GM Aram Zey's Frozen Stars (Inactive)

Game Master SwampTing

I have resist cold 10. If it doesn't get worse than that, I'm fine.

Nienna pulls on a tacky holiday sweater covered in fuzzy reindeer as she glances around.

"We always go to the most... interesting... places with the Society. Just once, can't we have a retrieval mission to a tropical beach?"

Just waiting on 42 and Vplitletz now.

Vplitletz, please remember to update your status bar and either fill in your character details in your profile or post a link to a character sheet.

sorry, been busy over the past few days. Tokyo today searching for platinum. I'm here, but my PC screen is broke, so I'll be posting from my phone.

Ok, let's get this rolling. I'll work Vplitletz into the story if he shows up within the week, but if not, it'll be a five-man team.

You soon realise that Vplitletz is nowhere in sight. Your first instinct is to look around for him, and as you do, you are suddenly made aware of a sinuous winged shadow passing quickly over you. You look up to see a large red-scaled draconic figure flying overhead and looking down at you. It has a long glaive in one taloned hand and a strange harness that secures some kind of saddle to its body. Riding upon the draconic figure is a tall humanoid figure clad in full plate. Through her open-faced helm, you can just barely make out that the humanoid's face is covered in blonde fur. Whilst the humanoid is not wielding any weapons at the moment, a lance and bow are secured to the saddle of her draconic mount.

Both of the newcomers scrutinise your motley crew as they pass overhead. Neither make any attempt to attack yet, but you can make out that they are conversing with one one another as they look at you. They are currently about 50ft overhead.

"Ah, a fellow rider. It looks... friendly? Does anyone know what kind of creatures they are?"

Nienna carefully removes both hands from her weapons before waiving at the flying duo.

"Hello? Do you speak Taldane? We come in peace!"

The rider looks perplexed as you attempt to communicate with her. She calls out to you in a strange tongue that none of you speak natively, though perhaps one amongst you has a means of understanding her through magical means?

As she speaks, the duo descends and comes to land about 150ft from you. The rider dismounts and after exchanging a few more words with her mount, approaches your group cautiously. She keeps her hands in plain sight, and you note that she has left her lance and bow with her draconic mount. There are no apparent weapons on her (unless you count her gauntlets).

The draconic mount himself does not approach, but it is easily apparent from his poise that he is ready to pounce at a moment's notice, and his gaze flits between the members of your group rapidly as he watches you all warily.

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

Amsheagar points towards the dragons, as it is very rare for a dragon to allow a rider.

As a Cassisian, Lauriel has truespeech. She always understands and is understood by any creature speaking any language. =)

Realising that she is probably the only one able to understand the alien, Lauriel decides to speak for the group.

"Greetings. We are strangers to these lands, but our intentions are peaceful. We've come from afar seeking a two-headed eagle and a bearskin that may have been left behind by an old powerful crone. She would have looked a little like one of these guys with me, but much older. And female. We understand that she is likely in some sort of trouble and are looking to aid her, and we need those items to help her. Would you by any chance be able to point us in the right direction?"

Although...at this point I remember that Lauriel is nowhere near as skilled a diplomat as Exiel...

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

Posted as the wrong character earlier... 42's Arcana is 4 higher than my main. Nothing extra learned though.

The alien nods to Lauriel, seemingly relieved, if still a little uncertain.

I'll summarise the conversation that is bound to follow, since the only one who can understand Triaxian is Exiel's familiar...

The 5 pathfinders stand awkwardly in the chill as the outsider and alien converse, all the while being intensely watched by the crimson draconic mount.

Eventually, Lauriel is able to give you a brief summary of the discussion.

The alien's name is Bescaylie, and she is a native Triaxian (so you will be seeing lots more like her). She and her companion, Efrixes (that would be the red draconic dragonkin glaring at you lot) are soldiers of the Skyfire Mandate, a faction of Triaxians that oppose and are at war with the tyrannical dragon (as in true dragon) overlords of the Drakelands who seek to claim their lands. The military of the Skyfire Mandate is known as the Dragon Legion, most famous for their dragonkin-triaxian duos that serve as the Dragon Legion's elite guard.

Bescaylie also hesitantly informed Lauriel that the Skyfire Mandate's headquarters of Spurhorn was currently under siege by a large force from the Drakelands. She had just returned from visiting a few other Skyfire Mandate forts to bring word of the siege and seek reinforcements but found that most of the other forts were either thin on troops and resources or already committed in campaigns of their own. She tells you this because she does know that Commander Pharamol, Spurhorn's commanding officer, keeps a two-headed bird as pet (and after some general attempts at describing eagles Lauriel is fairly certain that this bird if likely to be the one you're looking for). Whilst she cannot speak for her commander, she is fairly certain that if you are able to help turn the tide of the siege, her commander would be more than willing to offer the bird as a reward.

She has offered to show you the way to Spurhorn and get you an audience with the War Council and how you might aid them. You will of course need to be presented at the Council unarmed, but she assures you that you will be treated fairly. If not, she will need to hasten back to the fort.

Vplitletz has messaged me, so if we get a post from her soon, you can assume that sometime between Lauriel talking to Bescaylie and giving you the summary of her conversation, Vplitletz stumbled out of the hut and joined you guys. She is a little disoriented at first, but quickly realises what is happening and falls into line with the rest of you.

GM casts summon plot exposition.

"Thank you Lauriel. I'm truly glad you're here with us on this mission. Hmm...Lavode, Lauriel's ability to translate is invaluable and should allow us to conserve our magical resources. However, when the time comes to make our case before the War Council, it might be better if I were allowed to speak in person for our group, as I am skilled in the art of diplomacy. Would you perchance be able to facilitate that when the time comes?"

"As for Bescaylie's proposal, it seems most reasonable to me, and as good a plan for getting to our first objective as any. If it is in the keeping of a legitimate owner, I would rather earn the prize rather than have to take it by force. And defending a helping defenders against an invading foreign nation seems to me a worthwhile cause."

"What do you guys think?"

Seriously? Bescaylie? As in Be-Scaly? *facepalm* XD

Ralph/Sean/GM, feel free to speak for Lauriel in first person for narrative/translation purposes if it will make things easier and more organic. Just don't make her say anything wierd. =p

"Defending Bescaylie's people from aggressive invaders seems like a righteous cause. Perhaps we can do some good here on behalf of the Society."

"Anyway to talk down your invader to have a peaceful end to Conflict?"

They are already in the midst of an all-out war. Take a guess.

Lauriel's impression from her conversation with Bescaylie is that if she even tried asking Vplitletz's question to the triaxian, the triaxian would be torn between laughing in incredulity and shaking her head in disgust.

Exiel, you can have Lauriel voice this herself.

... Would you perchance be able to facilitate that when the time comes?" ...

Not unfortunately within my current magical resources. Lauriel, can you ask if there is anyone from who we could procure a scroll to facilitate communication prior to the audience?

Yeah, since we were heading to a new planet, it seems like I should have thought of a few scrolls of tongues. But I didn't.

I was thinking of paragon surge rather than a scroll.

Waiting to hear from 42 and Alden. I'll put Vplitletz and Lavode as neutral for the moment.

It's a little meta-gamey, but I should inform you that the module is not so rail-roaded that you need to help in the siege to get the eagle. But you also have a paladin in your crew. Damn paladins.

But you may also fail to convince the war council of your good intentions anyway.

Oh sorry didn't realize I was being waited on. Alden really doesn't have anything to add to the conversation at the moment... this is all outside his realm of understanding.

Alden and Naala stay near their allies, Alden saying nothing for now.

Ok, that's enough to form a majority position.

Becaylie tells Lauriel that as she knows little of the ways of magic, she's unable to say whether or where a scroll of such a spell might be obtained.

With the party generally having no objections to Bescaylie's proposal, Becaylie returns to Efrixes and the duo leads you through the snow-covered landscape. You spend some time wondering how you will go about moving the hut, but soon work out that the hut will generally follow the directions of anyone who bears even a fraction of Baba Yaga's power, and you are able to direct it to follow Bescaylie and Efrixes without difficulty. Fortunately for you, at least the hut understands and responds to common.

The first part of the journey itself is uneventful, and you marvel that Bescaylie and Efrixes are able to navigate their way through what appears to your eyes to be a barren and desolate expanse of rock and snow in every direction. A steady drizzle of snow falls constantly from the dimly-lit skies, and a thick layer of snow soons develops on the roof of the hut, making you thankful for the transport and relative warmth that it provides whilst you are inside.

You are led through mountain passes and narrow ridges that would otherwise have been near impossible to find or navigate, and as you travel on, the monotony of the journey starts to be interrupted by the appearance of winged serpentine shadows in the skies. Bescaylie informs you through Lauriel that they are frost drakes, spies for the Drakelands' armies that should be avoided if possible. Fortunately, Bescaylie's knowledge of the surrounding lands allows her to direct you along well-hidden and obscured paths, and you are able to make your way undetected...or so you hope.

Eventually you emerge from a narrow pass to see an imposing fortress looming in the distance, perched high atop a large rocky crag on one of the mountains of the range. The cover between you and the fort is relatively sparse, but fortunately, so are the frequency of the aerial scouting patrols. You do see signs of movement in the distance that Bescalie identifies as enemy patrols. After exchanging a few more words with Lauriel, the little Cassisan delivers the bad news to you.

"Bescaylie says that we will need to make a break for it from here. She will try to draw off some of the patrols from the air, and also bring word to the fort that we are to be allowed to pass so that they won't be shooting at us as we approach, but we will need to contend with what patrols we encounter on our own."

(Everyone please state how many, if any, of the Mantle of the Black Rider boons you have.)

You can make a knowledge Arcana check to ask questions about the Dancing Hut's combat capabilities.

How do you guys want to get across the last stretch between the pass and the fort?

"One more thing," Lauriel adds. "Bescaylie says not try to approach under cover of invisibility or teleport in. There is some kind of ward against teleportation into the fort, and anyone who approaches the fort invisibly is automatically considered an enemy."

Btw, Exiel, if you didn't know, your favourite Battle Cry feat has been nerfed. It now only allows rerolls on failed saves against fear effects. If you want to retrain it, I'll let you do it retrospectively since we have not started combat yet, but once we start the first battle you're locked in.

Lavode, I'll also be flexible with the purchasing of scrolls of tongues if you want to get some of those too. Has Paragon Surge been nerfed to prevent you from using it to get tongues?

Both offers expire once you make your next posts.

Ugh, I just read about it. Yeah I might take you up on that. =( Thanks for being flexible. So I'm taken to have retrained between the last scenario and this module, yep?

Exiel looks across the expanse and draws a sharp breath.

"I reckon we have the dancing hut run across like a mobile fortress whilst we guard it. I'll stay on the roof to draw fire and if I need to I'll fly down to engage ground troops. The more vulnerable of our group should stay inside the hut and use it for cover whilst employing ranged attacks."

Can the hut be affected by a haste spell? What is the hut's movespeed and how many rounds of running would it take to get to the fort if the hut is able to run without interruption?

Exiel begins to layer himself with spells in anticipation of a potentially very painful gauntlet.

Just to clarify: I'm allowing anyone affected by the errata to the APG that came out to retrain as if we had not started, but this will need to be resolved before you guys start the crossing towards the fort.

It will take somewhere around 10 minutes of running across open terrain to get to the fort. The hut's move speed is 60ft, but it is travelling over difficult terrain, which doubles its movement cost. It can be affected as a construct, but the roof is not a flat roof, so you can't stand on top of it unless you can cling to its snow-covered roof with your feet (for example, spider climb). You can all hide inside the hut, but you will only be able to shoot at things in front of the hut if you do so, and you can be sure I will have things attacking the hut from the sides and back whilst you cower within. Allowing the hut to be destroyed would be judged as a mission failure, since it is integral to the overarching mission and is also your potential ticket home - stranded on a far-away planet is essentially death for the purpose of the campaign in my opinion.

How will you proceed?

knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33

"From what you say Exiel, we won't be dancing in this hut...will we?"

42, you can ask 1 question about the hut's abilities.

Oops, forgot about the knowledge check. Also, casting Raiment of Command, Heroism and Mage Armor on Lauriel.

Lauriel's knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (19) + 23 = 42

"Hmm...we are in open terrain, meaning that we will see attackers coming. But they could come from any direction. However, we should also try to cross as quickly as possible. I can fly over the snow, so I'll be travelling about as quickly as the hut. Anyone not able to travel as quickly should ride in the hut but be ready to jump out as soon as I give the signal."

We should be able to get a few rounds of free shots against melee-only attackers?

Lauriel's first question is really 2 questions, so I'll treat it as such.

Lauriel, the established lore is that Baba Yaga's hut has the following abilities:

BUT being the knowledge-hungry familiar that she is, she spent some time in Ralph's library and came across some notes that he made about the hut's current power due to its extended separation from Baba Yaga.

Specifically, the hut has all but lost the use of all its spell-like abilities, being capable of using it any of the below spells once per day, after which it becomes completely inactive for about 5 minutes. It no longer has a frightful presence, and its natural ability to rapair itself has severely diminished, even to the point that Ralph fears it could currently be permanently destroyed. Its supernatural hardness has also been diminished, but it will still hold its own in a fight for awhile if it needs to.

1/day: dimensional anchor, freedom of movement, irresistible dance, blink, dimension door, incendiary cloud

Basically, the hut at its full power is formidable enough to solo the module for you...but this is clearly not the intention of the writer. It is here as a convenient transport and plot device, not your carry. So you can use any of the spell-like abilities once per day, but after it is used the hut deactivates for 5 minutes. It has no SR and no frightful presence, its DR and fast healing are drastically reduced (DR5/adamantine and self-repairs 1hp per hour), and if reduced to 0hp it will be destroyed, resulting in mission failure. Use it at your own risk.

There is some good news. I looked at the picture of the hut from book 2, and it looks like it does have room for you to stand around it, so Exiel's idea could work. You could stand around the hut as it runs towards the fort, and if you had some flyers you could even guard it from attacks from above.

What kind of special abilities does this hut have?

What kind of special abilities does this hut have?

Basically, read the long post before your post. The summary is that it has the following for this module:

If you look at the picture in the previous post, it has a fenced porch that extends around it, so you can stand on that as it runs towards the fort, but to handle attackers from above you need to be able to fly or get off the hut and shoot from a further angle.

Let's go with the mobile-base idea then. We have Lavode, Nienna, Viplitlez and 42 at one corner each, with Alden and Naala roaming between them to guard them. Exiel will guard the hut from above, hopefully with support from some of Lavode's Bralanis.

Nienna does have boots of spider climb. As long as the porch roof doesn't have too much of an overhang (it looks like 5-10 ft?), she'd prefer to be on the peak to maximize her firing range.

Nienna can easily use her boots to stick herself near the top.

Ok, I've updated the link to the combat map. This will be a slightly unusual map, because the map is CONSTANTLY MOVING, with the hut at the centre. So if a monster does not take a move action, I will move it 30ft away from the hut. Conversely, all of you will move with the hut as long as you continue to stand on it. Exiel will need to keep using move actions unless he lands.

Nienna is in the middle square indicating the she is on the roof. Everyone else treats the middle square as a solid object that obstructs line of sight and effect. Furthermore, unless you are climbing or flying (at the moment just Exiel and Nienna), you cannot shoot at things directly above the hut.

If you want to alter the plan, you can still do so. Alternatively, dot when you are ready to proceed.

One more buff and I'm good. Almost forgot barkskin.

Seems reasonable to me.

Alden and Naala prowl the "porch" of the hut, watching for enemies that they can defend their allies against.

Nienna taps herself with her wand of Blur and puts an arrow on string.

42 will spell the hut with Displacement and asks Nienna if he could borrow her wand.

As you prepare to make the dash to Spuhorn, Bescaylie tells Lauriel that she and Efrixes will make the run from a different location to draw away some of the patrols, since Efrixes has the advantage of a vastly superior speed. She also points out that she needs to arrive before you so that she can tell the fort's defenders not to fire at you. She strongly suggests that as soon as you see them making the dash, you should start your own run.

The duo then disappear back into the mountain pass, presumably to find a different exit from which to make the run.

Waiting on Lavode and Vplitletz to say they are ready.

I was thinking of paragon surge rather than a scroll.

DOH! Been so long since I used that, I completely forgot about it. Yes, that will work to give you or anyone else tongues for the spell duration.

No problem, Lavode. I'm more worried about Vplitletz. Have not heard from him in about 3 days.

Vplitletz, I need you to be able to post once per day on week days and once per weekend. That is the usual minimum for PBPs to ensure that they don't take forever to finish. I'll put you in delay for now.

You expect that it will take around 10 minutes of the hut moving through difficult terrain to reach the walls of Spurhorn. Spells will affect the hut, but it is a construct. You were also warned that there is some kind of ward over Spurhorn that messes up dimensional travel. You don't know which if any of the patrols will come your way, so I will ignore the haste for now. You will have some time to cast short-duration buffs when you see enemies approaching.

With your preparations done, you cast your spells and wait for the signal. It doesn't take long before you see a red blur streak across the sky, its wings beating furiously as it tears towards Spurhorn. Moments later, the air is filled with horrifying screeches as many of the winged shaped in the sky move to attempt to intercept Bescaylie and Efrixes.

Seizing the opportunity, you give the command to the hut to commence running. You encounter no resistance for the first minute or so. However, one of the aerial patrols had been a little further than the others, and having realised that it would not catch up with the red Dragonkin and his rider, turns to resume its patrol, only to see your strange entourage running across the snow. They begin flying towards you, from about 400ft away.

The hut trudges through the snow towards Spurhorn, and inadvertently towards the incoming enemies. They are now at about 340ft away, coming from the East (the direction you are running in).

The number in brackets beside your name is how many feet you are above ground. The porch surrounding the hut is 5ft above ground. I placed the Bralani on the opposite side of the hut from Exiel so you have 2 flanking flyers, but the Bralani can fly much faster than Exiel and the hut if he wants to.

Initiative order:
Round 1
Hut (0)
--------------------------------acted
Nienna {15)
Exiel (20)
42 (5)
Vplitletz (5)
Alden (5)
Lavode (5) + Bralani (20)
Baddies (40) (340ft away)

Everyone is up for the round. Lavode, now would be the time to cast haste if you want to.

Anyone with a "mantle of the black rider" boon can tell the hut what to do in the next round. If there are contradictory orders, it listens to the person or group with the most mantle boons that tell it to do the same thing.

I think I need to use my move and standard action just to keep up with the hut, so I'll do that. These are the frost drakes that Bescaly told us about earlier? How many are approaching?

"Enemy approaching!" Exiel calls out as he struggles to keep pace with the Dancing Hut.

I should be able to act more freely once Lavode casts his haste spell. Or I can cast haste myself if Lavode wants to do something else.

Nienna delays until Lavode casts haste, then lets fly.

Can't see the enemies on the map yet, so she'll target the largest foe. The usual when an arrow hits, take an immediate action to study that target and gain +2 on following attack & damage rolls.

Atk 1: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Dmg 1.1:Piercing/Holy/Sneak: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 62d6 ⇒ (3, 2) = 53d6 ⇒ (1, 3, 2) = 6
Dmg 1.2:Piercing/Holy/Sneak: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 102d6 ⇒ (3, 2) = 53d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 5) = 13

Atk 2: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Dmg 2:Piercing/Holy/Sneak: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 102d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 103d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 3) = 12

Atk Rapid: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Dmg Rapid:Piercing/Holy/Sneak: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 62d6 ⇒ (1, 1) = 23d6 ⇒ (1, 2, 3) = 6

Atk Haste: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
Dmg Haste:Piercing/Holy/Sneak: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 82d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 113d6 ⇒ (4, 1, 3) = 8

In the distance, you can see three vaguely draconian shapes flying towards you.

Exiel flies beside the hut and states the obvious.

Nienna fires a volley of arrows at the approaching enemies, but the distance and the rocking of the hut as it runs doesn't do her any favours. None of the arrows find their mark.

Initiative order:
Round 1
Hut (0)
Nienna (15)
Exiel (20)
--------------------------------acted
42 (5)
Vplitletz (5)
Alden (5)
Lavode (5) + Bralani (20)
Baddies (40)(40)(40) (340ft away)

The enemies are large and look like they could be the frost drakes Bescaylie mentioned earlier. Knowledge Arcana to identify them and ask questions. Exiel, if Lauriel is using the Mask of a Thousand Tomes, she is blinded and cannot identify them. However, since they were mentioned earlier, I will let Lauriel make a check for questions about frost drakes in general.

Nienna, I have assumed for this round that your range increment is less than 340ft. For future reference, what's your range increment?

The enemies will appear on the map when they get close enough to be on the map.

Yeah, I had a spell in mind to get around the blindness (countless eyes)...but forgot to learn it, so Lauriel will be my little blind oracle for this level.
I've also slightly adjusted Exiel's position so he can be targeted by Lavode's haste.

knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (17) + 23 = 40

Questions (roughly based on your own usual questions):
1. Special attacks
2. Saves (highest to lowest)
3. Special senses
4. Special vulnerabilities (Immune to cold I'm guessing)
5. Resistances/immunities (vulnerable to fire?)

Questions (roughly based on your own usual questions):
1. Special attacks
2. Saves (highest to lowest)
3. Special senses
4. Special vulnerabilities (Immune to cold I'm guessing)
5. Resistances/immunities (vulnerable to fire?)

"Watch for their breaths! Also, they can give themselves bursts of speed, but have weak wills and hate fire!"

buffs
Ant Haul – 22 hours
Mage Armor – 11 hours
Magic Circle Against Evil – 110 minutes
Communal protection from energy, cold (all) – 120 points, 10 minutes (20 minutes for Lavode, Naala, and Lauriel)
Bless (all) – 11 minutes
Mirror Image – 4 images, 11 minutes
images: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
.
With that long to cross, I would have to wait on both the haste and the summon monster until something looks imminent. So I will start the Summon Monster V now. Exiel, if you want, you can caste the Haste. If not, that is what I will do next.
.
Lavode begins to mutter a complex incantation.