Clebsch's Reign of Winter

Game Master Clebsch RoW

"If I can see her, I could try to pull up some small items. Her body would be too heavy to lift, I'm afraid."

You would probably need to go back to the aerie to be able to spot the body from the tower. Ravens may have scavenged small sparkly items from her body by this point.

"Agreed. If Damiano does not have a conjuration spell prepared, I can use some curative magic to make the portal shut down. Or perhaps try some chicanery to make it so, without casting the spell. Whenever we're ready, honestly. As for the druid who fell below, I can go down easily enough, but getting back up will require a bit more skill or magic than I possess. That is, unless our friend Hatch can use his mental fingers spell again to bring the body up."

Here are the rules for closing the portal: Once the PCs fully understand the winter ritual, they can finally attempt to close down the winter portal by casting any conjuration spell and making a successful DC 15 concentration check. Alternatively, a PC can close the portal without the need for spellcasting with a successful DC 20 Use Magic Device check. If they fail at this check, the PCs can try again multiple times, but each attempt requires another hour of work.

There's little chance of any interference by outside enemies, since you can block entrance to the tower. There are still guards out looking for the Black Rider, but if they return, they will not be able to do much and might flee if they discover the tower has been taken. Anyone using the Mirror Sight spell will likely be able to deduce that something is wrong; even if you cover all the mirrors, the fact that the mirrors are covered will be a sign of trouble. But Nazhena is probably the only one able to do that at the moment, and she is far away. So if you want to rest and recover spells, there is time for that.

If anyone has the Identify spell, you can have another go at the times you could not identify: the ring and one of the feather tokens.

"While you folks deal with this ritual, I'll busy myself retrieving the body of the raven mistress." Which is what he will attempt to do.

Khristov waits for the spellcasters to do their work.

Erland moves to the portal and tries to close the magical opening by finessing the enchantment holding it.

Poking and prodding, he thinks he sees a weakness and pulls at the magical threads binding the portal open.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 UMD

"Blast, I thought that would work. Well, I can try one more thing, overload the spell matrix and bring the whole thing down with a crash. Stand back, I dont really know how this will play out."

Fiske dashes away from the portal and peers around a nearby corner curious what his master is trying now.

Casting CLW, Spellcraft 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16

Erland claps his hands together in surprise as the portal closes, his smile widening before drawing into a tight frown.

"That's it, then. We're committed now, and no going back."

Khristov grimly agrees "I've been committed since I came here."

"Same here. I'm not turning back until that witch is brought down for good." Ingrit says emphatically.

"We must get back to Waldsby so I can get my children and dogsleds. We should do that at night to reduce the chance that Katrina and Emil observe us and trade information on us for their safety when Pale Tower guards show up to investigate. Without the power of the Pale Tower behind them, I suspect the guards may scatter until Nazhena takes back her tower. I don't know how long that might take, but at least the village will have a short break from her abuses. I cannot thank you enough for what you've done for us. I am thankful your own village has been spared. Let's make haste to get underway once night falls."

"I must find another household to protect. My kind cannot abide long journeys or I would help you. Good luck."

Dom comes back with a silver chain with a star-shaped diamond. "The only valuable thing I found from the cleric of Gozreh," he reports.

When Hatch makes his farewell, Dom nods in understanding. "Hatch, thank you for all you've done for us. You were invaluable, and it is good for you to protect another home in Waldsby. Let's all travel when night falls."

Khristov is skeptical about traveling at night in Irrisen, but keeps it to himself.

Dom's been contributing more than I have. Makes sense for him to be making decisions.

"Goodbye, Hatch. It was a pleasure to meet you," says Rurik. "Perhaps you and Nadya might have the same destination."

"We can travel at night if we are in a great hurry, but the cold and the dark will certainly be troublesome," he adds.

This is only tilll we leave Waldby after that we will be able to travel by night and rest by night . I have a spell which will allow us to sleep in a place where cold will not touch us .

Of all the scrolls we found , I can only use the dispel magic and the youthful appearance . The utility of dispel magic is evident . Youthful appearance would work on Erland so people will not especially target him but otherwise I can not see what use it would be ...

"I can potentially learn that one, or rather, Fiske can learn it and share his knowledge with me. I will be a bit busy packing up all these alchemical goods and the cauldron, who knows what other good stuff I can whip up when we get a free moment. Hatch, you and Nadya were instrumental here. We could not have succeeded without your help, thank you both."

Erland moves to do just what he said, while Fiske paws around looking for food.

"Traveling at night is usually not a good idea, but the area around Waldsby is not so dangerous. We just want to avoid nosy folks in town from spotting us. I left my children in that barn with your druid friend. Once we have them back with me, we can get a few miles away from the city and camp until daylight. My dogsled can carry most of this stuff," she gestures to the alchemical supplies Erland is packing. "There is also that amazing bag that holds more on the inside than shows on the outside."

There are plenty of rations on hand, so no need to keep track of that.

He scratches his chin idly. "If that bag will protect whatever is inside from the weather it may be wise to prioritize water and potions inside so they won't freeze overnight," he muses.

"We can leave before nightfall so that we arrive at Waldsby when it's dark. We can then travel away until we feel comfortable and set up camp for the remainder of the night."

"Sounds as good a plan as any. I'd honestly rather destroy this tower when we leave if possible, maybe start a fire. By dark, it would draw all eyes for miles here, and away from Waldsby where we're heading." Ingrit suggests as she helps pack up the spoils of their victory.

The tower is made of magically frozen ice, so it will not burn. It would take a concerted effort to concentrate as much fuel as possible and burn it so that a portion of the base of the tower would melt and lead to the collapse of the building. If anyone wants to seriously try to find such a spot, make a knowledge (engineering) roll to see if it is possible.

The only (other) thing you need to do before leaving is specify any of the items that will be in the possession of a particular person. It would make an interesting discussion to determine if a bag of holding can be affected by things like cold, but rather than worry about that, assume that any item kept on a person or in a pack will stay warm enough to avoid problems.

I don't want to get too hung up on item distribution as an impediment to progress--people should claim anything that's useful. I need to get around to updating our loot table . . . others are free to take that task on also.

Toward sunset, the group takes everything they want from the tower, packs it all into the dog sleds and set off for Waldsby, arriving as darkness is falling. They find Eianar playing games with the children. Once the children are secured in the dog sleds, Nadia thanks the Druid and Hatch promises to visit the houses to let the townsfolk know about the fall of the tower and to start the rumor that the foreigners left town to head south to get back to their country. He will explain that the Black Rider attacked the tower as a sign of Baba Yaga's displeasure at her traitor daughters.

The group heads to the trade route connecting Waldsby to Whitethrone, generally northwest.

"We will stop in a village along the way where I will leave the children in the care of a relative.," Nadia says. "It will take us a few days and then it will be about five or six days to Whitethrone, where I hope we can get the help of my uncle."

Spells and other points are refreshed from resting. I will post the next encounter once I have figured out what it will be.

Can we expect to meet patrols along the way. If so, they will see us as foreigners soon enough . Might it not be useful to do a bit of cross country so authorities do not see us too near Waldsby ?

"Prolonging our travel runs the risk of Nazhena having the time to truly ramp up patrols, beyond what we can handle." Ingrit replies. "Better we move swiftly before anyone truly understands what is happening."

Dom nods. "We can still be cautious. Keep the tarp ready to avoid raven sightings. I worry that with the snow in these lands, our movements are readily tracked even if we depart from the roads."

"Yes, let us move with haste. The faster we go, the better. We eliminated one source of evil here, better to strike while our opportunity remains and keep working to stop this endless winter."

Fiske, sadly, adds nothing of use to the conversation.

"Irrisen is divided into provinces, each with a centrally located capital. Most of the population in each province is concentrated near the capital. Trade between provinces is almost impossible due to the difficulties of traveling in eternal winter conditions. There are no road where we are going," Nadya explained.

"The route we travel is virtually uninhabited. This part of the land is not patrolled. We are unlikely to encounter trouble unless it is sent by Nazhena specifically to look for us. I doubt we will encounter anyone until we get into Thronehold. When we get to Ellsprin, we can get you some clothes that you can wear and look more like the locals."

I hope to have encounters planned out this weekend.

"What can you tell us about these towns, Thronehold and Ellsprin? Will they be sympathetic to us or hostile if they learn we oppose the witches?"

"Ellsprin is a small town that has no sympathy for the Jadwiga. The residents are descendents of the Ulfin people who lived here before Baba Yaga conquered the land fourteen centuries ago. Thronehold is the region north of Glacier Lake and its capital is Whitethrone, the capital of Irrisen and our destination. We will find sympathy there only in secret. My uncle will give us a place to stay, if he is still alive. There is a resistance movement that goes back as many centuries as the Jadwiga rule. They call themselves the Herald's of Summer's Return, but perhaps others in your group know more about them," she says, with a quick glance at Rurik.

Before events move out of Waldsby for good, you could take advantage of your newfound wealth to purchase items in town. Here is what is available. No need to role play the purchase unless you want to:

Iziamir Polovar, town blacksmith has a +1 arrow catching light wooden shield for sale.

Verana Stolya, owner of Verana's Sundries has the following for sale: a suit of +2 studded leather armor, a belt of mighty constitution +2, a potion of feather step, a +1 shortsword, and a masterwork shortbow.

Rolf Halzberg, the cleric of Pharasma who operates a chapel has an oil of protection from evil and a scroll of goodberry, as well as holy water.

Arbagazor Frimbocket, a gnome carpenter has a +1 darkwood quarterstaff for sale (size medium).

While the residents would offer you a discount as thanks for your service, they can't really afford to so consider everything standard cost.

I would encourage anyone who does not have a magic weapon to consider purchasing the quarterstaff or the shortsword. You are getting to the level where you may well encounter enemies who either have DR/magic or are incorporeal. You will eventually have some opportunities to spend more in Whitethrone, but you'll have to fight your way through the wilderness before then.

[ooc]If there is an item that costs less than 500 gp that you want to purchase, let me know and I'll roll to see if it is available from one of these sources.[ooc]

Nothing of interest for me there . If Damiano ever have to resort to contact weapons , we are in trouble

With the tower defeated and preparations underway for the next phase of the journey, Rurik stops by the temple of Pharasma. Counting on them to remain neutral in various disputes, he hopes that they won't react poorly to a priest of another deity...

"Greetings, fellow acolytes," he says as he removes his gloves while he steps into the temple. "I've come to request a small amount of holy water... with an appropriate donation, of course. I intend to travel soon and I've heard rumors of ghosts and phantasms haunting the wild places at night; one cannot be too careful."

Looking to purchase 2 flasks of holy water and the oil of protection from evil.

After making some late night purchases before leaving Waldsby behind, four dogsleds set out on the long drive to Whitethrone. The distance is 130 miles of mostly trackless snow covered plains.

After camping a few miles outside of Waldsby, the group sets out at first light. With the days this far north long and the dogs healthy and eager to mush long distances, Nadya hopes to make good time. Not far into the day, however, ravens begin to circle. Eventually their numbers grow and they fly down to investigate, leading all to suspect Nazhena has worked some magic to begin to try to locate the reason she can no longer communicate with her apprentice.

The party, having already fought two raven swarms, is able to disperse the ravens without suffering any serious injury. The second night out, the campsite is harassed by a small group of jinkin gremlins, which try to sneak into the tents to sabotage the group's food supply, but they are detected and thwarted.

On the third day, the strange sight of a large patch of green grass lies before the group, uncovered by snow, dotted with wildflowers and stands of birch trees with fresh leaves. The air in this region is positively balmy. The line between warm and cold is quite distinct, suggesting some kind of enchantment is responsible. The warm zone seems to curve inside a perfect circle with at least a mile radius. About a mile into the zone some standing stones can just be made out.

You can skirt around the zone or cut toward the middle. Without the snow under the sleds, the people have to get out and help pull the sleds over the green grass.

Knowledge (religion: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

"Huh," says Rurik noncommittally as he steps out to help pull the sleds. "That's unexpected. Some kind of faerie mound, perhaps? We... may want to detour around that."

1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26 kn(local)

"I've heard about these places. Druidic magic keeps the cold at bay, the fight against the unnatural magics of the ice witches. I say we investigate, cautiously and respectfully, maybe we can garner allies or useful knowledge."

"Agreed. Maybe we'll get lucky and even find someone who can cure me. Worst case scenario, we just leave and are no worse off than before."

"Definitely worth looking into." Ingrit says, taking her bow from her shoulder.

Moving more slowly across the grass, the group gradually can see a set of stones set up in a circle about 50 feet across. When the group is about 100 feet from the circle, a large creature runs toward the circle. It looks to be a large male elk with a broad set of antlers.

When the elk gets close to the standing stones, the group realizes it is actually close to six feet high at the shoulders with antlers that spread ten feet wide, much larger than most elk. As the wind shifts and it gets scent of the humans, it draws up and studies them standing near the circle of stones.

Everyone post a single round of actions. Map link is in GM's header.

Khristov draws his weapon, but stays where he is and readies an action to cast Cat's Grace on Ingrit if anything seems hostile.

"It's wounded, see the blood on its flank?" Khristov points out the wound "These creatures aren't fighters, so it must have been something particularly nasty or quick to get it to fight."

"So... there's a hunter or predator nearby and the elk escaped, or... could it be a shapeshifted druid? They would look for all intents and purposes like a normal elk, if running away from a fight gone bad," says Rurik.

Unsure of exactly what may have occurred , but recognizing the elk as simply a magnificent natural animal, Ingrit approaches slowly, her movements unlike her normal body language, free of any predatory inclination as she takes an apple from her pack and offers it.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Sense motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Wild empathy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

"I can heal the damage if the creature will allow, Ingrit. I dont want to spook it, though."

Erland stays away from for now, trusting the ranger in her specialty.

Must be a predator since he is not fleeing from us. He might be used to see humans as friends in fact

"Wait, you all just want to be friends with a wild animal? It looks injured, it might attack us in fear. Be careful! It seems Dom's urban instincts lead him to a far different conclusion than the others, as he watches warily.

The elk (technically, it's a Boreal Megaloceros) sniffs the air curiously moves directly toward Ingrit. It looks hungry, with a lean look. It's attitude toward Ingrit went from unfriendly to friendly.

Take another melee action worth of activity.

"I think Ingrit has it under control," says Rurik. He scans the area warily, symbol in hand.

Casting detect magic; while I don't know anything about the magic making the spring-ecosystem-zone, maybe something else will pop up.

Giving Damiano an odd look at the idea of the elk being a predator, no matter how magnificent, Ingrit smiles to herself as it quickly eats the apple, speaking in a quiet tone, her words not important as her body language and tone keep the magnificent beast calm. Signaling for Erland to approach slowly she tries to indicate that he poses no threat, allowing him to heal the wound.

Second Wild empathy check if needed: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

I was reacting to Rurik guess about what attacked the Elk :)
Seeing that Ingrit has matters in hand , Damiano concentrate his interest to where the elk came from in case he was followed by its attacker [/ooc]

Khristov starts rambling to nobody in particular once he's close enough to see just how big it is.

"You know, I've heard about these. One of the instructors at college talked about the frozen north having several unique species that dominated the planet long ago. Gigantic lizards you can only find down in Mwangi otherwise, giant elk with antlers you could make rowboats out of, dragon-like creatures with no ability to fly or speak...."

He goes on spouting not particularly useful trivia for as long as it takes for something else to demand his attention.

Erland approaches slowly, whispering the incantation of healing as he does, laying his palm against the wound and he heals the beast.

Healing hex for 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 HP healed