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Will save
Kappi reels from the ghostly scratches but manages to weather the worst of it. Even as he prepares his next attack he wonders if his luxurious black hair has turned white. He tries to make a mental note to check under his head scarf when he has some downtime.
Davosh cackles and strike with an evil eye to affect hit rolls. DC 18 to cut down duration.
Round 4 Vojtek
The angry murder hobo gets even more furious as this strange dream thing refuses to die.
FULL ATTACK
Great AX +1 for
Claw for
Wartooth Gnash for
Votjek full attacks, his bite and claw falling short but his axe striking home! The phantom menace remains, however!
Kappi Round 5 Action
This dream creature confounds the Varisian lad a bit. With Vojtek landing a vicious AX blow, normally Kappi could really capitalize against the wounded opponent. With little else to do but strike the lad keeps cutting at the mostly intangible woman.
Attack
+1 sh sword
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The phantom menace remains, however!
Ali concentrates again, "recycling" another Magic Missile spell (albeit without the Empowerment)
The phantom menace remains, however!
Kappi stabs the apparition just as Ali's force missiles hit home and the witchdaughter's nightmare is vanquished!
A search of the room finds no treasure.
After the threat is over the lad hurriedly unwraps his headscarf. He is craining his head around in awkwardly impossible angles trying to see his own hair (which is too short to spy himself). He is touching his short black hair and nervously asking Is it... Is it ummm... Still dark?
Um YEAH—almost totally!!
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With a sigh of relief at the the witchdaughters vanquishing, Ed starts his normal post combat ritual of healing everyone through life link.
At Kappi's question, Ed pulls a mirror out of his grooming kit and lets the lad look for himself.
We need to find a blue gem, her soul was sucked into it. If we free it she might not come back.
A thorough search of the room finds no gem nor treasure of any sort, which Davosh explains ad infinitum to Edward that this should not be surprising and gives several arcane formulae as part of the extended explanation to the Oradin, which Ali sums up succinctly with "that's not how it works, that's not how any of this works." Edward comes to realize that such a precious bauble would not be left behind.
Once healed, the party returns to the expectant raven.
Um YEAH—almost totally!!
The lad is clearly panicked by Ali's jest. Only after seeing himself in Ed's mirror does the lad calm down. After a minute or so of checking himself out he decides it gives him a "distinguished air" and makes himself look much older.
Ali is kind enough to keep her opinion to herself and just tells him to Keep your headscarf on...
The Varisian lad leads the party back into the room with the pool and he addresses the raven. Bowing he speaks Greetings again Raven. We bested the dream in the other room.
The lad awkwardly looks to his companions at what to do next. Though he is ready to move on to another room.
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I am Tryva, one of three,
Who guards the roots of Fate's tree.
Before I aid you, prove to me
You have resolve to gain what you seek.
To convince me of your strength of thought,
you must face what I, the herald of dawn, cannot.
Each night it visits—
Sometimes horror,
Sometimes wonder,
Sometimes prophet,
When dawn wakes, it flees.
When you face this thing, you shall know its desire. In its desire, you shall find your own. Only by sharing this desire with me can I bind your fates. Once they are bound, I will be able to see your destiny.
It falls silent and stares at Kappi expectantly.
Tryva, Raven of Dawn we have faced the dream of horror. Can you tell me who captured the soul of Baba Yaga's daughter? Or easier yet, where do we find the blue gem that contains her soul?
Tryva flutters her wings at Edward's question. Who can say for certain where the soul of Baba Yaga's daughters go when they are taken by the Queen of Witches? None but the Great Crone know her inexplicable reasons. Yet reasons there are, of that you can be sure.
So Baba Yaga took her soul? Can there be a different Queen of Witches other than Baba Yaga?
Kappi looks around at the others. He is ready to go to a new room, to face a new challenge and hopefully a ghost touch blade.
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Davosh stops. He really stops. He closes both eyes and thinks. He really thinks. When he opens his eyes he takes a deep breath before talking. "Not all challenges are those of flesh and blood. Some are hear and mind. This, I believe, is the later. The dream, incarnate as it was still has desires. It is these desires that Tryva seeks, well, knowledge of them. The dream, I think sought vengeance, a righteous balancing of the scales. It was wronged in life, and knows not completion in death. Is this how it works raven? Is this the knowledge you seek?"
Tryva nods — if a raven can be seen as nodding — and produces an iron amulet from seemingly thin air. So be it. You have passed the Challenge of Endurance. This amulet holds but one of three clues you seek.
When you have all, find the sisters who are one: Mother. Maiden. Also Crone.
But the Maiden is elusive, and may only be caught with the waxing moon.
Tryva crows three times and then takes to the air again, flying into the pool. There is no splash when she touches the surface; instead, she seems to pass into another world and wings off into a glorious sunrise, her form growing smaller and smaller until it disappears.
The iron amulet is engraved with an Iobarian rune.
Three Who Watch."
Davosh smiles and whispers the words asyndentonly, "Maiden, mother, crone."
"This amulet has the name Artrosa on it. The name refers to one of three giant carvings in the Northeast. Also, I think I understand the trials here now. I hope this means the others will be easier. Now, let us make haste to the next door."
Before leaving, Davosh casts detect magic on the amulet (Take 10 for a 26.)
Kappi nods, happy to have the riddle worked through. The lad steps into the hallway, but with a fair amount of trepidation. He walks down the hall to the door of twilight. There he gives it his best, opening once he's satisfied:
Davosh gets only a residual magic aura from the amulet.
Kappi finds the door unlocked and believes it not to be trapped, so he opens it.
A slight chill wafts through this room, carrying the stale scent of carrion and peat. Beyond, an impossible forest seems to have devoured the entire chamber. The walls are woven from tangled knots of black, leafless trees, and fine flakes of rusted iron cover the floor, softly crumbling to dust. A pale light emanates from a fist-sized orb that rests within a nest of black iron branches in the center of the room, turning all forms into ebon silhouettes. A narrow passage can be seen leading away from the room on the far side, its way lined with jutting, leafless branches.
Shortly after entering the room, a raven flies out of the darkness to perch atop the glowing orb, casting a huge, ominous shadow about the room. It stares at the party in silence.
"Doth thou speak Raven?" Davosh holds up the prize from the previous room. "If you have a riddle or challenge for us, do not delay."
Seeing the amulet, the bird speaks.
I am Moc, one of three,
Who guards the roots of Fate's tree.
Baba Yaga is not here,
But you can find her, never fear.
Before, you must prove insight
To bear my knowledge sufficient might.
Born twins, they live not,
Yet they grow until death.
Their fates are of 'n tied.
Ever-crescent, as the moon,
Symbols of the warrior's pride.
The answer to this question lies in the chamber beyond. Bring me the answer, and I shall give you what you seek.
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"Ha! Horns! Like the ram or hollowed for drinking. I believe we shall meet a beast beyond. Come now, let us go forth. Beasts are fare more in line with my preferred faire."
Kappi checks the door before opening it.
As Kappi checks the door, Ali comes alongside, motioning for Vojtek to join her. When the young man moves to open the door, she puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
Let Tiny here open the door for us--he likes to lead the way when we think there's a beast to fight! You come in behind me, Kappi.
She uses her wand to cast Shield on herself, then stows it back in the sheath, to grip her sword properly.
With a sigh of relief at the the witchdaughters vanquishing, Ed starts his normal post combat ritual of healing everyone through life link.
Let Tiny here open the door for us--he likes to lead the way when we think there's a beast to fight! You come in behind me, Kappi.
Kappi stops at Ali's words. He nods and lets Vojtek and Ali ahead of him. He draws his magic short sword...
Following the corridor, the party comes to a wide chamber lined with grey, lifeless trees and thorny tangles of brush. In the center of the room stands a gnarled and leafless tree whose outstretched branches twist like cruel, beastly talons. Nothing else appears to be in the room.
With no obvious threat, the young rogue slips forward to check out the room more closely.
Perception
As Kappi leads the group into the room, suddenly a POP is heard, and a massive, horse-sized boar, its back rising in a steep slope, appears out of nowhere! Its tiny red eyes are crusted with filth and its bristly flank crawls with flies!
Round 1
Ali
Kappi
boar
Vojtek
Edward
Davosh
Davosh whispers, "Oops, not horns."
Round 1
Kappi's eyes bug out just a little as the ginormous boar bursts into being. What honestly starts as a total RUN AWAY! moment, ends with the lad running around the far side of the tree to attack from behind.
In the moment the rogue is able to ignore the disgusting flea and maggot ridden flanks of the great porcine beast. He moves to hamstring it.
Attack
+1 sh sword
extra flank damage Also if hit for the next round all allies will have an extra +2 to hit the boar. Kappi will get a +4.
Seeing Kappi making ready to close around the tree, Ali steps up--leaving some room for Vojtek to flank with Kappi, beside her--and swings her blade. But not before blinking for the requisite concentration to imbue her blade with magical sharpness!
Arcane Pool: make sword +1 Keen
<--FAAAAAAK!!!
...hamstring...
Kappi moves toward the boar's flank , only to discover that the reach-enabled porcine reactions are trained for combat!
Ali will take a 5' step rather than the full move. that means Vojtek won't be able to get in on the flank (yet, at least)
Ali moves in and allows Kappi to hit the loin!
Davosh turns his Eye towards the beast, "Look. Behold. Despair."
He promptly unleashes a hex upon the beast
Kappi screams with the first unexpected hit... He takes the second in silence and just bleeds a lot.
Vojtek, stumbling through this hut so far, suddenly jolts his head upright. He looks around in alarm, as though he just awoke in the midst of a fight after a dreaming slumber. His eye falls upon his friend Kappi and he sees the red lifeblood gushing from a hideous wound. With a snarl, Vojtek charges into the fray with his blood up, spoiling to wreak havoc on this enemy.
Heedless of the danger, the barbarian charges around behind Ali and swings his massive magical axe downward in a furious overhand swing!
for