A Gathering Storm

[Riggdgames]

Roland Parnum Roland lies under his furs a good deal longer than is necessary, face impassive as he takes a few minutes to think on what happened. He was still alive. Still whole, though for the moment at least it felt like a part of him was back at that pond. He shook his head a few times absentmindedly, but thoughts and memories swirled together into something like a half-forgotten dream. The fire outside pulls him back to reality as Njal tends to his tea. Roland finally moves, slowly packing his things and putting one foot in front of the other before taking a seat beside Njal next to the open flame. A hand on his shoulder steadies him. The world was still off-kilter, but a cup of hot tea on a cold day made for a good start towards setting things right. "Thanks Njal," Roland says quietly, warming his hands on his travel-worn cup, "for all of it." More words came to mind, but they all felt cheap compared to the debt Roland owed. As far as he was concerned, Roland's hammer was Njal's to command. His faith and strength was Ramiro's to guide. His shield was Verglas' to take cover behind. "Let's hope," Roland says, coughing into his furs, "that we manage to find a sign at the fort. If she passed to the north, it will be through there. If she hasn't..." He didn't really know what they would do if there was no sign of Lyssa, but then, he didn't really have to. He would follow the three of them, whichever direction they lead. Spoiler: OOC Show No worries Saintheart, sorry for my own delay there. I'd be grateful for a charge of Endure Elements, don't want to risk a roll while Roland's still recovering from sickness.

[Saintheart]

Late Morning, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Gathering their possessions once more, the four adventurers set off west, in the presumed direction of the Old Fort.

The weather was bitterly cold. Young and flame-haired, Ramiro toughed out the first hour as they waded through snowdrifts and up the sloping terrain with the crags of the Spear above them. The morning wore on...

Spoiler: Ramiro Fort saves

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[roll]]1d20+3[/roll] - vs DC 16
(1d20+3)[20] - vs DC 17
(1d20+3)[5] - vs DC 18

Nonlethal damage if applicable:
(1d6)[1]
(1d6)[6]
(1d6)[6]

[Saintheart]

Spoiler: OOC

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One more Fort roll in there which seemed to fail...

(1d20+3)[22] against DC 16


The overall result being: Ramiro takes 6 nonlethal damage and now has Frostbite, thus taking a -2 to DEX.

He's also beset by mild hypothermia and is considered fatigued.

...and the young man's hot blood held for him until they started up to Lastbreath Pass itself. The cold had been pummelling him all morning, and he found himself blinking more frequently ... and noticed his fingers turning blue, and being unable to flex them as well as he had...

This was also apparent to all of the other adventurers.

Spoiler: OOC

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Do you do anything?

You're about half an hour from the Old Fort and whatever it might hold. Ramiro's condition won't get better without some sort of intervention, especially if he fails another Fort check, but you will lose more time in treating the hypothermia and the frostbite.


Also, I'll take it that it's a charge from the Wand that allows Roland to endure elements, if that could be marked off.

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" With the distance closing on the fort Njal looks to the others and to Ramiro with concern. "You be looking cold my friend. We must be pressing on, find some shelter and warm you up." He pats the monk on the back "My magic cannae' fix the cold that hits you now. But I can help you come the 'morrow or in an hour or so when we reach the old fort and can be warming you nicely by the fire eh?" He flicks the resin to encourage the horse to go faster, "Come now. Lets be pushing on ahead as fast as possible. This weather may fell us if we hang around here fer too long."

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda
I might need to lie down once we get to the fort, but I will make it.

Spoiler: OOC

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Cold check: (1d20+13)[16]

[Toliudar]

Verglas grits her teeth. Even with her magical protections, the whipping wind and life-sapping cold ate away at her. Not for the first time on this trip, she resolved to find more sedentary employment in the future.

"My apologies Tomorrow morning I will know to prepare more of the weather protective magics I only hope that it does not become so cold as to overwhelm those as well. Still, a rest period in this fort sounds like a veritable paradise to me right now."

[Saintheart]

Midday, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Struggling on, the adventurers trudged west. The peaks of the Spear gave way to the great white wash of ground Ramiro had spotted from further east: the southern end of Lastbreath Pass, where centuries of snow and ice had flowed out to create a great apron of white emerging from the narrow mountain range.

However, the pass's entry quickly narrowed down to a thin, rocky trail where it emerged from the mountains. And at last the Old Fortification came into view.

Well, what was left of it.



The elements had pummelled the fort. Ice had flowed between bricks, cracking the walls; the fort might have been a two-storey structure when newly built, but now it looked to be just a little collection of wall outlines and a few taller walls, crowned with snow. The place was no real shelter and not much of a fortification anymore, but it perhaps would have been a great hindrance to anyone trying to move into the Pass itself, which carried on further north.

And it was not vacant.

Two growls came from around the remains of a corner wall. Not canine; and not feline. It sounded like some sort of rock grinding against another combined with a high wind's moan. The ground crunched with sound. And two things about the size of large wolves came around the corner, standing at the corner and baring ice-white fangs. They were not wolves, though: ice splinters festooned every surface, and their eyes and bodies were cold blue. Some sort of ice beast, Roland and Njal concluded. (Ember and Stormrir were clearly unsettled, whickering and even backing off a foot or two.)

The ice beasts were followed by a stocky, thick-bodied woman. She was clad in heavy winter clothing, white with beast fur, and had a hood thrown back. Her eyes were black and glittering in their dark sockets, darting from face to face among the adventurers, hands wringing in thick leather gloves. Two thick braids trailed from her black hair. She was short, Verglas realised - not as short as Verglas herself, but as short as -- Five Gods, she was a dwarf, like Njal!
"What ye want?" she snapped. Her wringing hand shot out to the wall next to her and a long club with a great skull on it was in her hand. The two ice beasts growled at her movement, taking a step forward. "Hey! Hey!" she said, nudging each beast with the butt of the club. "Bifur! Bofur! Ye not eating yet!" And then turned her black, darting eyes to the adventurers again. "What ye want?"

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" Njal had looked with some distaste at the crumbling stone and descript buildings before he sensed trouble. Seeing the blue ice beasts he drew the tiger skull club, and a gruff, "She be dead if she were here" to the others he readies for trouble until the attractive dwarven lady steps out into the open. Njal eyes her carefully, switching into dwarven "We be searching for a lost lass frae Lord Harwalker's hall. Who be you? And what brings you tae the fort?" Seeing the beasts he pulls back on Stormrir's bridle and whistle to stop the wolf advancing, its hackles up as it sense the threat from the pair of ice beasts. "Aye lass. Keep your beasts on a short chain. My friend he no like them. "

[Saintheart]

Midday, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

The dwarf woman's hands tightened on her club. Her eyes were deep in their sockets, and they continued to flick from one to another. "No lass here! Gone! Left! Spirits took her! Yes they did!" The two ice beasts again sensed her agitation, and growled dangerously, pawing the earth. "Spirits heard her, they did!"

Spoiler: Njal

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That rocked the dwarf. The reference to Spirits, from such a woman, a dwarf woman, was unmistakeable. That was the way of the Earth-hearer of the dwarven people, the path of them who listened to the Spirits and sought more of them. This was no mere stranger; this was a druid.

Like himself.

Which did not necessarily mean they had found a friend. Druids of the dwarves - of all races - walked a fine line between placating the Spirits and madness. The look of this one made Njal feel that perhaps this one had gone such a way.

[Riggdgames]

Roland Parnum Much like the others, Roland was shocked into silence at the appearance of the fort. They would find neither safety nor succor here, it seemed. A growl up ahead all but confirms his worst fears about this place. Even more unsettling than the ice beasts, however, is the dwarf's eyes. There was no light in them. There was certainly no fire. The Red Lady had abandoned this one long ago, Roland was certain. A gauntleted hand flexes around his maul as he carefully readies himself to leap from his horse if the ice beasts charge, but Roland doesn't dare to provoke an attack. Not when so many questions are unanswered. "Where?" Roland asks, trying to keep the distress out of his voice. "Where did the--where did they take her?" Spoiler: OOC Show Roland will speak in common regardless, but he understands dwarven if the lady dwarf is also using that language.

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" Njal watched the woman carefully, a quiet whisper to his colleagues of "Ware, this one be a stone speaker like me. But she been too deep too far. She may no be a friend now. " Back to the lady he echoes Roland's words. "What type o'spirit took her and where did they go. We adore sn oath to get the daft wench back so as sure as stone endures we'll bloody do that ." He watches her warily, trying to see if she is likely to attack.

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda looks miserable as he beholds the "fort".
He has some hope for his task at word of the girl, but he is so tired. He just wants to lay down.

[Saintheart]

Midday, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

The dwarf woman looked just as warily back at Njal. She was edging towards the corner of the building, but whether out of a desire to attack or simply hide was impossible to tell. She was blinking rapidly now. "What ye want her for? Spirits got plans for her, they make her all right, they see her, yes, they do!" And before the dwarf had a chance to reply, she abruptly snapped her gaze across to Roland. "What ye want with her, ye charry man? Ye the one wanted force her to swear a love-oath before the fire?"

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas sat quietly on the back of Stormrir, contemplating the woman. She was only getting some of the gist of the conversation, but if there was one thing that gnomes understood all too well, it was that you Can't Fix Crazy. More importantly, the last thing that they needed was a fight with a druid and those two insane ice-wolf-things.

Glancing back at Roland behind her on Stormrir, Verglas shrugged, and turned to face the woman. She had been listening to Njal's accent for several days now. It didn't seem too hard.

"Lass kin you no see tha mae braw lad here be wit me? Sure an it be joos as dae furry'un spake We be gie it laidy though Sae fair skies tae you n yourn."

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda stops focusing on his freezing miserable state for a moment to try and figure out what this dwarf is about.

Spoiler: OOC

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Sense Motive: (1d20+9)[14]

[Saintheart]

Midday, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Ramiro couldn't make head or tail of the dwarf woman's intent; she seemed to be entirely erratic.

But she did seem to focus - in momentary bewilderment - as Verglas spoke in some attempt at matching Njal's accent.

She burst out laughing, doubled over, and when she stood back up there were tears standing at the corners of her eyes. She leaned against the wall of the ruin, coughing and trying to catch her breath. Her rotten teeth were a patchwork of yellow and black in her smile. The two ice beasts looked at her for a moment, then resumed their watch on the adventurers.

"Oh my--" The dwarf woman coughed again, hawked up a ball of snot, and spat off in another direction before turning back to them. "--Oh me stars, gnome girl, where did they teach ye to talk? And you - you're with 'im, in the steel shell?" She was consumed by another gale of laughter, hand brushing the tears away from her face. "Oh. Oh dear. Now get out of here, no girl here. Why you want talk to her, who you taking her back to?"

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda
Surely the spirits would have told you about the Gravewind that is comming. Getting her to safety is not enough?

[Saintheart]

Midday, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

"Spirits told Almeza the Gravewind comes, aye, flamehair!" The dwarf's eyes grew wide, turning to the monk. "Aye, young human with lips turning blue! Spirits told all! Spirits guiding girl too! They tell her where go! She safe where she going, aye, so it be!"

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" Njal grins behind his beard as he listens to Verglas trying to imitate drawf speech before looking back to the crazy lady. A slight shudder at the chipped and yellow teeth, a comely dwarf maid she certainly was not. "Aye, tell us where the wee lassie be. Where did the spirits take her? We be needing to git her back tae her father." Glancing at Ramiro, he slides down from the horse. "Aye, the wee laddie has a touch of the chills. He be needing some heat with a fire and a warm flask of something in his belly. Can we enter the rubble eh? Share a brew with us?" As he speaks he makes sure to be obvious in hanging the tigerskull club from his belt to present no threat.

[Saintheart]

Midday, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Almeza - if that was the dwarf woman's name - suddenly had a wary look about her. "Ye stay where ye are!" She raised the club she held. "The flamehaired boy's not goin' die here, leave his Spirit here t' howl in th' night! Ye say ye come from girl's father? Aye, she spoke o' her father. Want bind her to a love-oath! All that, despite what she is! The Spirits knew, aye, they did, 'tis why they took her! Ye want know where she is, what ye trade for it?"

[Toliudar]

Verglas

We're still talking to the cray lady who's brandishing a club at us. Okay. We're still talking to the crazy lady who's brandishing a club at us.

Verglas decides that the quickest way through a conversational quagmire was out the other side. Reaching in to her pack slowly and deliberately, so as not to startle the nice thrat-ripping creatures, she pulls out a clay bottle with an orange stripe around the neck.

"Yes we would very much like to better understand where the 'spirits' took the girl It's become clear to me that the primary commodity of this place is warmth and I have some here in concentrated form This is achemist's fire not as spectacular as your own display of brilliance but capable of a single burst of flame when you need it most What would you say to this in exchange for information about the girl's wherabouts?"

[Riggdgames]

Roland Parnum Roland had heard a fair amount of dwarven in his time, both from traveling and living in their lands for a time, and also from finding their kind wandering the cold road. To his ears, Verglas' accent sounded just about right. It suprised him then, to have her words thrown back at her. Roland couldn't understand Almeza or what she wanted, but he understood well enough that she didn't care for their company. The problem was, she was standing right where they wanted to be, and she knew just where the Lady Lyssa had gone. She even pretended to know why. "You don't miss much, do you Alemza. Is that the spirits guiding you too, or something else?" Switching to dwarven, Roland asks in her native tongue, "do you know a good deal when you see one, too? You're not likely to get a better one out here." He'd begged and bartered for plenty in dwarven so the words were second nature, though his accent is obviously stilted towards common. He switches back to his own native tongue for the next part, which would've been harder to piece through in dwarven anyway. "Flame from a companion of the 'charry man' and more to boot," Roland says, adding a flask of his own as he slides down off Ember. He stands there, waiting and holding out the pair of flasks, eager for a response from the dwarven woman with eyes like coal. "Why do they guide her, and where to? Just what is she?"

[DrK]

[

Njal "Stormcaller" Njal scowled at her words. "Aye lass. Name yer price. We needs be find the girl. I don't give two rocks fer her marriage or romances. She be near death out here." He looks to the others, "now step aside my bones be frozen and I wants a warm fire and shelter."

[Saintheart]

Midday, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Almeza jerked her head back and forth between Njal, Verglas, and Roland. She seemed to be blinking much faster than was normal. Eventually, though, she shook her head and beckoned for the three flasks that were being held out to her.
"Ye shan't stay here," she snapped. "Yer flame-kissed boy's due to die, so he is, out on these hills. Spirits demand a sacrifice, yes they do, if ye want walk in this land. Don't want more Spirits here, muttering in Almeza's sleep." One of the ice beasts growled ... or at least made a noise that seemed to be a growl ... in accentuation of her words. "Fine. Fire Spirits in them flasks o' yers should keep the Spirits of the wind from coming back at Almeza for her loose tongue." She pointed a dirty finger, with a fingernail at least four inches long, due west. "Th' girl went that way. Along the line of the Spear, stayin' down out of the slopes. She didn't go up through Lastbreath Pass, oh no, the Spirits there don't like people, no, spectres of earth and stone, bring snow and rock down on your head too easy, aye!"

She tilted her head, eyes going up to the line of the hills. She seemed to be listening to something. "There's a cave. West of here. Almeza knows it. Secret way, through the mountain. Spirit guards it, but Almeza thinks she'll let th' girl through. Girl's special. Girl has things in her the Spirits love, aye, they do."

[Toliudar]

Verglas

The gnome woman slides down Roland's leg in order to quickly drop off her flask, and his in the snow as payment. She pushes her luck only so far as to say.

"I believe that the deal was for the girl's location but telling us that she's in a cave in the mountains that we'll never find is significantly less useful to all concerned especially this girl, which apparently your spirits have taken a shine to lucky thing I don't suppose you could give us some sort of clue how to find this hidden cave so that we can negotiate with the spirits within for safe passage?"

[Saintheart]

Midday, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

"Ye mind yer tart tone wi' me, gnomeygirl!" The beasts growled and began to stand straighter. "Ye follow the foothills of the Spear west of here, ye'll find it. If Spirits want ye to, Spirits'll help ye find it. Girl had sabercat wi' her. Mayhap its tracks're still around." Almeza gathered in the flasks with quick, clawing grabs, skittering backward. "Or mayhap Spirits've wiped th' tracks away!"

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas' eyebrows shot up. Why is it people accused her of being rude when they said things like 'gnomeygirl', and she only spoke the truth? She sighed and nodded.

"Thank you."

Clambering awkwardly back up Roland's leg, Verglas settled herself at the front of the saddle and nodded.

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" Growling as loudly as the crazy witch's pets Njal settles in the saddle and looks at the others. "Aye well, I guess no rest fer the day now. Out we go again looking for a thrice dammed cave." He looks at Ramiro, "You ok to keep on going my friend?" And then he starts looking for the massive cat tracks Survival (1d20+10)[22]

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda

No. Another march will be the end of me. His voice is low, and face is looking down.
You should go on ahead. My bedroll is magical, and will protect me from the elements. I will catch up if I can.

[Saintheart]

Midday, Day 4

Complication Dice 5 of 6

Njal only had time to conduct a quick inspection as the conversation continued, but by doing so he finally got what seemed to be a lucky break: heavy, regular indentations right outside the western boundary of the ruins, entirely consistent with the tracks of two sabercats. The trail was clear as day and they'd have no difficulty following it. At a guess, the dwarf thought the tracks might be about three days old. Fortune, it seemed, had kept the weather from blasting away the trail.