With a roar, Urga attacks the doll with his falchion.
Urga's blow narrowly misses
The doll imperiously waves a hand
And suddenly frost falls from the air on to you, sapping the heat from your bodies.
Thorn, urga, sturion and Rikael please make a DC 14 fort save or be staggered.
Ach, a little cold won't hardly stop me!
Sturion gets back up and tries hitting from the floor, not sure if he can reach.
Thorn shivers at teh sudden cold but then warmth infuses him and he realises a tiny flame spirit had stayed with him and unseen had begun to warm him though its own form was but the barest of flickers.
Other spirits begin to swarm around him eagar to lend their own brand of help when needed.
Urga shakes off the cold and swings again at the doll.
Urga's mighty blow slams into the doll, sending it spinning. It snarls a curse in skald like and old hag, and the voice of a child cries out in pain. Sturion's swings in vain, unable to reach the doll. and Rikael leaps but misses.
Doll
HP 8/25
AC 20
DR 5/epic and magic
(waiting on thorn's response)
Thorn neatly drops the rope over the doll and catches it.
Once the rope settles down on the doll, Thorn Pulls. As spirits from aroun him begin to gather in lending him aid, encouragment, jeers and side bets on whether their 'friend' can do it.
Great work, Thorn! Get the lil' bugger down here where we kin smash it easy-like!
Sturion the cheerleader knows limited cheers, but he's enthusiastic, as he gets positioned to swing again.
Agatha continues to hex the doll
It fails, as the curse takes hold. It's AC is now -2 (19)
Next round
The doll atemps to slash the rope with her little dagger but fails (does too little damage] Swearing and curse with an old woman's voice, and the wails of a confused girl.
Your actions please
As soon as it's in range, Rikael hacks at it with Feybane.
We gave you the option of answering questions, now you die!
Rikael's words are more cutting than his attack.
Thorn pulls the doll down into easy attack range.
Sturion slams a nice divot into the floor.
Durn thing wiggles in fear too much!
Urga again roars and brings his over sized falchion down on the doll.
The doll shatters with the scream of a bitter old hag.
Please make a DC14 will save Urga.
As the doll hits the ground the mirror eye shatters into a million pieces. The gemstone rattles on the floor. It looks quite valuable. As you look a little girl, about six or seven appears. She is an obvious phantom as you can see through her.
please, free me. Tell my mother I'm sorry
She fades from view
Thorn sinks to his knees, his legs shaking...
"Oh my word... That little girl... Her anguish...Her pain...." His eyes filling with tears as he brushes away all offers of help as he stows his rope and commits that little girl to memory.
"I'll pass your words on to your mother.." he mutters.
Sturion eyes the gem.
Mayhaps we should break it?
...hammer ready...
Urga stares at the gem in wonder,"Yes, perhaps we should break the gem if that will free her soul. I say do it."
Urga will search the rest of the hut for anything of interest.
Urga, you feel a magic brush by you, but you repeled it.
"Break it my friend." he whispers.
"Free her soul from its prison, please." the last said softly yet strong for if Sturion doesn't do it, then Thorn will, So strong is his conviction.
Without a second thought, Sturion slams the hammer into the gem.
Rikael pales when he hears the words spoken to Urga.
Urga! That doll... It cursed you! You should be careful for a while, lest its foul magic take you unawares...
Then he advances on the gem and turns it over with Feybane.
Whatever this thing is, we need to be careful with it. Agatha, you truly have no idea what it is?
Urga nods at Rikael, "Gorum has protected me from the doll's magic."
"We must destroy the gem Rikael."
I'll have a drink for Gorum later then, my friend. For now, I just wonder if we should investigate this stone more before des--
His words are cut off as Sturion smashes the thing.
He watches impassively as Sturion smashes the foul gem before him. He knows Rikael was saying something but his mind tunes him out. Everything focused on watching the rise of the hammer falling upon a soon to be shattered gem.
In front of you manifests the ghost of a small girl. She smiles at you.
she says her name and fades
Urga says a silent prayer for the girl's soul.
"I am eager to be gone from this cursed hut. Shall we see if we can pick up the trail of the creature we were tracking?"
As you leave the hut, the mist faes from view, and the ominous stones disappear also. A loud cracking noise can be heard as the hut crumbles to dust as you watch. In seconds the clearing is empty, except a trail of blood leading across it to a path on the far side.
Actions?
Urga points at the trail with his extended falchion, "Let us end this menace and unlock the land from this supernatural winter."
Urga starts heading down the trail.
Sturion tromps along at his usual slow but steady pace.
Thorn follows suit, keeping the girl's words & features in his memories.
Behind the party, movement can be seen. Two figures can be seen emerging through the woods. One of them waves to you.
Well met. We are here to reinforce you
"Ah, good, we caught up to you. I'm Lialda and this is..." she looks at the other woman, "Say, I don't recall asking your name." She gets a moderately annoyed look on her face realizing that. "Anyway, we were told you might need some help with investigating this snow." She seems to remember something and pats herself down. Finding it, she pulls out a note with strange markings on it, "I'm not sure what this is about, guessing it's in druid since it was given to us by one. I was told it was for a man named 'Sildar'." When he identifies himself, she gives him the message.
Yh'ari had, until this point, kept a steady pace behind Lialda, but as the aforementioned party comes into view, the shockingly pale witch joins at Lialda's side, speaking in a cold voice.
"And I don't recall telling you, either. If it's important, it's Yh'ari."
As if to introduce itself, a tiny artic fox pokes its head out of the neckline of her clothing, before swiftly retreating.
"And that was Ran...but I doubt you'll be chatting with her. I can see the rumors around Heldren were not false, though... At least there was a reason that my purchases were delayed. It's true, then? The fae have become active at this time, correct? A shame...It would be completely bearable...beautiful, even, if those pranksters were gone."
Her voice comes across as cold as the snow beneath her feet, almost bored from the sound of it, combined with her relative lack of anything comparable to emotion.
Sturion steps forward and jerks a thumb toward the largish man in furs scratching a bear behind his ears.
That's th' guy. Hopin' it ain't bad news. He's good folks.
Urga shakes Sildur's hand and pats Dru on the back. "God speed Sildur."
He then grunts a greeting to the new comers, "Greetings, I am Urga and these are my friends. It seems that a preternatural winter has descended across the land. We fear that the witches of Irrisen are somehow involved. So far, we have only battled their fey and bandit minions. We are hoping this trail will lead to more clues. Welcome to the Party."
Lialda gets a thoughtful look at his comment, Probably best I don't mention my ties to the witches then, at least not yet.
Thorn looks at the newcomer and then promptly ignore them for a while as the rest converse with them his sense alert for danger.
There'll be time enough for introductions later.
Sildur reads the letter, his face paling.
My friends, I regret that I am summoned by my superiors. Something urgent has come up and I must attend to it.I wish you the best. It may be we shall meet again, in another time and place.
He reaches onto his belt, removing a scabarded dagger there. Agatha, I return to you your dagger. Thank you for its loan.
Agatha replies Thank you my friend. Fair trails
Then he turns to Rikael. Take these my friend. you may find more use for them than I. He hands Rikael two flasks of alchemist fire.
I do hope to rejoin you at a later time, but all is uncertain now. Still, let us not extend this farewell. Luck on your quest.
With that he turns and strides away. Dru gives the party a mournful look, then turns and follows his companion. They are soon lost to sight.
|
Agatha watches Sildur leave, and sighs.
I hate seeing him depart. I sense he is needed though.
She turns to look at the new arrivals.
So, you two. We have heard you names. I am Agatha, daughter of Jacintah, scion of the the queen of witches.
While saying this she puts the dagger Sildur gave her on her belt.
Rikael gives Sildur a firm handshake, and Dru a scratch between the ears and smiles at the man.
Do what you must Sildur. I'm sure we'll see one another again. I am a traveling bodyguard, you know.
He watches his friend depart, and then makes his way to Sturion, where he promptly pours a drink with the dwarf and watches the newcomers.
And I'm Rikael. I must say, we've pleased Cayden somehow, considering he sent us not one, but two beautiful ladies to join our cause.
He bows and speaks again.
My blade shall keep you from harm, on my honor as a warrior.
His eyebrow arches at Agatha's words in skald, but he keeps his silence.
Lialda draws herself up proudly and begins speaking in skald.