The Ulfen have a saying: “No blade is as sharp, no demon as cruel as the winds that walk their way down the Icestair.” At the border of Irrisen and the untamed wilds of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, the meaning of those words becomes clear as the barren, snow-covered plains stretch to the horizon. Four days’ travel now lies between the eastern edge of Irrisen and the shattered remains of the Huscarl King’s keep. To the east, sinuous snow drifts give way to rocky foothills from which pines and scrub brushes claw for life. In the distance, the massive creatures that give this land its name shuffle along at a ponderous speed, still impossibly huge even from far away. Skagni’s map marks a clear and straightforward path, but the snow makes for slow travel. The Shadow Lodge agents have a head start, but persistence through the harsh environment and adherence to the strict map may yet make it possible to catch them before they reach the Keep of the Huscarl King and gain access to the mighty weapon held within.
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"I know a bit of this tale. An Ulfen warrior named Ranulf once carved out a small “kingdom” for himself in the western regions of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, earning loyalty from local Kellid tribes. Ranulf was known as the Huscarl King, as he had once served as one of the Emperor of Taldor’s personal guards. After he established his keep, it was attacked by a powerful white dragon who the Huscarl defeated in a battle so fierce that legends claim Ranulf’s beard was frozen during the fight. Despite ruling for almost 30 years after the battle, Ranulf died with no heir. Ranulf was known for his flaming greataxe, Jedrek’s Shard. Rumors persist that it was buried with him at his death when his Kellid followers caused an avalanche to cover the keep under a mountain of ice, rock, and snow, but the retreat of a glacier has now made the tomb accessible again for those brave enough to venture through Snowmask territory."
Kayanor checks his gear before continuing, "I worry that with too much of a head start we'll be at a severe disadvantage. Let us make haste."
You make your way across foothills and open swaths of tundra for the early part of the first day’s journey.
The landscape is awe-inspiring, and you occasionally spy a giant sloth, a massive elk, and a few woolly mammoths. None of these creatures approach the your trail closely enough to force an encounter, though.
Just after noon, the trail leads through a patch of dense evergreens that end atop a low hill. The thick cluster of pine trees ends abruptly at the top of a low hill. At the bottom, the snow is littered with the aftermath of battle. Broken shields and spears jut from the snow like fractured bones, and blood colors the ground around a sprawl of bodies, many still seemingly locked in combat.
Kayanor sees that the corpses number 10 in all, and are of two distinct groups. Five are native Kellids who carried axes and wooden shields. The lower half of each Kellid warrior’s face is painted white in a haphazard sprawl of color from the upper lip to just above the larynx.
The other combatants wear more “civilized” clothes, including heavy winter coats. These non-Kellid dead have been stripped of their weapons and any other valuables, leaving them in only their clothes and padded armor.
Titus locates a series of boot-shod footprints leading off in the same direction you are headed, followed by the more crudely-shod prints of another set of humanoids that followed shortly thereafter, flanking the first trail.
As you look around, you hear a low growl, and notice a very strong, unpleasant musk smell. Looking up, you find a less-than-happy wolverine that sees you as a challenge to it's meal.
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Dulcinea swaggers forward, her rapier's point dancing about.
"Hello, wolverine. I should have you know that I am quite good at what I do, and what I do is very nice."
She marks the point at which Kayanor's arrow hit, then lunges, pointing her thrust straight towards the center of the same wound.
"...though perhaps not so nice for you."
The angry wolverine is quickly put down.
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"A magnificent beast. It's a shame we had to kill it. I would love to make a cloak from his hide..."
If possible, Kayanor will take the hide for later. Otherwise he finally settles down to look about. The elf looks at the fallen for indentification, gear, and details of their death. He'll take 20 (and let the GM decide if that goes for the Heal DC.)
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Thessaly blinks as things are solved before she has time to even draw her glaive. "...Well," she says.
"...I've heard of this clan," Thessaly says as she looks around at the battlefield. "These blokes with the white face-paint. Called Snowmask clan. Fierce warriors, defend the land against outsiders..."
She moves to another body-- then starts. "Hey, this one's still breathing! Someone who can use a wand, get over here!"
You revive the barely alive barbarian, and he looks at you with wary gratitude.
He speaks, but he does not appear to know the common tongue.
Each of the five more civilized dead has a set of padded armor and a cold-weather outfit. Each of the Kellid warriors has a battleaxe, 3 javelins, leather armor, a heavy wooden shield. You also find a few gold here and there.
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Thessaly screws up her face at the chap and offers a shrug. "Sorry about your friends, mate." Not that he'll understand that.
She points at the other downed white-face warriors, and crouches by one, turning him over and closing the man's eyes. She makes no move to take any of the Snowmask weapons, but instead points at them, then to the Kellid, then gives a shrug and inquiring look.
Thessaly then points to herself and her friends, and then at her eyes, and then out to the horizon with one hand shading her eyes. "Ranulf?"
"Anybody got languagey magic?" she asks the others.
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Kayanor speaks Hallit, "The loss of your shieldmates is a loss for all. They must have had glorious deaths. We are not willing defilers, and I lament treading upon your ground. We, outsiders from the South, feel that there is a greater transgression upon your lands. We seek a defiler who has come to plunder a ruin of import to your people. We seek to stop him. Please, take what you need and go to your people. We seek your forgiveness and please accept our promise to leave as soon as we stop him from wronging you any further."
Kayanor speaks the language, and is able to bring the warrior around with his words.
The warrior tells Kayanor that there were other “defilers”—as the Kellids refers to all that enter this region unbidden—and that the battle took place almost an entire day ago. He doesn't really have much else to offer, but he does thank you for healing him, and starts walking east - opposite the way that you are headed.
Your map directs you to a small cave that will shelter you from the elements for the night.
The gradual shift into rockier terrain is now more apparent than ever. Large, round stones evoke cobblestones as they form a layer of ground, although the hard-packed snow is still visible between. Ahead, an ancient ring of boulders juts from the ground to form a ring. The wind’s erratic path around the massive rocks has blown the snow into large, haphazard drifts.
Every one of you notices that there are three warriors trying to disguise themselves in the snow drifts to ambush you. Furthermore, you somehow get the jump on them (except for Thessaly, who must have been snowblinded).
Ydresus as its master's order charge the man.
Shsssss
Lini delights at the enormous creatures they find in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. While not the carnivorous predators she is usually akin to, they impress the bright-eyed gnome with her size and strength. She mourns the loss of the wolverine and glares at Kayanor for his suggestion of skinning it. "If you must, at least do it properly..." she snaps, stowing her healing wand for her skinning knife and presenting him with the hide.
After their previous encounters with the wildlife, Lini seems somewhat unimpressed with the carnage of the battle, but the stone circle seems to pique our interest. "Like the circles of the Wildwood Druids of the south. How curious. I wonder who built it?" she whispers, before spurring her companion into battle. "Droogami, pounce."
Droogami will rush at Blue, pinning him to the ground.
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Hearing the booming sound of a horn from south and then another one, in response, from northeast, Darathys growls and draws his greatsword, ready for danger, but in the end no one seems to come so the Taldan lad follows his fellow Pathfinders in a small cave that they plan to use to shelter them for the night.
As he you notices that there are three warriors trying to disguise themselves in the snow drifts in attempt to ambush the Pathfinders, Darthys grins, his greatsword ready after hearing the booming sound of horns before. "Ambush!" he cries out to alert his companions. With that, he decides to stay where he is, letting his opponent come to him.
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The barbarian with the red beard steps toward Dulcinea to cut her in half. Dulcinea is ready fro him, though, and easily turns away his battleaxe with her quick moves.
The warrior in the green tunic walks around the large stone to flank Droogami and Lini. He coordinates his attack with the one on the ground, who attacks first before trying to get up. Lini takes a huge gash across her back, as Droogami sees an opportunity to attack as the fallen warrior stands up.
Ydresus continues to bite the man he charged.
Shhhssss
And he does. Redbeard barely dodges Dulcinea's attack as he steps just in the way of Darathys' blow. He is disabled (at 0 hp).
Lini cries out in pain as she is struck, as Droogami snarls and sinks his teeth into the kellid's throat.
Droogami continues to savage the Kellid, while Lini will attempt to heal herself with her wand.
The conbined efforts of gnome and cat drop the blue cloaked warrior as he tries to stand, and he will not be trying to get up again soon. kayanor puts an arrow in the one with the green tunic, as Droogami turns and attacks him as well. He stands his ground, though, and swings again at Lini, who just healed herself in the nick of time.
The red-bearded warrior scoffs at Thessaly's efforts, and swings one last mighty swing at Darathys, before crumpling to the ground.