Lady Argentea gives Isker a small curtsy.
"Really?" It's clear Isker wasn't expecting quite so many prisoners. "Well... we'll have to figure out somewhere to put them until we can send them off to Demgazi. Probably the armory... but more important is the Lady's safety!" He gives Lady Argentea a rough bow. "We've already sent word of what happened on ahead. No doubt there'll be soldiers out to look for you. You can stay here until they arrive, and we'll keep you safe."
"Where is the armory? Also, watch out for that one." he pokes Rohkar. 'He is a nasty one, with some magical abilities. Do you have any men so I can leave them in your care? It has been a long road with them in tow."
He yawns, tired of the long weary trip. "There is more. I plan on going back to perhaps solve this issue of winter come early. It appears some winter fey have taken up shop here. Perhaps I can convince them to leave."
Kazmir turns to Marius, "Are you willing to come with be back into the woods? Tonight we rest, buy supplies and then venture back, perhaps to solve this danger?"
"I'll take care of them," Isker said, beginning to put his tools away. "We'll have to call up some of the militia to keep an eye on them."
Marius nodded. "Those fey are as responsible for what happened to the other Sentinels as the bandits were, if not more. I'm with you."
Before Kazmir retires he goes to the armory to buy a masterwork sling and some stones. Unless Marius wants it, he'll give the armory the masterwork studded leather armor.
After that he goes to thank Tessaraea for her help in arming them, as well as identifying these poisons he found at the Lodge.
After that, he'll head to the Inn to check on Kale and Yuln, as well as to rest the night. Bizzk follows him through town (but not into buildings). At night the bird is content to sleep in a tree at the edge of town.
Yuln is actually still at Tessaraea's shop, though he looks much better than when you last saw him. He has lost the ends of a couple of fingers, but it looks like the apothecary was able to save everything else.
"Is it true? Have you rescued the Lady?" He asks as soon as he sees you.
'We have." Kazmir says, smiling. "Thank to your brave trek back here. I am glad to see you on your feet. Do you even remember me? You were in a bad way."
The druid adds, 'We left your Lady in the hands of Isker, the local sheriff. She is quite well and has been a brave and good companion, for the short time I knew her. "
"Yes, I remember you, though not your name," Yuln says. His voice is much clearer now, which emphasizes his Ulfen accent. "If you saved the Lady... did you fight the cold fey? Were any of their mistresses here?"
'Kazmir Brightbeard, of the Mindspin Mountains, at your service." The druid says, bowing.
'The White Witches? No, just some fey and those fleetingly." Kazmir said, rubbing his neck. "We are going back tomorrow to, hopefully, send them back where they came from. Is there anything else you can tell me, now that you are back to yourself? Anything that happened int he attack?"
'Also, if you want to come with us, to gather the dead from the attack, you can travel part of the way with us."
Before Yuln can respond, Tesseraea shouts from the front, "Absolutely not! I won't have him undoing all my hard work! At least one more day of rest, and no heavy work for at least five after that!"
Yuln sighs. "Perhaps later, then. Be careful, friend. Where there are cold fey, there are White Witches, and the Witches are dangerous foes indeed."
Kazmir places a hand on Yuln's massive arm, 'We will take your warning to heart. No, gods speed your healing and listen to what Tesseraea says, she seems quite talented!"
"We should take advantage of a warm place to sleep before heading out again," Marius suggests. "And stock up on supplies. We don't know how deep into the woods we're going to have to go, but the Wood's a couple weeks' journey across at least, so it could be a while."
The next day dawns with looming, gray clouds covering the sun. Marius frowns at them as you meet up again.
"Better make sure we dress warm and keep dry," he mutters.
"I agree, Marius. The rain is bad enough but in this? It'll be sleet and slush before noon." He casts Endure Elements on Bizzk, to protect the bird.
He shakes out the Yeti coat, grateful of the protection it gives. Even he, explorer of many high places, can easily be caught off guard by the cold.
'Sooner begun, sooner ended." And the druid leads a brisk pace into the frozen woods.
Again, it takes more than a day to reach the High Sentinel Lodge, but nothing troubles you on the way. The Lodge looks much as they you it, save for the lack of a fire in the hearth when you arrive. The rope bridge to the west looks icy and slick, and it's a fair drop down to the swift stream below.
Kazmir suspects a trap or danger but sees nothing. 'I wonder what happened to that half-orc, Marius. Waiting int he bushes to club us to death?"
The druid contemplates sending Bizzk to fly over and investigate but that would be too risky, the bird being alone like that.
'I'll go over first, Marius. Keep a sharp eye out." With that Kazmir steps onto the bridge, awaiting disaster. Luckily, he is long experienced in ice and snow and the slippery bridge holds no fear of itself.
As Kazmir steps foot onto the bridge, a little creature, leathery-winged and icy blue, darts out from a nearby tree and spits shards of ice at you!
However, he's able to dodge mostly out of the way, only getting a minor scrape.
Kazmir's quick feet save him most of the pain. He had spent hours climbing mountain glaciers, jumping slippery rocks. Compared to that, this bridge was nothing.
"Marius, watch out! "
Unsure of how to handle this foul thing, he tries to sling a stone at it.
The shot goes wild and Kazmir curses himself for not practicing more. He focuses on the creature, trying to indeitfy it exactly.
Watching his master get attacked and obviously scared the bird does an unwise thing. It flies over Kazmir's head and lands between him and the fey.
"No, you idiot bird!" Kazmir says, not in anger but fear. It wasn't a fey but something else. Maybe something stronger, more then a sharp beak could solve?
For it's part the giant heron snaps at the creature.
Bizzk's beak hits... but is curiously ineffective against the creature's hide. It hisses and slashes at the heron with its little claws while hovering in midair.
Fortunately for the big bird, the creature's claws aren't much better at harming Bizzk.
Marius swears under his breath and looks for an opening. Not wanting to shoot the heron, he waits for the right moment to fire.
The lack of Bizzk's damage makes Kazmir worry. Perhaps he would need a spell, but he lacked anything very useful for this sort of creature. He needed to bring it to land.
Kazmir moves forward, half pushing Bizzk. Soon they are both across the bridge. Once there he shouts to Marius, "Try one of those special arrows!"
For himself he tries another stone, fairly sure it will have no impact.
Kazmir holds Bizzk back with an arm, letting Marius have a clear shot.
Kazmir's sling bullet bounces off the little creature without harming it.
Hearing you speak, the creature cackles with glee and charges at the ranger, slashing at him with a claw.
It gives him a nasty scratch on his arm as he backs up and fires and arrow.
The little monster shrieks in pain as the arrow cuts its leg.
Kazmir watches the little being scream in pain. If it is a ice creature....perhaps fire?
"Marius, watch out!"
Kazmir pulls out a flask of alchemist's fire and heaves it at the flying creature.
Kazmir's flask of Alchemist's fire goes sailing off to one side of the battle, harmlessly splashing over the snow. Bizzk tries to attack again, but his beak still doesn't penetrate the creature's icy hide.
Speaking of the creature, it flits forward and continues attacking Marius.
The little monster savages Marius's face, and he cries out in pain, falling back. He fires another magic arrow at it.
Marius' arrow returns the favor, piercing straight through the thing's shoulder. Its flight grows erratic, but it stays in the air, shrieking curses at you.
Kazmir readies another bottle of fire. With Marius out of arrows, it will have to do. Saying a quick prayer to Torag, he hurls it.
Bizzk attacks again, obviously concerned for its new friend, Marius.
But it misses, probably due to all the swirling alchemist fire.
The creature shrieks as Kazmir's flask smashes on it, spreading flaming liquid all over its back. After a moment of frantic flight it falls to the ground, snow hissing as it plunges into a drift. After a moment, it's clear that it is no longer moving.
"Stay back, Bizzk, Marius." Kazmir approaches the charred form. He keeps his staff forward, ready to ward off any claws.
If the creature does nothing he will make sure it is dead and investigate anything it was carrying.
The creature remains unmoving, even as Kazmir starts poking around it. However, it seems that the little monster carried nothing with it, not even mundane supplies.
'What do you think Marius? Just another invader from the north or someone of consequence? He had a bit roe fight in him, then the fey. Could be this Isoze, couldn't it?" the druid says although there is no way to be sure.
"Still, at least he is gone." Kazmir looks at Marius and casts CLW on the man, obviously wounded by the claws of the beast.
Kazmir hands Marius three flasks of Alchemist's fire. 'Useful stuff for our needs. Also, take this." he hands Marius the bottles of poison and tell him what they are and their effects. "Might be useful if we run into this troll...'
Kazmir then finds the trail and lead on, keeping a lookout.
"Can't say that I know," Marius responds with a shrug. "Didn't seem quite like those other cold fey, though."
He regards the poisons dubiously, but is glad enough to take the alchemist's fire.
You travel for several miles with little but snow and hibernating forest to keep you company. You reach a rise as the evening sun gets low, and when you reach the top, it illuminates an odd sight. In a large clearing ahead of you, a small hut sits atop four tree trunks, their roots left intact at the bottom like clawed feet. A ladder leads up to the entrance of the hut, which faces toward you. Between you and it, a maze of ice blocks gleams red in the setting sun.
"That wasn't here before..." Marius mutters, looking at the hut suspiciously.
Kazmir stares at the hut and the 'bloody' ice blocks.
"Normally I'd say we wait for more sun, but I don't think we want to camp in sight of that hut. Let us investigate it. Bizzk, stay close." With that Kazmir moves into the ice blocks toward the hut, looking around him carefully.
As you get down among the ice blocks, you think you see something moving in the one nearest you... a young girl, who looks up at you and speaks.
"I'm sorry!" she pleads. "Don't hurt me! I never meant to call you names!"
'Do you know her, Marius?" he dwarf asks Marius, but he has a feeling the ranger doesn't. If the hut was new, probably the inhabitants were.
"Who are you?"
Marius shakes his head, looking nervous at the apparition's appearance.
The image of the girl bows her head as if afraid to meet your eyes. "Thora..."
It seems as if she is about to say more, but the image suddenly disappears.
"An illusion?" Kazmir asks. 'or a wizard/"
The name means nothing to him. He looks to Marius for confirmatory on that. Assuming not, the druid continues toward the hut.
Marius shrugs, as mystified as you.
As you go around this ice block, you glance over at another... only to see the apparition of the child appear again. She seems to be huddled down, miserably sitting with her head down.
"Please don't keep me here," she whines, "It's so cold. I miss my mommy."
"I don't want to keep you here, Throa." Kazmir says then asks, "Who brought you here?"
The image of the girl doesn't react to Kazmir's voice, and soon fades away.
As you go around this ice block, you again face another, and again the apparition appears. This time her arms are crossed defiantly.
"I don't want your stupid doll!" She stubbornly proclaims. "I want to go home! Take me back!"
'A doll?' Kazmir echoes, totally thrown. What was going on here?
"What are you, Thora?" he asks, hoping against hope for a clear answer. He thought he knew the answer though, some sort of White Witch trickery to guard the portal?
Thora rolls her eyes at the stupidity of adults. "I'm the little girl you took from her mommy!" She declares before fading from sight.
It looks like there's only one more row of ice blocks between you and the hut.
'A girl that can vanish? What do you think Marius,a ghost? or just a figment of light and magic?"
With that the druid pushes onto through the last row of blocks.
"Your guess..." Marius begins, then stops as Thora appears again in the last block by the way out of the 'maze'. This time she meets your eyes, seeming surprised by your appearance.
"I have to get out!" She whispers to you urgently. "You should get out too, mister, before..."
Suddenly she looks aside in shock. Again the apparition disappears... but this time, after it vanishes, a child's scream, filled with terrible fear, rends the air!
Before you know it, you've run back out of the maze, Marius in the lead. You don't get ahold of yourself until you're back over the top of the rise, panting for breath in the frigid air. Marius is a ways up the trail in front of you, on his knees, seemingly still recovering from the supernatural terror.
Kazmir tries to still his shaking legs. It was one thing to face a ravaging mountain bear to try to scale a steep glacier. those were foes who could be fought, mastered. But his own fear?
The druid took a few long breaths of the frozen air. It did help steady him, as well as having Bizzk on hand, nuzzling him, concerned for his friend's health.
'Ghost." He says to Marius, letting the ranger take all the time he needs. It had shaken them both. 'I think that decides it. I have to admit, it was more then a bit creepy. Are you all right?"
Marius turns and looks back at you, slowly rising to his feet. "Yes... though I... certainly didn't enjoy that."
He looks around, and frowns. "I dropped my bow back there."
"Another reason we have to go back, eh lad?" Kazmir says. With that he leads the way wondering if the girl will reform the same way or we'll just cut to the terrifying part.
Nothing happens as you walk back between the ice blocks. No images form, no voices speak. Even when you cautiously approach the place of the scream, you see no apparitions. Marius warily picks up his bow where he had dropped it.
"Up into that hut now, then?" He suggests, looking at the ladder not far from you.
Kazmir is a bit afraid that nothing happened. Had they failed some test? Or was the ghost or whatever it was, just waiting to strike?
"I think you are right. This isn't natural. It is probably something our foes put here. I'd suggest just burning it down from the outside, but who knows what is inside?"
Carefully Kazmir climbs the ladder, expecting Bizzk to fly up after he looks.
"Keep the bow handy, Marius."
The hut is rather small. At the back of it, looking out the way you came... is a child's doll sitting in a chair.
The doll looks disturbingly like Thora, save with one eye made of a blue gem, and the other a tiny mirror.
Kazmir is creeped out by the doll with mismatched eyes. He waves Marius and Bizzk to come up.
'What do you think Marius? Some White Witch devilry?" Carefully, the druid approaches the doll wondering if it'll move or attack. Perhaps it is but a simple doll...but the image of the terrified Throa filled his mind.
Bizzk flies up and looks around with no real understanding of his surroundings.
Marius climbs up behind you. He shudders a bit at the sight of the doll. "Looks too much like that girl," he comments, looking away from it. "Almost feels like it's watching me."
"Yes" the druid says. He turns to Marius, "Any objections to burning down the hut?" For some reason he whispers a bit as if the doll can overhear him.
If no one objects the druid leads everyone back outside and starts to build a fire against the wooden supports of the strange and frightening hut.