenty of endure elements for everyone in the group (sans Theron, who seems inured to the cold) and yourself (you have your own spell). The horses, however, are a different matter.

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri will pray for her spells with an emphasis on enduring elements. She will cast Life bubble on herself instead of endure elements before heading outside to see to the horses. Each horse will get two endure elements (one every eleven hours) and then a communal endure elements for the additional two hours if camp is not sufficiently warm. Neytiri will then summon Toruk and if successful, she will cast life bubble on her. Naja is fine without additional magical protection
"I can create a protected grove for our campsite to help during our journey and I have warded the horses against the cold." she announces to the group once everyone is gathered.

I have updated Neytiri's spell list to reflect her new spell choices.

[lostsole31]

When Neytiri calls forth Toruk ... nothing happens.

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri is frantic and grief-stricken. What could have happened to her companion? She tries to think on everything that she knows about what has happened to see if there is a clue about this strange occurrence before sitting on a rock and silently weeping. She is only vaguely is aware of her surroundings and follows Naja Haje when prompted. Naja will keep them with the rest of the group and speak for Neytiri.
"Misstress very sad today. Naja Haje watch over her. No, nothing you can do."


I guess you have a reason for nerfing her Druid side but this sucks. You hate animal companions, don't you?

[lostsole31]

Shensen, being the healer that she is, will still approach Neytiri and ask her what the problem is.
Her druid side has not been nerfed. I do not hate animal companions at all.

Baba Yaga has spoken. Baba Yaga will provide.In doing "all she knows," no doubt Neytiri will (or when you tell Shensen, she will suggest) hit the figurine with detect magic. There is a lingering, faint transmutation aura ... as well as a powerful abjuration aura.

I shall assume that while sad, Neytiri will not hold back the party from moving forward?

[Blackhawk101]

"Mistress is sad. We follow." Naja will tell Shensen.

[lostsole31]

So, what was found in the moss troll's chest - and his own gear - was determined. Achilles will make sure that Neytiri knows what there was, even if her grief only has her half-listening. Nobody else in the group wants this weapon for various reasons, though if nothing else Lady Argentea could use it as a backup weapon, but much prefers her falcata. Does Neytiri have any interest in it, or is it something better stored in treasury for later sale/ barter/ gift?
Aura of faint enchantment. Weighs 8 lbs.
A 2-foot-long blade extends from the heavy crossbar of this +1 boar spear (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/spear-boar). Designed to catch and hold humanoid prey, a spear of manhunting automatically resizes to match the size of its wielder when grasped. Once per day on a successful critical hit, the wielder of a spear of manhunting can cast hold person as an IA on the target hit by the attack (Will DC 13 negates). The hold person effect immediately ends if the spear is dropped or withdrawn, such as by making additional attacks with the weapon.
Also, there were four identical potions of feather step (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/f/feather-step) in an iron coffer in the treasure chest. Does Neytiri have any interest in one?

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri will take the boar spear, sniffing daintily at the faint (?) odor of Moss troll still lingering on the weapon. The quality of the weapon impresses her and it might come in handy. Having to lug it around will be an issue that might religate it to the treasury, though.

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri will pray for her spells with an emphasis on enduring elements. She will cast Life bubble on herself instead of endure elements before heading outside to see to the horses. Each horse will get two endure elements (one every eleven hours) and then a communal endure elements for the additional two hours if camp is not sufficiently warm. Neytiri will then summon Toruk and if successful, she will cast life bubble on her. Naja is fine without additional magical protection
"I can create a protected grove for our campsite to help during our journey and I have warded the horses against the cold." she announces to the group once everyone is gathered.

I have updated Neytiri's spell list to reflect her new spell choices.

Neytiri will explain to the group her plan for protecting the group in distracted way. Naja Haje stays closer to her side than she usually does.

[lostsole31]

With 5 endure element spells memorized, you can cover yourself and four of the five (not six, sorry) horses, and Shensen can cover the fifth horse and the other characters. This taps you out of your EE spells and has Shensen casting five of six of her 1st-level hunter spells. That only leaves one full EE in the group. After that, Neytiri has her communal EE.

Make a decision - spear to treasury, or carry spear?

[Blackhawk101]

Neytiri also has six endure elements under her summoner spells. Neytiri will use life bubble spell (4th lvl Druid) on herself. It has a built in EE plus a 22 hr duration and its other bonuses.

She will carry the spear. For now.