Jetro is fine. The benefits of being an archer.
Duardlara soaks in the warmth of the goddess of the sun. ”Thank you, my friend. Shall we continue?”
She moves forward, much more carefully and cautiously, intending to not get caught unawares again if she can help it.
Phew. So where do we go now?
Searching the dead bodies you find a unique helmet among the dust.
In addition, once per day, the wearer of a sniper's helmet can create a magical sensor up to 600 feet above her that gives her a full 360-degree viewpoint as if she were actually there. The wearer perceives with her normal visual senses, and though the sensor cannot penetrate solid surfaces, it is unaffected by foliage and the like.
Moving down the stairs you discover that the chapel is now extremely hot. The charred and blackened walls have burst forth into flame once again. Thick oily smoke builds up overhead limiting vision and threatening to descend and engulf you all.
Moving forward you see a room with most of its walls destroyed. However 2 statues remain with their arms outstretched encircling a dry baptismal font. The statues are scarred and pockmarked from the recent fires but more troublesome is the recent application of barbed wire wrapped around the statues.
"The statues are bleeding where the barbs touch! Are they living creatures somehow?"
Let's withdraw.. this sounds like a magic trip.
"We've got to find this Rasputin. Doesn't mean we have to mess with the statues."
Duardlara nods, backing away from the statues, but keeping an eye on them, bow nocked and ready.
As soon as you leave the statues stop bleeding.
Titan agrees this is not the main goal and follows to G3
Duardlara takes point again, seeking the weird and unusual that seems to be part and parcel of this frozen place.
Sitting in the ruins is a familiar figure: Rasputin. To what do I owe the pleasure of you company this time? Are you here to banter and talk? Perhaps you wish to try and trick me into revealing more details about my dear mother. Maybe you have come to grovel at my feet.
"I was sort of thinking of shoving your teeth down your throat," says Cynehelm, hotly. "But I'll accept your surrender."
Jetro shoots Raspution in the face, activating his new helmet
A sniper's helmet looks like the simple steel soldier's helmet common to the European trenches of the First World War, with the addition of a steel eye shield. Once per day, the wearer of a sniper's helmet can, as a standard action, denote one creature within her line of sight as her target. The wearer can perceive the target when it is invisible or ethereal as though using the see invisibility spell, and gains a +20 competence bonus on Perception checks to locate the target. The wearer ignores concealment provided by fog or mist, blur, displacement, invisibility, and similar effects affecting the target, but not concealment provided by darkness. These bonuses last for 5 minutes or until the target creature is dead. The sniper's helmet provides no benefits to the wearer's allies, and the wearer gains no benefits against creatures other than her chosen target.
In addition, once per day, the wearer of a sniper's helmet can create a magical sensor up to 600 feet above her that gives her a full 360-degree viewpoint as if she were actually there. The wearer perceives with her normal visual senses, and though the sensor cannot penetrate solid surfaces, it is unaffected by foliage and the like.
Rasputin laughs at Jetro as he tries to shoot him. The arrow passes right through him with no harm done.
For that bit of ingratitude I think you should feel for yourself what is is like to be harmed by yourself.
To Cynehelm Rasputin mocks you by saying The longer you wait here, the more my mother is diminished, and the greater my power grows. Soon you will be forced to kneel to me.
Jetro starts getting emo
Duardlara you think this is a projected image of Rasputin but one that still has I direct connection to him. As such he can cast spells through the image at all of you.
"It's not really Rasputin. Merely a very effective facsimile."
She gestures toward Jethro, "That's not necessary. Please end the enchantment. What would you speak of?"
No I think I will keep that going. It will teach him to respect his superiors and not treat me with hostility. And as for this not being truly me…how perceptive of you. Yet this is enough of me that I could cause you undo anguish or control your body or mind from here. So what will it be?
"He's close by," says Cynehelm, ignoring the image. "We shouldn't waste time bandying words with an image. Let's go find the man himself."
Blarg!
Cynehelm casts dispel magic on Jetro, targeting Rasputin's curse.
"Let's get away from the image."
Jetro bleeds all over Cynehelm
Duardlara is not the diplomat. She starts looking around for the Madman’s hiding place.
Sorry, just my broken nose spurting a bit
Moving away from the image of Rasputin and the haunted font you are not able to spot any hidden recess or crevasse that the real Rasputin could be hiding in. Clearly there is more going on with this ruined chapel than you know at this time. What other mysteries in the encampment are there to figure out?
Well just where can we go? Maybe we can rain down those elementals and trash the chapel.
"What about that buiding it's big and we have little information on it." Titan points toward f.
Works for me
Much obliged
Moving past the burned out chapel towards the house to the north you pass by a curious sight. An outdoor well sits there with its water sloshing around and steam rising from its surface. It is easy to surmise that the well must have its origins from a hot spring under ground. Inside the well, playing, is a naked woman with long black hair floating around her in the water. She calls out softly to you all trying not to draw any attention to the fact that she is speaking with you.
As she talks to you she playfully flicks the hair away from in front of her watching Jetro and Cynehelm's eyes to see if they like the flirtations.
Bet ya a copper she is a succubus. I mean how obvious can you get?
"She may be a fey creature of the water," advises Cynehelm, not bothering to look away from the lady in the water. "Equally dangerous from what I've heard."
Cynehelm is a wise man, but also a creature of passion. He is interested despite himself, but is wise enough not to act on that interest. Yet.
She seems more lonely and emotionally hurt than planning anything deceptive at this point. ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ might also apply here.
Cynehelm take a knee so as to be more on the woman's level. He responds in Sylvan. He may not know much about fey, but he recognizes a supernatural creature when he sees one.
"Are you alright, lady?"
"I am Cynehelm and these are my companions." Knowing that names sometimes have power, he does not give his companions' names.
Duardlara posts up to watch for anyone spotting the party while the other speak to the woman.
Assuming Cynehelm translates Name is Titian." once introductions are over he will ask "May I ask why you are in this place?"
The woman kicks her feet a few times as she twirls some hair around a finger. I am bored here and have no one to be with since Rasputin left me to go to his secret realm. It has been so long since I have enjoyed the company of another Cynehelm. She licks her lips as if to taste your name upon them.
When Titian speaks she looks him up and down trying to make the troll blush. I could be asking you the same thing darling but I don’t think you are here because Rasputin magically summoned you here.
"Huh," says Cynehelm, tempted but rapidly realizing that he's being foolish.
He stands and looks down. "In another place and time you would have my full attention. But as you say, we are here for another reason. Perhaps when Rasputin is no more I will come back to visit. You wouldn't know a good way to get at him, would you?"