The drunks gratefully exit the enchanted forest and disappear into the city. It is still early in the day and evidence of fighting elsewhere in the city can be heard in the distance. Most people are staying off the streets but some shops have people inside who can open otherwise locked doors to admit legitimate customers.
Back at the Shrine of the Everbloom, Solveig Ayrdahl welcomes the group back with sighs of relief. She listens to whatever stories people have of the events in the forest.
"The Iron Guard and the Winter Guard are still fighting and it does not look like either side will prevail for at least a few days. So I think it is safe to rest here before returning to take the Dancing Hut from whatever guardians the queen has set to protect it."
She makes sure everyone who is injured gets healing and serves hearty meals with wine or other spirits or apple cider.
After the meal, a scribe brought in who writes down everything anyone is willing to say about the battles in the forest. Solveig explains that she believes when the evil queen's are deposed, grateful citizens of Irissen and all Golarian will want to hear the tales of the exploits that led to the success of the revolution.
The city streets are safe to navigate in the merchant area, as the fighting is near the palace and at other places where the winter guard have garrisons. Merchants peer out to see who is knocking and let in anyone wanting to do business.
Bella helps serve the food and eagerly listens to the stories. She sings a few songs if asked to do so.
Please with not only their personal success, but the developments of the revolution they'd help to fully ignite, Ingrit enjoys the meal and entertainment, happy to see the impact that reuniting them had on both Bella and Solveig.
"We should prepare for what we're likely to face, when we head to the hut, undoubtedly more fey creatures, and probably cold dwelling beasts as well."
"I agree, we will need fire, cold iron materials, and magic to see through their enchantments. I cannot use fire magic, but alchemical goods and non magical stuff, that I can do just fine. Beyond that, there's really no telling what kind of traps, monsters, and other shenanigans are awaiting us inside. The Grandmother Witch is a cunning and tricksy old woman, after all."
"Hmm," Rurik ruminates. "My morning star is not made of cold iron, and I don't think I can do much about that. Are there any devices we should try to acquire that will help?"
"Arrows, crossbow bolts, daggers and the like. Maybe a new morningstar or short spear or something to stab with? Does anyone know of a way to make someone more vulnerable to the elements? I can use some ice magic if they're not winter creatures, or if we make someone burn more the alchemical fires will go a bit longer "
"There's weapon blanch," Ingrit adds after thinking it over for a moment. "Like a gritty salt made by alchemists, containing bits of a metal like cold iron or silver. Pouring it onto a weapon and sticking it in an open flame for a few seconds makes the weapon hit like it was made of whatever the blanch is, though it wears off almost immediately after. Better off using on things like arrowheads and crossbow bolts."
Bella wants to hear the story of your adventures. Upon learning of the attempt to innundate Taldon with winter chill in the midst of summer, she wonders if other parts of Golarian are likewise threatened or if the actions of the heroes of Taldan have made things safe.
"That's... a good question, Bella," says Rurik. "We don't really have any way to know how far this has all extended."
"I like to hope that our actions are making things better, at least," he says. "Fighting against tyranny always comes with costs, but I hope we never wind up passing those costs onto the backs of others to suffer due to our actions."
"So..." he notes to the team, "What do we do about our cold iron problem, then? Bolts and arrows? Some weapon blanch just in case?"
Domitian stays unusually attached to Ingrit throughout their trip back to Solveig, and thereafter. He refuses to go far from her side, and as the group celebrates their triumphs, Dom raises a toast. "Ingrit, I don't know how I've missed it for so long. I've always sought out the damsel in distress, blind to the courageous woman fighting by my side!"
Ingrit spends time regaling Solveig, Bella, and the scribe that visits with tales of their exploits since that first gathering of people in Waldren, the meeting with the Black Rider, and their travel to Whitethrone, dealing with the crisis of spreading Winter all the way.
Over the next few days, she notices Domitian's unusual closeness, especially after Anadrien takes her leave of them, having avenged her relative and decided to move on. While she understood that the previous revulsion to the big swordsman, was the result of a spell, his overt presence still makes her twitch slightly, especially since it suddenly felt like she couldn’t turn around without finding him oddly close.
Dom raises a toast. "Ingrit, I don't know how I've missed it for so long. I've always sought out the damsel in distress, blind to the courageous woman fighting by my side!"
The flame-haired ranger shakes her head, laughing as she takes another swig of her flagon. ”Probably because I don’t do distress very well!” she quips with a laugh. ”Are you that far into your cups already, or just missing Anadrien?” she asks with a grin.
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"Gather round, listen closely, and I will fill you all in on what we've learned thus far. Remember, the Ice Queen is our enemy here, and we believe she is the root cause for all the frigid weather across the world. I'm not sure just how far her influence travels, but our homeland was suddenly beset by a snowstorm and cold weather, in the middle of Summer."
Erland settles in, with Fiske curled up in his lap. He idly strokes the cat's fur as he speaks, his voice low and even as he tells the story of how they've come thus far.
"Now, we have traveled from Taldor, where it should be sunny and warm, fighting evil fey, monstrous ice creatures, and the like all along. Even the walking dead have opposed us as we try to stem the tide of Winter from Irrisen. Thus far, we have slain a winter witch apprentice and been inducted into the service of Grandmother Winter herself, Baba Yaga. Her Black Riders were supposed to travel the world and prepare Irrisen for a transition in leadership, but they were ambushed and killed. The one we encountered charged us with defeating Queen Elvana and returning Irrisen to its proper status, and that brought us here."
His eyes flash a bit as he thinks over their battles and the dangers the group has faced, still petting his familiar.
"You know of our battles here in the city, against the trolls and dragon and all. Now, we have managed to clear a pathway to the hut of Grandmother Winter herself, and only the gods know what kind of madness awaits us within. The people must resist the Jadwiga, they cannot be allowed to complete their plan to freeze Golarion and plunge the entire world into an eternal winter."
"Anadrien, your rival archer! Though really no match for you--I guess that's why she's gone and you're still here." Dom clinks his mug with Ingrit's and takes another drink. He seems to stay with Ingrit like a puppy follows its mother; it is only when she retires that he begrudgingly finds his own room and collapses with exhaustion.
* * *
In the morning, Dom finds himself puzzled by his own behavior from the day before. He heads toward Ingrit's door and is about to knock but thinks better of it. Instead, he heads outside and begins to practice with his falcata. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it today, but that was a lot to ask.
* * *
"Keep your feet quiet and your eyes sharp," says Dom. He begins his approach toward the hut, though he was not particularly good at being quiet.
Signaling her companions to hold back a bit and giving Wapiti the command to stay, Ingrit creeps forward to better surveil the hut, looking for tracks or signs of recent activity as well as hazards or dangers.
Rurik's not especially good at this, and rather expects to blow the operation.
Erland moves through the chilly air as if born to the cold. He instinctively sticks to lees and breaks in the city, approaching the hut as sneakily as he can.
Fiske, as always, rides at his shoulder, a living, purring stole.
NV:
Dom: Stealth 8
Erland: 15
Ingrit: 19
Rurik: 20
IG:
NV:
Dom: 20
Erland: 23
Ingrit: 22
Rurik: 23
Domitian:
Erland:
Ingrit:
Rurik:
IG:
NV:
Erland:
Rurik:
DC 10
Dom:
Erland:
Ingrit:
Rurik:
Domitian makes enough noise approaching the gap in the trees that must be used to get to the hut, that the guardians of the hut are ready to defend their prize. There appears to be just two: a humanoid creature that appears to be made of ice and a woman, standing back partway to one side of the hut, a woman.
Erland and Rurik, well versed in the creatures of the cold lands, recognize the ice creature as an ice golem.
Everyone recognizes the woman, wearing an ice-blue robe embellished with white gems and silver, as Nazhena Vasiliovna.
She is a tall and attractive woman with striking blue eyes, a flawless complexion, and lustrous platinum blonde hair, worn pulled back from her proud face. Her beauty is almost purely physical, however, deriving from her mixed Jadwiga-Ulfen heritage, not from her personality. A great-great-granddaughter of Queen Elvanna, Nazhena grew up in Elvanna’s court in Whitethrone, sent by her mother from the Pale Tower to the Royal Palace to learn her true place in Irrisen’s society as one of the Jadwiga Elvanna. She wears a tiara of gleaming blue diamonds, a necklace of ice diamonds, and has on her belt many potions, a wand that looks much like the one Erland often uses, and a combat sickle.
Initiative order:
Ingrit
Domitian
Rurik
Erland
Ice Golem
Nazhena
Erland and Rurik may read the general information. Erland may read 4 spoilers below the general, and Rurik may read 3.
Ice golems cannot speak, and move with the sound of cracking and popping ice. An ice golem stands 7 feet tall and weighs 500 pounds.
Alignment: N
Medium Construct (Cold)
Ice golems are immune to cold damage.
Immunity to Magic (Ex) An ice golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance, with the exception of spells and spell-like abilities that have the Fire descriptor, which affect it normally. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
A magical attack that deals electricity damage slows an ice golem (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw.
A magical attack that deals cold damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. An ice golem gets no saving throw against cold effects.
Cold (Ex) An ice golem’s body generates intense cold, dealing 1d6 points of damage with its touch. Creatures attacking an ice golem with unarmed strikes or natural weapons take this same cold damage each time one of their attacks hits.
Icy Destruction (Ex) When reduced to 0 hit points, an ice golem shatters in an explosion of jagged shards of ice. All creatures within a 10-foot burst take 3d6 points of slashing damage and 2d6 points of cold damage; a DC 13 Reflex save halves the damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Lowlight Vision
Immunity to Magic (Ex) An ice golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance, with the exception of spells and spell-like abilities that have the Fire descriptor, which affect it normally. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
A magical attack that deals electricity damage slows an ice golem (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw.
A magical attack that deals cold damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. An ice golem gets no saving throw against cold effects.
"An ice golem, of course. Magic is useless against it, and it has a breath weapon similar to the white dragon's. I will try to slow it with a lightning bolt as I hurt the woman as well."
"We need to bring an adamantine weapon to bear against the golem," adds Rurik.
"Then this is just about the only thing I have that can hurt that thing!" Ingrit says, taking a single step into a better position, and drawing an elaborately tooled arrow with arcane sigils etched into the arrowhead. Lining up her shot, she fires, a perfect shot that buries the arrow deep into the center of the construct's chest, a pulsing orange glow of flame illuminating it slightly from within as it continues to burn.
Ingrit's arrow melts the hard ice exterior and bores deep into the icy construct. Steam gushes from the wound as the heat burns it from within.
Already badly wounded, the ice golem may not be a threat much longer.
Round 1
Wapiti
Domitian
Rurik
Erland
Ice Golem (38 lethal, 15/53, arrow will do 1d6 fire more for 3 rounds on Ingrit's turn)
Nazhena
Round 2
Ingrit
On Ingrit's command, Wapiti charges forward to attack the ice creature, his antlers missing in the wild charge.
"Sorry, Wapiti, I hope you can dodge this as well as you have in the past."
Erland moves forward to get a line on both the golem and Nazhena. Pointing his wand as a focus, a bolt of blue-white lightning connects Erland and his foes for an instant, leaving a line of afterimages floating across his vision.
DC 18 Reflex for half.
With honed instincts and reading Ingrit's emotions, Wapitt ducks his head shifting her massive frame as the bolt sizzles by, his fur standing on end for a moment but taking no harm from the bolt.
Ice Golem:
Nazhena: Takes 12
Nazhena
Temporary Life spell: changes to maximum of 10. So damage from lightning comes off Temp HP first, doing only 2 to her.
Wapiti side steps the oncoming lightning bolt but the slow moving golem is in the line of the bolt. The lightning seems to move around the construct, doing no damage. The bolt blasts a hole in the bone fence and continues on toward Nazhena, who leans sideways and the lightning glances off her left side. Although it leaves some singed fabric on her robe, it did not seem to harm her significantly.
Expecting a tough battle, Rurik unleashes a prayer to Milani.
AOO by Ice Golem on Domitian
Domitian: Bladed Belt +1 (Mwk. Falcata): +14/+9, 1d8+7+5/17-20/x3 (precise strike)
Reduced by 5 from DR.
Domitian follows Wapiti, skirting around the majestic animal to attack the ice golem while benefiting from being out of sight of the winter witch, Nazhena.
The golem takes a swing with his fist as Domitian gets closer, but is too slow to hit him. Domitian is much faster and strikes a strong slash across the golems chest. Some of the momentum of his blade seems to melt away as it gets close to hitting, however, and the blow is not as effective at it might have been if not for some magic built into the construct.
vs Wapiti AC 19
The ice golem tries to swing at Wapiti, but his attack is so slow, the animal simply leans back and avoids the feeble attack. Ingrit's flaming arrow continues to burn in its chest, nearly finishing the construct.
Nazhena frowns at the invaders to her domain but retreats rather than attacking. She flies, apparently with some active flight magic or hex, and darts around to the back side of the hut, out of view. She can be heard to cast a spell but without being able to see her, no one can tell what she cast.
Round 2
Ingrit (prayer)
Wapiti (prayer)
Domitian (prayer)
Rurik (prayer)
Ice Golem (Slowed, 52 lethal, 1/53, arrow will do 1d6 fire on Ingrit's turn in rounds 3 and 4)
Nazhena
Confident that the golem is handled, Ingrit moves forward, stalking a wide circle around the hut.
As the others advance, Wapiti lowers his impressive rack of antlers attempting to forcible move the ice creature out of the way.
Rurik advances on the golem and finishes it off with a hard hit from his morningstar.
DC 13
Rurik:
Wapiti:
As Ingrit and Domitian advance to the west side of the fence that surrounds the hut, Wapiti pushes the golem back.
The ranger and the swashbuckler see Nazhena floating with her back to the hut about fifteen feet off the ground concentrating on casting spells. When she sees the two, she glares and beings to cast another spell, a faint smile of distain on her cruel lips.
Rurik advances and hits the golem with his mace. No doubt expecting the construct to simply collapse, instead is explodes, jagged shards of ice and brutally cold air flying out in all directions.
Rurik remembers just as he hits the construct that it might explode upon destruction and ducks behind his shield to avoid some of the blast. Wapiti was caught uncharacteristically off guard and took the full brunt of the explosion.
[ooc][/ooc]
Domitian:
Nazhena reacts to the arrival of Ingrit and Dom to the west of the hut by casting a spell, saying, "Стена льда," holding one hand palm outward, and tossing a small bit of crystal into the air. The crystal glows blue and flies to a point just southeast of Dom. From that point almost instantly there grows a wall of ice that extends north and west, boxing the heroes in between the wall and the impenetrable forest beyond. Dom tries and fails to interfere with the wall as it forms.
Height: 10 feet.
Hit Points of each 5 foot length: 21
Strength Break DC: 22
Attacks with bludgeoning or slashing weapons hit automatically but do half damage unless they include fire damage. Piercing weapons cannot effectively damage the wall unless they have fire in which case they do half damage.
The wall is perfectly smooth and hence cannot be climbed.
The wall is high enough to block line of sight and line of effect to Nazhena for those enclosed in the walled off section.
Breaking through the wall still leaves a line of frigid air that inflicts 1d6 + 7 damage, no save, when passing through the gap.
Round 3
Ingrit (prayer)
Wapiti (prayer, 17 lethal)
Domitian (prayer)(double move)
Rurik (prayer, 8 lethal)
Nazhena (spectral hand 3/3, 58/63)
Rurik takes the opportunity to heft his morningstar and call down a pulse of revitalizing energy for those who were close by when he smote the golem.
Round 3
Ingrit (prayer)
Wapiti (prayer, 17 lethal)
Domitian (prayer)(double move)
Rurik (prayer, 8 lethal)
Nazhena (spectral hand 3/3, 58/63)
Ignore the "double move" note after Domitian's name. That was copied from the previous round and was supposed to have been deleted. Dom has not taken his round 3 action yet.
Rurik's healing energy seals up his wounds and heals much of what Wapiti suffered.
Round 3
Ingrit (prayer)
Wapiti (prayer, 6 lethal)
Domitian (prayer)
Nazhena
Round 4
Rurik (prayer)
Facing a tall wall of ice, Dom draws and drinks a Potion of Enlarge Person. "Climb on me to take your shots!" suggests Dom to Ingrit, offering his shoulders.
Quickly scrambling up to stand on Dom's shoulders, Ingrit takes a shot at the flying witch, calling out to Wapiti to circle around the hut.
Dom drinks a potion and grows to double his normal size, so that he can just see over the ten foot tall wall of ice.
Ingrit calls her animal companion and begins to climb up her friend's back.
Round 3
Erland (Prayer)
Nazhena
Round 4
Rurik (prayer)
Ingrit (prayer)
Wapiti (prayer, 6 lethal)
Domitian (prayer)
DC 17
By the time Erland gets up to the clearing with the hut, the exploding ice golem has injured Rurik and Wapiti, and Rurik has channeled energy to heal them both. Wapiti is still injured, so Erland applies a healing hex before he moves further into the clearing. This restores the creature to full health.
After that, Erland follows Wapiti to the northeast. When he gets to where he can see the witch flying 15 feet above the ground, he pulls a small bit of mica from his component pouch and uses it to cause an explosion of glittering particles that coats her in a golden glow. She manages to close her eyes and avoid the temporary blinding that the glitterdust particles can cause, however.
Nazhena, still flying, glares at the two behind the ice wall, sighs, and dips a finger in her component pouch. She gestures at the heavens and then points at a spot northwest of the hut. Instantly, the air becomes thick with falling sleet, starting about 20 feet above the ground in a cylinder with a radius of 40 feet centered to the NW of the hut. Ingrit and Domitian find themselves effectively blinded. The ground is instantly slick with ice particles, making walking treacherous.
Erland can tell that she cast a spell called sleet storm. After casting this spell, she flies due north and disappears within the area of the driving sleet. Even though she is glowing with glitter, the light does not penetrate the sleet and so she is effectively invisible.
Round 4
Rurik (prayer)
Ingrit (prayer)
Wapiti (prayer)
Domitian (prayer, enlarged)
Erland (Prayer)
Nazhena
"Gah, stupid witches!" shouts Dom in frustration. If possible, and Ingrit looks willing, Dom will take Ingrit and try to drop her on the other side of the ice wall!
"Just set me atop the wall and try to stay quiet." Ingrit whispers, her bow holding a readied arrow.
Dom agrees and puts Ingrit on top of the wall.