The remaining elemental, seeing his comrade reduced to a pile of inanimate ice, releases a strange sound that could only be interpreted as an anguished, angry scream.
With no thought for it's own safety, especially given it's current position, the elemental lashes out at Wildir, trying to get past the large man to avenge himself on Yurli!
But in it's haste, the elemental aims poorly, missing Wildir entirely.
Drew strikes at the elemental with his wakizashi
Attack-melee:
Damage:
Sondergang throws another acid bolt at the creature but is so intent on not hitting his comrades that he sends the bolt well awry
Ranged touch
Slipping and sliding in the trampled slush, Wildir presents a difficult target. "Go home, Frosty!" he shouts once he regains his footing and drives his spear into the elemental.
The elemental is is obviously sent whirling by Wildir's blow, though not brought low by it...until Trelck's axe strikes the thing's head directly and it crumples into the snow at it's feet, very clearly felled and felled hard.
"Ice Faeries..ice elementals...it is as if a part of Irresen itself has been brought here
Drew shivers as he remembers passing through that frozen realm on his way to the far east.
"I do not remember so many deadly ice creatures on my trip through the realm of the witches, but that might have just been me!"
Wildir shrugs and moves forward to inspect the river for tracks and a place to make a safe crossing.
Wildir easily finds his way across the frozen creek; directly in the middle are several places where the ice is precariously thin. You are reminded of the tactics employed by the elementals, who initially seemed more interested in pushing you toward the river than in actually fighting.
After crossing over the creek, your eyes are quickly drawn to something out of place in the wintry landscape: a pair of legs jutting out of the snow along with a few pieces of gear.
"Careful..it might be another fae trick"
Sondergang grips his holy symbol tightly as he advances towards the legs.
Drew circles around the legs, trying to look in all directions at once.
Perception:
"I tink de trick vas on him." Wildir moves forward to poke the legs with his spear and get a better look at the gear.
The clothes are worn and patched, with one patch in particular seeming pretty new compared to the rest. Tied to the belt is a small pouch and a quiver lies behind the body on the snow, twelve arrows spilled around it...though strangely, you don't see a bow. Additionally, you find a mundane-looking dagger and a handaxe that seems of extraordinary quality in leather carrying straps tied to the man's legs.
Additionally, from the corner of your eye, under a recent snowdrift, the contrasting color of a curved piece of wood catches your vision against the white snow.
Sondergang sighs "'Tis a bad thing for a man to go to t' Halls without the proper rites" he says and says a prayer over the body committing the mans soul to Pharasma's justice
"I believe that I know this man. A local farmer by the name of Danby, I believe. I remember his telling about patching his clothes in this same manner. And there is something else here....one moment."
Drew removes the Ax and dagger, as well as collecting the arrows and sets them aside. He then digs out the wooden object he could see concealed in the drift.
From the snow, Drew digs up a very fine-looking bow. Anyone attempting to draw the string immediately notes that it was made for someone a bit stronger than the average man would be.
Drew hands the bow to Trelck, along with the arrows.
"Too big for me anyway!" he says with a smile.
Wildir pulls off the belt and looks in the pouch. "Did Danby haf a vife or vidow now, I tink?"
Piecing together your memories of him, you jointly recall that Danby was a widower whose adult children were all moved far away; he had no family in the area, though he had many friends in Heldren.
The pouch tied to his belt contains 14 gp, 25 sp, and 18 cp.
"We'll buy a round in his honour when we get back "
Wildir tosses the pouch to Drew and looks around for a trail or more sign of the fey.
Taking the pouch, Drew stuffs it into his backpack, still keeping his eyes open for more Fey.
Perception:
All is quiet around you; no fey attacks, no rogue elementals, nothing. The silence is a little odd. Still...you are no closer to discovering the source of the cold or finding Lady Argentea. Wildir, however, does manage to find a path deeper into the woods.
Wildir waves the others to follow with the hand not tightly gripping his spear as he leads the way forward with an inarticulate growl.
After walking still deeper into the forest, the trail begins to climb a ridgeline facing due south, weaving beneath snow-laden trees. There are signs of recent activity, though: the footsteps of both humanoid and horse are fresh on the ground here, moving in the same direction you are presently headed in.
Wildir grumbles, "Yuln said dere vere bandits vid the fey. Maybe ve getting closer."
Drew follows behind the dwarves, letting them break a trail he can follow easier. He keeps looking around and have his weapon at the ready.
Perception:
As you cross through the trees and near the lip of a small ridge, you hear voices in front of you. The voices are loud, nearly shouting, and you hear several different men arguing back and forth over who gets what share of the loot from the caravan they just busted up. From the fact that their argument has continued unabated, it seems clear to you that they don't yet know you're there.
"The jewels are mine!"
"What in the name'a Pharasma are you talkin' about?! We all agreed! We split the rich chick's stuff even-steven!
"Shut-up, you're both morons! Rohkar said to bring the whole stash back to 'im and he'd split it up between us hisself. You really wanna piss off the boss by skimmin' offa him?"
"What 'e don't know ain't gonna 'urt 'im!"
No, Char is right...you seen what the boss did to all them Taldans we killed, din'ya? You really want him to do that ta you?"
Ghosting up on the bandits, Drew counts how many there are and what kinds of weapons and armor they are wearing, then silently drifts back to the group to tell them what he has discovered.
There are three men there, each of them armed with a shortsword and a shortbow and wearing padded armor and a buckler.
"Three only against five. I like dose odds." Wildir scoots up and as soon as he has a clear path charges the bandits with his spear!
Drew will take advantage of his successful stealth and fire an arrow at the unsuspecting bandits (if he is allowed)
The bandits give yelps of surprise when Wildir hollers out a battle cry and charges the group of them! They all seem confident in themselves, preparing to receive his assault, when suddenly...
Wildir's spear buries itself deep in the man's chest, and in his last moments, he has just enough time to ponder how he used to be a bandit...until he took an arrow to the knee.
Everyone's favorite wizard steps out to get in on the action as well, stepping out to cast Ray of Frost on one of the two remaining bandits.
But unfortunately, the bandit recoils from Wildir at just the right moment, avoiding the ray entirely!
Sondergang lets fly with his crossbow at an open target.
Damage
The follow-up attacks from Trelck and Sondergang both find their mark; Sondergang's attack catches one of the two remaining bandits in the side, causing him to cry out in agony, while Trelck's charge ends with his axe disemboweling the other, who falls to the ground unconscious immediately!
With his two companions dead, the third bandit looks desperately around for a way out. Yurli, seeing how the bandit is behaving and knowing he's going to run if given the chance, casts Daze on the hapless foe!
The bandit suddenly seems out of it, a glazed look coming into his eyes despite the wound in his side. The spell worked!
"Maybe ve ask him some questions?" Wildir says as he clumsily reverses his grip to attempt to club the bandit unconscious with the haft of his spear.