The Cold World

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda hearing none of the enemy activity....
What do you see? he whispers as he maintains his position behind the rock.

[Saintheart]

Day 5, Alkukevaasta (Early Spring)
Valley of the Spear
Around twilight
Hardwalker Hall, 1537

Complication Pool: 4 of 6

Nothing.

It was like the Folken had all but disappeared. Gromrir didn't seem ruffled by scents or anything moving nearby, and nothing attacked Njal or the image of Verglas now flying around. There just wasn't a sign of them in the immediate vicinity.

If one excluded the Folken crucified on the tree, that was. The creature's head was hanging down, and closer to the point as Njal was, he could now see one of the Folken's tormentors had rammed a half-foot-long spike into the creature's chest, from which black blood was still trickling. The Folken was still alive, but likely not for much longer.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Haste wears off in the interim. What do you do?

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda is not content to allow information to go uncollected.
He is going to remove the spike, and apply healing to the wounded Folken.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Spend 2 charges from the healing belt (3d8)[20]

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" The dwarf looks around and looks back to Verglas shaking his head. [B]“I dinnae ken where they be.”[/] he snorts in disgust, “Like ice in the sun they be gone.” He adds as he trots carefully towards the tree, Stormrir kicking up the light snow that had been blown about by the gust of wind. He circles the tree once carefully, his hand and beard still alight with lightning as he watches Ramiro wrenching free the spike and waits to see what the frost folk has to say

Spoiler: OOC

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Njal "Stormcaller"
M NG Dwarf (Glacier Dwarf) Druid, Level 5, Init -5, HP 41/41, Speed
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-footed 17, Fort 7, Ref 2, Will 7, Base Attack Bonus 3
+2 trip MW Tigerskull Club (Lesser Crystal of Fiery Assault) +7 (1d8+3 [+1d6 FIRE], x4)
Quaterstaff +6 (1d6+3, x2)
Darts / Sling (10 / 20 ) +4 (1d4+3 / 1d4+3 , x2)
Dragonhide (White) Breastplate, Heavy Wooden Shield (+5 Armor, +2 Shield, +1 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6
Condition +1 hit Greenskins, +4 Dodge vs Giants, +2 vs Spells/Poison, +2 vs Cold, +4 vs Fey



Stormrir
30 / 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
Equipment: Military saddle, Saddle bags, Std'Leather Barding

Gromnir (Wintery Huskie) - Level 3 companion
29 / 29 hp (4HD) Init +3 Speed 40 ft Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
AC 22 (+3 Dex, +6 natural +3 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
Equipment: MW std Leather barding

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas and Dog remain at the ridge, and glances back at Tonlist to see what she has been doing throughout this time. Verglas calls down to her colleagues.

"They can't be gone that fast I immediately moved to the side as soon as the cloud appeared so there was no angle that they could have used to leave this area entirely, especially since they wouldn't know exactly where we were in order to avoid those paths of escape I am therefore forced to conclude that unless the teleported the entire group away they are still close but hidden Please be careful!"

Meanwhile, the floating Verglas comes to rest just above the tree, seeming ot take up a guard position of sorts.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

the folken created a fog cloud between themselves and us, about 150' away. Verglas then moved 50' laterally. There's only a relatively small triangle of space by the tree that is both obscured to Njal & Ramiro and to Verglas, and once you move out of that triangle, you would have been visible to one of us. Hence her concern.

What is Tonlist doing?

Verglas will maintain concentration on Silent Image.

[Saintheart]

Day 5, Alkukevaasta (Early Spring)
Valley of the Spear
Around twilight
Hardwalker Hall, 1537

Complication Pool: 4 of 6

Tonlist hadn't replied, but was wading through the snow down into the dell, to see the playing out of the drama there.

Ramiro set about the gruesome task of pulling the spike from the Folken's chest, and winced as the creature gave a dreadful, rasping shriek of pain when he did. Black blood poured from its dreadful wounds. Ramiro immediately called on the power of the Healing Belt, putting his hands on the Folken ... only to find that while the belt functioned and eldritch power poured from it, the creature's wounds were unaffected - as though it rejected the belt's energies.

The Folken was surely dying. Nothing in this world could survive the quantity of blood now escaping it. And yet - incredibly - it was still conscious, and the blue-on-blue eyes of the creature still had awareness to them. The eyes shifted ... to the black-lacquered scabbard that had shifted to Ramiro's side. And to the red-tasselled hilt of the shi'hun the young swordsage carried. The Folken met Ramiro's eyes again, and the blue-on-blue eyes took on the shadow of intent. Purpose.
Another long, rasping groan came from the Folken's mouth, and it raised a trembling arm...

... and made a movement. A shape with his hand. A shape and a movement that Ramiro recognised. One that he had made himself, many times, so many times, practising alone, poring over the travel-worn notes he had carried these years. It was so familiar he could almost feel the ki flowing with the movement. It was the technique that had been called Hatchling's Flame. And a lick of fire appeared in the Folken's hand ... only to flicker and disappear as the Folken's hand trembled with the pain and with his ebbing lifeforce. But the Folken hadn't intended to harm Ramiro, it seemed, or anyone; the creature's eyes remained focused on Ramiro.

The Folken seemed to summon a last reserve of strength. Its hand, trembling, rose to a thin string around its neck. The Folken snapped the string with a hiss of pain, and held it out to Ramiro. It wasn't just a string, but a pendant: a tiny, wooden tube about six inches long, which had been hidden behind the Folken's long, bone-white hair. It was delicate, and as though on command, when the pendant passed into Ramiro's waiting hand, the tube clicked open and two tiny pieces of parchment fell out.

The first one's nature Ramiro immediately knew.

Spoiler: Ramiro

Show

There was a certain ... aura? Smell? Feel? to such things. Verglas would have called it a magical aura, but that didn't really matter: Ramiro knew it as a Martial Script, a peculiar item in which the words of the script, read aloud, set up a particular vibration in a martial adept's body, changing his muscles, his senses, filling him with a temporary, hour-long insight, a temporary moment of seeing deeper into the truth of his teachings. Even more incredibly, this one was a technique he at least had heard of: what in the old tongue had been called Getsumei No Michi, the Way of the Moonlit Path, and which the more vulgar name for which was Insightful Strike. The vibrations that allowed one to use the script also caused the destruction of the delicate script, but for one conflict at least, he'd be able to use this.

And the second made something sing in Ramiro's soul.

Spoiler: Ramiro

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Because it was a tiny scroll which had clearly been unrolled several times. Pictured in ink as black and beautiful as the day it had been dipped, on the reverse side of the papyrus, was a symbol. A candle in the centre of a black circle.
A flame, in the shadows. The same symbol that appeared, faded, and creased, on his family's scrolls. The symbol of the Hidden Flame. The symbol of the school that his family had carried down through the generations, and of which he had thought he was the last.

Ramiro could feel his fingers tremble, involuntarily, as he turned over the scroll to the other side. In flowing text, four little lines had been written on the otherwise blank piece of paper.

Three brothers in company
In noontide's sun
Walked into falling darkness
And up unto a lonely crag

And now Ramiro could feel his body tremble, involuntarily.

The Crag.

It was one of the lost monasteries, one of the places where Red Hand was taught, and White Hand ... and ... so it was said ... the school of the Hidden Flame.

This was some form of riddle that referred to the Crag. Long lost, long forgotten, long sought.

Spoiler: OOC

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What do you do?

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda
Understands that there is naught to keep this person alive much longer, but he spends the last charge trying to ease his pain.

Gripping his hand
I will find it, and place your Nafuda there. What is your name?

[Saintheart]

Day 5, Alkukevaasta (Early Spring)
Valley of the Spear
Around twilight
Hardwalker Hall, 1537

Complication Pool: 4 of 6

There was no answer, and the Folken's head had rolled to the side. The blue-on-blue eyes stared at nothing.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

What do you do?

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" Njal watches Ramiro out of the corner of his eye, whilst he slowly circles the tree atop the horse wondering where the Folken have gone. he barks out to Tontin and Verglas, "Keep yer eyes peeled for those icy swine. Can't see where they did vanish but they'll be bastard close. I can smell them.." As he keeps watch, Gromrir trailing after him, he also ask Ramiro. "What did the one pinned to the tree have tae say fer himself?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Njal "Stormcaller"
M NG Dwarf (Glacier Dwarf) Druid, Level 5, Init -5, HP 41/41, Speed
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-footed 17, Fort 7, Ref 2, Will 7, Base Attack Bonus 3
+2 trip MW Tigerskull Club (Lesser Crystal of Fiery Assault) +7 (1d8+3 [+1d6 FIRE], x4)
Quaterstaff +6 (1d6+3, x2)
Darts / Sling (10 / 20 ) +4 (1d4+3 / 1d4+3 , x2)
Dragonhide (White) Breastplate, Heavy Wooden Shield (+5 Armor, +2 Shield, +1 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6
Condition +1 hit Greenskins, +4 Dodge vs Giants, +2 vs Spells/Poison, +2 vs Cold, +4 vs Fey



Stormrir
30 / 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
Equipment: Military saddle, Saddle bags, Std'Leather Barding

Gromnir (Wintery Huskie) - Level 3 companion
29 / 29 hp (4HD) Init +3 Speed 40 ft Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
AC 22 (+3 Dex, +6 natural +3 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
Equipment: MW std Leather barding

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda
He was part of brotherhood of the Red hand. More than that I cannot say.

Can you track them?

Once again he focuses on sound checking for their presence.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Listen (1d20+11)[23]

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas is deeply divided. On the one hand, she was apparently wrong about the frost folks' ability to vanish into the landscape in a few seconds, and she hated being wrong. On the other hand, they were not dead, and had...won?

She watched from a distance as Ramiro spoke with the dying frostfolk. She sent her illusory self winging around the valley and the ridge surrounding it, just to be sure.

[Saintheart]

Day 5, Alkukevaasta (Early Spring)
Valley of the Spear
Around twilight
Hardwalker Hall, 1537

Complication Pool: 5 of 6

Still nothing. Despite a careful look around, and a tense, near-sweating wait, the animals didn't seem disturbed, and they weren't attacked. There just didn't seem to be anyone nearby at all. Or if they were, they were exceptionally well-hidden.

Spoiler: OOC

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Complication Pool rises because the checking and staying in place is consuming time. What do you do?

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" Njal looks about at the featureless snow and shakes his head. "The white folken move like ghosts. None can track 'em anymore than can track smoke laddie." He approaches the tree and stares at the one nailed to the tree and then spits by the base of the tree. "Good riddance..." Then with a last look about he nods to Ramiro, "Ye want to bring the scroll laddie? We can press on fer the manor eh?" He checks the saddle and waits for Ramiro before riding onwards towards the manor, fully intending to leave the frostfolk still nailed to the tree

Spoiler: OOC

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Njal "Stormcaller"
M NG Dwarf (Glacier Dwarf) Druid, Level 5, Init -5, HP 41/41, Speed
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-footed 17, Fort 7, Ref 2, Will 7, Base Attack Bonus 3
+2 trip MW Tigerskull Club (Lesser Crystal of Fiery Assault) +7 (1d8+3 [+1d6 FIRE], x4)
Quaterstaff +6 (1d6+3, x2)
Darts / Sling (10 / 20 ) +4 (1d4+3 / 1d4+3 , x2)
Dragonhide (White) Breastplate, Heavy Wooden Shield (+5 Armor, +2 Shield, +1 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6
Condition +1 hit Greenskins, +4 Dodge vs Giants, +2 vs Spells/Poison, +2 vs Cold, +4 vs Fey



Stormrir
30 / 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
Equipment: Military saddle, Saddle bags, Std'Leather Barding

Gromnir (Wintery Huskie) - Level 3 companion
29 / 29 hp (4HD) Init +3 Speed 40 ft Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
AC 22 (+3 Dex, +6 natural +3 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
Equipment: MW std Leather barding

[Saintheart]

Day 6, Alkukevaasta (Early Spring)
Valley of the Spear
Midday, 1537

Complication Pool: 3 of 6

Despite a careful march scanning the hills and terrain around them, nothing interrupted their journey, and indeed the night passed without incident. Njal was once again able to find food for himself, but again the pickings were slim for the others.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Ramiro, and Verglas mark off 1 ration each, everyone else manages to support themselves out of the local terrain. Waterskins are refilled.

I am tracking this via spreadsheet offline, just FYI, and I make it 7 remaining for Verglas, 27 for Njal, and 2 for Ramiro after deductions.

Better still, the weather warmed a little overnight, and Njal could tell by the feel of the air on his skin that their various articles of clothing would suffice for protection against the weather.

He led them on, into the Valley. And it was around midday that they finally saw it.

Ahead, there was an elaborate-looking building visible in the distance, at the top of a small rise north of them. At least, it would have been a small rise if the ground all around it was level. But the earth north, east, and west of the rise had fallen away in a vast semicircle, leaving the manor at the top of an isthmus protruding into a great, semicircular depression in the earth, a good 100 feet deep and several hundred feet wide at least. The area of the isthmus, at a very rough guess, looked to be about 20 acres of land, standing atop clifflike slopes, and only approachable from the direction the party was coming from, the south.

The southern approach, surprisingly, revealed the remains of a narrow cobblestone track amongst the snow, about half a mile out from the building and leading towards it. Being the path of least resistance, the party reached it and followed it up toward the house.

It quickly became apparent that while the southern approach was the only one realistically possible overland given the cliffs around the place from all other compass points, neither was the southern approach completely open. A stone wall, nearly ten feet high, stretched to the east and west as the group drew up to it. The wall seemed to be crumbling under the assault of the elements and waves of a black, difficult-to-identify mouldy substance on it, aside from the topping of heavy snow. The half-hidden cobblestone track led up to a break in the decrepit barrier: a rusted, stylised iron gateway, the rust making little impact on the strange, eldritch alloys the elves had used in decorative pieces like this. At the top of the gate, the metal had been bent and warped to form flowing script of some kind.

Spoiler: Verglas

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The gnome could read it, since the script was in the Slavemasters' tongue. It was a name; specifically, the name of an elven clan, or circle, or family: Kith'in'sherillinar.

Spoiler: OOC

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What do you do?

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas gestures to the script atop the gate.

"I believe that it's the name of one of the prominent elven houses in this area. Perhaps this was a private mansion of sorts, a kind of family estate? Regardless, I don't like the look of that mould May I suggest that I do a quick reconnaissance of the building in order to ascertain whether there are any other possible approaches, or to assess the viability of forcing our way in through the gates It will necessitate my becoming an elf in appearance only and I know how that riled some folks up when I did it last month so I wanted to check in with both of you before I did so just in case you were under the impression that it would turn me into some kind of raging primeval monster What do you say?":

Spoiler: OOC

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Verglas is proposing that she turn herself into an avariel to do an aerial survey of the place.

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda
Be careful, the place may react poorly to rivals.

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" Njal had been happy when he had managed to navigate to the right place and then paused, "Eesh, well that dinnae be a sight you see every day. Whay happened to the earth eh to make it fall away like that" He eyes it suspiciously sure that its not natural. Eyeing the mould along the top of the wall he considers what it might be, looking at it carefullly to see if he had seen its like before. At Verglas's offer he nods. "Aye lass, last time it wer the shock of it. I know you be you under that. If we be needing to get through or under the wall I can turn myself into a great badger and just burrow under it if you don't mind getting a wee bit muddy?" he offers. Then nods, happy to Verglas flap around and scan the area from the sky. He makes sure to load his sling as the only help he can offer (well aside from turning into some sort of dire haw and streaking into help).

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Know(Nature) on mould (1d20+5)[20]


Njal "Stormcaller"
M NG Dwarf (Glacier Dwarf) Druid, Level 5, Init -5, HP 41/41, Speed
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-footed 17, Fort 7, Ref 2, Will 7, Base Attack Bonus 3
+2 trip MW Tigerskull Club (Lesser Crystal of Fiery Assault) +7 (1d8+3 [+1d6 FIRE], x4)
Quaterstaff +6 (1d6+3, x2)
Darts / Sling (10 / 20 ) +4 (1d4+3 / 1d4+3 , x2)
Dragonhide (White) Breastplate, Heavy Wooden Shield (+5 Armor, +2 Shield, +1 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6
Condition +1 hit Greenskins, +4 Dodge vs Giants, +2 vs Spells/Poison, +2 vs Cold, +4 vs Fey



Stormrir
30 / 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
Equipment: Military saddle, Saddle bags, Std'Leather Barding

Gromnir (Wintery Huskie) - Level 3 companion
29 / 29 hp (4HD) Init +3 Speed 40 ft Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
AC 22 (+3 Dex, +6 natural +3 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
Equipment: MW std Leather barding

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Nodding, Verglas turns to Tonlist.

"I will briefly be changing my appearance into that of an elf Please do not take this as a sign of an apocalyptic return to a time of darkness and enslavement Above all, do not smite me I cannot stress this enough No smiting."

Hoping for the best, Verglas murmurs her powerful spell of transformation and changes into a winged elf. Not surprisingly, she looks like an aloof a**hat in this form too.

Launching herself into the air, Verglas attempts to get a better aerial understanding of the remaining structure. Naturally, her first priority is on noticing anyone or anything that might be preparing to shoot her, blast fire at her or otherwise ruin her day.

Spoiler: OOC

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Alter Self into an Avariel.

One circuit of the structure at a height of about 100', looking for movement or nastiness. Assuming this is clear, she'll do another at a height of about 20', going slow enough to try to grasp the details of the layout and look for the easiest ways in and out - especially if there's a way that doesn't involve probably-innocuous-but-who-knows black mold.

[Toliudar]

Verglas

After completing the double circuit of the place, Verglas returns and lights gently and gracefully on the ground. Although the elf form seems to have all the strength and physical menace of a child's toy, there remains something of the bird of prey in its eyes as she looks around at her three colleagues, preparing to report on what she saw.

[Saintheart]

Day 6, Alkukevaasta (Early Spring)
Valley of the Spear
Midday, 1537

Complication Pool: 3 of 6

Verglas's flight around the Manor had to balance covering distance with close observation. On the quick flight around 20 hectares of land, she didn't have a lot of time to closely observe things, but there was enough for her to conclude the wall they stood before barred the entire southern approach to the Manor, and the other approaches were steep cliffs leading down to the treacherous snow, ice, and sharp rock below.

Immediately within the wall stood row upon row of leafless, ghostly white trees breaking from the frozen earth, forming a grim orchard. Each plant seemed gnarled and bare, like hundreds of giant, skeletal hands tearing from the gray dirt to claw at the uncaring, bleak sky. There was a clear path up to the manor itself - she didn't have the chance to get very close to it - and the hint of some sort of garden-looking-enclosure further north. Moving north, at the northernmost end of the knob of rock upon which the Manor stood, what seemed to be a half-collapsed ... gazebo? Was that the Archipelago word for it? ... overlooked the cliffs.

Spoiler: Rough Map of what Verglas sees

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Area A is the gate she and the party are at.
Area B is the orchardlike area she observed.
Area C is the gardenlike area she's seen.
Area D is the manor. The rough shape is as she sees - two large-ish wings and a central structure.
Area E is where the gazebo-like structure stands.

The side view indicates the rough altitude from the side. The party, as said, is at the gate, in Area A.

As she landed, Verglas didn't miss the small shudder that Tonlist gave, disguised as examining one of the pipes in her instrument for a moment. It seemed while the dwarf's views weren't quite as extreme as some they'd travelled with, Tonlist didn't much care for reminders of the physical forms of the elves either.

While she was gone, Njal had gingerly inspected the mould trails from the bottom of the wall, and concluded that while it'd make climbing the wall a tad more tricky, the stuff wasn't poisonous or even mildly acerbic. Indeed in some of his more forgettable moments in the mountains, Njal had the feeling he'd been able to eat stuff like this with only mild alimentary consequences some hours later. It was just some variety of mould.

Spoiler: OOC

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Apologies for the long delay before updating, folks, I got a bit distracted after surgery was done.

Anyway, Verglas's flight takes about two minutes and the map above should give a mud map idea of where things lay. Inspecting these areas any closer requires, well, closer inspection. What do you do?

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas' gaze lingers for a moment on Tonlist. She tries to think of something to say that wouldn't sound patently false, trite or a platitude. Thought for a moment more about this, and came up blank. And then realized that staring at Tonlist was exactly the worst thiing she could be doing, and turned to Ramiro.

"There is a very steep path through some trees, next to what looks like an orchard of dead trees It leads up to a manor house with two significant wings and no major outbuildings Behind the manor and overlooking the cliffs is a open frame shelter of some kind A gazebo I think that it's called No movement or signs of recent habitation that I could see.

"I wish to stress again that this is a very steep climb."

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda
Turning to Njal
Do you mind if I borrow the kit, and I go up first and drop a rope?

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Nodding at Ramiro's wisdom, Verglas turns to Dog and points to Tonlist.

"Guard!"

She turns back to her colleagues.

"I am an indifferent climber at best Perhaps I can make use of my remaining minutes in this form by taking the rope and securing it at the top of the steep patch, then dropping it down? I only understand the theory of these things Oh and if you can't find a way to bring Dog up with you just find a safe spot and tell him to stay."

Unless there is a response in the offing, Verglas takes a coil of the rope and flies up to the top of the steep patch, looks for a place to tied it off and drop it down, and waits.

Spoiler: OOC

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Verglas has about an hour in this form, but I'm not sure how much time has gone by.

Her goal is to make it easier for the group to get up the 70 degree angle part of the climb, if she can, and to avoid that part of the climb herself.

If she still has ample time in the avariel form, she'll do a low-altitude buzz of the estate and gazebo, from about 20-30' away, trying to track entrances, windows, and looking for any signs of habitation (paths, footprints in snow, etc).

[Saintheart]

Day 6, Alkukevaasta (Early Spring)
Valley of the Spear
Midday, 1537

Complication Pool: 4 of 6

Spoiler: OOC

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Verglas has plenty of time in Avariel form - the initial overflight only took about 2 minutes or so. What follows takes about another 10 minutes.

There wasn't much of a reply, so Verglas took the coil and flapped her way up the steep slope before her. She found a suitable-looking spot where the ground started to level out again; there was a very dead but pillar-like icethorn growing at the top of a draw that the path happened to climb, so not only would her companions have a rope, they'd also have some decent footholds where the cobbled path climbed at the near-insane angle to the crown of the great hill. Exactly why someone would build a road like that made little sense, though her geographical studies hinted that maybe something had happened to the very earth itself after the road had been built. Which made the intact nature of the manor - or seemingly intact nature - even more disturbing, but then, they weren't exactly in the land of Satermayan reasoning anymore either.

Verglas tied off the rope with enough care that even she was fairly sure they'd get up the hill with few problems, and then settled to wait.

She got bored.

This only took a minute or two, and admittedly part of this was the enticing ruffle of the feathers of her assumed form, teasing her with the cold wind of the air. The manor was still some distance from here, and it didn't look like she would be joined in a hurry, so she took to the sky once more and decided to take a second flight around the grounds.

The first place she decided to revisit was the orchard. Or maybe what had been an orchard. Indeed that was something in itself; as she closed in on it, she realised the trees were ancient - dead, certainly, but still, ancient - trees that were sometimes seen in Chalice and the richer regions of the Highmark as apple trees. Not now, of course; no apple had grown in this part of Hylkeiden for a thousand years. But it was unsettling enough to see the white trunks, cracked and cracked again by ice and wind, still standing here as some pale, bone-white monument to the distant, green past.

The screaming smashed at her ears.

It hit her with almost physical force. Three great shrieks, filling the air, echoing through the dead white trunks. Shrieking that didn't operate solely on the physical, but on some supernatural level, hammering at the doors of her mind. Somehow - somehow - she managed to push back the insistent clawing at her mind, pushing down the fear, remembering the more dreadful things they'd seen in the Valley of the Spear, and with a second's eyes squeezed shut, the assault on her ears and mind receded.

To be replaced by horror. With quick, flicking, revulsive movements, three head-sized shapes came flitting out from the tree branches closest to her and came winging towards her on batllike wings. No. Not head-sized shapes. Heads. Eighteen inches high, wingspan of four feet, the creatures looking like heads with wings came flapping on fast, efficient wings...

Spoiler: Verglas

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And she knew what they were. Vargouilles. Looking like hideous, distorted human heads suspended from leathery wings, the things were crowned with writhing tendrils in place of hair, and the eyes burned with green flame. These were ... visitors. Sometimes, in places of death or suffering, the world between here and the Lower Realm became ... thin. And sometimes things came through. To hunt. To feed. In this case, likely, on her.

Spoiler: OOC

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What does Verglas do?

I should note that you had both good and bad luck. Bad luck, in that Verglas's really bad Spot and Listen rolls were further deep-sixed by low numbers. Good luck, in that had Verglas failed any of the three Fort saves - at DC 12 - that I just made, she'd be down paralysed and being kissed by a vargouille right now.

As it is, Verglas is not paralysed, and can't be affected by the vargouilles' shrieks for 24 hours, so she has a couple of choices.

On one hand, she could stay and fight. There's only three of them and amazingly they have an even lower AC than our friendly gnome does. Since Verglas just saved against their shriek-and-kiss combination, the vargouilles are down to their bite attacks at a comparatively low chance of hitting, but any damage taken (assuming the Fort save is failed) can't be healed by normal healing and requires neutralise poison or similar.

On the other hand, she could try and beat a retreat, presumably back down to the others. In avariel form, once she gets turned around, Verglas has a better speed than the vargouilles and can probably get back to Njal, Ramiro, and Tonlist in straightforward fashion. However, that of course gives the vargouilles more targets to go for. Including Dog, Stormrir, and Gromrir.

Or she could attempt something else. All up to you.

[Toliudar]

Verglas

Verglas' mind reels. But this was hardly her first brush with madness, not even the first this year, and while the vision of three flying heads screaming at her would populate her nightmares for weeks to come, on the surface she adjusted to this new reality with relative sang-froid.

She briefly considered making a stand. She was much bigger than these chompers, and given a few shots with her staff, she might be able to...no, that was absolutely moronic bravado.

Instead, Verglas turned and zipped toward her companions, As soon as she put some reasonable distance betweeen herself and the Threepenny Opera, she slowed enough to pull out her crossbow. It felt like a oty in her larger hands, but she tried to overcome that and shot at the nearest of the heads, the bolt catching fire as it flew towards the strange creature.

Once she got close enough to her companions to reliably be heard, she screamed:

"Vargouilles! Nasty flying head things! Tonlist sing that song you sing to drown out other songs And everyone SHOOT THEM! SHOOOOOT THEM!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Wheee! I'm not super clear how close I am to the others, but am assuming it's at least a couple hundred feet.

Screaming: lots, and as soon as she thinks the others will hear her. She's recommending in her inimitable way that Tonlist make use of her Countersong ability.

Round 1: run action flight straight towards her companions.
Round 2: move action towards her companions while pulling out her crossbow, which is currently too small for her. Standard action to shoot the nearest Vargouille.
Attack (factors in -2 size penalty): (1d20+3)[14]
Piercing damage: (1d6)[1]
Fire damage: (1d6)[6]

[DrK]

Njal "Stormcaller" Reassured by the mould bing "safe" Njal had been happy to slip down from Stomrir's back and leave the horse by the base of the wall. A nod to Gromrir and a command to "Aye, guard the horse" to the husky had left both beasts guarding the other animals as he had followed Ramiro up the rope and over the wall. A pause at the top to offer Tonlist a hand as she climbed. Dropping down and looking at the slope he'd sensed a wrongness here but shrugging he'd looked to the others. "Aye well, with nae wings we'd best get a walking" The sudden scream from Verglas had had him glancing up in shock as the elf came streaking back through the sky towards them

Spoiler: OOC

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Init (1d20-5)[2]
If time allows, cast Produce flame

Njal "Stormcaller"
M NG Dwarf (Glacier Dwarf) Druid, Level 5, Init -5, HP 41/41, Speed
AC 18, Touch 11, Flat-footed 17, Fort 7, Ref 2, Will 7, Base Attack Bonus 3
+2 trip MW Tigerskull Club (Lesser Crystal of Fiery Assault) +7 (1d8+3 [+1d6 FIRE], x4)
Quaterstaff +6 (1d6+3, x2)
Darts / Sling (10 / 20 ) +4 (1d4+3 / 1d4+3 , x2)
Dragonhide (White) Breastplate, Heavy Wooden Shield (+5 Armor, +2 Shield, +1 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 6
Condition +1 hit Greenskins, +4 Dodge vs Giants, +2 vs Spells/Poison, +2 vs Cold, +4 vs Fey



Stormrir
30 / 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
Equipment: Military saddle, Saddle bags, Std'Leather Barding

Gromnir (Wintery Huskie) - Level 3 companion
29 / 29 hp (4HD) Init +3 Speed 40 ft Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
AC 22 (+3 Dex, +6 natural +3 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
Equipment: MW std Leather barding

[Novabomb]

Ramiro Sanda

Wordlessly draws his blade while dashing in the direction of Verglas

Spoiler: OOC

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Init (1d20+6)[20]

[Saintheart]

Day 6, Alkukevaasta (Early Spring)
Valley of the Spear
Midday, 1537

Complication Pool: 4 of 6

The vargouilles, it appeared, were not stupid. Or had the low cunning that one expected from denizens of the Lower Realm. Verglas was outdistancing them, but when the creatures spotted her allies, the winged heads broke and went fluttering back the way they'd come. Verglas' keen eyesight noted they seemed headed back for the main body of Kirillin Manor, but any further precision on precisely where would take a closer inspection.

Spoiler: OOC

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You're free to continue your journey or exploration. What do you do now?

[Toliudar]

Verglas

As Verglas sees the death-heads break off, she pursues at a distance, firing at them again and again as she goes.

Spoiler: OOC

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Once the Varguilles break off, Verlgas stays about a hundred feet away but pursuies, firing at them as long as the opportunities remain.

Round 1:
Attack: (1d20+5)[16]
Piercing damage: (1d6)[3]
Fire damage: (1d6)[6]

Round 2:
Attack: (1d20+5)[8]
Piercing damage: (1d6)[3]
Fire damage: (1d6)[4]

Round 3:
Attack: (1d20+5)[20]
Piercing damage: (1d6)[3]
Fire damage: (1d6)[1]

Round 4:
Attack: (1d20+5)[16]
Piercing damage: (1d6)[4]
Fire damage: (1d6)[6]

[Saintheart]

Day 6, Alkukevaasta (Early Spring)
Valley of the Spear
Midday, 1537

Complication Pool: 4 of 6

The clunk of the first crossbow bolt leaving the rest was satisfying, but more satisfying was the distant thump of both its impact and a miniaturised explosion as one of the vargouilles was shredded by the fiery bolt and bits of batwing, skin, and other unmentionables rained on the white snow.

The others got the message very quickly, though, and took off as fast as their flapping wings could carry them. With the interminable time it took to reload the damned crossbow, they were well more distant by the time her second bolt flew, which went awry. She tried one more, and it would have been satisfying to note that the shot winged the vargouille even at this range, though it managed to keep flying with its sole remining uninjured colleague.

She refrained from any further shots as the vargouilles seemed to be out of effective range and headed for what looked like some sort of bell tower structure affixed to the main body of the Manor.

Spoiler: OOC

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Worth noting here that relative distance and flight maneuverability come into this. Verglas has to maintain half her movement allowance to remain aloft, which means she's down to moving 25 feet per round or 50 maximum if she double moves (and therefore can't shoot in the same round as she moves, since crossbows take a move action to be reloaded). If the first shot is at the 100 foot distance, it takes a -2 and so hits, but the next round Verglas can't move but has to reload and fire, which allows the vargouilles to pull another 120 feet since they have Good maneuverability. The second shot misses, and the vargouilles pull another 120 feet to make it 350 feet of distance. The third shot hits even at a -6, albeit doesn't kill it. The fourth shot, the vargouilles pull another 120 feet making it 470 feet of distance, and by that point a fourth shot can't hit.

Thus, 3 bolts expended.