Seeing that the flying man is fairly weak, Giri focuses his attacks on the strong gargoyle in front of him. "Please let this end him!" he cries as he takes two swings of his tetsubo.
Zadok smirks as Radosek tries to turn on his own demon ally and once against tries to send darkness into the witch's mind.
Thorgull turns around the melee and tries to reach the floating wizard with a ray of fire!
"CINDERS!" he shouts.
for
Zadok channels the power of the Black Rider coursing through his veins to heal Giri's wounds.
mythic cure light wounds!
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Zadok conjures the mythical healing energies in his hands, infusing Giri with amazing health! Most of his wounds close, rendering him fit once more to face the Warden.
The icy gargoyle, seeing that Thorgull wields the power of fire , steps away to attack the wizard. The onslaught is formidable, and leaves the bold diviner bloody and unconscious. Thankfully, due to his mythic nature Thorgull won't bleed to death.
The Warden and the Apprentice - round 2
1. Giri (11), Thorgull (28, -5, unconscious but stable), Zadok
2. Warden of the Portals (13)
3. Virgil
4. Radosek (flying 5 ft. above ground) & goat
Thorgull is caught in a the middle of a sentence as he's slaughtered by the creature. He coughs blood before dropping his wand and then falling unconscious.
I've been... such a fool! I'm always... so scatterbrained! I hate...
Finding that his blade is worthless against the icy gargoyle, Virgil turns his blade to the floating summoner. "Time to feel the taste of my steel, wizard!" he yells as he strikes.
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Virgil quickly stabs the apprentice witch, drawing blood. Radosek grits his teeth and focuses his thoughts to infuse his hands with cold energy, then attempts to cool Virgil's hot temper.
The Warden and the Apprentice - round 3
1. Giri (11), Thorgull (28, -5, unconscious but stable), Zadok
2. Warden of the Portals (13)
3. Virgil (8 NL, fatigued, 2)
4. Radosek (flying 5 ft. above ground, 8) & goat
Seeing that Virgil is moving to deal with the caster, Giri focuses on drawing the attention of the gargoyle away from the fallen Thorgull. He steps away from the creature and sends out a blast of fire, hoping to meltthe ice enough to let the others win as he see his own death as an inevitability. "Bring it on, creature!" he bellows.
Zadok summons more healing magic, the power of Baba Yaga and the Black Rider coursing through his hands as he places them on Thorgull's chest.
Thorgull comes back to life and finds himself before the freezing warden. He gasps and throws a vivid cone of clashing colors from his hand, concentrating to avoid an unwanted attack.
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The fire bolt hits the warden full in the face, and melts away more than it should have - an obvious vulnerability of that creature!
Zadok conjures potent healing energies to raise his careless companion from Pharasma's embrace. Thorgull drowns both the Warden and the apprentice in flashy colors, but when the colorful bubbles dissipate, the Warden seems to have kept his wits. However Radosek appears to be stunned!
The Warden of the Portals flies straight for Giri, clearly seeing that the power of the flame is with the Tien.
The icy guardian attempts to gore Giri, but proves too reckless and misses the unarmored combatant.
The Warden and the Apprentice - round 3
1. Giri (11), Thorgull (12), Zadok
2. Warden of the Portals (19)
3. Virgil (8 NL, fatigued, 2)
4. Radosek (flying 5 ft. above ground, 8, stunned 1 round) & goat
Virgil, seeing the flying human is disoriented, takes another stab at the man. "Just die, already!" he yells as he strikes.
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The apprentice, his mind still confused by the brilliant lights surrounding him, groans in pain. The goat echoes with a loud. "Bêêêê!"
The Warden and the Apprentice - round 4
1. Giri (11), Thorgull (12), Zadok
2. Warden of the Portals (19)
3. Virgil (8 NL, fatigued, 2)
4. Radosek (flying 5 ft. above ground, 14, stunned ) & goat
Dodging out of the way of the creature's horns, Giri steps back once more, sending another bolt of flame at the gargoyle. "Can you two do anything to help destroy this creature?" he asks to Thorgull and Zadok, keeping one hand firmly on his tetsubo and only returning it after he has fired off his ray of flame.
Thorgull grabs his wand and tries once again to hit the warden even if he's on prone!
"Melt away!! CINDERS!" he shouts heartily.
for
Zadok tries to put an arrow into the witch!
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With a well-aimed arrow, Zadok makes his elven elders proud! It's a mere grazing wound, but enough to draw blood from the witch's apprentice.
The Warden hesitates for a split-second on which source of fire magic to attack first, and finally elects to assault the stalwart Tien warrior. Despite his blatant lack of armor, Giri dodges some of the incoming blows with great skill yet the guardian's claw appears to be guided by the strands of fate themselves! The icy claw rakes through flesh like butter, inflicting some dire wounds.
The Warden and the Apprentice - round 4
1. Giri (24), Thorgull (12), Zadok
2. Warden of the Portals (40)
3. Virgil (8 NL, fatigued, 2)
4. Radosek (flying 5 ft. above ground, 17) & goat
Virgil, in a last ditch effort, lunges to strike down Radosek as Giri struggles to fight off the gargoyle.
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Evading Virgil's attack, Radosek flies upwards and curses Virgil with ill omen.
The Warden and the Apprentice - round 5
1. Giri (24), Thorgull (12), Zadok
2. Warden of the Portals (40)
3. Virgil (8 NL, fatigued, ill omen, 2)
4. Radosek (flying 10 ft. above ground, 17) & goat
Zadok sighs, knowing he is about to take a risky action to aid his new comrade. Baba Yaga, if we are to succeed....
Zadok summons the power of the Rider to draw on magical energies he did not know he had. His hand is now glowing with a faint green outline. He advances closer to the demon creature than he would normally dare. "Giri, step closer and let me heal you!"
Giri, heeding the words of Zadok, steps 5' closer to the man and lets the dark elf's power wash over him. The magicks work to quickly stitch together the man's wounds, causing him to stop bleeding from everything but the shallow claw slash across his chest.
Pointing his tetsubo at the gargoyle, Giri exhales loudly. "Alright, fiend. Time for retribution!"
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Zadok and Giri unite forces to bring the beast down! The elf conjures potent healing energies to close the Tien's extensive wounds, whereas the sacred warrior of the holy mountain brings his tetsubo twice more on the icy gargoyle's head. The first blow is an ice-shattering one, but the second one lacks precision and misses.
The Warden and the Apprentice - round 5
1. Giri (5), Thorgull (12), Zadok
2. Warden of the Portals (46)
3. Virgil (8 NL, fatigued, ill omen, 2)
4. Radosek (flying 10 ft. above ground, 17) & goat
Thorgull climbs back on his feet and tries to reach the wizard in the air with his wand!
for
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The fiery ray completely misses the Warden, who looks very cross at Giri. It lashes out at him with cold anger.
Virgil yells as he beholds his companion being so close to falling once more. It charges the Warden and strikes with all his might, calling upon the Black Rider's mantle to guide his tired sword arm.
While the Warden remains unharmed by Virgil's attack, it is showing signs of weakness. It glares at the duelist in anger.
Meanwhile, the witch's apprentice points a finger at Virgil and casts a spell. "This is the last time you see the light." Radosek gloats.
However Virgil appears to shake off the spell. "Try me, old man. Your spells won't save you."
The Warden and the Apprentice - round6
1. Giri (26), Thorgull (12), Zadok
2. Warden of the Portals (46)
3. Virgil (8 NL, fatigued, 2)
4. Radosek (flying 10 ft. above ground, 17) & goat
Thorgull grinds his teeth, steps North and focuses once more on his wand.
"That's my last charge! TAKE THIS ICY WARDEN! Cinders!" he yells.
for
After that, he drops the now useless wand on the ground and draws his crossbow.
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Thorgull utters the command word one last time, and the wand releases all the magic that's left inside. A potent ray surges forth, burning the icy Warden and melting it completely! Nothing remains of the Warden, nor of the now-charred wand. As the mythic beast is blasted into oblivion, the ground starts shaking, and the portal blink a few times before slowly disintegrating. Many icicles that were hanging from the ceiling detach and fall towards you!
Virgil deftly dodges the falling icicles, but Radosek is impaled by one of them and cast onto the ground. It is still conscious, but barely capable of defending himself anymore. Virgil immediately uses the opportunity to stab the apprentice before he can take flight once more.
The Warden and the Apprentice - round 6
1. Giri (26), Thorgull (12), Zadok, Virgil (8 NL, fatigued, 2)
4. Radosek (38, entangled & prone) & goat
Zadok uses the last of his strength to heal Giri once again. As he falls to his knees he wheezes, "Finish him. We have to end this."
The shout of victory soon shifts into a painful moan in the wizard's throat!
"YAAAAAEH UUURGghhh!"
Struck by the falling icicles, Giri winces in pain, but doesn't let the falling ice deter him as he yells encouragement to Thorgull as the man destroys the icy gargoyle. "Good job! Now we can take down the floating man!" he yells as he moves in to strike.
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With a potent blow, Giri's tetsubo crushes Radosek's skull with a sinister crack. At the very same moment, the goat that has been hiding for the whole confrontation collapses, struck dead.
The portal shakes violently, and the frosty air of the tower is sucked in. Virgil, who was standing near it - is swallowed by it and vanishes from view! You feel a deep pang in your heart as the connection between you and him is severed. Somehow the Black Rider's duty has been partly fulfilled. Baba Yaga giveth and Baba Yaga taketh back. Or is she?
The winter portal winces then disappears shortly after. The ground stops shaking and icicles stop falling. A deathly silence settles in. With a bit of effort, removing the icicles proves not too hard, and the vanquishers of the Warden can give pause and take time to heal their wounds. They also discover spoils of war on Radosek's body, as well as in the nearby chambers.
- icicle wand (42 charges)
- ring of feather falling (also acts as a ring of protection +1)
- cloak of the hedge wizard (abjuration) (also acts as a cloak of resistance +1)
- Masterpiece paintings depicting various seasons worth 500gp
- Two scrolls of comprehend languages, two scrolls of cure moderate wounds, a scroll of delay poison, a scroll of dispel magic, a scroll of Irriseni mirror sight, a scroll of remove disease, two scrolls of remove sickness, a scroll of threefold aspect, and a scroll of youthful appearance.
- two potions of cure light wounds, two potions of enlarge person, three oils of mask dweomer, two potions of cure moderate wounds, and two potions of reduce person
- A bag of holding (type II), which contains 1,290 gp, 2,198 sp, and 2,787 cp
- A pair of feather tokens (bird and tree)
- A wand of color spray (23 charges)
Once the winter portal is closed, it becomes pretty obvious that you've ended the threat to Heldren and Taldor, so you can safely return to Waldsby and recover at Nadya's house. But in the days to come, the Black Rider's duty will once more manifest and render you restless. It is only a matter of time before you head to Whitethrone and turn your attention to Baba Yaga's Dancing Hut.
Zadok is about to take a deep breath and breathe a sigh of relief when Virgil is swept away. He lunges forward and reaches out a hand to grab Virgil... but it is too late. Only then does he sigh, but with more confusion and dejection than simply exhaustion.
"The Queen's influence on this region of Irrisen has been lessened, at least for a time." the elf says. "But it is only a matter of time before she turns her eyes this way to see who has opposed her. We are not safe here for long. I am certain Baba Yaga has bigger plans for us though..."
Thorgull sighs in relief only to see Virgil vanish from this plane.
"What... What does it mean? Weren't we the... chosen one? Before, Stian... Now Virgil! I... I need some rest." says the ulfen, visibly exhausted.
Giri watches as Virgil is swept from the tower and Zadok nearly plunges after the man into the frosty abyss. He thinks of reacting, but an innate fear of whatever lay beyond that magical whirlpool freezes him in place.
Wordlessly, he follows the remaining two men back to their small village. He sees the bag and ring that Zadok offers and takes it as a small consolation. "Yamatsumi has sent me down a dark path..." he says, finally. "Either way, it appears we shall either win with glory or die horrible deaths." he muses.
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(...) but an innate fear of whatever lay beyond that magical whirlpool freezes him in place.
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The next couple of days are spent resting in Waldsby, enjoying the hospitality of Nadya Petska and recovering from your harrowing experience in the Pale Tower. It should feel like a victory, yet something leaves a bad taste in your mouth. The image of Virgil being swallowed in the whirling portal haunts you, and you realize that you don't feel "complete" without him. In the days that follow, you return to the Pale Tower to try and find some clues on the whereabouts of your former companion, but to no avail. Yet fate has something in store for you, in the shape of a lone wanderer approaching.
Zadok slowly stands up, keeping his eyes on the approaching stranger. "Be ready for anything," Zadok warns to his companions under his breath. "We've seen far too much and have far too many enemies in this country."
The oddly blue-green-skinned half-orc stands just shy of 7 feet tall and sports a veritable armory of weapons, all of masterwork quality, and wears a comparable breastplate.
Steeling his nerves as he approaches, he thinks, The red rider's quest has led me here. I cannot deny the pull I have felt since taking it up. These strangers, too, are more well-known to me, somehow, than anyone else here. I cannot deny this any more than I would be able to complete this quest alone. I must trust this feeling.
One hand near the hilt of his nodachi, his blue eyes narrow warily. "My name is Maligoth. I have been...led here. I believe I am supposed to...to tell you of myself and my quest." Seeing no overtly hostile actions taken by the others, he lets his hand fall and continues. "There is much of my life that I do not remember, but in that part of my life I do, I have undertaken to protect those around me. I went to investigate a strange portal, bringing cold weather to the area where I live. I found a rider in a red cloak, who told me of a danger and directed me to come here, to find the others, and to stop it." He pauses, then, looking each of the others in the eye before he continues, "I assume that you have also been given such a quest; I have come to lend my aid."
Having no not known Virgil for long, Giri doesn't seem as broken up as the other two, but it is still a significant loss for the group and he recognizes that. "I will exact our revenge on them if they dare to step in our path, Zadok." the monk says, trying to reassure the man.
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Listening to the man's words, Giri is on edge as the man fingers the hilt of his blade. His eyes narrow until the half-orc chooses the correct path to remove his appendage from the blade. "Sit. Tell us more as it seems that the Mountain Lord has provided for us once more."
"Once we know you, then you will know us." the man says to the half-orc as he pushes a mug of warming ale across the table. "Careful." he cautions. "It is a strong brew."
Thorgull takes some time to get over the sickness caused by the loss of his companion.
Seeing the blue-skinned wanderer approaching, the wizard frowns as he has a weird feeling about this.
Listening to the stranger, he nods approvingly and motions for him to sit with the group. However, as a man of few words, he decides to say naught until the stranger talks a bit more of himself, as Giri suggested.
Wait... How many cloaked riders are there? Baba Yaga's ways are difficult to understand.
Maligoth nods appreciatively, then sniffs at the ale, sipping it carefully. Satisfied, he continues, "I remember nothing of my childhood, as I said. My earliest memory is of waking next to a river. I was able to forage for myself, survive for a while, and eventually found the town of Crossfen." His eyes focus on the distance as he remembers. "I was unknown to these people - and unwashed - but I was welcomed. For whatever reason, they trusted me enough to place me in the townguard, and in return they showed me their ways, as I knew no others. Still, I could not trust them completely..." His eyes darken at the last, reflecting some inward turmoil.
After a moment, his expression lightens somewhat and he continues, "In any case, when the snows began to fall, I set out to find the cause; as I said, I found a portal and a red rider, near death. He cast his mantle upon me; once he did, I felt that I needed to travel through the portal, to this place, where I found you." He sighs, looking at the others. "That is my tale; what say you? Are we to work together to end this curse?"