As the woman starts flapping her gums, Grim rolls his eyes. "If you intended to set a reward rate, why didn't you start with that rather than waste time, letting the tracks get harder and harder to follow while we pretend to work out details instead of working together in good faith?
As the group moves towards departure, Grim looks concerned. "Cold iron? Who might have some cold iron arrows? No time to swap heads out . . "
Brominate considers this new information,
"Hm. Well, I certainly could do with a cold iron dagger, if such a thing exists here. ... No. My mind is set on this. But I tell you what, why don't I show you the where I'm headed. You and the others can check out the smithy and do whatever else you need to do. If I'm not back before then, you can head that way. Sound good?"
Seeing the still unsure look on Bazikian's face, he drops to one knee and adds,
"Hey. Don't worry. I'll be fine. And I'll tell ya what: If you can find a cold iron dagger, and if anyone can afford it, get it for me. I'll pay you back using any reward money we may get. Alright?" He rises, then grins (if only slightly), "C'mon. Let me show you."
Brominate steps out the door, but waits for Bazikian to follow.
Nyalis accepts the sword back from Easlis. "Thank you. We've certainly heard enough unusual things today that I'm willing to give this a try. Especially with me not being a swordsman, I'll take whatever advantage I can find. "
After seeing Brominate come into the room and talk with Bazikian, Nyalis gives his input to Brominate. "I think we are really close to being ready to set off after the Lady Argantea. Seeing how badly Yulin got hurt, it might not be a good idea to go off on your own. There is usually strength in numbers and we can use that strength to investigate what you have seen. I'm sure a quick conference with the smith won't delay us too much."
Brominate turns back in to speak to the Elf,
"I'm not going to be there at all. Because no one will see me. And if what I see does turn out to be a...potentially unfriendly encounter, believe me, I have zero intentions of engaging. It's like I said, that smoke might be nothing more than someone's breakfast, or maybe a refuse pile. It could be a farmer doing...farmer things. And it probably is something like that."
Brominate's face seems to darken a bit, and his green and grey eyes seem brighter than normal.
"But what if it's not? What if nefarious forces are much closer than the edge of the woods? Wouldn't you like any advantage you could get?"
When Nyalis' gaze doesn't waver, Bazikian looking like he might never see his new friend again, and Brominate knowing their claims and suggestions make sense, he huffs in frustration.
"Ugh, fine! I'll come with you lot to the smithy, but we need to hurry! No more than an hour. After that, I'm gone. With or without you."
Easlis sighs in relief after hearing Brominate come to his senses. He surely did not want to look for more people than they absolutely should, and the prospect of going directly into the wilderness without provisions was not to his liking either.
"I'm going to fetch my mule. Everybody, let's meet at the smithy!" And with that said, he rushes out the door.
The party makes their way to the Smithy. Asker lookup from his forge as the door opens.
"Well hello there. I didn't expect so many people in this morning with the market going!"
He listens to your description of what you're looking for, then thinks for a moment.
"Hmm... Cold iron. Not a lot of demand for that around here. I know the method, but I do not have much of it laying around at the moment. I do happen to have 20 cold iron sling bullets, and 5 cold iron blanches that could be used in a pinch.
"If there is something specific you need, feel free to put in an order. I could make most weapons for you in a day or two."
Once they have done their shopping, the party gathers up to head towards the smoke that Brominate spotted.
"If we are to arm with Cold Iron weapons, I will need arrowheads from you, attached to properly fletched shafts by someone else, I'm betting. Will you handle that coordination, or do I need to find the fletcher and have him order the heads?"
"While you all go to the smith, I'll grab the rest of my gear and meet you there, " says Nyalis as everybody leaves the room.
Nyalis moves as quickly as possible without trying to get any of the other villagers alarmed, holding Yulin's longsword close to his body. He double-checks his place to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything, then hurries to the smithy to meet everybody else.
Asker nods to Grimgisli. "If you think they are necessary, I will get to work on them right away. not a lot of orders on my plate right now anyways. My daughter will handle the fletching, her hands are much better at those fine tasks than mine! gets them from her mother she does... Come back in 2 days and they should be ready for you!
_____________________________________________________________________
Purchases made, equipment gathered, and armed with as much information as poor Yulin could give them, the party heads towards the area where the ambush occurred.
Near the forest, the temperature grows noticeably colder.
Brominate ranges ahead slightly to investigate the source of the smoke he saw earlier. Sure enough, it is coming from the site of the battle.
The road ahead is littered with debris and the corpses of slain humans and horses. A carriage stands in the roadway, its team of horses missing or cut free, while another overturned carriage lies sprawled and broken next to the tree line, a smoldering fire still burning where the driver's seat should have been. To the south, more bodies have fallen around what appears to be a statue of ice. A snowy trail leads deeper into the forest.
What do you do next?
"I don't think we would have time to wait for a fletcher or the smithy to carve the sling bullets into arrows. However two of these..." he points to a pouch of silvery powder that the smithy labeled as cold iron blanches."...will cover all ammo you will need.
If you can afford them of course. I find them too pricey for a weapon, but for ammo, I don't know... For more information just ask this guy." he points to Nyalis. "After all, this is his area of expertise.
Brominate did in fact put in an order for a cold iron dagger, before heading out.
As they approach the raid site, Brominate turns his face towards the party. His eyes show the pain he feels for the poor souls. The moment passes and he quietly conveys,
Imma make sure the perimeter is clear.
He stays north of the carriage and bushes, traveling counter clockwise towards the the edge of the woods, using whatever cover he can find to stay low and stay hidden.
He scans the trees for movement.
As they approach the site, Nyalis is astonished at all the destruction."I think Yulin overestimated what kind of defense they put up. This looks more like a massacre than a battle. "
While Brominate explores the perimeter, Nyalis moves up just enough so that he can see the closest carriage.
Nyalis surveys the area while the scouting is going on, trying not to go too far in until the all clear is called.
Seeing the carnage ahead of them Easlis draws his sword with one hand and takes out of the mule's sack a torch which he promptly lights it on fire.
He doesn't believe in lighting hitting a place only once and seen enough to trust in Yulin's story, especially the part of his fallen brethren coming back to life.
"I can't stand the sight of all these slain people. I say let's burn'em." He lights up the body to the north of the carriage.
"I can't stand the sight of all these slain people. I say let's burn'em." He lights up the body to the north of the carriage.
"Yulin did ask us to leave the dead alone..." Bazikian interjects as Easlis moves to begin burning bodies. "He wanted to take care of them. As long as they are dead and not about to attack us, I think we should respect his wishes. They may be his friends, or even family."
The gnome moves just inside the perimeter of the battle site, trying to get what first impressino she can. In particular, he squints at what appears to be an ice statue.
"Great. None of you are trackers, are you? Scattering over the area, obscuring any clues that might have been left as you tromp merrily across the battlefield . . .. Actively seeking to destroy any signs that might have been left before looking for them. Guess I'll sit over here and wait for one of you geniuses to tell me what happened and what's next. No? GOOD. Now, stop being destructive and let me look around."
Grim figuratively puts his nose to the ground and starts investigating the scene. Anything he can find out about the battle could be useful, but he's really hoping to get some kind of count and description of the attackers from their trail, at a bare minimum. He's also hoping the bodies can tell him something about how they are armed. If he can identify anything about the flow of the combat, that should reveal information about their tactics as well.
You all fan out to investigate the ambush site. Grimgisli calls out a warning to be more careful with the scene and Easlis starts to burn a body.
The decorative chasings on this expensive carriage bear the marks of Taldan heraldry, as well as damage from the many arrows fired in the battle that took place here. A spear has been wedged between the handles of the carriage doors to hold them closed.
You can hear Muff led sounds of movement emanating from inside the carriage.
As you pass by the intact carriage, you keep an eye out for movement. The tree line and this section of road seem completely still other than your companions. In fact, you don't even see any animals nearby.
You can't make out details from where you are, but what you took as a statue looks like it is actually a person encased in ice. Something doesn't look quite right about it, though, like the proportions are off. You would have to get closer to make more out.
It is difficult to tell how the battle took shape due to the sheer number of footprints. However, you are able to determine that at least 10 humans or humanoids came out of the tree line to the south.
There are footprints indicating the battle itself, but that many people moving quickly on a travelled road in the chaos of battle leaves very little information about the fighting styles involved. You notice a large number of footprints and drag marks heading towards the forest to the south, likely where the bandits left the battle heading into the woods, dragging their loot.
You do not spot any non-humanoid footprints.
Even your untrained eyes can see that several of the bodies were not cut open by swords. They are pierced by dozens of small needles the size of a sewing pin. Others are partially frozen with ice coating their hair or clothing.
Brominate scans the trees, and suddenly feels a sense of alarm. Not by what he sees. But by what he doesn’t see. There is no movement in the forest. None whatsoever. Not a falling leaf or a scurrying critter. He draws his dagger but keeps it hidden at his side, so as not to seem threatening to whoever, or whatever, might be watching.
[b]”Fellas? This whole thing is askew. Something’s not right.”[b]
He turns to face Grimgisli as he continues to whisper,
[b]Grimgisli, even with the cold, wouldn’t you think there’d be some signs of animal life this early?”[b]
"Hey wait a minute, that's not a statue..." Bazikian takes one step towards the figure encased in ice, then halts as Brom voices his concerns. He draws his crossbow and crouches lower, scanning the area.
Nyalis cringes when he is berated by Grimgisli. He says in a bit of a fluster, "Y-Y-Y-You're right, Grim. I was just in a hurry to find the Lady Argantea. Based on how long Yulin has been gone, every minute may count."
After surveying the battle site, Nyalis calls to the rest of the rescue team, "Hey, guys! Come over here and listen! It sounds like there is something moving inside this carriage. It looks like they might be locked inside intentionally."
Brominate scans the trees, and suddenly feels a sense of alarm. Not by what he sees. But by what he doesn’t see. There is no movement in the forest. None whatsoever. Not a falling leaf or a scurrying critter. He draws his dagger but keeps it hidden at his side, so as not to seem threatening to whoever, or whatever, might be watching.
"Fellas? This whole thing is askew. Something's not right."
He turns to face Grimgisli as he continues to whisper,
Grimgisli, even with the cold, wouldn't you think there'd be some signs of animal life this early?
*Edit*
The elf stammers something about someone intentionally locked up inside the carriage.
"May be a trick! Stay wary!" he hoarsely whispers. "None of this seems right..."
He continues moving counterclockwise, starting to veer southward. He inspects the destroyed carriage and what looks like some chests near the shattered remains.
"No animals. Unnatural cold. People killed by magical cold and frost. Others killed by tiny needles. A few killed by the tenish men with swords. All left that way, dragging loot if not a couple of bodies." He points while he talks. "Keep armed and ready. If we haven't been attacked yet, they are most likely to attack while we check out those noises in the carriage. If we can't see 'em, we can't do nothing about an ambush but wait for it. I'll keep my bow ready.
Who wants to check out the carriage?"
After Grimgisli's obeservations Easlis sighs and leaving the torch behind, he jumps on the back of the carriage and checks for cracks or windows to have a glimpse of what's inside. "Whoever's in there, get out and no harm will come to you. Grimgisli, I hope you aim that bow true, I don't want to be added on the bottom of the list with `killed by arrows`."
Nyalis draws the cold iron longsword that he got from Yulin. This seems worse than I expected, Yulin made it sound like they were handling things until the fey showed up but it doesn't sound like his story adds up with what Brominate and Grimgisli are seeing, he thinks.
After Easlis climbs on the carriage, Nyalis declares "I am ready" as he raises the sword and takes a defensive stance.
The overturned carriage looks like it was already looted. You see two bodies inside, both female and well-dressed but not fancy enough to have been the Lady. Likely these were handmaidens.
It looks like the bandits tried to set the carriage on fire, but the snow and general damp kept it from setting properly. The portion of the carriage that used to be the driver's seat is now smoldering and putting off black smoke.
Around the carriage are a number of boxes and packages, mostly torn open. A few are mostly intact
You are distracted by what looks like a butterfly. Could this be the sign you were looking for? the symbol of Desna, guiding you on your Very Important Quest?
No, it was just a random pattern of blood on the snow...
The other three ready themselves around the intact carriage. at Easlis' words, the sound of movement turns to the sound of someone pounding on the door from the inside. Possibly more than one person, but it is hard for Easlis to tell for sure.
The carriage itself is of very good make, fit for a travelling noblewoman. there are no seams to peer through, and none of the arrows that were fired seem to have done more than cosmetic damage. there are no open windows. the panels on either side of the carriage look like they could be opened from the inside to let fresh air in, but are sturdy enough to withstand an outside attack once closed.
The spear in the door is still holding it closed.
Seeing the reactions of the carriage inhabitants had when they heard an outside voice, Easlis was convinced that whatever was locked in there was not friendly and would likely jump on them the first chance it got. He was taken aback by the sturdiness of the carriage and decided to take the wizardry approach of opening the carriage safely :
The magus climbed on top of the carriage and signaled to the others to watch the door. He then imagined an invisible hand lifting the spear from the ground controlling its movement with one hand and readying his sword with the other for an attack.
While others are indecisive, Easlis reaches out with magic to dislodge the spear from the door. it falls away easily.
As soon as Easlis pulls the spear free, the door swings open hard from the inside. The smell of death becomes even more intense as three human zombies stumble out of the cabin!
Bold may act:
Grimgisli, Bazikian, Easlis, Brominate, Nyalis,
zombies
When he saw Easlis lifting the spear out from the door handholds through some form of magic, Brominate immediately knew he'd been right to warn them. It was a trap!
Brominate quickly and quietly moved up 'til he was right beside the nearest.... attacker. Luckily his weapon was already drawn and they hadn't noticed him. It was time to strike first, ask questions later.
"Bah! Everybody is too close for me to use magic. They will get caught in the blast. I will have to use this sword," he thinks.
Realizing he on the wrong side of the carriage, Nyalis vaults onto the top of the carriage to get into the fight. "For Yulin and the Lady Argantea! " he yells as he slashes at the zombie from above.
If you want to get up on top of the carriage it will take a climb check. the DC will not be very high because there are some footholds, but with your 0 modifier it is still quite possible to fail.
you can choose to attempt the climb check and end up on top fighting with higher ground, or you can use this turn doing a double move around
Nyalis tries to climb onto the top of the carriage.
Nyalis falls on his backside in the wet snow.
non-lethal damage, and prone.
Bold may act:
Grimgisli, Bazikian, Easlis, Brominate, Nyalis,
zombies
Global Condition: None |Global Condition:
Grimgisli HP: 12/12 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Bazikian HP: 12/12 - AC: 17/11/16 Status:
Easlis: HP: 11/11 - AC: 15/11/14 Status:
Brominate HP: 11/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:
Nyalis HP: 9/9 (-6 non lethal) - AC: 16/13/13 Status: proneNPCS:
Red Zombie:
Green Zombie:
Blue Zombie:
Bazikian steps back from the zombies with disgust, pulls out the blue-enamelled symbol of a butterfly, and calls out on Desna's power. A wave of bright energy flashes out from the symbol, burning the zombies as it washes over them.
Grim sighs as he sees the zombies climbing out of the carriage, drawing a bead on the one most likely to move towards him and letting fly.
Seeing Nyalis fall gave the magus an idea. From atop the carriage, Easlis focused the magic around him and directed it towards the ground and throwing some small pieces of butter above the heads of the zombies. He envisioned the ground underneath the zombies turning into a slippery paste.
"You should be wary of the carriage. It might have move unexpectedly" Easlis warned Nyalis and Brominate.
While Nyalis and Brominate move to get into position (some more successfully than others...), Easlis and Bazikian start using their two very different magical talents to stop the zombies and Grimgisli lets fly with a well-placed arrow.
Grim's arrow hits the zombie and sinks into it's skin, but the zombie doesn't seem to feel its wound.
The red zombie falls to the ground as grease forms all around it. The red zombie also appears more affected by Bazikian's channeling than the other 2.
The zombies are all coated in goo and unable to move, but they lash out at the closest opponents. Those of you who have encountered undead before notice these zombies don’t seem to be moving with purpose and are likely not directly under someone's control.
Red zombie attempts to stand, provoking an AoO from Easlis.
Round 2. Bold may act:
Grimgisli, Bazikian, Easlis, Brominate, Nyalis,
zombies
Global Condition: None |
Global Condition:
Grimgisli HP: 12/12 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Bazikian HP: 12/12 - AC: 17/11/16 Status:
Easlis: HP: 11/11 - AC: 15/11/14 Status:
Brominate HP: 11/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:
Nyalis HP: 9/9 (-6 non lethal) - AC: 16/13/13 Status: prone
NPCS:
Red Zombie: -4hp |AC:??? | status:prone
Green Zombie: -2hp|AC:???|status:
Blue Zombie: -11?hp | AC 13 | status:
He wasn't sure what he expected, but it wasn't this. No time to hide or find a better vantage point, Brominate moved in to the nearest assailant and took a swing.
The creature barely seemed fazed, if at all. Why hadn't he taken to the shadows!?
Swearing under his breath for allowing himself to be seen, Brominate slashes wide at the odious creature. Then jumps back.
Seeing the zombie wanting to get up Easlis rose his scimitar and released it on the unsuspecting zombie.
He repeated the attack only this time on the zombie that wanted to hit him earlier hoping that at least he would annoy the zombie into following him unto the carriage.
After his much better-aimed swing he was Easlis took a step back. And checked on in what state Nyalis was in. Are you fine? That was quite a fall.
Don't forget to roll damage when you roll to confirm! you both hit.
Brominate cuts a deep gash in one of the zombies, and Easlis decapitates a second one with a very well-placed swing of his scimitar
Global Condition: None |
Global Condition:
Grimgisli HP: 12/12 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Bazikian HP: 12/12 - AC: 17/11/16 Status:
Easlis: HP: 11/11 - AC: 15/11/14 Status:
Brominate HP: 11/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:
Nyalis HP: 9/9 (-6 non lethal) - AC: 16/13/13 Status: prone
NPCS:
Red Zombie: -8hp |AC:13 | status:
Green Zombie: -8hp|AC:12|status:
Blue Zombie: -23?hp | AC 13 | status: dead
"It had to be something this soft and squishie . . .." Grim lets another shaft fly at the closer moving zombie.
Nyalis picks himself up off the cold ground and tries to get back into the fight. Don't do that again, you'll only hurt yourself worse, he thinks. He yells to the rest of the party, "I'm OK! Keep up the fight!"
After regaining his footing, Nyalis moves around the carriage, trying not to hurt himself further.
Grimgisli's projectile appears to do nothing at all to the zombie.
The red zombie mindlessly reaches out for Nyalis who is now the closest thing to it.
It manages to get one of its claws around Nyalis' neck and gravely injures him, dropping an unconscious elf at its feet.
The green zombie tries to chase after Brominate, mindless of the grease all around it but it has very poor balance all falls down.
Bazikian loads and fires a crossbow at the green zombie
Bold may act:
Grimgisli, Bazikian, Easlis, Brominate, Nyalis,
zombies
Global Condition: None |
Global Condition:
Grimgisli HP: 12/12 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Bazikian HP: 12/12 - AC: 17/11/16 Status:
Easlis: HP: 11/11 - AC: 15/11/14 Status:
Brominate HP: 11/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:
Nyalis HP: -1/9 (-6 non lethal) - AC: 16/13/13 Status: unconscious and dying
NPCS:
Red Zombie: -8hp |AC:12 | status:
Green Zombie: -8hp|AC:12|status: prone
Blue Zombie: -23?hp | AC 13 | status: dead
It was incredulous just how mindless these things were...
He saw the elf was in trouble, but Brominate didn't know much about healing. Revenge never leaves time for healing.
But he knew a lot about striking foes with his trusted blade, especially when they were face down in the muck.
You're finished! he said in his mind to his enemy. With that, he stepped up and swung down at its neck!
slashing damage
precision damage
The Ulfen man shifts his position to get a slightly clearer shot before loosing another shaft at the closer zombie.
Seeing Nyalis bloodied and unconscious at the bottom of his feet a state of panic overcame Easlis who started planning for ways of escape.
If he would do that, he would risk exposing his back to an attack and face the ire of the whole town and what would remain of the rescue group.
"Just hold on for a little while. We will end this soon. " He slashed with his scimitar again and released a ray of energy at the zombie nearest to them. "Bazikian! See to the elf!"
Bazikian sees Nyalis drop to the snowy ground, and he rushes up behind his fallen friend. "Desna, heal this elf!" he begs of his goddess. Bright blue light shines out from beneath his hands as he touches Nyalis's back and shoulder.
After being touched by Bazikian, Nyalis opens his eyes and is shocked to see the zombie standing over him. Reflexively, he lashes out from the ground with his longsword, trying to fell the zombie.
Brominate slashes the zombie on the ground, but does only a little bit of damage
The red zombie shudders slighty when hit by the spell, then lashes out at Easlis.
miss
The green zombiereaches towards Brominate from the ground
miss
Bazikian stops Nyalis from bleeding, but is unable to rouse him.
Global Condition: None |
Global Condition:
Grimgisli HP: 12/12 - AC: 16/14/12 Status:
Bazikian HP: 12/12 - AC: 17/11/16 Status:
Easlis: HP: 11/11 - AC: 15/11/14 Status:
Brominate HP: 11/11 - AC: 17/14/13 Status:
Nyalis HP: 1/9 (-4 non lethal) - AC: 16/13/13 Status: unconscious
NPCS:
Red Zombie: -9hp |AC:??? | status:
Green Zombie: -9hp|AC:???|status:
Blue Zombie: -23?hp | AC 13 | status: dead
Nyalis out of danger, for the time being at least, Bazikian focuses his energies on taking down the undead creatures before they can harm his companions further. He brandishes the blue butterfly, roaring, "Lie down and sleep! Your time is done! Rest now, and bother the living no more!"