Way of the Wicked: Knot of Thorns [IC]

[lostsole31]

R4T25: Dancing forward, Leonidas swings his heavy curved blade at the flitting ice demon thing. His sword slams against its icy hide, but does not break through.

R4T22: Kel does an axe-kick to the head of the unconscious ice elemental to make sure its dead. it breaks into lots of chunks of ice that ricochet and spin everywhere. She then steps a little aft.

R4T19: Ved steps to the side to line up his shot, and changes the favor he asks of the Dark Prince to gain accuracy against so flint-skinned a creature. "This one is different," he calls out. "This isn't an ice elemental, but an ice mephit ... and is just as vulnerable as we are to precise strikes. I know it's immune to cold - might be vulnerable to fire? You've already seen how quick it is."

And with that, he fires an incendiary arrow. Like Leonidas' blade, the unbalanced payload of the arrow smacks against the ice mephit's hide. It falls to the deck, burning, but doesn't appear to burn hot enough to light the frozen ship on fire.

R4T18: Saiden casts a spell, darkness enveloping her open hand as she rushes forth and touches the ice mephit, dark energy passing from her to it. It seems to mentally resist some of that transfer, but still takes 3 NE.

R4T11: The ice mephit tries to fly to reposition, but it's not particularly aerobatic. Leonidas sees an opening and heartened by Ved's words that it is as vulnerable to getting hit in a sweet spot, unlike the elementals, he slashes with an upwards cut that still leverages his power to soft-crit the mephit in the neck for 17, disabling it. It still flies around and breathes a blast of cold. Leonidas and Saiden are completely unharmed. Scathe and Ved both duck to only take 2 cold each.

In doing this last bit of hate, though, it is overcome by its wounds and falls into the hold.

If you don't CDG it, the captain surely will. Any problem with that?

[lostsole31]

Okay, the ice mephit is dead. Meanwhile, the ice elementals all melt off or otherwise don't provide a "body" like the mephit did.

Any denouement from this battle, or move forward?

[TooterfishPopkn]

As he gathers his dropped gear, Scathe rants to himself, but a bit of his ranting is said rather loudly, likely on purpose:

"Sure would be nice to just move forward and get off this damn boat!"

[Blackhawk101]

Leonidas sheathes his sword in dramatic fashion and whistles a jaunty tune as he strolls about the ship in his fat merchant personae.

[lostsole31]

Saiden will do what she can to make sure people are as healed as can be after that point.

A couple days later, the Frosthamar arrives at the ice-choked entrance to the River Taiga. Kargeld proves himself a worthy captain, nimbly sailing the heavily laden craft through fields of floating jagged ice. He barks orders in Norspik and his sailors scramble to comply. Again and again he turns the boat at just the right moment to pass between the broken shards calved from ancient glaciers.

Finally, after nerve-wracking hours of this, the boat pushes through the dangerous headwaters of the Taiga into the clear water of this almost uncharted mighty river. Beyond the headwaters is a land of savage wonders. The Taiga winds through a great northern forest that to the best of anyone’s knowledge has no name.

After miles and miles of picturesque pine trees frosted with new fallen snow, the ship comes to a great mountain range. This river flows through a great rift in the mountains that looks as if some impossible huge primordial giant smashed a pass through the grey slate.

The PCs are headed south now, though this appears to have no effect on lessening the intense cold. They are headed to the great interior sea of Talingarde – Lake Tarik as it is known. To the south of that lake sits the Watch Wall. And on the northern banks in a wide wooded valley is your destination – the camp of Sakkarot Fire-Axe.

Thousands of bugbears are already assembled. These savage humanoids are not pleased to see outsiders, especially humans. Worse, there are more than just bugbears here. The occasional polar bear lumbers around the camp untended. Fur-clad goblins scamper here and there, laughing with frenetic glee. Even a few hill giants gather at the camp’s fringes.

There is only one place to dock the boat – a crudely made pier that juts into the river. On that pier are four hulking creatures. They don’t seem pleased to see the Frosthamar, but they tie off the lines and send over the brow (aka, gangplank).

The four big creatures don't seem to be in-charge types .... and they look at you hungrily, taking out their clubs as if only to happy to see that a meals has walked right up to them.

The Captain looks to the PCs. "You'll want to either give them a show of strength, or talk them down. We don't want a fight before Sakkarot gets here."

[Blackhawk101]

In no mood to be threatened by creatures such as these, Leonidas sneers at them.
“Out of our way, ya’ sloberin’ lumoxes! We have important business to discuss with Sakkarot Fire axe! Move or die.”

Spoiler: crunch

Show

intimidate skill check. He is in fat merchant guise.

Leonidas boldly strolls down the gangplank, ignoring the brutes and expecting to be obeyed.

[lostsole31]

Ved falls in line behind Leonidas, but he speaks in a language that is a weird mix of guttural-squeak. They hear Ved, and seem impressed, while being completely unmoved by the fat, juicy morsel chattering at them.

All-in-all, Leonidas as a fat merchant is not nearly as scary as he had hoped .... but definitely corpulent and delicious! The four creatures give a rowdy cry of glee!

Begin Round One ...

R1T22: Saiden rushes forth past Leonidas and casts a spell. Dark energy surrounds her hand, but she misses when swinging at the lead monster.

R1T20: Green moves forward and hits Saiden in her stomach with its greatclub for 10, despite her attempt to try to dance out of the way.

R1T17: Scathe, well, so much for intimidation. Leonidas desperately needs to realize who is intimidated by what. What do you do?