As Domitian moves in to investigate, two small (for trees; they are actually Medium-sized) snow-covered pine trees come to life and start to bash him with their branches, flanking him. Oddly, the snow stays on their branches even as they move.
Dom is hit for 16 points of damage and is coated in a sticky resin that smells sharply of pine. He needs to make a Reflex 15 save or take -2 to attack rolls.
The baby treants go on 3, so you will probably beat their initiative. If so, go ahead and take your actions.
"Frost firs!" Ingrit calls out, responding to the attacks. "They're treant-like creatures from the north. Use fire if you can!"
Drawing a flask of Alchemists fire, she hurls it at one of the creatures.
. Domitian is not quick enough to avoid being ambushed by the trees, but does at least manage to avoid the worst of the tree resin.
Responding quickly, Dom takes a sidestep so he's only engaging one of the trees (the one not hit by the alchemist's fire), draws his falcata, and takes a swing.
;
He's in position to parry any attacks against him should they happen.
;
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initiative
Erland, seeing the fire already on the tree In grit attacked, steps out of reach and tosses a flask of oil to continue its burn.
touch
burn this round
Domitian gives one of the trees a good whack, and then Ingrit and Erland set it on fire. It burns surprisingly well for something covered in snow. One tree down, and Damiano and Eianar still to go.
Eianar reaches for a flask of alchemists fire and throws it at the tree creature, though he feels pangs of guilt as he does, instead he tries to control the surviving tree with Gozreh's help. Commanding it to stop and be still.
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The tree suddenly stops in its tracks and turns to stare at Eianar, awaiting his command.
End of combat. 160 xp to you each.
"Hey, the tree listened, Einar! Great work! Can it talk? If so, perhaps it can tell us where the blue skinned creatures are lairing."
Erland touches Domitian on the shoulder and heals him for HP via healing hex.
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Damiano smiles
So Eianar, you are closer to trees than to people. That explain a lot
On his last legs as he readies to parry the tree's next attack, Domitian is surprised and then relieved when the attack doesn't come. "I, for one, am glad Eianar is a friend to the trees."
"Humpf, I doos 'ave tha power tha Gozreh grants, truble is ayes nah have tha sperience o' dem older brothers who command far more dan I." With that Eianar commands the tree to stay, let them finish their business and let them all pass on.
Speaking to Erland, Eianar speaks softly out of earshot of the tree."Erland, tha tree tis still its own, me powers ain't so strong to doos much more dan stop its attack. Should be safe, if ayes 'ere. The druid continues more loudly so all his companions hear, If wees dinna attack, tha beastie should stay thar an leave us in peace.."Wees can look in tha snow now.
Eianar goes over to the small body buried in the snow, to discover what it is? "Ayes goes see 'ere..."
Dom goes with Eianar, in case there's trouble.
The dead body turns out to be a goblin, pummeled to death, probably by the trees, judging by the resin sticking to its corpse.
Since it carries nothing of value, I suppose you leave it behind, and the same goes for the still immobile tree staring intently at Eianar.
A bit further ahead bloody animal tracks mark the snow where the trail descends from the ridge above. Ingrit's trained eye recognizes them as those of a giant weasel.
...
perception
"Careful, dinnah step tha, see more o' Kepp's bear traps. Deys take yous leg off if yous steps on 'em, but thar weasel is too damn strong for dese, too powerful, too big, be on yous guard if yous sees him." the druid warns his companions.
They continue on .....
Dom is thankful not to have a leg caught in the bear trap. "Good find. Let's continue following the trail."
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Okay," Ingrit replies continuing to follow the trail.
You continue along the trail and about an hour later it leads you into a small clearing. More than a dozen boulder-sized chunks of ice litter the clearing ahead where a strange hut sits perched on tree trunks atop a raised mound of snow-covered earth. It looks like the hut Dryden Kepp described in his journal.
"Times a be careful" the druid says as he finds cover to study the unusual hut. "Anys yous be able to sneak over there through da snow, nows be a good time or as dusk comes to hide our advance."
"So this must be the hut he was talking about in his journal, though it's supposed to have chicken legs. There's also supposed to be some weird doll inside. I can probably get close." Ingrit says quietly.
Suddenly, a clattering can be heard from the direction from whence the party came. A young, tall, thin man comes sprinting down the trail, arms flailing and long, unkempt hair flapping in the wind. The clanking seems to be coming from a skillet on his pack clanking against his armor.
He catches up to the party and almost immediately doubles over panting and gasping every few words.
Oh... thank goodness I found you. My Lady sent me... because of a paper... really a meta analysis... on magical weather.... and climate change... across.. long WWWWHHHHHHEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW..... long distances. Rain in Kyonin... causes a funnel cloud in Varisia... My Lady said you went north... so I went... that way... he points east and didn't find anything... so I tried to go back... but I somehow came here... and that is definitely not a local species.
He finishes his panting monologue and points to the hut.
Oh, I'm Khristovus Jacob Harris Gregori Fairchilde von Ellenberg II, but please call me Khristov. Even I hate how long my full name is.
"While I can probably sneak up closer, do we really want to? Local tales has these places haunted, or occupied, or something by a malevolent spirit. I suppose it might shed a little light on the unnatural cold, though."
At the rattling commotion, Ingrit whirls around drawing her bow, but halting when the approaching man doesn't seem threatening......or likely to be one of the bandits for that matter.
"What?"
Domitian also spins around, surprised by the clattering man and his skillet. If this man was help sent by Lady Argenta, Dom was not impressed. "So . . . Kristov, right? You certainly are eager. Are you sure you were looking for us? We're here to slay witches. Whereas you seem more prepared to cook eggs."
Welcome Khristov , a knowledge of weather pattern might indeed be helpful . And I think you are right . This hut looks like one of the huts patterned after the famous hut of Baba Yaga which moves on chicken legs.
They are usually found on the borders of Irrisen and legend has it that they serve as watchers for intrusion in Irrisen .
Seeing this one is a good thing since this indicates that the weather we are having comes from Irrisen and not some other planes like the plane of Water or the First world . As Erland said , there might be clues inside as to why and how Irrisen is trying to get a foothold in Taldor.
"Hello, Khristov. I'm known as Erland Frey, and this furry little troublemaker is Fiske." Erland offers a hand in greeting and scratches his cat familiar behind the ears.
"Are you injured, or ill? I can offer you some healing if so, but we are currently pressing on to find out more about the problems with winter coming so early."
Lowering her bow, Ingrit goes back to studying the hut as she considers a possible approach.
Khristov looks Dom up and down after shaking Erland's hand.
I'm not musclebound like yourself, perhaps, but I have been in fights before. Fieldwork happens too.
As Erland and Damiano return their attention to the hut, Khristov loses his absentmindedness and focuses intently.
Irrisen would make sense. It's certainly cold enough, and there is certainly no shortage of magic. If that thing's a border guard, it might not be where the mage in question is hiding, but we can almost certainly find them from there. Has anything been in or out?
"Not that we've seen, though we have the report of someone who's apparently been in it...or one like it." Ingrit says in response. "I'm going to check it out."
Dom extends his hand for a handshake, satisfied with Khristov's answer. "The name's Domitian Olavsgaard, but you can call me Dom. Ingrit here is an expert tracker, and Eianar a wild man of Gozreh. You met Erland, a powerful healer and mystic. Last but not least Damiano, a learned gentleman and mage. Much like yourself, I surmise?"
With introductions out of the way, Dom is ready for business. "Alright then, get your sword arm ready. We'll have need of it soon enough in this place."
And Ingrit cautiously moves into the clearing a shivering little Ulfen girl appears among the boulders and speaks: I’m sorry! Don’t hurt me! I never meant to call you names!
"What the..." Ingrit stops dead in her tracks, instinct screaming at her to get the poor girl out of the cold, while her past experiences remind her of the fey penchant for trickery.
Dom is surprised as a second unexpected guest arrives, but seeing that it's a girl makes him avoid any snarky comment. He also is a little suspicious.
Still, he takes off his cloak, ready to wrap it around the girl to warm her up. "We won't hurt you, we're here to help. You look really cold. Do you want this cloak?" .
We are not the ones you are thinking of and would never hurt people over mere words
Erland looks suspiciously at the little girl, keeping an eye on the perimeter as well.
perception
sense motive
Khristov mutters and waves his hand.
Eianar stays quietly in the background, mumbling about the excess number of townsfolk now on this expedition. As Ingrit gets to the little girl, he looks over at the hut, seeing if anyone appears at the door or something changes in the hut. "Tis weird winter thar bees here. Irressen bringing cold ta us, and thar strange hut. Was goin on?" he questions, searching for an answer, but none make much sense, unless this is a prelude to war.
Once his mind is cleared of doubts about the hut, he watches the girl and the interaction with Dom.
He calls to the girl.
And what warrior is your father, that lets his pups loose in the snow? What is your name child?
The girl darts away and reappears among the boulders, unresponsive and even unheedful of your attempts to communicate. She is speaking in Common. "Please don't keep me here. It's so cold. I miss my mother."
She does not radiate magic.
Oh ! Damiano exclaims disappointed This is only a lingering trace of the real girl. That is why we understand her in taldane and not in her native language, skald. She must have died nearby maybe even in the hut
"That might explain the doll that was mentioned." Ingrit says solemnly, her hand clenching and unclenching in anger as she contemplates the death of one so young..
She won't harm us, but she is quite unsettling. Can't even detect any magic off of her.
He looks to the house again.
This does seem to indicate that the house has the potential to be hostile, however. Unfortunately this seems we are right where you were before I came up. We're either going home or we have to approach.
"If a little girl died in there, we are NOT just going home." Ingrit says says beginning to stalk toward the hut.
Khristov mutters to nobody in particular as Ingrit slinks off.
I wasn't suggesting that...
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"Don't worry, Ingrit just takes a bit of getting used to." Dom pats Khristov on the back and follows along behind Ingrit.
Eianar watches on, not coming out of cover. He shakes his head at the way the balance has been altered, that even the dead cannot leave in peace.