"Whatever that guy is doing, has to stop!" She said, still firing at Rohkar, hoping she was shooting at the right one.
for a possible piercing damage.
gondork: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 3 - 4 = 122d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 5) + 6 = 12
Arwyn fires at Rohkar again, but misses both images of him. Her eyes are drawn to the Ochre bandit, as it rises from the stairs, its movements jerky, and moves downstairs.
The sick blue bandit withdraws out onto the porch.
"Damn you Rohkar! We've warned you fair and square, don't come squealing to us when we beat you!"
the image of him vanishes, and with dismay realize the real Rohkar was indeed the other one.
"Fine! Kill me! Kill us all! More for me to animate! There's nothing you, nor I , can do to stop them! " , he bleats. growing slowly more erratic.
"You want to know what happened to your High Sentinel friends? Wondering why we're in here, freezing to death slowly, like all of Taldor will be? Don't you know what's coming? ", he shouts!
"The Fey Found US FIRST!! I had no choice but to throw myself on their mercy, and act as their SERVANT! Is the life of one noblewoman really worth more than the lives of my men and I? The Rangers are NO MORE you idiot child! Your friend just killed one of them! There's no escape! We can't even cross the bridge to escape! "
the Purple bandit watches from outside, transfixed by the battle, shivering in the night air.
[20: purple (#2)], [20: Gondork], [20: Skeletons], [20: rohkar], [15: half-orc/ten-penny], [13: sick green (#7)], [12: Arwyn], [11: Caladan], [10: Ochre Zombie], [8: sick blue (#9)], [3: blue (#5)], [3: Giacomo]
"What do you mean? Of course your lives matter, we're just here because our mayor told us so. We were just under the impression you were ruffians, but it seems that you're forced to do so.
The offer still stands. You're not obligated to do anything. We're just interested in the noblewoman, nothing more. Heavens, I'm sure I can make a case for you if we return back to the village. I don't know why you think you have no options left, but I'm sure that together we'll be able to fight back!"
And we might even help you get over that damn bridge, too!
Oh lady Sivanah, how I have come to lean upon your trickery...
Gondork whacks the skeleton quickly before getting up.
You swat the skeleton, it explodes in an icy blast, you feel dizzy, but you stand up.
"I can still do it, I can still come out ahead! You'll never stop me!"
Rohkar seems desperate with a bit of fight still in him. Giacomo notices him fish something out from his cloak and brandish it briefly, but doesn't get a great look at it. It clicks in his mind though, a second later, when a wave of negative energy rolls off Rohkar and hits everyone in the room, draining them of life.
Ten-penny pops up on the other side of the chimney, firing a hand crossbow bolt at Rohkar, it catches him by surprise, and he collapses. "He's down! Kill the zombie and I'll show you where the woman is!" , Ten Penny shouts from the ceiling, surveying the room.
The sick green bandit drops his weapons, surrendering. the two outside drop theirs as well.
perception checks
will saves:
[20: purple (#2)], [20: Gondork], [20: rohkar], [15: half-orc/ten-penny], [13: sick green (#7)], [12: Arwyn], [11: Caladan], [10: Ochre Zombie], [8: sick blue (#9)], [3: blue (#5)], [3: Giacomo]
"He's down! Kill the zombie and I'll show you where the woman is!"
Arwyn nodded. "Alright then."
Striding forward, she unlimbered her masterwork handaxe and overhand chopped at the zombie.for a possible slashing damage.
"Boy you look familiar. Haven't I shot you? A couple of times?" She wondered aloud.
"grrrraaargh!!!
"I'm sorry it had to end like this, zombie-mister. There isn't much I can do for you anymore, I'm afraid. I hope you have a gentle rest."
Jolted by taking the hit by the zombie, Arwyn staggered a bit before bouncing back with a side chop to attack.
for a possible slashing damage.
You heave a collective sigh of relief. Ten-Penny Tacey cautiously greets you, and checks on one of the bodies nearby to see if he's still alive. "We can do greetings later. I just want to see how many of them can be saved still. Patrick! start checking bodies! Billiem, get back to bed, you shouldn't be up fighting. you too Godrick. " , she shouts to the remaining bandits, sounding a little like a nursemaid.
the blue bandit hears things get quiet, and the door to the sickroom slowly creeks open, he stands there surveying the damage as two of the bandits wearily climb back into their sickbeds. "What are we going to do with all the bodies?"
"Hey, I know I just shot at at bunch of people, but I'd like to make it right. If you need any help with patching up your friends, I'd like to make myself useful."
Gondork stands up, and brushes himself off.
Ugh... I thought I was a goner there for a second. Thanks, Caladan.
He stands still for a moment, observing the remaining bandits.
I think we should cremate the bodies. Who knows what kind of dark magic those witches have laid upon the land. You! Ten-penny! You know my name?
"yeah. you're gondork the merc. I remember you, we passed through the same city a few months ago. i usually remember faces well. especially other half-orcs. "
"your assistance sorting the living is appreciated. I'm no healer, I've just been doing most of the cooking and grunt work for them lately." She tosses aside the bearskin rug on the other side of the fireplace and stomps , "Your woman is down there, just so you don't think i'm skirting any part of our deal. She's in mostly good condition. "
You find two unconscious bandits, and two dead. the one that was turned into a zombie is obviously past gone. Rohkar is unconscious and you stabilize him.
downstairs, a half-dozen boxes and barrels take up the majority of this underground cellar. A rough blanket lies spread on the floor in the southeast corner, next to a bowl of half-eaten food. A wooden ladder from the trap door leads down.
As the door opens, and the light from the fireplace illuminates the dark basement, out of the shadows a proud looking Noble in a dirty and torn dress stands up. She limps lightly over to the ladder, looking up. "Rescued! About time! " if no one objects, she climbs up from the cellar, offering her hand for assistance climbing the last few rungs. "You've my profuse thanks. I'm Lady Argentea Malassene. "
>> a picture of the Lady Argentea Malassene <<
She appears injured, but not on the verge of death. She's covered with bruises and scratches, though she appears to act as though they're not there.
Giacomo tends to some of the scrapes and bruises on Lady Malassene and explains the situation. "We've been sent to rescue you, lady! Or, at least figure out what's going on with the sudden snow and all, and we stumbled upon you. In the morning we'll head back to the village, I think, you can come with us!"
To the rest of the party, he says, "Okay, what's the plan? Do we want to rest here for the night and head back in the morning? That is, if Ten-Penny and the rest allows us to."
Turning to Ten-Penny, he asks, "Is that all right with you? We won't be a bother, I promise. If you'd like you can come back with us. The elders will probably be mad at you for kidnapping the lady, but I can put in a good word for you.
Also, now that we're not killing each other anymore, thanks for that, by the way, could you explain why you did all this? Rohkar said something about not having any choice."
A pleasure working for you milady. Name's Gondork Ramcleft, at yer service. We've been tracking you down from where these bandits took you hostage. Before you unleash your wrath on them, I'd like to know your side of the story, as we might have to stick together for the night and we're not murdering them. Please make yourself comfortable while we tend to this mess.
After hearing what lady Malassene has to say, Gondork will go outside to pick up his armor and the other bandits.
"by all means. this little gang is kaput now. If you leave him alive i'm sure Rohkar will try and escape and do something. He's such a treacherous backstabber. I made my way through the woods and ran afoul of their band, these things happen in my line of work, we can't all have a moral high compass. I joined them to survive, but then they ran into the winter fey. , and the one Rohkar reported to sometimes, "
"With their help, Izoze and the pixies, we were able to take out the High Sentinels here, Rohkar's only enemies in the region stopping them from being real brigands. But none of us were prepared for this weather. And I wasn't prepared for how lowly he'd treat me. "
She points out rooms, most of the men sleep out here by the fire. The sick stay in the other room, she cautions care, they don't know what they're sick with. Rohkar has a big room down here, next to hers, and the kitchen is in the northwest corner of the building. But Rohkar spent most of his time up in his planning room doing stuff. "We had no idea he even had skeletons animated up there.
"You can use Rohkar's room down here to rest, or upstairs. feel free to go through his stuff, but if you can leave us a little bit of coin, maybe we could be of some more service to you, or at least we can get farther away from this blasted place. "
Rohkar's Room:
Three doors open into this room. A sturdy bed heaped with blankets sits near the only window, and a large maple chest occupies the southwest corner.
Rohkar's Planning Room: (upstairs)
An L-shaped table with many chairs takes up most of the floor space in this loft. A second, smaller, table sits near the entrance and several windows look over the snowy grounds of the lodge. In the southwest corner, a large map hangs on the wall opposite another door in the northeast wall.
Planning Room Storeroom (also upstairs):
Dozens of small boxes, bottles, and papers fill this musty storeroom. A small iron cage sits on the top shelf, emanating a flickering light like that of a candle.
You root around in the storage room and find a few things that could be of interest. Caladan can't read it, but he finds some scrolls, and some jars that radiate magic containing oil.
When you open the door, a small blue creature in the cage holds onto the bars and drags himself up to look. "please, help me!" it squeaks in a high pitched pitiful voice.
In talking through the evening with Lady Argentea, you find that she's willing to go back to town on her own if you give her cold weather gear and some supplies, or even go with you to help. "You seem to be on an important mission. This cold weather is deadly to the region, and whatever is causing it , they must be stopped. If you think you can spare me, I'll return to the town. If you need assistance, I'll do whatever I can to protect this land."
To Lady Argentea, Giacomo asks, "What can you help us with, then? I'm not doubting your skill or anything, but it's probably going to be dangerous. Are you capable of defending yourself? Can you wield a weapon, or use magic? Or even know a lot about the dangers around here? I'd be glad to have someone tag along, especially from a pretty lady like you, but you need to pull your weight, so to say."
To the blue thing in the cage, Giacomo says, "Hey there, little fellow. Why did they lock you up?"
To Ten-Penny: "We've found some gold upstairs. We'd like to keep the majority of it to ourselves, sort of as payment for this whole ordeal, and sort of to prepare us for what's coming up, but of course I don't mind sharing with you guys. How much would you need to continue living? Hundred gold? Fifty?"
"Fifty will be plenty for the boys. I imagine they'll need it for treatment for what ails them (somewhere else). For a hundred myself, I'll come with you, I've seen Izoze, and I'm a decent burglar. Of course for future spoils we could negotiate a bit... . I've got a half used healer's kit, if you want to take a look at the guys, or use it for yourselves."
"I know the lands and its people. a good deal about history, and I'm capable of defending myself a bit. If this winter weather threatens the region, I feel a duty to help out."
Arwyn will check the other rooms, attic, basement and outbuildings before resting and cleaning up.
"Do not trust the creature in the cage.
"And yes, I think we need to escort Lady Malassene back to the village; not least to pick up our order of cold iron." She said.
She looked down at herself.
"Oh ick! I've got blood spatters all over me!" She said, then proceeded to clean up as best she could.
"Hey, Ten-Penny, what's that creature doing in the cage? It seems pretty hurt."
You think they have Chillbane Shakes a less virulent version of Chillbane fever. The effect is that you're sickened and fatigued. It doesn't feel too great. You don't find anything useful in the sick room. You notice that there's a locked chest in Ten-Penny's room.
: "Rohkar was mean and captured me. Please, set me free. You must be here to rescue the princess and I. I'm her fairy godmother, tasked to watch over her in abstentia, and guard her. Rohkar captured her and me, when I tried to defend her. We must get her away from here. "
: "I don't know what that thing is. I didn't even know he had that up here. Rohkar kept that to himself. He kept a lot from us." She picks up his wooden unholy symbol. "I even bought that the was a necromancer. Not a gorram servant of Norberger. The f&*!er would keep to himself in the mornings, pouring over his -air quotes- Spellbook. Wow. ."
"I joined up with Rohkar while travelling through the border-wood. He gave me food and shelter, it was better than nothing, and it was a chance at survival. I thought it all went to s##* when the fey attacked. But Rohkar realized we were not a match for them, we joined forces with them. With them we took the Sentinel lodge, and then captured the noble. I was sure he was going to kill her, but then he held his hand. Word from a sprite came to hold her for now. "
"If you'd like, I can take a look over the magic items you found. I have a decent knowledge of the arcane, and a small knack with divining purpose. I chose duties of state. But I did train at the academics with a tutor from Oppara as a child."
the night passes uneventfully. You heal and feel stronger. Your chat with Ten-Penny is good,
after a gruelling ten hour day back tracking through the light snow, you dont encounter any more trouble. With the few sick bandits and unconscious rohkar tied up to makeshift litters, the rest of you, with ten penny tacey and the surviving bandits bundled up against the cold, you let lady argentea wear the yeti cloak back. You barely stop for lunch, healing up again in a burst , taking care that the unconscious are bound tightly and dont have weapons or components around.
the eleven of you make it back to the road after dusk. The "cold line" seems to have advanced a bit. After hemming and hawing, the bandits agree to come back and carry their buddies if you agree to show leniency to them. Ten penny only agrees when you asure her that shes not going to be arrested in town. She agrees to go with you. Lady Argentea agrees to leniency, at keast until the weather issues are resolved. The community will need to come together, not shatter.
back in town at dusk, you march in to town with Lady Argentea and the unconscious kidnapper and bandit leader in tow. Everyone seems to be in the Silver Stoat. Giacomo ducks inside, Arwyn checks in with her mother, and finds her having an evening tea with her neighbor, the bright blue haired gnome carpenter. Tengezil Frimbocket looks up, "oh you're back! How good! Whats the news?" you beg off questions, and ask after the councilwoman.
gathered with everyone at the temple of erastil, you tell the town leaders what happened. Elder Natheren Safander, Councilor Ionnia Teppen, and the militia leader , the blacksmith Isker Euphram. The two sick bandits are moved to cots, the Elder Safander's wife sets about diagnosing and tending them, instructing the two hale bandits what to do. lady Argentea tells her side of events, and Rohkar Cindren is questioned.
he claims he and his men were passing through the woods, when they encountered a troll and an ice mephit, and sprites, it was soon after meeting them that the woods began experiencing this unnatuatl cold weather. Working for them, they eliminated the high sentinels. The fey wanted no resistence controlling the border woods, according to Rohkar. They were making their way out of the woods with rohkar's raiders when they met and kidnapped lady argentea. Some of the men came sown with shivers and shakes on the way back, as the weather worsened this week.
he tells you where you can find the troll leading the cold fey. He thinks he saw a witch woman with them once, and Izzoze the ice mephit. And on the map, snagged from the lodge, shows the big X in the center as where they came from and wher they are now. .
the portal is in the Somir Valley. He says theres a trail down the high ridge, that circles around and down to the west.
Lady argantea thanks you for saving her, she lets you have the 500gp taldan ingot, and buys some things on credit from the town for her return. Thanks to her youre able to sell off whatever you want to from the loot. She even buys the cloak, asking you to hold onto it for her, and return it to her once the portal is closed.
Rohkar is condemned to prison, hes shackled and will be taken on the next wagons to oppara. The other bandits and ten penny are pardoned.
you check out the smithy, the cold iron longspear, and one cold iron morningstar are ready. He can probably have the second morningstar ready by morning. The cold iron battleaxe will take two more days, so it isnt ready yet.
"Well. It seems you have your work cut out for you still. We're very thankful that Lady Argentea was rescued, and that Rohkar's Raider have been dealt with. But if what that norberger says is true, you'll have to go and close this portal, and stop this troll. The things he says, I get the feeling he wants us to believe these are agents of the White Witches of Irrisen. I don't see a reason to doubt it, but its frightening to think about if its true, if that's what we're up against...
"Fire will no doubt be needed, I've heard its the only way to really kill a troll. I don't know anything about Mephits or these other winter fey, but you seem to have cold iron. You're also our only hope. We've sent out the other hunters to keep an eye on the woods. Many of them haven't checked in. But there's no way we can allow the cold to spread unchecked. If its a portal that is behind this, then by all means, it must be closed, and they must be stopped at all costs, or this whole region could be in danger."
Gondorks nods, then looks towards the others.
"But for now, rest. You've had a long day, you look exhausted. I'm sure they'll want to hear about your adventure at the Stout, just try not to get too deep in your cups. We don't want to scare the villagers about how dire this could be. We need them to be strong. Rest tonight. Tomorrow starts early. "
Councilor Ionnia returns home, while Elder Safander and his wife check on the sick bandits and find cots for the other two. Rohkar is moved to the smithy and manacled. Isker escorts him over, saying goodnight.
You head over to the Silver Stoat, and enjoy a hot meal, the atmosphere is warm and inviting inside, Meander whips something up for you in the kitchen while Kale takes your drink orders. The place seems more packed than usual, though with some of the farms being frozen over, there's likely less that can be done about it - other than throwing back a few pints of Three-Devil Ale
Gondorks gets routinely wasted at the inn before calling it a day. He habitually boasts about the group's endeavours, focusing on defeating the bandits and rescuing the "princess" but leaving out the fey and mentions of darker things in the hopes of getting free ale (it's a habit). He also loudly complains about Isker's speed, lamenting the lack of a 'proper axe'.