Mabs cocks her head, "Cooking? I guess that's a useful skill for you young'uns... For me to do something like that, hands with opposable thumbs would be useful..." she shakes her foot back and forth for emphasis, "Though... I would love to learn how to make those cookies you made Mable... maybe I could use... magic..." she says starting to mumble to herself.
When Raseri says something about her own secrets, Mabs stops mumbling to herself and gives Raseri a knowing look.
none here. I've got my plumber mustache on and I'm ready to save the princess!
When everyone has finished breakfast, Grandma carefully cleans up the campsite. She makes sure the fire is out and nothing is left behind.
"Ok that is done shall we move on. We have an exciting day today!"
Then she grabs her things and walks a short way down the trail. "Are you coming or do you plan to sleep the morning away!"she says with a bright and energetic smile.
"I would prefer to sleep actually, but you're right. We do have an eventful day on the horizon. Let's hope fortune favors us.
After having a wonderful breakfast and packing up the camp, the adventure continues.
Mabs, seemingly still tired from yesterday, will kindly ask the leading adventurer to act as her perch as she directs the entourage on the right path. She does so quite efficiently as she will even direct the party around trees before they are able to see them through the snow fall.
Not even a half-hour later, the you come upon a human-sized snowman standing in the middle of your path before a frozen stream. A crude wooden sign leans against it and bears the words "Trespassers Turn Back."
Raseri leads the way, her eyebrow rising a little at the warning.
"Well, seems we're on the right path, anyway," she says before stepping out onto the frozen river after testing to see if it would hold. Once she's sure, she begins walking straight across.
Before you take a complete step toward the river, the snowman seemingly comes to life and says "Can't you read? The sign says turn back! Now get lost!"
After saying that to you, the snowman stops moving.
"Nope, don't listen all that well either," Raseri says as she begins to make her way over the ice.
"What a strange deterant. Snowmen are usually a fun and happy expression. I wonder what kind of magic powers this creation."
knowledge: Arcana 10+8=18
@ Caladrel: You can perceive active magic on the snowman, but don't have enough information to see what type before Raseri walks past it.
@ Raseri: The Snowman animates one last time and says, "You should have listened to the sign."
The Snowman then explodes with a sonic boom.
Raseri, Mabs, and Varian are within Range of the blast:
After the blast rings through the air, two creatures made our of swirling ice and snow crash their way up through the iced river and move over to varian and Raseri.
Round 1 Initiative
Varian, Sevante, Mabs, Caladrel, Mable, Ice Elementals, Raseri.
Sevante (bot): Sevante will move over and try and stab the one closest to him...
and succeed in stabbing it.
"I know Taldane isn't my fir--" Raseri starts to say as she begins to step onto the ice, only to hit by the hammer-blow of the blast. She screams as it feels like her head is about to split in two, then it's over.
"D'nyone see d'troll tha'hi'me," She mumbles as she slowly regains her senses.
Round 1
Standard: Hex (evil eye) Elemental flanked by Raseri and Mabs. -2 AC
Move: Cackle. +1 round to Evil Eye
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"Remind me to kick that snowman in his belly when we finish dealing with these guys!"
Caladrel raises a hand and points a finger at the elemental in between Raseri and Mabs. As he chants in a strange language, his eyes intensify with a red glow, then fade back to blue.
"மர்ம, சக்திவாய்ந்த ஒன்று ... என் எதிரி பலவீனப்படுத்தவும் சாதகமாக வழங்க"
Caladrel chuckles in satisfaction feeling his patron has granted his request, and the hex.
"Your interference in NOT wanted here elemental!"
@ Caladrel: The elemental pushes against your will...
and collapses under it.
You try to remember something about the ice elementals but come up with nothing.
"Raseri dear wouldn't you like to ENLARGE your damage?"
Grandma ask as she begins to mumble to herself.
"'F't'll g'rid o' this headache," she mumbles.
One Ice elemental attacks Raseri, while the other one attacks Varian...
Miss.
Hit.
and Varian goes down.
Round 2 Initiative
Varian, Sevante, Mabs, Caladrel, Mable, Ice Elementals, Raseri.
Varian is unconsious.
Sevante (bot): takes a stab at the ice elemental again...
and hits it.
The Elemental appears to be hurting very badly.
Mabs: Also attacks the elemental...
and misses it.
Round 2
Standard: Hex (evil eye) 2nd Elemental. -2 Attack
Move: Cackle. +1 round to Evil Eye
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Keep focus on bringing down 1 of them, before trying to take on the other."
Caladrel raises a hand and points a finger at the elemental not being attacked. As he chants in a strange language, his eyes intensify with a green glow, then fade back to blue.
"மர்ம, சக்திவாய்ந்த ஒன்று ... என் எதிரி பாதிக்க ஆதரிக்கின்றனர் வழங்க"
Caladrel chuckles in satisfaction feeling his patron has granted his request, and the hex.
"Keep your hands to yourself!"
@ Caladrel:
The Elemental succumbs to the full effects of your hex.
@ Mable: You successfully Cast enlarge person on Raseri and it pushes one elemental back.
Elementals: The Elemental next to Raseri backs off as she grows larger and the other elemental backs off as he realizes how close he is to going down.
Raseri looks at herself at her new, ten foot high, body for a moment in surprise. Then, she grins like a wolf looking forward to a kill.
"My, my, I feel strong enough to take on a giant," she says as she hefts the nine foot long sword in both hands.
She turns and takes one long step towards the elemental.
"Now, I think I owe you a headache," she says pleasantly before bringing the sword down in an overhand chop.
@ Raseri: You cleave the elemental in half, raining snow and ice everywhere.
Sevante (Bot): Sevante moves over to the remaining Ice elemental and...
Stabs it through the heart, creating anther humanoid shaped pile of ice and snow.
"Mable, can you return me to normal size," Raseri asks in a heavily accented voice as she speaks quickly.
"Okay, let's get going. I'm sure that blast alerted every damned ís-hjarta in three miles," Raseri says as she shrinks back down to her normal size. She sheathes her sword and turns to the path on the other side and begins walking across the stream as quickly as she can while keeping her footing.
Grandma Mable quickly complies and watches Raseri shrink down in size.
"Before you cross dear I would feel much better if you would allow me to tie a rope around you. When you get to the other side you can help me cross. If you would be so kind!"
Grandma quietly thinks to herself.If she slips at least we will have a chance to avoid watching her float away down the stream.
Raseri nods and pause just barely long enough for Mable to finish tying the rope to her before setting out across the ice covering the stream.
Grandma quietly crosses her fingers hoping the ice is strong enough to hold Raseri weight.
Raseri:
The ice Appears solid enough, but you can hear sleight cracking as you go across and you can feel the slippery nature of it under your feet.
About half-way across you feel the ice give way under one of your feet. You try to keep yourself from falling in, but your just not quick enough.
"Sploosh!"
You fall into the icy cold water and the brisk nature of it almost has your body in shock.
Your body stiffens against the cold water, seizing against the current.
Raseri lets out a yelp as she falls into the stream. The icy-cold water soaking her clothes and gear and taking her breath away. She gasps in pain and shock, water flowing into her mouth and lungs before she closes her mouth. She draw her axe as she swims for the hole she had just made. Bursting from the water she embeds the blade into the ice and uses it to pull herself out of the water. Once she's out she hacks up the water from the stream as her body begins to go numb. For the first time since they have meet her, Raseri looks afraid as she struggles to get on her feet and off the ice.
"F-f-f-fire. W-w-w-w-we n-n-n-n-need a-a-a-a f-f-f-f-fire a-a-a-a-and sh-sh-sh-shelt-t-t-ter," she says through chattering teeth as she tries to keep from panicking.
Grandma firmly grabs the rope as Raseri falls in and begins to pull her out.
"A little help here please! Now dearly aren't you grateful for this little rope now?
Here let Grandma warm you up!" Grandma says as she begins to mumble to herself.
"Th-th-that's n-n-not g-g-g-gonna b-be en-n-nough," Raseri says, still shivering, but it seems to be getting better, "b-but th-thank you."
"Oh dear let me see what I have."
Grandma opens her bag of goodies and begins to pull items out.
"Cookies, no they won't help. Here are some spices, now where did I put them. Oh here they are!" she exclaims as she pulls out some winter clothes.
"Here you are dear. They may not be the best fit but they are dry!"
Grandma happly hands Raseri her winter clothes.
"These should at least keep you warm & dry until your things dry out.
Raseri, more concerned with survival than modesty, quickly clears a patch of ground and starts a fire before very quickly stripping out of her soaking wet clothes. Even with Mable's spell, her skin is almost as pale as the snow around them, and her lips are a bluish purple.
She pulls on the clothes that Mable had loaned her, with more than a little help from the other woman as numb fingers fail to work the buttons and ties properly. Already weakened and shaken by the icy plunge, Raseri is exhausted by the time she finishes wrapping the scarf around her face. Her body shakes violently as she collapses against a tree near the fire. Those looking closely can see she's crying silently as she tries to get warm.
Grandma quietly fixes some warm soup for everyone hoping the warm with help Raseri.
"Here dear this will fix you up just fine."
Varian seems to not be waking up from the fight. He doesn't seem to be dead, but his body is cold and all attempts to wake or heal him don't seem to do much for him. Sevante offers to bring him back to Heldren to see what the villagers can do while the rest of the group continues on.
Tobias and Lies:
@ Tobias: You were on a short camping/hunting trip outside the village looking for animals to hunt for their meat and hides. After a short while looking around for tracks and other signs of life, you find signs of foxes in the area and have Kaveri help you track them. The trail leads into a very interesting site... The Border Wood, which you have known for years, is covered in deep snowfall in the middle of summer. You stand shocked for a minute, thinking of the implications of such a thing happening. However, you aren't deterred in the slightest from chasing down your quarry... and you are quite interested in this phenomenon.
After an hour of tracking the foxes, you notice that besides the snow fall, the forest is eerily silent. Kaveri stops suddenly and seems confused for a second, sniffing the ground and continues on. Finally you find the creatures you have been following. You see a fox, its coat of fur as white as the snow around it... and a human woman?
Lies: After your arrival to Heldren and hearing strange happenings and goings on's, your curious nature gets the better of and you decide to investigate. After leaving the village, you feel it safe enough to reveal your true form and get comfortable while on your venture. You find the weird frozen world of the Border Wood and its eery silence... troubling, but interesting all the same. Lucine runs off through the snow, seemingly enjoying herself and just staying ahead of you, sniffing things and playing in the snow. After a while of you searching, looking around the Border Wood, and following your familiar, you feel something amiss... You don't know what it is, but you just get a nagging feeling at the back of your mind. You decide to change into your human form just in case and a few minutes afterward you notice something following you. A Wolf appears out of the brush and then a man appears right behind it.
Raseri pulls down the scarf from her nose and mouth before taking the soup in two unsteady hands and giving a quick thank you to Mable. She manages not to spill any of it as she eats, but the soft clacking of spoon against bowl can heard anytime she puts the spoon in the bowl.
A full-grown wolf with a brindled coat bursts through the brush, shaking the snow off his fur, lips pulled back in a snarl. He locks his eyes on the fox, apparently taking a moment to savour the fear in his quarry before pouncing. He pays little heed to the woman, letting out a warning growl before charging for the fox.
Then there's a sharp whistle, and he stops in his tracks, feet from the fox. He stares at it hungrily, before growling, turning his back on it, and sitting, watching the man who emerges from the brush moments later.
The whistle pierces through the immediate vicinity, and Tobias steps into sight from behind the brush, a tallish figure in thick furs and hides. "Down, Kaveri!" he calls in a rough, staccato voice, almost more of a bark. The wolf whines softly, but trots over to him, pacing in a circle once before standing at his side, staring at Lucine.
"Sorry about my friend here," Tobias says in a soft voice, rough at the edges as if from disuse. "He has the scent of prey in his nostrils, and neither of us realised we were chasing... what appears to be a pet." He claps the snow off his gloves, approaching Lies and extending a hand to her, though his eyes continue to look around as if for the aforementioned prey. "Tobias Johansen. This is my friend, Kaveri." The wolf gives a short bark as if in introduction. The man chuckles, pulling back his hood, revealing a weather-worn face framed by black braids and thick stubble.
"We appear to have lost half of our quarry. Tell me, have you seen another fox come by here?" He glances briefly at Lucine, then Lies, as he speaks this, raising one eyebrow, before his eyes resume scanning the area. The wolf puts his nose to the ground, trying to find the scent again, before sniffing at Lies' ankles.
"Another fox? Yea, it went through those bushes, I think it was looking for water." Lies said quickly as he asked, pointing to some shrubbery as Lucine ran up the side of her.
As Kaveri sniffs at her feet, she pushes the creature's muzzle with her foot. "Your wolf here seems to be a little playful, my name is Elizabeth, Elizabeth Verity, friends call me Lies. This is Lucine." she says somewhat calmly as she pets her fox familiar.
"That way, you say?" Tobias follows Lies' point, before nodding down at Kaveri and giving another whistle. The wolf stares at him a moment, ears pulling back; he barks a short order in a rough language, and the wolf resumes his sniffing.
"Well, if it came through here, he'll find it. The two of us have tracked harder things before," Tobias grins, a prideful tone in his voice, more for his friend than himself. "But while he tries to get that scent again-" he watches as the wolf retraces his steps, sniffing furiously at the snowy ground "-perhaps you, Elizabeth, could tell me why you're here? These woods are dangerous."
When Kaveri sniffs at Lies's ankles again, earning a gentle push on his muzzle, he growls before sitting down and barking once.
"What? No, no. This is a lady. You're looking for a fox," Tobias sighs patiently. When the wolf continues to stare at him, he tries again. "Refur, Kaveri." He points imploringly at Lucine. Kaveri looks pointedly at the ground, the tracks, and Lies in that order, placing a paw over the woman's foot.
Tobias sighs in frustration. "Well, everything leaves tracks in fresh snow." He looks at Lies with a grin. "How do you fancy a hunt? Perhaps your friend could help us!"
"I could ask the same of you, it certainly does not seem like a good time to be hunting foxes, not with what these woods have to offer." Lies glanced away, she wasn't used with dealing with these types of people.
I need to get rid of this man, he seems to be easy to mislead with half-truths, but the wolf is a problem. "I think your wolf is confused, perhaps he is sick, in any case, I have other things to attend to, perhaps you should take this opportunity to examine your companion to make sure he hasn't ingested anything unusual." And with that, she attempts to excuse herself, slowly slipping out of sight with her fox still on her person.
Finally, after a second helping of soup and some hot tea, Raseri's shivering is reduced to a slight tremble every now and then. Her clothes and gear hang or lay near the fire, slowly drying out. A think wool blanket borrowed from one of the others covers her shoulders. She'd been quiet the entire time, silently staring into the tin cup that was still warm enough to keep her fingers from freezing.
After several minutes she speaks up.
"What's the worst way you think someone can die," she asks the others, her grey-blue eyes fixed on the dregs in her cup, she waits as she others answer, or until no one had spoken for a minute before answering it herself.
"For the Ulfen and the Kellid, it's dying alone, in the cold. Blood-sworn enemies will offer their help if they see one another out in the cold, slowly freezing to death," she tells them, "When I fell through, all I could think about was how much I didn't want to die like that. I was... was scared, terrified. It was so cold in that water it burned. It burned until I couldn't feel anything. I wondered what it was like for those poor souls that wound up trapped under the ice. I don't anymore."
"You can't die alone with us around dearly we won't let you. I think dying with the knowledge that others will die because you didn't save them would be the worst for me." she says with a shutter."[/b]
"What am I doing here?" Tobias lets out a short laugh. "I've been hunting in these woods for years! They're my home, and that fox is my prey. Strange, though-" He pauses, eyes flicking from the snow to Lies. "I saw no signs of your passage - it's like you appeared out of nowhere. And that other fox appears to have just vanished..." He stares at Lies, brow furrowed in thought, trying to put everything together in a way that makes sense. Foxes don't just turn into women... Do they?
He's snapped out of his reverie by Lies' next statement. "Well, he is acting strangely," he admits, crouching and gently pulling Kaveri's head to look into his eyes. "He doesn't seem to want to leave you alone... Maybe he likes you," he chuckles, and the wolf yawns, whining desperately.
"Well, he seems well en-" He stops when he realizes the woman and fox are both gone.
He strains his ears, hearing only silence. A snowflake lands on his nose; he brushes it away, rubbing his fingers together. A sharp bark wakes him from his thoughts; he sees Kaveri walking over to the bushes and shakes his head.
"Come, Kaveri. There's more prey to be had, and this snow is worrisome." He brushes snow off his furs and leads the wolf on. "Now, is that smoke I smell...?"
Both Lies and Tobias smell smoke. If they look, they can see a small plume above the treeline.
If they head towards it, they see a frozen river and can immediately spot the rest of the group sitting around a fire... sans the two missing players.
One of the group seems to be trying to dry off and warm herself near the fire. Evidently she fell in the river as the surface ice near its center is broken.
Tobias blinks in amazement at the frozen river. It's the middle of summer! It's supposed to be in full flow! he thinks in alarm. This weather can't be natural. I've never seen anything like this. Kaveri growls at the sight of others, sneezing the smoke out of his nostrils.
"Okay, okay, I can tell you're cold. You big old softie," Tobias chuckles, scratching the wolf behind his ears. "Hey, where are you-!" He watches in dismay as the creature takes off, approaching the fire fearlessly, locking eyes first with the old woman, then the elven man, before sitting in front of the woman shivering and trying to dry herself.
"You twit," he mutters, shaking his head and approaching the group. His heavy boots crunch in the fresh snow, and he holds up his empty hands. "Ho there!" he calls before he gets too close. "I wasn't expecting to see more strangers in these woods. Don't you know it's dangerous out here?" He tries to keep his tone light, but it sounds more worried than anything else.
Kaveri lets out a soft whine, nudging the freezing woman's chin, before laying himself across her lap like a common dog. Tobias sighs again. "Kjánalegt skepna," he mutters, shaking his head. "Anyone would think you were a pet."
He allows himself closer, if not stopped, eventually crouching next to the shivering woman, reaching out to scratch his companion's ears. "I apologize for my friend here. It appears he cannot resist helping a woman in need." He smiles at the wolf - and the woman he's sprawled across. "Don't worry, he won't bite."
Grandma looks at Tobias in surprise.
"Tobias I didn't expect to see you out here in the cold. Are you trying to freeze to death?" she calls out with a chuckle realizing she is sitting next to a shivering Raseri.
"Mable?" Tobias asks in surprise, blinking at the old woman before his face splits in a wide smile. "Why, I could say the same about you! You'll catch your death, you crazy old bat!" An unfortunate choice of words, but not one he seems to notice, or have meant with ill intentions.
"Well, you know me. I've always preferred to sleep out here, so imagine my surprise when I got back from town and the whole damned woods were snowing. Snowing! In the middle of Erastus, no less!" He shakes a fresh coat of snowflakes off his shoulders. "Good thing I held onto a few pelts, otherwise I likely would be freezing half to death. At least Kaveri's been keeping me nice and warm - though he appears to like your friend, here," he grins, rubbing the back of the wolf's neck.
"So what brings you out here? If it's these strange happenings, perhaps you'd be so kind as to tell me what you've found?" He makes himself comfortable by the fire, fumbling about in his pack. He eventually produces a beaten pot, and a small sack filled with a fine powder with a bitter aroma. "How about a hot drink? I'm guessing someone took a tumble," he adds sympathetically, glancing sideways at Raseri. "Can't say whether it'll help much, as I've never gone swimming in a frozen lake myself, but it might help somewhat. Taste'll keep you alert, at least." Kaveri, for his part, lays his head back against the woman's collarbone, apparently attempting to keep her warm.
"Sumir grimmur rándýr þú ert," the man mutters, shaking his head at the wolf. "If you want to repay him for the warmth, he loves it when you scratch behind his ears." Kaveri turns his head to face him, giving a warning growl. "Oh, come off it! We all know you're as soft as a noble's pampered lap-dog!" Tobias exclaims, throwing his hands up in annoyance.
Smoke? That must mean someone is out here in the woods, aside from that hunter and his wolf. Seemingly sensing Lies' curiosity, Lucine jumps off of her master and journeys towards the campsite to find out what it sees.
As Lucine slowly approaches the campsite, curiosity and seems to fill the creature even more, and though they didn't hear the fox coming,
Lies' was much easier to hear since her form was much larger then that of her fox companion.
"Sorry, my fox wandered off...So we meet again, Tobias was it?" Although they had tried to be quiet on their way there, Lucine had already revealed herself by the time Lies was close enough to be noticed.
"This is Lucine, she is mine, please do not harm her. I am Elizabeth Verity, friends call me 'Lies', and you seem like you might be in need of a little entertainment." And with that, Lies clapped her hands, and
Lucine starts dancing for the others happily.