Finally able to breath, Malnival turns on the foul woman creature with sword and spell. "Get off of me foul woman!"
Concentration:
Power Attack with Scimitar:
Confirm Crit:
Scimitar Damage:
Crit Weapon Damage:
Empowered Shocking Grasp Damage: X 150% = 27
Empowered Shocking grasp Crit Damage: X 150% = 34
Parity cocks his head to the sound of Mal's cursing, makes a decision and charges towards a space nearby Mal, a flaming streak of airwalking violence.
Charge.
To hit:
Miss: ,
Damage:
Malnival spins on the scaly woman, bringing his scimitar down in an overhand chop, empowered with electric energy. The blast is so powerful, Mal can feel shocks from his own spell dispersing through the water. The woman convulses, thrashing in the water, but then floats away, lifeless.
Moments later, Harlan, Heng and Parity finish off the remaining merrow.
Maeve sputters and lurches, trying to reach the surface for air.
Malnival curses in elven before looking over Hengs shoulder to examine the woman. "It tried to change me some how, I could feel it changing my skin somehow."
Harlan gingerly limps out onto the ice.
"Where's Maeve? Are they dead? Gather round once we find Maeve and I'll heal everybody."
The water is very clear. You can see Maeve beneath the ice, struggling to swim to the surface.
With Heng's help, Maeve reaches the surface not too much longer later. "....sorry about that. I went to help Mal but got...erm, distracted by one."
"I think it's called a qallupilluk," Maeve says as she looks over the odd creature. "I think it may have over-hunted. They generally keep a few slaves from the places they live...that's probably what it was trying to do to you, Mal."
"Do you think there might be villagers under the water? People she took? Do we have any way of saving them? Do these merrow things regenerate?"
Malnival shivers, but not from the cold as he looks at the merrows then back at the strange creature.
Maeve frowns like she usually does when she's trying to concentrate. "I don't know that there's anything we can do. As it is I need to get back to the caravan and a fire fast - I'm going to start getting really cold I think. Mal too, if he's not already." Another frown of concentration. "Do we have any way to breathe underwater available?"
"The woman we heard screaming, that was this thing?"
True to her statement before, Maeve's teeth are already starting to chatter a bit. "Ye-es. It's ha-ard to tell fro-om the wat-te-er."
Malnival holds out his left fist, still burning with arcane fire. "It wont last much longer. Mabe we should check the huts for wood and warm ourselves there."
Once everybody gathers around and the merrow and qallupilluk are confirmed dead Harlan channels to heal those injuries suffered by his friends.
Harlan dusts off his hands.
"There, that should do it. Let's go check those cabins."
As you start to search the huts, Ulf, Shalelu and Ameiko arrive running over from the caravan, drawn by the sounds of combat. Seeing you alive and victorious (if wet), they instead join you in the search. Ulf, in particular, appears distressed by the ruined village. He explains that the people of Rimakak were always welcoming and gracious hosts, and is grimly satisfied that you avenged their deaths.
After taking an hour to search the village, you turn up nothing of value. Everything has been plundered, and all that remains has been tossed, smashed and covered with offal and filth.
"This is pretty bad. For the people and ourselves. I must consult with Koya."
Upon return to the caravan, Harlan will seek out Koya.
"Forgive my Koya, I hate to intrude but there's been a problem. The village we hoped to resupply at has been destroyed. I wonder if you might be able to pray for some help in the food department? I know whatever the gods provide won't be the equal of my cooking but it'll be better than air and snow, which is all we'll have if we don't take steps."
Koya gives Harlan a warm smile. "Certainly. I will see what I can do. Desna can bless me with the ability to summon food and water, though it is really tasteless gruel. It might be enough to get us through, however."
Ulf shrugs. "I don't think any villagers would be alive still, unless that thing can make them breathe underwater... then again, if what I've heard said about these hags is right, those merrow were probably the villagers." Ulf looks a shade paler at the thought. It is quickly replaced by an angry scowl. "Given how quickly they reacted to your fight with the first merrow, I'd bet the lair is not far from shore."
He glances at the ice-rimmed lake. "That water is a fright cold, though."
"What if there are more down there though? Shouldn't we find out so the next travelers aren't attacked? I can ward you against supernatural cold Heng, and anybody else that wants to take a look down there."
"If we camp here early and stay the night, I could pray for a water breathing blessing at dawn," Koya offers.
|
Heng smiles at Koya, "Tata, I had no idea you could do that. Well, I suppose it would be best to make sure no threats remain. I will dive in the morning."
The next morning Heng keeps his hands tightly with his magical straps. Not particularly helpful for swimming, but they should ward off the cold, he thinks. After receiving a blessing from Harlan and Koya, he dives beneath the ice to have a look.
perception
Blind man ain't swimming again. Good luck all ... I'll make some bacon.
Malnival limbers up by doing some stretching before taking a place beside Heng. sure, wouldn't want you to have all the fun.
You park the caravan on the edge of Rimakak and take an early day. The extra time is good, giving you an opportunity to relax somewhat and enjoy the brief respite. You realize you have had few such opportunities since leaving Kalsgard. The lake front is peaceful, despite the empty village. The night passes without incident.
In the morning, Koya casts her spells, granting Malnival and Heng the ability to breathe underwater and endurance against the frigid water. With the spells' protection, the water remains cold but comfortable to the touch.
The search takes just under an hour, and you find the qallupilluk's lair in a rocky formation about two hundred yards from shore. There are no villagers or remaining merrow, but you do find a considerable treasure horde of valuables stolen from Rimakak.
Malnival hangs his kit in one of the huts allowing it to dry near a fire as he walks around in his breeches. ""Maybe some escaped? That thing couldnot have captured or killed everyone at once."
"It probably ate them. Let's go."
Date: 12 Neth 4712
Leaving Rimakak and Lake Nallishoot behind, the hills become more rugged, with cliffs and wind-carved badlands laced with rocky streambeds. These many small canyons echo strangely the noise of your voices and caravan's passage. The countless, nameless streams, including those draining Lake Nallishoot and many smaller lakes, gather themselves together to form the Kluani River, a rock-strewn watercourse that flows north out of the hills. The river also provides you an easy path to follow.
The labyrinthine pathways through the badlands make it difficult to keep your bearings, but Ulf assures you that the river will lead you back out into the tundra. On the second day out of Rimakak, while passing a high east-west ridge that blocks the ever-present northern winds...
"That's great Heng! I'm glad we found this, it's too bad about the people though."
"Do you guys hear that? Oh, nevermind, I'm just hungry."
Maeve hangs her head with a small shake, saying nothing about it.
Maeve just continues to stroll along, blissfully (maybe) lost in thought.
Perception
"Hmmm, what's that? Hostile?" Parity unlimbers Suishen.
Sense anything?
A moment after Heng speaks, the air is ripped by a roar unlike anything you have ever heard. It echoes down from above, amplified by the cliffs, but you think you can make out three distinct voices within the roar. Looking up, from your vantage you cannot see anything atop the hundred-foot high ridge, but then a huge chunk of the pack snow breaks off and starts to tumble towards you. Within a couple seconds, the rest of the ridge cascades to follow.
Ulf curses loudly and crudely enough to make Ameiko blush. "Avalanche!!" he shouts, moving to whip the horses forward.