As the ghost fades into nothingness Tahata moves to take care of Maitoh. "Yaxşı etdin, cəsur dost," he says quietly as he looks over the wolf's wounds.
Tahata uses his magic to soothe Maitoh's pain and stop the bleeding.
"We should move on quickly before anything comes to investigate the noise," Tahata suggests, hefting his spear and looking around cautiously.
Tahata:
HP 62/62
AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+5 armour, +2 Dex, +1 natural armour, +1 Shared Strength, +1 haste)
Speed: 60ft (+30ft haste)
Fort +8 (+5 vs cold weather), Ref +8, Will +6
Conditions: Shared Strength, lead blades, 3 Str damage, haste
Melee attack (+1 spear): +8/+8 (+5 BAB, +4 Str, +1 enhancement, -2 Power Attack, +1 haste, -1 Str penalty)
Melee Damage (+1 spear): d8+12 (+6 Str, +1 enhancement, +6 Power Attack, -1 Str penalty)
Maitoh:
HP 46/51
AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 22 (+2 armour, +2 Dex, +9 natural armour, -1 size, +1 Shared Strength, +1 haste)
Speed: 80ft (+30ft haste)
Fort +9 (+5 vs cold weather), Ref +7, Will +5 (+4 vs enchantment/illusion)
Conditions: Shared Strength, greater magic fang, haste, sickened
Melee attack (bite): +10/+10 (+4 BAB, +6 Str, +1 Weapon Focus, -1 size, -2 Power Attack, +1 GMF, +1 haste)
Melee Damage (bite): d8+16 (+9 Str, +6 Power Attack, +1 GMF)
"Maybe we should just leave any more cabins we find alone."
You have a point Loren. this certainly wasn't what we hoped to find here. next time we should just mosey on along on our own business...
While we're here, though, durian will take a look around the inside of the cabin to see if there is anything of interest
"Will you all be okay?" Ayame asked nervously. The young bard's eyes was shifting between her friends. Some of them had taken the fire of the witchfire, and she wasn't sure if anything she had would help. "Maybe... Maybe I should have... Gotten different gifts..." Ayame muttered.
She cleared her throat, "Yes maybe... But the next one might hold people in trouble, and we got a seriously dangerous creature out of harms way for others who would take this path. My friends this isn't something to turn your nose up at. We carried the day! ... Right?"
"We'll be fine," Tahata replies, content that Maitoh now looks more comfortable. "The risk of danger shouldn't stop us from trying to help people. Destroying this creature might have saved lives, and we should be ready to do the same again."
Assuming you search the cabin you do find some things that might be of use.
1- 5-gallon barrels are ale (Only worth 1gp each but its beer so thats handy)
Salmon and Beef jerky that could feed the whole group for two weeks
Finally Tahata spots a lose floor board underneath which is a +1 Adamantine light mace.
"We could use these to resupply!" Ayame said please with the small find. "Should we bring the others here? Let I mean it is a cabin and I'm sure they'd like to get out of the cold."
"Hold on, there's something hidden here," Tahata says, levering up a loose floorboard to reveal a mace with a head of dark silvery metal. "It might be magical," he adds, offering it to Ayame and Loren to look over.
"We should bring the others in, if only to gather these supplies, but we should also check the other cabins first," Tahata suggests. "That witchfire might have harmed others, we need to check that there is no-one that needs our help."
Durian is ready to just get out of here after that nasty witch ghost, but Tahata's words make him reconsider.
You're right, we need to make sure no one else was harmed by that creature. let's take a look, then get out of here
Loren casts Detect Magic
"Not sure exactly how powerful it is, but it is magical." he says when he looks at the mace.
"Here Loren let me look." Ayame said as she turned her magic vision on.
"So we're not going to rest here?" Ayame asked.
"We can rest here, but I want to make sure it's safe first," Tahata replies. "Who knows what that woman had been doing before we got here?"
Don't know that i like the idea of sleeping here Durian looks around nervously
are we sure that ghost woman is actually destroyed, or can she come back at night? I've hard of shades doing that. i'd be much happier checking the area then returning to the caravan for the night.
"I don't believe that Witchfires come back... At least not from the books I've read. They are nasty things... You know, I think I might write a book about us. What do you all think?" Ayame asked with a smile.
Then she cleared her throat and added "Checking the area, right." when she realized she got ahead of herself again.
Tahata and Maitoh lead the group past the cabin, checking the rest of the hunting lodges for anyone that might need help.
"I think I would rather rest with the caravan."
"Bad energy in this place."
"Well, like I said we should bring the caravan here. The walls are strong and it would keep heat better." Ayame pointed out.
I am with Loren on this. if there is bad energy here i don't want to bring in the full caravan. the sooner we leave here and get back on our way the better
"Well, I mean we did sleep at that place with the werebear we killed..." Ayame told them. "I just thought it might be nice to be out of the cold for a night... oh well" She added.
"I'll go help Tahata." With that Ayame left the cabin and headed to join Tahata and Maitoh in checking the other cabins. "We're divided..." She sighed.
Fortunately for the split party there are no further threats in the area of the cabins. Most have holes in the roof or other areas but there are two beyond the one the witchfire was in that are in decent shape. Inside you find many items but they are so worn with age and weather they simply are junk at this point with the exception of two fifty foot silk ropes.
The next day is calm and you are told that the following you will come to Qopuk Ford and need to cross Taraska River. It is not a relatively easy place to cross with only occasional mishap. The wagons should have no problem though you will need to stop to warm the animals after.
Tahata is pleased to find the rest of the cabins empty and safe. "It was worth our time to look," he says to the others, "though there won't be enough space for all of us to sleep here safely. We should return to the caravan for the night."
Looks like this is clear now, but i agree with Tahata, let's return to the caravan and leave this place behind us.
Durian asks for any more information about the ford. is there anything we need to prepare for? It sounds simple enough, but there's always things that can go wrong...
"I am out voted, I get it." Ayame said with a shrug.
When they got back Ayame went through their bags and found something. Going to her friends she said. "I thought I might find them as Durian never drank on, but these potions will help with what the Witchfire did to you." She explained as she held up two potions of lesser restoration. "Here." Ayame said as she softly smiled at Tahata and handed him one of the potions.
"Thank you, I'd forgotten about these," Tahata says, grateful for Ayame's memory. He unstoppers one of the bottles and drinks down the cool but mostly tasteless liquid inside.
Tahata feels the magic of the potion like a chill wind rushing through his insides, but feels restored nonetheless.
"That entity was much more dangerous than we expected. This is a wild and untamed land. We'll need to be more careful."
"While I agree, it isn't like we can control what we find in these lands... I mean what would we have done differently really? We couldn't have left that Witchfire there else others would fall to it." Ayame pointed out as she settled in next to Maitoh.
"There are many dangers in the wilderness, some of which can be avoided but some of which must be confronted," Tahata says, feeling that his experience in the wilds of Varisia is very much applicable in the frozen north. "As Ayame says, that witchfire was a danger to anyone who might pass through here. We had no choice but to destroy it."
Tahata leaves Maitoh in the company of his new favourite friend and settles in for the night, hoping for a peaceful sleep.
-----------------------
The next morning is bright and cold as the group continues on their way, heading towards the Qopuk Ford. "Are you sure that the ford will be passable?" Tahata asks Ulf, concerned that it might be too cold or too deep to cross.
Ayame smiled as Tahata agreed with her, and when he left she look to Maitoh whom she had cuddle up to. "You can go rest too if you wish." She told the wolf with a nod to where Tahata walked off to.
-------------
"This is Ulf's area of wisdom." Ayame reminded Tahata. "If he says we can do it then I trust him." She beamed at smile at their guide.
However the water was indeed cold and when stopped she tried to help warm the animals, and poor Maitoh who was too large to ride in the wagons now.
Ulf grunts at Tahata's comment.
"It will be passable, only real way to go at this point. Finding the right spot can be a bit of a hassle due to how ice shifts and water levels. We also need to be aware of other things crossing, mostly animals in a herd."
It is a full, uneventful, day and 3/4 before you make it to the Qqpuk Ford. It takes well over a hour before Ulf finds a spot that he deems suitable. In the frozen mud many hoof prints from large animals can be seen. They appear to be the tracks of large oxen or cows headed into the Ford.
"Well this should about do it. You folks ready to give it a go now or wait until the morning? Either works it just means camping on the far side, wet, tonight or traveling wet tomorrow. I have done both."
"Either those with the right skills can pitch in."
Durian counsels waiting until morning to cross. that way if something goes wrong there is more time in daylight to deal with the issue. but if that will mean finding a new spot to cross because of things shifting in the night, it maybe would still be better to just go for it now.
"I think we should cross now. If all goes well we can warm up and dry out with some fires overnight and be ready to travel tomorrow. If we wait we lose more time drying and warming or we travel cold and wet, which could be very dangerous if the weather turns," he suggests.
"I must say I do prefer not traveling in wet clothes." Ayame said. "So getting this over with now and warming by the fires is my vote too."
"Agreed. The cold doesn't bother me much, but river crossings are dangerous."
Durian gets out in front, sloshing through the water to lead the animals and help keep them calm as the caravan rolls across the ford.
Ayame kept close to the caravan, and gave people what magic she had when they needed it. When it came to the wilds she was not what they called an expert.
Tahata and Durian are helpful but the crossing takes longer then it should. At one point Ulf slips and nearly submerges himself but manages to keep his head above the cold water. After two hours everyone makes it to the other side, exhausted and wet. It seems nothing was attracted to the activity.
From here you will be following rivers northern bank as it loops eastward. This journey will take a couple of days until you will reach the village of Iqaliat.
Unless the party wishes to do more then just rest things are quiet for a few days. On the third day you notice a heard of what appears to be musk oxen lazing about and blocking the path. You are some distance away and they are not alarmed by your presence but also do not appear eager to mover.
Wait the out? Try and move them? Some other idea?
Durian has no knowledge to help with how to deal with the oxen. he looks to the others for any insight into how aggressive these things might be. if it comes to it he will help by going ahead and trying to convince the beasts to move along out of the path of the wagons.
"These oxen might be here for some time if they've found good grazing," Tahata says. "If we want to make good time to Iqaliat then we should try to gently persuade them out of our way."
Tahata has some ideas a loud noise or two might spook them but its a little unpredictable, they could turn towards the caravan. Alternatively you and Maitoh may be able to kind of wrangle them. You would assume they are not domesticated but you have a certain skill level making it possible.
The group is several hundred feet away and moving closer but not until about 75 feet off do you notice that many of them appear to have a brand of some sort on them. It looks like a crudely made shape of a two headed humanoid.
"The animals are branded," Tahata says, disgusted that someone would treat the creatures under their care in that way. "Can you see?" he asks, pointing it out to the others. "I'm sure Maitoh and I could herd them out of the way, but does any recognise the symbol of who they belong to?"
Durian tries to think of any similar brands he's seen or even what kind of humanoid might be depicted there, but comes up with nothing
I can try to help herd them, but if they are branded someone owns them. and if we start moving someone else's herd, they will likely think us to be thieves. it could get ugly fast. can we go around? wait for them to move on?
Ayame came trudging up to see the brand. "Oh! OH! Let me see!"