The big ice troll moves up his head and stares at Aryn, then at the other party members, then at the goblins, taking his time to answer.
"I am Rimetusk and you must be from very far away lands if you don't know me strangers." He stands up from his desk towering over all of you. "And who are you and why the heck am I supposed to let you use the ferry?"
As Aryn formulates his guidance spell, the troll seems to get very nervous and aggressive, picking up a big axe from below the desk. "What are you doing f+$!ing sorcerer? Another spell in my domains and you are dead!"
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Mido noticing that the situation with the ice troll just might be getting out of hand approaches as well and intervenes.
Indded we come from afar esteemed Rimetusk! MAy I introduce myself! My name is Mido and I hail from the land of Tian Xia. The lot of us we represent the Pathfinder Society and we are merely passing through and incidently would wish to use your Ferry to cross the river and leave you in peace! So please tell me what is the price for passage? Oh and you have my word that I will keep my comanions from using any further vile magics.
Diplomacy
The troll stares at Mido and talking very slowly he says "And what is a Pathfinder? And why shall I let you cross? Is Tian Xia some town in the east of the witchs territories?"
He looks at your bag and belongings, maybe trying to guess if you really have money.
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"The spell I used earlier wasn't anything evil. I'm not even able of casting spells that would harm you, Rimetusk."
Aryn takes a step forward, and continues to hold her hands up. "Pathfinders are people who explore, discover, and do other similar things. We mean no harm, and just want to pass. Could you please use your ferry to bring us to the other shore? We can pay for it, if you want."
Rimetusk seems to apeace getting to a much more rested positon.
"Mmm... explore. I don't think that's the kind of thing the witches would like. I have no reason to let you pass."
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"I suppose you don't have a reason to let us pass, but do you be havin' a reason to not let us pass? Is there something we can do that might help earn ye trust? Truly, we would like to be friends. We are on the move and heard from far around that this is the best place to be crossin' the river. Have we heard wrong?"
Scratching his head he thinks a while and then says "Well, I guess you are right. I have no reason not too. But what about those goblins." As he points to the Frostfur clan, Bloodgash steps ahead and says "Ah, pawerful Rimetusk, thas creatures here 're very pesky ones, not let us eat enaf, starving us ta death. But some them funy 're, they even big fire let us da and treat as wath respect, so I can talk good for them. They just protector's of us, don't want any harm ta ya' or ya' witch."
Given the goblins do not speak bad of you Rimetusk looks to one side and the other, extends his hand and says "Well, and how much money are we talking about?"
Rimetusk makes a cut in his hand with his axe, dropping some blood over the floor. You see how the wound closes fast. "Puny insolent humanoids, you don't know who Rimetusk is. You are so ignorant. Where have you come from? I am governor here, not simple toll worker. Nevertheless, I cannot retain you here altering the town order. Pay me 20 gold pieces and go."
A bit disconcerted about how easy the deal was closed and thinking he was again charmed by puny strangers words, but too proud to change his word he signals a rusty ferry behind and says "There. Now. Run!"
When everybody is on place, he starts pushing a big gear and makes the party to the other Rimeflow's side.
The party went through Harvest's End quite fast. Therefore, you have still time before dusk to continue advancing towards the border. You have almost arrived to Irrisen southwestern border when the goblins starts to complain about the march and ask for food. The delivery was previewed for end of today, but you remember from your orders the expedition team will wait still an additional one.
"Ag, wa're hungry. Can we stop ta eat and have night?" there is still plenty of Sun and some hours pending to dusk.
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Aryn gives herself a touch of guidance again, and searches for food as the party moves.
Bummer...
Another plan comes in mind, and Aryn gives herself another touch of guidance before addressing the goblins. "What about we walk just a little bit further, and I'll help you make a biiiig fire there? I even have an extra trail ration for the one who can contribute the most to the big fire. Sounds good?"
Not very enthusiastically the goblins continue moving, a fire is a fire after all.
You follow the Ragna's map. The planned route through a stretch of wooded land is intended to keep you out of sight from the wandering patrols of either nation.
Natural trails wind through these woods, allowing passage through the thickets and shrubs. A sudden opening reveals a little house, no larger than a small child’s tree fort, built atop bundled tree branches lashed together like stilts or legs. The woodwork on the exterior of the house is exquisite, almost delicate in its crafsmanship. The only entrance to this small, one room structure is an open doorway facing west.
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"Shall we check this house and see if the owner allows us to rest here?" Aryn asks her comrades, casting guidance on herself once again.
"Dear goblins," Aryn says to the small pyromaniacs, "if this house is owned by someone evil that means we can set fire to it after spending the night there! Which requires us to clear it first, of course. And if there's someone nice living inside, we'll just gather a lot of branches and make our big fire in this opening! Let's first check the house, and then decide what we'll do with the fire."
Aryn walks up to the house and knocks on the door. She quickly casts guidance on herself again.
"Hello, anyone home? We seek a place to spend the night. Do you have some room? We can pay, if you want."
"Frostfur like da idea! Yep!" They follow you close by.
Aryn climbs up to the top of the 10' high branches and into the house. Once he knocks to get in, he sees a miniature doll sited over a wooden chair inside the otherwise empty miniature house
You recall legends telling of small, chicken-legged houses inhabited by porcelain dolls, created from the souls of stolen children and fashioned in the likenesses of ugly, white-haired crones. These dolls supposedly sit and watch Irrisen’s western border, and many tales say they walk the land at night with murderous intent.
The doll looks inexpressive to Aryn and states "Invasor detected. Alert. Kill."
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"Uhm...guys... there's some creepy doll, and it's talking about killing me..."
"Goblins! It's too small to rest in, and the doll's evil! Let's begin the preparations for our big fire!"
Aryn quickly grabs hold of the doll with one hand. She then lets go of the branches, thus dragging the doll down with her as she falls to the ground.
As the doll is starting to speak, Aryn reacts as lighting, grappling the tiny and flat-footed creature with just one hand. Regretfully, the fast move takes the aasimar lower body unprevented too, so she falls to the floor like a stone, entangled with the doll.
The doll moves nimbly protecting herself with Aryn's body.
The doll concentrates to gather some magical energies in one of its hands.
The doll moves its hand towards Aryn neck delivering a tremendous spark of negative energy that consumes the aasimar skin life.
You hear a resounding, "plooom" and then see Aryn in the floor grasping something with her hands. A light spark shocks the aasimar and tremendous wounds suddenly appear in his body. If she is still alive he shall be close to an end.
As the Frostfur advance and see the source of the damage, they start all of them shouting ensamble "Nooooo! Nooooo! The Witch Queen is seeing us! The Witch Queen is seeing us!" they start to cower in the grass floor. "Please! Please! Protect us! Protect us! Noooo! She is seeing us!"
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Seeing the strange doll use magic and Aryn not moving, Artix drops his bow as he moves forward, drawing his weapons as he closes the distance to the doll.
Frostfurs, get Aryn back. Then we'll start a fire.
Once Artix moves up to the doll, he tries to knock it away from Aryn exposing himself to an attack to do it.
The goblins still cower and shout but anyway they listen Artix words.
As you approach the doll you discover Aryn is still concious, and grappling the doll with her hand, but lying in the floor. Trying to attack the doll will certainly place the aasimar in danger.
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Aryn lets go of the doll so both are no longer grappled. Aryn's eyes and hair turn wide, and her hair starts to move like she's in a storm. The bloodrage, in combination with the massive wounds and blood all over Aryn's body, make for an eerie sight.
"Gorum, protect me," Aryn mutters, then coughs up some blood.
Rotten doll...
While assuming a total defense, Aryn attempts to stand up from her prone position. If Aryn successfully stands up, she takes a 5-foot step south.
The doll falls prone to the floor when Aryn releases her grapple. At the very same moment Artix darts with a precise movement of his blade, hitting the doll in its very head. Even if the doll construction materials are so tough that the blade do not profits all its inercy, the hit is true and some wood jumps off the creature.
She do not seems to notice the hit, because when Aryn stands up she hits her with astonishing precision from prone!
Then is the doll whom tries to stand up from prone, and casts a spell, its feet starting to float a hand over the floor.
Even the doll protective skin keeps some of the damage, the terrible beating of the heroes sends the tiny doll to trash while she was trying to take flight.
The doll lands in the floor, its eyes as unexpressive as before, looking at the now darkening skies.
Meanwhile, the goblins, still cowering continue to shout "The eyes! The Witch can see us through the eyes! Protect as!"
As Henrick examines the defeated doll, he uncovers a piece of pale blue quartz inside its chest, carved into the shape of an intricate snowfake.
You identify this object as the doll’s soul focus. The soul bound to the doll lives within the focus integrated into the doll—in this case, a gem embedded into its chest. As long as this soul focus remains intact, it can be used to animate another doll, using the same cost as creating a new construct. Once bound into the soul focus, the soul continues to learn, and so if later it is put into a new doll body, the soul retains its personality and memories from its previous body or bodies.
Additionaly, you recognize the porcelain crone’s eyes are scrying devices that allow the white witches of Irrisen to observe the entire length of their border through the eerie sentinels’ views.
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When the doll stops moving, Aryn ends her bloodrage. Her eyes become blue again, and her hair silver. The aasimar breathes heavily and sits down in the snow. "No idea... what it is..." Aryn manages to say when Henrick discovers the quartz.
Aryn takes out her wand of cure light wounds, and heals herself back to full health.
She stands up again and retrieves her flint and steel. "We should indeed leave as fast as possible, but let me first do as I promised."
By using the flint and steel Aryn sets fire to the doll's house. When the fire burns bright she throws the doll into the fire, face down so it's eyes can't see the party or goblins.
"Let's go?" Aryn asks the others as she starts moving away from the fire. "Before anything comes after us."
The goblins get a bit recovered when the fire starts, delighted with the destroyer aasimar. Even though, they seem still worried about the witch, because when the group tells them to restart the march without eating, they start moving without hesitation or complain.
After an hour or so you cross the Frostflow river, which is the mark of the border between Irrisen and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.
The Easternmost region of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, is a barren and well defended land called Hagreach. No more trouble is to be expected as the castellan has given his blessing for the Society to escort their captives to the extraction team in Trollheim.
Nevertheless, half day journey still keeps you from the city, and it is getting quite dark. Fortunately, the map indicates a Blackraven way station along the trackless route to Trollheim not far from your current location. The map also indicates you may rest and recuperate before the last leg of your journey. You know the Blackraven's is an organisation defending this lands, and that the castellian of Trollheim is his leader.
The goblins though, once the Irrisen border is left, start complaining and refusing to move further "Naaa! We' have walked a lot! We hungry." You are surrounded by the darkness of the night and plenty of trees everywhere.
As the party has been eating the rations provided by Ragna, and Artix has not found anything remarkable in the winter attrited fields of Irrisen, Henrick feels compeled to share his own private rations.
The good news is the goblins keep moving. You are much food depleted now though.