A Gathering Storm

[Toliudar]

Verglas Ulizgrant

"Ow!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Accidentally edited this post. She actually cast mage armour and scurried back to the far side of the horse.

Spoiler: Statblock

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Verglas Ulizgrant
Female Lawful Neutral Ice Gnome Wizard (Transmuter), Level 3, Init 2, HP 7/20, Speed 20'
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 15, Fort 5, Ref 4, Will 3, Base Attack Bonus 1
Light Crossbow (10) +4 (1d6, 19-20)
Quarterstaff +0 (1d4-2, x2)
Mage Armour (+2 Dex, +1 Size)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 8, Cha 12
Condition Endure Elements
Diseased

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Saintheart]

Spoiler: OOC

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Five foot step to shift position on the horse is fine, and that Concentration check is good enough to get Mage Armor to fire.

[DrK]

Njal

The dwarf knees the horse forward wading through the tide of rats at the horse's feet, a grim smile as the tigerskull makes contact crushing one. He looks to the others, "We are doing well, press the attack, they will break soon"

Spoiler: OOC

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Njal attack (1d20+7)[12] dam (1d8+2)[7]
Gromrir attacks (1d20+6)[19] dam (1d6+4)[8]
Stormrir attacks nearest (1d20+6)[13] dam (1d6+4)[7](1d20+6)[19] dam (1d6+4)[5] (1d20+1)[6] dam (1d4+2)[3]


Hps 20 / 26 Saves +6 /2 /6 (+2 Vs cold)
AC: 18 FF 17 Touch 11

Conditions:

Stormrir
22/30 hp (4HD) Init +1 Speed 50 ft Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +2
AC 17 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural +3 AC), touch 10, flat-footed 16
BAB/Grapple +3/+11
Attack: 2 hooves +6 melee (1d6+4) and bite +1 melee (1d4+2)
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Skills/feats: Listen +5, Spot +4 / Endurance, Run

Gromnir (Wintery Huskie) - Level 3 companion
27/29 hp (4HD) Init +3 Speed 40 ft Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
AC 21 (+3 Dex, +6 natural +2 armour), touch 12, flat-footed 18
BAB/Grapple +3/+6
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d8+4 + Trip (+3))
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +9, Listen +6, Spot +6, Swim +4, Survival +2/6*
Feats: Alertness, Track, Improved Natural attack (bite) / Link, Share spells, Evasion

[Saintheart]

Spoiler: OOC

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48 more hours and I think I'll update, folks. I'll change the approach a little, though: if nothing contradictory happens between now and then, Roland swings on the rats closest to him, Maxis gets over total defense and instead starts attacking, albeit fighting defensively.

[Saintheart]

Early Afternoon, Day 2
Complication Pool: 3 of 6

Verglas scrambled towards Ember’s front, avoiding rat teeth as they snapped at her, casting a spell of armoring; the air shimmered just a little all around the gnome, adding a wall of force to her meagre protection. Maxis and Roland finally began to swing their mauls with effect, blasting two more rats out of the world. Stormrir crushed another’s head, and Gromnir broke one more’s neck.

Njal’s guess that they were close to dissuading the rats seemed to have some truth to it; the creatures didn’t seem to be attacking as ferociously as earlier. The dwarf had an intuition that if they could hold just a little longer, just hold out a moment or two longer, then the remainder of the pack might scatter; they’d killed a good half of the disgusting vermin so far, and few base creatures were willing to wait around with half their number gone--

--the dwarf stopped to defend himself. Two rats, denied a bite on Verglas, came surging around towards him. But wheeling his big tigerskull club, he fended off their two forays. Below him, Stormrir squealed as a rat finally got its bite into the big steed.

The rats seemed to push in a final, frenzied attempt to bring someone down. Maxis was the most immediate target, taking two more bleeding bites from the pack. Another rat sprang at Verglas from Roland’s side; his move was fast enough and bounced the furry little horror off its line, so its jaw snapped on empty air. But it left the big warrior open enough for another rat to draw blood from where his plates had a gap between torso and leg…

Spoiler: Tactical Map

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Spoiler: Tactical Notes

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- Maxis takes two more rat bites for 7 more damage.
- Roland takes 3 more damage.
- Stormrir takes 3 more damage, but made his Fort roll. Not diseased.
- Two attempts on Njal, but neither hit. Ember got an AoO but missed (natural 1).

Initiative Order:
Roland: 21
Rats: 16
Verglas: 15 .
Njal: 13 <--- We are here, Verglas having cast Mage Armor.
Maxis: 8:
Gromnir: 6

[DrK]

Njal

The dwarf pats the horse the horse on the back trying to.valm it as the rats try and climb over his massive legs. Then swings again, a cry of "They'll break soon" to the others

Spoiler: ooc

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Njal attack (1d20+7)[10] dam (1d8+2)[3]
Gromrir attacks (1d20+6)[24] dam (1d6+4)[9]
Stormrir attacks nearest (1d20+6)[22] dam (1d6+4)[8] (1d20+6)[26] dam (1d6+4)[6]
(1d20+1)[5] dam (1d4+2)[6]


Hps 20 / 26 Saves +6 /2 /6 (+2 Vs cold)
AC: 18 FF 17 Touch 11

Conditions:

Stormrir
19/30 hp (4HD) Init +1 Speed 50 ft Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +2
AC 17 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural +3 AC), touch 10, flat-footed 16
BAB/Grapple +3/+11
Attack: 2 hooves +6 melee (1d6+4) and bite +1 melee (1d4+2)
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Skills/feats: Listen +5, Spot +4 / Endurance, Run

Gromnir (Wintery Huskie) - Level 3 companion
27/29 hp (4HD) Init +3 Speed 40 ft Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
AC 21 (+3 Dex, +6 natural +2 armour), touch 12, flat-footed 18
BAB/Grapple +3/+6
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d8+4 + Trip (+3))
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Jump +9, Listen +6, Spot +6, Swim +4, Survival +2/6*
Feats: Alertness, Track, Improved Natural attack (bite) / Link, Share spells, Evasion

[Riggdgames]

Roland
AC 21; HP 34/36
Steely Resolve: 3 (delayed damage pool)
Fort: +6, Reflex: +3, Will: +1
Stance: Iron Guard's Glare
Condition: Filth Fever (Incubation 1 day)

Roland's own shout is mindless as the rat's teeth find purchase, echoing none of the wisdom of his dwarven friend, nor the intelligent hysterics of his favorite gnome. Turning the shout of pain into a roar of defiance, Roland brings down the hammer. He didn't have his friend's confidence that this would all be over soon, but Firekeeper damn him if he wasn't going to do everything in his power to make it so.

Spoiler: OOC

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Standard action: Furious counterstrike (+1 attack/dmg)
Maul attack on E5 Rat: (1d20+7)[18]
Damage: (1d10+3)[13]

Prepare to use Shield Block as an Immediate Action off-turn for whoever I can protect.

Spoiler: Shield Block

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As an immediate action, you can grant an AC bonus to an adjacent ally equal to your shield's AC bonus + 4. You apply this bonus in response to a single melee or ranged attack that targets your ally. You can initiate this maneuver after an opponent makes his attack roll, but you must do so before you know whether the attack was a success or a failure.

Spoiler: Furious Counterstrike

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Furious Counterstrike (Ex): You can channel the pain of your injuries into a boiling rage that lets you lash out at your enemies with renewed vigor and power. Each attack that strikes you only pushes you onward to greater glory. During your turn, you gain a bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls equal to the current value of your delayed damage pool (see steely resolve, above) divided by 5, and rounding down (minimum +1).

[Saintheart]

Early Afternoon, Day 2
Complication Pool: 3 of 6

Njal swung again and missed another rat, but Stormrir once more proved his worth, the big horse's hooves squelching one, then two, then three rats flat. Roland roared his rage to the screaming wind and lashed out with his maul, catching another rat mid-air as it leapt at him, shattering its body.

Whether it was the death or the big man's yell, that seemed to be enough for the vermin. The remainder of the rat pack broke, scurrying in all directions, disappearing into the white world and the flurries of snow blown by the wind. They left behind only the four adventurers, scraped and likely suffering from the dreadful creatures' diseases, in a small circle of red spatters and brown corpses. They had, it seemed, survived.

It was as Roland began to turn towards his companions that he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. The rats had ambushed his group between two long, fallen trunks of trees that could have been there for decades or more judging by their look and the quantity of snow left on them. At some point in the midst of the fighting, the snow below one of the trunks had fallen away to expose a hidden hollow beneath it. It looked wide enough and stable enough for him - or any human-sized person, really -- to take a look below it, given the hollow didn't seem to be empty.

Spoiler: OOC

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That's 500 XP each, guys. Well done, albeit there's hitpoint damage on most people and everyone except Njal now has filth fever incubating away...

[Toliudar]

Verglas Ulizgrant

Spoiler: OOC

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Crap. I accidentally edited this post instead of copying it. Verglas healed herself for 5 points and complained at length about the rats.

Spoiler: Statblock

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Verglas Ulizgrant
Female Lawful Neutral Ice Gnome Wizard (Transmuter), Level 3, Init 2, HP 12/20, Speed 20'
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 15, Fort 5, Ref 4, Will 3, Base Attack Bonus 1
Light Crossbow (10) +4 (1d6, 19-20)
Quarterstaff +0 (1d4-2, x2)
Mage Armour (+2 Dex, +1 Size)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 8, Cha 12
Condition Endure Elements
Diseased

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Riggdgames]

Roland
AC 21; HP 31/36
Steely Resolve: 0 (delayed damage pool)
Fort: +6, Reflex: +3, Will: +1
Stance: Iron Guard's Glare
Condition: Filth Fever (Incubation 1 day)

Roland could feel the satisfying crunch of a solid blow before the other rats started to scurry away, disappearing into the snow. Turning back to his companions, Roland recognizes the hollow as Verglas asks if any of them need assistance.

"I'm alright, Verglas," Roland says, grimacing slightly as he looks down at the small cuts and scratches plaguing him, "Njal? Maxis? Are you both okay?" Roland looks over at Ember, stroking the horse's mane and quickly checking her for bites or blood. For a moment Roland feels that familiar pull from the Firekeeper, pushing him towards Verglas' healing magics even as he looks on his companions who took more punishment than him. He hesitates for several moments, frown deepening as he tries to understand, but in the end he shrugs off Her pull. Let Verglas heal the others with whatever magic she has left.

Before announcing its presence, Roland steps up to the hollow carefully and peers down into it, seeking whatever is filling that space.

Spoiler: OOC

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Search: (1d20+1)[6]
Spot: (1d20)[18]

[DrK]

Njal

Njal breaths a sigh of relief and drops from the horse to the now blood and rat ridden snow. "Aye, a bit bitten, both me and Stormrir had some some bites off that swarm. Hateful creatures." He stomps on a few of them to make sure they are dead and then follows Roland towards the tree stumps, scratching at the itchy little cuts wear the horrid vermin had bitten and clawed at him.

"WHat have we got here, lets hope it nae be the lass we were looking fer."

[Toliudar]

]Verglas Ulizgrant

Verglas uses the rest of her magic to help Njal and Maxis staunch their wounds. As the others investigate the hollow, Verglas is content to stay on horseback, crossbow tightly held, watching for the possible return of the demon rats.

Spoiler: OOC

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If we're hasing Maxis out, or she isn't actually hurt too badly, Verglas will redirect healing to Stormrir.
Healing Njal: (2d8)[5]
Healing Maxis: (2d8)[5]

Spoiler: Statblock

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Verglas Ulizgrant
Female Lawful Neutral Ice Gnome Wizard (Transmuter), Level 3, Init 2, HP 12/20, Speed 20'
AC 17, Touch 13, Flat-footed 15, Fort 5, Ref 4, Will 3, Base Attack Bonus 1
Light Crossbow (10) +4 (1d6, 19-20)
Quarterstaff +0 (1d4-2, x2)
Mage Armour (+2 Dex, +1 Size)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 8, Cha 12
Condition Endure Elements
Diseased

[Saintheart]

Early Afternoon, Day 2
Complication Pool: 3 of 6

Before Verglas could move to touch her, Maxis shook her head, pushing the gnome's hand away. If Verglas looked much closer, even with the flying snow and the wind, she would have noticed the cleric's hands trembling. "Hold onto your reserves, gnome. The Firekeeper will see to these wounds."

And Maxis pulled out the Wand she'd been carrying with her, touching the small black rod to each of the injured in turn.

Spoiler: OOC

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Rule 4 charges from Maxis's Wand of Cure Light Wounds are enough to bring the party back up to full hitpoint strength, including the horses - no need for Verglas to expend any charges from her Healing Belt. It doesn't do anything about the filth fever, unfortunately.

A few feet away, Roland and Njal were inspecting the hollow below the tree branch. The big crusader carefully lay down, craning his neck to the hollow's entrance and brushing away a little more snow.

Spoiler: Roland

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Well, he had an answer now for Verglas's earlier question about why a pack of dire rats had decided to spring an ambush on them here in the middle of nowhere. He'd found, it seemed, a literal rat's nest. And something more.

Decades of snow had fallen on the Valley of the Spear; over time, some of it had formed hardpack, enough to build white walls capable of holding some weight. That said, if Roland's estimation about where they were was right, they'd actually been lucky Njal hadn't walked much further before the rats attacked. The hollow they'd seen in the snow was actually more of a miniature ice cavern; there was an open space a good thirty by thirty feet and maybe fifteen feet high, visible from the glow of light through the snow's hardpack and the hole they'd made during the fight. Such spaces were usually relatively safe to explore for short periods of time, provided one didn't damage the roof. By and large, the longer a space like this existed in Horizon, the longer they tended to exist.

The hollow seemed to have formed around an ancient roadside shrine of some kind, though of course any original road was buried under decades of falling snow. At the far end of the open space there was a grey, rounded standing stone the size of a small obelisk, with a little alcove carved into the...

Five gods. This had been a roadside shrine to the Firekeeper. The alcove was a representation of a smith's hearth. And the reason the rats had chosen here was apparent, too. Lying before the shrine were the remains of four bodies, which the rats had nested in and presumably fed on over time. The clothing had been long shredded or chewed, but the rats hadn't yet eaten down the bones ... and even from here it was apparent that two of the skeletons were adult-sized, two were small, the size of preadolescent children. Long decades ago, they had died here, by the Firekeeper's own shrine.

It was as Roland shifted his position ever so slightly that he saw it: something had been left on top of the hearth's carving. Something that wasn't made of stone, something that had the look of a large hammer. A hammer which hadn't been touched by dust or grime, and which the rats seemed to have left alone.

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas gratefully accepts Maxis' offered healing. She is blissfully unaware of the corruption now percolating away in her blood stream - and wouldn't know what to do about it, if she did know.

"Thanks very much I had no idea that rats bites could hurt so bloody much do you think that they might come back I mean we've displaced them from their home right? That's what the boys are poking around in right now, right a literal rat's nest. I always think of rats as an urban phenomenon but they're survivors for certain so I guess it makes sense for them to be able to establish a toehold even in such extraordinary places as this."

Not trusting her ability to convince the horse to move as desired, she simply waits on its back and points her crossbow at shifting shadows on the snowscape. Verglas does however call forward to Roland and Njal.

"How's it going, guys? Not to be pushing too hard, but if there were any bloody daylight we'd be losing it right now and I somehow doubt that we're going to be lucky enough to find a friendly faerie cabin two nights in a row."

[Riggdgames]

Roland
AC 21; HP 31/36
Steely Resolve: 0 (delayed damage pool)
Fort: +6, Reflex: +3, Will: +1
Stance: Iron Guard's Glare
Condition: Filth Fever (Incubation 1 day)

Shifting his position to get a better look, Roland suddenly feels a touch of warmth even as he lays flat in the snow. "By Her flame," Roland breathes, heart hammering in his chest. Looking on the faithful family's final rest and the shrine built in Her name, Roland mutters a prayer to Her for them before answering Verglas.

"They made a home of Her shrine. A shrine to the Firekeeper," Roland explains, eyes finding and staring at the hammer for a few moments before he pushes himself up. Roland is already rifling through his pack, pulling the rope and his crampons free when he stops in his tracks. Two grown, and two small. He hesitates a moment, frowning down at the snow before looking up at Verglas' small form astride Ember, and then over to Njal. The dwarf could hardly be called small. Their numbers matched, but this was no ill-omen.

Roland closes his eyes, searching for a flicker of inspiration from Her, but if She's saying anything, Roland can't hear Her over Gromnir's panting. Taking just a moment longer to think, Roland settles on his course. A hammer of the Red Lady's should not languish in the cold snow. Leading Ember, and by extension Verglas, a few more feet away from the opening, Roland explains further, "you're right Verglas, we need to be going right away. But I do need to renew my pledge and seek out Her hammer. Such a shrine should not be ignored. Njal, will you and Stomrir help me?"

Roland hands the rope to Njal if he is willing and carefully tries to climb down into the cavern without disturbing its foundation.

Spoiler: OOC

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For some reason this feels unwise, which is pretty much why Roland has to do it. Maybe it's fine.

Climb: (1d20+2)[5]

[Saintheart]

Early Afternoon, Day 2
Complication Pool: 3 of 6

Before Njal had a chance to hold the rope, Maxis strode across and took Roland's weight as he began to rappel down into the hollow. "If you truly have found a shrine to the Firekeeper, then no man who follows her need fear any harm within."

Roland's climb down was straightforward enough, and the hardpack of the snow and ice wall was enough to support him.

Spoiler: Roland OOC

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I interpret that careful climb down as a take 10. :)

Reaching the floor of the hollow a few moments later, Roland took a look around.

Spoiler: Roland

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There was enough light to see by the reflected illumination bouncing around the snow walls. The smell wasn't anywhere as bad as he might have expected; decades under the snow seemed to have frozen the odours as well as the scene.

And, coming closer to the sad little scene at the far end of the hollow, his expectations were altered once again. The hammer lying on the little carving of the hearth wasn't merely a hammer. It was larger; had a thicker haft; a different shape.

A maul.

And at this distance, he could now see that not only was there, inexplicably, not a spot of dust, nor even rust, on the weapon, but it had the look of exquisite crafting. Roland's forte was more with armor than weapons, but he'd been in enough smithies and armouries to know quality when he saw it. Even without picking it up the crusader could tell this weapon was easily the equal in crafting to his own weapon. Surprisingly, the weapon didn't seem to have any obvious signs of a dedication to the Firekeeper on it, but then perhaps the person who had laid this weapon to rest here was more interested in deeds than ornamentation.

Spoiler: Roland OOC

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That is, Roland can see the maul is a masterwork weapon at least.

[Riggdgames]

Roland
AC 21; HP 31/36
Steely Resolve: 0 (delayed damage pool)
Fort: +6, Reflex: +3, Will: +1
Stance: Iron Guard's Glare
Condition: Filth Fever (Incubation 1 day)

Roland smiles warmly on Maxis, grateful for her strength and her words. Sniffing the air once he's reached the bottom, he's doubly grateful for a weak nose, though he can tell the stench is not near as bad as it could be.

"Firekeeper guide their way, see them home to your hearth," Roland prays, kneeling at the shrine after approaching the family. As he examines the hammer, he can see the craftsmanship clearly enough, but the lack of rust surrounded by all this snow puzzles him. Roland can't tell if it's divine or imagined, but a gentle tug nudges him forward. He picks up the maul, feeling its weight in his gauntleted hand, and caresses it with the other. No ornament or intricate design could be more beautiful than a flawless weapon meant to save lives by taking others. Roland gives it a test-swing, still at the bottom of the cavern surrounded by ice and all the trappings of a rat's nest.

Spoiler: OOC

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Thanks for offering the take 10, I will follow suit and take 10 on the way back up if that's still an option. If not, I'll roll just in case to keep from holding things up.

Climb: (1d20+2)[7]

[Saintheart]

Early Afternoon, Day 2
Complication Pool: 3 of 6

The weapon proved just as exquisite in its balance and swing as it did in its appearance.

Concluding his business in the hollow, Roland shinnied his way back up the rope, leaving the dead to their rest.

[Riggdgames]

Roland
AC 21; HP 31/36
Steely Resolve: 0 (delayed damage pool)
Fort: +6, Reflex: +3, Will: +1
Stance: Iron Guard's Glare
Condition: Filth Fever (Incubation 1 day)

"Sorry for the diversion," Roland says, pulling the new hammer free from his belt now that he's finished climbing, "but it would not be proper to leave such a beautiful hammer out in the cold, nor pass by Her shrine without offering a prayer." Roland nods to Maxis, handing her the weapon and allowing her a chance to examine it for herself, knowing full well she would appreciate its simple beauty. "Can you believe it? This poor creature probably spent years in that rat's nest, but she's not got a mote of dust nor a touch of rust on her," Roland says, unable to suppress a childish grin of delight. A cold wind slaps the smile off his face, reminding him of the hard miles they'd left to cover that day.

"As you said Verglas," Roland admits, breath steaming in the cold, "it's past time we got moving again." Taking back the hammer, Roland walks over to Ember and pauses for a moment, puzzling over how to mount her without knocking Verglas aside. Finally he pulls himself and all his armor up, swinging his leg over Ember's tail and riding behind Verglas in the saddle. "I hadn't thought it before, Verglas, but you might've seen those furry devils first if you weren't starin' at my back. Not much to look at, that. Shall we?" Roland asks the others.

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas hesitantly finds a new position of approximate comfort in front of Roland on the saddle. She initially tries to juggle her loaded crossbow across her knees, but soon gives up, disengages the bolt and stores everything away again.

"That was an extraordinarily brave thing to do crawling down into that rat warren there could ahve been dozens more of those awful things It's an interesting thing In the language of my people the same word lenmeelink means both brave and well not exactly stupid that's not the right word short sighted no you humans have too many different words for things It's closer to the idea of taking others along with you if you know what I mean All of which is to say that if you like I could take a look at that shiny hammer when we stop next I may be able to provide some insights into whatever is keeping it so very shiny after all those years."

[Riggdgames]

Roland

Roland listens with a confused half-smile to the gnome as he's grown accustomed to doing in their short time together. Frowning for a few beats as he tries to mentally catch up after she finishes speaking, Roland finally recognizes her offer for what it is. "I would be grateful for that Verglas. I've never seen anything quite like it," he says, lifting the hammer back out of his belt with one hand while the other holds Ember's reins. "If I hadn't seen that cavern with my own eyes, I would've told you someone placed this hammer in there last night."

Roland pauses for a moment, puzzling over the hammer, Her shrine, and the family below. "There was a family down there too, Verglas," Roland says quietly, "huddled together in death at the Firekeeper's shrine. I wonder who they were. Why they were out here," Roland says, gesturing to the barren valley around them, pausing again for a moment as he thinks about it.

"I'll be in your debt if you can help me understand the hammer," Roland continues, placing it back in his belt, "but I wish there was time to understand those people better." Glancing down at Verglas briefly, Roland says, "Once the Lady Lyssa is safely in her father's keep and there's been time to warm my bones by a good hearth, I should like to come back and find them again. The Red Lady has always given me more questions than answers, but of all the trails we could have taken to find the lost Hardwalker, we stumbled across Her candlemen and now we've driven those vermin from Her shrine. We've been guided this way, Verglas. It wasn't bravery that drove me down into that hole, it was Her. When Lyssa's need is not so urgent, I will come back someday and try to understand why the Firekeeper guided them here."

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas nodded, now that such was a functional way to communicate with Roland again. There were many in her clanhome who had believed in a divine plan. That the Father or Mother - or the Red Lady - carefully influenced events to ensure that a certain course of action comes to pass. She supposed that it helped people envision a course of action for themselves. Since there seemed to be no persuasive way to confirm or refute such solipsism, it was generally best to accept the assertions at face value.

"Indeed I hope that the Lady smiles on your efforts on your return but I for one am looking forward for a week curled up and by a fire once this is over."

[Riggdgames]

Nodding despite the fact that it wasn't an effective form of communication anymore, Roland clicks his tongue and gently urges Ember forward. "I could certainly use some time to thaw after we find our way back to Hardwalker Hall," Roland starts, smile fading as he thinks about the cold days ahead. "Even if I did want to come back right away, with that Gravewind bearing down there won't be a soul left in the valley save those on their way to meet the gods."

Bringing Ember up beside Stormrir, Roland turns to Njal. "Ready to carry on?"

[DrK]

Njal

The dwarf is happy to help the Firekeeper cleric shimmy down and then be towed back up out of the snow cavern by the massive horse with is now healed wounds. He looks at he hammer with an appraising eye. "A fine weapon, forged in the best of flames and crafted with great skill. Not many could be doing such work in the town ships now." He pats Roland on the shoulder, "Firekeeper be blessing you Roland. Take the hammer as a sign you be on the right path."

Looking down sadly at the four bodies huddled together he shakes his head sadly, "The lands are cruel, winter is harsh. gods bless those who fall in the snow and ice." He nods towards the path onwards, "Aye, Verglas, we had best get moving. It'll do ill for us if we are caught out in the nigh again and the poor lass is on her own for longer."

Mounting up the horse he looks to the others and nods towards the path they were following, "Can't be that many more rats in the snow"

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas looks across at Njal as they come alongside each other for conversation. If only she were more warmly dressed, so that it would be more difficult to see her eyebrows shoot up.

"Can't be that many more rats? I had no idea that the number of snow-abiding giant florking rats might be numbered above zero to begin with, and now you're telling us that we should expect a modest but non-zero number of additional rats? Perhaps we could turn this into a game in which we try to guess the number of other horrifying predators lurking under the snow in indefinite numbers higher than zero Perhaps we have only a handful of remorhazes in the snow ahead of us, and a number between zero and two of white dragons and a definitely small number of furry purple florking worms. Well, at least you have the gnome to fling into the maw of the next predator to distract them."

She strains to turn around to address Roland more directly.

"This would be a not-terrible example of why I 'joke' about us all dying It's not hard to imagine it in a landscape in which everything is bloody well trying to kill us."

[Riggdgames]

"Aye, my thanks Njal. With Her help, we'll find the Lady and get back to Hardwalker's hall before the gravewind can come bearing down." Roland can't help smiling with real joy in his eyes at the dwarf's words. Few things were as pleasing to him as feeling like he was following a path laid out for him by the Firekeeper herself. Adding the fact that his time in dwarven lands had taught him to hold Njal's people in high esteem when it came to forging weapons and armor, and Roland couldn't help feeling his spirits rise.

"Even so," Roland says, his face turning serious, "no one's tossing anyone into the maw of the next predator. Certainly not when you're in the business of helping keep me alive. I'm not sure what that gold-dust spell was, but I have a hard time slowing down more than one rat at a time with my hammer," he continues, glancing down at his gnome companion.

"Have faith, Verglas. The Red Lady guides our path and watches our progress. I believe we've seen the last of those rats. She only brought us here to cleanse her shrine and grab her instrument. No doubt she will guide us safely towards the girl from here."

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda smiles at Roland's optimism, and presses on, seeming to float on top of the snow.

[Saintheart]

Late afternoon, Day 2
Complication Pool: 4 of 6

The adventurers pressed on northwest once more, Njal again taking the lead on Stormrir's back with Gromnir trotting next to him. The wind mercilessly taunted them by slackening in strength intermittently before resuming its force, blowing still from the southwest, sending waves of light snow ripping across the group. Ramiro's red hair danced like a flame in the breeze, though sadly it brought no warmth; once again the group was thankful for the enchantments of Endure Elements which had been cast on their group, keeping the ferocity of the cold out.

The snow on the ground was growing noticeably thicker the further they pressed north and the mountains of the Spear grew larger. While Ramiro was having a relatively easy time of it, the remainder of the adventurers had to thrash through heavier and heavier drifts of snow and pick up their feet more carefully as the miles and the day wore on, and the horses were expressing horsely displeasure at this turn of events.

The road brought them down into a wide, long depression where piney trees dotted the dell. The deep green of the trees was limned with snow caked on every branch, and the snow here was as deep as they'd found it thus far. On the north side of the dell, something of a natural rock wall had emerged, and maybe less than a hundred feet ahead there seemed to be a deep shadow on the rock wall that might have suggested a cave of some kind.

Spoiler: Njal

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It was some instinct, or perhaps the whispering of the Spirits, that caused Njal to turn in his saddle, thirty feet ahead of the party. Looking back, he was appalled to realise that, a good twenty feet south of his companions, a heaped patch of snow didn't look like it should. Because it wasn't snow. Not when the snow uncurled a long, furry tail and blinked with fierce eyes, standing from its hidden position, snow falling from its body. The size, tone, and features of the creature were unmistakeable: that was a sabercat, a massive, saber-toothed creature that the Hardwalkers had domesticated and used as riding mounts; if Njal remembered right, Lyssa had taken two of them in her flight from the Hall. Could this creature have been one of them? There were perhaps more imminent concerns, given this one was clearly planning on doing something pretty shortly.

Spoiler: Ramiro

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It was, to say the least, fortunate that the young monk's hearing was good. There was a noise as of heaped snow falling, and when he looked to the south, he suddenly saw a large, cat-like creature rising from its hiding place, snow falling from its massive, white flanks, no more than 20 feet from the party. This had to be a sabercat, of the same kind the Hardwalkers had domesticated; Lyssa had taken two of them, but there probably wasn't time right at this moment to work out whether this was one of them...

Spoiler: OOC

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What do you do?

[Toliudar]

Verglas

As soon as Roland started to rein in the horse-thing, Verglas peered ahead into the white-on-white. She didn't quite see the big deal, but if the others did, well, who knew? Expecting the worst, she dug her little crossbow out of her backpack and began struggling with the physics of loading the crossbow while perched on a saddle horn.

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda
Are any of you good with Cats? (Points)