Reign of Winter: The Snows of Summer [IC]

[Denomar]

Rather than looking towards the scene, Tenzei instead chooses to watch the reactions of those he has been escorting. This was clearly a traumatic event and it doesn't take more than a glance for the physician to see that the 'statue' was clearly beyond his help. It is Not that he doesn't wish to stare at the gruesome corpse, nor that it was patently disturbing. Of course not.

"Gather these souls into your mighty coils, Qi Zhong. Pass them swift and sure to their next steps." Tenzei's whisper is a quiet prayer.

[Toptomcat]

Minh

Minh grimaces as the scene comes into view, then wordlessly steps forward. He begins with the bodies- investigating them to see the nature of their injuries (frostbite alone? Frostbite and weapons?) and whether they or the wagons have been stripped of valuables.

He's no master tracker, but he also tries to get an idea of the number of their attackers, whether any were of a different sort from either humans on foot or tiny winterkin (riders? Monsters?), and whether any of them were injured and removed (or were the bodies left?)

It's grim work, but no one has a weak stomach who learned the hard way to stitch wounds and set bones.

[lostsole31]

When it becomes obvious what Minh is doing (quick, down-and-dirty crime-scene "cause of death"), Amanu can step up. In fact, assuming the party discusses various things amongst themselves, they will find that a large number of the group is moderately skill in matters of medicine, with Amanu being just a bit ahead of the pack, seconded equally by Drina, Minh, and Tenzei.

They determine that most bodies were killed by edged weapons. There is some frostbite at sites of wounds, but the cause of death - without a true autopsy - is roughly considered to be blood loss, organ failure, and other issues consistent with edged weapons.

What's next?

[Denomar]

Mustering the courage to do his job despite the carnage Tenzei will also 'put his nose to the ground' so to speak. Except he is going to attempt to use what minimal skill he has in matters of survival and outdoorsman-ry to try and determine which way footprints leading away from the scene are going.

He is slow and methodical in this search, each step followed by a long breath. For a moment Tenzei finds himself glad that all the blood and excrement has frozen before he banishes the hideous thought.

[Kvard51]

Coming from a culture that is somewhat dependent on wagons and the like for both shelter and conveyance, Drina finds herself looking over the carriages. "Mayhap we should search these before we go further afield?", she asks, nodding towards them.

[lostsole31]

Tenzei, 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.

Drina/ PCs, which of the two wagons to you check first?

[jss1701]

Griss agrees, "I will watch your back while you check one Drina, if you like. I rather doubt there will be anything of particular interest, but we will never know if we don't look."
With that, Griss readies himself to strike if needed.

[Kvard51]

Drina decides the upright carriage will be easier to access, so walks over and opens the door. ”Thank you, Griss. Always glad when someone has my back.”

[lostsole31]

The decorative chasings on this expensive carriage bear the marks of 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. Drina hears the muffled sounds of movement emanating from inside the carriage.

Drina, what do you do?

[Kvard51]

”Something or someone is in here!”, Drina say, backing away from the door and preparing to cast a spell, “Open the door once everyone is prepared, Griss.”

Spoiler: Ooc

Show

Ready action to cast Color Spray if the noisemaker appears to be attacking. Concentration to ready the spell: (1d20+8)[27]

[Denomar]

Tenzei is about to open his mouth to point out the retreat path of the attackers when the commotion with the cart takes everyone's attention. Somewhat deflated, Tenzei trudges back towards the rest of the group.

[Toptomcat]

Minh

"Hmmm."

The nagaji performs a curious kata- lightly striking two points on the sides of the neck and four on the torso, then readying his spear with an elaborate flourish that scrapes the flat of the blade over the scales at the base of the neck.

Spoiler: Perception +10 or better

Show

Minh is...sweating? His skin has a faint oily sheen over it where there wasn't much of one before.

"It could be a survivor. They'd be terrified and starving, if so. I can be the one to open the door, but I'm probably not the most nonthreatening person to do so...?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Enter Poisoner's Stance, apply Toxic Secretion to weapon at DC 16: ready action to use Iron Fang strike on any Tiny creature with a nonhumanoid skin tone who he sees after the carriage door is opened, taking a -4 penalty to deal nonlethal damage

[lostsole31]

Darkhelm hops up on top of the fallen tree, heading over to where the roots are showing.

Minh, do you open the door?

[Toptomcat]

Minh

"Mmmnh. Don't all volunteer at once."

Let's see...hardly much use for a seven-foot spear in such close quarters.


After a moment's thought, Minh stows his spear and repeats the curious drawing motion with the unfamiliar sword he's been lent. He makes a few curious swipes to familiarize himself with the weapon- not too much heavier than a jian, and similar blade geometry- then reaches out and tugs out the spear wedging the carriage's door shut.

"Hello? We're here to help."

He makes a halfhearted attempt to conceal the sword blade behind one thigh, though there's really no hiding the fact that he's enormous and barely humanoid.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Repeat previous routine with sword. 2/6 uses of Toxic Secretion expended.

[lostsole31]

Minh has the Ulfen-crafted longsword in hand, and easily takes the spear out of the handles of the door, allowing the door to be opened. The door is open, and a woman in lady-in-waiting gown with blood on it is there. She looks to be in a dreadful state.

So dreadful, in fact, that Drina is pretty sure the woman is dead! As is, in fact, her fellow gentlewoman.

Begin Round One ...

R1T25: Drina, what do you do?

[Kvard51]

Drina involuntarily takes a step back upon seeing the women. She’s never seen a person who died a violent death before. ”I guess we should check to see if they are really dead,” she says after halting her retreat. “Poke them, Griss…”

Spoiler: Unngh…

Show

MA: 5’ step SE (relative to Drina)
SA: Cast Mage Armor

[lostsole31]

R1T25: Drina involuntarily takes a step back upon seeing the women. She’s never seen a person who died a violent death before. ”I guess we should check to see if they are really dead,” she says after halting her retreat. “Poke them, Griss…”

She then intones a spell while briefling bringing forth a piece of cured hide from a pouch and makes certain particular gestures. Very briefly, there is a faint blue shimmering that limns her entire form before that faint glow disappears.

R1T20: Amanu, what do you do?

[Ostoril]

Amanu frowns with suspicion at the lady-in-waiting. "Oh, bountiful nature, lend me your aid to repel those who would defile you." He waves his hand and intones several words several words, sending a shimmering ray from his hand towards the poor woman.

Spoiler: Crunch

Show

[Free] Speak
[Standard] Cast Disrupt Undead Ranged Touch Attack:(1d20+8)[22] for (1d6)[5] damage to undead only. (Does Point Blank shot apply to Ray Spells? If so +1 hit and damage)
[Conditional Free] If it reacts to the spell that only functions on dead things, attempt to assess undead qualities and/or shout "It is undead!"

[lostsole31]

R1T20: Amanu frowns with suspicion at the lady-in-waiting. "Oh, bountiful nature, lend me your aid to repel those who would defile you." He waves his hand and intones several words of an ancient tongue, and sends a shimmering ray from his hand towards the poor woman. Despite the angle of the shot, the intervening bodies, and even the boundaries of the carriage, the ray strikes the woman in the left knee for 6 positive energy (6 PE) damage and there is a sizzling sound and a horrible smell welling it from it as if rotten meat were on a barbecue.

Amanu then calls out the warning, "It is undead!"

R1T19-18: Perhaps a bit faster than expected, both ladies in waiting attack Minh. A powerful fist slams Minh in his right shin for 7, a more powerful blow than Minh could have expected from such a person. The other lady misses him, though.

"Don't waste time..." continues Amanu.

R1T13: Isolde had been standing back from the entire massacre site. She doesn't even see the enemy. [They are inside the carriage, and only the entrance to the south is open.] What do you do, and what do you direct Karina to do (if anything)?

[doko239]

Isolde has been off to one side, deep in thought, letting the others handle the dead bodies and other distasteful work.

The sound of combat wakes her from her reverie. She asks Karina to take to the air and provide an overview of the area, as she moves to see what is happening for herself.

Spoiler: Crunch

Show

Move action: move three squares directly south. This should give line of sight to the interior of the carriage.

Free action: Knowledge check to determine what it is that we're dealing with (Presumably some sort of undead if Minh is to be believed, so I'd expect it would be Knowledge: Religion at +6). Priority information in order is resistances/immunities, special attacks, worst saving throw, then whatever else.

Conditional Standard action: If the knowledge check fails, or if it succeeds and the undead creature's cold resistance is 5 or lower, Isolde will fire a Cold Blast at whichever one Amanu already hit (Cold Blast - Ranged Touch Attack (1d20+6)[11] for (2d6+2)[10] cold damage.)
If the knowledge check succeeds and shows their cold resistance to be above 5, Isolde will instead hit the same target with Evil Eye, penalizing attack rolls (-2 to attacks for 8 rounds, DC 16 Will save reduces to 1 round).

Speech: Isolde will share any information she learns from her Knowledge check.

[lostsole31]

R1T13: Isolde has been off to one side, deep in thought, letting the others handle the dead bodies and other distasteful work. The sound of combat wakes her from her reverie. She asks Karina to take to the air and provide an overview of the area, as she moves to see what is happening for herself. She calls out, "That is a zombie, one of the walking dead!"

She forms a quick ball of frozen air and ice particles and sends it towards the carriage. Curse the carriage overhang and your confederates. You are not compassionless, but that weakness causes you to miss.

"... trying to skewer..." continues Amanu.

R1T9: Karina takes to the air (going off map), calling down in Taldane, Karina calls out, "They're slow! They're slow! Make them come to you in the snow!"

"...or bludgeon it..."

R1T8: Tenzei, what do you do?

[Denomar]

Tenzei is slow to react to this nonsense. Undead! What a preposterous circumstance! As if poor people being frozen to death like some sick parody of a larder wasn't bad enough. This internal monologue continued as subconsciously his training kicked in.

"Let Me Help!" Tenzei barks. He steps eastward to be adjacent to Griss and Minh and reaches out to touch the both of them and once again reaches for The Dragon aspect of Qi Zhong. In that moment between moments an image of a great curling serpentine tail en-wraps the three imparting a sense of warmth and security. Those touched get the feeling that should they accept it the Dragon will protect them, even if it does involve being momentarily next to the strange heavyset man.

Then Tenzei drops into a fighting stance just as reflexively. His fingers tensing into the approximation of claws with his weight upon his back foot and his forefoot extended in a deep crouch.

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Five Foot Shift to the Right.
Standard Action: Life Link on Minh and Griss if they'll accept it.
Swift Action: Engage Dragon Style.

[jss1701]

Griss will accept the assist.

[lostsole31]

R1T8: Tenzei is slow to react to this nonsense. Undead! What a preposterous circumstance! As if poor people being frozen to death like some sick parody of a larder wasn't bad enough. This internal monologue continued as subconsciously his training kicked in.

"Let Me Help!" Tenzei barks. He steps eastward to be adjacent to Griss and Minh and reaches out to touch the both of them and once again reaches for The Dragon aspect of Qi Zhong. In that moment between moments an image of a great curling serpentine tail en-wraps the three imparting a sense of warmth and security. Those touched get the feeling that should they accept it the Dragon will protect them, even if it does involve being momentarily next to the strange heavyset man. There is a feeling of ... warmth? a tingle? even tangible compassion? ... something that connects the two heroes to the bald foreigner.

Then Tenzei drops into a fighting stance just as reflexively. His fingers tensing into the approximation of claws with his weight upon his back foot and his forefoot extended in a deep crouch.

R1T7: Griss, what do you do?

[jss1701]

His hands lighting up like miniature suns, Griss sends vortices of light at two of the undead.

Spoiler: Attack

Show

Banelight Vortices, +5 to hit, separate attack rolls, 4d6 Light damage to undead.
attack1 [roll]1d20+5[/roll] damage [roll]4d6[/roll]
attack1 [roll]1d20+5[/roll] damage [roll]4d6[/roll]
I don't think it will work with this, but use Veiled Moon:Dimensional Strike if it does. (RAW: flatfooted)
If it matters, work from east to west on targets.

[lostsole31]

R1T7: His hands lighting up like miniature suns, Griss sends vortices of light at two of the undead, but having to shoot past the big nagaji, they both miss.

R1T5: Darkhelm gets into a crouch on the log, but otherwise performs no visible action.

R1T4: Minh, what do you do?

Drina on deck, Amanu in the hole ...

[Toptomcat]

Minh

"Wait, they're- gyaah!"

Minh hisses in pain at the awkward but surprisingly painful smash to his leg, switching his lead foot to avoid presenting the injured side as a target.

Who attacks the shin? This is why I hate fighting undead- no subtlety or strategy to it, they just lunge forward with no sense of self-preservation until you hack them to bits or they manage the same.

Widening the gap between his hands in the grip he has on the blade, Minh makes a smooth, powerful, almost exaggeratedly textbook overhead chop with a fierce yell- more the kind of thing from a test-cutting demonstration than a fencing technique.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Standard action: use Primal Wrath strike, Power Attack for -1 to hit/+3 damage, Attack: (1d20+8)[27] Damage: (1d8+16)[20]

[lostsole31]

R1T4: "Wait, they're- gyaah!"Minh hisses in pain at the awkward but surprisingly painful smash to his leg, switching his lead foot to avoid presenting the injured side as a target.

Who attacks the shin? This is why I hate fighting undead- no subtlety or strategy to it, they just lunge forward with no sense of self-preservation until you hack them to bits or they manage the same.

Widening the gap between his hands in the grip he has on the blade, Minh makes a smooth, powerful, almost exaggeratedly textbook overhead chop with a fierce yell- more the kind of thing from a test-cutting demonstration than a fencing technique. Minh realizes quickly that a mindless undead or a savvy, martial-trained nagaji are no different when it comes to real battle and not fencing or sparring in a dojo. Namely, that you can't be assured for your target area, and you go for what you can. Minh's strike has to adjust for the low ceiling as the zombie's main body ducks back. Minh's strikes continues down to what did not dodge backwards, though - the zombie's foot. Minh strikes the foot incredibly hard. Stranger still, that seems to be the killing blow, for the sword cleaves through its shin bone and through the ankle and shatters the metatarsals ... and the zombie's body from that point and moving upwards is a strange type of internal combustion that destroys, blackens, and turns to ash the frightful undead.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T25: Drina, what do you do?

Amanu on deck, Zombie in the hole ...

[Kvard51]

Drina circles behind the combatants, seeing that she is not needed to dispatch the undead as much as she is to keep her compatriots upright and touches the Minh on his shoulder, "Merciful Dawnflower, heal this supplicant."

Spoiler: Actions

Show

MA: move 20' directly behind Minh.
SA: Cure Light Wounds - (1d8+3)[8]

[lostsole31]

R2T25: Drina circles behind the combatants, seeing that she is not needed to dispatch the undead as much as she is to keep her compatriots upright and touches the Minh on his shoulder, "Merciful Dawnflower, heal this supplicant."

The healing that flows into Minh is incredible, fully knitting Minh's wound!

R2T20: Amanu, what do you do?

Zombie on deck, Isolde in the hole ...