Reign of Winter: The Snows of Summer [IC]

[lostsole31]

Combat Ends ...

Okay, combat has ended, but not the scenario. Amanu? Nobody seeems to have acknowledged you.

And Griss is still small.

Darkhelm moves away from the body. Griss finds that the little fey had a rapier sized for it (it was size Diminutive, half the size of a housecat), not likely anything worth anything to anyone.

Spoiler: Griss, Drina, Tenzei

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Darkhelm asks telepathically, "Where has Amanu been this whole time?"

[jss1701]

"Ok, anyone know how to fix *this*?" gesturing to himself to indicate the size change.

[Denomar]

Tenzei regards Griss. He indicates the heavy hood of his winter garb and says. "If the snow is too prodigious for you, I could carry you if you wish?"

[lostsole31]

Griss, the snow is not overwhelming. It is no less difficult to travel through before. One one hand, it is as deep as it is normally with the normal amount of multi-layer surface tension. On the other, you are far lighter than before, and it is a net gain ... so, still difficult terrain, and you aren't "wading" through it.

Darkhelm is very still. Without eyes she does not "look around," but now there is a more pressing something to her telepathic voice.

Spoiler: Griss, Drina, Tenzei

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"Where. Is. Amanu?"

[Ostoril]

"What is going on here? Why are you all acting so strangely? Has someone cast a spell on you?" Amanu asks before casting a spell and watching those around him.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Cast detect magic and examine companions for signs of magical auras.

[lostsole31]

Amanu casts his spell, noting that there is magic in the area he is looking towards (the group, one round duration).

Darkhelm's head now "faces" eastward, and she moves that way.

Spoiler: Darkhelm >>> Amanu

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"I lost sight of you, briefly. But I think that was just me. Are you alright? Where is your firecaster?"

[Ostoril]

Amanu continues to focus his gaze on Darkhelm. "What do you mean you lost sight of me? I think you lost sight of your senses." He opens his hand to reveal his miniature musket. "Those creatures you attacked shrunk it in order to protect themselves."

Spoiler: Crunch

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Keep using Detect Magic

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Darkhelm >>> Amanu

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"Actually, I didn't lose sight of my senses, but my senses do not include sight. I don't have eyes. I 'see' telepathically. It's not perfect, and only within a limited range. It could be that I was focused on the problem, so that my emotional myopia created an actual myopia of my surroundings. I don't know what to tell you about your weapon. I don't understand magic like the others might."

[Ostoril]

Amanu continues to focus his spell on his companions. "What 'problem' were you so focused on? I did not see those creatures take any action to show they meant us harm prior to your sudden attack."

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: Darkhelm >>> Amanu

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"You're right. You not only did not see those creatures, you saw only one creature. But I smelled not only fey sitting on the haunches of the elk, but that sort of ... corrupted tang ... that came with the smell of the other fey that we fought. And the voice was 'heard' from the elk's mouth, but the elk did not actually speak, so the voice was magically generated, rather than it being a magical elk. And with the line of questioning? We would have had an amicable parting .... and fey and elk would return to masters to tell them all about us. It was pumping us for information. In short: a magical spy and its docile-but-trained pet.

"I'm sorry, Amanu. I know that you are a member of the Green Faith. But it should be more suspicious to someone like you, not less, when an animal acts like something other than just an animal."

Meanwhile, given Griss' question about his size .... Drina and Griss together discuss the magical effect of what happen and come to the conclusion that he is currently the recipient of a hostile application of a reduce person-like effect, but it should only last a few minutes before he will be back to normal.

Griss, Drina, Tenzei (who overheard Griss and Drina regarding his current "malady"), what do you do?

[lostsole31]

In deference to Tenzei and not wasting daylight, Darkhelm and Amanu can continue their conversation on foot, so she joins the others (and likely him as well).

Spoiler: Darkhelm >>> ALCON

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"I would love to render that elk, for it would feed us for many, many days. But we don't have time.

"Amanu, please don't think that wasteful. We were given food, but so many animals in our forest - including the predators and scavengers - are going to have a hard go of it. So this is not an empty death... it is a sacrifice for those that need to feed that otherwise would be killed too soon because of the change to their hunting grounds. May Sarenrae's sun shine again to help our friends of the forest, and soon, because this weather could be catastrophic to the entire ecosystem of the Border Wood.

"Come, let us move out, as Tenzei has asked multiple times."

As Griss and Drina calculated, it is only a few minutes before Griss returns to normal height.

Amanu, what do you do with your tiny gun in the meantime?

Meanwhile, the group continues on the trail through the frigid Border Wood ...

[Ostoril]

"I see the needless death of the elk far more a waste than our inability to properly utilize it for ourselves. It was murder, not a hunt. Nature will reclaim it's bounty and strengthen itself on this loss." He says to Darkhelm. He looks down at his musket, hoping the effect is not permanent and short lived.

After several minutes of conversing with Darkhelm he looks at his musket with disappointment that it does not return to normal size as quickly as Griss does. With mild sadness and resignation he slides the end of his rope through his musket's strap and ties it against the outside of his pack so that if and when it returns to normal size it hopefully doesn't hurt him or any of his other gear.

[lostsole31]

The group discusses amongst themselves about what happened to Amanu's musket, but nobody understands the magic involved, nor if it is permanent or longer-term temporary than just a handful of minutes.

You travel on for a short spell. A human-sized snowman stands in the middle of the trail before a frozen stream (which Darkhelm informs you is Wishbone Creek). A crude wooden sign leans against it and bears the words “Trespassers Turn Back.”

[Denomar]

Tenzei will approach the snowman and wipe at its face. The snowman now has a large smile. There, much more inviting.

[lostsole31]

Tenzei approaches, but when he gets to 15' away, the snowman seemingly stirs to life, a mouth forming on the snowman and calling out, “Can’t you read? The sign says turn back! Now get lost!”

Tenzei, do you still approach the snowman?

[Denomar]

Tenzei bows. "I am sorry. I am afraid that dialect is still new to me and thus my attention was not fully upon it. Are you also a fae being who seeks to do us harm?"

Will wonders never cease.

[lostsole31]

The snowman says nothing more.

[Ostoril]

Amanu intones some words of magic and cautiously approaches the snowman watching it.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Cast Detect Magic and focus on the snowman. Continue to do so for up to the 3 rounds to identify any magical properties he can.
Primary intention is to discern if this is something "alive" or just some form of magical sign.

[lostsole31]

Amanu detects a lingering aura of illusion, specifically a glamer. That it is lingering tells you that the magic has been discharged. Thinking about what you saw and a discharged illusion, it is Amanu's belief that there was a magic mouth effect on the snowman.

[Ostoril]

Amanu shrugs, "Well the good news is it's not alive, and probably no one is watching us right now. It was just magicked to do that when we approached I guess. We should probably proceed with some more caution, who knows what other magical responses to our presence there might be."

[Ostoril]

Amanu checks his musket to see if there is any sign of growth then proceeds forward. Keeping an exceptionally wary eye out for the first few minutes passing the snowman.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Continue forward but paying particular attention for the first two minutes past the snowman expecting some kind of trap or ambush. Keep focusing my detect magic ahead of us during that time and stopping at the first sign of new magical auras. After two minutes will just revert to normal keeping an eye out.

[lostsole31]

Amanu doesn't even pass the snowman. He is doing everything he can and with the detection of magic, but as soon as he gets within five feet of the snowman, there is a tremendous report as the snowman explodes as Amanu takes 2 sonic + stunned.

Begin Round One ...

R1T18: A creature comes up out of the ice just past where the snowman had been and closes on Amanu. From the waist up, the creature seems like a humanoid crudely made of ice, and the lower portion is serpentine to a tail, but also spiky and ice-like. It is only about 4' tall. It comes right up to the vanaran, and swings up to hit Amanu in his right lower arm for 3 + 2 cold.

R1T15: Amanu, you were stunned, but now you have quickly recovered. Nothing is in hand (which is good, because it would've dropped it, anyway). What do you do?

[Ostoril]

Amanu curses as he draws his rapier and stabs at the creature.

Spoiler: Crunch

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[Move] Draw Rapier
[Standard] Attack with rapier: (1d20+8)[9] for (1d6+1)[6] piercing damage.

[lostsole31]

R1T15: Amanu curses as he draws his rapier and stabs at the creature, but misses wildly from some cold forming on the handle of his rapier, and nearly stabs himself.

R1T14: Tenzei, what do you do?

[Denomar]

At this point Tenzei shouldn't really be surprised by things going south rapidly. After all the snowman *did* warn everyone. Still an explosion is an explosion and Tenzei can't help but jumping just a little. He moves in to support his traveling companion and swings an axe kick that creates a whip crack of noise in the air far louder than a human foot should be able too. The sound is akin to that of a great serpentine tail that echoes through the mind.

Spoiler: ooc

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Move action: Walk up to creature by moving two spaces diagonally
Swift action: Initiate Dragon Stance
Standard action: Unarmed attack versus creature invoking Stunning Fist. (1d20+7)[16]

[lostsole31]

R1T14: At this point Tenzei shouldn't really be surprised by things going south rapidly. After all, the snowman did warn everyone. Still, an explosion is an explosion, and Tenzei can't help but jumping just a little. He moves in to support his traveling companion and swings an axe kick that creates a whip crack of noise in the air far louder than a human foot should be able too. The sound is akin to that of a great serpentine tail that echoes through the mind. The thing moves its head and torso out of the way, but the axe kick just manages to catch the corner of whatever counts as its hip - where torso and tail meet - and does 7. It does not appear debilitated in any way beyond injury.

R1T13: Darkhelm's telepathy is "heard" by the party.

Spoiler: Darkhelm >>> Party

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"It is a small ice elemental - ice given sapience. As such, it cannot suffer any type of biological disruption, Tenzei. Nor. Griss, can you strike any weak spots ... for other than fire it has none."

A "new Darkhelm," like there was in the fight with the three fey before, appears and is flanking with Tenzei. This time, with the lighting a little better than before, you note that while Darkhelm wasn't wearing any armor, there is slightly less darkness "around" her, and she seems a little more vulnerable before, like this copy of her takes some of her essence in some way.

R1T12: Griss nods without looking at Darkhelm. He moves forward through the snow and shoots a light ball at the ice elemental.

R1T11: Drina, what do you do?

[Kvard51]

“Hearing” Darkhelm’s communication, Drina realizes she is the groups best hope against this creature. So she forges ahead to stand beside the Vanara before unleashing a gout of flame from her hands directly into the ice elemental.

Spoiler: Actions:

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MA: use 30’ movement to walk 15’ and stand beside Amanu.
SA: cast Burning Hands due South with the elemental as the first square of the 15’ cone for (3d4)[7] Fire Damage.

[lostsole31]

R1T11: “Hearing” Darkhelm’s communication, Drina realizes she is the groups best hope against this creature. So she forges ahead to stand beside the Vanara before casting a spell meant to unleash a gout of flame from her hands directly into the fire elemental. So focused was she on getting her spell off she didn't realize she was as close as she was to the small creature as it punches her in the left elbow while she casts with a light crit for 5 + 3 cold + staggered. So painful and numbing is the cold that she loses her spell.

R1T6: Another small ice elemental appears, flanking the Faux Darkhelm. It punches the fake Darkhelm, who in turn disappears. The real Darkhelm seems to have regained that faint extra dark essence about her. Both elementals, not understanding that they didn't actually kill or destroy anything, give raspy, shrill cheer.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T18: The first one moves on the snow like its nothing, sidestepping away from the heavyset human. It swings at Drina again, but misses.

R2T15: Amanu, what do you do?

Tenzei on deck, Darkhelm in the hole ...

[Ostoril]

Amanu makes his way down and past Tenzi, invoking some arcane words he lets loose a small glob of acid at the creature who previously attacked him.

Spoiler: Crunch

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[Move] move 1 square down and 1 square diagonal down left
[Standard] Fire an Acid Splash at Skrikks (1d20+8)[22] for (1d3)[3] acid damage. I believe Coordinated Shot would apply for +1 more to hit?

[lostsole31]

R2T15: Amanu makes his way down and past Tenzi, invoking some divine words he lets loose a small glob of acid at the creature who previously attacked him, hitting it for 3 acid.

R2T14: Tenzei, what do you do?

Darkhelm on deck, Griss in the hole ...