The axe strike sends the creature to the ground. You can see the rage leaving its features as its life departs.
Cyrus removes a ragged cloth from his belt, wiping the small amount of blood left by the fey off of his falchion. Placing the the weapon back in it's sheath, he looks to the others. "Well then...shall we continue on?"
"First, let us see how these two arranged their little shenanigan. It was artfully done, although perhaps it could have borne with some slight improvement." Nelossë walks over to the two bodies, and scans them with magic to locate any magical items they may have been using, then begins to actually search the bodies.
As the creature falls, Droguk retrieves his sword that he dropped and stows it away.
Focusing on the two bodies you spend some time attempting to discern the magical aura you sensed earlier. It quickly becomes clear that there is an aura of illusion about the fey creature. The aura is faint and growing fainter by the moment indicating that whatever spell was upon it has since been ended. Considering what you have seen you would guess that the creature was invisible on the stags back for much of your encounter, only your magical detection allowing you to note it at all.
Searching the feys body you find a diminutive rapier and two small gems that appear to be blue quartz.
Gathering up the gemstones, Nelossë stands and turns to the others. "It looks as though the fey was riding invisibly upon the stag's back, and was the one speaking, perhaps while moving the mouth of the stag. If their goal was to delay us, their success was not as complete as they might have hoped. We should press on."
"Agreed." Droguk responds as he starts out.
Having dealt with the mischievous fey you collect yourselves and push forward.
Fort vs Cold :
Droguk :
Nelosse :
Kobad :
Kogar:
Cyrus:
Featherfoot :
Nonlethal damage and fatigued
Perhaps becoming more acclimated to the cold conditions most of the party is able to keep moving forward, ignoring the chill wind on your faces. Featherfoot however finally begins to succumb to the unseasonable cold. Increasingly she pulls at the bridle as she is encouraged to move on.
After what you would expect was about a mile of travel you come upon an oddity in the trail There ahead of of stands a pile of snow shaped like a man as children might make in more northern climes. Leaning against this oddly placed construct is a wooden sign that reads "Trespassers Turn Back". Currently the snowman stands about 30' in front of you and just beyond it you can see a frozen river that cuts the trail.
Droguk looks around before turning his attention back to the snowman, his eyes narrowed. "What is this? Some manner of snow creature. I do not trust it. Be wary."
"I, too." Nelossë mutters a prayer, then turns her attention to the snowman and the immediate surrounding area.
Kobad looks ready to burn the sign down, if anything it will help warm up his frozen feet.
he still holding the makeshift torch to keep himself as warm as possible.
Speaking the familiar words of power your vision seems to shift as your senses expand once again. Focusing for a bit on the snowman you eventually come to sense two faint magical auras. From what you can tell one is of the illusion school and the second of the evocation school.
As you stand contemplating the meaning of the snow sculpture you hear a loud crashing far off in the woods as another tree gives way beneath the heavy snows.
"Be careful. That snowman has magical properties. The former is more illusory magic, perhaps like the magic that allowed that stag to talk. The latter is of the evocation school. It may be some sort of trap. I'd recommend staying wide around it."
Cyrus, though keeping his falchion in his hand just in case, seems to relax a bit at seeing the snowman. The ranger jumps visibly when he hears the loud crashing sound further into the woods, though he relaxes when he realizes there is no immediate threat.
"Hmph. Why not shoot it with an arrow while we stay well clear of the thing? That would at least allow us to verify if, in this case, a snowman is just a snowman."
"Save your ammo. I say we move around it and let it be." Droguk then proceeds to do just that.
"I'd not waste an arrow or a crossbow bolt on it. Perhaps a stone, if you can find one to throw. Or a stick." Nelossë follows Droguk around the snowman, leading Featherfoot.
Cyrus follows after Droguk and Nelosse, at a distance of perhaps twenty feet or so, all the while looking for a stick, stone, or chunk of ice he can huck at the snowman.
Distrustful of the piled snow and its inhospitable sign you circle around it. The going is rough as you are forced to leave the trail and make your way through some thick brush before finding your way back to a relatively open area. Pushing west you soon find yourself at the bank of a frozen river. The bank itself is steep here and uneven here making the short climb down appear difficult.
Looking across you can see where the trail crosses and heads into the woods on the other side. As you contemplate the crossing the answer to a question you didn't even realize you had occurs to you. There are no insect sounds. This deep in summer there should be bugs chirping and swarming about you but instead there's nothing. Their absence, though perhaps pleasant in some ways, only enhances the unnatural feeling that hovers about you.
Picking up a chunk of ice large enough to make it's presence felt on, he keeps himself a fair distance away from where the snowman is, on the bank where they just crossed to, before heaving the ice in an underhanded toss, trying to hand it as near to the snowman as possible. Even while the ice is in the air, Cyrus draws his sword, getting it ready should he be required to defend himself from any attacker that may show itself.
Droguk stops a moment, observing the ranger, curious as to what the heck he's doing and waiting to see what becomes of his endeavor.
The chunk of ice sails smoothly through the air turning end over end twice before landing near the snowman with a puff of snow. Oblivious to the rangers curiosity the silent sentinel continues to stand its ground.
As nothing seems to happen, Droguk continues on.
Cyrus huffs out a breath. He is both glad that nothing humped out to attack them and disappointed at the same time. Muttering a brief complaint, he turns to rejoin the others as they continue on their way.
Kobad just follows along still complaining about the cold hopeing to find warmth very soon and the chance to actually get some winter clothing since the very hasty exit without knowing anything he was getting into Kobad has been dressed for summer in this cold weather. of course not that anybody even noticed.
Top 40
Making your way down the river bank is difficult but manageable. Once down you find the ice near the edge weak and brittle but it soon thickens as you get over the river proper. As you move across it you can hear the ice shifting and cracking but nothing of concern. About half way across though a new sound finds your ear, a crunching scrapping noise to your north. You look that way in time to see a vaguely humanoid creature rising from the frozen river. It's body seems made of the same ice from which it appeared.
Droguk :
Nelosse :
Kobad :
Kogar:
Cyrus:
Featherfoot :
? :
?? :
Unable to see well but hearing the gasps of surprise from his companions the half giant summons an icy maul and fights his way through a bush trying to see what has so concerned his friends.
Kobad first notices the creature form from ice in the river and takes action on that. fighting back his fatigue Kobad manages to pull forth a ball of flame from nowhere into his hand and hurls it at the ice creature.
but in his usual uselessness the flame does nothing but land on the frozen river to melt the ice some.
shivering, cold, and fatigued, now his spells proving useless, Kobad backs away onto dry land now just looking for something to burn to stay warm.
Cyrus, eager for combat but at the same time knowing that this being, whatever it is, has not yet raised a weapon against them, draws his bow and nocks an arrow, readying the projectile before calling out to the ice-being.
"State your purpose! We mean you no harm if you will let us continue on our way! What say you?!"
The crystalline makes a sound like bubbling water before bursting forward.
As it does so you note that it's lower half becomes serpentine and it seems to slither swiftly at Droguk to strike. Seeing it's aggressive intent Cyrus looses his arrow but the creatures momentum throws off his aim and the arrow whistles off behind it.
Even surprised the barbarian is able to duck out of the way.
As you all focus and prepare to counter attack you hear the sound of ice churning behind you as a second creature emerges and attacks.
It's blow sails wide as well, unable to strike the nimble ranger.
Droguk gives the water creature an icy stare as he brings his axe around in a mighty swing.
Droguks axe shatters the creature sending shards of ice flying in all directions.
Nelossë and Featherfoot trade places, allowing Nelossë to place a hand on Kobad's shoulder. "Let Shelyn's grace flow through you, and steady your hand through the cold."
Cyrus gives a low yelp of surprise as another of the creatures materializes next to him. Seeing the threat they now pose, he drops his bow to the snow and draws his falchion, immediately turning it against the newest ice-being in a hard diagonal slash.
Cyrus's blow is hasty but effective shearing off a considerable portion of the creatures shoulder. It's howl of rage issues forth like the whistle of a boiling kettle.
Kogar, finding himself on the wrong side of things, advances past his companions to near the creature.
His teeth chattering but feeling innervated by the touch of Nelosses goddess, Kobad summons up another ball of flame and casts it at the creature.
The sphere of fire speeds forward seemingly destined to pass just in front of its target but, as luck would have it, the ice creature shuffles toward Cyrus just in time to be struck.
The spell blasts the creature apart and melts what little remains.
Droguk turns his head until he catches sight of Kobad. "Hm," he grumbles as he nods a 'well done' to the sorcerer. "Alright. Let us continue. We've wasted enough time." Droguk then turns and continues on.
"Wait, friend. How is everybody doing? I may not be able to help with the cold right now, but I can help to reduce the detrimental effects if we need it. That, and the wounds we've received by those placed in our way."
"I am uninjured, Nelosse. You have no need of using your magics on me.
Kobad gratefully approaches to receive healing. His arms are wrapped around himself against the cold and the efforts of the march are clear on his face.
Kogar doesn't seem to be paying much attention as he stands on the ice prodding at it with a crystalline longspear he seems to have pulled from thin air.
Droguk
Nelosse
Kogar
Kobad
Cyrus
Looking about while the cleric tends to the parties wounds, Cyrus and Droguk notice a body under a nearby tree.
Cyrus looks with curiosity and concern at the body he sees under the tree, carefully approaching to within about twenty feet of the body, his falchion ready just in case, before he stops and examines as well as he can from the distance, seeing if there are any telltale signs of a trap.
The body rests beneath a tree not far from the river. From where you are you can tell it's human and, judging by the snow covering it, has been there for perhaps a day or so.