Kappi's stab and Vojtek's flurry cannot connect, but Ali's missiles strike home!
Round 5
baddies — zap
Davosh — GO
Ali — magic missile
Kappi — miss
Edward — GO
Round 6
Vojtek — flail ineffectually
Davosh focuses intently and casts a spell of Guidance on Kappi.
Davosh gives a "good game" to Kappi!
As Edward works to heal his friends, the remaining wisp retreats in search of some easier meal.
"Finally! Well played everyone. No time to strut, magic won't last forever. Get to the top!"
Upon driving off the wisps, the only sound you can still hear is the whistling wind about you and the tired breathing of Vojtek. Once he recovers from his fatigue, you are free to continue the ascent, which (due to Ali's magic and Davosh being lifted by the Ancients) is uneventful.
The view of the vertiginous cliffs about the canyon from atop The Maiden (giggity) — miles and miles of Iobarian wilderness — is marvelous, and some thirty feet behind the carved stone head is a wall of rock that offers some shelter from the chilling winds at this height. A small copse of bare, weathered trees stands in the cover of the rock wall, their knotted roots clinging in desperation to the cold, hard stone.
"Come let us take shelter from the heights, heal ourselves, and then go inside this monolith."
"Indeed, confirm that you are all ready. I have most of my spells, but I won't enter until we are all prepared."
The rogue stands at the top of their long long climb. He thinks about how cool it would be to base jump off the top and half way down suddenly put his featherfall ring on...
He snaps out of his daydream. I'm good. Thanks to Ed, I'm all healed up!
Ready!!
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Vojtek eyes Kappi cautiously. He knows the minds of young men, and as the only female nearby is Ali and she is behind Kappi and out of his field of vision, the cagey barbarian assumes the lad has switched to 'about to do something reckless and needlessly risky.'
He breathes a sigh of relief as Kappi turns back toward the group and steals a glance at Ali as she bends to adjust some straps on her pack.
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Ed takes a few minutes using the magic of his boots to heal himself and thus his Ka’tet. He contemplates between bow and sword, still choosing the bow for the time being.
Kappi lead out, keep an eye out for traps, but don’t get to far ahead. Lets go over the hand signs you will use to communicate with us. Apsu will guide us while we enter The Maiden. So let this be our initial thrust towards the climax of releasing Baba Yaga.
As the party approaches, Kappi can see dozens of bones littering the ground before the grove. Davosh observes that some are so ancient that the trees' roots appear to grow right through them. Behind the trees, a shadowy arched opening in the wall, shaped vaguely like the waxing moon, appears to lead deep inside the rock.
guide us while we enter The Maiden. So let this be our initial thrust towards the climax of release[/b]
The lad stifles a laugh at the hilarious imagery. Then he immediately blushes fiercely glancing over at Ali.
A long look at the field of bones around the entrance sobers the lad. He draws his trusty magical short sword and slips ahead stealthily scouting the way.
Perception
Stealth
Kappi's keen eyes spy a bloated, decaying carcass hanging from one of the far trees; it looks to him like a pale, desiccated centaur.
As the party approaches, a female voice both rustles forth from up ahead: คɭɭ ฬђ๏ รєєк Շ๏ єภՇєг คгՇг๏รค ๓ยรՇ ŦเгรՇ קгєรєภՇ ๓є ฬเՇђ ค รคςгเŦเςє.
If you can make a DC 25 Kn (nature) check, read the spoiler below.
"Ho there and parlay shrouded voice. We seek no evil and tolerate the same."
And what flavor of sacrifice would suit?
ץ๏ย ๓ยรՇ קг๏שє ץ๏ยг ฬ๏гՇђ Շ๏ קครร เภรเ๔є. ๏ŦŦєг ๓є ร๏๓єՇђเภﻮ ฬคг๓, ɭเשเภﻮ, คภ๔ ๒ɭ๏๏๔ץ, ๏г เ ฬเɭɭ Շคкє ค รคςгเŦเςє ๓ץรєɭŦ—๏ภє ๏Ŧ ๓ץ ςђ๏๏รเภﻮ. เ ђคשє รՇ๏๏๔ ђєгє Ŧ๏г ςєภՇยгเєร คภ๔ ςɭคเ๓є๔ ๓คภץ รคςгเŦเςєร. Շђєเг ๒๏ภєร คгє ค ՇєรՇค๓єภՇ Շ๏ Շђєเг Ŧ๏๏ɭเรђภєรร เภ Շђเภкเภﻮ Շђєץ ς๏ยɭ๔ ฬเภ Շђєเг ฬคץ קครՇ ๓є.
"I'll not entreat aurally alone. Show me your countenance so that I may look upon you with my eye."
And what flavor of sacrifice would suit?
A single bough, draping heavy with leaves, extends and points to the carcass Kappi spied earlier.
Շђ๏รє ฬђ๏ ςค๓є ๒єŦ๏гє ץ๏ย ﻮคשє ๓є Շђเร, ๏ภє ๏Ŧ Շђєเг ๏ฬภ. เ єאקєςՇ ภ๏ ɭєรร ๏Ŧ ค รคςгเŦเςє Ŧг๏๓ Շђ๏รє ฬђ๏ ђคשє ς๏๓є ภ๏ฬ.| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
And this is why we need redshirts.
"Don't look at me bro!"
Kappi pulls out an alchemical fire thinking he knows where this is heading...
Davosh stays the lad's hand, "Kappi you have already made your ancestors proud. Let us not resort... yet."
"Guardian! Is there no other way?"
While awaiting an answer, he whispers to Ali:
"My dear, I don't suppose you can summon a creature? I have an idea. A calling spell would be best. If not, I fear this is going to turn bad."
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Vojtek stirs, rumbles a bit and speaks, "Davosh, speaker of the Ancients and dwelling place of the Ancestors, my tribe is gone from the tundra by the edge of the ice, and I am the last of my line. If it will spare one of my new family, I will submit myself to slaughter."
He turns to Kappi, "I pass my blessings on to you little brother. And if you will take it up, my burden as well: The White still needs to die."
"Edward, if I meet Apsu, I will tell him of your deeds in his service."
"Ali, I have a cooking set in my pack and some spices." Vojtek nods sagely.
Vojtek stirs, rumbles a bit and speaks, "Davosh, speaker of the Ancients and dwelling place of the Ancestors, my tribe is gone from the tundra by the edge of the ice, and I am the last of my line. If it will spare one of my new family, I will submit myself to slaughter."
He turns to Kappi, "I pass my blessings on to you little brother. And if you will take it up, my burden as well: The White still needs to die."
"Edward, if I meet Apsu, I will tell him of your deeds in his service."
"Ali, I have a cooking set in my pack and some spices." Vojtek nods sagely.
Ali gapes at Vojtek's declaration, then glares at his bequest to her. She mutters under her breath if you don't die here, I'll be sure to fix that later!!
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"Then we have Kappi go hunt an animal."
Davosh walks over to Vojtek.
He lets the lad's words soak.
He grabs the lad by the shoulders.
Then he slaps him.
"Shut it."
With the indication of the corpse, Ali and Davosh can both see that the tree in the middle, some fifteen feet high, has a trunk that resembles The Maiden the party just ascended.
Bollix.
More bollix.
Kappi pulls out an alchemical fire thinking he knows where this is heading...
Now? he whispers.
Kappi pulls out an alchemical fire thinking he knows where this is heading...Now? he whispers.
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Ed was concentrating on the tree thing, feeling the evil emanate from it. He was concentrating so much that he almost missed Vojtek's words. Davosh's slap shifted his focus. Davosh's slap caused him to replay the conversation in his head.
Vojtek, Davosh's actions are a little bolder than mine, but the message is the same. None of us will be sacrificing ourselves today. By the blessings of Apsu we will find a way around or through this creature.
Ed pauses and says a quick blessing to Apsu, hoping this path is the best for this mission.
Creature of the tree. I am Edward Fell Paladin of Apsu. The evil coming from you offends me. Were this any other circumstance I would advocate for your death. Our quest nay our geas forces us to enter The Maiden to rescue Baba Yaga. Now a sacrifice you will not have, lets see if we can come up with another way you can allow us to pass.
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... Our quest nay our geas ...
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The massive willow tree is silent a moment, then quietly responds, קєгђคקร ץє รเՇร คภ๔ ςђคՇร ฬเՇђ ยร ค ๒เՇ. ๔๏ ץ๏ย ɭเкє...гเ๔๔ɭєร?
The Varisian lad is actually horrified at the thought of riddles... Or he would be if he was alone. But he has infinite faith in Davosh, Ali, and Edward figuring this out.
He contemplates asking Vojtek if he wants to play a game of jax while the others handle this, but he isn't sure if that would be rude.
Vojtek and Kappi share a look... Vojtek rolls his eyes which causes the lad to grin before catching himself and hiding his mirth. The two back out of the cave a few meters and look out over the lands spread at their feet.
Davosh puts his hand on Kappi's shoulder, "I love me a riddle. Let us unravel the threads of this cloth with words and insight instead of blood and fire."
The strange countenance of the tree gives what can only be described as a wicked grin. єאςєɭɭєภՇ! เŦ ץ๏ย คภรฬєг ς๏ггєςՇɭץ, ץ๏ย ๓คץ קครร. เŦ ภ๏Շ, ๓ץ รคςгเŦเςє รђคɭɭ เภςɭย๔є єคςђ ๏Ŧ ץ๏ย!
๓เ๔ภเﻮђՇ, ๓๏гภเภﻮ, ๒гเﻮђՇ รยภ —
รק๏кє Շђєє ฬเՇђ ๒ยՇ ๏ภє.
คςςยгรє๔ ภ๏ฬ ץ๏ย'ɭɭ ๒є,
Ŧ๏г ђє ๒єŦєɭɭ Շђє ฬгคՇђ
๏Ŧ รђє, Շฬ๏ Շเ๓єร รєשєภ.
๏ Շєɭɭ ๓є, ฬђ๏ เร ђє?
Midnight, Morning, Bright Sun —
Spoke thee with but one.
Accursed now you'll be,
For he befell the wrath
Of she, two times seven.
O tell me, who is he?
** spoiler omitted **
Or the "rider" we met WAY long ago before we went into the snowy rift and wound up in Irrisen... The only two guys I can think of?
Ooc- 2 x 7 suggests weeks to me.
Possibility:
Midnight - Crone
Morning - Maiden
Bright Sun - Mother
Elvanna is the queen of Irrisen, though she rarely leaves her palace in Whitethrone. Like all queens before her, Elvanna has her children and grandchildren placed in positions of power throughout Irrisen, and little happens within the wintry kingdom without the queen soon hearing about it. Elvanna is the fourteenth daughter of Baba Yaga left to rule that wintry land.
Like prior daughters of the old crone brought to power in Irrisen, Elvanna followed her older sister Yelizaveta.Elvanna's 100-year term expired at the end of last year, but Baba Yaga has not returned. This is because of what the Black Rider told everyone, Edward recalls, back in Scene 24.
From pg. 68
Once, the old man begins, I was called Illarion Matveius. Now I am known as Black Midnight. I am Baba Yaga's Black Rider, harbinger of the Witch Queen's return to Irrisen.
Yet Queen Elvanna, ruler of Irrisen, has done something to her mother Baba Yaga. Every hundred years, she returns to Irrisen to place a new daughter on the throne. Queen Elvanna has other plans, it seems. Baba Yaga has not appeared as planned, and Elvanna intends to slay everyone loyal to her mother. She hunted down those of us who would herald Baba Yaga's return and slew my associates. I am the last of the Three Riders, the only one of us to escape death at the hands of Queen Elvanna's minions. She knew we were a threat to her plans. This is why she has done this. He points weakly to the ice shard that pierces him. Chased by Queen Elvanna's armies, I came upon the winter portal in the snowy wilderness of Irrisen, and threw myself in hoping to find trustworthy souls to whom I can pass along my mission — one that I am now doomed to fail.
Elvanna plans to take Baba Yaga's place and claim all of Golarion as her personal realm. Irrisen is a land of endless winter, created by Baba Yaga's magic. Elvanna seeks to cover the entire world in ice and snow, using portals like this one. He pauses here, breathing heavily, as he summons the strength to continue. You can find its source in the Pale Tower, on the other side. Yet I am certain this portal is but one of many. Through them, Elvanna will spread a new ice age across your world, consuming it for all eternity. Closing this portal might save your kingdom, for a time. But Golarion would still be doomed.
He locks eyes with each of you in turn, even as the light within them slowly ebbs. You can stop this from...