GM Rennai's Reign of Winter (Inactive)

Game Master Rennaivx

Yes - let it be. Astrid sighs with relief as Freyja backs away. Further up and further in - let's see if we can find the ones responsible for this winter. For a moment, she looks sadly back at the hut. It's the best way we can help her.

Good to move on if everyone else is.

"No! I mean...how can we just leave her here, alone in the woods? She is little girl, and she has no one to help her..."

Another thought strikes her, and she clinches her fist.

"There is also a witch behind this doll. One who keeps little girl locked inside. We will find this witch, then we will cut out her eyes, eh? Replace them with mirrors..."

Also okay to move on, if it seems there isn't much we can do for the girl now...

Not sure the girl was ever really here. There are tales that to make the dolls the witches have to bind the souls of young children. I am not at all sure that is PF accurate or not though. Just Russian folk lore.

Cithembi gives the hut a dark look. "Perhaps we shall learn more later of this, yes?" he says. "Perhaps we will return if we do?"

Evelina just looks back and forth from the doll to her companions, clearly lost and confused. I want to help her...that's what heroes are supposed to do, right?...but Freyja might be right...I'd probably do more harm than good. Giving the others a dejected nod, she follows along behind them. Quietly, she mumbles, "Do you think its worth searchin' the area a bit more...y'know for clues as to where we should go next?"

You leave the hut behind and return to the trail, which now leads you to the south, probably turning around a portion of the hill. After a couple minutes walking, Evalina looks back on the trail and, to her surprise, there is a tiny doll in the middle of it.

It is once more immobile, but staring at you...

In a heartbeat Arvanya has drawn an arrow and aims it directly at the doll. Auryel's hackles rise and a menacing growl rumbles from his bared teeth.

"Dolls do not walk through snow on their own. Whatever is behind this doll is looking. Perhaps if we smash doll, little girl goes free, hmm?"

It does not seem to be hurting a thing. What harm can it do just following us. I'm sure it wants to be friends with us. Remember harming it can harm the young girl. Freya responds is a slightly dreamy voice.

Cithembi narrows his eyes. Too bad I don't have Sense Motive worth anything. :D

"It can do a great deal of harm following us, I would think," Cithembi says. "Who knows what connection it still has to the witches, yes?"

Sense Motive (if needed): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16

Arvanya hesitates. It's clear the doll is a product of sorcery, but her friends seem to trust it... Why do her friends trust it so?

Witchcraft.

Ahead, the doll's little mirrored eye twinkles brightly in the snow, like a far-off star in the sky; like those that she and her friends followed each night, never knowing where the next path would lead. They relied on the stars to guide them. Beacons in the night to lead them home.

And who would guide the little girl within the doll? Could she see the stars at all? Arvanya's hand trembles at the thought, but her mind is made.

"Auryel, ucide!"

Auryel barks and vaults through the snow. Arvanya shoots her arrow.

Vanya ranged, PBS, composite +1: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 = 141d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 = 3
Auryel bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 241d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
crit confirm?: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 141d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Trip?: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

"...but Freyja? I thought you said these things were used for spyin' on peop...Oh woah! Vanya...What are you...!?!" Evelina turns to watch the attacking pair with surprise. Oh, I hope this ends well...

Arvanya - Arvanya, no! Desperately, Astrid rushes forward, trying to catch Auryel in his tracks and stop the wolf getting to the doll - but even in the lighter armor she'd gotten from Freyja, Astrid is no match for the canine's speed, and by the time she reaches him, he's already begun to tear at the tiny poppet. No!

As Arvanya raises her longbow and Auryel starts to move towards the strange doll, Freyja reacts quickly... waiting for this reaction

The creepy doll starts to float, even if it is still mere inches above the ground.

Freyja could, with a move action, stop either Arvanya (by grabbing her arm) or Auriel (by standing in front of him).

Since I have already seen the combat rolls I'll roll that randomly.

Arvanya is 1 and Auriel is 2: 1d2 ⇒ 1

Grabbing Arvanya bow arm with a look of concern Freyja calls out Wait, you will harm the girl.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Evelina tries to make sense of the situation, but everything is happening to fast. Everybody is acting weird, but she can't figure out who is right. "Guys! C'mon...don't fight!"

Turning to see the doll raising from the ground, she mumbles, "Oh...that can't be good..." Realizing she has to do something, impulse takes over and she begins running for the doll at a breakneck speed. Desperately, she attempts to tackle and restrain the doll.

5'3 Tackle Attack! (Grapple?): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Freyja grabs Arvnya's arm, causing her arrow to hit the ground instead. Meanwhile, Auryel bolts forward and strikes the doll, tripping it into the ground even if dealing almost no damage to it. Its skin is really thick and resistant. Blaze moves around and readies herself to send one of her fire blasts if the doll stands up. "Firing into someone fallen on the ground is pretty difficult..." Blaze rambles to herself.

With the doll down, Evelina has no trouble in closing in and grabbing it. Soon after, Evelina feels something piercing her ribs and an incredible cold running through her body... for a second, she feels as if she was about to freeze and turn into solid ice.

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No - please, stop trying to hurt her! Can you blame her for trying to protect herself?! Astrid moves into the fray - clearly trying to force herself between Auryel, Evelina, and the small doll. Her stance isn't aggressive, and her spear stays upright at her side - but she doesn't look as if she's about to budge from protecting the poppet, either.

I know she may not be able to actually get between them all, but she'll do what she can toward that goal.

It's hard for Cithembi to follow the words of his new companions... not when he's focused on the doll, and how it just stabbed Evelina. None too confident in his own melee skills, he comes up behind Evelina, weaving symbols in the air with his hands. When he arrives he reaches out and taps her blade... which suddenly starts shedding a warm, golden glow.

Casting sun metal on Evelina's rapier. Do any of us have enough Sense Motive to recognize when someone's been charmed? :D

Between the pain and the cold, Evelina is so shocked by the wound that she doesn't even notice a spell being cast on her blade. "It...it stabbed me..." she says quietly, before raising her voice louder to warn the others, "It has a knife and it stabbed me! Astrid! Freyja! Vanya's right! It ain't a good thing! It's very, very bad!"

Reaching for her rapier, she sees it lit up with flames. "Woah..." she remarks, confused. Still, she grabs the blade and tries to stab it into the doll's side.

Rapier Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1d4 ⇒ (2) + 3 + (2) = 7

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Missed arrow recovery (low loses): 1d2 ⇒ 1

Arvanya pulls away from Freyja, fear in her eyes. She turns to face the norsewoman, her hand shooting out defensively. ”Freyja, stop! Listen to me, doll is evil! It is enchanting us somehow, and means us harm! We must destroy it!”

As Auryel continues his attempt to ravage the doll, Arvanya takes a chance and snatches another arrow. She turns to the side, pulling back quickly and firing, hoping Freyja does not try to kill her.

Vanya ranged, PBS, composite +1: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 1 = 81d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 = 3
Auryel bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 131d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
trip?: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

New save when the creature attacked her friend?

Arvanya aims with her bow but her arrow goes wide once more. In compensation, with the doll grappled and fallen into the ground, Auryel is able to bite it once more, this time dealing considerable more damage.

Blaze continues to aim her fire blast and Evelina, with Cithembi's spell, releases the doll in favor of an attack with her now flaming rapier... she isn't able to pierce the doll's surface, but the fire burns just fine.

The doll once more attacks Evelina, piercing her flesh once more and, this time, it chills Evelina to her core, freezing her in place. The doll then resumes her ascent into the snowy sky, giving Blaze the chance to strike it with her fire magic. The missile flies just right and strikes the doll into its chest, burning large portions of its hair.

Auryel also doesn't wastes this opportunity and soon bites the doll, ending up with one of its arms in his mouth...

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As far as I know, you don't gain second saving throws with charm person. If you are directly attacked by the one who cast the spell (or its allies), the spell instantly ends, but if they attack your ally, it is all fair game.

Concerned that her friends are fighting Freyja moves to Evelina and casts a healing spell on her. Just look what happened to you. You should have never fought the doll.

Cure Light: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9

Cithembi hurls his spear at the doll, not having any better ideas for what to do right now.

Spear toss: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Evelina tries to defend herself, as Freyja chastises her. It attacked me! With a knife! Why are you taking it's side? However, with her entire body frozen, her attempt to speak comes out as little more than a whimper. Instead, all she can do is stare at Frejya with wounded eyes.

arrow recovery (low loses): 1d2 ⇒ 2

Arvanya leans back to shoot into the air, but between her boot sliding back on the ice and the numbness in her fingers, her shot goes very, very wide.

Vanya ranged,PBS, composite +1: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 91d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 1 = 7
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 121d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Turning to Auryel, she crinkles her brow in concentration as she imbues him with enhanced agility Swift action to switch Auryel's animal focus to Frog.

Auryel growls and crouches back before leaping straight up into the air, snapping at the doll's feet.

acrobatics to jump, Frog focus: 1d20 + 14 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 14 + 4 = 26
Auryel bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 141d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Stop - please! Worry etched into her eyes, Astrid moves back and reaches for the doll, murmuring an incantation as her hand approaches it. Maybe she can help us find the ones responsible for doing this to her! But you have to stop if she's going to!

Casting mending! XD Somehow, I doubt my caster level's high enough to repair it at all, but Astrid doesn't know that. ;)

Astrid, Mending has a casting time of 10 minutes...

Unfortunately, the luck wasn't with you this time. An arrow, a vicious bite, a thrown spear, and a flying fire blast... everything missed the doll as it was flying atop of you. Its eyes flash with a blue color for a mere second, and soon Arvanya and Blaze feel the air becoming colder around them, burning their flesh in the process and slowing their reactions.

Even after the initial effect, both of them felt that the place where they were standing would keep freezing them more and more.

Cithembi snarls, pulls a vial of alchemist's fire from his belt pouch, and hurls it at the doll.

Fire throw: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

The dice do not favor me this battle...

A blistering cold encompasses Arvanya in a wintery cocoon, her skin burning. Gasping in pain, she staggers to the side where even the icy winter air offers a respite from the preternatural cold. Move to step out of area.

Auryel tries once more to protect his mistress and friends, but the tiny doll continues to evade his snapping teeth.

Auryel acrobatics jump: 1d20 + 14 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 14 + 4 = 25
Auryel bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 101d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

The dice don't seem to favor anyone this battle, Cithembi. XD

Seeing Evelina slowly stiffening further and further, Astrid grabs her around the middle and carries her away from the doll, setting her gently against a tree several feet away. I told you, didn't I? We should just let the doll be!

Moving Evelina away from the fight to wherever would seem the most logical place to put her. Can Astrid tell where the cold effect starts/ends?

Evelina's turn is spent continuing to be an indispensable part of the team.

It appears that, thanks to the falling snow, no one is being capable of doing anything to the other party, and this includes the mysterious doll. Arvanya moves out of the freezing area but Auryel isn't able to reach for the doll and Cithembi's flask flies away from his intended target, crashing against a rock with no effect.

Blaze decides to remain in her place and fling her fiery magic, being herself pretty resistant to the cold effects... unfortunately she aims poorly. The doll counterattacks with her own magic, send a bolt of ice that crashes far from Blaze, its intended target.

Astrid moves Evelina away from the fight, but just when she was about to release her, the girl comes back to life, freed from the ice magic of the doll!

Still trembling from the ice magic, Arvanya's shaking fingers locate another arrow. Her teeth chattering, she shoots again. Auryel continues to jump and snap at the doll's feet.

Vanya ranged, PBS, composite +1: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 4 + 1 = 211d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4
Auryel jump, frog focus: 1d20 + 14 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 14 + 4 = 21
Auryel bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 41d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Evelina continues to try and fight against her paralysis, as Astrid drags her away. She now becomes certain that something is wrong with her friend. Ok...Freyja does tend to feel bad for these evil fey things...but Astrid ain't ever acted like this before...and didn't she want to destroy before?"

As she continues to thrash, she finally feels some life returning to her body. Gripping her rapier she immediately runs back toward the doll at breakneck speed, stumbling slightly due to her legs still feeling rather numb. As she runs, she shouts back, "Snap outta it Astrid! This ain't you! This things bad an' it stabbed me...an' you shouldn't be takin' its side!"

Reaching the doll, her rapier thrusts forward.

Rapier Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 I didn't include Sun Metal, because I think its round/level? So its worn off, right?

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Unsure what to do with her friends fighting Freyja calls out Stop it. Stop it now. We are all friends here. Stop hurting each other. This is such a waste.

Cithembi, completely oblivious to the arguments going on, got his crossbow out and loaded it.

Arvanys shoots and she finally hits the doll... even if her arrow fails to pierce its hard exterior. Auryel has no better luck in trying to reach the flying doll.

While Cithembi gets his crossbow ready, Blaze gets a lucky shot, hitting the doll in its chest, burning it thoroughly. Leaving a trail of smoke in the air, the dolls falls into the ground, completely unanimated.

Combat is over!

Evelina lets out a sigh of relief as the doll falls. However, she turns to face Freyja and Astrid with trepidation. "Look, I know you ain't gonna be happy about what we did...but I'm tellin' you. This thing was bad. Like...real bad...We had to do it...I just trying to restrain it...an' it pulled a knife on me!"

Freyja shakes her head and rubs her eyes. That doll. It had me bewitched somehow. Why was I protecting it? My friends please forgive me. I, I don't know what came over me.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 Grr.

The battle ends, the glade falls silent...and then, suddenly, not so silent. Astrid's eyes are wide, alight with an inner fire, and her words echo through the trees.

You gods-damned piece of shit doll! Enchanting me...controlling me... F*#@ing magic...f*++ing witches...

Every expletive is punctuated with a kick or a stomp to the poppet lying still on the ground. It's clear that, whatever Astrid's experienced, it's shaken her deeply - and that fear's tearing itself free of her as white-hot anger. Soon, the doll is tattered and filthy, covered in mucky boot prints; anger abating, she turns to everyone else, and the look in her eyes is one of deep shame. It...took over me. Convinced me it was a friend...I'm sorry. I should never have let it master me like that.

Now able to focus on watching lips instead of a killer doll, Cithembi quickly puts together an idea of what had been going on between his new companions.

"It seems likely we shall face more such magic as we continue down this path, friends," he says seriously. "We should seek ways to prepare for it, yes?"

"And... And child?" Arvanya asks hopefully. "You did speak to her as well?". She worries over the doll for a moment, inspecting its little doll pockets and examining the eyes.

She also tries to reassure Freyja and Astrid. "Do not worry, witches are evil and tricky, eh? Come, we move on now."

Evelina nods and tries to smile, "Oh. Magic....that makes more sense." Although, she seems a little quieter and less cheerful than usual after the whole ordeal.

Agreeing with Arvanya, she comments, "Yeah...what should we do 'bout the girl? We can't bring the doll, right? It might still be watchin'? Or y'think it's broken now? Perhaps we should hide it, then try an' figure out more 'bout how this stuff works?"

Kn:Local: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Evelina strains her brain trying to think of any places or people she might have heard of during her travels that could have information about this kind of magic or other magic the witches and fey might use against them.

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Freyja moves to inspect the doll. Hmm. One eye seems to be some sort of gem. Its worth something we should at least take that. The other eye is just a mirror of some sort. I say burn and then bury the remains in a snow bank. Then lets do a quick search of the little house before we burn it too.

Assuming Blase will enjoy burning things up. :)

At Arvanya's question, Astrid pauses in concentration for a moment, as if attempting to collect her thoughts. I...don't know if it was really speaking, per se. It's...I can't...really remember what happened...it's all, I don't know, fuzzy now. I think it was more like a feeling...I just suddenly couldn't bring myself to harm the thing. Her heavy fist lashes out, punching a small tree trunk nearby. I wish I had properly spoken to her - at least then some good could have come of it!

"Perhaps there is some magic left on some part of the doll?" Cithembi suggests. "Perhaps one of you might investigate it for magic, friends? Perhaps the hut as well?"

"Yes, yes!" Arvanya agrees with Cithembi, clapping her hands gently in praise of the cat's notion. "Freyja, can you tell us anything more before we destroy the doll?"

The bard, still angry with herself, casts a detect magic spell and studies the strange doll. I feel that the witches are watching us even now. she warns. I hope they are far away.